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England head coach Stuart Lancaster admitted he was forced to read his under-performing team the riot act at half-time of Saturday's 36-13 rout by New Zealand. The All Blacks had amassed a 29-6 interval lead after exploiting a passive defence with Julian Savea and Aaron Smith plundering two tries each. Disaster beckoned in the second half of the climax to the series at the Waikato Stadium, but an improved England responded with a touch down from Marland Yarde. Disappointed: England head coach Stuart Lancaster read the team the riot act at half time . 'We had some pretty sharp words at half-time and we showed a lot more urgency and intensity in the second half and that was reflected in the performance,' Lancaster said. 'There's two or three opportunities that we missed and we scored the try.' Narrow losses in Auckland and Dunedin had already placed the series beyond reach, leaving England with the goal of salvaging some pride from the final Test. Instead, they were blown away as the All Blacks registered a record-equalling 17th successive victory with the deadly Savea claiming his eighth try in four games against the Red Rose. 'We fought hard for two Tests and fought hard in the second-half of the third, but we are behind them in all areas at the moment,' Lancaster said. 'For us to win at this level we need to be better and we know that. 'The . objective ultimately was to come and win the series and we haven't . achieved that, so in that regard we are hugely disappointed. Hat-trick hero: Julian Savea was just too good for England today . 'But we've shown enough to demonstrate we are a young team on the up and we have a lot of growth still in us.' England's feeble first-half tackling was punished by the brilliant All Blacks, who should have scored at least two more tries with their head coach Steve Hansen admitting they became 'greedy'. Kyle Eastmond repeatedly waved New Zealand's midfield through and as a result was replaced by Luther Burrell at half-time. Assistant coach Andy Farrell offered an honest assessment of England's shortcomings and reflected on Eastmond's ordeal just two weeks after the Bath centre had starred in the first Test. 'Our defence started poorly and it got worse. We were reactive instead of going and getting them, which our defence has always been about,' Farrell said. 'We certainly weren't anywhere near 80 per cent and you need all hands on deck to play an international game. 'The . first half wasn't good enough and we have something in black and white . now for what intensity looks like and what it definitely doesn't look . like. Bleak: Marland Yarde was the only try-scorer on a dismal night for the England side . 'I chatted with Kyle for 10 minutes and he's disappointed. Two or three weeks ago we were talking about the progress he's made and everyone was raving about his performance in Auckland. 'You don't become a bad player overnight by any. It's the intensity part that he struggled with. 'Kyle's got all the skills, he was just a bit off the pace as far as getting set and being ready to go were concerned.' New Zealand became the third team to string together 17 Test victories and have the opportunity to break the record when they face Australia in Sydney on August 16. Talk of the achievement was banned by the All Blacks in the build up to Saturday's showdown in Hamilton, but captain Richie McCaw finally admitted his team have set it as an objective. 'You don't make a big deal of the record but it's something we're keen to achieve. We want it outright,' McCaw said. 'We acknowledge it and then work out how to achieve it. It's about preparing well and getting ready to perform. If we get that right we'll add the win we want.' | England coach read his team the riot act after Kiwi's first-half onslaught . New Zealand defeated England 36-13 to complete Test whitewash . Julian Savea scored a hat-trick of tries, with Aaron Smith getting a brace . | 6932c9406c50574a175a60071d48601eaf5f5e16 |
A businessman who paid Eastern European workers just £30-a-day to pick crops in the fields charged them £30-a-week to sleep on mattresses on the derelict ground floor of a former pub, a court has heard. Mohammed Aslam, 71, lived in the upstairs area of the The Smut Inn in Oldham, Greater Manchester, and he had converted it into a modern living area with high standards. But Oldham Magistrates' Court heard that the ground floor, where up to ten men slept on mattresses, was squalid and did not have any heating. Mohammed Aslam charged each of his workers £30-a-week to live on a mattress in the former pub, pictured . Council officials believe that up to ten men slept on the ground floor of the pub without heating . Mr Aslam lived on the first floor of the building, pictured, which had been renovated to a high standard . The men were also expected to wash in the former pub's toilets, while a fire escape had been jammed closed with a paint roller, meaning it could not be opened easily in the case of an emergency. Oldham Council said the men living at the property told investigators that they were being paid £30 per day to pick coriander in the fields of North Wales and East Yorkshire. But they were also made to pay £30 per week for their squalid accommodation. There was no heating and the lighting could only be controlled from one switch behind the old bar. Photographs from inside the property were taken by Oldham Council who prosecuted the property's owner Mohammed Aslam, 71. They showed that many of the pub's windows are boarded up. But despite the poor conditions downstairs the council found that Aslam lived on the first floor of the property which had recently been renovated to a high standard . Last year Environmental Health Officers were informed by the police that the men were staying on the ground floor of the property. Aslam paid his tenants £30-a-day to work in fields picking crops of coriander across Wales and Yorkshire . The ground floor of the building, which used to be The Smut Inn, did not have any proper washing facilities . The ground floor area which used to be the bar had been partitioned into separate 'bedrooms', pictured, . Officers arranged with Greater Manchester Police and Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service to visit the premises just after midnight on July 1, last year. The owner Aslam had just arrived back from work with the men who were all working for him. When officers went into the property they found the bar still in situ but the seating area had been poorly partitioned off to make bedrooms. A prohibition order was served at the time of the visit stating that an interlinked fire detection system was to be installed or the workers were not allowed to stay there. A follow up visit carried out by officers on September 10, last year revealed that the prohibition order hadn't been complied with and there was still workers living there. Legal proceedings were then launched by the council. At Oldham Magistrates Court Aslam pleaded guilty to 11 offences under the Housing Act 2004 of Management of Houses in Multiple Occupation (England) Regulations 2006. He was fined £2,200 with £2,600 costs. Councillor Dave Hibbert, Cabinet Member for Housing, Planning and Transport, said: 'In this day and age it is shocking that a landlord would allow their tenants to live in such a poorly maintained property. 'The council gave Aslam an opportunity to put the faults right in his property but he failed to do so. 'All landlords have a responsibility to their tenants and must ensure that the properties they rent out are safe and healthy to live in. We will take action against those who think they can get away with letting out substandard properties. 'Oldham Council is committed to working with landlords for the benefit of all the Borough's residents.' Council officials found that an emergency exit had been wedged closed with a paint roller, pictured . The workers used the former pub's toilets, pictured, to dry their clothes, with a make-shift washing line . | Mohammed Aslam charged his workers £30-a-week to stay in squalid 'bar' The men lived on the ground floor of a former pub called The Smut Inn . Aslam, 71, converted the first floor where he lived to a high standard . His workers lived in derelict conditions without heating in the former bar . Aslam paid them £30-a-day to pick coriander across Wales and Yorkshire . The men had no proper washing facilities or any adequate source of heat . Aslam pleaded guilty to 11 counts under the 2004 Housing Act . Oldham Magistrates' Court fined Aslam £2,200 with £2,600 in costs . | eef4331197c0966c6287e615630381ad28561c7c |
As they splash around in their tanks, they look like any other healthy Atlantic salmon. Their eyes are bright, their skin is gloriously silvery and their fully grown bodies exude power. It’s only when you look closely at their hatching dates that the alarm bells start to ring. A normal Atlantic salmon takes 30 months to grow to maturity . . . this variety took just 16. The majestic specimens are ‘frankenfish’ — genetically modified salmon created in a secretive research base in the Panama rainforest. 'Frankenfish' are genetically modified salmon created by company AquaBounty which grow at twice the rate of wild Atlantic Salmon, and are constantly hungry (file picture) The salmon have been given genes from two other species of fish to make them grow twice as fast as normal. And while most people would baulk at the prospect, GM fish could soon be coming to a dinner table near you. Last week, Canadian authorities gave approval for the commercial production of GM salmon eggs for the first time, while U.S. food regulators are in the final stages of approving the fish for sale in supermarkets and restaurants. And where GM salmon lead, other animals will follow. Plans are in place to genetically modify up to 50 other species, including trout and the tropical white fish tilapia, for human consumption. GM chickens, cattle, sheep and pigs won’t be far behind. The prospect of the first commercially produced GM livestock has, not surprisingly, raised concerns. Even those who support GM crop production believe the risks involved in GM animals are simply too great. So what is so dangerous about these innocuous-looking fish? And could they be served in the UK soon? GM salmon are the creation of AquaBounty, a biotechnology company based in Massachusetts and listed on the London Stock Market. The firm has owned the rights to produce GM salmon since 1996. It also produces feeds to speed up the growth and boost the immunity of farmed shrimp. The fish have been given two genes from other species — a growth hormone gene from the Chinook salmon, the largest of the Pacific salmon species, and a gene from the eel-like ocean pout which ‘switches on’ the growth hormone. The combination of these two genes allows the GM salmon to keep producing a growth factor hormone — the substance that triggers their metabolism to eat more and put on weight — all the year round. The farmed fish have been given the growth hormone from the Chinook salmon and a gene from the ocean pout which switches the growth gene on . Normal young salmon, in contrast, go through growth spurts only in the spring and summer. The rest of the year — when food is less scarce — their growth slows dramatically. With growth hormone coursing through their bodies, the GM salmon can reach market size of around 13lb in 16 to 18 months, making them cheaper to produce. AquaBounty is spreading the production and marketing of the GM fish over three countries. Around 100,000 salmon eggs will be created every year in its factory at Prince Edward Island, Canada, before being shipped to Panama. There they will be grown into adults in landlocked ‘sealed tanks’ for 18 months, killed and sold in the U.S. Pro-GM scientists insist there is no reason why GM food should be any more dangerous to humans than ordinary food. After all, mankind has been tampering with the genetic make-up of animals and plants since the dawn of farming through selective natural breeding. Genetic modification, they say, is simply a more precise addition or subtraction of genes. But there are two major differences with GM. Changes in animals and plants that once took centuries can now take place within just one generation. And genes from one species can be added to another. Tomatoes can be given anti-freeze genes from Arctic fish to make them withstand frosts. Rice can be given genes from daffodils to make it a rich source of Vitamin A. Critics say the combination of genes from different species could have unforeseen consequences. While the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) found no worrying differences between the meat of GM and ordinary fish, no one has yet been able to show whether the fish are safe over many years of consumption. While the salmon are meant to be farmed if they do escape they could breed and wipe out wild fish . And according to U.S. charity Ocean Conservancy, there are significant differences between GM and conventional farmed salmon. GM salmon appears to have less omega 3 — the fatty acid that can protect against heart disease. It also appears to have higher levels of a growth hormone called IGF-1. Studies of a small number of salmon suggest that six nutrients are present at values that differ by more than 10 per cent. The GM variety had less folic acid, less zinc, less magnesium and less phosphorus — but more niacin and vitamin B6. The findings suggest ‘potential food quality differences’, according to the charity Ocean Conservancy. There are also concerns that GM salmon could have more allergy-triggering chemicals. The FDA concluded that was not the case — but its findings were based on a study of only six fish. This is not enough evidence to conclude that GM salmon is harmful. But it raises questions which have not been fully answered. There are more concerns about the threat to the environment they pose. Wild Atlantic salmon are already threatened by over-fishing and the accidental release of farmed salmon. Introducing a population of bigger, tougher and faster-growing salmon could finish them off. Dr Robert Devlin, who has grown his own variant of GM salmon at the Centre of Aquaculture and Environmental Research in Vancouver, says they are more aggressive than conventional fish. ‘They’re hungry all the time,’ he told CBC News. A study at McGill University in Quebec this summer found that GM salmon can breed with wild brown trout, creating a hybrid that grows even faster than the GM salmon. In a simulation, the hybrid ate far more food than wild fish sharing the same waters, and led to wild fish being far smaller than they should have been. US food regulators are about to approve the fish for sale, while Canada has given the go-ahead for the production of GM eggs for the first time (file picture) AquaBounty insists that won’t happen because it processes the eggs in its factory to make the fish sterile and so unable to breed. However, data from the company suggests the process is not 100 per cent effective. And, according to regulators, it needs to make only 95 per cent of eggs sterile. AquaBounty also says the risks of escape are minuscule because the fish will be stored in secure tanks miles from the sea. But the experience in Scotland —where at least two million farmed salmon have escaped into the wild in the past decade — shows that keeping salmon secure is difficult. Just last month, thousands escaped from a ‘secure’ Norwegian farm and could now mate with wild salmon. The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs says no company has yet applied to the European Commission to farm commercially or import GM fish into Europe. Approval from the commission would need a rigorous environmental risk assessment from the European Food Safety Authority. But European firms are watching closely. And the technology has supporters at the heart of Government. The previous chief scientist Sir John Beddington warned three years ago that the world faced a ‘perfect storm’ of a growing human population, food shortages and climate change. He argued it was hard to justify not using GM to feed the world. It is possible that canned imported GM salmon could arrive in the UK within the next few years (file picture) GM fish farms are unlikely in the UK for the foreseeable future. But, as pressure from scientists and biotech companies grows, it is possible imported canned GM salmon could arrive within the next few years. Fish experts are deeply concerned. Sir Michael Wigan, author of The Salmon, believes GM salmon almost certainly will get into the wild. ‘Salmon are incredible survivors’, he says. ‘They survived the industrial revolution in England where water wheels went up every five miles of river. They survived in the Tyne when it was an industrial sewer. ‘With the aid of its GM boost, who knows what this fish will be capable of doing.’ And once in the wild these super-charged, aggressive salmon — with their year-round appetite — could be devastating for the endangered natural wild salmon beloved by anglers and conservationists. Nature finds a way. And that way could be into the Atlantic, into British waters and ultimately onto our dinner plates. | GM salmon which grow twice as fast as wild fish have been developed . Eggs given go-ahead in Canada while meat to be approved for sale in US . If they escape from farms they could breed and wipe out wild fish . Imported canned products could be in the UK within years . | 9c8bd537da5e930acdee265ac3d4d36151ad9178 |
By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 16:21 EST, 6 November 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 16:33 EST, 6 November 2013 . Disgraced TV chef Paula Deen's marriage is reportedly on the rocks after she confronted her husband of nine years about his alleged cheating. According to the National Enquirer, the 66-year-old Southern cooking queen questioned tugboat captain Michael Groover, 57, whom she met 11 years ago and lives with in Savannah, Georgia, after a friend told her he had a secret mistress. A source quoted in the report claims Deen 'went on the warpath' when she heard about the alleged affair and though he adamantly denied it, the rumors 'pushed their marriage to breaking point.' Alleged affair: According to the National Enquirer, the 66-year-old Southern cooking queen, left, questioned tugboat captain Michael Groover, 57, right, whom she met 11 years ago, after a friend told her he had a secret mistress . 'She had an explosive argument with Michael that ended with him storming out of the house,' the source said. According to the Enquirer, the mistress is a 'sexy middle-age brunette' who lives nearby and has known Groover and his family for years. The woman allegedly entertained her lover once a week for more than a year at her Wilmington Island home, and on occasion they went out for drinks. 'It was no secret they were having an affair,' the source reportedly told the Enquirer. Innocent: After both of them calmed down, Groover, right, allegedly returned home, and swore his innocence and allegiance to Deen, left . 'It went on for more than a year and the only surprise is that it took Paula so long to find out about it.' But when she did find out, she confronted her husband immediately, the Enquirer reports. 'He denied cheating, but she wasn't satisfied he was telling the truth and needled him relentlessly. Finally, Michael got fed up and took off in a huff,' the source claimed. After both of them calmed down, Groover allegedly returned home, and swore his innocence and allegiance to Deen. But the source told the magazine, 'she still isn't convinced he's being completely honest.' | According to the National Enquirer, the disgraced TV chef quizzed tugboat captain Michael Groover, 57, after a friend told her he had a secret mistress . A source quoted in the report claims Deen 'went on the warpath' when she heard about the alleged affair though he adamantly denied it . After both of them calmed down, Groover allegedly returned home, and swore his innocence and allegiance to Deen . | 9f613f7971e03925269802683a16ce955c7029ac |
By . Ruth Styles . Do you dream of a wedding that comes complete with bulldog best men, an expensively customised horse drawn carriage and a romantic full moon - even when the real one is on the wane? Enter Don Antonio Polese, a man famous in his native Italy for throwing the most lavish weddings in a country, and who has provided everything from ship cakes to champagne swimming pools for his well-heeled brides and grooms. But despite the outrageous demands, bevvies of bridezillas and exhaustingly long days, Don Antonio says he still loves weddings - and is just as much of a romantic as ever. Main man: Don Antonio Polese is the man behind some of Italy's most extravagant weddings . 'Our work is nice because we are . involved in one of the happiest days of people's lives,' beams the larger-than-life Don Antonio. 'One groom said to . me once: "I want to live the fairy tale, I want to live my story" and we . do live their stories. This is a beautiful thing, no? Don Antonio, who owns the luxury La Sonrisa hotel in Naples, is now bringing his blingy brand of wedding to British TV screens courtesy of fly-on-the-wall series, My Crazy Italian Wedding, which is currently showing on TLC. In it, Don Antonio shows off his formidable powers of persuasion, grasp of small details and a touching willingness to go to ridiculous lengths when it comes to keeping his brides happy. 'We were doing a ceremony by the pool and there was no . moon that night but he bride said she wanted one,' remembers a chuckling Don Antonio. Happy couple: Newlyweds enjoy their first official kiss as they release a box of doves supplied by Don Antonio . Bizarre: Unusual requests have included a champagne swimming pool and a bulldog best man (pictured) In charge: Don Antonio, or 'The Boss' as he's known, with his right hand men outside La Sonrisa . 'So we had to provide the bride and groom with a moon, which we did by contacting a hot air balloon company and hiring a balloon, which we then used to light up the pool. 'We put it between the Sonrisa's two towers and roped it in place. The bride and groom were very pleased.' Bizarre though it might sound, a balloon moon is by no means the only unusual request, with cakes shaped like ships, swimming pools filled with champagne and bulldog best men all among past demands satisfied by Don Antonio. 'We always try to please everyone,' he adds. 'We've had a lot of strange requests but we never say no to anything.' Quirky: A bride arrives for her wedding in a personalised carriage to be welcomed by a ballerina . Imposing: Don Antonio outside his lavish Naples hotel and popular wedding venue, La Sonrisa . Lavish: Don Antonio keeps an eye on proceedings in La Sonrisa's extravagantly decorated ballroom . Not that that means Don Antonio won't diplomatically steer the bride and groom away from bad taste requests. 'I don't always go along with their ideas,' he smiles. 'I try to persuade them to have something a bit different if needed. 'We always try to, you know, make them see . our point of view.' He pauses and adds: 'I’m very good at convincing people I can handle such . situations.' Balloon moons notwithstanding, what most Italian brides and grooms want, says Don Antonio, is a personal affair - even if that means travelling huge distances and moving heaven and earth to get what they want. 'Once, a bride asked us to get a particular type of orchid called Cattleya, which can only be found in Thailand,' he remembers. 'We had to fly there just to pick up these Cattleya.' Other expensive requests focus on food. 'The . other day, one bride asked us to get in those Norwegian crabs, those big . crabs which we then had to cook according to a special recipe. 'In the end, we had to go to Florence to get them because our supplier didn't have any - they were flown in by plane from Norway.' Despite the crazy requests, Don Antonio says he still loves his job and describes himself as a 'romantic'. 'I love the party and the moments of joy,' he beams. 'We . get to be part of the most . beautiful moments of people's lives.' And what about British, American and Australian brides planning weddings this year? For them, Don Antonio has one simple piece of advice. 'Come and marry in Naples,' he chuckles, a cheeky smile lighting up his face. 'Come and celebrate at the Sonrisa. You will have the perfect wedding - I guarantee it.' My Crazy Italian Wedding, Wednesdays at 7.30pm on TLC . | Don Antonio Polese is the man behind some of Italy's wackiest weddings . Champagne-filled swimming pools and rare Thai orchids among requests . Says despite all the bridezillas, he is still a romantic and loves weddings . His top tip for the perfect wedding - let him plan it and hold it in Naples . | 8eecd65c7931fc97b9290fece25a7de2d56254d8 |
In Syria's cyberwar, the regime's supporters have deployed a new weapon against opposition activists -- computer viruses that spy on them, according to an IT specialist from a Syrian opposition group and a former international aid worker whose computer was infected. A U.S.-based antivirus software maker, which analyzed one of the viruses at CNN's request, said that it was recently written for a specific cyberespionage campaign and that it passes information it robs from computers to a server at a government-owned telecommunications company in Syria. Supporters of dictator Bashar al-Assad first steal the identities of opposition activists, then impersonate them in online chats, said software engineer Dlshad Othman. They gain the trust of other users, pass out Trojan horse viruses and encourage people to open them. Once on the victim's computer, the malware sends information out to third parties. Inside Syria: Hope, supplies run low in bunker . Othman is an IT security "go-to-guy" for opposition activists. He resides outside of Syria for his own safety. Since December, he has heard from dozens of opposition members who say their computers were infected. Two of them recently passed actual viruses to Othman and a colleague with whom he works. They checked them out. "We have two malwares -- first one is really complex," Othman said via Skype chat. "It can hide itself more." The U.S. analysis of one of the viruses -- the simpler one -- would appear to corroborate the time of its launch around the start of the year. The virus has two parts, said Vikram Thakur, principal security response manager at Symantec Corporation, known to consumers for its Norton antivirus software. He said one of them points to December 6 and the other to January 16. Thakur has dubbed the simpler virus "backdoor.breut." It was the more complex virus that the former aid worker unwittingly downloaded during a chat. Since she travels to Syria, she has requested that CNN not name her for security reasons and instead refer to her as "Susan." In one Syrian town, full-throated cries of defiance . To get a picture of the humanitarian needs on the ground in Syria, "Susan" contacted opposition members via the Internet. In January, she received a call via Skype from someone she believed was a regime opponent. It was an imposter and a regime supporter, she claims. "They called me actually and pretended that it's him -- this activist that I didn't know, because I'd been talking to him only two times and only in writing." Days later, other opposition members told Susan and Othman that the activist she thought she had spoken with was in detention. Activists accuse government forces of coercing him to reveal his user name and identity and of then going online to impersonate him. Othman says additional activists, who say they were detained and released, tell of being forced to turn over their passwords to Syrian authorities. CNN cannot independently confirm the accusations, because the Syrian government strictly limits international media coverage within its borders. Calls for Syrian government comment to a spokeswoman for al-Assad on Friday were not answered or did not go through. Friday is the weekly special day of prayer in the Muslim world. The man chatting with Susan via Skype passed her a file. She recalled what he said to her to coax her to open it: "This makes sure that when you're talking to me, it's really me talking to you and not somebody else." New York Times reporter dies in Syria . She clicked on the file. "It actually didn't do anything," she said in a baffled tone. "I didn't notice any change at all." No graphics launched; no pop-up opened to announce to the user that the virus was being downloaded. The link appeared to be dead or defected, said Othman. The second virus, backdoor.breut, which was e-mailed to him by an activist inside Syria for analysis, launched the same way. "Download, open, then nothing," Othman said. It contains a fake Facebook logo and was passed off in a chat room as a Facebook security update, he said. At CNN's request, Othman forwarded that virus to an IT security expert in California for an independent analysis. Othman removed the more complex malware on Susan's computer but made an image of the infected hard drive beforehand. At more than 250 GB, it would have to be sent on an external hard drive by regular post -- snail mail -- for any independent scrutiny. The U.S. expert confirmed the invisible nature of the backdoor.breut Trojan horse download. Thousand stage public protests on Friday . "Nothing would actually show up," said Thakur. "The only thing that the Trojan actually does -- it copies itself into one of the temporary locations, but that would not be visible to the regular user." The malware launches when the user reboots the computer. The Syrian cyberactivist and the California IT security manager pointed out that the lack of fanfare during download helps to conceal the viruses from their victims. "Most of them will say 'it's a damaged file,' and they will forget about it," Othman said. Susan did just that. She was not aware she had been hacked until she lost her Facebook and e-mail accounts a few days after clicking on the file. "I didn't click on any kind of new link or something, so they must have known about the password," she said, referring to the loss of her Facebook account. She handed over her laptop to Othman and his colleague, who told her that the Trojan horse had logged her key strokes, taken screen shots, rummaged through her folders. It hid the IP address it sent its information to, Othman said. Othman found a screen shot the Trojan horse took of Susan's online banking home page. He told her to change all her passwords, Susan said. "You don't want your money to be stolen by some of the Syrian security guys," she quipped. The other virus -- backdoor.breut -- sends the information it pillages from infected computers to the IP address: 216.6.0.28 and does not hide this. "We checked the IP address that our engineer referenced and can confirm that it belongs to the STE (Syrian Telecommunications Establishment)," a Symantec representative wrote to CNN. The STE is the government telecommunications company. This does not necessarily mean that someone at STE is doing the hacking, Thakur stresses. "Whether it's a home user behind that or it's actually a company or an organization, which has been allocated that IP address, we just have no insight from where we sit." But the Syrian government has access to all activity through that server "absolutely without any doubt," Thakur said. Anyone not wanting the government to see what they are up to would not use that server. Skilled Syrian opposition activists avoid government telecom servers when online. The simple virus, backdoor.breut, acts like a bull in a china shop, Symantec's Thakur said. "It did not look like it was written by any sophisticated hacker," he said after examining it. "It was just kind of put together -- slapstick functionality." Simple malware is readily available for download on underground forums in the Internet. Hackers can repurpose it and hand it out. Othman believed the second software to be such an off-the-shelf product because of its amateurish construction, but the California expert disagrees. "It's not something that somebody just went out there, copied code from an Internet website and just pasted it in. It was definitely coded for its current purpose." The name "backdoor.breut" derives from the virus' behavior. "We sort of took the word 'brute' just because of what it was actually doing and kind of changed a couple of characters to b-r-e-u-t," Thakur said. "Brute -- meaning that it is using brute force -- it's just going in smash-and-grab -- I'm going to try to get anything that I can and get the hell out of there." Backdoor.breut attempts to give the hacker remote control of the victim's computer, according to the analysis. It steals passwords and system information, downloads new programs, guides internal processes, logs keystrokes and takes shots with the webcam. It also turns off antivirus notification, but that does not completely conceal it from detection. "Some of the good software can detect it in the same day," Thakur said. The nature of its use may make backdoor.breut and other new Syrian malware hard to defend against. Antivirus makers need to know the virus to be able to assign it a signature and make the file detectible to block the download, according to Thakur. The more widely a new virus spreads around the world, the more likely it is to land on an antivirus maker's radar. The smaller the region the virus is located in, the less likely virus vigilantes are to notice and combat it. "Looking at this Trojan and the telemetry that we've gathered the last five or six days since we did the analysis, this is not targeting people across the complete globe. So, it could be days before some antiviruses actually create signatures for the file," Thakur said. More complex antivirus software can detect malware that does not yet have a signature, because of how it behaves after infecting the computer, Thakur said. If the antivirus does not have this 'behavior' component, it may not defend against a new virus "for a substantial amount of time." On a Facebook page named "Cyber Arabs," Othman warns activists of the danger of downloading the virus and reminds users to keep their antivirus software updated. Download.com, CNET's software download website, offers antivirus software, some of which includes a "behavior" component and is free of charge. But that is still no guarantee for not contracting a new Syrian cyberbug, "Susan" reminds. "It was up-to-date," she said. "The problem is that they sent me a ... file, and I was totally stupid -- like, it's an EXE file -- and I opened it." | U.S. antivirus experts say a virus is sending information to a server in Syria . Activists: Regime supporters are stealing oppositionists' online identities' Imposters use stolen identities to pass the viruses to activists, opposition claims . Antivirus software may not yet optimally protect against the new viruses . | bbf3c67c8bb01e3ee38da0197f61f1a172a933af |
PUBLISHED: . 11:39 EST, 1 August 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 02:12 EST, 2 August 2013 . Residents of Port Isaac are used to odd happenings around the Cornish fishing village, having played host to the cast and crew of ITV's Doc Martin for years. But the sight of a yellow van firmly wedged between two buildings may have made even the most-hardened villager look twice to check that filming hadn't started again. The over-ambitious driver of the van misjudged the width of a narrow lane and ploughed on ahead, but found themselves in a tight spot. An over-ambitious driver found his van was too big for the narrow lanes of Port Isaac in Cornwall . The pretty Cornish village has lots of narrow lanes which were clearly too small for the contractor's firm van to navigate . It looked like the vehicle, which belonged to a contractor's firm, was at risk of losing its wing mirrors - not to mention risking the wrath of the owner of the mounted flowerpot on the wall. The hapless driver was roundly teased for his embarrassing situation by local residents who posted comments online. Nicola Phillips said: 'At what point . when you’re squeezing your truck down this very narrow lane do you think . to yourself "oh dear.....maybe I should have taken another route..."' The winding lanes will be familiar to fans of Doc Martin, which ended in 2011 and starred Martin Clunes as Dr Ellingham and Caroline Catz as his love interest Louisa . Port Isaac stood in for the fictional village of Portwenn in the ITV drama series . While Sara Taylor posted: 'These people follow sat nav but it’s not always a practical route!' Thankfully, despite a few blushes, the driver managed to free the vehicle and get away from the scene. Doc Martin, which last appeared on screen in 2011, stars Martin Clunes as a doctor who became a GP in the fictional village of Portwenn from London after developing a fear of blood which left him unable to do his job as a surgeon. | A contractor's van became firmly wedged in one of the narrow winding lanes . Port Isaac stood in for the fictional village of Portwenn for the programme . | d5013a904a95f6ef0b85a58a2b0f72316c8c9319 |
Peter Scudamore believes it is no forgone conclusion that Ruby Walsh will abandon Hurricane Fly to ride Willie Mullins-trained stablemate and favourite Faugheen in the Champion Hurdle on March 10. Most bookmakers and pundits expect Walsh to pick the unbeaten younger horse despite Hurricane Fly, a dual Champion Hurdler, landing an historic fifth Irish Champion Hurdle at Leopardstown on Sunday to take his Grade-One race tally to 22. Eight-time champion jockey Scudamore said: ‘With a horse as good as Hurricane Fly, it will be a tough decision. Ruby Walsh rides Hurricane Fly alongside trainer Willie Mullins (right) at Leopardstown on Sunday . Walsh has been tipped to abandon Hurricane Fly at Cheltenham for the younger unbeaten horse Faugheen . ‘Even for a hard-nosed sportsman, sentiment does come into it. It has to be there. In the past, Ruby stuck with Kauto Star when he could have ridden Denman. ‘Ground is also big factor. Hurricane Fly wants it soft and, with Cheltenham is as early in the year as it can be, there could be a chance the ground will be softer. That could swing the decision towards Hurricane Fly. ‘Faugheen still has to prove himself at the highest level over two miles. On his bare form, including his win in the Christmas Hurdle at Kempton, he is too short a price for what he has achieved.’ Walsh, successful 17 times on Hurricane Fly, has partnered the 11-year-old in his last 18 races, a sequence stretching back to his 2011 Champion Hurdle win. Coral, who have Faugheen as Evens favourite for the Champion Hurdle, yesterday trimmed Hurricane Fly’s odds to 8-1. Hurricane Fly (left) races clear of Jezki to win The BHP Insurances Irish Champion Hurdle for the 5th time . Meanwhile, trainer Gary Moore has successfully put his reigning two-mile chaser Sire De Grugy through his first jumping session since he sustained a hip injury that prevented his return to action in November. Sire De Grugy is being prepared to run in the Game Spirit Chase at Newbury on February 7. Enda Bolger-trained Gilgamboa, who lost his unbeaten novice chase record when slammed by Un De Sceaux in the two-mile Arkle Chase at Leopardstown on Sunday, is set for a step up in trip. | Jockey Ruby Walsh is expected to pick Faugheen for the Champion Hurdle . However Hurricane Fly won fifth Irish Champion Hurdle on Sunday . Walsh has partnered the 11-year-old in his last 18 races, . | 8f39aa226539ad75c2b7a7525e40b7678f3a12db |
Angry: John Kirby, pictured with his daughter Amelia, is demanding answers over the mysterious death of his pet dog Wilma . First it was the muffled crack of a gunshot and then the six ‘yelps’ that told the dog owner something was terribly wrong. Now property developer John Kirby is demanding answers from a luxury hotel after his beloved whippet was mistaken for a rabbit and shot dead on its golf course. Four-year-old Wilma was killed just yards from her owner’s garden. Mr Kirby, whose £400,000 house borders the Marriott Meon Valley Hotel and Country Club near Winchester, Hampshire, heard a ‘muffled crack’ before his pet ‘whimpered in pain’ and died. The hotel chain has suspended pest control at all its British resorts. The 45-year-old property developer, whose three-year-old grandson Alfie often plays in his garden, said he regularly sees gun-toting officials looking for rabbits in the dark on the golf course - apparently to stop them digging up the greens. He said: ‘I see pest controllers out on the golf course about once a month, on a buggy, and using lamps to look for rabbits. 'I also hear the occasional gun shot. However, on this occasion, I had no idea anybody was there until I heard the crack of a gunshot, followed by Wilma yelping and whimpering in pain.’ Mr Kirby, a divorcee and father to Amelia, 21 and Buddy, 22, had returned from walking Wilma when the devastating incident happened at around 9.15pm. He said: ‘We had returned from our walk, I sat in front of the TV with the patio doors open, and the dogs were wandering in and out.’ Wilma and his other dog Buffy, a 14-year-old Bedlington cross whippet, were in the garden, which is separated by bushes and shrubs from the 14th green and 15th tee of the 18-hole golf course. Then he heard a ‘muffled crack’. He said: ‘I knew instantly what it was and I shouted out “Wilma, Wilma” but only Buffy came back. All I could hear was six yelps.’ Man's best friend: John is snapped with four-year-old whippet Wilma . Shot dead: Four-year-old whippet Wilma was killed, just yards from her owner's garden . Mr Kirby eventually found Wilma’s lifeless body, which had a gunshot wound and was covered in blood. He added: ‘She was lying dead and covered in blood beside a ditch - just a few metres from where I had been sitting. ‘A bullet had passed straight through her chest. The sight was sickening, and heartbreaking.’ He added: ‘I want to speak to the person who did it and just ask “why”? How could you mistake it for something else? ‘She was just a whippet and a really nice dog that was like a member of the family.’ Perpetrator: Wilma was shot by pest control hired by the Marriott Meon Valley Hotel and Country Club and was allegedly mistaken for a rabbit . Innocent victim: John Kirby's dog was out playing his his garden, and was found dead in the bushes to the right . A Hampshire Constabulary spokesman said officers have spoken to a man in connection to the incident, but made no arrests. A . hotel spokesman said: ‘Meon Valley, a Marriott Hotel and Country Club, . is sad to confirm that an incident involving a pest controller and a . local pet dog was reported to the police during the night. ‘A full police investigation is under way and we have suspended all pest control at our UK hotels until this is complete. ‘We . are deeply sorry for the distress this unprecedented incident has . caused the dog’s owners and we will do all we can to assist the police . investigations.’ Meon Valley is a four-star hotel set in 225 wooded acres of rolling countryside on the edge of the South Downs. As . well as the 71-par 18-hole golf course, the £150-a-night hotel also . boasts a PGA-rated nine-hole course and a golf academy with a covered . driving range. There is also a heated indoor pool, fitness centre, . tennis courts and health spa. Distraught: John Kirby, pictured with his children Amelia and Buddy, who is holding his son Alfie, 3, and other dog Buffy, said his grandson often plays in the bushes where Wilma was shot . Responsible: Marriott hotels are investigation the death of Wilma, who was found shot in the chest . Demanding answers: Mr Kirby ,with his other dog Buffy, wants to know how pest control could mistake a whippet dog for something else . Mr Kirby, who has lived in the house for 40 years, said he had owned Wilma since she was an eight-week-old puppy. He said: ‘Wilma was the kindest, friendliest, most loyal pet you could imagine. She meant the world to me, my children, and grandson. ‘Returning from work I’d pull on to the driveway and see her head peering out of an upstairs window. ‘Her eyes would light up, and she’d come dashing down the stairs to welcome me in as I got to the front door.’ He said the golf club had complained about dogs running across the golf course a couple of years ago - but it was not aimed directly at him. The shooting happened at 9.15pm when it was ‘pitch black outside’ and nobody was playing on the course. He added: ‘I know the dogs should not be on the golf course and I am careful to keep an eye on them when they are in the garden. ‘They are often just messing around in the hedge on the border between our garden and the course. ‘As soon as I lose sight of them, I call them back. They are well-trained and not unruly.’ | Wilma the dog was shot by pest control on luxury hotel's golf course . Owner John Kirby's Winchester home borders the course . Mr Kirby heard 'muffled crack' and found Wilma shot in the chest . | cb83fec6cb6cd61fcb49695a9c4aa036c6d18801 |
By . Guy Adams . PUBLISHED: . 15:59 EST, 27 September 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 06:25 EST, 28 September 2013 . On Strictly Come Dancing, competitors in the ballroom enjoy a friendly rivalry. In the real world of amateur competition, though, it seems that matters are a bit more cut-throat. For Britain’s leading amateur ballroom dancer Kyle Taylor has had his ambitions of glory tripped up – amid rumours of skullduggery. Mr Taylor was tipped to waltz away with the top prize at next week’s prestigious International Ballroom Dancing Championships in London. But his dreams are in tatters after the Home Office refused to grant a visa allowing his Russian partner, Polina Shklyaeva, to travel to the UK to compete with him. Scroll down for video . Shock: Kyle Taylor and Polina Shklyaeva - ballroom dance champions are facing heartbreak after the latter was denied a visa . The rejection is believed to have come after an anonymous tip-off – rumoured to be from a rival dancer – alleging to the authorities that Miss Shklyaeva had been working illegally in the UK during her previous visits. ‘It’s completely untrue, and we are terribly, terribly disappointed,’ said Mr Taylor, 22, last night. ‘The decision seems to be based on lies. We think there have been dirty tricks involved, and have suspicions as to who is responsible. But there seems to be nothing we can do.’ Mr Taylor and Miss Shklyaeva, 20, have been representing Great Britain in international competition since 2011, under rules that allow couples with different nationalities to choose which to compete for. They have won several titles and are regarded by the British Dance Council (BDC), the sport’s governing body, as the country’s most talented prospects for a generation. This weekend, they were due to compete in two warm-up events in Sussex before appearing at the International Championships at the Royal Albert Hall on Thursday. Champions: The couple, pictured far right, with their trophy at Blackpool last year . Miss Shkylaeva’s failure to secure a visa has forced them to withdraw. It also threatens to stop them competing at the biggest event in the ballroom calendar, November’s National Championships in Blackpool, where they were hoping to defend the title they won last year. ‘Thanks to this Home Office decision, Britain’s best chance of a winner at the Albert Hall has disappeared,’ said Bryan Allen, president of the BDC. ‘I find the decision incomprehensible. There are so many skivers who come to this country and are just waved through. ‘And here we have a legitimate visa application, from a British champion who has represented this country many times, a lovely person from a good family, who wants to do things by the book, and she has been refused. It makes me so disappointed in our government.’ Mr Allen and the BDC provided letters vouching for Miss Shklyaeva. They have been unable to establish why the visa was refused. Not happy: Kyle Taylor with the letters he has received back from the Home Office . ‘It’s alleged that someone has complained about her. But we can’t find out a thing from the Home Office. They won’t discuss the case,’ he said. Speaking from Moscow, where she is a part-time student at the Russian State University of Physical Education, Miss Shklyaeva said that her application for a sports visitor visa was supported by 30 pages of documents confirming her status as an elite athlete. ‘I have been coming to Britain regularly for two years, always playing by the rules, so am shocked by what has happened,’ she said. ‘For such an instant change in the Home Office’s opinion towards me, there has to have been false information given to them. Kyle and I have been improving dramatically, so perhaps it has left our rivals with no option but to try to take us out of competition.’ The Home Office declined to comment. But in the rejection letter to Miss Shklyaeva it said it was ‘not satisfied’ she would leave the UK after her visit. Miss Shklyaeva described that as ‘nonsense’. She said: ‘All I want is to represent Great Britain with Kyle, which I am very proud to do. If I am not allowed back into the country, it could be the end of my career.’ | Kyle Taylor and Polina Shklyaeva are International Ballroom Dancing champions . The pair have been representing Great Britain since 2011 . Allegations that a 'tip-off revealed Shklyaeva had been working illegally' Taylor states that it is 'completely untrue' | 6a8715c5216db27ae5af8c1fed9f53ad66f46703 |
(CNN) -- Kimi Raikkonen is not a driver to get unduly excited. So It is no surprise that Formula One's "Iceman" is playing down the significance of his Lotus leading the timesheets in practice ahead of Sunday's Malaysian Grand Prix. It continues what has been a promising start to the season for the Finn, who took the checkered flag at last weekend's season opener in Australia. The Circuit: CNN's look at the Malaysian GP . "Look at this place: it is hot, it is humid and the track is completely different," the 2007 world champion told Formula One's official website as he downplayed his achievements in practice. "On top of this we could see rain at any point of the race, so how should I know what is happening on Sunday afternoon? "The only thing that I can say right here, right now is that the car is good, that the team is working fantastically and that I want to keep the lead in the drivers' standings. Let's see where these factors will bring us in the race. "At the moment I would say that it is trial and error for all of us, and the more you are able to try, the more you have the chance to eliminate any errors. It looked good for us this afternoon, but it is Friday so it doesn't mean much." Close behind Raikkonen was reigning triple world champion Sebastian Vettel, on a day which saw dry conditions in the morning and rain in the afternoon. The Red Bull driver recently spoke of his respect for Raikkonen, who denied that his new found pace would affect their off-track relationship. "Seb is for me an honest guy -- and, yes, we get along very well," explained Raikkonen. "What happens on the track and life outside the cockpit are two completely different pairs of shoes. "We are both professionals who can separate one from the other. I always wonder what people are expecting us to do? That we are running with a knife through the paddock seeking revenge after a race incident, or what?" Tyre degradation . Vettel, who finished third in the first race of the season, admitted improvements are needed for the Red Bull car ahead of qualifying on Saturday. "This afternoon we couldn't do so much due to the weather, but this morning it looked OK, although the tyres don't last very long!" the 25-year-old German said. "We need to try a couple of things now overnight to improve and take a step forward." Double world champion Fernando Alonso was fourth fastest, edged out by his Ferrari teammate Felipe Massa who went third fastest at the Sepang International Circuit. Spain's Alonso won this race last year and he will be looking for the fourth victory of his career in Malaysia. "Today, the car worked well in all conditions and that is very good news for us," explained Alonso. "Now we must see how tomorrow goes, when it could rain at any moment and on a track where tyre degradation is much higher than in Melbourne." Lewis Hamilton was ninth fastest as he continues his integration into the Mercedes team following his switch from McLaren. "We made some positive steps with the set-up over the two sessions today," explained the 2008 drivers' champion. "I had a good long run in the dry which has given us a lot of information to look at tonight. "We didn't learn too much in the wet this afternoon however as the conditions were quite mixed when I went out. We focused mainly on longer runs today so I haven't done a quick lap yet on either set of tyres; that will come tomorrow. "I'm happy with the direction that we're going and let's see what the weekend brings." | Kimi Raikkonen sets fastest lap in practice ahead of Malaysian Grand Prix . The Lotus driver won last weekend's season-opening race in Australia . Triple world champion Sebastian Vettel second fastest behind Raikkonen . Ferrari's Fernando Alonso fourth fastest, with Lewis Hamilton ninth . | f05b67ee7e57511fdc8e832a27460a426e1b25c5 |
(CNN Student News) -- May 21, 2010 . Download PDF maps related to today's show: . • Korean Peninsula • Washington, D.C. • London, United Kingdom . Transcript . THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED. CARL AZUZ, CNN STUDENT NEWS ANCHOR: We know that Fridays are awesome, but you know what today's show could use? A mascot! And we've got one coming up for you in about eight minutes. I'm Carl Azuz. Let's get to it. First Up: Gulf Oil Spill . AZUZ: First up, top kill. It sounds like something pretty bad. Officials are hoping it'll do something good, though: stop the oil leak in the Gulf of Mexico. The top kill -- it's also called a "dynamic kill" -- is something we mentioned earlier this week. You basically clog up the well with a special kind of mud. BP, the company that owns the well, has been trying a bunch of ways to deal with this leak. One strategy is using dispersants, chemicals that help break up the oil. The Environmental Protection Agency is worried about the specific kind of chemical that's being used. It's ordered BP to start using a different dispersant in the next couple days. The Minerals Management Service is part of the U.S. Interior Department. It's in charge of regulating offshore oil drilling. It's gotten some criticism lately for being too close to the industry it's supposed to oversee. There've been accusations of improper gifts or improper behavior. Ken Salazar is the secretary of the interior. He's in charge of the Interior Department. He says he's working to clean up the Minerals Management Service, and he's keeping an eye on the different strategies to clean up this oil spill. KEN SALAZAR, SECRETARY OF U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR: If something doesn't work, you need to immediately fall back to other alternatives. We, every day, are on top of BP, relative to the different work streams that they have going on. This particular work stream that they call the dynamic kill is something that should come, according to their schedule, in play on Sunday. That will be an effort to essentially kill the well through the insertion of mud. We're doing everything we can to hold BP accountable, and we will hold them accountable on behalf of the American people. Blog Report . AZUZ: You've been talking about what you think the worst part of the oil spill is; most of you have discussed its impact on marine life. Listen to what Keenan says: "The thing that will be affected most is the fishing industry. If oil spilled near my town, it would ruin the economy because about 90 percent of it is fishing." From Tara: "Our seafood will become more expensive, and I'm not ready to cut back on my favorite food just yet." Brian says "this spill is becoming eerily similar to the Exxon Valdez spill back in 1989. Once we get this cleaned up," he says, "we're gonna be reluctant to build another oil rig." Aaron thinks "we should get neighboring countries to try to help us in such a bad ecological crisis." Carley notes that "ocean life is the base of the food chain; when we pollute the oceans, we are affecting ourselves too." And Jonathan says "it's obvious the fishing industry is taking a hit. The disaster will damage hundreds of years worth of marine life and the ecosystem." Economy Check . AZUZ: We have a quick look at some economic headlines for you now, starting with a drop in the Dow. The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 376 points yesterday. Not good news; the Dow indicates how the whole stock market is doing. Some experts argue that the debt crisis that's happening over in Europe is making investors nervous, and that's causing some of the declines in the U.S. market. Next up, jobless claims. We're talking about the number of people who are filing for unemployment for the first time. The number went up last week for the first time in a month. And finally, a Wall Street reform bill is moving forward in the U.S. Senate. Yesterday, they voted 60 to 40 to end debate and have a final vote on the bill. That could happen within days. Is this Legit? TOMEKA JONES, CNN STUDENT NEWS: Is this legit? The Yellow Sea is off the coast of the Iberian Peninsula. Not legit. Actually, it's next to the Korean Peninsula. The Iberian Peninsula is in Europe. Korean Tensions . AZUZ: It's the Korean Peninsula that's getting a lot of attention right now because of something that happened in the Yellow Sea back in March. A mysterious explosion tore a South Korean warship in half. The ship sank. 46 sailors were killed. It was near part of the Yellow Sea that both North and South Korea say belongs to them. Several countries -- including South Korea and the U.S. -- investigated the incident. The results point the finger at North Korea, that a North Korean submarine launched a torpedo that sank the South Korean ship. The North denied the accusation. The South vowed to respond. Here's why all of this is important. The U.S. has an agreement with South Korea to defend it against any aggression. So, if a military conflict breaks out, the U.S. will have to get involved. The tension on the Korean Peninsula goes back decades. The Korean War, fought from 1950 to 1953, killed millions of people on both sides. When it ended, the Demilitarized Zone -- or DMZ -- was established as a kind of barrier between the two countries. Eunice Yoon takes us there now. (BEGIN VIDEO) EUNICE YOON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: We're on Freedom Highway driving towards the Demilitarized Zone. It splits the North from South Korea, and it's been described once by former President Bill Clinton as the scariest place on earth. After the Korean War, a line was drawn at the 38th parallel, two-and-a-half miles wide, cutting 155 miles across. The DMZ was set up as part of a truce in 1953, but no peace treaty was ever finalized. So, the two Koreas are technically still at war. Here, the Cold War lives. This is the joint security area in the truce village of Panmunjom. This is a very highly controlled part of the DMZ, and only certain soldiers and military officers are allowed here. This is one of the conference rooms where the United Nations command led by the Americans would meet with the North Koreans, and they would discuss all matters regarding the border and the armistice. These mikes record everything in this room, and they also happen to be right on the demarcation line. So, if I cross over here, I'm in North Korea. There are reminders of the hostilities. This is the Bridge of No Return. Over there is the North Korean side of the demarcation line. And the prisoners of war, after the Korean War, were brought here and told to choose a side. Once you cross this bridge, you could never go back. This is the only place where you're going to see South and North Korean soldiers staring each other down. The South Korean soldiers are chosen for their stature, so they look more intimidating. They also are highly trained in martial arts, hence the Tae Kwon Do stance. What's so surreal about this place is that it's become a tourist attraction for both sides. We were just with a tour of U.S. war veterans, and over here, the North Koreans are holding their own tour. And 60 years on, we're still waiting for peace. (END VIDEO) Address to Congress . AZUZ: Mexican President Felipe Calderon wrapped up his trip to the U.S. with a speech to a joint meeting of the U.S. Congress. On Wednesday, he and President Obama talked about some of the issues that affect both of their countries. President Calderon brought up those same concerns in his speech yesterday. He pointed out the benefits of working together. MEXICAN PRESIDENT FELIPE CALDERON: Mexico and the United States are stronger together than they are apart. Together, we can renew our partnership to restore stronger and faster economic growth on both sides of the border. A stronger Mexico means a stronger United States. Shoutout . STAN CASE, CNN STUDENT NEWS: Today's Shoutout goes out to Ms. Bisom's intervention class at Fourth Avenue Junior High in Yuma, Arizona! In what city would you find Piccadilly Circus, Trafalgar Square and part of the River Thames? You know what to do! Is it: A) London, B) Athens, C) Moscow or D) Vancouver? You've got three seconds -- GO! London, the capital of the United Kingdom, is home to all of these famous landmarks. That's your answer and that's your Shoutout! London Mascot Unveiled . AZUZ: London is also home to... these. They're the mascots for the 2012 Summer Olympics and Paralympics. We promised you a mascot; we never said it'd be recognizable. London is hosting the 2012 Olympics, and it unveiled the face of the games this week: Wenlock -- that's the thing on the left -- and Mandeville. The designer that came up with these guys says they were inspired by the steel that was used to build London's Olympic stadium. He designed them specifically for kids, and says he hopes that the mascots will help connect young people with sports and the legacy of the Olympics. Before We Go . AZUZ: Well, before we go, you've heard of the leaning tower of Pisa? This is the leaning press box of Giants Stadium. That's leaning pretty far. Don't worry about it; it's not a disaster. It's a demolition! The stadium's being torn down, or pulled down, in this case. The Giants and Jets are moving into a new home next door, and the old stadium's spot is being turned into a parking lot. Goodbye . AZUZ: So, you've got demolition, you've got a parking lot. Sounds like it requires car-ful planning. You guys keep standing tall; the weekend's just hours away. We'll see you on the other side of it. I'm Carl Azuz for CNN Student News. | Find out why officials are hoping for good things from special 'mud' Journey into an area that's been called the scariest place on earth . Meet the mascot of the 2012 Olympics, and hear what inspired its design . Use the weekly Newsquiz to test your knowledge of stories you saw on CNN Student News . | 9d1a0bcdd6a24c02d878edd189e26f7c8feff26e |
A driver climbed to safety through the boot of his Mini Cooper after plunging into a freezing reservoir. Incredibly, the unnamed driver was unhurt after he swerved to avoid an object on a tight bend next to the Blue Lagoon beauty spot at Belmont, Lancashire. The car's roof could be seen above the water, with the boot open. A driver climbed to safety through the boot of his Mini Cooper after plunging into Ward's Reservoir in Belmont, Lancashire . Firefighters from Bolton North and Darwen stations and Lancashire Police went to the reservoir in Rivington Road at 10.40pm last night. When emergency services arrived the man was not in his car, but he later returned to the scene in another vehicle. Lancashire Police said the man ended up in the water after trying to avoid an object in the road and that there was no suggestion he had broken the law. The body of water, off Rivington Road, near Belmont, is officially called Ward's Reservoir, but is known locally as The Blue Lagoon. Resident Richard Guest said: 'This sort of thing happens regularly. The car's roof could be seen above the water, with the boot open after the driver swerved to avoid an object in the road . 'If you came to me every week and told me there had been an accident at the Blue Lagoon, it wouldn't surprise me. 'It's a really tight bend and if you are even slightly out of control, you're in trouble.' Another resident John Thompson added: 'It's a very dangerous road to drive on - it's terrible for vehicles, especially at night.' A spokesman for Lancashire Police said: 'We got a call from a member of the public at 10.40pm last night to say that there was a vehicle in the Blue Lagoon with its lights still on. 'The driver lost control of the car while trying to avoid an object in the road and the car has got into the water and sunk considerably. 'He has not suffered any injuries and there was no suggestion he had been drinking or speeding. 'We were at the scene for an hour.' The body of water is officially called Ward's Reservoir, but is known locally as The Blue Lagoon . | Driver was unhurt after he swerved to avoid an object on a tight bend next to the Blue Lagoon beauty spot in Belmont, Lancashire . Residents said the bend is dangerous and accidents happen regularly . The vehicle's roof could be seen above the water, with the boot open . | f18455e2013326c3d18fce7bd6047b50b32c5417 |
From filthy clothes dangling from broken coat hangers to beds riddled with mould, these abandoned hotels are a world away from their luxurious past. The venues are spread across the US - but many owners still keep the exact location secret to protect them from being vandalised or looted. One of the reasons owners are afraid of looting is that some of the spooky locations still have the likes of TV installed. Scroll down for video . Ravaged by time: The Hotel Do De, in Bellefonte, Pennsylvania, was a residential hotel with a shared kitchen before it was gutted by fire in 2012 . The Lee Plaza Hotel in Detroit was built in 1928 in Art Deco and Mediterranean style. In its final days it was an assisted living home for the elderly but was seized by the city for unpaid taxes . In this more modern hotel room, the walls and ceiling are deteriorating rapidly while the plastic in the television set still looks new; plastic does not biodegrade like other materials . Photographer Matthew Christopher, from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, spent six years travelling the States between 2007 and 2013 taking photos of the abandoned hotels. The 37-year-old visited Michigan, New York and Pennsylvania for the series, which will feature in his new book Abandoned America: The Age of Consequences, which is released on December 7. As well as hotels the book also features other interesting abandoned locations he has shot including factories, schools, churches and asylums. The Fox Hotel - not its real name - features prominently in Abandoned America: The Age of Consequences book . This room, nearly decayed beyond recognition, stands in stark contrast to the one across the hall from it, which is in excellent shape. This is because the roof in one area is gone, but it is intact in the other . The bed in a room at an unknown hotel is rotting, left, while clothes hang in the bathroom of the 'Fox Hotel' At an unnamed resort, the bar area is slowly falling apart, as revealed in this photo by Matthew Christopher for his new book . He said: 'Each hotel represents a window into a different set of lives and a different period of time. 'Most of my finds are either through research, networking with others or dumb luck. 'All three are represented in these buildings - some I just stumbled across but most were places I was either made aware of through friends and business contacts or hunted down information on prior to visiting. 'I photograph any sort of site I can manage access to and I would love to spend more time with abandoned hotels and resorts because there are still so many out there.' An eerie hotel room in upstate New York shows the first stages of decay as the paint peels off of the walls and ceiling . The once grand ballroom in the Lee Plaza Hotel, an often photographed area that has deteriorated in the years since this image was taken . The main staircase of the 'Fox Hotel', left, and, right, a wheelchair is left abandoned in a hallway of the unknown hotel . This hotel (location undisclosed) was damaged by scrappers and Airsoft players who smashed holes in the walls with sledgehammers . Another photo showing the damage caused by scrappers and a group of Airsoft players . The main lobby of the Fox Hotel (pseudonym); the main staircase lists noticeably to the right and the floor is sinking into the basement . Room at the Lee Plaza Hotel in Detroit, which once featured 220 rooms on 15 floors . | Photographer Matthew Christopher spent six years travelling US snapping buildings that have fallen into disrepair . Shots will feature in his new book called new book Abandoned America: The Age of Consequences out Dec 7 . He travelled around Michigan, New York and Pennsylvania taking photos of abandoned hotels . | 94dbf10c5abda9bef4f2407674f6cd94641f2b14 |
Thousands of weeping South Africans wearing red or black football jerseys said farewell to murdered national team goalkeeper and captain Senzo Meyiwa at a packed stadium in the Indian Ocean city of Durban today. The mood was in part sombre, with red-eyed fans sobbing or blowing into tissues as a hearse carrying the 27-year-old's flag-draped coffin drove around the stadium, and at times festive as they blew vuvuzela horns and sang soccer chants. Those in attendance at the service - held at Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban - included Meyiwa's widow, politicians, footballers, celebrities and members of the general public who wished to pay their respects to the much-loved player. South Africa has been in mourning for the past week after the popular national team player and captain was shot dead during a botched robbery at his girlfriend's home last Sunday. Scroll down for video . South African police officers salute the coffin of Senzo Meyiwa as thousands of members of the public watch the proceedings . Police officers place his coffin, draped in the South African national flag, at the centre of the pitch . Left, Meyiwa's widow Mandisa Meyiwa breaks down in tears. Pictured right is his mother Ntombifuthi Meyiwa as she arrives at the funeral . Pictured is Meyiwa's widow Mandisa Meyiwa (right), his father Sam (second from left) and mother Ntombifuthi (third from left) Meyiwa, pictured playing for his country against Congo on October 15. The goalkeeper was adored by his teammates and fans . A picture taken in January 2013 shows South Africa President Jacob Zuma (left) posing with Senzo Meyiwa during his visit to the national team in Soweto . His coffin was today carried into the stadium by his team-mates and across the pitch by members of the South African Police as the memorial service got underway. 'We've got every reason to be angry about Senzo,' Sports Minister Fikile Mbalula told the mourners. 'Justice is grinding and we will find them. We will never rest until we find all of them.' Kaizer Motaung, the founder of the Kaizer Chiefs, the main rivals to the Orlando Pirates club Meyiwa played for said: 'Lest we forget, this is not the first time that an icon of this nature departs in the fashion that Senzo departed.' Thousands of people braved drizzling rain in the 85,000 seater stadium, a short distance from the Umhlazi township where Meyiwa was born. Most of the crowd wore the Pirates' red or black colours but there was also a sprinkling of the yellow worn by the Chiefs. Team mates and mourners wiped away tears as they watched video clips showing father of three Meyiwa training, diving to make saves, or pumping his arms in celebration of a win. Meyiwa's coffin is carried by members of the South African police. The country remains one of the world's most violent . Orlando Pirates players stand in a line and pay their respects to their goalkeeper and captain at today's funeral . A man holds a framed picture of Meyiwa, in which he is seen wearing his football kit while smiling and giving the thumbs up . Two mourners draped in South African and football insignia cry as they watch the funeral proceedings . Mourners hold a poster calling for justice, while next to it a scarf of Meyiwa's club Orlando Pirates is held aloft . Pall bearers load the coffin into the back of a hearse, located at the centre circle of the pitch at Moses Mabhida Stadium, Durban . Fans of football club Orlando Pirates celebrate the life of Meyiwa, who was the team's goalkeeper . Left, a fan watches the proceedings with the letters 'RIP' painted onto his forehead, while right, a heavily decorated Orlando Pirates fan sits with his head in his hands . A group of fans solemnly watch the funeral procession from the stands of Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban . Meyiwa had captained South Africa in their first four African Nations Cup qualifiers over the last two months without conceding a goal. The funeral comes the day after it was announced a suspect has been arrested and charged with murder for his shooting. Police said the suspect, 25-year-old Zenokuhle Mbatha, will be held in custody until his next court appearance on November 11. Police said Mbatha was placed in a lineup and 'positively identified' by witnesses to the killing of Meyiwa, who was shot in the upper body during the attempted house robbery on Sunday night while visiting his girlfriend. The suspect also faces a charge of armed robbery, said Nathi Mncube, spokesman for the National Prosecuting Authority. Police said they are hunting two more suspects and investigations are at a 'very sensitive stage.' Meyiwa, a goalkeeper for South Africa and club team Orlando Pirates, was fatally shot in the township of Vosloorus near Johannesburg. Meyiwa was gunned down by an intruder at his girlfriend's home in south-east Johannesburg last Sunday . Fans, many of them dressed in costumes and carrying vuvuzelas, sing and chant in the stands of the stadium . A woman breaks down in tears during the funeral proceedings as her friend, holding a portrait of Meyiwa, watches on . A fan holds aloft a displaying Meyiwa's shirt number, while to the right, a copy of the cover of his funeral programme . The death of the popular player and national team captain led to an outpouring of dismay and anger in South Africa, which has a high murder rate. South Africa remains one of the world's most violent countries, although the murder rate been dropping gradually. Police recorded more than 17,000 murders last year, or 31 per 100,000 people - seven times the rate in the United States. An average 50 guns are reported lost and stolen every day from licensed owners, according to lobby group Gun Free South Africa. Authorities said three suspects were involved in the break-in that led to Meyiwa's death. Police launched a manhunt and offered a reward of nearly $23,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of 27-year-old Meyiwa's killers. Police said: 'Whilst we are pleased with the progress we are making and the overwhelming support from members of the public, there is still a lot of work to be done to finalize the investigation and ensure that we can link all suspects to the murder.' South African officials on Thursday called for a strict new gun law as a tribute to Meyiwa. The calls were made at a memorial service to honor Meyiwa and two other South African sports figures, who all died in the space of a few days. Former 800-meter world champion runner and Olympic silver medalist Mbulaeni Mulaudzi was killed in a car crash on Friday, and female boxer Phindile Mwelase died Saturday after being in a coma following a bout. Meyiwa's death also came days after the jailing of paralympian Oscar Pistorius for killing his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp thinking she was an intruder lurking in his luxury Pretoria home in the capital of crime-ridden South Africa. | Tens of thousands of people, including politicians and celebrities, fill stadium for footballer Senzo Meyiwa's funeral . Fellow footballers and members of the the police helped carry the coffin into Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban . Meyiwa was shot and killed during robbery at girlfriend's home and police have now charged a man with murder . Sports minister: 'We've got every reason to be angry about Senzo. Justice is grinding and we will find them.' South Africa remains one of the world's most violent countries even though its murder rate is gradually dropping . | 70ed3d91d11df5cdc59c3549390d16f78349d302 |
By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 10:00 EST, 16 February 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 13:50 EST, 16 February 2013 . The election of a new Pope could start sooner than the earliest possible date of March 15, it emerged today. Under Vatican rules, there is always a 15-20 day waiting period before Cardinals vote in a conclave after the papacy becomes vacant. But the announcement of Pope Benedict XVI that he will retire on February 28, means they will have plenty of time to get to Rome to take part in the election . Scroll down for video . Pope Benedict XVI: An election to find his successor could be held earlier than the usual 15-20 days after a papal vacancy . Vatican spokesman The Rev. Federico Lombardi claimed that rules on papal succession were open to interpretation and that 'this is a question that people are discussing.' He said: 'It is possible that church authorities can prepare a proposal to be taken up by the cardinals on the first day after the papal vacancy' to move up the start of conclave. Rules: Vatican spokesman Federico Lombardi says the cardinals may accept a proposal bringing forward the election . The date of the conclave's start is important because Holy Week begins March 24, with Palm Sunday Mass followed by Easter Sunday on March 31. In order to have a new pope in place in time for the most solemn liturgical period on the church calendar, he would need to be installed as pope by Sunday, March 17. Given the tight time-frame, speculation has mounted that some sort of arrangement would be made to start the conclave earlier than a strict reading of the law would allow. Questions about the start of the conclave have swirled ever since Benedict announced on Febraury 11 that he would retire, the first pontiff in 600 years to abdicate rather than stay in office until death. As a result, his decision has created a host of questions about how the Vatican will proceed, given that its procedures for the so-called 'sede vacante' - or vacant seat - period between papacies won't begin with a pope's death. Lombardi also gave more details about Benedict's final audiences and plans for retirement, saying already 35,000 people have requested tickets for his final general audience to be held in St. Peter's Square on February 27. He said Benedict would spend about two months in the papal summer retreat at Castel Gandolfo south of Rome immediately after his abdication, to allow enough time for renovations to be completed on his retirement home - a converted monastery inside the Vatican walls. That means Benedict would be expected to return to the Vatican, no longer as pope, around the end of April or beginning of May, Lombardi said. He was asked if and when the pope would meet with his successor and whether he would participate in his installation Mass. Both issues simply haven't yet been resolved, Lombardi said. | Vatican spokesman says cardinals may agree to radical proposal to bring forward the succession vote . He says rules are open to 'interpretation' and there have been church talks . 35,000 have asked for tickets to Benedict's final audience in St Peter's Square . | 47255a0e476d8cd9176102b3867615fd1f3f5733 |
Engine still running: Jean-Francois Hauteville, 47, was found in his car with a bullet wound to the head . A hunter arrested in connection with the murder of a building contractor in the French Alps was today found dead in his prison cell. Jean-Francois Cottet-Dumoulin, 54, hanged himself after being implicated in a crime which took place just 50 miles from where three members of a British family died in strangely similar circumstances two years ago. The victim last week, Jean-Francois Hauteville, 47, suffered close-range bullet wounds to the head as he sat in his Peugeot Boxer van in a wooded area near Neuvecelle, close to Lake Geneva in eastern France. The engine of Mr Hauteville's car was still running last Wednesday when a passer-by found his body slumped behind the steering wheel - with the driver's window open. Mr Hauteville was a keen hunter, and French police soon arrested and placed farmer Mr Cottet-Dumoulin under investigation. They lived in the same Alpine town - Lugrin - and were both hunters said to be in dispute over a number of issues, including some £12,000 which Mr Cottet-Dumoulin had lent Mr Hauteville. But today Mr Cottet-Dumoulin's body was found hanging in his cell at Aiton Penitentiary, close to Albertville and Chambéry. Police said there were no suspicious circumstances. It was on September 5, 2012 that Surrey engineer Saad Al-Hilli, 50, and his wife, Iqbal, 47, died alongside her mother, Suhaila al-Allaf, 74. Jail: Jean-Francois Cottet-Dumoulin's body was found hanging in his cell at Aiton Penitentiary (pictured), France . All suffered bullet wounds to the head as they sat in a BMW estate car, following an attack by a mystery gunman shooting outside, and at close range. The killer, who has never been found, also murdered a French cyclist called Sylvain Mollier, 45, whose body was found next to the estate car. It still had its engine running when the bodies were found by a British cyclist soon after the killings. The Al-Hilli's daughters, Zainab, seven at the time, and Zeena, four, survived the savage attack close to Lake Annecy. Eric Maillaud, who is leading the probe into the so-called Alp Murders, was also tasked with investigating the Neuvecelle killing, which police are certain was a 'murder'. While refusing to discuss a possible link between the two, Mr Maillaud said last week: 'It seems that he was killed by a shotgun after a shot at very close range. The van he was driving was stopped in the middle lane, and partially blocking the road. The victim had a face wound.' Map: Mr Hauteville was found along an Alpine road near Neuvecelle, 50 miles from where the Al-Hilli family were found in their car near Annency . Lugrin mayor Jacky Burnet said Mr Hauteville was a 'well-known figure, a dynamic worker who was heavily involved in the local community'. Police said that Mr Hauteville had 'spoken to the attacker' before the shooting, which is believed to have happened overnight on Tuesday to Wednesday. Mr Hauteville had a 'bullet in the temple,' said a police source. He said he ran a successful business specialising in painting and decorating, and was also a keen hunter. In September, Mr Maillaud said whoever was responsible for the 2012 killings may have got away with the 'perfect crime'. 'The further we advance, the less conviction we have,' he said, saying the enquiry 'lacks the element of a witness which allows everything to be opened up. On a number of occasions we thought we were on the right track.' Mr Maillaud said that 'after two years' hundreds of people had been interviewed, thousands of documents read, and numerous forensic tests carried out 'but there is no priority line of investigation that stands out'. Previous case: Saad Al-Hilli (left), 50, his wife, Iqbal, 47, and her mother, Suhaila al-Allaf, 74, all died after being shot from close range in their car (right) two years ago. The gunman has never been caught . Conceding that the inquiry could go on for years to come, Mr Maillaud said: 'We have tried everything possible, but we're perhaps we're in the presence of the perfect crime.' There have been claims that Mr Al-Hilli was involved in a dispute over a family inheritance with his brother Zaid Al-Hilli, 54, of Chessington, Surrey. Zaid was last year arrested under suspicion of conspiracy to murder but then released because of a lack of evidence. Investigators say that whoever carried out the crime is likely to be a trained marksman, and to know the local area extremely well. This has led to well-sourced theories that Mr Mollier, the cyclist, may have been the principal target. He had recently left his wife and two children two live with a multi-millionaire heiress, with whom he had just had a baby, and there were said to be tensions in the relationship. The 2011 killings took place in an isolated layby on a mountain road not far from the tiny village of Chevaline. A detective involved in the case said: 'The reality is that whoever did it left no forensic evidence, and disappeared without trace. It is sadly quite possible that this will never be solved.' | Jean-Francois Cottet-Dumoulin hanged himself at Aiton Penitentiary, France . Victim Jean-Francois Hauteville suffered close-range bullet wounds to head . Happened as 47-year-old sat in his van in wooded area near Lake Geneva . Mr Hauteville's car engine was still running when passer-by found his body . For confidential support call the Samaritans in the UK on 08457 90 90 90, visit a local Samaritans branch or click here for details . | d17ce01d934499831e97909e34c88539c79b88ce |
Women keen to increase their bust size but who despair at the £5,000 cost of a surgery may have an alternative solution. One company is offering a non-invasive breast enlargement treatment for a tenth of the cost - and it boasts impressive results. The pain-free treatment - delivered via a machine called the Wonderlift - claims to leave clients with a bust size of up to two times larger. The machine is a suction pump device which claims to improve the elasticity of skin tissue and shape and firm the breast. Scroll down for video . A woman tests out the device on This Morning saying 'it's quite comfortable. It just feels like suction really' The machine promises to firm, lift and tone - and comes in at £50 per treatment . During treatment, the suction is followed by vibration . massage to stimulate the breast regrowth, low frequency current to . stimulate the blood and lymph . circulation and prevent hyperplasia of mammary glands (abnormal cell development), and finally . low-level light therapy intended to assist with skin elasticity, smoothness, rejuvenation, . and spot and freckle removal. Wonderlift's founder Sajida Rashid says: 'The way we work is consumer led. I ask my clients what they're looking for and we deliver it. ‘After 12 week course, plus six follow up treatments, results should last up to two years.’ Appearing on ITV's This Morning, a young woman named Nicole tried out the breast enlarger. She said: 'It's quite comfortable. It just feels like suction really. 'I wanted to try this treatment because I’ve been for surgery consultations but I’m cautious of going under knife. 'I’ve had three treatments so far and think my breasts look fuller and feel firmer,' she said. Though Ruth and Phillip said they 'haven’t spotted major difference'. Journalist Stephen Handisides, who for the last 11 years has been known for his work around cosmetic surgery, dentistry and beauty, said on This Morning: 'I think it’s a good treatment, but after the first treatment people should see some results, though it is important to follow up and have two to three treatments within the first week. Nicole: 'I've had three treatments so far and think my breasts look fuller and feel firmer' 'You do have to have the time to go and have these treatments.' Ms Rashid has just sold machines to salons and clinics in London, nationwide and even Duba where practitioners are being trained to use them. She has priced the treatment at £50, but a course of 12 is recommended, which she offers to clients for £500. The same machine, she says, can perform a bottom lift and enhancement via the same technologies it uses to firm and enlarge breasts. 'It can reduce cellulite and lift the glutes up.' Although her background is not in the . beauty industry, Rashid's passion for the industry led to her opening . Glow Beauty salon in Leeds in 2008 - a decision she says she has never . regreted. Muscle re-education is the process of lengthening or shortening muscles. The . procedure sends a current to lift and re-educate muscles. The current . stimulates Adenosine Triphosphate (ATP), a nucleotide that can . accumulate in the muscles themselves. The beautician later expanded her reach and won an award for one of her innovative treatments. 'I partnered with HLCC USA as an Exclusive UK distributor in 2011 and won Most Innovative Treatment And Service 2012 for HLCC UK by MyfaceMybody, then my salon was awarded Best Beauty Salon in Leeds 2012-2013. 'I came across non-surgical breast enhancing last year in the USA when the PIP implants had much media coverage and decided that I would like to launch this within the UK and worldwide. 'The treatment has been around for . long time, it's similar to cupping - but with the added benefits of . following therapies for maximum results.' Vacuum suction is used to manipulate fat tissue, which is mainly what breasts are made up of. The intense suction will also assist with pectoral muscle contraction which is what provides the breast area with shape. When a muscle lengthens or shortens, the skin lifts and firms. Vacuum suction also helps to increase blood circulation thus eliminating toxins through the lymph. The machine also employs so-called micro current therapy which promises to stimulate regeneration of nerves and soft tissue. Benefits of the micro current according to Rashid include improved muscle tone, muscle re-education, lifting, improved blood circulation, aided lymphatic drainage and increased collagen and elastin production. Rashid: 'It's similar to cupping - but with the added benefits of following therapies for maximum results' The Swedish made penis enlarger from Austin Powers has a similar look . | Wonderlift breast suction pump just launched . Looks like the Swedish Penis Enlarger from Austin Powers . Each 'pain-free' session is £50, but package of 12 comes to £500 . Claims to boost cup size by up to two sizes after full course . Surgery journalist warns you 'should see results after first treatment' Founder Sajida Rashid says it can be used for bottom lift, too . To watch the full segment on This Morning click here . | c252e8d7ced15e9983f7cc34c1e1ffec9a89fee7 |
Click here for Sportsmail's brilliant Match Zone from Everton's draw with Swansea . Swansea manager Garry Monk allowed himself a wry smile just 24 hours after clear-the-air talks with refereeing bosses Mike Riley and Howard Webb. His influential midfielder, Jonjo Shelvey, had just been sent off and his side were also denied a clear penalty. Monk, 35, is the Premier League’s youngest manager but he certainly is not backward in coming forwards. He met Riley and Webb on Friday two weeks after a ‘cheat’ outburst against Stoke City’s Victor Moses and then professed himself satisfied with the chat. Swansea midfielder Jonjo Shelvey trudges disconsolately off of the Goodison Park pitch after being dismissed in the second half . The former Liverpool midfielder was booed off the pitch by the Everton fans after he was sent off for a second yellow card . Everton: (4-2-3-1): Howard 6; Coleman 6.5, Alcaraz 5 (Besic 32' 6), Jagielka 6, Baines 6; Barry 6.5, McCarthy 7.5; McGeady 7 (Lukaku 68' 6), Naismith 6 (Pienaar 68' 5.5), Barkley 6; Eto'o 5.5 . Subs (not used): Robles, Hibbert, Atsu, Osman. Booked: Barry, Besic . Swansea: (4-2-3-1): Fabianski 5.5; Rangel 6, Fernandez 6.5, Williams 6, Taylor 6; Ki 5.5, Shelvey 6; Routledge 6, Sigurdsson 6.5 (Carroll 75 5.5), Montero 5.5 (Dyer 79); Bony 6.5 (Gomis 61') Subs (not used): Emnes, Tremmel, Bartley, Shephard. Booked: Bony, Williams, Sigurdsson . Sent off: Shelvey . Referee: Kevin Friend 6 . Attendance: 39,149 . ‘I had a good meeting with Mike and Howard and got a bit of clarification,’ he said. ‘We were having a lot of wrong decisions in a short period that was hurting us.’ On Saturday's two major talking points, Monk did not offer any defence on behalf of Shelvey, who received a yellow card for foolishly kicking the ball away and then a second for grappling with James McCarthy as the Everton midfielder burst towards the penalty area. But he was incredulous that Antolin Alcaraz’s handball to block Shelvey’s shot in the first half had not been spotted by referee Kevin Friend. ‘I didn’t know you could play with two goalkeepers,’ he smiled. ‘He [Alcaraz] actually saved the ball. It was a good strong wrist. I’ll be showing my goalkeepers that’s how you do it. It was a clear penalty. ‘I’m not particularly complaining about the sending off. You can’t kick the ball away for the first yellow, it is something he [Shelvey] needs to learn from. But the way things are going for us at the moment, any time we make contact on a yellow card, it then becomes a red. ‘But we have to help ourselves get over the periods where the odd 50-50 goes against us. And we did that today — defensively we were brilliant.’ Roberto Martinez cut his managerial teeth at Swansea and set down the template for slick passing and good attacking movement. But after managerial stints by Brendan Rodgers and Michael Laudrup, Monk, a former centre-half, has improved Swansea’s defensive qualities . He was proud of the way his players threw their bodies in the path of the ball on countless occasions to block out an Everton side trying to make their extra man count in the final 18 minutes. ‘I’ve played in many Swansea teams that played attractive football but sometimes we didn’t do enough work defensively. It is something I brought in. There are times where we can’t play free-flowing football and if we hadn’t done that work on our shape, we would have lost games like this.’ Martinez was not flattering about what he saw from his former club. Military veterans and players observe a minute's silence to mark Remembrance Day between Everton and Swansea at Goodison Park . Two opposition managers Roberto Martinez and Garry Monk embrace before the match between the two sides gets underway . Jefferson Montero of Swansea and James McCarthy of Everton battle for the ball during the first half with the score at 0-0 . Swansea forward Wilfried Bony attempts a shot while Everton midfielder Gareth Barry launches in to try and stop him . Everton's Samuel Eto'o (bottom) is brought down by Swansea's Ki Sung-yeung while Shelvey watches on . Ross Barkley (middle) attempts to take the ball past Swansea full back Angel Rangel during the first half of the match . Everton's defender Antolin Alcaraz is treated on the Goodison Park pitch before being substituted after half an hour . ‘There were organised but that’s not what you’d normally highlight from a Swansea team. It was strange to see them play like that.’ It smacked of our sour grapes and perhaps Martinez is concerned his own side have just one Premier League win at Goodison Park this season. True, Swansea did not have a shot on target but they deserved a penalty and had the game’s clearest chance when Wilfried Bony shot wide after being put clean through by Gylfi Sigurdsson. Wayne Routledge (left) attempts to control a bouncing ball in front of Everton right back Seamus Coleman . The Everton fans watch on in the sunshine as their side attempt to break the deadlock against Swansea in the first half . Steven Naismith of Everton is marked at a corner by Ki, Shelvey and goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski of Swansea City . Everton's Eto'o has a word in midfielder Ross Barkley's ear during the second half with the deadlock yet to be broken . Swansea winger Routledge (right) pulls the ball out of the air in the Everton half during the second half . Everton’s game was more about half-chances. Aiden McGeady’s shot was saved by Lukasz Fabianski and Leighton Baines fired wide with a free-kick. MINS PLD KM MILES . Everton 105.6 65.6 . Gareth Barry 90 10.7 6.6 . Seamus Coleman 90 10.6 6.6 . James McCarthy 90 10.1 6.3 . Swansea 104.9 65.2 . Suny-Yeung Ki 90 11.2 7.0 . Wayne Routledge 90 10.8 6.7 . Angel Rangel 90 10.2 6.3 . They did press more right at the end but Romelu Lukaku, on the bench until the final quarter, inadvertently blocked Baines’s shot in added time and then failed to get a touch on a Samuel Eto’o cross. ‘The way we moved the ball wasn’t quick enough,’ admitted the Everton manager. ‘Swansea defended well, you have to give them credit. But we had bad fortune, too. Leighton had a good angle at the end but his shot hit Romelu’s legs.’ Martinez was also disappointed to see Alcaraz leave the action clutching his shoulder. He faces another prolonged spell on the sidelines after falling badly as he challenged Bony in the air. ‘He has damaged his joint in the shoulder and he is going to be out for a long spell. It is a real negative for us,’ said Martinez. Shelvey, 22, might have feared he had cost his side the game when he was ordered off 18 minutes from the end. He has already picked up 22 bookings and two red cards in his short career and, as an ex-Liverpool player, he was booed all the way to the dressing-room by Everton fans. But his team-mates did him proud as they kept Everton at bay. Martinez said: ‘I’m disappointed as I thought it was going to be more of a spectacle but it didn’t turn out to be. I thought we were a little frustrated.’ Thanks to his players’ resilience, Monk could afford to let the officials off this time. ‘I have just told my players they will never win a harder-earned point,’ he said. Swansea midfielder Shelvey reacts to being sent off having been shown a second yellow card with 20 minutes to go . Shelvey trudges disconsolately off of the Goodison Park pitch after being dismissed by referee Kevin Friend . | Swansea hold Everton to a 0-0 draw in the game at Goodison Park . Jonjo Shelvey sent off for a second bookable offence with 18 minutes to go . The midfielder had been cautioned in the first half for kicking the ball away . Romelu Lukaku left on the bench for Everton with Samuel Eto'o preferred up front . | 4175c5965d5656742662c23db23391b3f3d2fd62 |
By . Jack Gaughan . Follow @@Jack_Gaughan . Usain Bolt may be convinced he can star for Manchester United, but his first stop in English football looks set to be at Millwall. The fastest man in the world, who struck Commonwealth gold in the 4x100m relay with Jamaica last weekend, should receive an invite from fellow countryman Ricardo Fuller to make a trip to The Den in the coming months. Fuller explained the pair know each other from back home - going out for a drink during downtime this summer - and Bolt wouldn’t hesitate in saying yes to taking in a game. VIDEO Scroll down to watch Usain Bolt say he wants to play fro Man United when he retires . London Calling: Usain Bolt could be ready to watch Millwall thanks to an invite from Ricardo Fuller . Mates: Fuller explained the pair know each other from back home - going for drinks during the summer . ‘The next time Bolt is in London I am going to invite him to watch a Millwall game at The Den,’ the 34-year-old said ahead of the new Championship season, which the Lions kick-off against Leeds at home on Saturday. ‘And though he supports Man United, I know he will come here. Who knows? He might even start supporting us after!’ That trip could be sooner than expected. The six-time Olympic champion stays and trains with his agent in Teddington, south west London, when competing on the continent and is pencilled in to run at the Diamond League meeting in Zurich on August 28; Ian Holloway’s side host Fuller’s old club Blackpool two days later. ‘I saw Bolt when I went home in the summer,’ Fuller added. ‘We always hang out together and go for a drink. It’s normal. Everybody knows everybody in Jamaica. ‘Even though people might see him as this so-called superstar, he is just a normal guy. You could pass Bolt on the street and say hi. He wouldn’t be able to do that here, but it is different in Jamaica.’ Winners: Bolt celebrates with his teammates after anchoring the quintent to gold in the Men's 4x100m relay . Bolt’s friend Fuller signed a one-year deal with Millwall in July and, although he is very much an elder statesman in the group, is putting younger colleagues to shame across the ground in pre-season. Hardly surprising, the striker rationalises, given his nationality. ‘Bolt’s trainer, Glen Mills, used to coach me on the track as well,’ he added. ‘Me and Carlos Edwards (35) are the fastest players in training. The stats show it. We posted the same time. Bang on. But I should have broken the record – I let him off the hook!’ There may be charisma and measured arrogance radiating from Bolt, but Millwall’s Jamaican isn’t missing much swagger either. Fuller insisted he took a four-week break before finally committing to the club. ‘I spent the first month enjoying myself, seeing family and friends and then after the first month I started training and getting back into it,’ he said. ‘I knew about Millwall over a month before I came here. Blackpool also wanted to do something but we all know about the problems they are having.’ VIDEO I don't know if we will get promoted - Holloway . | Fastest man in the world is good friends with Millwall striker . Fuller wanted to watch Jamaica at the Commonwealth Games . Bolt is known to be a big fan of Louis van Gaal's side . | 57482f5973dd57e18987ece2214a75a94ec7b62d |
Washington (CNN) -- Julian Castro, the mayor of San Antonio, and Mike Villarreal, the city's representative in the state legislature, saw potential in an historic, amoeba-shaped park parcel near the city's convention center. So, the two set to work. They secured the civic support, government approval and funding needed to turn HemisFair Park into a place where playgrounds and mixed income housing will one day overlook a grassy span and the Tower of the Americas — an observation tower marking the park's location as the site of the 1968 World's Fair. As President Barack Obama's choice to become the next housing secretary, a focus on helping revitalize inner-city areas, colleagues in Texas say, will stand the 39-year-old mayor in good stead. "Based on his focus here in San Antonio on working to improve housing in the city's core and inner city, I suspect he would advance an agenda that has in mind family and children," said Villarreal, who is vying to replace Castro as mayor. "I think you're going to be seeing a secretary of housing who understands housing on a human level." Obama 's new pick for HUD secretary . If confirmed, Castro would head an agency that is still reeling from fallout from the housing crisis — including meeting mushrooming demands for affordable rental housing. He will also be tasked with helping the financially beleaguered Federal Housing Administration, which has been struggling to cope with a record number of home mortgage defaults. Obama noted during the nomination ceremony that Castro "never forgets where he comes from." He also highlighted Castro's mention of his Mexican-born grandmother in his keynote address to the Democratic convention in 2012 as an immigrant who worked hard to provide a home for her family. "For her and generations like her a home is more than just a house," Obama said. Castro will likely face questions in his confirmation hearings why San Antonio did not follow federal guidelines when it spent millions in HUD funds aimed at helping address the housing crisis during his tenure as mayor, according to a 2012 report by the agency's inspector general. The report found the city did not use a competitive bid process when it awarded $2.5 million for renovation contracts and that it did not follow federal affordability guidelines designed to target lower income residents when it spent just over $1 million to buy and fix up homes. A call to Castro's San Antonio office seeking comment about his HUD nomination was not immediately returned. Still, supporters feel Castro has the right mix of experience to lead the agency. "This economy has not been as robust as we would have hoped," Henry Cisneros, a former HUD secretary and former San Antonio mayor told CNN on Friday. "Part of the reason for that has been because the housing sector has been on the sidelines. But now housing can get into the fray and, as HUD secretary, Castro is well-poised to do that." Cisneros, who says he has discussed housing-related issues with Castro in the past and plans on having additional conversations with him, said that as mayor of San Antonio, the younger man dealt with issues of poverty, homelessness and home affordability and is well suited to the task. Opinion: Why Julian Castro said yes to Obama . Texas political consultant Bill Miller also feels Castro is up to the challenge. "He'll be a cool customer. He's not going to get supercharged or over wrought over anything," said Miller who is a founding partner at HillCo Partners in Austin, a state political consulting group. "If there have been problems and challenges at the agency he's not going to be let's throw the baby out with the bathwater." Castro's appointment also would be a win for Democrats looking to add diversity to its national roster of potential candidates and put Texas in play in 2016 as well as help smooth over tensions with Latinos who are frustrated over a lack of an immigration reform overhaul, said Julian Zelizer, a Princeton University historian and CNN contributor. "In terms of the Democrats and Obama, it is at least symbolic of the party's commitment to immigration and immigration reform," Zelizer said. "It does elevate his status. It makes him a national figure rather than a local figure." Castro, the son of political activists, is the youngest mayor of a major American city. His meteoric rise from local government to being called upon to take on a Cabinet-level position is a political narrative tailor-made for primetime. He and his twin brother, Rep. Joaquin Castro, D-Texas, were picked to take the stage at the 2012 Democratic National Convention in Charlotte. The congressman introduced his brother who in turn gave a keynote address that was memorable for both his young daughter's charming hair flip and his tale of a second-generation, Mexican-American immigrant's successful rise. "My grandmother never owned a house. She cleaned other people's houses so she could afford to rent her own. But she saw her daughter become the first in her family to graduate from college," he said during the 2012 address. "And my mother fought hard for civil rights so that instead of a mop, I could hold this microphone." Mayors' stories out of school . Beyond the immigrant son-made-good narrative, Castro brings a "new energy" to the President's second term, said Trey Martinez Fischer, a Democratic Texas state representative who heads that body's Mexican American Legislative Caucus. "It's very important to note is that he brings a fresh perspective and new energy to this President's second term, Fischer said. "He could serve as a pick me up for an administration that's been in place for some time." | Julian Castro is a Democratic rising star tapped by president to head HUD . His appointment could help improve Democratic standing with Latinos, Texas voters . Castro will face questions about HUD funds, steering it through housing market recovery . Texas colleagues say Castro has the right blend of experience to get the job done . | c4a6cd998ad96669dd72bb8afb20576f42f58d63 |
(CNN) -- Football rivalry was put aside in Ukraine on Sunday as one player acted quickly to save the life of one of his opponents. Dinamo Kiev captain Oleh Husyev was left unconscious after colliding with Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk goalkeeper Denis Boyko in the first half of the Ukrainian Premier League match between the two teams. After Husyev hit the ground, Dnipro's Jaba Kankava was quickly by his side. Kankava pulled open Husyev's mouth and dislodged his tongue, which had become stuck in his throat. If Kankava hadn't acted, Husyev could have choked to death. There's one thing I can say for sure," Mykhailo Radutskyi, president of the Borys Clinic where Husyev is being treated, said in a statement, "the Dnipro player (Jaba Kankava) saved Oleh's life. "He acted like a competent emergency paramedic." Dinamo's doctor Leonid Myronov confirmed Sunday that Ukraine international Husyev would be kept overnight at the hospital. "At the hospital Oleh was medically examined," Myronov said of the 30-year-old. "He has a closed craniocerebral injury, medium severity concussion, facial soft tissue bruise, big graze on the face, mandibular joint bruise and damage of three teeth. "He returned to Kiev with the team and was taken to Borys clinic. He'll be examined here. Oleh will spend the night under the care of doctors and after that we'll decide how to cure him." | A player in the Ukrainian Premier League thinks fast to save his opponent . Jaba Kankava pulled Oleh Husyev's tongue out of his throat after he had been knocked unconscious . The incident occurred during Sunday's match between Dinamo Kiev and Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk . Husyev was kept in hospital overnight after suffering multiple injuries . | 49a7e4be41ac2ee142b6324469da112f68ef2fcb |
'Just a small island no-one pays any attention to'... Russia's President Vladimir Putin, left, welcomes PM David Cameron at the start of the G20 summit today in St Petersburg . Russia dismissed Britain as ‘just a small island no one pays any attention to’ last night as a summit of world leaders descended into acrimony over planned military strikes on Syria. In an astonishing attack, Vladimir Putin mocked the UK’s size and influence, and boasted that Soviet oligarchs had ‘bought Chelsea’. However as controversy erupted, Russian officials flatly denied the remarks – attributed to President Putin’s official spokesman Dmitry Peskov – had ever been made. But the episode at the G20 summit hosted by Russia underlined the Cold War style tensions that have been created by the row over Syria. The seating plan at the talks has had to be changed so that Barack Obama and President Putin are kept as far apart as possible. Last night, arriving at the summit venue in St Petersburg, President Obama strode in alone rather than walking in with President Putin. The war of words with Britain came as David Cameron continued to make the case for intervention in Syria despite his defeat in Parliament last week. They represented an extraordinary breach of protocol, particularly as Russia is hosting the G20 meeting. President Putin, a belligerent ally of Syrian tyrant Bashar Assad, has been revelling in MPs rejection last week of British participation in US-led military action. But the Kremlin’s decision to rub Mr Cameron’s nose in it – with the Prime Minister on Russian soil – will plunge Anglo-Russian relations to a new low. Told of the Russian verdict on Britain, an infuriated Mr Cameron insisted: ‘I don’t accept that for a moment.’ A Downing Street source said: ‘As host of guests from the world’s leading countries, I’m sure the Russians will want to clarify these reported remarks, particularly at a G20 where it’s a very British agenda on trade and tax. ‘It highlights how a small island with great people can achieve a big footprint in the world.’ Chancellor George Osborne insisted Britain is 'setting the agenda' at the summit, on the humanitarian response to what’s happening in Syria, the economic agenda and the tax agenda. Glum: David Cameron looks downbeat as he sits through the early stages of the two-day G20 Summit in Constantine Palace in Strelna near St Petersburg . Down the hatch: With relations frosty, President Putin and Mr Cameron warm themselves as they arrived for the Water and Music Show . A British diplomat pointed out that the UK economy was significantly larger than Russia’s. There . was no sign at the summit that the latest evidence produced by the US . and the UK to back calls for action against Syria was winning over . doubters, with everyone from Iran’s supreme leader to the Pope opposing . intervention. President . Putin accused the US of ‘lying’ to justify missile strikes and attacked . Secretary of State John Kerry for denying that Al Qaeda was fighting . with the Syrian opposition. Mr Cameron attempted to win over opponents of military strikes on Damascus by unveiling new new evidence of the regime's use of chemical weapons. He also launched a provocative attack on those who had blocked British involvement in the planned operation. President Putin, a belligerent ally of Syrian tyrant Bashar Assad, is well aware of the rejection of British participation in US-led military action as voted against by MPs last week . All smiles: But the Kremlin's decision to rub Mr Cameron's nose in it, with the Prime Minister on Russian soil, will plunge Anglo-Russian relations to a new low . Arriving in St Petersburg, the Prime . Minister announced that scientists at Britain's Porton Down had . identified deadly sarin gas on victims' clothing and in soil samples . from Damascus. It also emerged that a report . prepared by US spy chiefs concluded that Syria possesses a 'longstanding . biological weapons program', on top of chemical weapons, and may have . access to anthrax, camelpox and cowpox. Taking 'full and personal . responsibility' for the Government's shock defeat over British . participation in military action last week, Mr Cameron insisted he had . taken a 'principled stand against the gassing of children'. Labour MPs - and those Tories and . Liberal Democrats who joined with them to oppose military action - would . have to 'live with the way that they voted', the Prime Minister said. Mr Cameron said he had agreed to all . the caveats Labour had asked for but 'even in spite of that, in my view, . they chose the easy and political path not the right and the difficult . path'. However, there was no sign that the . latest evidence produced by the US and the UK was winning over doubters - . with everyone from Iran's supreme leader to the Pope opposing the idea . of intervention. Host: Russia's President Vladimir Putin reads a statement during a round table meeting at the G-20 summit in St. Petersburg, Russia today . Opening speech: Russian President Vladimir Putin (in the centre of the picture) delivers his opening speech during the first working session of the G20 Summit in Constantine Palace in Strelna near St. Petersburg . Iran’s . supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, claimed the US was using a . chemical attack in Syria’s civil war as a pretext to interfere in his . country. The head of Iran's elite Quds force, . Qassem Soleimani, went further, declaring that the Islamic Republic . would 'support Syria to the end'. Pope Francis also opposed action as . world leaders gathered in Russia, urging them to 'lay aside the futile . pursuit of a military solution'. Asked in TV . interviews whether he was ‘sidelined’ at the summit as a result of the . Commons vote, Mr Cameron said repeatedly: ‘I don’t accept that for a . moment. Mr Cameron said he had not seen ‘any evidence’ that Russia was prepared to shift position and endorse action through the UN. ‘Let’s . be clear: almost 100 years ago the world came together, Russia . included, to say after the First World War, the use of chemical weapons . wasn’t acceptable,’ he said. 'All the testing that's been done, including the testing we are doing at our Porton Down laboratories, all adds to the picture. 'But I don't think anyone is . seriously denying that a chemical weapons attack took place. I think the . Russians accept that. Even the Iranians accept that. 'The question is obviously convincing more people that the regime was responsible.' Talks: Mr Cameron was seated next to German Chancellor Angela Merkel at the working session of the G20, with US President Barack Obama (centre) and President Putin further round the table (right) Unable to take . part in military operations, Britain is instead offering an extra . £52million in aid for the millions of Syrians who have fled President . Assad’s forces, taking its total commitment to £400million. The Prime Minister said he had not seen 'any evidence', however, that Russia was prepared to shift and endorse action through the United Nations. But he added: 'I don't resile from the arguments I made last week - when America and many others in the world draw a red line over chemical weapons use, if nothing follows from that, that would be very bad for our world.' Mr Cameron said President Obama had been 'very understanding' over his defeat in Parliament. 'Like me he is a democrat who . believes you have to listen to people, you have to listen to Parliament . and you have to respect the outcome of a vote. 'Britain isn't going to be involved . in this specific military action, but the special relationship between . Britain and America is as strong today as it was a week ago,' the Prime . Minister said. Mr Cameron is also urging President . Putin to use his influence with the Syrian regime to strike an agreement . that neither side in the civil war should fire on humanitarian convoys. 'Every 15 seconds there is another . Syrian refugee. While we are sitting here in the comfort of St . Petersburg, thousands of people will be made homeless. 'They need tents, they need shelter, . they need food, they need protection from chemical weapons attacks,' the . Prime Minister said. Also at the summit: New Bank of England Governor Mark Carney, right, is also Chairman of the G20's Financial Stability Board. He is greeted by Vladimir Putin during an official welcome of G20 heads of state and government . US President Barack Obama listens as Russian President Vladimir Putin speaks during the start of the G20 Working Session . Host Vladimir Putin: Russia's President pictured at the G20 round table meeting in St. Petersburg . Asma al-Assad pictured on Instagram embracing an old woman . The Pope has condemned global leaders for refusing to find a diplomatic solution while a ‘senseless massacre’ unfolds in Syria. In a letter to Vladimir Putin as the Russian leader prepared to preside over the G20 summit, Francis wrote: ‘It is regrettable that, from the beginning of the conflict in Syria, one-sided interests have prevailed and in fact hindered the search for a solution that would have avoided the senseless massacre now unfolding. ‘The leaders of the G20 cannot remain indifferent to the dramatic situation of the beloved Syrian people which has lasted far too long and risks bringing even greater suffering to a region bitterly tested by strife and in need of peace. To the leaders present, to each and every one, I make a heartfelt appeal for them to find ways to overcome the conflicting positions and to lay aside the futile pursuit of a military solution.’ Yesterday foreign ambassadors were summoned to the Vatican to receive a briefing on the Pope’s position. But the diplomatic efforts by Francis stopped short of Pope John Paul II’s futile attempts to prevent the invasion of Iraq in 2003. The Vatican denied claims that Francis had spoken to President Assad by telephone asking him to reduce attacks on rebels. Meanwhile Assad’s wife Asma has used social media to try to pretend that all is well in the country. On the Syrian presidency’s Instagram account, the first lady is pictured smiling as she hugs old women and ladles out soup to refugees alongside mobile kitchen volunteers. Critics say it shows British-born Mrs Assad has become a Marie Antoinette figure, out of touch with what is really going on. Some Instagram users accused her of ‘hypocrisy’ at being pictured caring for young people when tens of thousands of children have died in the two-year war. | Vladimir Putin mocked the UK's size and influence on the world stage . Government spokesman boasts that Soviet oligarchs had 'bought Chelsea' G20 summit descends into acrimony over military strikes on Syria . Chancellor George Osborne insists Britain is still 'setting the agenda' | 6c511008168b2090176dd61c4b7bcc57a12a71ea |
(CNN) -- Things aren't looking good for people with allergies in Tennessee. Not only is the pollen apocalypse on its way, three of the state's major cities made the Asthma and Allergy Foundation's annual list of the 10 worst places for spring allergy sufferers. These so-called allergy capitals are ranked based on pollen levels, use of allergy medications and the number of board-certified allergists in the areas, according to a foundation statement. Everyone in the United States can expect their allergies to be worse this year, thanks to an unusually wet winter, the foundation says. "Severe weather patterns can bring higher temperatures, higher pollen levels and increased exposure to mold, resulting in spring allergies that can peak stronger and last longer," Dr. Bill Berger, a California allergist, said in the statement. Here are the top 10 worst allergy cities for 2013: . 1. Jackson, Mississippi . 2. Knoxville, Tennessee . 3. Chattanooga, Tennessee . 4. McAllen, Texas . 5. Louisville, Kentucky . 6. Wichita, Kansas . 7. Dayton, Ohio . 8. Memphis, Tennessee . 9. Oklahoma City, Oklahoma . 10. Baton Rouge, Louisiana . Residents in Springfield, Massachusetts; Buffalo, New York; and Grand Rapids, Michigan, may face more severe cases than they have in years past. These cities all jumped at least 10 spots up on the list from the spring of 2012. The Asthma and Allergy Foundation also releases a list every year of the worst cities for fall allergy sufferers. The spring allergy capitals are based on tree pollen counts, while the fall cities are ranked on ragweed pollen counts from September through November of the previous years. Many of the cities on the fall list are on the spring list, but there are a few differences. 1. Louisville, Kentucky . 2. Wichita, Kansas . 3. Knoxville, Tennessee . 4. Jackson, Mississippi . 5. McAllen, Texas . 6. Dayton, Ohio . 7. Oklahoma City, Oklahoma . 8. Memphis, Tennessee . 9. Madison, Wisconsin . 10. Baton Rouge, Louisiana . | Jackson, Mississippi, tops the list of the worst cities for allergy sufferers . Tennessee has three major cities in the list's top 10 . Extreme weather conditions may make allergies worse this season . | 0cc67a6314ab68e3d06337807613acb60e7662cc |
By . Daily Mail Reporters . PUBLISHED: . 19:36 EST, 22 October 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 05:41 EST, 23 October 2012 . Police have found a tuft of blonde hair just a mile away from where 10-year-old Jessica Ridgeway's body was discovered, it emerged on Monday. Someone walking in a field made the discovery at the weekend and comes just days after police found a wooden cross which they believe may be a vital piece of evidence in the case. The Colorado schoolgirl's dismembered body was found on October 11, six days after she vanished on her way to school. A local news channel reported that the source alerted police to the scene and a grid search was conducted while the hair was taken into evidence. A clue? A tuft of blonde hair was found about a mile from where 10-year-old Jessica Ridgeway's body was discovered prompting local station Fox 31 to link the evidence to the case . But Westminster police investigating her . murder are dismissing claims that the hair is a definite clue in the case. After Denver's Fox 31 news team made the . so-called potential evidence public in an 'exclusive' report yesterday, investigator Trevor Materasso ruled '60 percent' of the new station's reporting . 'erroneous and bad information.' Misleading: An investigator on the case called Fox 31's reporting 'erroneous' and said that the police still do not even know if the hair was human let alone Jessica's . He told the Denver Post that so far there is nothing to suggest the hair has anything to do with Jessica or is even human. 'We don't even know if this is dog hair yet,' he said. 'Like everything else, every tip we've gotten, it was taken and we'll take a look at it to see if it's connected.' The most recent clue in the tragic investigation that police are examining carefully, appeared in the form of a wooden cross last week. Pictures of the cross, which is 1.5 inches tall by 1 inch wide with a hole at the top so it can be worn as a necklace, were released by Westminster Police Department on Friday. From missing to murdered: The Colorado schoolgirl's gruesomely dismembered body was discovered in a park 10 miles from her home on October 11, six days after she vanished on her way to school . 'Authorities are looking for someone who may carry or wear this type of cross, may have recently purchased one of these, or is known to have some association with one,' Westminster Police Department Mr Materasso said in a statement. Police are also looking for local businesses that may sell these types of crosses. The solid wood pendant has three vertical markings etched into the horizontal bar of the cross and a zig-zag pattern carved into the opposite side. Recent clue: Pictures of the cross, which is 1.5 inch tall by 1 inch wide with a hole at the top so it can be worn as a necklace, were released by Westminster Police Department today . 'The cross appears to be a solid piece of wood and the upper post portion is offset from the lower post below the short horizontal section,' Mr Materasso said. He added that the item 'could become a pivotal piece of evidence that helps authorities identify and locate Jessica's killer.' Last Thursday, police revealed that they suspect Jessica's killer may have attempted to abduct a woman in the same area months earlier. In the previous abduction attempt, a 22-year-old woman jogging around a lake about a half-mile from the Ridgeway home was grabbed from behind by a man who placed a rag with a chemical odor to it over her mouth. Life cut short: Jessica's body was so dismembered that police had trouble identifying the body . The woman escaped and described her attacker as a light-skinned Caucasian male between 18 and 30 years of age, 5 feet 6 to 5 feet 8 inches tall with a medium build and brown hair. 'Police believe there may be a connection between the Jessica Ridgeway murder and the attempted abduction at Ketner Lake, and urge the public to specifically look for someone with a cross like this that matches the suspect's description from Ketner Lake,' Mr Materasso said. 'In an ongoing attempt to identify the predator responsible for (Jessica's) abduction and murder, police are asking the public to look at several pictures to see if these will help lead police to the killer.' Jessica was last seen beginning a short walk from her home to Witt Elementary School on the morning of Oct. 5. She never arrived. Heartbroken: Jessica's dad, Jeremiah Bryant, pictured, breaks down during a press conference, as Jessica's mother describes their little girl . Family in mourning: Jessica's father, Jeremiah Bryant (left) and mother, Sarah Ridgeway, (second right) were initially investigated by police but have since been cleared of any involvement . Widespread hunt: An extensive search was carried out in the days after Jessica first disappeared on October 5 . A search by hundreds of law officers did not start until hours later because Jessica's mother works nights and slept through a call from school officials saying Jessica wasn't there. Fliers about the fifth-grader were posted on nearly every house in Jessica's neighborhood of modest, two-story homes with single-car garages. Purple ribbons, Jessica's favorite color and a symbol of hope for her return, were tied around trees. Then, on October 7, Jessica's backpack was found on a sidewalk in Superior, some 6 miles northwest of her Westminster home. At about 5pm on Wednesday, dozens of officers flooded into Pattridge Park in Arvada, combing the foot of a hill, walking no more than five feet apart, reportedly working on a credible tip. Hope gone: After the grisly discovery of Jessica's body on October 11, the search for Jessica turned into a hunt for her killer . Grim find: Jessica's dismembered body was found behind a cabin . After the body was found, police covered it in a sheet and used the flood lights from a firetruck to illuminate the crime scene so they could work late into the night. The focus of their search was an abandoned cabin that appeared to have been part of a former mining operation. The area is now a popular park where neighbors often come to hike, ride bicycles and fly model airplanes. Several new housing developments are close to the park and a busy highway runs alongside it. Police said they are not suspicious that Jessica's parents, who are divorced and fighting a custody battle over her, had any involvement in the disappearance. Missing: The case has brought together Jessica's close knit community as they rally round to support the family . 'At this point in the investigation, after thoroughly looking at the parents, we're confident they're not involved in the disappearance of Jessica Ridgeway,' Materasso said on Wednesday afternoon. 'The focus shifts to [an] unknown suspect.' The girl's mother Sarah Ridgeway and Jeremiah Bryant, the girl's father, spoke out on Tuesday, denying any involvement in her disappearance. 'I know I didn't do anything. Everybody that's here knows I didn't do anything,' said Jessica Ridgeway's mother, Sarah, surrounded by relatives dressed in purple - her daughter's favorite color. She added, 'Nobody in this room did anything to harm her or a tiny hair on her little head.' Favourite colour: Ahead of the official memorial last week, green and purple balloons were released by members of Jessica's community in tribute to the slain girl . Ceremony: Friends and family gather at the altar just before the start of a memorial service for 10-year-old Jessica Ridgeway on Tuesday . Sarah Ridgeway was joined by ten family members, among them her ex-husband, Jeremiah Bryant, who said that when questioned by the FBI if his former spouse could have anything to do with the 10-year-old's disappearance, he said 'no.' 'I don't see how any parent could do something like that to their child,' Bryant added, according to Fox31. Appearing composed for most of the 38-minute-long pubic statement, the girl's mother told a reporter that she understands that police need to conduct an investigation before they eliminate her from the list of potential suspects. 'I know it's something that has to get done,' she said. 'The have to get it out of there.' Kind words: Friends and family including Jessica's aunt, Becca Ridgeway, left, remember Jessica during the service . Police announced that the 'not intact' body had been identified as Jessica's on October 12 and have been warning parents to be vigilant - reminding them a predator is still on the loose. 'Our focus has changed from the search for Jessica to a mission of justice for Jessica,' said Westminster Police Chief Lee Birk. 'We realise there is a predator at large in our community.' Anxious parents in Denver kept close watch over their children and the FBI again urged residents to report any suspicious activity by people they know. 'We want you to look for changes of habits, patterns, peculiar absences of those around you and report it to law enforcement,' said Jim Yacone, FBI special agent in charge in Denver. Grieving: Family and friends share their grief during Jessica's memorial service . The U.S. Marshals Service, immigration officials and state Department of Corrections were reviewing registered sex offenders in the area, Yacone said without elaborating. Investigators have received more than 1,500 tips from the public. Authorities also have searched more than 500 homes and more than 1,000 vehicles but still need the public's help, Yacone said. Last Saturday, one day after the heartbreaking discovery, her family and friends came together to pay tribute to the dead 10-year-old, launching balloons into the sky above her Colorado home. Jessica's favourite colour of purple was donned by thousands of memorial-goers who released purple-and-green message-strewn balloons at a park in Westminster on Saturday evening. | Hair found by someone walking in field a mile from the site where Jessica's dismembered body found . Pictures of a wooden cross have been released by police who believe it may be connected . The Colorado schoolgirl's body was found last Thursday, six days after she went missing and was identified on Friday . | b921876917abb48112c68351dd384b6e4d7a5391 |
By . Mark Duell . PUBLISHED: . 01:13 EST, 22 October 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 03:56 EST, 22 October 2012 . Millions of pounds of taxpayers’ money has been spent by Prison Service bosses on taxis, hairdressers - and even actors. Many private firms provide services under contract to the Ministry of Justice, with one taxi firm being paid £920,000 for its work. The Prison Service also spent £720,000 on professional actors for role playing that is aimed at helping inmates get into employment. Jail time: The Prison Service spent £720,000 on professional actors for role playing that is aimed at helping inmates get into work . Meanwhile £4.5million was paid to taxi firms for moving inmates and staff around Britain and £84,000 spent on hairdressers at only three prisons. A TaxPayers’ Alliance spokesman said the MoJ should be ‘cutting out barmy spending’ and stop providing ‘creature comforts’ for prisoners. But an MoJ spokesman insisted to The Sun that the contracts help the department ‘drive efficiency’ and ‘achieve best value for taxpayers’. Other companies were paid £60,000 to launch a radio station in Brixton prison and £58,000 for an artificial sports pitch at Wormwood Scrubs. Cutbacks? A TaxPayers' Alliance spokesman said the MoJ should be 'cutting out barmy spending' and stop providing 'creature comforts' for prisoners . In addition, £645,000 was paid to a counselling firm and £100,000 went on inmates’ toothbrushes, according to data released under the Freedom of Information Act. The figures came as David Cameron was today expected to unveil plans to outsource large parts of the Probation Service to the private sector. Private firms such as G4S, along with charities and voluntary groups, will be offered cash incentives to put offenders on the right paths. It is part of a fresh drive to cut crime and reoffending, with the scheme applying to all but the most hardened and dangerous criminals. | Private firms provide services under contract to MoJ . Prison Service spent £720,000 on role playing actors . £4.5m spent on taxi firms // £100,000 on toothbrushes . | 6e7fa614592ce7aec08895e8e88fb1966fe54218 |
By . Tammy Hughes . PUBLISHED: . 03:23 EST, 22 June 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 19:10 EST, 7 July 2012 . The unclaimed £63.8 million EuroMillions prize has been narrowed down to a ticket bought in Hertfordshire. Its holder has still to come forward to accept the windfall, nearly a fortnight after the draw. This is now the longest time such a large win has gone unclaimed. Scroll down for video... It could be you! The winning ticket was bought in the Stevenage and Hitchin area but has not been claimed . Two ticket holders hit the jackpot on June 8 - one in Belgium and one in the UK. The owner of the British ticket, bought in the Stevenage and Hitchin area, will claim £63,837,543.60 - sending them soaring into fifth place on the National Lottery rich list. According to the Sunday Times Rich List, . the winner would be more wealthy than Daniel Radcliffe, who has an . estimated £54 million fortune, and richer than Princes William and Harry . (£40 million). Meanwhile, the £63,837,532.60 jackpot prize is accruing interest of . £3,585.40 every day and in the 13 days since the draw, has earned . £46,610.20, private bank Coutts has said. According to the National Lottery, the ticket holder could use the pot . of cash to buy either a Boeing 737 with a cruising speed of 485mph; 12 . Diamond Rose iPhone 4s, made with rose gold and set with 500 diamonds; . 60 Eurocopter EC120s with top speeds of 172mph; 90,647 pairs of . Christian Louboutin shoes or 2,520kg of Beluga caviar. But the winner - who could be an individual or a syndicate - will have to come forward by 11pm on December 5 or the cash will be given to the National Lottery Good Causes fund. Life-changing: Chris and Colin Weir from Largs in Ayrshire, scooped £161 million last July . Millionaires: Dave and Angela Dawes celebrate after winning £101,203,600.70 on the Euro Millions Lottery in October . Camelot spokesman said: 'We’re desperate to find this mystery ticket holder and unite them with their winnings and we’re urging everyone to try checking in the pockets of clothing, in wallets, bags and down the back of the sofa - someone out there could literally be sitting on a fortune. 'We have the champagne on ice and our fingers crossed that the lucky winner comes forward to claim their win.' Other multimillion-pound jackpot winners include Colin and Chris Weir, from Largs in North Ayrshire, who won £161 million last July. A ticket holder banked £113,019,926 in October 2010 but decided not to go public, and Dave Dawes and wife Angela, from Wisbech, Cambridgeshire, claimed £101,203,600 last October. Camelot can make a pay-out, at its discretion, where a ticket has been lost, stolen or destroyed - but only if a claim is submitted within 30 days of the draw and if there is sufficient evidence. VIDEO: Winner wanted! Do you have the missing winning Euromillions ticket?... | It has been a fortnight since one British ticket holder won the cash but they are still to come forward . This is now the longest time such a large win has gone unclaimed . The holder would be able to use the £63.8 million windfall to buy 90,647 pairs of Christian Louboutin shoes or a Boeing 737 . | 6f925d46d7223351deae059f9cb05e01e2ce15b4 |
By . Ian Drury . PUBLISHED: . 07:45 EST, 5 March 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 21:00 EST, 5 March 2013 . Publicity stunt: Argentine Ambassador Alicia Castro claims the poll will be ignored worldwide . Argentina yesterday dismissed the Falkland Islands referendum as an illegitimate ‘publicity stunt’. But Alicia Castro, Argentina’s ambassador to Britain, was criticised for her ‘offensive’ comments days before islanders hold their first vote on whether they want to remain British. The historic referendum, which is being held this weekend, will be overseen by international observers. It is expected to send a clear message to Argentina to keep its hands off. Britain has insisted that those living on the Falklands – called Las Malvinas by Buenos Aires – have the right to decide which country they want to govern them. Britain triumphed when the two nations fought a ten-week war after Argentina invaded the islands in 1982. Miss Castro said: ‘This referendum has no legal grounds. It’s not approved, nor will it be recognised by the United Nations or the international community, so this referendum is little more than a public relations exercise. ‘This referendum in no way changes the essence of the Malvinas question and its predictable result will not bring an end to the dispute.’ Miss Castro also warned that UK firms would find it difficult to drill for oil off the windswept South Atlantic outcrop unless there were better ties to the rest of South America. But Ian Liddell-Grainger, the Tory vice-chairman of the Falkland Islands All-Party Parliamentary Group, said: ‘The Falkland Islands is part of the UK and the population has wanted this opportunity to clarify their position. ‘They want to show the strength of feeling that they wish to stay linked to Britain. It is neither right nor fair for Argentina to keep claiming that the referendum is illegitimate. Argentina would be quite offended if we interfered in their referendums or votes.’ Britain . says the islanders have a right to self-determination, and insists they . be present at any talks with Argentina over the future of the islands, . but Buenos Aires says the matter should only be discussed by two . sovereign states. 'The Argentine government has already . dismissed the referendum before it has even taken place, a position . that runs counter to the universal principles of democracy and . self-determination,' a British Foreign Office spokesman said. Decisions: The inhabitants of the islands, 300 miles (480 km) off the Argentine coast are due to take part in a referendum on March 10-11 to find if they want to remain British . Argentina . sees the Falklands' roughly 3,000 inhabitants as foreign implants and . has compared them to Israeli settlers on land Palestinians want for a . future state. 'We hope that the outcome of this . referendum will demonstrate beyond doubt the views of the people of the . Falklands and whether or not they wish to remain a British Overseas . Territory,' the Foreign Office spokesman added. Argentina has ramped up its claims to . the islands, where oil exploration firms are expected to produce their . first oil in 2017, and last month Argentina's foreign minister visited . London but did not meet his British counterpart. A pro-British farm on the Falkland Islands.The referendum is widely expected to confirm the islanders' wish for the remote territory to remain under British control . British through and through: The capital of the Falkland Islands, Stanley . Regional trading bloc Mercosur, which . includes Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay, has banned . Falklands-flagged ships from docking at their ports. 'Oil . exploration is feasible, but oil exploitation is unfeasible ... Imagine . if a spill happens there in some remote islands 8,000 miles from here . ... with no proper link to the continent, without doctors, logistics, . engineers,' Castro said. Argentine . hostility has not deterred oil companies. Rockhopper Exploration has . formed a $1 billion partnership with Premier Oil to pump oil from its . find north of the islands. | Historic referendum due to take place this weekend . Will find out if the inhabitants of the islands want to remain British . Argentinian ambassador criticised for 'offensive' comments . | d8c7e10590bfd9b185ecb6356fb577fb141b367d |
A Chinese man has offered to 'rent' his girlfriend out to other men so that he can raise money to buy the latest model of iPhone. Images of Wei Chu, 25, standing outside Songjiang University, Shanghai holding a 'Girlfriend Sharing' advertising board first emerged on Chinese social media earlier this week. He invited interested passers-by to log on to a nearby wifi network in order to check out images of his 21-year-old girlfriend Xiao Ai, who can be 'rented' for just £1 an hour - although the man insists 'no funny business' can take place on dates he suggests should be focused around dinner or studying . Scroll down for video . Unorthadox: Images of the Wei Chu, 25, standing outside Songjiang University, Shanghai holding a 'Girlfriend Sharing' advertising board first emerged on Chinese social media earlier this week . Desperate: Wei Chu apparently offered to rent out his girlfriend in an attempt to fund the purchase of one of Apple’s eagerly awaited iPhone 6 handsets. Business: Aware that potential customers may want to spend various lengths of time with his partner Xiao Ai (pictured), Wei Chu's offer is broken into various pricing categories: £1 an hour, £5 per day and £50 per month. Wei Chu apparently offered to rent out his girlfriend in a desperate attempt to fund the purchase of one of Apple’s eagerly awaited iPhone 6 handsets. He was photographed outside Songjiang University as crowds of interested men gathered around. Seemingly aware that potential customers may want to spend various lengths of time with his partner, Wei Chu's offer is broken into various pricing categories: £1 an hour, £5 per day and £50 per month. According to posters on Weibo, he claimed his girlfriend was a willing participant in the scheme, which was advertised online under the slogan: 'Sharing girlfriend for pocket money.' Happy: Wei Chu claims his 21-year-old girlfriend Xiao Ai (pictured) is a willing participant in the scheme . Sales pitch: Wei Chu was photographed outside Songjiang University as crowds of interested men gathered around. He told them 'no funny business' could take place on dates he suggested focused on dinner or studying . Information: Wei Chu invited passers-by to log on to a nearby wifi network in order to check out images of his girlfriend and read a short biography on her (right). He is hoping to raising funds to buy the new iPhone 6 (left) Alongside the new keyboards, messaging tools and photo features of iOS 8, Apple has also updated the software's security features. In an open letter to customers, Apple’s chief executive Tim Cook announced the firm has changed the way encryption works in iOS 8. As a result the company can no longer bypass a user’s passcode, making it impossible for it to hand over data to law enforcement officers and governments. This is the case, even if a search warrant is served on the firm or customer. These new rules, however, only apply to data stored on the device, locked by a passcode, and Apple will be able to access data stored on iCloud if presented with a warrant for it. And because these new features only apply to iOS 8, data can be extracted where necessary on devices running older versions of the software, from iOS 4 to iOS 7, as has always been the case. Individuals interested in taking up the offer were given a short biography of the man's girlfriend, including details on her height, weight and hobbies. Wei Chu also made clear that the offer was in no way a sexual way - explaining that customers would be given the option to take his girlfriend on dinner or study dates. 'Service items include but are not restricted to: eating together, studying together, saving seats (in libraries/classrooms), three-person dates. Fees generated during dates should be split,' his placard read. Wei Chu's unorthodox entrepreneurship is just one extreme method of raising money to pay for the latest iPhone installment. Earlier this week, a Saudi Arabian man asked his future brother-in-law for an iPhone 6 as a dowry for marrying his sister, according to the International Business Times. Meanwhile, following the launch of the iPhone 5 last year, a Chinese couple were charged with human trafficking after admitting selling three of their newborn babies for £8,000 between 2008 and 2013 in order to pay for luxury items including an iPhone. | Man stood outside Shanghai university offering to 'share' his girlfriend . Advertising board said he was trying to raise money for latest iPhone . Offered her company for just £1 an hour, £5 per day or £50 per month . Insisted 'no funny business' could take place on the dinner or study dates . | d524a26479119178f3fc6c5c50ab699842428781 |
By . Andrew Levy . UPDATED: . 03:10 EST, 15 February 2012 . With a greyhound stadium and ice rink among its main attractions, the charms of Romford are modest in comparison to some areas. But there may be a very good reason for moving to the Essex town. Its residents are the luckiest in the UK, according to research carried out by the National Lottery. Jackpot joy: One adult in every 1,238 in Romford have won a prize of more than £50,000 since the National Lottery began . Hit the jackpot: Total winnings in Romford, including jackpots claimed by 84 ticketholders, come to £165million . More than 300 people there have won a prize of £50,000 or more since the Lottery began in 1994 - equivalent to one in every 1,238 adults. The total winnings, including jackpots claimed by 84 ticketholders, come to £165million. The second luckiest place to live is Enfield in north London, which scored big wins for one in every 1,378 people. Dartford is third with a ratio of 1,391 to one. Outside the top three, however, northern communities dominate the Lottery’s league table of luck. The top ten includes Newcastle, Sunderland, Liverpool and Warrington. The most successful region is the North East, which has banked more than 1,550 major prizes worth more than £745million. Streets paved with Lotto gold: Enfield, north London, is the second luckiest place in Britain, according to a National Lottery study . It is followed closely by Wales and the North West as hotspots for good fortune. The findings follow a survey yesterday which said the happiest places to live in the UK were in the north. The study by property website Rightmove, which was based on 12 indicators including the size and condition of homes, neighbourliness and safety, found the unhappiest places were generally in or around London. Among the top ten - or bottom ten, depending on how you look at it - was Romford, whose famous sons include Manchester City goalkeeper Stuart Taylor and former Arsenal and England defender Tony Adams. Michael White, the leader of Havering Council, said yesterday: ‘I’ve always believed that people make their own luck so it’s great to see that Romford is the luckiest place in the UK.’ A National Lottery spokesman said: ‘This is the first time that we have included prizes of £50,000 upwards, giving a true snapshot of where the luckiest players are based. ‘Now Romford has picked up the winning streak - perhaps the only way really is Essex.’ | Enfield and Dartford the second and third luckiest places in Britain . | 143333be24048829a5f7c52cd5fca2c15f497d7a |
Jeremy Clarkson was one of the thousands of people who turned out to watch the traditional Boxing Day hunt as it rode through his farmland in Oxfordshire earlier today. The Heythrop Hunt, which makes its way through Chipping Norton, also takes in land belonging to the Top Gear presenter, which he has renamed Diddly Squat farm. Earlier today, Mr Clarkson could be seen wrapped up in a scarf and heavy coat and wearing boots as he and two friends awaited the arrival of the horses, their riders and the dogs on his farm. Top Gear presenter Jeremy Clarkson (centre) watches the Heythrop Hunt as it rides through Oxfordshire farmland that belongs to him . The BBC host has been a keen supporter of the hunt, which is said to be popular among members of the Chipping Norton set - an influential group of MPs and media professionals who live close to the Oxfordshire market town. Earlier this year, Mr Clarkson submitted a planning application to redevelop the main house into a mansion on the farmland, where the hunt rode by earlier today. The farm is just a few miles away from his country home on the outskirts of Chipping Norton. Mr Clarkson bought the farmhouse in Chipping Norton in 2009 with plans to own quad bikes and grow his own food . The 54-year-old had plans to demolish the property which is set within a 70-hectare plate approved, and intends to replace it with a larger house complete with a swimming pool and tennis court. The luxury home will also boast its own orchard and croquet lawn, as well as renovating a derelict barn to feature a snooker room and two more bedrooms. The new property will boast plenty of space for animals with existing stables in place and plans for a kennel and dog. Charlie Brooks, husband of former News International chief executive Rebekah Brooks, who was out in support of the Heythrop Hunt earlier today, which is popular with the so-called Chipping Norton set . Senior hunt master Charles Frampton toast the Heythrop Hunt as it makes its way through the town square in Chipping Norton . Hundreds of people gathered in Chipping Norton town square for the traditional Boxing Day Hunt . In an blog post written on the Top Gear website in early 2009, Mr Clarkson said he had bought the farm in Chipping Norton and planned to whizz around on quad bikes with his children. Other prominent supporters of the Heythrop Hunt include Rebekah Brooks, the former chief executive of News International, and her husband Charlie Brooks, who is a racehorse trainer. Mr Brooks was also in the town square in Chipping Norton today where hundreds of people turned out to greet the horses and their riders. He was seen holding up a sign advertising the next hunt meeting and mingling with the crowds. Other prominent supporters of the Heythrop Hunt include Rebekah Brooks, the former chief executive of News International, and her husband Charlie Brooks . It emerged yesterday that hunt supporters are planning to use the drive to introduce English votes for English laws to push through a repeal of the foxhunting ban after the next election . The Prime Minister David Cameron has also ridden with the hunt six times, which is close to his constituency home in Oxfordshire. In 2003, he described the then proposed ban on hunting as ‘illiberal and bossy’. The Heythrop Hunt was one of 300 taking place up and down the country today, which comes 10 years after the Hunting Act was passed banning fox hunting. However, it emerged yesterday that hunt supporters are planning to use the drive to introduce English votes for English laws to push through a repeal of the foxhunting ban after the next election. Thousands of supporters are expected to have took part today in defiance of the ban, which was pushed through reluctantly by Tony Blair as a piece of 'red meat' to keep his backbenchers on side. | Top Gear presenter turned out to watch the traditional Boxing Day hunt . Heythrop Hunt rides through his farmland in Chipping Norton, Oxfordshire . Mr Clarkson bought the land and last year renamed it Diddly Squat farm . Other members of the Chipping Norton set were also supporting the hunt . Those included horse trainer Charlie Brooks, husband of Rebekah Brooks . More than 300 hunts took place today up and down the country . | 6e3fda32c96eb1906beea2d0b61505b10b31cabb |
By . Richard Hartley-parkinson . Last updated at 10:46 PM on 29th December 2011 . Two high-ranking British military officers were killed by a roadside bomb during a covert mission in Afghanistan just three days before Christmas. Captain Tom Jennings, of the Special Boat Service, and RAF Squadron Leader Anthony Downing died when a blast ripped through their vehicle. It is understood the men were part of a Special Forces squad attempting to gain intelligence on the Taliban and win over local Afghans. Squadron Leader Anthony Downing (left) and Royal Marine Captain Tom Jennings (right) were both died after their vehicle was caught in a blast in Afghanistan . Captain Jenning's body was repatriated today in a C17 plane that landed at RAF Brize Norton . It is the first time two officers have been killed by a booby-trap bomb while travelling together in the same vehicle in the warzone. Capt Jennings, 29, a commando in the Royal Marines before joining the SBS, died when the armoured vehicle struck an improvised explosive device south of the capital Kabul on December 22. He was the highest-ranking Marine to die in the ten-year conflict. Sqn Ldr Downing, 34, survived the initial blast and was airlifted to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham. But he died from his injuries a day later with his family by his bedside. He was the most senior British airman to die in Afghanistan. It took the total of UK servicemen and women killed fighting the Taliban to 393. Their loss was all the more acute because it happened as military families prepared to mark Christmas and the New Year knowing their loved ones were facing mortal danger thousands of miles away. War zone: The roadside bomb went off just south of Kabul in Afghanistan . The team was on a top secret counter-insurgency mission when they were targeted. They had been in contact with Afghans on an ‘outreach patrol’. Sqn Ldr Downing acted as an interpreter because he was a trained Dari speaker. This meant he could hold conversations with local people in a bid to persuade them to support the government. Precise details of the operation were being kept under wraps by the Ministry of Defence but elite Special Forces troops regularly escort MI6 officers and other intelligence officials for meetings with key sources or Taliban chiefs. Capt Jennings, who was based at SBS headquarters in Poole, Dorset, leaves behind a wife and two young sons. The MoD described the commando as ‘a true leader, selfless in his professional approach serving those who were his responsibility’. He worked alongside local Afghan security forces with ‘empathy and a broad cultural understanding’. A statement released by the MoD said: ‘Dedicated and humble, he was an archetypal Royal Marine with a keen sense of humour even when faced with adversity.’ Capt Jennings is the second member of the feared SBS to be killed in action in Afghanistan. Corporal Seth Stephens, 42, was shot dead during a top secret mission in the Taliban stronghold of Haji Wakil in Helmand in July 2010. He received a posthumous Conspicuous Gallantry Cross for bravery. 'Dedicated and humble, he was an archetypal Royal Marine with a keen sense of humour even when faced with adversity' Sqn Ldr Downing, from near Deal, Kent, was an engineering officer who deployed to Afghanistan because of his language skills. He was involved in the planning and conduct of outreach patrols, said the MoD. He was the last to oversee the safety of the RAF’s Nimrod MR2 spy planes before they were taken out of service last year. He was also a key member of the Mountain Rescue Team at RAF Kinloss in Scotland and had previously been a volunteer for the Samaritans. His childhood dream was to join the RAF. Sqn Ldr Downing leaves his parents Michael and Masheeda, a brother and girlfriend. His parents said: ‘We treasure the memories and the achievements of his fantastic life and without him our lives have been diminished.’ Sqn Ldr Downing was planning to take part in the gruelling Arch to Arc endurance event in 2013. Captain Jennings' body was today driven out of the air base in Oxfordshire past a flag that has been lowered to half mast . Squadron Leader Downing died of his wounds last Friday at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham. His family were with him when he died . It involves running 87 miles from . London’s Marble Arch to Dover, swimming the English Channel, and then . cycling 181 miles from the French coast to Paris. Group Captain Robbie Noel, station . commander at RAF Kinloss when Sqn Ldr Downing served there from 2007 . until May 2010, said he was ‘immensely dedicated, talented and . passionate’. Sqn Ldr Downing’s determination to . help comrades was ‘characteristic of a hugely popular, and deeply . respected and loved friend and colleague,’ he said. Squadron Leader Paul Lipscomb, Officer . Commanding, Mountain Rescue Service at RAF Kinloss, said his friend . embodied ‘courage and commitment’. ‘I can draw some comfort in knowing that he died doing something that he enjoyed and chose to do,’ he said. nA gunman wearing an Afghan army uniform killed two French NATO soldiers when he fired his weapons at them yesterday. The members of the French Foreign Legion were shot dead in eastern Afghanistan. | Captain Tom Jennings, of the Special Boat Service, and RAF Squadron Leader Anthony Downing died when a blast . ripped through their vehicle . It is the first time two officers have . been killed by a booby-trap bomb while travelling in the same . vehicle in the warzone . | 16b24190daf04f390215aa44b8e6a4d5103993a7 |
By . David Kent . Jos Hooiveld’s close-range strike shortly after half-time was enough for Ronald Koeman’s Southampton to beat Swindon Town 1-0 during their friendly at the County Ground on Monday evening. The centre-back broke the deadlock in the 51st minute, when he reacted quickest to James Ward-Prowse’s outswinging corner to flick the ball past the despairing dive of Swindon goalkeeper Wes Foderingham. The Saints’ recent signing from Feyenoord, Graziano Pelle, looked lively in the opening stages, and could have put his side ahead as early as the ninth minute when he met a cross from the right by Nathaniel Clyne only to head straight into the arms of the grateful Foderingham. Impressed: Graziano Pelle, Southampton's recent signing from Feyenoord, was strong on the ball . Fit straight in: Pelle's hold-up play against Swindon helped bring his team-mates into the game . Swindon: Foderingham; N. Thompson N, Kasim (McCormack 88), Branco, Barthram; L. Thompson, Rodgers . (Barker 53), Luongo (Marshall 80), Byrne; Williams (Waldon 65), Smith . (Randall 65). Subs not used: Belford, Jones, Antonio, Vandesonpele. Southampton: Davis (Gazzaniga 46); Clyne (Chambers 62), Fonte (Yoshida 62), Hooiveld (Turnbull 62), Targett (Stephens 62); Cork (Flannigan 62), Ward-Prowse (McCarthy 62); Reed (Sinclair 62), McQueen (Mayuka 46), Isgrove (Gallagher 62); Pelle (Sharp 62). Goal: Hooiveld. Minutes later Pelle turned provider for Clyne, but the young . full-back could not find the back of the net with his well-struck effort from . distance. Pelle’s hold-up play was the highlight for Koeman’s team in . a fairly low-tempo affair at the County Ground, the Italian-born forward keeping . the ball well from Swindon’s dogged defenders during his 62 minutes on the . pitch. After dominating much of the first half Southampton . deservedly went ahead six minutes after the break. Hooiveld prodded past Foderingham from Ward-Prowse’s . enticing corner, and moments later the latter nearly doubled Saints’ lead with . a glancing header that flew just over the crossbar. Swindon almost equalised in the dying stages of the match, . when Connor Waldon rounded Southampton’s substitute goalkeeper Paulo Gazzaniga. Fortunately for the Italian shot-stopper fellow sub Calum Chambers was on hand . to smash the ball away from goal. Relaxed: New Saints boss Ronaldo Koeman looked comfortable despite his side's nervy win . All smiles: Koeman breaks into a grin during Southampton's victory at the County Ground . Late in the day: Michael Smith, of Swindon, controls the ball during their friendly defeat . Challenge: James Ward-Prowse nips in for a tackle with Swindon's Louis Thompson . Spreading the play: Jose Fonte sprays a pass out to the right-hand side for Southampton . After the game, Koeman said: 'I think we deserved one or two more goals in the match. There was a good spirit in the team. 'Maybe in front of goal we’re not so sharp, but I’m happy about the performance today.' Southampton’s win comes off the back of victories over . lower-league Dutch side EHC Hoensbroek and Sporting Hasselt of Belgium. | Hooiveld scored in the 51st minute from close range following a corner . New signing Pelle impressed for Ronald Koeman's side during friendly . Swindon nearly equalised late on when Connor Waldon rounded substitute goalkeeper Paulo Gazzaniga . | 4b1d2952da1444727d2c86e5d95fdb3a6b8ece5f |
Would you go to a concert where you watch a video of a popstar that doesn't really exist? It might sound bizarre, but it’s the latest craze currently taking Japan by storm - and the star herself has now made her way to the US. Named Hatsune Miku, the computer generated character sings songs created by her fans using voice software and then performs for wild crowds on a screen at the front of an arena. Scroll down for video . A virtual popstar called Hatsune Miku (shown) has made her way to the US. The character was designed as a mascot for software called Vocaloid 2. Now fans have created songs for her and regularly watch her in concert. She has a huge following in Japan and recently performed in New York . Hatsune Miku was created by Japanese music technology company Crypton Future Media. She was originally intended as just a mascot for voice software called Vocaloid 2, made by Yamaha. But when users of the software were given the ability to make her sing songs they had written, it quickly became apparent she had the makings of a worldwide superstar. She has proved to be a smash hit in Japan, and last week performed in New York for the first time, at the Hammerstein Ballroom in the Manhattan Center Studios. The character appears as a 16-year-old girl that has her hair in pig tails and her name translates as the ‘first sound of the future’ - perhaps heralding a belief she will lead to a revolution in the music industry. Miku is a digital avatar created by Japanese technology firm Crypton Future Media that customers can purchase and then program to perform any song on their computer. She is supposed to be 16 years old and five foot two inches tall but her makers have given little away about her personality. Crypton uses voices recorded by actors and then puts them through Yamaha’s Vocaloid software to create its characters. Miku’s voice was created by taking vocal samples from the voice actress Saki Fujita. All of the samples contained a single Japanese sound which when strung together would create full words and phrases. Her music and image have proved so popular that she has now gone on a sell-out tour where thousands of fans wave light sticks and scream as if she is a real-life pop star. While her voice is synthesised, its origins come from Japanese voice actress Saki Fujita. And perhaps one of her most interesting aspects is that all the songs she performs ‘live’ are created by her own users, in a sense being crowdsourced. ‘It's not just celebrating the idol; the fans are celebrating themselves,' said Cosima Oka-Doerge, the global marketing manager at Crypton, according to Fast Company. Crypton says more than 100,000 songs have been made by fans, in addition to more than 170,000 YouTube videos and more than a million works of fan art since she was 'born' on 31 August 2007. When Hatsune Miku performs, fans wave glow sticks wildly and sing along to her songs. She sings her most popular songs on stage, initiates 'call and response' routines with the crowd and dances around as well - just like a real popstar. Being a virtual star, though, she can also do things that her real counterparts cannot - such as exploding in a shower of light. Hatsune Miku has even toured with Lady Gaga, appearing ‘on stage’ during her Artpop Ball concert in Atlanta in May this year. It remains to be seen quite how big an impact she'll have in the West, though. Earlier this year a hologram of the late Michael Jackson was projected at the Billboard Awards in Las Vegas. The eerily realistic projection 'sang' and 'danced' to Slave To The Rhythm and even moonwalked across the stage. Mesmerising: A hologram of Michael Jackson performed at the Billboard Music Awards in May this year . The onstage resurrection garnered a standing ovation by the audience, who were clearly moved by the performance nearly five years after the legendary performer's death - but it almost didn't happen at all. Only several days before the awards ceremony did a federal judge rule that the Billboard Music Awards could use the hologram, rejecting efforts from tech companies seeking to block the digital performance. The songs Hatsune Miku performs are made by her fans using software called Vocaloid 2 (shown). Her fans wave glowsticks and scream and shout when she performs - just like a real popstar. Earlier this year the virtual star even toured with Lady Gaga . | Virtual popstar called Hatsune Miku has made her way to the US . The character was designed as a mascot for software called Vocaloid 2 . Now fans have created songs for her and regularly watch her in concert . She has a huge following in Japan and recently performed in New York . The songs she performs are made by her fans, who wave glowsticks and scream and shout when she performs - just like a real popstar . Earlier this year the virtual star even toured with Lady Gaga . | 5d6babf7c15ca7cebd41ee8bf6fdf6e653e2d339 |
A cereal fan has spent a staggering £36,800 tasting cornflakes in 60 countries - in search of the perfect bowlful. Married Mick Hobday, 33, munched his way through a massive 4,000 bowls of cornflakes while on his travels across five continents. He has made numerous trips around the world over ten years and tries to buy only local brand flakes. Saharan snack: Mick Hobday, 33, has travelled the world eating local brand cornflakes for ten years. Here he is seen chowing down on the cereal in Mauritania . Food pyramid: Mick pictured at the pyramids in Egypt. He has spent a staggering £36,800 tasting cornflakes in 63 countries . But Mick’s quest for the perfect flake continues, with a trip to India scheduled for later this year. He describes his ideal cornflake as 'dark, crunchy, organic and locally grown'. However, some cheaper, paler brands - mostly found in Asia and Africa - have tasted 'more like cardboard, and gone limp’, once soaked in milk. Mick’s passion for cornflakes started when he first ate them for breakfast aged ten. He later began to gorge on them up to three times a day, sometimes even for lunch and dinner. He eats them with milk and sugar. Balkan breakfast: Mick in Croatia. He has no plans to stop his exploits and is planning more trips. Pictured in Mali. He has made numerous trips around the world over ten years and insists on buying only local brand flakes . Colazione: The cornflake enthusiast at the picturesque Lake Garda in Italy . The keen traveller came up with the idea of combining his passion for travel and cornflakes while in Mexico, in September 2002. He has since eaten them in dozens of countries, including Mali, Brazil, Thailand, and Switzerland. The Eiffel Tower in Paris, Times Square in New York and the pyramids in Egypt have all featured as backdrops. But Mick has now eaten so many of them while travelling he prefers to eat branflakes when back at his home in Fareham, Hampshire. He has worked in a variety of temporary jobs to save money for his travels, of which over 13,000 miles have been covered on a bicycle. He said: 'I live to travel and want to visit every country in the world.' Crunchy in Casablanca: Mick eating breakfast in Morocco. He does much of his travelling on a bike . Mick is now so sick of cornflakes he prefers to eat branflakes when back at his home in Fareham. Seen here crunching away in Senegal . Good morning Vietnam: Mick at Halong Bay. He says the gulf in quality of cornflakes between the developed and developing world is noticeable . Roman Holiday: Mick outside a shop north of the Italian capital of Rome . He added: 'However, I wanted to make my journey unique, so I came up with the idea of eating cornflakes in each country . 'I’ve eaten them for breakfast from a young age, but I later began to eat them more and more - sometimes as a quick and easy lunch and dinner. 'I thought my idea was the perfect way to combine my two passions. 'Thankfully, it has not been too difficult finding cornflakes in shops around the world as they are a basic cereal. 'The most I have had to travel to buy a packet is from a rural village to the nearest town or city. 'I do try to buy a local brand whenever I can to support the area and to try something new. 'However, the quality has varied, and I am still on the hunt for my perfect flake.' Pictured in The Gambia (left) and in Singapore (right), the location of the single worst cornflake experience of his entire odyssey . Desayuno: Football fan Mick pictured in Spain with a local brand of 'Copos de Maiz' In Brunei: Mick has developed diabetes and must now watch his food intake . 1. Egypt - Crunchy flakes whilst sitting on the Giza plateau. 2. Turkey - Great flakes, tasted sweet. 3. Bosnia - At the Bosnian Pyramid of the Sun in Visoko. 4. UK - With the flakes I grew up loving outside Stonehenge. 5. Germany - nice crunchy, dark tasty flakes before England v Sweden in World Cup 2006. 1. Mauritania - The camel milk was awful. 2. Bulgaria - They were really cheap and like plastic. 3. Indonesia - Cheap flakes and the milk was warm. 4. Albania - Eating them next to a motorway, I could taste smoke. 5. Singapore - The flakes tasted awful after the extortionate price I had to pay. He added: 'My ideal would be dark, crunchy, organic, locally grown, and handmade. 'However, some have been very disappointing. 'The cheaper ones have been pumped with air, looked pale, and taste more like paper or cardboard. 'They also go limp in milk. There is quite a clear divide between quality of cornflakes in the developed and developing world. 'I had to use varying amount of sugar to try and give some of the poorer flakes some flavour. 'That also gave me some of the energy I needed to cycle throughout the day.' 'The quality of the milk and the surroundings can also influence how much I enjoy my bowlful. Mick relaxes with a bowlful as he looks out at a beautiful lake in the Central American country of Guatemala . Pictured in Laos (left) and on a beach at the Perhentian islands in Malaysia (right) Frühstück: Pictured in Berlin, capital of Germany. He has worked in a variety of temp jobs to save money for his travels . 'It is nice to have a picturesque setting, such as the spectacular Sahara dessert, and ice cold milk. 'I’d ideally eat them from a nice clean bowl and shiny spoon, because many of my bowlfuls have been from a Tupperware dish that I carry on my bicycle.” Mick suffers from diabetes and has recently started to take more care of his diet. That includes cutting down on cornflakes, and replacing them with branflakes or fruit and fibre while not travelling. He added: 'I’ve eaten so many cornflakes over the years, I have started to go off them and now eat different cereal at home. 'However, I’m still on the search for my ideal flake.' At Pyrgos in Greece, with a local brand that comes in a bag instead of the traditional box . Holiday in Cambodia: Mick on a hotel balcony in the Far East . Awful: When he ate this cereal in Tirana in Albania, Mick says he could taste the exhaust fumes from passing vehicles . England, Spain, United States, France, Wales, Belgium, Mexico, Belize, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Peru, Ecuador, Brazil, Bolivia, Argentina, Scotland, Uruguay, Paraguay, Chile, Colombia, Ireland, Monaco, Italy, Vatican City, San Marino, Slovenia, Austria, Czech Republic, Germany, Puerto Rico, Canada, Greece, Albania, Montenegro, Croatia, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei, Indonesia, Vietnam, Morocco, Western Sahara, Mauritania, Mali, Senegal, The Gambia, Egypt, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Portugal, Turkey, Bulgaria, Macedonia, Kosovo and Bosnia. | Mick Hobday has undertaken his extraordinary challenge over ten years . He has eaten 4,000 bowls of cornflakes across five continents . Describes the breakfast cereal and travel as his 'two passions' | 875d0a8c7783106f9edce7e7b151c51ebe96bb3b |
A pizza shop robber was snared by police after they found a threatening note he had given to employees indented on toilet paper inside his home. Eric Frey, 29, tried to rob Michael Maria's Pizza in Uniontown, Pennsylvania, on Saturday by handing an employee a note written on toilet paper that read: 'I have a gun. Give me $300.' Police arrived before Frey could leave because an employee hit a panic button. Eric Frey, 29, from Uniontown, Pennsylvania, was arrested and charged with the attempted robbery of a pizzeria after police found the message 'I have a gun. Give me $300' indented on a newly-opened toilet roll in his home . The suspect told the employee and police that he was made to rob the store by another man who said he was going to shoot him if he didn't return with money. But when police searched his apartment they found a newly-opened toilet paper with the message indented on another sheet. They also found a black pen nearby matching the ink he used. According to the criminal complaint against Frey, a large bearded man standing in a nearby alleyway had coerced him into robbing the store. When police turned up to search his home, he said: 'Let's go. I don't have anything to hide.' Officers then found the toilet paper linking him to the crime. They then entered his kitchen and found a can of pop he had used to smoke marijuana, according to the Pittsburgh Tribune. Frey was charged with attempted robbery and robbery, attempted theft and theft, possession with attempt to deliver marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia. He has four unrelated drug cases pending and was placed in the Fayette County Prison in lieu of $25,000 bond. Online court records don't list an attorney for Frey. Officers also found a black pen next to the roll with the same ink used to write the threatening note . Frey initially told employees outside Michael Maria's Pizza in Uniontown, Pennsylvania, that he was being told to rob the store by a man threatening to shoot him. But his story unraveled after police found the toilet roll . | Eric Frey, 29, entered Michael Maria's Pizzeria in Uniontown, Pennsylvania . He then handed an employee a note that read: 'I have a gun. Give me $300' At the time he said he had to rob the store because he was threatened . Claimed that a bearded man would shoot him if he didn't leave with money . However his story unraveled when police searched his home and discovered the note indented on another sheet . | 78b204648512351c0dfcddf431ebbebf03d85ed8 |
By . Gerri Peev . and Harriet Arkell . Scots should raise their own taxes to pay for 40 per cent of all their spending, Gordon Brown said yesterday. As he made a personal plea for the Union between Scotland and the rest of the UK to remain, the former Prime Minister backed calls for more powers to be devolved north of the border. Mr Brown, who has maintained a low profile since the 2010 election, said that Westminster should arrange a power-sharing arrangement with Edinburgh. 'We must work together': Former prime minister Gordon Brown today set out his view of a more devolved Scotland in the case of a No vote in September's referendum . More tax control: Mr Brown said more powers should be devolved to the Scottish parliament, pictured . The Scottish Parliament should get new . tax-raising powers to create a ‘partnership of equals’ between Scotland . and the United Kingdom, and Holyrood should raise 40 per cent of the . cash it spends on devolved policies, Mr Brown said. He . also set out a six-point plan to devolve more powers to Edinburgh, . including a guarantee that the Scottish Parliament was here to stay and . did not exist at the ‘whim’ of Westminster. Other . proposals include giving Holyrood more powers over employment, health, . transport and economic regeneration; new power-sharing partnerships to . tackle poverty, unemployment, housing need and the environment and a . ‘radical’ transfer of powers from Westminster and Edinburgh to local . communities. The Kirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath MP said Scots had to work with the rest of the UK for the common good . Big plans: The 63-year-old politician was talking to activists at a United With Labour event in Glasgow today . Scotland is due . to get new powers over income tax from April 2016, when the UK Treasury . will deduct 10p from standard and upper rates of income tax in Scotland . and give MSPs the power to decide how to raise cash. Mr . Brown went further than this, though, saying: ‘The first 5p of income . tax should be decided by the UK government, the next 15p by the Scottish . government. ‘I believe that . is a fair way of raising 40 per cent of the revenue of the Scottish . Parliament in Scotland.’ Mr Brown was outlining his vision for life in Scotland in the case of people voting against independence . This would make Scottish politicians . ‘accountable to the people of Scotland for the way that money is spent’. Mr . Brown also suggested the Scottish Parliament should have powers to . change the top rate of income tax, saying: ‘If the fairness of the . Scottish Parliament was being undermined by unfairness elsewhere then . there should be power to do something about it.’ But . Blair Jenkins, from the pro-separation group Yes Scotland, said: ‘A Yes . vote is the only way to ensure Scotland is in charge of its own broad . tax base, and that decisions on welfare and pensions reflect Scotland’s . wishes.’ Mr Brown has submitted his proposals to . Labour's devolution commission, which will shortly put forward plans to . boost devolution in the event of a No vote in September's Scottish . independence referendum. He . spoke out at the same time as former Liberal Democrat leader Sir . Menzies Campbell said political parties should meet within 30 days of a . No vote in the independence referendum to agree further powers for . Scotland. Menzies Campbell said that if Scotland votes No, political parties should agree further powers for Scotland . Mr Brown said all four nations of the United Kingdom had to work together regardless of their differences . | Gordon Brown made his biggest intervention into independence debate yet . He told activists in Glasgow he wanted to see more power for Scotland . Former PM was discussing his view if there is a No vote in September . He called for more tax control for Holyrood and more devolution of power . Said the 'war of attrition' between Scotland and rest of UK needed to end . Called for constitutional guarantee of permanence of Scottish Parliament . | cfcbfd211fd1f14acf76d4bf6a236dbc03461068 |
A 16-year-old boy whose life was strictly controlled by his protective parents appeared in court today accused of their murders. The homeschooled teen, who has not been named, appeared before a judge wearing an orange prison jumpsuit on Tuesday over the murders of his parents, Ryan and Maria Elena Callens, aged 48 and 49 respectively. The teenager was shackled at the wrists and ankles but appeared calm during the hearing in Frisco, Texas, reports revealed. He remained in custody after being charged with the double murder. Scroll down for video . Ryan Callens, 48, and his wife Maria Elena, 49, were killed by their youngest son at 2am on Monday, police said. Neighbors revealed that the parents were 'strict' with the 16-year-old boy . According to The Dallas Morning News, following a 911 call from the home at 2am on Monday, officers arrived on the scene to find the boy sitting outside the home alongside his elder sister who was extremely distressed. According to court documents on Tuesday that the sister was overheard asking: 'What do you mean you did it?' The teen accused answered: 'I did it', according to the News, before the sister responded: 'Was this your plan?' He did not reply and was taken into police custody after indicating that he had left the gun in the home. Officers found Mr Callens lying on the floor with a gunshot wound and a rifle with a flashlight taped to it, according to The Dallas Morning News. Mrs Callens was found in the master bedroom with bullet wounds to her head and arm. The autopsies on the couple, who have four other children, have not yet been completed. The 16-year-old's next hearing is in two weeks. Mr Callens owned his own company, Callens Innovation Group. Mrs Callens homeschooled the teenage suspect at their Texas home. Police have no motive in the murders . The boy was described as 'very sheltered' by neighbors after being arrested for allegedly shooting dead his 'strict' parents. The 16-year-old was barred from drinking soda, had all of his online activities monitored and wasn't allowed to watch any R-rated movies. The PG-13 films he watched were screened to remove violence and other adult content, neighbors revealed. Jonathan Marcum, 15, who played with the teenage suspect, said the Callens closely monitored what their son did online and restricted what he was allowed to watch and even what he ate, according to the Dallas Morning News. 'They didn't allow any PG-13 movies, and if they did they would have it on Clear Play, which would take all the violent moments and skip it,' Marcum told KXAS-TV. 'So there was pretty much no violence in that family.' Teens in the neighborhood said the Callens were very strict with the 16-year-old suspect and that any time the teen broke the rules, he would be punished. 'His parents were really uptight on him,' William Castillo, who played sports with the boy, told the Morning News. Neighbors said the boy went to public elementary school and middle school. However, his parents kept him out of the classroom and homeschooled him instead of sending him to high school. One neighbor said the teen preferred it that way and that he said he'd 'never go back' to school. The murders shook up the quiet, middle-class neighborhood in Frisco, Texas, where the Callens lived. The family, even the teenage suspect, were known to their neighbors as friendly . Authorities removed several bags of evidence from the home, including a computer. They worked at the crime scene until well into the evening on Monday . The teenage suspect was the youngest of the Callens' five children. He has two siblings who are in college, one who just finished college and an older sister who attends Centennial High School in Frisco. At least one sibling was home at the time, but was not hurt, authorities said. Neighbors in the middle-class neighborhood were shocked by the murders, according to KTVT. They described the teenager as a 'good kid' and said that the Callens were friendly fixtures in the neighborhood, where they have lived for eight years. 'From what we saw, he had a very good heart,' Nikki Williston, 15, told the Morning News. Authorities have not said where the teen got the gun he used to kill his parents. Neighbors say they don't believe the Callens owned a firearm. Mr Callens owned his own company, The Callens Innovation Group, which he operated out of his home in Frisco. Police worked at the house until well into the evening on Monday - removing several bags of evidence, including at least one computer. Police said they do not have a motive in the killing. | Police arrived at Texas home in the early hours of Monday to find the teenage suspect outside with his extremely distressed sister . Ryan and Elena Callens, 48 and 49 respectively, were killed in their Frisco, Texas, home in the early hours of Monday . Police arrested their 16-year-old son but have not given a motive . Neighbors said the teenager, youngest of five children, was kept out of high school and taught at home . Any movies that the teen was allowed to see had to be stripped of violence and other adult content, neighbors revealed . The family are not believed to have owned a firearm, neighbors said . | f82adf674ed86aceb40de3cc1d4047be3d320872 |
By . Peter Allen . PUBLISHED: . 04:19 EST, 17 July 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 08:59 EST, 17 July 2012 . Security has been stepped up around French president Francois Hollande after a gun-wielding man tried to break into the Elysée Palace. The would-be intruder, who has not been named, was arrested at the gates of the head of state’s official Paris home on Sunday afternoon. It led to fears that the 30-year-old was trying to mimic an attempt on the life of former French president Jacques Chirac a decade ago. Visitors walk in the gardens of the Elysée Palace in Paris, the official state home of President Francois Hollande, on Saturday. The next day a man wielding a gun tried to break into the building . Mr Hollande and his companion Valerie Trierweiler leave the palace to greet the public on Saturday, which was Bastille Day in France. Every year on July 14, the Elysée Palace is open to visitors . Walkabout: Mr Hollande shakes hands with guests in the palace gardens as part of Bastille Day celebrations . Referring to the latest incident, in . which no-one was hurt, a police source in the French capital said: ‘The . man was carrying a gun, which turned out to be a replica 7.65mm pistol. ‘He . was carrying false papers, and provided no motive for what he did. He . remains in custody, and the Paris prosecutors’ office has recommended . that he receives psychiatric care. 'In the meantime, security has certainly been tightened around the President.’ The . French were celebrating their national Bastille Day holiday at the . weekend – a time traditionally associated with attempted attacks on . politicians. Many who . attended the military parade in the Champs Elysée on Saturday commented . on what appeared to be lax security around Mr Hollande, a down-to-earth . Socialist who styles himself as ‘Mr Normal’. At one stage he mingled with members of a crowd who had not undergone any kind of security checks. Up close and personal: Mr Hollande is kissed by supporters in the gardens. Many commented on the lax security surrounding the president . Flashback: The incident led to fears that the man was trying to mimic an attempt by Maxime Brunerie, pictured being arrested, on the life of former French president Jacques Chirac in 2002 . Assassination attempt: Brunerie pulled a gun from a guitar case and got a shot off as Mr Chirac (standing, left) was driven by in an open-topped jeep . Mr Hollande was away from the Elysée . Palace on Sunday when the attempted break-in happened, but was kept . fully informed about what occurred. In . 2002, Maxime Brunerie, a 25-year-old management student and neo-Nazi, . tried to assassinate Mr Chirac during the annual Bastille Day parade. He . pulled a gun from a guitar case and got a shot off as Mr Chirac was . driven by in an open-topped jeep, but the would-be killer was restrained . by onlookers. Brunerie later admitted that he had been depressed and was seeking infamy as the murderer of a famous politician. He . was found guilty of attempted murder, receiving a relatively light . ten-year sentence on the grounds of diminished responsibility. He was . freed in 2009, after serving seven years. | The would-be intruder, who has not been named, was arrested at the gates of the head of state's official Paris home on Sunday afternoon . | 40ae9adbd1a799ef9dc6ab3cd6c275a108a5d4a5 |
By . Daily Mail Reporter and Associated Press . PUBLISHED: . 15:53 EST, 19 August 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 05:31 EST, 20 August 2013 . The New York City Police Department announced it's largest gun seizure in city history today - showing off some of the 254 weapons obtained in their 10 month investigation at a press conference. The weapons bust which has led to 19 indictments wouldn't have been possible without the aid of social media. Initially the department was investigating drug charges on aspiring Brooklyn rapper Matthew Best after he started posting photos on Instagram and videos on YouTube flaunting his guns and big bills. Wiretapping of Best led investigators to two men in the Carolinas who were smuggling guns separately but using the same middleman in New York City. Scroll down for video . Off the streets: NYPD commission Ray Kelly with Mayor Michael Bloomberg, announcing the gun bust Monday . Variety: The guns seized ranged in size from small handguns to larger shotguns and assault weapons . Walter Walker and Earl Campbell sourced guns from suppliers in their hometowns of Sanford, North Carolina and Rock Hill, South Carolina and sold them on the black market in New York. When the NYPD found out about the illegal business, they sent an undercover officer posing as a gun broker to buy the weapons off the two men. The smugglers would take pictures of the guns they were offering and send it to the undercover officer. They would then transport the guns into the city, using cheap Chinatown buses to avoid attracting attention or having their bags checked by security. Apparently the city's stop-and-frisk policy was a concern for the smugglers. Commission Ray Kelly read from one wiretap where a gun distributor alluded to the controversial search: 'Yeah, I’m in Charlotte now, I can’t take them to my town…we got like whatchamacallit, stop-and-frisk.' The fares on these buses are about half that charged by Greyhound, which, unlike the Chinatown buses, requires identification for boarding. Taken: In total, the NYPD seized 254 weapons and have indicted 19 people in the illegal gun ring . No more business: The bust led the indictment of 19 people. Above, rapper Matthew best is pictured with the offenders from New York . Breaking the law: Earl Campbell pictured at the top of those involved in the ring in South Carolina . Smugglers: Walter Walker, top, with the North Carolina crew . Walker met two times last year with the middleman and the undercover officer at the rapper's Brooklyn recording studio to sell the undercover firearms, the indictment said. He also allegedly sold weapons to the undercover officer in April in Manhattan. In January, Campbell's girlfriend transported a disassembled gun in a zebra-striped suitcase. When they arrived in New York she proceeded to take the weapon parts out of the bag and assemble them in the back of a car watching a YouTube tutorial for guidance. When she couldn't figure out how to put the weapon together, the undercover cop bought the pieces anyway for $1,100. Conspicuous: Campbell's 22-year-old girlfriend packed an SKS semi-automatic weapon in a zebra-striped suitcase . Walker and Campbell were arrested earlier this month by local police in their home states, authorities said. The names of their defense attorneys were not immediately available. New York has some of the nation's strictest gun-control measures and a mayor who has crusaded for tougher laws in other states. 'There is no doubt that the seizure of these guns has saved lives,' Mayor Michael Bloomberg said at a news conference. Tough on guns: The bust was a big win for out-going Mayor Michael Bloomberg who said there was 'no doubt' the gun seizure saved lives . | The New York Police Department announced Monday that they had broken up an illegal gun-smuggling ring, confiscating 254 illegal weapons . Investigators were tipped off to the ring when an aspiring Brooklyn rapper posted photos and videos online flaunting guns and cash . An undercover officer made contact with smugglers based in the Carolinas who ferried illegal weapons into the city in luggage packed on cheap Chinatown buses . In one instance, a 22-year-old packed an SKS semi-automatic in a zebra-striped suitcase . Nineteen people have been indicted in New York, North and South Carolina . | 5048db1393c40a5af43c0e2bdef54b7c8b080d68 |
(CNN) -- Two World Wars have been fought, Empires lost, the atom split, the worldwide web invented and social media proliferated, but all the while a unique set of quintessential English sporting events have remained in their own self-regulated time warp, with only minor concessions to modernity. Glorious Goodwood and Royal Ascot, Henley Royal Regatta and Wimbledon, Cowes Week and Polo at the Guard's Club at Windsor are an integral part of the "English Season" where royal patronage and tradition are the key ingredients and woe betide any attempt to change them. "These events are set in aspic," leading social commentator Peter York told CNN. So that means a strict dress code, certainly if you want to be allowed into the Royal Enclosure at Royal Ascot or its equivalent at Glorious Goodwood, which starts on Tuesday. Top hat and tails at the former, Panama hats de rigeur at the latter. Jeans or shorts? Don't bother to try, you will be ever so politely turned away. Dress code . For ladies, hats should be worn and dresses and skirts "should be of a modest length defined as falling just above the knee or longer," according to the official Royal Ascot website. It's no different at Henley, but entry to the Stewards' Enclosure is restricted to members only and invites to the Royal Box at Wimbledon to watch Andy Murray strut his stuff are limited to the great and the good. With all those barriers to overcome just to be seen in the right place, it's even more surprising that in York's opinion the majority of the people at these iconic sporting events, could not care a jot about the sport itself. "That's the thing about the English social season, it's just a pretext to have a good time, a lot of people spending a lot of time not watching but eating and drinking and having a generally good time," he said. So while top jockeys wrestle with the cream of thoroughbred racehorses, Olympic and world rowing champions strain every sinew down the Straight Course at Henley and Roger Federer plays a sublime cross court winner at Wimbledon, the cry will come up "more Pimms please." According to official figures, 45,000 pints of Pimms -- a quintessential British summer drink -- were consumed at Royal Ascot alone, not to mention 51,000 bottles of champagne. Social events . York, renowned for his wry and sometimes acerbic observations of the upper classes, could be accused of exaggeration, but he is only repeating a famous observation of former monarch King Edward VII, who described horse racing at Goodwood as "a garden party with some racing tacked on!" Edward was renowned for his flamboyant lifestyle, but like his great grand daughter, Queen Elizabeth II, he had a genuine interest and love of racing and horses, so perhaps he did bother to watch, particularly as he owned some of the contenders. For others said York, "it's the chance to wear splendid clothes and do some social climbing." Having the right connections as well as sticking to the rules, the other key requirement is a stoicism and stiff upper lip in the face of the inclement and unpredictable English weather. So beware washouts at Wimbledon (unless you are at Centre Court where there is a roof), high heels stuck in the mud on the Polo field at the Guard's Club, boaters blown off in the wind at Henley, or choppy waters for the spectator flotilla at Cowes. For the dedicated "sports fans" who battle the elements, it's all worth it to rub shoulders with the right type of person and soak up the very Englishness of it all -- not to mention have a very good lunch. Glorious Goodwood . The sporting part of the "season" comes to an end with Glorious Goodwood and Cowes, but with Britain's rare heatwave proving an exception to the rule, attendances are booming. 120,000 people plus are expected at Goodwood this week and York believes the festival's success is deserved because of the work of Lord March, the heir apparent to the Duke of Richmond, who owns the race course and the vast estate. "It is especially interesting, it isn't just a race course, it belongs to a real live person with a real live family influence," added York. "There's just so much to do, it's a wonderful place and you will never be bored, it's loved by the discriminating." March, who took the reins from his father in 1994 has diversified to run the Goodwood Festival of Speed and a vintage car revival event, both incredibly popular. While not by strict definition part of the "English Season," as defined by Debrett's Peerage, the events have become an unofficial part of the social season and a must for those hoping to catch the eye for any number of reasons. Debutantes delight . By repute, the "English Season" was apparently designed to allow Members of Parliament and the House of Lords, the ruling class, the chance to amuse themselves while stuck in London rather than on their country estates. But its real purpose became to introduce their daughters, debutantes, into the social scene after being officially presented to the reigning monarch at a special ceremony at Buckingham Palace. Queen Elizabeth II ended the tradition, curtseys and all, in 1958, fearing it had become outdated in a period of rapid social change. But young women, still encouraged by their parents to meet an appropriate member of the opposite sex and preferably of the same class, continued to flock to Ascot and the others events in their droves. And a new breed of "debuntante" emerged, the "Sloane Ranger," young women who mainly frequented the exclusive south west area of London around Chelsea and South Kensington. They were epitomized by Lady Diana Spencer, who was to marry Prince Charles in 1981 and become an iconic global figure. York and his co-author Ann Barr captured the mood of the times perfectly in their 1982 best seller "The Official Sloane Ranger Guide" which sold over a million copies and acquired cult status. Sloane Rangers . By repute, "Sloane Rangers" loved equestrian events, so Badminton Horse Trials, the Epsom Derby, Royal Ascot and Glorious Goodwood, all part of the English Season, were very much in vogue. Ironically, despite sporting the traditional tweed and green welly look, Princess Diana did not enjoy country pursuits of her followers, but did attend Wimbledon to present the trophy at the 1995 men's singles championship, won by Pete Sampras. Her tragic death in 1997 left a nation in morning, but the "Sloane Ranger" style and their male equivalents, cruelly named "Hooray Henrys" persisted. York updated the earlier offering with "Cooler, Faster, More Expensive" in 2007, co-written with Olivia Stewart-Liberty, and current British Prime Minister David Cameron was in his sights. "He's the classic male Sloane Ranger," York said. Not surprising then to see Cameron frequenting the Royal Box at Wimbledon to cheer on Murray to victory this year, although to be fair his arch political rivals Scottish Nationalist leader Alex Salmond and Ed Miliband, the leader of the Labour Party opposition in the UK parliament, were also watching. Global super-rich . With the global super rich now buying up large chunks of London property, "Knightsbridge is a branch of Dubai or Bahrain, Mayfair is for the Russians," observed York, the clientele at some of England's sporting jewels in the crown has also changed. Overseas visitors are also a growing feature. "These events are steeped and tradition and history and cannot be replicated anywhere in the world," said Rebecca Holloway, head of PR at VisitEngland. "To experience one of these events, is to experience a true insight into English culture, pomp and ceremony and all," she added. As Holloway says, impossible to recreate, with heritage dating back to the 19th century, one suspects that even in 100 years time the essential elements that make up the England's sporting summer will remain largely untouched and perhaps the better for it. | Sporting events integral to English social "season" Glorious Goodwood, Royal Ascot, Wimbledon and Henley Regatta are main events . All quintessential English events with unique heritage and tradition . Royal patronage a key ingredient . | 19031bb8b57a8d95eff548495c46fb68a051c9f8 |
(CNN) -- "The people and the army are one hand," the chant of Egypt's January 25th revolution on the eve of President Hosni Mubarak's resignation, has yielded in the face of toxic gases, rubber bullets and live ammunition from the security forces, composed of army and police, to "the army and the police are one dirty hand." The trust and gratitude the Egyptian people once felt toward the military for their solidarity in ousting Mubarak has evaporated as the brutality of the army and police has caused scores of deaths and thousands of injuries. Not only tear gas and rubber bullets, but also toxic gases -- which cause seizures and reportedly led to several deaths by asphyxiation -- and live ammunition have been aimed at the protesters. Tweets from all over Egypt reveal the shock at this criminal behavior. One said, "I am out of words. Egyptian army is murdering Egyptian civilians. That's our worst living nightmare." The November revolution differs from the 18 days that led to Mubarak's downfall not only in the escalating violence, but also in the new coalitions that have emerged as well as the old alliances that have been exposed. The Muslim Brotherhood, the Islamic opposition group, has fractured: Members of its youth have aligned themselves with the protesters, while the leadership has supported the position of the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF) that the parliamentary elections, which began today, must go forward. Banking on a good showing in the elections, the Muslim Brotherhood leadership stayed away from Tahrir Square for the first week of this month's protests. Islamist youths discovered their leadership's duplicity on the first day of the demonstrations, November 18, which was called as a day of protest by Islamists. The plan to have a contained demonstration backfired and led to the current nationwide uprising. Nawara Negm, a female journalist, activist and member of the Muslim Brotherhood, said in an interview posted on YouTube that they were urged to leave Tahrir Square on the first night of the protests, when a few hundred youth activists moved in to reclaim the square. "The Muslim Brotherhood and Salafi leaders insisted we go home after the Friday protests .... I decided to stay with my brothers and sisters here in the sit-in in Tahrir Friday night until our voices are heard. Then the brutal, deadly attacks on us started. I cannot help but think now that those Islamists' leaders had some sort of a deal with SCAF, but thank God it did not work out." After days of equivocating on the violence, the U.S. first called on the military to halt its attacks on the protesters, and then, in a dramatic change of position, withdrew its support for the SCAF. The White House statement, issued early Friday morning, called for "full transfer of power to a civilian government" in a "just and inclusive manner." It was greeted with incredulity in Tahrir. As in the January revolution, the U.S. government has been perceived as supporting its allies -- the SCAF as much as Mubarak -- over the democratic aspirations of the people. That the tear gas canisters still bear the moniker "Made in the USA," as they did in January, does not help. In its support for proceeding with the parliamentary elections, the U.S. finds itself in an odd allegiance with the SCAF and the Muslim Brotherhood and out of touch with the sentiment on the street. Tahrir Square never has been about "free and fair elections first," although the people have that expectation. The revolution of people carrying signs asking for "dignity," "freedom," "equality" and "social justice" always encompassed much more than political processes. The people dying on Egypt's streets are fighting for the true conditions of a just society. Elections, which in Egypt always can be manipulated, cannot be trusted to deliver that goal. Far from promoting democracy, holding the parliamentary elections on time ignores the will of the people -- not to mention the sacrifices of those who have been killed or wounded -- and plays into the hands of the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces. Many factors taint the elections: . -- Holding the elections amounts to a forced approval of SCAF's brutal repressive practices, with the violence still ongoing throughout Egypt, out of the sight of the cameras in Tahrir Square. -- Exerting total control over the media, SCAF manipulates public opinion with unchecked lies about protesters (think of the three American college students who were detained) and bullies independent networks, such as ONTV, with defamation campaigns, often targeting individual reporters, such as Yousri Foda. -- After refusing for months to allow international monitors to observe the elections, SCAF relented at the last moment. But irregularities such as removing the ballot boxes to remote locations remain troubling. A full post-election evaluation will reveal the monitors' assessment of the transparency and honesty of the elections. -- Governance is in chaos. The country, in effect, has three governments, not to mention SCAF: the new prime minister, Kamal Ganzouri, appointed by SCAF and still forming a Cabinet; the interim prime minister, Essam Sharaf, supposedly still in position; and a Tahrir-formed Civil Council, led by the former diplomat and Nobel Prize winner Mohamed ElBaradei, former Muslim Brotherhood leader Aboul Fotouh and others. The November protests have shaken Egypt out of a period of post-revolution stagnation, with serious implications for the future. With the exception of those who have joined the protests, the military, from the generals at the top to the soldier on the street, has violated the trust of the people. Now they are seen in the same light as Mubarak. Many Muslim Brotherhood youths have broken off and have joined forces with the broad coalition of protesters. Al Azhar, Egypt's leading religious institution, has weighed in with the people against SCAF. And the "leaderless revolution" now has political backing. A coalition of many leaders from the principal parties, called by ElBaradei, has formally asked SCAF to leave. Also, representatives of the principal revolutionary movements have come together to support ElBaradei as prime minister over the SCAF's choice of Ganzouri. The Egyptian people, who at times since January have seemed apathetic about the future of the revolution, have shown their determination to reclaim it. The protesters all determined to stay in Tahrir, and on the streets and squares of Egypt, until SCAF steps down, hands power to a civil body, and submits to a public independent investigation into the violence and killings in January and February, the October Maspero protests (when the police attacked peaceful Christian Copts) and the strife in November. As noted by a slogan pasted to the walls at Omar Makram Mosque (now turned into a field hospital), "You can Crush the Flowers, but It Won't Delay the Spring." The opinions in this commentary are solely those of the authors. | Schneider, Naga: Amid violence against protesters, Egyptians have lost faith in military . Protesters demand ruling Supreme Council of the Armed Forces step aside, they say . The current parliamentary elections are tainted by the military council, they say . Egyptians are determined to reclaim their country, Schneider and Naga say . | db34141640920e85ae47fb29c71111c638a2e95e |
(CNN) -- The price of cassava, a root vegetable that is a staple ingredient in Liberian diets, shot up in August. In the Redlight Markets of Monrovia, the Ebola-stricken country's capital, Liberians were forced to pay 150% more for cassava, a basic for flour and bread. It's a small example, noted by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization, which represents massive economic pain hitting the countries of West Africa. The total cost is now estimated to hit $32 billion over the next two years if it spreads to its larger neighbors, according to a World Bank report issued Wednesday. Liberia has suffered most in the epidemic, which has killed more than 3,800 people and delivered an economic shock to some of Africa's most vulnerable economies. Ebola cases in Liberia and Sierra Leone could rise to between 550,000 and 1.4 million by January if there are no additional interventions, a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report warned. Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea -- the three countries facing the biggest health crisis -- are also facing huge bills to try and contain the virus. | The biggest Ebola outbreak in history is taking its toll in Western Africa . Sierra Leone, Liberia and Guinea are among the most vulnerable economies in Africa . The epidemic could cost the continent's economies $32 billion over the next two years . | 5ac2de8b991eb9eaa46496fa4991295b9395c831 |
(CNN) -- The Taj Mahal Hotel in Mumbai, India, had been warned about the possibility of a terrorist attack before a 60-hour rampage began Wednesday, leaving at least 183 people dead, the chairman of the company that owns the hotel said Saturday. Tata Group Chairman Ratan Tata, whose company owns the Taj Hotel, discusses this week's attacks in Mumbai. The hotel heightened security as a result, the chairman of the Tata Group and Taj Hotels, Ratan Tata, said in an interview with CNN's Fareed Zakaria. There were indications, though, that the hotel relaxed the security before the attack. "It's ironic that we did have such a warning and we did have some measures," Tata said. "People couldn't park their cars in the portico where you had to go through a metal detector," he said, explaining one of the measures. "But if I look at what we had -- which all of us complained about -- it could not have stopped what took place. They didn't come through that entrance," he said, referring to the entrance that had a metal detector. He did not identify which entrance had the security device. "They came from somewhere in the back. They planned everything," he said of the attackers. "I believe the first thing they did, they shot a sniffer dog and his handler. They went through the kitchen, they knew what they were doing." He did not elaborate on the hotel's warning or when the security measures were enacted. Watch Tata discuss need for better preparedness » . A. Vaidyanathan, an economist who was a guest in the hotel when the attacks occurred, told The Hindu newspaper on Friday that he had noticed tight security at the Taj Mahal when he stayed there last month -- a measure he indicated was unusual. "The last time I went, last month, there was very tight security. You could not get into the [hotel]. There is an entrance there, which is closed. At the entrance to the tower, they had two-level security," he told the newspaper. "First, when you enter the open parking, where the cars are parked, you had a very heavy metal frame, your baggage was searched. ... At the entrance of the foyer, there was another metal detector and you were personally searched and so on." However, for this latest trip, the hotel did not have the strict security. "This time I noticed it had gone. We could go straight to the [hotel]." The 105-year-old hotel was the site of the attackers' final stand. Authorities carried out a room-by-room sweep in the 565-room Victorian building late Saturday to make sure all guests had been evacuated and no gunmen remained hidden. The hotel's guests and staff had endured about 60 hours of explosions, gunfire and fires during the standoff. Another luxury hotel in Mumbai a few blocks away, the Hotel Oberoi, had also been among the nine sites attacked. Bullet holes and scars of grenade blasts marred the restaurant walls in the Taj Mahal Hotel, Tata said. An Indian commando spoke earlier this week about the hotel, saying bodies and blood had been all over. See images from the battlegrounds » . "I kept hearing the grenades or explosives going on inside; the sound of gunfire, the fact that there were several hundred people in the hotel, either at dinner or living there, and I just felt tremendously helpless," Tata said. Like several Indian officials, Tata said the attackers were well-equipped and well-versed in his hotel's layout. "There seems to be no doubt that they knew their way around the hotel," he said. "They seemed to know it in the night, or in the daytime. They seemed to have planned their moves quite well, and there seem to have been a lot of pre-planning in terms of what they did and how they managed to carry on for three days and sustain themselves during that time." Asked whether it was possible if some of the attackers had an inside connection, he replied, "I wouldn't know. I think this would be something that the investigation will show up." Tata praised his staff and called them heroes. iReport.com: Share tributes to those lost . "The general manager lost his whole family in one of the fires in the building," Tata said. "I went up to him today and he said, 'Sir, we are going to beat this. We are going to build this Taj back into what it was. ... We will not let this event take us down.' " Tata added, "And that is the feeling that they have, and I have a feeling that that's pretty much echoed throughout the country." | Taj had heightened security in response to warning, Tata group chairman says . Increased measures wouldn't have stopped gunmen, Ratan Tata says . Tata surprised at level of planning, familiarity with hotel shown by attackers . "We're indignant, but we're not scared," Tata says of nation's resolve . | b89955e5c515026f79f1182b6af2f60d16454950 |
By . Paul Thompson . PUBLISHED: . 12:20 EST, 8 September 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 03:35 EST, 9 September 2013 . A leading child therapist who has appeared on the Dr. Phil show has been arrested on a child cruelty charge. Karen Corcoran Walsh is alleged to have left her 11-year-old step daughter home alone after storming out of her Florida home following an argument with her husband. When contacted on the phone she is alleged to have refused to return to the house to take care of the child telling a security guard to call the girl's father. Karen Corcoran Walsh is alleged to have left her 11-year-old step daughter home alone after storming out of her Florida home following an argument with her husband . Walsh, who runs the Inspiration for Youth and Families Center which helps teens addicted to drugs, was arrested on child abuse charges. The 51-year-old later told local media she was the victim of wrongful arrest and her lawyer said he hoped the charge would be dropped. According to a police report the incident began after Walsh and her husband Christopher had an argument at their home. During the row Walsh broke her husband's cell phone and told him to leave the house. After he left, Walsh also walked out leaving her step daughter alone in the gated community. Karen Corcoran Walsh and husband Christopher on Dr. Phil in 2010: She has been arrested on a child cruelty charge that began with an argument between her and her husband at their home . Dr. Phil McGraw: Karen Corcoran Walsh and her husband Christopher appeared on his show in 2010 . The arrest report said the girl was 'scared, when she walked out of the bedroom to find herself home alone. 'She had no cell phone, no house phone, no house key or no note left saying where her mother had left to. (The girl) explained she left the home unlocked and proceeded to walk down the road to the guard gate barefoot. The road was very dark and unsafe for a child to walk at night alone.' The guard called Boca Raton Police who located Karen Walsh and placed her under arrest - charging her with 'Neglect of a Child.' Walsh later posted $3,000 bond. In an interview with the Sun Sentinel newspaper she denied any wrongdoing. 'There was no wrongdoing on my part, and I would really like my name to be cleared,' Karen Walsh said. 'I did the best that I could in this . situation and that's it. Unfortunately, I feel that the investigation . was not thorough and had they given it its due time, they would have . found that there was no wrongdoing on my part.' Walsh, a former teacher, is known for her work with troubled children. Her fame led her to being invited on to the Dr. Phil where she talked about her work with teens and addiction treatment. With her husband she also owns an adult therapy treatment center in Fort Lauderdale. Karen Corcoran Walsh runs the Inspiration for Youth and Families Center which helps teens addicted to drugs . Walsh's attorney, Leah Mayersohn, said she's working with the police to resolve the issue and have the charges dropped. 'Why they arrested Karen is absolutely beyond me,' Mayersohn said. 'She certainly extricated herself from a situation that could potentially have been escalating, which was the right thing to do under those circumstances.' She said the child was left alone in a safe, gated community for 20 minutes or less, and that Karen and Christopher Walsh each thought she was with the other. Mayersohn said Walsh's arrest could affect her future ability to work with troubled children. 'She provides very valuable services to children and to adults in Florida who have suffered these issues,' she said, 'and this is a really terrible accusation.' | Karen Corcoran Walsh is alleged to have . left her 11-year-old step daughter home alone following an argument with her husband . She runs a center which helps teens addicted to drugs and has appeared on Dr. Phil's TV show as an expert in her field . | fc51e6b4780f82a4135d61397108195616e53acb |
By . Lucy Crossley . PUBLISHED: . 13:44 EST, 16 November 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 13:56 EST, 16 November 2013 . Two fathers had to be physically separated when they became embroiled in an angry row over parking outside their children's primary school. The heated exchange, which was caught on camera, came just days after another father was punched in the face outside the school in an argument over dangerous parking. Police have now been called in to patrol the streets around St Margaret's Primary in Whalley Range, Manchester, in the mornings and afternoons as the headmistress called for an end to 'violent behaviour', and expressed her fears that one of her pupils could be killed. SCROLL DOWN FOR VIDEO . Force: Two fathers had to be physically separated when they became embroiled in an angry row over parking outside their children's primary school in Manchester . Filmed: The heated exchange, which was caught on camera, came just days after another father was punched in the face outside the school in an argument over dangerous parking . Argument: One of the fathers can be seen climbing out of his vehicle to challenge another, who had stopped on the wrong side of the road and was refusing to move . The shocking video was taken outside the Church of England school at rush-hour and shows the two men squaring up to each other after one blocked a T-junction on double yellow lines. One of the fathers can be seen climbing out of his vehicle to challenge another, who had stopped on the wrong side of the road and was refusing to move. Another parent had to separate the two men, who hurled abuse at ane another, before one banged on the other's car. Shocking: The video was taken outside the Church of England school at rush-hour and shows the two men squaring up to each other after one blocked a T-junction on double yellow lines . Intervention: Another parent had to separate the two men, who hurled abuse at ane another, before one banged on the other's car . Danger: The incident came just a week after an eight-year-old boy was struck by a car driven by a parent, while on his way into school . The incidents come just a week after an eight-year-old boy was struck by a car driven by a parent, while on his way into school. He spent three days in hospital with abdominal injuries. In a letter to parents sent out earlier . this week, headteacher Alison White said she was 'at a loss for words . that parents or carers are still behaving in a manner that is putting . children's lives at risk'. Warning: Headteacher Alison White called for calm in a letter to parents at the school, and warned that a child could be killed if the violence did not stop . The letter continues: 'It further saddens me . that members of my staff and myself are being put in situations where . parents/carers cannot control their tempers and are resulting [sic] to . violent behaviour or verbal abuse towards one another. 'If we do not . change our behaviours a child is going to be killed. It could be your . child.' In the earlier incident a father, aged in his 30s, was assaulted on Tuesday after challenging another parent over dangerous parking. He had been crossing the road outside the school with his son when he spotted another parent parked illegally on zigzag yellow lines at the entrance. After getting into an argument the driver, also a parent, got out of the car and punched the pedestrian in the face. Ms White said: 'The parking outside of school has been and continues . to be a serious problem and the school has taken steps to alleviate the . problem and is working with councillors and the police. 'We are . extremely pleased that the school is going to be part of the new . Smartcar patrol which will identify those parents who are not changing . their behaviour. 'Ultimately I feel it's the responsibility of the whole . school community to ensure all our children are safe and this will only . happen when all adults take responsibility for their actions.' Fellow parents have also expressed their concerns about the arguments. Mother-of-one Lindsey Gibbons, 26, whose daughter attends the nursery at St Margaret's, said: 'Parents arguing with each other is a daily occurrence. 'PTA members who try to help get abuse too.' Worry: Ms White has urged parents to change their behaviour in order to keep children at the school safe . Warning: Parents have been told to change their behaviour, with police regularly patrolling the streets around the school in case of any trouble . | Men had to be physically separated by another parent in heated argument . Shocking exchange was caught on camera outside school in Manchester . Argument came just days after another parent was punched in parking row . Headteacher calls for calm amid fears a child could be killed . | 23251ee286104f8853e43aee52bf34f0bbdb26d4 |
Kim Richards' pitbull terrier Kingsley savaged her niece Alexia so badly that the teen was left needing surgery. The attack on the 18-year-old saw the dog bite her multiple times, with the most severe wound ripping through the flesh on her hand to reach the bone in her thumb. She is understood to have required two different surgeries. The dog, which has a history of biting, currently remains at Real Housewives Of Beverly Hills star Kim's home. Scroll down for video . Devoted mother: Kyle Richards sleeps over at Cedars Sinai hospital on Monday as her daughter Alexa is treated after being attacked by her aunt Kim's dog Kingsley in LA . According to website TMZ Kingsley went for Alexia during a family gathering, early on Saturday morning at Kim's house. A group including Alexia's mother Kyle were at the home on Halloween, and had been near the dog without incident when it 'went into attack mode out of nowhere'. But according to an update by TMZ Kim now claims to have warned her niece not to go into the room her dog was being kept in and that she warns every house guest that Kingsley 'should not be bothered'. Family pet: Kim Richards with the dog that attacked her niece; it is not the first time Kingsley has bitten . 'The second I realized Alexia had been bitten on the finger leaving a puncture mark on her thumb,' Kim said, 'I immediately called my sister Kyle and took her to the nearest emergency room.' The wound however was reportedly more than just a puncture, but a gash to the bone requiring two surgeries. Kim went on to discuss the fate of the dog: 'At this point I am looking at options to what the next step is for Kingsley. As many of you can relate, he is my best friend. This is a very difficult decision and time for all of us, but the safety of my family always comes first.' The animal has previously featured in the plotline of RHOBH where it was seen being very aggressive towards other dogs. Aggressive: The animal previously bit a trainer hired to domesticate it . Incident: A group had been at the home for a family celebration, when the dog 'went into attack mode' After Kim sought help controlling the dog, it bit the trainer she hired, one of four known biting incidents. Back in March the dog savaged a friend of Kim's while she was sat on her bed chatting to the star. The bite went through to the woman's bone in her arm and paramedics were called. A further incident occurred when an unknown victim was bitten this summer. Following that attack LA's department of Animal Control Services did visit the home to assess the dog, but the animal was left in Kim's care. However as the latest attack was not reported to authorities, Kingsley remains at mother-of-four Kim's home. Attack: Kinglsey was seen biting his trainer in an old episode of the RHOBH . Unless a victim or member of their family contacts the ACS then no action will be taken. If a report is made an assessment will take place to decide if the animal is under control in Kim's care. ACS visited the star's home over the summer after it attacked another visitor, but at the time Kim was only given a warning. David Utter, who originally trained the pitbull, has also given a statement regarding the dog to TMZ. He claims the dog should be muzzled at all time and now that the dog has attacked four people direct and immediate action should be taken. Utter says the Kingsley should be immediately taken away from Kim. Kim's sister Kyle, mother to Alexia, has previously commented that she felt 'nervous' about Kingsley's behaviour. On an reunion episode of RHOBH earlier this year, Andy Cohen was seen reading a comment from a fan that stated: 'Kim I worry that I'm going to pick up that paper one day and read about your dog having eaten you.' Kyle admitted: 'I do worry a little bit to be honest. You hear these stories and I think oh my gosh. 'When she [Kim] doesn't answer her phone or a text I tell her " I get worried that the dog maybe did something".' Taking to her Instagram account, Kyle shared with 616,529 followers: 'Regarding Alexia: She was attacked by a dog and has to have surgery . Her philosophy: Kyle posted this inspirational message about her experience . And she said the attack on the trainer was a warning sign for her. 'I got nervous, just because of the stories I've heard. Nothing from what I seen, he's always sweet.' Kyle slept over at Cedars Sinai hospital in LA on Monday night, while Alexia underwent the first of two surgeries. Taking to her Instagram account, Kyle shared with 616,529 followers: 'Regarding Alexia: She was attacked by a dog and has to have surgery. 'As always, she is trying to make the best out of a bad situation .Thank you for your thoughts & well wishes'. The mother-of-four had earlier posted pictures of her daughter on a hospital bed with her family and friends around her. 'Slumber party at Cedars Sinai Hospital with @alexiaumansky @farrahbritt @sophiakylieee,' she wrote posing with her daughters. Flashback: Kyle, pictured, and Kim are on better terms these days, but the dog attack is bound to place a strain on their fiery relationship, seen here in the RHOBH finale episode in 2010, rowing with her sister . Pointing the finger: The squabbling sisters had an infamous showdown in the back of a limousine where Kyle accused her sister of being an alcoholic . While Kim and Kyle have been on better terms in recent years, the dog attack is bound to place a strain on their fiery relationship, which has been an ongoing storyline on The Real Housewives Of Beverly Hills over the years. The finale of the first season in 2010 saw tensions coming to a head between the pair, with Kim's erratic behaviour and constant slurring of words leading her sister to surmise she had a substance abuse problem. The squabbling sisters had a dramatic showdown in the back of a limousine, with Kyle branding her sister an alcohol and threatening to withdraw financial aid she and husband Mauricio Umansky gave to her. Kim briefly entered rehab in December 2011, and later admitted that she was an alcoholic in an interview with Housewives mastermind Andy Cohen. Speaking about her sister's admission at the time, Kyle told Good Morning America: 'I'm proud to hear her say that. I'm proud of her. I know that's the biggest step in recovery, to admit that.' She went on: 'There were things going on that the audience wasn’t aware of. I had had a lot of pain and built up anger and frustration towards [Kim], and obviously she did towards me too. It was a vicious cycle. 'It was very difficult to have people dissect and analyse your relationship thinking they know you from a TV show when it’s been a long time in the making.' Kim, a former child Disney star, now says she is sober, which has been documented over the last couple of seasons of the reality show. | Alexia, 18, was bitten several times and required two surgeries . Kim now claims she warned Alexia to stay away from the pitbull and is unsure what to do with the dog . The animal, Kingsley, has attacked at least three times before, savaging a friend of Kim's in March and even biting its trainer on TV . Kyle had previously said she was 'nervous' the dog would attack her sister . Dog remains at Kim's Beverly Hills home and Animal Control Services will not intervene unless a victim or family member files a complaint . The dog's trainer David Utter says Kim should no longer be allowed to keep the pitbull after these attacks . | 77235e0df9c78f2189470fc27f9f0d45856dc85c |
A four-year-old was hit and killed by a train at a level crossing because her grandmother could not see the dim warning lights. A year-long investigation was launched after Emma Lifsey's death at the junction near Finningley in South Yorkshire on December 4. Today, a report presented to the government ruled the road traffic signals - known as wig-wags - were well below the specified brightness. Emma Lifsey was four when her grandmother drove over a level crossing into the way of a 60mph train . The girl's 67-year-old grandmother told a panel she did not notice the lights and barriers at the automatic crossing until she was driving past them in her silver Volvo. The pair, from Haxey, North Yorkshire, were crushed by an East Midlands train going at 60mph. Local residents rescued them from the wreckage. Although Emma was taken to a specialist unit Sheffield Children's Hospital by air ambulance, she died from her injuries that night. Her grandmother survived with severe neck injuries, treated at Doncaster Royal Infirmary. No one on the train was hurt. Local residents rescued the girl and her grandmother from the wreckage in Finningley, South Yorkshire . Today's report from the Rail Accident Investigation Branch (RAIB) blasted Network Rail for failing to notice the discrepancy. It states the weather was sunny at the time of the lunch-time collision but there had been rain showers earlier and the road surface was wet, leading to glare from the low winter sun. The report went on: 'The RAIB took the wig-wag units and arranged for testing in an optical laboratory. 'It was found that they were fitted with 36W lamps and an obsolete design of red lens unit. 'Their light output was measured to be well below the specification for lights of this type. 'Network Rail had no plans in place to replace the light units with brighter ones and had no process to identify that such replacement was necessary.' The RAIB said infrastructure managers should make it a priority to determine which level crossings are fitted with weak 36W lamps and draw up plans to replace them with a new 'brighter' type of LED wig-wag. Change: The government will now consider bringing in new laws for the method of blocking level crossings . A method should also be devised to assess the risk of a bright background and glare obscuring wig-wag signals, the report added. The report came on the same day as the publication of a joint study by the Law Commission of England and Wales and the Scottish Law Commission. It makes recommendations to for law changes that will clarify rights of way across railways. The report also suggests devising a new way of closing level crossings and improving the general safety regime. Speaking after the incident, Emma’s parents, Mark and Zoe Lifsey, aged 40 and 38, said: 'Emma meant the world to us. She was our . much-loved daughter and a baby sister to her 11-year-old brother Jack. 'We . are still trying to come to terms with the terrible incident on Tuesday . afternoon and there are no words that can properly express how utterly . distraught we are. 'We would like to thank everyone for the many messages of sympathy and support we have received. 'As . you can appreciate, this tragic incident has left us shocked and . devastated.' | The Rail Accident Investigation Report presented to the government ruled the lights were too dim and obscured by the glare of the sun . Emma Lifsey was in her grandmother's Volvo when they were hit by a 60mph East Midlands train in South Yorkshire on December 4 last year . The toddler died of her injuries in Sheffield Children's Hospital that night . Her grandmother, 67, suffered severe neck injuries . No one on the train was hurt . | 384d68c955523b3f2b4c8a153b1b801c4e2e6001 |
By . Wills Robinson . PUBLISHED: . 05:15 EST, 19 April 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 08:50 EST, 19 April 2013 . His back flips and hair-raising stunts made him an internet sensation. Cyclist clooked almost invincible as he launched his mountain bike across Edinburgh rooftops and jumped off cliffs in the Highlands. But his latest video shows that the daredevil antics have exacted a heavy toll on his body. Scroll down for video . Stunt rider: Danny MacAskill, 27, has suffered a series of injuries over the last two years after finding internet fame . The 27-year-old daredevil from Dunvegan, Skye, admits his injuries have left him struggling to walk and unable to ride his beloved bike for nearly two years. He said: ‘I’m not really too sure exactly how I first sustained the back injury. It sort of reared its head in different ways, and in the most recent way it’s been affecting my knee, which has been a bit of a problem. ‘And when I start losing power in my leg, I’m not in control of the bike. ‘This last injury has been weighing me down. I’m missing my bike a lot. I’m a little bit frustrated at the moment.’ Mr MacAskill has suffered a number of setbacks since he rose to internet fame four years ago. In 2009, he broke his collarbone three times in six months, once after tripping on a kerb in Edinburgh. Stunt: Danny MacAskill performs a stunt on his bike near Edinburgh Castle in 2010 . Outrageous trick: Danny MacAskill shows his bike skills on the shores of Lochan Eilein in preparation for the Outside Festival in 2007 . Tree-mendous: Danny shows his bike tree climbing skills off on his bike in this remarkable photo . Now the first episode of new video series, Imaginate, shows him trying to cope with a serious back injury that has blighted his career. The Red Bull-sponsored cyclist travelled to Newport, California, to start planning for the film. He visited a specialist clinic which deals with other stuntmen who have had roles in films such as Superman and Rambo. Doctors warned him his ability on the bike would be limited for the rest of his life if he did not have surgery. He hoped the operation would allow him to do stunts and tricks he had previously ‘dreamed of’. His skills saw Mr MacAskill shoot to fame when he was filmed performing bike tricks during his lunch break. Vertical: Danny climbs a tree near Lochan Eilein as he shows off his skills. he has been dogged by injuries for the last two years . Life on the Edge: The 27-year-old daredevil from Dunvegan, Skye, admits his injuries have left him struggling to walk and unable to ride his beloved bike for nearly two years . More than 29million people have watched his leap from the roof of an Edinburgh bike shop across an alleyway to the neighbouring Copy Stop. The clip prompted invitations to appear on talk shows and to perform at the Scottish Cup final – but MacAskill turned them down because he did not want to become famous. However, he has appeared in adverts for Volkswagen, in a music video for the band Doves and on an advert for a job agency. He was also invited to appear in the film, Premium Rush, starring Inception star Jordan Gordon Levitt. US director David Koepp, who has worked on blockbusters including Spider-Man, Angels & Demons and Indiana Jones, asked Mr MacAskill to perform all the stunts in the movie after he saw his internet feats. Last year, he returned home to perform a one-man act at Skye’s Agricultural Show in Portree. He was there to prove that where he was born was no limit on his path to stardom. In recognition of his achievements Mr MacAskill, also known as ‘Danny MegaSkill’, was last year shortlisted for National Geographic magazine’s People’s Choice Adventurer of the Year award. | Stunt man Danny MacAskill was left struggling to walk after injuries . He broke his collar bone three times in six months after finding fame . He has visited a specialist clinic as he tries to cope with injuries . | 541582d9ffc133a1ba4be26e6b2301a695a44d3c |
By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 12:24 EST, 18 September 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 13:15 EST, 18 September 2012 . Accused: Sheron Mancini was discovered with bars of gold in her bra, a jury was told . A woman told police she stashed two gold bars in her bra because she panicked when detectives hunting a £1million bullion heist gang arrested her, a court was told. Sheron Mancini, 53, claimed she only found the two iphone size bars each weighing up to 1kg in her coat pocket after she and her boyfriend David Gale, 55, were stopped by Belgian police and arrested. The court heard she told detectives that she had no knowledge of the bars despite being briefly frisked on her arrest earlier by motorcycle officers . She claimed it was only after being quizzed about a £1million bullion robbery and led to the cells that she discovered the bars in her coat. The jury heard how she then panicked and hid them in her underwear but when stripped searched by an officer tried to conceal them in her folded up bra placed in an examination box. It was only when the officer picked up the bra to examine it that the bars fell out, it was claimed. The Old Bailey previously heard that her partner Gale admitted being part of a gang who planned the heist of gold and silver bullion worth £1million from the back of a lorry in Belgium driven by gang member Brian Mulcahay. TV’s The Only Way Is Essex stars Sam and Billie Faiers stepdad David Chatwood, 58, Mulcahay, 46, Matthew Middleton, 42, Gary Cummings, 51, and Stanley Rose, 75, have also pleaded guilty to conspiracy to steal. Co-defendants: John Corley, left, who is accused of being been instrumental in the heist In the dock and Nicolas Kyriacos, right, both deny conspiracy to conceal, disguise, convert or transfer criminal property . Trial: The Old Bailey heard how the trio were part of a plot to steal bullion worth £1million from a lorry and smuggle it into the UK . Mancini is accused of trying to smuggle . the gold into the UK after the robbery which had been staged by the gang . on October 4 of last year. A week after the robbery of the British registered lorry on a Belgian motorway, Mancini and Gale were pulled over by traffic police as they headed for a Channel port. Facing jail: David Chatwood (above) has admitted his part in a plot to steal £1.1million in gold and silver bullion in Belgium . The Old Bailey jury had earlier heard . the plot was 'doomed to failure' because some of the gang were being . watched by British police and they were all soon rounded up. The jury heard in interview with Belgian police, Mancini said: 'As I put my coat on, I felt there were two unidentified objects in my coat pocket. 'I immediately realised it was not right and immediately put these objects in my bra. 'I did not even look to see what they were.' But she said she realised the gravity of the contents when she was searched, adding: 'It was then that I knew these items were in fact gold bars. 'I had to take off my bra and put it in a box. 'I had folded the bra in such a way that the items were not visible. 'As a female police officer picked up the bra, the gold bars fell out.' But the Belgian police dismissed her story as 'implausible' with an inspector saying they thought the bars had been sitting in her bra from the beginning. Mancini maintains she was telling the truth. She is standing trial along with John Corley, 53, and father and son Andreas and Kayracos Nicolas, 50 and 30. The trial continues. Celebrity connection: Chatwood is the stepfather of TOWIE stars Sam and Billie Faiers (pictured) Sorry we are unable to accept comments for legal reasons. | Sharon Mancini and boyfriend David Gale were arrested by Belgian police . Two gold bars were later found in Mancini's bra during a police strip search . Gale has admitted being part of a gang who planned the heist of gold and silver bullion worth £1million from the back of a lorry in Belgium . Mancini denies trying to smuggle the gold into the UK . TV’s The Only Way Is Essex stars Sam and Billie Faiers' step-dad David Chatwood has pleaded guilty to conspiracy to steal . | aca3480e95ddb8af69c8b6515ccde08fbfe7f812 |
By . Joel Christie for MailOnline . The Consumer Product Safety Commission will likely ban the small but dangerous high-powered magnets known as 'Buckyballs' from the market after one child died another 7,700 were taken to the emergency after swallowing them. The startling figures were released this week as part of a proposed final rule to rid the rare-earth magnets from the shelves completely. Anything considered to be of choking hazard size would be removed as part of the recommendation, which will be decided by vote later this month, according to USA Today. The proposal follows the death of 19-month-old Annaka Chaffin, who swallowed seven of the balls from a necklace her brothers brought home from school last August. Tragic: Annaka Chaffin was only 19-months-old when we swallowed seven 'Buckyballs' from a necklace and died. Some 7,700 other children have been rushed to hospital for doing the same thing, a report moving to ban the magnets has revealed. Dangerous: Buckyballs come in a set of 216 rare-earth magnets that are extremely strong and can be manipulated into sculptures and chain jewelry . Annaka was found unresponsive and bleeding from the mouth and nose. According to the final rule, an autopsy showed the magnets had become attached to one another in her small intestine, which perforated her bowel and caused it to become septic. 'This case illustrates how difficult it is to diagnose the injuries associated with ingested magnets: the symptoms seemed to indicate a common stomach ailment or poisoning,' the CPC staff report said, according to USA Today. The Consumer Product Safety Commission will allow magnets that do not fit through a certain cylinder to remain on the market. In July a type of the magnets, made by the popular brand Buckyballs, were recalled. Buckyballs founder, Craig Zucker, dissolved the Buckyballs company in December 2012. However he now has a new company, United We Ball, which is believed to have the only magnetic product that would be allowed under the proposed new rule. In December, a Florida teen was rushed to hospital after accidentally swallowing two of the magnets. Christin Rivas, 14, was given six of the magnets by a church friend just before Thanksgiving, and took them to her school in Melbourne to 'freak out' her friends with tricks such as pulling a pen up a wall from a neighboring classroom. However while going to the bathroom she put them in her mouth, and when someone in the next stall made her laugh, she accidentally swallowed them. Life-saving surgery: Doctors removed rare-earth . magnets from 14-year-old Christin Rivas' small intestine after she accidentally . swallowed two Buckyballs in December . Not a toy: Magnet-related emergency room visits have increased five times since 2002, and been linked with one death . Buckyballs come in a set of 216 magnets that can be manipulated into sculptures and chain jewelry. After three days in hospital, the balls had become stuck in Rivas' small intestine, risking perforation and infection of the tissue. The balls she swallowed were made of neodymium - a material that begins to chip and erode in stomach acid. After five days in hospital, Christin was finally released. Rare-earth magnets pose 'unique health hazards to children,' according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Since 2003, one death and 19 injuries - often requiring gastrointestinal surgery - have been reported. Between 2002 and 2011, magnet-related emergency room visits among people under 21 increased five fold - a total of 22,500 cases. Irresistible: The tiny magnets have proven tempting for children and kids swallowing them or putting them up their noses has resulted in a huge increase in magnet-related injuries . | Annaka Chaffin died last August after swallowing seven small magnet balls from a necklace her brothers gave her . The magnets joined in her small intestine and perforated her bowel, causing an infection . Some 7,700 other children have been admitted to hospital for swallowing the balls, made popular by the 'Buckyballs' brand . The Consumer Product Safety Commission are likely to ban any magnets too small to fit in a certain cylinder . Final vote on the issue to be made later this month . | 8fca9543abbf4a02b56066ed68fa93e03fcdffa2 |
By . Caroline Graham and Sharon Churcher . PUBLISHED: . 16:09 EST, 28 April 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 08:35 EST, 29 April 2012 . With her long serge habit, make-up-free face and closely cropped hair hidden by a traditional wimple, she appears indistinguishable from her fellow Benedictine nuns. Sister John Mary is devoted to a never-ending ritual of worship and work at her convent with the 36 sisters who follow the Rule of St Benedict on an isolated 400-acre farm. It’s a life she was called to but it is hardly one the 44-year-old glamorous blonde seemed destined for when she worked in London at Conservative Party HQ - with her ambitious young boyfriend David Cameron. The ex who found God: Sister John Mary features in new documentary God is the Bigger Elvis . Sister John Mary’s real name is Laura . Adshead. She is a former pupil of £24,000-a-year Cheltenham Ladies’ College, from where she went up to Oxford - meeting Mr Cameron when they . were young undergraduates. Laura . dated him from the spring of 1990 until summer 1991, and while he . worked at Conservative Central Office, she went on to become the then . Prime Minister John Major’s correspondence secretary. Then . their lives took different turns. Mr Cameron was selected for political . stardom, while Laura left politics to study at the Wharton business . school in Philadelphia. She . became an executive in Manhattan for Ogilvy & Mather, the . advertising agency that inspired the television drama Mad Men - but the . stresses of success, and, perhaps, of personal rejection, finally proved . too much for her. She descended into a world of drinking . and addiction before finally finding salvation in God at the abbey in . the Connecticut hills, three hours north of New York City. New life: Laura at the abbey, in smart dress and pearls, before becoming Sister John Mary . ‘I . did think my life would progress on the normal tracks of meeting . someone, marrying, having children, but that’s not the path that God has . led me,’ Sister John Mary says in a new documentary revealing her . story. Photographs are shown of her when she was a young woman, posing in a leopard-skin top, dragging on a cigarette and savouring a glass of wine. But she admits that her lifestyle then brought her little except loneliness. She says: ‘I feel like I tried most things in life that are supposed to make you happy. That journey took me down into alcoholism and drug addiction.’ It has been suggested that her downward spiral may have started soon after her break-up from the future Prime Minister. In a 2007 biography of Cameron, a former colleague of the pair at Conservative headquarters recalled Laura being granted a ‘period of compassionate leave’ to recover from the heartbreak. Past life: Laura before she found God . The authors say Mr Cameron was also . shaken by the split and its aftermath, and add: ‘Perhaps as a result of . the fall-out from his affair with Adshead, Cameron thereafter dated . women outside politics.’ Laura later went out with the historian Andrew Roberts, one of Mr Cameron’s friends. When . she moved to New York to work as a strategic planning director at . Ogilvy & Mather, she found herself part of a social whirl that . included aristocratic Europeans and American trust fund heirs. Newspaper . diaries chronicled her presence at society events - at one polo match . she mingled with Prince Albert of Monaco, Estee Lauder’s granddaughter, . Aerin, and a billionaire polo-playing friend of Prince Charles, Peter . Brant, who is married to model Stephanie Seymour. She spent freely, renting a £15,000-a-month summer home with pool and tennis court in the exclusive enclave of The Hamptons on Long Island, regarded as the summer seaside playground of America’s wealthy elite. But by 2008 she had apparently become overwhelmed by problems with substance abuse, and declared that she had decided to become a nun. She recalls: ‘I remember having to tell my mother, “I’m going to join the abbey,’’ and she said, “Yes, I can see this world has no real meaning for you any more.’’ I looked at this place and saw women who had what I wanted. ‘You make a decision here to surrender your life to God.’ Laura seems to have embraced the lifestyle wholeheartedly. The film shows the formal ceremony that she went through in order to join the order of nuns. She is seen dressed in a smart fuchsia . dress and knotted pearls - then happily allowing the sisters to untwist . her long blonde hair from a bun and cut it back. A wimple is then placed around her head before she is introduced to the congregation by her new name. ‘This is the only place I could see myself being - because this is where it’s at,’ she says. She is seen at prayer, weeping with . emotion. ‘She really is committed to the abbey,’ said a source who met . her at a service to which the public were admitted. ‘Her mother and . sister were at the service. The nuns chanted in Latin. It was very . beautiful.’ Last week, . answering a telephone call from The Mail on Sunday, the convent’s . porter, Mother Deborah Joseph, described how, as a novice, Laura must go . through an apprenticeship known as ‘formation’. Laura took her vows four years ago, but formation lasts for as long as five-and-a-half years. Only at the end of this apprenticeship will she be eligible to take holy orders and assume the title of ‘Mother’. Ex: David Cameron in 1987, during his time at Oxford . Asked whether Sister John Mary could speak, Mother Joseph said she was too busy to come to the phone, explaining: ‘She’s out of the house and on the land. She’ll be busy until Vespers.’ To outsiders, the regime at the Abbey of Regina Laudis may seem harsh. The first bell of the day rings at 2am to announce Matins. Then it clangs at first light, again at 8am for Mass and then at regular intervals until Vespers, at 5pm. Chores for interns such as Laura include mopping the chapel floors, tending a herd of dairy cattle and scrubbing the pails that senior nuns use to churn butter. Laura is embracing the lifestyle, despite the apparent hardships. ‘A monastic life, this is where the struggle is,’ Laura says in the film. ‘There’s no way out. You don’t get to leave and go to a movie. ‘You don’t get distraction from all the human emotions. It’s like this hothouse where things get worked out.’ The film featuring Laura is called God Is The Bigger Elvis, the title referring to the convent’s Prioress Mother Dolores and her former life, which was also glamorous. She is a one-time Hollywood starlet, Dolores Hart, who appeared with Elvis Presley in two of his films, Lovin’ You and King Creole, before entering the order in 1963. Happy couple: The Prime Minister married Samantha in June 1996 . | She dated Cameron in the 1990s while working at Conservative Party HQ . It's thought he was so shaken by their split that he never romanced someone in politics again . By 2008 she had apparently become overwhelmed by problems with substance abuse . | 142ab75a80622ee53f0f656bb719fa746cb00a49 |
University Avenue, Yangon (CNN) -- I am surfing the Internet from Aung San Suu Kyi's garden. That sentence implies several minor miracles. The fact that I am in the country at all is surprising. I was deported for my reporting on the repression here... twice. Now I have been invited back with the White House press pack, my past "sins" apparently forgotten. To be here at this most famous house is strangely moving. I'd driven past it on numerous occasions when Daw Suu was under house arrest -- the secret police watching the entrance, whispering into their radios, as they saw a car full of Westerners approaching. You couldn't even stop on this part of University Avenue in those days, let alone wander around the manicured garden of "the Lady." Now I am waiting for her most famous visitor yet -- U.S. President Barack Obama will be stopping here for a chat. Read more: Obama to urge Myanmar not to extinguish 'flickers of progress' It is the historic culmination of three years of hard diplomacy. The U.S. policy of sanctions was clearly failing: punishing the people and leaving the elite free to plunder the rich resources of this benighted country. In 2009, the White House initiated a review of policy towards the country it still stubbornly calls Burma. It resulted in a significant shift toward Myanmar. Engagement was the watchword. But few dared to predict how quickly events would move. Officials here are frank about their astonishment. Don't forget it was only just over two years ago that Suu Kyi was still under house arrest and the whole road map to democracy seemed a sham. Now she is not only free, but meeting leaders around the world. She is an elected member of parliament, and President Thein Sein has even talked about her one day being a future leader. It's important not to get too carried away. Poverty is still endemic, 25% of the country doesn't have electricity, healthcare is parlous, ethnic conflict still stalks verdant hills in the north and what amounts to ethnic cleansing of Rohingya Muslims continues in the west. The Army still controls politics and business. Hundreds of political prisoners languish behind bars. But there is something in the air here that has been so desperately lacking in the past: hope. Read more: Myanmar's president grants prisoners amnesty . Its enticing scent is wafting through the carefully-tended roses of Daw Suu's garden. And there's something else in the air here too: Wifi! In a country where Internet access is restricted, slow and very expensive, the fact that I can email photos and text wirelessly in a garden -- in Myanmar -- is incredible. Another minor miracle. Let me say it again: I am surfing the internet from Aung San Suu Kyi's garden. | CNN's Dan Rivers back in Myanmar after being deported... twice . He's emailing from Aung San Suu Kyi's garden ahead of a visit by Barack Obama . U.S. president is on historic trip to Myanmar Monday as part of Asian tour . Obama is first sitting U.S. president to visit Myanmar after years of repressive military rule . | 98fed3ef3ef985fe6e217ab1ff6d63e96703dc6b |
Spurs midfielder Erik Lamela celebrated scoring his third goal in as many games by meeting up with a former team-mate in a posh London suburb. Lamela bagged Tottenham's first goal in the 2-0 win over Brighton on Wednesday night, before spending Thursday evening with Sandro in Richmond. The Argentine star posted a picture with his Brazilian former team-mate to his Instagram account, and added the message 'Nice to see you again'. Erik Lamela poses with Sandro in Richmond - the pair were team-mates at Tottenham until September . The Argentinian midfielder scored his third goal in as many games for Spurs on Wednesday night . Sandro left White Hart Lane to join QPR on transfer deadline day after four years with Tottenham, the last of those alongside Lamela. While Lamela didn't say how the pair spent their evening together in South West London, Richmond is well-known as one of London's most affluent suburbs. The South American pair could have used their time away from the pitch to enjoy one of the town's two theatres, many pubs and restaurants, or even taken the short trip to Richmond Park, famous for being the second largest park in the capital, and home to hundreds of deer. Lamela is having a better time of things this season after struggling when he first arrived in England . Sandro, who spent four years as a Tottenham player, was involved in QPR's win over Aston Villa on Monday . | Pair played together at White Hart Lane last season . Sandro left on transfer deadline day to join QPR . Erik Lamela is enjoying a good run of form, with three goals in three games . | 6ac7b497446d8a9bf940a8ce7df55af03b4d3f23 |
(InStyle.com) -- When "The Mary Tyler Moore Show" premiered on September 19, 1970, it was almost revolutionary: the first television series focused on an independent (read: unmarried) career girl. And Mary's wardrobe was a little bit revolutionary too -- working women across the country were quick to copy her colorful dresses and wide-legged pantsuits. To celebrate the iconic program's fortieth anniversary, InStyle takes a look back at five fashionable TV shows -- and characters -- that have influenced women's at-work style. "The Mary Tyler Moore Show'' Mary Richards lived in wintry Minneapolis and therefore had no shortage of cute cold-weather staples, including double-breasted coats, knee-high boots, and that famous blue tam. But it was her 70s work-wear that most women sought: colorful scarves, two-piece suits, and bright, office-appropriate dresses. See all 10 shows that influenced women's at-work wardrobes . "Dynasty" Okay, so the Carrington women weren't exactly your typical 9-to-5ers. Nevertheless, the big-shouldered, wasp-waisted creations worn by oil mogul Alexis (Joan Collins) and her longtime rival Krystle (Linda Evans) were popular enough with fans that the show spawned a signature fashion line, "The Dynasty Collection" which was designed by the show's costumer, Nolan Miller. "Ally McBeal" In 1998, shortly after the show's first season finale, Ally McBeal's disembodied head appeared on the cover of Time magazine along with the question, "Is Feminism Dead?" Despite the conclusions reached by that article (is it really fair to compare a fictional character to activists and thinkers like Susan B. Anthony and Gloria Steinem?), women do owe something to the flighty young lawyer played by Calista Flockhart: She almost singlehandedly made the workplace safe for bare legs, freeing us from the tyranny of mandatory pantyhose. InStyle.com: Fall's top trends for the office . "Sex and the City" The amount of money that Carrie (Sarah Jessica Parker), a freelance writer, spent on shoes was so improbable that it eventually became a plot point; her clothes only got more prohibitively expensive as the show went on. Still, "Sex and the City"had an enormous impact on regular women's style: Aside from all of those quickly knocked off (and forgotten) nameplate necklaces and oversized faux corsages, the ladies' willingness to play with fashion inspired legions. InStyle.com: See Carrie Bradshaw's best looks ever . "Mad Men" It's set in the early 1960s, but the best ensembles on "Mad Men" for example, almost anything worn by Joan (Christina Hendricks) would look chic, virtually unaltered, in today's offices. In fact, the show has heavily influenced fashion in the four years it's been on the air. This fall's runways were dominated by richly colored dresses, circle skirts and camel coats, straight from the "Mad Men" era. InStyle.com: See Mad Men's mod season 4 style . Want more? Check out the other shows that influenced women's at-work wardrobes, only on InStyle.com! Get a FREE TRIAL issue of InStyle - CLICK HERE! Copyright © 2010 Time Inc. All rights reserved. | InStyle takes a look back at five fashionable TV shows . The "Mary Tyler Moore Show" brought colorful scarves, two-piece suits and bright dresses . "Sex and the City" made a major impact on women's willingness to play with style . | 983e3ccef336025ff76fa10b585a98e97fb6daff |
By . Paul Donnelley . Before the assault: Sasha Jenkins was a on a quiet night out with a friend when she was attacked . Police have released shocking photographs of a woman knocked unconscious in an unprovoked assault. Sasha Jenkins, 28, was walking with a friend in Staple Hill, Bristol, at 12.45am on July 5, after leaving the White Swan pub in Downend. Two men walked towards the carer and one suddenly punched her to the ground as he passed. She was rushed to Southmead Hospital with severe facial injuries and later underwent a ‘painful’ operation. WDC Clare Chipping, of Avon and Somerset Police, said the ‘horrific’ pictures had been released in a bid to identify her attacker. ‘Sasha wants to release these photos of her before and after the attack to show the horrific nature of the injuries she suffered,’ WDC Chipping said. ‘She’s had to endure a painful operation and will need further treatment in the days and weeks ahead. ‘At the moment she’s taking time off from her job as a carer because she’s had to wear a protective mask as part of her treatment. ‘We don’t have a description of the two men who approached Sasha other than that they were young men. ‘We have carried out a number of inquiries already and now want to issue an appeal for anyone who witnessed this incident to come forward. Sasha Jenkins was hit with such force it broke her septum (left) and had to undergo a long operation (right) ‘I am convinced there will be people who know who is responsible and I would urge them to put aside any misguided loyalty and contact us.’ A 31-year-old man has been arrested in connection with the incident and is on bail until August 24, she added. Miss Jenkins said the last thing she remembers is two men crossing the road towards her while she walked a friend towards a taxi rank. One of the yobs smashed his fist into the side of her face, instantly knocking her out so that she fell into the road. She woke up in a pool of blood after her attackers fled empty handed. The punch was so hard it has left the single mum-of-one with a half-centimetre hole in her septum and her nose was smashed into pieces. Her front tooth was knocked out and she had cuts and bruises all over her legs as well as a huge lump on her head. Speaking today, the support worker said: ‘We were just walking along and all I was thinking about was getting home to bed because I was tired. ‘The last thing I remember is these two guys walking towards us and crossing the road towards us. ‘The next thing I remember is the police asking me to sit on a step. The White Swan in pub in Downend, Bristol where Sasha Jenkins had been drinking with a friend prior to her assault . ‘He punched me to the side of my face so hard that I have a 5mm hole in the middle of my nose. ‘There was a huge puddle of blood. ‘It broke my nose and usually they just break it back but they couldn't because it was just crumpled to pieces. ‘I had to have a two and a half hour operation and wear a face cast for two weeks. It is still really, really tender now, and I might need another operation later. ‘There is going to be swelling for six to twelve months.’ Miss Jenkins, who has a five-year-old daughter, said: ‘It has really shaken me up to be honest. ‘The worst thing was my daughter seeing me. I told her 'mummy fell down' because I don't want her knowing a man did this to me. ‘I think the person who did this to me is just scum. How could they do this to someone? I've never been in a fight in my life.’ Sorry we are not currently accepting comments on this article. | Sasha Jenkins, 28, was walking with a friend in Staple Hill, Bristol, when she was assaulted . A man punched her for no reason as he passed her in the street . A 31-year-old man has been arrested in connection with the incident . | 109f23022a4517ce249254cfe5175fca29f91c42 |
A Serbian fisherman has designed and built a coal-powered backpack which can cook his catch while keeping him warm in sub-zero temperatures. Aleks Mijatovic, 45, said he created his unique piece of equipment so he could remain at the riverbank in the depths of winter without freezing to death. The angler from Leskovac, southern Serbia, used a few pieces of scrap metal lying around his home to create his masterpiece. Scroll down for video . Aleks Mijatovic designed his coal-fired backpack to cook his catch and keep him warm while out fishing . Mr Mijatovic, from Leskovac, pictured, said he had his epiphany one night while he was in bed . The intrepid fisherman said he found an old drum and welded it to a piece of pipe after his dream . He said: 'I tend to go early in the mornings or even at night when the temperatures are well into igloo conditions and warm clothes weren't really doing the job. 'I had stacks of jumpers on and a load of pants but after a couple of hours I was still freezing. 'Then, one night in bed, I had an epiphany. 'I dreamt I had a portable oven on my back which not only kept me warm but also cooked my catch on the spot. 'When I woke up I knew exactly what I had to do.' After his dream, he spent the weekend working on his backpack oven. He said he found an old metal drum and welded a pipe to the side to act as a chimney. He then filled the container with white-hot coals. Mr Mijatovic said he used to go fishing in several layers of clothes but this was not enough to keep him warm . Mr Mijatovic then spent the weekend working on his backpack oven. Taking an old metal drum, he welded a pipe to the side to act as a chimney and then filled the drum with white hot coals. Now, he and the bizarre contraption have become the talk of the town. Pal Ilija Kovacevic, 40, said: "Aleks has always been a bit of a dreamer but this time it seems to have paid off. "It looks ridiculous and potentially dangerous, but he says it's safe and does keep him warm. He says the heat from his back spreads over his whole body and he feels warm all the time now when fishing." | Aleks Mijatovic was always feeling the cold while out fishing . He designed a coal-fired backpack using scrap metal from his home . The heater also cooks his catch while he continues to fish . | af6ac24b600c241af987e7027daffae9566d98eb |
Rome (CNN) -- Two inmates testified Saturday that Amanda Knox, the American student convicted of murder in Italy, was not actually involved in the killing of her roommate. But they offered two different accounts on who the actual killers were. Three other inmates testified as well. Knox was sentenced last year to 26 years in prison for the death of Meredith Kercher at a house the two shared in Perugia, the central Italian town where both were students. Knox has vehemently proclaimed her innocence and her family has continued to fight the conviction. Two hours of legal wrangling between attorneys passed before the judge decided to allow inmates Mario Alessi and Luciano Aviello to testify. Alessi is serving a life sentence for kidnapping and killing an 18-month-old boy. Alessi testified that Rudy Guede, who has also been convicted in Kercher's murder and is serving a 16-year sentence, told him that neither Knox nor her Italian boyfriend at the time, Raffaele Sollecito, were involved in the killing. Later in the day, Aviello, who has ties to the Naples Mafia, testified that it was his brother who was the killer, together with an Albanian man. According to Alessi, Guede said that he and an unnamed friend visited Kercher to try to get her to participate in sexual acts. When Kercher denied them, Guede's friend forced himself on her, and Guede also participated, Alessi said. At one point, the friend pulled out a knife, and then Guede, who was holding Kercher at the time, noticed she had started bleeding, Alessi testified. Alessi told the court that Guede tried to stop the bleeding, but that his friend urged him to leave. "We need to finish her otherwise she will tell on us," Alessi quoted the friend as telling Guede. The friend then proceeded to inflict another wound on her, Alessi testified. Alessi said Guede remained by himself with Kercher for a while, but eventually left her injured. Prosecutors and the lawyer for Kercher's family questioned the validity of Alessi's testimony. Through his lawyers, Guede denied Alessi's version of events. During his testimony, Aviello gave a different account. Aviello said that on the night of the killing, his brother came home with scratches and other wounds. As Aviello tended to the wounds, his brother confessed to him that he had killed Kercher, he said. According to Aviello, his brother said that he and an Albanian man entered the residence to steal a painting, and in the act ended up killing the girl. Aviello said he hasn't seen his brother in three years. "Inside me I know that a miscarriage of justice has taken place," Aviello said of Knox and Sollecito's conviction. Prosecutors questioned his credibility and Aviello admitted that he has been convicted of defamation seven times. The appeals process will continue June 27, when Guede is expected to testify. In an additional twist Saturday, another inmate who the defense put on the stand to verify Alessi's version of events, testified that he, in fact, did not know anything about who carried out the killings. Even though his cell was adjacent to Alessi's and Guede's, the inmate was Romanian and didn't know what they discussed, he said. Another witness Saturday was Marco Castelluccio, a Mafia member who testified from behind a screen because he is a protected witness. Castelluccio said that he also heard from Guede that Knox had nothing to do with the crime. Kercher, 21, was found dead on November 2, 2007, seminaked with her throat slashed. Knox and Sollecito were both found guilty of the murder. Knox was sentenced in December 2009. Guede, a drifter originally from Ivory Coast, was tried separately. As part of her appeal, forensic experts are retesting evidence that was used to convict Knox. That evidence includes a knife found in Sollecito's apartment with Knox's DNA on the handle and what Perugia prosecutors say is Kercher's DNA in a tiny groove on the blade. The prosecution contends that the knife was used to stab Kercher in the neck and that it had been cleaned. The DNA matter attributed to Kercher consists of flesh, not blood, they say. The sample, however, was so small that forensic scientists investigating Kercher's murder were not able to double-test it in accordance with international forensic science norms, which Knox's legal team says raises doubts about its validity. The second piece of evidence the forensic experts are testing is the tiny metal clasp from Kercher's bra, which was cut from her body after her slaying. Forensic scientists in the investigatory phase determined that Sollecito's DNA is present on the metal clasp. The clasp was identified on an investigatory video the same day Kercher's body was found. But it was not collected until nearly six weeks later, giving the defense cause to question whether the sample may have been contaminated. | Inmates tell different versions of who was behind killing . A total of five inmates testified Saturday . Knox was convicted of murder in the death of her roommate . The group of convicts include a child murderer and a Mafia boss . | 52ed8489582aafead4bd427fa9e3b5a6f995653f |
Toronto Mayor Rob Ford admitted that he was drinking after being caught on video on Monday night incoherently rambling in what appears to be a Jamaican accent. In the video, immediately posted on YouTube and going viral, Ford is seen in a fast food restaurant, swearing and talking about police surveillance. The video is titled 'New Video of Toronto Mayor Rob Ford Drunk, Swearing in Jamaican Patois? Bumbaclot.' Watch Rob Ford in action here . An undated video of Toronto Mayor Rob Ford was posted to YouTube this week where he rambles incoherently in what sounds like an imitation of Jamaican Patois . On the tape, Ford rants incoherently in what appears to be an imitation of a Jamaican dialect while throwing a series of random shapes with his arms. Ford said in November that he quit drinking following his crack-smoking scandal. In a TV interview at the time, Ford said: 'I've had a come-to-Jesus moment if you want to call it that. Just the humiliation and the belittling and the people I've let down. 'And it's all because of alcohol. Excessive, stupid, immature behavior and that's it.' The mayor acknowledged last year that he smoked crack 'in one of my drunken stupors' after police said they obtained a copy of a tape that appears to show him smoking crack. Allegations about Ford smoking crack surfaced in May when reporters for the Toronto Star and one from the U.S. website Gawker said they saw the video. Before the mayor admitted the video was filmed on Monday, his brother and fellow politician Doug Ford defended him by saying it was not filmed recently because his brother had stopped drinking in November. Doug Ford said: 'He's a lot heavier in that picture than he is now...It couldn't have been last night.' When asked whether it was appropriate for his brother to put on an accent, Doug Ford ducks the question saying he hasn't actually seen the video. Ford gestured wildly and appeared to not know he was being filmed during his drunken rant . Earlier this month, the mayor of Canada's largest city did a 'campaign visit' to downtown nightclub Muzik, setting social media abuzz in the process. Muzik is known party palace for both . locals and visitors, in the past entertaining touring musicians like . Justin Bieber as well as celebrities and sport stars. Numerous . photos of the 44-year-old looking hot and sweaty popped up on Instagram . and Twitter, posted by revelers surprised to see Ford wandering around . the dance floor. Ford admitted that he had been drinking when the clip was filmed on Monday night . Councillor Doug Ford, the mayor's . brother and campaign manager, said the appearance was in the name of . drumming up support for the forthcoming election, set for October 27. He said the mayor consumed only a sugar-free energy drink and was at the club for about an hour. 'He stopped drinking in November and he went there, met the people,' Doug Ford earlier told The Toronto Sun. 'There . have been rock stars, there have been sports heroes, there’s been the . Bieber there and no one got a response like Rob did. 'The place went upside down ballistic. 'All he did was take pictures.' Ford was forced to apologize at a press conference for using 'graphic language' when describing sex with his wife Renata (left) The disgraced Toronto mayor, pictured earlier this month, claimed to have stopped drinking in November following his crack-smoking scandal . It's getting hot in here: Social media was set alight earlier this month when controversial Toronto mayor Rob Ford showed up at popular nightclub Muzik in the capital . | Ford is filmed in a fast food restaurant on Monday, swearing and . talking incoherently about police surveillance . Ford said in November he quit drinking following crack-smoking scandal . The mayor acknowledged last year that he smoked crack 'in one of my drunken stupors' after he was previously caught on tape . | 5701fddd40b9b541f928010ffaa1e46fac02c29a |
(CNN) -- Money, husbands, record deals or a free stay at a celebrity sober living house. Just when you thought there couldn't be a more shocking trade-off for national exposure on a reality show, E! brings you "Bridalplasty." The new series, set to make its debut November 28 at 9 p.m., will feature 12 brides-to-be competing for a different plastic surgery each week as they prepare to walk down the aisle. Despite "Bridalplasty's" unsettling tagline -- "the only show where the winner gets cut" -- the reality competition follows a surprisingly standard format: Each week, the contestants will participate in a wedding- or relationship-themed challenge, such as picking the perfect dress, according to Jason Sarlanis, vice president of original programming and series development for E! So what's the grand prize? The last bride standing will receive her dream wedding, paid for by the show, and the remaining procedures on a "wish list," which she drafts at the beginning of the season with the help of Dr. Terry Dubrow, who appeared on Fox's "The Swan" in 2004. The procedures will range from veneers and Botox to breast augmentations and tummy tucks. And like many reality competition shows, a winner is granted immunity each week and thus is exempt from competing the following episode. But, on "Bridalplasty," immunity is also a form of "medical leave." "[Contestants] will wait until they're ready to return -- doctor's orders," Sarlanis said. "They won't participate in any part of the episode that could mess with recuperation." But recovery time is not the only concern for Dr. John Diaz, a board-certified plastic surgeon in Beverly Hills, California, who is not affiliated with the show. Diaz says, "By competing in a show like this, patients might feel pressured to undergo surgeries they wouldn't have under normal circumstances." That pressure, he says, can stem from contestants' peers on the show, as well as the fact that the surgeries are free. "If a contestant is only interested in her nose, but every other woman around her is talking about her breasts, all of a sudden, she may feel pressure to do her breasts, as well," Diaz said. "It's almost like a peer pressure spurred on by this competition." Diaz also said that major events, like weddings or reunions, sometimes cause people to evaluate their appearance. "Who doesn't want to look their best on their wedding day?" Sarlanis said. "Plastic surgery is a taboo topic, and a lot of people support it, and a lot of people consider it a guilty pleasure, and a lot of people are against it." He added: "A show like this could go different ways. At the end of the day, we're making a really great show." Supporters and critics alike agree that "Bridalplasty" will most likely be a hit. "This is the natural, absurd next step for reality programming. ... It has all the elements of what would be successful for a faceless demographic: bridal themes, aspiration themes, plastic surgery," said Colby Hall, the managing editor of Mediaite.com, a website that assesses print, online and broadcast media. "It's going to be a huge hit in the way 'Jersey Shore' was a huge hit," he added. "It's a train wreck to watch, but people will love to sort of feel better than the participants." Sarah Polonsky, senior editor at BettyConfidential.com, said she's worried the show will send a negative message to viewers -- "equating cash to plastic surgery." "Anyone emotionally unstable enough to desire that much plastic surgery really needs Botox for the soul," Polonsky said. "They should be giving out therapy instead of nose jobs. ... When you start planning a wedding to include lip [injections] and rhinoplasty in addition to flower arrangements, it's almost as belittling to your groom as it is to yourself." Of course, "Bridalplasty" is not the first TV show about plastic surgery. "The Swan" and ABC's "Extreme Makeover" both followed subjects who went under the knife to modify their appearance. These shows are a double-edged sword for plastic surgeons, said Dr. Phil Haeck, a practicing plastic surgeon in Seattle, Washington, and president of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons. "It puts plastic surgery in a possible negative light, in that it cheapens the value of surgery. ... On the other hand, it does generate some talk -- both positive and negative," Haeck said. "From a marketing standpoint, any time your product is talked about generically, it may be somewhat beneficial." And "Bridalplasty" is certainly generating talk. "In today's entertainment landscape, the most absurd and crazy idea wins," Hall said. "This certainly feels like the most absurd and crazy TV show in a long time." | Reality TV show will feature 12 brides-to-be competing for a different plastic surgeries . The winner will receive her dream wedding and the rest of the procedures on her "wish list" "Bridalplasty" is set to make its debut November 28 . | eada44951aa8a3934751d5363de1c8ec18e90590 |
(CNN) -- From fighting cancer and sparking revolutions to digitally transferring cash and bringing people together, mobile phones are increasingly being used in pioneering ways across Africa, helping to save lives and transform the continent. And the omnipresent devices are also on the front line in the fight against sexual harassment. In Egypt, where verbal harassment, groping, stalking and indecent exposure are a common problem for women, an innovative tool has emerged to empower victims. Called HarassMap, the volunteer-based initiative is aiming to stop the social acceptability of sexual harassment in the North African country. It uses online and offline technology to invite women to speak out and also mobilize communities to stand up to harassers. How it works . HarassMap uses a simple SMS-based system to enable victims and witnesses to anonymously report sexual harassment incidents as soon as they happen. "You dial 6069 and then you type what happened and where," explains Rebecca Chiao, who co-founded HarassMap at the end of 2010. "Then you send and then in a minute or so you should get an auto-response." Read: Innovation to save lives in Africa . The group then verifies the incoming reports and places them on a Google map of Egypt, creating a web-based documentation of the extent of the problem. When sexual harassment hotspots are identified, HarrassMap volunteers visit these areas as part of a community outreach program aimed at raising awareness and ending tolerance of these kinds of incidents. "We are trying to change the social attitude and make it completely unacceptable," says Chiao, an American who moved to Egypt in 2004 to work for an NGO. She adds: "We have teams of volunteers that go out once per month in their own neighborhoods and talk to their own neighbors in groups. "They ask people who have a presence in the street -- shop owners, police, the guys that park the car, the doormen, the people who are hanging out in the street all the time -- and ask them to be watchful guardians of their neighborhoods. "They ask them to watch out for sexual harassment and not ignore it and to speak against the harassers when they see it happen." Chiao says the community outreach program has already had a big impact. "About eight out of every 10 people they talk to in the street agree by the end of the conversation," she explains. "At the beginning everyone disagrees but by the time the conversation is over most people are not just agreeing but they are enthusiastic and want to take action." 'Do you like sex with me?' On the HarrassMap website, victims' reports give a disturbing insight into sexual harassment on the streets of Egypt. "On friday this week i went to a burger stand on sharia mansouriya near al aded street in Darassa and was asked where i was from. after i said i was from canada he said "canada helwa" and grabbed my hand towards his and said 'do you like sex with me'? this was at 12pm," reads one report posted on December 7. Another one, from November 29, says: "I was getting off the train from Cairo to Alexandria in Sidi Gaber train station. The train porter groped me three times while I was trying to get off the train with my suitcase. I challenged him the first time, and he pretended it was an accident, and then he did it two more times." The issue of sexual harassment in Egypt grabbed international headlines in 2011 when CBS reporter Lara Logan was attacked in Cairo's Tahrir Square after former president Hosni Mubarak stepped down. Other women reported incidents ranging from mild harassment to violent attacks. According to a 2008 survey of 1,010 women conducted by the Egyptian Center for Women's Rights, 98% of foreign women in the country and 83% of Egyptian women said they had been sexually harassed. Chiao, however, says that more studies are needed to get a better insight into the problem. "We can't say today how bad the problem really is and that's one of the things that we're trying to do with HarassMap," she says. The power of mobile . In Egypt, total mobile subscriptions have jumped from nearly 13 million in 2005 to over 80 million last year, according to a recent World Bank study. In the whole of Africa, there were nearly 650 million mobile subscriptions in early 2012, more than in the United States or the European Union, making the continent the second fastest growing region in the world, after South Asia. It is this explosive growth in mobile usage that initiatives like HarassMap are tapping into in order to change behaviors. Chiao, who set up the group after experiencing sexual harassment herself in Egypt, says that HarassMap is also using mobile technology to provide victims with details of how to access free support services. "A lot of the women's NGOs in Egypt offer services like free legal help, how to make a police report, psychological counseling, self-defense classes," explains Chiao. "So we took this opportunity to send an outgoing message to everyone who sends a report, telling them how to access these services." | HarassMap aims to end the social acceptability of sexual harassment in Egypt . Women use its SMS-based system to to report incidents anonymously . Community outreach teams visit the sexual harassment hotspots to raise awareness . The group also uses mobile phones to provide victims with details of how to access services . | 560974300669746a567c92f2ef7698c3fd7d0334 |
Dareta, Nigeria (CNN) -- In remote northern Nigeria, it is now a race against time to prevent a catastrophe in the world's worst-ever recorded outbreak of lead poisoning. Officially 163 people have already died in Zamfara state -- 111 of them children. But no one knows the true figures. "You read about it in the literature but several hundred children have died here as a result of what happened here," says Ian von Lindern from the environmental engineering organization the Blacksmith Institute, which is heading the clean-up operation in the region. Children began to die in January, but only now in June has the clean-up operation begun in the mud-hut village of Dareta. Using the only tools available -- crude metal hoes normally used for farming -- local villagers are trying to clear the contaminated topsoil from the worst-affected housing compounds. Dug up, the soil is put into plastic bags and buried far from the village. Young children look on as their friends and family wear unfamiliar white protective suits and face masks. And they inhale more of the stirred-up dust. The U.S.-based Blacksmith Institute -- a global leader in pollution clean-up operations -- has found disturbingly high levels of lead across the village. "The fact that this is 10,000 parts per million -- which is 1 percent lead -- that's very high," explains Casey Bartram of the Blacksmith Institute. In the U.S., the standard for residential-area soils is normally 400 parts per million. "Because lead particles are so small, the levels so high, and because in this environment the kids are always in contact with the soil -- it's extremely dangerous for them to be exposed to levels like these," says Bartram. The Blacksmith Institute currently is trying to help clean up a toxic lead site in Senegal where, in the last few years, 18 people died. Until now, it was the worst case of lead poisoning anyone had seen. "We were asked if we'd come over and look at this [site] so we only planned on a four-day visit -- but it's so bad we just have to stay and do what we can," says von Lindern. Many of the men in the region are gold miners. They bring the metal ore mined from the local mines back to be crushed by their wives and children in their homes. Unbeknownst to them, the gold ore contains extremely high levels of lead. The ore processing has since been moved out of most of the villages and, in theory, the lead could be cleared away. "I will instruct all the people to excavate their houses," the local chief, Mohammed Bello, declares. "But it will be difficult to enforce because of poverty." There are also many other problems. Just getting to Dareta village takes several hours' drive -- a journey that will soon be made almost impossible with the oncoming rains. And with the rains coming, the young men working to clear away the contaminated earth are anxious to get to their farms. Simba Terima of the Blacksmith Institute is helping train them in safely removing the contaminated soil. "This is a local problem, this is not an international problem," he says. "So if they can own it, it'll be very good because long, long after we're gone they will be here." It is hoped that Dareta village will be cleared in 26 days, but manpower is still lacking. The local government, apart from handing out red election hats for an upcoming vote, is almost nowhere to be seen. "I tell you that the problem has now been contained and we are now on remediation," explains Abubakar Maru, the local environmental commissioner. "I'm sure these measures are good enough." The government claims there have been no more fatalities since it first identified the problem as lead poisoning. However, Dareta is only one of seven villages identified with extremely toxic levels of lead -- and the only village in the region receiving an on-going clean-up operation. From reports, some of the other villages are not being monitored properly. And there has been no thorough report on whether there are more villages suffering from the same toxic levels of lead. "We hope to do just this village before the rainy season, but by mid-July there'll be so much rain we won't be able to, and we'll have to wait until October," says von Lindern. "The kids will still be exposed." On Sunday, the village cleared its first compound. For now, villagers are just taking it one home at a time. | Outbreak of lead poisoning has killed 163 in remote northern Nigerian state . Many local men are gold miners, they bring home ore for wives and children to crush . Ore contains extremely high levels of lead . Villagers trying to clear contaminated topsoil and bury it . Clean-up is a race against time, as seasonal rains are coming . | e3953d38819787a6991a944ab2cea68486545936 |
Andre Villas Boas has slammed Tim Sherwood after the former Tottenham manager criticised his successor's ability to maintain a united dressing room following his departure. When speaking about the time he took over at the north London club, Villas Boas pulled no punches. 'Tim was not part of my team, but I already alerted the president that he was detrimental to the club.' Former Tottenham manager Andre Villas Boas slammed his successor Tim Sherwood's leadership skills . Until Sherwood the former Spurs boss achieved the club's highest league win rate in the Premier League era . Sherwood (right) was in charge at White Hart Lane for six months after taking over from Villas Boas (left) Andre Villas Boas: P 54, W 29 - Win% 54 . Tim Sherwood: P 22, W 13 - Win% 59 . Ex-Spurs player Sherwood took over from Villas Boas after the Portuguese parted ways with chairman Daniel Levy in December 2013, following a string of disappointing domestic league results. '(Sherwood) continued after I left and his leadership resulted in a extreme split between the players and the coach,' Villas Boas said. After 18 months in charge Villas Boas exited White Hart Lane with the highest league win percentage of any manager in the club's Premier League era, until Sherwood. The Englishman assumed Villas Boas' position in the hotseat, winning half of his 28 Premier League games as manager before being sacked by Levy at the close of last season. Current Spurs manager Mauricio Pochettino responded to Sherwood's criticism of defender Jan Vertonghen . Sherwood shocked fans back in March when the then Spurs boss accused his squad of lacking character following a 4-0 defeat at Chelsea in March and refused to apologise. Earlier this month, current boss Mauricio Pochettino was forced to leap to the defence of defender Jan Vertonghen, after 45-year-old Sherwood questioned his ability at the back. Pochettino – who succeeded the axed Sherwood at White Hart Lane in the summer – said: 'People can have their opinions but I am very happy with Jan. 'I am not aware of these comments. I give my opinions in private. I think Jan in his first season was maybe the best central defender in England. 'Maybe last season he was not as good but he is still a very important player for us.' | Andre Villas Boas has criticised Tim Sherwood's management strategy . Sherwood took over from Villas Boas as Spurs manager last December . Villas Boas branded Sherwood's leadership as 'detrimental' to the club . | b4930167572f54b324206f9134861e9236c41b0b |
By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 05:25 EST, 16 July 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 02:45 EST, 17 July 2012 . An Australian shooter has claimed he is being discriminated against because he cannot share a room with his athlete wife, while gay couples can. Russell Mark said was sent an email by the Australian Olympic Committee (AOC) which explained that he and wife Lauryn, also a shooter, were forbidden from sharing a room while competing at this month's London 2012 Olympics. The decision has angered the couple who claimed they know of many same sex couples who have been given permission to share a room. Daft: Russell Mark said was sent an email by the Australian Olympic Committee (AOC) which explained that he and wife Lauryn, also a shooter, were forbidden from sharing a room while competing at this month's London 2012 Olympics . Russell has also caused controversy in recent weeks by saying he takes sleeping tablets in order to help him perform better as an athlete and hit out at officials who banned them at the Olympics . It is believed the decision was made by . Shooting Australia but the couple believe the AOC has singled them out . because of a raunchy photo shoot Lauryn took part in and Russell's . stance on sleeping pills. Australian athletes are banned from using sleeping aides at the Olympics but Russell recently caused controversy and she they were essential in helping him perform better. His wife Lauryn is also thought to have angered officials by taking part in a photo shoot for Zoo magazine. Dressed in a green and gold bikini, and toting a shotgun, she is featured in an Australian edition of the lads mag. However, the couple now believe their actions have caused Australian Olympic chiefs to discriminate against them and were told they would have to leave the Olympic village and rent a hotel if they wanted to stay together. 'The stupid part of this, which I have argued to them, is that there are tons of gay couples on the Olympic team who will be rooming together so we are being discriminated against because we are heterosexual,' Russell said to news.com.au. 'They are p***ed with my stance on sleeping tablets and what p***ed them more than anything else is the photo shoot.' Unhappy: The decision has angered the couple who claimed they know of many same sex couples who have been given permission to share a room . The couple claim they know of plenty same sex couples who are allowed to share a room while competing at the Olympics . Russell Mark said Olympic chiefs were discriminating against him and his wife because they did not agree with his views on sleeping tablets and did not like his wife taking part in a sexy photo shootntally challenging sport like ours, . The Australian shooter was told that he and wife Lauryn would have to book into a hotel away from the Olympic village if they wanted to share a room together . A room with two single beds in the athletes village at the Olympic Park, pictured with chairman of London's Organising Committee Jonathan Edwards . Russell added that it was obvious that officials had a problem and were punishing them for it. Lauryn said she hoped the photo shoot for Zoo, which is released in Australia today, would be a positive thing for the sport and said the proceeds were being given to the Royal Children's Hospital. She also said she was 'frustrated' by the AOC's decision because same sex couples were allowed to share rooms if they were both competitors. The couple also claim they have been allowed to stay in the same room while taking part in major championships around the world. The AOC was not available for comment. | Russell Mark claims he and wife Lauryn are being discriminated against and claim they know of gay couples sharing . They were told they would need to rent a room in a hotel if they wanted to share a bed . The couple claim they always share a room during major championships across the globe . | e6526d1a48823d0dc86e148d41a39ee3ac7c569c |
By . Laura Cox . PUBLISHED: . 19:56 EST, 9 March 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 08:29 EST, 10 March 2012 . A bride-to-be was found dead in a pool of her own blood with a knife sticking out of her stomach - and her fiancé has allegedly confessed to killing her. Paimana Khanjar, a student at American River College, Sacramento, was engaged to be married to Omid Milad Hussain Khill, a 23-year-old student studying in Russia. She flew to India on February 25 and was staying with an aunt in Jangpura, Dehli. The next day she was joined by her fiancé Mr Khill, who had been in Delhi since January 19 having hospital treatment for a stomach problem. Scroll down for video . Brutal: Paimana Khanjar was stabbed at least 10 times. Police believe it was a passion killing after she told her fiance she wanted to call off their wedding . The couple went shopping on Saturday . evening around 8pm at Amar Colony market, before returning to the guesthouse where Mr Khill was staying. The couple discussed their three-year engagement, which had begun in their home country of Afghanistan. A police officer told The Hindu that their relationship had was no better than 'cordial', adding that Ms Khanjar was unenthusiastic about their impending marriage, leaving Khill 'heartbroken'. He said things 'took an ugly turn' when Ms Khanjar's aunt, Nuriya, consulted a religious leader who disapproved of the wedding. Ms Khanjar told Mr Khill she didn't want to go through with it, apparently sending him into a fury. Missed: A tribute video showing photos of Khanjar has been posted on YouTube . In what is believed to have been a crime of passion, 22-year-old Ms Khanjar was brutally and fatally stabbed, when police say an enraged Mr Khill grabbed a kitchen knife and attacked his bride-to-be. Nine of the 10 stab wounds were on the upper portion of her body and one on her leg. Concerned that Ms Khanjar hadn’t returned to her aunt’s house, her neighbour Sonia went to the guesthouse to check on her. There she found her lying in a pool of her own blood, a knife sticking out of her stomach. Police say she had been stabbed at least 10 times and had other injuries to suggest she had been beaten prior to her death. The door was ajar and belongings were strewn about, indicating an earlier struggle. Passion: Police believe Khanjar was killed because she told her fiance she didn't want to marry him anymore. They became engaged to be married three years ago in Afghanistan . Police suspect that the murder was planned. 23-year-old Mr Khill told them that he had bought the knife from a market three days before. But when approached by the Times of India, the suspect went into a frenzy. ‘I did not plan anything,’ he screamed. A police officer told the paper: ‘He said he would cut carrots with the knife and he did not buy the weapon for murder. He insisted that it was moment of madness.’ Mr Khill fled the scene of the killing and on Sunday, at around 9 am, he was arrested trying to board a flight to Kabul, Afghanistan. A tribute video of photos of Ms Khanjar to the song I'll Be Missing You by Puff Daddy has been posted on YouTube. Loss: College friends said they were shocked by Khanjar's death. She enrolled in 2008 and was hoping to start a Psychology course this year . Classmates from American River College have spoken of their sadness at the news. 'Really said. Just really sad. Feel sorry for the family, it's a life cut short' student Jennifer Peet said. 'Just knowing that something like that could happen to somebody who went to my school... It's just so sad,' added another, Megan Scheiza. Jackie Beverly said: 'I think it's a tragedy because obviously she was broadening her horizons.' Ms Khanjar began her studies at the college in 2008, and was on the waiting list for a psychology class this semester. Police said her body will be returned to California where her mother and sister live. | American student allegedly killed when she told fiancé she wanted to call off the wedding . He tried to flee to homeland Afghanistan but was arrested at the airport . | ecb28794fa5ea202b26e190dd27195c5378a0063 |
By . Associated Press . Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald Sterling has pulled his support from a deal to sell the team to former Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer and will pursue his $1billion federal lawsuit against the NBA, his attorney said Monday. 'We have been instructed to prosecute the lawsuit,' said attorney Maxwell Blecher. He said co-owner Donald Sterling would not be signing off on the deal to sell. Donald Sterling issued a one-page statement dated Monday titled 'The Team is not for Sale' and said that 'from the onset, I did not want to sell the Los Angeles Clippers.' Scroll down for video . Deal off: Donald Sterling has walked back his agreement to sell the Los Angeles Clippers to ex-Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer as he pursues a lawsuit against the NBA, arguing they violated his constitutional rights . The $2billion sale was negotiated by his wife Shelly Sterling after Donald Sterling's racist remarks to a girlfriend were publicized and the NBA moved to oust him as owner. The lawsuit alleges the league violated his constitutional rights by relying on information from an 'illegal' recording that publicized racist remarks he made to a girlfriend. It also said the league committed a breach of contract by fining Sterling $2.5million and that it violated antitrust laws by trying to force a sale. 'I have decided that I must fight to protect my rights,' Donald Sterling said. 'While my position may not be popular, I believe that my rights to privacy and the preservation of my rights to due process should not be trampled. I love the team and have dedicated 33 years of my life to the organization. I intend to fight to keep the team.' Out of the game: Sterling's wife Shelly Sterling had brokered a deal to sell the team to ex-Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer for $2billion . Donald Sterling had agreed to ink the deal and drop the suit last week assuming 'all their differences had been resolved,' his attorneys said. But individuals close to the negotiations who weren't authorized to speak publicly said he decided to not sign the papers after learning the NBA won't revoke its lifetime ban and fine. 'There was never a discussion involving the NBA in which we would modify Mr. Sterling's penalty in any way whatsoever. Any suggestion otherwise is complete fabrication,' NBA spokesman Mike Bass said. Shelly Sterling and her attorney Pierce O'Donnell declined to comment through representatives. Shelly Sterling utilized her authority as sole trustee of The Sterling Family Trust, which owns the Clippers, to take bids for the team and ultimately negotiate a deal with Ballmer. The deal would be record-breaking if approved by the NBA's owners. Sterling was banned from the NBA for life after audio recordings were . released of him making racist statements in private conversations with . then-girlfriend V. Stivian. Pictured on June 3 on the right leaving a police precinct in New York after an alleged attack outside her hote, and three days later arriving at the Los Angeles Airport on the left . An individual familiar with the negotiations who wasn't authorized to speak publicly said Monday that there were two options for Donald Sterling — to either sign or go to court. But even if he wins in court, he's ultimately winning a judgment against himself because his wife Shelly Sterling has agreed to indemnify the NBA against all lawsuits, including by her husband, the individual said. Donald Sterling's comments to V. Stiviano included telling her to not bring black people to Clippers games, specifically mentioning Hall of Famer Magic Johnson. They resulted in a storm of outrage from the public and players and even prompted President Barack Obama to comment on what he called Sterling's 'incredibly offensive racist statements.' Donald Sterling said in his statement that he was 'extremely sorry for the hurtful statements' he made privately but said them out of anger and jealousy and didn't intend for them to be public. NBA Commissioner Adam Silver banned Sterling for life and asked the Board of Governors to force him to sell his team after the tapes were released. Pictured above at a press conference on June 8. The board decided to not to hold that vote after Sterling initially agreed to the deal . NBA Commissioner Adam Silver ultimately decided to ban Donald Sterling for life, fine him millions, and began efforts to force Sterling to sell the team. Those efforts ended with Shelly Sterling's deal with Ballmer. If this deal ultimately goes through, its terms allow Shelly Sterling to remain close to the organization by allowing for up to 10 per cent of the team — or $200million — to be spun off into a charitable foundation that she would essentially run. Shelly Sterling and Ballmer would be co-chairs of the foundation, which would target underprivileged families, battered women, minorities and inner city youths. Under the deal Shelly Sterling would also get the title of 'owner emeritus' and be entitled to continuing perks such as floor seats, additional seats at games and parking. One of the individuals said the deal also includes conditions that allow Ballmer to buy back the 10 per cent portion of the team for a pre-designated price upon Shelly Sterling's death. The deal Sterling dropped would have entitled his wife (left) to 10 per cent of the team and other privileges such as floor seats and parking . Sorry we are not currently accepting comments on this article. | Donald Sterling has backed out of a deal to sell the Los Angles Clippers basketball team to ex-Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer for $2billion . Instead, he will be pursuing a lawsuit against the league for $1billion, arguing they violated his constitutional rights . Sterling was banned from the league for life last month after recordings were released of him making racist statements to then-girlfriend V. Stiviano . NBA Commissioner Adam Silver asked the league's Board of Governors to force him to sell the team, but they cancelled the vote after it appeared a deal had been struck . Sterling issued a statement Monday saying: 'From the onset, I did not want to sell the Los Angeles Clippers' The deal was brokered by his estranged wife Shelly Sterling, who would have kept 10 per cent of the team . | f7ac938e0a3983fb5ace26fa92733a95cd0be2cd |
By . Jaymi Mccann . PUBLISHED: . 14:34 EST, 14 June 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 14:34 EST, 14 June 2013 . Lorraine King has been told to sign on the sex offenders' register after admitting sexual offences against a 12-year-old boy . A mother-of-two who worked in a primary school will be on the sex offenders’ register for five years after admitting sexual offences against a 12-year-old boy. Former lunchtime supervisor Lorraine King was also given a nine-month community order when she faced Winchester Crown Court for sentencing last Friday, but she escaped a jail sentence. Adam Hiddleston, prosecuting, said King had previously admitted a charge of inciting a child under 13 to engage in sexual activity and sexual assault on a child under 13. On July 30 last year a neighbour of King’s called the police after she had seen behaviour that caused her concern. Mr Hiddleston said the neighbour had seen 41-year-old King in her garden on all fours with a young boy stood behind her simulating sexual intercourse with her. He said both were fully clothed and King was laughing and saying ‘ride me baby, ride me’. Police spoke to the boy, who also confessed that King had on previous occasions touched him around the leg and knees while he had been at her home in Fleet. He told police she had put her hand on his right leg and moved it up towards his thigh. Mr Hiddleston also said the boy told police King randomly spoke to him about sex until he was able to change the subject. He added police interviewed King, who denied the touching allegations. When police told her they had interviewed the boy about the simulated sexual intercourse, she accepted it but said it only happened on one occasion. Mr Hiddleston said King denied telling the boy to ride her and said the claim probably came from a dispute with the neighbour. King lost her job as a lunchtime supervisor at Elvetham Heath Primary School as a result of the charges . Andrew Turton, defending, said the probation officer who had interviewed his client was concerned about King’s low intelligence. He added King did now realise her behaviour was inappropriate and wrong. Mr Turton said King was a single mother with two daughters, one who has Asperger syndrome. He added she has had no contact with the boy since the events last summer. The court was told that King had suffered as a result of the charges as she has lost her job at Elvetham Heath Primary School and is now on benefits. Judge Andrew Barnett told King: 'People who commit these sort of offences very often go straight to jail. 'Your behaviour was totally inappropriate and wrong towards that boy, pretending to engage in sexual activity. The former lunchtime supervisor received a nine-month community order at Winchester Crown Court (pictured) 'You’re the adult and he was the child and you should not have behaved in that way.' The judge said he had taken into account King’s early guilty plea, lack of previous convictions and the fact that she will suffer from having a criminal record and being on the sex offenders’ register.Ordering King not to have contact the boy for nine months, the judge added: . 'I hope by dealing with you in what might seem to some in this very light way that you will learn your lesson that this is not the way to behave towards children.' Stuart Adlam, headteacher at Elvetham Heath, confirmed that King was previously employed at the school and that she has not worked there since the early part of the autumn term last year. 'I would like to stress that the offences committed do not relate in any way to her role as a lunchtime supervisor at the school nor do they relate to any pupils at the school,' he added. | Lorraine King was given a nine-month community order but spared jail . The former lunchtime supervisor made a 12-year-old boy simulate sex . A neighbour called the police as she was concerned about the behaviour . Boy told police she had put her hand on his right leg and moved it up towards his thigh . | 6b11886ae61e89e3dc8e0773230b5e324a77a569 |
(CNN) -- England soccer star John Terry has again been engulfed in controversy after his car hit a club steward on Tuesday night following Chelsea's Champions League defeat by Inter Milan. English Premier League side Chelsea confirmed that the club's captain had driven into one of its security staff as he sought to get past a horde of photographers and fans after the match, the UK Press Association reported on Wednesday. British media had widely reported that police said the man suffered a broken leg, but Chelsea told PA that he had only "a badly bruised leg." "We can confirm there was an unfortunate accident as John Terry left Stamford Bridge last night," a Chelsea spokesman told PA. "When driving out of the stadium at approximately 1-2 mph in a queue of traffic exiting the ground, his car was surrounded by photographers and fans. In the melee that ensued a member of Chelsea's security staff was knocked to the ground, making contact with the car. He suffered a badly bruised leg. "John was aware at the time that there was a lot of contact with his car during the incident, but not that anyone was injured as a result. Upon hearing of the injury, John spoke to the police. He has also been in contact with the staff member to check on his welfare." Terry's spokesman Phil Hall told Sky Sports News that the player had been breathalyzed by the police, with tests showing he had not been drinking alcohol. Hall said Terry planned to visit the steward on Thursday as he was upset about the accident. The incident was another blow for Terry, whose Chelsea team missed out on a place in the quarterfinals of Europe's premier club competition for the first time since 2006. Italian champions Inter, managed by Terry's former Chelsea coach Jose Mourinho, won 1-0 on the night thanks to a late goal by Samuel Eto'o which sealed a 3-1 aggregate victory. The 29-year-old Terry has recently been at the center of a media storm following revelations about his alleged affair with the ex-partner of his former Chelsea teammate Wayne Bridge. He was stripped of the national captaincy by coach Fabio Capello as a result. Bridge subsequently decided he would not be available for selection by England at the World Cup starting in June as he believed his presence in the dressing room with Terry would be "divisive" for the team. Bridge, who plays for Manchester City, is sidelined after having a hernia operation on Tuesday which will rule him out for a month. The defender, who had only just returned to action following a knee injury, aggravated a long-term problem during Sunday's 1-1 Premier League draw with Sunderland. Meanwhile, the Premier League confirmed on Wednesday that bottom club Portsmouth have been docked nine points after going into administration last month. League officials acted after Britain's tax department dropped its legal action challenging the club's change of financial status. The decision means debt-ridden Portsmouth are almost certain to be relegated, with Avram Grant's team now 17 points from safety with only nine matches left in the season. Fellow strugglers Hull City, second from bottom 14 points above Portsmouth, confirmed on Wednesday that Iain Dowie will be the Yorkshire club's new manager until the end of this season. Dowie, who replaces the sacked Phil Brown, has previously coached Charlton, Crystal Palace and Queen's Park Rangers. | England soccer star John Terry drives into a club steward on Tuesday night . Incident happens after Chelsea's Champions League defeat by Inter Milan . Police initially reported that man broke his leg, but Chelsea say he had bad bruising . Premier League dock bottom club Portsmouth nine points for going into administration . | dbb20125a8965381b72927cf6360bd93354a23fa |
By . Simon Tomlinson . PUBLISHED: . 02:57 EST, 14 July 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 03:00 EST, 14 July 2012 . 'Hard luck': Judge John Plumstead (pictured) has banned sex offender Richard Ford from having one-night stands because of his violent history towards women . A sex offender has been banned from having one-night stands because of his violent history towards women. A judge said Richard Ford, 41, must refuse any 'offers on a plate' as unsuspecting women would not be aware of his background. He was told to contact his probation officer if he wanted to start a relationship. The restrictions were put in place when Ford appeared at St Albans Crown Court this week to admit to failing to notify police of a change of address after being placed on the sex offenders' register. Judge John Plumstead said the situation was exasperated by Ford, from New Road, Croxley Green, Rickmansworth, also breaking a restraining order. He said: 'He has a history of violence towards women and children and has possessed images of sadism and torture. He is an extremely concerning man. 'He is not allowed to take advantage of a one-night stand offered on a plate by someone who doesn't know his background. 'He is not allowed to form relationships until probation know who with. The choice is that or jail - hard luck.' He ordered that Ford is not allowed to stay at a woman's house, have a woman stay at his house, or stay elsewhere with a woman, unless the probation officer knows her name and address beforehand. He said: 'Until this man sorts out . whatever it is going on his head that makes him behave as he does, I . have concerns about the danger he represents. Violent: Ford was told he must contact his probation officer if he wants to start a relationship when he appeared at St Albans Crown Court (above) this week . 'I am going to defer the sentence so he can continue to make progress on his order. I want monthly updates on this man. 'It is crucial that he does not enter any relationships with anybody at all without the knowledge of his probation. His past of cruelty to children and violence to women is troubling. 'If he enters a relationship where there are already children, the public duty will be to inform the children's family and schools so they appropriate steps can be taken to safeguard them.' The Judge decided not to send him to prison, but said he would force restrictions on his relationships to ensure the safety of women and children. Judge John Plumstead . It was on May 24 this year when Ford appeared before Judge Plumstead at St Albans Crown Court, where he pleaded guilty to possessing extreme pornographic images, six charges of making indecent images of a child and four counts of possessing indecent images of a child. He was sentenced to a 36-month community order and placed on supervision for 36 months and told he must attend the Thames Valley Sex Offenders Programme as directed by the probation service. He was also made the subject of a sexual offences prevention order and his name was put on the sex offenders register for an indefinite period. As a result, Ford was required to notify the police if he changed his address and it was his failure to do that landed him in trouble and back in court. Deferring sentence on Ford on Wednesday, the judge told him: 'If you do not make the progress, I expect I will bring you back and sentence you to as long as I can without troubling the court of appeal.' | Richard Ford, 41, must contact probation if he wants relationship . Possessed extreme . pornographic images and made indecent pictures of children . Judge: 'His past of cruelty to children and violence to women is troubling' | e32b5d6b20e69054ab9853bc13402323f4bcec97 |
Pippa Middleton has taken an advanced wine course to ensure she is properly equipped to be a roving sommelier - and passed with distinction. The Duchess of Cambridge's 31-year-old sister has already said she enjoys a glass of wine as part of her healthy living regime but has now shown serious knowledge of it. The brunette, who is in talks to sign a deal with NBC's Today Show, completed her advanced certificate at the Grape Experience Wine & Spirit School, passing with distinction. Scroll down for video . Healthy living: Pippa Middleton shares a tipple with her brother James Middleton - and says an occasional glass of wine is part of her healthy living regime . Hobby: Pippa says she enjoys a drink in moderation. Her distinction in her wine exam was praised by one of London's top sommeliers. The grade is a sign that she has a serious interest in - and knowledge of - wine. The exam is not for the uncommitted, as it covers knowledge of grape growth, harvesting, wine-making and labelling and other drinks as well. Emily O'Hare, head sommelier of the River Cafe in London, one of the city's top restaurants, said the course showed a serious interest in wine. 'It is a tough course,' O'Hare told MailOnline, . 'it is hard to pass as it requires a lot of study and to get Distinction it really means a lot of extra hours. 'There is a tasting paper of two wines examined blind and then a theory paper that tests the student on everything from vine health to the production of spirits. 1. What is “remontage”? a) Rousing of lees in cask during fermentation. b) Pumping of must over skins during fermentation. c) Heating of must to encourage fermentation. d) Working sediment onto the cork in bottle fermented sparkling wine. 2. Which one of the following Champagne styles is the driest? a) Dry . b) Brut . c) Extra Dry . d) Extra Brut . 3. What does the word “Quinta” mean on a bottle of Port? a) Vintage . b) Winery . c) Grape variety . d) Style . 4. Which one of the following descriptions is NOT permitted on a wine label, if the wine is to be sold within the EU? a) Catalunya Cabernet Sauvignon . b) Coonawarra Shiraz . c) Napa Valley Zinfandel . d) New Zealand Chablis . Scroll down for the correct answers . Questions from the Wine Standards Education Trust Advanced Certificate sample test . 'It requires great breadth of knowledge, and is a fantastic course.' Last month, Pippa revealed her secrets to her remarkably toned figure in her Mind & Body column in Waitrose Food Monthly, published by the British supermarket chain. It included 30-minute work outs at home, shunning diets, and enjoying food in moderation - and particularly a glass of wine. Writing in Waitrose magazine, Pippa said: 'I grew up with the belief that good health is about moderation in all things, so I'll be celebrating healthy living through exercise, a balanced diet and a little of the naughty stuff sprinkled in - I'm talking chocolate, crisps and the occasional glass of wine. 'I've never done Dukan, attempted Atkins or exercised religiously seven days a week, but I do believe in making healthy choices - keeping refined carbs such as white bread and pasta to a minimum, and sticking to sensible portion sizes.' Pippa is currently in negotiations with NBC about signing up as a correspondent for the Today show. She was spotted dashing in and out of the Big Apple last week for talks with Today show execs after filming a test segment in Wyoming.. Pippa flew to Jackson Hole, Wyoming, where she was spotted at a hoedown dance with locals surrounded by cameras. Pippa has been in talks with the 'Peacock Network' for a new job after she was interviewed by Matt Lauer this summer, the Today show presenter, sources at NBC have confirmed to MailOnline. NBC News previously denied that a deal was in the works but the network has reportedly been in serious talks with Pippa for months about becoming a lifestyle and health correspondent. Excited locals in Jackson Hole, posted pictures all over social media of Miss Middleton this week, dressed in boots, skinny jeans and wearing a checked shirt. Pippa performed a routine which involved some twirling and sashaying with an elderly gent in a cowboy hat before going on to have a drink at the bar. Sports fan: Pippa attended the ATP World Tour Finals tennis tournament in London this week . It's a real royal hoedown! Pippa Middleton was spotted in Jackson Hole, Wyoming last week taking part in country dancing while she was filmed by cameras in what was a test segment for NBC . Pippa got stuck in on the dancefloor in Jackson Hole at a local hoedown as she spun around with some locals . Emily hash-tagged one video clip with 'pippamiddleton' before saying that she had told the sister to the future Queen she was happy she visited, and received a gracious smile as a reply. Another person at the bar, Wyomingsith, remarked that she was 'moving quickly' and had only stayed for around ten minutes. Pippa first piqued NBC's interest in June when her interview, where she chatted over tea about her sister and Prince George, brought in high ratings for the network. It is expected that Ms Middleton, a former party planner and cookbook author who has been writing occasional columns about sports and lifestyle, will continue to focus on these subjects in her new role. NBC has declined to comment when approached by MailOnline. During her interview with Matt Lauer in June, which marked Pippa's first-ever TV appearance, the glamorous socialite shed light on her relationship with her sister, who is a member of the British Royal Family through her marriage to Prince William. A low-key Pippa in boots by Seven Boot Lane and jeans breezed through JFK on Monday, November 3, to a waiting SUV as she headed off for another meeting with NBC . Test run: Pippa Middleton's interview with Today's Matt Lauer in June brought in big ratings . Asked about her relationship with Kate, Pippa said she and her sister are still very close and enjoy doing 'sisterly things'. 1: a - Rousing of lees in cask during fermentation. 2: d - Extra Brut . 3: b - Winery . 4: d - New Zealand Chablis (Chablis is a geographical area, the others are grape varieties) Miss Middleton famously stole the spotlight during the Royal Wedding in 2011 when she donned a curve-hugging white bridesmaid’s gown for the ceremony. Pippa's media career has suffered a few minor setbacks this past year. Her party-planning book, Celebrate, suffered disappointing sales, and in May it was announced that Middleton had been dropped as a columnist for The Daily Telegraph after just six months. She still writes for Vanity Fair as well as supermarket Waitrose. Pippa is currently dating stockbroker Nico Jackson, 36, who in July took a new job at a hedge fund in Switzerland. | Pippa Middleton says she enjoys an 'occasional' glass of wine . She gained distinction in advanced exam in wine . Exam means two blind tastings as well as written paper . Brunette is in talks for Today show gig in New York . | dd292b981e2150281332a5fc776ad0e35c96f504 |
Clearwater, Florida (CNN) -- Jury selection in the case of Casey Anthony, who is charged in the death of her 2-year-old daughter, continued Tuesday as attorneys removed several people from the viable jury pool. The day was a setback for Chief Judge Belvin Perry Jr. of the Orange County Superior Court, who has said he wants to seat a jury as quickly as possible. The selection process has so far lasted eight days. The goal is to have everything finalized for opening statements this week. Attorneys and the judge have rejected potential jurors for reasons ranging from financial hardship to bias. Anthony, 25, is charged with capital murder in the death of her daughter Caylee. The young girl's skeletal remains were found in woods near her family's home in December 2008 after she went missing for six months. Anthony has pleaded not guilty. She faces six other charges, including aggravated child abuse, aggravated manslaughter of a child and misleading law enforcement. Jury selection is taking place at the Pinellas County courthouse in Clearwater, Florida. Attorneys on both sides struck several jurors Tuesday, whittling the potential pool of vetted candidates to just 11 -- six women and five men. Monday ended with 17 such candidates. Those remaining could still be cut before they are sworn in to serve. Twelve jurors and eight alternates were expected to be seated on the jury, which will be moved to and sequestered in Orange County, where the alleged crime happened and where the trial will take place. However, Perry on Monday raised the possibility the trial could move forward with fewer than eight alternates. "We will have what we will have," he said. Perry had said previously he would begin swearing in jurors once the number of unrejected candidates reached 15. Jury selection was moved from Orlando to Clearwater amid intense media coverage of the case, which could make it difficult to select an impartial jury. Prosecutors have said they plan to show Anthony used "a substance" to kill her daughter. Meanwhile, outside the courthouse, the parents of Casey Anthony are working to obtain trademarks for "Caylee Anthony" and "Justice for Caylee," according to their attorney, in a bid to prevent people from selling products that use their granddaughter's name. Mark Lippman, who represents George and Cindy Anthony, said they have also sent a demand letter, the first step in filing a claim for libel, to CafePress, a California-based online retailer that markets such products. HLN's Natisha Lance and In Session's Michael Christian contributed to this report. Watch Nancy Grace Monday through Sunday starting at 8 p.m. ET on HLN. For the latest from Nancy Grace click here. | NEW: Several people are struck as viable jury pool candidates . NEW: Attorneys and the judge have rejected potential jurors for financial hardship and bias . Opening statements could begin this week . Anthony is accused of killing her daughter and then lying to investigators . | 3bcf315f04c5206c2ff4f1e5a0904f5cbe83b268 |
By . Elliott Bretland . Follow @@EllBretland . Southampton have announced the signing of Romania defender Florin Gardos on a four-year deal. The 25-year-old moves to St Mary's from Romanian champions Steaua Bucharest and becomes Ronald Koeman's seventh signing of the summer. Speaking to the club's official website on Thursday, manager Koeman said: 'I am very happy to have Florin here. Done deal: Southampton have completed the signign of Romania defender Florin Gardos on a four-year deal . 'He's still a young player so he can develop himself a lot more, and that's part of the ambition of Southampton. 'From the beginning, after Lovren left the club, we paid a lot of attention to Florin. 'Everybody knows the big names and the big players, but it's always more difficult to find one who's not so well known. The information the club has given to me about him has been very good. 'For now and for the future, we have a very good central defender.' Gardos, an international capped 12 times by his country, added: 'This is one of the happiest days of my life. It's the biggest step of my career so far. 'Coming to the Premier League is a very big occasion for me, and Southampton was a team that had a really good last season so this wasn't really a hard decision. All smiles: Gardos signs his deal accompanied by Saints manager Ronald Koeman on Thursday . 'I've had a very good first impression of the club. There's a very big difference between what I had back home and what is here. 'I've always said that coming to Premier League would be a dream come true, and luckily I've been able to achieve that dream now.' Earlier on Thursday, the Saints completed the £12million signing of Hull striker Shane Long. | Southampton complete signing of Steaua Bucharest defender Florin Gardos . Romanian international becomes Saints manager Ronald Koeman's seventh signing of the summer . South Coast club also announced £12million capture of Hull striker Shane Long on Thursday . | ccf2346d37e0e5cd9421397a76b675aac75bbee8 |
Bill Organ’s sight was saved by injections of the drugs Avastin and Lucentis. Without them, the retired submarine captain would have lost his central vision — including his ability to recognise faces, drive, watch TV, or read books. Both drugs stop the loss of central vision caused by age-related macular degeneration (AMD), the leading cause of blindness. ‘The wet age-related macular degeneration (AMD) in my right eye was picked up shortly after I noticed problems with my sight. I had started seeing straight lines as wavy ones, said Bill Organ, aged 71 . The condition, which affects 500,000 people in the UK, comes in two forms: the ‘dry’ form, which progresses slowly, and for which there is no treatment, and the ‘wet’ form, which affects one in ten AMD sufferers. The latter form is more rapid, and can rob a person of sight within weeks or even days. Wet AMD, which Bill, 71, was diagnosed with five years ago, develops when abnormal blood vessels form underneath the macula — the central part of the retina responsible for seeing fine details — and damage its cells. ‘The wet AMD in my right eye was picked up shortly after I noticed problems with my sight. 'I had started seeing straight lines as wavy ones. 'For instance, lampposts, road markings and window frames would all look like they had kinks,’ says Bill, who lives in Winchester, Hampshire, with his wife Joy, also 71. Treatments for the condition — Lucentis, Avastin and a newer drug called Eylea — are injected directly into the eye. They help stop the growth of blood vessels in the eye, as well as preventing them from leaking, which helps to preserve and improve vision. Since his diagnosis, Bill has had upwards of 24 injections of all three medications. ‘The sight in my right eye has been restored to almost normal — I can still drive, play bridge and read,’ he says. ‘The injections saved me from going blind.’ Yet despite Lucentis and Avastin being equally effective and safe, Avastin is not widely available to patients. This is because it was originally devised as a cancer treatment, and so is not officially permitted to be used for AMD (although it can be prescribed on a case-by-case basis, if the doctor accepts personal responsibility). Independent trials, the latest of which was published in the influential Cochrane Reviews, have deemed the treatment safe for AMD. ‘The sight in my right eye has been restored to almost normal,' said Bill . Yet the Government watchdog, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), has not approved the drug for use in AMD patients — because it has not been officially licensed for this use — instead recommending that doctors use Lucentis or Eylea. Campaigners warn this is leaving patients without a treatment option, as the drug can be used in patients for whom Lucentis and Eylea don’t work. Furthermore, not being allowed to use Avastin means that the already cash-strapped NHS is having to spend a fortune on the other drugs needlessly. Lucentis costs around £700 per injection, while Avastin is nearly eight times cheaper, at £90 per injection (Eylea is the most expensive at around £900 per injection). Each patient usually needs around 12 jabs in a lifetime. Experts believe using Avastin, which is just as effective, could free up funds for treatment for other patients. Professor Andrew Lotery, consultant ophthalmologist at Southampton General Hospital, says most macular patients are still given the more expensive Lucentis — which is costing the NHS an extra £102 million a year. ‘This could be better spent on delivering other treatments for patients,’ he says. ‘At the moment, eye departments are so overstretched that they are struggling to see AMD patients in time for them to have their first injections, which should be given within two weeks. ‘Patients are going blind waiting to be treated in some cases.’ However, Professor Lotery, who co-authored a piece in last week’s British Medical Journal with the president of the Royal College of Ophthalmologists, which called for Avastin to be made available on the NHS, says the issue is complex and steeped in red tape. Although Avastin is licensed for bowel, breast, kidney and lung cancers, it isn’t licensed for AMD. Doctors only began using Avastin for AMD when they noticed that patients who were being treated for cancer reported their macular degeneration improved. It is up to the pharmaceutical company that manufactures Avastin — Roche — to apply for a licence for AMD, but this would require further clinical trials. Critics say that the firm has little commercial incentive to do this as, globally, it also manufactures the more expensive Lucentis (though it is marketed by company Novartis within the EU). Indeed Roche and Novartis were jointly fined €182.5 million by the Italian Anti-Trust Authority for ‘cartelising the sales of two major ophthalmic drugs’ — although both of the companies have denied this and an appeal is pending. The authority said that the two companies ‘colluded to exclude the cheap drug Avastin to channel demand towards the most expensive drug, Lucentis’. Until Avastin is licensed, NICE cannot approve its use. When a drug is not officially licensed for a condition, doctors need to prescribe the treatment ‘off-label’. However, Professor Lotery says the General Medical Council (GMC) states doctors should not use an unlicensed treatment where a licensed one exists. The cash-strapped NHS is having to spend a fortune on the other drugs needlessly . ‘Doctors risk personal liability and, technically, could even be struck off, or sued by a patient, if they use it,’ he warns. ‘We want the Department of Health to apply for a licence for Avastin. ‘There isn’t a precedent for this, but we would argue this is an exceptional case and the evidence is there to support this drug’s safety and effectiveness. NICE could then consider if this should be a recommended treatment. ‘Failing that, the GMC should indicate doctors will not face misconduct charges if they prescribe Avastin. We need some leadership from the Department of Health and GMC on this.’ The Macular Society charity is also calling for NICE to assess whether Avastin can be used for AMD. And John Harris, professor of bioethics at the University of Manchester, says it is ‘arguably immoral and unethical not to use Avastin’. ‘There seems to be no reason at all why the NHS should not use Avastin in preference to Lucentis,’ he says. A Roche spokeswoman confirmed the company has no plans to apply for a licence for Avastin to treat macular conditions or other eye conditions. A Novartis spokeswoman said: ‘As it is not a Novartis medicine, we are not in a position to comment on it.’ While the bureaucratic battles rage on, patients who suffer from other rarer eye conditions that also affect central vision, such as Vicky Smith, 30, are facing a fight to get any treatment with Avastin on the NHS at all. Vicky — who lives in Bungay, Suffolk, with her partner, Steve, 33, and their son, Tristan, 22 months — suffers from punctate inner choroidopathy (PIC), a rare eye condition, which can also cause loss of central vision and blind spots. ‘I first noticed I had a problem with my sight when I closed one of my eyes when applying eyeliner,’ says Vicky. ‘I realised that there was a big dot blocking the centre of my vision in my right eye.’ Doctors told Vicky she needed injections into her eye straight away — or would go blind within six months. ‘To make matters worse, I was told that Avastin, the treatment that could help, was not available on the NHS, as the drug wasn’t licensed to treat this condition,’ she says. Even if she could find a doctor who would prescribe the treatment off-label, Vicky says ‘the cost of having each injection privately would be £600 to £1,000’. ‘I didn’t have the money. The local NHS Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) turned down my application for funding, saying it wasn’t a licensed treatment.’ After Vicky’s local paper ran a story about her plight, the local CCG agreed to pay for the first injection. ‘I’ve since needed four more injections,’ she says. ‘But, each time, I’ve had to apply to the CCG again — it’s maddening. Avastin needs to be licensed for eye conditions.’ Bill Organ echoes her frustration. ‘The money saved could be invested into finding new treatments for other eye conditions,’ he says. ‘We need to use some common sense here.’ macularsociety.org . | Bill Organ’s sight saved by injections of the drugs Avastin and Lucentis . Age-related macular degeneration affects 500,000 people in the UK . Avastin is not widely available to patients . It is nearly eight times cheaper than Lucentis . | e815aa9f9886fddb63fc1e0e2a04a54dfbd3713d |
Cancer experts have warned of a 'frightening' crisis as pharmaceutical companies abandon production of one of the most widely used chemotherapy drugs because it is not profitable enough. Fluorouracil - also known as 5-FU - is one of the most frequently used components in chemo combinations used to treat bowel and breast cancer in the UK and worldwide. But cancer specialists in Germany have warned that the drug has become increasingly difficult to obtain as producers turn to newer, more profitable treatments. Fluorouracil, one of the most frequently used components in chemo combinations used to treat bowel and breast cancer, has become increasingly difficult to obtain as producers turn to newer, more profitable treatments . Out of the six companies that once supplied it to German cancer clinics, only one is still doing so. 'The situation is starting to frighten us,' said Thorsten Hoppe-Tichy, head of the pharmacy at Heidelberg university hospital. German cancer specialist Dr Wolf-Dieter Ludwig fears it is only a matter of time until supplies run dry . Pharmaceutical companies say the drug has become too cheap for them to make a profit on. One German-based former producer Medac admitted: 'The production of 5-FU is not profitable for us.' Cancer specialist Dr Wolf-Dieter Ludwig - chairman of the drugs section of the German Medical Association - said: 'It is only a question of time until we run into serious problems.' Sold under brand names Adrucil, Carac, Efudix, Efudex and Fluoroplex, 5-FU was designed, synthesized and patented by Charles Heidelberger in 1957. It has been used against cancer for about 40 years, acting as a thymidylate synthase inhibitor and belongs to the family of drugs known as antimetabolites. Some of its principal uses are in . colorectal cancer, and pancreatic cancer, in which it has been the . established form of chemotherapy for decades . | Fluorouracil is frequently used to . treat bowel and breast cancer . But cancer specialists in Germany have warned that the drug has become increasingly difficult to obtain . | 4f6c84ffc6b4bcc6ef652b1c8233485c5e3d7b40 |
Joran van der Sloot's wife says her husband was "seriously injured" in a stabbing at the Peruvian prison where he is serving time for murder, but a top prison official is calling her account an outright lie, according to reports. Leidy Figueroa, the Dutch convict's wife, told RTL, a newsgroup in the Netherlands that is also a CNN affiliate, that van der Sloot was stabbed twice. She further claimed that after visiting him Sunday at Challapalca prison in Puno Province, near the Bolivian border, where he is serving a 28-year sentence, she smuggled his bloody polo shirt out of the facility, RTL reported. Van der Sloot was stabbed in the shoulder and in the waist, and both wounds were about 2 centimeters (three-quarters of an inch) deep, she told RTL. Jose Perez Guadalupe, director of Peru's National Penitentiary Institute, which oversees the country's prisons, told a 24-hour television station that Figueroa's assertions were untrue and further labeled her a "compulsive liar." He continued with an assault on her character, telling Peru's Channel N, "For starters, no woman in her right mind goes to a maximum-security prison and marries the biggest killer there." Van der Sloot was convicted in 2012 of robbing and killing Stephany Flores. He has been linked to the disappearance of American teenager Natalee Holloway, who vanished in Aruba in 2005. Earlier this year, he married Figueroa at the notorious Miguel Castro Castro Prison in Lima where he was an inmate before being transferred to Challapalca. Van der Sloot is expected to become a father in September when the Peruvian woman gives birth to their child, lawyer Maximo Altez told CNN in July. Once van der Sloot is eligible for release he's expected to be extradited to the United States to face charges related to the Holloway case. The Alabama 18-year-old was last seen leaving an Aruba nightclub in 2005 with van der Sloot and two other men. Van der Sloot was indicted on federal charges of extortion and wire fraud after American authorities accused him of extorting money from Holloway's mother by offering bogus information about her daughter's disappearance. | Prison chief calls Leidy Figueroa a "liar," questions why she married prison's "biggest killer" Joran van der Sloot stabbed in shoulder, waist in prison, Figueroa tells CNN affiliate . Wounds are ¾-inch deep, she says, adding that she smuggled bloody shirt out of prison . Van der Sloot murdered Stephany Flores, linked to 2005 disappearance of Alabama teen . | 4b9d2a7fe681d24c712f16d090ac2955d614d2df |
Kabul, Afghanistan (CNN) -- A NATO-led International Security Assistance Force helicopter crashed Friday in Afghanistan's capital city of Kabul, killing 12 people, ISAF said in a statement. ISAF confirmed the helicopter "went down" but said the cause of the accident was unknown. "There was no report of insurgent activity in the area," said Capt. David Yaryar, an ISAF spokesman. ISAF did not immediately identify the nationality of the those killed in the crash, though the Kabul police chief said earlier that five bodies pulled from the wreckage and they were identified as Turkish citizens. Afghan police and fire crews were on the scene of the crash in Kabul's eastern district of Bagrami, said Gen. Ayob Salangi, the police chief. There were no immediate reports of civilian casualties. | NEW: Twelve ISAF service members died in the crash, ISAF says . The helicopter crashed in eastern Kabul, a police chief says . The casualties have been identified as Turkish citizens . There are no reports of civilian casualties, the police chief says . | 7e8d6ee63dd02e6774e43a8f3edebf3eaa87ac67 |
By . Catherine Hardy . While it's always good to listen to your feelings, women's tendency to follow their hearts over their heads means that men are far more decisive than women – and they don’t feel the need to ask for advice either. When it comes to making decisions, men are twice as likely as women to decide 'right away'. And although women take longer to come to decisions, and are twice as likely as men to consult their partner before making them, they are more inclined to regret their choices further down the line. Which to follow - the head or heart? Women and men make decisions very differently . The research, commissioned by swimming pool builders Origin Leisure, asked 2,000 men and women to evaluate their decisions in life and found women are much more likely to consider the opinions of friends and take time on their choices, while men adopt a more immediate process. A quarter of women said their approach was often to spend a long time mulling over the details of a decision before making it - but less than a fifth of men take the same approach. When a choice requires a bit of soul-searching, women are more likely to do something ‘from the heart’ than are blokes results found. Psychologist Cliff Arnall said: ‘There are stark differences between how men and women make decisions. Women’s significant reliance on others plus a reluctance to make a wrong decision points to a measurable lack of confidence compared to men.’ ‘Weighing up different outcomes and scenarios may seem like a good strategy but it appears to be accompanied by increasing levels of stress and uncertainty. Going round in circles soon becomes counterproductive and leads to decision paralysis and feelings of frustration.’ The study also found a quarter of Brits find it easier to make really big decisions than smaller ones, trusting their gut for ‘life-changing’ choices like whether to buy a house or propose to a partner, but then agonising over things like buying new clothes. Women spend longer on choices such as buying new jeans or shoes, and are more likely to consult a friend for advice . Cliff Arnall adds: “Heart and gut feelings operate at a much faster and more primitive level than regular thought processes. “The heart is based on emotion, the gut on survival. Gut feelings shouldn’t be dismissed as rash - 95% of the human body’s feel-good neurotransmitter serotonin is produced by the gut.” Seven in ten of us are prone to making bad decisions and more than half of the participants felt they were indecisive. Women are more likely than men to change their minds, and deliberate more over everything from whether to go on holiday or hand in notice at work, suffering the most back and forth on decisions around changing the look of their house or re-decorating. However, men showed more indecision than the fairer sex when it came to putting an offer in for a house, talking to someone they find attractive or deciding whether or not to ask a partner to move in. When thinking about the big decisions in their lives so far women cited starting a family as the biggest they’d made, while men chose buying a property. Interestingly, women were more likely than men to feel they get the smaller decisions wrong in life while men are most likely to feel they get big decisions wrong. But there are certain decisions we all make on the spot; one in five people in relationships knew they wanted to be with their partner within minutes of meeting. Men know sooner after meeting someone if they want to be in a relationship with that person, with 41 per cent making up their minds on the same day, compared to less than a third of women. And a third of homeowners knew their current property was for them almost instantly upon viewing it. So as long as we know what we want in our love life and home life, we should be alright. | Men are twice as likely as women to decide 'right away' Despite consulting others, women are more inclined to regret their choices . Women make decisions form the heart, while men follow their heads . Seven in ten Brits describe themselves as indecisive . | 1d85cd24f1fac06eddabfdea380da27c91aebb1b |
This is the touching moment a giraffe bid a sad farewell to a dying worker who had spent his entire adult life cleaning the animal's enclosure at a Dutch zoo. The 54-year-old maintenance worker, who has terminal cancer, asked that his hospital bed be wheeled into the giraffe enclosure at Rotterdam’s Diergaarde Blijdorp zoo. In a heartbreaking scene, one of the giraffes then approached the man, known only as Mario, and gave him a tender kiss goodbye. Scroll down for video . Heartbreaking: The touching moment a giraffe said goodbye to a terminally ill worker at a Dutch zoo . Special bond: The giraffe approached the man's hospital bed, and appeared to give the 54-year-old a kiss goodbye . ‘These animals recognised him, and felt that (things aren’t) going well with him,’ Kees Veldboer, founder of the Ambulance Wish Foundation - which transported Mario to the zoo - told Dutch newspaper Algemeen Dagblad. ‘(It was) a very special moment. You saw him beaming.’ Mario, who's mentally disabled, then asked for a moment to say goodbye to his colleagues at the zoo, where he spent the vast majority of his adult life. Last goodbyes: Mario, who is mentally disabled, then asked for a moment to say goodbye to his colleagues at the zoo, where he spent the vast majority of his adult life . Touching: Last year the charity took a terminally-ill 86-year-old man back to his farm in Oss, Holland, to say goodbye to his ponies . ‘It was very nice that we were able to work on the last wish of this man,' Mr Veldboer said. The Ambulance Wish Foundation is a charity whose volunteers specialise in taking non-mobile terminally ill patients fulfill their dying wishes. The organization was founded in 2007 by Veldboer, who also drives the company's fleet of ambulances to take patients wherever they wish to go. The ambulances are specifically designed with long windows so patients could watch the world go by while they were being transported. Last year the charity took a terminally-ill 86-year-old man back to his farm in Oss, Holland, to say goodbye to his ponies. | The 54-year-old, known only as Mario, is suffering from a terminal cancer that has left him with weeks to live . He spent most of his life working at Diergaarde Blijdorp zoo in Rotterdam, Holland, cleaning out the giraffes' enclosure . He asked that hospital bed be wheeled into the giraffe enclosure so he could say goodbye to the animals he knew . In heartbreakingly-touching scene, one giraffe approached Mario, in his portable hospital bed, and gave him a kiss . His dying wish was granted by the Ambulance Wish Foundation charity that grants dying wishes to the terminally ill . | e066bebf74f20a68d8b7f10c45e24d172d74b958 |
By . Leesa Smith . Complete chaos descended on Sydney Airport after the domestic terminal shut down for more than three hours today due to a power outage, causing long delays and cancellations of flights for thousands of disgruntled passengers. Power has now been fully restored at the T2 terminal and security screening has recommenced while airlines are back operating check-in counters and facilities. Jetstar advises passengers on flights that weren't cancelled, to head to the airport as scheduled, but delays were still expected. 'We are working to move passengers through the terminal as quickly as possible,' a Sydney Airport spokesperson said. Scroll down for video . Chaotic scenes at Sydney airport as a power outage shuts down the domestic terminal . Power is being 'progressively' restored at Sydney airport . Travel chaos: A power outage left thousands stranded at Sydney's T2 domestic terminal . A passenger commenting on the terrible timing of school holidays beginning today in NSW . A mother comforting her young baby as she sits on the airport floor while waiting to get on a flight . A Virgin plane grounded on the tarmac at T2 domestic terminal due to the power outrage . The severe delays come just as the school holidays kick in, with the power outage meaning passengers could not check in and security screening could not be carried. It is also believed some passengers were stuck inside planes due to the power cut. The scale of the disaster is evident by the fact that free water was being handed out to the stranded thousands, while the rest of the airports across the country were expected to inevitably suffer from the flow-on effect of the delays. The power outage happened at 8.30am this morning and staff were told at 9.30am it would be back on by 11.30 this morning. However, the airport then ordered the shutdown of lifts and elevators in an attempt to get the power up. The airport said the outage was caused by an issue with a substation that provides back up power to the airport. Although the power is back on, passengers have a long wait ahead with further delays expected while the backlog is cleared . The scale of the disaster is evident by the fact that free water is behind handed out to the stranded thousands . With continuing delays expected passengers will need to keep hydrated as they wait to board their flights . Passenger, Helen Hayes, decided to attempt to make her way back home from the airport. 'Giving up and going home. It's just as mad outside the terminal as in!' she tweeted. Tigerair cancelled six flights due to the extreme delays and 10 Jetstar flights were cancelled . Passenger Chris Dare sarcastically commented on the timing of the meltdown: 'It's lucky this airport blackout hasn't happened at an important time like school holidays.....ooooh.' Tigerair cancelled six flights due to the power outage chaos at Sydney airport . Rabbitoh Greg Inglis tweeted this photo of his team mates stranded at Sydney airport - waiting to get on a flight to Townsville to play the Cowboys tomorrow night . The South Sydney Rabbitohs' squad were among those affected, with the team traveling to Townsville to play the Cowboys in the NRL tomorrow night. Bunnies winger, Lote Tuqiri, tweeted; 'We're on a road to nowhere!!' While Channel Nine reporter Jayne Azzopardi tweeted: 'Just bumped into The Rabbitohs caught in Sydney airport chaos. Can't get to Townsville for the game.' Rabbitohs player Chris McQueen posted this photo on Instagram of his team mates just killing time until they can get on a flight at Sydney airport . The entire airport has come to a complete standstill in Sydney . The South Sydney Rabbitohs are travelling to Townsville to play the Cowboys in the NRL tommorow night . Author and journalist Tara Moss is one of thousands stuck at Sydney airport . A frustrated passenger tweets their luggage and boarding pass on the airport floor . Jetstar, along with Virgin and Tiger, were the airlines affected by the outage at T2 . | Power has now been fully restored at Sydney Airport T2 Domestic terminal . Security screening has recommenced and airlines are operating check-in counters and facilities . Tigerair has cancelled six flights, and 10 Jetstar flights are cancelled . Virgin check-ins have commenced, and Jetstar advises passengers on flights that weren't cancelled to go to airport as scheduled, but delays expected . Domestic flights of Jetstar, Virgin and Tiger are all affected . Those affected include NRL team,South Sydney Rabbitohs, who are travelling to Townsville . | 31d7a45a0452e1a78d3de10e79d1e2bd440d37a2 |
A driver has plunged to her death after reversing off the top of a multi-storey car park in China. Businesswoman Lin Yang, 33, was trying to park when her foot slipped on the clutch, sending the sports car through a barricade and off the edge of the third floor of the building in Chenggong city in southwest China's Yunnan province. An eye witness has described how the car flew off the edge of the car park. Tragic: Lin Yang's foot slipped on the clutch and she plunged to her death. Police say it was an accident . Top floor: The businesswoman was trying to park on the top floor of the car park in Chenggong city in southwest China's Yunnan province . Fai Lin, 34, said: 'I was driving up to the car park when I suddenly saw a car come flying over the edge and crash to pieces on the ground. 'I was absolutely shocked and ran over to see if I could help. 'But the woman was clearly dead.' A police spokesman said: 'A post mortem examination revealed the woman hadn't been drinking and security video footage shows it wasn't intentional, so we can rule out suicide. 'The car owner was attempting to reverse when the car suddenly lurched backwards and disappeared over the edge. 'It is tragic but it seems clear that this was down to human error.' Accidental: A post mortem examination revealed the woman had not been drinking and security video footage reveals it was not intentional . Legal action: Grieving husband Lin Li is suing the building's owners because 'barricades are supposed to be there to stop cars falling over the edge' However, the dead woman's distraught husband is suing the building's owners. Grieving Lin Li, 35, said: 'Barricades are supposed to be there to stop cars falling over the edge. 'But these ones are made of wire with a thin strip of concrete which is completely insane. 'How many more will die before they realise this?' A spokesman said: 'We are looking into the tragic accident and our thoughts are with the woman's family.' | Lin Yang, 33, was trying to park when her foot slipped on the clutch . Car crashed though a barricade and plunged three storeys down . Post mortem examination and video footage reveals it was an accident . Husband claims barricades are inadequate and is suing building's owners . | d653cdad1ecd9f9e0d385d385734bb87f5d7ba82 |
Another witness who claimed Labour’s biggest funder was embroiled in vote-rigging is standing by her account – piling more pressure on Ed Miliband to reopen an inquiry into the scandal. Michelle Hornall is one of several who claimed to have been signed up as Labour members without their knowledge by the union Unite. The development came as a Tory MP reported Unite to the police for alleged intimidation in a dispute with the bosses of one of Britain’s leading oil refineries. Ed Miliband, pictured in Edinburgh yesterday, is under increasing pressure to reopen an inquiry into Unite vote-rigging claims. At least two key witnesses insist they were signed up to Labour without their knowledge . The union deployed a squad to target senior staff of the Ineos chemical company and their families at their homes in a dispute over the Grangemouth plant. Mr Miliband has shelved an inquiry into allegations that Unite ‘stitched up’ the Falkirk seat by signing up members to the party without their consent earlier this year, saying that a change of heart by two whistleblowers meant there was no longer enough evidence to prove the claims. But on Monday, the Daily Mail revealed that Lorraine Kane, the whistleblower who first alleged she and her family had been signed up as Labour members without their consent, had rejected Unite claims that she had withdrawn her testimony. Now Mrs Hornall, a member of Mrs Kane’s family, also maintains she was signed up to Labour by Stephen Deans – the chairman of the local constituency party and a Unite convener – without her consent and using her maiden name, which she has not used since she was 20. Mr Deans has since quit his union role. Grangemouth oil refinery, where Unite members are accused of intimidation in a dispute with executives . Mrs Hornall has declined to speak . directly about what happened to her, but her husband, Steven Hornall, . said: ‘I think it is just going to drag on until it gets brushed under . the carpet.’ He told The Times: ‘Stevie Deans has not even been in touch . to see how they [members of his family] are doing. Tory MP Priti Patel has reported the union to police . 'This is all one man’s doing and it is our family being harassed over it.' But Mr Miliband said: ‘We’ve got very, very clear legal evidence from the people concerned about how that lady was signed up to the Labour Party. ‘What I’m saying to you is we’ve looked into all of the allegations that have been made, we’ve talked to that family and they’ve given us very, very clear evidence.’ Mr Miliband, who visited Scotland yesterday, said he agreed that ‘machine politics’ had been at work in Falkirk, but insisted he was satisfied there were no grounds for a second inquiry. A Unite spokesman said last night: 'The Kane family are not and never have been Unite members. Unite therefore did not sign them up to the Labour Party, either through the union-join scheme that then existed, or otherwise.' Late last month, police were called after Unite approached one executive’s neighbours, telling them he was 'evil', while the daughter of another had 'Wanted' posters denouncing her father posted through her letterbox. Yesterday Conservative MP Priti Patel said the tactics of the union were unacceptable and asked detectives in Hampshire and Scotland to investigate whether they had been in breach of the law. | Michelle Hornall claims she was signed up to Labour without her knowing . Union denies claim saying Mrs Hornall's family were never Unite members . MP Priti Patel has asked police to investigate Unite tactics at Grangemouth . | 1aba0eb90acf9b2b580c6d616af9257bc08250d9 |
London, England (CNN) -- On-form Wayne Rooney came off the bench to score the winner as Manchester United beat Aston Villa 2-1 in the English League Cup final at Wembley on Sunday. United manager Alex Ferguson opted to rest the England striker, preferring Michael Owen in attack alongside Dimitar Berbatov. Villa took the lead early on when James Milner converted a penalty after the pacey Gabriel Agbonlahor was pulled down in the box by Nemanja Vidic. Vidic was lucky not to receive a red card as he appeared to be the last defender. But United were back on level terms barely seven minutes later when Villa defender Richard Dunne lost the ball to Berbatov. Dunne's attempt at recovering the situation succeeded only in diverting the ball to the on-rushing Owen. The former Liverpool and Real Madrid frontman slid the ball first time past Brad Friedel and into the net. Owen, who has struggled to claim a regular starting place in the United side, was forced off just before the interval with a hamstring injury. The stage was set for his replacement, Rooney. The 24 year-old didn't disappoint as he nodded in a cross from Antonio Valencia with only 16 minutes remaining. After the match, Ferguson told Sky Sports he decided to drop his match-winner for the game because of the number of key matches coming up for the club -- including the Champions League second leg tie against AC Milan. "There are a lot of big games coming up now and that's why we didn't play him today, but he's had 45, 50 minutes," he said. "Michael Owen had a great first half, but unfortunately he got a hamstring injury and had to come off with that. Wayne comes on and scores the winning goal. With the form he's in you expect that." In the English Premier League, Tottenham Hotspur beat Everton 2-1 to regain fourth spot from Manchester City, who shocked leaders Chelsea 4-2 on Saturday. First half goals from in-form Roman Pavlyuchenko and the influential Luka Modric put them in charge at White Hart Lane, but Ayegbeni Yakubu's reply just after the break set up a tense second half. Liverpool stay a point behind in sixth place after a 2-1 home win over Blackburn with talismen Steven Gerrard and Fernando Torres scoring. Keith Andrews drew Blackburn level from the spot but Spanish striker Torres grabbed a valuable winner as he continues his comeback from an injury layoff. | James Milner penalty gave Aston Villa the lead at Wembley . Replacement Michael Owen leveled for United but then left pitch injured . Substitute Rooney headed the winner 16 minutes from the end . Tottenham and Liverpool win in English Premier League in battle for fourth spot . | ec1416d4a85f5657ec9efd809e6850b6cf483d42 |
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- President Barack Obama claimed the second major legislative victory of his young administration Wednesday, signing a bill to provide federally funded health care to an estimated 4 million children. President Obama says the SCHIP bill is a downpayment on his "commitment to cover every single American." The final version of the new law, which expands the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) by roughly $35 billion over the next five years, passed a sharply polarized House of Representatives earlier in the day, with almost every Democrat voting in favor of the expansion and most Republicans opposing it. With the bill, Obama said at a White House ceremony, "We fulfill one of the highest responsibilities that we have -- to ensure the health and well-being of our nation's children." The president said the bill was a downpayment on his "commitment to cover every single American." The SCHIP expansion is Obama's second major legislative win in less than a week. The first was Thursday's approval of the Lilly Ledbetter Pay Equity Act, which makes it easier to sue employers for wage-based discrimination. Learn more about the SCHIP program » . The expansion is also a sign of the strength of Washington's new Democratic majority. Former President George W. Bush vetoed two similar health care bills in 2007, arguing that the legislation would encourage families to leave the private insurance market for the federally funded, state-run program. Before the bill's passage, SCHIP covered almost 7 million children whose parents earn too much to qualify for Medicaid -- the federal health insurance program for the poor -- but who can't afford private insurance. The new law boosts total SCHIP funding to approximately $60 billion. The expanded program will be financed with a 62-cent-per-pack increase in the federal tax on cigarettes. "This is a day worthy of celebration. There can be no greater cause ... than protecting the well-being of our nation's children," New Jersey Rep. Frank Pallone, the legislation's primary House author, said shortly before the bill's final passage on a 290-135 vote. Passing the health program's expansion is "morally the right thing to do by our children," said freshman Rep. Tom Perriello, D-Virginia. "At a time when the cost of health care is crushing America's families ... this is an important lifeline." Opponents of the legislation argued that, among other things, it will allow undocumented immigrants to illegally access taxpayer-financed health care, and is insufficiently funded. "This will go out of control just like all the other [entitlement] programs have, and our children will pay," Rep. Jack Linder, R-Georgia, warned during the House debate Wednesday. Rep. Steve King, R-Iowa, ripped the bill as a "foundation stone for socialized medicine in the United States," arguing that raising the income limit for SCHIP eligibility will serve as the basis for a massive expansion of government-run health care. The Senate passed the expansion Friday in a 66-32 vote. All those voting against the bill were Republicans, though nine Republicans voted in favor of the measure. | NEW: President Obama signs State Children's Health Insurance Program into law . House approves the bill in vote that falls largely along party lines . SCHIP passed the Senate last week . SCHIP makes additional 4 million kids eligible for federally funded health insurance . | 642ef9066835ec36bc2bca620b4cee571fe8d1ff |
David Bentley readily admits that he fell out with every manager he played for — often because they felt he had an unsuitable attitude for a modern footballer. But as he recalls playing for the likes of Arsene Wenger, Mark Hughes and Harry Redknapp and explains why he decided to retire from football aged just 29, Bentley hardly appears to be someone with a problem. It was bold, maybe foolhardy, to give up potentially millions in earnings and a dream profession, but Bentley spent his entire career struggling with the restraints of the game. VIDEO Scroll down to watch an interview with Bentley on falling out of love with football . Speaking freely: David Bentley opens up about his life and career following his retirement from football . Pressure: Bentley's career fizzled out after he moved to Spurs for £15m from Blackburn . Frank: Former Tottenham star Bentley opens up to Sportsmail's Sam Cunningham . ‘Football was a sport I loved to play,’ Bentley recounts, his partner and three young children waiting nearby. ‘I did it for enjoyment. You express yourself. When you get to the top level it becomes a job. ‘There were a lot of reasons why at certain times I didn’t play. My point of view clashed with others. I fell out with pretty much every manager. They have five games now to save their job (so) if they see someone laughing and joking and having fun all the time, it might look like you’re not serious about saving their job.’ Growing up, Bentley viewed football differently. He looked up to players who, in his view, broke free from the commercial, PR-driven agenda which, he believes, shackles English players. His idols were Paul Scholes and Eric Cantona. His favourite player was Paul Gascoigne. Bentley was fascinated by their charisma and stage presence. Idols: Bentley worshiped Eric Cantona and Paul Gascoigne when he was growing up in London . ‘I always looked at how players were as people, as a sort of performer,’ he says, ‘Their stage presence was unbelievable. They could touch the ball four times but I loved watching them. ‘Nowadays you don’t see character and charisma. Every team plays the same, every player does the same thing. You aren’t going to remember any of them. Even the best players in the world — they just do their job and they’re a brand, controlled by an army behind them. ‘I was never really good at that. My flaw was I’d never touch my toes and take it like a good boy.’ It was April 1, 2013 when Bentley knew it was all over. He had gone back on loan to Blackburn Rovers and was starting a Championship match against Cardiff City. But it just did not feel right any more. He knew it was not what he wanted. It was his last game of professional football. ‘I’d gone back to Blackburn to try to get ignited again, to love the game again,’ he remembers. ‘And I just thought, it’s not for me. I’d stopped enjoying it. I knew I wasn’t going to do it again.’ Calling time: Bentley says when he was named on the bench for Blackburn against Cardiff during his second spell at the club he knew it was time for him to retire from the game . Final games: Bentley steers the ball past Millwall's Chris Taylor during an FA Cup match in 2013 . Bentley spoke to his agent, Rob Segal — who he had been with since he was 15 — and friends and family about the decision. It is now all about family for Bentley. He has a stake in La Sala, a restaurant chain in Marbella which is soon to expand to England, but his partner Kim, daughter Devon and his newborn twins are his life now. The family have moved to Marbella, although they came back for a spell so the twins would be born in England. He arrives for this interview at a Buckinghamshire hotel pushing the twins in a double pram, his wife and daughter in tow and with a big smile on his face. Devon interrupts early in our discussion to try to get daddy to come and play. ‘I’ve got work to do,’ he says. Then asks: ‘How much do you love me out of 10?’ Devon holds up 10 fingers. ‘Is that all?’ he asks again. She gives him a big hug. Under the spotlight: Bentley celebrates with Sol Campbell during his early days at Arsenal . As a young player, Bentley had it all. He trained with Arsenal’s Invincibles aged just 16 — having joined the north London club at 13 — playing alongside footballing greats Dennis Bergkamp, Thierry Henry, Patrick Vieira and Robert Pires. Under Wenger’s tutelage he was tipped to become the best player of his generation. His ability had him labelled the new David Beckham by then-England manager Steve McClaren. And Beckham seconded that view. Bentley played with flair and without fear, never afraid to try a trick and able to land a ball on a sixpence from 60 yards. Great expectations: People compared Bentley to Beckham after his brilliant early performances . Promise: Bentley showed signs of brilliance as a teenager for Arsenal and during a loan spell at Norwich . With that mixture of attitude and talent, he scored terrific goals — such as the 40-yard volley against Arsenal shortly after moving to Tottenham, one of the moments for which he will be most remembered. But Bentley could not force his way through at Arsenal and, as an ambitious 19-year-old, he wanted to play. After a loan spell at Norwich City, he found his calling at Blackburn. That was where he was happiest in football, in his first spell there. He initially signed on loan before making the move permanent on the final day of the transfer window in January 2006. The next day, he struck the first Premier League hat-trick conceded by Manchester United to stun them in a 4-3 victory. At Blackburn he became a star and amid interest from United, Liverpool, Arsenal and Chelsea, he signed a long-term deal. Blossomed: In his first spell at Blackburn he got called up to England squad and was likened to Beckham . ‘It was a good environment,’ recalls Bentley. ‘There was an old-school mentality. There was a family feel to it, I enjoyed going in. There were a lot of characters there: Robbie Savage, Dominic Matteo, David Thompson, Garry Flitcroft. ‘Every day it didn’t matter what the score was, who was better at this or that, everyone enjoyed being there, enjoyed each other’s company.’ But that all evaporated when he became the £15million man at Tottenham in July 2008, a figure which had the potential to rise to £17m with add-ons. It was a hefty price-tag for a 23-year-old. He signed a mammoth, five-year deal with wages in the region of £50,000 per week. Within a week he realised it was the complete opposite of what he had left behind at Ewood Park. Highlight: Arsenal goalkeeper Manuel Almunia fails to stop Bentley's fantastic long-range shot for Spurs . Good times: Bentley celebrates with Jonathan Woodgate after scoring from distance against Gunners . Transfer fee: But Bentley failed to nail down a first-team spot at White Hart Lane . ‘It was a difficult environment,’ he explains. ‘I had my opinion of football and I walked into the complete opposite of that. I didn’t see it coming.’ It failed to work there and four loan spells followed — including becoming the first English player to grace the Russian Premier League at FC Rostov — before he was substituted in the 62nd minute of that game against Cardiff and it was all over. From the very start, seeds of disillusion were already germinating. However much he loved playing, Bentley hated the element of control which plagues the modern game. Being told what to say, what to wear, where to go, when to do it — do this, be here, say that. Bentley believes this cripples ability and expression on the field. Shipped out: Bentley was allowed to leave Spurs on loan, with Birmingham one of his brief destinations . Hammer: The former England international spent time at West Ham in 2011 . ‘It’s why England fail,’ he explains. ‘That’s why we’ll never produce players. It’s about the mindset of the English game. ‘You look at Ross Barkley or Raheem Sterling; do you think Neymar or James Rodriguez are much better? Are they genetically built better? Or is it just in their mind? ‘When Neymar or Rodriguez go out on the field they’re relaxed. They love to play, with their heart. Young English players are mentally polluted so they can’t express themselves. ‘England will always struggle at major tournaments until somebody comes in to change the whole system. I played at every England youth level going and it was exactly the same.’ Bentley captained England U18s, was called up to play an England B match after a scintillating season in 2006-07 at Blackburn and was soon in the senior side. But his England period, when he won seven caps, was mired in controversy. Pedigree: Bentley appeared for the England senior team seven times during his career . In 2007, he was called up by Stuart Pearce for the U21 squad to play in the European Championship but pulled out, citing the need to rest. It went down dreadfully in England’s upper echelons and McClaren punished him by exclusion from a friendly against Germany. When he eventually made his senior debut against Israel, some England fans booed him. He laughs it off and adds: ‘It’s the control element in football that’s difficult to handle every day. These days it’s a business. It’s your job. I never saw it that way. ‘I’m so grateful for the game and what it gave me, especially financially, but I never wanted to play like that. ‘I’d coach my kids’ teams but I’d never go back to professional football. I don’t think it can be changed. It’s like politics now.’ People stop Bentley in the street and ask him why he’s packed it all in, given up the flow of riches, the dream. But, with a shrug, he responds: ‘I just tell them I’m happy.’ Interview courtesy of Impact Sports Management . | Former England winger announced his retirement at the end of last season . Midfielder says he fell out with every coach he played for during his career . He says he never considered football to be a business and so did not feel as if it were a real job . Ex-Blackburn and Tottenham player thinks England's young players are being 'mentally polluted' | 8959a23ab34401893c3744a1247e078c8657c695 |
(CNN) -- An Idaho man who admitted trying to assassinate President Barack Obama by shooting at the White House received a 25-year prison sentence on Monday. Oscar Ortega-Hernandez, 23, appeared in federal court after pleading guilty in September to terrorism and weapons charges. He had been originally indicted on 17 criminal counts. Prosecutors had charged Ortega-Hernandez with firing a Romanian-made assault rifle out of the window of his car the evening of November 11, 2011. After sending a number of rounds toward the White House, he sped away toward a bridge leading to the Virginia suburbs, but crashed his vehicle and fled on foot, officials said. The government said Ortega-Hernandez's fingerprints were found on ammunition magazines left in a 1998 Honda, but not on the weapon itself, which also was left in the car. Neither the President nor his family were at home at the time of the incident. "This man drove cross-country to launch an assault rifle attack on the White House from Constitution Avenue," said U.S. Attorney Ronald Machen, whose office prosecuted the case. "He was motivated by hatred for the President and the desire to start a revolution against the federal government. "We are very fortunate that his bullets narrowly missed the U.S. Secret Service officers guarding the White House that night. This 25-year prison sentence demonstrates that anyone who comes to the nation's capital planning to use violence should expect to spend decades behind bars." Ortega-Hernandez was captured at a Pennsylvania motel five days after the incident. In court documents, prosecutors argued Ortega-Hernandez was dangerous and planned out his alleged crime over a period of months. According to the FBI, Ortega-Hernandez's friends reported that he made anti-government statements beginning in 2010. Officials said he believed the federal government was trying to control Americans through GPS, fluoride and aspartame. He was also angry at what he believed was U.S. bullying of other countries, including in the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, and claimed that the President was the "anti-Christ" and told friends he was "on a mission from God to take out Obama." | Idaho man admitted that he wanted to kill the President . Oscar Ortega-Hernandez pleaded guilty to terror, weapons charges stemming from 2011 incident . He fired a number of rounds at the White House from assault rifle, authorities said . | 7da403e931971fb5e4a61b248298c7bf6e38d573 |
The number of unaccompanied minors entering the United States via Mexico has now exceeded 60,0000. According to Homeland Security figures, the number of young Central Americans who have crossed into the U.S. reached 62,000 at the end of last week. The flood of unaccompanied children crossing the border illegally, mostly from Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador, has caused a humanitarian crisis for the Obama administration. Scroll down for video . Flood: 62,000 unaccompanied minors have crossed into the U.S. this fiscal year so far. Here, Honduran immigrants Maria Celeste Castro and her daughter Melida Patricio, two, wait as a Border Patrol vehicle arrives to transport their group to a processing center after they crossed the Rio Grande into Texas on July 24 . It's also caused a budget dilemma, with the number of unaccompanied minors likely to reach 90,000, a significant increase on the 38,293 of the previous two years combined. reports CNN. Housing so many children, some as young as three, has caused overcrowding at federal facilities and now taxpayer-funded private facilities are being used to care for the children pending the determination of their immigration status. The Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR), an arm of the Health and Human Service Department, is responsible for the care of the children after they are apprehended, but with state shelters full, private facilities are receiving millions in taxpayer dollars to take on the overflow. Ebb: According to officials, the tide of immigrants is beginning to slow. Here, Honduran undocumented immigrant Laura Fabio, two, waits for her mother after they crossed the Rio Grande illegally into the United States on July 24 . CBS reports that Southwest Key is one such company. It operates 25 shelters in 15 cities in Texas, Arizona and California that provide legal and medical services as well as schooling. The ORR aims to resolve a child's immigration status within 45 days. On Friday, House Republicans managed to pass two bills to force the White House to deal with the child migrant surge more speedily. The bills would provide emergency funding, faster deportations and rescind President Obama's authority to decide the fate of certain illegal immigrants. The bills, strongly opposed by the White House and most Democrats, is unlikely to become law, reports the Washington Post. According to the White House, the flood of unaccompanied minors has recently begun to slow. | The number of undocumented minors who have crossed into the U.S. is now 62,000 . The immigrants are mostly from Honduras, Guatemala and El Salvador . Federal facilities are full and now state-funded private facilities are taking on the overflow . House Republicans passed two bills Friday to speed the processing and deportation of immigrants . They are unlikely to become law . | 24e525b2fac2d463f1b8bc159a31e9cf06664a64 |
Kevin Ward Jr., a New York sprint car driver who was killed Saturday night after an on-track incident with NASCAR driver Tony Stewart, died of "massive blunt trauma," authorities said Monday . Sheriff Philip C. Povero told reporters that the Ontario County medical examiner finished an autopsy on the 20-year-old driver on Monday. Povero also said investigators were reviewing a second video of the incident in which Stewart's car struck Ward as the young driver stood on the dirt track after a spin out. Ward died of his injuries before an ambulance arrived at a hospital. The sheriff said the investigation was progressing well, but gave no timeline as to when it would wrap up. He reiterated that there was no evidence at this point that a crime has been committed. Investigators spoke to Stewart's representatives on Monday, the sheriff said. Stewart was interviewed after the incident, authorities have said. On Saturday night, Ward's sprint car hit the outside wall during lap 14 of a 25-lap race put on by the Empire Super Sprints series at the Canandaigua Motorsports Park in upstate New York. A video of the incident shows two cars coming out of a turn with Stewart's No. 14 car sliding up the track toward Ward's No. 13 car. The two cars get close and appear to make contact before Ward's car hits the wall and spins out. Another car narrowly avoids hitting the 13 car as its sits on the track facing the wrong direction. Ward gets out of his crashed car and walks determinedly on the track toward the race cars, which had slowed for a yellow flag. Ward points a finger and appears to be yelling. One car swerves to avoid Ward on the half-mile dirt track. Stewart's car passes close to Ward, and it appears that its right rear tire hits him. The second video was taken from a different angle, the sheriff said without elaborating. Ward's funeral will be held Thursday, according to an update on the Empire Super Sprints website. "The entire Ward family sends their sincere thanks to all that has send their heartfelt notes, calls, texts, anything that has been sent their way," the post says, adding the family is "very proud of Kevin." Stewart express sadness . "There aren't words to describe the sadness I feel about the accident that took the life of Kevin Ward Jr.," Stewart said Sunday, according to a written statement tweeted by NASCAR. "It's a very emotional time for all involved. ... My thoughts and prayers are with his family, friends and everyone affected by this tragedy." Stewart decided not to take part in Sunday's NASCAR event at Watkins Glen, New York. Whether he competes in this weekend's event is still undecided. "The decision to compete in this weekend's NASCAR Sprint Cup Series event at Michigan will be Tony's, and he will have as much time as he needs to make that decision. It is still an emotional time for all involved, Tony included. He is grieving, and grief doesn't have a timetable," spokesman Mike Arning said. Opinion: Why Tony Stewart isn't likely to face charges in racetrack death . Ward began racing at 4 . Ward, from Port Leyden, New York, was in his fifth season in the Empire Super Sprints series. He began racing when he was 4, running go-kart events. A competitor who runs the car that swerved around Ward expressed sympathy. "Our deepest condolences go to the entire Ward Family. We are one huge ESS family, you will be truly missed bud! #RIP13," Hebing Racing tweeted. Stewart is a three-time champion in NASCAR's top division and won a sprint car championship in 1995. He also owns a dirt race track in New Weston, Ohio, and has frequently raced sprint cars, even during the NASCAR season. He broke a leg last year in a sprint car crash that ended his racing season. He has raced the full NASCAR season this year but only returned to sprint cars in July. In 2013: Injuries as debris flies into Daytona stands during fiery NASCAR crash . Jason Leffler, accomplished race car driver, dies in dirt-track accident . | Investigators are looking at a second video recorded Saturday night, sheriff says . Medical examiner releases only cause of death, no further details . Authorities speak with Tony Stewart's representatives . Kevin Ward Jr. died from injuries after Stewart hit him during a caution lap . | fdc0832df4e0c962eb3a10db1519dc4b6630bcbe |
A Spanish nurse who treated an Ebola victim in Madrid has become the first person in the world to contract the deadly virus outside of Africa. The 44-year-old is said to have spent the last 15 years working at Madrid's Carlos III Hospital, where the two Spanish missionaries infected with Ebola died. The woman, who is married, was part of the team that treated Spanish priest Manuel Garcia Viejo, who was brought back from Africa last month so that he could be treated for the deadly virus. Scroll down for video . The Spanish nurse has become the first person in the world to contract Ebola outside of Africa after treating a patient with the deadly virus at Madrid's Carlos III Hospital. Pictured: Police escort an ambulance with the nurse . The medical workers donned full protective clothing as they transported the nurse between Spanish hospitals . The 44-year-old Spanish woman was moved between the hospitals in a special fully-incubated stretcher . Medical staff could be seen removing the woman on an enclosed stretcher out of the ambulance last night . The woman has moved from Alcorcon Hospital to Madrid's Carlos III Hospital by those in full protective suits . A medical worker in protective gear stands next to a special stretcher carrying the infected Spanish nurse . Two separate tests confirmed that the woman, who has yet to be named, had contracted the disease. Colleagues tonight expressed their surprise at news that the nurse, from Galicia in northwest Spain, had caught the virus, saying that there had been 'extreme' measures in place to protect staff. One told Spanish daily El Pais that nurses were equipped with two protective overalls, two pairs of gloves and glasses. All medics had to use a special card to access the hospital's sixth floor - where the two men were treated. The Carlos III Hospital was evacuated before the arrival of the first missionary, Miguel Pajares, who contracted the disease in Liberia, but not for Mr Viejo as the sixth floor had already been hermetically sealed. Mr Pajares, the first person in Europe to be treated for Ebola, died at Madrid's Carlos III Hospital in August despite receiving experimental drug ZMapp after he returned. The Spanish nurse was part of the team that treated Spanish priest Manuel Garcia Viejo, who was brought back from Africa last month so that he could be treated for the deadly virus pictured. He died on September 26 . Mr Viejo was a member of the Hospital Order of San Juan de Dios who worked in the Western city of Lunsar . Mr Viejo died at the hospital the following month after contracting the virus in Sierra Leone. Ebola spreads through contact with the bodily fluids of someone who has the virus and the only way to stop an outbreak is to isolate those who are infected. The current outbreak in west Africa, the worst ever, has infected nearly 7,500 people and caused more than 3,400 deaths. The Spanish nurse is understood to have tested positive for Ebola in a first analysis after going to hospital in Alcorcon near Madrid with a high fever early this morning. Doctors isolated the emergency treatment room. A Ministry of Health source told respected daily El Mundo: 'She arrived at the University Hospital Alcorcon Foundation with fever and has undergone tests. The first test has come back positive.' Spain's Health Ministry today held a crisis meeting as they awaited for the results to be confirmed. British nurse William Pooley, 29, who was infected with the virus while working in Sierra Leone, recovered last month after being flown back to London for treatment. He later jetted to the US to give blood to an American battling the disease. Thomas Duncan, the first person diagnosed in the west with the disease, contracted Ebola last month in Liberia and is now 'fighting for his life' at a hospital in Dallas after flying to the US to visit his fiancee. Spanish nurse, Manuel Garcia Viejo, is pictured being flown home from Sierra Leone in a plastic isolation chamber. It is understood that the female Spanish nurse was part of the team that treated him . The researchers at Northeastern University, in Boston, calculated the countries most at risk in the short term, are: . Leading charity Save the Children warned recently Ebola is spreading at a 'terrifying rate' with the number of recorded cases doubling every week. Speaking at a conference in London co-hosted with Sierra Leone last week, UK Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond called for more financial aid, doctors and nurses. Scientists have warned that the deadly virus could spread across the world infecting people from the U.S. to China within three weeks. There is a 50 per cent chance a traveller carrying the disease could touch down in the UK by October 24, a team of U.S. researchers have predicted. Using Ebola spread patterns and airline traffic data they have calculated the odds of the virus spreading across the world. They estimate there is a 75 per cent chance Ebola will reach French shores by October 24. And Belgium has a 40 per cent chance of seeing the disease arrive on its territory, while Spain and Switzerland have lower risks of 14 per cent each. A team of scientists at Northeastern University in Boston have used air travel information to predict where the deadly Ebola virus could reach in the next three weeks . Professor Alessandro Vespignani of Northeastern University in Boston, who led the research, said: 'This is not a deterministic list, it's about probabilities – but those probabilities are growing for everyone. 'It's just a matter of who gets lucky and who gets unlucky. 'Air traffic is the driver. 'But there are also differences in connections with the affected countries (Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone), as well as different numbers of cases in these three countries - so depending on that, the probability numbers change.' | Unnamed nurse believed to be part of team that treated Manuel Garcia Viejo . First test on the woman has come back positive after going to hospital today . Spanish missionary was brought back from Africa last month for treatment . He died on 26 September at Madrid's Carlos III Hospital from deadly virus . | 5ee6579fb101705a008ed43b1b9f0abcf8c1e8ac |
(CNN) -- For the first time, newly released search warrant documents show why authorities began investigating former NFL star Aaron Hernandez as a possible suspect in an unsolved Boston double homicide in July 2012. The warrant and accompanying eight-page affidavit do not state whether Hernandez is believed to have been directly involved in the drive-by shooting, nor is there a suggested motive. But as CNN has previously reported, a grand jury has been looking into whether Hernandez played a role in the drive-by shooting, according to law enforcement sources. No charges have been filed and authorities have not commented publicly on the investigation. That 2012 shooting is separate from a 2013 killing in which Hernandez is charged and awaiting trial. Hernandez, 23, was indicted for first-degree murder and weapons charges by a different grand jury in August , 2013, in the shooting death of his friend Odin Lloyd. Hernandez has pleaded not guilty. The former New England Patriots' tight end was arrested in late June, 10 days after authorities say Lloyd, a 27-year-old semi-pro football player, was killed in North Attleborough, Massachusetts. The search warrant and affidavit reveal that an anonymous tipster contacted police days after Lloyd's execution-style shooting to talk about the separate drive-by shooting the previous year. A man who was identified as a security supervisor at a nightclub in Boston tipped off authorities that he "had knowledge the two incidents were related," according to the newly released search warrant, which was executed in December. When a dispatcher asked how the tipster knew about two incidents that occurred nearly a year apart, the caller said, "Someone accidentally spilled the beans on me," according to the warrant's affidavit, which didn't elaborate on that point. In the affidavit, a detective wrote that the man had "very specific details" about a suspicious vehicle with Rhode Island license plates, and information about the date, time, and place of the 2012 double homicide. The man told detectives his source for the information was a patron of the nightclub who he knew as "B" or "G." The affidavit said that, before the tipster's call, Boston detectives involved in the 2012 drive-by investigation were watching TV news reports when they heard that Hernandez was a possible suspect in Odin Lloyd's murder. The detectives remembered seeing Hernandez on the nightclub's surveillance video screened in July, 2012. These two disparate pieces of information prompted police to take a closer look at surveillance videos already examined, including those from another nightclub, called Cure, and a nearby parking garage, according to the court documents. Judge seizes home of Aaron Hernandez . After going back to the surveillance tapes, authorities recognized Hernandez driving a silver Toyota 4Runner into a parking garage just after midnight on July 16, 2012, the warrant states. About a half hour later, Hernandez is seen with another man later identified as Alexander Bradley following the soon-to-be victims of the double homicide and two other men as they entered the nightclub Cure about midnight, the affidavit adds. Ten minutes later, "after consuming two drinks," Hernandez is seen leaving Cure with Bradley. the document says. At about 2:20 a.m., a video reviewed by police showed the same silver SUV looping around the block "at a very slow rate of speed" after the victims leave the club and enter a parking garage, the documents show. A short time later, police said, victims Daniel Abreu and Safiro Furtado, were fatally shot in a 2003 BMW. Two others in the car survived. There is no video of the shooting. One of the survivors told police that just before the gunfire, an SUV was stopped next to them at a red light. According to the documents, another witness came forward on July 19, 2012, days after the double homicide. A man told police he and a friend saw a Nissan or Toyota SUV with Rhode Island plates pull next to his car, then run a red light the night of the double homicide. The driver was described as a "light-skinned Hispanic man with short hair," the documents state. At the next intersection, the witness said, the same SUV pulled next to a BMW. Then, according to the warrant, the witness heard six quick gunshots, pulled up to the BMW, and saw the wounded men inside. He called police. At the time, Boston police asked the public to be on the lookout for a light-colored or silver SUV but were unable to locate the vehicle with Rhode Island plates. That changed after Lloyd's murder when the focus on Hernandez as a possible suspect in Lloyd's death led police to his uncle's home in Bristol, Connecticut. Who was Odin Lloyd . Inside the uncle's garage, authorities discovered a silver Toyota 4Runner with Rhode Island license plates, according to sources. As CNN has previously reported, law enforcement sources believe it is the same vehicle described in the unsolved double homicide in Boston. The warrant confirms the vehicle is the same SUV given to Hernandez by a dealership return for promoting its business. Police have since recovered a .38 caliber handgun they've identified as the murder weapon in the unsolved double homicide in Boston. But police have not established a connection between the gun and Hernandez. Hernandez hit with wrongful death suit . Alexander Bradley, the man identified by the document and law enforcement sources as being with Hernandez in the club the night of the double homicide, is suing Hernandez for allegedly shooting him in the face last year in Florida after they left a Miami strip club. According to law enforcement sources, Bradley has testified before separate grand juries investigating the unsolved Boston homicides and Lloyd's murder. However, before Bradley appeared before the grand juries, he was jailed in Connecticut because he failed to show up despite a subpoena. The new court documents state while in jail, Bradley's calls were routinely recorded. According to the documents, when a correction's officer listened to the conversations -- five of them in October, 2013 -- he heard Bradley "discussing details of the Boston homicide investigation." The affidavit doesn't reveal who he was talking to or exactly what was said. Bradley's attorney did not respond to a CNN call on Thursday. He previously has declined to address any details about his client beyond acknowledging the lawsuit. | Former Patriots tight end Aaron Hernandez is charged in a 2013 homicide . A search warrant reveals now why authorities began eyeing him in a 2012 shooting . The search warrant was based on a call from an anonymous tipster . In the 2012 double homicide, two men were shot outside a Boston nightclub . | 4a9903e75f247821c1137c06a980bf6cae71157e |
A new doping scandal involving Russian athletes has erupted after the IAAF confirmed it is investigating allegations that race walker Elena Lashmanova, who won gold at the London Olympics, took part in a race in December despite being subject to a two-year doping ban. The IAAF, athletics' world governing body, has confirmed it is looking into the claims, and alleged attempts to cover up her participation. The IAAF is already involved in a major investigation into allegations from German broadcaster ARD that doping and cover-ups are rife in Russian athletics. Former Olympic and world race walk champion has been accused of competing while serving a drug ban . Lashmanova, 22, who in 2012 became the youngest winner of the women's Olympic 20-kilometre walk, is banned until February 2016 after testing positive for banned hormones and modulators of metabolism. Claims surfaced in Italian race walking periodical Marcia dal Mondo that she competed in the indoor regional championships of her home region of Mordovia in Russia last month, and photographs were published of her participating. The event organiser has claimed the photographs were wrongly used and were from a 2012 event. Canadian race walker Evan Dunfee has posted a blog about the claims however, saying the footwear being worn by the walkers in the pictures where Lashmanova is photographed were not available until 2014. If the claims are proven, Lashmanova faces being banned for an extra two years until February 2018. An IAAF spokesman told Sportsmail: ' The IAAF has been informed of this and our anti-doping department is investigating.' THe Russian athlete celebrates after wining gold in the 20km walk at the 2012 London Olympics . Last month, the son of IAAF president Lamine Diack stepped down from his activities with the governing body pending the investigation into the allegations from German television. Papa Massata Diack, who works for the IAAF as a marketing consultant, joined Valentin Balakhnichev, the president of the Russian athletics federation and the IAAF's treasurer, in agreeing to step down. Balakhnichev continues in his role with the Russian federation and said the allegations about Lashmanova were being looked into. He told R-Sport agency: 'We've started an investigation into the case. Its results will be announced shortly.' The IAAF investigation also covers a list of 150 athletes obtained by ARD named as having suspicious blood results between 2006-2008. It included three Britons, one with a high profile. | Elena Lashmanova won gold in race walking at the London 2012 Olympics . The Russian athlete was banned later until February 2016 after testing positive for banned substances . IAAF are investigating claims that she competed in her regional championships last week and attempts to cover this up . | 3c15ea011368cc21b7f476ca88900f26b91e7f68 |
Elephants are known for their impressive memories, but they are also adept meteorologists, a new study claims. Researchers say the large animals can detect an approaching rainstorm up to 150 miles (241km) away. And they think elephants’ forecasting abilities could be used to help conservationists monitor herds to keep them safe from poachers. Scroll down for video . More accurate than weathermen? Elephants can detect an approaching rainstorm up to 150 miles (241km) away, scientists say. They think elephants’ forecasting abilities could be used to help conservationists monitor herds to keep them safe from poachers . Unsurprisingly, considering the size of their ears, elephants have good hearing and can detect very low frequencies, PopSci reported. Scientists believe the creatures can hear low rumbles of thunder and the sound of heavy rain miles away to predict when wet weather is approaching. They came to this conclusion after studying herds of elephants that suddenly migrated in Namibia. The behaviour has previously not been explained, according to the study published in the journal Plos One. Excellent listeners: Scientists believe the creatures can hear low rumbles of thunder and the sound of heavy rain miles away to predict when wet weather is approaching. A rain front approaching in Namibia is pictured . Three years ago, scientists found that older elephants are best at making decisions about predators, because they remember similar situations they have encountered before. When families were played male or female lion roars from a loudspeaker - simulating their presence - those with older matriarchs correctly focused their defensive reactions on male lions that are the more adept killers. Dr Karen McComb, of the University of Sussex, and colleagues said the ability to make this subtle distinction highlights the importance of age in leadership and the advantage of longevity in large-brained, social mammals. During 72 playbacks of lion roars among 39 family groups in Boseli National Park in Kenya over more than two years, the oldest matriarchs listened intently for longer periods and led their group into more defensive positions when it was a male roar. Oliver Frauenfeld, a geology professor at Texas A&M University said: ‘They’ve been observed to change the places they go and the speeds they go rather quickly. To uncover what prompted such movement, Professor Frauenfeld and his team potted the movements of nine elephants wearing GPS trackers belonging to different herds – for a total of seven years. They found that the elephants constantly changes course during the rainy season in Namibia, between January and March. The experts observed that the elephants could ‘sense’ that were hundreds of miles away to predict and move towards the rainstorms. Professor Frauenfeld said: ‘They need the rain. After a prolonged dry season, once the elephants hear the rain, they start moving towards it and it allows them to get the water sooner.’ He thinks that knowing how elephants chase storms will help conservationists predict their movements and guard them from poachers. Thirst work: Elephants constantly changes course during the rainy season in Namibia, between January and March. Their hear approaching rain, means they can start moving towards it to quench their thirst sooner. A mother and her calf are pictured on a rainy plain . | Experts at Texas A&M University tracked elephants from different herds, roaming plains in Namibia, southern Africa, for seven years . They discovered the animals can detect rain up to 150 miles (241km) away . They changes course constantly throughout the three month rainy season . Scientists think they can hear low frequency rumbles of thunder and rain . Forecasting ability lets elephants move towards much-needed water . It could also help conservationists protect them from poachers . | 5bcab251ca56758b3886aecd18582f62fa08465c |
By . Hannah Roberts . Amanda Knox inflicted the fatal knife wound that killed Meredith Kercher, a court has ruled. High on drugs, she cut the British exchange student’s neck with a kitchen knife during a row over money, the court in Italy has said. Miss Kercher, 21, a Leeds University student, was found half-naked, her throat slit, in the cottage she shared with Knox in Perugia, Italy, in November 2007. Scroll down for video . The appellate court in Florence has released papers saying that British student Meredith Kercher (left) argued with American roommate Amanda Knox (right) about money on the night Kercher was killed . The 337-page document adds that Kercher's wounds show she was held down and then stabbed, ruling out the possibility that there was only one attacker . Knox, . 26, and former boyfriend Raffaele Sollecito, 29, served four years for . the brutal murder before being exonerated on appeal in 2011. Then, . in a retrial earlier this year, the pair’s acquittal was overturned and . they were sentenced to 28 and 25 years respectively. A third man, . Ivory Coast national Rudy Guede is serving a 16-year sentence for the . killing. The court in Florence has now published the reasons behind Knox and Sollecito’s reconviction. Prosecutors . had originally maintained the murder was the result of a sex game gone . wrong, but the judges dismissed this theory, saying an agreement to have . group sex ‘was not compatible with Meredith’s character’. Found guilty: Knox and Socellito served four years in prison before being acquitted and released. However, they were reconvicted by the Florence appeals court on January 30, and sentenced to 28 and 25 years respectively . The killing, . they said, followed an argument between the two girls, which ‘exploded . into violence’ with Knox under the influence of drugs. Statements by Guede, taken by police, said that Kercher had previously accused Knox of taking money from her room. Court papers conclude that Miss Kercher must have had 'multiple aggressors' and her death was not solely down to Rudy Guede (file pic) And . on the night of the murder these tensions came to a head when Amanda . let Rudy, an acquaintance who had a history of petty crime, into the . house, the judges said. ‘Because the accused were high and because of the level of tension between the girls, it exploded into violence.’ During . the attack it was Rudy who held Meredith back, while Amanda slit her . throat, the reasoning said. Sollecito also held a knife. ‘The . DNA on her wrists and inside Meredith lead us to say that Rudy during . the attack was not holding a knife but had his hands free which he used . to carry out sexual violence and to help to immobilise the girl.’ Of . two knives used in the murder, the smaller one, which produced the . wound on the right side of the neck, was held by Rafaelle Sollecito, it . said. ‘The blade which . produced the wound on the left side of the neck, from which most of the . blood emerged and which caused the death of Meredith Kercher, was held . by Amanda Knox,’ the court report said. The . judgment reinstated two crucial pieces of DNA evidence discredited in . the original appeal court that let Knox and Sollecito walk free. The . amount of DNA on the alleged murder weapon, a kitchen knife seized from . Sollecito’s house which had traces of Miss Kercher on the blade, was . then disputed as too small. Papers say that Knox killed Miss Kercher, and was backed up by boyfriend Sollecito (pictured) And the court found DNA on Miss Kercher’s . bra strap belonging to Rafaelle Sollecito could have been the result of . contamination. But in the . latest judgment the court confirmed that the kitchen knife ‘had the . victim’s DNA on the blade… and was the same knife used by Amanda Marie . Knox to stab Meredith Kercher in the left side of the neck, in so . causing the only mortal wound’. The court accepted that Sollecito’s DNA . was on Meredith’s bra, leaving them ‘in no doubt that Amanda and . Rafaelle were in the house that night’. Italy’s . highest court must now confirm the conviction. Then Italy will attempt . to extradite Knox but their chances of success are minimal, diplomatic . sources say. The American said she will become ‘a fugitive’. After . she was freed in 2011, Knox immediately returned to her hometown of . Seattle to rebuild her life. She has found love with old friend James . Terrano and is now a creative writing student. Last year she released a prison memoir for which she was paid a reported £2.6million. On November 2, 2007, the body of Meredith Kercher, a British exchange student from Coulsden, Surrey, is found in a pool of blood in and apartment in Perugia . 2007 . November 2: Meredith Kercher, a 21-year-old exchange student from Coulsdon, Surrey, is discovered with her throat cut in her bedroom at her house in the Italian town of Perugia. Her body is partially clothed and under a duvet. November 4: A post-mortem examination reveals evidence of sexual activity at some point before Miss Kercher died. November 6: Police arrest Meredith's American housemate Knox, then 20, Sollecito, then 23, and Congolese Diya 'Patrick' Lumumba, who runs a local bar. Police claim Meredith was murdered because she refused to take part in violent sex. Knox is said to have broken down and confessed and implicated Lumumba. The three are held on suspicion of conspiracy to commit manslaughter and sexual violence. November 11: Meredith's body is flown home. Knox's mother, Edda Mellas, says Knox did not hear Miss Kercher's screams the night she died and was with Sollecito at his house. November 19: A fourth suspect is named as Rudy Hermann Guede, 20, from the Ivory Coast. He is thought to have left Perugia for Milan after Meredith died. November 20: Guede is arrested in the German city of Mainz. Lumumba is released without charge. November 22: Guede admits being in Meredith's house on the night of the murder but says an Italian man he did not know committed the crime. 2008 . September 9: Guede's lawyers say he will ask to be prosecuted separately from Knox and Sollecito in a fast-track trial after talk of a possible pact between the former lovers to frame him. September 16: All three suspects appear before a judge in the first of a series of pre-trial hearings in Perugia. Judge Paolo Micheli grants Guede's request for a fast-track trial. September 26: Knox and Sollecito come face to face in a closed courtroom for the first time since being detained after the murder. October 28: After 11 hours of deliberation, Judge Micheli sentences Guede to 30 years for the murder of Meredith. He also orders Knox and Sollecito to stand trial for murder and sexual violence. Judge Micheli later rules that the pair remain in prison while they await trial. 2009 . January 16: The trial of Knox and Sollecito begins. February 6: Sollecito tells the court he is not violent and has nothing to do with the case. June 6: Miss Kercher's parents, John and Arline, give evidence. Mrs Kercher says she will never get over her daughter's murder. June 12: Knox gives evidence in fluent Italian. She says she accused Lumumba 'in confusion and under pressure' and that a police officer hit her during interrogation. November 21: Prosecutors ask for life sentences for Knox and Sollecito. December 4: Knox and Sollecito found guilty of murder. Knox is sentenced to 26 years and Sollecito to 25. Knox's family say they will appeal. In 2009 Miss Kercher's roommate Amanda Knox and her boyfriend Raffaele Sollcito are convicted of her murder, they appeal the conviction in 2010 (pictured) 2010 . November 24: Knox and Sollecito return to court in Perugia for their appeal. December 11: Knox breaks down in tears as she makes an emotional courtroom appeal, saying she was the innocent victim of an 'enormous mistake'. December 16: Italy's highest criminal court upholds Guede's conviction and prison sentence, which was slashed to 16 years in his first appeal. 2011 . June 27: Guede gives evidence for the prosecution in the appeal and confirms the contents of a letter he wrote to his lawyers in 2010, which included a direct accusation against Knox and Sollecito. July 25: Experts tell the appeal court that forensic scientists who helped convict Knox made a series of errors. Evidence was tainted by the use of a dirty glove and failure to wear protective caps, they claim. September 7: Appeal court rejects prosecution request for new DNA tests. October 3: Knox is freed from prison after being acquitted of killing Miss Kercher. Sollecito is also cleared. October 4: Miss Kercher's brother Lyle says her family accept the court's decision but says questions remain unanswered about what really happened. In 2011 an appeal court overturns the conviction (pictured). Knox returns to the US, while Sollecito stays in Italy. However in 2013 Italy's highest court overturns the appeal, and in Januray this year the pair were reconvicted . 2012 . February 16: Publisher HarperCollins announces it has signed a deal for a Knox memoir which was reportedly worth £2.5 million. The book, Waiting To Be Heard, is released in April 2013. April 29: Miss Kercher's father John appeals to Guede to finally "come clean" and reveal what really happened the night she was stabbed to death. 2013 . March 26: Italy's highest criminal court overturns the acquittals of Knox and Sollecito. September 30. The third trial of Knox and Sollecito begins in Florence. December 17: Knox declares her innocence in an email submitted to the appeal court in Florence by her lawyers before their closing arguments in which she says: 'I didn't kill Meredith.' 2014 . January 30: The pair are found guilty of the murder of Meredith Kercher after judges in Florence overruled their previous acquittals. April 29: Court releases 337-page document explaining its decision to reconvict, stating Miss Kercher's wounds show she was restrained, meaning there had to be 'multiple aggressors', and saying that Knox and Miss Kercher had argued about money on the night she died . | Florence courthouse has issued a 337-page explanation of its decision . Knox and boyfriend Raffaele Sollecito reconvicted of murder in January . Says Knox and Kercher fought over money on the night of Kercher's death . Wounds show she was held down and stabbed by 'multiple aggressors' Death not sex-game gone awry, as it was out of character for Kercher . Papers mark start of appeal which could see Knox extradited from US . | 894da4f726de762547d4d433a63768ce116bc299 |
Samoa's players have threatened to boycott their side’s clash with England at Twickenham in next week after accusing their cash-strapped union of ‘incompetence’ and financial mismanagement. It emerged on Wednesday that senior Samoan players wrote to the International Rugby Board last week threatening to take strike action in protest at their union’s failure to pay for flights and transport as well as a lack of financial transparency. ‘As players, we're unhappy with the incompetence of the Samoan Rugby Union in its current shape and under its current leadership,’ said the unnamed source in a letter addressed to the IRB and leaked to the Rugby Paper. Samoa's players have threatened to boycott their side’s clash with England at Twickenham in next week . ‘We would like to notify you that we have called for the resignation of a number of senior officials within the Samoan Rugby Union and will be boycotting our game against England on the 22nd of November should our feelings not be addressed. ‘As a unified players group, it is felt that these issues are affecting our success on the field and we can no longer play under such poor leadership. ‘This has been coming for years. We're so poorly managed and poorly governed at the top and the players have had enough. There's heavy stuff going on. 'There's no communication between the SRU and the players, no transparency over funding and rugby in Samoa is dying out. The players are unified that the England game will not happen and that it's the only way to make the big-wigs take notice.’ Samoa's players accused their cash-strapped union of ‘incompetence’ and financial mismanagement . The IRB on Wednesday night confirmed the letter was genuine but insisted strike action, which would cost the RFU several million pounds, will be averted following talks between Samoa’s players – who earn a tiny fraction in comparison to England’s players – and union representatives. ‘On October 27, the IRB was made aware of concerns raised by the Samoa senior men's national squad regarding the administration of the Samoa Rugby Union,’ an IRB statement read. ‘This included an indication that the players would withdraw from the match against England on November 22 if their concerns were not heard. ‘Subsequently, the IRB engaged in dialogue with the Samoa Rugby Union and the International Rugby Players' Association to facilitate urgent and collaborative resolution. Unknown source: ‘As players, we're unhappy with the incompetence of the Samoan Rugby Union' ‘With all parties, including the players, committed to ongoing dialogue, just under two weeks ago the players withdrew their proposed action to withdraw from the England match and the IRB fully expects the Union to undertake its obligation to honour its November Test programme commitment in full.’ The IRB announced a five-player shortlist for their world player of the year award which Ireland's Jonny Sexton the only British or Irish player to be named. VIDEO Stuart Lancaster announces his side to face South Africa . | Senior Samoan players wrote to the International Rugby Board last week . They threatened to take strike action in protest at their cash-strapped union . 'As players, we're unhappy with the incompetence of the Samoan Rugby Union in its current shape and under its current leadership,’ the letter read . | bd2fb3e9d097d4e85ecb08081c24b93c8e9ac808 |
(CNN) -- Charles Denton "Tex" Watson, one of the chief participants in the Manson Family murders, will stay in prison at least another five years, the California Board of Parole Hearings announced Wednesday. Watson, 65, was denied parole for the 16th time, the board said, and will not be considered again until 2016. Watson was convicted of seven counts of murder and one count of conspiracy to commit murder in a two-day killing spree that occurred in Los Angeles in the summer of 1969. Five people, including actress Sharon Tate, were killed at Tate's residence the night of August 9, 1969, by Watson and fellow Manson Family members Susan Atkins and Patricia Krenwinkel. The following night, restaurant owner Leno La Bianca and his wife, Rosemary, were slain in their home by Watson, Atkins, Krenwinkel and Leslie Van Houten, accompanied this time by group leader Charles Manson. All five received the death penalty, but the sentences were commuted to life imprisonment after a California court decision abolished capital punishment. Watson has been housed at Mule Creek State Prison since 1993, according to the parole board. | Charles Denton "Tex" Watson was up for parole for the 16th time . He was convicted in 1971 for his part in all seven Manson family murders . His death sentence was commuted after a 1972 state court decision . | c223008270212cd0fc40108d3b2ae16c36b8507b |
(RollingStone.com) -- "One of the things that made Walt and Skyler fall in love with each other was that he has a brilliant mind and so does she," says Anna Gunn of the character she plays on "Breaking Bad" -- leaving no doubt that she, for one, sees unlikely drug lord Walter White and his increasingly horrified wife Skyler as equals. It's not just talk: Gunn's the finest female foil for a male antihero on television right now, turning in a quietly crushing performance as an intelligent, independent woman slowly getting sucked into the gravitational maw of her husband's monstrousness. That conflict has led to her stunning breakdown on this week's episode -- and to Skyler joining the growing number of women characters on major TV dramas singled out by furious fans. Was Skyler's car-wash meltdown her crawlspace moment? Yeah, I think that's a pretty fair way to look at it. It's obviously the first time that anybody has seen her break like this. She just snapped. Walt's complete obliviousness to her emotional state in recent episodes had to have played a part in why she finally broke down. He used to be more attuned to her, if only to be a more effective liar, but now it's like he's on another planet and she's completely alone. She is. And she's more terrified than she's ever been in this whole thing, because she doesn't know what he's capable of. In playing these early episodes, whenever he comes into a room that I'm in, there was a feeling of me wanting to move as little as possible, wanting to breathe as little as possible, almost like you're prey and you know somebody's looking at you through the crosshairs. That was the feeling of it: "Maybe if I don't make any sudden moves, maybe if I don't speak too loudly, he won't do anything." Why do you think it was Marie who provoked her breakdown? I thought that was really clever. Despite the humorous side of their relationship -- well, humorous to the audience -- where Marie nitpicks and pokes at her sister all the time, I don't think Marie means to do that. They both really love each other. Betsy [Brandt] and Vince [Gilligan] and I have discussed this: "Where's their family?" You never hear about the rest of the family, the mom and dad, at all. We made the assumption that we did not have a particularly happy or easy childhood, and that led to the two of us sticking together, because they're very close. For actors, you've gotta sometimes fill in your backstory. At least that's what I did, very specifically -- that I needed Marie, and I love her, and I know she doesn't mean ill. But Skyler has not been able to let this stuff out to anyone -- only her divorce lawyer. It's been building up in her so much that at this point she's like a pot about to boil over. Marie just happened to push her buttons that day. And both because of the closeness of their relationship, and because of who Marie is and how she expresses herself by rattling on . . . on that particular day, there's not one more thing Skyler can handle, not one more thing she can take, so she just blows her top. By the end of the episode, I started wondering for the very first time if Skyler would resort to violence to escape her situation. What is her escape route at this point? This is what is stressing her right now. During the last couple of seasons it's like, "Do I want to run away with the kids? Do I turn him into the police? What do I do?" It's a constant wheel that turns in her head. When she realizes that he was responsible for Gus Fring's death, that's the bottom falling out of her life. When she walks out and she sees Junior watching Scarface and they're quoting the movie together, in light of everything else that's happened, it's so quietly horrifying to her that all she can do is turn around and walk back to her room. She knows that there's no saying, "Walt, please don't do that." They're past that. She's also in a state of depression at this point, a sinking-into-yourself where the feeling is, "I don't really want to try. Why bother? Why bother doing anything?" But, within that, there's still really desperate wheels turning. I don't think she cares about herself anymore -- she's just thinking, "How can I keep my kids safe?" She does not have the answer, but she's definitely looking for it. And you know what? She'd do anything to ensure that. She is desperate enough to do anything. There's been a backlash against Skyler, something she has in common with women characters on a variety of big dramas about men who tend behave much worse than they do. Do you have a sense of why this happens? Does it faze you at all? Some of it is still the double standard in our society -- that it's more acceptable for a man to be this antihero badass doing all these things that break the law or are really awful. People watching want to be Walt, or they identify with him. He doesn't have to answer to anybody. He does what he wants. There's a fantasy element to that, I think. I also think that in some ways, there's kind of a sexism to it, honestly. Sometimes . . . [pauses] I've been told particularly, how do you say . . . non-flattering or just really vicious -- you could use the word vitriolic -- angry stuff about Skyler, or about other female characters on other shows. The hatred and the vitriol and the venom and the nastiness and the attacks are so personal sometimes that it feels like, "Oh gosh, OK, I get that you don't like Skyler, you like Walt, you're on his side, but it just feels different." I don't feel like that stuff would be written about a male character. Honestly, Skyler is sometimes the biggest impediment to Walt doing whatever he wants. For the people who love Heisenberg, who love the badass Walt, when Skyler says, "No, you shouldn't do that," they're like, "What is her deal!? What's wrong with her?" [Laughs] I can understand that. I can. But having looked at articles that cite other female characters being attacked like this, I find it disturbing just in terms of a cultural phenomenon. I'm not saying everyone who's into the show and has an opinion is like that, but I feel there's an element of that in there, and it's an interesting gender issue. I'm glad that people are talking about it. I caught up with "Breaking Bad" in a huge Netflix binge, and spending that much time in that world messed me up, emotionally. How do you feel at the end of shooting a season? Pretty much the same way. [Laughs] After we shoot certain scenes, I feel like I need to take a shower. A long, hot one. I've got about a thirty-minute ride home from the studio to where I live in Albuquerque, so that ride is important. Music is selected carefully to help me shed it. Sometimes in watching the episode, I will start to feel, in my body, the way I felt when I was filming the scene. Like at the end of Episode 2, where Walt climbs in the bed next to Skyler -- I felt this feeling of [makes gagging sound] in my body, the same feeling that was going on during the filming it. I can't watch it too close to bedtime. See full story at RollingStone.com. | Anna Gunn plays the wife of a drug lord on "Breaking Bad . There has been a backlash against Gunn's character Skyler White . The actress says some scenes can be emotionally taxing . | f2277962f102e155776685d07f00f632438bc080 |
PHOENIX, Arizona (CNN) -- "Always you have to run for your life," says Boo Htoo, who grew up in a refugee camp in Thailand just across the border from Myanmar. Boo Htoo and his family lived at the Maela Refugee Camp before being resettled in Phoenix, Arizona. Ethnic minorities still flee the repressive military regime in Myanmar, formerly Burma. Some 111,000 Myanmar refugees live in nine camps in Thailand, according to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. Htoo, now 29, recalls making the long trek with his parents to cross the border when he was about 5. "[It's] a very long way," he says. "We don't have a car, a plane. We don't have a bicycle to ride. My parents just take what they can carry, and then we started walking across the jungle, sleeping in the jungle." Htoo and his family are now resettled in Phoenix, Arizona. Thanks to Carolyn Manning and her Welcome to America Project, they got a warm welcome to the big city, complete with furnishings and household items for their first apartment and toys for his two young children. "That day that I have a lot of American friends in my apartment," recalls Htoo, "this is the day that I feel very happy." For Htoo, it was a remarkable transition from "a really hard life in the refugee camp." "They have a wire fence around the camp; they put soldiers around the fence," Htoo says. "You are not allowed to go outside to work. You don't have a chance to go to university even if you are willing to go. I cannot express the feeling of how difficult it is." Watch Htoo tell his story » . According to the International Rescue Committee, about 2.7 million refugees have been resettled in the United States since 1975, and 52,000 of those have been relocated to Arizona. Through her Welcome to America Project, Manning helps legal refugees being resettled to Phoenix by the United Nations. Since 2001, she and volunteers have provided furniture, clothing and support to more than 550 refugee families. Nominate your Hero at CNN.com/Heroes . The first family Manning welcomed came to her attention in a local newspaper. Manning's brother-in-law Terence had died in the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks in New York. The family in the newspaper was from Afghanistan and had lost a relative to the Taliban. Manning immediately saw a parallel. "Knowing that Terence was killed innocently and then seeing the Afghan family who had someone killed in their family, I started to make a connection between myself and that family," Manning recalls. "We lost a family member, too. The difference was we had a safe place that we lived -- and they had to flee their country." At a time when many Americans were putting up walls and shunning foreigners, Manning reached out to them. She and her family took up a collection of furniture for them -- and The Welcome to America Project was born. "They've been invited here," says Manning. "Everybody has a right to find a place where they belong. I want the refugees to feel that this is their home." The families assisted by The Welcome to America Project typically have languished in refugee camps for 10-12 years, says Manning, and come from countries including Iraq, Myanmar, Liberia, Somalia, Sudan, Nigeria and Bhutan -- places where they were often persecuted because of their race, religion or political views. "There are a number of different things they have to learn how to do when they first arrive," Manning says. "They've never seen buildings built like ours. They've lived in huts literally made out of bamboo, with leaves on top. There's a lot of transition for them." Watch Manning describe the refugees' strikingly different backgrounds » . Over the last seven years, Manning says, she's learned a lot from the refugees and finds herself looking at American customs from a new perspective. "We brought a toaster into a family from Africa and they didn't know what it was," recalls Manning. "The woman was very dutiful in watching [when] we tried to show them how to toast bread. But then through a translator her response was, 'Why would you want to ruin bread?'" Manning says the refugees are resourceful and eager to start a new life, developing strong ties to their new communities, making active contributions, working hard and paying taxes. "It's not an 'us and them,'" she says. "We're all part of one humanity. And we're trying to do what's right, and what is fair." Watch The Welcome to America Project in action » . As word continues to spread -- the project is currently bigger than ever, says Manning -- The Welcome to America Project is nearing its 600th family donation. Manning says she isn't surprised the project has taken off. "That's how Terrance's life was," she says. "Every time he had an idea it was big and bold. He was a very, very generous person. I guess that's the legacy we're passing on with the project." Want to get involved? Check out The Welcome to America Project and see how to help. | Welcome to America Project helps refugees being resettled in Phoenix, Arizona . Carolyn Manning founded the group after relative died in September 11 attacks . Myanmar refugee Boo Htoo among 550-plus families the project has helped . Nominate your Hero at CNN.com/Heroes . | e64c705a337c54489a6d3fc69e77e4c3c5e5e64d |
By . James Tozer . PUBLISHED: . 11:20 EST, 20 April 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 19:50 EST, 20 April 2012 . A team-mate of a footballer jailed for raping a drunken teenager provoked outrage last night by branding the victim a ‘money-grabbing little tramp’. As Welsh international Ched Evans began a five-year sentence, fellow Sheffield United player Connor Brown posted an extraordinary rant on Twitter. After branding the law ‘a load of ****ing ***t’, the 19-year-old wrote: ‘I’m with you geez’ and made his extraordinary attack on the victim. Wales footballer Ched Evans, left, was found . guilty of raping the then 19-year-old at a hotel following a night out . in Rhyl, north Wales, last May. Port Vale defender Clayton McDonald, right, was found not guilty . International star: Sheffield United and Wales player Evans in action against Chesterfield last month. He has been jailed for five years . Shortly afterwards he added: ‘If ur a . slag ur a slag don’t try get money from being a slag [sic]... Stupid . girls... I feel sick.’ The offensive posts were later removed . from the profile, which features a photograph of Brown signing a . Sheffield United shirt for a fan. Evans, 23, was his club’s top scorer . with 29 League goals this season, and was named League One Player of the . Month in March. He was yesterday convicted of raping the 19-year-old . woman at a hotel after a night out in Rhyl, North Wales, last May. The victim had told police she had no memory of the incident and believed her drink may have been spiked. Outburst: Connor Brown made the comments on Twitter . Evans’s friend, the Port Vale defender Clayton McDonald, was found not guilty of the same charge. Their trial heard Evans had told . police the footballers could have had ‘any girl we wanted’ at the . nightclub where they had spent the evening. ‘We are footballers, that’s how it is,’ he told them. ‘Footballers are rich, they have got money, that’s what the girls like.’ Evans and McDonald had been out . partying the night before the Bank Holiday last May and had booked a . room at the resort’s Premier Inn, the trial at Caernarfon Crown Court . heard. The girl, who they had earlier seen . falling over in a kebab shop after drinking wine, double vodkas with . lemonade and a sambuca shot, approached McDonald, and the pair took a . taxi to his hotel. When Evans arrived in the room, he . found the pair having sex, and claimed McDonald asked if he wanted to . have sex with her too. Evans said the girl was ‘in control’ and he . admitted having sex with her as a friend and Evans’s brother tried to . film them through a window. The girl awoke the next morning, naked . and alone in the hotel bedroom. She told police the last thing she . could remember was being in a takeaway shop. Jailing Evans, of Penistone, South . Yorkshire, for five years, Judge Merfyn Hughes QC told him he must have . realised the girl was ‘intoxicated’ and in no condition to agree to sex. He said Evans had thrown away his ‘successful career’. Afterwards, Evans’s lawyers said: . ‘Ched Evans is shocked and extremely disappointed with the decision . reached today. Mr Evans firmly maintains his innocence in this matter . and is being advised regarding an appeal of the decision.’ Sheffield United said the club recognised ‘the seriousness of these events’. It refused to comment on Brown’s Twitter posts. Brown, 19, branded the law 'a load of ****ing ***t', before making an extraordinary attack on the victim . | Port Vale defender Clayton McDonald was found not guilty of rape . As the verdict was read out the two footballers banged heads together . Both admitted they had sex with the woman but said it was consensual . | 9df98f6f2593a8b1c32f24a22022430fa875d96d |
PUBLISHED: . 12:29 EST, 17 February 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 07:03 EST, 18 February 2013 . Pope Benedict asked the faithful to pray for him and his successor in his penultimate Sunday address to a crowded St. Peter's Square before becoming the first pontiff in centuries to resign. The crowd chanted 'Long live the pope', waved banners and broke into sustained applause as he spoke from his window, as details have emerged about his declining health. A German journalist claimed that the Pope was unable to see from his left eye and was 'exhausted-looking' when he last saw him ten weeks ago. Blessing: Pope Benedict asked the faithful to pray for him and his successor in his penultimate Sunday address to a crowded St. Peter's Square . Peter Seewald, who has interviewed the Pope on several occasions and wrote a book with him in 2010, said: 'His . hearing had deteriorated. He couldn't see with his left eye. His body . had become so thin that the tailors had difficulty in keeping up with . newly fitted clothes. He added: 'I'd never seen him so exhausted-looking, so . worn down.' In the Vatican, the 85-year-old, who will abdicate on February 28, thanked them in several languages. Speaking in Spanish, he told the 50,000-strong crowd: 'I beg you to continue praying for me and for the next pope.' It was not clear why the pope chose Spanish to make the only specific reference to his upcoming resignation in his Sunday address. A number of cardinals have said they would be open to the possibility of a pope from the developing world, be it Latin America, Africa or Asia, as opposed to another from Europe. 'I can imagine taking a step towards a black pope, an African pope or a Latin American pope,' Cardinal Kurt Koch, a Swiss Vatican official who will enter the conclave to choose the next pope, has said. After his address, the pope retired into the Vatican's Apostolic Palace for a scheduled, week-long spiritual retreat and will not make any more public appearances until next Sunday. Crowds: The Vatican estimated a crowd of 50,000 turned out for the Sunday address today . Speaking in Italian in part of his address about Lent, the pope spoke of the difficulty of making important decisions. He . said: 'In decisive moments of life, or, on closer inspection, at every . moment in life, we are at a crossroads: do we want to follow the "I", or . God? The individual interest, or the real good, that which is really . good?' The pope has said his physical and spiritual forces are no longer strong enough to sustain him in the job of leading the world's 1.2 billion Roman Catholics at a time of crisis for the Church in a fast-changing world. Retiring: The pope said his physical and spiritual forces are no longer strong enough to sustain him in the job of leading the world's 1.2 billion Roman Catholics . Benedict's papacy was rocked by . crises over the sex abuse of children by priests in Europe and the . United States, most of which preceded his time in office but came to . light during it. His reign also saw Muslim anger after . he compared Islam to violence. Jews were upset over his rehabilitation . of a Holocaust denier. During a scandal over the Church's business . dealings, his butler was convicted of leaking his private papers. Since his shock announcement last Monday, the pope has said several times that he made the difficult decision to become the first pope in more than six centuries to resign for the good of the Church. Aides said he was at peace with himself. 'In a funny way he is even more peaceful now with this decision, unlike the rest of us, he is not somebody who gets choked up really easily,' said Greg Burke, a senior media advisor to the Vatican. 'I think that has a lot to do with his spiritual life and who he is and the fact he is such a prayerful man.' People in the crowd said the pope was a shadow of the man he was when elected on April 19, 2005. 'Like always, recently, he seemed tired, moved, perplexed, uncertain and insecure,' said Stefan Malabar, an Italian in St. Peter's Square. 'It's something that really has an effect on you because the pope should be a strong and authoritative figure but instead he seems very weak, and that really struck me,' he said. The Vatican has said the conclave to choose his successor could start earlier than originally expected, giving the Roman Catholic Church a new leader by mid-March. Some 117 cardinals under the age of 80 will be eligible to enter the secretive conclave which, according to Church rules, has to start between 15 and 20 days after the papacy becomes vacant, on February 28. But since the Church is now dealing with an announced resignation and not a sudden death, Vatican spokesman Federico Lombardi said the Vatican would be 'interpreting' the law to see if it could start earlier. Religious retreat: After his address, the pope retired into the Vatican's Apostolic Palace for a scheduled, week-long spiritual retreat and will not make any more public appearances until next Sunday . Pope Benedict will stay at the papal summer retreat Castel Gandolfo (pictured) for around two months before moving to a convent inside the Vatican where he will live out his remaining years . Cardinals around the world have already begun informal consultations by phone and email to construct a profile of the man they think would be best suited to lead the Church in a period of continuing crisis. The Vatican appears to be aiming to have a new pope elected and then formally installed before Palm Sunday on March 24 so he can preside at Holy Week services leading to Easter. New details emerged at the weekend about Benedict's health. Peter Seewald, a German journalist who wrote a book with the pope in 2010 in which Benedict first floated the possibility of resigning, visited him again about ten weeks ago. 'His hearing had deteriorated. He couldn't see with his left eye. His body had become so thin that the tailors had difficulty in keeping up with newly fitted clothes ... I'd never seen him so exhausted-looking, so worn down,' Seewald said. The pope will say one more Sunday noon prayer on February 24 and hold a final general audience on February 27. The next day he will take a helicopter to the papal summer retreat at Castel Gandolfo, south of Rome, where he will stay for around two months before moving to a convent inside the Vatican where he will live out his remaining years. | Pope Benedict spoke at penultimate Sunday address at St Peter's Square . Crowd, estimated to be 50,000-strong, chanted 'Long live the pope' German journalist said Pope was unable to see from left eye ten weeks ago . Peter Seewald claimed pontiff was 'exhausted-looking' and 'worn down' The pope will become the first pontiff in centuries to resign later this month . | b1934878b3c3ed8981ae66332e6777d202d51573 |
By . Rebecca Camber, Crime Reporter . Former firearms officer Steve White took the helm of the Police Federation on a coin toss . For an organisation in turmoil over its hidden cash reserves, it was perhaps an inauspicious way to appoint a new chief. The police leader tasked with shaking up the beleaguered Police Federation was elected after a dead heat in the race to be chairman was settled on the toss of a coin. Just days after the scandal-hit police union was warned that it ‘must change or die’, former firearms officer Steve White took the helm. Previously the organisation’s vice-chairman and an officer with Avon and Somerset Police for more than 25 years, he was voted as chairman despite a 50/50 split in the ranks over his appointment, leading to it being settled by a flip of a coin as dictated by Federation rules. He replaces Steve Williams, who with its general secretary Ian Rennie, dramatically quit days after the Daily Mail revealed the organisation had hired a PR firm to mastermind a ‘guerrilla’ and ‘blitzkrieg’ campaign against the Government in the wake of the Plebgate scandal. The organisation, which represents 126,000 rank-and-file policemen and women, has also come under fire for mercilessly exploiting the September 2012 incident, involving the then chief whip Andrew Mitchell and policemen at the gates of Downing Street. The reverberations of Andrew Mitchell's contretemps with Downing Street policemen is still being felt in the Police Federation and the wider political and legal fields . It has also been rocked by a series of crises over its bullying, obsessive secrecy and funding. Those crises include undisclosed bank accounts containing tens of millions of pounds, vast sums invested in off-shore bank accounts and perks enjoyed by senior officials. This week Theresa May heaped on further woe when she addressed the Federation’s conference in Bournemouth, and announced the removal of state funding this August. She fought the law and the law lost: Home Secretary Theresa May took on the Police Federation . The Home Secretary was met with stunned silence as she unveiled a package of measures to end automatic enrolment for new officers and allow the public to scrutinise its finances, warning that the body must end its closed shop culture or she would legislate against it. Yesterday Mr White pledged to implement change. He said: ‘This has been an historic week. We have been given a clear mandate to progress the reforms needed to better represent the hard working police officers throughout England and Wales. ‘We are all committed to the work needed to implement change to the Police Federation. ‘This is not the end of the road, it is the start of the journey.’ The Police Federation headquarters in Leatherhead, Surrey . | Former firearms officer Steve White elected new chairman on coin toss . Previous leader and general secretary resigned after 'Plebgate' PR fiasco . Organisation represents 126,000 rank-and-file policemen and women . | 7522cb867d5f3a291702ca1cd9d71f247a8214fa |
By . Hannah Rand . PUBLISHED: . 09:09 EST, 20 June 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 04:41 EST, 22 June 2012 . Investment: Oracle CEO Larry Ellison, worth an estimated $36billion, has reached a deal to purchase 98 per cent of Lanai . Technology billionaire Larry Ellison has seen off Bill Gates to snap up a share of Hawaiian island Lanai. The Oracle CEO, worth an estimated $36billion, reached a deal to purchase 98 per cent of the paradise inlay yesterday, according to Hawaii Governor Neil Abercrombie. There were rumours Ellison, who already has a house on the island, was in the running as was Gates, who got married to wife Melinda on the island in 1994. Current owner, self-made billionaire David Murdock said he would keep his home on Lanai and the . right to build a wind farm, a controversial project that would place . windmills on as many as 20 square miles of the island and deliver power . to Oahu through an undersea cable. The final price tag for the 141 . square miles was not immediately clear, but the asking price had been . put at between $500million and $600million, according to reports. Lanai is relatively untouched . compared to other Hawaiian holiday hotspots, with only 30 miles of paved . roads on the 141 square-mile island, according to Associated Press. It is home to 3,200 residents and boasts several luxury resorts. Holiday makers . and explorers come to see the lunar landscapes of Keahiakawelo (or the . 'Garden of the Gods') and Pu'u Pehe, which is also known as Sweetheart . Rock, as well as take advantage of the stunning coastline. Paradise: The 141 square-mile paradise island had a reported price tag of $600million. The relatively untouched island features attractions such as Pu'u Pehe Rock [pictured] . Holiday hotspot: Lanai is the smallest publicly-accessible island in Hawaii . Trumped: Microsoft billionaire Bill Gates, who had his wedding on the island in 1994, was rumoured to have been in the running to buy the island . As such Lanai is a developer's dream. But, just like George Clooney's character land baron Matt King in the . film The Descendants, officials are concerned that a new buyer will . over-develop the unspoiled land. Mr Murdock said in a statement that selling Lanai was not an impulsive . decision, but he has been looking for a buyer who would have the right . enthusiasm, commitment and respect for the island's residents. He said: 'I have learned in life that change is inevitable and can be quite positive when guided in the right direction.' Abercrombie said Ellison has had a . longstanding interest in the island. 'We look forward to welcoming Mr . Ellison in the near future,' he said. 'His passion for nature, particularly the ocean is well known specifically in the realm of America's Cup sailing.' Unspoiled: The area is relatively untouched, compared to other areas in Hawaii, with only 30 miles of paved roads on the 141 square-mile island . Lush terrain: The only major developments on the island, which was formerly famous for its pineapples, have been two Four Season's hotels and two golf courses . Protected: Just like George Clooney's character in The Descendants, the mayor of the island is concerned new buyers will over-develop the area . With a reported price tag of £600million, Lanai did not come cheap. But the undisclosed final amount is a relative drop in the crystal clear ocean for new owner Larry Ellison, whose net worth is estimated at £36billion, according to Forbes. The 67-year-old is sixth on Forbes' list of global billionaires, but four below Microsoft giant Bill Gates who was rumoured to have been in the running to buy the 141 sq mile inlay, where he married wife Melinda in 1994. Ellison, a keen yachtsman - he won the America's Cup in 2010 - has been divorced four times. His friend, the late Apple boss Steve Jobs, was the official photographer at Ellison's fourth wedding to romance novelist Melanie Craft. They divorced in 2010. The new owner of Lanai is a licensed pilot and owns several private jets. As you'd expect he also owns an array of supercars and has a penchant for the Acura NSX, which he doles out as gifts. He has a keen property portfolio, which includes a Californian estate worth an estimated $110m and more than 12 properties in Malibu. The entertainment system in one of his houses is also rumoured to have cost $1million and includes a rock concert-sized video projector at one end of a drained swimming pool. The deal involves 88,000 acres of . land, plus two resorts, two golf courses, a stable and various . residential and commercial buildings, lawyers for Murdock told the . utilities commission in its application. Ellison plans to pay cash, and the . deal should result in new jobs, economic stimulus and a reinvigorated . local tourism industry, the application said. 'The buyer anticipates making . substantial investments in Lanai and is looking forward to partnering . with the people of Lanai to chart the island's future,' Castle & . Cooke lawyers said in the application. Lanai is known as Pineapple Island . as in 1922, James Dole, the president of the Hawaiian Pineapple . Company, bought the land and turned it into the world's largest . plantation of the fruit. However, Mr Murdock halted the . heritage industry on the island when he acquired the fruit and vegetable . company (and turned it into the world's largest producer in the . process). But he was more . modest in the development of Lanai's big-scale tourism industry, . approving only two major luxury Four Season's resorts and two golf . courses. However, as the . island is already a popular tourist destination, with 26,000 people . already visiting the island this year, according to the Hawaii Tourism . Association, Ellison may want to take advantage of the money-making potential of the area. | Oracle CEO reaches deal to purchast 98 per cent of Lanai . Current owner David Murdock said he had been looking for buyer who had right . enthusiasm, commitment and respect for island's residents . | ffde6072b1663817b1abe8673b2ac245d46d175e |
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