article
stringlengths 310
11.4k
| highlights
stringlengths 45
2.68k
| id
stringlengths 40
40
|
|---|---|---|
By . Daily Mail Reporter . Pictured: Paul Anthony Ciancia, pictured at right in his mugshot, is the 23-year-old man who opened fire at Los Angeles International Airport on Friday morning, killing one TSA agent and injuring three others . The motive for the Friday morning shooting at Los Angeles International Airport has not been confirmed, but a note thought to be written by the gunman is shedding some light on his thought process. Shooter Paul Anthony Ciancia had 'anti-government' leanings and was reportedly carrying a note which said that he 'wanted to kill TSA and pigs'. The note was found in a bag that he was carrying- which was likely the same bag that he used to bring a semi-automatic rifle into Terminal 3. Multiple sources have added that the note was signed with the letters 'NWO' which stands for 'New World Order'. The conspiracy theory of a 'new world . order' asserts that there is a secret group of powerful individuals who . used their money and global influence to eventually gain control of the . world. The concept of . the New World Order has many different strains that have evolved over . time, and has come to include mysterious elite groups like the . Illuminati and the Freemasons. Some . of the more radical conspiracy theorists believe that the secret . members of the New World Order will order a coordinated coup d'etat in . the United States and other powerful countries using black helicopters . and implement a totalitarian regime to control the world. Scroll down for video . Securing the scene: Police found a note near Ciancia's bag at the airport where he wrote about his anti-government leanings and signed it with a reference to a well-known conspiracy theory . Warning signs: In recent days, Ciancia sent multiple rambling text messages about his hatred and disgust with the government. His last text to his brother hinted that he was suicidal, so relatives called the police . The Los Angeles Times . reported that in a note found in his bag, he wrote about his . 'disappointment with government' and how he did not intend to injure any . civilians, only federal employees. In . addition to the note found at the scene, investigators are using some . other writings of Ciancia’s to help build a case for what drove him to . kill a TSA agent on Friday morning. CNN reports that the suicidal text he sent to his brother just hours before the shooting was not the first one that scared family members. In others, which were sent to his brother and father, Ciancia was said to have rambled about his negative outlook on life, his disgust with the government and his disappointment with his life in Los Angeles. A federal official said that it was clear from the note that he expected to die in the standoff. 'This was clearly a suicide mission... he did not expect to walk away from this,' the official told USA Today. Such hatred of the federal government would explain why witnesses say he was clearly targeting TSA agents, as multiple survivors have said that the gunman asked them if they were members of the agency. When they said no, he calmly continued walking looking for his next victims. Witness Stephanie Rosemeyer told the paper that she was waiting to board a flight and was walking near the food court in Terminal 3 when she saw a man carrying a gun walking around while wearing a bulletproof vest. Targets: Multiple witnesses recounted how he asked them if they worked for TSA, and when they said they did not he just continued walking. (This is not believed to be Hernandez, but another victim) She said that she locked eyes with the man, who did not appear to be a police officer. 'He looked back at me and said "I don't like this." I took a step toward him,' she told The LA Times. The man, who is presumably Ciancia, then shouted an expletive about the TSA. 'I decided to walk away, and then I heard gun shots and so I walked faster,' Ms Rosemeyer said. A similar story was told my traveler Leon Saryan who spoke to CNN's Anderson Cooper. 'I was just getting ready to pick up my shoes and belt and pick up my other stuff... (when) people hit the ground and then started to run,' Mr Saryan told CNN. Lock down: Police are now searching his family's home in Pennsville, New Jersey (pictured) as well as the apartment where the 23-year-old was living in Los Angeles . He said that while he was going to get his shoes taht were waiting on the conveyer belt, a uniformed TSA agent 'grabbed the shoes and the two of us started running down the corridor towards the gate. This agent got hit it seemed to be a grazing wound.' At that point the agent kept running and seemed fine because the bullet hit him in the shoulder as Mr Saryan huddled in the corner- right when the gunman came up to him. '(Suspect Paul Ciancia) looked at me and said "TSA?" I just shook my head and he kept going,' Mr Saryan told Anderson Cooper. 'It was kind of hard to see his expression. I was more focused on the weapon. 'If I had a TSA uniform I wouldn't be here talking to you.' | Paul Ciancia, 23, had sent his relatives multiple 'rambling' text messages talking about his disgust with the government and unhappiness in general . Police found a note at the airport written by him where he references a conspiracy about how 'powerful elites' will take over the world . | 89dc1b0a1c5ebfd800d7192e4fcda364b682d891 |
By . Peter Allen . and Wills Robinson . and Louise Eccles . PUBLISHED: . 05:32 EST, 18 February 2014 . | . UPDATED: . 04:03 EST, 19 February 2014 . A picture taken of the al-Hilli family just 15 minutes before they were gunned down has been released by French media. The image, which shows Saad al-Hilli, 50, his wife Ikbal, 47, with their two children, was part of a shocking collection of crime scene photographs taken in the aftermath of the Alps shooting. The photos were revealed as a former police officer was arrested in connection with the murder of Mr al-Hilli, a British engineer and his family while they were on holiday. Scroll down for video . Final moments: A photo was taken of the family just minutes before the parents were killed . Arrest: A man named locally as Eric Devouassoux (left) was arrested in connection with the murders. Saad al-Hilli, 50, right, was shot dead with his wife, mother-in-law and cyclist Sylvain . Mollier . Scene of the crime: A photograph taken by police show the al-Hillis' car with the body of French cyclist Sylvain Mollier lying on the ground next to it . The 48-year-old, named locally as Eric . Devouassoux, lives close to where Saad al-Hilli, 50, his wife Ikbal, . 47, and her mother Suhaila al-Allaf, 74, were shot near Lake Annecy, in . eastern France. The trained . marksman and gun collector served for France’s municipal police in the . town of Menthon-Saint-Bernard before leaving last June. This . morning, it was reported that an antique Luger pistol has been in . Devouassoux's home, the same type of weapon was used to gun down the . al-Hilli family and the cyclist. Sketch: The arrest came after police released an artist's impression of a male motorcyclist wanted in connection with the murders . Searches of two properties . linked to him yielded more than 10 weapons including a pistol similar to . the 7.65mm Luger P06 used in the bloodbath. While . the hand gun found in Devouassoux’s house in the village of Talloires . is of a different calibre, detectives said ‘a manual; of the PO6, which . was widely used by the Swiss Army in the 1920s and 30s, was also found. In a further development, a ‘light grey motorbike’ was removed from the property by police, who were seen digging up the garden and using metal detectors. Last night it was claimed Devouassoux’s mobile phone data indicates that he was around the crime scene . ‘at the precise time’ the family, from Claygate, Surrey, and local . cyclist Sylvain Mollier were killed in September 2012. The . al-Hillis’ daughters survived the attack. Zainab, then seven, was shot . in the shoulder and clubbed with a pistol by the gunman, who left her . for dead. Zeena, then four, . escaped unharmed by hiding beneath her dead mother’s skirt. She was only . discovered eight hours later when police searched the family’s car. A . local police source said that 'technical evidence compiled using the arrested man's mobile phone also places him in . the area at the precise time of the crime.’ The man, who has not yet been officially named by police, is being held in custody on suspicion of ‘murder as . part of an organised gang’, said French investigators, who added there . could be more arrests soon. Murder: A crime scene image shows the al-Hilli family's maroon BMW with its windows shot out, and the body of French murder victim Sylvain Mollier lying next to it . Murder: Photo of the car at the scene near Chevaline and Lake Annecy in the French Alps where Saad al-Hilli, his wife Iqbal and his 74-year-old mother-in-law were shot dead. French police have now arrested a man . He . is the second suspect arrested since the shootings, and was brought in . following the publication of an e-fit picture said to look ‘just like . him’. The e-fit image shows . a bearded motorcyclist spotted by two forestry workers just before the . bloodbath, which was carried out using an antique Luger pistol popular . with many Alpine gun owners. Mr . al-Hilli’s elder brother Zaid was the first suspect arrested last year. But the 54-year-old has been told by British police that there is not . enough evidence to charge him in connection with the killing of his . brother. Eric Maillaud, the French prosecutor leading the inquiry, described the arrest as a ‘significant breakthrough’. He said the arrested man, who is married, was held at gunpoint as he left his home around 10am. Guns were seized, but there was no violence, and the suspect ‘came quietly’, said Mr Maillaud. Officers . from the CIGN, a tactical military unit, joined local gendarmes in . yesterday’s raid, which is thought to have taken place in the hamlet of . Lathuile – just a few miles from Chevaline, where they al-Hilli family . were murdered. Antoine de . Menthon, the Mayor of nearby Menthon-Saint-Bernard where the man served . as a police officer, said the man was ‘removed from his job in June’ and . ‘then asked to leave communal housing’. He said that the man was trained . in the use of guns during his career in the force, and had gone on to . work as a security guard in the Swiss city of Geneva. A . second raid also took place on a house in the village of Talloires, . where police were seen digging up the garden and carrying out searches . using metal detectors. The arrested man recently bought a house in Talloires, and was renting it out. Lathuile . is also the home of Brett Martin, the British cyclist and ex-RAF . Serviceman who was the first person to find the al-Hillis’ bodies. Last . night, Mr Martin, 54, said: ‘I have just heard on the news that the man . is from Lathuile. It is uncomfortable that it is so close. I have no . idea who it is. ‘It is a like any village in England, you know your neighbours but not everyone.’ Zaid . al-Hilli, of Chessington, Surrey, refused to comment on the arrest last . night as he left the luxury golf course where he works. The suspect . reportedly lives in the village of Lathuile – pictured - which is a few miles from Chevaline . and scene of another brutal gun murder in November last year . A . Surrey Police statement yesterday said: ‘The arrest has resulted from a . line of inquiry in France and is not as a result of the investigation . carried out in the UK.’ Mr . Maillaud said the man could not yet be named 'for legal reasons'. He . reportedly lives in the village of Lathuile – a few miles from Chevaline . and scene of another brutal gun murder in November last year. Lathuile . is also where Brett Martin, the British cyclist who was the first . witness at the scene of the Al-Hilli murders, owns a home. In . November, masked gunmen shot a woman dead in Lathuile, a hamlet next to . Lake Annecy. Two men wearing cagoules and gloves broke into the home of . the owners of a private camping site. The woman was killed by a bullet to the chest at around 2am, while her husband was hit with the butt of the weapon. Mr Maillaud, the Annecy prosecutor, would not rule out a link between the Chevalina and Lathuile murders. Investigation: French Prosecutor Eric Maillaud (pictured) said the suspect, who lives near to where the brutal killings took place, could not yet be named 'for legal reasons' There were only 8000 made in black, which is the colour the forestry workers saw. Today Surrey Police confirmed: 'Surrey Police can confirm that an arrest has been made in France today in connection with the murders of four people near Annecy, southern France in September 2012. 'The arrest has resulted from a line of inquiry in France and is not as a result of the investigation carried out in the UK.' Police have struggled to make any progress in the case despite a major investigation carried out in coordination with British officers. Saad al-Hilli's accountant brother Zaid, 54, from Surrey, was arrested in Britain in June last year on suspicion of conspiracy to commit murder but police said last month there was insufficient evidence to press charges. But the French have expressed ‘extreme frustration’ at the decision, saying they still have questions to ask him and consider him a suspect. He had been involved in a dispute with his brother over their father's will. A Surrey Police spokesman last month: ‘At this stage there is insufficient evidence to charge him with any criminal offence and no further police action is being taken at this time. No evidence: Saad al-Hilli's accountant brother Zaid, . 54, from Surrey, was arrested in June last year on suspicion . of conspiracy to commit murder but police said there was . insufficient evidence to press charges . Police stand outside the home of Saad Al Hilli, in Claygate, Esher, Surrey in the days after the murders . ‘This remains a French-led investigation and officers from the Surrey and Sussex Major Crime Team continue to work closely with the French authorities’. Since the deaths, speculation has surrounded whether the shooting was linked to the al-Hillis' native Iraq, or Saad's work as a satellite engineer. The horrific murder scene was discovered by cyclist Mr Martin, who found Iraqi-born Mr al-Hilli, 50, his 47-year-old dentist wife and her elderly mother blasted to death in their BMW. The al-Hillis' first-born daughter Zainab was shot in the shoulder and beaten, but survived. Her then four-year-old sister Zeena lay hidden under her mother's body and was only discovered eight hours after the murders. The al-Hilli brothers were alleged to have been locked in an inheritance dispute centred on the £825,000 home in Claygate where Saad and his family lived after their mother died from a heart attack in 2003. Zaid, who inherited half the property, claimed that in 2011 his brother began to demand his share of the house 'there and then' and pinned him down during a row. The two men never spoke again except through lawyers, but Zaid denied rumours that he had threatened to kill his brother. He said he knew little about a Swiss bank account containing the proceeds from their father's business in Iraq. | Man named locally as Eric Devouassox, 48, was arrested this morning . He was held at gun point and his house wasf searched . Is said to be a former police marksman with a large gun collection . A second search is underway today in Talloires, a village on Lake Annecy . Saad al-Hilli was shot dead in . September 2012 with his wife and her mother . Murders happened in a woodland car park . close to the village of Chevaline . Innocent bystander French cyclist Sylvain . Mollier was also gunned down . Saad's brother Zaid arrested but had his bail cancelled by British police . | f3f7747535b849b1bd7db36f6654f310be3abce4 |
A former University of Wisconsin football player and his twin brother are charged in federal court with one in a string of November robberies at five businesses. Jack Ikegwuonu and his brother, William, were charged Tuesday in U.S. District Court with armed robbery and gun possession. They're also charged in Dane County court with several counts of retail theft for allegedly stealing merchandise from Wal-Mart stores in Madison and Sun Prairie throughout September and October. The brothers were arrested last week after an armed robbery at a dry cleaning business in Middleton. They told police they committed all five armed robberies to help support their heroin use, according to an affidavit filed with the criminal complaint in federal court. Brothers: Jack Ikegwuonu, left, played for the Badgers and was drafted by the Eagles, though he was only active for one regular-season NFL game. Brother William, right, played for Northern Illinois University . The brothers' arrests took place after police observed an SUV's movements following the armed robbery with a GPS device, Madison police said in a release. The device was earlier placed on the vehicle via a warrant. '[The SUV] had been initially identified through surveillance images as the probable getaway vehicle in recent armed robberies, including two that took place on State [Street],' the release said. A gun, along with money 'and other evidence' was recovered from the vehicle, Madison police said. Jack and William Ikegwuonu are suspected in four other armed robberies in the area between November 13 and 21, and U.S. Attorney John Vaudreuil said they could face more charges when the case is taken to a grand jury. Madison police said in the release 'The investigation indicates much of the money taken during the commission of these crimes was being used to purchase heroin.' The retail theft charges in Dane County Circuit Court include a felony and misdemeanors. A judge entered not guilty pleas to the misdemeanor charges on the brothers' behalf as they stood mute in court Tuesday. Appearance: Jack Ikegwuonu was active for one regular-season NFL game during the 2009 season with the Phildadelphia Eagles. He is seen here at training camp in August 2009 . Lisa Goldman, the attorney representing the Ikegwuonus, declined to comment to the Associated Press. Jack Ikegwuonu played for the Badgers as a cornerback from 2005 to 2007. He was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles in 2008 and was active for one regular-season NFL game during the 2009 season. William Ikegwuonu played football for Northern Illinois University in DeKalb. | Jack Ikegwuonu and his brother, William, were arrested last week after an armed robbery at a dry cleaning business in Middleton . They are suspected in four other armed robberies in the area between November 13 and 21 . The brothers told police they committed all five armed robberies to help support their heroin use, according to an affidavit . Jack Ikegwuonu played for the Badgers as a cornerback from 2005 to 2007, and William played for Northern Illinois University in DeKalb . | 3160fbca5be60bddcb13d613f55aa7a8bab28f38 |
By . Louise Cheer . The slip, slop, slap message is proving to be effective with melanoma rates plummeting in the past 18 years. A long-term study of teenagers and young adults has revealed the cases of melanoma in young people fell 5 per cent each year from the mid-1990s to 2010. Research leader Adele Green said it showed the effectiveness of sun safety messages. Skin cancer is declining, according to a major new study . Prof Green has been studying skin cancer at QIMR Beghofer Medical Reasearch Institute in Queensland for more than three decades. She and her team looked at melanoma cases among 15 to 24 year olds in Queensland from 1982 to 2010. 'It's been one of the most successful cancer prevention campaigns,' Prof Green said of the slip, slop, slap campaign. '(We looked at) young people who have been exposed to the sun safe message and early detection programs since birth.' Results could also be similar across the rest of Australia, she added. According to the study published online in the International Journal of Cancer, the rate of melanoma cases has fallen from 25 per 100,000 in 1996 to 14 per 100,000 in 2010 among people aged 20 to 24. It follows data released by the institute in April that showed a decline in the most common skin cancers, basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma, among people aged up to 45. 'This shows the improvements are broader than just the adolescents and young adults in the melanoma study,' Prof Green said. 'The effectiveness of the sun safe message is up there with the anti-smoking and the asbestos campaigns. 'I am convinced we can make people much healthier and happier if we prevent chronic diseases rather than treat them. Professor Green said sun safety campaigns like slip, slop, slap were having a significant effect on the decline of melanoma cases . 'The culture is changing. Australians know the sun is dangerous as well as wonderful.' But despite the good news, Queensland still has the highest rate of melanoma cases in the world. Cancer Council CEO Professor Ian Olver said the sun safe message was an excellent example of a public health campaign. But Cancer Council CEO Ian Olver said people needed to be vigilant with their sun safety - Queensland still has the highest rate of melanoma in the world . 'Australia is known for its high rate of melanoma, but it has been able to lead the world in prevention,' he said. 'We are into the second generation with the sun smart message. 'The important thing is to keep the message going. 'This is not a time to relax just because it is working.' | Melanoma cases in young people have fallen 5 per cent a year since 1990s . Scientists spent 18 years looking at skin cancer in 15-24 year olds in Qld . Research leader says sun safety messages are having a positive effect . Data also shows fall in most common skin cancers in people aged up to 45 . | 8ad1636284fec7a76489c38802dc09d473d1ec9e |
By . Beverley Morrison . PUBLISHED: . 12:05 EST, 7 November 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 13:41 EST, 7 November 2013 . Smog in China’s most populated city is being blamed for a fertility crisis as the incidence of low sperm counts among its men reaches record levels. Doctors in financial capital Shanghai say air and water pollution is a ‘major culprit’ for the city’s predicament and warn that action needs to be taken urgently. ‘If we don’t protect the environment now, mankind will face a worsening infertility predicament,’ Dr Li Zheng, a sperm expert at the city’s Renji Hospital told the Shanghai Morning Post. Scroll down for video . Shanghai has a population of 23 million people and more than 27 million vehicles. This could be a problem for the financial capital's couples planning families as smog is blamed for rising infertility rates . Only a third of the semen at Shanghai's main sperm bank, run by Dr Li, currently meets World Health Organisation standards. And smog levels are rising. City authorities warned schools to cancel outdoor activities as Shanghai’s air quality levels were reported to be twice as bad as those in Beijing on Thursday. A 2012 study, coordinated by Dr Li, concluded that over the last ten years, worsening environmental conditions were keeping pace with the falling quality of sperm and aspermia, a condition that causes men to produce no semen at all. A year ago, China's infertility rate . stood at 12.5 per cent of people of childbearing age, according to China . state news agency Xinhua. Twenty years ago it was just three per cent. Smog and pollution are problems in many of China's industrial cities. Cyclists are shown here amid a heavy haze in Xingtai, Hebei province earlier this month . 'When the environment is bad, sperm becomes “ugly” and even stops swimming,' Dr Li told the Post.'To find out whether an eco-system is stable or not, just examine the sperm.' The Chinese Academy of Social Sciences has announced a five-year study into the connection between female infertility and pollution. Meanwhile the Shanghai Morning Post urged its readers to lead greener lives in order to protect future generations. 'In the view of reproductive health experts, loving the earth means loving oneself and, what's more, loving the next generation.' | Record levels of poor air quality reported as sperm warning issued . City warns schools to keep children indoors . World Health Organisation says only a third of sperm in city bank meets 'standard' levels . | 172efd39819f4c8772d795f54c94b3f89af6f0b9 |
By . Emily Kent Smith . The 15-year-old daughter of a Chicago pilot killed in a plane crash on Saturday has also died after a four-day fight. Katherine Bronken died in a Tampa hospital last night. Her friend Keyana Linbo, also 15, remains in hospital but is in a stable state. It is believed that the trio were travelling in a plane to Florida for a spring break trip . Scroll down for video . Both Jeffrey Bronken (right) and his daughter Katherine have now died following the crash on Saturday . Deadly: Investigators look at the wreckage of a small passenger plane which crashed early Saturday, killing a 53-year-old man and injuring two teen girls. Katherine Bronken has since died. Friend Keyana Linbo remains in hospital . It is believed that Jeffrey Bronken and his 15-year-old daughter were travelling to Florida for a spring break trip . Reports from the Pinellas County Sherrif's Office, in Florida, have been released confirming the teenager's death. The family was first struck by tragedy in 2009 when it is believed that Jeffrey Bronken's daughter Christine was killed during a fatal snowmobile crash. Christine Bronken's death was listed in records from the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. The trio, all from Chicago suburb Round . Lake, were headed to nearby St Petersburg – Clearwater International . Airport when the plane crashed around 4 a.m., WTSP reported. Authorities told Bay News 9 that the single-engine Piper knocked out power to locals after clipping power lines on its way down. The plane crashed on a busy six-lane road in the town of Safety Harbor, just across the bay from Tampa. No other injuries were caused by the accident, and investigators have yet to determine a cause behind the crash. Katherine Bronken fought for her life for four days before her tragic death last night . The Bronken family was struck by tragedy in 2009 when Christine Bronken, 20, the pilot's daughter was killed in a snowmobile accident . ‘This happened at 4 a.m., so luckily, no one was on the road at that time in this vicinity,’ Pinellas County Sheriff's Office spokesman Sgt. David DiSano told Bay News 9. The red and white plane left Chicago around 6.30 Friday night, officials said. The National Transportation Safety Board said that Mr Bronken had reported a fuel problem to air traffic control before the plane went down. The exact cause of the crash still remains unknown but the fuel problem is being investigated. Best friends: Both Katherine Bronken (left) and Keyana Linbo (right) were aboard the flight. Miss Linbo is in a stable state at a Tampa hospital. Miss Bronken died on Wednesday . Crumpled: An investigator from the FAA takes photographs of the small single-engine plane . A neighbor of the Bronken’s confirmed to the Chicago Tribune that widow Susan Bronken was already headed to Florida. A life-long friend of the family Ken Hoxie told WLS: 'It's a shock. It's a shame. It's a fantastic family. 'You don't understand sometimes why these things happen, all we can do is pray.' People near the site of the crash described the sights and sounds that woke them early Saturday morning to the Tampa Bay Times. Marina Brown, 20, said she heard a loud noise and saw a flash of light followed by sparks. It looked like ‘fireworks shooting up from the ground,’ according to Mary Pronesti. Bill Tregulas said it sounded ‘like a large guitar snapping.’ Another person told Bay News 9 that he head a ‘big boom,’ saw a flash of light and initially dismissed it as a thunder storm. Emergency responders from several agencies responded quickly to the scene. Both father and daughter died as a result of the crash. Widow Susan Bronken is believed to have travelled to Florida after the crash . Also injured: Keyana Linbo was also hurt. The 15-year-old is now in a stable state at a Tampa hospital . The cause of the crash which killed Jeffrey Bronken and his daughter Katherine is still under investigation . The aircraft never caught fire, but several small fires along the median where it came to rest nose-first with its tail in the air were put out by firefighters. More than 1,100 households lost power immediately after the deadly crash, but that numbers was reduced to about 450 by 6 a.m. according to the Tampa Tribune. The airport the trio was flying to is less than a mile from the scene. | Jeffrey Bronken, 53, pronounced dead at scene near Tampa, Florida . Daughter Katherine Bronken, 15, has now died after four day fight . Friend Keyana Linbo, also in plane, hospitalized and in stable condition . The trio had flown from Chicago and may have been on a Spring Break trip . Mr Bronken's daughter Christine died at 20 in 2009 after snowmobile crash . | c17eb986512fe9be8a616a403a24986cccd436e0 |
When Al Jazeera becomes a major U.S. cable channel, as it plans, some Americans are likely to click past it, recalling the alleged anti-American tone by the pan-Arab network during the Iraq war a decade ago. "My guess is that when people hear about Al Jazeera, they will not be paying attention to the news quality or correspondents," said media analyst Stuart Fischoff, a retired professor at California State University at Los Angeles. "They will just hear Qatar, and say it's an Arab country and it's full of terrorists and ... therefore bias in the news," he said. The Qatari government owns Al Jazeera. Others, however, may find any past political slants overshadowed by a newscast striving toward U.S. standards. Viewers may be curious just to hear Al Jazeera America, which will have access to millions of U.S. homes now that the traditional Arabic-language network this week acquired Current TV, once owned by former U.S. Vice President Al Gore and others. "I think it's a very, very well-done news network," said media expert and former White House correspondent Porter Bibb of Mediatech Capital Partners in New York, where he listens to a related network, Al Jazeera English, now available in a tiny fraction of U.S. markets. Al Jazeera English also is live-streamed at no cost online and provides insight into what the bigger, new Al Jazeera America will look like, he said. The emergence of Al Jazeera as a major U.S. cable network has resurrected debate about past accusations of anti-American bias during the Iraq invasion under President George W. Bush. The Bush administration excoriated the Arab peninsula's network for broadcasting Osama bin Laden videos. Today, evidence of U.S. antipathy at the Arabic network has dissipated significantly, though not entirely, several analysts say. "It has obviously been demonized by our politicians for almost a decade," said Rory O'Connor, a former CBS News producer and a media expert. He noted how an Al Jazeera cameraman was detained for six years at the U.S. Navy prison camp at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. But Al Jazeera's current English broadcast is "excellent," without the bias alleged by U.S. politicians, said O'Connor, author of the roryoconnor.org blog and a contributor to Al Jazeera's website. He disputed conservatives' portrayal of Al Jazeera as a "terror network" and propaganda outlet. Other analysts, however, say Al Jazeera continues to telecast content that they deem to be anti-American. "Surely they will be careful in the beginning. They will try to prove that they are a professional channel that's objective," said Yigal Carmon, president of the Middle East Media Research Institute, which has gathered several Al Jazeera video clips in recent years that the institute says show anti-American bias. Carmon is a former chief counterterrorism adviser to Israeli Prime Ministers Yitzhak Rabin and Yitzhak Shamir. "It's much less anti-American than in the past, and the English (broadcast) is a soft version" of the Arabic telecast, Carmon continued. "But this is the government of Qatar. It's to discuss the government of Qatar. It's a policy arm of the ruler of Qatar." Spokesmen for Al Jazeera couldn't be reached by CNN for comment. In language that will surely be open for debate once Al Jazeera America enters U.S. homes, Carmon used strong words in describing the Qatari government. "Qatar, after all, is a dictatorship, and in a dictatorship, they use media as an arm of foreign policy, be it Arab or Muslim foreign policy or an international one," he said. The Qatari government's decision to bring Al Jazeera into American homes is a provocative political maneuver -- as well as an emerging business strategy now being pursued by other government-sponsored networks, experts said. "Can I note the unusual nature or essential weirdness of a former vice president of the United States selling his network to an Arab-based network that is owned by a foreign government?" said media expert Howard Kurtz, host of the weekly CNN program "Reliable Sources." Al Jazeera has always been regarded as something of a vanity venture by the wealthy emir of Qatar, which is home to the world's third largest gas reserve and is spending billions of dollars on its public image profile by sponsoring sports events at home and in Europe, experts said. "Al Jazeera has been trying and failing for years to get on television here in the United States," media writer Brian Stelter of New York Times told CNN. "For the most part, Al Jazeera is buying this for the real estate because it's beachfront real estate." Bibb, of Mediatech Capital Partners, referred to how Al Jazeera reportedly paid $500 million to acquire Current TV, whose access to 60 million households is now expected to be largely transferred to Al Jazeera America. "If you have bottomless pockets, it doesn't make any difference what you pay or how you go forward," Bibb said. "I think the assumed price of $500 million is absurd for what they got. On the other hand, it makes no difference to the emir of Qatar because it's chump change to him." But one cable company has balked at carrying Al Jazeera America: Time Warner Cable stopped carrying Current TV upon the announcement of the Al Jazeera deal. A Time Warner Cable spokeswoman said that past bias allegations against Al Jazeera didn't factor into the firm's decision. Analysts agreed, saying the company could be leveraging Al Jazeera America, seeking to get a per-subscriber payment for the cable firm in exchange for carrying the channel. "This has nothing to do with politics. We treat Al Jazeera like any other network," said a Time Warner Cable spokeswoman. "We will look to gauge our customer interest in Al Jazeera America and assess whether it is a good value for our customers." Commentary: Why Al Jazeera has set its sites on the U.S. Al Jazeera America isn't an isolated phenomenon. Another government-sponsored media outlet that has ventured into U.S. broadcasting is China's CCTV America, launched last year. "The Chinese have about a similar coverage of the U.S. media market as Al Jazeera does right now," Bibb said. "They are using a soft diplomacy and no one is saying it's a propaganda outlet. Their approach is very thoughtful, but it's all China and that's what people are hungry for." Bibb wondered why Al Jazeera America would plan to produce 60% of its content in the United States, as it has said, when Al Jazeera has increasingly become renowned for its coverage of the Middle East, especially during the recent Arab Spring revolutions. Politics aside, Al Jazeera America will find American audiences to be tough customers. The Arab royal-family-owned network will be entering a tumultuous, fragmented marketplace for news programming where the top-ranked cable news shows garner ratings only in the hundreds of thousands at any one time, not millions, analysts said. Furthermore, access to 60 million homes doesn't guarantee that many people will be watching the program, analysts said. International newscasts in particular can also be a hard sell, experts said. "A lot will depend on how much appetite there is in the American market for international news. A lot of these organizations have cut back on that," Kurtz said. Carriers "are getting hate mail from some viewers who don't want to see it on their cable lineup," the New York TImes' Stelter said about Al Jazeera. "But money can change a lot of these problems and they have a lot of it." | Media analysts say the past anti-American bias of Al Jazeera has largely subsided . But one group collects Al Jazeera video clips that it says show bias . The decision to bring Al Jazeera into American homes is a political maneuver, some say . The new venture will find the cable news market competitive . | f26e72913aea6dc9445fcf3eb804b3511803a3f7 |
(CNN) -- India and Pakistan have finally found something they can agree on. Rohan Bopanna and Aisam-Ul-Haq Qureshi, an Indian and Pakistani doubles team, made it to the men's doubles finals in the U.S. Open. On Friday afternoon, the 16th-seeded pair lost to the top-seeded Mike and Bob Bryan, an American team of identical twins. This unlikely pair, dubbed the Indo-Pak Express, has become a symbol of pride for both nations. Qureshi, from Pakistan, says he can see it in the fans who come to watch. "It was great to see all the Indian supporters, most of them wearing Pakistani flags on their faces, holding Pakistani flags and cheering for the same team," he said. "That's a moment I will never forget in my life, meeting so many Indians supporting us." India and Pakistan have been bitter foes since their creation in 1947, fighting three wars over the disputed territory of Kashmir and routinely exchanging fire over the border. Bopanna and Qureshi hope they can ease these tense relations with their message of peace through sport. At Wimbledon this year, the team sported T-shirts and jackets with the message "Stop War, Start Tennis." The pair has even proposed playing a match at the Wagah border crossing between India and Pakistan. "And just looking at the bigger picture, I just feel if me, as a Pakistani, and him, as an Indian, can do so well on the court and be friends off the court, there's no other reason why those Indians and Pakistanis can't be friends," Qureshi said in an interview with CNN. Friends say they also carry this spirit of peace and cooperation with them off the court. "They understand each other, speak the same language, their games complement each other," said Fazal Syed, a former Davis Cup player. They have chemistry, key to winning doubles matches, Syed said. In the audience at Wednesday's match was another unlikely pair: the United Nations ambassadors from India and Pakistan, cheering on the Indo-Pak Express -- together. This is the type of cooperation and progress that Bopanna and Qureshi hope to encourage. This chemistry has allowed Bopanna and Qureshi to upset several teams during the tournament. In round 3 of the U.S. Open, the pair beat No. 2-seeded Daniel Nestor of Canada and Nenad Zimonjic of Serbia. Bopanna and Qureshi went on in the quarterfinals to beat 10th-seeded Wesley Moodie of South Africa and Dick Norman of Belgium. And on Wednesday, the pair beat unseeded Eduardo Schwank and Horacio Zeballos of Argentina. Bopanna hopes they can get their message to their home nations by playing well at the tournament. "I think it's really about practicing well and then working as a team together, and I think that's the main key, just believing in each other," he said. The run to the finals in New York is sure to generate publicity at home. But the pair won't be talking politics. "You can't mix politics, religion or culture with sports," Qureshi said. "That's the beauty about it." There's only one thing that the two players don't agree on, and it has little to do with cross-border differences. Bopanna likes spicy food; Qureshi most certainly doesn't. | Indian Rohan Bopanna, Pakistani Aisam-Ul-Haq Qureshi are the Indo-Pak Express . They'll play in the men's doubles finals at the U.S. Open on Friday afternoon . They want to ease tensions between their countries with message of peace through sport . The players say they hope their chemistry rubs off on others . | d2f2bff078830d49a585dab36906b1d2e23a85a2 |
You've read the book, can see the film, and now you can do a Fifty Shades of Grey workout thanks to Olympian Louise Hazel. The 29-year-old heptathlete, who made it to the final of Channel 4 show The Jump earlier this week, promises 'ropes, chains and pain' at the exercise class that will take place on Valentine's Day. Inspired by Christian Grey, Louise promises to give participants the 'ass whooping of the year' as they undergo the 45 minute, high-intensity interval workout designed to shed excess body fat fast. Scroll down for video . Olympian Louise Hazel promises 'ropes, chains and pain' at the Fifty Shades-inspired exercise class . The 29-year-old has stripped off to promote her S&M themed fitness event . The Commonwealth Games champion, pictured in a risqué poster promoting the classes, says people will leave the class feeling fantastic because 'exercise, like sex, releases feel good hormones called endorphins' If it helps gets a body like the Commonwealth Games champion's then many will feel it's certainly worth the effort. Louise shows off her enviable figure as she strips off to promote the event. As well as improving the physique, she said the workout will leave people feeling orgasmic. Speaking to MailOnline she said: 'The workout is designed to kick-start and ignite your desire to exercise which, like sex, releases feel good hormones called endorphins. Louise poses nude to show off her enviable figure as she promotes her Valentine's Day classes . 'It will empower you, it will challenge you and you'll beg for mercy however I guarantee that you'll feel amazing afterwards.' Louise will run two classes in London this weekend to coincide with Valentine's Day and the release of the film Fifty Shades Of Grey. Describing the workout, she said: 'It will entail low impact but high intensity interval training featuring some of my favourite toning moves, you can expect squats, squats and more squats.' In true Christian Grey style, Louise said: 'The workout will empower you, it will challenge you and you'll beg for mercy however I guarantee that you'll feel amazing afterwards' The heptathlete loves the Fifty Shades books which is why she wanted to incorporate the themes into fitness . Louise hopes her fun class will inspire more people to keep fit . Louise said she's chosen moves inspired by the bestselling EL James erotic novels because she's a fan of the books and wants to find ways to make exercise more fun and accessible to people. She said: 'I read all three books and I just didn't want them to end, so I designed a workout involving chains and ropes in honour of all young women like me who want to live vicariously through Anastasia Steele! 'Lots of fans will be going to see the film on the day of release, so Christian Grey will be fresh in their minds when they are enduring my tortuous workout and begging for their pain to end. The athlete, pictured competing for GB in the World Championships in Daegu, South Korea, in 2011, will reveal the secrets to her impressive abs in the workout . This week she made it to the final of Channel 4's The Jump where she braved the tallest ski jump . 'I wanted to make Valentine's Day fun. Whether you’re single, married or it's complicated, I think it’s important that women feel empowered and happy from the inside out, no matter what day of the year it is.' While this is a one-off event, Louise has promised additional workouts later in the year while people can also learn how to emulate her fitness with her Podium Effect programme. Louise said: 'I am so excited about 2015, it's all about thinking outside of the box to get more people involved in health and fitness.' The 50 Shades workout costs from £20-30 and tickets can be purchased from eventbrite.co.uk/e/50-shades-workout-tickets-14653921273 . | Commonwealth champion has devised Fifty Shades-inspired session . Heptathlete, 29, says it will feature 'ropes, chains and pain' The Jump star has posed nude to promote the event . She said people will leave workout feeling empowered and fighting fit . 'Like sex, exercise releases feel good hormones,' she said . | 138a811d1538bddbe6f2a2a7be29158f473fee5b |
By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 05:59 EST, 3 August 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 06:09 EST, 3 August 2012 . Tropical Storm Ernesto swept north of Barbados this morning and is now heading quickly into the Caribbean Sea - where it is expected to become a hurricane. Forecasters said the eye of the storm was 35 miles northwest of the island at 2am and was now moving across the northern Windward Islands. Island governments issued storm warnings for Barbados, St Vincent and the Grenadines, Dominica, St Lucia, Martinique and Guadalupe. Residents were told to expect storm conditions. But it is unlikely Ernesto will turn towards Florida, as a strong ridge of high pressure should keep the system on a more westerly track. Scroll down for video... Warning: Tropical Storm Ernesto swept north of Barbados this morning and is now heading quickly into the Caribbean Sea - where it is expected to become a hurricane . Windy: Forecasters said the eye of the storm was 35 miles northwest of Barbados (pictured) at 2am . Ernesto was racing at a speed of 23mph and was expected to enter the Caribbean this afternoon, staying on the same northwesterly track for the next 48 hours. This would put it just south of Jamaica by Monday, by which time it was expected to have gained hurricane strength. It had top winds of 50mph today and will become a hurricane if those swirling winds reach 74mph. Forecasters warned island residents to expect large waves and 5 to 8cm of rain, with nearly 13cm in isolated areas. Flooded: Tropical Storm Debby left Florida under water in June . Damage: Gordon McClain, left, surveys his water-filled living room in Live Oak, Florida, after Tropical Storm Debby hit in June . Several computer forecasting models showed it moving through or near the Yucatan Channel into the southern Gulf of Mexico in the middle of next week. It was too early to know whether Ernesto could disrupt oil and gas operations clustered in the Gulf. August and September are usually the most active months of the Atlantic-Caribbean hurricane season, which runs from June 1 to November 30. David Zelinsky, a meteorologist at the Miami-based National Hurricane Centre, said the storm was a reminder for people to be prepared for the onslaught of bad weather. He said: 'It's our first system coming out of the deep tropics this year. 'So maybe it's a good time for people to review their preparedness plans as we're getting into the part of the season where things normally begin to get a little more active.' | Storm swept north of Barbados this morning and heading to Caribbean . Eye of the storm was 35 miles northwest of the island at 2am . Various islands issues storm warnings to its residents . Unlikely Ernesto will turn towards Florida as high pressure will force west . | 905ce87be0f8f8c16254eefccb06ee1465e84677 |
(CNN) -- The ex-boyfriend of American exchange student Amanda Knox says he has returned to Italy to fight his new murder conviction in the death of Knox's onetime roommate, Meredith Kercher. In a CNN interview Monday evening, Raffaele Sollecito said he and his current girlfriend were in neighboring Austria, preparing to celebrate what he had expected to be his exoneration by an Italian court. Instead, that court found Knox and Sollecito guilty for a second time last week, sentencing him to 25 years. Knox, who returned to the United States after her 2009 conviction was overturned, said last week that she "will never go willingly" back to Italy. But Sollecito said he came back "as soon as I understood the verdict." "I'm trying to be as positive as possible in a situation like this," he said. "It's very traumatic, the situation here now. But on the other side, I still have to fight. I have chosen to be here and to fight against this ordeal." Italian police said Sollecito was stopped in the northern Italian town of Udine, near the border with Austria and Slovenia. In an interview on CNN's "Anderson Cooper 360," Sollecito said he thought his relationship with Knox hurt him. "Why do they convict me?" he said. "Why do put me on the corner and say that I'm guilty just because in their minds I have to be guilty because I was her boyfriend. It doesn't make any sense to me." Kercher, 21, of Great Britain, was found stabbed to death in 2007 in the house she shared with Knox in Perugia, where both women were exchange students. Prosecutors said Kercher was killed after she rejected attempts by Knox, Sollecito and another man, Ivory Coast-born Rudy Guede, to involve her in a sex game. Guede is the only person in jail for the murder, and many aspects of the crime still remain unexplained. Both Knox and Sollecito have maintained their innocence, and their 2009 convictions led to questions about the effectiveness of Italy's justice system. The trial revealed widespread doubts over the handling of the investigation and key pieces of evidence, and the convictions were overturned on appeal in 2011. But in March 2013, Italy's Supreme Court overturned the pair's acquittals and ordered a retrial. That proceeding resulted in the convictions being reinstated on Thursday. "I don't know what to think, because objectively, there's nothing against me and nothing very strong against Amanda," Sollecito said. Watch Anderson Cooper . 360° weeknights 8pm ET. For the latest from AC360° click here. | "I still have to fight," Raffaele Sollecito tells CNN's "Anderson Cooper 360" Sollecito and ex-girlfriend Amanda Knox convicted a second time in Italian courts . Knox's roommate, Meredith Kercher, was killed in 2007 . | 217b3d5b6f4d8a0eba4a8c543d35dd9deea1dc0b |
(CNN) -- Washington gubernatorial candidate Rob McKenna looks to help Republicans cross an important threshold while expanding their power at the top of state government nationally. McKenna is locked in a competitive race in a state that hasn't had a Republican governor in nearly 30 years. It's just one example of how the party is leveraging trends and strengthening its hand in a number of ways in state races across the country. If projections bear out and they grab four seats in addition to retaining the three they are defending, Republicans could hold the governorships of 30 states after Election Day, the most for them in nearly half a century. Such an advantage would fortify their positions against Democratic policies, like "Obamacare," tax increases and government spending and give them enormous influence in Washington -- even if Mitt Romney doesn't win the White House. "It does help Republicans policy wise if one party controls the majority of governorships," said Cook Political Report Senior Editor Jennifer Duffy. 2012 ballot initiatives: Voter-run or special interest-hijacked? While the presidential campaign impacts state-wide candidates -- especially for increasing voter turnout -- races for governor can turn on more parochial issues. Nowhere is that more apparent than in Washington state. McKenna has deep roots in King County, the state's most populous. He is a former county councilman and has run and won statewide previously. His Democratic opponent, former U.S. Rep. Jay Inslee, is mostly experienced in congressional races. But McKenna is tapping a sense of voter discontent with a string of Democrats, whose margin of support has been slim over the years. "They've had Democratic governors since 1984 and there's a sense that voters are unhappy that despite promises, these governors haven't been able to change things," Duffy said, pointing out problems with education and the economy in the state. A recent Elway Poll of likely voters showed McKenna with a 47% to 45% lead over Inslee, which was within the survey's margin of error. While the fight remains tight in Washington state, Democrats might have to throw in the towel in North Carolina. The Tar Heel State elected its first woman governor in Democrat Beverly Perdue in 2008 but she is retiring amid a campaign finance investigation. Charlotte Mayor Pat McCrory could become the first Republican governor since 1985 and only the third since 1901. He leads comfortably in the polls against Democrat Lt. Gov. Walter Dalton. "More than the investigation," Duffy said of Perdue, "you've got voters with buyer's remorse. The reason she isn't running again is she was behind in all the polls - there was no path to victory for her." Key governor's races snapshots . Compiled by Adam Levy and Robert Yoon, CNN Political Research . Delaware . Gov. Jack Markell (D) vs. Jeff Cragg (R) Democratic Gov. Jack Markell appears headed for a second term this November. Markell's Republican opponent is Jeff Cragg, a small business owner from Wilmington. Delaware has become an increasingly reliable Democratic state and with the defeat of former Rep. Mike Castle in the 2010 U.S. Senate primary, the state now has no Republicans in statewide elected office. Cragg is unlikely to change the GOP's fortunes, especially in a presidential election year with Vice President Joe Biden, a Delaware native, on the Democratic ticket. Indiana . (Open seat) -- Gov. Mitch Daniels (R) is term-limited . Rep. Mike Pence (R) vs. John Gregg (D) vs. Rupert Boneham (Libertarian) Six-term GOP Rep. Mike Pence mulled a 2012 presidential bid but opted instead to run for governor to replace term-limited Republican incumbent Mitch Daniels. His Democratic opponent is John Gregg, the former Indiana House speaker. Pence's years in Congress and on the Sunday talk show circuit, as well as his brief foray in near-presidential politics, have given him a relatively high profile for a state candidate. That, plus Indiana's Republican-friendly state voting trends, gives him a leg up over Gregg. Republicans control the governorship, both U.S. Senate seats and a majority of U.S. House seats. Missouri . Gov. Jay Nixon (D) vs. Dave Spence (R) Democrat Jay Nixon hopes to become the first Missouri governor re-elected to a second term since the late Mel Carnahan in 1996. The Republican nominee is Dave Spence, a businessman who has been spending personal funds on the campaign. Nixon won the governorship in 2008 with a comfortable 58.4%, but Missouri voters have proven to be fickle at the ballot box, especially for state office. Since the 1970s, Republicans and Democrats have traded control of the governorship six times. Though a long-time swing state, Missouri has voted Republican in the last three presidential elections. The Democratic incumbent appears to have a leg up in the home stretch. Montana . (Open seat) -- Gov. Brian Schweitzer (D) is term-limited . Steve Bullock (D) vs. Fmr. Rep. Rick Hill (R) The race to replace outgoing Democratic incumbent and frequent CNN contributor Brian Schweitzer is extremely competitive, but it's been overshadowed by Democratic Sen. Jon Tester's equally competitive U.S. Senate re-election contest. The Democratic nominee is Steve Bullock, the state attorney general. He faces Republican Rick Hill, a former congressman. Schweitzer leaves office with fairly high marks. He began October with a 61 % approval rating, which helps Bullock. But the state leans Republican overall. New Hampshire . (Open seat) -- Gov. John Lynch (D) is retiring . Maggie Hassan (D) vs. Ovide Lamontagne (R) As is the case in Montana, the race in New Hampshire to replace a popular outgoing Democratic governor has become one of the most competitive races. The Democratic nominee is Maggie Hassan, a former state senator. She faces Republican Ovide Lamontagne, an attorney and conservative activist who was the tea party's choice over Kelly Ayotte in the 2010 GOP U.S. Senate primary. He also was the GOP gubernatorial nominee in 1996, receiving 39.5% of the vote against Democrat Jeanne Shaheen. John Lynch leaves office with high marks, which helps Hassan. But polling on the gubernatorial race itself has been mixed, with Lamontagne leading in two October polls and Hassan leading in one. Both candidates were well below the 50 % mark in each poll. Democrats have controlled the governorship for all but two years since Shaheen's win in 1996. North Dakota . Gov. Jack Dalrymple (R) vs. Ryan Taylor (D) Incumbent Republican Jack Dalrymple seeks a full term in the office previously held by fellow Republican John Hoeven, who resigned in late 2010 after winning the U.S. Senate seat held by retiring Democrat Byron Dorgan. The Democratic nominee is Ryan Taylor, the state senate minority leader. Although there's a tight U.S. Senate in the state this year, Dalrymple appears to have all the advantages heading into November. Republicans have had a lock on the governorship since 1992. Utah . Gov. Gary Herbert (R) vs. Peter Cooke (D) Utah has not had a Democratic governor in almost 28 years and incumbent Republican Gary Herbert looks likely to continue that trend. Herbert took office in August 2009 when then-Gov. Jon Huntsman resigned to become U.S. Ambassador to China. He won a 2010 special election to complete the rest of Huntsman's term and received 64% of the vote over Peter Corroon, the mayor of Salt Lake County. His Democratic opponent is Peter Cooke, a businessman and retired two-star major general with the U.S. Army Reserves. Utah is solid Republican country, and Herbert is a safe bet for re-election. Vermont . Gov. Peter Shumlin (D) vs. Randy Brock (R) Election Night 2012 should be much less suspenseful for Democratic incumbent Peter Shumlin than it was two years ago. That year, Shumlin narrowly edged his Republican opponent, Brian Dubie, 49% to 48%. Under Vermont law, the state legislature decides the gubernatorial election if no candidate receives a majority of the vote. Shumlin officially won the election in January 2011, though Dubie conceded the race shortly after Election Day. This year, Shumlin is expected to win re-election easily. His Republican opponent is Randy Brock, a state senator. West Virginia . Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin (D) vs. Bill Maloney (R) If it feels like just a year ago when Democratic incumbent Earl Ray Tomblin ran against Republican businessman Bill Maloney for the West Virginia governorship, that's because it was. Tomblin took office in late 2010 after his Democratic predecessor Joe Manchin resigned to take over the late Robert Byrd's U.S. Senate seat. A year later, Tomblin won a special election to complete the rest of Manchin's term. He beat Maloney, 50% to 47%. Now, the two face off again for a full term. The major difference now is that 2012 is a presidential election year, and the shadow of President Barck Obama looms even larger over the race than it did a year ago. Republicans, as they did in 2011, hope to link Tomblin with the president, who is unpopular in the Mountain State. | Republicans could gain four gubernatorial seats this year, crossing the 30-seat mark nationally . Republican gains could help the GOP fight federal initiatives like health care reform . Races in Washington and North Carolina could elect GOP governors for the first time since the 1980s . | 56fa67afe3f82b355468d53b26f12a444f59a542 |
(CNN) -- A hunter mauled by a bear in Alaska survived 36 hours in the remote wilderness before rescuers using night-vision goggles found him, the Alaska National Guard said. The man, who was part of a guided hunting party, was attacked about 35 miles north of Anaktuvuk Pass. Helicopter rescue teams tried to reach the man several times, but had to turn back due to dense fog and weather, the Guard said. The hunter suffered significant blood loss but was stabilized by a medical professional who happened to be in another hunting group, the Guard said. "The pararescuemen credit him for saving the man's life. He provided expert care with limited resource for several hours, ultimately stabilizing, warming and rehydrating the victim," Air Force Master Sgt. Armando Soria said. Around 3 a.m. Saturday, a helicopter managed to land at the scene. Crews had to use night-vision goggles because they were operating during the darkest time of night, the Alaska National guard said. Rescuers flew the man to Eielson Air Force Base because the fog was too dense to land at Fairbanks Memorial Hospital. The man was later taken to Fairbanks by ambulance. The man was in stable condition Saturday night, hospital nursing supervisor Marlene Merdes said. Hiker photographs bear just before fatal grizzly attack . Bear naps on family's patio in Florida . | A nearby hunter happened to be a medical professional and helped save the man . The attack took place in northern Alaska, about 35, miles north of Anaktuvuk Pass . Helicopter teams had to turn back several times due to dense fog and weather . The man was in stable condition at a Fairbanks hospital . | 61c277f97f3436b4bfc161b7672b9b1251d20baa |
It was a Middleton family outing as Pippa and her parents attended a high society wedding in rural Scotland - and there was even room for boyfriend Nico. Two of Pippa's oldest friends, Rowena Macrae and Julian Osborne, were tying the knot at the lavish ceremony in Perthshire. The Duchess of Cambridge's 30-year-old sister was accompanied by her investment banker boyfriend Nico Jackson, as rumours of their own engagement remain rife. Kate was at the wedding of two of her closest friends, Rowena Macrae and Julian Osborne . Pippa, left, attended with boyfriend Nico Jackson, right, which will fuel rumours of their own engagement . Rowena Macrae didn't let the rain put a dampener of her big day as she tied the knot with fiance Julian Osborne . All smiles: Carole Middleton beams as she arrives at the lavish ceremony dressed in a stylish red jacket and beige hat with her husband Michael, right . Pippa has a laugh with her father, centre, and mother, second from right (obscured) Nico Jackson lays a hand on his girlfriend's back as they wait by the church, attending the ceremony together will just fuel rumours that they may marry in the near future . Pippa, kneeling centre, and Rowena, directly to her left, at The Grange cooking school where they met . The website of Macaroon, the catering company run by Rowena Macrae, after several years of working in a number of different sectors . Pippa, who came to the wedding wearing a cat dress by Suzannah and with a bag by Emmy London, met . Rowena on a course at the prestigious £3,600-a-month cookery school The . Grange, in Frome, Somerset. Pippa attended the culinary college on her . gap-year before university and the two have remained close since. Rowena, . who is is the goddaughter of Brigadier Mel Jameson, Lord Lieutenant for . Perth and Kinross, is a well-known member of the Royal set and a close . friend of William and Kate. However, with their Royal tour barely over, . they were not at the ceremony. Born . and raised on her family's grand estate in the Scottish Highlands, Rowena . is fond of outdoor pursuits, an interest she shares with Pippa. She has . worked in a number of industries, including travel, property and PR and . also runs her own freelance catering firm, Macaroon Cooks. If there's one styling trick a Middleton sister can nail with her eyes shut, it's going matchy matchy. And . Pippa Middleton didn't disappoint with her latest outfit, as she . attended a friend’s wedding wearing the most coordinated outfit we've . seen all year. The Queen would be proud (and Kim Kardashian jealous). Pippa opted for a light green coat dress, which she teamed with an olive green fascinator, and matching bag and shoes. Muted . green shades were a strong fixture at the Spring/Summer 2014 shows, . with the hue adoring dresses, suits, coats and accessories alike at . Chloe, Margaret Howell Alexander Wang. While . the shade of Pippa's dress flatters her sun kissed skin to perfection, . we're sad to say the shape just isn't doing her figure any favours. The . round neck and empire line is a style favoured by wedding going . Grandmothers, not a 30-something socialite with a host of fashion's most . coveted collections at her fingertips. Instead . Pippa should have chosen a style which shows off her trim figure, such . as a smart shift or a 50s style which nips her in at the waist. Pippa, we recommend that you raid Kate's suitcase for outfit inspiration as soon as she arrives home from Sydney. While the colour of Pippa's outfitted suited her sun-kissed complexion, the shape was not her most flattering look . Earl George Percy, son of the Duke of . Northumberland, left, was another guest at the high-profile wedding, . many of the guests were also personal friends of Pippa . Nico and Pippa have been together for about 18 months. The couple recently returned from a skiing trip at an exclusive Austrian resort . Pippa has been with Nico, 36, for 18-months and their increasing number of cosy public appearances are fuelling suspicions that they could be ready to get married themselves. Only last month, the couple holidayed with Nico’s grandparents at luxury ski resort Lech in the Austrian Alps. The destination is so glamorous that even the ski-lifts are sponsored by luxury brands such as Dior and Chanel. Pippa met Nico, originally from Folkestone, Kent, who made his millions at Deutsche Bank, on a previous skiing trip. While Pippa, right, attended the wedding of Rowena and Julian. William and Kate were not present, although are said to also be close friends of the couple . It seemed to be a family trip with Carole and Michael Middleton also present, although Kate and James did not seen to be at the ceremony . The Middleton parents seemed to be enjoying themselves at the lavish event, left, as did Pippa and NIco, right, who seemed very relaxed with one another . Pippa wore an olive green outfit to attend the wedding where guests included many members of high society and the Royal set . George Percy at the ceremony, left, he will inherit the Alnwick Castle of Northumberland, which was used as Hogwarts in the Harry Potter films . Pippa seemed totally at ease at the wedding and all the guests were enjoying the celebrations . Carole and Michael Middleton with another guest at the wedding . Pippa strolling through the Scottish estate where the wedding of two of her closest friends took place . Something seems to have caught Pippa's eye as she pulls a face at the wedding . | Pippa Middleton took boyfriend Nico Jackson to the high-society wedding . Two of her oldest friends, Rowena Macrae and Julian Osborne, were tying the knot at the lavish ceremony . Her parents, Carole and Michael Middleton were also guests . | 57d5d27e078d1f221cff32e4bbced274e49dc7a2 |
By . Associated Press . PUBLISHED: . 09:12 EST, 1 March 2014 . | . UPDATED: . 09:40 EST, 1 March 2014 . Three college students and members of one of the nation's top Ultimate Frisbee teams were killed when a semitrailer truck slammed into their SUV after it spun into the wrong lane on an icy Minnesota highway. The accident happened around 3 p.m. Friday on Highway 3 near Northfield, the Minnesota State Patrol said in an incident report. All three people killed were students at Carleton College, based in Northfield. The State Patrol identified the deceased as James P. Adams, 20, of St. Paul, Minnesota; Paxton M. Harvieux, 21, of Stillwater, Minnesota.; and Michael D. Goodgame, 20, of Westport, Connecticut. Young sportsmen: Paxton Harvieux (left), 21, and James Adams (right), 20, were teammates and computer science and chemistry majors, respectively . Two others in the SUV, including the driver, were listed in stable condition Friday, according to a news release from the college. The driver of the truck was not injured. Political science major: Michael Goodgame, 20, was also a writer for the school newspaper . All of the students were wearing seatbelts, according to the State Patrol, and no alcohol was detected. It's . not known where the teammates were headed, but it's possible they were . driving to the airport to fly to California to play in a tournament . against Stanford University. Eric Sieger, media relations director for Carleton College, told The Minneapolis Star-Tribune the students played on the school's Ultimate Frisbee team, which finished third in the country last year. Sieger said Adams was a chemistry major, Harvieux was a computer science major and Goodgame was majoring in political science. He said officials couldn't recall another time three students at the 2,000-student school died in a single day. A prayer vigil was planned for Saturday on the campus. Carleton President Steven G. Poskanzer released a statement Friday offering 'heartfelt thoughts and prayers to the families and friends' of the three students who were killed. 'The collective Carleton soul aches for the loss of these three young men. Right now, we need to focus all our love and compassion on supporting the families and friends of all these young men, along with everyone in our community who cares for them,' he said. Top team: Paxton Harvieux (left) in action for the Carleton College Ultimate Frisbee team . Many people who knew the three young men have taken to Twitter to express their grief and shock at their untimely deaths. 'James Adams was one of the best teammates I've ever had. He showed us what true leadership meant. He was all heart,his loss has broken mine,' tweeted a teammate. 'Prayers being lifted for the Harvieux family. Another life gone too soon. RIP Paxton you'll be forever remembered,' wrote another. 'Michael Goodgame was great writer, a tenacious editor, a caring human being. I'm grateful to have worked with him. He will be missed,' tweeted a Carleton student who worked with Goodgame on the college newspaper. | The students from Carleton College's Ultimate Frisbee team died in a crash Friday . A semitrailer slammed into their SUV after it spun into the wrong lane on an icy road . Two others are in hospital in a stable condition . The truck driver was unhurt . All the students were wearing seatbelts and alcohol was not involved . | 4d663dd10276d63e8b5c19837b997eb4b0f8a103 |
Yaya Toure has risked upsetting Manchester City manager Manuel Pellegrini by refuting his suggestion he was not fit to play against Burnley. Toure was absent from the matchday squad as City dropped two points and missed a golden opportunity to close the gap on Chelsea at the top of the Premier League. After the match, his Pellegrini claimed that Toure was nursing a groin injury that he picked up at West Brom on Boxing Day and also said he was a major doubt for the home match against Sunderland on Boxing Day. Yaya Toure has taken to Twitter to insist he was rested for Manchester City and was 'not injured; . Toure, however, tweeted on Tuesday night to say: 'Just a note to say the boss rested me for the Burnley game, I am not injured...!! really hope to be involved against Sunderland! #ComeOnCity!' In his post-match press conference on Sunday, Pellegrini had said: 'Yaya Toure was not able to play today. It was a risk for him. The players that played today were the players who were able to. 'Yaya felt a problem at the beginning of the last game against West Bromwich.' Toure may have upset Manchester City boss Manuel Pellegrini after appearing to contradict him . Toure, pictured playing against West Bromwich Albion on Boxing Day, was absent for the Burnley match . With regards to his chances of making the Sunderland game, Pellegrini answered: 'We will see. We hope that he will be because it was a lesser problem but after 48 hours maybe it is too high a risk to repeat. It is a muscle injury in his groin.' Toure had appeared to have settled down at City after the summer in which he seemed intent on driving a wedge between himself and the champions. In May, Seluk claimed Toure was ‘very upset’ that the club did not present him with a cake for his 31st birthday and also alleged that on a trip to Abu Dhabi, the club’s owners did not shake Toure’s hand. Following the World Cup, Toure - who had, in fact, been presented with two birthday cakes by City - made some rather more damaging allegations, suggesting the club did not allow him compassionate leave to spend time with his terminally ill brother Ibrahim, who died last June. Toure has established himself as one of City's key players but has also had his problems at the Etihad . | Yaya Toure was left out of Manchester City's squad to face Burnley . Manuel Pellegrini had insisted midfielder missed out due to injury . But Toure has taken to Twitter to refute the claims of his manager . Toure tweeted that he was 'rested' and that he is not 'injured' | 96ba49ed7541538f7c0eed39088b0aa42017d86a |
A Brazilian rent boy whose claims of drug-fuelled sex forced a Tory MP to quit as a minister's aide says he will name another Westminster client. Rogerio Santos contacted a publicist this week claiming he wants to reveal details about another Conservative politician in exchange for a large sum of money. Last year the male escort's allegations about Mark Menzies led the MP to resign as private secretary to the then International Development Minister Alan Duncan. Brazilian rent boy Rogerio Santos, whose claims of drug-fuelled sex forced a Tory MP to quit as a minister's aide, says he will name another Westminster client . The new claims about an as yet unidentified MP are also believed to involve sex and illegal drugs. A source told the Daily Mirror: 'Mr Santos is very convincing. He wants to speak out again – but only for the right price.' The rent boy, 20, claimed the second Conservative was a 'colleague' of Mr Menzies. The source added that the new allegations would heap pressure on Mr Menzies, who plans to run again in Fylde, Lancashire, in May. The Brazilian said he and Mr Menzies met on a gay escort website and claimed the politician had given him a tour of the Houses of Parliament before allegedly offering to pay him £250 for a two-hour session. He insisted that Mr Menzies, who was one of David Cameron's 'A-listers' at the 2010 General Election, asked him to supply him with mephedrone – also known as M-Cat and Meow Meow. Last year the male escort's allegations about Mark Menzies led the MP to resign as a minister's aide . Possession of the Class B drug became a criminal offence in 2010, however no charges were brought against the MP or Mr Santos. The escort, who returned to Sao Paulo, Brazil, because his student visa had expired, made the claims to the Sunday Mirror in March last year. Mr Menzies worked for Alan Duncan, pictured . He said at the time: ‘I have been having sex with a Conservative MP for money. Mark also asked me to buy mephedrone. I have messages of him talking to me about drugs. ‘We met very regularly over the last 18 months. He took me to the Houses of Parliament. Recently, he has been asking me to buy drugs. I have SMS messages and photographic evidence.’ Mr Santos is also reported to have a photograph of Mr Menzies next to a plate of mystery white powder. Discussing the picture, Mr Santos said: ‘There is a plate of mephedrone. He asked me if I could buy methedrone. He had many drugs, a lot of drugs.’ He also claimed that he had received a text from Mr Menzies in which the MP asked ‘What underwear you have?’, and another in which he told the rent boy to meet him in south London and ‘bring sexy underwear’. The Tory MP said at the time: ‘I have decided to resign as a Parliamentary Private Secretary after a series of allegations were made against me. 'A number of these allegations are not true and I look forward to setting the record straight in due course.’ | Brazilian escort says he will name Tory MP he claims to have had sex with . Rogerio Santos alleged last year that he had sex with Mark Menzies . The then ministerial aide was forced to quit over drug-fuelled sex claims . Santos, 20, wants large sum of money to reveal details about second MP . | 1647257c65ed9cab15b8c2432b35e21f323d233f |
By . Lucy Crossley . PUBLISHED: . 12:22 EST, 2 December 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 12:57 EST, 2 December 2013 . Learning supervisor Tracey Graham forged an 'obsessive' relationship with a teenager, repeatedly calling her and sending inappropriate messages . A learning supervisor who forged an 'obsessive' relationship with a teenager has been spared jail. Tracey Graham, 35, admitted harassing a child over a period of ten months, repeatedly ringing her and texting her inappropriate messages. Graham, of Alnwick, Northumberland, also made the child a CD of love songs and took her on a day trip to Edinburgh zoo. Newcastle Crown Court heard how Graham was working as a learning supervisor at a Northumberland School when the offence took place. In one message, Graham messaged the teenager saying: 'Goodnight beautiful princess, I love you so much, sweet dreams xx' Another text message read: 'You are the most important person in my life. Love you.' Prosecutor Gavin Doig said: 'The defendant had been calling her, messaging her and sending her cards. 'This shows the obsessive nature of the relationship that had developed. 'The victim said "stop texting me please, will you delete my number. I have got all this built up and it’s beginning to make me feel sick. You are a caring person but this is past caring". 'The defendant accepts holding the child’s hand and hugging her but said it went no further, it was not sexual.' Defence lawyer Ros Scott-Bell said: 'She can see what went wrong but at the time she was leaned upon by the child. 'Most of the people who know her speak of her desire to help. She volunteers and she goes out of her way to help and it appears that is what she did on this occasion. Graham accepted holding the child's hand and hugging her, but said their relationship went no further, the court heard . 'I accept she went totally over the top and smothered the relationship and she should have known better. 'But it was one that she closed her eyes to. It was one that was not sexually motivated and she failed to see the impact she was having on the young girl. It wasn’t set out from the start.' A statement from the victim read: 'She said she was my friend. She is the one that has hurt me most.' Judge Penny Moreland sentenced Graham to eight weeks imprisonment, suspended for 12 months. The judge also granted a five year restraining order banning her from contacting the girl. Judge Moreland told Graham: 'It is absolutely clear to me and should be clear to all listening to these remarks that you were not behaving from the best of intentions. You behaved in a way that was selfish and obsessive. The fault for what happened is yours.' Judge Penny Moreland, sitting at Newcastle Crown Court, sentenced Graham to eight weeks imprisonment, suspended for 12 months . | Tracey Graham, 35, forged 'obsessive' relationship with teenage girl . Graham bombarded child with text messages and took her to the zoo . Learning supervisor given suspended sentence after admitting harassment . | 600d94c3a470f0f76587c2468e0cdbe0f0ef6434 |
Wayne Rooney has the perfect retreat should he ever doubt his own achievements. It is a place in his home: a personal mini-museum, spread over two floors. By any standard his career has been fruitful and today he will receive a new centrepiece for his exhibition: a Golden Cap set in a glass case to mark his 100 appearances for England. At 29, he is the youngest footballer to reach the landmark. VIDEO Scroll for Wayne Rooney: Euro 2004 is a highlight but I want to win a World Cup . Wayne Rooney, pictured in training on Friday, will win his 100th England cap against Slovenia on Saturday . Rooney admits that he almost quit football at 14 but changed his mind after talking with Everton's Colin Harvey . Danny Welbeck (right) and Jack Wilshere (centre) join Rooney in a race during training at St George's Park . Apart from the embroidered England crest, Rooney's golden cap is entirely hand-made by Toye, Kenning & Spencer. Based in Warwickshire, the company is the world's oldest fraternal regalia maker and has been in operation for more than three centuries. The company is also responsible for the ribbons that adorn the FA Cup. CLICK HERE TO WATCH IT BEING MADE . 'I'll put it in there, with the other things I've collected over the years,' said Rooney. 'The first things you see when you go in are my Premier League medals. 'It's something I'm very proud of. They're on a mannequin in a Manchester United shirt. There's a glass cabinet underneath with all my England caps in.' Here is a rare glimpse into Wayne's World. 'It's probably about the size of this room, split between upstairs and downstairs,' he adds, glancing around a large conference room inside St George's Park, where he is being mined for memories before becoming England's ninth centurion. And there is still time for him to surpass the 125 caps of Peter Shilton and the 49 goals of Sir Bobby Charlton, who will make Saturday's presentation. He stands just six goals behind Charlton and there is no sign of him stopping. Rooney wants to play at a fourth World Cup, in Russia in 2018, and yet he might have quit football at the age of 14, had it not been for Everton coach Colin Harvey. The Manchester United striker trains at St George's Park with his England team-mates on Friday . Rooney will receive this special gold cap from England legend Sir Bobby Charlton at Wembley on Saturday . The Manchester United man shows off a shirt showing the number of England caps he'll have by Saturday . THE HIGH - Euro 2004 . 'It was such a great experience for me to go there at such a young age and start all the games and score four goals.' THE LOW - Red card v Portugal (World Cup QF 2006) 'I believe to this day if I'd stayed on we would've won the game. Unfortunately we didn't go through and that made it worse for me. You start thinking, is it my fault?' TOP THREE GOALS . 'My first goal against Macedonia (September 6, 2003), although the keeper should have saved it. I don't know what he was doing! The goal against Croatia (June 21, 2004) when I played a one-two with Michael Owen. I really enjoyed that goal. And the header against Switzerland (June 17, 2004) in the Euro 2004 finals. My first tournament goal. It means a lot more to score for your country in competitive games.' BIGGEST REGRET - Algeria 0-0 in Cape Town and X-rated verdict on England fans via a TV camera . 'No matter what people might say, we as a group of players care about playing for England. When things aren't going right on the pitch, it's frustrating because we know we can do better. Sometimes it boils over, and that's what happened. It's certainly something I regret.' FUNNIEST MOMENT . 'One of the masseurs put a lot of work into a game of 'Deal or No Deal' for us in South Africa, and drew David James to play. At the first offer he took the deal and completely ruined the game.' BEST ENGLAND BOSS . 'Certainly my best time has been under Roy Hodgson. My goalscoring is the best it's been for England. Sven was great. He really trusted his players and gave us freedom. It was difficult under Steve McClaren as the team weren't doing well. Under Capello it was quite tough in a different way. He tried to bring something different to what we normally had.' MARK OUT OF 10 . 'I can't say it is three or eight. You have to really look at how successful you have been and we haven't been successful. That's how teams and players get rated. I'd say it hasn't always been great but it's always been magical to play for my country.' 'I stopped enjoying it,' said Rooney. 'It was really down to Colin Harvey that I carried on. 'He sat me down and made me fall back in love with it. 'He just said he hadn't seen any player with the talent I had and that I'd be making a mistake. 'I thought, "he used to be Everton manager, so he knows the game". Thankfully I listened. That's when I stopped going to boxing and focused solely on football. It was the right decision.' Three years later came an England debut, starting the second half in a side captained by Danny Mills after Sven Goran Eriksson made 11 half-time substitutions in a friendly against Australia. Rooney was up front with Everton pal Francis Jeffers, cheered on by friends and family of the Croxteth pair who put on a special coach to Upton Park. Jeffers scored and never played for England again. Rooney knows his life could have turned out very differently. He might have ended up in landscaping or building like his mates. As it is, he will lead out England at Wembley with sons Kai and Klay, before today's Euro 2016 qualifier against Slovenia. 'I hope this isn't my last tournament,' Rooney said. 'It's difficult when you're coming up to 30 to start planning the next four years. 'You have to be realistic. There's a chance I might not go to the next World Cup but it's something I'd love to do. I never want to cut my career short by deciding not to play for England.' Tournaments have not been kind to Rooney. His fondest England memories are from Euro 2004, even though it ended prematurely with a broken metatarsal. His favourite goals are a decade in the past. It is indicative of the era. Steven Gerrard reached back to the 5-1 win in Germany, his sixth cap. Frank Lampard, like Rooney, cherished Euro 2004. For those representing England over the past 10 years, it has been about regrets and missed opportunities. Amid untimely injuries, red cards and red mists, one moment stands out: his dismissal against Portugal in the 2006 World Cup quarter-final. 'That's the low,' said Rooney. 'I believe to this day if I'd stayed on we would've won the game. 'I beat myself up about it straight away. I was in the dressing room watching the rest of the game. It was difficult, knowing no matter what happened my tournament was over. 'We didn't go through and that made it worse. You start thinking, 'Is it my fault?' We've been stuck, we can't get past the quarter-finals and that was a great opportunity, like Euro 2004 was. 'Not going through, and knowing my red card might have affected that, was difficult to take. I didn't show it too much. I tend to keep things like that inside.' The Manchester United narrative took over. Rooney's red card was for stamping on Ricardo Carvalho, but a wink from Cristiano Ronaldo came to signify a Portuguese plot to wind up England's best player until he blew. Rooney appears to stamp on his Manchester United team-mate Cristiano Ronaldo at the 2006 World Cup . Rooney looks shocked after being sent off in England's quarter final defeat to Portugal in Germany . 'I spoke to him (Ronaldo) straight after the game,' said Rooney, 'because I knew which way the press would go in terms of us falling out. We had to make sure that didn't happen for Manchester United's sake. 'There was never an issue. I understood why he'd done it. He was trying to win for Portugal and to be honest I'd probably do the same for England. I remember saying to the referee that he was diving, trying to get him a yellow card. 'It happens in football.' Rooney has revealed that he'd like to follow Roy Hodgson (right) into management when he retires . Roy Hodgson insists the best is still to come for his captain of the next generation — and Rooney agrees things are moving in the right direction, but 99 England caps breed caution. There are no guarantees. Given the choice, he would have preferred a World Cup medal to a 'Golden Cap'. Wouldn't they all? On Saturday, he can savour his experiences and his goals and be thankful he didn't pack it all in 15 years ago. 'I'm blessed with the career I've been able to have,' said Rooney. 'There have been tough times on and off the field, but I've never thought this isn't what I want to be doing. I've always believed this is the perfect thing for me.' | Wayne Rooney knows why Cristiano Ronaldo did what he did in 2006 . Rooney will win his 100th cap against Slovenia at Wembley on Saturday . Before his 100th cap Rooney admits he would do the same for England . But he is yet to win a tournament with the Three Lions after debuting at 17 . Manchester United ace says he almost quit football to become a boxer . The Manchester United man is determined to end his career with a trophy . | 7787206c6e4fa597b81f6a86bdb481279b535bf0 |
The publisher of a Dorset guide has had to bin the front cover - after copies pictured the wrong town. Local Authority Publishing's guide to landlocked Dorchester featured a photo on the front of Weymouth Harbour - eight miles to the south. The error has upset some local residents and businesses who called the blunder 'ludicrous' and 'a joke'. Local Authority Publishing's guide to landlocked Dorchester featured a photo on the front of Weymouth Harbour, eight miles away . The group said the error, which has upset and bemused some local residents and businesses in Dorchester (pictured), has 'been corrected and finished copies would now be distributed' A picture of Weymouth Harbour was put on the front of the guide - even though it is eight miles from Dorchester . The publisher said its booklet has since 'been corrected and finished copies would now be distributed'. But Stuart Jury, of County Town Butchers, who was sent a hard copy of the draft booklet, said he had not yet paid the £350 charge to advertise in the guide because of the 'glaring mistake'. The blunder was labelled 'ludicrous' by Ross Cumber, manager of Taste restaurant in Dorchester. 'For a town so rich in natural beauty and historical landmarks, I can't believe it happened in the first place' he said. The original booklet featured a picture on the front page of Weymouth (file picture). The blunder has been branded 'ludicrous' by traders in Dorchester . Andrew Wadsworth, director of the Brewery Square development in the town, said 'Dorchester's streets appear to be flooded. 'They've got to be kidding - what a joke.' The publisher said the corrected booklet would be distributed to more than 10,000 residential and business addresses from February 16th. Dorset County Council, West Dorset District Council and Dorchester Town Council said they did not have links with the firm. | Local Authority Publishing issued a guide to landlocked Dorchester, Dorset . Booklet featured photo on front of Weymouth Harbour - eight miles away . Bemused local traders have labelled the blunder 'ludicrous' and 'a joke' Published says error has been corrected and new copies would now be distributed' | 90482606bea3b8e56eac3eae1d8202dc9e5c91d7 |
Charged: Dzhokhar Tsarnaev has been formally charged in the Boston Marathon bombings and he will be tried in the U.S. criminal justice system . Dzhokhar Tsarnaev has been formally charged in the Boston Marathon bombings, officials announced on Monday. Tsarnaev, 19, was arraigned in his hospital bed at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center Monday by a magistrate judge, court officials said. He is specifically charged with one count of using and conspiring to use a weapon of mass destruction - namely, an improvised explosive device or IED - against persons and property within the United States resulting in death, and one count of malicious destruction of property by means of an explosive device resulting in death, according to the criminal complaint. If he is convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of death or imprisonment for life, as well as a fine of up to $250,000. The charging documents reveal dramatic new details of the investigation and events following the bombings, including a list of items obtained from Dzhokhar Tsarnaev's college dorm room and claims that during a carjacking at least one suspect was advertising his role in the marathon bombings. 'Although our investigation is ongoing, today’s charges bring a successful end to a tragic week for the city of Boston, and for our country,' U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder said in a statement. He will not be tried as an enemy . combatant because he is a naturalized U.S. citizen and under federal . law, citizens cannot be tried in military commissions, the White House . said Monday. Instead, he will be tried in the U.S. justice system. Tsaernaev, . who was born in Russia, is in serious condition with gunshot wounds to . his head, neck, legs and hand. The wound to his neck has made it difficult for him to speak, . according to hospital officials. He remains under heavy guard while he receives treatment for his injuries. Scroll down for video . Wounded: Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, seen here moments after he was pulled from the boat where he was hiding, suffered a throat wound and a leg wound . His older brother and suspected accomplice in the bombings, Tamerlan Tsarnaev, 26, was killed during a firefight with police early Friday morning. The twin bombings last Monday killed three people and injured more than 180. The younger Tsarnaev was captured alive following a massive manhunt involving hundreds of law enforcement officials. He was eventually discovered hiding in a boat parked outside a home in Watertown, Mass. CARJACKING . The charging papers allege that the Tsarnaev brothers carjacked a man around midnight on Thursday and that the eldest of the two told the car's owner that he had carried out the marathon bombings. 'The victim stated that while he was sitting in his car on a road in Cambridge, a man approached and tapped on his passenger-side window,' according to the charges. 'When the victim rolled down the window, the man reached in, opened the door, and entered the victim's vehicle. The man pointed a firearm at the victim and stated, "Did you hear about the Boston explosion?" and "I did that."' The gunman, identified by the FBI as Tamerlan Tsarnaev, removed the magazine from his firearm to show the victim that it was loaded, then re-inserted it and said, 'I am serious.' Dzhokhar, right, and his older brother Tamerlan, left, are suspected accomplices in the marathon bombings . Tamerlan Tsarnaev then allegedly forced the victim to drive to a location where they picked up Dzhokhar. One of the suspects then got behind the wheel of the car and demanded money and an ATM card from the victim. The suspects drove to a gas station and got out of the car to withdraw money, at which point the victim managed to escape. FIREFIGHT . The stolen vehicle with the two suspects inside was located by authorities a short time later in Watertown, Mass. As police cruisers descended on the scene, the men threw at least two small IEDs from the car windows, sparking a firefight. During the exchange of fire, the older Tsarnaev brother, Tamerlan, got out of the car and was shot several times. Meanwhile, the younger brother managed to escape in the car - but not without first mowing over his brother's body. Tamerlan was rushed to a nearby hospital, where he was pronounced dead, and authorities launched a manhunt for Dzhokhar, who apparently abandoned the carjacked vehicle shortly after making his getaway. Site: A blood stain can be seen on the boat where Dzhokhar Tsarnaev was found hiding after a massive manhunt that left the Boston area paralyzed in fear . CACHE OF EXPLOSIVES . From the scene of the shootout, the FBI recovered two unexploded IEDs, as well as the remnants of numerous exploded devices. Another in-tact device was found inside the abandoned vehicle. A preliminary examination of the explosive devices that were used at the Boston Marathon revealed that they were low-grade explosives housed inside pressure cookers with metallic BBs and nails. Many of the BBs were contained within an adhesive material, authorities said. Found: Authorities discovered a white hat and black jacket in Dzhokar Tsarnaev's (left) dormroom like the ones worn by the suspect in photos from the day of the bombings . Investigators discovered the exact same type of explosives at the scene of the firefight and inside the abandoned getaway car. MANHUNT . Dzhokhar Tsarnaev was on the run for nearly a full day when authorities located him hiding in a boat parked outside a home in Watertown. He engaged in a firefight with police from inside the boat before he was eventually coaxed out of the vessel, authorities said. He had visible injuries, including apparent gunshot wounds to the head, neck, legs, and hand. He was searched and authorities found several means of identification in his pockets, including credit cards and a Dartmouth student ID. 'At the end they were just making . demands of him: Show your hands, lift your shirt. And eventually that's . what he did,' Watertown Police Chief Edward Deveau told ABC News. 'He . was very slow and lethargic in every move that he made and they could . see that there was no device on his chest. They kept creeping closer to . him and then they felt it safe enough to pull him away from the boat.' Authorities initially said they couldn't question the terror suspect because of his severe throat wound. 'We . are hoping, for a host of reasons, that the suspect survives, because . we have a million questions, and those questions need to be answered,' Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick said. Authorities conducted a search at Tsarnaev's Dartmouth dorm, where they found a pyrotechnic as well as a white hat and black jacket like the ones he is pictured wearing in surveillance footage from the scene of the marathon bombings. MARATHON BOMBINGS . The charging documents also contain new details about the marathon bombings and allege that at least one of the suspects was using a cell phone shortly before the explosions. The documents state that at approximately 2:41 p.m. - about eight minutes before the explosions - both bombing suspects were standing together about a half-block from the Forum Restaurant on Boylston Street near the finish line, according to footage from surveillance cameras. About one minute later, one suspect - believed to be Tamerlan Tsarnaev - appears to break away from the crowd and begin walking east on Boylston street toward the finish line. At 2:45 p.m., Dzhokhar Tsarnaev - referred to in the charging documents as 'Bomber Two' - walks in the same direction but stops short of the finish line, directly in front of Forum Restaurant. 'He appears to have the thumb of his right hand hooked under the strap of his knapsack and a cell phone in his left hand,' FBI special agent Daniel R. Genck wrote in the documents. About 15 seconds later, 'Bomber Two' appears to drop his knapsack to the ground. The suspect stays in that position for about four minutes, occasionally looking at his cell phone and once appearing to snap a picture with it. 'At some point he appears to look at his phone, which is held at approximately waist level, and may be manipulating the phone,' the charging papers state. 'Approximately 30 seconds before the first explosion, he lifts his phone to his ear as if he is speaking on his cell phone, and keeps it there for approximately 18 seconds. 'A few seconds after he finishes the call, the large crowd of people around him can be seen reacting to the first explosion.' As others are reacting to the explosion, 'Bomber Two' 'calmly but rapidly' begins moving away from the finish line - without his knapsack, which he had left on the ground. About 10 seconds later, an explosion occurs in the location of the discarded knapsack. 'I can discern nothing in that location in the period before the explosion that might have caused that explosion, other than Bomber Two's knapsack,' Genck wrote. | Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, 19, was arraigned in his hospital bed, where he remains in serious condition . Charging documents reveal dramatic new details of the investigation into the deadly Boston Marathon bombings . Tsarnaev's brother, Tamerlan Tsarnaev, allegedly bragged that he carried out the bombings as he carjacked someone at gunpoint . Authorities found a white hat and black jacket in Dzhokhar's Dartmouth dorm room like the ones that the suspects were spotted wearing at the scene of the bombings . The suspects threw explosives at police officers like the ones used in the marathon bombings . | 6ee6558d67ec85fe745539a0ea65fe46c672a3ae |
By . Lydia Warren and Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 16:11 EST, 29 April 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 17:47 EST, 29 April 2013 . A Missouri couple have returned home with their rare identical girl triplets more than one month after their birth, but they are still finding it difficult to tell them apart. Brad and Laura Partridge from Des Peres, celebrated the successful delivery of their daughters Sonja, Sylvia and Scarlet, on March 19 - seven weeks before their due date. Despite kitting them out with color-coded outfits, Mr Partridge told NewsmagazineNetwork.com that he constantly gets the newborns mixed up, especially when his wife sends photos and asks him to 'guess who'. Bundles of joy: Laura and Brad Partridge show off their identical triplets, Scarlett, Sylvia and Sonja . Who's who? Scarlett wears pink, Sylvia purple and Sonja yellow as the parents struggle to tell them apart . 'I don’t think I’ve gotten one right yet,' he admitted. 'We know it’s just going to take some . extra coordination and focus to make sure we don’t get them mixed up, . but they’ll eventually be developing their own little quarks and . personalities to tell them apart.' However Mrs Partridge,34, is better at identifying her babies by looking at the shape of their faces. 'Our smallest, Scarlett, her face is still a little bit thinner and more petite . . Sonja, who has the biggest face, is a little fuller,' the mother-of-five explained. 'We know it’s just going to take some . extra coordination and focus to make sure we don’t get them mixed up' However, she said as they grow and their bodies change shape it will become increasingly difficult to work out who is who. 'When everyone is at the exact same . weight, once they’re bundled up in blankets and have their hats on and . their eyes closed – it’s going to be like looking at the same baby times . three.' Making it easier to identify their daughters the Partridges devised a nifty plan. 'Everyone . has a signature colour,' Mrs Partridge told MailOnline. 'Pink for . Scarlett, purple for Sylvia and yellow for Sonja, and they have . corresponding outfits. Peaceful: Scarlett Partridge pictured ay the Mercy St. Louis Hospital shortly after her birth . Nap time: Like her sisters, Sylvia Partridge weighed over three pounds when she was born 7 weeks early . Baby steps: Sonja and her sisters remained in hospital for several weeks until their weight was up . 'A . friend is even getting me non-toxic nail polish for their toenails so that . way we know for sure who's who in the middle of the night, or during a . bath.' After they were born the three sisters, who all weighed three pounds, remained in intensive care at Mercy Children's Hospital . until they reached certain feeding and weight goals. The Partridges, who also have a three-year-old son, Stephen, and a . 17-month-old daughter, Stella, conceived the triplets without the use of fertility treatments. Recalling the news that she was pregnant with triplets at her eight-week scan Mrs Partridge said: 'The doctor said, "There's one... There's . two..." I was like, "What!" 'I honestly don't even remember her telling . me about the third. They were sharing one placenta so we knew they would . be identical.' The only multiple births on either side of the family are Mr Partridge's grandmother's twin sisters. Growing: Laura and Brad already have a three-year-old son, Stephen, and a 17-month-old daughter, Stella. Laura was on bed rest in hospital for three weeks before they welcomed their little sisters . Brotherly love: The Partridge's son Stephen couldn't wait to have his sisters home . After their initial shock subsided, the Partridges grew concerned about the dangers. 'They told us the scary statistics,' she said. 'We weren't able to celebrate like we were with our other two children. I think it . really wasn't until they were actually born that I could relax.' The family is now overjoyed at getting to know the new additions; Mrs Partridge said that as well as being identical, they're even alike in personality and take it in turns to have a 'feisty' day. The couple introduced their other children to the . babies on Easter Sunday at hospital. 'It was a bit overwhelming for my . son,' Mrs Partridge said of Stephen. 'He covered his eyes when he saw the babies because . there were machines and tubes around. 'But he thought it was neat that they weren't crying and always talks about going to visit them at the hospital again.' Delicate: Mrs Partridge returned home before her baby girls . Colour code: The family plans on painting the babies' toenails in the colours to make bath time easier . Support: The Partridges said family, friends and neighbors have rallied around to help out . The likelihood of having identical . triplets is unknown, but some estimates range from one in 60,000 births . to one in 200 million. Obstetrician Dr. Gilbert Webb said the Partridge trio are only the third set of triplets he has seen in his 27-year career. 'It is extremely rare to have three babies share the same placentas,' he said. 'I'm so happy for Laura and Brad that their beautiful new babies are doing well.' Mrs Partridge said relatives, neighbors and church friends have helped with the babies' return home. 'Everyone has been wonderful,' she said - and the love is paying off. 'They are all doing very well,' Mr Partridge added of his baby girls. 'They are our one in 200 million babies.' | The chances of giving birth to identical triplets ranges from one in 60,000 to one in 200 million . The births mean that the Partridge family, from Des Peres, Missouri, now have five children aged three and under . | 69f03b4232084c11cedeeeacd5d4e334f6474e3f |
By . Daily Mail Reporter . These adorable billies are definitely for the fainthearted. Myotonic goats, or 'fainting goats', have a genetic disorder called myotonia congenital which causes their muscles to tighten when they get startled. They drop to the ground and are stiff as a board for about 10 seconds, if shocked by strangers, loud noises or anything else. Scroll down for video . Cute little kid: This muscles of this little startled goat froze and collapsed as he ran in a drove of goats at Goat Flower Farm in Lancaster, Pennsylvania . Close-up: This little myotonic goat fainted due to a genetic disorder . I'm ok! The disorder causes the goat's muscles to seize temporarily, but they not injured . Carol Ellis, who owns Goat Flower Farm in . Lancaster, Pennsylvania, has bred fainting goats for almost 20 years and sells them to buyers on America's East Coast. But it's only recently that her adorable herd has been noticed, after hilarious footage of her goats went viral. 'I didn't think my claim to fame would be my fainting goats. I am called the Crazy Goat Lady by many just because I love my goats,' she told ABC affiliate WHTM. '(MTV) are going to put it on their show called Ridiculousness we were also contacted by the BBC and provided some footage for their show which is called the world's weirdest animals.' Although her goats have a genetic disorder, Ellis said the unique breed is living the good life. 'Their uniqueness, people like to have the fainting goats, and they get treated like dogs or cats,' Ellis said. 'They get a really good life. We just fell in love with them, they are the perfect goat in our eyes.' 'I'm known as the crazy goat lady': Carol Ellis, owner of Goat Flower Farm in Lancaster, has been breeding 'fainting goats' for almost 20 years . Exposure: Various broadcasters have approached Ellis about using this footage of one of her fainting goats for bizarre animal stories . | Myotonic goats have a genetic disorder causing their muscles to temporarily freeze when they're startled . It is painless and does not cause injury . Pennsylvania breeder Carol Ellis said TV crews from around the world film her goats . | 61d199adbb399bf5ad355bb62f7a81d70a84ec18 |
By . Zoe Szathmary . Text messages that show a bride accidentally inviting a stranger to her wedding then trying to uninvite the guest - only to receive a message in reply that reads 'We still coming' - are fake. Amy and Ian Hicks told People.com they were taking wedding photos in front of Detroit's Michigan Central Station while a music video was being shot nearby. 'Amy and I go off to the side and get a . few pictures,' Ian Hicks told the website. 'Before I can even turn . around my groomsmen are already over there talking to the guys. So our . photographer was like, "All right, let's go over there."' Nothing but fun: This photo of Amy and Ian Hicks, along with their wedding party, was actually taken when THEY crashed a music video for rap group 7262 . Party time: Amy and Ian Hicks are seen dancing on the set of 7262's 'Anthem' Two different fake screenshots appeared online showing the 'accidental invitation' - one which said the bride's name is 'Kirsten' and another which claimed her name was 'Kristen,' Buzzfeed pointed out. Accounts vary, . but someone uploaded a photo of the Hicks' wedding party posing on the . set of 7262's 'Anthem' along with the fake messages to social media. Wedding . photographer Adam Sparkes told MailOnline it was his idea to have the . couple pose for photographs at Michigan Central Station. 'Initially I was just going to pull [Amy and Ian] to the side, I didn't want to get in their way,' he said, when he realized people were already there filming a video. 'We're . on the other turnaround and [one of the guys from the video] says . "Congratulations, beautiful bride, something like that."' Sparkes said he told the rappers 'We're gonna come dance in that video' - and a man replied 'You should.' 'They were like 'Come on over,' he said. 'We crashed in on them.' Sparkes said the now-viral photograph wasn't actually taken by him, but by someone standing behind. The other way around! Wedding photographer Adam Sparkes said 7262 was 'pretty gracious' for letting the wedding party crash the music video's filming . On-set: A groomsman gets down . Rappers: Danta Norris and Joshua Norris, seen center, rap as 7262 . Hoax: Two different versions of the fake messages appeared online . Sparkes said 7262 was 'pretty gracious' for letting him and the Hicks' wedding party join in on the fun. 'I went to EliteDaily and tried to dispel the myth,' he said. 'It was starting to feel like it was a little trope for people on the Internet - for a group of 20-something black guys to crash a wedding - but it rubbed me as being just a little unfair enough.' Sparkes said the text messages were fake and '100 percent speculation.' Asked by MailOnline about the reason for the hoax, Sparkes said he thought 'Someone just thought it would be funny - lulcat mentality.' As for the idea Amy and Ian Hicks would text out wedding invitations, Sparkes said 'It's so far from these guys - they had a Colony Club wedding - they live in DC - they were not texting out invitations. It was black-tie and [was over a year] in the making.' 7262 later released the video for 'Anthem' in early July, featuring the wedding party as dancers. Rapper Danta Norris, known by his stage name Mojo, told the Washington Post of the experience 'It's all cool that people making up what they make up. It's making it blow up more.' Amy and Ian Hicks, along with their bridal party, pose with 7262 . | Amy and Ian Hicks decided to take wedding photos in front of Detroit's Michigan Central Station - as rap group 7262 filmed a music video . A photo of the Hicks' wedding party posing with the rappers later appeared online - along with two different fake text messages that falsely listed the bride's name as 'Kirsten' and 'Kristen' Those texts show the bride accidentally inviting someone to her wedding and trying to uninvite the guest - but the stranger replies 'We still coming' The photo and messages quickly went viral on social media and started the Twitter trend #westillcoming . 7262 later released the video for 'Anthem' in early July, featuring the wedding party dancing with them . | 9151b5af52389b5a57abe9f0a1615e1207439ded |
Miami has been crowned as the most festive city in the US, topping a top ten list of holiday locations which, surprisingly, features a large majority of other warm weather locations such as Texas, Georgia and North Carolina. Despite the unlikelihood of enjoying a White Christmas in any of the five southern states featured on the list, online retailer Zulily has declared that it is the sunnier cities such as Austin, Raleigh and Tulsa which are ‘most ready for the 2014 holiday season’ because of the high numbers of festive purchases made in these locations. Using information from its own customer database, the web-based company compiled a list of the top ten cities where the most Christmas-themed products, from tree ornaments to toys, were purchased and revealed that four of the top five festive cities are all located in the south of the country. While Seattle, Washington, and Colorado Springs, Colorado, were ranked fifth and sixth respectively, Houston was ranked seventh, proving Texas has yuletide cheer to spare, with two cities on the list. Holiday cheer: Miami has been named the most festive city in the U.S. according to new research. A photo from 2007 shows Christmas lights decorating Miami Beach . Most festive: A map illustrates the cities most prepared for the 2014 holiday season . Tulsa, Oklahoma, and Las Vegas, Nevada, came in eighth and ninth, while Charlotte was ranked tenth, giving North Carolina its second spot on the list. As well as seasonal items such as Christmas ornaments and baking sheets, the list also took into account the popularity of merchandise from the hit Disney film Frozen, deemed to be one of the hottest holiday items for kids this year. In fact, Zulily’s findings also revealed the country’s top ten 'most Frozen crazed' cities, with Miami coming in at the top of that list too, followed by Colorado Springs; Portland, Oregon; Omaha, Nebraska; and Las Vegas. Deck the Halls: Online retailer Zulily, which conducted the research, has sold more than 13,000 holiday ornaments in the U.S. this year . 1. Miami . 2. Atlanta . 3. Austin . 4. Raleigh . 5. Seattle . 6. Colorado Springs . 7. Houston . 8. Tulsa . 9. Las Vegas . 10. Charlotte . 1. Miami . 2. Colorado Springs . 3. Portland . 4. Omaha . 5. Las Vegas . 6. Atlanta . 7. Virginia Beach . 8. Raleigh . 9. Seattle . 10. Austin . During the past year, the website has sold more than 13,000 holiday ornaments in the US, as well as 6,000 baking sheets and a staggering one million Frozen-themed items. Zulily's rankings also considered the number of shoes sold (more than eight million) - which it claims are enough to outfit the entire Nutcracker cast for 90,000 performances - and all 180,000 it has sold in 2014, which is enough to equip every Radio City Music Hall Rockette who has ever graced the iconic New York City stage, with 60 costume changes to spare. Amy E. Goodman, Zulily's lifestyle editor, said that residents of the cities included on both lists started their shopping well before November. 'Even the earliest Black Friday sales aren’t soon enough for the cities on this list,' she said. 'This year’s top 10 started making holiday purchases well before the weather changed. The yuletide spirit has been strongest in the South, as Southern cities make up more than half the list.' Can't Let It Go: The list also took into account the popularity of merchandise from the hit Disney film Frozen, such as this T-shirt (left) and backpack (right) sold on Zulily . | Online retailer Zulily conducted the rankings based on sales of holiday ornaments and other seasonal items . More than half of the top ten cities were in warm weather locations . Miami was also crowned as the city most obsessed with popular Disney movie Frozen . | cb3cb752f40fe4bbca4caa444176a86d96e9e09f |
By . James Daniel . PUBLISHED: . 10:19 EST, 20 August 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 12:23 EST, 20 August 2013 . A Nashville mother who had to watch her son die from an agonizing brain condition has spoken of the bittersweet moment she was told his kidney would be a match for her failing one. Zona McGee battled kidney disease for two decades and had been on the transplant list for more than three years. She underwent a life-saving transplant last week just a day after her own son's untimely death. Scroll down for video... My hero: Ryan McGee and his mother Zona who received his kidney last week after the teenager fell sick and died. Zona had been waiting for a kidney donor for three years but never thought her own son's death would save her life . Partners: Ryan fell ill from a brain condition known as Chiari. The condition affects the cerebellum, the part of the brain that controls coordination and muscle movement . Siblings: Ryan on graduation day alongside his sister/ Doctors couldn't test to see if he was a match for his mother whilst she was alive in case he inherited her disease . 20-year-old Ryan McGee was diagnosed with a brain condition called Chiari earlier this year, which affected his cerebral spinal fluid. He died on August 11. The next day, his mother received his kidney. Doctors were unable see if Ryan was a match for his mom whilst he was alive in case he inherited her disease. However, as an organ donor, he had told doctors that if anything happened to him he wanted her to have his kidney. It turned out that he was in fact a perfect match. Proud mom: Ryan on his graduation day. His mom Zona suffered from kidney disease for 20 years and would have died had her son not donated his kidney . Cured: Zona McGee says she finds great comfort in knowing her son helped save so many lives, not least her own . 'At first, I said I couldn't do it, but I know he would have been so mad at me,' Zona McGee told Nashville's News 2. 'When . I went into that surgery, I knew he was with me. I was not afraid. I . just felt like, 'Okay, Ryan, you're here with me. We're doing this . together,'' said Mrs McGee. Mrs McGee had written about her experiences on waiting for a kidney donor to come forward in a personal blog. She . tells of the anguish of having to deal with her own condition whilst . watching her sick son Ryan deal with his sudden illness. In . her final entry at the start of July she wrote, 'I really need to be . strong and healthy so I can be here for my son. I urgently need a kidney . donor and now more than ever! ' She . said that she is able to find comfort in the death of her son by . knowing he helped save so many lives and would eventually like to meet . those people, especially the person who received his heart. Happy families: Ryan with his cousins who did everything they could to help raise money to help fight kidney disease . A video containing some pictures of Ryan and his family has been posted to YouTube. Many of his friends and family are finding comfort in his death thanks to the new lease of life his donated kidney will bring to his mother. His sister Crystal Bowron shared her thoughts, 'He was an organ donor and our mother was able to receive a lifesaving kidney transplant thanks to him. He also gave life to many others through the donation of all of his other organs and tissue. Just knowing he touched so many lives of people I will never even know.... it's amazing. Ryan was an unbelievably sweet.' Ryan's friend Geno posted a comment stating he found solace in his friends' death. 'These past few days have been unreal for so many people. Hearing the news about Zona's kidney transplant has allowed me to sleep these past few nights. I can't think of a better and more meaningful end to such a wonderful life,' he wrote. | Zona McGee had suffered kidney disease for more than 20 years and was searching for a donor . Her son Ryan fell ill earlier this year and died last week without warning . Ryan's kidney was a match for his mother and a transplant was carried out the day after his death . | 8713c92d40df74d47983ce7479654903d60ab2e4 |
A young couple from Essex is taking legal action against a UK tour operator over claims that they fell seriously ill at a five-star all-inclusive Turkish hotel. Naomi Harding and boyfriend Kieran Pierce say they were forced to abandon their romantic getaway after they came down with gastric symptoms at the Diamond Hill Resort Hotel in the beach resort of Alanya in June 2013. They claim they flew home early to seek medical treatment in the UK for symptoms such as diarrhoea, vomiting and stomach cramps. Kieran Pierce and Naomi Harding fell ill while staying at the Diamond Hill Resort in Turkey . Mr Pierce and Ms Harding say they were forced to leave the beach resort in Turkey due to their illness . Naomi, a 21-year-old secretary, was diagnosed with gastroenteritis while 22-year-old Kieran, who has diabetes, claims gastroenteritis triggered ketoacidosis as it made it hard for him to maintain his blood sugar levels, their lawyers said. Ketoacidosis is a serious condition arises when there is a lack of insulin in the body. Kieran and Naomi say they were forced to fly home early to seek medical treatment in the UK . Kieran, a client service adviser from Hockley, alleges he was left feeling extremely weak and lethargic, and he risked slipping into a diabetic coma if his condition worsened. Naomi, from Leigh-on-Sea, was off work for five weeks and she said she is still suffering from symptoms nearly 18 months after their trip. She said: ‘I have been undergoing investigation with my general practitioner over the past year and to this day I am still struggling with stomach issues and ongoing symptoms. ‘Our illnesses ruined the holiday and forced us to leave the resort to return home early. 'As Kieran is diabetic, it was incredibly scary for me to see his condition decline, especially when we were travelling home and were both very unwell. ‘He was so weak that he could not even carry his suitcase and when we got home we both went to our doctors.’ She added: ‘It’s not what you expect when you book to go on holiday. Instead of feeling relaxed and coming back fresh, we’ve come back feeling really ill and we want to know what caused it.’ Naomi and Kieran, who booked with Freedom Travel Group, have hired solicitors from the law firm of Irwin Mitchell to investigate the cause of their illness. They claim the resort’s food hygiene standards were poor with food being left uncovered and exposed to flies, or served cold or lukewarm when it should have been hot. And they allege fresh food was added on top of old food in the buffet restaurant. Jennifer Downing, an International Personal Injury law expert at Irwin Mitchell, said: 'Aside from making holidays extremely unpleasant, gastroenteritis can have a long-term impact on a sufferer’s health and it can be serious when someone with diabetes suffers from gastric symptoms. The couple claims food hygiene standards were poor at the Diamond Hill Resort Hotel . 'Naomi and Kieran’s holiday was ruined and cut short by their illness and we are now investigating the cause of the illness and hope The Freedom Travel Group will work with us as we seek the answers to our client’s concerns.' In a statement, Freedom Travel Group said the couple waited over a year to file a claim for compensation. A spokesperson said: ‘We are currently within the pre-action protocol period, during which time our investigation continues, and we will respond in due course. ‘Accordingly, we are unable to provide further comment so as not to unduly compromise any potential legal proceedings.’ | Naomi Harding and Kieran Pierce sought medical treatment in the UK . Couple stayed at the Diamond Hill Resort Hotel in Alanya . They are taking legal action against Freedom Travel Group . Naomi was diagnosed with gastroenteritis and still experiences symptoms . Freedom Travel question why it took a year for a complaint to be lodged . They are continuing to investigate the complaint . | 338b1f9e21851d44d54b5e0c1833a872fc5afc9d |
By . Phil Vinter . PUBLISHED: . 13:43 EST, 24 May 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 01:40 EST, 25 May 2012 . Fight for justice: A Metropolitan Police team is to fly to Libya to continue the investigation into the murder of Wpc Yvonne Fletcher 28 years after her death . The killer of police officer Yvonne Fletcher outside the Libyan embassy in London in 1984 was never convicted, but now 28 years on there are fresh hopes that her family may finally see justice. A Metropolitan Police team is to fly to Libya to continue the investigation into the murder of Wpc Yvonne Fletcher. David Cameron said the visit was a 'really positive step forward' in the inquiry into the 1984 killing of the officer, who was shot dead as she policed an anti-Gaddafi demonstration outside the Libyan Embassy in London. Her killing triggered an 11 day police siege of the embassy in St James's Square and the UK cut all diplomatic ties with the Middle East nation. Ms Fletcher's mother Queenie, father Tim and sister Sarah Parsons have been hoping to see justice for their daughter ever since. In 2009 the family and friends of Yvonne gathered at a memorial in her honour at St James's square, the spot where she was killed, to commemorate the 25th anniversary of her death. Mr Cameron made the announcement as the north African state's interim Prime Minister Abdurrahim El-Keib visited 10 Downing Street. Mr El-Keib promised that his country would 'work very closely together' with the UK to resolve outstanding questions about the killing of the 25-year-old Wpc Fletcher, who was part of a team of 30 officers sent to St. James's Square to keep the peace during a demonstration by Libyan dissidents opposed to the rule of Colonel Muammar Gaddafi. It is believed she was hit by a shot fired from within the People's Bureau. Mr El-Keib worked with the opposition while in exile during Muammar Gaddafi's dictatorship, and said he knew some of those involved in the demonstration. He told Mr Cameron: 'The Fletcher case is a case that is close to my heart personally. I had friends who were demonstrating that day next to the embassy.' 'It is a sad story. It is very unfortunate that it has anything to do with the Libyan people. Changing Times: David Cameron said allowing British police to fly to Libya investigate Wpc Fletcher's killing was a really positive step. Diplomatic relations were cut with Libyan leader Muammar Gadaffi, right, following the incident in 1984 . 'I am here to tell you that we will work very closely together to resolve anything related to that issue.' Hopes of finding the killer of Wpc Fletcher were first raised following the revolution which toppled the dictator last year. But so far, plans to send a police team to Libya had been frustrated by a failure to secure approval from local authorities. Officers from New Scotland Yard and Home Office Minister James Brokenshire met Mr El-Keib today to discuss the Fletcher case.Commander Richard Walton, head of the Met's Counter Terrorism . Commander Richard Walton, head of the Met's Counter Terrorism said he was determined to get justice for Ms Fletcher. He added: 'We have never lost our resolve to solve this murder and achieve justice for Yvonne's family. We see today's announcement as significant.' Detectives remain in regular contact with Wpc Fletcher's family and update them on developments. Mr El-Keib said Libya wanted to be 'long-term friends and partners' with Britain, and paid tribute to the role which the UK played in the international military mission to protect civilians from Gaddafi's forces during last year's uprising. Tragic: The killing of Wpc Yvonne Fletcher sparked an 11 day police siege of the Libyan embassy in St James's Square . Addressing Mr Cameron he said: 'You took a bold decision when it was very difficult for many to even consider supporting the Libyan people. You took that decision which inspired many of us.' Mr Cameron said: 'I am very proud of the role that Britain played to help secure a successful outcome in Libya and the support we gave through the Nato mission. 'I am very much looking forward to hearing about the progress towards a full democracy in Libya and the elections which you hope to hold before Ramadan this year.' Mr El-Keib was appointed interim prime minister of Libya in October last year. Elections for a national assembly for Libya are expected in June or July, though no date has yet been set. Mr Cameron and Mr El-Keib were also thought to be discussing the reconstruction of the country following last year's revolution. And just days after the death of the only person convicted of the Lockerbie bombing, Abdelbaset al-Megrahi, they may also discuss whether any further evidence relating to the atrocity has emerged in the wake of the downfall of the Gaddafi regime. Mr El-Keib spent much of his life working abroad as an academic and businessman in the United States and UAE, and played no part in Gaddafi's administration. | Cameron in talks with interim Libyan Prime Minister . Wpc Fletcher shot dead controlling demonstration in London in 1984 . Believed that PC was hit by shot fired from embassy . | 94ad7fa228e39042ef778a033e2b2cb0ec0a6149 |
By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 05:23 EST, 12 June 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 10:52 EST, 12 June 2012 . A mother has been accused of helping her 14-year-old daughter smear faeces, swastikas and slurs in maple syrup on the houses of her classmates. Catharine Whelpley, 43, has been charged with nine misdemeanors including vandalism, trespassing and contributing to the delinquency of minors. Prosecutors say she drove her daughter and friends to vandalise the house of a former friend from her Los Angeles middle school with syrup, faeces and toilet paper. Degrading: A picture posted on the Twitter account of comedian Jon Lovitz showing the swastika and faeces allegedly left by the daughter of Catharine Whelpley at her classmate's house in Los Angeles . They say the Northridge woman then took them to another girl’s house in the San Fernando Valley, which belonged to the son of Holocaust survivors. They did the same thing, but Whelpley’s daughter also allegedly drew a swastika on the front door and wrote 'Jew' on a concrete path. Whelpley waited for the girls to finish, then drove them home, it is claimed. Surveillance video on a neighbour’s house led police to Whelpley. But the vandalism was also pictured by actor and comedian Jon Lovitz, who claimed on Twitter that the second house belonged to his friend. 'Insult': Mr Lovitz tweeted that the house where he took the picture belonged to his friend, who was the son of Holocaust survivors . He tweeted a photograph of the swastika and faeces outside the front door and wrote: 'Some coward & idiot left this on a friend’s doorstep, yesterday. This is an insult to all of us.' He added later: 'My friend’s parents are Holocaust survivors.' He claims they did it to 'bully' his friend's daughter. According to a report by the Los Angeles Daily News, the incident has also driven the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) in Los Angeles to hold discussions with youths about how to confront anti-Semitism. The actions by the girls on April 3 do not consitute a hate crime because the words and symbols were written in material that can be washed off, the City Attorney’s Office said. But the Los Angeles-area director for the ADL, Amanda Susskind, said the decision to hold the mother accountable should be commended. ‘The whole thing painted a picture of ugliness,’ she said. If convicted on all charges, Whelpley could face up to seven years in county jail or a $13,500 fine, according to prosecutor Ayelet Feiman. Whelpley’s arraignment is scheduled for June 28. According to the Los Angeles Daily News, the number of hate crimes fell by 28 per cent in the county in 2010, but California leads the country in anti-Semitic incidents, with 297 reported to the Anti-Defamation League in 2010, the last year for which data was released. | Catharine Whelpley, 43, charged . with vandalism and contributing . to the delinquency of minors . One house belonged to son of Holocaust survivors . | 30cd520bf1efa11827bb581cdfa4d63b5db7d4cc |
Britain is preparing to reopen its embassy in Iran in a dramatic thawing of relations between the West and Tehran. Foreign Secretary William Hague said the circumstances were right to restore the embassy, closed in 2011 after it was ransacked by an angry mob, insisting: 'Iran is an important country in a volatile region.' In another dramatic development, US secretary of state John Kerry indicated that the Obama administration is 'open to discussions' with Tehran if the Iranians can help end the violence and restore confidence in the Iraqi government. Scroll down for videos . British Foreign Secretary William Hague said the circumstances were right to reopen the UK embassy in Tehran, as US secretary of state John Kerry indicated that the Obama administration is 'open to discussions' with Iran . The need for closer working with Iran comes amid the deepening crisis in Iraq, where jihadist militants from the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (Isis) have seized several major cities. In a fresh worrying development, pictures have emerged of children taking up arms in Iraq against the Isis threatening to march on Baghdad. Images coming out of Iraq today show youths brandishing automatic rifles as they march with the militias forming in the capital to fight back against the forces of ISIS. The US has signalled it too could work with Iran in an extraordinary alliance to deal with the threat posed by the unrest in Iraq. Mr Hague spoke to Iranian foreign minister Mohammad Javad Zarif on Saturday when significant progress was made on repairing relations. The Foreign Secretary stressed the ‘common interests’ with Iran, including stability in Iraq and in Afghanistan and tackling the drugs trade. Anti Shah rioters in Tehran attack the British Embassy in December 1978 . The British embassy in Tehran has long been the centre of tensions between the UK and Iran. In November 2011, under hardliner Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's presidency, Iran announced it was expelling the UK's ambassador in retaliation for British support for tougher sanctions on Tehran over its nuclear programme. Hundreds of protesters stormed embassy compounds two days later, smashing windows, torching cars, burning Union Flags, and chanting: 'The embassy of Britain should be taken over',' and 'Death to England'. The riots had echoes of an uprising in 1979 uprising when the pro-Western Pahlavi dynasty was deposed and replaced with a theocratic regime. In 1980, six Iranian gunmen took 22 people hostage at the Iranian embassy in London. After a stand-off lasting six days, elite SAS troops stormed the building killing five gunmen and arresting another. One hostage was killed and two were injured. It was eight years before the UK government re-opened its embassy in Tehran. The rapprochement was short lived with diplomatic ties being severed again in 1989 when Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Khomeini, issued a fatwa ordering Muslims to kill British author Salman Rushdie in retaliation for his controversial novel The Satanic Verses. It took a decade for the embassy to be reopened. Today he announced said the 'circumstances are right' to restore the diplomatic base after a significant thawing in relations over recent months. 'Our two primary concerns when considering whether to reopen our embassy in Tehran have been assurance that our staff would be safe and secure, and confidence that they would be able to carry out their functions without hindrance,' Mr Hague told MPs in a written statement. 'There has never been any doubt in my mind that we should have an embassy in Tehran if the circumstances allowed. 'Iran is an important country in a volatile region, and maintaining embassies around the world, even under difficult conditions, is a central pillar of the UK's global diplomatic approach... 'I have therefore now decided the circumstances are right to reopen our embassy in Tehran.' However, the UK remains concerned about Iran's nuclear programme and its sponsorship of terrorism. David Cameron later rejected the idea that the diplomatic rapprochement was connected to the crisis in Iraq. Speaking at a press conference in Downing Street, he said: 'Britain believes in and I believe in step by step building our relationship with Iran because we need to have proper dialogue with that country. 'We are having dialogue over the nuclear weapons issue and I think we should be having dialogue with it on issues of regional security,' the premier said. 'Obviously our relationship was at a low point after the appalling things that happened with respect to our embassy, but it is right step by step with a clear eye with a hard head, to rebuild that relationship. 'Now we would be doing that anyway irrespective of what is happening in Iraq, but I think what is happening in Iraq is certainly not a reason for not taking that step.' It came amid reports that Tehran is considering military support to the Shia-led administration in Iraq. Representatives of Iran and the Western powers met in Vienna to discuss international concerns about Tehran’s nuclear ambitions. In the Commons yesterday, Labour’s shadow foreign secretary Douglas Alexander said: ‘There is now an urgent case for ensuring an effective British diplomatic presence in Tehran to help co-ordinate discussions and to advance dialogue.’ Mr Hague said he had discussed 'a number of matters, including the situation in Iraq' with Iranian counterpart Mr Zarif. Britain has not had a diplomatic presence in Tehran since 2011, when an angry mob ransacked offices and carried away a royal coat of arms . The anti-British protests saw flags burned in the street outside the embassy in November 2011 . Mr Hague spoke to Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif on Saturday to discuss taking further steps on improving bilateral relations . 'He said that there was a case for a further step forward in our bilateral relations. 'I have discussed that with him, and I shall have something more to say about our discussions imminently,' Mr Hague told MPs. 'However, our work on that is distinct from discussions on Iraq, which is partly why I shall address those separately.' Meanwhile, US secretary of state John Kerry has indicated that the Obama administration is willing to talk with Iran over the deteriorating security conditions in Iraq. The president announced last night that around 275 US military personnel could deploy to Iraq to provide support and security for the US embassy and its staff in Baghdad. Mr Kerry said in an interview with Yahoo! News that Washington is 'open to discussions' with Tehran if the Iranians can help end the violence and restore confidence in the Iraqi government. He said he would not rule out military co-operation, and a senior US official revealed American and Iranian diplomats have already discussed the Iraq issue during nuclear talks in Austria. Mr Kerry said: 'We're open to discussions if there is something constructive that can be contributed by Iran, if Iran is prepared to do something that is going to respect the integrity and sovereignty of Iraq and ability of the government to reform.' On military co-operation, Mr Kerry said: 'At this moment, I think we need to go step-by-step and see what in fact might be a reality. But I would not rule out anything that would be constructive in providing real stability, a respect for the constitution, a respect for the election process and a respect for the ability of the Iraqi people to form a government that represents all the interests of Iraq. 'We are open to any constructive process here that would minimise the violence.' But the Pentagon says it has no plans to co-ordinate with Iran on possible military action in Iraq despite Mr Kerry's comments about engagement with Tehran. In a sign of Iran's deepening involvement in the Iraqi crisis, the Associated Press reported the commander of the country's elite Quds Force is helping Iraq's military and Shiite militias respond to the insurgency. The Iranian general Ghasem Soleimani, has been consulting in Iraq on how to roll back the al Qaida breakaway group, according to Iraqi security officials. | William Hague to tell MPs of plan to return diplomats to Tehran . Foreign Secretary emphasises joint interest in tackling ISIS militants in Iraq . Embassy was closed in 2011 after it was stormed by an angry mob . US also considering extraordinary alliance with Iran in face of Iraqi unrest . | a0f202a8922cb27deb5a911e78e9b6ed4c75d4ed |
By . Bianca London . PUBLISHED: . 07:08 EST, 6 June 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 12:26 EST, 6 June 2013 . Designer department store Harvey Nichols likes to push the boundaries when it comes to getting noticed. Previous marketing activities have included a . model wetting herself with excitement at the prospect of the shop's . seasonal sale, a 'walk of shame' television advert, and beefy bulldogs being touted around . in pricey handbags. But Harvey Nichols' new campaign for the fashionable Summer Sale, is tongue-in-cheek and somewhat hilarious. Keep calm! Harvey Nichols have unveiled its new campaign for their famous Summer Sale, with a play on the famous phrase, 'run round like a headless chicken' Playing on the famous phrase, 'run round like a headless chicken', the campaign created by adam&eveDDB, features headless chickens dressed in key items from the Spring/Summer 2013 collections, alongside the strap-line, 'The Harvey Nichols Sale. Try to stay calm'. Julia Bowe, Group Press and Marketing Director at Harvey Nichols said: 'Harvey Nichols is world-renowned for its fabulous sale, with eager shoppers descending en masse to their nearest store in their efforts to lay their hands on our amazing reductions. 'In humorous reaction to the (often-irrational) excitement sale time engenders, we have developed this campaign to capture the frantic effect that the Harvey Nichols sale can have upon our customers. Cluck cluck: The tongue-in-cheek campaign, created by adam&eveDDB, features headless chickens dressed in key items from the Spring/Summer 2013 collections . 'Using the analogy of a ‘headless chicken’ for the creative concept really captured this in a fun, light hearted way. 'You can never underestimate that feeling of finding the perfect sale purchase and with discounts of up to 50 per cent off - it is enough to excite and overwhelm even the most composed shopper in us all!' Photographed by Daniel Stier, the campaign is illustrated through three different executions for womenswear, menswear and accessories, with the oh-so-stylish chickens sporting an MSGM lace dress, a Zegna sport jacket and Valentino clutch. Keep calm: The Harvey Nichols campaign tagline is 'Try To Stay Calm' and captures a chicken in full flight mode suggesting that they have struggled to do just that . Ben Tollett and Emer Stamp, Executive Creative Directors at adam&eveDDB added: 'Trying to come up with another great Harvey Nichols Sale ad is never easy. 'We were running around like headless chickens until we saw this.' Back in June 2012, the luxury department store Harvey . Nichols came under fire for their advertising campaign, . released to promote their summer sale. The . glossy poster depicted a woman who has apparently - and there is no . delicate way of putting this - wet her pants with excitement. In March this year, glossy images used to promote the . store's new Liverpool beauty hall featured three glamorous models . appearing to lean in to kiss themselves in a reflection. The Advertising Standards Authority . (ASA) received 17 complaints about the adverts: nine that the images were unsuitable to be . seen by children because they appeared to show a lesbian kiss, 10 that . they were sexually explicit and two that the phrase 'love thyself' in . combination with the pictures was offensive on religious grounds. But it seems that the store have moved away from the controversy to have some fanciful fun with their advertising campaigns. Crass? The Harvey Nichols summer sale 2012 mailout was meant as a bit of 'light-hearted fun', say the store - but some sensitive shoppers took offence at the image, taking to Twitter to criticise the flyers . The 2012 'Love Thyself' campaign received 17 complaints including nine that the images were unsuitable to be seen by children because they appeared to show a lesbian kiss . Sparking controversy: The 'Walk of Shame' advert for Harvey Nichols shown at Christmas 2011 drew criticism for what some said was the glamorisation of one night stands . Canine companions: Harvey Nichols' spring campaign, The New Breed, featured three sizeable hounds being toted in super stylish handbags and was a far cry from the more controversial campaigns seen before . The Harvey Nichols Summer Sale launches online at 10am Tuesday 11 and in-store Wednesday 12 June, with up to 50 per cent off*. | Summer sale campaign shows headless chickens dressed in designer clothes . Tagline: 'Try To Stay Calm' Store are notorious for controversial campaigns . | 997e9f339b5a9ee8e71651aaf8477399d5f12c05 |
By . Erin Clements for MailOnline . Model Ginta Lapina has filed a lawsuit claiming that hair care company Schwarzkopf and her agency, Women Management, misled her into doing an advertising campaign, telling her the shoot was for Karl Lagerfeld. The 25-year-old, who has starred in campaigns for Anna Sui, DKNY and Jill Stuart, says she flew to Paris in July 2013 for what she was told was a photo shoot by Mr Lagerfeld that would accompany an interview with the legendary designer. She was surprised to discover that the images were actually used in an advertorial, and is seeking more than $1 million in damages as well as a court order prohibiting Schwarzkopf from using her pictures. Model behavior: Ginta Lapina has filed a lawsuit claiming that she was misled into doing an advertising campaign for Schwarzkopf after being told the shoot was for Karl Lagerfeld . She also alleges that Women Management arranged the deal with . Schwarzkopf without her knowledge or consent, and that she was paid . $19,700 for her time, but not compensated for the use of her images. 'The Schwarzkopf Look 2014 Trends advertorial was NOT [billed as] an advertising campaign, and therefore, the models were compensated only for their time for the photo shoot but not for the usage of their image,' says the suit, filed in Manhattan Federal Court. The Chanel creative director, who often shoots his own campaigns, did photograph the advertorial, which appears on Schwarzkopf's website. Status update: Ms Lapina, pictured in the advertorial (right), says the deal has 'diluted' her brand, because Schwarzkopf is not of her caliber . The Latvian-born model, who married 49-year-old businessman Adam Hock in 2012, says she is accustomed to being solicited for campaigns by clients 'willing to pay a model a high-six figure sum.’ Furthermore, the deal has 'diluted' her brand, because 'Schwarzkopf products and look of advertisement are not of the caliber normally endorsed by a model of plaintiff Ginta's stature in the industry.' 'In sum, Defendants conspired to obtain a top model for an advertising campaign without having to pay the usual and customary compensation that a top model commands,' claims the suit. Camera man: Karl Lagerfeld did shoot the advertorial, though Ms Lapina says she was told the photos would be used for an interview with the designer . The suit also notes that Models.com ranked Ms Lapina 27th in a list of the highest-earning models this year. Women CEO Sergio Leccese told the New York Daily News that he was 'surprised and disappointed' by the suit, adding: 'We deny any and all allegations of wrongdoing and intend to seek all appropriate remedies in connection with these issues.' MailOnline's request to Schwarzkopf for comment was not immediately answered. | Ginta Lapina alleges that Schwarzkopf is not of her caliber and has 'diluted' her brand, paying her far less than the six-figure sum she usually commissions . She has also accused her modeling agency, Women Management, of arranging the deal without her consent . | 321173349d1b8e6bd82da8aaa15d4609ef1697f2 |
By . Jaya Narain . Last updated at 9:40 AM on 11th October 2011 . A couple who hid the horrific injuries they inflicted on their baby daughter by switching her with her identical twin were jailed yesterday. Mohammed and Nafisa Karolia fooled health visitors by making a series of excuses for only one child being at home at any one time. The baby – known as Twin M – suffered broken ribs, legs, arms, brain damage, and damage to her head, ears and nose during her seven months of life. Abuse: Mohammed (left) and Nafisa Karolia hid their child's injuries from health visitors by swapping her with her twin sister . The injuries were inflicted on at least three separate occasions and some were six weeks old or more. No attempt was made to seek medical . attention and Twin M later died of an unrelated illness. The couple, who . were convicted of child cruelty in July, were given five-year prison . terms. Passing sentence yesterday, Mr Justice Irwin said: ‘What emerges from the evidence is repeated cruelty to one child. ‘The surviving twin has never suffered any injury or neglect and appeared to be very well cared for.’ Preston Crown Court heard that when . health visitors called, Nafisa, 22, – who was on a child studies course – . and Mohammed, 29, a taxi driver, deliberately concealed the injured . twin. Often they would claim she was with her grandparents or other . relatives. Jailed: The pair were given a custodial sentence at Preston Crown Court (pictured) for child cruelty . A social worker was also duped when she called at the family home in Blackburn, being told that Twin A was Twin M. Joe Boyd, prosecuting, said the . injuries must have been caused by the parents because Twin M was away . from their care for only a few hours of her short life. In June last year, the child was taken . to hospital with breathing difficulties and pronounced dead an hour . later. At the hospital, the Karolias claimed the dead girl was actually . Twin A. Their story unravelled when a social worker noticed discrepancies in head, weight and height measurements. A post-mortem examination revealed more than 20 injuries to the baby girl and found that she died from bronchopneumonia. Detective Inspector Pete Broome of . Lancashire Police said: ‘This was a truly horrific and tragic crime . committed by two parents who have shown no remorse for their actions . and have failed to offer any sort of explanation for what they did.’ | Parents concealed abuse by hiding injured child from health visitors . 'Twin M' suffered brain damage and broken ribs, legs, arms and legs . Baby girl later died of unrelated illness . | be1afccf771a611b511cad333898715efc2a8ee7 |
(EW.com) -- Harvey Weinstein never met a ratings controversy that he couldn't massage into a publicity campaign. He did it in the '90s, when he turned up the heat on the teensploitation psychodrama "Kids," all because the film received a rating of NC-17 (which it probably deserved). He did it two years ago, when the downbeat-sexy "Blue Valentine" got slapped with the same scarlet letter (which it didn't deserve at all). But in the case of "Bully," Weinstein isn't just mounting a PR blitz -- he's fighting the good fight. The movie is a sensitive and eye-opening documentary about the epidemic of bullying in American public schools. It's a film that would do well to be seen by as many teenagers as possible, and Weinstein had wanted to show it in schools. Yet "Bully" received an R rating, all because the F-word is used in it a handful of times. The Weinstein Co. has now decided to release "Bully" unrated. This doesn't solve the problem, since some theaters refuse to show unrated movies. So the very audience that Bully was made for still might have a hard time getting near it. Weinstein hired David Boies and Ted Olson, the attorneys who helped overturn California's Proposition 8, to take on the Motion Picture Association of America. The MPAA, with its famously fusty, punitive, and -- some would say -- arbitrary ratings system, defended the R rating for "Bully," stating that it wouldn't be fair to make an exception just because of the movie's good intentions. I agree that they shouldn't just make an exception: They should do a heck of a lot more. That the MPAA is content to keep a film as humane and as deeply unsensational as "Bully" away from most of the adolescents whose lives it could possibly help is a folly and outrage. "Bully," directed by Lee Hirsch, takes a sympathetic, insightful look at five anguished kids from suburban and rural communities around the country and how the bullying that they've endured has shaped their lives. Tyler, 17 years old, was so mocked by his peers that he hanged himself. Alex, 12, born prematurely (at just 26 weeks), is a sweet, smart kid singled out because of his "fish face." He has been slammed into lockers, sat on during bus rides, called "b****" and "f*****" -- and after all that, it was only really clear how bad the problem was when he stopped complaining. (Being bullied had become his only reality.) Kelby, a 16-year-old lesbian, suffered abuse to the point that she tried to commit suicide three times. Why are these kids targeted? Some of it is based on looks and prejudice, but much of it represents nothing more -- or less -- than the ostracization of those who are lonely or shy. They're viewed as "outsiders," and then vilified for it. "Bully" is a portrait of good kids reduced to shells of themselves by a climate of toxic hate and fear. There's only one thing missing from the movie, and that's an in-depth look at the bullies themselves. We're forced to guess at what has made them into junior sadists. My own conjecture is that their almost complete lack of empathy represents the channeling of a larger current of intolerance now at loose in the culture -- the kind you see increasingly in politics, not to mention all over the Internet. Arguments against the ratings system have, of course, been made many times before: by directors, producers, and film critics -- and, in 2006, by Kirby Dick in his documentary "This Film Is Not Yet Rated," which opened the door on the MPAA's antiquated maze of codes and restrictions. As Dick powerfully argued, what's fundamentally broken about the MPAA isn't the system so much as the thinking behind the judgments. The ratings-board members, swathed in their shadow of anonymity, insist on a nearly Victorian double standard for sex and violence: Anything associated with the former (like the word "f---") is treated as taboo, whereas horror and action films that feature over-the-top violence routinely get a PG-13. This outdated distinction may be a reflection of "American values," but that does not make it right. And the fact that the board tends to go easier on big-budget blockbusters may be the shoddiest double standard of all. It's an indication that too many questionable agendas are guiding these judgments. A film like "Bully" makes it clear that there's something deeply wrong with this picture. For this is an urgent and moral movie; there shouldn't be a puritanical roadblock standing between it and its audience. As long as the MPAA is issuing its cavalier decrees, though, they're the ones acting like bullies. "Bully": B+ . See the full article at EW.com. CLICK HERE to Try 2 RISK FREE issues of Entertainment Weekly . © 2011 Entertainment Weekly and Time Inc. All rights reserved. | "Bully" received an R rating because the F-word is used in it a handful of times . Director Lee Hirsch takes a sympathetic, insightful look at five anguished kids . It's a portrait of good kids reduced to shells of themselves by a climate of hate and fear . | 6758d07d84d94c0788f880c59a978900f674fac0 |
Los Angeles (CNN) -- Los Angeles prosecutors are reviewing Justin Bieber's alleged fight with a photographer last month to decide if the pop star will be charged, a spokeswoman in the prosecutor's office said Wednesday. The photographer filed a complaint with the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department accusing Bieber, 18, of misdemeanor battery, a sheriff's spokesman said. He said Bieber attacked him as he was taking photos of Bieber and his girlfriend, Selena Gomez, at a Calabasas, California, shopping center, a sheriff's spokesman said. Bieber and Gomez, 19, left the shopping center before law enforcement officers arrived. The photographer complained of pain and was taken to a hospital, where he was treated and released, the sheriff's spokesman said. Sheriff's investigators have turned over their findings to prosecutors, Los Angeles District Attorney's Office spokeswoman Jane Robison said. CNN's Carolyn Sung contributed to this report. | A photographer says Justin Bieber attacked him at a shopping center . Sheriff's investigators have given their findings to prosecutors . The photographer complained of pain and was taken to a hospital last month . | e866abaa3bc75280e245c32e51a5a1d0bd48b6f3 |
(CNN) -- It's been a great week for Cleveland. On Monday, the Republican National Committee announced its intention to hold the 2016 GOP convention in Cleveland. Then on Friday, LeBron James said he was "coming home" to the Cavaliers. While sports analysts have universally praised the decision by "King James," political observers have not been as kind to the Republicans. The consensus is that the location of political conventions doesn't affect elections. To a degree, this conclusion is supported by the political science literature, particularly a 2004 study by Richard Powell at the University of Maine, which found that parties gained no significant electoral benefits in states where they held conventions. One has to be careful, however, about reading too much into these past election results. After all, we only have one presidential election every four years. That means in the last 50 years, we have only 13 data points. Since each party holds a convention, perhaps that number can be doubled. Still, when looking at conventions, there is the additional problem of looking at all states as if they were equal. More than half of the 26 conventions held since 1964, however, occurred in only four states (Florida, New York, California and Texas). Moreover, the convention in Cleveland will be just the start of a major investment of time and money by the GOP in the Buckeye State. Clearly this was not the case in New York and Massachusetts, for example, where the Republicans and Democrats held their conventions in 2004. While it is true that the outcome of the 2016 race will not be determined solely by where the political conventions are held, this early choice might help Republicans at the margins. In our 50-50 nation, anything that moves the needle, even slightly, in one direction or the other, is important -- especially if that movement is in Ohio. It is very difficult to construct a plausible winning 2016 electoral map for Republicans that does not include Ohio. It is difficult to exaggerate just how evenly divided the two major parties are in Ohio. For example, if one adds up all the Democratic votes for president between 2000 and 2012, and then compares that number to all the corresponding Republican votes during that same period, the difference is only about 150,000 votes out of more than 21 million cast. This comes out to a difference of less than 1%. There is no reason to think, therefore, that the election won't be very close in Ohio in 2016. And this is where the choice of Cleveland becomes very interesting. For Republicans, the path to victory in Ohio runs directly through what Ohioans call the "three C's": Cleveland, Columbus and Cincinnati. More accurately, the election depends on the final tallies in the three counties that contain these cities: Cuyahoga (Cleveland), Franklin (Columbus) and Hamilton (Cincinnati). These are by far the three largest counties in the state, which, taken together, account for nearly 30% of the population of Ohio. If, on election night in 2012, you began tabulating the vote in Ohio using these counties first, Republicans would have been seen as starting out behind by 413,590 votes. Working though the remaining 85 counties, the Republicans were not able to overcome this deficit, though they narrowed the gap to 166,272 votes. In comparison, the last time Republicans won Ohio (2004), Democrats came out of these three urban counties ahead by only 252,594 votes. It is not that Republicans have to actually win in any of these counties to win Ohio (they lost two out of three in 2004). They just have to narrow their losses. The problem for the GOP is that the trend is getting worse. Even though President Obama's margin of victory in Ohio dropped by almost 100,000 votes between 2008 and 2012, the Republican vote gap in these three countries increased by nearly 10,000 votes. Republicans simply cannot hope to win Ohio if they continue to do worse and worse in the three largest counties. But can the GOP use a Cleveland convention to turn this tide? Simply selecting Cleveland over the other finalist, Dallas -- pierogies over porterhouses -- sends a good message to the thousands of working-class voters who live in these counties. The millions of dollars that will flow into the coffers of Cleveland and Cuyahoga County because of the convention will also not hurt. Finally, there is a wild card that is precisely the kind of nuance that is often passed over by statistical analyses of past election results. A convention in Cleveland will allow the Ohio GOP to remind Cuyahoga County voters, and urban voters throughout Ohio, that they once supported Republicans. Without a doubt former Ohio governor, senator, and perhaps most importantly, Cleveland mayor, Republican George Voinovich, will be prominently featured in his home city convention. It bears noting that Voinovich carried all three counties during both his gubernatorial campaigns. In the end, the analysts may be right and, despite holding their convention in Ohio, Republicans will still lose both Ohio and the national election in 2016. Hillary Clinton, the likely Democratic nominee, is very popular in Ohio. On the other hand, if Republicans do manage to capture both the state and the White House, it will be hard to not give some credit to the GOP leaders who decided to take their convention to Cleveland. And although it is too early to speculate, we should not discount the fact that two Ohioans, Sen. Rob Portman and Gov. John Kasich, have at least a shot at standing on the stage in Cleveland accepting their party's nomination for president. Join us on Facebook.com/CNNOpinion. | Paul Sracic: The selection of Cleveland to host the GOP convention makes a lot of sense . Ohio has been a key state in presidential elections, and every little bit helps, he says . Three counties -- Cuyahoga, Franklin, Hamilton -- will likely determine the next president . | c285c097bf93220d8519d09a429d756a5716634d |
Montgomery, Alabama (CNN) -- Gabriela Vazquez maneuvers through piles of clothes and toys while trying to control her two small children. "They never stop," she says, while pulling a pair of pants from an almost-empty drawer and deciding whether to toss the pants to the "keep" or "leave" pile. The decision is not an easy one. Vazquez is attempting to pack five years of her life in the United States into only a handful of bags. "I crossed over into the U.S. with nothing but my clothes, so I'm taking nothing, only my clothes and my kids," she says. Vazquez began packing moments after a federal judge in Birmingham, Alabama, last week allowed most of the state's controversial law, known as HB56, against illegal immigration to go into effect. Judge refuses to block law during appeal . The law allows police officers to check the legal status of people when suspicions exists, detain them and turn them over to federal authorities. It is described by both its supporters and its opponents as the strictest state immigration law in the nation. Law's enactment spooks immigrants . "We expected the judge to rule like the other judges who blocked the laws in Arizona and Georgia," Vazquez says, referring to similar anti-illegal immigration laws approved in those states, with federal judges subsequently blocking the more severe parts of those bills. "Now, they can take me away from my children anytime," Vazquez says. Her journey began five years ago when she and her husband left the Mexican state of MIchoacan and headed north in search of jobs. "In Mexico, it is hard to find a job. I'm 35 years old, and the ads seeking help say they want people between the ages of 18 and 35," Vazquez says. "It wasn't easy coming over. We left our parents, our siblings, our family, and they didn't know what was going to happen to us." The couple entered the United States illegally and headed for Montgomery, where they had relatives. They first rented a room in a mobile home with other families until they found jobs. Vazquez's husband, Marco, became a carpet installer while she jumped from job to job in restaurants, hotels and grocery stores. Deportations will set record in 2011, Napolitano says . They managed to save enough to move into their own place. Along the way, she gave birth to a boy, now 4 years old, and a girl, now 2. "I was not planning on having kids, but here they are," Vazquez says with a smile. A year ago they bought a mobile home that they renovated themselves. Vazquez proudly shows pictures of the transformation of the dwelling, and points out the kitchen cabinets she sanded and repainted. She also brags about her husband's work replacing the floor and walls, and the brand-new electric range the couple bought after the old gas one that came with the mobile home exploded during the renovation. "There was a small leak and the thing just blew up," she says. The final product is a two-bedroom house fully furnished for a family of four. A large wrap-around sofa fills the living room in front of an old model big-screen TV set. A desktop computer sits on a breakfast bar that divides the living room from the kitchen, where a glass table for six can be found. All those belongings will be left behind unless they find a buyer soon. Vazquez apologizes for the mess she says is caused by her efforts to pack as soon as possible. The freshly painted walls have few pictures on them but the nails where many portraits hung a few days ago are still visible. When her husband arrives from work, the two kids are happy to see their father, especially the little girl, who doesn't want to leave her mother's side. Marco Vazquez is a reluctant participant in his wife's plan, which calls for her to return to Mexico with the kids while he stays behind to try to sell their belongings before he joins them. He would prefer to have his family wait so they can all leave at the same time. "I ask her to stay just long enough so we can save the money to take the truck back to Mexico, but she has made up her mind," he says. Gabriela Vazquez hangs up the phone. She has been talking with her mother in Michoacan, who is already planning for her return. In a matter of minutes she warms corn tortillas on the stove and makes her husband some tacos filled with cochinita pibil -- shredded pork in a red chili sauce typical of southern Mexico. The little boy comes asking if they can watch a movie. He wants to see "Finding Nemo," but his mother convinces him to watch something else. "Nemo" is already packed away, but she doesn't want to tell him that. "It is hard," she says. "I've been crying all weekend long and he cried when he saw me. He asks, 'Why do we have to go, why am I not going to school anymore?'" She decided to pull her son out of pre-kindergarten the same day HB56 went onto effect. Her fear was that she would be arrested while he was in school and authorities would turn him over to child-support services. She says the African-American teacher cried when she told her they were leaving, . "I held back tears as she told me about the struggles the black community had fought in this same state," she says. And she is not the only one to take her kids out of school. According to the Alabama secretary of education, more than 2,000 Hispanic children have skipped school since the law went into effect. By nightfall, Marco Vazquez is playing outside with the kids. A friend arrives and Marco offers him a room to stay once his wife leaves. The man agrees but says he can only pay $50 a month -- that is, if he can keep his job. Marco agrees and turns his attention back to the kids. His wife comes out with two bags full of clothes and tosses them in the back of the pickup truck, telling her husband to give them away. He takes a look and sees clothes the kids wore just a few days ago. He also finds a bag full of toys and a couple of strollers. "Those were expensive," he says. Gabriela Vazquez shrugs and goes back inside to continue packing for the trip. | Gabriela Vazquez and her husband entered the U.S. illegally five years ago . They found jobs, had two children and made a home in Montgomery . Now, they are hurriedly packing to return to Mexico . With new state law, "They can take me away from my children anytime," she says . | dd4c711da28e4cda1ce53ccc157b8f34fd78b2b9 |
By . Simon Tomlinson . and Lucy Crossley . Banned: Gosport mayor Wayne Ronayne and his partner Paula Carter have been banned from the town's pubs following alcohol-fuelled celebrations just hours after they were sworn in to their new roles . A new mayor and mayoress have been barred from all the pubs in their town following alcohol-fuelled celebrations just hours after they were sworn in to their new roles. Tory councillor Wayne Ronayne and partner Paula Carter were ordered out of one pub and barred entry to a second in Gosport, Hampshire. Ms Carter, 54, is alleged to have shouted ‘Don’t you know who I am?’ and threatened to use her new powers to shut down the first pub as she was escorted out. Both pubs complained and Mayor Ronayne, 54, has now been given a six-month ban by the town's Pub Watch from 36 establishments in Gosport. Ms Carter has been barred for 12 months. Police were called to the Wetherspoons Star pub in Gosport just hours after the couple had been sworn in to their new prestigious public roles. It is thought an argument broke out when staff asked the boozy party to leave. As they were being removed Ms Carter allegedly threatened to get the pub closed down. The group left and tried to enter the nearby Nelson's Bar but were refused and the mayoress reportedly made a similar threat to bouncers - and even asked 'do you know who I am?' Stephen Brown, duty manager at Nelson's, said: 'She said to me "do you know who I am?". 'I said "no, I don't" and she said "I'm the mayoress of Gosport I can have you closed down". 'I politely said she still wouldn’t be coming in, she was clearly drunk and then continued to be rude and had to be dragged away by one of the other members.' Nelson's owner, Arthur Caraccio, has released CCTV footage of Ms Carter arguing with staff and doormen. He . said: 'We’ve just spent a lot of money making this place nice, and I’m . not having anyone come and threaten my business, especially not some . jumped-up Mayor’s wife. 'It’s the sort of behaviour we wouldn’t tolerate from anybody, let alone public servants. 'They’re meant to hold themselves up as a standard for the type of behaviour they want to see. 'If the Mayor of Gosport is a drunk, that says a lot about the town.' Drinker Richard Horn, 34, saw police arrive and ask the group to leave. He said: 'Gosport’s got a bad enough reputation through historical things without this making it even worse.' Gosport Pub Watch are now going to speak to the borough council about the shocking incident. Chairman Phil Cox said: 'Everybody is treated the same. 'People need to be treating licensees and staff with respect. Scene: The group were refused entry to the nearby Nelson's Bar, when the mayoress reportedly asked 'do you know who I am?' 'But we don’t expect the mayor of Gosport, who represents our town, to be involved in incidents like this.' Mayor Ronayne has branded the claims 'absolute nonsense', and said he was not aware that any ban had been put in place. He did not respond to MailOnline's request for comment today, but said at the weekend: 'I’m not aware of that at this point of time. 'I’m unaware of anything that happened.' Gosport's Lib-Dem leader Cllr Peter Chegwyn said: 'It’s unbelievable. He should resign as mayor and from the council.' Tory leader Cllr Mark Hook said Pub Watch had acted as 'judge and jury' but believes the mayor and mayoress need 'to do a lot of soul searching' over their future. Gosport Borough Council has declined to comment on the allegations. Former serviceman Mayor Ronayne worked in the Fleet Air Arm (FAA) of the Royal Navy for 34 years before being elected to local council in May 2010 and becoming deputy mayor last year. In the May 22 election, he narrowly retained his seat in the Christchurch Ward, by just 16 votes. 'We’ve just spent a lot of money making this place nice, and I’m . not having anyone come and threaten my business, especially not some . jumped-up Mayor’s wife' Pub owner Arthur Caraccio . Mayor Ronayne bills himself as a 'family man' with three sons on the Gosport Conservatives website, and reveals he has a Masters in Leadership and Management. He adds: 'My main field of expertise is the development, leadership and management of "people". 'This being gained from my long experience of maintaining and improving the morale and effectiveness of naval personnel. 'My current mission is to fully utilise the superb training and experience I gained as a servicemen to improve and maintain the quality of life for the people of Gosport in all areas of the community.' The Mayor of Gosport website, Mayor Ronayne’s personal Facebook page and his partner’s Facebook accounts have been taken down following the incident. Locals took to social media to blast the Mayor and his partner for 'dragging down' Gosport, after last Wednesday’s behaviour. In a post on the Star's Facebook page Mr Horn said: 'It’s so disappointing to see people who represent Gosport, who should be setting an example, drag it down.' He added: 'Everyone desires to let they hair down and relax - I agree, but people should not be abusive to staff who are just doing a job. 'People in public office, or in the public eye, need to have a private life too - I agree, but when you mention who you are and your title then you are back “on duty” and in this case representing the Mayor of Gosport’s office. 'I sincerely hope that the actions of these representatives of Gosport Borough Council do not take away from the hard work that a lot of local civil servants do. 'I’m sure JD Wetherspoons will back they staff 100 per cent and congratulate them for having to deal with this incident in the professional way they did.' Jason Searle wrote: 'Need him gone for sure!' Brian Grimmet added: 'After the disgraceful behaviour of the Mayor and Mayoress. 'These people are not fit to hold office.' | Wayne Ronayne given six-month ban by Pub Watch from 36 pubs in Gosport . His partner Paula Carter, 54, barred for 12 months after alleged outburst . Ms Carter accused of shouting 'Don't you know who I am?' It is also alleged she threatened to shut down pub with her new powers . Police called to Wetherspoons pub hours after couple sworn in to new roles . Mayor, 54, has branded claims 'nonsense' and denies knowledge of ban . | 6ed397a1f8a782ff9a9186332d7c309584feb696 |
A U.S. congressman calling for the release of classified material from a report into 9/11 has warned there would be 'anger, frustration, and embarrassment' if the redacted pages were made public. Representative Thomas Massie has joined a call for the government to declassify 28 pages redacted from the Joint Inquiry into Intelligence Community Activities Before and After the Terrorist Attacks of September 11, 2001. Earlier this year, the lawmaker described how he had to 'try to rearrange my understanding of history' after he read the classified pages of the joint investigation by the House and Senate intelligence committees. SCROLL DOWN FOR VIDEO . Rep Thomas Massie has joined a call for the government to declassify 28 pages redacted from the Joint Inquiry into Intelligence Community Activities Before and After the Terrorist Attacks of September 11, 2001 . Speaking on Wednesday to The Glenn Beck Program on The Blaze TV, Massie said it was important the American public are able to read the report, although he warned there will be 'anger, frustration, and embarrassment when these 28 pages finally come out.' Massie has backed a House Resolution, introduced in December last year by representatives Walter Jones and Stephen Lynch, calling upon President Barack Obama to declassify the redacted pages. At a press conference earlier this month, Massie explained how he felt after reading the report. He said: 'I had to stop every couple of pages and just sort of absorb and try to rearrange my understanding of history for the past 13 years and the years leading up to that. 'It challenges you to rethink everything and so I think the whole country needs to go through that. 'It's going to be difficult and it could be embarrassing, but that is no reason to keep the truth from the American people.' Rep Warren Jones, Rep Stephen Lynch and family members of 9/11 victims filed a resolution last December calling for the Obama administration to declassify the 28 pages of the report . Massie called on all congressmen able to read the report to do so and co-sponsor the bill put forward last year by Congressman Jones, Congressman Lynch and family members of 9/11 victims. The resolution calls for the Obama administration to declassify the pages of the report, which was released in 2002. In a statement, Lynch said he had been given the opportunity to look at the classified material and believed the information should be made public, the Associated Press reported. He said the redacted pages 'contain information that is vital to a full understanding of the events and circumstances surrounding this tragedy'. | Rep Thomas Massie joins call for government to declassify pages of report . He said the material made him 'try to rearrange my understanding of history' Congressmen Walter Jones and Stephen Lynch introduced House Resolution last year calling upon Obama administration to release pages . | e6dc31272a792ced1154facf99c6f7647459ad1d |
Scientists have long wondered if life really does exist on Mars. And a new set of pictures released by NASA could appear to confirm conspiracy theorists' claims that we are not alone in the universe. The images taken by a NASA navigation camera have been released and appear to show a human-like figure working on the Mars Curiosity Rover, which is scanning the Red Planet. Scroll down for video . One of the new pictures released by NASA of the Mars Curiosity Rover, which conspiracy theorists claim shows a human-like figure repairing the probe . The pictures seem to feature a human-shaped shadow looming over the probe as if they are repairing it. The shadow formed shows what looks like a male figure, who isn't wearing a helmet as his short spiky hair is visible. It also looks like the figure is wearing an air tank on his back and a suit covering most of his body. The pictures have been reported to the monitoring website UFO sightings daily, and have sent conspiracy theorists into overdrive, with some claiming it is proof life does exist on Mars. It comes after Gary McKinnon, an alleged computer hacker, who reportedly obtained classified documents from the U.S. government, claimed he found files showing the existence of 'extra-terrestrial officers'. It is claimed the pictures show a man, without a helmet is looming over the probe fixing it, wearing a full body suit and wearing an air tank on his back . However, others have claimed that the Curiosity Rover might not even be on Mars and that it has remained on Earth with humans cleaning it and performing maintenance. But some insist the shadow is just coincidence and that conspiracy theorists are only seeing the figure because it confirms their expectations and hopes. Nigel Watson, author of the UFO Investigations Manual, said: 'This underlines the fact that such things literally lurk in the shadows and play with our imagination.' It comes after it was announced in December that an instrument on the Curiosity Rover had identified spikes of methane that scientists believe may have come from bacteria-like organisms on the surface of Mars. The Mars Curiosity Rover, which is currently probing the Red Planet to try and determine if there has ever been any life forms there . The new discovery, reported in the journal Science, followed studies of gas samples by Curiosity's Tunable Laser Spectrometer (TLS) - an instrument that uses intense light to carry out chemical analysis. It revealed a low background level of methane, which spiked 10-fold over a period of just 60 Martian days. While there are non-biological explanations, experts suggested that its finding may be a sign of life on Mars. The Mars Curiosity Rover, is a probe designed to help with long-term exploration of the Red Planet. Its aim is to assess whether the planet has ever had an environment, which has been able to support small life forms and to determine whether the planet could be habitable. | New pictures have been released by NASA showing Mars Curiosity Rover . The probe is currently on the Red Planet scanning for signs of life forms . The images appear to show what some have called a 'human-like' figure . They say it shows a workman leaning over the space probe and fixing it . Add that it shows that there is proof that life on Mars does exist . But scientists say the shadows are just a play on theorists' imagination . | 4b10160b568a134bd8debdbdfe48cadcc4a82ea5 |
By . Victoria Woollaston . PUBLISHED: . 05:28 EST, 31 July 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 05:50 EST, 20 August 2013 . Samsung has topped the first ever customer satisfaction index to focus on smartphone brands. Its Galaxy S III, pictured, beat all Apple handsets . Samsung has beaten Apple to take the top spot in a customer satisfaction survey in the U.S. Two of its handsets - the Galaxy S III and the Galaxy Note II - tied in first and second place in the American Customer Satisfaction Index (ASCI) ahead of Apple's iPhone 5, iPhone 4S and iPhone 4. The survey scored phones, and ultimately brands, on anticipation of quality compared to the product's actual quality, reliability, as well as price and perceived value. Samsung's Galaxy S III and Galaxy Note II both scored 84 out of a possible 100. Apple's iPhone 5 and 4S tied in third and fourth with 82 points, while the iPhone 4 scored 81. Motorola Mobility's Droid Razr Maxx HD handset gave the Google-owned company sixth place with a score of 80 and its Droid Razr was in eighth with 77. Samsung's Galaxy SII scored 78, in seventh place. BlackBerry took ninth and tenth place with the BlackBerry Curve scoring 67 and the BlackBerry Bold on 64. It is the first time the ACSI has compiled a list of the top smartphone brands and their handsets and is planning to release a report annually. The survey did not cover the period since the Samsung Galaxy S4 was released, which explains its absence from the top ten. Other ACSI reports already look at brand satisfaction and handset satisfaction individually. ACSI's index was based on phone and email interviews with 2,500 participants. The survey scored phones, and ultimately brands, based on anticipation of quality compared to the product's actual quality, reliability, and value for money. Samsung's Galaxy S III and Galaxy Note II, pictured, both scored 84 out of a possible 100 . 1. Samsung Galaxy S III - 84 out of 100 . 2. Samsung Galaxy Note II - 84 . 3. Apple iPhone 5 - 82 . 4. Apple iPhone 4S - 82 . 5. Apple iPhone 4 - 81 . 6. Motorola . Mobility Droid Razr Maxx HD - 80 . 7. Samsung Galaxy SII - 78 . 8. Motorola Mobility Droid Razr - 77 . 9. BlackBerry Curve - 67 . 10. BlackBerry Bold - 64 . They were asked questions about their 'anticipation' of the quality of a company's product, based . on past experiences, the product's actual quality, its reliability, and value for money based on the perceived quality. These answers were used to create the overall score using a complex methodology. The study claims that the presence of Samsung's product at the top of list demonstrates an upward trend. 'If the [Galaxy] S IV performs as well, or even better, in the eyes of customers, Samsung could threaten Apple’s dominance in overall customer satisfaction,' said ACSI Director David VanAmburg. VanAmburg continued that the Samsung phones scored highly for their larger screens, compared to Apple, and their price. The most recent ACSI report for . companies, taken in May, that looked as smartphone and feature phones . gave Apple the top spot with 81 points, down two points from 2012. While Samsung took second place with 76 points but had jumped seven points since 2012. Apple's iPhone 5, right, and iPhone 4S, left, tied in third and fourth place with 82 points, while the iPhone 4 scored 81. It is the first time the ACSI has compiled a list of the top smartphone brands and their handsets and is planning to release a report annually . BlackBerry took ninth and tenth place on the index with its Curve handset scoring 67 points and the BlackBerry Bold, pictured, scoring 64 . John Cox from Network World commented: 'The smartphone survey shows Samsung’s strength with U.S. consumers. Yet it’s also striking that the iPhone 4, announced in June 2010 and the iPhone 4S, announced in October 2011 are rated as highly as the 9-month-old iPhone 5 and nearly as highly as the much more recent Samsung phones.' Samsung launched the Galaxy S III in May 2012 and the Note II five months later. Samsung's success may also be due to the popularity of its Android operating system. A recent study form Kantar Worldpanel ComTech showed . Android with a 51.5 per cent market share, while iOS had 42.5 per cent. However, these figures may be slightly misleading because more phones run Android than iOS across the board. The ACSI figures also contradict a recent study from Quality Insight in Korea. The marketing firm surveyed 44,168 people about their handset and the iPhone was rated the best smartphone. The . participants said that the iPhone rarely failed, with only 17 per cent . complaining about technical issues with their Apple phone. This . is compared to 31 per cent who reported issues with Samsung phones . ranging from battery charging problems to screen quality issues. Apple’s faults were related to touch or button errors. According . to recent figures from uSwitch, the iPhone is still the UK’s favourite . mobile phone. Samsung’s . Galaxy S4 has so far failed to emulate the S3’s resounding success . although the Samsung Galaxy range still dominates with five handsets in . the top ten, compared to Apple’s three. No new entries were recorded for June, despite the recent high-profile launch of the Nokia Lumia 925. | Samsung's Galaxy S III and Note II both scored higher than Apple phones . It is the first customer satisfaction survey to focus on smartphone brands . Brands are judged on product quality, reliability and value for money . | b788251cc747f25b7d58b59353c8edbdf06536e3 |
By . Associated Press . PUBLISHED: . 08:52 EST, 13 March 2014 . | . UPDATED: . 14:19 EST, 13 March 2014 . Graco Children's Products has added more than 403,000 child seats to last month's recall of 3.8 million to replace faulty harness buckles. But the added seats won't end a dispute with the U.S. government's road safety watchdog. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration still wants Graco to add 1.8 million infant seats to the recall because they have the same buckles. Buckles can get gummed up by food and drinks, making it difficult to remove children. In some cases parents have had to cut harnesses to get their children out. Write caption here . Safety first: The issue with Graco seats including the Nautilus 3-in-1 (left) and the Ready Ride (right) is the buckle . The agency says the problem increases the risk of injuries in emergencies. Graco said in a letter to the agency that it found additional toddler and harnessed booster seats that should be recalled. More... Four THOUSAND patients risk HIV after insulin pens were re-used, New York hospital warns . Too long in a buggy 'harms child's brain': Over-reliance on pushchairs can hamper speech and physical skills . Graco told federal investigators the stuck buckles didn't pose an unreasonable safety risk to users and that it knew of no injuries associated with the problem. However, the company is a named defendant in a wrongful death lawsuit filed in California, in which the plaintiff alleges that Graco's 'Nautilus' car seat was extremely difficult to unlatch after a car accident. Two-year-old Leiana Ramirez was killed in an ensuing car fire, reports AOL Autos. The 403,222 seats added to the recall include 2006 through 2014 Argos 70 Elite, Ready Ride, Step 2, My Ride 65 with Safety Surround, My Size 70, Head Wise 70 with Safety Surround, Nautilus 3-in-1, Nautilus Plus, and Smart Seat with Safety Surround, according to NHTSA documents. In its letter to NHTSA, Graco said it didn't include the infant seats because they are used differently than the toddler seats, and because in an emergency, an adult can remove the whole seat from the car rather than unlatch the buckle. Buckle-up: If child seats have square buttons, they're up to date, but if they're round, they need to be replaced . Battle: My Ride 65 (left) and Argos 70 Elite (right) are already recalled, but the NHTSA wants 1.8 million others to be added to the list . 'Graco looks forward to further discussions with the agency to resolve any remaining issues relating to those additional car seats,' the letter said. Atlanta-based Graco, a division of Newell Rubbermaid Inc., has until March 20 to explain why last month's recall didn't include infant seats. A NHTSA spokesman wouldn't comment and referred a reporter to the agency's previous statements about why seven rear-facing infant seat models should be recalled. The recall, now at 4.2 million, is the fourth-largest child seat recall in American history. If the infant seats are added, it would be the largest such recall. | Child seat manufacturer Graco has added more than 403,000 child seats to a recall order already at 3.8 million . The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration wants Graco to add another 1.8 million seats . The NHTSA says Graco has until March 20 to explain why it hasn't included the 1.8 million infant chairs in the latest recall . Currently at 4.2 million, the recall is the fourth-largest in U.S. history . | 14b5e8e2d95dfb9ef2a1d5e3b9d746e19418391f |
A jury has seen a video of two Vanderbilt University football players giggling while assaulting a woman with a water bottle, a court heard. Brandon Vandenburg, 21, and Cory Batey, 20, are accused of assaulting the 21-year-old unconscious woman in a dorm room in June 2013. Two other football players are also accused in the case: 20-year-olds Brandon Banks and Jaborian 'Tip' McKenzie. On Monday, Metro Police Detective Chad Gish told the court footage obtained from Vandenburg's friend shows Vandenburg and Banks assaulting the victim and giggling. Accused: New footage allegedly shows Brandon Vandenburg (left during trial on Monday) giggling and pushing on the victim so hard he left a mark as Brandon Banks (right) assaulted the woman with a water bottle . Testimony: Detective Chad Gish told the court a the video showed the 21-year-old woman to be unconscious . Vandenburg pressed his hand down so hard on the woman that he left a mark, Gish said. Showing the video to the jurors, he identified Vandenburg 'giggling' and saying 'squeeze that [expletive], squeeze that [expletive]' as Banks assaulted the woman with a water bottle, The Tennessean reported. Vandenburg is standing trial with Batey, as neither of them agreed to a plea bargain. Banks and McKenzie made a deal which will likely see them testify against their co-accused. The building's surveillance footage, which was discovered when officials were looking into vandalism, prompted the rape investigation. Last week, Vanderbilt police Lieutenant Donnie Harville testified on Thursday that the video showed a male student walking naked out of a bathroom in the coed dorm. It also appeared that no one called police to report concern for the woman, even though the video showed two female students nearby when she was carried inside Gillette House around 2.30 a.m. 'To your knowledge, did she contact anyone out of concern?' defense attorney Worrick Robinson said. 'To my knowledge, no,' Harville said. The footage did not show any bystanders around when the woman was dragged out of the elevator. Defense attorneys say the video portrays a culture of binge drinking and promiscuous sex that their clients were caught up in. Trial: Defendant Brandon Vandenburg, left, and Cory Batey, right, listen with attorney Fletcher Long, center during their trial for sexually assaulting a fellow student on Thursday. Their co-accused have yet to stand . Vandenburg and Batey are the only two suspects who did not strike a plea deal with with prosecutors and plead guilty. The other two defendants are slated to testify against them . On trial: Pictured in court on Wednesday, Brandon Vandenburg, left, and Cory Batey, right, are accused of raping a 21-year-old unconscious woman in a dorm room at Vanderbilt in June 2013 . Lieutenant Donnie Harville of the Vanderbilt Police Department testified about the surveillance footage and said that Vandenburg placed a towel over a campus surveillance camera on the morning of the incident . The defense also appears to be trying to convince jurors that no one would have been concerned for the woman because it was commonplace to see students drunk. Prosecutors accuse the players of laughing, taking photos and videos while the incapacitated woman was being violated in a dorm room. One is accused of inserting something in her while another egged him on. Another player is said to have had sex with her and urinating on her. On Wednesday, Harville also testified that Vandenburg placed a towel over a campus surveillance camera on the morning of the incident. The footage shows the woman lying on the floor of a dorm hallway and being photographed in a compromising position, prosecutors said. Defense attorneys have said Vandenburg and Batey were drunk despite not being old enough to drink. Vandenburg, a star player who had recently transferred to Vanderbilt from College of the Desert in California, took the student to a bar called Tin Roof for a date on the night of the alleged attack. On the ride back, she reportedly passed out in the car and he drove to the dorm, where he ran into the other players. During the opening statements, the alleged victim, an Oklahoma native, sat in the audience wiping her eyes with a tissue. She is expected to take the stand as a witness for the prosecution. Star witnesses: Fellow football player Jaborian 'Tip' McKenzie has also been charged in the rape case but is expected to testify against Vandenburg and Batey . Accused: Vandenburg (left) had been on a date with the woman the night she says she was attacked. On the way back, she passed out and Vandenburg took her to the dorm where he saw Batey (right) and the others . Crime scene: Prosecutors say Vandenburg brought his unconscious date to his second-floor room in the Gillette House dormitory, where the men egged each other on and proceeded to rape the young woman . Vandenburg and Batey are being tried on five counts of aggravated rape and two counts of aggravated sexual battery. Vandenburg is also charged with one count of tampering with evidence and one count of unlawful photography. The two ex-players not on trial but also charged in the case, Jaborian 'Tip' McKenzie and Brandon Banks, are expected to testify against Vandenburg and Batey. All have pleaded not guilty. The trial comes in the midst of a debate about the prevalence of rapes on America's college campuses. The Obama administration has launched a campaign to end sexual assault on university campuses. Officials at Vanderbilt University did not immediately respond to a call seeking comment. | Jury allegedly watched video showing Brandon Vandenburg, 21, 'giggling as Brandon Banks, 20, assaulted victim, 21, with a water bottle' Vandenburg also 'pressed so hard on victim he left a mark', court heard . He is standing trial alongside Cory Batey, 20, as neither agreed to plea deal . Banks and co-accused Jaborian McKenzie expected to testify against them . On Thursday, the jury saw a surveillance video showing a man carrying the woman into the dorm room and dragging her out of an elevator . A campus police officer testified that bystanders did nothing to help . The defense team hope the video shows a culture of binge drinking and promiscuous sex that the students were caught up in at the school . | 5a3ab81fd1f4a0e245c64ad0a50d0674036b788a |
(CNN) -- Looks like we'd all like to live in Mayberry. Fifty years later, we're still watching "The Andy Griffith Show." The '60s hit continues to air twice a day in TV Land's weekday schedule, at noon and 12:30 p.m. ET. (TV Land also has a July 4 marathon, Wednesday 8 a.m.-1 p.m. ET/PT; and a weekend tribute to its recently deceased star July 7-8, Saturday-Sunday 11 a.m.-8 p.m. ET/PT.) Andy Griffith created a mighty special place in his small-town TV comedy, which seems to have aired continually every day someplace since it left the CBS network in 1968. When the show ceased production, it ranked as prime-time's No. 1 series, after spending all eight of its network seasons in Nielsen's Top 10. Mayberry was a town so comfortable and calm that Griffith's down-home Sheriff Andy Taylor hardly ever got to do any sheriff-ing. He mostly dispensed folksy wisdom to his motherless son, Opie, rode herd on his jittery sheriff, Barney Fife, and helped his Mayberry townsfolk keep on the straight and narrow and neighborly. What we love about Andy Griffith . Wait. This was TV's No. 1 series -- in 1968? Hasn't the Vietnam era-1968 gone down in history as the year synonymous with social upheaval? Presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy and civil rights icon Martin Luther King Jr. were assassinated. The "generation gap" widened. Hippies turned on and dropped out. Fists were raised at the Olympic Games. War protests raged. And folksy Andy Griffith drew viewers in staggering numbers. Perhaps it's really not so strange at all. Who wouldn't rather live in the serene Mayberry of "TV land" than in Realtown USA, beset by crime, corruption, war, taxes and societal chaos? No wonder "The Andy Griffith Show" endures, far beyond the nostalgia for more "pivotal" TV landmarks such as "All in the Family" and "Roseanne." There's even a "real" Mayberry, and it continues to draw vacationers. Griffith's hometown of Mount Airy, North Carolina, to this day operates the seven-days-a-week Andy Griffith Museum, filled with the actor's memorabilia, props, video and other attractions. (Be there for September 27-30's annual Mayberry Days!) Come sit a spell, take your shoes off, y'all come back now, y'hear? OK, so we borrowed that last line from "The Beverly Hillbillies" theme song. Same difference. In fact, during "Andy Griffith's" run of 1960-68, "Hillbillies" was twice the nation's top-ranked show. The other years' Nielsen titles went to "Gunsmoke," to "Wagon Train," and (three times) to "Bonanza." Which just goes to show how much Americans wanted to be anywhere rather than Here and Now. Those other top series still run on TV, but "The Andy Griffith Show" has turned out to be in a class by itself. Did citizens ever really live in idyllic small towns like Mayberry? Maybe we wish we did. Maybe we still want to. What was Connecticut's fictional Stars Hollow, the small-town setting for that 21st-century WB fave "Gilmore Girls," but a more elegantly and literately constructed Mayberry? Everybody knew everybody, and got along, and meant well, and everybody was witty and sophisticated. 'Andy Griffith' theme song also part of Americana . But Americans still seem to crave the more primitive version of Americana, as evidenced by the fact that everybody's favorite episodes of "The Andy Griffith Show" are the ones in black-and-white. The show was filmed monochrome its first five seasons, the ones with Don Knotts as Barney Fife. Then when Knotts left the cast for the big screen ("The Incredible Mr. Limpet," anyone?), the show transitioned to color and lost much of its charm. We liked Mayberry more as a timeless Everyplace than a DayGlo wannabe. Here's another reason "The Andy Griffith Show" endures: It may be TV's first dramedy. There's a laugh track, yes, because it was filmed single-camera, rather than in a studio like most other Desilu-produced series after studio pioneer "I Love Lucy." Griffith insisted he wanted to be able to include exterior shots, remembering what the outdoors meant to him as a North Carolina kid. Indeed, what's the first image of the show that comes to mind? The whistling-theme opening credits, when Andy and son Opie are heading out to do some fishin' (no "g" here). The "drama" quotient amped up, too, as Andy's initial portrayal of Sheriff Andy Taylor as a country bumpkin (watch the series' backdoor pilot as a 1960 episode of "Make Room for Daddy") quickly evolved into the town sage -- a dispenser of common-sense wisdom to the quirky characters who crossed his path in search of rational justice and cogent advice. Don Knotts won the Emmys as wacky deputy Barney Fife. Andy Griffith gained legend as the straight man who made it all possible. Think of Andy Griffith this way: Can you imagine a 300-channel TV universe without "The Andy Griffith Show" airing someplace every day? Enough said. We all need our little slice of Mayberry. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Diane Werts. | Diane Werts notes "The Andy Griffith Show" was No. 1 in 1968 . In an era of upheaval, Americans turned to Mayberry, she says . Who wouldn't choose Mayberry over crime, war and societal chaos? she says . | d80bfd96c5cbe684ce67d373d1a905aa8d3492b8 |
Editor's note: Ed Foster is the associate editor of Motor Sport magazine. He is also an F1 pundit for CNN's World Sport show and writes blogs for CNN.com International. (Motor Sport) -- Nigel Mansell called it people power, others just call it home advantage. Andy Murray at Wimbledon, Wayne Rooney at Old Trafford and -- this weekend -- Lewis Hamilton, Jenson Button and Paul di Resta at Silverstone: they have the crowd behind them, they can hear the cheers from the stands, see the caps, banners and flags bearing their names. Mansell was so popular with (most of) the British public that he even started his own movement, "Mansell Mania," which peaked at Silverstone in 1987. "Our Nige" -- never one to let an ailment or problem go unnoticed -- was suffering from a severe wheel vibration by lap 12. 'Last dinosaur' or F1's brainiest man? It only got worse and soon he was running five seconds behind teammate Nelson Piquet. The Williams team wasn't planning to do any pit stops, but Mansell dived in to change the offending wheel. He emerged 29 seconds off the lead. The fans were distraught -- there wouldn't be a repeat performance of Mansell's win the year before at Brands Hatch -- but he was suddenly flying. "I think I broke the lap record 11 times in the last 15 laps," he said at the time. He was soon up on the back of Piquet and sold a dummy that Cristiano Ronaldo would have been proud of with only two laps to go. Tires take center stage in F1 . His second -- of four -- British Grand Prix wins was complete. The crowd went mad and surged onto the track, so Mansell had to come to a grinding halt on his slowing down lap to avoid running any of them over. Mansell always believed the fans gave him extra power, that extra quarter of a second a lap. It may seem ridiculous, but four of his 31 Formula One wins came on home turf in front of one of the most passionate crowds in the world. Okay, not much comes close to the tifosi at Monza, bedecked in Prancing Horses, but Silverstone is up there. Of course, not everyone shares the same view. British motorbike rider Cal Crutchlow looked a little bemused when posed the question of whether the fans gave him "extra power" ahead of his MotoGP race at Silverstone on June 17 this year. "I don't know ... What? Like Uri Geller with his spoon? If he really thinks about it, it bends..." he said smiling. Injured female F1 driver's family touched by support . "I'll tell you what, hopefully all the fans can all sit in the stands on the weekend and think that I can have a podium or something like that and it might happen. "But seriously you have to treat it like it's any other race when you're on the track." Two days after this he went out and broke his ankle in practice. Come race day he started at the back of the grid -- with said broken ankle -- and stormed through the field to finish an incredible sixth, overtaking Ducati's former world champion Nicky Hayden on the last lap. So what of the modern F1 drivers? It doesn't make for great reading if you're Button/Hamilton/di Resta and hoping for a win this weekend in front of the 100,000-strong crowd. Sebastian Vettel -- 0 German Grand Prix wins. Mark Webber -- 0 Australian Grand Prix wins. Button -- 0 British Grand Prix wins. Hamilton -- one British Grand Prix win. Fernando Alonso -- one Spanish Grand Prix win (and one win in the European Grand Prix in Valencia this year, which took him to the top of the championship standings). The only man to have serious success on home soil is Michael Schumacher with four German Grand Prix wins, behind only compatriot Rudolf Caracciola -- who won it six times between 1926-39. But seven-time world champion Schumacher has won a record 91 grands prix and it's no surprise the 43-year-old managed four of those at Hockenheim, plus five victories when the European Grand Prix was held at the Nurburgring. However, he has finished ninth and eighth at the German GP since returning from retirement with Mercedes. This weekend most people's money is on Vettel. Before his Red Bull gave way in the last race, he was streets ahead in Valencia. No way anyone was going to catch him. Alonso may have won fantastically in front of his home crowd, but he was cautious afterwards. "Red Bull is fast" echoed round the paddock. McLaren, though, has been throwing the kitchen sink, and many millions, at its 2012 challenger in order to close the gap. And with the unpredictability this season has produced there's no need to write off either Button -- who has always been dogged by bad luck in his home grand prix -- or his fellow former world champion Hamilton. Also, there's always that home advantage, but maybe that's just a load of rubbish? We'll see for ourselves on Sunday. | British Grand Prix at Silverstone is home race for Jenson Button and Lewis Hamilton . Former F1 world champion Nigel Mansell used to say home crowd gave him advantage . McLaren drivers to have backing of the majority of 100,000-plus crowd due to attend . Defending champ Sebastian Vettel is favorite despite Fernando Alonso leading championship . | 849fd54e6f620bc1c2e1a49bb9d2d58dd8b989b9 |
By . Jonathan O'Callaghan . It’s more often than not thought that consuming more energy will ultimately have an increasingly negative effect on the environment. But is that necessarily the case? Experts have argued that increased energy consumption might actually be good, because we’ll be less dependent on nature. They argue that human innovation and ingenuity will eventually pull through and save us from a future climate-related disaster. A paper called 'Our high-energy planet' says that decoupling our planet from the environment means we can consume more and more energy without damaging the environment. As we move to more cleaner forms of energy such as solar (shown), we are beginning to decouple ourselves from environmental impact . The comments were made in a paper called ‘Our high-energy planet’, which was discussed at the think tank Breakthough Institute Dialogue 2014 in California in late June. A team of scientists has discovered that a giant 'burp' of carbon dioxide from the North Pacific Ocean helped trigger the end of last ice age, around 17,000 years ago.The recent study, led by Dr James Rae of the University of St Andrews in Scotland, found that changes in ocean circulation in the North Pacific caused a massive outpouring of CO2. This was released from the deep ocean into the atmosphere, helping to warm the planet sufficiently to trigger the end of the ice age. Previously, scientists have suggested that the Antarctic Ocean and North Atlantic were the only places likely to release CO2 as a result of glaciers retreating, due to their deep water formation. However, a change in rainfall over the North Pacific region caused by the East Asian monsoon and the westerly storm track made the ocean surface saltier and less buoyant, allowing it to form deep water, say the scientists. This resulted in CO2 stored in the deep Pacific being released into the atmosphere, where it helped warm the planet and melt back the ice sheets that covered much of the Northern Hemisphere. The paper says that a massive expansion of energy systems in the Southern Hemisphere is turning our world into a high-energy planet. But, the authors say, this is not necessarily a bad thing. As we move to more cleaner forms of energy such as solar, wind and hydro, we are beginning to decouple ourselves from environmental impact. ‘The way we produce and use energy will become increasingly clean not by limiting its consumption, but by using expanded access to energy to unleash human ingenuity in support of innovating toward an equitable, low-carbon global energy system,’ say the researchers. Thus, as our sources of energy become cleaner and greener, there is not necessarily any reason to reduce the amount of energy we consume, once it is coming from the right source. In Germany, for example, 5.3 per cent of the country’s energy in 2013 was provided by solar power. By 2020 they estimate 35 per cent of their energy will be from renewable sources, rising to 100 per cent by 2050. The one major issue could be the boom in energy consumption from countries in developing nations but, the experts say, providing them with the right knowledge could prevent any further ecological disaster. This graph shows the rate at which the populations of various countries have increased in their access to electricity. It shows how the entire populations of places like the U.S. and UK have had access to electricity for some time, but other developing countries are only now going through an electricity boom . Innovation is the key to reducing emissions while expanding energy access, the experts claim. For instance, in order to reduce energy poverty within their borders, China and India are pioneering the use of advanced nuclear generation (pictured) and carbon capture and storage (CCS) More than one billion people globally lack access to electricity, and . billions more burn wood and dung for their basic energy needs. The . report outlines a radically new framework for meeting the energy needs . of the global poor. According to the authors, the massive expansion of . energy systems, mainly carried out in the rapidly urbanising global . South, is the only robust, coherent, and ethical response to the global . challenges we face, climate change among them. 'The time has come to . embrace a high-energy planet,' they write. Innovation is the key to reducing emissions while expanding energy . access, they claim. For instance, in order to reduce energy poverty within their . borders, China and India are pioneering the use of advanced nuclear . generation and carbon capture and storage (CCS). ‘It will take tremendous effort, capital, and political will to ensure that the ongoing expansionof the energy sector in developing nations provides all people with access to energy they can afford as soon as possible, and to support efforts that will make that energy progressively cleaner,' the researchers write. ‘Rather than limiting energy access and consumption on the basis of their potential climate change impacts, a coherent strategy for human development begins with the assumption that energy equity is necessary for a just, prosperous, and environmentally sustainable society.' And, they conclude, the negative climate effects of moving towards a high-energy planet can be negated, as long as humanity decouples its power consumption from the environment. Energy tariff prices are in a constant merry-go-round with suppliers battling to pinch customers - you - from each other. Shrewd . consumers can take advantage of this by doing exactly that - moving . deals every six months to a year to ensure they are on THE cheapest . deal. Even moving every other year will save you significant amounts. Suppliers offer their cheapest rates via online tariffs so if you're ready to switch, it will certainly pay to do so. If . you are one of the millions of people who have NEVER switched (i.e. stuck with your original supplier), then you will DEFINITELY save a big . chunk of cash, possibly as much as £300 a year. Prices . are different all over the country and the cheapest supplier for you . will depend where you live. You only need to be interested in the tariff . that is going to be cheapest where you live, so do your own comparison . to find the best price. By Amy Andrew . | Researchers at think tank in California discussed higher energy usage . They said if we 'decouple' from the environment it will be a good thing . The advancement of clean and low-carbon technology means we don't to be so energy-conscious, say the researchers . And applying those same lessons to developing countries could help ensure there is no climate disaster . 'The time has come to embrace a high-energy planet,' the scientists write . | 7655ad01b31d45220a0e3915a9b27b3d73614126 |
America's top military general said Tuesday that he is worried the ISIS terror army will soon seize the town of Kobane, a strategically critical Syrian site less than a mile from Turkey. Gen. Martin Dempsey, who chairs the military Joint Chiefs of Staff, said 'I am fearful that Kobane will fall.' Forces fighting for the self-declared Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham have pressed their way 'into the city itself,' he told ABC News. 'It may be about to fall.' And Dempsey said he has 'no doubt' that ISIS will inflict 'horrific atrocities' on any civilians still in the town 'if they have the opportunity to do so.' SCROLL DOWN FOR VIDEO . Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Martin Dempsey said he is 'fearful' that the Syrian town of Kobane will fall to the ISIS terror army . Bad news: Turkey's president, Tayyip Erdogan (above), said on Tuesday that Kobane was 'about to fall' to ISIS,and criticized airstrikes as being insufficient . Fallen: An ISIS flag flew just East of Kobane on Tuesday, in a photo shot than a mile away in Turkey . The U.S. general said his counterparts in Turkey have assured him that they are gearing up to protect their territory if ISIS uses Kobane as a staging ground for an incursion to the north. 'They've got forces on their side of the border that will prevent ISIL from making any incursions into Turkey,' he said, using the Obama administration's preferred alternative name for the genocidal group. 'But, of course,' he predicted, the terror army 'is smart enough not to do that.' ISIS has engaged in a coordinated assault on Kobane for the past three weeks, driving countless Kurdish refugees out and killing an estimated 400-plus Syrian Kurds as it consolidated its gains. If it should manage to take the city, ISIS would control most of the border region in northern Syria. American-led airstrikes, at least a dozen so far according to the Pentagon, have failed to prevent the terror group's advance, and Turkish president Tayyip Erdogan said Tuesday that Kobane was 'about to fall.' The prospect that the town could be captured by Islamic . State, who are now within city limits, has increased pressure on . Turkey to join an international coalition to fight against the . jihadists. Turkey is feeling pressure to finally join the international coalition battling ISIS now that the battle is on its doorstep. 'It is our view,' White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest told reporters Tuesday aboard Air Force One, 'that there is a clear interest that Turkey has in working with the international coalition – or international community – to deal with the threat that's posed by ISIL.' Dempsey said hours later that the U.S. and its allies were finding it more and more difficult to track the increasingly technologically adept ISIS forces. 'They're becoming more savvy with the use of electronic devices,' he said. 'They don't fly flags and move around in large convoys the way they did. ... They don't establish headquarters that are visible or identifiable.' Angry: Protesters take to the streets in Turkey (above) to hold unauthorized demonstrations against the advance of Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) militants toward central Kobane . Retired Marine Gen. John Allen, President Obama's point man on anti-ISIS coalition building, was dispatched to Ankara on Tuesday to meet with Turkish officials, according to Earnest. The White House, Earnest said, is 'very concerned about the safety of individuals – of citizens, of innocent civilians' in Kobane. 'We are seeing this extremist organization, in the name of an otherwise peaceful religion, Islam, perpetrating terrible acts of violence against religious and ethnic minorities,' Earnest said. 'This is something that we remain concerned about.' Turkey said it was pressing Washington for more airstrikes, . although President Erdogan said bombings by themselves would not be sufficient to . defeat ISIS. He set out Turkey's demands for . additional measures before his own country would intervene. 'The problem of ISIS ... cannot be solved . via air bombardment,' Erdogan said. 'Right now ... Kobane is about to fall.' 'We had warned the West. We wanted three things. No-fly . zone, a secure zone parallel to that, and the training of . moderate Syrian rebels,' he said. Erdogan claimed Turkey would take action if there were threats to . Turkish soldiers guarding a historic site in Syria that Ankara . regards as its territory. But so far Turkey has made no move to . get involved in fighting across the border. U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and Turkish Prime . Minister Ahmet Davutoglu have spoken twice in recent days to . discuss the situation, State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki . said. 'Turkey is determining what larger role they will play,' she said during a daily briefing. 'They have indicated their openness . to doing that, so there is an active conversation about that.' Get involved: Many want Turkey to join the international coalition trying to stop ISIS as they get closer to the country's border, leading to protests in the country (above) U.N. Syria envoy Staffan de Mistura said Turkey had been . generous in receiving refugees from Kobane but the international . community needed to protect the town. 'What is needed now is . concrete action,' he said, without elaborating. France said it was vital to stop Islamic State's advance on . Kobane, and was discussing with Turkey what could be done. 'A . tragedy is unfolding, and we must all react,' Foreign Minister . Laurent Fabius told parliament. But some analysts doubt the will exists among Western allies . to take further action. 'It's the coalition of the unwilling, each country is doing . the bare minimum, particularly in Syria,' said Fadi Hakura at . the London-based think tank Chatham House. From across the Turkish border, two Islamic State flags . could be seen flying over the eastern side of Kobani. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitoring group . said it had documented 412 deaths of civilians and fighters . during the three-week battle for Kobane. The U.S. military said it and allied air forces launched . strikes on Islamic State in Syria on Monday and Tuesday. In the . Kobane area the raids destroyed armed vehicles, a tank and a . vehicle carrying anti-aircraft artillery. On the ground, a burning tank, apparently belonging to . Islamic State, could be seen on the western edge of town. There . were also clashes on the northern fringe and mortar explosions . could be heard to the northeast. Laying siege: Footage released by ISIS, above, and posted on social media, reportedly showed how they are in control of a strategic hill on the outskirts of the city of Kobane . Close: Kobane is less than a mile from Turkey . Islamic State fighters were using heavy weapons and shells . to hit Kobane, senior Kurdish official Asya Abdullah told . Reuters from inside the town, estimated by the U.N. on Tuesday . to contain possibly a few hundred remaining residents. Islamic State, an al Qaeda offshoot, has ramped up its . offensive in recent days against the mainly Kurdish border town, . despite being targeted by U.S.-led coalition air strikes aimed . at halting its progress. 'There were clashes overnight. Not heavy, but ISIS is going . forward from the southwest. They have crossed into Kobane and . control some buildings in the city there,' said Rami . Abdulrahman, head of the Observatory, a group that monitors the . conflict with a network on the ground. ISIS is a former name for . Islamic State. 'They are about 50 meters (55 yards) inside the southwest of . the city,' Abdulrahman said. An estimated 180,000 people have fled into Turkey from the . Kobane region following the Islamic State advance. More than . 2,000 Syrian Kurds including women and children were evacuated . from the town after the latest fighting, a member of the Kurdish . Democratic Union Party (PYD) said on Monday. Before the offensive, Kobane, known as Ayn al-Arab in . Arabic, was home to refugees from the civil war that pits rebels . against President Bashar al-Assad and has deteriorated into . hundreds of localized battles between different factions. | Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Martin Dempsey said Tuesday that he's 'fearful that Kobane will fall' ISIS terrorists are poised to seize the Syrian city, located less than one mile from the Turkish border . Tayyip Erdogan, Turkey's president, said Kobane was 'about to fall' US airstrikes have failed to stop the terror army during its three-week assault on the town, which has reportedly claimed more than 400 lives . Turkey is feeling pressure to finally join the international coalition battling ISIS now that the battle is on its doorstep . | fc2239d0753d6231db2ab9ad143b4a9a5bf8af9e |
By . Wills Robinson . An unprecedented police investigation to identify a mystery girl who turned up dazed and confused on a city centre street was tonight declared a success. After a photograph of the girl was released worldwide, detectives in Ireland revealed they have now identified her and are liaising with police in Australia. The young blonde-haired girl has been at the centre of several weeks of investigation and 115 separate lines of inquiry. Investigation: After a photograph of the girl was released worldwide, detectives in Ireland revealed they have now identified her and are liaising with police in Australia . Mystery: The girl, named Samantha, was found on O'Connell Street in Dublin (above) on October 10 . In a statement tonight, Irish police . said that with the assistance of the public, they are now following a . definite line of inquiry. ‘(We) will be liaising closely with the Australian Police and the Health . Service Executive (HSE) to finalise the matter,’ the force said. ‘Gardai . wish to sincerely thank the public and the media for their assistance. They also wish to inform them that no further assistance is required at . this time.’ The girl had spoken little English since being discovered. It . was initially thought she was aged only 14 or 15 and European but it is . now believed she is in her late teens and from Australia, after contact . with authorities there. Identity: The young blonde-haired girl has been at the centre of several weeks of investigation and 115 separate lines of inquiry . Desperate: Gardai even contacted Dublin Airport to check whether the girl, who speaks limited English, had travelled through . She . was found on Dublin's O'Connell Street - the Irish capital's main . shopping thoroughfare - in a distressed state by gardai on a routine . afternoon patrol on October 10. The girl is described as being 5ft 6in and of slim build with long blonde hair. She was wearing a purple hooded top, tight dark-coloured jeans, flat black shoes and a grey woollen jumper when found. It is believed the clothes were bought in major Irish retailers but detectives could not determine when they were purchased. | Detectives in Ireland say they are now liaising with police in Australia . Girl has been at centre of investigation and 115 separate lines of inquiry . Police say they are following a definite line of inquiry after public's help . | 2ce45dc648d4c2c2d875243f05ac67e8c0761d99 |
(CNN) -- After 14 years, Larry Page has confessed to the Financial Times that Google "probably does need" a new mission statement. Back in 1999, Google came up with "ten things we know to be true" that defined the then-little Silicon Valley start-up. So here are some suggested tweaks to make the Google's original mission statement more relevant in 2014. Ten things we still know to be true. 1. Original mission: Focus on the user and all else will follow . Tweak: Follow the user and all else will come into focus . Google, of course, relies on knowing everything about its user to make money. Its "free" service isn't really free for us, since Google has become the preeminent "big data" company, mining our personal information to sell advertising. Indeed, as former Google CEO Eric Schmidt boasted, Google follows us so closely that it not only knows where we've been, but also where we are going. 2. Original mission: It's best to do one thing really, really well . Tweak: It's best to do many, many things really, really well . Google started as just another search engine. But today, the $372 billion leviathan, one of the world's three most valuable companies, not only dominates the world's advertising industry, but is also increasingly powerful in the publishing, movie, automotive, education and mapping industries. Google does many, many things really, really well. So well, indeed, that the company has grabbed the attention of anti-trust regulators in Washington DC and Brussels. 3. Original Mission: Fast is better than slow . Tweak: Fast is worse than slow . As the Internet critic Nicholas Carr famously asked: "Is Google Making Us Stupid?" In his 2011 Pulitzer Prize nominated best-seller, The Shallows, Carr concluded that yes, Google is indeed making us stupid. It is shortening our attention spans and making us more and more reliant on links. Through Internet companies like Google, Carr says, we have become information skimmers, snacking continually on unedifying links and other superficial content. 4. Original Mission: Democracy on the web works . Tweak: Democracy on the web doesn't work . Last week, UK spy chief Robert Hannigan said that terrorist groups like ISIS are exploiting the web to successfully peddle their radically anti-democratic message. Describing social media as "a terrorist's command-and-control network of choice," Hannigan warned that unless companies like Google actively cooperate with security services, the web will become an increasingly effective bastion for anti-democratic forces and messages. 5. Original Mission: You don't need to be at your desk to need an answer . Tweak: You don't need to be at your desk or in your car or at a café or in bed to need an answer . Google, of course, now has many, many more ways of following users than its traditional search engine. From Google Glass to Google self-driving cars, the view from the Googleplex is increasingly ubiquitous. Wherever we are, Google is coming up with devices to track our behavior. The desk is so 1999. Today, Google is transforming the whole world into a desktop environment where all our movements and thoughts can be tracked and analyzed wherever we are -- from our cars to our bedrooms. 6. Original Mission: You can make money without doing evil . Tweak: You can make a lot of money without doing good . Okay. So Google isn't any more evil than Exxon, General Motors or Raytheon. But it isn't morally better either. Google was founded on the hubristic notion that one could simultaneously become very rich and do good. But this, of course, is the ultimate Silicon Valley conceit. Ten years on from its original mission statement, Google has emerged as one of the most powerful and profitable multinational corporations in the world. Its mission is making money for its shareholders, not improving the world. Rather than a public service, Google is -- with Apple -- the most successful for-profit company in today's global capitalist system. 7. Original Mission: There's always more information out there . Tweak: There's always more and more information out there . See #5 . 8. Original Mission: The need for information crosses all borders . Tweak: The need for information crosses all borders (except China, Russia and Iran) For a mixture of idealistic and self-interested reasons, Google has branded itself as the information platform for the world. But, of course, the world isn't a United Nations-style high school project and countries like Russia, China and Iran are increasingly making it hard for its citizens to use Google. Indeed, this is Google's greatest challenge in its second decade: how to compete against state-supported search companies like Baidu and Yandex. 9. Original mission: You can be serious without a suit . Tweak: You can be serious with a suit . One of Google's most remarkable accomplishments over the last 14 years has been to disrupt traditional corporate culture. Disruption now is business orthodoxy. Everyone -- from IBM to Ford -- wants to "do a Google" and disrupt entire industries. The Google way -- of encouraging play and creativity -- has become the new corporate conformity. If you want to rebel these days: wear a suit. Everyone else is trying to look like Larry Page. 10. Original Mission: Great just isn't good enough . Tweak: Google just isn't good enough . Google was originally conceived as a way of reinventing the world. "Ultimately, our constant dissatisfaction with the ways things are becomes the driving force behind everything we do," the company wrote in 1999. But today, Google has become the standard operating system for the world - the way things are. Its real challenge over the next 14 years is to convince its billions of users that we can trust a company that relies on mining our personal data for its massive profits. Currently, Google just isn't good enough. Let's hope by 2029, this will have changed. | Google's Larry Page admits Google "probably does need" a new mission statement . Andrew Keen suggests tweaking the internet behemoth's "ten things we know to be true" Keen: Google-style disruption of traditional corporate culture is now business orthodoxy . "Can we trust a company that relies on mining our personal data for its massive profits?" | 379764923875ff61e5e7d897eabb88526a7486d0 |
Newcastle have completed the season-long loan signing of Shakhtar Donetsk striker Facundo Ferreyra. The 23-year-old Argentinian has joined up with the squad in Germany ahead of their final game of the Schalke 04 Cup against the hosts on Sunday afternoon. Manager Alan Pardew would still like to bring another front-man to St James' Park but believes Ferreyra has the potential to succeed in the Premier League and an option is in place – thought to be in the region of £6m – to make the deal permanent. Transfer: Argentinian striker Facundo Ferreyra has signed for Alan Pardew's men on a season-long loan . Pardew said: 'Facundo is someone we know on a number of levels, including his friendship with Fabricio (Coloccini), and we think he could be a big success here at Newcastle. 'This is a player who has played at the top level and is highly-regarded in Argentina. 'He has tremendous potential and hopefully he can realise that here at Newcastle United.' Ferreyra, who scored 17 times for Velez Sarsfield in his homeland in 2013 before his move to Ukraine, had concerns about returning to Donetsk amid the political unrest and violence in the country. Option: Alan Pardew has a £6million option to land Ferreyra on a permanent deal if he impresses . Competition: Ferreyra will provide some much needed competition for Papiss Cisse and Emmanuel Riviere . Replacement: After failing to sign Loic Remy, Newcastle have finally secured another striker for the coming season . And he said: 'I am very pleased to sign for Newcastle United. 'I like the Premier League and when I knew that Newcastle were interested in me, it was a very easy decision to make . 'I spoke to my friend Fabricio Coloccini, and when he told me about the club, I didn't need to think twice.' | Newcastle sign Facundo Ferreyra on season-long loan . 23-year-old striker had been playing for Shakhtar Donetsk . Ferreyra said Fabricio Coloccini persuaded him to join the club . Newcastle have a £6m option to sign him permanently . | c0d25282a77168ec25c503cdba87a0b16f73e759 |
It was a transfer that added gloss to Aston Villa’s summer business. Tom Cleverley, signed initially on loan from Manchester United following a tumultuous deadline day, brought 13 England caps and one Premier League winners’ medal to a club shorn of success in recent years. A good move for the player, who wanted to escape the ‘negativity’ of Old Trafford, as well as both clubs concerned. Yet that spark has yet to ignite on Cleverley’s career in Birmingham, and the defeat at Queens Park Rangers on Monday night was an opportunity missed. His statistics from the 2-0 loss are actually fairly positive. He misplaced just seven of his 65 passes to record a success rate of 89 per cent, higher than any of his team-mates, excluding Gabriel Agbonlahor who completed only 18 passes. Aston Villa's Tom Cleverley (front) advances the ball as QPR's Eduardo Vargas gives chase . Midfielder Cleverley (right) on the ball as Karl Henry keeps close during QPR's 2-0 home win on Monday . Cleverley falls to the ground as QPR's Mauricio Isla (front) makes the slide tackle during Monday's match . He struck a sweet volley through a mass of bodies that Rob Green did well to keep out late on too. But that drive forward to start and finish attacking plays was missing. When your star striker is still shaking off the effects of six months spent on the sidelines through a ruptured achilles it shows. As Cleverley’s touch map shows, he was busy but rarely did he get involved at the sharp end. Only once did he touch the ball in the box, and he tried just three passes into the 18-yard area. Two failed. When he was unveiled to the press at Villa’s Bodymoor Heath training ground, he spoke about hitting both boxes and being the most advanced of a midfield trio. Manager Paul Lambert asked Cleverley to play on the left of those on Monday night, with Carlos Sanchez holding and Ashley Westwood right. Tactics heavily influence where a player makes an impact of course, but the dynamism desperately needed by Villa was lacking. Cleverley's pass map against QPR on Monday is shown on the left, with his touch map on the right . Those of us who remember the impact Cleverley made in the 2011 Community Shield know he has it within him to affect and create where it matters. He played two first-time passes, including the key assist to unlock Manchester City’s defence for Nani’s equaliser, in a fast-flowing move around the area. There was also the 8-2 win over Arsenal where he looked a player who had found himself following successful loan spells at Leicester, Watford and Wigan. The promise never quite materialised but it is worth noting that even while getting pilloried last season he made 35 appearances for club and country. The campaign before, Sir Alex Ferguson started him against Real Madrid in a match (and tie) United were winning until Nani got a straight red card. The Madrid midfield that night contained Xabi Alonso, Mesut Ozil and Sami Khedira. Cleverley keeps close to Tottenham's Moussa Dembele (left) during an appearance for Manchester United . Cleverley celebrates after scoring for Manchester United against Sunderland in December 2012 . That could not have been blind faith from Ferguson, the most successful British manager in history, in a game he was desperate to win; this United academy graduate can play and fulfill instructions. Against Liverpool he came straight into the Villa team and helped carry out Lambert’s defensive plans to a tee. Brendan Rodgers’ team were pressed tight in central areas and suffocated from inflicting their usual attacking verve. That result bears contextualising with Liverpool’s recent struggles to break down defences, notably Hull last weekend. Nevertheless, Cleverley can do the dirty stuff when asked. Subsequent losses against Arsenal, Chelsea, City, and Everton saw that initial glow fade, although he has already created eight chances, compared to 10 in the whole of last season. That is what Villa, a side without a goal in more than eight hours, need from him now: vibrancy in the final third. He may never return to United, but this is his chance, at 25, to show he can still be a very good Premier League player. Cleverley makes the challenge during England's 2014 World Cup qualifier against Ukraine in September 2012 . Cleverley (right) dribbles with the ball as Neymar gives chase during Team GB's friendly against Brazil in 2012 . | Midfielder Tom Cleverley is on loan at Aston Villa from Manchester United . The 25-year-old has won 13 England caps and one Premier League medal . The 2-0 defeat at QPR on Monday was an opportunity missed for Cleverley . This is his chance to show he can still be a very good player . | d5fc7636d86d5c313e7b737397d4f89a8eddab69 |
By . Hugo Gye . PUBLISHED: . 11:54 EST, 13 May 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 13:57 EST, 13 May 2013 . The grandmother of murdered schoolgirl Tia Sharp today spoke of her 'relief' after Stuart Hazell admitted murdering her and hiding her body. Angie Niles, whose son David was the 12-year-old's stepfather, revealed how Hazell had torn her family apart and called on a judge to 'lock him up forever and throw away the key'. Hazell today pleaded guilty to Tia's murder after months of pleading his innocence and insisting the girl's death was a tragic accident. Her body was found in the attic of the home in New Addington, South London that Hazell shared with Tia's biological grandmother Christine Bicknell, a week after the girl went missing in August last year. Birthday: Tia Sharp being presented with a celebratory cake by her mother in a family photograph . Mrs Niles, 69, said: 'Obviously it's a . very emotional time for all of the family who are sitting here around . the TV, but in a strange way we also feel relief. 'It . says a lot about the man - just when you thought he couldn't do anymore . to our family, he's dragged this out over months insisting he was . innocent and only now at the very last moment has he put his hands up . and admitted what he has done. 'In . a strange way I feel like it had to happen this way - maybe it's good . that a judge and members of the public have had the chance to hear . exactly what this sick man has done. 'Maybe it's good for all of us to have heard the truth in court so that none of this was buried, none of this remains secret. Close: The murdered 12-year-old smiling with her mother Natalie and a younger brother . 'It does feel like some sort of . closure, it feels like it was the right time. Now we can get on with . grieving for my beloved grand-daughter. 'The process isn't easy but now we can get on as best as we can. 'I hope the judge locks him up forever and throws away the key. He doesn't deserve any more than that.' Although . Tia was not biologically related to Mrs Niles, the pair became . 'extremely close' after her mother Natalie entered a relationship with . David Niles. Mrs Niles, whom Tia called 'Nangie', . added: 'We all have so many happy times in our minds from years gone by . and everywhere you look there are little reminders. 'I . have a pair of small Christmas trees which Tia picked for me two or . three years ago, she made me buy them because they were pink and that . was her favourite colour. 'Since . we lost Tia I don't really go into clothes shops where they sell . teenagers' fashion, it just reminds me of her. It's a nightmare. 'She . was a real girly-girl, it was all about the clothes and the hair and . the nails for Tia, so it is very upsetting when I have to walk past . those things knowing I could have been buying them for her. 'You just have to think about the good times which we were lucky enough to have and not dwell on it too much.' Tragic: Tia was killed in August last year by Stuart Hazell, right, who today pleaded guilty to murder . In an interview in September before Hazell's trial, Tia's mother Natalie Sharp revealed the horror she felt when police found her daughter's body. Seven days after Tia was reported missing, Ms Sharp was at a friend's house when she received a call from a detective breaking the news they had found a corpse in the loft. She said: 'I just hit the floor, I looked up and there were eyes everywhere just . looking down at me. Those sorrowful eyes were all around just staring. 'I just felt sick. Physically sick, I was vomiting every time I . thought about (the body being in the loft). To know that she was there that whole time. 'You hate the police for missing her, you hate yourself for not finding . her, you hate everyone who has been in the house, everyone who has been . near the house. 'I hated everybody.' Her partner David Niles, Tia's stepfather, refused to believe what the police had said. He said: 'I couldn’t believe it when they told me, I refused to believe it, I wanted there to have been some mistake. 'We were praying they would tell us a body had been there for thirty odd . years - we were desperate. I remember asking them, "are you sure it’s . not a cat or a dog?"' Adorable: Tia pictured as a child; her family has today been paying tribute to the schoolgirl . Friendly: Tia's step-grandmother has opened up about her relationship with the 12-year-old . The couple revealed they had received prank calls about Tia in the days she was missing. Mr Niles said: 'I got a sick prank call to my mobile phone from someone after she’d been missing for around three days. 'They’d just seen my mobile number on the t-shirts we wore for the TV appeals. 'They were saying “we’ve got her and we’ll tell you where and when you can have her. We didn’t know them, they were Scottish. 'It was just some sick drunken joke. The police traced the call and went through their front door somewhere in Scotland. 'Apparently they found a couple of lads sitting around drunk making prank calls. I went mad.' Ms Sharp added: 'It wasn’t the only time, we had lots of pranks, or at least false messages. 'There were people calling saying they had seen her at a bus stop, someone said they has spotted her asleep on a park bench. 'We had people running around everywhere chasing up messages. For people . to be sitting there having fun at that time, it just makes you so . angry. 'I’m still angry now.' Toddler: Tia disappeared from her grandmother's home in New Addington, South London . She explained how she felt when police were still searching for Tia. 'As the days passed, the range of . emotions we went through was like nothing I can describe,' she said. 'I’ve tried to tell people, to put my finger on it, but I can’t. 'You feel empty, like you’re being twisted from the inside. All the way from your stomach to your throat. 'You can’t eat, you can’t sleep. It’s horrible, I wouldn’t wish it on my worst enemy. 'All we could do was wait and waiting . is the hardest part, because what else can you do? But the more you wait . the more you know in your heart of hearts that it’s not going to . happen. 'It’s the last thing you think about . when you go to bed at night and the first thing you think about when you . wake up. It’s still that way now. 'I remember, every day she was . missing I’d wake up, and open my eyes and things felt normal for a . second or maybe two. But then there was this kick in your stomach when . you realised where you were and what was happening.' Couple: Tia's mother Natalie with her partner David Niles, whose mother Angie has spoken out today . She added that her daughter was 'a fighter' who was mature and independent for her age. She said: 'Once, you accept what has . happened and you try to come to terms with that, you just want to be . able to grieve for your child. But we haven’t been able to mourn. 'There’s so much I don’t know, and as a parent I’m supposed to know. 'I don’t know if she was scared, I . don’t know if she suffered - I don’t know if my baby suffered before she . died. That’s the worst. 'If I know one thing now though, it’s . this: Tia was a fighter. Whatever happened to her, it wouldn’t have . happened without a struggle. She could look after herself. 'She used to look after her friends, . none of them were bullied when Tia was around, she knew to stand up when . something was wrong. 'So the one thing I do know, is that whatever happened, she stood up for herself.' | Angie Niles says 'sick man' Hazell has put family through torment . But she welcomes killer's decision to plead guilty and end the ordeal . Pays tribute to Tia and reveals she can no longer visit girl's favourite shops . Mother revealed she blamed herself for not realising Tia's body was in loft . Said in interview before trial she 'vomited' whenever she thought about it . Expressed anger at 'sick' prankers who pretended they knew where she was . | 851c0cef28c66e1c77f9626eedb14ea194abd125 |
President Obama made a personal phone call to USA captain Clint Dempsey and goalkeeper Tim Howard after their heroics against Belgium on Tuesday night. The USA kept Belgium at bay until extra time before goals from Kevin De Bruyne and Romelu Lukaku broke their resistance and sent Belgium through to a quarter-final with Argentina. But the President was quick to show his appreciation for the side's efforts at the World Cup. VIDEO Scroll down to watch Obama congratulate Dempsey and Howard after World Cup . Dialling in: America president Barack Obama rang USA stars Clint Dempsey and Tim Howard on Wednesday . Edge of your seat! Obama watched the World Cup defeat against Belgium at the Eisenhower Executive Office . Heroic: American goalkeeper Howard made a staggering 16 saves in the extra time defeat . He said: 'Clint, Tim. Man I just wanted to call to say you did us proud. You guys did great. There’s someone here who’s first sport was soccer although I was never that good. 'To see the way you guys captured the hearts and imaginations of the whole country is unbelievable and obviously the way the sport has been growing steadily because kids have been playing it at a young age, but this is the first time you have had an entire country focused. 'Clint you were fantastic and Tim I don’t know how you are going to survive the mobs when you come back home. You are going to have to shave your beard so they don’t know who you are. 'You guys did us all proud not just by how hard you played and how well you did; you guys just carried yourselves with a lot of class. It makes people really respect the sport and you guys are really great models for a lot of sportsman here in the states. 'I know it is disappointing but what you guys accomplished is really, really significant and it will make a difference to the country so congratulate coach. I know maybe you have got another couple of guys there. Recognise! Pentagon chief Hagel called Everton's Howard on . Wednesday to offer his congratulations . Head held high: Howard was cheered on by Today . show host Natalie Morales the day after . 'Fantastic job everybody and I hope I get to see you guys again at The Whitehouse sometime soon. I’ve still got my jacket that you guys gave me. I appreciate you guys. Safe travels back. Bye bye.' Howard, meanwhile, was randomly drug-tested immediately after Tuesday's match during which he set a World Cup record by making an amazing 16 saves. Howard wasn't able to join his teammates in the locker room immediately after the defeat because FIFA selected him to take the test. ‘I got dragged into drug testing, again, randomly,’ Howard told ESPN Radio when asked about the sombre mood after the match. ‘So I didn't hear all of [the reactions].’ | American president got in touch after Tuesday's World Cup last-16 defeat . USA goalkeeper Tim Howard was randomly drug-tested . immediately after . Everton man joked that ‘maybe' the test stopped being random after his 10th or 11th save . Howard was humble in multiple morning show appearances following the USMNT's exit from the World Cup Tuesday night . | de5f9f5665ed6cff0ff31294ccff9552b7f79be9 |
By . Tom Bellwood . PUBLISHED: . 05:06 EST, 10 May 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 11:49 EST, 10 May 2013 . MailOnline Sport last week launched a mini-series of Football Friday Google+ Hangouts with Neil Ashton leading the debate as the Barclays Premier League reaches its thrilling climax. Sportsmail's Martin Keown and Ian Ladyman believe the wind has been taken out of Wigan's sales ahead of tomorrow's FA Cup final against Manchester City after Roberto Martinez's side were beaten by Swansea in midweek. Martin Keown, who has won the competition three times, said: 'Psychologically that defeat was a major blow coming into the Cup final. Roberto Martinez has a great chance to win something tomorrow but Manchester City look pretty dominant at the moment.' Watch the below video to see what the fans joining Martin and Ian think of the Cup final and Sir Alex Ferguson's decision to step down after 27 years at Manchester United.. Tune in and watch the debate from the home of football this morning. Ian Ladyman agrees with Martin after watching Wigan slump to a 3-2 defeat at the DW. He said: 'Tuesday night was a big game for them, if they'd have won it they'd have had a good chance tomorrow. 'But I have to say they were poor on Tuesday, they looked nervous and they made mistakes. 'There was a huge feeling of deflation around the DW and I think they may bring some of that here.' The pair then moved on to the story of the week: Sir Alex Ferguson's decision to step down at Old Trafford and the subsequent appointment of David Moyes. Martin believes that other clubs will think United are there for the taking, but noted that Moyes should not be underestimated. He said: 'David Moyes is an outstanding candidate for this job. 'But their opponents will see it as a chance without that great man at the helm. 'But David Moyes will be expecting to continue in the same vain. He added: 'David Moyes is the right candidate. There is a lack of European experience but I feel he is quite a pragmatic manager, he's a thoroughly nice guy and he loves football. In the January of 2002 I was . despatched from London to Manchester to cover the final few months of . Sir Alex Ferguson’s reign at Manchester United. Little did anybody know . back then that I – like everybody else – would have to wait more than a . decade to do it. Click here to read IAN LADYMAN'S full account of his 10 years with Sir Alex.... 'He's a student of the game but he has got to hit the ground running because the pressure will be on him if he doesn't. 'I expect them to continue that success that they have but I feel it is an opportunity to wrestle the dominance away from United.' Ian Ladyman has been covering Manchester United for a number of years, and offered a fascinating insight into Sir Alex Ferguson's relationship with the press. Ian said: 'It was an enormous challenge every day. You never really knew what you were going to get. Whether he was going to be the grumpy, surly figure looking for a fight or whether it was the other side, amusing, entertaining, intelligent side. 'You never knew what you were going to get. He didn't like cowards, but equally, if you stood up to him too much, he thought you were rude.' Triumphs two and three: Keown celebrates the 2002 victory over Chelsea with central defensive partner Sol Campbell (left) and (right) showing off the trophy with David Seaman after defeating Southampton in Cardiff . | MailOnline Sport's second Google+ Hangout from Wembley . Iconic trophy present at the home of football . Discussion will tackled Saturday's showpiece: Man City v Wigan . Ladyman and Keown reflect on whirlwind week for Ferguson and Moyes . CLICK HERE to watch last week's Football Friday Google+ Hangout lead by Neil Ashton . | f848b561c869e37112d281495a8c5a2fe09327b9 |
Anyone not clear of the genesis of Bayern Munich moving for Xabi Alonso should probably be directed to the 31st minute of last season’s German Cup Final. Pep Guardiola’s team had just been mauled, torn to shreds, by Real Madrid in the Champions League semi-final — a performance that the Catalan calls the worst mistake of his entire career. Everyone around the club was shattered by the 5-0 aggregate humiliation but the rallying call had been sounded for the domestic final against Borussia Dortmund (The Bayern executives are driven by a ferocious strategic wish to subjugate the northerners). VIDEO Scroll down to watch Xabi Alonso on his Bayern Munich debut and Pep Guardiola . Key role: Xabi Alonso has been at the heart of the very football which Bayern want to replicate . Not only is Dortmund’s eccentric, electric coach Jürgen Klopp fond of comparing the Bavarians to a James Bond super-villain, this tie was already the football equivalent of the umpteen Spanish Clásicos which helped define Guardiola’s reign at Barcelona as one of the all-time-great managerial innings. It was the ninth meeting between the Bundesliga’s two dominant forces in two seasons and the fourth in 10 months since the Catalan had taken over at Bayern. In the previous three games Guardiola’s side had won once, away, but lost the Supercup 4-2 and been thumped 3-0 at the Allianz Arena. Risk: Bayern have pledged to pay £16m over two years for a player about to turn 33 . Two defeats, seven goals conceded and now reeling from the five-goal thumping from Madrid. Crisis time. For this moment of huge significance Guardiola planned to flood the centre of the pitch but to ask huge amounts, tactically and physically, from Philipp Lahm as the central, organising midfielder next to Toni Kroos. After half an hour Lahm had to come off, injured and in danger of missing the World Cup if he continued. Guardiola looked around and found he needed to choose the out-of-form Franck Ribéry, who had been fighting injury himself, to go on as Lahm’s replacement and play out of position in organising central midfield. One of the club’s most quixotic and effective wingers ever, playing Guardiola’s almost ‘sacred’ pivote position for the first time in his life to take over from a converted full-back. At one of the most powerful and wealthy clubs in the world. Just after they had won the treble. Crazy. Match up: James Bond and super-villain Raoul Silva in Skyfall . It was a moment emblematic of the Catalan’s first season in charge. Over the year he had used up to seven players in that position: the one which he himself played for Johan Cruyff’s ‘Dream Team’ and which is, without question, the mega-powerful microprocessor through which all team commands, all intelligent positional play and all the passing movements to restart play from the back must flow. Javi Martínez, Thiago Silva, Lahm, Bastian Schweinsteiger, Kroos, Pierre Hojbjerg and Mario Götze had all been asked to interpret that cerebral role — with varying degrees of success. Partly that had been to do with Guardiola’s fanatical drive to keep re-touching his playing scheme, to keep re-inventing and outmanoeuvring his opponents. Mostly it had to do with the incessant injury crisis at the club — Guardiola didn’t have a fully-fit, injury-free squad until March and then that nirvana lasted about 10 days. The Final? Yes, Bayern won after extra-time and after still more tactical tinkering and Ribéry going off with the injury which cost him, not Lahm, World Cup participation. So, to Alonso. Already this season Guardiola has lost one fulcrum player in Javi Martínez, whose knee-ligament damage means he is out for several months. Thiago has played only 25 times in a year and is currently taking longer to recover from his third major injury at the club since joining. Rivalry: Bayern Munich takes on Borussia Dortmund in last season's German Cup final . The news that Schweinsteiger will also be out for weeks, added to the fact that Bayern’s directors and sporting director Matthias Sammer couldn’t find a way to incentivise Kroos — now at Madrid — to stay, means that Guardiola was bound to act. And decisively, too. Bayern was once the Euro-elite club with the strictest transfer market and wage policy. But they’ve just bought a man on the verge of turning 33 for what may well amount to £8million and to whom they’ll pay a minimum of £8m in wages over two seasons. It’s a risk. And couldn’t they have used that much money to persuade Kroos to stay? Or was there another reason for his exit? It’s a huge demonstration of faith in Guardiola, who specified that Alonso was what was needed, and a declaration of further ambition to dominate both Germany and Europe. Guardiola called Alonso ‘a great professional with a strong personality and, above all, an intelligent footballer’. The Basque midfielder has been at the heart of the very football — Spain’s world domination — which Bayern want to replicate. They value his brain, his precision, his dedication, his ruthlessness and his experience. Real deal: Bayern could not persuade Toni Kroos to reject move to Madrid . As for Alonso? He renewed his Madrid contract last December on being informed by them that a proposed freedom-of-contract move to Bayern wasn’t going to happen. His frankness, now, is admirable. ‘Having won La Decima (Madrid’s 10th European Cup) I had the instinct that my time here was coming to an end. ‘I need certain incentives and they probably take the form of a new challenge, different ambitions. I saw a new cycle starting around me at Madrid and to be at the highest level I thought I needed to test myself somewhere new. Nobody at the club wanted me out, this was my decision.’ Like Guardiola, he will handle the language and the fact he speaks English will help, while there’s a good smattering of Spanish at the club, too. While Guardiola’s teams are always athletic and one of his maxims is that . they must ‘run and run and run’, it’s Alonso’s positional intelligence and precision of passing which will matter more than the fact that his legs and lungs ended last season at a low ebb. In the Bundesliga he’ll find, compared to Spain, some of what he misses from English football: fuller, noisier stadia, 90-minute sporting aggression — lots of Davids tilting at Goliath. And he calculates that he’ll win his third Champions League with a third different club. Guardiola and Alonso — once fierce and unforgiving rivals across the Clásico divide. Now united. Watch out everyone else. | Bayern coach Pep Guardiola hailed Xabi Alonso 'an intelligent footballer' The Basque midfielder has been at the heart of the very football which the German champions want to replicate . Declaration of further ambition to dominate both Germany and Europe . | 3e2d7faa3cd0670046fb1fbd7f137e7f3afa89ed |
CCTV shows father and son during fight with attendants . By . Daily Mail Reporter . Last updated at 4:32 AM on 9th July 2011 . This is the shocking footage of 19-year-old Isayah Muller and his father Andre attacking two car parking attendants moments before the teenager died. The tape shows the two attendants defending themselves with a machete and what is alleged to be a home made knife after the Muller's burst into their security hut following a row over a stolen $200 bottle of perfume. Isayah Muller, 19, died . after an argument in the Bronx, New York, over an alleged theft of . fragrances from his family’s car just moments after graduating from nearby Harry S. Truman High School. Scroll down for video . Inspection: Muller (circled) is seen here at the entrance of the security hut, inspecting attendants bags for the stolen cologne . ...Then Andre is seen punching one of the attendants . ...After backing out he re enters with a shovel, as one attendant grabs a machete . In the video - obtained by Fox News - the attendants are seen trying to diffuse the situation. The pair - who are currently in hiding for fear of their lives - can be seen allowing Andre to look inside their back packs and drawers for the alleged stolen cologne. One of the attendants is then seen on the phone seconds before Andre is punches him in the head. After backing off, Isayah can be seen in the door way still wearing his graduation tie. Andre then charges in with a snow shovel. One attendant grabs a chair to defend himself while another arms himself with a machete. Andre backs out of the hut, shutting the door before Isayah bursts back in followed by his father. A fight breaks out and Isiyah can be seen repeatedly punching one of the attendants while his father deals with the other. ...Isayah then bursts through the door and attacks one of the attendants before stumbling out - presumably after being fatally stabbed with the 'shank' The pair then stumble back out of the cabin. Last month Police Commissioner Ray Kelly said: 'What a tragedy. [Andre] Muller was the aggressor.' 'He [Andre] struck one of the attendants whom I believe is still in the hospital. 'He assaulted the attendant. He picked up a shovel and struck the attendant. 'Another attendant had a shank, which is a home-made knife. 'The young man also participated in the assault and was stabbed.' Accused: Andre Muller (left), the father of slain HS football star Isayah, was the 'aggressor' according to police . Dead: Isayah Muller, 19, died after a fight in the Bronx, New York, over whether something was stolen from his family's car during his graduation ceremony . Star running back Isayah, known as ‘Zayah’ to friends, led his team to the Public Schools Athletic League championship last year. The family arrived at the car park on Tuesday morning and walked to a campus for the graduation of Harry S. Truman High School students. They headed back to the car after the ceremony and just after they left to go for dinner Mr Muller noticed the cologne was missing. Great player: Star running back Isayah, known as 'Zayah' to friends, led Harry S. Truman High School team to the Public Schools Athletic League championship . After teh fight Isayah and Mr Muller ran to the family car where his mother and girlfriend were waiting and they drove him to a clinic and later a hospital. He was pronounced dead at the hospital. His father has been charged and police are trying to determine what kind of a weapon he allegedly possessed. The parking attendants have not been charged. Well-liked: Isayah's coach said he was the 'best back I've ever seen' in 12 years of coaching and was destined to go professional and reach the NFL . Video of Fight That Ended with Death of Football Star Isayah Muller: MyFoxNY.com . | CCTV shows father and son during fight with attendants . | 0742cf741c04d8d9d04b2859f9a3368443316775 |
By . Mark Wilson . Bilel Mohsni was hit with a two-match ban for his bizarre diving headbutt on Scotland striker Chris Martin in the pre-season friendly at Derby. The French-Tunisian centre-back will sit out Monday's Petrofac Training Cup tie with Hibs at Ibrox and Sunday’s Championship opener against Hearts for his moment of madness in Saturday’s 2-0 defeat by the English Championship side. Rangers had been all but resigned to referee Mark Heywood including the astonishing red card in a formal report. That was promptly filed with the English FA, who immediately forwarded it to their disciplinary counterparts in Scotland. Mohsni’s dismissal in Derby was his third during 2014 and raised questions about his future at Rangers. Off you go: Bilel Mohsni was hit with a two-match ban for his bizarre diving headbutt on Derby's Chris Martin . However, Ally McCoist has no plans to offload him and will instead try to help the 27-year-old calm his destructive temper. The Rangers boss held talks with Mohsni on Sunday and insisted he wasn’t tempted to cash in after Abu Dhabi-based outfit Baniyas Sports Club saw an offer rejected earlier this summer. Speaking before the ban was confirmed, McCoist said: ‘I don’t think we are in a position to get rid of players who will definitely be big parts of our season unless there is an automatic replacement who is better. ‘We speak about Bilel’s downside but he and Lee McCulloch scored in the region of 30 goals for us last season. That is from centre-back, so it’s a reasonable return. ‘But there is a problem and it’s one we are working to resolve. It is something that Bilel has had throughout his career. He knows he would be a far better player if he can get rid of it. ‘Whether it is count to 10 or walk away, it is something he is going to have to do. ‘This is the third time he has been sent off (at Rangers). I thought he was unlucky with the first one against Airdrie last season, but the other two were just flashes where he lost it. I'm staying put! It is understood that Rangers boss Ally McCoist still wants to keep hold of his defender . ‘The upsetting thing is that he is a really nice boy, great with the kids and supporters. But there is that flaw within him.’ Asked if a psychologist could be enlisted, McCoist added: ‘I’m not sure. I’m not qualified enough in that department to know if that would work or if he’d want it. What I do know is that he accepts totally he was wrong and let the boys down. We want to work to eradicate that problem.’ Honduran midfielder Arnold Peralta will also be absent tonight after McCoist revealed he is currently stranded in Paris dealing with visa issues. Peralta was given extra time off this summer after he was forced to withdraw from his country’s World Cup squad with a thigh injury. ‘The mystery that is Arnold Peralta is definitely coming back — but when he is coming back, sadly, I can’t give you a definite on,’ added McCoist. ‘He has been in Paris trying to sort a visa and, if you are going to have problems, then I’d suggest Paris is the place to have them. ‘The good news is that Arnold is fit — the health issues are long gone. It’s just location issues now.’ | Central defender was sent off in the defeat at Derby County on Saturday . Mohsni has previous when it comes to on-field indiscretions . But Rangers manager Ally McCoist doesn't want to sell the player . | ebfef75bfd7852e7734589e5233681a17971536a |
The accused heroin dealers who police believe may have sold drugs to actor Philip Seymour Hoffman underwent a radical courtroom makeover before their arraignment in a Manhattan courtroom. Max Rosenblum, 22, was sporting a slick new haircut compared to previous courtroom appearances where he looked decidedly scruffy. Both he and Juliana Luchkiw, also 22, appeared in smart, black business suits. Meanwhile, a third 'dealer', Robert Vineberg said that his heroin addiction was a major factor in his alleged crimes, and asked for the case to go to a drug court designed to channel users to rehab instead of prison. Friends in high places: Robert Vineberg said in court papers he is a raging addict in need of help and asked to be sent to a court-ordered treatment program in a bid to stay out of prison . Another acquaintance: Philip Seymour Hoffman was found dead with 70 bags of heroin in his West Village apartment . 'Mr. Vineberg is desirous of confronting and successfully dealing with his . substance abuse problem and becoming a sober, again-productive member of . society,' wrote his lawyer, Edward Kratt. The Manhattan district attorney's office hasn't yet responded to the request, and a judge hasn't yet ruled. Vineberg, . 57, is a longtime jazz and pop studio musician who has played, under . the name Robert Aaron, on albums by artists including David Bowie, Mick . Jagger and the late Amy Winehouse. But his musical career has foundered . in recent years. As police . followed a tip after Hoffman's Feb. 2 death in an apparent heroin . overdose, they said they found about 300 one-dose packets of heroin and . $1,300 in cash in Vineberg's apartment and music studio. He's . facing felony charges of possessing heroin with the intention to sell . it, but he's not charged with any role in Hoffman's death. Vineberg's stepdaughter Christine Soto admitted that Hoffman had visited . the apartment where her stepfather sold drugs before adding: 'But he had . nothing to do with what killed him.' Scruffy: In his previous court on February 5 appearance, Max Rosenblum, 22, looked like a mess. He has now had a smart haircut for today court appearance . Cleaned up her act: Juliana Luchkiw also appeared in court today but looked visibly smarter than her previous court appearance seen here on February 5 . Cleaned up her act: Juliana Luchkiw also appeared in court today but looked visibly smarter than her previous court appearance seen here on February 5 . Luchkiw and Rosenblum, both 22, were formally charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance. 'Yes, he got a haircut,' said Rosenblum’s lawyer, Daniel Hochheiser, adding that will ask the court to review the grand jury testimony and then move to dismiss his client’s indictment. They both were far more clean-cut in appearance than their previous court hearing. Luchkiw donned a trim-fitting black suit and black leather boots while Rosenblum sported a more stylish look. The pair quickly rushed out of the building - separately - with their parents and lawyers. During earlier proceedings, Luchkiw had called her arrest 'retarded' and was visibly upset that a judge initially denied her bond. 'Why is this happening? I can’t spend another night in here!' she wailed at the time. She and Rosenblum remain free on bail after the brief proceeding before Justice Edward McLaughlin. Court documents revealed that in addition to two bags of cocaine, cops found a bag of marijuana and a scale in their apartment. Accomplished musician: Robert Vineberg released his own album, Trouble Man, in 2010 . Known addict: Vineberg worked with Amy Winehouse on her debut album Frank . If Vineberg, who pleaded not guilty . Tuesday, is approved for drug court and succeeds in treatment, the . charges could eventually be lowered or dismissed. He's being held on . $200,000 bond. Vineberg has . said he was a friend of Hoffman's but has denied providing the heroin . that authorities said they found in the Academy Award-winning actor's . apartment. Vineberg told the New York Post in a jail interview that his . last contact with the actor was a December exchange of text messages . about attempts both were making at sobriety. New . York state has long had drug-court programs, but a 2009 change in the . state's drug laws gave judges more discretion to send nonviolent, . addicted offenders to treatment, on the theory that it would work better . than prison at stopping them from reoffending. About 2,600 people . statewide were approved for drug court treatment in 2010, more than . twice as many as in 2008, according to a state Division of Criminal . Justice Services report. Two . of Vineberg's neighbors, both 22, were arrested in the same . investigation and charged with possessing two bags of cocaine. They were . also in court Tuesday; their lawyers plan to file papers fighting the . misdemeanor charges. The attorneys have said the two had no connection . to Hoffman. Two law enforcement officials said at least one of them had the actor's phone number. Investigators zeroed in on the four after a tipster, responding to publicity about Hoffman's death, told police he had seen Hoffman at the lower Manhattan apartment building where they were arrested and he believed that's where Hoffman got the heroin, the officials said Wednesday. In searches of two apartments in the building, police found hundreds of packets of heroin in one of them, according to a criminal complaint. Making ends meet: Vineberg's stepdaughter says he sold drugs to pay his rent when he couldn't find work as a musician . Not involved: Christina Soto says her stepfather did not sell the drugs that Hoffman overdosed on . Tip off: Four people were arrested in apartments at 302 Mott Street in lower Manhattan after police were tipped off by a heroin user . 'This case and the charges against Mr Vineberg have absolutely nothing to do with the death of Philip Seymour Hoffman. ... We're hoping the (district attorney) will not use Mr. Vineberg as a scapegoat,' said his lawyer, Edward Kratt, who declined to say whether Vineberg knew Hoffman. On . hearing news of his tragic death on Sunday, Soto remember that her . stepfather said: 'If he would have come to me, I would have told him to . slow down, and if you’re going to do something, make sure you have . someone with you.' Hoffman, . 46, was found dead at his $10,000-a-month West . Village apartment surrounded by 70 bags of heroin and 20 used syringes. 302 Mott St. where Robert Vineberg, 57, Max Rosenblum, 22, Juliana Luchkiw, 22, Robert Vineberg, 57, and Thomas Kushman, 48, were arrested . Robert Vineberg, 57, a musician who goes by the name of Robert Aaron, . was charged with felony drug possession following the police swoop . Vineberg was granted bail on February 14 after his February 4 arrest. His lawyer told the judge that the 300 bags of heroin found in his apartment were for personal use. Justice Edward McLaughlin said the claim was dubious. 'If he has an incessant, uncontrolled heroin addiction, then lying around with 300 bags of heroin, he would be dead,' McLaughlin said, reported the New York Post. 'If he has no job that produces income and has $1,500 or $1,300 in cash, you draw your own conclusions.' A group of about 20 musician friends were there to support Vineberg. Vineberg worked with Amy Winehouse on her best-selling album Frank in 2003 . Covered in tributes and flowers: This is the West Village apartment where Philip Seymour Hoffman was discovered dead on Sunday after an apparent drugs overdose . | Robert Vineberg is facing charge of heroin possession with intent to sell . He was a friend of Philip Seymour Hoffman's . Vineberg's lawyer filed court papers to say his client should go to a 'diversion' program for his drug habit . Other 'dealer' Max Rosenblum was sporting a sleek new haircut before his arraignment . | dda6c160fe6a04cf0292b10e8c2e8a113f7de86a |
A former security guard has been found guilty of killing his ex-wife by stabbing her 84 times then covering her face with a pig mask. A jury in Morris County, New Jersey found Anthony Novellino, 66, guilty of murdering his ex-wife Judith on Wednesday. He faces a minimum of 30 years in prison when he is sentenced next month. 'Now we can have some . closure,' the victim's sister, Deborah Murphy, told the Daily Record after the verdict was announced on Wednesday. 'My sister can rest in peace.' Prosecutors say Novellino attacked his 62-year-old ex-wife, a schoolteacher and librarian, in June 2010 just 11 days after their divorce. Before the split, they had been married for 37 years. Prison: Anthony Novellino (right) was found guilty of killing his ex-wife in July. He has been sentenced to sped the next 50 years in prison . Under the terms of the divorce, Novellino was to keep the home and pay Judith her share. He was also to give her $150,000 from his retirement fund, leading him to refer to her as a 'pig' to neighbors. She was back at the house and packing items to take to her apartment when she was stabbed. Novellino had claimed that his ex-wife had picked a fight with she was in the bathroom and lunged at him with a knife she happened to have in the room. He insisted that he only acted in self-defense and told investigators after he was arrested that he could only remember stabbing her twice. Sick: Prosecutor Maggie Calderwood holds the pig mask found on the face of Judith Novellino after she was stabbed to death by her ex-husband. Neighbors said he had called her a pig . However, an autopsy showed that she had been stabbed 84 times on her neck, face, shoulder, abdomen, breasts and hands. Afterwards, he grabbed a pig mask out of a closet and put it on her face before drinking orange juice and taking some aspirin. He then washed the knife and hid it in a crawlspace. He then gathered clothes, took off his shoes and dumped them as he drove to Washington to meet a woman he'd been speaking to online for several years. The couple's adult daughter, Christina German, now 35, found her body. Ms German was seen closing her eyes as her father was led into the courtroom for the verdict on Wednesday. Killed: His ex-wife and schoolteacher Judith Novellino, left, was found dead by her adult daughter. Anthony Novellino, right, fled to Washington but was found several days later in a motel . Anthony Novellino was captured several days after the killing in Washington state, where he had fled to meet a woman he had been communicating with online. She helped authorities track him down. Defense lawyer Michael Priarone said that the murder was magnified by the pig mask. 'It's difficult for anyone dealing with the case to look past the mask,' Priarone said. 'Mr. Novellino absolutely has a lot of remorse for what happened.' He will be sentenced on September 12. | Anthony Novellino stabbed his ex-wife to death in their New Jersey home just 11 days after their divorce in June 2010 . He was bitter that she was getting half of his retirement fund . He fled and eluded authorities for five days before he was found . He faces a minimum of 30 years in prison when sentenced . | 9e34bc5a54eb6cebae951387641e33b41414aeb2 |
It is a chance to own a piece of British motoring history - an incredibly rare pre-production Range Rover, which was developed in secret under the code name Velar. Land Rover, in an effort to disguise the new Range Rover brand, designed the brand new luxury 4x4, and issued it with a name Velar, which in Italian, means covered. In an effort to further disguise the heritage of the car, the first 30 development models were issued with number plates from Croydon - instead of Solihull, to further confuse any potential industrial spies. One of the prototype Range Rovers developed by Land Rover in the late 1960s is going under the hammer early next year in Dorset . The Range Rover Velar, is still on its original number plates which add to the important historical value of the incredibly rare vehicle . The vehicle's chassis plate shows the important number which proves the car to be one of the first pre-production development vehicles . Early next year, the incredibly rare prototype Range Rover is expected to sell for more than £30,000 at auction. Land Rover wanted to develop a luxury off-roader that was capable of coping with the demands of the countryside while providing the level of comfort normally associated with a high-end saloon. Designers worked on the project in secret under the name Velar, from the Italian 'velare', meaning 'veiled' or 'covered'. Before the introduction of the Range Rover, off-road vehicles were seen as very agricultural and used by farmers or people in remote locations. Land Rover developed just 30 of these prototype vehicles and according to the car's chassis number, it is the 38th vehicle to have been completed. The development models were registered in 1969 on a H registration plate - more than a year before the car's official launch in September 1970. Despite its size, the Range Rover was faster than most production saloons in 1970 with its 3.5 litre V8 petrol engine. It had a 0-60 time of around 15 seconds while its top speed approached 100 miles per hour. The original car was sold at launch for £1,990. In addition, the car had a four-speed manual gear box with a low and high ratio - doubling the number of available gears and giving it unrivaled off-road performance while allowing it to cruise along the new motorways at high speed. Land Rover developed the Range Rover in secret to provide a luxury off-road vehicle that can cope with the motorway and countryside . Range Rover claimed its new car 'provides excellent and comfortable transport to and from the office and because of its good lock and light steering and all-round visibility and roomy luggage space, it is an ideal vehicle, particularly for women drivers, for taking the children to school' The Range Rover has had its original petrol V8 engine removed and replaced by a more economical diesel version, pictured . According to Land Rover's official press release from 1970, the new car 'provides excellent and comfortable transport to and from the office and because of its good lock, light steering, and all-round visibliity and roomy luggage space, it is an ideal vehicle, particularly for women drivers, for shopping and taking the children to school, as well as being perfectly suited to take the family and caravan and boat comfortably off the beaten track and away from the crowds.' The car is being sold by Charterhouse Auctions in Sherborne Dorset early next year. It is being sold by a private owner from Bristol, and over the years has had its original V8 engine replaced with a Land Rover 300TDi engine and some body panels changed. Richard Bromell, from the auction house, said: 'This is one of the earliest Range Rovers ever made. 'It’s the eighth vehicle made by Velar, a company set up Land Rover to develop the Range Rover, and is one of just 40 of the Velar Range Rovers made. 'The Range Rover was launched in 1970 and was a success form the start. Now in its fourth generation, early Range Rovers have a large and loyal following. 'Despite being such an important early vehicle, this Velar Range Rover has been well used over the past 44 years and has had the original V8 petrol engine replaced with a more economical, the interior changed and some of the body panels replaced. 'This is such an early and important Range Rover that we estimate it could fetch £30,000 for its Bristol owner.' | The Range Rover Velar is a special pre-production development model built before the official launch in 1970 . Land Rover spent four years working on the secret project to develop a luxury off-road vehicle for the motorway . The new car had to be able to handle rutted tracks in the countryside while cruising on the motorway . One of the first 30 development cars is going under the hammer in February with a guide price of £30,000 . When the Range Rover was first offered to the public in September 1970, it went on sale for £1,990 . | e3d023020fb07d5d3c86be893be7fa83f2af7d44 |
By . Darren Boyle . Police are appealing for help in tracing three young brothers who have gone missing from their foster family after going on a bike ride. The boys - Remus, 15, Janko, 12 and David Matloch, 10 - took their bikes out on Monday evening but failed to return. Shortly after leaving the foster home in Sunderland, they were spotted buying a Metro ticket to Newcastle. They were last seen at Newcastle Central Station after 6pm yesterday without their bicycles. Scroll down for video . Remus Matloch, left, vanished from his foster home in Sunderland on Monday evening along with his brothers Janko, centre and David, right, after saying they were going on a cycle ride to the nearby Mowbray Park . Northumberland police have released footage of the three Matloch brothers arriving at Park Lane Metro station in Sunderland after leaving their foster home at 5.20pm yesterday and bought tickets to Newcastle . Police later identified the three boys leaving Newcastle Central station without their bikes . They left the house at The Oaks, . Sunderland at 5.20pm and were due to return by 8pm. The three brothers . had said they had been going on a cycle ride to the nearby Mowbray . Park. Northumbria Police said they were concerned for their welfare as the boys have not been answering their mobile phones and had never previously gone missing. The three boys, who are Polish but speak good English, all had bicycles with them and were wearing helmets when they left. Dark-haired Remus, who has a distinctive quiff, was last seen wearing jogging bottoms and a t-shirt; fair-haired Janko had mustard-coloured chinos with a blue waterproof. David has shaggy dark brown hair and a chubby build and is possibly wearing shorts and a top and a silver coloured cycling helmet. The brothers are thought to have family members in Blyth, Northumberland and South Shields. Officers are appealing for the boys, or anyone who has any information about their whereabouts, to contact them straight away. Police said the missing brothers were excited about an upcoming holiday this Friday and had very little money and no passports. CCTV footage showed them entering the Park Lane Metro station around half a mile from their home without their bikes and helmets. The boys told their foster parents that they were going to cycle around Mowbray Park, Sunderland, pictured . They were later spotted by cameras at Newcastle Central railway station - a 45 minute train journey away. Superintendent Alan Veitch urged the youngsters, who are of Polish Romany descent, to get in touch and said police would pick them up from any location. He told a press conference the boys grew up in Blyth, Northumberland, but had lived with foster parents in Sunderland for 18 months. Their carers reported them missing when they were an hour late for an 8pm curfew, after going out on a cycle ride. The boys left this private road, The Oaks, on bicycle at 5.20pm yesterday according to Northumbria Police . Remus, Janko . and David's mother is believed to be in Poland and their father in . Romania, and it is not known if they are aware they are missing. Supt. Veitch said the boys were excited about going on a caravan park holiday . on Friday, and two of them left behind money they had been given for . the trip in their bedrooms. They don't have passports and are believed to have just £60 between them. He . urged them to get in touch and assured them they were in no trouble and . officers could pick them up wherever they are to take them home safe. 'We are increasingly concerned for the boys welfare and we are appealing for anyone who may have seen the youngsters travel on the Metro from Sunderland Park Lane arriving at Newcastle Central Station at 6.04pm last night. 'We urgently need to hear from anyone who saw the boys after that. We don't know if they travelled onward by rail, or if they came into Newcastle, or used another form of transport to go elsewhere. 'We are carrying out a number of enquiries to locate these young people. So far we believe they may have been travelling to the railway station for a purpose to meet with a friend or family member. 'We would ask if anyone knows the boy's whereabouts we would ask them to contact police straight away. 'We need to know where the boys are and that they are safe. Officers are also making enquiries with family members in Blyth and South Shields and also with other forces elsewhere including the Birmingham area.' Mowbray Park was only a short distance from the boys' foster home in The Oaks, Sunderland . | The three brothers said they were cycling to a nearby park in Sunderland . Remus, Janko and David Matloch were staying with foster parents . The brothers said they would return to their foster home by 8pm last night . The Polish and English-speaking trio have not been seen since . The brothers have family in Blythe, Northumberland and South Shields . CCTV spotted the boys at a nearby Metro station and later in Newcastle . They were going on holiday on Friday but do not have passports with them . | c98fb4cd5cec16e175fd79dd2a6ee28080928c37 |
Police say a Massachusetts woman allowed her 2-year-old daughter to drink her margarita at a restaurant and poured some of it into the girl's sippy cup. Sheldy Nelson, 41, of Lynn, pleaded not guilty on Thursday to a child endangerment charge in Salem District court in connection with the August incident. She was held on $1,000 bond. A waitress at Brodies Seaport told police Nelson ignored two warnings from staff to stop giving her daughter sips. Both the woman and girl appeared lethargic, and they were taken to a hospital. Charged: Sheldy Nelson, 41, is accused of giving her two-year-old daughter some margarita from her sippy cup . Nelson allegedly told the waitress she was just pouring ice from her drink into her child's cup but waitresses claim that they saw Nelson giving the girl sips from her drink. The hospital found alcohol in the toddler's system. Police found a sippy cup in Nelson's bag that smelled of alcohol. The Salem News reports that Nelson's lawyer asked that his client be released on personal recognizance. The girl is now state custody. According to Salem News, during supervised visit on September 19 in Lynn Nelson became angry when a social worker entered the room. She supposedly began undressing her child and then began shaking her violently, nearly causing the girl’s head to hit a wall. Nelson was arrested and charged with child endangerment following the incident. Kicked out: Waitresses say they kicked Sheldy Nelson out of this Salem restaurant after they spotted her giving her young daughter some of her alcohol . | Police say Sheldy Nelson, 41, allowed her 2-year-old daughter to drink her margarita at a restaurant and poured some of it into the girl's sippy cup . A waitress at Brodies Seaport told police Nelson ignored two warnings from staff to stop giving her daughter sips . Both the woman and girl appeared lethargic, and they were taken to a hospital and the girl was taken into custody by the state . | 44fcf2c6ef8a3c888340b51f5e01a5787715b00a |
By . Daily Mail Reporter . When Janelly Martinez-Amador was four months old, she couldn't bear to be held by her parents. Confused that their daughter seemed to be in pain from their touch, Salvador Martinez and Janet Amador took her to the doctors - and were stunned to learn her body was unable to make bones. Now more than six years on, in a show of medical and the extraordinary bravery of Janelly and her parents, the young girl is growing - and has even learned how to dance. Janelly, from Antioch, Tennessee, was born with the most severe form of hypophosphatasia, an extremely rare bone disorder which leads to loss of all bone mineralization during childhood. Scroll down for video . Fighter: Janelly Martinez-Amador was unable to develop bones when she was born but now, after taking part in a clinical drug trial for a new treatment, she has stunned doctors with her progress . 'We started noticing she wasn’t growing . as she should at that point and she wasn't gaining the weight as she . should at her age,' her father told The Tennessean. 'She didn't used to like to be . held in my arms,' her mother added. 'The only thing . she liked was to be put up on a pillow. That would make her . comfortable.' She was unable to move any of her body, and her bones didn't even show up on X-rays. By the time she turned two, she was still relying on ventilators and tracheotomies as she did not have ribs to support her breathing - and her parents were uncertain how much longer she would survive. Joy: Janelly, who is nearly seven and improving every day, loves to bop to music in her stroller . Progress: The little girl's bones were so small they could not be seen on X-rays after she was born, but 18 months after taking a new drug doctors saw she was developing a rib cage . Janelly has a rare condition called hypophosphatasia, a genetic disorder that affects the development of bone and teeth. It can cause a loss of all bone mineralization. The condition occurs due to an enzyme deficiency, which causes the bones to become soft as they can't absorb important minerals such as calcium and phosphorus, increasing the risks for pain and bone deterioration. The condition affects about one in 100,000 babies born in the U.S. The earlier the diagnosis is made the more severe the skeletal manifestations. More than half of those born with the disease don't survive beyond their first birthday. A milder form, which can be diagnosed in adulthood, occurs more frequently. Depending on the severity, people with the condition might see deformities of the limbs and chest and regular fractures. Losing teeth earlier than usual could also be a sign. But when she turned two years and eight months old, her parents put her forward for a clinical trial involving an experimental medicine at Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt. The clinical study treated nine toddlers from across the world with a biologic enzyme called asfotase alfa, which encouraged bones to grow. A special port was inserted into her abdomen so she could receive the drug. Janelly was the smallest child in the study, and while the other children started noticing bone growth as soon as three weeks after taking the drug, it did not appear to be working for Janelly. 'We were fearful that her bone disease was so terribly severe that it might not work,' Dr. Michael P. Whyte, a metabolic bone disease specialist with . Washington University School of Medicine, said. 'We were very concerned when the therapy . started that there was no mineral in her bones to target with enzymes,' he told The Tennessean. 'So would the enzyme find its way to bone and hook onto . something to help her? But apparently - although you couldn't see the . mineral on an X-ray - there was still enough there that the first . molecule or enzyme to land did something.' But her parents started noticing she was gaining muscle control and, after a year of treatment, she was finally able to move all of her limbs. After 18 months, her ribs started to form. Now, four years since the start of her treatment, she no longer uses a ventilator and loves dancing and bops along to music in her stroller. Thankful: She is pictured with her mother Janet Amador and father Salvador Martinez (right) when they met the leader of the clinical trial, Dr. Michael P. Whyte (left), for the first time this month . Care: Doctors at Monroe Carell Jr. Children's Hospital at Vanderbilt have celebrated her progress . She uses a wheelchair and she is still the size of a child half her age, but her bones are growing and doctors are hopeful. They hope to be able to remove her tracheotomy tube this spring, which has prevented her from speaking. Her cognitive abilities will be tested in July - but she appears to be improving each day. 'This is why we get into medicine in the first place: to truly make a difference in the life of a child,' her physician, Jill Simmons, M.D., a pediatric endocrinologist at Vanderbilt, told Newswise. 'My goodness, to go from no bones to bones. That's the most impressive thing I have seen as a physician. It's incredible.' See below for video . | Janelly Martinez-Amador was four months old when she was diagnosed with a rare disorder which stops bones forming during childhood . She could not move or breathe on her own . Before her third birthday, she started taking part in new drug trial . Now she is breathing and eating and enjoys bopping in her stroller . | 4ef1b4d8ffc1af3ecf191a7387e415daeabb36cc |
By . Mail On Sunday . A titled music teacher jailed for sexually abusing a ten-year-old pupil has had his conviction quashed. Sir Peter Newson-Smith was found guilty last May of two charges of indecent assault while head of music at boarding school Clayesmore Prep, in Dorset, 30 years ago. But the Court of Appeal has now ruled that the evidence given by his alleged victim, John Cartwright, now in his 40s, was misleading because he failed to disclose he planned to sue Sir Peter and the school for damages. Overturned: Peter Newson Smith, right, has been freed from jail after six months of a five-and-a-half year sentence. The court ruled alleged victim, John Cartwright, left, did not reveal he planned to sue for damages . The original hearing was told that Sir . Peter, the 3rd Baronet of Totteridge, lured the ‘vulnerable and . isolated’ pupil into a cupboard on ten separate occasions before making . him strip naked and molesting him. Sir Peter, 66, who retired from the £7,500-a-term school in 2003 after 24 years, served six months in prison. He refused to comment. | Sir Peter Newson-Smith last May jailed for five-and-a-half years for assault . Former pupil John Cartwright gave evidence against former head of music . Claimed incidents occurred at boarding school Clayesmore Prep, Dorset . Court of Appeal overturned ruling as Cartwright did not reveal he later planned to sue Sir Peter and the school for damages . | 89d7a0e028bdece8d6191519a0d5671a2a670236 |
Benefits are to rise by almost 50 per cent more than the average wage, sparking another coalition row over curbing increases in handouts. New inflation figures today showed the rate of inflation fell to 2.2 per cent in September, its lowest level for nearly three years. But the inflation figure will be used to determine increases in benefits and pensions, and is significantly higher than the 1.5 per cent average annual pay rises which bosses are giving to those in work. Many with jobs have faced pay freezes. The Consumer Prices Index rate of inflation has been higher than annual pay rises for most of the last two years, which means wages have failed to increase in line with the cost of living . Chancellor George Osborne is expected to hold talks with Work and Pensions Secretary Iain Duncan Smith about changing the way hikes in benefits are determined. The September inflation figure is used to decide by how much benefits rise. Whitehall estimates suggest £14billion could have been saved since 2008 if they had risen in line with wages instead of inflation. The Consumer Prices Index fell to 2.2 per cent in September, down from 2.5 per cent in August and the lowest level since November 2009, the Office for National Statistics. Work and Pensions Secretary Iain Duncan Smith has made clear he wants to ensure that work always pays more than benefits . Latest figures show average earnings for people in work are up by only 1.5 per cent year-on-year, which means their income is failing to keep pace with the rising cost of living. Last year CPI was 5.2 per cent, and the Liberal Democrats battled to secure the full rise in benefits. If benefits had been increased in line with pay rises last year, at 2.5 per cent, it would have saved £5 billion. Chancellor George Osborne wants to find £10billion in extra savings from the welfare bill, which the Lib Dems are resisting . Lib Dem minister David Laws has highlighted how his party has ‘fought battles on uprating of benefits to make sure people who are poor don't get pushed further into poverty’. However, with the Tories committed to finding an extra £10billion in savings from the welfare budget, pressure will grow to look again at the way rises are calculated. Last week Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg rejected the idea of a further raid on benefits. He said: 'The idea that of that £16billion [welfare budget] we are just going to scoop out £10billion from welfare which will inevitably hit the poorest before asking anything of the wealthiest, no. Flatly no. Of course not.' While inflation has dropped, gas and electricity rises are expected to push it higher after four of the ‘big six’ energy firms announced price rises. Mr Osborne is expected to announce the outcome of talks with Mr Duncan Smith on changing the way increases in benefits and pensions are decided. Today the Treasury said September's fall in the inflation rate would bring 'welcome relief to the budgets of families and businesses'. Economist Vicky Redwood at Capital Economics said while inflation had fallen close to the Government's two per cent target, the decrease was likely to be 'the last for a while'. Cathy Jamieson, Labour’s shadow treasury minister, said the drop in flation was welcome, but further hikes in energy and food prices loom in the coming months. She added: 'Instead of easing the squeeze, the Government is making things even harder for families on low and middle incomes. 'Millions of families and pensioners will be worse off because of the 3p rise in fuel duty and cuts to child benefit in January, and the granny tax which comes in on the same day that millionaires get a tax cut in April.' | Inflation in September was 2.2 per cent which will decide the rate of increase in benefits and pensions . But average earnings are rising by just 1.5 per cent . Tories want to change the way rises in handouts are calculated but Lib Dems oppose the idea . George Osborne and Iain Duncan Smith are looking for an extra £10billion in cuts from the welfare bill . | bd1e25f128a601842ae4ed5dc524a0ab1dd2f997 |
WASHINGTON -- You can blame it on out-of-towners. In January, passengers of US Airways Flight 1549 had to be rescued out of the Hudson River after a bird strike. Smithsonian Institution scientists say it was migratory Canada geese -- and not resident Canada geese -- that caused US Airways Flight 1549 to ditch in New York's Hudson River on January 15. More specifically, it was at least two female and one male geese flying at approximately 2,900 feet that got sucked into the two engines of the Airbus A320, disabling both engines and causing one of the more spectacular water landings in aviation history. All 155 people safely evacuated the jet. Officials knew almost from the start that Canada geese were responsible for the incident, both because of Capt. Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger's radio report and because few other types of birds flock at that altitude in the mid-Atlantic. But on Monday, the eve of a three-day National Transportation Safety Board hearing into the crash, the Smithsonian announced that sophisticated scientific techniques allowed them to conclude that the Flight 1549 birds were Canada geese from Labrador, Canada, and were significantly different from geese in New York City. Museum scientists said molecular study of feathers found in the engines leads them to believe the birds had probably nested in Labrador in the summer of 2008 and migrated to the New York region for the winter. On the day of the crash, Smithsonian wildlife biologist Peter Marra said, the ground was covered with snow, and the flock was probably on a short flight south looking for clear ground or water on which to forage for food. Canada geese (Branta canadensis) are "essentially flying cows," Marra said, given their unrelenting quest for food. The migratory birds are among the largest species of bird in North America, with an estimated weight of about 8 pounds each. The determination that the birds were the 8-pound variety and not the 4-pound Brant geese is likely to comfort jet engine designers, since the engines are designed to survive strikes from 4-pound birds. But the finding also is likely to raise questions about whether engine requirements should be more robust to survive strikes from 8-pound birds. Bird strikes remain one of the most intractable problems facing aviation. There were more than 7,400 bird strikes in the United States in 2007, including 110 that caused substantial damage to aircraft. But the Federal Aviation Administration estimates that only 20 percent of strikes are reported. Airports attempt to manage local populations of birds by harassing them, typically by creating loud noises that scare the birds away, or by killing birds. But migratory birds require other approaches, such as monitoring their movements and improved radar. Smithsonian scientists say it is important to study bird migration patterns to prevent future collisions. Carla Dove of the Smithsonian's Feather Identification Lab says the Smithsonian has been conducting bird strike identifications for the FAA and the military for more than 50 years. Shortly after the US Airways Flight 1549 incident, the museum got its first feather from a U.S. Department of Agriculture biologist working with the NTSB. In all, the museum got several batches of remains, some from an engine that remained under water three days, and the rest from an engine on the Hudson River bottom for nine days. At the Smithsonian's Conservation Institute labs in Suitland, Maryland, scientists examined isotopes in the feathers. The stable-hydrogen isotope values in feathers can serve as geographic markers since they reflect the types of vegetation in the bird's diet at the time it grew new feathers, Marra said. The feather samples were compared to a reference library of 620,000 specimen at the Field Museum of Natural History in Chicago, Illinois, the Smithsonian said. The finding, published today in "Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment," concluded the geese were from the Labrador area. "Although these geese were [migratory], we do not believe that these individuals were actually migrating north to return to breeding areas. Instead, we hypothesize that these birds were undertaking a short-distance movement on their wintering grounds in response to freezing temperatures and snow cover, in an effort to find open water and food, a behavior commonly found in species of birds wintering at temperate latitudes," the report says. At the time of the US Airways bird strike, the flock was in the upper limits of their flying abilities, the Smithsonian said. About "3,000 feet is pretty much their limit," Dove said. The highest known bird strike came when a jet in Africa hit a vulture at 37,000 feet, she said. Marra and Dove said "billions" of birds threaten aviation. Consequently, more research needs to be done on radar capable of detecting birds, more information is needed on migratory patterns and scientists need to integrate weather patterns into models that can predict bird movements, they said. | Feather samples lead Smithsonian Institution to migratory Canadian geese . Birds probably nested in Canada's Labrador area and migrated to New York . Smithsonian has been conducting bird strike IDs for FAA , military for decades . Species weighs about 8 pounds, while plane engines built to handle 4-pound birds . | cd9fc1f8e6aec8f1d6e5a995d8c7edbe3c9b09a3 |
By . Ted Thornhill . PUBLISHED: . 15:48 EST, 8 May 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 16:04 EST, 8 May 2012 . A mind-bogglingly big sunspot has appeared in the past few days, which could mean the Earth is about to be blasted by powerful solar storms. Known as AR 1476, it was spotted by Nasa’s Solar Dynamics Observatory spacecraft, which launched in 2010. Its diameter of 60,000 miles is many times that of the Earth, which measures just under 8,000 miles across. The sunspot is so ginormous that it’s possible to view with home telescopes – though experts warn that these must be fitted with sun filters to prevent permanent eye damage. SCROLL DOWN FOR VIDEO . Sunspot AR 1476: It can be seen in the upper left of this picture - and could unleash gigantic solar flares . In a tweet the SDO mission described the sunspot as a ‘monster’ and predicted that a huge solar flare - or coronal mass ejection - could erupt as a result, meaning the Earth would be hosed by radiation travelling at up to 5million mph. Sunspots often travel in pairs and are darker than the surrounding area because they are slightly cooler, which makes them less luminous. They are caused by the sun’s magnetic field becoming twisted – and it’s this twisting dynamic that can produce coronal mass ejections. These contain billions of tons of gases bursting with X-rays and ultraviolet radiation. They are mind-bogglingly hot – around 100,000,000C. Brilliant photo: A solar flare erupting in 2004 and spitting billions of tons of the Sun's gas into space . The Earth is occasionally hit by these ejections, leading to amazing shimmering light shows. They are the result of ionised solar particles becoming imprisoned by Earth’s magnetic field, exciting the gases in the atmosphere and emitting bursts of energy in the form of light. However, these particles can also cause magnetic storms, which in extreme cases have been known to disrupt satellites and electricity grids. In 1989, a CME was held responsible for leaving six million people in Quebec, Canada, without power. Solar activity runs in 11-year cycles, with the current one peaking in 2013, so more violent space weather is on the horizon. Dr Matthew Penn, of the National Solar Observatory in Arizona, said recently: 'Because the sun is becoming more active, it will have an impact on millions of people. Sunspots can cause the biggest and most damaging space storms that occur. 'During the next two years, we are expecting the number of sunspots visible on the sun to reach a maximum. We know that sunspots are the source of a lot of space weather and solar storms, so we expect a larger number of solar storms here at the Earth.’ | It could result in a gigantic coronal mass ejection, which would blast the Earth with radiation and possibly knock-out power lines and disrupt satellites . | 88bc9f637ade07b1fcd5079f328fdc91abba9ea8 |
New York (CNN) -- Prosecutors in New York on Thursday accused three Lebanese financial institutions of money laundering that benefited the militant group Hezbollah, and they demanded forfeitures and penalties totaling hundreds of millions of dollars. A civil action alleges that hundreds of millions of dollars in drug profits and other money were laundered through the Lebanese Canadian Bank as well as two exchange houses. The primary method, it alleges, was by mingling that cash with the finances of legitimate businesses -- primarily a network of about 30 U.S.-based car exporters, who shipped more than $1 billion worth of cars from the United States to West Africa for sale. It said dealers in about 10 states were involved, but there was no evidence the U.S.-based businesses were aware of the Hezbollah connection. Prosecutors said in their announcement, "Cash from the sale of the cars in West Africa was mixed with proceeds from narcotics trafficking, and then transferred to Lebanon through (Hezbollah)-controlled money-laundering channels," and "part of the proceeds was used to support (Hezbollah)." The filing says the bank permitted Hezbollah-related entities to move as much as $260,000 a day through their accounts, without disclosing the source or purpose of the money. In February, the U.S. Treasury Department designated the Lebanese Canadian Bank as a "financial institution of primary money laundering concern." Since then, the bank has been acquired by the subsidiary in Lebanon of Société Générale. Before the acquisition, the accused bank had 35 branches in Lebanon and had grown in recent years from assets of $2.83 billion in 2005 to $5.18 billion in 2009. Prosecutors on Thursday demanded the bank's assets be forfeited due to the alleged wrongdoing. The chairman of Lebanese Canadian Bank, Georges Zard Abou Jaoude, told CNN on Thursday, "We deny any relation whatsoever with Hezbollah." He said that the before the bank's sale, "All the accounts were scrutinized, through three international auditors. We didn't have any evidence backing all these allegations." He added that the bank had used safeguards to prevent transactions by known money launders. "We never had any transaction or any connection with any name which was blacklisted. The moment a name appeared on the screen, we froze the account," he said. CNN was not able to reach Hezbollah officials immediately for comment. But the group's chief political strategist, speaking to The New York Times this week, said the group had no relationship to the Lebanese Canadian Bank and dismissed the American allegations of a drug connection as politically motivated propaganda. On Tuesday, prosecutors in Virginia also indicted a Lebanese man they allege was at the center of the laundering network and who they say has ties to Hezbollah -- although he is not a member of the group. They assert that Ayman Joumaa coordinated the smuggling and sale of at least 90 tons of cocaine destined for the United States and laundered hundreds of millions of dollars for drug gangs in Mexico and Colombia such as the notorious Zetas. According to the indictment, Joumaa laundered as much as $200 million a month and made bulk cash deliveries to South America in amounts as high as $4 million. "He moved the money," said Brian Dodd, the Drug Enforcement Administration agent who coordinated the Joumaa investigation. "He couldn't have survived without Hezbollah. And he was a source of revenue for Hezbollah." Joumaa is not in custody, and officials would only say they believe him to be in the Middle East. Hezbollah, which the United States has designated a terrorist organization, is an influential member of the government in Lebanon. But it also has a history of terror attacks against American interests, dating back to the bombing of the U.S. Embassy in 1983. Now Hezbollah may be using criminal proceeds to help pay for its militant operations, according to DEA agent Derek Maltz. "The worldwide demand for drugs is actually helping terror groups fund their activities," Maltz said. "And these groups want to destroy America." Jonathan Schanzer, an ex-Treasury Department terror finance analyst who is with the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, said, "Hezbollah can do a lot of damage, and the more money that rolls in, the more problematic that will be. "You have an organization right now that has been operating a massive criminal enterprise," he said, "and using that money to further its aims in the region -- which is about creating a little mini-state inside of Lebanon, amassing weapons, threatening Israel, providing assistance to the insurgency in Iraq, providing assistance to other terrorist organizations around the world." Schanzer said this week's allegations raised concerns about how many other unseen activities -- financial or military -- Hezbollah may be conducting. But the recent moves by prosecutors against Hezbollah's money supply could take a toll on the militant group's potency, he said -- along with a reduction in funds from its main backers, Syria and Iran, in the wake of tightened international sanctions. "Their arm gets a little bit shorter," he said, "and their influence begins to wane just a little bit." CNN's Nada Husseini and Tim Lister contributed to this report. | Prosecutors demand bank's assets be forfeited due to alleged wrongdoing . Lebanese Canadian Bank and two exchange houses cited in civil action filed in New York . Three financial institutions accused of money laundering to help militant group Hezbollah . Bank's chairman denies any connection to Hezbollah . | 781ec4901c558fbad5f0165d143bcedad8306378 |
By . Martin Robinson . A thousand frenzied twitchers have rushed to the south coast after a rare bird of prey was spotted on mainland Britain for the first time ever. Police were needed to control crowds as bird watchers flocked to Wareham Forest in Dorset after news broke that a short-toed eagle had been seen over the weekend. The young bird of prey, which has a 6ft wingspan, got lost on its first migration from Africa and ended up on the south coast of Britain rather than southern Europe. Enthusiasts have travelled from as far afield as Scotland to glimpse the endangered bird, which has only ever been seen twice before in the UK before - in Jersey in 1999 and the Scilly Isles in 2011. The eagle has lost its way by hundreds of miles on its journey from sub-Saharan Africa to southern Europe, with the majority of the species heading to southern France, Spain, Turkey, Greece and Russia. Rare bird in flight: This short-toed eagle has got lost on its way from Africa to southern Europe and ended up in Dorset by mistake, leading to great excitement among enthusiasts . Bird lovers: Hundreds of people descended on the area with telescopes and cameras hoping to catch a glimpse of the rare bird of prey . Paul Morton caught sight of the bird of prey while leading a guided walk through the 8,000-acre woodland. He put the news of the rare sighting on Twitter on Saturday afternoon and within a few hours hundreds of bird watchers turned up. By Sunday morning their numbers had more than doubled . Mr Morton, 31, from Upton near Poole, said: 'I was leading a guided walk in Wareham Forest when a member of our party spotted a bird of prey in a tree. 'At first I thought the bird was a pale-faced buzzard, which is very common in Dorset, but as I got closer I could see I was wrong. 'Suddenly it hit me that I was looking at a short-toed eagle. I just couldn't believe what I was seeing because spotting one is almost unheard of. 'I have studied birds all my life and but I wanted to make sure I had identified it correctly so I got in touch with some bird watcher friends and they all confirmed I was right. 'The eagle flew off 15 minutes after we spotted it but it returned to almost the exact same tree at four or five hours later. 'I returned on Sunday morning and there must have 500 bird watchers there. 'In bird-watching terms the sighting is huge - never before has a short-toed eagle been seen on mainland Britain.' Rare sighting: The birds are common in central and southern Europe during the British summer, especially in the south of France, but this young bird overshot the area by hundreds of miles . Short-toed eagles migrate from Africa in the spring and can live up to 30 year. The birds are common in central and southern Europe and have a wingspan of up to 6ft . Excitement: The crowd on top of Morden Bog on Saturday, whose numbers grew even more on Sunday as word spread online that the bird had unexpectedly arrived in Britain after flying off course . Short toed eagles - Circaetus gallicus in Latin - over-winter in sub-Saharan Africa and are most commonly found in central Europe, especially southern France, in the summer. They feed on lizards and snakes and hunt from a height of around 1,500 feet. Mr Morton, who runs the charity Birds of Poole Harbour, added: 'This eagle is only a one year old so this is its first migration. 'The thinking is that it has got a bit lost on the way up from Africa where it would have spent the winter. 'Instead of ending up in central Europe it has been blown across to Britain in the easterly winds we have had a lot of lately. 'There are plenty of lizards and snakes and in Wareham Forest so we might just find it sticks around for the summer if we are lucky.' Crowd control: Police were called in to deal with the huge numbers of bird watchers who descended on the small corner of Dorset over the weekend . Twitchers at dawn: After an expert spotted the rare short-toed eagle in Dorset and revealed it on Twitter hundreds of bird watchers travelled to Morden Bog, near Wareham, to catch a glimpse of the bird, seen on the British mainland for the first time ever . Martin Cade, of the RSPB based at Portland, Dorset, said it was highly unusual for big birds of prey to fly over large stretches of water like the English Channel. He said: 'Southern France is as near as they normally get to Britain. They don't like crossing the water and so hardly ever reach here. 'Big birds of prey struggle to get across large areas of water as they like to have lots of lift and thermals and warm air. 'But if one of going to come to Britain then Dorset is the ideal place as it is home to six species of reptiles, three lizards and three snakes.' The sighting will now be reported to the British Birds Rarities Committee. Short-toed eagles have a life expectancy of 30 years. They are generally very silent but can emit a variety of musical whistling notes. Their breeding population in Europe numbers about 8,000 pairs. | News of the short-toed eagle landing in Dorset led to hundreds of people flooding to nature reserve over the weekend . The bird usually migrates from sub-Saharan Africa to southern France, Spain, Turkey and Russia . Experts say this one-year-old eagle becomes the first on mainland Britain after getting lost en route to the Med . On only two other occasions has the species headed too far north: Jersey in 1999 and Scilly Isles in 2011 . | b00d004fd76c0ea42145cd85a945eea93b0d5ad2 |
By . Daily Mail Reporter . A prison has been forced to change its locks after staff lost the keys. An insider claims HMP Haverigg, Cumbria, was landed with an £80,000 bill for the bungle, although the Ministry of Justice refuse to confirm the figure. The missing keys turned up after locks at the 644-inmate jail were replaced. The Ministry of Justice has confirmed several locks at HMP Haverigg were changed after prison keys went missing at the jail on May 6. HMP Haverigg has been forced to change its locks after staff lost the keys - an insider claims . The MoJ said all inmates were in their cells at the time the keys were lost and stressed the “human error” had not put posed any risk of escape from the jail or threat to the public. A spokesman remained tight-lipped over the number of locks the keys were able to open but confirmed they were for internal doors only. He said the keys were lost due to “human error” and said no inmates were involved in the incident. A prison insider claimed changing locks at the jail could cost as much as £80,000 - but the MoJ said they did not recognise the figure (library image) A prison insider claimed changing locks at the jail following the incident could cost as much as £80,000, however, the MoJ said they did not recognise the figure and added it is 'too early' to put costs on replacing the specialist locks. The jail’s 644 inmates are deemed low risk by Ministry of Justice guidelines, placing them as category C and D - the lowest on the scale. Now, the prison has launched an investigation to find out how the keys went missing and has confirmed “a number” of locks at the jail are set to be replaced as a precautionary measure. A Prison Service spokesman said: 'As a security precaution a number of locks at HMP Haverigg are being changed following the loss of some keys. This was an isolated incident and there was never any risk to the public. Incidents like this are extremely rare. 'We always investigate them thoroughly and update our security measures accordingly.' The spokesman confirmed the keys have since been recovered and said no members of staff have been disciplined as a result of the incident. A report into standards at the prison is due to be released by Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Prisons this month and a HMIP spokeswoman previously said it could be as early as next week. | HMP Haverigg, Cumbria, changed its locks after staff lost keys . Keys turned up after all locks at 644-inmate jail were replaced . Given an £80,000 bill for the bungle, reports suggest . | 5c16242653c2e2f46ac6893e73d31b075633a3dc |
By . Rosie Taylor . PUBLISHED: . 19:51 EST, 2 September 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 01:47 EST, 3 September 2013 . A landscape painting bought in a £30 ‘job lot’ has been uncovered as a Constable worth £250,000. The postcard-sized work was valued by art experts live on BBC Breakfast yesterday, in front of astonished owner Rob Darvell. Mr Darvell, 45, was given the painting by his father when he helped him clean out his house last year. Causing a stir: The postcard-sized work was valued by art experts live on BBC Breakfast yesterday, in front of astonished owner Rob Darvell . He had bought it with a collection of other paintings at an auction in Canterbury a decade ago, after he saw a faint signature on its gold frame and suspected it might be interesting. Art expert Curtis Dowling, who appeared on the BBC show to promote the upcoming series of Treasure Detectives, said: ‘It’s a Constable and it’s never been seen properly before, so it’s part of history, it will cause a stir and become a celebrity item. A painting of John Constable - a Romantic painter of the late 18th and early 19th centuries . ‘A large section of the art world will be salivating to get their hands on it.’ Mr Darvell, a graphic designer from east London, said: ‘I was so nervous (before the valuation) that my heart was beating like crazy. ‘Now I’m in a state of shock. This news is everything I was hoping for and more.’ The painting depicts a landscape in . summer with trees in the foreground and rolling hills in the background, . set against a blue sky with a few white, fluffy clouds. John . Constable was a Romantic painter of the late 18th and early 19th . centuries, who is most known for his landscape paintings of the Suffolk . countryside. One of his most famous works, The Hay Wain, was targeted by an alleged Fathers4Justice protestor in June. A . photograph of a young boy with the word ‘Help’ written on it was glued . to the painting in front of lunchtime visitors at the National Gallery. Paul Douglas Manning, 57, from Sheffield was charged with criminal damage. A gallery spokesman said no lasting harm was caused to the painting. One of his most famous works, The Hay Wain, was targeted by an alleged Fathers4Justice protestor in June . | The painting was valued by art experts live on BBC Breakfast in front of owner Rob Darvell . The 45-year from east London was given the painting by his father last year . | f34d1ee830b50a3093833b723962dfd9b6df6708 |
Luol Deng admits he does not know what the future holds for British basketball and thinks funding cuts have left the sport at the point of no return. The 29-year-old, who signed for the Miami Heat in July, has twice been named an NBA All-Star and turned out for Great Britain the 2012 Olympics. It was following the Games that UK Sport announced basketball would no longer receive funding - with the belief that the team would struggle to win medals in the 2016 Olympics. Concerned look: Luol Deng thinks basketball in the UK is close to folding due to funding cuts by UK Sport . In response to the news, with British Basketball deciding against an appeal, Deng has set up his own academy in partnership with Nike, Evelyn Grace Academy and Reforming Black Britain with the aim to produce elite basketball players. But, as defeat to Iceland last week meant Britain can no longer qualify for EuroBasket 2015, Deng admits the future appears bleak. 'We are very close,' he said at when asked if the sport was close to folding in the UK. 'At this point I don't know what is next, we just have to wait and see what the plan is. I really don't know the reason for it. Eyes on the prize: Deng was speaking at the launch of his own basketball academy . 'People are judging us by the Olympics but people are not judging it by what it took to get to the Olympics. 'Everyone just wanted to show up and watch but they didn't watch the growth of the game from the level we were in on day one to the point where we reached the Olympics. 'You then have six games where you are judged and all of a sudden everything you have done in five or six years is judged within those games. 'It is just bad timing. Funding has a lot to do with it - I think guys are now questioning if the team is not committed to us then why are we so committed. Joint venture: Deng has created the academy in partnership with Nike, in order to produce elite UK players . 'We have come a long way since day one and I think that has been taken away from us. 'No one has appreciated where we have to come to reach the level and compete with all of these teams. To go back to nothing is very disappointing and we have got to keep believing in ourselves.' Deng reckons basketball is a sport which can give youngsters from underprivileged backgrounds the chance to flourish and the progression made over a short period of time should count for something. He said: 'People should look back at how far we have come along and what we have done to be here. 'This is an opportunity to really get a lot of young kids off the street and have them focus on a sport - a sport that gives an opportunity to many, not just to a few. Bigger picture: Deng says basketball is a sport that gives underprivileged youngsters an opportunity to flourish . 'They could use this as a tool to become something and basketball also takes up a lot of your time so instead of wasting time they would be using their time valuably. 'I went to the US and had an opportunity to play basketball in school and it gave me a chance to divide my time right. 'The kids here (at the Deng Academy) can focus on their school but also have the opportunity to be coached by a great coach and put in the hours into basketball.' Next up for Deng is to start his career with the Heat and, although he is aware that he will be expected to replace the outgoing LeBron James, he wants to be his own man. Pastures new: Deng is looking forward to replacing LeBron James at the Miami Heat next season . 'That is what it is,' he added. 'People are going to talk about LeBron and what he has done in the past. For myself, I have got to be able to understand that I have to be the best I can be. 'My whole thing is taking my own picture and putting out there what I can do and it is up to everyone else to mix and match. 'For me, it is all about the team I'm playing for and the guys I'm playing with the goals we are trying to accomplish.' | Luol Deng thinks basketball in the UK is close folding due to sporting cuts . Deng has set up his own basketball academy in order to produce elite British players in partnership with Nike, Evelyn Grace Academy and Reforming Black Britain . UK Sport cut funding for basketball with the belief the team would struggle to win a medal at the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro . | 015e3652cb39658b6f16269bb6a4c7839cfb5497 |
God Save the Queen bellowed out in the Stade de France after England's Jonny Wilkinson inspired Toulon to victory in the French Top 14 final the week after they claimed the Heineken Cup. Wilkinson's final game of an illustrious career saw his prodigious boot feature as he kicked five three-pointers, including one trademark drop goal, in Toulon's win to claim a first domestic title since 1992. They also took their revenge for the defeat in last year's final against the same plucky opponents. It was meant to be all about Wilkinson, with 'merci Jonny' stitched into all the Toulon team shirts, and it was all about him in a packed Stade de France, with the black and red army occupying the south end of the stadium. Â . Sight to behold: Jonny Wilkinson makes one of his last kicks in rugby for Toulon in the Top 14 final . Double: Toulon celebrate the club's first Top 14 title since 1992 a week after their Heineken Cup win . Hitting home: Wilkinson's final game ended with victory and adulation from the French crowd . When the . PA played the England national anthem - while Wilkinson was being . interview in French - at the end there was to be no doubt as to the . esteem in which he's held in his adopted home. 'I . would like the thank the whole team, the crowd but also Castres and all . the other teams in the Top 14. I don't have the words, can't thank the . French public enough,' Wilkinson said. 'Thank you for all the memories. I have spent more than half my life with a rugby ball, it's going to be a big change.' Wilkinson . scored four penalties and a drop goal while fellow Englishman Delon . Armitage sealed it with his own three-pointer from long range with eight . minutes left. Final fling: Fly-half Wilkinson gets his left arm free for an offload in the French domestic final . Beloved: The Toulon fans give the England star a hero's send-off . Saviour: Toulon president Mourad Boudjellal, whose millions have helped the club back from the brink . Honoured: The build-up was all about Wilkinson and the result ran to script . Castres' points came from Rory Kockott's boot and a try from Max Evans. Early . on a Wilkinson penalty put Toulon ahead, only for the defending . champions to open a 7-3 lead when Evans scored an 80-metre try after . following up his own kick. Kockott . added the extras but Toulon had the dominant pack and Wilkinson, who . added two penalties and a 23-metre drop goal to put his side just ahead . at halftime. Toulon . opened a five-point lead early in the second half when Wilkinson curled . a three-pointer over from a tight angle before handing the kicking . duties to Armitage when a penalty on the left was too far for his . perfect technique to handle. | Wilkinson played his final match in Toulon's first French title since 1992 . Toulon players had 'merci Jonny' embroidered on their jerseys . Toulon's win follows their Heineken Cup victory over Saracens last week . | 09622f5ccc0e6d096888e9eed6af465afd7859cd |
(CNN) -- As we approach the referendum, what is being proven time and time again is that the people of Scotland are showing a political will that has been sadly lacking in these islands for the last generation or so. Whatever the vote and whatever the outcome on September 18, the victory will be the revival of social democracy. Hopefully -- from my point of view, and that of the Scottish people -- the vote will be a resounding "Yes." A "Yes" which reinforces the will of the Scottish people to supersede the political apathy of the last twenty years or so. In the debate between "Yes" and "No," there clearly has arisen confusion between Nationalism and Independence. Nationalist sentiment can obfuscate the point of Independence. This vote is not about nationalism, it is about social democracy, and for myself and the people of Scotland, social democracy is at the root of our desire for Independence. An independent state of Scotland will reinforce its own laws, embrace new forms of political thinking, new creeds, new political parties, and new positions of argument. Independence will allow a new system to be put in place, and in Scotland's case, and for the people of Scotland, a system of social equality where the yoke of the old feudal ideologies are finally dismantled. The political systems of New Labour, Conservative and Liberal Democrats have atrophied in the UK; atrophied to such an extent that the dividing line between these ideologies have become increasingly blurred by each party's pragmatic desire for political power. A power to be got seemingly at any cost. And particularly in the Labour Party's case, to be got at the expense of political ideology. Sadly -- and as a member of the Labour Party it pains me greatly to write this -- over the last fifteen years or so I have witnessed the Labour Party's fundamental socialist thought being consistently compromised on a needs must basis, an "ends justifies the means" ideology; floundering in a swamp of sound bite sentiment. Labour's failure to understand and anticipate Scotland's desire for a state of independence could at root lie in its reconstitution of the party as New Labour in the 1990s. The need for this reconstitution came about as a desire for the party to purge itself of its top heavy industrial union dependency and militant tendency. It tried to create itself anew as New Labour, but perhaps in the process threw the baby out with the bath water. And yet, it might have succeeded in this metamorphosis had it not been for the all-wheening hubris of its leader, Anthony Charles Lynton Blair, who insisted in involving these islands in an illegal war which created a painful fissure in the body politic of the party. That fissure has never been healed. Faith was lost and has yet to be restored. And at this vital time when the big battalions of political thinking of Westminster are mustering their final offensive against Scottish Independence, the very act of this coercion creates in the Scottish character a defiance and an understanding of their true spirit; a spirit which despite overbearing adversity remains fiercely independent in its constitution. The environmental campaigner George Monbiot has written that "to vote 'No' in this referendum is to choose to live under a political system that sustains one of the rich world's highest levels of inequality and deprivation. A system that treats the natural world, civic life, equality, public health, and effective public services as dispensable luxuries, and the freedom of the rich to exploit the poor as non-negotiable." Throughout the Independence campaign, I have been shocked and shaken by the disconnect of my colleagues and their failure to understand the state of play throughout the whole of this nation, exemplified by the needs of the Scottish people. I have been appalled at the condescension and patronizing attitudes of those who I would have thought would have known better, and who could have offered far deeper and more profound arguments against the idea of Independence. And not once during this entire campaign has there been a successful attempt by the naysayers to match and compete with the profound belief of those in the "Yes" camp: Their arguments have always deteriorated into tactics of fear, and the disparagement of faith. But you know, when you go into the polling booth and you place your mark on the ballot paper, that very act, in its purest form, is an act of faith, "Yes" or "No." The only guarantee you've got is the guarantee of your own spirit, for good or for bad. And on September 18, my hope and the hope for my people is to choose "Yes," for good. WATCH: Brian Cox and Rory Stewart debate independence . READ MORE: Comedian Eddie Izzard on why Scots should vote 'No' READ MORE: Scottish independence: What you need to know . | Voters in Scotland to decide on country's independence on September 18 . Actor Brian Cox supports the "Yes Scotland" campaign . Cox: A "yes" vote will see "the old feudal ideologies dismantled" Independent Scotland "will embrace new forms of political thinking," says Cox . | 2b7e1e9295a6b559ecc95161e7b6bee424cf9c4d |
Washington (CNN) -- Will the familiar warning for airline passengers to "discontinue the use of all portable electronic devices" become a relic of the past? Perhaps. By popular demand, the Federal Aviation Administration is forming a group to study policies governing the use of consumer electronics in the sky. The review could lead to increased use of iPads, portable DVD players and other consumer electronics in aircraft cabins. But don't pull out your cell phone yet. Standby travel: Not for the faint of heart . The new group will not consider the use of cell phones for voice communications while in flight. That's because cell phones are banned by the Federal Communications Commission -- not by the FAA -- over concerns of potential interference to wireless networks on the ground. The FAA, meanwhile, limits devices because of fears that consumer electronics could interfere with airplane communications and navigation systems. A study completed last year cited 75 instances in which consumer electronics were suspected of interfering with plane systems, although it is hard to verify pilots' suspicions because of the difficulty of replicating incidents. All the while, airline travelers are mystified by policies that allow devices on some airlines but not others. And they are bewildered by policies that allow many pilots to use laptops and iPads when passengers cannot. The FAA says the current regulations simply allow passengers to use devices when it has been demonstrated that they can be used safely, and some airlines are more aggressive at testing than others. "With so many different types of devices available, we recognize that this is an issue of consumer interest," Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood said in a statement. Audit: FAA ineffective in program to keep animals from hitting planes . The new government-industry group, to be formally established this fall, will attempt to bring order to the chaos. The group will study current policies and procedures governing portable electronic devices. The FAA said the group will examine a variety of issues, including the testing methods aircraft operators use to determine which new technologies passengers can safely use aboard aircraft and when they can use them. The group will also look at the establishment of technological standards associated with the use of portable electronic devices during any phase of flight. The group will meet for six months and then present its recommendations to the FAA. The FAA is also seeking public input, and a request for comments will appear in the Federal Register on Tuesday. Potential FAA cuts would create big hassles for fliers . | An FAA review could lead to increased use of consumer electronics in aircraft cabins . The study will not consider use of cell phones for voice communications in flight . Cell phones are banned by the Federal Communications Commission, not by the FAA . The FCC ban is because of potential interference to wireless networks on the ground . | 8eceb4e9f15d07edeeae51a9586d72bf3fb2c90f |
By . Jennifer Newton . Descendants of Comanche Indians who took part in D-Day as code talkers held a ceremony on a Normandy beach today to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the landings. The families of those who served gathered in Sainte-Marie-du-Mare in north west France to remember their actions that day. A total of 13 Comanche Indians landed on Utah beach on June 6, 1944 with the 4th US Infantry Division in their role as code talkers. Scroll down for video . Descendants of the Comanche Indians who took part in the D-Day landings gathered on Utah beach in France to commemorate the 70th anniversary of D-Day . A total of 13 Comanche Indians landed on Utah beach on June 6, 1944 with the 4th US Infantry Division in their role as code talkers and all survived . During the Second World War, the United States military used Native American speakers to develop a code based on their then-unwritten language. The code would then be used to transmit secret messages that could not be understood by German occupiers. It would take a military machine up to four hours to transmit and decode a message but the code talkers were able to do it in just minutes. During the D-Day landings, Comanche soldiers were among the Allied troops who hit the beaches of Normandy, but when they landed they were five miles off their designated target. A Comanche Indian in full dress begins the ceremony, which commemorated their descendant's actions on D-Day in north west France . One family member kneels down to pray on the beach and write a message in the sand, where one of her relatives would have landed 70 years ago . The ceremony took place in Sainte-Marie-du-Mont in France to mark the 70th anniversary of D-Day. The Comanche soldiers landed with the 4th US Infantry Division . The first message sent from Utah beach on D-Day was in Comanche from a code talker, which informed that they had landed but in the wrong location . Native Americans from other tribes were also recruited by the United States military during the Second World War to develop code in their native languages . The first . message sent from Utah beach that day was in Comanche from a code . talker, which read: 'We made a good landing. We landed in . the wrong place.' All . 13 Comanche soldiers who landed on the beach survived the Second World War although several were wounded in battle. However, all have now died and were represented at the ceremony today by their families. Native . Americans from other tribes were also recruited by the United States . military during the Second World War to develop code. All 14 Comanche soldiers who served during the Second World War survived but have all now passed away. They were represented at the ceremony by their descendants . The families of the Comanche men, who took part in the D-Day landings, represented them at the ceremony in Normandy today . Many Native Americans recruited during the Second World War as code talkers. These Navajo Indians are pictured sending and receiving code in 1943 . Seven Navajo veterans were honored for their bravery in November last year, when they were presented with the Audie Murphy Award . On Wednesday, the last of the 29 Navajo Indians who served during the conflict passed away aged 93. Chester Nez of Albuquerque, New Mexico, was in 10th grade when he enlisted, keeping his decision a secret from his family and lying about his age, as did many others . He was one of seven veterans honored for their bravery in November last year, when he was presented with the Audie Murphy Award for distinguished service. | Descendants of the Comanche Indians gathered in Normandy to hold a ceremony to commemorate D-Day . Thirteen Comanches took part in the landings on Utah beach in June 6, 1944 in their role as code talkers . Comanche Indians were recruited by the United States military to develop a code based on their language . All Comanche men that were recruited survived the Second World War but have now died . | 6cabb995c346ffee8e142221dfff3dcc31b849c6 |
This is the five-year-old girl who died along with her grandfather when she was swept out to sea by a freak wave. Lara Lewis, described as a ‘magical’ and ‘charming little lass’, was playing with seashells when she was engulfed by a 10ft wave on a Portuguese beach. Her grandfather Brian O’Dwyer, 66, and his wife Jill, who live in Portugal, tried to rescue her but Mr O’Dwyer drowned. Mrs O’Dwyer, pulled from the water by fishermen, was ‘screaming and crying’ as she saw lifeguards trying in vain to revive her granddaughter and husband. She has since been discharged from hospital after being treated for shock. Scroll down for video . Torn apart: Lara Lewis with her mother Sian, 36, who was sunbathing on the beach with her husband when the terrible accident took place . Close-knit family: Mrs Lewis's parents Brian and Jill O'Dwyer were walking with their two grandchildren on the beach when the freak wave dragged them into the sea. Mr O'Dwyer died while his wife was saved . Desperate efforts: Firefighters prepare to move the bodies after trying unsuccessfully to revive five-year-old Lara for an hour . Lara’s devastated parents, Philip Lewis, 46, a professor at University College London, and his wife Sian, 36, were sunbathing on the beach nearby, but were unable to reach them in time. The accident happened shortly before 2pm on Tuesday. Yesterday Lara’s paternal grandmother Sara Lewis, 72, told how her son called her later that day to break the news. ‘He could hardly speak,’ she said. ‘I knew something terrible had happened by the sound of his voice. He almost couldn’t bring himself to tell me and I couldn’t make it all out, but I knew I didn’t want him to repeat it. ‘He was talking about a wave, and how it had overcome Lara. He told me she had drowned along with her grandfather. ‘Brian, who was a wonderful and brave man, tried to rescue her. He swam out so that he could save Lara, but they both couldn’t make it.’ Mrs Lewis recalled how a few weeks earlier Lara had been ‘laughing and playing’ at her fifth birthday party. She added: ‘Lara herself was a magical little girl. So full of happiness and life. She was always smiling. It’s a terrible tragedy. The family is just devastated.’ Adored: Lara and her grandparents were dragged into the rough sea by a 10ft wave, and only her grandmother survived . Devastating: The five-year-old's father Professor Philip Lewis is a leading expert on electromagnetic radiation, based at University College London . Tragedy: Lara Lewis at home with her family before she and her grandfather were dragged into the sea while on holiday . Loved: The five-year-old and her grandfather died while her horrified parents stood helplessly on the beach . A paramedic supports the relatives of the pair that drowned. The tragedy happened shortly before 2pm at the Salgado beach in Nazare, 80 miles north of Lisbon . Mr Lewis’s two sons from a previous relationship, Harry, 17, and Dylan, 18, were also heartbroken, she said, adding: ‘How does somebody move on from such a tragedy? I just don’t know. It’s terribly, terribly sad.’ Commander Antonio Albuquerque Silva, head of the maritime police in Nazare, said: ‘The little girl was playing with some shells in the sand, near the sea but not in it, when she was surprised by a very big wave which dragged her out to sea. ‘Her grandparents followed her in an attempt to rescue her but tragically they were unable to do so and the grandfather died in the attempt. ‘It is a very dangerous beach outside of the lifeguard zones.’ Lifeguard Nuno Carreira, 19, said: ‘The waves were very, very powerful and up to ten feet high. We put the red flag up to tell people to stay out of the sea because it was too dangerous. ‘We only cover a small area of the beach, and the grandparents took the little girl for a walk further up the shore. They were about 400 yards outside the area we monitor when the tragedy happened. Nobody knows exactly what happened, but it seems the girl was swept away by a big wave, and the grandparents then tried to save her. ‘My colleague and I ran as fast as we could. When we got there I saw a fisherman on the sands with the little girl in his arms, but she wasn’t breathing and was very pale. ‘I started doing first aid, trying to restart her heart. My colleague dived into the sea and pulled the grandad out but he was also not breathing either.’ Mr Carreira said he then saw Mrs O’Dwyer in the sea and he pulled her to shore. ‘She was crying and screaming for her husband and granddaughter,’ he said. ‘It was very, very sad. We did our best to save all three of them but only managed to save one.’ The tragedy happened at Salgado, a spectacular four-mile white beach, near Nazare, a former fishing village 80 miles north of Lisbon. The second lifeguard, David Branco, 18, said: ‘We spent more than an hour trying to revive the girl because we just didn’t want to give up.’ An investigation is being carried out by the Public Prosecutor’s Office as a matter of routine. Lara had just started at Rushmore Primary School near the family’s home in Clapton, North London. Headmaster Ian Mullaney said: ‘She was a delightful young girl from a lovely family and this has come as a huge shock to the whole Rushmore community. ‘Lara was a bright, friendly and positive girl who was well liked by her teachers and classmates. 'It is a tragedy and the news is just sinking in for all of us.' Mrs Lewis was born in Sao Paulo, Brazil, along with two of her brothers, Corin, 34, and Terence, 33. Her husband is an expert on the study of the Earth’s surface through electromagnetic radiation. He has a Bachelor of Engineering degree from Queen Mary College, London; an MSc from Imperial College; and he obtained his Doctorate at University College in 1996. He has been based at UCL for 24 years. Friends and colleagues of Prof Lewis spoke of their sadness yesterday after learning that his daughter and father-in-law had drowned. One of his colleagues in the Department . of Geography at University College London, said : 'I had no idea his . daughter was the little girl involved in this tragedy. 'Everyone here will be totally shocked. My heart goes out to him and his family at this sad time.' Professor Jon French, head of the department, said in a statement: 'All of us at UCL are deeply saddened to learn of the tragic drowning, in Portugal, of Lara Lewis, daughter of Philip Lewis, professor of remote sensing in the Department of Geography. 'The loss of Lara and of her grandfather, who was also drowned in this same incident, is a truly heartbreaking tragedy and our deepest condolences go to Professor Lewis and his family.' Neighbour David Mason, a translator, said he had known Lara since she was a baby and described her as 'absolutely charming'. The 69-year-old said: 'I remember them bringing her home in her dad's arms and they were such a happy family. 'I used to see her come out of the house with her mother and she was always cheerful and would always say to me, "Hello, Dave". She was very friendly. 'This is terribly sad news and for a lot of people it's still sinking in. 'They were well known across the community and a lot of people are very upset by the news.' Holiday: The children had been holidaying in Portugal with their parents who were sunbathing elsewhere at Salgado beach when the tragedy unfolded . He added: 'You expect young children to be almost invulnerable. She was so full of life. 'People will react in different ways. We just all wish it hadn't happened. 'We will all have to work out how to deal with it but anything they want or need as a family, we will do for them.' A neighbour who lives opposite the family and gave his name only as Tony, said: 'She was a smashing little girl. She always looked happy walking with her mum. 'It's dreadful what's happened. Everybody on the street is shocked by it.' He added: 'I haven't spoken to the family yet so don't want to say anything else right now. I want to respect their wishes.' In pieces: Neighbours described the family as 'lovely' and 'happy' Another neighbour said: 'They are a lovely family. She was a lovely child and will be sorely missed within the whole community. 'We are a very close-knit community around here and everyone knows everyone else’s children. It’s going to be really hard.' He paid tribute to Lara’s grandfather as a 'lovely man,' adding: 'Everyone will be very sad.' Pictures of the scene showed . firefighters crouching down in the sand in the afternoon sunshine, about . to move the victims, and the rest of the family collapsing in each other's arms. Mr O'Dwyer's body was covered in a blue . sheet. One report said the 66-year-old drowned trying to save his granddaughter’s life. A spokesman for the Foreign Office . said: ‘We are aware of reports of the deaths of two British nationals in . Portugal and are in touch with the local authorities.’ Salgado . beach, which stretches over 3.5 miles, is popular with surfers and body . boarders attracted by the rolling Atlantic breakers, but its tides are . known locally to be dangerous and swimmers are warned to take great . care. Shocking death: Lara plays with a teddy bear on another family trip to the coast . | The girl's grandmother was also swept away but was pulled from the sea alive by fishermen in a boat . The grandparents had been walking on the beach with two grandchildren . The younger child, a three-year-old, managed to stay on the beach and raise the alarm . Horrified parents were on the beach but were unable to reach group . Neighbours paid tribute to the 'charming' girl and 'lovely family' Authorities said the waves were between six and ten feet high . | 95883590bb9b453642a5c029af029d4d93ed5ea8 |
(CNN) -- A judge has ruled in favor of two Florida school administrators who faced contempt charges for saying a prayer at a school luncheon, according to a group that helped represent them. Rep. Mike McIntyre is one of three members of the Congressional Prayer Caucus backing the school officials. U.S. District Judge M.C. Rodgers ruled Thursday in favor of Frank Lay, principal of Pace High School in Pace, Florida, and school athletic director Robert Freeman, the Liberty Counsel said. Lay and Freeman could have faced up to six months in prison and fines if convicted. They were accused of violating a consent decree banning county school employees from initiating prayers during school events. Ahead of the court proceedings, hundreds of supporters lined the streets outside the federal courthouse in Pensacola, Florida. Many of them carried signs and some sang songs. "It is ridiculous that these men even had to think twice about blessing a meal," Liberty Counsel founder Matthew Staver said in a written statement. "To criminalize the prayer conflicts with our nation's founding and guiding principles and goes directly against our constitutionally protected rights." But the American Civil Liberties Union, whose lawsuit led to the consent decree, has maintained students have a right to be free from administrators who foist their personal religious beliefs on them. Still, an ACLU representative has said the organization "never suggested" people should go to jail for violating the decree, and the organization was not involved in the criminal proceedings. The ACLU filed suit last year against the district on behalf of two Pace students who alleged that "school officials regularly promoted religion and led prayers at school events," according to an ACLU statement. Lay was a party in the initial lawsuit, and his attorney was among those approving the consent decree, according to the organization. In addition, the court required that all district employees receive a copy. But on January 28, "Lay asked Freeman to offer a prayer of blessing during a school-day luncheon for the dedication of a new field house at Pace High School," according to court documents. "Freeman complied with the request and offered the prayer at the event. It appears this was a school-sponsored event attended by students, faculty and community members." Attorneys from Liberty Counsel have said that attendees included booster club members and other adults who helped the field house project -- all "consenting adults." The case caught the attention of members of the Congressional Prayer Caucus, including the caucus' founder, Rep. J. Randy Forbes, R-Virginia. He and two other lawmakers, Rep. Mike McIntyre, D-North Carolina, and Rep. Jeff Miller, R-Florida, also members of the caucus, wrote a letter in support of the two school administrators, saying that "many of America's Founding Fathers were resolute in their faiths, and the impact of such is evident in the Constitution, the Declaration of Independence, and many of their writings." It added, "The tradition of offering prayer in America has become so interwoven into our nation's spiritual heritage that to charge someone criminally for engaging in such a practice would astonish the men who founded this country on religious liberty." | Two Florida school administrators accused of violating consent order on prayer . They faced possible sentence of up to six months in prison, fine . ACLU sued district on behalf of students who alleged prayer held at school events . Parties agreed to consent decree in January; ACLU not part of criminal proceedings . | 06dbe0b5a4d314e8f59551a448b47ea99b16ee56 |
Every morning Sportsmail brings you the biggest gossip and headlines on the continent, giving you your early morning fix from the biggest leagues across Europe. Kicking-off in Spain, AS have made the bold statement that Real Madrid forward Cristiano Ronaldo is better than the combined talents of Barcelona trio Lionel Messi, Neymar and Luis Suarez. Ronaldo is enjoying a stellar season, having netted 25 goals in 14 La Liga appearances for Real as they sit top of the table. Spain's AS (left) writes that Cristiano Ronaldo is better than Lionel Messi, Neymar and Luis Suarez combined . The 29-year-old's astonishing tally is one more than the total of Barcelona's front three - who all drew a blank in a frustrating 0-0 draw away to Getafe on Saturday. Real's No 7, who won the overseas BBC Sports Personality of the Year award on Sunday, is currently preparing for their Club World Cup challenge this month. Carlo Ancelotti's side go straight into the semi-finals of the tournament with AS and Marca both reporting on their relocation of their match in Morocco. Leading with the headline 'Operation Desert Storm', Marca states that a violent downpour has left the stadium in Rabat almost unplayable and that the European champions will now play their clash against CONCACAF winners Cruz Azul in Marrakech on Tuesday. Real drew Schalke in the Champions League draw on Monday, while Barcelona will face Manchester City. Over in Italy, Corriere dello Sport (right) leads with Roma closing the gap on league leaders Juventus to a point . Catalan paper Mundo Deportivo reports an 'imbalance' of penalty decisions in favour of Real this season, stating that the Bernabeu outfit have been awarded six more than Barcelona. Taking it further, Mundo's figures show that during his reign as Real president, Florentino Perez has seen his stars win an extra 18 penalties - emphasising the conspiracy theories that exists between both clubs. Over in Italy, the focus is on the title race in Serie A as second-place Roma reduced the gap to league leaders Juventus to one point. Corriere dello Sport reports that Juventus boss Massimiliano Allegri was furious at his side drawing a 1-1 at home to Sampdoria on Sunday, while Radja Nainggolan's decisive strike at Genoa moves Roma closer to the summit of the league. Portugal papers A Bola (left) and Record both report on Benfica's 2-0 win at title rivals Porto on Sunday . Finally in Portugal, the fallout of Sunday's top of the table clash between Porto and Benfica continues. Brazilian forward Lima scored two opportunist goals to give champions Benfica a 2-0 away win over their rivals in the first Portuguese Classico of the season. The result was a significant one for the Eagles who claimed their first away triumph over their great rivals in the league for seven years - a historic feat that is noted both papers A Bola and Record. | Cristiano Ronaldo has scored 25 La Liga goals already this season . Barcelona's Lionel Messi, Neymar and Luis Suarez have netted 24 in total . Roma's win and Juventus' draw means one point separates them in Serie A . | 7963e632e7e1c209f20accc2546e5db9973802b3 |
A country village has tracked down a half century of its carnival queens - except one. Villagers yesterday put out a public appeal to solve the mystery of their one missing carnival queen after tracking down 49 out of 50 of the women crowned carnival queen as girls since 1964. Michelle Bevan was the village queen in 1976, but all attempts to trace her for a golden anniversary celebration failed. 26 of the of 49 carnival queens from Mathern near Chepstow, South Wales, since the competition started in 1964 . Most of the queens turned up for the 50th birthday party in the village of Mathern near Chepstow, South Wales, to remember the contest. The queens, many of them now mothers and grandmothers, took part in a carnival queen reunion parade and were shown pictures of their winning day. But despite appeals on social media, the carnival committee could not find Michelle, who would now be 50 years old. Villager Mary Pitt said: 'We tried everything to find Michelle but we had to admit we couldn't. 'She moved from Mathern in the late 1970s and was believed to be living about 20 miles away in the Cwmbran area. Lavinia Hardy, carnival queen from 1966 at the reunion (left) and after winning the competition in 1966 . Pictured here is 1971 carnival queen Sue Neye, at the reunion in 2014 (left) and on the day she won the crown (right) 'It would have been great to have contacted her but all our efforts to find her failed.' Carnival organiser Glenda Lewin said: 'It was shame we couldn't track down Michelle - we tried Facebook and other social websites without any luck.' Most of the queens still live locally but villagers tracked down others from all over Britain including Scotland, Cornwall and North Wales. Among the queens who turned up for the golden celebrations were mother and daughter Lavinia and Sarah Hardy, three sisters who won the title - Sue, Heather and Mickaela Neye were also in attendance. Pictured with sash (left) and crown (right) is the first carnival queen from 1964 - Pat Arscott ( now Pat Skidmoore ), alongside other competitors for the crown . And the first winner, Pat Skidmore, was there to watch as the 2014 queen, Matilda Birkett, 10, was crowned. Mother-of-two Pat, 66, who left the village 50 years ago, said: 'It was lovely to go back and remember the happy times we had. 'It was fantastic the village managed to trace 49 of us.' 'I remember being crowned queen as if it was yesterday and the main competition was a piano-smashing contest.' | Mathern near Chepstow, South Wales, held 50th carnival birthday party . The villagers got in contact with 49 of 50 carnival queens since 1964 . One woman was missing from the group - 1976 winner Michelle Bevan . | e071ff877d67787d0a6582ac3dcbcb627dec9ac4 |
Dozens of children are among the latest victims of the Syrian civil war after barrel bombs fell on an elementary school Wednesday, dissidents said. Syrian forces dropped the bombs on an opposition-held area of Aleppo, the country's largest city, the opposition Local Coordination Committees of Syria said. The LCC said 25 children died. Barrel bombs typically consist of barrels stuffed with explosives and objects such as nails to maximize carnage. A video posted by opposition activists showed what appeared to be a pool of blood and a side of a building reduced to rubble. Another concrete wall featuring a drawing of a child was peppered with holes. A pile of chairs and debris was covered in red. CNN cannot independently verify the authenticity of the video. The state-run Syrian Arab News Agency made no mention of such an attack on its website Wednesday. Instead, it featured a story about President Bashar al-Assad and his wife hosting a reception for parents of sons who died while defending the "homeland." "The citizens' willingness to offer the most precious issue they own to defend Syria and not allowing to sabotage it was one of the most important reasons behind steadfastness of the country in the face of most powerful powers," al-Assad said, according to SANA. Al-Nusra claims responsibility for attack . The jihadist group al-Nusra Front claimed responsibility Wednesday for twin car bombings the day before that killed at least 79 civilians in the al-Zahra neighborhood of Homs, dissidents said. Another 21 fighters from the government-funded, Alawite-manned National Defense Force were killed, the opposition Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. The dual blasts Tuesday were among the deadliest attacks in an Alawite-dominated area. Al-Assad is a member of the Alawite religious sect, which is an offshoot of Shia Islam. Al-Nusra detailed the attack in a statement Wednesday. "The first car was detonated on time in order to kill the maximum number of Shabiha (al-Assad's militiamen) in addition to the huge material damage," the statement read. As rescuers rushed to the scene, "the second car bomb detonated, blasting their hideouts to be the knockout punch that finished off whoever survived the first explosion since the two cars were parked in a manner aimed to cause the highest casualty number possible in their ranks so they can live the pain and suffering our people have been living." Al-Nusra ended its statement with an ominous threat: "We promise the Alawites and all of those who support them that there will be MORE to come." Presidential election looming . Al-Assad, whose family has ruled Syria for 43 years, recently registered his candidacy for another term. The president succeeded his father in 2000 and won a second term in 2007, unopposed. Syria's presidential election is scheduled for June 3. As of Wednesday, 17 candidates have registered, SANA said. But the United Nations is asking the government to reconsider the election as the carnage continues to mount every day. Well over 100,000 people, including many civilians, have died in Syria's three-year civil war, the United Nations said. On Wednesday alone, at least 29 people were killed, the LCC said. So far, all attempts to stop the fighting between government forces and rebels seeking al-Assad's ouster have failed. | Activists: The barrel bombs fell on a school in an opposition-held part of Aleppo . Al-Nusra Front claims responsibility for Tuesday's twin car bombings in Homs . The car bombs exploded in an Alawite neighborhood; President al-Assad is Alawite . The Homs attack killed 79 civilians and 21 pro-government fighters, dissidents say . | b21a5ad729af53673b078ba84e820f942ef1ae25 |
Brussels, Belgium (CNN) -- NATO and Russia remained at odds over the alliance's plans for a missile defense system in Europe after a foreign ministers meeting in Brussels Thursday. NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen said "differences remain" over the plans, but he rejected Russia's complaints that NATO was ignoring Moscow's concerns the missile defense system could be used against it. "We listen and we have listened today," Rasmussen said after a meeting of NATO's 28 foreign ministers with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. "We take Russian concerns seriously." Rasmussen's tone was softer than his comments Wednesday, when he said Russia's threats to withdraw from the START treaty and deploy ballistic missiles on its southern border to counter the missile shield were reminiscent of a confrontation of a bygone era and reflect a "fundamental misunderstanding of the West's intentions." "We do not consider Russia an enemy," he said Thursday after the meeting. "We consider Russia a partner." Lavrov said after the talks that NATO was unwilling to compromise . "Unfortunately our partners are not yet ready for cooperation on missile defense," he said, adding the Moscow needed "clear guarantees" the missile defense system would not target its own nuclear deterrent. "We stand ready for dialogue provided that legitimate concerns of all parties are taken into consideration," Lavrov said. "We can find a mutually beneficial solution, we still have some time but time is running out every day." The Obama administration and its European allies have tried to ease Russia's fears over the project by insisting that the system is directed toward countering the missile threat from the Middle East from which Russia also needs protection. U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton attempted to make that argument again following the meeting. "We will continue to press forward on missile defense; we'll be transparent. We have explained that our system cannot and will not threaten Russia, does not affect our strategic balance with Russia," she told reporters. "No other country will be given a veto over what threats we perceive are most salient. Ballistic missiles against the territory we are pledged to protect are not coming from Russia in our assessment but from other locations. It's not directed at Russia, not about Russia; it's Iran and others who are threatening to develop missile technology." Since NATO approved the U.S.-designed system at last year's summit in Lisbon, Poland, Romania, Spain and Turkey have agreed to deploy parts of it. NATO asked Russia to participate in the system but negotiations have been deadlocked over Russia's demand for a legally binding treaty guaranteeing the shield would not be used as a deterrent to Moscow's own systems. Rasmussen said he hoped a political agreement with Moscow could be reached before a summit between NATO and Russia in Chicago next May. That is when NATO is expected to declare an interim operational capability of the system. Last month, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev threatened to withdraw from the START treaty on nuclear weapons reductions and deploy ballistic missiles in its exclave of Kaliningrad on its border with Europe if NATO moved ahead with the plans for missile defense. Tensions increased last week when Dmitry Rogozin, Russia's ambassador to NATO, suggested Moscow would close transit routes that send vital supplies to troops in Afghanistan. More than half the supplies for NATO forces in Afghanistan now arrive from Afghanistan's northern border with Russia and Central Asia. The so-called Northern Distribution Network has become even more important to the war effort in Afghanistan now that Pakistan has shut down its border crossings into Afghanistan following a U.S. air attack killed two dozen Pakistani soldiers late last month. U.S. officials have said that Rogozin has indicated that his remarks were taken "out of context," but he has yet to clarify his remarks. Rasmussen said such threats to close the supply routes were an "empty threat" because stabilizing Russia was "clearly in Russia's self interests." Moscow "knows from bitter experience that instability in Afghanistan has negative repercussions in Russia as well," he said, referring to the Soviet occupation of the country in the 1990s. Tensions remained high with Russia over comments by Hillary Clinton this week voicing "serious concerns" about recent Russia's parliamentary elections and calling for an investigation into allegations of fraud and vote-rigging. Russia's Foreign Ministry described Clinton's comments as "unacceptable" and Medvedev said Russia's political system was "none of their business." NATO ministers also discussed Afghanistan and plans to gradually transfer security control to Afghan forces before foreign combat troops plan to withdraw by the end of 2014, as well as tensions with Pakistan over last month's attack. The United States has expressed condolences for the attack and is leading an investigation into the incident. Rasmussen on Wednesday expressed regret for the attack and called for renewed cooperation between NATO and Pakistan in Afghanistan. "I fully agree that at the end of the day we need a positive engagement of Pakistan if we are to ensure long-term peace and stability in Afghanistan," he said. The NATO meeting follows Monday's conference in Bonn, Germany, where some 100 nations and international organizations pledged to keep supporting Afghanistan beyond the 2014 withdrawal. | NEW: Clinton says "it's Iran and others who are threatening to develop missile technology" " We believe our defenses would be more effective if we cooperate," NATO chief says . Missile defense topped the agenda at a meeting of the NATO-Russia council . NATO has asked Russia to participate in the system, but negotiations have been at an impasse . | 6067e41df86334f0b03aabee2eb49be52d9342fc |
An Iranian court has dismissed a lower court's death sentence for an American ex-Marine accused of espionage in Iran, state media reported Monday. A lower court sentenced Amir Mirzaei Hekmati to death in January, but the nation's Supreme Court annulled that sentence and ordered a retrial, state-run Press TV said. The lower court previously had convicted the 28-year-old of "working for an enemy country," as well as membership in the CIA and "efforts to accuse Iran of involvement in terrorism," the semi-official Fars news agency has reported. The U.S. State Department has strongly condemned his conviction. "Allegations that Mr. Hekmati either worked for or was sent to Iran by the CIA are simply untrue," department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said earlier this year. "The Iranian regime has a history of falsely accusing people of being spies, of eliciting forced confessions, and of holding innocent Americans for political reasons." Hekmati's family also denies the allegations. Hekmati was arrested in August while visiting his grandmother and other relatives, his family in Michigan said. The Hekmatis said their son served in the U.S. Marines from 2001 to 2005. Later, he started his own linguistics company and contracted his services to the military as well as civilian businesses. His military contracts included cultural competency training. He worked with troops at military bases to promote understanding and positive communication with people of other cultures, his family said. | Iran's Supreme Court orders a retrial in the espionage case, state media report . Amir Mirzaei Hekmati is accused of spying and was sentenced to death in January . His family and the U.S. government deny the allegations . The status of his case was not immediately clear Monday . | 523c69bd2dcfd6b3bb966e8c191e151dda1ff42d |
By . Peter Allen . and Sam Webb . PUBLISHED: . 08:24 EST, 7 January 2014 . | . UPDATED: . 10:42 EST, 7 January 2014 . Disappointment: Carla Bruni's promoters in Canada confirmed that her performances in a variety of cities - including Quebec and Montreal - will not go ahead . Former French first lady and pop singer Carla Bruni-Sarkozy was facing humiliation today after the cancellation of her North American tour because of appalling ticket sales. The 46-year-old was hoping to revive her musical career after her husband, former president Nicolas Sarkozy, lost power in France a year-and-a-half ago. The Italian ex-model appeared in a lot of expensive TV commercials, and began plugging her singing across the world media. But Carla’s promoters in Canada today confirmed that her performances in a variety of cities - including Quebec and Montreal, which both have major french-speaking populations - in April will not now go ahead. ‘Only a handful of tickets were sold’ said one, adding that refunds were available from box offices or from Ticketmaster. The Italian continues to struggle on in her musical heartland in France, however. Her next gig is in the northern France seaside resort of Le Touquet on Saturday. It will go ahead and ‘plenty of tickets are still available,’ said an organiser. She is hoping to repeat the success of ‘Quelqu'un m'a dit’ (Somebody Told Me), which came out 10 years ago, and sold around two million copies, mostly in France. While critics praised the charming, folksy effort, Ms Bruni-Sarkozy's later albums, 'No Promises' and 'Comme si de rien n'était' (As If Nothing Had Happened), were less well-received. Mr Sarkozy, who is now largely unemployed . following five difficult years in power, often supports his wife at her . concerts in France. Scroll down for video . Mr Sarkozy, who is now largely unemployed following five difficult years in power, often supports Carla at her concerts in France . Mrs Bruni-Sarkozy once had a successful music career but her popularity has flagged in recent years. Left, Queen Elizabeth II talks to Carla Bruni-Sarkozy in 2008 . He is struggling with a long list of corruption enquiries, although supporters say he may make another bid for power in 2017. After becoming Mr Sarkozy's third wife, Mrs Bruni-Sarkozy pledged to stop singing live. Presidential advisers said it would be unseemly for a first lady to have a second role as a touring pop singer. But soon after taking on her official duties she told a documentary film maker: ‘No more sex, no more drugs, only rock and roll.’ She started out as a model for designers like Christian Dior, Givenchy and Paco Rabanne and moved into music in 1997. She met the recently-divorced president in November 2007 at a dinner party and married him in February 2008. | The model and singer, 46, trying to revive career after husband lost power . But promoters says just a 'handful' of tickets sold in Canada . News comes as Nicolas Sarkozy battles corruption allegations amid rumors he is due to return to frontline politics . | 242b2aa7cf3457f595e9ff0c862d70003d0b2718 |
Yangon, Myanmar (CNN) -- Myanmar's ruling junta announced Wednesday a new election law that disqualifies pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi from participating in upcoming national elections. The Political Parties Registration Law, announced in state-run newspapers, excludes electoral participation by any member of a political party who has been convicted in court. A Myanmar court convicted Suu Kyi, 64, in August for breaching the terms of her house arrest after American John Yettaw swam uninvited to her lakeside house in Yangon and briefly stayed there. Her ongoing detention was extended to November 2010, and in February a court rejected her appeal for release. Suu Kyi's supporters have said the conviction was a way to remove her from the election campaign. The Nobel Peace Prize laureate has spent 14 of the last 20 years under house arrest. The new law forces Suu Kyi's party, the National League for Democracy, to choose between honoring her as its leader and risking the party being declared illegal or ejecting Suu Kyi from the party and contesting the election. The party has 60 days to decide its course of action, but party spokesman Nyan Winn said Wednesday that the party would not comply with the new law. Suu Kyi, the face of democracy in Myanmar, also known as Burma, was placed under house arrest in 1989. The next year, her party won more than 80 percent of the legislative seats in the first free elections in the country in nearly 30 years. But the military junta disqualified Suu Kyi from serving because of her house arrest and never recognized the election results. The junta has promised to hold elections -- which would be the first since 1990 -- later this year, touting them as a step toward democracy. No polling date has been set. At the United Nations, a spokesperson for Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said in a statement that the organization was studying the laws. "The indications available so far suggest that they do not measure up to our expectations of what is needed for an inclusive political process," the statement said. In Washington, a U.S. State Department spokesman said the law makes a mockery of the democratic process. "Given the tenor of the election laws that they've put forward, there's no hope that this election will be credible," P.J. Crowley told reporters. "We are deeply disappointed with the political party law which excludes all of Burma's more than 2,000 political prisoners from political participation," he said. "We are also troubled the law appears to bar National League of Democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi from running. It may also prohibit her from membership in her own party. This is a step in the wrong direction." Still, he said, "We will continue our outreach and our dialogue, not because we expect it to solve this instantly. Burma has to figure out how it wants to advance. It's obviously struggling to do that." If Myanmar wants to build its credibility with the rest of the world, "it has to find a way to have a process where it has meaningful dialogue with ethnic groups and other political movements," he said. Amnesty International urged Myanmar to overturn the new law. "There are at least 2,200 political prisoners in Myanmar, most of whom are in prison simply because they tried to exercise their rights peacefully," said Benjamin Zawacki, Amnesty International's Myanmar researcher. "Instead of passing laws that strip away more of their rights, the Myanmar authorities should immediately release all political prisoners, including Aung San Suu Kyi, and remove restrictions on their political activity." The new government stipulation is the latest political hurdle for Suu Kyi. She was already banned from becoming president by Myanmar's recently amended constitution, which prohibits presidents and their parents, spouses and children from owing allegiance to another country. Suu Kyi was married to British academic Michael Aris, who died in 1999, and had two sons with him. The United States considers Myanmar's military regime repressive for cracking down on political opponents, the most prominent of whom is Suu Kyi. However, after years of refusing direct talks with the reclusive nation, Washington has recently indicated a possible re-engagement. CNN's Kocha Olarn contributed to this report. | New law disqualifies people from standing for election if they have been convicted in court . Myanmar court convicted Suu Kyi last summer for breaching terms of her house arrest . Pro-democracy icon's house arrest extended after uninvited American stayed at her home . Nobel Peace Prize laureate has spent 14 of the past 20 years under house arrest . | b1bba7391bd95456afb656dc5f73b3d8b46f5c23 |
Two schoolboy brothers have been scarred for life after temporary tattoos burnt into their skin on an Easter Holiday from hell. Liam, 16, and Owen Groves, 14, pestered their mother to allow them to have henna body art while on an all-inclusive holiday in Egypt. But instead of natural henna the tattoo artist, who worked in the resort where they were staying, used super-strength black henna. Warning graphic content . Liam Groves, 16, got a tattoo using 'black henna' while on holiday in Egypt but was left permanently scarred after chemical in the dye burned into his skin . Younger brother Owen, 13, suffered a similar reaction. Unlike henna, which is a natural plant dye which turns the skin dark brown, 'black henna' is synthetic and often made with hair dye which burns the skin . While henna itself is a harmless natural product used to turn the skin dark brown, 'black' henna is usually made using hair dye which contains harmful chemicals which burn the skin. On the plane home Liam and Owen couldn't stop itching and had to be pulled out of school when they returned to the UK as the patterns turned into sores. The dodgy tattoos have permanent scars on their backs and the brothers now can't take their tops off in the sun as doctors warned to avoid direct sunlight on the area. Their furious mother Alison, 48, yesterday warned other parents thinking of letting their kids have holiday tattoos to think twice. The tattoos were initially fine but began itching on the way home and eventually turned into large sores . Mother Alison described her anger after the boys got the tattoos from someone working in their holiday resort . The full-time mother said: 'The boys had been asking for henna tattoos and I gave in and we had them done by the man running the gift shop in the hotel. 'We sat in the gift shop whilst he did them. Now I wish I had never let them have them done. 'As a parent I was mortified and devastated by what I saw. They had pussed and swelled up massively. 'I wish I had never let the boys have them. It was a huge mistake. I would ask any other parent to think twice before letting their children have them done.' The mother, who has been locked in a three-year legal battle, added: 'I can't believe it has dragged on this long. The pain and suffering my boys have been through I wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy. 'But all that is compounded by Virgin and their reaction. Their behaviour has been awful and that have treated us with contempt throughout this process. 'They are in the wrong but they think they can drag this out and we will just go away. But it's just not right that they can allow this sort of thing to go on in their resorts then cover it up as if nothing ever happened.' The family went for a week-long stay at the Movenpick El Solhna, in Egypt in April 2011, when Liam was 13 and Owen was just 11. Since going on the holiday in 2011 (pictured) Alison has been locked in a legal battle with Virgin Holidays . Owen (left) and Liam were just 11 and 13 when the tattoos were done while the family were in Egypt . Alison, of Standon, Herts., said: 'I took the boys to our doctor who said they were experiencing a reaction to the chemical PPD[Para-Penilen-Diammine] which is used in black henna. 'He diagnosed contact dermatitis and they were given a steroid cream and moisturiser to assist with the healing and discomfort. 'The tattoos looked horrific and had blistered terribly and were causing a lot of distress and sleepless nights.' The boys were prescribed steroid cream to bring the swelling down but it did nothing to help . But seven months later the tattoos still had not healed and she had to take them to a specialist dermatologist. She added: 'Despite all the time the scars were still visible and he believed it would take several more months for the reaction to settle completely. 'It was a horrible experience for us all to go through. The boys because of the pain and discomfort and scarring, and as parents, seeing the boys in so much stress and not knowing what had happened to their skin. 'Even now they cant go out in the sun properly as if they get heat on the areas where the tattoos were they come out again faint and it really hurts then both.' The boys have now been told they will not be able to have a permanent tattoo, dye their hair or have piercings because of the reactions they suffered. The family's solicitor Nick Harris, head of travel law at Simpson Millar solicitors, said: 'People assume, when they stay at an all-inclusive resort, that the facilities provided will be safe to use. 'It is disgraceful that UK Tour Operators continue to allow Henna tattoo artists to operate within these resorts unchecked knowing that the ink they're using can lead to horrific scarring and disfigurement.' A Virgin Holidays spokesman said: 'Virgin Holidays were concerned to learn of the reaction that these customers experienced following the henna tattoos they had during their holiday to Egypt in 2011. 'Virgin Holidays takes the well-being of all of its customers very seriously. However, as this matter is the subject of ongoing legal proceedings we're unable to comment further.' | Brothers Liam, 16, and Owen Groves, 14, had tattoos on holiday . Designs were initially fine but began to itch then turned into sores . Unlike natural henna, so-called 'black henna' is often made using hair dye . Chemical is not safe for use on skin and can cause burning . The pair are now permanently scarred and cannot expose skin to sunlight . | 6fb57f6f6728887eee57ab7deee7672567eda1ed |
By . Pa Reporter . Shay Given has been recalled to the Republic of Ireland squad ahead of next week's double-header against Oman and Georgia. The 38-year-old Aston Villa coach, who announced his retirement from international football after the Euro 2012 finals, is a surprise inclusion in Martin O'Neill's final 27-man party for next Wednesday's friendly against Oman in Dublin and the opening Euro 2016 qualifier in Tbilisi four days later. Skipper Robbie Keane is being monitored as he attempts to shake off a minor problem, although O'Neill is hopeful he will be fit for the Georgia game. Shot stopper: Goalkeeper Shay Given has made a surprise return to the Republic of Ireland squad . Stalwart: Given played for Aston Villa on Wednesday in their 1-0 defeat to Leyton Orient in the Capital One Cup . Doubt: Robbie Keane (right), who plays for LA Galaxy, is hoping to shake off a minor problem . However, Reading defender Stephen Kelly and Derby midfielder Jeff Hendrick have withdrawn because of injury, as has Nottingham Forest midfielder Andy Reid, who is undergoing treatment. Darren Randolph, Ciaran Clark, Paul McShane, Shane Duffy, Damien Delaney, Simon Cox and Conor Sammon remain on stand-by. Forde (Millwall), Westwood (Sheffield Wednesday), Given (Aston Villa), Elliot (Newcastle); Keogh (Derby), Wilson (Stoke), Coleman (Everton), O'Shea (Sunderland), Pearce (Reading), O'Brien (West Ham); McCarthy (Everton), Ward (Burnley), Whelan (Stoke), Gibson, McGeady (both Everton), Pilkington (Cardiff), McClean (Wigan), Brady, Quinn, Meyler (all Hull), Hoolahan (Norwich); Keane (LA Galaxy), Long (Southampton), Murphy (Ipswich), Walters (Stoke), Doyle (Wolves), Stokes (Celtic). | Shay Given has been recalled after retiring from international football in 2012 . Martin O'Neill has named a 27-man squad for the friendly against Oman and the opening Euro 2016 qualifier against Georgia . Striker Robbie Keane is being monitored as he attempts to shake off a minor problem . | d6138226896d9a09dc2e36dbe7ff9fb507359361 |
Researchers from the University of Sydney are conducting a world-first study on newborn babies to investigate whether it is possible to predict whether a child will stutter even before they can talk. Sydney University's Australian Stuttering Research Centre are conducting the study in an attempt to discover the cause of stuttering, using 20 babies with a family history of the disorder and 20 without. 17-week old Levi Crellin was the first baby to take part in the study, after his older sister Zoe suffered from a debilitating stutter from the time she was two years old. 17-week old Levi Crellin was the first baby to take part in the study on the causes of stuttering . 'It got to the point where she refused to speak, she would just point at things,' said Levi's mother, Naomi Crellin. 'She was shy and withdrawn and frustrated, and she didn't want to speak to anyone her age because they couldn't understand her,' Naomi told Daily Mail Australia. 'We didn't want that for Levi, it's just such a formative time and we didn't want him to be disabled by a stutter, so we agreed to be part of the study,' she said. Levi underwent the first of many MRI scans, which will continue over the next six years, just two days ago, under the watchful eye of his mother and researchers at the Centre. 'It's very hard to scan babies because you can't exactly tell a baby to sit still, you have to wait for them to fall asleep, and even then the loud noises from the machine might wake them up,' Naomi said. The researchers will scan the newborns in an MRI machine in order to detect transmission issues in the parts of the brain which relate to speech. Levi's older sister Zoe (left) developed a stutter when she was just two years old . Levi underwent his first scan on the 27th of January, watched by his mother Naomi Crellen (far right) The study will scan 40 babies over a six-year period to gain information about the causes of stuttering . Director of the Research Centre, Professor Mark Onslow, said that the study could revolutionise both diagnosis and treatment of the disorder. 'It will take us a step closer to understanding the cause of stuttering and could potentially lead us to discover more effective early-intervention treatments,' said Professor Onslow. 'This would be a huge breakthrough as stuttering is only noticeable when a child starts stringing words together at two to three-years-of-age and the current window for effective treatment is so small.' Stuttering has been reported to affect one in nine children by the age of four, and approximately 70% of those diagnosed have a family history of stuttering. Naomi said that not only did her daughter develop a stutter, but her father also had the condition. 'We're a bilingual family as well, and there is a link between that and stuttering, so really it was a double whammy for us,' she said. Director of the Research Centre, Professor Mark Onslow (above), said that the study could revolutionise both diagnosis and treatment of the disorder . Stuttering has been reported to affect one in nine children by the age of four, and approximately 70% of those diagnosed have a family history of stuttering . Levi's brain will continue to be monitored through regular MRI scans, in order to provide early information on what the causes of stuttering could be. 'Considering the advancements in medicine, it shocked me that so little was known about the causes of stuttering,' said Naomi. Jim Lagopoulos, Associate Professor at the Brain and Mind Research Institute, said that it was not clear whether stuttering was a cause or an effect of problems with the transmission of information along fibres of the brain. 'We currently don’t know if the structural problems we see in the brain are present prior to the onset of stuttering, or result from stuttering,' said Associate Professor Lagopoulos. 'This is because previous studies have only examined the brains of older children and adults who have already developed a stutter,' he said. Naomi said that she was keen to do anything to help aid the research process. 'After we took Zoe in for treatment, she improved dramatically within three months, and now you wouldn't be able to tell,' she said. Naomi said the study would be important to provide information early to start treating the issue before it became permanent. 'The study will provide a lot of information, and this is the next step in the process,' she said. Levi's brain will continue to be monitored through regular MRI scans . 'We didn't want him to be disabled by a stutter, so we agreed to be part of the study,' Naomi said . | Levi Crellin is the first baby to take part in a study on stuttering . His grandfather and older sister both suffered from stuttering . His mother said that she didn't want him to go through the trauma . The study is being conducted by the University of Sydney . Newborn babies will undergo MRI scans over six years . Researchers are hoping to discover the causes of stuttering . | b62cd10fdfec952c94737e311c5c2c6bc809bdcb |
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Stars and Stripes, the newspaper that receives U.S. military funding to help it cover and get distributed free to American forces in war zones, complained Tuesday of censorship by military authorities in Iraq. A soldier with the U.S. Army's 1st Cavalry Division patrols the streets of eastern Mosul, Iraq, on June 16. In a story on its Web site, the newspaper known as Stripes said the military violated a congressional mandate of editorial independence by rejecting a request to embed reporter Heath Druzin with the U.S. Army's 1st Cavalry Division, which is attempting to secure the city of Mosul. The military cited various problems in Druzin's reporting on previous embed assignments with units of the division, according to the story. One example noted by the military was a March 8 story that said many Mosul residents would like the American soldiers to leave and hand over security tasks to Iraqi forces, the Stripes Web site said. "Despite the opportunity to visit areas of the city where Iraqi Army leaders, soldiers, national police and Iraqi police displayed commitment to partnership, Mr. Druzin refused to highlight any of this news," Maj. Ramona Bellard, a public affairs officer, wrote in denying Druzin's embed request, according to the Stripes story. A military official in Iraq defended the move to turn down the reporter's request. "U.S. Army units in Iraq remain committed to the media embed program and appreciate objective media reporting," said Lt. Col. David H. Patterson Jr., a spokesman for Multi-National Corps-Iraq. "The relationship that Druzin established with the command during a previous embed did not facilitate being invited back." Patterson added that Druzin was welcome to embed in another unit and that the 1st Cavalry Division was open to having a reporter other than Druzin. "Accusations of censorship are without merit," Patterson said. Other allegations against Druzin by the military included that he used quotes out of context, behaved unprofessionally and persisted in asking Army officials for permission to use a computer to file a story during a communications blackout period, the Stripes story said. Terry Leonard, editorial director at Stars and Stripes, denied the Army's allegations, calling Druzin's previous reporting on the division accurate and fair. "To simply say 'you can't send him because we didn't like what he wrote' is unacceptable," Leonard said. He noted that Congress set up Stripes as an independent newspaper so that "no commander can decide what news troops in the field receive." Army officials have offered to allow a different Stripes reporter to embed with the division or to allow Druzin to embed with a different Army unit in Kirkuk, Leonard said. Stripes rejected those offers because the military has no right to deflect coverage from Mosul or decide which Stripes reporter covers its operations, Leonard said. "To deny Mr. Druzin an embed under the reasons stated by Maj. Bellard is a direct challenge to the editorial independence of this newspaper," Leonard wrote in his appeal to the decision, according to the Stripes story. "That independence is mandated by Congress. The denial of the embed constitutes an attempt at censorship and it is also an illegal prior restraint under federal law. ... The military cannot tell us what stories to write or not write." Stripes receives close to $10 million a year from the Department of Defense to help defray the costs of covering "contingency" operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, including the publishing and distribution of roughly 85,000 free newspapers a day, Leonard said. The newspaper receives additional government subsidies, with the total amounting to less than half of its budget, he said. Other revenue comes from ad sales and circulation at permanent U.S. military bases and elsewhere, Leonard said. CNN has been denied embed requests on occasion but never because of the past conduct of individual journalists. The reasons have almost always involved logistical details involving security and force coverage. | Newspaper says military's rejection of embed request is censorship . Paper wanted reporter Heath Druzin to be embedded with Army division in Iraq . Army rejects request, cites Druzin's previous interactions with division . Army denies accusations, says different reporter may embed with division . | 5ba4b1db31b1918a89cd6bfaaba46205311488ae |
Women seeking the perfect partner are not looking for Mr Right – they want to find the man they can turn into Mr Right. Two-thirds of women admit trying to transform their boyfriend’s appearance, a study reveals. They buy £500 worth of clothes and spend more than six months buffing and grooming their man – often to make him look more like their favourite celebrity. Two thirds of women admitted to changing the way their partner looked, with some saying they were embarrassed and ashamed to be seen in public with their boyfriend when they first began dating - was this the case for Victoria and David Beckham? (pictured, left, in 1998 and, right, in 2012) More than a third (36 per cent) admit . they were ‘embarrassed and ashamed’ to be seen in public with their . boyfriend at the start of their relationship. They were worried about . his choice of clothes (34 per cent), hair style (22 per cent) and even . smell (9 per cent). Some 68 . per cent admit they ‘improved’ their partner’s appearance, with 48 per . cent buying his clothes. They typically purchased 21 items a year, . spending £493. The star most . women try to transform their man into is David Beckham (22 per cent), . followed by Take That singer Gary Barlow (19 per cent), and X Factor . host Dermot O’Leary (17 per cent), the survey found. Style icons: When it comes to styling their partner, women voted the likes of David Beckham, Gary Barlow and Dermot O'Leary as the celebrity fashion icons they most try to replicate for their man . Dr . Simon Moore, from the British Psychological Society, said women fear . competition from others if they date men who already have the perfect . image. Instead, they look for those with ‘potential’ and aim to shape . them into their ideal man instead. ‘Typically, women who are looking for . an affair or short-term relationship will go for looks and style over . personality,’ he said. ‘However, when it comes to settling down, personality becomes more important. Style overhaul: Choice of clothing was the top reason women were put off their partner and, according to the survey, they'd love their man to channel Justin Timberlake or Harry Styles . ‘Longer-term, . women will look for a man whose character they like and then set about . trying to change their image into somebody more attractive. David Beckham (22 per cent)Gary Barlow (19 per cent)Dermot O’Leary (17 per cent)Mark Wright (11 per cent)Justin Timberlake (9 per cent)Jude Law (8 per cent)Jason Statham (6 per cent)Olly Murs (5 per cent)Harry Styles (2 per cent)Tinie Tempah (1 per cent) 'Changing . their hair, clothes, aftershave and so on is an easier task then . changing their personality. In some ways, women use it as a bit of a . test. ‘If the man is willing . to change after six months, they are more likely to cope with anything . that life throws at them – including the possibility of having a baby.’ Gary Kibble, from online retailer Littlewoods.com, which surveyed 2,000 . women, said: ‘It definitely shows the high standards we set for . ourselves and the expectations we have for our relationships.’ Sophie . Morris, 29, from Brighton, admits that she transformed her boyfriend . into the ‘perfect man’. She said: ‘When I first met my partner I was . attracted to his lively personality and great sense of humour. ‘His hair looked a mess and his clothes had seen better days but I knew they were things that could easily be put right. ‘He was so keen to please me that it didn’t take long for him to make the changes I was looking for. He’s now the perfect man.’ To help men improve on their appearance, Littlewoods.com ambassador, Mark Wright, has revealed his top style tips... To help men improve on their appearance, Littlewoods.com ambassador, Mark Wright, has revealed his top style tips... Keep it fitted. Wear clothes that compliment your frame . Take the time to develop your own style and what works for you. The worst mistake you can make is try too hard . It’s all about the detail. A simple pair of brogues or a blazer can smarten up any look . Don’t mess with your hair. Keep your hair as natural as possible and . try add some length so that there is more to play with . The secret to great skin is to moisturise as much as you can, particularly at night and in the morning after your shower . The key to looking good is feeling good and that means living a healthy . lifestyle. I live by the motto ‘everything in moderation’ | Over two thirds of women have tried to change their partner’s appearance . David Beckham tops the list of style icons for women, study reveals . Average women buys 21 items a year for their partner, spending £493.08 . TOWIE's stylish male star Mark Wright shares some top tips for boys . | af83307bd2c3d37ff543e4db7226875b9c0b008e |
By . Gerard Brand . Follow @@gedbrand10 . Victor Garcia's European Championships came to an abrupt end on Tuesday in Zurich after the Spaniard clipped his knee on the final hurdle and fell heavily in the men's 3000m steeplechase heats. Garcia, who was speeding around the outside in fifth place approaching the hurdle, had to be taken away from the Letzigrund stadium on a cart. Stumble: Garcia was in fifth place going into the final hurdle in Zurich . Disaster: Garcia then suffered a nasty fall as his European Championships came to an end . The Spaniard would have qualified from the heats if he had finished fifth, but instead crashed out . Mateusz Demczyszak of Poland qualified with the win, alongside Martin Grau (Germany), Yuri Floriani (Italy), Tarik Langat (Turkey) and Mahiedine Mekhissi-Benabbad (France). Garcia has history of falling at the final hurdle. In 2012, the 29-year-old was leading the 3000m steeplechase final at the European Championships in Helsinki in 2012, before falling and recovering to claim bronze. Dejected: Garcia lies injured on the floor as the other runners go over the line . Agony: Garcia is helped away by staff, with Poland's Mateusz Demczyszak winning the heat . | Spaniard Victor Garcia falls on final hurdle in European Championships heat . Garcia was in fifth place, meaning he would have qualified . Zurich officials carted Garcia away after the nasty stumble and fall . 29-year-old fell in similar fashion at Helsinki 2012, recovering to win bronze . | 7637b1df7f45745c4a89419fb09274a8f5a43c87 |
By . Matt Blake . UPDATED: . 16:36 EST, 7 March 2012 . A 'thoroughly deceitful' benefit cheat . was jailed today after he was secretly filmed playing golf - despite . claiming he could barely walk. Robert Cave told the Department of . Work and Pensions that a degenerative condition meant he struggled to . carry out minor tasks such as lifting pans from the cooker to the sink. But a court heard that in reality, the . 50-year-old was enjoying rounds of golf two or three times a week at . his £600 per year club, regularly taking part in competitions, and had . got his handicap down to an impressive 15 - on a 3.8-mile golf course. Cave first applied for disability benefit in 1996 he said walking was extremely painful and it took him two minutes to walk 10 yards. He also claimed it took him 10-15 minutes to lever himself out of bed. Scroll down for video . Cheat: Robert Cave has been warned by a judge that he faces jail after he was secretly filmed playing golf while claiming disability benefit . Energetic: Cave, 50, looks like he has the perfect swing as he goes to hit the golf ball. He had previously claimed that walking was extremely painful and it took him two minutes to walk 10 yards . Good shot: A court heard that Cave played golf two or three times a week, had a handicap of 15 and regularly played in competitions . In 2007 he reported he could not walk more than 50 metres without stopping and found it hard to lift pans from the cooker to the sink. But following a tip-off, Department of Works and Pensions investigators began to monitor Cave. That led to him being secretly filmed playing at the 18-hole Norwood Park golf course, Southwell, Nottinghamshire, in October, 2009. A video played in court had showed him hitting balls on the driving range and on the third hole of the course, which is 3.8 miles in length. Ninety per cent of the time he used a buggy to get round the course. Judge Andrew Hamilton, sentencing, said the case was one of the worst he had dealt with. He added: 'He is thoroughly deceitful . and dishonest man. You don’t get a golf handicap of 15 overnight. He . must have been playing regularly over a long period of time to do that. 'I think this is a most flagrant . breach. I can’t imagine a more flagrant breach. I can imagine the public . annoyance and fury at the disgraceful dishonesty of this man. It is . utterly appalling.' Leisure time: Cave was secretly filmed playing at the 18-hole Norwood Park golf course in Nottinghamshire. The entire course is 3.8 miles in length . Cave, 50, earlier pleaded guilty at . Nottingham Crown Court to failing to notify an improvement in his . capabilities between April 2006 and January 2010. During that time he pocketed £12,500 in disability living allowance. Judge Hamilton also poured scorn on . Cave’s claim that his condition was causing his elbows to crumble, . adding: 'A golf club requires considerable use of an elbow, both of . them.' Cave was also filmed lifting garden fence panels outside his home in Mansfield and carrying flattened boxes to his car. Judge Hamilton also poured scorn on . Cave’s claim that his condition was causing his elbows to crumble, . adding: 'A golf club requires considerable use of an elbow, both of . them.' And he hit out at the sentencing . guidelines for the scale of offending in Cave’s case, describing them as . 'horrendously low'. Judge Hamilton said the maximum sentence he would . have bee able to impose was 26 weeks in jail, with a 10 percent . reduction for a guilty plea. John Hallissey, prosecuting, told the . court that since making his original claim, the DWP asked Cave every . year if there had been any change in circumstance that might affect his . entitlement to benefits. However, he failed to tell them that . his condition had improved thanks to the use of physiotherapy and . steroids. In 2007, he filled in a new claim form in which he said he . could walk for no further than 10 yards. In the dock: Cave pleaded guilty at Nottingham Crown Court, pictured, for failing to notify an improvement in his capabilities between April 2006 and January 2010. He pocketed £12,500 in disability living allowance during this time . The DWP launched a covert . investigation into Cave two years later following the tip-off. In August . 2009, he was seen at his home in Mansfield, Notts, lifting boxes and . fence panels, and loading a golf trolley into his car boot. Then, weeks later, he was secretly recorded at Norwood Park Golf Centre near Southwell, Notts. Mr Hallissey said: 'He was filmed . removing a golf cart from the boot of his car. He was filmed initially . on the driving range practicising his swing and then on the third tee . standing on one leg, bending over, and picking up his tee after making . his shot.' After his arrest Cave, a married father of two, admitted he played golf and competed regularly. He pleaded guilty to failing to notify . the DWP to a change in his circumstances between April 2006 and January . 2010. During that time he claimed £12.604. Laura Pitman, defending, said there was medical evidence Cave’s condition had worsened, and he hadn’t played golf for two years. She added that he now admitted he should have told the DWP that his illness had previously improved. Speaking after the case Sian Fellowes, . a senior benefit fraud manager at the DWP, said: 'We will be looking at . recovering the money through seizure of his assets and that will . include his house and any money he may have.' A confiscation hearing will be held in May. At the time of Cave’s guilty plea last . month, Welfare Reform Minister Lord Freud said: 'It’s cases like these . that show us why welfare reform is needed. 'We have a duty to the taxpayer and our customers to make sure that these vital benefits only go to those who need them. 'Benefit fraud takes money away from . the most vulnerable. It is a crime and we are committed to stopping it . by catching criminals at the front line and making sure our reforms make . the benefit system less open to abuse. | Robert Cave claimed walking was 'extremely painful' and it took him 10-15 minutes to get out of bed . Investigators found he played 'two or three times a week' on 3.8 mile golf course . 50-year-old pocketed £12,500 in disability living allowance despite being 'perfectly fit to play golf' Judge slams 'disgraceful dishonesty' in 'one of worst cases I've seen' | 14b867ec7a504825d4ad033fb54e405f48a5af4e |
By . Lucy Thackray . A family photo of Rin (back left) and Anthony Maslin (back right) with their children, (left to right) Otis, Evie and Mo. The children were tragically killed when MH17 was shot down . The father of three Australian children killed on board Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 has taken indefinite leave from his job as head of Buxton Resources. A brief statement from the Perth-based mining company on Monday said Anthony Maslin was taking personal leave from his job as managing director. Mr Maslin and his wife Rin returned to Perth at the weekend from Amsterdam, where they had farewelled their three children on the ill-fated flight last Thursday. The children, Mo, 12, Evie, 10 and Otis, eight, boarded MH17 with their grandfather Nick Norris so they could return to Australia from their European holiday in time to start school this week. Mr and Mrs Maslin had planned to stay on in Amsterdam for a few more days after their children left. The family was meant to be reunited today. Mrs Maslin's father, Nick Norris, was a government consultant who formally worked as a school principal. Scroll down for video . Evie, Otis, and Mo Maslin (pictured left to right with their father, Anthony) were victims of the MH17 crash. Their father will take indefinite leave from his role as head of mining company Buxton Resources to deal with the tragedy . Nick Norris (bottom left) was traveling with his grandchildren Otis, Mo and Evie Maslin (left to right) were on board MH17 when it crashed. The Maslin children's devastated parents flew home on Saturday and attended a public tribute for their children at Mo's junior football club on Sunday. The Scarborough Sea Eagles Year 7 team played without Mo Maslin, their star forward pocket who had planned on being there for his first game back from his European holiday. Club President Steve Cross said the whole family would attend Mo's games together and were 'very popular' in the community. 'Being a parent, it really hits home to you. Things in life don’t seem so bad when you see things like this,' Mr Cross told the Courier Mail. 'My heart goes out to Maz (Anthony) and Rin, how do they cope from now on?' Coach Troy Ramshaw told the publication. A tribute to the Maslin children, held after a footy game was played by Mo's club team on Sunday . 12-year-old Mo Maslin's football team hold a minute's silence for their late friend, who was onboard the fateful MH17 flight with his younger sister, Evie, brother Otis and grandfather Nick Norris . 12-year-old Mo had played for the football club for three years. His teammates held a minute's silence to remember their friend. Green, yellow and black balloons - football club's team colours - were released into the air as part of a tribute to the three cherished children and their beloved grandfather. The three children and their grandfather were among 298 people who died when MH14 was shot down over rebel-held eastern Ukraine. Mr Norris is survived by his wife Lindy, their four adult children and surviving grandchildren. Anthony Maslin, the father of MH17 victims Mo, Otis, and Evie, will take indefinite leave after the devastating loss of his children and their grandfather, Nick Norris . | Anthony Maslin will take indefinite leave from his job at Buxton Resources . The father lost his children and their grandfather in MH17 crash on Friday . Mo, Evie and Otis Maslin were to travelling to Perth for new school term . They were accompanied by their grandfather, Nick Norris . The devastated parents attended a tribute to their children on Sunday . | d2984c555f94ae9be5ea6f28292171d5539d8d00 |
Madrid (CNN) -- The judge in charge of the investigation into a horrific train crash in Spain last month has presented preliminary charges against the state-run rail infrastructure company, Adif. Until now, attention has focused on the driver of the train, which derailed near the northwestern city of Santiago de Compostela, killing 79 people and injuring scores more. Read more: Rail chiefs quizzed over safety . Francisco Jose Garzon faces 79 counts of homicide by professional recklessness and an undetermined number of counts of causing injury by professional recklessness. But preliminary charges have now also been filed by Judge Luis Alaez Legeren against "the person or persons from ADIF responsible for the traffic safety in the stretch of the rail line between the stations of Ourense and Santiago on July 24," according to documents posted on a court website Tuesday. It's not yet clear who the individuals are. The judge also requested more information on traffic safety and speed limits on that stretch of line from both Adif and state railroad company Renfe, and asked the Transport Ministry for details of any other incidents there. A spokeswoman for Adif declined to comment on the charges Wednesday but told CNN the company would work with authorities as far as possible. Garzon took control of the train at Ourense station, about 35 minutes before the crash occurred, a senior rail official told lawmakers during a rail safety briefing called after the disaster. Lawmakers heard that the route the train was on, from Madrid to Ferrol, includes a mix of conventional and high-speed track, with the latter allowing high-speed trains to travel at over 200 kilometers per hour (124 mph.) Two different safety systems are used in Spain: the European Rail Traffic Management System for the high-speed track and another known as ASFA on conventional lines. The train and its engineer were switching between the two kinds of track and operating system in the course of the journey. One such transition occurred shortly before the crash. Court officials have said the train was traveling at 153 kph (95 mph) when it derailed, nearly twice the speed limit on the curve where the accident happened. The driver, Garzon, has been given conditional release while the investigation continues but has surrendered his passport. CNN's Laura Perez Maestro reported from Madrid, and Laura Smith-Spark wrote in London. | Judge widens charges to individuals at Spain's state-run rail infrastructure firm, Adif . The charges are against those responsible for track safety at the site of the crash . Driver Francisco Jose Garzon already faces preliminary charges in the derailment . The derailment, near Santiago de Compostela, killed 79 people, injured scores more . | a9f9edf3a6e9d80eec1cfea7c182de7e98efe93f |
By . Emma Reynolds . PUBLISHED: . 08:38 EST, 25 January 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 09:44 EST, 25 January 2013 . 'Blood': Pat Major had smashed a bottle of cough mixture in store and it was leaking out of her boot . An innocent grandmother was shocked to be stopped on suspicion of having a dead body in her car. The suspicious bystander had seen the 60-year-old prodding something in the car and red liquid seeping out. In fact, the 'blood' was simply a broken bottle of cough syrup - and the mysterious cargo was her shopping from Asda. The amateur detective had noticed Pat Major struggling to shut the boot of her Nissan Micra in the car park of the Newton Abbot supermarket. She tailed the grandmother in her car as she headed for her daughter Shona's home in Newton Abbot, Devon, before spotting the scarlet trail leaking out. The eagle-eyed shopper rang 999 to tell police what she had seen, adding: 'There appears to be blood pouring from the boot.' A response team was despatched immediately, but the specialist officers' concern quickly turned to amusement when they found that the blood-soaked body in . the boot was merely squashed bags of shopping. Among the bags was a . glass bottle of blackcurrant Asda's Own cough mixture, which Mrs Major had accidentally . smashed in the store. Luckily, Mrs Major, a housekeeper at Ashburton's Dartmoor Lodge, saw the funny side. She said: 'I didn't have much space in the boot because I needed other stuff there in case it snowed. 'I can see why my actions were thought to be suspicious. 'I think the witness needs a pat on the back for being so vigilant as it did look a bit odd.' 'Suspicious': The bystander saw Mrs Major prodding something in her boot at the Newton Abbott Asda car park . Mystery solved: Police discovered the red liquid was a smashed glass bottle of Asda cough syrup . She admitted her efforts to cram all her shopping into the boot could have been misconstrued. Mrs Major, a grandmother of five from Ashburton, said the two investigating officers thought the incident last Saturday evening was hilarious. 'They left laughing, saying I should not be thinking of murdering anyone that night,' she said. A police spokesman said: 'We could be excused for going menthol about this. Fortunately there was nothing to linctus to a major crime investigation.' | Bystander saw 60-year-old 'acting suspiciously' in Asda car park . She was prodding something in her boot and struggling to shut it . The shopper called the police and a rapid response team headed out . They were amused to find the 'blood' was simply a bottle of cough mixture . | c847d06cbf36806cdfa600b0734dc23e81b654cd |
(CNN) -- Former U.S. House Speaker Tom Foley died at his home in Washington, D.C., his wife Heather confirmed Friday. Foley, 84, was a Democrat who represented Washington state in the House for 30 years and served as speaker from 1989 to January 1995. After his tenure on Capitol Hill, he was appointed U.S. ambassador to Japan by President Bill Clinton. He served from 1997 to 2001. Foley became the 57th speaker in 1989 after then-Speaker James Wright resigned from office amid an ethics scandal. Before taking that post, Foley served as House majority leader, majority whip and Agriculture Committee chairman, and was an influential member of the Select House Committee on Iran Contra. He was first elected to the House in 1964, beating incumbent Republican Walt Horan, a 27-year veteran of the House. Foley's career in Congress ended when he was defeated in 1994, the year Republicans retook the House in what is sometimes known as the "Republican Revolution." He was succeeded as speaker by then-Rep. Newt Gingrich of Georgia. Current House Speaker John Boehner on Friday said Foley's rise to speaker was a "natural sequence for a natural leader." "Forthright and warmhearted, Tom Foley endeared himself not only to the wheat farmers back home but also colleagues on both sides of the aisle," Boehner said in a written statement. "That had a lot to do with his solid sense of fairness, which remains a model for any Speaker or representative." President Barack Obama said in a statement that Foley had a "straightforward approach" and represented his constituents with "skill, dedication, and a deep commitment to improving the lives of those he was elected to serve." Former President George H.W. Bush said that Foley "represented the very best in public service -- and our political system" and "never got personal or burned bridges." Foley had a largely liberal record in Congress, supporting Great Society programs and opposing the Vietnam War. He was pro-abortion rights, backed the Equal Rights Amendment and opposed capital punishment, as well as a constitutional amendment allowing school prayer. Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Foley had an "unrivaled ability" to build consensus and find common ground in the House. "Our country mourns the loss of a leader whose authenticity, dedication, and diplomacy will forever serve as an example to all of us who strive to make a difference through public service," Pelosi said in a written statement. Foley graduated from the University of Washington in 1951 and from Washington Law School in 1957. In his legal career, he served as assistant attorney general for Washington state and deputy prosecutor in Spokane County. Before running for Congress, Foley worked as a special counsel to the Senate Interior and Insular Affairs Committee from 1961 to 1964. Foley is survived by his wife, Heather, whom he married in December 1968. Rep. Bill Young, longest-serving GOP member in House, dies at age 82 . People we've lost in 2013 . | NEW: Obama lauds Tom Foley's "skill, dedication' Foley was a Democrat who represented Washington state in the House for 30 years . After his tenure on Capitol Hill, he was appointed U.S. ambassador to Japan . Current House Speaker John Boehner remembers him as "forthright and warmhearted" | 6d310b8c21ff20cd92e71e06894a02c0c72f28ab |
By . Martin Robinson . PUBLISHED: . 03:10 EST, 16 May 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 04:06 EST, 16 May 2013 . Changes: More children now read more ebooks on iPads or Kindles than they do traditional books, which is damaging literacy standards (file picture) Children who read on an iPad or Kindle are falling behind in the classroom as figures showed for the first time the majority of youngsters now prefer ebooks to printed versions. The advance of technology means that young people who read on a screen have weaker literacy skills and fewer children now enjoy reading, experts have said. A survey, conducted by The National Literacy Trust, found that 52 per cent of children preferred to read on an electronic device - including e-readers, computers and smartphones - while only 32 per cent said they would rather read a physical book. Worryingly, only 12 per cent of those who read using new technology said they really . enjoyed reading, compared with 51 per cent of those who favoured books. Pupils who get free school meals, generally a sign they are from poorer . backgrounds, are the least likely group to pick up a traditional book, the research found. The poll of 34,910 young people aged between eight and 16 . across the UK found that those who read printed texts were almost twice . as likely to have above-average reading skills as those who read on . screens every day. The study also found that children were more likely to have their own computer than their own desk. Jonathan Douglas, the director of the National Literacy Trust, said: . 'While we welcome the positive impact which technology has on bringing . further reading opportunities to young people, it's crucial that reading . in print is not cast aside. 'We are concerned by our finding that children who only read . on-screen are significantly less likely to enjoy reading and less likely . to be strong readers. 'Good reading skills and reading for pleasure are closely linked to . children's success at school and beyond. We need to encourage children . to become avid readers, whatever format they choose.' Damaging: Reading electronically appears to be causing the number of children who enjoy reading to plummet as well as hinder academic performance, experts say . Award winning author Joan Brady is one of several literary stars to say the rise of the ebook is a 'problem' for Britain's children. Boys in particular would prefer to read on a computer screen and the change in trend has encouraged many publishers to cash in by offering electronic versions of comics and books. The number of children and young people reading newspapers has fallen from 46.8 per cent in 2005 to 31.2 per cent in 2012. | Survey of 35,000 pupils finds majority of youngsters now read on screen . ebooks also reducing the number of children who enjoy reading as a pastime . 'Children who only read . on-screen are significantly less likely to enjoy reading and less likely . to be strong readers', National Literacy Trust says . | 6bc85e5f2da071b4f4e76ba8f246518477df31bc |
(CNN) -- The FBI on Monday arrested the mayor of Birmingham, Alabama, on federal charges including conspiracy, bribery, fraud, money laundering and filing false income tax returns. Mayor Larry Langford, right, appears at a news conference Monday in Birmingham, Alabama. Larry Langford, 62, is named in an indictment that alleges criminal activity while he was a county commissioner, said U.S. Attorney Alice Martin. As president of the Jefferson County Commission and head of its department of finance and general services from November 2002 until about November 2006, Langford put his personal affairs ahead of those of the county, Martin said. "Our investigation has revealed, and the indictment alleges, that Langford sold his public office to his friends and political supporters," Martin said. Also named in the 101-count indictment are William Blount, 55, a Montgomery, Alabama, investment banker, and Albert LaPierre, 58, a Birmingham lobbyist, neither of whom returned calls from CNN. "Langford steered lucrative business to William Blount and his company and he, in turn, earned in excess of $7.1 million and, with the help of lobbyist Albert LaPierre, they ensured that Larry Langford's crushing personal debts were paid off through payoffs of loans, store charge accounts, purchases of clothing and jewelry and other items of value that exceeded $230,000 over a period from 2002 to 2006," Martin said. The allegations go back to a 1996 consent decree entered into by the commission to bring Jefferson County into compliance with the Clean Water Act, which required authorizing billions of dollars in transactions. After making his first appearance in U.S. District Court on Monday, Langford appeared outside the courthouse with his lawyer, who said he had told his client not to talk to reporters. "He's got a city to run and right now, or very shortly, he's headed back to City Hall," the lawyer said. An indictment on some counts was returned in June to ensure they were not rendered moot by a five-year statute of limitations, Martin said. The superseding indictment returned last Tuesday by a federal grand jury was unsealed Monday after Langford's arrest. The other two men named in the indictment agreed to turn themselves in, she said. Langford conspired with Blount and LaPierre "to solicit and to accept bribes, to use influence and position to ensure that Blount and his company, Blount Parrish Inc., was involved in Jefferson County's bonds and swap transactions related to multibillion-dollar sewer debt," Martin said. Though the financing was set up by then-big financial institutions -- including J.P. Morgan, Goldman Sachs, Lehman Brothers and Bank of America -- "Langford used his position to make it a condition that those financial institutions include Blount Parrish in the financing deals and paid Blount Parrish a fee in order to get the county financing business," Martin said. She cited an October 2003 financial transaction that included Bank of America and Lehman Special Financing Corp. that required Lehman to pay an "arrangement fee" of $35,000 to Blount's company. In all, she said, Blount and his company received $7.1 million in fees related to Jefferson County's financial transactions. In turn, Blount paid lobbyist LaPierre approximately $219,000 for "consulting fees," Martin said. She added, "Through a web of financing agreements, Langford required many institutions to use Blount as a consultant so Blount would make fees and in turn pay off Langford. It was a classic pay-to-play scheme." Martin said Blount and Langford traveled together to New York, where Blount bought Langford clothing and jewelry from high-end stores that included Tourneau, Zegna, Ferragamo and Turnbull & Asser. In addition, Blount bought Rolex watches and other jewelry for Langford from a Birmingham store, Martin said. Federal authorities are seeking criminal forfeiture of about $7.6 million from each of the men. Langford is named in 60 counts of the superseding indictment; Blount in 43 counts; and LaPierre in 22 counts. In addition to the fines, each defendant would face a maximum of 10 years for each bribery and money-laundering count, 20 years for each fraud count, five years for the conspiracy count and three years for each tax count. In a written statement, the mayor's office said city business will continue as usual. "We are glad the mayor will finally have his day in court," said Langford's chief of staff, Deborah Vance-Bowie. "As members of his team, we stand behind him and look forward to the day when we can return the focus to the important issues before the city." A public information officer said the president of the current five-member Jefferson County Commission, Bettye Collins, would have no comment . | Larry Langford engaged in fraud, bribery, indictment says . Investment banker and lobbyist also named in indictment . Prosecutor describes "web of financing agreements" among the three . Langford attorney says he told Langford not to talk to media and "he's got a city to run" | bccbafde53424449bd09c9369b7e906db38bba9a |
By . James Nye . An amorous boat captain who had left the helm to have a drunken three-way sex escapade caused a minor security scare at New York's La Guardia Airport on Sunday. Craig Gallo, 51, crashed his boat into the runway lights of the busy hub after descending below deck with James Benenato, 60, and Mary Ann Belson, 60. Galo was charged by the NYPD's Harbor Unit with operating a boat under the influence and Belson was taken to hospital to be trated for a possible broken nose and jaw. Benenato suffered no physical injuries. Drunken sex smash: This is Gallo's boat - which crashed into the side of the runway lights at La Guardia Airport in New York City . The distracted threesome met in a bar in College Point, Queens and neither of the two men had ever met Belson before. Staggeringly, the boat was left impaled on the stanchion for 30 minutes before the Port Authority arrived to investigate. A spokesman for the PA Police Department admitted that security had been breached. He said if those aboard the boat had been 'terrorists with bad intentions, they could have easily succeeded. Crashed: This man is believed to be Craig Gallo - who crashed his boat on Sunday after a drunken three-way romp with a man and a woman . Before the crash: The boat at harbor in New Jersey - where Mr. Gallo lives . 'If they had hand-held rockets, they would have had plenty of time to fire at planes.' However, there were no patrols on that night because the PA Police Department has decided that evening patrols would go in a round of cost cutting measures. 'The boats were purchased with federal money. They are not being deployed 24-7 — as the public would expect them to be,' said Paul Nunziato of the PAPD union. Gallo, who lives in New Jersey and is an employee of a financial firm on Long Island was in his boat when it crashed at the end of Runway 22. Crash scene: The boat hit the runway lights at the end of runway 22 at New York City's La Guardia Airport . Indeed, police said that the three were lucky that the boat did not sink, especially as it took police 30 minutes to get to them. A spokesman for the PAPD said that before the smash, 'a consensual three-way sex endeavor was going on. 'There’s a moral here: If you’re feeling amorous aboard a boat, I suggest you drop your anchor before you drop your pants.’ | Craig Gallo, 51, caused a minor security scare at the New York City airport after descending below deck with James Benenato, 60 and Mary Ann Belson, 60 . Port Authority Police Department admitted that a security breach had occurred . The two men met Belson for the first time on Sunday in a bar . She suffered a broken nose and jaw in the accident . | 3cc1fc05157b00e2accb7c82a62dc142bee5811b |
A highly anticipated test of an experimental Ebola vaccine will begin this week at the National Institutes of Health, amid mounting anxiety about the spread of the deadly virus in West Africa. After an expedited review by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, researchers were given the green light to begin what's called a human safety trial, said Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID). It will be the first test of this type of Ebola vaccine in humans. The experimental vaccine, developed by the pharmaceutical company GlaxoSmithKline and the NIAID, will first be given to three healthy human volunteers to see if they suffer any adverse effects. If deemed safe, it will then be given to another small group of volunteers, aged 18 to 50, to see if it produces a strong immune response to the virus. All will be monitored closely for side effects. The vaccine will be administered to volunteers by an injection in the deltoid muscle of their arm, first in a lower dose, then later in a higher dose after the safety of the vaccine has been determined. Some of the preclinical studies that are normally done on these types of vaccines were waived by the FDA during the expedited review, Fauci said, so "we want to take extra special care that we go slowly with the dosing." The vaccine did extremely well in earlier trials with chimpanzees, Fauci said. He noted that the method being used to prompt an immune response to Ebola cannot cause a healthy individual to become infected with the virus. Still, he said, "I have been fooled enough in my many years of experience... you really can't predict what you will see (in humans)." According to the NIH, the vaccine will also be tested on healthy volunteers in the United Kingdom, Gambia and Mali, once details are finalized with health officials in those countries. CDC director raises Ebola alarm . Trials cannot currently be done in the four countries affected by the recent outbreak -- Guinea, Sierra Leone, Liberia and Nigeria -- because the existing health care infrastructure wouldn't support them, Fauci said. Gambia and Mali were selected because the NIH has "long-standing collaborative relationships" with researchers in those countries. According to the NIH, officials from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are also in talks with health officials from Nigeria about conducting part of the safety trial there. Funding from an international consortium formed to fight Ebola will enable GlaxoSmithKline to begin manufacturing up to 10,000 additional doses of the vaccine while clinical trials are ongoing, the pharmaceutical company said in a statement. These doses would be made available if the World Health Organization decides to allow emergency immunizations in high-risk communities. The GSK/NIAID vaccine is one of two leading candidate vaccines. The other was developed by the Public Health Agency of Canada and licensed this month to NewLink Genetics, a company based in Iowa. According to the NIH, safety trials of that vaccine will start this fall. Ebola victim: 'I felt like I was about to die' Earlier this month, the Canadian government shipped what it said was "800 to 1,000" doses of that vaccine to Liberia, at the government's request. It's not clear whether it has been given to health workers or anyone else there. Worth noting: In 2009, an earlier version of the vaccine was given to a lab worker in Germany after he thought he had pricked himself with a needle tainted with Ebola. He did not develop the disease. While there currently is no proven treatment for Ebola beyond supportive care, government agencies and small biotech firms have been scrambling to speed up development of several potential therapies and vaccines. A third vaccine, also developed by the NIH, was recently tested in primates and found to protect them from infection; it was given in combination with Depovax, an adjuvant that has been used with other vaccines and cancer therapies to boost the body's immune response. While vaccines might be given to prevent infection among health workers or other people thought to be at high risk, development has also been sped up on drugs that might potentially be given to patients who already have the disease. The drug that's received the most attention is ZMapp, which has been given to at least seven individuals in the current outbreak, including two American missionary medical workers, Nancy Writebol and Dr. Kent Brantly. The drug has never been formally tested in humans, and while the results in human patients are encouraging -- five of the seven known to have received it are still alive -- experts say there is too little data to say whether it played a role in their recoveries. Are myths making the Ebola outbreak worse? Earlier versions of ZMapp, which received backing from the U.S. and Canadian governments as well as from biotech firms, have shown some ability to protect rhesus macaque monkeys more than two days after they were infected with the virus. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services announced on Tuesday a $24.9 million, 18-month contract with ZMapp's manufacturer, Mapp Biopharmaceutical, to accelerate the development of the medication. Mapp will make "a small amount of the drug for early stage clinical safety studies and nonclinical studies" to gauge how the drug works on people, the HHS department said in a news release. The various new steps "will contribute to increasing the amount of product potentially available to treat patients with Ebola." Another drug, TKM-Ebola, has been tested for safety in a small number of humans. That trial was put on hold in January, after one volunteer developed moderate gastrointestinal side effects after receiving a high dose of the medication. Last month, the FDA modified the hold to a "partial clinical hold." In effect, this means that Tekmira could potentially be allowed to give the drug to doctors or hospitals who request it, on an emergency basis. There's no indication that the company has received any such requests. The vaccine going into trials this week is based on an adenovirus -- a type of cold virus -- that's found in chimpanzees. The virus delivers genetic material derived from two species of Ebola virus, including the Zaire strain that's responsible for the current outbreak. Those genes are meant to trigger the development of antibodies in the person who receives the vaccine, antibodies that can specifically defend against Ebola. Another trial, using a version of the GSK/NIAID vaccine that uses only the Zaire strain of Ebola, will be launched in October, according to the NIH. All participants in the trial will be evaluated nine times over a 48-week period. NIH expects to reveal the results of the trial by the end of the year. If it's approved for widespread use, the first priority will be to give the vaccine to health care workers or lab workers who are fighting the spread of the virus, Fauci said. It will then be considered for people in the communities where outbreaks occur. Nine things to know about the killer disease . What happens when you survive Ebola? | U.S. reaches contract for development of experimental ZMapp drug . FDA gives green light for Ebola vaccine human safety trial to begin . This will be the first test of this type of Ebola vaccine in humans . Vaccine will be given to 20 healthy volunteers at the NIH in Maryland . | f574b78b50060d28d6bc88d42a4143c6168a36a2 |
Subsets and Splits
No community queries yet
The top public SQL queries from the community will appear here once available.