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By . Daily Mail Reporter . UPDATED: . 05:54 EST, 1 September 2011 . A tourist happily swims in the mush of thousands of pulped tomatoes. He's seeing red and loving every minute of it. For this is the annual battle in a Spanish Mediterranean town which has staged the food fight fiesta for more than 60 years. Tens of thousands of revellers - some from as far as Japan and Australia - took to the streets of Bunol, near Valencia, to join in the fun. Scroll down for video . Juiced up: Swimming in pulped tomatoes, a reveller enjoys the fun fight at the Spanish town of Bunol . Red alert: One smiling tourist is happy to be covered in tomato mush . In the soup: Lying in tomato pulp is just heaven for this reveller despite losing her mask . Splat: One of the tourists throws pulp from a bucket during the food fight which is known as the Tomatina . They pelted each other with 120 tonnes of ripe tomatoes on hand in five loaded trucks. This year, Brunol's town hall estimated about 40,000 people joined the hour-long fight known as Tomatina, which has its origins in a food fight between two boys in 1945. Many wore goggles and old clothes as they were drenched in the sea of red pips and pulp. And when they finished the town set up portable showers and opened up fire hydrants so they could shower off the stains. And once the battle was over, the streets and walls were hosed down, ready for next year's vegetable party. Goggle-eyed: A girl wears protective goggles during the world's biggest tomato fight . What a sauce: A reveller lies smothered in tomato juice and pulp . Splattered: Three young men sit happily in a sea of squashed tomatoes . In 1945, young men who wanted to participate in a local parade staged a brawl picking up tomatoes from a nearby vegetable stand and using them as weapons. The police intervened to break it up, but the following year they repeated the fight, only this time they brought their own tomatoes. Over the years, the party was, albeit unofficially, established but was banned many times before it was officially sanctioned in 1959. The town of Bunol imposed a rule that people could only throw tomatoes after a horn sounded and should end when it sounded a second time. Revellers had to smash the tomato in their hands first and then throw it on each other. The festivities begin at around 10 am, with the first event of the Tomatina. The goal is to climb a greased pole with a ham on top. As this happens, the crowd work into a frenzy of singing and dancing while being showered with water from hoses. Once someone is able to drop the ham off the pole, the start signal for the tomato fight is given with a loud shot. Several trucks throw tomatoes in abundance in the Plaza del Pueblo. The tomatoes come from Extremadura, where they are less expensive and are grown specifically for the holidays, being of inferior taste. After exactly an hour, the fight ends with the firing of the second shot, announcing the end. The whole town square is colored red and rivers of tomato juice flow freely. Fire Trucks hose down the streets and participants use hoses that locals provide to remove the tomato paste from their bodies. After the cleaning, the village cobblestone streets are pristine due to the acidity of the tomato disinfecting and thoroughly cleaning the surfaces. | 40,000 from as far as Australia join in the fiesta . | b5210aa33f3535aa561b95ff779833547f7fd689 |
By . Ryan Lipman . A 10-year-old boy has been helicoptered to a Sydney children's hospital in a serious condition after he was viciously attacked by two dogs on Tuesday afternoon. A NSW Police media spokeswoman confirmed to Daily Mail Australia that the attack happened in Bellambi, a suburb north of Wollongong on the NSW coast. The young boy was bitten and wounded on his legs, arms, hips, stomach, buttocks and head in a gated front yard on Waley Avenue by an American Staffordshire terrier and German shepherd at about 2pm. Scroll down for video . A 10-year-old boy was viciously attacked by two dogs in Bellambi on Tuesday afternoon, one of which was a German shepherd. Pictured is a stock image . The boy was taken to Wollongong Hospital after paramedics were called and he was later airlifted to Sydney Children's Hospital at Randwick, where he underwent surgery. As of 1.30am Wednesday morning, the young boy's condition was not known a police media spokesperson said. A spokeswoman for the Sydney Children's Hospital said the boy's mother was 'very distressed' and did not wish to release any information about her son's condition. Police were told the boy was looking for his brother with a friend and the two had been door knocking before the boy entered the yard. His friend was not involved in the dog attack and remained on the footpath while it happened, reported The Daily Telegraph. A police media spokesperson confirmed that Wollongong Council had been notified of the dog attack and was investigation. Police are also currently investigating the attack. The young boy was bitten on his legs, arms, hips, stomach, buttocks and head in a gated front yard, by the dogs including an American Staffordshire. Pictured is a stock image . This incident was the latest in a spate of reported dog attacks on young children in the Bellambi area on Tuesday. NSW Ambulance Illawarra district inspector Terry Morrow confirmed paramedics received two unrelated dog attack reports in the area, neither matching the incident reported by police, reported the Illawarra Mercury. Also at Waley Avenue, paramedics attended an 11-year-old who had be bitten by a small dog, and the child was taken to Wollongong Hospital with minimal bleeding and a few small puncture wounds, Mr Morrow said. After a dog bit a 10-year-old on the buttocks, the child went to Wollongong following the attack in Bellambi’s Whitby Mews, also on Tuesday. For treatment of a small wound, the child was transferred to Sydney Children’s Hospital by road ambulance. The spate of dog attacks on children on Tuesday took place in Bellambi, north of Wollongong . | There has been a spate of dog attacks on children in the Wollongong area . The attacks happened on Tuesday with one boy left in a serious condition . After being bitten on most of his body, the boy was airlifted to hospital . Two other children in unrelated attacks were treated for minor injuries . | 7ef76b98e973c5cdae8c7908e1469c0bc690da98 |
(CNN) -- England clinched rugby's Six Nations title for the first time since 2003 on Saturday despite crashing to a 24-8 defeat to Ireland in the final round in Dublin. Martin Johnson's team could have been denied the crown along with the Grand Slam achievement of winning all five games, but closest rivals Wales lost 28-9 to France in the tournament's concluding match. Johnson was captain of the England team that won the European competition for the 25th time eight years ago and then went on to lift the World Cup in Australia, and he will be hoping history repeats ahead of this year's premier event in New Zealand. "This is a scar and we'll have to wear that scar. I told the players we'll take this on the chin. We were beaten by a good team, an experienced team," the coach said in quotes reported by the UK Press Association. "The boys are very disappointed because they wanted to win a Test match, and we know what was at the end of it. We had a horrible first half. We were always chasing the game. "It summed up our day up when two of our players ended up passing straight back to them. When you're in a fight you want to feel like you've landed a few blows, but we didn't. They kept on taking shots at us." Recalled fly-half Jonathan Sexton kicked 14 points in a man-of-the-match performance, with his four penalties and a try from winger Tommy Bowe giving Ireland a 17-3 halftime lead. Seven minutes after the restart, captain Brian O'Driscoll became the record tryscorer in Six Nations history with his 25th crossing -- and Sexton converted to make it 24-3. England's only try was a runaway intercept effort from hooker Steve Thompson, which fellow replacement Jonny Wilkinson could not convert. Wales went into the match in Paris needing to win by 27 points to finish ahead of England on countback, but the team's preparation was marred by the absence of assistant coach Shaun Edwards due to a reported incident with a fellow member of the backroom staff last weekend. Coach Warren Gatland refused to comment on the incident in his pre-game interview, saying that it was "an internal matter." Defending champions France finished second following two tries to forward Lionel Nallet and another to winger Vincent Clerc, while Morgan Parra kicked 13 points. Wales' only reply was three penalties to flyhalf James Hook, who was sinbinned for a dangerous tackle, as Gatland's team finished fourth behind Ireland after three teams ended with six points each. In the day's opening game, Scotland avoided the wooden spoon by beating Italy 21-8 in Edinburgh to condemn the visitors to bottom place. The tournament has been known as the Six Nations since the addition of Italy in 2000, and started out in 1883 with four teams. France joined the competition for the first time in 1910, rejoining 37 years later. | England crowned Six Nations champions despite closing defeat by Ireland . Dublin defeat ends England's hopes of achieving a Grand Slam of five victories . Defending champions France finish second after beating Wales 28-9 in Paris . Wales needed to win by 27 points to prevent England from taking the title . | 06f4ffc582d7bbca31ce3cf70adda28570fc2177 |
What do Jennifer Lopez, Ashton Kutcher and David Hasselhoff have in common? They all swoon over the Koalas at Sydney Wild Life Zoo. This week, Media Animal TV has featured the superstar Koalas at the popular attraction. Despite sleeping for 85 per cent of his day, these mellow marsupials still manage to hang with more stars than Opera Winfrey. Scroll down for video . Pop icon Jennifer Lopez poses with an Australian koala during her visit to WILD LIFE Sydney Zoo in 2012 . Destiny's Child star Kelly Rowland pats a Koala during a visit to WILD LIFE Sydney . Model Erin McNaught poses alongside Buu the koala: The Koalas at Sydney Wildlife Zoo attract celebrities from all corners of the globe . 'We've had all sorts of celebrities here. I saw David Hasselhoff run through the entire zoo before he got to the koalas, just to get there in time to have his photo taken,' says Kylie Hackshaw, the zoo mammal keeper. 'We had Susan Boyle, who was ecstatic and giggly to see our koalas. We've also had Kings Of Leon from the rock front, who were just as excited and they were just lovely when they came in.' So what is it that magnetises Hollywood icons to these koalas? Maybe between all the meet-and-greets and exclusive nightclubs, celebs want to hang with someone who can help them unwind. Few animals know how to relax like the Koala. Media Animal TV also explored a day in the life of Aaron, an adolescent koala who sleeps for 20 hours a day. Baywatch star David Hasselfoff, who zookeeper Kylie Mackshaw says 'ran through the entire zoo before he got to the koalas, just to get there in time to have his photo taken' A koala in the enclosure snaps a selfie from a motion sensor camera inside the koala enclosure . Hackshaw says the koalas job is 'just to sit there and look cute' 'Some people think he might be a bit sloth like, but that's just a typical Koala' Hackshaw says. 'He's a pampered little Koala. He gets the best leaves twice a day and fresh water every day.' 'His job is just to sit there and look cute.' Sadly, it seems like all the celebrity attention could be going to their heads. Earlier this year, we learned the Sydney Wildlife Koalas were infatuated with taking selfies after a collection of pouting snaps from inside their enclosure made a splash online. It seems all that time rubbing shoulders with the stars has started to make them conceited, but in the end of the day, who can blame them? | The koalas at the zoo attract celebrities from all corners of the globe . David Hasselhoff, Jennifer Lopez, Ashton Kutcher and Susan Boyle have all visited the enclosure . This week, Media Animal TV have featured these koalas . | 51f58c5ebc2e8ec578b3e16c9229fd0ca46cccda |
(CNN) -- Lionel Messi returned to haunt Arsenal as his two goals helped Barcelona into the quarterfinals of the Champions League after a 3-1 win in Spain. The Argentina striker scored four goals to knock the English club out of last year's competition and he starred again as the Spanish champions secured their place in the last eight with a 4-3 aggregate win. Messi opened the scoring just before halftime before the English club pulled level thanks to Sergio Busquets' own goal. Robin van Persie was shown a second yellow card for shooting on goal after the referee's whistle had gone -- the striker claimed he couldn't hear it amid the noise from 95,000 fans in the stadium. Barcelona then took control as Xavi edged them ahead from a flowing move before Messi grabbed his second from the penalty spot after Laurent Koscielny tripped Pedro. Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger was involved in a furious confrontation with the referee upon the final whistle while the statistics showed his side had failed to register a single shot on goal, compared to Barca's 19. Blog: Wenger was right, the ref killed the game . Arsenal had been boosted by the return of injured duo Van Persie and captain Cesc Fabregas before the game but they were on the back foot for the majority of the first half. And they lost goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny after only 16 minutes when he damaged a finger saving Dani Alves' free kick. Manuel Almunia replaced him. Dutch striker Van Persie was then involved in an altercation with Alves and was shown a yellow card. Just before the break Messi broke the deadlock, with help from an unlikely source. Fabregas' risky back heel was intercepted by Andres Iniesta, he fed Messi and the striker clipped the ball over Almunia before smashing a volley into the net. Out of nothing Arsenal equalized on 53 minutes when Busquets inadvertently headed Nasri's corner into his own net and at that stage, the English side were going through. But Van Persie was shown a second yellow card for shooting on goal after being flagged offside. The striker claimed he couldn't hear the referee's whistle, which was blown less than a second before he struck his shot. Within 16 minutes of Van Persie's dismissal Arsenal were 3-1 down. First Xavi finished off a neat move after David Villa's pass, then Pedro was fouled by Koscielny and Messi scored from the penalty spot. Almunia made a string of vital saves to keep Arsenal in it before the visitors had a late chance to steal the tie when Jack Wilshere put substitute Nicklas Bendtner through on goal but the Danish striker's first touch was poor and he lost possession. After the game both Van Persie and Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger criticized the referee. On his sending off Van Persie told Sky Sports: "I can't understand that view from the ref. One second from his whistle to my shot is a joke. "He's been a joke all evening. I don't know why he's here tonight. In my opinion that ref killed the game. There were 95,000 people jumping up so how could I hear his whistle?" Wenger added: "He [the referee] must never have played football at all to do that. I told him what I think about his decision face to face. There's not a lot more to say about that." In the evening's other match Shakhtar Donetsk thrashed Italian giants Roma 3-0 in Ukraine to run out 6-2 winners on aggregate. Goals from Tomas Hubschman, Willan and Eduardo settled proceedings for Shakhtar, who led 3-2 from the first leg in Italy. Marco Borriello missed a penalty for Roma with the score at 1-0. | Barcelona beat Arsenal 4-3 on aggregate to reach Champions League quarterfinals . Lionel Messi scores twice and Xavi once as Barca win 3-1 at the Camp Nou . Arsenal incensed at Robin van Persie's dismissal for kicking the ball away . Shakhtar Donetsk beat Roma 3-0 in Ukraine to go through 6-2 on aggregate . | bc30524e9ee7788595f0992afc57228eb9c01885 |
Horrifying footage has emerged showing a Malaysian mother repeatedly hitting, kicking and her defenceless ten-month-old daughter. The distressing clip which is just over four minutes in duration has caused fury on the internet, with many users who watched the video labelling the mother as 'sadistic' and 'not fit to be near children.' A friend of the mother, who was 18 at the time of the incident, had become concerned after witnessing her beating the child previously, so filmed the abuse and took the video evidence to the police. First blow: The mother, seen raising her hand before hitting the child, sits on a bed, while the baby girl is on the corner of the mattress, crying hysterically as she lies face down . Disturbing viewing: The woman hits the child over the head repeatedly with a cushion and at one point throws her mobile phone at the screaming baby . Thought to be filmed on a . mobile phone, the mother, who is unmarried, is seen sitting on a bed, while the baby is . on the corner of the mattress, crying hysterically as she lies face down. The woman hits the child over the head repeatedly with a cushion and at one point throws her mobile phone at the screaming baby. As the wailing intensifies the woman pinches her arms and thighs and kicks her - the helpless baby just lays on the mattress, unable to fend off the blows. When the distraught baby lifts her head up, she flops forward again, dazed from being repeatedly hit on the head. Abusive: At one point the mother grabs the baby's head and slams it back down onto the mattress . Looking for help: In a heartbreaking move, the baby still crawls over to her mother and tries to rest on her knee for comfort, but she is promptly shoved so hard that she falls on to her back . At one point the mother roughly grabs the baby's head, pinches her face and slams her back down onto the mattress as a young child, nibbling food, wanders into shot and watches the abuse. In a heartbreaking move, the baby still crawls over to her mother and tries to rest on her knee for comfort, but she is promptly shoved so hard that she falls on to her back screaming out. It is unclear what the woman is saying, but the voice of another woman, assumed to be the person recording the incident, can also be be heard in the video. Harmful: As the mother repeatedly pinches the screaming baby, a young child, nibbling food, wanders into shot and watches the abuse . According to Arjunaidi Mohamed, the chief of police in Petaling Jaya, the mother was 18-years-old when she inflicted the beating on her 10-month-old child in May last year, reported CNN. He refused to disclose the mother's name, but said she was convicted of child abuse and sentenced to 18 months in prison. The baby was put into the care of a foster family after her mother's arrest and is now doing 'very well,' said Fatimah Zuraidah Salleh, deputy director of the children division of the Social Welfare Department to CNN. After watching the distributing video, many users felt compelled to voice their disgust in the comment section. One user wrote 'I literally cried after watching this video.. Cant even imagine beating up any kid like she did.' 'How can those other people in the . room just stand by and watch this happen? That poor little baby just . wants to be picked up and all she can do it continually beat it,' wrote . another user. The court will decide whether the mother, who is due to be released in late November, will be allowed to regain custody of the child. | The clip was filmed in Petaling Jaya, a suburb of Kuala Lumpur in May 2011 . Unmarried mother, 18, was sentenced to 18 months in jail for child abuse . Abused baby is now 'doing well' in foster care . | 1f2093f8466484291fa71b121fb8aee4562bb1c5 |
By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 06:23 EST, 22 August 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 12:42 EST, 22 August 2013 . Fed up with incessantly rising food prices? Then maybe you should take a leaf out of the book of this young man, who always has a fully stocked fridge but never spends a penny at the checkout. For Maximus Thaler one man's rubbish is his treasure as he stocks his fridge full of the food he finds in dustbins. From fresh vegetables and eggs to juicy steaks and ready-made meals, Mr Thaler scavenges food from supermarket bins and uses it to cook delicious meals for himself, his friends and even the local community. Scroll down for video . Oh, to be young and freegan: Maximus Thaler and a . friend. The thrifty 22-year-old spends nothing on eating since he . scavenges all his food from supermarket dustbins around Somerville, Massachusetts . A good haul: Some of the food found by Maximus . and his freegan friends who dig through bins nightly in search of edible . food, flowers and any other usable items as part of their efforts to . live an anti-consumerist lifestyle . Fully stocked: Mr Thaler's fridges groan under the weight of food he and friends have recovered from rubbish . A bath full of the juices Mr Thaler and friends have found: 'You can find anything you see on the shelves in a supermarket in the bin, organic vegetables, fruit, juices, eggs, milk, yoghurt,' he said . Dining on food from a bin may not sound like the ingredients for a perfect meal to most, but for Mr Thaler 'dumpster diving' is a way of life. The thrifty 22-year-old from Somerville, Massachusetts, is a Freegan, which means he adopts an anti-consumerist lifestyle. He opposes materialism, conformity and greed and believes in consuming little and wasting less. Mr Thaler and his band of fellow freegans dig through bins in search of edible food, flowers and any other usable items. They then sift through the gleaned goodies and determine which are useful. Rotten food is thrown away and salvageable food is washed and used to make meals. Mr Thaler and fellow freegans beam with delight . at their haul of food: Mr Thaler said he's been raiding dustbins since . he was at university, but it is only since last summer he has survived . exclusively off found food . Who needs food banks? As this picture shows, Mr Thaler and friends have more food than they can store . Overflow: They are even forced to keep some of their massive haul outside on the verandah . Variety is the spice of life: Since everything . is free, they can afford to have several different kinds of potatoes in . their larder - plus sweet potatoes to boot . Mr Thaler said: 'I started dumpster diving when I was at university, there was a group of freegan's who regularly got together at the nearby supermarket. 'I've been a freegan for around four years now but since last summer I've got all my food from a dumpster. 'You can find anything you see on the shelves in a supermarket in the bin, organic vegetables, fruit, juices, eggs, milk, yoghurts. Absolutely anything. 'When I first heard of dumpster diving I really wrestled with the idea, what does it mean to buy food in a supermarket and then see that same food in thrown away? 'There's a bunch of food that's thrown . away, just because of a packaging default. No-one wants to buy . something where the packaging is torn so the supermarket can't sell that . and throw it away. 'Sometimes they'll be a box of a dozen . eggs where one yolk has broken and there's egg on the box, so it's . thrown away even though 11 of the eggs are perfectly fine. 'Supermarkets . also purposely buy more than they can sell so their shelves look . plentiful and that excess food ends up in the bin. 'Expiration . dates also a reason why good food is often binned, they say it expires . but there's no legal guidance on expiration dates and the food is still . perfectly fine to eat after it is said to have expired. 'The problem is an economic one, it's not as easy as telling supermarkets to give this food away instead of throwing it away. 'We . shouldn't be shopping at large grocery or convenience stores and . instead buying quantity in bulk from local distributors or farmers . markets.' Cooking up a storm: Mr Thaler has been able to scavenge so much food from bins that it's too much for him to eat, so in order to make the most of this free food he started sharing it with his community . Cookery show-style presentation: A spread of food prepared using the food Mr Thaler and friends have found . Humble pie: A delicious looking dessert made from scavenged fruit . Mr Thaler and his friends in . Massachusetts aren't the only Americans embracing the Freegan trend. In . New York, as economic hard times continue for many, Freegan groups have . sprung up running tours of the city's bins. One . group organises monthly 'trash tours' so that people can seek the best . places for free food, sourced potatoes, peppers, packaged salads, . yogurts, pasta, bread rolls and hummus and make their own burgers and . barbecue food from the ingredients. Organiser . Janet Kalish, who has been practising Freeganism for two decades, said: . 'We're finding these tours to be extremely popular. 'They . are filling up with newcomers who are shocked by the level of waste and . who now realise what they can recover from supermarket bins. 'Once . a month, we invite new attendees to come on our trash tours of the . village and then for a meal the next day with the food we've recovered. 'There . is no reason for this food to be thrown out. It is just as good now as . it was 20 minutes ago when it was in the supermarket. 'Many . of the Freegans are young professionals who are environmentally and . politically conscious, but we also find that many of them are people who . cannot afford the high cost of food in New York City.' Free flowers: Food isn't the only thing Mr Thaler finds in supermarket dustbins. Here he gives away blooms . Back in Somerville, Mr Thaler has been able to scavenge so much food from bins that it's too much for him to eat, so in order to make the most of this free food he started sharing it with his community. He now plans to open his own Freegan café called the The Gleaners' Kitchen, where he plans to serve the food to diners for free. He had planned to do this from his home but he was evicted after the landlord found out about his plans. He is now looking for a more suitable venue for his café. To find out more about about Gleaners Kitchen visit: www.thegleanerskitchen.org . | Maximus Thaler and friends are Freegans living in Somerville, Massachusetts . They dig through bins in search of food, flowers and any other usable items . Now they hope to open a café to distribute meals for free to anyone . | da1948198ffe2fbe9218f253b17797bb71f750a9 |
(Travel + Leisure) -- Portland, Oregon, doesn't lack for fashionable boutique hotels, but to the west, along the Pacific Ocean, the options have tended to be as primal as the shoreline. Recently, however, a group of properties has sprung up on the northern coast, aiming to seduce 21st-century travelers with designs steeped in post-World War II Modernism. The Cannery Pier Hotel was built on the site of a fish-packing facility on the Columbia River. Each stop on this easy three-night itinerary provides a stylish Oregon beach getaway -- along with postcard-worthy water views. Day 1: Portland to Astoria . Follow the Columbia River Highway (U.S. 30) as it meanders along the waterway that led Lewis and Clark to the sea. (For more shore-hugging river views, cross the Oregon Way Bridge, just west of Rainier, and drive on Washington's Ocean Beach Highway -- but be sure to return to Route 30 by crossing back over at Cathlamet.) Make your way to Astoria, the oldest American settlement west of the Rockies (founded in 1811), a revitalized former fishing town with Victorian architecture and a restored 1913 riverfront trolley. Take in the town -- and the mouth of the Columbia River -- from the 125-foot Astoria Column, and for a dramatic close-up of the Astoria Bridge, which connects Oregon and Washington, check in to the Cannery Pier Hotel (doubles from $299). Built on the site of a fish-packing facility on a pier that extends 600 feet into the river, the four-year-old hotel embraces a Pacific Northwest version of loft architecture, with exposed steel beams in the atrium-style lobby and hardwood floors in the 46 balconied rooms. The best place to eat is just a short stroll down the pier at the Bridgewater Bistro (dinner for two $75; 503/ 325-6777). The restaurant offers exceptional views of the river and bridge, a tasting room for the Oregon Coast's Flying Dutchman Winery, and a small-plates menu featuring watermelon-and-feta salad and a savory cheesecake with Dungeness crab. Day 2: Astoria to Arch Cape . The Oregon Coast Highway (U.S. 26) crosses Youngs Bay and snakes southward almost to Arch Cape, set in the lush green terrain of Oswald West State Park. It's a 30-mile trip that passes through the monied enclave of Gearhart, as well as Seaside, one of the first beach resorts in Oregon. Travel + Leisure: 45 best new hotels of 2009 . Be sure to explore the Cannon Beach art colony, comprising 19 galleries and crafts studios; then hit the sand to behold Haystack Rock, a 235-foot-tall basalt formation that's the third-largest such ocean monolith in the world. You might also want to scope out a spot for dinner in Cannon Beach -- locals love the French-Italian dishes such as pesto-and-prawn pasta at Newmans at 988 (dinner for two $110, 503/ 436-1151) -- or stock up on Oregon wine and Tillamook cheese before heading to Arch Cape, a tiny residential community with no restaurants. It is here that Bruce Bessey transformed an old beach house into the Ocean Point Inn & Spa (doubles from $275). The three handsome suites, with mod furnishings, are perfect for curling up in when the rain lashes the wild surf. In fair weather, guests mingle on the oceanfront deck to watch gray whales or gaze at the stars. In the morning, a hearty breakfast with fresh pastries provides fortification for beachcombing. Nestled between two state parks, the inn offers direct access to a nearly deserted Pacific stretch with sand dollar-filled tide pools. Day 3: Arch Cape to Lincoln City . Lincoln City is a straight 79-mile shot down the 101, past open stretches of sand with more clumps of beach grass than sunbathers. Along the way: Laneda Avenue, in Manzanita, is a charming shopping strip; the Picnic Basket (503/ 355-8500), in Rockaway Beach, has 97 flavors of salt-water taffy; Garibaldi Marina (503/ 322-3312) will hook you up for crab hunting and clam digging; and the Hawk Creek Café (503/ 392-3838), in Neskowin, serves fresh seafood and a popular wood-fired pizza. Tillamook is the home of the famous cheddar, as well as ice creams made from local berries. Past Lincoln City, in Newport, is a worthwhile detour: the Yaquina Bay Lighthouse, dating from 1871. The beachfront at Lincoln City is stacked with condo-by-the-sea complexes which makes the recent renovation of the 141-room Surftides (doubles from $134) that much more welcome. Under the new management of the owners of the hip Farmer's Daughter hotel, in Los Angeles, the Surftides -- first opened in 1936 -- is now decorated with cork bulletin-board walls and jazzy striped daybeds. The balconied guest rooms reference Midcentury Modern design with sleek built-ins and bold orange accents. You'd swear you were sleeping in an urban boutique hotel, except the roar outside your door is waves, not traffic. Planning a beach getaway? Don't miss Travel + Leisure's guide to Affordable Beach Resorts. Copyright 2009 American Express Publishing Corporation. All rights reserved. | A handful of fashionable hotels have opened along Oregon's northern coast . The Cannery Pier Hotel in Astoria sits on a pier in the Columbia River . Ocean Point Inn & Spa in Arch Cape is housed in a renovated beach house . | c953e4a5b96c94d08c4c8d4520d3309a8d4ba7e7 |
High street banks are using Wonga-style bullying letters to chase customers for payments. Barclays, Lloyds, Halifax, RBS and HSBC are among firms who have sent customers letters that look like they are from outside firms when they are not. The letters appear to be designed to put pressure on customers by making them believe requests for debt repayments have been passed on to third parties. Barclays confirmed it has been using the name Mercers Debt Collection for Barclaycard debts but it said it dropped the pretence of using a different name earlier this year and the change came into effect this week . Energy giant Scottish Power and Anglian Water, which supplies families in the East of England, are also using the letters. A major row erupted last week when it was revealed that payday loan giant Wonga had made up the names of two firms to harass people who were behind on loan repayments. The firm was ordered by the City watchdog, the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), to pay £2.6million in compensation to the 45,000 people affected. The City of London police are investigating whether Wonga has broken one of several laws, ranging from the Theft Act to the Administration of Justice Act, which covers the harassment of debtors. It later emerged the Student Loan Company was using the same tactic to chase graduates for their student loans, and it can now be revealed that the threatening tactics go well beyond the ‘legal loan sharks’ such as Wonga, with a string of household names using the controversial ploy. Barclays has been using the name Mercers Debt Collections, while Lloyds, which is part-owned by the taxpayer, has used Sechiari, Clarke and Mitchell Solicitors, which is actually its in-house legal department. Its subsidiary, Halifax Bank of Scotland, has used the name Blair, Oliver & Scott to chase debts. Payday loan giant Wonga made up the names of firms to harass people who were behind on repayments and was ordered by the Financial Conduct Authority to pay £2.6million in compensation to the 45,000 affected . Anglian Water created a brand called Frontier Debt Collections to pressure people into paying up. One customer targeted in 2010 said: ‘I felt angry and deceived by Anglian Water when I discovered that it was actually them and not a debt collector. ‘I was appalled at the lies they were prepared to tell to deceive me and try to add immense worry to an already stressful situation.’ MPs and consumer groups last night said it was ‘dishonest’ for banks and utility firms to be ‘distressing and intimidating’ their customers. Consumer Action Group founder Marc Gander said: ‘These are dishonest tactics, however they are widely used, even by so-called reputable companies. ‘This is not just about Wonga. All the companies that employ these tactics, whether it is the Student Loans Company, the banks or utility companies, should face equal scrutiny and equal sanctions. ‘Action needs to be taken.’ Citizens Advice chief executive Gillian Guy added: ‘It is dishonest of lenders to disguise letters chasing people for money as being from third parties. 'People who are heavily in debt are under immense financial strain and need to know where to go for help, not be harassed by bogus companies exerting undue pressure and in some cases charging them for it.’ All the companies identified by the Daily Mail insist that while they have used third-party names, any letters sent to consumers made clear who they were owned by. Barclays confirmed it has been using the name Mercers Debt Collection for Barclaycard debts. But it said it dropped the pretence of using a different name earlier this year and the change came into effect this week. Lloyds Bank confirmed it has been using the name Sechiari, Clarke and Mitchell Solicitors as a pseudonym for its in-house legal department since at least 2011, but has decided to phase the name out. 'All the companies that employ these . tactics should face equal scrutiny and equal sanctions' - Marc Gander, Consumer Action Group . Scottish Power created the name Sterling Collections. The company said: ‘Sterling Collections is a part of Scottish Power’s debt recovery process. All customer communications referencing Sterling Collections clearly state “Sterling Collections is a trading name of Scottish Power Energy Retail Ltd”.’ Last night, Labour MP Stella Creasy said: ‘These letters seem to have been designed to frighten people into thinking that they are further along in the debt process than they are. 'At best, they are not being transparent, and at the worst they are being downright deceptive. It’s disgraceful.’ The Solicitors Regulatory Authority said it was looking into several complaints about the tactic. The watchdog’s executive director, Richard Collins, told the Law Society Gazette: ‘We will shortly be issuing guidance for in-house solicitors on our existing requirement that publicity must not be misleading.’ | Barclays, Lloyds, Halifax, RBS and HSBC among firms which sent letters . Providers Scottish Power and Anglian Water also found to be using letters . Letters appear to be designed to put pressure on customers for repayments . | cc86cbbecfeaad31dd70b92945c5f7f4d38b0d3c |
By . David Mccormack . A woman in New Mexico is accused of pulling a gun on a Comcast engineer after he informed her about additional installation fees that she claims she didn't know about. Gloria Baca-Lucero, 48, of Albuquerque was arrested on Monday following the altercation at her home and has been charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. Cable guy Clifton Ratliff had arrived at Baca-Lucero’s home earlier that day to install Comcast services. Scroll down for video . Gloria Baca-Lucero, right, of Albuquerque, New Mexico, was arrested on Monday and charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon following the altercation at her home with cable guy Clifton Ratliff, left . Before getting started, he informed her that there would be a fee. Baca-Lucero said she thought the work would be free and refused to sign for the charges. Upset, she then called customer services who confirmed the fee. Baca-Lucero still refused to pay and so Ratliff started putting his tools away, reports the Albuquerque Journal. He told cops that his customers then grabbed one of his tool bags and took it into her home. When he went to get it back, she pulled out a black handgun and pointed it at his torso, the complaint states. Ratliff says he then called 911 and left because he 'didn't want to get shot.' The argument started after Baca-Lucero was informed that she would have to pay additional fees to receive Comcast services . When police arrived, they searched Baca-Lucero's home and found a black Glock, along with a Glock magazine and 11 rounds. They also found the tool bag - with a value of $400 - according to the court document. Baca-Lucero was arrested and charged on Monday, but released later the same day. She confirmed to officers that she told Ratliff that he couldn’t have his tools, but claimed to have told him that his supervisor would need to come pick them up. | Gloria Baca-Lucero, 48, of Albuquerque was arrested on Monday following the altercation at her home . Cable guy Clifton Ratliff had arrived to install Comcast services . When Baca-Lucero was informed about additional charges, she took his toolbox hostage and ordered him off her property by pointing a gun at him . She was arrested and charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon . | 1293765989405721aca622ed9192639a625bc270 |
By . Daily Mail Reporter . and Associated Press . PUBLISHED: . 14:36 EST, 28 January 2014 . | . UPDATED: . 15:08 EST, 28 January 2014 . Another state now has a bill to consider about bringing firing squads back as an option for prisoners on death row. Lawmakers in Missouri are the latest to debate the issue as they try to come up with a solution in response to the dwindling supplies of lethal injection drugs. The squads are not the only relics from a more gruesome past that are under consideration, as electrocutions and gas chambers have also been suggested. Most states abandoned those execution methods more than a generation ago in a bid to make capital punishment more palatable to the public and to a judicial system worried about inflicting cruel and unusual punishments that violate the Constitution. Modern day firing squad: This is the execution chamber at Utah State Prison where a firing squad lines up and kills the seated prisoner . But to some elected officials, the drug shortages and recent legal challenges are beginning to make lethal injection seem too vulnerable to complications. 'This isn't an attempt to time-warp back into the 1850s or the wild, wild West or anything like that,' said Missouri state Rep. Rick Brattin, who this month proposed making firing squads an option for executions. 'It's just that I foresee a problem, and I'm trying to come up with a solution that will be the most humane yet most economical for our state.' Brattin, a Republican, said questions about the injection drugs are sure to end up in court, delaying executions and forcing states to examine alternatives. It's not fair, he said, for relatives of murder victims to wait years, even decades, to see justice served while lawmakers and judges debate execution methods. Missouri's attorney general and a state lawmaker have raised the notion of rebuilding the state's gas chamber. Earlier this month, a Wyoming lawmaker offered a bill allowing the firing squad. What remains: Four of the bullet holes from the killing of Ronnie Lee Gardner on June 18, 2010 are seen in the wood of the Utah state prison's firing squad contraption . And a Virginia lawmaker wants to make electrocution an option if lethal-injection drugs aren't available. If adopted, those measures could return states to the more harrowing imagery of previous decades, when inmates were hanged, electrocuted or shot to death by marksmen. States began moving to lethal injection in the 1980s in the belief that powerful sedatives and heart-stopping drugs would replace the violent spectacles with a more clinical affair while limiting, if not eliminating, an inmate's pain. 'This isn't an attempt to time-warp back into the 1850s or the wild, wild West or anything like that,' said Missouri state Rep. Rick Brattin . The total number of U.S. executions has declined in recent years — from a peak of 98 in 1999 to 39 last year. Some states have turned away from the death penalty entirely. Many have cases tied up in court. And those that carry on with executions find them increasingly difficult to conduct because of the scarcity of drugs and doubts about how well they work. In recent years, European drug makers have stopped selling the lethal chemicals to prisons because they do not want their products used to kill. At least two recent executions are also raising concerns about the drugs' effectiveness. Last week, Ohio inmate Dennis McGuire took 26 minutes to die by injection, gasping repeatedly as he lay on a gurney with his mouth opening and closing. And on Jan.uary 9, Oklahoma inmate Michael Lee Wilson's final words were, 'I feel my whole body burning.' Missouri threw out its three-drug lethal injection procedure after it could no longer obtain the drugs. State officials altered the method in 2012 to use propofol, which was found in the system of pop star Michael Jackson after he died of an overdose in 2009. The anti-death penalty European Union threatened to impose export limits on propofol if it were used in an execution, jeopardizing the supply of a common anesthetic needed by hospitals across the nation. In October, Governor Jay Nixon stayed the execution of serial killer Joseph Paul Franklin and ordered the Missouri Department of Corrections to find a new drug. Days later, the state announced it had switched to a form of pentobarbital made by a compounding pharmacy. Like other states, Missouri has refused to divulge where the drug comes from or who makes it. Running into problems: A number of states have had problems securing the chemicals used in lethal injections so Burns said that he thought firing squads- like those used in Utah- were the next most humane option . Missouri has carried out two executions using pentobarbital — Franklin in November and Allen Nicklasson in December. Neither inmate showed outward signs of suffering, but the secrecy of the process resulted in a lawsuit and a legislative inquiry. Michael Campbell, assistant professor of criminal justice at the University of Missouri-St. Louis, said some lawmakers simply don't believe convicted murderers deserve any mercy. 'Many of these politicians are trying to tap into a more populist theme that those who do terrible things deserve to have terrible things happen to them,' Campbell said. Richard Dieter, executive director of the Death Penalty Information Center in Washington, D.C., cautioned that there could be a backlash. Reverting back: Bruce Burns, a Republican state senator in Wyoming, said that if the chemicals used in lethal injections are not available, the state should use firing squads . 'These ideas would jeopardize the death penalty because, I think, the public reaction would be revulsion, at least from many quarters,' Dieter said. Some states already provide alternatives to lethal injection. Condemned prisoners may choose the electric chair in eight states: Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Kentucky, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia. An inmate named Robert Gleason Jr. was the most recent to die by electrocution, in Virginia in January 2013. Arizona, Missouri and Wyoming allow for gas-chamber executions. Missouri no longer has a gas chamber, but Attorney General Chris Koster, a Democrat, and Missouri state Sen. Kurt Schaefer, a Republican, last year suggested possibility rebuilding one. So far, there is no bill to do so. Delaware, New Hampshire and Washington state still allow inmates to choose hanging. The last hanging in the U.S. was Billy Bailey in Delaware in 1996. Two prisoners in Washington state have chosen to be hanged since the 1990s — Westley Allan Dodd in 1993 and Charles Rodman Campbell in 1994. Firing squads typically consisting of five sharpshooters with rifles, one of which is loaded with a blank so the shooters do not know for sure who fired the fatal bullet. They have been used mostly for military executions. Since the end of the Civil War, there have been three civilian firing squad executions in the U.S., all in Utah. Gary Gilmore uttered his famous final words, 'Let's do it' on Jan. 18, 1977, before his execution, which ended what amounted to a 17-year national moratorium on the death penalty. Convicted killers John Albert Taylor in 1996 and Ronnie Lee Gardner in 2010 were also put to death by firing squad. Utah is phasing out its use, but the firing squad remains an option there for inmates sentenced prior to May 3, 2004. Oklahoma maintains the firing squad as an option, but only if lethal injection and electrocution are deemed unconstitutional. In Wyoming, Republican state senator Bruce Burns said death by firing squad would be far less expensive than building a gas chamber. Wyoming has only one inmate on death row, 68-year-old convicted killer Dale Wayne Eaton. The state has not executed anyone in 22 years. Jackson Miller, a Republican in the Virginia House of Delegates, is sponsoring a bill that would allow for electrocution if lethal injection drugs are not available. Miller said he would prefer that the state have easy access to the drugs needed for lethal injections. 'But I also believe that the process of the justice system needs to be fulfilled.' | Missouri state representative Rick Brattin has proposed the move to allow firing squads . The state's attorney general already suggest rebuilding gas chambers . A Wyoming state senator said firing squads would be less expensive . Comes as many states are having problems getting the rare chemicals needed to perform lethal injections . Utah has an operating firing squad room used to kill death row inmates . | d67de53870768d21e62bb4d7624d4dca5a75dfb7 |
By . Daniel Martin, Whitehall Correspondent . PUBLISHED: . 18:02 EST, 29 July 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 02:04 EST, 30 July 2013 . Councils will be banned from imposing minimum distance limits that would help protect communities from the scourge of wind farms. New planning guidance says local authorities will not be able to designate ‘buffer zones’ between properties and turbines. The document – from Communities Secretary Eric Pickles – said: ‘Distance of itself does not necessarily determine whether the impact of a proposal is unacceptable.’ Opposed: Community Secretary Eric Pickles (left) introduces the new guidelines despite Planning Minister Nick Boles (right) supporting the idea of buffer zones in his constituency . The rules will take effect despite . the fact planning minister Nick Boles last year said he would like to . see such zones implemented in Lincolnshire, where his constituency is . located. It is a further . blow to anti-wind power campaigners, coming just three months after the . High Court ruled against Milton Keynes Council, which had tried to . impose a limit of three quarters of a mile between turbines and homes. A . judge came down on the side of energy firm RWE Npower, whose green . division is trying to build two controversial wind farms – including . turbines up to 80ft high – close to residential areas. Critics . will be furious ministers have failed to take the opportunity to . challenge the court and support buffer zones based on distances. But . Number 10 and Mr Pickles say Government reforms will give homeowners . greater protection than merely rules based on distance, because they . will take into account landscape and topography. Campaigners . point out that Denmark – which generates far more of its energy from . wind than the UK – has a legal separation distance of 1.25miles for . large turbines. Guidelines: Eric Pickles' new document argues that distance is not always the best measure of where to put wind farms in relation to residential areas . Speaking . after the Milton Keynes court case, anti-wind farm Tory MP Chris . Heaton-Harris said: ‘Local residents should be able to have a say on how . far wind farms are sited from their homes. We do live in a democracy.’ He pointed out the case was rejected on a technicality and that the campaign for separation distances would go on. Unveiling the guidance yesterday, Mr . Pickles said it would give communities a greater say on the siting of . wind turbines and solar farms. ‘The views of local people must be . listened to when making planning decisions,’ he said. ‘Meeting Britain’s energy needs should not be used to justify the wrong development in the wrong location.’ Campaigners had been hoping for a stronger line on separation distances after Mr Boles said in a Commons debate last year that buffers ‘might be appropriate’ in some areas. Landscape: The Government's proposal says it takes the topography into account and will stop inappropriate and poorly-placed sites . He said he was backing plans by Lincolnshire County Council to bring in a minimum distance of 1.4miles from residential properties. But the smallprint of the new planning guidance specifically rules out buffer zones between wind turbines and houses. It says: ‘Local planning authorities should not rule out otherwise acceptable renewable energy developments through inflexible rules on buffer zones or separation distances.’ A spokesman for the Department for Communities and Local Government said: ‘This represents a significant increase in protection for England’s heritage and landscape, ensuring that the local environment and local amenity is given the protection it deserves. ‘The new guidance allows topography to be taken into account, to stop inappropriate and badly sited wind turbines.’ | Blow to anti-wind power campaigners who want to impost limits of around three quarters of a mile . Number 10 argue their plans take landscape into account more effectively . Guidelines introduced by Communities Secretary Eric Pickles . | 800440b191478b437f36d4e6d49803395cfde8c0 |
There have been a host of big-money signings arriving in the Premier League for the top teams this summer with Alexis Sanchez, Diego Costa and Cesc Fabregas just to name a few. But there has also been shrewd business done from the likes of Stoke, Swansea and QPR, sides that will all be looking towards the top half of the table. Below is the top ten players that could take the Premier League by storm this season. Remy Cabella . Club: Newcastle. Joined from: Montpellier. Cost: £12m. Early evidence suggests Cabella is the class act Newcastle hoped they were getting. He's scored twice this summer and has already excited fans with his array of tricks. But the 23-year-old marries graft to his craft and the France international promises to be a fan favourite on Tyneside. He operates in the territory just behind a frontman but drifts across the park picking passes. He also boasts a thunderous right boot for a player who is slight of frame and is a deadball specialist. VIDEO Scroll down to watch Remy Cabella, Dusan Tadic and Bojan Krkic in action . Technical: Cabella is widely regarded as a deadball specialist in the game . Bafetimbi Gomis . Club: Swansea. Joined from: Lyon. Cost: Free. Swansea bid £8million for him only last summer and view this signing as a major coup. Newcastle wanted to sign the French striker, who scored 102 Ligue 1 goals in 309 games, but he snubbed them for a move to Wales. The 29-year-old scored twice in pre-season and is expected to form an exciting partnership with Wilfried Bony, assuming Swansea keep the Ivorian. Technically, Gomis is a powerful and moderately quick striker who has an excellent finish and is good in the air. He is likely to play up front in a new 4-4-2 formation, or ahead of Gylfi Sigurdsson and alongside Bony in a 4-3-3. Powerful: Gomis has already impressed for new side Swansea during pre-season . Muhamed Besic . Besic (right) Club: Everton . Joined from: Ferencvaros . Cost: £4million . Made an immediate impact in his first appearance in Leon Osman's testimonial, catching the eye with the ferocity of his tackling. Such has been the way he has settled in, manager Roberto Martinez said it seems as if he has been at Goodison Park for 'three years'. It will take time for him to adjust to the Premier League and he does have Gareth Barry and James McCarthy to get past in the battle for a midfield place but it is worth remembering Martinez opted for Besic rather than pursuing a move for Jack Rodwell. Will provide energy and bite as Everton compete on four fronts. Talented: Besic has already been praised by his manager for how quickly he has settled into life at Everton . Dusan Tadic . Club: Southampton . Joined from: FC Twente . Cost: £10.9m . The Serbian has arrived in the Barclays Premier League as a virtual no-one, but the fact Ronald Koeman made his signing one of his acts as Southampton manager tells you how highly he is thought of by his new manager. The left-footed forward cultivated a reputation in Holland during his time with Gronigen and more recently FC Twente as a flamboyant and tricky winger. But it is Tadic's strike rate that will catch the eye. He has scored 32 goals from left-wing over the previous two seasons in Holland. The Saints may have just found themselves a player with the X-factor to help them forget about the summer's mass exodus. Prolific: Tadic has scored 32 goals from the left-wing during the past two seasons in Holland . Mauricio Isla . Club: QPR . Joined from: Juventus . Cost: Loan . Harry Redknapp may have struck gold in the transfer market yet again with the capture of Isla. The right-back was a star of Chile's exciting World Cup campaign that ended with that heartbreaking penalty shoot-out defeat to Brazil. His boundless energy up and down Chile's right side was a feature of the South American's play earlier this summer, and with Redknapp planning to switch to a 3-5-2 formation next season, Isla's engine will be vital for QPR as they look to consolidate their top-flight status. Quality: Isla was a stand-out performer at the World Cup for quarter-finalists Chile . Bojan Krkic . Club: Stoke . Joined from: Barcelona . Cost: £3m . Mark Hughes has secured quite a coup in signing this graduate of La Masia. Krkic, a forward or winger, broke into the Barca first team aged 17 and won three Liga titles and two Champions League crowns before his star faded. Now 23, he remains a beguiling presence on the ball, two-footed, capable of drag-backs and dribbles, but has been criticised for not finding the net often enough, scoring just four in 24 games as he won the Eredivisie on loan at Ajax last season. For Barca, he got 41 in 162 games. But he has three pre-season goals for Stoke and should be given a prominent role. Back on track? Bojan could prove to be the signing of the summer after signing for Stoke . Brown Ideye . Club: West Brom . Joined from: Dynamo Kiev . Cost: £10m . That head coach Alan Irvine admitted he had never seen the Nigerian international striker play should not unduly worry supporters. Albion's set up leaves recruitment predominantly to the hierarchy and the 25-year-old was scouted extensively. He is a physical presence up front and comes with a good record of 33 goals in 74 matches for Kiev in the Ukrainian top-flight. He might take a while to reach peak match fitness having surprisingly missed out on the Nigerian World Cup squad and failing to appear in pre-season as wrangles over his work permit were ironed out. Presence: Ideye could prove to be a key player for West Brom this season . Leonardo Ulloa . Club: Leicester . Joined from: Brighton . Cost: £7m . Nigel Pearson long identified his striking options as needing fresh impetus and tracked Ulloa all summer before the clubs eventually struck a price. The 6ft 3in Argentine cost Leicester a club-record fee and will provide a muscular focal point for attacks, an aerial threat, and be a willing runner in behind defences. He scored twice against Leicester in a 4-1 victory for Brighton that seemed to cement Pearson's pursuit. Question marks arise because Ulloa has never played in the Premier League while only one of three seasons at Almeria was in La Liga. He grabbed his first two Leicester goals in a pre-season victory over Rotherham. Step-up? Ulloa scored 16 goals for Championship side Brighton last season . Aly Cissokho . Club: Aston Villa . Joined from: Valencia . Cost: £2m . Experience has been the byword for Paul Lambert this summer and in Cissoko the Villa manager has that. At 26, the athletic left-back has already played in leagues in Portugal, France and Spain and spent last season on loan at Liverpool. It is fair to say he was not a favourite at Anfield, appearing just 19 times, as Jon Flanagan converted from the right to get in ahead. Nonetheless, Cissokho does have plenty of attributes needed by Villa, including power, pace and strength. He has one French cap from 2010 and cost Lyon £12m from Porto in 2009. All smiles: Cissoko will be hoping to hit some form for Aston Villa after a lacklustre spell at Liverpool . Cheikhou Kouyate . Club: West Ham . Joined from: Anderlecht . Cost: £7m . Very leggy, athletic but strong and he makes penetrating forward runs off the ball and seems to be all over the pitch. Imagine Patrick Vieira – and, on first look, he's a bit like that. West Ham will be very happy if he's anything like that when the season kicks off! Plays with his head up, likes to open his body and run at opponents. He's not the finished article and, when he becomes that player, he might not be at West Ham for that much longer. Enjoy him while he is there and the West Ham crowd took to him against Sampdoria at the weekend. There was even a Senegalese flag around the ground and he responded as the best player on the pitch. Now for Spurs next week… . Athletic: Kouyate was very impressive for West Ham when they played Sampdoria at the weekend . | While big-money buys Sanchez and Costa have caught everyone's attention this summer the likes of Bafetimbi Gomis and co could also be big hits . The signing of Bojan was a real coup for Mark Hughes' Stoke side . Mauricio Isla also looks to be an excellent signing for QPR . | 39953432ead7d4b4e49d667007a8d8943cc7c2b8 |
(CNN) -- U.S. President Barack Obama heads south of the border Thursday to meet with Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto in the country's capital. Here are three key topics that are likely to be on the table, and a look at how the leaders and Mexicans have weighed in on those issues. 1. Trade and economic ties . The situation: . The United States is Mexico's largest trading partner, and Mexico is America's third-largest trade partner, after China and Canada. Imports and exports between the two countries totaled nearly $500 billion last year. Officials on both sides of the border have said they want economic relations to be a focal point during Obama's visit. Obama's trip comes as Peña Nieto's government has said it's on the verge of pursuing reforms in the country's state-run oil company -- a politically divisive issue in Mexico and something U.S. and global investors are watching closely. Obama's take: . "We spend so much time on security issues between the United States and Mexico that sometimes I think we forget this is a massive trading partner, responsible for huge amounts of commerce and huge numbers of jobs on both sides of the border," Obama told reporters on Tuesday. "We want to see how we can deepen that, how we can improve that, and maintain that economic dialogue over a long period of time." Peña Nieto's take: . "We should reconsider greater integration of North America to achieve a region that is more competitive and capable of creating more jobs," Peña Nieto told Obama during a meeting at the White House in November. Public opinion: . Most Mexicans think the deep economic ties between the two countries are good for Mexico, according to survey results released this week by the Pew Research Center. But when the 1,000 people surveyed in March were asked about the influence the United States currently has on economic conditions in Mexico, views were mixed. One-third of Mexicans say the United States is having a positive impact on national economic conditions in Mexico, while 28% think the United States is having a negative impact. 2. Immigration . The situation: . The United States and Mexico are bound by a border which has made for a dysfunctional relationship over the years, especially when it comes to immigration. However, both governments have the issue high on their list of priorities. In the United States, a bipartisan group of senators have proposed an immigration reform bill, with U.S.-Mexico border security at its foundation. There are more than 11 million Mexicans living in the United States, including the 6 million estimated to be living there illegally as of 2010. But the migration rate from Mexico fell to zero in 2012, meaning the number of Mexicans coming to the United States -- and those going the other way -- was virtually identical. Obama's take: . "We've got to have more effective border security; although it should build on the great improvements that have been made on border security over the last four or five years," Obama said in a news conference this week. "We should make the legal immigration system work more effectively so that the waits are not as burdensome, the bureaucracy is not as complicated, so we continue to attract the best and the brightest from around the world to our shores in a legal fashion." Peña Nieto's take: . "We fully support your proposal for this migration reform," Peña Nieto told Obama in November. "More than demanding what you should do or shouldn't do, we do want to tell you that we want to contribute. We really want to participate with you. We want to contribute toward the accomplishment, so that of course we can participate in the betterment and the well-being of so many millions of people who live in your country." Public opinion: . According to the Pew Research Center, Mexicans are divided on whether this is good or bad for their country; 44% say it's good for Mexico that many of its citizens live in the United States, and an equal share say this is bad for Mexico. And, perhaps the most surprising find from the study said that 61% of Mexicans would not move to the United States even if they had the means to do so. However, 35% say they would move to the United States if they could, including 20% who say they would emigrate without authorization. A little less than a third of the Mexicans questioned (30%) say they personally know someone who went to the United States but returned to Mexico because the person couldn't find work, according to the Pew Research Center. About a quarter (27%) know someone who has been deported or detained by the U.S. government for immigration reasons in the last 12 months. 3. Security and the drug war . The situation: . The battle against drug cartels has played a dominant role in U.S.-Mexican relations in recent years. Officials on both sides of the border have said that drugs traveling north from Mexico to consumers in the United States and weapons traveling south from the United States to cartels in Mexico are an increasingly deadly combination. High-profile cartel takedowns were a hallmark of former President Felipe Calderon's tenure. Peña Nieto has vowed to take a different approach, focusing more on education problems and social inequality that he says fuel drug violence. The details of his policies are still coming into focus, and analysts say his government has deliberately tried to shift drug violence out of the spotlight. Critics have expressed concerns that Peña Nieto's government will turn a blind eye to cartels or negotiate with them -- something he repeatedly denied on the campaign trail last year. On Tuesday -- two days before Obama's arrival -- his government arrested the father-in-law of Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman, head of Mexico's Sinaloa cartel and one of the country's most-wanted drug lords. While both Obama and Peña Nieto have said they're committed to working together on security issues, it's unclear whether the U.S. role will change as Mexico's government shifts its strategy. Obama's take: . The U.S. president has repeatedly said the United States will work to reduce demand for drugs and to stop the illegal flow of weapons to Mexico. But there's one approach he says isn't on the table -- drug legalization. Speaking at the Summit of the Americas in Colombia last year, Obama said it was reasonable to debate alternatives in the war on drugs, but insisted legalizing drugs is not a valid option in the United States. "I think it is entirely legitimate to have a conversation about whether the laws in place are doing more harm than good in certain places," Obama said. "I personally, and my administration's position is, that legalization is not the answer." Peña Nieto's take: . Last year, Peña Nieto told CNN that creating more economic opportunities will be Mexico's greatest weapon in the war on drugs. "That, I think, is going to be the best way my government can prevent organized crime," he said. Without jobs and social programs, he added, "millions of my countrymen have no other option than to dedicate themselves sometimes to criminal activity." Public opinion: . Nearly a third of Mexicans surveyed by Pew say Mexico's government is losing ground against cartels, while 37% say the government is making progress. Mexican public opinion is mixed over the U.S. role in the fight against drug cartels, according to the Pew survey. Nearly three-quarters of Mexicans surveyed said they would welcome U.S. assistance in training Mexican police and military personnel. But support for the United States providing money and weapons to Mexican forces has lost some support in recent years, Pew said. In 2011, 64% of those surveyed said they backed such a strategy. This year, 55% said they supported that approach. CNN's Rafael Romo contributed to this report. | Obama and Peña Nieto have said they want to focus on the economy this week . Security and immigration are also key issues between the U.S. and Mexico . A recent survey indicates Mexican public opinion on the issues is mixed . It's unclear whether the U.S. role will change as Mexico's drug war strategy shifts . | db0cf93c81ce60358fe9fdc8081d758a48253f07 |
Bruce Davis -- a former associate of Charles Manson and a convicted murderer himself -- was granted parole Wednesday in California, the state Department of Corrections said, though that doesn't mean he'll necessarily become a free man. Davis was sent to state prison on April 21, 1972, for the first-degree murders of musician Gary Hinman and stuntman Donald "Shorty" Shea in 1969. He was given a life sentence. The corrections department's Board of Parole Hearings granted parole for the 71-year-old Davis following his 28th parole suitability hearing on Wednesday. But the board's decision is not the end of the case. There's a 120-day internal review period. When that's done, Gov. Jerry Brown will have 30 days more to nullify or modify the decision -- meaning that, if everything goes his way, Davis could still be looking at another four months behind bars. In fact, there's precedent for him not to be released. Twice, Davis has gotten an initial victory only to have his hopes of getting out dashed. In January 2010 and October 2012, the parole board granted him parole. In the second case, the board explained it made such a recommendation because of Davis' "positive adjustment, record of no recent disciplinary problems, and for successfully completing academic and vocational education and self-help programs." Both times, the sitting governors -- first Arnold Schwarzenegger and later Brown -- reversed that decision. "When considered as a whole, I find the evidence ... shows why he currently poses a danger to society if released from prison," Brown wrote in 2013 to explain his reversal. If this time proves different, Davis would become the first Manson "family" member to be freed solely for good behavior. The group's gruesome killings inspired the best-selling book "Helter Skelter" and made their undisputed ringleader Manson a cult figure. The 1969 spree ensnared several victims, including 8-months-pregnant actress Sharon Tate. Manson is serving a life sentence for his role in nine murders. He was denied parole for the 12th time in 2012; his next such hearing is set for 2027, at which time he'd be 92 years old. LAPD hopes decades-old tapes hold clues to Manson murder mystery . Manson follower accused of trying to smuggle phone to cult leader . | A California parole board grants parole to Bruce Davis, who'd been sentenced to life . An associate of Charles Manson, Davis was convicted of murder in a pair of killings . A governor reversed a board's decision to grant Davis parole twice before . | 176aa9f0997687a9323f4123dd50eaedb2c93812 |
Two Albuquerque police officers were charged with murder Monday in the shooting death of a knife-wielding homeless man that led to sometimes violent protests and a federal investigation into the city's police force. The decision to bring murder charges occurred at a time when police tactics are under intense scrutiny nationwide, fueled by the fatal shooting of an unarmed 18-year-old in Ferguson, Missouri, and the chokehold death of another unarmed man in New York City. Grand juries declined to charge officers in those cases, leading to large protests. Acknowledging the frustration over the secrecy of the proceedings in those cases, the Albuquerque district attorney said she would bypass the grand jury process and instead present the murder case to a judge at a preliminary hearing that will be open to the public. Caught on camera: James Boyd, 38, left, is shown during a standoff with officers in the Sandia foothills in Albuquerque, New Mexico before police fatally shot him . Murderers? SWAT team member Dominique Perez (right) and former detective Keith Sandy (left) fatally shot James Boyd, a mentally ill homeless man who had frequent violent run-ins with law enforcement and they've now been charged with murder . 'Unlike Ferguson and unlike in New York City, we're going to know. The public is going to have that information,' District Attorney Kari Brandenburg said. Police said SWAT team member Dominique Perez and former detective Keith Sandy fatally shot James Boyd, a mentally ill homeless man who had frequent violent run-ins with law enforcement. Video from an officer's helmet camera showed Boyd appearing to surrender when officers opened fire, but a defense lawyer characterized him as an unstable suspect who was 'unpredictably and dangerously close to a defenseless officer while he was wielding two knives.' 'I'm looking forward ... to the DA's office presenting one single witness that says this is murder,' said Sam Bergman, a lawyer for Sandy. The district attorney refused to provide specifics about the reasons for bringing the case, but said it was a lengthy and deliberate process involving several members of her staff. According to KOB, police recordings revealed Officer Keith Sandy--while speaking of Boyd (pictured)--saying he was 'going to shoot him in penis with a shotgun' just hours before the deadly shooting . Each officer faces a single count in the March death of the 38-year-old Boyd. The charges allow prosecutors to pursue either first-degree or second-degree murder against the officers. Even before Boyd's death, the U.S. Justice Department was investigating the use of force by Albuquerque police. The department recently signed an agreement to make changes after the government issued a harsh report. The agreement requires police to provide better training for officers and to dismantle troubled units. Since 2010, Albuquerque police have been involved in 40 shootings — 27 of them deadly. After Boyd's death, outrage over the trend grew and culminated with protests that included a demonstration where authorities fired tear gas and another that shut down a City Council meeting. The criminal charges were the first Brandenburg has brought against officers in a shooting. She is in her fourth term as district attorney and is waging a fight with the Albuquerque Police Department over allegations that she committed bribery while intervening on behalf of her son in a burglary case. Police believe she should be charged with bribery because, they say, she offered to pay a victim not to press charges. The attorney general's office is handling the matter. Brandenburg said the charges against police had nothing to with the agency's investigation into her and that her office got the case long before the bribery claims came to light. The next step in the case will be a preliminary hearing where a judge will decide whether the case can proceed. The officers have not been booked or arrested. That would not happen until a judge renders a decision at the preliminary hearing. A date has not been set. Brandenburg has been criticized for her office's decades-old practice of using grand juries to affirm prosecutors' decisions that no probable cause existed to charge officers in shootings. Dangerously close? Video from an officer's helmet camera showed Boyd appearing to surrender when officers opened fire, but a defense lawyer characterized him as an unstable suspect who was 'unpredictably and dangerously close to a defenseless officer while he was wielding two knives' The office of Bernalillo County District Attorney Kari Brandenburg is pursuing charges against the two Albuquerque officers. Brandenburg is waging a fight with the Albuquerque Police Department over allegations that she committed bribery while intervening on behalf of her son in a burglary case . Under a revamped system, county prosecutors now decide whether there's probable cause that a crime was committed and either take the case to a grand jury or opt to file a 'criminal information' charge on their own. Bregman said there is 'not one shred' of evidence to support the case and insisted the officer had no criminal intent when he encountered Boyd. He said Sandy followed training procedures outlined by the police department. Luis Robles, an attorney for Perez, said he was 'confident that the facts will vindicate officer Perez's actions in this case.' The FBI is also investigating, but U.S. authorities have not said if the officers will face federal charges. David Correia, a police critic and an American studies professor at the University of New Mexico, said he was pleased that Brandenburg finally brought charges against Albuquerque officers after years of pressure. 'This is the first time an independent agency is holding Albuquerque police accountable,' Correia said. Police are legally empowered to use deadly force when appropriate, and a 1989 Supreme Court decision concluded that an officer's use of force must be evaluated through the 'perspective of a reasonable officer on scene rather than with the 20/20 vision of hindsight.' Philip Matthew Stinson, a professor at Bowling Green State University in Ohio who studies police misconduct, found that local officers were charged in 41 cases with murder or manslaughter stemming from on-duty shootings between 2005 and 2011. By comparison, over the same period, police agencies reported more than 2,700 cases of justifiable homicide by law enforcement officers to the FBI, and that statistic is incomplete. The figures suggest it's difficult to get a conviction 'because juries are so reluctant to second-guess an officer's split-second decision,' Stinson said. Caused riots: Riot police launch tear gas toward activists in downtown Albuquerque, New Mexico in March following a 10-hour protest against the police shooting of James Boyd . | Dominique Perez and Keith Sandy fatally shot James Boyd, a mentally ill homeless man who had frequent violent run-ins with law enforcement . Video from an officer's helmet camera showed Boyd appearing to surrender when officers opened fire . Extensive protests broke out in downtown Albuquerque in March following the shooting of Boyd . | ba96437c65b25dd5b68c286310b8d9ba349037e3 |
By . Joshua Gardner . PUBLISHED: . 11:02 EST, 12 June 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 07:13 EST, 24 June 2013 . A 16-year-old girl was killed while riding on the roof of a vehicle that spun out of control, according to an initial investigation by police. Police say Anna Gabrielle Hawkins of Dawsonville, Georgia was 'car surfing' when the young driver took a turn too quickly and Hawkins was thrown from the roof and onto the concrete below. The driver of the Suzuki Grand Vitara, also 16, was reportedly speeding down a curvy road when the tragedy occurred Monday sometime after 9pm. Tragic: Anna Hawkins, 16, was fatally injured after an SUV she was 'car surfing' atop spun out of control. Hawkins was thrown onto the road where police say she died . 'The vehicle was traveling south on Couch Road and the preliminary report indicates Miss Hawkins was "car surfing,"' Georgia State Trooper Mark Cox told the Dawson Advertiser. ‘The vehicle entered a right-hand curve too fast and the driver lost control. The vehicle traveled across the northbound lane along the shoulder, hit an embankment, then came back into the roadway, throwing Miss Hawkins off the roof. She hit the pavement and sustained substantial head injuries.’ Cox said Hawkins died at the scene, though she was transported to an area hospital. Police say there is no indication alcohol was involved in the incident. Searching for the cause: An police investigator marks the curvy path the SUV took before Hawkins was ejected. Findings will determine if the driver, also 16 and newly licensed, will face charges . Beloved: Hawkins was captain of the soccer team and a star student. 'She was the best of the best,' said coach Jed Lacey . They are, however, still speaking to the . driver of the vehicle. The girl, described as a good friend of . Hawkins’, was not seriously injured in the accident. It is possible she will face charges. ‘She hadn't had her license very long, and it's still under investigation,’ he said. ‘But the law states you have to have six months' experience before you can transport anyone besides family.’ On Tuesday morning, the Georgia State Police Reconstruction Team was on the scene. Their incident report will be turned over to the Dawson County District Attorney’s office. The findings will determine whether or not charges will be filed against the driver, who described herself to officers at the scene as Hawkins’ best friend. ‘I've heard of car surfing and have seen it in the movies,’ Cox said, ‘but in my 18 years of law enforcement, I've never seen anything like this.’ Car surfing is exactly what it sounds like. As someone drives, the surfer stands or sits atop the hood or on the roof as the vehicle flies down the road. Just this month, a Littleton, Colorado man was badly injured while attempting the stunt. 20-year-old Jeremy Davis is in critical condition after he, too, fell from the car he was attempting to surf June 3. At the site of Hawkins' death on Tuesday were the victim’s mother and other family members, including an aunt who told WSBTV she was shocked her niece would even attempt the dangerous stunt. ‘She was very, very smart. Her SAT scores were very high. She was probably going to get a full-ride scholarship to a college,’ Lynn Burn told the Atlanta station. ‘Anna was a beautiful child. She was at the top of her class. She was a star soccer player. She was voted most valuable player on her soccer team.’ Unbelievable: Hawkins, left, with her parents and sister Kati, right. Family was on the scene Tuesday and found it hard to believe she would choose to try the dangerous stunt . Sad: Hawkins, right, here with her sister Kati. The 16-year-old died while riding atop an SUV driven by a friend that spun out of control. The driver could face charges, but alcohol was not involved. The head soccer coach at Dawson County High Jed Lacey had glowing things to say about the teen, as well. He named her team captain last year. ‘She's the greatest kid I've ever coached in my life,’ he said. ‘She was the heart and soul of our soccer team. She always had a smile on her face. You'd be proud to have her as your daughter. This is a real shocker. I'm in serious pain.’ Police, like Georgia State Trooper Steve Thompson hope this grievous event will keep other young people from making similar choices in the future. Grieving: Hawkins' aunt, Lynn Burn, was in shock. 'Anna was a beautiful child. She was at the top of her class. She was a star soccer player. She was voted most valuable player on her soccer team.' ‘When I see it on YouTube, I cannot emphasize enough how dangerous this is. I beg the teenagers, please stay inside the vehicle and wear their seat belts,’ said Thompson. Funeral arrangements are now being made as family and friends continue to make sense of the tragedy. ‘She was the best of the best,’ Lacey said. Small community: Hawkins with her sister and father. Funeral arrangements are in the works as family and friends in the tight-knit Georgia town of Dawsonville begin to grieve . | Police say the driver of the SUV, also 16, was speeding around a curve when Anna Hawkins may have been thrown from the roof of the vehicle . Hawkins was captain of the soccer team and a top student at her Dawsonville, Georgia high school . Parents and loved ones maintain Hawkins was inside the car at the time of the incident . A police investigation is underway to determine the exact scenario of Hawkins' death, though it has yet to yield a conclusion . | 02f90db327d676b01b54a69d72201f2fdaca9099 |
(CNN) -- Argentina's president declared three days of national mourning Wednesday after heavy rains claimed dozens of lives. At least 48 people were killed in La Plata, outside Buenos Aires, officials said Wednesday. "In 12 hours it has rained what it normally rains in the entire month of April," Santiago Martorelli, cabinet chief of the city, told the state-run Telam news agency. The rainfall in that period was 13 inches, he said. "This storm is a catastrophe without precedent," Martorelli said. Some 3,000 residents of La Plata have evacuated due to the rain, officials said. Earlier, eight storm-related deaths were reported in Buenos Aires, the capital. President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner toured some of the most heavily damaged areas Wednesday evening. "I have come to see what happened with this disaster," she said as she entered a flooded home, according to Telam. "I am not going to leave you alone." Police patrols in the area will increase, she said, due to residents' concerns for their safety. "People told me that they are afraid," she said, "beyond what they've lost." | NEW: 48 deaths are reported in the city of La Plata . NEW: President declares three days of national mourning . Earlier, eight deaths were reported in Buenos Aires . Officials call it a storm without precedent . | 42273200590e491f2ed6c9fe1c8fdd1f7e0a55ef |
By . Daniel Miller . Last updated at 2:19 PM on 7th December 2011 . An airport baggage handler who was fired for refusing to load a sick and starving dog onto a plane has been offered her job back after news of her dismissal prompted a national outcry. Lynn Jones was fired from Reno-Tahoe International Airport last month after breaking down in tears and refusing to obey her supervisor, fearing the emaciated animal would not survive the flight. But after news of her sacking spread, hundreds of supporters bombarded airport bosses with angry phone calls and emails demanding that she should be rehired. Caring: Baggage handler Lynn Jones, pictured at home with her three dogs, has been offered her old job back after being fired for refusing to load a sick animal onto a flight . Now Airport Terminal Services the private company who employed her for more than five years, has offered her old job back, complete with back pay. The firm's president Sally Leible claims she regretted the way the incident was handled and that she hoped Ms Jones would come back to work. Ms Leible said she now believes that Ms Jones 'was trying to protect the dog' She added: 'I think she was courageous in doing that. 'I really, truly hope she will come back." Ms Lieble said the company would use the incident as a learning tool to educate workers at the 38 U.S. airports ATS serves and renew the company's commitment to recognize and report animal abuse of any form. However as of Tuesday night, Ms Jones had not accepted the job offer, Leible said. A statement on ATS's website read: . 'ATS takes this situation extremely seriously and commends this . employee's situational awareness and her desire to raise the concern on . behalf of the canine involved.' The firm has also pledged to contribute an unspecified amount of . money to the Nevada Humane Society over the next three years. Ms Jones, of Lockwood, said her supervisor had ordered her to load the pointer dog lying in a pet carrier because the its paperwork was in order and its condition wasn't her concern. She said at the time: 'The dog was so weak and torn up. It didn't look like it could survive the flight. I was crying. I kept saying that dog could not be put on a plane.' 'Everybody who saw it, the ATS people, the airport police officers, the girls at the ticket counter, was concerned. Outcry: Hundreds of supporters bombarded bosses at Reno/Tahoe International Airport demanding Ms Jones be rehired . Ms Jones said she was then fired on the spot, adding: '[My supervisor] kept yelling, "That's it, you're done, you are out of here, go home".' She says her employers deactivated her security badge and refused to return her phone calls. The airport police phoned Washoe County Regional Animal Services, who took custody of the animal which is owned by a hunter who, according to authorities, has it shipped to places he hunts. It was allowed to fly three days later and was taken back to Texas. Ms Jones added: 'I just couldn't turn my back on that dog. My supervisor said it wasn't my concern, but animal abuse is everyone's concern who sees it.' Krys Bart, CEO of the Reno-Tahoe Airport Authority - who is also on the board of directors of the Nevada Humane Society said she was proud of how airport police intervened. She said: 'In all my years here, this is the first time I'm thoroughly disgusted over what I understand to be the situation this animal was put in. 'They (officers) had an affirmative responsibility to deal with this, and that's what they did,' Ms Bart said. Speaking on Monday Ms Jones said that she didn't know what she would do if offered her old job back. She said: 'I would have to really think about it.' | Company president now describes employee as 'courageous' and hopes she'll come back to work . Baggage firm pledges to contribute an unspecified amount to the Nevada Humane Society over the next three years . | 2d2f8da922a934093880ab4fa3232bf6eb4e92a7 |
(CNN) -- Rafael Nadal made light work of Marcos Daniel in his first grass outing of the season at the Aegon Championships in London. The world number one took just 50 minutes to win 6-2 6-2 over the Brazilian serve-and-volleyer at the Queen's Club. Just three days after securing his fifth French Open title in Paris, Nadal showed little sign of heavy legs, in securing his 23rd successive victory. Nadal raced into a 3-0 lead in the opening set before Daniel saved a series of break points to get back in the match. Nadal broke again with the score at 5-2 to seal the set. A short rain break delayed the game in the second set but Nadal broke to lead 4-2 when the players returned, before closing out the set. When asked whether Sunday's victory in Paris was still on his mind, Nadal told the official ATP Tour Web site: "Oh, sure it is still on my mind because it was emotional moment for me. "I'm happy to be playing on grass another time, because for me I enjoy [it] a lot because I have to do different things. "For me it is always a challenge to be here and to practice these new things: the serve, the volley, the slice, return more inside than clay. So I enjoy doing this transition. After Wimbledon, I'm going to have time to enjoy the victory of Roland Garros and to enjoy Majorca." Nadal will now meet Uzbekistani Denis Istomin after he beat Dustin Brown, from Jamaica, 7-6 6-4. Second seed Novak Djokovic also enjoyed a comfortable straight sets win over Italian Paolo Lorenzi. The Serb won 6-3 6-3 in just 73 minutes. Elsewhere, eighth seed Feliciano Lopez beat Bulgarian Grigor Dimitrov 6-2 6-4, while ninth seed Julien Benneteau, from France, edged past South African Kevin Anderson 7-5 6-3. | Rafael Nadal wins his first game on grass in the 2010 season . Nadal beats Brazilian Marcos Daniel 6-2 6-2 . World number one's victory is his 23rd in a row . | 620c0d6015609626dcd9498eee8a78dfc617341b |
(CNN) -- GOP candidates Christine O'Donnell, Sharron Angle and Nikki Haley have captured the attention of the country this election season, but they're just a few of the record number of women pursuing office this year. More than 160 women congressional and gubernatorial candidates won their primaries and will be on the ballot next week, leading some observers to dub 2010 the "Year of the Woman." This year's record-breaking numbers are encouraging, but deceiving, said Siobhan "Sam" Bennett, president of the Women's Campaign Forum. "We're ranked 90th in the world in the number of women in elected office. We trail behind Cuba and Afghanistan," she said, citing data from the Inter-Parliamentary Union on the percentage of women in national parliaments. "[People] look at Hillary Clinton's run for Congress. She's secretary of state. They look at [House Speaker] Nancy Pelosi and say, 'Oh, we got there! We have parity,' " Bennett said. "Nothing could be further from the truth." Bennett worries that for the first time in more than 30 years, we'll see a backslide in the percentage of women in Congress, particularly among Democrats. Democrats are expected to lose seats in the House and Senate, and the female lawmakers in office are overwhelmingly Democratic. There are 13 Democratic women in the Senate, compared to just four Republican women. In the House, there are 56 women who are Democrats and 17 who are Republicans. "The deeper problem underneath all this is we do not have a pipeline or a bench of women prepared to step up and run for the inevitable number of women that we are going to lose this cycle," added Bennett, who was the Democratic nominee for Pennsylvania's 15th District in 2008. "She Should Run," a program run by the Women's Campaign Forum, is an effort to recruit and equip women candidates. The program also encourages women to ask other women to consider making a bid for office. iReport: Maria Shriver shares her thoughts on women in politics . In a potential blow to the current crop of female candidates, women voters aren't as pumped about heading to the polls this year, according to national surveys. "We haven't seen this in the past, but this year it does look like women are less enthusiastic about voting than men are," said CNN polling director Keating Holland. In a commentary for CNN.com, Susan Wefald and Sara K. Gould, both with Ms. Foundation for Women, pointed to a number of factors leading to lower levels of excitement: . Women feel overburdened by the state of the economy, turned off by the current state of American political affairs. "The rhetoric of this political season may not be what we want or like, but times are simply too tough for millions of women to sit this one out," they wrote. Jennifer Lawless, a former congressional candidate and current director of the Women & Politics Institute at American University, says it is not specifically women who are low on enthusiasm this year. "Women are disproportionately registered as Democrats. So it's not necessarily that women are less excited and less interested -- it's that Democrats are, and that indirectly means women are," she said. Based on her experience campaigning for the midterms, Sue Lynch, president of the National Federation of Republican Women, said she thinks interest among Republican women is higher than ever. "The enthusiasm that I'm seeing as I travel across the United States has just been overwhelming," she said. "The enthusiasm I think is at its peak. I don't know that I've ever seen in the past 12 years at the national level such a camaraderie for our women in moving forward and running as candidates." The female candidates, she added, are bringing a new tone to the Republican Party. "My adrenaline is pumping," Lynch said. "It is the year of the Republican woman. I pray to God that on November 3 I'm right." Lawless, who is less optimistic about Election Day, says she expects at best, women will hold steady at 17 seats in the Senate and lose four to six seats in the House. "All of the pieces were in play for an anti-establishment, anti-Democratic, anti-incumbency year, and we've seen that happen," she said. "Republican women running this cycle have an opportunity to represent that which is not currently in power -- which tend to be Democratic establishment candidates." 1992 -- the previous "Year of the Woman" -- was really the year of the Democratic woman, because that was who represented the anti-establishment candidate at the time, Lawless said. "It's shaping up to look like the year of the Republican. And it turns out that in some of the most high-profile races, the Republicans actually have women running." | A record number of women run for office, but experts fear women will actually lose seats . Democrats expected to lose seats, and female lawmakers are mostly Democrats . Observer predicts women will hold steady in Senate and lose a few seats in House . But veteran campaigner Sue Lynch says, "It is the year of the Republican woman" | 948897aeeefd91467c2b4db8149c3d139c8576c6 |
Dale Cregan was so calm and collected the day that he murdered two police officers that he even shared a joke with a 999 call handler. The 30-year-old gave a false name to report a concrete slab being thrown through a window at his home in Hattersley, Greater Manchester. He then detailed exactly where the perpetrators had fled to with precise details, answering questions in a chillingly cool manner, adding at the end of the conversation 'I'll be waiting'. But all along it was part of his plan to kill police. The unfortunate officers who answered the call for help were Nicola Hughes, 23, and Fiona Bone, 32. Scroll down for audio . Home: Forensic officers last September at the scene close to where police constables Fiona Bone, 32, and Nicola Hughes, 23, where shot dead by Dale Cregan in Hattersley, Greater Manchester . Evidence: A Glock handgun (right) found at the scene of the murders committed by Dale Cregan (left), 30 . After the call - in which the operator . exchanged a joke with him about his cough - he opened the front door as . they walked up the front garden path and shot the officers in the chest with a . Glock handgun. Cregan shot Pc Nicola Hughes eight times, including three strikes to the head as she lay on the ground. Pc Fiona Bone was hit up to eight times after she managed to draw and fire her Taser. Cregan discharged 32 bullets in total in barely half a minute. He then left his ‘calling card’ of a military grenade which he threw it onto the path where the two officers lay. The killer then dropped his gun and drove a short distance to Hyde police station where he calmly walked up to the counter clerk and said: ‘I'm wanted by the police and I've just done two coppers.’ Cregan put his arms out to be handcuffed and said he was there to hand himself in. He then told an officer: ‘I dropped the gun at the scene and I've murdered two police officers. You were hounding my family so I took it out on yous.’ Killings: Cregan shot Pc Nicola Hughes (left) eight times, including three strikes to the head as she lay on the ground. Pc Fiona Bone (right) was hit up to eight times after she managed to draw and fire her Taser . Scene: Cregan discharged 32 bullets in total in barely half a minute. He then left his 'calling card' of a military grenade which he threw it onto the path where the two officers lay . Cregan is set to die in prison with a whole life sentence for murdering four people in Greater Manchester after his long-running trial came to an end. Cregan had pleaded guilty earlier in the trial to killing policewomen Nicola Hughes, 23, and Fiona Bone, 32, and father and son David Short, 46, and Mark Short, 23. He also admitted the attempted murders of three others and causing an explosion with a hand-grenade. A jury at Preston Crown Court found him not guilty of one remaining count of attempted murder involving a grenade attack on Sharon Hark, which he denied. Cregan went on the run days before he killed David Short last August after he gunned down his son, Mark, in a pub in Droylsden, Greater Manchester, three months earlier. Here is the transcript of the phone call Cregan had with a 999 police emergency operator: . OPERATOR: Police emergency . DALE CREEGAN: Someone's just thrown a big concrete slab through my back window of my house . O: Of the house, of a car, what are we talking? DC: No, sorry, in my back window in my house . O: In the house. What’s the address there, please? DC: 30 Abbey Gardens, Mottram . O: Did you see them? 'There's like a field out the back, and I've seen them running over the field. I can point it out to the officer' Dale Cregan on where the 'male who threw the concrete slab' ran . DC: Seen one, yeah . O: Do you know of them? DC: No, I don't know them . O: OK, do you know why they've done it? DC: Haven't got a clue . O: The rear window, did you say? DC: Yeah, it's in the back garden . O: Were you in the room where it came through or did you hear the bang? DC: No, I was upstairs, I looked out the window and seen one boy running off . O: Is it the kitchen window it's gone through? DC: Yeah, kitchen. O: So it's just happened, prior to you ringing, has it? DC: Yeah . O: And it's a piece of concrete, yeah? DC: Yeah, it's a piece of concrete, corner of a paving stone . O: So it's a piece of concrete paving stone, yeah? DC: Yeah . O: So you saw one person running off, yeah? DC: Yeah . O: Which way did they run, what direction? DC: There's like a field out the back, and I've seen them running over the field. I can point it out to the officer . O: What road is the field on, is it off Abbey Gardens? DC: Yeah, kind of, yeah . O: Not on the other side of Ashworth Lane? DC: Yeah . O: So they've gone towards Broadbottom Road across the field? DC: No, yeah kind of, yeah. It's weird where it is, because there's like all the gardens and then a bit of a field that you can see out of the window, and that's where I've seen him . O: Is it in the direction of Mottram Church or the other way? DC: The other way . O: So they've gone onto the estate further towards John Kennedy Road? DC: Yeah, that's it . O: OK, was he a white male? DC: He had a hood up mate, so I couldn't really tell you . 'How long would it take, do you know roughly? I know that it's not that serious' Dale Cregan asks the operator how long it would take for the police to arrive . O: It was a male though? DC: Yeah, it was a male . O: Do you know how old he was? DC: No, but he was about my size, about 5ft 9in, medium build . O: What was he wearing then? DC: Black coat with a hood up, grey tracksuit bottoms . O: You didn't recognise him, no? DC: No . O: And you've no idea why it might have happened? DC: Off the top of my head no, I’ve been trying to wrack my brains now to see if I’ve p***** anyone off, but I don’t think so, no . O: Was he carrying anything this lad, other than obviously the piece of stone that he lobbed? DC: It didn't look like it mate . O: And you didn't see anyone else, no? DC: No . O: Your name please? DC: Adam . O: What's your second name, Adam? DC: Gartree . O: Sorry, spell that for me? DC: G, a, r, t, r, e, e . O: Sorry, just give me that again - g, r . DC: G, a, r, t, r, e, e . O: E, r, e, e? 'Alright then, thanks very much. I'll wait here, I'll be waiting' Dale Cregan . DC: No, t, r, e, e - Gartree . O: Ah, Gartree, I thought it didn't look right. And you live at 30 do you, Adam? DC: Yeah . O: And you think it's an act of damage as opposed to someone trying to break into the house, do you? DC: Possibly yeah, but I'm thinking, because if you look through the back window - I'm decorating at the minute so there's no curtains up - if you look through the back window you can see my plasma, so I’m wondering... O: Where they broke the window, is it near a handle or anything to open another window? DC: It's quite a big window actually, so they would have had no problem getting through . O: Climbing through, OK. DC: (coughing) Excuse me (coughing) O: You sound as bad as I do (laughing). Right, I'll get an officer up there, have a look around, see if they can see anybody similar and then they'll come and see you, alright Adam? DC: How long would it take, do you know roughly? I know that it's not that serious . O: Well, because it's just happened, it's gone in on the priority, so that's within the hour certainly, but they'll try and get up there as soon as if there's a possibility he's still knocking about . DC: Alright then, thanks very much. I'll wait here, I'll be waiting . O: Alright Adam . O: Bye . DC: Bye bye . | Dale Cregan lured two unarmed constables to his home with bogus 999 call . Gave a false name and said concrete slab had been thrown through window . Opened fire as police walked up to his door in Greater Manchester last year . | 73dd439df9722853b31ffdc0d05f89187de01147 |
(CNN) -- Karachi, the financial heart of Pakistan, was shut down Wednesday because of political tension that followed various incidents of violence sparked by the arrest of a prominent politician in a crackdown on crime. Nine people, including two policemen, were reported killed in the violence Tuesday. Trade suffered as shuttered shops and burning buses dotted parts of the city's landscape. Only last week newly elected Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif had visited the country's largest and most populous city to ensure political unity in tackling the scourge of militant-backed crime rings and politically affiliated gangs. There had been a rare show of inter-party unity backing the new government's drive to send Pakistan's paramilitary force, The Pakistan Rangers, into Karachi. But recent events could throw a wrench into this process as the arrest of a former member of parliament from the city's prominent MQM party has been linked to the death of the two policemen. Speaking to CNN from London, MQM spokesman Muhammad Anwar called the incident "a travesty of justice" and said the Rangers' operation is politically motivated with a bias toward the PPP, former President Asif Ali Zardari's party, which now holds a majority in the provincial government of Sindh, where Karachi is located. The operation started Thursday. According to information released by the Interior Ministry in the past 24 hours, three of the city's most wanted alleged target killers have been arrested. Omar Hamid Khan, a spokesman for the interior minister, told CNN that the hostile reaction to the arrest is "temporary" and that there will always be "hiccups" but "the objectivity of the operation will not be lost sight of." | Nine people, including two policemen, were reported killed in violence Tuesday . Tension has been raised as paramilitary forces crack down on crime . New Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif is targeting crime rings and politically affiliated gangs . | 27c335e173bc7c411264d7bf4a0f50810b499b98 |
By . Suzannah Hills . PUBLISHED: . 02:55 EST, 8 July 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 04:33 EST, 8 July 2013 . Drug kingpin: Business tycoon Lo Hsing Han, 80, died at his home in Rangoon, Burma, on Saturday . A former drug kingpin and business tycoon once dubbed the 'Godfather of Heroin' by the U.S. government has died at his home in Burma, a source close to his family said. Lo Hsing Han, 80, who was considered to be one of the world's biggest traffickers of heroin, died on Saturday in Rangoon, the source said, citing a relative of the former drug kingpin. His family yesterday held a private ceremony where his body was placed in a glass coffin so visiting relatives, senior government officials and business leaders could pay their final respects. An obituary announcement submitted by . the family in the Burmese language Myanma Ahlin daily today said his . funeral would be held on July 17. Lo Hsing Han's involvement in the drug trade began more than four decades ago. In exchange for heading a local militia set up by then-dictator Ne Win in the 1960s to help fight local communists in the region of Kokang, Lo Hsing Han was given permission to engage in the trafficking of opium and heroin, said Bertil Lintner, author of The Golden Triangle Opium Trade: An Overview. With one of the best-armed militias in the country, he quickly became one of the region's most powerful drug kingpins. Thai police arrested Lo Hsing Han in . northern Thailand in 1973. He was handed over to the Burmese government . and sentenced to death - commuted later to life in prison - for treason. He was released in 1980 as part of a general amnesty, Mr Lintner said. In . 1992, Lo Hsing Han and his son Stephen Law founded the conglomerate . Asia World, allegedly as a front for their ongoing dealings in the drug . trade, the author said. They . quickly became two of Burma's biggest business tycoons, helping prop up . the military junta, winning contracts to run ports, build highways and . oversee airports. The US Department of Treasury, dubbing Lo Hsing Han the 'Godfather of Heroin', put him on the financial sanctions list in 2008. Powerful drug lord: Lo Hsing, who lived in Myanmar, Rangoon, pictured, was a central figure in heroin trafficking for several decades with the U.S. government dubbing him the 'Godfather of Heroin' | Lo Hsing Han, 80, was one of the world's biggest traffickers of heroin . The former drug kingpin died at his home in Rangoon, Burma, on Saturday . Lo Hsing was one of Burma's biggest business tycoons who allegedly helped . prop up the military junta through his illegal business dealings . | 54c765dad6f5c39b75796e13d5b4d396edbde427 |
(CNN) -- A Nevada man accused of viewing pornography and fondling himself aboard a Southwest flight was arrested, federal authorities announced Monday. Daniel Drinan, 63, was taken into custody Saturday night at Denver International Airport on charges of committing lewd, indecent or obscene acts in public aboard an aircraft, the U.S. Justice Department said Monday in a news release. Drinan appeared Monday in a Denver court, where he was advised of his rights and appointed an attorney, said Justice Department spokesman Jeffrey Dorschner. Federal prosecutors did not ask that Drinan be detained and the judge let him walk free on personal recognizance -- and on the condition that he not fly, including to future court appearances -- said Dorschner. The arrest followed a Saturday night flight between Baltimore-Washington International Airport in Maryland and Denver. An affidavit filed in conjunction with the criminal complaint states that Drinan sat down, hooked up his laptop computer to the airline's Wi-Fi Internet service and began viewing pornography. A person seated nearby noticed a man fondling himself and ultimately alerted a flight attendant, the Justice Department said, citing the affidavit. A male flight attendant arrived and, after finding the suspect's genitalia exposed, told him to "put his pants back together," according to the federal department. Drinan allegedly tried to use his laptop at times to hide his activity, investigators said. He is scheduled to be arraigned on September 19, according to Dorschner. Drinan's location could not be confirmed Monday night, nor could it be determined which attorney was representing him. The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Denver Police Department are investigating the case, with Assistant U.S. Attorney James Allison in charge of the prosecution, according to the Justice Department. If convicted, Drinan could be sentenced to as many as 90 days in jail and be compelled to pay a $250 fine. | Daniel Drinan, 63, was arrested Saturday after his Southwest flight landed in Denver . He allegedly viewed pornography and fondled himself on the plane, authorities say . A judge released him on his own recognizance, though he can't fly, a spokesman says . | 5b626735d111b162b56155004808673f54889132 |
Putin: Fracking makes ¿black stuff come out of the tap¿ . Russian agents are secretly working with environmental campaigners to halt fracking operations in the UK and the rest of Europe, the head of Nato warned yesterday. Vladimir Putin’s government has ‘engaged actively’ with green groups and protesters in a sophisticated operation aimed at maintaining Europe’s reliance on energy exports from Moscow, said Nato Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen. He said the Russians had mounted a highly developed disinformation campaign to undermine attempts to exploit alternative energy sources such as shale gas. Moves to start fracking in the UK have been disrupted following a sustained campaign by environmentalists that has created fears about its impact. Speaking at the Chatham House foreign affairs think-tank in London, Mr Rasmussen said: ‘I have met allies who can report that Russia, as part of their sophisticated information and disinformation operations, engaged actively with so-called non-governmental organisations – environmental organisations working against shale gas – to maintain European dependence on imported Russian gas.’ He declined to give fuller details of the alleged plot, but said: ‘That is my interpretation.’ He would not say what form the Russians’ apparent engagement with the environmentalists took or whether groups concerned were aware that they were dealing with Moscow’s agents. According to Mr Rasmussen, who supports the experimental fracking operations, improving energy security is of the ‘utmost importance’ and requires European nations to develop more diverse sources of supply. ‘It also, in my opinion, involves the better functioning of the European energy market so that one single supplier is not able to blackmail one single nation,’ he said. Britain has vast reserves of shale gas trapped in rocks thousands of feet underground that may be extracted by firing water and chemicals to fracture the rock. Scientists say we are sitting on deposits of enough shale gas to supply the whole country for at least 40 years, mirroring the North Sea oil boom of the 1970s. But shale gas development has not yet taken off here, unlike in countries such as the US where it has proved highly popular. Opponents in the UK have warned that the process risks causing earthquakes, polluting water, blighting the countryside and affecting house prices. Plots: Nato Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen said the Russians had mounted a highly developed disinformation campaign to undermine attempts to exploit alternative energy sources such as shale gas . There have been fierce protests against the technique, with exploratory drilling near the village of Balcombe, West Sussex, abandoned last year after the site was overrun by demonstrators. Mr Putin has repeatedly voiced concerns about fracking, once telling a global economic conference that ‘black stuff comes out of the tap’. And Russia’s state-owned gas giant Gazprom, the world’s biggest gas producer, says fracking has ‘significant environmental risks’ including water contamination. David Cameron has told opponents to embrace fracking as part of efforts to reduce dependence on Russian energy supplies. Mr Rasmussen’s comments drew an angry response from Greenpeace, which saw a group of activists threatened with up to 15 years in jail last year after they staged an anti-drilling protest on a Russian off-shore oil platform. A Greenpeace spokesman said: ‘The idea we’re puppets of Putin is so preposterous that you have to wonder what they’re smoking over at Nato HQ. ‘Mr Rasmussen should spend less time dreaming up conspiracy theories and more time on the facts. ‘Fracked gas will probably cost more than Russian imports. There’s little chance fracking will generate more than a small fraction of Europe’s gas needs and it won’t even do that for at least ten years.’ Friends of the Earth’s head of campaigns, Andrew Pendleton, was equally dismissive. ‘Perhaps the Russians are worried about our huge wind and solar potential, and have infiltrated the UK Government,’ he said. | Putin's government 'engaged actively' with green groups and protesters . Nato Secretary-General said plan was part of disinformation campaign . Move made to ensure Europe's reliance on Moscow energy exports, he said . | 337b568aa98cbed30c1fa73d436f676aee6edf84 |
Orlando (CNN) -- The family of Robert Champion, who died in November after he was beaten on a bus, allegedly as part of a Florida A&M University band hazing ritual, will sue the bus company, their attorney said Tuesday. The bus and its air conditioning system is believed to have been running at the time Champion was beaten, attorney Chris Chestnut said, and the bus driver might not have been aboard. The family is suing Fabulous Coach Lines, based in Branford, Florida, he said. "We do anticipate, in the very near future, filing a legal action against the bus company alleging negligence and wrongful death," Chestnut told reporters at a news conference Tuesday. Such a lawsuit will allow him to file subpoenas and take witness statements to further the investigation, he said. Part of that investigation will include determining what bus company employee was assigned to the bus, how it was running and how an estimated 30 people were on the bus long enough for Champion to be beaten to death. FAMU is protected under sovereign immunity, and the family must file a statutory notice of intent to sue and wait six months to file suit against the school, Chestnut said. Ray Land, president of Fabulous Coach Lines, told CNN the company's employees, who were not on the bus at the time, responded quickly after learning there was an emergency -- even following the ambulance transporting Champion to the hospital, taking other band members there. "We did transport our passengers safely from point A to point B as contracted," Land said. When employees were notified of an emergency on board one of the nine buses in the convoy, "we responded just as quickly and effectively as we could." The company has already received some documents, he said, and "we're addressing those with our lawyers now." Asked if a company employee was on the bus at the time of Champion's beating, he said a driver was not in the seat on the bus, but the drivers had congregated together looking over the nine vehicles. The drivers rushed over to the bus after learning of a problem, he said. Some band members have said Champion, 26, died after taking part in a rite of passage called "crossing Bus C." One band member, who spoke on condition of anonymity, previously explained that students "walk from the front of the bus to the back of the bus backward while the bus is full of other band members, and you get beaten until you get to the back." Chestnut said Tuesday he's heard the ritual may have happened before on Fabulous Coach Lines. However, Land said the bus company has "never seen this kind of behavior" from the band previously. "It's completely out of the blue," he said of the lawsuit. "It wasn't an auto accident. It wasn't a crash. If two passengers get in a fight, and one gets injured, I don't know how that's the motorcoach company's liability." Chestnut said his team has spoken to "in excess of 15 people" during the preliminary investigation. Friends of Champion have told Chestnut during his investigation that Champion was gay, the attorney said. Relatives believe that may have been one of many factors that contributed to his being treated more severely than other band members, Chestnut said. However, he said, Champion's homosexuality is not believed to have been a primary factor in the beating. "This is not a hate crime. This is a hazing crime," he said. "Florida A&M University has a 50-year history, a culture in this band, of hazing." The family thinks some people might have been jealous of Champion, a stickler for the rules who stood up against hazing, he said. "Robert Champion was defined by the fact that he followed the rules," Chestnut said. Champion also may have been about to become the band's lead drum major, Chestnut said. Band director Julian White, who's on administrative leave from his post, said at Champion's funeral November 30 he regretted not telling him he had been selected to be the band's next head drum major. Champion's mother, Pam, told reporters Tuesday her son "loved his music. He loved the band. He was very serious about how he did and the position he was in." Champion collapsed in Orlando on the bus, which was carrying members of FAMU's Marching 100 after a November football game that included a halftime performance by the group. Chestnut has charged that Champion died after receiving "some dramatic blows, perhaps (having an) elevated heart rate" tied to "a hazing ritual" that took place on the bus. The medical examiner's office ruled his death a homicide and said Champion "collapsed and died within an hour of a hazing incident during which he suffered multiple blunt trauma blows to his body." An autopsy conducted after his death found "extensive contusions of his chest, arms, shoulder and back," as well as "evidence of crushing of areas of subcutaneous fat," which is the fatty tissue directly under the skin. "When a crime victim is targeted because of his or her identity, it can have devastating effects on communities," said Michael Cole-Schwartz, spokesman for the Human Rights Campaign. "The allegation that Robert Champion may have been singled out because of who he was must be thoroughly investigated and prosecuted accordingly." The death prompted the FAMU board of trustees to approve a new three-part anti-hazing plan. The new policy was passed in a 9-1 vote by the board last week as the school continues to deal with the controversial death. Champion's mother told reporters she wants hazing to stop. "Think twice when your kids are going off to college," she said. "Look into what's going on at their college ... Now we know." Along with the university, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement and the Orange County Sheriff's Office are also investigating the case. Chestnut said law enforcement has not contacted Champion's family and they don't know the status of the criminal investigation. The Florida Department of Law Enforcement has launched a separate investigation into some school employees, who were allegedly engaged in financial fraud. CNN's Vivian Kuo and Ashley Hayes contributed to this report. | NEW: Bus company says its employees responded after incident . The family of Robert Champion must wait six months to sue FAMU, attorney says . Friends of Champion report he was gay, an attorney says . He was beaten in an alleged hazing incident on a bus in November . | e0e8b6c3b372a81ba10c128f51bae907a7adcfb2 |
New rules: Theresa May accepted findings criticising police spying after the MoS report . Police will be banned from using anti-terror laws to spy on journalists to identify their sources, following a Mail on Sunday campaign. The Home Office is to issue new instructions to police forces requiring them to seek authorisation from a judge before they can gain access to journalists’ phone records and other communications data. It said the measure was being introduced as an ‘interim solution’ pending new legislation after the Election. It comes after Home Secretary Theresa May accepted the findings of an official inquiry triggered by a Mail on Sunday report that revealed how police trawled through phone records of this newspaper’s news desk in a bid to identify a confidential source. The review by the Interception of Communications Commissioner (ICC) strongly criticised the way police had used the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act (Ripa) to access journalists’ data. Police forces were found to have viewed the phone records of 82 journalists over the last three years via Ripa while failing to give adequate consideration to Article 10 of the European Convention on Human Rights (freedom of expression). Our report in October revealed that Kent Police detectives used Ripa to sidestep a judge’s ruling and snoop into The Mail on Sunday news editor’s telephone records in order to identify the source in the Chris Huhne speeding points story. The following day, a review of the use of Ripa powers was launched by the ICC. The same law was used to trawl through the phone records of a Sun journalist in the Plebgate row. Since then, many of those who helped draw up the original legislation, largely aimed at combating organised crime and terrorists, have admitted that the use of the law to spy on journalists was never envisaged. Keith Vaz, chairman of the Commons Home Affairs Select Committee, (pictured left) said it is 'deeply disturbing that police hacked into offices of a major newspaper'. (Right) The MoS report on police spying . Yesterday it was announced that police forces will now be told they must use the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984, which requires them to obtain the permission of a judge if they want to obtain details of a journalist’s phonecalls or emails. The Government will also amend the Serious Crime Bill currently going through Parliament to ensure that a revised code of practice has ‘due regard to the public interest in protecting journalists’ sources’. ‘A free press is fundamental to a free society. The Government has accepted in full the recommendations of the ICC and we are determined to implement them as soon as is legally possible,’ a Home Office spokesman said. ‘So we are legislating as far as possible now until a Bill can be introduced in the next Parliament which delivers the recommendations in full.’ Former Labour Lord Chancellor Lord Falconer, who piloted Ripa through Parliament, said a long-term solution was needed. ‘It is better than nothing but something much more dramatic needs to be done. The long-term solution has got to be primary legislation,’ he told Radio 4’s Today programme. At the time of our revelation, MPs warned that police use of Ripa to spy on journalists was a disproportionate use of power that would deter whistleblowers from approaching the media. Keith Vaz, chairman of the Commons Home Affairs Select Committee, said: ‘It is deeply disturbing that police hacked into offices of a major newspaper. They have struck a serious blow against press freedom.’ | Police to be banned from using anti-terror laws to spy on journalists . Home Office to issue new instructions to police requiring them to seek authorisation from a judge before they gain access to journalists’ records . Measure being introduced as ‘interim solution’ pending new legislation . Police viewed the phone records of 82 journalists over last three years . | 75591b9834eaa76ccbb5dc39ab5f9d58207cd8f5 |
By . Simon Jones for MailOnline . Aston Villa have made a £7million bid for Manchester United midfielder Tom Cleverley. The 25-year-old, who has one year left on his contract, also has interest from Hull City and Everton. Cleverley's advisers held talks with United earlier this month over a new contract and expected an offer to follow. However, with United tied up on trying to sign new additions and Louis van Gaal clearly not happy with some of the players at his disposal United will listen to offers. VIDEO Scroll down for Tom Cleverley scores sublime one touch passing goal . On the move? Aston Villa have made a £7million bid for Manchester United midfielder Tom Cleverley (left) They are not desperate to lose Cleverley but the player accepts he could become a peripheral figure and if he opts to sitting out his contract then United will be forced to try and sell now. His former club Bradford have been braced all summer for a windfall as they are due a percentage sell-on from any deal and were aware this month's talks were a make or break time for the England international. Cleverley was even made captain against Roma during United's pre-season tour but accepts his time at United could be at an end if United succeed in recruiting more midfielders before Monday. Winding down: Cleverley has one year left on his current Old Trafford contract . Everton have a long-held interest in Cleverley and are understood to be the player's preferred destination should he leave. United are reluctant to sell their players to any rivals with plenty of interest in Danny Welbeck also. United have received two offers for striker Javier Hernandez from Juventus and Valencia while winger Wilfried Zaha has joined Crystal Palace on loan and Shinji Kagawa is attracting interest from Dortmund, Valencia, Inter Milan and Juventus. Homecoming: Wilfried Zaha has completed a loan move back to Crystal Palace from United . VIDEO I will help United return to the top - Di Maria . | Aston Villa have made a £7million bid for Manchester United's Tom Cleverley . 25-year-old midfielder has one year left on his contract at Old Trafford . Hull City and Everton are also interested in the England midfielder . | 71f9498944dc77a529600607e354a957953b4cf2 |
Neymar has undergone a transformation in the past year from a scrawny show pony to a goal machine, and Spanish newspaper Sport says the Brazilian has become 'stronger' and 'more prolific'. The forward did not score in his first six games for Barcelona after joining last summer, but has nine goals in as many Barca matches this season, including the second in the Catalans' 3-0 win against Eibar on Saturday. Sport has also quoted Luis Suarez saying that he cried when he heard Barcelona wanted to sign him. The controversial former Liverpool striker is set to make his debut against Real Madrid in Saturday's Clasico. Sport says Neymar is stronger and more prolific after he scored in Barcelona's 3-0 win against Eibar . The Spanish papers are already looking forward to Saturday's Clasico between Real Madrid and Barca . Mundo Deportivo has focused on Lionel Messi, and the fact that his last Champions League hat-trick was against Ajax, and his last La Liga treble was against Real Madrid - the two sides are the Spanish giants' next two opponents. In Italy meanwhile, La Gazetta dello Sport claims Mario Balotelli, is 'not having fun' at Liverpool after the striker's woeful performance in the Reds' 3-2 win against QPR on Sunday. The Italian papers have mainly focused on Sunday evening's 2-2 draw between Inter and Napoli where Hernanes' equaliser in stoppage time salvaged a point for the Milan outfit. Inter's city rivals Milan moved up to fourth on Sunday, as a brace from Keisuke Honda secured a 3-1 win away at Verona. Inter scored a late equaliser against Napoli in Serie A and Marseille won their eighth match in a row in France . In France, Marseille have been grabbing the headlines after their 2-0 win against Toulouse kept them seven points clear at the top of Ligue 1. The win was the eighth in a row for Marcelo Bielsa's side and prompted L'Equipe to ask whether the team have 'the faces of champions'? Keisuke Honda scored two goals for Milan against Verona in a 3-1 win for Filippo Inzaghi's side . | Neymar made a slow start to his Barcelona career and looked lightweight . He is in excellent form this season and has nine goals in as many games . The Brazilian scored in Barca's 3-0 win against Eibar on Saturday . The Spanish press is already looking forward to Saturday's Clasico between Barcelona and Real Madrid . Luis Suarez says he cried when he heard Barca wanted to sign him . Italian newspaper La Gazetta dello Sport reports that Mario Balotelli is 'not having fun' at Liverpool . | bcf1438a0ecb75b29ddf8494f36d9e366cce1494 |
It’s hot, cramped and breaks down almost daily yet the twisting turns and complex nature of trains travelling around the London Underground every second is undeniably fascinating. To showcase this, a pair of developers have used online code to build an interactive 3D map of the tube network, complete with moving trains. The visualisation was built to demonstrate the capabilities of the ViziCities project, and its creators have now made the code behind the project available for anyone to use. Scroll down for video . A pair of developers from London used open source data to build an interactive 3D map of the tube network, complete with moving trains, pictured. The visualisation was built to showcase the ViziCities project. Its creators have made the code behind the project available for anyone to use . To try and capture the unique sounds of the London Underground, archivist Ian Rawes has created the London Sound Survey - an online collection of field recordings, sound maps, early BBC radio actuality and more. As part of this project, Rawes travelled London's canals and rivers during during 2011 and 2012 recording ambient sounds along the way and has plotted these on his Underground-inspired Waterways map. Although the map follows London’s canals and smaller rivers, noises from other landmarks including the M4 bridge, London Zoo and Victoria Park are also featured. Set up by developers Peter Smart and Robin Hawkes almost a year ago, ViziCities was designed ‘to change the way you look at cities and the data contained within them.' Cities are created using OpenStreetMap data and are powered by JavaScript and WebGL. 'Maps and data visualisations have always captured the imagination of people,' Hawkes told the MailOnline. 'Perhaps . because they are often beautiful to look at, but I imagine more because . they communicate complex situations in an easy to consume fashion. 'Trying . to understand how the entire London Underground network works would be a . headache for anyone, let alone TfL, but seeing it all happen before . your eyes in an interactive 3D experience allows you to step back and . comprehend what’s happening.' The data for projects be taken from any open source information, including Transport for London, but also traffic agencies, social networks and more. For example, Smart and Hawkes also created a map of a town with small blue boxes floating into the air. Set up by developers Peter Smart and Robin Hawkes almost a year ago, ViziCities was designed 'to change the way you look at cities and the data contained within them.' Cities are created using OpenStreetMap data and powered by JavaScript and WebGL . The data can be taken from any open source information, including Transport for London, but also traffic agencies, social networks and more. For example, Smart and Hawkes created a map of a town with small blue boxes, designed to be tweets, floating into the air, pictured . The boxes were designed to represent . tweets sent from different co-ordinates within a town. Another of their . projects visualised traffic flowing around a city. The ViziCities code has now been added to Github along with instructions on how to begin building ViziCities projects. However, . the developers stress the software is in a pre-alpha state, meaning . features may change, be added or removed, and there may be bugs. Current features include the ability . to add buildings, waterways including rivers and canals, as well as . parks, grass and forests. Users can also zoom, pan and orbit cities. Smart . and Hawkes will be adding 3D road networks, live data visualisation . from tweets and public transport, local weather and more to later . versions of the software. To get started the developers have created a demo city that users can experiment on. Hawkes . told MailOnline: 'We started the project it's an exciting technical and . design challenge for us - both Peter and I thrive on pushing ourselves . to the limits by exploring something unknown to us. 'There’s something exciting about creating a way to do that for real-world cities rather than fictional ones. 'The idea of visualising a city in 3D with up-to-date data about that city overlaid is an appealing one. 'Imagine if you could see census data about your area, education data, health data, crime data, property information, live transport - you’d be able to learn and understand so much more about the place you live. And this is really just the beginning. The possibilities are endless!' More recently, the developers took part in #FloodHack. Using . data from the Environment Agency, they created a 3D map of the UK and . overlayed it with current and predicted water levels. This helped them work out what areas were likely to flood and allow people to take action by seeing which locations are safer. They won a prize at #FloodHack for this particular 3D visualisation. Current features include buildings, waterways and parks. Smart and Hawkes will be adding 3D road networks, live data visualisation from tweets, local weather, and more to future versions of the software. To get started the developers have created a demo city, pictured, that users can experiment on . 'Maps are a . common tool used by just about everyone to help them understand where . they are and how to get from A to B,' continued Hawkes. 'Online maps have shown us the power . and demand for easy ways to visualise the location of business and to . get directions from where you are now to where you want to be in an . hour. People will always have a fascination and need for maps.' Potential applications for ViziCities include visualising air traffic in 3D, analysing and predicting traffic flow using 3D road networks and artificial intelligence, civic planning - using a 3D city to see the impact of planned developments - and interactive 3D floor plans for museums, public buildings and shopping centres. The team is also looking at new methods of interaction and virtual reality using technologies such as Leap Motion and Occulus Rift. | ViziCities project was created by developers Peter Smart and Robin Hawkes . They use open source maps and web tools to create 3D models of cities . These maps can be combined with data to create interactive visualisations . Examples include a map of the London Underground with moving trains, tweets floating above streets and flows of traffic . Following months of tests, the code is available online for anyone to use . | 734109651ccc9bbc9b24f0ff16534c99ab1c38c0 |
At a time of heightened partisanship and tense relations between the White House and Congress, President Obama is set to give the constitutionally-mandated State of the Union address on Tuesday. Obama tells House Dems he wants 'big deal' on debt . Both Obama, GOP have laid out hard lines for tough talks ahead . By the numbers, here's a look at the presidential address to Congress: . 223 - Number of State of the Union or "annual messages" in U.S. history. President Barack Obama will deliver the 224th. 91 - "In person" State of the Union speeches or annual presidential messages. Tuesday's will be the 92nd. At least 1 - Member of the president's cabinet who doesn't attend, in order to preserve the line of succession. 12 - States in the Union when President George Washington gave the first State of the Union speech in January 1790. 1 - Times Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer has missed the speech since he joined the court in 1994. To go or not to go: Supreme Court at the State of the Union . 3 - Years where Breyer was the only attendee from the Supreme Court: 2001, 2003 and 2004. 12 - Times President Franklin D. Roosevelt delivered a State of the Union address, the most of any president. Ten were in person, and two were in writing. 2 - Presidents who were unable to deliver a State of the Union or annual message speech: William Henry Harrison and James Garfield, who both died in office after 32 days and 199 days. 22 - Number of guests hosted by first lady Michelle Obama in 2012. 2012: Buffett's secretary, young cancer survivor among guests . 1 - Times the State of the Union or annual message has been postponed. President Ronald Reagan was scheduled to make his address on January 28, 1986, the day of the space shuttle Challenger explosion. It was postponed to February 4th. 7 - State of the Union or annual message speeches since 1966 where there was no official opposition party response. Most of the cases were when a president had just been inaugurated to his first term. Rubio to deliver GOP's 2012 response . Rubio: I'm no savior . 3 - Politicians since 1966 who gave the opposition's response to a State of the Union speech or annual message who later became president: Gerald Ford, George H. W. Bush and Bill Clinton. 89 minutes - Total running time of President Bill Clinton's speech in 2000. It contained 7,452 words. 3 - Countries identified by President George W. Bush in his 2002 State of the Union speech as the "axis of evil": Iran, Iraq and North Korea. 1 - Times Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito was seen mouthing the words "not true" in response to President Obama's 2010 State of the Union remarks about campaign finance. | At least 1 - Member of the president's cabinet who doesn't attend . 1 - Times Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer has missed the speech since 1994 . 12 - Times FDR delivered a State of the Union address, the most of any president . 22 - Number of guests hosted by first lady Michelle Obama in 2012 . | 7becc125330dcac38b712f05046ac0135b4feea5 |
(CNN) -- In 1988, the West Coast hip-hop group N.W.A released a provocative song called "F**k tha Police," which stirred controversy and marked it as one of the most high-profile examples of tension between the black community in Los Angeles and authorities. A few years later tensions erupted into rioting and violence in that city following the acquittal of Los Angeles police officers in the videotaped beating of motorist Rodney King. Those two incidents, and whether the former helped spark the latter, is just one of the topics explored in the documentary "Uprising: Hip Hop and the L.A. Riots," which airs at 9 ET Tuesday night on VH1. The project was the brainchild of director Mark Ford and executive producer Brad Abramson, both of whose professional credits include stints at CNN. The pair told CNN earlier this year at the South by Southwest music, film and technology festival that the documentary was an idea they had long thought of bringing to the small screen. "We had worked together on a documentary about N.W.A. a few years ago," Ford said. "That was always in my mind, the song 'F**K Tha Police' and how powerful it was, and was there a connection between that song and what happened years later?" Abramson added, "We have the Roc Doc franchise at VH1, and I always look for film and subjects that transcend music and that impact social and cultural ways of living, and this felt like one of those. It was a huge moment in time for America, and there was a music angle that no one had ever looked into." Now 20 years after the riots, the rapper Snoop Dogg narrates the documentary, which includes appearances and commentary from other rap stars, including KRS One, Ice T and Nas. In the film, KRS One notes that "Rodney King was the confirmation of everything we had been rapping about since the early '70s." "Boyz N the Hood" director John Singleton, who is featured in the documentary, told CNN, "It was almost as if the riot legitimized everything we were trying to do as artists and show the world what was happening in our neighborhoods." The filmmakers gained access to several people connected to the riots, including Henry Keith Watson, who participated in the beating of white truck driver Reginald Denny following police officers' acquittal in the King case. Watson has long maintained his silence, but Ford and Abramson were able to get him to open up on film in a moment that shows him shrugging when asked if he regrets his part in the assault on Denny. "(Watson) pretty much tells it like it is," Ford said. "That was a very interesting thing to explore, that 20 years later even people who participated in the looting, Snoop Dogg being one of them, aren't incredibly repentant or apologetic about it," he added. "They look at it as something that happened; it was a moment in time that was a frenzied and mob feeling." Former talk-show host Arsenio Hall appears in "Uprising" and attended a recent screening and panel discussion about the film. As the 20th anniversary of the riots is marked, Hall said the country must never forget. "Here we are 20 years later, but it's almost like the battle against AIDS," Hall said. "If we stop talking about it, people get careless, and they stop remembering that we're on a mission." Ford and Abramson said they are aware some may take offense at the title "Uprising," viewing the events as more of a crime than a revolution. But Ford said he hopes viewers come away from the documentary with a different message. "It shows how powerful music can be, what it can do and what it means to people," he said. "I hope what people really take away from it is for us to pay attention to the suffering going on in our society. It just so happened at that time, hip-hop was about the only place you could hear the messages being told." CNN's Denise Quan and Jennifer Wolfe contributed to this report. | "Uprising: Hip Hop and the L.A. Riots" examines the connection between music and 1992 riots . The documentary features rap stars as well as those who participated in the rioting . The director said he hopes viewers take away a powerful message from the film . The documentary airs at 9 p.m. ET Tuesday on VH1 . | 72eeb37b34df0761cb9349c3e6b8fd1228092504 |
Agony: Yang Hu, pictured in hospital, severed his own penis because he thought it was surplus to requirements since he couldn't find a girlfriend . A Chinese man frustrated at being single cut off his own penis then, in agony, decided to cycle to a hospital for treatment. When he arrived doctors told him they couldn't help save his manhood and ordered him to cycle back home to get the penis before he could be treated. When Yang Hu, 26, eventually arrived back at the hospital with the severed member, doctors told him that it had been without blood for too long, and it was impossible to reattach it. Yang's friends said that he had been increasingly depressed about the fact that since moving to the city he could not find a girlfriend. What was worse, they said, was that he was doing such long hours in a clothing factory in Jiaxing, in Zhejiang province in east China, that he doubted he would ever have a chance to meet a woman. His depression grew so bad that after returning home after work at 9pm on October 27 to his rented room he had suddenly decided to cut off his member as there was no use for it anyway, and believing it would stop him thinking about getting a girlfriend. Incredibly he managed to cycle to the hospital, then cycled home again to collect the severed member and then back to the hospital. His friends criticised doctors saying that had they provided the man with an ambulance he might have managed to get home quicker and his private parts could have been saved. Jiaxing, China, where a depressed, single, overworked man decided to sever his penis . | Single Yang Hu, 26, sliced off his manhood since he 'had no use for it' He cycled to hospital but was sent back to retrieve his severed penis . After cycling back again in agony, doctors said they couldn't save it . Friends said he was depressed after moving to Jiaxing, working long hours . | 84df6dddb0a60e0bf0a323dc5bcf6c7e85c9e83a |
Denver, Colorado (CNN) -- The FBI said Tuesday it will look into an April 2009 beating of a man by Denver, Colorado, police, an incident that resulted in disciplinary action against two officers but no charges. Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper requested the investigation Tuesday, arguing that a federal probe would "help ensure justice is appropriately served." Tuesday afternoon, the FBI said it would look into the matter, but said little else. "As with any allegation that may fall within the FBI's purview, the Denver office will conduct a review of those events to determine if there is a basis for a federal civil rights investigation," the bureau said. "Per FBI policy, the Denver Division will not discuss ongoing investigative matters." One of the two police officers involved received a three-day suspension and the other was docked a day's pay as a result of the incident, according to documents released by Denver officials Tuesday. In a statement released by his office, Hickenlooper said the video doesn't look good "when viewed in isolation," but that it "tells only a portion of the story." The officers were disciplined for filing false reports after a review by the city's manager of safety, Ron Perea. But Perea said in a letter released Tuesday that the statements in their reports stemmed from "more of a misperception" than a "willful, intentional or knowing" attempt to deceive their superiors. "Viewing the video alone is inflammatory," Perea wrote. "However, when the entirety of the situation is reviewed as it should be, I believe I made an appropriate disciplinary decision." Despite that finding, the city's independent monitor is now calling for the officers to be fired. "It was clear to me they were trying to cover up what actually happened and make it look better than it was," said Richard Rosenthal, who reviews police internal investigations, told CNN affilliate KMGH. And Michael DeHerrera, the 24-year-old man seen being taken down and struck in the video footage recorded by a police camera, said Monday that he also wants the officers to lose their jobs. "I think they should be fired, and if not, prosecuted for assault," DeHerrera said. "I think if any one of us had done these actions and assaulted someone, we would all be in jail." The scene was captured by a street surveillance camera located across the intersection from where the beating took place. On the video, DeHerrera is seen talking animatedly on a mobile phone while police officers kneel over a friend who was being arrested on charges of punching an off-duty officer working security at a bar. The friend was being thrown out of the bar when the altercation occurred, according to police reports. Another officer who responded the fight confronted DeHerrera, who was on the phone with his father, a veteran police officer. Soon afterward, the officer grabs DeHerrera by the head and shoves him to the pavement, and the camera pulls away seconds later. DeHerrera's father, Anthony DeHerrera, told HLN's "Prime News" that Denver police mishandled the situation. "Officers have so many tools on their belts nowadays, there is no reason to take somebody down the way they did," said the elder DeHerrera, a veteran sheriff's deputy in southern Colorado's Pueblo County. He said he could hear sirens in the background while he was on the phone with his son, "so I felt law enforcement was arriving and everything going to be OK," he said. "And then I heard somebody in the background say 'Drop the phone,' and some obscenities. The next thing I hear is a thud. Then Michael was not talking anymore, so I knew it was Michael that got hit." He said he yelled his son's name into the phone for about seven minutes, but, "All we could hear was cussing in the background and some thuds." The younger DeHerrera had a bloody nose and a cut above his left eye when a police sergeant questioned him after the incident, according to the sergeant's report. He admitted to grabbing police officers he said were struggling with his friend, but denied attempting to punch anyone. "I was already handcuffed, and every time I was trying to tell them what happened, they hit me," he told the sergeant, according to the report. And witness statements found both men shoved the police officer seen in the video while they were across the street and out of view of the camera, Perea wrote. "While there can certainly be debate whether the force was excessive or inappropriate, looking at all available evidence I do not believe excessive or inappropriate force could be proven," Perea added. According to KMGH, charges against DeHerrera and a friend at the scene were dropped, and both men received a monetary settlement from the city. Hickenlooper, a Democrat now running for Colorado's governor, said it was "appropriate for the independent monitor to question the manager of safety's decision" in the case. "Very few cities have this type of check-and-balance system that we have created in Denver," Hickenlooper's statement said. "Even still, we are asking for a federal review of the matter." CNN's Jim Spellman contributed to this report. | NEW: The FBI has agreed to review the incident . Officers received "appropriate" discipline, city official says . Mayor seeks to "ensure justice is appropriately served" Officers involved were disciplined for filing a false report . | c6e233eef8425b6bccd4877fb2ea910d056a45e9 |
(CNN) -- An Army psychiatrist accused of opening fire and killing 13 people at Fort Hood, Texas, will begin trial proceedings in three months, a military judge ruled. Maj. Nidal Hasan is charged with 13 counts of premeditated murder and 32 counts of attempted murder in connection with a 2009 attack at the post's processing center, where soldiers were preparing to deploy to Afghanistan and Iraq. The judge, Col. Tara Osborn, ordered Hasan's court -martial to begin May 29 with jury selection and testimony to begin on July 1. The start of Hasan's court-martial has been repeatedly delayed since it was initially set to begin in March of 2012, most notably after an appeals court delayed the case over the question of whether the Army major's beard could be forcibly shaved. Army regulations prevent soldiers from wearing facial hair while in uniform. Hasan, who is still considered a soldier, is a practicing Muslim and maintains he has the right to wear the beard under U.S. laws protecting religious freedoms. The case resumed after a higher court dismissed the order that Hasan be shaved and replaced the judge in the case. On Thursday, Hasan's attorney requested a change of venue, telling the court that his client could not get a fair court-martial. Osborn did not immediately issue a ruling. Fort Hood shooting victims want rampage labeled as terrorism . If convicted, Hasan faces a possible death penalty. The November 5, 2009, attack left 13 dead and 32 people wounded in what has been described as the worst mass shooting on a U.S. military instillation. Hasan was paralyzed from the waist down after police exchanged fire with him. A U.S.-born citizen of Palestinian descent, he was a licensed psychiatrist who joined the Army in 1997. He had been scheduled to deploy to Afghanistan before the killings, but had been telling his family since 2001 that he wanted to get out of the military. Hasan had told his family he had been taunted after the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. Investigations tied to the Fort Hood shootings found he had been communicating via e-mail with Anwar al-Awlaki, a prominent radical Yemeni-American cleric killed by a U.S. drone attack in 2011. The list: Despite emotions, little happens legislatively after mass shootings . | Army Maj. Nidal Hasan is accused of killing 13 people at Fort Hood in 2009 . A military judge ordered court martial proceedings to begin May 29 . Testimony in the case will begin July 1, the judge ruled . Hasan, 42, faces a possible death penalty, if convicted . | b7debb2db6c67fbd79dd509fdf601be6d23f394d |
By . Daily Mail Reporter . A former New York City transit cop who shot and killed his wife in front of their two young children in their home Saturday morning told police it was her infidelity to drove him to murder. Kevin Canty, 43, broke down and confessed just moment after shooting wife Jessice Mera 10 times with a 9-mm pistol. said prosecutors at his arraignment Sunday in Queens Criminal Court. 'I'm sorry,' Canty is said to have told the detective driving him from the crime scene. Canty killed wife Jessica Mera because he thought she was having an affair . 'I love my wife,' he said. 'She was cheating on me.' He went on to call Mera a 'whore.' 'I know I'm going to jail,' he reportedly told the detective, as quoted in the New York Daily News. He was taken into custody only a mile from his Queens home. The couple's two young children, a girl aged four and a boy aged eight, were home as he fired into Mera's stomach, upper chest, breast, arm, and armpit. Canty reportedy confessed to the murder while being driven from his home to police precint . Apprehended: Kevin Canty was taken into custody for shooting his wife dead in their Queens home . According to CBS, a neighbor shopping at a nearby deli saw the two children run from the house, yelling, 'Daddy shot Mommy!' 'They came in screaming, crying saying their dad just shot their mom and there’s blood all over, please help,' local Heidi Gamble said. For those who knew the couple the shooting was horrifying but somehow inevitable. Emergency responders remove Mera's body from the scene after she sustained multiple gunshot wounds to the upper body . Shanique Varlack, 22, said Canty often threatened his wife and was prone to drunken rages. 'He told more than one person - 'I'm gonna kill this b---h one day,’' Varlack told the New York Daily News. 'Everybody is just so distraught. He's a cop. He's supposed to protect . us. He took an oath and now? He's a murderer. She did not deserve to . die.' First responders to the scene at 104th Street near 101st Avenue in Ozone Park found the woman with gunshot wounds to her torso. Bodega security footage shows Mera and her two young children shopping . A neighbor told the New York Post he was in the bathroom when he heard the woman’s screams. 'I heard a woman yelling, saying "No, no, no!"' he said. 'It sounded like it was on TV.' Mera was rushed to Jamaica Hospital Medical Center in cardiac arrest and died a short time later. Witnesses told CBS that Canty ran several blocks away and allegedly tried to steal a car. He was arrested at Pitkin Avenue. Canty worked as a Manhattan transit cop before he retired last year with a disability. Quiet street: The shooting occurred on Saturday morning inside a home on 104th Street near 101st Avenue in Ozone Park . He received praise on the NYPD Facebook page for his part in saving a man who had a heart attack at Union Square subway station in 2012. A neighbor told the New York Post that Canty was 'scary and intimidating.' 'He doesn’t really talk to people too much. You have to talk to him first,' Daniel Ali, 30, said. Another neighbor said she wasn't surprised by the violent turn of events. 'They were not a happy couple,' Joanne Bagley, 52, told the Post. 'They fight all the time on the block. I guess it was inevitable.' The two children are now in protective custody. | A 40-year-old woman was shot dead Saturday morning in her Queens home . Police arrested 43-year-old Kevin Canty, the woman's husband, a mile away from the home . A four-year-old girl and an eight-year-old boy were inside the house when the shooting occurred . A neighbor saw the two children run from the house, yelling, 'Daddy shot Mommy!' Canty is former NYPD transit cop who retired with a disability last year . | d85e1c7de2233356173243ec7a7f78d2c6f98df1 |
A woman and her two sons died Wednesday from apparent gunshot wounds in what police suspect was a murder-suicide in southwestern Ohio. Rachel Johnson, 32, and Daylan Johnson, 7, were dead at their home when her estranged husband called police shortly before 8 a.m., Springfield Police Chief Stephen Moody said. Ayden Johnson, 10, was taken to a hospital, where he later died. The preliminary investigation indicates that the woman shot the boys and took her own life, Moody said. He revealed that she and her husband Arthur Johnson, 39, were separated but still parenting together. Arthur Johnson had gone to the home to pick up his sons and take them to school when he found his wife and sons, Moody said. He called 911 and said there were 'wedding pictures all over the floor' at the scene, according to WHIO. Scroll down for video . Brothers: Daylan Johnson, left, and Ayden Johnson, right, died after their mother reportedly committed a murder-suicide . The couple's first wedding anniversary was less than two weeks away, WDTN revealed. Moody said the woman and her sons all had gunshot wounds, but the Clark County coroner would determine the cause of death. 'When there are children involved, it's always close to all of our hearts,' Moody told WHIO. 'The community needs to understand that this is an isolated incident ...,' he continued. 'The community is safe. This is a hard-working neighborhood.' Chief: Springfield Police Chief Stephen Moody said the preliminary investigation indicates that the woman shot the boys and took her own life . Scene: Authorities work the scene at the family's Springfield, Ohio home . The police chief in the city about an hour-and-a-half drive northeast of Cincinnati said no additional information on any possible motive was available. The two boys attended Warder Park/Wayne Elementary School, and the superintendent of the Springfield City School District said a team of psychologists and counselors were at the school on Wednesday to provide support to children, staff and parents. Superintendent David Estrop said Ayden Johnson was in the fourth grade and Daylan was in the second grade. 'They had many friends here,' said Estrop. Former neighbor Vicki Green told WHIO, ''This is a shock because you never see any kind of depression out of her. 'She's always smiling, always smiling. So I don't know. I have no idea why this would happen or why she would do anything like this.' | Rachel Johnson, 32, and Daylan Johnson, 7, were dead at their home when her estranged husband called police shortly before 8 a.m . Ayden Johnson, 10, was taken to a hospital, where he later died . Police said the boys' father, 39-year-old Arthur Johnson, had gone to the home to pick up his sons and take them to school when he found his wife and sons . He called 911 and said there were 'wedding pictures all over the floor' at the scene . The couple's first anniversary was less than two weeks away . Police Chief Stephen Moody said the two were separated but still parenting together . | 5986fb46779fc6a3ee5bcd9c62414d3723d82f92 |
By . Matt Chorley, Mailonline Political Editor . PUBLISHED: . 07:04 EST, 22 January 2014 . | . UPDATED: . 07:15 EST, 22 January 2014 . Disgraced Vicky Pryce who was jailed for taking the speeding points of ex-husband Chris Huhne has been hired as an adviser to the government. The respected economist whose dramatic downfall culminated in her being jailed and even losing an honour from the Queen is now back working alongside Business Secretary Vince Cable on how to maintain growth. It marks a surprise return to Whitehall for the 62-year-old who has maintained close friendships with senior Liberal Democrats. Vicky Pryce, the ex-wife of former Cabinet minister Chris Huhne, is advising Vince Cable on the economy . Far from disappearing from the limelight, the former head of the government economic service wrote a book - Prisonomics - on the economic and human cost of keeping women locked up. In March last year Miss Pryce was convicted of perverting the course of justice along with Huhne after it emerged she had taken three speeding points to stop him losing his licence in 2003. She served 62 days of an eight-month prison sentence. However, she has remained good friends with Mr Cable who has appointed her to a panel of experts advising ministers on the state of the economy. With little fanfare, Miss Pryce returned to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills this week for an unpaid role on the ‘Monitoring The Economy’ panel. A spokesman said: ‘The panel debates and discusses macroeconomic issues and Ms Pryce has attended in her capacity as a highly regarded economist over the past ten years, including as chief economist for the department.' Miss Pryce and her former husband Chris Huhne (left) were jailed in March last year, but she has remained friends with Lib Dem Business Secretary Vince Cable who has now appointed her to his 'Monitoring The Economy' panel . The panel sees economists and external experts sit alongside company bosses and civil servants from the Treasury and BIS. It meets three or four times a year to advise Mr Cable. Miss Pryce used to be the head of the economic service under the Labour government, but stepped down when her then-husband Mr Huhne became Energy Secretary as the coalition was formed. She split from the Lib Dem Cabinet minister after he had an affair with his press officer, Carina Trimingham. It led to a bitter and very public feud between the former couple, culminating in revelations that Mr Huhne had asked his wife to take three speeding points for him in 2003. Her subsequent conviction and jail sentence saw her stripped of her official honour, the Companion of the Order of the Bath. A BIS source told The Times: ‘As a distinguished economist, she continued to be part of this panel after leaving the department. “She has now resumed her unpaid position as part of this panel after serving her sentence, which in no way brought into question her ability or judgment as an economist.” | Economist jailed last year has been hired by Lib Dem Business Secretary . Convicted of perverting the course of justice by taking speeding points from then-husband Chris Huhne . Was stripped of her Companion of the Order of Bath by honours system . | 37f287e228ff15f55c4c7e6e8634ef5843f5b65b |
(CNN) -- Autopsies on an American couple found stabbed to death in their St. Maarten home were performed Monday, a day before a suspect in their deaths appears in court, the island's solicitor general said. The bodies of Michael and Thelma King of South Carolina were discovered Friday at their oceanfront residence in Cupecoy, in what St. Maarten's Solicitor General Taco Stein described as "an ugly scene." Two days later, an unidentified suspect was arrested. He will appear Tuesday before a judge in the Dutch Caribbean nation, who will decide whether there is sufficient evidence to hold him longer or order his release. No charges have been filed against anyone in the case. "There are strong indications he is involved in the crime," Stein said Monday of the suspect, without divulging details. Identifying him only by his initials M.K.J., the St. Maarten Public Prosecutor's office described the suspect in a Monday press release as a 28-year-old, Jamaican-born man. The prosecutor's office said the suspect "heavily resisted his arrest," engaging in a confrontation that ended with both him and a police officer "wounded." After being treated at an area hospital, the Jamaican man was taken to a police station. "He has been cooperative to a certain extent, but was reluctant to answer critical questions," the prosecutor's office said. The suspect's attorney, Brenda Brooks, said she'd met with the suspect Monday at a police station in St. Maarten's capital Philipsburg, where he is being held. He had signs of a "beating," according to Brooks. Stein, who was once solicitor general for Aruba, said authorities "are not certain of the motive in the case." "Some things are missing" from the King's home, but there were no signs of a break-in. The killings occurred in what is "generally considered a safe area" that is popular with tourists, according to the solicitor general. "This is something that does not happen every day," he said. Results from the autopsies on Michael and Thelma King will be discussed by prosecutors and police, but they will not be released to the public "in the interest of the investigation," the public prosecutor's office said Monday. In addition to Tuesday's court hearing, forensic experts and prosecutors will meet with a representative of the Dutch Forensic Institute to discuss material "secured during this investigation," the office said. The couple's bodies will be handed over "presumably" Tuesday to their relatives, some of whom had a "lengthy conversation" with prosecutors on Sunday, according to the prosecutor. The suspect and the slain couple didn't appear to know each other, said Stein, noting they "were not moving in the same circles." Topper Daboul, a restaurant owner in the area, said he was a friend and business partner of the Kings. "They were beautiful people," he said, adding he is "still in shock." "They were kind to everybody." Zane Jackson offered a similar story, and sentiment, in an interview with CNN affiliate WIS. Describing himself as a friend and business partner of the Kings, who helped him open a sports bar in Columbia, South Carolina, Jackson said, "They'd have given anything to anybody." "It just seems very senseless," he said. "They were good people." CNN's Gabriel Falcon contributed to this report. | NEW: The couple's bodies will likely be handed over to kin Tuesday, prosecutors say . NEW: The suspect "heavily resisted" arrest; he and a police officer were "wounded" Michael and Thelma King of South Carolina were found dead in their St. Maarten home . The suspect in their deaths will appear before a judge, who will decide if he can still be detained . | f8921fdec23db447bcecf4378531afe0142984c3 |
Maine officials are trying to turn the tables by hunting down some poachers who've killed four moose since November 3 and simply left their corpses to rot. The incidents in Aroostook in northernmost Maine occurred during the annual moose hunt, however hunters of the massive animals require permits issued annually in a statewide lottery and all killed moose must be tagged and weighed. Maine Warden Service officials in late October offered a $2,500 reward for help nabbing a shooter in the west-central part of the state in a separate incident. Poachers: Maine officials have appealed to the public for help tracking down poachers who've killed four moose in the state's northernmost reaches this month . Waste: Officials don't think the incidents are related. However, all the animals were left to waste away in the snow . In the first incident, where a small bull moose was killed and abandoned, Corporal John MacDonald reported: . 'A male and a female are believed to be involved and they were operating a red regular-cab GMC or Chevy pickup with an eight-foot bed.' Officials don't think the incidents are related. In the second incident, reported November 4, the moose was also believed to have been shot on November 3. The third moose, officials believe, was shot the following day. Soon a fourth moose was discovered in the same county. All were left to waste away in the snow. 'We are working on all four [cases] diligently and we are hopeful someone heard or saw something suspicious in those areas during the [week of moose hunting],' Sergeant Dan Menard wrote in a release sent to the Bangor Daily News. 'All moose were shot and left during the third week of the moose hunt.' On October 28, state game officials announced Operation Game Thief and offered a $2,500 reward for help finding the poacher who shot and killed a cow moose in a more southern part of the state. That moose was also left to waste, the Bangor Daily News reported. Other instances: On October 28, state game officials announced Operation Game Thief and offered a $2,500 reward for help finding the poacher who shot and killed a cow moose in a more southern part of the state. Ticks infestations are blamed, in part, for a decline in the size of Vermont's moose herd, now estimated to be 2,500 — below the optimum number of between 3,000 and 5,000. Similar reductions have been noted in New Hampshire and Maine. Ticks can cause moose to loose blood and to scratch off their fur, making it harder to withstand cold weather. Officials in Vermont, Maine and New Hampshire issued fewer moose hunting permits this fall, citing the impact of winter ticks on their moose populations. In Minnesota, where ticks are among several factors that have cut the population by more than half in less than a decade, there was no moose hunting season at all. | ***WARNING GRAPHIC CONTENT*** Four poached moose have been found in Aroostook County in northernmost Maine since November 3 . The Maine Warden Service is looking for the public's help in solving the crimes . A similar incident in late October had officials offering a $2,500 reward for helping bring the poachers to justice . | a1683f5c2e4e246c1ecebf59c7e841ab073796e0 |
By . Ashley Collman . PUBLISHED: . 08:51 EST, 11 March 2014 . | . UPDATED: . 12:01 EST, 11 March 2014 . A California mother who gave up her first-born son nearly 50 years ago, met him for the first time this weekend in an emotional reunion. Raella Bodinus, 67, sobbed as she hugged her son Ken Drake at his home in Lindon, Utah. 'We've been waiting a long time for this,' she said. 'You look like one of my kids.' Bodinus was just 16-years-old when she gave birth to Drake in May 1964, at a home for teen mothers in Los Angeles. Scroll down for video . New family photo: Raella Bodinus (right) met her first-born son Ken Drake (center) in person for the first time on Friday after giving him up for adoption nearly 50 years ago. Pictured above with younger daughter Robin Ramirez, Drake's full biological sister . The out-of-wedlock pregnancy was covered up, as her family told everyone that she attending a prep school in Washington State. Not even her boyfriend, Drake's biological father, knew where she was. The teen mother was never allowed to touch her infant son after he was born, as nurses quickly shuttled off the newborn to the nursery. In the end, Bodinus decided to give her son to another family in a closed adoption. 'It had been decided. I was hoping and praying he was with a good family, and I didn’t want to impose,' Bodinus told the Salt Lake Tribune. The teen mom went on to marry birth-father Richard Bodinus in August 1965, a little over a year after giving birth to Ken, and the two went on to have two more children of their own - a daughter named Robin and a son named Ricky. Memories: After giving Drake up for adoption, Bodinus ended up marring his birth-father and they had two children of their own - a son named Ricky (left) and a daughter named Robin (right) Meanwhile, Drake grew up happy in Riverside, California with his parents and another adopted sister. He reconnected with his birth mother last month after submitting a DNA profile to genealogy site Ancestry.com and was received a 'close match' to Richard Larsen - his birth mother's brother and his biological uncle. Drake, now 49, says he wasn't out to find his birth mother, since his adopted sister became estranged after reuniting with her own birth mother. Happy life: Drake (left) grew up in Riverside, California with his parents and adopted sister. He is now 49-years-old and lives in Lindon, Utah where the reunion took place on Friday . 'The fallout from that was really bad,' Drake said. 'I never wanted to put my mom through that.' But he was interested in genealogy and submitted the profile to learn more about his ethnic background. He sent a message to Larsen after the match, and his uncle responded back just two days later saying he was '99 per cent sure' who his mother was. 'She would like you to contact her if you are OK with that,' Larsen wrote, adding a cell phone number. It was obvious once they started exchanging photos that the two were related, and they quickly planned a trip to Drake's home in Lindon, Utah to reconnect. Family resemblance? Bodinus married Drake's biological father in 1965 (left), but according to public records they no longer live together. On the right, her youngest son Ricky . Bodinus' daughter, and Drake's full biological sister, Robin Ramirez came along for the reunion as well which took place on Friday. During their weekend reunion, Ramirez discovered she shared her aversion to egg whites with her brother, while noting that brothers Ricky and Drake share musical talents. For Drake, meeting his mother for the first time made him finally understand the reasons why she had to give him up. 'I was naive,' Drake said, 'and I never really understood the social forces that shaped what my birth mom had to go through. I never really gave it any thought, and I feel guilty now because I never put myself in her place and imagined what she was feeling.' | Raella Bodinus was just 16 years old when she gave birth to son Ken Drake in May 1964 . The teen mom decided to give her son up for adoption, but ended up marrying the boy's father a year later . Bodinus went on to have two more children with then-husband Richard Bodinus . Last month, Drake reconnected with his birth-mother through a DNA match on Ancestry.com . The two met for the first time in person on Friday at Drake's home in Lindon, Utah . | f709c68b8e31b4e5632df35c7ea57aa829b0bac3 |
Gunmen have murdered a man with suspected links to the secretive Camorra Mafia syndicate at the wheel of his car in broad daylight. The shocking killing comes a week after Italy's escalating gang wars claimed their most poignant victim - a three-year-old boy whose grandfather failed to repay a drug debt. Police in Naples, Italy, said the car belonging to 46-year-old victim Antonio Errichiello was flanked by another from which several shots were fired. Killed: The victim, named in Italian media as Antonio Errichiello, was gunned down in broad daylight . Murdered: The shaven-headed victim, said to have Mafia links, was seen with blood on his face and shirt . Crime-hit: The Secondigliano neighbourhood where he was shot is home to a fierce turf war over drugs . Deadly trade: Police estimate illegal drugs in just two Naples districts are worth £79 million a year . Italian media reported the victim, who was driving at the time, was already known to law enforcement officers and had been linked to the Licciardi clan, one of several in the Camorra. 'A man died in Naples in an ambush, L'Unita reported. 'The man was approached by two people in the car who fired . several shots at him.' The newspaper claimed the man, nicknamed 'O Cinese, had been released from prison in May last year and had a lengthy criminal record. The Secondigliano neighbourhood where . he was shot is home to one of Italy's fiercest turf wars over the . hotly-contested drug empire in the region. Police estimate the illegal drugs trade in the area and nearby Scampia is worth £79 million a year, with dozens of killings in the battle for domination. Onlookers can be seen gathering close to the scene as the victim, shaven-headed and wearing a black puffer jacket, lies dead in the driver's seat with blood trickling down his temples. Mafia: The man was reportedly ambushed by what could be members of a rival clan in Naples, Italy . Police later hid the scene from view with a sheet. The Camorra are engaged in fierce, bloody in-fighting . Italian media reported the victim, who was driving at the time, was already known to law enforcement officers and had been linked to the Licciardi clan, one of several in the Camorra which is at war with other families . Shock: Crowds of onlookers gathered at the scene in one of Italy's most crime-ridden city neighbourhoods . Common event: The brazen killing was a shock to those in the neighbourhood, but not much of a surprise . The Italian Mafia syndicate, which dates back hundreds of years, is said to control everything from the drug industry to waste collection in the south of the country . It is made up of family-based clans which have worked together in the past but also fight brutal wars against each other, with bloody results. Last week the body of toddler Nicola Campolongo was found in a burnt-out car in Cosenza, Calabria. Police believed both the killers and the victims, which also included the three-year-old's Salvatore Iannicelli, 52, and his girlfriend Ibtissa Touss, 27, hailed from the equally war-torn Ndrangheta Mafia syndicate. On top of the car was a single unmarked 50 cent piece, apparently a symbol that the grandfather had not paid his debt. | Italian media name victim as Antonio Errichiello, 46, with Camorra links . The syndicate is locked in bitter turf wars over drug supply in Naples, Italy . Victim was driving when another car pulled up and shots were fired . | 2aae9f885b04306b490bcf5bab7917b6e0fee97f |
(CNN) -- Two weeks. Two gut-wrenching, frustrating, mysterious weeks. That's how long it's been since 227 passengers and 12 crew members boarded Malaysia Airlines Flight 370, destined for Beijing. A routine trip, it seemed, to catch up relatives in time for the weekend, start on a work assignment or just get away. Where they got to, still unknown. An exhaustive search -- covering a mind-boggling 2.97 million square miles, which is nearly the size of the continental United States -- has yielded some clues, but no proof of where the Boeing 777 is or definitively what happened to it. The latest, most notable lead revolved around two large objects detected by satellite Sunday floating on waters over 1,400 miles off of Australia's west coast. The first of several Australian military planes, as well as two long-range commercial jets, resumed their search Saturday morning to find any trace of the objects, amid some skepticism that they or ships in the area ever will and, if they do, that whatever they find will be related to the missing aircraft. Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott on Friday defended the decision to announce the find, saying Australia owes it to families of those missing "to give them information as soon as it's to hand." But he didn't make any promises. "It could just be a container that has fallen off a ship," Abbott said during a visit to Papua New Guinea. "We just don't know." On Friday, Hishammuddin Hussein, Malaysia's interim transportation minister, tried to reset expectations for a quick resolution to the mystery after the satellite discovery. "This is going to be a long haul," he said. Search intensifies . After tough weather Thursday, conditions improved Friday to allow flight crews to look with their eyes rather than relying all on radar, said John Young, the Australian Maritime Safety Authority's emergency response manager. "That's encouraging," he said. "But we have no sightings yet." The United Kingdom was sending the HMS Echo to aid a growing international flotilla searching the southern Indian Ocean. Australia is sending a ship, the HMAS Success. And Malaysian and Chinese vessels -- including the icebreaker Xue Long, or Snow Dragon, as reported by China's official Xinhua news agency -- are also steaming to join a massive Norwegian cargo ship diverted there Thursday at Australia's request plus a motley collection of merchant ships heading to the search area. The window for finding the objects in the target area could be narrow. Another round of bad weather like the one that hampered the initial day of searching Thursday could rake the area, according to CNN meteorologists. Locator beacons are also an issue. They are designed to sound for at least 16 more days and could continue to go off for a few more after that, according to the company that believes it made the device installed on the missing plane. But the ocean depths in the search area could make finding them very difficult, experts say. U.S. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel -- who talked Friday with Hishammuddin, who is also Malaysia's defense minister -- has ordered the Navy and policy experts to look at the availability and usefulness of U.S. military undersea technology to try to find the plane's wreckage and its data recorders, a U.S. military official said. Hishammuddin has put out a call for underwater listening devices called hydrophones to aid the search. Search continues elsewhere . The United States, which has had a P-8 aircraft working out of Perth, Australia, and Navy ships involved in the search, has so far spent $2.5 million on the entire effort, Pentagon spokesman Col. Steven Warren said Friday. NASA Administrator Charles Bolden said Friday that he's tasked the U.S. space agency to mine its existing satellite data and also try to capture fresh images that might aid in the search. Its satellites can detect objects as small as 98 feet (30 meters). Countries from central Asia to Australia are also engaged in the search along an arc drawn by authorities based on satellite pings received from the plane for hours after it vanished. One arc tracks the southern Indian Ocean zone that's the focus of current attention. The other tracks over parts of Cambodia, Laos, China and into Kazakhstan. Hishammuddin said Friday that Malaysian authorities were awaiting permission from Kazakhstan's government to use the country as a staging area for the northern corridor search. That clearly signals that Malaysian authorities are not giving up on the possibility the plane could still be found far from the focus of current search efforts. "Obviously, the search now has taken a global perspective," Hishammuddin said. More details emerge . At Friday's daily news briefing, Malaysia Airlines CEO Ahmad Jauhari Yahya said authorities knew of news reports that Flight 370's pilot, Capt. Zaharie Ahmad Shah, placed a cell phone call shortly before his plane departed. He said they had passed the information to investigators. The significance of the call was unclear. As to other communications, The Telegraph reported Friday it had a transcript documenting 54 minutes of back-and-forth between the cockpit and ground control from taxiing in Kuala Lumpur to the final message of "All right, good night." CNN hasn't confirmed that this reported transcript it genuine, and The Telegraph said Malaysia's prime minister said the transcript wouldn't be officially released. The alleged transcript reported by the Telegraph contains seemingly routine conversations about which runway to use and what altitude to fly at. One unexplained element, according to the British newspaper, is a call in which someone in the cockpit stated the aircraft was at a cruising altitude of 35,000 feet -- something that had been done just six minutes earlier. Twelve minutes after that comes the "good night" message, at a point Flight 370 was being transferred to Vietnam's control. Another wrinkle: Ahmad Jauhari acknowledged the plane was carrying a cargo of lithium-ion batteries, although he didn't specify the volume of the shipment. Lithium-ion batteries are commonly used in laptops and cell phones and have been known to explode, although that occurs rarely. They were implicated in the fatal crash of a UPS cargo plane in Dubai in 2010, and lithium-ion batteries used to power components on Boeing 787s were blamed for fires in those planes. There's no evidence the batteries played a role in the plane's disappearance, and Yahya said they are routine cargo aboard aircraft. "They are not declared dangerous goods" he said, adding that they were "some small batteries, not big batteries." Deleted files sought . Malaysian authorities say they believe the missing plane was deliberately flown off course on its scheduled flight from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing. But they haven't so far found clear evidence to indicate who might have changed the plane's path and why. The pilot and first officer have come under scrutiny, especially in light of information suggesting a sharp turn had been programmed into the plane's flight management system before one of the pilots gave a routine sign-off to Malaysian air traffic controllers. Plus, question marks remain over data authorities say was deleted from the hard drive of a flight simulator found at Zaharie's home. A U.S. official familiar with the investigation told CNN on Thursday that an FBI team is confident it can retrieve at least some of the deleted files. On Friday, U.S. law enforcement officials told CNN files were removed closer to the flight's departure than was previously indicated. Malaysia's Hishammuddin had said items were deleted before February 3, but American investigators now say such deletions happened after that date. Law enforcement officials aren't drawing any conclusions about the subsequent deletions -- or the earlier ones -- just two days into reviewing the hard drive substantial contents. It is still not clear, for example, who erased the files, why they did and what was in them. Investigators are also analyzing websites that Zaharie and the first officer, Fariq Ab Hamid, may have visited recently, the official said on the condition of anonymity. Passengers also continue to be investigated. On Friday, Hishammuddin said Ukraine told Malaysia that background checks on its citizens aboard the plane had come back clear. Families frustrated . The length of the search and the lack of concrete information has angered many family members. Some have accused Malaysian officials of withholding details, or at the very least failing to update them. For the first time since the plane disappeared, Malaysia sent a high-level delegation to Beijing to brief relatives who had opted not to travel to Malaysia to wait out the search. Hishammuddin said the 3½-hour meeting went as well as could be expected, but,"Although we answered most of the questions they raised, we could not answer them all," he said. "The one question that they really want to know is the answer to which we do not have," he said, "which is: 'Where are their loved ones, and where is the airplane?'" Passengers' relatives in Kuala Lumpur were moved from the Cyberview Hotel to another, unspecified hotel because the Cyberview is booked for the upcoming Malaysian Grand Prix race, said a hotel official who prefers to remain anonymous because she is not authorized to speak to the media. Selamat Omar, whose son was on board the plane, told CNN's Kate Bolduan the wait for answers has been agonizing. "I do feel sad, it's been 14 days," he said. "I'm still waiting for answers from the government. The sadness is still there, but I'm just going to stay strong." Omar's son, Khairul Amri, has attracted the attention of authorities because of his experience as a flight engineer. Omar said authorities have not contacted him and he is confident his son had nothing to do with the plane's disappearance. What can we tell from fresh leads? If this is the debris of Malaysia Airlines Flight 370, what happens next? The search for Malaysia Airlines Flight 370: Explore maps . Opinion: Search for MH370 highlights need for trust, unity in Asia . Michael Pearson reported and wrote from Atlanta. Jethro Mullen reported and wrote from Hong Kong. CNN's Mitra Mobasherat, Sara Sidner, Barbara Starr, Kyung Lah, Mike Ahlers, Chelsea J. Carter, Greg Botelho, Brian Walker, Elizabeth Joseph, Evan Perez and Shimon Prokupecz contributed to this report. | NEW: Planes depart Australia to resume their search for airplane debris . NEW: Official: Passengers' relatives are moved to a different Kuala Lumpur hotel . Objects seen on satellite spark intensive search in southern Indian Ocean . U.S. officials: Files were deleted from flight simulator's hard drive after February 3 . | 05b493e6f328166623ef15205633f85997ddfe09 |
A Philadelphia priest convicted of a sex crime involving a 10-year-old boy has died while awaiting appeal, his church said Tuesday. The Rev. Charles Engelhardt, who was a priest at St. Jerome Parish in northeast Philadelphia, died Saturday of multi-system organ failure and a complete heart blockage at 67, Father Kevin Nadolski said. Engelhardt was in the process of appealing his sentence of 6 to 12 years in prison, stemming from his conviction relating to the indecent assault of a 10-year-old boy in the late 1990s. He was also convicted of endangering the welfare of a child, corruption of a minor, and conspiracy. The Superior Court of Pennsylvania granted and heard arguments from Engelhardt last month as part of his year-and-a-half appeals process. He has maintained his innocence throughout the trial and appeal, having pleaded not guilty to sexual abuse and conspiracy charges back in 2011. "I continue to believe that he's completely innocent," Father Nadolski said. Englehardt's victim, now in his 20s, reported to authorities in 2009 that he was sexually abused while he was in Catholic grade school by Engelhardt and other priests. A grand jury determined his allegations had merit, and the priests were subsequently charged and arrested. They were among dozens of Philadelphia priests accused of sex abuse in a grand jury report. Philadelphia District Attorney Seth Williams said at the time of conviction that the prison sentence "sends a clear message to sexual assault victims in Philadelphia. If you come forward, you will be heard," he said. Williams called the verdict "just." A parochial teacher, Bernard Shero, who authorities said raped the same boy in 2000, was convicted of rape, attempted rape, involuntary deviant sexual intercourse, indecent sexual assault and other charges. He is still being held in the Houtzdale, Pennsylvania State Prison. | A Philadelphia priest convicted of a sex crime involving a 10-year-old boy has died while awaiting appeal . Charles Engelhardt had just voiced his appeal to the PA Superior Court last month . Engelhardt was convicted of indecent assault in the late 1990s . | 03ed95784d835e7db7bb7bb35e81fac1c30815fb |
Real Madrid appeared in good spirits as the Spanish side trained on Monday ahead of the Champions League clash with Liverpool at the Bernabeu. It was an early start in Madrid for the Galacticos as Real boss Carlo Ancelotti led a morning training session at Valdebebas. And there were smiles aplenty after Madrid picked up their 11th straight victory with a 4-0 away win against Granada on Saturday. Cristiano Ronaldo (left) and Gareth Bale smile as they take part in Real Madrid training on Monday . Ronaldo (centre) kicks his leg high as he exercises along with his Real team-mates ahead of training . Bale jokes around with Croatia midfielder Luka Modric (left), and chats with boss Carlo Ancelotti . Ronaldo (second right) pulls a funny face behind the back of French team-mate Karim Benzema (left) Ronaldo looks in good spirits ahead of the match (left), and is seen laughing behind James Rodriguez . Ancelotti (right) gives Modric's hair a feel as Real Madrid prepare for Tuesday's match against Liverpool . Ronaldo (left) jokes with Real team-mate Pepe during Monday morning's training session . Ancelotti (left) has a laugh as he stands behind a smiling Rodriguez at the Valdebebas training complex . Real Madrid's German midfielder Toni Kroos (centre) chases the ball during the team's training session . Real Madrid's Marcelo (right) holds up his hands as the Brazilian prepares for the Liverpool clash . Real Madrid goalkeeper Iker Casillas lies back on the ground during Monday's training session . Ronaldo (second right) passes the ball to his team-mates as the Real Madrid team train . Meanwhile, Liverpool are on their way to Madrid as they look for revenge after their 3-0 defeat by Real at Anfield a fortnight ago. The team arrived at Melwood on Monday morning before taking the short journey by coach to John Lennon Airport for their flight to the Spanish capital. Daniel Sturridge is part of the travelling group as he posted a picture on Instagram from the team flight alongside Dejan Lovren, Lazar Markovic and Raheem Sterling. It is not known, however, whether the striker is ready to return, something Liverpool desperately need. They have floundered without Sturridge's goals and lost 1-0 at Newcastle on Saturday. Daniel Sturridge (left) posted this photo on Instagram from the Liverpool flight to Madrid as he posed with Dejan Lovren (second left), Lazar Markovic (second right) and Raheem Sterling . Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers arrives at Liverpool's training ground, Melwood, on Monday morning . Liverpool midfielder Adam Lallana arrives at Melwood on Monday ahead of the departure to Madrid . Liverpool star Sterling gives a wave as he arrives ahead of the team's flight to Spain . Spanish left back Jose Enrique (left) is at the wheel as he pulls up at Melwood . VIDEO Ancelotti calls on Real to maintain form . November 4: Real Madrid v Liverpool . November 4: Basle v Ludogorets . November 26: Ludogorets v Liverpool . November 26: Basle v Real Madrid . December 9: Liverpool v Basle . December 9: Real Madrid v Ludogorets . | Real Madrid held an early training session at Valdebebas on Monday . Cristiano Ronaldo and his team-mates looked in good spirits . Real take on Liverpool in the Champions League at Bernabeu on Tuesday . Daniel Sturridge has travelled with the Liverpool squad to Madrid . Jamie Carragher believes that Liverpool's trip to the Bernabeu could benefit Brendan Rodgers' men . | ce9a6d77f8ab93ee32b9d90e99c18acb07a0f994 |
Here is Lindsay Lohan opening up about her latest spell in jail. Speaking to Jay Leno on the tonight show, the Mean Girls star admits: 'I've made a lot of poor decisions and I'm dealing with the consequences.' Lindsay made a previously unplanned visit to Leno's Tonight Show to talk about being jailed on, ironically, 'Good Friday'. Standing ovation: Newly convicted actress . Lindsay Lohan was given a standing ovation by Jay Leno's studio audience . in her first post-conviction TV appearance . 'I was kind of shocked, I didn't expect the outcome to be what it was. 'But I'm a big girl and I'm going to do what I'm told to do. I'm taking responsibility,' she said. Asked if she was treated unfairly, she - perhaps unexpectedly - . insisted: 'I think that I was treated the way I should have been . treated.' And as for jail, she said: 'It was an interesting . experience and it was definitely a wake up call. But everything happens . for a reason.' She added: 'I'm not a kid anymore. I'm 24, I've made a lot of mistakes and I recognise that. 'I feel like I've let a lot of my fans down by putting myself in situations when I was young and wasn't thinking clearly,' she said. 'I really just want to be the person that I aspire to be, and be the actress, and be in this industry and make movies and do what I love to do, and bring characters to life that people can relate to. And my fans have been really supportive of me doing that.' In shock: Lilo told Leno she found the sentence 'shocking' and said it her left her 'kind of numb' but said she was treated as she should have been . Leno told her that Jane Fonda, a recent guest on the show and Lohan's . costar in Georgia Rules, called her one of the best young actresses . she's worked with. 'That's amazing, coming from her,' Lohan said. 'I'm in the clear now, and as long as I stay focused, I can achieve what I want to achieve.' Lohan received a standing ovation from the audience after her candid interview. Lilo, a late addition to the show, bumping . scheduled guest, Broadway and Glee star Kristin Chenoweth, to another . date, also told Leno she found the sentence 'shocking' and said it her left her 'kind of numb.' Leno asked Lohan, 'At what point did you realise, 'Oh my God, I could lose this, this could slip away from me?'' Warm hug: Leno greets Lohan, who made a last-minute appearance on the show . 'I . think that when, you know, being young and being in the position I was . in, you don’t really take the time to appreciate what you have and it’s . all kind of a whirlwind, and people make decisions for you,' Lohan said. Leno also asked about her current support system, considering her 'odd childhood.' 'Interesting,' Lohan corrected him. 'My mom's amazing, she's really strong. My sister's here with me...I have good people in my life,' she insisted. What about dad Michael Lohan? Leno asked. 'Am I supposed to respond? Because I'm not going to. I plead the Fifth on that!' Moving on: The actress admits she made a lot of bad choices but is still confident she can achieve what she wants to in life . But in a roundly good-natured interview Leno also asked about Lohan's seemingly dormant love life. 'You always bring the love life question up!'she protested. 'I don't have one right now...I used to not like to be alone, but I really value my alone time now. That happens as you grow up, you cherish the time when you can just sit by yourself...I've learned to love myself.' And the optimistic starlet remains positive she can turn her life around. When Leno asked where she sees herself when she turns 30 -- six years from now. She replied: 'Hopefully, sitting here after winning an Oscar.' According to Radaronline.com, Lohan will be serving her 360-hour court-ordered community service at the Downtown Women's Center in Los Angeles. Off the the studio: Lindsay leaving her home in Venice, California, yesterday afternoon . The group's CEO, Lisa Watson said: 'The DWC is a life changing . experience for all who walk through our doors. DWC hopes that Miss Lohan . is inspired by her experience here.' The 24-year-old also talked about playing the wife of John Gotti Jr. in the crime family movie, Gotti: Three Generations. The Gotti film's production company, Fiore Films, has stood by its . decision to hire Lindsay, 24, who has been cast to play Kim Gotti, the . daughter-in-law of The Teflon Don the late John Gotti. 'She has been cast in this role. She still has the role and we're very excited about her being in the movie,' he said. Honig refused to discuss how long the movie producers were willing to wait for Lindsay to sort her legal woes. 'We're not going to speculate on "What if this happens, what if that happens",' he said. 'We're dealing with a few unknowns. Once we start understanding exactly what the situation is, that's when we can start making some decisions.' The film is meant to begin filming in September or October in New York and also stars John Travolta and Joe Pesci. The actress is currently on bail after spending five hours in the Lynwood Correctional Facility on Friday following the preliminary hearing into her alleged theft of a $2,500 necklace. Lohan will be appealing the sentence, although legal experts say it is unlikely she will win it. Producer Nathan Folks, a friend of Lindsay's, told People.com that she is 'upset' over the 120 days jail she has been sentenced to. 'She is angry because she has been working so hard on turning her life around,' Folks said, insisting Lohan is clean and sober. A Los Angeles judge sentenced Lindsay to 120 days for violating her . probation by taking a designer necklace, a charge the judge reduced from . felony grand theft to a misdemeanour. The actress's lawyers appealed the jail sentence, Lindsay's fourth, and she was freed on bond after a few hours behind bars. Lohan had another brush with the law today - after being slapped with a parking ticket. The actress was given a $64 fine after leaving her car parked outside her house in Venice, California, during street cleaning hours. Caught out: A parking warden issues Lindsay Lohan's black Escalade with a parking ticket today in Los Angeles . | Lindsay to complete community service at a morgue and 360 hours at a women's centre . Says she let down her fans... but has learned to love herself . Hopes to win as Oscar by the age of 30 . | 563b18fa2997ad2c20d4bf6981763c2f81e49879 |
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Hundreds of investigations of online child sexual exploitation and child pornography have been significantly delayed by backlogs at FBI cybercrime labs, according to a Justice Department report released Friday. FBI Inspector General Glenn Fine says processing time for digital evidence can take up to nine months. An audit conducted more than a year ago by the department's inspector general found 353 requests awaiting digital evidence analysis. FBI computer forensic personnel on average took about 60 days to examine evidence needed by investigators, the report says. "The processing time for the digital evidence in some cases could take up to nine months, which we concluded was too long," Inspector General Glenn Fine said. The digital evidence involves online communications in which potential child predators and sex offenders target juveniles for sexual exploitation or produce cyber-based child pornography. The FBI acknowledged the challenge of keeping up with the growing problem, but said it has made improvements since the audit was conducted. "The pervasiveness of the Internet has resulted in the dramatic growth of online sexual exploitation of children, resulting in a 2,000 percent increase in the number of cases opened since 1996," FBI Executive Assistant Director Stephen Tidwell said. From 2003 to 2007, the number of crimes against children reported to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children's hot line rose from 7,038 to 20,760, the report states. Since its inception in 1995, the Innocent Images Unit has investigated more than 20,000 online cases resulting in 7,000 convictions. Tidwell said the FBI has begun implementing a series of procedural and technical recommendations made by the inspector general to reduce the lab backlogs and improve efficiencies in other programs designed to combat crimes against children. The other programs include wide-ranging investigations of child abductions and kidnappings by parents as well as strangers. The report says the largest number of missing children cases involve runaways from juvenile homes. The most recent government study says 99.8 percent of children reported missing were located or returned home alive. The number of child abductions investigated by the FBI during this decade has topped 2,000. Abductions by strangers amount to only a fraction of 1 percent of total kidnapping cases. | Audit finds 353 requests awaiting digital evidence analysis . Processing time in some cases is up to nine months, FBI Inspector General says . FBI's Innocent Images Unit has handled more than 20,000 online cases since 1995 . FBI acknowledges problems with caseload, says improvements are in place . | 6ddc7be07d21ccec66b3b3cc4fb2d156a458f6c8 |
(CNN) -- Gunmen pretending to be an official security force opened fire on police at numerous checkpoints in Haditha, Iraq, early Monday, killing 27, authorities said. Three of the attackers were killed in shootouts with officers, according to Khalid Salman, head of the Haditha local council . In addition to the 27 killed, three officers were wounded, Salman said. At least 14 black SUVs with more than 30 gunmen disguised in SWAT-style uniforms entered the town at about 2 a.m., Salman said. The gunmen were carrying forged arrest warrants for senior police officers. "Iraqi security forces believe that those attackers drove all the way down from desert areas close to Bayji, about 200 km (124 miles) north of Haditha," Salman said. When they arrived at the first police checkpoint on the northern outskirts of town, they ordered all local police officers to turn off their cell phones, Salman said. "The attackers told local police at that checkpoint that they have arrest warrants issued from Baghdad against two senior police officers in Haditha," he said. "All seven local police at that checkpoint were convinced after the attackers showed them forged arrest warrants, and they agreed to switch off their phones -- and later, all were killed in cold blood." The gunmen then headed to the Haditha police station, where they convinced officers they were an official force sent by the federal government to carry out the arrests, Salman said. Later, the attackers went to the home of the commander of Haditha's SWAT force, Captain Khalid Daham, and killed him, Salman said. The former commander of emergency police in Haditha, Mohammed Hassan, was also killed inside his house along with two of his bodyguards. At one point, Haditha police officials began to suspect the gunmen. When they asked them to stop until they involve more security officials in their mission, the gunmen began clashes with security forces that lasted an hour, Salman said. Three of the attackers were killed during the clashes, but only one body was left behind, and the attackers managed to flee the town, Salman added. During the clashes, the attackers raised the black flags of Islamic State of Iraq -- an umbrella group which includes al Qaeda in Iraq. The attackers also left some leaflets behind warning Iraqi security that they will carry out more attacks, Salman said. "This was a serious security breach in the town," Salman said. But he said he also blames the central government because in the past, Iraqi security forces have been sent to carry out arrests without notifying the local security forces. "Those gunmen took advantage of this miscommunication between the central government and the local authorities in Haditha," Salman said. "We hold the Iraqi army full responsible for this incident because they are responsible for securing the highways that link towns and cities with each other," the Anbar Provincial Council said in a statement read by Sadoun al-Jumaily, deputy president. The province will hold a three-day mourning period, the council said. Haditha, in Anbar province, is predominantly Sunni town about 360 km (224 miles) west of Baghdad. Anbar was once dominated by Sunni insurgents but is now under control of Iraqi security forces. The province is a vast territory in which Iraq shares borders with Syria, Jordan, and Saudi Arabia. Much of the region is desert, and most of the residents live in the towns and cities. The Islamic State of Iraq has been behind numerous recent attacks. On February 23, a series of explosions and shootings killed at least 44 people and wounded more than 200 in Baghdad and elsewhere. The Islamic State of Iraq claimed responsibility. CNN's Josh Levs contributed to this report. | More than 30 gunmen entered the town in disguise . The gunmen were dressed in SWAT-style uniforms, authorities said . They carried forged arrest warrants, says head of Haditha local council . Provincial council blames Iraqi army for not securing highways . | 37a1f2b25defbc1ff2d1133094107a5327c02168 |
By . Lucy Waterlow . PUBLISHED: . 09:37 EST, 6 May 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 09:37 EST, 6 May 2013 . In the same week that Condé Nast have launched a magazine targeting teenagers, British Vogue editor Alexandra Shulman has revealed she is making a film for schools which highlights 'the difference between fashion and reality and how a fashion image is constructed.' The 55-year-old said the aim of the documentary, which goes behind the scenes of a fashion shoot, is to help give today's youngsters a more positive outlook on their body image. It will show the secondary school pupils how models only achieve a flawless look with the help of make-up, lighting and airbrushing. Fakery exposed: Alexandra Shulman said a film behind the scenes on a photo shoot will show teenagers the difference between fashion and reality . 'I'm hoping that it will be fun for the pupils but, actually, it will make some serious points,' Alexandra told the Independent on Sunday. Vulnerable target market: Miss Vogue is aimed at teenagers . She admitted that the art of Photoshopping was only a 'tiny part' of the trickery used to make models look younger and slimmer. 'It's basically a huge team of people that go in to create the image, of which retouching is the icing on the cake. You can do far more with lighting and make-up,' she said. The film is currently being edited and it is hoped it will be distributed over the summer so schools can show it from their Autumn terms onwards. It seems the film is well-timed given that Condé Nast this week published the first edition of Miss Vogue, a sister edition to their glossy aimed at 17-year-olds. Daily Mail columnist Liz Jones expressed concern in today's paper that the teen mag could 'brainwash' young girls who are 'vulnerable and easily led' into chasing unrealistic ideals on how they should look. She said: 'I fell in love with Vogue in 1975, when I was 17. In some ways it improved my life - it made me dream beyond the dull shores of Essex. Yet it also almost destroyed it - because as an unattractive, acne-riddled provincial lump, I wanted the bodies and lives of the women on its pages. 'But being naive, airbrushing simply never occurred to me. I had no idea it was all artifice, a fantasy world. I thought I had to live out its pages.' Power of airbrushing: Twiggy's wrinkles are reduced and her skin looks more radiant in this Olay advert, right . Boost: Keira Knightley complained about the way her breasts were airbrushed to look bigger in the film poster for King Arthur, right . Advertisers have been rapped in the . past for over airbrushing - thereby giving consumers a false impression . of how effective their product is. For example, Olay were once said to . have breached advertising standards by airbrushing out too many of . Twiggy's wrinkles. Meanwhile Keira Knightley has complained about the way her small breasts are often airbrushed on film posters and in magazines. 'They . always pencil in my boobs. I was only angry when they were really . droopy,' she said in an interview with Allure referring to a King Arthur . poster where her breasts were enlarged. LIGHTING: Bright studio lights are a must on shoots along with studio umbrellas. These illuminate the models and reduce darkness and shadows so they look more radiant. The angle and position of the lights along with backlights and reflectors all help flatter the subject. POSE: Models can drop pounds just by the way they stand. Good posture and positioning all make a difference. Standing slightly side on, one leg in front of the other can make the figure look more elongated. A hand on the hip and a head tilted to the side is also used for a more flattering look. MAKE-UP: Professional make-up artists can take years off models with the right products and application. Concealers, foundations and powders are all combined to hide lines, bags under the eyes and blemishes. Illuminating concealers under the eyes can make them seem brighter while the way it's applied around the nose can make it appear smaller. AIRBRUSHING: Retouching an image is the 'icing on the cake' according to Alexandra Shulman. Any blemishes or lines that haven't been hidden by the previous tricks can be removed. The body shape of the model can also be completely changed by slimming down their legs, arms and waist in seconds. However, the process has also led to some noticeable mistakes such as models appearing with missing fingers or implausibly skinny legs. | Alexandra Shulman making a film for schools . She aims to show 'difference between fashion and reality' Behind the scenes on a photo shoot will reveal tricks of the trade . | b127b32466c6cc2e083ca72a05815f3eddd5d03c |
By . Alex Ward . PUBLISHED: . 22:12 EST, 31 October 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 03:52 EST, 1 November 2012 . The number of serious water pollution incidents has doubled in a year, the Environment Agency showed today. Pollution incidents in the water industry rose from 65 in 2010 to 120 in 2011 and most occurred within the sewer and water network. It comes as the agency awarded more companies than ever the highest ‘A’ rating for their environmental performance. Pollution peril: An Environment Agency worker treats water in Staffordshire, contaminated with untreated sewage and cyanide as an agency report found serious incidents in the water industry increased, mostly in the sewer and water network . Overall serious industrial pollution incidents across all sectors including industry, water, waste and farming fell slightly to 620 last year. Last year's figure was a 4 per cent drop on 2010 and down more than half on the figures for 2000, the latest sustainable business report revealed. The Environment Agency suggested that some of the increase in serious water pollution incidents was due to a rise in the amount reported by the water companies themselves, but self-reporting increased only slightly last year. An agency spokesman said: ‘Substantial investment by water companies has helped improve water quality in recent decades. ‘We are working with the water industry and Ofwat to ensure that this overall trend continues, particularly given the pressures of population growth and climate change.’ Illegal waste sites: The Environment Agency shut down 759 sites last year and improved detection had identified 1,175 illegal sites in England and Wales . In general, pollution such as waste . fires and uncontrolled releases from industry or of sewage can pose a . risk to life, destroy habitats, affect drinking water supplies and . prevent people from using and enjoying their local environment, the . agency said. They found that overall, the environmental performance by businesses is improving. With more companies than ever being awarded the highest rating, the agency cut regulatory costs for well-run businesses by £15 million last year. Operators who comply fully with permits governing how their site is run paid nearly 70 per cent less last year in regulatory fees than those who performed badly. Just 184 of almost 14,000 sites which require a permit to operate have been given the lowest ratings for two years or more, causing problems for neighbours and the community. The most common public complaint about such sites is bad smells. The Environment Agency also said it had shut down 759 illegal waste sites last year. Improved detection by its recently formed specialist illegal waste sites taskforce had identified 1,175 illegal sites in England and Wales and shutting them down is the taskforce's top priority, the agency said. Not easy: Environment Agency chairman Lord Chris Smith said achieving economic growth and protecting the natural environment at the same time is not always easy but can be achieved . Environment Agency chairman Lord Chris Smith said: ‘Achieving both economic growth and the protection of the natural environment is not always easy but can be achieved. ‘It will not happen without effective regulation of the impact business has on the environment and a commitment from businesses themselves to act as responsible neighbours and good corporate citizens. ‘Reassuringly, the latest performance record shows businesses are increasingly recognising there is a value and opportunity in this broader sense of responsibility. ‘However, there's no room for complacency as a minority of businesses are still bad neighbours and the environmental impacts from their activities result in complaints from local communities.’ | An Environment Agency report found pollution incidents in the water industry rose from 65 in 2010 to 120 in 2011 . Most occurred within the sewer and water network . Overall environmental performance by businesses is improving . | 9bbc46c94bee2b18b8715a02d115b821cb01554a |
(CNN) -- The recipe for bingsu, Korea's beloved shaved ice dessert, used to be simple. A little bowl of shaved ice, red beans boiled in sugar water, a little bit of condensed milk and maybe some fruit or ice cream heaped on top. That was before the Park Hyatt Seoul debuted the first so-called luxury bingsu three years ago, to spectacular sales and a frenzied following. Competing Seoul hotels promptly entered the fray with spoons blazing. With bingsu now at the top of every hotel restaurant's summer agenda, the battle to come up with the most luxurious, inventive, delicious variation of the dessert has gotten more intense this year. Here are the hotels that are currently winning the war. Park Hyatt Seoul . This Gangnam luxury hotel started it all. In 2010, the hotel dreamed up a sweet pumpkin bingsu, made with a base of dunggulle tea made from the dried root of Solomon's seal, and an omija bingsu using shaved frozen berries. While most bingsu in Korea is made with frozen ice, the hotel debuted bingsu with a frozen milk base, and found that customers loved the change. They bought an expensive shaving machine in 2011 and also ordered traditional Korean pottery known to keep cold food insulated longer. Seoul's bingsu fanatics promptly fell in love with the new menu. The hotel's berry bingsu in particular came as a shock. Korea's best bars for summer . The combination of blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, black currant compote with handmade dark chocolate, whipped cream, pistachios and mint created a completely new taste. The hotel became mobbed at meal times and on the weekends, and raked in several hundred thousand dollars of profit in a season, to the amazement -- and likely some envy -- of its competitors. Since that memorable debut, the Park Hyatt has had to top its own bingsu menu each year. In 2012, it introduced a peach bingsu and a chocolate bingsu. And this summer? The Bingsu Colada, made with pineapple, coconut chips, caramel sauce and macademia nuts, is new to the menu. Another new addition is the Tirami Bingsu. It's made with mascarpone cream, espresso sauce, Kahlua, Amaretti cookies and almonds. Despite the new dishes, the Berry Bingsu remains the hotel's most popular. Park Hyatt Seoul, 606 Teheran-ro, Gangnam-gu, Seoul; +82 2 2016 1205; bingsu prices start at ₩33,000 ($29) a bowl . Intercontinental Seoul Coex . The effort that the Intercontinental Seoul Coex has put into its bingsu menu has been extreme. Since the beginning of the year, the hotel's top chefs have created approximately 30 variations of the dessert, presenting a different version each week for tastings and deliberation. From this process, a final three bingsu have ended up on the menu. The Kurumba bingsu is made with shaved frozen pure coconut water from the Philippines, mixed with coconut biscuits and coconut jelly, all made at the hotel. The Mango Rosa Sparkling bingsu is dubbed the "19-plus" bingsu, for its alcoholic content (19 is the legal drinking age in Korea). The sweet Rosso Degli Anjelli Rose Sparkling Wine is frozen, shaved, then blended with frozen mango shavings and fresh mangoes. 10 best Korean restaurants in Seoul . When creating the latter bingsu, hotel chefs went through dozens of trials to capture the "sparkling" aspect of the wine in the actual bingsu. In order to make the perfect red bean paste, which can be ordered separately with each bingsu, a designated red bean chef has the arduous job of boiling the red bean until wrinkles form, then pouring cold water until the wrinkles are stretched out again, and repeating the process over and over until the perfect moist texture is reached. Some of the hotel's bingsu are sweetened with natural xylitol from Finland. Intercontinental Seoul Coex, 521 Teheran-ro, Gangnam-gu, Seoul; +82 2 3430 8603; bingsu prices start at ₩29,000 ($25) The Westin Chosun Seoul . The green tea bingsu at the Westin Chosun's The Circle uses the top-shelf ingredients: matcha (fine green tea powder) from Shizuoka, Japan, and red beans from Ganghwado, South Korea. The lounge takes its bingsu ice seriously -- in order to recreate ice most similar to natural ice, a "maturing process" is used to make the ice "smoother." Chef Jun Sung-kyu did the research for his recipe by visiting restaurants in Japan famous for their ice desserts. World's 50 best foods . Upon returning to South Korea, he created green tea syrup using a maturing method at low temperatures, and also came up with the perfect red bean recipe by soaking the beans in water for a day, then boiling them for eight hours and adding three kinds of sugar at varying intervals. The result is the chewiest and shiniest red bean paste imaginable. Westin Chosun Seoul, Sogong-dong, Jung-gu, Seoul; +82 2 317 0365; bingsu price is ₩28,000 ($24) Sheraton Grande Walkerhill . The variety of bingsu at Sheraton Grande Walkerhill is impressive. The basic menu lists apple mango, persimmon, triple berry, affogato and milk bingsu that are all served with organic red bean sauce, ddeok (sticky rice cakes) and ice cream. The hotel uses shaved frozen milk as its bingsu base, somehow managing to make the shaved ice is as soft as cotton candy. Each of the five bingsu has several layers of ingredients. It's fun to eat layer by layer, but mixing it all vigorously is the Korean style and recommended. On Saturdays and Sunday from 2-5 p.m., diners can create their bingsu with the option of 10 different types of fruit, various nuts and cookies. A variety of sauces, including melted chocolate, are available. Bingsu is served with complimentary tea and coffee. Sheraton Grande Walkerhill, Walkerhill-ro 177, Gwangjin-gu, Seoul; +82 2 450 4467; bingsu prices range from ₩15,000-42,000 ($13-36) The Shilla Seoul . While The Shilla Seoul has been under renovation since the beginning of the year, it still receives calls asking when its apple mango bingsu will be available again. One commenter on the hotel's website even left a note saying he couldn't forget the taste of the dessert and was planning to visit Seoul again for that specific reason. Explosively popular since its 2011 debut, the apple mango bingsu has had customers literally lining up for bowls -- an unusual sight in the austere luxury hotel. "We use the highest quality apple mangoes from Jeju Island and have opted to use a minimum amount of ingredients to keep the taste very clean and healthy," says hotel a representative. The sought after bingsu will return with The Shilla's reopening on August 1. The Shilla Seoul, 202 Jangchung-dong 2-ga, Jung-gu, Seoul; +82 2 2230 3389 . CNN Travel's series often carries sponsorship originating from the countries and regions we profile. However CNN retains full editorial control over all of its reports. Read the policy. | Park Hyatt Seoul debuted the first luxury "bingsu" shaved-ice dessert three years ago . Since then, Seoul luxury hotels have been battling to roll out the best bingsu . It's not just a vanity chase -- dessert sales are big business . Hotels are debuting fancy new bingsu this summer . | 37f459f1ecd87a7908a45e009f664490a890c233 |
Orlando, Florida (CNN) -- Billing Casey Anthony more than $516,000 for expenses incurred in trying -- and failing -- to prove the Orlando woman guilty of murder in the death of her daughter is little more than sour grapes, one of her attorneys argued in a hearing Friday. Prosecutors say they have a right to demand repayment from Anthony because she was convicted on four counts of lying to investigators in the disappearance of her daughter Caylee in 2008. But defense attorney J. Cheney Mason said the bill is unfair after his client's acquittal on the most serious charge of murder. "What about the justice for the defense that won?" Mason asked Orange County Judge Belvin Perry Jr. "We're now going to get whacked again ... pay for everything they did, their trips, their meals, their books, and their experts, none of which, none of which, had anything to do with the crimes of conviction," Mason said. Prosecutor Linda Drane Burdick told Perry he should approve their request. "The argument of the defense completely misses the point of my position as it relates to the costs of prosecution specifically," she said. "And that is that, but for Ms. Anthony's lying to law enforcement at the inception of this investigation, there would be no costs of investigation." Perry did not rule on the request following Friday's lengthy hearing, which Anthony did not attend. He will research legal briefs due next week and research the law before issuing a ruling. The Florida Department of Corrections said in a statement Friday that Anthony checked in with her probation officer -- on Thursday -- as ordered under the terms of her sentence following her 2010 conviction on check fraud charges. Anthony told her probation officer that she is unemployed, has not earned any income over the past 30 days and has not enrolled in any educational or vocational classes. "No violations have been noted" of Anthony's probation, which include prohibitions against illicit drug use and excessive drinking, the department said. The meeting took place out of the public eye, as Anthony has remained in seclusion since her release from prison in July following her acquittal on murder charges in the 2008 death of her 2-year-old daughter. In fact, corrections officials have not disclosed her whereabouts, citing concerns for her safety. Caylee Anthony's skeletal remains were found in December 2008 in woods less than a mile from the home she shared with her mother and grandparents. Anthony's attorneys admitted she lied to authorities during the search for her daughter, saying she knew that she was dead. Her attorneys have alleged that the girl died accidentally. In seeking reimbursement, prosecutors have cited a Florida law that allows the state to fine defendants in criminal cases to recoup money spent. Prosecutors say the Orange County Sheriff's Office spent $293,123.77 on the case and the district attorney's office spent at least $140,390.60. The Florida Department of Law Enforcement spent $71,939.56 and the Metropolitan Bureau of Investigation spent $10,645.38, according to court documents. But Mason said prosecutors are asking for reimbursement for items that have nothing to do with the crimes of which she was convicted. He said, should Perry find that there is some merit to the state's motion, that he should limit expenses to only those costs related to police efforts to locate Caylee Anthony. InSession's Grace Wong contributed to this report. | NEW: Anthony tells her probation officer she's jobless, hasn't had alcohol, the state says . Bill for prosecution's expenses in Casey Anthony case is "sour grapes," lawyer says . A prosecutor says Anthony lies about Caylee's disappearance led to investigative costs . Prosecutors want Anthony to reimburse authorities for at least $516,000 . | b0d7f1c055f9ee8b7f6e37eebfd516a4134288cb |
By . James Nye and Thomas Durante . PUBLISHED: . 16:39 EST, 20 May 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 04:46 EST, 21 May 2013 . The catastrophic storm that tore through Moore, Oklahoma on Monday bears striking similarities to other powerful tornadoes that have killed hundreds of people and caused billions in damage. Striking on May 3 - 14-years ago - outside Moore, the strongest winds ever recorded on Earth were registered as the massive twister barreled through at 318 mph. The huge F5 category tornado, which is classified as 'incredible,' caused $1.1billion in damage and in total caused the deaths of 44 people. Just like Monday's horrifying storm, the 1999 storm system developed at around 3.30pm. and touched down seven miles northeast of Medicine Park at 4.51pm. Scroll down for video . Comparison: Here are the paths of tornadoes over the years in the Moore, Oklahoma area, with the red line showing the May 3, 1999 Tornado Path. The blue line corresponds to the May 8, 2003 path and green refers to the May 20, 2013 path . Debris: The 1999 Oklahoma tornado outbreak that struck Moore, Oklahoma was a vigorous severe weather event that lasted from May 3 through 6 of that year . A tornado near Anadarko, Oklahoma, on May 3, 1999 - from the series of storms that raged through the area - killing 141 people . Deadly twister: The 2011 Joplin tornado, pictured, struck with almost the same intensity as Monday's storm in Oklahoma . During the tornado, 8,000 homes were . damaged or destroyed and it caused $1.1billion in damage (adjusted for . inflation), making it the most expensive tornado in U.S. history, a . record since smashed by the 2011 Joplin tornado. The Joplin twister struck with almost the same intensity as Monday's storm. Both registered an F5 on the Fujita Scale, meaning they had sustained winds of more than 200 miles per hour. While a firm number of casualties from Monday's twister is yet to be established, it has the potential to be as deadly as . the Joplin tornadoes of April 2011, which killed more than 158 people. The deadliest tornado ever recorded claimed the lives of 695 people on March 18, 1925, in Missouri, Illinois and Indiana. Catastrophic: The deadliest tornado ever recorded claimed the lives of 695 people on March 18, 1925, in Missouri, Illinois and Indiana . Loss of life: The second deadliest twister struck Tupelo, Mississippi in 1936, killing 216 people . Double trouble: A day after the Tupelo tornado, a second one that was just as deadly hit Gainesville, Georgia, killling 203 . Behind it are two tornadoes that struck over two horrific days in April 1936 in Tupelo, Mississippi and Gainesville, Georgia, killing 216 and 203 people, respectively. The 1999 Moore tornado prompted the National Weather Service to send out the first-ever Tornado Emergency, a severe weather message used only in extreme cases where a massive tornado is about to impact a densely-populated area. A tornado emergency was issued today before the two mile wide tornado struck the town of Moore. Because of the staggering wind speed recorded during the 1999 tornado Bridge Creek–Moore tornado, there was speculation that the Fujita Scale of measurement would be modified to include a F6 catergory for winds that exceeded 318 mph. Similarities: Comparison between the May 3rd, 1999 and May 20th, 2013 tornado paths . Damage: The 1999 Moore tornado resulted in the National Weather Service creating the first-ever Tornado Emergency, a severe weather message used only in extreme cases . However, it was decided that the damage caused by an EF5 tornado leaves little room for any higher or more severe category. The day after the outbreak, then President Bill Clinton issued a federal disaster declaration for Oklahoma and 1,600 people left homeless overnight of May 3 were put into emergency Red Cross shelters. While there have been no casualty figures just yet today's storms have the potential to be as deadly as the tragic Alabama tornadoes of April 2011 which killed over 158 people in Joplin. Before that the deadliest day of tornadoes nationwide since 310 people lost their lives on April 3, 1974. The tri-state tornado remains the deadliest in U.S. history. It crossed from southeastern Missouri, through southern Illinois and then into southwestern Indiana. The tornado carried sheets of iron as far as 50miles away and obliterated entire towns and injured more than 2,000 people. The tornado outbreak over two days caused millions of dollars’ worth of damage across the region. The Tupelo tornado destroyed more than 200 homes, sweeping many into Gum Pond along with the residents. It killed whole families, including one of 13. The following day the Gainesville tornado - a double tornado event - emerged. It destroyed the Cooper Pants Factory, killing 70 workers - the highest tornado death toll from a single building in U.S. history. The Woodward tornado is the most deadly to ever strike the state of Oklahoma. It was almost two miles wide and traveled for 100 miles at speeds of up to 50 miles per hour. More than 100 blocks in Woodward were levelled and over 1,000 homes and businesses destroyed. The one-mile wide tornado was the third to strike the town of Joplin since 1971. More than 1,000 people were injured and almost $3billion worth of damage was caused. Local media reported that more than half of the 158 who died were killed inside their homes. Most of the people killed were in rural areas. Many historians believe the death toll was higher than official records state as many the deaths of many African-American may not have been properly recorded. Both the Amite and Purvis tornadoes were rated as F4 - the second strongest possible - and injured hundreds of people. It is the deadliest tornado to strike Michigan and injured more than 800 people. The Flint tornado, which traveled at speeds of 35mph, is rated as a F5 on the Fujita scale - the strongest possible. Of the 116 people killed, all but three died on a four-mile stretch of Coldwater Road. The Waco tornado killed 22 people as it destroyed the packed Dennis Building and a 12 died in cars crushed in the street. Almost 200 businesses and factories were destroyed, causing $41.2million worth of damage. The deadly tornado spurred the development of a nationwide severe weather warnings system. The tornado leveled churches, as well as more than 200 homes and businesses. Of those killed, 50 people died as they sought shelter in a black Methodist church in Goliad. The tornado struck on Easter Sunday at about 6pm, with little or no warning. It was so strong that steel train cars were later found pierced by pieces of debris from destroyed houses. | Tornado in same area 14 years ago left 44 people dead . The destruction also invoked memory of horrific 2011 twister that struck Joplin, Missouri . The deadliest tornado to hit the U.S. killed 695 people in March 1925 in Missouri, Illinois and Indiana . | a3f4a1a635263c5e42b15e48a3036388221497ac |
By . Daily Mail Reporter . This is the moment distinguished scribe Nigel Cawthorne came to regret his decision to appear on the Today Show. In a painfully awkward interview with Karl Stefanovic this morning, the author of Flight MH370 The Mystery was forced to stutter and stumble his way through retorts to the Today host's accusations that his book was 'insensitive', 'too soon' and 'disgusting'. Flight MH370 The Mystery poses a number of theories about the missing plane, including that it was shot down during a joint military training operation between the US and Thai governments. Scroll down for video . Not happy Nigel: Karl Stefanovic (left) said he was 'disgusted' that Nigel Cawthorne (right) had published a book about MH370 so soon after its disappearence . Disgusting: Cawthorne (left) claims passengers might have died 'in terror' at the hands of a madman in his new book . A visibly enraged Stefanovic began the interview with Cawthorne, the first person to write a book about the disappearance of flight MH370, with the challenge: 'some are saying this book is way too soon.' He went on to say 'can you see it would be insensitive to the the families who lost loved ones?' Cawthorne, a 63-year-old who calls himself 'Britain's most published living author', was forced to admit he had no idea about what happened to the doomed flight during a cringe-worthy six-minute interview. 'None of the theories fit all the facts,' he said. To claims the release of his book was poorly timed and offensive, Mr Cawthorne told Stefanovic: 'You're giving me the oxygen of publicity...you're being insensitive by having me on.' Too soon: Karl made thinly-veiled accusations that Cawthorne's book was little more than a money grab . Things got really tense when Stefanovic quoted a segment of the book that asks 'did they die in terror in a flaming wreck, crashing from the sky in the hands of a madman?' of the 239 people on board. 'That's disgusting,' said Stefanovic. Mr Cawthorne replied: 'well, it is colourful, certainly.' The London-based author has penned over 150 books on subjects ranging from Ike Turner to Sex Lives Of The Popes. | Today host slams author Nigel Cawthorne on air for 'insensitive' book . Stefanovic said Flight MH370 The Mystery was 'way too soon' He said claims the passengers 'died in terror' were 'disgusting' Cawthorne said Today was just as insensitive by having him on the show . | ae18c577a021c528b81ea8d731ef4137aff4d554 |
By . Meghan Keneally . Chelsea Clinton's mother-in-law has been earning a six-figure salary from her role heading a charity intended to help women in political campaigns abroad. Marjorie Margolies, the mother of Chelsea's husband Marc Mezvinsky, is a Democrat currently running for Congress in Pennsylvania and the financial statements for her charity, Women's Campaign International (WCI), have come under scrutiny as such. As the charity has grown over the past decade, so has her salary as The Huffington Post reports it has steadily increased from $54,962 in 2002 to the highest point in 2011 when she took home $164,159. Connections: Marjorie Margolies, a former Congresswoman who is currently running to get back into politics, presented her daughter-in-law Chelsea Clinton with an award last month on behalf of her charity . Her salary dipped last year- to $109,678 in 2012- and she has not taken any salary this year. Instead, the former Congresswoman, who served one term before being voted out in 1995, has turned her attention back to the political arena as she is now actively campaigning in her own tight race against three other Democrats. That isn't to say that she has cut ties to the charity, as she regularly posts updates on her Twitter account, publicizing events that they are holding. One such recent evening came in November when she honored her famous daughter-in-law at the 15th anniversary bash for the charity. 'Thrilled to be honored last night by Women's Campaign International & even more grateful for the work they do around the world,' Chelsea wrote to her Twitter followers. That work includes programs focused on conflict mitigation, economic empowerment and political participation in Sri Lanka, Liberia and Malawi respectively. Like many charities, fundraising efforts for WCI ebb and flow along the lines of economic prosperity, meaning that the annual budget for the charity is variable year to year. Back in the race: Marjorie Margolies, the mother of Chelsea Clinton's husband Marc Mezvinsky, is running for a seat in Congress to represent a district of Philadelphia . That helps explain some of the spikes and dips in Ms Margolies' salary, but The Huffington Post points to the fact that even in their more economically-prosperous years, her take-home pay would have been a slightly higher than average percentage of the group's expenses than standard throughout the industry. Ms Margolies' spokesman Ken Smukler responded to their article after publication, defending her pay over time and saying that she was paid less than the industry average for heads of non-profits- which is thought to be $94,924- when looking at her pay over the past decade rather than the past few years. 'The vote': Back in 1993, hers was one of the deciding votes that passed then-President Clinton's budget plan that increased taxes for the wealthy, and that caused her to be voted out . 'For six of the twelve years Marjorie has been leading WCI, her salary has been significantly lower than the industry standard. In 2013 Marjorie has, in fact, taken no salary at all,' he wrote to The Huffington Post. He blasted the reporter, Laura Goldman, for 'creating the false impression that marjorie has somehow used wci to line her pockets'. Adding to the fundraising climates in particular years, the WCI also receives grants- the budgets for which are at the whims of their own ties to the economy. 'Some years we are implementing multiple grants and all efforts are on program implementation and other times our staff efforts are on fundraising and proposal writing to secure more funding for projects. One of those grants- for $127,076- came directly from the State Department in 2011. That hefty grant comes as little surprise to political watchers, as Ms Margolies had a significant connection to the State Department at the time, and one who is a very big proponent of female empowerment work abroad: Hillary Clinton, her son's mother-in-law, was the Secretary of State at the time. Now that connection may be problematic for Clinton should she take her widely-predicted role as the Democratic presidential candidate in 2016, as more questions will be raised about what portion of WCI's funding actually goes towards the programs they tout. MailOnline's efforts to reach out to Ms Margolies' campaign and WCI were not immediately returned. In addition to her work with the WCI, Ms Margolies teaches at the University of Pennsylvania. Head scratcher: Marc, seen here with former President Clinton, first met Chelsea at a Democratic conference in the 1990s. Both his mother and father, who later went on to jail, were in Congress at the time . She first ran for Congress in 1992, when she was known as Marjorie Margolies-Mezvinsky and was married to former U.S. Representative Edward Mezvinsky, an Iowa Democrat who went on to become the party's state chairman in Pennsylvania. He went to prison in 2003 after he plead guilty to 31 out of 69 counts of bank, mail and wire fraud where he defrauded investors of $10million. Embarrassment of the in-laws: Edward Mezvinsky went to prison in 2003 after he plead guilty to 31 out of 69 counts of bank, mail and wire fraud where he defrauded investors of $10million . She stood by him for the first four years of his federal prison sentence before divorcing him in 2007, just one year before he was released. Margolies, who is now 71 years old, made a name for herself on a number of different fronts before her husband went to prison and decades before her son married a First Daughter. She was the first single American woman to adopt a foreign child, an experience that became the subject of her first book. And on August 5, 1993, during her term in Congress, Margolies-Mezvinsky cast one of the two final votes that gave Clinton's budget a dramatic victory in the House, 218-216. Just hours before she voted, she told a reporter she would oppose the bill, but she changed her mind after a phone call with Clinton minutes before the vote. Her 1994 challenger, Jon Fox, focused his campaign rhetoric on that decision, and voters in the wealthy district turned against her. In 2010, her son Marc married Chelsea Clinton and she said that she was very happy for the couple, who began dating five years earlier after meeting at a Democratic political retreat in South Carolina in 1993. ‘I’m totally delighted to be Chelsea Clinton’s mother-in-law; she’s a doll,’ she said at the time. | Marjorie Margolies is the mother of Marc Mezvinsky, who is married to Chelsea Clinton . Ms Margolies is the founder of a charity called Women's Campaign International which helps empower women in Malawi, Liberia and Sri Lanka . Over the past five years, she has given herself a six-figure salary which is higher than the average pay for heads of non-profits . In 2013, however, she has not taken any salary as she is now running for the Congressional seat she once held . | 17c0b434dc41adc4ed9393d81ca91e9dda2744c4 |
(CNN) -- The death of a Georgia man who fell about 85 feet from an upper level of Atlanta's Turner Field has been ruled a suicide, an official said. Ronald Homer, 30, fell during a Braves-Phillies baseball game on August 12. The cause of death is blunt force trauma, according to the Fulton County Medical Examiner's Office. Betty Honey, an investigator with that office, said Thursday that Homer had committed suicide. He had no other injuries besides those sustained as a result of his fall from the fourth level of the stadium shortly before 8:55 p.m. during a rain delay. The game was scheduled to start at 7:10 p.m., but heavy rains pushed back the start time nearly two hours. Homer's was the second such death at an Atlanta sporting venue in the last year or so. On August 31, 2012, a Tennessee fan died after falling about 45 feet at the Georgia Dome during a college football game between North Carolina State and the University of Tennessee. CNN's Ed Payne, Dave Alsup and Joe Sutton contributed to this report. | Ronald Homer, 30, fell during a Braves-Phillies baseball game . The cause of death is blunt force trauma, medical examiner's office says . His was the second such death at an Atlanta sporting venue in the last year . | 74586350379090389ffdf6a77cd7d934d494570c |
By . Associated Press Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 17:18 EST, 8 February 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 17:29 EST, 8 February 2013 . The ringleader in hair- and beard-cutting attacks on fellow Amish in Ohio has been sentenced to 15 years in prison, with 15 other family members receiving sentences of one year to seven years. ‘The victims were terrorized and traumatized,’ said U.S. District Court Judge Dan Aaron Polster in sentencing leader Sam Mullet Sr., 67, who sat without emotion during the sentencing. The judge said the defendants had violated the constitutional rights protecting religious practice that had benefited them as Amish - such as an exemption from jury service and allowing Amish children to leave school at age 14. Sam Mullet Sr has been sentenced to 15 years in prison for being the ringleader of an Amish cult which carried out hair- and beard-cutting punishments . Amish leaving court after the 16 defendants in the case were charged with a hate crime because prosecutors believe religious differences brought about the attacks . ‘Each of you has received the benefits of that First Amendment,’ Polster said. The judge said the defendants have two weeks to file an appeal of their sentence or conviction. Defense attorneys have indicated such appeals are likely. Before his sentencing, Mullet told the judge that he had been blamed for running a cult and was ready to take the punishment. Mullet, his ankles in chains and a white beard down to mid-chest, said if his community is seen as a cult, ‘Then I'm going to take the punishment for everybody.’ With relatives of victims and his family sitting on opposite sides of the public gallery, Mullet said he has lived his life trying to help others. ‘That's been my goal all my life,’ Mullet said to a hushed courtroom, with his fellow defendants and their attorneys sitting at four defense tables and filling the jury box. ‘I'm not going to be here much longer,’ said Mullet, who didn't elaborate on any health issues. Both relatives of victims and Mullet's family attended the sentencing in a Cleveland courthouse . An Amish man pretends to take a photo of the media as he leaves the U.S. Federal courthouse . Mullet and his family deny his community is a cult. The government asked for a life sentence for Mullet. The defense asked for two years or less. The 10 men and six women were convicted last year in five attacks in Amish communities in 2011. The government said the attacks were retaliation against Amish who had defied or denounced Mullet's authoritarian style. Amish believe the Bible instructs women to let their hair grow long and men to grow beards once they marry. Cutting it would be offensive to Amish. Other defendants, some in tears, also offered to take the brunt of the blame and punishment on behalf of Mullet or spouses. Addressing the judge one-by-one, the defendants said there would be no more beard-cutting attacks. Freeman Burkholder, 32, husband of a Mullet niece and father of eight children, apologized to the judge. ‘I won't do it again,’ he said. Ten men have been sentenced to between one and seven years in prison for their part in the hate crime . Wide-spread: Six women were among those convicted of hate crimes after the 2011 attacks, most face at least a year in prison . Anna Miller, 33, married to a Mullet nephew and mother of six, also apologized, turning to relatives of victims as she said, ‘I'm sorry, it won't happen again.’ Like most of the women, she was sentenced to one year. A federal prosecutor, Bridget Brennan, urged the judge to punish Mullet adequately. ‘He is a danger to this community,’ she said. ‘He is capable of controlling 15 defendants.’ Brennan repeated key testimony against Mullet and said he has remained the leader of his eastern Ohio community despite being locked up since his arrest in late 2011. The defendants were charged with a hate crime because prosecutors believe religious differences brought about the attacks. Nine of 10 men who were convicted have been locked up awaiting sentencing. The six women, who all have children, have been free on bond. Duties: Edward Mast says he will step in to raise children left without parents at the Amish community in Bergholz, Ohio . Isolation: The Amish community shuns the outside world and lives off the land in rural Ohio . In a rare interview last week in Bergholz at the sprawling Mullet farm amid rolling hills in eastern Ohio, Mullet's unmarried 19-year-old grandson, Edward Mast, discussed the family's attitude. He said they are steadfast in the belief that the attacks didn't rise to the level of a hate crime. ‘The beard, what it stands for me, what I know about it, once you're married, you just grow a beard. That's just the way the Amish is,’ Mast said. As for the victims, he added, ‘They got their beard back again, so what's the big deal about it?’ Arlene Miller, whose husband, an Amish bishop, was among the victims, thinks Mullet deserves a tough sentence and the others should get less time if they get cult deprogramming counseling. ‘It's a cult,’ said Miller, 48, of Carrollton. ‘Their minds were programmed in the wrong way by Sam Mullet, so we feel like these people are very deceived and they are actually victims of Sam Mullet.’ She said there were no winners in the ordeal. ‘There's no happy ending to this,’ she said. Amish men walk to the U.S. Federal Courthouse in Cleveland . Fending for themselves: A pair of young Amish boys play in a sandbox in front of the home of Sam Mullet Sr. The community has been torn apart by the scandal and highly-publicized court case . Traditions: An Amish buggy is driven down the road between the farms in Bergholz where a tight-knit community live by strict religious rules . Ringleader Mullet broke away from the . mainstream Amish in 1995, seeking stricter cultural rules and . Scriptural interpretation than is the norm in the eastern Ohio . community, authorities have said. He . was the undisputed leader of his group, counseling relatives on . religious matters, negotiating drilling rights on his land and . denouncing Amish who questioned his authority. Mullet's . community, like many Amish groups, grew through marriage and the . purchase of farmland to sustain extended families that work and pray . together, mostly shut off from outside influences like electricity, . autos and electronics. The five beard- and hair-cutting attacks followed years of animosity, traced in part to a nasty custody battle involving Mullet's daughter and his strict demands on religious observance. The custody dispute led to a contentious history with local law enforcement over the county's seizure of two Mullet granddaughters from their mother. Taking charge: Younger members of the Amish community are being forced to put children to work to keep up with the labor after 16 adults were sentenced to serve prison sentences . Marching on: The Amish community has fascinated the outside world with its shunning of electricity, cars, electronics and the media . One of Mullet's daughters-in-law and a . former brother-in-law told investigators that he allowed others to beat . members who disobeyed him, according to an affidavit. He punished some by making them sleep in a chicken coop for days and . was sexually intimate with married women to 'cleanse them of the devil,' the two relatives said in the affidavit. Mullet's defense argued there was no proof of such sexual conduct. His . community had contact with other Amish groups, often because of family . ties throughout the region or when gathering at livestock auctions or to . buy farming equipment. Some . Amish spoke out against his authoritarian style, and the government . said that led to the attacks as Mullet tried to discipline dissenters . who left his community and Amish bishops who condemned him. | Sam Mullet, 67, has been sentenced to 15 years in prison . 15 men and women from highly insular Amish community in Bergholz received sentences between one and seven years . The defendants, charged with a hate crime, are expect to appeal their verdicts . Mullet broke away from the mainstream Amish in 1999 seeking stricter cultural rules . | f73c9dfb43ff62bc26295f2416e5c9bfb65303af |
A California Highway Patrol officer is off the streets as he faces accusations of stealing nude pictures from a DUI suspect's phone and sending them to his own device as the woman was booked into a county jail. The unidentified 23-year-old woman who's made the shocking allegations claims officer Sean Harrington went through her phone after she was pulled over on Interstate 680 in August. She claims she gave him her password so he could find a phone number for her to contact someone about her booking. The unidentified 23-year-old woman claims officer Sean Harrington went through her phone and stole nude photos of her while she was being booked in county jail . He sent as many as six images of the young woman to his own cell phone. She discovered the invasion of privacy when her iPad, which was synced to the phone by the iCloud service, showed a record of the images being sent to an unknown phone number in the 707 area code during the hours she was in custody. Her attorney says that number was later identified as belonging to Harrington's cell phone. 'She's tremendously distraught,' her attorney, Rick Madsen, told ABC 7. 'We don't know at this point, although we're gratified by the extent of the investigation by the Contra Costa District Attorney's office, the extent to which they've been transmitted, either to other individuals perhaps other law enforcement officers.' The alleged victim's attorney, Rick Madsen, said a record of the images being sent to Harrington's phone was recorded on her iPad . The district attorney's office will decide whether to press criminal charges once their investigation is complete. Harrington is on desk duty while the investigation continues into next week. 'We've been investigating this for quite some time, the investigation is coming to a conclusion and we expect to make a charging decision this week,' deputy district attorney Barry Grove told The Contra Costa Times News. Grove would not comment on the possibility that other officers would be implicated. Should Harrington be charged and convicted of a felony he would not longer be able to be employed as a police officer. | Attorneys are investigating claims against officer Sean Harrington and could file charges early next week . Unidentified woman says she can tie Harrington's phone number to a record of the images being sent recorded on her iPad . Woman says she gave him her phone's password so he could get find a phone number for her as she was being booked . | 42c8089959daa07ff803faf3e82cab4dbafa7c8e |
Boxing legend James ‘Buster’ Douglas stunned the world when he knocked out previously undefeated champion Mike Tyson in what became one of the biggest upsets in the sport’s history. But while Tyson – nicknamed ‘The Baddest Man on the Planet’ - went on to have a long and lucrative career both in and out of the ring, boxing hero Douglas’ moment in the spotlight was short lived. In the years after his historic victory, his boxing career came crashing down and the heavyweight champion fell into a pit of drinking, binge-eating and depression. He struggled to cope with losing both his parents and the shooting deaths of two of his brothers. Scroll down for video . Pow! James "Buster" Douglas, right, hits Mike Tyson with a hard right in the face during their world heavyweight title bout at Tokyo Dome on Feb. 11, 1990. It was one of the biggest upsets in the sport’s history . Sore loser: 'Tyson was upset that I beat him,' says Douglas. 'He was whining and complaining like a baby' Bet on it: Casinos in Las Vegas refused to even offer odds on the championship fight with Tyson, so certain they were that Iron Mike would annihilate his opposition . Out of control: At his lowest point Douglas ballooned to almost 450 pounds and slipped into a diabetic coma that almost killed him . At his lowest point Douglas ballooned to almost 450 pounds and slipped into a diabetic coma that almost killed him. Now as the 25th anniversary of the dramatic fight approaches, Douglas is celebrating getting a ‘second chance at life’ and admits that life outside the ring has been much harder than his ten hard fought rounds with boxing giant Tyson. ‘Life is definitely harder than fighting Tyson or anyone else,’ he told DailyMail.com. ‘Life outside the ring is real, it’s hardcore. ‘But you know once I came out of my depression, and quit drinking all the time, I felt like I got a second lease at life. ‘I look forward to every day now.’ Douglas, 54, who lives in his hometown of Columbus, Ohio, was the 42 to 1 outsider when he entered the ring In Tokyo, Japan on February 11, 1990 to take on the world champion in a match billed as ‘Tyson is back’. Most casinos in Las Vegas had refused to even offer odds on the fight, so certain they were that Tyson would annihilate his opposition. But Douglas had trained hard and despite losing his beloved mother Lula to a stroke just 23 days before the fight, he was sharply focused. Recovering from a knock down in the eighth round, Douglas claimed victory a minute into round 10, slamming ‘Iron Mike’ Tyson to the ground with a flurry of powerful punches. Champion: In the years after his historic victory, Douglas' boxing career came crashing down as the heavyweight champion fell into a pit of drinking, binge-eating and depression . Even now, Douglas still remembers the jubilation of that night, the crowd chanting his name, as he became heavyweight champion of the world. “It was just great - I have great memories of that night, the preparation, just focusing, feeling good about going in there and doing something everybody thought was impossible,” he said. “I fought hard that night, I was in shape and he went down.” But Tyson was not willing to hand over his title that easily, and soon after the fight launched a campaign to strip Douglas of the title – claiming he should have been counted out in the eighth round. Although Tyson ultimately lost the appeal – it spoiled what should have been a night of celebration for Douglas and embroiled him in a legal battle that lasted months. Even now, Douglas brands Tyson a ‘sore loser’ and admits the pair barely spoke to each other when they met for the first time since the fight two years ago. ‘He’s a big time sore loser,’ Douglas said. ‘He was upset that night I beat him. He was whining and complaining like a baby in a crib. ‘It was an enjoyable win, having everyone chanting my name, but after that I was stuck in a legal battle for about four months trying get the right to call myself champion of the world so that was pretty difficult. ‘I still celebrated with my trainer and stuff but it did spoil it. ‘I met Tyson in Cinncinati a couple of years ago at a boxing event and took pictures and stuff. He didn’t say much - we didn’t speak much at all in fact.’ Just months after beating Tyson, Douglas lost his title to Evander Holyfield in a championship match on October 25, 1990, and the boxing hero’s life began spiraling downwards. Coach: Douglas is now training his son Artie, 21, at the Thompson Recreation Center. The dad-of-four, who lives with wife Bertha, has now successfully battled his demons and has found a new lease of life . The former champ and now coach hopes Artie and son Kevin, 9, follow in his footsteps . Still struggling to deal with the death of his mother – Douglas, a diabetic, stopped training, began downing bottles of cognac and beer – and his weight doubled to nearly 450 pounds. Then finally in 1994, Douglas, who had always managed his diabetes well, hit rock bottom and slipped into a near fatal diabetic coma. ‘I was drinking and eating whatever I wanted. I just didn’t give a darn. I was depressed. ‘It was never about money I was financially secure, it’s just the way everything didn’t go as I planned after I won that title, then there was the readjustment to get over that, but I kept wallowing in self pity. ‘My lowest point was when I went into the diabetic coma. ‘I put on all that weight and I almost passed away. But I got a second chance and I came through. ‘I woke up after being in the coma for about three days and I decided right there and then it was my time to get back on the horse and start riding again instead of sitting around moping and feeling bad about myself.’ As well as surviving the coma, Douglas has had more than his fair share of personal tragedies to cope with. His father Bill, who was also Douglas’ trainer and manager died in 1999 after a hard cancer battle. And two of his brothers were shot dead in separate incidents. ‘My youngest brother was shot in 1981 and my brother who was a year younger than me he was shot in 1998. ‘It’s been hard to deal with. But we just keep the faith and keep moving on it’s all we can do.’ Evander Holyfield took the title away from Douglas just months after he won it, slamming the former heavyweight champ with a right punch in the third and final round of their title fight in Las Vegas . Douglas believes it was a combination of tragedies and setbacks that drove him to drink. ‘It was depression, the way everything went, my boxing career, the way everything came crashing to an end. ‘I was really down about everything but I didn’t really have anyone to talk to about it. My wife was always someone I talked to and confided in but she wasn’t around then so I had to just get through it. ‘I just had to get back involved in life, back involved with my family and I did. ‘After my coma I decided to look at the brighter side of life, how fortunate a person I am and ever since then I’ve lived a wonderful life.’ The dad-of-four, who lives with wife Bertha, has now successfully battled his demons and has found a new lease of life as a boxing coach. He coaches amateur and professional boxers from his gym in Columbus – including two of his sons Kevin, nine, and Artie, 21, who he hopes may follow in his footsteps. ‘I have a couple of professional fighters who I manage and I also coach amateur fighters trying to create a dynasty here. ‘I’m really enjoying working with these kids – it’s like full circle for me coming back to the place where I started and I’m having a blast. ‘It’s like I’m going all over again from the beginning but I’m at the end - I’m the coach now. ‘I know what all the kids are going through because I’ve been there done that. ‘When they struggle I tell them it’s going to be alright - that there will be better days ahead.’ | James ‘Buster’ Douglas stunned the world when he knocked out undefeated champion Mike Tyson in 1990 . A minute into Round 10, Douglas slammed ‘Iron Mike’ Tyson to the ground with a flurry of powerful punches. Casinos in Las Vegas refused to even offer odds on the fight, so certain they were that Tyson would annihilate his opposition. Tyson launched a campaign to strip Douglas of the title . Months later Evander Holyfield took the title away - and then Douglas descended into drinking and binge-eating . As the 25th anniversary of the dramatic fight approaches, Douglas is celebrating getting a ‘second chance at life’ | ab26b56a8468f37c145fae6583089e010b287fea |
A well-known local television news reporter was allegedly punched in the neck by a woman wearing a bed sheet who had allegedly broken into her news van, ate her snacks, and started applying her makeup. Vivian Lee, who works for local New York news station NY1, was reporting on the death of a Brooklyn man who was killed in the recent super storm that passed through the city Thursday night, when a woman came up to her and allegedly punched her in the throat. The reporter, who has been with the station since 2008, said that as a journalist, she’s been put through the ringer, but this inexplicable assault left her trembling. ‘I felt very, very vulnerable,’ she said from a hospital after the attack. Attacked: NY1 news reporter Vivian Lee, right, was allegedly attacked by Theresa Casivant, left, in bed sheet . Odd attire: Casivant was wearing what appeared to be a bed sheet, sweatpants, and green flip flops; Lee added that she smelled of human waste . Veteran reporter: Vivian Lee has been working for NY1 since 2008 . Ms Lee was in Cobble Hill reporting on the death of Richard Schwartz, a 61-year-old state prosecutor who was killed when the storm sent scaffolding careering on top of him. A witness told DNAInfo that they saw a woman, identified later as 24-year-old Theresa Casivant, wearing a white sheet over flip flops and sweat pants enter the NY1 news van around 7am EST on Friday. The witness then said the woman proceeded to use Ms Lee’s makeup and nibble on her food. Ms Lee told the New York Post that she thought Casivant could be mentally ill. ‘I just wanted her out of my truck,’ she explained. When Ms Lee asked Casivant to leave, the 24-year-old Brooklyn resident refused. A NY1 truck operator had to drag her out of the news van. Still, the woman wouldn’t leave. Ms Lee told the Post: ‘I said, “What is your issue? Are you lost? Are you homeless? Are you sick?”’ and after those comments, Casivant allegedly struck out at her throat. She and the news crew held Casivant until NYPD officers arrived at the scene; Casivant was later charged with assault. Ms Lee said she is used to every kind of . response, saying that she’s been spat at, sworn at, and even sexually . assaulted. But she said that a punch to the neck was a low blow. Food for thought: She allegedly entered a NY1 news van like this one, eating Ms Lee's snacks and putting on her makeup . Mother: Casivant's Twitter profile says she is a mother of two and engaged . Chaotic scene: State prosecutor . Richard Schwartz, 61, was killed by falling scaffolding and debris in Cobble Hill, Brooklyn, during last Thursday's storm; Ms Lee was on-scene Friday morning to report . ‘I’m not a print reporter, I need this voice box,’ she told the paper. A spokesperson told DNAInfo that Casivant was taken to Long Island College Hospital for a psych evaluation. According to her Twitter page, she has two young sons, and is engaged. Her last tweet, from August 19, 2011, reads: ‘I couldn’t be any happier with the family that I have! I <3 you ALL!!!’ Ms Lee kept a level head about the alleged attack, telling DNAInfo: ‘It could’ve been worse. This does happen to a lot of media people.’ NY1 is a 24-hour news station operated by Time Warner Cable, and reports on news from around New York's five boroughs. | Woman identified as 24-year-old Theresa Casivant allegedly attacked NY1 reporter Vivian Lee . Had broken into news van and was putting on Lee's makeup and eating journalist's snacks . | ff172f27c541e7a22a0befccc8be255d22d41f06 |
By . Chris Greenwood . Police enjoyed free tickets for eight years to watch a top Premier League side at the centre of an anti-corruption inquiry. Dozens of officers and staff took advantage of six Arsenal season tickets provided by the wealthy North London club. The deal will deepen concerns about the cosy relationship between it and the Metropolitan Police. Earlier this month the Daily Mail revealed star player Mesut Ozil faces questions over how three Scotland Yard detectives ended up in his private box at a match. The freebie: Detective Sergeant Simon Jones (left) and Mesut Ozil (second left) in the player’s box at the Emirates with a youth, an unidentified fan and Detective Constable Helen Nicolson (far right), who was not involved in the investigation . Just 24 hours earlier some of them were tasked with speaking to him after his car collided with a photographer outside his home. Senior politicians tasked with overseeing the Met said the season ticket deal raises worrying questions about the impartiality of police. Baroness Jenny Jones said: ‘Accepting hospitality like this gives the impression that not everyone is equal before the law and that favours can be bought.’ The ticket deal began in 2005 when Arsenal agreed to hand over six season tickets every year to police in the London borough of Islington. The sought-after seats were handed out on a ‘match-by-match’ basis to officers and staff as a reward for good work, the Met said. It is not known how much the tickets were worth, but the cheapest Arsenal season ticket for the 2014/15 season is £985 and the most expensive almost £2,000. Helen Nicolson was photographed grinning as she shook hands with Ozil . Probe: Football superstar Ozil on the night of the incident. Freelance photographer Lee Essex dialled 999 claiming Ozil had driven his Porsche into him, knocking his arm with a wing mirror . But the hospitality, worth tens of thousands of pounds, was abruptly stopped when a new area chief took charge last year. The season ticket deal was revealed as questions over the conduct of Arsenal and World Cup final star Ozil remain unanswered. The German faces being quizzed on his return to London over the presence of three detectives in his private box at a match in February. Just 24 hours earlier a police inquiry was launched when a photographer claimed he was assaulted by the star after being hit by his car. Mesut Ozil (centre) scores for Arsenal in the Premier League against Newcastle United last season . Two of the detectives at the match are believed to have been asked to assist that investigation which was dropped within weeks. Bureaucrats in a traffic office wrote to the photographer to tell him the inquiry was over and blamed the lack of ‘independent evidence’. All three detectives, who were initially suspended from frontline duties, face being questioned under caution later this month for potential misconduct. Colleagues insist the trio are guilty of nothing more than ‘stupidity’ but chiefs are concerned their actions may have brought the force into disrepute. The tickets were not the only gestures of goodwill from Arsenal to the police force. It donated a £640 camera to its football liaison team and gave police use of two vehicles, a Citroen Dispatch van and a Saab car. The force also paid hundreds of thousands of pounds towards the cost of policing matches at its Emirates ground. Caroline Pidgeon, a London Lib Dem politician, said: ‘Before accepting any hospitality every police officer should ask fundamental questions as to whether acceptance is good for policing and how it would be perceived by the public. ‘It seems staggering that for so long a number of police officers in Islington completely failed to ask such basic questions and ignored the Met’s own gifts and hospitality rules.’ The misconduct probe is a potential embarrassment for Commissioner Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe, a Sheffield Wednesday fan who regularly plays competitive 5-a-side. Earlier this month he led a conference at the Emirates Stadium for some of the force’s most senior officers. Up to 800 chief inspectors and superintendents attended an event at the Arsenal ground aimed at improving the working culture of the force. A Met spokesman said: ‘Between 2005 and early 2013, Arsenal FC donated approximately six season tickets per year to Islington Borough. ‘These tickets were used on a match by match basis to recognise good work and community spirited work undertaken by police officers and staff and members of the public. ‘The allocation of the tickets was recorded on the borough and there was senior officer oversight. ‘In February 2013 the arrangement was reviewed by the new borough commander and stopped.’ An Arsenal spokesman said: ‘We have always worked closely with the Metropolitan Police who are hugely important to our activities and the safe running of our matches. 'The tickets were provided for the force to use at their discretion under the oversight of a senior officer.’ | Dozens of officers and staff took advantage of six Arsenal season tickets . Deal deepens concerns about cosy relationship between club and force . It follows questions asked about Mesut Ozil entertaining three officers . Just 24 hours earlier some of them spoke to him about a car crash . | 94d8fc7fc5a227ca5f03ec9146f6c696d4f7b4c2 |
LONDON, England (CNN) -- Football fans in the UK are ushering in a potential new age of football ownership after plotting a takeover bid for English Premier League Liverpool FC. Fan property? Liverpool supporters are plotting a takeover of the club. The ShareLiverpoolFC organization is a collective of fans looking to raise enough money to make a serious takeover bid at the club. They are seeking 100,000 people to invest $7,000 to raise $700m that will allow them to take over from the current owners George Gillett and Tom Hicks. The group plan to have their own fan parliament, fan board and an employed board in charge of the club. But can absolute fan ownership be considered a serious contender to the existing business model? In the case of Liverpool, the group appears to be making progress -- after releasing an 'open letter' to the owners inviting them to discuss the purchase of Liverpool FC. Do you own shares in a football club? Would you want to own and run your team? Gillett and Hicks completed a $490 million refinancing deal with UK and American banks in January -- saddling the club with annual interest repayments of $42 million, part of the reason why fans are so keen to take over the running of their beloved club. Across Europe the practice of fans owning is fairly common, particularly in Spain where Barcelona is a supporter-owned club run by around 150,000 of its fans. Real Madrid -- the most successful team in Spanish football -- and Atletico Barcelona also belong to members called "socios." In the UK, the move of football fans toward club ownership has been propelled by the threat of overseas owners taking charge and making decisions not favored by the local fans. Football governance expert and management lecturer at the Birkbeck University of London, Dr Geoff Walters, said the reason fans often get involved is to make sure clubs are being "run as effectively and sustainably as possible." Walters said some Premier League sides, including Arsenal, had a small percentage of shares owned by the club, while smaller clubs Brentford, Stockport County and Chesterfield were among the teams where fans had a larger stake. Many of those fans were assisted by Supporters Direct, an organization that helps supporters' trusts from numerous clubs buy shares and have representation at their clubs. However, at the greatest extreme of fan ownership is English conference side Ebbsfleet United. In 2008, the club was taken over by more than 30,000 individuals through web site Myfootballclub.co.uk. Each shareholder paid £35 ($48) to have their say in the club for a year, and could vote on decisions like team selections and ticket prices. According to David Davis, chief executive of Ebbsfleet United, the model has had a few teething problems -- but he feels it could be sustainable. The club had recently lost many members at the one-year renewal, with numerous people citing the recession as the reason for their departure, he said. "We originally had 30,000 people," he told CNN. "We expected to lose a considerable number of these after a year and now we are down to a core of about 10,000. "The very positive thing is that we have this solid core of people who are in it for the longer term. If we can get through this season I think we have conquered it. It's a sustainable model," he said. Davis said some members got involved with voluntary work at the club and he was surprised at the interests many shareholders had. "I think it's still evolving. It's very clear people are in it for different reasons. Some are in it to pick the team, while others are happy just to try to help out at the club and talk of their frustration with the 'fat cat' clubs. "There has been a surprising interest in the business side of it rather than the football side of things," David said. Walters disagrees with Davis' optimism for Ebbsfleet, saying fan ownership is possible, but its best derived from within the club's own fan-base. Walters felt the ShareLiverpoolFC model and the concept promoted by Supporters Direct, were more sustainable as they were geared towards fans of the club. It would be more difficult to retain interest under the Ebbsfleet model where anyone could pay the money and become an owner, he said. "Because they allow anybody to buy a share. If you're not a supporter of that club, do you really have an attachment to that club?" | Liverpool fans are hoping to pool enough money to take over the club . Many clubs have small or large stakes of shares owned by supporters . British club Ebbsfleet United is owned by an online fan community . | c30ca6ef9619b4b93663efaac445e088541141f5 |
(CNN) -- When Bobbi Brown introduced her eponymous lipstick line to Bergdorf Goodman back in 1991, she never expected all 10 pinky-brown shades to fly off the shelves in just one day. Since then, the trailblazing makeup mogul has built a billion-dollar empire by making women look and feel beautiful in a natural way. Her cosmetics adorn the faces of VIPs such as Michelle Obama and Katie Holmes, as well as the Duchess of Cambridge, who wore the brand on her wedding day. With stores in 68 countries today, the company has grown from a mail-order business in the early 90s to a staple in women's makeup bags from London to Beijing. "When I started the company, my mission was to make a lipstick that looked like lips, because most of the lipsticks on the market looked artificial, they were greasy and they smelled bad," Brown told CNN's Poppy Harlow. "I wanted to create something that looked natural, and that worked with a woman's skin tone and her lip color," she adds. Brown's love affair with makeup started as she watched her mother's beauty rituals in their suburban Chicago home. But her true entrepreneurial streak came from her Russian immigrant grandfather, who worked his way up to become a successful car dealer: "I grew up watching Papa Sam in his dealership and I learned so much. He was an amazing role model," she says. School was never the focus of Brown's attention, and when she wanted to drop out of the University of Arizona after her first year, her mother asked her a question that would determine the course of her life: "If you could spend the day doing whatever you wanted, what would you do?" "Go to the mall and play with makeup," came the answer. After earning a degree in theatrical makeup at Emerson College in Boston, Brown moved to New York City, showing her portfolio to anyone and everyone. Living the life of a fledgling makeup artist, her talent and perseverance paid off. Soon she was working on high-profile magazine shoots, eventually landing a Vogue cover with Naomi Campbell -- her first big break. "I'll never forget it," recalls Brown. "It was Naomi Campbell's first cover and the photographer was Patrick Demarchelier. It was shot on the beach early in the morning, and you never know if it's a cover or not, but when I heard it was, I was beyond (excited)," she says. While her makeup artist career was burgeoning, Brown was frustrated by the lack of wearable, natural looking shades amid the fuchsia lipsticks and electric blue eye shadows which dominated the 1980s: "Everything was artificial and fake. It just did not look right to me," she says. A chance meeting with a Kiehl's pharmacist during a fashion shoot led to the creation of her first lipstick, Brown Lip Color, in her signature chocolate-based tones. Four years later, the company she started with just $10,000 was beating cosmetics giant Estee Lauder in major department stores. Brown soon got a call from Leonard Lauder, the scion of the makeup empire started by his mother Estee, offering to buy her company. She accepted, under the condition that she retained all creative control, and today it is estimated that Bobbi Brown products account for about 10% of all Estee Lauder sales. "You know, I think that women will always need their basics," Brown says, explaining how her business managed to weather the financial downturn of recent years. "They will always need their tried and tested things, they are not going to forgo makeup. Maybe they'll forgo the trendy things that come out every season, they don't need it. But most women still need what they need," she adds. When it comes to her role in an industry which has been heavily criticized for making women feel self-conscious, Brown says: "Everyone I know in the beauty industry, not just the people that work in my company, is really there to make products that make women look and feel better, they devote their lives to it. I think the biggest problem is that the Internet now shows everything. So if you are going to be an actress or a supermodel, you are unusually photogenic, you are unusually thin, that is not what all women are," she says. Brown still beautifies the faces of models in all her advertising campaigns, but her business interests are not limited to cosmetics. She has partnered with Safilo, a leading Italian eyewear brand, to design a range of glasses, and has recently been appointed as Editor-in-Chief of Yahoo's new beauty section. Read more: The dress that launched a $7 billion empire . "I'm trying to create a space that is empowering, that's teaching, that's fun, with a sense of humor, that's visually exciting and cool," she says, "but mostly, a place that will give women real answers to not just beauty but lifestyle and empowerment, and everything it means to be a successful, happy woman. And I hope a man, too, I have things planned for men as well," Brown adds. The entrepreneur has also channeled her energy into philanthropy, starting the Pretty Powerful Campaign for Women and Girls, where 100% of the purchase price of a limited edition product goes to programs helping disadvantaged women and girls around the world. The company also sponsors Dress for Success, a global charity which offers unemployed women career advice and professional attire for job interviews. Brown's youthful face and eyes exude humor, and she fosters a homey atmosphere in her headquarters in New York's trendy SoHo. Large windows flood the pastel-colored space with sunlight, and there are regular yoga sessions. "There are dogs and kids that come in, and I love having this atmosphere, it's who I am," she says. The make-up mogul jokingly describes herself as a Type A personality -- hardworking and efficient, yet able to unplug from the daily grind: "I enjoy things that are not about my work, I enjoy my husband, my kids and nephews, my 'entourage,' as I call them. And whether it's family vacations or trips, I'm able to let go," she says. However, the 57-year-old is not ready to hang up her brushes any time soon. "I'm bad at golf and even worse at tennis," she quips, adding that she doesn't feel she has reached her pinnacle yet. "So many things happened in my career which were important moments, from my first Vogue cover to getting into Bergdorf Goodman and Harrods, and finally when Leonard Lauder called, but then things just continued to happen. "So, I haven't made it yet," she concludes. Read more: Marina Abramovic, the sorceress who creates art out of thin air . Read more: Inside Tory Burch's billion dollar fashion world . | Makeup magnate Bobbi Brown started her company with $10,000 in 1991 . Today, the Bobbi Brown brand is worth nearly a billion dollars . Her cosmetics are worn by the likes of Michelle Obama and Kate Middleton . | 22e09b784afe29430a953744a4f9a78afb72361c |
ISLAMABAD, Pakistan (CNN) -- At least six security personnel were killed and eight members of Sri Lanka's cricket team hurt -- including two with gunshot wounds -- in an attack Tuesday on the team's bus by gunmen in Lahore, Pakistan. A video grab shows a suspected gunman near Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore, Pakistan, Tuesday. The Sri Lankan players were traveling to the city's Gaddafi Stadium for the third day of the second test match against Pakistan at around 9 a.m. local time (11 p.m. ET) when the attack occurred. Video footage showed several gunmen with automatic weapons opening firing on the convoy from a roundabout, Liberty Square, close to the stadium. Police said at least 12 gunmen were involved. Pakistani Information Minister Sherry Rahman told CNN the attackers were still at large. Witnesses described the scene as "pandemonium." Images showed police vehicles with their windscreens punctured by bullets and their front seats stained with blood. A body lies in the road in front of one bullet-shattered van. "I heard two loud explosions outside the stadium and a lot of AK-47 fire," said Hamish Roberts, a cameraman who was inside the stadium at the time. See a map of where the attack took place » . The driver of the bus said a police car and two security vans at the front of the convoy had borne the brunt of the attack. Watch footage of the gunmen staging their attack » . Up to eight players, one coach and 10 security staff were reported hurt, with two players suffering bullet wounds. Tharanga Paranavitana, 26, was hit in the chest while Thilan Samaraweera, 32, suffered a leg injury, according to Chamra Ranaveera, a Sri Lankan embassy attache. Both men are in a stable condition. Six more players -- team captain Sangakkara, Chaminda Vaas, Ajantha Mendis, Suranga Lakmal, Thilan Thushara and Mahela Jayawardene -- and assistant coach Paul Fabrece were hurt by glass shrapnel. Read profiles of the wounded players » . "This is a very well-planned attack," security official Nadeem Sayed told CNN. "The team is very much scared." Cricket manager Charlie Austin, who represents six of the Sri Lankan squad, said none of the players' injuries were life-threatening. "The guys are shocked. They are recovering at the moment," Austin told CNN. "Thankfully they've only suffered minor injuries. They're keen to leave Pakistan and get back to their families as soon as possible." Watch Austin describe the mood of the Sri Lankan players after the attack » . Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Rohitha Bogollagama said the squad would be flown home to Colombo later Tuesday. Bogollagama is traveling to Pakistan for talks with Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani. No group has claimed responsibility for the attack, but Sri Lankan officials have ruled out Tamil separatists, who have been waging a bloody civil war on the Southeast Asian island. Witnesses who saw the attack praised the response of security officials. "The guards were brilliant. They weren't panicking. They were very calm," sports producer Gavin Scovell said. "It must have been a terrifying experience, but they handled it well." "Our policemen rose to the occasion and laid down their lives to protect our Sri Lankan guests," said Pakistan's President Zardari. Pakistan, which is battling Islamist and Taliban insurgents in its North West Frontier Province, has struggled to attract visiting cricket teams in recent years because of security concerns. Watch how attack strikes at legitimacy of Pakistani government » . The current test series with Sri Lanka is the Pakistani team's first since touring India in 2007. In 2002 a car bomb exploded outside a hotel where the New Zealand cricket team was staying. Last year Australia canceled a proposed tour in the wake of a series of suicide bombings. The International Cricket Council was also forced to postpone the high-profile ICC Champions Trophy after five of the eight participants pulled out. Pakistan is due to co-host the Cricket World Cup in 2011 with India, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, although the extent of its involvement in that tournament now appears to be under scrutiny. John Stern, the editor of cricket magazine Wisden, said it was "not possible" to imagine international cricket taking place in Pakistan in the near future and described the outlook for the sport in the country as "desperate." "Pakistan has been struggling for a while. They hadn't played a test match in the entirety of 2008," Stern told CNN. "I do hope the cricket world will rally around Pakistan to find a way for the team to play outside of the country." He said one possibility was for the team to play its matches in the UK, which has a large Pakistani community. Former Pakistani Waqar Younis bowler said: "I don't see the International Cricket Council now allowing the World Cup matches in Pakistan. It's gone." "This has really damaged Pakistan," former Pakistani cricket player Zahir Abbas told Geo-TV. "Already some teams didn't want to come to Pakistan. Now who will come after this incident?" In a statement, ICC Chief Executive Haroon Lorgat said the attack was "very upsetting for the wider cricket family." "We note with dismay and regret the events of this morning in Lahore and we condemn this attack without reservation," Lorgat said. "I have confirmed with both member boards that the remainder of the tour has been canceled and we are working hard to get our match officials out of the area as safely and as quickly as possible." Sri Lanka agreed in December to visit Pakistan after India called off a tour following November's terror attacks in Mumbai. Indian authorities blamed the attacks on Pakistan-based militants. Pakistan's Cricket Board had hoped Sri Lanka's tour would help it recoup some of more than $16 million it was set to lose as a result of India's cancelation. The Sri Lankan offer to tour was a reciprocal gesture. Pakistan was one of two countries that agreed to play in Sri Lanka during the 1996 World Cup tournament after other countries refused to travel there because of security concerns over the country's civil war with Tamil separatists. | 6 security staff dead, several Sri Lankan cricketers hurt in attack in Lahore . Team bus was attacked by up to 12 gunmen en route to stadium, police say . Gunmen still at large; no group has claimed responsibility for attack . Batsmen Paranavitana, Samaraweera suffered gunshot wounds, Sri Lanka says . | 33612f864142e11c7d6743b78b6f884954250193 |
A California high school made history on Friday when it elected its first transgender homecoming queen in the school's history. But what the 16-year-old thought would be 'the happiest night of my life' ended with her recording a tearful Youtube video describing how the negative feedback hurt her more than it ever had before. Cassidy Lynn Campbell, 16, is now the reigning homecoming queen at Marina High School in Huntington Beach. At her crowning ceremony, she instantly fell to the ground and started crying tears of joy. She says the honor is bigger than just her. SCROLL DOWN FOR VIDEOS . Cassidy Campbell, 16, attends the 2013 homecoming football game for Marina High School . Your new queen: The moment Campbell learned she was elected homecoming queen she dropped to the ground in tears of joy . Campbell says she realized her win wasn't just for her but for other transgender kids who may be struggling . 'If I win it would mean that the school recognizes me as the gender I . always felt I was,' she told the L.A. Times earlier this month. 'But . with all the attention, I realized it's bigger than me. I'm doing this . for the kids who can't be themselves.' According to the paper, Campbell began taking estrogen injections and hormone blockers when she entered high school as she started her transition from male to female. She's documented her transition on Youtube, offering fashion and makeup advice for other transgender children. "I realized it wasn’t for me anymore and I was doing this for so many . people all around the county and the state and possibly the world and I . am so proud to win this not just for me, but everyone out there,” she . told KTLA. Crowned: Campbell is crowned homecoming queen of Marina High School . Transition: Campbell documented his transition on Youtube, offering makeup tips . Campbell says she decided to run for homecoming queen earlier this year to make a statement. While most of the kids at the school accept Campbell as female and were excited to see her win, it appears some weren't - which prompted the heartbreaking Youtube video. In an explanation of the video, Campbell says she has never been so hurt by negative feedback as she did following what she thought would be 'the happiest night of my life.' Heartbreaking: Campbell says the negative feedback about her win hurt her more than ever before . 'After 16 years of struggling, I finally do it and I finally am myself -- . thinking I'll be so happy,' she said in the video. 'It's just sad that everyone has . to be so judgmental about it, and so hateful, and so mean and so . negative. I've never done anything to any of these people. And I don't . know why they have to be this way, when I've done nothing to them. It . just hurts so bad because I feel just as much of a girl as all of them . do... Everyone is just so ignorant.' She went on to question whether her transitioning to male was even worth it. 'Sometimes I wonder, ''is it even worth it?'' And if I should just go back to being miserable and just be a boy...so everyone will just shut up and leave me alone,' she says in the video. Campbell is only the second transgender student to be elected homecoming queen by her peers. In 2009, Jessee Vasold was named homecoming queen at Ailliam and Mary in Virginia. | Cassidy Campbell became the first transgender person elected homecoming queen at her high school in California . After she learned she won, she dropped to the ground in tears of joy . Tears of joy turned to tears of pain as people apparently bullied her after she was named homecoming queen . | 2a5a4ac8c39a0a92bd7de0de0e94bb0807f9c0ff |
(CNN) -- The 30-mile stretch between Biloxi and Bay St. Louis, Mississippi, is still dotted with battle wounds from Hurricane Katrina seven years later. Concrete slabs and steps that lead to nothing but trash and overgrown weeds are all that is left of historic brick homes. But amid the slabs are majestic homes with grand, sweeping porches and perfectly manicured lawns. The owners of these homes are as tough and resilient as only survivors of one of the deadliest storms in history could be. State-by-state: Isaac evacuations, delays . Lifelong Bay St. Louis resident Corky Hadden lives on the spot of his childhood home, set off the water where the bay feeds into the Gulf of Mexico. While he and his family evacuated to safety inland, Katrina's ravaging storm surge swept the house right off its stilts, leaving only the foundation intact. "We had some old columns that the old house stood on, and those columns were picked clean, there was nothing left on them," he said. Determined, Hadden rebuilt where his boyhood home once stood, both stronger and higher. "I've got poured concrete pillars filled with steel, 10 times more steel than before," he said. "We're now 24 feet above sea level, 11 feet from the ground." Isaac could bring in a 12-foot storm surge, which would mean Hadden's first floor could take on some water. "We don't have anything important below that 24-foot elevation," he said. Live blog: Isaac moves in . Air conditioning units and electric boxes are strategically placed on the house's second floor, safely away from most critical dangers. Outside, the air is full of Isaac's portents. The normally calming sounds of the surf are dimmed by hurricane flags clanging loudly against an old converted ship mast in Hadden's front yard. The blazing red flags with the signature black squares in the center stand out in stark contrast to the temporarily blue sky. Hadden and his neighbors are wary but calm. "I think everybody has come back in a much stronger fashion," he said. "We're watching, but we're prepared." Riding eastward toward Gulfport along white sand beaches with sparkling blue waters, beautiful antebellum-style homes grace the coastline. The stately green manse where Ben and Nancy Stone live right off the beach is a new construction, a near replica of the 1800s-era house that was obliterated by Katrina. iReport: Share your images, videos of Isaac . A portion of the second floor ended up in their neighbor's yard. In the debris, the Stones found a closet that contained the original floorplans. Armed with the diagram and hard lessons learned post-Katrina, the family rebuilt. "We prepared for everything we think would happen in a redo of Katrina," Ben Stone said. The house is made of walls a foot wide, windows that can withstand 200 mph winds, and sports steel beams that tunnel into the ground. "This is a special place for us. We like to get up in the morning, and first thing I do is look out to the Gulf. It gets angry from time to time, but it's the most beautiful sight I see," Stone said. "I was not going to live the rest of my life without coming back here." The vacant lot next door is where Sissy Leatherman's mother used to live. 6 mobile apps to track Isaac . "After Katrina, she was like 'Huh-uh, I'm getting out of here,'" Leatherman said. Her mother, like herself, moved inland away from the Gulf's reach. Leatherman and her husband spent some time on Gulfport's beach Monday so their twin girls could enjoy some outdoor fun. "I told them it's literally the calm before the storm," she said. Like many other Gulf Coast Mississippians, Leatherman is ready for Isaac, and other storms that may loom. "We aren't too worried. I don't think it'll be that bad," she said. "But we know a Katrina will happen again. We know it will." | Biloxi and Bay St. Louis stretch still shows signs of Hurricane Katrina . Those who stayed have rebuilt with storms in mind . Now they're preparing for Isaac and other inevitable storms . | 9174b1120a00de90da2206cae30aecb0a16fc853 |
Rickie Lambert has revealed he turned down the chance to move to Aston Villa because he wasn't given enough time to think about it. The Midlands outfit attempted to sign the former Southampton forward on transfer deadline day in January in a bid to ease their troubles in front of goal. But the move broke down late on, something Lambert said was due to the time constraints . Rickie Lambert has opened up about why his proposed move to Aston Villa broke down in January . Lambert has struggled for game time this season due to the high quality of his Liverpool team-mates . 'I wasn't aware of any interest until deadline day,' Lambert told the Liverpool Echo. 'I got a phone call from the gaffer about 4pm saying Aston Villa had come in. He said he didn't want me to go but basically offered me the chance if I wanted to play football, which is fair enough. 'I spoke to my agent, I spoke to my wife, I spoke to Aston Villa and it was close. It was very close. It was touch and go. We agreed everything. 'The deal was agreed, but in the end, there just wasn't enough time to say 'yes' - to make a decision in the space of four or five hours for the next two-and-a-half-years. Not just for me, but for my family as well. 'It was something I just couldn't do. It was too short notice. It was too big of a decision to make in the short amount of time I had.' Lambert heads the ball during the recent FA Cup clash with Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park . The former Southampton man takes a shot during the Merseyside derby . | Aston Villa attempted to sign Rickie Lambert on transfer deadline day . Lambert admitted the move was close but he couldn't complete . He said he wasn't given enough time to make the decision . | cbf5757048ef5d458fcc4f8e151a844b935a6008 |
By . James Rush and Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 12:59 EST, 13 February 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 02:40 EST, 14 February 2013 . Battle: The wine companies who lay claim to the distinctive Babycham logo of a leaping baby antelope have lodged a High Court writ against Cath Kidston Ltd . One is instantly recognisable as the logo of Babycham sparkling perry. The other adorned Cath Kidston products at Christmas – but has left some feeling anything but festive. Babycham has launched legal proceedings against the British homeware company, claiming its use of a baby deer with a ribbon on its neck infringed the drinks firm’s rights. The High Court writ also claims that the appearance of the logo on Cath Kidston products aimed at under-18s associates Babycham ‘with a blatant disregard for industry codes of practice to protect children’. The Guildford-based company behind the drink wants an injunction to stop Cath Kidston using the image, plus destruction of all products marked with it. But Cath Kidston denies perplexing shoppers, insisting that – although its seasonal deer image and the Babycham logo are both ‘hoofed ruminants, unaccustomed to wearing ribbons’ – there is no confusing similarity between the two. Lawyer Philip Roberts said: ‘The differences in the manner of execution speak for themselves, not least . . . the absence of horns and the springing “springbok” stance.’ Barrister David Wilkinson, for Western Wines Holdings Ltd and Accolade Wines Ltd, said in the writ: 'The claimants and their predecessors in title have, since 1953, used in relation to Babycham sparkling perry and related goods various iterations of a logo with the common theme of a baby chamois with a ribbon tied round its neck. 'Indeed Babycham was the first alcoholic brand and the second ever brand to be advertised on commercial television in the UK with a campaign in 1957. 'Cath Kidston Ltd has used and continues to use a logo in relation to its Christmas 2012 advertising campaign and range of related goods, which depicts a baby deer with a ribbon tied around its neck, which is substantially similar to the Babycham logo,' adds Mr Wilkinson. 'Their use in the course of trade of the Kidston Logo without due cause in relation to goods similar to those for which the registered marks are registered, take unfair advantage of, and is detrimental to, the distinctive character and repute of the Babycham logo,' it states. 'A drink, its packaging and any promotional material or activity should not in any direct or indirect way have a particular appeal to under-18s. The use of the Kidston Logo includes use on products relevant to under 18s, such as children's clothes . 'The application of the Kidston Logo to goods relevant to under-18s is liable to cause serious tarnishing and detriment to the repute of Babysham by associating (it) in the minds of the public and trade with a blatant disregard for industry codes of practise to protect children.' Brand: One of the Cath Kidston deer designs which are accused of infringing the copyright of the Babycham leaping chamois logo . Mr Roberts, for Cath Kidston Ltd, states that 'no admissions' are made as to the ownership of the trade mark and that the two wine companies should be 'put to strict proof thereof.' Denying the two logos are substantially similar or have confused shoppers, he continued: 'Since 1953...Babycham branded sparkling perry has featured a particular stylised illustration of a springing chamois goat-antelope with a blue ribbon tied round its neck. 'It is admitted and averred that Cath Kidston Ltd has featured various images of young deer in relation to its Christmas 2012 range of goods and associated advertising campaign. Iconic: The famous Babycham leaping chamois logo, depicted on a 70's beermat . 'It is denied that any of the said deer are "substantially similar" to any of the chamois. 'While it cannot be denied that, by nature, deer and chamois are both hoofed ruminants, unaccustomed to wearing ribbons, the differences in the manner of execution speak for themselves, not least arising out of the absence of horns and the springing "springbok" stance.' Catherine Isabel Audrey Kidston MBE, is 54 and was born in Marylebone, London. Cath Kidston Limited sells home furnishings and related goods through shops, online and by mail order. She is particularly known for her nostalgic floral patterns . Kidston opened her first shop in London's Notting Hill in 1993, selling hand-embroidered tea-towels and brightly renovated furniture. In February 2010, the company was valued at £75 million when she sold a majority stake of the company to private equity investors TA Associates, retaining a minority stake and remaining the company's Creative Director. Disrepute: The wine companies claim the Cath Kidston deer images, such as the one pictured, risked bringing Babycham into disrepute . | Wine companies lodged High Court writ against Cath Kidston Ltd . Claim its Christmas 2012 range infringes their rights on chamois logo . Cath Kidston Ltd insists there is no confusing similarity between the images . | 2d08d6eb0ab69a6ea1f6f629c2e1c545be92be87 |
Draped in the blue velvet robes of the Order of the Garter and with a plumed hat in his hands, at first glance the Duke of Winsdsor looks every inch a king. But in this extraordinary photograph – which has never been seen before - the silver-haired former Edward VIII is not posing in state in one of the royal palaces of Britain. Instead, he stands squinting in the sun in the back garden of his French country house, replacing the ceremonial garter around his calf with a blue ribbon. Scroll down for video . The Duke of Windsor poses in his Order of the Garter robes in a photograph that has never been seen before . This picture is part of a stash of three photo albums capturing decades of the duke's life with wife Wallis Simpson, the Duchess of Windsor, which has remained hidden until now. It appears in the new issue of Hello! magazine, along with earlier photographs from the albums, that are being published for the first time. Filled with intimate shots up to the former king's death in 1972, the three albums give a hitherto-unseen glimpse into Edward's life as Prince of Wales, King Edward VIII and then duke. After the duke's death in 1972 they passed into the possession of his gardener, Henri Gay, 90, who said he had a close working relationship with his royal employer. Mr Gay told the magazine: 'We shared a passion for gardening and nature that cut across the difference in our social backgrounds.' As the Prince of Wales, Edward poses with future wife Wallis Simpson and dogs at Fort Belvedere, Windsor . The Duke and Duchess of Windsor's former country home La Moulin de la Tuilerie in Gif sur Yvette, south west of Paris, from 1952 to 1972 . An official photographer shoots Prince Edward (left) posing in his Garter robes in Buckingham Palace after his investiture in 1911 at the age of 17; the Illustrated London News pictured King Edward VIII in garter robes (right). The caption notes he was depicted as the Prince of Wales, and the picture is a water colour replica of an artist's oil painting which hung in the Guildhall Portsmouth measuring 9ft by 6ft . Mr Gay, who is retired and lives near Montpelier, was head gardener at Le Moulin de la Tuilerie, the Windsor's country retreat southwest of Paris, for seven years from 1966. He told Hello! that after the duke's death in 1972, the duchess gave him the photo albums on her last visit to the house before it was sold - and she generously left him $10,000 in her will. For him, the volumes initially held sentimental value but as the years passed he began to realise their historical significance. The intimate snaps of the Duke of Windsor are in this issue of Hello! Magazine . The gardener, who worked for the couple with his wife Renee, said he was the photographer behind the picture of the older, silver-haired duke posing in the historic garb in front of, what looks like, a farm building. Mr Gay said: 'On one occasion he called me over to take a picture of him in his robes. 'It was in the garden where he had installed a mini-golf course. He loved mini-golf.' Interestingly, two parts of the official ceremonial robes are missing: he is not wearing the gold link-chain 'collar' and he has tied a blue ribbon around his leg rather than the official garter. According to Hello!, the first album of the collection passed to Mr Gay, is labeled The Fort after the Duke's home in Windsor, Fort Belvedere and seems to track his growing passion for the thin, abrasive American woman, as she features in almost every shot. Other snaps capture Edward's brief time as king as well as a Mediterranean cruise he took with Wallis. The photos are just another glimpse into the life one of the most controversial royals who courted scandal with his fast-living set in the 1930s and refused to assume a life of duty when he became king. In fact, on becoming king 20 January 193l, he caused a constitutional crisis just months into his reign by seeking to marry Wallis Simpson, an American socialite who had divorced one man and was trying to divorce another. Preferring to marry Wallis, Edward abdicated after 326 days, becoming the shortest-reigning monarch in British history. In an address to the nation, he said: 'I have found it impossible to carry the heavy burden of responsibility and to discharge my duties as king as I would wish to do without the help and support of the woman I love.' After his abdication, his younger brother Albert took the throne - and the name George VI - while his wife Elizabeth became queen, and their eldest daughter Elizabeth, first in line for the throne. The newly-titled Duke of Windsor married Wallis in a private ceremony on 3 June, 1937, at Château de Candé near Tours, France. The new king forbade any members of the royal family to attend the wedding and denied the Duchess of Windsor the styling of 'Her Royal Highness', which added to the strained relationship between the Windsors and the rest of the royals. Edward hoped to settle in Britain after a couple of years of exile in France but his brother George VI threatened to cut off his allowance if he returned to Britain without an invitation. During the war, he was installed as the Governor of the Bahamas but afterwards he and the duchess returned to France where they spent the rest of their lives, becoming international socialites in Paris and New York. While relaxing at Le Moulin, the only property the couple would own, Edward and Wallis hosted the biggest stars of the day including Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton, Aristotle Onassis, Maria Callas, Marlene Dietrich and Cecil Beaton. The Duke and Duchess of Windsor and the era in which they lived continues to fascinate, with Madonna's film W.E focusing on the couple's love affair and the Oscar-winning King's Speech highlighting the relationship between his brother the Duke of York and then George VI and his speech therapist. The Duke and Duchess of Windsor, who had been married for 12 years, pictured here in 1949 at Victoria Station . The Order of the Garter is the oldest British Order of Chivalry and was founded by Edward III in 1348. It is said to have been founded when at a court ball, a lady lost one of her garters and King Edward bent down, picked it up and - amid blushes and laughter - tied it around his own leg with the remark: 'Honi soit qui mal y pense' which means, 'Shame on him who thinks this evil'. The phrase is now the Order's motto. The Order consists of the monarch and 24 knights and honours men and women (permitted to join the order in 1987) who have served the nation or the sovereign. Members of the royal family are also permitted to join in addition to the 24 knights and include Prince Philip, Prince Charles, Princess Anne, Duke of York, Earl of Wessex and Duke of Cambridge. St George is the order's patron saint and St George's Chapel, Windsor is its spiritual home. The ceremonial robes have changed and evolved over the years but today the insignia includes the following items: . For more information visit and churchill-society-london.org.uk and royal.gov.uk. | Extraordinary new photograph of former Edward VIII shows him dressed in Order of the Garter robes . He poses in sunny garden of his French country house, with a blue ribbon - rather than a garter - around his calf . The shot is part of three private photo albums which has emerged 43 years after the duke's death . | 74193090f487d11f4c3686ab92533af6027f0e77 |
Alfreton Town were made to pay for not having a recognised goalkeeper available for selection as midfielder Anthony Howell conceded five goals in his side's FA Cup tie against Lincoln City. Howell was unable to stop his side from crashing out of the fourth qualifying round of the famous cup competition after agreeing to go in goal. Manager Nicky Law, whose side were thrashed 5-1 in their replay against Lincoln at the Sincil Bank Stadium, went into the game without a goalkeeper after James Severn and Cameron Dawson picked up injuries. Midfielder Anthony Howell watches the ball fly into the net as his side concede their first goal . Howell was forced into going in goal as goalkeepers James Severn and Cameron Dawson were out injured . Stand-in goalkeeper Howell punches clear during his side's encounter with Lincoln City . Alfreton's night was made even worse when former Notts County striker Karl Hawley was shown a straight red card for a foul on Tom Miller in the 70th minute. Law asked the FA for special dispensation to sign a goalkeeper on an emergency deal but their request was declined. Lincoln City will play fellow Conference outfit Eastleigh in the next stage of the competition as they look to progress past round one of the FA Cup. Lincoln City scored five goals against Alfreton Town to book a place in the first round of the FA Cup . Howell, pictured playing for Mansfield Town, is more accustomed to playing in midfield than in goal . | Anthony Howell acted as an emergency goalkeeper as Alfreton Town's two goalkeepers were out injured . Nicky Law's side were thrashed 5-1 in their replay against Lincoln City . Alfreton's request to sign a goalkeeper was turned down by the FA . | 2f86e7264104b7f6dd1cea42beaa582de66dba68 |
By . Emily Davies . PUBLISHED: . 06:19 EST, 16 March 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 07:49 EST, 16 March 2013 . Gwen Trickett with her 56-year-old Hoover Junior vacuum cleaner which she still uses to this day . Pensioner Gwen Trickett has cleaned up with the ancient vacuum cleaner she bought bought for a few pounds more than half a century ago. Her blue and grey upright Hoover Junior is still going strong and has never let her down even after vacuuming her carpets thousands of times over the years. Mrs Trickett, 77, bought a new plastic cleaner ten years ago but used it just once and dumped it in a corner before returning to trusty Hoover Junior. It was the first household item that . great grandmother Mrs Trickett and husband Derek, from Worsborough, . Barnsley, bought when they were married in 1957. And . apart from replacing the wire flex she has had to buy just one new bag, . while the ancient motor continues to power the Hoover on her twice . weekly cleaning sessions. The Hoover Junior would have cost Mrs Trickett £20 in the mid 1950s which was twice the average weekly wage at the time. ‘I must admit I like to get my wear . out of things but I never thought it would last as long as this,' said . Mrs Trickett, who celebrates her 56th wedding anniversary today. ‘We . bought it from a local shop with back tax which was the income tax you . got back if you were married before the end of the tax year. ‘I . can't remember exactly how much we paid for it but there is not doubt . we have had our moneysworth out of it and a lot more besides. ‘It's . had a few knocks over the years and the paintwork is scratched but it's . a metal body so it's solid. About ten years ago I bought a new plastic . cleaner because I thought that my Hoover was bound to break down at any . time but it never has. ‘It . starts up every time and still has a lot of suction. My other cleaner . just stands in the corner and is no where near as good. The Hoover Junior was the first household item bought by Gwen Trickett after she married her husband Derek . Reliable: The 56-year-old hoover's paintwork is scratched but it still has a lot of suction according to Gwen Trickett . ‘I wouldn't replace it for one of these new-fangled cleaners you see on TV that are like a rolling ball with a tube attached. ‘I have a son and a daughter, my . daughter is a bit like me and will get her wear out of things but my son . falls apart laughing because the cleaner is ancient and he thinks I . ought to use the other one.’ Gwen added: ‘I hope I've got a few years left yet but I bet my Hoover will still be going when I'm gone.’ | Hoover was first item Gwen and Derek Trickett bought after they married . Vacuum cleaner cost £20 twice the average weekly wages in 1957 . | 52e83a444be0928fcb591d3b76938850647bc9b4 |
(CNN) -- Severe weather took only about five minutes to knock out windows and rip signs and awnings off buildings in downtown Bridgeport, Connecticut, Thursday afternoon, eyewitness Beth Bowman reported. "In seconds it just turned black, and you can't see across the street. There was foggy, crazy hard rain," said Bowman, who was in a downtown bookstore in Bridgeport when the severe weather barreled through. After five minutes of darkness, the weather cleared and the sun came out, Bowman said. The damage from the brief but powerful storm included uprooted trees and overturned U.S. postal boxes, she said. Mayor Bill Finch said via Twitter that his city was under a state of emergency. Weather data showed winds up to 75 mph, said CNN meteorologist Sean Morris. It was not immediately clear if the winds were from a tornado or strong thunderstorm, he said. But the National Weather Service characterized the event as a thunderstorm. It reported wind damage that included "extensive tree damage." The Bridgeport Police Department said the storm caused significant damage. Matt Cherry from CNN Radio contributed to this report. | NEW: Eyewitness said it turned black for five minutes, then cleared . Severe weather caused significant damage in Bridgeport, Connecticut . The mayor put Bridgeport under state of emergency . The severe weather's currently classified as a thunderstorm . | 89f829178c1e767fbeae2172a22a28d36a9ec6b8 |
A video showing Beyoncé Knowles' sister Solange attacking Jay Z took the internet by storm on Monday. But the couple surprisingly were not keeping a low profile after news of the fight, which took place last week, broke. Instead, the singer and rapper went to watch the Brooklyn Nets play Miami Heat at the Barclays Center in New York on Monday evening. Scroll down for video . Laughing it off?: Beyonce and Jay Z attended the Brooklyn Nets vs. Miami Heat game in New York on Monday, hours after a video of Solange Knowles attacking her brother-in-law surfaced . And Beyoncé and Jay Z did their best to seem completely unfazed by the release of the dramatic footage, which was captured on surveillance camera in an elevator at The Standard hotel after the Met Gala, held at New York's Metropolitan Museum Of Art on May 5. Instead, the pair were laughing and looking carefree as they sat courtside during the basketball game. Beyoncé, 32, looked glamorous in a denim jumpsuit and black sandals with intricately designed gold heels. Keeping composed: The singer was seen looking at the cameras while sitting courtside at the basketball game . Glamorous: The 32-year-old looked great in a denim jumpsuit and heels alongside her casually clad husband . Affectionate moment: As they shared a joke about something, the rapper was seen placing a hand on his wife's ankle . New club: Jay Z - pictured with Beyonce - is opening a new branch of his sports bar at Atlanta airport . Meanwhile . Jay Z, real name Shawn Carter, was casually clad in a white T-shirt and . trainers, along with black trousers and a gold chain around his neck. Beyoncé was seen leaving the party with Solange after the fight, while Jay Z headed home alone in a separate car. A . few days later, the sisters apparently made a getaway to Costa Rica, . where they apparently joined Kelly Rowland for her secret wedding. On their feet: The excited pair jumped up to clap at one point, even though the Nets lost to the Heat . Cool customer: Much like during the elevator fight, Beyonce was calm and collected during the evening . Deep in thought: At one point the couple looked to be having a serious conversation, perhaps about the fight . Eyes on the prize: With even more attention on them than usual, Beyonce and Jay Z tried to focus on the game . According to Us Weekly, Kelly's wedding took place on Friday and was a 'quick, simple ceremony - only around 30 people.' On . Thursday, three days after the attack in an elevator at The Standard . hotel in New York, Beyoncé and Solange arrived in Costa Rica onboard a . private plane around 7:56pm, according to E!. It . comes after it was reported in local paper La Nación that their mother . Tina Knowles, Destiny's Child member Michelle Williams and Kelly's . fiance Tim Witherspoon were also in Costa Rica, suggesting it was for . Kelly and Tim's nuptials, which has now been confirmed by UsWeekly. Under control: Beyonce is said to have flown with Solange to Costa Rica for Kelly Rowland's wedding days after the attack . Damage control: Beyonce also left the Met Gala after party with Solange, who apparently had a row with Rachel Roy that same night . Nothing to see here: The power couple didn't seem to have a care in the world on the same day the video was released . Lean on me: Beyonce, who has two-year-old daughter Blue Ivy with Jay Z, looked like she was about to rest her head on his shoulder . Beyoncé did . little to quash the rumours as she posted a picture on her Instagram, . looking as though she was dressed in a bridesmaid outfit. In . the shocking video, Solange was lashing out wildly at her . brother-in-law, 44, with both her arms and her legs, while her sister . stood beside them looking curiously impassive. The seemingly unprovoked attack plays out in footage obtained by TMZ. Best seats in the house: Only the best will do for the basketball fans, who also attended a game on Saturday . All forgiven?: Jay Z was seen cuddling Solange's son at the basketball a few days following the incident . Shocking: The footage, caught on surveillance camera after the Met Gala on May 5, shows Solange lashing out wildly . Unprovoked?: It is not known what caused the fight. In the video, Jay Z did not retaliate while Beyonce stood there impassively . Solange can . be clearly be seen kicking and swinging violently at Jay Z, the father . of her two-year-old niece, Blue Ivy, after the trio step into the . elevator. The . clip shows a man who appears to be a bodyguard holding her back, but . the 27-year-old still manages to rain blows on Jay Z several times. The bodyguard can also be seen pushing the emergency stop button in the elevator at the 12th floor, no doubt stop the fight spilling out in front of photographers. During the frenzied altercation, Jay Z grabs Solange's stiletto clad foot to block a kick but never attempts to retaliate. While . there still has been no word from either Beyonce or Jay Z's . representatives, a spokesperson from The Standard Hotel in New York City . has made a statement. Following calls regarding the leaked CCTV . footage, reps for The Standard Hotel told MailOnline, they were 'shocked . and disappointed' in what had been a 'clear breach of our security . system'. They said in a . statement: 'We are investigating with the utmost urgency the . circumstances surrounding the situation and, as is our customary . practice, will discipline and prosecute the individuals involved to our . fullest capacity.' The aftermath: The trio are seen leaving the elevator immediately after the attack . Wedding belle: It is thought that Beyonce posted this photo from Costa Rica while sporting a bridesmaid outfit . It's . not yet known what provoked the fight, however, the famous couple . looked as happy as ever as they attended another Brooklyn Nets game on . Saturday while Solange played a gig in New York. Rather . tellingly, Jay Z had his arms affectionately around Solange's son who . is known as Juelz, now nine, as the family sat courtside. Beyoncé and Jay Z have remained silent on Twitter following the incident, but Solange rather oddly tweeted on Sunday: 'This might have been top 10 days ever in life.' It has also been claimed that Solange yelled at Rachel Roy earlier at the after party, held at the Standard's Boom Boom Room, with Us Weekly's source adding that Beyoncé 'got in the middle of it'. There may be trouble ahead: Beyonce and Solange are pictured shortly before the fight occurred . The calm before the storm: Beyonce was also photographed with Jay Z at the party, held at the Standard's Boom Boom Room . | Singer apparently took her sister to Costa Rica for Kelly Rowland's wedding days after the fight . Fight occurred in elevator at The Standard hotel in New York, where an after party for the Met Gala was taking place on May 5 . Solange is said to have had a row with Kim Kardashian's pal Rachel Roy that same evening . | 8f2abdcf078d039176a9e40c95800a4de5693459 |
By . Emma Innes . PUBLISHED: . 08:14 EST, 28 February 2014 . | . UPDATED: . 09:42 EST, 28 February 2014 . She was still grieving for the twin babies she had lost just weeks before. So Barbara Short couldn't believe the news when doctors confirmed she was pregnant again - with twins. The 32-year-old, from Hartlepool, had been devastated when her twins Ava and Alfie, born at just 23 weeks, had died. Barbara Short amazed doctors by conceiving two sets of twins in a year. The first set, Ava and Alfie, died when born at 23 weeks. Just two months later she learned she was expecting Lilly and Frankie (pictured) But just over two months later, she received the wonderful news that she was pregnant again - and there were two heartbeats. She added that while she was 'overjoyed when the babies were born healthy,' she still felt an emptiness for the children she had lost. She has now given birth to another set of twins - Frankie and Lilly Wallace. Ms Short said: ‘It’s as if Ava and Alfie have been sent back to me. I can’t believe how I can be so blessed to have another two and be able to take them home with me. ‘Everyone, even the doctors, were shocked at me having two sets of twins in less than a year. It was definitely meant to be that I was given Frankie and Lilly.’ Ms Short suffered complications almost as soon she found out she was pregnant in April 2012 and just 23 weeks into her pregnancy she was rushed to hospital and gave birth. Lilly (pictured) and Frankie were born in July 2013 and were both healthy enough to go home within a few days . Tiny Ava Wallace and Alfie Wallace were born at the University Hospital of North Tees in Stockton. Ava came into the world at 2.50am weighing just 9oz, while Alfie was born 10 minutes later and weighed 1lb. The pair - who Ms Short says could have fitted into the palm of her hand - were taken to the James Cook University Hospital, in Middlesbrough, and placed on ventilators. But Ava lost her fight eight hours after she was born and Alfie battled on for just a few more hours before dying at 4.30pm on the same day. Former delivery driver Ms Short, who has two older children, Molly-Jo Short, seven, and four-year-old James Wallace, said her world came crashing down after their deaths. Frankie was not breathing when he was born so he had to spend five days in hospital before going home . She said: ‘I felt like I was looking in on someone else and it wasn’t me. I’d had two babies, but I was going home with none. ‘None . of it seemed real. I was empty, my stomach was empty, but yet I had . nothing. I still haven’t got over that and I don’t expect I ever will.’ But just nine weeks later Ms Short went from despair to happiness when she discovered that she was pregnant again - with twins. And unlike her pregnancy with Ava and Alfie, she had no health problems and went into labour at a safer 36 weeks. After a Caesarean birth, Ms Short delivered Frankie and Lilly on July 22 last year at 4.17pm. Although Frankie was not breathing when he was born, doctors worked on him and he took his first breath six minutes later. Ms Short said: 'When [Frankie and Lilly] were born I was over the moon, but at the same time I was still grieving for Ava and Alfie. But even though they have filled the void, I'll still always feel an emptiness for the two I lost' Lilly was taken home two days after her birth and Frankie came home five days later, after being looked after in the special care baby unit. Ms Short, who has since split from the babies’ father, said seven months on, both babies are healthy and Frankie is ‘really stern and serious’ and Lilly is ‘full of smiles’. Ms Short said: ‘It’s hard to explain but when they were born I was over the moon, but at the same time I was still grieving for Ava and Alfie. ‘But even though they have filled the void, I’ll still always feel an emptiness for the two I lost, especially when I go to the cemetery. ‘I know their souls are with us though. They can never be replaced.’ | Barbara Short, 32, lost her first set of twins, Ava and Alfie Wallace, when they were born at just 23 weeks, each weighing about 1lb . Two months later she learned she was pregnant with twins again . Frankie and Lilly, now seven months, were born healthy in July . | b09448e2d442239860d7b700b94e95422050fa98 |
Cairo, Egypt (CNN) -- As some opposition groups met with the Egyptian government in an effort to find a diplomatic solution to its political crisis, reports continued to surface of security forces detaining journalists and human rights activists. On Sunday, an Al-Jazeera English correspondent was detained by the military on Sunday, though Egyptian leaders insisted that journalists and others were free to carry out their work in Egypt. He was released later that night, Al-Jazeera said. Al-Jazeera English's Cairo-based correspondent, Ayman Mohyeldin, was detained from early Sunday afternoon until night, network producer Tristan Redman told CNN. Another correspondent, Sherine Tadros, was held at a military checkpoint near the television station, but released within the hour, he said. Mohyeldin was near Tahrir Square, the focal point of protests against the Egyptian government, when he was detained. Egyptian Prime Minister Ahmed Shafiq told CNN that authorities have been told "not to bother" human rights activists and journalists working at anti-government protests. If there have been such problems, they are "not intended," Shafiq told CNN's Candy Crowley. Arrests of journalists and human rights activists "are not allowed at all." A U.S. embassy spokesperson in Cairo told CNN that the American government has raised the issue of the treatment of journalists with the Egyptian government "consistently, and will continue to do so." Sameh Shoukry, Egypt's ambassador to the United States, also said the Egyptian government is opposed to violence against journalists of human rights workers. "The government has denied its involvement in acts of violence and has promised a full and wide investigation that will be transparent and that will find those responsible," he said on NBC's "Meet the Press" Sunday. All forms of violence have been condemned, he said. Asked whether the government had ordered a crackdown on journalists, Shoukry said, "I think that whatever the case, we must resort to a full investigative process." He said that such accusations were based on "assumptions" and not proof. A leading international human rights group says military police raided the offices of Hisham Mubarak Law Center late last week and arrested some 35 journalists and human rights activists documenting the crisis in Egypt. They were freed Friday after nearly two days in military custody, Amnesty International said. "We welcome the news that these activists have been freed, but we are outraged that they were detained in the first place and by the manner in which they have been treated," said Malcolm Smart, Amnesty International's Middle East and North Africa director. He said the whereabouts of several other activists detained in separate incidents are unknown. "The Egyptian authorities must now carry out an urgent independent investigation into why human rights activists monitoring protests in Cairo were targeted in this way, and who gave the orders for it," Smart said. In recent days, some have accused President Hosni Mubarak of orchestrating the assaults to suppress international coverage of bloodshed by pro-government operatives against peaceful protesters in Cairo's Tahrir Square. Journalists attempting to cover unrest in Egypt also reported being beaten, arrested and harassed by security forces and police on Thursday, leading to sharply limited television coverage of the protests. Along with Al-Jazeera, other news outlets -- including the BBC, Al-Arabiya, ABC News, the Washington Post, Fox News and CNN -- said members of their staffs had been attacked or otherwise targeted. Besides Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch also reported that staffers were detained. U.S. State Department officials told CNN earlier that they had information that Egypt's Interior Ministry was behind the journalist detentions, citing reports from the U.S. Embassy in Egypt. CNN's Pierre Bairin and Ben Wedeman contributed to this report . | An Al-Jazeera correspondent was detained by the Egyptian military Sunday . Egypt's prime minister says authorities have been told not to bother journalists . The U.S. government says it has been in contact with Egypt over the issue . | 2f1ce3bf6d7b8b8add40b3a0354c011408b76191 |
By . Steve Nolan . Teachers are said to be uploading information on their pupils up to six times a day onto a council database (file picture) A huge 'Big Brother' style database containing details of around eight million schoolchildren is being compiled without the knowledge of their parents. IT systems specialists are creating the database - including such information as a child's age, sex, and academic records - which can be shared among officials from other agencies such as the police, NHS and charities. Teachers are uploading information on pupils as often as six times a day to the database, created by Capita, one of the UK's largest contractors to both central and local government. The database is said to be already being used by as many as 100 local authorities, according to The Sunday Times, with 22,000 schools nationwide uploading to the service to provide a 'thread' of data that is accessible to all those working with children. It is thought that youth offending teams, which include police officers, will also be offered access to the information. As well as basic details such as the child's address and attendance records, information about special needs and behavioural records are also included. The majority of parents are not informed that the data is being gathered and can be held on file indefinitely. Director of civil liberties and privacy campaign group Big Brother Watch, Nick Pickles, said: 'Parents will be shocked that they are being kept in the dark about how their child's information is being gathered and exactly what it is used for.' Although the firm has provided information management systems to schools for many years, teachers could now upload files to the central One database. Local councils then collate the information and can add information from other authorities to the file. Although councils upload the information, they do not use the children's pictures. Under the Capita One system information about children held on a council database could potentially be shared with other local authorities such as the NHS, police and youth offending services (file picture) A separate software program called API can allow external officials such as social workers to access a child's information. Swindon Borough Council already shares the details of more than 48,000 pupils on its database with youth offending teams and NHS Swindon. The authority said that the data is held within data protection laws and only provided to those who need to see it. But the Information Commissioners Office has confirmed that it will investigate whether use of the One system falls within data protection guidelines. Capita confirmed that local authorities using the system take data protection laws seriously and confirmed that only a few councils were using the software that allows external agencies to view children's information. A spokesman told The Sunday Times: 'Each local authority holds and manages permission and access to its own information held in its Capita One database. 'Capita One is not a centralised database for the whole country.' According to the Department for Education there are currently no plans to centralise the information available through the Capita One scheme. | The databases contain information such as the child's age, sex and academic and behavioural records . Capita's One system can potentially share the information to external agencies such as social services and youth offending teams . The majority of parents are unaware that the information is being gathered or how it is used . | 5320eef1a333fa9d2038828c832b78f06247cfb1 |
(AOL Autos) -- Since there have been cars, people have chosen their rides based on what their cars say about them. AOL Autos put a list of cars before automotive industry experts to capture their take on several popular cars. Drivers of the dependable Camry know what's important in life, says expert. Our panel consisted of Stephanie Brinley, senior manager at Auto Pacific; James Bell, editor and publisher of IntelliChoice and Jim Markwalder, veteran automotive consultant from Detroit. Rest assured, these experts did not pull any punches. Toyota Prius: Green no matter its color . Brinley looked through the company's vast data on the Toyota Prius . "Buying a Prius shows the world that you love the environment and hate using fuel," said Brinley. "Compared to the overall industry, Prius buyers are more often women, have fewer kids and more often have college educations." Bell adds, "New Prius buyers want to be part of the 'green' club." "Prius drivers like the video-game challenge of continuously trying to best your own fuel economy achievements," said Brinley. Markwalder opines: "There's a good chance that if you come upon a line of slow moving traffic, a Prius driver will be at the front of the line, self-righteously driving under the speed limit on his or her way to save the world." We're just quoting here, folks. Chevrolet Corvette: Performer for the mid-life crisis . The Chevy Corvette "seems to be more often a reward car. Its buyers are older than the industry average, with 88 percent born before 1946, according to Auto Pacific data. Only 11 percent of Corvette owners are in Gen Y or Gen X." Bell adds: "Sadly, the usual stereotype of the Corvette buyer as a 57-year old male deep in a mid-life crisis is proven." Better car than its image suggests . Bell sees another side to the Corvette. "It is the absolute greatest performance bargain on the planet," said Bell. "It's an affordable giant-killer." Markwalder adds, "There have been 1.5 million Corvettes produced since 1953, and while plenty of old guys drive them, they are an engineering marvel that will run 180 mph or return 30+ mpg highway fuel economy." Toyota Camry: A major transportation appliance . "I think the Camry gets a bad rap for being the 'microwave oven' of the car industry," said Bell. "It's boring, reliable, efficient, and common. But to many drivers, these words are exactly all they are looking for, making the Camry their own personal rock star. A Toyota Camry in the driveway tells everyone that you know what is important in life, and it's not your car." Dodge Challenger: The transcendent pony car . The Dodge Challenger looks more like its original than the 2010 Ford Mustang or Chevrolet Camaro. According to Brinley, the Challenger appeals to Baby Boomers who like styling and power. But almost 30 percent of Challenger buyers are Gen X or Gen Y. Surprisingly, this beats out the Prius, a more forward-looking vehicle; only 18-percent of its buyers are Gen X or Y. Auto Pacific's data shows that the Dodge Challenger is winning buyers too young to remember the original 1970-74 Challenger. "All ages stop and stare at this car," said Bell. "Especially when it's in Hemi Orange, from old-skool Hot Rodders to the Import Tuner crowd." This wide appeal makes pegging the Challenger owner more challenging. Ford F-150: Working man's truck . According to Auto Pacific data, the driver of a Ford F-150 work truck (a plain, regular-cab model), is an employed man. Markwalder confirms with this: "Basic Ford trucks, like the XLT, make a good tool for the guy who works hard for an honest living." Bell adds, "We'll see fewer non-work trucks because using them for commuting has lost its shine." Mercedes-Benz R-Class: A marketing mystery . "With 2008 sales of only 7700 vehicles, we don't have enough information about buyers to provide a strong picture of why somebody drives an R-Class," said Brinley. "The more expensive GL-Class and ML-Class SUVs each sold three times as many." Markwalder states, "The R-Class has always been a contradiction, looking like a minivan but not delivering on functionality." Bell quips, "My experience tells me that its few buyers are attracted to its three-pointed star (badge appeal) or the large discounts because the R-Class hasn't sold well." The R-class, a "tweener" that is somewhat minivan, somewhat wagon and somewhat crossover, has few rivals. Only the Ford Flex and the new Toyota Venza seem to come close. Experts' first thoughts . Bell on Chrysler Sebring Convertible: "I hope it's a rental." Brinley adds, "It's an old person's cars, with only four-percent of its buyers from Gen Y." Bell on the Honda Insight: "They're members of the Prius Alternative Club for Honda lovers." Markwalder on Smart ForTwo: "Experimenters with a sense of humor who would rather sprint away from a light than hold up traffic." | The model of car you drive may be telling people all about you . Prius drivers: College educated, want to be part of the "green club" Corvette: An "affordable giant-killer" for men in midlife crisis . Smart ForTwo: "Experimenters with a sense of humor" who sprint away from stops . | 4555c61135560a893bcbd62bcb71246a98c56bba |
(EW.com) -- If anything can make you long for the hang-loose 1970s, it's the prospect of looking for love in an era when dating is governed by more regimented thinking than the old Soviet Union. First came "The Rules," which said that the best way for women to nab a mate was by refusing to give it up (basically the code of the 1950s). Then came "The Game," which said that if women are playing by "The Rules," then the only way for men to push past those defenses is to pretend to be even bigger cads than they are (which, according to the theory, secretly flatters women by tapping their desire to tame the male animal). Then came Steve Harvey's "Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Man," which funneled "The Rules" and "The Game" into one book by explaining to women all the ways that men are trying to outthink them. Romantics of the world, do your heads hurt yet? "Think Like a Man," an amorous ensemble comedy based on Harvey's 2009 best-seller, follows a dozen mostly African-American men and women as they attempt to navigate the brave new world of love by the book. The movie, which is very sitcom-setup-driven (it's "The Best Man" meets "Valentine's Day"), introduces its embattled pairings with titles like ''The Non-Committer vs. The Girl Who Wants the Ring'' and ''The Dreamer vs. The Woman Who Is Her Own Man.'' For a while, the cookie-cutter behavioral tics are funny in an overly broad way, even if the dialogue is basically stand-up patter turned into glib, fast conversation. And the actors make good company. I especially liked Romany Malco as the velvet-smooth player Zeke; Meagan Good as the spiky Mya, who finds it hard to stick to her dating-war codes; and Kevin Hart as the hilariously raging Cedric, who can't stop jabbering about the divorce he only thinks he wants. Yet "Think Like a Man" is so busy tracking courtship as if it were a science project that the bite-size love stories lack spontaneity. When the women first get hold of Harvey's book, the manipulations that ensue are fun. When the men read the book and try to out-psych the women, the film should grow ever foxier in its complications -- but instead it comes down to a bunch of horndogs pretending to be chivalrous, which is repetitive and kind of soggy. That's the downside of staging a romantic comedy by the rules. B- . See the full article at EW.com. CLICK HERE to Try 2 RISK FREE issues of Entertainment Weekly . © 2011 Entertainment Weekly and Time Inc. All rights reserved. | "Think Like a Man," is an amorous ensemble comedy based on Harvey's 2009 best-seller . Kevin Hart is the hilariously raging Cedric, who can't stop jabbering about the divorce he only thinks he wants . It comes down to a bunch of horndogs pretending to be chivalrous . | 6dfc1535817cffb65b6a454332714d36a9123769 |
By . James Chapman . PUBLISHED: . 00:16 EST, 10 July 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 20:34 EST, 10 July 2012 . George Osborne is standing behind his comments about Shadow Chancellor Ed Balls . George Osborne is refusing calls to apologise for saying Ed Balls had ‘questions to answer’ over the bank rate-fixing scandal. Demands for an apology from the Chancellor were even backed by some senior Tories, including his predecessor Lord Lamont, who said Mr Osborne had ‘overplayed his hand’, adding: ‘If there is an allegation Ed Balls was involved, it doesn’t stand up. That is clear.’ Conservative MP Andrea Leadsom, a member of the Commons Treasury Committee, triggered fury in the Treasury by saying Mr Osborne had clearly made a mistake and should now say sorry. George Osborne had tried to link the 2008 rate-fixing scandal to his opposite number Mr Balls, who was a key figure in the Labour government at the time. But Mrs Leadsom said evidence to MPs from Bank of England deputy governor Paul Tucker, who insisted there had been no pressure from Labour ministers to persuade banks to manipulate their rates, had ‘completely squashed’ Mr Osborne’s allegations. Obviously he made a mistake and I think he should apologise,’ she told BBC Radio 4’s The World Tonight. ‘I think it was a very valid discussion at the time about who knew what and it has now been completely squashed by Paul Tucker.’ Labour Treasury spokesman Chris . Leslie described Mr Tucker’s evidence as ‘the final nail in the coffin . of the Tory smear campaign the Chancellor led last week’. Deputy governor Paul Tucker rejected claims Labour ministers, including former City minister Ed Balls asked him to pressure Barclays to lower Libor submissions . But . David Cameron’s spokesman insisted Mr Osborne would not apologise, . saying: ‘The Treasury has been making the position clear that he won’t. He [the Prime Minister] agrees with the Treasury.’ A Treasury source said: ‘Labour protests too much. Can they say that no Labour figure was aware of Libor low-balling? Paul Tucker, pictured, denied he was ever encouraged to 'lean on' Barclays to lower its Libor submissions . ‘Can . they say no Labour figure implicitly or explicitly condoned it in . conversations with the banks? They haven’t been able to so far.’ Mr Tucker, who is a frontrunner for . the role of Governor when Sir Mervyn King steps down, told MPs this week . a record of a contentious phonecall he had with former Barclays boss . Bob Diamond about Libor gave the 'wrong impression'. Appearing . in front of the Treasury Select Committee, the senior banker said he . had intended to ensure Barclays was not 'inadvertently sending distress . signals' about its financial health at a time when the market viewed the . bank as the next in line for a government bailout. The . deputy governor rejected claims that the then Downing Street chief of . staff Sir Jeremy Heywood, then City minister Ed Balls and former . Treasury minister Baroness Vadera had asked him to pressure Barclays to . lower its Libor submissions. He . expressed concern that the rates for borrowing in US dollars were . falling faster than those in sterling. In one email, Sir Jeremy asked Mr . Tucker if he had heard that Libor is high ‘because Barclays are bidding . it’. However, at no point . do the email exchanges show Sir Jeremy encouraging Mr Tucker to tell . Barclays to manipulate its rates artificially. Other . figures Mr Tucker suggested had raised concerns about borrowing rates . include Gordon Brown’s private secretary Tom Scholar, another senior . adviser Sir Jon Cunliffe and Treasury permanent secretary Sir Nicholas . Macpherson. | Chancellor has backing of Prime Minister . But Lord Lamont said Mr Osborne 'overplayed his hand' Labour MPs insist he should apologise . | d1ae7d6cc88abcbf83cf1fd8a5195d82b043d2a3 |
(CNN) -- We found out I was pregnant in August 2012. It was time to start our family, time to start the next chapter of our lives. The next months were going to be the best time in our lives. I had an uneventful pregnancy. We went to all the regular prenatal checkups, including one with a 4-D ultrasound. We found out we were having a boy, and decided we would name him after my father, who had died of a heart attack a week after we confirmed the pregnancy. Finally, May arrived. We were prepared. We headed to the hospital and at 1:15 a.m. our beautiful boy arrived. Everything was just perfect -- until it wasn't. I couldn't see his fingers, and I couldn't make out his hand. What was this? Was he going to be OK? Nobody in the delivery room had an answer. The neonatal intensive care unit was called in and the doctor told us it was likely amniotic band syndrome. Within minutes, my son and husband were taken by ambulance to a children's hospital. I was devastated. I had waited so long for his arrival, and my boy had been whisked away. I wanted so badly to hold him. I was his mother, and I would fix this. The days after a birth are supposed to be filled with bliss. Ours were filled with scouring the Internet for any information we could find. I saw nothing to help parents. I saw nothing to help us. I had read all the baby books. I had all the tests. How could I have never heard of ABS? According to the National Institutes of Health, amniotic band syndrome is a condition where stringlike bands extend from the inner lining of the amnion, the sac that surrounds the baby in the womb. As the baby develops, its extremities may become entangled in these bands. Blood flow is restricted, resulting in stunted growth or even amputation. "ABS is spontaneous and not genetically linked. It affects 1 in 5,000 to 1 in 10,000 live births," says Dr. Foong-Yen Lim, surgical director of the Cincinnati Fetal Center at Cincinnati Children's Medical Center. Our son was born with the bands still attached to his hand. The thumb on his left hand was severed. His first and second fingers were the size of golf balls. A band had wrapped around his right leg above his ankle. Thankfully, his leg and foot had formed normally, but the scar from the band was deep. Multiple surgeons told us to amputate his two swollen fingers, but I knew that he used those fingers. He used them to put his pacifier back in and to rub his eyes. Finally, Dr. Emily Hattwick, a pediatric orthopedic hand surgeon at Children's National Health System in Washington, told us that she could reconstruct our son's fingers. Yes, they would be small, but he would get use out of them. She showed us pictures of hands belonging to children just like my son. Colson had reconstructive surgery at just 9 weeks old, and will need surgery on his leg in the next few months to release the amniotic band above his ankle. He will need yet another on his thumb to lengthen it. He is 15 months old, and he uses his fingers to pick up food and to hold his sippy cup. He uses them just the way any other child would, only his are smaller. Our son doesn't know any different because this is how he was born. But we worry about him learning to tie his shoes. We worry about him starting school. We also worry about bullies. Since our son's diagnosis, we have found multiple places of support. There are Facebook groups for parents of children with ABS. There is also a wonderful and supportive group called Lucky Fin Project that celebrates children with limb differences. Every day he puts my mind at ease. He has a strength that is unimaginable. There is no doubt he will be able to do anything his heart desires, and we will be there every step of the way to support our beautiful, perfect boy. | Amniotic band syndrome restricts blood to a baby's limbs in utero . ABS affects 1 of every 5,000 to 10,000 live births . Lucky Fin Project celebrates children with limb differences . | ba05231271a83ed0a9b3382a9b50aa83f8541e7d |
Now that Manchester United have confirmed Louis van Gaal as their new manager, attention will turn to what the Dutchman is going to do to turn the club's fortunes around. Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic have already been shown the door, Patrice Evra also likes likely to leave and a cloud of uncertainty very much hangs over the likes of Nani, Ashley Young, Tom Cleverley and Javier Hernandez. One thing is for sure, a major rebuilding job is need at Old Trafford, so Sportsmail takes a look at seven of the players that Van Gaal might be targeting before the start of next season. Running the rule: Louis van Gaal will have his eye on several major transfer signings . Kevin Strootman - Roma . Value: £25mAge: 242013-14 Apps: 28; Goals: 6 . Verdict: Left-footed, clever but lacks pace. Knee injury means he won’t be fit until October. Cesc Fabregas - Barcelona . Value: £45mAge: 272013-14 Apps: 55; Goals: 13 . Verdict: Available for sale. United won’t get involved though if there is a hint of last year’s saga. Toni Kroos - Bayern Munich . Value: £18m Age: 242013-14 Apps: 51; Goals: 4 . Verdict: Had agreed to join David Moyes. Van Gaal still an admirer of Munich youth product. Target: Holland midfielder Kevin Strootman would have been going to the World Cup were it not for injury . Back to Blighty? Arsenal legend Cesc Fabregas could be heading to Manchester . Touted: Bayern Munich midfielder Toni Kroos has been eyeing a move to Old Trafford for a few months . Mats Hummels - Borussia Dortmund . Value: £20m Age: 252013-14 Apps: 28; Goals: 2 . Verdict: Lacks some finesse but is a tough defender. Dortmund will sacrifice one big name this summer . Holger Badstuber - Bayern Munich . Value: £15m Age: 252013-14 Apps: 0; Goals: 0 . Verdict: Regarded as best left-footed defender in Germany by Van Gaal but just returned from injury. Sebastian Jung - Eintracht Frankfurt . Value: £7mAge: 232013-14 Apps: 36; Goals: 1 . Verdict: Second best right back in Germany behind Philipp Lahm, Arsenal also like the 22-year-old. Luke Shaw - Southampton . Value: £27mAge: 182013-14 Apps: 36; Goals: 0 . Verdict: Will join United once finer details of fee for the England left back are ironed out. Rock solid: Mats Hummels (left) could replace the departing Nemanja Vidic in the heart of the defence . Building from the back: Sebastian Jung (left) and Holger Badstuber are also being monitored by Van Gaal . Incoming: Southampton teenager Luke Shaw is reportedly on the verge of a £27million move to Old Trafford . | Midfielders Kevin Strootman, Cesc Fabregas and Toni Kroos on the list . Mats Hummels, Luke Shaw, Holger Badstuber and Sebastian Jung wanted . Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic have left, Ryan Giggs has retired . Tom Cleverley, Nani, Ashley Young and Javier Hernandez could also leave . | 5db946870d27396258146315d219365d4d429cde |
It sounds like something between celery and cheerio. The Suzuki Celerio — its new global city car — goes on sale in the UK from February, costing around £7,000. Despite its compact size,the Japanese maker says it has plenty of cabin space for five occupants and provides' class leading luggage capacity' of 254 litres. It was unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show earlier this year. It will be available in six colours — five metallic finishes and one with a solid colour. The Celerio will be available in six colours — five metallic finishes and one with a solid colour . Standard specification includes six airbags, ESP stability control, air conditioning, alloy wheels, DAB Radio, CD Tuner,USB and Bluetooth connectivity. The Celerio offers very low CO2 emissions of 99g/km and frugal fuel consumption of 65.7mpg . Next summer Suzuki promises even more,with a new Dual jet engine offering even greater economy and CO2 emissions that fall to just 84g/km. This will be linked to Suzuki's newly developed Auto Gear Shift (AGS) which allows the gearshift and clutch to operate automatically. A spokesman said: 'The driver can enjoy the effortless driving of an automatic, but without any loss in fuel efficiency or increase in CO2 emissions.' The AGS system also allows a low-speed 'creep' facility which lets the car move in gear without the accelerator being applied, ideal in slow traffic and when parking. Order books have opened in the UK for the Mercedes-AMG GT super-coupe, with prices from £97,195, then accelerating almost as fast as the car. The first ones to arrive in April will be the GT S (£110,495) and GT S Edition 1 (£122,745) variants — powered by an all-new four-litre bi-turbo V8 engine. This develops a mighty 510bhp (equivalent to five Ford Fiestas), allowing it to accelerate from rest to 62mph in just 3.8 seconds. Top speed is a modest 193 mph. The 'entry level' £97,195 GT version planned to be on sale late next year will be powered by a 462 bhp V8 engine, with acceleration from rest to 62mph in four seconds and a top speed of 189mph. The cars feature 19in wheels front and rear, a switchable AMG performance exhaust, AMG sports suspension and an adjustable electronic rear wing. The GTS adds 20in rear wheels, red brake callipers clamping enlarged discs, an electronicallycontrolled rear differential, AMG ride control sports suspension with three selectable modes and an increase in power to 510 bhp. The GTS Edition 1 brings a fixed rear wing and accompanying deep front splitter, a carbon roof, black mirror surrounds with matching window surrounds and rear diffuser, black exhaust tips, red interior contrast stitching, leather and suede finish for the special AMG performance seats and the steering wheel, and a centre console in 'Black Diamond' textured finish. Jaguar took the wraps off its firstfour-wheel-driveF-Type this week. The sure-footed AWD F-Type R Coupe will accelerate fromrestto60mphin3.9seconds with top speed limited to 186mph. It has been on test in South Africa, where the Bloodhound SSC world land speed record programme — which Jaguar is supporting—isalsounderwa . Should that not be phwoarwheeldrive? This limited-edition £180,000 Range Rover comes complete with its own gun cabinet . Land Rover has unveiled its most expensive car — a limited-edition £180,000 Range Rover, complete with its own gun cabinet. The top-of-the-range 4x4 was designed and built by Land Rover's Special Vehicle Operations arm in collaboration with British gun-maker Holland & Holland. In the boot is a leather-trimmed aluminium cabinet designed to carry a pair of Holland & Holland shotguns. Craftsmen have upholstered the interior with the softest tan and espresso leather hides and sustainable French walnut, while the rear looks more like a private jet than a farm vehicle and features super-suave seats which recline 17 degrees, plus walnut tables, bespoke lighting, plenty of legroom and an entertainment system. The boot floor can slide out to make the gun cabinet easily accessible and also doubles as a picnic table. At £110,000 more than a standard Range Rover, is costs the same as a Ferrari 458. Forty a year will be built, with either a 4.4 diesel or 5.0 supercharged petrol engine. | New global city car offers very low CO2 emissions of 99g/km . It also provides 'class leading luggage capacity' of 254 litres . It will be available in six colours and five metallic finishes . The AGS system also allows a low-speed 'creep' facility . | 11e511e9257dd8efe10be4bd2c496d9fe8ab0dd7 |
By . Ben Spencer and Sam Webb . PUBLISHED: . 04:32 EST, 9 September 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 10:10 EST, 9 September 2013 . Shocking: The point-blank use of Tasers to stun suspects is being discouraged by senior police as fears over the effects of the weapon grow . Senior police officers are under growing pressure to stop their officers using 50,000-volt Tasers at point-blank range. A review is to be published by the Independent Police Complaints Commission into the use of Tasers in the so-called drive-stun mode. This refers to the use of the stun gun as a close range weapon, where the cartridge is removed and is thrust into an individual’s body in a move designed to inflict pain. Police are being told to dramatically reduce the frequency of such deployments. The directive comes as new figures show the use of Tasers by police in England and Wales has more than doubled to 7,250 deployments a year, raising fresh concern about the risks to the public of more widespread use of the devices. Office for National Statistics numbers, due to be released on Tuesday, will show deployment of the weapons has risen from around 3,500 in 2009 to 14,500 in the two years 2010 and 2011 – 7,250 a year. Deborah Glass, deputy chair of the IPCC, told the Guardian: ‘We have specific concerns about some of the ways and circumstances in which [Taser] is used. ‘We have expressed concerns to Acpo about the use of Taser in the drive-stun method.’ Jules Carey, a lawyer who represents several clients taking action against the police over Taser use, said: ‘There is a real concern around training and judgment. ‘The worry is that Tasers may become the default method of restraint rather than being used as nearly lethal force to prevent serious crime.’ The rise in Taser use comes after the Home Office began rolling out 5,500 new weapons to forces across the country in 2008 after changes allowed the weapons to be used by non-specialist police officers after three days’ training rather than only by specially trained firearms officers.Currently, 11 per cent of police officers – 14,700 – are armed with Tasers. Scroll down for video . The number of officers trained to use Tasers has jumped dramatically in the last few years . The Association of Chief Police Officers said the use of drive-stun is discouraged because it is ineffective, usually used after the officer has missed with the weapon, and often simply enrages the suspect. Simon Chesterman, Acpo's spokesman on . armed police, said there were ‘valid concerns’ about the use of Tasers . in the drive-stun move - but questioned the figures. He . said the rise in deployments corresponded to the increase in weapons . being rolled out across the country, and did not represent Tasers being . used more often. Taser use in the figures covers drawing the weapon but not firing, aiming the weapon and engaging the red light on the suspect, using in the drive stun mode and firing the Taser – which happens in only around 25 per cent of cases, according to Acpo. Mr Chesterman said: ‘These figures show the use of Taser has increased in line with the rollout of more weapons. ‘There will be concerns raised by individuals that don’t necessarily understand the underlying causes of the increase and there will be people raising concerns over this who don’t agree with the police having Tasers. ‘I would argue that there are more valid concerns around drive-stun and around Taser use on vulnerable people than on these figures.’ Jules Carey is a lawyer representing a number of clients taking action against the police over Taser use. He . said: 'They are being used as a convenience to assist with restraint, . rather than disarming someone who may have a lethal weapon themselves.' Police are also under pressure over Taser deployments against vulnerable individuals. In . April, 32-year-old Andrew Pimlott – who had doused himself in petrol . and was threatening to kill himself – died in a fireball after police . fired a Taser at him outside his home in Plymouth, Devon. In 2011 a 12-year-old girl was shot by police with a 50,000-volt Taser. The . girl, who was brandishing two knives and threatening to harm herself, . was one of more than 20 children shot by officers using the electric . stun guns, figures show. In . July Jordan Begley, 23, of Gorton, Manchester is suspected to have had a . fatal heart attack after being hit by the 50,000 volt charge by a police officer. A police enquiry is under way into the death, after it emerged that Mr Begley may have been mistaken for a wanted man with the same name . Officers were called to the ice cream factory worker’s home by his mother Dot to deal with a row between him and a neighbour. She . claimed her son was unarmed and ‘calm and compliant’ before he was . shot, which left him ‘battered and bruised’ and with ‘his eyes . flickering’. There have been seven taser-related deaths in the UK since 2004, all believed to be from the conventional use of the weapon . Six weeks before the incident he had collapsed from an irregular heartbeat and was undergoing tests to diagnose a suspected heart condition when he died. On nine occasions, youths were subjected to the drive-stun technique. Police . said the Taser was used to detain the girl and ‘prevent serious harm . to both her, the public and the officers’ after she began behaving . ‘aggressively’ in St Helens, Merseyside, in July 2011. The . schoolgirl was one of more than 20 children stunned with the weapons . in the past three years, according to figures obtained under the . Freedom of Information Act. They included six children aged 14, four aged 15 and 13 aged 16. Police officers have also shot 75 dogs, two cows and a sheep with Tasers stun-guns since 2010. Last week, the Crown Prosecution . Service said it was not laying charges against an officer who deployed a . Taser against blind man Colin Farmer, 63. The police officer mistook his white stick for a samurai sword. The blunder happened on October 12 last year after reports were received of a man walking through the town centre in Chorley, Lancashire, with a martial arts weapon. Mr Farmer, who has suffered two strokes and walks at a 'snail’s pace', was on his way to a pub to meet friends for a drink and did not realise anything was wrong until the officer Tasered him. The grandfather, who is now pursuing legal action against Lancashire Constabulary, was taken to hospital before being released. Police later arrested a 27-year old man believed to be the real offender but he was released without charge after no weapon was found. Mr Farmer, who has five sons and two grandchildren, said: ‘This officer displayed that his judgement was clouded because he clearly can’t tell the difference between a disabled old man and a criminal. ‘I am devastated that the CPS have made this decision because I am now worried about the safety of others as this trigger-happy officer continues to patrols our streets. He added: ‘I was slowly making my way down the street when I heard this man shouting. I had no idea it was directed at me and I thought I was being mugged. ‘But suddenly I felt a huge force on my back and this electric shock went right through my body and I collapsed in a heap on the floor. I was shouting all the time, “I’m blind! I’m blind!” 'After Mr Farmer fell to the floor face down, the police officer knelt on his back before handcuffing him. Mr Farmer said: ‘By this stage he could clearly see that I was disabled and my walking stick was in full view but he couldn’t wait to force his knee into my back and hurt me.' The officer now faces a gross misconduct hearing. | Taser use has jumped - more than 10 per cent of officers now carry one . There have been a number of deaths related to Tasers . Deployments have spiked to 7,250 a year, double the number of 2009 . | c257a91235ad08592118d940e0c04160c6b5d76d |
British governments have historically taken an approach to the so-called ‘war on terror’ that has been distinctly un-British – crude, heavy-handed, careless of innocent people’s liberties, and as a result often counterproductive. Yet our response to the flood of British Muslims that has left these shores to fight in Syria and subsequently Iraq for an Islamic caliphate has been tentative, uncertain, almost limp. The brutal, ritualised public murder of James Foley has crystallised the psychopathic nature of what these young Britons have signed up to and in some cases actively promoted. Scroll down for video . Tory MP David Davis said British ISIS members should be stripped of the their UK citizenship . The British intelligence agencies presumably knew what was going on. Yet the Home Secretary’s response as recently as yesterday seemed lacking in both focus and urgency. Asbos for terrorists? It is hard to imagine IS killers quaking in their boots over that. So why have we done so little so far? We should target the young men who have rushed to take up arms on behalf of IS, an organisation that purports to be a state – and a hostile one at that. It is astonishing to me that this action alone is viewed as legal, let alone what they do once there. Imagine that in my youth during the Cold War, I had gone off to join the Soviet Army with the intent of taking action against NATO, or that my father had gone to join the Nazis in the Second World War. Those actions would quite properly have been viewed as treason. What these young men have done is worse. Remember that in this day and age even conventional ‘legal’ wars are essentially industrialised murder. Civil wars, and the sort of sectarian conflict we are seeing in Iraq and Syria, are even worse, littered with the self-righteous sadism that we saw in the death of James Foley. They are wars without rules. And be clear. The barbarism we saw in the murder of Foley has been replicated time and again against thousands of innocent Iraqis and Syrians. Beheadings, crucifixions, burials alive have all been carried out against people guilty of no crime, largely for the purpose of feeding the IS propaganda machine. These young men are going to Syria to take part in large-scale murder for an organisation with a $2 billion income from extortion, blackmail and theft. So if it is not illegal already – hard to believe – let us make it so. Going abroad to fight and kill for a cause hostile to Britain and its NATO allies should be against British law and should carry a very heavy sentence. But I would go further than that. Since these young men are in effect swearing allegiance to a hostile state, they should all forfeit their British citizenship – not just those who are dual nationals. Since this is an incredibly serious penalty, it should be done only after a proper public trial carrying all the public seriousness and opprobrium of a murder trial, because in many cases that is what it would be. David Davis believes by stripping their citizenship turns the 'brief and violent holiday' to a life sentence . As the Home Secretary reiterated yesterday, lawyers would say you cannot render someone stateless. Perhaps, perhaps not. Whitehall lawyers have been wrong before. Democracies have a right to defend themselves. IS is claiming to be a state. They can issue these young men with Islamic State passports if they so wish. It is not our problem that they would have trouble getting into any civilised country with them. Neither will it be our problem any more if ISIL ceases to exist. We must face head-on the paradox that these men can burn their British passports on TV and deny their legal allegiance to Britain, yet our nation cannot say to them, in effect: ‘OK, never come back.’ The result would be that these young men would suddenly find their trip to Syria is no longer a short violent holiday but a life sentence to the lifestyle they claim to espouse, complete with Sharia law and a desert climate. We are at a moment of decision. We can change or clarify British law to make the evil actions of these young men illegal and to make the penalty fit the crime: expulsion from the society they claim to reject. We can do this in British courts and in doing so proclaim to the world that we are a tolerant society, but that we will not tolerate sadism and murder in the name of religion. Or we can fail to grasp the nettle, let some of these murderers back and try to deal with the subsequent problems. This will allow some of these men to put their new ‘skills’ to further ill use, with potentially terrible consequences for our countrymen, resulting in ethnic suspicion and the social poison that will flow from that. | David Davis claims during World War II these actions would be treason . He said Britain should strip these men of their citizenship due to their action . Mr Davis claimed that this should only happen though after a public trial . | ef0b577c9aa125e4e796328a1fe75270423533da |
By . Andy Dolan . An engineer hanged himself days after a controversial group of ‘paedophile hunters’ accused him of grooming a child over the internet. Gary Cleary was arrested by police after being confronted in public by the vigilante group called Letzgo Hunting whose members lure suspected sex offenders into meetings by posing as young girls online. The 29-year-old, who lived with his girlfriend, was released on bail while officers looked into the allegation, but was found dead in the garage at his home four days later. A coroner last week recorded a verdict of suicide. Scroll down for video . Trap: A suspect runs from a member of Letzgo Hunting who lure suspected sex offenders into meetings by posing as young girls online . Mr Cleary lived with Melissa Andrews . and their dog at Newbold Verdon, Leicestershire. A relative of college . worker Miss Andrews said: ‘It’s a tragedy and has left everyone . extremely upset. The family have been told by the police that their . investigation is still ongoing.’ The relative, who asked not to be . named, went on to criticise the actions of Letzgo Hunting. He said: ‘I . think it is a sad reflection on modern life that vigilantes are . operating under cover of the internet. It puts the country back 300 . years.’ Miss Andrews, 30, was unavailable for comment. Letzgo Hunting, which was set up by a . group of concerned parents earlier this year, has achieved a high . profile after posting videos of members confronting suspected . paedophiles on the internet. It has created dozens of profiles on dating and social networking websites pretending to be girls aged 12 to 15. Chase: The footage of the suspect running away was posted by the vigilante group on YouTube . The group then exchanges messages with . those it considers to be ‘interested’ men, sometimes for weeks, before . luring them into meetings in parks or other public areas and filming the . confrontations. The footage is uploaded on to Letzgo . Hunting’s website and Facebook page, as well as YouTube, initially with . the alleged suspects’ faces visible. If an arrest is made, the images are . taken down and doctored, so the men can no longer be identified, before . being uploaded once more. Last night Letzgo Hunting’s founder . told the Daily Mail he has no regrets about the group’s actions, and . said they will continue to work to expose ‘people who pose a risk to . children’. The man, who used to call himself . Scummbuster but now likes to be known as Jamie, said: ‘We are convinced . this man was a danger to children, that is why we arranged to meet him. ‘Plenty of people we come into contact . with only want to talk dirty with our online ‘‘decoys’’ but he wanted . to take things further. We feel sorry for his family for the loss of . their son but our work will continue.’ Group: The website of 'Letzgo Hunting', a group of 'paedophile hunters' who confronted a 29-year-old who killed himself after he was arrested . Mr Cleary was confronted in Braunstone Park, Leicester, four months ago. As he walked across the grass to meet . an 18-year-old ‘decoy’ who Letzgo Hunting say he believed to be a . 14-year-old, he was confronted by two men from the group. They say they asked him why he was . meeting an under-aged girl with a sexual motive but he fled, swearing at . the men, before they could even tell him who they were. He was arrested . a few days later, on May 9, after detectives were handed footage of the . meeting. He was released on bail, before being found dead on May 13. A spokesman for Leicestershire Police . would not confirm Mr Cleary’s name but said the man who went on to kill . himself was arrested following information which was supplied by a . ‘third party’. He added: ‘He was questioned and released on police bail. He was not charged with any criminal offence. ‘On May 13 we were called to his . address and discovered his body.’ Earlier this year the force warned . that such vigilante activity could ‘seriously affect the chances of . success in court, preventing victims from getting justice’. During Mr Cleary’s inquest in . Loughborough last Thursday, coroner Trevor Kirkman did not refer to any . encounter with Letzgo Hunting or his arrest. Direct action: Letzgo Hunting's website says that the police are failing communities so they take gathering evidence into their own hands to get arrests . But he told his parents David, 65, and . Susan, 62, who declined to comment after the hearing: ‘This is not a . court in which one apportions blame as such and nobody is on trial, . still less your son. ‘Whatever may have occurred, or whatever may be thought to have occurred, is not a matter I need to go into. ‘What I have to deal with is how he . came by his death and the means by which he came by his death. I am . satisfied I should record that he came by his death at his own hands. ‘Whatever may have happened, the people who are left to pick up the pieces are those that love him.’ ‘Jamie’ from Letzgo Hunting, who . claims to work in the security industry, has previously explained that . he decided to create the group with close friends in the Hinckley area . of Leicestershire after someone he knew was convicted of offences . against a child and possession of indecent images of children. He said the group posts profiles of . teenage minors on dating and social networking websites such as Badoo – . where he said Mr Cleary was found – and Bebo. He said the first thing . Letzgo Hunting ‘decoys’ did when they got into a conversation with a man . online was to say: ‘I am only 14.’ Mr Cleary’s parents declined to . comment at their home near Leicester. A neighbour said: ‘They’re . devastated.’ Work: The group's confrontations have led to 12 arrests, but nobody has been charged, Leicestershire Police say . Sorry we are not currently accepting comments on this article. | Man was arrested by police after being confronted by Letzgo Hunting . Four days after being bailed officers found the man hanged at his home . Letzgo hunting members pose as children online and lure in paedophiles . After gathering evidence they arrange to meet alleged abusers in public . Confrontations are filmed, handed to police and posted on their website . For confidential . support call the Samaritans in the UK on 08457 90 90 90, visit a local . Samaritans branch or click here for details . | 80e1d95cf18f667788d06d94d7fffbdf5907f19c |
(CNN) -- In its ruling in Windsor v. United States, the Supreme Court paved the way for states and the federal government to legally recognize the marriages of same-sex couples. As we near the one-year anniversary of that historic decision, here's a look back at the history of marriage equality, how we got here, and where the fight for equality still has to go. In the beginning, there was Adam and Steve... OK, that's not exactly true. I don't know; I wasn't there personally. But we do know that gay coupling has been around for a long time. Around 350 B.C., in "The Symposium," Plato said there should be an army composed of same-sex lovers. In fact, there was such an army: the Sacred Band of Thebes. They were renowned for their valor and frequent victories. Fast forward a bit: In 1972, just five years after the United States Supreme Court overturned anti-miscegenation laws that barred interracial marriages, the Supreme Court dismissed a case brought by two men who were denied a marriage license in Minnesota. A year later, Maryland became the first state to pass a law explicitly banning marriage between same-sex couples. And so we enter the dark era of explicit attacks and prohibitions on same-sex marriage equality. It went downhill for a while. In 1996, President Bill Clinton signed into law the Defense of Marriage Act, banning federal recognition of same-sex marriages and authorizing one state to not recognize a same-sex marriage performed in another state, even though the Constitution requires states to honor each other's laws. Anyway, 35 states adopted laws defining marriage as solely between a man and a woman, with 26 of those states putting that discrimination in their constitutions. You with me so far? Meanwhile, in the midst of all these anti-gay marriage laws still being adopted, in 2004 a judge in Massachusetts ruled that it was unconstitutional under the state constitution to allow only opposite-sex couples to marry. Four years later, the California and Connecticut Supreme Courts made similar rulings. A year later, in 2009, the Iowa Supreme Court did the same. That same year, Vermont and Maine become the first states to legislatively enact marriage equality. Voters, legislatures and courts kept wrestling with the issue. But in 2012, a majority of voters in Maine, Maryland and the state of Washington passed marriage equality ballot measures, and voters in Minnesota struck down a constitutional amendment that would restrict the state's definition of marriage. It's as if the new century brought a new day for gay couples. And there was no turning back. Same-sex parent families: Share your story . Today, 19 states and the District of Columbia allow same-sex couples the freedom to marry. In an additional 11 states, judges have ruled in favor of marriage equality but the cases are tied up in appeals. Fully 3/5 of our country is now firmly on the side of equality and fairness, as are the American people. In 1996 when Clinton signed the Defense of Marriage Act, only 27% of Americans supported same-sex marriage. Today, 55% of Americans think same-sex marriages should be fully recognized, valid and equal. Among 18- to 29-year-olds, 78% support marriage equality. And those numbers are steadily growing, even among conservatives. Does marriage equality fix every problem facing the gay community? Heck, no. In 29 states, lesbian, gay and bisexual Americans can still be fired from their jobs based solely on their sexual orientation. In 33 states, transgender Americans can be fired based solely on their gender identity. We still don't even have a federal law banning discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity. Gay men in America earn 10% to 32% less than similarly qualified straight men working in the same occupations. Transgender men and women are both more likely to be the victims of violent crime and more likely to be incarcerated. In some states, same-sex couples are discriminated against in the ability to adopt children. Being able to get married and be as happy — or miserable — as married straight couples in America doesn't make other issues of anti-gay discrimination go away. But marriage equality is a big and important movement toward fairness and justice for all — a movement that is, at this point, unstoppable. | Sally Kohn: It's almost a year since the Supreme Court struck down DOMA . Kohn: Marriage equality is an important movement toward fairness and justice for all . She says despite progress, there is still discrimination against gays and lesbians . Kohn: There is no turning back, with most Americans supporting same-sex marriage . | 61bfceb22510a9bdfb333194dc7520e30f480087 |
By . Steve Nolan . PUBLISHED: . 04:02 EST, 18 June 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 06:05 EST, 18 June 2013 . Shin deep in mud and rain water and getting a soaking from a monsoon deluge, it's hard to fathom why these workers could possibly look so happy in their daily toil. But far from being concerned about getting wet, these farmers are delighted that the heavens have opened. For monsoon season signals the start of Nepal's main rice planting season - the source of the country's staple diet and the nation's main source of income. Busy month: Rice farmers take to the fields at the start of monsoon season in Kathmandu, Nepal . Happy in her work: A farmer smiles while eating her lunch after planting rice saplings in the rice paddy field in Khokana, Lalitpur . Getting wet: Nepalese farmers cover themselves from the rain while planting rice saplings in the rice paddy field in Khokana, Lalitpur, but the heavy rain provides perfect conditions to grow rice . Dirty work: A farmer works hard to plant rice saplings in a paddy field on the outskirts of Katmandu, Nepal . The season is the most crucial time for Nepalese farmers to take to the paddy fields and plant rice saplings. Know as the month of Asar, it usually falls during June and July in the country and coincides with the peak of Nepal's rainy season. To the locals, planting the rice that will provide their main source of sustenance for the coming year - they eat it for lunch and dinner - is known as 'ropai', a Nepalese word that literally translates to 'cultivation' in English. And the highlight of the busy month is undoubtedly a special festival, known as Asar 15, which this year falls on June 29. Celebration: The farmers celebrate the cultivation season with a special festival known as Asar 15, which takes place at the end of the month . Important work: A farmer prepares the ground for rice saplings to be planted. Rice planting is big business in Nepal - the cereal is the main source of sustenance for many . Work cut out: A group of women are pictured working Nepal's vast paddy fields. More than seventy percent of Nepalese population depends upon paddy agriculture . Farmers, residents and tourists play in the mud, eat beaten rice, drink and enjoy traditional music as they hope that their annual celebration of ropai jatra - or the rice planting festival - will yield a healthy harvest come October. Part of the celebration sees the farmers join in singing a traditional tune known as the asare song. Rice production really is big business in Nepal. Around half of Nepal's agricultural production centres around rice with almost 3,000 square miles of the country devoted to growing the cereal. Some 75 per cent of the country's working population spends at least six months of the year farming rice and the average person consumes a staggering 78kg of rice every year. Stuck in the mud: These two farmers look like they are struggling to control a tractor in the boggy Nepalese paddy fields . Tough work: A farmer holds rice saplings as she walks ankle deep in the rice paddy field in Khokana, Lalitpur . Happy: A farmer smiles as he speaks with his friend (not seen) while planting rice saplings in the rice paddy field . | Monsoon rains signal the beginning of rice planting season in Nepal . The cereal is the country's main source of sustenance eaten twice a day . The average person in Nepal consumes 78kg of rice every year . | 19bf4453de4c199de97e67867a49d2c7a56e0893 |
Beijing (CNN) -- You can see them each night on street corners or public squares of Beijing, hundreds of Chinese couples ballroom dancing to music blaring from makeshift speakers. Some have this down to a fine art, twirling and sweeping across the pavement. This is entertainment for the armies of migrant workers who have flocked to China's cities over the past 20 years on the promise of a better life. For so many of them the dream has come true. China's breakneck economic growth -- inspired by former leader Deng Xiaoping's call "to get rich is glorious" -- has turned one time peasant farmers into factory hands, construction workers, sales people and shop assistants. Some have indeed become rich starting companies or riding the property boom. For the Communist Party, the country's unelected supreme leaders, this is the source of their legitimacy and authority: keep the engines of growth turning, and the people busy and prosperous. It has worked, so far. But strains are appearing. The gap between rich and poor is widening and the economy itself is weakening. The growth figures for the latest quarter are at 7.4 %, the slowest in three years. China's GDP growth slides to 7.4% . As the party prepares for its leadership change in November, it is also faced with reforming an economy that can longer rely on cheap labor, high exports and big investment. It needs to switch to domestic consumption - no easy task, according to some analysts. "It will take generation to get to remodel that growth formula. It is easier said than done, to make sure that people feel that they are safe to spend," says Victor Chu, chairman of First Eastern Investment Group. Chu has faith in China's leaders -- they have more tools in their box than the rest of the world, he says. Other big thinkers in the world of business agree. Faced with the potential of a "hard landing" of plummeting growth, many foresee a "soft landing" -- a controlled slowdown leading to more quality growth. "The last 10 years developed a very good track record of economic management," says John Quelch, dean of the China Europe International Business School. "Obviously there are global challenges affecting the China growth path. China needs to rebalance towards domestic consumption, but I'm pretty confident that the quality of the management in Beijing, financially speaking, is very very good." As the world's second biggest economy -- and many economists predict that one day, not far away, China is destined to overtake the United States at number one -- what happens here is now felt around the world. It's become a hot button issue during the U.S election campaign. Candidates Mitt Romney and Barack Obama have used the presidential debates to try to "out-tough" each other on China. China is accused of not playing fair, keeping its currency low to gain an export advantage and taking American jobs. If elected, Governor Romney says he would declare China a "currency manipulator" on the first day of his presidency. President Obama says he's lodged successful cases against China at the World Trade Organization. U.S. debate: Tough talk on China . China's Foreign Ministry has hit back, saying that U.S politicians need to treat China fairly and that trade should be a win-win. Sir Martin Sorrell, CEO of advertising giant WPP, does a lot of business in China. He says the rest of the world can't blame Beijing for its ills. "We have mismanaged our economy, not the Chinese," Sorrell says. "Look back in the history, we've been here before, early 19th Century, China and India were 40-50% of worldwide GNP. They are going be again ... the only question is when." But economists point out China's leaders should be under no illusions about the task ahead. The gap between rich and poor is widening, and poor Chinese complain that the opportunities are drying up. Then there are questions about social cohesion, the rule of law and human rights. In many ways China's incoming rulers are in a race against time. Reform the economy before the people turn against the Party. "The whole legitimacy of this one party rule depends on the ability to deliver. And in the last 30 years, hundreds of million have been brought above the poverty line. So going forward is going to be challenging, but the only way they can survive is to deliver," warns Victor Chu. Tonight the ball room dancers will be back on the streets, but the question remains what will become of them if the music stops. | China's explosive growth is slowing as economy expands at lowest level in three years . Growth is the source of legitimacy and authority for China's Communist Party . There is a growing prosperity divide as Beijing tries to move economy toward domestic consumption . Victor Chu: "The whole legitimacy of this one party rule depends on the ability to deliver" | c7399959dfc08caaf1f34467712d1974e37c80fa |
A fantasist who was jailed in 2003 for falsely claiming she was raped by Neil and Christine Hamilton is back behind bars for wrongly telling police her boyfriend had attacked her with a samurai sword. Nadine Milroy-Sloan, 41, was sentenced to three years after wrongly claiming that the former MP and his wife had sexually assaulted her. Now she has been jailed for four years for perverting the course of justice, after lying that her now ex-boyfriend had threatened to kill her at the home they shared in Rye, East Sussex. Scroll down for video . Fantasist: Nadine Milroy-Sloan, 41, (left) who was jailed in 2003 for falsely claiming she was raped by Neil and Christine Hamilton (pictured outside a police station after the allegations were made in 2001) is back behind bars for wrongly telling police her boyfriend had attacked her with a samurai sword . He was arrested and later charged, spending three months on remand before police realised that she was lying. Mrs Hamilton said she had been contacted by the man's mother following his arrest. Although Milroy-Sloan was using her maiden name Checksfield and the first name Emily, she had suspected it was the same woman who had wrongly accused the couple in 2001. 'This poor guy was on remand for three months on totally trumped up charges,' Mrs Hamilton told MailOnline. 'Thank goodness he had the resolution to follow it through because there is a big cost, not just in terms of money but time, and he was determined that she was not going to get away with it.' False allegations: Milroy-Sloan (left) arrives at the Old Bailey for her 2003 trial. After their arrest in 2001, the Hamiltons launched a very public defence against the allegations, which were dropped when it became apparent they were entirely false . Falsely accused: Milroy-Sloan had made up the allegations against the couple . In June 2003, Nadine Milroy-Sloan was jailed for three years for falsely accusing Tory MP Neil Hamilton and his wife Christine Hamilton of rape. Milroy-Sloan, then 29, was convicted by a jury at the Old Bailey of two charges of perverting the course of justice, having lied to police in May 2001, claiming she had been attacked by former Tory minister Mr Hamilton and his wife in a flat in Ilford, Essex. She claimed she had been lured to the flat by 62-year-old Barry Lehaney, who she said had told her he was the Hamiltons' chauffeur. But Milroy-Sloan had never met the couple and invented the story to make money. Just two days before the alleged attack, she had been to see publicist Max Clifford with a story about the Hamiltons being involved in a vice ring and a tax scam. Following their arrest on August 10, 2001, the couple mounted a very public defence against the allegations, and said they were not at the alleged scene because they were hosting a dinner party, producing alibis from guests including former Conservative speechwriter and Big Brother contestant Derek Laud. The investigation against the couple was dropped when it became apparent that the accusations were entirely false. The jury of ten men and two women agreed with the prosecution that Milroy-Sloan, of Peterhouse Road, Grimsby, Lincs, was a 'cunning' fantasist who had come up with the scheme to find fame and fortune. The jury heard that shamed publicist Clifford, who was jailed earlier this year for a string of sex charges, told Milroy-Sloan she could expect around £100,000 from the media if she could prove her vice ring claims. Prosecutor Orlando Pownall QC said the Hamiltons were totally innocent and had been at Claridges Hotel on the night of the alleged rape. Milroy-Sloan's claims led to Mr Lehaney being arrested on May 7 and the Hamiltons being detained on August 10 'in a blaze of wholly unwarranted publicity'. Mr Pownall also told the court that Milroy-Sloan had been paid £50,000 by a Sunday newspaper to reveal her identity. The rape allegation was not the first time Milroy-Sloan made false complaints to the police. In 1997, she was convicted of a breach of the peace after attacking a friend. Six weeks later, she told police the woman had since attacked her in the street. Her mother-in-law Karen Sloan said she had also told police that her elderly, terminally-ill mother was a drug dealer who had hit her. Clifford, jailed for sexually assaulting a string of women earlier this year, later agreed to pay undisclosed damages and costs over comments he made to newspapers and to GMTV on the false allegations against the Hamiltons. Weeks after he was charged, the man had recorded a conversation with Milroy-Sloan, in which she admitted that the allegation made in April 2012 was false. She then tried to get police to withdraw the allegations, and the charges against him were dropped. Milroy-Sloan, of Deal, Kent, was jailed last week after she was found guilty of perverting the course of justice. She was cleared of a separate alleged offence of burglary. Police confirmed to MailOnline that Nadine Milroy-Sloan and Emily Checksfield were the same person. Detective Chief Inspector Mark Ling said; 'Checksfield had put this man through the ordeal of a convincing allegation, arrest, charge, initial court appearance and, for a while, a remand in custody until he secured bail. Anger: Mrs Hamilton, pictured earlier this year with her husband, described Milroy-Sloan as 'mad, bad and dangerous to know', and said she had 'devastated' her ex-boyfriend's life . 'We will always take all allegations of violent offences very seriously, and this one was thoroughly investigated, but it became clear that Checksfield had made the allegation out of personal spite and that it had no foundation. 'It is equally important that false allegations are considered for prosecution and we worked closely with the CPS to help ensure that she was eventually brought to justice.' In August 2001, Former Conservative MP for Tatton, Cheshire, Mr Hamilton, 65, and his wife, 64, were arrested after Milroy-Sloan claimed she had been attacked by them at a flat in Ilford, Essex. She claimed she had been lured to the flat by a man who had told her he was the Hamiltons' chauffeur. But Milroy-Sloan, who already had a criminal record, had never met the couple and had invented the story to make money. Two days before the alleged attack, she went to see publicist Max Clifford with a story about the Hamiltons being involved in a vice ring and a tax scam. The jury of ten men and two women agreed with the prosecution that Milroy-Sloan was a 'cunning' fantasist who had come up with the scheme to find fame and fortune. The Hamiltons were arrested and questioned for five hours in August 2001. But it emerged they had never met Milroy-Sloan or been near Ilford at the time of the alleged offence. ''It's a scandal,' said Mrs Hamilton today. She added: 'I know she didn't accuse him of rape, but she did in our case, and what she did to this poor guy was appalling. 'He real crime is against genuine victims because every time someone cries wolf it makes it harder for them to be believed. It's a crime against women. 'She is thoroughly mad, bad, and dangerous to know and thank God she has not got away with it. 'She has devastated this fellow's life and it's terrible. Let's hope she is not allowed to do this to anyone else again.' A Sussex Police spokesman said: 'The allegation made by Checksfield against her then-partner in Rye in 2012 was thoroughly investigated and the facts, including her previous conviction in 2003, were submitted to the CPS who authorised his prosecution.' | Nadine Milroy-Sloan, 41, jailed for three years in 2003 for false rape claims . She falsely alleged she was attacked by Neil and Christine Hamilton in 2001 . Under the name Emily Checksfield she was jailed for four years last week . This time she told police her boyfriend had tried to kill her with a sword . He spent three months on remand, before she admitted the claims were lies . Milroy-Sloan is 'mad, bad and dangerous to know,' says Mrs Hamilton . | d14d3cdc85d123786be103ceb40ac36b24be555e |
(CNN) -- The Ebola outbreak is much worse than official figures show and is "spiraling out of control," a leading U.S. official said Tuesday -- due in part, he said, to some countries that inadvertently have made it harder to corral the deadly disease. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Dr. Tom Frieden offered his stark commentary to CNN a day after Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, the president of Liberia, voiced dissatisfaction with the world response so far. "In a way, we feel saddened by the response," President Sirleaf said. More than 3,000 people have been infected by Ebola in Liberia, Guinea, Sierra Leone and Nigeria since the first documented cases in December, according to the World Health Organization. At least 1,552 have died. Human trial of experimental Ebola vaccine begins . | NEW: Obama to West Africans: "We know how to" stop Ebola from spreading . NEW: U.S. official: 500 from CDC working on Ebola; 100 government workers in region . CDC director: "Hugely fast increase" in harder-to-manage Ebola cases of late . Liberian President: "We feel saddened" by the international response to the crisis . | 3570985d450dfe08d073074f895f644f7c9d9ad2 |
Slaughtered: Marmite the micro pig, pictured, was loaned to a school because he was lonely at home . A woman who loaned her beloved micro pig to a local school to stop the animal getting lonely was shocked to find out her pet had been sent to slaughter. Ria Dell, 21, was given Marmite as a present, but 'loaned' him to a local infant school so he would no longer be stuck in the house and could meet other pigs. Miss Dell, who works in a sweet shop, would visit her 'docile' porcine friend several times a week in his new home at West Rise Junior School in Eastbourne, Sussex - but one day he was no longer in his pen. When she investigated Marmite's fate, the school revealed that they had sent the animal off to be killed because of his 'aggressive' behaviour. It is claimed he bit a school site manager and even tried to attack a pupil. Miss Dell, who says Marmite was only loaned to the school, was 'devastated' by the news, and says they had no right to kill her pet. However, officials from the school have claimed they were within their rights to take the drastic step, consulted a vet first and even asked Miss Dell to take the pig back. Scroll down for video . Beloved pet: Ria Dell, pictured with Marmite, maintains the school had no right to send her pig to die . Vegetarian Miss Dell said: 'I have loved pigs since I was a child and they were always my favourite animal. 'My parents bought me Marmite as a present for my 21st birthday and I was ecstatic. I treated him very much like a pet rather than livestock and he lived in the house with us as a member of the family. 'He was so soft and domesticated that he . would sit on my lap in front of the TV, and let me stroke him. He would . even give me kisses and cuddles. When you called his name, he would . recognise it and come running like a dog. Devastated: Ria Dell is pictured above outside the enclosure where she used to visit her porcine friend . 'Docile': Miss Dell described how her pig was calm and loving, although school officials say he bit a member of staff . 'Unfortunately, it became clear he was a little lonely and I thought he would benefit from socialising with other pigs. You would not be alone in thinking that Marmite seems on the large size for a micro pig. However the animals, which shot to popularity because of their pint-sized reputation, are only truly tiny when they are piglets. Adult micro pigs can easily grow to knee-height, and some shocked owners have had to content with the beasts growing even larger and causing chaos at home. 'I contacted West Rise school because I knew they had other animals and they said they would be delighted to take him. 'They had a female pig they wanted to mate and they said Marmite would make the perfect stud. 'I took him to the school on the understanding he would be boarding there. I wasn’t giving them ownership. I thought he would have a dream new start in life with some other pigs to keep him company.' Marmite was placed into a pen with two other pigs in January this year, and within two months he was dead. Miss Dell said: 'I visited him at the school three times a week and my mum would drive past every day. 'You could see him from the pathway outside the school, so I never needed to go in. However, one day we realised he had disappeared, which was extremely worrying. New home: Marmite was sent to the school so that he could mix with other pigs. He is pictured left in the enclosure . Dispute: The school says it was within its rights to kill Marmite, and tried to offer him back to Miss Dell first . Relocated: Marmite was sent to West Rise Junior School, pictured, where he lived with other pigs . 'The school told us he had been aggressive towards the other pigs and moved to a separate pen. However, he was so docile and half the size of the ones they had. 'The school’s other male was older than Marmite and even had tusks.' Miss Dell said she offered to take Marmite back or help to find him another home, though the school disputes this. 'Devastated': Miss Dell would visit her porcine friend three times a week until his unexpected demise . But she also claims the school then sent him to slaughter at Tottingworth Farm in nearby Broad Oak without letting her know. She said: 'When I found out Marmite had been killed I was devastated. I couldn’t believe it and I was just screaming. The school had no right to kill my pet, who I loved so much. People should imagine how they would feel if somebody did that to their dog.' The school said it removed the pig upon the recommendation of a vet and attempted to find suitable housing for him on another site. Headteacher Mike Fairclough said: 'After a few weeks the new pig became extremely aggressive and attacked our two other pigs. It also bit the site manager and tried to bite a child. 'We contacted our vet and were advised to remove the pig from our site for the health and safety of the children and the other animals. 'The previous owners were contacted by the school to notify them of this development, but at no point did they offer to have it back or to help rehouse it. 'Our farm manager approached as many local farms as possible to rehouse the pig, but nobody wanted it because it was a boar.' | Marmite the micro pig used to live with doting owner Ria Dell, 21 . But he was getting lonely at home, so she sent him to live at a school . Miss Dell continued to visit her friend at West Rise Junior School in Sussex . However, one day she could not find him - and learned he had been killed . School officials say they were within their rights to slaughter Marmite . They claim he school staff - but Miss Dell says he was not their pig to kill . | ef697be1c3c22900190c3cf3cdf3151389cd8cb4 |
By . Nick Enoch . PUBLISHED: . 16:00 EST, 3 January 2014 . | . UPDATED: . 06:02 EST, 4 January 2014 . Outside a makeshift tent built from cardboard and rusting metal, a family do their best to keep warm as they huddle around a small fire. The child's father is a rag picker, scavenging what he can from refuse, and then trying to sell it. Meanwhile, a young boy stirs from his slumber in a rubbish-strewn outdoor shelter - the thick red bedding and corrugated iron 'wall' doing little to protect him from the elements. Heartbreaking scenes such as these played out across much of northern India this week as the region is gripped by sub-zero temperatures. A family warm themselves outside a makeshift tent built from cardboard in Srinagar, Kashmir in freezing conditions today. The man is a rag picker, scavenging through refuse and then trying to sell it . Temperatures in northern India plummeted this week, with the mercury falling as a low as -12C at night . A child stirs from an uncomfortable night in an outdoor temporary shelter in Delhi today . The winter takes a heavy toll each year around northern India, as poverty forces many homeless people to live outside . The temperature in Delhi managed just 2.4C on December 30 - making it the coldest December there in 17 years. Above, people do their best to fight the cold on the streets today . The rag picker and his young children are one of thousands of families struggling to survive another harsh winter in a slum in Srinagar, Kashmir, as the mercury fell to -2C last night. Earlier this week, the night-time temperature dropped to -12C. And the boy in the bed is among the countless homeless people in Delhi forced to live outdoors. The temperature in Delhi managed just 2.4C on December 30 - making it the coldest December there in 17 years, according to Times of India. This was about five degrees below the average for this time of year. A Kashmiri boatman makes a snowman at the Dal Lake in Srinagar. The lake is also a popular tourist attraction . Living in abject poverty and with scant drainage or sanitation facilities, the poor of Srinagar find it hard to survive at the best of times . The Srinagar slum-dwellers' 'homes' are often made from whatever materials they can find: cardboard, tin or torn tarpaulins . Despite the homeless people's dire predicament, the government has done little to help improve their lot . To make matters worse, many of Srinagar's shanty towns are near to Dal Lake, a popular destination for tourists - a constant reminder of the gaping chasm between the haves and the have-nots . Around 200,000 people live below the poverty line in Srinagar but only a small proportion of families have been rehoused, due to lack of funding . Living in abject poverty and with scant drainage or sanitation facilities, the slum dwellers of Srinagar find it hard to survive at the best of times. Their 'homes' are often made from whatever materials they can find: cardboard, tin or torn tarpaulins. To make matters worse, many of the city's shanty towns are near to Dal Lake, a popular destination for tourists - and a constant reminder of the gaping chasm between the haves and the have-nots. Despite the situation, the government has done little to help improve their lot. There are around 65million slum dwellers in India, with 1.7million of them living in Delhi. Men on the streets of Delhi today keep their heads covered in the biting cold . The Jammu and Kashmir administrations has begun road clearance operations, while drinking water and other essentials are being provided to those in need . There are around 65million slum dwellers in India, with 1.7million of them living in Delhi (above) Around 200,000 people live below the poverty line in Srinagar but only a small proportion of families have been rehoused, due to lack of funding. Heavy snowfall has led to widespread disruption of the road networks in the Kashmir valley, with cars stranded on the Srinagar-Jammu national highway earlier this week. The Jammu and Kashmir administrations has begun road clearance operations, while drinking water and other essentials are being provided to those in need, India Today reported. A solitary child in Srinagar stands among the trees and appalling shelters that they must call home . In sub-zero temperatures, this family will clearly struggle throughout the winter in their tiny shack . | In Srinagar, Kashmir, in the north of the country, homeless people are struggling in sub-zero conditions . Delhi hit 2.4C on December 30 - the coldest December on record in the city for 17 years . | 04f6ff38e40d588ae45a46f41d9222cdea2af7c5 |
Martin Atkinson has been appointed to referee City's game vs West Ham on Sunday . Atkinson's experience will help him cope with any pressures, just like I did when Manchester United beat Tottenham 2-1 to win the first part of their historic treble . 51-year-old Phil Dowd will referee Liverpool's clash against Newcastle in what may be his final game in the Premier League . By . Graham Poll . Follow @@MAIL_GPoll . Martin Atkinson has been entrusted with the game which is expected to see Manchester City confirmed as Premier League champions on Sunday. The 43-year-old is often seen as the PGMO’s safe pair of hands as he has the experience to cope with any pressures that might come to bear should the game not go as expected. I remember refereeing the last game of the 1998/99 season at Old Trafford where Manchester United knew if they beat Tottenham they would be crowned champions and secure the first trophy of their historic treble. Man in the middle: Martin Atkinson will referee Manchester City's home clash against West Ham on Sunday . Tottenham went a goal up and news came through that title rivals Arsenal were winning at Highbury. It takes strength of mind and character to block out those outside influences and focus on the job in hand. Atkinson will have to do that at the Etihad and not dwell on any negative thoughts regarding "costing" City the title. He refereed their recent 2-2 draw with Sunderland and 6-3 home win over Arsenal - either result would suit them this time. Been there, done that: Graham Poll refereed Manchester United's 2-1 final day win against Tottenham in 1999 . End of an era? Phil Dowd (right) could referee his final game when Liverpool host Newcastle on Sunday . Liverpool also have the vastly experienced Phil Dowd on their final game which could be his last top flight appointment. There is no retirement age any more but as Dowd turns 52 next season he must realise that his active refereeing must come to an end at some point. Dowd had refereed only one Premier League game at Anfield this season, a 4-0 win against Tottenham. | Martin Atkinson has been appointed to referee City's game vs West Ham on Sunday . Atkinson's experience will help him cope with any pressures, just like I did when Manchester United beat Tottenham 2-1 to win the first part of their historic treble . 51-year-old Phil Dowd will referee Liverpool's clash against Newcastle in what may be his final game in the Premier League . | 8588f356b9a3b5b6dec6e92e88039e65b25b165d |
The US State Department has accused ISIS of taking screen grabs of Hungarian pornography and claiming the images show the rape of Arab women by western soldiers. The original image was tweeted from an account claiming allegiance with the terrorist group. The tweet features three images, one of a distressed, small child. The second features a woman being held by men in military fatigues and the final image shows a man in Arab dress being abused by a soldier. The ISIS tweet had a very graphic image which it claimed showed the abuse of a woman in Syria . The US State Department countered the tweet claiming the image came from a Hungarian porn movie . ISIS uses social media heavily in a bid to recruit new recruits from Europe and north America . In the tweet, ISIS claims that they are the 'sole saviour of millions of Sunni Muslims against Iraqi-Syria army butchers'. In response to the ISIS tweet, the US State Department using their Think Again Turn Away social media account, said the middle rape image was taken from Hungarian porn. The tweet claims that ISIS should 'stop using fake photos to trick people' into supporting their 'lost cause'. According to the State Department, the role of their anti-terrorist social media accounts is to 'expose the facts about terrorists and their propaganda.' The Think Again Turn Away account as more than 13,000 followers and has made almost 3,000 tweets. It has also released some graphic videos to counter the recruitment videos produced on behalf of ISIS to encourage western Muslims to travel to Iraq and Syria. In one video, the US State Department claims that ISIS terrorists crucify fellow Muslims, attack mosques with suicide bombs and that travel is cheap as a would-be ISIS terrorist only requires a one-way ticket. The US State Department has claimed that almost 1,500 Syrian civilians have been executed by ISIS over the past five months since they had declared their caliphate. | The US State Department is actively countering ISIS propaganda online . The terrorist organisation was accused of using Hungarian pornography . The US is trying to dissuade young western Muslims from joining ISIS . | 0ab81ac3e49578e025059e802d1550481abd3c1e |
A Premier League star has sparked an anti-Semitism row after he tweeted a picture of himself with a ‘Hitler’ moustache. Liverpool defender, Jose Enrique, proudly posted the image on Twitter revealing that he had shaved his facial hair - which so happens to resemble the German dictator's - to surprise his girlfriend. And although less than impressed, Amy Jaine happily posed for the picture while smiling and pointing at the former Newcastle United player. Scroll down for video . Jose Enrique posted this image with girlfriend of Amy Jaine while sporting the new Hitler-style moustache . Enrique, 28, jokingly tweeted: ‘Surprised my girlfriend with a new style of beard this morning, She didn't like it very much.. hahahahaha @AmyJaine.' But the image, which has been shared more than 1,500 times, has caused outrage with Twitter users who have expressed their disbelief. Adolf Hitler was responsible for killing around six million Jews during his time as leader of Nazi Party . Joakim (@TheHopefullyOne) tweeted: ‘I hope you don’t got [sic] any Jewish followers,’ while Pete (@TheMrTuray) said: ‘what is their [sic] to love about a clueless tweet refereeing [sic] to a fascist dictator like Hitler?’ He added: ‘[It is] offensive/misleading no matter what meaning you put it in, he should know not do it’. While @TheCescChip wrote ‘Hitler is back’ and Ryan (@RyanMcTrippy) called the new style ‘The Third Enreichue’. Another user asked the footballer whether his ‘faux pas alarm’ had gone off yet. But not everyone agrees it is a Hitler-style moustache and Twitter user Morenike Adebayo said it was more of a ‘Charlie Chaplin’ while another thought he looked more like ‘a French waiter’. The actor and comedian, born in east London in 1889, was better known for his performance in The Great Dictator, in which he satirised Adolf Hitler. As leader of the Nazi Party, Hitler was responsible for the death of around six million Jews during the Second World War. Twitter user Joakin replied to the footballer 'I hope you don't got any Jewish followers' Another person took to the social media site to ask what there is to love about the tweet. He later added that he found it offensive and misleading and said Enrique should 'know not to do it' Several users referred to his new look as Hitler-esque while some thought he looked more like Charlie Chaplin . @RyanMcTrippy joked that it was 'The Third Enreichue' and another said he looked like a French waiter . | Jose Enrique posted image on Twitter saying he had surprised his girlfriend . But Amy Jaine was not impressed and he wrote 'she didn't like it very much' His new facial hair has sparked controversy from fans saying it is 'offensive' One Twitter user said they hoped he didn't have any Jewish followers . Another said it was misleading and that he should know not to do it . Hitler was responsible for killing six million Jews during reign as Nazi leader . | b0d1f6defb0c87a8cfb8fe2c9ddafd2c2319f1fc |
Going Global showcases entrepreneurs taking their businesses around the world, tackling issues like business strategy, marketing and international logistics. (Business Insider)When Zendesk CEO Mikkel Svane first came up with the idea of Zendesk, a customer service software that's now worth $1.7 billion, everyone thought it was boring. But when he shared the vision for his product — a web-based, on-demand platform where companies can build relationships with customers — his boring idea suddenly became sexy. Business Insider: The App That's Like SnapChat For Business Goes After Bigger Companies . He shares his thinking behind his idea in his recent book, "Startupland." He writes, "Sexy stuff sometimes happens when you make mundane things easy and accessible. Any aspect of democratization is a good thing." Business Insider: This 27-Year-Old CEO Struggled Through School — Now He's Raised $59 Million To Change Education . For example, he says the old FTP file sharing platform doesn't sound all that fun, but Dropbox and Box made file-sharing sexy with better features and design. Retail credit card payment isn't all that exciting, but Square made it cool, too. Because of Amazon's Jeff Bezos, the boring idea of taking bookstores online turned into a massive overhaul of the world of commerce, he says. Business Insider: HP's First Black Professional In Computers Explains Why Tech Lacks Racial Diversity . Svane also shares some of his trade secrets from working in the customer support field. Here are three of the "most unlikely tricks" he learned:Make it personal, and mistakes are OK: Emails that were perfectly crafted didn't generate much response, he says. Instead, when spelling errors or simple sentences were used, people would respond more often. "People realized it wasn't an automated email but a message from a real person — and they responded to that." Women get more responses: When early employee Michael Hansen used his male name, he didn't get a lot of responses. But once he changed his name to Josephine, the response rate shot up. It might be because most IT people are male, but for some reason, female names work better. It's all about the conversation: It doesn't really matter what you talk about, but just having a real conversation helps in terms of response rates. "We could quickly see a direct correlation between response rates to our emails and conversions to customers," he writes. Copyright © 2015 Business Insider. | According to Mikkel Svane, CEO of customer service software Zendesk, a boring business idea can become sexy . Sexy stuff happens when mundane processes are streamlined and simplified, he says . Tricks to excel in the customer support field include sparking real conversations and being unafraid of mistakes . | b4370601f22d2dd128400db82f1cb19d10997f70 |
A former Grand Slam tennis champion has denied sexually abusing three girls he coaches decades ago, a court heard. Bob Hewitt, 75, claimed that the mother of one of his alleged victims supported him as he gave evidence at his trial in Johannesburg, South Africa. Hewitt, one of the world's best doubles plays in the 1960s and 1970s, testified for the first time today. He said the mother of one of his accusers 'has supported me that I did not do anything to her daughter.' Former grand slam tennis doubles champion Bob Hewitt outside a Johannesburg court Monday, Feb. 9, 2015. Hewitt, who is on trial for rape and sexual assault of minors in the country, has pleaded not guilty . Hewitt, who was a member of the U.S.-based International Tennis Hall of Fame before the allegations of abuse emerged, is on trial charged with two counts of rape and one of sexual assault of girls he coached in cases dating back more than 30 years. The alleged offenses all took place in South Africa, where he now lives. Two women testified that Hewitt raped them in the early 1980s when they were both under 16. A third accused him of sexually assaulting her during a tennis lesson in the early 1990s, when she was between 14 and 17 years. Australian-born Hewitt, who accompanied at court by his wife, won nine Grand Slam doubles and six mixed doubles titles in the 1960s and 1970s. He also reached the semifinals of the men's singles at the Australian Open three times and won the Davis Cup with South Africa in 1974 after settling there. He teamed up occasionally with greats Billie Jean King and Arthur Ashe. He was indefinitely suspended from the Rhode Island-based Hall of Fame in 2012 after the organisation conducted an investigation into the allegations. Australian-born Hewitt, who accompanied at court by his wife, won nine Grand Slam doubles and six mixed doubles titles in the 1960s and 1970s . Sorry we are not currently accepting comments on this article. | Bob Hewitt denies sexually abusing three girls he coaches decades ago . 75-year-old claimed the mother of one of his accusers supported him . Ex Grand Slam tennis champion on trial in Johannesburg, South Africa . | 0724c0f5da851e3fca71939d621818158e62665f |
By . Lizzie Edmonds . PUBLISHED: . 10:08 EST, 5 September 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 10:14 EST, 5 September 2013 . A couple watched on helplessly as their family car plunged into a canal during a family boat trip. Sharon and Duncan Hall were horrified when the handbrake on their people carrier failed and the car rolled into the Bridgewater Canal, near Manchester. The couple were at the Boothstown Marina in Salford for a boat trip to celebrate the 49th wedding anniversary of Duncan’s parents. Underwater: Sharon and Duncan Hall's people carrier rolled into the Bridgewater Canal near Manchester on Sunday . They had parked at the canal-side car park and were just about to board the boat when they turned to see the Volkswagen Touran sinking. Duncan, 40, said: 'It was like something from You’ve Been Framed - but it wasn’t funny. 'The boat trip was a surprise for my mum and dad. 'I parked up, locked up and we were ready to get on board when I heard my wife shout "the car!".' Watery rescue: The Volkswagen Touran was carefully winched out of the canal by a crane . Not hopeful: The couple, who were about to embark on a boating trip before the accident, do not think their car can be salvaged . 'It was already halfway in the canal.' Quick-thinking staff from Karen’s Boat Hire at the marina tied a rope around the roof rack and pulled it from the water before it could sink entirely. The waterlogged car was towed by a barge and then winched out of the canal by a crane sent by their insurance company. The recovery firm found that the handbrake was on but it was faulty. The couple, from Eccles, are now waiting to find out if the car can be salvaged following the accident at 9.15am on Sunday. Duncan, a yard worker, and Sharon, a 42-year-old marketing supervisor, bought the car for £6,500 last summer. They use it to get to work and for their children Leah, 20, Jack, 15, and 18-month-old Ellie. Duncan added: 'I think it’s beyond repair because of the water damage and because the crane had to smash the windows to hoist it out. 'But I’d like to thank Karen’s Boat Hire. Without their quick thinking it would have been on the bottom of the canal.' | Sharon and Duncan Hall parked people carrier before anniversary boat trip . Handbrake was on, but they watched in horror as car rolled into canal . Quick-thinking staff tied a rope round the Volkswagen Touran's roof rack . But yard worker Mr Hall fears his £6,500 car is 'beyond repair' 'It was something from You've Been Framed - but it wasn't funny,' he says . | d3c1adbc9968e5761c15932eab79e7926986c1e1 |
By . Emine Sinmaz . PUBLISHED: . 16:29 EST, 19 May 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 02:19 EST, 20 May 2013 . A former Army helicopter pilot is to become the first British astronaut to travel into space in more than 20 years. Details of Major Tim Peake’s five-month mission to the International Space Station will be released today by the European Space Agency. The 41-year-old is expected to be blasted into space on a Russian Soyuz rocket from Baikonur in Kazakhstan in November 2015. Tim Peake has been selected to go to the International Space Station for five months . The married father of two, who was . born in Chichester, West Sussex, will take part in spacewalks and . complex scientific research and experiments in the Columbus laboratory . module, which is attached to the front of the 400-ton space station. Major Peake is the only Briton ever . to be accepted into the European Astronaut Corps. His mission will make . him the first UK national to travel and work in space, under the Union . Jack, on a British Government-funded mission. Other British astronauts have either . secured private funding – such as Helen Sharman, who flew on a Russian . rocket in 1991 – or taken dual citizenship, such as Michael Foale and . Piers Sellers, who flew missions on the US space shuttle. Major Peake’s appointment is a major boost for the British space industry, which is experiencing something of a renaissance. Peake was one of six people to be chosen to be trained as astronauts in 2009 . He attends a video conference during his 12-day stay underwater as he trained . The UK is now the European Space . Agency’s third largest contributor and the agency has responded by . opening its first technical base in the country. Nick Spall, of the British Interplanetary Society, welcomed the news of Major’s Peake’s appointment. ‘The UK can now take its rightful place and join in with important . microgravity research work on the ISS, win industrial contracts for . future human space flight projects and forge new links via ESA with . Nasa, Russia and hopefully China – and, one day perhaps, India – in . space,’ he said. ‘With exciting potential mission . opportunities coming up for exploration across the solar system to . asteroids, the Moon, Mars and beyond for the future, many young people . will be inspired by Tim and his achievement. This will really help boost . the UK’s technical employment potential for jobs and industry. Human . space flight is a win-win initiative for the UK.’ Major Peake, who has been training . for the expedition since 2009, beat more than 8,000 hopefuls to be . selected along with five other colleagues from across Europe. It was thought that peake would have only a small role due to the UK's modest contributions to the Esa manned space programme . His 14-month training programme . included visits to Nasa’s astronaut base in Houston, the Russian . astronaut training centre in Star City outside Moscow, Tsukuba Space . Centre in Japan, and a two-week survival course in Sardinia. He has also . had to complete mock emergency exercises to see how he copes under . stress. Last year it emerged that he was one . of a team being trained to land on an asteroid to explore the surface, . search for minerals and even learn how they might be able to destroy it . should one pose a threat to the Earth. Major Peake, who served in the . British Army for 18 years, has been waiting to be assigned a space . flight since he completed his training in November 2010. But he recently insisted that the . long wait did not bother him, telling an interviewer. ‘It doesn’t get . frustrating at all. There’s just so much going on, so much diversity, . and there’s brilliant training all along the way.’ The Sandhurst graduate received a . commission with the Army Air Corps in 1992 and served as a platoon . commander with the Royal Green Jackets in Northern Ireland. He gained his wings in 1994 and became a qualified flight instructor in 1998. He retired from the Army in 2009. Helen Sharman was the first Briton to . go into space in 1991 on Project Juno, a co-operative project between a . number of British companies and the Soviet government. She spent a week . at the Russian Mir space station. The most experienced British-born . astronaut is Nasa’s Michael Foale. He has accumulated 374 days in orbit, . completing long-duration missions to both the International Space . Station and Mir. | Major Tim Peake, 41, will travel to the station in November 2015 . the Sandhurst graduate is considered the first official British astronaut . This will be his first mission into space since graduating in 2010 . Was feared he would only get a short mission due to the UK's modest contributions to the space programme . | 431b5668cd676810857ceb79e6254b923a7abc03 |
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