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By . Laura Williamson . Follow @@laura_mail . At 12.40pm on Thursday in lane four of the Tollcross pool where he learnt to swim, Scotland’s Michael Jamieson will begin his bid for Commonwealth gold in heat three of the 200 metres breaststroke. He won silver in Delhi four years ago, silver at the world short-course championships in 2012 and silver at the London Olympics. It is now ‘time to step up’, in his home town at his home Games. Jamieson wants gold. ‘I was always a bit wary of saying “I want to win gold” because I didn’t want to jinx it,’ he said. ‘But everyone knows that’s the result I want. This is the biggest event of my life. I feel like it’s not just for me, it’s for everybody. VIDEO Scroll down for Glasgow ready for 2014 Commonwealths . Carrying the flag: Swimmer Michael Jamieson is Scotland's poster boy for the Commonwealth Games . ‘On day one there’s a bit of responsibility there as well, not just for the swimmers but for the whole of Team Scotland. We’re looking to win more medals than we have ever done, so I want to play my part in that.’ Expectation will be pressing down on Jamieson’s powerful shoulders as he dives into that pool. He has been training 30 hours a week for more than a decade, rising at 5.45am, practising until 10am, feeding up and then doing it all again from 2pm until 6pm. He is also the poster boy for these Games and the timetable has been designed so he can, hopefully, get Scotland off to a winning start. To his credit, Jamieson has embraced the hype and the swimmer has been talking to a sports psychologist to try to ensure he enjoys the experience, as well as achieving success. No pressure: Jamieson opens proceedings for Scotland and will want a winning start . ‘The first time I had a taste of sports psychology was in the lead-in to London,’ he says. ‘I wanted to walk out for the final and just be relaxed. Now I know how to do that and the goal for me is getting the balance between enjoying the event — because it’s my home Games in my home town — and not putting too much pressure on myself. ‘But that’s the lifestyle and I love it. I train to compete at events like the Commonwealth Games, so I’m so eager to make the most of it.’ Pedigree: Jamieson won silver for Team GB at the 2012 Olympics in London . Jamieson has been ‘flogging’ himself to ensure he arrives in Glasgow in the form of his life. He loves that aspect of his sport, but trying to push his body to its limits led to a heart scare late last year. He ‘felt funny’ during a weights session, but warmed up to swim anyway, dived in and then realised his heart-rate was through the roof. He was admitted to hospital with an irregular heartbeat. ‘They slow your heart-rate down and give you a bit of an electric shock and that re-sets it,’ he explains. Jamieson describes this process very casually. He is wary of it being seen as an excuse for potential failure. He insists he does not feel any after-effects, but he knows the problem could have ended his career. ‘It was a strange situation,’ he says. ‘At 25, you don’t expect to have heart problems — you’re supposed to be in the shape of your life. I was pretty calm, but I had a 10-minute period where I had a bit of a panic. ‘I was in the main theatre room and the doctor said, “There’s a 48-hour window where, if a patient displays the same symptoms, we can treat it. Outside that it becomes a bit more complicated and you might have to step away from swimming”. ‘That made me think, “I’ve got to make the most of this”. There is nothing to be worried about, but I can’t explain why it happened the first time and, if it happened again, I don’t think I’d be able to keep swimming. ‘It made me take stock and think I have to make the most of it.’ It is a thought that is driving on . Jamieson. For all the pressure that has been put on the Scot ahead of . Thursday’s event, the greatest pressure still comes from within. Seize the moment: After a heart scare last year Jamieson intends to make the most of his opportunity . Michael Jamieson is taking part in British Gas SwimBritain this summer, a campaign to create a healthier nation and get more people swimming more regularly: www.swimbritain.co.uk . VIDEO Glasgow ready for 2014 Commonwealths . | Michael Jamieson competes in the Commonwealth Games in his hometown . The Glaswegian kicks off proceedings for Scotland in the 200m breaststroke . Jamieson won silver in the 2012 London Olympics for Team GB . Aiming to make the most of chance of success following heart scare in 2013 . | 0266e3c2cf6ba13677ddcfba35beaea331eca570 |
They went in search evidence of the world’s melting ice caps, but instead a team of climate scientists have been forced to abandon their mission … because the Antarctic ice is thicker than usual at this time of year. The scientists have been stuck aboard the stricken MV Akademik Schokalskiy since Christmas Day, with repeated sea rescue attempts being abandoned as icebreaking ships failed to reach them. Now that effort has been ditched, with experts admitting the ice is just too thick. Instead the crew have built an icy helipad, with plans afoot to rescue the 74-strong team by helicopter. SCROLL DOWN FOR VIDEO . This image, taken by passenger Andrew Peacock, shows the ship still stuck in the ice off East Antarctica, as it waits to be rescued . A thin fresh coat of snow on the trapped ship . The Australian Maritime Safety Authority said the rescue would be a complex operation - and it could be several weeks before the passengers reach dry land. Above, Akademik expedition leader Greg Mortimer gives a briefing about the ice conditions yesterday . Professor Chris Turney, leader of the Australasian Antarctic Expedition, is pictured talking to international media from the top deck of the stranded ship . Australian Green Party Senator-elect Janet Rice up early doing some stretching on the top deck of the MV Akademik Shokalskiy . The expedition is being lead by Chris . Turney, a climate scientist, who was hoping to reach the base camp of Douglas Mawson, one of the most famous Antarctic explorers, and repeat observations done by him in 1912 to see what impact climate change had made. It is thought that the group, which includes scientific researchers and a journalist, will now be able to escape by air after two sea rescues failed. Australian icebreaker Aurora Australis was . unable to reach them because it was not strong enough to break through. A top-of-the-range Chinese icebreaker, . the Snow Dragon ('Xue Long'), was deployed earlier in the week, and hoped to reach the ship by saturday. However just after midnight on Friday it too got stuck just . six nautical miles from the ship. The Chinese icebreaker Xuelong - meaning Snow Dragon - was deployed to rescue the Russian science ship . However just before midnight on Friday Captain Wang Jianzhong's ship (pictured) also became trapped . Scientists on board the Xuelong, including Liu Shunlin (left), are now studying the condition of the Russian ship while they wait to be freed themselves . A photograph sent in by the captain of the Russian ship suggests that the two vessels can actually see each other, albeit as a tiny speck on the horizon . The Academic Shokalskiy set off from New Zealand on November 28 to recreate a 100-year-old Australasia expedition . first sailed by Sir Douglas Mawson to see how the journey changes using . new technology and equipment. But on Wednesday morning, the boat hit a mass of thick ice sheets and today remains at a stand still. Chris . Turney, an Australian professor who helped organise the voyage on the . Russian ship, yesterday posted a photograph on Twitter apparently . showing the Chinese vessel, a speck on the horizon beyond an expanse of . ice. Smile: The crew of passengers and researchers pose for a holiday photograph in the depths of Antarctica . Barbara Tucker, a passenger on Russia's Academic Shokalskiy, is pictured watching an adelie penguin . Passengers waved as a helicopter sent from China's retreated Snow Dragon flew by to check the snow levels yesterday . The researchers on board have managed to get messages out saying they are well-stocked and continuing their research despite being trapped in five metres of ice sheets 1,500 miles south of Tasmanian capital Hobart . Failed: This picture, tweeted by passenger Chris Turney, shows the top-of-the-range icebreaker, China's 'Snow Dragon' which also got stuck and was forced to retreat on Friday . Trapped: 74 people, including scientists, tourists and a Guardian reporter, are stuck in thick ice sheets . Crew members routinely check the hull of the ship, which gathers fresh layers of snow every night . 'Everyone well,' Turney added. He said trying to break through ice that was too thick would be 'like driving your car into a brick wall'. Just before 5am on Wednesday, Australia deployed a The Snow Dragon to free the group into open water. French . vessel L'Astrolabe was sent out for back up, alongside . Australia's Aurora Australis, which is carrying food and first aid . professionals. After two days being stranded, passengers hoped to be rescued by the Snow Dragon as it powered through horrific conditions. Russia's Academic Shokalskiy is recreating Mawson's 100-year-old Australasia expedition using new tools . Blizzards could hamper the rescue mission, but the ship is well-stocked and the scientists are continuing their research on the snow around them . But on Friday the heavy winds became too great, and built up an impenetrable pile of snow. Academic Shokalskiy, an ice-strengthened ship built in 1982, was originally used for . oceanographic research before being refurbished to be used as a . passenger vessel in the Arctic and Antarctica. Marooned 1,500 nautical miles south of . Hobart - the capital of the Australian state of Tasmania - the thick . ice sheets built up during a bout of severe wind. The Russian embassy in Australia has . been in constant contact with the captain and said everyone on board was . in good health and there was 'no threat to their lives or safety'. On . board are scientists from the University of New . South Wales, a journalist from The Guardian and dozens of tourists who . have paid to be part of the recreation of Mawson’s expedition. The research team has made contact with local stations from the Commonwealth Bay to say they are well-stocked with food. The ship had been on a multi-day tour from New Zealand to visit several sites along the edge of Antarctica before getting trapped in sea ice . France's L'Astrobe, also deployed to save the ship, has now turned back . Bleak: The ship has been stranded in the barren, frozen landscape since Christmas . 'We . all know that there's a possibility of this becoming quite a protracted . sit and wait,' said Andrew Peacock, a passenger onboard the Akademik . Shokalskiy, speaking via satellite phone. 'I think people are just looking at that next step when that second icebreaker arrives. 'We really are just hoping that the two powerful icebreaker ships will provide the breakage of ice that we need.' However, he said the ice floes appear to have built up dramatically overnight. They are also continuing their research while stranded by testing the temperature of the surrounding ice sheets. A . spokesman for Australia's Maritime Safety Authority told Australia's . Associated Press: 'It is quite a remote part of the world, but we have . everyone safe. The vessel isn't in any immediate danger.' The spokesman said the ship was visiting a number of sites along the edge of Antarctica. One has managed to send a tweet. Chris . Turney, of the Australasian Antarctic Expedition, wrote: 'Heavy ice. Beautiful; light wind. Only -1degC. All well. Merry Xmas everyone from . AAE.' | Chris Turney, a climate scientist and leader of the expedition, was going to document 'environmental changes' at the pole . In an interview he said he expected melting ice to play a part in expedition . MV Akademik Schokalskiy still stuck among thick ice sheet . 1,500 nautical miles south of Hobart, the Tasmanian capital . Called for help at 5am Christmas morning after becoming submerged in ice . Australia's back-up ship, Aurora Australis could not break through . | bdd36f785ab9c90c6ca3c5b29e7460dea1871a87 |
By . Gerard Couzens . and Jill Reilly . A British man has been sentenced to 20 years jail in Peru for pushing his pregnant girlfriend to her death from their home after a Valentines Day row. Financial trader Owen Arthur Goddard, 35, was convicted on a single charge of femicide by a court in the capital Lima. Part-time dental assistant Lidia Maribel Mendoza Riquez, who was nearly four months pregnant with their child, died in the early hours of February 14 2012 after falling near 30 feet from the third-floor flat they shared in upmarket Lima neighbourhood San Isidro. Financial trader Owen Arthur Goddard, 35, (seen righ in 2013) was convicted of murdering part-time dental assistant Lidia Maribel Mendoza Riquez, left, who was nearly four months pregnant with their child . Goddard survived despite throwing himself from the same apartment in an apparent suicide attempt.Detectives found the pair lying side by side by a wooden fence near the block when they arrived. Local TV stations later showed grisly pictures of the injured Brit lying unconscious in hospital taken on a mobile phone. Police . initially treated the incident as an alcohol-fuelled accident but soon . started to suspect foul play after neighbours said they had heard the . pair rowing shortly before the tragedy and they discovered his victim . had reported him for assault months earlier. Prosecutors, who had demanded a 30-year jail sentence, are now expected to appeal. He was charged with his girlfriend's murder after coming out of a coma and dubbed the 'English killer' by local papers. Lidia's sister Flor claimed at the time her pregnancy and Goddard's increasing reliance on drugs had led to her death. She said: 'That man pushed her because he didn't want to have the baby. 'He threw himself on top of her afterwards to make it look like an accident.' The body being taken into hospital after the pregnant woman fell to her death from an apartment balcony . The scene where the body of a pregnant woman was found after she fell from third floor apartment in San Isidro, Lima . The . three judges who decided Goddard's fate after a stop-start trial which . began last September ruled in a written judgement the Brit expat was . 'conscious of his actions' and suffered from no psychological problems. He was ordered to pay his victim's family more than £42,000 in compensation. Prosecutors, . who had demanded a 30-year jail sentence and more than double the . amount of compensation he was ordered to pay, have already said they . will appeal. In a . separate move judges also ruled a male friend who was with Goddard and . his girlfriend in the flat when the incident occurred, should face . further investigation over claims he may have acted as an accomplice. The unnamed friend told police at the time he saw nothing and could not help them with their inquiries. | Financial trader Owen Arthur Goddard, 35, was convicted today . Lidia Maribel Mendoza Riquez died in the early hours of February 2012 . She fell nearly 30 feet when she was almost four months pregnant . Died after falling from flat they shared in San Isidro . | 3d70b249f131d1dfa12e9a68c8cc0acca00a77a4 |
(CNN) -- It could have been lifted straight from the case histories of Inspector Jacques Clouseau or Agatha Christie's Hercule Poirot. Can you solve the mystery of the missing helmet because Formula One driver Nico Rosberg needs your help. In a bid to track down the protective head gear, which he claims was stolen from a garage at the Nurburgring Circuit in Germany in the early hours of Sunday morning, the Mercedes driver has enlisted his fans' detective skills. The German, who is sixth in the 2013 world championship, has even posted images on his website of a man appearing to pinch the bright yellow helmet while alone next to Rosberg's F1 car. Interactive: The workings of a Ferrari steering wheel . "Hi everyone, my race helmet got stolen out of the security guarded team´s garage at Nürburgring on Sunday at 1.51 a.m.," the 28-year-old said on his official website. "Check the picture of the thief! Let me know if any of you see one. I have never given out an original race helmet. So if you see one then let us know. "The Schuberth helmet was registered with the Number R-NR 074/02-13. The SNELL-Label is ST 270141. FIA label gold: AH04248. FIA Label white: Nr. 134." Rosberg will hope to have the helmet back for the Indian Grand Prix in New Delhi on October 27. Red Bull's Sebastian Vettel can wrap up a fourth consecutive drivers' championship by finishing in the top-five, or if Ferrari's Fernando Alonso fails to outscore him by more than 10 points. | Nico Rosberg appeals for help to find a lost racing helmet . The Formula One drivers says the helmet was stolen on Sunday . Rosberg posted photos of the alleged thief on his website . | f012dcee7d492f0b07b50430462633a6e65725e6 |
Now here’s a creepy bit of news: employers are thinking outside the box, going beyond offering staff the company car, bonus scheme, health insurance and workplace gym. The offer — don’t all rush now, girls! — is of a bout of invasive surgery and a cold-store for your hopes of a future family. Deep in Silicon Valley, where the best and worst ideas come from, we hear word that Facebook and Apple are offering female employees a hideous new perk. Scroll down for video . Companies are going beyond offering staff a company car and now keeping female employees eggs frozen . ‘Harvest’ your unused ova in your 20s or 30s, and delay motherhood until after your fastest-moving career years. The company will keep the eggs frozen for you and pay the $20,000-odd medical bill for hoicking them out and storing them. Then, later on, you can draw them out, like a pension, and have a go at getting pregnant. How’s that for a deal? Terrible, I’d say. Big, ruthless companies always did have a knack for sounding generous while snapping leg-irons on their employees. Even lavishly gilded handcuffs can be man-traps — or, in this case, woman-traps. It is not difficult to work out that the really cold thing in this equation is the heart of the corporate boss. It seems that women, the pesky critters, are now leaving high-tech companies at twice the rate of men. Presumably (though this may not have occurred to the management), this is because the intensity of the business is hostile to any kind of decent human family life. Women working for Facebook can receive £12,500 a time for freezing their eggs so they work longer . One spokesman for a company offering this new service says it ‘cares deeply about our employees and their families’ and simply desires to ‘empower women to do the best work of their lives’. Well, one might diffidently suggest that there are other ways in which you can do this empowering thing. Embrace flexibility, job-shares, distance-working, creches. Set up your own nursery and primary school on site — you’re certainly rich enough! Or just take a more benign attitude to women coming back after a five-year maternity break, and be sure to provide technical catch-up and mentoring during that break. These cutting-edge companies could pioneer fantastic ways of keeping mothers included in the workforce without ruining their lives or playing God with their biology and life plan. But no: with absurdly touching faith in a newish technology, they decide to set up an in-house cryopreservation and egg-storage programme, so they can keep every young woman’s nose to the grindstone, developing apps or networked solar-powered cyber-baseball-caps or whatever. And then, once the dear old thing is slowing down a bit, streaking past 40, creaking a little, running out of cool, young ideas — just hand over the freezer-bags and send her hobbling off down the mommy-track. The technology for bringing forth pregnancies from frozen female eggs is indeed remarkable. It was developed to help women with cancer, whose reproductive kit was about to be blasted by chemo and radiotherapy. That was a merciful idea, but even so it has never been a simple, pat answer. One gung-ho American doctor is quoted as saying it is a ‘tried and true’ method, and that wealthy parents sometimes pay for their ambitious daughters to have their eggs frozen for distant future use. The eggs will be put in deep freeze so women can continue their careers, according to the technology giants . But think about it: the process begins with an operation, and probably hormone treatment. And then, years later, it isn’t just a matter of getting these ancient eggs out and hatching a baby. It involves more hormones and in-vitro fertilisation, which itself has a limited success rate (ah, the years, the tears we have all seen friends enduring under this regime!). And using pre-frozen eggs has an even lower success rate, according to latest figures — barely 25 per cent, if you’re lucky. For any company to imply otherwise, when dealing with young, ambitious employees eager for promotion, is disingenuous. If not bordering on downright wicked. Imagine a talented employee in her late-20s, looking at men powering ahead through their fourth decade, working stupid hours, giving everything to the company. She wonders whether she has to make a choice between career advancement and having babies of her own. She’s in a quandary. Her boss is holding out tempting possibilities. And here’s a company leaflet with some doctor, high on technology, blithely suggesting that she can delay the baby thing for as long as she likes, and have it all. Might she be tempted? One spokesman for a company offering the new service says it ‘cares deeply about our employees and their families’ and simply desires to ‘empower women to do the best work of their lives’ Or, indeed, terrified. For — more sinisterly — who can guarantee that opting for the egg-freezing ‘perk’ will not become an unofficial prerequisite for a young woman who hopes for promotion? Will the firm’s Welfare Department keep the list of freezers secret from Human Resources? Or will there be an unspoken nod given to promotion of the egg-storer — ‘great girl, very dedicated’ — and an indifferent head-shake directed at those who are thought likely to get pregnant naturally? Naturally! Because it is a natural thing, an ancient thing, this desire to give birth at the moment when it feels emotionally and physically right, even if not professionally convenient. Of course, fertility technology — for those who truly need it — is marvellous, life-enhancing, blessed. But never forget what a lovely thing it is to produce a child as a result of making love, of a night with a trusted partner in the drowsy or passionate warmth of your own bed, at home. Who would choose, deliberately and in full health, to give this up in favour of operations, anxiety, dependence on white coats and sterile laboratories? To break, unnecessarily, the link with thousands of years of our foremothers who — in the privacy of their own love — made new life and then confided its beginnings to their men? Using pre-frozen eggs has a low success rate, according to latest figures — barely 25 per cent, if you’re lucky . So no, it’s not a perk. It’s creepy, and corporate, and dry-hearted, and impractical: a particular kind of silliness which, if I may be sexist for a moment, is quintessentially male. Schoolboy sci-fi stuff. It’s also another example of something familiar in less exotic places and trades: the attitude of big business that hey, even if these damn women insist on joining the party, even if you really do need their talents, they’ve gotta toe the line, fit the template. The little ladies, God bless ’em, must be ruthlessly fitted into a pattern and culture which has been set over decades by a workforce of males. And, what is more, those males are culturally unaccustomed to paying much attention to their children, or indeed to their own mental health and human values. Sunrise industries? Some hope. Sounds as though Apple and Facebook are embracing the old, musty principles of the dark ages. | Employers in Silicon Valley are going beyond offering staff company car . Companies like Facebook and Apple now offering to freeze women's eggs . It will pay $20,000-odd medical bill for hoicking them out and storing them . | 3f2a7cd6bf5d917d14dff645671c0a2e7895d2fc |
The internet is alight today with stories of faith, confections, and one very famous egg roll, but the biggest web destination of them all has opted to honor a leftist labor activist instead of the Easter holiday. Several times per year, and sometimes per month, internet search behemoth Google shakes things up on its incredibly high-traffic homepage by changing its logo to celebrate a memorable day in history like a famous person’s birthday or world-changing event. This past February 6, for instance, the company honored what would have been famed anthropologist Mary Leakey’s 100th birthday. Earlier in the year, Google gave nods to the birthdays of baseball legend Jackie Robinson, Dr. Martin Luther King, and, true to the company’s quirky form, pioneering ice resurfacer Frank Zamboni. Daring doodle: Some Christians are angry Google honored labor activist Cesar Chavez in Easter Sunday's Google Doodle instead of their holiday . The ‘Google Doodles’ began as a way for Google founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin to leave a sort of ‘Out of the Office’ message when they placed a stick figure within their logo before taking off for Nevada’s Burning Man festival in 1998. Since then, the Doodle has grown in frequency and popularity and become a fun way to learn about history, world-changing events like the fall of the Berlin Wall, and about famous scientific innovations like the Hubble Telescope. As with Dr. Martin Luther King’s Doodle, Google has remained dedicated over the years to celebrating important social figures in their Doodles. Today, that tradition continued. Biased? Some believe Google is disrespecting Christians by not recognizing the Easter holiday while honoring a celebrated labor leader . Important figures: Google tends to honor ground-breaking figures and scientific milestones on its altered homepage . In celebration of labor activist and United Farm Workers co-founder Cesar Chavez, Google changed one of the O’s in its logo to a portrait of the legendary organizer. The decision to honor Chavez on this particular day has some perplexed and others angry. It may be Chavez’s birthday, but it also happens to be Easter Sunday. Fox News Radio personality Todd Starnes took to his webpage to air his grievances. ‘Christians across the nation are outraged after Google decided to honor labor leader Cesar Chavez’s birthday instead of Jesus Christ on Easter Sunday,’ Starnes wrote. Alongside his complaints, Starnes posted an excerpt of the declaration from President Obama designation of March 31 as Cesar Chavez Day. Starnes also posted comments sent in by his readers, many of them urging a Christian boycott of Google. ‘Goodbye Google, hello Bing,’ wrote one Starnes reader, referencing Microsoft’s competing search engine. Inclusive: Google has never mentioned Christmas in its Doodles, preferring more general 'Happy Holidays' well-wishing . Like Starnes’ page, former television personality Glen Beck’s outlet The Blaze also suggests that Christians are furious with Google. As evidence, both The Blaze and Todd Starnes link to a list of angry tweets on the issue compiled at website Twitchy. In 2013, the Christian celebration of the resurrection of Jesus Christ happens to coincide with what Obama declared Cesar Chavez Day back in 2011. Instead of honoring the over 2000-year-old Christian holiday, the Silicon Valley titan threw its weight behind a leftist activist. Some may view this as evidence that Golden State liberalism allows political values to trump religious ones. However, taking a look back at Google Doodles from the past 15 or so years reveals some patterns that might get Google’s head off the naughty lists of the faithful. For starters, Easter changes dates . every year and Cesar Chavez Day does not. The two coincided this year . and will do so again in future years. The next will be 2024, followed by 2086, and again in 2097 and in 2176. For . the folks upset with Google today who are still around in 2024 and hoping for . an Easter Doodle, be aware of another fact: . Google hasn’t had an Easter . Doodle since 2000. They never had one before and they have not had one . since. In fact, the . company that many would argue is largely apolitical seems also to be . largely areligious. At least if its Doodles are any indication. Secular . celebrations Earth Day, Halloween, and Thanksgiving are Doodle . mainstays, but come Christmas time the holiday shoutouts on the Google . homepage became decidedly more generic. Back . in 1998, Google only had three Doodles and none of them celebrated . Christmas. There was a Thanksgiving Doodle, a introduction of Google . Beta, and the Burning Man Doodle. Light-hearted: Heros and beloved personalities alike can become Doodles, as Julia Child did for what would have been her 100th birthday in 2012 . In 1999, the company began posting ‘Happy Holidays’ Doodles around Christmas but has never specifically referenced the Christian celebration. They tend, instead, to celebrate winter and the spirit of the holidays in general. And, oddly enough, 2006’s holiday Doodles also celebrated Kangaroos. The point seems to be that Google is not interested in celebrating the holidays of any specific religion, at all. Just as there are no Christian holidays, there are no Jewish, Muslim, Hindu, Zoroastrian, Baha’I, or any other religious celebrations honored with Google Doodles. Whether this is because there are so many, because the company wants to avoid placing one faith over another, or because they simply prefer not to just because is unclear. Once: Google posted an Easter Doodle only once, in 2000. Not before or since has their Doodle recognized any religious holiday . To the credit of those angry at Google’s decision today, Google has never before posted any Doodle whatsoever on Easter Sunday. Then again, Cesar Chavez Day has never, in its three-year history, fallen on Easter. To put things in perspective, Google has posted Doodles with no religious significance during sacred holidays before. During Passover in 2012, Google honored the 100th birthday of a French photographer named Robert Doisneau but not the Jewish holiday. The Muslim holiday of Ramadan coincided with the Olympic Games in 2012 and Google honored 17 sports events with Doodles, as well as the birthdays of chef Julia Child, pilot Amelia Earhart, and artist Gustav Klimt, but made no mention of the holy month of fasting. And instead of the high Jewish holiday of Yom Kippur in 2009, Google chose to celebrate its own 11th birthday. | Conservative groups are calling for a boycott of the ubiquitous search giant in favor of others, like Microsoft's Bing . March 31 became Cesar Chavez Day by official Obama proclamation in 2011 and Google honored him this year with a 'Google Doodle' Google hasn't had a Doodle for the Easter holiday since 2000 and has never posted one specifically honoring Christmas or any other religious observance . | 0339ad4773931f2f6f67129af928a8c938327f7f |
Princeton, New Jersey (CNN) -- With all eyes focused on how the Democrats will do this November, the story about the divisions unfolding within the Republican Party have equally important long-term consequences for national politics. And now with the Tea Party movement as an additional force in the party, Republican leaders are struggling to contain tensions between right-wing activists and fiscal conservatives. In recent months, these tensions have been growing because new faces have emerged within the Republican Party that don't fit neatly within the Tea Party fold. One of the candidates who has received the most buzz in Republican circles is New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, dubbed "Gov. Wrecking Ball" by one columnist. How Christie fares in the coming year will be a critical test to gauging where the GOP might be in 2012. The blunt and humorous Republican who replaced Democratic Gov. Jon Corzine has been making a name for himself by taking on New Jersey's fiscal mess. Christie, a former U.S. attorney general who looks and sounds like the kind of guy you would sit next to at a New York Jets game, has focused all of his energy on reducing the budget and limiting property tax increases. He has been willing to challenge powerful interest groups like the teachers' unions, and he didn't budge when citizen protesters took to the streets and railed against the impact of his budget. Christie also instituted reforms to the pensions of government workers. He has received some grudging support from Democrats and has persuaded the state legislature to go along with many controversial proposals, primarily because most experts acknowledge tough steps are needed to avoid having New Jersey become another California. The first test for Christie will be the political response when New Jersey residents see the impact of the budget cuts. Historically, at the national level, Republicans have often backed off from tough talk about spending reduction when programs proved to be more popular than conservatives expected. This is what happened when President Ronald Reagan was forced to back off Social Security cuts in 1981-1982 and the Republican Congress stepped away from Medicare cuts in 1995-1996. In New Jersey, it is one thing for voters to hear tough talk on controlling spending coming out of Trenton, but quite another to see your child's school program shut down. Now that congressional Democrats are on the verge of passing legislation to provide aid to the states in these areas of government, the contrast will be even sharper. There are also many questions about whether Christie's actions will really be able to stop property taxes from rising. The second test has to do with whether Christie, assuming that he continues to be successful, can find a place at the national Republican Party table. In the era of the Tea Party, the Republican leadership has been moving toward the right on many nonfiscal issues. Last week, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell said he favored the idea of reviewing the 14th Amendment -- originally passed to protect the citizenship rights of freed African-American slaves. Some Republicans, including South Carolina Sen. Lindsay Graham, want to make sure that citizenship rights are not granted to children who are born to illegal immigrants in the United States. Also, the ruling by a federal judge that California's ban on gay marriage is unconstitutional is sure to generate pressure on Republicans to take a tough stand on this issue. Following the 2008 election, the conservative commentator and former speechwriter for President George W. Bush, David Frum, a CNN contributor, had warned that Republicans needed to be cautious about doing things to win in 2010 that would harm them in 2012 and beyond. The threat is to radicalize the party by moving it so far off center that future Republican candidates would have trouble winning national office. As Frum wrote in his blog post with regard to health care reform, "We followed the most radical voices in the party and the movement, and they led us to abject and irreversible defeat." If Republicans want to rebuild their party, they must make room for more pragmatic, fiscally minded conservatives like Christie, who are generating excitement in famously blue states. If Christie can survive politically from the fallout of the budget cuts, he and other Republicans like him could cause significant trouble for Democrats by focusing on issues like taxes, deficits and spending that, at least on the campaign trail, have often had far more impact than the social issues that tend to excite the Republican Party's base. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Julian Zelizer. | Julian Zelizer: New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie is earning praise for tackling budget problems . He says Christie's focus on cutting spending is a test for the Republican party . It runs counter to a national GOP trend of stressing issues such as birthright citizenship, he says . Zelizer: Christie, others in GOP like him could give Democrats trouble in many states . | c3841f85b00dc1ae673823edeff730d3e421f1a5 |
Three college friends from Iowa who spotted a buck trapped in a sinkhole on their way to a football game were struck by pangs of guilt as they drove on by so decided to turn around and save the deer. Before attempting their selfless rescue mission, Gavin Nimrod, Eric Smorstad and Bryton Meyer made a pit-stop at Wal-Mart to get rope and clips and made their way back to the field owned by Eric's father. Once there the friends made quick work of the task at hand, pulling the deer out of the 10-foot-deep hole using only a rope and their bare hands. Scroll Down for Video . Rescuers: The three friends assess the situation after to save the buck which had fallen down the sinkhole . Obviously the antlers and the scared deer made their rescue dangerous, so the friends had to work a slip knot to the deer which would come free once they had pulled it out of its hole. 'I was almost down to my knees reaching down in there, so they jumped on my legs to keep me from falling in,' said Nimrod, 20, to the Des Moines Register. 'It was just something you don't get the opportunity to do, rescue a deer. So you get the chance and you take it.' Meyer positioned his smartphone onto the truck to record the rescue, which happened last month. Heave: The three friends begin to drag the deer to safety carefully pulling on the buck's antlers . Up and away: The friends dart away from the deer as it bolts straight out of the sinkhole after getting trapped . Laughter: Once free the friends begin shouting out their delight at having rescued the deer from the hole . The three friends later posted the footage onto YouTube and it has been viewed more than 30,000 times since. The friends managed to yank the startled buck up by its antlers inch by inch, taking care to position themselves away from the deer so that they could run if it charged. Once it reached the top it darted right then left and bolted away, leaving its amused rescuers shouting at the top of their voices at their own effort. 'The animal was in distress. These kids took a shot at it and in this case you've got to say they did the right thing,' said Joe Wilkinson, an Iowa Department of Natural Resources spokesman to the Des Moines Register. According to the Des Moines Register, two of the men are in fact deer hunters, but they said in fact, that was what made them rescue the deer. 'Either one of us would have taken it if we had the opportunity to, so we wanted to let it live,' Nimrod said. 'It was the most fun we've had since we won the state in football.' | Gavin Nimrod, Eric Smorstad and Bryton Meyer filmed rescue last month . Quick thinking friends used rope and their bare hands to yank the deer up . | 245a703add103f614c93f963536affac08b04a5b |
Mayor Michael Bloomberg shocked New York when he openly admired a woman's derriere as he mingled at an event. An author introducing himself to the politician along with a friend said the politician ignored them in favour of pointing out another guest's figure. The writer related the anecdote in a profile article on Christine Quinn, Speaker of the New York City Council and frontrunner in the upcoming mayoral election, published Sunday in New York Magazine. ‘My friend thanked him for his position on gun control,' wrote Jonathan van Meter. 'Without even acknowledging the comment, Bloomberg gestured toward a woman in a very tight floor-length gown standing nearby and said, “Look at the a** on her.”’ Partners in politics: City council Speaker Christine Quinn (left) is poised to be the frontrunner to take over Michael Bloomberg's job (right) when he leaves the role as New York Mayor after 12 years . The article doesn’t mention the name of the woman in question, but Ms Quinn gives some further description about how the Mayor likes the ladies around him to look. ‘The mayor is going to yell at me when I . get out of the car because I have flat boots on,' she told Mr Van Meter, in a separate anecdote in the story. The mayor has no use . for flat shoes.’ Ms Quinn was sporting a new pair of soigné black English riding boots, which though stylish, she predicted would be a point of contention when she met with Mr Bloomberg later that day. ‘I was at a parade with him once and he said, “What are those?” and I said, “They’re comfortable,” and he said, “I never want to hear those words out of your mouth again,”’ Ms Quinn recounted. The criticisms don’t stop there, as she added that he also takes issue when the gray roots begin to show in Ms Quinn’s trademark flame red hair. ‘The couple of days a week before I need to get my hair colored, he’ll say, “Do you pay a lot to make your hair be two colors? Because now it’s three with the gray,”’ she said. Specific: It was revealed that Mayor Bloomberg doesn't like it when Quinn (seen center, with her wife Kim Catullo left) wears flat shoes, even at parades . But Mr Bloomberg is not the only one who can play the smart alec - Ms Quinn is known for her quick wit and Irish sense of 'telling it how it is'. ‘I’m like, “Did you wake up being this big of an a**hole? Or did it take, like, all day to ramp up to it to be able to insult me like that?”’ she retorted. Bloomberg, 69, is known for his outspoken comments. In 1996, three years after divorcing his . Yorkshire-born wife Susan Brown, he told The Guardian: 'I am a single, straight billionaire in Manhattan. It's like a wet dream.' The pair married in 1975 and have two . daughters - Emma in 1979 and Georgina in 1983 - who featured on Born . Rich, a documentary about the children of the extremely wealthy. Bloomberg now lives with Diana Taylor, former New York . state banking superintendent, on the Upper East Side, and the couple regularly travel to his retreats in places like Bermuda and Paris. During his 2001 campaign, his opponents attacked him for supposedly fostering an atmosphere of hostility toward women at his company. He was criticised for his attitude towards women taking maternity leave. Picky: Another issue for Bloomberg is when Quinn has waited too long to get her hair dyed and her roots begin to show . Democrat Mark Green highlighted an incident in which he allegedly told a pregnant woman at his company to 'kill it' and allegedly added: 'Great, No. 16' - which she cited as reference to the number of pregnant women in the company at the time. He settled the case three years later, without an admission of guilt, for an undisclosed amount. Love life: Bloomberg, 69, with his partner Diana Taylor - who he lives with on the Upper East Side . The New York Daily News assembled a . harvest of other complaints, including those of women who alleged they had been urged to wear . their skirts shorter. After Bloomberg won the mayoral race, but before he was sworn in, New York magazine reported that he had a 'needlepoint pillow beside his bed [that] reads, "How Many Heterosexual Billionaires Are There, for Crissakes?"' Joyce Purnick wrote in her book that one top aide had recalled: 'An attractive woman would walk into the bullpen and the mayor would say "nice tits" — he just couldn't help himself.' In 2009, he confessed that he had a crush on an English ‘honey’ – actress Honeysuckle Weeks. The politician was overheard telling another Englishwoman, editor and columnist Tina Brown, that he had 'fallen in love with' Ms Weeks after a friend sent him a complete collection of the drama Foyle’s War. He celebrated the New Year a month ago by kissing Lady Gaga in Times Square, shortly . after they had led the crowd in a final-minute countdown to midnight. But the mayor said afterwards: 'Lady Gaga is very charming. It was fun. I would be remiss if I didn’t also add to that that the best kiss of the night came after that from Diana.' Ms Quinn may have been unimpressed by what she describes as Mr Bloomberg’s ‘potty mouth’ during her tenure as Speaker and his lengthy three terms as mayor, but she had also earned his expected endorsement. To many, she is seen as the Bloomberg-approved candidate to take over when he leaves office after 12-years in power this November. The billionaire is not the only male politician to grant their seal of approval. The article also noted that former President Bill Clinton gave Ms Quinn a rave review at a 2006 fundraiser, when he said that his wife, then-New York Senator Hillary Clinton, had told him: ‘You will not believe how good this woman is… She’s even a better politician than you are.’ | The woman was wearing a tight, floor-length gown, said an observer . Christine Quinn revealed the mayor 'has no use' for women in flat shoes . The Speaker of the New York Council said he also pointed out her gray hairs . Bloomberg, 69, has a reputation for outspoken comments . | e62a1dd426862dcd985223a534db0a50e3fd2ffa |
By . Kerry Mcqueeney . Nearly 1,000 women and girls in Pakistan were murdered in 2011 in honour killings, worrying figures have revealed. A new report by Pakistan's leading human rights group has revealed at least 943 women were killed last year by their fathers, husbands or brothers for damaging their family name. Ninety-three of those killed were minors. However, the true number of those killed is thought to be far higher. Many cases are thought to have been covered up by relatives and sympathetic police officers, the report revealed. Dishonour: The report highlighted the worrying scale of violence suffered by many women in conservative Muslim Pakistan . The figure of 943 was an increase of more than 100 the previous year in 2010. The . Human Rights Commission of Pakistan's annual report highlighted the . worrying scale of violence suffered by many women in conservative Muslim . Pakistan, where they are frequently treated as second-class citizens and . there is no law against domestic violence. The report said: 'At least 943 women were killed in the . name of honour, of which 93 were minors,' wrote the Human Rights . Commission of Pakistan in its annual report.' It concluded: 'Throughout the year, women were . callously killed in the name of 'honour' when they went against family . wishes in any way, or even on the basis of suspicion that they did so. 'Women were sometimes killed in the name of "honour" over property disputes and inheritance rights.' In Pakistan, women are frequently treated as second-class citizens and there is no law against domestic violence . Despite progress on better protecting . women's rights, activists say the government needs to do more to . prosecute murderers in cases largely dismissed by police as private, . family affairs. The report also said the police in Pakistan were often a 'coercive force' against women, with officers rarely investigating questionable deaths. This refers to the frequent newspaper reports of young women committing suicide following arguments with family members about their choice of friends. Police often take accounts of these deaths at face value and rarely look at the circumstances in more detail. The Commission said some victims were . raped or gang raped before being killed and only 20 of the 943 killed . were reported to have been provided with medical aid before they died. Most of those killed died at the hands of their brothers and husbands. The report revealed seven Christian and two Hindu women were among the victims and about 595 of those killed in 2011 were accused of having 'illicit relations' while 219 of marrying without permission. The Commission reported 791 'honour killings' in 2010. | Report by Pakistan's leading human rights group reveals at least 943 women were killed . However, many cases are thought to have been covered up by relatives and sympathetic police officers . | fd2d99bcf5b810016b75605a9b31552bf5c5d55b |
Police are hunting for four suspected armed bank robbers who crashed their getaway car in Fairfield East and fled on foot before attempting to hijack two vehicles. Police received a call suggesting the men were at a house on Hercules Street, in Sydney's south-west, and placed four nearby streets into lockdown in a major police operation, following two armed robberies at a bank in nearby Chester Hill and a golf club in Auburn earlier on Friday morning. Two men were armed with firearms, one was armed with a hammer and a fourth man acted as the getaway driver, police said. Scroll down for video . Police placed four streets into lockdown in Fairfield East in a hunt for men who police believe are armed . A police Bearcat can be seen in south-west Sydney on Friday in a hunt for suspected bank robbers . A police chase took place after they fled the golf course in a blue Holden station wagon. The getaway car crashed head-on into another vehicle before it was abandoned with the doors open on the corner of Tangerine and Normanby Streets in Fairfield East. The men then attempted to hijack two vehicles but were unsuccessful. On Friday afternoon police wound down the operation after failing to locate the men, but Chief Superintendent Peter Gillam issued a warning to the bandits. 'It does not end here,' Chief Supt Gillam said. 'Police will do everything in their power to apprehend them, to put them before a court and to get an arrest.' Police dog and riot squads respond to armed robbers believed to be on the run in Fairfield East . Police helicopters were also used to hunt for the four men, who . Chief Supt Gillam said police believe they're still armed and members of the public have been urged not to approach them. NSW State Crime Command has now taken over the investigation. At 10.35am police were called to a hold-up at the Commonwealth Bank branch on Waldron Road in Chester Hill. Men dressed in 'all black' double-parked outside the Commonwealth Bank branch and were in the premises for 'a minute and a half', witnesses told Nine News. A pregnant woman was in the bank at the time and was 'very very shaken and emotional' following the ordeal, the ABC reported. The bank's security screens were triggered and it is unclear if the robbers were able to steal any money. Men dressed in 'all black' double-parked outside the Commonwealth Bank branch in Chester Hill and were in the premises for 'a minute and a half' A NSW police spokeswoman told Daily Mail Australia witnesses were treated for shock by ambulances at the scene but no one was injured. Police also responded to an armed robbery at a golf club on the corner of Weymouth Avenue and Chisholm Road in neighbouring suburb Auburn at about 10.45am. Staff at Rosnay Golf Club told police three men – two armed with firearms and one with a hammer – threatened staff demanding money. Crime scenes have been established at both locations and investigations are currently underway. Police do not have descriptions of the men because they were wearing balaclavas. | Police hunting for 'armed men' who fled a car crash in Fairfield East on foot . Officers were called to bank robbery in nearby Chester Hill at 10.35am . There was a second armed robbery at a golf club in Auburn at 10.45am . Two men were armed with firearms, one was armed with a hammer and a fourth was the getaway driver, police said . | dcbb6188354e515d76b88978e3d980acb4ad5546 |
A French mayor was accused of 'racism and xenophobia' today after refusing to allow a dead Roma gipsy baby to be buried in a municipal cemetery. It follows the country's Socialist prime minister, Manuel Valls, infamously calling for entire Roma communities to be deported because they 'cannot integrate'. This time it is Christian Leclerc, the conservative mayor of Champlan, the Paris commuter town, who has sparked a nationwide controversy. The Roma baby was refused burial at Champlan's municipal cemetery (pictured) after the town's mayor said the few available plots were reserved for those who paid their taxes . When a Roma family living in an illegal camp said they wanted to give their two-and-a-half month old child, identified as Maria Francesca, a proper burial, he said no. Mr Leclerc insisted his local cemetery had 'very few available plots' and that 'priority is given to those who pay their taxes.' But Loic Gandais, a Roma rights campaigner, said Mr Leclerc was simply expressing a hatred of Roma which is now widespread across France. 'It's about racism, xenophobia, and stigmatisation,' said Mr Gandais, saying the baby died in hospital in Corbeil-Essonnes from sudden infant death syndrome on Boxing Day. Maria Francesca's parents are Romanians who have been living in France for eight years, sending their two other young children to local schools. Now the mother and father are hoping to see their child buried in Wissous, another town nearby, after Richard Trinquier, the local major, said it was a 'question of humanity'. Mr Trinqueir said: 'The pain of a mother who carried a child for nine months, and lost her after two and a half months must not be worsened.' Roma gipsies live on two plots without fresh water of electricity in Champlan, and there are frequent calls for their camp to be razed. The baby's mother and father are now hoping their child will be buried in the nearby town of Wissous, after its mayor Richard Trinquier (pictured) sympathized with their plight . Pictured is Wissous cemetery, where the baby will be buried after it was denied a plot in nearby Champlan . They are part of community of some 20,000 mainly Romanian and Bulgarian gipsies in France who are regularly linked with crime and anti-social behaviour. Mr Valls, the notoriously reactionary Socialist Prime Minister, is among many who want to see them deported. As Interior Minister, he regularly approved orders aimed at smashing up Roma camps and evicting entire families, saying: 'The majority of Roma should be delivered back to the borders. We are not here to welcome these people…It's not France's job to deal with the misery of the whole world.' In August, Gilles Bourdouleix, another French mayor, was fined after saying that Adolf Hitler 'maybe did not kill enough' Roma during the Second World War. | French mayor accused of racism after refusing Roma gipsy baby burial . Christian Leclerc is the mayor of Champlan, a Paris commuter town . He said municipal cemetery plots were prioritised for those who 'pay taxes' The baby's parents now hope their child will be buried in nearby Wissous . Wissous mayor Richard Trinquier said it was a 'question of 'humanity' | 5c1d147f8b1cc710c2ac3fb29677daae6a683180 |
ATLANTA, Georgia (CNN) -- Federal investigators trying to determine why a Delta Air Lines jet landed on a taxiway instead of the runway in Atlanta on Monday morning say the runway was illuminated, but that approach lights and a ground-based instrument that helps pilots line up with the runway were off. The pilots of the plane that landed at the Atlanta airport have been relieved from flying duties pending probes. The incident happened at Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport, the world's busiest. But it occurred shortly before dawn, when airport operations are slow. Delta Flight 60, from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, was cleared to land on a main runway around 6:05 a.m., but it landed instead on nearby Taxiway M, which runs parallel to the runway, said FAA spokeswoman Kathleen Bergen. The departure taxiway, which can be filled with aircraft during peak hours, was empty at the time, and the plane landed safely, officials said. No one was injured, and there was no damage to the taxiway. The Boeing 767 aircraft had 182 passengers and a crew of 11. The FAA, the National Transportation Safety Board and Delta Air Lines are investigating. The pilots of the aircraft were placed on nonflight status, Delta said. The NTSB on Wednesday confirmed that a "check pilot" on the flight was sick, and the crew had declared a medical emergency. It was not clear what, if any, role that played in the mishap. Sources familiar with the incident say that Flight 60 originally was scheduled to land on Runway 27L (left), the active runway at that time, but was "sidestepped" to Runway 27R (right). Pilots commonly ask to be "sidestepped" to Runway 27R -- and air traffic controllers commonly offer 27R -- because it is closer to the terminal and pilots can shave minutes from a trip. In this case, it is not clear whether the pilot made the request, or the air traffic controllers made the offer. Nor is it clear why the change was made -- whether to shave time from the flight, or because of the medical emergency on the aircraft or some other reason. But after being given permission to land on Runway 27R, the plane went too far to the right, landing on Taxiway M. The runway was marked with yellow lights, while the taxiway was marked with blue lights, one person familiar with the incident said. The NTSB said the runway lights on 27R were illuminated, but a "localizer" and approach lights for the runway were off. Officials said the weather at the airport was clear, and the NTSB said the wind was calm at 10 mph. The sky was dark, with twilight still more than an hour away. The NTSB said a "check airman" was in the cockpit with the captain and first officer during the flight, but became ill and moved to the cabin for the remainder of the flight. Check airman are company pilots who watch over crew members during significant flights, such as when a first officer becomes a captain, when a pilot is making a maiden international flight, or over mountainous terrain for the first time. The NTSB said it is uncertain why the check airman was on the Delta flight. Delta spokesman Anthony Black said the airline is cooperating with the FAA and the NTSB and conducting its own investigation. The pilots of the flight have been relieved from active flying, he said. The incident came just two weeks after the FAA announced that serious runway incursions were down 50 percent this year. Close calls in 2007 at some of the busiest U.S. airports prompted the FAA to take action to reduce the risk of runway incursions and wrong runway departures. There were 24 serious runway incursions that year, eight of them involving commercial carriers. | Delta Flight 60 from Brazil landed on taxiway instead of runway in Atlanta, Georgia . No planes were on taxiway waiting to take off; jet landed safely with no injuries . Investigation looking at approach lights, ground-based instrument . NTSB:"Check pilot" was sick before landing, crew declared medical emergency . | b126c7297ab415aa187e9c2d75360013e8bb5e37 |
The Ebola outbreak risks unleashing an economic catastrophe that will leave a 'lost . generation' of West Africans, Liberian President Ellen . Johnson Sirleaf has said. The president made a desperate appeal for help from every nation with the capacity to do so, describing the initial reaction as 'inconsistent and lacking in clear direction or urgency'. She said the international community had woken up to the . global health risk posed by the epidemic but added that her country had been brought to 'a standstill' and was desperate for funding and medical supplies. President EllenJohnson Sirleaf said the international community had woken up to the global health risk posed by Ebola but said her country had been brought to 'a standstill' and was desperate for medical supplies . 'We all have a stake in the battle against Ebola,' President Johnson Sirleaf said . in an open letter read on the BBC World Service. 'It is the duty of all of us, as global citizens, to send a . message that we will not leave millions of West Africans to fend . for themselves against an enemy that they do not know, and . against whom they have little defence.' She noted that Liberia and two other badly hit countries - Guinea and Sierra Leone - were already weakened by years of war. 'There is no coincidence Ebola has taken hold in three fragile states - Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea - all battling to overcome the effects of interconnected wars,' the leader said. She pointed out that Liberia once had 3,000 medical doctors, but by the end of its 1989-2003 civil war the country had just 36. The Ebola epidemic remains out of control in Sierra Leone, Guinea and Liberia, with the death toll topping 4,500 . President Johnson Sirleaf, a former senior World Bank executive, said . Ebola was having a dire economic impact in the worst affected . countries, with harvests missed, markets shut and borders . closed. 'Ebola is not just a health crisis - across West Africa, a . generation of young people risk being lost to an economic . catastrophe,' she said. President Johnson Sirleaf insisted that the whole world had a stake infighting the deadly virus . 'The time for talking or theorizing is . over. Only concerted action will save my country, and our . neighbours, from experiencing another national tragedy.' The total death toll of the Ebola outbreak, first detected in March deep in the forests of southern Guinea, has risen to more than 4,500, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). Although Senegal and Nigeria have been declared Ebola-free, the epidemic remains out of control in Sierra Leone, Guinea and Liberia. WHO warns that by December there could be as many as 10,000 new infections per week. The deadly virus has also reached Spain and the United States but outbreaks have been contained so far. President Barack Obama has appealed for Americans not to give in . to hysteria or fear. Winner of the 2011 Nobel Peace Prize, President Johnson Sirleaf insisted that the whole world had a stake in . fighting the virus. She said: 'This disease respects no borders. It is the duty of all of . us, as global citizens, to send a message that we will not leave . millions of West Africans to fend for themselves against an . enemy that they do not know, and against whom they have little . defence.' The United Nations has established a regional headquarters for the response to Ebola in Accra, Ghana. The director of WHO Margaret Chan was scheduled to attend a meeting in Ghana but did not make any public appearances, cancelling a scheduled press conference Saturday. Ms Chan and WHO have come under scrutiny following an internal document obtained by The Associated Press which said the UN health organization did not respond adequately to contain the Ebola outbreak in West Africa. President Johnson Sirleaf appealed to the international community not to leave millions of West Africans to fight the disease alone, as Ebola knows 'no borders' and it is the duty of all people to battle the virus . Still reeling from the effects of a devastating civil war, Liberia is ill-equipped to dead with the Ebola epidemic . | President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf has called on the international community . Said Ebola has brought Liberia to 'standstill' and help is desperately needed . Noted that Liberia, Guinea and Sierra Leone were already weakened by wars . She said that as global citizens 'we all have a stake in battle against Ebola' Referred to the dire economic impact with harvests missed and markets shut . | 4d67a08c1dc69858782fea41395425bd4b6f3a05 |
By . James Rush . Bryan Greenhalgh, 63, was handed a discretionary life term after admitting 13 charges of indecent assault and one serious sexual assault . A former headmaster has been jailed for a string of sex attacks on eight vulnerable boys at two boarding schools over a ten year period dating back to the 1970s. Bryan Greenhalgh, 63, was handed a discretionary life term after admitting 13 charges of indecent assault and one serious sexual assault. He was told he had to spend at least three years behind bars, and would only be freed if he was rated as low risk, after being branded 'dangerous' by a judge. Greenhalgh, of Suffield, near North Walsham, Norfolk, was jailed at Norwich Crown Court as one of his old colleagues, Ken Wells, was also sent to jail for historic sex offences. Greenhalgh carried out the attacks on boys, all aged under 16, at Sheringham Court School, Norfolk, and Thurlby Manor, Lincolnshire. He was also sentenced for possessing indecent images found on his home computer after it was seized by police. Andrew Shaw, defending, said Greenhalgh deserved credit for his guilty plea. Mr Shaw told the court: 'Any sentence should not be so long as to give him no hope of release to enjoy the twilight years of his life. He does not enjoy the best of health.' Judge Nicholas Coleman labelled Greenhalgh 'a very high risk sex offender.' He said: 'You cannot understand the untold harm you have done to these boys as they have gone into adulthood. 'It’s clear they have suffered severe psychological harm. You are a dangerous person.' Greenhalgh was jailed at Norwich Crown Court (pictured) as one of his old colleagues, Ken Wells, was also sent to jail for historic sex offences . Wells, 76, of Leicester, was convicted yesterday of three counts of indecent assault following an eight-day trial at Norwich Crown Court. The housefather abused a boy aged under 16 at Sheringham Court School in the 1970s. Jailing Wells for six years, Judge Catherine Moore told him: 'You exploited the opportunity to satisfy your own sexual gratification - your duty was to protect the children at the school. 'Your victim has been profoundly affected in his life.' Wells, 76, of Leicester, was convicted yesterday of three counts of indecent assault following an eight-day trial at Norwich Crown Court . Last night investigating officer, Detective Constable Tristan Coull, of Norfolk Police child abuse investigation unit, said: 'Greenhalgh’s life sentence clearly shows that he exploited his position as headmaster to win over the trust of the boys in his care and subjected them to horrendous abuse. 'He preyed on boys who were at their most vulnerable and who at the time of the abuse felt unable to speak out as he appeared to be an upstanding pillar of the community. 'Wells in addition abused his position of trust at Sheringham Court and failed in his duty to ensure his victim was safe. 'Through the positions they held, it would have been the most basic of expectations to protect these children - instead they chose to do the complete opposite.' Detective Inspector Andy Coller, who led the complex inquiry, praised the victims for being brave enough to come forward. He said: 'It has taken an enormous amount of courage for each victim to talk about the abuse, abuse they have had to live with for decades. 'It is pleasing that the passing of some 40 years has not hindered the legal process and that Greenhalgh and Wells have both been jailed for these crimes. 'Time may make our investigations more complicated, but it will not stop them. 'We will robustly investigate any offences brought to our attention, however old they may be. 'It is to their credit that those boys, now men, have found the strength to speak up after so many years.' | Bryan Greenhalgh handed discretionary life term at Norwich Crown Court . Admitted 13 charges of indecent assault and one serious sexual assault . Carried out attacks on eight boys, all under 16, at two boarding schools . Offences carried out over a ten year period, dating back to the 1970s . Former colleague Ken Wells also convicted of three indecent assaults . | a61cf89bfa8bdcd3d6a55b9be7e5e909586633e0 |
By . Jennifer Madison and Mark Duell . UPDATED: . 00:05 EST, 30 June 2011 . It was the moment that America's most controversial and outspoken right- wing voice found himself surrounded by New York's liberal elite. Glenn Beck, 47, fought back tears after a 'public lynching' he suffered with his wife and daughter at an outdoor film when cinemagoers turned on him. But what really happened is still under question, with one witness today claiming it was blown out of proportion and his . family was left alone. Scroll down for video . Family time: Glenn Beck (centre) snapped on Monday in Bryant Park during its Summer Film Festival, which he attended with wife Tania and daughter Hannah . Public insults: Beck said a nearby moviegoer kicked wine on his wife Tania (centre left) shortly after they arrived . The outspoken presenter, whose radio show was streamed on internet channel GBTV, said he was with his wife, Tania, and daughter Hannah. They were watching Alfred Hitchcock’s The 39 . Steps at Bryant Park's Summer Film Festival, where hundreds of moviegoers lay out . for shows. But his security detail was forced to intervene when nearby patrons made a pronounced effort to show he was unwelcome. Mr Beck claimed 'hateful' people kicked wine on his wife and hurled insults. However Lindsey Piscitell, 25, contacted a magazine to say . she was sat with several friends behind Mr Beck and disputed his version of events. She said his family was left 'completely alone, and for the most part he . was too' - adding that the wine glass incident was 'a complete . accident'. But a Twitter account under her name said: 'F*****g #a*****e @glenbeck is siting next to me at Bryant park movie night #getthef**koutofmycity'. Another comment made under her user name on a blog, according to The Blaze, said: 'We were very civilized, apologised for the incident, and gave them some napkins. we were of course VERY happy that it happened'. Sticking it out: The host (bottom right) with his wife and daughter, who sat through the entire movie . Mr Beck recalled: 'We got there about 7:00. And it was a . hostile situation. Somebody kicked a cup of wine . intentionally onto my wife's back. 'As . my daughter and my wife went to go and use the restroom... on the other . end of the park, some guy stood up and and pointed his fingers at them . and said: "We hate conservatives here!"' 'I was told a lot last night how much New York hates people like me... These people were some of the most hateful people I have ever seen' Glenn Beck . 'I was told a lot last night how much New York hates people like me,' he said, comparing the scene to a public lynching. 'I swear to you I think, if I had . suggested, and I almost did, "Wow, does anybody have a rope? Because . there’s tree here. 'You could just lynch me." And I think there would . have been a couple in the crowd that would have.' Mr Beck said his security team was worried the incident could have easily spun out of control, had he not kept calm. 'My security detail was talking this morning that had we reacted poorly the whole thing could have just gone up,' he said. Divisive: Beck said, 'I was told a lot last night how much New York hates people like me' 'These people were some of the most . hateful people I have ever seen,' he said. 'You can take pictures of me and make me into a monster; say whatever you want but please leave my family out of it' Glenn Beck . 'All I wanted to do was go . out on a blanket with my family and have dinner in the afternoon sun and . sit around.' He refused to leave despite the public taunts, but made a swift exit just . before the credits rolled, prompting the crowd to break out in applause. 'When the movie was just . about over my wife and I got out because it was hussle,' he said. 'We . didn't leave... because I have a right to watch a movie and enjoy a . movie with my family in the park.' But he was most distraught by the public taunts directed as his daughter and wife. Distraught: Beck took to the airwaves on Tuesday for an emotional re-telling of the incident . 'People were taking pictures of my family,' he said of images that later circulated online. 'His family was left completely alone, and for the most part he was too' Lindsey Piscitell, sitting behind Mr Beck . 'You can take pictures of me and make me into a monster; say whatever you want but please leave my family out of it,' he said. Ms Piscitell contacted New York Magazine to say his family was left 'completely alone, and for the most part he . was too' - adding that the wine glass spilling incident was 'a complete . accident'. She told New York Magazine: 'It was his security detail that seemed to . be unnecessarily prickly with the crowd, scolding myself and my friends . for acrobatics and other harmless activities taking place.' A Bryant Park spokesman told AM New York he heard of no incident report filed regarding Mr Beck and the 20-year-old event is 'usually civil'. Mr Beck is due to host his last show on Fox News on Thursday afternoon. See video here . | Controversial broadcaster was watching The 39 Steps . Family 'insulted' and wine was 'kicked over his wife' But woman sitting nearby says it was 'accident' However her Twitter page called him a 'f******g a*****e' | 2fd5f6451c62a58a8d233b04aa027ae94f2139e7 |
(CNN) -- Mid-April marks the anniversaries of several horrendous attacks in recent U.S. history: . -- April 19, 1993: the FBI's siege of the Waco compound leaves 76 dead. -- April 19, 1995: the bombing of a federal building in Oklahoma City kills 168 people. -- April 20, 1999: A mass shooting at Columbine High School leaves 15 dead. -- April 16, 2007: The Virginia Tech massacre kills 33. The Oklahoma City bombing was timed to coincide with the Waco anniversary. And it's unclear whether the Columbine shooters timed that attack to mark Adolf Hitler's birthday or possibly Waco. Is there something about this time of the year that makes these types of attacks more prevalent? For an answer, CNN spoke with Robert Blaskiewicz, a professor at the Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta. He teaches a course examining conspiracy theories and runs a blog, called Skeptical Humanities. CNN: Is there any evidence or are there any theories that suggest attackers are more likely to strike around this time of the year? Robert Blaskiewicz: I have seen nothing to suggest that anything about April itself makes people violent. That said, the reason why we see certain types of political violence in mid- to late April is because of a few unhappy coincidences: that Waco happened to fall on the anniversary of the Battles of Lexington and Concord, the first battles in a war against a tyrannical oppressor. For many people who labor under the idea that the federal government is a tyrannical foreign oppressor like the British monarchy, Waco symbolizes a war of a government against its people. [Timothy] McVeigh chose to bomb the Murrah Building [in Oklahoma City] on the anniversary of Waco because of that symbolic importance (indeed, the forged drivers license he rented the truck with had the date of issuance as 19 April 1993, the date of the Branch Davidian fire). If you want to squint, you might also lump in the opening of the Civil War to this part of the year, but the timing of that was chronologically tied to events following Lincoln's election, not the Revolution. Regarding the Virginia Tech shootings, my first impression is sheerest coincidence. Now, by raising this question, I think that you illustrate an important principle behind the conspiratorial mindset (something that actually undergirds even normal psychology), and that is seeing patterns in unrelated events. Seeing a cluster of completely unrelated events fires up the conspiracy theorist's mind. I have recently seen speculation about four different television personalities who recently have displayed incoherent speech during taping (including a news reporter and Judge Judy). Conspiracy theorists made the leap that they were all related and that there was probably some mind-control weapon being used. Go figure. CNN: How strong are the beliefs/outrage surrounding the Waco disaster, nearly 20 years after the siege? Blaskiewicz: I don't have a sense of the strength of the feelings about Waco specifically; however, after Oklahoma City, the numbers of militia groups dropped. Following the election of [Barack] Obama, however, there was a steep rise in the number of hate groups, which has been ably tracked by the Southern Poverty Law Center and the Political Research Associates. Interestingly, last year on the 19th of April, gun advocates had a rally in Washington (a sort of "bring your guns to the Capitol day") to rally behind the Second Amendment, even though the Second Amendment has not really been on the Obama administration's radar at all. For a while, it was difficult to even buy ammunition, since terrified gun owners started stockpiling it. Nonetheless, in the mythology that has grown up around Waco and Oklahoma City among self-identified patriots, the 19th has become a sort of high holiday for those who think that they live under the thumb of a tyranny. CNN: What do you think is behind the need to see patterns in unrelated events, such as several attacks that happened all around the same time? In other words, what purpose do conspiracy theories serve? Blaskiewicz: There are several possible answers, and I'm not sure any one answer is better than any other answer. People are extremely social critters, and part of what makes that possible is the ability to perceive others as deliberately acting in the world, in other words to detect agency. It's extremely useful in building respectful communities. Sometimes that faculty doesn't turn off when it should, and you associate "agency" with events and ideas that are unrelated. When a responsible agent is not easily discernible, that sense that something is still deliberate endures, and you are left wondering, "Well, who caused it, then?" You fill in the blanks. Conspiracy theories are a contemporary mythology, not unlike the Greek gods. Everything that happens has a reason, and the gods affect the course of human events through direct intervention. The ill-defined "they," whether referring to the U.N., CIA, international bankers, Jews or interdimensional shapeshifting reptilian space aliens living in the hollowed-out artificial moon (yeah, it's a real one), really seem to me to be a secular version of religious mythology. On the other side, when you are already convinced that agents are working to manipulate world events, people tend to seek out information that reinforces what they already believe. It's a tendency called confirmation bias, and it is a sort of perceptual filter for what you accept as evidence. Even the apparent clustering of events, in itself, can serve as evidence for someone who is looking for things to confirm their worldview, and allows the conspiracy theorist to discount reams of information that directly refute that belief. Each human brain comes equipped with a whole series of generally useful shortcuts to help us make sense of the immense amount of information that we have to process everyday. Conspiracy theories, I suspect, are simply an interesting (occasionally dangerous) byproduct of those mental shortcuts. | Several U.S. tragedies happened in mid-April, including Waco and Oklahoma City . While some are related, Robert Blaskiewicz says others are just a coincidence . Blaskiewicz teaches course on conspiracy theories at Georgia Institute of Technology . He says conspiracy theories are "a contemporary mythology, not unlike the Greek gods" | 21a44e38859320ec7dab2436c2c50da848a581c4 |
Washington (CNN) -- Pop star Lady Gaga will headline a rally in Portland, Maine, on Monday calling on the state's two Republican senators to vote yes on taking up a defense bill that includes authorization to repeal the military's "don't ask, don't tell" policy toward gay and lesbian servicemembers. A crucial Senate vote is scheduled for Tuesday afternoon, and supporters of the repeal say that as of now, they do not have the 60 votes needed to overcome a GOP filibuster blocking the bill. Maine Republicans Susan Collins and Olympia Snowe are publicly undecided, and could each potentially provide Democrats the votes they need to bring the issue before the Senate. Lady Gaga's rally is being organized by Servicemembers Legal Defense Network (SLDN), a gay rights group mobilizing grassroots support to repeal the controversial policy. The organization also helped the singer set up a lengthy YouTube video posted Friday urging her fans to call their senators and ask them to support Tuesday's procedural vote. The singer sent word of the planned rally via twitter Sunday night. A spokesman for SLDN says Gaga will be accompanied at Monday's rally by both gay and straight military veterans. Both of Maine's GOP senators have been generally supportive of the gay rights community, and this issue in particular. Collins voted to authorize the Pentagon to repeal the don't-ask-don't-tell policy when the issue was before the Senate Armed Services Committee this summer, and SLDN executive director Aubrey Sarvis calls both Collins and Snowe "key to breaking the filibuster" on Tuesday. Republican leaders are trying to keep all 41 GOP senators on board to block the bill, arguing that Senate Majority leader Harry Reid, D-Nevada, is unfairly limiting the amendments allowed to try to change the bill once it is on the Senate floor. GOP leaders are also ridiculing Reid for trying to bring what they call a purely political vote to the Senate floor right before the election, to appease the gay community, which has been frustrated with Democrats for inaction on this issue. On Friday, aides to both Collins and Snowe told CNN they were still undecided about how they would vote. GOP leadership sources told CNN they feel confident they can keep all their members in line and prevent the defense bill from coming to the Senate floor. Lady Gaga's rally will take place at 4 p.m. ET at Deering Oaks Park in Portland, Maine, near the University of Southern Maine campus. | Lawmakers need 60 votes to overcome GOP filibuster of the defense bill . The two Maine Republican senators are publicly undecided . The pop singer is expected to be accompanied by military veterans . | 405f8b53b7d5e15d39e00d9994a171c84e85e85f |
Atlanta (CNN) -- The young Georgia woman fighting a flesh-eating bacteria underwent a successful skin graft this week as she continues her astounding recovery. The procedure was performed Monday on a massive wound left open when doctors were forced to remove tissue last month from Aimee Copeland's abdomen, side and hip in an effort to prevent the spread of the bacteria, according to an update posted on her father's blog Friday. Georgia flesh-eating bacteria victim's condition upgraded . An additional skin graft was scheduled to be performed Friday, her father said, describing it as the "final initial graft procedure to close the open wound." "I say 'final initial' because I understand that skin surfaces continue to break down over time and that Aimee will need follow-up surgeries to repair those areas in the weeks, months and years ahead," Andy Copeland wrote. "Aimee's wound repair is a lifelong process that will require ongoing attention and medical care, however, the surgery today will bring her one step closer to her biggest challenge yet: rehab." Earlier this week, Copeland, 24, was upgraded from critical to serious condition at Doctors Hospital of Augusta, where she has been receiving treatment. Aimee Copeland speaks, jokes, father says . The young Snellville woman's ordeal began May 1, when she was riding a makeshift zip line across the Little Tallapoosa River, about 50 miles west of Atlanta. The line snapped, and she fell and got a gash in her left calf that took 22 staples to close. Three days later, still in pain, she went to an emergency room. Doctors eventually determined she had necrotizing fasciitis caused by the flesh-devouring bacterium Aeromonas hydrophila. In addition to the tissue removed from her abdomen, the bacteria led surgeons to amputate most of her hands, one of her legs and her remaining foot in an effort to stay ahead of the disease. Copeland late last month began breathing on her own and talking for the first time in weeks, and even cracked jokes, her father said. Family counters bacteria with faith . | A second skin-graft procedure is scheduled for Friday . The graft is performed on an open wound on Aimee Copeland's abdomen . Copeland, 24, was upgraded this week from critical to serious condition . | fe853ddd6653639f24a3d0055ebef0d326aac685 |
By . Mark Duell for MailOnline . The routes of two urban cycleways across London billed as ‘Crossrail for the bike’ were today unveiled by Mayor Boris Johnson. They will offer cyclists protection from other road traffic and are the centrepiece of a £913million project to get more Londoners on to two wheels. The north-south route will run for more than three miles from Elephant & Castle in south London to King’s Cross in north London. Big Ben: A Greater London Authority image of an artist's impression showing how Parliament Square in London would look after an urban cycleway is installed . Across London: The east-west route will run from Barking east of London to Acton in west London, a distance of over 18 miles, including a section on the Westway . The east-west route will run from . Barking, east London, to Acton in west London, a distance of over 18 . miles, including a section on the Westway flyover. Protected . cycle routes will also be created through dangerous junctions, . including Tower Hill, Blackfriars, Parliament Square and Lancaster Gate. Connections will be created to cycle routes serving other parts of the City, West End and suburbs. Subject . to detailed public consultation - which begins today - work will start . early next year and the routes will open in March 2016. Getting through: The north-south route will run for more than three miles from Elephant & Castle in south London to King's Cross in north London . Cycling by the Thames: An artist's impression showing how Victoria Embankment in London would look after an urban cycleway is installed . Getting more Londoners on their bikes: How St George's Circus in Southwark would look after an urban cycleway is installed . Mr Johnson said: ‘Bikes already make up 24 per cent of all rush-hour traffic in central London - hundreds of thousands of journeys every day that would otherwise be made by car or public transport. 'Getting more people on to their bikes will reduce pressure on the road, bus and rail networks, cut pollution, and improve life for everyone' London Mayor Boris Johnson . ‘Because this isn’t just about cyclists. Getting more people on to their bikes will reduce pressure on the road, bus and rail networks, cut pollution, and improve life for everyone, whether or not they cycle themselves.’ The project is said to be creating Europe’s longest substantially-segregated urban cycleways, and opening up new journey opportunities for cyclists. The proposed riverside cycle track on Victoria Embankment would also mean cyclists there would not need to cross side-roads. Cars and bicycles: How Blackfriars Road would look after the cycleway is installed. The routes across London have been billed as 'Crossrail for the bike' Capital traffic: How Ludgate Circus in London would look after the cycleway is installed. Protected cycle routes will be created through dangerous junctions . Leon Daniels, managing director of . surface transport at Transport for London, said: ‘Cycling in London is . becoming more popular by the day. 'This cycle way will attract new people to cycling - young and old - because they will feel safer and more confident using a convenient route' Martin Key, British Cycling . ‘These new Cycle Superhighways will further transform London into a continental cycle-tropolis for riders of all ages.’ Subject . to public consultation - which begins today - work will start early . next year and the routes are expected to open in March 2016. British Cycling’s campaigns manager . Martin Key said: ‘Continuous segregated routes have proved hugely . successful in Holland and are an affordable transport solution for . cities. ‘This cycle way will attract new people to cycling - young . and old - because they will feel safer and more confident using a . convenient route.’ Impression: How Blackfriars Junction in London would appear. Connections will be created to cycle routes serving parts of the City, West End and suburbs . City skyline: An artist's impression showing how Tower Hill looking westward in London would look after an urban cycleway is installed . 'Crossrail for the bike': The east-west cycle superhighway will run for 18 miles from Barking in the east to Acton in the west . Some 19,000 cyclists are killed or injured in reported road accidents in the UK every year, according to the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents. Last autumn six cyclists were killed on London's roads in two weeks, leading to calls for more money to be invested in cycle lanes and safety measures. At the time, former Olympic cyclist Chris Boardman asked Mr Johnson to look at banning heavy good vehicles from the roads during peak hours. This is a system already implemented in Paris. Out of 14 cyclists killed last year in London, nine were involved in accidents with HGVs. At Ludgate Circus, one of the areas being redeveloped in the plans, seven cyclists are said to have died since 2008 - the latest being in April this year. The EAST-WEST Cycle Superhighway would start at Tower Hill, where it would connect to the existing Barclays Cycle Superhighway Route 3 (CS3), which runs east to Canary Wharf and Barking. From Tower Hill, the new route would run along Lower and Upper Thames Street, Victoria Embankment, across Parliament Square, to Hyde Park Corner and through Hyde Park, across Lancaster Gate and up Westbourne Terrace. From there, it will travel on the Westway Flyover from Westbourne Bridge to Wood Lane and would continue along the A40 Western Avenue as far as Kathleen Avenue, Acton. The East-West Cycle Superhighway would start at Tower Hill, where it would connect to the existing Barclays Cycle Superhighway Route 3 (CS3) The design of the section from the Westway to Acton is still being finalised and will be consulted on at a later date. Apart from a short stretch in the Lancaster Gate area and a low traffic street adjacent to Upper Thames Street tunnel, the new Superhighway would be entirely physically segregated. In central London, there will be connecting Quietway backstreet routes to other parts of the City, the West End, Paddington, Maida Vale, Notting Hill and many other places. There will also be connections to an upgraded Cycle Superhighway 2 for Mile End and Stratford. From Tower Hill, the new route would run along Lower and Upper Thames Street, Victoria Embankment and across Parliament Square . There will also be connections to the existing segregated track across Southwark Bridge, connecting to Cycle Superhighway 7 and Quietway routes in Southwark. Connections are proposed at the western end to Shepherds Bush, Acton, Ealing and Wembley town centres and to the Park Royal trading estate. Proposals for cycling infrastructure improvements on Westminster Bridge will also be covered as part of the Better Junctions scheme at Westminster Bridge Road. Our wish is for segregation for cyclists on the bridge, subject to this being feasible. From Westbourne Terrace, it will travel on the Westway Flyover from Westbourne Bridge to Wood Lane and would continue along the A40 Western Avenue . The NORTH-SOUTH Cycle Superhighway would start at Elephant & Castle, where it would connect to the existing Barclays Cycle Superhighway Route 7 (CS7) at Princess Street. From Elephant & Castle the North-South Cycle Superhighway would run along St. George’s Road, through St. George’s Circus, along Blackfriars Road and cross Blackfriars Bridge before connecting to the proposed East-West Cycle Superhighway on the north bank of the River Thames. From Elephant & Castle the North-South Cycle Superhighway would run along St. George's Road, through St. George's Circus, and along Blackfriars Road . It is planned to then continue to . King’s Cross using New Bridge Street, Farringdon Street, Farringdon Road . and quieter backstreet roads. The . southern section between Elephant & Castle and Farringdon station . would be a largely continuous segregated two-way cycle track. North . of Farringdon station, where Farringdon Road is not wide enough for . segregation in both directions, the route will use low-traffic back . streets and/or segregation in one direction, subject to further . consultation with the London Borough of Camden, the highway authority. SOURCE: Greater London Authority . It is planned to continue to King's Cross using New Bridge Street, Farringdon Street, Farringdon Road and quieter backstreet roads . | North-south route of Mayor's cycleway will run for more than three miles from Elephant & Castle to King's Cross . East-west route will run from Barking to Acton, a distance of over 18 miles, including section on Westway flyover . Protected cycle routes will be created through junctions including Tower Hill, Blackfriars and Parliament Square . | 3e1a0560ba762c6a9a38ff0b0b8a69ce443b7b74 |
A female prosecutor has turned the courthouse in a small Texas town into a fortress as she investigates who shot dead her boss, his wife and a co-worker in a series of planned attacks which some fear are the work of a violent white supremacist gang. Brandi Fernandez, 42, has surrounded the Kaufman County Law Enforcement Center with armed police officers after Mike . McLelland, the county's district attorney, and his wife Cynthia were shot dead at their home in Forney on Saturday. Miss Fernandez, backed by her boss Mr McLelland, was responsible for prosecuting a senior member of the Aryan Brotherhood of Texas last year who received two life terms following a shoot out. Scroll down for video . Courage: Brandi Fernandez, newly-named interim district attorney in Kaufman County, Texas has had security on high alert for all staff following the shooting . On guard: The Kaufman County Law Enforcement Center was protected by armed guards on Tuesday as the interim DA took up her position . Army veteran Mike McLelland, 63, and his 65-year-old wife, reportedly died from multiple gunshot wounds at their ranch set on one acre last weekend. Their violent deaths follow the gunning down of assistant district attorney Mark Hasse at the Kaufman courthouse parking lot on January 31. The investigations into their deaths was the primary concern of Miss Fernandez, named interim DA, as she slipped into the Kaufman County Courthouse for her first full day on Tuesday. Praised as a smart, tough litigator and a fierce advocate for child victims of crime, Fernandez declined to address reporters and remained under close protection inside the courthouse throughout the day. A police cruiser was parked outside her single-family home surrounded by trees on Monday and Tuesday. As first assistant district attorney under McLelland, Fernandez, 42, was named to the interim job on Monday, after having worked in the office for nearly a decade. Miss Fernandez began her role with the news that assistant DA Jay Hileman had walked off the large racketeering case involving the Aryan Brotherhood on Tuesday. He reportedly sent a short email to the defense team on the case saying that he was stepping down for security reasons, according to Dallas News. A climate of fear has descended on Kaufman, an affluent town of around 7,000 people on the edge of Dallas' city limits, following the hits. Fears: District Attorney Mike McLelland and his wife Cynthia were gunned down at their ranch-style bungalow in late March and their slaying was reportedly the inspiration for the hit that Canfield tried to arrange . Crime scene: The home of Kaufman County District Attorney Mike McLelland is surrounded by police tape after the 63-year-old and his wife Cynthia were shot dead on Saturday . The Aryan Brotherhood, a violent gang of 'generals' who often dictate orders from jail, is suspected of . being behind the assassinations. However no evidence has tied the . gang to the slayings and no one has been arrested over the deaths. The Aryan Brotherhood of Texas has been in the state's prison system since the 1980s, when it began as a white supremacist gang to retaliate against black and Latino gangs. It protected its members and ran illegal activities, including drug distribution, according to Terry Pelz, a former Texas prison warden and expert on the gang. The group, which has a long history of violence and retribution, is now believed to have more than 4,000 members in and out of prison who deal in a variety of criminal enterprises, including prostitution, robbery and murder. It has a paramilitary structure with five factions around the state. Each faction has a general, who is part of a steering committee known as the Wheel, which controls all criminal aspects of the gang, according to court papers. Four top leaders of the group were indicted in October for crimes ranging from murder to drug trafficking. At the time, prosecutors called the . indictments 'a devastating blow to the leadership' of the gang. Pelz . said the indictments might have fragmented the gang's leadership. Two months later, authorities issued the bulletin warning that the gang might try to retaliate against law enforcement for the investigation that also led to the arrest of 30 other members. Killing law enforcement representatives would be uncharacteristic of the group, Pelz said. 'They don't go around killing officials. They don't draw heat upon themselves,' he said. But Pelz, who worked in the Texas prison system for 21 years, said the gang has a history of threatening officials and of killing its own members or rivals. Dozens of federal agents have descended on Kaufman looking for answers. Kaufman police instigated a crackdown on the Brotherhood late last year with 34 alleged members arrested. The McLellands were murdered less than two weeks after Colorado's prison . chief was shot to death on his doorstep, allegedly by an ex-convict. Many members of the Texas legal community have increased . their security details. Harris . County District Attorney Mike Anderson now has round-the-clock . protection for him and his family after the assassinations. His district . includes Houston. Law . enforcement agencies throughout Texas have been on high alert, and steps . were being taken to better protect other DAs and their staffs. Anderson said he also would take precautions at his office, the largest of its kind in Texas, with more than 270 prosecutors. 'I think district attorneys across Texas are still in a state of shock,' Anderson said on Sunday. Mr McLelland, 63, was the 13th prosecutor . killed in the U.S. since the 1960s. Kaufman . County Sheriff David Byrnes said there was nothing to indicate for certain . whether the murders were connected to Mr Hasse's shooting. In Colorado, sheriff's spokesman Sergeant Joe Roybal said . investigators had so far found no evidence connecting the Texas killings . to the Colorado case, but added: 'We're examining all possibilities.' Colorado's . corrections director Tom Clements was killed on March 19 when he . answered the doorbell at his home outside Colorado Springs. Evan . Spencer Ebel, a white supremacist and former Colorado inmate suspected . of shooting Clements, died in a shootout with Texas deputies two days . later about 100 miles from Kaufman. In . an interview shortly after the Colorado slaying, Mr McLelland raised . the possibility that Mr Hasse was gunned down by a white supremacist . gang. McLelland, elected in 2010, said his . office had prosecuted several cases against such gangs, particularly one . known as the Aryan Brotherhood. The . groups have a strong presence around Kaufman County, a mostly rural . area dotted with subdivisions, with a population of about 104,000. After Hasse's slaying, Mr McLelland said that he carried a gun everywhere around town even when walking his dog. He . figured assassins were more likely to try to attack him outside. He . said he had warned all his employees to be constantly on the alert. 'The . people in my line of work are going to have to get better at it,' he . said of dealing with the danger, 'because they're going to need it more . in the future.' Sleepy suburbs: Kaufman, a town of 7,000 people on the edge of Dallas, has been rocked by rumors that the Aryan Brotherhood is putting hits on law enforcers . Precautions: Harris County District Attorney Mike Anderson (left) now has round-the-clock security because other lawmakers including Mark Hasse (right) have been shot dead this year . | Brandi Fernandez, 42, named interim district attorney on Monday . DA Mike McLelland and wife Cynthia murdered at Texas home on Saturday . Assistant DA Mark Hasse shot dead in court parking lot in January . | 3b443d1da357657fffbdd6bd77c04590b9123078 |
Manchester City manager Manuel Pellegrini has said he has no worries about referee Mark Clattenburg taking charge of their game at Liverpool on Sunday despite the official missing a key penalty decision in last season's corresponding fixture. In contrast to title rival Jose Mourinho who claims there is a 'campaign' against his Chelsea team, a contrite Pellegrini admitted he regrets criticising officials and insisted he should have remembered to praise Mr Clattenburg for his performance when Chelsea and City drew 1-1 at Stamford Bridge last month. With clear reference to Mourinho, with whom he has long held a strained relationship, Pellegrini said: 'I don't want to talk about minutes.' The Chelsea boss listed the minutes of four controversial incidents against Burnley last weekend to make his point against referee Martin Atkinson. Manuel Pellegrini has defended Mark Clattenburg ahead of Sunday's game against Liverpool . The Manchester City boss has previously been critical of the official, but seems to have changed his mind . The presence of Clattenburg in the middle at Anfield is intriguing with City knowing victory would take them within two points of leaders Chelsea. The official failed to award City a late penalty for handball against Martin Skrtel in last season's 3-2 win for Liverpool – a decision that looked to have handed the title advantage to Liverpool at the time. Pellegrini, who was banned by Uefa last year for saying Swedish referee Jonas Eriksson was 'not impartial' for sending off Martin Demichelis during their Champions League defeat against Barcelona, criticised Clattenburg earlier this season for his display in City's 2-2 draw against Arsenal at The Emirates Stadium. 'He had a very bad day against Liverpool and today he had a very bad day. Arsenal scored both goals with fouls,' he complained. Clattenburg was the referee when Manchester City met Liverpool last season at Anfield . Coutinho scored the winning goal in last season's game, but Pellegrini was upset with the refereeing . But having heard Mourinho wage war on officials for the past month, the Chilean was in a far more reflective mood. 'I don't have any worries about Mark Clattenburg because I think he's a good referee,' said Pellegrini. 'I criticised him after the game we played against Arsenal because I thought he didn't do well in that game. After that, he was terrific against Chelsea and I didn't remember in that moment to say that. That was a mistake on my part, to say he refereed very well and made no mistakes. 'It is very easy for us to say the referee has made a mistake, especially after you have seen it on television from three, four, five times from different angles. It's very easy to criticise. Pellegrini praised the way Clattenburg handled his side's game with Jose Mourinho's Chelsea this season . The City boss has used his comments as a chance to make a thinly veiled attack on Mourinho's tactics . 'Last year, in the Champions League, I criticised very hard the referee who sent off Demichelis because it wasn't a penalty, it was outside the box. But I said two weeks later I regretted it. I saw on TV it was just two centimetres outside the box, it was a mistake anyone could make. 'Mistakes can happen but they go against you or in favour of you.' Pellegrini's attitude is in contrast to Mourinho's regular claims that officials are consistently against Chelsea. The pair have not got on since Mourinho followed Pellegrini as Real Madrid manager and belittled his time at the Bernabeu. Even so, The FA might look at Pellegrini's comments as their rules prohibit any comment - good or bad - about referees prior to games. Sir Alex Ferguson was warned about his future conduct after he talked about Howard Webb before a big game against Chelsea in 2011, even though his comments were not derogatory. Both City and Liverpool go into Sunday's game at High Noon on the back of European defeats although City have had an extra 48 hours to recover. Defeat for either side would be hugely damaging – City for their prospects of retaining the championship, and Liverpool for qualifying for the Champions League. Pellegrini says he will be prepared to play James Milner even though the versatile England international is out of contract at the end of the season and attracting interest from Liverpool. Wilfried Bony could play against Liverpool, but has not started since signing for Manchester City . Bony has admitted to struggling since returning to England from the Africa Cup of Nations last month . Pellegrini talks to James Milner, who has been attracting the interest of Sunday's opponents Liverpool . The City boss knows he can't force Milner to sign a new deal at The Etihad but says it won't affect his team selection and that the player couldn't expect to play every week in any big-six club in England. 'I will choose the starting 11 from the players I think are in the best moment, not thinking what will happen with him (Milner) next year,' said Pellegrini. 'James hasn't been distracted. I know James Milner, he's a great professional, a player who always gives 100 per cent in every game. That decision about his future is his decision so I don't have any worry about that. 'Everyone in our club wants Milner to stay. After that, you have to make an arrangement with him, there are two parts to the contract. He must decide what he wants. I think an important squad must always have two important players for each position if you want to win something. Milner has been a key player for Manchester City, but could leave at the end of the season . Yaya Toure, who was suspended for the game against Barcelona in midweek, could return on Sunday . 'You play so many games, have so many injuries. You need two important players in every position, this happens at Man United, at Chelsea, at Arsenal, at Liverpool, in our team. 'Important players must fight for their places. Nobody has a guarantee they will play, not Milner, not anyone. When you go to a big team, you have high competition. But I think James has played a lot this year.' Pellegrini will assess Wilfried Bony before naming his side. The £28million striker has had a stuttering start to his City career since returning from the African Cup of Nations, confessing he has found it hard to adjust from sweltering heat in Equatorial Guinea to near-freezing temperatures in the north-west. He also took a bang after coming on as substitute against Barcelona on Tuesday, a match City lost 2-1. Influential midfielder Yaya Toure was suspended for that game but returns at Anfield. | Manchester City boss hit out at Clattenburg after last season's defeat . City felt tehy should have had a late penalty at Anfield last year . But, in dig at Jose Mourinho, Manuel Pellegrini defends official . 'I think he's a good referee' says Pellegrini who insists he has no worries . Pellegrini could still face FA charge for talking about officials . | 7ff99bee0ddf611224a37dd27189b84d7336b22b |
(CNN) -- Peggy Bourland can't eat. When she lies down to sleep, she fights the urge to go outside and curl up on the cold, hard ground. "Ken can't eat right now. He can't sleep in our bed," she said, her husband's military dog tags around her neck. "I won't have what he cannot have." Last Tuesday, from his room at the Hotel Montana near Port-au-Prince, Haiti, U.S. Air Force Maj. Ken Bourland sent an e-mail to his wife telling her that he was fine and had just settled in for what was going to be an exciting time taking a disaster preparedness course. It was 4:51 p.m. ET. Less than 10 minutes later, an earthquake leveled much of the Haitian capital, including the Hotel Montana. "I had just clicked off the e-mail and was trying to find some cartoons for the kids to watch," she said. "And then I saw this breaking news. An earthquake. I thought, 'Did California get hit again?' Then I saw Haiti." Bourland popped her laptop open and fired off an e-mail: "Please tell me you're OK." No response. View or add to CNN's database of missing persons in Haiti . Crews have spent the past six days searching mounds of rubble, 30 feet high in places, that was the Hotel Montana, popular with tourists and visiting officials. Some United Nations employees who lived there remain unaccounted for, the U.N. said Sunday, and Alain Joyandet, the French minister of cooperation, said approximately 200 French tourists staying there had not been heard from. There is reason to hope. On Friday, a woman trapped in the hotel's collapsed bar was rescued. In the past few days, students from South Florida's Lynn University, who were in Haiti on a humanitarian mission to feed the poor, were freed from the Montana's rubble. Six others with the university are reportedly still missing. Peggy Bourland gets two calls a day at her suburban South Florida home -- one at night, one in the morning -- from the family's assigned military liaison. There's nothing to say, really. She's told to be optimistic. She tries. After the second call, when she has tucked the couple's sons, 16-month-old Andrew and 3-year-old Charley into bed, she allows herself to cry. "I don't do it in front of them." She finds it overwhelming to return to thoughts about the Sunday before Ken Bourland left. It was Charley's birthday, and another military family came over. "Ken sang to him and we all said, 'Daddy's going on another trip.'" The Bourlands' fifth wedding anniversary will be in March. Their first date -- set up by her boss and his sister -- was one with hours of talk and lost time. She liked the fact that he asked questions about every conceivable scenario that might arise from a decision. He analyzed, where she just went with it. He prepared for the small and big things. He had been mulling for weeks, exhausting Google, over what kind of television to buy. Ken's steady demeanor has rubbed off on Chance, his stepson. Peggy's son was 9 when she introduced him to Ken. The helicopter pilot endeared himself quickly with camping and a mutual zest for video games and remote control cars. Now 13, Chance understands what's going on. "I let him talk when he wants to," she said. "But sometimes there's nothing to say. You just wait and continue to wait, hoping for something good." | Peggy Bourland's husband, U.S. Air Force Maj. Ken Bourland, missing in Haiti . Major sent wife an e-mail about 10 minutes before Tuesday's 7.0 earthquake . Earthquake leveled the hotel where Bourland was staying . Wife hopes to get good news to share with their children . | 491f91c3f575cbfd6281f94d9e608297f0ba9e83 |
By . Simon Walters, Glen Owen and Brendan Carlin . PUBLISHED: . 16:09 EST, 4 May 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 17:51 EST, 4 May 2013 . Popular: Nigel Evans at Westminster where he has been a leading social light for more than a decade . The news of Nigel Evans’s arrest will come as a shock to fellow MPs, who know him as an ebullient, sociable figure who is popular on both sides of the House of Commons. Mr Evans, who has been MP for Ribble Valley since 1992 and Deputy Speaker of the Commons since 2010, is a regular fixture in Commons bars and at society events. But he is also widely admired for the way in which he came out about his homosexuality in an article for The Mail on Sunday in 2010. After years of Westminster gossip about his private life, Mr Evans said he was fed up with ‘living a lie’ – and revealed that he had even received threats of blackmail from political enemies over his sexuality. ‘With my background in South Wales, it was hard enough being a Tory, let alone being gay,’ he said. ‘It wasn’t so much “the only gay in the village” as the “only Tory in Swansea”.’ Mr Evans, who has never been married, added: ‘After decades of denying it to myself, and then just denying it to others, I didn’t want to continue living a fraction of my life.’ He said he had made the final decision to tell the truth when Tory MP and Energy Minister Greg Barker – who left his wife for a gay lover – approached him. ‘Greg came up to me and said, “I’m doing a list of the most powerful gay politicians, do I include you?” I thought, this is just daft. I am not going to live a lie any more. ‘The reaction was, mostly, incredibly supportive. ‘A handful of letters spoke more loudly of the sender than the recipient. My staff shielded me from the worst examples of intolerance, bile and hatred. ‘Their message contained not a scintilla of understanding or know-ledge of the open and hidden battles that so many people face in their daily lives. ‘There are the many youngsters who are constantly bullied at school or work because people know or suspect that they are gay. The relentless harassment destroys their lives and in some cases ends tragically in suicide.’ Glamour role: Mr Evans with visiting dancers at the House of Commons . Born in Swansea in 1957, Mr Evans was educated at Dynevor School, a grammar which converted to a comprehensive during his time there. After studying for a politics degree at Swansea University, Mr Evans started his working life helping out at his family’s newsagents shops, before embarking on his political career as a local councillor. He was defeated in three Commons Elections in the space of one Parliamentary term – Swansea West at the 1987 General Election, at the Pontypridd by-election in 1989 and the Ribble Valley by-election in 1991 – before finally taking his current seat at the 1992 Election. ‘After decades of denying it to myself, . and then just denying it to others, I didn’t want to continue living a . fraction of my life.’ Nigel Evans MP . He was quickly talent-spotted by William Hague who made him his Parliamentary Private Secretary in 1996, when Mr Hague was Welsh Secretary. Mr Evans was briefly a party frontbencher when he served as Shadow Welsh Secretary under Iain Duncan Smith between 2001 and 2003, returning to the backbenches after Michael Howard took over the Tory leadership. Since becoming Deputy Speaker, after the 2010 Election, he has impressed colleagues with his handling of Commons debates: his good-humoured approach is preferred by many MPs to John Bercow’s more abrasive style. Some said Mr Evans was in prime position to succeed Mr Bercow when he stands down. Master of ceremonies: Deputy speaker Nigel Evans dressed as a ringmaster while hosting a Commons reception for the circus industry . Last month, Mr Evans made clear his respect for Margaret Thatcher by mounting a strong defence of the cost of the funeral arrangements for the former Prime Minister. He rebuked the Bishop of Grantham for suggesting the event could be a focus for ugly protests, insisting Britain excelled at ‘pomp and ceremony’. He also heaped praise on Lady Thatcher’s granddaughter Amanda for her calm and collected reading at the funeral in St Paul’s. Mr Evans said: ‘If she had been speaking at just a family funeral people can break down and cry, but her composure was perfect.’ Mr Evans told movingly in 2009 how his mother Betty died from a superbug infection after a routine operation in an NHS hospital, writing: ‘The last, harrowing moments of my mother’s life will live for ever in the collective memory of my family. 'An 86-year-old lady of infinite grace and dignity, she had the most agonising of deaths.’ He blamed the tragedy on a ‘mixture of neglect, incompetence and indifference shown by the NHS’ before adding: ‘If she had been cared for properly, if the ward had been cleaner or greater urgency had been shown in handling her case, then this tragedy might never have happened.’ Mr Evans – who enjoys regular foreign trips as part of his duties – made a characteristic appearance in the gossip columns two years ago when involved in a good-humoured, late-night exchange with police after pulling up to the Commons gates in a tourist rickshaw. He made a futile attempt to persuade them to waive security rules so he could ride on to the Parliamentary estate to collect the driver’s fare. He was last spotted at the Commons on Thursday evening, cheerfully waving to colleagues as he loaded up his Saab convertible before driving to his constituency. Sorry we are unable to accept comments for legal reasons. | Mr Evans revealed blackmail threats from political enemies over his sexuality . He made his decision to come out when a fellow gay MP approached him . He has impressed in his role as Deputy Speaker since the 2010 election . | 39b2ba151b978a24eb9628b0f0a679e78e89edb6 |
England's preparations for next month's autumn series continue to be disrupted by injury with Billy Vunipola joining Luther Burrell in the treatment room. Vunipola was concussed in Saracens' Champions Cup defeat by Munster on Friday and will follow return to play protocols in training over the next week. Twenty-fours hours later Burrell was withdrawn shortly after half-time of Northampton's victory over the Ospreys with an injury to his right hand. Luther Burrell trudges off the field during Northampton's victory over Ospreys after injuring his right hand . Billy Vunipola was concussed during Saracens European Rugby Champions Cup match with Munster . Burrell is to remain at Saints rather than join up with England's squad at Pennyhill Park with the extent of the damage expected to be known by midweek. James Haskell continues to be monitored for the virus that resulted in his hospitalisation 10 days ago, forcing him to miss Wasps' last two games. England head coach Stuart Lancaster has called up Exeter trio Dave Ewers, Henry Slade and Thomas Waldrom as cover. Ewers is picked ahead of Will Fraser of Saracens, who also has concussion. Burrell (L) will remain with the Saints to be assessed while England's squad join up at Pennyhill Park . Stuart Lancaster has called up Exeter trio Dave Ewers, Henry Slade and Thomas Waldrom as cover . 'Luther will be assessed by a specialist over the next 48 hours and our medics are in close contact with Saints so we'll know more in a few days, but it's great to be able to bring in Henry,' Lancaster said. 'Billy will undergo the return to play protocol with us and will resume training once he has completed that. 'Injuries are inevitable but we are excited about the group we have in camp.' Burrell is a long shot to start the QBE Series opener against New Zealand on November 8 - Kyle Eastmond and Brad Barritt are the likely centre pairing - but Vunipola has been inked in at number eight. Minor concerns hang over props David Wilson and Joe Marler, who have respective calf and thigh injuries, but both are expected to be fit by the weekend. Prop David Wilson of Bath is another injury concern for England ahead of the autumn internationals . Bath's Henry Thomas and Alex Waller of Northampton have been added as front row cover while the arrival of Ben Foden, Matt Kvesic, Anthony Watson and Richard Wigglesworth in Bagshot on Sunday night lifts the number of players in England's training squad to 41. Tom Wood has remained in Northampton with his wife pending the birth of their third child and will join the squad later this week. 'We always anticipated bringing in additional players following the European games, either to cover injuries or for training,' Lancaster said. | Stuart Lancaster has a number of injury concerns ahead of autumn series . Billy Vunipola was concussed in Saracens European game with Munster . Saints Luther Burrell was forced to leave Ospreys game with a hand injury . | 8a7294fc2ff9a8613d9076007686d23e43d1f5b4 |
(CNN) -- The 2012 Fit Nation Tri Challenge Team is made up of seven CNN viewers selected to train for the Nautica Malibu Triathlon with Dr. Sanjay Gupta in September. For updates, visit the Fit Nation page, follow the team on Twitter, or like our page on Facebook. Check back with us this weekend for more photos. | Fit Nation Tri Challenge Team is in Hawaii this week to train . "Lucky 7" will bike, run and swim to prepare for the Nautica Malibu Triathlon . | 7bb495b3bc8d9585c5dd1ca3eee05c98696e5f5e |
Kabul, Afghanistan (CNN) -- Ashraf Ghani Ahmadzai is the new President of Afghanistan, and his rival, Abdullah Abdullah, is CEO, Afghanistan Independent Elections Commission chairman Ahmad Yousuf Nooristani announced in a news conference in Kabul on Sunday. Nooristani didn't disclose the percentage of their votes from the June runoff election. He also didn't take any questions from journalists. Ghani and Abdullah signed a power-sharing agreement earlier Sunday after months of infighting over allegations of voting fraud and manipulation. The U.S. State Department congratulated both candidates, as well as the people of Afghanistan, "who courageously went to the polls to vote on April 5 and again on June 14, defying Taliban threats to exercise their right to vote and to take their part in advancing democracy in Afghanistan," according to a statement. The statement also recognized incumbent President Hamid Karzai for 13 years of "strong leadership." The lengthy dispute between Ghani and Abdullah had put off the selection of a successor to Karzai and raised fears of increased instability in the fragile, war-torn country. But the two rivals embraced after signing a deal for a national unity government in a televised ceremony in the capital, Kabul, on Sunday. Under the agreement, Ghani will create by decree the position of chief executive officer for the runner-up. The CEO role will have prime ministerial functions until the constitution can be amended to create a permanent position of prime minister. The deal also calls for the two candidates' teams to share senior government positions equally between them. The political impasse in Afghanistan this year had come as the Taliban continued to mount deadly attacks on high-profile targets and fought fiercely for control of important areas. As the U.S.-led war effort against the militants winds down, most NATO troops are due to withdraw from Afghanistan by the end of this year. 'Three months of squabbling' The presidential election was held on April 5 and was followed by a runoff vote in June after the first round proved inconclusive. The election was aimed at bringing about Afghanistan's first democratic transfer of power, but the accusations of fraud and manipulation put that goal in peril. In July, Abdullah and Ghani had come to an agreement, brokered by U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, to accept the result of a nationwide audit and form a unity government. But earlier this month, the two candidates showed signs of backing away from that deal. Kerry described the signing of the deal Sunday as "a moment of extraordinary statesmanship," saying Ghani and Abdullah had "put the people of Afghanistan first." U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said the deal "paves the way for a stable and more prosperous future for the country." "The new government will face serious challenges, and I urge the President-elect, the Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Abdullah Abdullah, and all political actors in Afghanistan to quickly form the government of national unity," Ban said in a statement. The State Department statement said that while the audit was able to "identify fraud that was significant in both scope and sophistication," the audit process was unable to resolve all grievances. Nonetheless, the election results are legitimate, and the State Department will support the administration's efforts to make electoral reform a chief priority, the statement said. The White House and the U.N. Secretary-General's Special Representative for Afghanistan, Jan Kubis, both expressed support for the new government. But questions remain about how effective the new arrangement is likely to be. "It took three months of squabbling and political infighting to get to this point," Yaroslav Trofimov, the Afghanistan and Pakistan editor of The Wall Street Journal, told CNN. "It's anybody guess how well they will manage to actually govern together, considering all the bad blood." CNN's Masoud Popalzai reported from Kabul, and Jethro Mullen reported and wrote from Hong Kong. CNN's Eliott C. McLaughlin, Nana Karikari-apau, Christabelle Fombu and Tom Dunlavey contributed to this report. | NEW: "The new government will face serious challenges," U.N. chief says . State Dept.: Audit found "significant" fraud, but results legitimate . Abdullah and Ghani agreed to national unity government earlier in day . The deal comes after months of dispute between the two candidates . | 349a7aa66860585ea295861b65e5a51926954e2f |
Local hero: Mubarak Batambuze, 50, who slew a 25t, 1,300lb crocodile after it ate his pregnant wife while she was out fetching water at Lake Kyoga . A man whose wife was dragged away by a 1,300lb crocodile took revenge on the beast by slicing it open with a barbed spear in a fight to the death. Neighbours have hailed Mubarak Batambuze a hero since he slew the 25ft-long monster, which snatched his wife Demeteriya Nabire as she collected water from the lake with friends. The 50-year-old spent an hour and a half in mortal combat with the beast, and puts his victory down to a special weapon he had specially made for the battle. 'I had so much fear in me but what helped me to succeed was the spear,' he told the BBC World Service. Mr Batambuze, a fisherman, was left feeling devastated and powerless after the death of his wife four months ago. She was eight months pregnant when she was snatched, leaving nothing behind for him to remember her. Local media reports say the crocodile was suspected of eating six women and children who had gone to fetch water at the same spot, on the shores of Uganda's Lake Kyoga, but locals had been able to do nothing. Then last month Mr Batambuze, still aching with grief, heard the beast had returned. He decided the time had come for revenge. But first, he needed a weapon. 'I really wanted my revenge, and asked the blacksmith to make me a spear that could kill the crocodile dead,' he said. This spear was no normal weapon. The blacksmith designed it with a barb along one side, so that when plunged into the crocodile's belly it would rip the beast's flesh when pulled back out. Vengeful Mr Batambuze tied a rope to the shaft of the spear then, with a few friends from the village, he went to meet the monster that killed his wife and child. When the group arrived at the water's edge, they found the immense crocodile still there. But when Mr Batambuze's friends saw the size of it they took fright and begged him not to provoke it. Remembering his wife, Mr Batambuze would not stop. He told them: 'I'm not bothered if I die killing this beast. I'm going to take it on with this spear, and I will make sure that it dies.' After instructing his friends to throw stones to distract the crocodile, the widower charged and drove his spear deep into the crocodile's side. Enraged, it tried to bite back, but Mr Batambuze was able to dodge its deadly jaws. 'It turned violent, and then there was so much fear in the place,' he told the BBC. 'But I was so determined, and I wasn't afraid of dying. 'I just wanted it dead, so I put the spear in its side and I pulled the rope. That got the crocodile into trouble.' But even with its belly ripped open, the monster was not ready to lie down and die. Mr Batambuze and his friends spent an hour and a half battling the beast, attacking and retreating, striking and dodging. Finally, it was dead and Mr Batambuze and his victorious crew dragged the crocodile back to their village. Neighbours were shocked at its immense size, he said. Scroll down for video . Monstrous: The crocodile was so big Mr Batambuze's friends tried to persuade him not to take it on, but remembering his wife and unborn child he charged it with his spear and fought for 90 minutes until it died . Peter Ogwang, a spokesman for Uganda’s Wildlife Authority (UWA), said human bones and clothes were found in the animal’s stomach. 'We believe this was the same animal that killed the woman,' a UWA official told the German press agency, DPA. Wycliffe Ibanda, chairman of Kaliro district, which encompasses Mr Batambuze's village of Kibuye, called on the UWA and the government to compensate Mr Batambuze for the loss of his wife. Speaking to Uganda's New Vision daily paper, he blamed the UWA for not responding to locals' calls for the area's crocodiles to be relocated. But John Opio, a UWA official, said the organisation does not compensate for people killed by crocodiles. He said the UWA was in the process of relocating the crocodiles in the area to the Muchison Falls National Park or Uganda Wildlife Education Centre, Entebbe. But those moves, and the accolades from his neighbours, have come too late for Mr Batambuze, who has never even had a chance to mourn at his wife's grave. 'Within myself I'm a very depressed man,' he said. 'I lost a wife and an unborn child.' | Mubarak Batambuze has been hailed a hero for slaying the 25ft crocodile . The 50-year-old killed it with a barbed spear made specially for the battle . His wife was snatched four months ago as she fetched water at Lake Kyoga . | 2d6681060ebbebf84c99b40e01a83403a1ef67b5 |
David Christian was teaching at a local Australian university when he came up with a revolutionary new way to teach history that has spread like wildfire through classrooms across the world. The ambitious Russian and Soviet history teacher, from Macquarie University in Sydney's north-west, began teaching a non-linear history of humanity, titled the Big History Project, that was soon in such high demand that it took him overseas and won over the curiosity of former Microsoft CEO Bill Gates. 'I always had this feeling that in a world with nuclear weapons, and in which many of the problems are global rather than local, we need to not be teaching the history of Russians or Australians or Americans, but the history of humanity - and we seem not to do that,' Mr Christian told Daily Mail Australia. Scroll down for video . David Christian (left) began teaching the Big History course at Macquarie University in Sydney's north-west before it caught the attention of former Microsoft CEO Bill Gates (right) 'I realised that to do that you would have to go back to the Paleolithic verse, and then I thought to do that you really have to look at how humans evolved and to do that you have to talk about biology and to do that properly you'd have to talk about geology – how was this planet formed and why did life form and evolve on this planet. 'So that pushed me back and back and back until eventually I found myself thinking "I wonder if you could teach a sort of history course that did the whole damn thing".' Mr Christian proposed the idea to his colleagues at Macquarie University and found a number of enthusiastic lecturers who were interested in helping him roll-out the class. After years of practice they have developed a coherent course that Mr Christian describes as teaching 'the history of everything'. The course teaches 'the history of humanity' in a non-linear format by exploring elements of biology, geology and history. It discusses the universe, the big bang, the origins of life, how humanity was influenced by religion and agriculture, and even the current climate . From the Big Bang, our solar system and the science behind how life developed, right through to how aspects of human life were influenced by religion and agriculture, and then of course the current climate and human consumption – The Big History Project is a lesson on how everything came to be and where it could possibly take us. 'Eventually I realised that this is something that all educational traditions in the past have attempted,' Mr Christian said. 'If you think of the Christian tradition or you think of Indigenous traditions – all of them contain origin stories which try to give students a complete sense of how everything fits together and I realised we don't do that in modern education and I think that's a real mistake. 'So Big History tries to do that – it tries to do what origin stories do but by using the information of modern science.' The revolutionary idea soon caught the attention of former Microsoft CEO Bill Gates. Mr Christian was invited to record a series of 48 half hour lectures on the Big History for the Teaching Company while he was working at San Diego State University. 'I always had this feeling that in a world with nuclear weapons, and in which many of the problems are global rather than local, we need to not be teaching the history of Russians or Australians or Americans, but the history of humanity - and we seem not to do that,' Mr Christian said . Gates, who was working his way through the Teaching Company's catalogue, soon reached Mr Christian's lectures and was instantly won over. 'I got a phone call when I was at San Diego State University from his office and they basically said "Mr Gates is a great fan of your work, he likes the idea of Big History" and they said he's coming down to San Diego and he'd like to talk to you,' Mr Christian said. Bill Gates was won over by the course and spontaneously arranged a meeting with Mr Christian, saying that he wanted to support the building of a free online website which contained a syllabus of Big History for high schools . 'What's the protocol for talking to the richest man in the world? I had no idea. But He was absolutely charming. 'I was ushered into a room and it was just him and me talking for about two hours and he's a real enthusiast. He was really enthusiastic about this and so it was just an enjoyable conversation. 'He said he would like to support the building of a free online website which contained a syllabus of Big History for high schools, so that's what we are doing.' Since their initial meeting, Gates has poured over $10 million into the Big History Project, the majority of which has been used to build the website, which is free to access by anyone, and all of its components. Some of the money has also been offered to schools to 'help buy out the teacher's time' in order to enable them to learn and prepare for the course. 'He [Gates] had some very good ideas about how we should begin the project. For example, he argued that it was best to work through individual schools rather than educational bureaucracies – let schools experiment with it so that we can really develop it before we work through the educational bureaucracies,' Mr Christian explained. In the three and a half years since the project was launched, it has grown from eight pilot classes in the US and Australia into a globally adopted method of teaching. The website and all its resources is free to access by anyone online. It educates its audience through eight different chapters that include videos, cartoons and a platform for teachers to access resources and share ideas about how to teach the course . 'There are about 100 schools in Australia which are formally doing it, but I've been told there could be as many as 500 that are using some of the material informally,' Mr Christian said. 'There are about 300 schools in the US at the moment but there are also smaller numbers of schools in the Netherlands, Scotland, Canada, about five in South Korea and one in England - maybe more. 'Eventually, our hope is that this will go international and I'd like to see it be translated into other languages.' Big History has gone global in the last three and half years. Over 100 schools in Australia and 300 in the US have taken on the course as well as a numbers of schools in the Netherlands, Scotland, Canada, South Korea and England . The only difficulties with the course, Mr Christian said, is the unfamiliarity and the fact that it doesn't easily slot into existing school curriculums. But after teaching it for 25 years, travelling the world to share his idea and even hosting a TED Talk on Big History - as well as making it a priority to receive feedback from schools, teachers and students - Mr Christian is confident that the course is not only coherent, but enjoyable for both teachers and students. 'Each year we have a lot of feedback from schools and we have revised it, so we are very confident that it actually works in the schools,' he said. 'The feedback: most of it has been very good indeed. Students I think are just very excited to be doing a course that allows them to ask very big questions and to see the connections between different disciplines.' | David Christian began teaching his experimental Big History course at Macquarie University in Sydney's north-west 25 years ago . The course teaches 'the history of humanity' in a non-linear format by exploring elements of biology, geology and history . It discusses the universe, the big bang, the origins of life, how humanity was influenced by religion and agriculture, and even the current climate over eight separate chapters on a free-to access website . Former Microsoft CEO Bill Gates was won over after watching the lectures and poured $10 million dollars into the project to launch it in high schools . Over 100 schools in Australia and 300 in the US have taken on the course since it was launched three years ago . A numbers of schools in the Netherlands, Scotland, Canada, South Korea and England have also begun teaching the course . | efd63f570fbcde344584f0c040deeb4881742a4f |
(EW.com) -- The writer James Dickey once described a poet as ''someone who stands outside in the rain, hoping to be struck by lightning.'' He could've been talking about Taylor Swift. When the Dean of Tween isn't inviting guys to meet her in the pouring rain, she's courting danger any other way she can, just for the drama of it all. Her new album is called "Red" -- as in red light or red alert -- and it finds her singing about walking directly into traffic, wading into quicksand, and flirting with the kinds of jerks Kanye West might toast to. ''You look like bad news,'' she purrs on ''22.'' ''I gotta have you.'' One gets the feeling that it's not this guy's love she's after. She's just using him for the breakup songs. This time around, it's getting harder to feel sorry for Swift. Whether she's plucking her mandolin, belting out U2-inspired arena rock, or harmonizing with Gary Lightbody of Snow Patrol or Ed Sheeran, she never sounds happier than when she's getting dumped hard enough to justify a good revenge anthem. The quotable Taylor Swift . Luckily, she's recruited the world's greatest boy-shaming pop team -- Max Martin, the Swede behind Kelly Clarkson's ''Since U Been Gone'' and Pink's ''So What,'' and his partner Shellback -- to produce three of her best tell-offs yet. The smash ''We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together'' is such a sublime explosion of Euro-pop glee, robots will still pillow-fight to it in 2035. And between the dubstep-lite chorus of ''I Knew You Were Trouble'' and gooey-sweet synths of ''22,'' Red should be required listening at the EDM Camp for Girls, if such a thing existed. (In Swift's polka-dot world, it totally would.) ''22'' also shows how savvy Swift is about uniting guy haters of all ages. After enlisting her girlfriends to ''make fun of our exes,'' she invites them to dance ''like we're 22.'' She is 22, but this song belongs just as much to the preteens and power moms who pretend to be that age. At times, Swift sounds too eager to TMZ-ify her own life. ''Starlight'' seems to nod to her recent Kennedy wedding-crasher scandal (''We snuck into a yacht-club party/Pretending to be a duchess and a prince''). And ''Treacherous'' is nearly NC-17. (When she sighs, ''I'll do anything you say, if you say it with your hands,'' it's safe to assume she's not dating an ASL interpreter.) But the dishiest track is also one of the best. Over plaintive acoustic strumming, ''All Too Well'' recalls a trip to meet an old boyfriend's family (Thanksgiving with the Gyllenhaals, perhaps?), and goes into heartbreaking detail about nights spent singing to the radio or flipping through photos of her ex as a ''little kid with glasses in a twin-size bed.'' She leaves her scarf at his sister's place, and he keeps it long after they've split, which makes you wonder. "Red" might be about flirting with danger, but who's risking more here: Swift, or the guy whose baby photos are now public domain? For him, it's not such a fair trade. He walks away with a scarf. And she gets the rights to the memory. B+ . See the original article at EW.com . CLICK HERE to Try 2 RISK FREE issues of Entertainment Weekly . © 2011 Entertainment Weekly and Time Inc. All rights reserved. | ''We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together'' is a sublime explosion of Euro-pop glee . On the album she harmonizes with Gary Lightbody of Snow Patrol and Ed Sheeran . ''22'' also shows how savvy Swift is about uniting guy haters of all ages . | 307f66f5825b6c614deba379c4693a2f918d9d99 |
(CNN) -- President Obama and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met Monday as more than 10,000 pro-Israel activists gathered in Washington for the annual American Israel Public Affairs Committee Policy Conference. But rather than focusing on the stalled Middle East peace process, their talks and subsequent media coverage have centered on the question of using military force to stop Iran's nuclear program. The events in Washington took place just after 24 Christian, Jewish and Muslim prominent faith leaders from the United States and Indonesia returned from a mission to the Middle East. The joint delegation returned from the birthplace of the three great faiths of the Western world convinced that religion can be a force for unity and understanding instead of a source of division and conflict. Unfortunately, however, concerns about security and safety have made the Holy Land a region of walls that have all but eliminated any contact between Israelis and Palestinians today. In the six days the delegation visited the region, they got a sense of the fear that has led to the building of many kinds of walls. They saw much evidence of the distrust, intolerance and hatred that exists between the two sides of the conflict. But they also met faith leaders and civic activists of great vision and courage. Rabbi Michael Melchior, the founder of Mosaica Center for Inter-Religious Cooperation and a former member of the Israeli Cabinet, is working with Dr. Abdul Rahman Abbad, the secretary general of the Muslim Council of Religious Leaders in Palestine, to moderate the views of extremist religious leaders. The delegation met with leaders of Neve Shalom/Wahat al-Salam, which, for more than 40 years, has created a model community of Jewish-Palestinian coexistence, including a School for Peace that has trained thousands of youths and teachers to help create a humane, egalitarian and just society. And they met with leaders of Parents Circle/Bereaved Families Forum who have lost loved ones in the conflict but have turned their anger and loss into constructive work to advance peace. Although many of the American faith leaders in the delegation had some exposure to the Middle East, this was a new experience for our colleagues from Indonesia, which does not have diplomatic relations with Israel. For them, the trip was one of several thousand miles as well as one of cultural and historical assumptions. The Indonesian delegation that participated in our mission deserves credit for doing what so few leaders in the world do today: having the courage to cross a great divide with an open mind to better understand the "other." All delegates came to better understand the competing narratives that fuel the conflict in the region. For more than 60 years, a just solution to the Middle East conflict has eluded the greatest statesmen of our time. Perhaps it is time for a different strategy. Let's call it an Abrahamic peace strategy. In the field of conflict resolution, mediators help disputing parties peel back layers of difference until they reach common ground on which both parties can agree. In the Middle East, that common ground is our common ancestor Abraham. Abraham did not build walls. He built wells to sustain all those around him with life-giving water. He did not exclude anyone from his home, opening all four flaps of his desert tent so that any wayfarer, coming from any direction, would feel welcome and share in his hospitality. That is why we are taught that the core character trait of anyone true to the Abrahamic tradition is compassion. No peace plan will ever work in the Middle East until there is a wholehearted commitment to get Christians, Jews and Muslims to recognize that the core values they share from Abraham transcend political ideologies, flags, national anthems and even geography. They must be educated in the same classrooms, join hands in launching social action projects to help the most vulnerable, visit each others' places of worship and then visit each others' homes to drink coffee and become friends. If we could promote projects that bring Israelis and Palestinians face to face, it would begin to plant the seeds for peace for future generations in a way far more enduring than the signing of a treaty by heads of state. Political strategies have failed. Let us try a new strategy, one that goes back to the faith of our common ancestor Abraham. Start with that, and peace will follow. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of the authors. | The stalled Middle East peace process is getting little public attention . Interfaith delegation toured Mideast in search of answers . The three major faiths in Mideast share tradition traced back to Abraham . Peace could be built on Abraham's core value of compassion for the stranger . | cfe7502b970488749b8854e41462b27dfc84d95f |
Nathaniel Clyne and Jonjo Shelvey are the surprise call-ups by Hodgson for his England squad. The Southampton right-back has not won a cap for England, but his strong displays this season have earned him a place. On his inclusion, Hodgson said: 'He's impressed us for a while. Even before the World Cup he was a name we were constantly considering, but there were others in front of him then. VIDEO Scroll down to watch Roy Hodgson discusses Daniel Sturridge club v country row . Southampton right-back Nathaniel Clyne has been named in Roy Hodgson's England squad . Jonjo Shelvey, who won his first England cap in 2012, has also been called up to Roy Hodgson's squad . 'Now we've lost Glen Johnson and Kyle Walker. John Stones played there but we're looking for someone else who would be an interesting candidate for the right-back post. He was considered even before the last two matches, this time he's asked to come.' Hodgson revealed that Swansea midfielder Shelvey was in a similar position. 'He's another player like Clyne who's constantly in our thoughts and discussions. 'The way we're looking to play could suit him. He's had an excellent start to the season and he's there on merit because of his form and qualities he possesses.' Shelvey revealed the call-up is a proud moment and that his family are delighted by the news. England manager Hodgson claimed Clyne and Shelvey have constantly been in his thoughts . 'It’s fantastic to be called up by England at any level, but to be called up to the senior side is a very proud moment for me, said the midfielder. 'I’ve just spoken to my family and they’re all over the moon. 'It’s nice to be recognised for my performances in recent weeks. Hopefully I can show everyone what I can do in the upcoming international matches. My main focus is on the game against Newcastle this Saturday, but I am looking forward to training with England on Monday. 'It’s a big thing for me and my family. There will be a lot of my relatives in the crowd supporting me. A lot of it is down to Garry Monk and the coaching staff here with the way they have got us playing. We have earned a lot of praise for that. During the last international break there was only about eight of us here training, so it’s a credit to everyone at Swansea for earning international recognition.' Sportsmail columnist Jamie Carragher tweeted after the squad was announced: 'Delighted for Shelvey call up to the England squad didn't quite happen at Lfc but shows how regular football can help players development.' The former Liverpool defender later added: 'Thought there may have been an outside chance for Downing as he's doing well in a diamond system at West Ham, which England will use.' Arsenal left-back Kieran Gibbs has also been named in Hodgson's squad along with Gunners team-mates Danny Welbeck, Jack Wilshere and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain. Arsenal defender Kieran Gibbs has also been called up for the Euro qualifiers against San Marino and Estonia . Goalkeepers . Fraser Forster (Southampton), Ben Foster (West Brom), Joe Hart (Manchester City) Defenders . Leighton Baines (Everton), Gary Cahill (Chelsea), Nathaniel Clyne (Southampton), Kieran Gibbs (Arsenal), Phil Jagielka (Everton), John Stones (Everton) Midfielders . Fabian Delph (Aston Villa), Jordan Henderson (Liverpool), Adam Lallana (Liverpool), James Milner (Manchester City), Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain (Arsenal), Jonjo Shelvey (Swansea), Raheem Sterling (Liverpool), Andros Townsend (Tottenham), Jack Wilshere (Arsenal) Strikers . Rickie Lambert (Liverpool), Wayne Rooney (Manchester United), Danny Welbeck (Arsenal). | Nathaniel Clyne and Jonjo Shelvey earn call-ups to England squad . Arsenal defender Kieran Gibbs also named in Roy Hodgson's team . Southampton's Clyne has impressed for the Saints this season . Shelvey's one and only England cap came in 2012 . | 3c4f00ec3bbaae784716c0721ab3b49f370cef3b |
Arsenal are exploring numerous options to help fans get home from their FA Cup quarter-final after TV schedulers announced their glamour tie against Manchester United will be on a Monday night. The Gunners will take on Louis van Gaal’s side at Old Trafford on Monday March 9, which is set to cause travel problems for the away Arsenal fans, with an evening kick-off time of 7.45pm. All four FA Cup quarter-finals will be broadcast live on TV, with the BBC and BT Sport sharing the ties. Olivier Giroud scored a brace as Arsenal knocked out Middlesbrough in the FA Cup fifth-round on Sunday . ‘In the wake of this announcement, the club is exploring a number of options to help our travelling supporters get back to London afterwards,’ said a statement on Arsenal’s website. ‘No return trains are currently timetabled and we will let supporters know the proposed travel plans as soon as possible.’ The Old Trafford FA Cup tie is set to finish at just after 9.30pm, meaning Arsenal fans would miss the final train from Manchester Piccadilly to London Euston at 9.15pm. In order to make that train fans would have to leave the ground well before full-time or would face a 199 mile drive back to London (The Emirates Stadium), which on average takes four hours. In addition even if fans did leave early and catch the 9.15pm train, they could miss the last Underground trains on certain tube lines in London. Wayne Rooney leaps into the air to celebrate his spot-kick as Manchester United beat Preston on Monday . Arsenal Supporters' Trust spokesman Tim Payton said: ‘One of the magic things of the FA Cup is the large away fan allocation but the Football Association are damaging their own competition. They are sullying the brand of the cup. ‘The football authorities need to explain why with four quarter-finals we can’t play two on Saturday and two on Sunday. This is another example of broadcasters and their money dictating to the inconvenience of fans. ‘Broadcasters should remember, without fans at the ground there would be no atmosphere for them to show.’ Arsenal Supporters' Trust are demanding that the club and the FA help to cut their costs. Payton added: ’We are calling on the FA and Arsenal to subsidise travel to the game and have reasonably-priced match tickets. ‘We are already working with other Arsenal fan groups on the issue of broadcasted games. With £5billion about to flow into football it really is time that fans are put first.’ Arsenal forward Alexis Sanchez closes down Middlesbrough's George Friend in the FA Cup fifth-round . The quarter-final action begins at 12.45pm on Saturday 7 March with Bradford City taking on Reading, live on BT Sport. Later that day West Brom make a quick trip to Villa Park to take on Tim Sherwood’s Aston Villa which will be broadcast by the BBC. On Sunday March 8, with an evening kick-off of 4pm, BT Sport will take their cameras to Anfield for Blackburn’s visit to Liverpool. Finally, the mouth-watering prospect of Manchester United against Arsenal will conclude the quarter-final action, before the winners get set for semi-final ties at Wembley. | The BBC will broadcast the Old Trafford tie on Monday March 9 . Final train back scheduled from Manchester Piccadilly to Euston is 9.15pm . All four FA Cup quarter-finals will be broadcast on TV . The BBC will also host Aston Villa vs West Brom on Saturday March 8 . BT Sport will broadcast Bradford vs Reading for free on March 7 . Liverpool vs Blackburn is the remaining tie, being shown on BT Sport . | ceb16fa812670b43d827289e536c29f20ffc3c5c |
General Bikram Singh said his commanders would be 'aggressive and offensive' in the face of provocation . A National Security Adviser will meet India's Opposition leaders for a briefing on Tuesday . India has demanded the severed head of Lance Naik Hemraj but Pakistan continues to deny killing him and a fellow soldier . General says the Udhampur-based 16 Corps, . which commands the vulnerable section of the LoC, will execute the hit-back plan . By . Gautam Datt . PUBLISHED: . 17:43 EST, 14 January 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 17:43 EST, 14 January 2013 . Furious: Chief of Army Staff General Bikram Singh made his anger plain . Infuriated by the decapitation of a soldier by Pakistan army regulars on the Line of Control, army chief General Bikram Singh on Monday said the local commanders have been asked to hit back at the place and time of their choosing. A fuming General speaking for India warned Pakistan: "We reserve the right to retaliate. We cannot be passive when provoked." Top government sources said limited, localised military conflict with Pakistan was not ruled out. The Army has been put on high alert and Poonch, Rajouri and Uri sectors may see army retaliation. On a day when Gen Bikram Singh talked tough, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh spoke to BJP leaders Arun Jaitley and Sushma Swaraj and assured them that the Opposition would be kept in the loop over the situation. He told them that National Security Adviser Shivshankar Menon would brief them tomorrow (Tuesday) on the developments. In sync with the official line of action, an incensed General fumed: "I expect all my commanders on the Line of Control to be both aggressive and offensive in the face of provocation and fire. I don't expect my commanders to be timid." The chilling warning was delivered by a combative army chief who termed the beheading of Lance Naik Hemraj of 13 Rajputana Rifles an "unpardonable" act completely against the ethics of soldiering. But he was not willing to raise the level of response at this moment as the General asserted that India's payback will be localised and tactical. "General Bikram Singh has given a good message. He has spoken openly to nail Pakistan's propaganda. The statement was given after four-five days of the incident which means that all investigations have been completed and discussions have taken place. Today's response is not only of the military but also has a political aspect," said former army chief General V.P. Malik. Another former army chief, General Shankar Roy Chowdhary, said: "Definitely there is no gap between the government and the army. Government now should take note of the feeling in the army." Justifying General Bikram Singh's stand, Lt general (retired) Shankar Prasad said: "What army chief has said is the position of government of India. He is part of the government. It is a stand taken after going through the developments of the last four to five days. It is a good reaction from India." Pakistan Army officers (left) and Indian Army officers during the flag meeting . along the LoC at Chakan Da Bagh in Poonch on Monday . Just as the General went public in a manner unusual for an Indian army chief, Pakistan was conveyed the sentiments on the grounds in equally uncertain terms during the flag meeting of brigade commanders held at Chakan Da Bagh in the Poonch sector. The General's outburst was reflected in the flag meeting as Pakistan was bluntly warned to be prepared for retaliation. The Indian side was represented in the flag meeting by Brigadier MVS Kumar of the 120 Brigade. The Pakistani side remained in denial mode. They claimed that they had not intruded into Indian territory on the day the two jawans were killed. When warned by the Indian side of escalation, the Pakistani side maintained complete silence on the issue. It is clear that the Pakistan army establishment is being blasé about this operation, but the Indian Army will no longer tolerate any misdemeanor or misconduct on the LoC. India also asked for the severed head of Lance Naik Hemraj, even though Pakistan denied involvement in the killing. General Bikram Singh was not willing to accept the denial. He slammed the Pakistani army for its blatant lie and claimed that the operation in the Mendhar sector was pre-meditated and executed with planning and after reconnaisance. He denied any provocation from India as claimed by Pakistan army. The General said there was no operation by Indian Army on January 6 in Uri as alleged by Pakistan. The Pakistani army was looking to justify the act on the basis of lies, said General Singh. "Such operations require time and planning and detailed reconnaissance. They blamed us in Uri and their troops were poised for operation in Mendhar," he said. He even claimed that the Indian army has reports about three Pakistan casualties in the firing that has been going on after the Mendhar incident. The army chief's stern warning was in sharp contrast to the soft line taken by the government which was under attack for not nailing Pakistan. The army chief was officially given the signal to go all-out to convey India's anguish. General Singh said clear direction has been given to the northern army commander to retaliate. "At military level there is clear direction to northern army commander. We got to retaliate in a measured manner and for effect. We shall not be passive. We reserve the right to retaliate at the time of choosing. I expect commanders to be aggressive and assure that army hierarchy is standing behind them," said the army chief. While looking to retaliate, India made it clear that it is not willing to up the ante and will reserve its response to the tactical level. "Their operation was at tactical level. This goes on Line of Control. It has to be dealt with at tactical level," said the General, stressing the local commanders will plan when, where and how they have to retaliate. He indicated that Udhampur-based 16 Corps, which commands the vulnerable section of the LoC where the most violations of ceasefire have taken place, will execute the hit-back plan. Northern army commander Lt Gen KT Parnaik . For northern army commander Lt Gen K.T. Parnaik, retaliation for the January 8 incident, where two soldiers of . his command were killed and decapitated, has a more personal meaning. Lance Naik Hemraj and Lance Naik Sudhakar belonged to the 13 battalion . of the Rajputana Rifles. Lt Gen Parnaik is the Colonel of the Raj Rif . regiment. This is significant because regimental affiliations in the . army are thicker than blood ties. Lt Gen Parnaik visited the incident . site on January 9 and confirmed the bodies had been mutilated. The GOC, . described by army officers as spirited and articulate, was seething. It . is not known what he told soldiers of his regiment, but army officers . say he could not have spoken words of restraint. The gruesome killing . and the massive publicity it received have embarrassed the regiment. "It . becomes extremely difficult to control troops in such situations, . especially when they are along the Line of Control," an army officer . said. The colonel of the regiment is the only post in the Indian Army . for which elections are held. A collegium of officers above the rank of . colonel selects him from the regiment's senior-most officers. The Raj . Rif, as it is called, is the army's oldest rifle regiment. It has a . 400-year-old history, tracing its origins to the Bombay Sepoys raised by . the British East India Company in January 1775. By Aditya Menon and Maneesh Pandey in New Delhi . After days of being at the receiving end . of the BJP's barbs for his 'silence' against Pakistan, Prime Minister . Manmohan Singh reached out to the largest Opposition party on Monday. Singh spoke to Sushma Swaraj and Arun Jaitley, the leaders of the . Opposition in the two Houses of Parliament, briefing them on the . situation in the Line of Control (LoC). Briefing: The PMO confirmed that Sushma Swaraj will be briefed on the government's action plan . Sources in the Prime Minister's . Office (PMO) said National Security Adviser Shiv Shankar Menon will be . briefing senior leaders of the BJP on Tuesday on the government's plan . of action in response to the brutal murder of two Indian troops by . Pakistani forces on January 8. Sources said Singh told the leaders that . nothing is being done which could not be communicated to the Opposition . leaders. He said the Opposition would be kept in the loop over the . situation. "The prime minister's conversation with the two leaders was . aimed at apprising them of the steps that are being taken. There is a . perception in the Opposition that the government has not done enough. They believe the government is keeping things outside the public domain. This is not the case. This is an issue of national security and the . government is taking steps," a senior PMO official said. The prime . minister is also said to have tried to impress upon the BJP to stop . politicising the issue by making provocative statements. While paying . homage to one of the martyred soldiers, Lance Naik Hemraj, Swaraj . exhorted the government to bring 10 heads from Pakistan if Hemraj's . severed head wasn't returned. "The Congress had fully supported Prime . Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and defence minister George Fernandes . during the Kargil conflict; the BJP must reciprocate by showing the same . degree of bipartisanship in the present situation," a Congress leader . said. The late evening conversation between the PM and the two leaders, . however, has set tongues wagging that the government might be . considering a major step vis-à-vis Islamabad in the days to come. The . government's need to take decisive steps has been further necessitated . by the aggressive posturing of the Congress party over the past few . days. Party spokesperson Rashid Alvi, who has been particularly . vociferous in the entire episode, said: "India never was, isn't and will . never be a soft state. "India would not like to see a war anywhere in . the world but will not tolerate any humiliation to its soldiers... No . eventuality can cow us down." The beheading of Lance Naik Hemraj of 13 . Rajputana Rifles and mutilation of Lance Naik Sudhakar's body by . Pakistan Army regulars on the LoC in the Mendhar sector was not a . one-off incident. The Indian Army has accepted that two incidents have . taken place earlier - one in May 2000 and the other in July 2011. The . incidents were hushed up even though they were talked about in the . media. While it showed that the Pakistan Army had broken the rules of . engagement of civilised forces in the past as well, India had chosen to . sweep them under the carpet, fearing the impact on the morale of the forces. In 2000, a raid led by terrorist Illyas Kashmir at Ashok Listening Post . killed seven Indian soldiers. One of them, Sepoy Bhausaheb Maruti . Talekar, was beheaded. In July 2011, the Pakistan Army beheaded two . Indian soldiers of 20 Kumaon Regiment. The incident was denied by the . Indian Army but the local police confirmed at the time of cremation . that the jawans' heads were missing. | General Bikram Singh said his commanders would be 'aggressive and offensive' in the face of provocation . A National Security Adviser will meet India's Opposition leaders for a briefing on Tuesday . India has demanded the severed head of Lance Naik Hemraj but Pakistan continues to deny killing him and a fellow soldier . General says the Udhampur-based 16 Corps, . which commands the vulnerable section of the LoC, will execute the hit-back plan . | f8d66ac1b8a650bc57ad01e9a89c9e2fc03bcda1 |
(CNN) -- Our nation is experiencing a Crisis of Sheer Bottoms. Lululemon recently had to recall its popular yoga pants for being see-through, and now schools across the country are banning leggings from the classroom. Panic everyone! Girls are walking around with the outlines of their panties showing! And while this practice isn't what my mother would call "proper ladylike demeanor," the personal choice of girls to wear leggings has come under attack. Pajamas in public: The battle of appropriate vs. comfy . It's the result of a common misunderstanding that leggings are pants. They are not. Yet a few girls' confusion on whether or not leggings are pants should not ruin the true comfort and convenience of leggings for those who understand the difference. I ask you, school administrators, if you have ever tried to put on a pair of freshly dried jeans in the morning, after the bliss of wearing your lightweight, loose PJs. The shock of restriction can be depressing. Devastating. Morale-killing. There are simply some days I cannot mentally handle the thought of wearing pants. And it is in these moments of mental weakness that I turn to my knight in shining cotton-spandex-blend: leggings. LZ Granderson: Parents, don't dress your girls like tramps . I make this choice mainly because of the way leggings create a similar silhouette to pants -- one that cannot be achieved by wearing other trouser-alternatives such as shorts, skirts or dresses -- without creating the dreaded muffin top. In fact, if you're going to restrict anything, it should be the extremely distracting bulge that occurs when an individual has on a pair of too tight, too low-rise jeans. Muffin tops are universally uncomfortable and unflattering and should be banned as such. Leggings, however, fulfill a niche within the wardrobe of every woman. They're neither pants nor tights. When paired with a tunic -- a top that covers the outline of a lady's underwear -- the resulting look is perfectly nondistracting, and shows less skin than shorts or skirts. It's flattering and a more slimming look than the extra thickness leggings would add under a skirt or dress -- the only way some schools want them to be worn. Ultimately, fashion is a form of self-expression, and students should be allowed to experiment with their personal style, especially during the formative years of middle and high school. Fashion trucks bring style to you . The problem we have here is an educational one. As places that aim to encourage self-improvement and development, schools should work toward teaching students why social norms -- like not wearing leggings as pants -- develop before they force students into following questionable dress code solutions. Teach a girl that a fish is not a cow before showing her how you would catch it, rather than forcing her to eat the fish with a side of steak in an attempt to demonstrate the difference. Otherwise, you might just end up with more muffin tops. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Lucie Zhang. | Leggings can be school attire when worn correctly, fashion blogger Lucie Zhang writes . Schools should focus on student development rather than wardrobe, she says . Have an essay to share with the world? Submit at CNN iReport . | f2a89ea5223cd988eb2bbc50d79255662757e398 |
(CNN) -- A fourth man was charged Tuesday with murder in the shooting death of University of Memphis football player Taylor Bradford, Memphis police said. Devin Jefferson, 21, planned the armed robbery of Bradford because he thought the football player was carrying a large amount of cash, police said. "He was the brain trust on this one, he was the one that got the information that Taylor had cash," Sgt. Vince Higgins said. "Taylor and Jefferson knew each other. They had a girlfriend in common so there was some history there." Police investigating a car crash on September 30 found Bradford, 21, fatally wounded near the campus residence hall area. He had apparently gotten into his car after he was shot and drove a short distance before crashing into a tree. The 5-foot-11, 300-pound defensive lineman from Nashville was taken to Regional Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead. DaeShawn Tate, 21, Victor Trezevant, 21, and Courtney Washington, 22, have been charged with murder in perpetration of attempted aggravated robbery, Memphis Police Department Director Larry Godwin said Monday. Homicide investigators developed their case with the help of a citizen's tip and from Crimestoppers, Godwin said. "It was an attempted robbery, aggravated robbery," he said. "He [Bradford] was targeted because of some information that was out there and the fact that they believed he had some cash, or he had something that they wanted." Officials at the 21,000-student school said Bradford, a marketing major who lived on campus, was popular with the football team and on the campus. He had transferred from Samford University in Birmingham, Alabama, and was 36 credit hours short of graduation. E-mail to a friend . | Devin Jefferson, 21, charged with murder in shooting death of football player . University of Memphis athlete Taylor Bradford, 21, found dead September 30 . Three others in custody; police say Jefferson was the "brain trust" behind crime . After player was shot, he got in his car, drove off and then crashed into a tree . | eabd8d65f23575cfd527d4b1dd405808c58dc8d5 |
Queens Park Rangers manager Harry Redknapp is contemplating giving Ravel Morrison his 'last chance' to kickstart his career in the Premier League. The 21-year-old has a history of troublesome behaviour and has recently returned to West Ham after having his loan spell at Cardiff City cut short. Sam Allardyce is reportedly prepared to sell that talented midfielder for a fraction of his £18million release clause - with Redknapp considering a deal for the player who helped Rangers win promotion during a three-month loan spell last season . Harry Redknapp is prepared to offer Ravel Morrison his 'last chance' at Queens Park Rangers . Morrison has returned from his loan at Cardiff City (left) early and is now back with West Ham . Hammers boss Sam Allardyce won't risk the harmony in his squad by giving Morrison another chance . Age: 21 . Born: Wythenshawe, Manchester . Position: Midfielder . Clubs: Manchester United (2010-12), West Ham United (2012-), Birmingham City (loan, 2012-13), Queens Park Rangers (loan, 2014), Cardiff City (loan, 2014) Career appearances: 80 . Career goals: 14 . Redknapp told reporters: 'I liked him. I think I might be his last chance. He has got to sort himself out. Fergie got rid of him. Sam got rid of him and they are top, top managers. 'He has obviously got to look at himself somewhere but I'm open to taking those chances with people. I have done it over the years so maybe I will do it. 'He's had problems but he's not a nasty boy. I didn't find there was anything nasty about him. He's got amazing talent but he's going to be one of those again that's going to waste his career unless he gets his finger out quickly.' The midfielder has been at West Ham for two-and-a-half years and scored this great solo goal against Spurs . QPR travel to West Brom on Saturday, hoping to move out of the relegation zone - although former England captain Rio Ferdinand is likely to be sidelined yet again. 'It's been hard for Rio, and it's not been easy for me when you respect someone like I respect Rio' said Redknapp. 'It was hard when I left him out but Richard Dunne has been fantastic. I moved away from playing three at the back and it sort of scuppered the plans with Rio. But I haven't written him off by any means,' he added. Morrison holds off the challenge of Wayne Rooney during a Premier League game for last December . Redknapp insists he hasn't written off out of favour defender Rio Ferdinand . | Harry Redknapp is weighing up whether to bring Ravel Morrison to QPR . Morrison has returned to West Ham after having Cardiff loan cut short . Former Manchester United star has a history of courting controversy . Redknapp insists Rio Ferdinand still has a part to play this season . | 301b7d090f5a77fcaf18afc937d478792a14e0eb |
By . Sophie Jane Evans . It was a one-of-a-kind First World War prototype fighter plane, armed with a 45 horsepower engine, a 20-foot wingspan and a Lewis gun. Now, the Port Victoria P.V.8 Eastchurch Kitten has been brought back to life - 100 years after the war began. But while the replica has been built using an original wooden frame, it also includes recycled materials, such as the engine of a Citroen 2CV. Back to life: Volunteers Brian Watmough (left) and Grant Sparks (right) pose with a replica of the Eastchurch Kitten prototype. The aircraft has been built using an original wooden frame and the engine of a Citroen 2CV . Framework: Around 60 volunteers helped to restore the plane to its former glory at the Yorkshire Air Museum, working from only two photographs and faded plans. Above, the reproduction's original wooden framework . Powering up: Mr Sparks works on the plane's 500cc twin-opposed engine, featuring twin-opposed cylinders . Armed: Mr Watmough poses with the aircraft's Lewis gun, which was mounted on to the aircraft's top wing . Around 60 volunteers helped to restore the plane to its former glory at the Yorkshire Air Museum - working from only two photographs and faded A3 plans. They created the replica using a wooden frame covered in linen, as well as specifically-made materials, such as the engine cowlings, and recycled materials, including the 500cc Citroen engine. Ian Reed, manager at the museum in Elvington, York, said the £10,000 restoration project had been 'very exciting'. 'This is the only plane of its kind in existence. It would have disappeared from history if we hadn't brought it back to life with this project,' he said. Prototype: The Eastchurch Kitten, featuring a 45 horsepower engine, made its first flight in September 1917 . Fighter plane: It was designed as a 'high altitude' fighter to tackle the threat posed by the Zeppelin Airships. However, the one-seater aircraft was eventually deemed too fragile and underpowered to enter production . 'It's been quite tricky as we've been working from faded plans so it's important that we've got people with specific knowledge. 'It's also been a very interesting build because it's so tiny, with a six-metre wingspan and measuring five metres in length. Weights . Take-off weight - 266kg . Empty weight - 154kg . Dimensions . Wingspan - 19ft 12in . Length - 16ft 7in . Height - 5ft 2in . Wing area - 106.02 sq ft . Performance . Maximum speed - 94mph . 'I'm glad we've got it finished in time for the centenary.' The Eastchurch Kitten, which made its first flight on September 1, 1917, was designed by the Port Victoria Marine Experimental Aircraft Depot on the Isle of Grain. Established by the British Royal Naval Air Service in 1915, the Depot created and tested a range of experimental aircraft - not all of which were flown. Featuring a 45 horsepower engine, the . Eastchurch Kitten was designed as a 'high altitude' fighter to tackle . the threat posed by the Zeppelin Airships. It was planned to be launched from platforms on battleships, cruisers of even torpedo boats. However, the aircraft was eventually deemed too fragile and underpowered to enter production. The framework of the replica was crafted in the 1980s, before being abandoned and taken up again four years ago. To create it, volunteers sourced the twin-opposed Citroen 2CV engine, which features similar twin-opposed cylinders. Historic: Volunteers used instruments from the national collection archives for the replica's cockpit (pictured) Prepared to fire: The Lewis gun (pictured) was a key feature of the original First World War fighter plane . They then stripped these down to make the equipment light, before removing any 'unnecessary' parts, such as the cooling fans and starter motor. They also managed to acquire a propellor from one of the museum's local flying clubs. However, many of the aircraft's parts had to be specially crafted, such as the cowlings covering the engine, which have to be made out of spinning aluminum. Instruments . inside the cockpit were acquired from the national collection archives, . while the seating and padding around the controls were made with . leather. A Lewis gun, mounted on to the top wing of the aircraft, was also designed to measure. Four years' work: The replica will be a non-flying exhibit as part of the museum's Thunder Day shows on April 6 . Mr Reed said: 'The Eastchurch Kitten was to be a disposable, one-operation aircraft - to simply go up, intercept and shoot down the airship, then ditch in the sea. 'When you work on it, you think this must have been quite a frightening prospect. Somebody had to get into this tiny aircraft and get up to ten or 15,000 feet with such a small engine, shoot at the huge airship, then crash into the sea and get out as soon as they could. 'But there were people willing to do it - some very gutsy people.' The replica will be a non-flying exhibit as part of the museum's Thunder Day engine running shows on April 6. | Eastchurch Kitten restored to former glory at Yorkshire Air Museum . Replica features Lewis gun, wooden frame and 500cc Citroen engine . Prototype was designed as 'high altitude' fighter during First World War . But it was deemed too fragile and underpowered to enter production . | 1c82734876c85a488f978bda03174b530f83efda |
Senior Lib Dems are plotting to sign up to David Cameron’s pledge for an EU referendum – in exchange for constitutional reforms. At least three ministers have privately called for a dramatic shift to back the Prime Minister’s plan for an in/out vote on Britain’s place in Europe by 2017. But in the event of a second coalition with the Conservatives, they would insist on a system of proportional representation in local government elections – and a fresh attempt to replace the House of Lords with an elected Senate. Scroll down for video . The Prime Minister has suggested he would like to have an in/out vote on Britain’s place in Europe by 2017 . Despite Nick Clegg refusing to support an EU referndum, at least three of his senior colleagues have called to back the PM's position in exchange for a system of proportional representation in local government elections . So far, Lib Dem leader Nick Clegg has refused to back Mr Cameron’s pledge to hold an in/out referendum, whether or not he succeeds in negotiating changes in the UK’s relationship with Brussels. But several of the Deputy Prime Minister’s senior colleagues believe that embracing a poll will show that the party, which was humiliated in May’s European elections, has listened to voters. Yesterday, as Mr Clegg was raising eyebrows for an inexplicable four changes of outfits during a series of TV and radio interviews, Lib Dem president Tim Farron said it was important the party does not ‘give away a referendum lightly’. A Lib Dem shift would leave Labour as the only major party opposing a poll. One expected price demanded by ministers would be to scrap the first-past-the-post voting system in local government elections. Instead, they want a system of proportional representation called the single transferable vote, under which candidates are ranked. The system favours smaller parties – and would also end the effective ‘one-party rule’ in many parts of the country. The Lib Dems also want to revive reform of the House of Lords, which stalled in Parliament partly thanks to a revolt by Conservative MPs. The Lib Dems have been branded ‘enemies of democracy’ by Tory colleagues after conspiring with Labour to kill off legislation guaranteeing plans to hold a vote on Britain’s membership of the EU. Insisting yesterday that he would ‘relish’ an EU poll only ‘when the rules change’ in Brussels, Mr Clegg said the Conservatives were ‘tearing themselves apart’ and had ‘plucked an arbitrary date’ to hold the referendum. ‘We don’t hold referenda every other Tuesday in this country,’ he said. In a sign of a split among the Lib Dems on how to proceed, Scottish Secretary Alistair Carmichael suggested a referendum would not happen unless the Tories win next year’s election outright. ‘That would of course require the Conservatives to get a majority after the next election,’ he told the Lib Dem conference in Glasgow. ‘I don’t think that’s going to happen.’ | Three of Nick Clegg's senior colleagues want to support PM's EU plan . They want to back his in/out vote on Britain’s place in Europe by 2017 . They believe position will show fragile Lib Dems have listened to voters . In exchange they want proportional representation in local elections . System favours smaller parties – and would end effective ‘one-party rule’ in many parts of the country . But Mr Clegg is against setting a referendum date - claiming the Tories are ‘tearing themselves apart’ over the issue . | 04a9e945a3c08bb5258322f48f18dbdc76d009b6 |
An unarmed man killed by a Montana police officer during a traffic stop was told repeatedly to raise his hands before the officer shot him three times, according to video footage shown Tuesday during an inquest into the shooting. Billings Police Officer Grant Morrison shot 38-year-old Richard Ramirez in April when authorities said Ramirez — a suspect in a recent drug-involved shooting — appeared to reach for something during the traffic stop. In the previously unreleased video from a patrol car dash-cam, Morrison could be heard yelling 'Hands up!' at least six times before firing three shots into the vehicle in rapid succession. Police video footage of the April 2014 shooting of Richard Ramirez by Billings Police Officer Grant Morrison, (screen) is shown to a seven-person jury in Billings, Montana . Richard Ramirez had been wanted in an armed robbery and ignored the officer's orders, making a sudden movement during a traffic stop . The actions of Ramirez could not be seen in the footage. The two-day inquest will determine if Morrison was justified in the killing. It comes amid heightened scrutiny of law enforcement and recent nationwide protests in response to police killings of unarmed suspects including in Ferguson, Missouri, and New York City. Detective Brett Kruger, who investigated the shooting in Billings, testified that two cellophane bags with a small amount of methamphetamine and a syringe were later found near where Ramirez had been sitting in the backseat of the vehicle. Kruger said Ramirez had two outstanding warrants and was trying to get the drugs out of his pocket to avoid arrest. Two of the three people in the car with Ramirez testified that Morrison's commands for them to raise their hands were clear. Both said they were in the front seat and couldn't see if Ramirez complied. The person sitting next to Ramirez, Tom Black, told The Associated Press in the days after the shooting that Ramirez was trying to unbuckle his seatbelt when he was shot. Police dash cam footage shows as Officer Morrison makes his approach (left) and gets ready to fire (right) In 2013, Morrison shot and killed another man during a traffic stop after the man reached for something that was later determined to be a BB gun. An inquest cleared Morrison of wrongdoing in that case. A seven-person jury will decide if Morrison acted appropriately in the killing of Ramirez and advise prosecutors on whether charges should be pursued. Montana law requires an inquest whenever someone is killed by law enforcement or dies in custody. Morrison was expected to testify when the inquest resumes Wednesday. Before Ramirez was shot, Morrison recognized him as the suspect in a shooting the night before where authorities had recovered 90 grams of methamphetamine, Senior Deputy Yellowstone County Attorney Ed Zink said. 'His hand goes up and down two or three times in his pocket while officer Morrison was screaming at him,' Zink said about Ramirez. Ramirez's sister Julie (left) consoles her mother, Betty Ramirez, during court proceedings over the cop shoot . About a dozen Ramirez family members and supporters attended the inquest. Most wore T-shirts with an image of him. Sister Julie Ramirez said outside the inquest that the family wants Morrison charged with murder. She noted that her family is half-Mexican and accused the police of racial profiling in the case. 'He could have tased my brother or called for backup,' Julie Ramirez said. 'When Officer Morrison got out of that patrol car he knew he was going to kill my brother.' Two of Morrison's co-workers, Sgt. Matthew Brewer and Officer Mark Snider, testified that on the night before his death, Ramirez was identified as the suspect in a shooting across town. Morrison was aware of that information and had been searching for Ramirez with other officers, testimony showed. A distraught Officer Morrison is comforted by a fellow officer after using his gun in the line of duty . Brewer and Snider said Ramirez was known to them as a methamphetamine user, which Snider said can make suspects violent and uncontrollable. Members of the Ramirez family have acknowledged his drug use and previous arrests linked to drugs. However, they say that criminal history was wrongly used to rationalize his death. Ramirez was the fifth man to be fatally shot during a two-year period by law enforcement in Billings, Montana's most populous city. Last week, the wife of one of those people, Daniel Brawley, filed a civil rights lawsuit in Montana District Court against the City of Billings and Officer David Punt, seeking damages for alleged excessive use of force. Brawley was shot by Punt after being arrested in a burglary and trying to escape in Punt's patrol car, striking the officer. An inquest into Brawley's death determined Punt's actions were justified. The city has not formally responded to the lawsuit, but Billings Police spokesman Lt. R.D. Harper said Tuesday the inquest confirmed Punt did not use excessive force. Police video footage of the April 2014 shooting of Richard Ramirez by Billings Police Officer Grant Morrison is shown to a seven-person jury (not pictured) in Montana . | Officer Grant Morrison, of Billings, Montana, shot 38-year-old Richard Ramirez in April . Cops say Ramirez, who was a suspect in a drug-involved shooting, appeared to reach for something during the traffic stop . Video released as the Morrison's trial gets underway shows the moment Ramirez was shot . | 284e0119246d4947974a502788e2e1f01c56b490 |
By . Eddie Wrenn . PUBLISHED: . 07:39 EST, 9 March 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 07:19 EST, 12 March 2012 . Powerful data: But Wikipedia relies on editors to keep the site updated and regulated . It is often said that history is written by the victors. But now anyone with a web connection - and perhaps an axe to grind - can influence how they are remembered. For where once politicians were required to call on the power of their rhetoric to sway voters, now they have the power of the internet at their disposal - and it seems they aren't afraid to use it to their advantage. The Bureau of Investigative Journalism has discovered almost 10,000 individual examples of people inside the ouses of Parliament directly editing Wikipedia articles. Sometimes the edits seem to be settling old scores - such as the edit by one user who added a reference to union leader Bob Crow's 'massive salary'. Other edited entries appear to be simple ego-stroking, such as the entry for Labour MP Fabian . Hamilton. His entry was edited from within one of the Houses to claim that he was subjected to ‘an unfair, . personally targeted campaign from his political opponents who used . exaggerated expenses claims and false information to attempt to . discredit a powerful incumbent who has served Leeds North East for many . years’. Meanwhile, some edits seem an attempt to reduce some of . the embarrassment caused by the expenses scandals, such as on the . Wikipedia entry for MP Clare Short. The paragraph that said 'Clare Short . admitted that she overclaimed £8,000 worth of expenses on her home and . like many other MPs claimed it was a mistake and blamed it on Commons . officials', was rewritten to read that she had ‘confirmed that in 2006 . the fees office had asked her to repay £8,000, because for three years . they had erroneously paid her full mortgage, rather than just the . interest’. Contacted by The Independent, Ms Short . said her staff were ‘angry and protective’ about inaccurate and negative . entires on her Wikipedia page and said it was quite possible that they . have been responsible for the changes. But, she said: ‘It certainly wasn’t me. I never look at it. I find it too irritating. 'The only change I know was made to my page was my grandchildren adding their names in.’ And finally, some edits seem to be simply frivolous, especially as they emanate from the building in charge of the country. Example include the edits from Parliament about the legal status of Pringles (are they crisp or cake?) or edits to the biographical data of Molly Weasley - a character from the Harry Potter series. House of Edits: Entries for MPs Clare Short and Joan Ryan were edited from within the Houses of Parliament . On a lighter, crunchier note, someone from one of the Houses took the time to update the Pringles page . The Bureau of Investigative Journalism, . which carried out the investigation on behalf of the Independent, found . that nearly one in six MPs have had their online Wikipedia entires . changed from within Parliament, and dozens of the alterations appear to . be attempts to erase embarrassing or disputed allegations made during . the 2009 expenses scandal. The bureau said all internet users inside the Houses of Parliament are routed through two previously identified IP addresses - unique numeric identifiers that act as a digital fingerprint. Wikipedia keeps a comprehensive log of every alteration ever made, with a record of which user or IP address was responsible. The bureau was then able to match Parliament's two IP addresses with the edits, and found almost 10,000 edits. According to the bureau, one of the most persistent and successful attempts to edit information was made to the page of Joan Ryan, who stepped down as a Labour MP in 2010. In 2009, the Daily Telegraph reported . that Ryan had claimed more than £4,500 for work on her home in her . Enfield constituency, before switching her designated second home to a . flat in south London. At least 10 attempts have been made from computers in Parliament to remove information about Ryan’s expenses claims and a further 20 efforts to delete the information, some from her constituency of Enfield, have also been recorded in Wikipedia’s logs. The sustained effort proved successful as there is now no mention of Ms Ryan’s Parliamentary expenses on her Wikipedia page. When contacted by the Bureau, she admitted to having altered information, but said: ‘I’ve altered it whenever there’s misleading or untruthful information been placed on it’. 'Enormous salary': Union leader Bob Crow's entry was edited . Some of the thousands of parliamentary edits found by the Bureau include: . In 2008, a user mentioned on the article of Andrew Marr that he . had taken out a superinjunction. Discussing standing legal injunctions . is a potential contempt of court . Seven changes to the ‘Laws about Incest’ page, helpfully listing the jurisdictions where it’s legal . One user reduced the minimum number of women forced into sexual . slavery by the Japanese during World War II from 60,000 to 10,000 . RMT secretary Bob Crow was the victim of an article edit which was changed to include a comment about his ‘massive salary’ An article on Chris Huhne’s register of interests was edited to note that they no longer include gold mining companies . In 2006, an editor of Huhne’s article removed a line about him . being one of a number of signatories to a letter declaring no confidence . in Charles Kennedy . Spelling errors were corrected in a passage discussing whether Pringles were legally recognised as crisps or cakes . One lobby-goer correctly observed that Former London May Ken Livingstone’s last name is indeed ‘Livingstone’ and not ‘T*atface’ One individual edited the entry on The Lord of the Rings to . describe it as ‘12 hours of utter tripe about some little bender running . around trying to find a ring with his equally benderish mates’ MP Michael Fabricant was included in a list of ‘Notable DJs'. Ryan insisted at the time that this did not constitute ‘flipping’ her second home since she had not made any claims for redecoration or refurbishment on her south London flat, which would have allowed her to claim the maximum to which she was entitled. Valuable web resource: Jimmy Wales co-founded Wikipedia . In another case six attempts were made over 2006 and 2007 to redact a passage detailing a comment given by the MP Philip Davies to the Sun newspaper for a 2006 article claiming that Muslims had been responsible for an act of vandalism. Mr Davies told the paper: ‘If there’s anyone who should f**k off it’s the Muslims who do this sort of thing’. Other users of the site promptly reinserted the passage each time. When approached by the Bureau, Mr Davies denied involvement. He said: ‘No, it certainly was not me who either removed it or asked anyone to do so,’ he said. ‘Anyone who knows anything about me knows that I do not care what people say about me - let alone care about what it might say about me on Wikipedia.’ Other disappearances include a passage detailing how Chris Kelly had emailed his fellow MPs to ask them to give his sister a job. Mr Kelly was unavailable for comment. Jon Davies, the chief executive of Wikimedia UK, the UK chapter of the Wikimedia Foundation that runs Wikipedia and its sister websites, stressed that the site was keen to see more users participating on the site. ‘We would welcome any MPs who want to become editors,’ he said. Many parliamentarians’ contributions to the site have been unwelcome, and users have been admonished dozens of times for vandalising the website. In July 2009, one administrator posted: ‘This is the last warning you will receive for your disruptive edits. The next time you disrupt Wikipedia, as you did to Eric Clapton, you will be blocked from editing.’ This investigation was carried out by the The Bureau of Investigative Journalism. | Bureau of Investigative Journalism finds 10,000 edits on Wikipedia are directly traceable to within the Houses of Parliament . Pages for one in six MPs were edited from within the Houses . Edits included removing unflattering facts, adding praise, or slandering political enemies . ... and even frivolous edits about Pringles and Harry Potter . | 7954ea124020630d45054345e2ba0b5e4d788326 |
Sydney, Australia (CNN) -- Australia's most senior Catholic has urged the government of Victoria not to change the state's laws to allow the victims of sex abuse at the hands of clergy to seek higher compensation than currently available. Cardinal George Pell said this would amount to discrimination against the Australian Catholic Church. This comes after a tumultuous week in which the victims of church sex abuse heard Cardinal Pell acknowledge the church had covered up the abuse of minors, out of fear the scandal would envelope the faith. Pell was this week, the final witness in a state government enquiry into the responses to the allegations of child sex abuse by religious and non-government institutions in the state of Victoria. The cardinal also apologized for the abuse. While denying he had personally covered up offenses committed by priests within the large Melbourne archdiocese over which he presided from 1996 to 2011, Pell said his predecessor, Archbishop Frank Little, now deceased, had destroyed documents to protect priests. "The primary motivation would have been to respect the reputation of the church. There was a fear of scandal," Cardinal Pell told the enquiry, which is expected to deliver its report to the Victorian government at the end of September. Cardinal Pell also admitted that the cover-ups had allowed pedophile priests to continue to prey on young children. ''I would have to say there is significant truth in that,'' Pell said, while also admitting the Australian church had been slow to understand and deal with the damage, and oftentimes the destruction of the lives of the victims. ''Many in the church did not understand just what damage was being done to the victims. We understand that better now,'' he said. ''If we'd been gossips, which we weren't, we would have realized earlier just how widespread this business was.'' The Australian premier, Julia Gillard, last year called a wide-ranging, nationwide enquiry into child sex abuse, though it is not confined to the Catholic Church. The investigation found that, in Victoria alone, there have been 600 cases of child sex abuse at the hands of Catholic clergy since the 1930s. "There have been too many revelations of adults who have averted their eyes from this evil," said Gillard when she announced the Royal Commission. Among the many cases reported by CNN when the Royal Commission was announced was that of Melbourne sisters Emma and Katie Foster who were assaulted by their local parish priest, Kevin O'Donnell, now deceased. Emma was just five years old when the rapes began. Katie was younger, her parents believe probably around four. O'Donnell was convicted of the sexual assault of 12 victims, according to the victims lobby group Broken Rites. The court was told he had offended consistently from 1946 until he was brought before the courts in 1995. When Emma heard news of his conviction, she was 14 and began self-harming. "We saw her with blood pouring out of her wrists taking heroin to dull the pain." the girls' father, Anthony Foster told CNN last year. Emma took her own life when she was 26. When her sister Katie turned 14, she became cognizant of the sexual abuse she had suffered and told her parents. She began binge drinking. "She was at a friend's house," Foster said. "She was drunk, crossed the road and was hit by car. "She has severe brain injuries. She has pre-accident memory. But she can't run her life," he explained. Kevin O'Donnell was never charged with the sex abuse of the Foster sisters. Foster said he died before charges could be laid. He and his wife Chrissy sat at the Victorian Inquiry this week to hear Pell's evidence. "It comes down to a question of restitution of lives," Foster told CNN. "And this doesn't just happen with an apology. It requires much, much more than that. It requires whatever victims need to improve the quality of their lives and there should be no limitations on compensation." The Victoria Archdiocese, under Pell's leadership, capped compensation at A$75,000 (U.S.$72,000) per victim, along with ongoing counseling and treatment. During his evidence to the Victorian enquiry, Pell admitted the compensation cap was low compared to that offered to victims of Catholic clergy abuse in the United States. At the same time, he acknowledged the enormous wealth of the Australian church and added it would "pay whatever the law recommends is appropriate compensation." For Foster, this reflects poorly on the Australian church. "He was basically saying the church will change if the government tells it to," he said. "A lot of what's been done is driven by the business side of the church and the Catholic Church is a large business." Nor does Pell's admission that the church had covered up the abuse bring solace or closure. "No, there is no closure," he told CNN. "We knew there'd been a cover-up. All of Australia knew that. We had a feeling of disappointment because we expected more, but all that happened was he said the things we already knew. He offered no more." And Foster fears the church's response to child sex abuse is still driven by fear of reputational damage. "I think the avoidance of scandal is still what drives it along with the minimization of the financial effect," he said. He says the Australian Catholic Church is a fractured organization able to deflect responsibility to individual dioceses and orders. The Australian church is comprised of 33 diocese, 7 archdiocese and 175 religious orders. "It would be useful if there was some reform of the church to the point that there is someone or somebody responsible for all branches of the church," he said. "It is almost a state of anarchy in the church; no one is responsible for anything other than in their sector. We have the Australian Bishops Council, which is close and they can agree to common forms of process. But there is very much a reliance on individual orders and diocese doing the right thing," said Foster. Nor, says Foster, has the church been pro-active is investigating those priests against whom allegations have been made, and sometimes proven. "The church could have at least started to investigate backwards from the claims they received. They only ever reacted to a claim. The church has never proactively looked at what the (reported) priests were doing and what access the pedophile priests had to kids. Every one of the victims had gone to the church for help. None were the church going out to look for them." In his evidence to the enquiry, Pell said the church's organizational structure was such that, indeed, no single individual could be held accountable. "I'm not the Catholic Prime Minister of Australia. I am not the general manager Australia. The Catholic Church is. . . a very interesting example of a flat organization," he said. He admitted that, in some cases, the Catholic Church had placed priests above the law, but he denied the church had ignored claims brought before it, despite evidence that concerns about O'Donnell had been raised as far back as 1946. "I think many persons in the leadership of the Church, I don't think they knew what a horrendous widespread [issue] we were sitting on," he said. For the Fosters, Pell's apology and admissions are too little, too late. His surviving daughter Katie remains highly dependent on care to live. "Katie is a shell of what she should be" Foster said. "She has 24-hour care and always needs someone looking after her. She can't remember anything. She has no idea what she is doing in ten minutes time. She can't work." But recently, the family has had good news. Katie Foster is engaged to be married and recently has begun the slow process of learning how to walk again, 15 years after the accident that followed her realization of the abuse she suffered. "We are incredibly pleased and fortunate that through the care teams she has had, she has met someone and is engaged. But it's not like it should have been," Foster said. However, the damage to Katie's life and that of her parents, will linger. "The question of children has been a major one because it is not fair on the child," said her father. "The child would be cared for by her carer. But it is her decision." | Top Australian Catholic spoke at inquiry into allegations of institutional child sex abuse . Cardinal George Pell acknowledged church covered up abuse of minors over several decades . Australian Premier Julia Gillard last year called for a wide-ranging, nationwide inquiry . | d85221c2fd021050648d18ab393ab402cf4e0acd |
Republican Mitt Romney . criticized Democrat Hillary Clinton over foreign policy and the . economy on Wednesday in what could be a prelude to the line of . attack he takes if he decides to run for president a third time. Romney seemed to be in campaign mode in a closely watched . appearance in Starkville, Mississippi, delivering a speech at . Mississippi State University and stopping at a local barbecue . restaurant, where he ate a pulled-pork sandwich. In his speech, the 2012 Republican presidential nominee . looked past potential Republican rivals for 2016 and raised . questions about President Barack Obama's struggle to contain . Islamic militants in Iraq, Syria and elsewhere. Speech: Republican Mitt Romney criticized Democrat Hillary Clinton and President Barack Obama in a speech Wednesday and much more may come if he decides to run for president a third time . He criticized Obama over his refusal to refer to the . militancy movement as 'radical Islam.' 'I don't know how the president expects to defeat the . jihadists if he won't even call them what they are,' Romney . said. Romney targeted Clinton in his remarks, accusing her of . making mistakes as Obama's first-term secretary of state and of . being out of touch with how jobs are created. The wife of former President Bill Clinton and former senator . from New York is the overwhelming favorite to be the Democratic . presidential nominee in 2016 should she decide to run. Foreign Policy: Romney criticized Democrat Hillary Clinton (photographed) over foreign policy and the economy in the speech Wednesday . 'Radical Islam:' Romney criticized Obama over his refusal to refer to the militancy movement as 'radical Islam' She 'cluelessly pressed a reset button' in U.S. relations . with Russia, which did not work, Romney said, because Moscow . proceeded to invade Ukraine. And he assailed her declaration to an audience last October . not to let anyone tell them that 'it's corporations and . businesses that create jobs.' Clinton disavowed the remark soon . after. 'How can Secretary Clinton provide opportunity for all if . she doesn't know where jobs come from in the first place?' Romney said. Applause erupted in the speaking hall when Romney said he was . considering another presidential run. Contender: Romney would face a formidable contender in former Florida Governor Jeb Bush (photographed), who is also exploring whether to run for the Republican presidential nomination in 2016 . Having endured relentless . Democratic attacks over his wealth in 2012, he made a joke about . it in his speech, saying he did not need to make paid speeches . because 'as you've no doubt heard, I'm already rich.' Romney is to decide in a matter of weeks whether to seek the . presidency again. If he does, advisers say, he will run a . different kind of campaign than last time, including more of a . focus on the plight of people living in poverty. Romney would face a formidable contender in former Florida . Governor Jeb Bush, who is also exploring whether to run for the . Republican presidential nomination in 2016. | Republican Mitt Romney criticized Democrat Hillary Clinton over foreign policy and the economy on Wednesday . Romney took aim at Obama, criticizing the president's refusal to refer to the militancy movement as 'radical Islam' Romneys criticisms could be a prelude to the line of attack he takes if he decides to run for president a third time . | 5d482bb4beb0308ee7df94030e2bcd9c594bf3d4 |
Don't call it a comeback, it's been here for years -- millions of years. A sea animal called Protulophila was thought to have been extinct for 4 million years, but has been found living in New Zealand waters. Never heard of Protulophila? It is a tiny animal related to corals and sea anemones, that forms tiny holes on the tubes of marine worms, according to the National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research. This creature was not known to have lived outside of Europe and the Middle East, but this year, a group of scientists found fossils of Protulophila in New Zealand. These fossils dated to a period when the creatures were thought to be extinct already. So the researchers re-examined some tubeworms that were collected in New Zealand in 2008, and discovered that they had overlooked the Protulophila that was living on them, NIWA said in a news release. Scientists refer to this finding as the discovery of a "living fossil," referring to animals and plants that are so rare they are usually only seen as fossils. "Finding living Protulophila is a rare example of how knowledge of fossils has led to the discovery of living biodiversity," NIWA marine biologist Dennis Gordon said. Scientific institute lists its top 10 newly discovered species . | A sea creature was thought extinct for 4 million years . It was discovered living in New Zealand . A fossil discovery led to the finding . | 2d7deccfa222492b26979503a4352ed553c5361d |
By . Mark Duell . PUBLISHED: . 06:47 EST, 9 October 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 13:04 EST, 9 October 2013 . A competition encouraging students to have casual sex for cash to find the 'horniest student' in Britain was today condemned as 'dangerous' by sexual health experts. S*** At Uni has launched the UK's Horniest Student 2013 award and is offering the winner £500 cash, a Samsung Galaxy mobile phone, a crate of alcohol and a year's supply of condoms. The website, which boasts 120,000 members, was launched last year by entrepreneur Tom Thurlow and advertises itself as helping students to have sex without 'the strings attached with dating'. Prize: S*** At Uni has launched the UK's Horniest Student 2013 award and is offering the winner £500 cash, a Samsung Galaxy S3 Mini mobile phone, a crate of alcohol and a year's supply of condoms . But the competition has been slammed by sexual health experts and campaigners, who say it could lead to students catching and spreading sexually transmitted infections. Sexual health consultant Dr Peter Greenhouse said: ‘The more people who try to win this award, the more dangerous things will be for their friends. It is far from a brilliant idea in public health terms. ‘If anyone is seriously trying to win this award then they desperately need to get a sexual health check-up and would be advised to get vaccinated against Hepatitis B and Human papillomavirus. ‘Most people who have sexual infections have no symptoms. They get these infections from people who don't know they have it. That is why there are so many infections around.’ Members of the website can enter the competition via its Facebook page by pledging what makes them the country's ‘horniest student’, along with their age and university. Former MTV and E4 presenter Mr Thurlow, 23, of Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, told MailOnline today: ‘From my point of view, students have sex with strangers all the time. Idea: S*** at Uni founder Tom Thurlow, 23, of Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, pictured with two friends. There is no suggestion that either of the women pictured are involved with S*** At Uni . ‘They go out clubbing and drinking and one night stands are definitely in student culture. Students can use the site to get more sex, they're over 18 and it's totally within their rights. ‘We do recommend that people write about . safe sex and we promote safe sex. It’s amazing how the numbers keep . growing. The feedback I always get is the members like the fact that . it's discreet.' 'The more people who try to win this award, the more dangerous things will be for their friends. It is far from a brilliant idea in public health terms' Dr Peter Greenhouse, sexual health consultant . Students have flooded the website's Facebook page with messages detailing their sexual activities and pledging why they are worthy of winning the 'prestigious title'. The website says in a blurb for the competition: ‘We believe that student life is one of the most exciting times of your lives and you should live it to the fullest. One area of particular excitement is definitely the amount of sex you get to have. ‘We want to hear the funniest, the naughtiest or the weirdest sex stories you have. If you tell us and we think your entry is the best, you will be the first to be awarded our prestigious title.’ Since launching the competition just over a week ago, hordes of students have left messages on Facebook and publicly revealed all about their sexual conquests. 'Leanne', 18, from the University Of . Manchester, said: ‘Is this competition even real or is a joke? Because . if it is real then I should win. Boasts: The website, which boasts 120,000 members, was launched last year by entrepreneur Mr Thurlow and advertises itself as helping students to have sex without 'the strings attached with dating' Warning: The competition has been slammed by sexual health experts, who say it could lead to students catching and spreading sexually transmitted infections . 'Natalie', 18, at University of the West of England in Bristol, said: . ‘Slept with three third years during fresher’s week and been sleeping . with two of them since. (But they don’t know, lol).’ The website will post a selection of . its favourite entries throughout the competition onto the Facebook page . and the most popular entry will be crowned the winner on November 1. Rob, 18, Bath Spa University'Broke up with my bird before starting uni and its the best choice I've ever made. Our house has had at least two wenches round each night since uni began #bathplayas' Gregg, 18, London South Bank University'I'm definitely the horniest student in the UK. I have only just started uni last week and I haven't managed to bag a s*** on any of the night outs. However! I've probably watched about ten hours' worth of porn and I'm devising a strategy of how to coax the fittie who lives in the building opposite to agree to sleep with me. I can't afford to get this wrong. I'm so horny...' Beth, 18 Leeds Metropolitan University'Me and my housemates have a s*** leaderboard! Watch out to all the boys in Leeds, none of you are safe!' Grant, 21, Herriot Watt University . 'Easy ****** over ten girls since I got . back. Tbf [to be fair] the girls are easy in Scotland. Desperate for it, . the lot of them' 'Leanne', 18, University Of Manchester‘All my girls joke that I’m the horniest as after a night out if I haven’t pulled I bang on my ex’s door in Salford until he lets me in for a quick b***. No shame, but a girl has needs, lol' Mr Thurlow, who became well known . after setting up a successful second-hand book business at 13, claimed . last year that one of the biggest uptakes of members appeared to be . women at Oxford University. But . Natika Halil, from sexual health charity Family Planning Association . UK, said: ‘New diagnoses of sexually transmitted infections have . continued to rise and we know that young people remain at highest risk. ‘We . are particularly concerned that the high-profile campaigns which drove a . significant upsurge in the use of condoms, particularly in the 1980s, . seem to have been forgotten and many young people will not have seen . those messages. ‘The diagnosis figures suggest condom use is on the wane and many seem to be relying on treatment rather than prevention. Condoms are the only method of contraception that can help protect against STIs and unplanned pregnancy.’ Mr Thurlow was crowned Top Entrepreneur of the Year by The Mail On Sunday in 2006 aged 16 after becoming well-known by setting up a successful second-hand book business at 13. He got the idea for the sex website from an MTV show he used to present called The Freshers, which saw him tour universities and ask students questions about life. Mr Thurlow told MailOnline: ‘I left school with just my GCSEs and decided to try it out in the world of business. I worked my way up at MTV. I feel like I'm unbiased because I've observed how students act and I thought “there's definitely a business here”. He said the website's success allowed him to leave his MTV job just two months after it launched, and is now his main income source. He had also previously worked for social network Bebo. The entrepreneur added: ‘I think it's opened my eyes to how sex is definitely very readily available - and S*** At Uni proves that. I don't think it's changed me personally. But it makes me think this is definitely a new part of culture, this is what's available.’ | S*** At Uni website offering winner cash, phone, alcohol and condoms . Tom Thurlow launched site last year which now has 120,000 members . But sexual health experts say competition could see spreading of STIs . | f980a305f079ce667a34a238a35ea7b789c79151 |
Eighteen months after bomber Tamerlan Tsarnaev inflicted terror on the city of Boston, his widow has been pictured quietly settling into her new life in New Jersey. Stony-faced as she carries out her daily chores, Katherine Russell has been pictured out and about in North Bergen, where she and her three-year-old daughter, Zahara, are reportedly living with her husband's sisters. Zahara was just a baby when her father caused unthinkable tragedy on April 15, 2013. As the images show, Russell, 25, continues to wear a hijab, proving that she is still living a strict Muslim life despite rumors that her family was pushing her to embrace Christianity after the attacks. New life: Katherine Russell, the widow of Boston bomber Tamerlan Tsarnaev, is pictured in North Bergen, New Jersey, where she lives with her three-year-old daughter Zahara, the daughter of Tsarnaev . Out and about: Russell, pictured out near her home on Tuesday, continues to wear a hijab despite reports her family were encouraging her to embrace Christianity again after the bombing . And rather than shun her husband's family, WCVB discovered in August that she had moved in with his sisters Ailina and Bella. The women were found living in a nondescript blue house in North Bergen, which is located about 10 miles west of Manhattan and 200 miles from Boston. It was also reported earlier this year that she had remarried and had another baby, but there were no signs of the child this week. Ailina and Bella's 20-year-old brother, Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, is currently awaiting federal trial for his role in the 2013 bombing that killed three people and left more than 260 others wounded. Russell, from Rhose Island, converted to Islam after meeting Tsarnaev in a nightclub . The two ethnic Chechen brothers from southern Russia were accused of planting two shrapnel-packed pressure-cooker bombs near the marathon finish line. The search for the brothers lasted days, but after they shot dead MIT officer Sean Collier and fled, they were cornered by police officers in Watertown. A gun battle ensued and Tamerlan was killed. Dzhokhar hit him as he fled in their getaway car, but the younger brother was captured hiding in a tarp-covered boat in a resident's backyard. He was hospitalized with injuries but later charged with using a weapon of mass destruction to kill. His trial is set for November. Russell grew up Christian in the North Kingston, Rhode Island, home of a suburban doctor. At home: She reportedly lives with her husband's two sisters at the home in North Bergen . Russell appeared subdued as she walked along, her face hidden behind glasses . In 2010, the promising young artist and good student dropped out of college, converted to Islam and married Tamerlan, whom she had met at a nightclub. The couple had a daughter. The young family moved to Cambridge, Massachusetts, where they settled in a cramped apartment and attended prayers in a Boston Islamic center. After her husband's death, Russell went to live with her parents in Rhode Island. They reportedly tried to convince her to stop being so strict about her faith. Russell's attorney Amato DeLuca claimed his client first learned that her husband was suspected of being a terrorist from news reports on TV. DeLuca said Russell had no reason to suspect her husband of anything and was focused on supporting her family, working 70 to 80 hours, seven days a week as a home health care aide. Russell has never spoken publicly about the bombings and she was never charged in relation to the plot, although a grand jury looking into the bombings spoke with her family members. 'Former life: Tamerlan Tsarnaev, pictured left in 2010, married Russell, pictured in her yearbook, in 2010 . Attack: The brothers planted two bombs at the finish line of the 2013 Boston Marathon, killing three people and injuring more than 260, police said. Tamerlan was later killed in a shootout with police . | Katherine Russell, 25, and her daughter Zahara moved in with her husband's sisters in North Bergen after the 2013 bombings . Despite rumors that her family was encouraging her to embrace Christianity after the bombings, she is still a devout Muslim and is pictured in a hijab . Her husband, Tamerlan Tsarnaev, and his brother Dzhokhar planted two bombs at the Boston Marathon, killing three and injuring 260, police said . Russell has said she never knew anything about the plot and was instead focused on providing for her family by work 80 hours a week . | 5a1748c881022e572ce284bbf0025ecfe3b21635 |
Madrid, Spain (CNN) -- A Spanish fishing boat repelled an attack by suspected pirates Sunday morning in the Indian Ocean off the African coast, Spain's ministry of defense said. The Spanish Ortube Berria fishing vessel was in waters southwest of the Seychelles when pirates aboard two skiffs opened fire on the ship with light arms and a grenade shot from a launcher, according to a defense ministry news release. The Seychelles are a group of islands located north of Madagascar and southeast of Somalia, whose coastal waters have become known for piracy. The attack happened at about 5:40 a.m., the ministry said. A private security company aboard the fishing vessel returned fire and thwarted the attack, the statement said. No one was injured, and the ship did not suffer any material damage. Following the attack, the Ortube Berria was sailing southward away from the area, the defense ministry said. Pirates have captured more than 50 ships this year off Somalia and are currently holding 11, according to information from Spanish Defense Minister Carme Chacon. Earlier this month, the crew of another Spanish fishing boat, the Alakrana, was released by Somali pirates after 47 days in captivity. The Alakrana was hijacked off the coast of Somalia. On Sunday, the commander of a European Union anti-piracy operation, deployed a Portuguese frigate based in the area toward the site of the attack, Spanish authorities said. CNN's Per Nyberg contributed to this report. | Spanish fishing boat repels attack by suspected pirates in Indian Ocean off African coast . Private security company aboard fishing vessel returned fire and thwarted attack . Pirates have captured more than 50 ships this year off Somalia and are currently holding 11 . | 746693dcaea875f2fcb97d7295bca01854aefc1a |
By . Matt Chorley, Mailonline Political Editor . PUBLISHED: . 05:20 EST, 13 December 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 10:01 EST, 13 December 2013 . Shoppers stocking up on everything they need for a Christmas dinner face paying up to 28 per cent more than they did just three years ago. The price of turkeys, potatoes, cakes, wine and chocolates have risen several times faster than wages, hitting families in the pocket. Labour claimed the figures means there will be 'real worry' about the cost of celebrating this year, and accused the government of failing to boost wages as the economy recovers. Cost: There have been above inflation rises in the cost of poultry, potatoes and cakes since the election, while wages have risen by just 6 per cent . With just shopping 11 days left until Christmas, all of the big name supermarkets have launched campaigns claiming to offer the best deals. But figures compiled by Labour show how the price of festive favourites have risen dramatically. Poultry has soared by 14.6 per cent since May 2010, hitting anyone planning to serve traditional turkey on the big day. Even more alarmingly potatoes have soared by 28.1 per cent, more than double the rate of inflation of 12.7 per cent over the same period. However wages have risen by just 6 per cent since the election. Anyone with a sweet tooth will also feel the pinch, with biscuits and cakes up 21 per cent and sweets and chocolates 18.3 per cent more expensive. The cost of a Christmas tipple has also risen, with wine and spirits up 14.5 per cent. The figures also reveal that vegetables have risen by 7.2 per cent and beer 11.4 per cent, slower than the rate of inflation. Squeeze: This graph shows the increase in prices since May 2010 compared to the rise in wages, which means families are having to make their money go further . Most voters believe they would be no better off financially under a Labour government, polling has found. Around a third of voters - 32 per cent - think the opposition would leave them with less cash in their pockets while nearly the same amount - 31 per cent - said they would be 'much the same as I am today'. A quarter of adults believed they would have more money, the YouGov survey for The Sun found. Labour leader Ed Miliband's electoral strategy is based on the so-called 'cost of living crisis' and has included a pledge to cap energy bills for 20 months if he wins in 2015. According to the research, confidence in the party's ability to handle the economy is low, with 42 per cent believing it would be in a worse state if Labour had won last time. Overall the Conservatives are on 35 per cent, Labour on 39 per cent, Ukip on 11 per cent and the Lib Dems on 9 per cent. Labour’s shadow cabinet minister Michael Dugher said: ‘David Cameron’s cost-of-Christmas crisis is hitting families up and down the country. ‘Out of touch ministers need to spend time around the kitchen tables of those paying bills or nervous about the Christmas shopping. ‘Families are £1,600 a year worse off under David Cameron and there is real worry this winter that the basics are unaffordable, treats are out of reach and better times out of sight. ‘What we need is a lasting recovery for all, based on job-creation, a freeze on energy bills and support for working families.’ He added: ‘Families should be able to celebrate without compromise at Christmas but the fact so many cannot celebrate as they wish this festive period only underlines the damage done by David Cameron’s government.’ The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs said it was trying to reduce food prices. A spokesman said: 'Farming is now a global industry and is susceptible to the market when prices rise as well as when they fall. 'The Government is working to reduce price increases by opening up global markets and promoting competition in our own food and farming industries.' The government has been stung by criticism that despite a return to economic growth most people feel no better off. Wages have risen by a fraction of the increase in prices. But yesterday Chancellor George Osborne seized on figures from the Office for National Statistics showing that average earnings were now keeping pace with inflation. He told the Commons Treasury Committee: ‘It shows that median gross weekly earnings are increasing at 2.2 per cent. 'That is, of course, the current rate of inflation. So I think that points to the broader argument that I have been making, which is that as the economy recovers, that is the route to a sustained increase in the living standards of the people who live in that economy, and you can't pretend that the two aren't connected, that you can have a living standards plan without an economy plan.’ | Since the election poultry us up 14.6%, potatoes 28% and sweets 18.3% . Wages are up just 6% since May 2010 despite a return to economic growth . Labour warns there will be 'real worry' about the cost of celebrating . But new poll shows voters don't think they would be better off with Labour . | 09f679daf2fce4a0695bd31d3539138d4b91c6fe |
(CNN) -- Auto-correct and "Angry Birds." GPS, and those awkward texts from last night. Mobile phones, and their promise of unprecedented connectivity, have altered the way we live. And it all started 40 years ago today. That's when Martin Cooper, a vice president at Motorola, stepped onto a New York City sidewalk and made the first known cellphone call in history. And, whether you thank him or blame him, we haven't stopped talking, texting and tweeting since. In the time since Cooper brandished what would become the DynaTAC phone, our mobiles have gone from now-laughably clunky bricks to sleek, stylized slivers of technology. Now they're becoming fashionably monstrous with phone-tablet hybrids like the Galaxy Note. And, along the way, they've changed everything. "We knew that someday everybody would have a (cell) phone, but it was hard to imagine that that would happen in my lifetime," Cooper said to CNN last year. "And now we've got almost five billion phones in the world. Wow." Cooper and his team had been in a race with AT&T's Bell Labs to create a cellphone. They'd worked for about three months on the model he walked outside with on April 3, 1973. And that first call? It was to AT&T's Joel Engell, who headed up Bell Labs. "I called and told him, 'Joel, I'm calling you from a cellular phone, a real cellular phone, a handheld, portable, real cellular phone'," Cooper recalled. And, as he recalls it, his rival wasn't quite as talkative. "I don't remember exactly what he said, but it was really quiet for a while," he said. "My assumption was that he was grinding his teeth. He was very polite and ended the call. When asked about it, he says he has no recollection of this moment." It would take 10 years for a version of that DynaTAC (Dynamic Adaptive Total Area Coverage) phone to hit the market, for a hefty $3,900. The kind of phone Gordon Gekko wielded in "Wall Street," it weighed 2.5 pounds and was about a foot tall. Compare that to the iPhone 5, which weighs in at under 4 ounces, is less than 5 inches from top to bottom and sells at prices starting at $199. Not that Cooper, now 84, necessarily embraces every aspect of the latest advances in the field he helped create. "I must tell you as much as we were dreamers, we never imagined that all these things could be combined into one. And I'm really not so sure that it's a great thing," he said. "Phones have gotten so complicated, so hard to use, that you wonder if this is designed for real people or for engineers." What Cooper foresees for phones . | The first cellphone call was made 40 years ago Wednesday . Martin Cooper of Motorola called a rival from a New York sidewalk on April 3, 1973 . The phone weighed 2.5 pounds and would cost $3,900 . | 13a457d6ae8a252cb556a1b66057d0c11516562b |
By . Scarlett Russell . Her sky-high exploits have been documented recently, with tales of champagne-fuelled parties around the world, run-ins with celebrities and mingling with Sir Richard Branson himself. But for Mandy Smith, 40, from Teesside, Hartlepool, being an air stewardess with Virgin Atlantic wasn’t just about having fun and games in Upper Class and glamorous locations. In fact, being groped, having food thrown at her and looking after a woman who’d suffered a miscarriage in the economy toilets – all the while maintaining an air of calm professionalism – were more common. Scroll down for video . Party hard: 'We had fun but were always professional,' says Mandy, pictured here in her cabin crew days . Cabin Fever: The Sizzling Secrets of a . Virgin Air Hostess published last month, is Mandy’s memoir of her . 10-year stint as a Virgin ‘Trolley Dolly.’ And she doesn’t hold back about the on and off-board antics. Speaking . to MailOnline, Mandy elaborates on some of the best anecdotes from her . book, as well as sharing some scandalous tales that didn’t quite make . the final cut. ‘Obviously we . had a lot of fun times but I did leave a lot out because I didn’t want . it to seem like that was all we did,’ she says. ‘The Virgin crew are professional and diligent and I wanted to make sure that came across.’ A quieter life: Mandy says she wouldn't swap her Virgin days for anything, but is now happily married with a daughter . And you can forget the Mile High Club, according to Mandy it was the passengers who are the worst behaved mid-air. ‘The book charts 10 years and in that time I knew of only two instances where cabin crew messed about – one stewardess on my flight was caught giving oral sex to a famous boyband member but she was sacked on the spot, they take that very seriously. ‘The passengers behaved far worse, especially in Premium Economy because they think they’re better than Economy, but actually can’t afford Upper. Flying high: Mandy worked as an air stewardess at Virgin for 10 years . ‘I had a man throw pizza in my face once because he said it wasn’t good enough for his son to eat. ‘And one businessman was travelling in Upper Class and getting it on at the bar with a fellow female passenger. They’d had a few drinks and had a few snogs. Literally five minutes later his wife walked through to see him. She’d been sitting back in Economy with no idea what was going on! We were shocked.’ And the mother of a very famous American star, travelling without her son, head-butted one of Mandy’s colleagues, causing her nose to bleed. ‘She boarded and threw her fur coat at me, ordering me to store it away,’ remembers Mandy. ‘I knew then that she’d be trouble. ‘It’s also public knowledge that she and . her son don’t get on very well. She had a few drinks throughout the . flight and took sleeping pills, then all of a sudden went crazy and had . to be wrestled to the ground. ‘She head-butted my colleague who was . merely trying to restrain her outburst, and her nose burst open and I . don’t even think she ever apologised. We have to put up with a lot!’ In the book Mandy also describes having to sew up a man whose five stitches in his stomach had burst open, and the trauma of finding a passenger in the plane's toilet, who had just suffered a miscarriage. 'I gathered plastic aprons, surgical gloves, face masks and cloths from our first-aid supplies in the galley and returned to the scene with more crew to help,' says Mandy. 'We have to be calm and helpful in all situations, nothing can faze us. No matter how upsetting, we are there to help.' And it's not just unruly and amorous passengers that make it a difficult job –frequent flying and conflicting time zones take their toll. Constant wind, IBS and even missing periods are just par for the course. Famous friends: During her hey day as as member of Virgin Atlantic's Cabin Crew, Mandy Smith, right, partied all around the world and even met Ronan Keating, left, after a gig . He's the boss! Sir Richard Branson, left, was 'amazing' to work for, says Mandy, right, who was an air stewardess for ten years with the Virgin mogul . ‘Going up and down so often plays havoc with the gases released in your body and the different time zones and poor diet really mess you up too,’ says Mandy. ‘Most crew members have IBS and I didn’t have a period for seven months because my body clock was so all over the place. ‘And anyone who thinks stewardesses are sexy should know that it’s not stockings and suspenders we wear under our uniform – it’s support tights and girdles to prevent varicose veins!’ On the plus, travelling first class and having exotic holidays isn’t too shabby. Even when Mandy wasn't working she'd be upgraded on every flight and even took her mum on a seven-day shopping spree in Cape Town. And week-long stop overs meant lots of partying. Mandy says: ‘We once had a week in St Lucia, staying in a top hotel for free. There was a group of us and it was one big party. Cabin Fever: The sizzling secrets of a Virgin air hostess by Mandy Smith and Nicola Stow, £9.99, is available now . ‘After a few drinks in our rooms we all . went skinny dipping in the sea, but someone ran off with our clothes. 'Not only did we have to head back through the hotel completely naked, . but one girl lost a bet so had to swim in every pool of the hotel, . naked, before she was allowed back. 'It was like an office Christmas party, but lasting several nights every month.’ Mandy’s most raucous party was a stag do in the city of sin itself, Las Vegas, which she said was ‘too raucous’ to leave in the book. ‘The boyfriend of one of the crew members was on the stag do of a Calvin Klein model,’ she says. ‘They invited a few of us girls along. No expense was spared, he’d hired huge private marquees outside one of the biggest nightclubs in the city with drinks flowing. ‘Afterwards we all went back to their hotel suite which was massive. People were getting it on all over the place and drugs were lined up on the tables, though of course we didn’t touch them because Virgin do random drug tests. ‘We certainly took advantage of all the free champagne though!’ And Mandy recalls meeting Ronan Keating at a party Sir . Richard threw for their inaugural flight to Toronto. 'It was a lavish white . marquee on tip of the bay with a B747-400 fly over,' she says. 'There were huge cocktails, Ronan sang Richard even joined in . with the backing dancers for a rendition of Raining Men when The Weather Girls performed! 'They all stripped . off to Union Jack shorts for the finale. Ronan was such a genuinely . lovely man. Unfortunately no one in Canada knew who he was but all the . crew ran to the stage & were singing along with all his songs. Just another normal night out with the crew!' Now, Mandy lives a quiet life with her husband, Glenn, 40 and daughter who is two years old. in West Sussex, but says she wouldn’t swap her colourful life with Virgin Atlantic for anything. ‘I made amazing friends and went all over the world,’ she says. 'I wouldn’t change a thing. Although smelling of farts? That I don’t miss.’ Cabin Fever: The sizzling secrets of a Virgin air hostess by Mandy Smith and Nicola Stow, £9.99, is available now . | Mandy Smith, 40, from Hartlepool, worked with Virgin for 12 years . She had pizza thrown in her face and witnessed a miscarriage on board . She went on a stag do with a Calvin Klein model in Las Vegas . Her memoir, Cabin Fever: The Sizzling Secrets of a Virgin Air Hostess is out now . | c12742dfac5815ca6aacfda696ee31f6402c6b2e |
By . David Martosko, U.s. Political Editor . PUBLISHED: . 12:14 EST, 7 January 2014 . | . UPDATED: . 20:01 EST, 7 January 2014 . Senate Democrats won a squeaker of a victory in a procedural vote aimed at extending unemployment benefits for millions of Americans on Tuesday, as President Barack Obama was preparing to complain that Republicans in the House of Representatives plan to block the measure. The legislative proposal would continue federal jobless benefits for an extra three months, at a cost of $6.4 billion. The 60-37 Senate vote was an unexpected victory for Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, who managed to attract the support of six Republicans. He hopes to pass the measure by the end of the week. Democrats needed 60 'aye' votes to end debate and authorize a final vote. Tuesday's preliminary roll call was delayed a day to allow a dozen senators to return to Washington amid nationwide air traffic chaos caused by an historic cold weather snap. White House National Economic Council Chairman Gene Sperling told reporters on Monday that the nation faces a 'long-term unemployment crisis' that requires 'emergency' action. That plea came just 17 days after . Obama told reporters in an end-of-year press conference that his administration has done a . remarkably good job putting jobless Americans back to work. SCROLL DOWN FOR VIDEO . Obama argued for 'common sense' congressional action on Tuesday, a plea aimed at House Republicans who are insisting that $6.4 billion in new unemployment checks should be paid for with budget cuts elsewhere . Katherine Hackett, an unemployed Connecticut woman, introduced the president after making a plea for longer unemployment benefits . Job fairs and hiring events are often mob scenes in the U.S., as a slow economic recovery and economic uncertainty related to Obamacare have hampered hiring nationwide . House . Republicans still plan to push back against the unemployment benefit . extension, insisting that the White House-backed measure's steep cost . must be offset by spending cuts elsewhere. Obama insisted Tuesday that giving . unemployed Americans three extra months of benefits 'should be the first . order of business in 2014.' 'We need the House of Representatives to be able to vote on it as well,' he said. He was introduced by Katherine Hackett, an unemployed Connecticut woman whose benefit checks, the a White House official said, cover her mortgage payment and health care, leaving little to pay for the rest of her expenses. 'Job loss is devastating, and I am working hard every day to find a position,' she said Tuesday at the White House. 'In the interim, unemployment benefits have been absolutely essential to cover my bare necessities.' Neither the White House nor Hackett identified her profession, but she insisted that she has applied for every opportunity for which she qualifies. Obama argued that at least 1.3 million Americans are waiting for immediate help, and a total of 14 million stand to lose benefits this year. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (L) demanded the end of Obamacare's individual mandate as the price of extending jobless benefits, while Minority Whip John Cornyn (R) called Democrats' test vote a meaningless, symbolic gesture . Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (L) is carrying the White House's agenda forward with a bill that would give jobless Americans three more months of entitlement checks . White House National Economic Council Chairman Gene Sperling told reporters on Monday that the nation faces a 'long-term unemployment crisis' that requires 'emergency' action . 'This insurance helps keep food on the table while Dad is sending out resumes,' he said, and 'we know that "there but for the grace of God go I."' Senate Republicans who opposed Tuesday's test vote said that without support in the House, Tuesday's initial salvo was merely symbolic. 'It is transparent that this is a political exercise, not a real effort to try to fix the problem,' said Texas Republican Sen. John Cornyn. Another Republican, Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, hinted in a floor speech that a final vote could face opposition over the Affordable Care Act. He insisted Tuesday that the price of more Republican support would be the elimination of Obamacare's so-called 'individual mandate,' an ultimatum that Democrats rejected as hard-hearted and senseless. 'That’s the Republican logic,' Illinois Democratic Senator Dick Durbin mocked during a floor debate: 'Help the unemployed but at the expense of 300 million Americans.' | President demands action on jobless checks that expired on Dec. 28 . A procedural vote passed by the thinnest of margins in the Senate on Tuesday, paving the way for a final vote later in the week . House Republicans will block the measure unless it's paid for with spending cuts elsewhere in the budget . | 9270325f01e5a047c95e8a93f778269fa1ee56f5 |
By . Associated Press Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 18:04 EST, 25 November 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 18:04 EST, 25 November 2012 . A Massachusetts utility worker mistakenly punctured a high-pressure pipeline on Friday causing a natural gas explosion that destroyed a building housing a strip club. The explosion injured 18 people and damaged 42 buildings in an entertainment district in Springfield, Massachusetts, one of New England's largest cities. No one was killed in the explosion. Building down: Inspectors stand in debris, Saturday, Nov. 24, 2012, at the site of a gas explosion that leveled a strip club in Springfield, Massachusetts, on Friday evening . Investigators were trying Saturday to figure out what caused the blast . that could be heard for miles and left a large hole in the ground where the . multistory building housing the Scores Gentleman's Club once stood while scattering debris over several blocks. State Fire Marshal Stephen Coan said on Sunday that the Friday night blast was caused by ‘human error.’ He didn't name the Columbia Gas Co. worker who pierced the pipe while responding to reports of a gas leak. The worker damaged the underground pipe while using a metal probe to locate the source of the leak, Coan said. A flood of gas then built up in a building that housed a strip club, and some kind of spark touched off the blast, officials said. Coan said the employee was following older markings on a sidewalk that indicated the location of the gas line. More damage: An apartment building near the area where the gas explosion occurred is seen with shattered windows, among other damage . He appeared to be an appropriate distance from the line, but the markings were incorrect and the worker accidentally punctured the pipe. A message left for a Columbia Gas spokeswoman wasn't immediately returned. Columbia Gas, a subsidiary of public company NiSource Inc., announced earlier Sunday that it planned to open a claims center for residents and businesses affected by the explosion at City Hall on Monday. Preliminary reports showed the blast damaged 42 buildings housing 115 residential units. Three buildings were immediately condemned, and 24 others require additional inspections by structural engineers to determine whether they are safe. The building that housed the Scores Gentleman's Club was completely destroyed. After the pipe was ruptured, authorities evacuated several buildings. Most of the people injured were part of a group of gas workers, firefighters and police officers who ducked for cover behind a utility truck just before the blast. The truck was demolished. Some officials said it was a miracle no one was killed. Springfield Fire Commissioner Joseph Conant praised the actions of city firefighters. ‘The firefighters did an excellent job evacuating the area which certainly prevented additional civilian injuries and saved many lives,’ Conant said. Columbia Gas officials have been cooperating with investigators and have determined that there are no more gas leaks in the neighborhood, Mayor Domenic Sarno said. Coan said the investigation is being turning over to the state Department of Public Utilities. It's not clear whether investigators will ever be able to determine what caused the spark that ignited the explosion. Springfield, which is 90 miles west of Boston and has about 150,000 residents, is the largest city in western Massachusetts. It's known as the home of the Basketball Hall of Fame, which is not near the blast site. The city has been rebuilding from damage caused by a tornado in June 2011. | An unnamed utility worker was looking for a gas leak when he accidentally punctured a high-pressure pipeline in Springfield, Massachusetts . The resulting explosion destroyed a building housing a Scores Gentleman's Club, injuring 18 people and damaging 41 other buildings . No one was killed in the explosion . | 2c0d306cba954aa17a71883232b626101b549a03 |
By . Sean Poulter . PUBLISHED: . 18:26 EST, 13 March 2014 . | . UPDATED: . 18:49 EST, 13 March 2014 . Barely 20 years after it brought digital viewing into the nation’s living rooms, it seems the DVD is on its way out. Machines that play and record the discs are being overtaken by ‘on demand’ streaming services such as Netflix – suggesting DVDs themselves will soon follow video tapes and vinyl records into the dustbin of history. The latest victim of technological advance has been signalled by the release of the annual ‘shopping basket’ by the Office for National Statistics – a list of 700 items that reflects household spending habits and is used by the Government to identify the official inflation rate. Known as the consumer price inflation index, the rate is calculated using 180,000 price quotations from 150 areas across the UK, and sets the benchmark for increases in pensions, benefits and often pay. DVD recorders have been dropped from the basket completely and rental subscriptions have also been replaced. Hardwood floors join the list of casualties as families turn away from minimalist design in favour of carpets, while the continued squeeze on the cost of living has also caused the removal of fees for gardeners and children’s after-school clubs. However, their replacements reveal the impact of celebrity culture on the public’s buying patterns. Fresh fruit snacking pots have been included to reflect the increasing shelf-space in supermarkets devoted to prepared fresh fruit. Honey is on the list for the first time, perhaps a result of renewed interest in baking . Service providers are also taking on traditional broadcasters by making their own exclusive content. Netflix, for example, has had a hit with its series House Of Cards, the US political drama starring Kevin Spacey . Canvas training shoes, like those . favoured by Prince Harry’s girlfriend Cressida Bonas, and statement . necklaces like the one worn by Charlize Theron to the Oscars have made . it into the basket for the first time, while the influence of smartly . dressed male stars such as Gary Barlow can be seen in the addition of . men’s rented suits. Hire firm Moss Bros has reported strong growth in recent years, pointing to rising popularity of school proms for suit hire and men smartening up for their weekend wardrobes. Hire firm Moss Bros has reported strong growth in recent years, pointing to rising popularity of school proms for suit hire and men smartening up for their weekend wardrobes . Meanwhile, busy lifestyles are reflected in the fact that snack pots of prepared fruit, sold by supermarkets and sandwich shop chains, have been added. The flexibility of online on demand viewing means that a monthly subscription allows their output to be viewed on laptops, tablets and smartphones, rather than being restricted to the family TV. Service providers are also taking on traditional broadcasters by making their own exclusive content. Netflix, for example, has had a hit with its series House Of Cards, the US political drama starring Kevin Spacey. Broadcasters shouldn’t worry just yet though, as other additions to the basket include bird seed, suggesting programmes like BBC’s Springwatch have fired our interest in wildlife. Honey, which is perceived as a healthy alternative to sugar and jams, also makes an appearance. It has been helped by recommendations from chefs like Lorraine Pascale and a return to cooking from scratch as seen on The Great British Bake Off. However wallpaper paste has been omitted, as DIY and the chore of putting up wallpaper is rejected by many young families in favour of emulsion paint. | Demise of DVDs due to streaming services such as Netflix . ONS 'basket' lists 700 items in total . Hardwood floors join casualties as families shun minimalist design . | 7a4dbcc016a2f3c9216197bc58ce1677905e887a |
By . Emma Thomas . A widely used anti-clotting pill can double the risk of stroke when patients with a faulty heart rhythm first start taking it, a study has found. Researchers believe warfarin may deactivate two naturally occurring anti-clotting proteins before its blood-thinning effects are felt. After 30 days, the drug halves the risk of stroke. Although only a small number of patients are believed to be at risk, the study authors urged doctors to be vigilant. Study: Researchers believe warfarin may deactivate two naturally occurring anti-clotting proteins (file picture) Warfarin, originally developed as a rat poison, is the most commonly prescribed oral anti-clotting agent in the UK. Scientists carrying out the new research analysed data on 70,766 adult patients diagnosed with atrial fibrillation (AF), which occurs when the heart pumps haphazardly instead of with a steady beat. AF leads to blood pooling, thereby increasing the risk of clotting and strokes. Over a 10 year period, 5,519 of the patients suffered a stroke. The study found during the first 30 days of treatment, warfarin increased the risk ischaemic stroke - one caused by the blockage of blood flow to the brain - by 71 per cent. The risk peaked on the third day after starting warfarin, when patients on the drug were more than twice as likely to have a stroke than those not treated with it. Patients with a previous history of ischaemic stroke were 2.5 times more at risk of another stroke during the first month taking warfarin. Stroke: Anti-clotting pill can double the risk of stroke inpatients with faulty heartbeat . Lead researcher Dr Laurent Azoulay, from McGill University in Canada, said: 'There is no question that warfarin is highly effective in preventing strokes in patients with atrial fibrillation. Thus, our finding that the initiation of warfarin may be associated with an increased risk of stroke should not deter physicians and patients from using this drug, since this likely affects a small number of patients. 'Future studies should confirm our results, and identify the small subset of patients who may be at risk. However, the results of our study suggest that physicians should be vigilant when initiating warfarin, particularly in the first week of use.' The findings, published in the European Heart Journal, suggested that patients with 'hypercoagulable' states whose blood clotted easily were most at risk. Warfarin blocks the action of four clotting factors in the blood. But it also deactivates two other proteins, C and S, which are natural anticoagulants. Rapid depletion of protein C in particular might lead to a temporary hypercoagulable state, said the scientists. Co-author Professor Samy Suissa, also from McGill University, said: 'While these findings need to be confirmed in other settings, it would be imperative to also investigate whether the newer popular anticoagulants also carry this early risk.' He suggested offering an injected anti-clotting drug, heparin, to patients starting warfarin treatment to counteract the increased risk of stroke. Heparin is routinely given to hospital patients who have undergone surgery. | Drug may deactivate two naturally occurring anti-clotting proteins . 70,766 adult patients diagnosed with faulty heart rhythm studied . Warfarin increased the risk ischaemic stroke in first 30 days . | fc0bb83aab2c41597b14875b4802b11465bf980b |
NEW YORK (CNN) -- Diane Sawyer will take over nightly news anchor duties for ABC when Charlie Gibson retires from "World News" at the end of this year, a network spokesman confirmed Wednesday. Charlie Gibson and Diane Sawyer worked together on "Good Morning America." Sawyer, 63, will be the second woman to be the solo host of an evening newscast for an American broadcast TV network. Sawyer will take the chair in January, ABC's Jeffrey Schneider said. Gibson, 66, and Sawyer worked together for years on ABC's morning show -- "Good Morning America" -- before Gibson was promoted over Sawyer to anchor ABC's "World News" in May 2006. Elizabeth Vargas and Bob Woodruff co-anchored the newscast before Gibson. That duo came to an end after Woodruff was seriously wounded by a roadside bomb in Iraq. Maria Brennan, president of the Washington-based American Women in Radio and Television organization, called the announcement a "watershed moment" and said Sawyer was the "obvious choice" to take over ABC's anchor chair. Asked about the significance of two out of three network nightly news anchors being women -- the other being CBS' Katie Couric -- Brennan said, "It comes with some excitement and some glee for groups like ours, who have worked for years to ensure that women have parity with their male counterparts." "When we get to a point in time when we don't even notice the gender, we can really celebrate," Brennan said. Sawyer worked for President Richard Nixon in the 1970s, first in his White House press office and later helping him write his memoirs after his resignation. After a stint with CBS News -- including five years as a "60 Minutes" correspondent -- Sawyer joined ABC News in 1989. She worked on news magazines for ABC -- including "Primetime Live" and "20/20" -- before being assigned to co-host "Good Morning America" with Gibson in 1999. CNN's Albert Lewintinn contributed to this report. | ABC News anchor Charlie Gibson retiring at end of the year . Diane Sawyer will take over "World News" beginning in January . The pair worked together for years on "Good Morning America" | 0d698a501e6f6f6a901406773c79b3504b8d2ab5 |
Martin 'Mad Dog' Allen returns with the latest installment of his column for MailOnline Sport. The Barnet boss does not hold back with his views on current issues in football and this week reflects on some of the mad happenings during pre-season at The Hive. FROM SERIE A TO THE CONFERENCE . We've had a 21-year-old Italian lad called Gianluca Rubin training with us who has been captain of Juventus's Under 20s. A few years ago, there is no way any Italian would've even heard of the Conference, let alone come on trial for a contract. He paid for his own flight and accommodation and is looking for an English club after being released by Juventus. VIDEO Scroll down to watch Huddersfield sack Robins after first game . He's back! Mad Dog Martin Allen is raring to go as the new season gets started . Last Tuesday, he played in the centre of defence in a reserve game for us alongside an 18-year-old called Gater – his name's Joe, but I like to call him Ali. They are two young lads from very different football backgrounds. Gianluca from Serie A champions who were regularly playing in the Champions League. And Gater who we got from Aldershot when they stopped their youth policy for financial reasons. Well, Gianluca is a good player and very good technically, but unfortunately I don't think he will cut it as a 5ft 9ins centre-back in an away game against Halifax on a Tuesday night. But Gater is a maniac. He heads it and boots it and is a fearless warrior. Contrast: The Hive is rather different to the Juventus Arena, as young trialist Gianluca Rubin has found out . DRILLING FOR... WATER . It was like a scene from Dallas at our Hive training ground last month. We've had drilling and pumping going on – not for oil, but for water to get the sprinklers on. Our training pitches were getting dry and becoming difficult to work on for the players. It can cause injuries. So the chairman found a company who brought in a huge drill and set up a tent around it to dig down to some water pipes. Lo-and-behold, within two minutes of the drill striking H2O, it started to rain. Marvellous. Striking for water? It's been like an episode of Dallas at The Hive during pre-season . OFF TO A FLYER . There was definitely something in the water on Saturday – what a result my Barnet side beating Chester 5-0 in the first game of the Conference season. I went in to see the chairman after the game and he hugged me but was shaking his head. I asked him what was wrong. 'I missed the first three goals, Martin,' he said. He told me he'd only arrived in Chester 10 minutes into the second half due to the traffic on the M6 where there was an accident. 'I saw the fourth goal then the stadium announcer asked for the driver of a black BMW to move their car because it was blocking someone in.' 'Martin,' he added,' I missed the fifth goal as I was moving my car! The biggest away victory in all my time as Barnet chairman and I've only seen one goal. I can't believe it.' WADDOCK 101 . Since Gary Waddock left Oxford last month he has been our VIP guest down at Barnet for quite a few days. Managers get sacked and forgotten and the phone doesn't ring. It can be very lonely, worrying and the self-esteem can drop to the floor. Self-doubt can creep in and you wonder where the next job is coming from. VIP: Allen has been helping out Gary Waddock since he left Oxford United last month . So I got Gary in at our place. He got the sack at Oxford after winning promotions at former clubs Aldershot and Wycombe. At Aldershot, he got a record 101 points to win the Conference title in 2008. Hopefully his days out with us will keep his mood up and it won't be long before my former QPR team-mate returns to football management after his recent shock sacking. Wherever he goes I've got no doubt he will build a promotion-winning team. FALLEN AT THE FIRST HURDLE . One game into the season – and the Premier League hasn't even kicked off yet – and we have our first man down in the managerial sack race. Mark Robins paid the price for Huddersfield losing 4-0 at home to Bournemouth. That is an awful feeling in front of your own fans and it leaves you demoralised. However, their opponents Bournemouth finished last season very well and will be close to joining the top flight at the end of the season. They will spank many teams home and away this season. Which I guess, when he wakes up this morning with no job to go to, will be no consolation to Mark. Gone already: Mark Robins has left Huddersfield Town after just one match of the Championship season . VIDEO Huddersfield sack Robins after first game . HARRY, HARRY, HARRY . As I was driving to work one beautiful sunny morning I saw signs warning of traffic because of a Hare Krishna festival. It reminded me of an old Boy George track. Believe it or not he was one of my favourites. The last track on one of his CDs is called Bow Down Mister which is about Hare Krishnas. All the way through, he sings: 'Harry, Harry, Harry' - well, that's what it sounds like. Seeing the funny side: Harry Redknapp enjoyed Boy George's singing of his name . One year at West Ham, we'd just lost away and were on the coach back. Our manager Harry Redknapp wasn't too happy. He was sat on the front seat, so I gave the driver the CD and asked him to play track 20 and turn the volume up all the way. I hid in the back corner of the bus as Boy George rattled out the chorus 'Harry, Harry, Harry.' We were all in fits of laughter as Harry turned around and grinned. ALLEN'S ANALYSIS . The player I keep hearing about... Newcastle United have got a great deal for Jamaal Lascelles. When I saw Nottingham Forest play at Reading's Madejski Stadium on New Year's Day I made a note of a young centre-back. He was quick, could pass well and was composed on the ball. He played with an elegance about him. In the last minute of the game, the score tied at 1-1, Reading had a free kick. They piled everyone into the box for the 40-yard up-and-under into the mixer. Lascelles was there surrounded by bustling Reading centre forwards, their tall centre-backs and the big units of the team. New club: Talented defender Jamaal Lascelles has moved to Newcastle United from Nottingham Forest . Great business: Alan Pardew has brought in Lascelles (left) and goalkeeper Karl Darlow (right) from Forest though the pair are set to remain at the City Ground on loan for the season ahead . As the ball floated in the lad – under pressure from five of them – ignored the carnage, leapt into the air and headed it 30 yards from the goal. I circled his name and knew he would be one to sign. Since then he's one people keep talking about. It's another great bit of business by Alan Pardew. One thing I'd change about.... Substitutes. With seven subs now sitting on the bench, changes should be made to the rules so that two of those must be homegrown players that have been at the club for at least three years. It's about time changes were made. This would hopefully give more opportunities to promote our young English players coming through. On top of that, I think five subs should be allowed to enter the field of play. Why only restrict it to three, when you've got seven sitting on the bench? It's seems pointless. The big issue... What a nightmare at Blackpool – or is it? My old hometown club Reading were days from going bust towards the end of last season after someone pulled their money out after promises of fortunes being paid into the club. They were in a precarious position and after being so well-run over the years it was a shock for all Reading fans. Testing times: Blackpool are a club in crisis as fans protest against hated owner Karl Oyston . Scratch team: Blackpool manager Jose Riga managed to scramble together a team at the last moment to face Nottingham Forest on Saturday . Well Karl Oyston, the Blackpool owner, runs a club with no debt, and have put a team together without having to pay players in June and July. It's a smart move. Rather than the start of summer when players and agents are demanding ridiculous sums, by getting them so close to the start of the season they can call the shots. The debts at most clubs in the Championship are huge. I can understand why Blackpool supporters were getting angry, but you have to ask yourself, do we want to be another Portsmouth or Hereford? | Barnet boss reflects on another crazy pre-season that has seen trialists from Juventus and scenes akin to Dallas at The Hive . But the Bees got off to the perfect start, beating Chester 5-0 on opening day... not that the chairman saw it all . Mark Robins has become the season's first managerial casualty after leaving Huddersfield... after just one match . Jamaal Lascelles will prove an excellent signing for Alan Pardew at Newcastle United . And is Blackpool's threadbare squad actually a smart move by the owner? | 75eee2c7755f6128f2e3e5a2726821f2228f54a3 |
By . Rob Waugh . PUBLISHED: . 05:59 EST, 16 May 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 07:11 EST, 16 May 2012 . Twitter officially confirmed that Britain now has 10 million 'Tweeters' - making us one of the world's most enthusiastic users of the social network. 'Snapshot of Twitter in the UK: 10m active users, 80% of which are also active on mobile. And an office that's been open almost a year,' said the company via a Tweet from its official account yesterday. The country has the fourth-largest number of Twitter users in the world, beaten only by the U.S., Brazil and Japan. Tweets in your email: Twitter will now send a digest of trending topics and subject that you might have missed . '140 brands have advertised on the site since we launched promoted products for the UK in Sept 2011,' says a spokesperson. 'We went from zero employees a year ago to more than 30 today.' There are 140 million Twitter users worldwide, churning out around 340 million Tweets per day. While the site is highly 'visible' due to celebrities airing their private lives through their Tweets, it's actually dwarfed by other social networks such as Facebook's 900 million users, and even Google Plus, which has 170 million. Twitter is adding new features to compete with its high-profile rivals. Othman Laraki, director of Twitters's growth and international, said: 'Starting today, you can discover the best of Twitter in a weekly email digest delivered to your inbox. This summary features the most relevant Tweets and stories shared by the people you’re connected to on Twitter. There are 140 million Twitter users worldwide, churning out around 340 million Tweets per day . 'Stories feature a design similar to the recently updated Discover tab, emphasising who shared each story beneath summaries to help you decide which ones matter most to you. Twitter is about to start dishing out a weekly digest of the best 140-character Tweets you may have missed. The micro-blogging website has traditionally veered away from email drops, relying on users to check out the site or app to catch up on what friends, family and famous movie stars are tweeting about. But from today, the service will send out the digest of Tweets based on what they believe are the most important Tweets you should be reading. | 10 million Tweeters in UK . 80% of us use site on our mobiles . 340 million Tweets are sent every day . Country is fourth-largest user of Twitter in the world, beaten by U.S., Brazil and Japan . | 4bdc3694f8af1cb6b16108733f63f78839b5eb9d |
(CNN) -- The ugly specter of anti-Semitism in football has raised its face again after a man was arrested at an English Premier League game. Police confirmed that a 57-year-old man was arrested and charged on "suspicion of a racially aggravated offense" at Sunday's match between Tottenham Hotspur and Southampton. Tottenham's fanbase has a large Jewish contingent, and they originally called themselves "Yid Army" in response to anti-Semitic abuse from rival supporters, but the offense did not relate to the "Y-word." The club has often experienced abuse by its London rivals but this incident was unusual given the lack of animosity between Tottenham and Southampton. The latest incident involved anti-Semitic abuse and the man, who was sitting in the visitors' section at Tottenham's White Hart Lane, was reported by two Southampton supporters to police. A statement from the London Metropolitan Police read: "During the Tottenham vs. Southampton match at White Hart Lane on March 23, officers in the stadium received a complaint regarding the behavior of a man sat in an area reserved for away supporters. "The complaint was made by two people sat in the same area of the stadium. "Officers arrested the man, aged 57, on suspicion of a racially aggravated offense under section five of the Public Order Act. "He was taken into custody and subsequently bailed until May 19, pending further investigation." Tottenham regards itself as being proactive in its fight against racism and told CNN in a statement that "anti-Semitism in any form is wholly unacceptable and we support all efforts to kick it out of the game." Last year the English Football Association had warned football fans that they would face criminal prosecution if they continued to chant the Y-word, which has been deemed anti-Semitic even as a segment of Tottenham fans claim they're using the word in defiance of anti-Semitism. Earlier this month, charges were dropped against three Spurs fans who were accused of using the word "yid" while at a Tottenham game. The Community Security Trust, which monitors incidents of anti-Semitism in the United Kingdom, has been outspoken in its fight against the problem. "In recent years anti-Semitism in football has been an increasingly important issue," a spokesman told CNN. "CST and other Jewish organizations have worked closely with the FA and Kick it Out to try and deal with the problem and we will keep doing so. "Racism should have no place in football and that includes anti-Semitism." A spokesman for Southampton told CNN: "As the Metropolitan Police have confirmed, this is an ongoing investigation and as such we are unable to comment at this time." The incident comes weeks after former West Bromwich Albion striker Nicolas Anelka was fined £80,000 ($130,000) by the English Football Association after making the "quenelle" gesture during a match in December. Anelka, who has since left the club, was widely criticized for the gesture -- -- which involves pointing a straightened arm downwards while touching the shoulder of that arm with the other hand -- after scoring against West Ham. The gesture, which he said was dedicated to his comedian friend Dieudonne M'Bala M'Bala -- who uses it as part of his act -- is believed by some to be a Nazi salute in reverse and has been linked with anti-Semitism in Anelka's homeland, France. An Independent Regulatory Commission was asked to consider if the gesture was "abusive and/or indecent and/or insulting and/or improper," and "included a reference to ethnic origin and/or race and/or religion or belief." Both charges were proved, said the commission, but it added it did not believe Anelka to be anti-Semitic. | Fan arrested for anti-Semitic abuse at Tottenham's game against Southampton . Man, 57, charged on suspicion of a racially aggravated offense . He was reported to police by visiting Southampton supporters . Scheduled to appear in court on May 19 pending further investigations . | c76475a9a9cc292fd554a5d85eea8c0f6ce4c74a |
Many women say white wine in particular sends them 'crazy' or makes them irrationally upset . There was a time when an evening with friends was synonymous with a nice, chilled bottle of Sauvignon Blanc (or four). But as the years have rolled by, that crisp, glass of gooseberry-flavoured nectar has fallen out of favour. 'No white wine for me - it sends me mental,' is how it started. 'Nor me,' said another friend, and on it went. In fact, over the last few years, nearly a dozen of my female friends have declared they can no longer drink what used to be our favourite tipple. One was almost arrested, another broke her wrist and another very nearly got run over. There are countless other tales of tears, tantrums and Tube journeys going disastrously wrong. But what is it about the drink of choice for so many women that sends them doolally - or 'psychotic', as one friend confessed? Is there something in the wine itself or is it the way we consume it that wreaks such havoc? Firstly, different people react to alcohol in very different ways, Dr Sarah Jarvis, medical adviser to the charity Drinkaware. 'Women react more quickly to alcohol,' she explained. 'If you’re a sturdy woman, you might think you can drink any scrawny man under the table - but don’t be fooled. 'Even if a woman is the same size as a man, she will have more body fat and less body water. 'Since alcohol is only distributed in body water, you’ll have a higher proportion of it in your bloodstream.’ This, she says, may be why women tend to suffer from worse hangovers. Indeed, researchers at the University of Missouri-Columbi found that not only do women get drunk faster, but their hangover symptoms were more severe - even though they drank the same amount as the men. Then there's eating on on an empty (or at least emptier than many a man's) stomach, which one study likened to taking alcohol intravenously. 'Drinking alcohol on an empty stomach means the alcohol is absorbed into your system quicker,' said Dr Jarvis. But what does seem to be key in the white wine situation is the speed at which it is drunk - and the volume of alcohol it contains. Both Dr Jarvis, and Dr Arun Ghosh, a GP at the Spire Liverpool Hospital and ITV's resident doctor, agree that women tend to drink more quickly. 'White wine is a female drink - more women drink white wine even than red wine,' Dr Ghosh told MailOnline. 'If a woman orders a large 250ml glass, that's a third of a bottle of, say, 13 per cent alcohol. And she can often drink that a lot quicker than a man drinking a pint (568ml) - which is also weaker in terms of volume of alcohol. 'Whereas a man might take 30 minutes to drink a pint (which contains on average two units of alcohol), some women will drink a glass of wine (which could be up to three units) in 10-15 minutes,' he added. 'The strength of wine has also increased,' GP Arun Ghosh told MaiOnline. Experts advise those who are worried about their consumption - and the effects - to cut down on glass size and the alcohol volume of wine . The effects of too much alcohol also manifest themselves in different ways. 'Men tend to get more aggressive as they have more testosterone - but for women, alcohol can be more of a depressant, so they may cry. 'However things are changing and young women are becoming equally as violent as men,' he added. While there appears to be no published research - or evidence - that white wine per se is the culprit for so many women becoming so intoxicated, theories abound. One is that white wine contains more sulphites than red wine. While sulphites are naturally found on grapes, small amounts of sulphur are added prior to fermentation as a preservative to keep the freshness and remove unwanted yeasts and bacteria. However sulphites have been linked - anecdotally, at least - with 'drinking blues' and depression, as well as a host of other ailments from allergies to headaches. White wine also contains up to 10 times more sugar than red, according to the Food Standards Agency. A large glass of 13% wine puts a woman over the government's lower risk guidelines. Another small glass (125ml) will put men over the guidelines too. Wine is often consumed at dinner time alongside a meal but did you know that a large glass of 13% wine (250ml) can add 228 calories to your evening supper? This is similar to a Cornetto ice cream or two fish fingers. A standard glass of 13% red or white wine (175ml) could also contain up to 160 calories which is similar to a slice of Madeira cake. Often when sharing wine, we assume we’re drinking less calories but a bottle of wine shared between two could mean you are consuming 340 calories each - that’s the equivalent of a pain au chocolat pastry each. Source: Drinkaware . Whereas red contains 0.2g sugar per 100ml, rose contains 2.5g per 100ml. Meanwhile dry white wine contains 0.6g and medium white wine 3g per 100ml. While there is no published evidence to prove a link between higher sugar alcohol and more boisterous behaviour, there is a wealth of research proving sugar can dramatically affect behaviour. 'The strength of wine has also increased, without a doubt,' said Dr Ghosh. Plus, women in particular are more likely to 'overpour', according Drinkaware, which warns many of us have no idea how much we're glugging from the glass. For example, a large (250ml) glass of 13 per cent wine puts a woman over the government's lower risk guidelines for alcohol consumption. It also contains up to 228 calories - similar to a Cornetto ice cream or two fish fingers. Elsewhere, it has been suggested that white wine is simply more 'drinkable' - i.e. we drink it faster and end up consuming more. Then there's the bubbles in drinks such as champagne or prosecco. 'The carbon dioxide makes the body absorb alcohol more quickly - which in turn makes you drunk more quickly,' said Dr Ghosh. There is some evidence that bubbly drinks intoxicate you more quickly than flat drinks. A study at the University of Surrey in 2001 found volunteers given two glasses of fizzy champagne had an average of 0.54 milligrams of alcohol per millilitre of blood after five minutes, while those given the same amount of flat champagne had 0.39 milligrams. One theory is the carbon dioxide in bubbles speeds up the flow of alcohol into the intestine. Indeed, turning your wine into a spritzer may not be the restrained option you think, as the researchers said mixing fizzy water with wine could have a similar effect. White wine also contains up to 10 times more sugar than red, according to the Food Standards Agency. Whereas red contains 0.2g sugar per 100ml, rose contains 2.5g per 100ml. Meanwhile dry white wine contains 0.6g and medium white wine 3g per 100ml . The principle could apply to all carbonated drinks, including beer, adds Dr Emma Derbyshire, a senior lecturer in nutrition at Manchester Metropolitan University and independent adviser to the Natural Hydration Council. Although this won’t necessarily increase the severity of your hangover, getting drunk faster may impair your judgement more quickly and spur you to drink more, Dr Jarvis warns. It is also true that some ethnic groups suffer more after drinking because of their genetic make-up. ‘We know East Asians have very low levels of acetaldehyde dehydrogenase (an enzyme that breaks down acetaldehyde), which can make them get drunk more quickly and contribute to hangovers,’ says Dr Jarvis. And the next morning? When it comes to hangovers, most of us are familiar with the phrase ‘Beer before wine and you’ll feel fine, but wine before beer and you’ll feel queer.’ But why is this? 'A possibility is that beer has a higher water content than wine, so you’re getting more fluids into your body if you drink beer,’ says Dr Emma Derbyshire, a senior lecturer in nutrition at Manchester Metropolitan University and independent adviser to the Natural Hydration Council. 'People tend to drink more at the beginning of a session to quench their thirst, so beer may keep you slightly better hydrated.' One large glass of wine can put you over the lower risk guidelines for the day. To stay on track, try these tips from Dr Sarah Jarvis, expert medical advisor to alcohol education charity Drinkaware... 1. Mind your measures . Downsize your drinks - if you drink wine opt for a smaller glass. There are generally three sizes of wine glass – 125ml, 175ml and 250ml. An average 125ml glass of wine would be around 1.5 units, but a 250ml glass could be over 3 units. So, just one large glass and you’ve already drunk the equivalent of the government’s lower risk guidelines . 2. Tackle your triggers . If you always have a glass of wine to celebrate a good day at work, or commiserate a bad one, try doing something else instead. An alcohol-free dinner out makes a feel-good treat, while a gym session is a great way to relieve stress. 3. Give alcohol-free days a go . If you drink regularly, your body starts to build up a tolerance to alcohol. This is one of the main reasons why many medical experts recommend taking regular days off from drinking to ensure you don't become addicted to alcohol . Test out having a break for yourself and see what positive results you notice. Drink low alcohol or alcohol-free wine. The alcohol content in normal wine ranges from 9 to 15%; however, lower alcohol and no alcohol wines are readily available – have a look next time you go to the supermarket. 4. Treat yourself . Trade up to a special bottle of wine that's expensive enough to encourage you to saviour it over a few days, rather than down it all in one night. This way, you'll space out the units you're consuming. 5. Track your drinking over time . If you choose to drink, recording exactly what you've drunk during the week will give you a great idea of whether you're within the guidelines. Try MyDrinkaware, a web-based drink tracking tool. | Many women say they can no longer drink white wine . They complain it makes them upset, aggressive and/or accident prone . MailOnline set out to investigate possible reasons why . Some experts suggest speed at which it's drunk, others blame alcohol level . Other theories include higher levels of sugar and sulphites in white wine . | 04d3a930f1e5aa4319488ffc53afd1e6ffcf8c3e |
By . Mario Ledwith . PUBLISHED: . 12:46 EST, 18 December 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 12:47 EST, 18 December 2012 . Two relatives of fugitive security guard Eddie Maher, who disappeared for 19 years after £1.2 million was stolen from a security van in which he was working, have been arrested. Maher's partner Debbie Brett, 47, and sister Margaret Francis were today arrested by Suffolk police officers on suspicion of conspiracy to steal and assisting an offender. The arrests are in connection to the 1993 theft, in which the huge sum was taken from a Securicor van in Felixstowe, Suffolk. On trial: Eddie Maher, pictured in 1989 and in 2012, is on trial in March charged with the theft of £1.2 million form a security van in 1993 . Robbed: The security van that was involved in the theft in Felixstowe. Maher disappeared with the van while his colleague was making a delivery. It was later found half a mile away with both its contents and Maher missing . The women were questioned by officers in the seaside town of Eastbourne, East Sussex, and are being held in custody. Their relative Maher, 57, is currently in custody, having been arrested by police in America after 19 years on the run from the British authorities. Security guard: Eddie Maher's partner Debbie Brett, 47, and sister Margaret Francis were arrested by Suffolk police officers on suspicion of conspiracy to steal and assisting an offender . Maher was found in his rented luxurious home in Ozark, Missouri, in February this year after being turned in by his daughter-in-law Jessica King. It later emerged that Maher had been living with Miss Brett under an assumed name while working as a cable TV installer. He is currently awaiting trial at Ispwich Crown Court, charged with stealing £1,172,500 from the van. Maher has denied the charge, however, claiming he was acting under duress when the cash was stolen from the van. The former-fireman disappeared along with the van while a colleague was making a delivery to a Lloyds bank branch in Felixstowe. The van was later found abandoned half a mile away, with both its contents and Maher missing. Police believe that 50 bags of cash . were transferred into a grey Toyota Previa Space Cruiser which had . earlier been stolen from a garage in Stepney, east London. The Toyota was then driven to a car . park near Landguard Fort, Felixstowe, where the bags were transferred to . another getaway car. Miss Brett was living with Maher in . South Woodham Ferrers, Essex, and disappeared along with their . three-year-old son at the same time as him in 1993. Home: Vehicles parked outside a rental townhouse where Maher lived in Ozark, Missouri . Abandoned: Maher's home in Freemantle Close, South Woodham Ferrers, Essex, before he went missing in 1993 . Sorry we are unable to accept comments for legal reasons. | Maher's partner Debbie Brett, 47, and sister Margaret Francis, 64 arrested . Arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to steal and assisting an offender . Maher to appear in court in March charged with theft from security van . | 49c74ce49f56c2225c545315ae174fbaa45b01a5 |
Cairo, Egypt (CNN) -- Egypt's largest opposition group, the Muslim Brotherhood, will boycott runoff parliamentary elections scheduled for Sunday, a member of the party said Wednesday. Mohamed Beltagy, a member of the Muslim Brotherhood and a former legislative candidate, said the boycott is a protest against irregularities in the first round of voting last Sunday. The party was wiped out Sunday, going from 88 seats in the legislature to zero. Egypt's ruling National Democratic Party won 217 seats in the first round of voting, the semi-official Al-Ahram newspaper said. The opposition parties won a mere handful of seats in the 508-seat parliament. Twenty-seven candidates affiliated with the Muslim Brotherhood qualified for runoff elections. Muslim Brotherhood candidates run as independents because the group is illegal under to Egyptian law, which bans parties based on religion. The runoff will involve 377 candidates from the National Democratic Party of longtime President Hosni Mubarak. On Tuesday, the administration of U.S. President Barack Obama criticized the elections, saying there had been "numerous reported irregularities" and "restrictions on basic freedoms." National Security Council spokesman Mike Hammer called the reports "worrying" and said the United States is "disappointed." Critics had predicted that Sunday's race would be tainted by fraud and intimidation, but the government declared it "a success." Egypt's official MENA news service reported that 6,000 members of 76 civil groups monitored the elections. The country rejected international monitoring of the vote as interference in its internal affairs. Egyptian election commission spokesman Sameh al-Kashef said Tuesday that, although the committee had received numerous complaints, irregularities did not affect the results of the election. The complaints included reports of riots, fraud and forgery, denying citizens their right to vote, and difficulties faced by the media. There were riots in 16 constituencies, he said. He said voter turnout was 35 percent. Various opposition groups have accused the ruling National Democratic Party of using its power to suppress voices critical of Mubarak's nearly three-decade rule. The ruling party has dismissed the accusations. CNN's Ben Wedeman contributed to this report. | NEW: The largest opposition group is protesting irregularities in the first round . The Muslim Brotherhood finds its parliamentary presence reduced to zero . The United States has criticized the elections . The irregularities did not affect the results, an election official says . | 816481474ed2a4c8eed5b98d728387e53ab934b7 |
Manchester United have confirmed that Wayne Rooney and England’s other World Cup stars will join the club’s tour party to America next week after new manager Louis van Gaal cut short their summer holidays. United’s players have been used to a month’s rest after major tournaments in the past, but the club are sticking to the three-week break stipulated in their contracts to ensure the majority of their big names are on show in the USA. VIDEO Scroll down for Rooney: Van Gaal is a great appointment and it's exciting times . Enjoy it while it lasts, Wayne! Rooney has been ordered to report back to duty for United's tour to the US . Van Gaal is anxious to have all the players together as soon as possible so he can start working with his new squad, and United are also mindful of their commercial obligations as they begin a £326million seven-year shirt sponsorship with American car giant Chevrolet. Strict: Louis van Gaal has cut short his players' summer holidays . United’s first game is the Chevrolet Cup against LA Galaxy at the Rose Bowl on Wednesday July, 23, followed by three games against Roma, Inter Milan and Real Madrid in the International Champions Cup. It means that Rooney and his England teammates Danny Welbeck, Phil Jones, Chris Smalling and Luke Shaw will board the transatlantic flight from Manchester just 23 days after touching down from Brazil. Soak up the sun: Chris Smalling poses with girlfriend Sam Cooke while on holiday after the World Cup . They will be joined by the likes of Juan Mata, David De Gea, Nani, Antonio Valencia and Shinji Kagawa, although players whose countries reached the knockout stages of the World Cup will be given extra time off. Holland coach Van Gaal has already told United that he is ready to go straight to work after the tournament even if his side reach Sunday’s final. VIDEO Van Gaal will rebuild United - Yorke . | Old Trafford chief wants players available as soon as possible . United mindful of sponsorship obligations ahead of Chevrolet Cup . England contingent to return to duty 23 days after coming home from Brazil . | 9f6e2075054fa117afcbf5fdbb8673959addf207 |
Facebook crashed for around 20 minutes this afternoon locking millions out of their accounts. The firm has said it is 'looking into the issue'. Thousands took to Twitter to complain when they realised they could not access the site. Scroll down for video . Twitter users were quick to post their outrage . 'Sorry, something went wrong,' the site's homepage read around 3:45 p.m. 'We're working on getting this fixed as soon as we can.' The site's downtime began at around 3:45, and lasted for around 20 minutes, according to Down Detector . The status page for Facebook developers did not show any anomalies, though the data appeared to have been last updated prior to the outage. The site's downtime began at around 3:45, and lasted for around 20 minutes, according to Down Detector . Even t-shirts appeared online . After roughly 20 minutes the site was back up. However, within that time users were able to produce a range of parody tweets. Denny's tweeted it's followers 'if facebook is down for you try facebooth - just come to Denny's sit in a booth and have a face to face convo with your buddies.' The site also suffered notable outages in early August and mid-June. In its most recent quarter, Facebook reported revenue of $2.91 billion. That works out to $22,453.70 of revenue per minute. This shows a 20-minute outage could cost the company nearly half a million dollars. Facebook shares fell 1.1 percent, though they were lower before the outage. Denny's was also quick to jump on the problem . #facebookdown became a trending topic on Twitter . 'Sorry, something went wrong,' Facebook's homepage read around 3:45 p.m. | Site was unavailable from 3:45pm for around 20 minutes . Facebook said it was investigating the cause . | 7fc387a0fdaf7de912aa294c7e4fd56928966913 |
Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington (CNN) -- A 7-year-old Afghan girl testified Sunday that she hid behind her father as he was shot and killed during a shooting rampage in southern Afghanistan that U.S. military prosecutors say was carried about by an American soldier. The girl, identified as Robina, was one of a handful of Afghan children called to testify via satellite during an evidentiary hearing held at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, near Tacoma, Washington to determine whether there is sufficient evidence to support the military's case against Staff Sgt. Robert Bales. Bales is charged with 16 counts of premeditated murder and six counts of attempted murder in the March 11 predawn attack on two villages in southern Afghanistan's Panjwai district. Afghan anger kept U.S. agents from killing scene . The outcome of the Article 32 hearing will determine whether Bales, 39, can be court-martialed or could even face the death penalty. Bales has not entered a plea in the case, though his attorneys have said he suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder and sustained a traumatic brain injury during a prior deployment to Iraq. Robina and another child were called to testify by Bales' attorney, John Henry Brown, who appeared to try to establish discrepancies between their testimonies and those of survivors who took the stand a day earlier. Robina recounted via satellite from a base in Kandahar province how in the early morning hours a gunman came into her family's compound near Camp Belambay, a small U.S. outpost. Her father, she said, cursed when he was shot in the legs. Then he was shot in the throat and the chest, she said. One of the bullets also hit her in the leg. "I didn't realize I was shot until later," she said. Stunned friends recall good deeds of suspect . Another 7-year-old testified she was wounded during the rampage, shot in the head by a man who she described as wearing tan pants and a black t-shirt. Survivors who took the stand on Saturday described the shooter as an American wearing camouflage pants and a tan t-shirt. Brown also questioned the testimony of an Army criminal investigator, who interviewed a victim's wife, who said two American soldiers broke into her home during the rampage. Other witnesses have testified there was only one gunman, and the Army contends Bales acted alone. Afghan villagers describe slaying's horror . CNN's Chelsea J. Carter contributed to this report. | A 7-year-old girl describes hiding behind her father as he is shot and killed . The defense attorney raises discrepancies in the testimony of investigators . Army Staff Sgt. Robert Bales is accused of killing 16 Afghan villagers . | ed09c50f95f1362fd5e91be797cc89c96a96f48b |
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The United States on Tuesday imposed financial sanctions on an Iran-based company that it said is a cover for North Korea's missile proliferation network, the Department of the Treasury announced. Hong Kong Electronics in Kish Island, Iran, was added to the list of "designated proliferators of weapons of mass destruction and their supporters" for working with two others already on the list: North Korea's Tanchon Commercial Bank and the Korea Mining Development Trading Corp. (KOMID), according to a Treasury news release. The designation under Executive Order 13382 freezes any U.S. assets of Hong Kong Electronics and prohibits any transactions with the company by U.S. individuals, companies or financial institutions, the statement said. "North Korea uses front companies like Hong Kong Electronics and a range of other deceptive practices to obscure the true nature of its financial dealings, making it nearly impossible for responsible banks and governments to distinguish legitimate from illegitimate North Korean transactions," said Stuart Levey, the undersecretary for terrorism and financial intelligence at the Treasury. "Today's action is a part of our overall effort to prevent North Korea from misusing the international financial system to advance its nuclear and missile programs and to sell dangerous technology around the world." The Treasury statement alleged that Hong Kong Electronics has transferred millions of dollars of proliferation-related funds on behalf of Tanchon and KOMID since 2007. It also accused Hong Kong Electronics of facilitating the movement of money from Iran to North Korea on behalf of KOMID. Tanchon, a commercial bank based in Pyongyang, North Korea, is the financial arm for KOMID, which the Treasury statement described as North Korea's premier arms dealer and main exporter of goods and equipment related to ballistic missiles and conventional weapons. Both Tanchon and KOMID were previously subjected to sanctions under Executive Order 13382 and sanctioned by the U.N. Security Council, according to the Treasury statement. It said both also had ties with other sanctioned entities, including Iran's Shahid Hemmat Industrial Group, which it called the Iranian organization responsible for developing liquid-fueled missiles. | Hong Kong Electronics called a cover for North Korea's missile proliferation network . U.S. Treasury says company's U.S. assets frozen, transactions in U.S. prohibited . It says company worked with bank, arms dealer tied to other sanctioned entities . Goal is to stop misuse of financial system to advance arms programs, Treasury says . | f2c4742de98378ec4d3b1987cc9195845f828c1e |
(CNN) -- Hip-hop artist Wyclef Jean says he has submitted the necessary paperwork to run for president of Haiti, a country he left when he was a child. Jean made the anticipated announcement Thursday on CNN's "Larry King Live." The singer traveled to Haiti to submit the paperwork. Jean was one of the first, and most visible, celebrities to offer aid after a devastating earthquake hit Haiti in January. He has also been an outspoken proponent of the nation through his Yele Haiti Foundation, which has come under scrutiny for how it spends its money. "Yes, it's my first time announcing it live -- that today I went in, and I signed, and I am running to be the president of Haiti," said Jean, in his first television interview about his decision to run. Whoever is elected in November, the new president will face the monumental task of rebuilding the country that was ravaged by a January 12 earthquake that killed more than 220,000 people, destroyed 60 percent of government infrastructure and left more than 180,000 homes uninhabitable. Whoever steps in will also oversee the billions of dollars in international aid promised to the country since the quake. "Now that our country has toppled, it's a chance to rebuild from the bottom on up," Jean said, adding he will be the voice of Haiti's youth. Jean's announcement quickly became a top topic on the internet, with many debating whether the music star best known for rapping, playing the guitar and dancing, could actually lead a country. One outspoken critic was actor Sean Penn, who has lived in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, for months to help manage 50,000 displaced Haitians living in a camp. Penn said he questioned Jean's motives. "What the Haitian people need now is a leader who is genuinely willing to sacrifice," Penn said. "I haven't seen or heard anything of him in these last six months that I've been in Haiti. I think he's an important voice. I hope he doesn't sacrifice that voice by taking the eye off the very devastating realities on the ground." Penn mentioned past allegations that Jean mishandled funds from his nonprofit organization Yele Haiti and used some of the money donated for Haitians. "He claims he didn't do it. That has to be looked into it," Penn said. "I've been there. I know what $400,000 could do for these people's lives." At the time, Jean tearfully denied the allegations that he misappropriated funds from his Yele Haiti charity and experts on nonprofits said they couldn't find serious wrongdoing. iReporter: Jean made 'several key mistakes' Jean shot to fame in the mid-1990s as a member of the Fugees, a U.S.-based hip-hop and reggae group. He now performs as a solo artist. Jean was born in Haiti, and moved to the United States as a young boy. He recently resigned as chairman of the Yele Haiti Foundation. Jean, dressed in a gray suit and a red-, black- and white-striped tie, stressed the need for Haiti to improve education, as well as its agriculture, security and health care. He also said job creation would be a central part of his campaign going forward. | NEW: Sean Penn criticizes Jean's decision . Jean stresses the need for education, jobs, agriculture, security and health care . Elections are scheduled for late November . Jean says he will represent the voice of the youth . | f5c106423741119a342e845eb51d09d069b84ceb |
Prime Minister Tony Abbott will today announce he has taken his signature paid parental leave (PPL) scheme off the table, as he launches a desperate bid to save his leadership. Mr Abbott is trying to avoid blame for the disastrous Queensland election result on the weekend, which saw a massive swing to Labor, as the latest opinion poll confirmed his government's standing is plummeting. A Fairfax/Ipsos poll showed Bill Shorten's Labor government has soared ahead of the Coalition with 40 per cent of the votes, after the Queensland ALP secured a massive swing in an election which saw Premier Campbell Newman lose his seat. Scroll down for video . Tony Abbott's leadership deepened overnight when Queensland voters delivered the conservative government a massive blow in the state election . Queensland Premier Campbell Newman and Queensland Labor leader Annastacia Palaszczuk on Friday. The ALP secured a massive swing in an election which saw Premier Campbell Newman lose his seat. The Coalition dropped in popularity by three per cent, down to 38 per cent. The polling numbers would see Labor snatch as many as 40 seats in the next election. This comes as Assistant Treasurer Josh Frydenberg confirmed the government's PPL scheme will be scrapped. In a major policy speech at the National Press Club on Monday Mr Abbott will announce he is dumping the PPL scheme and will instead introduce a 'families package' focussing on childcare. 'We sought the advice of the Productivity Commission and I have listened to the feedback from my colleagues and from mums and dads around Australia and they have said that, with our current budget constraints, the better focus now is on childcare if we want higher participation and a stronger economy,' Mr Abbott will say, the ABC reported. The scheme would have paid new mothers their full salary for six months, capped at an annual income of $100,000. It will be replaced with a revamped families package. 'He's got a tin ear. The captain's pick of Prince Philip was basically a fatal blow to his prime ministership. I think he's got until the end of this week.' - South Australian independent senator Nick Xenophon. 'If they think it's the salesman, not what they're selling, they will have learned nothing. It's the arrogance which really frustrates people.' - Opposition leader Bill Shorten . 'It's not just Tony Abbott, it's the Abbott government policies that are the problem. They have to reject the cruel and arrogant way they have been leaning on the poor.' - Greens leader Christine Milne. 'We would be crazy to repeat the experience of the last Labor government.' - George Brandis. 'We can't continue as we are. We are getting bad feedback.' - Liberal back bencher Jane Prentice looking at the federal impact of the Queensland election wipeout on Saturday night. 'The prime minister has the support of all members of his government, including me.' - Communications Minister and purported leadership contender Malcolm Turnbull. The results come as speculation grows that a leadership adjustment is on the cards, possibly reinstating Communications Minister Malcolm Turnbull to the top role . 'There will be an emphasis on child care and how we can build and boost female workforce participation,' Mr Frydenberg said. It was too difficult to proceed with Mr Abbott's 'signature' parental leave policy given the tight budgetary environment. 'The prime minister recognises that he has to be pragmatic about it,' the assistant treasurer said. He batted away criticism of the decision, saying Mr Abbott had consulted colleagues extensively and taken into account the Productivity Commission's report into child care. 'You can't criticise him for taking leadership on this issue even though he said at the last election that we're going to introduce the PPL.' The news comes as speculation is growing that a Liberal leadership spill is on the cards, with suggestions that Communications Minister Malcolm Turnbull could again lead the party. Foreign Minister Julie Bishop, the deputy Liberal leader, has also been rumoured to be in line for the job. Foreign Minister Julie Bishop, the deputy Liberal leader, has also been rumoured to be lined up for the job . Backbenchers began talking openly about dumping Mr Abbott as leader after the 'catastrophic' election result in Queensland. Mr Abbott called an emergency Cabinet meeting on the weekend to restore backbenchers' confidence following the humiliating start to 2015. Some of Mr Abbott's closest allies on Sunday conceded party members were unsettled but insisted his leadership was not under imminent threat . 'A few anonymous voices and a couple of people who have been prepared to put their head up do not constitute a basis to unsettle a prime ministership,' Attorney-General George Brandis said. However, opposition members have called for an end to Mr Abbot's time as Prime Minister, claiming his days are numbered. 'If they think it's the salesman, not what they're selling, they will have learned nothing. It's the arrogance which really frustrates people,' Opposition leader Bill Shorten said on Sunday. 'All we are talking about now is the timing and method of execution,' one Queensland MP told ABC News. 'This is catastrophic, unimaginable,' said another. And its not just Mr Abbott that some people have in their sights. Media mogul Rupert Murdoch was back on Twitter again berating the government for its poor showing in the Queensland elections. 'Shock turnover in Q'land outing okay government.. Blank check to nobodies. Can't ignore this a huge message for Feds. People have spoken!' Earlier in the week the media tycoon tweeted that Mr Abbott should sack his chief-of-staff Peta Credlin after his widely scorned decision to award British royal Prince Philip a knighthood on Australia Day. The Sunday Telegraph reported that Foreign Minister Julie Bishop has confirmed to the prime minister privately she would not challenge him for the leadership at this point, but refused to deny it may happen in the future. Following leadership troubles for Tony Abbott, the Prime Minister steered clear of the Queensland campaign amid fears his presence would be a detriment to the campaign. | Fairfax/Ipsos poll shows support for the Coalition has plummeted . Tony Abbott's government was down 3 per cent to 38 per cent . This comes after Mr Abbott has been blamed for the disastrous Queensland election result which saw a massive swing to Labor . On Monday the Prime Minister will dump his paid parental leave scheme . Speculation is mounting that there could be a Liberal leadership spill . | 1a74111a4dd9146a81598b6295586618539454ee |
By . Helen Pow . PUBLISHED: . 11:48 EST, 20 November 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 13:02 EST, 20 November 2013 . George Zimmerman's now-estranged girlfriend claims the guy she once called 'Georgie' spiraled into a deep depression after his acquittal in the Trayvon Martin case and has tried to kill himself multiple times, once putting a gun in his mouth and threatening to pull the trigger. Samantha Scheibe was spotted leaving her Florida home Wednesday with an armed escort and under a towel, two days after the couple's violent argument, which saw Zimmerman ordered to stay 1,500 feet away from her at all times and hand over his array of guns. But a revealing series of text messages and phone calls leading up to the blonde's frantic 911 call has painted a clearer picture of their volatile relationship and Zimmerman's life post-trial. Scroll down for video . Girlfriend: George Zimmerman's now-estranged girlfriend Samantha Scheibe, shown in this undated picture, has revealed details about their relationship and his depression . Scheibe and her mother, Hope Mason, told ClickOrlando.com that Scheibe, whom Zimmerman began dating after she apparently consoled him following his break up with wife, Shellie, feared for her life but didn't leave because she thought she could help him. After Shellie filed for divorce, Zimmerman moved into Scheibe's Seminole County home but their relationship soon fell apart because of his depression. In late October, she demanded he get professional help but she said this made him angry and he moved all her furniture, clothes and food out of her home. 'She's scared is the bottom line,' Scheibe's mother, Mason, wrote in a text message to ClickOrlando. The mother and daughter were in touch . with the news outlet as they were negotiating an interview that never . materialized. They claimed they wanted to go public because they . believed the media attention would keep Scheibe out of harms way. Argument: Zimmerman, pictured leaving jail, allegedly pointed a shotgun at his girlfriend who had been feeling increasingly scared of him . Volatile relationship: After Shellie filed for divorce, Zimmerman moved into the Seminole County home of Scheibe, pictured left and right, but their relationship soon fell apart because of his depression . Mother and daughter: Scheibe, right, and her mother, Hope Mason, left, were in touch with news outlets as they were negotiating an interview that never materialized . 'Things have gotten hotter on her end. He has shown up two times already today to her house, so we need to make a move sooner than later so she stays safe,' Mason wrote in a text message. However, before an interview was arranged, Scheibe and Zimmerman made up and he moved her things back into the house. But the relationship remained . volatile and on one occasion soon after, Scheibe sought refuge at her . mother's house to get away from Zimmerman. While . there, Mason told ClickOrlando that Zimmerman sent Scheibe's daughter a . still image from an intimate home video of Scheibe and Zimmerman. 'He's now threatened her in writing and even sent a portion of the video to her baby girl,' Mason wrote in a text. Despite this, the couple reunited again. But on Monday, a terrified Scheibe called 911 for help, telling the . operator Zimmerman put his gun in her face and was smashing up her . furniture. In cuffs again: George Zimmerman, the acquitted shooter in the death of Trayvon Martin, appeared in court on Tuesday on charges including aggravated assault stemming from the fight with his girlfriend November 19, 2013 . Companion: . Samantha Scheibe is the striking blonde Shellie refers to as . Zimmerman’s ‘latest babe’ according to one close friend of Zimmerman's . estranged wife . He was charged with aggravated assault on Tuesday and ordered to keep his distance from his girlfriend whom he claimed was pregnant with his baby, and hand over his firearms. In the messages to ClickOrlando, Scheibe said Zimmerman changed as soon as he was acquitted in the Trayvon Martin case. She said he spiraled into a very deep depression after the media frenzy went away and while he was prescribed medication, after a while he stopped taking it. Scheibe described how he spent days in bed, refusing to get up. One day she found him passed out with an empty bottle of sleeping pills on his sidetable. She claims he overdosed and she wasn't able to revive him but noticed he was still breathing. When he did wake, she said he started crying and then put a gun inside his mouth, telling her he was ready to end it all. She said she talked him out of killing himself. But this wasn't the only occasion he threatened to take his own life, she said. According to Scheibe, Zimmerman enjoyed the media attention he received from the Trayvon case and grew depressed when he wasn't in the headlines. | Samantha Scheibe was spotted leaving her Florida home with an armed escort Wednesday, two days after calling 911 on George Zimmerman . In a revealing series of text messages and phone calls leading up to the couple's violent argument has painted a clearer picture of their relationship and Zimmerman's life . Scheibe claims she stopped Zimmerman killing himself after he spiralled into a deep depression following his acquittal in the Trayvon Martin case . She also said he loves the media attention and gets more depressed and volatile when he is not in the headlines . | ae9e5ab2372d10a0bb9fffd54a7cc240b76ab974 |
By . Daily Mail Reporters . PUBLISHED: . 16:17 EST, 15 August 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 02:09 EST, 16 August 2013 . A DNA test has revealed Scott Disick is the father of Kourtney Kardashian's son Mason, dismissing a male model's claims of paternity. The 33-year-old reality TV star was asked by model Michael Girgenti to allow Mason, three, to undergo the test, after he claimed they slept together while she and Scott, 30, were on a break in their relationship in March 2009. But lab results from tests taken on August 12 have proved his allegations are false. Family bond: Scott, pictured here in July, shares two children with Kourtney from their seven year relationship and has been confirmed as Mason's father . Kourtney, who has always denied Michael's . allegations, told E! News: 'After three-and-a-half years of lies being . spread by an individual I met briefly at a photo shoot, I am setting the . record straight that Scott is Mason's father. 'While it saddens me to . have to address these ridiculous lies - especially when the truth was . never in doubt - this story must be put to rest.' However, Mr Girgenti appeared to not have accepted the results of the text as conclusive and plans to press ahead with the paternity lawsuit he filed earlier this month in which he claims he had 'unprotected vaginal sex' with Kourtney in March 2009 at his Glendale, California apartment. 'We don’t trust the results and believe it could have been fixed,' his spokesperson told Radar. 'Still going to court to fight for court ordered results.' Legal . bid: Michael Girgenti reportedly reached out to Kourney Kardashian in a . letter months before launching a legal bid for a court ordered DNA test . in the first steps towards a custody battle over her son Mason . Strain: Kourtney Kardashian and Scott Disick, pictured going for sushi earlier this week hope that the story will now be put to rest . Mr Girgenti had claimed that he fathered Kourtney Kardashian's son Mason amid a steamy love affair. But . before taking the case to court, he reportedly wrote an impassioned . letter to the reality star urging her to submit to a DNA test. According to RadarOnline . the letter, dated April 23, stated that the 26-year-old male model . wished to avoid dragging Kourtney and her partner Scott to court. 'My attentions [sic] are not to hurt the family you've created with Scott,' Girgenti wrote. 'Please . take this final request for a DNA test seriously,' he wrote before . taking on a more stern tone: 'Because if you don't, I will be forced to . take legal action and sue.' Saddened: Kourtney expressed her frustration that she had to address the ridiculous allegations . He continued: 'I assure you I don't take being a father lightly. I will be a great father to Mason.' Last week, Girgenti filed paperwork at a Los Angeles County Superior Court in . a bid to get joint custody of the three-year-old child . alleging he had unprotected sex with the reality TV star nine months . before Mason's birth. The lawsuit documents the alleged . relationship between Kourtney and Michael, which he claims heated up in . August 2008, and continued with months of texting in which she told him . her relationship with Scott was 'on the . outs' and 'she wanted to hang'. According . to gossip website TMZ.com, Michael wanted the judge to order DNA tests . for Kourtney, Mason and her long-term boyfriend Scott. Photogenic: Kourtney and Michael met on a photo shoot in 2008, but the star's attorney says there was no further contact after that . Battle: Kourtney with son Mason who is now at the centre of the lawsuit . Her lawyer recently told TMZ.com on that Gigenti's allegations are 'absurd'. 'This . individual has been selling false and fabricated stories to the . tabloids for years about Kourtney Kardashian and her son, Mason. Scott . Disick is Mason’s father,' Todd Wilson told the website. 'We . have not seen the reported court filing, but we are informed that this . individual has been seeking to get paid to publish his ridiculous . pleading. 'His claims . are absurd and this is simply another shameful attempt to gain . publicity and profit from fictional stories about my client.' The reality star was seen outside her . lawyer's office on Wednesday, no doubt seeking advice over the . embarrassing and upsetting lawsuit. Michael . claims they had full sex and as soon as she had given birth to Mason - . born on 14 December 2009 - he tried contacting her. The allegations first came to light . in March earlier this year when he told In Touch magazine: 'After . [Mason] was born, and I saw photos of him, I began to wonder. 'I would definitely want to acknowledge Mason if he's my kid - he deserves to know his real father.' Scott and Kourtney also have a 13-month-old daughter Penelope. A . legal representative for the Kourtney & Kim Take Miami star . previously branded the Chicago native's allegations 'preposterous and an . outrageous lie'. Just last week it was reported that Kourtney was pregnant with her third child. She . did not comment on the rumours, although was later seen eating sushi . with her family - a food type pregnant women are advised to steer clear of due to the raw fish ingredients. Legal advice: The couple were pictured outside their lawyer's office a week ago following the paternity claim . | Kourtney 'saddened to have to address these ridiculous lies' Model Michael Girgenti claims test 'could have been fixed' | e57006ef1e4435d91dd44025e6d646014c624a16 |
By . Sarah Griffiths . PUBLISHED: . 11:06 EST, 5 September 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 13:51 EST, 5 September 2013 . They might look like props from a sci-fi film, but this strange collection of objects is actually a hands-on training kit for midwives working in developing countries. A Norwegian company came up with a trio of affordable products aimed at helping to save lives in countries where preventable birth-related deaths is greatest as many midwives do not access to education or training. 'The Natalie Collection' comprises a birthing simulator, suction device and newborn simulator to provide practical training in a bid to help reduce the number of newborn babies and mothers that die just after giving birth - two of the UN's Millennium Development Goals. Scroll down for video . A Norwegian company came up with a trio of affordable products aimed at helping to save lives in countries where preventable birth-related death is greatest, as many midwives do not access to education or training . The other-worldly-looking 'Mama Natalie Birthing Simulator' is a wearable contraption that that is meant to simulate a woman's womb, but in a slightly abstract and inoffensive way. The simple design only focuses on the most important features without realistic aesthetic distractions . The concept, which combines industrial design and education, was dreamed up by Laerdal Global Health in response to the shocking statistic that 3,000 newborn babies die from birth asphyxia along with 1,000 birthing mothers every day. The company claims that The Natalie Collection is a portable and low-cost way of training skilled professionals. The other-worldly-looking 'Mama Natalie Birthing Simulator' is a wearable contraption that that is meant to simulate a woman's womb, but in a slightly abstract and inoffensive way. This scene might look gory, but it is a simulation of a birth using the unusual training aid. Fake blood is used to make the scenario more realistic . The simple design only focuses on the most important features without realistic aesthetic distractions but there is still something bizarre about this scene from a role play where a midwife is pulling on a fake umbilical cord . The simple design only focuses on the most important features without realistic aesthetic distractions. However, it can be used with fake blood to prepare and train midwives for post birth bleeding, which is a leading cause of maternal deaths. Less strangely, a penguin-shaped suction device called the NeoNatalie Suction, is designed to train midwives to access babies' nostrils effectively but safely to help newborns with breathing difficulties. The other-worldly-looking 'Mama Natalie Birthing Simulator' is a wearable contraption that that is meant to simulate a woman's womb, but in a slightly abstract and inoffensive way . The company claims that The Natalie Collection, including the birth simulator (pictured) is a portable and low-cost way of training skilled professionals and the fake blood makes the training more realistic . The device is easily disinfected and transparent so that professionals can inspect the suctioned material. The 'NeoNatalie Newborn Simulator' a mannequin designed to focus a user's attention on the important aspects of a baby’s body to provide realism only where it is important. Details such as weight, head articulation, umbilical pulse, as well as the babies’ breath and heartbeat have been simulated as closely as possible, making the model similar to handling a real baby. Pictured is a guide for users that comes with the products, which have been used to train midwives in developing countries . The devices, which combines industrial design and education, were dreamed up by Laerdal Global Health in response to the shocking statistic that 3,000 newborn babies die from birth asphyxia along with 1,000 birthing mothers every day . A training programme with charity Helping Babies Breathe, which uses the NeoNatalie collection in Tanzania has shown a 47 per cent . reduction in newborn death due to asphyxia. Katinka Von Der Lippe who is involved in the project, said: 'The Natalie Collection . is a low-cost, practical, hands-on training kit for the most important . and critical moment in life - when a baby is being born.' She said it is a good example of how clever design can improve living conditions and its simple approach invites participation and teamwork. The company claims the product encourages the learning process to become playful enabling midwives and birth assistants to role-play. 'Since the Natalie Collection is based on practical involvement, language barriers have little impact on the learning process,' she added. The 'NeoNatalie Newborn Simulator' a mannequin designed to focus a user's attention on the important aspects of a baby's body to provide realism only where it is important . A penguin-shaped suction device called the NeoNatalie Suction, is designed to train midwives to access babies' nostrils effectively but safely to help newborns with breathing difficulties . The concept, which includes the birthing simulator (pictured) and combines industrial design and education, was dreamed up by Laerdal Global Health in response to the shocking statistic that 3,000 newborn babies die from birth asphyxia along with 1,000 birthing mothers every day . | Norwegian designers created the devices with the aim of reducing the number of newborn babies and mothers that die just after giving birth . 'The Natalie Collection' includes a novel 'birthing simulator' that can be used with fake blood to prepare midwives for post birth bleeding . The Helping Babies Breathe programme, which uses the contraptions in Tanzania, . showed a 47 per cent . reduction in newborn death due to asphyxia . | faa3f2b481829951058c960cf2d1648a95fb0ef7 |
PUBLISHED: . 10:55 EST, 16 August 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 13:58 EST, 16 August 2013 . A 12-year-old girl barred from playing football for her school because of her gender is fighting back with the help of a civil liberties group. The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) is throwing its weight behind the case of Makhaela Jenkins whose local authority claims it is not being sexist because there are other sports girls can do instead of football. Makhaela already plays youth football in the Baltimore area, south east of Columbus, Ohio, but is not allowed to join the active roster for her school team because of her gender. Barred: Youth footballer Makhaela Jenkins, 12, is fighting an Ohio district policy that bans her from playing football for her school . The district's policy is that only boys can participate in football games and contact drills. According to Fox 28 Columbus, the ACLU has written to the school and labelled its principles as being old-fashioned. Jennifer Martinez Atzberger, ACLU of Ohio senior staff attorney, quoted by the news service, said: 'This school is using outdated and untrue stereotypes about gender to decide who participates in athletics.' She added: 'Federal courts in Ohio have made it clear since the 1970’s that if a girl wants to play football, and there is not an equivalent team for girls, she must be allowed to try out for the boys' team.' Makhaela, who has been playing mixed youth football for some time and has earned her place in the team, is popular with the coach and has earned the blessing of her family, also has the law on her side, Atzberger pointed out to Fox 28. The ACLU member highlighted a similar 1974 case, Clinton v. Nagy, in which a family won a District Court case when their 12-year-old daughter was also stopped from playing football on a municipal team because of her sex. Full Contact: Makhaela Jenkins has been playing youth football but her school will not allow her to play for its team. The school district says it offers girls other non-contact sports to take part in. Pictured, a tackle between New England Patriots and the Baltimore Ravens during the 2013 AFC Championship game . The letter was sent yesterday to Liberty Union-Thurston School District. Quoted in a Fox News article, the district's superintendent Paul Mathews claims their policy does not infringe any gender-related violations because the district offers other, non-contact sports for girls. 'We have opportunities for girls, but those opportunities do not include contact sports,' he told Fox News. The school district's board members have not yet publicly responded to the ACLU's letter, the news service said. | Makhaela Jenkins plays youth football but her school has barred her from games because of her gender . The Thurston District, Ohio, says it is not violating the law because there are other sports on offer for girls that are non-contact . The American Civil Liberties Union says the district's policy is out-dated, unacceptable and is unlawful . | 0eca1911a90ab50840c6df08f9178dae2e79955d |
(CNN) -- The 25 victims of the August 26 terrorist bombing of the United Nations House in Abuja, the Nigerian capital, were honored in a memorial ceremony on Thursday. Omabegho Edward-Dede, the 12-year-old surviving son of Dr. Edward Dede, a national professional officer with the World Health Organization, told the grieving crowd at the ceremony at the U.N. House premises that he is taking solace in his memories of his father. "That fateful morning when I woke up, I didn't know we would hear such a news about the death of my father," Edward-Dede said. "There are things that we don't want to happen for which we have to accept; things which we don't want to know, but which we have to learn; people we can't live without, but to circumstances like this, we have to let go. "However, I take courage and strength when I remember the good life my father lived." Wreaths were placed to commemorate the victims, who were described as "martyrs of development" by Uzoma Ihedirimadu-Abudu, the president of the Federation of United Nations Staff Association of Nigeria. Officials representing the Nigerian government and the United Nations joined members of the diplomatic corps, the armed forces and family members of the victims at the ceremony. "While we ensure the rehabilitation of the U.N. building, we will also bring all those responsible for this act to book," said Nigerian Foreign Affairs Minister Ggenga Ashiru on behalf of Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan. "And we pray God will grant the families of the deceased the fortitude to bear this irreparable loss." U.N. representative Daouda Toure said the deceased did not die in vain. "They died because they believed in a world of peace, tolerance and social justice. Their deaths should spur all of us as one family to continue to live the ideals for which they died." According to official figures, 116 people also were injured in the incident, which occurred when a suicide bomber believed to be an adherent of the extremist Muslim group Boko Haram rammed a vehicle into the U.N. House. Of the dead, 11 were U.N. staff and 12 were unrelated to the U.N. Two bodies were not identified. Several of the injured were flown to South Africa for medical treatment. | Ceremony honors 25 who died in bomb attack in Nigeria . Victim's 12-year-old son among speakers at memorial . Suicide bomber thought to have been part of extremist group Boko Haram . | cdb2702e58af2fef1a59b3d144891b77cb4abbcd |
Moscow (CNN) -- Chechen rebel leader Doku Umarov claimed responsibility Monday for last month's deadly attack on Moscow's main international airport that left 36 people dead. In a video message, posted on a website that regularly carries messages from Chechen rebels, Umarov said he was speaking on January 24 -- the day of the deadly bombing. He wore camouflage combat fatigues and a black skullcap. "The special operation was done in accordance with my order. Similar special operations will be taking place in the future," he said in Russian. The Kavkaz Center website said it received the message and posted it late Monday. In a seperate message posted over the weekend, the self-titled Emir of the North Caucasus vowed to deliver "a year of blood and tears" to Russia, saying that there were dozens of rebels prepared to carry out attacks. "I won't tell you there are hundreds of us prepared for jihad. But 50 or 60, God willing, we will find," said Umarov. "Those operations will be conducted monthly or weekly, as Allah allows us," he said. In Moscow, investigators say they have identified the suspected suicide bomber behind the airport attack as a 20-year-old man from the North Caucusus region. Alexander Bortnikov, the head of Russia's Federal Security Service, has refused to publicly name the suspect or identify his specific origin. But he told Russian state television the alleged bomber was under the influence of drugs before the attack. "Biological studies revealed the presence of a huge amount of highly potent narcotic and psychotropic substances in parts of the suicide bomber's body," Bortnikov said. Sitting beneath a black flag and flanked by two other bearded rebels in the message posted first, Umarov names the young man to his left as "Mujahedeen Seifullah." He said the man was being sent on a mission, although it is not clear from the video if this was the suspected Moscow airport bomber, or when the message was recorded. "I would like Putin and Medvedev and all other kaffirs and enemies to understand that there are many of us who will follow in our footsteps and give their lives for Allah," Umarov said. | NEW: Doku Umarov says he directed the January 24 airport bombing . NEW: He promises more attacks in the future . 36 people were killed in the blast . | 256c7f67014ffaaed1c5f4929f8ade0b1d8843dd |
Editor's note: The staff at CNN.com has been intrigued by the journalism of VICE, an independent media company and Web site based in Brooklyn, New York. The reports, which are produced solely by VICE, reflect a very transparent approach to journalism, where viewers are taken along on every step of the reporting process. We believe this unique reporting approach is worthy of sharing with our CNN.com readers. Brooklyn, New York (VICE) -- Two men stand in the yard of a Nepalese jail, facing the camera. One looks straight into the lens while the other looks away. They are on trial for poaching and could be sharing a cell for the next 20 years if convicted. Patrick Brown takes their picture. Brown and Ben Davies have been documenting the illegal trade of endangered animals in Asia for more than ten years, covering its dealers, stockpiles, trafficking routes and markets. They knows that poachers are but a small part of a much bigger contraband industry that is centuries old. "A poacher who kills a rhino and removes its horn in India gets $350," Brown explains. "By the time it reaches Hong Kong, the horn is worth about $95,600 per killogram." Money fuels illegal animal trade, as it does any other form of smuggling, but the demand and value of these animals is built upon false beliefs and superstition. Rhino horns have no medicinal purpose, but myths about their effect on health and potency have pushed their value to more than five times the price of gold in black markets. Animal trade thrives on novelty and on the belief that exotic animals exude certain powers. More and more people are becoming aware of the myths, but sellers are also adapting. As Patrick Brown explains, porous rhino horns are now often soaked in Viagra before they reach the market. See the rest of Picture Perfect: Patrick Brown at VICE.COM . The exact size of that market is impossible to figure out, but experts estimate that its value is somewhere in the hundreds of millions of dollars. Legal global wildlife trade has doubled since the 1990s, and the evidence is nothing short of disheartening: more than 100 million sharks are killed each year, elephants have evolved to have shorter tusks because of poaching, and there are more Bengalese tigers in Texas than in the bay of Bengal. The trade pandemic is only made worse by the shortage of animal specialists at checkpoints. "The problem seems insurmountable," Patrick Brown said, "but one way of curbing rampant killing is to educate future generations." Brown does not think of himself as an animal activist, but rather talks about exposing a subculture of society and documenting the story of what happens to these animals. He hopes his work will raise public and political awareness about this issue and has said that his ultimate goal is to educate the developing world. Brown and Davies' decade-long project will culminate with the publication of "Trading to Extinction" later this year. The book was made possible by the crowd-funding site Emphas.is and will include an introduction by journalist Ben Davies. | Photographer Patrick Brown documents the illegal trade of endangered animals in Asia . Money fuels the trade, but Brown says demand, value of the animals built on superstition . Brown hopes his work will raise awareness about the issue and educate the world . | da9609278b099c165aa343793bc2e03c2ed17752 |
By . Sophie Jane Evans . and David Williams . Snowboarder Jenny Jones has slept with her bronze medal under her pillow following her ride to glory at the Winter Olympics. The . delighted athlete confessed that she had not been able to part with the . medal during the night - adding that the reality of winning was . 'starting to sink in a little bit'. The . 33-year-old scooped bronze in the slopestyle yesterday in front of . millions of fans with a spectacular performance of jumps, leaps and . grinds. Scroll down for video . Success: Snowboarder Jenny Jones has slept with her bronze medal under her pillow following her ride to glory at the Winter Olympics. Today, the 33-year-old said the reality of winning was 'starting to sink in a little bit' Medallist: The 33-year-old scooped bronze in the slopestyle yesterday in front of millions of spectators . High-performer: She impressed Olympic judges with a spectacular performance of jumps, leaps and grinds . Proud: Jones, who was born in Bristol, posted this photo of her holding the bronze medal on Instagram . Following . her success, she posted a message to her fans on Twitter, reading: . 'Aaahhhhhh!! Did I just get bronze at the friggin Olympics!!' And today, Jones told Radio 4's Today programme: 'I am still amazed. It is unbelieveable.' 'I . found the semi-finals were extremely nerve-wracking, more so than the . finals,' she said. 'To have made the finals, I was just on a high. 'It's an exciting time for snow boarding . and slope style. We have lots of youngsters coming up with lots of . potential. Hopefully it will get girls and boys out there on the dry . slopes and trying the snow.' 'Hyperactive': The BBC has apologised after hundreds of viewers complained the broadcaster had spoiled Jenny Jones's Olympic bronze medal success and branded the commentators 'puerile and hyperactive' Shock: Jenny Jones realises her parents, who she believed were at home, were in the crowd as she competed, pictured left. She immediately rushed over to give them a hug, pictured right . Rad: Jones performs a stylish jump during her successful run. However, many viewers were less impressed with the BBC commentary . Error: During the commentary, the presenters incorrectly told the nation Jenny had won gold and un-sportingly whooped with delight when a competitor fell over . The Bronze medalist celebrates during the flower ceremony for the Women's Snowboard Slopestyle Finals . (Left to right) Silver medalist Enni Rukajarvi of Finland, gold medalist Jamie Anderson of the United States and bronze medalist Jenny Jones pose on the podium . She also revealed that she had spent the night before the big event watching ITV period drama, Downton Abbey. As Jones rode to victory yesterday, she did not realise was that the crowd included two very important spectators – her parents. The snowboarder had always banned her mother and father from coming to her competitions because it made her too nervous. But . Peter and Helen Jones were not going to miss the chance to see their . daughter win an Olympic medal – Britain’s first ever on snow – so they . flew to Russia to surprise her. Miss Jones burst into tears when she saw them at the finish point moments after realising she had taken bronze. Apres-ski? British snowboarder Jenny Jones tweeted this, suggesting she might have gone out celebrating after her win. Viewers were repeatedly told viewers how sporting snowboarding rivals were . That's the one: Jenny Jones celebrates after her second run in the women's slopestyle in Sochi . Just beginning: Jenny Jones pictured aged 18 when the sportswoman had just started her first full season . The sportswoman pictured with a black eye (left) and cuts to her face (right) sustained through her sport . Star in the making: Jones in 2002, a few years after winning her first of five British Snowboard Championships . After . their emotional embrace Mrs Jones, from Bristol, said: ‘It’s . absolutely unbelievable, she has never disappointed us. We have always . been proud of her but, blimey, this is the icing on the cake.’ Mr Jones added: ‘I need a whisky – I think we both need a drink and a long sleep. It’s been great coming out here.’ As well as her parents’ support, Miss Jones had the help of an unusual lucky charm – a tea bag tucked into her bra. The snowboarder, who was the oldest competitor by more than six years, said she felt ‘absolutely ecstatic’. ‘A . few said, “Is she past it?” but … I did the best run I could have . done … you sense the world is watching and you had to control that part . of things and not let it get to you too much. ‘I . feel very proud to have won a bronze medal for my country. I can’t . believe it’s our first on snow.’ She added: ‘It is still sinking in, the . history part … I absolutely had no idea of this when I was a chalet . maid cooking breakfast and cleaning toilets … it was just about . snowboarding.’ Delight: Jones (right) celebrates with fellow medalists Enni Rukajarvi (left) and Jamie Anderson (centre) High-flying: Miss Jones's bronze win was Britain's first ever medal on snow . Crude: Mr Leigh also referred to Olympic hero Jenny's reaction to winning the bronze - telling viewers she 'had a face that can help bread rise' It was while . working on the ski slopes that Miss Jones developed her superstition. Missing British home comforts, she noticing some tea bags as she was . cleaning a room. ‘I put one . inside my bra so I could have a drink later,’ she revealed in an . interview in 2012. ‘I forgot all about it and went out snowboarding and . completed my first ever backflip. ‘It . was amazing. It was only later that I remembered the tea bag but it had . crumbled into a load of loose leaves. I couldn’t use them to make a . cuppa so I gathered them up and kept them for a couple of years until . they crumbled into nothing but they brought me more good luck.’ She has continued the ritual for competitions ever since. At . one stage yesterday the snowboarder held the lead after scoring 87.25 . points in her second run and had an agonising wait while ten athletes . tried to better her mark. Jenny Jones reacts after getting the scores for her second run . Pumped: Jones poses with her parents who surprised her at the ceremony . American . Jamie Anderson eventually took gold with 95.25, ahead of Finland’s Enni . Rukajarvi on 92.50. The three women shouted their delight and hugged as . the final competitor failed to match their scores. Miss . Jones said: ‘It was so difficult waiting. I thought I did my best run . and landed it as best as I could, thankfully it was enough. That was a . long waiting game.’ Her triumph comes after a life of hard work and . dedication to snowboarding. Before working as a chalet girl, she paid . her way with jobs in a cardboard factory and a doughnut shop. The . fearless sports star has also overcome horrendous injuries. Her most . recent accident was in December when she suffered bad concussion after . missing a jump and landing on her head, but she has also broken her . tailbone, two bones in her left arm and her foot. Pictures . she posted online show her facial scars from training and she had to . take nine months off after tearing her anterior cruciate ligament. The . injury was four years after she began snowboarding with a 30-minute . lesson on a dry slope with her brothers. 1980: Born July 3 in Bristol . 1999: Explodes onto the scene by winning the first of five British Snowboard Championships. 2006: Finishes the year second in the World Snowboard Tour Rankings. 2009: January - Cements her position as one of the world's leading snowboarders by winning a slopestyle gold medal at the prestigious Winter X Games in Aspen, Colorado.February - Earns silver in the slopestyle at the inaugural Winter Dew Tour after second-place finishes in the meetings at Breckenridge Ski Resort in Colorado and Mount Snow Resort in West Dover, Vermont. 2010: January - Wins her second slopestyle gold medal in a row at the Winter X Games 14 in Aspen. February - Runner-up once again in the Winter Dew Tour standings after a third-place finish at Breckenridge was followed up by coming second at Snowbasin Resort in Huntsville, Utah and Mount Snow Resort. March - Follows up her success in the X Games with yet another gold medal at the Winter X Games Europe in Tignes, France. 2011: Fails to claim a hat-trick of Winter X Games gold medals, settling for silver after being pipped by Finland's Enni Rukajarvi. 2013: August - Secures her first World Cup podium with a silver medal in a meeting in New Zealand.December - Suffers a concussion in a training crash in Austria. 2014: January - Named in Team GB's squad for the Winter Olympics in Sochi to compete in the Games' first ever slopestyle event. Sunday, February 9 - marks her Olympic debut at the age of 33 by winning bronze medal for Great Britain in snowboard slopestyle at Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics. Becomes Britain's first medal winner on snow. | Jenny Jones, 33, managed what no Briton had achieved in 90 years . She had to endure an agonising 20-minute wait after finishing her run . For . Bristol-born Jones, victory finally arrived after decade in this . sport . She only started snowboarding when dry slope offered free lessons . Today, she revealed she had slept with bronze medal under her pillow . She said reality of scooping third place was 'starting to sink in a little bit' | b6dddb0e7cf75b610fd6dbcae30d40e4798de28c |
By . William Turvill . These photographs show the incredible views that will be on offer to guests at one of London's most hotly anticipated hotels when it opens later this year. The Shangri-La hotel, At The Shard, will take up floors 34 to 52 in one of the world's tallest - and most famous - buildings, designed by Renzo Piano. Initially expected to open this time last year, after a long wait the hotel will finally open its doors to guests on May 6. This is one of the incredible views guests at the Shangri-La hotel in the Shard will be offered later this year . In addition to its 202 guestrooms, each offering breath-taking views across the capital, the hotel also boasts an indoor swimming pool and a stylish cocktail bar - both found on its top floor. At The Shard's reception is found on the 35th floor, and each room is said to be unique owing to the building's original shape. With each guestroom featuring a floor-to-ceiling window, views across the River Thames, the Houses of Parliament, the City of London and other more distant landmarks are on offer. Guests are also promised a body-contouring Shangri-La bed, Acqua Di Parma bathroom amenities and mirrors integrated with televisions in the 87-storey building, which opened in 2012. In all, the hotel will open with 202 guestrooms, each offering breath-taking views across the capital . Shangri-La's At The Shard hotel has an indoor swimming pool on level 52 as well as a stylish cocktail bar . The Shard is is 1016ft (309.6m) high . It has 11,000 glass panels . The area of the glass facade is 602,779 ft squared equal to eight football pitches . There are 44 lifts, including double-decker lifts and 306 flights of stairs . The total floor space is 31.4 acres . 95 per cent of the construction materials are recycled . The hotel, which is said to have cost £40million to complete, stands over London Bridge station. Although it formally opens in May, not all rooms in the hotel are expected to be available until the autumn. Room prices start at around £450 a night per person, and suites - which include a personal butler service - are expected to cost up to £3,250. This is only the third Shangri-La hotel to be built in Europe - after one Paris, which opened in 2010, and one Istanbul, which opened last year. The London Shangri-La, which also . features a gym and conference facilties, was originally planned to open . more than a year ago, in the spring of 2013. Room prices start at around £450 a night per person, and suites - which include a personal butler service - will cost as much as £3,250 a night . This is only the third Shangri-La hotel to be built in Europe - after Paris, which opened in 2010, and Istanbul, which opened last year . | The Shangri-La hotel, At The Shard, is set to open in May after a delay of more than a year . The hotel has 202 guestrooms, an indoor swimming pool and a cocktail bar in the iconic building . Prices range from as little as £450 per person a night and £3,250 for a suite . | 04012ffabb25e32cb352bdb3fb1149e3b75f3bb3 |
By . Charlotte Griffiths . It has taken two years, but the relationship between Prince Harry and Cressida Bonas can, at last, be declared official. In a major step in their romance, Cressida, 25, has been invited to accompany Harry to an official engagement in the Queen’s rooms at St James’s Palace. The Prince is to host a private dinner party in the official rooms to honour the friends he made during a 208-mile trek to the South Pole before Christmas. The dinner will be a big moment for Cressida Bonas, right, who has been dating Prince Harry, left, for two years . Guests have been told their partners, wives and girlfriends are welcome and – according to a source – as Cressida ‘falls into that category’, she can attend too. The dinner will be held on March 27 and the source told The Mail on Sunday: ‘Harry has told Cressida she is welcome to come along.’ If she accepts the invitation – as she is predicted to – it will be a significant moment for Cressida, 25, who began dating Harry in 2012. Although she won’t officially be greeting guests, as the Duchess of Cambridge does when she accompanies Prince William to events, Cressida effectively will be the event’s co-host. The dinner, hosted at St James's Palace, honours friends Prince Harry made on a trek to the South Pole . The source added: ‘Harry and his mates went through thick and thin together, so the dinner party will be a really relaxed and jovial affair. But there is no doubt that it will be a Royal banquet, albeit a private one.’ St James’s Palace is often in use for official functions and, with permission from the Queen, can also be used by courtiers for private events such as weddings. The State Apartments are used about 100 times a year for State visits and for hosting receptions for charities, such as the one Harry is hosting. An aide at Clarence House insisted that as the dinner would be private it is not technically termed as an official Royal event. But the aide added: ‘The rooms in St James’s Palace are the Queen’s rooms and are only used for official engagements like receptions and dinners, including for charities.’ Another source said: ‘Because she is Harry’s girlfriend, Cressida’s very presence at a dinner hosted by him would position her into the role of co-host.’ The couple, pictured at Twickenham for the Six Nations, have been seen at a number of public events . The invitation to accompany Harry at the dinner comes two weeks after they kissed and cuddled in full view of dozens of cameras at the We Day youth event at Wembley Arena. Cressida has also been seen with Harry watching rugby at Twickenham, prompting commentators to note that their relationship has matured to a stage where she now feels at ease being seen with the fourth-in-line to the throne. Harry, 29, is the patron of the Walking With The Wounded charity, which provides rehabilitation services for military veterans overcoming life-changing injuries. His dedication was proven beyond doubt when he spent weeks in the Antarctic on a gruelling trek with injured servicemen Duncan Slater, Ibrar Ali, Kate Philip, Conrad Dickinson, Richard Eyre and Guy Disney, who are all invited to the dinner. It is believed that some of the guests have already met Cressida under less formal circumstances. The dinner honours friends Prince Harry made on a trek to the South Pole, done as part of a TV show, pictured . Despite being the co-host of the dinner, Cressida Bonas will not be officially greeting guests as the enter . | This is a big step for the couple, who have been dating for two years . Private dinner honours servicemen Prince Harry met in trek to South Pole . The couple have been seen in public a number of times in recent weeks . | 0d48ba464f3ace0f7e0991e5bf671caa65e00279 |
With every new I-phone software update comes the potential for problems and the iOS 7.1 released on Monday is no exception. Customer's say it's killing their phone batteries among other pesky glitches. The iOS7.1 is the first major update to Apple's newest operating systems for iPhones and iPads and the apple community is lamenting poor battery charges, disappearing contacts, bad Bluetooth connections, keyboards oriented the wrong way, and the list goes on, reports the Huffington Post. The new iOS 7.1 is draining the battery of even the newest version of Apple iPhone and iPad products . According to zdnet.com, the iOS 7.1 . is already on 21 per cent of all iPhones and iPads making it one of . the fastest changeovers to a new operating system in recent history. Despite . rigorous internal testing and five beta versions offered to Apple . developers, the battery seems to drop much faster than it did on the . iOS7. A twitter page dedicated to problems with the iOS7.1 has a collection of comments on the faults with the new update. 'iPhone has been unplugged 30 mins and already down to 92% battery' tweeted @Robbie Kimpton. 'I think I'd have to get that juice pack that gives me double battery life,' tweeted Timothy Tung Nguyen. 'Not knowing who you're texting,' tweeted @DanHallas . Users also took to Apple's discussion forum to voice their issues with the supposedly newer and better program. I've . had my phone for 3 months, never have dropped it once or anything of . the sort, if that matters. My battery drains to 50% within an hour or so . after intense use on the lowest level of brightness, and I seem to lose . about 5-7 percents when on standby for 5 hours or so,' said rainxwater. 'My . iphone 5s battery also drains fast after ios 7.1 update. Before the . update I get 24hrs moderate to heavy use. But now I only get 12 hours'. My . iPhone 5S has been draining like crazy since the iOS 7.1 Update. This . morning I woke up at 8:30, my phone was at 100%. It's now 10:40 and my . phone is at 85%,' said Mattyboy. Customers now wait to see if Apple will take charge over the system's battery problems. Users took to the apple forums to discuss the problem with apple's newest system update . Users notice a significant battery drop in the new iOS 7.1 . | The iOS 7.1 . is already on 21 per cent of all iPhones and iPads making it one of . the fastest changeovers to a new operating system in recent history . Customers say it's killing their batteries among other glitches . | 842539f24a0b53a58def746746662300fe0359a4 |
The Duke of Cambridge formally registered the birth of Prince George yesterday, giving his wife’s occupation as ‘Princess of the United Kingdom’. Kate has rarely described herself as a princess, preferring to use the title Duchess of Cambridge, which was conferred on her by the Queen on her wedding day. But she is also Princess William of Wales, entitling her to be described as ‘Princess of the United Kingdom’. Certificate: Prince William signed the birth certificate, and put his and Kate's occupations as Prince and Princess of the United Kingdom . Newborn: Prince George Alexander Louis was born on July 22 at St Mary's Hospital in Paddington and today his birth was registered by deputy registrar Alison Cathcart . The duke gave his occupation as ‘Prince of the United Kingdom’ rather than RAF helicopter pilot. Normally, parents have to attend a . register office within 42 days of a child being born. But in the case of . Prince George, the third in line to the throne, the deputy registrar of . Westminster, Alison Cathcart, travelled to Kensington Palace. William was given a standard . certificate to register the birth of ‘His Royal Highness Prince George . Alexander Louis of Cambridge’. Miss Cathcart filled it in before it was . signed by the duke, who has spent more than a week with the duchess and . her parents in Berkshire. She remained there yesterday. Signature: Prince William signed the birth certificate of his son George . Prince: Baby George is now third in line to the throne behind his father and grandfather . The certificate states the date and . place of George’s birth – July 22 and the Lindo Wing of St Mary’s . Hospital, Paddington. William’s full name, His Royal Highness Prince . William Arthur Philip Louis Duke of Cambridge, is given, and the . certificate includes Kate’s full name of Catherine Elizabeth Her Royal . Highness The Duchess of Cambridge, her birthplace as Reading and her . maiden name of Middleton. The couple’s ‘usual address’ is described as Kensington Palace, London, and the duke signed the certificate simply ‘William’. Miss Cathcart, who presided over Paul . McCartney’s 2011 wedding, said: ‘It was a pleasure. Westminster City . Council registered the birth of the Queen and Prince Charles and Princes . William and Harry, so it’s great to see that tradition continue.’ History: As his father was before him, George's birth was registered by Westminster City Council . Residence: Most new parents have to go to the registry office but the registrar came to Kensington Palace so William could sign the certificate . | Registrar travelled to Kensington Palace for the special signing - normally parents have to go to the register office . Occupations of the baby's parents are 'Prince' and 'Princess' of the United Kingdom . Kate lists her maiden name as Middleton and place of birth as Reading while William marks his as Paddington . The Queen, Prince Charles, Prince William and Prince Harry had their births registered by Westminster City Council . | cf9128768dc03842625b1efec3c3f7e3ea0aa1e1 |
Lazio president Claudio Lotito has refused to rule out a move for Liverpool striker Mario Balotelli - but insists any player who wants to join the Serie A side must respect their standards. Both Parma and Lazio are believed to have sounded out Balotelli's agent Mino Raiola over a potential loan move, but Raiola has insisted the Italian forward wants to stay and fight for a first-team place at Anfield. However, when asked about the possibility of Balotelli joining Lazio, Lotito refused to deny that they have made an approach for the 24-year-old. Both Parma and Lazio are understood to have sounded out Mario Balotelli's agent over a proposed loan move . Lazio president Claudio Lotito has refused to rule out a January move for Balotelli . The 24-year-old celebrates scoring against Swansea in the Capital One Cup fourth round at Anfield in October . At a recent press conference he said: 'Balotelli? There are a lot of rumours. 'When I first came here, people ran away [from Lazio], now a lot of them want to come to Lazio. Whoever wants to join us must respect our standards.' Lazio currently lie fifth in Serie A, just two points off third-placed Napoli after 19 games. | Lazio and Parma both interested in January move for Mario Balotelli . The Liverpool striker has failed to impress since joining the club for £16million from AC Milan last summer . Balotelli has scored just two goals in 18 appearances for the Reds . But Lazio president Claudio Lotito has refused to rule out signing Balotelli . Lotito said 'there are always a lot of rumours' during the transfer window . | ec86082a46aaee51f8ddbc4beaa3328808e54483 |
By . Ashley Collman . Famous jewelry-maker Lorraine Schwartz lost a $250,000 ring at this year's Golden Globes and it turns out a greedy carpet cleaner found the gem and tried to hawk it. Schwartz told police in January that the ring with a 10.62 carat yellow diamond might have been stolen off of her finger at the ceremony, TMZ reports. But it turns out the ring simply fell off and landed on the red carpet. Scroll down for video . Bling: Jewelry-designer Lorraine Schwartz lost a $250,000 ring at this year's Golden Globes. It later turned up when a carpet cleaner tried to get it appraised . Which hand? Schwartz was wearing at least two rings that night. It's uncertain whether the ring she lost was on her left or right hand . Caught in the act: The ring turned up with carpet cleaner Henry Bernal took it to a gem appraiser after trying to sell the ring . That's when carpet cleaner Henry Bernal picked it up and took it home to his girlfriend, Christina Gonzales, law enforcement officials said. The couple then took the ring to Kevin Jewelers, but when the store offered to buy the jewel, they instead decided to get it certified by the Gemological Institute of America. However, the GIA notified cops once Bernal came in, since the gem already had a certification number. Bernal allegedly told cops that he didn't turn the ring in because he doesn't trust law enforcement. The theft is currently under investigatiomn by local police and the FBI. Famous clients: Schwartz designed Kim Kardahian's engagement ring, as well as the earrings Solange wore to this year's Met Gala where she hit out at brother-in-law Jay-Z in an elevator . | Jewelry-designer Lorraine Schwartz lost a $250,000 ring at this year's Golden Globe awards . The 10-carat yellow diamond turned up when Red Carpet cleaner Henry Bernal tried to get the gem appraised . | 0e02698d642d41454a463e0d57811b740f8d5ce0 |
By . Martin Robinson . PUBLISHED: . 08:30 EST, 12 December 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 10:29 EST, 12 December 2013 . Jurors in the fraud trial of Nigella Lawson and Charles Saatchi's former personal assistants have today been told to 'ignore' David Cameron after he declared he was a secret fan of the chef. The Prime Minister admitted in an interview that he is a member of . #TeamNigella - which is used by those rooting for the Domestic Goddess in her very public battle . with ex-husband Charles Saatchi. Mr Cameron yesterday brushed aside her admission that she had . snorted cocaine and smoked cannabis, hailing her as a ‘very funny and . warm person’ who creates good recipes. But his comments led to him becoming embroiled in the ongoing trial at Isleworth Crown Court, with the judge saying the Prime Minister caused this morning's proceedings to be 'wasted'. Backing: David Cameron has revealed he is supporting TV cook Nigella Lawson in her public battles with her husband, but a judge in her staff's fraud trial has criticised him for his comments . Thanks: Miss Lawson has used the hashtag #Team Nigella to thank her supporters, and offer a recipe for Holiday Hotcake . Justice Robin Johnson told jurors in . the trial of Elisabetta and Francesca Grillo it was 'of regret' when . public figures commented about someone involved in a trial and urged . them to only decide the case based on the evidence in court. Public criticism: Judge Robin Johnson today said that it was 'of regret' that David Cameron had commented on the row between Nigella Lawson and Charles Saatchi . Elisabetta . Grillo, referred to as Lisa, 41, and sister Francesca, 35, of . Bayswater, west London, each deny a single . count of committing fraud by using a company credit card for personal . gain between January 1, 2008, and December 31 last year. The sisters are accused of abusing their positions by spending . £685,000 on credit cards belonging to the celebrity couple to buy . designer goods and luxury holidays for themselves. The judge says their legal team claims the siblings are 'aggrieved' by Cameron's comments. The problems have been sparked after the Primer Minister was asked by the Spectator if he was a member of #TeamNigella, and Mr Cameron admitted: ‘I am.’ He . went on: ‘I’m a massive fan, I’ve had the great pleasure of meeting her . a couple of times and she always strikes me as a very funny and warm . person. ‘But I’m also an . amateur cook and I like her recipes. Nancy [Cameron’s nine-year-old . daughter] and I sometimes watch a bit of Nigella on telly. Not in court, . I hasten to add.’ Judge Robin Johnson told jurors at Isleworth Crown Court the comments were 'regrettable' and directed the jury of seven men and five women to ignore the comments and to only focus on the evidence they have heard in open court. He said: 'Ladies and gentlemen, the reason for delay is I have been taken to a large number of press reports. 'They centre on the Prime Minister commenting about a prosecution witness, Ms Lawson, during an interview with a journalist. 'It is of regret when people in public office comment about a person who is involved in a trial that is in progress. 'It is inconceivable that some of your number may not have seen some of those comments. Team Nigella: Miss Lawson's team of lawyers, PRs and family who supported her as she gave evidence at Isleworth Crown Court . 'The defendants feel aggrieved as a result of the comments, though they do not specifically deal with matters in this trial, are favourable to Ms Lawson. 'The fact that they may feel aggrieved, the defendants, is not without justification. 'You'll realise that what public figures may feel about this case or a witness in this case, can have no bearing on the issues that you have to decide. 'Please use the written direction I gave you.' Businessman Charles Saatchi who has been locked in a bitter and very public dispute with his ex-wife Miss Lawson . He directed jurors concentrate 'on the evidence, and submissions and the legal directions. 'All this material, you'll hear in this room and nowhere else.' He added: 'Jurors are trusted to follow the judge's directions and I trust you'll do that.' Apologising for wasting the court's morning on legal argument, he added: 'I'm sorry that it has had the effect of wasting almost all of the morning that should have been devoted to evidence and real issues in this case.' It is not clear if Mr Cameron has . taken Miss Lawson up on her offer on Twitter of the recipe for Holiday . Hotcake, which she described as 'the perfect receip to show tanks for . all your support and to those who hashtag #TeamNigella'. Happier times: Nigella and Charles Saatchi before they split back in June after an incident at Scott's restaurant in central London . On trial: Italian sisters Elisabetta (left) and Francesca Grillo who are accused of a £685,000 credit card fraud using Charles Saatchi's company credit cards . Last . week, Ms Lawson admitted taking cocaine with ex-husband John Diamond . when he found out he had terminal cancer, and on another occasion in . July 2010 during her troubled marriage to Mr Saatchi. The 53-year-old also admitted smoking cannabis in the last year of her marriage to the art gallery owner but said the idea that she is a 'drug addict or habitual user of cocaine is absolutely ridiculous'. Giving evidence on the witness stand, Miss Lawson admitted to taking drugs in front of her children. Ms Lawson spoke of suffering 'intimate terrorism' at the hands of her multi-millionaire ex-husband, describing him as a 'brilliant, but brutal man'. She accused him of 'peddling' stories about her alleged drug habit, including that he was checking her nose for cocaine when he was photographed gripping her throat outside Scott's restaurant in Mayfair, central London, in June. Charles Saatchi earlier told the court he still ‘absolutely adores’ ex-wife Nigella Lawson, was ‘very upset’ over claims she took cocaine and denies ‘gripping, strangling or throttling’ her outside a restaurant. Instead, in the infamous incident captured on camera – which led to the couple’s divorce – he claimed he was simply ‘holding her head, by the neck, to get her to focus’. Miss Lawson, he revealed, was unhappy in their marriage because she felt she needed to ask him for a ‘pass’ to do what she wanted. The trial continues. Sorry we are unable to accept comments for legal reasons. | Prime Minister has revealed he is a secret supporter of the TV cook . Hails Lawson as a 'very funny and warm person' who creates good recipes . TV cook has used #TeamNigella hashtag to thank her supporters on Twitter . Jury in fraud trial of Lawson and Saatchi's PAs told 'dismiss' PM's views . Judge says sisters accused of fraud 'aggrieved' by Cameron's comments . Justice Johnson tells jurors to listen only to what they 'hear in this room' | d5215b7049bf1130a1c2796558a7f4b2bc929b70 |
Samuel Yaga, a mechanic, was making a routine repair on a client's car when his phone rang. It was a phone call that would change his life forever. "I was called in the morning by my elder brother notifying me of an attack on the school where my daughter was schooling," he said. Samuel's blood went cold as his brother continued, telling him that some of the girls had been abducted by Boko Haram. Samuel knew only too well the vicious and brutal nature of the terrorist group: just a few months before this, Boko Haram had attacked his village in northeastern Nigeria. Armed men forced him out of his house and one of them pointed a gun to his head. By a sheer miracle, unexplainable even to Samuel, one of the militants intervened, and his life was spared. Their entire village was razed to the ground and so Samuel moved his family to Chibok and enrolled his eldest daughter Sarah into the Government Secondary School so that she could sit for her final high school exam. He chose Chibok because not only was it his ancestral home and he had relatives there but also because it had no history of Boko Haram attacks. He felt it was safe -- until now. Later in the day Samuel's brother phoned him again. "Then before sunset he called me again, and informed me that my daughter was part of those that were taken by Boko Haram." His wife Rebecca says the news of her daughter's abduction tore at her heart. She refused to believe it when her husband first told it to her -- until it was confirmed on the evening news. "Seriously, seriously, mum and her daughter. The pain is indescribable," she reflects. Rebecca says there is not a day that goes by that she does think of her daughter. She describes her daughter as an ambitious girl who saw education as a way out of poverty. "She used to tell me one day she will finish school and become somebody. She used to assist the younger ones with their homework," she said . "She loved studies. She used to fall asleep with her books in her arms," she added. Her father remembers her as the caring eldest child who used to secretly collect his dirty clothes, wash them and press them for him. He also remembers her passion for knowledge. "She is brilliant. She liked reading. Always she loved going to school," he said. Inside their small one roomed house -- there is nothing to indicate that the Christmas festive season has begun. They say Christmas used to be a time of laughter and spending time with family. "Every Christmas we used to be complete and happy but now one of us is not there, how can it be the same?" asks Samuel. "There is nothing I can say. It has happened. It is a bad Christmas. But there is nothing we can do," says Rebecca. A sadness surrounds the couple as they clutch to the only physical memory that they have of their daughter -- a few photos and one bright green top, one of her favorites. But although they are at low spirits, they say their hopes remain high that their daughter will come back. They pass on that encouragement to their other five children who say they miss their sister. "Her siblings know that she is not here -- they themselves know what is happening, having come out of war," says Samuel. "They keep asking me, 'When is she coming back?' But I keep telling them to keep trusting God. Maybe He will hear us," he adds. | Samuel and Rebecca Yaga's daughter Sarah was kidnapped by Boko Haram in Chibok . Samuel says he had moved his family there because it had no history of such attacks . Rebecca says not a day goes by that she does not think of her daughter . Although in low spirits, the couple remain hopeful that her daughter will return . | 07db9535c1e4efdc5633662f57ca81afeb8d8bbb |
The Indonesian courts have received a request to review the death sentences of Australians Myuran Sukumaran and Andrew Chan, their lawyers say. A Bali court registrar visited Kerobokan prison on Friday, where the Australians are jailed for their role in the Bali Nine heroin trafficking plot. Lawyer Todung Mulya Lubis said an application for a judicial review of the case had been accepted. 'It has been accepted, it will go to the courts, then it depends on the district court heads,' he told reporters. 'There should not be an execution because the legal process should be respected as well.' It comes after Sukumaran's grandmother delivered an impassioned plea for her grandson's life at a candlelight vigil in Sydney on Thursday night. Edith Visvanathan rose from her wheelchair in front of hundreds of supporters as she tearfully said 'Don't kill him. Please, don't kill him' after Indonesia's attorney general announced that Sukumaran and fellow Bali Nine inmate Andrew Chan were among the next drug offenders in line for execution. Scroll down for video . Bali Nine inmates Andrew Chan (left) and Myuran Sukumaran (right) are among the next drug offenders in line for execution in Indonesia . Myuran Sukumaran's grandmother delivered an impassioned plea for her grandson's life at a candlelight vigil in Sydney on Thursday night . Mr Lubis said the review - the last legal effort to save the men - should consider the pair's rehabilitation over the past 10 years, and their right to life as protected in the constitution. But it's unclear whether these arguments will be considered, because of legal uncertainty over how many reviews a prisoner is entitled to have. Mr Lubis said Sukumaran and Chan should have every opportunity to seek justice. 'We have the constitutional right to file the PK and we hope the District Court of Denpasar will proceed,' he said. The PK is asking for the death sentences to be commuted to life, not an acquittal, he stressed. 'Those two men, the petitioners, have changed a great deal. 'They have become good men.' The attorney-general is reportedly of the view the PK should not proceed. But Mr Lubis said it wasn't his call to make: 'I'm dealing with the courts,' he said. Edith Visvanathan rose from her wheelchair in front of hundreds of supporters as she tearfully said: 'Don't kill him. Please, don't kill him.' Hundreds of supporters gathered in Sydney's Martin Place on Thursday evening and created a candlelight vigil for the two Australians on death row . Sukumaran's grandmother, Edith Visvanathan, delivered an emotional speech in front of hundreds who gathered at the Music for Mercy event in Sydney's Martin Place on Thursday evening in support of her grandson and Chan. 'I love him so much,' Mrs Visvanathan said of Sukumaran. 'I am very, very sad, and very, very weak. 'But today I come here to ask a pardon from the president and the people of Indonesia. 'Don't kill him. Please, don't kill him.' Hopes are fading that Sukumaran, 33, and Chan, 31, will avoid an Indonesian firing squad. It emerged on Wednesday the two are among the next group of prisoners scheduled for execution. 'We are all worried and don't know what to do,' Mrs Visvanathan said. 'I don't ask for him to come home. I only ask for him to live. 'He has proved himself. He is a good boy.' Hopes are fading that Sukumaran, 33, and Chan, 31, will avoid an Indonesian firing squad . With the initiative of Chan and Sukumaran, the prison now has a computer room, cooking school and guest classes from experts in yoga, dance, reflexology and philosophy . In messages sent via lawyers in Bali and read by actor David Wenham, Chan and Sukumaran thanked supporters . Chan asked the crowd to use the occasion to ponder the meaning of mercy, and to think of those facing execution around the world . A petition calling for the men's lives to be spared has 135,000 signatures . Earlier, vigil organiser and artist Ben Quilty recalled being struck by Sukumaran's smile when they first met at Bali's Kerobokan prison. He choked back tears as he spoke of the pain he felt knowing their most recent meeting could be their last. 'Andrew and Myuran did some really bad things,' he said. 'But I can tell you, they are good young men now. Other speakers talked about the men's rehabilitation in Kerobokan prison and the assistance they have given fellow prisoners. With the initiative of Chan and Sukumaran, the prison now has a computer room, cooking school and guest classes from experts in yoga, dance, reflexology and philosophy. 'Andrew and Myuran are positive, generous young men, humbly pursuing the path to reform,' Mercy Campaign co-founder Matthew Goldberg said. Musicians including Megan Washington, Josh Pyke and Paul Mac performed, each beginning with the phrase of the evening: 'I stand for mercy.' In messages sent via lawyers in Bali and read by actor David Wenham, Chan and Sukumaran thanked supporters. 'We're amazed how kind and supportive everyone has been,' Sukumaran's message read. 'It has helped our families so much.' 'As we face what's coming, we thank everyone who has supported us.' Chan asked the crowd to use the occasion to ponder the meaning of mercy and to think of those facing execution around the world. Vigil organiser and artist Ben Quilty (left) and Australian actor David Wenham (right) speaks at the I Stand For Mercy concert and vigil for Bali Nine death row inmates . Event organiser and artist Ben Quilty greets members of Myuran Sukumaran's family at the I Stand For Mercy concert and vigil . Musicians including Megan Washington (pictured), Josh Pyke and Paul Mac performed, each beginning with the phrase of the evening: 'I stand for mercy.' Emma Louise also performed at the I Stand For Mercy concert and vigil . Sukumaran and Chan's lawyer says the men hope the courts will hear a second judicial review, known as a PK, which will likely be lodged on Friday . A petition calling for the men's lives to be spared has 135,000 signatures. Their Indonesian lawyer Todung Mulya Lubis says the men hope the courts will hear a second judicial review, known as a PK, which will likely be lodged on Friday. 'We are doing our best to save them,' he said on Thursday. Kerobokan prison governor Sudjonggo says even though the pair aren't allowed out to personally petition for the review, that shouldn't stop it being filed. 'There are other ways to do this, perhaps it can be registered here,' he said. 'It all depends on how the lawyers want to do it.' But legal argument between Indonesia's constitutional and supreme courts over how many reviews a prisoner can have means it's uncertain whether lawyers for Chan and Sukumaran will have their day in court. | Indonesian courts have accepted a request to review the death sentences of Australians Myuran Sukumaran and Andrew Chan, their lawyers say . Hope is fading that Sukumaran and Andrew Chan will avoid an Indonesian firing squad . The two are among the next group of prisoners scheduled for execution . Sukumaran's grandmother delivered a plea for her grandson's life at a candlelight vigil in Sydney . Hundreds gathered at the vigil held on Thursday night, featuring musicians Megan Washington, Josh Pyke and Paul Mac . A petition calling for the men's lives to be spared has 135,000 signatures . | af1444be70bb30925b7405bf33b3175168268135 |
(CNN) -- At least 330 people were reported dead Saturday in Syria, marking the highest single-day death toll since the start of the uprising, according to opposition activists. With one week left to go, August is already the deadliest month. Here are some of the other key developments on the crisis that is spiraling out of control: . On the ground: Deaths mount as assault intensifies . Saturday's death toll includes the bodies of more than 200 people that were found in and around Damascus, namely Daraya, according to the Local Coordination Committees of Syria, a network of opposition activists. It was unclear when those victims were killed. Saturday's death toll is the highest single-day figure since the start of the uprising, said a spokesman for the group. CNN is unable to independently verify reports of violence as Syria has severely limited access to international journalists. With one week left to go, August is already the deadliest month in Syria's 17-month crisis. Opposition activists report more than 3,700 people killed -- mostly civilians -- in just the past few weeks. Prior to Saturday, the single bloodiest day was reported on July 12. At least 287 people were killed then, including 220 in Hama province, according to the LCC. The Syrian military's frontal assault on the opposition appears to be ratcheting up, with indiscriminate bombings from jets and rockets fired into civilian areas. More than 10 missiles landed in Idlib province as planes opened fire with machine guns, the LCC said. Meanwhile, residents in Aleppo endured "intense aerial shelling" by a regime warplane Saturday, the group said. President Bashar al-Assad's government had a different take on the situation in Aleppo, the commercial and cultural heart of Syria. "Armed forces continue pursuing terrorists in Aleppo and its countryside," state-run media proclaimed. "Armed forces destroy seven cars equipped with machine guns, kill terrorists and seize their weapons in Aleppo city." The region: Abducted Lebanese pilgrim freed . Hussein Ali Omar, one of 11 Lebanese Shiite pilgrims abducted in Syria, was in Turkey on Saturday after being released, according to a representative for Turkey's foreign minister. "We are trying to get him to his country," the representative said. "We think our efforts may have helped." The Free Syrian Army has denied an allegation it was involved in the May abductions. The other 10 pilgrims are still being held. The development follows the kidnapping in Damascus of a Lebanese man, Hassan Salim Meqdad, by Syrian rebels who accused him of being a Hezbollah member. In response, Meqdad's brother, Hatem Meqdad, told Lebanon's state news agency that his family kidnapped 26 Syrians living in Lebanon. Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu, meanwhile, rejected claims that his country was shipping weapons to Syrian rebels in their quest to oust al-Assad, the Anadolu news agency reported. "These are the arguments which authoritarian regimes had always used to conceal their internal problems," Davutoglu told the NTV news channel, according to Anadolu. Davutoglu added, "No regime fighting its own people can survive long. (The al-Assad regime) has months, and maybe even weeks -- not years." Diplomatic front: New envoy says Syrian people are 'our first masters' Lakhdar Brahimi is the new U.N. and Arab League envoy to Syria, but he said the Syrian people will be "our first masters." "We will consider their interests above and before anyone else," the Algerian and longtime U.N. diplomat said Friday. Brahimi, who replaces Kofi Annan after months of fizzled attempts to broker peace in Syria, told U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon of his anxiety about the new post: . "Secretary-general, when you called me, I told you that I was honored, flattered, humbled and scared, and still in that frame of mind. I will definitely give this my very, very best," Brahimi said. The Syrian crisis broke out in March 2011 after protesters, inspired by the success of popular uprisings in Egypt and Tunisia, took to the streets demanding political reform and an end to four decades of al-Assad family rule. The movement devolved into an armed conflict after a brutal crackdown by al-Assad's forces. Opposition forces say more than 21,000 people have died. Syria 101: A crash course on the conflict . CNN's Saad Abedine, Holly Yan and Jim Clancy contributed to this report. | NEW: At least 330 people are reported dead, including more than 200 bodies found in and around Damascus . NEW: With one week left to go, August is already the deadliest month in Syria's 17-month crisis . Syrian government: Armed forces "continue pursuing terrorists in Aleppo" Turkish foreign minister: "No regime fighting its own people can survive long" | aa0fcf5e5074069e7cfec93292fa1f3b67260e15 |
(CNN) -- Bo Xilai, the Chinese politician who fell from grace amid a dramatic political scandal, has been expelled from the Communist Party and relieved of his duties, China's state-run news agency, Xinhua, reported Friday. Bo once was considered a top contender for the Politburo Standing Committee, the team of nine politicians who effectively rule China, but the news report on his expulsion painted a portrait of corruption, abuse of power and improper sexual relationships. The party said Bo made "severe mistakes" in the killing of a British businessman -- a crime for which his wife was imprisoned -- and a diplomatic incident involving a police official, Xinhua said. Investigators cited influence peddling, bribery and womanizing, new details found in the course of the party's investigation. "Bo had or maintained improper sexual relationships with a number of women," the state news agency said. He also took advantage of his power to seek profits and received bribes, Xinhua said. And his family "accepted a huge amount of money and property from others," the news agency reported. The news came a month before China's Communist Party is expected to meet at its 18th National Congress in Beijing to announce who'll occupy the top positions. Bo Xilai saga nears end game . Bo is a charismatic, albeit controversial, politician who launched a "smashing black, singing red" campaign in the southwestern city of Chongqing that promoted Communist ideology and zealously cracked down on organized crime. His economic programs, which included millions spent on social welfare, made him a popular leader in Chongqing. But analysts say his populist policies and high-profile personal style were seen as a challenge to the more economically liberal and reform-oriented faction that dominates the current party leadership. Bo's fortunes changed when news surfaced this year that his wife, Gu Kailai, was suspected to be an accomplice in a murder case. Gu and family aide Zhang Xiaojun were arrested in early April, suspected of poisoning British businessman Neil Heywood. Heywood died in November in Chongqing, where Bo was the Communist Party chief. His death was originally blamed on excessive alcohol consumption. Bo was soon stripped of his top posts for "serious breach of discipline." In August, his wife received a suspended death sentence after a seven-hour trial. Days later, four senior Chongqing police officers were also sentenced to jail for covering up the murder. Opinion: China murder trial a rigged spectacle . Why was Gu Kailai spared? Wang Lijun, the former police chief of Chongqing, set off the Bo story on February 6, when he fled to the U.S. Consulate in Chengdu and told American diplomats that Gu was a suspected accomplice in a murder case. After his request for asylum was turned down, Wang left the consulate and was taken away by Chinese officials. But his accusations rocked the world's most populous nation. Wang this week was sentenced to 15 years for defection, coverup, bribe taking and abuse of power. The party expelled Bo after an investigation of the killing and Wang's visit to the consulate, a trip made "without permission," Xinhua said. The investigators said Bo "bore major responsibility" in the Wang incident and the killing, Xinhua reported, citing the investigation results. Bo Xilai 'implicated' in murder . Bo's fall from grace . "He took advantage of his office to seek profits for others and received huge bribes personally and through his family. His position was also abused by his wife ... to seek profits for others and his family thereby accepted a huge amount of money and property from others," Xinhua said. Investigators determined that his behavior tarnished the party's reputation, Xinhua reported. The investigation discovered "clues to his suspected involvement in other crimes." The party investigators sent their conclusions to judicial authorities. "Bo had affairs and maintained improper sexual relationships with a number of women. He was also found to have violated organizational and personnel disciplines and made wrong decisions in personnel promotion, which led to serious consequences." The trials and convictions have been carefully scripted and apparently timed to "deal" with Bo ahead of the planned leadership transition at the Communist Party's 18th National Congress. Disgraced party chief looms large over China's leadership . Who are the next generation of Chinese leaders? Jockeying for position ahead of China's leadership jamboree . | Investigation finds influence peddling, bribery and womanizing . Bo Xilai's economic programs made him popular in Chongqing . He once was considered for the Politburo Standing Committee, a team that effectively rules China . Bo's fortunes changed when his wife was tied to a murder case . | f585408570e2248b9b5354aa81b7961837f32f1c |
By . Jonathan O'Callaghan . The scientific consensus on climate change, to the tune of 97 per cent of experts, is that humans are changing Earth’s climate for the worse. But some people continue to insist that some of these scientists are wrong, incurring anger among those trying to teach people about the dangers of climate change. And one professor from Texas has had enough - he’s decided to offer £17,500 ($30,000) to anyone that can prove to him that climate change is not man-made. Dr Christopher Keating is offering £17,500 ($30,000) to anyone that can prove to him that man-made activities (stock image shown) are causing Earth's climate to drastically alter. He is not expecting to have to stump up any cash, though, as he is certain that the theory on which their is an overwhelming consensus is correct . Dr Christopher Keating, who previously taught at the University of South Dakota, says the climate change deniers of today are engaged in a campaign that is similar to the one waged by tobacco advocates to deny a link between smoking and lung cancer. 1. Dr Keating will award £17,500 ($30,000) of his own money to anyone that can prove, via the scientific method, that man-made global climate change is not occurring. 2. There is no entry fee. 3. You must be 18 years old or older to enter. 4. Entries do not have to be original, they only need to be first. 5. Dr Keating is the final judge of all entries but will provide his comments on why any entry fails to prove the point. Previously he had been offering £5,850 ($10,000) to the first person to prove climate changing wasn’t man-made but he has since upped the reward to £17,500 ($30,000). All someone needs to do is show him evidence that unequivocally proves he is wrong on his blog. The challenge is open to anyone over 18 and there is no entry fee. 'I will . judge all entries and show why they fail or succeed in the challenge,' Dr Keating, also the author of Undeniable: Dialogues on Global Warming, said. 'Entries don’t even have to be original. They just have to be first.' He has . been involved, at some level, with climate change for 30 years, having . been a professor of physics for over 20 years and teaching at the U.S. Naval Academy and the U.S. Coast Guard Academy. Dr Keating (left) has been involved with climate change for 30 years and previously was a professor of physics. 'Greenhouse gases are on the rise and the effects are evident: the earth is getting warmer, weather everywhere is changing, the oceans are warming at an alarming rate and ice caps are melting,' he says (right) Dr Keating . says he is more than willing to pay the money but doesn’t believe it . will happen. 'I’m a scientist and I have to go where the science leads . me. 'I . have been studying climate change for a long time and I am certain my . money is safe. They are in the business of denial and deception, not . science. 'But, if someone could give me a scientific proof global warming isn’t real, it would be worth the money.' And he says there are ulterior motives to the climate deniers, mainly that they are funded by organisations with a vested interest in fossil fuels. ‘A recent study done at Drexel University showed that denier organisations have received nearly $560 million [£330 million] over an eight-year period,’ he says. ‘They traced this money to about 140 different organisations, including many with ties to the fossil fuel industry. ‘These are the people that stand to lose money if we do something about climate change. ‘It simply shatters any credibility the deniers might have ever had.’ An analysis of global temperatures by Nasa scientists showed that 2013 was the seventh warmest year since 1880 (tied with 2006 and 2009). Nine of the 10 warmest years on record all have occurred since 2000, with 2010 and 2005 ranking as the warmest . Keating says the results of climate change science are so overwhelming that the only way to deny global warming is to deny science itself. ‘Greenhouse gases are on the rise and the effects are evident: the earth is getting warmer, weather everywhere is changing, the oceans are warming at an alarming rate and ice caps are melting. ‘Every where you look you see evidence of global warming. This isn’t something that is only going to occur in the future, it is happening right now.' If someone can prove him otherwise, though, he is willing to change his tune - but at the moment he doesn't see that as being very likely. | Texas-based professor has issued a challenge to climate change deniers . Dr Keating is offering £17,500 ($30,000) to anyone that can disprove the theory that human activity is warming the planet . He is so sure of his claim that he is not expecting to pay out any time soon . Anyone can enter the competition and the work doesn't need to be original . But Dr Keating says he will be the final judge on winning or losing entries . | c743503743cbcacb7b24577415dd480172d55155 |
By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 17:54 EST, 7 March 2014 . | . UPDATED: . 07:17 EST, 8 March 2014 . 'Illustrious horsewoman' Patricia 'Paddy' Muir (pictured riding a different horse) facing £150k bill for selling a mount 'not fit for purpose in 2007 . A champion showjumper sold one of her riding pupils an elderly horse that was ‘ready for the knacker’s yard’, a court heard. John Palmer claims the ‘defective’ horse had to be put down just months after he bought it from three-day eventer Patricia ‘Paddy’ Muir. Miss Muir now faces a huge £150,000 bill for legal costs after senior judges upheld Mr Palmer’s second appeal, after he lost the original case. Mr Palmer, a financial adviser, of Corbridge, County Durham, launched court action against ‘illustrious horsewoman’ Miss Muir, a previous winner of the Blenheim Palace horse trials, claiming she sold him a mount which was ‘unfit for purpose’, in 2007. However, Miss Muir, who runs a riding stable at Stokesley, North Yorkshire, insisted she had never owned the horse – a 14-year-old hunter named Toby – and that she merely acted as an agent for Mr Palmer in the purchase, at his request. She denied any responsibility for Toby’s state of health or that he ‘lacked merchantable quality at the time of sale or was unfit for purpose’. Mr Palmer lost the argument after two court hearings, but senior judges in London have now upheld his appeal, opening a new chapter in the enormously costly legal saga. Appeal Court judge, Sir Stanley Burnton, decried the legal costs of the case – estimated at £150,000. ‘This is in many ways a sad case. The claim is for less than £9,000,’ he observed. ‘We are now hearing a second appeal in this case - in which the costs by now must inevitably be many times the value of the claim.’ Mark Anderson QC, for Mr Palmer, said his client had asked Miss Muir to ‘keep an eye out’ for a suitable mount for him to use as a novice in eventing and initially agreed to pay £5,000 for Toby in the belief that he was an 11-year-old. He added that Mr Palmer, 55, later dropped the price to £2,750 after seeing the horse’s papers and learning he was 14. After buying and riding the horse, Mr Palmer found it had an ‘abnormal hopping gait’, which caused him to occasionally lose balance while riding. Mr Anderson said: ‘The horse went lame shortly after Mr Palmer bought it and was put out to grass thereafter.’ After a vet declared Toby unsuitable to ride, he was put down in June 2008 for medical reasons. Mr Anderson told the court that a post-mortem examination of the animal revealed that one of its front feet was bigger than the other. The barrister told the judges: ‘Mr Palmer bought a horse which turned out to be of unsatisfactory quality and unfit for its purpose. ‘He says he bought it from Miss Muir in the course of her business as a horse trainer and occasional dealer and that the sale was therefore subject to the statutory implied terms as to quality and fitness.’ John Palmer (pictured with his wife left) claims the horse had to be put down . just months after he bought it from the three-day eventer (right) Patrick Limb QC, for Miss Muir, told the court that the showjumper did not own the horse and that Mr Palmer should have known that. ‘Though an illustrious horsewoman, with considerable equine knowledge, Miss Muir was merely seeking to help him find a horse in response to requests that she source one for him,’ the barrister said. At the original hearing, a judge found in favour of Miss Muir, who regularly competes at Badminton. Mr Palmer appealed but this was dismissed by a county court judge. Sir Stanley, sitting with Sir Terence Etherton and Lord Justice Kitchin, said the ‘vital points’ in deciding the case were ‘the nature of the agreement and whether the horse was in fact defective’. Allowing Mr Palmer’s appeal and sending the case back to be re-heard, Sir Stanley concluded: ‘There was no sensible finding of fact as to the condition of Toby at the point of sale. ‘I see no alternative but for the case to be remitted to the County Court for re-hearing by a different judge.’ Outside court, Mr Palmer said: ‘I would never have bought it if I had known what it was – it was ready for the knacker’s yard.’ | Patricia 'Paddy' Muir sold one of her riding pupils, John Palmer, an elderly horse 'ready for knacker's yard', a court heard . Mr Palmer claims the 'defective' horse had to be put down just months after he bought it from the three-day eventer . Miss Muir, who runs a riding stable at Stokesley, North Yorkshire, has said she never owned the horse and that she acted as an agent in the purchase . | 6545a10e5d67252f37e98e671ac149117757df33 |
(CNN) -- Sangduen "Lek" Chailert is known as Thailand's elephant queen. For over a decade she has been working tirelessly to save abused elephants after seeing first-hand the mistreatment many of them faced while working in the timber industry. "When I first saw elephants pulling logs in the jungle it changed my life," she said. "As it pulled the chain to move the logs it cut deep in to his skin... I saw the look in his eye and the pain he was in. "I couldn't get it out of my head and it made me realize I need to go and do something for the elephants, someone needs to stand up for them, they can't speak so I need to do it for them." Chailert's response was to set up the Elephant Nature Foundation that provides a sanctuary and rescue center in Chiang Mai province in northern Thailand, where elephants from all over the country can be nursed back to health. One of the programs Chailert runs from the center is a field clinic for elephants called Jumbo Express. With a team of volunteers she travels to some of the remotest hill tribe villages in the country administering emergency health care to stricken animals. "When I visit the villages I see so many elephants suffering but not just elephants, cats, dogs, hens and other animals and there's not much that can be done because these villages are so remote there are no doctors up there to help," she said. An endangered species, Asian elephants in Thailand have seen their number decline dramatically over the last few decades, with only 500 estimated to be left in the wild in the country. The 1989 ban on logging also meant that thousands of working elephants were left unemployed. With a lack of work in the forest, many elephants and their owners were forced in to the cities to beg, while others quickly became an essential part of the tourism industry working in elephant camps and circuses. 'Begging' elephants in Bangkok . Dr. Jan Schmidt-Burbach, from the World Society for the Protection of Animals, says elephants working in the tourism industry can be subjected to terrible cases of animal cruelty. "The required extreme restraint of animals in the vast majority of elephant camps does not allow for free movements of the animals," he said. In an area famous for its tourist elephant camps, Chailert says her center allows elephants time to heal and live in self-chosen family groups. This is something that Schmidt-Burbach says is very important. "Elephants are some of the most socially developed mammals in the world, with the females forming large and stable groups for all their life. Depriving them from social interaction with other elephants must be seen as an act of cruelty," he said. "From the venues we know of in Thailand, the majority allow only very limited social interaction with other elephants, usually only if chained up near one another," he continued. Chailert believes that conditions can only be improved at grass-roots level through education. In many of the remoter villages in Thailand elephants are still used as essential members of the community's workforce and for entertaining visiting tourists. As well as caring for elephants and giving them everything from injections to medicine the Jumbo Express program also hopes to educate local people so they can care for the animals once they leave. "It is really hard sometimes seeing people abusing the animals but sometimes it is down to a lack of education," she explains. Chailert says that in most cases the elephant's owner, known as a "mahout", doesn't have the skills or knowledge to tend to their animals properly. She cites the example of a jungle-trekking elephant that was carrying tourists on mountainous trails with a glass bottle lodged inside its foot because her owner did not know how to remove the object. "They don't treat their animals properly when they are sick and there is the risk that disease will spread to their families," Chailert said. "So when we go up there we decide to educate the villagers on how to care for the elephants with the same love they show towards their families and ask them for their co-operation to look up to the animal," she continued. The Elephant Nature Foundation works with various tribes including the Karen people to make sure elephants are not exploited. She says that tourism is the biggest threat facing Thailand's elephants. "We don't want to discourage tourism, it helps the elephant but we need to educate the people in how to look after their animals in a more humane way, but the problem right now is that they see tourists there and they see nothing but money," Chailert said. | Elephant Nature Park is a sanctuary and rescue center for elephants in Northern Thailand . The foundation also runs an emergency field clinic for elephants in remote villages . Many of Thailand's elephants work in the tourism industry . The park educates people on how to care for the mammal . | fba22d374a0af4db789ee2bb7d1cd59364aaf495 |
Washington (CNN) -- Three U.S. congressmen from California are calling for the Department of Agriculture to immediately reopen a slaughterhouse closed this week after videos showed what the agency called "disturbing evidence of inhumane treatment of cattle." The videos, shot by an undercover activist and posted online Tuesday by the organization Compassion Over Killing, show animals at the Hanford, California-based Central Valley Meat Co. being repeatedly shot with a bolt gun. Another is shown suffocated and others are seen hanging from a single hind leg while apparently still alive. "While some of the footage provided from this facility shows unacceptable treatment of cattle, it does not show anything that would compromise food safety," a USDA statement sent to CNN by spokeswoman Alyn Kiel said. "We are aggressively continuing our investigation." Republican Reps. Devin Nunes, Jeff Denham and Kevin McCarthy wrote Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack on Thursday to urge the reopening of the plant because its closure caused "enormous economic stress in a community with double digit unemployment." They called on the USDA to reopen the plant immediately and quickly deploy additional agency staff to make sure the slaughterhouse meets appropriate regulations. "This area and these families cannot take this plant being closed," Nunes, who represents the district where many of the 500 slaughterhouse employees live, told CNN in an interview. "This is going to devastate many families who are already on the brink." In recent years, the area around Hanford, about 30 miles south of Fresno, has seen home values plummet and unemployment rates reach as high as 20%, according to Nunes. Brian Coelho, president of the Central Valley Meat Co., on Tuesday called the reports of inhumane treatment "disturbing and surprising." "Our company seeks to not just meet federal humane handling regulations, but to exceed them," Coelho said in a statement. He said federal inspectors continuously inspect the plant and are able to take action if they see a problem. "That is why these allegations are both disturbing and surprising," he said. The company has submitted a plan required for reopening the plant to the USDA, Nunes said, and he hopes the agency will approve it soon. "USDA is reviewing the corrective action plan to ensure that it would comply with humane handling regulations before the facility is allowed to resume operations," agency spokesman Dirk Fillpot told CNN in a statement. When asked for his reaction to the images in the videos, Nunes replied: "It's a tough business. Killing animals is not an easy business. The key point here is to make sure that everything is investigated and if any laws were broken." In the letter, the congressmen also note the USDA had inspectors at the plant during the time the video was shot, yet "despite their active presence through out the facility at the time there is no record of non-compliance." Central Valley Meat, a 50-year-old company, was one of the beef suppliers for In-N-Out Burger, a well-known fast food chain predominantly in California and the Southwest. Mark Taylor, chief operating officer for In-N-Out, said Wednesday that the chain has stopped doing business with Central Valley Meat. "In-N-Out Burger would never condone the inhumane treatment of animals, and all of our suppliers must agree to abide by our strict standards for the humane treatment of cattle," he said in a statement. | The slaughterhouse was closed after videos surfaced showing inhumane treatment of cattle . The closure is causing "enormous economic stress" to the community, congressmen say . The USDA is reviewing a corrective plan submitted by the company . | 327cf3a2125d155a78f1502a45b98b409ef9703e |
By . Nick Fagge . Dating: Katherine Jenkins with boyfriend Adam Bidwell at Royal Ascot . Katherine Jenkins is dating a friend of Prince Harry who joined the royal on his notorious Las Vegas holiday. The Welsh mezzo-soprano, 33, and Adam Bidwell have been an item since February after being introduced by friends. Mr Bidwell, 37, enjoyed a pool party with Harry and a group of girls during the prince’s ‘lads’ holiday’ to Las Vegas last August. On the same holiday Harry was pictured cavorting with a girl as they played ‘naked billiards’ in his hotel suite. Cambridge graduate Mr Bidwell is a former Wasps and London Welsh rugby player turned stockbroker. He and Miss Jenkins – who formerly dated TV presenter Gethin Jones – were pictured together last month at Ascot and the Glastonbury Festival. A friend of the pair said: ‘They were introduced through a mutual friend and remained friends for quite a few months before they realised they had lots in common. Adam’s a very nice chap. He’s a good catch. ‘Everybody likes Adam especially because he is successful in his own right and not interested in Katherine’s spotlight.’ He looked relaxed when Miss Jenkins sat confidently on his knee backstage at the Glastonbury Festival last month. The second son of solicitor Christopher Bidwell, Adam was born into a happy middle class family from West Sussex and attended St Christopher preparatory school in Hove before becoming a day boy at £31,000-a-year Brighton College. Always a keen sportsman Mr Bidwell was also an able and hard-working student and won a place at Cambridge University. After graduating he played rugby first for London Welsh and later Wasps as well as working in the City of London. He is now a senior account manager at City stockbrokers Investec. And it was rugby – and his best friend former England fly-half Alex King - that led him into the celebrity circles where he mixes today. A friend told the Daily Mail: ‘It’s through Alex that he’s been introduced to celebrities and people like that in London. ‘He’s . been a semi-professional rugby player since the early 1990s and he was . part of that Brighton and Hove upper-middle class set growing up. Royal connections: The Welsh singer performed for the Queen at the Coronation Festival this week . ‘He’s a very likeable person and has always been popular with the girls. He’s always been a gentlemen and very nice chap. He’s always well turned out and smartly dressed. ‘He has a wealthy background but he doesn’t flaunt his wealth - he never has. ‘He’s a typical, competitive blokey bloke, which is definitely something that transcends into his professional life. He’s a high achiever who doesn’t settle for second best.’ Last year Miss Jenkins revealed she received death threats over false rumours that she had an affair with David Beckham. The singer took to Twitter in August to tell more than 228,000 followers around the world that she ‘absolute denied’ the ‘hurtful and untrue’ claims of a relationship with the married footballer. Many fans pointed out that such a public statement only attracted more attention to the allegations - but Miss Jenkins has now revealed she felt she had to take a stand because of ‘constant’ online abuse. | Adam Bidwell, 37, has been with the Welsh mezzo-soprano since February . City stockbroker partied with Prince Harry during Vegas holiday . | ba205ce3a212479cd705abba90f0632ba868bf61 |
By . Amanda Williams . Missing A man has been arrested on suspicion of murder after Rui Li (pictured) disappeared after finishing her shift at a hospital five days ago . A man has been arrested on suspicion of murder after a nurse disappeared after finishing her shift at a hospital five days ago. Rui Li, 44, was last seen leaving Poole Hospital in Poole, Dorset, at around 6pm on Friday, May 23. Detectives, who said they feared the . nurse had 'come to some harm', said that they had arrested a 60-year-old . man on suspicion of her murder after concerned friends reported her missing to police yesterday morning. The man from Bournemouth, is said to be known to Ms Li. Police are now searching three addresses in the Boscombe area, including Burnham Drive. Detective Inspector Marcus Hester, of Dorset Police’s Major Crime Investigation Team, has now appealed for the public’s help to piece together Ms Li’s last movements. 'We sadly have reason to believe Ms Li may have come to harm and have arrested a man on suspicion of murder,' DI Hester said. 'However, at this time we do not know her whereabouts. 'Our investigations are focused on establishing exactly what happened between Friday evening and the time Ms Li was reporting missing to us on Tuesday morning. 'I would ask anyone who has seen or heard from her since she left work at Poole Hospital to contact us. 'We are building up a picture of her life, so I would also ask anyone who we haven’t spoken to already, who knew her well and may have information that could assist us, to get in touch.' Hospital: The 44- year-old was last seen leaving Poole Hospital (pictured) in Dorset at around 6pm on Friday . Investigation: Police, who said they feared the nurse had 'come to some harm', are now searching three addresses in the Boscombe area. Above, a forensic team is pictured entering a house in Burnham Drive today . Ms Li is described as a slim woman of Chinese appearance, around 5ft 5ins tall. She sometimes wears glasses and often has her shoulder-length black hair in a ponytail. Detectives have not found the 44-year-old’s body but they are concerned believe she may have come to harm. The middle-aged man was being held in the police cells while he awaits questioning by senior detectives. Response: The man, from Bournemouth, is said to be known to Ms Li. Above, Dorset Police in Burnham Drive . Operation: Ms Li is described as a slim woman of Chinese appearance, around 5ft 5ins tall. She sometimes wears glasses and often has her shoulder-length black hair in a ponytail. Above, police in Burnham Drive . Sorry we are not currently accepting comments on this article. | Rui Li, 44, last seen leaving Poole Hospital in Dorset, on Friday at 6pm . Detectives said they feared the . nurse had 'come to some harm' They have since arrested 60-year-old man who was 'known to the nurse' | 3dd093e18ea090980e0f84994814ad76f1f36a06 |
By . Larisa Brown . PUBLISHED: . 19:01 EST, 9 January 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 23:04 EST, 9 January 2013 . It's not the most complex of artistic creations and it certainly doesn't resemble anything British. But artist Damien Hirst has decorated this year's Brit Award trophy with multicoloured polka dots. Superseding the likes of Dame Vivienne Westwood and Sir Peter Blake, he has replaced the Union Jack colours with his signature design. Damien Hirst's artistic creation, left, inspired by his signature design of polka dots and right, the 'blank canvas' trophy that has been awarded to winners in previous years . He is the third creative icon to be asked to stylise the trophy, adding the dots which he has used in many of his well-known artworks. His spots have been applied to numerous canvases and even a car over the years. Hirst said he had been 'honoured' to be asked to give the trophy a makeover. 'It has become such an iconic award, I love the Brits,' he said. The award has been unveiled ahead of tonight's announcement of the Brits shortlists. Tom Odell, the winner of this year's . critics' choice prize, will get his hands on the trophy first when the . 2012 winner Emeli Sande hands over the prize at the launch in London's . Savoy Hotel tonight. Brits chairman David Joseph said: 'Damien is truly one of the most important British artists and his . reimagining of the statue will make winning a 2013 Brits an even more . special proposition.' Hirst pictured left and Sir Peter Blake, right, with his red, white and blue Brit Awards trophy from last year . Last year Sir Blake based the trophy on the three colours of the Union Jack flag, and his artistic creation echoed the swinging sixties, the decade when he first rose to prominence. It was the second year the Brits asked a British creative icon to style the blank canvas trophy, following Dame Vivienne Westwood's success the previous year. Dame Vivienne . draped the statue in a Union Jack, and the trophy had the phrase 'Stop! Climate Change' at the bottom, flagging up the environmental campaign . for which the designer is a tireless campaginer. Hirst's . exhibition at Tate Modern last year was the most popular solo show ever . staged at the gallery, attracting around 463,000 visitors, and helping . the venue to record numbers through its doors. Theme: Damien Hirst's artworks on sale in the Tate Modern shop, including a skateboard decorated in multicoloured polka dots . The gallery on London's Southbank recorded a 9.5per cent increase in visitor numbers, making 2012 the busiest year in its history with a record-breaking 5.3 million people walking through its doors. The Hirst exhibition, which ran from April to early September, featured the artist's diamond-encrusted human skull For The Love Of God, a rotting cow's head and a shark suspended in formaldehyde. Other highlights of the show, seen by an average of almost 3,000 visitors a day, were A Thousand Years 1990 where flies emerge from maggots, eat from a rotting cow's head and die, and The Physical Impossibility Of Death In The Mind Of Someone Living where a shark is suspended in formaldehyde. Around 1.5 million people visited Tate Britain in Pimlico, central London over the same period, up 4.3per cent on 2011. Tate deputy director Alex Beard said: 'It has been an extraordinary year at Tate Modern, opening the world's first museum galleries permanently dedicated to exhibiting live art, performance, installation and film works alongside an outstanding exhibition programme which has undoubtedly fuelled the increase in visitors.' | Hirst is the third person to be asked to stylise the trophy . Artist supersedes Dame Vivienne Westwood and Sir Peter Blake . | f27d77c69cfb141d4da399d379c3b4b1d52a724b |
A deadly 10ft shark usually found in the Caribbean has been found washed up on a picturesque beach in north Wales. The dead Mako shark was discovered on Friday by fishermen on Barmouth Beach, on the edge of Snowdonia park, leading families and young children to gather round the animal. Mako sharks, which attack by lunging up from deep water to rip chunks of flesh from their prey, killed three people between 1980 and 2010. The 10ft Mako shark was found washed up on Barmouth Beach, north Wales, on Friday . Children and parents were seen touching the deadly predator after it was found on the beach 20 miles north of Aberystwyth . Gwion Liggett, was one of the first to see the shark after it washed up on the popular holiday beach, with word soon spreading throughout the coastal hamlet. He said: 'When I arrived at the beach around sunset there was a huge crowd gathering around it. 'I was surprised it wasn't just a fisherman's tale. 'I was taken aback not just by how long it was but also how wide - it is a serious shark.' Mako sharks are the fastest shark in the world and normally feed on squid and fish such as mackerel, tuna and swordfish. They are a threatened species and are usually found in tropical waters between California and Chile, as well as in the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea. There were 42 recorded Mako shark attacks on humans over 30 years, with three people killed as well as 20 boat attacks. An average Mako will grow up to 10ft in length, swim in excess of 30mph and can weigh up to 21stone. Mako sharks, which attack by lunging up from deep water to rip chunks of flesh from their prey, killed three people between 1980 and 2010 . There were 42 recorded Mako shark attacks on humans over 30 years, with three people killed as well as 20 boat attacks . 'It has got that feeling of Jaws and Amity Island,' Mr Liggett, who has taken his partner and primary school age children to see the predator, said. 'A lot of people will be hesitant to get back in the water after this. Maybe it is fortunate it has happened at this time of year so people can have some time to get over it. 'If it had happened in summer then I think a lot less people and holidaymakers would be in the water. 'I overheard some local kids talking about becoming Marine Biologists after seeing this creature. A huge shark on the beach is big news in little Barmouth.' The shark is still lying on the beach and no one has come to collect it despite the Harbour Master letting the relevant authorities know about it. Trophy hunters have been pulling razor-sharp teeth from the dead shark since it was found on Friday. | Huge Mako shark found washed up on north Wales beach by fishermen . Deadly 10ft predator was discovered on Barmouth Beach on Friday . The sharks have attacked humans 42 times over 30 years, killing three . They attack by lunging from deep water to rip chunks of flesh from prey . Predators usually found in tropical waters near Caribbean and Americas . | 0a3c3606e5f7edef386741be90319e7c54ddf3f8 |
By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 04:17 EST, 22 February 2014 . | . UPDATED: . 10:20 EST, 22 February 2014 . Felipe Massa said he saw Michael Schumacher's mouth move as he spoke to him in hospital. The racing driver said he feels 'very positive' about his friend's condition following a recent visit to the seven-time Formula One champion in hospital. When asked about his friend's condition by journalists, Massa replied: 'He was sleeping, and I was very . positive because he was normal. 'He looks normal, and he also gave some reactions with the mouth and everything. So it's positive to look at him. Friends: Formula One driver Felipe Massa has spoken about a visit to Michael Schumacher's bedside . Positive: Massa said he felt 'very positive' about the condition of Schumacher . Waiting: The motor sport legend is in the 'waking up phase' after being in an induced coma for eight weeks . 'I have no experience to say anything. I'm not a doctor. But when I saw him, for me, it looked very positive.' It is almost eight weeks since Schumacher was placed in an induced coma following a skiing accident. He required two operations to remove blood clots from his brain following his fall in December. Schumacher . is currently in what manager Sabine Kehm described as a 'waking-up process' from his coma. Prior to this week's second pre-season test in Bahrain, Massa visited Schumacher at the Grenoble hospital where the former Ferrari star has been recovering. Optimism: Massa says he told 'sleeping' Schumacher all about his car and prospects for the coming season . Trials: Williams driver Massa has been in Bahrain for Winter Testing since Wednesday . Speaking to reporters at the Sakhir circuit, Massa said: 'I always try to be optimistic. 'I . saw him, I talked to him, I told him everything I did in Jerez (at the . first test), about my car, the new team (Williams), everything. I told . him to wake up many times... I'm positive. We need to believe. 'It's always very difficult to say because I have zero experience about what the doctors say. 'But I saw him and was very happy to be together with him for a very long time, talking to him, trying to give the best energy and just help him. 'He's a very strong man, a very great man and I really hope he can wake up, and I really hope he can enjoy his life again.' | Felipe Massa said he felt 'very positive' about Schumacher's condition . Visited his friend in Grenoble hospital and said he 'gave some reactions' Former Ferrari driver moved his mouth as he spoke, Massa said . Schumacher has been in induced coma since skiing accident in December . | 2f709c31659c4619033425f5b2e94f031e11de07 |
By . Leah Hardy . PUBLISHED: . 17:09 EST, 22 December 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 10:38 EST, 24 December 2012 . I’ve noticed people peering at me oddly. But I haven’t taken offence. Because the stares have been followed up with the most compliments I have ever had about my skin in my entire life. And that’s not something you expect when you are a year shy of 50. The reason? For the past four months, I have regularly been subjected to a staggering 69,000 injections in my face, as one of the first people in the country to trial the latest, non-surgical facelift on the market. Scroll down for video . Before and after: Leah Hardy pictured left before undergoing Intracel - a skin-tightening and rejuvenating system costing £2,000 - and pictured right after the treatment . While celebrities such as Jennifer Aniston and Kim Kardashian rave about collagen-boosting Fraxel laser treatments, the cosmetic world has moved on, and the buzz now is about Intracel. This is a skin-tightening and rejuvenating system combining three of the most promising minimally invasive techniques: micro-needling, radiofrequency (a type of heat) skin tightening and lasers. Unlike lasers that burn the surface of the skin, Intracel injects radiofrequency heat energy into the deepest layers of the skin via needles as fine as a human hair. It works by creating thousands of microscopic wounds which stimulate tired old skin cells to go into overdrive, producing new, fresh, young collagen. The makers of Intracel claim this will lead to tighter, firmer, brighter skin, with smaller pores. It is even said to lift sagging jawlines, soften crow’s feet, fill out acne scars, remove red veins and cure acne, because it kills the bacteria that cause spots and reduces the activity of oil glands in the skin. But don’t think this treatment is like a pampering facial. Remember those 69,000 needle pricks? Here come the needles: Leah Hardy, 49, receiving the anti-aging treatment from Dr Natalie Blakely . Before treatment, I was slathered in a powerful anaesthetic cream. At one point, I nervously licked my lips, and ended up with a numb tongue as well as face. Then it was time to face the Needles of Doom. Dr Blakely showed me the device and I could see that when a button was pressed, dozens of teeny needles would shoot out. And with that I lay on the couch. Dr Blakely started on my forehead. She switched to deeper needles on my cheek where there is more fat, and shallow ones over the nose where there isn’t. The overall sensation is of warmth, but when the needles hit bony areas, there is a sharp, brief pain. The needling took less than half an hour, and then I relaxed with a cooling mask for 15 minutes. But afterwards my face was scarlet and there were tiny droplets of bright red blood under the skin on my nose. I’m not allowed to wear make-up, so I put on big sunglasses and stop for a coffee , but nobody comments. As the redness fades, I develop stripes of tiny scabs on my cheeks and grid marks of more scabs on my forehead. I look as if I’ve been savaged by a cat. My husband is visibly shocked: ‘What on earth have you done to yourself?’ he says. No pain, no gain, I say. The next day, I have teeny bruises under my eyes, and the stripes on my cheeks are still vivid. My husband anxiously asks: ‘Will you get better?’ And something else happens. I erupt into horrible spots. Dr Blakely warned that a brief attack of acne may be a side effect, but there are also tiny red drops of blood in every pore on my nose and three big scratches on my cheek. The needles of doom: Deeper needles are used on the cheeks where more fat is stored while shorter needles are on shallow parts of the face such as the nose . On day five, I use a chemical peel Dr Blakely gave me in an aftercare pack. The next day my skin looks smoother but the red blood spots in my pores and the scratches are still there. However, I start to notice the skin around my eyes looks fresher. It takes two weeks for my skin woes to completely disappear. When, six weeks later, I arrive for treatment number two – for best results they recommend this – I am nervous. Dr Blakely says my reaction was extreme and very unusual. And this time things are very different. The redness fades completely in a few hours and my skin looks just a little pink, with no scabs. My skin looks brighter and clearer and my jawline tighter already. I return for my third treatment, almost four months after the first, and it’s a breeze. Yes, the needles are a bit ouchy at times, but even though she uses a high level of energy, all I have to show for it is some transient redness, a few minute blood speckles, and a tiny sprinkling of almost invisible scabs on one cheek and above one eye, which disappear in a few days. I can see subtle changes. My brows are more arched, my cheeks look fuller and my jawline tighter, as if everything’s slightly lifted. My nose to mouth lines are softer and, on the right hand side of my face, have almost vanished. What doesn’t really show in photographs is that my skin glows and feels bouncier and my pores are smaller. Intracel is expensive, and the results may not be dramatic. But friends, mums at the school gate and even people I barely know notice a difference. I tell them they just need to find nearly £2,000 – and endure those 69,000 needles. | Leah Hardy underwent the new cosmetic anti-aging treatment Intracel . Intracel costs £400 for an eye area, £700 for a full face or £1,800 for a course of three, full-face treatments at the Light Touch Clinic. lighttouchclinic.co.uk . | 18efa558991e4565c477c244e4e9285401d30bc1 |
By . Jennifer Newton . NASCAR racer Danica Patrick could be set to become America's first female Formula One driver after her boss hinted she would be a 'great candidate' for his F1 team. The 32-year-old is the most successful woman in the history of American open-wheel racing and has competed in NASCAR since 2012, finishing inside the top ten twice. Motorsport mogul Gene Haas, for whom Miss Patrick races for in NASCAR is preparing to launch a brand new Formula One team in time for the 2016 season. Scroll down for video . Danica Patrick, who could be set to become America's first ever female Formula One driver . Miss Patrick currently competes in NASCAR since switching to the sport in 2012 and previously competed in Indy Car . And in an interview with NBCSN commentator at the Canadian Grand Prix yesterday, Mr Haas said including her on his team could be a possibility. He said: 'She'd bring an awful lot of viewership, I think it's be great for America. I think she would be a great candidate. 'Whether that's going to happen or not, I think that's kind of a long shot there.' Miss Patrick, who is originally from Beloit, Wisconsin became the fourth woman in 2005 to compete in the Indy 500. Danica Patrick dressed as a showgirl at the American Country Awards last year, where she co-host the ceremony . Miss Patrick at the 2011 ESPY awards with Justin Bieber. Outside of motor racing she is a model and advertising spokeswoman . She finished fourth, which is the best ever finish for a female competitor and won the accolade of Rookie of the Year. She then made history again in 2008 by becoming the first female to win an Indy Car race and between 2005 and 2011, she posted another seven top three finishes. In 2012 she switched to NASCAR racing but has struggled to break into the top 25 of the championship standings. Outside of the sport, she is a model and advertising spokesman and has even featured in Sports Illustrated's swimsuit edition in 2008. Last year she donned sequin showgirl outfit when she co-hosted the 2013 American Country Awards alongside Trace Adkins in Las Vegas. Gene Haas, right, who is preparing to launch a Formula One team in 2016 said Miss Patrick, left, would be a good candidate to be one of his drivers . If Miss Patrick were to be selected to compete in Formula One, she would become one of just two women to have ever started a race in the sport. However, only one woman Lella Lombardi of Italy has actually picked up any points in a race. She raced from 1974 to 1976 before joining in NASCAR after her retirement from Formula One. But women's inclusion in Formula One has been criticised by some including former champion Sir Stirling Moss. Last year he was quoted as saying: 'The mental stress I think would be pretty difficult for a lady to deal with in a practical fashion. I just don’t think they have aptitude to win a Formula One race.’ But Miss Patrick, who has also faced criticism in the past for being female, was quoted as saying last year: 'I really don't care. 'There's going to be people who believe in you and people who don't.' Lella Lombardi, the most successful woman to have competed in Formula One in the 1970s . Lella Lombardi was the first and only woman to have picked up a point in a Formula One race and participated in 17 Grand Prix between 1974 and 1976. The Italian's best finish came in the 1975 Spanish Grand Prix when she finished sixth, earning her the point. She made the switch to Formula One after performing well in Formula 3 and Formula 5000 in the early 1970s. During her Formula One career, she raced for March and Williams before a short-lived stint with RAM Racing. After retiring from Formula One, she competed in NASCAR before racing sports cars. She died in Milan in 2002 aged 50 after suffering from cancer. | Gene Haas says she would be a great candidate for his Formula One team . Is putting together a team in time for the 2016 season and needs two drivers . Miss Patrick is the first woman to have won an Indy Car race in 2008 . Currently competes in NASCAR after switching to the sport in 2012 . | e87593c7a1f6e59eb074ab79c6954ca764d308ad |
(CNN) -- A damaged front right tire caused the pickup truck accident in Texas that killed 15 people in the town of Goliad this week, authorities said Wednesday. Trooper Gerald Bryant of the Texas Highway Patrol said the rubber of the tire had started to come apart. The Ford pickup truck crammed with nearly two dozen people ran off a highway in southeastern Texas on Sunday evening, officials said. The death toll increased to 15 Wednesday, Bryant said. The driver of the vehicle has been identified as Ricardo Mendoza-Pineda, 22, from Mexico. He was one of the 11 initially reported dead. No other vehicles were involved in the wreck. At least two of the dead were children, troopers told CNN affiliate KTRK in Houston. The victims were from Guatemala, Honduras and Mexico, according to Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents who were called to the scene of the accident. CNN's Elwyn Lopez contributed to this report. | The rubber on the tire had begun to come apart, a Texas state trooper says . The death toll increased to 15 Wednesday, Trooper Gerald Bryant says . The victims were from Guatemala, Honduras and Mexico, federal agents say . | d704444517b74f8a0507445ed2a5693f7b8db875 |
By . Leesa Smith For Daily Mail Australia . That momentary decision to answer the phone while driving a car ended the short life of a young Sydney model, an inquest has revealed. Sarah Durazza’s final words were heard by her boyfriend Scott Bidder as they spoke on the phone before she lost control of her car and slammed into a tree on the Wakehurst Parkway at Narrabeen on Sydney's Northern Beaches about 7.30pm on August 26 last year. The tragedy should serve as a ‘terrible warning’ of the dangers of inattention while driving, Deputy State Coroner Hugh Dillon said in delivering his findings on Friday into the 26-year-old's death. Sarah Durazza's final words were heard by her boyfriend Scott Bidder as they spoke on the phone including her losing control of the car . Sarah's parents Paul (left) and Fiona (centre) Durazza have called for a safety audit of the Wakehurst Parkway road where their daughter lost control of her car . Ms Durazza crossed lanes after she lost control of her car on the Wakehurst Parkway, then rolled the vehicle and smashed into a tree in August last year . ‘A motor vehicle can be transformed into a deadly weapon in a moment by inattention or distraction,’ Magistrate Dillon said. The Mona Vale resident, who also worked as a beautician, had been talking on her phone with Mr Bidder with whom she had argued with earlier in the day. ‘The fact that she was on the phone immediately before the accident and said, 'Oh shit...' as she answered the phone call from Mr Bidder is highly suggestive that it was the act of answering the phone ... that caused her to take her eye off the road momentarily but sufficiently long for her to run onto the verge,’ Magistrate Dillon found. Mr Bidder and Sarah's mother, Fiona Durazza, were among the first at the scene. ‘Mrs Durazza immediately understood that Sarah was either very badly injured or dead. She fell to her knees in distress,’ he said. The Mona Vale resident, who also worked as a beautician, had been talking on her phone with her boyfriend with who she had argued with earlier in the day . The Coroner said the tragedy should serve as a ‘terrible warning’ of the dangers of inattention while driving . Ms Durazza, who was described as a ‘bright, vivacious, high-spirited young woman’, crossed lanes after she lost control of her car on the Wakehurst Parkway rolled the vehicle and smashed into a tree. ‘Sadly, Sarah's death is a case study in the dangers of distractions for drivers,’ Magistrate Dillon said. Magistrate Dillon did not recommend for the Wakehurst Parkway to be upgraded and converted into a dual carriageway, as advocated by the Durazza family, but has called for a safety audit of the busy road. Sarah Durazza (second from right) was described as a 'bright, vivacious, high-spirited young woman' Sarah's mother Fiona Durazza 'fell to her knees in distress' when she arrived at the scene of her daughter's horrific car accident . | Sarah Durazza lost control of her car on Wakehurst Parkway when she answered her phone . She skidded off the road, rolled the car and then slammed into a tree . The 26-year-old model was talking to her boyfriend at the time . Her boyfriend Scott Bidder heard the crash through the phone . Coroner said it was ‘terrible warning’ of dangers of inattention while driving . Her parents call for a safety audit of the road on Sydney's northern beaches . | 2e2e08fc5e6d6a75c61852a24b9ef487fd32cd58 |
(CNN) -- Serena Williams fended off a stirring fightback from Agnieszka Radwanska to win her fifth Wimbledon singles title with a 6-1 5-7 6-2 victory Saturday. It was the 30-year-old American's 14th grand slam crown and her first since winning at the All England Club in 2010, but Poland's Radwanska made her fight every inch of the way. Suffering from a respiratory problem and trailing after a one-sided first set, Radwanska recovered from a break down in the second to give Williams a real Centre Court scare. After leveling at one set all, Radwanska took a 2-1 lead in the decider before Williams romped to victory with a run of five straight games. She celebrated by climbing into the players' box to embrace her sister Venus and other close connections including her physiotherapist Esther Lee. Williams spent almost a year on the sidelines, being struck by first injury then serious illness after being laid low by dangerous blood clots. Historic victories, crushing defeats at Wimbledon . A visibly emotional Williams showed how much victory meant to her in her post-match interview. "I can't describe it. I almost didn't make it a few years ago. I was in hospital and I thought I'd never be here again, so this makes it so worth it," she said. "It's all the sweeter. I was so down but you never give up. You have to continue," she added. Williams has capped her steady return to the top with an emphatic performance on the grass courts, particularly since the quarterfinals where she dispatched reigning champion Petra Kvitova. A semifinal win over Victoria Azarenka of the Belarus took Williams into the final, but Azarenka will have the consolation of going to the top of the new world rankings Monday. Radwanska will rise to number two off the back of her fine run and has enhanced her growing reputation. "I am very proud to have got to the final. I am still shaking but I tried, it just wasn't my day," the 23-year-old told BBC Sport. "I have been unlucky here, playing in the wind and the rain, but I still played some great matches." Williams, who wins $1.78 million, is the first woman over 30 to win Wimbledon since Martina Navratilova in 1990 and has now matched the Wimbledon singles tally of her elder sister Venus. They later paired up to win their fifth Wimbledon women's doubles title, beating Czech duo Andrea Hlavackova and Lucie Hradecka, 7-5 6-4. The match finished under the lights just before 2300 local time and set the seal on a triumphant day for Serena. She will now look to do the double again at the London Olympics which begin later this month at Wimbledon. The intervening match on Centre Court saw unseeded pair Britain's Jonny Marray and Denmark's Freddie Nielsen beat Sweden's Robert Lindstedt and Romania's Horia Tecau 4-6 6-4 7-6 6-7 6-3 in a thrilling men's doubles final. Marray, 31, is the first Briton since 1936 to win that title at Wimbledon, an omen perhaps for Andy Murray, who is attempting the same record in terms of years in the men's singles final against Roger Federer Sunday. | Serena Williams wins fifth Wimbledon crown . American beats Agnieszka Radwanska of Poland 6-1 5-7 6-2 . Radwanska battles respiratory illness to extend the American . Williams sisters claim their fifth doubles title at Wimbledon later . | 6f9203b6870dccec84596bf9b3c8a198dde53caa |
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