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(CNN) -- Washington and Beijing may be facing the most tense and delicate moment in their bilateral relationship since the 1989 Tiananmen crackdown. The reported escape from house arrest of dissident lawyer Chen Guangcheng and his apparent flight to the U.S. Embassy in Beijing, while not yet officially confirmed, would greatly complicate the Obama administration's efforts to keep relations on an even keel in a year already fraught with bilateral irritants. Both leaderships want stability in the relationship, given the confluence of a U.S. presidential election and the once-in-a-decade leadership transition in Beijing scheduled for this fall. But this desire has been put to the test. There have been tiffs over China's early support for the Assad regime in Syria and North Korea's failed satellite launch and presumed follow-on nuclear test. And there was the bungled attempt by the erstwhile security chief of a senior Chinese Politburo member to seek refuge in a U.S. diplomatic facility on the eve of a visit to Washington by China's putative next leader. And now this. On many levels, the parallels to 1989 are striking. After the June 4 bloody crackdown on student demonstrators in Tiananmen Square, another famous Chinese dissident, Fang Lizhi, became a living symbol of the bilateral conflict over human rights by spending a year in the U.S. Embassy before finally being allowed to leave the country. Today's top Chinese leadership, though not yet as deeply divided as its 1989 antecedent, is struggling to maintain unity following the purge of one of its rising Politburo stars for his connections to the security chief's botched flight and lurid allegations of the murder of a British national. Recent apparent leaks and counter-leaks to the Western media detailing leadership infighting underscore the charged political atmosphere in Beijing as party heavyweights jockey for advantage in the wake of the scandal. Another wrinkle now is the absence of a revolutionary-credentialed paramount leader — manifest in the personage of Deng Xiaoping in 1989 — to arbitrate among the competing leadership constituencies. Add to this cauldron the scheduled arrival in Beijing next week of a Cabinet-level U.S. delegation — led by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner — for the fourth round of the U.S.-China Strategic and Economic Dialogue (S&ED). If Chen is holed up in the U.S. Embassy, it is hard to fathom how the two sides will stay focused on the many pressing geostrategic and economic challenges in the relationship -- especially as they will undoubtedly face a frenzy among accompanying media over Chen's status. Moreover, the Chinese leadership certainly will view the visit through the prism of another pivotal moment in the Tiananmen drama, the state visit to China of then-Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev, which emboldened the demonstrators and deepened divisions among the leadership. Of course a game changer from 1989, and one that seems to constantly surprise the Chinese leadership, is the power of social media and the Internet. Despite a large contingent of foreign media in Beijing to cover Gorbachev's visit in 1989, the regime still was largely able to pull the plug on the world's ability to witness the ensuing massacre in real time. It is learning in recent weeks that such control is virtually impossible now. But this challenge can be a two-way street. If media accounts are accurate that Chen Guangcheng entered the U.S. Embassy on Thursday evening, then U.S. diplomats had less than 24 hours between his arrival and the story's explosion on the Internet. This hardly left sufficient time to seek instructions from Washington and to approach Chinese officials about the possibility of orchestrating a face-saving way to end the potential standoff. The problem is made worse by the likelihood that many in the Chinese elite will assume the United States deliberately leaked the information to embarrass the Chinese government on the eve of the S&ED. The Chinese Communist Party's liberal wing also is trying to exploit the downfall of its Politburo archenemy to revive its long-diminished fortunes and push for a new wave of economic and political change. Their hard-line opponents, however, will see an opportunity in the Chen Guangcheng affair to blunt any reformist tide. Coming on the same day the White House will have tweaked Beijing's neuralgia about Taiwan by advising Congress that it will take a second look at potential sales of new fighter aircraft to the island. The news about Chen completes the circle for those eager to paint the United States as bent on stifling China's rise. In the past, such cries of "hostile foreign forces" meddling in China's internal affairs frequently have taken the wind out of the reformists' sail. Against this backdrop, the stage is set for a sudden increase in bilateral tension. Initially presumed to be largely inconsequential, next week's S&ED meetings may prove the most critical test of U.S.-China relations the Obama administration has faced to date. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Christopher Johnson. | Christopher Johnson: D.C., China face tense moment over dissident's apparent flight to U.S. protection . He says it has echoes of Tiananmen Square era; reflects nations' human rights differences . He says recent tiffs have tested nations' ties; incident comes on eve of U.S.-China talks . Johnson: China's internal conflicts, rise of internet, help make situation fraught . | c94e32d22920b65ed96e9325ba920249000089b9 |
This map reveals how Cardiff has become a hotbed for extremism where a string of young Muslims have been inspired to launch jihad in Syria, Iraq and also in the UK. The father of two radicals says the Welsh capital is facing a crisis with extremists leafleting communities and holding 'pop-up' events to groom young men. At least three students brought up in Cardiff have fallen under their spell and fled to fight with other extremists from Isis in the past year. Two appeared in a video encouraging others to join them. But the latest shocking case involving Reyaad Khan, 20, and brothers Nasser Muthana, 20, and 17-year-old Aseel is not the first time the city has had links to jihad. In 2012 Cardiff brothers Gurukanth Desai, and Abdul Miah, were jailed along with Omar Latif, also from the city, for plotting Mumbai-style attacks in Britain. Scroll down for video . Cardiff cases: The Welsh capital has had links in recent years to terror plots and now had three young men fighting for Isis in Syria and Iraq . They had planned a Christmas bombing campaign with targets including the London Stock Exchange, Big Ben and Westminster Abbey. The gang was made up of men from all over the UK, but the majority were from Cardiff. The cell met in the city's Roath Park to discuss the mass murder not realising they were being watched by the security services. In one exchange on November 7 2010 undercover police heard one member mention bombs before saying: ‘If you don’t attack them, they are going to attack you. You know we have got to go for a place that is worldwide remembered.’ Their sister Ruksana Begum, 22, who . has a first-class degree in accountancy, was later jailed because she . had two editions of Al-Qaeda's Inspire magazine on her phone, including . articles such as 'Targeting the populations of countries that are at war . with the Muslims'. Ms Begum, who lived in Cardiff . with her family prior to her marriage, was sentenced to one year in . prison, having pleaded guilty in December 2012 to possessing material . which was likely to be useful to someone committing or preparing an act . of terrorism. Ms Begum, . of north London, appeared with only her eyes visible beneath a black . veil to be sentenced after being remanded in Holloway prison. Brothers: Gurukanth Desai, 30, left and Abdul Malik Miah, 25, were among nine men, the majority from Cardiff who admitted plotting to blow up the London Stock Exchange and other targets during a Christmas bomb blitz . Surveillance: This meeting in Cardiff park led to the convictions of the men because one mentioned bombs and said: 'If you don't attack them, they are going to attack you. You know we have got to go for a place that is worldwide remembered' This . month Muslim student Khuram Iqbal, 21, who allegedly posted a series . of links to extremist videos on his Facebook and Twitter pages and . called himself the 'Father of Terrorism' appeared in court. The father of the brothers in Syria, Ahmed Muthana, 57, said extremists are leafleting Muslim communities in the Welsh capital encouraging young men to join the jihad in Syria and Iraq. He also said the recruitment meetings are never held in the same venue twice to avoid being infiltrated by anti-terrorist police. Mr Muthana says one of the meetings was held in the Channel View Leisure Centre in the Grangetown area of Cardiff - after being rented out by the Labour-run council. Father-of-four Mr Muthana said: 'I believe my two sons went to one of these meetings and now they are with the Isis people in Syria. 'They never hold these meetings in the same place twice - they know what they are doing. Cardiff link: Reyaad Khan and Aseel's brother Nasser Muthana appear in this Isis recruitment video encouraging others to fight jihad . Young recruit: 17-year-old Aseel Muthana was allegedly a member of a violent Cardiff gang before he fled to join his brother Nasser fighting for Isis in Syria . School days: Third British jihadist Reyaad Khan having fun with friends in Cardiff before he fled to fight . 'I know they had a meeting at Channel View, there have been others in restaurants and in private homes. 'They just book a room at these places saying it is for a private function. 'It is like one of these pop-up restaurants. They are there for a few hours and then they move on.' Mr Muthana added: 'Some of the venues have been restaurants and businesses run by people sympathetic to the extremists.' He believes the five young men from Cardiff, including his two middle sons Nasser, 20, and Aseel, 17, were recruited this way last year before being flown out to Syria with their travel expenses paid for. Two of the five young men who went out to Syria have since returned - one after his parents flew to the Middle East to bring him home. Mr Muthana said: 'I have two plane tickets waiting for my sons to get them home but I don't think they will ever be used.' The distraught father suffered a heart attack after learning that his son Aseel had joined his brother Nasser to fight in Syria. A leading academic said he was convinced young Muslim men in the Welsh capital are being recruited in face-to-face meetings. Radicalisation expert Dr Suraj Lakhani said: 'The police, government and intelligence services have been concerned about different problems in Cardiff for some time. 'There have also been voices from the local community raising concerns about radicalisations in Cardiff. 'I believe that these boys in the recruitment video would have met face-to-face with the people who have radicalised them.' Mosque: The South Wales Islamic centre in Butetown, Cardiff, one of the places where young Welsh terror recruit Nasser Muthana would go to worship . Dr Lakhani, of Cardiff University, recently completed his doctorate - A Social Analysis of Radicalisation in the UK. He said the three young Cardiff men currently fighting in Syria and the two others who have returned would have been radicalised together. He said: 'It was organised and funded. The youngest boy is only 17 and he flew out on a fake passport. 'His older brother went after borrowing just a hundred pounds from his father.' Dr Lakhani said there were several reasons why young men may be willing to risk their lives abroad. 'It doesn't take very many people to cause a big problem,' he said. | Welsh capital has been linked to string of cases linked to extremist violence . Three young men have fled to Syria from the city to fight with Isis . Brothers and a sister jailed for involvement in plot to bomb London in 2012 . Student who posted jihad video under name 'Father of Terrorism' in court . | f13c9f9ac7140c254bf8fa025beb80404b82e40f |
By . John Stevens . The former England rugby captain has slammed NHS bosses for their U-turn on funding cancer treatment . Former England rugby captain Lawrence Dallaglio has described NHS bosses as a ‘national disgrace’ for going back on a deal to fund cutting-edge cancer treatment. The sports star, who lost his mother Eileen to cancer in 2008, accused the health service of ‘turning the clock back’ on cancer treatment by refusing to pay for a revolutionary radiotherapy treatment. Stereotatic ablative radiotherapy (SABR) targets beams very precisely at the tumour allowing high doses of radiation to be delivered with less risk of it affecting surrounding organs. Patients on average need only five visits to hospital, rather than the average of 25 for other cancer treatments, and can usually go home the same day. Mr Dallaglio was asked to work with the NHS to devise a plan after he approached David Cameron with concerns that not enough patients had access to the lifesaving treatment. But after health bosses ditched the proposal to give it to an extra 2,000 patients, Mr Dallaglio has accused NHS England of ‘going back on its word’ and written to the Health Secretary to ask him to intervene. In a letter to Jeremy Hunt, Mr Dallaglio said NHS England had ‘savaged’ the availability of the technology ‘the rest of the civilised world uses as a matter of routine’ so only a ‘pitiful number of patients’ would be treated. He wrote: ‘In my view what NHS England is doing now is a national disgrace. While their new chief executive talks about employing 50 new commissioners and focusing on better management structures, our cancer clinicians are denied the use of technologies to treat patients that the rest of the civilised world uses as a matter of routine.’ He added: ‘The way NHS England are approaching this is turning the clock back on the way we’re treating cancer. We’re not just standing still and doing nothing, we’re turning the clock back. It angers me.’ Mr Dallaglio was drafted in after he last year wrote to the Prime Minister to warn that Britain was ‘falling behind the rest of the world’ in the use of advanced radiotherapy. He was asked by Jeremy Hunt to work with NHS England to devise a plan to improve the service and they agreed to a £5million deal to more than double the number of patients treated and extend the types of cancer treated. Dallaglio lost his mother Eileen to cancer in 2008 and has since raised more than £1m for charitable causes . NHS England pledged to conduct clinical trials on using the treatment on spine, liver and pelvis cancers, and ensure it was available in hospitals around Britain. But it has now told Mr Dallaglio that the clinical trials will not take place, it will only treat half the patients it previously pledged and it will not start the work until April. In his letter to Mr Hunt, Mr Dallaglio wrote: ‘It is bad enough that NHS England is going back on its word regarding these patient numbers but we are not even being given a guarantee that the pitiful numbers they are proposing will definitely start being treated in the next financial year. ‘I am surprised that you are allowing all of this to happen under your stewardship.’ In 2012, David Cameron promised that all NHS patients would get ‘innovative radiotherapy where clinically appropriate, safe and cost-effective’. Dallaglio, pictured playing for England and London Wasps in 2008 and 2007 respectively, has slammed the NHS after the organisation backtracked on clinical trials and the number of patients to receive them . New figures compiled by Tessa Munt, the Liberal Democrat MP, show that the number of patients being offered advanced radiotherapy fell by 10 per cent last year. A total of 645 patients were treated in 2012-13 compared to568 in the year to April. Mrs Munt said: ‘This data shows that NHS England is making David Cameron’s promise to increase patient access to innovative radiotherapy into a farce. In contrast to his promise to save more lives, NHS England is simply letting patients die.’ Mr Dallaglio is holding an event in the House of Commons today to try to persuade the government to act. Britain currently ranks third from bottom in the European league table of cancer survival rates. The sportsman, who won the rugby union World Cup in 2003, has become a charity campaigner and raised millions of pounds since launching the Dallaglio Foundation following his mother’s death. Dr Sean Duffy, NHS England’s National Clinical Director For Cancer, last night said: ‘If money were no object it would be great to fund every experimental treatment that we are lobbied on, but that’s not the reality, so instead our priority this year has been investing hundreds of millions of pounds in cancer and other specialised treatments that are actually proven to work for patients.’ | Former England rugby captain slams NHS bosses as a 'national disgrace' Accuses the health service of 'turning the clock back' on cancer treatment . Sportsman has raised millions of pounds since launching Dallaglio charity . | 976bd0287eeaf1c02e58356f5e9cba538acb8be4 |
Petrol will drop below £1 a litre across the country within weeks, ministers predict as they increased demands on oil companies to pass on falling prices. Treasury minister Danny Alexander told MailOnline latest falls in the global oil price should see average prices hit the £1 mark at the pumps. And he called on drivers to use their buying power to put pressure on fuel firms refusing to respond. New figures today showed the average petrol price in the last week was £1.06, the lowest since November 2009 and down 10p in just four months . New figures today showed the average petrol price in the last week was £1.06, the lowest since November 2009 and down 10p in just four months. Diesel is down to £1.14 per litre. Mr Alexander today briefed the Cabinet on the latest Treasury forecasts, and the expectation that the price will hit £1 within less than a month. While he welcomed the moves so fare from oil companies, he insisted they had still failed to pass on the full benefits of dramatic falls in the crude oil price. He told MailOnline: ‘Looking at the petrol price at the moment there is more to go. ‘This came up at Cabinet this morning. I said that within the next few weeks we should be seeing petrol down to round about £1 a litre. That is what people should be expecting and pushing for. ‘We saw the price fall again to below $50 a barrel two to three weeks ago. So there’s a six week time lag before that gets passed through at the pumps, so there should be further cuts. Treasury minister Danny Alexander today briefed the Cabinet on the latest Treasury forecasts, and the expectation that the price will hit £1 within less than a month . ‘I will certainly be pressing the fuel retailers to make sure we continue to see the pass through.’ A small number of independent petrol stations have cut the price below £1, but to date none of the major supermarkets have gone that far. Motoring groups predicted the £1 litre mark would be reached a month ago, but so far it has not happened. Mr Alexander said pressure from the government, the media and the public was working. But he ruled out a fall to as low as 90p per litre, unless there was another dramatic fall in the oi price. ‘On the basis of the oil price fall at the moment I wouldn’t see it going that far. I think if we can get to around £1 a litre that would be fair, but you know let’s see.’ In recent weeks he has written to bus companies, airlines and tour operators demanding they also reduce their prices. But bus firms in particular complain that they bought their fuel in advance to protect themselves from rising costs, and are yet to see the benefit of falls. Mr Alexander insisted the excuses were not good enough: ‘I think bus passengers are going to say well we should be seeing this passed on to us. I’m looking at the moment into is there anything more we can do in that area. ‘I’m trying to get to the bottom of what is the nature of this hedging. Clearly someone is making a lot of money out of this, I’d quite like to find out who it is and see what we can do to accelerate it. ‘When you see such a massive shift, I really do want to see that passed on to not just people who are filling up their car but people who are travelling by bus, people who are travelling by plane, people who are buying package holidays.’ | EXCLUSIVE: Treasury minister tells MailOnline prices must fall further . He briefed the Cabinet on how global oil cuts have still not been passed on . New figures show average petrol price in the last week was £1.06 per litre . Price is the lowest since November 2009 and down 10p in just four months . | a7742fa0eab2d8f4d208177a0d06c2c39327a844 |
(CNN) -- A New Jersey mayor is compelling gun manufacturers bidding for gun and ammunition contracts with the city police to answer questions on gun safety in what is believed to be the first such move in the nation. Jersey City Mayor Steven Fulop said Wednesday that answering questions about social responsibility is now part of the bidding process. The revised bid specifications include six questions intended to gauge the gun manufacturer's responsibility to public safety, according to city documents. The answers will impact the firm's competitiveness, Fulop said. Refusal to answer the questions will deem their proposals incomplete. The six questions are: "What do you do to combat illegal gun trafficking and illegal gun crime? Do you manufacturer and sell assault weapons for civilian use? Do you agree not to sell certain models of firearms for civilian use? Are you requiring your dealers to conduct background checks? Do you fund research related to gun violence and smart gun technology? Will you commit to prohibiting your brand name from being used in violent video games?" An admitted gun control advocate who also happens to have military background, Fulop said he hopes to make Jersey City a national example for other cities. Jersey City is believed to be the first in the country with such a requirement, the mayor said. Fulop said social responsibility requirements exist for most industries and that the gun manufacturers should not be exempt. As expected, the initiative has its detractors. "It is inappropriate to politicize the selection of firearms for law enforcement," said Lawrence Keane, senior vice president and general counsel of the National Shooting Sports Foundation, a Connecticut-based firearms trade association. Keane said it is dangerous to select firearms for law enforcement on anything other than what is best for police officers. The bid winner would supply rifles, handguns and ammunition to the Jersey City police department, which employs nearly 800 officers, according Bob McHugh, a Jersey City fire and police spokesman. A pro-gun control organization in Jersey City known as Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America praised the move, according to New Jersey chapter leader Mandi Perlmutter. "If other mayors were to use their purchasing power, it would force the manufacturers to change how they do business," she said. On Saturday, Fulop will speak at an event called "No more silence" to honor the one year anniversary of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting in which 20 students and six staff members died. The event is sponsored by Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America and other organizations. Fulop, referring to his initiative, said: "This is an opportunity to shape the dialogue around gun control." | New Jersey mayor demands gun safety views of gun manufacturers . Questions posed to firms bidding to sell guns to Jersey City police . Mayor hopes the initiative will shed light public responsibility of gun manufacturers . | d13a6efe8f2a7e92fa9ede90d70cae246b97e61e |
Posing in just their underwear, these two men were happy to be photographed enjoying a day by the sea. But what the pair did not realise was that the pictures - taken on a stolen iPhone - were being sent straight to the owner’s computer. After stripping down to their boxer shorts on the beach at Southend, Essex, the men took a series of embarrassing pictures and ‘selfies’, or self-portraits. Fun in the sun: These pictures of men paddling in the sea in their underwear were sent from a stolen iPhone . Happy snaps: The victim received dozens of pictures such as these of men in their underwear on the beach . The iPhone used to take the . cringeworthy photographs was stolen from Becky Brinklow as she ate lunch . with her 16-month-old son Henry at a restaurant a short walk from the . seafront. When the . 27-year-old nurse logged on to her computer the next day she was . surprised to find the photographs of the men frolicking by the sea. Pictures: The iPhone was stolen from Becky Brinklow as she ate lunch with her 16-month-old son at a restaurant in Southend . For . her iPhone was set up to automatically send pictures taken on it to the . iCloud website, which backs up data such as music and pictures stored . on smartphones. Miss . Brinklow said she had seen the funny side when she realised the men had . accidentally uploaded pictures of their day at the beach to her iCloud . account. She said: ‘Luckily I . had insurance and within a day I had received a new phone so then I . went online to access all the pictures and upload them to the new one. ‘I went online and thought “this is strange” – there were all these pictures of these men and their friends at the beach. ‘It . was actually quite comical looking through the pictures and me and my . fiancé Tom ended up laughing about the men and all their posing. 'It was funny seeing these strangers down to just their pants – they certainly liked posing for a picture.’ Miss . Brinklow said she was thankful that she had not lost any precious . photos of Henry. ‘If I had lost all the pictures on my phone it would . have been a lot more upsetting but I have been able to retrieve those . because they were all stored online.’ She . added: ‘We managed to block the phone and wipe it, leaving it useless, . and we used the “Find My iPhone” app to find out roughly where they . live.’ Investigation: The victim has handed the pictures and information to police who now investigating . Brazen: The victim found the photos through her iCloud account . It is not clear how . the two men pictured in the photographs came into possession of the . phone, or suggested they knew it was stolen. Miss Brinklow was due to make a formal statement to police last night. Police . will open an investigation into the crime after they have taken the . statement and it is anticipated arrests will be made soon. Miss . Brinklow’s fiancé Tom Humble, 26, said the phone was stolen last . Wednesday. Mr Humble, a shop manager, said: ‘She was in there with her . mum and our 16-month-old son. ‘Two blokes came over and they started talking to them. ‘One . of them leaned over and picked up a chip off the plate and while they . were distracted, the other one must have picked up the phone off the . table. The restaurant have it on CCTV.’ The CCTV images of the iPhone being taken from the Varsity Bar in Southend are understood to be of high quality. iCloud is a data storage service provided by Apple that allows users to view their photos, music, contacts and calendar entries on separate computers and smartphones. For example, when a photo is taken on an iPhone - as in the case of Southend nurse Becky Brinklow - it is sent to the user’s iCloud account and then automatically downloaded to the user’s iPad, laptop and computer, making it both a storage tool and a system to keep all data synchronised across multiple devices. Because all the user’s data is stored remotely by iCloud, it means that if an iPhone, iPad or computer is stolen, the contents will not be lost. iCloud was launched on October 12, 2011, and has 320million users. | The phone was taken from table at Varsity bar in Southend, Essex . Victim, 27, found dozens of holiday snaps on her iCloud account . Becky Brinklow gave evidence to police who are now investigating . | 7029841d5de35cdc58ddf51a0201f09b5e2dacf5 |
Sebastian Bendou, 36, stabbed and battered his housemate Christophe Borgye in 2009 . A man who murdered his housemate and buried him in a tomb in their garden has finally confessed to the crime four years later, after his guilty conscience became too much bear. Sebastian Bendou, 36, stabbed and battered his housemate Christophe Borgye in 2009 along with an accomplice in a brutal pre-planned attack after a row over money. He then hid his body in a homemade brick tomb topped with concrete in the garden of the house in Ellesmere Port, Cheshire. The pair thought they had got away with murder after police treated the victim’s disappearance as a routine missing persons inquiry and assumed he had returned to his native France. But hotel worker Bendou could not live with the 'strain' of his guilt and in May last year suddenly travelled 200 miles from his new home in Dumfries, Scotland back to the town. He called police from a phone box and told them: 'This is too much for my mind.' The next day he led officers to the house where the body of airline steward Borgye still lay. Officers broke open the tomb inside a shed to find it contained a low brick wall used to hide the corpse with three separate layers of concrete placed over the body to bury it. A claw hammer and two knives were found next the body wrapped in a duvet and tarpaulin. It emerged Bendou - also a Frenchman - had later claimed he was under the influence of his accomplice who convinced him Borgye was a French spy. Bendou was found guilty of murder. His guilty plea to manslaughter on grounds of diminished responsibility was rejected by the prosecution. He will be sentenced later. Father of three Dominik Kocher, 35, from New Abbey in Dumfries, Scotland, who planned the killing was found guilty at an earlier hearing and jailed for life with a minimum recommendation he serve 23 years. Chester Crown Court was told Mr Borgye (pictured) who worked as a flight attendant for Ryanair was originally from Ronchin in France but had moved to the UK in 2007 due to his job . He and Dominik Kocher, who masterminded the murder, then hid his body in a homemade brick tomb topped with concrete in the garden of the house in Ellesmere Port, Cheshire . Chester Crown Court was told Mr Borgye worked as a flight attendant for Ryanair and was originally from Ronchin in France but had moved to the UK in 2007 due to his job. He initially lived in Liverpool with Bendou and another man before all three moved to Ellesmere Port where Kocher lived with his wife and children. The men came to an arrangement where they would pay their wages into the back account of Kocher who then managed their financial affairs. But when Mr Borgye said he planned to move to Belgium - and so the money would not be paid into Kocher’s account - he bought a number of items from builders merchants including concrete, bricks and limestone chipping, and also a set of three knives from a supermarket. The unsuspecting victim was later lured into a specially prepared ‘kill room’ where tarpaulin had been laid on the floor and the killers wore blue plastic overshoes on their feet. After the killers had left the property, the new tenants were told not to go into the outbuilding as the landlord used it to store personal property. Pictured is the sack in which the victim's body was discovered . During the attack Borgye was stabbed twice and hit with the claw end of the hammer eight times with massive force. His body was dumped in the back of the shed and encased in the tomb. The victim was reported missing to police by a work colleague in May 2009 but enquiries at the time led officers and his family to believe he had left the country. Bendou carried on living at the house until August 2012 when he and Kocher moved to Scotland. The new tenants were told not to go into the outbuilding as the landlord used it to store personal property. He eventually went to police fearing Kocher was about to 'eliminate' him. In a statement he initially said he killed the victim in self defence. He said he was 'very scared' and added: 'I’m confessing now because I felt it was too much for my mind and I want some peace.' At the trial Bendou said he had been 'indoctrinated' by Kocher’s story that Mr Borgye was a secret agent sent by 'the Americans' to ensure his wife was deported to France where she had tax issues. Bendou added: 'Christophe was in his bedroom and Dominik called him down. Dominik put the knife into his neck. I took the hammer and I struck him three times in the head. I was manipulated by Dominik. I was like a puppet.' Talking of his life in Scotland he added: 'I was frightened for my life. My conscience said to me you’ve got to give yourself in now.' Police search the home at Hylton Court in Ellesmere Port where Sebastian Bendou murdered Christophe Borgye . Officers broke open the tomb inside a shed to find it contained a low brick wall used to hide the corpse with three separate layers of concrete placed over the body to bury it . Bendou was initially sectioned under the Mental Health Act but was later deemed fit to stand trial. An appeal is currently ongoing as whether Kocher’s 23 year sentence is 'too lenient.' Det Insp Gwyn Dodd from Cheshire Police revealed forensic archeologists, entomologists, cement experts, pathologists, psychiatrists, translators and financial investigators had helped with the investigation. He added: 'Kocher was the dominant force and had a controlling influence. He was instrumental in the cover up of the murder and leading people, including his family, into believing Christophe had simply moved away. 'But the strain of their secret in the end proved too much for Bendou.' Richard Riley, Senior Crown Prosecutor with the CPS Mersey-Cheshire, said: 'Bendou led us to the grisly tomb of Christophe Borgye and is now facing the consequences of his role in this tragedy. 'Mr Borgye, Kocher and Bendou were all friends yet Kocher seemed to exert some strange influence over the others that we have never managed to get to the bottom of. 'Borgye and Bendou had their wages paid into Kocher’s account and, in return, he seems to have managed their affairs. 'We may never know the reason why Bendou and Kocher killed Mr Borgye on that fateful day - the picture is too murky. 'But it seems likely that money was at the heart of it. Kocher bought knives in the days leading up to the killing and tarpaulin, bricks and cement. We’ve always maintained these were used in the killing and to then bury the body. 'This murder was planned, brutally executed and extensively covered up.' Manuel Wagner, 26, also from New Abbey in Dumfries, Scotland, was found not guilty of assisting an offender and preventing a lawful burial at an earlier hearing. | Sebastian Bendou, 36, killed housemate Christophe Borgye in 2009 . Dominik Kocher, 35, planned killing and was found guilty at earlier hearing . The men lured their victim into a specially laid-out 'kill room' and attacked . They then hid his body in homemade brick tomb topped with concrete . Hotel worker Bendou could not live with 'strain' of his guilt and confessed . | d8ce08ea83b5c6610608c8c846fa8b8b25691897 |
By . Emma Reynolds . PUBLISHED: . 12:12 EST, 28 December 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 21:07 EST, 28 December 2012 . 'Conspiracy': Carole Waugh's body was found in a south London garage in August, four months after the 50-year-old went missing . Eight people have now been charged with fraud offences relating to murdered oil executive Carole Waugh after two more men were arrested. Ms Waugh, 50, was last seen alive in London in April, and several fraudulent transactions involving her bank account were made after her disappearance. The millionairess's decomposing body was only discovered in a lock-up in south London in August, four months after she had been stabbed to death. She had worked for an oil company in Libya and was reported missing from Marylebone, central London, in May. Yesterday, Scotland Yard said that 55-year-old Derek Eastham and 39-year-old Elie Khoury, both from London, had been charged with conspiracy to defraud ‘in connection with the investigation into Carole Waugh’s murder’. Eastham faces a further charge of possessing counterfeit currency. Both have been bailed to appear before Croydon Magistrates Court next year. Police said later that Susan O'Shea, 61, of Sunset Avenue, Woodford Green, had also been charged with conspiracy to defraud in connection with the investigation into the murder. She is accused of conspiring with others between April 15 and August 1 to defraud banks and other financial institutions. She has also been bailed to appear at Croydon Magistrates' Court on January 10. Five people have previously been charged with fraud offences in connection with the investigation. Two of them - Rakesh Bhayani, 40, of Wembley, and Nicholas Kutner, 47, of no fixed abode - have been charged with her murder. Two men have been charged with conspiracy to defraud in connection with the investigation into the murder of wealthy former oil executive Carole Waugh, Scotland Yard said. Miss Waugh’s body was found with a single stab wound inside a car in a lock-up garage in south-west London, on August 2. Eastham, of Westminster, was charged yesterday while Khoury, of Paddington, was charged today. Single wound: Two of the five people previously arrested by investigators into the alleged fraud were also charged with Ms Waugh's murder . The outline of the alleged offence is that, between April 15 and August 1, Eastham conspired with others to defraud banks and other financial institutions and was in possession of criminal property, namely a quantity of counterfeit currency. Khoury is alleged to have conspired with others to defraud banks and other financial institutions between the same dates. Both have been bailed to appear at Croydon Magistrates’ Court on January 10. Ms Waugh, originally from Durham, was reported missing by her family on May 7. Her body was only found four months later, by which time her body was so badly decomposed she could only be identified by her dental records. Sorry we are unable to accept comments for legal reasons. | Carole Waugh, 50, was discovered in lock-up with single stab wound . She worked for an oil company in Libya but went missing in London . Several transactions involving her account were made after she vanished . Two of the five previously arrested on fraud charges also accused of murder . | 02d1bbe3e1e0696120063e2ac7f770f84ae42386 |
(CNN) -- The mother and brother of a 31-year-old woman found strangled with her two young sons in the bedrooms of their home filed a wrongful death lawsuit Tuesday against the alleged killer -- the husband and father of the victims. Christopher Coleman has pleaded not guilty and is being held without bond. Christopher Coleman has pleaded not guilty in the triple homicide police say took place early in the morning on May 5 in the family home in the small southwestern Illinois city of Columbia. "To strip the culpable party of all financial holdings -- all that he has now and all that he may ever have," is the aim of the suit, said a statement accompanying the suit filed in Monroe County circuit court by Angela DeCicco and Mario Weiss, the mother and brother of Sheri Coleman. "To allow one penny of ill-gotten gain to be derived at the expense of Sheri, Garett and Gavin is not acceptable to those who dearly love them." The money would go to a memorial fund set up for Coleman and her sons, Garett, 11, and Gavin, 9 and "these funds will be used to erect a lasting tribute in the city of Columbia," according to the complaint. "Our goal is to extract something positive from such a horrific and senseless tragedy and to honor the lives of my sister and her two young sons," Weiss said. The wrongful death suit also names Coleman's father, Ronald, and the Joyce Meyer Ministries, where Coleman worked until shortly after his family was killed, as "respondents in discovery," which means they may be forced to hand over financial documents and information such as Coleman's personnel file, his work schedule and travel itineraries and the Ministries' employment policies. In addition, the suit tries to establish a timeline of events before and after the killings, saying the Colemans took the deed to their home in 2005, but six months ago, ownership was transferred to Christoper Coleman alone. "Sheri did not voluntarily sign the deed transferring title to the residence to Christopher," the document says. Lawyers in the civil suit also allege that in the period between the killings and his arrest, Coleman removed personal property from the home. The suit asks that Coleman and anyone "acting at his direction" be forbidden from entering the home again and that he provide a list of items already removed. Coleman remains in jail after a judge denied bond. | Sheri Coleman, 2 sons killed in Columbia, Illinois, home . Christopher Coleman, husband and father, is accused in the deaths . Family says it hopes to prevent "ill-gotten gain" from the three deaths . | b89841d9ac1e3bc59278fe0eb8c8042b8336f8a1 |
By . Mario Ledwith . PUBLISHED: . 01:06 EST, 19 February 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 08:06 EST, 19 February 2013 . Recovery: John Eccles, 35, was left with a concave skull after being attacked by former best friend Andrew Dodds in Consett, County Durham . A man had to have one third of his skull removed after he was attacked by his former best friend turned love rival. Medical staff were forced to insert a metal plate into John Eccles's head after he smashed his skull against a wall during the confrontation that left him in a coma for two weeks. The 35-year-old said he felt like he had been 'hit by a car' when he finally woke in the hospital, where he was forced to stay for six months. When he first became responsive following the incident with former friend Andrew Dodds, he was unable to remember what had happened. The two men ended their friendship of more than 20 years when Dodds started a relationship with Mr Eccles's partner and the mother of his daughter. Mr Eccles smacked his head against a wall after being punched by Dodds outside a nightclub in Consett, County . Durham, last April, knocking him unconscious. Dodds was jailed for three years last . August for unlawful wounding at Durham Crown Court. Mr Eccles, who works as a leisure centre duty manager, has made a remarkable recovery but has suffered from memory loss, a speech impediment, partial paralysis on his right side and receives therapy to help him restore his cognitive skills. Describing waking up from the attack . for the first time, Mr Eccles, from Blackhill, near Consett, said: 'I . did not know what was going on. I cannot remember what happened. My . family had to tell me.' Mr Eccles said that he could have died following the attack but said he was eager to return to work. Mr Eccles received emergency treatment at Newcastle's Royal Victoria Infirmary (right) after being punched by Andrew Dodds (left) who was jailed for three years for unlawful wounding at Durham Crown Court . Charity: Mr Eccles raised £1000 for the Royal Victoria Infirmary's intensive care unit with his brother Mark (pictured together) He said: 'I am having a meeting with occupational health this week so I will see what they say, but I would like to go back to work as soon as possible. 'I have been told it could be 18 months, it could be five or six years, but I want to go back now. Mr Eccles was treated for heavy bleeding on the brain and remained in intensive care in Newcastle's Royal Victoria Infirmary for months after the incident.. Now Mr Eccles and his brother Mark, 32, have raised almost £1,000 for the unit following a charity night at the Number One Club in Consett. | John Eccles left in coma for two weeks after being punched by former friend . Smashed his head against a wall after the attack in Consett, County . Durham . Andrew Dodds was jailed for three years for unlawful wounding . Mr Eccles said he could have died after incident but wants to return to work . | d9e4ba376a6e7ad11a3e056adf106e120b451cec |
By . Sam Webb . and Lucy Crossley for MailOnline . At first glance, Myrtle Avenue, with leafy gardens in pleasant semi-detached houses seems like a suburban idyll. But appearances can be deceptive as the street, located in the London borough of Hounslow, is believed to be one of the noisiest in Britain - as it's just a stone's throw from Heathrow Airport. The road is one of the closest streets to the airport's busy southern runway at just 100 yards from the airport perimeter, with planes regularly flying low over the houses as they jet off and come in to land. Scroll down for video . An A380 Airbus Super Jumbo comes into land over rooftops at Heathrow Airport South runway . Planes coming in to land over Myrtle Avenue, Hounslow, one of the noisiest streets in Britain . Behemoth: An Emirates planes coming in to land over Myrtle Avenue, Hounslow , believed to be one of the Noisiest Streets in Britain . Neighbours: The road is one of the closest streets to the airport's busy southern runway at just 100 yards from the airport perimeter, with planes regularly flying low over the houses as they jet off and come in to land . Currently . there are around 1,280 arrivals flights coming in and out of Heathrow . every day, mostly between 6am and 11pm, with the airport alternating the . runway used by landing aircraft in a bid to provide noise relief for . those living nearby. Airlines are also fined if their planes breach . noise restrictions set at 94 decibels during the day, and 87 at night. A . Heathrow spokesman said: 'We recognise that as well as bringing huge . benefits to the UK and the local communities, an airport of the size and . importance of Heathrow can have downsides for people living nearby. 'We . are taking significant steps to tackle noise; we encourage airlines to . fly only their quietest aircraft into Heathrow, charge airlines more for . noisier aircraft and have schemes to insulate local properties. We are . committed to reducing the impacts of noise further and will continue to . work with local residents to do this.' Noise pollution: The leafy and picturesque street is just a short distance away from the perimeter of the busiest airport in Europe . What a view: The view of the runway from the end of the street means it is a popular spot for plane enthusiasts to watch the aircraft take to the skies . Precautions: Airlines are fined if their planes breach noise restrictions, which have been set at 94 decibels during the day, and 87 at night to protect those living nearby . Plans . for a third runway would enable Heathrow to handle 260,000 more flights . a year, but the good news for residents in Myrtle Avenue who might be . reaching for the ear plugs at the prospect is that the shortlisted . proposals place the new runway to the north west of the airport. The . road's views of both runways make it a popular base for plane spotters, . who come from around the world to watch the world's largest planes . landing on one of the two runways at Heathrow, the busiest airport in . Europe. Peter Graham, 71, told the BBC the plane spotters' cars block the road back and residents often can't get out. Busy: Currently there are around 1,280 arrivals flights coming in and out of Heathrow every day, mostly between 6am and 11pm, with the airport alternating the runway used by landing aircraft in a bid to provide noise relief for those living nearby . Taking care: A Heathrow spokesman said airlines are encouraged to only fly their quietest planes into the airport, and run schemes to help those living nearby to insulate their homes . Distance: Plans for a third runway would enable Heathrow to handle 260,000 more flights a year, but the good news for residents in Myrtle Avenue who might be reaching for the ear plugs at the prospect is that the shortlisted proposals place the new runway to the north west of the airport . Meanwhile Himesh Patel, 22, who has lived on the street his entire life, said: 'Sometimes I have beeped the horn on my car for an hour to get their attention and find out who is blocking the driveway.' The . aviation enthusiasts bring chairs, blankets, picnics and cameras with . long lenses, so they can enjoy the massive aircraft coming in to land . and taking off in comfort. Plane . spotter Gerhard came from Austria to see the spectacle: 'I think there . is no place in Europe where you can get so many planes landing in such a . short time, so it's a special place here,' he told the Telegraph. Despite . the noise and disruption, the houses are still worth an estimated . average £276,946, because of the site's proximity to the capital. Despite the noise and disruption, the houses are still worth an estimated average £276,946, because of the site's proximity to the capital . Location: Myrtle Avenue is one of the closest residential roads to the airport's southern runway, making it popular with plane spotters . Issues: Neighbours have complained that the number of plane spotters flocking to the street can make it difficult to get in and out . | The neat street of semi-detached houses in Hounslow is just a stone's throw from Europe's busiest airport . It's a popular spot for plane spotters who come from all over the world to watch planes land on the two runways . Road is one of the closest residential streets to the airport's southern runway, with planes flying low over houses . Around 1,280 flights a day come in and out of Heathrow, mostly between 6am and 11pm . | b173189fbe0fa74aeebf180ca4f8d13300eae4c0 |
By . Amanda Williams . PUBLISHED: . 06:35 EST, 30 November 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 06:36 EST, 30 November 2012 . A teenager who visited doctors with 'heartburn' was amazed to find he actually had a cyst the size of a grapefruit crushing his heart, and forcing it 3cm to the right. Stunned doctors told 19 year old Daniel Tamburro if they had not caught the growth his heart would have exploded. Mr Tamburro, from Halesowen, West Midlands, had initially believed he was suffering from chronic heart burn but was rushed to hospital after collapsing at work. Now and then: Doctors told Daniel Tamburro (now, left) if they had not caught the growth his heart would have exploded (after the operation, right) Doctors performed an X-ray which revealed a large shadow on his left lung but medics were left in shock when a CT scan revealed a grapefruit-sized cyst pressing against his heart. They said it was growing at such a rapid rate it was literally forcing his major organs across to the opposite side of his body. He underwent a six hour operation at New Cross Hospital in Wolverhampton, West Midlands, in June to remove the 15cm by 12cm growth. But, remarkably, Mr Tamburro was back at work as a production assistant within three months of the massive operation and has since made a full recovery. He said: 'I was just at work and sat down but every time I breathed in it hurt. It was like indigestion. 'The boss said go to hospital to get it checked. I expected to be back by lunch but ended up being off for three months. Scarred: The cyst was growing at such a rapid . rate it was literally forcing his major organs across to the opposite . side of his body. It measured 15cm by 12cm - the same size as an average grapefruit . Mr Tamburro underwent a six hour operation at New Cross Hospital in Wolverhampton, West Midlands, in June to remove the 15cm by 12cm growth . 'I was really worried after the scan, I didn’t know anything about it. Today the teenager is back in good health and is back at work . 'They said it was really rare and they had never seen anything like it. It had moved my heart 3cm to the right. 'I was in theatre for six hours in the end. They cut me open from the back and they had to crack a few ribs. 'They managed to cut it out and reconnect a vein that it was connected to. I was in hospital for six days after and had three months off work.' 'I couldn’t sit up properly and even now I can’t lift heavy stuff. It was terrifying. I can’t believe something so big was growing inside me and I didn’t know anything about it. 'Doctors told me it was like dodging a seven inch bullet. I’m surprised to be alive today.' Mr Tamburro had been planning a holiday for the end of June. But doctors told him if he had left the cyst untreated until then, it would have killed him. He added: “Doctors said if I had gone on holiday in a plane like we were planning to in June, the pressure would’ve been too much and my heart would’ve exploded. 'I’m very grateful to the hospital for operating so quickly. 'My parents were really worried about it and my girlfriend Danielle hated it because the operation was on her 18th birthday. 'She knew how important it was though and as soon as I came back around she was fine. I feel very lucky to be here today, it’s amazing my life was saved thanks to a bit of indigestion.' | Doctors told Daniel Tamburro, 19, if he had left the cyst untreated it would have killed him . The growth was so big it had pushed his heart 3cm to the right . | a4ef1e170a02a8f3f327fbe5c80ef3acf035c3cf |
(CNN) -- U.S. lawmakers considering the closure of the controversial Guantanamo Bay detention center will probably be looking at a rehabilitation program in Saudi Arabia that focuses on religious re-education for captured jihadists. Ahmed, who took part in a bombing mission in Iraq, said he was a "wiser man" after taking part in the program. President Obama issued executive orders relating to Guantanamo last week, including one requiring that the detention facility at a U.S. Naval base in Cuba be closed within a year. Now some analysts are asking not only whether intelligence agencies will be able to get the information they need to keep America safe but where the prisoners will eventually end up. The answer to the second part of this question may lie partly in the Saudi rehab program that analysts in that country say has helped deal a big blow to al Qaeda. Since the 2003 bombings in Riyadh that killed dozens there have been no major attacks in the kingdom, they point out. Libya is using a similar philosophy of religious re-education, moving away from brutal treatment of militants in jails, and Pakistan is also looking at it. The program focuses on religious re-education for young men, all in their late teens to early 30s, captured while engaged in terrorist activities. Of the 218 people who have taken part, only nine have since been rearrested after trying to rejoin al Qaeda, Saudi officials told CNN. "We have reduced the threat but cannot say we have eliminated it," said interior ministry spokesman Gen. Mansoor al Turki. "Such a re-education program will help the police to make sure these people get rid of the ideology that penetrated their brains [and to] make sure, when they leave prison, [they] can lead [a] normal life." The key to the government-run scheme's success is the way it uses imams, or religious teachers, to explain to the young, radicalized Muslims that not everyone can issue a fatwa. It tells them that what they have been taught previously is wrong: You cannot just go and kill someone. In an al Qaeda cell, one person will issue a fatwa to justify whatever violent action the group will take, but the rehabilitation program makes clear that to issue a fatwa you must be a well-trained, experienced imam. One young man who had been through the program said he had learned his lesson. Ahmed, who admitted driving a truck that exploded in Iraq, killing 12 people, said he had been brain-washed by al Qaeda militants. "They told me Americans kill Muslims in Iraq and Afghanistan ... and they brainwash me. ... They said it's the honorable thing to do to go fight Americans." Ahmed said that he was just a regular Muslim before he was radicalized but that the program had taught him the error of his ways, and now, "I will never think about the jihad again." "My message to all young people: If you are in Iraq, leave and come back home and ask governments and elders about religion. Don't do what these bad people tell you to do. Everyone makes mistakes. "I used to hate Americans. Now it's different. Thank God I am a wiser man and I know right from wrong. In the program, they taught me killing a person -- Muslim or non-Muslim -- is wrong even if he gets in my way. You should help people, not hurt them." The program came about after the Saudi government recognized that locking up the young radicalized Muslims and mistreating them in jail was counterproductive and served only to foment anger in the Islamic world. Reformed jihadists said Abdel Aziz al-Muqrin, for example, the al Qaeda leader in Saudi Arabia who was killed in 2004, was angry about his treatment in jail. So officials realized that a better way to deal with the threat of radicalized Muslims was to rehabilitate them. "It's not easy just to take the behavior or the person with behavior or bad behavior and put him in jail," said psychologist Turki Al-Otayan. "How about his thoughts? How about his emotions? That's why we have the advisory committee to correct the cognitive things and the emotional things." Al-Otayan said that if the program did not exist, the young men would easily revert to their old ways. "If we leave them, someone will take our job like the terrorists or the mujahadeen. ... They will pass them money." He said he was convinced that the program had greatly cut the number of young Muslims traveling to Iraq to carry out jihad. Officials realize that it will never be 100 percent successful, and it is labor-intensive and expensive, but it may very well be among the approaches that U.S. officials will consider as they work out how to close the Guantanamo Bay detention facility and rehabilitate the 700 or so prisoners. | U.S. looking at how to close Guantanamo Bay detention center . One option that may be considered is Saudi rehab program for captured extremists . Program uses religious teachers to re-educate radicalized Muslims . | bc66e2e4a38d6580cecf50f00870a1a25f74b084 |
By . Richard Moore . There could still be a place for Sir Bradley Wiggins at Team Sky despite saying his Grand Tour days are behind him, insists Sir Dave Brailsford. The Team Sky chief was responding to the rider’s claim that road cycling is cut-throat, whereas the track ‘feels more like a family and a closer-knit group of people.’ He said: ‘We’re talking to Bradley and his management team and ideally we’d like to find a solution to support him through to Rio (the 2016 Olympic Games). VIDEO Scroll down to watch Sir Bradley Wiggins say he's disappointing with a silver medal . Hope: Team Sky principal Sir Dave Brailsford (right) wants Sir Bradley Wiggins (left) to stay with the group . Glory to despair: Wiggins may be supported through to the 2016 Olympic Games by Team Sky . Compromise: Team Sky's Brailsford wants to 'get behind him and support him' to Rio . ‘I don’t think it would be a straightforward road contract. ‘I think it’d be more creative in terms of what would help him get to where he needs to be for Rio. ‘We’d certainly like to get behind him and support him.’ Before the 2012 Olympics, Team Sky supported three riders — Geraint Thomas, Peter Kennaugh and Ben Swift — whose main goal was the team pursuit. Brailsford was performance director of British Cycling, a position he left this year, but he said he would still be willing to support Wiggins’ track ambition. It would be on a drastically reduced salary, though. Wiggins is paid around £3million a year by Sky, a deal agreed after he won the 2012 Tour de France and which ends in December. Whether or not he stays could depend on whether he is willing to stay for a fraction of that. ‘I think he’s made it quite clear himself he’d like to finish his career in Rio,’ added Brailsford. ‘If you want to get there at the level required, they saw (in Glasgow) that they’ve got some good foundations but they’ve got work to do as well.’ Brailsford didn’t rule out a return to the Tour de France by Wiggins, saying: ‘Physically he has another Tour in him, I’m sure, but it’s hard work to get ready for a Grand Tour. It’s very much down to Brad.’ Runners-up: England's Sir Bradley Wiggins (far left) won team pursuit silver at the Commonwealth Games . Not impressed: Wiggins immediately removes his silver medal after posing for pictures . Still smiling: Wiggins waves to the crowd inside the Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome after defeat to Australia . Respect: England's cyclists applaud their Australian rivals as they step up to receive their gold medals . | Team Sky chief Sir Dave Brailsford: 'We're talking to Bradley and his management team and ideally we'd like to find a solution to support him' Sir Bradley Wiggins would not get 'a straightforward road contract' Likely to be a drastically reduced salary from Wiggins' current £3m a year . | 6116b46d1d3f228d090419d558f34892373c0b9d |
(CNN) -- They met in elementary school, began a romance during World War II and married not long afterward. They had a lifelong devotion to each other as husband and wife that lasted nearly 66 years -- and one day earlier this month they died, just 11 hours apart. Their children call it their "final act of love." Harold Knapke, 91, and his wife, Ruth, 89, died August 11 at the Versailles Health Care Center nursing home in Russia, Ohio, spokeswoman Teresa Pohlmon said. Their children said they were nine days short of their 66th wedding anniversary. "It's consoling to us that they went together," said their daughter, Margaret Knapke. "On one hand it's difficult to lose both parents at once when you didn't see it coming ... but it's very consoling that they got to go together." According to Margaret, her father's health had been deteriorating more quickly than her mother's for about a year. "We would ask, 'Why is he still here?'" Margaret said. "And the answer was that he was here for Mom." "He loved her very dearly. He was extremely loyal. He wanted to be here with her," she added. "He would sleep all day toward the end but when he'd wake the first thing he'd ask is, 'Where's your mother? How's your mother?'" Decades of love sound like this . Margaret said Ruth contracted a rare infection shortly before her death and it was clear she was not going to recover. When Margaret and her siblings told her father the news, she recalled, he took it calmly but they saw a "shift" in him. Just a few days later, Margaret and one of her sisters noticed that their father appeared to be very ill, she said. "My sister said, 'It's almost like he's trying to catch up to Mom.'" Three days later, Harold died, at 7:30 a.m. "I think he realized what was happening and wanted to pave the way for her," the couple's son, Ted Knapke, said. After their father died, the Knapke children surrounded their mother -- who was not lucid -- and told her, "Dad's up there waiting. They got the card game going and it's time you got up there. Don't stick around for us," Ted Knapke said. Ruth Knapke died that night, at 6:30 p.m. "I think certainly when two people are that close for 66 years you become pretty in sync mentally. So regardless of their state I think they realized it was time," Ted Knapke said. Ruth and Harold Knapke met when they were students at the same elementary school in Ohio but were separated when Harold's family moved several towns away, according to Carol Romie, another daughter of the Knapkes. "Dad was a year ahead of Mom and I remember Mom would tell us, 'I had a crush on your dad when I was in the third grade,'" Margaret Knapke said. It wasn't until Harold was serving in World War II and stationed in Germany that their relationship began. Ruth's brother-in-law Steve, who was also serving, overheard that Harold was from the same county in Ohio as Ruth and suggested that Harold write to her. Their relationship grew from there, according to their daughter Ginny Reindl. "Mom knew who he was right away," Margaret Knapke said of her mother's reaction to the letter. The two continued to write each other until Harold returned from the war in 1945. The couple married two years later, on August 20, 1947, and had six children together: Carol, Pat, Margaret, Ginny, Ted and Tim. Harold worked in Ohio's Fort Recovery school system as a principal, teacher and coach and Ruth became a school secretary. "I guess to me, the most important part of the story was their dedication to each other -- loyal right to the end," Romie said. "Supportive and protective of each other, and that was the beautiful part. They worked at being married for 65 years. It didn't just happen. They went into it with the idea that this was forever, and it was. They made it that way." The two were laid to rest together in a joint funeral. "Mom and Dad were ordinary people," Reindl said. "I guess if people can learn from our story it's that there is love that lasts, and that's a good thing." | Harold and Ruth Knapke were married for nearly 66 years . They died within 11 hours of each other earlier this month . Their children call it their "final act of love" | cd35efe56f72d2d21c2e2b49a8e288bacf8b28df |
A Georgia inmate who raped and murdered a 15-year-old girl in 1989 became the first person on death row to be executed since the botched lethal injection of Oklahoma killer Clayton Lockett in late April. Marcus Wellons, 59, received a lethal injection late Tuesday in Jackson, Georgia, after last-minute appeals to the U.S. Supreme Court were denied. A prison guard fainting shortly before he was pronounced dead at 11:56 p.m, more than an hour after the procedure began. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, which witnessed the execution, said Mr Wellons apologized for the 1989 rape and murder of his 15-year-old neighbor India Roberts in suburban Atlanta. Scroll down for video . Condemned: Marcus Wellons, an inmate in Georgia, became the first person to be put to death since April. His final words were reportedly: 'I'm going home to be with Jesus' Condemned men: John Winfield (left) followed Wellons minutes later as they became the first two people put to death since April; John Ruthell Henry's (right) execution is scheduled Wednesday night in Florida despite claims that he is mentally ill . Wellons reportedly apologized to the family of his victim and said: 'I ask and hope that you will find peace with my . death'. His final words were: 'I'm going home to be with Jesus.' The . Georgia State Board of Pardons and Paroles on Monday denied clemency to . Wellons, leaving his fate in the hands of the courts. Only . five minutes after Wellons was pronounced dead, Missouri authorities commenced . the lethal injection of John E. Winfield at 12.01am. He was . pronounced dead at 12.10am. Winfield, 46, was put to death for shooting three St. Louis County women in the . head in 1996, killing two. According to the Death Penalty Info Twitter feed, Winfield took four or five deep breaths as the drug was injected, puffed his cheeks twice, and then fell silent. The U.S. Supreme Court had also refused late Tuesday to halt his execution, and Missouri Governor Jay Nixon denied clemency. Wellons was served Shepherd's Pie, mashed potatoes and red beans as a final meal although it was unclear if he ate it, according to Death Penalty Info. The same feed also said that Winfield declined to have a final meal. The executions were the first since the botched April 29 in Oklahoma raised new concerns about lethal injection. Another convicted killer, John Ruthell Henry, is scheduled to die later Wednesday in Florida. All . the states planning executions — Florida, Georgia and Missouri — refuse . to say where they get their drugs, or if they are tested. Lawyers . for two of the condemned inmates have challenged the secretive process . used by some states to obtain lethal injection drugs from unidentified, . loosely regulated compounding pharmacies. Nine executions nationwide have been stayed or postponed since late April, when Oklahoma prison officials halted the execution of Clayton Lockett after noting that the lethal injection drugs weren't being administered into his vein properly. Lockett's punishment was halted and he died of a heart attack several minutes later. 'I think after Clayton Lockett's execution everyone is going to be watching very closely,' Fordham University School of Law professor Deborah Denno, a death penalty expert, said of this week's executions. 'The scrutiny is going to be even closer.' Watershed case: Oklahoma death row inmate Clayton Lockett died in April from a heart attack following a botched execution . Marcus Wellons' execution in Georgia was scheduled for 7pm, but was delayed pending the outcome of a U.S. Supreme Court appeal. Just before 11pm Eastern Time, the decision came down from the justices refusing to grant Wellons, 59, a last-minute reprieve, clearing the way for his execution an hour later. Georgia and Missouri both use the single drug pentobarbital, a sedative. Florida uses a three-drug combination of midazolam hydrochloride, vecuronium bromide and potassium chloride. Despite concerns about the drugs and how they are obtained, death penalty supporters say all three convicted killers are getting what they deserve. Wellons was convicted in the 1989 rape and murder of India Roberts, his 15-year-old neighbor in suburban Atlanta. Soon after the girl left for school, another neighbor heard muffled screams from the apartment where Wellons was living. Later that day, a man told police he saw a man carrying what appeared to be a body in a sheet. Police found the girl's body in a wooded area. She had been strangled and raped. In Missouri, Winfield had been dating Carmelita Donald on and off for several years and fathered two of her children. Donald began dating another man. One night in 1996, in a jealous rage, Winfield showed up outside Donald's apartment in St. Louis County and confronted her, along with two friends of hers. Winfield shot all three women in the head. Arthea Sanders and Shawnee Murphy died. Donald survived but was blinded. Lawyers for two of the men slated to be executed challenged the secretive process used by some states to obtain lethal injection drugs from shady pharmacies . Symone Winfield, the daughter of Donald and John Winfield, was among those who asking Gov. Jay Nixon for clemency, but the relatives of other victims want to see him die. A federal judge granted a stay of execution last week on a claim that a prison worker dropped plans to write a letter in support of clemency due to intimidation from staff. The 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals overturned the stay Tuesday, and attorneys for Winfield appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court. In Florida, the state is moving ahead with the execution of John Ruthell Henry despite claims he is mentally ill and intellectually disabled. The state claims anyone with an IQ of at least 70 is not mentally disabled; testing has shown Henry's IQ at 78, though his lawyers say it should be re-evaluated. Henry stabbed his estranged wife, Suzanne Henry, to death a few days before Christmas in 1985. Hours later, he killed her 5-year-old son from a previous relationship. Against death penalty: Joseph Shippen, far left, Assistant Rector of the Christ Episcopal Church in Macon, Georgia, and Episcopal Bishop Rob Wright, second from left, stand with protestors before the scheduled execution of Marcus Wellon Tuesday . Powerful message: An unidentified death penalty opponent stands on the grounds of the Georgia Diagnostic and Classification Prison in Jackson, Georgia . Taking a stand: Bishop Wright, left, and the Rev. Shippen speak out against the execution of Marcus Wellons . Henry had previously pleaded no contest to second-degree murder for fatally stabbing his common-law wife, Patricia Roddy, in 1976, and was on parole when Suzanne Henry and the boy were killed. Asked Tuesday if he had discussed with the Department of Corrections what happened in Oklahoma and if any changes were needed in Florida, Gov. Rick Scott said, 'I focus on making sure that we do things the right way here.' Florida and Missouri trail only Texas as the most active death penalty states. Texas has carried out seven executions. Florida has executed five men in 2014 and Missouri has executed four. Combined, the three states have performed 16 of the 20 executions this year. Wellons was the first Georgia inmate executed since February 2013 and just the second since 2011. | Georgia inmate Marcus Wellons the first execution since April . His execution was followed by that of double murderer John Winfield . John Ruthell Henry to be the third despite claims he is mentally ill . All executions were stopped for seven weeks after Oklahoma bungled the execution of Clayton Lockett . | f71e11fa63874d39ad3b6bca03c37c901a806195 |
By . Charles Sale . Follow @@charliesale . Top football agent Phil Smith has slammed the FA for banning him for six months, describing the punishment as ‘completely out of proportion’. Smith, whose First Artists agency has been one of the leading football businesses for over two decades, has been banned for two years, with 18 months suspended, for third-party ownership breaches. The FA decision prevents him from working during the transfer window this summer, which promises to be highly lucrative with Premier League clubs expected to spend a record sum. Not happy: Phil Smith has slammed the FA for banning him for six months for a deal involving Matt Phillips . Smith worked for Wycombe Wanderers in negotiating striker Matt Phillips’ move to Blackpool for £350,000 in 2010, with the selling club wanting to pay him a proportion of their 25 per cent sell-on arrangement rather than a straight agent’s commission. However the FA vetoed Wycombe’s proposal. But when Smith went back to Wycombe after Phillips’ £6million transfer to QPR last August, the club had changed ownership. And instead of recompensing Smith for his original work, the agent was reported to the FA. Smith said: ‘It’s ridiculous that I have been given such a ban when it was Wycombe who wanted to pay me that way. I earned nothing for this assistance, Wycombe earned in excess of £550,000. Yet the FA, in their supposed wisdom, felt I acted beyond the agent’s charter. ‘The FA are happy to apply their heavily over-staffed and hugely unsuccessful compliance department to punish those who try to help our game maximise its assets. I’ve been made a scapegoat for the FA failing to nail any proper third-party transactions involving a lot of money.’ ............................................................................................ The biggest objections to FIFA president Sepp Blatter allocating as much as £16million of Zurich’s money to the film United Passions, a vanity project about the history of football’s world ruling body, are expected to come from UEFA. And certainly the FA will not be impressed with a film that depicts the colonial pre-war rulers of English football as arrogant and out of touch (no change there, then) for refusing to have anything to do with the World Cups in 1930, 1934 and 1938. ............................................................................................ Chelsea have concerns over the way their chairman Bruce Buck has been portrayed during the Richard Scudamore sexist text scandal. Although Buck, a shooting pal of Scudamore, chairs the Premier League’s audit and remuneration committee, only a majority club vote can rule on their beleaguered chief executive’s fate. Yet the misconception demonstrates just why the League must reform their governance to a far more transparent and independent process. Watch: Richard Scudamore will be called to account by the FA to deliver his promises . Sepp Blatter, who is due to announce his candidacy for a fifth term as FIFA president at their congress in Sao Paulo next month, has been widely expected to stand unopposed in the 2015 election. Former FIFA executive Jerome Champagne, the only candidate so far, will certainly withdraw when Blatter becomes a certain runner. However, it’s understood that UEFA will definitely put up a candidate because their president Michel Platini does not want Blatter to be elected unopposed. The Frenchman is unlikely to put himself forward with so much on his plate in Europe. But Platini will search for a credible challenger who wouldn’t be embarrassed by an election defeat. No trouble: Sepp Blatter is widely expected to stand unopposed in the 2015 election . Shame of fans’ boss . The scenes at the end of the EnglandFans FC match against Frickley Athletic will not impress the FA, who had links with their official supporters’ club team before distancing themselves. EnglandFans manager Garford Beck stormed on to the pitch after the 5-5 draw – with Frickley winning on penalties — to confront the referee, calling him a cheat. The official then lunged at Beck before players from both sides rushed to keep them apart. Civil servant Beck said: ‘I was so angry for my players and I had a list of grievances that I wanted to talk to him about. I apologised afterwards for what I said.’ The FA respect campaign is obviously alive and well. | Phil Smith has been banned for third-party ownership breaches, but insists he is being used as a scapegoat by the FA . Sepp Blatter is widely expected to stand unopposed in the 2015 election . Chelsea have concerns over the way their chairman Bruce Buck has been portrayed during the Richard Scudamore sexist scandal . | 60732bc68776aca9a2a7dbcd449e4e5cc1b36dd0 |
By . Mark Prigg . The Antarctic ice sheet is melting at its fastest rate in history, it has been revealed. Three years of observations from ESA’s CryoSat satellite show that the Antarctic ice sheet is now losing 159 billion tonnes of ice each year – twice as much as when it was last surveyed. The polar ice sheets are a major contributor to the rise in global sea levels, and these newly measured losses from Antarctica alone are enough to raise global sea levels by 0.45 mm each year. Scroll down for video . Three years of measurements from the European CryoSat show that the Antarctic Ice Sheet is now losing 159 billion tonnes of ice each year, enough to raise global sea levels by 0.45 mm per year. Launched in 2010, CryoSat carries a radar altimeter that can measure the surface height variation of ice in fine detail, allowing scientists to record changes in its volume with unprecedented accuracy. CryoSat surveys almost all – 96% – of the Antarctic continent, reaching to within 215 km of the South Pole. In addition, it has increased coverage over coastal regions, where today’s ice losses are concentrated. These latest findings by a team of scientists from the UK’s Centre for Polar Observation and Modelling show that the pattern of imbalance continues to be dominated by glaciers thinning in the Amundsen Sea sector of West Antarctica. Between 2010 and 2013, West Antarctica, East Antarctica and the Antarctic Peninsula lost 134, 3 and 23 billion tonnes of ice each year, respectively. The average rate of ice thinning in West Antarctica has increased compared to previous measurements, and this area’s yearly loss is now one third more than measured over the five years before CryoSat’s launch. The data collected from 2010-2013 was compared to that from 2005-2010. 'We find that ice losses continue to be most pronounced along the fast-flowing ice streams of the Amundsen Sea sector, with thinning rates of 4-8 m per year near to the grounding lines – where the ice streams lift up off the land and begin to float out over the ocean – of the Pine Island, Thwaites and Smith Glaciers,' said Dr Malcolm McMillan from the University of Leeds, UK, and lead author of the study. This area has long been identified as the most vulnerable to changes in climate. Recent assessments say its glaciers may have passed a point of irreversible retreat. Launched in 2010, CryoSat carries a radar altimeter that can measure the surface height variation of ice in fine detail, allowing scientists to record changes in its volume with unprecedented accuracy. CryoSat surveys almost all – 96% – of the Antarctic continent, reaching to within 215 km of the South Pole. In addition, it has increased coverage over coastal regions, where today’s ice losses are concentrated. 'Thanks to its novel instrument design and to its near-polar orbit, CryoSat allows us to survey coastal and high-latitude regions of Antarctica that were beyond the capability of past altimeter missions, and it seems that these regions are crucial for determining the overall imbalance,' said Prof. Andrew Shepherd from the University of Leeds, UK, who led the study. The losses were most pronounced along the fast-flowing ice streams of the Amundsen Sea sector (pictured), with thinning rates of 4-8 m per year near to the grounding lines ¿ where the ice streams lift up off the land and begin to float out over the ocean . In particular, newly mapped areas by CryoSat in West Antarctica have now brought altimeter observations closer to estimates based on other approaches. This area has long been identified as the most vulnerable to changes in climate. Recent assessments say its glaciers may have passed a point of irreversible retreat. 'Although we are fortunate to now have, in CryoSat, a routine capability to monitor the polar ice sheets, the increased thinning we have detected in West Antarctica is a worrying development,' said Professor Shepherd. Vast glaciers in West Antarctica seem to be locked in an irreversible thaw linked to global warming that may push up sea levels for centuries, scientists have claimed. In a few hundred years they say the irreversible melt that has already started could eventually add four to 12 feet (1.2 to 3.7 metres) to current sea levels. A Nasa study looking at 40 years of ground, airplane and satellite data of what researchers call 'the weak underbelly of West Antarctica' shows the melt is happening faster than scientists had predicted, crossing a critical threshold that has begun a domino-like process. Two new studies indicate that part of the huge West Antarctic ice sheet is starting a slow collapse in an unstoppable way. Six glaciers, eaten away from below by a warming of sea waters around the frozen continent, were flowing fast into the Amundsen Sea, according to the report based on data from 1992 to 2011 . Two new studies indicate that part of the huge West Antarctic ice sheet is starting a slow collapse in an unstoppable way. Six glaciers, eaten away from below by a warming of sea waters around the frozen continent, were flowing fast into the Amundsen Sea, according to the report based on data from 1992 to 2011 . Evidence shows 'a large sector of the West Antarctic ice sheet has gone into a state of irreversible retreat', says lead author Eric Rignot of the University of California, Irvine, and Nasa's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California. 'It adds concrete evidence that dramatic changes are under way in this part of our planet. 'The challenge is to use this evidence to test and improve the predictive skill of climate models.' The findings were published in Geophysical Research Letters. 'We at ESA are extremely pleased to see CryoSat achieve yet another one of its primary mission objectives. 'It is a great testament to the hard work put in by the whole team, who have worked on the mission over the past 10 years,' said Tommaso Parrinello, CryoSat Mission Manager. | The polar ice sheets are a major contributor to the rise in global sea levels . Losses from Antarctica alone are enough to raise global sea levels by 0.45 mm each year . Recent claims say glaciers may have passed a point of irreversible retreat . | 6ee8d3ab65bae082f1ab39f9f2a435ad2247b7d1 |
Lord Howell, father-in-law to the Chancellor George Osborne, told peers that Britain was pressing for a 'realistic and sustainable' solution to Greece's debt crisis, which he warned was having a 'chilling effect' on the British economy. He said 'uncertainty in Greece must be brought to an end... without utterly destroying that noble country'. A woman sweeps in front of a graffiti-covered wall in Athens, Greec,e after the riots over cuts demanded in return for a bailout . His comments came amid mounting fury in Athens at the draconian austerity measures demanded by Germany in return for a second £110 billion bailout by the 17-strong Eurozone. In an alarming development there were also fresh signs of economic 'contagion' in Europe, with unemployment in Spain topping five million as its economy went into reverse. Official figures showed Spain's economy shrank by 0.3 per cent in the final quarter of last year, with unemployment jumping by 400,000 to 5.3 million. Leading ratings agency Moody's added to the bleak outlook by threatening to downgrade more than 120 banks, including several major British institutions, because of concerns about the Eurozone. A mannequin of a child stands behind the damaged window of a fashion store in the centre of the capital as resentment grows over euro zone treatment of Greece . In a gloomy assessment the former Tory Chancellor Lord Lamont described Greece as the 'canary in the mine' warning of the dangers ahead for the Eurozone. Lord Lamont said Greece was being forced to choose between the 'utterly impossible and utterly incredible'. He warned it now seemed a 'certainty' that Greece would be forced to leave the single currency, leaving the Eurozone facing a 'bleak future'. During angry exchanges in the Lords a UK Independence Party peer suggested that German economic policy recalled slogans used by the Nazis. Lord Willoughby said the German 'remedy' in Greece was 'austerity macht frei' - echoing the German phrase arbeit macht frei, meaning 'work sets you free'. The slogan was placed over the entrances to several Nazi concentration camps, including Auschwitz. Liberal Democrat Lord Teverson intervened on the UKIP peer to label the remark 'offensive'. The former Tory European commissioner Lord Tugendhat said Germany's overwhelming economic dominance following the crash was 'dangerous' for the EU. He said anti-German feeling was now 'rife in many European countries' - a development he described as 'very worrying and disturbing'. Anti-German feeling is running particularly high in Greece after Berlin's finance minister Wolfgang Schaeuble suggested the country was becoming a 'bottomless pit'. Some other northern European countries are also now thought to favour Greece leaving the euro. Greece's 82-year-old president Karolos Papoulias, a veteran of Greece's resistance struggle against the Nazi occupation, hit back angrily on Wednesday night, saying: 'Who is Mr Schaeuble to insult Greece? Who are the Dutch? Who are the Finnish?' Despite the row there were tentative signs last night that the Eurozone was moving closer to agreeing a bailout deal for Greece. Employees of the Labour Housing Organisation shout slogans during a protest outside the Labour Ministry in Athens today . Some senior officials suggested a deal could be struck as early as Monday. But it remained unclear whether the deal will amount to more than a temporary fix, with a final package delayed until after the Greek elections expected in April. European Commission president Jose Manuel Barroso yesterday sought to soothe tensions with Greece by praising the country's attempt to deal with an economy in freefall. Mr Barroso said: 'I would like to salute the courage of the Greek government and the Greek people in these very demanding, challenging times. Today's market: The FTSE rose today despite the turmoil in Europe . 'And I would hope that the member states, the members of the European Union will accept the commitments given by Greece.' But several European capitals retain severe doubts about whether Greece is willing or able to impose the level of cuts needed to tackle its debts and remain within the euro. In one small symbol of the scale of the challenge facing Greece it was reported yesterday that virtually every traffic light in central Athens was smashed during anti-austerity riots at the weekend. But the transport department is so strapped for cash that it cannot afford to replace them, leaving to disastrous congestion in the Greek capital. 'I am not sure even now whether all . in the political parties in Greece are aware of their responsibility for . the difficult situation of their country.' That prompted a furious response from Greek President Karolos Papoulias, an 82-year-old veteran of the resistance to Nazi occupation of Greece during World War Two, who lashed out at German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble. Schaeuble, who has likened Greece to a 'a bottomless pit', expressed doubt on Wednesday whether Athens would stick to new promises adopted by parliament on Monday as rioters torched and looted buildings across the capital. 'I cannot accept Mr Schaeuble insulting my country,' Papoulias riposted. 'Who is Mr Schaeuble to insult Greece? Who are the Dutch? Who are the Finnish?' 'Schaeuble Junta', ran a headline in the conservative Eleftheros Typos newspaper, harking back to Greece's painful spell under military rule during the 1960s and 1970s. Other Greek newspapers ran banners readeing 'In the gas chamber' and What the Germans want'. The front pages of three Greek newspapers, depicting German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble, from left to right, Dimokratia "In the gas chamber,'' Eleftheros Typos ''Schaeuble's Junta'' and Ta Nea ''What the Germans want" in Athens . The banking sector faces being broken up unless it shows a ‘step change’ in competition, the head of the Office of Fair Trading warned today. In a speech to bankers, John Fingleton said banks must provide the ‘right prompts’ to help customers decide whether or not they should switch account provider. The issue of bank account switching was flagged last year by the Independent Commission on Banking, which made several recommendations designed to make switching accounts more easy for customers. Mr Fingleton said: ‘It is not enough to make it easy to switch. Customers also need the right prompts to exercise their choice of provider.‘In banking markets consumers frequently face difficulties in understanding the true cost of running their account and comparing deals from alternative providers.’ He said the sector was at a ‘turning point’ with the emergence of new banks such as Virgin Money, Metro Bank and Tesco but said if ‘real change’ is not seen, a ‘radical approach’ must be considered. The OFT chief executive said he was prepared to hand the sector over to the Competition Commission and warned the industry could face the same outcome as airports operator BAA - a forced break-up. As uncertainty lingers, investors are . reassessing their assumption that Greece will get the money, prompting . big market movements today. While the euro slipped by 0.5 per . cent to below $1.30, stocks across Europe fell, with Italy's main market . underperforming its peers, trading down 1.9 per cent. Meanwhile, the yield on Italy's . ten-year bond has risen by 0.18 percentage points to 5.81 per cent while . Spain's rate has risen another 0.07 percentage points to 5.46 per cent, . a little down from earlier. Italy is a particular worry because . it is the eurozone's third-largest economy and its debt mountain stands . at around 1.9trillion euros, way more than anything Europe has committed . to its bailout facilities. Though the rates of both countries . are still down from the end of last year - when lack of confidence in . Italy's ability to pay its debt saw its yields bust the 7 per cent mark . while Spain hovered around 6.67 per cent - the increases have triggered . concerns that Europe's debt crisis is a long way from being solved. The pressure on the two countries had . eased in recent weeks, primarily because the European Central Bank . offered unlimited amounts of super-cheap long-term loans to banks. The mood was further darkened after a . leading ratings agency threatened more than 100 lenders with downgrades . in a sign that the single currency crisis is infecting the banking . system. Barclays, Royal Bank of Scotland and . HSBC were among 122 financial institutions to have their ratings placed . under review by Moody's. Shares in the banks fell more than one per . cent. A homeless man sleeps rough beneath a graffiti-covered wall in a train station in Athens today . Louise Cooper, markets analyst at BGC . Partners, said: ‘The language between those writing the cheques and . those cashing them is becoming increasingly critical and untrusting. This bailout deal is by no means assured, there are just so many details . missing and time and tempers are running short.’ Simon Denham, chief executive of . Capital Spreads, said: ‘You’d be forgiven for thinking that parts of . Europe were gearing up for a war after the comments that have been made . flung around the continent in recent days... 'The lack of trust from the likes of . Germany, France and other countries that Greece will not actually . implement the agreed austerity measures is fuelling a loathing amongst . the Greeks, especially against the Germans. 'The bail-out funds are still not guaranteed and this is rattling markets this morning.’ | Euro slides to three-week low against the dollar . Debt crisis having 'chilling effect' on British economy . Moody's threatens to downgrade 120 banks . | 6656b36f9e808cfa9f798c0db58f7d9c1a9eac44 |
By . Daily Mail Reporter . Last updated at 10:12 AM on 19th July 2011 . American children are safer being driven by their grandparents than by their parents, a new study has revealed. Researchers admitted they were 'surprised' by the findings, which shows children involved in accidents in cars driven by their older relatives are 50 per cent less likely to be injured. Previously, research has indicated that car crashes are more common in older drivers, mostly those aged over 65. Safer: Children driven by their grandparents are less likely to be injured in an accident, researchers have found. (Picture posed by models) Dr. Fred Henretig, an emergency medicine specialist at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and the study's lead author, said: 'We were surprised to discover that the injury rate was considerably lower in crashes where grandparents were the drivers.' The surprising results came from an analysis of insurance claims for 2003-07 car crashes in 15 states, involving nearly 12,000 children up to 15 years old. Only about 10 per cent of children in the study were driven by grandparents, but they suffered proportionately fewer injuries. Overall, 1.05 per cent of kids were injured when riding with parents, versus 0.70 per cent of those riding with grandparents - a 33 per cent lower risk. The difference was even more pronounced - 50 per cent - when the researchers took into account other things that could influence injury rates, including not using car seats, and older-model cars. Frazzled: Busy mothers and fathers could be more distracted and in a rush than the older generation . Dr Henretig, 64, said the study was prompted by his own experiences when his first grandchild was born three years ago. 'I found myself being very nervous on the occasions that we drove our granddaughter around and really wondered if anyone had ever looked at this before,' he said. Reasons for the unexpected findings are uncertain, but the researchers have a theory. 'Perhaps grandparents are made more nervous about the task of driving with the "precious cargo" of their grandchildren and establish more cautious driving habits' to compensate for any age-related challenges,' they wrote. Professor Joseph Schofer, a Northwestern University transport expert not involved in the research, noted that the average age of grandparents studied was 58. 'Grandparents today are not that old and don't fit the image of an impaired older driver,' he said. 'None of us should represent grandparents as kind of hobbling to the car on a walker.' Despite their surprising record, grandparents did fare less well on one measure of safety. Nearly all the children were in car seats or seat belts, but grandparents were slightly less likely to follow recommended practices, including rear-facing backseat car seats for infants and keeping youngsters out of the front seat. But that did not seem to make any difference to injury rates. The study does not include data on deaths, but Dr Henretig said there were very few. It also lacked information on the types of car trips involved; for example, driving in busy city traffic might increase chances for crashes with injuries. Professor Schofer said other unstudied circumstances could have played a role. For example, grandparents could be less distracted and less frazzled than busy parents dropping their kids off at school while rushing to get to work or to do errands. Driving trips might be 'quality time' for older drivers and their grandchildren, he said. | U.S. study analysed crashes involving 12,000 children in 15 states . Grandparents more cautious because of 'precious cargo' | 3f47f474210ab643eba2086d50ae5e13f340e072 |
By . Matt Chorley, Mailonline Political Editor and Jason Groves . PUBLISHED: . 06:39 EST, 24 June 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 18:33 EST, 24 June 2013 . Warning: Labour leader Ed Miliband last week raised doubts that safeguards could work to prevent arms falling into the hands of extremist groups . Ed Miliband has been invited to a secret security meeting today in an apparent attempt to persuade him to soften his opposition to arming Syrian rebels. The Labour leader will be briefed by spy chiefs and military top brass at the Government’s National Security Council (NSC), which is chaired by David Cameron. The pair have clashed over the idea of sending weapons to help end the civil war and Mr Miliband is expected to repeat concerns that arms could find their way to extremists, while backing moves for a peace conference. Labour sources denied his hands would be ‘dipped in blood’ by accepting the invitation and suggested the meeting was routine. Downing Street also played down his role, saying it ‘makes sense’ for opposition leaders to discuss foreign policy issues. Mr Miliband attended an NSC meeting just once before – during the Libyan crisis in 2011. It comes after Mr Miliband warned the Prime Minister he must ‘build the greatest possible consensus’ across political parties before intervening in Syria. The NSC is chaired by the Prime Minister to oversee all aspects of Britain’s security. The head of the armed forces and the intelligence agencies attend to brief ministers on the biggest threats at home and overseas. Permanent members include Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg, Chancellor George Osborne, Foreign Secretary William Hague and Home Secretary Theresa May. Defence Secretary Philip Hammond, International Development Secretary Justine Greening and security minister James Brokenshire are also expected to attend. Mr Cameron’s official spokesman said Mr Miliband would be expected to ‘contribute fully’ to the talks. Fire power: A Free Syrian Army fighter is seen carrying his weapon near the frontline in the Al-Sakhour neighborhood of Aleppo last week, as the row grows over the UK providing lethal support . ‘They will be talking about a number of issues including Afghanistan, Iran and Syria. ‘It makes sense to discuss major issues of foreign policy and that’s what is happening tomorrow.’ However, the policy differences are most stark over the issue of Syria. Mr Miliband has accused the Prime . Minister of spending too much ‘political capital and energy’ on lifting . the EU arms embargo to supply weapons to the rebels, without securing a . major breakthrough at last week’s G8 summit. There . are growing fears that any move by Britain to arm opposition forces . could see weapons falling into the hands of extremist groups with links . to Al Qaeda. The Labour leader has questioned what safeguards the government believes could work in practice to stop this happening. In the Commons last week Mr Miliband . urged Mr Cameron ‘to proceed with the greatest possible clarity on his . strategy and purpose and to seek to build the greatest possible . consensus across this House’. Talks: The G8 summit in Northern Ireland, hosted by David Cameron, was dominated last week by global divisions over how to end the bloody conflict . The Prime Minister appeared to signal a change in approach, and suggested he wanted to reach cross-party agreement. ‘I appreciate the fact that [Mr Miliband] has tried to provide consensus on issues of foreign policy - we should always try to do that, and I hope we can re-forge that consensus in the months ahead.’ But he defended the decision to push for the lifting of the EU arms embargo. ‘ It sent a powerful signal that there is not a moral equivalence between Assad on the one hand and the official opposition, who want a democratic Syria, on the other. ‘That has helped to add to the pressure. There is a huge danger that people will fall into the trap of believing Assad’s argument, which is that the only alternative to him is terrorism and extremism. ‘We should stand for something else in the House and in this country - we should stand up for people who want democracy, freedom and the sorts of things we take for granted right here.’ | Labour leader to attend Downing Street talks with senior ministers . Has warned of dangers of arms falling into hands of extremists . Downing Street insists no decision has been made to provide weapons . | fef834dd8a06bab1a1e3fce38d16702b285f7a26 |
Fans of Comme de Garçons say that Whole Foods has taken inspiration from the brand's heart-shaped PLAY logo . PUBLISHED: . 16:32 EST, 15 October 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 16:57 EST, 15 October 2013 . Fans of the Comme des Garçons PLAY label are drawing similarities between its 15-year-old logo and an apple illustration on Whole Foods market’s fall shopping bag. The PLAY logo, a red heart with almond-shaped eyes, looks ‘separated at birth’ from Whole Foods’s red apple with round eyes, say Instagram users, who have taken to social media to air their opinion about the two designs’ congruencies. Neither brand has issued comment on the likeness, but that hasn’t stopped one crafty Instagrammer, artist Richard Haines, from turning the discussion into an art project. He painted the Whole Foods bag for it to better resemble Comme’s insignia. 'Separated at birth': Instagram users are pointing to similarities between Comme des Garçons PLAY's logo (L) and an apple on Whole Foods's new shopping bag (R) Comme des Garçons designer Rei Kawakubo, known for her avant garde, forward-thinking designs, launched PLAY as a sportswear-influenced, casual diffusion line in 2002. Its array of classic clothes has lined the shelves of lauded stores including Colette, 10 Corso Como, and CDG’s own Dover Street Market. The label’s quirky heart with a sinister stare has become its calling card, and holds so much commercial value that in 2009 Converse launched a collaboration with the brand. They applied PLAY’s little heart to its basic Chuck Taylor styles, changing little else, and charged $100 for per pair (twice the cost of the same Converse sneakers without a logo). The collection was such a success that the collaboration is still ongoing, four years later. Play time: Comme des Garçons PlAY's logo (L) is often included on the brand's classic, streetwear-influenced casualwear (R) Some would even say that the Comme . des Garçons heart has become an international calling card for a certain . echelon of relaxed, artistically-inclined cool. So it’s not unbelievable that the label’s legion of diehard fans would become a bit agitated by an apple resembling their favorite insignia. The two illustrations do appear similar in the way that they are both red, have cartoonish black-and-white eyes, and no mouth. It . is not clear if Whole Foods took direct inspiration from Comme des . Garçons PLAY when developing the apple shopping bag. The recycled paper . bag launched in-stores in July, a store employee told MailOnline. Representatives for both Comme des . Garçons and Whole Foods did not wish to offer comment on the matter. But . plenty of people on Instagram have. Response: Cherry Bombe magazine's Instagram dispatch about the Whole Foods bag received countless replies from the title's followers . CFDA CEO Steven Kolb used the Pic Stitch app to illustrate the similarities between the two illustrations, writing ‘separated at birth’ in the photo’s caption. Rising magazine Cherry Bombe, an independent title that fuses the worlds of food and fashion, dispatched a photo of the bag, writing: ‘Did Wholefoods get Comme des Garçons to design their new grocery bags?’ Many followers commented on the image, expressing that they had been making a comparison as well. Art project: Artist Richard Haines painted over the Whole Foods bag to make the market's apple look like the Comme heart insignia . Artist Richard Haines took the matter even further. He painted over the Whole Foods’s apple to make it look like the Comme heart. ‘The new Whole Foods apple shopping bags remind me of CdG Play,’ he wrote on an Instagram of his first take at transforming the bag, where he changed the outline of the apple’s body to look like a heart. The art project continued with an additional dispatch. ‘Collaboration Complete,’ he wrote on a new photo, taken after he used white paint to give the newly-minted Whole Foods heart a more slanted-eye, sinister, and very Comme glare. | Fans of Comme de Garçons say that Whole Foods has taken inspiration from the brand's heart-shaped PLAY logo . | add36659515931f3d046140c65c84ac06184de83 |
He was the man who rescued his beloved Wolverhampton Wanderers from ruin, spent £60million on securing their return to the top flight, then sold the club for £10 to secure more investment. He was the man who donated so much to charity that Wolves staff will need to sift through pages and pages to calculate the final total. He was the man who demanded staff wear a tie on match days. Sir Jack Hayward died on Tuesday, aged 91. There may never be another football-club owner quite like him. Sir Jack Hayward poses outside Molineux stadium before a home game for Wolves . Born on June 14, 1923, less than half a mile from Molineux Stadium, Jack was only five years old when he first crawled under the turnstiles to watch his team. His final match was Jody Craddock’s testimonial in May, two days after Wolves beat Carlisle to gain promotion to the Championship with a record points haul. In between, Sir Jack bought Wolves for £2m in 1990 and spent far more trying to reach the Premier League, a dream realised for a single season in 2003. Former owner and chairman of Wolves Sir Jack Hayward holds a sign renaming Molineux Way . Hayward sold Wolves to current chairman Steve Morgan for £10 and a promise of £30million investment . Four years later he sold up to Steve Morgan for just a tenner, on the proviso that the new custodian would pump in £30million. It was a decision that caused deep divisions within Sir Jack’s family but ensured a prosperous future for the club. Their fabulous stadium, which fell impeccably silent for a minute of respect before Tuesday’s FA Cup third-round replay against Fulham, is testimony to that. As is the pristine training ground bearing Sir Jack’s name. Based predominantly in the Bahamas, the islands where he made his £160m fortune through developing the city of Freeport, he was nevertheless unfailingly patriotic, earning the nickname Union Jack through sustained philanthropy over many years. Hayward celebrates promotion to the Premier League with then manager Dave Jones back in 2003 . After battling illness for several months, Sir Jack passed away in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Jez Moxey, Wolves chief executive since 2000, paid tribute to his friend. ‘He was an all-round good guy and we are heartbroken at his loss,’ said Moxey. ‘He was the most generous-hearted, kind man you could ever want to meet. But he also had a ruthless streak that was as tough as anyone. ‘He was very principled. Certain things other people didn’t think were important were very important to him. I remember Derek Harrington, the vice-chairman, said to me: “Jez, on match day make sure you wear a tie. Sir Jack demands it”. ‘The club could have gone out of business at the time he stepped in. It certainly would not have been nurtured and loved the way it has to create what we have now. Hayward looks delighted as he holds a scarf after becoming Wolves chairman in 1990 . Hayward (centre) stand with supporters during a Wolves game back in 1991 . ‘Unfortunately, a lot of people measure football simply by league position, how many points you have got. But he had a philanthropic approach to it, as an asset for the city, to be saved for the fans, and managed in a way befitting of him as a patriot of the club. ‘We’ve tried to do that. Sir Jack’s influence remains as strong today as it was when he was the chairman.’ At times during his tenure, Sir Jack, whose generosity extended to buying Lundy Island for the National Truest, regretted the way he had let his heart rule his head on how money was invested — famously labelling himself the ‘Golden Tit’ in 1999. But, spurred on by the glory years he witnessed in the 1950s, he continued to invest and was at the Millennium Stadium in 2003 to see Wolves beat Sheffield United in the play-off final to reach the Premier League. ‘He lived in Whitmore Reans, a stone’s throw from Molineux, and used to climb under the turnstiles to watch his heroes,’ recalled Moxey. ‘He went on to fulfil a lifelong dream of owning the club.’ | Sir Jack Hayward was Wolves owner for 17 years between 1990 and 2007 . His reign saw the club win promotion to the Premier League in 2003 . Sold the club to Steve Morgan for £10 to secure more investment . Hayward died aged 91 on Tuesday after months of illness . | c0ea0e05fb90f362fc53ff9c08b0bfcc21b698fa |
CABO SAN LUCAS, Mexico (CNN) -- After making landfall on Mexico's Baja California peninsula, Category 1 Hurricane Jimena was weakening Wednesday night, forecasters said. After making landfall on Baja California, Hurricane Jimena started weakening Wednesday night. The storm made landfall Wednesday afternoon between Puerto San Andresito and San Juanico, Mexico, the National Hurricane Center said. As of 8 p.m. ET, the center of Jimena was located near San Buenaventura, Mexico, and about 40 miles (64 kilometers) south of Santa Rosalia, Mexico. It was moving north at near 12 mph (19 kph), and was expected to turn northwest and slow Wednesday night before turning west on Thursday. "On the forecast track, the center of Jimena will move over the central Baja California peninsula tonight and Thursday, then move into the Pacific west of Baja California late Thursday or Thursday night," the Hurricane Center said. See the storm's projected path » . The storm's maximum sustained winds had decreased slightly, to 80 mph (129 kph) with higher gusts, the hurricane center said. Jimena is expected to weaken into a tropical storm Wednesday night, forecasters said. At its peak Tuesday, Jimena was a Category 4 storm, with winds of 145 mph (233 kph). A hurricane warning remained in effect for parts of the Baja peninsula, from Bahia Magdalena north to Punta Abreojos on the west coast, and from San Evaristo north to Mulege on the east coast, the Hurricane Center said. A hurricane warning means hurricane conditions, including winds of at least 74 mph (119 kph), are expected within 24 hours. A tropical storm warning and hurricane watch were in effect for the Baja California peninsula north of Punta Abreojos to Punta Eugenia on the west coast, and north of Mulege to Bahia San Juan Bautista on the east coast. A tropical storm warning was in effect for the peninsula north of Punta Eugenia to San Jose de las Palomas on the west coast, and north of Bahia San Juan Bautista to Bahia de los Angeles on the east coast. A tropical storm warning also was issued for northwestern mainland Mexico, from Huatabampito to Bahia Kino, the Hurricane Center said. A tropical storm warning means conditions including winds of at least 39 mph (63 kph) are expected within 24 hours. Jimena is expected to produce between 5 and 10 inches of rain over the southern half of the peninsula, with 15 inches possible on some areas. "These rains could produce life-threatening floods and mudslides," the Hurricane Center said. In addition, "a dangerous storm surge along with large and dangerous battering waves will produce significant coastal flooding along the Baja California peninsula," forecasters said. CNN's Betty Nguyen, Matt Cherry and Ninette Sosa contributed to this report. | Storm hits between Puerto San Andresito and San Juanico, Mexico . Jimena expected to weaken into a tropical storm Wednesday night . Hurricane warning remains in effect for parts of the Baja peninsula Wednesday night . Jimena could bring up to 10 inches of rain to Baja California, western Mexico . | 3a5155db8afe0a1cf4ce77460da3c0c697d41a02 |
By . Paul Thompson . Revelations: A book written by Amanda Knox 'will shock you the core', according to the lawyer . A book written by Amanda Knox 'will shock you the core', according to the lawyer who set up her $4m publishing deal. Robert Barnett insisted the autobiography 'Waiting to be Heard' will still be published next month despite an Italian court ordering a re-trial for Knox. The decision by Italy's highest court to overturn the 25 year old's acquittal for the murder of British student Meredith Kercher will also have no effect on her first TV interview to be broadcast on April 30th. Barnett said Knox's book about her arrest, trial and eventual release from jail in Italy is 'very parents nightmare.' He hinted that the book will contain major revelations that will help sway public opinion in favour of Knox. He said:'People will see when Amanda Knox goes public with her interview with Diane Sawyer on ABC [on April 30] that she is mature beyond her years. 'She is extremely smart. She has taken a set of experiences that are almost impossible to imagine and learned from them and marched through them with incredible dignity and respect. 'What she went through is in some ways every parent's nightmare, if not every person's nightmare. She was caught up in a set of terrible circumstances that were not her doing and lost 4½ years of her young life to an inappropriate and improper conviction. Retrial: Amanda Knox holds hands with her boyfriend James Terrano in downtown Seattle on Sunday . 'While people know the story of the trial, they don't know the personal story, the family's story, the prison story and, believe it or not, the legal story.' Decision: Knox is to face a retrial over the 2007 murder of Meredith Kercher . He added to The Hollywood Reporter:'Aspects of that revealed in the book will shock you to the core.' Barnett helped negotiate an estimated $4m advance for 25 year old Knox following her return to her home in Seattle, Washington, from prison in Perugia, Italy. The Washington DC based lawyer has previously negotiated book deals for former President Bill Clinton and his wife Hillary. Yesterday Amanda Knox collapsed and had to be . supported by her boyfriend when she was told she would face a . retrial over the murder of Meredith Kercher. The . American was at home with her family in Seattle when she received a . phone call at 2am telling her an Italian court had quashed her acquittal . for the killing. She . was shattered by the news, and turned to her lover James Terrano in an . attempt to 'keep positive' despite the new development. Knox, . 25, will not voluntarily return to Italy to stand trial, and is . unlikely to be extradited by her native U.S. - she will therefore . probably be tried in absentia. The colour ran from her face as she heard the news,' a source told the Sun. Her lawyer phoned her family home in . the early hours of the morning after she had gathered relatives and . friends together to wait for confirmation of the court's decision. Jailed: Knox, 25, and Sollecito, 29, spent four . years in jail, but were freed on appeal in 2011 largely on the grounds . DNA evidence was flawed . 'She hugged James and then the rest of the family,' the source said. 'They are trying to keep positive but it is hard.' Yesterday’s ruling by the supreme court in Rome means the case will be tried again next year. Judges . accepted that there were ‘contradictions’ in the case, quashing the . acquittal of Knox and her ex-boyfriend Raffaele Sollecito, . 29. In a dramatic turnaround, the pair, . who both spent four years behind bars before they were cleared, were . told they must stand trial again for the murder of the 21-year-old . British student. Knox, who has rebuilt her life in her . home town of Seattle, cannot be compelled by Italian law to . appear at the retrial and might not face extradition for years, if at . all. er lawyer Carlo Dalla Vedova said: . ‘Amanda does not intend to come back for the retrial. Her home is in . Seattle and she doesn’t need to be here.’ Amanda Knox and Raffaele Sollecito were seen kissing in the wake of the murder . He added that the decision to order a . new trial was shocking. ‘She thought that the nightmare was over,’ he . said on the steps of the courthouse. ‘But she’s ready to fight.’ Within minutes of the ruling, Knox . issued a statement condemning it. The girl known worldwide by her . self-awarded nickname 'Foxy Knoxy' said: ‘It was painful to receive the . news that the Italian supreme court decided to send my case back for . revision when the prosecution’s theory of my involvement in Meredith’s . murder has been repeatedly revealed to be completely unfounded and . unfair. ‘I believe that any questions as to my innocence must be examined by an objective investigation and a capable prosecution. ‘The prosecution responsible for the . many discrepancies in their work must be made to answer for them, for . Raffaele’s sake, my sake, and most especially for the sake of Meredith’s . family.’ | Knox was comforted by boyfriend James Terrano after news of retrial . 25-year-old will not return to Italy for trial so it will take place in absentia . Returned to U.S. after she and Raffaele Sollecito were cleared in 2011 . Meredith, 21, was found dead in the house she and Knox shared in Perugia . Knox and then-boyfriend Sollecito spent four years in jail for murder . | 543b66dc72f929e3fe296bf4cd591aae49a3ccd2 |
President Barack Obama stepped into an oil-slicked Keystone Pipeline mess on his way out of town Friday, contradicting the findings of his own State and Energy Departments. The pipeline, a 1,179-mile long planned conduit stretching from Albert, Canada to the Gulf of Mexico, has generated environmental controversy that the administration pledged to weigh against the project's economic impact. Obama claimed Friday during a press conference before he left for an extended vacation that America would hardly notice the $8 billion enterprise's impact on their pocketbooks. 'At issue in Keystone is not American oil. It is Canadian oil that is drawn out of tar sands in Canada,' he told a packed press briefing room. Obama made no mention of oil from Montana and North Dakota that will be incorporated into the three-foot-wide pipeline's load if the project gets a green-light from Congress in the new year. SCROLL DOWN FOR VIDEO . NOT IMPRESSED: Obama said the Keystone pipeline will bring little benefit to Americans and won't include oil from American wells. The three-foot-wide pipeline, pieces of which are seen here, will wend its way through 1,179 miles of North America on a path from Alberta, Canada, to the Gulf coast of Texas . North Dakota Senator John Hoeven (left) disputes Obama's contentions about the pipeline, and has helped recruit key Democrats including West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin to is side with arguments about energy independence . 'It would save Canadian oil companies and the Canadian oil industry an enormous amount of money if they could simply pipe it all the way through the United States down to the Gulf,' he said, casting the enterprise as a sop to businesses north of the border. Incoming Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said this week that a Keystone approval bill will be his chamber's first agenda item in January. But the president hedged his bets on what he would do if a united, Republican-led Congress dropped that legislation on his desk. 'I'll see what they do,' he said. 'We'll take that up in the New Year.' A reporter asked Obama if he had been short-selling the economic benefits of the pipeline, and he shot back that 'I don’t think I’ve minimized the benefits, I think I’ve described the benefits.' And those, he said, were slim. 'There is very little impact, nominal impact, on U.S. gas prices – what the average American consumer cares about – by having this pipeline come through,' he claimed. 'There’s a global oil market. It's very good for Canadian oil companies and it's good for the Canadian oil industry, but it’s not going to be a huge benefit to U.S. consumers.' 'It’s not even going to be a nominal benefit to U.S. consumers,' Obama said, putting an exclamation point on his argument. Republican North Dakota Sen. John Hoeven fired back, telling DailyMail.com that the president's judgment was 'just not accurate.' 'The president said that the pipeline would move only Canadian oil and that it would all be exported. He’s wrong on both counts,' said Hoeven. 'The Keystone XL pipeline will also carry light sweet crude from North Dakota and Montana, and the president's own Department of Energy produced a report that said the oil would be used in the United States.' That report, a June 2011 memorandum, came from the desk of Carmine DiFiglio, the department's deputy assistant secretary for policy analysis. NORTH DAKOTA CRUDE: Rancher Bob Banderet stands in front of the Keystone pumping station that will move oil from the state into the main pipeline – something Obama said Friday won't happen . Hoeven also had an answer for Obama's insistence on Friday that the project's chief negative remains the threat of an outsize environmental footprint that could drive new levels of climate change. 'I want to make sure that if, in fact, this project goes forward, that it's not adding to the problem,' Obama said. 'If we've got more flooding, more wildfires, more drought, there are direct economic impacts on that.' But Hoeven said Obama forgot to count the environmental impact of the Alberta tar sands oil's current mode of transportation. TransCanada, the company that has been angling to build the pipeline since 2008, is shipping the oil 'through rail or trucks,' the president said during his press conference. The North Dakota senator suggested that he should read the latest environmental impact report from his own State Department. That report, he said, concluded that 'it would take 1,400 tanker rail cars every day to ship the same amount of oil as the pipeline.' 'Ironically, not building the pipeline will result in more emissions from trucks, trains and oil tankers than would ever be produced by the Keystone XL pipeline.' NOT QUITE: Sen. Mary Landrieu, a Louisiana Democrat, was one vote shy of passing a Keystone pipeline approval bill in November, and her failure helped a Republican snatch her seat away in an election runoff . It's unclear whether Obama is laying the groundwork for a veto. But ultimately the Nebraska Supreme Court could have as much to say about the outcome as the White House. Governor Dave Heineman has approved the pipeline's route through his state, but a group of landowners challenged that decision. If they prevail, TransCanada will have to start over with Nebraska's Public Services Commission and find a new path through the Cornhusker State. That could take as long as a year. Louisiana Democratic Sen. Mary Landrieu tried to make approving Keystone the cornerstone of her failed bid to keep her seat in November and December. She was among the president's allies who have deserted him on the issue. Oil refineries dot Landrieu's state like chicken pox and provide Louisianans with a recession-proof economic baseline. She tried in mid-November to marshal the 60 votes in the Senate required to break a logjam and approve the pipeline, but she fell short by just one. The House of Representatives passed its version of the bill by a wide margin. | Senator John Hoeven, a North Dakota Republican, says his state and Montana are both planning to move crude oil on the $8 billion pipeline . Obama said his chief concern with the TransCanada company's project is the environmental impact . Hoeven said the Canadian oil's current transport – trucks and trains – have a bigger climate change impact than the pipeline . The president spoke at a year-end press conference before jetting to Hawaii for an extended vacation . Incoming Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said this week that approving the 1,179-mile pipeline will be the Senate's first job in January . But the Nebraska Supreme Court could decide next month to reject its proposed path through the state, setting the project back months or longer . | fe92825c9b171fad9bce84d0e3d8bb9dea2418d4 |
By . Alex Ward . PUBLISHED: . 11:11 EST, 22 November 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 14:13 EST, 22 November 2012 . A lorry driver who killed a policeman who had stopped to help a woman on a motorway with a flat tyre has been jailed. PC Mark Goodlad, 41, was helping a female motorist with a flat tyre when Andrew Abernethy’s truck smashed into his marked BMW X5 police car on the southbound carriageway of the M1 near Wakefield in West Yorkshire. Abernethy, from Oldham, Greater Manchester, admitted dangerous driving and was found to be travelling at around 56mph when the accident occurred in October last year. Motorway collision: PC Mark Goodlad (left) was killed when Andrew Abernethy (right) drove his lorry at 'full speed' into Mr Goodlad's stationary police car, pinning him between two cars . The 45-year-old claimed he had something irritating his left eye as his lorry, carrying a 17,000lbs load of bedding, drifted from the lane onto the hard shoulder, partly mounting the grass verge. He then smashed into Mr Goodlad’s car, pinning him between his vehicle and Sharon Burgess’ Suzuki Swift as he helped her. Father-of-one Mr Goodlad, who had remarried just months earlier, was getting the spare tyre out of Mrs Burgess’ car at the time. He was freed by firemen but died soon afterwards from multiple injuries. Mrs Burgess was slightly injured and has suffered psychological trauma since the accident, Leeds Crown Court heard. In sentencing Abernethy to two years and . nine months jail, Judge Scott Wolstenholme said: ‘You were not paying . attention to the road for a considerable time and all along trundling . along in that enormous truck at fifty miles an hour.’ After the case, Mr Goodlad's widow Helen said: ‘The past thirteen months have been agonising. Mounted the verge: Abernethy admitted to dangerous driving after claiming he had something irritating his left eye when his lorry drifted off the road and hit Mr Goodlad's police car (pictured) ‘We all know that Mr Abernethy did . not set out that day with the intention of taking a life but it is . without doubt that he is solely responsible for the death of my husband . Mark.’ Abernethy had started driving that . day just one hour earlier, travelling from his depot in Middleton, . Manchester, and was on his way to Chesterfield when the collision . happened, the court heard. Jailed: Abernethy arrives at Leeds Crown Court where he was jailed for two years, nine months for the accident . Andrew Dallas, prosecuting, said that there was no suggestion that Abernethy, a father of a teenage daughter, had fallen asleep at the wheel before the late afternoon crash. The driver claimed he had suddenly got a pain in his left eye and had taken his spectacles off to ‘remove a foreign object’. Abernethy said he had woken up that morning feeling a pain in his left eye and a hospital examination did discover an abrasion on the cornea. He failed to notice that his lorry was drifting onto the hard shoulder and said he did not see the police vehicle, which had its flashing warning lights on, until the last second. Other drivers said they saw the lorry slowly drift from motorway onto the hard shoulder and one claimed it then hit the police car ‘at full speed’. Experts said that the lorry could have . travelled for up to 10 seconds for 820ft along the hard shoulder, . drifting partly onto the grass verge. Judge Wolstenholme said he was satisfied . that Abernethy had a problem with his eye but said he had failed to pay . attention to the road ahead. Abernethy will serve half his jail sentence and was banned from driving for three years. Mrs . Goodlad said her husband was her ‘life,’ adding: ‘There are no words to . describe how much I love and miss him. He was the most incredible, . honourable and inspirational person that one could hope to meet. ‘Mark . loved his job and took great pride in his duties; he never overlooked . any opportunity to help people because that’s why he joined the force . and that’s where he found himself that day - at the side of a lady . needing help. ‘It is no exaggeration to say he was one in a billion.’ Hit at 'full speed': Experts said that the lorry could have travelled for up to 10 seconds for 820ft along the hard shoulder before hitting the police car . Agonising: Mr Goodlad, pictured with his son Ben and wife Helen, was an 'honourable and inspirational person,' his wife said . Loved his job: Wife Helen, pictured with Mr Goodlad, said he never overlooked the opportunity to help others 'and that's where he found himself that day' | PC Mark Goodlad died when he was pinned between two cars . Andrew Abernethy was jailed for two years and nine months for the crash . He was travelling at around 56mph when the accident occurred last year . He claimed he had something irritating his eye . | 06112e047bd0cd34947fec6743ed790aa37aaf24 |
(CNN) -- It's been 145 years since Abraham Lincoln appeared on a ballot, but admiration for the man who saved the union and sparked the end of slavery is as strong as ever, according to a new survey. Abraham Lincoln, seen in an 1861 photo, tops the list of former presidents in a new survey of historians. Lincoln finished first in a ranking by historians of the 42 former White House occupants. The survey was released over Presidents Day weekend. The news wasn't quite as good for the latest addition to the nation's most exclusive fraternity: George W. Bush finished 36th in the survey, narrowly edging out the likes of historical also-rans Millard Fillmore, Warren Harding and Franklin Pierce. James Buchanan -- the man who watched helplessly as the nation lurched toward civil war in the 1850s -- finished last. "As much as is possible, we created a poll that was non-partisan, judicious and fair-minded," said Rice University professor Douglas Brinkley, who helped organize the survey of 65 historians for cable television network C-SPAN. The survey -- which asked participants to rank each president on 10 qualities of leadership ranging from public persuasion and economic management to international relations and moral authority -- was the network's second since 2000. See which presidents ranked highest and lowest » . The hero of Springfield, Illinois, finished first nine years ago as well. "It's fitting that for the 200th birthday of Abraham Lincoln that he remains at the top of these presidential rankings," Brinkley said. "Lincoln continues to rank at the top in all categories because he is perceived to embody the nation's avowed core values: integrity, moderation, persistence in the pursuit of honorable goals, respect for human rights, compassion," Howard University's Edna Medford added. Founding father George Washington finished second in the new survey, followed by Franklin D. Roosevelt, Theodore Roosevelt, and Harry Truman, in that order. Bill Clinton registered the greatest gain among recent presidents, jumping from 21st to 15th in the survey. Ronald Reagan edged forward from 11th to 10th overall, while George H.W. Bush moved up from 20th to 18th. The prize for the greatest jump in approval from historians over the last nine years, however, went to a president who has often sat near the bottom of such rankings: Ulysses S. Grant. The Civil War general jumped 10 notches, from 33rd to 23rd. Grant has traditionally received poor marks for corruption among people in his administration and the failed postwar reconstruction effort he presided over. But the nation's 18th president may be getting a bounce from all of the recent attention focused on Lincoln, Medford said. "Grant won the war for Lincoln," she noted during an appearance on C-SPAN's "Washington Journal." "A new look at the totality of his career may be improving his presidential stature," she said. "Bill Clinton and Ulysses S. Grant aren't often mentioned in the same sentence -- until now," historian Richard Norton Smith said. "Participants in the latest [survey] have boosted each man significantly higher than in the original survey conducted in 2000. All of which goes to show two things: the fluidity with which presidential reputations are judged, and the difficulty of assessing any president who has only just recently left office." In his final news conference before stepping down last month, George W. Bush made it clear he wasn't concerned with poor initial judgments of his presidency. "There is no such thing as short-term history," Bush said. "I don't think you can possibly get the full breadth of an administration until time has passed." The survey's participants ranked Bush 41st on international relations and 40th on economic management -- ahead of only Herbert Hoover. | 65 historians ranked former presidents on various leadership qualities . Abraham Lincoln ranked highest, as he did in similar survey done in 2000 . James Buchanan, who watched as nation lurched toward civil war, came in last . George W. Bush ranks 36th among the 42 former presidents . | b91b5b8460548a9f06373e2e9981f3c05322d423 |
By . Mark Prigg . Health sensors and devices can get better if rival companies work together, Samsung has claimed as it revealed a new smart wristband. The Korean giant revealed a plan to allow manufacturers to use the same core components - much like the mobile phone market. It also revealed an online service to track the data - just days before Apple is expected to reveal its 'Healthbook' app for the iPhone. Last night, Samsung revealed a new smart wristband and announced plans to let manufacturers use the same core components - much like the mobile phone market. Ram Fish, Vice President of Digital Health for Samsung is pictured displaying the Simband . Although a full set of features has not been released, Samsung said the gadget would read: . heart rate . blood flow . respiration . galvanic skin response . hydration . gas and glucose concentrations blood . substances carried in the surrounding air . 'There is a tremendous opportunity at the intersection of health and technology,' said Young Sohn, president and chief strategy officer for Samsung Electronics’ Device Solutions. 'This is the single greatest opportunity of our generation. 'This is a big enough challenge—we cannot do it alone, we have to do it with partners.' Samsung expects to make 'beta' test versions of its Simband wristband and SAMI data service later this year. It has been partnering with scientists from the University of California, San Francisco and other institutions to test its devices and offer suggestions. The system would also include ways to exchange and analyze data. Samsung believes that could help detect heart problems and other medical conditions sooner. Third-party app developers could also tap that data, with a user's permission, to recommend exercise and diets, for instance. Samsung presented its vision for wearable devices at a San Francisco event ahead of next week's developers conference by rival Apple. There is widespread speculation that Apple has been working on wearable devices, and its products tend to use proprietary technologies. However, an open system would be a departure for Samsung as well. Its Gear wristwatches and fitness devices currently work only with Samsung phones. Smartwatches from Sony and other manufacturers tend to work with a wider range of Android phones. The Simband sensor module is packed with sensors, and Samsung hopes other manufacturers with use the same components . Young Sohn, Samsung's president and chief strategy officer, described the Gear devices as a second-generation product. The first generation consisted of fitness-tracking apps downloaded on smartphones. Future devices, he said, would be able to collect more vital signs and send you to a doctor before you get symptoms. Set to be called Healthbook the app is expected to be included in a new version of Apple's iOS software that will launch alongside its health-tracking wristband. He compared them to cars embedded with sensors to warn you of low air pressure and other troubles. Samsung is also trying to improve usability by allowing users to recharge the Simband while wearing it. With current devices, users typically have to remove their devices for recharging every few days. | Simband wristband an online service set to launch this year . Comes as Apple is believe to be preparing a 'healthbook' app which could launch next week . Apple also believed to be developing iWatch with built in health sensors . | ffa8e2b0f630e94c5030aa3fbd999e2cbc69298b |
By . Eleanor Harding . PUBLISHED: . 22:02 EST, 6 May 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 08:23 EST, 7 May 2013 . The UK is now a worse place to give birth than even Slovenia and Estonia, according to research. Britain has failed to rank among the top 20 places to be a mother – coming in at a meagre number 23. Researchers say the UK’s poor rating is partially down to higher infant and mother mortality rates than in other parts of Europe. It means this country is now a worse place to have a baby than former Soviet and Balkan countries, which have seen rapid improvements in living standards. The Mother's Index assesses mothers' wellbeing using indicators of maternal health, under-five mortality, levels of women's education, income, and political status. Britain is also four places below Greece, despite the country’s economic turmoil. 1 - Finland . 2 - Sweden . 3 - Norway . 4 - Iceland . 5 - Netherlands . 6 - Denmark . 7 - Spain . 8 - Belgium . 9 - Germany . 10 - Australia . 11 - Austria . 12 - Switzerland . 13 - Portugal . 14 - Slovenia . 15 - Singapore . 16 - France . 17 - Italy . 18 - New Zealand . 19 - Greece . 20 - Ireland . 21 - Estonia . 22 - Canada . 23 - United Kingdom . 24 - Czech Republic . 25 - Israel . The table was compiled as part of Save the Children’s State of the World’s Mothers report, published today. In the Mothers’ Index, which looks at . how countries around the world are succeeding in saving the lives of . mothers and newborn babies, Finland, Sweden and Norway took the top . three slots respectively. Ireland ranked at number 20, the US at number 30, Germany at 9 and France number 16. Last year, the UK ranked 10th – but a . spokesman for the charity said the criteria had changed since then so . its fall to 23rd was not a fair like-for-like comparison. One of the main differences is that the number of indicators has been reduced from 12 to five. The index now assesses mothers’ wellbeing using indicators of maternal health, under-five mortality and . levels of women’s education, income, and political status. The charity said: ‘Reducing the . number of indicators shines a spotlight on what matters most in the . lives of mothers and their children. ‘The indicators now primarily capture . important outcomes.’ Researchers said education was an important . factor because children of educated women were more likely to survive . and be healthy. Political status was measured by recording the number of women in national government in each country. It is a factor because when women . have a voice in politics, issues important to mothers and children are . more likely to surface on the national agenda. Income was measured as gross national income per capita and indicates how many resources the mother would have access to. Coming in at number 23, the UK has . fewer women in Parliament and higher maternal and infant mortality rates . than much of Europe, the charity said. Britain has failed to rank among the top 20 places to be a mother - coming in at a meagre number 23 . Women in Britain are at a higher risk . of dying during pregnancy or childbirth than women in Slovakia, . Montenegro and Lithuania, according to the statistics. The report says a reason for this is . the age women are having babies, with teenage and IVF pregnancy rates . resulting in the UK having a higher proportion of young and old mothers . than much of Europe. Another reason is poverty and . inequality. Women with unemployed partners were six times more likely to . die from maternal causes than those with partners in work. However, the UK is also more robust . than many European nations in collecting infant and maternal mortality . data, which may contribute to comparatively higher rates. Countries in sub-Saharan Africa take . up each of the bottom ten places in the index. In these countries, 10 . to 20 per cent of mothers are underweight due to poor nutrition or . underage pregnancy. The Democratic Republic of Congo ranks as the world’s toughest place to be a mother. Justin Forsyth, CEO of Save the . Children, said: ‘Overall the world has made unprecedented progress in . reducing child and maternal deaths. ‘But there are two big challenges: newborn [deaths] and malnutrition.’ The charity said that globally, one million babies die each year on the . day they are born – or two every minute – making the first day by far . the riskiest day of a person’s life. A baby in the developing world is seven times as likely to die on its first day than one born in industrialised nations. A baby born in the UK has a roughly 1 in 200 chance of dying before its fifth birthday, higher than in South Korea or Israel. | Mother's Index rated Finland as best place to have baby . Democratic Republic of the Congo was found to be the world's toughest place to be a mother . UK women are at a higher risk of death in childbirth than women in Slovakia, Montenegro and Lithuania . | 7537d11809abda904e9e3cfac7400dfb527bb0a2 |
By . Jill Reilly . PUBLISHED: . 20:34 EST, 12 August 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 08:52 EST, 13 August 2012 . It may not have had the drama and daring acts of the Opening Ceremony, but tonight's finale to the past two week's of Olympic action, still proved popular with celebrities on Twitter. Costing around £13million, there was a lukewarm reaction to the show at the start, but when the tribute to British music began, high profile figures took to the social networking site to issue tweets of praise. It was another sold-out crowd at the 80,000-capacity athletics stadium in east London and 300 million people were expected to tune in on televisions around the world. Take That: After much speculation over whether they would perform or not after Gary Barlow's tragic loss of his stillborn daughter, Take That - minus Robbie Williams whose wife is due to give birth - took to the stage with hit single Rule The World . Historian Stephen Fry wrote: 'Goodness! Which is to say, Gracious! Closing ceremony is so far avoiding . being a Croque Madame. Not cheesy, hammy or eggy so far. Go Stomp!' Piers Morgan tweeted: ‘This show’s been like a @Mo_Farah race - very slow start, now exploding nicely...' There was praise for Take That's frontman Gary Barlow - just a week after his daughter Poppy was stillborn, he bravely took to the stage to perform with the group. After the foursome sang Rule the World, Girl's Aloud singer Kimberley Walsh tweeted: 'Full of admiration for @GBarlowOfficial tonight.' Comedian John Bishop wrote: 'To be fair that final bit was class. @GBarlowOfficial - sometimes you meet people are better than you and he is up there. What an end. Night.' Spice Up Your Life: Melanie Chisholm, Emma Bunton, Melanie Brown, Geri Halliwell and Victoria Beckham performed their first ever hit Wannabe . Strutting his stuff: Boris Johnson, second right, gives a perfect impression of 'dad dancing' next to his wife Marina Wheeler, far right . President Barack Obama telephoned David Cameron tonight to offer his congratulations for a 'brilliant' London Olympics, Downing Street said. A Number 10 spokesman said: 'The President praised the organisation of the Games and the amazing performance of Team GB athletes. 'And he thanked the Prime Minister for the hospitality the UK had shown to the First Lady at the start of the Games and the US team ever since.' Mr Cameron in turn offered the UK's congratulations on the US team's 'astounding' medals table-topping performance and said Britain had 'thoroughly enjoyed' hosting its athletes. A White House spokesman said: 'President Obama called Prime Minister Cameron today to congratulate him and the people of the United Kingdom and London on an extremely successful Olympic games, which speaks to the character and spirit of our close ally. 'Both leaders commended the exceptional performances by both the Olympic teams of the United States and Great Britain and noted how proud we all are of them. 'The President thanked the Prime Minister for hosting so many US athletes and fans and for the extremely warm welcome shown to First Lady Michelle Obama.' Popstar Lily Allen tweeted: 'I don't know how Gary Barlow does it.' Piers Morgan wrote: 'I don't know how Gary Barlow's had the strength to do this tonight - RIP his poor little girl, Poppy.' TV presenter Phillip Schofield wrote: ‘Not sure . I’ve ever been more proud of this, brilliant, diverse, quirky and . wonderful country. What an achievement.' A major hit was when singer Jessie J joined Queen axeman Brian May on stage. Sir Chris Hoy tweeted: ‘What a way to end the Games - singing Queen with Team GB!’ Former British triple jumper. Jonathan Edwards wrote: Freddie [Mercury] so gets the gold medal! #rip . Rio Ferdinand was clearly enjoying the performance and tweeted: 'Brian May is a beast on the guitar!' But football pundit Gary Lineker tweeted: ‘Does poor Jessie [J] not possess any clothes?’ Comedian Russel Brand took to the . stage at the London 2012 Olympic Closing Ceremony wearing black and . purple striped trousers and a matching top hat. Singing . his own version of The Beatles hit, I am The Walrus, Russell had no . doubt chosen his own attire for the once-in-a-lifetime performance. It proved a hit with Long jump gold medallist Greg Rutherford who tweeted: 'Russell Brand! I want him to be my mate!' Comedy star Russell Brand performs his sketch during the Olympic Games closing ceremony . Olympic rowing champion Pete Reed got engaged at the London 2012 closing ceremony. Reed found his girlfriend Frauke Oltmanns in the crowd, dropped down on one knee and proposed. His team mates, Alex Gregory, Tom James and Andrew Triggs Hodge with whom he won gold in the mens four days earlier, watched. Reed told Daybreak: 'I got engaged last night at the closing ceremony which was really nice.I had my guys there with me. 'It was in the middle while everybody was having a big party, I managed to find my way into the crowd and did it all properly. 'I found her. I knew where she was sitting. I had a quick chat. It was wonderful. We are both thrilled.' Reed, who is in the Royal Navy and a former Oxford Blue, had his 31st birth on the day the Olympics opened on July 27. His fiance is German and works in marketing. The reunion of the Spice Girls who sang . Wannabe and Spice Up Your Life also inspired several famous faces to . voice their opinions. Team GB diver Sarah Barrow wrote: ‘Spice girls, Eric Idle and Queen were absolutely amazing! What a closing ceremony :D’ while her fellow British team member hockey player Georgie Twigg wrote: ‘Omg spice girls were incred!! Spice Girl Geri Halliwell wrote to . her fan base of over 80,000 followers on Twitter: ‘That was amazing!!!! Thank you all, we love you!!xx’ Victoria Beckham wrote: 'We did it!! I love you girls so much!!!!!', and fellow Spice Girl Mel B said: 'Soooo much fun!' Dame Kelly Holmes wrote: 'The best part I the night (for me) so far... The Spice Girls... Love them ha ha that was brilliant!' A cut-away to London Mayor Boris Johnson dancing during their set also proved popular. Manchester United footballer Rio Ferdinand tweeted: ‘Gwaaaarn....Go on Boris Johnson, bopping + I swear . singing along to the Spice Girls....Big! Hahaha classic from the future . PM!!’ Sports TV presenter . Clare Balding wrote: ‘Have had to rewind to Boris throwing those shapes . & watch it three times. Crying with laughter.' Star-studded: Kate Moss (4th left, front), Naomi Campbell (4th right), Lily Cole (L), Alessandra Ambrosio (centre-rear), Jourdan Dunn (3rd right) Karen Elson (2nd left, rear), Georgia May Jagger (2nd right), David Gandy (right) and Stella Tennant (2nd left front) Centre stage: Emeli Sande takes to the stage during the Closing Ceremony . Georgia Jagger, who took . part in the entrance of British supermodels wrote: ‘Omg we did it! I had . the best time,The most amazing girls in the world! #closingceremony . xxxx’ Niall Horan from One Direction who played to the stadium on a moving vehicle wrote of the group's performance tweeted: ‘Omg that was unbelievable,highlight of . out career, and the biggest audience we will ever play to 1 billion . people!' But there seemed to be a problem for Team GB double bronze medalist Rebecca Adlington during their set. She tweeted: 'Ahhhh can't believe we're missing One direction as were not allowed in!!!!!! Grrrr.' Popular: Boyband One Direction play one of their hit songs to the packed capacity stadium . Some famous faces were annoyed that . the songs performed earlier by Madness and One Direction were re-played . in the auditorium as 10,000 athletes from all the participating . countries walked out in the stadium. Comedian David Walliams wrote: 'It always makes for a great party when you repeat the same five records again.' He added 'Where is Emili Sandé? She hasn't been on for 5 minutes,' in reference to the fact the British singer had opened the finale and sang again during the ceremony. After her performance Sandé? wrote a simple: 'All done!' Many took to the micro blogging site to comment on the inclusion of Indian dancing in the light of derogatory comments made by David Cameron about it being a part of school PE lessons. Labour MP Dianne Abbott said: 'Indian dancing. Eat your heart out David Cameron.' Crowd pleaser: A major hit was when singer Jessie J joined Brian May . Spectator editor Fraser Nelson wrote: ‘Thanks Rio for reminding us - we Brits . may grumble at music selection. But Olympic ceremonies can be much, much . worse.’ The New York Times hailed the Closing Ceremony as a 'uniquely British show'. 'With a gaudy three-hour farewell that mashed up theater, acrobatics, fashion and a few generations of musical idols, London extinguished the Olympic torch on Sunday night, capping a fortnight of athletic achievements with a jukebox collection of songs and a marathon display of endearingly wacky stagecraft.' The Sydney Morning Herald wrote: 'London 2012 has ended with one giant party as the Brits celebrated a Games of which they have every right to be very proud.' Some of those who starred in the finale took to Twitter to express their delight at being a part of the spectacle. Model Jourdan Dunn tweeted: 'Highlight of my career so far, feel so honoured.' | There was praise for Take That's frontman Gary Barlow - just a week after his daughter Poppy was stillborn, he bravely took to the stage to perform . Stephen Fry: 'Goodness! Which is to say, Gracious! Closing ceremony is so far avoiding being a Croque Madame. Not cheesy, hammy or eggy so far' David Walliams: 'It always makes for a great party when you repeat the same five records again' Sports presenter Clare Balding: Have had to rewind to Boris throwing those shapes & watch it three times. Crying with laughter' | 9c6d25dd32c482dcfa9923220f873c71d0cca4c0 |
By . Paul Hirst . Roma coach Rudi Garcia has told Manchester United they will have to stump up 100 million euros (£79million) if they want to sign Kevin Strootman. New United boss Louis van Gaal said on Friday he will monitor Strootman's recovery from a serious knee injury before deciding whether to bid for the Holland and Roma midfielder. Garcia recently vowed that Strootman would remain at Roma this season, but just to make his point perfectly clear, he said on Saturday night that a huge fee would be required for the Italian club to even consider letting the midfielder go. Scroll down for video... Dutch of class: Roma will not consider letting Kevin Strootman leave for less than £79m . Poles apart: Louis van Gaal is an admirer of the midfielder while Rudi Garcia (L) insists he isn't leaving Roma . 'What can I say about the rumours (about Strootman joining United)...' Garcia pondered with a smile after Roma's 3-2 defeat to United on Saturday. 'Maybe after a three-digit offer (i.e. 100 million euros), then we will sit down and think about it.' VIDEO Strootman will cost United 100 million - Garcia . Red Devils: Manchester United defeated Roma 3-2 in the International Champions Cup . Acrobatic: Former Chelsea defender Ashley Cole makes a clearance in front of Will Keane (R) Strootman, who Van Gaal knows well from his time as Holland manager, missed Saturday's game in Denver as he is continuing his recovery from an anterior cruciate ligament injury he sustained in March. The 24-year-old is making good progress in his rehabilitation, according to his manager. 'Kevin is following a normal recovery programme. He is fine. He will start running soon,' Garcia added. | Manchester United will have to pay £79m to land Kevin Strootman . Louis van Gaal is a known admirer of the Holland midfielder . Roma boss Rudi Garcia recently stated that Strootman would not be leaving . Man United beat Roma 3-2 in the International Champions Cup, Colorado . | 429d1b18b09f298636dd468b2d56302d8d514001 |
By . Laura Williamson . Follow @@laura_mail . Jodie Williams ran a blistering 22.79secs to become the British women’s 200 metres champion on Saturday. The 20-year-old came within three hundredths of a second of her lifetime best, while Bianca Williams and Anyika Onuora also broke the 23-second barrier. Williams could yet make it a double in Birmingham after qualifying quickest for Sunday’s 100m semi-finals with 11.49secs. Scroll down for video . Race: Jodie Williams (centre) wins the 200m final of the Sainsbury's British Championships at Birmingham . Blistering: Williams (left) crosses the line in 22.79 seconds to become the British women's 200m champion . All smiles: Williams came within three hundredths of a second of her lifetime best in 200m . Elsewhere on Saturday, Laura Weightman won a hard-fought women’s 1500m, just holding off Laura Muir in a sprint finish, and Michael Rimmer claimed victory in the men’s 800m. Eden Francis completed a double in the women’s shot put and discus and Niall Flannery ran 49.54secs to win the men’s 400m hurdles. Katarina Johnson-Thompson had to make do with second place in the high jump as Isobel Pooley cleared 1.90m, but the heptathlete has the chance to make amends in the long jump on Sunday. Winner: Laura Weightman (right) won a hard-fought women's 1500m, holding off Laura Muir (left) In the cold: Katarina Johnson-Thompson had to make with second place in the high jump in Birmingham . VIDEO Davies sets new discus record at IPC Grand Prix . | Jodie Williams wins 200m in 22.79 seconds to become British women's champion on Saturday . Williams sets up double after qualifying quickest for 100m semi-final . Laura Weightman won 1500m and Michael Rimmer won 800m . Eden Francis completed double in women's shot put and discus, and Niall Flannery won 400m . Katarina Johnson-Thompson came second but yet to compete in long jump . | d5fe8169f05b900de99a39d3b91ed11014d9446a |
To her mother, Gakirah Barnes was a funny and sweet charter graduate who loved music and 'was liked by everyone'. But to the gangs of Chicago's notorious South Side, she was a 'young killa' who went by the names 'Tyquanassassin' and 'Tookaville’kirah', rumored to have committed her first murder at the age of 14. Some claim she was involved in up to 20 gangland deaths. But on Friday April 11, at 17-years-old, Barnes was gunned down as she walked to have lunch at a friend's house in Woodlawn about 3.30pm, shot a reported nine times in the chest, neck and jaw. 'Mythical': Gakirah Barnes, a prominent name among Chicago's South Side gangs, was purported to have killed two people, one when she was just 14-years-old. Following her shooting death earlier this month, she has been immortalized on social media and YouTube . Gakirah Barnes (left) - seen here in a rap video called 'Murda' produced by members of the the Fly Boy Gang that she ran with - was executed on April 11 in Chicago . In Memoriam: This montage of photos of Gakirah 'Lil Snoop' Barnes has been circulated on Twitter following her shooting death in Chicago's South Side . Scene: The 17-year-old was shot up to nine times by a hooded gunman as she walked to a friends house around 3.30pm on April 11 on the 6400 block of South Eberhart Avenue . Likeness: Barnes was nicknamed 'Lil Snoop' after the The Wire character Snoop (pictured), played by Felecia Pearson, a cold-blooded Baltimore assassin . Mourning: Gakirah Barnes' mother Shontell Brown said her 'sweet and loving' daughter is not the person she has been shown to be . Some 45 other people were shot on the same weekend in the city that has come to be called 'Chiraq' - a brutal nickname used to describe today's Chicago in terms of its danger and crime - six of which were children. But Barnes has since become something of a mythical figure online, immortalized in YouTube memorials and rap videos as 'Lil Snoop', a reference to the fictional 'Snoop' character from TV series The Wire - a cold-blooded killer from the harsh streets of Baltimore. Barnes' father was shot to death on Easter Sunday in 1997, when she was less than 12-months old. 'She just wanted to protect everybody,' her mother, Shontell Brown, explained in a lengthy feature on Gakirah Barnes in The Daily Beast. As Barnes entered her teens, she fell in with a group of young men in her South Side neighborhood of Woodlawn who called themselves the St. Lawrence Boys or the Fly Boy Gang. Following the death of 15-year-old Shondale 'Tooka' Gregory, who was shot to death as he waited for a bus in January 2011, the Fly Boys became the 'Tooka gang' and the surrounding area 'Tookaville'. Barnes changed her Facebook name to 'Tookaville' kirah'. Eight months later, a 20-year-old opposing gang member named Odee Perry was shot and killed. Barnes was almost immediately linked to the death, with online postings labeling her the 'hitta'. She was 14-years-old at the time. While Barnes was never named a police suspect, one street figure Tweeted: 'lol so odee was killed by a girl smh [shaking my head]'. The opposing gang memorialized Odee by christening its home turf as 'O Block'. A major turning point for Barnes was the killing of 13-year-old Tyquan Tyler, whose mother had moved him from Chicago to western Illinois to get him away from the city's violence. Tragedy: Tyquan Tyler, who Barnes treated like a baby brother, was shot by a stray bullet and killed in June 2012. He was only 13 . Tyquan's death is said to have marked a change in Gakirah Barnes, who Tweeted thereafter she 'had no heart (and) no feelings' He returned for a visit in June 2012 and was killed by a stray bullet when two gang members fired into a crowd of youngsters who were leaving a party. Tyler's mother was on her way to pick him up. 'I held him in my arms on the sidewalk and talked to him while he was fighting for his life,' she told the Chicago Tribune. Barnes grieved as if Tyquan had been her little brother and would often refer him as such online. She adopted the vengeful Twitter handle 'Tyquanassassin' on his behalf. 'Tyquan supposed 2 Be hear wit me But instead Lil bro ended up 6 feet under a million miles away,' she Tweeted. 'Tyquan left a n--a Wit no heart no feelings.' In July 2013, the Fly Boy Gang posted a music video on YouTube simply called 'Murda', with the main rap lyric: ' My young ni--as they're gonna murder.' Barnes appears peripherally in most of the video, but takes center focus during the line 'K.I. my young killa'. At one point she is seen holding an automatic pistol toward the camera, in others she is covering her face with a bandana. 'Young killa': Gakirah Barnes covers her face as she appears in the 'Murda' video in early 2013, measuring up to her much-older male counterparts . The 'Murda' video was an attempt for members of the gang to be noticed by record labels and hopefully be signed as artists, as some of their rivals had already done . The Fly Boy's were sending out a clear message with the video, attempting to get the attention of music producers and record labels who had recently taken a huge financial interest in gritty street rap performed by people who were actually 'living' their songs, and not writing about 'thug life' from a condo in Los Angeles. Keith 'Chief Keef' Cozart, a member of rival gang Black Disciple - the O Block gang - had already been signed by Interscope, moving from the South Side to a mansion in the suburbs and recording songs that derided the Tooka clan. On April 9, the 30-year-old cousin of Chief Keef, Mario 'Blood Money' Hess, was shot and killed. Online postings would soon name Barnes, again, as the 'hitta'. The police did not name her as a suspect, but she posted on Twitter the next day: 'u Nobody until Somebody kill u dats jst real Shyt.' Around the same time, police shot and killed Raason 'Lil B' Shaw, a Tooka, after he allegedly pulled out a gun during a foot chase, according to The Daily Beast. Barnes named her Twitter page 'NO SURRENDER LIL B.' On April 10, the day before her death, she Tweeted: 'I Dne seen 2 many of my ni--az n a casket…In da end we DIE.' That same day, a rapper named Lil Jay with the Fly Boy Gang taunted Blood Money's friends by posting a video of himself drinking a red-hued beverage from a Styrofoam cup, singing: 'Sippin' on Blood Money.' The next day a hooded gunman approached Barnes 6400 block of South Eberhart Avenue, with the blast of bullets sending her falling onto some wooden steps, The Chicago Sun-Times reported. Gruesome: Blood from Gakirah Barnes' gunshot wounds stain the steps on which she fell . Scene: Barnes was walking down this street when she was shot by a hooded gunman, who remains at large . 'They killed my little ni**a snoop #restuptyqanaassassin,' a Fly Boy Gang associate tweeted. Police have not named any suspects in Barnes' execution and no arrests have been made. As Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and YouTube filled with stories of her, rumors and truths coming to light for the first time, Barnes' mother said she believes social media is is a huge part of the problem with the new-age gangland wars, because it provides a platform for boasting and derision that previously hasn't existed. It can also make you famous. 'All those kids and rappers talk like Jesse James. Everyone wants to be the biggest and the baddest,' she said. 'This is life in Chicago.' RIP: Barnes was described by her mother as a funny and sweet charter graduate who loved music and was 'was liked by everyone' | Gakirah Barnes, 17, was associated with the Fly Boy Gang in Chicago's South Side since her early teens . She is purported to have killed two rival gang members, one when she was just 14 . Some claim she was involved in up to 20 gangland deaths . She was referred to in rap songs as 'Young Killa' and given the nickname 'Lil Snoop', in reference to the fictional assassin Snoop in TV series The Wire . Barnes was gunned down on April 11 as she walked to lunch with a friend . She was reportedly shot nine times in the chest, neck and jaw by a hooded gunman . | 74dcf270fae8c141971754d15934a6ba632636c5 |
Justice Secretary Chris Grayling apologies to the Commons for the breach in confidentiality . Phone calls between dozens MPs and inmates have been recorded and monitored by prison staff, it emerged today. Justice Secretary Chris Grayling issued an apology to the House of Commons after revealing the extraordinary breach, which dates back to 2006. Labour condemned the 'truly shocking' admission, as an independent investigation was launched by the Chief Inspector of Prisons Nick Hardwick. MPs were told that the National Offender Management Service, which runs prisons across the country, had identified calls dating back to 2006 which had been recorded. It includes calls made by former Labour Justice Secretary Jack Straw and staff working for current Lib Dem justice minister Simon Hughes. Mr Grayling said he learned of the error last Wednesday, and had come to Parliament 'at the earliest opportunity'. In total, there are 32 MPs 'whose calls or those for their offices appear to have been both recorded and listened to', Mr Grayling admitted. 'For 18 of these MPs it appears the prison did not list the number as confidential and therefore the action was not taken to prevent recording.' He added: 'In a further 15 cases, members appear to have been identified correctly on the system as MPs, but due to a potential failure in the administrative process the required action was not taken by prison staff so the calls were recorded and appear to have been listened to, one member falls under both categories.' Prison rules state that communication between prisoners and MPs must be treated as confidential where the prisoner is a constituent of theirs. Mr Grayling said there is no evidence that information from the phone calls was passed on to anyone else and he did not believe it was part of a concerted attempt to monitor calls. The Justice Secretary stressed it was part of the routine checking process and mistakes may have been made. He told the Commons: 'I have as yet seen no evidence that information was passed on to anyone else, I don't believe this was part of a concerted attempt to monitor, it was simply part of the routine checking of this process to make sure nothing untoward was going on. 'But clearly again, it's something I'll be asking Nick Hardwick to confirm.' Mr Grayling said he believed all recordings have now been destroyed as they are only kept for a limited period. It emerged that a call made by ex-Justice Secretary Jack Straw and one by the office of Lib Dem justice minister Simon Hughes were among those recorded . Since improvements to the system in autumn 2012, only one MP clearly identified on prison lists has had their calls with prisoners recorded and listened to, he added. But there have been a small number of cases where phone calls between prisoners and lawyers were 'accidentally recorded', Mr Grayling said. He added: 'Whilst these have been dealt with individually with the prisoner at the time, I want to be confident that the safeguards for all confidential calls are satisfactory.' Mr Grayling said Mr Hardwick will first report at the end of the month to ensure that safeguards to stop phone calls being recorded or listened to are in place before publishing a full assessment of the facts in early 2015. Labour's shadow justice secretary Sadiq Khan said the revelations were 'truly shocking' and welcomed the investigation to be led by Mr Hardwick. He pointed out that some of the conversations may have taken place with prisoners who had not yet been convicted of a crime. He told the Commons: 'What you have outlined in your statement is a very serious breach of confidentiality involving MPs and their constituents. 'Many of us in this House will deal with constituents in prison, many of which I remind the House have not been found guilty of any crimes, on a regular basis as part of our duties as good constituency MPs, often our staff speak to prisoners on our behalf as they do with other case work. 'I am sure I am not alone in being shocked in hearing today's news that some of these conversations have been listened into, that some of these conversations have been listened into and recorded.' Liberal Democrat Justice Minister Simon Hughes said: 'This is a serious matter and everybody should be able to contact their MP confidentially, whatever their circumstances. 'The Ministry of Justice has appointed Nick Hardwick, the Chief Inspector of Prisons, to lead an investigation and I expect all officials to provide full and frank disclosures to this inquiry.' | Chris Grayling apologises to the Commons for confidentiality breach . Review identified calls dating back to 2006 which had been recorded . MPs affected include ex-Justice Secretary Jack Straw and Simon Hughes . Labour condemned the 'truly shocking' admission by the government . Chief Inspector of Prisons Nick Hardwick to launch an investigation . | 2609e10eca5f8889e2f10457c39d6c15cd07def5 |
By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 08:58 EST, 25 November 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 09:30 EST, 25 November 2012 . Magician Penn Jillette says there's nothing magical about The Celebrity Apprentice or its creator, Donald Trump, ripping the tycoon who regularly Googles himself and 'desperately' cares what people think about him. Jillette, known mostly for being half of the Penn and Teller entertainment act, appeared on Celebrity Apprentice twice. In his tell-all book, Every Day Is an Atheist Holiday!, Jillette criticized reality television as a whole, but blasted Celebrity Apprentice as a program that 'has nothing to do with business.' Scroll down for video . The mogul and the magician: Penn Jillette, right, has some not-so-kind words for Donald Trump, left in his latest book . Cast: Jillette, far right, appeared on Celebrity Apprentice twice, most recently on Celebrity Apprentice All-Stars earlier this year . Jillette writes: 'The secret truth of . The Celebrity Apprentice is that it isn’t very hard. The tasks are . nothing. Makeup starts just after 5am and the show goes to about 10pm, . but you spend most of that time doing nothing.' He adds: 'The Celebrity Apprentice is junior high with a better brand of acne cover-up.' Author: Every Day Is an Atheist Holiday is the latest of several books Jillette has written . An excerpt of the book was posted on Salon.com. Jillette's criticism of Trump was also marked by what's on the famed real estate mogul's head. 'I wasn’t even going to say anything . about Trump’s hair. I live in a glass house. I’ve always had ugly, . out-of-style hair. Trump’s hair is a lot better than mine - but as I sat . there for hours half listening to Donald carry on, it struck me exactly . what his hair looked like. 'It looks like cotton candy made of p***. That revelation came to me, and I had to type it here. But my hair is worse.' And Trump wasn’t the only target of Jillette’s writings. He also had something to say about Celebrity Apprentice co-star Clay Aiken. He wrote: 'One day while shooting, I’d had a heart-to-heart talk with Clay Aiken. I would have preferred waterboarding. I don’t like heart-to-heart talks with anyone, but Clay Aiken? Strap me to the board, and put the wet towels over my face. Drowning sounds nice.' As for Celebrity Apprentice, Jillette says the show has no rules - it's just Trump 'doing what he wants.' 'We’ve chosen to make this whackjob, with the cotton candy p*** hair and the birther s***, into someone we want to please.' Trump, who is normally very active on Twitter, has not yet made any mention of Jillette’s book or a reaction to his claims. Watch video here . | Penn Jillette appeared on two seasons of The Celebrity Apprentice . In his new book, Jillette criticizes the reality show, as well as its creator, Donald Trump . | 34c81a12d4270e0784682c2b64efca23c0f263dc |
(CNN) -- Days after Russia and the United States reached a deal on getting Syria to give up its chemical weapons, world powers are quarreling over the details. The agreement, reached by Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry over the weekend, calls for a U.N. resolution demanding that Syria turn over its chemical weapons to international control in a specific time frame. Russia won't support any resolution that would authorize the use of force against Syria if it doesn't comply, Lavrov said Tuesday. But the United States and France want to keep the threat of force on the table if Syria doesn't comply. Those allies say they are convinced that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's regime was behind a chemical weapons attack in opposition areas that, according to U.S. estimates, killed more than 1,400 people. Representatives of those three powers and the two other veto-wielding permanent Security Council members met behind closed doors at the United Nations on Tuesday to hammer out a draft resolution, a meeting a U.N. diplomat called "constructive." "For the first time there was a discussion of the actual text," said the diplomat, who didn't want to be named discussing ongoing private negotiations. "There are well-known different views on some of the elements, but we are trying to resolve those issues." The meetings were likely to resume Wednesday, the diplomat said. U.N. weapons inspectors reported Monday that an August 21 attack outside Damascus had been carried out using the nerve gas sarin. Tuesday, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said the findings should spur member states to bring the bloodshed in Syria to a halt, urging both Washington and Moscow to "demonstrate their leadership." "Let us be clear: the use of chemical weapons in Syria is only the tip of the iceberg," he said. "The suffering in Syria must end." Though the inspectors did not assign blame for the attack, a U.S. analysis of their report shows the Syrian regime was responsible for the August 21 massacre outside Damascus, State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki told reporters in Washington. "Based on our preliminary review of information contained in the report, several crucial details confirm the Assad regime's guilt in carrying out this attack," she said. One of the munitions identified in the report, a 120-millimeter improvised rocket, has been linked to previous attacks by the al-Assad regime, and "we have no indications that the opposition has manufactured or used this style rocket." In addition, the environmental, chemical, and medical samples collected by U.N. investigators "provide clear and compelling evidence" that the rockets used in the attack contained sarin gas, a nerve agent, she said. "We know the regime possesses sarin; we have no evidence, however, that the opposition possesses sarin." She added that the United States reserves the right to take military action. Though diplomacy is the preferred option, "I don't want to predict what the end result will be," she said. Still, she was willing to predict that that end result would not include the status quo in Damascus. "We don't see a future for Assad, a future in Syria that includes Assad," she said. International inspections of Syria's declared chemical weapons storage sites are to begin next month and all chemical weapons are to be eliminated by June 30, 2014, she said. French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius shared Psaki's view that the Syrian regime was responsible for the massacre. But, at the same news conference, Lavrov brushed aside a question about blame. He noted that the U.N. inspectors in Syria were not tasked with figuring out who was responsible and that that was not the point of the U.N. report. Russia has suggested Syrian rebels may have been behind the attack, though critics have said rebels did not have the means to unleash chemical weapons. A scathing report . Inspectors found "clear and convincing evidence" that the nerve agent sarin was delivered by surface-to-surface rockets "on a relatively large scale" in the August 21 attack on a Damascus suburb, Ban said Monday. "It is the most significant confirmed use of chemical weapons against civilians since Saddam Hussein used them in Halabja in 1988," Ban said, referring to the chemical attack against Kurds in northern Iraq that killed thousands, mostly civilians, "and the worst use of weapons of mass destruction in the 21st century," Ban said. "The international community has a responsibility to ensure that chemical weapons never re-emerge as an instrument of warfare." But on Tuesday, Ban said it was "for others to decide whether to pursue this matter further to determine responsibility and accountability." The diplomatic quarrel over just who may have been responsible for the chemical weapons attack came as the toll from conventional weapons continued to mount. The opposition Local Coordination Committees of Syria reported that 70 people -- including four children and seven women -- were killed Tuesday nationwide. Syrian-Turkish border tension . A blast rocked the Syrian side of the Turkish-Syrian border Tuesday, Turkey's semiofficial Anatolian news agency reported. Video shot by activists showed torrents of black smoke emerging from blazing vehicles at the crossing as survivors tried to help victims. The LCC said the attack wounded many people. The explosion, which happened near a border gate, comes a day after Turkish planes shot down a Syrian helicopter crossing into Turkey. It came down on Syrian territory, Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Bulent Arinc said. Syria's state news agency SANA said the helicopter was watching for "terrorists" crossing the border and erroneously strayed into Turkish airspace, but was on its way back across the border when shot down. CNN's Nick Paton Walsh, Richard Allen Greene, Josh Levs, Aliza Kassim, Joe Sterling and Jennifer Deaton contributed to this report. | NEW: 70 die in latest violence, opposition says . U.N.'s Ban prods Washington and Moscow to "demonstrate their leadership" The United States and France want to keep the threat of force on the table . Russia says it wouldn't support any resolution authorizing force against the Syrian regime . | d84d4dfe6da3972a624703cd00d3c6a62e0bcfe9 |
(CNN) -- South Korean singer Psy has conquered the world with his "Gangnam Style" hit -- and his country continued its dominance of Asian club football on Saturday. Ulsan Hyundai's players celebrated by performing a victory dance in homage to the pop phenomenon after winning the region's Champions League title for the first time. Ulsan defeated Saudi Arabia's Al Ahli 3-0 to become the third K-League team in four years to lift the trophy. "Ulsan have had to wait for a long time to come to final so I told the players we must win the game and to do that we must play a normal game," coach Kim Ho-gon said after goals from captain Kwak Tae-hwi, Brazilian striker Rafinha and midfielder Kim Seung-yong completed a run of nine successive wins in the competition. "After the first group game every game felt like a final, but the final did not feel like a final as we had done so well in the semifinal." The victory at Ulsan's Munsu Stadium earned the club a place at December's Club World Cup in Japan, with a quarterfinal tie against Mexico's Monterrey. "I am so happy for the players," Kim said on the Asian Football Confederation website. "They wanted to play in the FIFA Club World Cup and it is the same for me. This is the happiest day in my coaching career." Al Ahli had reached the final for the first time in the tournament's present format, though the club lost in the title match of the 1986 competition when it was known as the Asian Club Championship. "The team learned a lot this year by playing against different strong teams," said Ahli's Czech coach Karel Jarolim. "Al Ahli is a very young team and these players have gained experience this season and they will work hard for next year and will try to do our best." His team booked a place in next year's tournament by finishing second in the Saudi league, but Ulsan may miss out after dropping outside the K-League's qualification places. | Ulsan Hyundai earn place at FIFA Club World Cup by winning Asian title . K-League team beats Saudi Arabia's Al Ahli 3-0 in Champions League final . Third time in four years that a Korean club has won the final . Ulsan won all nine games but battling to qualify for next season's tournament . | 6079afa994bb0b6102bccb6db079d930fcf93e0f |
At the start of the season there were question marks over Jack Wilshere and when Roy Hodgson asked him to play slightly deeper in the England midfield people wondered whether he would be up to the mark. From what we've seen so far, he's making us re-evaluate him as player. Let's be clear that it's very early days and his real tests in what is a very demanding position are yet to come. But from what we've seen so far, he has every right to be encouraged by the way he has adapted to the role. Wilshere is showing skills and facets of his game which we haven't seen before. It's actually making him a better player. I've always thought that he needed to play the ball earlier and quicker than he sometimes has done with Arsenal; playing in this role, he is forced to do exactly that. England midfielder Jack Wilshere (right) slides in to make a tackle on Slovenia's Jasmin Kurtic . Arsene Wenger has him down as a box-to-box midfielder and we typically think of him bursting down the pitch. But he's looking for the early pass now. He has to look forward quicker, is releasing the ball earlier and is hitting passes over the back of people. He's now looking for Wayne Rooney and they are developing a bit of a relationship. Rooney now knows if he makes good movement, Jack will pick him out. I thought Wilshere was England's best player on Saturday, though the real test of whether he is up to playing in that position will be when we are up against better teams and he is playing against a top quality No 10. At the moment, in this Euro 2016 qualifying group, England will enjoy a lot of possession, which means Wilshere gets to see a lot of the ball. It's an ideal scenario to learn the role. We need to wait to see how he does when we're defending for long periods against top quality teams. Against Portugal, Germany, Spain or Italy we're not going to dominate possession. Then his defensive skills and movement will be tested and that will be a challenge. But for now, I've been very impressed. Wilshere (above) can spend too much time on the ball when playing for Arsenal . Wilshere doesn't back down during an argument with Slovenia's Bostjan Cesar at Wembley on Saturday . Obviously, as a whole, England's performance started slowly and ended well. There was a real lack of movement in the first half and no spark at all. It was all very methodical. England had plenty of ball possession but didn't create nearly enough. Clearly something would have been said at half-time to change that. Maybe not stern words, but Roy Hodgson and his team got the message across, even if Slovenia scored first through Jordan Henderson's own goal. There was more intensity to England's game throughout the second half. Rooney was good, if not brilliant, on the occasion of his 100th cap. You couldn't really have asked much more from a captain than the manner in which he took the game to Slovenia in the immediate aftermath of England conceding. Arsenal midfielder Wilshere tries to get away from from Slovenia players after being surrounded . His character was evident as he collected the ball and got into them and then his skill and movement was excellent to win the penalty. Scoring it capped a great day for him. Nathaniel Clyne did OK but needs to get closer to club form and though Raheem Sterling is not back to his form of last season, he was part of the reason why we got stronger in the game. He was bogged down in the first half but the move to put him out wide right in the second and to stretch the game a little gave us a lot more width and helped simplify his game. Overall, it's difficult to assess the future using these games as a barometer of England's form. Tournament football will be very different to the qualification phase and England won't be allowed nearly as much possession. They will have to use the friendlies much more as a test of how they're improving and perhaps the Scotland game — if we can call any game against Scotland a friendly — is useful in that regard. Nathaniel Clyne needs to get close to club form when playing for the England side . Wilshere, pictured applauding England's support at Wembley, is adapting to his defensive role in midfield . Maybe Hodgson will rest a few players, maybe Ross Barkley will get a run but, overall, the game comes at a good time. Scotland won't want to sit back at home against England as most of their opponents do. The game will have passion, intensity and the defence will be stretched a lot more. On Saturday evening ended up positively with England on the front foot. But Tuesday night will be a step into the unknown for some of these young players. Hodgson will learn a little bit more about his team at Celtic Park and perhaps that will begin to give us a real idea as to whether they have moved on from the World Cup. Everton midfielder Ross Barkley will be hoping to get a run out against Scotland on Tuesday . | England beat Slovenia 3-1 at Wembley in their Euro 2016 qualifier . Jack Wilshere was deployed at the base of a diamond by Roy Hodgson . The Arsenal midfielder has adapted well to his role with the Three Lions . | 35460822d35b509173572001531d18844970d93b |
By . James Nye . PUBLISHED: . 08:14 EST, 22 May 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 20:28 EST, 22 May 2013 . It has been described as the hug seen around the world - the wonderful moment that Jim Routon discovered his seven year old neighbor Hezekiah Darbon had survived the Oklahoma tornado and scooped him up in his arms. Appearing on Good Morning America to talk about their emotional reunion, Hezekiah revealed that the embrace from the man he calls 'Big Dog' made him feel safe - despite the scenes of utter devastation that surrounded the pair following Monday's deadly tornado in Moore. In turn, Routon described rushing, part in terror and part in desperation to rescue the children of Briarwood Elementary, only to discover the boy he calls 'Little Dog' was alive and well, leading to his spontaneous reaction as he squeezed the young boy in his arms. Scroll Down for Video . Emotional Reunion: Jim Routon hugs Hezekiah Darbon at Briarwood Elementary school after a tornado destroyed the school in south Oklahoma City, Monday, May 20, 2013 . 'When we got to the school it was pretty much chaos and destruction and people were just running in all directions trying to find their children - it was really a surreal event,' explained Routon to GMA on Wednesday morning. 'The reunion was pretty special, he wasn't hurt. By the grace of God they made it all out safe. 'I felt like I needed that hug as much as he did.' Little Hezekiah, who is the son of Routon's neighbors, Joe and Dawn, said that he 'was so happy to see him and I didn't know that he was coming.' Jim Routon and Hezekiah speak on Good Morning America today to explain their amazing connection and how they feared the worse in the aftermath of the Moore, Oklahoma, tornado . The boy nicknamed his neighbor 'Big Dog' and the pair play basketball and football together . Hezekiah Darbon and his father Joseph at the Grand Canyon - Joseph and his wife Dawn couldn't be with their son in the aftermath of the deadly tornado on Monday because they were at work . 'Little Dog': Hezekiah Darbon and his sister (left) after a football game and (right) last year during his sixth birthday celebrations . Joseph Darbon and his son Hezekiah after his sons winning football match at home in Moore, Oklahoma . Video courtesy ABC News . Talking about their relationship together, Routon told GMA that he sees Hezekiah as his 'part-time kid' - always over at his home in Moore, to play. 'He calls me big dog and I call him little dog,' said Routon. 'We have quite a relationship, he comes over, we play basketball and throw footballs around - he is kind of our part time kid.' During the course of the interview it was revealed that Hezekiah's parents were in a different town when the tornado struck - meaning they had to remain where they were until the warning passed. Monday's EF5 strength tornado reduced much of Moore to rubble, killing 24 people and injuring over 237 people. Leveling Briarwood Elementary School, the initial fears of the parents who rushed to the school were of a disaster of tragic proportions. Speaking last night on CNN, Hezekiah and Jim explained how they came to find each other, surrounded by a scene which resembled a war zone. Briarwood Elementary School in Moore, as seen from a National Guard helicopter during a tour of tornado damaged areas by Oklahoma Gov. Mary Fallin . An aerial view of Briarwood Elementary that was damaged in Monday's tornado that was photographed on Tuesday - Hezekiah and was inside that school as the twister destroyed it . An aerial view shows Briarwood Elementary School with vehicles thrown about after Monday's tornado . 'I saw you and ran up to you and just jumped on you and I knew that you were gonna pick me up so I just jumped,' said Hezekiah on CNN.'And you picked me up and I just started hugging you really hard and I was crying a little bit and I was happy I survived.' For his part, a still emotional Routon was just as choked by the meeting as his little dog. 'I felt like I needed that hug as much as he did at that time.' 'There was just so much chaos we just weren't sure, the school was pretty much devastated and destroyed and we just weren't sure if anyone was gonna come out alive.' Ethan Raymond, 11, is escorted away from Briarwood Elementary school after a tornado destroyed the school in south Oklahoma City on Monday, May 20, 2013 as Rebekah Stuck hugs her son, Aiden Stuck, 7, (both right) Amber Ford, a teaching assistant, goes through the rubble of a second grade classroom she works in at the Briarwood Elementary School in Moore, Oklahoma . 'So to go over and see one of my favorite neighbors was awesome - just an amazing feeling - it was awesome.' 'He is a special little man and this will just enrich our relationship.' The storm, which barreled through the . Oklahoma City suburb for 17 miles on Monday, injured 237 people and . killed at least 24, including ten children. On Wednesday, six people remained missing. The heartbreaking-to-read Twitter hashtag #OKMissing has been set . up to help families and friends search for missing loved ones. On Monday, emergency workers pulled more than 100 survivors from the debris of homes, schools and a hospital. A truck lays damaged in a field near the Moore Medical Center, background, after the tornado which devastated the area on Monday . Injuries . of adult patients ranged from minor — cuts and bruises, people wet and . suffering from hypothermia to major injuries including open wounds, . impalements and broken bones. There were also 'degloving' injuries, in . which skin is peeled from the tissue. The weather service confirmed on Tuesday that the powerful storm was an EF5 - the maximum on the scale. Seven . of the children were found asphyxiated at Plaza Towers Elementary School, . which was a direct hit during the 45 minutes of terror. Photographer Paul Hellstern arrived at Briarwood only minutes after the tornado had passed over and it was he who captured the now iconic images of teachers leading their children away from the scene.'I'd just arrived, probably five minutes after the tornado passed and came into that neighborhood and noticed that school there and children pouring out,' he told CNN's Chris Cuomo. 'It was pandemonium with children crying everywhere, bloody teachers and so forth.' | Jim Routon rushed to aid the children of Briarwood Elementary School in the aftermath of Monday's devastating tornado . To his delight and relief discovered his seven year old neighbor Hezekiah Darbon had survived . Their embrace was captured by a photographer and has warmed the hearts of millions who have seen it . In an interview on Wednesday the pair revealed their nicknames for each other . | 2ce87823d513da3b4f20403e41c12a969d153e7a |
(CNN) -- Defending champions South Africa have begun this year's tournament with a victory, but they were far from convincing as they scraped a narrow 17-16 Pool D win over Wales in Wellington. Frans Steyn and Francois Hougaard both scored tries for the Springboks, while Morne Steyn kicked two conversions and a penalty in a tight affair . Toby Faletau went over for Wales' sole try, with James Hook contributing 11 points with his kicking. Rugby World Cup special section . The result was tough on a gallant Wales side, who led 16-10 with 15 minutes to play before Hougaard's try between the posts gave South Africa the upper hand. Even then, the match was not over, with Rhys Priestland and Hook missing a drop goal chance and a tough penalty respectively. South Africa started with 11 of the 15 players who won them the trophy four years ago, but they will need to improve on this display if they are to retain their title. CNN's all-time Rugby World Cup XV . There were two other pool matches played on Sunday, the third day of the tournament. Australia, who like South Africa are attempting to win their third world title, scored 26 unanswered second half points to defeat Italy 32-6 in their Pool C opener at North Harbour. And, also in Pool C, Ireland saw off United States 22-10 in their opening match in New Plymouth. | South Africa begin their Rugby World Cup defense with a 17-16 win over Wales . The Sprinboks scrape Pool D victory despite fielding 11 of their 2007 winning side . There are also opening victories for both Australia and Ireland in Pool C . | 52c6d619c99330a5a74eedca81e1796bbdae78b8 |
Cardiff Blues have confirmed that Sam Warburton will miss Friday's friendly against Exeter as a result of the civil war blighting Welsh rugby. Warburton is stuck in limbo by the ongoing dispute between the Welsh Rugby Union and regions and will now miss the opening match of pre-season at Cardiff Arms Park. The British and Irish Lions captain is the only player centrally contracted to the WRU and cannot be selected until a new participation agreement is reached between the warring parties. Missing: Sam Warburton will not play for Cardiff Blues against Exeter on Friday . The Blues travel to Leicester on August 29 for their final friendly before RaboDirect PRO 12 action begins against Zebre nine days later. 'Until the services agreement has been sorted we unfortunately can't pick Sam and so he won't be involved against Exeter,' Blues attack coach Paul John said. 'I've been told by the region that, at the moment, he is unable to play for us. 'Until everything is signed and sealed that will be the case. As soon as it is done we will crack on.' Warburton's inability to play will be particularly galling given that the Wales star is fit and available after recovering from the shoulder injury sustained during the Six Nations in March. There is little evidence to suggest the WRU and regions will reach an agreement any time soon, so flanker Warburton is facing the real prospect of watching the start of the competitive season from the sidelines. Tug of war: The Welsh captain is in the centre of a war between the WRU and the regions . 'Sam is training really well with us and this is probably one of the first pre-seasons he's had in a long while,' John said. 'He's been a big part of training with us this summer so hopefully things can get sorted and he can start playing. 'Sam was rehabbing with us at the start of the summer and now is back in training. 'I know (Blues defence coach) Dale McIntosh has spoken to (Wales coach) Warren Gatland about him and there is a plan in place in terms of when he can play and things like that. 'From a rugby point of view, we hope to start integrating that plan as soon as possible.' | Warburton to miss Friday's friendly against Exeter for Cardiff Blues . Wales star caught in an ongoing dispute between Welsh Rugby Union and regions due to his central contract with the WRU . He cannot play for the Blues until a deal is agreed between warring parties . | 98163f444f27c2b80de1dc0ef032475e759fbbdf |
By . Paul Donnelley . To commemorate the centenary of the First World War, the editors of the Oxford English Dictionary have selected 100 words first recorded in, popularised during, or coined as a result of the Great War. Surprisingly, the term First World War was recorded two months before the end of the conflict in a diary entry from 10 September 1918. Most would think that the term did not appear until the Second World War when the scale of the first war became apparent. The term First World War was recorded two months before the end of the conflict in a diary entry from 10 September 1918 . A number of terms which are now mainly associated with the Second World War are shown to date back to the First, including demob (1918), foxhole (1915 in the military sense), and strategic bombing (1918). The word cootie, meaning a body louse, originated in the trenches in 1917. New research shows that coot meaning ‘louse’ and cooty meaning ‘infested with lice’ were used earlier in the war, in 1915. All are ultimately related to the bird called a coot: the phrase as lousy as a coot (referring to the reputation of these birds for being lice-infested) dates back to the 19th Century. The word cushy was borrowed from Urdu by the British military in India; the first recorded use in English is by Rudyard Kipling in 1887, in the sense ‘easy-going’. The Yorkshire & Lancashire Regiment off the Front Line. A number of terms which are now mainly associated with the Second World War are shown to date back to the First, including demob (1918), foxhole (1915 in the military sense), and strategic bombing (1918) The term became widespread in the First World War, first in military slang, then in general colloquial usage, in a variety of senses including ‘easy’ and ‘comfortable’. German was largely the source of loanwords referring to weapons and vehicles, such as minenwerfer (and the diminutive Minnie), and U-boat. By contrast, the influence of French was more idiosyncratic; many of the French words used by soldiers at the front were informal phrases that were mispronounced forms of common French expressions, such as Alleyman (from Allemand, ‘a German’), no bon (‘no good’), toot sweet – or even the tooter the sweeter (from tout suite, ‘straightaway’). Viva la France: Many of the French words used by soldiers at the front were informal phrases that were mispronounced forms of common French expressions, such as no bon (¿no good¿) and the tooter the sweeter (from tout suite, ¿straightaway¿) Sir James Murray, the first editor of the Oxford English Dictionary, in his Scriptorium at Banbury Road, Oxford . The sense that those back home are . contributing to the war effort was first created in the First World War. War effort itself is a coinage of World War One, as are rationing . (1915), propaganda film (1916), and home front (1917). OED chief editor Michael Proffitt said: ‘As a historical dictionary of the English language, the OED also serves as a record of social history. On the centenary of the outbreak of the First World War, we have revisited and revised the dictionary’s coverage of the language and history associated with the War. ‘As might be expected of such a prolonged global conflict, the scale and breadth of words associated with the First World War is vast. 'We have selected words that characterize the conflict: its technological innovations, its international scope, its impact on military and civilian life, and its enduring historical legacy. 'Some are familiar, others forgotten, but together they compellingly evoke the linguistic crucible of war.’ Names for the warfirst world warGreat WarKaiser’s war (also Kaiser Bill’s war)war to end all wars . Military strategy & terminologyattritioncamouflageflamethrowergas maskmachine-gun v.Mills bombmustard gasmystery shipSchlieffen Planstorm troop/storm troopertanktrenchoscope or trenchperiscopetrench warfareU-boatWAACzero hour . Life in the trenchescootieFlanders mudMaconochiemarraineshellshocktrench boottrench coattrench fevertrench foot . Domestic and civilian lifeair raidconchieconscriptiondemobDORAhome frontliberty cabbageover therepropaganda filmration n. 3dwar effortwhite feather . The war of remembranceAnzac DayArmistice Daycenotaphlost generationpoppyRemembrance daysilencesupreme sacrificeunknown soldier/unknown warriorwar grave . The international warAussieBlightychoom n./2 . cushydoughboyGallipoliKiwiSammy . Aerial warfareaceack-ackanti-aircraftArchie/Archibaldblimp n./1flechettereccospike-bozzlestrafestrategic bombingtactical bombingtailspinZeppelining . Soldiers speaking frenchAlleymanbeaucoupBochenapoono bontoot sweetWipers . Military slangashcanBig BerthaMinnie n./2Mournful Maryover the toppacketpongoshrapneltin hatTommywhizz-bangzeppelins in a cloudzigzag . Life in the trenchescootieFlanders mudMaconochiemarraineshellshocktrench boottrench coattrench fevertrench foot . Political historythe Allies (ally n. 2c)Black Handjusqu’auboutisteLeague of Nationsreparationtriple alliancetriple ententeVersailles . | Rudyard Kipling was first to use the Urdu word cushy meaning easy . War effort was coined in Great War as was rationing (1915), propaganda film (1916) and home front (1917) Term First World War mentioned in a diary in September 1918 . The 100 Words that Define the First World War can be found in an animated timeline on the Oxford Dictionaries website: http://oxford.ly/ww1word . | 4314d0cdf619a84240bd4d15908ebb274ec99d82 |
By . John Hall . PUBLISHED: . 11:47 EST, 27 December 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 15:38 EST, 27 December 2013 . Rescue: Eight-year-old Minnie disappeared while chasing rabbits . A Jack Russell has been reunited with its owners after it survived eight days trapped down a rabbit hole by drinking the moisture gathering on rocks. Eight-year-old Minnie was on a woodland walk with her owners Simon and Leela Humphreys near St Cleer in Cornwall when she disappeared into the bushes chasing rabbits. After an eight-day search proved fruitless, the couple received a phone call from a neighbour who said she could hear whimpering coming from beneath the ground in the area where Minnie vanished. Mr and Mrs Humphreys raced to woodland with shovels and dug for over an hour before realising they would need to call in professional help as Minnie was trapped too far down for them to rescue on their own. Thirteen firefighters subsequently attended the scene, taking over an hour to rescue Minnie from the narrow tunnel. Mr Humphreys, a 56-year-old ecologist, said: ‘She will chase rabbits now and again but will come back after about 10 minutes later but she didn’t this time’. He added: ‘Many of our friends and family joined in to try and look for her but we couldn’t find her anywhere… But then last Monday we got a call from our friend Fay who said she could hear whimpering’. Missing: A neighbour in St Cleer, Cornwall heard her whimpering under the ground . Alive: Other than appearing skinny, smelly and slightly panicked, Minnie escaped her ordeal unscathed . Mr Humphreys said Minnie appeared skinny, smelly and slightly panicked following her eight-day ordeal, but after a bath and some food she didn’t require any further medical attention. Minnie is believed to have survived by drinking the water that gathered on the rocks around her. Unseasonably mild weather and a lack of ground frost are thought to have aided her survival. Speaking of his reunion with Minnie, . Mr Humphreys said: ‘She was so excited when we managed to get at her, . she was making quite a lot of noise which was pretty distressing for us . and the firefighters.’ Woodland rescue: Minnie found herself stuck in a rabbit hole near St Cleer in Cornwall . He added: ‘Her paws were a bit sore as she had obviously been trying to get out but she was absolutely fine.’ Mrs Humphreys, a 57-year-old GP added: ‘We are so pleased to have Minnie home and can’t thank the firefighters enough for their help. We will be making a donation to the firefighters’ charity to show our appreciation.' | Eight-year-old Minnie disappeared while chasing rabbits . She survived by drinking water gathering on the rocks around her . A neighbour in St Cleer, Cornwall heard her whimpering under the ground . 13 firefighters took over an hour to dig Minnie out of the rabbit hole . | 914dc02a3720b3875930276a3dc2eccca63158f2 |
(CNN) -- Nearly every day, Terri Shaver comes face to face with cancer and can't help but think about her life and how short it could be. For more than four years, the 56-year-old photographer from Laingsburg, Michigan, has taken free portraits of people with terminal and life-threatening illnesses as part of the Oldham Project, the nonprofit she founded in 2008 after her husband's two sisters-in-law died from breast cancer. Although the Oldham Project, named for the two sisters, provided photos for families and children, Shaver started Be Bold, Feel Beautiful, a campaign specifically aimed at women with cancer, in summer 2010. "I'll never be the same," she said. "These women are already dealing with the choices of the things they want to accomplish or need to accomplish before their time here is over. They really see the things that are important." The campaign began as a way to provide the women who lost their hair from cancer treatments photos in which they felt beautiful. Although she had already been taking photos of people with cancer, Shaver wanted to raise awareness, and from her extended family, knew what a powerful effect going bald had on women in particular. "When they lose their hair, 99.9% of these women have said that they lose themselves," she said. "They lose their identity." Shaver remembers one woman telling her that when her eyelashes and eyebrows fell out, she looked in the mirror and saw an alien. But when the women see their photos -- some somber and some lighthearted, posing with something significant to them -- they regain their self-image. Shaver said some have even told her that they stopped wearing their wigs after the session. Since the campaign started in July 2010, Shaver has photographed about 100 women -- ages 20 to 82 -- who have had cancer, as well as partnering with a local spa to pamper them and try to make them feel gorgeous for a day. Although it began as a campaign planned to run until October, which is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Shaver said the feedback from the women was overwhelming and she extended the campaign to be a permanent fixture of the Oldham Project. "Your will has a lot to do with progress that you make when you're sick," Shaver said. "I firmly believe that if I can make women feel better about themselves, while they're undergoing this treatment and have no hair, their treatment will be much more successful." Before starting a session, Shaver turns up the music in her studio and strives for an optimistic perspective, determined to make the day an uplifting experience for the woman, even though she knows this particular visit is likely a trip woven into a schedule of radiation treatments and countless doctor visits. "You can't help putting yourself in these women's shoes as I talk to each and every one of them, thinking, 'What if that was me?'" Shaver said. "How would I react? How would I deal with that? Many times, I don't even have words." If she didn't consciously take a more analytical approach to each woman's cancer, Shaver said, the project would be awful. It doesn't mean the emotions are absent, but Shaver, who used to be a nurse, knows she can't take on every burden she witnesses. Toward the end of last fall when Be Bold, Feel Beautiful was in full swing, Shaver was scheduling sessions with up to 10 women a week and began to become physically and emotionally drained. "I was sleeping three hours a night because I was thinking about the person I photographed yesterday or the woman I was going to," she said. "When you hear these people's stories, you spend a couple hours with them -- photographing them, interviewing them -- you become part of their lives." She stepped back from updating the campaign's blog -- which was as often as she had a session -- and to her husband's relief, scheduled the portraits at a slower pace to give herself time. Shaver said the only thing more difficult than a session is hearing the news that one of her photo subjects has died. The first was Denise Acker, 55, who died in August 2010 after fighting lung cancer, and was also the very first person to be photographed with Be Bold, Feel Beautiful. Shaver said five women have died since she began and it is devastating every time. Dealing with the grief and looking mortality in the face has made Shaver live differently. She said she doesn't stress out about as many things because she has realized they simply don't matter. What gets her out of bed in the morning when she knows that the day's session will be tough is imagining that she has the ability to watch a woman overcome her insecurities and find peace in how she looks. "It doesn't matter how bad my day is, I'll bet you their day is worse," Shaver said. "And I'm going to do all I can to make them look as good as I possibly can." A little more than a year later, Shaver knows it sounds like an extraordinary statement, but she believes the ongoing campaign has the potential to save lives. "If other women who are just newly diagnosed or haven't even been diagnosed yet see women like this who are strong, powerful, bold and feel good about themselves, they, too, will know that I can do this," she said. "They won't panic when they find a lump, they won't just stick their heads in the sand and hope it'll go away." | Terri Shaver takes free portraits of people with terminal and life-threatening illnesses . Be Bold, Feel Beautiful campaign aimed at women with cancer . Sessions began to become physically and emotionally draining for Shaver . | 79c6509250653b3bf1d3f046b20cf3c33f611ec6 |
Course: Esther Okade has been accepted to study for a maths degree - despite not going to school . She spends her spare time in a similar way to many other ten-year-old girls - playing with Barbie dolls and making loom bands. But the key difference between Esther Okade and other children her age is that she has been accepted to study for a university maths degree - despite not going to school. Esther, from Walsall, West Midlands, has enrolled on an Open University course months after she passed her A-levels - and wants to study for a PhD before running her own bank. The girl, who gained a C grade in her maths GCSE aged six, has joined the course which started this month. Her younger brother Isiah is already studying for his A-levels - also aged six. The siblings are both home-schooled by their mother Omonefe, who has converted the living room of their semi-detached, three-bedroom house into a makeshift classroom. Mathematician Mrs Okade, 37, said: ‘Esther is doing so well. She took a test recently and scored 100 per cent. Applying to the university was an interesting process because of her age. ‘We even had to talk to the vice-chancellor. After they interviewed her they realised that this has been her idea from the beginning. From the age of seven Esther has wanted to go to university. Happy: Esther (left) is pictured last year with her mother Omonefe (right) after passing her A-level in maths . Following in her footsteps: The schoolgirl (left and right) is pictured at home in Walsall with her brother Isaiah . ‘But I was afraid it was too soon. She would say, “Mum, when am I starting?”, and go on and on and on. Finally, after three years she told me, “Mum, I think it is about time I started university now”.’ Mrs Okade added that Esther - who will study for her degree at home - was ‘flying’ and ‘so happy’ when she was accepted by the university, and wants to be a millionaire. She said: ‘For now we want her to enjoy her childhood as well as her maths. By the time she was four I had taught her the alphabet, her numbers, and how to add, subtract, multiply and division. ‘I saw that she loved patterns so developed a way of using that to teach her new things. I thought I would try her with algebra, and she loved it more than anything.’ Another bright spark: In 1981 Ruth Lawrence (above) from Brighton became the youngest person to pass the exam for Oxford University, as a ten-year-old - and graduated aged 13 with a first-class degree in maths . Esther stunned her parents last year when she achieved a B grade in her pure maths A-level. She applied to the Open University last August - and after a phone interview, an essay and an exam, she was told in December that she had been accepted onto the course. Her father Paul, 42, a managing director, added: ‘I cannot tell you how happy and proud I am as a father. The desire of every parent is to see their children exceed them, and take the family name to great heights, and my children have done just that.’ In 1981 Ruth Lawrence, of Brighton, became the youngest person to pass the exam for Oxford University, as a ten-year-old - and graduated aged 13 with a first-class degree in maths. Now aged 43 and a married mother-of-two, Mrs Lawrence is an associate professor of maths at the Einstein Institute of Mathematics, at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. | Esther Okade from Walsall has enrolled on Open University course . After degree she wants to study for PhD before running her own bank . Girl's younger brother Isiah is already studying for A-levels aged six . Siblings are both home-schooled by mathematician mother Omonefe . | 47363c7188f733428a981c4e8e6b2342c45e2b7c |
By . Mark Duell . Last updated at 8:22 PM on 15th December 2011 . A lawyer has been jailed for two years after transferring more than $1million from a dead family friend's bank account to his own. Igor Purlantov, 35, of New York, regularly forged the signature of Mohamad Ibraham Darwish Haj Ali, who died in October 2004, a court heard. He accessed his friend’s HSBC Swiss bank account which held $3,395,000 and has now agreed to pay back $1,176,000 to Ali’s friends and relatives. Wire fraud: Igor Purlantov, 35, of New York, regularly forged the signature of Mohamad Ibraham Darwish Haj Ali for his own benefit, a court heard (file picture) He will also pay back taxes to the IRS of $293,000 - after pleading guilty to tax evasion because he failed to pay any tax on the money. Purlantov forged Ali’s name on a letter telling the Swiss bank to add Purlantov as a joint account holder, reported El Cerrito Patch. Purlantov spent the next 17 months moving $1.17million to his own bank accounts in London and New York, the court heard. Ali lived in El Cerrito in California and Purlantov was sentenced in nearby Oakland after pleading guilty to wire fraud and tax evasion. Repayment: He accessed his friend's HSBC Swiss bank account which held $3,395,000 and has now agreed to pay back $1,176,000 to Ali's beneficiaries . Prosecutors say the scheme took place from October 2004 to February 2005 and Purlantov will begin his sentence in late January. 'Purlantov accepted full responsibility and agreed to fully reimburse the beneficiaries of his deceased friend' U.S. Department of Justice . He forged documents before and after Ali’s death and was sentenced by District Court Judge Saundra Armstrong, reported the Contra Costa Times. The conviction comes after Purlantov was charged in June 2011 following a joint two-year investigation by the IRS and FBI. ‘Purlantov accepted full responsibility and agreed to fully reimburse the beneficiaries of his deceased friend,’ the U.S. Department of Justice said. | Igor Purlantov, 35, regularly forged signature of friend . Mohamad Ibraham Darwish Haj Ali died in October 2004 . Agreed to pay back $1.2m to friends and $0.3m in tax . | 1059fd0c6dafff51e6452f3433b8cbbb800653ee |
By . Lizzie Parry . A second-time mother gave birth to her daughter while sitting on the toilet, hearing a splash before discovering her newborn in the water. Tracey Fryer, from Rotherham in Yorkshire, felt no pain, contractions or any signs of labour when she delivered tiny Peyton two weeks before her due date. The 26-year-old mistakenly thought she needed to go to the loo, before retrieving her daughter from the toilet bowl. 'I was in complete shock, I heard a big splash so I looked down in between my legs and could see my baby,' said Mrs Fryer. Tracey Pryer was shocked when she gave birth to her daughter Peyton while on the toilet at her Rotherham home. She shouted for husband Karl, who rushed to clear the newborn's airways . 'My mum shouted up and asked if I was okay - but all I could reply with was, "no I’ve had her". 'My husband, Karl, came running straight in and was acted so quickly - he was like a real life super daddy. 'I don’t know what I would’ve done without him. 'He . grabbed Peyton out of the toilet - I was panicking as she wasn’t crying . but Karl cleared her airways and she let out a huge scream, it was such . a relief.' Baby Peyton was due on Saturday, but because Mrs Fryer is a diabetic she was booked in to be induced on May 19. But two days before she was due to go to hospital, Mrs Fryer unexpectedly gave birth at home. She said: 'I couldn’t wait to give birth to my baby, I knew she was a girl since finding out her sex when we went for our 20-week scan. 'On May 17, I woke up and it was like any other day - I was in no pain whatsoever. 'But when I went to the toilet, I sat down and gave one little push and I felt something come flying straight out of me. Mrs Pryer, 26, said she heard a splash and looked down to see Peyton in the water . 'Luckily I live with my mum and she phoned 999 while Karl was seeing to me and Payton. 'The paramedics came and we were whisked off to the hospital and stayed in overnight so we could be monitored. 'Fortunately we were both fine - Peyton was a healthy baby girl weighing 6lbs 11oz. 'I was in complete shock for a while and prayed for Peyton to be healthy - now I can see the funny side though but I just can’t believe my baby was born in the loo.' The full time mum and carer married her childhood sweetheart Karl, 25, - who suffers from epilepsy - back in 2008. The couple already have 14-month-old baby girl Midina and couldn’t wait for the extra addition to arrive to complete their family. Mrs Fryer, said: 'When I gave birth to Midina the whole ordeal was completely different - I was in labour for over nine hours and was in so much pain. 'That’s why Peyton was such a shock - I was expecting to go through a similar experience but instead she couldn’t wait and slipped straight out within seconds. 'She’s our little miracle toilet baby - the doctors were amazed and found it hilarious. 'Our baby girl is one week old and despite her unexpected arrival in the toilet she never stops smiling.' | Tracey Fryer was due to give birth to her daughter on Saturday, May 31 . But because she is a diabetic she was set to be induced on May 19 . Two days earlier the 26-year-old delivered Peyton on the toilet at home . Mother-of-two felt no pain, contractions or any signs of labour . She said: 'I was in complete shock, I heard a big splash so I looked down in between my legs and could see my baby' | d50fd172cd2452d29b99bb80e9dcf8ff34ebbd3a |
By . Katherine Faulkner . PUBLISHED: . 09:35 EST, 6 August 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 03:37 EST, 7 August 2012 . Four years ago, when the British Olympic medallists flew back from China, they went business class. Gymnast Beth Tweddle was in economy after missing bronze by a whisker and the memory spurred her on to success yesterday. The popular 27-year-old won bronze after a breathtaking routine on the uneven bars, marred only by a stumble on her dismount. Scroll down to hear from Beth . Beth Tweddle appeared to be just as happy with bronze as she would with gold . Beth Tweddle looked like she was going to get silver despite being let down by her dismount . Bronze medal winner Beth Tweddle (right) pictured with Russia's Aliya Mustafina (centre) who won gold and silver medal winner He Kexin (left) But in her last Olympics, Tweddle was delighted to make the podium – 20 years after her first gym class in Crewe. Tweddle, who is old in a sport packed . with teenagers, has endured no fewer than ten operations as years of . competing punished her body to its breaking point. She has had three . operations on her shoulders and seven on her feet, while her left ankle . is held together with a mass of surgical pins. Five months ago, further disaster . struck – a knee injury requiring keyhole surgery which nearly put paid . to her dream of competing at London 2012. But in a testament to her remarkable . character, Tweddle refused to give up. She hobbled out of the procedure . on a Friday and was back in rehab on Monday. Agony: The stumble that cost Beth Tweddle the gold medal . The medal comes despite having knee surgery just 12 weeks ago . Tweddle Cheshire, has been an ambassador for the sport in Britain for many years, having won more titles and medals than any other British gymnast . The London 2012 Games are the last ones that Tweddle will compete in . Every day, she worked from 9am to 6pm . to strengthen her joint, while at night she slept with a £3,500 ice . machine strapped to her left knee to stop the swelling. ‘If you ask Beth to describe herself . in one word, that word would be stubborn,’ said her father, Jerry, who . runs a successful plastics company. ‘She doesn’t do giving up.’ Her mother Ann, who works on a . literacy programme, added: ‘When she got that injury, I thought that was . it. I was worried about it, but Beth just carried on. I’ll never know . how she slept with that ice around her leg – she said she just got used . to it.’ Within weeks of her surgery, she was declared fit to compete. ‘This is the best feeling in the . world,’ Tweddle, from Liverpool, said yesterday. ‘All I wanted was to . finish my career with an Olympic medal in my pocket – it didn’t matter . what colour.’ Beth's coach of 15 years, Amanda Reddin, congratulates the stunned-looking Olympian on her hard work . Tweddle came just 0.025 points from a medal at the Beijing Games and thought about retiring from the sport then . The cheer from the crowd at the O2 arena for Tweddle was no different to that of many Team GB gold medal winners . The delighted gymnast wiped away . tears of joy after seeing her score. She had dazzled the judges with a . complex and high-risk routine that drew gasps from the audience. There . were roars from the crowd as she finished the performance, which . included the special hand-crossing move which she invented and which has . officially been named ‘the Tweddle’ by the International Gymnastics . Federation. ‘There was one moment today where I . thought it was going to be exactly like Beijing,’ she admitted. ‘But . luckily this time I had done enough.’ Rory Bremner . And as she stood on the podium, she . beamed at her proud father as he recorded on video the medal moment the . family had waited two decades to see. Tweddle, who grew up in Bunbury, . Cheshire, discovered her love of gymnastics when she was seven. After . doing her A-levels at the £3,500-a-term Queen’s School in Cheshire, she . threw herself fully into her training. She met coach Amanda Reddin when she was 12, and has stayed with her. Now, as Britain’s most decorated gymnast, she holds three world, six European and seven British titles, and is an MBE. She has deferred a physiotherapy . degree until next year so she can spend some time with family and . friends, not least boyfriend Steve Cryer, 30. When asked about the future, Tweddle . said: ‘I definitely won’t be back for Rio. My body can’t take it and I . don’t think my coach can either.’ | Russia wins gold after Aliya Mustafina managed a score of 16.133 . Tweddle delighted with medal at her last Olympic Games . Triumph comes despite having knee surgery just 12 weeks ago . | 7ed39ff294fe7f79acb49a533ea76c4c7af31437 |
(CNN) -- China's President Hu Jintao called Tuesday for a "prosperous and harmonious" Xinjiang province during his first visit to the country's western Uyghur region since last month's deadly riots, state-run media reported. President Hu Jintao said Xinjiang's development will be "better and faster." "The key to our work in Xinjiang is to properly handle development and stability," said Hu. Hu, calling for reform, development, ethnic unity and stability in the region, expressed gratitude to the armed forces, militia and police for their work in quelling the July 5 ethnic riots in Urumqi, the capital of China's remote northwestern Xinjiang Autonomous Region, Xinhua news agency said. The riots were between Uyghurs, who are predominantly Muslim, and ethnic Han Chinese, the majority group in China. Reports of deaths range from around 200 to many more. Hu, who is also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, said Xinjiang must focus on economic development, maintaining social stability, and promoting ethnic unity and common prosperity. During a tour that began Saturday and ended Tuesday, Hu visited villages, farms, communities, factories and barracks in the largely Uyghur area of Aksu; Changji, a land port between China and Central Asian nations; Karamay, an oil base; Shihezi, the headquarters of the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps; and the regional capital of Urumqi. Hu met with military personnel, hospital workers, local officials and religious leaders and with the widow of a policeman who was killed July 5 by rioters in Urumqi. He promised her family members government help if they should need it. Hu told villagers and herders that ethnic minorities would be supported through "more efficient measures." "In the future, Xinjiang's development will be better and faster," he said, according to state-run CCTV. "The improvement of people's lives will be even more remarkable; let's work together to create an even better future." He said the central government "attaches great importance to the well-being of ethnic groups" and called the riots "a serious criminal act masterminded by separatist forces at home and abroad." Hu added that all separatist forces are doomed to failure, and said the central government would support social and ethnic development, CCTV reported. Reports on Monday from state-run China Daily said that more than 200 people charged in connection with the riots could be tried this week. Problems in the region began in late June, after two Uyghur migrant workers at a toy factory in Guangdong province were killed in a brawl between Uyghurs and Han. Uyghurs protested in Urumqi, hundreds of miles from the toy factory. Uyghurs and Han reportedly attacked each other. | Hu Jintao makes first visit to country's western Uyghur region since last month's riots . Hu calls for reform, development, ethnic unity and stability in Xinjiang region . Problems began in June, after Uyghur workers killed in brawl between Uyghurs, Han . China's state media says over 200 people charged over riots could be tried this week . | f7ded1e31a63a71def29053e98313e420fcea91e |
Maoist sect leader Aravindan Balakrishnan (pictured outside court today) has appeared in court charged with 25 offences including false imprisonment, rape and child cruelty . A Maoist sect leader has appeared in court charged with 25 offences including false imprisonment, rape and child cruelty. Aravindan Balakrishnan, 74, was arrested in Lambeth, south London, in November last year. He faces one count of cruelty to a person under the age of 16, one count of false imprisonment, 19 counts of indecent assault and four counts of rape. The charges relate to three women between January 1980 and October 2013. Appearing at Westminster Magistrates' Court in London today, his lawyer, Adam Wiseman, indicated that Balakrishnan would plead not guilty to the alleged offences. Balakrishnan, of Edmonton, north London, spoke only to confirm his name, age and address during the brief 20-minute hearing. He was dressed in a blue waterproof jacket, grey cardigan and peach-coloured scarf, wearing glasses and with his grey hair in a mullet style. The child cruelty charge states that between January 6 1983 and January 7 1999 Balakrishnan 'wilfully ill-treated, assaulted, and neglected' a child in a manner 'likely to cause unnecessary suffering to said child or injury to its health'. A 67-year-old woman, understood to be Balakrishnan's wife, Chanda Pattni, was arrested with him in November last year. In September, after 10 months on bail, she was told she would face no further action and was released without charge. District Judge Howard Riddle said the next hearing was set for Southwark Crown Court in London on December 31. 'There are 25 separate allegations against you,' the judge said. 'These allegations are sent for trial to Southwark Crown Court and you have bail with conditions.' Mr Wiseman said he would be applying to adjourn the next hearing to the week starting January 5. Balakrishnan was released on bail with conditions that he must live and sleep at his home address, not apply for international travel documents, not contact five women, who cannot be named, and not enter Lambeth unless accompanied by his solicitor. Appearing at Westminster Magistrates' Court in London today, his lawyer, Adam Wiseman, indicated that Balakrishnan would plead not guilty to the alleged offences . Sorry we are not currently accepting comments on this article. | Aravindan Balakrishnan, 74, was arrested in Lambeth, in November 2013 . He faces one count of cruelty to a person under the age of 16, one count of false imprisonment, 19 counts of indecent assault and four counts of rape . Charges relate to three women between January 1980 and October 2013 . | 1cb1b647693529bd311da0719042c33e1d3546ba |
By . Sam Peters . England's World Cup-winning women made a triumphant return to Twickenham on Monday, with head coach Gary Street calling for increased funding to allow his team of plumbers, teachers and policewomen to turn professional. Street, a former quantity surveyor who has gone on to become a central figure in the growth of women’s rugby in England, said sponsors would be ‘crazy’ not to support a sport which has seen playing numbers more than double to 18,000 over the last 10 years. VIDEO Scroll down for Prince Harry's good luck message for England women's rugby . Jubilation: England celebrate with the World Cup trophy at Stade Jean-Bouin in Paris . Delight: England centre Rachael Burford holds the trophy after winning the IRB Women's Rugby World Cup . More than two million television viewers in France watched England beat Canada 21-9 on Sunday in a final played in front of 20,000 in Paris and shown in 137 countries. Street believes the ever-growing audience means it is only a matter of time before money is provided to allow top players in England — some of whom quit their jobs for the World Cup — to become fully-fledged professionals. ‘The girls are professional, apart from the fact they don’t get paid,’ said Street. ‘The television audience in France, with sold-out stadiums, showed there is a market when the product is so good. ‘Sponsors would be crazy not to jump on the back of that. I don’t think professionalism is too far away. Champions: England celebrate after Emily Scarratt's try rounded off the win late on . Lining up: Final hero Emily Scarratt of England prepares to kick as England overcame Canada . ‘A senior IRB guy I spoke to was very anti-women’s rugby when I met him 10 years ago but he called last night and said he had no idea women’s rugby could be so good.’ Street’s players, who received messages from England captain Chris Robshaw and World Cup winner Jonny Wilkinson, will be back down to earth with a bang this week. ‘I go back to work on Thursday,’ said flanker Marlie Packer, a plumber from Yeovil. ‘I won’t know what job I’m doing until they send it down. It could be a blocked toilet, a leaking pipe, changing a tap washer, you never know. ‘We’ve made sacrifices to get here but winning a World Cup makes it worthwhile.’ | More than two million TV viewers in France watched England beat Canada . Street has become key figure in the growth of women’s rugby in England . Playing numbers more than double to 18,000 over the last 10 years. | ef9e7e81bab33fb972f534d835f228b0de5c48bf |
England are considering an early Test call-up for Saracens’ new, uncapped Australian prop, Kieran Longbottom - who is eligible and has revealed his desire to push for selection. The 28-year-old known as ‘K-bomb’ joined the north London club from Perth-based Western Force during the summer, despite being told by Wallabies coach Ewen McKenzie that he was in contention for international honours. He has impressed in his first two Aviva Premiership appearances for Saracens and amid a dearth of established English tightheads, it is understood that he is being viewed as a candidate for Stuart Lancaster’s national squad, to be named on October 22. Kieran Longbottom (pictured) of Saracens could be fast-tracked into the England squad this November . Longbottom (left) is interviewed by Sportsmail's Chris Foy and reveals it'd be an 'honour' to play for England . With Leicester’s Dan Cole due to miss the autumn internationals at Twickenham as he recovers from neck surgery, David Wilson of Bath is destined to continue as first-choice at No 3. But behind him, stocks are low. Henry Thomas, is spending long periods on Bath’s bench while developing his scrummaging, and Kyle Sinckler of Harlequins is another rookie with considerable raw potential who is still honing his craft. On Monday, England forwards coach Graham Rowntree was in Newcastle to watch Kieran Brookes play for the Falcons’ reserves. Despite being capped against New Zealand in June, the 24-year-old is struggling at his club and has been demoted from the match-day 23. Against this backdrop, Longbottom - whose maternal grandmother was born in Yorkshire - has been identified as an immediate solution in a problem position. He is ready to answer the call, after belatedly discovering that he qualifies for England. ‘The fact that I ended up finding out I am eligible to play for England is a bonus,’ he told Sportsmail. ‘It is something I had never really thought of. My initial intention was to come over here, learn to be a better scrummager then after a few years go back and hopefully be one of the best tightheads in Australia. Then I could have another crack at it (playing for Australia). But whatever happens, happens. Other opportunities present themselves. Australian-born tighthead prop Longbottom would be likely to back-up for Bath's David Wilson for England . Dan Cole is England's first-choice tighthead prop but he is sidelined for months following neck surgery . David Wilson (centre) of Bath is likely to continue to deputise at No 3 in Dan Cole's absence for England . ‘I hold an Australian passport, but my nana on my mum’s side was born in Halifax. I sort of knew it but I didn’t know what that meant in terms of eligibility. It’s just one of those things - that was a good break for me I suppose.’ Quite how much of a good break is only now dawning on Longbottom. If he was a loosehead, he would be low down a long, high-class queue of England contenders, but at tighthead he is instantly in the mix. If Lancaster or Rowntree make contact, he won’t hesitate to make himself available. ‘It would be a massive honour to play for England,’ he said. ‘There is a massive, proud history behind the team, so to be able to play for them would be something I would be very proud of. It would be another opportunity for me and I would want to take it. ‘It was good to play at Twickenham the other day. It is bloody impressive. It would be an honour to play there for England. When I was planning to come over here, I didn’t even know that I would be eligible, but afterwards it was spelled out to me. At the time I thought, Right, whatever, that’s not going to happen”. But coming here now, maybe it is going to happen and that is pretty exciting.’ England would be pinching him from under the noses of the Wallabies - Pool A rivals at next year’s World Cup. Longbottom was in the mix to represent his country, but encouraging noises didn’t lead to caps, so he decided to try his luck elsewhere. Kieran Brookes (centre) of Newcastle Falcons impressed in New Zealand but has struggled for his club . Longbottom, pictured here tackling England captain Chris Robshaw, moved to Saracens this summer . ‘Ewen McKenzie came and spoke to me at training in pre-season,’ he said. ‘Then during the season I thought I was going well, but I didn’t hear anything else from them (Australia). When this opportunity came along I just thought, “I could snap my leg in the next game, so I have to take this”. ‘When I spoke to Foles (Force coach Michael Foley) and told him I was planning on doing it, he said, “But you are on their (Australia’s) radar”. Maybe I was on their radar, but there was a beaming light shining me in the face, coming from here. It was a massive opportunity and I couldn’t just ignore that, hoping for something else to happen.’ In his early games for Saracens, Longbottom has made a positive set-piece impact, despite finding the scrums markedly different to what he was used to Down Under. ‘Guys aren’t afraid to attack on their own ball and on the opposition’s ball,’ he said. ‘I have only played four games here so far but already I’ve had to deal with looseheads who love standing up and coming in. ‘In Australia we like to keep the scrum steady and straight, to have a good attacking platform off it, whereas here it is a real contest to go forward, see how much damage you can do, try to fracture them and get a penalty. It’s a good contest. That’s why I play the game - to have a battle with the other bloke and shake his hand at the end.’ A love of proper, combative scrummaging will go down well with Rowntree. So far, Longbottom is doing and saying all the right things to advance his England prospects. England head coach Stuart Lancaster could fast-track Longbottom due to a crisis at tighthead prop . The 28-year-old has a love for combative scrummaging and likes to attack and push forward during set pieces . | England contemplated fast-tracking Saracen's prop Kieran Longbottom . Australian-born prop moved to club this summer and is keen to play . The 28-year-old is eligible as his maternal grandmother is from Yorkshire . England head coach Stuart Lancaster has an injury crisis at tighthead . Leicester's Dan Cole sidelined for months after undergoing neck surgery . Bath's David Wilson likely to continue at No 3 but back-ups are limited . Longbottom told Sportsmail it would be an 'honour' to play for England . | c01f37f4f7a8491cd8e773b97c48789664b64b58 |
(CNN) -- Days after a deadly Metro-North train derailment in New York, a top federal transportation official said Tuesday that he has "serious concerns" about safety on the railroad. In addition to Sunday's derailment in the Bronx, which killed four people and injured dozens more, Federal Railroad Administration chief Joseph Szabo listed three other recent accidents involving Metro-North trains. "The specific causes of each of these accidents may vary, but regardless of the reasons, four serious accidents in less than seven months is simply unacceptable," he wrote in a letter to the head of New York's transit authority. The letter also describes a May 17 train derailment and collision in Bridgeport, Connecticut; the death of a Metro-North employee on May 28 in West Haven, Connecticut; and a CSX freight train derailment in the Bronx on July 18. More needs to be done immediately to improve safety, Szabo said. He directed New York's Metropolitan Transportation Authority to immediately implement a so-called C3RS program, which allows railroad employees to report close calls "to identify significant precursors to significant safety issues." "A C3RS is in place on other rail lines across the country ... and has proven effective in identifying safety issues and lowering injury and accident exposure," he wrote. And that's not all, he said. "We have significant concerns about the current situation at Metro-North, and are actively considering other ways that FRA can use its federal oversight authority to provide additional safety enhancement of MTA operations," he wrote. The MTA said it is fully cooperating with the investigation and is conducting a comprehensive look at the safety culture of the authority. "The safety of the MTA's customers and employees has always been, and will always continue to be, our top priority. We look forward to working with the Federal Railroad Administration and the U.S. Department of Transportation to improve safety," MTA spokeswoman Marjorie Anders said. "We have been moving forward on a confidential close call reporting system, and we look forward to working with the FRA to implement it." Combined, the four accidents "resulted in 5 deaths and approximately 129 injuries to Metro-North employees and customers," Szabo said. The July freight train derailment, which damaged tracks and tipped over containers carrying tons of trash, occurred near the area in the Bronx where seven passenger cars derailed on Sunday, CNN affiliate WABC reported. The May collision between two Metro-North passenger trains in Bridgeport sent dozens of people to the hospital after a train heading from New Haven to New York City derailed during rush hour and smashed into a train heading in the opposite direction. Less than 10 days later, a train hit and killed a Metro-North employee who was doing maintenance work on tracks in the vicinity of the construction of a new station in West Haven, CNN affiliate WFSB reported. CNN's Leigh Remizowski contributed to this report. | NEW: New York's MTA says it's cooperating with investigators . The country's top rail official says he has "serious concerns" about Metro-North safety . "Four serious accidents in less than seven months is simply unacceptable," he says . He calls on the MTA to do more immediately to improve safety . | c8515b8959bb0077955205a97a28197c1f760805 |
Dar es Salaam, Tanzania (CNN) -- With hundreds wearing white shirts and hats bearing President Barack Obama's face, Tanzanians said "karibu," or "welcome," to him on Monday as they lined a street temporarily renamed Obama Avenue. Obama is in Africa to promote an increased partnership amid criticism the United States has, outside of military interests, focused its attention on other areas of the world. Tanzania is an important partner on security and development, and Obama sought to highlight its economic potential with China and other foreign governments paying more attention to it lately. Lying strategically on the coast of the Indian Ocean, Tanzania is an outlet for many landlocked neighbors and a jumping-off point for companies looking to expand commercial opportunities. It has largely untapped agricultural and mineral resources, and Obama is trying to put forward the case for African consumers and their governments to look West rather then East. "We have got enormous opportunity to unleash the next era of African growth. I see Africa as the world's next major economic success story and the United States wants to be a partner in that success," Obama told a roundtable of some 20 U.S., African and other international corporate chief executives before addressing a larger group of business leaders. He was joined at the roundtable by the heads of General Electric, Microsoft, Coca-Cola and Symbion Power Corp, which partnered with GE to build a major dam in Tanzania. But is he already too late? China became Africa's largest individual trading partner three years ago, surpassed only by the European Union. Earlier this year, just 10 days after taking office, Chinese President Xi Jinping made Tanzania the first stop on a three-nation Africa tour. He signed 16 trade, cultural and diplomatic accords in Tanzania alone. According to the local arm of the China-Africa business council, there are approximately 8,000 Chinese owned businesses operating in Tanzania, ranging from large-scale construction projects to small shops and market kiosks. And more Chinese citizens are flocking to seek their fortunes across Africa. "Everyone knows that China is the factory of the world. All the big countries, including the U.S., have their factories there," said Hao Jianguo of the China-Africa Business Council, noting that the import-export pipeline is direct and prices favorable. "Where there's an opportunity for business, the businessmen find it. Our motto is, 'Follow the profit,'" Jianguo said. Still, Obama promoted sound business practices and his own initiatives, the previously announced Power Africa, aimed at improving the continent's power grid and the recently announced Trade Africa. The latter is a partnership between the United States and African nations intended to expand trade with countries including Tanzania, Kenya and Uganda. Trade Africa aims to double intra-regional trade in East African Community (EAC) countries and boost exports to the United States by 40%. On Monday, the president also said his commerce secretary and other U.S. officials would visit Africa on trade missions to make good on his promises. "I'm making this trip early in my second term, because I intend for this to be the beginning of a new level of economic engagement with Africa," Obama said. "If people across this continent are just given a chance, if they're just empowered with the skills and the resources and the capital ... they can achieve extraordinary progress." Obama will visit Symbion on Tuesday, continuing a theme of the trip during which he has pledged an additional $7 billion to increase power infrastructure across the continent. Obama's visit to Africa's biggest economy was part of a three-nation trip that began last week and included stops in Senegal, South Africa and Tanzania. Celebratory greeting . Prior to his meeting with business leaders, Obama and Tanzanian President Jakaya Kikwete spoke and answered questions before the vast building adorned with American and Tanzanian flags on grounds complete with peacocks. The respect between the two leaders, as well as the appreciation Kikwete has for the United States was clear. "The people of Tanzania love you," Kikwete said, looking at Obama. "There has never been a visit by a head of state to Tanzania that has attracted such big crowds." Kikwete was the first African leader Obama welcomed to the White House, a sign of the shared interests between the countries, Obama said. He noted their cooperation over health care, infrastructure, energy and job creation. "Africa needs the United States, the United States needs Africa," Kikwete said. At the State House in Tanzania there was a celebratory greeting for the president and first lady Michelle Obama with a band, dancers and a mass of applauding, whooping crowds lining the red carpet as the Obamas shook hands making their way to the whitewashed building. Obama, Bush on Tuesday . On Tuesday Obama will join former President George W. Bush for a wreath-laying commemorating the August 1998 al Qaeda attack on the U.S. Embassy in Dar es Salaam, which killed 11 people and wounded hundreds. CNN Exclusive: Bush on Mandela, Snowden and his legacy . Bush has been in Zambia to help renovate a clinic that serves as a cervical cancer screening and treatment center. Michelle Obama and Laura Bush are scheduled to attend the African First Ladies Summit, organized by the George W. Bush Institute, in Tanzania on Tuesday. Obama wrapped up his trip to South Africa on Sunday with a visit to the prison cell where anti-apartheid leader and later South African President Nelson Mandela was held and called on students to help build a new Africa. Obama: Mandela is a hero for the world . CNN's Matt Smith, Faith Karimi, Ashley Killough, Laura Smith-Spark and Nima Elbagir contributed to this report . | NEW: President Barack Obama meets with business leaders, including U.S. CEOs . NEW: Obama sees opportunity for Africa and says the U.S. wants to be its partner . Obama will attend an embassy attack commemoration with George W. Bush on Tuesday . Tanzania welcomes Obama, temporarily renames street Obama Avenue . | 34dff0667b517a1444b35f684154b598ecfb50c3 |
By . Jill Reilly . PUBLISHED: . 10:12 EST, 22 May 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 12:30 EST, 22 May 2013 . They may be some of the world's most endangered animals, but caught on secret camera this colourful menagerie appear not to have a care in the world. The giant panda, red panda, Tibetan stump-tailed macaque, takin and leopard are all regarded as endangered by the WWF. So to gain a better understanding of them, the wildlife charity set up a dozen camera traps in the mountainous giant panda reserves of the Sichuan Province in China. Strike a pose: A golden pheasant photographed by WWF using camera traps for International Day for Biodiversity . Looking around: A giant panda explores its territory as it wanders through the snow . Realistic: The benefit of camera traps is that there is practically zero human interference which helps give scientists a more accurate idea of how the species behave in the wild . Say cheese: A tufted deer looks a bit shocked to be caught out by the WWF cameras . It is believed by setting up special conservation areas for the giant panda - China's national animal - other endangered animals within the same natural habitat will also be protected. The WWF released the images yesterday to mark the International Day for Biological Diversity. In the pictures, the likes of giant pandas, red pandas, golden pheasants and Tibetan stump-tailed macaques are all seen wandering around the wild terrain. The benefit of camera traps is that there is practically zero human interference which helps give scientists a more accurate idea of how the species behave in the wild. Hang on right: A red panda photographed by WWF using camera traps . Exploring: An inquisitive Tibetan stump-tailed macaque gets a close-up . Endangered: The giant panda, red panda, Tibetan stump-tailed macaque, takin and leopard are all regarded as endangered by the WWF . Looking docile: An Asiatic black bear. The WWF released the images todau to mark the International Day for Biological Diversity . Caught on camera: A leopard takes a midnight stroll . Having a look around: A pair of Takins explore a snowy terrain . More than 100 infrared camera traps were placed in six nature reserves by WWF and its partners from the local forestry authority as part of the monitoring effort under the giant panda conservation programme. The WWF says its conservation officers have gained a better understanding of the identification of animal traces and areas of their activities. Fan Zhiyong, director of WWF species programme in China, said: 'The images demonstrate that through the conservation of the giant panda, a flagship umbrella species, we can also protect other threatened wildlife from the same habitat and preserve biological diversity.' Jiang Zeyin, species . programme officer at WWF China, added: 'The multimedia materials are . obtained under circumstances where there was little external disturbance . and therefore they truly reflect the conditions of those species in the . wild.' There . are more than 6,500 species of vertebrates in China, representing 14 . per cent of the global total - making it one of 12 globally recognised . 'mega diversity' countries. However, . because of habitat loss and human development, the overall biodiversity . in China is in decline, despite improvements in some places. The . population of more than ten flagship species in China, which include . Amur tigers, musk deer and the Yangtze finless porpoise, are among a . number of creatures which have undergone a marked decline. Protection: It is believed by setting up special conservation areas for the giant panda - China's national animal - other endangered animals within the same natural habitat will also be protected . Bashful: A red panda is caught on camera as it creeps out of shot . Rare: A blue eared pheasant was caught by more 100 infrared camera traps which were placed in six nature reserves by WWF - they also caught, right, Temminck's tragopan . Diverse: A wild boar. There are more than 6,500 species of vertebrates in China, representing 14 per cent of the global total - making it one of 12 globally recognised 'mega diversity' countries . A goral photographed by WWF using camera traps , left and a forest musk deer right both make an appearance . Improvements: A red fox skulks. Because of habitat loss and human development, the overall biodiversity in China is in decline, despite improvements in some places . Exploration: A yellow-throated marten explores the bark of a tree . A Sambar stands proud. The WWF says its conservation officers have gained a better understanding of the identification of animal traces and areas of their activities . Moving on: A group of Takin move on from where they have been resting and caught on camera . | The giant panda, red panda, Tibetan stump-tailed macaque, takin and leopard are all regarded as endangered by the WWF . More than 100 infrared camera traps were placed in nature reserves . Camera traps mean there is practically zero human interference . | c102580d3cc627be3a6f844dc3e34a423de07289 |
(CNN) -- The Philippine Supreme Court postponed the introduction of a controversial law that aims to provide government-funded contraception and sex education classes in the mainly Catholic country. The Southeast Asian nation's top court issued an order on Tuesday delaying the implementation of the law for 120 days while it waits to hear arguments from several petitions against the new measures, the official Philippines News Agency (PNA) reported. Lawmakers approved the legislation, named the Responsible Parenthood and Reproductive Health Act, in December after years of campaigning by public health and women's rights activists. President Benigno Aquino III signed it into law the same month, with his office saying it had closed a divisive chapter in the nation's history. But the Supreme Court decision has reopened the contentious topic, raising the hopes of leaders of the Catholic Church in the Philippines who oppose the measures. "For me it's a good sign, a victory" for those who are against the law, said Bishop Arturo Bastes of Sorsogon, according to PNA. He said he believed that Pope Francis, who was officially inaugurated on Tuesday, would be happy to hear of the delay. Despite widespread support for the new measures in the Philippines, the Catholic Church lobbied against the legislation, saying it would undermine marriage and morality. More than 80% of the Philippines' 96 million citizens are Catholic. One of the petitions submitted to the court against the law argues that "the State cannot, as a general principle, routinely invade the privacy of married couples in the exercise of their most intimate rights and duties to their respective spouses," according to PNA. But supporters of the legislation, like Sen. Miriam Defensor Santiago, say it is necessary to help people in the Philippines "escape the vicious cycle of poverty by giving them options on how to manage their sexual lives, plan their families and control their procreative activities." | Philippine lawmakers approved the reproductive health bill late last year . But the Supreme Court delays its implementation to hear petitions against it . Catholic bishops in the country welcome the decision . | e989a4b40cda56a3799a53fa320cc9bb193a07d3 |
Scientists have sequenced the oldest complete human genome. The DNA comes from an anatomically modern man who roamed Western Siberia 45,000 years ago. It provides experts with a more accurate timeline of when modern humans mated with their Neanderthal cousins as they moved from Africa into Europe, between 50,000 and 60,000 years ago. Scientists have sequenced the oldest complete human genome. The DNA comes from an anatomically modern man who roamed Western Siberia 45,000 years ago. His remains were fund near the settlement of Ust’-Ishim in western Siberia in 2008. A view of the river Irtysh and the village is pictured . The male lived around the time the populations of Europe and Asia divided. His remains were found near the small village of Ust’-Ishim in western Siberia in 2008 when an ivory hunter looking for mammoth tusks stumbled across the bones on the banks of the River Irtysh. They are believed to represent the oldest radiocarbon-dated modern human outside Africa and the Middle East, according to the study in Nature. Dr Janet Kelso, of the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology in Leipzig, Germany, retrieved DNA from the man’s thighbone. By studying the make-up of the man's DNA, scientists discovered that the male lived around the time the populations of Europe and Asia divided. A map of Pleistocene fossils showing nuclear DNA is pictured. The orange dots indicate Neanderthals, blue Denisovans and green, modern humans . The relatively complete human femur was discovered on the banks of the river Irtysh near the village of Ust’-Ishim in western Siberia in 2008. Radiocarbon dating of the bone showed it to be about 45,000 years old. ‘The morphology of the bone suggests that it is an early modern human; that is an individual related to populations that are the direct ancestors of people alive today’ said Bence Viola, the anthropologist who analysed it.. ‘This individual is one of the oldest modern humans found outside the Middle East and Africa.' Together with colleagues, she then sequenced and analysed the genome of the individual and found he had a similar level of Neanderthal ancestry as contemporary East Asians and Europeans. Their study, led by Svante Pääbo, suggests that Neanderthal genes flowed into his ancestors 7,000 to 13,000 years before he lived. Experts previously thought that interbreeding between anatomically modern humans and Neanderthals occurred anywhere between 37,000 and 86,000 years ago. The new study narrows down this huge window of opportunity to between 50,000 and 60,000 years ago, which coincides with the expansion of modern humans into Europe, and possibly Asia. This was decided by studying the segments of Neanderthal DNA in his genome, which were much longer than the ones found in present-day humans. More complex than a simple march of progress: The study suggests that interbreeding between anatomically modern humans (illustrated right) and Neanderthals occurred between 50,000 and 60,000 years ago, coinciding with the expansion of modern humans into Europe . ‘We present the high-quality genome sequence of a 45,000 year-old modern human male from Siberia,’ Dr Kelso said. ‘This individual derives from a population that lived before - or simultaneously with - the separation of the populations in western and eastern Eurasia and carries a similar amount of Neanderthal ancestry as present-day Eurasians.’ Chemical ratios in the bone indicated the man would have lived on berries, nuts, vegetables, meat and fish. She added: ‘Interestingly the Ust-Ushim individual probably lived during a warm period that has been proposed to be a time of expansion of modern humans into Europe.’ Scientists sequenced the oldest complete human genome from a thigh bone of an anatomically modern male, found to be 45,000 years old. They compared it to the genomes of present-day humans from more than 50 populations. They found that the Ust’-Ishim bone comes from a male individual who is more related to present-day people outside Africa than to Africans, showing that he is an early representative of the modern population that left Africa. When his genome was compared to people outside Africa, he was found to be approximately equally related to people in East Asia and people that lived in Europe during the Stone Age. Svante Pääbo explained: ‘The population to which the Ust’-Ishim individual belonged may have split from the ancestors of present-day West Eurasian and East Eurasian populations before, or at about the same time, when these two first split from each other. ‘It is very satisfying that we now have a good genome not only from Neanderthals and Denisovans, but also from a very early modern human.’ Paleoanthropologist Jean-Jacques Hublin, who was involved in the study, said: ‘It is possible that the Ust’-Ishim individual belonged to a population of early migrants into Europe and Central Asia, who failed to leave descendants among present-day populations’. The experts found that about two per cent of his DNA came from Neanderthals – similar to the proportion found in present-day East Asians and Europeans. | Genome provides experts with a more accurate window into exactly when modern humans mated with their Neanderthal cousins . It occurred when they moved from Africa into Europe, between 50,000 and 60,000 years ago - a more accurate date than previously known . DNA was collected from a bone found near Ust’-Ishim in western Siberia . | c2b25c6dc0854412b1285077c7e12ded77a6fb6b |
By . Lucy Waterlow . PUBLISHED: . 13:06 EST, 7 October 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 17:52 EST, 7 October 2013 . They go to drink cheap beer and have a good time but a new BBC documentary has revealed men could come home with more (or less in the case of their finances) than they bargained for after a stag party in Prague. In Sex, Stags and Prague, which airs on BBC Three this evening, Stacey Dooley visits the Czech capital which has become a 'mecca' for men on the cusp of married life. It's not a surprise to learn they are . lured by the cut price alcohol and the prevalence of strip clubs . - where they can get a lap dance for £35 and pay for extras. Eye-opener: Stacey Dooley visited Prague to discover what really happens on a man's 'last night of freedom' Let loose: Stacey found many British men like this group are just after some harmless fun but others get into trouble when they drink too much . But she also wanted to find out 'what . life is really like for the thousands of girls paid to entertain the . stags and the authorities trying to keep the stags out of trouble'. Plus she 'gets the . low down from those who clean up after them, tracks down the criminals . who prey on them and find out what really goes on on a man's last night . of freedom.' After what she learnt speaking to sex workers, Stacey said many brides-to-be may want to put their foot down if their fiance suggests going to Prague for their stag do. Making money: When strippers met the presenter they said they didn't feel exploited . Prostitution is legal in the city but running a brothel is not. However, Stacey discovered many establishments get around this by thinly disguised them as strip clubs and massage parlours. One sex worker told Stacey that in her experience, five out of ten men on stag do will sleep with a prostitute - and one of the five will 'always' be the stag. But what really alarmed Stacey was the number who demand unprotected sex despite the risk of catching an STD. 'If the girl tell him she is HIV . positive, he still wants sex without condom. They have no brain. It's like . bungee jumping, it's a thrill, will I or won't I catch it' One prostitute said a third of her clients ask for unprotected sex - and will offer to pay extra for it. To support the sex workers and ensure they are safer, Hana Malinova set up the organisation - Bliss Without Risks - in Prague. She visits prositiutes in an amulance to test them for HIV and other STDs. She said 'a lot' of men will try to convince a woman to have sex without a condom. 'If the girl tell him she is HIV . positive, he still wants sex without condom. They have no brain. It's like . bungee jumping, it's a thrill, will I or won't I catch it,' she said. In danger: Stacey was shown footage of one drunk who climbed a statute in Wenceslas Square and then fell off - resulting in a serious injury . Stacey said: 'I'd be devastated . if my boyfriend came to Prague with the boys and got carried away and . had unprotected sex with a prostitute and then had sex with me and gave . me an STD. It's not a joke.' But it's not just through sexual indulgence that men are putting themselves at risk when partying in Prague. The copious amounts of alcohol they drink inevitably leads to trouble. Stacey visited the police who monitor the city and regularly encounter men falling over and injurying themselves after having one too many. They showed her footage of one drunken man who had climbed a 15m high statue in Wenceslas Square and then fell off - resulting in a serious injury. 'The locals hate seeing people peeing, puking and being undressed on the street. But they do spend money and . the economy needs it' Their inebriated state also makes them easy targets for thieves. Convicted pickpockets admitted to Stacey that they could make thousands of pounds a night by taking wallets from the back pockets of oblivious tourists. Some prostitutes also admitted that they would gain extra payment by stealling from their clients. Other women stole by offering to have sex, then drugging men and taking their money. Some stags admitted to Stacey that they felt uncomfortable with the pressure to take drugs whilst in the city. And those who succumbed might not even get drugs at all. Con artists fooled tourists to part with their cash by selling them 'drugs' which could actually be pine cones. The police said they are often powerless to act because men are too embarrassed to report such crimes, or are too drunk to realise they have been the victim of a theft or con before it's too late - so there's no proof. Stacey found the drinking culture of Brits abroad can also cause havoc for the locals. One hotel said they will make stag parties leave a deposit because the rooms are often wrecked - usually by groups of British men. Good for the economy: The average stag spends £500 while in Prague . The manageress explained: 'About three weeks ago we had a . British stag group that got so pissed they kicked the door and wrecked . the whole frame. British stags are the worst.' But she added that many locals simply put up with it because they know it's good for business - on average each stag can spend £500 during their time in Prague. 'They know they (the stags) bring money and tourism is . important. But on the other hand they hate seeing people peeing and . puking and being undressed on the street. But they do spend money and . the economy needs it,' the hotel manager said. A stripper revealed the 'worse part about the job is when a group is really drunk and doesn't know how to behave'. But Stacey said many of the strippers don't feel explioted because 'they say they have the upper hand, they are earning five times more than they would doing a regular job.' After her eye-opening weekend, Stacey admitted men should be careful when letting lose on their stag dos. 'Some are having harmless . fun but there's another side that I massively underestimated - the . amount of brothels and prosititutes, the pick pocketing and the drugs,' she said. Sex, Drugs and Prague: Stacey Dooley Invesitages is on BBC Three at 9pm this evening or ctach up on iPlayer . | Behaviour exposed in BBC documentary . One sex worker said men beg for unprotected sex . They like 'thrill' of possibly catching an STD . 'Five in ten' men in a stag party will sleep with prostititute . Stag will 'always' be one of them . | 2c3978d37dd8cf1957c75e294155ba6f446f48c4 |
By . Gerri Peev and Matt Chorley . PUBLISHED: . 07:24 EST, 30 May 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 08:31 EST, 30 May 2013 . Ed Miliband has been attacked for lacking a ‘credible’ economic message and leading a ‘policy-light’ party by Labour’s biggest donor has said. John Mills, the chairman of shopping giant JML, warned that the Labour leader does not have a ‘clear idea on how to get the economy growing again at a reasonable speed and how to get the deficit down to a much more sustainable proportion’. The scathing assessment came as a . poll showed the public view the Labour leader as as less competent and . trustworthy than Gordon Brown. Weak: Gordon Brown was seen as stronger in the days after his election defeat than Ed Miliband is now, according to a damning new opinion poll . The millionaire, who made the remarks to LondonlovesBusiness.com website, has given Labour £1.65 million in shares this year. He is the only substantial business person to back Labour under Mr Miliband, with most of Labour’s funds still coming from trade unions. ‘The whole political spectrum is policy-light and this includes the Labour Party,’ Mr Mills said. ‘I’m not sure anybody has a compelling message.’ Asked why Ed Balls, the shadow chancellor had not communicated a strategy, he said: ‘That’s a very good question but patently this hasn’t happened’. Mr Mills is also the chairman of Britain for Business, a campaign group which is demanding that the UK renegotiates its relationship with the European Union. He said of Mr Miliband’s refusal to promise a referendum was ‘not a vote-winner on the doorstep and the Labour leadership has to weigh this up’. His praise for Mr Miliband was limited to him being a ‘very nice person’ and a ‘very capable speaker’, but the tycoon added that anybody in opposition ‘always looks like a pygmy’. A damning new survey shows voters think Mr Miliband is weaker and more dithering than Gordon Brown. Pressure: Mr Miliband has seen his poll lead eroded amid speculation fears an upturn in the economy could write-off his election hopes . Leadership: The YouGov poll found voters thought Mr Miliband was less 'in touch' and more 'dithering' than Mr Brown . Strength: More people thought Mr Brown was trustworthy and more thought Mr Milband was weak . Voters also believe Mr Miliband is less decisive than his predecessor – despite the criticism of Mr Brown that all he did in office was launch countless policy reviews. After two and a half years in the job, the YouGov poll for the Times showed that more than 50 per cent of the public regard him as out of touch, dithering, weak or unclear about what he stands for. Fewer than one in five believe he is decisive or strong. The characteristic most often associated with Mr Miliband was that he dithered. More people regard him as incompetent – 42 – to competent – 28. And even more view him as untrustworthy – 40 per cent – compared to trustworthy – 29 per cent. However, the public did regard Mr Miliband as honest, with 39 per cent believing he was truthful compared to 24 per cent who did not. Compared to Mr Brown after polling day in May 2010, Mr Miliband was seen as being more on the side of a select few (34 per cent to 38 per cent) and more dithering (57 to 56). However Mr Miliband was regarded as a better leader of the Labour party than Mr Brown by 32 per cent of voters, while 17 per cent he was worse and 41 per cent he was no better or worse. A separate poll to monitor the public’s perception of Boris Johnson found that the London Mayor’s colourful private life had made no impact on his popularity. Asked by ComRes whether the revelation that Mr Johnson had cheated on his wife and fathered a child with his mistress would make it less likely for them to vote for him in a general election, 76 per cent disagreed and just 15 per cent agreed. UKIP supporters were the most relaxed about Mr Johnson’s philandering, with just ten per cent saying they were less likely to vote for him because of it. | Poll reveals voters trust current leader less than his predecessor . Major donor John Mills says party lacks clear economic message . | e44535866d0ffef16786e9ab2dccbf3c4d690778 |
(CNN) -- A salmonella outbreak linked to alfalfa sprouts has sickened 89 people in 15 states and the District of Columbia, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported Thursday. About 23% of those sickened were hospitalized, but no deaths have been reported, according to the CDC. Health officials say the first cases identified date to November 1. The preliminary investigation shows a possible link to alfalfa sprouts. "Preliminary results of this investigation indicate a link to eating alfalfa sprouts at a national sandwich chain," the CDC said in a statement. In Illinois, where the bulk of cases have been identified, the state Department of Public Health says many of 50 sickened residents reported eating alfalfa sprouts at locations of Jimmy John's. The founder of Jimmy John's said test results of sprouts from its main supplier tested negative. In a letter sent to all Jimmy John's franchises, founder Jimmy John Liautaud said store locations have all come up negative for the bacteria as well. "As a goodfaith and goodwill gesture I am asking Illinois stores to pull sprouts until the state can give us some better direction," the letter states. "We are working closely with the state and they are doing a darn good job in helping find the source. Again, no source has been found yet, this is a precautionary measure." According to the CDC, Illinois has 50 cases, Missouri reports 14 cases, Indiana reports 9, Wisconsin has three and Pennsylvania reports two. Connecticut, Georgia, Hawaii, Iowa, Massachusetts, New York, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia and the District of Columbia all have one confirmed case . The CDC is working with the Food and Drug Administration and state public health departments to investigate this outbreak. Health officials have identified the particular strain of salmonella through diagnostic testing. The strain has been identified as Salmonella serotype I 4,[5],12:i:-. This is a common type of salmonella, says Chris Braden, a physician and director of the CDC's Division of Foodborne, Waterborne and Environmental Diseases. "Alfalfa sprouts have been associated with a number of outbreaks" Braden adds. The FDA and state health departments will be investigating the sprout growers, as well as the seed suppliers, in an effort to find the source the outbreak, Braden said. "The FDA is aware of the situation and is working with the CDC to determine the cause of the illnesses," Michael Herndon, a FDA spokesman, confirmed Thursday. "As more information becomes available we will alert the public." Salmonella is a bacterial infection that usually last four to seven days. The infected person develops fever, abdominal cramps and diarrhea between 12 and 72 hours after becoming infected. Most people recover without treatment. Very young and very old people, as well as those with weakened immune systems, can suffer severe illness and, in the worst cases, possibly death, according to the CDC. About 40,000 cases of salmonella are reported each year in the United States, the agency said. The CDC recommends anyone suspecting he or she may be ill from eating contaminated food should talk to their doctor. Pregnant women, children and the elderly should avoid eating all raw or undercooked sprouts, the CDC suggests. The only way the bacteria can be killed is by thoroughly cooking the sprouts. | CDC says 89 people have been sickened . Sandwich chain part of investigation . Jimmy John's says sprouts tested negative . Still, Illinois stores pull sprouts from menu . | d16364fdb62d438c808c28a712e2565dc4bfa5f2 |
By . Fiona Macrae . When Helen . the giant tortoise fell ill, her keepers were faced with two big . problems: How to get all 14 stone of her to the vet – and how to . persuade her to take her medicine. With . a little ingenuity, the combined muscle power of four men and a few . sticks of celery, they solved both and Helen is now well on the mend. The . drama began to unfold – at a relaxed pace – when staff at Bristol Zoo . noticed that the 32-year-old tortoise was making a whistling sound when . breathing. Things are looking up: Helen, the 32-year-old tortoise, is checked over by vets at Bristol Zoo after she began suffering breathing problems . Medicine: The animal - which is classified as 'vulnerable' - was given antibiotics to help battle the illness . With a . battery of tests needed, Helen, a ‘gentle and easy-going’ tortoise, had . to be taken to the onsite clinic for the first time. Staff . vet Richard Saunders said: ‘It was a question of having four people – . somebody on each corner – and lifting her gently by the shell. Giant: Helen has been at the zoo for 11 years and weighs 14 stone . Getting better: Helen is pictured being wheeled to a check-up after developing a nasal infection . Aldabra giant tortoises come from the bleak Aldabra atoll in the Seychelles in the Indian Ocean . They are said to live for up to 250 years but no one knows for sure because they have outlived the scientists studying them and proper records have not been kept . Males grow up to 4ft and weigh 40 stone, females 3ft and 25 stone.The creatures were plundered by sailors and settlers for their meat . Charles Darwin helped set up a breeding programme but their numbers are still low . 'She was . put on a trolley and wheeled through the zoo. It would have taken a long . time if we had waited for her to walk.’ Once at the clinic, vets were concerned that Helen would simply withdraw into her shell, so she was given a full anaesthetic. Helen, . one of six Aldabra giant tortoises at the zoo, also had blood tests, . nose swabs and X-rays. A nasal infection, caused by a mixture of . bacteria, was diagnosed. Different from a cold, this can be treated with antibiotics and Helen, who has been at the zoo for 11 years, was discharged. Giant . tortoises can be stubborn but Helen happily takes her medicine. Mr . Saunders said: ‘We are able to put the tablets in a line inside a piece . of celery, which she comes running for.’ Now, a fortnight after the trip to the vet, Helen’s breathing is much better and she is expected to make a full recovery. 'Lift': Vets at the zoo's on-site clinic move the tortoise onto a treatment table . | The animal, which weighs 14 stone, was treated by vets at Bristol Zoo . Was given antibiotics after being run down with breathing problems . She has been at the zoo for 11 years and is described as 'vulnerable' | 1a1124beb08b78cc86ed5120e7da80124931ca4a |
By . Matt Chorley, Mailonline Political Editor . PUBLISHED: . 05:26 EST, 25 September 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 08:18 EST, 25 September 2013 . Labour has abandoned his flagship promise to cut VAT, Ed Miliband admitted today. The £12billion plan was the centrepiece of Labour’s so-called plan for jobs and growth and still features prominently on its website. But Mr Miliband was accused of ‘rank hypocrisy’ after claiming the economic circumstances have changed so he would not now promise to cut VAT at the next election. Reversal: Labour leader Ed Miliband admitted he would not cut VAT at the next election, despite it still being a promise on his party's website . Labour faced heavy criticism for the policy, after Mr Miliband admitted in April that it would lead to a rise in borrowing. VAT was increased from 17.5 per cent to 20 per cent soon after the coalition was formed. On the Labour website the party boasts that is has a 'clear five-point plan for jobs, to help struggling families and support small businesses'. The plan also included a £2billion tax on bankers' bonuses, bringing forward investment projects, cutting VAT on home improvements to five per cent and a one-year national insurance tax break. It promises: 'Reversing the Tory-led Government's damaging VAT rise now for a temporary period - a £450 boost for a couple with children - immediate help for our high streets and for struggling families and pensioners.' Policy: Labour's plan for jobs still features prominently on the party's website but has been quietly ditched . Broken promise: Families were told a Labour government would make them £450 better off . But today Mr Miliband insisted it was not party policy. He told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: ‘There isn't going to be a cut in VAT, that's not what we are proposing at the moment. ‘That's because the economic position has changed. We have always said as recovery took hold our focus would not be on a cut in VAT. ‘I think it would have been the right thing to do, it would have been a better approach in getting the deficit down. I would make the point the Government hasn't succeeded in getting the deficit down. ‘That's part of the issue we will have to be dealing with.’ Tory Treasury minister Sajid Javid seized on the admission, claiming it demolished Labour's credibility on the economy. 'This is the final nail in the coffin for Ed Miliband and Ed Balls’ economic policy,' he said. 'For the last three years a £12 billion VAT cut has been the central plank of Labour’s argument, and by abandoning it they are admitting that their argument has collapsed. 'All they are left with is unworkable and unfunded policies – meaning more spending, more borrowing and more debt. That’s exactly what got us into a mess in the first place. 'And it’s hardworking people who would pay the price through higher taxes and higher mortgage rates.' Mr Miliband said he was still committed to matching the coalition’s overall spending plans. ‘In 2015/16, we envisage cuts in public spending,’ he said. ‘That's what we've been clear about, by sticking to the Government's day-to-day spending plans. We have said we will make different choices on spending and revenue but sticking to that overall plan.’ But the reversal on the VAT cut was seized on by political opponents. Lib Dem Treasury spokesman Stephen Williams said: ‘Labour have spent the last three years aggressively attacking the Coalition for raising VAT. ‘Now they admit they won’t reduce it. This is rank hypocrisy from a party that has no answers to the big questions of the day – how to fix the economy, create jobs and help people with the cost of living. ‘Liberal Democrats have taken tough decisions in the national interest in order to clean up Labour’s mess, and Labour has called us every name under the sun for doing so. ‘They have been utterly shameless and deeply hypocritical.’ | Party promised to reverse rise from 17.5% to 20% to boost jobs . Claimed it offered 'immediate help for struggling families and pensioners' But Mr Miliband now says the economic circumstances have changed . Pledge still on Labour party website encouraging people to sign up . | ae94087f1bed55857c27a2c6eee55d7f4c8a90ac |
By . Emma Thomas . PUBLISHED: . 04:50 EST, 12 December 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 07:20 EST, 12 December 2013 . Customers who ordered a £20 computer game only to be sent a £170 PlayStation console by mistake have received a second, less welcome surprise - an email threatening them with legal action. The customers had pre-ordered a £19.99 copy of the game Tearaway from online retailer Zavvi, but instead received the game in a bundle with a brand new PlayStation Vita console, which sells for £169.99. Now Zavvi has written to demand that they return the devices or face legal action. Online store Zavvi has written to shoppers after it sent brand new Playstation Vita consoles to customers that had pre-ordered a £19.99 copy of the game Tearaway . According to gaming website Darkzero, the email said: 'We are very sorry to inform you that due to an error in our warehouse we have dispatched the incorrect product. More... Sorry, Xbox fans: MailOnline reviews the big PlayStation 4 launch titles (and yes, Killzone looks better than anything on Xbox One) Don't sell your PS3! MailOnline picks out the year's top videogames (and the good news is the best one isn't on next gen) 'We are contacting you in order for us to arrange a collection of the incorrect item which is on the way to you. If possible, please keep the parcel in its original packaging ready to hand back to the courier.' The email gave a deadline of 5pm on Tuesday, December 10 with a 'final notice' telling people they would face legal action if they tried to keep the console. 'This is our final notice to politely remind you that you did not order, or pay for, a PS Vita and if you fail to contact us by 5pm (UK time) on 10th December 2013 to arrange a convenient time for the PS Vita to be collected we reserve the right to enforce any and/or all legal remedies available to us,' the company added. After realising the error, Zavvi emailed the unknown number of customers and threatened them with legal action unless they hand them back . 'Please email [email protected] with the correct collection details. We look forward to hearing from you shortly.' It is unclear how many, if any, of the consoles have been returned by the deadline and Which? told Eurogamer it believes customers will have to return them. 'If a consumer has received goods by mistake then they are not legally entitled to keep them,' the consumer watchdog said. 'In any legal action the ruling is likely to be that the item should be returned because it was sent in error,' it added. A spokeswoman for Zavvi said the letter was genuine. She highlighted advice from the Citizens Advice Bureau which states: 'Distance Selling Regulations do cover receipt of goods not ordered, but here the clients have ordered goods from Zavvi and are expecting to receive those. 'Upon receipt of the extra item(s) the client should contact the seller and inform them of the mistake.' Zavvi declined to comment further. | Zavvi sent consoles to customers that had ordered £19.99 game Tearaway . Email gave a deadline of 5pm on Tuesday December 10 to return the game . Which? claims legally the item should be return as it was sent in error . | eaf28e03d31f6fc3acac14bdf8770b1bf0814a74 |
They're the bane of A-listers everywhere thanks to their long lenses and gift for catching a celebrity during moments they would rather the public didn't see but the origin of the paparazzi are more glamorous than the modern incarnation would suggest. Now a new exhibition is to turn the lens on some of the first paparazzo, who documented the golden age of Italian cinema, provoking outrage from their A-list subjects and adoration from the public who devoured their work. But it's not all Bieber-style paparazzi dust-ups: The 80 photos set to go on display at the Estorick Collection from 30th April also offer a glimpse of the dolce vita or 'sweet life' enjoyed by Italian movie stars and Hollywood royalty working in Rome during the 1950s and '60s. Public holiday: Brigitte Bardot surrounded by paparazzi during a holiday in Spoleto, June 1961 . The two decades were a golden era in Italian film when directors such as Michelangelo Antonioni, Pier Paolo Pasolini and Federico Fellini produced some of their most famous films, including the latter’s iconic La Dolce Vita (1960). So successful was the Italian film making industry, Hollywood stars such as John Wayne, Charlton Heston, Lauren Bacall and Liz Taylor flocked to Rome, along with directors lured by the comparatively inexpensive Cinecittà studios. In the Roman studios, some of the biggest films of the age, among them Ben-Hur (1959) and Cleopatra (1963) were shot. In the evenings, however, a different type of camera lens took over, with photojournalists with an eye on the bottom line unable to resist the lure of the A-lister packed bars and restaurants that lined the city’s exclusive Via Veneto. Private moment: Richard Burton and Liz Taylor kissing in Ischia, June 1962 and photographed by Geppetti . Arrival: A Geppetti shot of Carlo Ponti, Sophia Loren and Vittorio De Sica, arriving at a Rome restaurant in 1961 . One of the most skillful was Marcello Geppetti, whose photos vividly evoke an era of extraordinary glamour, creativity and decadence. Geppetti, who died in 1998, eventually amassed an archive of more than a million images, many featuring period heavyweights such as Brigitte Bardot, Elizabeth Taylor and Audrey Hepburn. And Geppetti was unique in another way too, making the decision early in his career to sell his work to press agencies rather than direct to papers in much the same way that paparazzi do today. Initially, he was employed by the Meldolesi-Canestrelli-Bozzer agency, then one of the most high-profile of its kind, where he earned a a reputation both for the technical quality of his images and his talent for capturing dramatic, eye-catching moments, before going freelance. Ironically, Geppetti made his name with harrowing images of a fire at the Hotel Ambasciatori on Via Veneto: the very street that would later provide him with arresting imagery of a quite different nature, as he travelled along it on his scooter on the lookout for celebrities. Portrait of a film star: Audrey Hepburn (left) and Raquel Welch and Marcello Mastroianni on set (right) Intimate: Jane Mansfield and Mike Hargitay papped enjoying their supper in Rome, September 1960 . Ready to work: Rock Hudson and Cary Grant at photographed outside the Cinecittà Studios, June 1961 . Suppertime: Richard Burton dining with friends at a restaurant in Trastevere, Rome, June 1963 . Many capture moments when, as he put it, 'the ordinary coexisted with the extraordinary’, as in his image of Liz Taylor wandering with a friend through the streets of Cinecittà dressed as Cleopatra, or the actor Mickey Hargitay riding down the Via Veneto on horseback. One of his most famous shots is that of Richard Burton kissing Liz Taylor while holidaying in Ischia, a photograph recently listed among the 30 most famous images in history, alongside works by Andy Warhol and Cecil Beaton. Yet despite the loveliness of his work, the celebrities he photographed considered the behaviour of the paparazzi as intrusive then as they do today. Glamorous: Swedish actress Anita Ekberg driving a Mercedes through the streets of Rome in May 1962 . Romance: Jane Mansfield and Mike Hargitay leaving Piccola Budapest, Rome, October 1962 . Attack: Like Bieber, Franco Nero, seen here hitting Rino Barillari at the Trevi Fountain, was no fan of the paps . One photograph captures the actor Franco Nero in the act of assaulting Geppetti’s fellow paparazzo, Rino Barillari, at the Trevi Fountain, while another series of images show Anita Ekberg in her stockinged feet confronting another paparazzo with a bow and arrow before attacking him with her fists. While the A-listers they followed loathed them, Geppetti and his ilk produced some of the most iconic images of the 1950s; cementing Hollywood's place in popular culture in the process. Love them or loathe them, there's no denying that the paparazzo - and the public who adored them - changed the face of photojournalism forever. The Years of La Dolce Vita begins on the 30th April and runs until the 29th June at the Estorick Collection of Modern Italian Art. For more information, see estorickcollection.com . Glamorous company: Jack Lemmon, Joan Collins and Robert Wagner at Caffè dell’Epoca, Rome, October 1961 . On set: Assistant cameraman Ennio Guarnieri, Nico Otzak and Federico Fellini on the set of La Dolce Vita, 1960 . Star: Italian actor Marcello Mastroianni puffs on a cigarette during filming on the set of La Dolce Vita, 1960 . | Photos taken during the golden age of Italian cinema in the 1950s . Stars to appear include Brigitte Bardot and Audrey Hepburn . Era saw the first paparazzi photographers take to the streets of Rome . Marcello Geppetti took some of the most iconic photos of the era . Not everyone liked paps: fights between stars and snappers were common . Paparazzi named after character in Fellini's 1960 film La Dolce Vita . | af3bb1fbb3460897d2bb101df430606081139cee |
By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 09:10 EST, 17 January 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 09:44 EST, 17 January 2013 . A self-confessed white supremacist from Chicago plans to plead guilty to burning down his black neighbor's home in a racist attack, according to reports. Brian James Moudry, 35, has until now pleaded not guilty to setting fire to the family home in Joliet in 2007. But he has now requested to change his plea to guilty, according to the report by CBS. Plea change: Brian Moudry, pictured, will admit torching his neighbor's home in a racist attack, according to reports. The white supremacist is accused of setting the blaze to drive a black family out of his neighborhood . Court records allegedly show Moudry will admit the charges in federal court. It is alleged he was trying to force the family of ten out of the South Reed Street area. The couple, who were renting the home, had eight young children. All eight were in the property on June 17, 2007 at the time of the blaze, but managed to escape unharmed. Tattooed Moudry has previously served time for hate crimes, according to the report, and was allegedly a member of the far-right hate group headed by Matt Hale. Hale is serving a 40-year prison sentence for asking a follower to murder U.S. District Judge Joan Lefkow in 2002. The indictment against Moudry alleges he set the fire to 'injure, intimidate, and interfere with' the family. Neighbors: Brian Moudry is accused of setting a fire in the South Reed Street area of Joliet, Chicago, in 2007. He is accused of trying to force his black neighbors away from the area, pictured . They moved out after the fire. Moudry was charged with a three count indictment including arson, using fire to interfere with housing rights on the basis of race, and using fire to commit another felony. He could face a sentence of up to 20 years for the arson charge while the other charges carry mandatory 10-year sentences and fines of up to $250,000. 'The federal government takes very seriously its responsibilities to protect members of all racial and ethnic groups from intimidation and violence,' outgoing U.S. Attorney Patrick J. Fitzgerald said in a statement in May, when Moudry appeared in court. Moudry is being represented by a black attorney, MiAngel Cody who was appointed to him. He remains in custody. | Brian James Moudry, 35, is expected to change his plea in the court case, according to reports today . The alleged arson attack was committed in 2007 in Joliet, Chicago . The children and an adult were in the home at the time but managed to escape unharmed. The family moved away following the incident . | 6293bc5ccc4b54ad7599eb60055b01e32ab31907 |
By . Sarah Griffiths . PUBLISHED: . 20:41 EST, 27 February 2014 . | . UPDATED: . 16:35 EST, 28 February 2014 . The ancestors of Native Americans may have set up home in a region between Siberia and Alaska which contained woody plants that they could use to make fires, according to a new study . It was a mystery how the ancestors of Native Americans survived the Ice Age. But now a team of international scientists think they might have solved the mystery and it has to do with the ancient people living in a wooded tundra area after splitting from their Asian relatives 25,000 years ago. The ancestors of Native Americans probably set up home in a region between Siberia and Alaska, which contained woody plants that they could use to make fires, according to a new study. A group of academics at Royal Holloway, University of London, and the universities of Colorado and Utah analysed fossils to come to this conclusion. Until now no-one had any idea about where the ancestors of Native Americans spent around 10,000 years before they arrived in Alaska and the rest of North America. Professor Scott Elias, from the Department of Geography at Royal Holloway said: ‘This work fills in a 10,000-year missing link in the story of the peopling of the New World.’ The experts think that the group of people must have lived on the Bering land Bridge, which is now under the waters of the Bering and Chukchi Seas. The land bridge and some adjacent regions were not as dry as the rest of Beringia - the region surrounding the Bering Strait, including parts of Russia and Alaska – and the central part where the Native Americans are now thought to have lived, was covered in shrub tundra, which is the most common vegetation in modern Arctic Alaska. The landscape is dominated by dwarf willow and birch shrubs, mosses and lichens. Professor Elias said: ‘We believe that . these ancestors survived on the shrub tundra of the Bering Land Bridge . because this was the only region of the Arctic where any woody plants . were growing.’ This map shows the outlines of modern Siberia (left) and Alaska (right) with dashed lines. The broader area in darker green (now covered by ocean) represents the Bering land bridge near the end of the last glacial maximum, a period that lasted from 28,000 to 18,000 years ago when sea levels were low and ice sheets extended south into what is now the northern part of the lower 48 states. University of Utah anthropologist Dennis O¿Rourke argues in the Feb. 28 issue of the journal Science that the ancestors of Native Americans migrated from Asia onto the Bering land bridge or ¿Beringia¿ some 25,000 years ago and spent 10,000 years there until they began moving into the Americas 15,000 years ago as the ice sheets melted. The theory, now known as the 'Beringia Standstill,' was first proposed in 1997 by two Latin American geneticists and refined in 2007 by a team led by the University of Tartu in Estonia that sampled mitrochondrial DNA from more than 600 Native Americans. The researchers found that mutations in the DNA indicated a group of their direct ancestors from Siberia was likely isolated for at least several thousand years in the region of the Bering Land Bridge, the now-submerged plain that lies between northeast Asia and Alaska once exposed by a significantly lower sea level. ‘They needed the wood for fuel to make camp fires in this bitterly cold region of the world. They would have used dwarf shrub wood to get a small fire going, then placed large mammal bones on top of the fire, to ignite the fats inside the bones. ‘Once burning, large leg bones of ice-age mammals would have burned for hours, keeping people alive through Arctic winter nights.’ The academics analysed insect and plant fossils extracted from sediment cores taken from the ancient land bridge, to make the discovery. It now lies on the sea floor between 50 and 60 metres below the water’s surface. Work by Elias and others included the analysis of certain beetle species that live in very specific temperature zones, allowing them to be used as tiny thermometers. The insects indicated that temperatures there were relatively mild during last glacial maximum that ran from about 27,000 years to 20,000 years ago, only slightly cooler than temperatures in the region today. The central part of Beringia where the Native Americans are now thought to have lived, was covered in shrub tundra, which is the most common vegetation in modern Arctic Alaska (pictured). The landscape is dominated by dwarf willow and birch shrubs, mosses and lichens. 'The climate on the land bridge and adjacent parts of Siberia and Alaska was a bit wetter than the interior regions like central Alaska and the Yukon, but not a lot warmer,' said Elias. 'Our data show that woody shrubs were available on the land bridge, which would have facilitated the making of fires by the people there.' The theory, now known as the 'Beringia Standstill,' was first proposed in 1997 by two Latin American geneticists and refined in 2007 by a team led by the University of Tartu in Estonia that sampled mitrochondrial DNA from more than 600 Native Americans. The researchers found that mutations in the DNA indicated a group of their direct ancestors from Siberia was likely isolated for at least several thousand years in the region of the Bering Land Bridge, the now-submerged plain that lies between northeast Asia and Alaska once exposed by a significantly lower sea level. The people we know as Native Americans arrived at the continent in three separate great migrations. Most Native Americans are descended from a small group of migrants that crossed a 'land bridge' between Asia and America during the ice ages 15,000 years ago. These migrants, known as the 'First Americans', populated most of North and South America. All the groups originally came from Siberia, Beringia - a land bridge between Asia and America that existed during the ice ages, more than 15,000 years ago. By studying variations in Native American DNA sequences, a team of scientists found in 2012 that while most of the Native American populations arose from the first migration, two subsequent migrations also made important genetic contributions. The second and third migrations have left an impact only in Arctic populations that speak Eskimo-Aleut languages and in the Canadian Chipewyan who speak a Na-Dene language. Eskimos show the most differences, with just 50 per cent of their DNA coming from the 'First Americans'. | Experts at Royal Holloway, University of London and the universities of Colorado and Utah said people must have lived on the Bering land Bridge . Ancestors of Native Americans used wood from the shrub tundra to build fires and keep warm, it is thought . Academics analysed insect and plant . fossils extracted from sediment cores taken from the ancient land . bridge to make the discovery . | ab74d404d8764f1354a8b43d409dbc8d714c8281 |
(CNN) -- News International, publisher of the now-defunct News of the World newspaper in Great Britain, has agreed to pay 2 million British pounds -- the equivalent of $3.2 million -- to the family of British teen Milly Dowler, who disappeared in 2002 and was later found dead. Rupert Murdoch, the chairman of chief executive of News Corporation, the parent company of News International, personally apologized to Dowler's family in July amid allegations that News of the World journalists listened to voice-mail messages on the girl's phone while she was missing. "As the founder of the company, I was appalled to find out what happened," Murdoch said after speaking with the family in July. Allegations that journalists hacked into the girl's voice-mail were part of a larger phone-hacking scandal that rocked Britain this year, prompting several arrests, resignations and hearings in Parliament. As part of the settlement, announced Friday by News International and the Dowler family, Murdoch will pay 1 million British pounds -- about $1.6 million -- to charities chosen by the Dowler family. Those charities "represent causes close to Milly and those that provide support to other victims of crime," in a statement that News International and the Dowler family issued Friday. Milly Dowler was 13 when she disappeared. "Nothing that has been agreed will ever bring back Milly or undo the traumas of her disappearance and the horrendous murder trial earlier this year," the Dowler family said in a statement. "The only way that a fitting tribute could be agreed was to ensure that a very substantial donation to charity was made in Milly's memory. We hope that projects will be undertaken so that some good can come from this." Murdoch apologized again Friday for News of the World's actions. "The behaviour that the News of the World exhibited towards the Dowlers was abhorrent and I hope this donation underscores my regret for the company's role in this awful event," he said in the statement. "I also hope that through the personal donation something positive can be done in memory of their daughter." | NEW: Milly Dowler's family hopes "some good" comes out of settlement . NEW: Rupert Murdoch says News of the World's behavior was "abhorrent" Rupert Murdoch agrees to donate to charities chosen by girl's family . A phone-hacking scandal rocked Britain . | 18686c211cc5f466c48fb8dfaf5eaa00cf3ef0ee |
By . Damien Gayle . PUBLISHED: . 12:21 EST, 11 January 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 12:21 EST, 11 January 2013 . Nearly half of all the UK's prime time Twitter traffic is about what's happening on the television, says a new report from the social messaging web app. Figures revealed in the the Tune In with Twitter report, published yesterday, show the service's 'strongly symbiotic' relationship with what remains the dominant medium for transmitting popular culture. It claims that Twitter is increasingly acting as television viewers' 'second screen' of choice, with 60 per cent of users posting messages on the site while they are watching the box. Good clean family fun: A new report from Twitter has analysed the tweeting habits of television viewers and found 40 per cent of all tweets sent during prime time are about TV broadcasts . 'Twitter is the shortest distance between you and what interests you most,' the report said. 'This interest is expressed in a huge volume of conversation. 'Four hundred million Tweets are sent every day. As a result when events happen in the real world, they happen on Twitter. 'More and more we’re finding this is true for TV. When stand-out moments happen on TV, spikes in related conversation happen on Twitter. 'In fact, according to Second Sync, 40 per cent of all UK Twitter traffic at peak TV viewing time is about TV.' Twitter's analysis also revealed how the Tweeting habits of television viewers vary depending on the kinds of programme they are watching. It found that users were far more likely to send Tweets while they were watching factual or reality TV programmes, while they became comparatively quiet during dramas and films. According to the report, there are more than 10million active Twitter users in the UK alone, with 60 per cent using the service while watching television. Users' patterns of engagement while watching factual television programmes mirror key events or iconic moments during the broadcast, it said. Engaged: Twitter's report found users were . far more likely to send Tweets while they were watching factual programmes, like the controversial Drugs Live: The Ecstasy . Trial broadcast on Channel 4 last September... Engrossed: However during dramas like Homeland users put down their gadgets and focused on the show . However, in drama, bursts of Tweets 'bookend' the beginning and the ends of episodes, as viewers settle down to watch the storyline unfold without interruption. Reality TV 'entertainment' like Made in Chelsea have a high proportion of viewers tweeting their responses to the programmes, the report said, with as many as one in four viewers actively using Twitter while they watch. Tweets peak at the beginning of the programme and, despite further, lesser peaks, tail off as it wears on. Current affairs programmes like Panorama, on the other hand, have what the report describes as a 'long tail of engagement', with conversation on Twitter continuing long after the end of the broadcast. They also see a higher proportion of Tweets sent from desktop computers, with peaks following climactic moments in the narrative or prompts from hashtags displayed on air. Conversation starter: Current affairs programmes like Panorama have what the report describes as a 'long tail of engagement', with conversation on Twitter continuing long after the end of the broadcast . Conversation killer: Programmes like Made In Chelsea have a a high proportion of tweeting viewers, however their discussion tails off as the broadcast wears on, the report shows . Films on TV regularly trend on Twitter, according to the report, and have a unique, recurring profile with peaks following key moments in the story lines and quotes from the dialogue often tweeted widely. One section of the report dealt exclusively with last year's X Factor series, which in its first show saw double the number of related tweets as were sent at the same stage of the previous year's competition. 'X Factor generated more than 14million Tweets in 2012, driven by integration of dynamic hashtags on air, celebrity Tweets, and a passionate Twitter audience,' the report said. It also claimed that tweets had served as an accurate barometer for public opinion, with the eventual winner James Arthur mentioned more often than any other contestant from day one of the contest. 'In the final there were 1.12m Tweets from 505k unique users. There were 387k mentions for James, compared to 86k for the runner up Jahmene Douglas,' the report said. Rising excitement: The X Factor bucks the trend for reality entertainment broadcasting, with the number of tweets sent in the results show gradually rising towards its final climax . The document was prepared for Twitter's corporate customers and contains a raft of recommendations to advertisers and marketers suggesting ways they can increase engagement among consumers. 'More brands are seeing Twitter as a second screen to TV. Conversations about content and advertising happen in real-time on Twitter, scaling reach quickly on Twitter’s open platform,' it concluded. 'Through the actions of discovery and engagement Twitter and TV drive each other in a virtuous cycle. 'Every programme and every ad has a Twitter presence. Integrating Twitter into creative and . campaigns will better promote visibility and engagement to target audiences.' | Figures revealed in report prepared for Twitter's corporate customers . It claims the site is acting as television viewers' 'second screen' of choice . | 501eee23e6bfc50efbd0275f29aa53e9eb3e3d4d |
By . Hugo Gye . and Alex Brummer . George Osborne today hinted at the possibility of future tax cuts as he published a report claiming that cancelling planned rises in fuel duty has boosted the economy by up to £7.5billion. The analysis could imply that the Chancellor intends to cut taxes in the next Parliament if the Conservatives manage to win a majority in the 2015 election. The Treasury study released today estimates that the effective 20 per cent real cut in fuel duty since 2010 will add 0.3 to 0.5 per cent to growth over the long term. Hint: George Osborne could use a Conservative majority to cut taxes . The study, using a model by Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs, supports the view of supply side economists who argue that over time lower taxes will produce higher revenue for the Exchequer. Some Tory backbenchers have been angry at the Coalition's reluctance to cut taxes since coming to power, thanks to the need to reduce the deficit. Increasing numbers of workers have been dragged in to the 40p tax band, leading to accusations that the Government has turned its back on its traditional middle-class supporters. Mr Osborne has come under pressure to cut income tax, but has so far resisted calls for 'unfunded' cuts. However, the timing of the new report is expected to point to a looser fiscal policy in a future Conservative Government. Growth: Fuel duty cuts have produced an increase in GDP by between 0.3 and 0.5 per cent . A Treasury official said: 'Fuel duty cuts have produced an increase in GDP by between 0.3 and 0.5 per cent (£4.5bn to £7.5bn in today's prices). 'This equates to an average share per household of between £175 and £300 and increased investment by around 2 per cent,' a Treasury official said. Since the Chancellor arrived at the Treasury, fuel duty has been cut by 13 per cent when inflation is taken into account. Without the policy changes, it would have jumped by 7 per cent. The result has been a 20 per cent benefit for consumers or industry. Oil prices have long been seen as a hidden tax on business and the consumer that can have a deleterious impact on economic expansion. According to the study, fuel duty that hits both businesses and households hard is ‘one of the most distortive taxes.’ The costs are particularly pronounced on business because an initial tax rise in 2010 was set too high. Successive governments have used fuel duties as a ‘sin tax’ designed to keep vehicles off the road and fulfil the agenda of green activists. The first fuel duty cut in 2010 had the greatest impact on national output and the impact became less with subsequent reductions. The Chancellor believes that his tax cut agenda that has seen corporation tax reduced to 21 per cent and the highest rate of income tax brought down from 50 per cent to 45 per cent is making a significant contribution to the UK’s recovery, the most robust among advanced countries. In his most recent budget Osborne extended and doubled the investment allowances for smaller businesses in an effort to encourage the fixed and business investment necessary to support output. | Fuel duty has been cut 20 per cent in real terms since May 2010 . Study proves that over time lower taxes provide higher tax revenues . Report could help George Osborne cut taxes in future Conservative majority . | fb19aebffe2a0ed9694e042e270c57fd61ca2a4e |
Gasping for fresh air as she was pulled out alive from the ruins of a clothing factory 17 days after it collapsed around her, worker Reshma Begum was hailed as ‘the miracle woman’. Now the seamstress, whose extraordinary survival story made headlines around the world last month, is accused of being part of a massive hoax. Miss Begum was dramatically discovered among the tangled steel and concrete of the Bangladesh garment factory, where clothes were manufactured by suppliers for high street brands including Primark. Scroll down for video . Lies? A man claiming to be a colleague of Reshma Begum, the woman who was dramatically pulled from the rubble of the Bangladesh clothing factory collapse, claims her inspiring rescue is a fabrication . Its collapse is considered to be the deadliest garment factory accident in history. But a co-worker is now accusing the . 19-year-old of faking the length of time she had been trapped in the . ruins, and being part of a hoax by the authorities to make up for the . bad publicity following the disaster, in which 1,221 people died and . about 2,500 were injured. The male co-worker told local . journalists that she had in fact escaped from the eight-storey Rana . Plaza building in Savar, Dhaka, on the day it came down, scrambling from . the rubble alongside him. The man told local journalists: ‘We escaped . together. We both walked away from the rubble. We spent two days in . hospital but then she vanished. The next time I saw her was on TV 17 . days later. They said it was a miracle, but it was a fake.’ Reshma and her family's lives have been transformed since the accident. She now has a lucrative job at a luxury hotel . Miss Begum told local television – in . an interview beamed around the world – how she had managed to survive . those long days by eating leftover food she found in fellow workers’ lunch boxes and drinking water dribbling from a broken pipe. It was reported at the time that she . had been trapped under a concrete slab but stayed alive thanks to an air . pocket left by a Muslim prayer room in the basement. She was photographed being carried on a . stretcher from the ruins of the building on May 10, her face and . clothes covered in white dust. But Miss Begum’s landlady told . journalists from Dhaka’s pro-opposition newspaper Amar Desh she had . escaped from the building on the same day it had collapsed and had . received treatment at the nearby Enam hospital. It is now being claimed that in order . to cover up the hoax, people living near the factory were curiously . forced to move out of their homes the day before the young woman’s . ‘rescue’. They were allowed back once she was ‘saved’. To add to the mystery, police imposed a 24-hour ban on filming of the continuing rescue operation. Investigative journalists have also . questioned Miss Begum’s apparently ‘good condition’ for someone who had . supposedly spent 17 days trapped in the ruins of a building. ‘She said she had to claw her way . through bricks and debris to reach water in dead victims’ rucksacks but . her hands and fingernails did not show the marks you would expect,’ said . Shishir Abdullah, a local journalist. Investigators claim Miss Begum's appearance and injuries in the famous pictures are not consistent with 17 days trapped under rubble . Collapse: The building housed factories that made low-cost garments for Western brands. Authorities vowed to clamp down on unsafe working practices in the wake of the disaster . ‘Also, her eyes were wide open when . they pulled her out and she did not appear to be sensitive to the bright . sunlight. Her sari was not ripped or torn and appeared clean. ‘People were suspicious but the . government made a huge fuss of hailing it as a miracle. People were . taken in. Everyone was fooled.’ Miss Begum, who has since been . ‘awarded’ with a £600-a-month job at a luxury hotel in Dhaka, hit back . angrily at the accusations. ‘Where I was, you were not there, so you have no idea,’ she said. Her mother, Jobeda, who says she is . thankful that because of her daughter’s courage the family have a new . life, insisted: ‘Her escape is the miracle everyone thinks it is.’ The Bangladesh army, which led the search, rescue and body-recovery operation, has yet to respond to claims of a hoax. When the Rana Plaza factory building crashed down in April, 1,129 people were killed. Many of those freed are still recovering.Rescuers with no medical training were forced to perform amputations on the spot to free them without anaesthetic. Bangladesh's government and garment manufacturers are campaigning to close dangerous factories and to make safety a priority for the country's most valuable export industry. Bangladeshi garment factories are routinely built without consulting engineers. Many are located in commercial or residential buildings not designed to withstand the stress of heavy manufacturing. Some add illegal extra floors atop support columns too weak to hold them, according to a survey of scores of factories by an engineering university that was shown to The Associated Press. A separate inspection, by the garment industry, of 200 risky factories found that 10 per cent of them were so dangerous that they were ordered to shut. The textiles minister said a third inspection, conducted by the government, could show that as many as 300 factories were unsafe. | Male colleague claims she escaped on the day the building collapsed . Doubt has been cast on official story of her 17-day ordeal . Bangladeshi investigators claim government staged rescue . They are protecting the nation's £1bn clothing industry, said activists . | f9d332084d3c2b769dff443afb16e3c415877ccb |
Scientists have met to discuss the possibility of bringing back 24 animals back from extinction. But a real life Jurassic Park is not an option, it is said, because dinosaur DNA is just too old. The so called 'de-extinction' of a number of species was discussed at a TEDx conference in Washington DC sponsored by National Geographic. The Dodo evolved without any natural predators, but it was forced into extinction by humans who killed them all for food. It is one of 24 creatures recently discussed during a TEDx conference on bringing animals back from extinction - also known as 'de-extinction' Another animal considered for 'de-extinction' at the TEDx conference was the Quagga - a species of plains Zebra that once lived in South Africa. The last wild one was shot in 1870 and the last in captivity died in 1883 . They included the dodo bird, the Carolina Parakeet, last seen in 1904 in Florida, and the Quagga, a plains zebra which once lived in South Africa. The last wild one . was shot in 1870 and the last in captivity died in 1883, the Journal reports. The teams chose the animals using a number of criteria, and discussed the ethics of bringing them back to life. They discussed whether the species . were desirable, if they held an important ecological function or if they were beloved by humans. They also discussed if they were practical choices, and if there would be access . to tissue with good quality DNA samples or germ cells in order to reproduce the species. They also considered whether they are actually able to be reintroduced into the world and what the reasons for extinction were in the first place. This month’s National Geographic explains how de-extinction works - by taking old DNA samples and reassembling them into a full genome. This is then injected into embryonic cells which have had their own DNA taken out, and a suitable living surrogate is found to give birth. The docile, flightless moa stood 12ft high. They died out because of over hunting by the Maori . The Woolly Mammoth, related to the elephant, lived on Wrangel Island in the Arctic Ocean until 4,000 years ago. Scientists are hoping to use well-preserved DNA from a frozen woolly mammoth carcass to bring the species back from the dead . According to the Washington Post, ten years ago, a team of scientists from France and Spain brought back an extinct wild goat – but it only lived for 10 minutes. De-extinction does however raise a number of ethical and logistical questions, including how scientists can get a usable DNA sample from an extinct animal, and also whether they should. The Ivory Billed Woodpecker was last seen in the southeastern United states, but there hasn't been a confirmed sighting of the bird since the 1940s . The Thylacine, or Tasmanian Tiger, is the only marsupial to make the list. It lived in Australia, Tasmania and New Guinea until the 1960s . But dinosaur DNA has long ago degraded, so researchers say they are fairly sure that a real life Jurassic Park will never happen . In the hit 1993 film, Richard Attenborough hires scientists who use dinosaur DNA taken from a mosquito preserved in amber to clone the animals and create a theme park. The resulting chaos showed that man and dinosaur should not co-exist. Last year a controversial Australian billionaire was believed to be drawing up secret plans for a real life Jurassic Park. Mining magnate Clive Palmer, who has already embarked on a project to rebuild the Titanic, was rumoured to be working with the team who created Dolly the sheep. It was said the park would be based at Palmer's super resort in Coolum. But the research has shown the dinosaurs may have to stay on the big screen - as their DNA is just too old to be able to use for de-extinction. The cost of de-extinction varies by species but it is believed could run into hundreds of thousands of dollars. It comes after scientists used cloning technology to attempt to bring back a frog from extinction by implanting a 'dead' cell nucleus into a fresh egg from another frog species. The resulting embryos lived for just a few days. But the groundbreaking research by the Lazarus Project has brought the 'de-extinction' of creatures like woolly mammoths to the forefront of scientific discussion. In repeated experiments over five years, the researchers used a laboratory technique known as somatic cell nuclear transfer. Using a method similar to that imagined in the blockbuster Jurassic Park, they took fresh eggs from the distantly related Great Barred Frog, deactivated their nuclei and replaced them with genes from the extinct frog. Some of the eggs spontaneously began to divide and grow to early embryo stage – a tiny ball of many living cells from a creature extinct for 30 years. Although none of the embryos survived beyond a few days, genetic tests confirmed that the dividing cells contain the genetic material from the extinct frog. | Species include dodo, the Carolina Parakeet, and the Quagga, a plains zebra . The process is called 'de-extinction' and poses a number of ethical questions . 10 years ago teams brought back extinct wild goat - it lived for 10 minutes . | 762500b85bbf515364e8e8dc6ca7bd5b53db03d4 |
By . Alan Roden . PUBLISHED: . 13:10 EST, 29 October 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 13:16 EST, 29 October 2013 . Warning: Home Secretary Theresa May said an independent Scotland would struggle to replicate the UK's intelligence network . An independent Scotland would face greater threats from criminal masterminds, international terrorists and online hackers, Home Secretary Theresa May has warned. A hard-hitting new report from the UK Government has raised the risk of ‘diminished security’ if Scots vote for separation in next year’s referendum. Mrs May said the network of agencies that protect British citizens – including MI5, MI6, GCHQ and the National Crime Agency – would remain with the rest of the UK, and Scotland would be frozen out. That would force Scottish ministers to start from scratch, but the SNP’s top-end projection of a £2.5billion budget for defence and security is less than the sum spent by Denmark and Norway on defence alone – and compares to £35billion spent every year across the UK. The Westminster report, the seventh in a series of 13 documents on the impact of a Yes vote, also warns that a separate Scotland would have no ‘automatic right to entry’ to key bodies such as the ‘Five Eyes’ intelligence-sharing partnership between the UK, US, Australia, Canada and New Zealand. The paper warns that organised crime groups do not recognise borders, and law enforcement bodies currently work across the UK to tackle drug peddling and other illegal activities. Areas of expertise, such as the National Fraud Intelligence Bureau, would not be available to an independent Scotland and a separate air passenger security regime would have to be set up. Scotland would also be more vulnerable to cyber-attacks unless it invests significant resources, which poses a huge risk for businesses. The report states: ‘The creation of an independent Scottish state will, without proper planning and investment, lead to a reduction in the capability of its government to protect Scottish interests, infrastructure and people from these threats. ‘A reduced capability to tackle a persistent threat would result in an increased risk to the Scottish people.’ The findings were backed by . former Labour Home Secretary Lord John Reid, but SNP MSP Christine . Grahame said the UK Government’s decision to ‘politicise issues of . security and anti-terrorism’ was ‘the height of irresponsibility’. Blair Jenkins, leader of the Yes Scotland campaign, complained that Mrs May was ‘talking Scotland down’. Threat: The Home Office report also warned cross-border policing would be mired in red tape and the fight against serious crime would be ¿undermined . A . separate Scotland would be forced to establish a network of specialist . bodies that are currently part of the UK’s new National Crime Agency. The Westminster government has . produced a list of 15 ‘capabilities’ that an independent Scottish . Government would ‘have to consider whether to invest or retain or . replicate’. The list includes the Missing . Persons Bureau, which is the UK’s national point of contact for all . missing people and unidentified body cases. An independent Scotland would also . lose access to the Financial Intelligence Unit that identifies . suspicious activity related to money laundering and terrorist financing. The Child Exploitation and Online . Protection Command organisation is another example, with the body . sharing 157 intelligence records with Scottish police chiefs in 2012. Other bodies on the list are the UK . National Central Office for Counterfeit Currency, the Human Trafficking . Centre, the Anti-Kidnap and Extortion Centre and the Illicit Laboratory . Team. But the Home Secretary said: ‘The national security risks the UK faces are complex and changing. Terrorists and organised criminals will seek new ways to exploit any weakness in our justice and policing capabilities, and the scale of emerging threats, such as cyber crime, demands a comprehensively resourced response.’ Mrs May rejected nationalist arguments that Scotland may face a diminished threat from terrorism by rejecting nuclear weapons and shunning ‘illegal wars’ such as the Iraq conflict. ‘There are those for whom it is not just country-specific because of foreign policy, or actions that have taken place, but there is an issue about the West and the way of life in the West,’ she said. ‘But what would change would be the scale of capability that Scotland would have access to.’ The UK's current intelligence and security network could not be easily divided and resources such as the £860million UK cyber security programme ‘would not be available to Scotland’, she said. Mrs May added: ‘Separate bits could not be hived off. This is one of the challenges, one of the hard issues that the SNP need to address.’ Former Home secretary Lord Reid said: ‘A separate Scotland would need to massively reduce security spending and operations from that of the UK, but the threat would not be commensurately reduced. ‘We would therefore be left with the same level of threat but with a much-reduced capacity to respond.’ But Scottish Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill said: ‘These claims are wrong - not least because Scotland is already an independent jurisdiction when it comes to policing and justice issues, and current cross-border cooperation shows how well that can work to combat terrorism and other threats. ‘An independent Scotland will have first rate security arrangements to counter any threats we may face. And we will continue to work in very close collaboration with the rest of the UK and international partners on security and intelligence matters, which is in everyone's interests.’ Nationalist MSP Christine Grahame, who chairs Holyrood's justice committee, said: ‘The SNP has a record of delivering when it comes to policing and security and we will take no lessons from someone who has done so much to undermine this vital area south of the border.’ Blair Jenkins, chief executive of Yes Scotland, added: ‘As our nearest neighbours, we can expect a particularly close working relationship with the security services of the UK, to our mutual best interests.’ | Home Secretary says Soctland would face greater threats from criminals . Independence report from Westminster warns of 'diminished security' Yes campaign accuses Mrs May of 'talking Scotland down' | 589f101fc4acbb8e7d8813aaa3b3a2ae8a22e1b3 |
By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 20:38 EST, 10 March 2014 . | . UPDATED: . 20:38 EST, 10 March 2014 . A family cat that ran away from the vet’s to avoid a round of jabs has re-appeared – eight years later. Jesse, a ginger tomcat, was 18 months old when he escaped from his cage. Owners Lesley and Colin Corbett and their daughters Grace and Saskia searched the area for days and put up posters – but they gave up hope of ever seeing him again as the years went by. Lesley Corbett of Stoke-on-Trent with cat Jessie who went missing for eight years before returning . Jesse, a ginger tomcat, was 18 months old when he escaped from his cage . Then last month they received a call from the vet who said a client had brought them the cat after he noticed it hanging around his house. Apart from a minor leg injury, Jesse was in good health, and the vet was able to trace the Corbetts in Mow Cop, Staffordshire, because their pet had been microchipped. Mrs Corbett, 48, said: ‘Grace was six when he went missing. She was devastated because he was a present for her. Ms Corbett and Vet Veronica Rodino Tilve. Apart from a minor leg injury, Jesse was in good health, and the vet was able to trace the Corbetts in Mow Cop, Staffordshire, because their pet had been microchipped . 'My daughters burst into tears as soon as I walked through the door with him – they have never forgotten him.’ 'We have no idea where Jesse had been for eight years but we are so happy to have him back. 'We really thought there was no way he would come back after this long. 'At first he didn’t appear to recognise us. But now that he’s been in the same house with everyone for a week, he’s beginning to realise who we are.' | Jesse, a ginger tomcat, was 18 months old when he escaped from his cage . Owners searched area for days and put up . posters before giving up hope . Thanks to a microchip the family have now been reunited with the pet . | 367b6735e18c605535b7d5bd39553e53d0682a40 |
By . Kirk Maltais . and James Gordon . A middle school history teacher who was suspended after teaching students about the use of blackface in entertainment during the 1800s has been allowed back into the classroom after a protest by parents and pupils. Alan Barron, 59, from Monroe, Michigan, was placed on paid administrative leave two weeks ago after an assistant principal at Monroe Middle School sat in on Barron's lesson about Jim Crow racial segregation laws. As part of the lesson, Barron showed the class a video about the use of blackface by white performers of the time to imitate African Americans. The administrator objected to the video, and Barron, a teacher for 36 years in Monroe, was suspended just weeks shy of his retirement. Back in play: Residents of Monroe, Michigan protested a decision by the school board to suspend history teacher Alan Barron after teaching a lesson about the use of blackface . Alan Barron, 59, was suspended two weeks ago for showing his class a video about the use of blackface in the entertainment of the 1800s . 'I have no words that can express my gratitude and thanks for the support you have shown toward me during this turbulent time of my career,' Mr. Barron said on his Facebook page. 'Each day I preach to my students far more than history. I preach about choices, commitment and community service as I try to practice what I teach.' Parents and students were outraged at Mr Barron's suspension with almost everyone defending his character as well as his choice of lesson plan. 'She was more offended that they stopped the video,' Adrienne Aaron, mother to one of the students in the classroom said about her daughter's reaction to seeing the video. 'It had nothing to do with racism.' said Mrs Aaron, whose husband is African American. 'History is history. We need to educate our kids to see how far we’ve come in America. How is that racism?' Many other students and parents took to Facebook to voice their dissatisfaction over Barron's suspension and it appears their voices have been heard. Blackface: Stars Al Jolson (left) and Amon 'n Andy wore blackface. Historically, blackface emerged in the mid-19th century, representing a combination of put-down, fear and morbid fascination with black culture . 'We want you back Mr. Barron' wrote Cody Leach, a student of Barron's . that posted with the hashtag '#freemrbarron'. He also posted a picture . of a t-shirt made with the hashtag printed on it. In a recorded message sent to district employees on Sunday night, Monroe Public Schools Supt. Dr. Barry Martin said the information that was reported was incorrect and that the district was not opposed to Mr. Barron’s teaching methods. 'As a result of incorrect information presented within the community, there is a perception that the district was opposed to a teacher providing students with information about the history of racial issues in this country,' Dr. Martin said in a phone message and through a posting on the Monroe Public Schools Facebook page. 'This simply is not true and is a misinterpretation of the concern.' A Facebook post from one of Barron's students, who took up his cause and created a t-shirt with the hashtag '#freemrbarron' printed on it . 'Mr. Barron is very pleased that he will be allowed to return to the classroom and the students that he has dedicated the past 36 years of his career to,' Mr. Barron said in a statement released through his lawyer. 'He looks forward to spending the final three weeks of his career doing what he loves: teaching the young people of Monroe.' | Alan Barron, 59, was placed on administrative leave after showing students a video about the use of blackface . Parents and students protested the suspension . Barron, a teacher in Monroe, Michigan for 36 years, was set to retire at the end of the school year . | 962e4d0665beadb06e6b4b633911d2bbcd810004 |
Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul told attendees of a New Hampshire meet and greet this morning that 'over half the people on disability' are undeserving and are 'gaming the system.' The 2016 presidential hopeful made the remarks while speaking at a breakfast for legislative leaders at Murphy's Diner in Manchester that was open to the press. His speech was videotaped by a Democratic tracker, and an excerpt containing the remarks on persons claiming to be disabled was posted to YouTube. SCROLL DOWN FOR VIDEO . 'Over half the people on disability are either anxious or their back hurts,' Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul, a 2016 presidential hopeful, told a group of state legislators at Murphy's Diner in Manchester, New Hampshire this morning after inferring that those sort of people are 'gaming the system' In the short clip, circulated by the Democratic National Committee, Paul can be seen saying, 'You know the thing is is that all of these programs, there's always somebody who's deserving, and everybody in this room knows somebody who's gaming the system. 'And what I tell people is, if you look like me, and you hop out of your truck, you shouldn't be getting a disability check,' he said. Continuing, Paul told the small group that had gathered to hear him speak, 'Over half the people on disability are either anxious or their back hurts. 'Join the club,' he added, eliciting laughter from his audience. 'You know, who doesn't get up a little anxious for work and their back hurts. Everybody over 40 has a back pain.' In an email sent to reporters the DNC said Paul's comments were 'eerily reminiscent of Mitt Romney’s infamous 2012 “47 percent” remarks.' The incident is widely credited with tanking the Republican presidential nominee's odds of beating President Barack Obama in the general election. While speaking at a private fundraiser, Romney claimed that 'there are 47 percent of the people who will vote for the president no matter what...who are dependent upon government, who believe that they are victims, who believe that government has a responsibility to care for them, who believe that they are entitled to health care, to food, to housing, to you name it.' Romney did not know he was being videotaped. Members of the media were invited to attend Paul's event in New Hampshire today. DNC spokesman Mo Elleithee told The Courier-Journal that Paul's comments are 'insulting to millions of Americans with disabilities.' 'They want leaders who will help them get a fair shot, not condescend to them or accuse them of gaming the system,' Elleithee said. 'Rand Paul has again proven he's not a new type of Republican - when it comes to helping expand opportunity, he's no better than Mitt Romney.' Paul did not back away from his earlier remarks in a statement provided to DailyMail.com on Wednesday afternoon. 'We absolutely should take care of those truly in need of help,' Paul said. 'But the system is broken, and when people can game the system, they are stealing from those who are truly disabled and won't receive the care and aid they need. 'We must reform the system to ensure that those who really need help receive it.' The Kentucky senator is in New Hampshire today meeting with various local activists, business owners and politicians while his colleagues in the Senate travel to to Hershey, Pennsylvania, for a party pow wow. They'll be joined at the retreat by House Republicans later this afternoon. Throughout the past several months Paul has added seasoned operatives to his political action committee all while playing coy about his 2016 plans. Paul has not formally announced a presidential campaign but his hiring of a campaign manager on Tuesday signaled his intentions, and an official campaign launch is expected to come in the spring. | 'There's always somebody who's deserving, and everybody in this room knows somebody who's gaming the system,' Paul said . The 2016 presidential hopeful then said, 'Over half the people on disability are either anxious or their back hurts. Join the club' Paul did not back away from his comments in a statement to DailyMail.com and advocated for reforms to the system . | a532de4a64599afbc5db9803b4d1ead1de791b2f |
(CNN) -- Chile has only ever won 13 medals in the history of the Olympics -- and three of them are tucked safely away in Fernando Gonzalez's closet. The 32-year-old, who retired from tennis in March, was famed for his fearsome forehand during 13 years on the pro circuit, winning 11 ATP Tour titles. However, it is the full set of medals from the Games that he counts as his finest achievement in the sport. The Athens Olympics of 2004 yielded gold in the men's doubles with partner Nicolas Massu, and a bronze in the singles as his compatriot won that competition too -- becoming the only man to claim both titles at the same Games. Four years later, in Beijing, Gonzalez reached the showpiece singles final but was thwarted in his bid for a second gold by Rafael Nadal. While the Spaniard was not able to defend his title at London 2012 due to injury, Gonzalez returned to the world's biggest sporting extravaganza in an ambassadorial role. Federer focused on Olympic 'dream' "I always wanted to play the Olympics," he told CNN's Open Court. "I got there with Nicolas thinking that of course it will be a really tough competition, but the main thing in tennis is that you always have a chance to win even if you are fourth in the world going against number one. It is not like the other sports. "It was something really special to us because we had been used to the tour and spending time with the other tennis players, but this time we were with other athletes and it was very exciting because you could see the different kinds of bodies in the same place." Gonzalez and Massu's gold rush provoked a surge of pride and patriotism back in Chile, which the pair could only get a true taste of when they returned home as national heroes. That they had to wait over a month to feel the country's full embrace, due to the U.S. Open coming swiftly after the Games, only made their homecoming more sweet. "When we went back three or four weeks later it was huge," said the man dubbed "Gonzo" and "Stone Hand." "The president received us at the government palace. We had breakfast with him and we went out unto the balcony, which is a very popular background where very few people walk out on. "And there was a lot of people, a few thousand people. It was very exciting and I never dreamed that tennis could give me the chance to have that experience." Tsonga makes Olympic tennis history after marathon match . After his heroics in 2004, Gonzalez had the ultimate honor bestowed upon him prior to the start of the Beijing Games when he was asked to carry Chile's flag for the opening ceremony. "It was one of my best moments because you are an ambassador for your country in the world," he said. "For me it feels like to win something important. It is really huge." The only other tennis player to fulfill the same role for his nation in China was 17-time grand slam champion Roger Federer, who defeated Gonzalez in the only major final he ever made -- at the 2007 Australian Open. Gonzalez turned professional in 1999 and took his first ATP Tour title the year after, his rapier-like forehand cementing his reputation as one of the hottest young players on the circuit. He reached his first grand slam quarterfinal in 2005 at Wimbledon and made the season-ending ATP Tour Finals, contested by the world's top eight players. He subsequently made the last eight of every major tournament, while the four titles he clinched on home soil, in Vina del Mar, also rank as a career highlight. Venus Williams exits singles at London 2012 . But it is the success Gonzalez has enjoyed on the international stage that has come to define his career, both in a litany of Davis Cup matches with Chile and at the Olympics. Despite the country's fervent love of football, Gonzalez always had his heart set on a career on the baseline rather than the touchline. "In the beginning I just wanted to see tennis. I went to go see some cups and I feel the passion of the sport and then I went to see the national team of football, but I always wanted to go and play tennis. "Then one thing led to another and I wanted to play tennis and I wanted to represent my country and you know the passion that the people of Chile gave me was really important for my career." It has been less than six months since Gonzalez called time on his career and, though he says he doesn't miss the grueling travels schedule and endless hotel pit-stops, the Chilean admits he will miss that feeling of being on court in front of thousands of fans. But his dual love for the game and his country will also dominate his future, as he plans to help promote tennis in Chile through his foundation and broaden access for those who haven't had the chance to play. "In Chile there is a lot of talent but maybe the people do not know they have the talent. There are many good football players playing in Europe at a really good level and I think in tennis we can do something similar," he said. "Not like them, but we can do really well. But also I want to be involved in tennis. I have a few offers to start to work with but I want to take my time. "It is the first time in my life to have enough time for me, so I'm going to start next year. I love tennis and I will stay around." And as for his most treasured possessions, where does he keep his hat-trick of Olympic medals? "They are at my house in the closet," he replies. "Some people come to my house and say, 'Show me them,' but they don't care about the rest, they care about the medals." | Fernando Gonzalez has won three Olympics medals out of Chile's total haul of 13 . Veteran tennis player has a full set of Games medals, which he keeps in his closet . He won bronze in singles and gold in men's doubles in 2004, then silver in 2008 . Gonzalez won a total of 11 ATP Tour titles during a 13-year professional career . | c07fd4de2939077e359091c8c363e0efa277f43d |
A young woman who fancied a new look was temporarily blinded and hospitalised for three days following a severe reaction to hair dye she bought in the supermarket. Carmen Rowe's face swelled up 'like a football' after using the Clairol ‘Nice n’ Easy’ natural black colour that she bought at her local Asda. She was admitted to Morriston Hospital in Swansea the following day after the swelling left her unable to see. Yet the 25-year-old said she carried out a skin test 48 hours before using the dye without a problem and had been colouring her hair since she was 13-years-old. Carmen Rowe (pictured right) was admitted to hospital for three days after she had a sudden and severe reaction to Clairol hair dye (left) Miss Rowe was eventually discharged after three days after the swelling was reduced with a combination of steroids and antibiotics. But she was then re-admitted another four times in the following month after developing sores and further swelling. Doctors eventually diagnosed an allergic reaction to the Paraphenylenediamine in the dye. Carmen, of Swansea, said: 'I woke up and my head was so swollen that I couldn’t see. I was blind. 'I looked in the mirror and half of my face was swollen. It looked like half of my head had been pumped up like a football. 'I . went straight to hospital and by the time I got there my head was . swollen everywhere, even my ears were huge. The doctors admitted me . immediately. 'The most . disgusting thing is my head started to leak pus. I had to wrap my head . in a towel, it was horrible and it smelt like a wet dog.' 'My head looked like a football': Carmen needed antibiotics and steroids to reduce the swelling . Carmen Rowe continued to suffer from head and ear weeping after her facial swelling reduced (left). A recent picture (right) shows she still suffers from some puffiness . Carmen bought the non ammonia ‘24 wash’ hair dye from Asda for £3.80. But she lost her job as a packer for a natural health products company because of the amount of time she took off following the incident over Christmas. She said: 'The whole situation was very stressful and made me a bit depressed. Christmas was ruined and I lost my job, all for the sake of a glamorous hair style. 'I know children that have their hair dyed at 13 or 14 and it could be even worse for them. 'I just want to warn parents what could happen. It is an allergy that could develop at any time.' A spokeswoman for Procter & Gamble, which makes Clairol hair dye, said: 'We are sorry to hear about Carmen’s situation. Our consumers’ safety and wellbeing is our absolute priority and we are keen to help Carmen however we can. 'It would appear that Carmen has not been . in contact with our Consumer Relations Department and we would . encourage her to contact them on a freephone number - 0800 169 7669. 'Reactions to hair colourants can occur for a very small number of people, in the same way that some individuals can react to a variety of foods and natural substances. 'Millions of people all over the world use hair colourants without experiencing any adverse effects. In the UK, around 100 million hair colourant applications are carried out every year in homes and salons. 'Hair colourants are one of the most thoroughly studied consumer products on the market and their safety is supported by a wealth of scientific research.' Allergy: Carmen said she wanted to warn parents of the potential effect of hair dyes. Her reaction left her with a swollen face and sore, reddened neck (left) | Carmen said she performed a patch test 48-hours before with no problems . 'The most disgusting thing is my head started to leak pus,' she said . | c47d97883adf5b22e1af7e7f03e67400c37ad468 |
After three weeks deliberating, a Detroit jury has convicted six members of a nation-wide motorcycle club following a months-long trial that heard from 42 defendants, on charges they ran a violent drug and gambling-based organization that had meth labs all over the country. 'For too many years the Devils Diciples spread fear and violence throughout Michigan and the country,' Assistant Attorney General Leslie Caldwell said, according to The Detroit Free Press. 'This outlaw motorcycle gang thrived on intimidation and its ability to avoid prosecution - but no longer.' The jury convicted the 60-year-old leader of the Diciples, Jeff 'Fat Dog' Smith, and five others. Leader: Devils Diciples head Jeff 'Fat Dog' Smith, 60, was found guilty Friday of methamphetamine trafficking, conspiracy to obstruct justice, violent crimes in aid of racketeering and other charges . Smith, of Mount Clemens, was found guilty Friday of all charges, including racketeering conspiracy, illegal gambling and witness tampering. Defense attorney Jerry Sabbota acknowledged that Smith anticipates a long prison sentence, expected to be life. The trial lasted nearly four months in Detroit federal court. The Devils Diciples has about 150 members and was formed in 1967. The headquarters is in Clinton Township, southeastern Michigan, and Grand Rapids. However there were chapters in Alabama, Arizona, California, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio and beyond. The prosecution said the Devils Diciples steamrolled their operation by drug trafficking, stealing and selling motorcycles, gambling, robbery and running meth labs. Would-be members had to see out a probation before being accepted into the club, which required approval from all other members. Once accepted, a member was required to own a Harley Davidson, The Detroit Free Press reported. Convicted: Paul Anthony Darrah, 50 (left), also known as Pauli, the national vice president - who relies on a breathing tank - and and Cary Dale Vandiver, 56 (right), of Alabama, also known as Gun Control, the national warlord for the club, received the same charges as their leader, Jeff Smith . Members were forced to go after and threaten or intimidate people upon request of the club. They also were asked to lie to police, the court records show. A major part of the indictment allegedly occurred inside the Devils Diciples clubhouse in Arizona. A group of members, including Witort, stormed the clubhouse under the belief the chapter had broken some of the key Diciples rules. The victims were tied up with duct tape and assaulted with guns, tasers and knives. They were then put inside a pickup truck, driven into the desert and dumped in a ravine, where they were left to die. The court indictment accused the club of, over the years, committing murder, attempted murder, robbery, extortion, assault and threats of violence, the indictment said. More than 60 firearms and more than 6,000 rounds of ammunition were seized during the investigation, and eight methamphetamine labs were dismantled, authorities said. Meth: Scott William Sutherland, 49 (left), and Paul Anthony Darrah, 50 (right), were found not guilty of RICO and meth conspiracies. Darrah is known as the 'methamphetamine cook' Auhtorities all over the US were involved in the case, from the FBI to state police incolved with the assorted chapters. The Times-Herald reports the convictions as: Jeff Garvin Smith - 'Fat Dog' - was found guilty of racketeering influenced corrupt organization (RICO) conspiracy, methamphetamine trafficking conspiracy, conspiracy to obstruct justice, violent crimes in aid of racketeering (VICAR) and various substantive charges. Paul Anthony Darrah, also known as Pauli, 50 of Macomb Township, the national vice president of the Devil's Diciples, and Cary Dale Vandiver, 56 of Alabama, also known as Gun Control, the national warlord for the club, were found guilty of the same charges as Smith . Paul Anthony Darrah, also known as Pauli, 50 of Macomb Township, the national vice president of the Devil's Diciples, and Cary Dale Vandiver, 56 of Alabama, also known as Gun Control, the national warlord for the club, were found guilty of the same charges as Smith. Vincent John Witort, also known as Holiday, 64, of California, was found guilty of violations of the RICO and meth conspiracies. Patrick Michael McKeoun, 60 of Alabama, also known as Magoo, was found guilty of RICO and meth conspiracies. The U.S. Attorney's Office lists McKeoun as a 'methampetamine cook.' Lesser sentence: David Randy Drozdowski, 38, was spared charged of RICO and meth conspiracy, but was found guilty of VICAR and felon in possession of a firearm . David Randy Drozdowski, 38, of Fair Haven, also known as D, was found guilty of VICAR and felon in possession of a firearm. The jury was hung on charges of RICO and meth conspiracy. Scott William Sutherland, 49 of Redford, also known as Scotty Z, was found not guilty of RICO and meth conspiracies. He previously pleaded guilty to felon in possession. However defense attorney Jerome Sabbota, who was representing ringleader Smith, told The Detroit Free Press that the prosecution 'did not prove its case', and that Smith wrongly wore the blame for crimes committed separately by other members. 'These guys are not mafiosos,' Sabbota said. 'That's like saying because Obama is president he's responsible for everyone's misdeeds.' Long-running: The Devils Diciples - who purposely misspell their name - were first formed in 1967 . Online: The club has an official website that sells Devils Diciples merchandise, such as baby bibs . All six men will be sentenced at a later date. The group sells many products online via their website, including a baby bib that says: 'My dad can beat up everybody!' | Devils Diciples was formed in 1967 and has about 150 members in the U.S. Based in Michigan but with chapters in Alabama, Arizona, California, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, and beyond . Six members convicted Friday following trial of almost four months . National leader Jeff 'Fat Dog' Smith, 60, and his two deputies recieved the most charges . Gang accused of drug trafficking, stealing and selling motorcycles, gambling, robbery and running meth labs . | b535e2ac74a98bb315283ca527a3d2491ed5392b |
A soldier who recently returned home from Afghanistan has given his family a heartwarming holiday surprise by jumping out of a gift-wrapped box. Patrick Conwell, 31, enlisted the help of his brother Matthew, who told their mother, father and sister that he and his expectant wife would be hosting a party to reveal the gender of their baby - and that the giant box next to their Christmas tree contained either a pink or blue balloon that would signify whether they were having a boy or girl. Instead, Patrick, who had been in Afghanistan for the past nine months before returning home to Nashville, Tennessee, was waiting in the package, clad in fatigues and bearing a green balloon. Scroll down for video . Thinking outside the box: Patrick Conwell, 31, surprised his family when he returned to Nashville from Afghanistan by hiding in a gift-wrapped package . In a YouTube video that he posted Tuesday, Patrick's siblings ask their mother to guess the baby's gender. 'I don't want to say what I think it's going to be,' she says, eventually predicting that it will be a girl. 'Whatever it is, we're going to be thrilled,' she adds. Family matters: Patrick's expectant brother and sister-in-law (right) told his parents that the giant box contained either a pink or blue balloon that would signify whether they were having a boy or girl . Surprise: Finally, Matthew jumped out of the box himself, bearing a green balloon . Finally, Matthew opens the brightly wrapped package and the green balloon floats out of it right before Patrick pops out. His mother jumps back in shock and shrieks and laughs as she runs to embrace her son. Patrick told MailOnline: 'I was talking to my brothers about returning home and the plan just kind of developed from there. 'It wasn't something that was purposefully planned; it sort of started as a joke, something that would just be funny to do. Then as we got closer to coming home, we ended up going ahead with the plan.' Overcome: No one was more surprised than his mother (second from left), who jumped back in shock . Warm embrace: Patrick and his mother shared a big hug after he made his grand entrance . To keep their mother in the dark, Patrick had simply told her: 'I'm not sure if I'll be back before Christmas.' After the surprise, the family learned that Patrick's sister-in-law was indeed having a girl, and celebrated his homecoming by going out to eat. A commenter on Reddit, where Patrick posted the video Tuesday, asked whether he was sure that his parents were unaware of his plan. 'Pretty sure,' he replied. 'My dad said he "suspected something", but I'm 99per cent sure my mom and sister didn't know.' | Patrick Conwell, of Nashville, Tennessee, made his creative entrance at a party where his parents and sister were expecting to learn the gender of his brother's baby . | 9d525f106f0773fccc0c2a8a7dba0730257689ce |
PARIS, France (CNN) -- The Paris suburbs were again rocked by riots after a second night of lawlessness Monday caused widespread destruction and left scores of police injured, according to French authorities and media reports. Firefighters in a Paris suburb battle to control a blaze started after youths rioted Sunday night. An angry mob repeatedly clashed with riot police and torched cars and buildings in the town of Villiers-le-Bel, north of Paris, after two teens on a motorcycle were killed following a collision with a police car Sunday night. Rioters bombarded police with baseball bats, Molotov cocktail bombs and bottles filled with acid as the violence spread to the nearby towns of Longjumeau and Grigby Monday night. The 15- and 16-year-old boys, both sons of African immigrants, according to police, died when their motorbike hit a patrol car in Villiers-le-Bel. Some residents, populated largely by immigrants and their French-born children, accused police of fleeing the crash scene. However, three eyewitnesses, interviewed on TV, said the police stayed and tried to revive the two boys with mouth to mouth resuscitation. Watch why a repeat of past rioting is feared » . More than 60 police officers were injured in Monday night's confrontation, with five kept in hospital in a serious condition, according to reports in a number of French newspapers. A spokesman for the police authorities in the Val d'Oise prefecture refused to confirm the numbers of police injuries, telling CNN that police feared the information could further enflame the already tense situation. The police spokesman said 60 cars, a library and car dealer's showroom had been set on fire in Villiers-le-Bel. He said a police station had also been damaged and 15 garbage cans torched. Security was tightened Tuesday, with helicopters deployed to patrol over the town, the spokesman said. Villiers-le-Bel was not among the districts hit by the weeks of nationwide rioting in November 2005, when disaffected youths nationwide set thousands of cars ablaze to protest against unemployment and discrimination. Those riots were also sparked by fatalities, namely the deaths of two men of North African descent who were electrocuted while hiding from police in an electrical substation. French president Nicolas Sarkozy, then serving as the interior minister, provoked controversy at the time by referring to the rioters as "scum." Sarkozy, currently on a state visit to China, had urged residents Monday to "cool down and let the justice system determine who is responsible for what." A spokesman for the president's office told CNN Tuesday they were continuing to monitor the situation. The prosecutor's office in the nearby town of Pontoise has already begun an inquiry into the deaths. Police said the teens drove through a red light without wearing helmets and on an unregistered bike. But Omar Sehhouli, the brother of one of the victims, told French media the police involved should be arrested. "Everyone knew the two boys here," he told French radio. "What happened, that's not violence, it's rage." According to the initial findings from the French police watchdog, reported Tuesday in the daily newspaper, Le Figaro, the boy's motorbike was driving "at very high speed" and had failed to give priority to the police patrol vehicle. The police car was driving normally at around 40 kilometers an hour, the newspaper reported the watchdog had found. E-mail to a friend . CNN's Jim Bittermann contributed to this report . | Riots in French suburb for second night after two teens killed in police crash . Violence spreads from Villiers-le-Bel, north of Paris, to two nearby towns . More than 60 police injured, bombarded with Molotov cocktails and bottles of acid . Parallels drawn with unrest in 2005, when President Sarkozy was interior minister . | 44815c184e3013f07781311b30ec5ff009174738 |
Fernando Torres could seal a move back to La Liga outfit Atletico Madrid during the January transfer window, according to club president Enrique Cerezo. The Spanish striker left his boyhood side in 2007 when he sealed a £20million move to Liverpool. Torres went on to join Chelsea for £50m in January 2011 but failed to live up to his the British record transfer. AC Milan striker Fernando Torres is said to be 'one step away' from leaving the Italian giants . Torres progressed through the ranks at Atletico before joining Liverpool in 2007 . The 30-year-old was shipped out to AC Milan on a two-year loan deal at the end of August but reports in Italy suggest he is 'one step away' from leaving the Serie A giants. And Cerezo has revealed Atletico Madrid would be among Torres' potential suitors if he was to leave Milan. Cerezo, speaking to TVE, said: 'The signing of Torres is not (completed), but, that does not mean it will not be. 'We have a great team, but we can bring in a signing until the last hour of the transfer market. 'We will fight for La Liga, the Champions League and the Copa del Rey in 2015.' Torres has scored just one goal in 10 league games since joining Milan. Torres, pictured after winning the Champions League in 2012, was shipped out on loan to AC Milan in August . | Fernando Torres started his career at Atletico before joining Liverpool . The Spanish striker is said to be 'one step away' from leaving AC Milan . Atletico Madrid president Enrique Cerezo is keen on signing Torres . | d3788850fd7967a94a92c81de187a4806c13c2c6 |
By . Lizzie Edmonds . PUBLISHED: . 10:34 EST, 20 September 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 11:30 EST, 20 September 2013 . A dog had emergency surgery after eating two pounds of gravel from her owners’ driveway. Snickers the dog was taken to the vets when 12-year-old owner Ryan Jones noticed a bulge in her belly and thought she was pregnant. But when vets looked at an X-ray they saw she had actually swallowed 140 gravel chippings. Tasty snack: Three-year-old Snickers swallowed 140 gravel stones from her owner's driveway . Hungry? An X-Ray shows the mound of stones the dog consumed sitting in her stomach . They rushed the animal, a cross between a springer and cocker spaniel, into emergency surgery and retrieved the stones from her stomach. The boy's father, Warren Jones, of Gorseinon, South Wales, said: 'We’ve always thought she was nuts, totally full of it, which is why we called her Snickers, after the chocolate bar. 'But we never expected her to actually swallow the stones.' Schoolboy Ryan first noticed Snicker's bulge on August Bank Holiday and urged his father to have her checked out. Quite the snack! Some of the two pounds of chippings the animal gobbled up from the family driveway . Concern: Warren Jones, pictured, the father of the dog's owner Ryan, 12, said Snickers's operation was quite expensive 'but had to be done' Location: The dog would chew stones on the driveway, pictured . Landscaper Mr Jones said: 'I knew she wasn’t pregnant, but we could feel there was something in her belly. 'Ryan was really worried, and we had to take her to the vets, who said he was concerned something had gone into her intestine. So she had to have an operation. 'The operation cost a fair bit of money, but we had to have it done.' Snickers isn't alone in enjoying the taste of stones. Earlier this month, springer spaniel Flo ate 14 pebbles, weighing 1lb, in just one day. The two-year-old animal fell ill after eating the stones, which were 'rattling' in her stomach . Owners Graham Ellis and Lisa Coppack rushed the dog to a vet in Abersoch, North Wales, where an x-ray revealed what the animal had been swallowing. Flo is now recovering after an operation to remove them . The family have said that Snickers, a working dog that accompanies Mr Jones on shoots, would regularly chew chippings from the driveway of the family home. But instead of spitting them out, she had been swallowing them. The operation was carried out by Susanne Ackroyd and Janet Mathews of Haven Vets. Vet Mrs Ackroyd said: 'This was a bit unusual, it was a first for me. 'You could feel the stones grinding away. 'Fortunately the operation was not too difficult because they had gone straight into the stomach. If they had migrated through the bowel it would have been much more evasive. 'Fortunately, I understand that Snickers is doing well.' | Snickers taken to vet because owner Ryan, 12, thought she was pregnant . X-rays showed she had actually swallowed 140 gravel chippings . Owners say the spaniel would chew the stones on their driveway, in Gorseinon, South Wales, but they didn't think she was swallowing them . 'Snickers is doing well,' says vet Susan Ackroyd . | 2d8ecefe9a006c86ab5975e196efcdbbb4c0dfae |
By . Kieran Corcoran . PUBLISHED: . 07:48 EST, 6 September 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 02:49 EST, 9 September 2013 . Unhappy: Holly-Mae Donaldson, 13, was sent home from her school in Cheltenham because her skirt, above, was made of banned 'stretchy' material . A 13-year-old schoolgirl was sent home on the first day of term because her skirt was ‘too stretchy’. Holly-Mae Donaldson, a pupil at All Saints Academy in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, had to go home yesterday because her skirt conflicted with the school’s uniform code. The skirt, which was not too short, was deemed unacceptable because it was made of a banned ‘stretchy’ material. Rules for girls say all skirts must be knee-length without splits or pleats, and not stretch. But Holly-Mae has also accused the school of singling her out, as she said other girls wear the exact same skirt but were not punished. She said: ‘I really think it’s pathetic. It’s just the material, and it doesn’t affect my learning. I felt singled out by the teachers, and it’s only the first day of school. ‘I know other girls who have the same skirt as I do, but they haven’t been told they would be put in isolation or sent home. ‘I really enjoyed going to school at the start, but late last year, the teachers seem to be thinking more about uniforms.’ Her mother Diane Donaldson said the decision was ‘appalling’ and that it was almost impossible to find a skirt for her daughter which complies with the rules. ‘I couldn’t believe it when the school called me up. How is the skirt too short, when it goes to her knees?’ she said. ‘They told me it was made of stretchy . material, and not acceptable. I spent the entire summer holidays trying . to find one to fit her as she is so small. ‘Now . they’ve told her they would let her return if she wears the same . trousers which they said last year were unacceptable! It’s really a case . of double standards. I just don’t understand it. Not impressed: Holly-Mae's mother Diane Donaldson (left) attacked the decision to send her daughter home, and said it was difficult to find a skirt that complies with the rules . ‘The school really needs to concentrate more on the education, and less on the pupils’ uniform. I think she is old enough and sensible enough to decide what she wants to wear to school.’ As well as Holly-Mae, All Saints Academy sent two other students home on their first day for having inappropriately dyed hair. The school, which an Ofsted . inspection this year said 'requires improvement', has been criticised . before for sending home a student for wearing the wrong shoes, even . though he had broken his toe the previous day. Principal Peter Kingham said: ‘We have been very clear with our students about uniform expectations. Education: All Saints Academy, pictured, has a strict uniform policy, but inspectors have warned it about poor performance . ‘We have demonstrated what is acceptable and what is not. We have had assemblies on this and written to parents. 'I really think it’s pathetic. I felt singled out by the teachers, and it’s only the first day of school' Holly-Mae Donaldson . ‘The academy has high standards which we are intent on maintaining. We have a parents’ forum where issues such as this can be raised and we encourage parents to join this. ‘Alongside this, we have a procedure for any complaints from parents that we encourage them to follow whenever necessary. ‘Out of 1,000 students in the academy, the vast majority adhere to our policies and practices and accept them fully.’ | Holly-Mae Donaldson sent home from All Saints Academy in Cheltenham . But teenager insisted other girls get away with wearing the same skirt . Ofsted has ordered school to improve because of low achievement levels . | 328dbe1d2de3332fc0d745d85555dca9d45fda42 |
Eliaquim Mangala has spoken of the difficulty he had staying fit while waiting for his £31.9million move to Manchester City to go through. City made Mangala the most expensive defender in the history of British football on Monday after finally agreeing terms with FC Porto and an investment company who owned 33 per cent of his economic rights. The 23-year-old agreed personal terms and passed a medical on a visit to Manchester last month, but has been training on his own since returning from the World Cup and a brief holiday while he waited for his future to be resolved. VIDEO Scroll down to see Eliaquim Mangala score with cheeky back heel volley . Chuffed: Eliaquim Mangala poses with a Man City shirt following his move to the Etihad Stadium . Patient: He has admitted that it was hard to stay fit as he waited for the move to go through . ‘I am happy now because I will be able to start a new adventure,’ said Mangala in his first interview with City’s club website. ‘I will be able to train again. It was good to be on holidays but after a time I started to find the time quite long. ‘I went on a run every day and trained in the gym. Holidays are great but if the time is too long, it is difficult to come back. I think that I will need a bit of time in order to be 100 per cent but it is normal – it is like those who returned to training last week, but I will work hard in order to be 100 per cent as soon as possible. ‘I am really very happy to be part of the team and I will work hard because we have lots of goals and it is very important to start to work as soon as possible.’ Mangala is determined to add to his medal collection in Manchester after winning league titles in Portugal and Belgium with Porto and Standard Liege. And he promised City fans that he will bring a winning mentality to Manuel Pellegrini’s team. Pricey: He became the most expensive defender in British football history following move from Porto . Acquisition: The defender played for Porto for three seasons before signing for Manuel Pellegrini . ‘When I am on the pitch, I always give everything from the first to the last minute,’ he added. ‘I am the kind of player that comes on the pitch to win. I am not giving away anything, I always fight until the end and I hope that we will win quite a lot of titles this season. ‘I am quite a fast defender. I am good in challenges, good in the air. I have the ability to score goals and have done so in the past few seasons. I won’t score 10 goals-a-season but for a defender I get my share from set-pieces. ‘I am motivated because to be part of a team like City I have already proved that I have a certain value, but I will not stop trying to improve. ‘To be part of a squad is good but like everybody else I want to play and it will be down to the manager to make his choice. I will work hard to try to have a spot in the starting XI but the most important is that the team win the games, win titles. It is my main goal: work in order to help the team to win as many titles as possible.’ Manchester United and Chelsea were also linked with Mangala but the France World Cup defender admits that he was impressed by City’s success in recent years and the fact that they made the most effort to bring him to English football. ‘City is a big team in England and they proved it again this year by winning the title,’ he said. ‘Then it is the team that showed me the most interest. I had the opportunity to talk with the manager and the football director and it is also important to have some guarantees when you move to a new club. I had this opportunity to talk and I liked what they said so I signed with City. ‘The squad is great so it will allow me to progress again. I am also someone who likes to win titles and I know that with the squad we have we can do great things.’ Partner: Mangala is set to form a central defensive partnership with City captain Vincent Kompany . Follow on: He will join former Porto team-mate Fernando, who joined the club earlier in the summer . Challenge: And he will be fighting for his place against Martin Demichelis . Mangala is expected to form a first-choice central defensive partnership with City captain Vincent Kompany but he will face competition from Martin Demichelis. Pellegrini also has Dedryck Boyata and Karim Rekik at his disposal, although Matija Nastasic and Micah Richards are expected to move on. ‘Vincent Kompany and Martin Demichelis are two players who possess great experience,’ said Mangala. ‘Vincent is the captain of Manchester City and the Belgium national team, Demichelis has enjoyed a great career. He played for Bayern Munich and he is now at Manchester City and has a big experience behind him. ‘They are players that I can look at and from whom I will learn a lot. They will have lots of advice for me regarding what they have already experienced. It will help me to progress and I am sure that everything will be fine. They are players that have lived through a lot of big moments and have a big experience so it can only be beneficial for me.’ Mangala joins his former Porto teammate Fernando at the Etihad after the Brazilian midfielder moved for £12m earlier this summer. He also becomes the fourth Frenchman on City’s books, joining Bacary Sagna, Samir Nasri and Gael Clichy at the club. He added: ‘I was with Bacary Sagna during the World Cup so we had the opportunity to talk. There are quite a lot of French players and Fernando, who I was in touch during all the preparation because I came here earlier. ‘I had the chance to talk with him and there are some players that speak Spanish and I understand a bit of that language so I think it will be quite quick for me to settle in. The most important thing is to have a good understanding on the pitch and to all go in the same direction.’ | Mangala speaks of difficulty in staying fit as he waited for Man City deal . Frenchman became the most expensive defender in British football history . The 23-year-old completed his move from Porto for £31.9million on Monday . He has been training alone since returning from World Cup with France . | 8c8a1d4f9c0f9359cd524806f5b79d0ef67587c1 |
Rachel Ellis's twin daughters Lilly and Darcy were born at 37 weeks after surviving a rare condition which meant they shared a placenta in the womb . At 18 weeks pregnant, Rachel Ellis faced a terrifying decision. When doctors diagnosed her unborn twins with a rare condition they offered pioneering surgery to increase their chances of survival. The babies shared the same placenta, but an unequal blood supply meant one or both of the twins was unlikely to survive. The radical operation, which involved surgeons separating the girls using laser technology, gave the twins a 45 per cent chance of surviving to full term. Doctors inserted a camera and fibre optic laser down a tiny endoscope into Mrs Ellis's womb. The laser then sealed off some of the shared blood vessels to ensure the girls received a more equal supply of blood. Just hours after the surgery, doctors feared the worst when at 19 weeks Mrs Ellis's waters broke. But remarkably the amniotic sacs re-sealed and the twins were born healthy at 37 weeks. The stay-at-home mother from Port Talbot in Wales, said she now treasures every moment with her twin daughters. The mother-of-four said: 'There was no doubt in my mind I wanted the surgery. 'I wanted to go through with it and give them both the best chance at life. 'I didn't care if they came out with mental or physical problems, I just wanted them alive. 'When they were born I was over the moon. They are just marvellous, I treasure every moment with them.' Mrs Ellis unexpectedly discovered she was pregnant at seven weeks. It was at an 18-week scan at Singleton Hospital in Swansea that medics detected the abnormality. The condition is known as twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome, and results in one baby receiving an inadequate blood supply. Mrs Ellis, said: 'We were told that one of the babies was vacuumed in its sac. 'The consultant explained that one of the twins had about 12cm worth of fluid and the other baby just had 0.4cm, because of this she couldn't move her arms and legs at all. 'That's when he gave me a couple of options, he suggested that perhaps I should consider termination, or the laser surgery. 'I was so upset, I was just crying and all these emotions were just running through me.' Mrs Ellis was then referred to the Fetal Medicine Unit at St Michael's Hospital in Bristol and underwent surgery three days later. She was able to watch the whole procedure on a screen, due to the fact she was only under a local anesthetic. At an 18-week scan doctors diagnosed the condition twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome. They told Mrs Ellis radical surgery to separate her unborn babies could give them a 45 per cent chance of surviving to full term . Mrs Ellis, pictured with the twins, her husband Stephen and their older children Crystal and Jay-Jay, said she immediately opted for the surgery. Doctors used a laser to seal off some of the shared blood vessels to ensure the girls received a more equal supply of blood . Despite its success, the mother-of-four and her partner Stephen Ellis, 29, were left on tenterhooks after being warned that they were still not out of danger. Mrs Ellis was warned that she had a high chance of a miscarriage during the following six weeks. Twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome is a disease of the placenta. The condition only affects identical twins, who share a placenta. The condition causes the placenta to contain abnormal blood vessels, which connect to the umbilical cords and circulations of the twins. In many cases the common placenta is shared unequally by the twins, and one may have a share too small to provide the necessary nutrients to grow or even survive. She said: 'They said the first two weeks would be the worst. The doctors warned that it was likely one or both of the babies would be disabled or ill. 'When I came out of surgery I felt so relieved because they told me the surgery had gone much better than expected. I was so relieved. 'When I got home I could feel the babies kicking away so I was really happy.My belly had got so big - I suddenly looked like I was 30 weeks pregnant.' Just hours after returning home from the procedure her waters broke, despite being just 19 weeks pregnant. A test confirmed that the amniotic sacs had ruptured, but miraculously they were able to re-seal themselves. In spite of the scare the twins were born healthy on September 24, 2013 at Bridgend Hospital in Wales, with Lily weighing 5lbs and her sister, Darcy, weighed in at 5lbs 12oz. Mrs Ellis, who also has daughter Crystal, six, and son, Jay-Jay, three, said that after the traumatic start to life she values every minute with the girls. She said: 'Then my waters broke, I was only 19 weeks gone. My sac had ruptured. But just hours after the pioneering operation, doctors feared the worst when Mrs Ellis's waters broke when she was just 19 weeks pregnant. But remarkably the amniotic sacs repaired themselves . Lilly and Darcy were born at 37 weeks. Their mother said: 'It was such a relief to finally get them both home. They are miracles, they are perfect' 'I was rushed to hospital where I was told that the babies were still alive. 'The following morning they did a scan and the doctors told me they weren't expecting to find a heartbeat. 'I didn't believe them though as I could still feel them kicking and I was adamant they would be ok. 'I had the scan and it was an absolute miracle - the sac had refilled and sealed itself. It was amazing. 'I was trying to keep my legs crossed, as then I was thinking that they just couldn't come out but after that the pregnancy was just smooth sailing. 'It was such a relief to finally get them both home. They are miracles, they are perfect.' | Rachel Ellis was told her unborn twins were suffering a rare condition . Twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome means identical twins share a placenta . It can mean an unequal blood supply to one or both babies . Doctors offered radical laser surgery to seal off some of the shared blood vessels to ensure both girls had a more equal share of vital nutrients . Hours after op Mrs Ellis's waters broke leading medics to fear the worst . But the girls' amniotic sacs re-sealed and they were born healthy . Mrs Ellis says she now treasures every moment she has with her daughters . | f0aa021d2406cb5fbfd89196f63365fa411cff7e |
By . Jonathan O'Callaghan . Keeping your devices safe and secure is a growing problem - from the Heartbleed bug to the NSA, digital security is at the top of the agenda. But now experts believe the solution may lie in quantum computing, which would encrypt our phones and, they claim, make them almost unhackable. Led by Dr. Anthony Laing at the University of Bristol, a team has been working on quantum encoders. Under lock and key: Researchers have developed a quantum encoding machine that could make your phone unhackable, although you'll need to use a 'quantum phone booth' They have been trying to shrink the encoders into more usable sizes. And their latest breakthrough might make quantum encoding a modern security feature. At the moment our internet transactions are secured by public key cryptography. This is an algorithm that requires two keys - one private and one public. While effective, it is susceptible to ‘eavesdropping’ hackers who can then duplicate the keys and get access to secure content. A quantum key, however, cannot be duplicated in the same way, and any attempt to do so destroys the original. Theoretically, this would make codes unbreakable. But while this security measure is desirable, it requires large and bulky equipment to be possible. This equipment is in the form of a server that is used to encode a phone. Dr. Laing and his team have found a way to reduce the size of this server to that of a case of beer. This then sends photons through a fibre-optical capable into a device that is then embedded in your mobile phone. Modern day computers run on a model designed by Alan Turing in the 1930s. They are digital and use 'bits' to transfer information and perform tasks. They use binary code and can only ever been in an active, or an inactive state - running at one or zero. This means that a single bit is either on or off at any one time. The D-Wave quantum computer . Qubits work differently and can be on, off, or in a mixed state in between. As a result, qubits are able to be in . multiple places at the same time. Whereas the original Turing computer can only make one calculation at a time, quantum computers are capable of . performing single tasks faster, and performing multiple tasks more . effectively. Tasks that would take normal computers years to complete can be processed in seconds using quantum computers like the D-Wave. ‘Large resources such as laser and detectors are situated at the server side, which is accessible via telecom fiber to a client requiring only an on-chip polarization rotator, which may be integrated into a handheld device,’ the researchers write in their paper. ‘This opens the way for quantum enhanced secure communications between companies and members of the general public equipped with handheld mobile devices, via telecom-fiber tethering.’ Inside the device in your phone, photons are altered as they pass through, encrypting any message that is sent. To send texts or make calls securely, you would just need to plug your mobile into the server. It has been likened to an ATM machine, which you’d use with your phone to make, for example, secure financial transactions. Known as quantum cryptography, this feature is being researched further by Nokia and they hope that the technology could soon be making its way to a phone near you. Connecting people: Future Nokia phones could use Quantum cryptography to keep your information safe . The new research could enable our phones to being undergo quantum encoding in future so that we can send secure texts and also make safe financial transactions, according to the researchers . | Quantum computing could be used to make codes unbreakable . Researchers have made small servers that encode mobile phones . Previously the technology was limited only to large companies . Now 'quantum phone booths' could be used like an ATM . The technology is currently being investigated by Nokia . | 25475701a63ced7b8b2324c9a28ba4bde9cfb296 |
Which sporting champion has decided to resemble Star Wars hero Chewbacca? After a year of success it appears this sportsperson has decided to find a way to go into hiding from the public eye. However, being the force in the field that he is Lewis Hamilton has found a different approach to winning once more. Lewis Hamilton uploaded an Instagram photo of himself in a ghillie-style suit as he went paintballing . The 29-year-old celebrated his Formula One Drivers' Championship success with constructors winners Mercedes by going paintballing. Accompanied with the caption: 'Out with my team paint balling today... Like my outfit?? #TeamLH #MercedesAMGPetronas #BigFoot #Chubaka #SniperLife #Yetti,' the two-time world champion can be seen in an outfit that resembles an Army ghillie suit. The Brit had to show his attritional qualities throughout the season as he battled with Mercedes' team-mate Nico Rosberg for the world title. The pair's tussle boiled all the way down to the season-ending race at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, which Hamilton clinched with a first-placed finish as Rosberg finished 14th. Rosberg and his competitors will be hoping Hamilton, who won 11 grand prix races in 2014, won't be showing his predatory instincts behind the wheel next season too. Hamilton is paraded in front of the world's media after celebrating his second world championship triumph . The 29-year-old sealed his second world title at the 2014 season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix in November . | Lewis Hamilton won the 2014 Formula One Drivers' Championship . 29-year-old's Mercedes team-mate Nico Rosberg finished second . Hamilton won 11 grand prix races on his way to his second world crown . | c7ecf8e0fc77049945bf71864a1ce078cf03fa8b |
By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 15:19 EST, 15 October 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 16:08 EST, 15 October 2013 . A woman who moved into an upscale hotel in southeast Wisconsin nine years ago after her home went into foreclosure is being evicted after running up an unpaid bill of $29,000. Jana Ganjian, 64, said she checked into the Racine Marriott in 2004 after a lupus-like disorder forced her out of her job and eventually her home. Staff at the hotel, where rooms cost as . much as $200 per night, have refused to explain how Ganjian was allowed . to stay at the hotel for so long while accruing the massive debts. But they finally began eviction proceedings after she filed for bankruptcy in June and she must now leave by October 24. Ganjian explained that after she lost her job, she had no choice but to move into the luxurious hotel as she has no family, no friends were able to take her in and she could not get a loan. 'Home': A Wisconsin woman, Jana Ganjian, has been living at the Racine Marriott (pictured) for nine years after a disability forced her to leave work and eventually led to her losing her home, she said . Luxury: She is being evicted after owing $29,000 after staying in an $89-a-night room at the hotel (pictured) 'If I could be working, this wouldn't have happened in the first place,' she told The Journal Times of Racine. 'I had no vision of staying for nine and a . half years,' she added to WISN. 'But with no . family, no longer with a home, the hotel became home and the staff . became family.' She said that she was able to make some of the $89-per-day fees with her monthly disability benefits, which total at $783, but that she could not afford all of them. She claimed that she had accrued so . many reward points during her stay that she reached the platinum level, . the highest category, and hoped that this would knock money of the total . bill. But when she . tried to use points to pay for her stay, the hotel revoked her . account - enforcing the small print, which says they reserve the right . to reject any application of the points. She filed for . bankruptcy in August and the Marriott began its eviction proceedings. Plan: Her lawyer, Joseph Seifert, said there is a possibility she could get subsidized housing . A Racine County judge granted the eviction on Friday after Ganjian and her attorney, Joseph Seifert, failed to show up in court. As Ganjian has been at the hotelfor more . than 30 days, she is not a 'transient' and landlord-tenant laws . apply. The hotel therefore had to go through eviction procedures and could not forcibly make her leave. But hotel general manager Brian Wismar . declined to discuss her case further, citing customer privacy, and calls . from MailOnline seeking comment were not returned. Her attorney, Joseph Seifert, said there was a possibility she could get subsidized housing, which she qualifies for, but that the process could take weeks. | Jana Ganjian moved into a $89-a-night room at the Marriott in Racine, Wisconsin in 2004 after a disability caused her to lose her job and home . After she filed for bankruptcy in August, the hotel began eviction proceedings and a judge ruled she must leave by October 24 . Hotel staff declined to say why she had been allowed to stay for so long . | e7afed35f58b496bf636918755820909aaa6a47f |
(CNN) -- The Cameroon Football Federation has appointed veteran Spaniard Javier Clemente as the coach of the African country's national team. The 60-year-old, who has previous international experience with Spain and Serbia, returns to management after a short stint at relegated La Liga club Real Valladolid at the end of last season. He replaces Frenchman Paul Le Guen, who stepped down from the role after Cameroon lost all three matches at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. Clemente becomes Cameroon's fourth coach since May 2009, with German Otto Pfister and Thomas Nkono having also been charge in that time, and will sign a two-year contract. "Javier Clemente is the new coach of Cameroon. The signing of the contract will take place in Yaounde on August 28," read a statement on the Cameroon federation's official website on Tuesday. "In his role, he will also be assisted by Francois Omam-Biyik. The former Indomitable Lion will serve as assistant coach. "Jacques Songo'o, who served alongside Paul Le Guen as assistant coach in charge of goalkeepers during the World Cup, keeps his post." Clemente, whose playing career was cut short by injury in 1971, started coaching four years later and has been in charge of clubs such as Athletic Bilbao (three times), Espanyol (twice), Marseille, Real Sociedad and Real Betis. He coached Spain between 1992-98, going to two World Cups and Euro 96, but lasted less than two years with Serbia. His first task will be to help the Indomitable Lions to qualify for the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations in Gabon and Equatorial Guinea. Four-times champions Cameroon's first game is next month away to Mauritius, with Senegal and Congo Democratic Republic also in Group E. | Former Spain coach Javier Clemente will take charge of Cameroon's national team . The 60-year-old will replace Paul Le Guen when he signs a two-year contract next week . Cameroon lost all three matches at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa . Clemente returns to management after short stint at relegated Real Valladolid . | b918086a2facc9dd579e7b5dfa886f1d95048e2f |
By . Dan Bloom . Nigel Farage has waded into the Top Gear racism row - insisting it was 'just typical Clarkson'. The Ukip leader defended the 54-year-old after Jeremy Clarkson claimed he was on his final warning from the BBC and will be sacked if he ever makes an offensive remark again. Speaking as he unveiled an anti-immigration billboard, Mr Farage insisted the Top Gear presenter had not crossed the line. Scroll down for video . Wading in: Jeremy Clarkson, who is under fire for footage (left) in which he 'appeared' to say the word n*****, has found an ally in Ukip leader Nigel Farage (right). Today Mr Farage said: 'It's just typical Clarkson' He said: 'The more controversial Jeremy Clarkson is, the more . people watch his programme, and the more money the BBC makes out of . marketing a show that sells globally and makes them a fortune. 'I . would think it's just typical Clarkson, getting very, very close to the . line of being offensive but perhaps not quite going over it.' Today Clarkson wrote in his weekly newspaper column that he did not want to apologise for 'appearing' to say n***** in unaired Top Gear footage, but the BBC made him. And he said: 'I've been told by the BBC that if I make one more offensive remark, anywhere, at any time, I will be sacked. 'And even the angel Gabriel would struggle to survive with that hanging over his head. 'It's inevitable that one day, someone, somewhere will say that I've offended them, and that will be that.' Controversy: Mr Farage was speaking as he unveiled an anti-immigration billboard in Dover, Kent . Mr Farage was correct to say Top Gear is one of the BBC's highest-earning shows. Rights to air and mimic the motoring show, as well as merchandise and DVD sales, are exported around the globe through the Corporation's commercial arm BBC Worldwide. The firm, which is owned by the BBC but is free to operate as a business, made a £156million profit in 2012/13 and Top Gear is usually cited as its biggest income stream. Clarkson himself made an estimated £14million when the BBC took full control of Top Gear production company Bedder 6. Since the move he was also rumoured to be the highest-paid presenter in the BBC. The star became embroiled in controversy after unaired footage of him using a nursery rhyme to compare two sports cars was leaked to the media. Defence: Mr Farage also had to admit his party had some 'idiots' after a candidate called David Cameron a 'gay-loving nutcase' and said Muslims were the children of the devil . Historically the rhyme was 'Eeny meeny miny mo, catch a n***** by his toe', and Clarkson said he 'mumbled' in two takes to avoid using the racist term - which made it sound like he was saying it. In the third, which was broadcast, he said the word 'teacher' instead. An online petition calling for the BBC presenter to be sacked has reached more than 1,000 signatures. Apology: Clarkson's video message this week . Mr Farage was speaking as he . launched Ukip's billboard campaign for the European elections against the . backdrop of the white cliffs of Dover. The campaign poster features a . picture of the famous landmark with an escalator running up the middle . and the slogan: 'No border. No control. The EU has opened our borders to . 4,000 people every week.' The poster adds: 'Take back control of our country.' During the launch he was forced to admit Ukip had 'some idiots' after a row erupted over Stockport council election candidate Harry Perry. On Twitter Mr Perry called for Pakistan to be 'nuked', dubbed David Cameron a 'gay-loving nutcase', Muslims 'devil's kids' and homosexuality an 'abomination before god'. Mr Farage said: 'I've never heard of the bloke until last night. I've no idea who he is. 'I . think he comes from the north west of England. Clearly his attitude and . views are entirely inconsistent with being a member of Ukip. Simple.' Mr Perry was suspended from the party today. But Mr Farage claimed the media's reporting of what goes wrong in his party is 'completely disproportionate'. He added: 'I could show you 14 elected councillors from the Lib Dem, Labour and Conservative parties who haven't just said nasty things they've been convicted this year of nasty things. And yet it never makes a national headline.' | Ukip leader said Clarkson was 'very close to the line but not quite over it' He added: 'The more controversial he is, the more money the BBC makes' Farage was speaking as he unveiled anti-immigration billboards in Dover . He admitted party has 'idiots' after one said Muslims were devil's children . Today Clarkson revealed BBC will sack him if he ever offends anyone again . | a482ad1b1f56754f6c6ea5d83f3d4031ed9eaf14 |
Sitting in the dentist’s waiting room, the receptionist called out brightly: ‘Mrs Hodgkinson?’ I was on my feet without hesitation, even though the word ‘Mrs’ was almost as painful as the dentist’s drill. I haven’t been a Mrs for nearly 30 years and, truth to tell, I’m not really a Hodgkinson either. It is my former husband’s surname, not mine, but it’s far too late to change and revert to my original surname. That is why I felt a pang of jealousy when I read in last week’s Mail that Jemima Khan is to become Jemima Goldsmith again. Liz felt a pang of jealousy when she read in last week’s Mail that Jemima Khan (left) is to become Jemima Goldsmith again, having kept her ex-husband Imran Khan's (right) surname for so long . She became a Khan in 1995 when she married Pakistani cricketer-turned-politician Imran Khan. Despite their divorce in 2004, until now she has remained a Khan. Ostensibly, she is going back to her maiden roots because her former husband is considering remarrying, which means there would be two Mrs Imran Khans. But others have suggested Imran is unlikely to have been overjoyed to see the Khan name associated with louche comedian Russell Brand, whom Jemima dated recently. When my husband and I split up in 1988, after 23 years together, I kept his name for practical reasons. During our married life, I had become reasonably well known as a writer and it seemed professional suicide to revert to my original name, Garrett, a name nobody recognised. The name had become, as we might say today, a kind of brand. Jemima is going back to her maiden roots because her former husband is considering remarrying, which means there would be two Mrs Imran Khans . So, against my feminist principles, I had little choice but to stay with a surname that bore absolutely no relation to my status or lifestyle. I was, and would remain, a single woman stuck with a married name, even though I called myself Miss on official documents. Jemima, of course, coming from such an illustrious family, will not have to reinvent herself anew with an unknown name, but will be able to pass seamlessly back from Khan to Goldsmith. One has to wonder why she has stuck with Khan for so long. She says she originally kept it as her two sons, Sulaiman Isa and Kasim, felt strongly about it, but that now they’re grown up they don’t seem to care. When my sons Tom and Will were children, it made things neat and easy for us all to have the same surname, especially when travelling as a family. Now they are middle-aged and well-known writers themselves, I can bask in a little reflected glory. But it would be more dignified now, I feel, for me to have a different identity. There have been stories recently of women being stopped at airports because they have a different surname to their children and have had to explain at great length that they really are their mothers. Border officials are, of course, worried about trafficking. But for many women these days, it is an unforeseen consequence of hanging on to your maiden name. I thought, when I married in 1965 at the age of 21, that it was a legal requirement for women to take their husband’s surname. It was only much later I learned it was merely a custom and never enshrined in law. But at the time, women who kept their own names were considered odd. Didn’t they want to be married? When I married at a very young age, I had not chalked up any achievements whatsoever, and so it seemed I had nothing to lose by taking my husband’s name for all purposes. Little did I know I would bitterly regret not hanging onto my own name, at least professionally. Nowadays it’s common for women to revert to their maiden names on divorce, shaking off the one associated with an ex. Yet some, like Jemima and Cheryl Cole (nee Tweedy) hang onto their ex’s name for years. Cheryl stayed a Cole for four years after splitting from footballer Ashley, and only changed to Versini-Fernandez when she remarried earlier this year. Among my divorced friends, every one has reverted to her maiden name or chosen another neutral surname. Even when they remarried, most of my friends did not take their new husband’s name. Cheryl stayed a Cole for four years after splitting from footballer Ashley, and only changed to Versini-Fernandez when she remarried earlier this year . Some boyfriends I have had since my divorce have said they feel awkward about me still being called Hodgkinson and would prefer to think of me as Liz Garrett, untainted by carrying a long-ago ex’s name. And there could be an identity crisis if my ex decided to remarry. But I think I’m fairly safe there. Neville is 70 and took a lifelong vow of celibacy when he went to live in a spiritual retreat centre 20 years ago. The prospect of a school reunion where I will be surrounded by people who knew me only as Liz Garrett got me thinking. I had a go at a signature I have not used for 50 years and it felt as if I was using an alias; as if that person is not me any more. So, I have had to face up to it: Hodgkinson, not Garrett, will be engraved on my tombstone. Jemima, sensibly, is changing her surname while she is still young enough to do so. | When Liz Hodgkinson divorced she kept her name for practical reasons . She had been married for 23 years . Liz was jealous when heard Jemima Khan is to become Jemima Goldsmith . Her former husband Imran Khan is considering remarrying . Cheryl stayed a Cole for four years after splitting from footballer Ashley . She only changed to Versini-Fernandez when she remarried earlier this year . | 2792254956bff1ae40c1b860b574cddc8abf277b |
By . Chris Parsons . PUBLISHED: . 21:12 EST, 17 April 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 02:04 EST, 18 April 2012 . A Parish councillor has been suspended in a quiet picturesque village for swearing and threatening a man during a furious row over a tombola draw. Tempers boiled over in the historic and beautiful village of Long Melford, Suffolk, when councillor Richard Michette, 66, objected to criticism of his wife's handling of the draw. Richard Roper, a member of the public, had made a statement at a public meeting criticising Mrs Michette for her part organising Long Melford's street fair. Drama: Respected councillor Richard Michette (left, with wife Carole), called Richard Roper (right) a 'little s***' before threatening to punch him during the tombola row . Picturesque: The furious row has caused unprecedented drama in the beautiful historic village of Long Melford . And faced with the verbal assault on his wife's ability to run the historic fair, Mr Michette raged during the council meeting: 'One more word from you and I will thump you.' In dramatic scenes at odds with the usual sedate pace of village council meetings, Mr Michette also branded Mr Roper a 'little s***', before threatening legal action against him. The unprecedented ugly scenes saw Mr Michette suspended from the 120-year-old Long Melford Parish Council for swearing at and threatening Mr Roper. The spat began when prizes donated to the Long Melford raffle by village businesses were allegedly offered at the tombola instead. Mr Roper also used his chance to make a statement at the meeting to vent his anger at supposed errors with the raffle and tombola prizes. Mrs Michette's husband Richard, a local optician who has lived in the village for 30 years and a parish councillor for 25 years, lost his cool over what he regarded as unfounded criticism. Quiet: The furious exchange in Long Melford caused drama at the normally sedate public meeting for the Parish Council . He stood up and described Mr Roper as 'a little s***', before adding: 'Shut your mouth.... One more word from you and I will thump you now.' Mr Michette, who is also trustee and . secretary of The Friends of Long Melford Church, also warned Mr Roper: . 'You will be hearing from my solicitor'. The . outburst led to him being suspended for six weeks form his role as a . councillor by the Babergh District Council and Mid Suffolk Council joint . standards committee. Cllr Michette has sat on the authority for 30 years while his wife joined last May. Last night Mr Michette said: 'I lost my temper and - under severe provocation - called him a 'little s**t'. 'Following the meeting I wrote to him and apologised and he accepted my apology.' Mrs . Michette said her husband was simply doing what anyone would have done . in the circumstances if their partner was criticised in public. She said: 'It's been very stressful. We are not going to stand down. 'We have been voted in by lots of people and I am a bit vocal and stand up for things - sometimes that goes against you.' Mr Michette's outburst was so shocking that another member of the public at the meeting complained to Babergh District Council about the 66-year-old's behaviour. A hearing was held in February following an investigation. Criticism: Richard Roper, a member of the public, had made a statement attacking Carole Michette for her role in organising the village fair in Long Melford . Long-standing: Mr Michette, who has stood on the local authority for 30 years, has been suspended for six weeks following the outburst . The sub-committee concluded that Mr Michette had failed to treat Mr Roper with respect, contrary to the code of conduct and had brought the office of councillor and the parish council into disrepute. The members found his conduct was 'threatening, unreasonable and demeaning' to Mr Roper and was a clear, serious breach. Long Melford attracts thousands of visitors and holidaymakers from all over the UK as well as worldwide every year. Built on the booming woollen industry of the Middle Ages, the village website claims the first people settled there back in 8300BC. | Richard Michette called member of public a 'little s***' during furious Parish Council exchange . Councillor suspended from authority for swearing and threatening behaviour . | 65b385958efe8026ed6173d2835251b0fa4a4a6c |
(CNN) -- A consortium of wealthy city businessmen is poised to make an audacious takeover bid for English Premier League champions Manchester United. The self-styled "Red Knights" issued a statement on Tuesday to confirm that they had held talks about ousting the current American owners, the Glazer family, to assume control at Old Trafford. The Red Knights include Jim O'Neill, the chief economist at Goldman Sachs, who is reportedly a friend of Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson. "We can confirm that a group of high net worth individuals, who support Manchester United met in London yesterday," a statement released on behalf of the Red Knights read. "This group is supportive of current management but are looking at the feasibility of putting together a proposal to be put to the Glazer family regarding the ownership of Manchester United. "These discussions are in early stages and no contact has been made with the Glazer family." The Red Knights are joining forces with the influential Manchester United Supporters Trust (MUST), who have mounted a vociferous campaign against the Glazers over their debt leveraged buyout of the club and fears about its future viability. The current level of debt stands at $1,089 million and the Glazers recently launched a bond issue to raise $750 million to reduce the debt. Football floats on a sea of debt . "As a first step, the Red Knights want supporters to demonstrate their commitment by joining the free online membership of the Supporters Trust, www.joinmust.org," the statement went on. "Any new ownership model would aim not only to put the club on a sound financial footing, but would also aim to put the supporters at the heart of everything the club does." In recent weeks a groundswell of opinion has built up against the Glazers, who are rarely seen in public but did attend the English League Cup final at Wembley on Sunday as Manchester United beat Aston Villa 2-1. They would have seen a large body of fans donning the original green and gold shirts of United's founding club Newton Heath, one of the trademarks of the Supporters Trust campaign. Oliver Houston, a vice-chairman of MUST, told CNN World Sport that the Red Knights had their unequivocal backing and that his group had been involved in a series of meetings with them. "These guys are Manchester United supporters to the core and they are talking about putting in their own money in any possible bid," he said. Houston admitted that the Red Knights are at the "early stages" but had appointed a team of lawyers and advisers to bolster their activities. "We are talking about the long term health and sustainability of Manchester United," he added. But the Red Knights will need to raise at least $1.52 billion to launch a buyout of the most successful club in the English Premier League, Drew Barrand from Sport Industry Group told World Sport. The Glazers reacted quickly to news of the putative bid. "Manchester United is not for sale," said a spokesman for the family, who also own the NFL side Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The statement of intent by the Red Knights comes on the day that the latest football "rich list", compiled by Deloitte, found that Manchester United had slipped to third place behind Spanish giants Real Madrid and Barcelona. Real Madrid top rich list . The list excludes transfer fees and is based on turnover and income and United's slippage to third can, in part, be explained by the fall of the English pound against the euro. Real and Barcelona also benefit from negotiating their own television rights package while United are tied into the collective deal put in place by the English Premier League, but the statistics could give added justification for a takeover bid. | A group of 'high net worth individuals' consider takeover bid for Manchester United . 'The Red Knights' are unhappy about the level of debt built up the Glazer family to buy United . The group are forming an alliance with the Manchester United Supporters Trust . The Glazer family reiterate that the club is not for sale . | a79b3c3c181dec77ecc76d67c3557bcebbe0d18f |
By . Daily Mail Reporter . Knitting is soaring in popularity – seemingly fuelled by the stormy weather and celebrity fans like Kate Moss and Kirstie Allsopp, a report showed yesterday. Online store LoveKnitting.com saw sales rise by 23 per cent on December 29 as high winds and storms kept millions inside their homes. The online knitting store saw sales rise 23 per cent on 29 December as high winds and stormy weather swept the UK. Fuelled by bad weather and the increase of celebrity fans, knitting is an increasingly popular pastime in the UK . The extreme weather conditions clearly reminded the nation why we need winter knits as knitters logged on in their droves to stock up on yarn and other knitting essentials. Sales peaked again on New Year’s Day as the bad weather continued to keep many people inside their homes. The boom in the traditional craft has been fuelled by celebrity knitters like Kate Moss, Julia Roberts and Mad Men star Christina Hendricks. Craft queen Kirstie Allsopp was voted best celebrity knitter during National Knitting Week last October. January is traditionally the busiest month in the knitting calendar and it seems this year won’t be any different. Craft Queen Kirstie Allsopp, along with Kate Moss and Christina Hendricks, are well-known celebrity knitters . According to Google trends, . searches for ‘knitting ‘ have increased by 30 per cent in the UK in 2013. There . has been a 430 per cent increase in searches for ‘knitting for beginners’ in the . last 5 years in the UK. Saturdays see the most number of Google searches for knitting and based on previous trends and with the long range forecast for an extremely cold snap, LoveKnitting.com estimates that sales will peak at 4pm on Saturday 18th January. LoveKnitting saw their busiest day ever on the site on Saturday 4th January, which saw visits to the site peak at the highest point in 18 months during the day. It is estimated that there are around 7 million knitters in the country. Looking at global Google trends, the term knitting has been gradually declining over the last 8 years - a trend that was reversed at the end of 2013. | One online knitting store saw sales rise by 23 per cent on December 29 . Google searches for knitting increased by 30 per cent in 2013 . Fuelled by wintery weather and celebrity knitters such as Kate Moss . | 66ea10e0606209daa31289595e73ab9e81c62c12 |
(CNN) -- Somalia's president on Wednesday declared three days of national mourning for the victims of a suicide truck bomb that killed more than 70 people in Mogadishu, the nation's capital. According to the Health Ministry, 72 were killed Tuesday and 103 remained injured, 38 of those in serious condition. A majority of the victims were students and their parents who were registering for an education program at a government complex. Al-Shabaab, an Islamist movement that has links to al Qaeda, claimed responsibility. President Sharif Ahmed visited the scene and some of the hospitals where the victims were, the government said in a statement. Some of the injured who cannot be treated in Somalia will be flown to other countries. "At this time, when the country is in the midst of a worsening humanitarian crisis, the terrorists could not have attacked the Somali people at a worse time," said Abdulkadir Hussein Mohamed, the country's minister of information. According to the government, Tuesday's bombing was the second Al-Shabaab attack in two years that specifically targeted students. In December 2009, a suicide bomber attacked a university graduation ceremony in Mogadishu, killing more than 20 people. Al-Shabaab is a group in Somalia that was designated as a foreign terrorist organization by the United States government in March 2008. It is waging a war against Somalia's government to implement a stricter form of Islamic law, or Sharia. Federal and African Union forces in the impoverished and chaotic nation have battled the group for years. Many analysts believe that Al-Shabaab has been severely weakened by the African Union Mission in Somalia, targeted strikes against foreign members and the weakening of al Qaeda. | A suicide truck bomb killed more than 70 people Tuesday . Somalia's president visits hospitals and bombing scene, calls for three days of mourning . Al-Shabaab claimed responsibility for the blast . | 0de8afec544cbbf61b6b5fc849e9072243df85de |
(CNN) -- The H1N1 virus has now become the dominant influenza virus around the globe, with high levels and an increase of activity in many regions, the World Health Organization said Thursday. In a weekly update, the WHO's point person on the H1N1 virus, Dr. Keiji Fukuda, also warned the public not to treat the virus like just another flu. Like seasonal flu, H1N1 is more active in the winter than in the summer, and a majority of infected people get better on their own, Fukuda said. H1N1 also is as transmissible and infectious as seasonal flu, he said. But unusually for influenza, Fukuda said, H1N1 continues at high levels over the summer months, and many of the serious illnesses and deaths are concentrated in people younger than 65. Seven months into the pandemic, the virus commonly known as swine flu remains at high levels and continues to increase in North America, Fukuda said. Mexico, for example, has seen more cases from September to November than they saw in the preceding months from April, when the virus emerged, he said. The virus is also becoming more active in Europe and Central and Western Asia, Fukuda said. Health officials this week reported an outbreak of cases in Ukraine, which now has more than 250,000 cases of influenza-like illness, with 235 patients requiring intensive care, the WHO said. Activity is picking up in East Asia, Fukuda said. Mongolia reported "a number" of cases over the past week, he said. "East Asia is one of the parts of the world where seasonal influenza viruses have remained in reasonably high circulation," Fukuda said. "But even in that part of the world, the pandemic virus is becoming dominant." More cases are being reported from a number of Caribbean countries such as Cuba and Haiti, he said. In Central America and the Southern Hemisphere, however, activity levels have dropped as those regions enter the summer season, Fukuda said. "There are several regions in the world -- North America, Europe, Northern and Central Asia -- where we are clearly seeing pandemic influenza activity increase," he said, but "there is no one single place in the world where we are focused on." Disease activity has been difficult to predict, Fukuda said. "We really are not going to know what the future is going to bring, and so the main focus of our effort here is ... what steps are needed to make sure countries are as prepared as possible to deal with disease levels," he said. H1N1 poses different challenges in different countries, but it does seem to be affecting indigenous groups more heavily than nonindigenous groups, he said. In Australia, for example, "aboriginal groups are disproportionately represented in people who end up in hospitals from diseases related to the pandemic," Fukuda said. The WHO still doesn't know whether the effect on indigenous groups is because of the pandemic itself or because of underlying factors. Because most people infected with swine flu tend to recover on their own and don't suffer major problems afterwards, some people are tempted to dismiss the infection and think it's not serious. But Fukuda said that's a dangerous mind-set. "At WHO, we remain quite concerned about the patterns we are seeing, particularly because a sizable number of people develop complications [that lead to death]," he said. "We do see that the serious complications are concentrated in the younger age groups rather than the older age groups." While the complications are most often seen in people who have chronic, underlying health conditions and in pregnant women, they also can develop in people "who are currently healthy and young." But contrary to some reports, Fukuda said, the WHO has not seen big mutations in the virus since it first emerged. He said viruses being isolated now are "generally similar" to those isolated over the past several months, indicating they haven't changed much. The WHO also has no evidence of widespread resistance to antiviral medication, Fukuda said. There have been sporadic instances of resistance to oseltamivir -- the generic name for Tamiflu, one of the main drugs used against influenza -- but such cases are still "isolated and infrequent," he said. "Antivirals are quite useful against these infections," he said. Fukuda praised as "innovative" the decision by Norway to distribute antiviral medication over the counter for a limited period of time. The move can help take stress off the primary health system and allow patients to get the medicine more quickly, he said. Other useful protections against H1N1 are vaccines, which the WHO recommends against pandemic infections, Fukuda said. "These vaccines now have been used in a significant number of countries ... and based on this experience, in which millions of people have now received vaccine, we in fact see that these vaccines are very safe," he said. The only side effects are swelling and pain at the injection site, but "these are occurring at rates that are expected and usually seen with seasonal influenza vaccine," Fukuda said. "WHO, along with other public health authorities, believes that these vaccines are very useful against pandemic infections and [we] do support their use," he said. | H1N1 continues at high levels over the summer months, unlike seasonal flu . The flu seems to affect indigenous groups more heavily than nonindigenous groups . The only side effects of the vaccine are swelling and pain at the injection site . WHO has not seen big mutations in the virus since it first emerged . | 135cafff5143f2214879f3c677b5b668d5e9441f |
By . Craig Hope . Follow @CraigHope_DM . Newcastle United will complete the loan signing of Shakhtar Donetsk striker Facundo Ferreyra early next week but manager Alan Pardew has concerns at the other end of the pitch. The Magpies were beaten 3-1 by Malaga in Gelsenkirchen on Saturday as an inept first-half defensive display allowed the La Liga side to race into a three-goal lead. Pardew took responsibility for the loss – blaming himself for naming a young team – but his back four was made up of skipper Fabricio Coloccini, the experienced Steven Taylor, Mapou Yanga-Mbiwa – a £6.7million signing – and highly-rated left-back Massadio Haidara. Shaky: Newcastle captain Fabricio Coloccini was poor during their disappointing defeat to Malaga . Celebrate: Francisco Portillo, right, is congratulated by Jesus Gamez after scoring Malaga's opening goal . Judgement day: Newcastle goalkeeper Rob Elliot and midfielder Jack Colback look at one another during loss . And the Newcastle boss said: 'I take full responsibility for that first half. It was perhaps a bit too young, so I blame myself for that defeat. 'I put two young lads up the top and maybe it was too much inexperience to cope with a team like Malaga. 'It was Moussa (Sissoko) and (Remy) Cabella's first game so really I'm kicking myself because I should have had a bit more experience on.' Problems at the back: Newcastle boss Alan Pardew admitted his side lacked enough experience for the game . Sergi Darder blasted the opener from distance on 25 minutes before 19-year-old Samu Castillejo helped himself to a double, the first an unmarked volley from eight yards and the second a stunner from the angle of the area. Gabriel Obertan fired a consolation but the former Manchester United winger has already been told he can leave the club. One player definitely coming in is Ferreyra, the 23-year-old Argentinian who will join on a season-long loan having refused to return to Ukraine amid the political unrest and violence in the country. Due to sign: Shakhtar striker Facundo Ferreyra, right, is poised to complete a loan move in the coming days . Summer signing Daryl Janmaat, meanwhile, watched from the stands at the Veltins Arena and the Holland international will not feature when United conclude their Schalke Cup campaign against the hosts on Sunday afternoon. | Newcastle boss said he should have fielded a stronger team from the start . Despite labelling his line-up 'too young', the Magpies boss fielded experienced defensive pairing Steven Taylor and Fabricio Coloccini . Spanish side stormed into a three-goal lead in Gelsenkirchen . Newcastle were poor at the back throughout the match in Germany . They are set to boost attacking ranks with loan signing Facundo Ferreyra . | aa2e412ed9aa8111863fe6152ce8ec499bb1058e |
Following a month floating in space, the last of a group of 'super moustronauts’ has been dissected. Astronauts cut open 10 out of 20 mice to send tissue samples back on the SpaceX Dragon capsule that returned to Earth on Saturday. The rest of the mice were dissected on Monday and are due to be returned to Earth on December 9 as part of Nasa’s tissue research. Scroll down for video . A group of 'super moustronauts' was last month launched into space with remarkable abilities. These mice lacked a gene that normal mice have, called Muscle Ring Finger 1 (MuRF-1), which causes muscles to deteriorate. They have now been dissected and tissue samples sent back to Earth . This group of mice included some that lacked a gene that normal mice have, called Muscle Ring Finger 1 (MuRF-1), which causes muscles to deteriorate. Scientists claim that by analysing the super mice in microgravity, they could create drugs for use by humans to prevent muscle loss on Earth. These ‘super mice’ were the first mammals, excluding humans, to spend a month in space. The typical stay for mice for previous missions has been around two weeks. MuRF-1 is responsible for marking proteins for destruction in both human and mouse muscles. Nasa created special homes for the mice to live in on the space station, which include systems to stop their food and water from floating around . It also plays a key role in accelerated muscle loss through ageing and other chronic diseases. Six national space programs have so far flown animals into space: the Soviet Union, the United States, France, China, Japan and Iran. They were used as surrogates to test the suitability of the space environment for human habitation. Fruit flies were the first animals to be sent into orbit when they were put on board a U.S.-launched V-2 rocket on February 20, 1947. Two years later, Albert II, a Rhesus Monkey, became the first monkey to go into space. In November 1957 Russia sent Laika the dog into orbit aboard the Soviet Sputnik 2 spacecraft. Then, on January 31, 1961, Ham became the first chimpanzee launched into outer space as part of the Nasa space programme. For their mission, Nasa created special homes for the mice to live in on the space station, which included systems to stop their food and water from floating around. 'By flying a mouse, whose typical lifespan is much shorter than humans', you can follow the course of bone and muscle loss over a much greater percentage of the mouse lifespan than you can in humans,' Michael Roberts, the Center for the Advancement of Science in Space's senior research manager, told Francie Diep at Popular Science. This is of particular interest to space agencies who are racing to get the first humans on Mars. Any astronaut undertaking the journey will need to spend long stretches in space. However, microgravity in space means that astronauts no longer need to use certain muscles, causing them to slowly waste away. 'Muscles are the storage space for amino acids, the only reservoir for them,' said Sam Cadena, Novartis Institutes for Biomedical Research program manager. 'If you lose muscle, you lose health.' The mice were the first mammals, excluding humans, to spend a month in space. The typical stay for mice in earlier experiments has been around two weeks. Pictured are researchers preparing the mice for launch . | Mice were first mammals, excluding humans, to spend a month in space . They have been cut open by astronauts and tissue sent back to Earth . They lacked a gene that normal mice have called Muscle Ring Finger 1 . This gene, which is also found in humans, causes muscles to deteriorate . Scientists hope that by analysing the super mice in microgravity, they will be able to create drugs for use by humans to prevent muscle loss on Earth . | 5c32e8ff09e2573657510465ed12092e540421fa |
Washington (CNN) -- The Boston Marathon bombing was an all-too-familiar tragedy for Israeli medic Eli Beer. In his line of work, he's seen hundreds of similar attacks. "I wish I could have been there to help," says Beer, adding he happened to be in the area finishing up coursework at Harvard and had taken a walk down Boylston Street just the day before the incident. Beer is founder of United Hatzalah, an all-volunteer rescue service in Israel, where emergencies are a way of life. Friday in Washington, he powered onstage -- sirens blaring -- aboard one of his signature "ambu-cycles" (an emergency-adapted motorcycle), stunning his audience at the Kennedy Center. A featured speaker at TEDMED -- the annual conference that brings together medical professionals, scientists, researchers, educators, artists and athletes -- Beer's talk carried the provocative title: "How can we save 40,000 lives in under three minutes?" He answered the question this way, "The average response time of a traditional ambulance is 12 to 15 minutes -- we reduce it to less than three minutes. Our response is the fastest in the world. We call our approach a lifesaving flash mob. On motorcycles, traffic doesn't stop us. Nothing does." When seconds count . "Last year, United Hatzalah (Hebrew for 'rescue') treated 207,000 people -- more than 42,000 of them in life-threatening conditions," says Beer. "We got there in under three minutes and made a huge difference." He leads a team of 2,000 skilled volunteers -- EMTs who range professionally from "expensive lawyers to people who sell fish or shoes," he says. Boston Marathon bombing heroes: Running to help . They make record time in a fleet of small cars, ambu-cycles, ambu-tractors and ambu-boats -- all equipped with heart defibrillators, breathing tubes, burn wraps and maternity kits. Usually, they get there first, treating and stabilizing patients until ambulances arrive for transport. Each volunteer handles an average of 60 calls a month. The service operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year. Beer's innovative work stems from his own dreadful experience as a child. He was 6 years old when a terrorist bomb blew apart a Jerusalem bus passing right in front of him. Shocked, fearful and helpless, he fled the fiery scene where six people died and scores were injured. But he would not forget. "That day began a simple dream -- the dream of being able to save people from dying waiting for an ambulance," reflects Beer. As a teen, he bought two police scanners, then dropped out of high school to become a paramedic. In 1989, he built the operation from the ground up, bucking bureaucracy, legal tangles and resistance from unions and existing emergency services. "This started with chutzpah. I was going to find a way around it. I didn't wait for authorization and stickers," says Beer. "We go, we don't charge and we don't require patients to have insurance. We don't ask questions about ethnicity or religion -- it's not about saving Jews or Muslims, it's about saving people." United Hatzalah responders use a specially designed, state-of-the-art GPS system called NowForce. "We are all connected with an app on our smartphones," says Beer. As calls come in, traffic-control navigators alert the first five responders closest to the scene. There are times volunteers tear out of their homes in the middle of the night and arrive onsite still wearing pajamas. "At first, huge monopolies saw us as hurting their business. What's evolved is that they've actually reduced prices because of us. Their service got better because of us," says Beer. "Now, we work closely with more than 100 ambulance companies in Israel. They know we are there for them. We don't replace ambulances -- we fill a gap. We send our people out to the scene. Whenever the ambulances arrive, that's fine. If there's a patient we can save, we will be there to save them." There is no shortage of volunteers. In fact, there is a waiting list to sign up for the organization's 300-hour training course. First responder's emotional story . "Our volunteers are Jews and non-Jews, Muslims and Christians -- we help one another by saving lives," says Beer. He believes the reward of giving back is greater than any other form of payment. "Judaism teaches when you save someone's life, you're actually saving the world, because you just saved the whole world for this one person and the generation to come. People want the satisfaction of being part of this -- and they sacrifice a lot to do that," he says. Now 39 and the father of five, Beer recalls the first time he saved a life. At age 16, he treated a seriously injured man who had been struck by a car. The next day, he got a thank-you call from the man's son. "Best call I ever got in my life," says Beer. Growing globally . His life-saving ingenuity is gaining recognition. United Hatzalah has operations in Brazil and Panama -- and plans to set up next year in India. "This is something that is easy to adopt. Anywhere I can go and share, I want to be there," he says. Beer notes that the Hasidic Jewish community in New York has used the same technique (traveling on emergency bikes or cycles) for decades, successfully exporting the idea to other countries as well. The bombing this week in Boston reinforces what Beer learned the day he saw that first bus bombing as a boy -- every precious second counts. "We are fighting for each second to get there. Seconds make the difference between life and death," Beer says. "A lifesaving flash mob sounds to me like the world's next, greatest medical innovation," TEDMED curator Jay Walker said after Beer's talk. The next goal for United Hatzalah, which operates entirely on donations, is to cut response time in half. "How can we save 40,000 lives in just 90 seconds? We all want to be heroes," says Beer. "We just need a few good ideas and a lot of chutzpah." | Eli Beer founded an all-volunteer rescue service in Israel . The organization has reduced emergency response time to 3 minutes . At age 6, Beer saw a bus bombing in Jerusalem . "It's not about saving Jews or Muslims, it's about saving people," he says . | a6f9ecf4527c05001ac19499537a504b87bd7b7b |
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