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Spanish football may have a new home on TV from next season. Sky have held the rights to screen La Liga matches for nearly 20 years but their contract is up at the end of the season and rivals BT Sport will be keen to buy the rights from 2015. Sky lost the rights to show Champions League football last season when their contract expired and BT stepped in and paid £897million for three years exclusive coverage. Golden boy: Barcelona celebrate scoring against Celta Vigo in a La Liga game last season . Glory boys: Cristiano Ronaldo and Gareth Bale celebrate winning the UEFA Super Cup on Tuesday . BT Sport have already secured the rights to show Germany's Bundesliga, Italy's Serie A, France's Ligue 1 and Portugal's Primeira Liga. Sky recently launched a channel - Sky Sports 5 - dedicated to showing European football and will be keen to hold onto the rights for Spanish football. The TV rivals are gearing up for the start of the new Premier League season on Saturday. BT are showing Louis van Gaal's first competitive game as Manchester United a boos - a home fixture against Swansea. Sky meanwhile are showing Arsenal v Crystal Palace on Saturday, Liverpool v Southampton and Newcastle v Manchester City on Sunday and Burnley v Chelsea on Monday. SKY . - 116 live Premier League games . - 15 live Champions League games per week in the group stage, via the red button, as well as coverage of the knock-out stage and the final in Berlin . - Sky Sports 5 will show up to 600 live European games, including European qualifiers, Champions League matches and games from La Liga and the Dutch Eredivisie . - Sky has exclusive rights to the Euro 2016 Qualifiers for Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland and Republic of Ireland and will show a selection of qualifiers . - 55 live Championship matches and the Championship Play-Offs and Play-Off final at Wembley . - Sky Sports have exclusive coverage of the Capital One Cup, broadcasting two matches from each rounds 1-5, followed by the semi-final and the final . BT Sport . - 38 live Premier League games, including 18 top picks not available for Sky Sports . - shared FA Cup rights with BBC, showing up to 24 exclusive live games, including the final . - the Community Shield final between Arsenal and Manchester City . - shared Europa League rights with ITV and up to 176 live Europa League matches . - shared rights with Sky for Scottish matches, including 30 live Scottish Premier League, Football League games and 10 Rangers matches from League One . - two or three Conference games per month . - BT cover other international competitions, including Serie A, the Bundesliga, the MLS and the Copa Libertadores in South America . | Sky's contract to screen games runs out at the end of this season . BT Sport stepped in last season to buy rights to Champions League games . BT already have rights for German, Italian, French and Portuguese matches . Rivals gearing up for start of the new Premier League season . | 403f5e8081645e2eb8cf7c841261b570fed4458e |
Strict building codes and the preparedness of millions of Chileans who live along an arc of volcanoes and fault lines likely kept the death toll -- only six by Wednesday afternoon -- low after an 8.2-magnitude earthquake rumbled offshore and prompted a tsunami, observers said. Officials said four of those whose deaths were blamed on the quake late Tuesday that triggered landslides, power outages, and a tsunami suffered heart attacks, while two others were crushed. "They're a seismically active region of the world and they are very good at implementing their building codes similar to California," John Bellini, a Denver-based geophysicist at the U.S. Geological Survey told CNN on Wednesday. He added, "Because of that, you would see less damage than in other places that have poorer building codes .... that's probably one of the reasons there haven't been as many casualties as there could have been from a magnitude earthquake of this size." Nearly 928,000 people were evacuated, said Ricardo Toro, director of Chile's office of national emergency. More than 2,500 homes sustained serious structural damage in the region around the northern port city of Iquique, the mayor of Alto Hospicio, Ramon Galleguillos, told reporters. Most of the homes were built with poor workmanship through government subsidies, Galleguillos said. Alto Hospicio is about a mile from Iquique, 60 miles southeast from the epicenter of the quake. A 7.6-magnitude aftershock struck the region late Wednesday. There was no immediate word on damage or injuries. Chilean President Michelle Bachelet, who toured the region Wednesday, praised local authorities for responding in an "exemplary manner" to a powerful earthquake and the tsunami that followed. "This is a great example to all of us that when we work together in an adequate manner and we when we follow the plans that have been established in the region, we work well," Bachelet said. Chile is in one of the most earthquake-prone regions in the world. The country sits on an arc of volcanoes and fault lines circling the Pacific Ocean known as the "Ring of Fire," according to Mark Simons, a geophysicist at Caltech in Pasadena, California. This area sees frequent earthquakes and volcanic eruptions. Since 1973, Chile has had more than a dozen quakes of magnitude-7.0 and above. Simons said Tuesday's quake occurred as the fault line along Chile's coast has constantly shifted in the last 140 years. In recent weeks, this area has seen a cluster of activity -- something like 50 to 100 smaller quakes. Then, late last month, a 6.7- and a 6.1-magnitude quake struck. The keys to surviving the big ones . Chile has over the years implemented strict building codes and rigorous evacuation plans, experts said. "People are more familiar with them," Bellini said of the temblors. "They, in general, know what to do as part of their daily lives, plus the building codes are fairly well-enforced in Chile. It's in their culture." In February 2010, about 500 people died when an 8.8-magnitude earthquake hit. That quake was so violent, it moved one whole Chilean city about 10 feet west. One month earlier, the importance of strict building codes was underscored when Port-au-Prince, Haiti, was hit by a magnitude-7.0 earthquake that leveled 70% of the Haitian capital's structures and killed at least 230,000 people. "That's actually a perfect example of the differences in building codes and enforcement in two different regions," Bellini said. "Any place that has a magnitude 7 or an 8 is going to have some kind of damage. However, the building codes play a large part in the damage and destruction that is seen, as well as the casualty level. Population density plays an important part as well -- but the building codes are really what can save lives in areas that have large earthquakes." In a 2011 report, the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction credited Chile's "strict building codes" with playing "a large part in protecting people." "The key to surviving high magnitude quakes is to live and work in seismically safe buildings, while being aware of how nature around us can also change," Margareta Wahlstrom, U.N. special representative of the secretary-general for disaster risk reduction, said in the report. The report found that Haiti's quake, which struck closer to the surface than in Chile, was "no match for the homes and buildings." "In Haiti, in addition to [lack of strict] building codes, you have a population that doesn't have a regular historical experience of large quakes like this," Bellini said. "Last time there was a quake in Haiti that size was 100 plus years ago and they don't have large regular seismic activity plus the building codes are not there." He added, "In Chile, they're better prepared. Whether it's in their mind every single moment of the day, I'm sure it's not. But in general, their infrastructure and their population is much more prepared for it." Steven Godby, an expert in disaster management at Nottingham Trent University in England, praised the Chile's disaster preparedness, saying an estimated 500,000 people participated in a drill in May 2012 in the coastal region of Valparaiso. "The government of Chile has been working hard to improve the awareness of people living along the coast to the threat from tsunamis and on what to do if one is approaching," Godby said in a statement. "Several tsunami drills have taken place since the tsunami that killed an estimated 500[-plus] Chileans in February 2010 and recent earthquakes in the region have helped to keep the threat firmly in people's minds." Chile's big quake is not California's fault, scientists say . Inmates turn themselves in after temblor . In Chile on Tuesday, landslides damaged roads in some regions. Power and phone outages were reported in others. The tsunami following the quake was similar to "high tide," Galleguillos added. Bachelet huddled with regional authorities as images broadcast from the affected region showed deep cracks across paved roads and a crumpled coastline strewn with beached boats. Bachelet said Chile faced the "first emergency hours very well" and Defense Minister Jorge Burgos said things were calm on Wednesday. He said the military had been dispatched throughout the quake zone to ensure safety. Some 300 relief personnel were deployed in Iquique, which has a population of more than 200,000, Burgos said. Of 293 inmates who escaped from prison in Iquique, 131 had turned themselves in voluntarily. Although the temblor was powerful, geologists say an even larger quake could be lurking. "This magnitude, 8.2, is not the large earthquake that we were expecting in this area," said Simons. "We're expecting a potentially even larger earthquake." It could be tomorrow. Or it could come in 50 years. "We do not know when it's going to occur," he said. The quake struck around 8:46 p.m. local time and had a depth of 12.5 miles, the U.S. Geological Survey said. The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center issued several warnings but canceled them by early Wednesday. Tsunami watches initially extended as far north as Mexico's Pacific Coast were called off as well. Tsunami waves of more than 6 feet washed ashore on the coast of Pisagua, said the center's Victor Sardino. Iquique saw 7-foot waves. An earthquake of the scale that struck Tuesday night is capable of causing tremendous damage. So if the initial reports stand, Chile may have dodged a catastrophe. On March 16, a 6.7-magnitude quake struck about 37 miles west-northwest of Iquique. A 6.1-magnitude quake hit the same area a week later. Chile quake: This was big but a bigger one awaits, scientist says . | 7.6-magnitude aftershock strikes late Wednesday . Quake triggered small landslides, cut power and generated a tsunami . President: "The country has faced these first emergency hours very well" About 300 prisoners escaped in the northern port city of Iquique, but 131 surrendered . | 3b91a1d50687658439000ec8274642f434fa65e4 |
By . Associated Press Reporter . and Daily Mail Reporter . A teenager killed his grandmother in a bloody struggle inside her home at a nudist community in Florida and then drove around with her body in a minivan for nearly five hours, authorities said. Brandon Machetto, 18, had been living with his grandmother, 74-year-old Sylvia Schmitt, for the past several weeks and they apparently fought frequently, said Pasco County sheriff's spokeswoman Melanie Snow. A neighbor called authorities after seeing Machetto drag a wrapped bag with feet dangling out from the home - Paradise Lakes Condominium Association nudist community in Lutz - into his grandmother's minivan early Monday, police said. Troubled: Brandon Machetto, 18, has been charged with the murder of his grandmother. Police have not yet said how Sylvia Schmitt, 74, died, but her body was found in the back of her Honda minivan in Lutz, Florida . Victim: Sylvia Rosalie Schmitt, 74, was described as a very approachable woman who never spoke badly of anyone. She was allegedly murdered by her grandson . The body of Sylvia Schmitt was found in her gold Honda Odyssey (right) and there was a significant amount of blood found in her home, suggesting a struggle . Machetto drove around with his . grandmother's body in the back of the Honda Odyssey and when deputies . tried to pull him over, he refused, police said. He eventually drove back to the Paradise Lakes - a clothing-optional condominium community and adjacent resort - and was arrested. Machetto was charged with first-degree murder and is being held in jail without bond. It's unclear if he has an attorney. Deputies described Machetto as expressionless and stoic following his arrest. However he then pulled a huge smile when it came time for his booking photo. In a second photo, taken moments later, he appears to be on the verge of tears. Ronnie Hall, Machetto's martial arts instructor for seven years, said Machetto nearly died a few years ago when he was attacked by a group of teens who hit him in the back of the head with a rock, the Tampa Bay Times reported. The Paradise Lakes Condominium Association is a nudist community in Lutz, Florida . Schmitt reportedly had her troubled grandson come and live with her at Paradise Lakes because his mother 'had done all she could' Hall said Machetto suffered a brain injury as a result and was 'never the same' afterwards. Machetto's emotional maturity was that of a 13-year-old. Hall said Machetto was spastic and child-like. Machetto and his grandmother apparently fought as she tried to get her grandson to take his medication. Deputies said Machetto had been accused of domestic violence against Schmitt in 2012, but she dropped the charge. Schmitt had taken Machetto in to live with her several weeks ago after his mother, Sheryl, 'had done all she could'. Records show he was arrested twice earlier this year. In March he was charged with obstructing police and resisting arrest. In May he was arrested for retail theft. | Brandon Machetto, 18, has been charged with the murder of his grandmother, Sylvia Schmitt, 74 . A neighbor called police after seeing him drag a wrapped bag with feet dangling out to a minivan at the Paradise Lakes Condominium Association nudist community in Lutz, Florida . He drove around before returning to the community, where he was arrested . A significant amount of blood was found in the home, suggesting a struggle . Machetto almost died after being hit in the head with a brick during an attack as a child . Friends say he was 'never the same' afterward . He would fight with his grandmother over taking his medication . | 7bc3dc865c0b78047361ef2f1a12f18e1e013c12 |
A Los Angeles restaurant is charging $50 for the country's first water tasting class lead by a certified water sommelier. Water 101 is being hosted at Patina by the restaurant's resident aqua expert Martin Riese - who will teach customers about the 'fundamentals of water' during the hour long lesson. 'Water is essential to life. But not all waters are the same,' he explained on the class brochure. 'Water has a significant impact on the way we taste food... and can be paired in a manner similar to wine.' Haute hydration: Certified water sommelier Martin Riese (pictured) is teaching a 'water tasting' class at Los Angeles restaurant Patina . Tasty aqua: The expert even has his own brand of water called Beverly HIlls 90H2O, which is sold at Patina Restaurant Group's establishment Ray's and Stark Bar . The price of admission also includes five 'dramatically different' waters and small bites from Patina's signature artisanal cheese selection. The first class in the series takes place on February 4 with others being held at Patina on April 1 and June 3. The flyer ensures future water connoisseurs that the groups will remain small so customers will get the most out of their tasting. Mr Rise, who is also general manager of the Patina Restaurant Group's dining establishment Ray's and Stark Bar, was the man behind the establishment's 45 page water menu, which features 20 varieties of water from around the world. Before he started working for the Patina Restaurant Group in 2011, the H2O expert had written a 200-page book on the topic, titled Die Welt des Wassers or The World of Water. He had acquired his water sommelier certification in 2010 after completing a $3,000 week-long course at Doemen's, in his native Germany. 'A lot of Americans think water is just water,' he told the Los Angeles Times in 2013. 'But I completely don't believe in that. Water has so many interesting nuances.' He noted: 'Every water has an unique taste, even tap water.' 'Different mineral content of each water gives the waters a different tastes,' Mr Riese explained. 'It can go from sweet to salty and smooth to complex.' The expert even has his own brand of water. Beverly Hills 90H20 is sold at Ray's and Stark Bar for $13 per bottle, although it is not clear whether or not it will be served at Mr Riese's upcoming tasting lessons. Mr Riese said the base of his water comes from a mineral water spring from the Sierra Nevada Mountains, noting that it took him and his partner Jon Gluck over a year to come up with the 'perfect natural mineral mix' to add. 'We’ve even patented our water formulation and bottle shape,' he said. 'Every blend is limited to a 10,000 bottle run.' | Patina is holding a Water 101 class that educates students on the 'fundamentals of water' Certified water sommelier Martin Riese is hosting the lesson, which boasts a tasting of five 'dramatically different' waters . Mr Riese says water can 'be paired in a manner similar to wine' | de67c33403e84787edb43d268653269631d17621 |
Manchester United's fringe players put in a pitiful display against MK Dons - with a humiliating 4-0 defeat highlighting why they cannot break into Louis van Gaal's first-team plans. Captain for the night Jonny Evans could not have put in a worse display as he gave away the ball for Dons' first goal and disappeared from sight in the second half. Javier Hernandez and Anderson were particularly awful and Danny Welbeck also struggled. Here, Sportsmail dissects the performances of some of United's fringe players. VIDEO Scroll down for Louis van Gaal: We created chances but we made errors . Embarrassing: Manchester United were beaten 4-0 by MK Dons in the Capital One Cup second round . Night to forget: Jonny Evans was dreadful for United and his mistake led to the first goal for MK Dons . Hammer blow: Will Grigg celebrates scoring the first goal in MK Dons' 4-0 victory over Manchester United . Jonny Evans . Although not a fringe player, Evans may have played himself out of Van Gaal's first-team plans after an inept display against a League One side. With the arrival of Marcos Rojo and with more signings expected, Evans' place in the team can no longer be guaranteed after this display. The first goal was definitely his fault as - under no real pressure whatsoever - he casually passed the ball directly to Ben Reeves, who played in Will Grigg to open the scoring. Evans also went missing for the second goal - as did the whole defence - and continued to be caught out of position in the second half. As captain, Evans was expected to lead the young side to victory but instead his indecisiveness and wastefulness in position caused his team-mates to become nervous. Not the way to introduce yourself to a new manager. Not by any stretch of the imagination. Struggle: Jonny Evans was unable to lead United well as captain and his mistakes led directly to goals . Out-muscled: Evans struggled all evening and he could not cope with the MK Dons forwards running at him . Anderson . Played a wonderful early ball through the middle to Hernandez on 10 minutes that the Mexican wasted, but that was unfortunately about as good as it got for the midfielder. He put in an awful sliding tackle on double-scorer Grigg on the half-hour mark for which he should have been booked, and that was about as close as he got to winning the ball most of the night. Anderson ambled around the pitch for long periods without looking like controlling the game. He was thoroughly out-played by a League One midfield, which basically says it all. He totally lost the run of Grigg for MK Dons' second goal and allowed him to chest in unmarked. United must off load him ASAP. Please help me: Anderson put in an awful display for United and looks certain to be shown the exit door . Struggle: Anderson was bullied by a League One midfield in MK Dons and he was terrible most of the night . Javier Hernandez . This really was not the Mexican's night. Any potential suitors in the transfer market will not have been impressed with this display and may be getting cold feet over any deal. Hernandez slipped over in first minute after a wonderful ball through from Welbeck and from then on looked rushed and low in confidence in front of goal. On at least two occasions Hernandez should have scored for United but both times he blew his chances. First of all he turned his back on the ball in the 76th minute when he had a wide-open goal to aim at in an utterly baffling move. Then he had a chance from six yards with three minutes left on the clock that was blocked but the Javier Hernandez of two years ago would have buried it. Extremely disappointing display. Waste: Javier Hernandez did not take any of the chances that fell his way and was extremely poor . Struggle: Hernandez looked short of match sharpness and should have scored at least twice on the night . Shinji Kagawa . Perhaps the only one of the fringe players who can leave Milton Keynes feeling like he may still have a future under Van Gaal. He lasted just 20 minutes after he failed to recover from a heavy collision in the ninth minute. Kagawa was left with a bloodied nose, blurry vision and mild concussion and left the pitch not knowing where he was - perhaps for the best! Van Gaal has described Kagawa as someone who 'cannot hold' in midfield, so the arrival of Angel Di Maria will limit the attacking opportunities available to the playmaker even further. Cut short: Shinji Kagawa was forced off the field with mild concussion and blurriness in the 20th minute . Unable to shine: Kagawa was not able to make his case to be regular starter after having his evening cut short . Danny Welbeck . Strangely Welbeck was one of the few United players to start well but, as the visitors faded, the forward disappeared completely in the second half. A wonderful counter-attack and ball in the box to Hernandez highlighted a brilliant start for Welbeck who looked pacey and full of intent, but he soon found himself starved of service. He had one powerful effort from 20 yards that just crept wide but apart from that he rarely looked like scoring. If he is to leave United you would think there will be plenty of suitors, but the game against MK Dons highlighted the frustration of Welbeck the player. He can look so good yet he just does not deliver so often when it matters. Lively: Danny Welbeck started the game well but United faded in the first half and stopped providing him the ball . Frustrating: Welbeck looked good to begin with but, as United faded, Welbeck completely disappeared . | Braces from Will Grigg and Benik Afobe help MK Dons to famous victory . Manchester United humbled in Capital One Cup second round . Louis van Gaal yet to win a competitive game since taking over as boss . Van Gaal played a team mixed with fringe players and youngsters . Jonny Evans captained the side but his mistake led to the first goal . He struggled throughout and did not lead the youngsters around him well . Javier Hernandez misses a couple of brilliant opportunities to score . Anderson went missing in midfield as United succumbed to defeat . Danny Welbeck shows energy in first half but tailed off as game went on . Shinji Kagawa went off with mild concussion after just 20 minutes gone . | 04cd8c749d858e960599686def991fa990ed96e9 |
(CNN) -- A $5 million prize for excellence in African leadership was awarded to former Cape Verde President Pedro Verona Pires in London on Monday. Pires was recognized for helping transform the government and economy of Cape Verde, according to the Mo Ibrahim Prize Committee. "The Prize Committee has been greatly impressed by President Pedro Pires's vision in transforming Cape Verde into a model of democracy, stability and increased prosperity," said committee chairman Salim Ahmed Salim. Under Pires' presidency, Cape Verde became the second African country to graduate from the United Nations' list of least developed countries. Launched in 2007, the Mo Ibrahim Prize for Achievement in African Leadership is awarded to candidates who demonstrate "good governance and great leadership" during their time in office, according to a statement from the Mo Ibrahim Foundation. Democratically elected African presidents and prime ministers who have left office within the last three years are eligible for the prize. In the last two years, the London-based foundation has decided not to award the prize because the committee could not select a winner. The $5 million prize is distributed over 10 years. Winners also receive an additional $200,000 a year for life. The seven-member Ibrahim Prize Committee is chaired by Salim, the former Prime Minister of Tanzania, and includes global figures such as Graca Machel, wife of Nelson Mandela, and Mary Robinson, former president of Ireland and former U.N. high commissioner for human rights. Previous winners of the award include Botswana ex-President Festus Mogae in 2008 and Mozambique ex-President Joaquim Chissano in 2007. Ibrahim, a Sudanese-born telecommunications businessman and billionaire, created the foundation bearing his name in 2006. The foundation uses 88 criteria to rate the governing of African countries. According to the 2011 index, the top-governed African nations are Mauritius, Cape Verde, Botswana, Seychelles and South Africa. | Mo Ibrahim Prize winners receive $5 million and $200,000 a year for life . Committee: Pedro Verona Pires reformed Cape Verde's government and economy . Pires is the first winner in three years . | 99d573ef8dd938b386c8a5ab9708a78eb0e51489 |
New York (CNN) -- Beachgoers are being warned to stay out of the water this weekend at four popular beaches around New York City after raw sewage from a Manhattan plant spilled into the Hudson River, authorities said. Health advisories also have been issued for portions of the Hudson River, the East River, the Harlem River and the Kill Van Kull, cautioning people against participating in water-related activities such as canoeing, kayaking and swimming, according to the New York City Department of Health. The sewage spill began Wednesday after a fire began in the engine room of the North River Wastewater Treatment Plant, according to a press release Friday from the New York City Department of Environmental Protection. The sewage spill was stopped Friday night, and two of the engines damaged by the fire have been brought back online, the department said. The health advisories were issued for South Beach, Midland Beach and Cedar Grove Beach on Staten Island, and Sea Gate in Brooklyn, according to the release. The beaches are not closed, but the New York City Department of Health recommends that people not swim or enter the water at those locations. They also recommend that young and elderly people, as well as anyone suffering from a medical condition, not go near the water at those beaches. The advisories were expected to be in place until Monday. That would encompass one of this summer's hottest weekends, with the National Weather Service forecasting high temperatures Saturday of 99 degrees Fahreinheit and in the high 80s Sunday. Additionally, authorities were testing the waters in the harbor and at other aquatic locales that could potentially be affected by the sewage leak, the press release said. The plant is responsible for treating 120 million gallons of wastewater a day on Manhattan's west side. CNN's Jordana Ossad and Laura Batchelor contributed to this report. | A sewage spill at a Manhattan wastewater plant has been brought under control . The spill occurred after a fire at the plant . Beachgoers are urged to avoid three beaches on Staten Island and one in Brooklyn . Authorities are warning against swimming and kayaking in the Hudson and East rivers . | 0798d2923448b2ef246d0984d3f3f1426df463c2 |
Ed Miliband held private talks in his Commons office with the disgraced Co-op Bank boss embroiled in a drugs scandal, it emerged last night. The revelation left the Labour leader facing potentially damaging questions about his relationship with the Reverend Paul Flowers. Flowers is being investigated by the police after being caught on film apparently buying hard drugs, including crack cocaine and crystal meth. Paul Flowers is being investigated by the police after being caught on film apparently buying hard drugs, including crack cocaine and crystal meth . Co-op last night announced a complete review of the fiasco, as Labour leader Ed Miliband faced questions over hiring Flowers as a business adviser . But last night it emerged that Flowers had enjoyed astonishing access and influence at the top of the Labour establishment for years. Labour sources confirmed that Mr Miliband had personally appointed Flowers to his elite Business and Industry Advisory Group in 2010 — and even invited him for private talks in his Commons office last year. It also emerged that Flowers described Shadow Chancellor Ed Balls as a ‘political friend’ and boasted of helping to arrange a £50,000 donation for him from the Co-op last year. Both Mr Miliband and Mr Balls deny being close to Flowers, who was suspended by Labour last night for ‘bringing the party into disrepute.’ A spokesman for Mr Balls, one of 32 Labour MPs sponsored by the Co-op, said he had never held a meeting with Flowers and never discussed the donation with him. The near-collapse of the Co-op Bank is embarrassing for Labour, which has long ties with the organisation. Last year Mr Miliband hailed the firm as the future of banking in a speech at the its headquarters. And many MPs receive financial support from the Co-op, including shadow Treasury chief secretary Chris Leslie, shadow Europe minister Gareth Thomas and shadow constitutional reform minister Stephen Twigg. Labour’s Business and Industry Advisory Group was set up by Mr Miliband to provide him with personal advice on business policy. Caught on camera: The Rev Paul Flowers was filmed counting money for drugs . Having parked up, Paul Flowers counts out £300 in £20 notes before handing the cash over for a drugs deal . The video and a series of damning text messages were handed to The Mail on Sunday by acquaintance Stuart Davies, who was 'disgusted by his hypocrisy' Flowers was one of 20 members of the group, which held meetings in 2011 and 2012. It has now been superseded by other Labour business forums.Asked about the appointment yesterday, Mr Miliband said: ‘He was involved in the Co-op and that is no longer the case. I think we will leave it there. You appoint people from a whole range of backgrounds to look at a whole range of issues and we have a range of business people working with us. ‘The police are looking into the matter and I’m not going to comment on an ongoing investigation. Suffice to say that group no longer exists. We should let the police inquiry take its course.’ Labour was last night unable to shed light on the meeting Mr Miliband held with Flowers at the Commons in March last year, describing it as a ‘private meeting’. But sources said it should come as ‘no surprise’ that the chairman of the Co-op Bank, which has historic ties to Labour, would be asked for advice on issues such as banking reform. In evidence to MPs earlier this month, Flowers said Mr Balls had played a pivotal role in supporting legislation that enabled the Co-op Bank’s disastrous 2009 merger with the Britannia Building Society. The Co-op gave Labour £750,000 in donations in 2009, the year the Britannia merger went through. Labour also benefits from a £1.3 million loan from the cash-strapped Co-op. A spokesman for Mr Balls, who was the keynote speaker at the Co-operative Party’s gala dinner this year, insisted he had few dealings with Flowers. He said: ‘Ed’s been to a few events which Paul has also been at, but he’s never had a meeting or phone conversation with him. 'The Co-op group donated £50,000 to the shadow chancellor’s office, which was declared in the normal way. Ed has never discussed the donation with Paul Flowers.’ Flowers became the first former Co-op boss to reveal the enthusiasm of Mr Balls for the disastrous 2009 merger with Britannia, which helped bring the lender to its knees. While he denied political interference, he said: ‘Balls was particularly supportive of us – talking to us and encouraging us.’ Flowers said Mr Balls was not at the Treasury at the time but was the Schools Minister. A Treasury Select Committee also heard Mr Balls has a close relationship with the bank’s parent, the Co-operative Group, which gave his office £50,000 in donations last year. | Methodist minister Paul Flowers, 63, caught on camera buying drugs . It was just days after he was grilled by MPs over his bank's performance . Flowers boasted of using ketamine along with cannabis and club drug GHB . Ed Miliband held private talks in Commons office with disgraced bank boss . | 34c95a4ac71c98d6dce7d580d7d370d49711b73e |
By . Neil Ashton . Follow @@neilashton_ . Steven Gerrard has hit back at former England team-mate Paul Scholes after he claimed Wayne Rooney should face the axe at the World Cup. Scholes questioned whether Roy Hodgson had the nerve to drop Rooney if he failed to deliver at his third World Cup. But Gerrard claimed Rooney is in peak condition as England prepare for Friday night's clash with Peru at Wembley. VIDEO Scroll down to watch Wayne Rooney with fully charged sliding tackle on John Stones . Wrong: Steven Gerrard doesn't agree with Paul Scholes' claims that Rooney should be axed at the World Cup . Doubts: Scholes questioned whether Roy Hodgson has the nerve to drop Rooney (pictured) Former star: Scholes played 67 times for England between 1997 and 2004, scoring 14 goals including this one against Croatia at Euro 2004 . The England captain said: ‘Paul Scholes is wrong. He’s been Manchester United’s best player at home and in Europe. He’s been in terrific form. What I’ve seen from his performances in the United team, he’s been really positive. ‘He’s in a better frame of mind going into this tournament than he’s had going into previous tournaments when he’s had injuries.’ Hodgson agreed: ‘Of course I don’t think he’s past his best. I’ve selected him in a 23-man squad that I’m very proud of. I believe in Wayne Rooney, he’s still a young man.’ Rooney starts up front for England on Friday evening in a strong line-up before the squad travels to Miami on Sunday and Hodgson says he wishes he could bottle the team spirit and use it against Italy in the opening group game. ‘I’m looking at the three matches, I suppose. I’m affected by this being our last game in England, a massive crowd and a huge responsibility, so it’s not an experimental team. ‘If I could bottle what I am seeing at the moment and keep it like that and release it on June 14 I’d be a happy man. Our job is to be in peak condition on June 14. I couldn’t have wished for a better week. Pointing the way: Rooney will start up front for England in the friendly against Peru at Wembley on Friday . ‘I’ll lean on the players who have done the job for us up to now against Peru. I can experiment more in Miami. ‘I want to see a good performance. The players want to give a good performance. ‘I’m very pleased that such a big crowd will see us off at Wembley but I’d be lying if I said I had a specific goal for the Peru game and the next two. Our goal is to gain experience in the next three games and give everyone game time.’ Pleased: England boss Hodgson is happy with the progress his side are making ahead of the World Cup . Southampton left back Luke Shaw will probably have to wait for his second cap as he has a head cold. Gerrard starts and is expected to be partnered by his Liverpool team-mate Jordan Henderson. Jack Wilshere, just returning to fitness, will play in the second half. Raheem Sterling and Adam Lallana will be given chances to win starting places against Italy but Hodgson has yet to decide whether to start them together in a 4-2-3-1 formation. Hodgson also revealed he wants to take standby players Everton defender John Stones and Liverpool’s Jon Flanagan to Miami. | Steven Gerrard hits back at Paul Scholes' claim Wayne Rooney should face the axe at the World Cup . Former Manchester United midfielder Scholes questioned whether Hodgson would have the nerve to drop the Red Devils frontman . Gerrard claimed Rooney is in peak condition ahead of England's friendly against Peru on Friday . | 7342a3faba1aa3320137cc4993e865e7a7b48dd6 |
By . Steve Nolan . PUBLISHED: . 15:07 EST, 1 January 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 19:11 EST, 1 January 2013 . A New Year's Eve reveller could lose the sight in one eye after he was viciously beaten by a gang of thugs in an alleged racist attack. The unnamed 23-year-old was with a friend in the early hours when police believe they were racially abused and then set upon in a convenience store in Brighton, East Sussex. An onlooker managed to flag down police who stepped in to stop the fight and chased one of the offenders and arrested him as the gang fled. Treatment: The Royal Sussex County Hospital, in Brighton, where the victim of an alleged racist attack in the early hours of New Years Day is being treated . The victim, who is from Brighton, remains in hospital tonight and specialists fear that he could be left blind in one eye after the savage assault. Detective Inspector Miles Ockwell, of Sussex Police, said: 'I would like anyone who witnessed the fight or who may have seen a group of men in the area in the time leading up to it, especially if they witnessed any form of confrontation before the incident, to contact us. 'This was a very serious assault and the victim remains in the Royal Sussex County Hospital where he may lose an eye as a result of the attack. 'We believe that racist language was directed towards the victim and his friend before they were attacked and we are keen to establish the exact circumstances.' A 19-year-old man from Burgess Hill, West Sussex, was arrested on suspicion of grievous bodily harm, possesion of Class A drugs and possession of cannabis. He was questioned and released on bail until March 6. Crime scene: The attack took place at the M&A Convenience Store in Lewes Road, Brighton . Sorry we are unable to accept comments for legal reasons. | The unnamed man was racially abused before the attack, say police . The victim remains in hospital tonight in Brighton, East Sussex . | 76f9a2eda55c113314b58ee7f9b32fc0d0756b95 |
PUBLISHED: . 05:59 EST, 2 October 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 04:21 EST, 3 October 2013 . With a fitness regime that involves spending three hours a day in the gym and a carefully controlled diet Charlotte Anderson, 26, has certainly earned her place in the final of the British Bodybuilding Championships. The Somerset athlete has been dubbed 'Britain's hottest firefighter' and has impressed colleagues with her dedication as well as judges in the 'body fitness' category. And Charlotte has repaid the compliment to her colleagues, saying her gruelling training with Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service has helped hone her incredible physique. Muscular: Charlotte will be taking part in the body fitness category at the British Bodybuilding Championships . Gruelling: Charlotte puts her physique down to her challenging job combined with three hour workouts . 'I am not scared of weights or sweating,' said Charlotte, who hails from Shepton Mallet in leafy Somerset. 'There is plenty of time to look girly when I get dressed up and go out, but when I'm at the gym it's the same as being at the fire ground, it's both sweat and stamina.' Charlotte is a retained firefighter at Shepton Mallet fire station. Single Charlotte started lifting weights when she joined the retained fire service three years ago. 'I wanted to keep up with the boys on the fire rounds,' she said. 'It's . not that I don't like asking for help - especially in a crucial . situation - but I didn't want to be a girly-girl out on the fire calls.' Charlotte, who also has a full-time office job, added: 'I get a lot of banter at the station about my competing. 'I . took my trophy in and I think they are really pleased for me but they . do make jokes about it - I think that just shows that they do support me . though. Natural: Body fitness requires muscles that aren't too pumped up plus beauty pageant style presentation . Impressive: Charlotte juggles her workouts with her role as a retained fireman and a job at the local council . 'They call me "Guns" quite a lot and if something is really heavy they say "don't worry we can get Guns on it". 'But they are really supportive and put up with my mood swings which I get sometimes on the low carb parts of my diet. 'Being in the retained fire service is a really mix when it comes to helping my training. 'Sometimes . we will be out on lots of jobs, which is great for fitness, but does . make me tired when it comes to trying to fit in my personal fitness.' She won second place in the bodyfitness category at the South West Classic Bodybuilding and Open Championships last month and will now compete in the final. 'It's called body fitness and the goal is for a more natural look to the muscles than bodybuilding,' she of the competition. 'Girls are expected to have pageant appearances, so they are marked on looks and hair as well as muscle tone and size. 'I have been on a pre-competition diet for the last four months which means eating every three hours with a strict exercise regime of at least three hours a day. 'Typically I work two muscle groups at a time in a four day spilt. I train by myself which is hard but push bigger weights every time. 'I am hoping to work up to the next class of physique but lean muscle will take years to obtain naturally but is worth the patience and dedication.' The final of the British Bodybuilding Championships takes place later this month in Harrogate. | Charlotte Anderson to compete in the finals of top bodybuilding competion . She puts her incredible physique down to her gruelling job as a firefighter . Competes in the body fitness class which demands beauty contest looks . | ef6ccd316c9fb928f74ae2942c58c642b17f4e2d |
The empty spacesuit that sat on the operating table in a lab at Houston Methodist Hospital's research institute made for an unusual patient. The bulky garment ended up in the state-of-the-art research lab after it nearly killed astronaut Luca Parmitano. The Italian astronaut nearly drowning in his helmet during a 2013 spacewalk on the International Space Station. Italian astronaut Luca Parmitano stands beside his space suit sitting under a medical imaging scanner . Luca Parmitano, an officer in the Italian Air Force, described to an audience at the event how the water began building behind his head in his helmet and later started to cover his ears, eyes and nose. 'He said he imagined a newspaper headline that read, 'Italian astronaut drowns in space.' It happened when debris clogged a pump mechanism inside his spacesuit. It happened when debris clogged a pump mechanism inside his spacesuit. NASA hopes the advanced imaging equipment in the lab, including a CT scanner attached to a robotic arm, can help it create 3-D pictures of its spacesuits that can be used to better diagnose malfunctions that might happen in the future. Luca Parmitano, the Italian astronaut who survived the harrowing experience with the spacesuit, said the work NASA and the hospital are doing is a step forward in preventing others from going through what he faced. 'I never thought about seeing a spacesuit lying on a surgeon's table. 'That is a first for me,' said Parmitano, as he stood next to the spacesuit, which was not the same one he wore during the spacewalk. The imaging technology was demonstrated on the spacesuit during 'Pumps & Pipes,' an annual conference that brings three of Houston's biggest industries — medicine, energy and aerospace — together to discuss technologies that could be shared by the fields. Parmitano, an officer in the Italian Air Force, described to an audience at the event how the water began building behind his head in his helmet and later started to cover his ears, eyes and nose. 'He said he imagined a newspaper headline that read, 'Italian astronaut drowns in space.' The imaging technology was demonstrated on the spacesuit for an annual event that brings three of Houston's biggest industries _ medicine, energy and aerospace . Inside the suit: Tis image reveals part of the helmet up sclose . Brian Macias, the spacesuit subsystem manager at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston, said a fan component that failed during the spacewalk was later examined with X-rays and N-rays, another form of radiography, but this gave engineers limited information. 'It's breaking new ground for us because we haven't used imaging a whole lot in finding out spacesuit anomalies,' Macias said. 'I see great potential.' During a demonstration Monday at the conference, the robotic arm rotated the CT scanner around the spacesuit's helmet, creating red, black and white 3-D images that can allow engineers to look at the integrity of different components. Dr. Alan Lumsden, the medical director of the Methodist DeBakey Heart and Vascular Center who led the demonstration, said techniques used in endovascular surgery to examine problems with blood vessels are the same kind that can diagnose future problems with the spacesuits. 'Here is a situation where we are going to use our technology to potentially look at a problem that helps NASA,' he said. 'We really want to help as much as we can.' A robotic arm rotated the CT scanner around the spacesuit's helmet, creating red, black and white 3-D images that can allow engineers to look at the integrity of different components. | Italian astronaut Luca Parmitano nearly drowned in his helmet . Problem occurred during 2013 space walk on the Space Station . Scans will be used to pinpoint problems in the suit's workings . | 445fca6585071a3215ec72e635cf773bd4cc54ac |
Cairo, Egypt (CNN) -- In Egypt, television is a big deal. This is especially true during Ramadan, when networks spend an estimated $140 million on TV programming -- a sum nearly matched by what's spent on advertising. "Ramadan is still the biggest TV season. It's the Super Bowl of Arab TV, except that it goes for an entire month," explains Joseph Fahim, a prominent, Cairo-based film critic. It used to be that the plotlines for the myriad soaps and commercials that aired during Ramadan adhered to similar clichés: Family, unity, community, charity. Lately, with the region in upheaval, Ramadan television has acquired a distinct edge. Actor Amr Youssef is a TV and film actor whose Ramadan dramas have helped him shoot to national fame. Halfway through the Holy Month, he was filming "Aad Tanazoly", or "Countdown", in which he plays a university professor who is tortured in prison and ultimately driven to a life of terrorism. "There's definitely been a radical improvement in (television) quality -- aesthetically, narratively, conceptually and especially acting-wise," says Fahim. Assir Yassin, a former soap star who has since broken into the film industry, found himself playing a similarly meaty role in last year's movie, "Rags and Tatters", in which he played a convict who escaped prison during the 2011 revolution. Though the unrest from that period forms the backdrop of a lot of film and TV coming out of Egypt, particularly during Ramadan, Yassin notes that people, not politics, are the main themes. "(My movie) has a very subliminal message. (It's about) the people who went to the revolution, and those who didn't go. It's about the conditions of poverty and illiteracy. It was about people. Definitely it wasn't about revolution," he says. Many are taking advantage of Egypt's more experimental approach to subject matter during the holy month. Two years ago, J. Walter Thompson's Middle East division (JWT MENA) ran a series of humorous commercials for Vodafone Egypt featuring the country's most famous soap actors. In one, one of the actors gets hit by a Vodafone sign, and is left buried under the ruble. Vatche Keverian, the company's CEO, noted that Egypt makes it easier to try out new formats. "In the Gulf region, you still don't really have the freedom to explore new ideas when it comes to Ramadan because it's still a bit more conservative. In cultures such as Egypt, you find a lot more engaging content than anywhere else in the world," he says. As the subject matter matures, many actors are taking Ramadan as an opportunity to prove themselves, and ultimately further their career. "It's a lot of pressure, definitely," says Youssef. "You are competing with superstars and with very professional people, and all this is happening in 30 days," he says. | Ramadan is the most lucrative TV season in Egypt. TV networks spend $140 million on programming over the holy month . Lately, dramas and commercials have become more experimental with content . | 52f11c3546e185dce4d32d57516225cb855b1122 |
By . Sam Adams . PUBLISHED: . 11:21 EST, 14 September 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 11:40 EST, 14 September 2012 . Banned: Polish driver Damion Czarnocki (pictured) did a U-turn in the middle of the M6 Toll before driving the wrong along the motorway - because he did not have enough money to pay the charge . Most motorists avoid paying road tolls by taking alternative routes to their intended destinations. But one Polish driver, who had only been in Britain a few days, decided to take another option - doing a U-turn at the toll booth and driving the wrong way down the busy motorway. Reckless Damion Czarnocki, 20, turned around in the middle of the M6 before driving the wrong way because he didn’t have enough money to pay the charge, a court heard. He was picked up by police in . his Skoda between junctions six and seven near Brownhills, Staffordshire, on . the morning of August 23. Czarnocki was banned from driving after he . careered down the hard shoulder for four miles in the wrong direction . in busy rush hour traffic. After being pulled over, Czarnocki, . who was driving a rental car from Manchester to a customer in the South . of England, claimed he had ended up on the toll road by mistake and did . not have any money to pay the £5.50 fee. He said he realised he was going in . the wrong direction so performed a U-turn in lanes one and two of the . motorway as he approached the booths. Sonia Durrant-Clarke, prosecuting, said Czarnocki then travelled in the wrong direction along the hard shoulder. She added: 'He had only been in the country for a few days and his English was not very good.' Czarnocki, who was living in . Manchester, admitted a charge of dangerous driving when he appeared . before Fenton Magistrates Court on Thursday. He . was disqualified from driving for 12 months, ordered to take part in 80 . hours of community service and pay court costs of £85. Defending, Andrew Bennett said 'He did not want to be on that part of the road. 'He found himself near the toll booth and turned around.' U-turn: Czarnocki, 20, was banned from driving after he careered down the hard shoulder of the M6 for four miles in the wrong direction in busy rush hour traffic (M6 Toll pictured) Fare: Czarnocki, who was driving a rental car from Manchester to a customer in the South of England, claimed he had ended up on the toll road (pictured) by mistake . | Damion Czarnocki, 20, drove four miles the wrong way down the hard shoulder . Made the reckless manoeuvre after realising he did not have £5.50 for the toll . Pole had only been in Britain a few days before the incident . | fa46364e26eb89dc3388f9a0d1bdc372f3ceea39 |
By . Hugo Gye . PUBLISHED: . 06:48 EST, 15 November 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 07:00 EST, 15 November 2013 . A fraudster who stole £130,000 from the taxman by lying about his business expenses has escaped prison because he says his crimes were caused by bipolar disorder. Andrew Mottershead, an IT consultant, was awarded an income tax rebate after filing fraudulent self-assessment returns in which he exaggerated the size of his expenses. The 40-year-old spent the money on a sports car with a personalised number plate, golf holidays in Spain and £13,000 worth of jewellery for his wife. Fraud: Andrew Mottershead cheated the taxman out of £130,000 with fraudulent expenses claims . Officials at Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs found out about Mottershead's scam, but did not prosecute him after he promised to repay the £130,000. However, the fraudster, from Trafford in Greater Manchester, then attempted to steal another £260,000 from the taxman. Between May 2011 and September last year, he filed five false claims, Manchester Crown Court heard. Mottershead claimed that he committed his crimes while in the 'manic' phrase of bipolar II disorder, which causes extreme mood swings. The court heard that he is now being treated at the Priory, a private hospital which is favoured by celebrities. Couple: Mottershead spent £13,000 of his ill-gotten gains on buying jewellery for his wife . Bipolar II disorder is a mental illness which manifests itself as a less extreme form of manic depression. Sufferers tend to go through periods of depression coupled with episodes of 'hypomania', which is similar to mania but less intense. The symptoms include a lack of energy, suicidal thoughts, overactivity and a loss of inhibition. The causes of the illness are unknown, but are thought to be genetic and related to abnormal brain structure. It can be treated by lithium and other antidepressants, but is not curable. Mottershead pleaded guilty to cheating HMRC, and was given a two-year suspended sentence. Judge Robert Atherton told the defendant that he was a 'greedy man', but said that he would be lenient because of Mottershead's mental illness. 'Where the balance lies between bipolar disorder and greed is very difficult to assess, and I'm not equipped to do it,' the judge said. 'But I can't ignore the medical condition.' The court heard that telecoms company ShoreTel, where Mottershead worked for £50,000 a year, has kept the fraudster's job open for him. Earlier this year, another bipolar sufferer walked free from court after blaming his condition for making him throw a bottle at Usain Bolt during the London Olympics. Ashley Gill-Webb was convicted of public disorder for harassing the sprinting champion, but was only given a community order after a court heard that he was undergoing psychiatric treatment. | Andrew Mottershead, 40, filed false claims for business expenses . Spent the proceeds on sports car, holidays abroad and jewellery for wife . Given a suspended sentence after judge hears he was under the influence of his mental illness . | ac370842adbf2a0853e661f30b8975b674eb07a3 |
By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 14:15 EST, 24 September 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 14:15 EST, 24 September 2012 . Busted: George Boedecker, 51, pleaded not guilty to DUI in court today after his bizarre arrest last month in Colorado . The founder of Crocs has pleaded not guilty to drunk driving despite a bizarre confrontation with police last month where he allegedly blamed country star Taylor Swift - who was thousands of miles away. George Boedecker, 51, was discovered slumped over the wheel of a black Porsche in Boulder, Colorado on August 12. The entrepreneur also allegedly told arresting officers to go 'f*** themselves in the a**', . Police and paramedics said that when . Boedecker got out of the car, which was partially on the sidewalk, he . had trouble keeping his balance and was slurring his words. A witness told police that Boedecker had gotten out of the car, and first said that he had pulled over to take a nap. He later changed his story completely, saying that his girlfriend had been driving, and she is 'bats*** crazy'. Boedecker, whose other business ventures . include Domino's Pizza and Quizno’s, was approached by an officer, who . asked what had happened. A police report obtained by TheSmokingGun.com said that Boedecker told the officer that his girlfriend had been driving, and she ran away after the two had an argument. When asked about the girlfriend, Boedecker told the officer that she is a singer who is 'really f****** famous.' He then asked if the officer had ever heard of Taylor Swift. When the officer pressed for information about where the girlfriend went, Boedecker allegedly motioned toward a neighboring backyard, and then said 'Taylor' was in Nashville. The officer wrote that Boedecker then became agitated, saying he was done with the questions that that things were about to get 'mid-evil'. Wild claims: Boedecker is not believed to have ever been romantically linked to Taylor Swift . Shortly after that, Boedecker was . arrested, but he apparently was not done talking, as the officer noted . that the philanthropist told him and another responding officer to 'go . f*** themselves in the a**' and that he hoped the cop would 'f****** . die.' Unfortunately for . Boedecker and his story, Swift was in Hyannis Port, Massachusetts, at . the time of his arrest with her actual boyfriend Conor Kennedy and his . family - about 2,000 miles away. And . while Swift has dated such A-listers as Jake Gyllenhaal, Taylor . Lautner, and John Mayer, there is no evidence to suggest she has ever . been romantically linked to Boedecker. The wealthy Crocs owner is due back in court next month. Famous footwear: Boedecker has become wealthy as one of the founders of shoe brand Crocs . | George Boedecker, 51, arrested after being discovered slumped over wheel of a Porsche and telling police to go 'f*** themselves in the a**' | 93ebf6e16416f1b993d66b6c682f47098a40b291 |
(CNN) -- Egypt expelled the Turkish ambassador and scaled back diplomatic relations at the weekend over Turkey's Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan's vocal and persistent criticism of the interim government that replaced the former short-lived presidency of Mohamed Morsy, who hailed from the Muslim Brotherhood. The decision marks the demise of attempts by Erdogan to play a leading role in the Middle East. His ideological affinity to the Brotherhood was a staging post to influence other Islamist parties across the Arab world in order to restore the regional prestige of Turkey. That plan has come crashing down. Besides Egypt, Turkey is now at odds with the majority of the Gulf Arab states, Algeria, Israel, Jordan, Morocco and neighboring Iran, Iraq and Syria. It is mistrusted by Russia and is largely bypassed by the United States. Europe is disappointed by the deepening isolation of this strategically-located republic straddling East and West. To break out of this self-imposed exile, Turkey has recently sought to mend relations with newly elected Iranian President Hassan Rouhani and Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al Maliki. Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu has visited Baghdad and met key Shia and Sunni leaders while also cultivating ties with Iran. Turkey is seeking the assistance of both countries to contain the fallout from the Syrian quagmire, including the reduction of the ceaseless flow of refugees along the porous 910km Turkey-Syria border. Nonetheless, the abrupt change of direction will probably not repair the tensions on a durable basis. Countries in the region suspect that Turkey is merely reacting to developments and is not committed to a balanced foreign policy. After all, Turkey's rapid shifts in the past -- from befriending to outright hostility towards Nuri al Maliki and Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad, for example -- will most likely reinforce those perceptions. Moreover, the volatility of Turkey's external posture seems to significantly undermine the once-unassailable appeal of Erdogan to Arabs. Just two years ago, at the peak of "Arab Spring" fever, a Zogby poll showed that his popularity ratings standing at 80 per cent in Morocco and above 90 per cent in Lebanon and Saudi Arabia. Similarly, a 2011 survey by Pew Research revealed that his favourability ratings as 78 per cent, 72 per cent and 64 per cent in Egypt, Jordan and Lebanon respectively. Any contemporary polling will, however, arguably reveal plummeting support for Turkey and Erdogan. Turkey is no longer viewed as a template for democratic pluralism, civil liberties and economic rejuvenation after the disproportionate security response to the mainly peaceful Gezi Park protests in central Istanbul during May-June of this year. Reporters Without Borders ranks Turkey 154th in the world in terms of media freedoms compared to 98th several years ago. In addition, the golden age marked by a debt-fuelled consumer-driven economic boom, one of Turkey's crowning achievements, is at an end: as slow "recessionary" growth becomes the new normal for Turkey, as estimated by the IMF, it needs to urgently implement major structural reforms, which does not look likely in the foreseeable future. Despite the growing challenges to Turkey's regional position, its NATO membership and strategic geographic location ensure that it cannot be ignored in the Middle East. But that reality is a far cry from the euphoria and expectations that surrounded the rise of Turkey's regional and global profile over the last decade. Read more: Egypt declares Turkish envoy unwelcome . The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Fadi Hakura . | Egypt scales back diplomatic relations with Turkey over criticism of interim government . Turkey expert Fadi Hakura says Turkish PM's attempt to play leading role in Mideast has failed . Hakura: Turkey at odds with most Gulf Arab states, Algeria, Israel, Jordan, Morocco, Iran, Iraq, Syria . Despite change in circumstances, Turkey cannot be ignored, says Hakura . | 8e0cb477333601ae94c68a8e84125426912bee8d |
By . Sarah Griffiths . PUBLISHED: . 08:58 EST, 10 March 2014 . | . UPDATED: . 08:59 EST, 10 March 2014 . For many women, trying to balance childcare responsibilities with a busy career can be a struggle. Middle-class mothers are quitting high powered jobs because they are not prepared to behave like men by getting into work early and staying out late socialising, a new study claims. Women are more likely to ditch a highly paid job that clashes with childcare responsibilities, rather than compete with men in their office, British researchers said. Trying to have it all: Women are more likely to ditch a highly paid job that clashes with childcare responsibilities, rather than compete with men in their office, researchers said . Despite some gains in equality, workplace culture is still male dominated, said workplace psychologists from the University of Leicester's School of Management. This means that workplaces could be losing well qualified and capable female executives rather than adapt the culture to suit working mothers. Middle-class mothers are quitting high powered jobs because they are not prepared to behave like men by getting into work early and staying out late socialising (illustrated), the study claims . ‘Middle-class working mothers are leaving work because they are unwilling to behave like men,’ said report authors Emma Cahusac and Shireen Kanji. ‘Mothers in professional and managerial jobs are expected to stay late or get in early even if they have negotiated reduced working hours. ‘And (they are expected) to socialise with colleagues or clients in the evenings - even though this clashes with their childcare responsibilities. ‘They must do so because working culture is still organised by men, who are less involved in childcare. Many mothers respond by leaving their jobs. ‘Unless mothers mimic successful men, they do not look the part for success in organisations.’ Their study, which is based on interviews with professional women in different sectors, found that it is not just men who are guilty of creating a hostile environment for working mothers. Female employees without children are quite happy to promote and join in with the macho culture, they found. One mother, who used to work as a banker, said when she left as 6pm to look after her children she would get 'barbed comments' from a female co-worker who did not have children. The study found that it is not just men who are guilty of creating a hostile environment for working mothers. Female employees without children are happy to promote and join in with the macho culture (illustrated) the researchers said. Some women hide the fact they are mothers to avoid falling foul of hostile attitudes, according to the report that was published in the journal Gender, Work and Organisation. The researchers interviewed 26 women who had left work after having children or getting pregnant in reach their conclusions. Many of the women said they were 'side-lined' on their return to the office after giving birth. 'Many women leave high-powered jobs because they are relegated to lesser roles and feel the need to suppress their identities as mothers,' the study said. ‘This is not only unfair. As an economy, we cannot afford to waste such skilled and educated workers.’ Boys whose fathers work very long hours are more likely to become tearaways, according to research published last summer. A study of more than 1,400 children found those whose fathers worked more than 55 hours a week were more delinquent and aggressive than their peers, yet the same phenomenon was not identified in daughters. Further research now needs to be carried out to discover why this happens in males, and to look for ways to tackle it. The study was run by the Social Science Research Centre in Berlin, but was based in Western Australia where one in five fathers work at least 55 hours week when their children were between five and eight. Mothers' working hours did not seem to matter, although few Australian mothers worked long hours, according to the study. Dr Jianghong Li, of The Social Science Research Centre, Berlin, said: 'It is possible when fathers work very long hours, children are less well monitored after school, especially if mothers also work full time hours. 'There is some evidence pre-adolescent boys are less well monitored than girls when fathers have high work related demands, including long hours, and as a consequence have more conduct problems.' The culture of working long hours, which has crept into many jobs should be the next policy frontier, said the researchers. | Workplace psychologists said women are quitting their jobs because they can't fit long hours and staying out late socialising with childcare . Despite some gains in equality, workplace culture is still male dominated, according to a report by the University of Leicester . Female employees without children are quite happy to be promoted and join in with the macho culture, according to the study . | 8aeee08d0667ac70ce79b40ec45849d9e3cc1968 |
By . Richard Shears . PUBLISHED: . 05:15 EST, 22 November 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 11:41 EST, 22 November 2012 . An Australian elephant keeper, who was almost crushed to death by the animal she had cared for from its birth, told for the first time today how she felt ‘challenged’ before the beast attacked her. Lucy Melo, 40, who spent 12 days in hospital after suffering a heart attack and severe injuries when the elephant pinned her to a metal bollard at Sydney’s Taronga Zoo, said she noticed a change in the usually timid Pathi Harn moments before the attack. Miss Melo gave a dramatic insight into the incident in a letter posted on the Taronga Zoo website today. Scroll down for video . Elephant attack: Zoo keeper Lucy Melo (pictured with an unknown elephant) was almost crushed to death by the animal when he pinned her to a metal bollard at Sydney's Taronga Zoo . She told how the elephant’s trunk, which he had forced against her chest, took her breath away and prevented her from ordering him to move away. Although conscious when paramedics arrived at the zoo, she then lapsed into a coma and had a cardiac arrest for about five minutes. The medics managed to save her life but she remained critical in hospital for several days afterwards. Miss Melo said she noticed a change in the two-year-old elephant – formerly known as Mr Shuffles – when he failed to respond to one of her orders during a routine training session. ‘When he did not respond, I sensed a behavioural change in him and realised he was thinking of challenging me,’ she wrote of the elephant she and other keepers had hand-reared followed his traumatic birth. Close call: Miss Melo told how the elephant put his trunk against her chest, took her breath away and prevented her from ordering him to move away at Taronga Zoo (pictured) ‘I immediately tried to redirect his thoughts by asking him for a different behaviour and at the same time I was making my way out of the stall. ‘Unfortunately, just as I was almost out, he raised his trunk and pinned me against one of the metal bollards. ‘His trunk on my chest took my breath away, which made it impossible for me to talk and tell him to stop.’ Miss Melo said it was fortunate that her co-workers were on hand to immediately move the elephant away. Cared since birth: The elephant, who lived in this enclosure at the zoo, caused Miss Melo to suffer a heart attack, severe injuries, and lapse into a coma . She suggested that Pathi Harn might have challenged her because of his low confidence levels following his traumatic birth, which had resulted in him being hand reared by Miss Melo and other keepers. Despite her injuries, which included broken ribs, Miss Melo has decided to courageously continue raising Pathi Harn. She said that being a part of raising the elephant after such a traumatic start to his life remained one of the biggest highlights of her career. She was looking forward, she said, to being reunited with Pathi Harn once her fractured ribs had healed. | Elephant keeper Lucy Melo spent 12 days in hospital after the attack . Two-year-old elephant Pathi Harn pinned her to a metal bollard . Miss Melo suffered a heart attack and severe injuries . | 3e8ecc17ace6f86fd26cdd11be3f9f404596b9f0 |
Travellers appear to be warming up to Ryanair’s effort to revamp its image as the airline announced Thursday that it is expecting more passengers and higher profits than originally forecast this fiscal year. Europe’s largest budget airline has long been criticised for its surcharges and customer service, but it has softened its stance on baggage charges and booking conditions and introduced allocated seating and a new business class service in a bid to win over passengers. Michael O’Leary, the controversial chief executive of the Dublin-based airline, informed shareholders Thursday that Ryanair now expects to fly 87 million customers in the year to 31 March, an increase of one million from the previous forecast. Ryanair now expects to fly 87 million customers in the year to 31 March, a million more than originally forecast . Mr O’Leary, who revealed that he is nearing a deal to remain chief executive for another five years, also raised the no-frills airline’s full year net profit towards the upper end of its previously guided range of £484m to £507m. He said in a statement: ‘Our customers and shareholders have responded favourably to our improving customer experience, our better digital platform and the positive initial uptake of our Business Plus Service.’ He said the airline expects ‘slightly stronger traffic growth’ this winter with new bases in primary airports in Cologne, Gdansk, Glasgow and Warsaw (Modlin). Ryanair has also announced plans to increase its flight frequencies and schedules from Dublin to UK cities and European capitals. Ryanair chief executive Michael O'Leary says customers have 'responded favourably' to its initiatives . But Mr O'Leary warned there was still uncertainty over the full-year performance due to little visibility on fare yields in the October to March period. Ryanair's post-tax profits were 8 per cent lower at £408m in the year to 31 March after a price war left average fares 4 per cent lower at a time of rising fuel costs. After announcing a deal with Spain’s Amadeus on Wednesday, Mr O’Leary suggested that Ryanair and other budget carriers could become feeder airlines for legacy airlines such as Lufthansa in the future. Ryanair's CEO says low-cost airlines could become feeder airlines for legacy airlines such as Lufthansa . He believes low-cost airlines could fill in the gap as legacy airlines increasingly focus on long-haul routes amid competition from rival Gulf airlines such as Etihad and Emirates . Earlier this month, Ryanair announced that it has agreed to purchase up to 200 new Boeing 737 Max 200 passenger jets in a deal worth as much as £22bn. Ryanair said the more-efficient planes will allow it to carry more passengers, fly to new markets and trim its operating costs. | Dublin-based airline has introduced 'Always Getting Better' initiatives . Effort includes allocated seating and relaxed baggage rules . Controversial CEO Michael O'Leary is nearing a new five-year deal . | fdd95d08a9196695fa87f030f6b483dfac4c1d23 |
By . Julian Gavaghan and Sara Malm . PUBLISHED: . 03:34 EST, 30 May 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 08:52 EST, 30 May 2012 . Facing extradition: Julian Assange is now a step closer to being forced out of Britain after the Supreme Court decision to uphold previous rulings . WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange today lost his Supreme Court fight against extradition to Sweden to face sex crime allegations. Lawyers for Assange asked Britain's highest court to block his removal, arguing that the European arrest warrant issued against him was 'invalid and unenforceable'. The Supreme Court judges, who heard the case in February, today announced that they have rejected his challenge. The court dismissed his appeal by a majority of five to two. Assange, who was not present for the hearing because his lawyers said he was stuck in traffic, was given 14 days to consider today's ruling before a final decision on his next step in his legal battle. His team indicated they would reopen the case at the Supreme Court. Today Lord Phillips, president of the court, said the point of law which had to be considered had not been simple to resolve. The Swedish authorities want Assange, 40, to answer accusations of raping one woman and sexually molesting and coercing another in Stockholm in August 2010 while on a visit to give a lecture. Assange, whose WikiLeaks website has published a mass of leaked diplomatic cables that embarrassed several governments and international businesses, says the sex was consensual and the allegations against him are politically motivated. In November 2011, the High Court upheld a ruling by District Judge Howard Riddle - who sat at Belmarsh Magistrates' Court, south London, in February 2011 - that the Australian computer expert should be extradited to face investigation. Scroll down for video . Protest: Defence lawyer Gareth Peirce (third from left) makes a statement to the press outside the Supreme Court in London. The only celebrity to show up was journalist John Pilger, standing behind her . The High Court declared that it would not be unfair or unlawful to extradite Assange. The case has become a cause celebre and . has hearings have previously been attended by celebrities such as Jemima . Khan, film director Ken Loach and former Labour minister Tony Benn. Assange burst into the public consciousness in April 2010 when WikiLeaks released Collateral Murder - video footage of a U.S. air crew shooting Iraqi civilians in 2007. The whistleblower website, which claimed a database of 1.2 million documents within a year of its 2006 launch, regularly hit the headlines in 2010 with a series of leaks. The U.S. Embassy cables, Afghanistan war logs and Iraq war logs, which were drip-fed to the media in 2010, helped raise the profile of Assange. Last year revealed that the site is at risk of closure and is suspending its publishing operations to concentrate on fighting a financial blockade and raising new funds. The stricken website is running on cash reserves after an 'arbitrary and unlawful financial blockade' was imposed by Bank of America, Visa, MasterCard, PayPal and Western union last December, said Assange. But as the fortunes of WikiLeaks have waned - including criticism by newspapers such as the Guardian who were given initial access to the diplomatic cables - fewer high-profile people are willing to back Assange. The only well-known face to show up today was left-wing journalist John Pilger. During the appeal hearing in February, Assange's QC Dina Rose argued before Lord Phillips, Lord Walker, Lady Hale, Lord Brown, Lord Mance, Lord Kerr and Lord Dyson that the Swedish public prosecutor who signed the arrest warrant could not issue a valid document because she lacked impartiality and independence. Ms Rose QC said his latest appeal . raised the single issue of law as to whether the Swedish public . prosecutor constituted a ‘judicial authority’ capable of issuing a valid . warrant under the provisions of the 2003 Extradition Act. It was common ground that if she did not, there was no legal basis for extradition. Ms . Rose suggested it was obvious that a public prosecutor whose function . it was to investigate and prosecute an individual ‘cannot exercise . judicial authority in relation to that individual’. As . a matter of fundamental legal principle dating back hundreds of years, a . judicial authority had to be impartial and independent both of the . executive and the parties in a case. Clare . Montgomery QC, for the Swedish Prosecution Authority, argued that the . High Court was plainly correct to accept that the term ‘judicial . authority’ had a wide and autonomous meaning, and it was not restricted . in the way described by Ms Rose. Since . the start of the European arrest warrant (EAW) scheme, it had been the . practice of a number of prominent member states to issue EAWs through . public prosecutors. Backing: Supporters of Assange hold a vigil for him in Brisbane, Australia, today while the Supreme Court in London announced its verdict . Protest: Miles Legoullon, six, participates in a vigil for Assange in Brisbane, Australia today . Ms Montgomery argued: ‘There is no conceivable breach of fundamental rights involved in such a process.’ In the majority ruling today, in which Lady Hale and Lord Mance dissented, the court held that an EAW issued by a public prosecutor is a valid warrant issued by a judicial authority within the meaning of the 2003 Act. Afterwards, Ms Rose said an application would be made to reopen the case at the Supreme Court on the basis that the court's majority decision was made on legal points not argued during the appeal. The representative for the two women, lawyer Claes Borgström, told Swedish newspaper Svenska Dagbladet that the outcome was expected, but ‘strongly criticised’ the Surpreme Court for the amount of time the extradition order has taken. Absent: Jemima Khan and film director Ken Loach, who both began showing up to one of Assange's court hearings in December 2012 and each offered £20,000 to assure his bail, were not present at court today . Wanted: Details of Interpol's arrest warrant are provided on its website. He is wanted by police in Sweden . ‘I find it hard to understand why it has taken so long, they’ve had it on their desks since autumn 2010. It has of course gone through all the correct departments, but it has still taken a long time.’ ‘I strongly criticise it, it has had a completely unnecessary impact on my clients.’He said that he has not been able to speak to his clients yet but that he expects them to be relieved. ‘Even though a trial is a very strenuous procedure it has always been their wish that he should be forced to take responsibility for his actions. Anything else would be disgraceful.’ | Britain's highest court rules Swedish prosecutors DID have right to issue arrest warrant despite his lawyers' complaint that it was 'invalid' Assange, who has already had bids to stay in Britain dismissed by district court and High Court, now plans to reopen case with Supreme Court . Assange, who claims accusations against are politically motivated following a series of embarrassing leaks, missed the hearing after getting stuck in traffic . No sign of celebrity backers Jemima Khan, Ken Loach or Tony Benn . He faces allegations that he raped one woman and sexually molesting another while visiting Stockholm in August 2010 to give a lecture . | 3aff25c5bacac7687d503b06404cf7666fef9a86 |
(CNN) -- The gruesome civil war in Syria has terrorized residents and left world leaders scrambling to stop the carnage that mounts daily. Here are the latest developments in the spiraling 18-month crisis: . On the ground: Explosions, casualties . Fighting and shelling persisted all day Sunday and into Monday morning in Aleppo, with both the regime and the opposition blaming each other for dozens of fatalities. A bomb landed on a kindergarten in Aleppo, leveling a residential block and causing a "great number" of casualties, the opposition Local Coordination Committees of Syria said Sunday. The opposition activist group described it as a barrel bomb attack, saying regime forces have been dropping barrels full of TNT, nails and fuel onto civilian areas. The Syrian Network for Human Rights reported that warplanes shelled a residential building next to a nursery, causing its collapse and leading to "dozens of martyrs and casualties." Syrian state-run media, meanwhile, said Sunday that regime forces had killed numerous "terrorists" in Aleppo and freed 30 people who had been "kidnapped by the armed terrorist groups." Heart-rending choices in warzone hospital . For over a year, the Syrian government has refused to acknowledge the popular uprising against President Bashar al-Assad's rule and has blamed "armed terrorist groups" for fueling the bloodshed. Meanwhile, 27 civilians were killed and another 64 wounded in a car bombing near two hospitals in western Aleppo, the state-run SANA news agency reported, citing Aleppo's Gov. Mohammed Wahid. This blast significantly damaged the two hospitals, a school and other buildings. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights confirmed that 27 people had died in the attack around what is known as the Earth area of Aleppo. It was not immediately clear, the opposition group said, whether those killed were civilians or regime forces. The violence was hardly confined to Aleppo, however. Across the country, at least 160 people were killed Sunday, opposition activists said. A quarter of those deaths were in and around the Syrian capital, as well as 22 in Daraa and 22 in Homs -- nine of them killed in a "massacre" in Rastan, according to the LCC. The opposition group reported Sunday evening that 19 people on one Damascus street died "after a mortar shell landed on homes in the area." Citing a source, state media reported 14 "terrorists" were killed in a clash with regime forces in the al-Qusayr countryside. Both SANA and the LCC, on its Facebook page, identified the same three men as being killed in the area -- with the opposition group saying they died after "a land mine planted by regime forces in a road exploded." U.N. employee shot dead in Damascus . In the country's capital, a 28-year-old employee of the United Nations' Palestinian refugee agency died Sunday after a bullet struck him in the chest, the agency said. Baby survives as family dies in Syrian onslaught . It was unclear whether his death, which occurred just south of the Yarmouk residential area in Damascus, "was caused by a stray bullet or one fired by a sniper," the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) said in a statement. The death was the second in three days for a U.N employee working around Yarmouk, which the world body said is home to about 1 million Syrians and 150,000 Palestinian refugees. Ten Palestinian refugees were also killed between September 6 and 8 by violence stemming from the broader civil war. Late Sunday night, the opposition Local Coordination Committees accused Syrian forces of launching "raids and (making) indiscriminate arrests in a Palestinian refugee camp in Damascus. "UNRWA deplores the tragic loss of life and expresses the view that threats to (Palestinian) refugees and other civilians can be avoided. All sides must refrain from conducting the conflict in civilian areas and must comply with their obligations under international law," the statement said. Diplomatic front: New envoy to Syria to work with Arab leaders . International envoy Lakhdar Brahimi arrived in Cairo on Sunday to meet with Arab League officials on the Syrian crisis, Egyptian state media reported. This is Brahimi's first such meeting since becoming the U.N.-Arab League special envoy to Syria. He faces the daunting task of trying to help stop the bloodshed in the war-torn country. While in Egypt, Brahimi will meet with Egyptian President Mohamed Morsy, Arab League Secretary-General Nabil el-Araby and several Syrian opposition figures to talk about the Syrian crisis, his spokesman Ahmed Fawzi told Egypt's state-run MENA news agency. British Foreign Secretary William Hague will arrive in Cairo on Monday night for a two-day visit focused on Syria, the Palestinian-Israeli issue and economic matters, according to MENA. A family's desperate story . After spending a few days in Egypt, Brahimi has said he will head next to Damascus. Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Eraqij told his nation's semi-official Mehr news agency on Sunday that Brahimi has indicated he'll visit Tehran soon after his trip to Syria. The United Nations says more than 18,000 people -- mostly civilians -- have been killed in Syria since March 2011. Opposition activists put the toll much higher, at more than 24,000 people. Jouejati, an LCC spokeswoman, said Sunday that the situation should be classified as "genocide." CNN cannot independently verify death tolls because the Syrian government has severely restricted access to the country by foreign journalists. Russia: Sanctions against Syria hurt Russian business . Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said U.S. sanctions on Syria and Iran are harming Russian business interests. "The unilateral American sanctions against Syria and Iran are increasingly becoming extraterritorial in nature and are directly affecting the interests of Russian business, in particular banks," Lavrov said Saturday, according to the state news agency RIA Novosti. The United States and other Western countries have sharply criticized Russia, accusing it of defending the Syrian regime for financial interests and thereby allowing the regime's bloody crackdown on dissidents to continue. Russia, along with China, has repeatedly vetoed attempts at the U.N. Security Council to take tougher action against the Syrian government. But Russia will push the Security Council to endorse a peace plan that would set up a transitional government in Syria, RIA Novosti reported. World leaders agreed on the plan in Geneva this year. But while U.S. and British leaders said they don't foresee al-Assad in the transitional government, Russia said the Geneva plan "did not imply that Assad should step down," RIA Novosti said. U.S. politician says his country needs to take further action . U.S. Sen. John McCain blasted President Barack Obama for not doing more to back the Syrian opposition, calling his administration's actions thus far "shameful." The Arizona Republican said the United States should get opposition fighters weapons "so it's a fair fight" and establish a "sanctuary or free zone" from which the opposition can operate. He said he is not asking that U.S. troops be sent into Syria to battle government forces. McCain, the ranking member of the U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee, said a lack of international action to date has contributed to the "rise of extremists, rise of al Qaeda, (and a) greater threat of chemical weapons." "We've sat still and watched this massacre go on now (with) over 20,000 people (killed)," he told CNN Saturday. "How many have to die before we act?" CNN's Hamdi Alkhshali, Roba Alhenawi, Amir Ahmed and Holly Yan contributed to this report. | NEW: State media reports 27 civilians are killed in a car bombing in Aleppo . An opposition group says a barrel bomb flattens a residential block in that city . At least 160 people are killed across Syria on Sunday, an opposition group says . A U.N. envoy will meet officials in Cairo, then head to Syria, Egyptian media reports . | 8b0b4422e2bd8e5e87f18f0bd853e39b6a246b51 |
By . Michael Zennie . A vigilante has taken it on himself to enforce parking rules on the streets of his crowded Queens, New York, neighborhood - by tagging the offending cars with spray paint. The anonymous vandal marked up at least two cars in Glendale with rude messages this weekend. One message, scrawled across the door panels of a perceived offender, read 'Park right s-bag.' The other tag blared: 'Learn to park s***bag!' Rude: A vigilante marked up two cards with angry messages because he believed they were taking up too much room on the street . Neighbors say parking in the area is a nightmare - but it doesn't excuse what the vandal did . WCBS-TV reports that the vigilante likely thought the cars were taking up too much space on the street and had not left enough room for others to park. Residents of Glendale say on-street parking is a nightmare - but that doesn't give the vandal to right to tag other people's cars with paint. 'Nobody has a right to touch your property,' neighbor Dorren Pratt told WCBS. She said she saw one of the cars that had been hit by the vigilante and she didn't think the driver had done anything wrong with their parking job. Suspect: This is believed to be the vandal, captured here on surveillance cameras carrying what appears to be a can of spray paint . 'There was no way another car would have fit there. A smart car was even too big for it,' Ms Pratt told the station. The driver of one of the tagged cars told WCBS that she knows hard difficult it is to find a spot in the neighborhood and she didn't think she would being inconsiderate. Surveillance cameras on a nearby school captured an video of the man who appears to be carrying a can of spray paint. | Vandal in Glendale, Queens, targeted two cars that were taking up too much space on the street and not allowing others to park . | 930763980f11853f47d833a7107eb0e5d2f7a295 |
A father has been landed with a mobile phone bill of more than £8,000 after his children racked up the charges while on holiday in America. Michael Westwood was sent the bill from Orange after Daniel, 20, and Olivia, 18, returned from the holiday where they had made heavy use of their phones. Mr Westwood said he thought a package was in place which limited the possibility of huge bills, but Orange said it did not cover him for heavy internet use in the USA. Michael Westwood has spoken of his shock after he was landed with a mobile phone bill of more than £8,000 after his children used their phones on holiday in America . Mr Westwood, of North Shields, North Tyneside, was threatened with being cut off if he did not pay. He said: 'It was an excessive phone bill by anyone’s standards. They had been there for just five days and the bill was just over £8,234. 'I was in touch with Orange and they agreed to cut the bill to £1,600 but they have just sent a bill for £5,900 which is not what they said they were going to do.' An Orange spokesman said: 'The customer had a Travel Data Saver Daily 30MB bundle on each of the two numbers. 'The Travel Data Saver Daily 30MB bundles gave each number 30MB of data per day for £6 per day, the charge only being applied on the days when the customer connects to the internet. 'Both numbers were using significantly more data than 30MB per day, and were therefore charged at the standard £8 per MB for usage after this amount.' Mr Westwood said he thought a package was in place which limited the possibility of huge bills, but Orange said it did not cover him for heavy internet use in the USA (file picture) The spokesman admitted the bill had not been reduced as promised by one of their customer service staff and promised to put it right. He said: 'The bill was incurred as a result of data roaming across two phones. 'Customers receive warnings on landing about the cost of using data abroad and are encouraged to purchase bundles to manage their data costs. 'As a gesture of goodwill, Orange agreed to reduce the bill across both phones. Due to an administrative delay one of the bills was not immediately reduced. 'This has now been processed and will be reflected in the customer’s next bill.' Mr Westwood said Orange had kept the promise but he has asked for more time to pay the remainder of the bill. | Michael Westwood was sent the bill from mobile phone company Orange . His children Daniel, 20, and Olivia, 18, racked up the bill while in America . Mr Westwood said his children had spent just five days in America . | 4a145de9996b795bdc526e8a02ca67b9c15ab2bd |
A police force in Wisconsin have a mystery to resolve in their own station after a diamond ring was found on their Christmas tree. Staff were instructed to take down the tree on Saturday at which point they found a wedding ring they said was intentionally put on a branch. Writing on the force's Facebook page, police chief Peter Hoell said: 'If any one can shed a little light on this mystery, I would appreciate it.' The diamond wedding ring was placed on the Christmas tree in the Germantown police station, in Wisconsin . Peter Hoell wrote on the force's Facebook page asking if anyone could 'shed a little light on this mystery' Germantown police department had invited children to decorate their tree in the lead-up to Christmas in exchange for a stuffed animal that were placed beneath it. At some point in the festivities, the diamond ring appeared on the tree. Police Chief Peter Hoell said: 'We had the ring examined and the diamonds are real. For now, we have placed it in safe keeping. 'Anyone wishing to claim the ring will need to know a detailed description, or better yet, a picture of the owner wearing it. 'The ring was "intentionally" placed on the tree, it was not an accident. No crime was committed.' He added: 'I cannot dedicate someone to view five weeks of lobby video watching people decorate our tree in hopes to see the person who placed the ring on the tree. 'All we are doing is giving the person who placed the ring on our tree an opportunity to claim the ring if they want it back.' Germantown is about 15 miles northwest of Milwaukee, the largest city in Wisconsin. | Germantown police, in Wisconsin, found diamond ring in Christmas tree . Said the wedding ring had been deliberately placed on a branch of the tree . Asked for people to come forward to 'shed a little light on the mystery' | 1c3362f865f4c078a7a83d9d81efc3bfd6d295c1 |
By . Sam Webb . A woman who was held captive for three days by her ex-boyfriend - who sheared her hair off as their children watched TV in another room - has spoken out about her nightmare ordeal. Rebecca Watton, 29, of Hamilton, South Lanarkshire, Scotland, was in a relationship with Ian Hassen, 27, for eight years and the couple had three children together. They split in December 2012 but she remained friendly with Hassen, a Zimbabwean. The pair met through friends and moved to Scotland in 2004. However, it later emerged that Hassen refused to accept their relationship was at an end. Brutal: Rebecca Watton, 29, had all her hair clipped off by her ex-partner Ian Hassen, 27, as part of a terrifying three-day ordeal to make her 'unattractive' after their eight year relationship ended . Harrowing: The young mother's scalp following the attack by her jealous boyfriend which was carried out while their three children were in another room watching a cartoon on the television . One night Hassen looked after the children at Ms Watton's home while she went on a night out. She came home and Hassen left, but soon returned claiming he had missed his train. He then attacked her as the pair sat watching television, pulling something tight around Ms Watton's neck and then tying her up. He began interrogating her about where she had been and who she had seen. 'I knew he had read my phone messages so I confessed I had met someone on the night out who had taken my number and asked me out on a date,' she told The Daily Record. Moving forward: She has spoken out about the attack in an effort to inspire other victims of abuse to break free . Infuriated, Hassen kept her prisoner, assaulted her and threatened to kill her. He lay next to her in bed and watched her sleep. After three days he dragged her out of bed, muttering that he was going to wait a week, but was going to do 'it' now. Miss Watton thought he was going to murder her, but he instead began wordlessly clipping off her hair. 'My hair felt like it was being ripped out by the roots,' she said. 'I could feel the blades of the scissors opening and snapping shut against my scalp. He wanted to make me unattractive, like less of a woman.' She watched in tears as her hair fell to the floor, covering their daughter's toys and bed, as the children watched cartoons downstairs. She told him she wanted to vacuum the hair up, but instead he did it himself as she watched. Ms Watton claims she was aware there was an unpleasant side to her former partner, but never dreamed he could do something so savage. Ms Watton's ordeal finally ended when she convinced him to let her go to the supermarket with him and told staff what had happened to her, showing them her shorn scalp. He was arrested just outside the store. Last month, Hassen pleaded guilty to assault and will be sentenced at Hamilton Sheriff Court in July. Ms Watton has since started to move on from the assault and hopes to study law. She says she hopes her story will inspire other domestic abuse victims to break away from their abusers. | Ian Hassen attacked and tied up Rebecca Watton when he refused to accept their eight year relationship was over . He terrorised her and cut off her hair - then calmly hoovered it up . Ms Watton, 29, managed to get help from supermarket staff after three days . Hassem, 27, pleaded guilty to assault and will be sentenced next month . | 2cadcbeaf9631f1a374e3d50df303d7cd2e05435 |
(CNN) -- A bank robber wearing a Santa hat and beard walked into a Port Orange, Florida, bank and walked out with loot, police said Tuesday. The incident took place Monday at a SunTrust Bank. The man, who also wore sunglasses, placed a package on the teller's counter. It was wrapped with what appears in a surveillance photo to be pink gift wrap. The man handed the teller a note demanding cash. The note suggested the package was harmful, police said. He was given money. Authorities haven't disclosed how much. The robber left the package on the counter, walked out and fled in a dark vehicle. The bank was evacuated and secured, police said. The package turned out not to contain an explosive device. | A bank robber wore a Santa hat, beard, and sunglasses . He brought a gift-wrapped package and suggested it was harmful . He was given money and fled . The box didn't contain an explosive . | 21c4376011a782198c86c3ae79fa68a7c7d755c2 |
By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 15:50 EST, 30 June 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 17:44 EST, 30 June 2013 . President Obama proved that he hasn't lost his cool edge on Sunday as he advised a young rapper to 'drop the mic' following his impressive performance. The president stopped on Sunday at a . health center in Cape Town overseen by Archbishop Desmond Tutu, a visit aimed at . highlighting the impact of a U.S.-funded program to stop the spread of . HIV and AIDS. Obama asked several of the students at the center about projects they were working on including 15-year-old Aviwe Mtongana, known as 'Katmeister', who told the President that he was a rapper. Cool: US President Barack Obama pretends to drop a microphone alongside Aviwe Mtongana, 15, after Mtongana performed a rap . Rap star: Aviwe Mtongana, 15, performs as President Obama looks on during a tour of the Desmond Tutu HIV Foundation Youth Centre in Cape Town on Sunday . Showing support: Obama looks at a computer alongside Nobel peace laureate Archbishop Desmond Tutu and Aviwe Mtongana, 15, during a tour of the Desmond Tutu HIV Foundation Youth Center . Obama asked him to perform something causing the talented teenager to break into his song called Hell On Earth, according to ABC. The boy rapped: 'Hell you earth, what people gonna do… on . TV, you watching Scooby Doo… saying the punch line, he’s not cool. 'Now you face the hardest living… Getting . out there is not pimping… The real way is through rapping.' Obama praised the boy, saying that his song was fantastic before adding: 'You gotta drop the mic' and gesturing how to do so. Obama . praised Tutu's work at the center during an emotional meeting in which Tutu said Africans . are praying that Obama will be a success and a leader for peace, . particularly in the Middle East. Many of their aides were brought to . tears as the two men embraced in a hug. Focus: Obama examines what some young boys are working on at the youth center on Sunday . Close bond: Obama, left, hugs Bishop Desmond Tutu during a visit to the Demond Tutu HIV Foundation Youth Center on Sunday . The president also addressed the . University of Cape Town on Sunday, capping off an emotionally charged . day in the picturesque coastal city, including a solemn visit to the . Robben Island prison where Nelson Mandela was confined for 18 of his 27 . years in captivity. Obama . stood stoically with his family in Mandela's cramped cell and peered . across the lime quarry where Mandela toiled each day, causing the damage . to his lungs that led to his latest hospital stint. He was flanked by a diverse array of . students, underscoring Mandela's vision for a unified 'rainbow nation' for the country once led by a white racist government. 'Nelson Mandela showed us that one man's courage can move the world,' Obama said during his evening speech at the university. Challenging African youth . to seize a 'moment of great promise', Obama declared that the future of . the young and growing continent still rests in ailing South African . leader Mandela's vision for equality and opportunity. Inspiration: Obama delivers a speech on US - African relations and the younger generation at the University of Cape Town and spoke of Nelson Mandela's enduring influence on the world . Making friends: Obama greets members of the audience after delivering African policy remarks at the University of Cape Town . Seeking . to carve out his own piece of that legacy, Obama unveiled an ambitious . initiative to double electricity access in sub-Saharan Africa, vowing to . bring 'light where there is darkness'. In the flagship address of his weeklong trip to Africa, Obama outlined a U.S. policy toward the continent that focuses on increasing the region's ability to support itself economically, politically and militarily. Harkening back to a prominent theme from his 2009 speech in Ghana - Obama's only other trip to Africa as president - he said Africans must take much of the responsibility for achieving that goal, although he pledged American assistance. 'Ultimately I believe Africans should make up their own minds about what serves African interests,' he said. 'We trust your judgment, the judgment of ordinary people. We believe that when you control your destiny, if you got a handle on your governments, then governments will promote freedom and opportunity, because that will serve you.' Obama's address came nearly 50 years after Robert F. Kennedy delivered his famous speech at the same university. Kennedy's speech, delivered soon after Mandela was sentenced to life in prison, called on young people to launch a fight against injustice, creating ripples of hope that would 'build a current which can sweep down the mightiest walls of oppression and resistance'. Respect: Obama supports former Robben Island Prison inmate and now tour guide Ahmed Kathrada (right) as they visit Nelson Mandela's cell . Humbled: President Obama and the First Lady visit Nelson Mandela's cell in the Robben Island prison off Cape Town, South Africa . Much has changed in South Africa since Kennedy addressed the nation. The apartheid regime crumbled under intense internal and external pressure. Mandela was elected as his country's first black president following his release from prison. And South Africa has rapidly become continent's economic and political powerhouse. But Obama said that progress, in South Africa and elsewhere on the continent, rests on a 'fragile foundation'. In order to solidify the gains, Obama called on Africans to focus on three priorities: expanding opportunity, promoting democracy and supporting peace. A cornerstone of Obama's efforts to expand opportunity is the new Power Africa initiative unveiled ahead of his speech. The venture is supported by $7 billion in U.S. investment and $9 billion from the private sector, and will seek to bring electricity to at least 20 million new households and commercial entities in an initial set of six countries: Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Liberia, Nigeria and Tanzania. The White House did not set a specific deadline for achieving that goal, but Obama advisers said it could happen within a decade. However, the first round of contributions still fall well short of the $300 billion the International Energy Agency says would be required to achieve universal electricity access in sub-Saharan Africa by 2030. Obama opened his speech with deeply personal remarks about Mandela, tracing the anti-apartheid icon's influence on his own political activism to his young daughters. He said that standing in Mandela's cell alongside Malia and Sasha made the experience all the more poignant, reflecting on the distinction he shares with Mandela in being his country's first black president. 'Seeing them stand within the walls that once surrounded Nelson Mandela, I knew this was an experience they would never forget,' he said. 'I knew they now appreciated a little bit more that Madiba and other had made for freedom,' Obama added, referring to Mandela by his clan name. Obama arrived in Cape Town on Sunday from Johannesburg, where he met privately with members of Mandela's family and spoke with the former president's wife. In keeping with the family's wishes, Obama did not visit Mandela in the hospital. On a sunny winter day in the Southern Hemisphere, Obama and his family flew by helicopter to Robben Island, the prison that epitomized the struggle of Mandela and his contemporaries against apartheid rule. The Obamas were led through the island by Ahmed Kathrada, an 83-year-old former prisoner who was held alongside Mandela and had also given Obama a tour of the jail when he visited as a U.S. senator in 2006. The Obamas solemnly peered across the bright white lime quarry where Mandela worked each day. They spent 20 minutes inside the tiny cell where Mandela spent nearly two decades of his life, all the while inspiring the anti-apartheid movement on mainland South Africa. Before closing their visit, Obama and wife Michelle stoically entered a prison courtyard, the president's hand on the small of the first lady's back, to sign a guestbook. 'On behalf of our family we're deeply humbled to stand where men of such courage faced down injustice and refused to yield,' Obama wrote. 'The world is grateful for the heroes of Robben Island, who remind us that no shackles or cells can match the strength of the human spirit.' | Aviwe Mtongana, 15, performed his song Hell On Earth for the President at the Cape Town center . | fc282f8ea68ce08c631a49c9e6fcf68b01586232 |
Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg has accepted a £5,000 donation from his millionaire investment banker father, triggering speculation that the party’s pool of benefactors is dwindling. According to the latest Register of Members’ Financial Interests, published last week, the money was given to Clegg to support him in his ‘capacity as an MP’. The gift initially caused confusion in Westminster because Clegg’s father is also called Nicholas, prompting jokes that the Deputy Prime Minister had made the donation to himself. Scroll down for video . Family portrait: Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg as a boy with his father, also called Nicholas . Nicholas Clegg Snr, 78, made his money through merchant banking and was most recently chairman of the United Trust Bank, of which he remains a non-executive director. He is the son of a Russian-born baroness and was made a CBE in 2009 for services to ‘UK-Japanese relations’. His gift, received on August 8, is the second time he is known to have pledged money to the party. He previously gave £3,000 in December 2008, say Electoral Commission records. Last month, the Deputy Prime Minister was given £5,000 by Muhammad Zahur, described by a party spokesman as a ‘Sheffield businessman’. Figures released last month by the Electoral Commission reveal the relatively fragile state of the Lib Dems’ finances. For the first time ever, Ukip, which has no MPs, raised more money in donations than the Lib Dems during the second quarter of 2014. Nigel Farage’s party accepted £1.4 million of donations – £170,000 more than the Lib Dems. The Coalition party’s income has also been hit by its declining membership, which has fallen by more than 30 per cent since 2010 to about 44,000. The gift, from Nicholas Clegg, initially caused confusion in Westminster, with MPs joking that the Deputy Prime Minister, pictured with his wife Miriam. had made the donation to himself . The Lib Dems’ finances are in stark contrast to those of Clegg Jnr, who comes from one of the wealthiest families of any Westminster MP. He and his wife, Miriam, live in a large property in Putney, South-West London, thought to be worth at least £2 million – meaning that they would be hit by the ‘mansion tax’ proposed by the Lib Dems and Labour. He is paid £134,565 as Deputy Prime Minister and holds an MEP pension, thanks to his five years in Brussels between 1999 and 2004. His wife is a partner at the international law firm Dechert. Her salary is understood to be about £600,000 a year, although she is paid a second salary – thought to be at least £50,000 a year – as an adviser to the Spanish construction firm Acciona. The couple also own a home in his Sheffield Hallam constituency. Aside from the millions he amassed during his lengthy City career, Nicholas Clegg Snr owns a ten-bedroom chateau in Bordeaux, south-west France, which his son often uses for holidays with his family. The Deputy Prime Minister also makes regular use of his family’s £7 million Swiss ski chalet, between Klosters and Davos. A Lib Dem spokesman said: ‘I can confirm Nick Clegg’s father gave him this money. ‘He supports his son in his role as an MP, in his role as Deputy Prime Minister, and in his role as leader of the Liberal Democrats.’ | The money was given to Clegg Jnr to support him in his 'capacity as an MP' The gift initially caused confusion as Clegg's father is also called Nicholas . MPs joked that the Deputy Prime Minister had made the donation to himself . Ukip raised more cash than the Lib Dems for the first time earlier this year . Lib Dem funds are dwindling as more members choose to leave the party . | e92111a815eeac973261134236d34052b350749e |
By . Emma Innes . PUBLISHED: . 06:12 EST, 16 July 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 07:11 EST, 16 July 2013 . A dyslexic designer has redesigned a range of household objects to reflect and explain how his mind works. Henry Franks’ 'dyslexic objects' range contains upside down inverted mugs, double-hooked coat hangers, an elevated coaster, and a pen pot that holds just two pens at a time. Mr Franks, who has recently been crowned Designer of the Year for his topsy-turvy creations, says that he created the range to put a dyslexic perspective on everyday household items. Henry Franks has redesigned a range of household objects to reflect and explain how his mind works. He created a toilet seat with a toilet roll holder attached to help a dyslexic person find it easily . The 23-year-old, who is graduating from Northumbria University with a First-Class degree in 3D design, said: ‘I looked at the traits of dyslexia and applied them to objects. ‘I've had problems with reading because of the letters inverting so I applied it to a redesign of mugs. ‘The Muglexia products are more stable and balanced in the hand because the handle position is upside down and lower than normal. ‘The inverted shape also keeps tea and coffee hotter for longer. ‘Through these designs I wanted to provide alternatives to mundane products that don't often see new design innovation.’ Dyslexia is a common type of learning difficulty the mainly affects reading and spelling. He created the range to put a dyslexic perspective on everyday household items. His designed upside down mugs which are easier to lift and are harder to knock over . Mr Franks says he looked at the traits of dyslexia and applied them to objects. He created double-hooked coat hangers so that a dyslexic person would not have to worry about which way round to hang them . A person with dyslexia has difficulty 'decoding' words and symptoms can range from mild to severe. Someone with the condition also tends to struggle with their verbal memory and their verbal processing speed - the time it takes to process familiar letters and digits. There is no link between dyslexia and intelligence. It is estimated that four to eight per cent of all schoolchildren in England have some degree of dyslexia. Mr Franks’ range of designs includes a . wooden toilet seat with a toilet roll holder attached to make it easier . for a dyslexic person to find it, and a raised coaster which means that a . dyslexic person is more aware of the mug and is, therefore, less likely . to knock it over. Mr Franks says that he wanted to provide alternatives to mundane products. He redesigned the pen pot to take just two pens so that it does not become cluttered and confuse the dyslexic mind . It is estimated that four to eight per cent of schoolchildren in England have dyslexia. Mr Franks made a raised coaster so that a dyslexic person would be more aware of the mug and less likely to knock it over . It also includes a double-hooked coat hanger which would help a dyslexic person by allowing them to hang their clothes either way around, and a pen pot which only holds two pens so as to avoid clutter and prevent the dyslexic mind becoming confused. Mr Franks, from Oxford, said: ‘I set out to design and make a range of objects which utilise the characteristics of dyslexia to provide emotionally engaging alternatives to the often bleak world of contemporary products. ‘I wanted to encourage the user to question the form or function of an object and not just take it for granted. ‘Making the user think about the object and form new positive connections with the product is the overriding aim of this project - to provoke thought.’ He also designed door stops which are the shape of penguins because he believes that giving inanimate objects an emotional function helps a dyslexic mind . | Henry Franks redesigned household objects to explain how his mind works . Says the 'dyslexic objects' put a dyslexic perspective on household items . Designs include a toilet seat with a toilet roll holder attached, an elevated coaster, and a pen pot that only holds two pens at once . | 3aa0886ae9964305f7caa6bf5e8be2f83925554f |
(CNN) -- Cancer has surpassed heart disease to become the leading cause of death among Hispanics in the United States, according to an American Cancer Society report released Monday. Every three years since 2000, scientists at the cancer society have published Cancer Facts and Figures for Hispanics/Latinos. Such studies provide data that help develop an efficient science-based cancer control plan. Hispanics are the fastest growing demographic group in the United States. Approximately 16.3% of America's population (50.5 million out of 310 million people) is Hispanic. It is estimated that 112,800 people of Hispanic ethnicity will be diagnosed with cancer and 33,200 will die of the disease in 2012. The finding is due in part to the younger age distribution of Hispanics. Approximately one in 10 Hispanics is age 55 or over, compared to one in three non-Hispanics. Among non-Hispanic whites and African-Americans, heart disease remains the leading cause of death, according to Monday's American Cancer Society report, the fifth. While cancer is the most common cause of death for all three populations under the age of 85, there are fewer Hispanics in the United States over the age of 85, where heart disease is predominant. Overall cancer incidence and mortality rates are lower in Hispanics than in the non-Hispanic U.S. population, meaning Hispanics have a lower risk of cancer diagnosis and death. Hispanics do have higher diagnosis and death rates from cancers of the stomach, liver, cervix and gallbladder. There are a number of Hispanic subpopulations, each with a different ethnicity and culture. A weakness in the study of Hispanic cancer rates is the fact that much of the available U.S. data is an aggregate, masking important differences between Hispanic subpopulations according to country of origin. As better data for subpopulations are available, more efficient targeted prevention efforts might be possible. For example, it is known that Mexicans in the United States tend to have lower cancer rates than Puerto Ricans. On the other hand, Cubans in America tend to have higher cancer rates than Puerto Ricans. This is heavily driven by the fact that Cubans and Puerto Ricans have higher smoking rates than Mexicans. 'Selena' co-star Lupe Ontiveros dies at 69 . Intensive culturally sensitive anti-smoking efforts in Cuban and Puerto Rican communities could have a substantial impact. It is estimated that 63% of Hispanics in the United States are Mexican, 9.2% are Puerto Rican, 3.5% are Cuban and 2.8% are Dominican. The cancer death rate in Hispanics has been declining since 2000, one of the first years in which accurate Hispanic numbers were available. Cancer death rates for all Americans have been decreasing since 1991. Since 2000, the cancer incidence rate (risk of cancer diagnosis) declined by 1.75% per year among men and 0.3% per year among women. This compares with declines of 1% and .02% among non-Hispanic men and women, respectively. The cancer mortality rate (risk of cancer death) among Hispanics has also declined by 2.3% per year in men and 1.4% per year in women. This compares with declines of 1.5% and 1.3% among non-Hispanic men and women, respectively. The research indicates that cancer deaths can be prevented and lives saved among Hispanics if we increase use of proven cancer screening tests; make the hepatitis B and human papilloma virus (HPV) vaccine more widely available; and reduce tobacco use, alcohol consumption and obesity rates. Indeed, this message could be life-saving for all Americans. The triad of poor nutrition, lack of physical activity and obesity is the second leading cause of cancer in the United States, surpassed only by tobacco use. This triad is an especially significant problem among Hispanic women. Current data indicate that among Hispanics, 43% of women and 34% of men are obese. This compares with 33% of all women in the United States and 32% of all men. Stress, depression may affect cancer survival . | Hispanics are the fastest-growing demographic group in the United States . There are important differences among Hispanic subpopulations . More screening, less alcohol use and lower obesity rates would help reduce cancer deaths . | 1b4a4515eca9c5fbe044f0d37b932a3b0042865d |
(CNN) -- Attorney General Eric Holder strode in to a raucously triumphant welcome at Justice Department headquarters on cold, sunny February morning in 2009, less than a month after the inauguration of President Barack Obama. Hundreds of staffers packed the stairwells and hallways, cheering loudly as he made his way, as he called it, back home. This was the department where he first started his career as a lawyer in the public corruption unit in 1976, and where he has served 26 years, including as deputy attorney general in the Clinton administration, and for a few days as acting attorney general under President George W. Bush. They mobbed him as he stood in the wood-paneled law library and gave an impromptu speech promising to turn the page from political scandals during the Bush administration. Cheers rang out again after Vice President Joe Biden administered the oath of office and Holder vowed to return the department to "what it once was." More than five years later, Holder is leaving the department, marking as his top accomplishments: the Justice Department's civil rights division, revising policies aimed at reducing the racial disparity in prison sentencing, and defending the use of federal civilian courts to try terrorists against a push by conservatives to use military courts at the U.S. prison in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. President Obama hailed Holder's role in the administration's decision to stop defending the federal ban on recognizing same-sex marriages, which has opened the way to some of the most sweeping changes in gay rights. Related: Who might replace Eric Holder? His critics would also note that despite promising to change Bush-era counterterrorism policies, Holder signed off on ever-expanding government mass surveillance programs by the National Security Agency. Under his watch, the department also aggressively sought phone records of reporters in the hunt for national security leakers. That makes his record on civil liberties more complicated than his record on civil rights issues, critics argue. One of Holder's heroes is Robert F. Kennedy, who used the Justice Department to push the agenda of civil rights. At the same time, RFK also signed off on J. Edgar Hoover's invasive surveillance of civil rights Martin Luther King Jr. on suspicion of being a communist. At a White House ceremony to announce his plan to step down President Obama called him "the people's lawyer." Holder's voice broke as he thanked the president for affording him "the greatest honor of my professional life." The ceremony reflected the fact the attorney general's own view that he is leaving on top, and after having grown to be a close friend to the president. He survived many trials, taking blows on the president's behalf, as has become normal for the attorney general job in this highly-politicized era. His fights with congressional Republicans left scars; they made him the first sitting cabinet member to be held in contempt of Congress. In recent months, Holder seized the opportunity to use his credibility on race issues by traveling to Ferguson, Mo., to try to ease tensions following the shooting of Michael Brown, an 18-year-old black man, by a white police officer. He launched an investigation of the police department, the latest in a string of such probes around the nation. Related: Feds probe Ferguson police . One of his frustrations during his tenure is the Justice Department's inability to find prosecutable crimes to pursue against bankers linked to the global financial crisis. Holder instead has overseen a push to bring civil cases that have wrung billions of dollars in settlements from some of the world's biggest banks. Holder's defenders say that the criticism over civil liberties reflects the view of liberals who have set an impossible standard in an era with real national security threats from terrorism. In some ways, Holder's more cautious stance on national security programs came after he learned early in his tenure that turning away from Bush-era policies would be easier said than done. Read more: Holder's legacy competes between security, civil rights . Within weeks of taking office, Holder tussled with the CIA and with conservatives in Congress, over his push to release Justice Department legal memorandums that authorized torture as part of the CIA's interrogations of terror suspects. Behind the scenes he also drew fire from some in the White House, where Obama's top aides thought Holder was triggering unnecessary controversy for the new president and that conservative anger could endanger plans for a quick start on Obama's legislative agenda. He oversaw the president's plan to close the Guantanamo prison, only to find himself abandoned by the White House, which decided the matter was too hot to handle. Holder was forced to retreat on plans to hold trials in Manhattan for Khaled Sheikh Mohammed and others accused of plotting the 9/11 attacks. More than five years later KSM and his fellow defendants remain at Guantanamo, still awaiting trial, a problem for the next attorney general. And Holder feels vindicated. Related - Holder: "I was right" on KSM . | Attorney General Eric Holder is set to resign when a replacement can be confirmed . He has become known as an "activist" attorney general . | caa7b36029ad97da0e8521d6146e84f3897e455b |
(CNN) -- Pakistan cricketers have been told they will not be allowed to appear in the highly-lucrative Indian Premier League (IPL) this coming season because of fears over security. Danish Kaneria, in action against India last December, was hoping to play in the Indian Premier League. Stars from Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Sri Lanka, West Indies and, for the first time, England will be competing in the action that starts on April 10. Several Pakistan stars had also signed for IPL franchises while another five, including leg-spinner Danish Kaneria, were scheduled to appear at a players' auction to be held in Goa, India, on Thursday. However, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) said players would not be allowed to play in the IPL this coming season on government advice. "We have informed the IPL and Indian board that our players can't take part in the IPL this year," PCB chief operating officer Saleem Altaf told Reuters.com. The decision follows concerns for players' safety because of the tense relations between Pakistan and India after the Mumbai militant attacks in November. Former Pakistan captain Shoaib Malik, who plays for Delhi, said the players would abide by the directives of the government and PCB. Meanwhile, another former captain, Inzamam-ul-Haq is among several top Pakistan players who have successfully challenged a domestic ban imposed following appearances in the unofficial Indian Cricket League (ICL). Provincial Sindh High Court on Monday suspended the 2007 action taken by the PCB which must appear in court later this month to explain their action. Players affected by the 2007 ruling also include Mohammad Yousuf, Imran Nazir, Mohammad Sami and Azhar Mahmood who along with Inzamam, played for Lahore Badshahs. Last year, the Badshahs named after a Pakistani city and with a number of Pakistani players won the ICL 20s Indian championship. "The honorable court has suspended this relevant clause of the PCB rules and allowed the players to appear in domestic cricket with immediate effect," Zahid Fakhruddin Ibrahim, the legal counsel for the players, told Reuters.com. Lahore coach Moin Khan, a former Pakistan captain, said the suspension of the ban was good for Pakistani cricket. "Some of the ICL players can still play for Pakistan and when they play in domestic cricket, youngsters will learn from them," Khan commented. "The ban had hurt the players financially as well as cricket-wise, so it's a great decision." | Pakistan cricketers miss IPL season over security fears . Pakistan players not competing on government advice . England stars making debuts in the league starting in April . | a87478d9bcc94a9489803511ce1dfa9c6f244474 |
President Barack Obama faced a tough crowd on Tuesday – American military veterans – and fell flat on his applause lines as he failed to win over the American Legion's convention-goers. His 35-minute speech seemed to have reminded the audience of the stark divide between the White House's policy choices and the feelings of the men and women often called on to carry them out. A Virginia legionnaire who served in the U.S. Marine Corps told MailOnline that 'a small group of Obama's admirers – and there are some here – sat near the front and tried to generate applause for him about 10 times.' 'They didn't get much pickup,' the retired lieutenant colonel said of the 'instigators' gathered at the Charlotte, North Carolina event, but 'they were persistent. You could tell when the applause was genuine and when it wasn't. It was obvious to everyone here.' Most of the veterans sat on their hands, leaving awkward silences where White House speechwriters expected ovations. Scroll down for video . Not buying it: An estimated 10,000 American Legionnaires registered to attend the convention in Charlotte, but few of them were on their feet clapping for the commander-in-chief . Silence: President Barack Obama couldn't pull the trigger on applause lines that usually succeed with his more reliably partisan audiences . Salute! The president offered respect to a female airman after his speech, but he got little respect from thousands of men and women who had already served in the armed forces . 'Some of these guys – well, most of them – remember that Obama sent Biden to speak to us last year in Houston, and blew us off entirely during his 2012 campaign.' That year, the president sent a 3-minute video message instead of coming to Indianapolis. Mitt Romney, his Republican rival, flew 1,000 miles to speak in person. The veteran asked MailOnline to conceal his identity. 'I don't need that kind of trouble,' he said. 'I work for a government contractor.' After the customary introductions and thank-yous to dignitaries, Obama spoke for nearly eight full minutes on Tuesday without a single clap. He touted his foreign policy bona fides, boasting that 'even countries that criticize us – when the chips are down and they need help, they know who to call. They call us. That's what American leadership looks like.' Silence. 'Sustaining our leadership, keeping America strong and secure, means we have to use our power wisely,' Obama cautioned, in keeping with his slow approach to battling ISIS and other terror groups overseas. 'History teaches us of the dangers of overreaching and spreading ourselves too thin, and trying to go it alone without international support, or rushing into military adventures without thinking through the consequences.' Crickets. 'You know that we should never send America's sons and daughters into harm's way unless it is absolutely necessary and we have a plan and we are resourcing it and prepared to see it through.' Tepid clapping followed pregnant seconds of emptiness. 'We removed more than 140,000 troops from Iraq and welcomed those troops home. It was the right thing to do.' Nothing. Obama couldn't muster sustained applause for a declaration that 'in just four months we will complete our combat mission in Afghanistan and America's longest war will come to a responsible end.' Not even when he paused to honor 'every American who served to make this progress possible, every single one, especially the more than 2,200 American patriots who made the ultimate sacrifice in Afghanistan to keep us safe.' The White House is touting a package of 19 'executive actions' designed to improve the lot of servicemen and women after they return to civilian life. Many are symbolic or represent minor changes. A few indicate significant moves in the direction veterans groups have demanded for decades: . After he pledged to 'partner with Afghans so their country can never again be used to launch attacks against the United States,' four seconds elapsed before a weak round of clapping could be heard in the hall. Obama did hit his stride, eventually. A louder but brief ovation rang out after he laid down an ultimatum to ISIS, the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham. 'Our message to anyone who harms our people is simple,' he said, calling to mind last week's beheading video of American photojournalist James Foley. 'American does not forget. Our reach is long. We are patient. Justice will be done. We have proved time and time again we will do what's necessary to capture those who harm Americans – to go after those who harm Americans.' But the legionnaires held back their heartfelt acclaim for a full 17 minutes until the president mentioned the cure for what ails them. Obama's first and only truly robust applause line came with a pledge to reform the Veterans Affairs Department, which has come under fire for months-long medical wait times and a scheme that buried appointments in order to artificially inflate success numbers. 'The misconduct we've seen of too many facilities, with long wait times and veterans denied care, and folks cooking the books, is outrageous and inexcusable,' Obama said, waking up the crowd's enthusiasm. 'We're focused on this at the highest levels. We are going to get to the bottom of these problems, we are going to fix what is wrong.' 'We are going to do right by you and we are going to do right by your families,' he said, earning his only spontaneous hoots and shouts. 'And that is a solemn pledge of commitment that I'm making to you here.' The VA, he said, has been given 'the authority to more quickly remove senior executives who don't meet our high standards. If you engage in unethical practices or cover up a serious problem, you should be and will be fired.' Rep. Jeff Miller, the Republicans' top dog on the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs, told the Washington Examiner after Obama spoke that despite the president's rhetoric, the White House has stymied Congress in its attempts to clean up the VA. 'No one has been fired as a result of the VA scandal,' Miller said. 'The department is still sitting on 113 outstanding information requests from the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs, and VA whistle-blowers who tried to expose problems are still enduring retaliation.' Not impressed: American Legionnaires only rose to their feet to praise fellow veterans and hoot about firing VA miscreants, whiel they sat on their hands for Obama's applause lines about his military strategy . Is this thing on? Obama spoke for nearly 8 minutes without a single applause line, despite pausing several times in hope of an ovation . Nuclear: Democratic Sen. Kay Hagan (L) is in the fight of her life in North Carolina, and greeted Obama at the airport but DIDN'T appear on stage with him . Daggers: Republican US Senator Richard Burr is no fan of Obama and hopes his flagging numbers drag down Hagan to provide his state with a GOP replacement . Obama's speech described a set of 19 'executive actions' – mostly small policy shifts, but including a few major tacks – designed to quell criticism of how his administration has cared for veterans since January 2009. They include expanded suicide prevention programs, new research funding for science that could change treatments for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, and a mandate that the Pentagon and VA provide a seamless transition for servicemen and women who receive mental health treatment and medications. The Republican Party took shots at the president on Tuesday for allowing problems to fester on his watch. The GOP also aimed at North Carolina Sen. Kay Hagan, who is in a tough battle to keep her seat this November. 'It's been six years and President Obama and Senator Hagan have failed to deliver on the promises they've made to our veterans,' said Republican National Committee spokesman Michael Short. 'On their watch the systemic problems at the VA have only gotten worse, despite lofty campaign promises to fix the problem. But instead of delivering results for our veterans, Hagan has delivered for President Obama 96 percent of the time while failing to get a single bill she’s authored passed into law.' Hagan addressed the legionnaires separately from Obama. The two joked and hugged after the president deplaned from Air Force One, but did not appear on stage together. | President fell flat as audience of thousands responded to military pledges with anemic ovations . Some applause lines met with awkward silence while others earned only three seconds of feeble clapping . Crowd came to life to honor fellow veterans, not Obama . President announced 19 'executive actions' aimed at restoring faith in failed VA system and providing better health care outcomes to war veterans . Obama flopped with messages defending his cautious approach to battling ISIS in Iraq and Syria . | 5b8b42a6ff569871547bf6bdaa1e1bfff478c2ea |
By . Tamara Cohen . PUBLISHED: . 21:19 EST, 15 October 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 03:33 EST, 16 October 2012 . Controversial: Planning minister Nick Boles defended the new policy - arguing the current regulations are holding back economic growth . The minister behind controversial planning reforms rounded on his critics yesterday, saying unsightly home extensions were not a ‘crime against humanity’. Nick Boles – who has previously described green belt campaigners as ‘Luddites’ – defended Government plans to double the size of extensions permitted without planning consent. Town hall chiefs have hit out at the policy, saying it would encourage unsightly buildings, while councils have refused to implement the plans. But in a combative session with MPs yesterday, the Planning Minister insisted that fees and regulations were holding back economic growth. And he claimed that when councils scrapped ‘expensive and unnecessary bureaucracy’, they would find ‘the world doesn’t end’. Mr Boles also announced that major commercial projects would have to be fast-tracked through the planning process or they would be taken out of councils’ hands. Business parks, distribution centres, chemical works, oil refineries and manufacturing plants will have to be processed within a year or the decision would be referred to the Government’s Planning Inspectorate – with no right of appeal. In his first appearance at the Communities and Local Government Committee, Mr Boles insisted many homeowners were being put off building works because of prohibitive planning fees of around £2,000. Families can currently build a 10ft single storey extension to a terraced property and 13ft to a detached home without permission. David Cameron wants to double these limits to 20ft and 26ft respectively, for three years. Additions: Homeowners can currently build a 10ft extension at a terraced property - and 13ft at a detached house - without planning consent . Mr Boles said the change was ‘not a free for all’ as an extension could not take up more than half the property’s garden and neighbours’ rights to light and party walls would be protected.‘It’s quite a limited proposal,’ the Planning Minister said. ‘We have a growth problem. The economic situation is such that we have an urgent need to support growth. We want to encourage people to do extensions in three years because the construction industry is having a miserable time and we need construction activity in local areas. ‘But if, as I fully expect, in three years everybody has accepted it, we may look at keeping it.’ He added: ‘The simple question is, is it really such an appalling thing to take the permitted extension right on a terraced house from three metres [10 feet] to six metres [20 feet]? ‘I can see it’s a liberalisation, we came into government to do things like that. But I don’t see it as a sort of crime against humanity.’ Extensions: A YouGov poll commissioned by the Royal Institute of British Architects revealed 54 per cent believe the shake-up would lower the quality of neighbourhood design . Last year councils rejected outright 10 per cent of the 200,000 applications they received. A spokesman for the Local Government Association – which represents more than 370 councils – said: ‘The 22,000 applications rejected each year are knocked back for good reasons and it would be wrong if extensions which were previously rejected due to objections from neighbours or because they were judged to blight the neighbourhood could now sneak back in.’ Tory-run councils in Lincolnshire, Mr Boles’s constituency, as well as Richmond in southwest London have already said they will not cooperate. Whitehall sources said that plans to fast-track major infrastructure would limit residents’ legal bills for opposing them and make the process transparent. | Nick Boles defended Government . plans to double the size of extensions permitted without planning . consent . Town hall chiefs and councils have opposed the new policy . | bdfc42f3dce77e9e964ba2922c19faba2ca563ee |
The father of Argentina and Juventus star Carlos Tevez has been freed after being kidnapped and held for eight hours. Segundo Tevez was taken by a group of assailants at around sunrise on the outskirts of Buenos Aires but was 'in good shape' after being released, according to the family's lawyer Gustavo Galasso. Argentine TV station C5N said Tevez was set free after a payment of 40,000 pesos (£3,000) but neither the family nor the police confirmed this. VIDEO Scroll down to watch what makes Tevez one of the world's most dedicated players . Kidnapping: Carlos Tevez's father Segundo (right) was taken by a group of men as he drove through Buenos Aires on Tuesday morning but was freed after eight hours . Sad occasion: Carlos Tevez's relatives leave the house of his stepfather after visiting him on his release . Abandoned: The car used by the kidnappers was found in El Palomar, a Buenos Aires suburb . Roped off: Crime scene technicians seal off an area as they gather evidence close to the abandoned car . Big news: Argentine Secretary for Security Sergio Berni confirms that Segundo Tevez has been released . Legal issues: Gustavo Galasso, the Tevez family lawyer, leaves the house of the Juventus man's stepfather . Sad times: More relatives from the Tevez family try to leave the house through the media scrum outside . Blue lights: Police continue their investigations into the kidnapping in El Palomar . Crime scene investigation: Tevez is believed to have personally stepped in to save his stepfather . Concern: Carlos Tevez was granted permission by his club Juventus to travel back to Argentina . The former Manchester United and Manchester City striker was given permission by Juventus to leave Italy but reports there said he was not going back to Argentina following news of the release. La Nacion . in Argentina reported that Tevez was driving his car in the . municipality of Moron, a province of Buenos Aires, when he was taken . hostage in the early hours of Tuesday morning. The . Volkswagen Vento vehicle has been found abandoned and Argentine . websites claim that the three men reportedly guilty were not aware of . the identity of Tevez’s father but once they discovered his background, . they made extortionate financial demands over the phone to the player’s . family. Tevez was adopted by his maternal aunt and her husband, Segundo Tevez, as a baby. | Juventus star's father was taken by group of kidnappers as he drove through Moron district in Buenos Aires . Argentine TV report a 40,000 Peso (£3,000) ransom was paid for his release . 30-year-old striker was given leave by Juventus but is not believed to have travelled to Argentina . | 2f60ac156cb63cce9d5bc62ed4c0f8304c2e7d07 |
Online auction site eBay has been blasted for an 'inexcusable delay' in taking action after it was revealed that its servers were hacked three months ago - compromising the personal details of 15 million British users. The email, home . addresses, passwords, phone numbers and birth dates of every eBay . account holder - 233 million worldwide - are now in the hands of the hackers. The company has told users to urgently change their passwords amid the biggest criminal raid ever carried out . online. eBay is requesting that all users change their passwords. Earlier today, a message was posted under the headline 'eBay Inc. To Ask All eBay Users To Change Passwords'. The only text in the body of the post was 'placeholder text.' It was taken down within hours . The eBay database was hacked between late February and early March. It gave hackers access to encrypted passwords and other non-financial data. This included eBay customers' name, encrypted password, email address, home address, phone number and date of birth. However, the database did not contain financial information or other confidential personal data. Cyber attackers accessed the information after obtaining ‘a small number of employee login credentials’. The online market place added that it had no evidence of there being unauthorised activity on its members' accounts. But security experts are warning hackers could still use personal details to commit identity fraud. eBay became aware of the hack a fortnight ago but is still unsure exactly how it happened. It is unclear why it has taken eBay so long to make users aware of breach. It has been revealed that hackers accessed eBay databases by using the accounts of company employees as long ago as February. MPs have rounded on the American company for the 'inexcusable delay' in informing its customers. Keith Vaz, the chairman of the Commons home affairs select committee, told the Telegraph: 'We . have urged companies to take much more seriously the threat of hacking. It is inexcusable that a company as important as eBay has failed to . inform its customers immediately that this has occurred. We need a full . explanation. 'We will be writing to them to ask how this happened and whether this problem has been resolved.' In a statement on their website, the . US auction site said it was asking all its users to reset their . passwords after an attack ‘compromised a database containing encrypted . passwords and other non-financial data’. Often consumers use their eBay . password for a host of other websites, including their banks, so they . may also need to make changes to these to protect their accounts from . being hijacked. Paul . Martini, the chief executive at iboss Network Security, said that the . online auction site was the 'golden goose of hacking targets' due to . the sheer amount of information which is held. He . said that the damage could have already been done and warned that while . hackers may not be taking money or goods out of eBay - they may be . using personal information to target other sites. An eBay spokesman said: . 'We discovered unauthorised access to our corporate network earlier in . May and immediately began a forensic investigation which discovered this . issue leading to yesterday’s announcement. 'eBay is a global marketplace and this thorough investigation worked as quickly as possible.' The company . owns and runs the internet payment system PayPal, but claimed that this . was not involved in the raid, saying: ‘PayPal data is stored separately . on a secure network, and all PayPal financial information is . encrypted.’ The firm has . 128million active users and accounted for £126billion worth of commerce . in 2013. Shares in the web giant, which has more than 14million active . users in the UK, fell by 3.2 per cent in early trading yesterday amid . fears that the company will lose the trust of their customers, leading . to a downturn in trade and profits. A spokesman added: . ‘Working with law enforcement and security experts, the company is . aggressively investigating the matter and applying the best forensics . tools and practices to protect customers. ‘Information . security and customer data protection are of paramount importance to . eBay Inc, and eBay regrets any inconvenience or concern that this . password reset may cause our customers.’ The auction site added that it had no evidence of there being unauthorised activity on its members' accounts. But security experts are warning hackers could still use personal details to commit identity fraud . The cyber attack was made between late February and early March, giving hackers access to eBay customers' name, encrypted password, email address, physical address, phone number and date of birth. The firm said it will be emailing users later today to inform them of the breach . ‘Our customers are our highest priority; and to . ensure they continue to have a safe, secure and trusted experience on . eBay, we will be asking all users to change their passwords. ‘There is no evidence that any financial information was accessed or compromised; but we are taking every precaution.’ But . Graham Cluley, independent security expert, said: ‘Obviously they’ve got . hold of names, addresses and dates of birth. All of this can be used to . commit identity fraud. ‘If . they have your password, and you have the same password for other . websites, hackers could access your email, your Amazon account and who . knows what else.’ And . internet security expert Paul Martini said: ‘eBay users must act and . follow the advice to change their passwords. But the damage could have . already been done, as the time lag is months between the cyber breach . and the discovery of the breach. ‘It . could well have been viewed as the golden goose of hacking targets. Its . popularity means that it holds personal details, making its a potential . gold mine.’ He added: . ‘Cyberhackers may not hit the obvious target of siphoning money or goods . out of eBay; they may take the personal information gained from the . database and target other popular sites.’ The . internet is still recovering from the Heartbleed bug, a flaw in the . OpenSSL encryption on computers that protects user information when . someone is online. The flaw . had been present for two years undetected, and offered hackers a way . into personal accounts across the web. UK parenting website Mumsnet was . the first to admit they had been a victim of the bug. Fixes, or . ‘patches’, have since been applied across the web as sites recover from . the breach in security. What personal details were stolen? Hackers gained access to eBay customers' names, encrypted passwords, email addresses, physical addresses, phone numbers and dates of birth. It is unclear whether all, or any, of the details were taken but security experts are warning people to assume the worst. Are my credit cards details safe? The firm said that the infiltrated part of the network did not contain any financial details, so in theory, yes. Will changing my password solve the problem? Changing passwords will stop hackers from being able to use any login details that were stolen. However, they could still use names, addresses and birth dates to commit identity fraud. It’s a good idea to change passwords following any attack such as this. It’s also important to update login details on any sites that use the same password. If a hacker has your password and email address they could use it to attempt to access other sites that use the same combination. As a rule, the same password should never be used across different sites. Should I change my PayPal password as well? PayPal, which owns eBay, has confirmed its accounts and customers have not been affected by this cyber attack. However, as a matter of course, it’s good practice to change all related passwords across different sites, including PayPal. Which countries are affected? At the moment, we can assume that all eBay customers worldwide will be affected by this breach, until eBay says otherwise. Is this hack a result of the Heartbleed bug? When Heartbleed was exposed, eBay announced its customer’s account were secure and had not been affected. This suggests the latest hack is a separate attack. How did hackers steal the information? It is unclear how the hackers got hold of the information but eBay said it is working with forensic teams to get an answer to this question. Why did it take so long for eBay to inform customers of the breach? MailOnline has contacted eBay for an answer to this question. It is unclear what caused the delay. Typically, following cyber attacks, a firm will investigate the breach to try and determine how many people are affected, and the severity of the attack, before issuing advice. Early reports claimed the password change on eBay could be as a result of the worldwide Heartbleed security breach last month, but PayPal said at the time its servers weren't at risk and had not been affected . | Attack made between February and March and affects 128 million users . Hackers infiltrated the corporate network after stealing employee . logins . This gave hackers access to eBay customers' name, . encrypted password, email address, home address, phone number and . date of birth . Firm said there is no evidence to suggest PayPal accounts were affected . But security experts are warning hackers could still use personal details to commit identity fraud - even after the password has been changed . | 7315a91e0cf428e9ffb539a2d175f5270364ff71 |
Two 15-year-old boys have been praised for their survival skills after they found shelter and started a fire in subzero temperatures when their snowmobile became stuck in deep snow in the Maine wilderness. Ty Howard-Gotto and Jonah May, both from Rhode Island, took a wrong turn as they traveled 15 miles from Mexico, Maine, to Howard-Grotto's grandfather's home in Andover at 7.30pm on Monday. The duo accidentally headed down a trail that had not been cleared and their 2007 Arctic Cat Firecat snowmobile became stuck in deep snow, according to the Maine Warden Service. Stranded, the boys walked a short distance before discovering a shed with a golf cart inside and used the cart's gasoline to start a fire, WCSH reported. Survivors: Tyler Howard-Gotto, left, and Jonah May, right, sought out shelter and made a fire after they became stranded in snow in Maine while snowmobiling. This image shows them after they were found . As temperatures plunged below zero, they made sure to bundle up before sleeping inside the cart. 'I had my clothes bag with me,' Howard-Gotto told WCSH. 'I stuffed my T-shirts, whatever, underwear, as insulation and zipped it up.' The youngsters said they helped each other through the ordeal. 'I was a little scared,' May said. 'Started thinking about my mother and that stuff, but Ty kept me in line, told me we gotta make a fire and push through this.' Wardens began looking for the missing due early on Tuesday after Howard-Grotto's family alerted authorities. But their search was called off around 10am after a motorist came across the boys, who had started walking to look for help, and drove them to their grandfather's home. Stuck: The snowmobile, pictured, got stuck after they failed to take a turn. But luckily they found a shed and used gasoline from a golf cart to start a fire. They next day they flagged a motorist down for help . Both boys were hungry but otherwise healthy, and had no signs of hypothermia. Howard-Grotto said he believes his survival skills saved them. 'Anyone else in those woods that didn't have the set of mind and the skill set, they wouldn't have made it out there,' he told WCSH. Ty's mother, Tracy Howard, added: 'I'm quite impressed with those two kids.' | Ty Howard-Gotto and Jonah May took a wrong turn as they made their way to Ty's grandfather's home in Maine on Monday and became stranded . They found a shed with a golf cart inside and used gasoline from the golf cart to start a fire before sleeping there overnight . The next day they walked until they came across a motorist, who drove them to their grandfather's home . | fac607625f3d78ff0c696127479db7d239e32c08 |
(CNN) -- One hot mess. That's what you'll see on the front page of any leading e-commerce site in China. There's a maddening array of banner ads, rows upon rows of links, icons touting promotions and discounts. It's a jarring user interface that seems to bring out the worst in Web design. And it was designed that way. "They want this shopping atmosphere," says Yu Gang, chairman and founder of Yihaodian, one of China's leading online retailers. "Our consumers like a page that is very crowded, busy with a lot of links so they can open lots of windows at the same time." David Wei, China tech investor and former CEO of e-commerce giant Alibaba, couldn't agree more: "When I worked for Alibaba, I cleaned the homepage to an international standard. It doesn't work." Ahead of the upcoming Alibaba IPO, I got the full download from China's e-commerce insiders for CNN's "On China." They tell me that in the mad, mad world of mainland e-commerce, the rules of the road from the West simply don't apply. The superlative stats are well known: China has the world's largest online population with over 591 million Internet users. China is the world's second-largest online retailing market, clocking in up to $210 billion in sales in 2012. Taobao, Alibaba's consumer e-commerce engine, boasts sales bigger than eBay and Amazon combined. The scale of China's e-commerce market is tantalizing. But it's also a tough one to crack due in part to inadequate delivery services throughout the country. "The logistics industry is very fragmented in China, with the likes of UPS and FedEx in China still unable to provide nationwide coverage and quality service," Yu points out. As such, many Chinese e-commerce companies including Yihaodian provide their own last mile delivery to reach customers with a network of mopeds and motorcycles. Another point of distinction is the extremely social nature of their customer base. "Social media is a big one in China," says Oliver Rust, senior vice president at Nielsen. "Fifty percent of consumers in China are leveraging social media to learn about new products." "Retailers need to engage in this social conversation and interact with China's tech-savvy consumers who are increasingly open to boosting e-commerce spending." And that doesn't just mean opening a branded Weibo account. Online chatting between customers and merchants is the norm with instant messaging embedded in almost every e-commerce platform. But don't let all the friendly shop talk fool you. The business is brutal. When David Wei was at the helm of Alibaba, he led the offensive to undermine and defeat eBay in China. "When Taobao fought against eBay, we listed the top ten things eBay was doing in China -- and we did it 100% differently," he tells me. So while eBay charged for its listing fees, Taobao offered no listing fee at all. While eBay used an auction model to rank its listings, Taobao used a retail model to rank fresher listings at the top. And while eBay limited communication between merchants and customers, Taobao created an instant messaging tool to encourage buyer-seller communication. Ebay eventually shut its main website in China. "The top ten things, the most important things eBay was doing, their winning elements, their winning recipe in the United States, actually became the poison killing their business in China," says Wei. So if you're a brand manager, investor, or entrepreneur eyeballing the market, observe with an open mind and proceed with caution. In China, e-commerce is a bloodsport. | Homepages of leading e-commerce sites look jarring for a reason . Rules of West simply don't apply, writes CNN's Kristie Lu Stout . China has the world's largest online population with over 591 million Internet users . | 599ec411ef20cba37bd9137fe90461de80fa2150 |
Oxford has lost out to Cambridge for the fourth year running in a new league table of universities. The prestigious institutions took the top two places in the latest annual Complete University Guide. In third place, the same as last year, was the London School of Economics and Political Science, followed by St Andrews in Fife, Scotland, which moved up two places to fourth, and Durham, which holds on to fifth place. The table uses available data to rank universities on nine areas - student satisfaction, research, entry standards, student to staff ratios, spending in academic services, spending facilities, the numbers of good honours degrees achieved, graduate prospects and completion rates. Top marks: The University of Cambridge has once again beaten Oxford to be crowned the country's finest higher education institution . The authors said that at many universities, student to staff ratios had improved this year due to institutions taking on more staff and falling student numbers, whilst more money is also being spent on student facilities and there has been a rise in entry standards. David Jobbins, a spokesman for the Guide, said there had been a 6.4 per cent year-on-year fall in undergraduate numbers in 2012/13 according to their analysis. 'It is that fall in some institutions and programme areas, coupled with the opportunity taken by some institutions, of which the University for the Creative Arts and the Arts University Bournemouth are good examples, to reclassify technical staff as academic staff, thus improving the student: staff ratio,' he said. Cambridge takes the second spot for the fourth year in a row . Rounding out this year's top 10 were Imperial College London, Warwick, Bath, University College London and Exeter. The biggest climbers in this year's table were the University for the Creative Arts which has moved up 24 places to 62nd, Abertay in Dundee which has risen 20 places to joint 91st, the Arts University, Bournemouth, up 18 to 57th, Derby, up 16 to joint 87th and Manchester Metropolitan, up 15 places to joint 73rd. Ten universities fell at least 10 places. These were: Royal Agricultural University, down 32 places, Aberystwyth, down 17, Birmingham City, down 16, St George's, University of London, down 12, Hull, Northampton, Buckinghamshire New University and Anglia Ruskin, all down 11 places and Bedfordshire and Ulster, down 10. Durham University held on on to fifth place in the latest annual Complete University Guide . In total, 123 universities were included in this year's guide, which is published online. Principal author Dr Bernard Kingston said: 'Many of the changes this year are attributable to changes in definitions and weighting. 'There was an official and fundamental review of the staff record data between the two years, while the old distinction between graduate and non-graduate employment has been replaced by one between professional and non-professional employment.' He added that the rankings give would-be students 'an accurate and independent guide to the UK university system'. | University guide ranks institutions based on grades, spending and more . London School of Economics, St Andrews and Durham in top five . Number of undergraduates dropped in 2012/2013 . | 14e47fcdcc38a1f501f02822f6b93ca0234412a6 |
Mars is a weird and wonderful world of odd rocks that formed long ago in the planet’s history. And this latest image is no exception, as the Curiosity rover has spotted what looks like a bizarre set of ‘traffic lights’ on the surface. Of course, the discovery is nothing more than a chance alignment of rocks and shapes - but it highlights just how interesting the Martian surface is. Scroll down for video . The Curiosity rover has spotted a rock that looks like traffic lights on Mars (shown in the red ring in this image). Washington-based Nasa is yet to comment on the latest discovery. The finding highlights just how weird and wonderful some of the rock formations on Mars can be . In the image, a set of three large rocks - admittedly with a larger fourth one as well - are stacked on top of each other. The rover's top speed is 1.5 inches (3.8 centimetres) per second. Curiosity is the fourth rover to visit Mars. It took around seven minutes to land on the Red Planet. The rover is fitted with 17 cameras. It weighs about the same as a Mini Cooper at approximately 900kg (2,000lbs). Scientists considered 60 possible landing sites before deciding on Gale Crater. They bear a striking resemblance to traffic lights on Earth. But it’s highly unlikely this same feature was built by a martian civilisation. The image was shot from the six-foot (1.8 metre) high, left-hand side mast cam on the Curiosity Rover. It was the 753rd day the rover has been exploring the red planet. The rock was spotted in the image by space video journalist Joe White from Bristol who runs a YouTube channel called ArtAlienTV. ‘I saw this one and I thought “hang on, that looks a bit strange”. I think it looks like a traffic light. ‘It is hard to tell how big it would be without any point of reference, but I would estimate it was about 12 inches [30.5cm]. ‘I posted it on the internet and people said they thought it looked like a set of traffic lights too - although some people did say it looked like a totem pole.’ The 'traffic lights' (left) were spotted by Curiosity (right) on its way to the base of Mount Sharp, a geologically fascinating region that could explain how Mars lost its wet and habitable environment. Other people have said the strange looking rock resembles a totem pole . The rock was spotted by space video journalist Joe White. Mr White said: 'I saw this one and I thought "hang on, that looks a bit strange". I think it looks like a traffic light' (stock image shown). The image from Curiosity is just one of many fascinating rocks on the red planet that resembles something we are familiar with on Earth . Just days earlier, Curiosity had spotted a ball-shaped rock on the surface of Mars. Nasa said it was likely an example of Martian concretion, the process of compacting and hardening a mass of matter, according to Discovery News. Curiosity is currently at the base of Mount Sharp, which has been the target for the mission since it landed just over two years ago. The area is geologically fascinating as it contains layers that may provide an insight into the history of Mars. And, scientists hope the region might reveal how and why Mars lost what was once thought to be a habitable environment, with water flowing on its surface. This, in turn, may provide answers on the future of Earth. The discovery follows another intriguing image that showed an almost perfectly round rock on the Martian surface (shown). Nasa said it was likely an example of Martian concretion, the process of compacting and hardening a mass of matter . Yesterday India's first mission to Mars, the ISRO's Mars Orbiter, arrived at Mars and released its first image (shown) of the red planet's surface. 'Howdy @MarsCuriosity? Keep in touch. I'll be around' the team for the orbiter tweeted on its arrival . | The Curiosity rover has spotted a rock that looks like traffic lights on Mars . Washington-based Nasa is yet to comment on the latest discovery . The finding highlights how unusual rock formations on Mars can be . Discovery follows another intriguing image that showed an almost perfectly round rock on the Martian surface . Curiosity is currently at the base of Mount Sharp on the red planet . It a geologically fascinating region that could explain how Mars lost its wet and habitable environment . | 793189624695dd7065e617bbc46a86c926f743c4 |
By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 19:01 EST, 13 January 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 19:02 EST, 13 January 2013 . The father whose child was kidnapped by his own parents 19 years ago now says that he would like to tell his son that he loves him. The family drama is being unveiled after Michael Landers, who is now 24-years-old, was discovered to be living with his paternal grandparents in Minnesota after they kidnapped him in Indiana in 1994. Michael Landers' biological father, Richard Landers Sr., spoke out saying that he wants to get in touch with his kidnapped son but doesn't know his phone number and cannot afford to fly to Minnesota. SCROLL DOWN FOR VIDEO . New man: Pictured outside his home in Browerville, Minnesota Michael Jeff Landers faced reporters as a 24-year-old . Michael, who was originally named Richard Landers Jr but legally changed his name when he was 18, apparently knew that he was kidnapped by his grandmparents but believes that they were in the right and raised him well. He now lives next door to them with his pregnant wife, and has been publicly praising his grandparents saying that while they did something that was illegal, they should not be punished because it was in his best interest. It is unclear why Landers' biological parents would have been unfit, but his grandparents fled with the then-5-year-old boy when he was at the center of a contested custody dispute. His grandparents fled with him during a custody dispute with his mother, Lisa Hartner in July 1994 from Wolcottville, Indiana. Authorities reopened the case in September and using his social security number determined Landers to be the abducted Indiana child. Vanished: In 1994 Richard Wayne Lander Jr disappeared at the age of five from Wolcottville, Indiana before he was found 19 years later at the age of 24 living in Minnesota . A Facebook post, believed to be from Michael Landers' account, has defended the grandparents who raised him. The message to the Minneapolis television station KARE's Facebook page, said: 'For you people who jump to conclusions you should find out the whole story I was where I needed to be. My `grandparents' were in the the right I don't care what anyone else thinks.' The grandparents were charged with misdemeanor interference with custody, which was bumped up to a felony in 1999. But the charge was dismissed in 2008 after the case went cold. Landers' mother and stepfather were unemployed and lived in a car at the time, recalled John R. Russell, who spent several months investigating the disappearance with the LaGrange County Sheriff's Department in Indiana. 'These people (the grandparents) were nice people. It was wrong for them to do it, but I can understand why,' Russell said. 'But I also didn't think the child would be in any danger at all with them.' Long lost family: Michael Jeff Landers' biological mother Lisa Harter is seen, left, she has been described as . entirely ecstatic at the news of her son's discovery after losing him at . the age of five, right . Better off: In a Facebook posting by a man claiming to be him, Landers writes his grandparents having been 'in the right' for taking him from his life with his mother at the age of five . An attorney for Landers' mother, Richard Muntz, refuted claims that she was homeless at the time. He said she spent only three days living in a car and it was with Landers' biological father. Hartner, who has mild developmental disabilities, divorced Landers' father. His parents obtained custody after Harter moved into a group home that could not accommodate children, Muntz said. After a while, she moved into an apartment and gained custody of her son on weekends, and she filed a petition to expand her custody rights when she remarried. 'The judge gave her custody on a trial basis, and before she could get him, that's when they left,' Muntz added. Found: Landers' new home on property shared with his grandparents in Browerville is seen after his social security number led authorities to uncover his true identity . Family home: Landers lives next to the grandparents who adopted him in Minnesota with his wife . Baby: Michael Landers and his wife Bobbie, pictured left, are now expecting their own child and have posted ultrasound images and messages about how excited they are on Facebook, pictured right . He said the grandparents withdrew $5,000 out of a home equity line, went out for breakfast and left town. 'The trail on this case went cold the day they disappeared. There was no trace of them after they left the restaurant,' he said. 'We always just kept it in the back of . our minds that we believed we were going to see him again,' said . Richard Landers Sr, who was speaking to KARE after hearing the news. 'Until I get to actually walk up and say hello to him again, I don't know if it's going to be real,' he added. He has also said that he hopes to re-establish contact with his parents. Watch the video here . | Richard Landers Jr taken from Indiana home by his paternal grandparents in 1994 is pictured for the first time as an adult calling himself Michael . Says that his grandparents were in the right to kidnap him amid custody battle between his biological parents . Now his birth father says that he loves his son and wants to talk to him . | f08246e814092cd8cfe6e85359abfe421411eaa7 |
(CNN) -- The military operation to clear a Rio de Janeiro slum of drug traffickers will effectively turn into an occupation of the area at least through October of next year, Gov. Sergio Cabral said in a radio interview Tuesday. Rio state Gov. Sergio Cabral said that at least 2,000 troops will remain at the Alemao slum -- called a favela in Portuguese -- to keep up the effort to pacify the area. He announced the move after meeting with Dilma Rousseff, Brazil's president-elect, in the capital, Brasilia. Originally, he had requested the troops for only six months. Rousseff offered her support for the security work being carried out in Rio, Cabral said. The troops are needed so that the government doesn't have to delay future operations in other communities overrun by drug traffickers, he said. The troops will remain until a police unit and station are installed in Alemao, slated for the middle of next year. Brazil, which will host the World Cup in 2014 and the Olympics in 2016, is under increasing pressure to crack down on violent crime and clean up its slums. Over the weekend, armored vehicles followed by police trucks rolled into the favela to restore order. The police to be placed are known as Pacifying Police Units, a special force designed to live and work in the favelas they protect. Such units are already in operations in some favelas, but this most recent operation is the most ambitious to date. Authorities have been trying to dislodge traffickers from their hiding places for two years, but the operation in Alemao is the first time the government has tried to regain territory run by the criminals in earnest, said Paulo Sotero, director of the Brazil Institute at the Woodrow Wilson International Institute for Scholars. At the outset, the events appear to be a victory for the government, but winning over the locals, who were living under the rule and services of the traffickers, will be a challenge. "This is just the beginning. [Police] will have to work with people to convince them that you will not abuse their rights," Sotero said. That is the goal of the Pacifying Police. Reaction inside and outside Brazil to the success of the current operation has been positive, with speculation that the country is trying to clean up its streets before the World Cup and Olympics come to town. Sotero, however, suggests that it is domestic pressure that is leading to police work. As a whole, Brazil's economy is growing, and so is the middle class. As people find themselves in better situations, they also begin to demand better quality of life, Sotero said. People want things like better education and security. "This, I think, is what created the pressure to try to find new solutions for a very old problem," he said. The slums became dangerous places during a period when the city and state of Rio had poor government, something that was exploited during the drug boom in the 1980s, Sotero said. Conversely, one of the factors behind the efficient action today is the fact that the local and state leaders are from the same political party and are allies with the federal government, said Thomas Trebat, executive director of the Institute of Latin American Studies at Columbia University. While Brazil as a whole is doing well, economic and social indicators in the city of Rio have lagged, Trebat said. This is significant because Rio is often seen as a representation of Brazil as a whole. "This isn't Las Vegas. What happens here doesn't stay here," he said. The perception is that "if this iconic city is undergoing social chaos, how can it be that Brazil is a BRIC?" Trebat said, referring to the designation given to rapidly rising countries of Brazil, Russia, India and China. The World Cup and Olympics may be an impetus for acting now, but the pressure comes from Rio's need to reflect the better side of Brazil, he said. Whatever the reason for the incursion and occupation of Alemao, residents there are optimistic about the future. "We have already weathered many difficult situations here, but thank God things improved," said Jose Maria Pereira, a retiree. Dilsa Maria, a maid, said, "We lived a very repressed life. Now we have more freedom. We can come and go. This is important not just for me but for everyone here." Journalist Fabiana Frayssinet in Rio de Janeiro contributed to this report. | Police and soldiers mounted an operation in the Alemao slum . Some 2,000 troops will remain to maintain order . They will stay until a police station is set up . Domestic pressure, sporting events cited in crackdown . | c1b34fe52ab95ede32b0e6e9d11758434e7632c3 |
They have been banished under low-carb diets and maligned nearly as much as bread. But potatoes aren't necessarily bad for the waistline - and could actually help us lose weight, a study claims. Dieters who included potatoes in their meal plans all lost weight - as long as they reduced their overall calorie intake, researchers found. Dieters who included potatoes in their meals all lost weight if they reduced calories, a study found . The scientists concluded there is no evidence that potatoes lead to weight gain if they are prepared in a healthy manner. The researchers wanted to understand the role of lowering calories and the glycemic index (GI) affected weight loss, when potatoes are included in the diet. The glycemic index is a scale of zero to 100 representing how quickly glucose is released into the bloodstream after eating carbohydrates. Eating high GI foods such as white bread and white rice causes a spike in blood sugar levels as glucose is released quickly into the bloodstream, followed by a slump when insulin is released to control it. Low GI foods, such as wholegrain bread, porridge and brown rice, break down slowly during digestion, making dieters feel fuller for longer and stabilising blood sugar levels. As part of the study, 90 overweight men and women were split into three groups. The first group was told to reduce their calories but eat high GI foods. A medium-sized potato contains 110 calories . One medium-size potato with its skin on contains: . Just 110 calories per serving . More potassium (620g) than a banana . Almost half the daily value of vitamin C (45 per cent) Contains no fat, sodium or cholesterol . The second group was told to reduce their calories but eat low GI foods. People in the third group could eat whatever they wanted, with no restrictions on calories or GI foods. All three groups were given potatoes, healthy recipes and told to eat five to seven servings of potatoes each week. At the end of the 12-week study period, the researchers found all three groups had lost weight and there was no significant difference in weight loss between the groups. Interestingly, even the control group reduced their calories and lost weight - despite not being provided with a specific calorie restriction. Perhaps unsurprisingly, the research was funded by The United States Potato Board, which represents more than 2,500 U.S. potato growers and handlers. However it was published in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition . 'There is no evidence that potatoes, when prepared in a healthful manner, contribute to weight gain. In fact, we are seeing that they can be part of a weight loss program' the researchers said . Lead researcher Dr Britt Burton-Freeman, of the Illinois Institute of Technology said: 'Some people have questioned the role of potatoes in a weight loss regimen because of the vegetable's designation as a high glycemic index food. 'However, the results of this study confirm what health professionals and nutrition experts have said for years: it is not about eliminating a certain food or food groups, rather, it is reducing calories that count.' He added: 'There is no evidence that potatoes, when prepared in a healthful manner, contribute to weight gain. In fact, we are seeing that they can be part of a weight loss program.' His co-researcher Dr Tissa Kappagoda, of the University of California at Davis, added: 'The fact that all groups, even the control group, lost weight is a curious finding and provides cause for future research.' | Study looked at dieters eating low calories and high GI or low GI foods . They also included a control group who had no calorie or GI restrictions . All the groups were told to eat 5 to 7 servings of potato a week . After 12 weeks all the people lost similar amounts of weight . Rather than cause weight gain, potatoes could hep weight loss, say experts . Medium-sized spud has just 110 calories and half daily vitamin C dose . | b716e4382e0d9a6aa50c182d731259087c411cef |
By . Eleanor Harding . PUBLISHED: . 16:33 EST, 31 August 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 17:49 EST, 31 August 2012 . What's the best way to erase an ex-lover from your life? As Victorian artist William Holman Hunt found, painting over her is a good start. His portrait of this pre-Raphaelite beauty (main picture) did not always feature the steady gaze of this striking woman with dramatic brows and a tumble of auburn curls. The new beauty: Fanny Waugh's face in the finished portrait . What lies beneath? A close inspection revealed the face of the artist's previous lover . Previous occupier: The painting used to feature Annie Miller before she was painted over . Some years earlier it was the face of the artist’s previous lover and model Annie Miller, above, smiling out from the painting. When she ended her affair with Hunt in 1859, the unfinished canvas lay untouched for years until Hunt fell in love with Fanny Waugh – the woman who would become his wife. That’s when he got the painting out, scraped off Annie’s face and replaced it with Fanny’s. The secret about-face is revealed in an X-ray released by Tate Britain, where the painting will go on display this month as part of the Pre-Raphaelites: Victorian Avant-Garde exhibition. The X-ray was taken during routine . cleaning of the painting. Although Hunt removed Annie’s face all those . years ago, some remnants can still be seen thanks to the fact that he . originally painted on to a white background. Annie’s mouth is smaller than Fanny’s and she has a shorter, rounder nose and less defined jawline. Experts say, however, that the finished painting of Fanny still bears Annie’s hands and maybe even hair. Historians . believe Hunt had intended to marry Annie but she was fiercely . independent and enjoyed the company of other men too much. Dante Gabriel . Rossetti, who along with Hunt and John Everett Millais founded the . Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood in 1848, is thought to have also been her . lover. Hunt’s wife Fanny died in childbirth in 1866 – the year the portrait was finally finished. First lover: Annie Miller in a different painting by the artist . Hidden face: An X-ray showed she had been painted over . The painting, Il Dolce far Niente, also features a different background arrangement to the original draft, and the artist even sewed an extra piece of canvas on to make it bigger. In his memoirs, Hunt indicated that a third woman – a professional model known only as Miss Foster – also sat for the piece, but she is not discernible from the X-Ray. Curator Alison Smith said: ‘Hunt was a sincere and intense man. He was attracted to striking-looking women. He loved strong independent types. ‘When Annie left him, he was devastated. He was very jealous of her relationships with other artists and quite controlling. He put the unfinished portrait aside when it ended and took it up again when he had a new fiancée. ‘The painting's title means “It is sweet to do nothing“, so presumably she’s looking out at someone who is her lover. She’s dallying in front of her betrothed. ‘It’s a picture about acceptance, so it’s quite understandable that the artist would want to show the woman he wanted to spend his life with.’ The exhibition at London’s Tate Britain begins on September 12. | Secret revealed by an X-ray taken at Tate Britain . | 56af705bb90bef0c45f9371ace1763dbf48545d0 |
Metropolitan Police Commissioner Bernard Hogan-Howe will be quizzed by the Home Affairs Select Committee . Britain's most senior policeman will today face damaging claims that a 2012 Scotland Yard probe into alleged police corruption was a whitewash. Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe will be questioned on why his force was dismissive of renewed claims that a notorious detective had been in a corrupt relationship with the gangster father of one of Stephen Lawrence's killers. In 2012, it was claimed John Davidson, a sergeant who worked on the first Lawrence murder inquiry, may have helped shield Stephen's killers. Sir Bernard, who took over as Met boss . in September 2011, asked Detective Superintendent David Hurley to . investigate. Within a few weeks, he gave the Met a clean bill of health. Today Sir Bernard will be quizzed about this by the Home Affairs Select Committee. A . major review of the Lawrence case by Mark Ellison QC has already . accused the Met of 'providing misleading reassurance' on the corruption . issue. It said the Met's . 2012 report, compiled in a few weeks, stated incorrectly that the force . had disclosed all 'adverse information' about Davidson to the 1998 . Macpherson inquiry into Stephen's death. This . was wrong, according to Mr Ellison, who suggested Mr Hurley should have . considered police intelligence reports and any corrupt motive Davidson . may have had for his 'deficiencies' while working on the 1993 Lawrence . murder probe. On the report . by Mr Hurley, Mr Ellison said the Met's 'decision to commission such a . wide-ranging and significant review over such a tight time-scale was . unrealistic and ill-judged'. The withering assessment of the review of the Lawrence corruption allegations in 2012 is deeply embarrassing for Sir Bernard. Critics . believe the Met boss should apologise publicly for the flawed report. At today's select committee hearing, Sir Bernard will also be grilled . over a secret memo revealing the truth behind a 'lorry load' of . anti-corruption files which were shredded by Scotland Yard. A summary of the files says that investigators gathered evidence of wholesale criminal behaviour by police officers during an undercover probe at the Met in the 1990s. The memo said corrupt officers: stole and trafficked drugs; shared reward payouts with informants; sold police intelligence to criminals; fabricated applications for more rewards; and accepted bribes to destroy and fabricate evidence. But the 'lorry load' of information that contained the findings – including documents, photographs and videos – was mysteriously shredded during a two-day operation in 2003 when Sir John Stevens was commissioner and Sir Ian Blair his deputy. No one at the force has come up with a convincing explanation for why the files were destroyed. As revealed in a special investigation in the Mail on Saturday, disturbing questions remain over whether a web of corrupt officers undermined the inquiries into the murders of Stephen Lawrence and private eye Daniel Morgan in 1987. One potential link between the cases is Davidson, who is suspected of working on the Morgan inquiry in its early stages. He is also alleged to have had links with gangster Clifford Norris, father of David Norris – one of the two men convicted of Stephen's murder. Davidson, now retired, denies any wrongdoing. | Sir Bernard will be quizzed by the Home Affairs Select Committee . MPs will ask why force was dismissive of renewed corruption claims . It was claimed a . sergeant may have . helped shield Stephen's killers . | 5bd40e6925fa39b347fa073af59cd26e88f6d1ce |
An ex-convict who married two women shot them both dead after a row erupted in the house they all shared. Thug Levent Eren Ser, 33, gunned them down at his home in the city of Izmit, north-eastern Turkey, after he caught his first wife Fadime Ser, 20, shouting at second wife Inci Ates, 20, whom he married in an illegal religious ceremony. As the two began arguing Ser pulled out a hunting rifle and gunned them both down before going on the run. Thug Levent Eren Ser (pictured), 33, gunned down both his wives at his home in the city of Izmit . Fadime was taken to hospital where she later died. Ates was killed on the spot. He was caught two hours later hiding in a pine grove not far from the house. Neighbour Omer Tahir, 45, said: 'He was an unpleasant piece of work who thought he was something special. 'He was rude to everyone, especially to his two women, and treated them no better than cows.' Fadime Ser and Inci Ates (both pictured) were shot dead by their husband, Levent Eren Ser, after they began arguing with each other . Following his arrest a police spokesman said: 'He was previously in jail for wounding a man. This time he'll get life.' The shooting follows a conference in the western city of Istanbul organised to discuss the problem of women who are abused by their husbands. Female activists, public figures and politicians said that women who suffer domestic violence do not have the government's protection and there were only 70 shelters available in the whole of Turkey. The government has now pledged to try and clamp down on domestic violence and to provide women with greater protection. | Levent Eren Ser, 33, gunned down both his wives with a hunting rifle . The brutal murder took place in the city of Izmit in north-eastern Turkey . Fadime Ser, 20, and Inci Ates, also 20, were killed after they began arguing . | 70c35600a657b95c561b6895c35e40afbb4b4257 |
In a thoughtful essay about the future of the internet, one of the founding fathers of the dot com era has finally apologized for creating the pop-up ad. Ethan Zuckerman is the director of the MIT Center for Civic Media but in the mid-90s he found himself as one of the first staff members of Tripod.com, a pioneer site in attempting to create online communities. And as the company tried to create a viable revenue model, Zuckerman came up with a very important, very annoying, way to attract advertising revenue. Ethan Zuckerman, the man who invented the pop-up ad, has publicly apologized for his creation . 'At the end of the day, the business model that got us funded was . advertising,' Zuckerman writes in The Atlantic. 'The model that got us acquired was analyzing users’ personal homepages so we could better target ads to them. Along the way, . we ended up creating one of the most hated tools in the advertiser’s . toolkit: the pop-up ad.' More specifically: 'I wrote the code to launch the window and run an ad in it. I’m sorry. Our intentions were good.' Zuckerman writes that pop-up ad was originally meant to placate a car maker who was upset that its banner ad was appearing on a page featuring sexual content. This way they could keep the ad revenue, but the advertisement itself would be featured in a separate window. But now, 20 years later, Zuckerman believes the advertising based model of online businesses is doing more harm than good, and urges people to consider 'micropayments' or subscription models. Advertising as we regularly see it online is now a hinderence for users. Zuckerman calls the current ad-based Web model 'broken and corrosive' 'As a rule, the ads that are worth the most money are those that appear . when you’re ready to make a purchase—the ads that appear on Google when . you’re searching for a new car or for someone to repair your roof can be . sold for dollars per click because advertisers know you’re already . interested in the services they are offering and that you’re likely to . make an expensive purchase,' he writes. 'But most online advertising doesn’t follow . your interest; it competes for your attention. It’s a barrier you have . to overcome (minimizing windows, clicking it out of the way, ignoring . it) to get to the article or interaction you want.' Zuckerman has now concluded that the current system is 'bad, broken, and corrosive.' The full text of Zuckerman's apology and where how he hopes the internet can still correct course can be read at The Atlantic. | Ethan Zuckerman helped created the ad in the mid-90s while on staff at Tripod.com . Said it was originally a way to separate a car maker's ad from a site with adult content . Zuckerman has come to believe an ad-based Web is 'broken and corrosive' | 0d6f3f74e7b5373961c9cc45e3da6b338d571a6a |
(CNN) -- In the year since Steve Jobs' death, Apple has undergone a gradual and subtle brand makeover, shaking off some of the more unpleasant characteristics associated with Jobs and taking on bits of the personality of its new leader, Tim Cook. For all his brilliance at product design, Jobs showed little interest in glad-handing with Apple partners or investors. By contrast, Apple from the outside has appeared more open under Cook, thanks to a number of orchestrated meetings and trips meant to appeal to the various factions -- consumers, investors and politicians -- interested in the world's leading tech company. In May, Cook went to Washington to meet with congressional leaders to open lines of communication that were mostly blocked in previous years. Apple was no stranger to lobbying (although it spends far less than some other Silicon Valley companies, like Google), but sending Cook was a way of letting politicians know Apple was ready to grow its relationship with Capitol Hill and that the company might take a stronger interest in policy issues in the future. Apple also has worked harder to woo Wall Street. There was a bus tour of investors that stopped at Apple headquarters in Cupertino, California, where they were treated to cookies and a presentation by Apple's chief financial officer. A more sizable act of goodwill was the cash dividend Apple paid out to investors -- the first in 17 years. On a call with investors in February, Cook answered questions, cracked jokes and was generally open and friendly. Did Apple's fanboy fever peak with Steve Jobs? After an outcry over working conditions at the factories of Apple's manufacturing partners, most notably Foxconn, Cook took swift action. He took a trip to China and toured a Foxconn plant in person. Apple also allowed the Fair Labor Association to do a thorough audit of conditions at the China factories, and Apple vowed to improve pay and hours. The most recent display of the company's shift in tone was its reaction to the bungled iOS 6 Maps app. The new Maps app crafted in-house by Apple to replace Google Maps on iPhones and iPads was riddled with flaws, from missing features to misplaced businesses, landmarks and even towns. A week after the phone hit stores, Cook apologized for the map publicly and, with surprising humility, even pointed customers to competing products. Some pundits compared his swift and contrite reaction to a terse and rare public apology from Jobs more than a month after complaints over the iPhone 4's antenna erupted in 2010. Who is the next Steve Jobs (and is there one)? Cook's mea culpa is just the latest demonstration of how he, and by extension Apple, is different from Jobs and the Jobs era at the company. Cook comes off as having a far more relaxed and approachable personality, and he is less inclined to be the center of attention. His product announcements are not one-man shows, but presentations shared with other Apple executives. He is still discovering his own style -- a tricky undertaking given the abnormal amounts of scrutiny that follow Apple's every move. A recent article by Bloomberg Businessweek, citing interviews with current and former Apple executives, employees and partners, states "the company is happier and even somewhat more transparent than it was during Jobs' tenure ... There are fewer frantic calls at midnight, and there's less implicit pressure on engineers to cut short or cancel vacations in the heat of product development cycles." Cook recently announced that most Apple employees at company headquarters will get the week of Thanksgiving off with pay, according to reports. Unfortunately for Apple's soft-spoken chief executive, he has been incessantly compared to his predecessor after every presentation, successes and failures. "To simply put Steve Jobs on some sort of pedestal and say Apple could do no wrong under Steve's leadership is wrong," said Gartner analyst Michael Gartenberg. Remember Ping, Apple's failed attempt at a social network centered around music? Cook has not launched any bold new products in the past 12 months. So far, the company has only released minor updates of popular products, like speedier laptops, the new Mac operating system, the refreshed iPod line and the new, taller iPhone 5. They've all been met with solid reviews (Maps app aside) and sold well. Apple has gone on to become the most valuable company in history. A year ago on October 4, Apple stock closed at $381.80 a share. On Wednesday, it closed at $671.45. But by staying the course, Cook has raised some concerns that he may lack the imagination and the bold ability to conjure up mind-blowing new products, which was Jobs' hallmark. Cook's last major responsibility was decidedly left-brained: streamlining Apple's supply chain. Some question how much credit for Apple's recent financial success should go Cook and how much is residual carryover from Jobs' regime. He prepared the company and its executives to carry on his vision and spent years grooming staff and setting up Apple to continue on seamlessly without him. Is it any surprise that it's continued to do so well? Your thoughts on the next Steve Jobs . Gartenberg says that while Jobs gave the appearance of being entirely in control, he did not in fact design each new device single-handedly. Apple has about 12,000 employees in the United States, not counting retail and support staff. It is a large, well-oiled machine that knows how to design and sell beautiful products that consumers want. "The company is on cruise control," said Tero Kuittinen, an analyst at Alekstra. Kuittinen thinks the recent Maps kerfuffle could have a material impact on Apple and iPhone sales down the line, but we won't know until 2013. Early stats -- like moving 5 million iPhones 5s in the first weekend of sales -- can't foretell what's going to happen at the end of a model's life cycle. "Apple has a huge amount of good will among consumers. They've started eating away at that," said Kuittinen, referring to the Map app problems. Kuittinen believes the big decisions that will define Cook are still yet to come. Some are decisions Jobs never made, such as whether to drop the price of the iPhone to be competitive in emerging markets. Cook has already proven that he is aggressive about international sales. The iPhone 5 will be in 100 countries at the end of this year -- a far speedier and more expansive roll out than previous Apple devices. It's still too early for anyone to predict Cook's long-term success or failure, observers say. And the true impact of Jobs' absence won't be known for two years or more. "The biggest challenge Apple has is not product," Gartenberg said. "They are going to have to manage this legend of Steve Jobs." | In the year since Steve Jobs' death, Tim Cook has subtly altered Apple's image . Concerted efforts have been made to reach out to investors and Washington . Tim Cook's quieter, more approachable style is setting a new tone at the company . | febfb514d4d1485fb192fd8710eeff91381aa0c5 |
Bayern Munich are keen to extend the contract of their coach Pep Guardiola, although chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge insists there is no rush. Guardiola is contracted to the Bavarians until 2016 but talks have not yet commenced about a renewal. That is because Rummenigge does not expect Guardiola to commit so soon, even though he remains optimistic that the Catalan will have a long and prosperous future with the record German champions. Bayern Munich are keen to extend the contract of their coach Pep Guardiola, though they are not in any rush . 'He's the best coach Bayern Munich could have had,' Rummenigge said. 'He's also a wonderful person and it's a great pleasure to work with him. 'I hope he stays a long time with us. I know him and I know he is not the sort of person who likes to renew his contract early or places much value in a long-term contract. 'I would only get on his nerves if I were to ask him now. I know when I need to seek talks and that's not going to happen in the very near future because he doesn't want that. Bayern's Guardiola shouts during their Bundesliga match against Hertha BSC Berlin on Saturday . The German club are in no rush to renew Guardiola's contract but they are optimistic the manager will stay . 'We still have time to discuss the issue.' Guardiola has already led Bayern to victory in the UEFA Supercup, FIFA Club World Cup, Bundesliga and DFB-Pokal while they are on course to defend the latter two titles this season having opened up a 10-point lead at the top of the Bundesliga with a 1-0 win over Hertha Berlin on Saturday. They are also through to the last 16 of the Champions League and among the favourites to reach the final for the third time in four years. Bayern chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge: 'I know him and I know he is not the sort of person who likes to renew his contract early or places much value in a long-term contract' | Bayern Munich will not rush Pep Guardiola to sign a new contract . The German club are optimistic the manager will stay beyond 2016 deal . Chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge says Guardiola does not commit early . Rummenigge: 'I know him and I know he is not the sort of person who likes to renew his contract early or places much value in a long-term contract' | e29682b95ab5784cc3acc31995144aea42105e9a |
By . Snejana Farberov . 0 . If New York City could transform an abandoned railway into a beloved park, why can't Philadelphia? That is what landscaper and Philadelphia history buff Peter VanMeter asked himself in 2010 when he founded VIADUCTgreene, an organization dedicated to raising awareness of a blighted three-mile stretch of train tracks slicing through the heart of the City of Brotherly Love. The idea was to transform the vast, long-defunct Reading Viaduct covering 55 city blocks, encompassing both elevated and submerged portions, into a lush green space on the model of New York City's famed High Line - a one-mile elevated track on the lower west side. Scroll down for video . Waiting for change: In the heart of Philadelphia, three miles of abandoned tracks are waiting to be turned into a park . Seeing green: The group Friends of the Rail Park advocate for turning a railroad covering 55 city blocks into a green space with park benches and bike paths . A mid-19th century Philadelpha and Reading Railroad map showing the inner-city railroad . Nature lovers: In this Oct. 6, 2011 photo, Sarah McEneaney, left, leads a group along train tracks on a Reading Railroad Viaduct no longer in use in Philadelphia . VanMeter, who passed away earlier this year, led a regular semi-legal tour of the derelict Viaduct that took urban explorers on an adventure along 19th century train tracks lurking above and below Philadelphia’s busy streets. For nearly a century beginning in 1890, the Reading Viaduct carried trains laden with goods into Central Philadelphia. At the height of the American Industrial Revolution, the Philadelphia and Reading Railroad, which owned the tracks, was considered the largest company in the world. But in early 1980s, the railroad folded following a bankruptcy. Philadelphia’s once-celebrated railway made up of two parts - the City Brunch tunnel and the Reading Viaduct – has stood abandoned for the past two decades. In 2003, a study commissioned by the City of Philadelphia found that demolishing the Viaduct would cost 10 times more than turning the space into a park. Developing the derelict railway into a green space with bike paths, landscaping, benches and staircases for public access would set the city back $5.1million, while razing the tracks and the surrounding structures will cost anywhere between $35million and $51mllion. Advocate: Landscaper Peter VanMeter had lead regular tours to the Reading Viaduct until his death earlier this year . Secret space: A portion of the railway is submerged under Central Philadelphia . Storied past: The train tracks had been owned by the now-defunct Philadelphia and Reading Railroad, which . In a video about the project produced for PBS just months before his passing, VanMeter described the railway as the very embodiment of Philadelphia’s spirit and its illustrious industrial past. ‘Every city, every place has these post-industrial spaces, and they're becoming great gardens,’ VanMeter says in the video while making his way through one of Viaduct’s gloomy tunnels. ‘Philadelphia doesn't have one yet - we think this is it.’ Peter VanMeter was not the only one working behind the scenes to make the park plan a reality. A group called Friends of the Rail Park have been around for more than a decade advocating for the redevelopment of the three-mile stretch of train tracks. Money talks: A study showed that razing the rusted train tracks will cost 10 times more than redeveloping them . Inspiration: Philadelphia activists want to model their elevated and submerged railway park on New York City's celebrated High Line . Members of the organization, which has come to spearhead the Reading Viaduct project, are convinced that turning the dilapidated, rusting railway into a landscaped promenade will help revitalize the surrounding neighborhoods, which is what the High Line did for New York City's once-gritty Chelsea. In April of this year, the advocates' efforts finally began to bear fruits when city and state officials quietly earmarked millions of dollars toward the first phase of the Viaduct's makeover: turning a quarter-mile of the tracks into a park. The Abandoned Railway below Philadelphia - UNUSUAL SPACES no. 2 from PBS Digital Studios on Vimeo. | Activists in Philadelphia have been working since 2003 to turn 3 miles of train tracks into a park . City Branch and Reading Viaduct once belonged to Philadelphia and Reading Railroad . Company declared bankruptcy in the 1970s and train tracks have stood abandoned since 1990s . Study found that demolishing the tracks will cost 10 times more than turning them into green space . | 19ba6ecb8de0c3600aa1d40a1c7af141cd8895b5 |
(CNN) -- Clashes between Somalia's transitional government and the Al-Shabab militia left 103 people dead and 420 others wounded, Somali officials said Friday. The fighting in Mogadishu between the rebel group and the government has raged for nine days. The fighting in Mogadishu between the rebel group and the government has raged for nine days, said Farhan Ali Mohamud, information minister of the Somali government. Human rights groups deplored the high number of casualties, urging both sides to comply with international law in respect to the civilian population. Thousands of families have fled the capital, Mogadishu, seeking a safer environment in camps south of the city. "The people of Somalia have once again been subjected to unbearable violence," said Pascal Mauchle, head of the International Committee of the Red Cross in Somalia. "The daily struggle for survival is exhausting their capacity to cope." Humanitarian groups expressed concern, too, that Somalis will not have access to medical care. The international medical agency Doctors Without Borders said it was forced to close an outpatient clinic in Mogadishu to ensure safety for its staff. "With so few medical facilities available in Somalia, it is crucial that people are able to access those that are still functioning," said Alfonso Laguna, head of the agency in the region. The new round of fighting stems from an interpretation of sharia law, or Islamic law, the spokesman said. Somalia's new President Sheikh Sharif Ahmed has recently approved implementing sharia law, but the rebel group wants the country to institute a stricter form. A spokesman for the rebel group said it has recruited many fighters for the battle against the government. "It is not only Somali jihadists that are fighting in Mogadishu against the government. There are also foreign Muslim jihadist brothers who are fighting side by side with us," said Sheikh Hassan Ya'qub, a spokesman for al-Shabaab. Abdiraman Abdi Shakur Warsame, minister of international cooperation for Somalia's transitional government, issued a stern warning to the rebels in an address to a young audience celebrating Somali youth day at the capital. "The government is determined to defend itself from these religious gangs who are covering in the name of Islam and I assure you that in the course of coming days, we will eliminate these elements and some of them will be forced out of the country," Warsame said. The U.S. Embassy in Kenya released a statement about the fighting. "The extremists who are instigating these attacks have no regard for the well-being of Somalis and are undermining the peaceful efforts of the legitimate government to further national reconciliation," the statement said. "The United States is particularly disturbed at reports that foreign fighters and those who rejected dialogue in 2006 are participating in this effort to forcibly remove a legitimate Somali government from power." Journalist Mohamed Amiin Adow contributed to this report. | Government forces are fighting a rebel group in Somalia's capital, Mogadishu . Somali officials say 103 people have been killed, hundreds more wounded . Rebel fighters want a stricter form of sharia law introduced in Somalia . Fighting started in early May, rebels say they're recruiting more supporters . | 268463410e1934e02cc39dbd97b19d96b5e0bf57 |
(CNN) -- At least two carriages of a passenger train fell into a river Thursday after floods destroyed a bridge in southwest China's Sichuan Province, state-run CCTV reported Friday, citing Chengdu Railway authorities. It was not immediately known how many passengers were inside the carriages, which a firefighter said were swept 200 meters downriver. Local authorities said they were doing their best to carry out rescues. The accident occurred in Guanghan at about 3:20 p.m. Thursday on the Shi-ting-jiang Bridge, part of the railway line that links Chengdu and Baoji, in northwestern Shaanxi Province. Floods caused the bridge piers to collapse, which forced the train from its track, they said. People aboard five other carriages were taken to safety. The train was traveling from Xi'an, the capital of Shaanxi, to Kunming, the capital of southwestern Yunnan Province. | The fate of passengers and crew is not clear . Floods caused the bridge piers to collapse, forcing the train from its track . The train was traveling from Shaanxi to Yunnan Province . | 427b23d83972ed6fdbd41a889df0d9f51d719d29 |
By . Martin Robinson . PUBLISHED: . 05:19 EST, 6 September 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 05:44 EST, 6 September 2012 . The sheer scale of worklessness in Britain was laid bare today as one in three households in some cities are completely jobless. Liverpool has the highest rate for the fourth year running with more than 50,000 homes in this dire situation, and some contain families who have never worked a day in their lives. Experts say that former industrial areas of the UK have hundreds of thousands of households with generations of people who have been out of work for up to 40 years. Best and worst: New figures have shown the scale of unemployed households in some areas of Britain . Official figures released by the Office for National Statistics paint a depressing regional picture, with communities in the north-east, Wales, Scotland and parts of London having the largest number of completely unemployed homes. In Liverpool homes, with someone aged between 16 and 64, 31.6 per cent of them were completely workless in 2011. South Teesside, which includes Middlesborough and Redcar, had a 29.1 per cent rate - the second highest . percentage - up from a ranking of fourth a year . earlier. The highest percentage of workless households in Wales was in the . Central Valleys, and this area was the third highest across the UK, where 28.7 per cent of . households were workless. Deprived: Liverpool is one of the poorest areas of Britain and has consistently had the highest unemployed household rates . Glasgow topped in Scotland and has the fourth highest rate in Britain at 28.7 per . cent, followed by Sunderland, which completed the top five. The main reasons given by people was long term sickness, disability or just not being able to get a job. 'The common link among the areas within the top five is that they were . all heavily industrialised in the last century,' the ONS said today, . 'Liverpool had a large . manufacturing base and one of the UK’s largest docks, which have both . been in decline since the 1970s. South Teesside has also seen a decline . in the heavy industries that dominated the area in the last century. The . Central Valleys were once one of the UK’s largest coal producers, most . of which no longer exists. 'Glasgow was once a major force in . shipbuilding as well as other engineering but competition overseas has . seen that decline since the 1960s. Finally Sunderland was also affected . by the loss of shipbuilding and coal mining as seen is some of the other . areas.' Up and down: This official graph shows how areas with historic levels of worklessness have fared over the years and where they were ranked up to 2011 . In 2011, the lowest percentage of workless households in the UK were mainly . concentrated in the south of England. Oxfordshire had the lowest percentage, at eight per cent followed by . Buckinghamshire, on 9.8 per cent. Both these areas have commonly had low . rates of workless households since records began in 2004. East Cumbria . was the area with the third lowest workless households in 2011 at 10.9 . per cent. Shock: Britain's dole queue is dropping slowly but there is a worrying number of households where none of the residents have ever had a job . Official Government figures . released last week show the number of households where there are no people . in employment, including those who have worked previously, has gone down . by 0.8 per cent. The . Office for National Statistics (ONS) said this was 3.7 million in 2012 - . down 153,000 on a year earlier. But it is still higher than the . pre-recession level of 3.4 million. 340,000 contain whole families who have never had a job in their lives. | In 2011 Liverpool had the highest percentage of workless households, followed by South Teesside, the Welsh Valleys and Glasgow . The lowest rates were in Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire and Cumbria . There are 3.7 million households without jobs across the UK . | 860fcde27153ca392450eb595344a3a947172680 |
Belfast (CNN) -- Northern Ireland's leaders condemned Saturday the detonation of a small bomb in central Belfast that police said could have killed or injured people. The device, left in a holdall bag, exploded at about 7 p.m. local time Friday in Belfast's busy Cathedral Quarter, near St. Anne's Cathedral, police said. No one was hurt. First Minister Peter Robinson described the attack as "despicable," while Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness said it showed a "complete disregard for life." IRA dissidents are widely suspected of being behind the attack. A warning was telephoned through to a Belfast newspaper, but the wrong location was given for the device, police said. It was left on a sidewalk by a busy restaurant and the explosion occurred as police were still clearing buildings in the area, which included a hotel, a bar and an arts center. Chief Superintendent Alan McCrum said anyone nearby when the device went off could have been killed or maimed. "This was an attack on the people of Belfast going about their normal lives on a busy night for socializing in the city," he said. "Those who carried out this attack have nothing to offer except disruption and destruction." McCrum appealed for the public to be vigilant in the run-up to Christmas against the threat of further attacks. More than 1,000 people were affected by the bomb threat and subsequent evacuation efforts, police said. Police are also investigating reports of fire damage to an office of the Alliance Party. The party last year backed a controversial decision by the Belfast city council to stop flying the Union flag every day, angering loyalists. 'Mindless minority' In their statement condemning Friday's explosion, Robinson and McGuinness urged anyone with information to contact the police. "Once again we are witnessing the work of a mindless minority who are intent on taking the heart out of the city and wreaking havoc on the lives and businesses of the people of Belfast and Northern Ireland," said Robinson. "Their cause will not be progressed in any way by acts such as this." Northern Ireland's Justice Minister David Ford also condemned those behind the explosion. "Yet again we see a reckless attempt to kill and injure innocent people in Belfast," he said. "The people carrying out these attacks have set out no reason and explained no cause for their acts of senseless violence. Their only aim seems to be to injure and disrupt." Gerry Kelly, a Sinn Fein member of the Northern Ireland Assembly, also condemned what he called an "indiscriminate" attack on the people of Belfast. "Those that voice support for these groups, (whose) only allegiance is to violence, need to come forward and explain to the people what they aim to achieve by this reckless action," he said. "They are visionless and opponents of change who will not stop the people of Belfast and beyond from moving forward to a more equal and peaceful society." Belfast is home to the elected Northern Ireland Assembly, which was established by the Good Friday Agreement of 1998. The agreement largely ended three decades of violence between mainly Protestant loyalists, who want Northern Ireland to remain part of the United Kingdom, and largely Roman Catholic nationalists, who want it to be reunited with the rest of Ireland -- though distrust between the sides remains. Journalist Peter Taggart reported from Belfast and Laura Smith-Spark wrote in London. | NEW: First Minister Peter Robinson condemns Belfast bomb blast as "despicable" A warning was telephoned to a newspaper but the wrong location was given, police said . Police say the small bomb, left in central Belfast, could have killed or injured passersby . Sinn Fein lawmaker condemns "reckless" act by people whose "only allegiance is to violence" | 4a78fe162ea8b074b0d49fc6ea37378922ba53b2 |
Mario Balotelli snubbed boss Brendan Rodgers’ orders to applaud the fans as Liverpool’s Champions League hopes suffered a huge setback on Wednesday night. Rodgers gestured to the Italy forward, who had a late effort rightly ruled out for offside, to go over to the supporters but, instead, he went straight down the tunnel. This is the second time Balotelli - who failed to register a touch in the Basle all evening - has ignored Rodgers order to clap the travelling fans but the Northern Irishman attempted to defuse the situation. VIDEO Scroll down to watch Brendan Rodgers: Mario is working hard to get scoring . Mario Balotelli cuts a dejected figure as he leaves the field following Liverpool's defeat by Basle . Brendan Rodgers tells Balotelli to go and applaud the Liverpool fans - an instruction the striker ignored . Rodgers (centre) raises his hands in frustration after Balotelli breaks down a Liverpool move . The Italian firebrand strikes a familiar pose after things don't go his way during the 1-0 defeat . Balotelli is in the centre as Liverpool players walk away after conceding a goal to Basle's Marco Streller . Balotelli's stats for the 2014-15 season (Premier League and Champions League only) Matches: 6 Starts: 6 . Minutes played: 490 . Shots: 19. Goals: 1 . Chances created: 5 Assists: 0 . Stats courtesy of Opta . ‘Mario worked hard, he knows his job is to create and to get into the area,’ said Rodgers. ‘We are working hard on it. I’m not sure if he went back out to say thanks to the fans as I came straight in.’ Liverpool could ill-afford to lose to Basle — the rivals they will probably need to finish ahead of if they are to avoid going out at the group stage. For next up are home and away clashes against European champions Real Madrid. Once again, it was a defensive lapse that cost Liverpool dear when they failed to deal with a 52nd-minute corner, allowing Marco Streller to fire home from close range after keeper Simon Mignolet had pushed out a header. There was some good news for Liverpool with Daniel Sturridge, who missed Wednesday night’s match with a thigh injury, close to signing a new deal that could net the striker £150,000 per week. Balotelli fails to connect properly with a strike during the match at the St Jakob-Park . Balotelli looks down after failing to register a single touch in the opposition's box all evening (below) | Liverpool lost 1-0 to Basle in their Champions League group game . Marco Streller scored the winner after another poor defensive display . Mario Balotelli ignored Brendan Rodgers' request to applaud fans after the game before heading directly down the tunnel . | 6a4f1b198aa85f5cee75dc29628ea26753804cb9 |
(CNN) -- Authorities in the Philippines say they have stepped up security measures for a huge religious procession taking place in Manila on Monday after receiving information suggesting it may be the target of a terrorist attack. "We have serious threats from trustworthy and credible information sources that the Feast of the Black Nazarene will be attacked," Cesar Garcia, a presidential national security adviser, said Monday. "We are told that almost nine suspected terrorists from Mindanao, southern Philippines, are already in the capital and can carry out the attack." The Feast of the Black Nazarene is an annual Catholic festival in the Philippines during which millions of devotees join a procession centered around a wooden statue of Jesus Christ. President Benigno Aquino said Sunday that he had ordered law enforcement agencies, including the military, to ramp up security efforts around the procession, according to the official Philippines News Agency (PNA). "I call on our fellow citizens to exercise the maximum vigilance and discipline leading up to, and during, the procession," the news agency cited Aquino as saying. Mindanao is a predominantly Muslim autonomous region, which was set up in the 1990s to quell armed uprisings by people seeking an independent Muslim homeland in the Philippines, a predominantly Christian country. CNN's Aliza Kassim contributed to this report. | The government has received 'serious threats,' a presidential adviser says . The annual Catholic festival draws millions of devotees . The president orders security forces to step up measures . The threat is said to come from a Muslim autonomous region of the country . | 9956fb1d662e30fea3fecdecf45bd01bd9bc4998 |
By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 03:14 EST, 12 June 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 08:43 EST, 12 June 2012 . Syrian troops have tortured children, executed them and used some as young as eight as 'human shields' during military raids against rebels, according to a UN report released today. The United Nations branded the Syrian government one of the worst offenders on its annual 'list of shame' of conflict countries where children are killed, abused and forced to fight. Human rights groups estimate that about 1,200 children have died during the 15-month uprising against President Bashar al-Assad, whose brutal crackdown on Arab Spring-inspired protests has been widely condemned. Brutal crackdown: Children join the protests against Syria's President Bashar al-Assad in Habeet, near Idlib, as a UN report documents shocking abuses and killings of boys and girls at the hands of the government . Demanding change: Demonstrators in Kafranbel, near Idlib hold a placard (left) that reads: 'Are you dumb? Is there any sane person who really believes there could be a peaceful solution?' 'Rarely have I seen such brutality against children as in Syria, where girls and boys are detained, tortured, executed, and used as human shields,' Radhika Coomaraswamy, UN special representative for children in armed conflict, said ahead of the report's release. Government forces rounded up dozens of boys aged eight to 13 before an attack on the village of Ayn l'Arouz in Idlib province on March 9, the report said. The children were 'used by soldiers and militia members as human shields, placing them in front of the windows of buses carrying military personnel into the raid on the village,' it said. Quoting witnesses, the UN report said Syrian military and intelligence forces, as well as pro-government Shabiha militiamen, surrounded the village for an attack that lasted more than four days. Among the 11 dead on the first day were three boys aged 15 to 17. Conflict continues: An image grab taken from a video uploaded on YouTube on Monday shows smoke billowing from the flashpoint Syrian city of Homs which activists said was being attacked by regime forces . 'Grave violations': The UN report says government forces have been using children as shields while attacking, torturing and killing residents during the 15-month crackdown on protesters . Another 34 people, including two boys aged 14 and 16 and a nine-year-old girl, were detained. 'Eventually, the village was reportedly left burned and four out of the 34 detainees were shot and burned, including the two boys aged 14 and 16 years,' the Children in Armed Conflict report said. UN chief Ban Ki-moon said the report had uncovered one of many 'grave violations' against children. The Syrian government, and its allied militias, was one of four new parties added to the UN's list of shame - along with organizations and political parties in Sudan and Yemen. The list includes 52 parties in 11 countries, ranging from the Afghan national police and the anti-US Haqqani network to the Lord's Resistance Army in central Africa, Sudanese armed forces and various Darfur rebel groups. The report said children in Syria as young as nine had been victims of killing and maiming, arbitrary arrest, detention, torture and ill treatment, including sexual violence and use as human shields. Outrage: Mourners attend a mass burial in Syria for more than 100 people, half of whom were children, killed in a massacre in the city of Houla last month . International attention: UN observers view bodies at a hospital morgue before the burial of the Houla dead . Schools have been regularly raided and used as military bases and detention centers, the report said. The report was completed before the Houla massacre on May 25, when 49 of the 108 victims were said to be children, some as young as two and three, who were shot in the head or had their skulls smashed with blunt instruments. 'Most child victims of torture described being beaten, blindfolded, subjected to stress positions, whipped with heavy electrical cables, scarred by cigarette burns and, in one recorded case, subjected to electrical shock to the genitals,' said the UN report. At least one witness told investigators he had seen a boy of approximately 15 succumb to repeated beatings. The New York-based Human Rights Watch (HRW) said the UN Security Council should impose an arms embargo and other sanctions on the Assad government over its violations against children. HRW quoted the Syria Violations Documentation Center, a network of Syrian activists, as saying that at least 1,176 children have been killed since February 2011. It also said there were 'credible allegations' that armed opposition groups, including the Free Syrian Army (FSA), are recruiting children as soldiers. Justin Forsyth, chief executive of international charity Save the Children, said: 'United Nations reports of children being used as human shields and being forced to work on the front lines are shocking and deeply worrying, and the perpetrators of these crimes must be held to account. 'This is contrary to International law, and we call on all sides to ensure that children are protected and kept safe from danger. All parties must now allow unhindered humanitarian access to help young people and their families.' | Syrian government among worst offenders on UN's 'list of shame' Children were 'placed on buses to protect military personnel' Two boys shot and burned during raid on village of Ayn l'Arouz . Torture of one child included an electric shock to the genitals . UN chief Ban Ki-moon said report had uncovered 'grave violations' Comes weeks after Houla massacre, where 49 children were killed . Around 1,200 children have died in crackdown by President Assad . | 1fb32fbff4bb0ac799e7a60c15453fa74bb106b4 |
If you needed something to get you in the mood for this summer's World Cup, then this collection of posters may just do the trick. ESPN commissioned Brazilian artist and graphic designer Cristiano Siqueira to create a poster for each of the 32 countries competing in Brazil exclusively for their World Cup coverage. And he has delivered with a brilliant collection of artwork which will no doubt be a summer hit with football fans around the world. England's Wayne Rooney lets out a roar in the "Three Lions" World Cup poster . Valencia winger Sofiane Feghouli is depicted in celebration in Algeria's poster . Lionel Messi is understandably the main man featured in Argentina's poster . Former Everton and Millwall star Tim Cahill is the Socceroo on the Australia World Cup poster . Belgium's poster features Chelsea star Eden Hazard . Manchester City striker Edin Dzeko features for Bosnia and Herzegovina . Neymar points to the sky in the poster created for this year's World Cup hosts Brazil . Chelsea striker Samuel Eto'o celebrates by dancing around a corner flag in Cameroon's poster . Chile's poster features Barcelona star Alexis Sanchez running with the ball . Monaco player James Rodriguez celebrates in Colombia's World Cup poster . Joel Campbell, the Arsenal player who is on loan at Olympiakos, is the surprise choice for Costa Rica's poster . Real Madrid's Luka Modric and Bayern Munich's Mario Mandzukic star on the Croatia poster . Manchester United winger Antonio Valencia shows off his tattoo in the Ecuador poster . Franck Ribery and Karim Benzema are the stars for Les Bleus in the France poster . Mesut Ozil, Philipp Lahm and Bastian Schweinsteiger are all included on Germany's poster . Michael Essien, Asamoah Gyan and Kevin-Prince Boateng dance together on Ghana's poster . Former Fulham midfielder Giorgos Karagounis stars on the Greece poster . Stoke midfielder Wilson Palacios and New England Revolution striker raise their hands for Honduras . Iran are represented by Jalal Hosseini, Charlton striker Reza Ghoochannejhad and captain Javad Nekounam . Italy's Mario Balotelli is the man chosen to be on the poster for the Azzurri . Didier Drogba and Yaya Toure shake hands in the poster for the Ivory Coast . AC Milan's Keisuke Honda and Manchester United's Shinji Kagawa pair up for the Japan poster . The Mexico poster features Manchester United's Javier Hernandez . Robin van Persie, Arjen Robben and Wesley Sneijder represent the Netherlands . Vincent Enyeama, Obi Mikel and Joel Obi are included for Nigeria . It was never going to be anyone other than Cristiano Ronaldo on the Portugal poster . CSKA Moscow goalkeeper Igor Akinfeev features for Russia . Bolton Wanderers midfielder Lee Chung-Young is the South Korea poster star . Iker Casillas lifts the World Cup trophy and Xavi and Andres Iniesta also feature on the poster of Spain . Switzerland show Napoli midfielder Gokhan Inler controlling the ball . The USA feature Clint Dempsey, Michael Bradley and Tim Howard . Uruguay are represented by star striker Luis Suarez . | Brazilian artist Cristiano Siqueira has created a poster for each of the 32 countries competing at Brazil 2014 . Wayne Rooney is the man chosen to feature on England's poster . Iker Casillas, Mario Balotelli, Lionel Messi, Neymar and Luis Suarez were also depicted . A number of English Premier League players were chosen to be on the posters . | 3da689473b4f7a7b1b4fdd140186279e54cb0104 |
By . Alasdair Glennie . PUBLISHED: . 20:16 EST, 25 March 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 04:23 EST, 26 March 2013 . Grand drama: Kirk Douglas pictured as Spartacus in scene from the eponymous 1960 film directed by Stanley Kubrick . For some, Easter is an opportunity for Christian reflection. For others it is simply a time to indulge in a chocolate egg or two. But Barry Norman looks forward to the Bank Holiday weekend for a very different reason… the number of epic films traditionally broadcast on television. The film critic has drawn up a list of the top ten epic movies, including modern hits such as The Lord Of The Rings alongside classics such as Ben-Hur and Gone With The Wind. He told the Radio Times Easter has traditionally been ‘a time when TV networks dusted down their epic movies for our edification – Biblical epics of course – to remind us that Easter is about rather more than chocolate eggs and the Easter bunny’. Big budget epics, portraying life on a grand scale, required huge sets and casts in Hollywood’s golden era but now these elements are more often than not replaced by computer generated images. Mr Norman, 79, who presented BBC TV’s Film programme between 1972 and 1998, said he had no problem with the use of such effects to achieve a sense of awe and scale. He said: ‘An argument is currently raging about whether a film can truly be regarded as an epic if it relies heavily on CGI, as all recent films claiming to be epics do. ‘The purists say no. The use of computers to create crowds and exciting effects, they seem to suggest, is cheating. I think the purists should get a life.’ Scroll down for videos . Classic entertainment: Charlton Heston as the eponymous Ben Hur from the 1959 hit . Norman placed Ridley Scott¿s Gladiator, made in 2000, onto the list, lauding it for its 'stirring action, both in and out of the arena' Mr Norman’s list, which is in no particular order, includes two modern works, Sir Peter Jackson’s The Lord Of The Rings trilogy – which he lists as a single film and praises as ‘daring and highly imaginative stuff on every level’ – and Ridley Scott’s Gladiator, made in 2000, which he lauds for its ‘stirring action, both in and out of the arena’. Gladiator was ranked alongside two other Roman epics, Ben-Hur, from 1959, and Spartacus, made the following year. He says of Ben-Hur: ‘I doubt whether even a computer could have produced a more exciting and realistic chariot race than the one in Ben-Hur.’ Of Spartacus, he says: ‘Still one of the best examples of the genre.’ Historical tale: Omar Sharif and Peter O'Toole starring in the film Lawrence Of Arabia in 1962 . Describing Lawrence Of Arabia, made in 1962 and starring Peter O’Toole, he says: ‘Practically every superlative you can think of has been applied to David Lean’s epic …and it deserves them all.’ Apocalypse Now, released in 1979, he calls self-indulgent but magnificent and Gone With The Wind, from 1939, he describes as: ‘The greatest unresolved love affair in cinema.’ Mr Norman said: ‘The main ingredient of an epic movie is size. It has to tell an extraordinary tale – whether Biblical, historical or totally fictional – on a grand scale. ‘And ideally at the heart of it, never mind the momentous events going on, there should be an intimate story.’ Both Lawrence of Arabia and Ben-Hur are among the epics being screened this Easter weekend. | Lawrence of Arabia and Ben-Hur among the epics on TV this Easter . Barry Norman chooses his definitive top ten epic dramas in cinema history . Norman said he was looking for films that tell 'an extraordinary tale' | e19b455074affb760c4847e7c05636bc66820a95 |
By . Rupert Steiner . Driving force: Britain's sports goods retailer is controlled by Newcastle United owner Mike Ashley (pictured). The lucrative plan was created in 2009 . Thousands of shop workers at Sports Direct are in line for a bonus worth £76,500 after the High Street retailer posted bumper profits. The firm, which owns 396 shops including Lillywhites in London’s Piccadilly, has benefited from unprecedented success in British sport and has attracted more shoppers by slashing prices and revamping stores. It is set to distribute millions of shares among 2,000 staff – many of whom earn a basic salary of around £20,000. The firm says its generous incentive scheme is what has driven annual profit up 40 per cent to £207.2million. ‘The share scheme has been the glue to the performance,’ said chief executive Dave Forsey. ‘It has combined with better products, low prices and good value to deliver record results. ‘If you have so many people linked to performance, from thousands in the back office to the shop floor, all driven by such an incentive, it is very powerful. 'Everyone is thinking about how they can challenge the business and they really do care about every aspect. It is a very compelling culture – good for consumers and great for employees.’ Mr Forsey said he has been contacted by a number of non-competing retailers wanting to emulate the incentive scheme. Britain’s biggest sports goods retailer, which is controlled by Newcastle United owner Mike Ashley, created the lucrative bonus plan in 2009. It is set to pay out to eligible staff – more than 2,000 of its 23,000-strong workforce – next month. An employee on £20,000 a year in 2009 will pick up 12,000 shares – worth around £76,500. Sports Direct is also part way through a four-year share incentive bonus scheme created in 2011 for about 3,000 staff. Mr Ashley owns 64 per cent of the firm and works under the title executive deputy chairman. Sports Direct is set to pay out to eligible staff - more than 2,000 of its 23,000-strong workforce - next month. An employee on £20,000 a year in 2009 will pick up 12,000 shares - worth around £76,500 . He is seen as the driving force behind the success of Sports Direct but has not taken a salary since floating the business on the London Stock Exchange in 2007. Plans to award him a bonus of £60million linked to performance were ditched after other investors felt the targets were not demanding enough. The proposal is being redrawn. Mr Forsey said: ‘We are very keen to look at how we can reward Mike because he’s absolutely making a massive difference to our business.’ Sports Direct’s profit hike comes after underlying sales increased 11.2pc over the past financial year as it strengthened its grip on the market following the collapse of rival JJB. The firm also owns Sports World as well as the Slazenger, Lonsdale, and Dunlop brands. | Firm owns 396 shops and is set to distribute millions of shares among staff . Bonus worth £76,500 could be given to staff, many of whom earn £20,000 . Company owns Sports World, Slazenger, Lonsdale and Dunlop brands . | 635c0b68be44d22c6e79a78e90bf36ac400bcc41 |
(CNN) -- Israel's defense minister blamed Iran for a series of bombings in the Thai capital of Bangkok Tuesday, a day after attacks against the country's diplomats in India and Georgia. "The attempted terror attack in Thailand proves once again that Iran and its proxies continue to operate in the ways of terror and the latest attacks are an example of that," said Defense Minister Ehud Barak, who issued the statement from Singapore, where he is currently traveling. "Iran and Hezbollah are unrelenting terror elements endangering the stability of the region, and endangering the stability of the world," Barak added. Two Iranians are now in custody in Thailand and another person is at large, the government said. Five people were injured, authorities said. The first bomb went off in a rental house, believed to be leased by three foreigners, according to Thai Police Maj. Gen. Pisit Pisutthisak. The three fled after the blast. Two of the men left the scene, he said. The third man detonated two more bombs -- one when a taxi driver refused to give him a ride, and another when he tried to throw a bomb at police as they closed on him. The last bomb exploded near the man, blowing off one of his legs, Pisit said. He was taken to Chulalongkorn General Hospital for treatment. Thai government spokeswoman Thitima Chaisaeng said the man in the hospital is Iranian, and that Iranian documents were found on him. Another man arrested at the airport is holding an Iranian passport and is one of the three, Thitima said. He was identified as Mohammad Hasai, 42, and was about to leave for Malaysia, she added. Thitima told CNN that Thai intelligence agencies don't think the incident was an act of terror because it was carried out in a sporadic way. But, she said, police think that the men may have been selling weapons and drugs. Israeli Foreign Ministry personnel based overseas have been on alert in recent weeks to the heightened possibility of attacks at Israeli facilities by Hezbollah, the Lebanese Muslim militant group and political party backed by Iran. Sunday marked the fourth anniversary of the death of Hezbollah leader Imad Mugniyah in a car bombing in Damascus, Syria. Hezbollah holds Israel responsible for his death and has vowed revenge. Israeli police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld told CNN that the level of alert in the country had been raised following a security assessment after the overseas incidents in New Delhi and Tbilisi, the capitals of India and Georgia. The alert means patrols will be heightened in and around various public areas inside Israel, and around Israeli embassies and offices worldwide. In the Monday incidents, a device attached to an Israeli Embassy van in New Delhi exploded and injured four people. Another device was found on an embassy car in Tbilisi, Georgia, but it was safety detonated. The Israeli government issued a travel advisory this year for citizens traveling to Thailand after Thai security officials arrested a man in January connected with a planned attack in the country. The police charged the man, Atris Hussein, after finding "initial chemical materials that could produce bombs" in an area just outside Bangkok. Police said Hussein, who also holds a Swedish passport, led them to the location. The authorities are accusing Hussein of trying to attack spots in Bangkok that are popular with Western tourists and say he is believed to belong to Hezbollah, the Shiite Muslim group active in Lebanon that the United States views as a terrorist organization. Police could not confirm whether the Tuesday incident in Bangkok has any link with the Hezbollah suspect, who is still in Thai police custody. Officers found the explosive C-4 during the search of the rented house. U.S. State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said the United States condemns the incident and offered its condolences to the victims. Even as she noted that Thai authorities were investigating the incidents, she went on to draw a parallel between Tuesday's attacks in Bangkok and Monday's attacks against Israeli diplomats in India and Georgia, both of which are also under investigation. "What I would say is that, with regard to this bombing, the incidents in Delhi, incidents in Georgia, while we will await the results of the investigations, these events do come on the heels of other disrupted attacks targeted at Israel and Western interests, including an Iranian-sponsored attack in Baku, Azerbaijan, and a Hezbollah-linked attack in Bangkok, Thailand, before this. "So they serve as a reminder that a variety of states and nonstate actors continue to view international terrorism as a legitimate foreign policy tool, which we consider reprehensible." While Nuland said the United States is "not going to prejudge this," she added, "We're just concerned that these come on the heels of other incidences that clearly had links back to Iran." Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday blamed the Georgia and India incidents on Iran, calling it "the biggest exporter of terror in the world." "The Israeli government and her security organizations are continuing to operate together with local security services against these acts of terror," Netanyahu said. "We will continue to act in a strong way, systematically and steadfastly." In an interview Tuesday with CNN's Piers Morgan, Israeli Vice Prime Minister Silvan Shalom said Iran has been trying to target Israeli and Jewish sites for "a few decades now." "We knew that they are planning it, preparing it. We're in touch with local governments with a few countries in Asia and in other places and together we -- we're trying to prevent those attacks for a very long time," Shalom said. "Unfortunately, they succeeded to do it in India and tried to do it in Georgia and Azerbaijan a few weeks ago. That's something Iran is responsible for." Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast blamed Israel, accusing it of having bombed its own embassies in New Delhi and Tbilisi "to tarnish Iran's friendly ties with the host countries," Iran's state-run Islamic Republic News Agency said. "He brushed aside Israeli accusation on Iranian involvement in the bombing and said that Israel perpetrated the terrorist actions to launch psychological warfare against Iran," IRNA reported. "Iran condemns terrorism in strongest term and Iran has been the victim of terrorism," Mehmanparast said. Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, said this month that Iran would support any nation or group that stands up against Israel. He said Iran doesn't interfere in other nations but has aided such militant groups as Hamas and Hezbollah in conflicts with Israel in Gaza and Lebanon. The modus operandi is not new. Last month, a mysterious explosion in Iran killed a man identified as a nuclear scientist -- the third such killing in the past two years in which someone placed a bomb on or under a scientist's car. A fourth survived an assassination attempt. The United States and Israel oppose Iran's nuclear program, although numerous countries have expressed concern as well. Iran insists its nuclear program is for peaceful, civilian energy purposes. Iranian officials, on state-run media, blame Israel and the United States for the killings of the scientists. U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has denied "any United States involvement in any kind of act of violence inside Iran." While Israel generally refuses to comment on accusations and speculation, Brig. Gen. Yoav Mordechai, a spokesman for the Israel Defense Forces, said on his Facebook page, "I have no idea who targeted the Iranian scientist but I certainly don't shed a tear." CNN's Kevin Flower reported from Jerusalem, Kocha Olarn reported from Bangkok, Elise Labott reported from Washington and Joe Sterling reported from Atlanta . | NEW: Top official says Israel has been trying to prevent Iranian attacks for years . A bomb blows off one man's leg in Bangkok as he flees police . Three men flee a Bangkok house after an explosion . Israel is on a heightened state of alert . | ad1033ba7ca9c44f29360822c36868657434777c |
By . Sara Malm . PUBLISHED: . 17:57 EST, 16 March 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 07:32 EST, 17 March 2013 . Cinderella story: Welsh-born Princess Lilian of Sweden died on March 10, aged 97 . Princess Lilian of Sweden, wife of the late Prince Bertil, was buried in a state ceremony in Stockholm on Saturday. The Welsh-born beauty, who married into Sweden's royal family after a 33-year secret romance with her prince, was laid to rest in the royal cemetery in Haga on the outskirts of the Swedish capital. Princess Lilian died at the age of 97 as one of the most loved members of the royal family, despite three decades living hidden from the public. Lillian May Davies grew up in Swansea in Wales, the daughter of miner William Davies and Gladys Mary Curran, a shop assistant. She moved to London aged 16, and worked as a model and actress before the war, removing the second 'l' from her name to appear more glamorous. In 1940, at the height of the Blitz, she married Scottish actor Ian Craig shortly before he was called into the military. Three years later she was working in a factory, making radios for the Marines, and at a hospital for injured soldiers in the capital. Shortly before her 28th birthday she threw a cocktail party to celebrate her big day. One of the guests was a handsome Swedish naval attaché - Prince Bertil. When her husband returned from service in 1945 - in love with an Italian woman - the pair amicably divorced and Lilian moved to Sweden. Prince Bertil and Princess Lilian lived together for more than three decades before they were allowed to marry in 1976. When Lilian divorced in 1945, the beauty and her playboy prince were set to marry upon her arrival in Sweden, but disaster struck. Bertil's brother Gustav Adolf, Sweden's heir to the . throne, died in a plane crash in 1947, leaving his infant son Crown Prince Carl Gustaf next in line to wear the crown. With an elderly monarch and a toddler crown prince, the possibility that Bertil would have to act as monarch until Crown Prince Carl Gustaf came of age became a reality. Bertil was simply told a marriage to a commoner and divorcee, which would see him waive his right to the throne, was not on the cards. Honoured: Members of the Royal Guard carry the coffin of Princess Lilian out of the Royal Chapel at the Royal Palace of Stockholm . Loved: Princess Lilian was one of the most popular member of the Swedish Royal family and was given a state funeral today . Our Princess: A little girl was among the hundreds of people who gathered behind the Honour Guards to watch the procession after the funeral service for British-born Princess Lilian outside the Royal Palace . Together forever: Princess Lilian will be laid to rest next to Prince Bertil - the man she loved in secret for 33 years . Bertil's other older brother Sigvard . had already waived his right to the throne by marrying a commoner, . leaving Bertil and Lilian with no choice. For the next 33 years Lilian lived . hidden from the public, very few knew she even existed. The Swedish . Royal family made a deal with the press not to mention her name, and she . was not allowed to accompany Prince Bertil on any official duties. On her 80th birthday in 1995, she said: . 'If I were to sum up my life, everything has been about my love... He's a . great man, and I love him.' King Carl XVI Gustaf ascended the Swedish . throne in 1973 and after his marriage in 1976 to commoner Silvia . Sommerlath, Lilian and Bertil could finally become an official couple. Their wedding took place just months after the King and Queen's, in December 1976. Enchanting love story: Lilian and Prince Bertil in 1953, ten years after5 they fell head over heels for each other in London, yet another 23 before they would marry . Enduring love: Prince Bertil and Lilian in October 15, 1976, shortly after their engagement had been announced . Prince Bertil kept his title and the miner's daughter from Wales became a princess. 'We only regret one thing,' Prince . Bertil said after the wedding,' And that is that we were not able to get . married sooner and have children.' Despite never having any of her own, Lilian was very close to the royal children and Prince Carl Philip was her godson. Princess Lilian was active until just a few years before . death and, like her husband, had a keen interest in sports. When asked what the secret to her long . life was the great lover of practical jokes put it down to laughter, . rather than exercise. Member of the family: Princess Lilian with King Carl Gustaf, Princess Madeleine, Queen Silvia, Prince Carl Philip and Crown Princess Victoria during the 2003 Nobel Prize Awards in Stockholm . Always smiling: Princess Lilian, the King and Queen and Crown Princess Victoria pose for photographers with President Mandela and his wife Graca Machel in 1999 . ‘She . was a true bringer of happiness and had the ability always to create . around her a warm and kind atmosphere,’ King Carl Gustaf said in a statement last week. ‘The family's children always appreciated her jokes and humorous ways.’ Prince Bertil died aged 84 in 1997, with his wife by his side. She will now rest next to him at the . Royal Cemetery at Haga, Stockholm. The royal palace has not given a cause . of death for the Princess, but it has been known since 2010 that Lilian suffered from Alzheimer's disease . and had been in ill health for several years. | Princess Lilian was born Lillian Davies in Swansea, Wales . She met Prince Bertil of Sweden in London during the Second World War . The pair kept their love a secret for 33 years before they could marry . | adec20f49f1fe388267abc4bb4bcc0c4b52bbec8 |
(CNN) -- Honduras suspended diplomatic relations with Argentina on Tuesday in retaliation for having its ambassador expelled from Argentina last week. Riot police stand in front of marchers supporting ousted Honduran President Manuel Zelaya on Tuesday. The move stems from tensions between the two countries over a June 28 military-led coup in which Honduran President Jose Manuel Zelaya was replaced by congressional leader Roberto Micheletti. When Honduran Ambassador Carmen Eleonora Ortez Williams, who had been appointed by Zelaya, did not protest the coup, Argentina took exception. Most countries in the world -- as well as the United Nations, the Organization of American States and the European Union -- have denounced the coup and demanded that Zelaya be restored to power. Those nations still consider Zelaya president and do not recognize any officials from Micheletti's government or any functionaries who support him. Argentina asked Ortez to leave last week "for supporting the de facto government of Roberto Micheletti." On Tuesday, Honduras suspended relations with Argentina and asked the South American nation's diplomats to leave within 72 hours. Honduras' relations with Argentina will be "channeled" though the Argentine embassy in Israel, said a release issued in Tegucigalpa, the Honduran capital. "With regards to Argentine personnel stationed in Tegucigalpa and who are finishing their functions in Honduras, they will be granted, based on the principle of strictest reciprocity, the same treatment, time and facilities that was conceded to Honduran functionaries accredited in Argentina," the Honduran release said. The Honduran political crisis stems from Zelaya's desire to hold a referendum that could have led to extending term limits by changing the constitution, despite the country's congress having outlawed the vote and the supreme court having ruled it illegal. Zelaya vowed to hold the vote anyway but was ousted before the voting started. The congress named Micheletti provisional president shortly after Zelaya was detained by the military and sent into exile. Micheletti said Zelaya was not overthrown in a coup, but rather removed from power through constitutional means. | Honduras takes action after its ambassador is expelled from Argentina . Argentina ousted ambassador because she backed new Honduras government . Argentina among nations demanding that ousted Honduran president be restored . Honduran President Jose Manuel Zelaya ousted in military coup in June . | ec092be437a0d63e6f55f8c445eb069d932088a5 |
This is the moment a Christmas turkey was roasted on the world's most expensive cooker - a £300,000 Lamborghini. Car blogger Tim Burton, from London, bought a fresh turkey and put the festive bird on the end of a pitchfork. He then bravely stood behind the 700bhp Lamborghini Aventador and got the owner of the supercar to rev as hard as he could. Scroll down for video . Inferno: Car blogger Tim Burton bought a fresh turkey and put the festive bird on the end of a pitchfork . Ready to eat! The browned turkey was roasted in 10 minutes but this method is unlikely to replace the oven . As the Italian motor reached a whopping 9,000 revs, huge flames spewed from its exhaust - blasting the turkey with extreme heat. Mr Burton, who makes YouTube videos under the name Shmee150, stood while the bird was given the alternative Christmas roasting for more than ten minutes. The result was a browned turkey - although the high octane method is unlikely to replace the oven around the country any time soon. Danger: The bird is placed near the engine before the owner revs with Mr Burton just inches from the flames . Heat: Mr Burton stood behind the 700bhp Lamborghini Aventador and got the owner of the supercar to rev . Extreme: As the Italian motor reached a whopping 9,000 revs, huge flames spewed from its exhaust . Expensive: The £300,000 car which was used for the cooking experiment - but is better suited to driving . He said: 'It is a standard Christmas ritual that I collect the turkey for our family lunch and this year I thought I'd try a new way to cook it. 'I'm not sure I'd recommend this though unless you enjoy the taste of exhaust gases.' | Car blogger Tim Burton bought a turkey and put it on the end of a pitchfork . He stood behind the car while the owner revved it as hard as he could . It was blasted with heat from 9,000 revs and the bird was done in 10 minutes . | 184fe86b897b99d6dd691db53ba92392e6d33ae9 |
Sam Williams scored a last-minute try to guide Catalan Dragons to a shock 24-20 win at Leeds and into the last six of the Super League play-offs. It was the French side’s first win at Headingley in 10 attempts and Laurent Frayssinous described it as the finest moment of his coaching career. ‘We made history by becoming the first Catalan team to win at Leeds,’ said Frayssinous. ‘To win that type of game, it is pretty special.’ Sam Williams scores a last minute try to send Catalan Dragons into last six of Super League play-offs . The Dragons’ reward is a trip to Huddersfield in Friday’s preliminary semi-final, with the Giants hoping to bounce back from a 57-4 hammering at Wigan. ‘We will stay humble,’ Frayssinous said. ‘We have never performed at Huddersfield so it will be a tough one again. But we know what we can do now.’ Warrington’s 22-19 play-off win over Widnes was marred by a terrible injury to Matty Russell. The full-back was carried off on a stretcher in the second half after a sickening collision with Macgraff Leuluai and was taken straight to hospital. The injury looked appalling — Russell was unconscious and had blood pouring from his nose and mouth — yet the player last night said he would be fine. He tweeted: ‘Been quite lucky scans are all good neck and head. Teeth knocked out n bad lip. Part and parcel of playing.’ Warrington, 18 points down at one stage, were inspired by a hat-trick of tries from Joel Monaghan. | Catalan Dragons defeated Leeds Rhinos 24-20 in Super League play-offs . Sam Williams scored a last minute try to secure place in last six . Dragons coach Laurent Frayssinous said it was finest moment of career . | eb6a62f59e317bcef6d8ce98032948c468c41750 |
(CNN) -- Seth MacFarlane: Sarah Palin expressed outrage at a Fox television program, created by MacFarlane, for joking about people with Down syndrome and making an apparent reference to her 22-month-old son, Trig, who has the genetic disorder. The former Alaska governor said on her Facebook page that she was too angry to offer a coherent response, so she had her daughter Bristol release a full statement on the family's behalf. The Palins directed their criticism at the prime-time Fox cartoon, "Family Guy." In Sunday's episode, a teenaged female character with Down syndrome told another character that "my mom is the former governor of Alaska." A song and dance routine by another character also used language that ridiculed people with disabilities. According to the show's Web site, "Family Guy" earned an Emmy nomination in 2009 for Outstanding Comedy Series, "only the second animated series in television history to be honored with such distinction." On the show, MacFarlane performs the voices of the father, Peter Griffin, and his 1-year-old son, Stewie, who is, the Fox Web site reports, "a diabolically clever baby whose heterosexuality is hanging by a thread." MacFarlane is also the voice of the intellectually superior family dog. The Web site Seth McFarlane Unlimited reports that MacFarlane began drawing cartoons at the age of 2 and is the recipient of two honorary degrees. While receiving the one from Harvard in 2006, he delivered the Class Day Speech playing the roles of several of the characters from "Family Guy." He also received a degree in 2007 from his alma mater, the Rhode Island School of Design. CNN Political Ticker: Palin slams Fox's 'Family Guy' 'Family Guy': About the show . Dalai Lama: The Tibetan spiritual leader is on his way to the United States for a number of speaking engagements and is scheduled to meet with President Obama on Thursday, even though China has warned that such a meeting would harm ties between it and the United States, a White House spokesman said on February 2. "The president told China's leaders during his trip last year that he would meet with the Dalai Lama, and he intends to do so," Bill Burton told reporters earlier this month. China warned that ties between two of the world's superpowers would be strained if Obama met with the Dalai Lama. "It will seriously undermine the foundation of Sino-U.S. political relations," said Zhu Weiqun, a Communist Party official who is in charge of talks with representatives of the Dalai Lama. Beijing accuses the Dalai Lama of advocating for Tibetan independence from China. In explaining Obama's intention to hold the meeting, Burton said the Dalai Lama "is an internationally respected religious and cultural leader, and the president will meet with him in that capacity." Tibet is technically autonomous from the central Chinese government, but the Dalai Lama and others have said they favor genuine autonomy and resent the slow erosion of their culture amid an influx of Han Chinese, the most numerous ethnic group in China. Zhu said there would be no compromise on China's control of Tibet. The 14th Dalai Lama was born in July 1935. According to his official biography, the child named Lhamo Dhondup at that time was recognized at the age of 2 as the reincarnation of the 13th Dalai Lama. He went through years of monastic training and assumed political power in 1950, a year after China's invasion. The Dalai Lama ultimately fled China in 1959 after a failed uprising against Chinese rule. He lives in exile in the north Indian town of Dharamsala. CNN: White House says Obama will meet with Dalai Lama . CNN: Discord over Dalai Lama . DalaiLama.com: A brief biography . Jesse Sullivan: The 25-year-old from Petersburg, Illinois, has been living for two weeks at the corner of Florida and North Capitol Avenues in Washington. He's been living there in a tent to show solidarity with Haitian families in crisis, he says, and to remind people that emergency shelter is still sorely needed for victims of the January 12 earthquake. When CNN reached him by phone in his tent Tuesday, he explained that he was recently in Washington to figure out how to work in Afghanistan, but realized that the situation in Haiti was a more pressing need. So he went to the Haitian Embassy to volunteer in any way he could. He says a minister at the embassy came up with the official-sounding title "special assistant to the Haitian Embassy for relief and reconstruction," which Sullivan now uses informally. When he passed a nearby statue of the Indian political and spiritual leader Mahatma Gandhi, Sullivan read the inscription, "My Life is My Message," and the idea of staying in the tent came to him. Sullivan, who has a master's degree in global governance and diplomacy from The University of Oxford in England, says he plans to live in the tent for at least one month. "If I can still be effective, I'll stay there for a year." The tent is pitched in the private parking lot of a pizza restaurant with the permission of its owner. Sullivan told CNN, "The police stop by to make sure I'm OK and not too crazy." He says his parents are a bit concerned, yet somewhat relieved. "My initial plan was to head to Afghanistan, but for my dad and mom, anything that's not Afghanistan makes them pretty happy." Next week, Sullivan plans to hold a news conference at his tent to announce his "Live for Haiti" campaign. He said, "It's not about us saving Haiti. This crisis has the opportunity that Haiti is going to save us from a narrow American dream -- one that doesn't recognize that we are connected to people around the world." Live for Haiti . Samuel J. Wurzelbacher aka Joe the Plumber: Just when you think someone's 15 minutes of fame are up, politics manages to reset the clock. Wurzelbacher, who gained notoriety during the last presidential campaign as "Joe the Plumber," spoke this past weekend in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, at an event on behalf of state Rep. Sam Roher, who is running for governor. Scott Detrow of Pennsylvania's Public Radio Capitol News reports that Wurzelbacher told him that more than 200 politicians wanted his support, but he's backed only five so far. He's now supporting grass-roots Tea Party movements. During his speech, Wurzelbacher said he doesn't support Sarah Palin any more because the former Alaska governor is backing Sen. John McCain's re-election effort. "John McCain is no public servant," he told the room, calling McCain a career politician. When Detrow pointed out that without McCain, he'd just be plain old Sam Wurzelbacher of Ohio -- Joe the Plumber wouldn't exist -- his response was, "I don't owe him s---. He really screwed my life up, is how I look at it." Wurzelbacher told the reporter, "McCain was trying to use me. I happened to be the face of Middle Americans. It was a ploy." Wurzelbacher first gained fame in 2008 when he told candidate Barack Obama that he was worried that rolling back President Bush's tax breaks would prevent him from buying a plumbing company that would earn between $250,000 and $280,000 a year. Joe the Plumber was born. State House Sound Bites: A few minutes with Joe the Plumber . Carly Simon: "You're so vain, you probably think this song is about you / You're so vain, I'll bet you think this song is about you / Don't you? Don't you?" Thirty-seven years ago, Simon's song was No. 1 and she had just married singer-songwriter James Taylor. So everyone wanted to know: Who is the subject of the song? Who is that vain? All these years later, people still want to know. Simon has never revealed the answer. But at Carlysimon.com, she does list some of her former boyfriends: Mick Jagger, Cat Stevens, Warren Beatty, Kris Kristofferson. Simon has also never made a music video of the song. (For purists, Janet Jackson did sample "You're So Vain" in her 2001 music video, "Son of A Gun.") Simon has just announced a contest on the Web site, inviting fans and filmmakers to create a music video, using the original or new version of her song. She will screen all entries herself, select a winner, and meet the filmmaker -- whose winning entry will also be premiered at the 2010 Tribeca Film Festival. Simon says she has always been amazed by the attention given to the mystery person in the song. In 2004, she gave hints to CNN: "Well, I guess for those who are interested in clues -- the name of the person it was about had an E in it." That could indicate Jagger, Beatty or James Taylor. She continued, "Maybe I could disclose another letter. OK, it also has an A." In announcing the music video contest, Simon does not indicate that she will ever reveal the name. CarlySimon.com . What makes a person intriguing? There are people who enter the news cycle every day because their actions or decisions are new, important or different. Others are in the news because they are the ones those decisions affect. And there are a number of people who are so famous or controversial that anything they say or do becomes news. Some of these people do what we expect of them: They run for office, pass legislation, start a business, get hired or fired, commit a crime, make an arrest, get in accidents, hit a home run, overthrow a government, fight wars, sue an opponent, put out fires, prepare for hurricanes and cavort with people other than their spouses. They do make news, but the action is usually more important than who is involved in the story. But every day, there are a number of people who become fascinating to us -- by virtue of their character, how they reached their decision, how they behaved under pressure or because of the remarkable circumstances surrounding the event they are involved in. They arouse our curiosity. We hear about them and want to know more. What they have done or said stimulates conversations across the country. At times, there is even a mystery about them. What they have done may be unique, heroic, cowardly or ghastly, but they capture our imaginations. We want to know what makes them tick, why they believe what they do, and why they did what they did. They intrigue us. | Sarah Palin reacts to 'Family Guy' creator for jokes about Down syndrome . President Obama to meet with Dalai Lama despite protests from China . Carly Simon hosts music video contest, but doesn't reveal who is "so vain" | 1c1ff3af98f96893b4dbcf8c3b98aa195cc25ea8 |
(CNN) -- The latest nude celebrity photo leak is yet another case of how the Internet often lets people do whatever they want to whomever they want. On Sunday, a user of anonymous Internet message board 4chan posted hundreds of nude photos of some of Hollywood's biggest celebrities, including actress Jennifer Lawrence and model Kate Upton. The poster claimed photos of Victoria Justice and Ariana Grande were included, but the singer/actresses deny that the photos are real. Representatives and the women themselves have begun issuing their denials (in the case of Justice and Grande) and confirmations (in the case of Lawrence and Upton). A representative for Lawrence confirmed in an email to Buzzfeed that the images were stolen from the actress' iCloud account. "This is a flagrant violation of privacy," the representative said. "The authorities have been contacted and will prosecute anyone who posts the stolen photos of Jennifer Lawrence." Of course, what happened here is more than a violation of privacy; it's flat-out criminal invasion. Prosecution, however, may be something of a long shot. Although a Florida man responsible for breaking into the private email accounts of more than 50 celebs and posting many explicit photos online is serving 10 years in prison, the law is only just beginning to catch up to the problem of what is broadly referred to as "revenge porn," or the unauthorized posting of explicit content without the consent of the individual. Most websites that host these photos are protected by a federal law that absolves them of responsibility for material posted by third parties. It's legal in most of the United States, and only a few states -- about 12 -- have laws that make posting on such sites a crime ... if you can even find out who the poster is. Prosecuting depends on first determining who uploaded the photo and where the photo originated. A California law, for example, did not, until just last week, protect victims who took the photos themselves. These unclear, largely ineffectual laws have in turn encouraged a culture of victim-blaming, which we're seeing here in full force. Consider that the biggest headlines haven't been along the lines of "How can someone can do this and get away with it?" but a debate over who bears greater blame: Apple's iCloud or the women themselves. Certainly, the surest way to avoid ever having your most private photos shared publicly is to not take them in the first place. This is the philosophy behind the most common advice given to teens, among whom the rates of "sexting" continue to rise. Trust no one. Share nothing. Even better: Take nothing. While we're at it: Don't leave the house. After all, you could get mugged, or raped. You'd better not fly on a jet, either, what with all the terrorism and overworked pilots. Swim in the ocean? No way: sharks! It's ridiculous logic. How celebrity nude photos get leaked . And yet much of the reaction to the celebrity leak has fallen prey to such logic, questioning why these celebrities would take such risqué—and risky—photos in the first place. For this reason, taking nude photos is most definitely a right to fight for, if only because ceasing to do so is a form of victim blaming, and far more harmful than protective. The blame for a crime lies not with the victim but with the criminal. Jennifer Lawrence was not naïve, or tacky, or any number of criticisms that have been and surely will be lobbed at her, for posing for provocative photos. She was a normal young woman. And I suspect that we're more shocked by the fact that Lawrence had a glass of wine and posed naked for a boyfriend than the fact the image is now ours to see. We've become accustomed to knowing everything about everyone. Actress Mary Elizabeth Winstead, one of the victims, received responses to her tweet, "To those of you looking at photos I took with my husband years ago in the privacy of our home, hope you feel great about yourselves," that echoed this sentiment: "@M_E_Winstead Stop posing nude on camera, dummy. Your husband not know what you look like nude? #LessonLearned." She has since gone silent on Twitter. The message, of course, isn't that it's heinous to so publicly and maliciously invade someone's privacy but that these women brought their misfortune on themselves. After all, it wouldn't have happened to them if they didn't take the photos. But the first step to protecting our privacy both online and off isn't to demand that Apple make a stronger iCloud or to start stripping our storage spaces of anything private. Nor is it to insist that women stop taking nude photos of themselves or, for that matter, stop engaging in any activity they wouldn't want to be made public. Instead, it's to take these crimes seriously and hold their executors accountable. The problem isn't the picture. It's the perpetrator. | An anonymous poster put hundreds of nude photos of big celebs on message board . Peggy Drexler: This is not just a violation of privacy; it's criminal invasion but hard to prosecute . She says the debate should be over making this illegal, not over taking nude photos . Drexler: The problem isn't the wisdom of photos or hacking iCloud; it's the perpetrator . | 6bc7e9df008eab4199cab49d1d40df44937157a0 |
A mother who ballooned to 20st eating takeaways when her daughter was seriously ill has gone on to shed 7st. Jodie Edkins, 34, from Belper, Derbyshire, was a self-confessed McDonald's addict, who would devour McDonald's food every day - and often for every meal. She ballooned to a size 26 after gorging on the greasy takeaways when her daughter, Isla, was diagnosed with a brain tumour in 2011. Jodie Edkins ballooned to 20st (left) when her . daughter, Isla, was battling a brain tumour. After Isla started to . recover, Mrs Edkins realised she needed to change her ways and she lost . 7st in a year (right) She spent so much time looking after her daughter, she grabbed meals from a drive thru’ on trips back and forth from the hospital. But after Isla was given the all-clear, Mrs Edkins realised she had become someone she didn't recognise - and after quitting her Big Mac habit, has lost 7st. During the past three years, Mrs Edkins has devoured over 1,000 Big Macs. She said: ‘I was a McDonald's addict. It was a dirty cycle of eating as the food was so cheap, quick and easy. ‘It was a quick fix - a case of grab and go. I had to be there for my daughter so I didn't have time to prepare anything healthy, or sit down to a home cooked meal.’ The stress of looking after Isla and ferrying her to and from hospital meant Mrs Edkins was constantly indulging her McDonald's habit. Mrs Edkins says that she put on weight because, while Isla was ill, her only comfort was food . She said: ‘With Isla being in hospital, I didn't have time to think of me, so I would just grab McDonald's wherever I could. ‘We would always make a pit stop at the drive thru’ on the way to or from the hospital. ‘And when we got home, I was too exhausted to cook so we would get a McDonald's meal. ‘I was an addict and to make it worse, the McDonald's was literally across the road from my house. It was so convenient, quick and cheap.’ At her heaviest Mrs Edkins weighed 20st and wore a dress size 26 meaning she was severely obese. Mrs Edkins, who works at Morrisons, said: ‘My priority was Isla and making sure she was alright, so I didn't really think about myself or how big I was getting.’ In 2013 the family received the news that Isla was able to have an operation to remove most of the benign tumour and the little girl is now fully recovered. Mrs Edikins (pictured during her weight loss) says that the thought of takeaways turns her stomach now . Mrs Edkins is now going to start running her own Slimming World classes . And this positive news meant Mrs Edkins could spend more time to spend on herself, for the first time in three years. She said: ‘I was going out one evening and I looked at myself in the mirror. I hadn't realised how big I had got. ‘I was horrified and didn't recognise the person I saw.’ Mrs Edkins realised all the days eating McDonald's for breakfast, lunch and dinner had had a massive effect on her weight, and health. She said: ‘I was out of breath all the time and it was a struggle to pick up my children- which was awful. ‘I finally realised how much I had neglected my health, eating all the Maccys all time. I was an addict and I needed to stop.’ Mrs Edkins, who is also mother to ten-year-old Izaak and Frankie, four, went to McDonald's for her last supper in June 2013, and had a Big Mac for one final time. Mrs Edkins (pictured with Isla since her weight loss) says she knew her junk food diet was killing her, but didn't care as she was so preoccupied looking after her daughter . She said: ‘After that I knew I had to turn my back on the McDonald's for the sake of me and for my family.’ Since then she has lost a staggering 7st thanks to the support of her Slimming World group and is now a size 14. She makes home cooked meals such as chili and salad, or pasta, and eats yoghurt and fruit for lunch. She said: ‘My children and my husband Doug can't believe the change in me- a year ago I was addicted to McDonald's but now I am loving my figure and leading a healthier life.’ Mrs Edkins has now trained to be a Slimming World advisor in her home town of Belper. She said: ‘I am so pleased I turned my back on the McDonald's. I look forward to going shopping now because of all the clothes I can wear and I want other busy mums to know that they can lose the weight too. ‘I don't even miss the McDonald's now- I am so much happier without it in my life.’ | Jodie Edkins started to put on weight when her daughter, Isla, became ill . Isla was diagnosed with a brain tumour when she was just four months old . As a way of coping, Mrs Edkins gorged on takeaways and junk food . She piled on the pounds until last summer when she reached 20st . As daughter began to recover, Mrs Edkins realised she needed to change . She joined Slimming World and lost 7st in a year . | bf5467dba27972562e75d9795dd008f7ca04e0e3 |
Victim: Professor Paul Kohler, pictured outside court today with his wife Samantha MacArthur, 50, has asked a gang of four Polish burglars to explain why they beat him in front of his family . A professor friend of Prince Edward left 'utterly unrecognisable' after being attacked by a Polish gang of burglars today asked them: 'Why did you do it?' Professor Paul Kohler, 55, suffered a fractured eye socket, a fractured jaw and a broken nose when the four career criminals beat him in front of his family at his £2million home in Wimbledon, south London last August. Pawel Honc, 24, Mariusz Tomaszewski, 32, Oskar Pawlowicz, 30, and Dawid Tychon, 29, are being sentenced at Kingston Crown Court in a hearing expected to last two days. All four men entered Britain despite having horrific criminal records and came to the UK because they believed its wealthy suburbs were a soft target. The head of law at the School of Oriental and African Studies in London still bears the scars of the attack. Speaking today Mr Kohler, flanked by wife Samantha MacArthur, 50, who was also threatened by the gang, said: 'The attack on our home destroyed the calm of a family evening. 'We want to put this behind us and to do so successfully we need to understand why we were attacked. 'I consequently want to say to each of the attackers that, if you are genuinely remorseful, you will waste no more time in telling us, through your counsel if you wish, the real reason we were targeted. 'The pointless ferocity and utter senselessness endangered my family's peace of mind, my physical and our psychological well-being and risked fomenting issues within the wider community both in Wimbledon and beyond.' Mr Kohler said that although the 'mindless action of the perpetrators has undermined the security of what has been a wonderfully happy family home for over two decades' the family had no thoughts of moving. He also said that the attack had 'allowed some to push an anti-Polish agenda which sullied the name of a proud and honourable nation'. 'I would, on behalf of my family, like to finish by thanking our many well-wishers, both within and beyond the Polish community, and to stress that the actions of the perpetrators had nothing to do with immigration, and were simply an example of mindless thuggery,' he said. Scroll down for video . Injuries: Professor Kohler suffered a fractured eye socket, a fractured jaw and a broken nose in the brutal beating at home last August . In the dock: Pawel Honc, 24, and Mariusz Tomaszewski, 32, were arrested at the scene and police found both covered in blood . Sentencing: Oskar Pawlowichz, 29, left, was captured a month later when police traced him to a property in Herefordshire and ringleader Dawid Tychon, 29, was arrested six days later driving a suspected stolen car . Images of the battered face of the law expert, a father of four and university friend of Prince Edward, shocked the nation as police mounted an international manhunt. Pawel Honc, 24, and Mariusz Tomaszewski, 32, had been arrested at the scene when police found them covered with blood. Ringleader Dawid Tychon, 29, was arrested six days later driving a suspected stolen car – while wearing an England football shirt – and later linked to the robbery by his mobile phone. He was caught with a bewildering array of drugs, including cocaine, cannabis, amphetamines and other stimulants. Police also found a potentially deadly gas-powered flame thrower in the boot of his car. The fourth man, Oskar Pawlowichz, 29, was captured a month later when police traced him to a property in Leominster, Herefordshire. Matthew Buckland, for Tomaszewski, said his client admitted being one of the men who went upstairs and confronted Ms MacArthur. He also accepted that he had taken part in the attack on Mr Kohler by kicking him in the face. Mr Buckland said Tomaszewski believed that he was at Mr Kohler's address to 'enforce a debt' on the night of the attack. Ben Rich, for Pawlowicz, said that his client had not taken part in the violence and denied that he had been the one who threatened Ms MacArthur. He claimed to have been at the property to steal items including antiques and was one of two men who went upstairs, where he took computers. The court heard that Honc was a man of previous good character who claimed to have taken part in the attack to settle a drug debt he had with Tomaszewski. His lawyer, Rossano Scamardella, told Judge Susan Tapping: 'In short, he owed money to his co-defendant Mr Tomaszewski, the result of purchasing drugs from him'. Mr Scamardella said that had his client known that the targets of the raid were people who had 'nothing to do with the world in which Mr Tomaszewski mixed', he would not have become involved. Shauna Ritchie, for Tychon, said her client was also in debt to Tomaszewski, having built up a £600 debt with him for drink and drugs. Ms Ritchie said Tychon and Honc were terrified of Tomaszewski after he threatened to burn down their homes if they refused to take part in the raid. Family: Paul Kohler with his family. They were playing a board game when the raiders burst into their £2m home . Support: Mr Kohler with his daughters Saskia and Tamara. His other daughter Eloise was in the house at the time of the attack and called police to the scene . All four men were revealed to be career criminals and their ringleader was on the run from a Polish prison and had already served three sentences for a gun attack, theft, burglary and drugs offences. Professor Kohler was badly beaten when the masked gang burst into his three-storey Edwardian home in Wimbledon, South West London, on August 11 while his family were playing a board game. They pinned him to the floor and threatened to smash a heavy wooden cabinet over his head while screaming: 'Where's the money?' His wife was also threatened by two of the intruders, who tried to tie her to a chair with duct tape. The terrified couple were saved by one of their four daughters, Eloise, 24, who barricaded herself in her room and dialled 999. Officers arrived within seconds and arrested Mariusz Tomaszewski, 32, and Pawel Honc, 23, who were both covered in blood. Police quickly discovered that the men were all career criminals who used their size and strength to overpower victims. None of the four, who all practised bodybuilding and martial arts, knew each other in Poland but they became friends through a heavy-drinking clique. Tychon fled his homeland in 2012 while on the run from prison where he was serving a long sentence for theft and burglary. His right hand man was football hooligan Tomaszewski, who came to Britain in 2013 after being released from an eight-year jail sentence. Labelled a 'very dangerous person' on police files, he is a dedicated follower of the Cracovia football club in Krakow, his hometown. Police suspect he was a member of a criminal gang associated with the club and is responsible for badly beating other men during street brawls. Shaven-headed Pawlowichz was caught on CCTV fleeing Prof Kohler's home and went on the run. The thug, from Tarnow in south-east Poland, has served two jail sentences in his homeland for violent assaults. Foreign offenders are able to walk into the country unchecked, commit new offences – then avoid deportation on human rights grounds once their jail terms are complete, spending watchdog the National Audit Office found. It said 1,400 foreign criminals are living here who should have been turned away at the border. Notorious: Career criminal Dawid Tychon . Each gang member was let into the UK despite a long criminal record. Here, we reveal the shocking scale of their offending. The Bodybuilder . Dawid Tychon, right, is a violent career criminal who masterminded the raid but tried to persuade police he was only the getaway driver. Wanted by the Polish prison authorities and at least two forces, the 29-year-old is a violent gangster linked to robberies, drugs and car crime. He has already served three jail sentences in his native country for an attack involving a gun, theft, burglary and drugs offences. Tychon, an unemployed labourer, revelled in his notoriety, flexing his muscles and wearing hooded tops for photographs he posted online. The soccer thug . Die-hard football hooligan Mariusz Tomaszewski fled Poland where police files described him as a 'very dangerous man'. He served eight years in prison for violent offences and arrived in Britain in 2013 to continue his life of crime while living with his pregnant girlfriend. Tomaszewski lost a job at Heathrow Airport after oversleeping on the first day and instead spent his days drinking and smoking cannabis. His ex-wife, who divorced him in 2003 and has started a new life in Austria with their teenage son, said she was horrified at what he has done. 'I knew that he was only recently let out of jail in Poland so for him to be back inside again so soon is crazy,' she said. The Henchmen . The final gang members Oskar Pawlowichz, 29, and Pawel Honc, 23, both have lengthy criminal records, police said. Pawlowichz, 29, who was caught on CCTV fleeing the robbery, has served two jail sentences in his native country for violent assaults. A brunette, who appears to be his estranged wife Eliza, posted a series of messages online after his arrest, including a social media 'status update' that read 'DEAD!!' Apparently referring to his crime, she added: 'When a person dies there remains after him on this earth nothing but the good which he did to others.' | Paul Kohler, 55, needed facial reconstruction surgery after raid in August . Gang burst into his £2m London home and attacked him in front of family . Mariusz Tomaszewski, 32, Pawel Honc, 23, Oskar Pawlowichz, 29, and Dawid Tychon, 29, all admitted aggravated burglary . Honc and Tomaszewski also admitted causing grievous bodily harm and all four are being sentenced at Kingston Crown Court . Each gang member was let into UK despite long criminal records . Professor Kohler said: 'We want to put this behind us and to do so successfully we need to understand why we were attacked' | 3996505ef24f878b953cde1b43892eeb3319ccd7 |
By . Steve Nolan . A Chinese woman miraculously survived a car crash which saw her head smash through the windscreen and become wedged in the hole. The unnamed woman was a passenger in the car when it hit the back of a truck in southern China's Guanxi province. The force caused the woman, who wasn't wearing a seat belt at the time, to fly forward into the windscreen. A woman in Guanxi province had another miraculous escape last week when her head became stuck in a car's windscreen during a crash . Horrific: The woman wasn't wearing a seat belt when the car crashed in southern China . Her head broke the glass and she became wedged in the hole. When fire crews arrived on the scene, they had to remove the car's unconscious driver from the car before they could painstakingly begin freeing the woman. Firefighters were then able to slowly enlarge the hole in the windscreen around her neck so that it was big enough for the injured woman's head to be safely freed. Bloodied and dazed, the woman was stretchered away by waiting paramedics and taken to a nearby hospital. Stuck: Rescuers had to cut the woman's male companion, who was driving the car, free from the vehicle before they could help her . Free: The woman is stretchered off to hospital having finally been freed from the wreckage of the car . Miraculously, both the woman and her male companion are said to be making a full recovery in hospital. The occupants of two vehicles had a lucky escape earlier this month when a 71-year-old driver fell asleep at the wheel in Taiwan and flipped his car through another motorist's windscreen. Kang and his family were travelling down a city road when the pensioner fell asleep at the wheel of his silver Daewoo. His car entered the opposite lane, the one which Kang and his family were driving on, and hit a tree front-end on. It then span 180 degrees through the air and the rear of the small hatchback went flying into their windshield. Kang and his family only suffered minor injuries while the driver of the Daewoo also made it out alive. | The crash happened earlier this week in southern China's Guanxi province . The woman, who wasn't wearing a seat belt, smashed through the window . Firefighters had to enlarge the hole around her neck to free her . Both the woman and the car's driver are said to be recovering in hospital . | d40d3d915ef90fabe531239b9cccc1b735173181 |
Members of the North Miami Beach Police have been caught using photos of actual black teenagers for target practice. This was discovered during an incident last month when Sgt. Valerie Deant, a clarinet player in the Florida Army National Guard's 13th Army Band, showed up at the Medley Firearms Training Center after members of the department had been practicing, and recognized one of their targets - a mugshot of her brother from when he was just 18-years-old. The other targets were also black men, and some just teenagers. But now the department is defending the practice. Scroll down for video . Members of the North Miami Beach Police used the above mugshots of black men, some teenagers, for shooting practice . This all happened at the Medley Police Firearms Training Center (above) 'I was like why is my brother being used for target practice?' Sgt Deant told NBC 6. 'There were like gunshots there. And I cried a couple of times.' Her brother Woody, who was arrested for drag racing in 2000 and is now married with children, was just as shocked and angry, noting; 'The picture actually has like bullet holes. One in my forehead and one in my eye. …I was speechless.' North Miami Beach Police Chief J. Scott Dennis says there is nothing wrong with this practice at all however, and even defends its use. 'Our policies were not violated,' Dennis said. 'There is no discipline forthcoming from the individuals who were involved with this.' Dennis said it is common practice to use actual mugshots, and members of the same ethnic group help with facial recognition exercises. North Miami Beach Police Chief J. Scott Dennis (above) says there is nothing wrong with this practice at all, and even defends its use . A mugshot of Woody Deant (above) from when he was just 18 was one of the targets, and now he worries he will be a target when he is on the street . NBC 6 Investigators spoke with both federal and state law enforcement agencies, as well as five local police departments, and they all said they use commercially produced targets for shooting practice, and never mugshots of actual people. Dennis does say however that he regrets the usage of a mugshot of an actual Miami resident. Woody Deant seems to feel the same. 'Now I’m being used as a target?' he said. 'I’m not even living that life according to how they portrayed me as. I’m a father. I’m a husband. I’m a career man. I work 9-to-5.' He then added that this make the streets feel anything but safe for him in his community. 'Automatically in his [cop's] mind he’s going to think target, target, target.' | Members of the North Miami Beach Police have been caught using photos of actual black teenagers for target practice . This was discovered when one woman showed up at a shooting range after the department used it and saw a mugshot of her brother from when he was 18 . Now, North Miami Beach Police Chief J. Scott Dennis, saying it is common for facial recognition exercises . When asked, other local police departments said they never use mugshots or photos of actual people for shooting practice . | fe7914858e399f140c695baf995f7114fe56ceaa |
Glorious sunshine has made way for a drizzly start to the weekend, with scattered showers making their way across Britain. It is a far cry from yesterday when a heatwave swept across the country and sunbathers basked in record temperatures of 27C. All is not lost however, forecasters say, as they predict that the rain will make way for a mild night. The showers are expected to clear and make way for a dry and pleasant evening, with temperatures in the mid 20s. Festival goers shelter during a rain shower at the Isle of Wight Festival, in Seaclose Park, Newport, Isle of Wight today . One reveller uses a chair to shelter from a rain shower at the Isle of Wight Festival. Glorious sunshine has made way for a drizzly start to the weekend, with scattered showers making their way across Britain . Biffy Clyro, the Red Hot Chilli Peppers and Kings of Leon are headlining this year's island festival, now in its 13th year, which coincides with the start of the football World Cup . The showers sweeping the Isle of Wight festival are expected to be brief and forecasters say will be replaced with a dry evening . Luckily for festival goers at the Isle of Wight, the showers are expected to clear and make way for a dry and pleasant evening, with temperatures in the mid 20s . The drizzle does not appear to be bothering these music lovers as they enjoy a performance at the festival in Seaclose Park . Forecasters predict Sunday - the last day of the festival - will be mainly fine with sunny spells in the west and partly to mostly cloudy skies in the east . However, parts of Scotland, Wales and northern England will remain cloudy with a few pockets of drizzle and hill fog expected. Forecasters predict Sunday will be mainly fine with sunny spells in the west and partly to mostly cloudy skies in the east. Temperatures will remain a balmy at 21C in the south and west and high teens in the east. Next week will also be mainly dry with the best of the sunshine in the west. Temperatures near average at first then slowly rising again later in the week and by Thursday should be back up to 24 or 25C in southern and western areas. Glorious sunshine has made way for a drizzly start to the weekend, with scattered showers making their way across Britain. Even Brighton beach looks relatively deserted as forecasters predict a flurry of downpours . A cyclist pauses for a quick read on Brighton beach this morning. It is a far cry from yesterday when a heatwave swept across the country and sunbathers basked in record temperatures of 27C . While temperatures remain warm in the high teens, Brighton beach was without the glorious sunshine of yesterday . A few hardy souls did not let a spot of cloud ruin their beach time in Brighton today. The showers are expected to clear and make way for a dry and pleasant evening, with temperatures in the mid 20s . Members of the Queen's Guard march prior to the Trooping the Colour to mark Queen Elizabeth II's Birthday Parade under grey skies . Camilla and Kate sit with Prince Harry as they watch the Trooping the Colour ceremony under cloudy skies . Yesterday's hot weather and World Cup action means supermarket bosses are predicting a surge in sales of burgers, sausages, ice cream and alcohol. But the predicted drop in temperatures has not deterred supermarket bosses, who are expecting to see record sales of BBQ food and alcohol over the weekend. Tesco beer category spokesman Natasha Pitman told MailOnline: 'Fantastic weather and the world’s biggest sporting event will help create a real carnival atmosphere across Britain starting this weekend. 'The mere mention of a sunny weekend from weather forecasters is enough to change shopping plans and judging by early sales we believe many people will be enjoying al fresco dining this weekend. The cloud and showers made way for a fine afternoon in London, as Tower Bridge was pictured against sunnier skies . A family find their spot on the beach at Broad Haven in Pembrokeshire as South West Wales enjoyed the best of the sunshine today . Sunbathers find the perfect spot as they enjoy the sunny weather at Broad Haven in Pembrokeshire . Ten-year-old Sam Davies from Worcester enjoys the sunny weather on Broad Haven beach in Pembrokeshire . 'But of course on Saturday night there’s also the greatly anticipated England versus Italy game so we are preparing for what could be . 'We’ve brought in extra supplies to our depots to make sure stores can be stocked up for customers at the drop of a hat.' She added that Tesco expects to see its sales of Pimms soar by a staggering 200 per cent, steaks by 140 per cent, instant BBQs by 150 per cent, sausages by 15 per cent and bottles of beer by 35 per cent. Meanwhile, Sainsbury's is expecting to sell two million burgers – that is 200 burgers for each England fan travelling to Brazil - as well as 10million sausage rolls, six million bread rolls, 18million strawberries and increased sales of beers and ciders. Laura Young, a spokeswoman for the Met Office said: ‘‘It will be pleasantly warm this weekend, though a period of high pressure will mean slightly cooler temperatures and some light breezes.’ She added: ‘London will see the sharpest dip in temperatures from 26C down to around or 19C.’ The warm temperatures are good news for those attending the Isle of Wight Festival and Download Festival, in Leicestershire, both of which began on Friday. But, forecaster Claire Austin of MeteoGroup, said that to experience the best of the weekend’s weather she would advise heading to south west coast. ‘Going into next week it’ll stay dry and settled with temperatures staying in the 20s,’ she said. | In a far cry from yesterday's heatwave scattered showers are currently making their way across Britain . But showers are expected to clear and make way for dry and pleasant evening, with temperatures in the mid 20s . Parts of Scotland, Wales and northern England will remain cloudy with a few pockets of drizzle and hill fog expected . | 2a654679790cca4e308c10430ed842dbecfcb369 |
(CNN) -- Bou Meng walks into a big open room, sits down on the floor and points to a number, which is stenciled on the wall. Number 13. It was his prison number and the spot on the floor where he says he was shackled in Cambodia's infamous Tuol Sleng Prison. The prisoners who entered were often killed. Bou was one of the few who survived the torture, starvation and executions routine when the Khmer Rouge were in power. Led by the late Pol Pot, the regime was responsible for the deaths of millions of ordinary Cambodians during a four-year reign of terror that was eventually halted in 1979 by invading Vietnamese forces. But the memories of this dark chapter continue to haunt victims such as Bou more than 30 years later, as four surviving members of the Khmer leadership, including Pol Pot's "number two," prepare to stand trial for their alleged role in the genocide. In 1975, the Khmer Rouge ordered everyone out of the capital Phnom Penh and other cities in Cambodia to work in the countryside as farm laborers. Bou, an artist, was sent off to work in the paddy fields. One day in 1977, he was told he was being moved away from farm life. "I was supposed to move to the Royal University of Fine Art, but instead I was brought to S-21, also known as Tuol Sleng Prison," he says. "The first thing I saw was the people that had long hair to the waist. Their eyes were sunken and their bodies were only bone and skin. I was so shocked." It didn't take long before the plight of the others became his fate. He was tortured mercilessly. But art saved his life. The prison officials asked him if he could draw Brother Number 1, the man known as Pol Pot, the leader of the Khmer Rouge. Bou said yes. They were impressed by his work, so he began working on a huge portrait that would take him months. The Khmer Rouge government was then wreaking havoc on the entire country. It is said to be responsible for about 1.7 million deaths, roughly a quarter of the population back them. Its aim was to create a Communist utopia but instead the regime forced Cambodians into a living hell. City dwellers were marched into the countryside and forced to work as farm laborers. Those already living in rural Cambodia were expected to produce enough food for the country while teaching farming to those who had never done it before. Currency was abolished, and anyone with an education was considered a threat. No one was allowed modern medicine and the country isolated itself trying to become completely self-sufficient. The results were disastrous: People died of starvation and disease as soldiers tortured and killed anyone suspected of being disloyal. Eventually, everyone, including the soldiers, became a target due to the leadership's paranoia. Tan Than was a soldier, although he says he never had a gun and was only given farming tools. By 1978, a year before the fall of the Khmer Rouge, Tan and all the soldiers in his brigade were arrested and sent to work on an airport. Tan said he saw people dying of hunger as they tried to build the airport and the road leading up to it. As he walks up to the airport road where he once toiled, he suddenly begins to sob. It is the first time he has been back since 1979. "I cry when I remember the people and my older brother who they separated from me." He has not seen his older brother since. He doesn't even know where the body is buried. Tan himself was supposed to be one of the tens of thousands of bodies dumped in what have become known as the "killing fields" located all over Cambodia. But Tan and a few others in his brigade fought back the day they were supposed to die. He says when the soldiers came into the building where all 292 members of his brigade had been taken it was clear they meant to exterminate them. "When we got inside they were shouting you betrayed (us). You are Vietnamese. You are American. You are CIA. Then they came inside the house and we fought back." He and 12 others escaped. Tan's sister-in-law Long Saoda worked at the same site where the soldiers were taken and watched in horror the fate of hundreds of unarmed people. "I saw a truck full of people. ... I hid and tried to listen more. Then I saw them (soldiers) holding guns. They were hiding in the forests on both sides with guns," she recalls. "Shoot, shoot, shoot, bang, bang, bang," Long re-enacts with her hands. "...When the people got off the truck they tied their hands and then they walked the people to the hole they had dug, then they killed all those people and then the second truck came." Eventually, she says, a tractor would cover the hole with dirt even if the people inside it were still alive. There are still two noticeable indentations where villagers point out you can still see the gravesites in their village. Similar scenes were repeated around the country. More than three decades on and the story is not yet over. The remaining leaders of the regime are finally being put on trial. The indictment, more than 350 pages long, includes accusations of everything from genocide to torture to war crimes. Case number 002 is the second and perhaps most important case being heard by the United Nations-backed tribunal in Cambodia. "They are alleged to be responsible for the whole policy, which ended up in crimes being conducted all over this country," says Lars Olsen, the spokesman for the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia. "It is probably one of the first times since the Nuremburg trials (the case against the Nazis that began in 1945) where the whole remaining political leadership ... have been put on trial together. Cambodians have been waiting for more than 30 years for someone to be held accountable for what happened during the years the Khmer Rouge was in power." Tens of thousands of people from around Cambodia are expected to come watch the trial, even if for only one day. As for Long Saoda, Tan Than and Bou Meng, they hope the trial provides the answer to one question that has haunted them all these years: Why would a government treat its own people this way? CNN's Tim Schwarz contributed to this report. | Survivors of torture, disease, starvation have many questions . Tens of thousands died under Khmer Rouge . Remaining leaders of Khmer Rouge to stand trial . Thousands expected to come watch the trial . | 1e8f00fe78d5697bd7b7ebac3be7eb6ce03466f3 |
Tokyo (CNN) -- An extraordinarily high level of radiation was detected in one spot in a central Tokyo residential district Thursday, prompting the local government to cordon off the small area, local officials said. Radiation levels were higher in Tokyo's Setagaya ward than in the evacuation area around the badly damaged Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant, according to ward Mayor Nobuto Hosaka. "We are shocked to see such high radiation level was detected in our neighborhood. We cannot leave it as is," Hosaka told reporters. But the tsunami-struck Fukushima plant may not be the source of the radiation, Hosaka said later on state television. Officials searching for the cause found "glass bottles in a cardboard box" in the basement of a house in the neighborhood which sent radiation detectors off the charts, he said on NHK. "We suspect these bottles in basement could be the cause of the high radiation reading and we are hastily working to confirm it," he said. Radiation experts are now checking what contaminated the bottles, a Setagaya ward official told CNN, declining to be named in line with policy. They told the local government there are no immediate health hazards. Radiation levels just a few feet from the contaminated spot are normal, Hosaka said. The Tokyo scare comes a day after officials in Yokohama, Japan's second largest city, investigated soil samples after a radioactive substance was found in sediment atop an apartment building, according to news reports. Yokohama is about 155 miles (250 kilometers) from the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear plant. The discovery raised concerns that leaked radiation from three Fukushima reactors that suffered meltdowns after the March earthquake and tsunami may be more widespread than thought, The Japan Times reported Wednesday. The U.S. government issued a travel alert last week, warning Americans in Japan to avoid areas near the stricken reactors. The alert recommends that U.S. citizens stay away from areas within 20 kilometers (12 miles) of the nuclear facility. The State Department also admonished Americans to stay away from territory northwest of the plant in a zone that Japan calls the "Deliberate Evacuation Area." The zone includes Iitate-mura, the Yamagiya district of Kawamata-machi, Katsurao-mura, Namie-machi and parts of Minamisoma. CNN's Yoko Wakatsuki contributed to this report. | NEW: There is no immediate health hazard, experts tell local officials . Local government cordons off an area in the Setagaya ward . Radiation there is higher than around Fukushima . The damaged Fukushima Daiichi plant may not be the source, officials say . | a7eb365c3b8a4da80a1326ab8aaf1892f49689f0 |
By . Louise Boyle . Last updated at 11:48 PM on 27th February 2012 . A stranger turned up at a young woman's home and confessed that he had killed her sister four years earlier in a hit-and-run. David H McCarthy, 27, came to the door of Michelle Lech early on Sunday morning and asked if he could speak to her. He then calmly sat at her kitchen table and confessed to the fatal accident. Melissa Lech, 20, was struck and killed on August 7, 2008 as she walked home from a restaurant in Joliet, Illinois. Guilty conscience: David H McCarthy (left) came to the home of Michelle Lech and confessed to killing her sister Melissa Lech (right) in a hit-and-run in the town of Joliet, Illinois in 2008 . McCarthy had tracked down the dead woman's sister over the internet. His motive is unclear. When he left, she called Detective John Ross, who has been involved in the case from the beginning, and told him about the visit. After running the licence plate she had noted down, Detective Ross was able to locate the 27-year-old in the nearby town of Naperville. Police went to McCarthy's home where he appeared to be waiting for officers. His family, who were unaware of the accident, were 'deeply distressed' at the pain caused to the Lech family, according to the Chicago Tribune. McCarthy has been charged with causing personal injury and leaving the scene of an accident causing a death. He is being held on $1million bail. Prosecutors said today that McCarthy admitted to Lech’s sister that he stopped after hitting the 20-year-old student and knew she was seriously injured but drove off because he was scared. Revelation: Michelle Lech answered the door on Sunday morning to David McCathy who confessed to hitting her sister Melissa with his car and driving off . Plea: NASCAR driver Kevin Conway carried a picture of Melissa on his car with a fresh appeal for information . According to court documents, the 27-year-old was charged with a DUI 18 months after the fatal hit-and-run. He pleaded guilty to dangerous driving and was ordered to attend counseling for substance abuse and mental health issues. 'He left my sister in the street to die and he had four years to . think about what he was going to say about what he did.' Michelle Lech . He was also arrested for domestic battery in 2009. Miss Lech also lost her father several years ago to brain cancer. She told the Chicago-Tribune: 'I don’t know what . kind of person he is, but it’s evident, after it took . him four years to come forward. 'He left my sister in the street to die and he had four years to . think about what he was going to say about what he did.' She refused to elaborate further on a possible explanation for why he had now come forward. Tragic loss: David McCarthy confessed to hitting Melissa Lech with his car four years ago and driving away, leaving her body in the street . Broken family: The Lechs suffered four years of not knowing who killed Melissa. Mr Lech died of brain cancer two years after his daughter was killed . Melissa Lech, who had been about to start at the University of Illinois, had gone to watch a White Sox baseball game with friends on August 6, 2008 before the group headed to a sports bar in Joliet. After an argument with a friend, she left the bar shortly after midnight. She was hit by a car and run over at 12.20 am. Distraught: Melissa Lech's mother has been waiting for four years to find out who killed her daughter . Another . motorist who arrived shortly after the fatal accident said he saw . tail lights swerving before coming across Miss Lech's body and . calling 911. Police canvassed the area, looked at . cell phone usage and spoke to dozens of residents in the area but no . leads emerged. Melissa's mother and Crimestoppers offered a $25,000 . reward for information. Last September, NASCAR driver Kevin Conway carried a giant picture of Melissa on his race car with a fresh appeal and tipline for information. At the time, Detective Ross said: 'We believe somebody out there … knows information in this case. 'It’s just a matter of being honest and coming forward to give closure to the family.' Always remembered: A memorial by the roadside in Joliet, Illinois to mark where university student Miss Lech was killed . | David McCarthy, 27, held on $1m bail after stunned sibling noted his number plate . He admitted knowing victim had been injured but had driven off scared . She had been walking home from restaurant after row with friend . | b1015beb3818eb9e1b4e6fc1122ba81ab3efb825 |
In his final words to the ones he loved, James Foley thanked his family for getting him through his almost two year hostage ordeal, saying the memories of home 'takes me away and happiness fills my heart'. The 40-year-old journalist, who was beheaded by Islamic State (IS) militants, was not allowed to send letters from his hostage cell in Syria, but asked a fellow hostage who was due to be released to commit a letter to memory. Danish photojournalist Daniel Rye Ottosen, 25, spent 13 months imprisoned alongside Foley and, when released in June, released in June, his first call was to Foley’s mum Diane, when he dictated the lengthy letter to her. Diane and her husband John Foley have now released the letter in full on a Facebook page set up in their late son's honor. The letter was posted following a memorial for Foley in his hometown of Rochester, New Hampshire, on Sunday. Scroll down to read the full letter and video . Last words: James Foley dictated his final message to a fellow hostage, who memorized its contents and then told it to Foley's mother upon his release. The letter was posted on Facebook on Sunday night . Memorializing their son: Diane and John Foley, . parents of James Foley, address the congregation during a Catholic mass . at Our Lady of the Holy Rosary parish his hometown of Rochester, New Hampshire, on Sunday . Mourning: Diane and John Foley, parents of . journalist James Foley, sit for a portrait at their home during an . interview before his memorial service . 'I know you are thinking of me and praying for me. And I am so thankful,' Foley said. 'I feel you all especially when I pray. I pray for you to stay strong and to believe. I really feel I can touch you even in this darkness when I pray.' Foley described the conditions of his cell in the letter, saying he was held in a cell with 18 others, Sky News reported. They passed the time talking about movies, sport and trivia, and managed to find ways of playing chess, checkers and Risk. 'They have been a huge help. We repeat stories and laugh to break the tension,' he said. 'I have had weak and strong days. 'We are so grateful when anyone is freed; but of course, yearn for our own freedom. 'We try to encourage each other and share strength.' The letter, which includes messages for different family members, ends with Mr Foley addressing his grandmother. 'Grammy, please take your medicine, take walks and keep dancing. I plan to take you out to Margarita's when I get home,' he said. 'Stay strong because I am going to need your help to reclaim my life.' Daniel Rye Ottosen, pictured, spent 13 months imprisoned with James Foley . Foley's mother flew to Copenhagen the week before her son was executed to meet with Ottosen, according to the boss of the Boston-based online news organization Foley was working for when he was snatched in November 2012. Phil Balboni, CEO of GlobalPost, told how Diane developed a ‘close bond’ with the families of other hostages still in captivity and met up with released hostages from France and Spain who had been held by the same group of British jihadis dubbed The Beatles. ‘She went to Copenhagen to meet with the Danish journalist who memorized the letter. He provided new details of his time with Jim. All of the released hostages spoke of Jim’s courage. He was subjected to the most abuse and torture because he was American but they never broke his spirit. ‘Diane has become extremely close to the families of other Western hostages who are still in captivity. They share a special and very close bond.’ Balboni described Diane as ‘a woman on a mission’ to save her son from the moment the first email arrived from his captors on November 26, 2013. ‘The email was sent to me and to Jim’s brother Michael. It was brief. It said “We’re holding James. We’re prepared to negotiate for his release. We need money – FAST.” ‘They had all of Jim’s cellphone contacts which is how they got our email addresses. ‘There were more emails, five or six in all. They gave us the opportunity to ask proof-of-life questions, obscure family references impossible for anyone but Jim to answer. That was in early December, 2013. We felt great hope.’ In one email, the terrorists made their sole demand – for $135 million and the release of Muslim prisoners held by the US. But then the terrorists stopped communicating. Jim Foley (left) was murdered by a British born Isis terrorist who has been named 'Jihad John' (right), as seen in a video released online on August 19 . Hundreds in attendance: People attend a special mass in remembrance of journalist James Foley at Our Lady of the Rosary Churchon Sunday . Not forgotten: A parishioner holds a prayer card in memory of James Foley after a Catholic mass at Our Lady of the Holy Rosary parish August 24, 2014, in Rochester, New Hampshire . After months . of silence, the Foleys received a final email, dated August 12 – a . hate-filled rant full of rudimentary spelling errors in which the . jihadis vowed to execute Foley saying ‘You (America) and your citizens . will pay the price of your bombings! ‘The . first of which being the blood of the American citizen James Foley! He . will be executed as a DIRECT result of your transgressions towards us!’ The email may have been written by ‘John’, the British jihadi who beheaded Foley, reports claim. A . memorial service for James Foley will took place Saturday at the family’s . church, Holy Rosary. Dear Family and Friends, . I remember going to the Mall with Dad, a very long bike ride with Mom. I remember so many great family times that take me away from this prison. Dreams of family and friends take me away and happiness fills my heart. I know you are thinking of me and praying for me. And I am so thankful. I feel you all especially when I pray. I pray for you to stay strong and to believe. I really feel I can touch you even in this darkness when I pray. Eighteen of us have been held together in one cell, which has helped me. We have had each other to have endless long conversations about movies, trivia, sports. We have played games made up of scraps found in our cell…we have found ways to play checkers, Chess, and Risk… and have had tournaments of competition, spending some days preparing strategies for the next day’s game or lecture. The games and teaching each other have helped the time pass. They have been a huge help. We repeat stories and laugh to break the tension. I have had weak and strong days. We are so grateful when anyone is freed; but of course, yearn for our own freedom. We try to encourage each other and share strength. We are being fed better now and daily. We have tea, occasional coffee. I have regained most of my weight lost last year. I think a lot about my brothers and sister. I remember playing Werewolf in the dark with Michael and so many other adventures. I think of chasing Mattie and T around the kitchen counter. It makes me happy to think of them. If there is any money left in my bank account, I want it to go to Michael and Matthew. I am so proud of you, Michael and thankful to you for happy childhood memories and to you and Kristie for happy adult ones. And big John, how I enjoyed visiting you and Cress in Germany. Thank you for welcoming me. I think a lot about RoRo and try to imagine what Jack is like. I hope he has RoRo’s personality! And Mark… so proud of you too Bro. I think of you on the West coast and hope you are doing some snowboarding and camping, I especially remember us going to the Comedy Club in Boston together and our big hug after. The special moments keep me hopeful. Katie, so very proud of you. You are the strongest and best of us all!! I think of you working so hard, helping people as a nurse. I am so glad we texted just before I was captured. I pray I can come to your wedding…. now I am sounding like Grammy!! Grammy, please take your medicine, take walks and keep dancing. I plan to take you out to Margarita’s when I get home. Stay strong because I am going to need your help to reclaim my life. Jim . His memory lives on: Hundreds remember American . Journalist James Foley, pictured here, in a mass today for his service . to the Syrian people for whom he sought justice . | Letter was memorized by a hostage who spent 13 months imprisoned alongside James Foley but was released . The hostage, Danish photojournalist Daniel Rye Ottosen, 25, called Foley's mother Diane as soon as he got out and recited it to her . The family released the letter in full following a memorial for Foley in his hometown of Rochester, New Hampshire, on Sunday . Foley thanks his family, saying memories of home has helped him survive . He also sent personalized messages to family members, including his grandmother . | 3f11db26898e73629a57e2fc161358450cb71fd6 |
By . Jessica Satherley . UPDATED: . 09:49 EST, 13 December 2011 . A former military pilot has taken to New York City's streets in this Transformers costume he made himself out of household items. Peter Kokis, 49, has spent 675 hours meticulously creating 'Brooklyn Ironhide' - 164lb body suit replica of Transformers leader Optimus Prime. It is made from hundreds of random domestic items including spatulas, toothbrush holders, sewing machine parts, toilet brushes and even a pooper scooper. Transformer fan: Peter Kokis, 49, has spent 675 hours meticulously creating 'Brooklyn Ironhide' out of household items from his New York home . The Autobot fan now travels around his home city of New York attending corporate and public events and greeting stunned members of the public. Peter came up with the inventive idea in 2008 when he was invited to a sea-themed fancy dress party. He spent hours creating a cross between Optimus Prime and a squid using small household tools sold in convenience stores. 'Brooklyn Ironhide' is not an exact replica of the Transformers character Optimus Prime, but it is his own creation inspired by the Transformers characters . After getting pats on the back for his efforts, Peter decided to build a full exoskeleton based on Optimus Prime. Proud artist: Peter now attends private and corporate parties and promotional events as the Autobot . Inspired creation: Peter's Autobot (left) was inspired by Optimus Prime (right) from the Transformers series . He has now built four - including this original creation, the incredible Brooklyn Ironhide. The suit's items also include two hockey leg guards, six radiator knobs, a number of sewing machine parts and even two shoehorns. His shins are large pooper scoopers, there are a number of bird feeders over the body and each cannon has a toilet brush holder on it. He said: 'No single part of any of my exoskeletons is particularly expensive, but all those little parts add up, even though many come from cheap discount stores. 'Sometimes I see something - a paper towel holder, a soap dish, contact lens case, whatever - and I immediately know what I want to do with it. 'Other times I see something and am struck by its interesting shape, and I buy it for some future use, or the part doesn't work out so I throw it away.' It took the 49-year-old 600 hours over a 13 month period to create Brooklyn Ironhide - and even then he wasn't happy with the final results. Meeting his fans: Peter says 'little kids are in awe of the Transformer, sometimes hugging at the legs and screaming they love me' So he went back to the drawing board and spent a further 75 hours perfecting the armoured suit, which has cost 'thousands' of dollars in total. The artist and sculptor now attends private and corporate parties and promotional events as the Autobot through his company Brooklyn RobotWords - as well as meeting members of the public while suited up. He said: 'It is a very physically and emotionally exhausting endeavour. Performing in very heavy, unventilated suit of armour is quite challenging at 49, so I have to spend a lot of time in the gym. 'Little kids are in awe of the Transformer, sometimes hugging at the legs and screaming they love me. 'The little ones who have seen the films and comics often think I'm real - although I can't imagine what it must be like for a four-year-old old when Brooklyn Ironhide is standing over him. 'I was recently dressed as Ironhide and with a boy who was about four when his six-year-old older sister started throwing rocks at me to protect him. I thought that was cool. 'Dogs usually growl at me, though the other day I had a dog licking Bumblebee's face.' | Former military pilot spent thousands of dollars to create Brooklyn Ironhide out of household items . He spent 675 hours to create the 164lb armoured body suit . The artist now attends corporate parties as 'Autobot' | 34842d1ae2ef0a31da52f7029977a46af182368e |
By . Jenny Hope . PUBLISHED: . 19:30 EST, 3 January 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 19:30 EST, 3 January 2013 . Thousands of people at risk of losing their sight from a diabetes-related condition could benefit from a new drug approved for NHS use. The rationing body Nice has finally given the go ahead for Lucentis after the makers dropped the price. The drug treats diabetic macular oedema (DMO), which affects around 50,000 Britons causing problems with reading, driving and recognising faces. Lucentis treats diabetic macular oedema (DMO), which affects around 50,000 Britons eyesight causing problems with reading, driving and recognising faces . This offers fresh hope for people with a serious and common complication of diabetes. Currently laser treatment is used to stabilise the condition which if left untreated causes 30 per cent of patients to go blind. Clinical trials show Lucentis, given as an injection in the eye, is the first treatment that can help reverse vision loss for some patients. But the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (Nice) last year said the drug was not ‘a good use of NHS resources’ at £750 for each monthly injection. Four UK charities failed in their appeal to stop the proposed ban, but Nice re-visited the decision after makers Novartis cut the price by an undisclosed amount. Nice tried to ban Lucentis before, when it was initially licensed for another cause of blindness called wet age-related macular degeneration, or AMD, in 2007. It would have meant patients had to go blind in one eye first but Nice was forced into a U-turn after thousands of protests. Lucentis is one of the most costly drugs for the NHS, which spent £130 million on the treatment in 2010, although patient access scheme for AMD patients capped the cost at £10,400 for 14 injections or more. Complication: DMO, which affects around 50,000 Britons is related to diabetes . However, consultant ophthalmologist Ben Burton, from the James Paget University Hospital, Great Yarmouth, said the drug was one of the great breakthroughs in eye disease. He said ‘This has the impact of insulin, penicillin or steroids in our field. It prevents loss of vision and means older people at risk retain the ability to drive a car, and live independent lives. ‘Up until now, most patients could only receive laser treatment on the NHS, which usually just stops their vision worsening but does not necessarily improve it.’ The drug is more effective than laser treatment, although that will still be used for some patients, he added. Steve Winyard, head of policy and campaigns at the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB), one of the charities which appealed against the proposed ban, said at least 5,000 new diabetic patients a year could be eligible for the drug, which has a better chance of saving their sight than existing treatment. When injected into the eye, the drug also known as raniizumab, slows the leakage of small blood vessels in the retina. New drug: DMO is currently treated using lasers . Barring appeals, draft guidance from Nice will be confirmed in February, when local trusts will have to find funding for the treatment. Barbara Young, chief executive of Diabetes UK, said ‘We are delighted that Nice have reconsidered their previous decision, and that this draft guidance recommends that Lucentis is made available on the NHS, as this would mean more people with diabetes would have a better opportunity to preserve and possibly improve their vision. ‘We have campaigned vigorously for this outcome for the past two years and so welcome this result and hope this is reflected in the final guidance when it is issued next month.’ Professor Carole Longson, Health Technology Evaluation Centre Director at Nice, said ‘Nice is pleased to recommend ranibizumab as a treatment option for some people with visual impairment caused by diabetic macular oedema in new draft guidance. ‘In November 2011, Nice published guidance which did not recommend the drug as an effective use of NHS resources. ‘However, following the submission of a revised patient access scheme, we have conducted a rapid review of the original guidance. ‘ . Barbara Young, chief executive of Diabetes UK, said ‘We are delighted that Nice have reconsidered their previous decision, and that this draft guidance recommends that Lucentis is made available on the NHS, as this would mean more people with diabetes would have a better opportunity to preserve and possibly improve their vision. ‘We have campaigned vigorously for this outcome for the past two years and so welcome this result and hope this is reflected in the final guidance when it is issued next month.’ | Nice has given the go ahead for use of drug Lucentis . The drug treats diabetic macular oedema which affects 10,000 Britons . | 2859a0869c033a7fe60f9e76db7af44d4dd52f0b |
(CNN) -- Two men have been arrested in California in connection with a string of brazen attacks in the past six months thought to be targeting law enforcement. Nicholas Smit, 40, is being held on allegations of making a booby trap, assault with intent to murder a police officer and possession of a firearm while on bail, Hemet Police Chief Richard Dana said Saturday. Also arrested was Steve Hansen, 36, for possession of a firearm while on parole. Authorities are investigating whether he may be involved in seven attacks believed to have targeted members of the Hemet Police Department since December. No one has been injured in the attacks. The arrests came after police served search warrants on the men's homes in Hemet and Homeland on Friday night, Dana said. At least two more suspects are being sought, and a $200,000 reward for information in the case is up for grabs as the investigation continues, he added. The police chief would not comment directly on a possible motive but said one of the suspects made comments during his arrest suggesting that "he doesn't like us very much," Dana said. The arrests come less than a week after a suspected arson damaged a police evidence lab, the latest attack aimed at the department, according to authorities. The booby trap-style attacks have drawn the attention of state and federal law enforcement agencies, which have contributed manpower to the investigation and money to the $200,000 reward. "Clearly, an attack on one community is an attack on all communities. By the same token, an attack on a police officer puts all of the public at risk, no matter where they live," said Riverside County Sheriff Stanley Sniff Jr., whose department is participating in the investigation. Authorities have not been able to directly connect the attacks to a particular gang or organized crime, Dana said, even though most of the attacks have targeted members of an organized crime task force. Hemet is one of eight local, state and federal agencies that make up the Riverside County Gang Task Force, which was formed in 2006 to address the growth of criminal street gangs and outlaw motorcycle gangs. The attacks began in December, when, police say, a natural gas line was rerouted into the task force's headquarters, risking an explosion. On February 23, a task force member at the Hemet headquarters opened a security gate outside the building, which launched a homemade zip gun attached to the gate. The weapon fired, missing the officer's head by inches. Subsequent incidents included four city vehicles being set ablaze in the City Hall parking lot and a suspected arson at a police shooting range. "My personal opinion is that the same people are connected with all of them, but the investigation is not over," Dana said. | Man arrested on allegations of making booby trap, assault with intent to murder officer . At least two more sought in booby trap-style attacks believed to target police . Suspect's comments during arrest suggest "he doesn't like us very much" police chief says . Seven attacks since December have targeted police in Hemet, California, authorities say . | 2b33f13e781b1e435519ebe9b76d35d0a6be1582 |
(CNN) -- The trial for Jerry Sandusky, the former Penn State assistant football coach accused of molesting several boys, has been postponed until June 5. The trial was scheduled for May 15 but it "must be postponed to accommodate various logistical contingencies," court documents said. Joe Amendola, Sandusky's lawyer, said the delay may still not be enough time. "We don't know if we will have all the information we need and are entitled to receive prior to the new trial date, but we will do our very best to be ready to proceed to trial on June 5," Amendola said. Amendola argued that prosecutors have been investigating the case long before Sandusky was arrested but he has had little time to prepare his case. "The Attorney General has conducted a three-plus-year secret grand jury investigation in this matter. We've only had a couple of months since we received our first discovery materials in mid-January to begin preparing our defense," Amendola said. Sandusky, a longtime defensive coordinator for the Nittany Lions, is currently under house arrest as he awaits trial on more than 50 counts of child sexual abuse. He has pleaded not guilty. The allegations against Sandusky led to the firing of Penn State's heralded head football coach Joe Paterno only months before he died of complications from lung cancer. Former school officials Tim Curley and Gary Schultz are charged with perjury and failure to report a crime in relation to the investigation. In February, Penn State said it has incurred nearly $3.2 million in combined legal, consultant, and public relation fees pertaining to the scandal. Almost $2.5 million of the fees stem from Penn State's internal investigation and crisis communications team costs. Roughly $500,000 has been spent on university legal defense services, the university said. CNN's Jason Carroll contributed to this report. | The trial was scheduled for May 15 . "We don't know if we will have all the information we need," Sandusky's lawyer says . Sandusky is accused of more than 50 counts of child sexual abuse . | 872ebd505e367a7ddbd50dbcbb4d8c4b36c5ef21 |
Max Clifford's ex-wife revealed today she caught him having phone sex on their honeymoon. Jo Westwood, 51, who divorced the 71-year-old 18 days after he was jailed, said she confronted him about the 'explicit call' but he laughed and called it a 'game'. Miss Westwood, who was speaking about their marriage for the first time, also revealed that her ex-husband, who she married four years ago, was trying to woo women in the run up to his trial. Scroll down for video . Former couple: Jo Westwood with her former husband Max Clifford at a court hearing in May. She later refused to attend his trial at Southwark Crown Court . Anguish: Miss Westwood revealed that her ex-husband had phone sex on their honeymoon and was wooing other women in the run up to his trial . Discussing their honeymoon she told ITV’s This Morning today: 'We were on a beach and Max said he had to go back to the room. He was gone a very long time and I became suspicious so went back too. 'He was on the phone having a phone call of an explicit nature. He denied it but I said I could tell him what he said word for word. He then said it was a game'. The millionaire celebrity publicist, who was jailed for eight years for sexually abusing teenage girls, kept sickening mementos from women he encountered during his 50-year career. Miss Westwood met Clifford while she worked as his personal assistant and were married for four years, living in West London . When asked why she did not go to court to support him she said: 'I had thought about it, seriously, because I knew it would be better for him if I was there. 'But then in the run up to the trial he continued to wine and dine these girls. I just thought he’s just showing me no respect at all'. She also said that Clifford boasted about a bin bag of sexual photographs of women he kept at his £3.5million mansion. He told his wife: ‘I just used to be able to get women to do whatever I wanted.’ Discussing his private stash of pornographic photographs she said it was ‘something he was proud to have’. ‘I felt very uncomfortable about it. It was a bag full of photographs of women. ‘I made it very clear to him that I didn’t like them being in the house and he put them somewhere, I don’t know where. ‘Some of them had faces but a lot of them didn’t… and they were sexual. And when I said to him, “How did you get all these?”, he would say, “I just used to be able to get women to do whatever I wanted”.’ Miss Westwood, who worked as his personal assistant before they married four years ago, also told investigative journalist Mark Williams-Thomas of her shock on discovering a letter from one of Clifford’s victims, which would later trigger his downfall. The woman, now using the pseudonym Cathy Johnson, wrote anonymously in 2011 asking him if he was proud of being a child abuser after she endured four months of sexual abuse at Clifford’s hands when she was 15, which ended only after the traumatised youngster threatened to commit suicide. She wrote: ‘I wondered if you remembered, as I do, the child sexual abuse you engaged in? You took pleasure in degrading me...abusing me... and returning me to my home with a story so my parents didn’t become suspicious... so they would be fooled their daughter was in safe hands and not those of a paedophile. ‘You made my life a living hell. I had no one to turn to. You were very clever. An A+ in grooming children. How proud you must be.’ On seeing the letter, Miss Westwood urged Clifford to go to the police, but instead he kept the letter by his bed like a trophy. Watch the full interview from ITV's This Morning here. Upset: In her first interview she said that Clifford had a bin liner of pornography he was 'proud' of and also bragged: ‘I just used to be able to get women to do whatever I wanted.’ She recalled: ‘He came home from work one day and said that he’d received this letter. He showed me the letter and I was horrified. I said, “Well, I think you should go to the police”, and he said, “No I’m not going to the police”. ‘I said, “What are you going to do?”, and he said, “Tear it up and put it in the bin where it belongs”. ‘I thought that’s what he’d done with it and then a little while later when I was going through the drawers I found the letter and I felt so uncomfortable about it I took a copy, because at that time I was going to leave him anyway, and this was just more evidence of some of the things I was having to put up with. ‘I just feel desperately sorry for this person.’ After Clifford’s case passed through Westminster Magistrates’ Court in London, Miss Westwood refused to attend his trial at Southwark Crown Court in May. She said: ‘I had thought seriously about going because I knew it would be better for him if I was there. ‘I just thought he’s just showing me no respect at all, and in the end I just thought I can see what you’re gaining from this, but actually I’m not gaining anything, other than trying to be a kind person and standing by you. ‘I was in a terrible state. I wasn’t eating, I wasn’t sleeping. It was a horrid time. ‘My mind was all over the place. One day I would think he’s going to walk away, he’s going to get off with this, another time I was thinking the evidence is so strong he can’t possibly. So I was very mixed up.’ Clifford was jailed in May on eight counts of indecent assault between 1977 and 1984 in which he used his celebrity connections to lure women . Clifford was jailed in May on eight counts of indecent assault between 1977 and 1984 in which he used his celebrity connections to lure women. His ex-wife said she was shocked by the sentence, which was upheld by appeal judges last week, adding: ‘It was a shock. But I expected him to call me because I think he knew I would be left in this media circus, but he didn’t and that was hard.’ Weeks later, a court granted her a divorce in just 105 seconds for his ‘unreasonable behaviour’, which has caused her stress and heart problems. | Former wife Jo Westwood said Clifford made 'explicit call' on honeymoon . Refused to support him in court because he was 'wining and dining girls' Convicted paedophile was 'proud' about a bin bag of pornography photos . He told her: 'I just used to be able to get women to do whatever I wanted' Miss Westwood also spoke of her shock at finding a letter from a victim . Clifford was jailed for eight years for sexually abusing teenager girls . His ex-wife divorced him just 18 days after he was sentenced to prison . | e04ee03f174b0e1f939fede2d63635afda05a13d |
By . Lucy Laing . Last updated at 8:45 AM on 13th February 2012 . When medical treatment fails, a mother’s love and devotion can be just as powerful. When Sandra and Rob Margetts were told by doctors in the UK that they couldn’t save their daughter Laura Wright from a brain tumour they refused to give up hope. Laura, 34, had been struck down by the rare tumour and the operation to try and reduce it caused her to have a massive stroke, and doctors said there was nothing more they could do. Happy family: Laura, centre with her mother Sanda Margetts, right, and her husband Rob with their sons Felix and Ben. Her parents paid £150,000 for pioneering treatment in the USA to save their daughter's life . So the couple paid £150,000 for pioneering treatment in the USA - as a last chance of hope to save their daughter’s life. The treatment was successful, but it left Laura unable to have the family she desperately wanted. So the loving family stepped in once again - and funded the £25,000 cost of seven cycles of IVF treatment to give their daughter the two sons she had dreamed of. Mrs Wright, who lives with her husband Rob, 38, in Liphook, Hampshire, said: ‘I just can’t find the words to thank my mum and dad for what they have done for me. ‘They have never given up on me, and because of them I can have the life I’ve always dreamed of. ‘I’m still alive and I have the two most gorgeous sons. And its all thanks to mum and dad who have made it all happen for me.’ Mrs Wright first started suffering from headaches in the summer of 2001 when she was working as a school PE teacher. She went to see her GP who referred her to the Royal Surrey County Hospital in Guildford who said there was nothing wrong. But she still kept suffering from blurred vision and headaches, so she went for a private MRI scan, which revealed that she had a brain tumour. Mrs Wright said: ‘I was so shocked when I was diagnosed. All I could think of was it shouldn’t be happening, I was only 26. I had my whole life ahead of me. I was so frightened, I thought I was going to die.’ Laura having treatment for her tumour in Boston, USA. Mrs Wright first started suffering from headaches in the summer of 2001 when she was working as a school PE teacher . She underwent an operation at the Atkinson Morley Hospital in London to remove part of the tumour, and then doctors decided to remove the rest of the tumour in a second operation in April 2004. But during the second operation, Mrs Wright suffered a stroke that was so severe that she couldn’t talk and was paralysed down her right side. Because she had suffered the stroke during the operation, the surgeons had been unable to remove the rest of the tumour. It took Mrs Wright five months before she could even get out of her wheelchair and take her first steps being helped by physiotherapists. Doctors told her there was nothing more they could do for her, as they couldn’t risk operating on her again. But her parents refused to give up. They spent hours on the internet and eventually found Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, USA, where doctors had found a way of shrinking tumours by bombarding them with radioactive proton particles. The pioneering treatment would cost £150,000, but it could have left Mrs Wright infertile. Her parents sent her brain scans off to the clinic and they agreed to help. She said: ‘I had always wanted a family so I didn’t want to be left infertile, but I knew this was the only chance to save me, and mum and dad never hesitated to step in and help.’ She went to the USA in January 2005 and underwent the treatment which took eight weeks. It finished in March that year, and the treatment had managed to successfully halt the growth of the tumour. Mrs Wright said: ‘I was just so relieved when the treatment was a success. It had given me my life back. It was my only chance of survival, and now I could look forward to living my life again.’ The treatment had left Mrs Wright infertile, but again her family refused to give up hope as they knew how desperately their daughter wanted to be a mother. Mrs Wright said: ‘I had always desperately wanted to have a family. I was so thrilled that I was still alive after the brain tumour and I was so grateful for that. But every time I saw a pregnant woman I just felt a huge longing to be a mum myself.’ The family funded the first IVF treatment for their daughter, and the first cycle was a success. She fell pregnant with their son Felix, now four. Mrs Wright said: ‘When I gave birth to him I stared at him for hours because I couldn’t believe that he was actually mine. After everything that had happened I was finally a mum.’ The couple decided to try for another baby, but this time it took six attempts at fertility treatment before Mrs Wright finally fell pregnant again. She gave birth to her second son Ben in August 2010. She said: ‘We didn’t give up hope, and my family were behind us, supporting us all the way. When I fell pregnant again, we were all so thrilled. When Ben was born, it was as though my life was complete. ‘The doctors may have given up on me but my family never did, and its thanks to them that I’m still alive. It has been a lot of money to save me and to pay for the IVF treatment, but my parents wanted to help me more than anything.’ Mrs Wright is now concentrating on being a mum. She has to wear a special support called a SAFO, from Dorset Orthopaedic, on her right leg, but she can walk and even drive using a specially adapted car. Mrs Margetts added: ‘Her brain tumour would have grown without treatment and nothing could have been done to save her. ‘We luckily had savings to make this possible for Laura, and it was worth every penny to save her and to see her be a mother.’ There is hope that proton therapy may become available in the next few years funded by the NHS. | Treatment left Laura Wright infertile and she needed 7 cycles of IVF . | c5d144a3638b3d0189a78ddd982bb879e86587b1 |
It's been a week since the world learned that Donald Sterling had made racist remarks on audio recordings, casting a cloud over the professional basketball team he owns, the Los Angeles Clippers. On Saturday, the team had two wins to celebrate. First, the NBA announced it will appoint a new chief executive officer to oversee the team's operations. The appointment will be made in consultation with the Clippers management. "The best way to ensure the stability of the team during this difficult situation is to move quickly and install a CEO to oversee the Clippers organization," NBA Executive Vice President Mike Bass said in a statement. "The process of identifying that individual is underway." Second, the team showed that it had truly shaken off the non-basketball distractions. The Clippers defeated the Golden State Warriors 126-121 to win its first round in the NBA playoffs. The Clippers now advance to face the Oklahoma City Thunder on Monday. But the Sterling story won't go away any time soon. After dodging the media for days, the woman who recorded Clippers' owner Donald Sterling making racist remarks urged him to apologize. In an exclusive with ABC's Barbara Walters on Friday, V. Stiviano said Sterling is hurting after the scandal that turned him into a sports pariah. "I think he feels very alone. Not truly supported by those around him," Stiviano, 31, said. "Tormented. Emotionally traumatized." But, she told Walters, this is not the first time they've discussed race. "There's been a number of occasions where Mr. Sterling and I had conversations just like this one," she said. "Part of what the world heard was only 15 minutes. There's a number of other hours that the world doesn't know." One audio of Sterling's conversation released last month triggered a firestorm that led to his NBA lifetime ban and a $2.5 million fine. In the audio, Sterling tells Stiviano not to "promote" her relationship with black people or bring them to games after she posted a picture on social media with NBA legend Magic Johnson. Stiviano said Sterling should apologize for the comments and has discussed it with him. "God only knows," she said when asked if he will apologize. Whether or not he does, Sterling is already paying the price. NBA Commissioner Adam Silver gave him a lifetime ban, ordered he pay a $2.5 million fine and said he'd push to "force a sale" of the Clippers. Was it legal to record and release Sterling's racist rant? 'In the heat of the moment' Despite their numerous conversations, including the ones that led to Sterling's punishment, Stiviano does not consider him a racist. "No, I don't believe that in my heart," she said. " I think the things he says are not what he feels. Anyone can say anything in the heat of the moment. "I think he comes from a different generation ... he was brought up to believe these things ... segregation, whites and blacks. But through his actions, he's shown that he's not a racist. He's shown to be a very generous and kind man." She said he slammed her pictures on social media because of pressure from naysayers who criticized her and questioned why she's always around him. "I think he was generalizing," she said. " I think the focus of the subject at that time was just black people, but I think he referred to everyone, not just black people, when he made that statement." 'His silly rabbit' During the exclusive, Stiviano also addressed the nature of her relationship with the Clippers owner. "I love him just like a father figure," she said, adding that she plays a crucial role in his life. "I'm Mr. Sterling's right-hand man, arm/man," she said. "I'm Mr. Sterling's everything. I'm his confidant, his best friend, his silly rabbit." She said she calls herself his "silly rabbit" because she does not take things seriously and makes him laugh. She said the two are not involved romantically and have a financial arrangement. "He at first started paying me as an employee, and then he started paying me off the books," she said. NAACP L.A. chapter head resigns over scandal . Sterling's fall . NBA owners, players and others called for swift, firm punishment after TMZ posted the audio featuring the racist comments purportedly made on April 9. The league's commissioner, Adam Silver, heeded their call, issuing sweeping sanctions against Sterling on Tuesday. He fined the Clippers owner $2.5 million and banned him from any association with the team for life. Under the lifetime ban, Sterling is prohibited from NBA games or practices, stepping foot inside any Clippers facility, taking part in business or personnel decisions or having a role in league activities such as attending NBA Board of Governors meetings. If Sterling does sell the team, he'd profit considerably. He bought the Clippers for $12 million in 1981, and the team is now worth $575 million, according to Forbes magazine. Stiviano's attorney has said she did not leak the audio tape. Opinion: Sell the Clippers to the people . | Clippers advance in NBA playoffs by beating Warriors . The NBA will appoint CEO for the L.A. Clippers, the league says . Woman who recorded Los Angeles Clippers' owner says "he feels very alone" Audio of Sterling's racist comments led to NBA lifetime ban, a $2.5 million fine . | c7df934b6b43a2bb42cc9c6114e8f065758df0e6 |
By . Jason Groves . PUBLISHED: . 12:43 EST, 27 August 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 03:03 EST, 28 August 2012 . Two of the Tory party’s most outspoken women MPs are locked in a row over the media’s portrayal of Prince Harry. In a scathing article, Nadine Dorries hit out at Louise Mensch over her support for The Sun’s decision to publish naked pictures of Harry taken at a party in Las Vegas. She also poured scorn on her colleague for her recent announcement that she was quitting Parliament to spend more time with her family. Feud: Nadine Dorries (left) accused her Tory colleague Louise Mensch (right) of having 'schmoozed' with the Murdochs after she defended the Sun newspaper's decision to publish naked pictures of Prince Harry . Miss Dorries accused Miss Mensch of being ‘void of principle’ and said she had ‘always put her own ambitions first’. In an article for the . ConservativeHome website, Miss Dorries wrote: ‘I would ask the former . MP, next time she wants to open her mouth about a boy who lost his . mother at the hands of the media in a way which shocked the world, she . might want to look to her own heart and wonder how she would feel? Controversial: Prince Harry (centre) relaxes in a Las Vegas swimming pool on the holiday during which he was photographed naked. The Sun published the pictures despite a request to respect the prince's privacy . ‘After all, it’s not as though Prince . Harry has admitted taking illegal drugs, abandoned his post, or failed . to turn up to work every Thursday in the style of Louise Mensch, now is . it?’ Miss Dorries, however, may not have recalled that in 2002, when he was 17, Harry admitted smoking cannabis at Highgrove. Mrs Mensch declined to comment on the . attack, but issued a brief sarcastic comment about the affair on . Twitter, saying: ‘Waking up to find myself on the Nadine Dorries naughty . step, which is a pity as I spend my entire time worrying about what she . thinks (ahem).’ Response: Mrs Mensch declined to comment on the attack, but issued a brief sarcastic comment about the affair on Twitter . Mrs Mensch, a successful chick-lit . author under her maiden name Louise Bagshawe, stunned Westminster this . month by announcing she was quitting Parliament so she and her three . children could move to New York to be with her husband Peter. Miss Dorries has a track record of . making her point by using personal comments. She infuriated Tory high . command earlier this year by describing David Cameron and George Osborne . as ‘two posh boys who don’t know the price of milk’. 'Free press': Louise Mensch has been accused of 'schmoozing' Rupert Murdoch (pictured) after she defended his newspaper's decision to publish the pictures . Making a stand: Rupert Murdoch tweeted that the pictures were published to demonstrate that there is 'no such thing as free press' in the UK . | Dorries expressed views on ConservativeHome website . She lashed out at Mensch over support for Harry naked pictures and decision to leave Parliament . Nadine Dorries: Louise Mensch is 'void of principle' and has 'always put her own ambitions first' Mensch responds with sarcastic tweet: 'Pity as I spend my entire time worrying about what she . thinks (ahem)' | 10c90c88ec2592baaca1f34ff9a62fabcb760ee6 |
By . Daily Mail Reporter . One man has been charged and three others are being quizzed on suspicion of terror offences linked to Syria's civil war. Jamshed Javeed was charged with the intention of assisting others to commit acts of terrorism and engaging in conduct in preparation for giving effect to his intention. The 29-year-old, of Cringle Road in Levenshulme, Manchester, will appear at Westminster Magistrates' Court in London today. A Counter Terrorism officer stands guard outside near property on Cringle Road in Levenshulme, Manchester, which colleagues were searching yesterday after arresting two local men on suspicion of terror charges . Jamshed Javeed was charged with the intention of assisting others to commit acts of terrorism and engaging in conduct in preparation for giving effect to his intention. Another man from Levenshulme was also quizzed . It came after police investigating people suspected of travelling to or supporting the fighting in Syria made four arrests yesterday. Two men, aged 29 and 18, and a 21-year-old woman were still being held for questioning in the early hours of this morning. The 18-year-old man, also from Levenshulme, and the 21-year-old woman, from Trafford, were held in Manchester. The fourth suspect was a 29-year-old man arrested in Oxford. They were detained on suspicion of being concerned in the commission, preparation or instigation of acts of terrorism. A number of properties were also being searched, police said yesterday, adding that the arrests were not linked to any domestic terror threat. A Free Syrian Army holds his arms alost in the town of Morek in Hama: Police investigating people suspected of travelling to or supporting the fighting in Syria made four arrests yesterday . Detective Chief Superintendent Tony Mole, head of the force's North West Counter-Terrorism Unit, said yesterday: 'First and foremost I should reassure everyone that none of today's activity is linked in any way to any imminent threats in Greater Manchester or the UK. 'The operation has been running since autumn 2013 since we first became aware of a number of individuals travelling from the North West to the battlefields of Syria. 'You may have seen headlines in recent months linking people from Manchester to Syria and you will naturally have been concerned about this. 'Like other major cities across the UK we have been aware for some time of people travelling to war-torn places for terrorism-related purposes. 'This is not a problem unique to Manchester or the North West - it is an issue that affects different communities across the country and elsewhere.' Sorry we are not currently accepting comments on this article. | Jamshed Javeed, 29, of Levenshulme, was charged with intention of assisting others to commit acts of terrorism . Another man from Levenshulme, a woman from Trafford and a man in Oxford were also being quizzed last night . Arrests not linked to any domestic terror threat, detectives say . | f606fc2aa95cbec518dfd309f0b0e4c9a35738d5 |
ATLANTA, Georgia (CNN) -- Oil prices have some drivers looking for new rides, but some truck and sport-utility vehicle owners are remaining true to their gas guzzlers. They say, $4-a-gallon gas be damned; they need the space. Gas prices have drivers reconsidering what they drive, but some SUV owners say they have no real alternative. "You've got to have that room when you're moving around," said Steve Sharp, who has three active children and whose wife owns a dance studio. "It would be impractical for us to own a Prius with everything we've got going on." Toyota's hybrid sedan just wouldn't work, said Sharp, 36. In addition to hauling their 11-year-old boy to soccer games and their 10- and 7-year-old daughters to dance recitals, Sharp's wife, Caren, also totes large props and background displays for her studio. In March, as consumer cynicism toward SUVs soared alongside gas prices, the Sharpsburg, Georgia, family purchased a new Chevy Avalanche truck, which gets between 17 and 20 miles per gallon on the highway. When GM chief Rick Wagoner announced Tuesday his company would close four North American plants by 2010, he cited skyrocketing gas prices as a factor in the automobile giant's decision. Watch how gas prices drove the move » . "These higher gasoline prices are changing consumer behavior, and rapidly," Wagoner said. "We don't think this is a temporary spike or shift. We think it is permanent." Peter Brown, the executive director of the trade publication Automotive News, said in an interview last month that SUV sales were down almost 33 percent this year, and sales of pickups were down almost 20 percent. He likened the behemoths to dinosaurs on the fast path to extinction. iReport.com: Still driving that gas guzzler, and loving it? "If gas prices stay where they are at or continue to rise, the body-on-frame SUV is an endangered species and the pickup truck as a personal car is an endangered species," he said. But some consumers say they'll strive to keep the beasts alive, even if it costs $100 or more to fill the tanks. See gas prices across the country » . Stephanie Torgerson, 32, of Pataskala, Ohio, said she simply can't put her three boys in her husband's Mazda 626. The 1-year-old needs a car seat, the 5-year-old needs a booster chair and she doesn't feel comfortable wedging her 8-year-old between the two. Sure, she could probably get better mileage in a minivan, but she doesn't like the stigma. "I don't want to be labeled as a soccer mom," she said. Torgerson said her 2006 Chevy Trailblazer, which gets about 20 mpg, affords her and her kids protection -- not to mention four-wheel drive traction in the snowy winter months. But security comes with a price. Torgerson's daily commute to Hilliard -- another Columbus suburb -- is 72 miles roundtrip. She spends about $82 a week on gas, she said. Watch a Florida driver document gas prices » . Asked if she had considered a hybrid SUV with four-wheel drive, she promptly said no. "They're all brand-new vehicles, and I can't afford a $500-a-month car payment," she said. Orlando Tapia, of Cabot, Arkansas, said he considered trading in his 2001 Chevy Suburban to buy his wife a new car. The 45-year-old U.S. Air Force education manager said he reconsidered after learning he'd get about one-seventh of the vehicle's market value. See how SUV sales are on the decline » . "They want to give you nothing for it," he said, lamenting the low demand and high supply of such vehicles. Tapia, who also owns a 1988 Chevy Silverado pickup (his wife drives a Toyota Camry), said his family uses the Suburban only about 10 times a year, for vacations, hauling his flatbed trailer and when piling friends and relatives into the Suburban saves driving two cars. Tapia decided to keep his cars simply because they're paid for. "Do I pay $5,000 a year in car payments, or do I put $5,000 of gas in the Suburban?" he asked. "Right now it's cheaper for me to just put gas in the Suburban." Tapia has felt the pinch of high gas prices, he said, but he has ways to alleviate the burden on his wallet without hocking his truck or SUV. "If I'm running to the store and the Camry's out there and the Suburban and pickup are out there, I definitely jump in the Camry," he said. Sharp said his family looks for similar ways to save money on gas. For instance, his wife will time trips to the bank or grocery store so she can pick up the children from school while she's out running errands. Extra trips mean extra gas, Sharp said. See how Lamborghinis, Bentleys fare on gas mileage » . But simple solutions don't work for everyone. "I've got several of these things that I've been pouring liquid gold in the tank of," said Mark Antley, 47, of Sharpsburg, Georgia. The computer and technology contractor used to drive his 1999 Suburban from Sharpsburg through Atlanta to the northern suburb of Alpharetta. The 145-mile roundtrip to work put a dent in his 45-gallon gas tank. Making matters more costly were his wife's car -- another '99 Suburban -- and his diesel 2002 Ford F250 pickup. So last month, Antley got on eBay, where he found a 1996 Pontiac Sunfire for $1,000. The car is a "piece of junk," he said, but it gets about 37 mpg, almost tripling his Suburban's mileage. He has already put 5,000 miles on it, which has saved him about the cost of the car in gas, he said. "Last month, before I bought this car, it was running in the neighborhood of $1,400 to $1,800 a month," Antley said of his family's gasoline budget. Though Antley has left his F250 parked since Christmas, his wife still needs her Suburban for carpooling to school and school events. The Antleys' daughter just turned 16, and is driving her own Toyota Corolla, but the couple's boys need rides to soccer practice and their sister's gymnastics meets. Antley said he doesn't think the SUV is on the verge of extinction. He laughs at folks willing to pay $1.25 for a pint of bottled water -- $10 a gallon -- but who gripe about $4-a-gallon gas. All products go up in price, he said. Gas prices eventually will level off and families will adjust their budgets accordingly. SUVs will either become luxuries for those who can afford the gas or necessities for those who need what SUVs have to offer, he predicts. "There will still be a niche market for them," he said. "I don't know what other vehicle affords you the luxury of carrying as much as they do." CNN's Wayne Drash and Chris Isidore contributed to this report. | Ohio woman says Trailblazer provides her safety without "soccer mom" stigma . Some owners are cutting back on or combining SUV trips to save gas . Man bought Pontiac on eBay after shelling out $1,400-$1,800 a month in gas . Gas guzzlers becoming increasingly unpopular, but some people still need them . | 14ceee275f283e9da2aec11b5c031fc07264f47d |
(CNN) -- There was an important kernel of truth buried in director Spike Lee's recent tirade against gentrification. New York City, like other big cities, has experienced a decades-long economic squeeze in which the cost of housing has soared while wage levels dropped, leaving middle-class families feeling pinched, punished and pushed out. Lee's 10-minute, obscenity-laced rant about changes in his old Brooklyn neighborhood, Fort Greene, was deliberately offensive and, at times, incendiary (you can listen to it -- uncut -- here). He accused white newcomers to the area of being rude and disrespectful of local culture. And in this defense of Fort Greene, he sounds somewhat neighborly -- New York could always use a few more polite people -- until you think about it for a minute. Who, exactly, determines what the local culture is? To whom is this deference or "respect" supposed to be rendered, and how? When can the "respect" bill be considered paid in full? And whatever happened to the idea that law-abiding citizens in a free society should be able to walk their dogs in the park, take yoga classes, sip overpriced coffee at the local café and otherwise go about their business without having their lifestyle choices judged, ridiculed or attacked? Also, as I've noted elsewhere, it doesn't help Lee's case that he sold his own home for $1 million in the late 1990s and decamped to the wealthy Upper East Side of Manhattan, where he currently resides in a 9,000-square-foot palace that he bought in 2006 for $16 million and recently put on the market with a $32 million asking price. This is a man who made a fortune by promoting the hipness of black Brooklyn, relentlessly and profitably spurring on the very gentrification he now decries. There was a better point Lee could've made. The real phenomenon of gentrification worth talking about is a national crisis of housing costs that are climbing faster than the earning power of many residents. It's not confined to black neighborhoods, and it's happening all around the country, not just in New York. In a fascinating report, Daniel Hartley, a research economist at the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland, examined metropolitan areas to measure the number of census tracts where the housing prices moved from the lower half to the top half for that area. Between 2000 and 2007, Hartley found, housing prices made that leap in 61% of Boston -- the most spectacular increase of any big city. Seattle ranked second, with 55% of the city's census tracts with low-cost housing moving into the pricier bracket. New York, came in third, with 46% of the city's cheaper housing turning not so cheap. Hartley's price-based measurement of gentrification makes far more sense than racially charged anecdotal observations from Lee. Looking at these kinds of hard numbers also reveals that, in many cities, gentrification takes place without an ethnic shift. It's middle-class black homesteaders who are gentrifying the Bronzeville section of Chicago, for example. And South Boston is going upscale while remaining an Irish-Catholic bastion. What makes gentrification a problem is that earning power for most people isn't keeping up with the rising cost of buying or renting a place to live. In New York, the cost of renting an apartment jumped 8.6% between 2007 and 2011 -- and in those same years, median household income dropped nearly 7%, according to a report by New York University's Furman Center for Real Estate. That gap between income and rent is the true crisis of gentrification -- and to fix it will require going beyond ethnic and racial finger-pointing. What we need is a national campaign to ensure that middle-class wages keep pace with the cost of necessities like food, health care and shelter. It won't make headlines like Spike's rant, but it might replace the heat of blame and resentment with the light of solutions. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Errol Louis. | Errol Louis: Spike Lee railed against gentrification in his old neighborhood . Lee has profited from the thing he decries. But he also missed point, he says . In many big cities, housing costs rise much faster than incomes . Louis: Fixing that gap requires more than racial finger-pointing . | 76fc4bfb96412855eb390594544e07c0f7a7dbe4 |
By . Lucy Crossley . The bodyguard of a billionaire Australian heiress was found hanged at an exclusive London hotel after he feared he had 'let her down' by getting drunk in front of her friends, an inquest heard. Ginia Rinehart, the daughter of Australia’s richest woman Gina Rinehart, discovered her close friend and minder Jeremiah 'Jerry' Rouwhorst, 35, unconscious and naked on the floor of his suite at the world-famous Dorchester Hotel. Hours earlier the 'ashamed' Australian ex-special forces soldier had sent the 27-year-old a text message saying he was going to resign because he felt he had 'disgraced' her in front of her friends by getting drunk the night before. Heiress: Ginia Rinehart (pictured right) discovered her minder Jeremiah 'Jerry' Rouwhorst, 35, unconscious and naked on the floor of his suite at the world-famous Dorchester Hotel (left) The pair had spent three months at the Dorchester and Mr Rouwhorst had organised a farewell party for his client, the heiress to an £11billion fortune, before she returned to Australia. But normally 'professional' Mr Rouwhorst had consumed an 'uncharacteristic' amount of alcohol, Westminster Coroner’s Court heard. Assistant Coroner Shirley Radcliffe said: 'At 10.27 he sent her a text message saying they he felt he had disgraced her, let her down, embarrassed her in front of her friends and he was tendering his resignation. 'It is possible he sent the text message as a possible cry for help and was hoping to be found. I cannot be sure he wanted to kill himself. 'One . thinks that this may have been an impulsive gesture whilst under the . influence of alcohol. He was devastated at having lost an element of his . professionalism the night before.' The . court heard that after the party organised by Mr Rouwhorst, Ms Rinehart . went on to spend the rest of the night with friends in Chelsea, before . calling her bodyguard at 8am on March 16 to pick her up. She then went straight to bed and did not read the text until around midday when she rushed to see him in the adjoining room. Scene: Miss Rinehart and her minder Mr Rouwhorst had been staying at the famous Dorchester Hotel in central London for three months before his death . Emergency: Police officers and paramedics were called to the five-star hotel in London¿s Park Lane - a favourite with celebrities where rooms can cost up to £4,000 a night . Police . officers and paramedics were called to the five-star hotel in London’s . Park Lane - a favourite with celebrities where rooms can cost up to . £4,000 a night. Hotel security arrived at the room to find Ms Rinehart 'hysterical' and pointing to where her confidante lay, the court heard. Police officer Aaron King, who attended the scene and spoke to the 27-year-old who will inherit the billions amassed by her mining magnate family, said she was very upset. 'She was very distressed and crying on the phone to her mother,' he said. 'She said that because he didn’t usually drink that much he was ashamed of how much he had had to drink the night before and he thought that he must have brought shame on her and her friends.' PC King explained that he also spoke to Ms Rineharts’s mother, Gina, on the phone. 'The mother explained that he is a very professional man and would never drink that much - it was out of character,' he said. Family: Ginia Rinehart (right) is the daughter of Australia's richest woman Gina Rinehart (left), and heir to family's £11billion mining fortune . Professional: A police officer told the inquest that he had spoken to Gina Rinehart on the telephone, and was told that Mr Rouwhorst 'would never drink that much' Dr Radcliffe asked if the heiress had given any possible reason for the Australian ex-elite forces soldier having drank so much. The officer replied that he didn’t really have an opportunity to speak to her in detail, adding: 'She was obviously very distressed and at one point she even collapsed in the hotel corridor.' Paramedics at the scene were able to revive Mr Rouwhorst and he was taken to St Mary’s Hospital in Paddington, west London, but died three days later on March 19. Blood tests at he hospital revealed that he was more than one and half times over the legal drink driving limit at 113mg/100ml. Just two . days before his death, Mr Rouwhorst had received a commendation for . bravery, having been honoured for saving a man’s life during a riot in . East Timor in 2007. After leaving the Australian Special . Air Services in 2005, he went on to work as a private security guard for . the Australian ambassador in Afghanistan and Iraq, before providing . personal security to the Rinehart family, and in particular, Ginia . Rinehart. Recording an open verdict, Dr Radcliffe said: 'This may have been suicide, I cannot be sure. It may have been an accident, I cannot be sure.' | Ginia Rinehart found Jeremiah Rouwhorst at the Dorchester Hotel . Ex-soldier, 35, had been living at hotel with heiress for three months . Hours before death he sent her a text saying he was going to resign . He felt he had 'disgraced' her by getting drunk, inquest told . Her mother, Gina Rinehart, is Australia's richest woman from mining fortune . | 277ec00e2259495d046fc82f92dfe23be34f5a88 |
London (CNN) -- There are few historical figures that can compete with Leonardo da Vinci's celebrity. This, despite what little we actually know about him. Other than the complex and often mysterious works of art and writings that are his legacy, what's left today amounts to a few basic facts, and anecdotes told by 16th-century art historian Giorgio Vasari. And yet, nearly 500 years after his death, da Vinci continues to fascinate, standing in popular culture as a totem of the supernaturally gifted individual. An exhibition, which opened in London this week, includes nine of da Vinci's 15 surviving paintings -- the first time so many of his paintings have been shown off together -- with an estimated insurance value of $2 billion. "The big cultural figures like Dante and Shakespeare and Goethe and Einstein, they all have their cults and their 'loonies' as I call them -- but Leonardo is in a league of his own," he said. The quintessential Renaissance man who was brilliant in the fields of both science and art, da Vinci is widely regarded as a genius. "He really was a polymath," said art historian Richard Stemp. "He worked on everything -- he studied anatomy, he studied the natural world, he saw himself as a painter-philosopher really," he continued. Da Vinci was born in 1452, the illegitimate son of a Florentine landlord and notary, on his father's estate in Vinci. He was apprenticed at the workshop of Florentine artist Andrea del Verrocchio when he was just a teenager. In 1482, he entered into service of the Duke of Milan as an official painter and engineer and remained there for 17 years, during which time he created such masterpieces as the first version of "The Virgin of the Rocks" and the "Last Supper." It was also in this period that he turned to scientific studies. "In his mid-30s, he starts to diversify and towards the end of his life he would have seen himself essentially as a scientist who also did a bit of painting on the side," said Martin Clayton, Senior Curator of Prints and Drawings at the Royal Collection in the UK, which contains an extensive collection of drawings by da Vinci. Da Vinci's mechanical drawings included prototype designs for such modern contraptions as helicopters and tanks. But it was during his second stint in Florence, from 1500 to 1506, that he painted his masterwork, the "Mona Lisa." Though we are now so used to this image of the smiling noblewoman, the painting's "startling originality," according to Clayton, is still visible today. "There's simply nothing out there like it before, this sense of looking at an individual and yet taking the individual out of the context of her own life and presenting her as this mystical, idealized figure who stands outside of time," he said. Da Vinci spent his last years in France, serving as a painter, architect and engineer to the King of France, and died there in 1519. The "Mona Lisa," which he brought with him to France, stayed. Today, the portrait -- with its notoriously enigmatic smile -- remains the star attraction at the Louvre Museum in Paris. The aura of mystery around the "Mona Lisa" and, indeed, the artist himself could be what draws people into the cult of Leonardo, according to Italian art historian Mina Gregori. "Even he could not explain himself completely," she said, referring to the unfinished nature of many of his works. "He continued to create question marks, he always created problems, he created the curiosity to know more," she continued. Perhaps our best clues to who da Vinci really was are to be found in his paintings, writings and drawings. But as with all art, his works are open to interpretation. "On a religious level, I think he was a probing person -- he questions (things) a lot," said Monsignor Renato Bellini, a priest in Vinci, where Leonardo was born and baptized. However, according to art historian Pietro Marani, the idea that Leonardo was either a divine talent or a supernatural being detracts from what we are able to read in the works themselves. "(We) no longer (have) an image of Leonardo that is all one piece -- a semi-God, a magician -- but a multi-faceted Leonardo, a contradictory Leonardo, who changes (his) ideas," he said. Many of the drawings featured in the "Leonardo -- The Lost Painting" are held in the Royal Collection: royalcollection.org.uk . | Few historical figures continue to enchant like Leonardo da Vinci . Renaissance man considered mysterious and inscrutable . Intitally a painter, towards end of life he became a scientist . Works show a questing, never satisfied mind, according to art historians . | 7d35b003aeea3a6119f82a15825982b38cef03b7 |
Conversation: Ben Sullivan, 21, was cleared of suspected rape and suspected attempted rape after police read a conversation between him and one of the alleged victims in which she admitted it wasn't rape . A girl who accused the Oxford Union president of rape admitted she consented to their relationship months before she made the allegation, it has emerged. Ben Sullivan, 21, was cleared of all suspicion after police saw an online exchange between the pair in which she vowed to make clear he had not raped her. The conversation also suggested there had been a plot to oust him from his role as president of the revered society. 'If we ignore it, it'll go away,' the alleged victim wrote in a conversation read by the Daily Telegraph. She went on to say she felt guilty about their encounter having just rekindled her relationship with her ex-boyfriend, the paper reports. And when asked if she thought it was rape she replied, 'no', adding 'I was far too drunk, that's it'. However, a year later Mr Sullivan, a third-year undergraduate, was arrested at dawn in his college room at Christ Church and was on bail for six weeks. The case sparked outrage, with calls for speakers to boycott the union and a petition - signed by high profile activists - for Mr Sullivan's resignation. Finally, last week, police informed the 21-year-old that no further action would be taken against him following an investigation into the allegations, thought to have been made by the young women more than a year ago. A Thames Valley Police spokesman said: 'All of the evidence was passed to the Crown Prosecution Service for them to make a decision about charging and they decided against.' Rape victim support campaigners are now warning of a backlash against the alleged victims, blasting the release of details of their conversation as Mr Sullivan is given a platform to defend himself. Speaking of the ordeal, he said: ‘It’s been very difficult, very harrowing. It puts things in perspective, changes your priorities to say the very least. 'I’m very thankful to everyone who has given me support - my friends, my family, and people at the union.’ A letter written by student politicians to around 30 speakers who had been booked to attend, asked them to boycott the Union, and Mr Sullivan to resign in what they called a ‘push for equality’. Scandal: The case sparked outrage, with calls for the 21-year-old undergraduate to resign . Nobel Peace prize winner Tawakkol Karman, a human rights activist, Interpol secretary-general Robert Noble, the US entrepreneur Julie Meyer and David Mepham, the UK director of Human Rights Watch, were all said to have pulled out of debates at the Oxford Union, citing concerns about Mr Sullivan’s arrest. But the banker’s son, who attended £22,000-a-year St Paul’s school in London, repeatedly defied calls to stand down as president while the police investigation was carried out. Student union official Sarah Pine who was the leader of the campaign to boycott the union also appeared on Newsnight and said she stood by the campaign. Mr Sullivan said: ‘I don’t doubt the organisers of the boycott have very good intentions and I do agree that sexual violence is a very serious problem at Oxford and other universities.’ | Ben Sullivan, 21, cleared of suspected rape after police saw online exchange . Alleged victim told president it was not rape and to 'ignore it' in the dialogue . Also 'implied there was a plot to oust him as head of Oxford Union' Anti rape groups blast release of conversation as backlash against victims . | 18915893307bb2f372d49acc9fb64a7c4526a77f |
Could this be your next wallet? Analysts say the ribbons spotted at the top of this iPhone prototype point to an 'NFC' chip inside . The iPhone has already replaced digital cameras, MP3 players and portable games consoles for most owners. Now it could be about to replace your wallet. The next iPhone, which is believed to launch in just two weeks time, is expected to come with a built-in chip which can serve as your credit or debit card for small payments. Eagle-eyed fans looking at leaked images of the internals of the device have spotted what they believe is an NFC chip within the phone. NFC is seen as the successor to the chip-and-pin, serving as a small contactless card which can be waved against scanners at tills to automate a payment. Some debit cards already have this feature installed, and certain retailers such as Pret a Manger already use the technology. Other . phones have come with in-built NFC, with Google making a big play for . the market with its 'Wallet' accounts in the United States. But . recent history shows that Apple needs to embrace a technology before it . sees widespread adoption among the public, and it could take an . 'iWallet' feature to spark a new payment system into life. 9to5Mac, . which has credible sources within the notoriously-secret Apple, has . found references to NFC code within iPhone prototypes, and they have . spotted 'NFC connectors' within purported images of the phone's . hardware. 9to5 speculates that 'Apple could tie . in with a payment processor like Citibank’s PayPass system for credit . card transactions - or it could become a payment processor of sorts with . its hundreds of millions of credit cards already on file at iTunes.' NFC has other useful benefits to users, . such as instantly transferring documents or images between phones simply . by tapping them together, as demonstrated by rival Samsung's 'Beam' feature on the recent Galaxy 3. With the launch expected within the . next few weeks, other news includes flat-screen maker LG Display . announcing production of screens expected to be for the new phone and . images showing the notorious new 'dock connector', which is a . slimmed-down version of the power and data port seen on previous . generations of iPhones and iPads. The 'NFC' chip is believed to be located on the top left of the phone, underneath the sticker in the left image, and the image on the right shows the 'NFC cables' in close-up . Leaked: This picture purports to show the the flex cable components for Apple's iPad Mini and iPhone 5 incorporating the new smaller dock connector, headphone jack and home button connector . Is this the new iPhone cable? This image purporting to show the new gadget's lead was leaked on Twitter by Veister, a charger making company . The company is rumoured to be equipping the next iPhone with a larger screen after Samsung Electronics unveiled its latest Galaxy smartphone with a 4.8-inch touch-screen. Sources have said that the panels for the new iPhone will be 4in corner to corner - 30 per cent bigger than current iPhones. The iPhone screens will also be . thinner than previous versions with the use of so-called in-cell panels . which embed touch sensors into the liquid crystal display, eliminating . the touch-screen layer found in current iPhones. It is believed the iPhone 5 will be . announced on September 12, with pre-orders opening immediately. The . phone itself is expected to launch just over a week later on September . 21. However, Apple fans in the UK may have to wait another two weeks until October 5 before getting their hands on a phone. Apple are notoriously secretive and . have not even revealed what they will call their next iPhone. It could . be 'iPhone 5', or it may follow this year's spring iPad launch and . simply be called 'the new iPhone'. Leaks from the website iMore, which . has strong sources 'close to Apple', earlier this month suggested the . entire next generation of iDevices, including the iPod Nano, iPod Touch, . iPad Mini and future versions of the iPad, will use the new port. The site believes a special connector . will be released to connect older accessories - such as docking stations . and speakers - to newer versions of the range. The 'nano-SIM' slot, containing the . SIM card which connects a phone to the carrier network, has also been . redesigned to be thinner, although this will be unlikely to cause much . disruption to users as networks will provide replacements SIMs if . necessary. Change: This picture is believed to show a prototype case for the new iPhone, with its new connector design which is set to make every existing accessory completely obsolete . | iPhone expected to have NFC chip that could turn it into a credit card . Successful launch could spark a revolution in how payments are made . Will take on Google which already offers wallet feature is some of its Android phones . Apple expected to unveil phone on September 12, followed by UK launch in early October . | febd25e276015e2b78c164f8065a54cd61a3d4fe |
By . Damien Gayle . PUBLISHED: . 04:58 EST, 8 October 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 06:03 EST, 8 October 2012 . Japanese scientists have launched a tiny satellite that will twinkle like an artificial star to write messages across the sky that can be visible from Earth. The 4in-square FITSAT-1 - nicknamed Niwaka - was one of a group of unassuming cubesats recently put into orbit by astronauts aboard the International Space Station. The tiny orbiter's mission is to broadcast the message 'Hi this is Niwaka Japan' in Morse Code, using bursts of intense light to draw the dots and dashes across the heavens. Tiny: The 4in-square, 3lb FITSAT-1 seen from the top, left, and bottom, right. It will broadcast the message 'Hi this is Niwaka Japan' spelled out in Morse Code across the heavens using high-powered LEDs . Message from the heavens: This artist's impression shows the message that FITSAT-1 will write across the night sky . Using high-power LEDs driven by pulses of energy as high as 200W FITSAT-1 will produce flashes of light so bright its makers hope it will be observable with the naked eye or with small binoculars. FITSAT-1 was one of three cubesats launched from the ISS last Thursday and the team behind it say all initial indications show that it is working normally. It was originally planned to appear only over Japan, but a flurry of interest means that it will now be touring the entire globe. Launch successful: FITSAT-1 was launched along with two other cubesats from the International Space Station last Thursday . Using high-power LEDs driven by pulses of energy as high as 200W FITSAT-1 will produce flashes of light so bright its makers hope it will be observable with the naked eye or with small binoculars . FITSAT-1 had been originally expected to transmit over Japan, but thanks to a flurry of interest it will now be touring the globe . The International Space Station is planning to change its orbit after narrowly avoiding two pieces of space junk last month. A broken Russian satellite and the remains of an Indian rocket passed within miles of the ISS, with the station primed to move and the astronauts having a tense few hours wondering if disaster was about to strike. Now, the Russian space program's Mission Control Centre says it will move the ISS into a different orbit to lower the risk of possible collisions. There is 'no practical aim' to the . morse code beacons, according to its creator, Professor Takushi Tanaka . of the Fukuoka Institute of Technology, except to test the possibility . of optical communication from space. The FITSAT-1 team say it will try to fulfil all requests for appearances. However, despite the brightness of its LEDs it cannot be seen through heavy cloud cover, so skywatchers should hope for a clear night if they hope to see it passing above their part of the world. The 3lb satellite's main mission is to test a high-speed data transmitter which will beam VGA images taken by an onboard camera back to Earth. Scientists believe their transmitter can send a 480x640 jpeg within 6 seconds. FITSAT-1 will orbit the earth between 51.6 degrees south latitude and 51.6 degrees north latitude and it will carry a mounted neodymium magnet to force it to always point to magnetic north like a compass. More information on the FITSAT-1 can be found on its information page on the Fukuoka Institute of Technology's website. | Tiny orbiter will write 'Hi this is Niwaka Japan' across the heavens . It will tour the globe to skywatchers worldwide can see its message . | 341be0d8d1360d532fa50ab94eaf51418c3f8b4e |
Newsreader: Fiona Bruce, 48, said she dyes her hair a glossy brown because she wants to stave off any question of her being too old for television . You need a warm voice, an air of calm authority and a way with words to read the news. According to Fiona Bruce, absolutely no hint of grey in your hair is also an advantage. The 48-year-old BBC1 newsreader has explained that she dyes her hair a glossy brown because she wants to stave off any question of her being too old for television. ‘Age is definitely an issue for women in TV,’ she said. ‘So far, it hasn’t been for me, but I know I need to make the best of myself. ‘For instance, I have a few grey hairs. I dye them. I don’t let my grey hair show when I’m reading the news.’ As well as fronting BBC news programmes, Miss Bruce hosts Antiques Roadshow and arts programme Fake or Fortune?. Despite being one of the Corporation’s most recognisable faces, she appears far from certain about her long-term career. ‘I’m 48 years old and I feel very fortunate to be offered such amazing jobs,’ she told the October issue of Reader’s Digest. ‘I know it’s not always going to be like this. There comes a point - especially if you’re a woman - when your career just falls off a cliff. ‘I’m not being self-pitying. That’s just the way it is.’ Miss Bruce has already contemplated life after the BBC, saying she dreams of travelling, enjoying more time with her family or even becoming a magistrate one day. She is married to advertising executive Nigel Sharrocks, and they have two children Sam, 14, and Mia, ten. On the box: Miss Bruce has already contemplated life after the BBC, saying she dreams of travelling or enjoying more time with her family . Asked how she would approach her life . post-TV she replied: ‘I’m sure there’ll be a period of adjustment. For a . start, I won’t be looking as glam as I do today. ‘I’ll . be slobbing around in a pair of old jeans and a T-shirt, hair all over . the place. “Blimey, that Fiona Bruce has let herself go a bit!” ‘Seriously, though, there are a million and one things I’d love to get stuck into. 'Age is definitely an issue for women in TV. So far, it hasn’t been for me, but I know I need to make the best of myself. For instance, I have a few grey hairs. I dye them. I don’t let my grey hair show when I’m reading the news' Fiona Bruce . ‘Travel, finally get to spend some time with the family. And I’d love to become a magistrate. ‘Then again, maybe I’ll just take off on my horse. ‘Yeah, that’s where you’ll find me. Trekking across the Andes.’ Despite her concern for her appearance, Miss Bruce said she would never have cosmetic surgery. ‘My husband would never forgive me,’ she said. ‘When the person you love feels that way, it’s a bit of a non-starter.’ It’s not the first time she has spoken of the pressures on women in TV. In 2009 she declared they had to devote more time to their appearance than male colleagues. ‘You can’t look like the back end of a bus, and you do have to scrub up quite well,’ she said at the time. ‘But do you have to be a beauty? No. Do you have to pay more attention to your appearance than the blokes do? Yes. Twas ever thus, and I can’t see it changing in my lifetime.’ | Fiona Bruce hosts BBC News and Antiques Roadshow . She said age hasn't been an issue for her on TV 'so far' Added she could become magistrate after leaving BBC . | 89ab06951859584ebb7c4ae3eb4ae57d3fa816c8 |
(CNN) -- Democratic Sen. Jeanne Shaheen repeatedly accused Republican challenger Scott Brown of "fear-mongering" -- on Ebola, ISIS and more -- in the second debate of a New Hampshire race that's key to determining which party will control the Senate. But Brown shot back that his are "rational fears" shared by a majority of Americans. The race a dead heat. A CNN/ORC International poll released Thursday found Shaheen with 49 percent support to Brown's 47 percent -- well inside its margin of error of plus or minus four percentage points. It could turn on whether Shaheen is able to keep on her side voters who have turned on Obama. His approval rating dropped to 39 percent in New Hampshire -- which has driven Brown's efforts to connect Shaheen with the president. And that's what Brown tried to do, using every issue possible -- illegal immigration, Ebola, ISIS and Obamacare among them -- to try to nationalize the debate. Shaheen, meanwhile, cast Brown as a political opportunist and turned to Democrats' bread-and-butter economic topics like equal pay and raising the minimum wage. Here are six lines that showcased the debate's top issues: . Scott Brown: "She calls it fear-mongering; I call it rational fear." The day another potential Ebola case was reported -- this time, a doctor in New York -- the two sparred over the Obama administration's handling of the threat. Brown called for a ban on travel from the West African epicenter of the outbreak. He blasted Obama's appointment of Ron Klain as the nation's Ebola response coordinator as someone "with no experience in his field." He criticized Shaheen for not voting to close the U.S. border with Mexico. And he complained that the New York doctor should have been quarantined when he returned to the United States. Brown even said the Ebola threat would be minimized if Republican Mitt Romney had been elected president. "Had he been president, I feel he would have had a clear and concise plan. He would have reassured the American people," Brown said. Shaheen, meanwhile, criticized Brown for "fear-mongering about this issue," and said neither she nor Brown have medical expertise on the issue. But Brown shot back that "she calls it fear-mongering; I call it rational fear." Jeanne Shaheen: "I don't think it makes sense for the president to come to New Hampshire right now." Just like he has through the entire race, Brown repeatedly tied Shaheen to Obama -- whose approval rating, a CNN/ORC International poll released Thursday found, is 39 percent in New Hampshire. The political damage that association can cause Shaheen was most clear when she said she didn't want Obama to campaign for her. "The fact is, that there are big differences in this race between my opponent and me, and it's not just about the president," Shaheen said, repeatedly turning to issues like increasing the minimum wage and mandating equal pay. Brown said on a number of issues, Shaheen and Obama might as well be the same person. He said she's already supported the president's agenda for six years, and said she cast the deciding vote to approve Obama's signature health care law. "There were 60 of us," Shaheen said, referring to the Senate's 60 Democrats at the time, all of whom supported Obamacare. "Every one of us was a deciding vote." Brown: "There is a rational fear ... [of] criminal elements, terrorists, people with diseases coming through our border." Illegal immigration appeared to be Brown's comfort zone. He repeatedly returned to the issue, asserting that weak border security could open the United States up to an influx of ISIS fighters, victims of the Ebola virus and more. He criticized Shaheen's support for the DREAM Act, for failing to crack down on undocumented immigrants who receive government benefits and for standing by as Obama moves toward executive action on immigration after the Nov. 4 election. He said he'd never support any bills that would "actually legalize people that are here illegally, who are not entitled to the protections and/or the rights and privileges that have been earned by our citizens." Shaheen, meanwhile, cast Brown's position as unworkable. "The fact is," she said, "if you want border security, then you should support comprehensive immigration reform." She criticized Brown for voting in favor of a GOP budget that would have slashed homeland security spending, and for missing committee hearings on border security. Shaheen: "We don't need to import a candidate who's going to outsource our jobs." The Democrat landed two punches in one line -- hitting Brown, the former Massachusetts senator, for moving into his native state to mount another Senate campaign and then pivoting to economic issues. She pointed repeatedly to Brown's support for oil industry subsidies, accused him of doing the bidding of large corporate interests and even tried to latch Brown to the Koch brothers, the conservative political funding giants who she said have pumped $2.6 million into New Hampshire's race. The two debated Shaheen's zero rating with the National Federation of Independent Businesses -- with Brown repeatedly citing that figure and Shaheen dismissing it, arguing that the organization is funded by the Koch brothers. Moderator Wolf Blitzer pointed out that using Congressional Quarterly's scoring, Brown, while representing Massachusetts, voted with Obama 78 percent of the time. "Well when the president does something right, I'll support him," he said. "As an independent senator, I can do that." Brown: "We've taken the greatest fighting force off the table." Brown accused Obama -- and, by extension, Shaheen -- of blowing the United States' chances of defeating ISIS in Iraq and Syria by insisting that ground forces won't be part of an effort that so far has included air strikes. "What if air strikes don't work? Then what?" Brown said. He pointed to a new book by former Defense Secretary Leon Panetta accusing Obama of "half-steps and missteps, and as a result our allies don't trust us, our foes don't fear and respect us, it's been an incoherent policy." Shaheen responded that the United States is "building an international coalition" that includes 60 partners, including some Arab countries. She looked for wiggle room, saying she would take sending ground troops to the region off the table "right now." "I don't think we should be putting tens of thousands of American troops back in as an occupying force, and we should also not be talking about ISIS in a way that spreads fear and panic among our population," she said. "That's just grandstanding." Shaheen: "We should make sure that people can make a living." She tried to back Brown into a corner on whether he supports raising the minimum wage. Shaheen said women -- who support her over Brown -- would make up two-thirds of the beneficiaries of an increase in the minimum wage. National Democrats have called for a new figure of $10.10 per hour. "This is one of the issues that distinguishes me from my opponent, because I have been supporting middle class families here," she said. "I think it's now clear that he doesn't support that." Brown said his mother worked minimum wage jobs, and that he did, as well, earning his first paychecks at a Dunkin' Donuts. He said he's supported increases in the past. But he didn't say whether he supports an increase now, instead accusing Obama and Shaheen of trying to "dictate" to businesses already burdened by overregulation. "What's happening right now is another effort by the Obama administration, as supported by Sen. Shaheen, to just dictate to businesses what they're going to pay," he said. Poll: Dead heat in New Hampshire Senate race . | Ebola, ISIS and immigration were all features of a debate that turned on fear . Jeanne Shaheen said Scott Brown was "fear-mongering" Brown called his fears rational . | 44b1e5d8e1d408df646fe56bf1d61f1a3890f53c |
(CNN) -- Environmental activist Philippe Cousteau is to explore the Arctic with CNN to show how scientists in the wilderness are studying climate change in one of the coldest places on the planet. For "Extreme Science" Cousteau will see first-hand how they operate in brutal sub-zero temperatures, severe storms and high winds, collecting data on water and ice while living in a tent village on the ice. And while he's there between March 23 and April 4 he'll try to answer your questions about life at the top of the world and how the work there can impact everyone's lives. Scientists are using new radar technology to measure the thickness of sea ice without the need to dig holes. Their work will try to determine just how fast the ice is melting and what will be the effects on weather patterns, ocean currents and marine life. Cousteau, grandson of the legendary Captain Jacques Cousteau, will be CNN special correspondent inside the Arctic Circle. He is the CEO of Earth Echo International -- a non-profit organization dedicated to educating youth about environmental issues. He is also co-founder of Azure Worldwide, a strategic environmental design, development and marketing company. Cousteau, 31, reported last year for CNN International on the Gulf oil spill and has hosted green-themed specials. He founded and co-chairs the Gulf Action Network for the Clinton Global Initiative and has testified to the U.S. Congress on ocean management and off-shore drilling. He is also chief ocean correspondent at Discovery's Animal Planet and hosted "Ocean's Blue," a Discovery/BBC collaboration last year. Publications from "Sport Diver" and "National Geographic" have published Cousteau's stories from around the world. He serves on the Board of Directors of The Ocean Conservancy, the Marine Conservation Biology Institute, and the National Environmental Education Foundation. | Philippe Cousteau will lead the three-person CNN team to the Arctic . He has previously worked on CNN environmental specials and from the Gulf oil spill . Cousteau is also chief ocean correspondent at Discovery's Animal Planet . He is the grandson of the legendary Captain Jacques Cousteau . | aa7481fe5efca6043173947e7d3ac158d6931e2b |
It is a statistic that haunts Everton fans – the last time their club beat Liverpool at Anfield was 1999. A lot has changed since that fiery Monday night fifteen years ago when Everton escaped from their rival's home with a 1-0 win and only 19 players finished the match. Everton's Francis Jeffers and Liverpool goalkeeper Sander Westerveld were sent off for fighting in the second half. Kevin Campbell scored the winning goal last time Everton beat Liverpoool at Anfield back in September 1999 . Goalkeeper Sander Westerweld and Everton striker Francis Jeffers were sent off after coming to blows . A 19-year-old Steven Gerrard then came from the bench to be shown a red card in stoppage time for a waist-high challenge on goalscorer Kevin Campbell, who netted what turned out to be the winner in only the fourth minute. Michael Owen, also 19, was lucky not to be dismissed for a similarly ugly challenge in a ferocious Merseyside derby. But what became of the players who featured that night? Sportsmail takes a look at where they are now... Campbell stands with physio Steve Hardwick and gives a thumbs up while Nick Barmby also celebrates . LIVERPOOL . Sander Westerveld, 39 . The Dutch stopper, who played for both Liverpool and Everton, is a goalkeeper coach at South African club side Ajax Cape Town. His long playing career, spanning almost two decades, eventually ended at the Cape Town club last year. Steve Staunton, 45 . Currently involved in recording a TV show in which the best young football prospects from Saudi Arabia have the chance to come to England. His most recent job in football was as a scout for Sunderland. Sami Hyypia, 40 . The towering Finn has embarked on a career in management after ending his playing days in 2011. He spent two years in charge at Bayer Leverkusen and after that ended badly joined Championship side Brighton in the summer where he is struggling in 18th. Liverpool defender Steve Staunton was forced to go in goal following Westerveld's dismissal . Vegard Heggem, 39 . Heggem has taken the not-so-common route after football as owner and manager of a salmon fishing business called Aunan Lodge on the river Orkla in Sør-Trøndelag. He also regularly returns to Anfield to watch games. Jamie Carragher, 36 . Developing a reputation as hard-hitting as his defending days working as a columnist for Sportsmail and pundit on Sky Sports. Patrick Berger, 40 . The Czech attacking midfielder has still not given up playing – at 40. After his seven-year stint at Liverpool he stayed in England with Portsmouth, Aston Villa and Stoke before ending his professional career at Sparta Prague in 2010. Four years later he is still playing, turning out for Dolni Chabry in the sixth-tier of Czech football. Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher watches on as Campbell shoots at goal to score in the fourth minute . Vladimir Smicer, 41 . One of the Czech Republic's most successful footballers, he ran for their parliament in May representing an obscure party called Vize 2014 – pledging to sort out obese kids – but was unsuccessful. He is still a coach for Slavia Prague. Dietmar Hamann, 41 . Hamann is a regular on TV screens since he retired three years ago. He has appeared as a pundit on Match of the Day, Sky Sports and is a regular part of the team on Irish TV channel RTE. Jamie Redknapp, 41 . Thrown himself into talking about the game as passionately as he played it, working as a columnist for Sportsmail and on Sky Sports. Michael Owen, 34 . The prolific England striker became a commentator and pundit for BT Sport when his career came to an end and owns a stable of race horses. Liverpool frontman Michael Owen attempts to get the better of Everton midfielder John Collins . Robbie Fowler, 39 . One of the most natural goalscorers to be born in England, Fowler is attempting to pass that on to Liverpool youngsters coaching at their academy. He applied for the vacant Leeds manager job earlier this month but was unsuccessful. Steven Gerrard, 34 (came on for Hamann) Fifteen years later from that game, he is still going strong. The 34-year-old is the heart and soul of the Liverpool team, and was, too, for England before he retired in the summer. Titi Camara, 41 (came on for Smicer) Now in charge of the Guinea national football team, a job he has had since 2009. Camara was captain of the African side and won 38 caps for them. Erik Meijer, 45 (came on for Fowler) The striker is an assistant coach at Dutch second division club MVV Maastricht, the club where he first broke through in the Dutch top flight. Steven Gerrard is shown red for fouling Everton striker Campbell having come on as a substitute . EVERTON . Paul Gerrard, 41 . The stopper had a long career in the lower leagues and has ended up as Doncaster Rovers' goalkeeper coach. Richard Gough, 52 . Became one of the first British exports to America when he played in the MLS for Kansas City Wizards a year after the league was established in 1997. He now lives in San Diego where he is a property developer. Richard Dunne, 35 . Even at 35 he is still attempting to ply his trade in the Premier League. The centre-back helped QPR win promotion back to the top flight last season, although he has slipped down the pecking order with the arrivals of Steven Caulker and Rio Ferdinand. Everton's Richard Dunne (centre) climbs highest to beat Sami Hyypia as Don Hutchison also challenges . David Weir, 44 . The 44-year-old is assistant manager at Championship side Brentford. Alongside Mark Warburton he helped lead the club to promotion last season. Michael Ball, 34 . Ball, one of the most promising defenders to come through Everton's academy, never reached his potential and retired in 2012. He now spends time bringing up his family and tweeting regularly about football. Abel Xavier, 41 . Known more for his remarkable barnet and facial hairstyles and colours, it is remarkable he has not yet released a range of male grooming products. Xavier dabbled with management, taking charge at Portuguese side Olhanense in 2013, but is out of work. John Collins, 46 . The Scot took up the role of assistant manager at Celtic this year, a club he played more than 200 games for in the early stages of his career. Everton's Scottish midfielder Collins takes on Liverpool's Dietmar Hamann in the middle of the park . Don Hutchison, 43 . The well-travelled midfielder, 43, has forged a career as pundit on TalkSPORT and Al Jazeera since he left the game. He also does work from Premier League TV. Nick Barmby, 40 . Most recently manager at Hull until he was sacked in 2012. According to reports he is coaching at his local junior team Westella and WillerbyJuniors and enjoying time with his family. He has two sons, George and Jack. Jack plays for Leicester City. Kevin Campbell, 44 . Once a prolific marksman, his job is now concentrating on defending. Campbell is co-owner of security firm T1 Protection which provides bodyguards for the rich and famous when they are abroad. He also does punditry work. Francis Jeffers, 33 . The 33-year-old, who would move to Arsenal for £8m two years after this match and go on to have one of the most disappointing careers in the game, has still not officially hung his boots up. He last appeared at League Two side Accrington Stanley in 2013, but did not find a club last season. Francis Jeffers, only 18 and a boyhood Blue, celebrates Campbell's strike which turned out to be the winner . | Everton have not beaten Liverpool at Anfield since September 1999 . Kevin Campbell scored the Toffees' winning goal after just four minutes . Sander Westerveld, Francis Jeffers and Steven Gerrard were all sent off . Sportsmail looks at what became of the men who played that evening . The two rivals meet in the Merseyside derby on Saturday lunchtime . | 7b484c6dff93b1f69ecab9572c4303dfbed0a257 |
(CNN) -- An Irish bishop resigned Wednesday following a government report into the sexual abuse of children by Catholic clergy -- the second to do so. Bishop Jim Moriarty was not directly criticized in the Murphy Report, but was a member of the Dublin archdiocese leadership for more than a decade before it put proper protections for children in place, he said. Moriarty said he "should have challenged the prevailing culture" of protecting the church rather than children when he was an auxiliary bishop in Dublin from 1991 to 2002. "I know that any action now on my part does not take away the suffering that people have endured," he said in a written statement. "I again apologize to all the survivors and their families. I have today offered my resignation as bishop of Kildare & Leighlin to the Holy Father. I hope it honors the truth that the survivors have so bravely uncovered and opens the way to a better future for all concerned." The Vatican had no immediate comment on the resignation. Moriarty has been a priest for 48 years, he said in the statement. "I fully accept the overall conclusion ... that the attempts by church authorities to 'protect the church' and to 'avoid scandal' had the most dreadful consequences for children and were deeply wrong," Moriarty said after the government report came out last month. Bishop Donal Murray, the bishop of Limerick, resigned on December 17. Murray was named in the 720-page report that found the Archdiocese of Dublin and other Catholic Church authorities in Ireland covered up clerical child abuse from 1975 to 2004. Child sexual abuse was "widespread" then, the report found. The report by the Dublin Archdiocese Commission of Investigation, which was set up in March 2006 to look into the abuse allegations, did not say Murray was guilty of abuse but that he failed to report it. Murray was "aware for many years of complaints and/or suspicions of clerical child sexual abuse in the archdiocese," the report found. It said he dealt "badly" with a number of complaints and suspicions of abuse, and that his failings in at least one instance were "inexcusable." Murray resigned under a canon law that requires bishops who have become unsuited for the fulfillment of their office to resign, the Vatican said. Pope Benedict XVI met with senior Irish bishops at the Vatican a week before Murray's resignation and said he was "deeply disturbed and distressed" by the report's findings. He promised that the Catholic Church would try to develop strategies to make sure the abuses don't happen again. CNN's Hada Messia in Rome, Italy, contributed to this report. | Irish bishop resigns after government report on sex abuse of children by Catholic clergy . Bishop Jim Moriarty was not directly criticized in the Murphy Report . He was a member of Dublin archdiocese leadership before it put proper protections in place . Donal Murray, Limerick bishop, resigned in December after being named in abuse cover up . | f45bbb7d76a0e5bc4e9fb8004a9d20a1dedcf0a0 |
Goalkeeper Joe Hart is likely to have been concentrating so hard while England were romping to a 5-0 victory in their Euro 2016 qualifier over San Marino at Wembley, he could have given himself a headache according to former number one Ray Clemence. Manchester City stopper Hart was a virtual bystander as the Group E whipping boys were eventually well beaten by Roy Hodgson's men, making just one save and only touching the ball some 19 times. Hart was cheekily voted man of the match by an online poll ran via England sponsor Vauxhall, although midfielder Jack Wilshere collected the post-match champagne having been finally confirmed by the stadium announcer following a telling pause. Joe Hart was hailed for his concentration against San Marino by former England keeper Ray Clemence . Clemence is a former England coach and player, winning 61 caps in an eleven-year international career . However, Clemence - who won 61 caps between 1972 and 1983 before later going on to work as a coach within the national team set-up - insists Hart's contribution should not be taken lightly despite a perceived lack of match action. Clemence, who is ambassador for Prostate Cancer UK and is supporting the new Men United Sports Quiz, told Press Association Sport: 'Although Joe had nothing to do, it was still a big test for him because you have 50,000 people there and you still have to concentrate for 90 minutes knowing that you might only have one save to make. 'I have been in that situation many times with England and also with Liverpool. 'I used to get really bad headaches after a game just through concentrating, shutting everything else out to make sure that I was switched on if I had anything to do.' Clemence, 66, continued: 'You try to shut everything else out and just play the game in front of you. 'You play behind the ball, wherever that ball is you adjust your position to be in the right position, so that if anything happens very quickly you are in the right position. 'You are not just stood watching it, you won't be moving around, so you are playing your own game behind the 10 outfield players.' England's victory maintained their perfect start to Euro 2016 qualification, but Hodgson's men will face a much sterner test away to Estonia on Sunday. Hart was barely troubled as he won man of the match for England against San Marino . England boss Roy Hodgson has plenty of young talent at his disposal as they head towards France 2016 . Clemence - who played some 470 games for Liverpool, winning five championships and three European Cups, and then made more than 200 appearances for Tottenham - believes the current England squad have what it takes to make an impact should they as expected reach the finals in France. 'Obviously there was lots of youth on show at Wembley and there will also be I am sure against Estonia,' said Clemence, who successfully battled against prostate cancer in 2005, but has since been receiving treatment again after the disease returned. 'The great thing about this group is because its an easier group its going to give Roy a chance to bed some of the younger players in, for them to get experience that hopefully when we qualify, which we will do, then they are in a position to do us proud.' Ray Clemence is an ambassador for Prostate Cancer UK and is supporting the new Men United Sports Quiz on February 12 2015. For more details visit http://prostatecanceruk.org/sportsquiz . | Former England stopper Clemence praises Hart for his concentration . Keeper kept a clean sheet in easy 5-0 victory against San Marino . He was also voted man of the match by England fans on the night . Clemence believes England can make an impact in France 2016 . | 740529f417aaaa02d4c7fb82fc082a588f62b61e |
By . Craig Hope for MailOnline . Follow @CraigHope_DM . Alan Pardew is banking on forgotten man Papiss Cisse rescuing goal-shy Newcastle United. The Magpies have failed to score in more matches than any other League club in 2014 and are one of only two yet to find the back of the net in the top flight this season. Even Tuesday’s 1-0 win at League One Gillingham in the Capital One Cup arrived courtesy of an own goal from former Sunderland player John Egan. VIDEO Scroll down for Alan Pardew: Win against Palace would be a good start to season . Better times: Papiss Cisse celebrates scoring against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge in May 2012 . Papiss Cisse and Nikica Jelavic were both winter-window signings in 2012. Before the end of the season Cisse had scored 13 times for Newcastle, while Jelavic had netted 12 for Everton following his £5m transfer from Rangers. In two years since both have struggled for league goals. Cisse has 10 and Jelavic only netted his 12th for Hull at the weekend. Pardew insists that goals do reside in his team and says he was not tempted to enter the race for Shane Long who cost £12million, Ross McCormack, who cost £11m, and Jordan Rhodes, whose proposed £12m move from Blackburn to Hull collapsed yesterday. Instead, Pardew will wait for Cisse. The Senegal forward has been sidelined since April with a broken kneecap but will return to training next week. The 29-year-old, however, had seemingly been written off by the management team at St James’ Park after starting just 15 league games last term, returning two goals. Cisse, of course, was one of Europe’s hottest properties two years ago having smashed 13 goals in three months following a £9m January switch from Freiburg, a first-time volley from an impossible angle at Chelsea the pick of that haul. He has, though, netted just 10 times since. Out of favour: The Senegalese striker failed to impress at St. James' Park last season, starting just 15 league games and finding the net only twice . Help: Pardew's (left) £6m summer signing, Emmanuel Riviere (right), is yet to find the net for the Magpies . But with £6m summer signing Emmanuel Riviere yet to get off the mark in three attempts, Pardew is hoping Cisse can rediscover the free-scoring form of 2012 as the United boss risks a £35m close-season investment being undone by a lack of firepower. ‘I do remember not so long ago us all talking very highly about Papiss and whether we could keep him,’ said Pardew, whose side drew 0-0 at Aston Villa on Saturday despite dominating in the second half. ‘I think with Papiss that there’s a possibility that he could score a lot of goals in this team so I wouldn’t write him off by any stretch of the imagination. ‘If we’re going to bring in a player they have to be better and above Riviere and Papiss, otherwise there is no point. ‘When you look at the transfers, Jordan Rhodes, McCormack to Fulham and Shane Long to Southampton, and you look at their prices, I don’t think we would have done those three transfers.’ Team Games Failed to score % . Newcastle 21 14 66.67 . Hartlepool 27 14 51.85 . Blackpool 27 13 48.15 . Norwich 23 11 47.83 . Cardiff 23 11 47.83 . Pardew’s side have failed to score in 14 of 21 Premier League matches this calendar year, and – at 66 per cent - that is a higher ratio than any of the 92 League clubs. Cisse appeared in half of those scoreless outings, but Pardew said: ‘The chances he was given last year didn’t really help his cause and there were a lot of games where he trawled through for us because we never created enough for him. ‘He had like two or three chances a game and he fluffed his lines a little bit but he probably needs more than that. Top strikers do need more than that and I’d never put off the fact that he can come again - and come again here.’ VIDEO Forward players tried too hard - Pardew . | Newcastle have failed to score in their first two league games of the season . Papiss Cisse, 29, has been sidelined since April with a broken kneecap . The Senegalese striker will return to training next week . Alan Pardew insists he wasn't tempted to enter the race for Shane Long, Ross McCormack or Jordan Rhodes . | b0c286f1015d6802e143beb1b5cda7a201e92a8d |
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