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By . Rob Preece . PUBLISHED: . 11:32 EST, 6 June 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 02:25 EST, 7 June 2012 . Apology: West Mercia Chief Constable David Shaw is expected to write to Anthony Finnegan . A police force has agreed to pay £10,000 in compensation to an amateur photographer who was injured while being wrongfully arrested for taking a picture of a bank doorway, his law firm said today. Anthony Finnegan, 49, is also expected to receive a written apology from the chief constable of West Mercia Police, David Shaw, after he claimed to have been pushed face down into a puddle by the officers who arrested him. Neither of the officers involved has been disciplined, but Mr Finnegan's solicitors said the force had indicated it will admit liability for the incident and agree to pay him £10,000 plus his legal costs. The force will also delete all records of Mr Finnegan's arrest, said London law firm Bhatt Murphy, which specialises in civil rights cases. A spokesman for the police force said litigation in the case remained ongoing. Mr Finnegan, a construction worker, was arrested in July 2009 while using an SLR camera to take pictures in the centre of Shrewsbury, Shropshire. One of the photographs was of the front lobby of a high street bank in a period building. He was approached by a police constable and a police community support officer (PCSO) who, Mr Finnegan said, asked why he was taking 'discreet photographs' of a bank. 'I said: "There's nothing discreet about this, it's an SLR camera. If I was being discreet I'd use a phone",' Mr Finnegan told the Guardian. Mr Finnegan said that the constable then began searching his pockets, so he suggested they go to a police station, partly because he was not carrying any identification but also because he was embarrassed to be searched publicly in his home town. As they walked to the station, Mr Finnegan claims he was shoved, had his thumb pulled back sharply by the constable, and was eventually pushed to the ground. Mr Finnegan said: 'He grabbed me in a thumb lock and I pulled away from him, going: "What are you doing?" I got taken to the ground, face down into a puddle, and the PCSO, who's about 18 stone, his knee went into my ribs, which cracked or broke the back of my ribs.' Legal action: Mr Finnegan was handcuffed and claims he was pushed to the ground by the officers who detained him. (File photograph) A doctor's examination later found other injuries, including abrasions and bruising. Mr Finnegan was handcuffed and driven to another police station, where he was told he had been arrested for a public order offence and placed in a cell. He was released at about 9pm, seven hours after he was stopped. He learned two months later that he would face no further action. Mr Finnegan's solicitor Fiona Murphy said: 'We welcome the chief constable's decision to admit liability, to apologise and to destroy the records of Mr Finnegan's detention. 'We hope that this complete resolution of the claim will enable the force to learn lessons from this regrettable abuse of police powers.' A spokesman for West Mercia Police said: 'This is a live matter subject to ongoing litigation and it would therefore be inappropriate to comment further at this time.' | Amateur photographer Anthony Finnegan says he was detained for seven hours by West Mercia Police . He claims to have suffered rib injuries and bruising after being pushed to the ground by officers . Mr Finnegan's lawyers say the police force has indicated it will admit liability for the incident and will delete all records of his arrest . Chief Constable David Shaw is expected to write a letter of apology to Mr Finnegan . | 1b233d0bb108607548a182f8ba21ea712cbfd667 |
Access to safe drinking water is undoubtedly the most essential requirement for every traveller. But knowing where it is safe to drink the water can be confusing, with conflicting information available. A new infographic using research from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) identifies which countries have safe water for visitors - and which do not. It is important to note that not all the countries indicated as 'unsafe' here have water that is necessarily unclean or polluted. Scroll down for video . Essential: An infographic uses reports by the CDC to show travellers which countries have safe drinking water . Rather, it can be harmful to those who have not built up a tolerance to it as locals have, so visitors (particularly those with sensitive systems) should be cautious. The CDC reports that no countries on the continents of Africa and South America contain water suitable for drinking, and a handful in Asia: Japan, Hong Kong, Singapore, Brunei, Israel and South Korea. In Oceania, Australia and New Zealand benefit from safe drinking water, with the CDC advising to avoid drinking water in the rest. A large number of European countries have treated water that is deemed drinkable, though there are several in Eastern Europe where caution is advised. Full details are shown on the infographic below. Illnesses that can be transmitted through water include cholera, hepatitis A, typhoid and travellers' diarrhoea. The infographic, compiled by NeoMam Studios, also includes advice on how to prevent illness by being aware of the water with which you brush your teeth and shower. Tips on how to make untreated water safe for drinking are also noted. | Report uses research by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention . Does not indicate water is necessarily unclean, but rather harmful for immune systems not used to that environment . Infographic contains tips on how to make untreated water safe . | bcdbd426157df169eb88fb3133043771af93ccbe |
Cairo (CNN) -- Kidnappers in Egypt have released two Americans and their Egyptian tour guide after holding them hostage for three days, a security official said Monday. "They are at security headquarters with us now, in good condition. The negotiations succeeded, but we did not give in to the kidnappers' demands," said Gen. Ahmed Bakr, head of security in northern Sinai. The freed Americans told CNN they are happy and relieved. "We are heading directly to Israel to join the members of our church as soon as we get our passports sent to us from Cairo," said Michel Louis, the pastor of a Pentecostal church in Boston. "I tell my family I am in good health and in good spirits, but I have not taken my medicine since Friday, so I am a little tired." Family members had previously said that Louis suffers from diabetes and they weren't sure if he had his medicine. Lisa Alphonse, a parishioner at another American church, said the group was "treated really well." Earlier Monday, a senior Egyptian government official told CNN that intelligence officers had visited with the alleged kidnapper, Germy Abu Masouh, on Friday and on Sunday, and communicated with him by phone. "We saw the hostages, who seemed to be composed, but in a state of shock and fatigue from the grueling heat, especially Michel Louis, who said he had suffered a minor diabetic attack and avoids eating much," the official said before the hostages' release. Abu Masouh, a member of a prominent Bedouin tribe in the Sinai, had said he wanted Egyptian police to free his uncle, whom Bakr said had been caught in Alexandria, Egypt, with a half-ton of drugs. The two Americans and their guide were taken hostage Friday when gunmen boarded their tour bus, which was on its way to Israel, family members said. Louis offered himself as a hostage after gunmen took the female parishioner, his son, the Rev. Jean Louis, told CNN on Monday. "Being the leader of the missionary group, my mom said that ... he stood up and he just asked that they leave the lady and take him. So this is why there's two people in addition to the translator detained right now somewhere in Egypt," he said. Michel Louis' wife was on the bus when the kidnapping occurred. The family was not aware of security concerns about travel across the Sinai, where Americans had been kidnapped and swiftly released in two separate incidents since February, Jean Louis said. "If we were aware, I would believe we would use correct judgment not to enter that area," he said. Bakr earlier said the situation was "partially the fault of the travel agency," which he said had not informed police of their route. If it had, "we would have sent a police escort," he said. Authorities say the captives are still in the area where they were abducted. Kidnappings and armed robberies have increased since a popular uprising ousted Egypt's long-ruling dictator, Hosni Mubarak, last year. CNN's Salma Abdelaziz and Ed Payne contributed to this report. | NEW: "I am in good health and in good spirits," Michel Louis says . The freed hostages are "in good condition," a security official says . Authorities did not give in to kidnappers' demands, he says . Two Americans and an Egyptian tour guide were kidnapped Friday . | 847e40a151bf5b35fa1d33d96d8ebff59ce86233 |
(CNN) -- If you should find yourself visiting New York -- or even if New York is where you live -- there is a place I'd like to recommend that you stop by. It won't cost you a penny, yet in its near-silence it offers a priceless perspective on the shrill, gossip-drenched, celebrity-saturated world that surrounds us. News of glitz and glamour bombards us 24 hours a day: on our computers, on our television sets, in our newspapers and magazines, on the screens of our telephones. A movie star gets in a jam, a singer fails a drug test, a sports star is named in a divorce proceeding -- there is an entire industry devoted to telling us about it, and it is an industry that never sleeps. The roar is constant and deafening. Which is why there is value in spending a few minutes at 3 E. 53rd Street in Manhattan. It's a hole in the city -- a slender rectangular space between New York buildings. It is a park, commissioned more than 40 years ago by William S. Paley, who was the pioneering chief executive of CBS, and named to honor his father, Samuel. It has a soothing waterfall, and trees and flowers, and white metal tables and chairs for anyone who wishes to find a moment of tranquility in a hectic world. It's free; it is a privately owned park, but the public is welcome. And the lesson it teaches is one that you will miss unless you know what used to be there. That modest-looking little sliced-out space on 53rd Street once housed a structure that loomed as symbolically large and loud in the nation's consciousness as a thousand big-band dance orchestras, as a million high-budget movie premieres. Before there were internet entertainment-news sites, before there were nightly television shows dedicated to reporting on stars and who they date and what they wear, the building at 3 E. 53rd was the epicenter of what is now referred to as buzz. It was the Stork Club: the single American structure that most epitomized fame. The Stork Club was the capital of celebrity. It was the brick-and-mortar incarnation of what it meant to make it to the top. From 1934, when the Stork Club moved to 53rd Street after brief forays at other Manhattan locations, to 1965, when it finally breathed its last, it was the most sought-after nightclub in the world. Frank Sinatra would dine and drink there, as would Grace Kelly; John F. Kennedy was a customer, as were Marilyn Monroe and Ernest Hemingway. Mobster Frank Costello was at home at the Stork Club, but so was FBI director J. Edgar Hoover. Elizabeth Taylor, Joe DiMaggio, the Duke and Duchess of Windsor ... you get the picture. The Stork Club's owner, Sherman Billingsley, had his doormen guard the entrance not with a mere velvet rope, but with a 24-karat gold chain. But that doesn't explain the hold that the Stork Club had on the American imagination, or why it became the embodiment of stardom. The answer to that can be summed up in two words: Walter Winchell. Take every entertainment writer, broadcaster, magazine editor and web site purveyor in today's star-soaked culture, combine their impact, and they don't add up to Winchell's reach at the peak of his power. How vast was that reach? Neal Gabler, in his superlative 1994 biography of Winchell, estimated that out of an adult U.S. population of 75 million during the prime Winchell years, 50 million either listened to his Sunday night radio broadcast or read his column, which was syndicated to more than 2,000 newspapers. Winchell's friend and attorney Ernest Cuneo put the number even higher; he estimated that nine out of every 10 American adults either read or heard Winchell every week. It was often said that, on warm summer Sunday nights, you did not need to own a radio to hear Winchell -- all you had to do was walk down the street and listen to his voice wafting out of all the open windows. And Winchell's headquarters was the Stork Club. From his seat at Table 50 in the nightclub's Cub Room, he allowed the world of show-business grasping to come to him. The fighting that went on in the Stork Club was not usually conventional fisticuffs; the backstabbing did not involve literal knives. But what went on in there was akin to climbing a slippery pyramid. What table a person was assigned to in the Stork Club (assuming he or she even got in the front door), who he or she was seen dancing with (often to a tune the orchestra called "The Walter Winchell Rhumba") was a major determinant of national status and prestige. Shining at the Stork Club, and currying favor with Winchell, was a job in itself, to be undertaken with fierce and single-minded resolve. The stars did just that; the process may have been superficial and it may have been tacky -- and it certainly was a queasy precursor to the celebrity-worshiping universe that is a part of the very air around us today -- but what went on at the Stork Club, as disseminated to the nation by Winchell, made that building the most desired after-dark destination in the country. Not that most Americans ever had a chance of stepping inside; that address on 53rd Street was the hottest of the hot, the most exclusive of the exclusionary. Which is why going there today -- spending a quiet half hour in Paley Park -- can be such a calming experience. All heat eventually cools; that which was coveted drifts away. The Stork Club fell out of fashion by the time the 1960s arrived, and when it closed its doors for the last time in 1965 and was then demolished, the spotlight-craving crowds had long since moved elsewhere. Winchell has been dead since 1972, his home newspaper, the New York Mirror, having expired a decade before he did. It's doubtful that many people, walking briskly along 53rd, pause to consider that the slim, boxy space leading to the waterfall on the back wall was once a magnet for desperate attention-seeking and strident clamor. Take a walk into the tiny park, should you be in Manhattan. Listen to the bottoms of your shoes click against the cobblestones. Pull up a chair at one of the tables. Everyone is welcome; there is no pecking order. When you get close enough to the waterfall, the sounds of the city disappear. Where once there was mad commotion and frenzied striving, all of it seemingly so urgent, there is now a stillness steeped in serenity. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Bob Greene. | Before celebrity websites and cable channels, there was a home for celebrity culture in the U.S. The Stork Club in Manhattan was scene of frenzied activity by the famous and would-be famous . Bob Greene says all that remains is a peaceful park with a waterfall . Greene: "All heat eventually cools; that which was coveted drifts away" | ad054297d1143cc4771e5c12d1ff150491b74297 |
The number of EU migrants registering to work in Britain has soared by 55 per cent since 2010, but David Cameron has been warned a plan to cap the numbers would be illegal. In the last year, National Insurance numbers (NINOs) have been handed out to more than 420,000 people from the EU, up from 285,000 in the year before the coalition was formed. Number 10 is considering a plan to impose a limit on the numbers available to workers from individual countries, but today there were fresh warnings the idea would break European law. Scroll down for video . National Insurance numbers (NINOs) have been handed out to more than 420,000 people from the EU, up from 285,000 in the year before the coalition was formed . Spain, Romania, Greece and Italy have seen the biggest increases in NINOs in the last six years, according to official government figures . Prime Minister David Cameron, pictured today on a visit to a Ford factory in Dagenham, insisted the British people are 'the boss' not Brussels . Mr Cameron is under growing pressure to announce a radical new approach to tackle soaring immigration from Europe. The Prime Minister has promised it will form the centrepiece of his plan to renegotiate Britain's membership of the EU, before holding an in-out referendum by 2017. Senior Conservatives are considering a proposal to impose quote on 'time-limited national insurance numbers' to limit the numbers of people able to move to Britain for work. Mr Cameron promised to cut net migration to the tens of thousands, but the figure has topped 200,000 after a surge in the numbers using freedom of movement laws to move from elsewhere in the EU. Latest figures show that since 2010 the number of EU workers registering for a National Insurance number (NINO) has risen by 55 per cent, while for those outside the EU the figure has fallen by 48 per cent to 420,000. The biggest increases in the last four years are from Romania (up 272 per cent), Greece (244 per cent), Spain (172 per cent), Italy (151 per cent), Portugal (137 per cent) and Cyprus (112 per cent). A senior Tory minister told MailOnline: 'The problem isn't just the new countries like Romania and Bulgaria, it is people coming from countries like Spain, Italy and Greece because they can't get work at home. 'We need to be able to show that we can do something about that.' Today Mr Cameron said: ''What we need in Britain is a renegotiation of our relationship with the European Union and a referendum where the British people decide whether to stay in this reformed organisation or do we leave it. 'Now that's what I will pursue, that's what I will deliver and at the heart of that renegotiation we need to address people's concerns about immigration. 'I'm very clear about who the boss is, about who I answer to and it is the British people. They want this issue fixed, they're not being unreasonable about it. I will fix it.' The most NINO handed out last year were to Poles, Romanians and Spaniards, the data reveals . The biggest increases have been from EU countries, with controls on immigration from other countries leading to drops in NINO registrations . Home Secretary Theresa May is already in talks with the German, Dutch and Austrian governments about tackling immigration across the EU. Downing Street insists Mr Cameron will set out his plans in 'due course'. The PM's official spokesman said today: 'If you look at countries around Europe, governments are looking at the impact of immigration. 'The Prime Minister has for some time raised his concerns. Freedom of movement cannot be an unqualified principle of the European Union. 'Do we need change? Clearly we do. We believe that there will be treaty change.' However, the idea of imposing quotes on the number of people moving to Britain from elsewhere in the EU has been roundly criticised. Outgoing European Commission president Jose Manuel Barroso yesterday warned restricting migrant numbers would 'not be in conformity with European laws'. Lib Dem Business Secretary Vince Cable told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: 'It almost definitely is illegal, but there is a bigger issue of principle. 'It was Britain that promoted the single market in Europe. It was Mrs Thatcher biggest negotiating achievement. 'There're roughly the same amount of British people who leave and go to the rest of Europe as come here, and the ones who come here are overwhelmingly younger people, workers, and people who make a net positive contribution to the British budget.' Bruno Macaes, secretary of state for European affairs in the Portuguese government, also said attempts to limit people from across the EU moving to Britain by capping the number of national insurance numbers for foreign workers would be illegal. He told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: 'Yes, it seems that it goes not only against the directive that we have but against the treaty. Why? Because it is limiting the numbers in absolute terms and that is not allowed.' Tory MP Bernard Jenkin also said the plan would break existing EU law, but suggested it would still be a good idea. He added: 'I very much welcome people like Boris Johnson and the Prime Minister less explicitly saying that we do need to move to a quota system for EU migrants, simply because when we first joined the European Economic Community, as they were then, there were two fundamental differences. 'First of all, the free movement principle was very undeveloped and we only had eight countries in the European Union.' Mr Jenkin said he could not see 'any other way that we can obtain the new relationship the Prime Minister wants us to have' without taking such action or quitting the EU. Katja Hall, CBI Deputy Director-General, said: 'Businesses recognise that free movement of workers within the EU is a sensitive issue but are clear that it is an essential part of the single market. 'It boosts the attraction of investing in the UK, creates jobs and offers firms here real benefits in working with our biggest trading partners.' Ukip leader Nigel Farage accused Mr Cameron of deceiving voters with his promise to reform the UK's relationship with the EU. Ukip leader Nigel Farage, pictured today on a visit to the National Emergency Services Museum in Sheffield, accuse Mr Cameron of deceiving voters . Speaking during a visit to the National Emergency Services Museum in Sheffield, Mr Farage said: 'Mr Cameron has been saying to people 'we can have our cake and eat it'. We can't. He's actually been deceiving the British public.' He continued: 'What is a fact is you cannot do what Mr Cameron is pretending to do and remain a member of the European Union. 'I think we're looking at a man who is desperate to save his own skin, who knows that if he loses the Rochester by-election to Ukip there may well be 46 backbenchers who put in letters demanding a leadership election and desperate people do desperate things. He's thrown the rule book out of the window, he's thrown the fact that actually he's supported free movement of people his whole political career, that's gone too, and this is just about survival but it's not going to work because what he's said is not true.' Mr Farage said: 'Mr Barroso was absolutely right and his successor Mr Juncker will say the same thing. 'It is one of the fundamental cornerstones of the European Union that you have the free movement of people. Now the error was letting in 10 former communist countries, countries in which case millions of people are very, very poor and they see the UK as a good place to come to. 'I don't blame them for doing it but the truth is you can't change that without completely changing the treaty. In fact, the reality is the only way to get back your border control from Brussels is to leave the European Union and have a simple trade deal instead.' | Prime Minister insists the British people are 'the boss' not Brussels . 420,000 National Insurance numbers handed to EU migrants in year to June . Huge rise on the 285,000 handed out in before the coalition was formed . Number 10 considering plan for quotas on NINOs for EU migrants . Commission President Barroso warns it is against European laws . Lib Dem Business Secretary Vince Cable also says the idea is illegal . | c7d485ce365fc72e7532a93f7fd738900dd0ed90 |
Jamie Redknapp has stated he finds it impossible how Liverpool can win the Premier League title this term following their third defeat in four top flight games. The Reds crashed to a 3-1 loss at West Ham to follow up defeats by Aston Villa and Manchester City earlier in the season, which leave them six points behind league leaders Chelsea having played a game more. The former Liverpool midfielder voiced concerns over the impact of selling Luis Suarez over the summer and the time it will take for Brendan Rodgers' summer signings to settle. Jamie Redknapp wrote off Liverpool's title chances on Saturday Night Football where he was a pundit alongside former West Ham United manager Gianfranco Zola . Steven Gerrard, Rickie Lambert and Mario Balotelli look on after Liverpool lost 3-1 at West Ham United . 'I don't put Liverpool in the equation to win the title,' Redknapp told Sky Sports. 'After selling one of the best players in the world, the best in the Premier League last season, it makes it impossible.' 'Now when you bring players in, it does take a little bit of time for them to bed in and settle. I want to see more from [Lazar] Markovic and [Adam] Lallana who are going to take time.' 'Top four should be the aim this year, the title no chance - not when you don't have Suarez in your team - he made such a difference.' Redknapp also voiced concern over a Liverpool defence which has already conceded eight goals in five games this season, claiming summer signing Dejan Lovren is struggling to match his Southampton form in a team desperately in need of more leadership. Jamie Redknapp and Jamie Carragher both see the summer loss of Luis Suarez to Barcelona as a key reason to why Liverpool will struggle to win the Premier League title . Lovren has struggled to match his Southampton form from last term in the Liverpool defence this season, as he receives treatment from a head wound suffered in the defeat at Upton Park . 'Dejan Lovren was a really good signing, but he's struggling to find his way in the Premier League for Liverpool. The pressure is on and they have to adjust. The team needs more leaders and the top four is where they are.' Former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher also criticised the Merseyside's club's defending, stating Rodgers' team have regressed. Carragher tweeted: 'After losing Suarez Lfc were never going to score 100 goals + this season so had to be better defensively, they actually look worse now.' | Jamie Redknapp rules Liverpool out of winning the Premier League title . Former Reds midfielder claims loss of Luis Suarez is too much . Redknapp demanded more from summer signings including Dejan Lovren . Ex-Reds defender Jamie Carragher claims club have got worse defensively . | 1cdc64ee9c8cc9342959a8fb6eb070e3e9819045 |
By . Harriet Hernando for MailOnline . Up to 500 rhino will be evacuated from Kruger National Park in South Africa which has been blighted by poachers hunting them for horns. The authorities announced the plan to airlift the animals to safer areas in the country by helicopter because illegal killings have soared in recent years, despite the deployment of soldiers throughout the nature reserve. Figures show a shocking increase - 13 were illegally killed in 2007, while 1,004 were butchered last year. And this year 630 rhinos have already lost their lives – 408 of them in Kruger. 'A decision has been made on this issue of translocation,' said Edna Molewa, South Africa's environment minister on Tuesday. 'Relocations . from the Kruger National Park and the creation of rhino strongholds . could allow the total rhino population size of South Africa to continue . to grow.' Poaching . has decimated the Kruger rhino population.The WWF estimates that there . are just 300 black rhino left in the park, and about 3,000 white rhino. The safest way to travel: A rhino is hoisted high into the air by its ankles in Eastern Cape, South Africa . Up to 500 animals will be evacuated as a result of poaching, which has decimated the rhino population . In . a bid to save the endangered black rhino, conservationists have already . begun transporting them to new homes to encourage breeding in other . nature reserves. The . video features a black rhino being airlifted from the Eastern Cape to a . new home at a 34,000 hectares reserve in Kwa Zulu Natal, South Africa, . as part of the Black Rhino Range Expansion Project. The project, a partnership between conservation groups including WWF and Eastern Cape Parks, was set up in 2003 - with the aim of increasing the population of the critically endangered black rhino by expanding its territory. Over the last decade, nine new black rhino populations have been created in South Africa, with more than 140 rhinos relocated. The beasts were airlifted to a new home at a 34,000 hectares reserve in Kwa Zulu Natal as part of the Black Rhino Range Expansion Project . Hanging in the balance: Illegal rhino killings have soared in recent years, despite the deployment of soldiers through the nature reserve . While the sight of the animal hanging from its ankles might be unsettling to some, it is considered safer than transporting it on the ground because the animal spends less time under anaesthetic. Project leader Dr Jacques Flamand said: 'We used to transport rhinos by lorry over very difficult tracks, or airlifted in a net. This new procedure has proved to be a safer bet. 'As a vet, this is my method of choice because it is quick and harmless to the rhinos, which is always our main concern in these operations. 'All the rhinos have started eating immediately after release – a sure sign that they were not in distress.' Over the last decade, nine new black rhino populations have been created in South Africa, with more than 140 rhinos relocated . The helicopter translocations usually take less than ten minutes and are used to relocate rhinos from inaccessible areas. The purpose of the project, which is in its tenth year, is to increase numbers by providing the animals with more territory to breed on. Seven of the new breeding sites are in KwaZulu-Natal and two are further north in Limpopo. To date more than 40 calves have been born on sites ran by the Black Rhino Range Expansion Project. Good news: Over the last decade, nine new black rhino populations have been created in South Africa, with more than 140 rhinos relocated . In the 1960s, an estimated 65,000 black rhino were found across Africa but poaching decimated their numbers to just 2,000 in the early 1990s. Conservation efforts have now doubled numbers to an estimated 4,000 - but poaching remains the biggest threat to their survival. Rhino have become increasingly vulnerable to poaching as demand for the animal's horns has increased , especially from China. Some conservationists estimate that rhino horn has a street value of £38,000 per kilogram, which makes it more valuable than platinum or gold. | WWF estimates there are just 300 black rhinos left in Kruger National Park . They have teamed up with Eastern Cape Parks to relocate animals . It is hoped the rhino will be able to breed in safer wildlife reserves . | ee6609beb0935b90b646ade515873378f181a2f5 |
A British jihadist fighting with the Islamic State in Iraq is feared to be behind a cyber plot to empty British bank accounts to fund terrorism in the Middle East. Junaid Hussain, 20, escaped to Syria last year while on police bail, and has been posting extremist messages on social media pledging to conquer the world and kill infidels. Hussain, who is originally from Birmingham, is pictured online posing with a scarf over his face and a rifle in his hands, and tweets behind the alias Abu Hussain al-Britani. Jihadist: Junaid Hussain, who tweets from Iraq under an alias, has posed with a rifle and posted extremist messages online . He was jailed in 2012 for stealing personal information from Tony Blair, and is thought to be putting his hacking skills to use adding to the militants' huge war chest. According to reports in the Daily Mirror, British financial institutions are aware of the attacks and working overtime to prevent their customers' funds being extracted. A source told the paper: 'The hackers are targeting the accounts of the rich and famous, VIP clients of banks and big businesses. 'This is an international fraud on an unprecedented scale and the result could be a bottomless pit of money to fund their campaign of terror.' Court case: Abu Hussain, 20, pictured above at Southwark Crown Court, was jailed for six months in 2012 for stealing personal information from Tony Blair and posting it online . Hussain has not directly mentioned hacking in his stream of Islamist posts, but a fellow fighter boasted of being bought pizza using celebrity credit card details acquired by a jihadist hacker. When the fanatics swept across Iraq this summer, conquering huge swathes of the country, they also captured a central bank in Mosul, which they looted for hundreds of millions of pounds. The huge windfall immediately made them the world's richest terrorist organisation, and they have been expanding their financial clout as they storm across the country. A spokesman for the British Bankers' Association told the MailOnline that banks are always vigilant against attacks from all over the world, launched by anyone from petty criminals to major organisations. A spokesman said: 'Protecting their customers' money is the banks' number one priority. That's why they spend hundreds of millions of pounds a year hiring cyber security experts to combat these kind of threats. 'If you as a customer fall victim to fraud through no fault of your own you are almost certain to have your money quickly reimbursed.' A spokesman for GCHQ, the government's intelligence and security organisation, declined to comment on attacks from the Islamic State. | Junaid Hussain, 20, from Birmingham, is feared to be behind cyber attacks . He was jailed in 2012 for hacking personal information from Tony Blair . Last year went to Syria to fight, and posts extremist messages online . Islamic State has amassed huge war chest from plundering banks and oil . Security sources say he is passing on his knowledge to other fighters . Banks say they are constantly vigilant against attacks from criminal groups . | 2fba12134dbf59064136682675867c0bbf593bd8 |
Whether I am taking a mini-break, flying long-haul or heading to a business meeting, my way of getting through the trauma of 21st century travel is to put on my safari suit and retro sunglasses and act as if this is still the heyday of BOAC. Istanbul lends itself to my peculiar fantasies perfectly - a seamless blend of old world and new world, European and Asian, with a Dionysian social life. All of my fashion friends have been raving about it for years, so I jumped on a three-hour flight to discover it for myself. Even after being met by traffic worse than New York at rush hour en route to my hotel (brace yourself and double any estimated journey times you may have read about), the heat, bustle and chaos of this city of more than 14million bodies will have anyone's sense of adventure stirred. Turkey, but not as you know it: The serious party-goer can find clubs in fine locations in burgeoning Istanbul . In an effort to stay off the beaten track, I started in Cukucurma, the antiques area. The quiet streets are filled with mix of adorable bric-a-brac shops alongside serious dealers. Vintage fashion shops also pepper the neighbourhood, alongside the bizarre rather than the bazaar. If textiles and linens are your thing catch a cab, as I did, to Dervis - designer Rifat Ozbek's bath store in the Grand Bazaar, which sells antique kaftans and waffle dressing gowns. The Bazaar is both overwhelming and incredible - a very different shopping experience from the souks of Marrakech. But unless you are after the traditional, don't spend too much time here. Rather than being sucked into buying fake Louis Vuitton slippers, seek out the Turkish carpet slipper sellers and haggle like a demon. My base for the long weekend was the Shangri-La. This new hotel is the first in a procession of pleasure palaces trickling along the Bosphorus. It stands next to the prime minister's house, meaning the environs are crawling with police at all times. Cutting a dash: Henry spent a long weekend soaking up the sights and shops of the former Constantinople . At first I was alarmed by the level of airport-style security in the big hotels, but it's standard here. The Shangri-La's large rooms are decorated with typical five-star global good taste, and the staff are beyond helpful. This is the hotel to stay in if you're getting out to see Istanbul every day - there is no outside space, or resort-style pool for lounging, but it does have a great spa, with hammam treatments for those too exhausted, or not brave enough, to try one in the old town. Making an effort to get up early each day, I scoffed my menemen - traditional Turkish scrambled eggs with green peppers and tomatoes - before venturing out. If brunch is more your thing, head to Galata, particularly the terrace of the Georges Hotel on Sundays. Galata used to be a fairly run-down area but it has been transformed over recent years. Its ancient, hilltop streets now form the beating heart of the city. If you are staying in Istanbul for only a few days, Galata should be your base, because it has excellent bars, clubs and restaurants as well as some of best shops. Head to the Arzu Kaprol boutique, whose collection is worn by the cream of Istanbul (lace was dominant on my visit - beautifully structured shift dresses, and chic contemporary separates), then work your way through the surrounding streets, discovering pop-up shops and designer outlets (I loved Old Sandal, a sweet independent shoe store). Don't forget to haggle: You can find bargains, if you know where and how to look, in Istanbul's historic markets . Exhausted from shopping, I later stopped at the airy Nikol for a tasty pistachio Turkish pastry and a cappuccino. Nestled directly below is Karakoy, the district intent on stealing Galata's crown in becoming the coolest part of the city. On the banks of the Bosphorus, this former industrial area, with its fabulous restaurants and galleries, is book-ended by the bridge to the old town and Istanbul Modern. This is a brilliantly curated contemporary museum, and you can whip around it in 30 minutes. That's just as well, as contemporary art can leave me quite weary. After my whistlestop tour, I headed for the museum's terrace restaurant, recommended to me by the former fashion editor of Vogue Turkey as the place where the Vogue girls lunch. Simple salads and mezze proved an ideal recovery tactic. I would also recommend the pideli kofte - grilled meatballs in yogurt and tomato sauce. Karakoy is definitely the place for foodies. The Karabatak cafe kicked off the area's food revolution - it's an adorable place with a great selection of world coffees and pastries, with vines overhead and little outside tables. Meeting up with some London friends for dinner, we tried Karakoy MaNa. Between us we managed to order most things on the menu, with the succulent griddled lamb the pick of the bunch. Going up in the world: The Galata district of Istanbul is increasingly hip, and enjoys a lovely riverside location . With our bellies full, it was time to sample Istanbul's bustling nightlife. This really is a party city, and I love a party. A quick taxi ride to Beyoglu, just past the Ortakoy Mosque, you will find a cluster of outdoor clubs that have as good a summer party vibe as any in St Tropez. We made for the biggest of them, Reina. Walking down the steps in the club to the tables, all eyes are on you, so put on your best show. For me, that meant a showgirl high kick on the last step (we had enjoyed a lot of cocktails by this point), that nearly took out the first table. The music is hilarious, but give in to it - every big European and US club track has a Turkish beat mixed over it. I will never be able to listen to Miley Cyrus's Wrecking Ball in quite the same way again. Despite the political troubles associated with Taksim Square, here you'll find the best late-night kebabs to soak up the booze. I couldn't tell you which chic shop we visited - perhaps that's a sign of how hard we had partied. Of course, you cannot come to a city like Istanbul and not visit the big attractions. We took a private boat to see the Hagia Sofia and Blue Mosque - the bigger hotels will be happy to organise this. The Hagia Sofia's influence on European ecclesiastical architecture cannot be overstated enough, so for an architectural enthusiast like me it was an essential trip. A blaze of noise and colour: Istanbul's Grand Bazaar can be a fun, merrily chaotic, shopping experience . The Blue Mosque is impressive, though less relevant to the European architectural enthusiast. Due to the heat, I was wearing seersucker shorts, and thus was given an ankle-length blue skirt with a Velcro split to wear inside the building. I had to muster all my strength not to do an Angelina Jolie side-leg pose at every photo opportunity. Most impressive for me was the vast Topkapi Palace, the main residence of the Ottoman sultans for 400 years. The palace is the perfect metaphor for old Istanbul - a blend of Islamic imperialism and European influence, so beautifully preserved that wandering around, you feel like Aladdin. Naturally, I burst into songs from the Disney classic at regular intervals. Walking through the vast Harem (a separate ticket, but worth adding), you can almost hear the giggles of the concubines, and the squealing of the eunuchs. The palace is huge, so don't attempt to do it all in a day. I headed straight for the jewels. Having watched Melina Mercouri and Peter Ustinov's Oscar-winning 1964 film Topkapi with my grandparents as a child, I made a beeline for the Topkapi dagger - its enormous emeralds would make anyone want to break the glass and cart it off. The gaudiness of the endless rooms of the Imperial Treasury make our own Crown Jewels look almost demure: baskets of emeralds, gold thrones studded with diamonds, intricate treasure boxes and the 85-carat pear-shaped Spoonmaker's Diamond the Sultan wore as a ring. Don't go there before visiting the Grand Bazaar or you may come back decked out like Elizabeth Taylor. Istanbul is a burgeoning, lively and deliciously contemporary city, set to a backdrop of thousands of years of history. This cultural blend has been its appeal for hundreds of years, and there is no better time to dip into its fashionable society. Cox & Kings (www.coxandkings.co.uk, 020 7873 5000) offers three nights' B&B at the Shangri-La Bosphorus from £995 per person including return flights and transfers. The price is valid until October 31, 2014. | Turkey's most famous city has grand landmarks, but is also great for parties . City districts such as Galata and Karakoy are becoming increasingly cool . The Blue Mosque is an Istanbul must-see - an astonishing religious icon . | ec0be0a1760b8108a7991673f6a45cf07ff8c93e |
(CNN) -- Tiger Woods' agent says he may take legal action after the world's No. 1 golfer was accused of cheating on the course this year. Mark Steinberg, who has helped the American become the planet's wealthiest athlete, criticized a "shameful, baseless" report on the Golf.com website by TV commentator Brandel Chamblee. Chamblee, a former pro golfer, said in his end-of-season summary that Woods had been "cavalier with the rules" -- and he made parallels with one of his own school experiences when he was caught cheating in a math test and marked down from a grade of 100 to an "F." He said his teacher quoted the 19th-century poem "Marmion" by Walter Scott: "Oh, what a tangled web we weave when first we practice to deceive!" "I never did ask my teacher how she knew I cheated and I certainly didn't protest the grade," wrote the 51-year-old, who gave Woods an "F" for his season's achievements, crossing out a "100" mark. "I knew I had done the wrong thing and my teacher the right, but I never forgot the way I felt when I read that quote. "I remember when we only talked about Tiger's golf. I miss those days. He won five times and contended in majors and won the Vardon Trophy and ... how shall we say this ... was a little cavalier with the rules." Woods was named the PGA Tour's player of the year for the 11th time after a season in which he won five tournaments and had two top-10 finishes in the four majors. However, at April's Masters he was controversially not disqualified for signing an incorrect scorecard after taking an improper drop, but was penalized. The 37-year-old was also given two-stroke penalties in Abu Dhabi in January and last month at the BMW Championship for rule infringements, while he was suspected by some of taking a favorable drop at May's Players Championship after hitting a water hazard. "There's nothing you can call a golfer worse than a cheater. This is the most deplorable thing I have seen," Steinberg said in a statement he later verified to CNN. "I'm not one for hyperbole, but this is absolutely disgusting. Calling him a cheater? I'll be shocked, stunned if something is not done about this. Something has to be done. There are certainly things that just don't go without response. It's atrocious. I'm not sure if there isn't legal action to be taken. I have to give some thought to legal action. "This is, 'Hey, look at me,' in its lowest form. Brandel Chamblee's comments are shameful, baseless and completely out of line. In his rulings, Tiger voiced his position, accepted his penalty and moved on. There was no intention to deceive anyone. "Chamblee's uninformed and malicious opinions, passed on as facts, and his desperate attempt to garner attention is deplorable. Brandel has a right to form his opinion. If he wants to give him an 'F' for his year? It's silly. But this goes so far above that and is out of bounds. It's stunning." Chamblee debated the issue on his Twitter account, where he denied calling Woods a cheat. "To be accurate, I said he was cavalier with the rules. How is it anyone would argue to the contrary," he wrote. British golf journalist James Corrigan responded: "The fact you wrote that and gave him an 'f' meant you called him a cheat. That isn't right." Meanwhile, Rory McIlroy -- whose season has gone from bad to worse since missing the cut with Woods in Abu Dhabi when they were No. 1 and 2 in the rankings -- dropped out of contention at the Korea Open Saturday. The Northern Irishman, now sixth in the world, blamed a "weird" day after his third-round 75 left him 10 shots behind leader Kim Hyung-tae of South Korea, who was four clear. "It was weird. I actually started the round really well," said the 24-year-old, who has begun legal proceedings against his management company and reportedly also split from tennis star girlfriend Caroline Wozniacki. "I just think the story of the day is that I missed a lot of putts, missed a lot of chances for birdies at the start of the round and then mixed a few short ones for pars in the middle and end of the round. That's really what it was. "So yeah, a frustrating day because I was in contention after two days and if you shoot a solid score today you're right in there tomorrow." | Report giving Tiger Woods an "F" for 2013 is called "absolutely disgusting" by his agent . Mark Steinberg considering legal action over comments by Brandel Chamblee . The TV commentator says Wood was "cavalier with rules" but denies calling him a cheat . Woods, the PGA Tour's player of the year, was penalized for three rule infringements in 2013 . | 8afae934b5ba668dd7be8ba0593bd67800b007f5 |
(CNN) -- Ebola virus disease is sweeping across West Africa in the largest outbreak of the virus to date. Mortality rates are currently at 60% in a disease where up to 90% of infected people can die. But despite this lethality there remain no licensed treatments or vaccines available, nearly 40 years after the disease was first discovered. In March, Ebola was reported for the first time in Guinea, West Africa, in districts that border neighboring Liberia and Sierra Leone. This proximity meant that unlike previous outbreaks in other parts of Africa, the usually remote Ebola virus had the opportunity to cross borders. With residents migrating back and forth, it did just that. Four months later the outbreak has reached unprecedented scales, with 1,093 people infected and 660 deaths attributed to the virus. "This is clearly an outbreak across international borders and it has not been handled properly," explains David Heymann, professor of infectious disease epidemiology at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM), who was on-site at the first human Ebola outbreak in 1976. He says the 24 known outbreaks of Ebola to date have shown that it should be easily controlled. "It's not rocket science to control these outbreaks but instead basic epidemiology: infection control, hygiene practices, contact-tracing and safe burial practices," says Heymann of the virus, which is transmitted through contact with bodily fluids. "Ebola is its own worst enemy, it's too lethal and cannot sustain its own spread." But whilst it should be easily contained, this time something has gone wrong. The Guinean and Liberian capital cities were reached exposing many more to the virus and making those infected and their contacts harder to trace and isolate. The outbreak has been described as "out of control" by Doctors without Borders -- so why is there no other approach? Opinion: Why Ebola epidemic is spinning out of control . The usual response in disease outbreaks is to use drugs to treat those infected and stop them transmitting to others, in combination with vaccines that protect those exposed and slow down, or halt, the spread of a virus through a population by enabling herd immunity. But there are no licensed drugs or vaccines for use against Ebola as its periodic, remote and usually small-scale nature means there has not been a big enough market, nor the ability to conduct large-scale trials in humans exposed to the disease. The biology of the virus also makes it challenging to develop vaccines that create a strong enough immune response; the occurrence of multiple forms of the virus means an immune response is needed against all of them, and Ebola's ability to replicate rapidly means it could equally rapidly evolve resistance to the vaccine. Despite these challenges, there are vaccines being developed by a range of organizations, including the vaccine research center at the U.S. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) -- and some argue that an outbreak is the perfect time to trial them. "It would be unethical not to acknowledge that potential new treatments could both save lives and reduce transmission in this and future outbreaks," says Dr Jeremy Farrar, director of global charitable foundation the Wellcome Trust. Farrar has recently called for new approaches to be used in controlling the outbreak as no other opportunity will enable the further development of new treatments or vaccines. "Any new intervention must have preclinical safety and efficacy data and Phase I safety data in healthy volunteers," he says describing the slow progression of phases involved in pharmaceutical development, "But ultimately there can be no Phase II (vaccine efficacy) data in Ebola other than that acquired during an epidemic." Peter Piot, director of the LSHTM, who co-discovered Ebola during its first outbreak, agrees with Farrar. "In general I believe that this continuing outbreak is a rare opportunity to evaluate the effectiveness of experimental drugs," he says, but stresses, "as long as all ethical standards are respected, and as long as it does not create more problems for controlling the outbreak, since medical experiments may decrease even more trust in health authorities and add to hostility to healthcare workers." Piot is referring to resistance from affected communities towards healthcare workers and health officials who enter their villages dressed in astronaut-like quarantine clothing and ask them to change their cultural practices such as burials, where the traditional cleaning of bodies puts those mourning at risk of transmission. Long-standing mistrust exists towards governments and ministries of health, leading to healthcare staff having rocks thrown at them, being threatened by machetes and facing general aggression, according to a World Health Organization (WHO) spokesperson. Tensions between those controlling the outbreak and those affected by it mean trialling vaccines in outbreak communities is not supported by WHO officials on the ground. "Using an experimental vaccine on human beings in the middle of an outbreak in this case would not be ethical, feasible, or wise," according to the WHO. But there remain other avenues. "The vaccines are likely safe and effective but aren't used by public health teams and they won't use them without adequate trials," explains Dr Peter Walsh, from the University of Cambridge, who is developing vaccines for use in non-human primates such as chimpanzees and gorillas who are also victims of the virus. Walsh's vaccines have shown a good immune response when trialled in chimpanzees and he suggests trialling human vaccines incrementally in healthcare workers rather than the mass population. "Healthcare workers are at the greatest risk and are hubs of infection who are likely to spread it to others," he says. "The risk of dying from the vaccine is tiny compared to dying from Ebola and unlike communities, healthcare workers would understand the risks better and should be able to give informed consent." This approach is supported by the NIAID, whose Ebola vaccine programs have progressed the furthest. "We are supporting a number of vaccines and they are all in a roughly similar position and getting ready for Phase I trials for safety," says Dr Mike Kurilla, director of their Office of Biodefense Research Resources and Translational Research. "If these make it through testing what we're likely to see in future outbreaks is healthcare workers and outbreak investigators taking the vaccine under informed consent," Kurilla explains. "Working with those at the highest risk will enable you to see if the vaccine has an impact." It is too late in this outbreak for vaccines to have enough of a preventative impact, but Ebola will emerge again in the future. If safety can be proven, the stockpiling of vaccines could improve the outcome of future outbreaks. "Vaccines enable a preparative framework to be established rather than a reactive one," explains Heymann. "But firstly it must be shown to be safe in humans." The ability to control future epidemics may depend on it. Opinion: Why Ebola epidemic is spinning out of control . | 40 years after its discovery, there are no licensed treatments or vaccines for Ebola . Ethically, a vaccine for Ebola can only be trialled for effectiveness during an outbreak . Vaccines are better trialled in high-risk groups, including healthcare workers, say experts . | ffa368f1e034e695475e228e4cfef924a92306bd |
Apple today announced a record quarterly profit of $18billion (£11.8bn) - the biggest ever made by a public company. The U.S. tech giant also posted record revenue of $74.6 billion (£49.2bn) for the three months to December 31, outstripping the quarterly GDP of Israel, Greece or Denmark. Apple's cash pile is now $178 billion (£117bn), the equivalent to $556 for every American and bigger than the £95billion budget for Britain's National Health Service. Its landmark performance was driven by record-breaking sales for its iPhone 6 and 6 plus, with the firm revealing it sold 34,000 handsets every hour for the entire quarter. Apple said that it sold 74.5 million iPhones during the three months that ended Dec. 31, beating analysts' expectations for the latest models of Apple's most popular gadget, introduced in September. The surge in sales of Apple's signature smartphones helped make up for an expected decline in sales of iPad tablets. The company sold 21.4 million iPads, down 22 percent from a year earlier. Sales of Mac computers rose 9 percent, and Apple saw overall revenue gains in all geographic regions. Apple said it sold 74.5 million iPhones in total, beating analysts' expectations for the latest models of its most popular gadget that were introduced in September. It also confirmed the eagerly anticipated Apple Watch will go on sale in April. The surge in iPhone sales drove the company's total revenue to $74.6 billion, up 30 per cent from a year earlier. This means its annual sales would beat the GDP of Israel ($264billion) and rank it around 50th in the world's richest countries. In turn, the the net profit of $18bn (£11.8bn) is the highest ever recorded by a public company, beating the previous record of $15.9bn (£10.4bn) set by ExxonMobil in 2012. Apple CEO Tim Cook, said: 'Demand for iPhone has been staggering, shattering out high expectations. This volume is hard to comprehend. 'We sold about 34,000 iPhones every hour, 24/7 for the entire quarter. We have sold over a billion devices running iOS.' Since taking over as CEO in 2011 following the death of Steve Jobs, the company has doubled its profits. It is also already the world's most valuable firm with a market capitalisation of $650billion (£428.5 billion). However much of its $178billion cash pile is tied up in tax havens like the Kayman Islands and Ireland which means it doesn't find its way back to shareholders. The stock has gained more than 50 per cent over the last year and rose by five per cent in after-hours trading on Wall Street last night. Richard Hunter, head of equities at Hargreaves Lansdown stockbrokers, said: 'Apple has delivered a staggeringly successful quarter, as sales of its flagship iPhone products soared over the period. 'One of the main drivers for the success was the company's increasing exposure to the Chinese market, whilst there were also strong contributions from the likes of Singapore and Brazil.' Cook also confirmed the firm's plan for Apple Watch were on track. 'Development for Apple watch is right on Schedule, and we intend to begin shipping in April,' he said. 'We can't wait for customers to experience it. My expectations are very high, I use it every day, love it and can't live without it.' Apple's iPhone 6 and 6 plus are the key to the huge rise is sales - showing consumers do want big screen handsets. Net income rose 38 per cent to $18billion, as Apple reported earnings of $3.06 a share. Analysts surveyed by FactSet were expecting earnings of $2.60 a share on revenue of $67.39 billion. Apple forecast revenue for the current quarter between $52 billion and $55 billion. The midpoint of that range is just below the average analyst estimate of $53.6 billion for the period ending in March, when sales typically fall from their holiday season peak. Apple Chief Financial Officer Luca Maestri said in an interview that revenue for the current period will increase between 14 and 20 percent from a year ago, despite the strong dollar, which has forced other companies to lower their forecasts. 'We feel very good about the March quarter,' Maestri added. Apple has set records with each new version of its iPhones. By comparison, the company sold 51 million smartphones during the holiday quarter in 2013, when its iPhone 5s and 5c models were new on the scene. Bigger screens are one reason for the popularity of the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus. Apple had resisted when other companies such as Samsung began introducing smartphones with bigger screens. But its iPhone 6 has a 4.7-inch screen, measured diagonally, while the 6 Plus screen measures 5.5 inches. That compares to a 4-inch screen on iPhone 5 models. Now - although Samsung sells more phones globally - Apple makes more just from the iPhone itself. 'It took Apple a long time to come to grips with the fact that the market did want the bigger screen,' said Gartner tech analyst Van Baker. 'They finally closed the gap on a feature they were missing, which their competition had capitalized on.' The surge in sales of Apple's signature smartphones helped make up for an expected decline in sales of iPad tablets. The company sold 21.4 million iPads, down 22 percent from a year earlier. Sales of Mac computers rose 9 percent, and Apple saw overall revenue gains in all geographic regions. The new models also helped Apple increase its share of the China market. Apple doesn't break out iPhone sales by country, but a report issued Tuesday by research firm Canalys estimates that Apple sold more smartphones in China during the last quarter than any other maker, including South Korea's Samsung and the Chinese companies Huawei and Xiaomi. Still, some experts worry that Apple's strength could become a weakness. Apple makes more money from iPhones than any other product, including its iPods, iPads and Mac computers. The firm is set to unveil its next product, Apple Watch, later this year. That could leave it vulnerable as the overall smartphone market shows signs of slowing growth, warned BGC Partners analyst Colin Gills, who noted in a recent report that Apple depends on iPhones for nearly two-thirds of its revenue. As Apple continues to set records for iPhone sales, that also makes it more difficult to show big increases next year. And it's unclear what will emerge as Apple's next big hit. While Apple plans to start selling its long-awaited smartwatch this spring, analysts say it's difficult to predict consumer demand. Other companies have had limited success with similar gadgets. Apple shares closed Tuesday at $109.14, down 3.5 percent, but rose over 5 percent in after-hours trading on the report. The stock has gained more than 50 percent over the last year, making Apple the world's most valuable company with a market capitalization of $651 billion. | Tech giant sold 34,000 iPhones an hour during the quarter to December 31 . Record revenue of $74.6bn - up 30% - more than quarterly GDP of Israel . Its cash pile of $178bn is now the equivalent to $556 for every American . Surge in iPhone sales due to new big screen models drove the company's . But iPad sales were down to 21.4 million - a 22% drop from a year earlier . Firm says it has now shipped over a billion devices running ioS . | 75b60edfa7817780ba33607025b5873589c68d34 |
Manchester United midfielder Anderson is due to sign for Internacional on Monday. Talks have been ongoing since last week with the Brazilian side, the player's representatives and United in discussions about cancelling the 26-year-old's contract. Manchester United's Anderson could finally leave after offer from Brazilian side Internacional . Internacional want Anderson to play in the Copa Libertadores and are understood to have offered a four-year contract worth around £25,000 a week after tax with a £650,000 annual bonus. Anderson is due in Porto Alegre with his agents on Monday for medical tests before being unveiled on Tuesday. Anderson, pictured in 2013, has not played since a 20-minute cameo against Burnley in August and is for sale . Anderson has been surplus to requirements under Louis Van Gaal and indeed under David Moyes, who loaned him out to Fiorentina. The 26-year-old has rarely shown glimpses of his potential since moving from Porto with Nani in a deal worth £26million in 2007. Anderson (right) challenges for the ball with Southampton's Gaston Ramirez during a Premier League match . | Anderson offered four-year contract worth around £25,000 a week after tax . The 26-year-old midfielder is due in Porto Alegre on Monday for medical . | d17ace79409bba05cfee9bafb94c61ff3b62b3cd |
It may be politically quixotic, but Sen. Dianne Feinstein proceeded undeterred Wednesday in seeking an updated version of the assault weapons ban she sponsored in 1994 that expired a decade later. At an emotional committee hearing, Feinstein brought together families who lost loved ones to gun violence, police officials and others to call for banning military-style weapons from civilian use. "It is hard for me to be here today to talk about my deceased son but I have to," sobbed Neil Heslin, whose son, Jesse, was one of 20 first-graders shot to death in December in a Connecticut school. "I am his voice. I am not here for the sympathy or a pat on the back. There's many people that stayed in the town of Newtown. I am here to speak up for my son." Despite later testimony from witnesses who cited statistics in challenging the effectiveness of tougher gun laws, Feinstein and other supporters said they couldn't understand how anyone could argue that the general public has a constitutional right to weapons designed purely to kill as fast and brutally as possible. "This is not a class. This is not a case study. People die. That's what happens," said Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter in arguing that police officers in his city get outgunned by criminals. "No one has ever been able to explain why a civilian should have a military-style assault weapon for anything," he added to applause in the hearing room. Fierce opposition by the influential National Rifle Association and conservative legislators, including some Democrats, makes it virtually impossible for the kind of ban proposed by Feinstein to win congressional approval. Instead, the legislative focus has shifted to expanding and strengthening background checks for gun purchases, as well as toughening laws against gun trafficking and so-called straw purchases. At the conclusion of Wednesday's Judiciary Committee hearing, Feinstein acknowledged the challenge, saying: "It's an uphill climb." Clearly hoping the emotional scenes of Heslin and other victims of gun violence would generate public pressure on Congress to act, she said victory could be possible "with a little bit of help from the people of America." President Barack Obama has proposed a package that includes a ban on semi-automatic firearms that mimic military assault rifles, as well as limiting ammunition magazines to 10 rounds and requiring background checks on all gun sales to close a loophole for private transactions. Feinstein is pushing the weapons ban component of legislation the Judiciary Committee will consider in coming weeks. She led the battle for the 1994 assault weapons ban, which ended in 2004 when Congress failed to renew it. Photos of the Newtown victims filled a poster behind Feinstein as she opened Wednesday's hearing by saying a renewed push for an assault weapons ban was necessary "because the massacre in Newtown was sadly not an anomaly." Citing seven mass shootings in 2012 that included notorious incidents in Aurora, Colorado, and the Connecticut attack, Feinstein said "we cannot allow the carnage I have described to continue." Her proposal would ban the manufacture or sale of hundreds of semi-automatic weapons modeled after military assault rifles, as well as ammunition magazines that can hold more than 10 rounds. Anticipating arguments by the NRA and other opponents, Feinstein made clear the proposal only applied to future sales, saying anyone who legally owns one of the weapons targeted could keep it. In addition, the legislation specifically excludes more than 2,000 kinds of shotguns and other firearms designed and used for hunting and sporting purposes, she noted. A video clip she played showed how legal semi-automatic rifles can be easily modified to fire like fully automatic weapons that are banned under current law. Republican opponents of Feinstein's proposal argued that the 1994 ban proved ineffective, citing studies that determined the law had no direct effect in reducing gun violence. In one of several clashes between legislators and witnesses, conservative Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina challenged Milwaukee Police Chief Edward Flynn over a lack of prosecutions of people who failed to pass background gun checks. When Graham said the low number of prosecutions showed current laws weren't being enforced, Flynn angrily responded that police officers have to prioritize resources and go after armed criminals instead of "chasing paper," such as failed background checks. "We don't chase paper. We chase people who have guns illegally," Flynn said, talking over Graham's efforts to stop him. Another witness, U.S. Attorney John Walsh of Colorado, later responded to a similar argument from conservative Sen. John Cornyn of Texas by saying that "we go for the worst of the worst." "The worst of the worst is a bad guy actually using a gun," Walsh said, adding that the 1.5 million gun sales rejected by a failed background check was "a record of success" regardless of how many prosecutions ensued. Feinstein and other supporters also noted that limits on ammunition magazines would require attackers in mass shootings to reload more frequently, providing more time to stop them. However, witnesses opposed to limits on weapons contended Feinstein's proposal would be open to legal challenge, and would give criminals who acquire weapons illegally an advantage over law-abiding gun owners. Former Rep. Sandy Adams, R-Florida, said it was not the time for "feel-good legislation so you can say you did something." "Taking guns from law-abiding citizens while leaving them defenseless against violent criminals, who by their very definition do not abide by the law, is not the answer and it is definitely not the right thing to do," she said in her opening statement. The reference to "feel-good legislation" drew a rebuke from Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Illinois, who told Adams that he was sorry she used the phrase. "I don't feel good about being here today," Durbin said. "Mr. Heslin does not feel good about being here today." Feinstein noted that the 1994 ban was challenged repeatedly in federal courts on multiple grounds, including Second Amendment protections, and survived each time. In his opening statement, Republican Sen. Chuck Grassley of Iowa conceded that some gun legislation would emerge in the aftermath of the Newtown killings. In particular, he said, new laws would target gun trafficking and straw purchases -- in which a legal buyer purchases firearms for others who are ineligible. The Judiciary Committee chairman, Sen. Patrick Leahy of Vermont, was adamant Sunday that expanded background checks would not include provisions to register gun owners. But he said that responsible Americans looking to purchase firearms shouldn't fear robust checks. To Lanae Erickson Hatalsky of Third Way, an independent policy group, what she called "political reality" means that Congress will focus more on keeping weapons out of the wrong hands instead of a new weapons ban. That strategy reflects "an understanding of gun crime in the country," she told CNN earlier this month. The NRA and other opponents contend that any limit on private gun ownership violates the constitutional right to bear arms. Even partial steps in that direction, such as prohibiting specific models, are considered a path to potential confiscation or other future elimination of Second Amendment rights, they argue. In recent decades, the NRA has led lobbying efforts that shifted the discussion away from stronger gun controls -- such as an outright ban on handguns and a national registration of gun ownership pushed by top Democrats in the 1980s and 90s -- to the incremental measures under consideration now. Erickson Hatalsky, the director of social policy and politics at Third Way, noted examples of the NRA's influence in the last significant gun legislation -- the Brady Bill of 1993 that required background checks on guns purchased from licensed dealers, followed by the limited assault weapons ban a year later. While the Brady Bill led to the background check system in use today, the NRA made sure it didn't apply to private sales, such as those at gun shows, she said. NRA President David Keene has said he expected few substantive changes in law because the emotional reaction to the Newtown shooting would eventually give way to common sense regarding gun rights and the wishes of American gun owners. His organization keeps a scorecard for each Washington legislator on gun issues, and spends millions on campaign contributions to favored candidates. In Congress, some influential Democrats join virtually all Republicans in opposing, or at least questioning, a renewed ban on semi-automatic weapons like the Bushmaster AR-15-style rifle used in the Newtown shootings. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, who gets high marks from the NRA for his opposition to past gun control efforts, has indicated support for expanding background checks but refuses to endorse a new weapons ban. According to Reid, a bill from the Judiciary Committee was unlikely to include an updated weapons ban, but he would allow a vote on the provision during floor debate. Such a vote would amount to Feinstein's last stand on the issue. | Sobbing father of Newtown victim says that "I am his voice" Sen. Feinstein continues her push for a ban on some semi-automatic weapons . The NRA opposes any kind of weapons ban . The legislative focus is on gun trafficking, straw purchases and background checks . | 9b7bb9a0340f27e482f509e1f8f8fdb929474812 |
(CNN) -- Roger Federer suffered a surprise defeat to Czech Tomas Berdych in the fourth round of the Sony Ericsson Open in Miami. The Swiss top seed was a long way from his best as Berdych edged a tight battle 6-4 6-7 (3-7) 7-6 (8-6). Federer had a match point in the deciding tie-break but missed his chance with a wayward forehand, allowing Berdych to claim the victory three points later. Federer, who won the latest of his record 16 Grand Slam singles titles at the Australian Open in January, had only lost once to Berdych in nine previous meetings. "It's no secret I've struggled the last five matches I've played here in the States," Federer told the official ATP Tour Web site. "I'm definitely lacking timing. I don't know where that comes from because I played so nicely in Australia. So it's disappointing to not be able to back it up." They were joined in the quarterfinals by American Andy Roddick, who fought back from 4-1 down to defeat Germany's Benjamin Becker 7-6 (7-4) 6-3. Fourth seed Rafael Nadal beat fellow Spaniard and 15th seed David Ferrer 7-6 (7-5) 6-4 and will next face eighth seed Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, who trounced Juan Carlos Ferrero of Spain 6-2 6-2. Fifth seed Robin Soderling of Sweden progressed with a 6-0 6-7 (3-7) 6-2 victory over Chile's Fernando Gonzalez, while Mardy Fish of the U.S. was forced to retire while trailing 6-1 1-0 against 13th seed Mikhail Youzhny. In the women's tournament, Venus Williams advanced to the semi-finals with a 6-3 6-1 victory over Agnieszka Radwanska. She will face France's former Wimbledon finalist Marion Bartoli, who beat Yanina Wickmayer 6-4, 7-5. Williams, who had required three sets to defeat Daniela Hantuchova in the previous round, was delighted to have had an easier ride this time around. "Getting through a match like yesterday makes me more confident because it wasn't exactly my best game," she told the tournament's official Web site. "Today I was kind of eager to clean up my act. We had some really good rallies and really good points, but I just see me keep coming out on top, so of course I like that." | Roger Federer loses to Tomas Berdych at Sony Ericsson Open fourth round in Miami. Federer wastes a match point before losing deciding set on a tie-break. Venus Williams beats Agnieszka Radwanska to advance to women's semifinals. | da7d3229314912c5839a2c85cdce9da2d87b84b4 |
By . Ellie Zolfagharifard . There is nothing you can’t buy online, it seems. Whether it’s an obese, naked sculpture of Arnold Schwarznegger or a 'fine art' painting of Paris Hilton, your dream item could be just a click away. Amazon and eBay may have dominated the market for unusual tastes in recent years, but now there is a new contender to barter with: Alibaba, the world’s largest bazaar for the peculiar. A popular piece is the life-size, obese statue of Arnold Schwarzenegger. The sculpture is completely naked, apart from shotgun and sunglasses and it could be yours for £9,900 ($16,800) Take for instance, the vast range of used underwear. With many of the items bulk buy, your will need to order 24,000 pieces to get your hand on what is described as ‘lovely used panties’. As Business Insider notes, this is clearly a worthwhile deal as these are not just any used panties. The seller describes them as being ‘hipster’ underwear that is both ‘fashionable’ and ‘elegant’. The website, which aims to connect companies with wholesalers, also boasts some stunning artwork. One company in particular, Zhongshan City Elephant Sculpture Art, is leading the way with its silicone-wax celebrity statues. A popular piece is the life-size, obese statue of Arnold Schwarzenegger. The sculpture is completely naked, apart from shotgun and sunglasses, and it could be yours for £9,900 ($16,800). The female electric nose lifter promises to give you a firmer, higher nose by zapping it with vibrations for just three minutes a day . With many of the items bulk buy, your will need to order 24,000 pieces to get your hand on what is described as ‘lovely used panties’ (left). In the event you need the services of a camel, then you can purchase 500 for around £350 ($600) each (right) Whether it¿s an obese, naked sculpture of Arnold Schwarznegger or a fine art painting of Paris Hilton (pictured), your dream item could be just a click away. This piece is an oil painting on canvas sold by Xiamen Ming Tu Arts . Alibaba, a Chinese online retailer, was virtually unknown outside Asia just a few years ago. The group is now preparing an initial public offering that could raise up to £11.8 billion ($20 billion), according to some estimates. The company, founded by charismatic CEO Jack Ma in his apartment in 1999, controls 80 per cent of all online commerce in the world's second-largest economy. And it's gearing up to conquer the American market next. Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. handled more than 1.5 trillion yuan - about £147 billion ($248 billion) - of transactions for 231 million active users across its three main Chinese online marketplaces in 2013, more than Amazon and eBay Inc combined. It did so with 20,884 full-time workers, fewer than eBay. But if beauty products are more your thing, then Alibaba has some intriguing offers. The female electric nose lifter, for instance, promises to give you a firmer, higher nose by zapping it with vibrations for just three minutes a day. Not to be left out, there is also a wide array of male grooming product for sale. Lovers of Apple products, who also happen to have an embarrassing ear wax problem, can get their hands on a Steve Jobs-banded ear cleaner tool set. The pack contains eight items for ear cleaning and manicuring and is priced at 50p ($0.8) at a minimum order of 2,000 sets. Another popular category on the site is ‘live animals’. In the event you need the services of a camel, then you can purchase 500 for around £350 ($600) each. Unicorn meat (right) and Buddha-shaped pears can also be purchased in bulk on the Chinese retail website . If cutting up bananas is too strenuous, then this gadget could help you reduce both time and effort . And if you want to impress your dinner guests, Alibaba can help in that area too. The site has Buddha-shaped pears on sale, invented by a farmer in China. The £3 ($5) fruit is the invention of Hao Xianzhang who spent six years perfecting the intricate baby pears, carefully crafting each one which grows inside an individual mould. Alibaba was virtually unknown outside Asia just a few years ago, but the Chinese online retailer has now set its sights on global domination. While these products may seem ridiculous, the company has a far more serious goal in sight. The group is preparing an initial public offering that could be the largest opening stock sale in U.S. history - raising up to £11.8 billion ($20 billion), according to some estimates. The company, founded by charismatic chief executive Jack Ma in his apartment in 1999, controls 80 per cent of all online commerce in the world's second-largest economy. You can also purchase 1 million barrels of Libyan crude oil (left) If you don't need that, the how about a ear-wax cleaning kit with Steve Jobs' face on it? (right) You might think excitement over getting an email died with AOL's 'you've got mail' popularity. But if you're one of those people who gets excited every time they get an email, then an LED light which lights up every time your inbox gets a hit, could help you share that excitement . While you're purchasing things for your office, why not take a look at the Pillow Tie - not only does it make you look smart, but it also lets you have a commutable nap at your desk . | A popular piece is a large, naked, obese statue of Arnold Schwarznegger . Other highlights include oil painting of Paris Hilton and nose straighteners . Lovers of Apple products, who also happen to have an embarrassing ear wax problem, can get their hands on a Steve Jobs-banded ear cleaner set . Alibaba online retailer aims to connect small companies with wholesalers . | 92d81b7c359fb02dd5e30764b1f78fc215b4077d |
(CNN) -- Championship leader Mark Webber made it a hat-trick of pole positions as he dominated qualifying for the Turkish Grand Prix in Istanbul on Saturday. Webber lapped in one minute 26.295 seconds to occupy first place on the grid ahead of 2008 world champion Lewis Hamilton in his McLaren. Webber's Red Bull teammate Sebastian Vettel was third fastest, with reigning world champion Jenson Button fourth in the second McLaren. Australia's Webber will be chasing a hat-trick of race victories, after wins in Spain and Monaco, in Sunday's 58-lap race, hoping to pull clear of Vettel in the title race. The teammates are currently tied on 78 points, but Webber is ahead on race victories. He said that his team had finally got to grips with the Istanbul Park circuit in time for the crucial qualifying. "It hasn't been the smoothest of weekends for us in terms of getting the running in. Getting ready for 'quali' things started to get a little bit better," he told the post-qualifying press conference. "I was a little bit on the back foot going in to be honest, but I knew if I dug deep it could be OK. And it worked out for us. "I'm a little bit more confident for tomorrow to be honest." The Red Bull team have claimed all seven poles this season and will be looking to extend their lead in the constructors' championship. Mercedes pair Michael Schumacher, in fifth, and Nico Rosberg will share the third row, but it was another disappointing qualifying session for Ferrari in their 800th grand prix. Felipe Massa of Brazil qualified eighth but two-time world champion Fernando Alonso did not make the top 10 for the final session. The Spaniard made a mistake in Q2 and ended up 12th, the second straight time he has made a hash in qualifying after being forced to start from the pit lane in Monaco. Ferrari team principal Stefano Domenicali was not amused by their showing. "For sure the performance in qualifying was not up to our standard. We don't know why -- and we need to understand. For sure we were expecting much more performance," he told AFP. | Mark Webber on pole for Sunday's Turkey Grand Prix in Istanbul . Webber will occupy the front row of the grid with McLaren's Lewis Hamilton . Webber's Red Bull teammate Sebastian Vettel claims third fastest . Aussie Webber leads Vettel on races won in title race . | e35c3d07dd54243acf4298ee0ce6ea7e4621e90f |
(CNN) -- Rory McIlroy has been handed a fitness boost ahead of the prestigious WGC-Accenture World Match Play Championship in Arizona next week. The Northern Irishman was forced to see a back specialist following last weekend's Dubai Desert Classic, after suffering some discomfort during the tournament -- in which he finished sixth. However, McIlroy, who is playing on the US PGA Tour this season, has been told his problem is nothing more than a slight nerve impingement -- and some rest should see him fit to play in the Tucson event. McIlroy's spokesman, Martin Hardy, told Press Association Sport: "He just needs to rest for a day. McIlory has been told his problem could be linked to the hip movement in his swing and the 20-year-old added: "The physios go backwards and then forwards and that puts a little strain on the lower back. "I do all the exercises I can to make everything stronger around the joints and it is a matter of resting and managing my schedule so that I am not playing too many weeks in a row." | Rory McIlroy handed a fitness boost ahead of WGC-Accenture World Match Play . The Northern Irishman saw a back specialist after last weekend's Dubai Desert Classic . The 20-year-old is suffering from a slight nerve impingement and should be fit for Arizona . | 6ad006f90dc530962fdbdeda1e4329fb74591806 |
GAZA CITY, Gaza (CNN) -- A radical Muslim sheikh's call for the creation of an Islamic emirate in Gaza sparked clashes with Hamas forces that left 21 people dead and injured at least 121 others. Members of Jund Ansar Allah surround Sheikh Abu al-Nour al-Maqdessi in Rafah on Friday. Hamas forces blew up the home of Sheikh Abu al-Nour al-Maqdessi, leader of the radical group Jund Ansar Allah, or Soldiers of the Partisans of God, Hamas sources said. Al-Maqdessi, also known as Abdel Latif Musa, was among the 21 dead, a hospital spokesman told CNN. Friday's clashes were the latest between Gaza's Hamas rulers, who have said they are moderate Muslims pledged to the Palestinian cause, and more extremist Islamic groups. Jund Ansar Allah is part of the radical Islamist movement that follows the doctrines of the "Salaf," or the predecessors -- referring to the early generations of Muslims. They reject all modern influences such as politics and government. In a televised statement, Hamas ministry spokesman Taher Nunu called al-Maqdessi's group "outlaws" and said they have been "terrorizing the country and attacking civilians." "We hold the group and its leader fully responsible for what is happening in Gaza and we offer our condolences to everyone who was killed during the clashes," Nunu said. "No one is above the law and we urge everyone who is a member of this group to surrender himself to the authorities or they will be accountable for all of their actions." The gunfight erupted near a mosque in the southern Gaza city of Rafah, where the cleric delivered his sermon, the sources said. Hamas militants raided the mosque and seized control of it. Later, the fighting spread to al-Maqdessi's home, the sources said. Al-Maqdessi also called for a public meeting at the mosque, posting on the Jund Ansar Allah's Web site an invitation dubbed "the golden advice to the government of (Hamas leader) Ismail Haniya." The group posted a statement on the Web site announcing the establishment of the Islamic emirate in Gaza and proclaiming al-Maqdessi "the commander of the faithful." The statement declared that armed forces in Gaza should unite under him. It urged Muslims everywhere to support the "young emirate" by providing money, weapons and men because "this is the hope of the Muslim nation in raising the banner of monotheism in Palestine and to liberate all the lands and purify Al-Aqsa mosque from the filth of the damned Jews." Al-Aqsa mosque is in Jerusalem. The group accused Hamas of not being Islamic enough, saying they care more about pleasing "tyrants" than "obeying God." But Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zahri dismissed statements about the establishment of an Islamic emirate as "theoretical." "It is not permitted to any party or individual to enforce their own laws because this is the responsibility of the security forces," he said. CNN's Talal Abu-Rahman in Gaza City, Gaza, contributed to this report. | Sheikh Abu al-Nour al-Maqdessi killed in battle with Hamas forces, officials say . Al-Maqdessi was leader of Islamist movement that rejects politics, government . Al-Maqdessi had sought creation of Islamic emirate in Gaza . | d94139d83ce6155e6454492aa1fd56b34973c4ff |
(CNN) -- Thousands of mourners filled a Tracy, California, high school gym Thursday to remember slain 8-year-old Sandra Renee Cantu. Sandra Cantu, 8, had been missing almost two weeks before her body was found. The little girl made national headlines after she went missing March 27 from a mobile home park in Tracy where she lived with her family. She was on her way to a friend's home and her playful skipping down an alley was caught by a surveillance camera. Police later found her body stuffed into a suitcase and submerged in a pond at a nearby dairy farm. Photos of Sandra, flowers and stuffed animals covered the front of the stage. Family members, friends and state dignitaries memorialized the child during a ceremony that lasted just over an hour. The printed program called the memorial service "A Celebration of Life," and organizers said they hoped the service would help ease the pain the community has suffered since Sandra's disappearance. "We are left with the haunting image of her skipping on the streets of Tracy. But today she is skipping on the streets of gold, into the arms of a loving God", said Brent Ives, mayor of Tracy. Cindy Sasser, principal at Jacobsen Elementary School told mourners, "We should all strive to be like Sandra -- always smiling, wanting to help, to look out for others and to be caring." The service included a video that showcased some of the family's favorite photos. People from across California attended, filling the gymnasium, cafeteria and the football stadium at West High School. Melissa Huckaby, 28, a Sunday school teacher who lived in the same mobile home park as Sandra's family, has been charged with murder, kidnapping, the performance of a lewd and lascivious act on a child under 14, and rape by instrument. If convicted, she would face the death penalty or life in prison without parole, San Joaquin County District Attorney James Willett said this week. A private memorial service for Sandra was held Wednesday. Her casket, signed by classmates, was taken to a nearby burial site by a horse-drawn carriage. | NEW: Photo montage shown at service for Sandra at a high school in Tracy . Girl, 8, disappeared March 27; her body was found in suitcase on April 6 . Police arrested Melissa Huckaby, 28, and charged her with killing and raping Sandra . If convicted, Huckaby faces the death penalty or life in prison without parole . | 054de19b1c5e94bdf6132f842e2cfbdb5b7055ed |
Russia and China have expressed growing concern about a possible American military strike against Iran over its nuclear programme. And this week the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) is to . publish a damning report with 'compelling evidence' that Iran is secretly building an arsenal of nuclear warheads. Fresh details suggest that Iran could even be . 'nuclear ready' within months. And laying bare the disturbing extent of the country’s atomic weapons programme will increase calls in the United States for pre-emptive action against the Islamic state. And that plays into the hands of Israeli prime minister Binyamin Netanyahu, who is said to be pushing for an airstrike on Iran’s nuclear facilities. The Iranian nuclear power plant in Bushehr, southern Iran - a site that may be targeted in a mooted military strike . However, Iran has threatened to retaliate by blocking the Strait of Hormuz, severing 40 per cent of the world’s oil supplies. Russia's foreign minister today became the latest critic of any proposed action against Iran warning it would be 'a very serious mistake fraught with unpredictable consequences'. Sergei Lavrov added: 'The only path . for removing concerns is to create every possible condition' to resume . the talks between Iran and six world powers, which broke down last . December. China has also expressed concern about a military strike against Iran, but has also urged Tehran not to be confrontational with the IAEA. Moscow . and Beijing have signaled concern that the report will box Iran into a . corner and dim any chance of diplomacy resolving the dispute, which has . the potential to spark a wider conflict in the Middle East. Concerns: Russia's foreign minister Sergei . Lavrov, right, warned any action against Iran would be 'a very serious . mistake.' China's foreign minister Yang Jiechi, left, has also expressed . concern . 'The Russians in particular have been lobbying quite intensively,' one senior Western diplomat said. Meanwhile former U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has weighed in to slam Iran saying the U.S. should consider . even tougher penalties against the Iranian government and 'be doing . everything we can to bring it down.' Rice told ABC's This Week that the U.S. should never take the option . of military force off the table when it comes to dealing with Iran. The current Iranian government is trying to obtain a nuclear . weapon and has repressed its own people, she said. 'The regime has . absolutely no legitimacy left,' she added. Israeli President Shimon Peres has also expressed a determination to launch a military strike against Iran. New UN evidence suggesting Iran was helped by several foreign scientists could provide further headache for Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad . 'The . possibility of a military attack against Iran is now closer to being . applied than the application of a diplomatic option,' he said over the weekend. 'I . estimate that intelligence services of all these countries are looking . at the ticking clock, warning leaders that there was not much time . left,' he added. Republican candidate Rick Perry, last week came out to back an Israeli air strike on Iran. The Texas Governor said he would support Israel on the matter if there is proof Tehran is moving closer to having a nuclear weapon. The news comes as a former Soviet weapons expert and scientists in Pakistan and North Korea are all believed to have aided Iran in its nuclear quest, according to the United Nations. Former Soviet weapons scientist Vyacheslav Danilenko allegedly taught Iranians how to build high-precision detonators that could trigger a chain reaction, according to UN evidence. Danilenko was believed to have been contracted by Iran's Physics Research Centre, linked to the country's nuclear programme, in the mid 1990s. He allegedly gave lectures and shared research on developing and testing bombs that Iran then incorporated into their warhead design, according to Washington Post sources with access to IAEA's files. However, while Danilenko acknowledged his role he also said he believe his work was limited to assisting civilian engineering projects, the sources added. There is also no evidence that Russia knew of Danilenko's Iranian activities. Weapons experts added that Iran relied on foreign scientists for mathematical formulas and codes, some of which may have come from North Korea. The design for a neutron initiator by father of Pakistan's nuclear programme, Abdul Qadeer Khan, was also discovered in Iran, sources said. The latest intelligence provided to UN nuclear officials, due for publication on Wednesday and obtained by the Washington Post, suggests former Soviet weapons scientist Vyacheslav Danilenko allegedly taught Iranians how to build high-precision detonators that could trigger a chain reaction during the mid 1990s.' But it makes clear the Iranians want to be able to build such weapons quickly if need be. And thanks to outside help, the Iranians are now on 'the threshold' of making a nuclear warhead small enough to fit on top of a ballistic missile, says the study. One key technical breakthrough, say the IAEA’s intelligence sources, is that Iran has learnt how to design a device known as an R265 generator. It added there was also evidence to suggest other . precision technology linked to experts in Pakistan and North Korea had . helped advance Iran's nuclear capabilities. Iranian officials appear unconcerned. Iran’s foreign minister and former nuclear official, Ali Akbar Salehi, told the Mehr News Agency: 'Let . them publish and see what happens,' adding that the uproar over the . country's nuclear programme was '100 per cent political' and that the . IAEA is 'under pressure from foreign powers.' Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said on Sunday the U.S. feared Iran's growing military power because it is now able to compete with Israel and the West. 'Yes, . we have military capabilities that are different from any other country . in the region,' he said. 'Iran is increasing in capability and . advancement and therefore we are able to compete with Israel and the . West and especially the United States.' 'The U.S. fears Iran's capability. Iran will not permit (anyone from making) a move against it.' Proof: A test-fire launch of a short-range missile in Iran. The UN now has a 'compelling case' that Iran is building an arsenal of nuclear weapons . Iran is conducting its secret nuclear programme at the Parchin military base, near Tehran, according to sources close to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). Iran has allegedly carried out experiments in the final, critical stage for developing nuclear weapons, including explosions real and simulated. These have been carried out in a bus-sized container spotted on satellite photos, according to reports. U.S. intelligence agencies are thought to have believed the base is suitable for developing nuclear weapons for around eight years. The Iranians have rejected an IAEA request to visit Parchin in the past, arguing the IAEA rules allowed it to deny such visits to military bases. Now the site is under scrutiny again as a suspected location for covert nuclear activity. One . part of the IAEA's report is thought to reinforce concerns that Iran . continued its nuclear programme after 2003 - the year that U.S. intelligence agencies believed it had bowed to international pressures . to halt experiments. One . Iranian document suggests scientists had been discussing plans to start a . four-year study of neutron initiators beginning in 2007 - four years . after the 2003 deadline, according to sources. 'The programme never really stopped,' David Albright, a former UN weapons inspector who has seen the intelligence files said according to the Washington Post. 'After 2003, money was made available for research in areas that sure . look like nuclear weapons work but were hidden within civilian . institutions,' he added. Tehran denies secretly trying to develop nuclear weapons, insisting it is enriching uranium for reactors to generate electricity. But Iran has become increasingly belligerent in recent weeks and tensions are continuing to mount over its ambitions. The country's history of concealing sensitive nuclear activity and its refusal to suspend work that can potentially yield atomic bombs have already been punished by four rounds of U.N. sanctions, and separate U.S. and European punitive steps. Earlier this week, it was revealed Britain was drawing up contingency plans for any military action. Commanders . were working out how to deploy Navy submarines equipped with Tomahawk . cruise missiles in case President Barack Obama decides to launch missile . strikes against Iranian bases. Israel’s prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu and defence minister Ehud Barak are reportedly agitating for pre-emptive action. Mr Netanyahu is seeking Cabinet support for an attack and earlier this week Israel test-fired a new long-range missile. | Fears mount that Iran could be 'nuclear ready' in a matter of months . UN intelligence suggests Iran was helped by foreign experts - including rogue Russian scientist . Russia foreign minister says any military action would be a 'serious mistake' Condoleezza Rice: 'We must do everything we can to bring Iran down' Mahmoud Ahmadinejad remains defiant . | e3bd1097ef98cbeab4f65251c7686ada39367360 |
(CNN) -- Seth Rogen and James Franco do not amuse North Korea whose president Kim Jong Un is apparently livid over the October release of "The Interview," a comedy starring Rogen and Franco as TV people trying to score an interview with Kim, but are recruited by the CIA to take the president out. Seriously, folks: Is this comedy really supposed to be an "act of war," as a spokesman for the North Korean foreign ministry contends in a letter to the United Nations? Does it constitute grounds for what the statement warns will be "a decisive and merciless countermeasure" against the United States? Would it surprise you to know that these vitriolic reactions against a movie come from people who haven't seen the whole movie, but come by their assertions from watching the trailer ... and only the trailer? Of course it wouldn't. Even in the U.S., there are humorless citizens who want to ban books based on nothing more than jacket blurbs. But this saber-rattling is well, kind of extreme. Can anything be done to pull us from the brink? Maybe ... just maybe ... there's somebody who can save the day, someone who can do the world a solid. One man ... one unlikely man... Let's make that a very unlikely man. ... And let's now imagine (only imagine) the following exchange in the president's home entertainment center, where the leader of North Korea has just finished screening the trailer for "The Interview" for this unlikely hero, this very good Friend of Kim's (FOK): . KIM JONG UN: Well? DENNIS RODMAN (rubbing his eyes from beneath his dark glasses): Well, what, man? KIM JONG UN: What do you think? Should I declare war over this? DENNIS RODMAN: Hey, man, I dunno ... I mean, if it was me, I'd stay in Miami with Riley, but if LeBron wants to go ... KIM JONG UN: What? No ... NO! I'm not talking about LeBron James! DENNIS RODMAN: Good. Cause I'm sick of hearing about him. So what you wanna go to war over? KIM JONG UN: THIS! This ... movie which insults me, tells people I speak dolphin and don't urinate ... DENNIS RODMAN: Oh, snap! (giggling) Yeah, I remember that line. Now, where did I hear that anyway? KIM JONG UN: (barely containing himself): Just NOW! I showed you this trailer for "The Interview," it's... DENNIS RODMAN: You mean that wasn't the whole movie? Damn. Pretty funny, anyway.... KIM JONG UN: Funny? You think it's funny these decadent Americans want to kill me? DENNIS RODMAN: (peering around the room) What's funny is I don't see any guns pointed at you, brother...You see my drink anywhere? KIM JONG UN: (indignant, raging) This movie threatens my life. And if it threatens my life, it threatens the people of North Korea... DENNIS RODMAN: C'mon, man, turn down the volume. I've seen these cats in movies before. The people they play are too messed up to do anything straight. And if there's anything I know about, it's about being messed up. KIM JONG UN: THIS IS MY LIFE, NOT YOURS!! I'LL... DENNIS RODMAN: What you need to do, Kim, is take this mess over for yourself. You got to make the bad publicity work FOR you. They've been saying all kinds of mess about me for years and I let it roll off me. I even let them think I'm in on the joke by doing ads and comedy sketches and stuff against me. Hell, it it'd been me, I'd have asked for points as soon as they bought the script. KIM JONG UN: (bewildered, still seething) I don't understand you... DENNIS RODMAN: That's it exactly, bro. Nobody does. And I make it work for me. I don't even know what I'm doing half the time. And don't care either. KIM JONG UN: Sooo...how do I do this? "Own" this thing like you say.... DENNIS RODMAN: I dunno. You could do your own trailer and make it about your own self or, maybe...threaten reprisals or something like that.... KIM JONG UN: I...just did that.... DENNIS RODMAN: Well, there it is, K. You just delivered a whole buncha tickets to those dudes. They gotta give you points now. KIM JONG UN: Points...like in basketball.... DENNIS RODMAN: Don't ask me. I only do rebounds. You sure you didn't take my drink away? | A new American comedy about North Korea has upset president Kim Jong Un . Gene Seymour: Seriously, folks, can a comedy really be an "act of war"? He says maybe Dennis Rodman can talk Kim out of his anger . Seymour: Let's imagine what Kim and Rodman would say to each other . | f8e7df31ec586068ae95660b446485ff625d123d |
By . Michael Zennie . and Meghan Keneally . Two videos taken by passengers aboard Southwest Airlines Flight 345 reveal panic in the cabin after the nose landing gear unexpectedly collapsed as the plane touched down at New York's LaGuardia Airport on Monday. Bryan Foster happened to be filming out the window of the Boeing 737-700 as it came in for a landing and the shock of the plane's nose hitting the runway knocked the camera out of his hand. When he regained his composure and pointed the lens out o the window again, he captured sparks flying from the wing-mounted engine as it dragged along the pavement. New Yorker Aidan Mack captured a similarly terrifying scene from her seat aboard the plane, filled with 144 passengers and six crews members. Her video shows some passengers beginning to panic after they were shaken by the hard jolt with no warning. SCROLL DOWN FOR VIDEO . Sparks can be seeing flying from the Boeing 737's jet engine as it drags along the tarmac of Runway Four at LaGuardia airport after crash-landing Monday . Panic: Some passengers suddenly stood up after the plane came to a halt and demanded to get off the plane. Most, though, remained calm . WABC-TV reports that Ms Mack's story is even more incredible because she is deaf. She struggled to understand what was happening and fought panic - because she was unable to hear any of the announcements in the cabin. 'For me, it was just frantically trying to figure out the situation by watching the body language and the expressions of my fellow passengers, but I was really quite unique in that situation and all alone,' she told the TV station through sign language. Ms Mack's video footage shows some panicked passengers stand and scream after the crash-landing. Most, though, remained calm. Mr Foster, a Louisana-native, told Pix11 that he had no warning of what was about to happen when the landing gear gave way. 'We’re just approaching, we’re just coming in for a landing. I’m just filming with my GoPro (camera), out the window. And then we hit. That was the impact. It knocked the camera out of my hand,' he said. 'So I had to gather myself. So now I’m looking around. I’m looking around the cabin now and wondering what’s going on. I put the camera back out the window, and as you can see the engine is sparking as we skidded across the tarmac.' Southwest Airlines passenger Bryan Foster never realized he would be filming an air disaster when he held up his GoPro camera out the window as Flight 345 landed . Rattled: The jarring crash of the jetliner's nose on the tarmac left passengers shaken - along with the cameras inside the cabin . Within seconds of the plane coming to a halt, one panicked passenger can be heard trying to get off the plane. 'Open the doors! Can we open the doors?' he shouts. Another passenger tells the man to calm down. Finally, a flight attendant addresses the passengers who have stood up on the public address system, saying 'Ladies and gentlemen, we are not there yet. You need to take your seats.' Ten people were injured on the flight - which originated from Nashville, Tennessee. Six were taken to the hospital, though their injuries were described as minor. Passengers stayed in the cabin for nearly an hour before they were evacuated on the plane's inflatable ramps. Another video, obtained by NBC New York, shows the plane crash-landing at New York's La Guardia Airport at around 5.45pm on Monday as it arrived from Nashville, Tennessee with 144 passengers and six crew members on board. Frightening: A Southwest flight crash-landed at New York's La Guardia airport Monday evening after the landing gear unexpectedly fell off the plane . Caught on tape: A grainy video of the plane skidding down the runway for 15 seconds was released Tuesday morning just as the airport fully reopened . 'There was a loud crash and the plane skidded for 10 or 15 seconds,' flyer Mary Anne Sperry said. 'The doors weren’t being opened and smoke was filling up the cabin,' she told The New York Post. Airline officials are still trying to determine what caused that landing gear to malfunction as they said there was no advance warning of a problem. 'The aircraft skidded down the runway on its nose and then veered off and came to rest in the grass area,' said Thomas Bosco, acting director of aviation for the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. The airport was closed for more than an hour, delaying thousands of travelers. On board: Around 150 people were aboard the Boeing 737 when it skidded off the runway and came to a stop on its front landing gear, pictured . One passenger posted this picture on Instagram of passengers escaping the plane through the inflatable sliding ramps while emergency crews look on . Passengers ran to safety after evacuating the crippled jetliner on Monday evening . One runway reopened and was operating by 8pm, and the entire airport was fully reopened Tuesday morning. Stranded travelers at the busy New York airport posted photos of fire engines hosing down the nose of the plane. Officials say the landing gear came down, but then collapsed as the plane touched down. Mr Bosco said there was no indication there was a problem with the landing gear before the pilot touched down in spite of reports that the flight was initially delayed in Nashville because of a problem relating to the tires. 'From what we know, the aircraft landed on runway 4 and the landing gear collapsed, specifically the nose landing gear,' he said. Witnesses reported seeing sparks flying as the nose of the plane skidded to a stop on the runway. 'I heard some people gasp and scream. I looked over and saw sparks flying at the front of the plane,' Bobby Abtahi, a lawyer who was waiting for a different flight and watching out of the terminal, said of his view of the crash. Three injuries were reported aboard the Southwest Airlines Boeing 737-700 jetliner, which was bound from Nashville, Tennessee . No injuries: Southwest Airlines Flight 345 crash-landed at New York City's LaGuardia Airport on Monday evening. It was forced to slide on the tarmac after its front landing gear failed to deploy . The plane was carrying 143 passengers and five crew members. Three minor injuries have been reported . Passengers . were forced to stay in their seats and wait aboard the plane for more . than 45 minutes before they could be evacuated. Everyone . was evacuated safely within an hour of the landing - sliding down the . inflatable chutes that extended from the doorways. It . is unclear what caused the malfunction. The rear landing gear on the plane extended normally. Witnesses told CNN that an emergency crew did not appear to be standing by on LaGuardia's Runway Four when the plane crash-landed. The . apparent mechanical failure comes just more than two weeks after Asiana . Airlines Flight 214 crash landed at San Francisco International . Airport, killing three Chinese students and injuring dozens. Bobby Abtahi, a businessman from Dallas, Texas, tweeted photographs of the cripples plane from the American Airlines Admirals Club. 'Wow. Wheels just came off southwest flight at LGA,' he wrote. Dancer Simirin Player, who was aboard the plane, posted a photo of herself safely outside the jet on Instagram. 'Just crash landed in Laguardia airport in NYC!! Thanks be to God that nobody was hurt! Scariest thing ever!!!' she said. Rescue: Passengers escaped via inflatable ramps, pictured, with nine treated for minor injuries . The disabled plane is seen here with its tail jutting into the air and its nose planted on the tarmac . | Boeing 737-700 was bound for New York from Nashville, Tennessee . Southwest Airlines Flight 345 carried 144 passengers and six crew members . Ten passengers treated for minor injuries at the scene and six hospitalized . Pilots reported possible problems with landing gear before touching down . | 0fa424fd8117eec10af622dfb997cd9e1f005a76 |
(CNN) -- I was working at my desk in D.C., following race reports from Boston on Twitter, wondering as I do every year if I'll ever be fast enough to qualify. The elite runners had long ago crossed the finish line and the back of the pack was ambling along when the door burst open and several colleagues rushed in. "There's been a bomb at the marathon!" My heart sank. I knew they were telling me as a journalist, but I heard it as a runner. New details, new questions in Boston . For well over a century, Boston has been hallowed ground for those of us who run. Boston is where the endless miles of training -- in rain, heat and snow -- lead. Boston is where the agony of the hills and the brutality of the stopwatch are pounded into submission by 26.2 miles of glory. It does not matter if you finish first or last. Simply being in that legendary race is the goal. Forever dreaming of it is the reality for most of us. And then, in 12 horrific seconds, a sporting event that has inspired, challenged and rewarded Americans for more than a century was turned into something awful, ugly and painful. 5 viral stories that aren't true . Make no mistake: Any decent runner in the land will tell you that nothing about the race even slightly matters compared to the suffering and grief of those people caught in the blasts. Some runners who had just covered nearly the whole course were among the first to rush over and offer aid. No matter how many years of effort they'd spent to reach the race, they knew there were real victims here, and the finish line didn't matter anymore. I have covered many explosions, massacres, wars, natural disasters and horrific accidents. I know that human loss should always trump all else. But I've also learned that sometimes other things are lost, as well, and even if they don't matter as much as the human suffering, they matter just the same. Take the pledge to run for Boston . And for so many of us who take to the roads, paths and trails, the essence of running is freedom; our freedom to step outside, stretch our legs and fly along the ground wherever we choose for as long as we please. It is a celebration of human ability and excellence. It is a struggle. It is a triumph. And this was an attack on all of that. The point of terrorism is to terrify, to drive us all away from the open roads, to force us into hiding, to make us shrink from each other and from public spaces, to make us run...away. The human spirit is still alive . I worked all day covering the blasts. I collected information on the victims, the investigation and the hunt for suspects. I checked in on friends who'd been at the race. The phone rang late as I was finally wrapping up. It was my older daughter at Georgia Tech. We marathoned together a few years back, and we still join each other for races whenever we can. "How are you," I asked. "Not great," she said. "It's all so sad. I went for a run. You understand." I do. And I know she was not alone. I know as sure as I breathe that in all the depressing, bewildering hours since the attacks, that this has been the answer from runners all across our land. They have strapped on their shoes, stepped outside and in silent tribute they have run. They have run in defiance of those who would presume upon our freedom. They have run in respect for those who died or who were hurt cheering on this silly sport we love. They have run as we've always run, to test the limits of human possibility; not to defeat others, but to improve ourselves. They have run as I will run...for Boston. | For many runners, the bombings in Boston have left a unique wound . The peace of the road was shattered in 12 seconds of horror . "The point of terrorism is to terrify... to make us run...away." | 4e4958391ad0b6c20e197039e24953e1f70a0748 |
Philadelphia (CNN) -- A judge Thursday dismissed felony sexual assault charges against a Roman Catholic priest arrested in July on allegations of sexually abusing a 10-year-old boy in 1997. At Thursday's preliminary hearing, Philadelphia Municipal Court Judge Karen Yvette Simmons dismissed felony involuntary deviate sexual intercourse and sexual assault charges against Andrew McCormick, 56. Simmons still remanded the case for trial on the misdemeanor charges of indecent assault, corrupting the morals of a minor and endangering the welfare of a child, according to the Philadelphia district attorney's office. The district attorney's office will re-file the felony charges against McCormick as well as file an appeal to determine if the felony charges should have been properly held for court based on the alleged victim's testimony. "The Commonwealth is very confident that all the felony charges will be reinstated and McCormick will then be sent to trial in the Court of Common Pleas on all charges," Tasha Jamerson, district attorney spokeswoman said in a statement. McCormick befriended the former altar boy, now 25, while he was a pastor St. John Cantius Church in Bridesburg, Pennsylvania, District Attorney Seth Williams said in July following his arrest. The man alleged that the abuse occurred in the church rectory and involved one incident of "sexual contact." The alleged victim testified Thursday that the sexual activity occurred when he was 10 years old, according to the district attorney's office. "It was a huge win today," said defense attorney William J. Brennan. "I believe his (complaining witness) motives are suspect. Father McCormick has overwhelming support from the community. He's innocent until proven guilty." Barbara Blaine, president of the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, expressed disappointment that the felony charges were dropped. "It's tempting to be complacent, do nothing, and assume that McCormick will get convicted on the remaining charges. But that's irresponsible. We must all do all that we can to protect kids. Every single victim, witnesses an whistleblower must summon the strength and step forward so that predators will be kept from children," Blaine said in a statement. Ordained in 1982, McCormick was one 21 priests placed on administrative leave by the Archdiocese of Philadelphia in March of 2011 in response to a grand jury report. McCormick's most recent post was Sacred Heart Parish in Swedesburg, Pennsylvania, from 2004 to 2011. As a result of the administrative leave, McCormick has not been permitted to exercise his public ministry, administer any of the sacraments, or present himself publicly as a priest, according to the Archdiocese of Philadelphia. McCormick was arrested after he was taken into custody outside of Philadelphia, where he was living with his parents. He was released on $150,000 bail. The court took away his passport and he is not allowed contact with the alleged victim, or with children or youth involved with the ministry, volunteer work or any charities, according to the district attorney's office. In December of 2011, the complainant reported the alleged incident to the police department's Special Victims Unit after seeing news coverage of the sexual abuse scandals at Penn State and the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, said Police Capt. John Darby of the Special Victims Unit. McCormick's arrest in July came in the wake of the landmark priest sexual abuse trial in Philadelphia, the result of a 2011 grand jury report that led to criminal charges against three Philadelphia priests and a parochial school teacher for allegedly raping and assaulting boys in their care, and charges against Monsignor William Lynn who was accused of allowing the priests to have access to children. Lynn, 61, was convicted in June of one count of child endangerment, a third-degree felony, the first time a U.S. church leader has been convicted on such a charge. He was given just under the maximum sentence he faced, which was three-and-a-half to seven years in prison. The same jury that convicted Lynn was unable to bring a verdict against his co-defendant, the Rev. James Brennan, who was accused of the attempted rape of a 14-year-old. The trial marked the first time U.S. prosecutors have charged not just the priests who allegedly committed abuses, but also church leaders for failing to stop them. Lynn is the highest-ranking cleric accused of covering up allegations of molestation and rape against priests by transferring them to unwitting parishes. Last month, the Philadelphia district attorney's office announced it would retry Brennan. Defense attorney William J. Brennan, no relation, also represents Rev. Brennan. "Enough is enough," Brennan said of the dropped charges and the district attorney's decision to retry the case against the reverend. "It's time to pack it in." Defrocked priest Edward Avery was due to also go on trial with Brennan and Lynn, but pleaded guilty in March to involuntary sexual deviate sexual intercourse after admitting to sexually assaulting the 10-year-old altar boy during the 1998-1999 school year. The victim, who testified in April, also alleges abuse by the Rev. Charles Engelhardt, who was a priest at the same parish, as well as by Bernard Shero, a teacher at the school. Engelhardt and Shero go on trial in September. | Judge dismisses charges against Andrew McCormick, 56 . McCormick charged with involuntary deviate sexual intercourse and sexual assault . Alleged victim was 10-year-old boy in 1997 . | 55b4da594d10844193784f44329218b927e35c51 |
By . Victoria Woollaston . It's been more than a year since experts announced the remains found in a car park in Leicester were those of King Richard III - but now experts have raised serious concerns about the findings. Michael Hicks, from Winchester University, and archaeologist Martin Biddle, from the Winchester Research Unit, are challenging the results of the DNA testing, and the accuracy of the radiocarbon dating. They are even calling for a coroner's court to be set up to independently review all of the evidence. The University of Leicester concluded the remains, pictured, belonged to the king during a press conference in February last year. Experts from Winchester University are now challenging these findings including the results of the DNA testing and the accuracy of the radiocarbon dating . The remains believed to belong to King Richard III, painting pictured, were uncovered by archaeologists at former church in Leicester in 2012 . The University of Leicester concluded the remains belonged to the king during a press conference in February last year, after the body was excavated in September 2012. They claimed DNA samples matched that of a descendant of the king's maternal line, while the skeleton's spinal curvature also matched accounts of the humpback royal. The team used radiocarbon dating to determine when the skeleton died, and said this confirmed it was around the same time the king was killed during the Battle of Boswroth in 1485. Speaking to BBC History Magazine, . Professor Hicks argued the remains could belong to a victim of any of the . battles fought during the Wars of the Roses: 'Lots of other people who . suffered similar wounds could have been buried in the choir of the . church where the bones were found,' he explained. He . also queried the project's use of radiocarbon dating, which dates the . bones to the period of Richard’s death: 'Such a technique is imprecise. It will give you an era, but nothing more. 'In this case, it covers a period of 80 years.' Professor Hicks went on to question the prominence given to DNA testing in claims about the identity of the remains, too, adding: 'The DNA match could equally be the result of the bones being those of someone descended in the female line from Richard’s mother, Cecily Neville.' King Richard’s grandmother, Joan Beaufort, for example, had 16 children, 'which made her the ancestor of much of the nobility of the Wars of the Roses - quite a few of whom died violently in those conflicts,' continued Professor Hicks. 'Indeed, it is very hard to prove . that the skeleton belongs to a specific person. The Leicester team . themselves acknowledge that it’s extremely rare for archaeologists to . find a known individual, let alone a king.' The University of Leicester concluded . the remains belonged to the king during a press conference in February . last year after the body was excavated in September 2012. The skeleton was described of that of a slender male, in his late 20s or early 30s. Richard was 32 when he died. Pictures also revealed a . distinctive curvature of the spine synonymous with the hunchback king. There was, however, no evidence of a withered arm, which was also part of the Richard myth. While DNA samples matched that of a descendant of the king's maternal . line. The . team used radiocarbon dating to determine when the skeleton died and . said this confirmed it was around the same time the king was killed . during the Battle of Bosworth in 1485. Trauma to the skeleton showed the . king died after one of two significant wounds to the back of the skull - . possibly caused by a sword and a halberd. Experts said this was consistent with contemporary accounts of the monarch being killed after receiving a blow to the head. The skeleton also showed a number of . non-fatal injuries to the head and rib and to the pelvis, which is . believed to have been caused by a wound through the right buttock. The remains were uncovered by archaeologists at former church in Leicester, which is now a social services car park. Professor Hicks argued the remains could belong to a victim of any of the . battles fought during the Wars of the Roses, as 'lots of other people who . suffered similar wounds could have been buried in the choir of the . church.' He . also queried the project's use of radiocarbon dating, because it covers a wide period of 80 years. Professor Hicks . added the DNA match could equally match anyone descended in the . female line from Richard’s mother, Cecily Neville. King . Richard’s grandmother, Joan Beaufort, for example, had 16 children. Professor Biddle continued historians know very little about the graves in the east end of the church and is calling for a coroner's court, or similar, to review the evidence. Professor Biddle echoed these concerns: 'We know very little about the graves in the east end of the church. 'How many burials were made there in the three centuries of the friary’s existence, and indeed after the battle of Bosworth? 'Without further excavation there is . no certainty. Before all this goes any further, it would be wise to be . certain the body really is his. 'Something akin to a coroner’s court . should be set up to consider all the evidence.' Two vertebrae of the skeleton, believed to belong to King Richard III, were found to show abnormal features relating to scoliosis, or curvature of the spine. Leicester University claimed this find corroborates historical accounts of Richard that described him as a hunchback . In . response to the claims Philippa Langley, who commissioned and paid for . the excavation, said: 'To say it cannot be claimed ‘with any confidence’ that this is Richard is quite puzzling. 'Given . the totality of the evidence, it can surely be said with considerable . confidence. Hicks says that there may have been ‘lots of people with . similar wounds’: perhaps he could name one who fits the bill?' Richard, depicted by William . Shakespeare as a monstrous tyrant who murdered two princes in the Tower . of London, died at the Battle of Bosworth Field in 1485, defeated by an army led . by Henry Tudor. According to historical records, his . body was taken 15 miles to Leicester where it was displayed as proof of . his death, before being buried in the Franciscan friary. The team from Leicester University . set out to trace the site of the old church and its precincts in 2012, including . the site where Richard was finally laid to rest. They began excavating the city centre . location in August and soon discovered the skeleton, which . was found in good condition with its feet missing in a grave around 27 inches (68cm) below ground level. It was lying in a rough cut grave with the hands crossed in a manner which indicated they were bound when he was buried. To the naked eye, it was clear the remains had a badly curved spine and trauma injuries to the rear of the head. But archaeologists were keen to make no official announcement until the skeleton had been subjected to months of tests. Meanwhile, a spokesperson from the . University of Leicester added: 'The strength of the identification is . that different kinds of evidence all point to the same result. Hicks is . entitled to his views, but we would challenge and counter them. Professor Hicks concluded: 'I’m not saying that it’s not Richard - . it’s perfectly conceivable that it is - but we are not in a position to . say with any confidence that it’s him. 'Similarly, while the curved spine . suggests the skeleton is Richard’s, the presence of scoliosis does not . represent conclusive proof.' The Battle of Bosworth: Richard, pictured on the . white horse, was killed in battle more than 500 years ago at Bosworth . field, in a battle which marked the end of his line and the rise of the . Tudor . | The findings have been challenged by history and archaeology experts . They said remains could belong to any victim of War of the Roses battles . Equally, the DNA match could be from any descendant of the king’s mother . Researchers are calling for a coroner’s court to consider all the evidence . Meanwhile, Leicester University said its findings all point to the same result and challenges these new claims . Remains were uncovered by in a car park in Leicester in September 2012 . | 79b6f21379c2e722ea4c7e1f250de415ff2707cc |
(CNN) -- How do you like your sport? Blood, sweat, tears and a nailbiting finish, no doubt. But what about death? If it were highly likely at least one competitor would die during a race, would you still watch it on TV? Or place a bet on the outcome? And how different would your answer be if the athletes were not humans, but horses, asks animal welfare activists. Those uncomfortable questions are unlikely to deter the 600 million people in 140 countries tuning in on Saturday to watch the hardest -- and most spectacular -- horse race of its kind in the world; Britain's Grand National. Each year, around 40 thoroughbreds leap over 30 fences in a thrilling 10-minute dash, with more than $300 million bet on the race in the UK alone. Part of the Grand National's huge appeal is the difficult and unpredictable 7.24 kilometer course. But with that difficult and unpredictable course comes a cost -- in the last 50 years of the race, 36 horses have died before crossing the finish line. For animal rights campaigners, the competition is viewed as a cruel death trap. For organizers, and indeed the 70,000 punters attending each year, it's the country's biggest, brightest sporting event. "If you totally nullify the risk of the course, then you also nullify any element of challenge -- and the Grand National is the ultimate challenge," David Williams, spokesman at betting agency Ladbrokes, told CNN. "Each of us has to look into our own souls and ask ourselves if that risk is a price we're willing to pay, and that's not an easy answer." Rich betting tradition . From schools, to offices, and local pubs across the country, the Grand National sweepstake -- in which everyone is allocated a horse to bet on -- is an annual fixture. "It is the biggest betting event of the entire year. It's a very British tradition," Williams said. "Children are brought up with it. I remember watching it with my grandparents and betting with matchsticks." Launched in 1839, the historic race holds a special place in the public's imagination, transcending the sports pages with its dramatic Aintree course and flamboyant Liverpool crowd. And despite two horses fracturing their legs and later being euthanized at last year's race -- including the favorite, Synchronized -- enthusiasm for the competition doesn't appear to be waning. "The bottom line is, it hasn't had a significant impact at all," Williams said. "The betting public don't appear to be particularly put off by the issue of horse welfare." Death trap? Thoroughbreds usually die by falling on one of the fences, breaking a limb, and later being put down. Some also die from injuries during the race or heart attacks. "Other jump races have uniform fences with a standard height of 4 foot 6 inches (1.4 meters)," Dene Stansall, horse racing consultant at Animal Aid, told CNN. "But at the Grand National each fence is a different height, style or slant. The ground might be lower or higher on the take-off or landing side and all these things throw the horse's center of gravity." He said punters remained largely apathetic about horse deaths, continuing to bet in droves. "A lot of people are very blase about it, they don't have any emotional interest other than monetary gain and the thrill of the race," he added. "What you don't see on TV is the horse with a broken back or a bullet in its head. It's horrific to see an animal so desperate to keep up with the pack, struggling to get up on three legs with that one snapped leg just swinging round and round." Or ultimate challenge? Aintree bosses have made safety improvements to the course in recent years, including moving the starting gate 100 yards away from the noisy crowd, and padding the fences with softer materials. "We're working very hard to reduce injuries, but unfortunately you can never totally reduce risk," the race course's managing director, John Baker, told CNN. "Horse deaths are part-and-parcel of life in general. A horse can get injured just as easily exercising in a field." Qatar's six-star luxury hotel...for horses . Baker stressed how well cared-for the thoroughbreds were by dedicated teams of trainers, stablehands and jockeys. Similarly, jockey Katie Walsh, who finished third on Seabass last year, told London's Radio Times this week that the horses were looked-after "better than some children". Asked if he thought the public had been put off by nine horse deaths in the last 10 years, Baker pointed to the huge numbers still watching the race every year. "Eleven million people watched it on the BBC last year -- more than the football, which is supposed to be our national sport," he said. "It suggests that the Grand National remains extremely popular and there's no sign of that decreasing." | Britain's most popular sporting event, The Grand National, will be run on Saturday . Forty horses jump over 30 fences in world's toughest steeplechase race . Thirty-six horses have died in last 50 years in "cruel sport" say animal rights activists . Organizers say it is the greatest challenge for jumps horses, continuing to attract punters . | 9b054438cca7e1ebf39bfe90548148d00788bd69 |
By . Mia De Graaf . PUBLISHED: . 19:33 EST, 8 November 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 19:59 EST, 8 November 2013 . The sith lord would not be happy. Small, winged, with six legs, this is a far cry from the uniformed storm troopers he deployed to spread the Galatic Empire's new order. But there is no mistaking the marks on the back of this moth. The aptly-named Death’s Head Hawkmoth silenced a room of factory workers as it landed on a wooden pallet at the Ricoh factory in Telford, Shropshire, yesterday. The company’s environment officer Andy Whyle, 31, spotted the striking markings on its body, which bear an uncanny resemblance to one of the faceless soldiers. The Force is with you: Death's Head Hawkmoth with markings that look exactly like a Star Wars Stormtrooper . He said: 'It was a bit of a shocker, because it is unusually large it caused quite a stir. 'An employee found it in our warehouse where it had come in from the fields.' It has now been taken to the Shropshire Invertebrate’s Group, where it will be used for breeding. Ecologist Dan Wrench added: 'Sometimes they have skull-like markings on their heads but I’ve never seen them look like a Storm Trooper. Rare: Skull-patterned Death's Head Hawkmoths were used in Silence of the Lambs but this is a new find . 'They really are striking creatures, we are seeing them more and more in the UK - but they eat potatoes. 'Hopefully they won’t get to pest proportions and try and take over like the Galatical Empire. 'They squeak when you go near them too - so they certainly have a lot going for them in terms of entertainment value. 'Perhaps even more so now they have a Star Wars link to them.' The giant moths arrive on British shores in late summer and autumn from their native southern Europe. Star wars: White-armoured storm troopers are deployed by the sith lord to spread the New Order in the films . It is the largest species of moth in the UK with a wingspan of up to five inches. Because of its strange, usually skull-like markings, the moth was thought of as an omen of death. It is probably most famous as a stylised version appeared on the iconic posters for the horror film, the Silence of the Lambs. The moth has an unusual habit of entering beehives in search of honey and, if handled, emits a loud squeaking noise. | The Death's Head Hawksmoth was spotted in Ricoh Factory, Telford . Its skull-patterned cousins were used in Silence of the Lambs and Dali's art . Ecology expert said: 'I've never seen one that looks like a storm trooper' | e8cb57a3013a71e1a812f46dbb4d99e1629c469d |
By . Steve Robson . PUBLISHED: . 06:34 EST, 14 December 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 10:37 EST, 14 December 2012 . This is the heart-warming moment an orangutan who lost an arm after it became trapped in a snare for ten days is released back into the wild. The young male named Pelansi had tried to gnaw his own hand off after the limb become ensnared by the hunter's trap. Luckily a rescue team found him in time to save his life - but the hand and part of his right arm had to be amputated. Road to recovery: Male orangutan Pelansi had to have his hand and part his arm amputated after it became trapped in a hunter's snare . Fear: Animal medics were worried Pelansi wouldn't pull through when he was first found as his condition was so severe . Complex: Animal medics had to perform difficult surgery to remove Pelansi's hand and arm which could not be saved . Horrifying: Pelansi had tried to gnaw his own hand off in a desperate attempt to be free from the snare . Following months of treatment and rehabilitation he is now fully . recovered and is back where he belongs in the forests of West Kalimantan . in Indonesian Borneo. The International Animal Rescue team found Pelansi severely . dehydrated and barely clinging to life near a palm plantation in April. His trapped hand had become necrotic and he had injured his elbow in his desperate attempts to free himself from the trap. Emergency: Medics from International Animal Rescue battle to save Pelansi who was severely dehydrated after being trapped by the snare for around ten days . Desperate: Pelansi's future had looked bleak when he was first found by the International Animal Rescue Team . Back in the swing of it: Pelansi is expected to live a normal life after having his hand and part of his right arm amputated . Under threat: Campaigners say Pelansi's story is a telling example of how orangutans are being threatened by the palm oil industry in Borneo . In the first few days, animal medics were worried he wouldn't pull through. But after complex surgery to amputate his hand, Pelansi has battled . back and vets think he should be able to lead a normal life. Campaigners say the incident highlights how palm oil production is killing off the habitat of the orangutan by clearing forest in order to make more room to grow the crop. According to International Animal Rescue, the land where Pelansi was found is home to a large number of orangutans that have fled from a new palm oil plantation. Palm oil is a widely used in cosmetics and processed food. Alan Knight, from International Animal Rescue, said : 'We have all been eagerly awaiting the day of Pelansi’s release. 'When endangered species like the orangutan are in crisis, every single individual counts. 'Pelansi’s story is cause for celebration, not only because his life has . been saved, but also because his reintroduction into the wild is a small . but symbolic step in support of orangutan conservation.' Desperate: Pelansi has had months of intensive treatment and rehabilitation after surgery to amputate his hand and arm . Delighted: The International Animal Rescue team said they were pleased that they were able to release Pelansi back into the wild . The team: The rescuers who found Pelansi and saved his life in the forests of Borneo . Happy: Pelansi is said to have fully recovered after the trauma of losing his arm . | Young male Pelansi almost died after arm became trapped in snare . Animal surgeons had to amputate his hand and part of right arm . Now fully recovered and should be able to lead a normal life . | 68e233e734a4872ecadade63219b84fa5fb750a8 |
The family of a murder victim is suing a funeral home and a cemetery after their relative's casket popped open during her burial. Mother-of-five Nequia Webb-Davidson, 40, was shot and killed by her husband in a murder-suicide on January 12, 2014, just days after she filed an emergency protection order. As her body was lowered into the grave later that month, the lid scraped against the side and swung open, sending a pile of soil and stones onto the corpse. Grappling to recover the situation, cemetery employees started trying to dig around the plot to make it bigger - leaving the grieving relatives to look on in horror for hours. Eventually, they announced the burial would have to be postponed for a day while they re-sized the hole and cleaned the casket's inner lining. SCROLL DOWN FOR VIDEO . 'Horrifying': Relatives of Nequia Webb-Davidson, who was shot dead by her husband in January 2014, were forced to watch cemetery workers try to force her casket into the ground as soil and rubble fell on her body . Far fewer relatives were able to attend the rescheduled service. In a lawsuit against J. Foster Phillips Funeral Home, Inc. in Jamaica, New York, and Rosehill Cemetery in Linden, New Jersey, the family accuses both firms of 'exacerbating' the tragedy of Webb-Davidson's death. 'It just was a horrifying sight,' Webb-Davidson's sister Kandice Webb told CBS2. 'They tried to fix it, you know make the hole a little bigger and what they did was make a mess... we sat there for hours trying to bury her. 'No one should have to go through that.' Brooklyn-born Webb-Davidson was killed at her family home in Virginia by her veteran husband Terrell Davidson, who served on four tours in Afghanistan and Iraq and reportedly suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder. She left behind five children aged 13 to 21, and was described as 'compassionate' by her family. The suit, filed to Brooklyn Supreme Court on January 25, demands reimbursement for the casket, the burial and the funeral service. Tragic: Webb-Davidson was killed by her veteran husband Terrell Davidson, who served on four tours in Afghanistan and Iraq, before he turned the gun on himself. She had just filed for emergency protection from him . Devastation: Webb-Davidson's family, including her brother (pictured) said the incident exacerbated a tragedy . The family also requests damages for grief and suffering and expenses for relatives who stayed an extra day for the rescheduled service. The family attorney, Ron Katter, says the incident was evidence of incompetence and negligence for which both firms need to be held accountable. 'It was a desecration of the remains,' Katter told 1010 WINS. 'The funeral home showed an incredible amount of disrespect not only for the deceased, but for her family, who had to witness this incompetence and negligence. 'It is tragic enough that the family continues to feel the anguish of their sudden loss but, worse, they still have to experience the horrors that occurred that day at the graveside service.' Representatives for the funeral home and the cemetery have yet to respond to Daily Mail Online's request for a comment. | Nequia Webb-Davidson, 40, was killed by her husband in a murder-suicide in January 2014 days after she filed for emergency protection from him . As her body was lowered into plot in New Jersey cemetery, casket opened . Soil fell onto the corpse, employees spent hours trying to widen the hole . Eventually the family was told they would have to come back the next day . Family is suing cemetery and funeral home for 'exacerbating a tragedy' | 9369a1afdccb195c63000df26815e57ccc240e61 |
By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 14:52 EST, 11 June 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 15:05 EST, 15 June 2012 . Brutal: Roosevelt Mondesir allegedly set his ex-girlfriend and the mother of his child on fire . A woman was severely burned after being covered in gasoline and set on fire by her knife-wielding ex-boyfriend and father of her child, police said. The 40-year-old, who has not been named, suffered the horrific attack outside a 7-Eleven store in South Florida following a row with Roosevelt Mondesir, when they met so that she could pick up her son. She was waiting outside the store in her silver Mercedes at around 3am on Monday when Mondesir showed up in his white Jaguar without the boy and began hurling the fuel over her, Boynton Beach Police spokeswoman Stephanie Slater said. She tried to run away and headed into the store for safety, attempting to hold the door shut. But the 52-year-old man chased her with a large knife, possibly a machete, got the door open to pull her out and then ignited her. In . graphic surveillance video which captured the horrifying attack, a man can be seen threatening a woman with a . large knife, struggling in the doorway of the store. Scroll down for video . Waiting: Ms Breton arrived first in her white Mercedes at around 3am on Monday to the gas station . Tricked: Roosevelt Mondesir showed up but without their son in Boynton Beach, Florida . 'Get away from . me!' she can be heard shouting. They disappear from view until she returns in a massive fireball, screaming and running around the parking lot. The suspect then fled on foot. Officers searched by foot, with a . police dog, and by helicopter before finding Mondesir three hours . later in bushes near the 7-Eleven. He . was charged with attempted first-degree murder and was being treated . for burns at Bethesda Memorial Hospital in Boynton Beach before being . transferred to jail. Surprise attack: Mondesir can be seen running at Ms Breton and pouring gasoline over her . Terror: Ms Breton tried to run and hold the door closed but Mondesir chased after her with a knife, which can be seen in his hand in the doorway . On his Facebook page Mondesir has himself listed as 'engaged' and his employment as a truck driver. He lists his interests as classical music, ESPN and the British comedy series My Family. One of Roosevelt's neighbor in a subdivision of Lake Worth told CBS 12 that she was shocked upon learning about the attack. 'I'm stunned. He's not that kind of person.' Police haven't said what specifically led to the attack, but they have been called to the Lake Worth house multiple times times. Flaming: The pair disappear from view for a moment before the woman runs back across the shot, a human fireball . Horrific: Ms Breton is last seen running around in front of the store, still on fire. She survived the attack . Vendetta: On his Facebook page Roosevelt Mondesir lists himself as an engaged truck driver . In February he was accused of threatening the victim and destroying her furniture, the CBS affiliate reported. In March they were summoned again for a physical altercation. After the woman moved out of the . home, police reports say she received text messages including one that . read 'I'm all about revenge.' It was not known if he had yet obtained an attorney. The victim is expected to survive. She was being treated at Delray Medical Center. | Roosevelt Mondesir was father of victim's son, aged four . Police report claims he had previously texted her 'I'm all about revenge' Woman, 40, expected to survive the attack . | 41f80f15779f705c408362fb2f28ef7b4e73e5c5 |
A body has been found in the hunt for missing student Hannah Graham, the University of Virginia student who went missing more than a month ago. Officers uncovered human remains in Albermarle County, just south of Charlottesville, where Hannah, 18, went missing. The find was made around an abandoned property on a rural road - the area where suspect Jesse Matthew, who has been charged with Hannah's abduction, grew up. The identity of the remains has not yet been confirmed - but officers have called off all other search efforts for Hannah in the meantime. Scroll down for video . Missing: Hannah Graham disappeared in Charlottesville, Virginia, on September 13 . Vanished: Witnesses saw Hannah walking with suspect Jesse Matthew after leaving an off-campus party . Rural woodland: The image above shows the area around which the remains are thought to have been found . Roadblock: Officers closed off the road to the site where Hannah's body was found in Albermarle County . Close: Hannah Graham disappeared one month ago during a night out in Charlottesville, Virginia, after becoming lost in the early hours of the morning . In a press conference this evening, Chief Timothy Longo, Charlottesville police told reporters about the discovery - but said there would be no further detail until tests have taken place. Jesse Leroy Matthew Jr, 32, has been arrested charged with abduction with intent to defile. The sophomore was last seen on a surveillance video walking with kidnapping suspect Jesse Matthew in downtown mall in Charlottesville, Virginia on September 13. He said: 'Sometime before noon today a search team from the Chesterfield County Sheriff's department discovered what appears to be human remains. 'Forensic tests need to be conducted to determine the identity of these remains. But we wanted to be quick in informing the Graham family. Suspect: Jesse Leroy Matthew Jr., 32, has been charged with abduction with intent to defile . Graham family: Hannah's mother and father (front and back right) had recently released a fresh plea for people to look for her . Plea: Sue and John Graham, pictured in a video statement earlier this month, pleaded with people who live in Charlottesville or another county nearby to check their propery for any signs of their daughter . 'Unprecedented': Police officers praised the efforts of searchers, who have been looking for Hannah for the past five weeks . Extensive: Search parties scoured the area around Charlottesville, VA, before finding her around ten miles from where she disappeared . 'This investigation is complicated, it's a complex criminal investigation, it is unlikely that we will have any more information in the near future.' Describing the 'unprecedented' search effort, he said: 'It was 35 days ago since University of Virginia student Hannah Graham disappeared from our downtown pedestrian mall. He added: 'Thousand of hours have been spent by hundreds of law enforcement and civilian volunteers in an effort to find Hannah.' It came days after Sue and John Graham, Hannah's parents, issued a last, passionate plea for Virginians to look out for signs of her. Writing on October 13 - a month after she vanished - they said: 'It is heart-breaking for us that the person or persons who know where Hannah is have not come forward with that information. 'It is within their power both to end this nightmare for all, and to relieve the searchers of their arduous task.' Last sighting: Hannah, seen left, was spotted with Matthew on the night she disappeared - she is pictured above just before 1am . Emotion: Charlottesville Police Chief Tim Longo is overcome with emotional at a press conference announcing the discovery of human remains . Witnesses have said they saw Matthew with Hannah on the night she disappeared. The spot at which the human remains were found, on Old Lynchburg Road in Albermarle County, is not far from where Matthew's mother used to live. He is said to have grown up in the area and to be familiar with it. Virginia State Police have said Matthew's arrest provided a 'forensic link' to the 2009 unsolved murder of Morgan Harrington, a 20-year-old who also went missing from Charlottesville. Link: Police have said DNA evidence connects Hannah's disappearance with that of Morgan Harrington, another student in Virginia who went missing . Concert: Morgan, 20, who was at Virginia Tech, disappeared after going to a Metallica concert in 2009 . Morgan, a student at Virginia Tech, disappeared on October 17 2009 in Charlottesville. Her body was found only a few miles from where the discovery today was made. She had been at a Metallica concert in Charlottesville, but was separated from her friends and left outside of the arena. Witnesses saw her trying to hitch-hike home. Her body was eventually found, more than 100 days after she went missing. Until Matthew was linked to the disappearance, no leads as to who may have taken her had been found. Matthew has never been charged in connection with Morgan, but it was recently revealed that police questioned him - but then let him go. It is now a month since our precious daughter Hannah disappeared. We would again like to express our thanks to Chief Longo, Mark Eggeman, their teams, and all of the wonderful people who have dedicated so much of their time to help search for Hannah. Words cannot adequately express our gratitude to them, and to the many others who have provided us with support throughout this ordeal. We truly appreciate the enormous effort that is being made to find Hannah. It is heart-breaking for us that the person or persons who know where Hannah is have not come forward with that information. It is within their power both to end this nightmare for all, and to relieve the searchers of their arduous task. Again, we would like to urge anyone who has not already searched their property in the city of Charlottesville, or any of the neighboring counties, to please do so today. Please, please, please help us to bring Hannah home. Thank you. John and Sue Graham . | Hannah Graham, 18, went missing on September 13 in Charlottesville, VA . Today body found in abandoned property ten miles from last sighting . Remains not formally identified - but police called off all other search efforts . Jesse Matthew, 32, has been arrested and charged over disappearance . Road in Albermarle County is close to Matthew's mom's old house . | ce59cdc1397ae053780f40d495401239b2f47ce3 |
Port-au-Prince, Haiti (CNN) -- Thousands of people were pushing for rescue efforts in Haiti to continue Sunday, after a 24-year-old man was pulled alive from the ruins on Saturday, 11 days after the nation's devastating earthquake. The Haitian government says it will be switching from a search and rescue operation to a search and recovery mission. But families of Americans who were staying at the leveled Hotel Montana are fighting that, and started an online petition Saturday in an effort to continue search efforts there "until all the survivors are accounted for." As of Sunday morning, 2,395 people had signed the petition and sent 6,216 messages to the Senate, Congress and the White House, said Sue Keller, a friend of a family whose relatives are among the missing. The families hope to have at least 5,000 signatures by Monday, she said. The Haitian government has said more than 111,000 people died in the January 12 quake, which registered 7.0 in magnitude. But on Saturday, a French rescue team was able to save one life as they pulled Wismond Jean-Pierre from the rubble of the Hotel Napoli Inn in Port-au-Prince. According to his brother, Jean-Pierre worked in the hotel's grocery store and survived his week and a half in the rubble by consuming cookies and beer. Dehydrated but apparently without injury, Jean-Pierre was even talkative as he was placed in an ambulance and driven to a hospital. Lt. Col. Christophe Renou, a French rescuer briefly overcome with emotion, called the three-hour effort "a miracle." Other members of the team -- assisted by American and Greek workers -- were seen weeping after Jean-Pierre was freed. Rescues like Jean-Pierre's, and others that have happened in the week following the disaster, sparked hope among families of the missing. But the emotional rescue came on a day when much of Haiti was mourning as operations largely shifted from rescue to recovery, and the country's president attended the funeral of an archbishop who was one of the victims. A Mexican rescue team had pulled the body of 63-year-old Monsignor Joseph Serge Miot from ruins near the national cathedral, which he oversaw as archbishop of Port-au-Prince. The cathedral was destroyed. At the funeral, President René Préval was asked to respond to criticism that he has not shown strong public leadership and has been largely unseen in the aftermath. "This is not about politics today," he said. CNN iReport: Looking for loved ones in Haiti . The most recent death toll is the worst caused by an earthquake since the 2004 Asian tsunami that resulted from a temblor, and the second-highest death toll from an earthquake in more than three decades, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. "Rescue teams continue to work in Port-au-Prince, we continue to hope that they will be able to find people still alive, but as time passes, we must gradually shift our resources from rescue to recovery," Nick Birnback, spokesman for U.N. peacekeeping operations, said Saturday. International search teams have rescued at least 132 people since the quake struck, the U.N. said. Birnback said the priority now is to remove bodies and clean up affected areas to avoid health hazards and the spread of disease. He said the United Nations will start bringing in heavier equipment, which will allow teams to move concrete and damaged homes. More than 600,000 people have also been left homeless in and around the capital of Port-au-Prince, the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said. Interactive map of where to find aid, hospitals in Haiti . Meanwhile, up to 140 flights a day are regularly arriving at the single-runway Port-au-Prince airport, compared with 25 in the immediate aftermath of the January 12 quake, OCHA said Saturday. To relieve congestion at the airport, humanitarian cargo is being moved to a forward dispatch area at one end of the runway. The Las Americas airport in Santo Domingo, in neighboring Dominican Republic, is starting to report congestion as it becomes increasingly used as an alternative airport, OCHA said. It will now be open overnight to accommodate the extra traffic. Those managing the land transport of supplies from Santo Domingo will need fuel, and OCHA said there is enough in Haiti to last an additional 18 to 19 days. But it said it expects no shortage of fuel because supplies of fuel will be able to enter the port during that time. One concern with cross-border traffic is the unauthorized departure of Haitian children, OCHA said. Charities and aid groups have said in recent days that they are concerned about the danger of child trafficking after the earthquake. Groups including Save the Children and World Vision have called for a halt to adoptions, saying many children may appear to be orphaned but have simply been separated from their families. "If children must be evacuated from Haiti because their protection needs cannot be met in country, the evacuation must be carefully documented, the children must be registered with the proper authorities and all efforts must be made to reunify them with family before any adoption proceedings are considered," the U.S.-based Women's Refugee Commission said. The number of unaccompanied children needing support is greater than the capacity to respond, OCHA said. Authorities are working with unaccompanied children who are being released from hospitals, it said. | 24-year-old pulled from hotel ruins 11 days after quake offers hope more are alive . More than 111,000 have died since the January 12 quake, the Haitian government says . Families are protesting the switch from search/rescue to rescue/recovery . | d19b7bdcdf66e53183741517ad7c16a9b1727622 |
(CNN) -- There are few sports that are so dominated by a single person like the way the women's pole vault is ruled by 26-year Russian Yelena Isinbayeva. Eyes on the prize: Yelena Isinbayeva has often complained about a lack of real competition in her event. Every time the world and Olympic champion competes it is expected that she will spring to new heights and push women's pole-vaulting to new levels. She has broken the world record 16 times, almost equaling the feat of the great Sergey Bubka, who broke the men's outdoor pole vault record 17 times between 1984 and 1994. Since jumping to her first world record in 2003 and becoming the first woman to jump over 5-meters in 2005 she as also become something of a glamorous sporting celebrity. After setting five new world records in 2005, it took almost three years for her to set a new mark of 5.04m in July 2008, a fallow period that made her pursuit of world records a personal matter. After setting her world record mark in July this year at a competition in Monte Carlo, she told press: "I wanted to improve my personal best and that's what I did. I see this world record as a personal one." A driven and focused competitor, she has also become famous for her coolness under pressure. Before her latest world record jump she was driving around the track in the back of a vintage car with sprinter Asafa Powell, while her fellow competitors had already started the competition. Not shy of media and publicity, her sporting achievements, athleticism and looks have made her a pin-up for women's athletics and attracted a number of big-name sponsors. While her achievements can be allied to that of Bubka it has been noted that her media- and sponsor-friendly attitude makes her more akin to compatriot Maria Sharapova. Her celebrity status is a world away from her modest background. Born in Volgograd in 1982 it was only until a couple of years ago that she lived with her parents and younger sister in the city of her birth, before moving to Monte Carlo. She trained first of all as a gymnast until the age of 15 when her coach decided she was too tall. Commentators and fellow competitors have noted that her gymnastic training has helped give her an extra edge in the event. After defending her title in Beijing, her place in the sporting pantheon of great female athletes seems secure. While emulating Bubka, Isinbayeva has said before that closing the gap between the heights the men and women can jump is another of her personal challenges, and with her own talent and the help of Bubka's former coach she may go a long way towards achieving that. | World and Olympic pole vault champion Yelena Isinbayeva dominates her sport . Has broken the world record 15 times since 2003; first woman to clear 5m . Media-friendly looks and talent have made her very bankable sports start . | 9dbcbbe4179958bba1fed5071f43629ec34d8922 |
A Russian tourist has been fined 20,000 euros (£15,800) for engraving a big letter 'K' on a wall of the Colosseum. In the latest act of vandalism by tourists at the ancient structure, the 42-year-old was caught by a guard as he used a sharp edged stone to carve the 10-inch-tall letter. The unnamed man has been given a fine and a suspended four-month prison sentence, reported news agency ANSA. Scroll down for video . Graffiti: A 42-year-old man was caught by a guard engraving the letter 'k' into the ancient structure . The head of the administration of the Colosseum, Mariarosaria Barbera, was reported to have said the man had 'caused significant damage' and had 'ruined the covering part of the amphitheatre'. Union leaders, citing recent acts of vandalism, have complained about the lack of personnel to properly monitor Rome's archaeological treasures — with increasing numbers of visitors seeking to leave their trace on antiquity, causing incalculable damage. It was the fifth incidence of vandalism by foreign tourists at the Colosseum this year. The others include an Australian father and son, aged 45 and 12, who scrawled their names on a wall, and two teenagers, one Canadian who tried to steal a brick and a Brazilian was prosecuted for similar offences. Authorities will increase the number of surveillance cameras and step up visual and audio warnings against vandalism, said the Roman daily Il Messaggero. National treasure: It was the fifth incidence of vandalism by foreign tourists at the Colosseum this year . Big business: Amphitheatre welcomes more than six million visitors a year and is undergoing repairs . A heated thread on Reddit discussing the vandalism has started with users commentating, 'Deliberately destroying ancient, priceless, and irreplaceable cultural artefacts is unconscionable' and '42 years old? I was expecting it to be a 16 year old'. The Colosseum, the biggest amphitheatre built during the Roman Empire standing 48.5 metres tall, welcomes more than six million visitors a year. Long-delayed repairs to the 2,000-year-old monument, once used for bloody gladiatorial contests, began in September. The refurbishment, funded by Italian billionaire Diego Della Valle, is expected to end in 2016. | 42-year-old Russian tourist was caught in the act by a guard . Man given a £15,800 fine and a suspended four month prison sentence . According to officials, he has 'ruined the covering part of the amphitheatre' | 6288cc48e7ec1a8906b20bf05aecdb0f94e8af6c |
(CNN) -- Businesses exist to make a profit. That's why they're businesses. But, in their quest to make money, there are certain invisible lines they should be careful about crossing. Making a profit is one thing. Going over the line and insulting your customers is another. It's the kind of thing that can put a business out of business. Almost every airline has been charging passengers to check bags for quite a while now. When the fees were first instituted, there was considerable grumbling, but travelers have become accustomed to it, even if they still don't much like it. Executives who run the airlines know that passengers will always flock to a low fare. That's the primary reason the airlines began charging to check bags: Operating an airline is tremendously expensive, and to keep the basic ticket price as low as possible, the revenue had to be made up somewhere. Fees to change reservations, fees for meals, fees for early boarding, fees for pillows and blankets, fees for seats with a little extra legroom. . . . Reporter Susan Carey of the Wall Street Journal recently wrote that "airlines are likely to keep looking for new ways to nickel-and-dime customers on formerly free items." She quoted George Hobica, an airline industry consumer advocate, as saying that "he wouldn't be shocked if big carriers eventually adopted fees for carry-on luggage." That's not a typo. Fees for carrying on bags, not checking them. Now, that could never really happen, right? That's just speculation, isn't it? But in fact, there is already precedent in the U.S. aviation industry. Low-cost carrier Spirit Airlines charges its passengers a fee for their carry-on bags; based on when and where they purchase their tickets, the fee ranges from $25 to $50 per carry-on bag. On its website, Spirit says that to provide "ultra-low basic fares," it gives its passengers "freedom to choose only the extras they value." If the price wars continue to escalate, would the major airlines ever dare to tell their passengers that carrying their clothes along with them on a trip is an "extra" feature of flying for which the customers should be expected to pay an additional fee? Because that's what the choice would come down to. If you buy a ticket and are told that you have to pay more to check your bags, and that if you don't check your bags you also have to pay more to carry them with you, your only alternative, if you object, would be to leave at home any clothes except the ones you are wearing. That's where the invisible line between trying to make a profit, and insulting your customers, comes in. More than a decade ago, First Chicago Corp., which became Bank One Corp., decided that it would be a bright idea to charge customers a fee -- $3 -- every time those customers interacted with a teller. Banks were already charging fees to use ATMs -- people getting cash from the machines were paying a convenience fee. But then First Chicago instituted the rule that, if customers with less than a certain amount of cash in their accounts went to a teller window, the conversation and transaction with the teller would cost them that $3. Customers with whom I spoke at the time said that even when they were making deposits, they would be charged for handing over their own money. To some customers, that constituted robbery -- by the banks. There are a few things in this world, even in the world of business, that people should not be expected to pay for. When you walk into a bank, no matter what, dealing with a teller should be free. During the extensive public and media conversation over the issue, I expressed the opinion that any bank that charges any of its customers a penny to interact with a teller doesn't deserve to have any customers. First Chicago became Bank One, and installed a new top man who had not made the original decision, but had inherited it. He was a fellow by the name of Jamie Dimon, who has, of course, since moved on to bigger things: As chairman, president and CEO of JPMorgan Chase, Dimon is one of the most powerful and influential financial figures in the world. Back when he was newly at Bank One, he called me, saying he wanted to explain the business rationale for the teller fee. If you should ever unexpectedly receive a phone call from Jamie Dimon, you will immediately recognize (at least I did) that he is smarter than you, that he is 100 % certain that his position is the correct position, and that he is confident that he can persuade you to come around to his side. But, world-class persuasiveness notwithstanding, in the case of teller fees the policy was destined ultimately to fail, because it crossed that mythical line: It insulted the customers. Two years after that conversation, Bank One announced that it was dropping the fee. One of its top executives told a reporter: "Why have it? I wasn't here when we started it. I really don't understand why we'd have it." (Yet, as some readers already are thinking, there are banks around the country that have figured out new ways to charge for dealing in person with tellers without using the label "teller fee." It usually shows up on the monthly statement, under some arcane heading. The desire to make that extra buck never seems to end.) Will you eventually be paying to carry your bag onto a plane? Southwest Airlines has garnered a lot of good will, and a lot of business, by holding out against the movement to charge for checked bags -- Southwest still checks the first two bags for free. JetBlue doesn't charge for the first checked bag. If some major carriers announce that they are instituting a fee for carry-ons, the best counteroffensive will likely come from one or more of their competitors, who may choose to proclaim: . "Come fly with us. We don't charge you to carry your own bag." For the beleaguered traveling public, that may even sound like a victory. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Bob Greene. | Bob Greene: Businesses exist to make profit. But would airlines stoop to charging for carry-ons? At least one small carrier does, he says. Such a business move insults customers . He says Chicago bank once charged $3 to bank with a teller. They had to drop fee . Greene: For exasperated public, "We don't charge you to carry your bag" can seem a bargain . | cbeb36ad2da3b67909b72a1bc0e563445a42c6a4 |
A popular high school basketball coach believes he lost his job after a disgruntled and vengeful parent emailed a controversial film he acted in ten years ago to the school principal. Mike Hvizdo, who worked at Weston High School in Connecticut, was asked to resign on February 6 after administrators saw a short film called Forbidden Fruit that he acted in back in 2003. The nine-minute black and white comedy video contains vulgar language and raunchy themes but no pornography, nudity or illegal material. School officials said the film was 'offensive' and compromised Hvizdo's position as coach of the Trojans basketball team. In the three weeks since Hvizdo left his job, he has received huge support from the Weston community and the vast majority of parents. Scroll down for video . Successful: Mike Hvizdo (right), popular basketball coach at Weston High School, was forced to leave his job after a controversial video from ten years ago resurfaced . The Weston Forum reported that a 'general consensus among the school basketball community was that a parent brought the issue to the school’s attention.' And The Hour claimed that a parent 'upset with the way their son was being treated as a WHS basketball player' sent the video to Weston High principal, Lisa Wolak. The paper added that the 'inquiry into Hvizdo's past was nothing more than a blatant attack with the sole goal of getting the coach removed.' It is reported that Hvizdo met with school officials and was forced to resign, citing 'personal reasons.' Weston High then sent a letter to parents which stated: 'This film is vulgar, contains offensive sexual language, and depicts sexual acts among multiple partners in which Mr. Hvizdo is a participant.' 'Unfortunately, material posted on the Internet takes on a life of its own, and there is no way to guarantee that this video will not be viewed by our entire community and most importantly, by our student athletes, now and into the future,' it continued. Dedicated: Most parents at the school have said that Hizdo is a good role model . Hvizdo disagrees, telling ABC . 'It may not be the type of film everyone likes to watch but nothing . illegal, pornographic whatsoever, and no nudity … and I was an actor.' The coach said that his job is 'not just about teaching these kids basketball. It’s about teaching them life lessons.' 'I don’t make a lot of money,' he explained to ABC. 'I do it because I love it. They’re my sons, 30 sons.' The . film was produced and written by Steve . Moremarco who was an assistant to Jack Black and has gone on to work on . TV shows like Everybody Hates Chris and ER, and the film School Of Rock. Moremarco has explained his side of the story on his blog, Moremarkable, stating: 'Mike Hvizdo did NOTHING WRONG. I did NOTHING WRONG. 'This . was a movie for adults, by adults, created by artists working in their . craft. If the movie that Mike was in was The Hangover Part 2 – would . there be any outcry?! Would the filmmaker be called and asked to keep . the film private?' Moremarco asked. Weston . High parents have rallied round Hvizdo - over 100 people turned up at a . education board meeting last Monday in support of the coach. Jonathan Bombart, who has a son on the team, told the Weston Forum . that Hvizdo was hugely dedicated to his work. 'He was really good for . the kids,' said Mr. Bombart. 'He taught them great life lessons. The . kids loved him.' 'I don¿t make a lot of money,' Hvizdo said of his coaching job. 'I do it because I love it. They¿re my sons, 30 sons.' Kay Spencer, a parent of a student at Weston High School, told ABC that Hvizdo was an excellent influence on the teenagers. 'Coach . Hvizdo’s been very involved with all of the kids in the community. We . definitely believe that he is a good role model and a good person,' she . said. Weston resident . Philip Hover told The Hour he was looking forward to his son joining . Hvizdo's team next year: 'I'd be honored to have Mike Hvizdo coach my . son,' Hover said. '(The . movie) has absolutely nothing to do with teaching kids to play . basketball. I would be happy to have him coach here. This is a . miscarriage of justice. No one in this room can say they haven't uttered . a vulgarity. Coach Viz should be re-instated. Let he who is without sin . cast the first stone.' 'This . is the worst case of (Hvizdo) being bullied,' actor Joe Pantoliano told . the board. 'This is such a wonderful opportunity for this community to . teach that we make mistakes. Re-instate Mike.' The school district now says it is 'continuing its review of the matter.' Weston High School officials said the film was 'offensive' and compromised Hvizdo's position as coach of the Trojans basketball team . The coach said that his job is 'not just about teaching these kids basketball. It's about teaching them life lessons.' | Mike Hvizdo, a successful and popular basketball coach was made to resign after an 'inappropriate' 2003 film resurfaced . Video was sent to school principal by a parent unhappy with how their child was being treated . Officials claimed the film contained 'vulgar' and 'offensive sexual language' and compromised Hvizdo's position as coach . | 262aaf660bb39946dd3795886a1ec21b8d9e2ae4 |
New Ferrari chairman Sergio Marchionne claims the marque is ready to 'kick some ass' and take risks in order to return to the front in Formula One. In taking over from former chairman Luca Di Montezemolo this week, Marchionne has come out all guns blazing and made clear Ferrari's continued lack of success is unacceptable. The current campaign is the sixth in succession for Ferrari without a trophy to show for their efforts and considerable spend. Kimi Raikkonen races for Ferrari in Russia, the Italian team have been starved of success for six years . New Ferrari chief Sergio Marchionne (L) is determined to do what it takes to return the team to former glories . The day after Di Montezemolo confirmed star driver Fernando Alonso would be leaving Ferrari at the end of this season, Marchionne is ready to get tough. 'We've got to kick some ass and we've got to do it quickly,' said Marchionne, speaking to Autocar. 'It takes what it takes. We might screw up, but we've got nothing to lose, right? Let's risk something.' It was Ferrari's abysmal performance in the Italian Grand Prix at Monza in early September that brought the team's situation home to roost for Marchionne. Fernando Alonso has confirmed that he will be leave the marque at the end of the season . 'I keep getting reminded racing is not a science, that a number of factors influence performance,' said Marchionne. 'And then I go to Monza and see the first six cars are not Ferrari or powered by a Ferrari engine, and my blood pressure just popped. 'A non-winning Ferrari on the Formula One track is not Ferrari. I can live with periods of bad luck, but it cannot become a structural element of the brand.' | Sergio Marchionne replaced Luca Di Montezemolo as chairman of the team . Star driver Fernando Alonso is leaving Ferrari at the end of the F1 season . Italians have now gone six campaigns without winning any trophies . | 427786659327467921bcec913208c573a4c42600 |
By . Becky Evans . PUBLISHED: . 14:04 EST, 23 January 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 08:59 EST, 24 January 2013 . She may originally hail from the tropical rainforests of Indonesia but that did not stop tigress Daseep getting stuck into a snowball fight. Instead of waiting for room service in her heated enclosure, the two-year-old Sumatran tiger wanted to explore the first deep snow she had seen. Keepers at Dudley Zoological Gardens kept her entertained by playing the unusual game of catch. Scroll down for video . Stop that! Daseep looks cross as keepers throw snowballs but staff said she loved playing in the white stuff . Jill Hitchman from the zoo in Dudley, West Midlands, said: 'This is . the first heavy snow Daseep has seen and keepers thought she would stay . cosy in her heated den, but she couldn't wait to explore. 'Keepers . built her a snowman which she demolished in minutes then spent the afternoon throwing snowballs which she absolutely loved catching with . her paws.' Staff told the Birmingham Mail that the plummeting temperatures meant they had to smash frozen pools in the penguin enclosure and part of the moat that is home to Patagonian sealions also froze over. But the cold weather was ideal for those animals, while the less hardy creatures such as meerkats and small primates stayed indoors. Catch: The two-year-old Sumatran tiger gets her eye in during the unusual snowball fight . Howzat! Daseep catches the snowball and is rewarded with an explosion of the white stuff in her face . Parts of the West Midlands have been hit . by more than three inches of snow in recent days making it difficult . for zoo staff to travel across the 40-acre site. Staff had to use sledges to get food to the zoo's 1,300 animals. Zoo chief executive Peter Suddock told the Birmingham Mail said staff have used manual labour to transport food and bedding in the snow since the zoo opened in 1937. He said: 'It's a huge hilly site which is difficult to negotiate in icy conditions, but we always manage to get round it all and ensure every animal is fed. Mr Suddock added: 'It’s business as usual for us and lots of the animals . love this weather, particularly our young tigers and baby red panda, . but others are staying holed up and opting for "room service" until the . weather improves.' Daseep tries to catch the ball in her mouth before jumping at it with her paws - and claws - outstretched . | The two-year-old tried catching the snowballs with her mouth and paws . She did not want to stay in her heated pen but explore her first deep snow . Staff at Dudley Zoological Gardens have used sledges to transport bedding and food to its 1,300 animals after inches of snow fell in recent days . | 0905eca2097befe710f34e82d0cae06b23bd23c8 |
(CNN) -- On the sixth anniversary of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, CNN asked users to share their stories of heroes from that fateful day and how they were being remembered. Sarah Glasgow of Easton, Pennsylvania, sent this photo of a 9/11 memorial made up of flags and shoes. Below is a selection of those responses, some of which have been edited for length and clarity. Joshua Miller of Peoria, Illinois I would like to remember Patrick "Joe" Driscoll today. He lost his life aboard United Airlines Flight 93 on the morning of September 11, 2001. He was traveling with his friend, Billy Cashman, from New Jersey to California for a hiking trip. Joe was a man in his 70s who had had heart bypass surgery and hip replacement surgery. These physical setbacks didn't stop a feisty guy from New York City. He went on to live an active life. He was a fighter who had a gentle side. He adored his grandchildren, his children, and his wife. Joe is greatly missed. So many of us are so very proud of him. To ease my grief over the losses we all share from that terrible day, I often think of the passage from the gospel of John: "Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends." Thank you, Joe. You did just that. Jennifer Brower of Alexandria, Virginia Ray Downey, the most decorated firefighter in the history of New York City, a tireless soldier in the battle for the safety and security of the people of the United States, and an amazing father and grandfather, died in the command post in New York City on September 11, 2001. I had the honor of getting to know Ray through our work on the Gilmore Commission. My daughter is named after him, and he is a constant source of inspiration whenever I am scared to do things. I do not know whether he was scared, but it certainly never stopped him. Anne-Marie Canter of San Francisco, California I had three heroes on that day. Two of them were firemen walking up the stairs of the North Tower as we were all walking down and out. We had been backed up on the stairwells and some people were starting to panic but when the two firemen came up and told us all to carry on walking, we would get out and they just walked up the stairs past us. They had such brave, courageous faces and their voices were so confident. They carried on up the stairs and we all felt much better and continued our way down. We all got out but I don't think they did and I will never forget those brave faces and the hope their strong voices gave us. My other hero is my friend Debbie -- she walked down next to me all the way and kept cheerful and even managed to make me smile when she made a joke about what a mess our mascara must be -- it sounds silly but at that point we all had no idea what was going on outside but we needed to distract ourselves from some of the smells and sounds in the stairwell and seeing someone so calm made me feel a lot calmer. We all are so much stronger than we think, and our actions have such an impact on those around us. Jennifer Taylor of Upland, California I believe that those of us who have continued on with our lives, continued to travel, work, pray, love and care for one another and stand by our way of life are heroes! I believe all of those who lost their lives that day would have wanted no less. We will never forget you, not one of you!!! Theju Mudda of Bangalore, India My deep condolences to the innocent people who got killed in the 9/11 event. The event should be remembered as Heroes Day --- for the people who sacrificed their lives trying to save other lives and for the people who gave their lives for no mistake of theirs. God bless their families! Emory Baird of Brodnax, Virginia A quick game of shuffleboard [was] interrupted by an intercom announcement declaring one of the Trade Center towers had been hit by a stray plane. Completely oblivious to what was happening, I continued my game. As a result of the events and disappointment in myself over my reaction, I am now a state certified firefighter. I can only pray for the courage you all showed. A special thanks to FDNY, we haven't forgotten you. From Company 2 to you, thank you. You set the example for the world. Gil Gonzales of Houston, Texas My heartfelt prayers go out to the families of all who died on 9/11. May God help them overcome their grief. Christina Joseph of Chicago, Illinois As a person who was there in NYC watching the monuments of my city fall down, I can only remember the compassion. The firefighters who came from all over the United States to help, to offer support and just to be there. The many doors of religious organizations that were open day and nights to offer solace. One such church was on Park Avenue near Grand Central and it had a sign that just said "come in and sit" and it did not matter who you were, where you came from, we all needed each other. We still do. Daniel S. Martin of Manchester, Connecticut My younger brother who is an American Airlines pilot flew on 9/11/01 from Boston's Logan to NYC's Kennedy and finally San Diego. He left Boston around 6 or 6:30 a.m., landed in NYC, took off no problem and headed to the West Coast around 8:30 or so. ... Unfortunately, we all know the rest of the story. ... He was ordered to land in Indiana, which he did, arriving safely (knees shaking!) with his crew, passengers and aircraft. ... He's my hero. Benedict Albensi of Winnipeg, Manitoba I am an American who lives and works in Winnipeg as a medical professor. I have been flying the American flag in my neighborhood all week as a tribute to those heroes and other victims who lost their lives on 9/11. Last July here in Winnipeg, someone put a Nazi swastika on my car's American flag sticker. So now I fly the U.S. flag a lot more than I used to. It is not trendy to be an American in many foreign countries right now. Living in a foreign country I find myself having to advocate why the USA is still the greatest country in the world. It is a tough sell these days. As Americans we have to let the world know that America has problems but we are not "the" problem. J.E. Seaman of Huntington, New York We never mention nearly often enough the flight attendants on all the planes, but especially AA Flight 11. Talk about guts, they identified the hijackers before the first plane hit. Talk about professionals! Talk about the courageous! Matt Williams of Katy, Texas I will be honoring the many victims and heroes of that day by wearing a 9/11 pin that was given to me by an Army buddy of mine. This will be the fourth year that I will wear it. I wear it only September 11. Natasha Jenkins of Ottawa, Kansas I was a senior in high school, sitting in a college prep class, early on the morning of September 11, 2001. I remember my English teacher hustling into the room to share the news about the first tower being hit just as our class was starting. Unknowing, I made a silly comment to the English teacher about something random and I'll never forget the look she gave me. Once we had the TV tuned in to CNN, I felt as though my innocence and naive nature had been forever changed. This year, I will remember the fallen with my own students, as this is my first year of teaching. I plan on discussing the event, the aftermath, and the memories with my sophomore world history students. Tim of Dothan, Alabama "Heroes"? A media term we sometimes use for comfort. Perhaps it's easier to reconcile the deaths of 3,000 of our fellow Americans if we refer to them as heroes -- it implies that they died for a noble reason. Perhaps it's less traumatic to lose a loved one if we can justify calling them a "hero." But the sad fact is, many of those we lost, including my brother, simply got up that morning to face another (supposed) mundane day on the job. It's been six years, and the word "hero" still brings no comfort, no reconciliation. Justin Wright of Salt Lake City, Utah I remember it as clear as day. You don't ever forget images like what I saw on the television that morning or throughout the remainder of that particular day. The mere fact that United Airlines Flight 93 didn't make it to its target is a simple testimony to the spirit and dogged fight that there is in the people of this country. I think of those who gave their lives. ... May God bless all those on 9/11/01 who went before us. Laura Keefner of Great Barrington, Massachusetts My thoughts and prayers are with the victims of 9/11 and their families and our country. That horrific day lives in my mind and I will never forget. A flag hangs outside my house every day, and I hope the rest of America displays the flag this day and every day. This is your country, and people flock here every day because of all the USA has to offer. I am proud to be an American and I wish the country could go back to the days after 9/11 when we were so united and proud of our country. Now there is so much bickering between political parties and the American people. God bless all the victims of 9/11, all policemen, emergency workers, firefighters and our military. They are my true heroes. Michael White of London, England When the planes flew into the World Trade Center, I just could not believe it. Afterwards, I was contracted to expand the fiber optics at the morgue to accommodate the newly installed trailers for identification of the dead. I watched as our fallen firefighters and police officers' remains were brought in for identification. I don't think I will ever forget the heroes who gave their lives for others. E-mail to a friend . | Sixth anniversary of 9/11 being marked in New York, Washington, Pennsylvania . CNN.com readers share thoughts and memories of 9/11 heroes . I-Report: Share your photos, memories of 9/11 heroes . | 9ebc18e6375cbc4f0b2df452f7c5144ab37e799b |
(CNN)Let "Bohemian Rhapsody" play on: Nostalgia for the 1970s heavily influenced spring's most coveted fashion trends, and industry insiders expect to see the era linger in this year's fall-winter collections at New York Fashion Week, which started Thursday. Waists are high and layers are long, with extended tunics paired over slim dress shapes like fluid pants (often with a slight flare) and long skirts. "It's a slimmer silhouette -- much more concise and much more grown-up," said Lizzy Bowring, who identifies the key trends to emerge from the global runways for fashion forecaster WGSN. "It isn't a granola look, as one might say." Bowring foresees the baby doll dress to become a key item but anticipates the overriding trend to be masculinity with strong elements of bespoke tailoring in a sleeker, slimmer silhouette. In line with this tailored look, expect emphasis on the waist with a made-to-measure jacket and relaxed pant combo, flaps on lower pockets or patent belts that nip in the waist. The belted waist lends itself well into a slight military aesthetic, with a focus on uniformity and utility. Because of this, the color palette skews toward olive, forest greens and navy. But that's not the only color story this year: There's soft, pure neutrals and cosmetic tones like camel and chalky whites that are juxtaposed with warm, rich tones like cognac, saffron and blood orange. The Pantone Color Institute's top 10 colors for fall 2015 paint a similar picture, with offerings like cadmium orange, dried herb, stormy weather and marsala, which was recently named color of the year. "The fall 2015 palette is rooted in multifaceted, androgynous colors that can be worn to portray effortless sophistication across men's and women's fashion; it is the first time we are seeing a truly unisex color palette," said Leatrice Eiseman, the executive director of the institute. And while the 1970s reign supreme, Bowring wonders whether things won't hark back even further to a time of "historical romanticism," as she calls it, with high, intricately laced necklines, empire-waisted gowns and tapestry prints. | New York Fashion Week runs from Thursday through February 19 . Expect bespoke tailoring, cinched waists and 1970s vibes . | 62b5626f31ad0f291df3a5b7ef94eb9a2a7aae18 |
Police were called to the chambers of Canterbury Council on Tuesday evening after a meeting erupted into heated discussions following a decision by council members to remove the general manager from office. Jim Montague, the 'king of Canterbury', came under fire recently when it was alleged that he had spent over $50,000 of taxpayers money at an Enfield restaurant, in Sydney's inner west, as part of the council's 'hospitality policy'. He denies the claims. Police confirmed that officers from the Campsie local area command were called to council chambers to 'ensure and maintain order' when six of Canterbury's 10 councillors voted to remove Mr Montague despite the mayor adjourning the meeting. Canterbury Council general manager Jim Montague (left) and mayor Brian Robson (right) The packed chamber became a hive of activity when Mayor Brian Robson, a close associate of Mr Montague and a regular lunch companion, declared that the meeting was adjourned, reported The Sydney Morning Herald. He requested that the meeting be postponed until after the Independent Commission Against Corruption finalised their investigation into the allegations surrounding the matter, including Mr Montague's own claims against members of council. Mr Montague has been accused of tallying up a $50,000 bill at Il Buco, in Enfield, including spending over $1000 on lunch and dinner in a single day. The meals included a $105 bottle of wine, and an entree of king prawns and veal. Mr Montague denied the figures, and said that the bill had been rung up over a period of five years, rather than four. Mr Montague has been accused of tallying up a $50,000 bill at Il Buco, in Enfield . Police were called to the chambers of Canterbury Council on Tuesday evening after a meeting erupted into heated discussions . Despite the Mr Montague and Mayor Robson walking out, the majority of councillors continued with their intention to vote, deciding on the spot to remove the general manager and appoint a new head of council. Tensions arose when security guards were unsure whether they had authority to escort Mr Montague from his office, as Mayor Robson declared that the councillors action were illegal and that the general manager was still in authority. A spokesperson from the Campsie Police Station said that there had been no illegal activity and that no one had come to physical harm. 'The officers were called by an anonymous person to attend the chambers and were there as a precautionary measure only,' they said. The meeting had been held in response to Mr Montague dismissing the selection of a planning chief for the council, despite a five-person panel, including Liberal councillor Michael Hawatt and Labor councillor Pierra Azzi, along with the mayor and general manager, selecting the candidate. A spokesperson from the Campsie Police Station said that there had been no illegal activity and that no one had come to physical harm . Mr Montague did not provide reasons for his decision, and councillors Azzi and Hawatt demanded the general meeting to push for the removal of him from office. Mr Montague, who has been the general manager of Canterbury Council for 30 years, maintained that his activity using taxpayer money was for council purposes. 'There were various people at Il Buco that we have been to see for various reasons,' he said. 'I understand the community's concerns and I apologise for this'. Mayor Robson said that the meals were held to conduct council business, and that he would often take the chance to 'sit down and have a quiet lunch with the general manager on a Friday,' reported The Sydney Morning Herald. 'It is evident that council's hospitality policy is out of step with community expectations.' | Police were called to the chambers of Canterbury Council on Tuesday . Councillors demanded the removal of Jim Montague, the 'King of Canterbury' from office after he allegedly spend $50,000 on meals . Six out of ten councillors voted to remove Mr Montague . The mayor of Canterbury declared the actions of the councillors 'illegal' and maintained that Mr Montague retained his position . Security guards attempted to remove Mr Montague from his office . Police from Campsie Police Station were called to maintain peace . Mr Montague has denied the corruption allegations . | ca583e1d9569b8d04ec90d99bda1395dbea3c868 |
(CNN) -- Chingaiz Khan was an unknown quantity when he arrived for a junior weightlifting tournament in South Waziristan nine years ago. Chaotic and intensely religious, the Pakistani region is known by locals as "the most dangerous place in the world." The 12-year-old Chingaiz, with his short, jet-black hair and smooth, unblemished skin, looked younger than the other boys. But, despite it being his first ever tournament, he was still stronger than everyone else. For his father Shams-Ul Wazir, a local college lecturer, the decision to register his son for the tournament paid off handsomely. Chingaiz was crowned the junior boys' weightlifting champion, the first step on a journey that would take him into the world of professional sport. Except Chingaiz wasn't really his name. Chingaiz was actually called Maria Toor Pakay. Chingaiz was a girl. "I suggested the name of Chingaiz Khan for her since she had always been like a boy," explained Al Wazir in an interview with HBO. "She liked the name very much." Girls and boys . This isn't a story of deception, but rather a tale of necessity. Maria Toor Pakay is Pakistan's number one squash player, ranked 49th in the world. She also comes from an ultra conservative region in Pakistan that is home to the Taliban. Female participation in any form of public life is strongly discouraged, by both words and deeds. Education, working, sports; anything involving women leaving the house unaccompanied by a male relative was seen as the work of the devil. Teen athlete fled Taliban stronghold to pursue dream . But Pakay had talent. Her weightlifting triumph gave her access to a world of sporting options that would otherwise have been out of bounds to her as a female, and she discovered the discipline where she would make her name. Squash is one of Pakistan's most popular games and Pakay excelled at it. By the age of 21 she had gone pro and broken into the world top 50, an incredible rise up the world rankings. She is one of only three Pakistani women in the top 200; by contrast the nation has 15 men in the same strata. Yet her success has come at a price. Pakay and her father have been threatened with retribution by the local Taliban for insulting their culture and their religion. "My area, my tribal regions are called the hub of terrorism and extremism," said Pakay. "It's the home to the Taliban, and it's called the most dangerous place in the world. But I have a big vision for my country, and for my people it will be stopped. I always thought that maybe I'm the chosen one." Standing up . Pakay realized at a young age that she was different to other people she saw in her community. "When I was four and a half, I told my parents that I want clothes like my brother," she said. "I want to play with boys, there's more freedom, I felt. And I am not like girls who play with dolls. I want the toy guns and things like that." Such behavior was anathema to the deeply conservative community she was born into. But her father agreed. Rather than forcing his daughter to conform, he thought about how best to realize his daughter's talent. It was he who came up with the plan to cut his daughter's hair and enter into competitions with the boys. "They (religious elders) sent me to a mental asylum 'cause they thought that I had deviated from the culture, and that I was crazy supporting women's rights," he recalled. "They said I was spoiling the whole environment and that all women would want the same rights." With the boys' junior weightlifting title under her belt, Pakay decided to enter a boys' squash tournament. Her disguise was scuppered by bureaucracy. "My dad said, 'This ... that's my son,' " Pakay recalled of the moment her father presented her to be registered. But the official dropped a bombshell. "He said, 'OK, we need the birth certificate, too.' " Threat . Shams-Ul Wazir decided to come clean, and entered her in the girls' competitions. She destroyed the opposition and, at the age of 15, was national champion. It was then that the trouble started. "I found a letter on the windshield of my car. It was signed by the name of 'Taliban,' " her father said. "They told me -- they threatened me -- 'Stop your girl from playing squash because it is bringing a bad name to our culture and to Islam.' They told me, 'If you do not do this then you will have to suffer very bad consequences.' "I ignored that threat ... (but) we were very much concerned that she might get shot or she might get kidnapped." The warning terrified Pakay. Scared for the safety of her family, she decided not play in public. "I told my dad that I might need a gun. I don't know what to do," she said. "He said, 'It's your decision. I never stopped you from anything. You wanna play or not?' "Squash is everything for me. And I know that when a girl is kidnapped, it's the biggest dishonor. I'm not gonna bring dishonor for them, ever." So Pakay played in the house, lonely and miserable. From dusk until dawn she hit the ball against the wall with her "Jonathan Power" racket. Her father knew that if he wanted his daughter to realize her potential, she had to leave Pakistan. "He said, 'Okay, if you wanna play, just leave the country. That's all you can do.' " The Power of persistence . Pakay agreed. For three long years she would write to everyone. Clubs, players, educational institutions. Nothing. But then, when she was 18 years old, she received her only reply. She recognized the name. It was the same name that graced her first racket: that of former world champion Jonathan Power. "I couldn't believe that there was a woman squash player from Waziristan, let alone, one that could actually play," said Power of the day he received Pakay's email. Power retired at the top of his game, as number one in the world. He never left squash. Instead he set up a national academy in his home town of Toronto, looking to find talent in people from places squash rarely reaches. Pakay's letter melted him. It read: . Dear sir, . I'm Maria Toor Pakay Wazir. I belong to South Waziristan agency of Pakistan's tribal areas on the Pak-Afghan border. South Waziristan one of Pakistan's most turbulent tribal agencies and the home to Taliban is also my home. Here girls of my age are passing their lives in such miserable conditions. They are restricted to four walls despite having the desire to come out of the Stone Age and get assimilated with the rest of the world. I will be waiting for your positive response. Regard, . Maria Toor Pakay Wazir, professional squash player. Power was moved to reply, and soon Pakay was on a flight to Canada. "It's unbelievable," he said. "She left on just hope, on a one-way ticket and 200 bucks on an email promise from me." World champion . The aim for Pakay is to be world champion. She works from morning to night with Power, moving up the rankings as she gets close to realizing her dream. Being away from her family is tough. She talks to them every day on the internet. She scours the news sites looking for information on suicide bombings and killings, praying they are nowhere near her home. So far, they haven't been. "The timeline is 'till she's world champion and she goes home with a trophy," Power asserted confidently. "There is no substitute." Yet in a region where some revile a woman's sporting success, a world championship has extra problems. More publicity, greater exposure, increased danger. That doesn't matter to Pakay. Success could open up opportunities for others like her, playing squash or lifting weights or kicking a soccer ball in their bedrooms as they wait for the world outside to change. "Someone wants to kill me? Kill me once I bring the change and I become a world champion," she said. "But not before." | Maria Toor Pakay is Pakistan's No. 1 squash player despite difficult circumstances . Pakay fled her native Waziristan after threats from the Taliban, moving to Canada . Her father was warned that she was in danger for embarrassing the region's culture and religion . Former squash star Jonathan Power is training her to become a world champion . | 60ca59af72e896e41abfeb0a052d722f8196a0d3 |
By . Mark Prigg . PUBLISHED: . 12:06 EST, 30 May 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 01:50 EST, 31 May 2013 . Spanish researchers have come up with a dramatic new theory for the end of the Neanderthal - that humans ate them. The researchers say that Homo Sapiens can be considered an 'alien invasive species', and point out we have already contributed to the extinction of 178 large mammals. Today they called for further research on the bones of Neanderthal man to look for signs of human tooth marks. Lunch? Spanish team say Homo Sapiens should be considered 'alien invasive species' Neanderthal man lived across Europe around 300,000 years ago. They managed to survive several ice . ages before dying out around 30,000 years ago, around the same time as . human beings arrived on the continent from Africa. One theory for the Neanderthals . disappearance is that they couldn't compete with humans, who had better . brains and more sophisticated tools, for scarce resources such as food. Other scientists believe they were more susceptible to the impact of climate change. 'Except in its native Africa, in the . other continents Homo sapiens can be considered as an invasive alien . species,' write researchers Policarp Hortolà and Bienvenido . Martínez-Navarro of the Universitat Rovira i Virgili in Tarragona, . Spain. They published their hypothesis in the May issue of the journal Quaternary International - but admit they have no proof yet. 'The only manner to test it is to . find direct evidences of modern human eating marks on Neanderthal . remains, such cut or broken marks on bones in artifacts made by . modern humans,' he said. The team believe that as Homo Sapien spread into Europe and Asia, where Homo neanderthalensis was, it was treated just another food source - and a competitor. 'We think that modern humans, who occupied a similar ecological niche as Neanderthals, directly competed with Neanderthals for the food and other natural resources,' Martínez-Navarro told Discovery News. The researchers point out several other species have suffered similar fates, killing off their nearest relatives. In 2009, researcher may have found the first evidence of the theory analysing the markings on a Neanderthal jawbone found in Les Rois, south-west France during a study conducted by the Journal of Anthropological Sciences. The cuts to the bone are similar to those left on those of deer and other animals butchered by humans in the Stone Age, the researchers say. Neanderthal man lived across Europe around 300,000 years ago, and managed to survive several ice ages before dying out around 30,000 years ago, around the same time as human beings arrived on the continent from Africa . It is believed that the flesh was eaten by humans and the teeth used to make a necklace.Grisly end: Neanderthals may have been devoured by humans who also may have used their teeth for necklaces. Leader of the research team, Fernando Rozzi, of Paris's Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, said: 'Neanderthals met a violent end at our hands and in some cases we ate them. 'For years, people have tried to hide away from the evidence of cannibalism, but I think we have to accept it took place.' Neanderthals lived across Europe around 300,000 years ago. They managed to survive several ice ages before dying out around 30,000 years ago, around the same time as human beings arrived on the continent from Africa. One theory for the Neanderthals disappearance is that they couldn't compete with humans, who had better brains and more sophisticated tools, for scarce resources such as food. Other scientists believe they were more susceptible to the impact of climate change. | Spanish team say Homo Sapiens should be considered 'alien invasive species' Call for further research to try and spot human teeth marks on Neanderthal remains . | ffe17257aa2c468ea3387ce6665bf0f4d160607b |
A 6.3-magnitude earthquake struck early Sunday off Indonesia, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. The quake rattled a remote swath of sea between the Pacific and Indian oceans, north of Australia and east of Timor-Leste, some 5.6 miles (9 kilometers) deep, according to the U.S. agency. It was centered approximately 212 miles (340 kilometers) west-northwest of Saumlaki in Indonesia's Tanimbar Islands, 217 miles east-northeast of Dili, Timor-Leste, and 226 miles of Ambon, Indonesia. Neither the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center nor the Japan Meteorological Agency issued tsunami warnings or advisories immediately after the tremor. | The quake rattles a remote swath of sea between the Pacific and Indian oceans . It is 9 kilometers deep and was centered 212 miles from Saumlaki, Indonesia . No tsunami warnings or advisories are immediately issued . | a8596cfeff3cda39c5e50c5973b9730c4426ffcf |
(CNN) -- An armed Christian organization which had pledged to protect a Florida church as it holds "International Burn a Quran Day" withdrew its support from the event Wednesday, saying it "does not glorify God," according to a posting on its website. Right Wing Extreme, which describes itself as a Christian conservative group, also said in the posting it is asking the Dove World Outreach Center, based in Gainesville, Florida, not to hold the event "for the reason that it may diminish the work of the Holy Spirit to witness to Muslims." The event is planned for the ninth anniversary of the September 11 terror attacks. While the group agrees with the Dove Center's stance on Islam, press coverage of recent events, such as "Burn a Quran Day," a recent "Everybody Draw Mohammed Day" group on Facebook and the controversy surrounding a proposed mosque and Islam community center near ground zero in New York is "really inciting a lot of hatred and a lot of violence that's going on," Right Wing Extreme founder Shannon Carson told CNN. "We don't want to be a part of inciting violence and racism anymore." The group's website posting said it believes the "liberal media" is intentionally using such stories "to distract, divide and enrage the public." Carson said he had not yet spoken to Dove World Outreach Center Pastor Terry Jones, but plans to sometime Wednesday. Contacted by CNN, the Dove Center said it was unaware of the development. "Of course, we are very surprised, and of course disappointed," Jones said. "I talked to (Carson) personally and he was very excited about the stand that we had taken against Islam. He had already reviewed a lot of our information, YouTube (videos) -- he was 100 percent supportive in what we were doing." Carson said since pledging its support and saying it would provide protection for the Dove Center, "we've all received several death threats" from the United States and beyond. The group has been in contact with the FBI, he said. Carson said he believes other groups may follow Right Wing Extreme and withdraw their support from the event as well. He said he will ask the Dove Center not to hold the event, but does not know whether they will proceed. "We're not against them, we're just pulling our support," he said. Jones pointed out that Right Wing Extreme had contacted the Dove Center to offer its help along with financial support, not vice versa. "There was at that time absolutely no indication that they were not supportive," Jones said. "I can only come to the conclusion -- it seems very, very obvious -- they ... have bowed to fear or to pressure from other organizations, other groups." He said the group has taken the easy way out by saying "God would not do this." But, Jones said, that's not the point of the event. "This is sending a clear warning to radical Islam that they are not welcome in America." He said the church will proceed with the event. Jones told CNN in an e-mail on Tuesday he had accepted the support of Right Wing Extreme, which he said offered to come to the church with between 500 and 2,000 men. Jones described the organization as an armed civilian militia group. "There is a need for this protection," Jones wrote in an e-mail. "It is absolutely necessary in light of the death and terror threats we have received. We have met with the FBI who have warned us of the threats they have seen, not only against us but against other targets in Florida. We have personally received threats by phone and many by mail." Right Wing Extreme said in its Web posting Wednesday, "Dove World Outreach are our brothers and sisters in Christ. However, we ask that they not hold this event for the reason that it may diminish the work of the Holy Spirit to witness to Muslims. "America is a nation founded on the Bible," it said. "Capitalism, our form of government, our laws and our freedoms come directly from the Bible. Sharia law, however is based not on freedom, but totalitarianism." The system oppresses women and freedom of speech, along with "basic rights that Americans have fought and died for," the group said. But, Carson noted Wednesday, "We need to calm down here ... the whole violence thing, this is going to get real ugly real quick if this keeps stewing." On Tuesday, Carson said in a statement sent to CNN by the Dove Center that "We fully support Dove World Outreach Center and its efforts to put an end to the notion that Islam is a peaceful religion. Islam is a violent cult with the goal of world domination." He repeated that on Wednesday. "It's not that we don't agree with Dove's stance on Islam, because we believe it's not a religion, but a cult. We do have freedom of religion but when it is a violent religion, or cult, as Islam is, that is invading our nation, we don't support that," he said. Carson said he has spoken with Jones and his staff on the issue previously. Carson said Right Wing Extreme is opposed to the plan to build the mosque and Islamic community center near the site of the attacks on the World Trade Center in New York, saying it's "spitting in the face" of the 9/11 families. Jones said freedom of religion in American means "Muslims are more than free to worship here, which is not the case in sharia law-dominated countries. They only have to respect and obey the Constitution" and not force sharia law on others, he said. "This is just a typical giving in to pressure and fear," he said of Right Wing Extreme's withdrawal. Muslims and many other Christians, including some evangelicals, are fighting the church's plan to burn the Quran. Religious leaders in Gainesville have planned an event billed as a "Gathering for Peace, Understanding and Hope" on September 10 as a response to the church's proposal. The Islamic advocacy group Council on American-Islamic Relations has called on Muslims and others to host "Share the Quran" dinners to educate the public. In a statement, the group has said it will give out 100,000 copies of the Quran to local, state and national leaders. | NEW: Church says it is surprised by the development . NEW: The event will proceed, says the church's pastor . Right Wing Extreme says it will not protect the church holding the event . The group says the event "does not glorify God" | 40c4d9de347c94751a45c9165a67a2bdc226a090 |
Russia is to open the largest prison in Europe next year, holding 4,000 inmates in conditions officials boast will meet 'European standards'. Pictures published in Russian media have shown the plans and building site of the vast jail, which is in Vladimir Putin's home city of St Petersburg. The new prison is a no-expense spared affair, with a sports complex including a sauna and 'fighting room', concert hall and even a museum. Locked up: Outside Russia's new prison, which will be the largest in Europe and hold 4,000 inmates . They won't let me out: Officials boast the new jail, named Kresty-2 will meet 'European standards' Amenities: It has a sports complex including a sauna and 'fighting room', concert hall and even a museum . It will replace the notorious Kresty prison which housed political prisoners during the tsarist and Soviet eras. It will be known as Kresty-2. Among those jailed in the old red brick Kresty were revolutionary Leon Trotsky, as well as members of the provisional government toppled by Lenin in the Bolshevik Revolution. The prison gained a reputation as a tough place to be kept. In the mid-1990s the prison held more than 12,500 inmates, more than ten times its design capacity. Currently no more than six inmates can be held in a cell originally designed for solitary confinement. Vladimir Lukin, Russia's former human rights ombudsman, found during a visit to Kresty in 2008 'that the prison hospital was grossly inadequate and that prisoners in significant numbers had cut their arms with razor blades in protest at their conditions,' according to leaked U.S. Embassy cables hosted by WikiLeaks. Nonetheless, despite its dark past, Kresty may be redeveloped as a luxury hotel after the site is auctioned. Spacious: The as-yet empty and pristine hallways of the prison . Flagship: President Vladimir Putin personally announced the construction of the new jail in 2006 . Comfortable: Shared accommodation at the jail, which officials say will be the most-modern in Europe . Plans: How Kresty-2 will look when its finished, according to architects' plans . Putin personally announced the construction of the new jail in 2006. 'It will be the most modern prison in Russia and the biggest in Europe,' said Gennady Kornienko, head of Russia's prison service. Europe's current largest prison is believed to be France's Fleury-Merogis Prison on the outskirts of Paris which can hold some 3,800 detainees. The development comes amid fears that Russia is reverting to authoritarianism a decade and a half into strongman Putin's rule. But Kornienko insisted the new jail would include modern facilities, making it a far cry from the gulag prison camps of the Stalin era . 'Every inmate will be allocated seven square metres which fits European standards,' he said. 1 - prison cells; two blocks of cells, 1,792 people in each building. Architecturally they copy the old Kresty prison, but the new buildings are double the height with eight floors instead of four . 2 - dormitory for inmates who serve as prison 'housekeepers' including dining room, gym, showers and bedrooms. Holds 280 people . 3 - dining room with two halls for Kresty-2 personnel, one for 150, another for 30. 4 - church . 5 - single cells to dangerous prisoners and punishment sweat boxes - for 216 inmates. 6 - passage ways . 7 - hospital . 8 - sport complex and rest rooms, with gym and sport rooms, fighting room, wardrobes, showers, sauna and other rooms. A shooting range for use by prison staff. 9 - garage . 10 - reception with small cafe, shop and a desk accepting letter and parcels . 11 - 5 storey administration building, with a court room, lawyers' offices, long and short term meeting rooms, concert hall and jail museum. 12 - entry and exit facility for new and released inmates, including sanitary inspection rooms, shower and 'disinfecting' facilities and an investigative ward. Overcrowded: The old Kresty prison, which dates back to Tsarist times and has given the architectural inspiration for the new jail. It has housed many political dissidents . Russia has the third highest prison population in the world, after the U.S. and China; however, take into account population size, and it has only the tenth highest prison population rate at 469 per 100,000. The U.S. has the world's second highest prison population rate at 707 prisoners per 100,000 people. Russia does have by far the higest prison population rate in Europe. The architecture of the new jail is modelled on the old Kresty jail but on a gargantuan scale. Kresty prison - which currently holds 1,150 inmates - dates back to the 1730s but was redeveloped in the reign of Tsar Alexander III by Anthony Tomishko, whose ghost is said to haunt it. In the first revolution of 1917, the jail was stormed by revolutionaries in an attempt to emulate the 'Storming of the Bastille' from the French Revolution. They ended up freeing hundreds of hardened criminals, causing crime rates to soar. | Kresty-2 will replace St Petersburg's famous Tsarist-era prison . The old Kresty was notoriously overcrowded and unpleasant . Officials boast the new jail will be spacious and meet 'European standards' | 0e1e834bb5fb8a42fb3ba96b94375a3e70762fa2 |
West Ham manager Sam Allardyce has revealed he received a congratulations text message from Jose Mourinho moments after his side sealed a 2-1 win over Manchester City. Mourinho, whose side face Manchester United at Old Trafford on Sunday, would have been keeping a close eye on proceedings at Upton Park as Manchester City are thought to be Chelsea's biggest title rivals. Allardyce and Mourinho clashed last season after the Portuguese tactician said West Ham play '19th century football' to which the Hammers boss responded by saying he 'out-tacticed' the Special One. VIDEO Scroll down to watch Sam Allardyce funny moment thanking Gary Neville for stats . Jose Mourinho embraces Sam Allardyce during Chelsea's home match against West Ham in January . Allardyce masterminded a 2-1 win against Manchester City on Saturday afternoon . Chelsea could go eight points clear if they can claim all three points against Manchester City . West Ham's victory means Chelsea could stretch their lead over the champions to eight points if they can come away from Old Trafford with all three points. Allardyce, speaking to broadcasters beIN Sport, said: 'Jose has just texted me to say "Well done big man". 'This shows how important it was for him, never mind us. 'He goes to Manchester United knowing his team will go and perform at their best and if they win it makes the gap even bigger. 'The result wasn't for him. It was for us and everyone at West Ham. It will benefit him if they go and get a result at Manchester United.' Mourinho was not the only one who was delighted with Allardyce as Russel Brand gave him a kiss . | Sam Allardyce received thank you message from his former sparring partner after 2-1 win against Manchester City . Jose Mourinho and Allardyce clashed last season when the Chelsea boss said West Ham played '19th century football' Chelsea will go eight points clear of Man City if they can beat Man United . | c0ba6d749cf31463fbc303fdfc56635d3c55583b |
Washington (CNN) -- The former head of transportation security said Wednesday he supports a new policy allowing small knives on planes, but said it does not go far enough, and should include instruments such as "battle axes (and) machetes." Sharp objects can no longer bring down aircraft, former Transportation Security Administration chief Kip Hawley told CNN, and the search for knives interferes with the search for objects that can harm aircraft. "In retrospect, I should have done the same thing," Hawley said of the rule, which allows passengers to board aircraft with certain small knives, as well as sports equipment such as ice hockey and lacrosse sticks. "They ought to let everything on that is sharp and pointy. Battle axes, machetes ... bring anything you want that is pointy and sharp because while you may be able to commit an act of violence, you will not be able to take over the plane. It is as simple as that," he said. "So my position would be, bravo on the 2.6 inch knife. But why not take it all the way and then really clean up the checkpoint where officers are focusing on bombs and toxins, which are things that can destroy an airplane. And it would smooth the process, cost less money, and be better security." Asked if he was using hyperbole in suggesting that battle axes be allowed on planes, Hawley said he was not. Air marshals, flight attendants want TSA to reconsider knife policy . "I really believe it. What are you going to do when you get on board with a battle ax? And you pull out your battle ax and say I'm taking over the airplane. You may be able to cut one or two people, but pretty soon you would be down in the aisle and the battle ax would be used on you." And, he pointed out, "You can commit acts of violence on an aircraft with what is allowed now. With a Coke can, a key, a ruler, and some duct tape, you can make a 12-inch razor-sharp sword. And every eighth-grader would be able to do that." Hawley headed the TSA from mid-2005 until early 2009, during the George W. Bush administration. During his term, the agency loosened restrictions on some items -- such as cigarette lighters, matches and small scissors -- while imposing limits on liquids and gels because of the August 2006 liquid bomb scare. The TSA's current administrator, John Pistole, was serving as deputy director of the FBI during the 2006 bomb scare, and has also cited the plot as a reason for the emphasis on bombs. "If undetected, I believe there is a high likelihood the terrorists would have killed hundreds of people that day," Pistole says on the TSA blog. "That's why we limit the amount of liquids you can bring on a plane." Opinion: Is TSA serious about letting people carry knives? Both Hawley and Pistole have embraced "risk-based security," the concept that the government should use intelligence and best practices to focus on known threats and unknown people. The TSA has expanded its PreCheck program under Pistole, expediting travel for frequent fliers and others who provide information on themselves. Hawley and other security experts say a number of factors -- including strengthened cockpit doors, better intelligence and motivated passengers -- has changed the security equation on planes, removing avenues once open to terrorists. Hawley said he is sensitive to concerns by air marshals and flight attendants about the rule changes, noting that they "would be the people upon whom the wounds would be inflicted." "I do understand and respect their opposition, but from a security strategy point of view this is absolutely the right decision," he said of the knife rule. "The air marshals and the flight attendants have legitimate concerns, certainly, for their own safety, but the threat of taking over a plane with a small, sharp instrument is zero," Hawley said. "You cannot necessarily prevent violence on an airplane, but that is not the TSA's mission. TSA's mission is to prevent a successful, catastrophic terrorist attack, and you cannot get a successful, catastrophic terrorist attack with a small knife or a Wiffle ball bat." | Kip Hawley says sharp objects can no longer bring down aircraft . "Clean up the checkpoint where officers are focusing on bombs and toxins," he says . "You can commit acts of violence on an aircraft with what is allowed now," he adds . | 755ab29632d44797084a903fde5869af9fef6067 |
(CNN) -- You cannot mess with America. The moment the Boston Marathon came under attack, the country pulled together and rallied. The FBI vowed to pursue the bombers "to the ends of the earth." They meant it, and everyone knew it. If you launch a terrorist attack on U.S. soil, America's vast resources will spring into action and the country will spare no effort to catch you. Within three days of the marathon blasts investigators had identified the suspects and released their pictures to the public. By the end of the week, one of the suspects was dead, the other in custody. Bostonians poured into the streets in joyous celebration. But how strong, really, is America? Americans are dying by the thousands at the hands of other Americans and the country can't figure out what to do about it. Many at home and abroad scratched their heads when in the midst of the bombing investigation, with all hands on deck to crack the case, the U.S. Senate could not manage to approve a minuscule improvement to the country's efforts to keep weapons out of the hands of potential criminals, including possible terrorists even though polls show most of the public support it. How strong, really, is America? No other nation has even a small portion of America's military power or a fraction of its reach. The country's enemies know they have nowhere to hide. America's unmanned drones will find you and kill you in the most remote corners of the earth. Americans are patriotic and resilient. The population responded with determination, kindness and courage after the Boston bombing. Police, military and intelligence personnel are skilled and brave. They have kept terrorist attacks to a minimum in the years since 9/11. And when terrorists attack, or try to, investigators solve the case with a quickness and ingenuity that rivals fictional television detectives, even as we're constantly warned it is unrealistic to expect such dramatic results. America's might is something to behold. Except when it isn't. More than 30,000 people in the United States are killed every year by someone brandishing a gun. It is a staggering number, no matter what you believe about the right to bear arms. A problem that causes so many people to die every year is one that requires urgent attention. And yet America simply cannot find a way to stop it. How strong is that? It is as if a house stood protected as a fortress, with a high fence around it, with guard towers and alarm systems to keep intruders out, while inside the residents were slaughtering one another. When you travel abroad, people ask what it is about Americans and their guns. As much as we hear from hunters, the issue goes much deeper than that. From the founding days of the nation, freedom lay at its core, and freedom has been viewed as protection from an overreaching government. The Second Amendment to the Constitution, adopted in 1791, states that the people have a right to "bear arms," but it also prefaces it with what sounds like a caveat, that this is because "a well regulated militia" is "necessary to the security of a free state." Still, Americans have had a romantic relationship with their arms. Think back to the cowboys and their six-shooters and Colt rifles. The romance and the freedom, it's all part of America's character and history. Americans will never look at guns the way, say, the Dutch look at them. In some respects, that is part of America's strength. The people feel a very personal stake, a direct responsibility for the country's freedom. And yet, not even the most ardent gun lovers would argue that it is acceptable for young men filled with hatred, dangerously disturbed or with a track record of violence, to have free access to weapons. The greatest defenders of freedom agree that the massacre of children in school or of moviegoers in a theater constitute a grave affront to the security of the country. It has become a crisis that demands a response. If America were really strong, it would find a way to stop the killings, to staunch the bleeding. But no, America has become weak. The nation has become incapable of solving problems through normal legislative channels. How strong is that? The country's political system has fallen into a muddy, sticky, foul-smelling quagmire. Problems whose gravity is enough to produce near consensus among the population cannot seem to find a solution in Congress. If it's a pure security issue, authorities can order everyone to stay at home in Boston for an entire day. They can ask everyone to send in their iPhone pictures of the marathon to try to solve the case together. If the problem is national debt, however, the mighty nation produces a travesty like the "sequester," creating hundreds of flight delays for no reason at all other than the incompetence of its politicians. Or if the problem is regulatory oversight, how strong is a country where parts of a town are destroyed by the explosion of a fertilizer plant that had not had an inspection in more than two decades? America is in possession of more power than any country on Earth. And yet, its people are not secure. They are dying in large numbers from problems that a better functioning government could do much to prevent. To make America truly strong and its people safe, fixing this broken system deserves at least as much urgent attention as catching the perpetrators of terrorist attacks. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Frida Ghitis. | Frida Ghitis: Boston Marathon aftermath shows vast resources, reach of America . Ghitis: Yet, the country cannot pass a measure that can keep guns out of potential criminals . She says America cannot seem to solve its bigger problems through its political process . Ghitis: If America were strong, it would find ways to stop the gun violence and fix its debt . | 6a8722935a9ba42354c6d7cc176e58bc45d9ffb4 |
At the World Cup opening ceremony on Thursday, a paraplegic will leave behind their wheelchair to take to the pitch in this robotic suit . The most impressive kick of the World Cup won't come from a known football star. Instead, it will be from a paraplegic teenager who will use a robotic bodysuit to kick a ball using his or her mind. For the past few months, Brazilian doctor Miguel Nicolelis has been putting the final touches to the futuristic exoskeleton, which was designed to enable paralysis victims to walk. At the World Cup opening ceremony on Thursday in . Sao Paulo, a paraplegic - whose identity has been kept secret - will . leave behind their wheelchair to take to the pitch in the suit. The exoskeleton, which has been designed as part of the international 'Walk Again Project', will use motorised metal braces to support and bend the teenager’s legs. The suit itself will be controlled by . patterns of brain activity detected by electrodes placed either on the . scalp or in the brain itself. These signals will be sent wirelessly . to a computer worn by the wearer, converting them into movements. The . team have incorporated sensors into the exoskeleton that feed . information about touch, temperature and force back to the wearer. The . feedback is expected to come through a visual display or a vibrating . motor. ‘It's the first time an exoskeleton has been controlled by brain activity and offered feedback to the patients,’ Dr Nicolelis, a neuroscientist at Duke University, told AFP.Scroll down for video . The exoskeleton, which has been designed as part of the international 'Walk Again Project', will use motorised metal braces to support and bend the teenager's legs. Brazilian scientist Miguel Nicolelis is pictured on the right at his lab in Sao Paulo, Brazil . The suit itself will be controlled by patterns of brain activity detected by electrodes placed either on the scalp or in the brain itself. These signals will be sent wirelessly to a computer worn by the wearer, converting them into movements . The exoskeleton, which has been designed . as part of the international 'Walk Again Project', will use motorised . metal braces to support and bend the teenager’s legs. The suit itself will be controlled by . patterns of brain activity detected by electrodes placed either on the . scalp or in the brain itself. These signals will be sent wirelessly . to a computer worn by the wearer, converting them into movements. The . team plans to incorporate sensors into the exoskeleton that feed . information about touch, temperature and force back to the wearer. The . feedback is expected to come through a visual display or a vibrating . motor. The teenager had undergone training in a virtual reality . simulator to translate thoughts into signals to the robotic armour. ‘Doing a demonstration in a stadium is something very much outside our routine in robotics. It's never been done before.’ Dr Nicolelis said his team have barely left the lab since March, when they arrived in Sao Paulo, Brazil's largest city and economic hub, to make the final preparations. But it's been rewarding, too, he said, recalling the moment on 24 April when a paralysed user first took steps in the exoskeleton. Dr Nicolelis’ voice contains a mix of exhaustion and excitement, the result of 30 years' work, more than 200 scientific papers and countless clinical tests that are nearing a spectacular summit. The scientist started down this path in 1984 when he wrote his doctoral thesis on neural connections in muscular control. He said the idea for the suit came to him in 2002, when scientists were just beginning to explore robotic exoskeletons. The team have named the device the . Bra-Santos Dumont, a combination of the three-letter sporting code for . Brazil and Alberto Santos-Dumont, a Brazilian inventor who once . demonstrated controllable flight was possible by flying his dirigible . around the Eiffel Tower. VIDEO: Miguel Nicolelis at TEDMED 2012 . Scientists from around the world are working to enable a young Brazilian paraplegic to kick off the opening game of the FIFA World Cup 2014. The teenager will wear an exoskeleton, artists' illustration pictured, that will be controlled by patterns of brain activity detected . Some scientists have criticised Dr Nicolelis for ditching academic publications in favour of mass media - he posts research updates on Facebook - and the anonymity of the lab for the lights of the World Cup stage. Critics have also questioned the practicality of his research and accused him of hogging an unfair share of the Brazilian government's research budget. Dr Nicolelis rejects that criticism. ‘The funding is the same with or without the World Cup,’ he said. ‘We've received $14 million (£8.4 million) from the Brazilian government over the last two years. ‘That's approximately four or five times less than what the United States government invests in a mechanical arm.’ ‘I don't see anything wrong with demonstrating a technology for the whole world that has a humanitarian objective and was paid for by civil society,’ he added. More than 65,000 people will be in Sao Paulo's Corinthians Arena to watch the BRA-Santos Dumont's first steps in public before Brazil play Croatia in the opening match. Around a billion are expected to watch on TV. Brazilian scientist Miguel Nicolelis (centre) working in his lab in Sao Paulo, Brazil. He said the idea for the suit came to him in 2002, when scientists were just beginning to explore robotic exoskeletons . | Motorised metal braces will be used to support and bend teenager’s legs . Suit will be controlled by . patterns of brain activity detected by electrodes . The signals will be sent to a computer converting them into movements . Unnamed teenager will then be able to kick a ball on pitch in Sao Paulo . This is the first time an exoskeleton has been controlled by brain activity and offered feedback to the patient . | 76a1c01e7b7141dba924924411fa2a17482e72f0 |
Google has removed yet another series of MailOnline articles from its search results - detailing drug abuse, incest and spying - following a controversial ‘right to be forgotten’ ruling. The new batch of articles, dating as far back as 2003, are just several of thousands that Google has started to remove from the EU version of its search engine since the ruling was made in May. News organisations throughout Europe have condemned the move, describing it as an infringement on freedom of speech and a compromise of basic human rights. The latest articles to be removed from MailOnline include the May 2009 article describing the sordid captivity in which Josef Fritzl (left) kept his family. Google also took down a story about multi-millionaire Tory MP, Jonathan Djanogly (right), who was thought to have spent £5,000 on private eyes to spy on his local party members . The European Data Protection Regulation, Article 17 includes the ‘right to be forgotten and to erasure’. Under Article 17, people who are mentioned in the data have the right to ‘obtain from the controller the erasure of personal data relating to them and the abstention from further dissemination of such data.' This relates to data about the person when they were a child, when the data is no longer relevant or necessary for the purpose it was collected, the person who owns the content withdraws their consent, the storage period has expired, or if it was gathered illegally. The EU defines ‘data controllers’ as ‘people or bodies that collect and manage personal data’. The EU General Data Protection Regulation means any data controller who has been asked to remove data must ‘take all reasonable steps, including technical measures' to remove it. If a data controller does not take these steps they can be heavily fined. Earlier this year, the . European Court of Justice ruled that Google must remove links to websites that include content that is ‘inadequate, irrelevant or no . longer relevant.’ So far, more than 90,000 removal requests involving more than 328,000 URLs have been made to Google worldwide. The content itself has not been deleted from MailOnline, but Google will not list it in search results. Instead, . users searching for the topic on google.co.uk will see a message that . says: ‘Some results may have been removed under data protection law in . Europe’ at the bottom of the page. The latest articles to be removed from MailOnline include: . MailOnline received a notification saying: 'Please note that in many cases, the affected queries do not relate to the name of any person mentioned prominently on the page. For example, in some cases, the name may appear only in a comment section' These stories will no longer appear on . search results on google.co.uk. However, those visiting google.com will . not be affected, even if they visit that webpage from a European . country. While . the search engine does not disclose the identity of who made the . request, they do have to verify that the link is about that person or . they have the legal authority to act on the claimant’s behalf. What is the link? Those seeking to have information about them removed can visit the legal section of Google's website. On this page, a form allows users to put in a search removal request under EU data law. Who can use the form?Only . EU citizens are allowed to submit a request via the form and apply to . have their links removed if their legal name appears. They will have to . explain why the link should be taken down.WHAT . Which requests will be considered?All . requests will be considered but Google, but it will have to balance . privacy with the public interest, the company has said it will not . remove all cases. What can I do if a case is not resolved?In Britain users can contact the Information Commissioner's Office or take Google to court. MailOnline received a notification saying: ‘Please note that in many cases, the affected queries do not relate to the name of any person mentioned prominently on the page. ‘For example, in some cases, the name may appear only in a comment section.’ MailOnline publisher Martin Clarke has described the move by the search engine as 'the equivalent of going into libraries and burning books you don't like'. Other MailOnline stories removed from Google results include claims from April 2013 that a ten-year-old girl could have died if her parents had relied on the NHS 111 helpline. More recently, Google removed a MailOnline story about a teenager, Kyle Ivison, slapped with an Asbo for committing 40 per cent of the offences in his town. Google is the dominant search engine in Europe, commanding about 93 per cent of the market, according to StatCounter statistics. Microsoft's Bing has 2.4 per cent and Yahoo has 1.7 per cent. David Drummond, senior vice president of corporate development and chief legal officer at Google, said: 'The issues here at stake are important and difficult, but we’re committed to complying with the court’s decision. ‘Indeed it's hard not to empathise with some of the requests we've seen - from the man who asked that we not show a news article saying he had been questioned in connection with a crime (he’s able to demonstrate that he was never charged) to the mother who requested that we remove news articles for her daughter’s name as she had been the victim of abuse. Google is the dominant search engine in Europe, commanding about 93 per cent of the market, according to StatCounter statistics. Microsoft's Bing has 2.4 per cent and Yahoo has 1.7 per cent . ‘It’s a complex issue, with no easy answers. So a robust debate is both welcome and necessary, as, on this issue at least, no search engine has an instant or perfect answer.’ The ‘right to be forgotten’ ruling has come under attack by major organisations who believe it infringes on freedom of speech. Last month, the foundation which operates Wikipedia described the rule as 'unforgivable censorship'. Speaking at the announcement of the Wikimedia Foundation's first-ever transparency report in London, Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales said the public had the 'right to remember'. ‘We are on a path to secret, online sanitation of truthful information,’ said Geoff Brigham, general counsel at the Wikimedia Foundation. ‘No matter how well it may be intended, it is compromising human rights, the freedom of expression and access to information, and we cannot forget that. ‘So we have to expose it and we have to reject this kind of censorship.’ Last month, the foundation which operates Wikipedia described the rule as 'unforgivable censorship'. Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales said the public had the 'right to remember' | Google has removed an article about Josef Fritzl's abuse of his family . Two more have been removed about Edward Stanbury's drug charges . A piece about politician Jonathan Djanogly has also been taken down . EU court gave people right to have 'inadequate' results wiped from web . So far, around 90,000 removal requests have been received by Google . Many news services claim the ruling EU infringes on freedom of speech . A . May 2009 article describing the sordid captivity in which Josef Fritzl . kept his family. The piece was based on extracts from the book ‘The . Crimes of Josef Fritzl: Uncovering the Truth’. Publisher Harper Collins . told MailOnline today it does not know who sent the request. Click here to read the story. A September 2010 article about multi-millionaire Tory MP Jonathan Djanogly, who admitted hiring private eyes to spy on his local party members. Mr Djanogly told MailOnline today he has not used the Google service himself and declined to comment further. Click here to read the story. A December 2003 column on how the schoolfriend of Prince William, Edward Stanbury, was jailed for nine months after 43 ecstasy tablets, 4.2 grammes of cocaine and three-quarters of a kilo of cannabis were found at his London flat. Click here to read the story. A March 2004 column by Richard Kay, also on Mr Stanbury, about how just weeks after he had been allowed home from prison, the Old Etonian had put his university studies aside and sold his flat. It is believed Mr Stanbury sent the removal request, but he today declined to comment. Click here to read the story. | b85b4753433fa06c2f60c21ab097c20a39a3fd3e |
Los Angeles (CNN) -- Brittany Murphy's mother attacked the "Clueless" actress' father for suggesting their daughter died from poisoning. The controversy began last week with a lab report suggesting that the presence of 10 heavy metals in a strand of her hair was evidence of a poisoning death four years ago. A forensic pathologist told CNN last week that the poisoning conclusion was "ridiculous" and "baseless." It's erupted into a public name-calling battle this week between Murphy's father, who sent the hair strand to a private lab for testing, and her mother, who wrote a scathing response published Monday in The Hollywood Reporter . "I have no choice now but to come forward in the face of inexcusable efforts to smear my daughter's memory by a man who may be her biological father but was never a real father to her in her lifetime," Sharon Murphy wrote. She said Angelo Bertolotti's claims "are based on the most flimsy of evidence and are more of an insult than an insight into what really happened." Murphy accused Bertolotti of trying to profit off his daughter's death with the publicity surrounding the poisoning reports even though he hadn't seen her in the last three years of her life. "They want to do a documentary and write a book, and this whole stunt is merely publicity to fuel their aspirations," she said, referring to Bertolotti and a partner. Her father was not part of her life past her first year, she said. "He certainly wasn't around during the 12 years he spent in prison on three criminal felony convictions. Throughout her childhood, I was Brittany's only parent and sole support." Murphy's father, in a response to CNN, said the mother's "ghostwritten piece is riddled with mistakes." "I am at the very end of my life," he told CNN Monday. "Money means absolutely nothing to me." It's Sharon Murphy, not him, who has used the death to make money by starting a foundation and announcing a book, Bertolotti said. "I have nothing to gain here, while Sharon has lived a life of luxury. Before Brittany supported (still does) her mother, I was supporting Sharon." He disputed Sharon Murphy's claim that their daughter chose not to have contact with him when she was a child and later as an adult. Sharon Murphy and Bertolotti divorced three decades ago. "How is it that I am pictured with my daughter in her childhood and adulthood, if she supposedly cut me off in childhood?" Bertolotti said. "I have a normal and close relationship with all of my children and they are open about that. There has never been a 12 year gap in the photos of Brittany and myself. I have quite a few of them online." The Los Angeles County coroner ruled pneumonia killed Murphy, 32, in December 2009, and that her husband, Simon Monjack, 39, died from the same illness five months later. The similarities between their deaths -- in the same bedroom of their Hollywood Hills home -- prompted a search for answers beyond natural illness. "It's very suspicious," Bertolotti told HLN last Tuesday. "I feel she was poisoned and there's no question about that. She was murdered." He said he had a murder suspect in mind, but declined to elaborate. "I do, but I'd rather not speak about that." CNN obtained the report by forensic toxicologist Ernest Lykissa, who concluded that the hair from the back of Murphy's head had higher than recommended levels of 10 heavy metals. "If we were to eliminate the possibility of a simultaneous accidental heavy metals exposure to the sample donor then the only logical explanation would be an exposure to these metals (toxins) administered by a third party perpetrator with likely criminal intent." Lykissa, who operates a toxicology testing lab in Deer Park, Texas, did not respond to several calls from CNN to discuss his findings. The director of forensic medicine at the University of Florida, who is also the president of the American Board of Forensic Toxicology, reviewed the lab report for CNN and was very critical. "It's ridiculous," Dr. Bruce Goldberger said. A conclusion of poisoning is an "inflammatory statement" that "is a baseless allegation and outrageous statement to make based on a single hair test." Murphy's autopsy revealed no physical signs of poisoning, he said. "A hair test alone, without any clinical signs or symptoms, cannot be used to establish poisoning." The private report also showed a normal level of arsenic, which would have been elevated if rat poisoning was involved, he said. "She was a beautiful woman and likely had numerous hair treatments," Goldberger said. "Chemicals in the hair treatment would alter the chemistry of her hair sample." Sharon Murphy said she also consulted with forensic experts who discredited the lab results. "This report conveniently ignores what any good scientist will tell you: A hair sample can be affected by many outside factors, including hair dye, hair spray, prescription medications, foods, smoking the occasional cigarette and environmental factors," she wrote. The Los Angeles coroner "has no plans to reopen the inquiries into the deaths of Miss Murphy or Mr. Monjack," Craig Harvey, the chief of operations for the coroner, said last week. "We stand by by our conclusions and opinion." Murphy's mother said she suspects a toxic mold found in the house may have killed her daughter and son-in-law. "There were no indicators that it was from mold," Los Angeles County Assistant Chief Coroner Ed Winter told CNN in July 2010. "We will never know for sure," Sharon Murphy wrote in Monday's story. "However, we do know the Los Angeles County Coroner did extensive tests and found that she died of natural causes." Monjack's autopsy concluded that his May 23, 2010, death was caused by acute pneumonia and severe anemia, "just like Brittany," Winter said. Murphy died December 20, 2009, from a combination of pneumonia, an iron deficiency and multiple drug intoxication, a coroner said. The drugs involved were legal and are used to treat respiratory infections, according to an autopsy. Monjack, a British screenwriter, married Murphy in 2007. She was an often bubbly, free-spirited actress who appeared in films such as "Clueless," "8 Mile," "Don't Say a Word" and "Girl, Interrupted." She also lent her voice to animated works, including the movie "Happy Feet" -- in which she also sang -- and a regular role on the animated TV series "King of the Hill." | Mother calls claim Brittany Murphy was poisoned a publicity stunt by her father . Sharon Murphy accuses daughter's father of trying to profit from actress's 2009 death . "I am at the very end of my life. Money means absolutely nothing to me," father tells CNN . Lab analyst says strand of hair indicates Murphy died from poisoning . | c1a3366fbe7095143c9be445058083b53b407206 |
(CNN) -- Hundreds of additional police officers are being sent from Britain to Northern Ireland on Saturday after a night of loyalist rioting in Belfast left 32 officers injured across the city, police said. Officers came under attack Friday evening in north Belfast, the Police Service of Northern Ireland said, as loyalists protested a decision to bar a Protestant Orange Order march from returning through the mainly nationalist and Catholic Ardoyne area. Police footage posted on YouTube showed an angry crowd, with men wielding batons and throwing projectiles after police vehicles blocked their way. Police deployed water cannon in response. Lawmaker Nigel Dodds was briefly hospitalized after being struck on the head with a brick or a bottle thrown at police, authorities said. Trouble also broke out in south and east Belfast, leading to the arrests of seven men. Chief Constable Matt Baggott described the night's rioting as "shameful and disgraceful." He said that another 400 police officers would arrive in Northern Ireland from Britain on Saturday as backup in case of further disorder. More than 600 "mutual aid" officers from Britain are already in Northern Ireland to support local police. The Orange Order said early Saturday that it was suspending the protests it had called over the route the marchers were allowed to take Friday in north Belfast. The route was decided by the Northern Ireland Parades Commission, which rules on which marches are allowed to take place and which are banned, in an effort to keep friction to a minimum. July 12 is an important day for marches because it celebrates Protestant William of Orange's defeat of the Catholic King James II at the Battle of the Boyne in 1690. Hundreds of parades take place across Northern Ireland each year, the majority involving the Orange Order and associated organizations, although pro-Irish nationalists also have marches. Most parades pass off peacefully, but when members of one community march near or through neighborhoods dominated by another, violence sometimes results. | Northern Ireland police chief says 400 additional officers are being drafted in from Britain . Police say 32 officers were injured in a night of rioting in Belfast . Trouble broke out as loyalists protested a decision to bar marchers from a flashpoint area . Orange Order marches on July 12 commemorate a historic Protestant victory in 1690 . | 68c2bd0623ff76cf1727d2a68ff29d59eaa136a4 |
By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 13:29 EST, 18 December 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 17:59 EST, 18 December 2013 . A beauty queen who almost died three years ago when the plane carrying her new liver crashed, is set to enjoy a very merry Christmas after being told a third transplant has been a complete success. Kate Trevener was just hours from death when the Cessna plane carrying the vital organ burst into a fireball after crashing in heavy fog as it came into land at Birmingham Airport. Frail Kate, who was 18 at the time, had suffered acute liver failure when a donor organ was found in Northern Ireland on November 19, 2010. In the clear: Kate Trevener has been told her third liver transplant has been a complete success . The crashed jet that was carrying Kate's liver. The pilots . cheated death and where hauled from the wreckage by fireman Nick Jordan . who then risked his life again to pull the charred box which contained . the liver to safety . The pilots cheated death and were . hauled from the wreckage by fireman Nick Jordan who then risked his life . again to pull the charred box which contained the liver to safety. The . box was strapped to a motorbike and police closed major roads during . rush hour as it was raced to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham. Incredibly, just 45 minutes after the plane crashed the liver was successfully transplanted into Kate. Delight: Kate with parents Tracey and Mike and her baby sister Annabel. Kate, now 21, was 18 and on the brink of death when the plane carrying . her new liver crashed in thick fog . Kate pictured in her hospital bed waiting for the donor liver that was almost lost in the plane crash. Sadly her body rejected it but a subsequent third transplant has been a complete success . But sadly Kate's ordeal was not yet over as her body rejected the organ just eight days after the life-saving operation. A second liver transplant was rejected in 2012 before a third was found and she could finally get on with her life . A second liver transplant was rejected in 2012 before a third was found and she could finally get on with her life. Now the 21-year-old former Miss Birmingham finalist has finally been told her third liver is a 'perfect match'. Kate, from the Shard End area of Birmingham, can now celebrate the festive season without worrying about her health. Yesterday . Kate, who is pursuing a career in the bridal industry, said: 'Christmas . is a really hard time for people on the transplant list, I've obviously . been there myself. 'Everyone wants a materialistic present - you're just waiting for an organ. 'All you're thinking about is the family of the donor. 'That's a Christmas where they haven't got a family member but they know that person has saved someone else's life. That's a gift from them. 'It's comforting for them at such a hard time, I should think. 'You can really see how people get too wrapped up in Christmas and presents. They don't see the important things they should be thinking about. Kate with her sister Annabel. The former Miss Birmingham finalist said her thoughts were now with the donor's family . Kate aged 16 before her ordeal began, left, and aged 4, right . 'I had the biopsy two weeks ago to check everything was OK and they think I should go on now and everything should be fine. 'I'm going to try and take every opportunity that gets given to me. 'The results have made me realise I've got nothing holding me back now, whereas before I'd been thinking "what if something goes wrong?"' | Kate Trevener celebrating after being told third liver is a 'perfect match' She had been close to death when plane carrying first liver crashed . Fireman risked his life to pull the charred box containing organ to safety . Sadly her body rejected it and a subsequent second transplant . Miss Birmingham finalist said her thoughts were with the donor's family . | e2c8fb93834b7b04a959e116e23e22603f14baa0 |
By . Mia De Graaf . PUBLISHED: . 15:50 EST, 24 February 2014 . | . UPDATED: . 18:09 EST, 24 February 2014 . This is the selfie kidnapper Chris Edwards produced to scare his victim into handing over money. Grinning inanely with an AK47 assault rifle, it is one of a catalogue of chilling images by the gangster. The 34-year-old kept the menacing image on his mobile phone to threaten those who dared to cross him. Other photos he posted on Facebook showed him lounging around in a leopard print so-called 'pimp suit', posing with a bull terrier dog and shouting at police during the 2012 riots. Menacing: Chris Edwards, 34, would produce this image to threaten people that crossed him . In September, the Manchester-based gangster was arrested after holding a man captive for three hours and threatening him with a machete. During his ordeal, the victim was shown the picture of Edwards in a bid to make him hand over drugs money. The unnamed victim, 31, was later freed unharmed and went to the police. Today Edwards from Salford, Greater Manchester was jailed for ten years after he was found guilty of false imprisonment and possession of drugs with intent to supply. Jacob Minister, 25, of Salford was jailed for 15 years after he was found guilty following a trial of false imprisonment, possession with intent to supply and using an imitation firearm with the intention of causing harm or distress. Threatening: He uploaded images of ammunition to Facebook as he flaunted his gangster lifestyle in Salford . The 34-year-old was today jailed for 10 years for possession of drugs and false imprisonment . He said he had been storing cocaine for Minister and had decided to stop. But after he was allowed home, the man was summoned to a meeting by Edwards and Minister. Moments later a black Corsa pulled up with both Edwards and Minister inside, the victim got in and was told he wasn’t going anywhere until he had 'paid the money he owed.' Minister took the victim’s phone and accused him of being bugged and said if he tried to escape he would be stabbed. The gangster (right) is here pictured taunting police during the 2012 riots in a Facebook photo . Jailed: Police arrested Edwards after the victim he held with Jacob Minister, 25, reported the crime . They then went to Edwards’ house where the victim was terrorised before being driven home. He managed to contact his partner to say he was being held against his will and Edwards and Minister were arrested in a police swoop. Detective Constable Sean Fitzgerald said after the case: 'These two men preyed on a vulnerable man, they provided him with drugs on tick and when he could not pay they started to use him to store their supply. 'The threats escalated and when they found out he told the police he was storing drugs on their behalf, he was kidnaped and held at knife point. His capture is one of a number in Salford recently as police crack down on organised crime in the area . 'If he had not been able to contact his partner who knows what these men could have been capable of.' Chief Superintendant Mary Doyle, divisional commander for Salford, said: 'Over the past few years, we have had some tremendous successes in Salford in tackling organised criminal gangs. 'We have seized millions of pounds worth of drugs, firearms and cash and as residents will have already seen, we have secured some lengthy convictions for some of these organised crime group members. 'By taking so many of these gang members off the streets and seizing huge quantities of drugs and other items associated with criminality, we have made massive inroads into disrupting these criminal networks and as a result, Salford is a safer place to live and work.' | Chris Edwards, 34, produced the image on his phone to threaten victim . Today jailed for 10 years for false imprisonment and drug possession . Jacob Minister, 25, jailed for 15 years for same charges and intent to harm . | b17a9a66a1367c42daa4d284947d9d758670e403 |
The number of patients spending more than four hours at accident and emergency departments in Wales has risen to the highest level in five years. Nearly a fifth of all people arriving at A&E are facing waits in excess of the gold standard, four hours, as winter pressures continue their grip on the NHS. During the busiest December the health service has seen in five years, 81 per cent of patients were assessed, treated and then admitted or discharged within within four hours of arriving at A&E. Ministers, who have pledged to spend an extra £40 million to help the NHS deal with the surge in demand, blamed an increase in admissions. Nearly a fifth of patients at A&E are facing waits in excess of four hours as winter pressures grip the NHS in Wales with ambulances left queuing outside deparments, including that at University Hospital in Cardiff . Opposition parties have been fiercely critical of the new data - claiming it was further proof of the Welsh Labour administration in Cardiff Bay's poor record on health. The deputy minister for health, Vaughan Gething, praised the work of NHS staff during a period of immense pressure, with 76,889 people visiting emergency departments across the country. But the figures laid bare the challenges facing the health service, with 2,490 people waiting longer than 12 hours to be seen. The number of people attending A&Es in December was up 2.5 per cent on December 2013. And it marked the highest number of attendances per day in any December since 2009. Mr Gething said: 'These figures show eight out of 10 people who went to A&E were assessed, treated and then admitted or discharged in less than four hours during December. 'While different reporting mechanisms make it difficult to make direct comparisons with other parts of the UK, it is clear all health services are experiencing significant pressures. 'I would like to thank everyone within the Welsh NHS for their unrelenting commitment to patient care during this difficult period. 'We have announced an extra £40 million to help the NHS deal with winter pressures. 'This means we have invested a further quarter of a billion pounds in the Welsh NHS in 2014-15 to continue to deliver high-quality, sustainable health services.' The best-performing A&E department was Bronglais in Aberystwyth, with 90.7 per cent of people seen within the four hour target window. Wrexham's Maelor hospital had the lowest figure at 65.6 per cent. The news comes in the same week a senior Welsh nurse described the pressure on A&E staff as more stressful than treating soldiers on the front line in Iraq. Welsh ministers have pledged an extra £40 million to ease the pressures but Conservative politicians in opposition have said the move is 'too little too late' The Welsh Conservatives, the second largest party in the Welsh Assembly, said Labour ministers needed to set out swift and detailed plans to turn the situation around. Shadow health minister Darren Millar said: 'December's atrocious performance is among the worst since current records began and it confirms that patients and staff are paying a high price for Labour's record-breaking cuts to the NHS budget. A senior nurse working in A&E at the University Hospital of Wales in Cardiff gave a brutal account of life on the front line of the NHS. Having treated injured soldiers during the second Iraq war in 2003, the nurse, who was not named, claimed the pressure staff are facing in A&E at the moment is worse than that in a warzone. Extracts from her three-page account of one shift, which was pinned to a staff noticeboard in the hospital and leaked to the press, reads: . 'Arrived at 7pm to a department of 60 patients, 43 to be seen. Most areas of A&E are full and no beds allocated. 'There were five ambulances outside with 15 presented majors patients to be triaged. Throughout the night we had 125 patients through, on top of the 60 to begin with. 'Young pregnant woman was bleeding heavily. On walking into the triage room, she miscarried . on the floor and passed the foetus at the feet of the triage nurse. 'We had nowhere private to take her and had to pick up everything from the floor in front of her and scoop it into a pot.' 'Arrival of ambulance crews was relentless overnight and we had multiple offload delays. 'In order to avert long delays, I had to think about what patient I could offload and what . patient absolutely needed to stay on a truck and have continual monitoring.' 'The existing targets have not been met in well over five years and lie significantly behind performance in England. 'This week's announcement of £40 million to support winter pressures in Wales was too little and too late. 'Another NHS bailout at the 11th hour does not allow Health Boards to plan properly for effective spending and it is unlikely to have a significant impact on the frontline in the current bleak mid-winter.' Plaid Cymru AM Elin Jones countered Welsh Government suggestions the latest failure to meet A&E target times were because of an increase. She said: 'Demand for services has been within a consistent margin for many years. 'It is clear therefore the failure to meet these targets is not down to the number of people coming through the door, but indicative of a deeper problem that lies in the flow of patients through hospital.' Ms Jones added a major recruitment drive for more doctors was desperately needed. Welsh Lib Dem leader Kirsty Williams said: 'Anyone who read the letter from the A&E nurse, who compared working in a Welsh A&E to working in a war zone, would be moved by the dedication and commitment of our NHS staff. 'However, they are being held back by the Welsh Labour Government. 'What is clear to me is that the NHS is too big an issue to be left to one party. What we need is a cross-party and no-party commission, working with health professionals and patients, to look into the future of our NHS and how it can meet the severe challenges it faces in the future.' The NHS in England has the same 95 per cent target as Wales but its figures are published weekly during winter. Today the figures covering the week until January 11 revealed 89.8 per cent of people were seen within four hours across England. | 81% of patients were seen within four hours at A&Es in Wales in December . Marks worst waiting time performance for five years, figures show . Labour government has pledged extra £40 million to help ease pressures . But Conservatives in opposition say it is 'too little too late' | 4d7abd13f557816e6597abac22860162228cdcf3 |
Los Angeles (CNN) -- Cartoonist Jerry Robinson, who worked on the earliest Batman comics and claimed credit for creating the super-villain The Joker, died Thursday at the age of 89, his family confirmed. "Batman has lost another father," Batman movie producer Michael Uslan said. "Farewell to my dear, dear friend, mentor and idol, Jerry Robinson." Spider-man co-creator Stan Lee, who was with rival Marvel Comics, called him "a genuine talent and a genuine gentleman." "Jerry Robinson was not only one of the finest artists ever to illustrate comic books, but he was also the head of an editorial syndicate which made cartoons available worldwide, as well as being an inspiration to young artists, whom he always found time to help and advise," Lee said. Robinson, in a panel discussion at New York Comic Con in 2009, said he was a 17-year-old creative writing student at Columbia University when he was hired as a writer and illustrator at DC Comics. Though he was initially just assisting Batman creators Bob Kane and Bill Finger, his chance to create The Joker came in 1940, when the demand for more Batman stories overloaded Finger. "This was going to be a problem, so I volunteered to do one of the stories," Robinson said. He handed in the work for a grade in his college creative writing class, he said. "I wanted a very strong villain, because I thought that's going to carry the story," Robinson said. "Villains are more exciting." He wanted his villain to have a sense of humor, and "in a space of hours" one night "somehow The Joker came out," Robinson said. The first Joker image was modeled out of the joker card in a deck of playing cards, he said. "It's extraordinary what's happened over the years," he said. Cesar Romero played The Joker in the 1960 television Batman TV series, followed by Jack Nicholson's and Heath Ledger's portrayals in Batman films. "His creative work is immortal as co-creator of The Joker, Robin the Boy Wonder, and the visualizations of Alfred, The Penguin and many more," Uslan said. "Jerry elevated comic books as art and fought for respectability for all his fellow artists." Robinson's role in the creation of The Joker is a long-running controversy in the comics industry. Kane downplayed Robinson as his assistant at the time. But those now working for the DC Entertainment issued statements Thursday making it clear they credit Robinson for his creative contributions. "Jerry Robinson illustrated some of the defining images of pop culture's greatest icons," DC Entertainment Co-Publisher Jim Lee said. "As an artist myself, it's impossible not to feel humbled by his body of work. Everyone who loves comics owes Jerry a debt of gratitude for the rich legacy that he leaves behind." "It's impossible to work at DC Entertainment without feeling the impact of Jerry Robinson's contributions to the industry," DC Entertainment Editor-in-Chief Bob Harras said. "His influence continues to resonate today." | "Batman has lost another father," Batman movie producer Michael Uslan says . Exec: Robinson "illustrated some of the defining images of pop culture's greatest icons" Robinson claimed creation of the Joker, but others dispute his role . "I wanted a very strong villain, because I thought that's going to carry the story," Robinson said . | 28294674392d210bc3515db9503d3f1e1ac493db |
Authors Jonathan Safron Foer and Nicole Krauss have called it quits on their 10 year marriage. A rep for the literary power couple confirmed that they 'split amicably a year ago', according to The New York Post, and 'have chosen to live in close proximity in order to raise their [two] children.' Last October, in what was to be a real-estate omen, the pair listed their six bedroom townhouse in Brooklyn, New York, for $14.5million, and although they have both moved out, the house remains unsold. Shock split: Authors Jonathan Safran Foer (right) and Nicole Krauss (left) 'split amicably a year ago' without the public knowing, and are pictured here looking cosy at a New York event, in February of this year . Once dubbed 'the too-successful-to-stomach physical embodiment of literary Brooklyn' by New York Magazine - the couple's split comes as a shock to many, as the ferociously successful author-duo appeared to enjoy a happy and stable marriage. Mr Foer, 37, is best known for his 2009 novel, Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close, which was later turned into a film starring Tom Hanks and Sandra Bullock, in 2011. In 2012, just one year before the couple separated, Mr Foer told The Guardian that 'the best kiss of his life' was: '[The] First date with my wife, beneath a costume shop awning, in the rain.' In the same interview, he declared that 'the love of his life', was 'life itself.' Literary heavyweights: Mr Foer (left) is best known for his novel Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close, while Ms Krauss (right) wrote the bestselling The History of Love, both plots being notably similar . Film: Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close was made into a movie in 2011, starring Tom Hanks (pictured) Ms Krauss has been hailed by The New York Times as 'one of America's most important novelists', and is best known for her bestselling novel, The History of Love, which she wrote around the same time Mr Foer was writing Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close. In a signal of the pair's creative unity, the two post-modern novels have been widely noted for their similarities, in plot and in writing style. Both center around intelligent children with dead fathers solving mysteries in New York. Mr Foer is . also the author of the 2009 book, Eating Animals; a nonfiction which . exposed the gruesome insides of America's meat industry. The work is now . being made into a feature-length documentary starring self-proclaimed . vegan, Natalie Portman. Mr Foer and Ms Krauss have raised their . children, Sasha, eight, and Cy, five, as strict vegetarians. Mr Foer currently teaches creative writing and the New York University, and Ms Krauss is writing short stories. | The bestselling authors were married for 10 years . They have two sons; Sasha, eight, and Cy, five, and live close by in Brooklyn, New York . | a649b450af9f56fc233a097d7bfd7897e65580c6 |
(CNN) -- Retiring baby boomers are cashing out on their decades of paying into Social Security. The problem? Social Security is no longer running a surplus, worrying many that the entitlement program is in trouble. In 2036, the Social Security Administration reports that it will no longer have enough money to fully pay out scheduled benefits. Solutions put forth by President Obama's bipartisan fiscal commission, on which Republican vice presidential hopeful Paul Ryan served, include raising the retirement age and reducing benefits for wealthier Americans. As the debate over how to save Social Security continues, we look at the program by the numbers: . 7.8 million - Number of elderly people in the United States in 1934. Approximately 50% of them lacked enough income to support themselves. Only 5% of retired people were receiving pensions. 1935 -- Social Security is signed into law by President Franklin D. Roosevelt. The first payroll deductions begin in 1937. Ryan's controversial Social Security plan he doesn't discuss . 222,488 -- Number of Americans receiving Social Security benefits in 1940, less than 1% of the total population. $22.71 -- The average monthly benefit for a retired worker in 1940, the first year that benefits were paid monthly. 56 million -- Number of Americans receiving Social Security benefits in 2011, approximately 18% of the total population. 36 million -- Number of those receiving Social Security in 2012 who are retired workers. The other 20 million are surviving spouses, disabled people and dependents. Opinion: Social Security and Medicare reform can't wait . $1,234 -- The average monthly benefit for a retired worker in 2011. $1,323 -- The average monthly retired worker benefit for a man in 2010. $1,023 -- The average monthly retired worker benefit for a woman in 2010. 12% -- Percentage of retired worker Social Security beneficiaries who were women in 1940. 49% -- Percentage of retired worker Social Security beneficiaries who were women in 2010. 86% -- The percentage of single people over 65 who received Social Security benefits in 2009. 43% -- The percentage of single people over 65 who relied on Social Security for 90% or more of their income in 2009. Social Security, Medicare report card on tap . $778 billion -- Expected amount that Social Security will pay out in benefits in 2012. $8.7 trillion+ -- Amount of money that has been paid into the Social Security Trust Fund since its inception. $7.4 trillion+ -- Amount of money that has been paid out in benefits since the 1930s. 2036 -- The year Social Security Trust Fund will no longer have enough money to fully pay out scheduled benefits. Just for fun . $22,888.92 -- Amount of Social Security benefits received by Ida Fuller of Vermont. She was the first person to receive monthly benefits, beginning in 1940. She died in 1975 at the age of 100. $24.75 -- The amount Ida Fuller paid into Social Security during three years of work in the late 1930s. $0.17 -- The amount of Social Security benefits paid to Ernest Ackerman, the first person to apply for benefits. He retired one day after the program began and paid a total of $.05 cents into Social Security. 001-01-0001 -- The lowest Social Security number ever assigned, given to a New Hampshire woman in 1936. 23 -- The age of John David Sweeney Jr. of New York when he received the nation's first Social Security account in 1936. Sweeney died at the age of 61 and never received any Social Security benefits. 40,000 -- Number of people who claimed the Social Security number 078-05-1120, when they found it printed on a sample insert in wallets sold at Woolworths. | 222,488 -- Number receiving Social Security benefits in 1940, less than 1% of the population . 56 million -- Number receiving Social Security benefits in 2011, about 18% of the population . $778 billion -- Expected amount that Social Security will pay out in benefits in 2012 . 40,000 -- People who claimed SSN 078-05-1120 after finding it on a sample wallet insert . | c6918d8f0574617e214777b2ff50d2f0a3ae8155 |
By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 21:23 EST, 20 June 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 01:08 EST, 21 June 2013 . A New York comedian has taken it upon himself to get the city's homeless in shape - by teaching Soul Cycle using stationary CitiBikes. The ingenious idea was captured in a hilarious video by funnyman Fabrizio Goldstein aka 'The Fat Jew' in which he cites wanting the homeless people of New York to have the opportunity to have 'gorgeous bodies' as the reason for the venture. The bike share scheme kicked off in the Big Apple recently but, at nearly $10 a day, the cost of biking around Manhattan is almost as punitive as the $32 price of a sought-after Soul Cycle class. However, the fact the pedals still spin when the bikes are in the dock means CitiBike has 'opened up a whole new world' to the New York's poor, he says. Scroll down for video . Feel the burn: Fabrizio Goldstein aka 'The Fat Jew' is taking Soul Cycle classes for the homeless in New York . Displaying his ample stomach, Goldstein is seen in the tape, posted on The Crosby Press on Wednesday, instructing a group of about six homeless people each sitting on a bike. He says he rounded up the participants in Tompkins Square park in the East Village and they all jumped on a bike at a nearby docking station. 'There were five or six people who were like, "Let's party,"' he told the New York Daily News. 'I think they recognized a good time.' In the class, which was Goldstein's third, he yells out common spin phrases like 'this is a cardio party' and 'you guys feelin' the burn?' 'The Fat Jew' said he regularly makes silly videos and the Soul Cycle spin off similarly started out as a joke. But he told the Daily News that it has 'kind of turned into a real thing' and he wants to keep it going as long as the demand is there. Midriff-bearing: The comedian says all New Yorkers, even himself, can get in shape . Joke: He said it started off as a joke but due to high demand, he's taking the classes for real now . 'This is an unintended consequence,' he said. 'I got dozens of emails today from people saying, "If you put up a schedule, I will come."' On Thursday he tweeted: 'I'm teaching SoulCycle classes to homeless people in New York City using parked CitiBikes. I'M BEING SERIOUS.' He says the class isn't just for the homeless - anyone who balks at the idea of paying the exorbitant cost of the real thing can join in. 'Indoor cycling is too expensive it's not available to everybody,' he says in the video. Hilairous: In the class, which was Goldstein's third, he yells out common spin phrases like 'this is a cardio party' and 'you guys feelin' the burn?' Happy customer: This participant exclaims on the tape: 'My legs feel better' Adding to the Daily News, Golstein says: 'It's for whoever wants to show up. Everyone can kind of get into shape — me, first and foremost.' But his main mission is to help those living on the streets attain 'beautiful definition.' 'I want the homeless people of New York to have the opportunity to have sick bodies. They could have really gorgeous bodies they just need the right work out regimen and CitiBike has really opened up a whole new world to them. I'm just a New Yorker helping other New Yorkers get beautiful definition.' And, at least one participant is on his way there. 'My legs feel better,' an unnamed Citispin student says on the video. Gorgeous bodies: Even the homeless deserve gorgeous bodies Goldstein says . The real thing: Soul Cycle is a luxxe cycling gym class in New York where classes cost $32 a time . | Fabrizio Goldstein aka 'The Fat Jew' started the classes as a joke but wants to continue them after strong demand . At $32 a class he claims indoor cycling classes like Soul Cycle are too expensive for many New Yorkers . He wants the homeless to have the opportunity to have 'gorgeous bodies' Goldstein has conducted at least three classes at CitiBike docks in Manhattan for anyone who wants to join in . CitiBike is a bike share scheme that launched in New York last month . | 28d21a88799040e4300adde332da6ee4293c2391 |
This is the moment cars are picked up as though they are weightless and carried along in flash flooding in France. The 41-second video shows up to six partially submerged vehicles being battered by a barrage of water in the city of Collioure, near the Spanish border. In the footage, cars and jeeps almost disappear from view as they are submerged and dragged along by powerful tidal waves of water. Abandoned: Three vehicles are abandoned as they are submerged by water in the video . The flood happened on September 8, and since then there has been discussions on the necessity of parking on the riverbed. According to Newsflare agency, the cameraman stated that the riverbed is dry throughout most of the year, and residents normally have a lot of time to move their vehicles before the water builds up. The local council insist that parking on the riverbed is necessary because of a lack of space, while local residents are understandably aggrieved by the risk the flash floods pose to their vehicles. Powerful: The power of the water is very evident as tidal waves batter the vehicles during the flash floods . Going down: This car faces downwards ominously as the water surrounds the vehicle . High winds and torrential showers can be heard and seen during the brief footage, and the reaction of the pedestrians is contrasting throughout the video. Above the flooded road large groups of people watch the destruction unfold as others rush about with umbrellas as they try to get out of harm's way. One woman is seen running with her umbrella as the cars and jeeps below her are battered by the ferocious flash floods. Panic: This woman rushes as the torrential rain and wind continue to make life hazardous . Observers: Some pedestrians watch the destruction unfolding below them while others rush to get home . | 41 second video shows utter devastation unleashed by flash floods . Jeeps and cars are submerged by water on riverbed as torrential rain falls . Flash floods occurred in the city of Collioure near the Spanish border . | d6d9cc9be414cd5406796864c2355d46c67ae3a3 |
Teenage heptathlon star Morgan Lake has pulled out of England’s team for the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, partly because her father is not allowed to stay in the athletes’ village. Lake’s father, Eldon, is also her coach and would therefore have been eligible for accreditation, but would have only been allowed day passes into the athletes’ village. Team England will provide chaperones for all athletes at the Games who are under 18 — including 13-year-old diver Victoria Vincent and weightlifter Rebekah Tiler, 15 — but there is no scope for parents or guardians to stay among the expected 6,500 athletes in the village. VIDEO Scroll down to watch Katarina Johnson-Thompson demonstrating her skills . Disgruntled: Teenage heptathlon star Morgan Lake has pulled out of England's team . Team: British heptathlon star Lake with her father and coach Eldon Lake . Lake, 17, has just finished her AS Level exams but has already broken Katarina Johnson-Thompson’s British junior heptathlon record. She is also second behind Johnson-Thompson on the Under 20s all-time list after scoring 6,081points in Gotzis, Austria last month. Lake’s preference this summer was to do the heptathlon at the World Junior Championships in Oregon, USA and then the high jump in Glasgow, but British Athletics would not allow her to double up. She will now hope to be selected for Great Britain’s team at the World Juniors from July 22 to 27, — a single-sport, much smaller event than the Commonwealth Games. This would allow greater contact with her father and might also be a better option for her exciting long-term prospects. Star: Lake, 17, has already broken Katarina Johnson-Thompson's British junior heptathlon record . New home: The Athletes' Village for the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow . But Lake cleared a high jump personal best of 1.93m in Loughborough in May, the second highest jump by a British athlete this year, and could yet earn her first senior international vest this year at the European Championships in Zurich next month. The reasons behind Lake’s withdrawal from the Commonwealths should enable England to call up another athlete to replace her and compete alongside Jessica Taylor and Johnson-Thompson, the favourite for gold, if required. Meanwhile, marathon world record-holder Paula Radcliffe has announced she will race competitively for the first time in more than two years as she targets one final attempt at the London Marathon on 2015. Foot surgery ruled Radcliffe, 40, out of the London Olympics, but she will run in the Worcester City 10k on September 21. Back in action: Paula Radcliffe has announced she will race competitively for the first time in more than two years at the Worcester City 10k on September 21 . | Morgan Lake has pulled out of England’s team for the Commonwealth Games . Lake’s father and coach Eldon is eligible for accreditation for day passes . But no parents or guardians can stay in the village with the 6,500 athletes . Lake, 17, has just finished her AS Level exams but has already broken Katarina Johnson-Thompson’s British junior heptathlon record . | 7aeee7069d7bd76126180cf52d9393f29a3aefaa |
(CNN) -- Chinese human rights activist Chen Guangcheng arrived Saturday evening in the United States, bringing an end to a diplomatic firestorm that erupted after he escaped from house arrest and took to YouTube to complain about abuse he said his family suffered at the hands of authorities. United Airlines Flight 88 landed at New York/Newark Liberty International Airport to little fanfare after the U.S. State Department prohibited public and media access. Traveling with Chen were his wife and two children. Less than two hours later, Chen, 40, spoke from New York University, where he will participate in a fellowship. "I am very grateful to the assistance of the American Embassy and the promise of the Chinese government for protection of my rights as a citizen over the long term," Chen said to a mob of reporters and onlookers. "I am very gratified to see the Chinese government has been dealing with the situation with restraint and calm." The activist indicated through a translator that the U.S. government granted him partial citizenship rights. He asked people to work with him to "promote justice and fairness in China." And Chen said he was looking forward to recuperating in "body and spirit." Reporters traveling with him were denied access to Chen for much of the 13-hour flight from Beijing until he agreed to talk to one member of the media. Chen expressed mixed feelings about arriving in the United States, saying he has unfinished business at home, according to CNN's Steven Jiang, who was on board the flight. Chen's 'concrete' steps to leaving China . Chinese-speaking diplomats from the U.S. Embassy in Beijing traveled with the family, according to two senior State Department officials. Chen had neither passport nor visa in hand when he was abruptly shuttled to the Beijing airport for the flight. At the airport, Chen waited with his wife and two children in a secure location. He was in a wheelchair, dark glasses over his eyes -- Chen is blind. Chen had been in a Chinese hospital for the past few weeks, awaiting the documents to travel to the United States. The self-taught legal activist angered Chinese officials with his fight against alleged forced abortions under China's one-child policy. Chen spent four years in prison, and was then held under constant lockdown in his village. In his April video after his escape, Chen addressed the Chinese premier, Wen Jiabao, detailing alleged abuses during the family's 18 months of heavily guarded detention at home. "They broke into my house and more than a dozen men assaulted my wife," he said. "They pinned her down and wrapped her in a comforter, beating and kicking her for hours. They also similarly violently assaulted me." On Saturday, Chen said he was confident officials will conduct a thorough investigation of the abuse and treatment toward him. "I don't believe the central government will lie to me," he said. Journalists and supporters were prevented from visiting Chen during his house arrest. One of those supporters is Hollywood actor Christian Bale, who was roughed up by security guards while attempting a visit in December. Chen indicated Saturday he would like to meet Bale. Bale, in an e-mail Saturday to CNN, said, "Please shake Chen's hand, and give him and his family a hug from me upon their arrival in the U.S. They must be overwhelmed with relief at being together, and finally, safe; but also worried about their family who remain in Shandong. I would love to meet with Chen when he has the time." Chinese activists family suffers reprisals, he tells U.S. lawmakers . Bob Fu, president of ChinaAid, a Texas-based Christian human rights organization that has been campaigning for Chen's freedom, said the activist was deeply grateful to the international community's efforts to secure his freedom -- efforts that tested U.S. relations with the Communist giant. Chen spent six days in the U.S. Embassy after he escaped house arrest ahead of a visit to Beijing by U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. The move infuriated Chinese authorities. The one thing Chen could not leave behind was fear of reprisals for the rest of his extended family at the hands of the authorities in Shandong Province in eastern China. "My elder brother was taken away by these thugs without any reasoning and then they came back and started beating up my nephew, and they used stakes and violently beat him up," Chen told the House Foreign Affairs Committee in a telephone call from his hospital room earlier this week. Chen added that his relatives' homes had been broken into and they had been beaten by people working for the government. Chen said his nephew Chen Kegui tried to defend himself and now faces a "totally trumped-up" charge of attempted homicide. "After my nephew was beaten up, he actually was waiting to surrender himself and the police come back again and violently beat up my sister-in-law," Chen said. Hillary Clinton talks China, Chen in wide-ranging interview . The authorities in Linyi, the city that oversees Chen's village, had issued a statement accusing Chen Kegui of injuring government officials with a knife and saying he would be dealt with according to the law. They have declined to comment on the matter since. ChinaAid urged the international community to continue to monitor the situation for Chen's extended family in China, amid concerns over possible reprisals by the authorities. Amnesty International echoed that concern. "Chen's journey to the United States would not have been possible without his own valiant character, the courageous support of his family and friends and the robust voice of the international community that never stopped working on his behalf," said Frank Jannuzi, head of Amnesty International's Washington office. "But while Chen and his immediate family are safe, Amnesty International continues to be concerned about those in China who share his quest for justice, for they remain in serious jeopardy," he said. "Countless people, known and unknown, are subject to arbitrary detention, beatings and other forms of repression. For Chen, whose escape from authorities in Shandong played out like a Hollywood thriller -- a persecuted blind man who climbed over a high wall and hid in a pig sty -- Saturday's sudden journey over an ocean and a continent was perhaps a fitting chapter in his story. Sunday morning, Chen will begin a new life in America, calm and resolute as always. New York University law professor Jerome Cohen first met Chen when the activist traveled to the United States as part of a State Department program in 2004. "You got the feeling you were in the presence of some Chinese equivalent of Gandhi or something," Cohen said. "He had this gentle but steely moral force." Chen never sought out to be a rabble-rouser, Cohen said, though he will always be thought of as one. CNN's Steven Jiang contributed to this report. | Chen expresses gratitude, asks for justice in China . Actor Christian Bale, who tried to visit Chen in China, wants to meet him in U.S. Chen will be able to pursue his studies in the U.S. Chen's escape from house arrest and refuge in the U.S. Embassy caused diplomatic tensions . | d30864d7fb37af4a9e21ebdcaab2dba407ef6ae7 |
(CNN) -- Justin Bieber was under the influence of alcohol, pot and Xanax when police stopped him for drag racing in Miami Beach last week, police documents allege. "Yeah, we were smoking all night at the studio," the singer told a police officer who told him he "reeked of marijuana," according to documents released Thursday. Bieber was "excited," "talkative," "insulting" and "cocky" and "used profanity," according to a intoxication evaluation conducted by police in the Florida city. His speech was mumbled, his pupils dilated, his face flushed and his eyes bloodshot, the assessment said. The lab test results and details of Bieber's sobriety tests were released just hours after the 19-year-old singer was booked on an assault charge in Canada, accused of hitting his limousine driver in Toronto a month ago. Bieber, who will turn 20 in four weeks, apparently sought refuge Wednesday night in Stratford, the Canadian town where he grew up before becoming a pop star. His father tweeted a photo of Bieber asleep in a bed with Justin's younger half brother, Jaxon. The Twitter message posted by @JeremyBieber read: "Safe and sound #homesweethome" Earlier Wednesday, Bieber's lawyer entered a "not guilty" plea to the Florida charges of DUI, resisting arrest and driving with an expired license, according to court records. The prospect of a third criminal arrest for Bieber hangs on a decision expected as soon as next week, after detectives investigating an alleged egg attack on his California neighbor meet again with a Los Angeles prosecutor. Bieber told police in Miami Beach that he had taken "medications for anxiety" that night but that he did not know what it was or whether he had a prescription for it. "Well, my mom takes care of all that stuff for me," the police report quoted him as saying. The preliminary toxicology report on Bieber's urine sample said it tested positive for "metabolite of THC," which indicates marijuana use, and alprazolam, the generic name for the prescription sedative Xanax. At the police station, Bieber failed a series of sobriety tests, including "horizontal gaze," "Romberg balance," "walk and turn," "finger to nose" and "one-leg stand" tests, the police report said. When Bieber was asked to estimate when 30 seconds passed, he failed by thinking a half-minute was over in 17 seconds, the report said. He had "great difficulty" completing the Breathalyzer test, the officer wrote. He "continuously forgot basic instructions." Bieber told the officer "that he was blowing as hard as he could, and told me to look at how red his face was," he wrote. "He advised he was blowing into the hose like he blows into his trumpet." When he was finally successful, he blew .011 and .014 in two Breathalyzer tests, the report said. Florida's legal limit for drivers under the drinking age of 21 is .02. Bieber was briefly jailed in Miami Beach on January 23 after he was stopped by a police officer who said he was drag racing in a Lambourghini on a residential street. Opinion: Money and Justin Bieber's teenage brain . Toronto assault charge . Bieber arrived at a Toronto police station for booking Wednesday evening amid a chaotic scene as determined photographers, reporters, screaming fans and the curious converged around his SUV. About a dozen Toronto police officers shoved their way through the crowd to escort Bieber, getting him through the door only after a struggle. The alleged incident happened after the limo driver picked up a group of six people outside a Toronto nightclub just before 3 a.m. December 30, according to a police statement. "While driving the group to a hotel, an altercation occurred between one of the passengers and the driver of the limousine," the police statement said. "In the course of the altercation, a man struck the limousine driver on the back of the head several times. The driver stopped the limousine, exited the vehicle and called police." The singer attended a Toronto Maple Leafs hockey game at the Air Canada Centre earlier in the evening, according to the CBC. Bieber left the Toronto police station through a rear exit after about two hours inside Wednesday night. He is set to appear in a Toronto court on March 10, police said. Bieber's Los Angeles lawyer said the charge was "the equivalent of a misdemeanor in the United States." "Our position is that Mr. Bieber is innocent," attorney Howard Wietzman said. "As the matter is now before the court, it would be inappropriate to address the specifics of either the allegation or of our defense at this time." Bieber's manager, Scooter Braun, posted messages on Twitter that appear to be related to Wednesday's arrest: . "for all those asking @JeremyBieber and @pattiemallette love their son. Stop passing judgement on a situation u dont understand. i ask people to be kind and hope for the best in people. not assume the worst. thanks" Bieber's latest criminal arrest came just an hour after the television debut of his newest video, for his song "Confident." Bieber's bad behavior: We've seen it before . Egging investigation 'tightening up' Detectives are "tightening up" their case against Bieber in his alleged egg attack on a neighbor's residence, an investigator said Tuesday. The neighbor accused Bieber of tossing eggs over a fence and onto the mansion next door on January 9, causing an estimated $20,000 in damage. A dozen Los Angeles County Sheriff's deputies raided Bieber's $6.5 million home in the exclusive Oaks community in Calabasas, California, two weeks ago, taking the security video system as evidence. A prosecutor reviewed the security video Monday and asked detectives to do more investigation before a decision is made about charging the pop star with felony vandalism, according to Lt. David Thompson. Detectives will probably meet again with prosecutors in the Los Angeles County District Attorney's office next week, Thompson said. The district attorney will then decide whether a charge will be filed against Bieber. 'Deport Justin Bieber' petition reaches 100,000+ signatures . CNN's Tory Dunnan, Carolyn Sung, Stephanie Gallman and Susan Candiotti contributed to this report. | Justin Bieber was "excited," "insulting," "cocky" and "used profanity," police say . "Yeah, we were smoking all night at the studio," Bieber told police, report says . Bieber charged in Toronto, allegedly struck a limo driver on the back of the head . An L.A. prosecutor is expected to decide soon whether he'll be charged in egging . | 44a2d41c08a0b3c1f36304879ab5ea856d895232 |
By . Anna Edwards . PUBLISHED: . 11:24 EST, 4 April 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 03:08 EST, 5 April 2013 . A new strain of deadly bird flu has killed four people in China and a total of 11 people have contracted the H7N9 virus. The deadly strain, previously . unknown in people, has begun to mutate into a form more likely to cause a . human pandemic, scientists say. Chinese authorities are studying the dangerous strain, as Japan and Hong Kong have stepped up vigilance against the virus and Vietnam has banned imports of Chinese poultry. Scroll down for video . A nurse attends to patients being treated on drips in a hospital in Shanghai. The city has activated an emergency response plan following four deaths of the strain of bird flu . A 48-year-old man who worked in poultry transportation in the eastern province of Jiangsu died in a hospital in the nearby city of Shanghai . A strain bird flu in China appears to have mutated so that it can spread to other animals, raising the potential for a bigger threat to people . The H7N9 bird flu strain does not appear to be transmitted from human to human but authorities in Hong Kong raised a preliminary alert and are taking precautions at their airport. In Japan, airports have put up posters at entry points warning all passengers from China to seek medical attention if they suspect they have bird flu. A total of 11 people in China have been confirmed to have contracted H7N9, all in the east of the country. A 48-year-old man who delivers poultry died of the virus in Shanghai today, bringing the number of deaths to four, state media said. Authorities in Shanghai also discovered the H7N9 virus in a pigeon sample taken from a traditional wholesale market, Xinhua added, believed to be the first time the virus has been discovered in a animal in China since the outbreak began. '(China) will strengthen its leadership in combating the virus... and coordinate and deploy the entire nation's health system to combat the virus,' the Health Ministry said in a statement late on Wednesday on its website. An official lets a dog sniff out items of possible quarantine concern at Incheon International Airport in South Korea as health authorities stepped up quarantine measures to fight against a bird flu outbreak in China . Health authorities nationwide are studying the dangerous new strain and preparing isolation units for possible new infections with H7N9 avian influenza . A worker catches chickens at a market in Nanjing, eastern China's Jiangsu province. Flu experts across the world are studying samples isolated from the patients to assess the human pandemic potential of the strain . In Hong Kong, authorities activated the preliminary 'Alert Response Level' under a preparedness plan for an influenza pandemic, which calls for close monitoring of chicken farms, vaccination, culling drills, and a suspension of imports of live birds from the mainland. All passengers on flights in and out of Hong Kong were being asked to notify flight attendants or airport staff if they were feeling unwell. Vietnam said it had banned poultry imports from China, blaming the risk of H7N9 for their clampdown. Just . days after authorities in China announced they had identified cases of . H7N9, flu experts in laboratories across the world are picking through . the DNA sequence data of samples isolated from patients to assess its . severity. Other strains of bird flu, such as H5N1, have been circulating for many years and can be transmitted from bird to bird, and bird to human, but not generally from human to human. 'The gene sequences confirm that this is an avian virus, and that it is a low pathogenic form (meaning it is likely to cause mild disease in birds),' said Wendy Barclay, a flu virologist at Britain's Imperial College London. 'But what the sequences also reveal is that there are some mammalian adapting mutations in some of the genes.' Poultry is displayed for sale at a stall in a market, in Hanoi, Vietnam. The country has banned imports of Chinese poultry and other countries have quickly introduced procedures to try and keep the strain out . A Chinese vendor holds up a black chicken, often used in herbal soup, for sale in a poultry stall in a market in Beijing. The country reported its fourth death from H7N9 avian influenza today . Vietnam has banned Chinese poultry imports after China reported eleven human cases of the mutant strain . This, she said, meant the H7N9 virus has already acquired some of the genetic changes it would need to mutate into a form that could be transmitted from person to person. In Beijing, the Health Ministry said the government would swiftly communicate details of the new strain to the outside world and its own people, following complaints it had been too slow to report on the outbreak and suspicion of a cover-up. Chinese internet users and some newspapers have questioned why it took so long for the government to announce the new cases, especially as two of the victims fell ill in February. The government has said it needed time to correctly identify the virus. In 2003, authorities initially tried to cover up an epidemic of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS), which emerged in China and killed about 10 percent of the 8,000 people it infected worldwide. While the official Xinhua news agency said it was unfair to compare SARS with H7N9, as the new bird flu virus had yet to show signs of human-to-human transmission, it did warn that the government's credibility was on the line. 'If there is anything that SARS has taught China and its government, it's that one cannot be too careful or too honest when it comes to deadly pandemics. 'The last 10 years have taught the government a lot, but it is far from enough,' it said in a commentary. | Latest victim of H7N9 virus 48-year-old man who delivers poultry . Mutated strain previously unknown in humans . Vietnam bans imports of Chinese poultry because of virus fears . Eleven people in China have contracted bird flu strain . | 7d940787ea6ad607a946dc5a5bce669e4f56d9fe |
By . Kerry Mcqueeney . PUBLISHED: . 09:09 EST, 12 October 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 09:09 EST, 12 October 2012 . It's a big, bad world out there. But for one tiny turtle it clearly proved to be a little too frightening for exploration just yet. The nervous creature hatched from its egg but then stayed there for two more days, peering at the outside world before finally emerging. The . Keeled Box Turtle, which is native to south east Asia, is endangered . due to over collection in the wild for food and the pet trade. Nervous: The little turtle peers out from the tiny hole in its egg... and then stays there for two more days . Finding its feet: The tiny turtle finally emerges from the comfort of its temporary home . The little creature was hatched at the Tennessee Aquarium in America, which houses 75 different species of turtle. The . Keeled Box Turtle has a very brittle shell and it is not uncommon for . the parents to crush them by accident. This one broke a hole in its . shell after a 126-day incubation period but then stayed in there for . another two days. Senior . herpetologist at the aquarium Bill Hughes said: 'Unlike other endangered . turtles reared at the aquarium this year, this recent addition was . rather slow to venture into the world. 'Spiny . Turtles just come right out, but this turtle seemed content to open one . end of the egg and look out at the world from inside the shell. This . baby turtle hatched after an incubation period lasting 126 days. 'It stayed there for two days before emerging.' It . is the first time that the aquarium has successfully hatched a Keeled . Box Turtle and it is one of only about 20 in accredited zoos and . aquariums in the entire US. Rare: The Keeled Box Turtle, native to south east Asia, is endangered due to over collection in the wild for food and the pet trade . Keeled . Box Turtles get their common names from the three raised ridges, or . 'keels' running the length of their shells. The edge of the shell has a . number of sharp spikes near the tail. They are mainly carnivorous and terrestrial, living near water rather than in it and adults grow up to seven inches long. The . species is native to China, India, Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam. Like many . other Southeast Asian Turtles, keeled box Turtles have been . over-collected in the wild for food, medicine and the pet trade. Several . conservation organisations are working to protect the remaining wild . populations from illegal trade, while zoos and aquariums are working . toward increasing assurance populations in human care. This assures that . the species does not go extinct if these animals disappear in the wild. The Tennessee Aquarium . has one of the largest turtle collections on public display with more . than 500 individuals representing 75 species. The Aquarium now has six . Keeled Box Turtles. There are three adults, one male and two females, . this new baby and a pair of young Keeled Box Turtles. | Nervous creature hid in its shell for two days peering at the outside world . Tiny rare Keeled Box turtle was hatched at the Tennessee Aquarium . | a8f85acd9ab2fbd7f76cc8e217a970be95ccd5b9 |
Sacked coach Jagoba Arrasate insists he is departing Real Sociedad with a clear conscience even though he leaves with the team stuck in the Primera Division relegation zone and already out of Europe. Arrasate was handed his marching orders on Sunday night following a miserable start to the season that has seen Sociedad pick up just six points from a possible 30 in La Liga. That has left the Basque club - who finished fourth in 2013 and seventh last term - in 19th place in the standings and two points from safety ahead of next weekend's daunting visit of champions Atletico Madrid. Jagoba Arrasate leaves a press conference at Real Sociedad's Zubieta training complex having been sacked as the club's manager following a poor start to the season . Sociedad were also knocked out of the Europa League before the group stages following a humiliating defeat to Russian side Krasnodar in August. Nevertheless, Arrasate, who enjoyed a decent first season in charge last term having previously been a youth team coach and then a first-team assistant to his predecessor Philippe Montanier at the Anoeta, feels he can leave with his head held high. He said at a press conference on Monday: 'I'm sad to be going, but with a clear conscience. Arrasate admitted being upset over leaving Sociedad with the club stuck in the relegation zone in La Liga . 'I understand the board's decision, they maintained their confidence in me until the last moment. What hurts me most is to leave La Real in this situation. I will be relieved when the team is much higher. 'I've been proud to have been coach of La Real, it's been a privilege . 'There were a lot of demands after the fourth-place finish, last year I think things went well, despite the bitter-sweet end to the season, and this season things haven't gone as we hoped.' Former Manchester United boss David Moyes has been linked with the Real Sociedad post . Former Manchester United boss David Moyes has been linked with the vacancy, along with ex-West Brom and Real Betis boss Pepe Mel. On the subject of his successor, Arrasate said: 'I'm sure that whoever comes in will be well prepared and I wish them the best. I believe in this squad, the key thing is that the team needs to loosen up and recover their confidence and their football. 'I think that the new person can do that. There is the potential here to be much much higher.' | Jagoba Arrasate dismissed from Sociedad with club in relegation zone . Arrasate 'hurt' to see club struggling and wishes best for successor . Former Manchester United boss David Moyes linked with vacant post . | e92b10920c5a448f93a35b618a1e4c6685324952 |
By . Lizzie Edmonds . PUBLISHED: . 18:31 EST, 14 September 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 11:37 EST, 15 September 2013 . With his sportswear, earring and back-turned baseball cap, you wouldn't think he was a fan of classical music - let alone a talented opera singer. But Maxwell Thorpe is proof that you should never judge a book by its cover. Because the shy 23-year-old, known as 'Chavarotti', has won hundreds of fans performing tear-jerking renditions of opera classics such as Nessun Dorma and Halleluja. Unlikely: Maxwell Thorpe, 23, sings on the streets of Chesterfield with his dog, Humphry . Performance: Maxwell likes to sing classics such as Nessun Dorma and Halleluja . And rather than performing in concert halls, Maxwell prefers a more down-to-earth venue - a bustling town centre. Maxwell, who is always accompanied by his loyal dog Humphry, a Shar-Pei Staffordshire terrier cross, sings outside a shopping centre in Chesterfield, Derbyshire. On busy days, up to a hundred people gather to listen to his amazing voice. He has also become and internet sensation, with one clip of him singing on YouTube receiving almost 100,000 hits. Humble Maxwell, from Sheffield, admits that people are often surprised by his unlikely talent. He said: 'People stop and ask me: "where does that voice come from?"' Humble: The singer, pictured at his usual performance spot, says he just wants to share his gift with the world . Popular: Sometimes up to a hundred people stop to listen to Maxwell sing . 'I know it’s a gift and . something I have to share with people. 'I was lost for a bit and then I . came out on the streets and it’s been great.' As for his 'Chavarotti' nickname, Maxwell, who calls his style of singing 'Hip-Opera', said: . Out of the limelight: Maxwell has no plans to enter any talent competitions such as Britain's Got Talent . 'A guy took a video of me in Doncaster - he called it Chavarotti. 'It is very funny, it is a pun. The guy was sincere. There wasn't any harm meant by it.' Despite his growing popularity, Maxwell has no plans to audition for X Factor or Britain's Got Talent. He said: 'I would like to show a different way to life. 'I know that there are people who go on the shows who do have real talent - but I don’t feel that’s the way for me. 'I want to bring a whole, rounded performance - a more philosophical performance.' Maxwell says he is not interested in being on TV, like many aspiring musicians, and instead wants his singing career to grow 'organically'. He added: 'I can only improve and the more I improve the more people will see the beauty of the voice. 'It’s a gift, I can’t take any accolade from it.' The amateur singer also performs reggae and hip-hop. But he seems to have found his hit niche with opera, and following some timeout in early 2013, plans to take his talent to more market towns across the north of Britain. | Maxwell Thorpe, 23, sings classics such as Nessun Dorma and Halleluja . Hundreds of people watch him sing in Chesterfield, Derbyshire, town centre . Is an internet sensation, with his YouTube videos getting 100,000 hits . Sheffield-born singer is always accompanied by his loyal dog Humphry . Insists he'll never go on TV talent shows as its 'not the way for him' | 74700cfeabb06048175570f7923b603a88147889 |
By . Julian Robinson for MailOnline . This is the shocking moment youths were seen brandishing large knives during a terrifying stand-off in a London park. A man was captured on video wielding what appeared to be two foot-long blades and moving towards a group of youths in Stonebridge Gardens, Haggerston, London. The footage was taken by Twitter user @BurgerBearTom who wrote on his account: 'HAGGERSTON RD AREA: BE VIGILANT AND STAY SAFE: I filmed this myself.' Scroll down for video . Confrontation: A man could be seen brandishing two foot-long knives at Stonebridge Park, in Haggerston, London . Stand-off: The man, (wearing a cycling helmet to the left) appears to wave his knives as he moves towards two youths dressed in black (right) Terrifying: Bystanders watched on as the confrontation unfolded on Wednesday afternoon . Frightened bystanders can be seen watching on and trying to ease the tension as insults and threats were traded between the two parties. According to the Standard, a witness said a group of four youths could be seen in the park 'minding their own business'. But the witness added: 'Then two youths on cycles spotted the youth in the helmet and shouted that finally they’d found him and he was "gonna get it". 'They turned around, jumped off bikes and chased the lad in the helmet who then pulled out the big knives. 'The cyclists then pulled out the smaller knives.' Two youths could then be seen cycling away from the scene of the stand-off while shouting continued . Police say they were called to the park at 4pm and that an investigation is underway. No arrests have been made . He told the newspaper that they then went their separate ways vowing to 'finish each other off' in Haggerston Park. Two youths can then be seen cycling away from the park with the shouting continuing as they rode off. The footage was taken on Wednesday afternoon. No arrests have yet been made following the incident. Police confirmed they were called to Stonebridge Gardens shortly before 4pm and that inquiries were underway. | Youths seen brandishing knives during terrifying stand-off in a London park . Man captured on video wielding what appears to be two foot-long knives . Frightened bystanders heard trying to ease tensions during confrontation . Witness says two parties left vowing to 'finish each other off' in nearby park . | 4d1cfc1218eaf93e42e8120b235a3631b9985846 |
By . Olivia Williams . PUBLISHED: . 13:18 EST, 23 August 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 14:07 EST, 23 August 2013 . A bungling bus driver brought holiday traffic to a standstill after trying to drive a 14ft double-decker under a 11ft railway bridge. The mechanic who was taking the bus for a test drive has been suspended after he got it wedged in the tunnel this afternoon near Bournemouth, Dorset. He had been trying to squeeze the out of service vehicle through after driving down a road that was off the bus' usual route. The double decker was on a road test when it became jammed under a bridge today in Dorset . Traffic had to be diverted for more than an hour while the tyres were deflated and the bus recovered . The roof and top deck buckled under the . pressure as he attempted to make it under the bridge. By . the time it came to a halt it was completely stuck. Queues of traffic were backed up for miles and several roads had to be closed following the blunder. It took almost two hours to free the enormous vehicle by letting air out of its tyres then dragging it out with a recovery truck. Yellow Buses said the vehicle, whose top deck crumpled in the tunnel, was not using one of its usual routes . Owner Yellow Buses said the driver was not injured. A spokesman said an internal investigation had been launched to establish why the bus had been driven off route. A passing policeman who helped direct traffic away from the scene said the bus was 'properly wedged in', adding 'It's a 14ft 6ins bus trying to get through a 10ft 9ins gap.' Onlooker Michael Smith, 72, said: 'I have lived here for 12 years and there's always someone scraping the top of the bridge but I have never seen a bus jammed underneath. By the time the bus came to a halt it was completely stuck and the roof had buckled under the pressure . 'If you look at the side of the bus you can see the roof of the top deck has gone over to the side.' Railway engineers checked the bridge but said no serious damage had been done to it. A spokesperson for Stagecoach said rail passengers were unaffected by the drama. | Mechanic was taking the bus for a test drive when it became stuck under a bridge causing miles of traffic jams near Bournemouth . Yellow Buses said the vehicle was not using one of its usual routes . Fortunately no passengers were on board during the incident . | 0fc563f4a4050f1837a115d8ec1e36608b6df8de |
Product criticism: Alan Titchmarsh pictured in a publicity photograph for his Waitrose gardening line . For many of us, Alan Titchmarsh is the go-to gardening expert, a font of knowledge about making things grow. But when it comes to making compost, it seems he is not quite the master we might assume. Consumer magazine Which? Gardening has condemned his commercial Peat-Free Multi Purpose Compost - part of a gardening line recently launched by Waitrose - as a product to stay away from. In a review of 25 composts, Which? gave Mr Titchmarsh’s £3.50 30-litre bag a ‘Don’t Buy’ label. Experts gave his compost poor scores for seed sowing and raising young plants. They said tomatoes, pansies, basil plants and pelargoniums all did badly in trials. Ceri Thomas, editor of Which? Gardening, said on Twitter that the reviews revealed a ‘shocking difference between a Best Buy compost and a Don’t Buy’. Mr Titchmarsh, 65, who made his name as a television presented in the 1980s on the long-running BBC Nationwide, last night rejected the criticism. In a statement sent by his agent, he said: ‘The results obtained by Which? magazine do not accord with my own experiences at home which prove this compost to be the best peat-free mix I have ever used. ‘That’s why I was - and am - happy to it my name to it. Perhaps other gardeners are best advised to try it and make their own judgements.’ Badly rated: In a review of 25 composts, Which? gave Mr Titchmarsh’s £3.50 30-litre bag (pictured) a ‘Don’t Buy’ label. Experts gave his compost poor scores for seed sowing and raising young plants . Waitrose, which launched a gardening range fronted by Mr Titchmarsh in Spring 2013, also disputed the scores. A spokesman for the supermarket said: ‘We were very disappointed to read the review as it doesn’t reflect what we see in our own and independent stringent quality control testing or the positive feedback we receive from our customers. ‘We work with a leading compost manufacturer and pride ourselves on providing consistently outstanding composts and we’ll investigate these results further.’ Gardeners are divided about the strengths and weaknesses of peat-free compost. Waitrose, which launched a gardening range fronted by Mr Titchmarsh in Spring 2013, disputed the scores . Environmentalists insist we stop using any peat in our gardens, because digging it up for commercial use is destroying the moors where it comes from. While many experts say peat-free compost is just as good as traditional peat mixes, others say decomposed bark and green waste is too coarse to germinate seeds well. The BBC was criticised in 2013 for allowing Mr Titchmarsh to present Chelsea Flower Show coverage while being the face of Waitrose, a sponsor at the event. He was dropped the next year, in favour of Monty Don. Mr Titchmarsh said later: ‘Yes, I suppose I was hurt, because I know people enjoy you doing it as much as I loved doing it.’ | Which? Gardening condemns £3.50 Peat-Free Multi Purpose Compost . Experts give it poor scores for seed sowing and raising young plants . Tomatoes, pansies, basil plants and pelargoniums all do badly in trials . But Titchmarsh insists results 'do not accord with my own experiences' | 0c109021cf3d0130fe24991f14a2c87aee9a0acd |
The re-birth of a river after years of drought has been captured on camera in the Negev desert, Israel. The waters of the river Zin are seen gushing down a dry riverbed, much to the delight of locals and a highly excitable dog. It is thought the return of the flood . waters are because of heavy rain in mountainous regions several miles . away from the arid land. Scroll down for video . The re-birth of a river Zin after years of drought has been captured on camera in the Negev desert in Israel (pictured). For centuries the dry area, which is a massive creek bed, has seen the disappearance and return of water in a series of flash floods . The region of the Wadi Zim, in the Negev desert is flooded every few years (pictured by this stock image) and has been since Biblical times. The Negev desert is where 12 spies are said to have been sent by Moses to travel the Promised Land and the Zin river used to mark the border of Israel in Biblical times . The Negev (or Negeb) takes its name from the Hebrew neghev, meaning dry. Beersheba was a major crossroads for Abraham in the Old Testament. According to the Bible he arrived in the area 3,700 years ago dug a well to feed his flock and established a settlement for his people. The desert is the scene of many biblical events and was a place of exile and a wilderness. The Israelites wandered the Negev during the 'wilderness journey' after the Exodus. The Zin . river used to mark the border of Israel in Biblical times . The occasional flooding of the Negev is mentioned in the Old testament. For centuries the dry area, which is a massive creek bed, has seen the disappearance and return of water in a series of flash floods, Examiner.com reported. The landscape is dramatic in places with plunging canyons and meandering dusty paths, which cause small waterfalls and the water to ride over the bumpy, dusty terrain. The wave is impressive considering it is caused by rainfall miles away, and it does not take long for a convincing stream that gushes down holes in the rock to appear, strengthening all the time. The appearance of the river is highly . unpredictable and it has been years since enough rainfall has caused a . flash flood in the desert, experts said. The river Zin's source (pictured) is upon the slopes of the Ramon Crater - a geological feature located at the peak of Mount Negev, some 52miles (85 km) south of the city of Beersheba - and it ends in the Dead Sea . However, locals have strange methods for predicting its return, as is shown by people waiting for the waves to show in the video. Meanwhile, companies that run jeep tours of the region to point out Biblical sights advise visitors to check the weather forecast in case a flood is imminent. The Negev desert is a dry and desolate land during the high summer months, but in the winter, rain falls on higher ground, such as the nearby ancient city of Beersheba. Rains that continue until around April can accumulate on high ground and lead to the flooding of the dry river bed below. The pattern of events is even described in the Old Testament of the Bible. It is thought the return of the flood waters (pictured) was because of heavy rain in mountainous regions several miles away from the arid land . Here, the powerful flow of flood water is shown cascading down a canyon. Local people have strange methods for predicting the river's return, and were waiting for the first waves to show. (Video grab pictured) The river’s source is upon the slopes of the Ramon Crater - a geological feature located at the peak of Mount Negev, some 52miles (85 km) south of the city of Beersheba - and it ends in the Dead Sea. It is not an impact crater from a meteor, but is the world’s largest makhtesh - a type of geological feature unique to the region = and measures 24miles (40km) long, between one mile and six miles (2km and 10km) wide and up to 1,640ft (500m) deep. It is intriguingly shaped like an elongated heart. The Negev desert is where 12 spies are said to have been sent by Moses to travel the Promised Land and the Zin river used to mark the border of Israel in Biblical times. The riverbed of the river Zin is made of hard, white chalk. The river's source is upon the slopes of the Ramon Crater (pictured) - a geological feature located at the peak of Mount Negev, some 52miles (85 km) south of the city of Beersheba - and it ends in the Dead Sea . | The waters of the river Zin are seen gushing down a dry riverbed, much to the delight of locals in a video recorded on Friday . The return of the flood . waters are because of heavy rain in mountainous regions several miles . away from the arid land . For centuries the dry area, which is a . massive creek bed, has seen the disappearance and return of water in a . series of flash floods . | 91da1c1d05101d3de7538286a501f83de1ae1dc0 |
Arsenal's French full back Mathieu Debuchy could be out until Christmas after suffering ankle ligament damage against Manchester City last weekend. Manager Arsene Wenger revealed that Debuchy will undergo an exploratory operation on his ankle injury on Friday evening which will determine how long he is out for. If he does not need further surgery, it will be six weeks before his return, but if he needs to go under the knife it will rule him out for at least three months. Mathieu Debuchy looks anguished after suffering ankle ligament damage against Manchester City . Debuchy was clearly distraught as he was lifted onto a stretcher at the Emirates stadium last weekend . The Arsenal defender is now set for an operation which could leave him out until Christmas . The Gunners will have to rely on 19-year-old defender Calum Chambers as their only established right back . | Mathieu Debuchy will have exploratory surgery on Friday . French full back could be out until Christmas if he needs a further operation . Arsene Wenger says the minimum he will be out for is six weeks . Arsenal lack cover in defence with only four fit senior defenders . Arsenal face Aston Villa on Saturday at Villa Park . | 0109a60aa18018e265863627732dd97adec096d7 |
By . Kerry Mcqueeney . Last updated at 1:39 AM on 12th January 2012 . New controversy: Jeremy Clarkson compares Kent residents with immigrants from the Sangatte refugee camp . He has mocked dead cockle pickers, India's poverty-stricken and striking public sector workers in recent weeks. Now motormouth TV presenter Jeremy Clarkson has turned his acerbic humour to the people of Kent, suggesting the county is full of immigrants who escaped the Sangatte refugee camp in France. The Top Gear presenter made the comments in an article he wrote about Kent, in which he ranted about the difficulties of driving through the county and labelled it The Twilight Zone. Clarkson . wrote in the latest issue of Top Gear: 'And what of the locals? Well, . they tend to be the sort of people who arrived in the back of a . refrigerated truck or clinging to the underside of a Eurostar train. 'And that reinforces my point rather well. 'Mboto has somehow evaded the gunmen and the army recruiters in his remote Nigerian village. 'He walked north, avoiding death and disease, and then somehow made it right across the Sahara desert to Algeria. 'Here, he managed to overwhelm the security men with their AK-47s and get on a boat to Italy, where he sneaked past the guards.' He added in the Top Gear article: 'He . made it all the way across Europe to Sangatte, from which he escaped one . night and swam to Kent. 'But that stumped him. Getting out of there was impossible, so he decided to make a new life in Maidstone.' Alex King, Kent County Council’s Deputy, said: 'This is yet another example of Jeremy Clarkson ranting, which readers and viewers have become resigned to. Garden of England... but Kent has come in for a Jeremy Clarkson lampooning . Sangatte escapees: Clarkson suggested locals in Kent were 'the sort of people who arrived in the back of a refrigerated truck' 'Many people I know now ignore his personal views - but so far continue to enjoy his programme. 'Kent has a wonderful mix of people . living here and is a county where Kent's people really make things . happen despite the challenges of being a frontier county.' Clarkson's article is just the latest in a series of controversial comments he has made in recent weeks. Earlier this week he likened synchronised swimming to the deaths of 23 Chinese cockle pickers in Morecombe. In his column for The Sun, he said the sport amounted to . 'Chinese women in hats, upside down, in a bit of water', adding: 'You can see that sort of thing on Morecambe Beach. For free.' Twenty-three . Chinese migrant workers were drowned picking cockles in Morecambe Bay . in 2004 after they were trapped by the rising tide. Mocking: Jeremy Clarkson drove round Indian slums in this Jaguar fitted with a toilet, which he said was 'perfect for India' Clarkson is seen speaking with locals during the special road-trip around India on Top Gear . Last month the outspoken presenter sparked outrage when he mocked Indian culture in the Top Gear Christmas Special. Viewers were left furious after . Clarkson staged a series of Carry On-style digs at the country's . clothing, trains, toilets, food and history. At one point, the controversial . presenter ridiculed the unhygienic conditions and lack of sanitation . among the poor by driving around the slums in a Jaguar fitted with a . toilet. Showing off the car's convenience, he boasted: 'This is perfect for India because everyone who comes here gets the trots.' A . spokesman for the BBC confirmed the corporation had received 23 . complaints about content 'offensive to India' in the programme. And . in November, Clarkson made controversial comments while being . interviewed on The One Show about striking public sector workers, . claiming they should be shot in front of their families. Richard Hammond, Jeremy Clarkson and James May in a scene from the controversial Indian road trip episode of Top Gear . | Motormouth TV presenter suggests people in Kent escaped the Sangatte refugee camp . | cf9f88cad842b8a27e618bdc9714871fb6c95e30 |
By . Steve Nolan . PUBLISHED: . 14:48 EST, 13 February 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 02:50 EST, 14 February 2013 . It may be the seat of US Government and the nation's capital city, but Washington DC is the most unfaithful place in the America, according to an extra-marital affairs website. AshleyMaddison.com - a site that married people can log on to to cheat on their partner - has declared Washington 'America's Least faithful city' for the second year running. The site looked at the number of people logging into the website in 2012 and Washington saw the highest number of people looking for an affair per capita with 34,157 of the city's 632,000 residents registering as new members, according to the Huffington Post. Naughty: Washington is the most unfaithful city in America according to extra-marital affairs website AshleyMaddison.com . Unfaithful: Washington is not only the seat of Government in the United States, it's also a hotbed for cheating according to new figures. The Capitol Building is pictured . Shamed: News of former CIA boss General David Petraeus' affair rocked Washington last year . Texan cities Austin and Houston came in second and third on the website's list respectively. But Washington's top spot for cheating shouldn't come as any surprise according to the website's founder Noel Biderman, with the city rocked last year by news that shamed CIA former boss General David Petraeus had an affair with his biographer Paula Broadwell. He said: 'With enormous public attention paid to political cheating scandals this year, including the General Petraeus affair, there was no doubt that Washington residents would be influenced. 'Living in Washington, it's crucial to keep up appearances and therefore adultery has become a way of life for many of the city's most powerful residents.' The website is gearing up for one of its busiest days of the year this week - February 15, the day after Valentine's Day, usually sees a huge spike in members. Sneaky: The statue of cowboy rotunda, at State Capitol, Austin, Texas. The city came second in the website's list of unfaithful cities . Logging on: Houston in Texas was the third most unfaithful city in the list . Last February 15, the number of new members increased by 439 per cent - with married women said to be driving the boom. Further down the website's unfaithful hotspots, Miami, Florida, and Oklahoma made up the rest of the top five. The top ten also included Boston, Massachusetts, and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. But not all Americans are prolific cheaters according to the most comprehensive study of extra marital affairs in the States. A survey by the National Science Foundation in 2010 found that less than a fifth of American men and 14 per cent of US women have had an affair. New figures: AshleyMaddison.com looked at the number of new members registered to its site in 2012 per capita . Well behaved: A study of married couples in America in 2010 found that 19 per cent of men had had an affair and 14 per cent of women had cheated on their partner . Washington may be the most unfaithful city in America according to extra-marital affairs website AshleyMaddison.com, but what other cities husbands and wives have been up to no good. Washington, home of the White House (pictured) | AshleyMaddison.com looked at numbers of new members in each city . More than 34,000 Washington DC residents signed up to the site in 2012 . Austin and Houston, both in Texas, came second and third on the list . | 0b3068ae0a99a06ce739e50643bf2f135b482e30 |
When Marianne Theresa Johnson-Reddick died last month, her children submitted an obituary to their local paper. But instead of paying respects to their late mother, they exposed her as a serial abuser who subjected them to violence and torture throughout their lives. The six offspring who have survived her published the scathing tribute in the Reno Gazette-Journal on September 10th, after she passed away at the end of August aged 78. Scroll down for video . Scathing tribute: Marianne Theresa-Johnson Reddick's obituary published in the Reno Gazette-Journal . Life of torture: The children of Marianne Theresa-Johnson Reddick said they were grateful she was dead. She died on August 30, 2013 (not September 20 as stated in the published piece) Her family said they can now 'live the rest of their lives with the peace' and called for a 'war' against child abusers in the United States. The submission read: 'Marianne Theresa Johnson-Reddick born Jan 4, 1935 and died alone on Aug. 30, 2013. 'She is survived by her 6 of 8 children whom she spent her lifetime torturing in every way possible. While she neglected and abused her small children, she refused to allow anyone else to care or show compassion towards them. Newspaper: The obituary was published in the Reno Gazette-Journal on September 10 (file picture) 'When they became adults she stalked and tortured anyone they dared to love. Everyone she met, adult or child was tortured by her cruelty and exposure to violence, criminal activity, vulgarity, and hatred of the gentle or kind human spirit. 'On behalf of her children whom she so abrasively exposed to her evil and violent life, we celebrate her passing from this earth and hope she lives in the after-life reliving each gesture of violence, cruelty, and shame that she delivered on her children. 'Her surviving children will now live the rest of their lives with the peace of knowing their nightmare finally has some form of closure. 'Most of us have found peace in helping those who have been exposed to child abuse and hope this message of her final passing can revive our message that abusing children is unforgiveable, shameless, and should not be tolerated in a 'humane society'. 'Our greatest wish now, is to stimulate a national movement that mandates a purposeful and dedicated war against child abuse in the United States of America.' Lifetime of abuse: The obituary said everyone Johnson-Reddick met was 'tortured by her cruelty and exposure to violence' Neglect: One of the final paragraph of the obituary reads, 'On behalf of her children whom she so abrasively exposed to her evil and violent life' A news report on MyNews4.com confirmed the obituary said she died on September 30th but The Washoe County Public . Guardian’s office in Nevada has made it clear she died a month earlier. John F. Maher the Gazette-Journal's publisher said the obituary had been paid for and was sent in through an online self-service portal self-service. He added: 'We've removed the online listing of this obituary as we continue our review of the circumstances surrounding its placement. 'Once we've completed our review, we'll determine what, if any, further actions are required.' No one had signed her guest book before the post was taken down. | Children of Marianne Theresa Johnson-Reddick say she 'neglected' them . Scathing tribute was published in the Reno Gazette-Journal . Family said they can now 'live the rest of their lives with the peace' Final paragraph called for a 'war' to be declared on child abusers . | 06dc1111bef831ddec4e264987e77a4ee76d444d |
In a nondescript hotel ballroom last month at the South by Southwest Interactive festival, Andras Forgacs offered a rare glimpse at the sci-fi future of food. Before an audience of tech-industry types, Forgacs produced a plate of small pink wafers -- "steak chips," he called them -- and invited people up for a taste. But these were no ordinary snacks: Instead of being harvested from a steer, they had been grown in a laboratory from tiny samples of animal tissue. One taster's verdict on this Frankenmeat? Not bad, actually. "It was delicious. It tasted like a thin piece of beef jerky," said Michael Wang, a program manager in Washington. "I would have never thought it wasn't real meat." Forgacs is co-founder and CEO of Modern Meadow, a young company that is developing lab-engineered meat and leather products, known as cultured meat. He is among a new breed of youthful entrepreneurs who are applying tech-startup principles -- innovation, efficiency, data-driven processes -- to address the growing challenges of global food production. "Once you start to see food as technology, as a form of hardware, you start to ask, why can't food get better?" asked Rob Rhinehart, CEO of Rosa Labs, a nutritional-science startup based in Los Angeles. "But there's a lot of disagreement about what our products are. Is it fake? Is it real?" For those reasons, these biotech food entrepreneurs may face an uphill climb. To an eating public increasingly focused on organic, farm-to-table food, cultured meat -- also known as "in vitro" or "test-tube" meat -- sounds unnatural and unappealing. A recent Pew survey found that 80% of Americans would not eat meat that was grown in a lab, although younger and college-educated people are more willing to try it. "Cultured meat is so new and such a radically different way of making meat to what has gone before," said Neil Stephens, a research scientist at the University of Cardiff in Wales who has been studying lab-engineered food products. "There is an empirical question to answer about whether people will accept it as meat, and what criteria we use to define cultured meat as meat." Problem ... and solution? As these entrepreneurs see it, our current large-scale methods of raising meat are wasteful and harmful to the environment. Research supports this: Raising livestock, for example, requires massive amounts of water, pollutes rivers with manure and, according to the United Nations, produces an estimated 14.5% of global human greenhouse-gas emissions. On top of that, global demand for meat is expected to double over the next 40 years, placing further strain on the planet's natural resources. By comparison, lab-grown meat would leave a much lighter footprint and might eventually help alleviate food shortages in some parts of the world, advocates say. They also say that cultured meat is more humane because no animals are slaughtered. "It's the future," said entrepreneur Biz Stone, a vegan and co-founder of Twitter and Jelly. "We can't sustain the current model of raising enough animals to feed 7 billion people." Spotting an opportunity, a handful of biotechnology startups have begun developing alternative food products. Using a formula developed at the University of Missouri, Beyond Meat takes plant protein from soy and peas and applies heating, cooling and pressure to realign it so that its structure resembles meat tissue. The company's fake chicken strips are in 4,000 stores across the United States and have fooled people in blind taste tests. Hampton Creek Foods has received $30 million in funding for its business model, which revolves around a plant-based substitute for eggs. Its first product, a vegan mayonnaise called Just Mayo, hit stores in California last fall. And after a $2 million crowdfunding campaign Rosa Labs recently began mass-producing Soylent, a drink supplement aimed at meeting all the human body's nutritional needs. "There's such a wide-open space for innovations if you're starting (a company) around food," said Hampton Creek Foods CEO Josh Tetrick. But the most fascinating, and polarizing, startup in this emerging space is Modern Meadow. Launched in 2011 by Forgacs and his father Gabor Forgacs, a biophysicist, the company plans to make cultured leather products before tackling the thornier process of growing meat. "You don't waste as much material (with cultured leather) because animals don't come in the shape of a couch or a handbag," said Andras Forgacs at the SXSW panel discussion in Austin, Texas. To make cultured beef, Modern Meadow takes muscle cells from a steer and places them in a liquid or gel containing amino acids, vitamins, minerals and sugars -- ingredients that cells feed on -- to stimulate tissue growth. Scientists flavor the Modern Meadow steak chips by adding sauces, like teriyaki or barbecue, before cooking them in a food dehydrator. The process takes about a week. "We basically have a team of scientists who developed this," said Andras Forgacs, adding that each chip can be made for less than $100. Costs will go down as production ramps up, he said. That's still a lot cheaper than the world's first lab-grown burger, which was engineered by a scientist in the Netherlands and served to food critics at a news conference last August in London. (Reviews of the burger were mixed.) The project, funded by Google co-founder Sergey Brin, cost some $325,000. A cultural challenge . Manufacturing and cost barriers, plus the pokey federal regulatory process, mean that test-tube steaks won't be coming to your neighborhood supermarket anytime soon. But they are coming, entrepreneurs say. "We're in for a real revolution in the next decade or two," Forgacs said. Added Tetrick, "By 2030 we're going to see a drastic shift." They and their fellow biotech entrepreneurs still face plenty of stumbling blocks. There's the issue of health: While lab-grown meat would likely be freer of bacteria and pesticides, its production also may require the use of artificial growth hormones. Then there's the challenge of making consumers comfortable with eating meat that comes from a laboratory. And if cultured meat doesn't taste good, nobody will try it more than once. "It's not the science that's the most difficult part. The hardest part is our culture. We've been eating meat for 2 million years," said Ethan Brown, CEO of Beyond Meat. But, he added, "You can see the change coming when you sit down and talk to a child. No child wants to hurt an animal." Not surprisingly, the U.S. beef industry is not excited by the prospect of lab-grown meat. "We feel confident that consumers will continue to trust and prefer traditionally raised (not lab-engineered) beef. No laboratory product will ever be able to take the place of cattlemen and women or the dedication they have to the customer, the consumer, or to rural America," said Chase Adams, spokesman for the National Cattlemen's Beef Association. "Regardless of market, I do not foresee engineered beef as a viable or attractive option for consumers." Stephens, the University of Cardiff researcher, believes the idea of cultured meat is still too new for most people to wrap their heads around. Is it really meat, or is it something else? "If you ask the biologists working on it ... many of them will tell you it will be meat when the material composition of the cultured meat is sufficiently similar to traditional meat," he said. "I am a sociologist, so to me the meaning of something is not defined by its material properties but by how society more broadly makes sense of ... (it). "Cultured meat is still very new in the public imagination, and I think many people are still working out what they think about it." | Tech entrepreneurs are addressing the challenges of global food production . One startup, Modern Meadow, wants to engineer meat in a lab . Research shows current methods of raising meat are harmful to the environment . But survey finds 80% of Americans would not eat meat grown in a lab . | 0e9dd81c54121041174040259030f67390db8834 |
The Marine Corps general who leads America's Southern Command warned Tuesday that the U.S. could face an unprecedented flood of immigrants from the south if the Ebola virus epidemic hits Central America. 'If it breaks out, it's literally, "Katie bar the door",' Gen John Kelly told said during a public discussion at the National Defense University. 'And there will be mass migration into the United States.' 'They will run away from Ebola, or if they suspect they are infected, they will try to get to the United States for treatment.' The phrase 'Katie bar the door' refers to a panic in response to a coming threat. It likely originated with an 1894 poem about an Irish girl's family protecting their household from her drunkard husband. Kelly also warned on Tuesday that if the deadly disease should reach isolated, resource-poor countries in the Western Hemisphere like Haiti, it could devastate large populations before it's brought to heel. U.S. Marine Gen. John Kelly, commander of U.S. Southern Command, warned about the threat of Ebola coming from south of the US border . Coming to Texas? Gen. Kelly warned that an Ebola outbreak south of the border would bring a new swell of humanity to the US seeking refuge and medical treatment . Kelly, a four-star Marine Corps general (shown here in July), is concerned that the US won't be able to contain Ebola if it arrives via migrants instead of through airports . 'By the end of the year, there's supposed to be 1.4 million people infected with Ebola and 62 percent of them dying, according to the CDC,' he said. 'That's horrific. And there is no way we can keep Ebola [contained] in West Africa.' And once it makes the large-scale jump over the Atlantic Ocean, he worried aloud, 'much like West Africa, it will rage for a period of time.' Making matters potentially worse, Kelly warned that the same human trafficking networks responsible for bringing illegal immigrants northward through Mexico could unwittingly pass Ebola to the U.S. through their human cargo. He accompanied American embassy personnel to visit the border between Costa Rica and Nicaragua, he recalled. They saw a group of men 'waiting in line to pass into Nicaragua and then on their way north.' 'The embassy person walked over and asked who they were,' Kelly said, 'and they told him they were from Liberia and they had been on the road about a week.' 'They met up with the network in Trinidad and now they were on their way to the United States – illegally, of course.' Those men, he told the military audience, 'could have made it to New York City and still be within the incubation period for Ebola.' Ebola patients can carry the disease for a week or more before symptoms show and they become capable of easily transmitting the disease to others. The illness has killed 3,439 people in west Africa this year, according to the World Health Organization. The first American patient, a Liberian man who developed symptoms after reaching Texas on a trip to marry his girlfriend, died Wednesday morning. Illegal immigrant trafficking is already a booming business in Mexico despite the chance of being apprehended, and this could leave the US open to new sources of Ebola . First of many? Thomas Eric Duncan became the first US Ebola victim to perish from the disease on Wednesday morning . The Weekly Standard noted Wednesday that Gen. Kelly warned this year about the dangers associated with a loose American border to the south. Budgets cuts, he said in a spring congressional hearing, are 'severely degrading' his Pentagon task force's ability to stem the flow of illegal immigration. Nearly 75 per cent of traffickers, he said, are left unchallenged. 'I simply sit and watch it go by,' Kelly told lawmakers. 'All this corruption and violence is directly or indirectly due to the insatiable U.S.demand for drugs, particularly cocaine, heroin and now methamphetamines,” Kelly told the Defense One website in July, 'all of which are produced in Latin America and smuggled into the U.S. along an incredibly efficient network along which anything – hundreds of tons of drugs, people, terrorists, potentially weapons of mass destruction or children – can travel, so long as they can pay the fare.' | Gen. John Kelly said Ebola in countries like Guatemala, El Salvador and Honduras would bring a new human flood to the US-Mexico border . 'Katie bar the door' refers to a frantic effort to stop a threat from reaching its target . Kelly recalled seeing a line of people waiting to cross a Central American border, all of whom said they were from Liberia . Illegal immigrants have poured into the US from those countries this year, including tens of thousands of unaccompanied children . Kelly predicted that the deadly disease can't be prevented from spreading: 'There is no way we can keep Ebola in West Africa' | 0275ef0554265e32732756726023a81d179843ed |
By . Helen Lawson . PUBLISHED: . 04:18 EST, 7 March 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 04:34 EST, 7 March 2013 . A toddler has died after he was mauled by two pit bulls in south-eastern Wisconsin. The 14-month-old, who has not been named, died nearly three hours after the attack. It is believed he was being looked after by a babysitter. The babysitter and dog owner, identified as 30-year-old Susan Iwicki, was also injured in the attack at her house in Walworth. Two pit bull dogs attacked a 14-month-old boy and his babysitter at her home in Walworth County (file photo) Walworth County Sheriff's department said they received a 911 call from Ms Iwicki at 12.46pm yesterday to say she and the boy were being attacked by the pit bulls. The toddler was taken to . Mercy-Walworth Medical Center before being airlifted to the Children's Hospital of . Wisconsin where he died from critical injuries at about 3:30pm. The dogs were removed from the house and euthanized by a local vet. Friends of the boy's family told WISN 12 News described how his parents had spent a long time trying for a baby. Dario Newell said: '(It's) just unbelievable. (I'm) at a loss for words. 'They're both beautiful parents and tried hard for a long time to have this baby, and now it just got taken away.' The boy was airlifted to the Children's Hospital of Wisconsin where he died at about 3.30pm yesterday . The toddler died from his injuries nearly three hours after being mauled by two pit bulls, who were euthanized by a local vet (file photo) Emily Dueschen, a friend of the child's father, said: 'I just want (the child's father) to know that I love him, and that we're all here to support him in whatever he needs. We're all here for him.' Another friend of the father, Nicole Jennison, told the station: 'When he was with his kid, it was just all smiles. 'He didn’t care about anything else in the world, and now this happened. It breaks my heart.' | Toddler died nearly three hours after attack in Walworth, Wisconsin . It is believed he was being babysat by the owner of the pit bulls . | d94e927a4fbffdeed29bff8128418780b574068a |
Budapest was on high alert yesterday as the River Danube threatened to burst its banks and flood the historic city. The river peaked at record highs as desperate homeowners, hotel staff and military reservists piled sandbags in front of their buildings to protect the Hungarian capital. Tens of thousands have been forced to leave their homes and at least a dozen people have been killed in floods that have hit central Europe in the past week. In front of Hungary's parliament buildings volunteers joined together to protect Budapest by making sandbags . The River Danube in the centre of Budapest is nearly 29ft higher than normal . Anxious locals watched the Danube in the centre of Budapest, at it reached its highest ever recorded level . Thousands have been put up in emergency shelters waiting for the waters to recede so they can get back to their homes. Germany, Austria, Slovakia, Poland and the Czech Republic have all been affected by the worst floods in central Europe in a decade. The Danube – Europe’s second longest river which flows through four capital cities and ten countries – started rising rapidly in Hungary last Friday. The country announced a state of ‘extreme danger’ which is likely to last into next week as the waters are expected to recede very slowly. Central Europe has seen a week of torrential rain and perilous flooding . Twenty people reportedly have died in the floods across central Europe after several days of heavy rains . The flooded water of River Danube rolling along at Margareth Island in Budapest . At least 1,200 people from 28 towns and villages have been forced to leave their homes and 44 roads have been closed, it was reported. The Danube was expected to peak at 29.4 feet in Budapest last night – worryingly near the river's flood fences which are 30.5 feet tall. The previous record high was 28 feet in the 2006 floods. In a devastating flood in 1838, the Danube killed 150 people and left more than 50,000 homeless. Men, women and children joining together to protect their city, making sandbags themselves . Military reservists were joined by locals who filled sandbags and packed them on top of walls along the river . Tens of thousands have been forced to leave their homes in central Europe but residents in Budapest are still trying to protect their city . The deluge reached Hungary on Friday but Prime Minister Viktor Orban said 'the next two days will be decisive' Yesterday, crowds gathered along the . river to watch as water streamed past the bank and trickled through gaps . in the wall, reaching the highest point ever recorded. Staff from hotels on the bank of the Danube massed sandbags outside their buildings in a forlorn attempt to avoid the problem. Men, . women and children all helped to fill sandbags as the city attempted to . avoid devastating floods. More than six million have been used to shore . up river defences. An aerial view of the swollen Danube River in Esztergom, 43 miles west of Budapest showed what the capital had in store on Sunday . Volunteers stack sandbags near Tahitotfalu, 19 miles north of Budapest . A resident paddles his kayak in the main street in Nagymaros, 32 miles north of Budapest . A lone tree is partially submerged outside Budapest . A resident looks out from her window after making her house as secure as she can 19 miles from Budapest . Residents pumping back flood water through a sandbag dam in Nagymaros . Police . directed traffic away from the river banks and just a few cars remained . on what were previously busy roads while the subway was closed due to . flooding. However, authorities have said that river defences designed to withstand floods would be high enough to protect the city. The Hungarian prime minister Viktor Orban said dykes had been strengthened at critical points in Budapest. Residents clear flood waters from their house in Dunabogdany, north of Budapest . Prime Minister Viktor Orban says water levels are expected to recede only very slowly next week, leaving many houses and villages cut off . No roads were left visible in the partially submerged village of Nagymaros, 37 miles west of Budapest . In Budapest the government is reportedly planning a crisis meeting with the other countries affected to see how the cost of the disaster can be shared . He warned the next two days would be ‘decisive’ in the battle against the floods. He added: ‘The (floods) are approaching the heart of the country now, we can say that the next two days will be decisive. Referring to increased pressure on the sewage network from the Danube, he said: ‘In Budapest ... it is not simply the flood which is the problem ... but the complicated public works system through which all kinds of problems can arise.’ | River Danube has reached highest level in 500 years after days of rain . Thousands of volunteers are helping to shore up flood defences . Prime Minister says next two days will be decisive for Hungary . | 79f09e4b7fb0e77c6485224b77300f7f0ee3d7f9 |
(CNN)February 26, 2015 . Snow over the U.S. Southeast, drought over part of Brazil, drones over the French capital and excitement over a rare find: These are the headlines we're covering today on CNN Student News. Get a sense of how the lack of rainfall is affecting millions in Sao Paulo, and peer into a book that could show how The Bard's plays were performed in the years immediately following his passing. TRANSCRIPT . Click here to access the transcript of today's CNN Student News program. Please note that there may be a delay between the time when the video is available and when the transcript is published. CNN Student News is created by a team of journalists who consider the Common Core State Standards, national standards in different subject areas, and state standards when producing the show. ROLL CALL . For a chance to be mentioned on the next CNN Student News, comment on the bottom of this page with your school name, mascot, city and state. We will be selecting schools from the comments of the previous show. You must be a teacher or a student age 13 or older to request a mention on the CNN Student News Roll Call! Thank you for using CNN Student News! | This page includes the show Transcript . Use the Transcript to help students with reading comprehension and vocabulary . At the bottom of the page, comment for a chance to be mentioned on CNN Student News. You must be a teacher or a student age 13 or older to request a mention on the CNN Student News Roll Call. | 72b85a8e325ab55dac66b0e59c00e9aeb7a71428 |
By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 18:05 EST, 3 October 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 18:05 EST, 3 October 2013 . Many people are instead opting for showers lasting less than 30 seconds . More than a quarter of Britons never have a bath, surprising new figures have revealed. Millions opt for quick, effective showers, which can often last for no more than 30 seconds each morning. The change is being led by youngsters and affects areas as far apart as Northern Ireland and south-east England. A survey by Homebase shows that, today, on average, over 26 per cent of the population never has a bath which rises to one third in London and the South East. The figure rises as high as 35 per cent in Northern Ireland. The trend away from having a soak is spread equally between men and women but affects mostly a younger generation, aged between 18 and 24. More worryingly for the health conscious among us 17 per cent of the population will spend less than 30 seconds enjoying a shower every morning. Homebase Marketing Director Jo Kenrick said: 'An entire generation is missing out on a spectacular sensation which our grand parents took for granted. 'However, such is the pace of modern life, that a ritual which has lasted for centuries is in risk of falling out of favour in just two decades.' People in Northern Ireland are the least likely to bathe, with 35 per cent saying they can't find the time . | Homebase survey shows that 26 per cent of people no longer bathe . Trend towards showers is being lead by young people aged 18-24 . Those in Northern Ireland least likely to run a bath followed by Londoners . | 3c1a163a65b94842c89fac732437c0de6105505a |
Donetsk, Ukraine (CNN) -- It was 4am when, still half asleep, we bundled ourselves into a van and headed to the southern Ukraine city of Kherson. We had spent the night in Odessa, famous for its giant stairway featured in Sergei Eisenstein's 1925 silent film, "Battleship Potemkin." And while we hadn't awoken before the sparrows just to go sightseeing, our diligent fixers unexpectedly took us on a tour of the apparent back streets of Odessa. They assured us it was the quickest way out of town, but I was anxious because we had just three and a half hours to reach Kherson where we'd be joining the 43 observers from the Organization For Security and Cooperation (OSCE) international observer team as they attempted to cross into Crimea. The delegates were all from various militaries. Punctuality had been drilled into them. They would not wait for a late television crew, even if we had been given exclusive access to their convoy. When we arrived in Kherson, the OSCE observers were getting a briefing about their planned route to Crimea. Are you in Crimea? Share your story with CNN iReport. Yes, they expected to meet armed pro-Russia military forces. No, they did not like their chances of getting through, but it was their mission to try. For almost three hours, we drove in a police-escorted convoy through sparse countryside and dilapidated Soviet-era towns. It was a joy to see the Black Sea but at the same time, I felt some trepidation as it indicated we were approaching the Chongar checkpoint and we really didn't know what to expect. We knew the men guarding the checkpoints up ahead were armed with assault rifles. The OSCE delegates we were travelling with were not carrying weapons and the Crimean authorities had made it clear they regarded any attempts by the OSCE to enter the peninsula as a provocation. The team of observers had already been blocked on a different route to Crimea the previous day. This was their second attempt. One delegate told me he was anxious about trying again. Another said the delegation needed to be more forceful this time. At first our convoy was met with celebratory scenes of people waving Ukrainian flags but the atmosphere changed further down the road as we approached the Chongar roadblock. The men guarding it were indeed armed and wore balaclavas and military fatigues with no insignia. They stood below Russian flags. Along the roadside, signs warned of land mines. While the armed guards looked threatening, they were remarkably calm as they faced not only repeated demands from the OSCE observers but were taunted by pro-Ukrainian protesters who had followed our convoy. "This is our country. We will kill you," shouted a particularly irate elderly man. A shake of the head was the only response he got from one of the masked guards. For two hours, the OSCE officials repeatedly pressed their case, insisting they had a right to enter Crimea, but eventually they decided their efforts were futile. The armed men would not budge. The weather was turning foul. The delegates turned their convoy around and headed back to Kherson to assess their next move. We, however, stayed on. Our man and wife fixer team had suggested they try to get us into Crimea. And they were successful but not before a hairy moment. As we waited to be waved through, two shots were fired. Up ahead, we could see gunfire smoke near a car waiting to pass from Crimea into Ukraine. The pro-Russian forces manning the checkpoint immediately assumed defensive positions and stood back to back, weapons at the ready. But they remained calm, relaxed even. These masked men may not be wearing insignia but their discipline indicated that they had military training. After a few minutes, they waved us through. As we passed the white sedan that had been shot at, we could see that no one in the vehicle was hurt, but the front tire had been shot out. Hostile reactions in Crimea . After five days in Crimea, our team was due to head back to Kiev. But on the eve of our departure, Simferopol airport was closed to all flights except those to and from Moscow. We would have to look for alternatives. By car or by rail. A road trip would mean at least 10 hours of driving with no guarantee we would get through the checkpoints set up by pro-Russian forces between the Crimean peninsula and Ukrainian mainland. We had witnessed one of these gunmen shoot out the tires of a vehicle trying to cross into Ukraine at a checkpoint in Chongar. We didn't want to risk a similar situation. During our travels through the region, reaction to our cameras wasn't always positive. In Odessa we faced some aggression and were told that some pro-Russia activists did not look favorably on American-owned networks. So with road travel struck off the list, we turned to the train timetables. So it seemed, had everyone else wanting to get out. The Kiev-bound service was booked out but we managed to snare the last tickets on a train to Donetsk, another region in eastern Ukraine which identifies more strongly with Moscow than Kiev. So we boarded the Sevastopol-Donetsk express at 7.55 p.m. and immediately negotiated our way into first class to accommodate the 12 bags of camera equipment and personal luggage that we'd been dragging around the countryside from Kiev, to Odessa, to Simferopol and Sevastopol for the past seven days. The train conductor kindly gave up her two-bunk cabin for us and no doubt spent a restless night in an upright chair. That's not to suggest that we slept any more soundly. The heating was turned up to asteroid temperature and our kindly conductor woke us at 2 am to fetch her cigarettes that she'd left in the cabin. I guess she needed something to get her through the discomfort. Still, it was a markedly better and safer way to travel than by car. The carriages were full of young families and senior citizens heading to the Ukraine ahead of Sunday's referendum, there was a plentiful supply of tea with lemon and sugar, and at $15 for a standard ticket and $40 for first class, it was a bargain. It was also hassle-free. Despite reports of pro-Russian forces inspecting trains in Crimea, our only visitor was a young mute man who wanted to sell us night lights. We are now all proud owners of these small glowing souvenirs of a journey that may have left us parched from the heat, but which gave us one of the few remaining routes out of Crimea. At least until after the referendum on Sunday. | CNN team joins international observers trying to get into Crimea from Ukraine . They are turned away at a checkpoint but the CNN team later makes it over the border . After five days, they have to decide the safest way to get back again -- and decide on the train . | 082f0fab8f095e32c6d1700ce5fe719ad24c8f66 |
By . Jill Reilly . PUBLISHED: . 05:20 EST, 17 January 2014 . | . UPDATED: . 12:05 EST, 17 January 2014 . In her role as Secretary of State Hillary Clinton raised possibility of giving Israel a green light to attack, it has been claimed . Hillary Clinton raised the possibility of giving Israel a green light to attack Iran when she was secretary of state, it has been claimed. She made the suggestion in 2010 when the U.S. were concerned that Israel might launch a unilateral air strike against Iran’s nuclear program, according to US sources. As officials discussed ways to dissuade the Israeli Prime Minister from taking unilateral action, it is claimed that Mrs Clinton then floated the idea that giving the green light for such a move could 'take care of the problem for' the US, one senior administration official quoted her saying reported Time. The report says that Mrs Clinton did not actually endorse the idea. It states she only raised the notion 'as one option to consider' according to one former official, who added that it was not considered inside the administration. Former Defense Secretary Robert Gates writes in his new memoir, Duty that at a January 2010 Oval Office meeting, he told Mr Obama 'he needed to consider the ramifications of a no-warning Israeli attack,” including whether the U.S. would assist Israel and how it would respond to Iranian retaliation.' Earlier this week Iranian President Hassan Rouhani boasted to a cheering crowd that the United States and other world powers 'surrendered' to Tehran with the new nuclear agreement struck in Geneva. 'Do you know what the Geneva agreement means? It means the surrender of great international powers before the great nation of Iran,' the moderate leader told a home crowd. Yesterday the White House released a summary of the deal reached between six major world powers and Iran to curb its nuclear program, responding to calls from the U.S. Congress and other groups for more transparency about what the agreement entails. Former Defense Secretary Robert Gates said at a January 2010 Oval Office meeting, he told Obama 'he needed to consider the ramifications of a no-warning Israeli attack' Revelations: Former Defense Secretary Robert Gates signs copies of his new book during a book signing at the Pentagon in Washington . Iran has denied it wants to use the program to eventually build nuclear weapons but agreed to scale it back after the international community applied strict financial and oil sanctions. The six-month preliminary deal includes some relief from the sanctions as talks continue toward a broader, long-term deal. The White House gave Congress access to the full text of technical instructions for the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) but released a detailed four-page summary of the deal to the public. Tension remains between Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Iranian President Hassan Rouhani . 'It is the preference of the IAEA . that certain technical aspects of the technical understandings remain . confidential,' White House spokesman Jay Carney told reporters. Wendy Sherman, the State Department's lead Iran negotiator, briefed lawmakers on the agreement on Thursday. Former Defense Secretary Robert Gates has been forced to wear a neck brace while on his book launch after breaking his first vertebrae after a fall. Mr Gates, former Central Intelligence Agency director for President George H.W. Bush and President Obama, fractured his neck after slipping on ice outside his home in Seattle at the beginning of the year. In 2008, Mr Gates broke his shoulder after slipping on ice, causing him to miss a congressional hearing. Some . walked out of the meeting saying it had heightened, rather than eased, . their concerns about negotiations between Iran and the United States and . five other world powers. 'I'm more disturbed more than ever after the briefing,' Republican South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham said. Mr Graham, a frequent critic of the Obama administration's foreign policy initiatives, is a co-sponsor of a bill opposed by the White House to slap new sanctions on Iran if it walks away from the negotiations. Iran agreed to stop production of 20 percent enriched uranium on or by Monday, Jan. 20, and to begin diluting half of its stockpile of 20 percent enriched uranium. Over the next six months, the IAEA will verify a series of other curbs on enrichment and use of centrifuges. Iran's Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant: Under the new agreement, Iran must limit uranium enrichment and open its nuclear program to daily inspection by international experts starting January 20 . Iran is not allowed to commission or fuel the Arak reactor, and must stop producing and testing fuel for the reactor, the summary said. At the end of the six-month period, Iran will agree to 'a cap on the permitted size of Iran's up to 5 percent enriched uranium stockpile,' the summary said. IAEA inspectors will visit the Natanz and Fordow uranium enrichment sites daily, including both scheduled and unannounced inspections. Inspectors will visit the Arak reactor at least monthly, up from the current pace of one every three months, or longer. Iran agreed to provide design information for the Arak reactor and other access to related facilities, the summary said. The added inspections will 'enable the international community to more quickly detect breakout or the diversion of materials to a secret program,' the summary said. The European Union, Iran, and the six major powers (P5+1) that are part of the agreement will name a joint commission of experts to work with the IAEA to implement the deal and discuss any issues that arise. The group will meet once a month. | Claimed she made the suggestion in 2010 when the U.S. were concerned that Israel might launch unilateral air strike against Iran’s nuclear program . | 705f84beb1f6ec6bce444168af83b0cb0381fd18 |
A pub described as ‘grotty’ and run by a self-taught chef has triumphed over 49 other boozers to be crowned the best in the UK. Michelin-starred The Sportsman in Seasalter, Kent beat Somerset’s Pony & Trap and The Pipe and Glass in Beverly, East Yorkshire - which came in at second and third place respectively - to take the crown at the Budweiser Budvar Top 50 Gastropub awards. The Plough Inn in Longparish, Hampshire and The North Yorkshire’s The Star Inn made up the rest of the top five. Michelin-starred The Sportsman in Seasalter, Kent was crowned the best gastropub in the UK . Hake fillet with bouillabaisse and green olive tapenade from The Sportsman's menu . The Sportsman, which calls itself a ‘grotty rundown pub by the sea’ on its Twitter page is helmed by self-taught head-chef Stephen and his brother Phil Harris. The pub, which has had its Michelin star since 2008, prides itself on a menu of locally-sourced ingredients. Fish and seafood is sourced from the Thames estuary whilst meat and poultry come from nearby farms. The Harris brothers also grow some of their ingredients themselves in the small kitchen garden and polytunnel. Dishes on the ala carte menu include slip sole in seaweed butter; thornback ray, brown butter and razor clams in a sherry vinegar dressing and roast gurnard fillet with bouillabaisse sauce and green olive tapenade. 'We are all thrilled to have won the award. A lot of hard work is iinvolved and it's always so lovely to have it recognised. Although the food gets a lot of credit,what's really good is the whole experience - the food, the service and a nice day out by the sea,' Stephen Harris told FEMAIL. The Sportsman's pot roast red cabbage, apple and fresh cheese . Pony & Trap in Somerset's daily changing menu features seafood such as oysters, salmon and herring . The Pony & Trap: The gastropub is run by siblings Josh and Holly Eggleton . Second placed Pony & Trap run by siblings Josh and Holly Eggleton champions fork to field ethos and serves food sourced as locally as possible from suppliers around the Chew Valley and the South West. Their menus, which change daily, are designed to utilise all the fresh ingredients which are delivered to the kitchen every day and feature seasonal produce. Typical dishes include chesnut gnocchi, wild seabass, smoked bone marrow and rare breed pork belly. The top 10 list has a number of pubs which double as hotels such as third-placed The Pipe and Glass, Norfolk’s Gunton Arms, which placed at eight and Gurnard’s Head in Cornwall at number nine. East Yorkshire's only Michelin-starred eaterie, The Pipe and Glass, is also a luxury bed and breakfast . The Truscott Arms in Maida Vale, London won the Newcomer of the Year award . Described as a 'warm, bustling and inviting pub' with generous portions of carefully executed, flavourful cooking' by Michelin Great Britain & Ireland 2015, The Pipe and Glass, which has East Yorkshire's only Michelin star, is also a luxury bed and breakfast. Highest New Entry went to Andrew and Mary Jane Fishwick of the Truscott Arms in Maida Vale, London. The restored Victorian corner pub also won the Newcomer of the Year award, which was open to pubs to enter themselves. 'Winning Newcomer of the Year at the biggest industry awards there is was amazing. Being named as 10th overall in the list, the Highest New Entry and the best Gastropub in London was beyond anything we have dreamed,' said Andrew and Mary Jane Fishwick. The awards, organised by The Publican’s Morning Advertiser, is voted for by industry insiders including Good Food Guide editor Elizabeth Carter and Inn Places managing director David Hancock. The Sportsman, Seasalter, Kent . 2. Pony & Trap, Chew Magna, Somerset . 3. Pipe & Glass, South Dalton, East Yorkshire . 4. Plough Inn, Longparish, Hampshire . 5. The Star at Harome, North Yorkshire . 6. Freemasons, Wiswell, Lancashire . 7. Royal Oak, Paley Street, Berkshire . 8. Gunton Arms, Thorpe Market, Norfolk . 9. Gurnards Head , Zennor, Cornwall . 10. Truscott Arms, Maida Vale, London . 11. Harwood Arms, Fulham, London . 12. Hardwick, Abergavenny, Monmouthshire . 13. Bull & Last, Highgate, London . 14. Hinds Head, Bray, Berkshire . 15. Kingham Plough, Kingham, Oxfordshire . 16. Canton Arms, Stockwell, London . 17. Anchor & Hope, Waterloo, London . 18. Scran & Scallie, Edinburgh . 19. Treby Arms, Sparkwell, Devon . 20. British Larder, Bromeswell, Suffolk . 21. Cornish Arms, Tavistock, Devon . 22. Beckford Arms, Fonthill Gifford, Wiltshire . 23. Greyhound on the Test, Stockbridge, Hampshire . 24. Vintage, Leith, Scotland . 25. Red Lion, Britwell Salome, Oxfordshire . 26. Jack in the Green, Rockbeare, Devon . 27. Felin Fach Griffin, Brecon, Wales . 28. Nut Tree, Murcott, Oxon . 29. Lady Ottoline, London . 30.Wellington Arms, Baughurst, Hampshire . 31.Cross, Kenilworth, Warwickshire . 32.Longs Arms, South Wraxall, Wiltshire . 33.Smokehouse, Islington, London . 34.Butchers Arms, Eldersfield, Gloucestershire . 35.Olive Branch Clipsham Rutland . 36.Broad Chare, Newcastle . 37.Anchor, Walberswick, Suffolk . 38.Rat, Anick, Northumberland . 39.Masons Arms, Knowstone, Devon . 40.Eagle, Farrington, London . 41.Parkers Arms, Clitheroe, Lancashire . 42.Three Daggers, Edington, Wiltshire . 43.Angel at Hetton, North Yorkshire . 44.Glynne Arms, Hawarden, Flintshire . 45.Friends of Ham, Leeds . 46.Swan at Wedmore, Somerset . 47.Fox, Willian, Hertfordshire . 48.Old School Bar & Kitchen, Mount Hawke, Cornwall . 49.Wild Rabbit, Kingham, Oxfordshire . 50. The Parlour, Kensal Green, London . | The Sportsman in Seasalter, Kent run by Stephen and Phillip Harris . Won top spot at the Budweiser Budvar Top 50 Gastropub awards . Somerset's Pony & Trap and The Pipe and Glass,Yorkshire made top three . | 83ca148e47c67870b24abfbeace80bd2ba1ecf22 |
By . Associated Press Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 05:08 EST, 11 July 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 05:12 EST, 11 July 2013 . 9/11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, pictured after his 2003 capture, asked the CIA if he could keep himself occupied by designing a vacuum cleaner . It sounds like something out of a Graham Greene spy novel. Confined to the basement of a CIA secret prison in Romania about a decade ago, Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, the man who masterminded the 9/11 terrorist attacks, asked his jailers whether he could embark on an unusual project. Would the spy agency allow Mohammed, who had earned his bachelor's in mechanical engineering, to design a vacuum cleaner? The agency officer in charge of the prison called CIA headquarters and a manager approved the request, a former senior CIA official told The Associated Press. Mohammed had endured the most brutal of the CIA's harsh interrogation methods and had confessed to a career of atrocities. But the agency had no long-term plan for him. Someday, he might prove useful. Perhaps, he'd even stand trial one day. And for that, he'd need to be sane. 'We didn't want them to go nuts,' the former senior CIA official said, one of several who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to talk about the now-closed CIA prisons or Mohammed's interest in vacuums. So, using schematics from the Internet as his guide, Mohammed began re-engineering one of the most mundane of household appliances. The unusual activity is reminiscent of Graham Greene's 1958 spy thriller Our Man in Havana, where a vacuum salesman in Cuba agrees to work for the British international spy service MI6. He . dupes the British into believing his vacuum designs are military . installations. It is not known if Mohammed has ever read the novel. Mohammed graduated from North Carolina AT&T State University with a degree in mechanical engineering in 1986. It's not clear whether Mohammed was interested in designing a better vacuum or had ulterior motives. He might have intended to use the plans to conceal secret information or trick his jailers. It remains a mystery how far Mohammed got with his designs or whether the plans still exist. Mohammed's request to design a vacuum cleaner is reminiscent of Our Man in Havana by Graham Greene, pictured, where a vacuum salesman tricks MI6 into thinking his appliance designs are intelligence . Alec Guinness starred in the film adaptation of Our Man in Havana with Jo Morrow . That the CIA may be in possession of . the world's most highly classified vacuum cleaner blueprints is but one . peculiar, lasting byproduct of the controversial U.S. detention and . interrogation program. By the CIA's own account, the program's methods were designed to psychologically 'dislocate' people. But once interrogations stopped, the agency had to try to undo the psychological damage inflicted on the detainees. The CIA apparently succeeded in keeping Mohammed sane. He appears to be in good health, according to military records. Others haven't fared as well. Accused al-Qaeda terrorists Ramzi Binalshibh and Abd al-Nashiri, who were also locked up in Poland and Romania with Mohammed, have had mental issues. Al-Nashiri suffers from depression and post-traumatic stress disorder. Binalshibh is being treated for schizophrenia with a slew of anti-psychotic medications. 'Any type of prolonged isolation in custody - much less the settings described in the press - have been known to have a severe impact on the mental condition of the detainee,' said Thomas Durkin, Binalshibh's former civilian lawyer. Durkin declined to discuss Binalshibh's case. Mohammed was subjected to harsh interrogations in Poland. Agency officers and contractors forced him to stay awake for 180 hours, according to a CIA inspector general's report. He also underwent 183 instances of waterboarding, or simulated drowning. After the CIA prison in Poland was closed in September 2003, Mohammed was moved to Bucharest, to a black site code-named 'Britelite.' Soon the CIA was trying to find ways to entertain Mohammed as his intelligence value diminished. After detention in Romania, Mohammed was transferred to prison at the United States naval base Guantanamo Bay in Cuba (file photo) The prison had a debriefing room, . where Mohammed, who saw himself as something of a professor, held . 'office hours,' as he told CIA officers. While . chained to the floor, Mohammed would lecture the CIA officers on his . path to jihad, his childhood and family. Tea and cookies were served. Along . with the other five detainees at the prison in Bucharest, Mohammed was . given assignments about his knowledge of al-Qaeda, or 'homework,' as CIA . officers called it. He was given Snickers candy bars as rewards for his studiousness. In Romania, the prison provided books for detainees to read. Mohammed, former officials said, enjoyed the Harry Potter series. For the CIA officers at the prison, not so much. For security reasons, after a prisoner finished a book, they tediously checked every page to ensure detainees weren't passing messages. They once caught Mohammed trying to hide a message in a book warning his prison mates not to talk about Osama bin Laden's courier. The secret CIA prison in Romania was closed in early 2006 and Mohammed was transferred later that year to Guantanamo Bay Naval Base prison, where he remains. It's unlikely he was able to take his appliance plans to Cuba. Mohammed's military lawyer, Jason Wright, said he was prohibited from discussing his client's interest in vacuums. Mohammed admitted responsibility for a string of terror attacks across the world, including 9/11 . 'It sounds ridiculous, but answering this question, or confirming or denying the very existence of a vacuum cleaner design, a Swiffer design, or even a design for a better hand towel would apparently expose the U.S. government and its citizens to exceptionally grave danger,' Wright said. But Wright added that he often discussed 'modern technological innovations' and the 'scientific wonders' of the Quran with Mohammed. He called Mohammed 'exceptionally intelligent.' 'If he had access to educational programs in Guantanamo Bay, such as distance learning programs, I am confident that in addition to furthering his Islamic studies, he could obtain a PhD in mechanical engineering, and very likely patent inventions,' Wright said. The CIA won't discuss Mohammed's vacuum plans, either. The AP asked the CIA for copies of the vacuum designs or any government records about them under the Freedom of Information Act. The CIA responded in a letter to the AP that the records, 'should they exist,' would be considered operational files of the CIA - among its most highly classified category of government files - and therefore exempt from ever being released to the public. | Khalid Sheikh Mohammed made request while detained by U.S. in Romania . CIA needed to keep him 'sane' after torture in case he faced trial one day . The qualified engineer needed to be 'entertained' by intelligence agency . He held 'office hours' for agents with tea and cookies in Bucharest prison . Mohammed was given Snickers bars as reward for co-operation on al-Qaeda . He also enjoyed the Harry Potter series of books while behind bars . Secret CIA prison closed in 2006 and Mohammed was sent to Guantanamo . | d3ad7f1657113d2fc1f8e2f3fb5f7bdc2c4c5296 |
By . Emma Innes . A man organised his wedding in less than 24 hours so he could marry his terminally ill fiancée before it was too late. Paul Wheatley had been with his partner, Donna, for 12 years when she was admitted to hospital with kidney and heart problems. On April 17, 2013, the couple from Leeds were given the devastating news that the 36-year-old had just weeks, if not days, to live. Paul Wheatley, 40, planned his wedding in just 24 hours after his partner, Donna, 36, was given just days to live. The couple are pictured with their son, Kian, nine, during the wedding which took place in hospital . Mrs Wheatley was rushed to hospital with severe vomiting on Christmas Day and tests revealed she was suffering from terminal heart and kidney failure . Mr Wheatley, along with friends, family and hospital staff, rallied round to organise the couple’s wedding in just 24 hours. They tied the knot at Leeds General Infirmary, but tragically, Mrs Wheatley lost her fight with kidney and heart failure just six days later. Mr Wheatley, 40, said: ‘We had been engaged for nine years and wanted to get married abroad, but we just never got round to it. ‘As soon as the doctors told us that Donna didn’t have long left, I went immediately down to the registry office to collect the paperwork and start organising. ‘Everyone was incredible - we got flowers, a buffet, a dress, suits and rings all sorted in just a day. ‘It meant such a lot to Donna that I went to all the effort to make sure she had the special day we’d talked about. Mrs Wheatley (right before her illness with her best friend, Jane) was diabetic and her health had been deteriorating gradually for years . ‘It doesn’t seem fair that I only got to call her my wife for six days, but I know I made those last days special.’ Mrs Wheatley suffered from diabetes and her health first started to deteriorate three years ago. She had four operations on her eyes and it was thought she had turned a corner. But at Christmas last year she suffered severe vomiting and Mr Wheatley was forced to take her to hospital on Christmas Day. He said: ‘There had been a stomach bug going round, so we just thought she had that. ‘After a few days I was really worried about her, but she refused to go to hospital. Mr Wheatley says he always expected his partner to get better. But when he was told she was dying, he immediately set about planning their wedding . Mrs Wheatley (pictured with her son, Kian) died just six days after the wedding . ‘On Christmas Day I had to put my foot down, she was terrible. ‘At Scarborough Hospital we were told she had heart and kidney problems and Donna was transferred to St James University Hospital, Leeds. ‘It was a very worrying time, but we always thought she would get better. ‘Even months later when they told us it was terminal Donna refused to give up hope.’ Mrs Wheatley was briefly released from hospital in March before returning to hospital and being transferred to Leeds General Infirmary where they were told the devastating news that she would not be leaving the hospital. Mr Wheatley called in favours from friends, family and local business to organise their big day. Mr Wheatley said: 'It doesn't seem fair that I only got to call her my wife for six days, but I know I made those last days special' The couple’s son, Kian, nine, was best man for the wedding, and Donna’s step-sister, Laura Adams, sang John Legend’s All Of Me. Mr Wheatley said: ‘It was an incredibly moving day - everyone was in tears. ‘I helped Kian with his speech and we tried to make it light-hearted to give the wedding a bit of everything. ‘Donna picked up for the day and we had photos done in the rose garden on the roof, before she became too tried at about half four. ‘In the days that followed I did everything I could to keep her spirits up. ‘She’d had a falling out with some old friends over 10 years ago and I arranged for them to come and see her in hospital. ‘She also had a phone call with Danny McNamara, the lead singer of Embrace, and he was planning on coming to visit her over the weekend.’ Mrs Wheatley was transferred from Leeds General Infirmary to St James’s University Hospital where she passed away surrounded by friends and family on April 24. | Donna Wheatley was diabetic and her health was deteriorating gradually . She started vomiting at Christmas 2013 so her partner took her to hospital . Shockingly, tests revealed she had terminal heart and kidney failure . In April she was given just days to live, so partner Paul planned a wedding . The couple married at the hospital and Mrs Wheatley died six days later . | a3d34726bb797cfba032210b4f394af8430a7e23 |
By . Bianca London . Whether it's Miranda Kerr sipping on her wheatgrass smoothie or Gisele showing off her best downward dog, it's never been hotter to be healthy. And it seems that the super fit A-listers have been inspiring the nation to get in shape with keep-fit gadgets already topping our Christmas wishlists. Currys & PC World have revealed the predicted best-sellers for the festive season and tech wearables and smoothie makers are already high on the hot list. Scroll down for video . We're all going green: Miranda Kerr has long championed green smoothies and it seems the nation is catching on with the NutriBullet, £99.99, right, set to be a Christmas top seller . Bands and watches that monitor your calorie intake, count the number of steps you take and track your heart rate - like the Samsung Gear Fit, Garmin Forerunner 15, Motorola Moto 360 and the Fitbit Force - are all fighting it out for the coveted top spot. A spokesperson for Currys & PC World said: 'Customers are focusing on their health and fitness more than ever before and portable technology is very much the future as busy customers want to be able to do more things remotely and conveniently. 'We have seen a steady rise in sales of . wearable technology but we expect to sell a lot more units this . Christmas as everyone will want to trim up in the New Year.' Track your fitness: The Fitbit Force, left, which costs around £70, and Samsung Gear Fit, £170, right, are battling it out for the most requested item this Christmas . The health conscious Victoria's Secret Angel wannabees amongst us might be unwrapping the NutriBullet on December 25, predicts the research. At number four on the top 10 wishlist, this high-speed blender and juicer claims to break down almost any food ingredient into a nutritious smooth juice or smoothie mix. Home . juicing has surged in popularity and is expected to keep on growing as . the nation continues its health kick, particularly immediately after the . Christmas party season, with juicer sales already up 143 per cent year . on year. Catching on: Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, left, and healthy food blogger Deliciously Ella, right, often promote green smoothies on their Instagram accounts, so it's no wonder juicer sales already up 143 per cent year on year . Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, Millie Mackintosh and Miranda Kerr are advocates of all things green. Speaking about her love of green juices, Rosie this week told the Irish Independent: 'I make one every morning and try to have them in hotels. 'I put in quite a few sprigs of kale and . spinach, apples and celery - anything green. You put in the right . amount of everything and it's delicious.' Shona Wilkinson, Head Nutritionist at . The Nutri Centre, said: 'The numbers of stars following juice diets has . sped into the stratosphere of late. 'From . A-listers wanting to get red carpet ready to reality stars wanting to . trim down and get healthy, they're all on board the juicing train. 'So it was only a matter of time before a new juicing machine took celebs-ville by storm.' Other gadgets to reach the top 10 include a GoPro action camera, KitchenAid stand mixer and Apple iPad Mini. Fighting fit: With celebrities like Karlie Kloss, pictured in her Nike campaign, obsessed with staying fit, it's no wonder Brits are keen to snap up the latest fitness gadgets . 1. Samsung Gear fit - £169.992. Fitbit Force (price TBC)3. Garmin Forerunner 15 - £139.994. NutriBullet - £99.995. Sonos Multi-Room System - £1696. Google Chromecast - £307. GoPro action camera - £269.998. KitchenAid stand mixer (Terracota) - £429.999. Apple iPad Mini – from £24910. Motorola Moto 360 (price TBC) Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, who has one of showbiz's most enviable figures, recently praised her ‘delicious green juice' which she described as 'a . great way to start the day.' green vegetable smoothie . Nadia Brydon, who’s a . nutritionist and green food expert at Sun Chlorella, has shared her tips . for the perfect morning smoothie.... 'With . everyone from Rosie Huntington-Whiteley to Millie Mackintosh drinking . green smoothies recently, you’d be forgiven for thinking this is just . another beauty fad. 'We . all know that we’re probably not eating enough greens, yet our greens . contain the most vitamins and minerals of any foods we eat, and are the . most important category of foods to consume on a daily basis to help . keep us healthy. 'Green . smoothies can be high in vitamin B12, which can help reduce tiredness, . and magnesium, which is found in dark green vegetables and can act as . nature’s tranquiliser, helping to keep us de-stressed and relaxed – so . it’s no wonder so many busy celebs are trying it! 'You’ll . notice that a lot of models are now adding green supplements to their . juices, to up their nutrient intake even further. For instance, a daily . serving of the Japanese wholefood Sun Chlorella contains iron content . equivalent to nine cups of spinach (270g) and the same B12 content as a . 32oz steak. 'Perhaps . most importantly, these drinks provide large quantities of whole food . natural vitamins and minerals and help increase our daily intake of . fruit and vegetables – for busy people who still want to remain healthy, . this is hugely important. 'Smoothies . are also full of fibre and water along with a whole range of nutrients . which naturally makes us feel fuller which reduces the desire to consume . food generally especially sugar and carbohydrates. We recommend the . Rolls Royce of blenders, the Vitamix blender, as it breaks down the cell . walls of fresh, whole foods to deliver the full benefit of nutrients. It also saves time as all of the ingredients can be added at once.' 'Miranda . and Rosie’s green juices and smoothies are so nutritious, simply . because greens contain the most vitamins and minerals of any foods we . eat, and are the most important category of foods to consume on a daily . basis to help keep us healthy. 'Combining . these into an easy to drink smoothie can help busy people cram as many . of these vegetables into their daily diet as possible. Juicing and . blending raw green vegetables and living micro greens (sprouts) containing fresh vibrant green chlorophyll are extremely nutritious ways . of creating optimum health and energy. 'Juicing . or blending any raw green vegetable, especially the living leafy . varieties, is an effective way of increasing oxygen in the body and . helping to build healthy tissues. Oxygen maintains life and is a . rejuvenator of all body systems. 'Green . smoothies containing the ingredients seen in Rosie and Miranda’s can be . high in vitamin B12, which can help reduce tiredness. 'The . spinach in Rosie’s signature smoothie is high in magnesium, which is . found in dark green vegetables and can act as nature’s tranquiliser, . helping to keep us de-stressed and relaxed – so it’s no wonder so many . busy celebs are trying it! 'You’ll . notice that a lot of models are now adding green supplements to their . juices, to up their nutrient intake even further. For instance, a daily . serving of the Japanese wholefood Sun Chlorella contains iron content . equivalent to nine cups of spinach (270g) and the same B12 content as a . 32oz steak – vitamin D in particular is important for winter, as this . nutrient is produced by natural sunlight, and long cold winters can . cause Brits to become deficient, meaning it’s important to top up where . possible. To make a Rosie or Miranda style green . smoothie, try the delicious recipe below at home. Freshly juiced fruits . should always be diluted 50:50 with water in order to dilute the sugar . content. Blend the below ingredients, adding the water first.• 600ml mineral water (still) • ½ chopped cucumber (skin & pips included) • ¼ peeled avocado • 1 chopped celery stick • Juice of ½ lemon or lime • ¼ teaspoon unrefined salt • . Sun Chlorella ‘A’ tablets: initially starting off with 5 tablets for . the first three days, moving up to 10 for the next 3 days and then 15 . tablets herein after. • Small double handful (60-80mg) of mixed . green leaves from the following (they can be combined): spinach, . watercress, rocket, savoy cabbage, chard, lettuce, chicory, kale, bok . choy, sprigs of mint, parsley, coriander, basil. | Wearable fitness technology is leading the way this Christmas . Fitness trend has driven juicer sales up 143% year-on-year . | 753d9bb83eddeaf931abe09fbf0019e4dc68a060 |
By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 19:01 EST, 7 October 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 13:58 EST, 8 October 2012 . Eight people are dead and at least 105 are ill as from an outbreak of fungal meningitis sweeping America after tainted steroid injections. The eighth fatality was in Tennessee. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention updated the count on Monday. The list of nine states with reported cases stayed the same. Tennessee, Michigan, Virginia, Indiana, Florida, Maryland, Minnesota, North Carolina and Ohio previously reported cases. Health officials investigating the cause of the rare inflammatory disease discovered fungal contamination of a batch of spinal steroid injections, often used for pain, made by The New England Compounding Center and have advised health professionals against using any of its products. Beware: Health officials warned that hundreds, perhaps thousands, of patients who received steroid back injections from July to September could be at risk. At least 8 have died (stock photo) Identifying: The pharmacy's products can be identified by its acronym NECC or its logo, pictured . The pharmacy issued a recall of all its products on Saturday calling their decision a precautionary measure with no other products indicated as being contaminated. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention posted updated figures to its website on Monday showing there are 101 confirmed cases of the rare form of fungal meningitis. The steroid linked to the outbreak had already been recalled, and health officials have been scrambling to notify anyone who may have received an injection of it. Dr. Benjamin Park of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advised: If patients are concerned, they should contact their physician to find out if they received a medicine from one of these lots. Outbreak: Aspergillus meningitis, pictured, is caused by the inflammation of protective membranes covering the brain and spinal cord and is not contagious . He went on to say that most cases have occurred in older adults seeking treatment for back pain who were otherwise healthy. The Massachusetts pharmacy that made it has said it is cooperating with investigators. It is not yet known exactly how many people may have been affected, though it could affect hundreds or even thousands of people who received the steroid injections for back pain from July to September. Meningitis is caused by the inflammation of protective membranes covering the brain and spinal cord. Fungal meningitis is not contagious as are its more common viral and bacterial counterparts. The outbreak of the disease, known as aspergillus meningitis, is caused by a fungus found in a spinal steroid injections, a fairly common treatment used to relieve back pain, according to the FDA. The sixth and seventh fatalities were reported in Michigan on Saturday, though the Michigan Department of Community Health said they would not provide more information on the two deaths over the weekend. The caretaker: Diana Reed dedicated her life to helping underprivileged children before a routine medical procedure infected her with a rare fungal meningitis . The fifth victim, Diana Reed, died on Wednesday afternoon at St Thomas Hospital in Nashville, Tennessee, surrounded by family members. Mrs . Reed, 56, is one of thousands of patients recently treated in Tennessee . hospitals for back pain with a steroid epidural - a fairly typical . treatment. But since then a tainted batch of steroids released across . the U.S. has been linked to dozens of cases of fungal meningitis. Mrs Reed, of Brentwood, Tennessee, was the fifth person to succumb to the infection. A blog written by a close friend of Reed's family, Brandon Scott Thomas, characterized her as 'hilarious, beautiful, and full of life' and praised her for carrying for husband Wayne Reed after he was diagnosed with Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis - more commonly known as Lou Gehrig's disease - almost 20 years ago. 'Over the course of the last week she has gone from someone brimming with life to someone in the process of passing from this life to the next,' wrote. Source: The outbreak of the deadly form of meningitis was traced to St Thomas Hospital in Nashville, Tennessee . 'Her brain couldn't take the stress. After a series of strokes they moved her to hospice care. Wayne, one of the longest surviving patients with ALS, there by her side.' Reed served on the board of her husband's namesake child care organization, the Wayne Reed Christian Child Care Center. The injectable steroids responsible . for Reed's death were produced by New England Compounding Center, a . specialized pharmacy in Framingham, Massachusetts. The company has shut down operations and said it is working with regulators to identify the source of the infection. It is not clear how many patients received tainted injections, or even whether everyone who got one will get sick. An unknown number of their 17,676 single-dose vials of . the steroid reached 75 clinics . and other facilities in 23 states between July and September, federal . health officials said. Several hundred of the vials, maybe more, have . been returned unused, one Massachusetts official said. Stepping back: The FDA previously told specialists not to administer New England Compounding Center's products but only on Saturday did the pharmacy admit a potential problem . However many other vials were used. At one clinic in Evansville, Indiana, more than 500 patients got shots from the suspect lots, officials said. At two clinics in Tennessee, more than 900 patients received them. The incubation period before symptoms appear is 28 days, and its almost certain more cases will be reported say health officials, who are now calling this a national health crisis. Tennessee: The initial outbreak site with a suspected 16 cases, two of whom are in critical condition. Three others have already died. North Carolina: The second state to report infection with one case found at an unidentified clinic. Florida: Only two cases have been reported but health officials fear more may come forward. Virginia: One person has died from fungal meningitis and three more cases are still being treated. Maryland: Seven medical clinics in Maryland pulled their stock of a questionable steroid after one person died and two more cases were reported. Indiana: At least five people in Indiana are sick with fungal meningitis, with no fatalities yet reported . Michigan: There are at least eight confirmed cases of meningitis in Michigan, including two deaths . Minnesota: Fungal meningitis has been diagnosed in two women hospitalized in Minnesota . Ohio: Health officials reported Saturday of a 65-year-old man being treated for the meningitis after receiving the steroid . Unlike the more common viral and bacterial meningitis, fungal meningitis is not contagious. It is an inflammation of the brain and spinal cord. Symptoms include a severe headache, nausea, fever, and dizziness. The first patients identified in Tennessee experienced slurred speech, and difficulty walking and urinating. The pharmacy voluntarily recalled three lots of the steroid Methylprednisolone Acetate on September 26 according to the FDA. The drug was administered to patients in their late 40s to early 80s. Tennessee's S. Thomas Hospital, ground zero for the outbreak with a suspected 15 cases as of Wednesday with two in critical condition, reported having 2,000 vials of the steroid in stock before the threat was discovered. 'Some are doing well and improving. Some are very ill - very, very . seriously ill and may die,' Tennessee health official Dr. David Reagan . said. In Tennessee alone roughly 1,000 people were administered the steroid. The link between the injections and the . meningitis was discovered by Tennessee physician April Pettit, who found . the initial cases were all people who'd recently received an epidural. Officials are still investigating how the steroid resulted in fungal meningitis. New England Compounding Center . released a statement promising to work with heath authorities to . discover what happened. But company president and licensed pharmacist . Barry J. Cadden has otherwise dodged interview requests and the company . web site is down. An archived version of the site notes the company is licensed to distribute drugs in every U.S. state. Critical condition: Tennessee health official Dr. David Reagan says the infected are 'very, very seriously ill and may die' New England Compounding Center is among the approximately 3,000 U.S. compounding pharmacies specializing in blending, liquefying, or combining medicines customized for patients unable to swallow tablets, require specific dosages, or who have allergies. Such companies are regulated by the . state boards of pharmacy that license them rather than facing the . broader regulations traditional drug companies deal with. The pharmacy has produced questionable . products before. In 2006, New England Compounding Center was one of . four companies ordered by the the Food and Drug Administration to cease . producing a topical anesthetic cream that was found to cause 'grave . reactions including seizures and irregular heartbeats.' The cream was the cause of two deaths, neither tied directly to New England Compounding Center. Ground zero: The first patients of the fungal meningitis were reported at St. Thomas Hospital which had roughly 2,000 vials of a dangerous steroid on stock . That same year the company was also cited for multiple violations of federal laws and regulations based on a 2004 review of its offices. They were charged with misbranding drugs prescribed for eye treatment, misbranding an anesthetic drug and failing to provide adequate directions for its use, and promoting the use of a cancer drug for an unapproved purpose. An FDA warning letter admonished the company that it was 'distributing an unapproved drug in violation' of federal regulations. In 2010 the company was sued by an Illinois firm that alleged New England Compounding Center illegally hacked its database violating the federal computer computer fraud and abuse act. The case was eventually settled. | Two more deaths were reported on Saturday and another Monday bringing total to 8 . 105 people have been sickened in nine states - Tennessee, Virginia, Maryland, Florida, North Carolina, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota and Ohio . Massachusetts company who made product has shut down operations and pulled ALL their products from shelves . FDA previously told health professionals not to use any products distributed by New England Compounding Center . | 031ce70861ae3d9b84869130f59a101210d0386e |
A billionaire businessman has been executed in Iran for his part in a $2.6 billion state bank scam following the largest fraud case since the country's 1979 Islamic Revolution. Mahafarid Amir Khosravi, also known as Amir Mansour Aria, was put to death at Evin prison, just north of the capital, Tehran, according to Iran's state television. The execution came after Iran's Supreme Court upheld his death sentence, but Khosravi's lawyer, Gholam Ali Riahi, claimed it was done in secret, and he was not given any notice his client's death. Mahafarid Amir Khosravi, pictured during his trial in February, has been executed in Iran for his part in a $2.6 billion state bank scam . Death sentences in Iran are usually carried out by hanging. 'I had not been informed about the execution of my client,' Mr Riahi told news website khabaronline.ir. 'All the assets of my client are at the disposal of the prosecutor's office.' State officials have not yet commented on Mr Riahi's claim. The fraud involved using forged documents to get credit at one of Iran's top financial institutions, Bank Saderat, and dated back to 2007. The credit was then used to purchase assets including state-owned companies such as major steel producer Khuzestan Steel Company. The execution came after Iran's Supreme Court upheld his death sentence, but Khosravi's lawyer, Gholam Ali Riahi, says he was not given any notice his client's death . Khosravi's business empire included more than 35 companies from mineral water production to a football club, as well as a firm importing meat from Brazil. According to Iranian media reports, the bank fraud began in 2007. A total of 39 defendants were convicted in the case. Four received death sentences, two got life sentences and the rest received sentences of up to 25 years in prison. The trials raised questions about corruption at senior levels in Iran's tightly controlled economy during the administration of former President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. Mahmoud Reza Khavari, a former head of Bank Melli, another major Iranian bank, escaped to Canada in 2011 after he resigned over the case. He faces charges over the case in Iran and remains on the Islamic Republic's wanted list. Khavari previously admitted that his bank partially was involved in the fraud, but has maintained his innocence. | Mahafarid Amir Khosravi was put to death at Evin prison, near Tehran . Businessman executed for his part in scam involving Iranian bank . Credit from bank then used to purchase state-owned companies . His lawyer claims the execution was done in secret, and he was not told . Executions in Iran usually performed by hanging . | f0da246937d5551c390e1ddb7eff08df5890f4fa |
By . Associated Press Reporter . A mother who starved her four young . sons and kept them in a filthy Denver apartment covered in feces could . spend up to seven years in prison after pleading guilty Friday to her . second offense of child abuse. Prosecutors . said the case involving Lorinda Bailey, 36, was among the most horrific . they had ever seen, but the state's child abuse laws kept them from . pursuing harsher penalties because the children, ages 2 to 6, did not . suffer serious physical injuries. Six other charges were dropped in exchange for Bailey's guilty plea to a single felony count. Nightmare mom: Lorinda Bailey, 36, seen here in 2013, pleaded guilty to a second offense of child abuse on Friday in exchange, six other counts are being dropped . 'The way the child abuse statue reads, . this was a disposition we thought would hold her accountable as best we . could under the law,' said Lynn Kimbrough, a spokeswoman for the Denver . District Attorney's Office. Police say Bailey and the boy's father, Wayne Sperling, 66, kept their sons in an home filled with cat excrement and buzzing with flies. The . children were not potty-trained and could communicate only in grunts . when authorities removed them from the home in October. They were . alerted by an emergency room doctor, who noticed that the youngest boy . was unwashed, reeked of cigarette smoke and had bruises consistent with . pinching. Doctors couldn’t find any medical records at all for the five-year-old. Wayne Sperling, left, and Lorinda Bailey, right, are accused of neglecting their four young boys and keeping them in a filthy Denver apartment full of cat feces and flies . 'Sick': In 2006, Bailey's children were found covered in dirt and hungry after neighbors saw them playing in the road. She and Sperling were put on probation and ordered to take parenting classes . Monstrous: Officials said that Bailey and Sperling's treatment of their children was the worst case of abuse they have every seen . Sperling . told investigators he was the primary guardian for the boys. Bailey . said she was living in another apartment in the same building but . saw the boys most days. The elderly father has . pleaded not guilty and faces a hearing in October. Bailey remains . free on bond pending her sentencing. Neighbors . said they previously called social services with concerns about the . family, but the agency would not publicly discuss the case for . confidentiality reasons. The couple lost custody of other children amid similar allegations. Officers . found rotten food, trash and insects in the apartment in October 2006, . after passers-by reported two young children playing in the street. The . children mostly grunted and pointed to communicate. Bailey and Sperling pleaded guilty in June 2007 to misdemeanor child abuse and lost custody of their three oldest children. The latest case warranted felony charges because it was a repeat child abuse offense, Kimbrough said. The four boys are now improving in foster care and living together, she said. Charged: Sperling and Bailey were arrested last October and charged with child abuse after their sons were found in filthy conditions . Scene: A man walks past the residence of Sperling, where the four boys were found in deplorable conditions. Police records show that officers had previously responded to complaints . | Lorinda Bailey, 36, pleaded guilty to a single count of abuse in exchange for having six other charges dropped . Bailey's husband Wayne Sperling, 66, pleaded not guilty in the case . Their four sons were found in deplorable conditions in Sperling's home which was full of cat feces and flies . The boys, aged two to six, could communicate only in grunts, were malnourished and weren’t toilet trained . | 42689eb71829ae7aa7d1cfe7eb10ff29797c349b |
A Czech family couple renovating their home has found several items once belonging to Jewish people forced into the ghetto in Terezin during the Second World War. The house owners have found photos, shoes and other personal possessions in their attic in the town of Terezin, known better in Holocaust contexts by its German name, Theresienstadt. Terezin, a fortress and garrison town built at the end of the 18th century, was used by the Nazis as a transit camp for Jews rounded up in Czechoslovakia and deported from elsewhere in Europe. Discovery: Personal belongings of Jewish people held in the Nazi ghetto of in Terezin during the Second World War have been found in an attic during a renovation of a home . Nearly 160,000 Jews went through Terezin, a majority of whom were held in the ghetto until they could be transported to camps farther east. Most prisoners perished in the Theresienstadt ghetto, or in the death camps of Nazi-occupied eastern Europe. When the Theresienstadt camp was finally liberated by Russian tanks in May 1945, only 11 per cent of the 156,000 people who had passed through its gates had survived, and just 100 of the 15,000 Jewish children were still alive. The discovery of the objects, some of which bore their owner's names, was disclosed by the Ghetto Theresienstadt project, which is funded by German and Czech sponsors. 'The unexpected finds such as these suggest that an abundance of precious legacies from the ghetto period are still waiting to be discovered in buildings throughout Terezin,' the group said in a news release. Nearly 160,000 Jews went through Terezin, a majority of whom were held in the ghetto until they could be transported to camps farther east . The group said the highlight of the find was the head tefillin, a small black capsule containing a handwritten parchment scroll with the 'Hear, O Israel' verses from Deuteronomy. Observant Jewish men are obliged to wear tefillin during their morning prayers and the capsules, one for the head and one for an arm, are cherished belongings. The group said the home owners wished to remain anonymous because of the sensitivity of the issue among Terezin inhabitants. They discovered the objects while replacing a roof truss in their attic in November. 'In their view, the way that the objects were concealed under the beams indicates the great importance that the prisoners gave in hiding their possessions,' the group said. The Ghetto Theresienstadt projects started in 2012 and is supported by the German Federal Cultural Foundation;, the Remembrance, Responsibility and Future Foundation; the Prague-based German-Czech Future Fund; and other groups in Germany and Czech Republic. | Personal belongings of Jewish people held in Nazi ghetto found . Items discovered during renovation of house in Terezin, Czech Republic . Only 11 per cent of the 156,000 who passed through Tezerin survived . | f2ed5d1a97ceb8d4858267f4a05228da66404150 |
Elisabeth Lorentz and Eric Holder from eastern France have married despite a French law banning unions between stepchildren and step-parents . It's a union that comes close to breaking the ultimate taboo. A woman yesterday tied the knot with her stepson - after fighting for months with French authorities for the right to marry. Elisabeth Lorentz, 48, finally married Eric Holder, who is three years her junior, in the parish church in the small village of Dabo in Alsace-Lorraine, north-east France. Although it's not quite an Oedipus complex, the complex story behind their marriage is nonetheless almost worthy of Sophocles - although there is yet hope it won't end in tragedy. Ms Lorentz met Mr Holder's father in 1989, when she was 24 years old. The couple had a daughter in 1997 - she is Mr Holder's half-sister, but also his goddaughter. Mr Holder also had a daughter at around the same time. Ms Lorentz married Mr Holder's father in 2003, but they separated three years later. Ms Lorentz told French media her former husband instigated the break up. 'I was not expecting it, it was a shock,' she said. 'I was an adult so I made do. But our daughter who was nine-years-old felt the separation very badly. She cried every day. 'That's when Eric was a great support for us and our relationship evolved.' Mr Holder, who says he did his best to comfort his half-sister, who is also is goddaughter and now his step-daughter, added: 'When my father left my mother, I felt abandoned. I knew how she felt.' With Mr Holder and Ms Lorentz's friendship soon developing into a love affair, it wasn't long before he proposed. But quickly they ran into trouble with French law, which prohibits all unions between stepchildren and step-parents - even former ones. The couple pleaded their case through the courts right up to the Elysee Palace, only to receive a signed letter from President Francois Hollande last year reconfirming that such marriages are banned. They finally obtained the right to marry from a local court in north-east France in June. The prosecutor's office opposed the decision but did not appeal. 'At last, it's the big day! I simply hope that our story will be useful to other couples in our situation, because I know there are some,' said Ms Lorentz. The couple hold up the signed letter from President Francois Hollande sent to them last year reconfirming that such marriages are banned . She has previously insisted that their relationship has been totally accepted by their family, including their children. 'Eric's father, who is also my ex-husband agrees perfectly our history. Our girls too. They have almost the same age and consider themselves sisters. We never differentiate between them. Moreover, they will both be bridesmaids at our wedding,' she told Le Républicain Lorrain. The ex-husband of the bride, who is also the father of the groom, was to be among the 100 or so guests at the civil and religious ceremonies in Dabo. 'He has always supported us,' Ms Lorentz said. | Elizabeth Lorentz broke up with the father of Eric Holder in 2006 . Their relationship blossomed in the aftermath of the break-up . But French law bans marriages between stepchildren and ex-step-parents . Her daughter is his sister and also his goddaughter - and now stepdaughter . | b4430814425a9f866feb9650935726a2fe68fba1 |
(CNN) -- Nicole came to the United States from Indonesia on a temporary fiancée visa, fully expecting that she would enjoy life in a new country with the U.S. citizen she intended to marry. Instead, she found herself trapped as a victim of sex trafficking. Nicole (not her real name), like thousands of other women, was forced to engage in commercial sex acts against her will. We heard about her when she received support from the Salvation Army STOP-IT Program in Illinois, which serves victims who have been harmed by the sex trade. (The Salvation Army is a denominational member of the National Association of Evangelicals.) Eventually, Nicole escaped from her trafficker and assisted law enforcement in the prosecution of the crime committed against her. Though Nicole's fiancée visa had lapsed, leaving her susceptible to deportation, our nation's anti-trafficking law provided a legal option for her to be granted permanent legal status by helping law enforcement to prosecute her trafficker. With the help of a nonprofit legal service provider and the Salvation Army, Nicole was able to petition on her own for legal status -- and obtain it -- through a special "U" visa for immigrant victims of crime, allowing her to get back on her feet and begin rebuilding her life. This week the House of Representatives is considering a proposal to reauthorize the Violence Against Women Act, first enacted in 1994, but in a new version that would significantly undermine the same U visa program that provided Nicole with safety and permanency in the United States. The U.S. government estimates that as many as 17,500 foreign-born victims are illegally trafficked in from abroad each year, and academic estimates suggest that at least 100,000 victims of human trafficking live in the United States today. By force, fraud or coercion, traffickers keep victims enslaved in prostitution or forced labor. If the House proposal is enacted, thousands like Nicole could remain enslaved, too afraid to speak out because some of their most effective safeguards will have disappeared. The proposal., introduced by Rep. Sandy Adams, R-Florida, would dramatically roll back important protections for battered immigrant women and their children. It could face a vote Wednesday afternoon. Several provisions would leave immigrant victims of human trafficking and domestic abuse no legal way to break the cycle of violence in which they are trapped. Specifically, this version would remove the incentive of permanent safe haven in the United States for women who help bring abusers to justice. By changing the U visa from permanent to temporary, the bill could validate an abuser's threat that a call to police could result in deportation. Many women would keep quiet rather than risk immigration consequences. The bill would also allow abusive partners in domestic violence cases to provide input as to whether their victim should qualify for immigration relief, stripping confidentiality provisions that currently protect victims. Abusive spouses, who are in a position to petition to adjust the status of their immigrant wives through marriage, can choose not to do so as a tool of abuse and fear. Abusers frequently deny guilt and falsely accuse victims of fraud or abuse. We don't want a bill that endangers some of the women and children it purports to help. Overall, this bill's proposed changes to current law would discourage immigrant victims from escaping abuse and reporting crimes, and make all of us less safe. Women -- and, often, their children -- come to our churches for sanctuary and hope. We believe Adams' proposal would put more lives in danger. It would perpetuate abusers' use of immigration status as part of the cycle of exploitation. As evangelical Christians, we are committed to Jesus' great commandment to love God and to love our neighbor, with a particular concern for those who are most vulnerable. Through local churches and ministries, we extend that love when we provide counseling and support for victims of human trafficking and domestic violence. In doing so, we point to the ultimate healing and restoration that we believe is found only in Jesus. We also love our neighbor by speaking up when laws are proposed that could cause harm, intentionally or not. Loving our neighbor not only means reaching out to those in need, but also means addressing systemic problems that harm those in need. That's why we're asking Speaker John Boehner and the House leadership to make sure that the Violence Against Women Act continues to protect vulnerable immigrant women who are victims of human trafficking or domestic violence. They need our protection. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Leith Anderson and Lynne Hybels. | Leith Anderson, Lynn Hybels: House mulling new version of Violence Against Women Act . They say new version changes protections for immigrant women trafficked and abused . Plan makes U visa, which protects women victims who come forward, temporary . Writers: Abusers are empowered in new version of act; House should reject it . | 5bdd60a5c1e15db283b003c14555ce40d2f3e93a |
(CNN) -- Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad has submitted his letter of resignation, the prime minister's office told CNN on Saturday. Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad's resignation may smooth the way for a unity government. Considered a political independent, Fayyad was appointed by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in June 2007 to be prime minister. Fayyad's decision may help smooth the way for a Palestinian unity government that would be acceptable to both Hamas and Fatah, the region's two main political parties, as well as the international community. Officials have argued a neutral government would be crucial to getting aid into Gaza to help with reconstruction and humanitarian relief. Palestinians unsuccessfully tried their hand at a unity government in the spring of 2007, with the mediation of Saudi Arabia. The experiment ended in June of that year with Hamas taking over Gaza, leaving Fatah in charge in the West Bank. Fayyad, a well-regarded international economist, was finance minister during the short-lived unity government in 2007. CNN's Ben Wedeman contributed to this report. | Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad steps down . Fayyad's resignation is expected to pave way for unity government . Fayyad was appointed Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in 2007 . | acda10ae304b71f5ab952d780ca65ad1a41e6fc1 |
Stand-in captain George Bailey has no concerns about his unusual status within the Australia squad. Bailey will lead his country in the Carlton Mid Tri-Series, starting against England at the SCG on Friday, and will continue throughout the World Cup if regular skipper Michael Clarke cannot prove his fitness by February 21. But should Clarke be ready to return by that deadline, Bailey faces the probability of dropping out of the side to make way. George Bailey (left) looks on as captain Michael Clake celebrates scoring a half century for Australia . Bailey is filling in as Australia captain, but might not make the World Cup team if Michael Clarke is passed fit . Unless form or other fitness issues intervene, Bailey is expected to be behind Clarke's Test deputy Steve Smith and former vice-captain Shane Watson in the pecking order, making him vulnerable to Clarke's return. 'Does it bother me? Not at all,' said Bailey. 'We have probably more captains in the side at the moment than you can poke a stick at, which is a wonderful position to be in. I think every person who is playing, regardless of any other positions, will just be looking to perform to make the case for retaining them within the XI pretty compelling.' Bailey is hardly an untested leader, having captained 24 of his 52 ODI matches due to Clarke's fragile body. 'I think the regularity of it has probably made it easier for me than what it would be otherwise,' he said. 'Unfortunately it has happened quite a bit over the last 12 months. 'It is something that we have been used to as a team, having to deal with not having a player like Michael in the side. 'I think we have responded pretty well when that has been the case.' As World Cup co-hosts, Australia are desperate for Clarke to play his part in the tournament. Bailey (left) is also captain of the Hobart Hurricanes in Australia's Big Bash League . Bailey believes that Clarke is heading in the right direction with regard to recovering from injury in time . He netted in Sydney with the team on Thursday and all signs are positive that the 33-year-old is heading in the right direction. 'Michael has been with us doing his training stuff and his rehab stuff around us for the last couple of days,' confirmed Bailey. 'I think he is really happy with how he is progressing, so that is all positive. '(He is) very confident as you can imagine.' | George Bailey filling in as Australia captain while Michael Clarke is injured . Clarke has been hampered by hamstring and back problems . If he recovers for the World Cup, Bailey is expected to exit the team line-up . | e2aff797a2bf07ecc5687997f089d0b678eec08e |
A Chinese boy almost suffocated after getting his head trapped in a car window after his mother left him alone in the vehicle while she went shopping. Cheng Shen, seven, got stuck in a 5cm gap between the window and the door frame, after being abandoned in the city of Quanzhou, in south-eastern China's Fujian Province. His mother Heng Lu said she thought she was only going to be a few minutes, so it would 'okay to leave him on his own'. Cheng Shen got his head stuck in the electric window of his mother's car after she left him to go shopping . She added: 'I told him not to mess around with anything and left the window open so he could get some fresh air.' But that decision almost proved fatal. The youngster poked his head out the window and accidentally stood on the window lever, making the electric window rise up and trap his neck. Horrified shoppers tried to push the window down and called police, but nobody felt confident enough to break the window and instead called for police assistance. They also took pictures of the incident, which were quickly shared across social media sites . A policemen helps revive the boy and return his breathing to normal, after freeing him from the window . A police officer nearby then freed Cheng. A police spokesman said although they received several calls about the incident, it was resolved by an officer who was already nearby and was 'quickly able to act to free the child'. Cheng was given on the spot emergency treatment to get him breathing normally again, by which time his mother had returned. The spokesman said the woman was advised against leaving the boy on his own in future, and advised to take her son to the hospital to be checked further, 'which she promised to do' . | Heng Lu left her son in her car unsupervised so she could go shopping . He got his head stuck between the electric window and the door frame . Ms Lu said she told her son 'not to mess around with anything' | ef2408ce23a8e9ffbedb022036e015b864d8482d |
(CNN) -- A Pakistani provincial court ruled Thursday that Raymond Davis, the CIA contractor accused of killing two Pakistani men, does not have diplomatic immunity. The court in Lahore was responding to a personal application that Davis filed last week asking that he be released from jail because he has diplomatic immunity. The court said Davis didn't enjoy diplomatic immunity because neither he nor the Pakistani government provided documents proving that he was a diplomat, according to Asad Manzoor Butt, a defense lawyer for the shooting victims. Davis has yet to be formally charged in the case. On March 14, the Lahore High Court will take up the matter again when the federal government will submit its opinion on whether Davis enjoys immunity. On Thursday, the provincial court had been expected to read out charges against Davis. However, lawyers for the American told the court that they had not yet received all documents of alleged evidence against Davis. The court adjourned the case until Tuesday when additional documents will be provided to Davis' legal team. The case has strained relations between the United States and Pakistan, a key ally in the war against al Qaeda and the Taliban in neighboring Afghanistan, and the shooting deaths have outraged many Pakistanis. Davis has said the January 27 shooting occurred after two men attacked him as he drove through a busy Lahore neighborhood, according to the U.S. Embassy. U.S. officials originally said Davis was a diplomat and later revealed he is a CIA contractor, intensifying the already highly charged situation. From CNN's Samson Desta and journalist Nasir Habib . | NEW: The Lahore High Court will take up the matter on March 14 . U.S. officials originally say Raymond Davis was a diplomat and later revealed he is a CIA contractor . The court says neither Davis nor the Pakistani government provided documents proving that he was a diplomat . | a1c9c88c99db91d5c2935ebb39b32837ddaf77b2 |
By . Victoria Woollaston . PUBLISHED: . 19:04 EST, 9 December 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 19:04 EST, 9 December 2013 . There was a time when children only needed to master reading, writing and arithmetic, yet a new toy wants to teach them how to program a computer - and it's aimed at four- to seven-year-olds. Called Primo, the kit comes with a wooden robot called Cubetto, a programming board and instruction blocks. Children place each of the instruction blocks onto the board in a set order to determine how Cubetto moves, before pressing a red button to set the robot in motion. Scroll down for video . The Primo kit comes with a set of instruction blocks, bottom right, that children must place onto a programming board, left, to control a robot called Cubetto, top right. Hidden inside the board is an Arduino circuit that reads the position of the blocks and transmits the directions to a circuit inside Cubetto . Called Primo, the kit comes with a wooden robot called Cubetto, a programming board and instruction blocks. Children place each of the . instruction blocks onto the board in a set order to determine how . Cubetto moves, before pressing a red button to set the robot in motion. Each block is a different colour and . represents a different command: the red block moves Cubetto . forward, blue turns it to the left, yellow turns the robot to the right . and the green block acts as a Function key. The Function key acts like a . subroutine, which is a set of instructions that can perform a certain . task repeatedly, when used as part of a larger program. Each block is a different colour and represents a different programming command: the red block moves Cubetto forward, blue turns it to the left, yellow turns the robot to the right and the green block is the Function key. The Function key acts like a subroutine, which is a set of instructions that can perform a certain task repeatedly, when used as part of a larger program. Built inside the board is an Arduino circuit that can read the position of the blocks and transmit directions to a circuit inside Cubetto. When a child hits the red button, Cubetto moves according to the pre-programmed route. For example, if a child puts three blue (left) blocks into the board in a row, Cubetto will move in a circle turning left, left and then left again. The Function block is used to help . children build up longer patterns and users can place the blocks in any . order to make Cubetto move differently each time. ‘Skills are mastered gradually,’ explained the developers. ‘Mountains are climbed one step at a . time. Think of Primo as the very first step in a child’s programming . education. Primo provides the very basic ABC of programming logic. ‘We insist on entertaining our children . with tablets and smartphones, but we forget that children learn more . effectively through physical play. Each instruction block is a different colour and represents a different programming command: the red block moves Cubetto forward, blue turns it to the left, yellow turns the robot to the right and the green block acts as a Function key . ‘We wanted Primo to teach children the . logic of this incredibly important topic with a magical and . tactile experience.' Primo's founders are Italian but they are based in Islington, London. They set up a . Kickstarter campaign last month to fund the Primo kit and needed to . raise £35,000 by 22 December in order to start selling the device. The company announced today it is set to reach this target within days but devices won’t be available until August next year. A . DIY version of the kit, which needs to assembled at home, will also set . parents back £135 but anyone who pledges to the campaign can receive a . fully-assembled version for £160. Built inside the board is an Arduino circuit that can read the position of the blocks and transmit the direction information to a circuit inside Cubetto, pictured. When a child hits the red button on the board, Cubetto moves on a set of wheels, according to the pre-programmed route . | The Primo system includes a wooden robot called Cubetto . Children put instruction blocks into a board to control how Cubetto moves . It has been designed to teach children the 'ABC of programming logic' DIY version costs £135 and is set to reach its Kickstarter goal within days . | 8f06892d19736b4b927c025ecef14e8dd0f40b21 |
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