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(CNN) -- "Hoylake, blown upon by mighty winds, breeder of mighty champions." -- Bernard Darwin (1876-1961 - golf writer and grandson of British naturalist Charles Darwin) In 1930, in a small corner of England's green and pleasant land, the idea for one of golf's most desirable accoutrements was born. The champion golfer of the age -- American Bobby Jones -- won that year's British Open at Hoylake, near the city of Liverpool, as the second leg of an unprecedented grand slam of championships. But before he would tame the winds of the Wirral Peninsula, and go on to win all four major titles on offer in a single season, Jones was invited to a players' reception at the club. And it was this soiree that would sow the idea for Augusta's legendary green jacket, awarded to the winner of The Masters. "The story goes that Jones was sitting next to a chap called Kenneth Stoker, who was captain of the club the year before," Hoylake club historian Joe Pinnington told CNN. "All the captains were wearing their formal kit -- the red coats that we have. "Jones asked about it, was fascinated by it, and eventually Stoker said to him: 'Now look here Mr. Jones, if you win the tournament this week I'll give you my coat.' "Of course Jones won and he got the coat." Atlanta-born Jones was afforded a ticker-tape parade in New York when he returned in early July with the British Open and British Amateur titles tucked away in his locker, along with that red blazer from Hoylake. He was the champion of a nation at a time when sport helped the American public escape the stench of poverty and despair in the wake of the Great Depression. But his mission was only half completed. Triumphs at the U.S. Open and the U.S. Amateur would follow, causing the New York Times to label Jones' achievement "the most triumphant journey that any man ever traveled in sport." Having completed what was known as "the impregnable quadrilateral" at the tender age of 28, he promptly retired, exhausted from his feats, plunging a nation and a sport into mourning. His next project was Augusta National, a place for him to play with his pals away from the spotlight, a course that would stage the first incarnation of The Masters in 1934. Three years later Augusta members started wearing green jackets to make themselves identifiable to patrons, and in 1949 it was decided that year's victor, and all the previous champions, would be issued with their own version too. "It's a wonderful link for our golf club to have and the Masters is one of golf's great events," Pinnington says. "That red jacket is now at Jones' home course -- the Atlanta Athletic Club -- in a part of their museum which is called the Hoylake Room. "We have a wonderful reciprocation with their club, a lot of their members are members at Hoylake and we have four or five who are members there." Jones headed for Hoylake having secured the first leg of his historic quadruple at the home of golf -- St. Andrew's in Scotland -- the week before. That made him a nine-time major champion and one of the most talked-about sportsmen of the day. Unsurprisingly, his arrival at Royal Liverpool Golf Club was headline news. "Jones was at the height of his fame when he came to Hoylake," explains Pinnington, a former club captain. "He'd eclipsed Walter Hagen and he was a phenomenal man who won 11 majors in total. "Amateur golf was followed very closely in those days because professionals were not really socially acceptable. In 1930, they weren't allowed through the front door of clubhouses. "Jones came at a time when magazines likes Vanity Fair and Country Life as well as The Times and The Telegraph newspapers covered golf. "For the first time sport was on the front pages and Jones was the hero of everybody. "He was a magnetic sort of bloke. A good-looking man with a beautiful golf swing and a wonderful temperament, very different to the bad-tempered man who arrived in 1921." Jones had smoothed out his irascible constitution, the most famous eruption of which saw him pick up his ball and withdraw from the 1921 British Open at St. Andrew's after a disastrous start. But though he exuded a confident air during the course of his four rounds in two days at Hoylake, he grappled desperately to combat the stress that plagued him on the inside. "He fell apart during these championships because the nerves were overwhelming," Pinnington says. "He hardly ate -- he had a bit of toast and maybe a whiskey and water at the end of the day. He was in a right old ragged state. "Although he looked totally supreme on the outside he was a complete wreck on the inside. There were a couple of British guys in contention but Jones ground out the last round to win by two from another American, Leo Diegel, and Macdonald Smith, from Scotland. "It was a key part in his grand slam and we are amazingly lucky to have someone like that in our history at Hoylake." The links between Hoylake and one of its most illustrious champions don't end there. Jones' ill health meant he had to decline an offer to return for the club's centenary celebrations in 1969, but contained within his correspondence was another accolade. He noted that his first competitive round in Britain came at Hoylake, during the inaugural international match between the United Kingdom and the United States in 1921, as did his last -- the 1930 Open. Jones was made an honorary member in the wake of his latter triumph -- his third, having also won the Open at Royal Lytham and St. Anne's in 1926 and at St. Andrew's the following year. It gave Hoylake a unique hat-trick -- the only other amateur golfers to have won prestigious tournament (John Ball in 1890 and Harold Hilton in 1892 and 1897) were also Royal Liverpool members. Jones died in in 1971, aged 69, but a corner of Hoylake's clubhouse is devoted to his feat and ensures his legacy lives on. | Hoylake, this year's British Open host, was the inspiration for Augusta's green jacket . Bobby Jones was given a red jacket worn by captains of Hoylake on his visit in 1930 . Jones won the Open at Hoylake on his way to a famous grand slam of golf that year . The winner of The Masters at Jones' club in Augusta got a green jacket from 1949 . | 7a3745ae479706f40911dae88bf19caa2003efc1 |
The unemployment rate rose in October to 7.9 per cent according to the latest U.S. Labour Department report – raising it above the level when President Barack Obama was sworn into office in January 2009. Shortly after taking office, Obama said . that if he failed to revive the economy in three years, he . would be looking at a ‘one-term proposition’. The September jobs report came as major a . surprise with unemployment rate dropping to 7.8 per cent, dipping below . eight per cent for the first time since February 2009, when it was 8.3 . per cent. Delicate moment: President Barack Obama speaks at a rally in Las Vegas yesterday during the fraught run-up to the election . On inauguration day in 2009, unemployment was 7.8 per cent. Employers added 171,000 jobs, with the overall rate rising because more people began looking for work. If the labour force participation rate was the same as when Obama took office, however, unemployment would be 10.6 per cent. Progress? The rate of unemployment has fluctuated over the past two years, but is still higher than it was when Obama took office . On the campaign trail, however, Obama has pleaded for more time. ‘We've made real progress these past four years,’ he said in Boulder, Colorado on Thursday night. ‘But, Colorado, we all know our work is not yet done. As long as there's a single American who wants a job and can't find one, our work is not done.’ It was the last monthly employment report before a general election on Tuesday that has largely been fought on the issue of jobs with Mitt Romney, the Republican nominee, blasting Obama for the ailing economy and Obama blaming the situation on the ‘mess’ he inherited from President George W. Bush. While most voters have made up their mind about the economy, and many have already cast their ballots early, the rise in the unemployment rate will give Romney potentially crucial ammunition in the final four days of the 2012 campaign. The September jobs report was greeted with scepticism and even claims of conspiracy from some on the Right. Jack Welsh, former CEO of General Electric, said via Twitter: ‘Unbelievable jobs numbers…these Chicago guys will do anything.can’t debate so change numbers.’ There was no immediate reaction from Welch, whose comments ignited a firestorm and were denounced by the White House as ‘ludicrous’, to the October report. Romney said that the ‘increase in the unemployment rate is a sad reminder that the economy is at a virtual standstill’. He added in a statement: ‘The jobless rate is higher than it was when President Obama took office, and there are still 23million Americans struggling for work. Crucial time: Republican candidate Mitt Romney, pictured today arriving in Norfolk, Virginia, said the increase in the unemployment rate was 'a sad reminder that the economy is at a virtual standstill¿ . Since President Obama took office four years ago, 67 per cent, or two-thirds, of new jobs have gone to legal and illegal immigrants, according to a new report from the Center for Immigration Studies. Most of that growth in immigrant employment was due to new immigrants coming to the U.S. for work rather than immigrants already living in the country. There were 1.94million more immigrants employed in the third quarter of 2012 than at the start of 2009, when the president took office, compared with 938,000 hires among native citizens in the same time period. A large share of job growth was going to immigrants before Obama took office, but the president has taken steps to make it easier for foreign-born workers to land jobs in the U.S. In 2010 the Obama administration called on the U.S. Supreme Court to drop Arizona’s immigration law requiring employers to verify the legal status of new workers. The Supreme Court delivered a 5-3 decision upholding the law in 2011. ‘On Tuesday, America will make a choice between stagnation and prosperity. For four years, President Obama’s policies have crushed America’s middle class. ‘For four years, President Obama has told us that things are getting better and that we’re making progress. For too many American families, those words ring hollow. ‘We can do better. We can have real economic growth, create millions of good-paying jobs, and give middle-class families the security and opportunity they deserve. ‘When I’m president, I’m going to make real changes that lead to a real recovery, so that the next four years are better than the last.’ Job gains in previous months grew after being revised, with September’s 114,000 new jobs revised to 148,000 while August’s 142,000 was revised to 192,000. There have now been 25 consecutive months of jobs gains in the United States – something trumpeted by the Obama campaign - but the increases have been not been enough to absorb new people entering the work force. About 12million people are without work, two out of five of whom have been out of a job for more than six months. | Unemployment rate was 7.8 per cent on inauguration day in 2009 . The president said shortly after . that if he failed to revive the economy in three years he . would be looking at a ‘one-term proposition’ He describes situation now as 'real progress' after employers added 171,000 jobs . Mitt Romney said the news showed the 'economy was at a standstill' The news comes at a crucial time with just days to go until the election . | 70e1efe2e38e52f748860854267103f21529afb4 |
By . Amanda Williams . PUBLISHED: . 12:47 EST, 25 April 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 02:06 EST, 26 April 2013 . James Rollinson has been jailed after he fell asleep in a stolen car outside a home he had just raided . A burglar has been jailed after he was caught sleeping by police - in a stolen car outside a home he had just raided. James Rollinson dropped off in the back seat after stealing jewellery, a games console, a laptop and a camera from a woman's home in Sedgley, West Midlands, on December 23 last year. The 20-year-old had taken the bagful of stolen property back to his own home before returning to the house and passing out in the car. Rollinson admitted burglary and was jailed for 12 months at Wolverhampton Crown Court on Monday . The court heard a neighbour called police - who found Rollinson asleep in the back of the parked car. Jailing him, Recorder Denis Desmond said: 'You took her property to your home, you came back and you got into her car and then you fell asleep.' Prosecutor Alka Brigue told the court Rollinson targeted the house after seeing Miss Goodyear drinking in a pub in Sedgley. The crook knew her home was empty and smashed a side window with a brick to gain access. The missing goods - apart from the camera - were later recovered from Rollinson's home in Sedgley and returned to Miss Goodyear. Defending Rollinson, Jas Mann said the burglar was 'tanked up' after a heavy drinking session and he had little recollection of the burglary. Rollinson, nodded off in the back seat after swiping jewellery, a games console, a laptop and a camera from a woman's home in Sedgley, West Midlands . Rollinson admitted burglary and was jailed for 12 months at Wolverhampton Crown Court (pictured) on Monday . Mr Mann added: 'He was not in a sober, sensible and rational state of mind. 'It was because he was intoxicated that he got involved in this enterprise.' Friends of Rollinson have written on his Facebook page about giving him a 'big sess' when he is released from prison. | He had stolen games console, a laptop and a camera from a woman's home . Rollinson took haul home before returning to house and passing out in car . He was jailed for 12 months at Wolverhampton Crown Court . | 565d533c9f233d4fbc41c9b23a5a521f1938cb35 |
Houston Mayor Annise Parker says her youngest daughter was barred from taking a driving test 'because she has two moms.' Parker, who is the first openly-gay mayor of a major American city, said Thursday that the Department of Public Safety wouldn't accept the documents that her daughter Marquitta took to sign up for the test. 'Daughter needs drivers test. Has all docs, some in MomA [Annise] name, some MomK [Kathy Hubbard], but w/ birth cert showing both,' she said via Twitter. 'DPS says can only be from 1 mom!' Houston Mayor Annise Parker says her daughter Marquitta (right) faced extra hurdles while getting a driver's license because she has two mothers . Moms Kathy Hubbard and Annise Parker on their California wedding day in January 2014 . The mayor says it took her three trips and an 'unnecessary paper chase' to get her youngest daughter a driver's license. 'Thank you to the DPS clerk & supervisor in the Rosenberg office who took the time to read my daughters documentation & realize it was OK,' she said Friday afternoon. Parker has three children with Hubbard: Daniela Parker, Marquitta Parker and Jovon Tyler. A spokesman for the department denied the claims. 'All individuals applying for their first Texas driver license must provide a variety of documents to prove their identity, Social Security Number, US citizenship or lawful presence status, and Texas residency,' press secretary Tom Vinger told Lone Star Q. 'In this case, the adult applicant did not initially present sufficient documentation to prove residency. Once she provided the required documentation, she was able to complete the transaction. 'There is no indication that any delay in the process was related to same-sex marriage.' Parker and Hubbard were married earlier this year in a sunset ceremony in California on the 23rd anniversary of the beginning of their relationship. 'This is a very happy day for us,' Parker said then. 'We have had to wait a very long time to formalize our commitment to each other. 'Kathy has been by my side for more than two decades, helping to raise a family, nurture my political career and all of the other ups and downs and life events that come with a committed relationship. 'She is the love of my life, and I can't wait to spend the rest of my life married to her.' Parker's election in 2009 made Houston the largest U.S. city with an openly gay mayor. Texas does not recognize same-sex marriages. Parker has previously stated that she wanted to get married in Houston, but acknowledged that being able to do so may be a long time in coming. Parker (left) is the first openly-gay mayor of a major American city . Together Hubbard and Parker raised Daniela (left) and Marquitta Parker. Not pictured is son Jovon Tyler . | Annise Parker, the first openly-gay mayor of a major American city, says her daughter faced extra obstacles while seeking a driver's license . The Houston mayor say the Department of Public Safety wouldn't accept the documents her daughter Marquitta took because is lists two mothers . Parker is married to Kathy Hubbard, with whom she raised three children: Daniela Parker, Marquitta Parker and Jovon Tyler . A spokesman for DPS denies the claims . | 71e5c48a282f4aa3031152d7baac023dc76d5005 |
(CNN) -- When the chips are down, the world may one day owe a debt of gratitude to a group of potato farmers high up in the mountains of Peru. Not small potatoes: Preserving potato varieties in Peru is vital to global food security. Thanks to a new $116 million global fund established this summer, the Quechua Indians are being paid to maintain their diverse collection of rare potatoes and ensure that they will be available to help the world adapt to future climate change. The Quechua are one of 11 communities around the world, chosen for the important collection of crops they farm, which together are part of a major new initiative to ensure that the world has the options it might need to cope with future food crises. Other countries involved include Cuba, where they will be focusing on maize and beans, as well as oranges in Egypt and wheat in Tanzania. The fund, a cornerstone of the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (ITPGRFA), aims to maintain a reservoir of essential species for all our major food crops. "Agricultural biodiversity is essential," Dr Shakeel Bhatti, Secretary of the Treaty, told CNN. "It is really the global insurance that in the future we will be able to adapt to problems like climate change and population growth." Just as biodiversity is now seen as the cornerstone of the resilience of natural world, so having a broad variety of agricultural crops is essential to the resilience of agriculture. Different species of plants are often able to cope with widely differing environmental conditions and many obscure varieties could hide vital disease resistance. But the world's valuable diversity is disappearing incredibly fast. "The figures are quite disturbing," said Dr Bhatti. Over the millennia, humans have relied on more than 10,000 different plant species for food. Today, we have barely 150 species under cultivation -- and of those only 12 species provide 80 percent of all of our food needs. Four of those -- rice, wheat, maize and potatoes -- provide more than half of our energy requirements. As global markets have grown and seed production and agriculture become more commercialized, the old system of farmers saving their own seeds - and by doing so a myriad of different crops, often closely adapted to local conditions - has almost disappeared. As a result variety is dwindling towards a vanishing point. China has lost 90 percent of the wheat varieties it had just 60 years ago. In the United States more than 90 percent of fruit tree and vegetable varieties found in farmers' fields at the beginning of the twentieth century are no longer there. Mexico has lost 80 percent of its corn varieties. India has lost 90 percent of its rice varieties . "They're gone; they've disappeared forever," said Dr Bhatti. "From a food security point of view this makes the world's farmers much more vulnerable to pests... and increases the vulnerability of some poor countries to price shocks in global commodity markets." The ITPGRFA has two major aims: to prevent the loss of underused crops and ensure the full diversity of common crop species is maintained. It has already enabled the establishment of a seed bank containing 1.1 million varieties that opened in Svalbard, Norway, in 2008. But now the focus is on crop varieties than cannot be stored in this way -- such as potatoes. Historically, both the 19th century Irish Potato Famine and the Bengal Famine, in India, are hard lessons in what happens when we rely too much on a small range of species that are hit by disease. But, according to Dr Bhatti, there are problems around the world now that offer a glimpse at what could happen in the future if we don't maintain our vigilance. Wheat Stem Rust is a devastating wind-born disease affecting cereals that has spread across Africa and is now in the Middle East, and migrating further eastwards. "If it reaches South Asia and China then millions could face a major threat to food security," says Dr Bhatti. In southwest Australia years of drought, believed to be linked to climate change, have had a huge impact on rice production. "It has almost wiped out the sector," said Dr Bhatti. Although the ITPGRFA was agreed in 2001, and came into affect in 2004, but for the last five years signatories have been locked in negotiations over how the scheme would be financed. It wasn't until a conference in Tunis in June 2009 that the deadlock was broken with the new $116 million benefit sharing fund, which will fund the 11 projects. There are also contracts to ensure those countries that are centers of diversity -- often poorer nations -- benefit when species are used commercially by richer nations. "That was a major step forward," said Dr Bhatti. "We now have tremendous confidence in the system; the treaty is on track." Rich signatories, such as Norway, Spain and Italy, have agreed to provide the rest of the funds within five years, and according to Dr Bhatti the U.S. has expressed a desire to sign up after disinterest during the Bush administration. So successful is the model established by the ITPGRFA that the World Health Organization is looking at it as a way of sharing information on viruses, including influenza; there are also plans for a bank of animal genetic material. "I must say I have been so delighted by the Tunis conference this year," said Dr Bhatti. "To a certain extent we were at a crossroads, but we completely came through. It was a quantum leap; a major thing. We are moving forward." | New multi-million global fund to preserve agricultural biodiversity . Importance highlighted by previous food crises and famines . U.S. has lost 90 percent of fruit and vegetable varieties in last 100 years . | 2216f48889e9387f25a808d7e07ee08301f2615f |
By . Anthony Bond . PUBLISHED: . 10:56 EST, 5 April 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 12:45 EST, 5 April 2012 . It is a notorious website which allows complete strangers from all over the world to chat to each other face-to-face. And with 1.3million visitors per day, it is fair to say Chatroulette gets a complete cross-section of people from all walks of life logging on. Remarkably, however, the popular site has led to love for one lucky couple. Lovestruck: Alex and Siobhan Rodgers are believed to be the first couple ever to marry after meeting by chance on Chatroulette . Lovestruck Alex and Siobhan Rodgers are . believed to be the first couple ever to marry after meeting by chance on the site. Mrs Rodgers, 23, who is American, and her 28-year-old British husband clicked immediately while using the site for the very first time. Love blossomed and the pair have now tied the knot and settled down to enjoy married life in London. Chatroulette allows users to chat to total strangers via a webcam but has attracted criticism for attracting voyeurs. In order to find a new person to talk to, users simply press the 'next' button, known as 'nexting'. Mrs Rodgers said: 'I turned it on and literally the first person I saw was Alex. In love: Mrs Rodgers, 23, who is American, and her 28-year-old British husband clicked immediately while using the site for the very first time . Together: Love quickly blossomed between the pair and they have now tied the knot and settled down to enjoy married life in London . 'I thought he was really hot and we got talking - we spoke for six hours! 'We started to panic that we might press the next, button and we would be lost forever, so we added each other on Facebook.' Mrs Rodgers clicked onto Chatroulette for the first time in November 2009 after watching an episode of South Park where the website was heavily parodied. Mr Rodgers was also using the site for the first time. He said: 'I had been on it for a few hours and came across Siobhan. 'I was blown away with her beauty, and we immediately clicked. Happy: Alex and Siobhan Rodgers married in Michigan in August last year . 'I just really fell for her. There was spark and it was a bit flirtatious and we seemed very keen and interested in each other.' The pair stayed up that first night chatting until well into the next day and their romance blossomed. They . regularly spoke on Facebook and Skype, and in April 2010 the Londoner . flew to Michigan to meet his future wife and her family. There were concerns that Mrs Rodgers friends might think it strange an Englishman came to America to visit her, but he proved very popular. Mr Rodgers said: 'Siobhan's mum trusted her instincts and her friends liked me when they met me.' She said: 'He was as good in person as he was through a computer screen - he met my family and they all loved him.' Their cyber-romance flourished and in September that year Mrs Rodgers quit her job and moved to London to be with her website designer partner. He proposed in February and they married in Michigan in August last year. She said: 'We now live in London and are truly in love and we owe it all to Chatroulette. 'We were one of the lucky ones, as I know most people on there are doing things that are not exactly a conversation starter!' Chatroulette has made headlines for the uncontrolled nature of random webcam conversations - the website is notorious for the number of men performing sex-acts on themselves. Mrs Rodgers said their love for Chatroulette is as strong as ever, and they often surf the web together from their home in Kings Cross. She said: 'We have gone on as a couple a couple of times since we were married and had a chat to a few people.' Chatroulette is in the top 500 most popular websites, and even celebrities have claimed to use the site, including Jessica Alba, Paris Hilton, Justin Bieber and Olly Murs. | American woman, 23, married British husband, 28, in Michigan . 'He was as good in person as was on the computer' | 813346f9ccce10e3e51578dce5826675f01c06b4 |
(CNN) -- A 25-year-old woman has been charged with first-degree murder in the California death of a deployed Marine's wife, San Diego County authorities said Friday. Jessica Lynn Lopez, 25, was being held Friday after she pleaded not guilty at her arraignment a day earlier and her bail was set at $3 million, said Steve Walker, a spokesman for the San Diego County district attorney. The investigation into the murder of Brittany Killgore, 22, is ongoing and additional charges could be filed, Walker told CNN Friday. Marine Staff Sgt. Luis Ray Perez, 45, who was on a date with Killgore when she was last seen alive a week ago, was charged earlier this week with two felonies unrelated to Killgore's death -- receiving stolen property and possession of an assault weapon -- and he has pleaded not guilty, authorities said. If convicted, Lopez would face 25 years to life in prison; Perez would face up to three years if convicted, Walker said. The San Diego County Sheriff's Department said this week that Perez was being "actively investigated" in connection with Killgore's death. "We believe he knows more than what he initially told us," said Sheriff's Capt. Duncan Fraser. "We do not believe he is being cooperative with us." Killgore, 22, was seen last Friday night when she left her apartment wearing an evening dress, heading out on the date with Perez, who is based at Camp Pendleton in San Diego County, investigators said. Perez was questioned after a friend filed a missing person report for Killgore and he was later arrested on charges of possession of a stolen assault rifle, authorities said. Investigators later found Killgore's body in a rural part of neighboring Riverside County. Authorities have not said how she died. Lopez's relationship to Killgore has been unclear. CNN affiliate KGTV in San Diego reported that authorities found Killgore's body based on leads stemming from Lopez's arrest. Lopez was found at a Ramada motel near the San Diego airport Tuesday after paramedics responded to a call for medical help. She was briefly hospitalized with lacerations and then jailed on suspicion of Killgore's murder. Killgore had recently filed for divorce from her husband, Marine Lance Cpl. Cory Killgore, who was serving with an artillery unit in Afghanistan's Helmand Province, investigators said. He was granted an emergency leave to return to the United States when he learned his wife was missing. San Diego County District Attorney Bonnie M. Dumanis issued a statement saying: "This is an ongoing investigation and, as the county's top prosecutor, my responsibility is to protect the integrity of the case, ensure a thorough investigation, and ultimately hold those responsible in a court of law." | Jessica Lynn Lopez, 25, pleads not guilty to a murder charge in San Diego County . Brittany Killgore's body is found in a rural part of neighboring Riverside County . She recently filed for divorce from her Marine husband, who was in Afghanistan . Another Marine is also being investigated in the case, authorities say . | b94c8252f8ada2c512c42ca3afe7abd32ccfba07 |
By . Deborah Arthurs . PUBLISHED: . 05:39 EST, 10 May 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 09:35 EST, 10 May 2012 . It is a full two and a half centuries since the fourth Earl of Sandwich is said to have demanded his hunk of meat be brought to him between two doorstop wedges of bread so he needn't take a break from gambling. His accidental invention, reported to have been the result of his wish to avoid gravy dripping onto his hands, was purportedly picked up by his gambling pals - I'll have the same as Sandwich!' - and the sandwich was born. The bread-based snack has since become one of Britain's most popular and enduring culinary creations, and forms the backbone of many a lunchbreak. Celebrating the sandwich: Tesco is marking 250 years of the nation's favourite bread-based snack with a Yorkshire pudding wrap . Thanks to its versatility, the potential permutations of the bread-based snack are endless. And this week, to celebrate 250 years of the sandwich, Tesco has launched a new sandwich range, Best Of British, celebrating Britain's most iconic foods and paying homage to the sandwich, which the store says is 'one of Britain's most famous contributions to world cuisine. Whether or not these combinations will elevate our global culinary status any higher is a matter of personal taste. The collection includes such delights as the Yorkshire pudding wrap, complete with British topside beef, roast potato and horseradish sauce. Thinking outside the (lunch)box: The Fourth Earl of Sandwich, 1718-1792, is said to have invented the sandwich when he instructed his kitchen staff to bring him his meat between two slices of bread so he could continue gambling . Or another, perhaps best left to the iron-stomached: the Scotch egg sandwich, stuffed with slices of haslet pork, free range egg and pickle. Joining Tesco on the Jubilee bandwagon is Gregg's, who plan to design a British-themed sandwich for every month of this anniversary year. An ardent gambler, the 4th Earl of . Sandwich refused to break from his games to dine formally. Instead, so . legend has it, he demanded his kitchen staff bring him slabs of beef . between hunks of bread, so that he might eat it without dripping gravy . on his cards. His . gambling chums, all eager to emulate their esteemed host, adopted the . same habit, and when the Earl ordered his snack, they would shout 'The . same as Sandwich!', and thus, the story goes, the sandwich was born. A . less colourful version of the tale is expounded in the Earl of . Sandwich's biography, by N.A.M. Rodger. He suggests that Sandwich, a . hardworking member of the military who was heavily involved with the . political world and the arts, is more likely to have eaten the . sandwiches at his desk. First up for May is their Beef and Horseradish Oval Bite, which they say is made up of 'succulent beef, horseradish and caramelised red onion chutney with spinach on an oval bite,' which roughly translates a beef sandwich on funny-shaped bread. Martin Kibler, Trading and Marketing Director at Greggs, said: 'A good sandwich still gets our tastebuds excited and is more often than not the thing we turn to when in need of a satisfying snack. This this is why it has remained so important to our food culture for so many years. 'As a business, we’ve been baking bread since the 1930s when our founder John Gregg started to deliver bread to the people of Newcastle. We know more than most about the importance of quality ingredients and how to make a great sandwich. Tesco sandwich buyer Debbie Allwright added: 'Britain has a fantastic culinary history that we wanted to celebrate with our greatest food creation of all - the humble sandwich. 'We know that this summer there will be a big appetite for heritage foods and we wanted to celebrate some of these in a new and tasty way. 'Millions of people look forward to eating Yorkshire pudding as part of their Sunday roast. 'Now they’ll be able to pick one up anytime they like in the form of a wrap.' Tesco has become well known for its sandwich innovations. This new range follows the strawberry and cream sandwich, created last year to celebrate Wimbledon fortnight, and the lasagna sandwich in 2010. | Tesco say the Yorkshire pudding wrap is 'iconic' | 15fd11b4b91c6b7af1b9b56fb39943ef191c4da0 |
Child rape: Baseball coach David Engle, pictured, 'repeatedly filmed himself raping two boys and had 450 sexual photos of his youth baseball players' A youth baseball coach was exposed as a prolific pedophile in one of the world's biggest ever child porn busts, it can be revealed today. David Scott Engle is believed to be the first American child sex offender officially identified as someone caught by investigators from Project Spade. Last month MailOnline reported Engle, a divorce lawyer from Lake Lucerne in Washington, was sentenced to 25 years in prison after amassing thousands of child pornography images. The 50-year-old will now stand trial on child rape charges after investigators found dozens of videos of him allegedly carrying out sickening sexual assaults on two boys. He was arrested in November last year when he was detected buying child pornography online, leading to the discovery that he had a collection of 450 images showing the clothed genitals of the boys he coached. And MailOnline can for the first time reveal that he was caught after operatives from sweeping child pornography investigation Project Spade discovered his internet activity. Members of the global team alerted local law enforcement who searched his home and a storage unit and discovered a stash of horrific home-made and purchased child pornography. Last night Emily Langlie from the United States Attorney's office told MailOnline: 'Project Spade put him on the radar of law enforcement officers. 'Then following the serving of warrants it became clear that Mr Engle was involved in not only the production of child pornography, but in child molestation against young victims.' So far Project Spade has led to the rescue of 386 young children around the world and the arrest of 348 people, among them nearly 80 American nationals. 'It is alleged that officers seized hundreds of thousands of videos detailing horrific sexual acts against very young children, some of the worst that they have ever viewed,' Toronto Inspector Joanna Beaven-Desjardins said. Scroll down for video . Massive haul: Canadian police described the Project Spade operation as one of the largest child porn busts they've ever seen . Police have revealed 108 people were arrested in Canada, 76 in the U.S and 164 in countries from Spain to South Africa and Australia. Forty school teachers, nine doctors and nurses, and more than 30 people who volunteered with kids were among those taken into custody. The list of suspects also includes nine clergymen, six police officers and three foster parents. Police said the children were 'rescued from child exploitation' but did not give more details. Beaven-Desjardins said the investigation began with a Toronto man accused of running a company since 2005 that distributed child pornography videos to the tune of $4million in revenue, CTV News reported. Police allege Brian Way, 42, instructed people around the world to create the videos of children ranging from 5 to 12 years of age, then distributed the videos via his company, Azov Films, to international customers. The videos included naked boys from Germany, Romania and Ukraine, which it marketed as naturist movies and claimed were legal in Canada and the United States. The head of the Toronto police sex crimes unit told the Toronto Star that the X-rated images displayed 'horrific acts of sexual abuse — some of the worst (officers) have seen.' Police said they executed a search warrant at Way's company and home, seizing about 1,000 pieces of evidence: computers, servers, DVD burners, a video editing suite and hundreds of movies. Global collaboration: More than 30 police officers from around the world gathered to announce the end of a 3-year child pornography investigation in Toronto . Way was charged with 24 offences, including child pornography. Police also designated Azov Films as a criminal organization, charging Way with giving directions on behalf of a gang. TheAzovfilms.com website has been shut down. And MailOnline can reveal Engle was part of the global network of paedophiles. Last month he was sentenced on federal child pornography charges but allegations that he raped one boy 'countless' times over six years remaining outstanding in state court. The baseball coach for 11 and 12-year-olds had gone to great lengths to have contact with children, and amassed an extensive collection of child pornography featuring boys the same age as the ones he taught, the court was told. Before his arrest, Engle had coached a youth baseball team, was president of Maple Valley Pony Baseball and Fast Pitch, served on two regional baseball organizations and one baseball business. Assistant U.S. Attorney Marci Ellsworth said the former coach abused the trust parents placed in him. 'While [Engle] was purportedly serving as a role model and mentor for these young boys, he was sexually interested in them,' Ms Ellsworth said in court papers. 'When [he] was taking pictures and shooting video of baseball games, his camera was focused on the players’ crotches, not on their batting stance, pitching arms, or any other aspect of their athletic performance.' Online filth: Police allege Brian Way, 42, instructed people around the world to create the videos of children ranging from 5 to 12 years of age, then distributed the videos via his company, Azov Films . Engle pleaded guilty in July to federal child pornography charges and admitted possessing hundreds of videos of children being sexually abused. Now he has been sentenced on those charges, the child rape case can proceed with any state sentence following on from the 25-year term just handed to Engle. King County prosecutors have charged him with three counts of child rape over allegations that he was shown raping a boy in several videos. About 1,400 photos and 40 videos allegedly show Engle raping one boy, and three videos show abuse of a second child. In one Engle filmed himself watching baseball on TV as the boy he was raping struggled and told him 'No'. The assaults only stopped after his arrest. 'This is a heart-wrenching betrayal of trust of the victims and the community,' U.S. Attorney Jenny A. Durkan said in a statement. Engle was caught after postal inspectors joined an international investigation into Azovfilms.com. All walks of life: Police said 108 people were arrested in Canada, 76 in the U.S and 164 in countries from Spain to South Africa and Australia, among them teachers, doctors and priests . He spent $2,300 on videos and photos sent to him by the company between 2005 and 2011, according to Q13Fox, but when police raided his home they found child pornography well beyond the purchases he made from the website they had been investigating. His 'collection of child pornography consisted predominantly of young boys in the same age range as those [he] coached in youth baseball,' Ms Ellsworth told the court. She added: '[Engle] had many pictured of the boys he coached – including nearly 450 pictures of their clothed genital regions – which, although … not pornographic in nature, are nonetheless disturbing.' His conviction is a significant result for Project Spade, which began in 2010 and worked with Interpol in more than 50 countries including Australia, Spain, Mexico, Norway and Greece. More than 350,000 images and over 9,000 videos - about 45 terabytes - of child sexual abuse were found during the probe, and arrests are continuing. Norwegian police spokesman Bjoern-Erik Ludvigsen said in a statement: 'This operation shows that international police cooperation works. Despite large amounts of material and that this is time-consuming work, this shows that the Internet is not a safe haven for crimes against children,' The U.S. Postal Inspection Service said it began its investigation by accessing the company website and making undercover purchases. | David Scott Engle, from Lake Lucerne, Washington, is believed to be the first US child sex offender officially identified as someone caught by investigators from Project Spade . Last month MailOnline reported Engle, a divorce lawyer, was sentenced to 25 years in prison after amassing thousands of child pornography images . He will now stand trial on child rape charges after investigators found dozens of videos of him allegedly sexually assaulting on two boys . So far Project Spade has led to the . rescue of 386 young children worldwide and the arrest of 348 . people, among them nearly 80 American nationals . | 1b12289ff864209c693fff78e511117aa83cc140 |
By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 18:13 EST, 27 August 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 00:58 EST, 28 August 2012 . Suspicious: Police are treating the deaths of Lucy Schwartz, pictured, and Joseph Berg as suspicious . A plastic surgeon and the girlfriend he was convicted of kidnapping and tying up with medical tape last year have been found dead, in a suspected murder suicide. A family member discovered the bodies of Joseph Berg, 47, and Lucy Schwartz, 49, just before noon on Monday in the man's Salt Lake City home after he failed to answer his telephone, according to Utah County Deputy Attorney Craig Johnson. Police said there were no signs of trauma on the couple's bodies but are treating the deaths as suspicious. 'It’s still so early on in the . investigation, we can’t even say what the cause of death is,' Orem . police Sgt. Craig Martinez told the Salt Lake City Tribune. He added that this won't be known until autopsy and toxicology reports are released. Detectives . cordoned off the quiet cul-de-sac where the couple were living and forensics were moving in and out of . the property on Monday evening, searching for evidence. In April, the 47-year-old had been ordered to spend six months in jail for assaulting Schwartz, his longtime girlfriend. Berg . was arrested in November following a 911 call where dispatchers heard a . woman in the background crying and pleading for help. Police discovered . Berg at the home with a woman bound in medical tape. The woman was tied to a dresser, had a rag stuffed in her mouth and the man had dragged her down the hall by her hair. Martinez told the Herald Extra that Berg got out of jail on August 23. He was behind bars for just less than four months but was released early on good behaviour. In November of 2011, Dr. Joseph Berg was arrested for tying his girlfriend Lucelia Schwartz to a dresser with medical tape . Dead: Lucy Schwartz, pictured, was found dead alongside Berg at the surgeon's Salt Lake City home this afternoon . Kidnapped: Schwartz, pictured here with an unknown child, was kidnapped by Berg last year but the couple remained together . Police believe the deaths occurred sometime between Sunday night and late Monday morning as the couple had been out to dinner with family members over the weekend. 'It's a tragedy not only that he is dead but that someone is dead with him,' Johnson told reporters yesterday. 'Obviously, something went horribly wrong.' According to the Herald Extra, a realtor said the house where the two were found no longer belongs to Berg. Jeane Tanner with Summit Realty said the home at 479 E. 1450 North was sold on July 12. Martinez said a family member of Berg’s was renting the property and that he had not broken into the home. In addition to jail time, Berg was sentenced to three years of probation, anger management and substance abuse treatment. At his sentencing earlier this year, Berg’s attorney admitted his client was addicted to pain killers. Schwartz defended her boyfriend in court. 'I know in my heart he will be back and regain the success he had before the addiction took hold,' she said at the hearing. Orem home: The couple were found dead at Berg's north Orem home, pictured, by a family member . Tied up: Schwartz, pictured, defended her boyfriend at his April sentencing . Berg was stripped of his physician, . surgeon and his controlled substance prescribing licenses last November, . after an emergency hearing. In . the suspension order, the Utah Division of Occupational and . Professional Licensing said Berg’s staff had quit en masse because he . was acting peculiarly. The workers reported the man had been . falling asleep standing up, swallowing handfuls of pills and buying . drugs not used in his practice, according to the newspaper. The Utah plastic surgeon's troubles had persisted since his sentencing in April. In . June, a former patient filed a lawsuit against him claiming that he . tried to operate on her using a 'pickle fork' after her anesthetic wore . off. Grieving: An acquaintance of the parties involved, right, reacts to the news outside the home where the couple were found dead . Jennifer Swalberg scheduled an abdominoplasty and liposuction procedure with the clinic that Berg ran in Orem in May 2011. The lawsuit states that Swalberg's work was not professional and during one follow-up appointment he administered steroids and a local anesthetic, left the room for an hour and then returned where he 'repeatedly stabbed (Swalberg's) insides with a 'pickle fork'. The horrific recount of the patient's . visit to Berg is part of the lawsuit filed in court, which alleges he . committed health care malpractice, battery, lack of informed consent and . negligence. According to Springer, the medical ordeal began when Swalberg visited Dr. Berg for cosmetic surgery after losing weight. During the first procedure, Dr. Berg . removed 8.8 litres of fat, which the court documents describe as a . 'large amount that significantly increased the risk of post-operative . complications such as tissue necrosis and fluid accumulation.' Dean Zabriskie, (left), appears with his client, Joseph Berg at the 4th District Court, in Provo, Utah . Instead . of making a straightforward recovery, Swalberg alleges that she was . told to wear compression garments, but was not informed 'regarding . post-op drainage' said the Herald Extra. Dr. Berg is alleged to have performed surgery on Jennifer Swalberg using a pickle fork . Filed in June, the lawsuit claimed that Swalberg returned to Dr. Berg with pustulent wounds, 'draining blood and purulent fluid.' Attending to Swalberg's complaint, Dr. Berg is accused of shoving gauze into her post-surgery wounds with his fingers and failing to take and record proper notes. Paying Dr. Berg's Cosmetic Plastic Surgery Institute and Day Spa two more visits in June where she received similar treatment, Swalberg alleges that in August, she had been waiting for Swalberg for three hours when she heard a loud crash in the hallway. 'Jennifer opened the door to see what . had happened,' the documents state, 'and she saw Dr. Berg splayed out . across the floor, his eyes open and glazed.' It . was during another August visit that Dr. Berg is alleged to have used a . non-surgical instrument to perform surgery on Swalberg. Administering . steroids and local anesthetic to the wounds which had not healed after . three months, Dr.Berg is supposed to have left Swalberg along for an . hour. When he returned he cut open the Utah woman's scarring, even though the anesthetic had worn off. Taking . to the open flesh with a 'pickle fork', Dr. Berg told Swalberg that the . repeated stabbing would loosen the scar tissue, the lawsuit states. 'It . was excruciatingly painful, and (Swalberg) began bleeding . profusely...Dr. Berg instructed (Swalberg) to hold a paper wrapper . against the site to control the bleeding.' Dr. Berg bows his head at the 4th District Court, in Provo, Utah . These new wounds refused to heal and became odorous and filled with blood and pus alleges Swalberg through her lawyer Springer. Phoning Dr.Berg for another appointment, his staff refused to schedule one and then eventually stopped answering the phone states Swalberg. 'The scarring is permanent both on the inside and outside,' said Springer. 'We just don't want this to happen to somebody else. We want to send a message that this is improper.' With no previous criminal history, . prosecutors pressed for the most lenient sentence for Dr. Berg after he . tied his girlfriend to a dresser at his home and phoned 911 in distress. Dr. Berg's girlfriend Lucelia Schwartz speaks at the sentencing for her boyfriend in April . After he was arrested by police for the November 2011 attack, investigators discovered that he was abusing prescription drugs and his medical license was revoked. An emergency order from the Utah Division of Occupational and Professional Licensing in December of 2011 heard that Berg had 29 prescriptions for himself, one for a controlled substance, and 21 for his live-in girlfriend, the order said. Of those, 20 were for a controlled substance. Drugs illegally in his possession included hydrocodone, oxycodone and fentanyl patches. Defending his actions to the judge during his April sentencing he said that he suffered from A.D.D and depression and would now be battling prescription pill addiction for the rest of his life. The lawsuit from Swalberg seeks special, general and punitive damages and will be asking for at least $300,000. | Joseph Berg, 47, and Lucy Schwartz, 49, found dead in Salt Lake City home just before noon on Monday . Man was sentenced in April to six months jail for kidnapping Schwartz and 'dragging her down hall by her hair' Police say no signs of trauma on bodies but are treating deaths as suspicious . Berg was being sued in June for operating on a patient with a 'pickle fork' | 680714c3efa2134724e6f44e309e8646b30b9a67 |
Five hundred women and girls living in England have been identified as victims of female genital mutilation in just one month, new figures show. And campaigners have warned the numbers represent 'just the tip of the iceberg', estimating more than 130,000 women and girls in the country are affected by the issue. Female genital mutilation (FGM), is a harmful traditional practice that involves the partial or total removal of the female genitalia. Campaigners told MailOnline today these figures will 'increase significantly' as more women access health care. Five hundred new cases of female genital mutilation were recorded in hospitals across England in January, new figures show, as a campaign group warns 'this is just the tip of the iceberg' (File picture posed by model) The statistics, published by the Health and Social Care Information Centre, include data from 126 eligible acute NHS trusts in England. They reveal 2,242 active cases, where women and girls are currently being treated for FGM, while 499 new cases were identified in January. From September last year to January this year, 2,603 new cases were reported nationally - 44 of which were in girls younger than 18. In April last year, hospitals across England were told to start recording all cases of FGM they identified. Mary Wandia, FGM programme manager at campaign group Equality Now, told MailOnline that FGM is 'child abuse and an extreme human rights violation'. 'Today's figures are just the tip of the iceberg,' she warned. 'We will see these figures increasing significantly as more women access healthcare. 'The figures also show that training of those who come in contact with girls at risk of FGM - and those affected by it - is urgently needed. 'Health, social and education professionals don't have clear pathways and don't always know what to do. 'FGM is child abuse, a human rights violation and an extreme human rights violation. 'We have made huge progress on ensuring a joined-up approach to preventing it in the UK. It is no longer in the shadows and has is clearly on the national agenda. Female genital mutilation is the practice in which some or all of the female genitals are removed, typically with a blade or a razor and sometimes without anaesthesia. This includes removing the clitoral and the fold of skin above it, and removing labia – the inner 'lips' of the vagina. In the most severe form, the inner and outer labia are removed and the opening of the vagina is closed with a small hole so the woman can pass urine and menstrual blood. Sometimes the vagina is then cut open for sex or childbirth. Women sometimes bleed to death or can be left with horrifying health effects, such as infections, chronic pain, cysts, infertility and problems giving birth. 'We just need to keep working to ensure that the law is properly implemented and that every single girl is protected.' Ms Wandia said training for medical professionals is 'essential' in helping them recognise those women and girls affected - as well as those at risk. She said: 'Survivors of FGM urgently need physical, emotional and psychological support.' Last year, Home Secretary Theresa May said that in the UK, 137,000 women are living with the consequences of FGM and a 60,000 are at risk. The figures she cited, from a report from City University London in collaboration with Equality Now, estimated that 10,000 girls aged under 15 who migrated to England and Wales are likely to have undergone FGM. In July, the Government launched a £1.4 million programme to tackle FGM, with the aim of ending the practice within a generation. This included bringing in laws to prosecute parents if they fail to prevent their daughters being cut. It also requires collecting data about FGM in hospitals in England and training both health professionals and police officers to respond appropriately to cases of FGM. Ms Wandia said: 'This is not an issue that can be ignored any longer. 'We also found that 60,000 girls born to mothers affected by FGM, lived in England and Wales in 2011. 'African countries like Kenya and Burkina Faso have led the way on ending FGM globally. 'We can end it within this generation but we need to continue to keep up the pressure to ensure governments are held accountable to their obligations.' Meanwhile the children's charity, the NSPCC, said since setting up FGM dedicated helpline in June 2013, they have received 521 calls from the public and professionals. Of those, 214 of the cases have been referred to the police and children's services. John Cameron, head of child protection operations at the NSPCC, said: 'FGM is a live public health issue and it is vital all health professionals are trained to spot the signs of FGM, and that girls who are subjected to this brutal practice get the post-traumatic support they deserve. 'We need to ensure doctors, midwives and other healthcare professionals are working effectively together with children’s services to support and protect FGM victims and their family members.' Last year, Home Secretary Theresa May said that in the UK, more than 100,000 women are living with the consequences of FGM and a 60,000 are at risk. In July, the Government launched a £1.4 million programme to tackle FGM, with the aim of ending the practice within a generation . The World Health Organisation recognise FGM as a 'violation of the human rights of girls and women'. 'It reflects deep-rooted inequality between the sexes, and constitutes an extreme form of discrimination against women,' the agency said. 'The practice violates a person's rights to health, security and physical integrity, the right to be free from torture and cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment, and the right to life when the procedure results in death.' It is estimated that between 100 and 140 million girls and women around the world have undergone genital mutilation. Each year around three million women are thought to be at risk. FGM ranges from the partial or total removal of the clitoris, to the removal of the entire clitoris and the cutting of the labia minora. In it's most extreme form, all external genitalia is removed and the two sides of a woman or girl's vulva are stitched together. FGM is generally done without anaesthetic, and can have lifelong health consequences including chronic infection, severe pain during urination, menstruation, sexual intercourse, and childbirth and psychological trauma. FGM has been a crime in the UK for 30 years, but there have been no convictions for the practice. Last month the first trial took place in England. A jury took fewer than 25 minutes to acquit Dhanuson Dharmasena, 32, of carrying out the potentially lethal procedure on a new mother. Another man, Hasan Mohamed, 41, was also cleared of abetting the offence. Anyone who is concerned or needs advice can call the NSPCC's FGM helpline on 0800 0283550 or email [email protected] . | In January, 499 new cases of FGM were identified at hospitals in England . Figures show 2,242 women and girls were being treated for FGM in January . But campaign group Equality Now say numbers are 'just tip of the iceberg' Warn figures will 'significantly increase' as women access health care . Charity estimates 137,000 women in England are living with consequences . | d2858d8544de4a57ce17271714372319a002d5e0 |
By . Paul Donnelley . Dozens of discarded shopping trolleys are stacked into an enormous heap after being dragged from the River Thames as part of a major clean-up operation. The trolleys were among a staggering four tons of junk that was pulled from a 200ft stretch of the Thames by a 50-strong team of volunteer students. Other bizarre items cleared from the river bed at Kingston-upon-Thames, Surrey included 35 skateboards, 14 bikes, three prams, almost 400 bottles and four carpets. Scroll down for video . Shopping? A traffic cone, several bicycles as well as several trolleys are among the detritus pulled from the Thames after volunteers decided to clean up the river bed . The items were found by a team of 15 divers then pulled from the river using grapple hooks by volunteers on the riverside. They were then stacked onto a barge and towed away by the Environment Agency to be recycled. The project was run by Kingston University Sub Aqua Club and nearby dive centre Aquanaut Scuba and Snorkelling. Messy business: Four tons of junk was dredged from just a 200ft section of the Thames at Richmond by volunteers. The items were found by a team of 15 divers then pulled from the river using grapple hooks by volunteers on the riverside . The clean-up was first held in 2011 after being started by former Kingston University student and keen diver Chris Elliot. Last year’s event saw three tons of junk retrieved from the same stretch of river. Lynne Clafton, one of the coordinators of the clean-up, said: “This is the third year the river clean has taken place and it was the biggest and most successful yet. Gloves: A volunteer and the rubbish pulled from the River Thames. Dozens of discarded shopping trolleys are stacked into an enormous heap after being dragged up . Other items cleared from the river bed at Kingston-upon-Thames in Surrey . included 35 skateboards, 14 bikes, three prams, almost 400 bottles and . four carpets . Piles of waste: The rubbish pulled from the Thames is stored on a barge ready to be taken off for recycling after more than 50 volunteers got stuck into help . 'We had more than 50 volunteers helping to remove debris from a 200ft stretch of the Thames close to by Kingston Bridge. 'The divers found the big items like trolleys and prams, connected a grapple hook onto them and then people on the banks of the river dragged the items out. 'Everything was logged then stacked onto a barge which the Environment Agency took away at the end of the day to be recycled. 'The amount of stuff we retrieved from the river was shocking – it was a real eye opener. 'People walking by were staggered at the sheer volume of junk we were pulling out. 'As divers we spend so much time in the water and we wanted to give something back to the community. 'It has been proven that clean-up projects along the Thames have helped improve the environment for wildlife and we hope our project will contribute to that.' | Items were found by a team of 15 divers then pulled from river using grapple hooks by volunteers on the riverside . Project was run by Kingston University Sub Aqua Club and nearby dive centre Aquanaut Scuba and Snorkelling . | 6e7f94a84970d229d3ae1083a6cf1998d1882944 |
By . Andrew Levy . PUBLISHED: . 18:13 EST, 13 November 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 18:15 EST, 13 November 2013 . 'Qualification inflation': Vince Cable said professions should relax the demand for qualifications from workers . Vince Cable yesterday attacked the demand for ‘superfluous’ degrees in a range of careers that act as a barrier to applicants. The Business Secretary said ‘qualification inflation’ was holding back people who wanted to become police officers, nurses or accountants. He argued it should be easier to be accepted into professions with lower qualifications such as A-levels and apprenticeships. Talks were being held with professional associations to relax minimum requirements, he added, but it was becoming difficult to ‘de-graduate’ some jobs. The comments come at a time when the number of young people entering higher education has soared to almost 50 per cent. Dr Cable, whose department is responsible for higher education, told a conference in London on improving social mobility through education that the issue was a ‘major problem’. He said: ‘The idea that in order to be a police officer or a nurse you have to have a degree - that’s just qualification inflation. ‘There may be some qualitative improvement associated with it but arguably not. I think we have passed that barrier. It’s very difficult to de-graduate a lot of the big professions of that kind.’ He added: ‘For a whole lot of fairly standard professions - not elite professions - a degree is like a basic qualification. ‘We are conscious of some areas like accountancy and elsewhere where degree qualifications appear to be superfluous. ‘We are trying to persuade professionals associations to relax their qualifications.’ Officially, there are no formal qualifications needed to join the police, although entry requirements differ between forces. But the explosion in the number of graduates means talented applicants who have not gone to university may be overlooked. University-leavers are also able to take advantage of fast-track schemes that allow promotion through the ranks much quicker than usual and in some cases by-passing lower ranks altogether. 'Superfluous: The Business Secretary pointed out professions where degrees do not seem to be of use . Nurses’ training moved into higher education from the 1990s. Most applicants have to complete a three-year course, with around half their time studying at a university and the rest gaining experience on a ward. The surge in university applications began under the last Labour government, which set a target of half of young people studying for degrees. It has been continued by the Coalition, although critics warn many end up taking worthless degrees or are unable to find suitable work at the end of their course because so many graduates are chasing jobs. The government is trying to promote apprenticeships and other schemes as an alternative to the traditional university route into many careers. Steve White, the vice-chairman of the Police Federation, which represents rank-and-file officers, said large numbers of officers now were graduates. ‘There’s a feeling that you have to get a degree in order to do anything,’ he added. He also warned fast-track schemes could rob senior officers of vital experience, saying: ‘You’ve got to understand the grass roots in order to get the necessary grounding to go through the ranks.’ But Dr Peter Carter, General Secretary of the Royal College of Nursing, said the job had ‘traditionally created social mobility and this has continued with the introduction of an all-graduate work force’. He added: ‘Last year the Willis Commission into nursing education found that the increasingly technical nature of nursing and added responsibilities such as prescribing meant the move to an all-graduate profession was essential. ‘A degree has been a requirement for other professions such as midwifery and physiotherapy for many years with very few claims that it is unnecessary or undesirable.’ | Dr Cable pointed out degrees are needed for many 'fairly standard' jobs . He said his department is encouraging professions to relax requirements . The minister was speaking a social mobility conference in London . | affaba3d5004310cd59a2d711817d22a55dd23c2 |
(CNN Student News) -- January 31, 2014 . This Friday, CNN Student News is all about journeys: the nationwide one that millions of Chinese are taking for the Lunar New Year, the harrowing one that led thousands of Atlantans to abandon their cars, and the first one that a baby polar bear took in the snow. We'll also discuss a new legal development in the case of an accused terrorist, and we'll examine Super Bowl security. On this page you will find today's show Transcript, the Daily Curriculum, and a place for you to leave feedback. TRANSCRIPT . Click here to access the transcript of today's CNN Student News program. Please note that there may be a delay between the time when the video is available and when the transcript is published. DAILY CURRICULUM . Click here for a printable version of the Daily Curriculum (PDF). Media Literacy Question of the Day: . If you were reporting on a cultural tradition, what elements and perspectives would you include, and why? Weekly Newsquiz: The following questions relate to events that were covered this week on CNN Student News. Write your answers in the space provided. 1. What major U.S. city suffered historic transportation gridlock on its roads resulting from a snow and ice storm? 2. What country experienced a revolution on January 25, 2011 that was marked with protests and celebrations this week in Tahrir Square? 3. What term refers to markets of smaller countries that are starting to grow? 4. What word, from an Old French term meaning "undertake," is a term for someone who organizes and manages a business? 5. What is the title of the annual speech given by the U.S. president before Congress? 6. What animal is associated with the Chinese New Year that begins today? 7. What organization oversees most college sports in the U.S.? 8. What war-torn country's largest city is Aleppo? 9. The Rangers are a special operations unit associated with what branch of the U.S. military? 10. What number is represented by the Roman numerals XLVIII? CNN Student News is created by a team of journalists and educators who consider the Common Core State Standards, national standards in different subject areas, and state standards when producing the show and curriculum. We hope you use our free daily materials along with the program, and we welcome your feedback on them. FEEDBACK . We're looking for your feedback about CNN Student News. Please use this page to leave us comments about today's program, including what you think about our stories and our resources. Also, feel free to tell us how you use them in your classroom. The educators on our staff will monitor this page and may respond to your comments as well. Thank you for using CNN Student News! Click here to submit your Roll Call request. | This page includes the show Transcript and the Daily Curriculum . Use the Transcript to help students with reading comprehension and vocabulary . The Daily Curriculum's Newsquiz tests students' knowledge of events in the news . At the bottom of the page, please share your feedback about our show and curriculum . | 00672d5c2055608b747a90a0f5ae32c5b340173e |
Pentagon officials knew almost immediately that the attack on the U.S. facility in Benghazi, Libya, on 9-11-2012 was a terrorist attack and not a demonstration gone wrong, declassified documents have shown. The documents - which were obtained by Fox News and contain 450 pages of top secret testimonies about the attack - has proven the Obama administration lied about the cause of the attack for two weeks afterward, having repeatedly maintained it was sparked by a violent demonstration against an anti-Islamic movie. According to the documents, Gen. Carter Ham - who at the time was head of AFRICOM, the Defense Department combatant command with jurisdiction over Libya - said that while there was mention of the demonstrations - which started on the same day day as Benghazi but in Egypt - he and the other commanders involved were always clear that Benghazi was a terrorist attack. Attack: O'Reilly questioned Obama over the handling of the Benghazi raid, above, that took place in 2012 . Newly declassified documents prove President Obama and then-Secretary of State Hillary Clinton knew the Benghazi attack was an act of terrorism almost immediately despite continuing to say it was a demonstration gone awry . The documents featuring a testimony with U.S. General Carter Ham (pictured) - who who at the time was head of AFRICOM - received a call about the Benghazi attack 15 minutes after it happened and that it 'was always clear' it was a terrorist attack . That information was delivered to President Obama and his top advisers, including then-Defense Secretary Leon Panetta. However the government said the attack was caused out of protest of Innocence of Muslims, a controversial 14-minute video uploaded to YouTube that was seen as denigrating of the prophet Muhammad. The movie subsequently caused a breakout of violence in Egypt on September 11 that spread to other Arab and Muslim nations and caused the death of 50 people. That night, a heavily armed group of between 125 and 150 gunmen attacked the American diplomatic mission at Benghazi, killing U.S. Ambassador J. Christopher Stevens and another diplomat. Then Secretary of State Hillary Clinton supported the Obama administration claims that Muslim of Innocence was believed to be cause, and chose the Accountability Review Board to conduct an 'investigation' into the attack. The investigation determined that there was no such protest in Behnghazi and that the attack was premeditated and launched by Islamist militants. Skepticism has surrounded the government's explanation of the attack, especially from the Republican party, mostly because Benghazi happened just two months before the 2012 Presidential Election. At about 9.30pm on September 11, 2012, a heavily armed group of between 125 and 150 gunmen attacked the American diplomatic mission at Benghazi (pictured) killing U.S. Ambassador J. Christopher Stevens and another diplomat . However the declassification of the documents proves the Obama administration were not divulging details of the attack to the American people. Numerous aides to the president and Clinton repeatedly told the public in the weeks following the murder of Ambassador Stevens and three other Americans that night - as Obama's hotly contested bid for re-election was entering its final stretch - that there was no evidence the killings were the result of a premeditated terrorist attack. According to Fox, Gen. Ham said he learned about the assault on the consulate compound within 15 minutes of its commencement, at 9:42 pm Libya time, through a call he received from the AFRICOM Command Center. 'My first call was to General Dempsey, General Dempsey's office, to say, ''Hey, I am headed down the hall. I need to see him right away'',' Ham told lawmakers on the House Armed Services Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigation on June 26 of last year. 'I told him what I knew. We immediately walked upstairs to meet with Secretary Panetta.' Ham's account of that fateful day was included in some 450 pages of testimony given by senior Pentagon officials in classified, closed-door hearings conducted last year by the Armed Services subcommittee. The testimony, given under 'Top Secret' clearance and only declassified this month, presents a rare glimpse into how information during a crisis travels at the top echelons of America's national security apparatus, all the way up to the president. New documents obtained by Fox prove the Obama administration didn't divulge what they knew about the Benghazi consulate attack to the American people . Also among those whose secret testimony was declassified was Dempsey, the first person Ham briefed about Benghazi. Ham told lawmakers he considered it a fortuitous 'happenstance' that he was able to rope Dempsey and Panetta into one meeting, so that, as Ham put it, 'they had the basic information as they headed across for the meeting at the White House'. Ham also told lawmakers he met with Panetta and Dempsey when they returned from their 30-minute session with President Obama on September 11. Armed Services Chairman Howard 'Buck' McKeon, R-Calif., sitting in on the subcommittee's hearing with Ham last June, reserved for himself an especially sensitive line of questioning: namely, whether senior Obama administration officials, in the very earliest stages of their knowledge of Benghazi, had any reason to believe that the assault grew spontaneously out of a demonstration over an anti-Islam video produced in America. 'In your discussions with General Dempsey and Secretary Panetta,' McKeon asked, 'was there any mention of a demonstration or was all discussion about an attack?' Ham initially testified that there was some 'peripheral' discussion of this subject, but added 'at that initial meeting, we knew that a U.S. facility had been attacked and was under attack, and we knew at that point that we had two individuals, Ambassador Stevens and Mr. [Sean] Smith, unaccounted for'. Aftermath: The U.S. government said for two weeks that the attack of the American consulate in Benghazi was a protest turned violent, however new documents show that 'within minutes' of the incident they knew it was the work of terrorists . Rep. Brad Wenstrup, R-Ohio, a first-term lawmaker with experience as an Iraq war veteran and Army reserve officer, pressed Ham further on the point, prodding the 29-year Army veteran to admit that 'the nature of the conversation' he had with Panetta and Dempsey was that 'this was a terrorist attack'. 'As a military person, I am concerned that someone in the military would be advising that this was a demonstration. I would hope that our military leadership would be advising that this was a terrorist attack,' Wenstrup said. 'Again, sir, I think, you know, there was some preliminary discussion about, you know, maybe there was a demonstration. But I think at the command, I personally and I think the command very quickly got to the point that this was not a demonstration, this was a terrorist attack,' Ham answered. 'And you would have advised as such if asked. Would that be correct? Wenstrup continued. 'Well, and with General Dempsey and Secretary Panetta, that is the nature of the conversation we had, yes, sir,' Ham responded. Fox says they are going to continue to release more information found in the testimonies. | Newly declassified testimonies about what happened among Pentagon officials the night of the Benghazi attack on September 11, 2012 have been obtained by Fox News . The documents show the U.S. military found out about 15 minutes after the attack - which killed four Americans - that it was an act of terror and communicated that to the Obama administration . However the government - including Obama and then-U.S. Secretary of State Hilary Clinton, who were in the throes of the 2012 US Presidential election - maintained for two weeks afterward the attack started as a protest against an anti-Islamic film and turned violent . | cfa78133b83d2b14e6434570238047b0dd5cbd2a |
(Rolling Stone) -- A panel of Czech judges ruled Tuesday that concert promoters -- and not Lamb of God frontman Randy Blythe -- were largely to blame for the tragic death nearly three years ago of a teenage fan of the metal band, saying the singer's actions did not constitute a crime. The state attorney, who had sought a conviction for manslaughter and asked for the minimum sentence of five years, immediately appealed the decision. Blythe declined to talk to the press after the trial but told the court earlier he was ready to face the music. "As I've stated previously, I do not wish to avoid my responsibility, and if I thought I were guilty I would plead guilty right now," he said. "I still believe I acted responsibly to protect myself, my band, our equipment, and our audience. I did not strike anyone or run across the stage to push anyone," as one witness had claimed. Q&A: Lamb of God's Randy Blythe on Imprisonment and Freedom . Concertgoers testified in February and on Monday that Blythe had violently pushed 19-year-old Daniel Nosek off the stage during the band's concert in Prague on May 24, 2010, using both hands. But there were stark and contradicting differences in key details as to when the young man breached the security barrier and which way he was facing when allegedly pushed, points the defense played up to create reasonable doubt in Bltyhe's favor. What is clear is that later that evening, the Czech teenager -- though sober and not under the influence of any drugs -- fell on his back and hit his head, appeared to be OK but later complained of a headache, and vomited violently. He was rushed to a hospital, where he underwent emergency brain surgery but slipped into a coma and died several weeks later. An expert on biomechanics, called by Blythe's defense, presented the results of a recreation of the fall -- in part using "fresh cadavers dead for less than 12 hours" to measure the impact on a human skull -- to the court on Tuesday. The expert said Nosek must have fallen backwards as he would not have had time, involuntarily, to twist around before impact. Had the teenager fallen forward, his hands would have reflexively shot out to protect himself, he said. Lamb of God Singer Randy Blythe's Manslaughter Trial Resumes in Prague . Crucially for Blythe's defense, the expert said that had the teenager been pushed, he would not have fallen beyond the first row of fans, as two witnesses had testified. But state attorney Vladimir Muzik --a bear of a man, whose forearms could not be contained by his crimson-trimmed black robe -- took great issue with the experiment, which he argued failed to recreate actual conditions and discounted the testimony of a key witness. The presiding judge wholeheartedly agreed with the prosecutor while noting most witnesses' recollections were "foggy" at best. While video footage had captured images of Blythe subduing an admittedly drunk and out-of-control fan named Milan Poradek -- who had rushed the stage three times -- the fatal moment leading to Nosek's death was not recorded. The presiding judge, Tomas Kubovec, put the lion's share of the blame for the tragedy on lax security and safety precautions at the Prague club, which thereby allowed fans to take to the stage. Kubovec said "ninety percent of the audience" must have known stage-diving was prohibited and dangerous. He said the teenager, who was reportedly a Lamb of God fanatic but understood little English, evidently also misunderstood Bltyhe's hand gesture calling for applause "that would have been absolutely understandable for English speakers" as an invitation to take to the stage. Nonetheless, the judge said, Nosek must have known that stage-diving was not permitted, as there was a barrier in place and security personnel who had prevented other fans from climbing over it. U.S. State Department Responds to Randy Blythe Petition . As for the over $500,000 the boy's family is seeking in damages, Kubovec said they should try to get the money from the concert promoters and organizers. For his part, the Lamb of God singer made a heartfelt apology to the Noseks, saying, "I can understand that pain as only the father of a dead child can." "This has been a very sad and emotive experience for me, but I've tried to remain as objective as possible because my emotions have no impact on what is for me and for the family of Daniel Nosek the most important thing: the truth," said Blythe. "He was just a boy. I wish he were still here." Blythe had pledged "to serve my sentence like a man" if found guilty by the Czech courts and to work tirelessly to prevent another such tragedy from ever occurring at a Lamb of God show "or any other show" -- if found innocent. See the original article at Rolling Stone. Copyright © 2011 Rolling Stone. | Czech judges ruled that concert promoters were to blame for the death of a Lamb of God fan . Frontman Randy Blythe pushed the 19-year-old off the stage a concert in May 2010 . The sober Czech teenager hit his head and eventually slipped into a coma and died weeks later . Blythe had pledged "to serve my sentence like a man" if found guilty by the Czech courts . | 226ec196c3e4e3cfde48cdf9738207b133b91de7 |
By . Jill Reilly . PUBLISHED: . 03:18 EST, 12 June 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 07:30 EST, 12 June 2013 . Found: An autopsy showed preliminary results that Katelyn Wolfe, who disappeared from her home on June 6, died from asphyxia . Two men have been arrested after the body of a missing 19-year-old girl was found in a pool of water. Preliminary autopsy results indicated that Katelyn Wolfe, who disappeared from her Linton, Indiana, home on June 6, died from asphyxia. Police arrested Jordan Buskirk, 26, and Randall Crosley, 25, from nearby Jasonville in connection with Wolfe’s death. The teen went missing from her . Sullivan County area home two months ago in the middle of the night. A search began for Wolfe just hours after she posted a cryptic . Facebook message. 'Her last facebook post said that she . was looking to have some fun, she was out walking, and it said that she . was going to go with these creeps that kept driving by,' said stepmother . Laura Wolfe reported RTV6. Linton, Ind., Police Chief Troy Jerrell said the family was able to confirm that the body is Katelyn from a photograph provided by investigators. Suspects: Police arrested Jordan Buskirk, 26, left, and Randall Crosley, 25, from nearby Jasonville in connection with Wolfe’s death . He also said the two men are believed to have intentionally killed Wolfe: 'They knew what they were doing all along,' Jerrell told ABC News . affiliate WRTV in Indianapolis. ' 'We don't believe it was an accidental . type thing.' He declined to elaborate on what led police to the suspects, who were both being held at the Greene County Jail in Bloomfield. Katelyn was Facebook friends with one of the suspects - Buskirk, reported WHTR. His page shows him . holding a toddler and his last status updates reads 'Watching a true . original classic... Texas Chainsaw Massacre.' Crosley's page shows a baby and he posted, 'I am now officially a happily-married man,' in March. Alarming: A search began for Wolfe just hours after she posted a cryptic message on Facebook . Police said the family was able to confirm that the body is Katelyn from a photograph provided by investigators . | Katelyn Wolfe disappeared from her home on June 6 at 3am . Preliminary autopsy results indicated she died from asphyxia . Police arrested Jordan Buskirk, 26, and Randall Crosley, 25 . | 4e3bfb3492f2484cf748f6b4693f2ef95336a6c4 |
By . Sarah Griffiths . The harpy eagle may be the largest and most powerful raptor found in the Americas, but it is also one of the rarest. Few people have seen a harpy eagle chick, but three lucky photographers managed to snap a mother with her fluffy offspring. The wildlife experts climbed into the rainforest canopy to observe two harpy eagles with their chick for two days and got so close that they were able to get the whole birds in frame. Scroll down for video . Snap happy: Few people have seen a harpy eagle chick, but three lucky photographers managed to snap a mother with her fluffy offspring (pictured) The harpy eagle (Harpia harpyja) is the largest and most powerful raptor found in the Americas. They have wingspans of up to 7ft (2.1metres) and are around the same height as a five-year-old child. The birds live in the rainforest canopy, which means they are hard to spot. They have talons comparable to a grizzly bear's and a sharp beak which they use to dismember monkeys and sloths. Harpy eagles have large territories for hunting from 3,000 to 7,000 hectares. An Amazonian tribe called the Huaorani believe they are the descendants of the jaguar and harpy eagle and worship the two animals as gods. Photographer Jeff Cremer of Rainforest Expeditions said: ‘It’s so rare it’s like seeing a unicorn.’ ‘When Lucas Bustamante and Jaime Culebras [fellow photographers at TropicalHerping] sent me a message on Facebook saying that they found a harpy eagle nest I booked the next flight to the jungle.’ Harpy eagles are apex predators in the Amazon Rainforest and have huge wingspans of up to 7ft (2.1metres). When they are perched on a branch, they are around the same height as a five-year-old child. The birds might look cute, but they have talons the size of grizzly bear claws and a sharp beak which they use to dismember monkeys and sloths. Hungry: The chick has a shock of white feathers (pictured left) and was treated to two meals by its doting parents (right), while the photographers looked on from their precarious treetop perch . Harpy eagles are top avian predators in the Amazon Rainforest and have huge wingspans of up to seven ft (2.1m). When they are perched in a branch, they are around the same height as a five-year-old child, but this chick has not yet reached its full size . Despite their large size, seeing a harpy eagle is unusual as unlike other birds of prey they don’t soar, but instead prefer to lurk in the canopy of the forest, a little like a predatory cat. They are also hard to spot because they have large territories covering anywhere from 3,000 to 7,000 hectares of forest. ‘Birders spend their whole lives just to catch a glimpse of the harpy eagle,’ Mr Cremer said. ‘We were incredibly lucky to be able to sit in a tree for two days right next to a family of them. What makes that especially rare is the fact that a pair of harpy eagles nest just once every two or even three years.’ Comfy: The photographers immediately saw a harpy eagle chick nestled in a fortress of soft leaves and twigs (pictured), measuring around 4ft thick and 5ft wide, waiting for its mother to return . Dinner: The birds might look cute, but they have talons the size of grizzly bear claws and a shark beak which they use to dismember monkeys and sloths (stock image) Evidence: Like many birds of prey, harpy eagles regurgitate pellets of indigestible food. This pellet (stock image) discovered in the Amazon Rainforest in Peru, is from a seven-month-old chick and contains the claws and fur from a two-toed sloth . ‘I've seen jaguars, tapirs and pumas and have even been the first person to film new species, but seeing the harpy eagle feed and interact with its chick was really amazing.’ To get the amazing shots, the team set out in the dark at 4.30am and began to climb a tree in the rainforest, eventually setting up their kit at around 12 storeys high, on a precarious-looking platform to which they were tied. They immediately saw the harpy eagle chick nestled in a fortress of soft leaves, measuring around 4ft thick and 5ft wide (1.2metres to 1.5metres), waiting for its mother to return. ‘We were really surprised when she showed up. She swooped in without a sound while carrying a fully grown Brazilian porcupine in her claws,’ Mr Cremer said. ‘She just sat there and watched while the baby ate it up.’ Demanding: The mother harpy eagle brought her chick a fully grown Brazilian Porcupine in her claws to eat and later, her partner delivered half a sloth for the fluffy baby with a big appetite . Perched: The wildlife experts (pictured) climbed into the rainforest canopy to observe two harpy eagles with their chick for two days and got so close that they were able to get the whole birds in frame . Divine: In Ecuador there is an Amazonian tribe called the Huaorani who believe that they are descendants of the jaguar and the harpy eagle (pictured) Afterwards, the mother called her mate – a huge male – to deliver half a sloth to the nest for the second course of their dinner. Fellow wildlife photographers and biologists Mr Bustamante and Mr Culebras have spent the last decade photographing wildlife in the Ecuadorian rainforest and helped film the harpy eagle family. ‘In my country, Ecuador, there is an Amazonian tribe called the Huaorani,’ Mr Bustamante explained. ‘They believe that they are descendants of the jaguar and the harpy eagle. They worship these two animals as their gods and view them as being very important to the jungle. ‘After being face to face with a harpy eagle it is easy to see why they believe that. Finding myself in the jungle with that mythological creature, was like being in front of a legendary Griffin.’ Mr Culebras said that they were able to photograph two jaguars, a puma and her cub, a family of otters and hundreds of macaws on their trip. They also saw four species of monkeys and dozens of peccaries visiting the lodge they were staying in every day. Elusive: Harpy eagles are also hard to spot because they have large territories covering anywhere from 3,000 to 7,000 hectares of forest (pictured) | Three photographers snapped the birds in the Amazon Rainforest, Peru . They filmed the chick for two days high up in the rainforest canopy . Harpy eagles are large apex predators and the chick's parents caught a porcupine and a sloth, which the chick gobbled down . They are seldom seen as they are rare, have large territories and do not soar . The creatures are worshiped as gods by an Amazonian tribe . | 12493dacd307f1cad9896960cbc5fe258bebdd64 |
Former Chelsea and Liverpool midfielder Raul Meireles is well known for putting a lot of time into his appearance, whether it be his bushy beard, carefully constructed mohawk, or his ridiculous tattoos. And the Portuguese 31-year-old has been flashing his latest ink additions as Portugal gear up for their second group game against Ghana. Portugal lost their World Cup opener 4-0 against Germany, with centre back Pepe receiving a red card and face a tough task to turn around their fortunes in Group G. Ink: Meireles has long been noted for his extravagant style and his tattoos are some of the World Cup's best . Faces: The full 'leg sleeve' tattoo features a rose on the midfielder's right knee above an old microphone . Faces: Meireles shows off two of the three faces pictures as part of the extravagant design . Meireles spent a year at Anfield with Liverpool before moving to Chelsea where he lifted the FA Cup and Champions League in 2012. Roberto Di Matteo decided the hard-working midfielder was surplus to requirements with the European Champions though, and allowed Meireles to join Turkish club Fenerbahce for £8million . Meireles has long sported tattoos but his full-length leg design has only been around since Janunary - and he welcomed the new addition to his 'ink family' by posting a picture on Twitter, although he claimed not to be in any pain. The tattoo includes the faces of three women, a pocket watch and one of Portuguese capital Lisbon's famous trams surrounded by musical notes and a black rose. Competitor: Meireles in action for Portugal in midfield up against Germany's Toni Kroos . Hard to miss: Meireles stretches with team-mate Ricardo Costa and shows off the tattoo at the same time . Tweet: Meireles gave a preview of his tattoo online in January and claimed 'It does not hurt!' Intricate design: Meireles' small socks worn in training gave a good view of his inked up limb . | Former Chelsea and Liverpool midfielder displays the brilliant ink design . Tattoo features three women's faces, a Lisbon tram, a rose and a clock . Meireles takes part in Portugal training as they aim to make up for 4-0 loss . Midfielder also sports a mohawk and bushy beard when he plays . | 692628f2742680fa6c4fc8505390cc5c1a775c5b |
The whisky glows like a candle in the bottom of the glass. Its aroma is rich, deep, musky, inviting. But dare I take a sip? This is the new Balvenie 50-year-old, which carries a price tag of £25,000 ($40,800) a bottle. Which means that the single dram I am holding is worth about £830 ($1,350). Slowly, I raise it to my lips. I am standing in the whisky room at the luxurious Cromlix hotel in Dunblaine, Scotland -- which incidentally is owned by local boy tennis star Andy Murray -- along with a select group of journalists. We have been invited to the exclusive launch of the new 50-year-old, which is only the fourth time the distillery has released a whisky of this age. "A 50-year-old Macallan featured in (the film) Skyfall, but whiskies of this age are extremely unusual," says Sam Simmons, global brand ambassador for The Balvenie, who is introducing us to the latest release. "Nobody 50 years ago knew that people would care about Scotch the way they do in 2014. Nobody planned to leave this whisky for so long. Its existence is a bit of a miracle." We tilt our glasses. The butter-colored liquid is rich with notes of cloves, summer flowers, dried fruits and marzipan, underpinned by the woody polish of an old gymnasium. "It tastes like soap," somebody says. "You've eaten soap?" Simmons replies. There is a pause. "It reminds me of the inside of a grand piano," ventures someone else. "Whisky of this age has a natural alcohol level of below 50%," Simmons explains. "That's when very unpredictable chemical reactions happen between the spirit and the wood. That's the magic time. It creates whisky that is unique, quirky and unpredictable." Whisky collectors are making big money . As extraordinary as this whisky is -- it is exceptionally long, with flavor lingering for several minutes after each sip -- one question is in the back of everyone's mind. Who would pay £25,000 for a bottle of whisky? The answer is people like Mahesh Patel, a whisky collector and building tycoon from Atlanta, Georgia, who once bought a Dalmore Trinitas 64-year-old for £100,000 ($166,000). "I have about 5,000 bottles, including a lot of old, one-off, high-end whiskies," he says. "Over the years, I've spent about $2 million on it. The collection is worth about $6 million now. I keep it at different locations all over the world, for security reasons." Patel is one of a breed of whisky collectors that have found that their passion for the drink has led to great financial gains. Distilleries first hit on the idea of limited editions and special releases in the early Nineties, such as the famous Black Bowmore that came in a wooden presentation case. Collectors like Patel bought the bottles largely for the love of them. But over the decades, their value started to appreciate to the extent that unusual bottles started to be seen as cash cows. Fast-forward to 2014, and the market is booming. According to the Investment Grade Scotch index that is compiled by UK-based Whisky Highland, the top 100 whiskies appreciated by an average of 440% in the last six years. Last month, a 50-year-old bottle of Japanese Yamazaki single malt sold for £20,000 ($33,000). In January, Sotheby's sold a six-liter decanter of Macallan M for £387,000 ($631,000). These transactions are becoming relatively frequent, if not commonplace. Indeed, Whisky Highland expect 30,000 bottles to be sold at auction this year, a 50% increase on the 20,211 that were sold in 2013. By contrast, the Standard & Poor's 500 stock index increased by 31% in the same period, and the Live-ex Fine Wine 100 Index dropped by 2%. If you're a drinks investor with money to spend, it is something of a no-brainer. Is whisky for collecting or drinking? But most people in the whisky world see collecting purely for the sake of investment as something of a taboo. "You have to start by drinking the product and enjoying the product," says Patel. "Buy two bottles, one to drink and one to collect. Otherwise you're going against the spirit of the industry." Andy Simpson, the founding director of Whisky Highland, agrees -- but only to a point. "There are three types of buyers: drinkers, collectors and investors," he says. "I know one person, who shall remain nameless, who is teetotal, and buys whisky only to invest. "Some people think that this is a crime and whisky should be set free. But from my perspective, people can choose how to spend their money. It's supporting the industry and that's a good thing." Simpson, a former corporate banker, is launching a new business called Rare Whisky 101, which he describes as "consultants, brokers and valuers". "Whisky has always been collectable, but there were no market figures before Whisky Highland came along five years ago," he says. "There were no indices, charts, graphs, nothing. Rare Whisky 101 will have the world's largest online database of whisky auction sales, so investors can accurately follow the market." This is the latest contribution to the digital revolution that has transformed the secondary whisky market. Physical auction houses like Bonhams and Sotherby's have traditionally tended to charge 25% commission, and hold auctions just a few times a year. By contrast, sites like Scotch Whisky, Whisky Online, Just Whisky and Whisky Auctioneer run online auctions regularly, and charge a commission of just 10%. "Those sites have added liquidity into a traditionally illiquid market," says Simpson. "They are part of the reason why whisky is booming, and the growing value of whisky is starting to usurp the experience of opening and drinking it." Whisky investment funds: too good to be true? The market is gradually showing signs of maturity. In June, the world's first whisky investment fund was set up by Rickesh Kishnano, the CEO of Platinum Wines in Hong Kong; another has been established in Singapore. But many seasoned collectors -- who themselves have made millions through buying and selling whisky -- are skeptical about whisky funds, and suggest that potential investors tread carefully. "They worry me because genuine whisky experts are few and far between, and there is nobody credible behind these funds," says Sukhinder Singh, founder of the Whisky Exchange, who boasts a "handsome" private collection of 6,000 bottles that he keeps in his boardroom. "They are run by people from the wine industry, but you need a lot of knowledge specifically about whisky to make good investments. It's not about just buying old whisky. I've been collecting for 30 years and I know everyone who is good. How many whiskies have these guys tried? Fifty? A hundred? That's not enough." There are lots of hidden pitfalls, he says. For example, if you invest in a whisky that is not "amazing to drink", demand may remain low even if it is a limited edition. And while some bottles go up, it is common for others to lose value. For example, the Royal Wedding limited edition Macallan whisky, which marked the marriage between the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge in 2011, rose from £150 to £1,650 by 2013. These days, however, after the distillery lost many fans by removing age statements from its bottles, it has depreciated to about £900. By contrast, however, the iconic Macallan Private Eye whisky, which was released in 1996 to mark the 35th anniversary of the British satirical magazine, has appreciated from £35 to about £1,500, and shows no sign of falling from grace. Telling the difference between these two whiskies requires significant expertise. The importance of loving your whisky . According to Singh, when it comes to whisky collecting, there is no substitute for genuine passion. He still vividly remembers the first bottle in his collection. "I visited a man in Scotland, and noticed a special bottle on his mantelpiece, with a beautiful, intensely colorful label," he says. "It was an original bottling from a distillery called Kirkliston, which had closed in the early 1900s. "I knew I had to have it. It took me half an hour to persuade him to sell it to me, for £700, which was a lot of money at the time. It's worth about £20,000 now, but I'll never sell it." What advice would he offer an aspiring collector or investor? "The whisky market is on fire at the moment, it really is," he says. "But you can't become an expert overnight. "As a rule of thumb, buy limited edition bottles from iconic distilleries. But most importantly, learn about whisky, meet the experts and talk to them, and drink as much as you can." Back in the honeyed presence of The Balvenie 50-year-old, Sam Simmons is inclined to agree. "Ultimately, whisky is about loving the mystery of the drink, conversation and friendship," he says. "Whisky is to be drunk and enjoyed. However high the stakes get, you can never lose sight of that." Battersea Power Station: The life, death and rebirth of a London icon . Biodesign: Why the future of our cities is soft and hairy . Flying monkeys and winged goats: Photos that make you question reality . | A 50-year-old whisky costing £25,000 ($40,800) has been released by The Balvenie distillery in Scotland . The top 100 whiskies appreciated by an average of 440% in the last six years . Rare whisky is becoming a popular investment . Whisky investment funds have been set up, but seasoned collectors urge caution . | 7de3464c963b87f12d82b246ff89f35fca2455e4 |
By . Misty White Sidell . Despite their lack of cachet in the high-fashion realm, sales of bandage dresses are soaring on eBay – with the auction site reporting that purchases have doubled since last year. In the run up to the World Cup, eBay investigated how Brazilian trends have taken hold in the U.S. over the past few months. In looking at sales between March and May 2014 the site found that 500,000 bodycon dresses have been purchased by eager bidders worldwide. Unfashionable turns: Despite their lacking fashion quotient, bodycon dresses have doubled their sales on eBay in the U.S. over the last few months (pictured, Carmen Electra wears a bandage dress in Los Angeles in April, left; Minnie Driver appears in a Herve Leger dress, right) When broken down geographically, this . equates to 200per cent more bodycon dresses being sold on the site to . U.S.-based customers than during the same time period in 2013. Sales of . the style have increased by 93per cent globally. Another . popular trend in Brazil, ombre, which is fabric that gradates between . two colors or from light to dark, has risen by 45per cent in the U.S. and 56per cent globally. Approximately 60,000 ombre pieces have been sold on the site in these few months. Providing . even more evidence of a surging interest in Brazilian fashion is how . sales of the Rio de Janeiro-based brand Osklen have increased on eBay by . 62per cent in the U.S. and 69per cent worldwide. The . auction site also cites a rise in bikini sales as a sign that Brazilian . fashion trends are taking a greater hold in the global landscape. On the runway: Bandage dresses are still being shown at fashion week on the runway of Herve Leger (pictured, the label's fall 2014 collection) More . than one million bikinis have sold on the site between March and May – a . large amount that could also be attributed to the approaching warmer . months. However, eBay says that this number represents a year-on-year increase of 27per cent in the U.S. and 31per cent worldwide. | In the run up to the World Cup, eBay investigated how Brazilian trends have taken hold in the U.S. over the past few months . | 58e473d9f436f9f19973d7bda526416ac55bf1c2 |
By . Suzannah Hills . PUBLISHED: . 03:39 EST, 9 August 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 04:24 EST, 9 August 2013 . Two men have been arrested in Saudi Arabia on suspicion of planning terrorist attacks which forced the closure of several foreign embassies in the region in recent weeks. The arrests come as the U.S. sharply escalated its drone attacks on neighbouring Yemen on Thursday with 12 militants killed in three separate strikes. Saudi officials claim the two men arrested, from Yemen and Chad, were planning suicide attacks connected to recent al Qaeda threats on American and British embassies which forced their closures this week. A soldier mans an anti-aircraft machine gun on a military vehicle during a patrol in Sanaa, Yemen, yesterday . Attack: American drones similar to these killed 12 militants in three separate blasts in Yemen yesterday . The pair were detained in late July after they exchanged information on social media about imminent attacks, the official Saudi Press Agency reported. The Saudi Interior Ministry said an investigation is continuing into the pair, who used mobile phones and encrypted electronic communications to discuss the terrorist plot. 'The security authorities through monitoring and follow up of published messages of incitement and hatred through social networks managed at the beginning of the last ten days of the holy month of Ramadan to arrest two expatriates,' the ministry added, in a statement published by the official state news agency SPA. 'The two recruited themselves for the service of deviant thought, as evidenced by their seized items which included computer hardware, electronic media and mobile phones and which indicated their communication with the deviant group abroad either by electronic encrypted messages or through identities via the social networks (such as Abu Alfidaa, Hspouy, Muawiya Almadani, Rasasah fi Qusasah, and Abu El Feda Aldokulai) so as to exchange information about impending suicide operations in the region,' the statement added. Children play with toy guns in Sanaa, Yemen, yesterday as America continued to launch drone attacks on al Qaeda terrorists in the country . As the world's top oil exporter and main U.S. Gulf ally, Saudi Arabia is a top target for al Qaeda, which carried out attacks the country a decade ago which killed hundreds. Saudi Arabia has arrested thousands of suspects over the past 10 years and accused them of being involved with al Qaeda. Attacks have been rare since 2006 when it crushed a domestic campaign by the militant group. Survivors of the al Qaeda group in Saudi Arabia responsible for attcks between 2003 and 2006 are believed to have later fled to Yemen where they joined local militants to set up AQAP. The Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) is now based in Saudi Arabia's lawless neighbour Yemen - which is one of the militant movement's most active wings. The U.S. is now targeting the terrorist group with drone strikes across Yemen - with 34 suspected al Qaeda militants killed in the last two weeks. It comes amid a global terror alert issued by Washington. High alert: A Yemeni soldier guards security barriers outside the British embassy as authorities tighten security measures around the western embassies in Sanaa, Yemen, earlier this week . The U.S. and Britain evacuated diplomatic staff from the Yemen capital of Sanaa this week after learning of a threatened attack that prompted Washington to close temporarily 19 diplomatic posts in the Middle East and Africa. On Thursday, the U.S. State Department warned Americans not to travel to Pakistan and ordered nonessential government personnel to leave the U.S. Consulate in Lahore because of a specific threat to that diplomatic mission. Thursday's first reported drone attack hit a car carrying suspected militants in the district of Wadi Ubaidah, about 175 kilometers (109 miles) east of Sanaa, and killed six, a security official said. Badly burned bodies lay beside their vehicle, according to the official. Five of the dead were Yemenis, while the sixth was believed to be of another Arab nationality, he said. The second drone attack killed three alleged militants in the al-Ayoon area of Hadramawt province in the south, the official said. The third, also in Hadramawt province, killed three more suspected militants in the al-Qutn area, he added. On patrol: Yemeni soldiers search a car on a street leading to the U.S. and British embassies after Washington issued a global terror alert . All the airstrikes targeted cars, added the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to talk to the media. The drone strikes have become a near-daily routine since they began July 27. So far, they have been concentrated in remote, mountainous areas where al Qaeda's top five leaders are believed to have taken refuge. But drones also have been seen and heard buzzing for hours over Sanaa, worrying residents who fear getting caught in the crossfire. While the United States acknowledges its drone program in Yemen, it does not talk about individual strikes or release information on how many are carried out. The program is run by the Pentagon's Joint Special Operations Command and the CIA, with the military flying its drones out of Djibouti, and the CIA out of a base in Saudi Arabia. Pentagon spokesman Army Lt. Col. Todd Breasseale declined to comment Thursday and would not confirm the existence of a military drone program in Yemen. The CIA also declined to comment. Concerned: A police trooper mans a machine gun mounted on an armoured personnel carrier positioned near the British embassy in Sanaa which was closed earlier this week amid 'increased security concerns' | The two men, from Yemen and Chad, are believed to be involved in al Qaeda threats on British and US embassies . Pair were caught after exchanging information on social networking sites . Around 19 diplomatic posts in Middle East and Africa closed over threats . US has stepped up drone strikes in Yemen, killing 12 militants on Thursday . | 17e7de70d7d7190a0e26a1f88e680157a9846844 |
Volatile region still remains a dangerous place to live for its citizens . By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 09:15 EST, 1 March 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 13:56 EST, 1 March 2013 . Iraq has been the scene of bitter battles and bloodshed for years, but as these poignant photos show life still goes on. This month is the tenth anniversary of the U.S led invasion of Iraq and the volatile region still remains a dangerous place to live - this morning five people were killed in a blast at a busy market. But according to these images March 2013 is a very different landscape to March 2003 when bloodshed was daily and buildings were being bombed. They claim to show that women who once cowered in their homes as troops marched through the heart of their country are now taking part in hairdressing competitions. Children who used to walk past coalition tanks in the streets are shown being able to play more freely and posters of former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein no longer adorn the shop walls. A man driving a wrecked car on October 24, 2003 in Baghdad on the left and on the right a young man performing on his motorbike during a motor show on February 8, 2013 in the Baghdad's district of al-Jadriya . Schoolgirls, left, walking past tanks of US soldiers patrolling on November 5, 2003 in Baghdad's suburb of Abu Gharib and on the right women and kids aboard a rubber dinghy at an amusement park on February 4, 2013 in Baghdad . US soldiers, left, arresting Osama Khairallah Mussa al-Tikriti, a former driver of late Iraqi president Saddam Hussein (centre), his brother Eyad Khairallah Mussa al-Tikriti, an officer in Saddam Hussein's Republican Guard (right) and an unidentified man during a raid on their house on March 20, 2003 in Baghdad's al-Aazamiyah neighborhood and on the right a bride sitting in her wedding car on February 7, 2013 in Baghdad . But there are also other changes . which are not related to war and have simply progressed - modes of . transport have been updated and as these photos show even the bumper . cars have been updated in the last ten years. The invasion of Iraq led by U.S. troops, in coalition with the UK and other nations, began on 20 March 2003 on . the basis of preventing Saddam Hussein's regime from using the weapons of mass . destruction it supposedly possessed. But when no such weapons were found, the justification was changed to merely removing a volatile and deadly regime. Arabs, left, who volunteered to defend Iraq at a military training camp for the Iraqi special forces in March 2003 near Baghdad and on the right women walking past the tomb of two unidentified Arab fighters buried in the Martyrs Cemetery of Baghdad's Adhamiyah Sunni stronghold in February 2013 . Iraqi capital Baghdad, left, shows on the left a girl driving a makeshift bumper car on February 16, 1998 during the UN embargo imposed on Iraq and on the right a woman driving a bumper car at an amusement park on February 4, 2013 . Baghdad's district of Sadr City in Iraq, shows on the left an Iraqi Shiite cleric, member of radical leader Moqtada al-Sadr's Mahdi Army, watching an anti-US rally in April 2004 and on the right the same man posing at this home decorated with a poster of Grand Ayatollah Mohammad Mohammad Sadeq al-Sadr on February 2013 . There is no official estimate of the . number of Iraqi civilians killed as a consequence of the invasion a . decade ago, but the death-toll is thought to be at least 100,000. The UK lost 179 servicemen and women, . of which 136 were killed in action, before the last British troops were . withdrawn in April 2009. In June 2009 US troops withdrew from Iraq's towns and cities, handing over security to Iraqi forces . In line with a pledge by U.S. President Barack Obama the last US combat troops left Iraq in August 2010. The last US troops left Iraq by the end of 2011. Coalition troops may have withdrawn, but . the country remains a turbulent place to live as as Iraq's precarious sectarian balance comes under growing . strain. Only this morning two . blasts at a busy cattle market in a mainly Shi'ite city in southern Iraq . killed at least five people and injured dozens more, police and medics . said. No one claimed responsibility for the . attacks immediately, but Sunni Muslim insurgents have been redoubling . their efforts to undermine the Shi'ite-led government and spark deeper . intercommunal fighting since the start of the year. On the left the reflection of women in the glass protecting a large photograph of late former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein in January 2003 in Baghdad and on the right the reflection of women in a mirror displayed by a street vendor in February 2013 in Baghdad's central Karrada neighborhood . Smoke covering the presidential palace, left, during a massive US-led air raid on March 21, 3003 in Baghdad and on the right a night view of Baghdad's Fardoos square taken from the rooftop of the capital's Hotel Palestine on February 9, 2013 . Shi'ite Prime Minister Nuri . al-Maliki's power-sharing government has been all but paralysed since . U.S. troops withdrew in December 2011. Cows and calves were lying on the ground, covered in blood and dirt . after the two car bombs were detonated simultaneously at the market in . Diwaniya, 150 km (95 miles) south of the capital Baghdad. "I came to buy some calves and was . checking them when the explosion happened, I threw myself on the ground, . then the second explosion happened," Jassim Khalid, a butcher at the . scene told Reuters. Friday's blasts followed a series of . explosions targeting Shi'ite neighborhoods of Baghdad late on Thursday . in which at least 22 people were killed . Iraq is calmer than in the communal . bloodletting of 2006-2007, but there are concerns the war in . neighbouring Syria, where mainly Sunni rebels are fighting to oust . President Bashar al-Assad, an ally of Shi'ite Iran, is pushing Iraq back . towards sectarian strife. A US marine, left, blindfolding an alleged insurgent on November 12, 2004 in Fallujah and on the right a blindfolded Iraqi hairdresser competing on stage during a hairdressers and make up artists festival on February 9, 2013 in Baghdad . Men walking past posters of former Iraqi president Saddam Hussein displayed outside a billboard factory on October 17, 2002 in Baghdad. left, and on the right a man praying in his shop selling carpets depicting Imam Hussein, revered by Shiite Muslims, on February 2, 2013 in Baghdad's Rashid Street . A US Army female soldier, left, with the 2-17 Field Artillery Regiment, frisking a Kurdish Iraqi woman at a checkpoint on October 25, 2004 in Ramadi, west of Baghdad and on the right an armed guard standing at the door in front of models during a hairdressers and make up artists festival on February 9, 2013 in Baghdad . | This month is the tenth anniversary of the U.S led invasion of Iraq - coalition troops entered in March 2003 . Volatile region still remains a dangerous place to live for its citizens . | 2c02de7c03348fae44fc0ef7acdb31328fa66a8b |
Dr. Sanjay Gupta, a neurosurgeon, is author of the new book "Cheating Death," which will be published next month. This article originally appeared in the September 20, 2009, issue of Parade and Parade.com. (Parade) -- I am going to let you in on a secret: When a person's heart stops beating, it's not the end. Contrary to what you may think, death is not a single event. Instead, it's a process that can be interrupted. Sanjay Gupta says the latest CPR techniques can save the lives of vicitims of cardiac arrest. Mike Mertz knows this firsthand. On January 23, 2008, the 59-year-old Arizona man was driving home from work. The last thing he remembers is pulling into his complex's driveway. Then his heart stopped. Corey Ash, a passing UPS driver, noticed a silver Saturn wedged between a palm tree and a wall, with the engine running and a person slumped at the wheel. Ash stopped to investigate. He switched off the car's engine, pulled Mertz out, and laid him on the ground. Ash called 911 and started pumping the older man's chest. The next few minutes would be absolutely critical for Mertz. If you had been there, standing over Mertz's lifeless body, would you have known what to do? A person's life can slip away in a few minutes. Without a heartbeat, circulation slows to a halt. Blood no longer flows to the organs, and the brain is the first one to suffer. In normal times, the brain, which constitutes 2 percent of our body mass, consumes about 20 percent of the oxygen the body takes in. After 10 seconds without oxygen, the brain's functions slow. Without oxygen or signals from the brain, other organs begin to break down. Diaphragm muscles no longer contract and release to bring in air. The kidneys stop filtering blood. At the same time, an elaborate chain reaction triggers a breakdown in cells throughout the body. Parade.com: 4 diseases you can fight with exercise . Scientists and physicians are now learning that this process can be reversed. When it comes to cardiac arrest, however, the chances of surviving an episode outside a hospital are poor. Only 2 percent of victims pull through without long-term damage. The No. 1 thing that has been shown to make a difference is the action of a bystander. If a passerby jumps in and gives CPR, as Corey Ash did, the likelihood of survival rises significantly. But if onlookers do nothing, those chances drop -- fast. According to the American Heart Association, for every minute that goes by without someone attempting CPR, the survival rate decreases 7 to 10 percent. Studies have found that bystanders perform CPR in only 20 to 30 percent of cases. Researchers say it's not because people don't want to help -- it's because they're apprehensive about putting their mouths on someone else's, especially if the person is dying. But what I'm about to tell you may change your mind about what you can do in a situation like Mertz's. More than 15 years ago, cardiologist Gordon Ewy and researchers at the University of Arizona's Sarver Heart Center were puzzling over how to get more people to give CPR. To simplify the method, they wondered what would happen if they advocated performing compressions without mouth-to-mouth respiration. After running successful laboratory trials, Ewy spoke to emergency-services directors in Arizona, Wisconsin, and Missouri. They were intrigued by his findings and agreed to promote the use of compression-only CPR among people in their states. They also implemented a protocol for their paramedics and firefighters that emphasized giving chest compressions with minimal interruptions to keep the patient's blood circulating. Parade.com: 8 ways to stay healthy . The results were remarkable: Not only were survival rates for people who got only compressions just as good as those for people who got traditional CPR, they actually were better. Why was it so effective? Mouth-to-mouth resuscitation supplies oxygen, which we need continuously. As it turns out, our bloodstreams contain plenty of oxygen at any moment. Even if we stop breathing, our oxygen levels remain normal for quite a while. If we do stop breathing, however, the sole way to make the oxygen circulate is by having someone pump our chests. In 2007, Japanese researchers revealed the results of a massive study on bystander intervention. They looked at cases where a person (not in a hospital) suffered cardiac arrest in view of a bystander -- and with his or her heart in a rhythm that would respond to a defibrillator. The survival rate was 11 percent for those who got standard CPR -- mouth-to-mouth plus chest compressions -- before an ambulance arrived. The rate was 19 percent for those who got only compressions. The act of keeping oxygen circulating could increase a victim's chances of surviving by as much as 70 percent. This is not a fancy technology born in a gleaming lab, yet it is one of the most significant recent breakthroughs in medicine. Because heart disease is the biggest killer in the United States, this simple act could save thousands of people's lives every year. Like Mike Mertz's. Shortly after Corey Ash began CPR, paramedics trained in the compression-only technique arrived. Thanks to them and to an alert bystander, Mertz survived. One day, the bystander could be you. Parade.com: 7 habits for a longer life . Remember: As soon as you see someone suffer what you think may be cardiac arrest, call 911, start giving chest compressions 100 times a minute, and don't stop for anything. To get more information and to find classes in your area in emergency cardiovascular care, go to the American Heart Association Web site. Advances in saving hearts . • Stem cells: Back when I was in medical school, I learned that any damage to the heart from a heart attack was permanent. This past summer, Mayo Clinic researchers working on mice converted adult scar cells into stem cells, which they injected into damaged hearts. The cells restored heart-muscle performance, stopped the progression of damage, and regenerated injured tissue. Scientists at Mayo tell me this will soon be tested on humans. • Drug-releasing stents: People at risk for heart disease who have a blockage in the vessels supplying blood to their hearts may undergo an angioplasty to open the vessel. Afterward, doctors often insert a stent (a mesh tube) to continue holding the artery open. The newest stents serve a dual role: They also release medication that prevents scar tissue from developing. • CRP testing: You should have your cholesterol levels checked regularly. But you might also ask your doctor about getting your C-reactive protein, or CRP, checked. It is a marker for inflammation, a powerful risk factor for heart disease. Changes in diet and exercise can usually reduce high CRP levels. | Gupta: Death is not a single event; it's a process that can be interrupted . Without a heartbeat, circulation slows to a halt; brain is first organ to suffer . In CPR, compressions are more important than mouth-to-mouth breathing . Compressions keep oxygen-rich blood circulating to brain, other organs . | a1ea2fbe3c9b59ba2b4142abee0a47f340cdcd4c |
(CNN) -- The father of a missing Oregon boy is asking that his estranged wife be held in contempt of court for violating a restraining order against her, court documents filed Monday show. According to the documents filed in Multonamah County Circuit Court, Kaine Horman, the father of missing 7-year-old Kyron Horman, is alleging that Terri Horman leaked information from the sealed restraining order against her to Michael Cook, a high school classmate of her husband's. The documents also allege that Terri Horman, Kyron's stepmother, began a sexual affair with Cook after her stepson's disappearance and that she attempted to "abduct" her daughter from Kaine Horman. Kyron has been missing since June 4. Terri Horman is the last person known to have seen him before he disappeared. Authorities have asked anyone who was at Kyron's Portland elementary school that day if they saw Terri Horman after she told police she last saw him walking down the hall to his classroom. Kaine Horman abruptly moved out of the family home in late June, taking the couple's 20-month-old daughter, Kiara, with him. He then filed for divorce from Terri Horman and was granted a restraining order June 28. Portions of the restraining order were unsealed last week, however access to the address of Kaine Horman and Kiara remained restricted. In the restraining order, Kaine Horman alleges his wife knows what happened to Kyron. "I believe respondent is involved in the disappearance of my son Kyron who has been missing since June 4," Horman wrote in his request for the order. "I also recently learned that respondent attempted to hire someone to murder me. The police have provided me with probable cause to believe the above two statements to be true." Monday's court documents allege that Terri Horman violated the restraining order's remaining restrictions by allowing Cook to photograph pages of the document, including Kaine Horman's address. "The search of Mr. Cook's cell phone also revealed that a Google Maps search of the address was later performed by Mr. Cook," the documents say. "Mr. Cook told law enforcement when interviewed that he got the address from the paperwork, that he did an internet maps search for the address, but never went to (Kaine Horman's) listed residence." The documents say Kaine Horman had requested restricted access to the address information because of "concerns about the investigation into the disappearance of his son, Kyron, and concerns about (Kaine Horman's) personal safety and the safety of his children." Monday's documents also say law enforcement authorities told Kaine Horman's attorney that his wife's "relationship concerns and sexual overtures to Mr. Cook resemble those made to the man (that Terri Horman) previously attempted to hire to murder" her husband. The alleged sexual relationship between Cook and Terri Horman began on or about June 30 after Kaine Horman had moved out of the family home, according to the documents. Law enforcement said the pair began exchanging text messages that included "several photographs of (Terri Horman) in various stages of undress and graphic sexual activity," according to the documents. The documents further allege that Terri Horman went by the gym where Kaine Horman works out "looking to 'abduct' her daughter, Kiara, from the gym daycare center," citing a gym employee. CNN has reached out to Terri Horman's attorney and Cook for comment and is awaiting a response. Cook told CNN affiliate KATU Monday that he had not seen the documents but said based on what he has heard about the contents that a lot of it is not true. He also told KATU he would not comment on the case until he consults an attorney. Authorities have not named any suspect or person of interest in connection with Kyron's disappearance. | Documents allege Terri Horman violated terms of restraining order against her . Kaine Horman alleges estranged wife engaged in affair with his high school classmate . Papers say Terri Horman gave alleged lover access to information in restraining order . 7-year-old Kyron Horman went missing June 4 . | 2c7bd70b39fa4ee0fd2d5542b6cba2e783922cfb |
(CNN) -- Growing up in New York City, there are a few things I never imagined myself doing, like driving a car, living in a house or attending big high school games like the ones I'd seen on TV. Yet in the years since leaving the isolated enclave of Manhattan, I've taken pleasure in expanding my horizon and checking off all-American rites of passage, most recently, the baseball spring training road trip. By now, it's a familiar tradition: as spring approaches, Major League Baseball teams head for camps in Florida and Arizona to work off the winter flab and get ready for the regular season. It's become a big tourist draw, with 2012 game attendee numbers in Florida expected to surpass 1.5 million as the spring training season winds down this week. A new era of enhanced training facilities and stadiums have all the 21st-century bells and whistles, but in some respects, spring training is still a throwback to a more casual, pastoral brand of baseball. My initiation was an abbreviated tour, three games in three stadiums, with a beach condo in Indian Shores as home base. I'm not a huge baseball fan, though I have found that appearing tolerant of sports generally makes you more likeable. But I consider myself a loyal girlfriend to a Braves fan who starts counting down on January 1 to the day pitchers and catchers report, who brought me to a Montgomery Biscuits game early in our relationship. Plus, we would be staying on the beach, so I welcomed the opportunity to familiarize myself with one of the nation's most cherished pastimes. Friends and colleagues had briefed me on themes to look out for, including the corporatization of spring training, "snowbirds" and interstate billboards warning against abortion on one side and promoting strip clubs on the other. I encountered nearly all of them, but what made the most profound impression was experiencing baseball stripped of its major corporate trappings: stadiums where puny chain-link fences separate fans from idols and beer is cheaper than in the majors (though it'll still set you back at least $5); no Home Depot-sponsored tool races or incessantly loud Jumbotron ads. It's a magic formula that has drawn fans to Florida for decades, though people only really began coming in droves in the last two decades, said Nick Gandy with Florida Sports, a sports promotion and tourist development organization. The advent of live remote broadcasts, which showed stadiums lined with palm trees and players with rolled-up shirtsleeves, started pulling in visitors from snow-covered states, he said. When players' salaries began to rise in the 1980s, teams turned to spring training to expand the franchise, i.e., revenue. A similar pattern emerged in Arizona, home to the 15 teams of the Cactus League, the Western version of Florida's Grapefruit League. With 2011 game attendance surpassing 1.5 million visitors in 14 Florida stadiums, devotees worry that spring training's popularity is diluting its homegrown appeal. A hotel room near a stadium for less than $100 was hard to come by, and had we waited until game day to buy tickets we would've been shut out of two of three games. "That's the biggest difference right there," said Gandy. "Walking up and buying a ticket on game day (used to be) easy -- lucky if you can do that anymore." The movement of teams from old stadiums into major complexes turned spring training into big business for the teams and the communities that host them, Gandy said, bringing in roughly $753 million a year in Florida. "You have the Atlanta Braves in 1998 going from West Palm Beach to Disney World, of all places," he said. "You know if Disney's getting involved in it there's some big business there." Big business indeed. "It's so Disney," one man lamented as we walked out of a Braves game at ESPN's Wide World of Sports. Champion Stadium, preseason home of the Braves, is located behind Disney World's arch, and many consider the team's presence near the Magic Kingdom antithetical to the spirit of spring training. Ticketmaster runs some of the box offices flanking the ESPN Club House, where the selection of Braves gear pales in comparison to the array of apparel festooned with Disney characters. Inside the flawless cream-colored stadium, "cast members" served food in baskets bearing Mickey ears and the tagline "where dreams come true." Donald Duck escorted a local sports anchor onto the field to throw the first pitch. When the game gets boring, you can seek a reprieve in the PlayStation Pavilion, equipped with 17 PS3 consoles, at $5 for 30 minutes. Near the field, however, the mood in the air was more akin to a county fair than a professional baseball game. In a section of designated lawn seating, clusters of families and friends stretched out on blankets and children ran amok among stumbling drunks while couples canoodled. Plus, I can vouch for the pulled pork sandwich. It was heartwarming stuff, the "real America" that I'd grown up seeing on TV and in movies, a place where baseball is a microcosm of the community, the underdogs win and the guy gets the girl. But, make no mistake, real America requires a car and a license, or a boyfriend with both. And patience, because traffic's a bitch, especially in places like Clearwater, spring training home of the Philadelphia Phillies and the Clearwater Threshers (that's a shark!) the rest of the year. Located, ironically enough, on a former Home Depot site on U.S. 19, the Phillies' Bright House Stadium represents the partnerships among local government and the franchises that have nurtured spring training. It seems to be a win-win for folks in Clearwater and tourists from up North, where the Gulf Coast is promoted year-round as a vacation destination, and not just for spring training, Gandy said. The day we saw the Braves play the Phillies, I also learned that the beauty of preseason play is that it creates a home away from home for fans from afar. Concession stands offered Philly Cheese Steaks, knishes and P-shaped pretzels. At the bar, strangers swapped profanity-laced travel tips. In "tiki bar" outfield seating, fans sat on bar stools behind long tables, raising bottles of Coors Light in the direction of players passing by. Others of a more inebriated nature demanded that Antonio Bastardo sign a beer bucket or have his "ass kicked" and needled sports anchor Gregg Murphy with taunting, prolonged cries of "MURPH!" Fans rooted for the home team and made fun of the Braves. In the grassy parking lot, a leathery old man hawked collectors' cards a few feet from Girl Scouts selling cookies. A man and a child tossed a ball around while we naively sat in our car for an hour waiting to reach the interstate. We didn't have that problem leaving Disney World. Many teams enjoy longstanding relationships with host cities, including the Phillies, who've trained in Clearwater for more than 60 years, confirming their place within the community. But smaller host cities like Bradenton enjoy a special air of nostalgia, thanks to an old stadium recently renovated to retain a look reminiscent of scenes from "A League of their Own," the only baseball movie I ever enjoyed. McKechnie Field, preseason home of the Pittsburgh Pirates for more than 40 years, is in downtown Bradenton in between a smaller baseball diamond, a Domino's Pizza and the Boys and Girls Club of Manatee, where parking is available for $7. That may seem like a lot, but to my boyfriend, who pays $10 to park at the IBEW lot near Turner Field and then walk another 10 minutes, it was money well spent, especially for a short walk. Outside the stadium, fans tailgated on the lawn of the public works building and a Land O' Lakes truck offered free grilled-cheese sandwiches. Inside the home of the Bradenton Marauders, vendors sold Iron City Beer next to county-fair-style stalls offering kettle corn, funnel cakes and turkey legs. In the stands before the game, sun-scorched retirees vacationing as ushers chastised fans for leaning over the dugout for autographs. But they didn't actually stop them from tossing balls and baseball caps to Tampa Bay's Sean Rodriguez, who patiently smiled and signed. What our plastic stadium bench seats lacked in shade was made for up in proximity to the Pirates' warmup area, separated from the fans by a low wall and a chain-link fence. Fans of Tampa Bay filled the stands, their black shirts eclipsing the Pirates' St. Paddy's Day green. In front of us, a man complained to his neighbor of the difficulty of getting tickets for the Yankees at Steinbrenner Field in Tampa. "Those New Yorkers," he muttered. Meanwhile, his wife gave instructions to their granddaughters via cell phone on where to stand to get Sean Rodriguez's autograph. I was reminded of something my boyfriend said the day before, as we walked along the beach and listed all the license plates we'd seen so far: New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Georgia, Florida, Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick (Indian Shores is near Dunedin, home of the Toronto Blue Jays since 1977): . "I like the idea that all these people are on vacation to see baseball," he said. Check that off the list! | Florida spring training baseball expected to draw more than 1.5 million people this year . Some fans worry plain that spring training has become too corporate and expensive . In three games, a visitor finds signs of more casual, pastoral brand of baseball . | 71f32a49ee723db9ec45786f0eac52892e801a16 |
Washington (CNN) -- Fire-protection systems on freight aircraft are inadequate, top U.S. aviation investigators say. The National Transportation Safety Board recommended improvements and rule changes Wednesday based on investigations of three catastrophic cargo plane fires. NTSB Chairwoman Deborah Hersman recommended that the Federal Aviation Administration require better early detection of fires inside cargo containers, development of fire-resistant containers and requiring active fire-suppression systems on all freight airlines. An NTSB report focused on three cargo fire accidents since 2006. Two of those fires killed the flight crews and destroyed the aircraft, in incidents in Dubai and North Korea. In the third incident in Philadelphia, the crew escaped with minor smoke-inhalation difficulties, and the plane was significantly damaged. "These fires quickly grew out of control, leaving the crew with little time to get the aircraft on the ground," Hersman said in a statement released with the report. "Detection, suppression and containment systems can give crews more time and more options. The current approach is not safe enough." FAA budget cuts would affect fliers . In all three cases, the fires started within the cargo containers aboard the planes, but by the time the plane's fire warning system alerted pilots to the dangers, there was little time for them to react. Federal regulations require cargo airline fire detection systems to alert pilots within one minute of a fire starting, but the NTSB's investigation found current systems detected fire and smoke anywhere from two and half minutes to more than 18 minutes after the fire started. The NTSB concluded cargo containers made of flammable materials significantly increase the intensity of the on-board fires because there's been little focus by manufacturers or regulators to develop fire-resistant cargo containers. Additionally, the NTSB's report recommended improved fire suppression systems on cargo planes, a recommendation it originally made to the FAA in 2007. After the 2007 recommendation, the FAA did a cost-benefit analysis of upgrading fire suppression systems and found it to be too expensive, a fact the NTSB highlighted in its report. "The two catastrophic cargo airplane fires that occurred in less than a year occurred after the FAA's cost-benefit analysis concluded that the installation of fire suppression systems was not cost-effective," the board said. UPS briefed Hersman earlier this week on the shipping company's efforts to develop improved fire safety standards. Also, FedEx is in the process of installing a fire suppression system on its long-haul fleet, the NTSB said. In an e-mail statement to CNN, FAA officials said the agency "has long supported improved fire protection on all cargo airplanes through research on new, non-Halon fire extinguishing agents, fire suppression systems directed at individual cargo containers or specific cargo compartment zones, and advanced cargo containers incorporating smoke detection, fire containment, and/or fire suppression systems." FAA officials said they would carefully evaluate the NTSB's recommendations. Way beyond air bags: NTSB wants next-generation safety devices on cars, trucks . | "The current approach is not safe enough," the head of the NTSB says . In '07, FAA said fire-safety upgrades too expensive based on cost/benefit analysis . NTSB: Industry has focused little on developing fire-resistant containers . Three cargo plane disaster probes yielded recommendations . | 9427402c968ee4285081eda3f5069fe9f961df8a |
A Florida man faces the death penalty after being convicted of killing his girlfriend's baby in 2009 by throwing the three-month-old out of a moving car while speeding down a highway. Richard McTear, of Tampa, was found guilty Thursday of first-degree murder and other charges related to the death of Emanuel Murray Jr. Prosecutors argued during the trial he killed the baby to spite his mother. McTear is believed by authorities to have taken the child on a drive after an argument with Jasmine Bedwell, 22, and tossed him out of the moving car. Blood stains were later found on McTear and in the vehicle, cops said. Just before the trial: Richard McTear, center, stands during jury selection at the George E. Edgecomb Courthouse in Tampa, he was convicted Thursday of murder . Prosecutors claimed during the trial the killing was 'the ultimate act of revenge' against Bedwell, who had sidled up to a new man in the days before the killing, according to reports. The jury deliberated for about seven hours before handing down the guilty verdict in the murder charge and also on counts of kidnapping, battery and aggravated child abuse. A first-degree murder conviction in Florida brings a mandatory sentence of life in prison, but jurors could also recommend the death penalty. It is now known which way the jury is leaning. The guilty verdict came despite McTear's public defender arguing during the trial that there was no evidence definitively showing he had thrown the baby onto the road. 'There's no clear explanation of how that baby got to the side of that road,' Assistant Public Defender Mike Peacock said in his closing argument, according to the Tampa Bay Times. He made this statement despite the child's blood having been found on both McTear and on a car seat. Jurors cried when shown pictures of the dead child, the Times reported. McTear's previous trial was declared a mistrial after Bedwell insisted the then-17-year-old man threatened to kill her son. It was not the first time she made the accusation. Getting ready: McTear's attorney is shown putting a tie on the now-convicted killer during his trial . Bedwell's claim that her 25-year-old . ex-boyfriend threatened to shoot her and her son and urinate on the . child came up originally in a 2010 trial where McTear was found not . guilty of battering her. Prior . to the commencement of that previous trial, the court ruled the phone . call with the threat should not be introduced because it was part of a . previous trial - where McTear was ultimately acquitted for assault - and . was therefore irrelevant in the murder case. But Bedwell gasped out the allegation amid tears as soon as she took the stand during the eventual mistrial. The victim: Three-month-old Emanuel Murray died after being tossed from a moving car on a busy Florida highway . 'The . jurors heard testimony they should not have heard under any . circumstances. In this court's conclusion, a mistrial is necessary,' Fuente said on Tuesday morning. 'I'll say this: I do this with extreme . reluctance. I'm not suggesting that any counsel did anything . inappropriate.' Assistant State Attorney Ron Gale had asked Bedwell about phone calls from McTear the day before Emanuel's death. Bedwell replied saying McTear had called her and 'told me that he was going to come over and shoot my baby in the face and p*** on him, in his face, and he was going to kill both of us.' Gale acknowledged Bedwell's testimony was 'clearly... a violation' of the court order but he said he had not expected her to refer to the phone call, which took place about six weeks before her son's death. However, he added that he had not specifically told her not to mention in their preparations for testimony. 'It did not come up,' Gale said. McTear's lawyers argued that there is not enough evidence to show his client is responsible for the baby's death. Prosecutors claim McTear entered Bedwell's apartment by force in May, 2009 and beat her before . throwing the baby carrier against the wall while the child was inside . it, ABC Action News reported. He then allegedly drove off with the child and threw him out onto the motorway. Devastated mother: Jasmine Bedwell, pictured center in 2009, previously said she wants McTear to face the death penalty . An off-duty TV cameraman spotted the child's body lying by the side of the motorway in Tampa. Jason Bird said he thought it was a toy doll - until he saw the baby's eyes. A huge manhunt was launched for McTear who had previous convictions for domestic violence and other violent crimes. He was found hiding at a friend's house several hours after the incident and was arrested by police. Bedwell, . who was then 17, told police her ex-boyfriend grabbed her son and threw . him down onto the pavement. He then picked him up in his carrier and raced off. Police were about to issue an Amber . Alert until the baby's body was found by the side of . I-275, the main motorway leading into Tampa on Florida's Gulf Coast. TV . cameraman Bird, who was on his way to work for a local station, said: . 'Just out of the corner of my eye, I thought I saw some trash on the . side of the road. But the more I thought about it, I saw eyes. 'It flipped me out, and I started shaking and said, 'It's a doll, a baby doll.' ' Police in Florida said at the time that Bedwell had previously sought a court injunction to keep McTear away from her family. Troubled history: Jasmine Bedwell (pictured left in 2009) became pregnant again after losing her son but her second child was taken away by the state in 2012 . The matter was dropped, though, after she failed to turn up for a court hearing. In 2010, Jasmine Bedwell found out she was pregnant again and gave birth to another son in September of that year. But . in January of 2012, she had her second child taken away by the . Department of Children and Families after a judge ruled the boy, A'Jon, . was in danger. Her boyfriend at the time had been convicted of cocaine and marijuana distribution and carrying a concealed weapon. | Richard McTear was found guilty of first-degree murder and other charges in the 2009 death of a three-month-old baby boy . McTear murdered the child by throwing him out of a moving car as he sped down a Florida highway . Mother Jasmine Bedwell's testimony in previous case led to a mistrial . McTear could get the death penalty . | f02a83e7f45daeaedb41d73cae706a183d6512e1 |
A woman has complained to Air New Zealand after an obese passenger she was seated next to forced her to spend most of her three and a half hour flight standing in the aisle. Caralyn Young, from Wellington, New Zealand, and her 10-year-old grandson were seated next to an obese man on a flight from Brisbane to Wellington on Monday. Stuff NZ has reported that the passenger was so large he took up one and a half seats, wore an extension seat belt and had to set his arm rests up. Caralyn Young was seated next to an obese man on an Air New Zealand flight from Brisbane to Wellington on Monday . Ms Young and her 10-year-old grandson were seated next to a passenger that was so large he took up at one and a half seats, wore an extension seat belt and had to set his arm rests up . Ms Young said 'one of his legs would have been twice the size of mine, and he was taking up one and a half seats, but he was a nice guy and he apologised to us.' She said she spent most of the flight in the aisle or in the flight attendants area. Ms Young complained to Air New Zealand, who code shared the flight with Virgin Australia, claiming the airline was negligent for flying with her unsafe seating arrangement. Obese passengers have emerged as one of the greatest challenges facing the airline industry today. A 2012 study from Skyscanner found that overweight passengers were the second biggest annoyance for passengers, second only to bad hygiene. One airline, Airbus, has started offering extra-wide seats for overweight passengers who are too big to comfortably fit in normal sized seats. Virgin Australia, who operated the flight, offer a 'comfort seat' policy which is designed for passengers who need extra room, however it is left up to the individual guests to asses whether they require the service. Ms Young complained to Air New Zealand, who code shared the flight with Virgin Australia, claiming the airline was negligent for flying with her unsafe seating arrangement . A 2012 study from Skyscanner found that overweight passengers were the second biggest annoyance for passengers, second only to bad hygiene . A spokesperson for Virgin Australia has told Daily Mail 'Virgin Australia is committed to doing our best to accommodate all Guests comfortably. 'In a situation where a Guest appears unable to travel comfortably in one seat, we do our best to seat them next to an empty seat. If the flight is full, we offer to move the relevant Guest to another flight at no cost to them. 'In this case the affected guest on board was not comfortable with the assigned seating arrangements. Every effort was made during the flight to reaccommodate their needs and we sincerely apologise for any inconvenience caused.' Air New Zealand was also contacted for comment. | Caralyn Young was seated next to an obese man on a flight from Brisbane to Wellington . The passenger was so large he took up at one and a half seats, wore an extension seat belt and had to set his arm rests up . She spent most of the flight in the aisle or cramped in the flight attendants area . Ms Young complained to Air New Zealand after the flight . Obese passengers have emerged as one of the greatest challenges facing the airline industry . | bdd656c3173c47b0917b2b7ee099ccc2051981ff |
By . Sam Webb . PUBLISHED: . 11:36 EST, 24 April 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 03:18 EST, 1 May 2013 . The horrific moment that a medical director lay down in the middle of a busy motorway as an HGV bore down on her was today described to an inquest. Dr Kaja Lerum Sammartino was struck by at least one lorry after she suddenly appeared in the slow lane of the M4 in the early morning of October 26. The 38-year-old mother-of-two from Newbury, Berkshire, who was the star of the pharmaceutical company where she worked, was killed almost instantly after she lay down on the carriageway. Minutes before she had crashed into a safety barrier in her car but was not believed to have been seriously injured. Dr Kaja Lerum Sammartino (left), pictured with husband Pablo Sammartino, died after she 'lay down' in front of a lorry on the M4 in October. She had been in a minor road accident just minutes before . HGV driver Richard Hanton told the coroner: 'I was driving normally and nothing was out of the ordinary. 'Then I saw a woman lie down in front of me after coming from the hard shoulder and lying down in the slow lane.' Mr Hanton violently swerved his 44 tonne HGV to avoid hitting the woman before stopping some 200 metres up the hard shoulder. The experienced driver then walked back down the carriageway and spotted an empty Mazda parked off the carriageway and peered inside. He then spotted the body of Dr Lerum Sammartino in the motorway which was then struck by a heavy goods vehicle. Other drivers described what they thought was a deer in the slow lane of the eastbound M4 between Newbury and Reading. The inquest into Dr Lerum Sammartino's death, which took place on what would have been her 39th birthday, heard that she was on her way to work at the pharmaceutical company in Reading when, for an unknown reason, she careered off the carriageway and struck the safety barrier on the hard shoulder. Dr Lerum Sammartino had a history of depression, but her husband Pablo Sammartino insists she would not have killed herself as she was devoted to her children . Accident investigators could find nothing mechanically wrong with the car but the impact damaged its entire length and the nearside airbags had been deployed. Location: Drivers described what they thought was a deer in the slow lane of the eastbound M4 between Newbury and Reading . Following the collision the doctor, who was born in Norway, turned off the engine, put on the hazard warning lights, left the car from the passenger door and contacted the emergency services. However she declined the assistance of an ambulance, fire and police. Forensic collision investigator Tony Reading described the collision as 'not significant' and as a 'glancing blow'. He said it was unlikely to cause 'significant injury'. The hearing in Newbury was told how accident investigators could not rule out that Dr Lerum Sammartino may have hit her head when her car collided with the safety barrier. 'If you have a bleeding to the brain you can function perfectly normally for a period of time and then the pressure can cause a problem,' said Mr Reading. Due to the disruption of the body a pathologist was unable to discover whether she had suffered a head injury. A post mortem examination gave the cause of death as multiple injuries. Berkshire Coroner Peter Bedford asked: 'So, it is not something you can rule out?"' Mr Reading said: 'Absolutely not.' Husband Pablo Sammartino said he had . known his wife for more than 20 years and although she had suffered from . periods of depression in the past and took anti-depressants, he said . she would not have committed suicide. Road: Dr Kaja Lerum Sammartino was struck by at least one lorry after she suddenly appeared in the slow lane of the M4 in the early morning of October 26 . 'She was extremely dedicated to her family. She would basically do anything for her children. 'I am in no doubt.' Coroner Peter Bedford said: 'What we . will never fully understand is why on that particular morning she struck . the armco (a type of barrier) and we will never know how it affected . her, both emotionally and physically. - Husband Pablo Sammartino . 'The potential for physical injury cannot be ignored.' He recorded an open verdict into the death of the doctor. Speaking after the hearing Mr Sammartino said: 'Six months after Kaja's departure we still miss her like the first day, perhaps a touch more today, it being her birthday. 'Her generous, humble, caring persona is our daily beacon of strength, we trust in God and the confidence that her angel looks after us, especially my children, every single day. 'Thankfully, out of the tragedy some good often emerges and I would like to thank the people and institutions that are helping our family in this extremely challenging time.' Sorry we are unable to accept comments for legal reasons. | The mother-of-two scraped car on barrier of M4 in early morning crash . Dr Kaja Lerum Sammartino then rang emergency services but refused help . After a short time she 'lay down' in front of an oncoming lorry . She may have suffered head injury in the first accident . | 825c3b4bbe3347edde9880a7c46281a2e2d9fb0f |
A celestial fireworks show peaks Monday and Tuesday as Earth passes though the dust of a comet's tail. Humans around the world have witnessed the Perseid meteor shower every August for at least 2,000 years, with dozens of meteors streaking across the sky each hour. Your view is best after midnight until just before sunrise. Get away from city lights, if possible, for the full effect. A waning crescent moon means less light in the sky to compete with the meteor display. Next year's show will be dimmed by a full moon. The annual sky spectacular happens when our planet's orbit around the sun passes near Comet Swift-Tuttle's path, which goes by every 130 years. The last close encounter with the comet was 20 years ago, but it left grains of dust in its wake. The bright streaks you see are "interplanetary dust" burning up as it collides with our atmosphere at about 133,000 mph, according to NASA micrometeoroid expert Diego Janches. "The fragments are either remnants from the solar system's formation, or they are produced by collisions between asteroids or comets from long ago." "Each such fragment is approximately the size of a dime, but the more constant, sporadic meteoroids have been around much longer, breaking down over time into tiny fragments only about as wide as a piece of human hair," according to NASA.gov. While the meteor show is entertainment for most, it is a research opportunity for Janches and other NASA scientists. They'll use radar systems around the globe to watch the fragments of sodium, silicon, calcium and magnesium enter the atmosphere. "The small meteoroids feed the atmosphere with all these extra materials," Janches said in a NASA.com posting. "They come in, release metallic atoms that get deposited in the mesosphere and then get pushed around from pole to pole by the general global circulation. So by using the metals as tracers, you can answer some important questions about the general composition and movement of the atmosphere." | The best view of the Perseid meteor shower is after midnight until just before sunrise . The annual sky show happens when Earth passes near Comet Swift-Tuttle's path . Bright streaks are "interplanetary dust" burning up as it collides with our atmosphere . The meteor show is entertainment for most, but a research chance for NASA . | da9db217883de1071e3bd41e4bf5dcb81f0415c7 |
By . Associated Press Reporter . A lightning strike has killed a woman and injured seven other people at Rocky Mountain National Park. Park spokeswoman Kyle Patterson says two of the injured were taken to a hospital by ambulance and five others transported themselves. Patterson says park officials were notified of the lightning strike at about 1:20 p.m. Friday. A woman died Friday afternoon and two other people were treated and transported by ambulance after lightning struck along Trail Ridge Road in Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado . It happened on the Ute Crossing Trail, which is located off Trail Ridge Road. Trail Ridge is the nation's highest continuously paved road. The park did not identify the woman who died, or the people who were injured. Officials said they would not be releasing additional information Friday. Rocky Mountain National Park is a national park located in the north-central region of Colorado, with a massive network of hiking trails . Rocky Mountain National Park is known for its vast network of hiking trails. The park is located northwest of Boulder in the Rockies. It includes the Continental Divide and the headwaters of the Colorado River. | Accident occurred 1:20 p.m. Friday at Rocky Mountain National Park . Eight injured Trail Ridge Road . One woman died and two were hospitalized . | d28341bf14307b5a9e117abdf99e469bdf118df0 |
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The Supreme Court heard new arguments Wednesday in a dramatic case that started with a movie attacking Hillary Clinton -- but that could have far-reaching implications for U.S. elections. The campaign finance case before the court stems from a film critical of then-presidential candidate Hillary Clinton. "If you thought you knew everything about Hillary Clinton, wait till you see the movie," said an ad last year for "Hillary: The Movie," a scorching attack on the woman then running for president. Citizens United, the conservative group behind the film, promoted it as featuring 40 interviews -- a "cast to end all casts"-- and promised that if "you want to hear about the Clinton scandals of the past and present, you have it here! 'Hillary: The Movie' is the first and last word in what the Clintons want America to forget!" Few Americans ever saw the ad; a federal court ruled that it broke the law on campaign advertising. Citizens United argued that the movie was a documentary, not "electioneering communication." As a result, the group argued, it was not subject to campaign finance rules that require disclosure of the movie's financial backers or restrictions on when the film could air. It was financed with a mix of corporate and individual donations. Judges disagreed. Citizens United, a Washington-based nonprofit advocacy group, took its case to the Supreme Court. Unusually, the top court did not reach a decision on the case after it was first heard and ordered Wednesday's rare September rehearing to consider more aspects of the case. A ruling is expected in a couple of months. The case hinges on whether corporations can be barred from pouring money into election campaigns or whether they have free-speech rights -- and the right to spend their cash to influence elections, just like individual people do. "It's about money," said Lawrence Noble, former general counsel of the Federal Election Commission and a national expert on campaign spending. "It's about free speech, and it's about the ability of corporations to influence elections through the direct use of their ... money." Fred Wertheimer of Democracy 21 said the courts were right in the first place. "Allowing corporations to flood our elections and use campaign expenditures to buy influence would fundamentally undermine our democracy," he said. "The little guy would have no role here, because the dominant force in politics -- the dominant force in Washington decision-making -- would become corporations." But David Bossee of Citizens United doesn't buy that. He argued that groups of people who pool resources, ranging from labor unions to the health industry to advocacy groups like the National Rifle Association, still have the right to free speech. "I don't believe the federal government should have the right to impede people's entry into the [political] process," he said. "And that's what I believe the Federal Election Commission is doing here: squelch our First Amendment rights." U.S. courts have consistently ruled that spending money on elections is a form of speech. The case has made for unusual alliances: the American Civil Liberties Union, for example, sides with Citizens United. "For many free-speech advocates, this is maybe a case of strange bedfellows, but they agree with Citizens United," said George Washington University law professor Jonathan Turley. "They say, 'If you start to say these types of movies are prohibited speech, it could sweep into things like books.' Indeed, [the first time this case was argued,] the U.S. government said, 'Yes, we could restrict books during these election periods,' " Turley said. "That sent a chill through the free-speech community. On the other side, people are saying, 'Yeah, campaign finance [reform] is strangling the democratic process,' " he said. "You have two worthy values and very strong values on both sides," he said on CNN's "American Morning." "There's a great deal at stake," he said. "If they strike down part of the campaign finance laws, it occurs right before the mid-term [elections], and you would see major amounts of money dumped into the campaign." The court's rare special session marks the debut of Justice Sonia Sotomayor, President Obama's first Supreme Court nominee. The original narrow focus of the case was on Section 203 of the comprehensive 2002 McCain-Feingold law, which bans the broadcast of "electioneering communication" by corporations, unions and advocacy groups if such a broadcast would be aired close to election dates and would identify candidates by name or image. The law also requires an on-screen notice of the groups financing such ads as well as public disclosure of all donors to the sponsoring organizations. But the scope of the case has now expanded significantly, and justices will ask whether they should re-examine important precedents banning direct corporate spending in campaigns. The Clinton movie case could launch a range of as-yet unanswered questions about political speech and government regulation. Since the filmmakers argued that their work was information, not political advocacy, should the government place itself as the ultimate arbiter of what is "news"? Some media groups say no. " 'Hillary: The Movie' does not differ, in any relevant respect, from the critiques of presidential candidates produced throughout the entirety of American history," said the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press in a brief to the high court. And can distinctions be drawn between regulating quickie 30-second or one-minute "attack ads" and a 90-minute documentary that could be viewed as an ideological "infomercial"? "McCain-Feingold clearly has an impact on every candidate and everyone that raises or spends campaign dollars," said Edward Lazarus, author of "Closed Chambers," an inside look at the Supreme Court. "And the court has mediated that line between trying to allow Congress to protect against electoral corruption but at the same time protect the right of expression of corporations and individuals." Movie excerpts and the ads can be seen at www.hillarythemovie.com. The case is Citizens United v. FEC (08-205). CNN Supreme Court Producer Bill Mears and Elaine Quijano contributed to this report. | Federal court ruled that movie broke campaign ad laws . Group behind film attacking Clinton said it was a documentary . Can corporations be barred from giving to election campaigns? Supreme Court expected to rule in a couple of months . | 54cb9d5ad6c734904575e4cdad5a89dbd17059d8 |
The son of a well-known Chinese general has been charged with taking part in a gang rape. Li Tianyi, 17, and four other men will face trial over the attack, which allegedly took place at a Beijing hotel in February. Li is the son of Li Shuangjiang, 74, one of China’s most famous military leaders, who has reportedly fallen ill as a result of his son’s arrest. Baby-faced: Li Tianyi, 17, and four other men will face trial over the attack in Beijing . If convicted, the baby-faced teenager could serve from three to 10 years, although the law allows for harsher punishment if the case is considered especially serious. His father Li Shuangjiang is a general famed for singing patriotic anthems for the People's Liberation Army and often stars in television galas. He was reportedly taken ill after his son was arrested, and was further shamed when evidence emerged that he may have lied about his son’s age to give him a lenient sentence. Father and son: Li Tianyi (right) is son of Li Shuangjiang (left), a general in the Chinese army who is famed for singing Chinese patriotic anthems . The rape charges aren't the younger Li's first brush with the law. He was sentenced to a year in detention in 2011 as a 15-year-old for attacking a couple over a minor traffic dispute and threatening onlookers, in a case that attracted widespread condemnation online. Spoiled: Li Shuangjiang, was forced to make a public apology for failing to check his son's bad behavior . He sent to a detention centre for a year after being convicted of assaulting a couple in the street who blocked the path of the BMW he was driving. Li was ridiculed in the media as a spoiled brat and his father was forced to make a public apology for failing to check his son's bad behavior. Now a video has emerged, published by South China Morning Post, showing General Li referring to his 12 year old son in 2006, meaning his son is now 19 and should then possibly have been tried as an adult in the 2010 incident. It appears he will be tried as an adult in the gang rape case, but the prosecutor’s office in Beijing's Haidian district could not confirm this. Amid anger over corruption and a widening wealth gap, many Chinese have become increasingly impatient with the antics of the ‘wealthy second generation’ seen as using their parents' money and connections to avoid repercussions for illegal or outrageous behavior. | Li Tianyi, 17, and four others stand accused of rape . Incident allegedly took place at a Beijing hotel in February . His father is a general in China's People's Liberation Army . | efda54f9593f71b4fb5e60fa36a4528094b7f76d |
By . Tom Gardner . PUBLISHED: . 19:09 EST, 10 September 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 19:10 EST, 10 September 2012 . The heartbroken wife of a soldier killed in Afghanistan by a roadside bomb has vowed their unborn daughter will grow up knowing about her 'loving, generous' father. Sergeant Lee Paul Davidson of The Light Dragoons died on Sunday after his Ridgeback vehicle was hit while patrolling with the Afghan Uniformed Police in the Nahr-e Saraj district of Helmand province. The 32-year-old leaves his pregnant wife Samantha and two sons Jayden and Jamie. Tribute: Sergeant Lee Paul Davidson of The Light Dragoons, pictured, 'will be remembered as a simply superb soldier and a wonderful man' Paying tribute to her husband Mrs Davidson said: 'My gorgeous husband Lee, we all can't believe you have gone. 'You are my best friend, lover and the best husband and father I could have ever have wished for. 'You really are the total package - good looking, kind, loving, generous and the best dad I have ever known. 'Your . memories we had together will be treasured in my mind and heart . forever, your children will grow up knowing all this about you. 'You . will never be forgotten. Never. All our love, your Samantha, Jayden, . Jamie and your little daughter who is on the way very soon. X.' The . sergeant's death brings the number of members of UK forces to have died . since operations in Afghanistan began in October 2001 to 427. Light Dragoons commanding officer, Lieutenant Colonel Sam Plant, paid tribute to Sgt Davidson, who had also served in Bosnia and Iraq, saying: 'Sgt Davidson will be remembered as a simply superb soldier and a wonderful man. 'From the outset of training for this, his second tour of duty in Afghanistan, he demonstrated the sort of professionalism and determination that had long been his trademark. Blast: Sergeant Lee Paul Davidson died on Sunday after his Ridgeback vehicle, similar to the one pictured, was hit while patrolling with the Afghan Uniformed Police in the Nahr-e Saraj district of Helmand province. (File picture) 'He was the most natural leader of men . and soldiers flourished under his command - he set the perfect tone and . example and cared deeply for his soldiers' welfare. 'Rarely . to be seen without a broad smile on his face, his enormous popularity . was borne out of deep respect and his unbreakable sense of fun. Utterly . loyal and ferociously hard-working, he was, and always will be, an . inspiration to so many. 'He deployed on Operation Herrick 16 as a member of A Squadron, The Light Dragoons as a Troop Sergeant and a vehicle commander. 'In . this, his core role, he thrived from the outset but, in June, he and . his men were selected and trained to become Afghan Police mentors. 'Typically, . Sgt Davidson attacked this new challenge with gusto, quickly proving to . be an outstanding mentor. The requirement to build rapport with his . Afghan partners came completely naturally to him and he died doing a job . in which he was succeeding and loving. His future in The Light Dragoons . was full of promise and continued promotion up the ranks was a given.' Blast: Sergeant Lee Paul Davidson's death brings the number of members of UK forces to have died since operations in Afghanistan began in October 2001 to 427. (File picture) Sgt Davidson, from Doncaster, South Yorkshire, 'adored' his family and spoke of them often, the officer added. Captain Luke Dodington, Second-in-Command, the Brigade Reconnaissance Squadron, The Light Dragoons, said: 'Sgt Davidson has been one of the most consistently excellent soldiers in A Squadron throughout training and our deployment here in Afghanistan. 'He was a driven, charismatic and caring troop sergeant who was well loved by the wider regiment, but more so by his troop.' Warrant Officer David Rae, Regimental Sergeant Major, said: 'As a man, Davo was liked by everyone, peers, superiors and subordinates; he was easy to be around; you enjoyed spending time with him. 'There was no agenda, only a down to earth, level headed, happy, fun, chatty, articulate and intelligent Yorkshireman; and he cared about all the right things. 'His family were generally in the conversation and he doted on his wife and children. He looked upon his troop in almost equal measure and his troop knew it too...I know his soldiers are feeling this, I have witnessed it. 'I know they trusted him implicitly, I have witnessed this also. 'I know they respected him and looked up to him as the best Troop Sergeant in The Light Dragoons: it's hard to argue against this.' Defence Secretary Philip Hammond, said: 'I was deeply saddened to learn of the death of Sgt Lee Davidson and my thoughts are with his family at this very sad time. 'Sgt Davidson was a respected and skilled serviceman and his loss is a great tragedy. Sgt Davidson gave his life protecting Britain's national security; his efforts will not be in vain, and he will not be forgotten.' | Sergeant Lee Paul Davidson of The Light Dragoons died on Sunday while on patrol on Helmand . Wife Samantha, who is expecting their third child, vowed: 'You will never be forgotten.' | 39536bb46f9f5cd5b06fa7dce1ca903402f1475a |
Carl Froch delivered his riposte to the unfortunate 'Death Row' taunt from George Groves, which is also likely to get the Londoner in a little trouble with the authorities. At the weigh-in in front of 4,000 boisterous fans, Froch said: 'I want to send him back into the hole he crawled out of and put this saga behind me'. Groves had likened Froch to a man on death row and his comment has not gone unnoticed by the Boxing Board of Control. VIDEO Scroll down to watch the pair showboat at the weigh-in and their intense square-up . Job done: Carl Froch and George Groves both made weight ahead of their rematch on Saturday . Face to face: Froch did the talking as both men came together for the final time before the first bell . General Secretary Robert Smith said: . 'It was a silly thing to say. We know that boxers sometimes say silly . things as a fight nears but this was unfortunate. 'It . is not appropriate to talk in terms of death in relation to this very . hard game of ours because unfortunately death sometimes happens. 'We . won't do anything about this until the fight is over but we will have a . think next week as to whether to have a word with George.' Froch was reprimanded by the Board after threatening to kill Mikkel Kessler before their rematch. The . Nottingham Cobra, who is defending his world super-middleweight titles . in front of a Wembley crowd of 80,000, was booed and jeered as he took . to the scales by a predominantly London crowd in the nearby Arena. Surprisingly, given that he is naturally the heavier man, Groves came in 1lb 4oz lighter than Froch. No worries: Groves looked confident as he weighed in well within the 12st limit at Wembley Arena . Inside: Froch weighed in just within the limit to ensure the rematch goes ahead on Saturday night . The . Cobra said to The Saint as they posed for the eyeball-to-eyeball . photographs: 'You look drawn and dehydrated. You've come in under . weight.' Later, Froch said: . 'He looks to me like he has put himself under pressure by saying he'll . knock me out in three rounds. Very nervous, if you ask me.' Groves responded by saying: 'I did the weight comfortably, we wanted to moan about the 4pm weigh-in for the sake of moaning. Business time: The trash talk will stop between Froch and Groves when they go toe-to-toe at Wembley . Cheeky to cheeky: Both Brits try to show they're relaxed ahead of the super middleweight world title bout . 'I feel perfect in mind, body and soul. I couldn't be more ready. 'Carl needs reassurance but he can't find it and for that reason he's going to struggle. I'd beat Carl Froch every night of the week.' Groves weighed 1lb 10oz under the 12st limit, while Froch scaled 11st 13lb 9oz. The . closest we came to drama was when one of Groves' sizeable contingent of . bodyguards engaged in a brief scuffle with an official security man. | George Groves weighed in slightly lighter than Carl Froch at 11st 12lb 4oz . The champion was just under the 12st limit at 11st 13lb 9oz . Froch was booed by the Wembley Arena crowd . As many as 4000 fans packed in to watch the two fighters go head to head . They are expected in the ring at Wembley at 10pm on Saturday night . | dbd113dbec6d9065149b189c94d29d4c3f2aeb50 |
Seoul, South Korea (CNN) -- A disgraced South Korean scientist -- who gained fame in 2004 when he claimed to have cloned human embryonic stem cells -- on Monday was convicted of embezzling money and illegally buying human eggs, state media reported. The Seoul Central District Court sentenced Hwang Woo-suk, 56, to a two-year prison term, suspended for three years, the Yonhap news agency reported. The scientist in 2006 admitted faking his findings, after questions of impropriety had emerged. Reports of his studies had attracted worldwide attention and enthusiasm from researchers and patients excited about their potential for treating diseases such as cancer, diabetes and Alzheimer's disease. In 2006, prosecutors said Hwang masterminded the process of creating false studies on stem-cell technology. They also backed up his assertion that assistant researcher Kim Sun-jong deceived him with fake data that became part of the research. Prosecutors said Kim smuggled in-vitro fertilized stem cells into Hwang's lab to make it look as though the scientist was successful in creating stem cells through cloning. Hwang was charged with accepting 2 billion won ($2.1 million at the time of charges) in private donations based on falsified research, prosecutors said. They also accused him of embezzling about 800 million won ($856,000 at the time of charges) in private and government research funds. Hwang apologized publicly in January 2006 after a panel of scientists from Seoul National University found he had not derived human stem cells from eggs, as he claimed. "It is true that the research papers had fabricated data, and I will take full responsibility. I acknowledge this and apologize," he said at the time. He acknowledged that much of the data and photographs published in the U.S.-based journal Science in 2004 and 2005 had been fabricated. The university panel's report said Hwang did produce the world's first cloned dog, Snuppy. | Hwang claim in 2004 to have cloned human embryonic stem cells . In 2006, the scientist admitted faking his findings . He get two-year prison sentence, Yonhap reports . Reports of his studies had attracted worldwide attention . | f5f31ca2278d330ad558269a030f58fa4a901ba3 |
By . Simon Jones . PUBLISHED: . 03:49 EST, 17 July 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 10:03 EST, 17 July 2013 . Chelsea have confirmed they made a written offer for Wayne Rooney but Manchester United rejected their sensational opening bid. Sportsmail understands the initial offer on Tuesday was £10million cash plus David Luiz or Juan Mata but Chelsea deny involving the two players in their bid. The London club then returned with a second offer of £22m outright - but that was also rejected by United, who told their Barclays Premier League rivals not come back with another offer. Something on your mind? Wayne Rooney arrives at Manchester United's training ground on Wednesday . David Moyes's first home game in charge of Manchester United is against... you guessed it, Chelsea on August 26. Will Rooney line up against his former side or will he be made to sweat until the transfer window closes on September 2? United have insisted Rooney is not for sale and Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho must now decide whether to submit a fresh offer. A statement from Chelsea read: ‘Chelsea . FC can confirm that yesterday it made a written offer to Manchester . United for the transfer of Wayne Rooney.' But in another twist, Chelsea appeared to suggest that Sportsmail's story came from United's training camp in Sydney. The statement continued: 'Although the terms of the offer are confidential, for the avoidance of doubt and to the contrary to what appears to be being briefed to the press in Sydney, the purchase price does not include the transfer or loan of any players from Chelsea to Manchester United.’ United insist they have not briefed the press on this story but simply confirmed the bid had been made. Chelsea have been . warned, however, not to return with a second bid as United have no . intention of selling Rooney to another Premier League club. Up for grabs? Chelsea have offered Juan Mata (above) or David Luiz (below) in part-exchange for Rooney . Arsenal have already made an initial . enquiry and remain in the frame despite also making offers for Luis . Suarez and Gonzalo Higuain. Mourinho is willing to sell Mata and Luiz and hoped the inclusion of one of them in a deal would tempt United to sell up. Meanwhile, United's chief executive Ed . Woodward has left the club's tour of Australia to try to secure Cesc Fabregas from Barcelona. Rooney feels he is at the peak of his career and has nothing to prove after nine seasons at Old Trafford. The England forward is understood to be ‘angry and confused’ over comments by new manager . David Moyes that he will not be sold because he provides important . back-up for first-choice striker Robin van Persie. The offending words were delivered to Sunday newspaper journalists during a briefing with Moyes in Bangkok last week. Moyes . said: ‘Overall, my thought on Wayne is that if for any reason we had an . injury to Robin van Persie we are going to need him and I want as many . options as possible.’ Uncertain future: Rooney was overshadowed by Robin van Persie (below) at United last season . Since returning from United’s tour of . the Far East and Australia for treatment on a hamstring injury last . week, the 27-year-old has made his feelings known to the club. He has re-iterated his desire to leave — . having issued a similar message to Sir Alex Ferguson last season — and . is now prepared to put in a formal transfer request. Rooney . wants to go this summer with the World Cup less than a year away, and . sources close to the player say he has no intention of allowing his . career to go backwards by being a squad member or playing second fiddle . to Van Persie. Moyes faces a quandary now the player has raised the stakes but there seems little chance of him staying. United have already discussed the possible . scenarios and believe that out of Real Madrid, Barcelona and Paris . Saint-Germain, the French champions would be their preferred buyer. Plenty to ponder: David Moyes speaks to assistant Steve Round, Ryan Giggs and coach Phil Neville . Then and now: Moyes helped Rooney develop at Everton (left) but the player is now far from happy (right) Mourinho added more fuel to his interest . in Rooney on Tuesday by warning that England’s World Cup hopes could . suffer if he stays at United. Chelsea appear to have settled on Rooney . as their main target after losing out on Radamel Falcao to Monaco and . Edinson Cavani to PSG. Mourinho said: ‘If Wayne is a second choice for Manchester United, then the national team will be affected.’ He also said that Rooney is 'a player I like very, very much.' He added: 'Being fast and direct, I like him very much but he’s a United player. From an ethical point of view I can’t speak about players from other teams.' Big fan: Jose Mourinho has not tried to hide his admiration for Rooney as he tries to bring him to Chelsea . Those comments forced Moyes to reaffirm his stance that he would not sell a player he brought through at Everton. 'Unless I was speaking double Dutch last week, we said Wayne is not for sale,' he insisted. 'It’s hard to keep repeating myself but I will — Wayne is a United player and it will remain that way. 'Jose said in his comments that he doesn’t normally talk about other players. But it does happen.' Rooney must now consider whether he takes the next step and puts in a transfer request. He arrived at Carrington on Wednesday morning as he recovers from his slight hamstring injury along with Nani, Nemanja Vidic and Nick Powell. Age: 25 . Position: Attacking midfielder . Previous clubs: Real Madrid B, Valencia . Chelsea stats: . 2011-12: Apps: 54 Goals: 12 Assists: 23 . 2012-13: Apps 64 Goals 20 Assists 35 . Spain: Apps: 29 Goals 8 . Fan's view: Player of the season for two years running and the creative heartbeat of the side. Countless goals and assists, and a consummate professional. A fan favourite and widely appreciated by fans of other sides too. Age: 26 . Position: Defender/Midfielder . Previous clubs: Vitoria, Benfica . Chelsea stats: . 2010-11: Apps: 12 Goals: 2 . 2011-12: Apps 40 Goals 3 . 2012-13: Apps 57 Goals 7 . Brazil: Apps 28 Goals 0 . Fan's view: Came on leaps and bounds last season and showed his versatility as he adapted to a midfield role. Has been cutting out mistakes and errors since he joined Chelsea. Touted as a future captain. VIDEO: A selection of Juan Mata's goals for Chelsea . VIDEO: David Luiz's wonder strike against Basle in the Europa League . | Chelsea offer £22million for Rooney but United reject bid . Sportsmail understands first offer was £10m plus a player . Players involved believed to be Juan Mata and David Luiz . Club statement accuses United of dirty tricks by briefing media . United tell Chelsea not to bother to come back with another bid . | 3716d06174296032032123c5cc6e6065147ee698 |
Gales of gases whipping through the universe are dimming galaxies, researchers have discovered. Astronomers found the bright core of a spiral galaxy 245 million light years away has unexpectedly lost more X-ray radiation than expected because of the strong winds. And these, in turn, mean the winds are able to spread through the superhot disk surrounding a black hole at speeds five times faster than was predicted. Astronomers have discovered strange and unexpected behaviour around the supermassive black hole at the heart of the galaxy NGC 5548. The researchers detected a clumpy gas stream originating in a superheated region called a quasar (illustration shown) flowed outwards and enabled fast winds to form . Wind storms of up to 620 miles (1,000km) per second are known in galaxies, but the new study found they can blow up to 3,100 miles (5,000km) per second. Most galaxies are thought to have a supermassive black hole at their centres, including our own Milky Way. Around the black hole is a quasar, a disk-like region of superheated material drawn in from the rest of the galaxy. The black hole takes in matter from this quasar and then expels it outwards. However, the process of how this happens is relatively poorly understood. The new research suggests streams of gas shield the black hole by absorbing X-ray radiation. The streams are like wisps, flowing away from the disk surrounding the black hole but taking X-ray radiation with them. These streams of gas are produced in the quasar, through methods unknown. By absorbing X-ray radiation this allows winds to form that can blow material away. The research is the best evidence so far of these gas streams in action. And the studies found a new gas outflow that allowed the wind to reach speeds five times faster than originally thought. In fact, the streams blocked 90 per cent of low-energy X-rays. This could mean material is being pushed away from some black holes at a much faster rate than thought. The observations were made in the nucleus of galaxy NGC 5548, which contains a region of powerful X-ray light surrounding the galaxy’s central black hole. But the winds, rarely seen in the heart of this type of galaxy, cast new light on the poorly-understood processes about the interaction between galaxies and their central black holes. The study, published in Science Express, provides the first direct evidence for the long-predicted shielding process needed to accelerate powerful gas streams, or ‘winds,’ to high speeds. Almost all galaxies are thought to have supermassive black holes at their centres, but most are dormant as they have very little material near them. In some galaxies, however, gas, dust and even stars are close enough to the black hole to fall into it and they encircle the black hole in a superhot region known as a quasar. Astronomers call these ‘active galaxies,’ as the matter spiralling into the black hole forms the disk-shaped quasar that heats up and shines extremely brightly, emitting radiation, including X-rays and ultraviolet. The ultraviolet radiation can launch winds outward, which may be so strong that they can blow off gas that would have otherwise fallen onto the black hole, slowing its growth down again. This feedback mechanism means black hole winds can regulate both the growth of a black hole and its host galaxy. But the winds only come into existence if their starting point is shielded from X-rays. This artist's impression illustrates the finding, by an international team of astronomers, of the flowing outward from the supermassive black hole at the centre of active galaxy NGC 5548, with the arrow showing the line of sight of the observations. The gas filament blocked 90 per cent of the X-rays emitted from the black hole . The newly discovered stream of gas in the galaxy NGC 5548 - the first of its kind in one of the best-studied active galaxies - provides this protection, and it appears that the shielding has been going on for at least three years. ‘This is a milestone in understanding the interaction of supermassive black holes and their host galaxies,’ said Professor Graziella Branduardi-Raymont from University College London’s Mullard Space Science Laboratory. ‘I was delighted when our consortium agreed to focus the campaign on NGC 5548, as I first became interested in this active galaxy almost three decades ago, observing it with the X-ray instruments operating in space at the time.’ Supermassive black holes in the nuclei of active galaxies, such as NGC 5548, are known to expel large amounts of matter through powerful winds of ionised gas. This is the galaxy known as NGC 5548. At its heart, though not visible here, is a supermassive black hole behaving in a strange and unexpected manner. Wind storms of up to 620 miles (1,000km) per second are known in galaxies, but this new study found they can blow up to 3,100 miles (5,000km) per second . The persistent wind of NGC 5548, known for two decades, reaches speeds exceeding 620 miles (1,000km) per second. But now a new obscuring wind has arisen, much stronger and faster than the persistent wind. ‘The new wind reaches speeds of up to 5,000 kilometres [3,100 miles] per second but is much closer to the nucleus than the persistent wind,’ said Dr Jelle Kaastra, of the Netherlands Institute for Space Research. “The new gas outflow blocks 90 per cent of the low-energy X-rays that come from very close to the black hole, and it obscures up to a third of the region that emits the ultraviolet radiation at a few light-days distance from the black hole.' Because of this shielding, the persistent wind far away from the nucleus receives less radiation and cools down. This causes new features to arise in the spectrum of the wind detected, allowing researchers to pinpoint the location of the strongest persistent wind component. Ultimately the research could herald new insights into how supermassive black holes interact with the galaxies they inhabit. | Researchers have found evidence for how rapid winds form in galaxies . Team was led by the Netherlands Institute for Space Research in Utrecht . Used observational data from Nasa and Esa telescopes, including Hubble . They found distant galaxy NGC 5548 had streams of gas around its core . Streams originate in superheated region around the core called a quasar . They shield the supermassive black hole and allow fast winds to form . Although predicted previously, these were five times faster than thought . | 5549b7920a17146e26ead512738c5b1719b2f263 |
By . Chris Pleasance . PUBLISHED: . 15:15 EST, 11 September 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 04:18 EST, 12 September 2013 . A two-year-old girl is being treated in hospital after she was kidnapped, raped and dumped by the roadside in north India. The unnamed toddler was snatched from her parents as they slept in a slum in Ludhiana, Punjab province, police said. When her father awoke on Tuesday morning at 2am local time he found his daughter was gone, along with 8,000 rupees (£80). The unnamed toddler was taken from her parents as they slept in a nearby slum in Ludhiana . Map showing Ludhiana in the Punjab province where the child was snatched . She was found several hours later by a man who called police and she was immediately taken to hospital. Though police claim to have rounded up several people, the main suspects are currently an 80-year-old man and and another who is disabled . The harrowing news comes on the same day in which a prosecutor asked for the death penalty for four men who gang-raped a 23-year-old on a bus in Delhi who later died. Today a prosecutor has asked for the death penalty for four men found guilty of gang-rape and murder in Delhi . Disturbing cases of female abuse in India have shocked the world and led to waves of protest . The men are set to be sentenced on Friday after they were found guilty of rape and murder yesterday in the case which shocked the world and prompted a widespread movement for women's rights in India. 'They showed no mercy even when she prayed for mercy,' Prosecutor Dayan Krishnan told the court. 'There should be no mercy for merciless convicts. 'The sentence which is appropriate is nothing short of death. The common man will lose faith in the judiciary if the harshest punishment is not given.' | Girl was taken while sleeping next to parents in slum . Main suspects are 80-year-old man and disabled man . Happened day after four men found guilty of gang-rape and murder in Delhi . | 75e6fa98c1daed35d5e1e329548ea4a7d49d1737 |
By . Jill Reilly . The world's first skateboard cop is now patrolling the streets of America on his longboard. Officer Joel Zwicky, 40, keeps tabs on his patch while riding around on a Green Bay police customised board. He patrols the parks and pavements on his skateboard - while wearing his kevlar vest, sidearm, ammunition and radio as normal. Scroll down for video . Officer Joel Zwicky, 40, the world's first skateboard cop is now patrolling the streets of America on his longboard . He patrols the parks and pavements on his skateboard - while wearing his kevlar vest, sidearm, ammunition and radio as normal . And if he receives a 'hot call', Officer Zwicky can place his skateboard in the passenger seat of his unmarked dodge patrol car to race to the scene of major incident. The father-of-three said: 'It has been fantastic since we rolled out the skateboard. 'There has been all kinds of support from the people I meet while I am out skating. And if he receives a 'hot call', Officer Zwicky can place his skateboard in the passenger seat of his unmarked dodge patrol car to race to the scene of major incident . The father-of-three said: 'It has been fantastic since we rolled out the skateboard' 'It is an idea I had two years ago. Initially the idea got some laughs for years, but this year it seemed like a good idea as the chief wanted us to get out of our cars and engage with the public more. 'I told him about this idea I had and the chief said just go out there, don't get hurt and we will see what happens.' And in a first of its kind anywhere in the world, Officer Zwicky now hopes to introduce a full unit consisting just skateboard cops. He added: 'The long board has opened up a niche for law enforcement that hasn't been explored before. And in a first of its kind anywhere in the world, Officer Zwicky now hopes to introduce a full unit consisting just skateboard cops . 'I have been contacted by some law enforcement agencies, just individual officers, who have a passion for skateboarding asking how I started this program up and how they could do it where they live.' Green Bay Police Captain Bill Galvin said: 'We have one-man cars. He's a one-man skateboard. 'Just like officers walking a beat, this is an extension of that.' And Officer Zwicky's colleagues say they couldn't believe him when he first mentioned the idea. Capt. Galvin added: 'At first, I've got to admit, I was like, seriously?' 'But when he explained more how he wanted to get into the parks and spend time with kids, it made sense.' | Officer Joel Zwicky, 40, rides around on a Green Bay police board . He patrols the parks and pavements on his skateboard . Wears his kevlar vest, sidearm, ammunition and radio as normal . | e958025f5e26f4b20199535844e66a08686fc632 |
Treasury officials harbour ‘grave doubts’ over whether George Osborne will be able to deliver promised tax cuts after the next election because of the state of the public finances, it was claimed yesterday. An analysis suggested the Chancellor will have to cut £48billion in the next five years to meet his austerity targets, twice the level previously thought necessary. If the Tories continue to protect spending on the NHS, schools and foreign aid, other areas of spending – including welfare, the police, local government, environment, justice and defence – will have to take a third out of their budgets, it suggested. Mr Osborne has insisted that £25billion is needed to eradicate the deficit, promising to raise it all from public spending cuts. Between 2015-16 and 2018-19 public spending will have to fall by £48billion, with the axe falling on unprotected departments like welfare, defence and police . An analysis by the Financial Times suggests only half of the reductions have yet been found. When the coalition was formed in 2010, Mr Osborne promised to balance the books with five years. The new research suggests that the promise to save £25billion over the next five years will not be enough to get Britain out of the red. Between 2015-16 and 2018-19 public spending will have to fall by £48billion. The figure has prompted doubts inside the Treasury over whether the Tories’ promise of big tax cuts will be achievable. In total, the tax cuts will cost around £7billion. However, the research suggests Mr Osborne’s commitment to save a further £25billion over the next five years will not be enough. Using data from the Office for Budget Responsibility on spending up to 2018-19, the analysis found that an extra £48.7billion in spending reductions is needed. Total public spending will fall from £312billion in 2014-15 to £264billion in 2018-19. Chancellor George Osborne has pledged to raise £12billion in new benefit cuts for people of working age . It means unprotected departments face cuts of 33 per cent over the next five years, compared to 21 per cent since 2009-10. Total public spending in unprotected areas will fall from £144billion to £96billion, the research suggested. A Treasury source said: ‘There are obviously different ways of presenting things to get different numbers, but we have always been clear there are tough decisions to be taken. We have clearly shown over this parliament that we have been able to get a grip on public spending while at the same time cutting taxes for hardworking people.’ It raises doubts about the Tories' promise of major tax cuts after the election. David Cameron announced plans to increase the amount workers can earn before paying tax to £12,500, and increase the 40p rate threshold to £50,000. But the tax package is expected to cost £7billion in total. Mr Cameron has also promised real terms increase in NHS spending, while schools and international development spending will also escape the axe. It means that unprotected departments face cuts of 33 per cent over the next five years, compared to 21 per cent since 2009-10. General Sir Nicholas Houghton (pictured left) confirmed yesterday that Prime Minister David Cameron (right) does not want to cut further the number of troops in Britain's 82,000-strong armed force . It means total public in unprotected areas will fall from £144billion to £96billion, the FT said. Mr Osborne wants to raise £12billion in a new round of cuts to benefits for people of working age. But other big spending areas will still face swinging cuts. Britain's top military officer yesterday warned against further cuts to the armed forces. Chief of the Defence Staff General Sir Nicholas Houghton said that David Cameron does not want to reduce the number of troops in Britain's 82,000-strong armed forces. 'I know the Prime Minister does not want again to cut the physical manpower of the armed forces. But there is of course still further fiscal consolidation to face,’ he said. The Prime Minister has said repeatedly that he does not wants further reductions to the size of the Armed Forces, and suggested the UK should spend at least two per cent of its national income. However, areas of the Ministry of Defence budget are likely to come under pressure in a new round of spending cuts after the general election, whoever is in power. Sir Nicholas also told the BBC's Andrew Marr programme there had been some 'early glitches' in the attempt to recruit 30,000 Army reservists to plug the gap left by cuts to regular troops. Sir Nicholas said: '30,000 by 2018 was always going to be quite a tall order, and there have been some early glitches in that campaign to recruit those.' But he added: 'There's much to be confident about - our numbers are growing.' | Analysis of spending up to 2018-19 shows need to cut £48.7billion . Raises doubts about ability to fund tax cuts promised by Conservatives . Osborne has outlined plans to save only £25billion after the election . Tories have pledged to protect NHS, eduction and foreign aid from cuts . Welfare, police, army, courts and councils will have to bear the brunt . | ecaccc2f591cb6ac73ecd558c3d4e50087dc36db |
By . Natalie Clarke . In most office romances, the torrid details don’t usually travel much further than the water cooler. Alas, as Amanda Rosenberg can testify, the steel-and-glass Googleplex in California isn’t like most offices, and her married lover, multibillionaire Google founder Sergey Brin, isn’t like most bosses. So rather than remaining under wraps in Silicon Valley, news of their relationship has ended up all over the internet – and for that, the 27-year-old ex-Marlborough pupil may have Brin’s wife Anna Wojcicki to thank. For the way the story of Miss Rosenberg’s romance with 40-year-old Brin – one of the world’s richest men, with a £15billion fortune – came out is rather intriguing. The face of Google Glass: Amanda Rosenberg, the 27-year-old marketing manager for Google's computerised spectacles, whose . relationship with Google co-founder Sergey Brin exploded into public . attention this week . Split: Brin, 40, pictured with his wife Anna Wojcicki, . also 40. One of the journalists who broke the story for U.S. technology website All Things D is the partner of a Google executive who . is a close friend of Miss Wojcicki . The relationship was first revealed in an article on US technology website All Things D. Some of the reporting on the piece was carried out by the site’s co-executive editor, Kara Swisher. Miss Swisher’s partner is Megan Smith, a Google executive who is a close friend of Miss Wojcicki, 40. On top of that, Miss Smith works at a division of the search engine giant dedicated to products including Google glass – which Miss Rosenberg promotes. On the same day, the website published a story about the departure of high-flying Google executive Hugo Barra. Marketing manager Miss Rosenberg dated Mr Barra shortly before her romance with Brin began. This week, he left the company to join a phone firm in China. His departure followed ‘a recent thorny personal situation related to the end of a romantic relationship he had with another Googler,’ All Things D reported. Model looks: A carefully posed picture of Miss Rosenberg taken from her publicly shared Google+ profile page . Where's the Google Glass: She holds a sandwich instead in the spot over her eye where the gadget would sit . In the wake of this rather complicated love ‘quadrangle’, no doubt employees inside Google are taking a rather wry look at the firm’s code of conduct. It states: ‘If a romantic relationship does create an actual or apparent conflict it may require changes to work arrangements or even the termination of employment of either or both individuals involved. ‘When faced with a potential conflict of interest, ask yourself: Would this activity harm my reputation, negatively impact my ability to do my job at Google or potentially harm Google? ‘Would this activity embarrass Google or me if it showed up on the front page of a newspaper or blog? If the answer to any of these questions is “yes”, the relationship or situation is likely to create a conflict of interest and you should avoid it.’ Yesterday it was reported that Miss Rosenberg had been transferred to another department within Google ‘to be even further from Sergey in the chain of command’. Confusingly, another report quoted a Google spokesman saying she had not moved and ‘remains in her current position’. Either way, she has gone to ground and has not been answering calls. Famous friends: Miss Rosenberg with Tinie Tempah, a British rap artist noted for his choices of spectacles . It's not all work: Miss Rosenberg on the beach in one of numerous photos she has shared over the Internet . But thanks to her eagerness to embrace social networking sites, we know rather a lot about Miss Rosenberg. According to posts on her blog, she was born in Hong Kong and raised in London. She refers to herself as a ‘Chinese Jew’ – a ‘Chew’. Her mother is from Hong Kong, her father is British. She boarded at £31,000-a-year Marlborough College with Kate and Pippa Middleton and Princess Beatrice, and has worked for Google since she graduated with a communications degree from Leeds University. She was initially based in London, before moving to San Francisco to work at its Silicon Valley nerve centre last year. She has since been promoting Google Glass, glasses which enable users to film and broadcast everything they see – to the concern of privacy campaigners. Her social networking pages are filled with photographs of her modelling the glasses, and one shows her meeting rapper Tinie Tempah. In another, rather oddly, she is wearing a mask from the film Iron Man and holding a Spider-Man toy. In disguise: Miss Rosenberg wears an Iron Man mask, left; and right, she hides behind a wearable cushion . If she ends up at the centre of what could be the most expensive divorce in history, she might need some superpowers of her own. The precise timings and possible overlaps of her romance with Brin are not clear. It has been confirmed that Brin and his wife, who have a four-year-old son and eight-year-old daughter, separated several months ago. But whether Miss Rosenberg was the catalyst for the split is, naturally, subject to much speculation. Neither Brin or Miss Wojcicki has filed for divorce – yet. If they divorce, Californian law suggests their fortune would have to be halved. To complicate matters, however, they have reportedly signed a pre-nuptial agreement. Even if that falls through, Brin and Miss Rosenberg would hardly be short of cash – they would still have £7.5billion to get by on. | Story was first broken by partner of close friend of Sergey Brin's wife . It told how Brin, 40, had begun affair with Amanda Rosenberg, 27 . Separate story told how Rosenberg's ex-partner had left Google . Relationship appears to fly in the face of Google's 'code of conduct' | 33a3ee6c78462d39ab8e5a2251cdb59de6d713af |
CNN's Don Lemon speaks exclusively with friends and family members about Michael Jackson's last days in "Michael Jackson: His Final Days," 8 p.m. ET Friday on CNN. (InStyle.com) -- One year after his untimely death, it's clear that Michael Jackson's legacy lives on. His influence over the worlds of music and fashion is still strong enough that Lady Gaga -- currently the reigning queen of the charts and an undisputed master in the Jackson-pioneered art of manufacturing buzz -- recently hoisted her own star even higher by announcing that she'd been asked to open for (and duet with) the King of Pop on his ill-fated "This Is It" tour. It's not surprising that she'd boast: Like virtually every other singer of her generation, Gaga owes an enormous creative debt to Jackson. And it goes way beyond the innovative role he played as a trailblazer of the music video (although Gaga's latest mega-efforts in that field certainly do credit to the form.) InStyle: Lady Gaga's most gaga outfits . Jackson was dressing in over-the-top metallic ensembles back when Gaga was still in diapers, and though the elaborate masked outfits she's worn everywhere from the MTV VMAs to her little sister's high school graduation may have a high-fashion precedent, they also call to mind the period when a paparazzi-weary Jackson began parading around Bahrain in a burka. Rihanna, too, has lately taken a few pages out of Jackson's book. Last week, an exec at her label announced that "our bar for [her next] album is Michael Jackson's 'Thriller,'" meaning they're hoping that every song on it is a hit. InStyle: Rihanna's best looks ever . She sampled his "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'" for her song "Don't Stop the Music," and she's been seen in a number of Jackson-esque garments, most recently a pair of shining ankle socks that strongly evoked his signature sequined pair. InStyle: Stars channel Michael Jackson's iconic style . But one would be hard-pressed to find a pop star who hasn't been influenced by Jackson's inimitable style: Usher dances in natty black and white and a very MJ hat in the video for his current smash, "OMG." Justin Timberlake, too, has borrowed Jackson's sense of showmanship -- and, at times, his fedora. InStyle: Stars pay tribute to Michael Jackson . The rhinestone-laden jean shorts that Katy Perry donned for her new "California Gurls" clip call Jackson to mind -- he loved to add improbable amounts of glitz to quotidian items, like jackets, shirts, and (again) socks. And the shining metallic ornament Beyonce wore on her left hand throughout the "Single Ladies" era seemed inspired, in part, by Jackson's single glove. Even eleven-year-old actor Jaden Smith -- who was born well after the King of Pop's heyday (and is himself the spawn of another musician, former Fresh Prince Will Smith) -- recently pledged allegiance to Jackson's style: At the June 10th premiere of his film "The Karate Kid," he walked the red carpet in black pants, a crisp white shirt and a carbon copy of Jackson's red-and-black leather "Thriller" jacket. InStyle: Michael Jackson's 10 greatest fashion hits . From Gaga to Jaden Smith and so many more before, Michael Jackson's influence and reach spans stars of all ages and genres. For more on his legendary style, including his top ten looks and other famous fans, visit InStyle.com now! Get a FREE TRIAL issue of InStyle - CLICK HERE! Copyright © 2011 Time Inc. All rights reserved. | One year after his untimely death, it's clear Michael Jackson's legacy lives on . Lady Gaga owes an enormous creative debt to Jackson . You'd be hard-pressed to find a pop star who hasn't been influenced by Jackson's style . | 68a10cd6e1b58aeb46ce28b89d02533df205c37e |
By . Mia De Graaf . and Deni Kirkova . Selfies usually seem like an exercise in narcissism. But today thousands of women shared striking shots of themselves at their most vulnerable, make-up free. And . joining the campaign, the mother of former Towie star Maria Fowler took . it a step further - by baring her reconstructed breasts. Brave: Joining thousands of women, Maria Fowler's mother took a shot of her post-surgery scars in support . Joined in: Maria Fowler tweeted her own version, fake tanned but without make up . Sharing the photos on Twitter, Miss Fowler wrote: 'My brave mums (sic) no makeup pic for cancer awareness. Showing her reconstruction scars.' The reality TV star and glamour model, 27, also shared her own, saying: 'Ok so if my mum can bare her scars. Here is my no makeup selfie nothing but my tan #FightCancer'. She later tweeted: 'My mum said she hopes her picture gives hope to anyone fighting against cancer who may be feeling desolate'. The campaign was created as a bid to raise awareness and money for . breast cancer. The . campaign, inspired by Ellen DeGeneres' Oscars selfie, encouraged women . around the world to get sponsored to go to work or on a night out make . up free. Everyone from cancer survivors to men in full drag have been posting pictures in on Twitter and Facebook. She later added that her mother hoped to inspire cancer sufferers who feel desolte . Dancer Felixy Splits says it's not only important to raise awareness but to donate anything you can . Lisa Shepherd, left, posted her no make-up selfie to Facebook, as did Laura Peters on the right . Celebrities . including The Apprentice star Luisa Zissman also took part as people tweeted . their images on Twitter followed by '#NoMakeUpSelfie'. Cancer Research UK, while not affiliated with the #nomakeupselfie hashtag, are supporting it . However, . to begin with the well meaning campaign seemed to have missed a big . point because nobody appeared to be donating any money in support of . those that had gone au natural. Though . nobody seems to know where the idea came from, the rule seemed to be . that women post their picture and then nominate other female friends to . do the same with all posting that the photos were to 'raise awareness of . cancer' yet with no mention of donating any money. It didn't take long for people to become a little bemused by the campaign - with many Facebook and Twitter users wondering what the point was if nobody was actually donating cold hard cash. Luckily Cancer Research UK have now . cottoned on to the campaign and those posting the selfies or nominating . others to do so can now text the word BEAT to 70099 TO DONATE £3. Carolan . Davidge, director of communications at Cancer Research UK said: 'The . #nomakeupselfie Twitter trend isn’t something Cancer Research UK started . – but it’s great to see so many people getting involved to help raise . awareness of cancer amongst their friends and family. 'If people would like to choose to support our work to beat cancer sooner, they can visit www.cruk.org.' Deborah Ferguson (left) and Penny Stretton (right) posted no makeup selfies to raise awareness . Claire Louise Stanleick encourages friends on Facebook to donate with her makeup-free selfie . It's not known where or how the trend . for using a no make-up selfie started this time around although last . week author Laura Lippman caused an online storm with a similar campaign . in support of actress Kim Novak and her appearance at the Oscars. Now, following this new viral selfie campaign the Facebook group No Make Up Selfie For Cancer Awareness has more than 153,690 likes and hundreds of photo uploads. Cancer . survivor Deborah Ferguson from Liverpool submitted her photo to the . Facebook group and agreed to have it published on MailOnline. She . said: 'Can I campaign on behalf of all neglected boobies please? Give . them a check, I did that's why I have such a big smile as am a survivor.' Another participant, Abigail Spillman . said: 'I think it is a fantastic way to raise awareness. Its only been . going on since yesterday and already it is trending worldwide. Sisters Natalie Kirby, left and Joanne Kirby, far right, posed make-up free. Joanne's daughter Charlotte also put in her support. 'Along with a #nomakeupselfie and a small donation (if you wish) is a massive help. Well done on using Facebook and Twitter for putting it to good use!' Sophie Williams, who works for a PR firm, told MailOnline she posted her #nomakeupselfie and promises to donate 50p for each like she receives to Cancer Research UK. Dancer Felixy Splits posted a fresh . faced pic, and told MailOnline: 'Everyone knows someone who has suffered . from this awful disease. 'It's not only important to raise awareness but to donate anything you can. Make a difference and do something positive today.' Katie Weir of Freya Lingerie also joined in. Katie Weirwas nominated by her friend and by doing so she donated £5 to the charity . She told MailOnline: 'Through the recent nomination trend on Facebook it is easy to see the power of social media and how quickly posts can go viral. 'It is fantastic to see young women embracing their make-up free faces to raise awareness of breast cancer. 'I was nominated by my friend and by doing so I donated £5 to the charity which I wouldn't have done if I hadn't seen the status!' And it's not just women who are . getting in on the action. In solidarity, men too have com up with their . own way of raising awareness - but they're slapping on the make-up. Rachel Horkan submitted a photo of her 12-year-old little brother Zach in full make-up. She . wrote: '[He] decided to put the make-up on as us girls are taking it of . all to help cancer awareness, so proud of him to do this at such a young . age! Bless him lots of likes for this young man people xxx' Sophie Williams promises to donate 50p for each like she receives to Cancer Research UK . Social media users have taken the internet by storm posting no-makeup selfies . It has undoubtedly divided opinion, with some saying no makeup selfies are pointless . Rachel Horkan submitted a photo of her . 12-year-old brother Zach, while . Martin Helliwell, 29, from Lancashire, piled on the slap to raise . awareness. | Women post selfies with no make-up to raise cancer awareness . Mother of Maria Fowler bared all in a bid to give hope to sufferers . Cancer Research UK have no idea where idea came from but are in support . Participants can now text BEAT to 70099 to donate . | d72568f3a73ef8d3481cad62e652542a573d48e4 |
By . Rebecca Seales . PUBLISHED: . 12:37 EST, 10 May 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 12:41 EST, 10 May 2012 . Twenty-year-old Donte Johnson has been sentenced to life in prison plus 40-80 years for the 2010 rape and murder of Philadelphia waitress Sabina O’Donnell. Although the jury took under four hours to find Johnson guilty of dragging Miss O'Donnell from her bike, raping her and then strangling her to death with her own bra, the defendant defiantly maintained his innocence throughout. As the sentence was passed he addressed Judge Glenn Bronson, saying: 'I understand how the family feel about their loss, but how can you clearly say I did anything? Jailed for life: Donte Johnson (left) was found guilty of raping and murdering Sabina Rose O'Donnell (right) 'I didn’t do nothing. I understand where they coming from, but I didn’t have nobody die the way they said. I didn’t have no interaction with her.' Judge Bronson replied that he had 'not one scintilla of doubt' that Johnson had committed the crimes, saying he had never felt more certain of a defendant's guilt in 31 years as a lawyer and a judge. He told Johnson his refusal to accept responsibility was 'in keeping with your history of a lack of remorse.' According to The Philadelphia Inquirer, the defendant shook his head and looked down at the table as the verdict was read, while his family burst into tears and one of his siblings fled the courtroom. Around 30 of Miss O'Donnell's relatives and friends were present, and her family gave victim impact statements to the court before the sentencing. The victim's tearful mother Rachel O'Donnell urged the judge to award the longest possible prison term. She said of her daughter: 'She was as good as a person could possibly be. Every minute that he sits there breathing oxygen is a chance she’ll never get...I don’t want anybody to ever have to run into him again.' Miss O'Donnell's aunt Heidi O'Donnell added: 'He [Johnson] has no idea what he did to all of us. He should never ever be able to walk on the same ground that Sabina did. He should never be able to look at trees and walk on the beach.' CBS Philly reported that Johnson had previously admitted the attack on Miss Johnson, saying he had only meant to steal her bicycle. He allegedly said he killed her because she screamed when he tried to take the bike. He later retracted the confession, which his lawyers claim he made only because he is mentally challenged. The prosecution in the case relied on DNA evidence and video surveillance to prove that Johnson dragged his victim to within yards of her apartment building before raping and strangling her. Philadelphia District Attorney Seth Williams said in a statement: 'My heart continues to go out to Sabina's family and friends. I hope this verdict will give them some sense of justice.' Standing outside the courtroom for the final time, Miss O'Donnell's stepfather Mark Rounds tearfully hugged his wife and the jurors. 'I'm just glad the police did their job as well as they did it and the . Assistant District Attorneys did their jobs as well and as thoroughly as . they did,' he said. According to the Philly Metro, Mr Rounds said he is not a supporter of . the death penalty, and that he was satisfied with the sentence. 'I hope the rest of society is satisfied as well,' he said. While they have now received the verdict they had yearned for, the O'Donnell family have waited almost two years to watch their daughter's killer get life. A dog walker found the young woman's body, which was naked apart from a pair of beige socks, on 2 June 2010. During the first two days of Johnson's trial, the jury heard how he grabbed his 5'3, 100lb victim when she was riding her pink and grey bike home from a night out. He grabbed her at the front of her apartment building, before dragging her 120ft to the rear of her home, where he raped and then killed her. Assistant District Attorney Richard Sax told the court that O'Donnell was: 'Tiny, small, petite but so vulnerable. Perfect prey.' He said Johnson's stalking of her on a bicycle, which was captured on CCTV to be played later on in the trial, happened because: 'He knew he could dominate, overwhelm and control her.' He claimed Johnson left his DNA 'all over her, inside of her' and said 'he destroyed her' during the attack. Defence attorney Lee Mandell rejected the claims, arguing that even DNA experts were capable of making mistakes. A forensic psychologist, Gerald Cooke, then testified that Johnson had an IQ of just 73, and had most likely been born with brain damage. He said he acted like an 11 or 12-year-old and had smoked marijuana and drunk alcohol for many years. Dog walker Christina Sirochman said the victim was clad only in her socks when she found her dumped body on June 2, 2010. Ms Sirochman told a jury the victim had a swarm of flies around her mouth, but that she touched her to see if she was alive. 'It was just like touching a piece of glass,' she said. 'That was somebody's child and I didn't want her to be alone.' Other witnesses said they found a man's dirty t-shirt and Miss O'Donnell's purse in the hours after the murder. Assistant Medical Examiner Edwin Lieberman, who performed the autopsy, said the ligature which ended Miss O'Donnell's life was 'one of the tightest' he had seen. He added that it would have taken 30 seconds for the victim to fall unconscious, and another three to five minutes of 'continuous pressure to the neck' to kill her. | Defiant to the last, Johnson asked judge, 'How can you clearly say I did anything?' Weeping O'Donnell family hug jurors, saying justice has finally been done . | e500b5bc43b9224a339badf181957296fa02c3c9 |
When I was an RAF Tornado navigator, the phrase 'going to Poland' would have meant the Cold War had turned hot and we were on a one-way trip to deliver nuclear Armageddon. In my early days in the military, communist-ruled Poland was on our target list for destruction, and certainly a country forbidden to visit. How times have changed. British stag parties head off to cities such as Warsaw for a weekend of debauchery, and we now have a large number of Poles settled in Britain. Happy guests: John visited Poland with his family to attend the wedding of an old friend . More importantly, a few years ago my old friend Terence met Asia, a beautiful Polish girl working as a nanny in Sunderland. And so it came to pass that I eventually went to Poland - not in an RAF Tornado, but with my wife and daughter, who are both called Suzie, on a more comfortable Ryanair flight and armed only with a wedding present for Terence and his bride. Asia (the Polish nickname for any girl named Joanna) comes from Slawa, a small town 70 miles southwest of Poznan. As we neared her home, her family and neighbours came out to give us a fantastic welcome, setting the scene for a weekend of enthusiastic friendliness and unbridled hospitality. Water enthusiasts flock to the Lake Slawskie - the focal point of the town and its increasing tourist industry . We were staying at Bar U Dudka in the centre of Slawa, which was also the location for the wedding feast. The owner, Jerzy Dudek, was a most convivial host, while the rooms were clean, comfortable and incredibly good value at about £50 a night, including breakfast for all three of us. As we discovered, food was to play an ever increasing part of our brief stay in Poland. Our first experience was at the local pizza restaurant, where 14 of us feasted on huge pizzas washed down with copious quantities of beer and red wine. The bill came to an embarrassingly small £100. Breakfast the next morning took nearly an hour to complete, with platters of cold meats, cheeses, eggs and pastries flowing from the kitchen until we had to call a halt to the endless procession. In an effort to diminish the calorific intake, we strolled through the dense pine forest down to the beautiful Lake Slawskie, the focal point of the town and its increasing tourist industry. Watersports enthusiasts flock here during the summer for sailing and water-skiing, and in the winter for iceskating tournaments. Back at Dudka's for the wedding celebrations, I was amazed to see tables already groaning under the weight of salads, fish dishes, breads, cold cuts and countless bottles of vodka for the toasts. To my astonishment, this was just the starter, and for the next ten hours an array of sumptuous dishes marched from the kitchen. Flagons of soup were followed by endless platters of roast meats, fried potatoes and more fish. Each course was interspersed with increasingly enthusiastic dancing, toasts, speeches and singing. While the British contingent was small, we gave hearty renditions of Jerusalem and the National Anthem. Towards the end of the night, our repertoire had faded, so we resorted to We Wish You A Merry Christmas and that Scout favourite Ging Gang Goolie. I like to think we gave a decent account of ourselves, but the vodka may have affected my reasoning. Finally, at 3am, as a gigantic wedding cake was brought in, I dragged myself off to bed, harbouring the uncomfortable thought that another huge breakfast was only a few hours away. Our family trip to Poland was a wonderful insight into a bygone culture of openness and incredible hospitality. I just hope stag parties don't ruin it for the rest of us. John Nichol's latest book, The Red Line, is published by Collins, priced £8.99. Ryanair (ryanair.com) offers flights to Poznan from Edinburgh, Bristol, Liverpool and . Stansted, with one-way fares starting at £18.99pp. It can also arrange . car hire. | Nichol was an RAF Tornado navigator and was forbidden to visit Poland . Phrase 'going to Poland' would have meant the Cold War had turned hot . But this time he flew with Ryanair and was armed only with presents . Visited Slawa for friend’s wedding to a Polish woman he met in Sunderland . | fcae19e8cf8227afcee29b6668f129878e9cc62f |
By . Freya Noble . and Emily Crane . A drug-crazed burglar who bludgeoned a baby to death in his cot for nothing more than a wallet and a pair of sunglasses during a home invasion will spend at least 32 years behind bars. A Victorian Supreme Judge handed Harley Hicks, 21, a life sentence on Friday after he broke into a Bendigo home in June 2012 and brutally bashed Zayden Veal-Whitting to death, a crime he described as 'totally and utterly evil'. Hicks, who was 19 at the time, has offered no explanation for why he bashed the 10-month-old more than 30 times with a homemade baton during the marijuana and ice-fuelled robbery. Scroll down for video . Harley Hicks has been sentenced to life in prison with 32 years non parole for the brutal murder of baby Zayden Veal-Whitting . 'It is almost unthinkable that any human being could have carried out such a sickening crime that you have committed,' Supreme Court Justice Stephen Kaye said in sentencing Hicks. 'What you did was totally and utterly evil.' Justice Kaye said he could not say for sure if Hicks had viciously snuffed out Zayden's cry in a bid to silence the baby during the robbery. 'If that constituted your motive for killing Zayden, then you murdered an innocent child so that you could escape the premises with the valuable items that you had stolen from it,' he said. 'On the other hand, if that was not your motive, then your murder of Zayden was simply an act of unmitigated evil committed by you for the sheer sake of it.' Zayden suffered a crushed skull, a broken collar bone and a broken rib as a result of the attack. Justice Kaye said Hicks perpetrated an extraordinarily violent bashing on Zayden involving multiple blows with the baton to the head, face and other parts of his body. Zayden's mother Casey Veal arriving at the Supreme Court in Bendigo on Friday to see her son's killer sentenced . 'He was utterly harmless, defenceless and helpless,' he said. 'Any human being with even a shred of decency and humanity could only feel compassion, tenderness and protectiveness towards an infant in those circumstances. 'By contrast, you inflicted a brutal bashing, with a lethal instrument, on that baby. 'You crushed his skull, you savagely beat him with at least 30 blows. Justice Kaye said Hicks, of North Bendigo, had shown no remorse. 'At no stage of the trial could I detect from you any sign of remorse. Nor was there even the slightest indication by you of any pity or sympathy for the baby, whose life you had taken, or for his family, whose lives you have shattered. 'Rather, you seemed totally oblivious and impervious to such human feelings.' The judge also described the English language as being 'entirely inadequate' to describe the horror and grief Zayden's mother, Casey Veal, and her family went through. Zayden's father James at the sentencing on Friday . Hicks used marijuana and ice before the murder, committed amid a spate of burglaries in the Bendigo suburb of Long Gully in June 2012. In the early hours of June 15, he broke into Ms Veal's house, unplugged the baby monitor and struck Zayden. When Ms Veal woke the next morning her eldest son Xavier let her know all the doors were open in the house, and they soon discovered they'd been robbed. It was then she discovered her youngest child beaten almost beyond recognition. The murder weapon, a homemade baton, was later discovered at Hick's home with his DNA on one end and Zayden's on the other. After his arrest, Hicks tried to blame the murder on another person and reportedly lied throughout investigations. Zayden was brutally murdered in his cot when he was just 10 months old . Part of Ms Veal's impact statement was read on Friday and Justice Kaye described the agony the mother would face for the rest of her life. 'I am serving a life sentence... all I have is memories and most of them are tainted by this crime,' the statement read. In an interview with the MailOnline this week, Casey said she wanted her baby boy Zayden to be remembered not as the murdered baby but as a happy boy who was taken too soon. Casey, 24, now wants her child’s legacy to be a positive one, and she is trying to combat the stigma and the silence of parents who have their children taken from them too soon. 'I want it to be at a point where it’s not weird or taboo anymore, where it’s just normal,’ she said. The mother also spoke of how the senseless unprovoked attack on her 10-month-old has affected every aspect of her and her family's life, and turned it in to a living nightmare. Hicks beat baby Zayden to death with a homemade baton during a burglary . Xavier, now nearly five, is Casey’s eldest child and was taken away from his mother by the Department of Human Services (DHS) almost immediately after his little brother’s death. 'I didn’t know what to do, because I’d had at least one child since I was 19 and I’d always had someone to look after and then it was just me again at 22,’ Ms Veal said. Detail of Hick's tumultuous upbringing including being sexually assaulted, his history of drug use and criminal record were all aired at the sentencing, and the judge said his hopes for rehabilitation were poor at best. 'There's a real need to protect the community from you.' Hicks was found guilty by a Supreme Court Jury in April. Ashely Hicks, Harley's twin brother arrived a court for his sibling's sentencing . Sorry we are not currently accepting comments on this article. | Harley Hicks was jailed for life and is not eligible for parole for 32 years . He bashed Zayden Veal-Whitting more than 30 times in June 2012 . Hicks was on drugs during the violent robbery at a Bendigo home . Judge said 21-year-old had shown 'no remorse' for violent bashing . | 14cf8c8e95a01f1f4ea1d5bad0229b9ffa8b56e5 |
MIAMI, Florida (CNN) -- A woman on a boat died after a spotted eagle ray leaped from the water off the Florida Keys Thursday and struck her, officials said. The dead spotted eagle ray lies on the deck of a boat in Florida. The force of the blow pushed the woman backward and she died when she hit her head on the boat deck, officials said. "It's just as freakish of an accident as I have heard," said Jorge Pino of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. "The chances of this occurring are so remote that most of us are completely astonished that this happened." The commission identified the woman as Judy Kay Zagorski, 57, of Pigeon, Michigan. The woman was seated or standing in the front of the boat as it traveled at about 25 mph out of a channel, Pino said. "The ray just actually popped up in front of the vessel," he said. "The father had not even a second to react. It was too late. It happened instantly and the woman fell backwards and, unfortunately, died as a result of the collision." The accident happened off the coast of Marathon, about 2½ hours by car south of Miami. The woman, who was with her father and several other family members and friends, was taken to Fisherman Hospital in Marathon, where she was pronounced dead. Watch marine officers work around dead ray on boat » . Pino said he had seen rays leap into the air, but added, "it's very rare for them to collide with objects." Watch experts explain why eagle rays leap » . The spotted eagle ray weighed about 75 to 80 pounds and had a 6-foot wingspan, said Pino. Watch officials investigate eagle ray collision » . Florida Fish and Wildlife said eagle rays "are not an aggressive species, but they do tend to leap from the water." Spotted eagle rays can have a wingspan of up to 10 feet and can weigh 500 pounds, it said. Learn more about eagle rays » . Television personality Steve Irwin was killed when a ray's barb pierced his heart in September 2006. A month later, an 81-year-old Florida man, James Bertakis, survived after a ray leapt from the water and stung him in the heart, according to the Orlando Sentinel. He spent five weeks on a ventilator and his recovery took several months, his sons told the Detroit Free Press in his former home state of Michigan. E-mail to a friend . | NEW: Woman's death result of impact after fish strikes her on boat, officials say . Victim was 57-year-old woman from Michigan . Spotted eagle ray weighed about 75 pounds, sheriff's spokeswoman says . Woman, who was with her father and family, was pronounced dead at hospital . | 85fdc4175202c99a0d97b3e2d93b87378a67b4d5 |
When looking for a thrill or a rush of excitement, people do things like take spontaneous cross-country road trips, go bungee jumping, or, if they’re really brave, go skydiving. But for renowned skier and base jumper Erik Roner, excitement is nothing less than being airlifted in a lawn chair by 90 balloons and shooting his way down with a shotgun. Yes, you read that correctly. In his latest trick, the extreme sportsman from Tahoe City, California, used 50 tanks of helium to create a quirky piece of flying kit. The airship draws on the one crafted by widower Carl Fredricksen in the Disney film, Up. Scroll down for video . Stunt: Renowned skier, BASE jumper, and Nitro Circus member Erik Roner's last stunt involved a lawn chair, 90 balloons, a parachute and a shotgun . Flying high: Roner attached 90 balloons to a lawn chair and ascended 8,000 feet into the air . Source of inspiration: The airship draws on the one crafted by Carl Fredricksen in the Disney film, Up. Friends and family helped Roner to attach dozens of brightly-colored balloons to a lawn chair using a bungee cord - but not without losing a few along the way. A video of the stunt shows Roner ascending thousands of feet above the Utah desert as he casually sits back in the lawn chair. While he places one elbow on an arm rest he holds a shotgun under the other. There are cameras attached to his clothing and his friends are also seen filming from below. 'Wow. It really doesn't get much more peaceful than this,' Roner says when he reaches 8,000 feet. At that moment he pulls out the shotgun and starts shooting at the balloons to start his descent. Then, once at a suitable elevation, he detaches the chair from the cluster of balloons and begins skydiving. The shotgun remains in his hand. He soon deploys his parachute and floats safely to the ground, his trick successful. Building blocks: Roner started out with a lawn chair - which amazingly survived falling thousands of feet from the sky . Team effort: Friends and family helped Roner to attach dozens of brightly-colored balloons to a lawn chair using a bungee cord - but not without losing a few along the way . Getting comfortable: In a video of the stunt, Roner ascends 8000 feet into the air as he casually lies down on the lawn chair . From all angles: There are cameras attached to his clothing and his friends are also seen filming from below . Lost in the moment: 'Wow. It really doesn't get much more peaceful than this,' Roner says as he reaches 8,000 feet . Freefall: When he reaches a certain elevation, Roner detaches the lawn chair from the balloons and starts skydiving . Caught on camera: Here a drone can be seen in the sky recording the hair-raising stunt . Mission accomplished: Roner soon deploys his parachute and floats safely to the ground, his trick successful . | Renowned skier and base jumper, Erik Roner, used 50 tanks of helium to inflate 90 balloons . He rose thousands of feet into the sky before shooting his quirky aircraft down with a rifle . Roner then skydived to safety . | 4c11434ffed1ac66e60bd4f88f65caf09cb32d62 |
Kissed and fondled: Camilla Long claimed she was shamefully molested by Dave Lee Travis in 2012 . Just five months before he was first arrested, the writing was on the wall for Dave Lee Travis. The Sunday Times published a graphic account by journalist Camilla Long of how he shamelessly molested her in front of his wife. The columnist asked for an interview because he was about to meet the Burmese opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi. But she was left giggling ‘out of horror and fear’ during an unforgettable exchange in which the then 67-year-old entertainer took every opportunity to touch her. ‘I spent 90 minutes with the former Radio 1 DJ Dave Lee Travis and I don’t think there is a part of my body that he didn’t grope,’ the resulting article began. ‘He fondled my foot, inched his hands up my thighs, tried to make me sit on his lap and kissed me. ‘He copped a feel of my hips when I foolishly asked for a tour of his studio, stroked my chin and my back and gave me a full body hug as I left.’ When police went public on their investigation, they asked Miss Long if she would support a prosecution or give evidence but she declined. Speaking last night after he was convicted, she said: ‘He didn’t worry about getting consent too much, he just did it.’ That damning June 2012 interview took place more than four decades after Travis first rose to fame as a Radio 1 DJ and Top of the Pops presenter. But it lays bare exactly how a bearded pipe-smoking hippy believed he had the right to behave exactly as he pleased in the company of women. In court, Travis described himself as having a ‘cuddly nature’ and happily admitted to loving ‘wonderful’ women who have ‘fabulous shapes’. ‘If I like someone I will hug them and give them a kiss because the whole world needs that,’ he told the jury benignly. He declared that ‘half the country would be in jail’ if patting a woman’s bottom was a crime in the 1970s as he dismissed his accusers as ‘fantasists’. In reality, his sexually-charged advances were unwanted and investigators suspect there are many more victims who have not come forward. In fact, it was Travis’s own bravado which helped secure his place in the dock, for not one but two criminal trials. The day after his arrest, the DJ could not resist coming out of his prized Buckinghamshire bungalow to face the TV cameras and proclaim his innocence. He had only been accused of ‘squeezing the boobs of a couple of women’, he protested. But the sight of Travis, puffed up with self-righteousness and labelling himself an ‘easy target’, prompted another flurry of women to contact police. The then 67-year-old entertainer took every opportunity to touch Miss Long, including her feet and thighs . Dave Lee Travis on The Mrs Merton show in 1995: It was behind the scenes of this appearance that Travis was found by a jury to have groped the breasts of young researcher, who is now a broadcaster herself . The majority of those went to trial in February but he was cleared on 12 counts. The jury was unable to decide on two counts which were the subject of the most recent trial plus the case of a researcher for the Mrs Merton show. He was found guilty of assaulting the researcher but cleared on both the other cases. While playing Aladdin’s evil uncle in a pantomime, Travis was accused of ‘engulfing’ a stage hand in his costume cloak and forcing his hand down her tracksuit bottoms. The allegation resulted in The Chuckle Brothers – his co-stars in the 1990 panto at a theatre in Crawley, Sussex – coming to court in his defence. They were said to have unwittingly saved the young woman from his clutches by interrupting the assault in his dressing room. The stage hand claimed Travis pinned her to the door and groped her ‘from top to toe’ as he towered over her. She told jurors he then forced his hand down her tracksuit bottoms and into her knickers – only stopping when one of the slapstick comedians – aka Paul and Barry Elliott - was heard saying ‘All right Dave’. Assistant theatre manager Simon Gant told the court that Travis had such a ‘threatening presence’ that girls on the early 1990s production agreed that none would be left alone with him. Mr Gant added: ‘He would come up behind them and put the cloak around them.’ But the Chuckle Brothers, now in their 60s, came to court to defend DLT, saying he was a ‘jolly great chap to work with’ and that they could not remember any such incident. The DJ pictured left outside his home near Leighton Buzzard in Bedfordshire after the claims emerged in 2012 and right, in his heyday as a presenter on BBC Radio One in the 1960s . The jurors rejected the woman’s claims and found Travis not guilty. The DJ was also accused of groping the breasts of a journalist who was interviewing him as his wife slept upstairs. The former BBC DJ invited the 24-year-old feature writer to his luxury home in 2008 to reminisce about a Radio 1 Christmas party with stars including Jimmy Savile and John Peel, for a nostalgia feature. He allegedly told the young interviewer she had a good figure and asked if she would like to pose for a semi-naked photograph for him. He is pictured leaving Southwark Crown Court with his wife Marianne after he was found guilty of groping a female TV personality yesterday . She claimed he pawed at her cleavage before cocking his head to one side, as if he was judging the size of her breasts. The former Top Of The Pops presenter denied her claims, telling jurors the women had been lying, but she told them it was true and she would stake her life on it. Her claims have been tested by juries in two separate trials, and both were unable to agree – meaning Travis was formally found not guilty of the charge. | Columnist was left giggling 'out of horror' during unforgettable exchange . The then 67-year-old entertainer took every opportunity to touch Miss Long . Graphic account published in Sunday Times five months before his arrest . Police asked if she would support prosecution but Miss Long declined . Former DJ was found guilty on one charge of indecent assault yesterday . | 060b8de060c1164351c13c951bbca2d66ce499e0 |
Damages: Yunus Rahmatullah is suing the Government for damages . A Pakistani man suing the Government for damages has detailed a horrific catalogue of abuse and torture he claims to have suffered at the hands of British troops before they handed him over to US interrogators. Yunus Rahmatullah, released without charge by the United States in May after ten years in captivity, says his British captors beat him, dragged him along the ground behind a vehicle and threw him in a pen containing dogs that attacked him. His shocking 62-page witness statement, obtained by The Mail on Sunday, also reveals allegations that British Special Forces waterboarded Mr Rahmatullah, sprinkled cigarette ash on his food and locked him in a ‘coffin-like’ container with cold water dripping on his head. Last month the High Court dismissed Government attempts to throw out his case by claiming it could damage British relations with the US – a defence undermined by the Senate’s devastating torture report. His allegations are some of the most serious made against British troops in recent years. Lawyers expect the Supreme Court to determine if they can be heard in open court alongside its anticipated decision on the case of Libyan dissident Abdul-Hakim Belhadj. In addition to his claim for damages, Mr Rahmatullah is demanding an independent investigation into his allegations of abuse and British complicity with rendition and torture – something being strongly resisted by the Government. According to the statement, Mr Rahmatullah, who grew up in Qatar, went to Iraq in early 2004 to start a rice importation business. Ten days later troops burst into his apartment while he was asleep and beat him with rifles until he became unconscious. When he awoke he was bound, drenched in blood, hooded and lying ‘on what he believed to be dead bodies in plastic bags’ on the floor of a vehicle. After a subsequent helicopter flight during which he was beaten again, he awoke when water was thrown in his face on a military base. ‘The soldiers on the military base wore beige sand-coloured uniforms with the British flag on the right arm,’ the statement says. ‘The claimant recognised the British flag from his school geography lessons.’ He claims he was then asked a barrage of questions by interrogators who threatened to kill him and said they had ‘shot and killed’ his flatmates, later showing photographs of their bodies. Mr Rahmatullah alleges his bound hands were then tied by rope to a vehicle, which accelerated quickly and dragged him along the ground. ‘His left arm, left shoulder and the left side of his face were badly scraped and bled significantly,’ says the statement. The document also claims he was thrown in a pen containing ‘a number of large dogs’ wearing muzzles, which clawed and scratched him. The captive was then put in a room only 3ft wide by 3ft long. Soldiers in the same beige uniforms cut off his clothes, drenched him in cold water and turned up the air conditioning so that he froze. The next day he was waterboarded repeatedly until he lost consciousness. Over the following 36 hours, Mr Rahmatullah says he was given just one glass of water and a jam biscuit. Then he was handed a tiny portion of rice and chicken. ‘The person who brought the food to the claimant spread the ashes of his cigarette on top of the food and said, “This is the seasoning for your food.’’ ’ Mr Rahmatullah says he was then forced to lie on his back in ‘an enclosed chamber that was approximately 40cm high… the claimant felt like he was in a coffin. The lid of this chamber had holes in the top and very cold water was poured in slowly through the holes, which then dripped slowly on to the top of the claimant’s head.’ Finally, the soldiers told him since he was not co-operating, he would be handed over to the Americans and sent to Abu Ghraib, the Baghdad prison from which photographs emerged of US troops mistreating prisoners. The alleged abuse continued in two US detention centres, at least one of which was thought to be Abu Ghraib. This included threats of sexual assault, beatings with rubber flex, urine poured on his head, and being suspended upside down and dunked in water. At one stage a female soldier entered his cell and ‘forcefully tied a rope’ around his neck. ‘The woman pulled the rope tight until it dug into the claimant’s flesh, choking him. She untied the claimant’s hands from the wall and dragged him along the floor by the rope.’ On another occasion he claims to have been thrown on top of six naked detainees piled on top of each other and kept in the cell for two or three days. ‘He is currently too traumatised to provide further details about that period of detention,’ records the statement. Finally, he was transferred to Bagram, the US airbase and detention centre in Afghanistan, where he was put in solitary confinement. He had no contact with family until 2010, enduring force-feeding after hunger strikes and mysterious ‘paralysing injections’. Kat Craig, legal director at campaign group Reprieve and his lawyer, said: ‘During this decade, Mr Rahmatullah was tortured not just by American but also British personnel. Last week’s CIA torture report from the US demonstrates that it’s time for Britain too to come clean about its part in this shameful chapter.’ | Yunus Rahmatullah released in May by the US after ten years in captivity . Claims British captors beat him and threw him in pen with attacking dogs . 62-page witness statement reveals UK Special Forces waterboarded him . High Court has dismissed Government attempts to throw out the case . Supreme Court will now decide whether case can be heard in open court . | 0ac1a42b2f67d54fabbe279169e67440451c1fba |
What a disastrous festive period it has been for referees. They have sunk to their worst performance level that I can remember. It does not seem to matter who is appointed to which game as the majority of them cause controversy and ill-feeling. Managers are not even bothering to speak to them after games as limp apologies or poor excuses do nothing to help them in a popular period for sackings. VIDEO Scroll down to see Garry Monk's view on punishments for match officials . Leicester players protest to referee Mike Jones after he awards a penalty to Liverpool at Anfield . Neil Warnock and Alan Irvine have lost their jobs — but the manager with the worst record of all appears safe in his position. Mike Riley heads up the Professional Game Match Officials (PGMO), who are responsible for the officiating of top-flight games and he is therefore the man who is in charge of the select group of referees. If any team manager oversaw a festive period including as many errors as these by his players he would be sacked: . The ball hits Wes Morgan (right) in the face but Mike Jones gave Liverpool a penalty for handball . Referee Anthony Taylor failed to send off QPR goalkeeper Robert Green for this handball outside of his area . Gareth Barry (right) sends Abel Hernandez flying during the match between Hull City and Everton . The ball clearly hits the arm of Manchester United defender Chris Smalling on the way through at Stoke . Cesc Fabregas (right) and his Chelsea team-mates complain to referee Anthony Taylor at St Mary's . Papiss Cisse (centre left) and Seamus Coleman (centre right) argue following the incident at St James' Park . Burney's George Boyd celebrates after scoring against Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium . Hull City manager Steve Bruce reacts during his side's Boxing Day match against Sunderland . Referee Lee Mason (left) shows Stoke City's Jonathan Walters a yellow card at Goodison Park on Boxing Day . Alarmingly there are more errors than I have listed and in what is a very close and competitive Premier League, these mistakes are starting to affect the look of the table. I'm often asked why isn't there a No 1 referee who we turn to for the big games. Well, that is Riley's call. He was never the No 1 when he reffed and he doesn't like to put one man above another. There's no real hierachy for Premier League referees. Mark Clattenburg, the best referee in the country, was the fourth official at Aston Villa vs Crystal Palace on New Year's Day. Mike Riley (centre) referees the Premier League match between West Ham and Tottenham Hotspur in 2007 . He seems out of favour at the moment - probably because of off-the-field incidents, like breaking protocol by travelling in his own car to referee a match earlier this season because he wanted to watch an Ed Sheeran concert. When he’s on the pitch, he outperforms others . Howard Webb is wasted. He is the obvious successor to Riley, but is currently working as technical director at the PGMO. This is a guy who has taken charge of a World Cup final. Surely he has much more to offer than Riley? When raising the question of blatant errors with some officials, the response to me is worrying. I’m told there is no confidence in the camp as they feel unsupported and not motivated. They tell me to expect more errors. As ever, Riley remains silent and this cannot continue. I took great pride in doing my best to perform in every minute in every match and I am not enjoying highlighting so many errors. But at least I am doing my job. Howard Webb (right) shows a red card to Holland's John Heitinga (left) during the 2010 World Cup final . | It has been a disastrous festive period for English referees . Mike Riley heads up the Professional Game Match Officials (PGMO) If any team manager had overseen all these errors he would be sacked . Liverpool penalty for handball when the ball hit Wes Morgan in the face . QPR keeper Rob Green handling the ball outside his area. Hull denied a penalty when Gareth Barry fouled Abel Hernandez inside the area – a free-kick was awarded . Man United benefited from three refereeing mistakes over the festive period including Chris Smalling's handball going unpunished . Chelsea's Cesc Fabregas (right) was cautioned by Anthony Taylor for simulation when he was clearly fouled by Southampton’s Matt Targett . Newcastle striker Papiss Cisse stayed on the pitch despite elbowing Everton's Seamus Coleman last weekend . Burnley's George Boyd scored against Manchester City while offside . Hull not conceding two penalties for handball offences on Boxing Day . Stoke striker Jon Walters escaped a red card against Everton . | 5eb0b93db82db4a3f699a3e625c9018961b00d0c |
Alan Pardew admits he feared losing the one he loves — midfielder Cheick Tiote. Newcastle travel to Stoke’s Britannia Stadium on Monday night with Tiote having made a timely return to fitness for his under-fire boss. The Ivorian, though, had his head turned by interest from Lokomotiv Moscow during the summer and was thought to be keen on a move to Russia. Cheick Tiote (centre) has Vurnon Anita on his back during training as Moussa Sissoko (right) tries to push in . Tiote challenges Emmanuel Riviere (centre) during training on Saturday ahead of the Stoke match . Tiote being assisted by team-mate Mike Williamson during the home draw against Hull . Tiote remained on Tyneside after Lokomotiv failed to make an acceptable offer but, with his contract set to expire in 2016, Pardew is keen for talks to open over a new deal. Asked if the interest had unsettled the 28-year-old, the Newcastle manager said: ‘Yes, for sure. ‘We obviously had a team fighting for his services, but the finance was never really in place. ‘I think his contract situation needs to be resolved at the end of the season, for sure. ‘I love him. He’s everything that you want in a Newcastle player. ‘He has the quality, and of course you’ll never underestimate the fact that he wants to win. ‘That’s something we have to be very careful about on training days!’ Pardew added: ‘I just love that he’s a winner. It can overcome so many obstacles as a footballer. ‘I think young players here need to take a big leaf out of his book in terms of how he approaches training and games. ‘Sometimes it can overspill into bookings and sendings off, but you can never fault him for wanting to win.’ If Pardew’s players have proved anything in the past 10 days it is that they’re behind their manager. A come-from-behind 2-2 draw with Hull followed by a 3-2 victory at Crystal Palace in the Capital One Cup showed as much. And he believes his vice-captain Tiote and skipper Fabricio Coloccini have set the standard. ‘You do need big players at this football club,’ Pardew went on, his position having been made safe in the short term at least. ‘Colo and Tiote are two very important players for us. They showed that on Wednesday night and last Saturday. ‘They have the fight and the quality. You can’t fight your way to a Premier League win — you have to play. They’ve got that balance right.’ Alan Pardew, at Newcastle's training ground on Saturday with sprinklers going off, is glad Tiote isn't leaving . Stoke manager Mark Hughes has laughed off Manchester City counterpart Manuel Pellegrini’s comments claiming his side are a ‘small team’. Describing the match with Chelsea, Pellegrini said: ‘It was very similar to the Stoke team, with a big team playing against a small team with very good players, trying to defend, trying to keep the score (0-0).’ Hughes said: ‘He was possibly disappointed with the way Chelsea approached the game but we didn’t take any umbrage with it, as criticism of ourselves.’ Hughes has no fresh injury concerns, with only midfielder Jonathan Walters a doubt with a calf problem. | Cheick Tiote had his head turned by interest from Lokomotiv Moscow . Midfielder was keen to go but Lokomotiv's offer wasn't accpetable . Pardew keen to offer Tiote a new deal - current one expires in 2016 . 'I love that he's a winner,' says Newcastle manager of Tiote . Mark Hughes laughed off Manuel Pellegrini's claim Stoke are a 'small team' | 7635303f322d76dc82f39045109690b157b706d3 |
By . Graham Smith . Last updated at 8:44 PM on 28th October 2011 . Captured American fugitive George Wright suffers from various health problems and should not be extradited from Portugal to the U.S., his wife said today. Speaking at their home in Almocageme near Lisbon, Maria do Rosario Valente said that Wright suffers from glaucoma, 'very, very high' blood pressure caused by recent stress, and has complained of chest pains. She said: 'We're having a bunch of tests done to see what's his current health condition.' 'Unwell': Fugitive George Wright looks at his wife Maria do Rosario Valente in their kitchen at home in Almocageme, near Lisbon, on Friday. She claims he suffers from various health problems and should not be extradited from Portugal to the U.S. Wright's lawyer Manuel Luis Ferreira . said he intends to include his client's poor health in his legal . arguments against extradition. Mr Ferreira said: 'I didn't initially realise how bad he was. Now I've got to know him, I know his problems.' The U.S. wants Wright returned to serve the remainder of his 15- to 30-year sentence for a 1962 murder in New Jersey. The 68-year-old was on the run for 41 years until his . arrest in Portugal a month ago. He was convicted of the murder of Walter . Patterson, a service station worker in Wall Township, New Jersey. He broke out of . the Bayside State Prison in Leesburg, New Jersey, in 1970 after serving . more than seven years. The FBI says Wright also was part of a . Black Liberation Army group that hijacked a U.S. plane from Detroit . Metropolitan Airport to Algeria in 1972. After that, Wright went on the . lam. The couple married in 1991 and have two children. Wright is currently under house arrest and wears an electronic tag as legal proceedings about his extradition take place . Walter Patterson's daughter, Ann Patterson, now 63, said she wants Wright extradited to serve the rest of his sentence. She said that recent weeks have caused her family sleepless nights. "Our world has been turned upside down," she said. "We've now had to grieve for our father for the second time when we never should have had to the first time." She declined to comment on Wright's lawyer's plans to use his health condition as a reason to fight extradition. Ms Valente said her husband, who she has lived with for 20 years, regrets his criminal past and has become a more peaceful man since his days in the Black Liberation Army. As he was: Wright has been on the run . since 1970. His wife (right) claims her husband regrets his criminal past . Hideout: The house where Wright has lived for more than 20 years . Wright was initially placed in a . Lisbon jail pending the outcome of the court case, but two weeks ago the . judge allowed him to return home on condition he remains inside the . house and wears an electronic tag that monitors his movements. Wright . cannot stray beyond the front door into the garden. Wright, . a tall, slim man with his head shaved and wearing glasses, is not . allowed to discuss his extradition case due to Portugal's judicial . secrecy laws. 'He regrets . the choices he made,' Ms Valente said of her husband's past. 'If he . could, probably he'd have made different choices.' Many . locals in this hamlet near Lisbon describe Wright as a friendly, . church-going family man. He has a grown daughter and son with Valente. Some assumed he was from Africa when he moved here. Hijack: Dressed as a priest, Wright hijacked a plane bound for Detroit in 1972. FBI agents tried to negotiate with them before they escaped to Algeria with a $1million ransom . Wright joined the Black Liberation Army, above, who lived as a 'family' in New York . Ms Valente said: 'If the purpose of sending someone to jail is to rehabilitate them, then that job is done.' Wright's . lawyer argues that Wright is now a Portuguese citizen and should be . allowed to serve the remainder of his sentence in Portugal, where his . wife and two grown children live. Wright . got Portuguese citizenship through marriage in 1991 after . Guinea-Bissau, a former Portuguese colony in West Africa, gave him the . new name of 'Jose Luis Jorge dos Santos' - the one he uses in Portugal - . and made him a citizen. The . identity from Guinea-Bissau was granted after the country gave Wright . political asylum in the 1980s, and that was accepted by Portugal, . according to the lawyer. | Fugitive George Wright, 68, is suffering from 'very, very high blood pressure' He was convicted of 1962 murder before breaking out of U.S. prison in 1970 . Then hijacked plane and fled to Algeria in 1972 . He was on the run for 41 years until his arrest in Portugal a month ago . | 39b42815ebe198cd4c218d3adc5cb2b2cf8ca814 |
Louis van Gaal believes Radamel Falcao's Premier League career will take off after the Colombia star claimed his first goal for Manchester United to clinch victory over Everton. Falcao, who could end up costing more than £50million if his loan move from Monaco becomes permanent, had failed to score in his first three games in England but pounced in the second half to give United a 2-1 win at Old Trafford. The 28-year-old missed several earlier opportunities and Van Gaal revealed that he had spoken to Falcao about trying too hard. Radamel Falcao celebrates his first goal in a Manchester United shirt against Everton on Sunday . The Colombian striker celebrates in front of the Sir Alex Ferguson Stand after opening his United account . Louis van Gaal said the expensive loan signing needed the goal after putting a lot of pressure on himself . 'He needed that goal,' said the United boss. 'I have talked with him because I thought he was forcing himself too much to score a goal. 'He's a player who will normally score a goal every match and has had to wait so long. I can understand that but now he has scored it will be better after the international break.' Victory lifted United into the top four but Van Gaal admitted his team are still not playing to full capacity after spending more than £150m in the summer. Falcao was in the right place - and onside - to turn in Angel Di Maria's attempted shot . Di Maria celebrates putting Manchester United 1-0 ahead against the Toffees at Old Trafford . 'I have told my players that we are not playing good but we are already fourth,' added the Dutchman. 'What is coming when we are playing well? 'I was amazed because we played such a very good first half and this is the second game (in a row) when we are not good in the second half.' United still needed a man-of-the-match performance from David de Gea to see the game out. The Spaniard became the first goalkeeper to save a Leighton Baines penalty in the Premier League after Luke Shaw fouled Tony Hibbert, and then made several outstanding stops late in the game. United might well have drawn or even lost against Everton were it not for David de Gea's heroics . 'I'm devastated it was a penalty because I thought I touched the ball,' said Shaw. 'But all thanks to David De Gea. He was world-class and got us three points.' Defeat left Everton one place above the relegation zone and there was more bad news for Roberto Martinez when defender John Stones was carried off with an ankle injury that is likely to rule him out of England's Euro 2016 qualifiers against San Marino and Estonia. The Everton boss was unhappy that the game was not stopped for another injury to Steven Pienaar in the build-up to Falcao's decisive goal. 'That action was a big mistake from the referee,' said Martinez. 'United attacked and the ball ends up in our net, and I don't think that is fair.' Luke Shaw (left) gave away a needless penalty against Everton and Van Gaal admitted his team weren't at their best . | Radamel Falcao scored in Manchester United's 2-1 win against Everton . It was the striker's first goal since joining the club on loan this summer . Manager Louis van Gaal thinks the strike will be the first of many . The win against the Toffees moved United up to 4th in the Premier League . Van Gaal admits his team are still not playing at their best . | e4db0888bd540960af15be26ef6ba0bab17837fb |
New York City will not offer a lifeline to Hatem Ben Arfa. The Frenchman is looking to resurrect his career after his transfer from Newcastle to Nice was blocked under FIFA's three-club rule. Ben Arfa has played for Newcastle United U21s and Hull City on loan so was prevented from playing for Nice as the U21s games are counted as competitive fixtures by the French Football Federation (FFF). Scroll down for video . Hatem Ben Arfa has been told he must wait until the start of next season to make his Nice debut . The former Newcastle United midfielder was released from his contract at St James' Park in January . The 27-year-old lodged an appeal but faces being inactive for the rest of the season. His representatives have contacted clubs in the MLS including New York City, as the league is not governed by the FIFA rule, however City head coach Jason Kreis has no interest in Ben Arfa whatsoever. Ben Arfa does not want to kick his heels and be forced to wait until the beginning of the 2015-16 season in Europe to play football once again, but he has even contemplated retirement. Ben Arfa played for Hull City, during an ill-fated loan spell, and Newcastle's development side this season . | Hatem Ben Arfa must wait until start of next season to make Nice debut . The Frenchman has represented both Newcastle U21s and Hull this season . FIFA have confirmed Ben Arfa is not allowed to play for a third side . New York City coach Jason Kreis decides Ben Arfa is not for them . Winger would be able to play in MLS should a club opt to sign him . | dec4e5fa0068535b60873bb4c15589d5f98feb27 |
Police in Tennessee are investigating whether human remains found in Decatur County woods on Sunday may be that of murdered nursing student Holly Bobo, whose body has not been found since she disappeared over three years ago. Officials say two people out looking for ginseng came across a human skull in the area, which is 10 miles from the home of Zach Adams, one of two men charged with kidnapping and murdering the 20-year-old. The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation said it was too early to tell whether the remains could be linked to Bobo, who was last seen on the morning of April 13, 2011, walking into woods with a man in hunting clothes near her family's home in Darden. 'This is someone’s missing loved one but at this point we don’t know who,' District Attorney Matt Stowe told WSMV. Scroll down for video . New break: Police in Tennessee used DNA tests to determine the human remains belonged to the 20-year-old . Scene: Police closed off an area of woods in Decatur County after two people looking for ginseng came across a human skull on Sunday morning . Charged: Zachary Adams (left) and Jason Wayne Autry (right) are suspected of kidnapping and killing Bobo . Adams, 29, and Jason Autry, 39, were both charged with kidnapping and murder in the Bobo case in February. In May, brothers Jeffrey Pearcy and Mark Pearcy have both been charged with accessory after the fact and tampering with evidence. Jeffrey Pearcy allegedly showed a friend cell phone footage of Bobo tied up and crying before her murder. The friend, Sandra King, testified at a preliminary hearing in May that she saw Zachary Adams in the footage. Mrs King also claimed that Jeffrey Pearcy told her that his brother Mark had filmed the incident. 'I seen a woman that was tied up that was crying,' King told the court, WMC reported. 'She was blonde... It looked like Holly Bobo.' Jeffrey Pearcy, left, and Mark Pearcy, right, have both been charged with accessory after the fact and tampering with evidence . Revelations: Witness Sandra King testified at a . preliminary hearing in July that she saw missing student Holly Bobo . tied up and crying in cell phone footage shown to her by Jeffrey Pearcy . King said it appeared the blonde in the video was about to be sexually assaulted, but she did not see. 'I knew what he was fixing to do. I did not want to see,' King said. The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation has not seen the video. Jeffrey Pearcy has denied the video exists and agents are now trying to find out if it is on his cell phone. King worked with police to try and have Pearcey acknowledge the video in a phone call. 'I said to him, "You know that video of Holly, if it would have been you in that video, I would have watched it," and he said, "Yes I know",' King said. Suspect: Jason Wayne Autry has been charged with the kidnap and murder of Holly Bobo . Loss: Nursing student Holly Bobo was seen being led from her Tennessee home in April 2011 . Threats: Adams appears in court earlier this year over claims he threatened his brother, who is a witness in the case . Both men have pleaded not guilty. Adams was indicted in March on charges of especially aggravated kidnapping and first-degree murder. Autry,was indicted in April on first-degree murder and especially aggravated kidnapping charges. TBI director Mark Gwyn previously said the agency has sworn statements from witnesses who claim to have seen Bobo alive with Autry and Adams after she had been reported missing. Gwynn added that they also had physical evidence being analyzed at two crime laboratories, and several witnesses. 'We believe other individuals have knowledge, and possibly others have involvement,' Mr Gwyn told News Channel 5. 'They can expect us to be on their doorsteps very soon.' He added: 'This is a case the TBI has been continuously working hard to solve now for three years. It has not been easy but I do know truth will prevail.' 'Anyone who had anything to do with Holly's disappearance will be brought to justice,' he added. The first major break in the case came in February, when the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation agents and FBI searched several areas around Decatur, including the home of Zachary Adams. Adams, was arrested and charged shortly afterwards. Adams appeared in court in April on charges of coercion of a witness after allegedly making threats to his brother who is due to testify against him. Adams' brother allegedly told the FBI he had seen Miss Bobo, 20, alive at his home after she was reported missing. Heartbroken: Holly's mom Karen Bobo is led into court by attorney Steve Farase in March, when Adams was charged with her murder and kidnap . Adams is accused of asking a fellow inmate to tell his brother: 'He's the one who started this s*** and if he don't shut his mouth he will be in the hole beside her,' CBS News reported. Autry, 39, has been indicted with especially aggravated kidnapping and first-degree felony murder. He is already in prison serving a three-year sentence for aggravated assault. The case about Miss Bobo's disappearance is still active. Prosecutors are considering seeking the death penalty if they get a conviction in the case. | Remains found by two people in Decatur County, Tennessee, on Sunday morning . Holly Bobo, 20, has been missing since April 2011 . Two men, Zachary Adams, 29, and Jason Wayne Autry, 39, have been charged with her kidnap and murder . The skull was found 10 miles from Adams' home . Witnesses told police they saw Holly still alive walking into woods with the two men after she was reported missing . Brothers Jeffrey Pearcy and Mark . Pearcy have both been charged with accessory after the fact and . tampering with evidence for allegedly being linked to a cellphone video showing Bobo tied up and crying . | 0e9a827260b63f0a85993e4361c3f0d06d33fe0b |
By . Glen Owen And Brendan Carlin . David Cameron could be forced to postpone this year’s Queen’s Speech because the Government is short of ‘sexy’ policies that can be agreed with the Lib Dems, a Minister claimed last night. The speech, which sets out the Government’s legislative programme as part of the State Opening, has taken place in early May since the Coalition introduced fixed-term Parliaments in 2010. But when Commons officials returned from their Christmas break, they were told the expected date of Wednesday May 7 might have to be ‘moved back’ to June, or even later, for ‘political reasons’. The Queen's speech sets out the Government's legislative programme as part of the State Opening of parliament . One senior Tory Minister said the potential delay had arisen because the Prime Minister had ‘ripped up’ the proposed programme of legislation for not being ‘sexy’ enough. The Minister told The Mail on Sunday: ‘Frankly, Downing Street wasn’t happy with what was on offer.’ Another Tory source said: ‘It is not so much that we have run out of policies, but we have pretty much run out of policies that haven’t been ruined by Clegg’s lot. We might need more time.’ State Openings used to be held in November or December, or, in a General Election year, when the new Parliament first assembled. But since 2012 it had been expected that the ceremony would take place on the first Wednesday or Thursday after the May Day recess. The 2012 ceremony took place on May 9, while the 2013 date was May 8. The speech may be delayed because the coalition partners cannot agree on 'sexy' policies to announce . An additional complication this year is that the local and European elections being held on May 22 could see the Tories pushed into third place behind UKIP – giving the Prime Minister an incentive to use the Queen’s Speech as a ‘relaunch’. The Minister added that the Tories’ continuing internal feud over Europe was another reason why the State Opening might have to be delayed. Last night a Downing Street spokesman said no decision had been made to delay the Speech. He added: ‘The date is not set in stone. The timing is entirely in our gift.’ A Tory source said: ‘If we hold it before the elections we are accused of breaching purdah, if we hold if afterwards we are accused of delaying it. ‘But it is true that Coalition government is making it harder to produce the legislative programme we want.’ | Speech traditionally sets out Government's legislative programme . Takes place in May since the Coalition introduced fixed-term Parliaments . Commons officials told the date might have to be 'moved back' to June . | 2cea7cd33a0e888e56617c63af0c6761fa12af86 |
By . Sophie Jane Evans . PUBLISHED: . 16:08 EST, 24 February 2014 . | . UPDATED: . 02:09 EST, 25 February 2014 . Surrounded by trees, waterfalls and tropical wildlife, this Amazon tribe is a world away from the beaches of Rio. These striking photos show members of the indigenous Dessana tribe, which is situated nearly 3,000 miles away from Brazil's capital. It is only accessible by boat from the city of Manaus - where England will play their first World Cup game in June this year. Captivating: A young member of the indigenous Dessana tribe gazes at the camera with piercing green eyes, while sporting streaks of green and black paint on his face . Making music: Three children play pan pipes in their leafy home in the Amazon rainforest, which is situated nearly 3,000 miles away from Brazil's capital, Rio de Janeiro . Three generations: The tribe is only accessible by boat from Manaus - where England will play their first World Cup game in June. Above, a mother, grandmother and baby . Photographer David Lazar, 30, captured a series of portraits of tribe members, including a young boy with piercing green eyes and a . Dessana chief in full head dress. He also photographed children playing pan pipes, colourful Macaw birds sat on a tree branch and a mother and grandmother kissing a small child. Mr Lazar, from Brisbane, took most of the photos in two Dessana villages in the rainforest, but also travelled thousands of miles south to the Iguazu Falls on the Argentine border. 'I travelled by boat to reach the Dessana tribe who live on the bank of the river and still honour their traditional roots and customs,' he said. Intricate dress: Photographer David Lazar, 30, from Brisbane, captured a series of portraits of tribe members, including Dessana chiefs in full head dress (pictured) Smiling: He took most of the photos - including this one of a chief - in two Dessana villages in the rainforest, but also travelled thousands of miles south to the Iguazu Falls . Tribeswomen: 'I travelled by boat to reach the tribe who still honour their traditional roots and customs,' said Mr Lazar. Above, two tribeswomen pose for photographs . 'They were such a peaceful and . friendly people. The chief wears traditional face paint, a full feather . head dress, and his smile shows the warmth and happiness of the peaceful . tribe. 'You can see from . the picture of the mum, grandmother and baby together how family and . community play an important role in the raising of an Amazonian child. 'The children in the forest also happily play together. The feathers in the . boys' headdresses are made from a Macaw bird, and these are worn to mark . the identities of tribal groups.' He said he hoped the images would show an alternative view of Brazil, which is also due to host the Olympic Games in 2016. Breathtaking landscape: 'They were such a peaceful and friendly people. The chief's smile shows the warmth and happiness of the tribe,' he added. Above, a waterfall . Joyful: Mr Lazar said he hoped the images - including this one of three Dessana children - would show an alternative view of Brazil, which will host the Olympics in 2016 . Elaborate tribal wear: 'The feathers in the boys' headdresses are made from a Macaw bird, and these are worn to mark the identities of tribal groups,' he said . 'It is such an amazing and vast country,' he said. 'The cities and beaches are all great but there is another . Brazil that need to be seen. "Thousands of miles from the Dessana is another amazing sight, the Iguazu Falls. The legend tells of a story about a God who had planned to marry himself to a beautiful woman named Naipí. 'When he found her fleeing with her mortal lover Tarobá in a canoe, the God split the river in two out of fury, condemning them eternally inside the gushing waters of the falls.' Mr Lazar, who has also travelled to Bangladesh, Kenya and south east Asia to photograph locals, said he enjoyed capturing scenes that 'defy time'. NatureL Mr Lazar, who has also travelled to Bangladesh, Kenya and Asia to photograph locals, said he enjoyed capturing scenes that 'defy time'. Above, two Macaw birds . 'I am drawn to subjects that do not reflect the modern world - I like to capture scenes that could have been taken 100 years ago,' he said. 'I find this type of subject interesting as it is very different from my usual life in Australia and I enjoy capturing and sharing these scenes of the world that most people don't get to see. 'I especially love portrait photos, and capturing expressive, unique and powerful faces that evoke a sense of emotion in the viewer.' Mr Lazar said that he managed to interact and photograph tribes by 'smiling', 'engaging with tribe members' and 'using phrases in other languages'. | Photographer David Lazar captured photos of native Dessana tribe, nearly 3,000 miles away from Brazil's capital . Tribe is only accessible by boat from city of Manaus - where England will play their first World Cup game in June . Images show children playing pan pipes, tribe chief in full head dress and Macaw birds sat on branch in Amazon . | 23e8ba725e19e37f6d1fce94cb7f464499cdd384 |
By . Travelmail Reporter . A British Airways flight has been forced to make an emergency landing at Heathrow Airport shortly after takeoff this morning after a 'burning smell' was discovered in the cockpit. Flight BA 676 to Istanbul, Turkey, was carrying 185 passengers on board when suffered a technical fault after it left the London airport at about 11am today. The Metropolitan Police Service and fire fighters were called to the airport to be on alert for when the passenger plane landed back at the airport. Safe landing: The photo tweeted by the Met Police Service shows the BA plane on the runway at Heathrow . Tweeting a photo of the plane on the runway surrounded by two fire crews, the Met Police said: 'Aircraft landed safely after burning smell in cockpit. 'As precaution they returned to airport & met by welcoming party.' The aircraft had taken off from Terminal 5 this morning. It is not yet known how many passengers were on board. A spokesman for BA told MailOnline Travel: 'The aircraft returned to Heathrow due to a minor technical problem. 'The problem is being resolved and the aircraft is due to depart for Istanbul again shortly. 'We apologise to customers for the delay to their journey.' | Passenger flight to Istanbul, Turkey, suffered technical fault after takeoff . Emergency services were called to Heathrow for when plane landed . Flight BA676 left the London airport at about 11am this morning . | 9074d954c5703fd9402e80b13d39bb8c3479ee3b |
Mother Trudy Collins, 44, stole her daughter's £20,000 inheritance after convincing her that she would keep her bank card and pin number safe . She had been saving it to pay for her wedding and a deposit on her first home. Denvar Bathie, 23, had put aside £20,000, inherited from her late father, for her big day and resolved not to use a penny of it until then. So she was devastated a year later when she discovered her mother had stolen the money and spent it on herself. Trudy Collins, 44, had persuaded her daughter to hand over her bank card and PIN – claiming she was helping Miss Bathie avoid any temptation of using it. But she embarked on a spending spree, using the inheritance to pay for luxury holidays, shopping trips and hotels. Over a year, Collins accessed Miss Bathie’s account 173 times, spending almost £20,000. She was caught out during a trip to Egypt in June last year when her daughter’s bank became suspicious and queried the high number of withdrawals. Miss Bathie told Preston Crown Court how she ‘collapsed in tears’ when she realised the extent of her mother’s betrayal. ‘I trusted my mother more than anyone else and I believed her every word,’ she said in a statement. ‘But the trust disappeared there and then. I was betrayed and heartbroken. ‘She went behind my back spending my savings which was my future … my mother came up with the idea [of keeping the bank card] so I wouldn’t be tempted to spend it. Knowing how useless I was at saving, I handed it to her.’ Miss Bathie’s father Michael, who had split from Collins, died aged 45 in 2013, the court heard. He left a legacy of £90,000 to be shared between his three children. Miss Bathie opened a savings account for £20,000 of her £30,000 inheritance and then handed over her bank card to her mother for safekeeping in her attic. The bride-to-be added: ‘Sadly the card never went into the attic. It had its own place in Trudy’s purse the whole time and she had been using it for herself.’ Miss Bathie intended to use the money for a mortgage and her wedding in the Lake District. Bride-to-be Miss Bathie, 23, pictured above, was saving her inheritance to fund her wedding and to save up for a deposit on a house . Emma Keogh, prosecuting, said: ‘Her mother suggested that she gave her the card, even saying “you will spend it”. Miss Bathie thought it was a good idea. She trusted her implicitly.’ But in June last year Miss Bathie got a call from the fraud department at NatWest bank, querying a payment to a cinema and an Amazon transaction. She confronted her mother who admitted she had taken the money but insisted she had every intention of paying it back. Miss Keogh added: ‘Denvar was completely shocked … As time progressed it is clear her mother was using the account as her own … to pay for whatever she needed.’ Collins, of Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria, claimed she had taken £8,000, saying she was ‘too embarrassed’ to ask for the money. Miss Bathie, pictured left outside Preston Crown Court and right taking a selfie, suspected nothing until she received a call from the bank . Collins was given a 12 month jail term suspended for two years by Recorder John Corless at Preston Crown Court (pictured above), who branded the theft a 'serious breach of trust' But police revealed she had stolen £19,310.06. Among the transactions were £890 to Monarch Air, £263 to On The Beach holidays, £448 in Selfridges and £179 on the Hilton International Hotel. Defence counsel Rosalind Emsley-Smith said Collins ‘lost the plot’ when her home was repossessed after the breakdown of her marriage and her ex-husband’s death. Collins was given a 12-month jail term suspended for two years with 150 hours of unpaid work and ordered to pay Miss Bathie £100. Recorder John Corless said: ‘This is indeed a tragic case and a serious breach of trust. Your daughter trusted you implicitly but you were using an account which was simply not yours.’ | Denvar Bathie, 23, inherited £30,000 when her father died in 2013 . She wanted to save up for a house and for her forthcoming wedding . Her mother persuaded her to hand over her card and pin for 'safe keeping' Trudy Collins, 44, used her daughter's account 173 times spending £20,000 . At Preston Crown Court she was given a 12 month suspended prison sentence . | 2c3664ead8e331b22603bffe70830f21bb06cc84 |
(CNN) -- A veteran airport screener at New York's JFK Airport has been charged with grand larceny after he allegedly stole two iPads that were planted in a checked bag as part of a police sting. Port Authority police initiated the sting after passengers complained of electronic devices being taken from luggage. While the case highlights a recurring problem of theft at Transportation Security Administration checkpoints, one law enforcement official said it illustrates an even bigger threat. "If they (an unscrupulous employee) can be taking stuff out of bags, what can they be putting in? That's a serious issue," said the official, who asked not to be named because he was not authorized to talk about the case. TSA screeners at LAX arrested on narcotics trafficking charges . In the JFK incident, there was no suggestion that anything other than attempted theft was involved. Police said a "decoy bag" was placed among checked luggage at Terminal 4 at JFK on Tuesday. Police later stopped the screener as he was leaving work on board the airport's AirTrain system. In his backpack, police found the two planted iPads that had been in the decoy bag. They also found in his possession other electronic devices and earphones that had been reported stolen from luggage, and additional stolen items in his home. Oakland traveler arrested for watch 'art' that TSA thinks is timing device . Port Authority police identified the man as Sean Henry, 32, of Brooklyn, and said he had been a TSA screener for 10 years. Henry is charged with three counts of grand larceny, one count of petty larceny and official misconduct. Efforts by CNN to reach Henry were unsuccessful. TSA spokesman David Castelveter said the individual, who he did not name, "is being processed for removal from TSA." "TSA holds its employees to the highest ethical standards and has zero tolerance for misconduct in the workplace," Castelveter said. TSA chief a 'no-show' at congressional hearing . | Port Authority police set up a sting at New York's JFK Airport . Passengers were complaining of electronic devices being taken from luggage . Two iPads were planted in a checked bag as part of the sting . A TSA screener was arrested after, police say, the iPads were found in his backpack . | 80fac29c4e492636172fd197bd8d498e1ce3a610 |
By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 20:51 EST, 8 October 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 01:51 EST, 9 October 2012 . The mother of the naked, unarmed college student fatally shot by a campus police officer on Saturday says that surveillance video will show her 5ft 7, 135lbs son never came into physical contact with the officer. Bonnie Smith Collar, has said she has received . conflicting information about what happened prior to her son Gil Collar, 18, being . shot. She has asked people to withhold . judgment until all the evidence comes out. Acquaintances have said that slightly built Collar appeared to be . intoxicated, because of alcohol or something else, as he took his . clothes off, ran through the streets, screamed obscenities and claimed . he was on a 'spiritual quest' in the moments before he was killed. Scroll down for video . Gone: Gilbert Thomas Collar, right, with his mother Bonnie Smith Collar - the 18-year-old student was shot dead while naked and physically threatening a University of South Alabama police officer on Saturday . Slightly built freshman: Collar was not exactly an imposing presence standing 5ft 7inches tall and weighing 135 pounds . 'Whatever caused the incident was something that made him act not in his normal personality,' she said. School officials with access to the security video footage have said nothing to indicate that Collar was armed. And they have refused to say whether the officer who shot Collar was carrying a baton and pepper spray, both of which campus officers typically have with them. An attorney for the family, former Alabama Lt. Gov. Jere Beasley, said his firm's review of the shooting would include whether the officer followed department rules and regulations. The university said the officer heard a bang on a window at campus police headquarters and went outside to investigate. The officer tried to retreat numerous times to defuse the situation before opening fire, the university said in a news release. The case has been handed over to . Mobile County authorities and could take weeks to resolve. Meanwhile, . friends and relatives are trying to figure out what could have happened . to the quiet kid who showed so much promise. Collar grew up in the rural outskirts of Wetumpka, about 20 miles north of Montgomery. Brandon Ross, a sophomore at Jacksonville State University, said Collar moved to the neighborhood as an eight-year-old. 'I was the first person he met on the bus, and we've been friends ever since,' he said. 'He was the kid everybody liked.' 'It's completely opposite of the way . he was,' said South Alabama student Chandler Wescovich of Long Beach, . Miss., who became friends with Collar during his short time on campus. Others agreed the actions were out of character for the normally quiet and reserved Collar, whom friends described as a popular and good-looking high school wrestler who stood 5-foot-7 and 135 pounds. Collar wasn't someone to make enemies and even befriended his wrestling opponents, said his high school wrestling coach, Jeff Glass. Collar wasn't known as a troublemaker and had only two minor scrapes with the law, according to court records: a speeding ticket and a citation for being a minor in possession of three cigarettes in March. He paid a $25 fine for the tobacco possession. He was also so good-looking that his teammates didn't like standing next to him in team photos. 'The girls thought he was the best thing they had ever seen, and they may have been right,' Glass said. Family: Collar is pictured with his older sister Doris Elisabeth Collar in this undated family photo . Grown Up: Collar's family is struggling to understand the events that lead to his death. He is pictured with his older sister in an undated family photo . At . 1:23 a.m. on Saturday, Oct. 6, University of South Alabama Police . responded to a loud banging noise on the west side window of the police . station. When an officer exited the station to investigate, he was . confronted by a muscular, nude man who was acting erratically. The man . repeatedly rushed and verbally challenged the officer in a fighting . stance. The officer . with weapon drawn ordered the individual to halt. The officer retreated . numerous times in an attempt to calm the situation. The individual . continued to press toward the officer in a threatening manner. The . assailant kneeled for a moment, and then he rose again, rushing and . chasing the officer, who continued to retreat away from the building. When the individual continued to rush toward the officer in a . threatening manner and ignored the officer's repeated commands to stop, . the officer fired one shot with his police sidearm, which struck the . chest of the assailant. The individual fell to the ground, but he got up . once more and continued to challenge the officer further before . collapsing and expiring. The deceased has been identified as Gilbert Thomas Collar, an 18-year-old freshman from Wetumpka, Ala. Immediately . after the incident, the USA Police Department contacted the District . Attorney's Office to request an external investigation. Mobile County . Sheriff's Department will assist. The officer has been placed on paid . administrative leave pending the outcome of internal and external . reviews. The University extends its condolences to Mr. Collar's family. Wescovich said everything seemed normal when he saw Collar with friends in a student dining hall less than six hours before the shooting. Wescovich said he and others gave Collar a ticket to BayFest, an outdoor music festival in Mobile, and went on their separate way. Hours later on campus, Collar was out of sorts and appeared intoxicated from alcohol or something else, according to two acquaintances who saw him. He was screaming profanities in the street and running around naked, said South Alabama student Bronte Harber, 18, of Columbus, Ohio. Sarah Hay, 18, of Dallas, said she saw Collar shirtless outside her on-campus residence shortly before Harber encountered him. Collar was the loudest of a group of four or five young men, she said, and some of the others were trying to get him to calm down. 'He was talking about being on a spiritual quest,' said Hay, but wasn't making any sense. Hay, who described herself as an acquaintance of Collar, said he was removing his pants as she walked back inside. Neither Harber nor Hay said they witnessed the confrontation between Collar and the officer. A candlelight vigil is planned for 6 p.m. Tuesday at Wetumpka High School. Collar's mother said funeral arrangements have not yet been made yet. Mrs Collar said she had no idea why her son would be acting erratically as described and that the slight yet strong boy had never posed a threat before. 'The first thing on my mind is, freshman kids do stupid things,' she said. 'Campus police should be equipped to handle activity like that without having to use lethal force.' On the Facebook page for the Vanguard, the school's student newspaper, Collar's friends and classmates similarly expressed shock and confusion that the officer felt the need to use deadly force on a young man they described as 'sweet' and 'easy going.' 'Gil went to my high school' wrote Melissa Mims, who said she was a good friend of Collar's sister Elisabeth and the rest of his family. 'Gil was the kind of guy who could put a smile on anyone's face, he never . had any enemies and a lot of students and younger kids looked up to him. He really was a great guy and had very many friends.' Parker Mozingo only met Collar once but he made a lasting impression. 'He was a sweet guy who did not deserve this. He made . one stupid decision last night but the officer that shot him, in my . opinion, made a way worse mistake,' she wrote. 'Gil was unarmed, the officer had no . right or reason to pull a gun on him. The officer should have thought . about what he was doing, I hope that the people see the officer was . wrong for what he did.' Gilbert Thomas Collar, right, with his mother Bonnie Smith Collar - the 18-year-old student was shot dead while naked and physically threatening a University of South Alabama police officer on Saturday . Friend Lucas Self described Collar as an easy going person, small enough deadly force should not have been required. 'Gil made a mistake but it is still an officers . duty to resolve a situation as peacefully as he can' Self wrote. 'I think this . situation was handled wrong by the officer but they aren't going to let . any one believe that.' Friend Colgan Meanor says Collar of Wetumpka was an outgoing athlete who loved wrestling in high school. She says she's shocked over his killing by an officer outside the university police department early Saturday. Another friend of Collar's, Tyler Kendrick, says the officer shouldn't have drawn his weapon on an unarmed person. Popular student: Gil Collar, 18, was shot dead by Campus police at the University of South Alabama. The 18-year-old was a high school wrestler at his home in Wetumpka, Alabama and had only recently enrolled . University of South Alabama campus, where Gilbert Thomas Collar was shot dead in the early hours of this morning . Watch video here . | Bonnie Smith Collar says she has received conflicting information about what happened just before her son was killed . Acquaintances who saw him believe the slightly built freshman was intoxicated . Friends say the officer had no right to pull a gun on him . Lawyers for the Collar family say their review of the shooting will include whether the officer followed department rules and regulations . | a0871b8b0fb9c88e28de0c30adcc6a2342963bf9 |
By . Ryan Gorman . PUBLISHED: . 00:52 EST, 7 June 2014 . | . UPDATED: . 11:23 EST, 7 June 2014 . New imagery has helped U.S. officials find an Army plane that crash landed on Greenland almost 70 years ago at the beginning of the Cold War. The Kee Bird B-29 Superfortress plane was on its way to a top secret mission at the North Pole when it made the emergency landing in 1947 after running out of fuel. The imagery comes from NASA’s Earth Observatory, and shows the plane nearly covered in snow at the remote crash site. Found!: The Kee Bird plane is shown mostly-covered in snow last month on a Greenland ice sheet, but still visible . The plane’s crew spent three days toughing it out on the ice sheet before they were rescued, according to Huffington Post. They survived, but the plane’s legend only grew. It sat marooned on the hard-packed snow sitting atop a frozen lake, it remained untouched for decades. It had not been seen since. During the Cold War: A Kee Bird plane shown back in the late 1940s, when they were used during the beginnings of the Cold War . Then and now: The shadow of the NASA Orion P-3 Plane that took the image can be seen near the top of the image . The photos were taken May 1 by a NASA’s P-3 Orion aircraft while it was on a mission as part of Operation IceBridge. The eight-year project aims to survey glaciers, ice sheets and sea ice in polar regions in an effort to gauge changes in polar ice, according to Huffington Post. Kee Bird was found by accident. Thin lines in the snow around the plane are believed to be polar bear trails. There are currently no known plans to resurrect the doomed aircraft. | The plane crashed in Greenland in 1947 . It was on a top secret mission to the North Pole when it ran out of fuel . Images were taken by a NASA plane tasked with cataloging polar glaciers and see ice . | ad3e9dc7661efae1d8adc8de313a60be1403c209 |
By . Will Stewart In Moscow . A chilling photo that allegedly proves Russia's most wanted terrorist is dead was released today by the head of the Chechen Republic. Pro-Vladimir Putin leader Ramzan Kadyrov uploaded the image of what is claimed to be Doku Umarov's body to the social-networking site Instagram. Alongside the photo, he wrote: 'For those who would like to believe that this rat is still alive, we can show him after his death.' WARNING: GRAPHIC CONTENT . Proof? This photo that allegedly proves Russia's most wanted terrorist, Doku Umarov, is dead was released today by head of the Chechen Republic, Ramzan Kadyrov. It was posted on social-networking site Instagram . Wanted man: Known as Russia's Osama bin Laden, Umarov (pictured) is Vladamir Putin's most wanted enemy . Known as Russia's Osama bin Laden, Umarov is Putin's most wanted enemy - sought for crimes of terrorism, kidnapping, homicide and treason. The bearded warlord is responsible for a string of deadly attacks on Russia, including a train bombing between Moscow and Saint Petersburg which left 26 dead in 2009 and an attack on a Siberian dam which killed 75. He has also been linked to the 2010 Moscow Metro bombings, in which 40 . died, and the hit on one of the city's main airports, Domodedovo, in . 2011, in which 36 people perished. In April, Russian sources indicated Umarov had died without giving clear evidence. Mr Kadyrov (left) wrote alongside the chilling picture: 'For those who would like to believe that this rat is still alive, we can show him after his death'. Right, Umarov has been linked to a string of deadly attacks on Russia . It is not clear why Mr Kadyrov decided to release the photo of his 'dead body' today - particularly as Russia is under the spotlight for allegedly supporting terrorists in Ukraine in downing the Malaysian Boeing 777. The Chechen strongman did not provide any details as to how, where or when Umarov died. But he said: 'I have said earlier that Doku Umarov had been killed in a special mission. But various law enforcement authorities and the media hurried to doubt the information. 'They claimed they did not see the dead body. We at that time had undisputable proofs he had been killed. Later on, the fact of his death was confirmed officially. Atrocity: Umarov's Caucasus Emirate group claimed responsibility for the bomb that caused the November 2009 Nevsky Express train derailment that left 27 dead . Bombings: The group is also thought to have been behind three suicide bombings in the southern Russian city of Volgograd which killed 41 people in 2013, including this attack on a trolleybus . 'Now, to those who would prefer to believe that rat is still alive, we can demonstrate it after death.' On April 8, FSB spy chief Aleksandr Bortnikov told a meeting of the National Anti-Terrorist Committee in Moscow that Umarov's activities had been 'stopped'. Umarov had been seen as a threat to the Sochi Winter Olympics - but he is likely to have been killed earlier than this. Styling himself the 'Emir of the Caucasus Emirate', his aim was to expel non-Muslims from Chechnya, impose Sharia law and wage jihad far beyond the republic's present borders. Attack: Umarov was blamed for suicide bombings in Volgograd (above) which killed 34 people at Christmas . A trademark of his attacks was his deployment of 'black widow' women suicide bombers, ready to cause mass murder in vengeance for the death of their insurgent spouses. The U.S. had placed a $5million (£2.9million) bounty on his head. Umarov, who is thought to have died aged 49, has been reported slain on at least six occasions. In December last year, Kadyrov alleged he has been 'dead a long time'. | WARNING: GRAPHIC CONTENT . Ramzan Kadyrov uploaded picture of 'Doku Umarov's body' to Instagram . Alongside image, Chechen head wrote: 'We can show this rat after death' Warlord Umarov has been linked to a string of deadly attacks on Russia . He is sought for crimes of terrorism, kidnapping, homicide and treason . Has been associated with 2010 Moscow Metro bombings, which killed 40 . Mr Kadyrov did not provide any details as to how or when Umarov died . | 22952f96ed702ed9ee2495f3e161cc5d68004965 |
CLICK HERE to catch up on all the stats from the big game, including the patient build up to Raheem Sterling's strike . They played with pace, subtlety and panache. At times they threatened to overwhelm the opposition. And some of their football was a delight to behold. But, no, it was not the team of Raheem Sterling, Mario Balotelli and Steven Gerrard that so pleased the eye at Upton Park. Rather it was Sam Allardyce’s West Ham. At times they looked scintillating. Granted, the opening ten minutes of the game was the period in which they were most devastating. And they had to endure a more uncomfortable second half when Liverpool, after a change of formation, finally hit their stride. But when, on 88 minutes, Stewart Downing found Morgan Amalfitano and the Frenchman, on his home debut, simply prodded the ball past Simon Mignolet to seal the victory it felt like a fitting finale. Teammates congratulate Winston Reid after the defender scored his first goal for a year to put West Ham 1-0 up after only two minutes . Reid gets West Ham off to a dream start after heading in from James Tomkins' cross in only the second minute of the game . Diafra Sakho doubled West Ham's lead within five minutes of the opener after his delicately floated cross-shot found the back of the net . Mario Balotelli (R) jumps out of the way to allow Raheem Sterling to bring Liverpool back into the game with a superb first-half strike . New signing Morgan Amalfitano broke away in the the closing minutes to score his first goal at Upton Park and complete a 3-1 victory . West Ham: Adrian 6.5, Demel 6.5 (Jenkinson 61, 6), Tomkins 7, Reid 7.5, Cresswell 7, Noble 7.5, Kouyate 8, Song 7.5 (Amalfitano 69, 6.5), Sakho 7, Downing 7, Valencia 7 (Collins 76). Subs Not Used: Zarate, Vaz Te, Jaaskelainen, Cole. Booked: Reid, Adrian, Kouyate, Jenkinson. Goals: Reid 2, Sakho 7, Amalfitano 88. Liverpool: Mignolet 5, Manquillo 4 (Sakho 22, 5), Skrtel 5, Lovren 5, Moreno 5.5, Gerrard 5, Lucas 5 (Lallana 46, 7), Henderson 6, Sterling 7, Borini 5.5 (Lambert 75, 5), Balotelli 6. Subs Not Used: Brad Jones, Jose Enrique, Toure, Markovic. Booked: Balotelli. Goals: Sterling 26. Att: 34, 977 . Ref: Craig Pawson (South Yorkshire). Ratings by Sami Mokbel at Upton Park . Alex Song had just been named man of the match and it was as though every signing made this summer was playing his part. In Enner Valencia, Diafra Sakho and Cheikhou Kouyate, Allardyce has assembled a front-three with enough speed and craft to thrill home supporters, who for so long have shown discontent with the attacking verve of their team. In playing Downing behind those three, Allardyce has added guile to his line-up and rejuvenated the man best known for his ability on wing. The manager has remodelled West Ham. They are, as Liverpool discovered, an entirely different proposition to last season. The Hammers, without a home win this season and cast as the perennial ugly sisters at the Premier League Ball, started with such verve and incision that it seemed even to surprise themselves. Certainly Allardyce will have been purring. Asked to employ an attacking coach and with a chairman, in David Sullivan, who used his programme column to remark favourably on how many more passes the team are now making, the manager bears the inferences with seemingly good grace. So to see his side tearing apart the darlings of last season in those opening exchanges must have been particularly satisfying. Downing was at the heart of most of it, playing centrally, just behind Sakho and causing Liverpool a host of problems. The first came after just two minutes, Downing’s delightful inswinging free-kick inducing panic in the Liverpool back four. Goalkeeper Simon Mignolet failed to come and no defender dealt with it so James Tomkins headed it back across goal for Winston Reid to nod over the line. Upton Park erupted but the excitement had yet to reach its peak. Just five minutes later, the home side worked the ball crisply to Sakho on the right. The Senegal forward sprinted away, took a touch and then simply dinked the most delightful of chips over Mignolet. Now the stadium truly roared. New Zealand defender Reid wheels away after opening the scoring while Steven Gerrard (R) looks on with disbelief . Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers cannot believe his eyes as West Ham take the lead in the opening minutes . Sakho (front) celebrates after doubling West Ham's lead after only seven minutes on the clock . Balotelli and West Ham keeper Adrian were involved in a first-half clash after the Liverpool striker went in for a late challenge . West Ham keeper Adrian goes head to head with Balotelli to show his frustration at the Liverpool striker's challenge . Balotelli and Adrian are both cautioned by referee Craig Pawson for losing their heads in the heat of the battle . Mario Balotelli's heat map showed he covered plenty of ground without really threatening in the danger areas... for stats more go to our brilliant Match Zone . Liverpool's new signing Balotelli moved around most of the pitch without making too much impact in the areas that mattered . Ecuador forward Enner Valencia tests Liverpool keeper Simon Mignolet as West Ham surge forward during the first-half . Brazilian midfielder Lucas tries to make inroads before being replaced by Adam Lallana after the Reds fell behind . MINS KM MILES . Everton total 107.2 66.6 . Steven Naismith 90 11.9 7.4 . Gareth Barry 90 11.4 7.1 . James McCarthy 90 10.9 6.8 . Arsenal total 110.3 68.5 . Mathieu Flamini 90 12.5 7.8 . Aaron Ramsey 90 11.9 7.4 . Mathieu Debuchy 90 11.0 6.8 . Data courtesy of the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index, the Official Player Rating Index of the Barclays Premier League . The Belgian keeper looked exposed on both goals but recovered enough to push away Aaron Cresswell’s shot on 13 minutes while Adrian incurred the wrath of Mark Noble when he kicked out at Mario Balotelli after the Italian had made a late challenge on the goalkeeper. Both Balotelli and Adrian were cautioned, the Spaniard fortunate not to have been handed a more severe punishment by referee Craig Pawson. Liverpool looked increasingly shambolic and manager Brendan Rodgers intervened, making a 25th-minute switch to a back three by taking off right-back Javier Manquillo for centre half Mamadou Sakho. It sparked a reaction as Liverpool had a brief period in which they established some midfield control and within that they scored. Balotelli somehow brought down a cross that seemed beyond him and, though the Italian forward’s shot was deflected away, Sterling followed up to hit a superb strike past Adrian with Valencia failing to track his man. Yet it was a brief respite for Liverpool and West Ham continued to threaten. Valencia had two further chances to restore a two-goal advantage and Mignolet needed to be alert to parry away the danger. As it was, Liverpool would have been relieved to regroup at half time just the one goal down. Sterling takes on former Arsenal midfielder Alex Song during another electrifying performance from the England international . Balotelli produced a neat turn and shot in the lead up to Sterling's goal, which could have earned Liverpool a penalty for handball . Sterling strikes an unstoppable shot through West Ham's defence to bring Liverpool back to 2-1 in the first half . Raheem Sterling offered Liverpool a lifeline with a superb first-half strike following a patient build up... for more stats go to our brilliant Match Zone . Liverpool played the ball out from then back and waited patiently until the ball fell for Sterling to fire home . Sterling is congratulated by Jordan Henderson as Liverpool start moving up through the gears after a slow start . MINS KM MILES . West Ham total 109.4 68.0 . Mark Noble 90 11.9 7.4 . Diafra Sakho 90 10.8 7.1 . Cheikhou Koyate 90 10.7 6.8 . Liverpool total 110.3 68.5 . Jordan Henderson 90 10.5 6.5 . Steven Gerrard 90 10.4 6.4 . Alberto Moreno 90 10.2 6.4 . Data courtesy of the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index, the Official Player Rating Index of the Barclays Premier League . Rodgers brought on a summer signing of his own in Adam Lallana at half time to play behind the front two for another change of shape, this time more subtle. And amid the steady east London drizzle Liverpool finally began to demonstrate some genuine attacking creativity. Sterling was starting to find space in which to run at defenders and Balotelli at last got a chance to show some of his undoubted quality: a curling, crossfield ball on 53 minutes, nicely weighted to run into the path of Fabio Borini, was one such moment. Borini opted for a shot, which Adrian saved comfortably, when he might have pulled the ball back for oncoming team-mates. Then, in the 59th minute Balotelli curled a shot at Adrian which the Spaniard saved. Borini’s strike on 64 minutes caught a deflection and almost wrong-footed Adrian, the goalkeeper scrambling to recover as he failed to take the ball. He did so, but with his foot up, managed to take out a late arriving Borini as well. West Ham, with Valencia, Sakho and Kouyate offering genuine pace and attacking intent, remained a considerable threat, Sakho shooting just over on 69 minutes. But Liverpool’s back three were much more alive to the threat than previously as the midfield in front of them slowly established some dominance. West Ham’s attacking threat never disappeared, however, and it was fitting that the home side ended the match as they started it by putting the ball into stunned Liverpool’s net. Former England winger Stewart Downing provided plenty of attacking threat for West ham down the left flank . New signing Dejan Lovren (floor) suffered an horrific clash of heads with his Liverpool teammate Mamadou Sakho . Liverpool teammates look on as Lovren is treated for a head injury, which caused a six-minute delay in the game . West Ham manager Sam Allardyce shows his frustration as Liverpool start their second-half resurgence . Lovren challenges Valencia in the air after being patched up following his clash of heads with Sakho . Rodgers gives Gerrard instructions as Liverpool chase the game in the second-half without success . Amalfitano celebrates after scoring a late goal that helped take West Ham above Liverpool to 8th in the Premier League table . VIDEO We dominated Liverpool - Allardyce . | West Ham defeated Liverpool 3-1 in their Premier League clash at Upton Park . Hammers took an early lead when Winston Reid headed in after only two minutes . Diafra Sakho doubled the lead only five minutes later with a beautifully floated chip . Mario Balotelli was cautioned after an unsavoury incident with goalkeeper Adrian . Raheem Sterling brought the Reds back into the game with a superb strike in the first-half . Dejan Lovren suffered a nasty clash of heads with teammate Mamadou Sakho . New signing Morgan Amalfitano scored on his home debut after a late breakaway . | b46e01445bcd89e12a46170b8f6fe40acfbf88eb |
Leon Osman is hoping to give Everton a lift by returning from injury after 11 weeks out on Tuesday. Osman, 33, has not played since a bizarre injury where he split a tendon in his foot during the game with Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium on December 6, which Everton lost 1-0. The England international feared he would miss most of the season but has worked hard to get himself back ahead of schedule and is hoping to figure for Everton Under 21s against Manchester United at Leigh Sports Village. Leon Osman may return for Everton Under 21s on Tuesday after 11 weeks out with a split tendon in his foot . Osman (left) sustained the injury in Everton's 1-0 defeat against Manchester City on December 6 . Osman's return could provide Everton with a timely boost. Roberto Martinez's side are five points above the relegation zone but victory over the Premier League's bottom club Leicester on Sunday at Goodison park will appease any worries about the drop. Everton are still in the Europa League and take on Young Boys of Bern in Switzerland in the first leg of the last 32 of the tournament on Thursday. | Leon Osman has been out for 11 weeks after splitting a tendon in his foot . He was injured in Everton's 1-0 loss to Manchester City in December . Osman could play in Everton U21s encounter against Manchester United . | 57e866fe3752443c51d05644431d80c9cf7ce2ab |
(CNN) -- A 16-year-old girl, described by her family as "a bright light full of hopes and dreams," died inside her Connecticut high school on Friday after being slashed in her neck, chest and face, authorities said. The alleged assailant, a 16-year-old male classmate, was removed by staff members at Jonathan Law High School in Milford, Connecticut, that town's police said. He's being held at a local medical facility and a murder charge is pending, officials said. He'll be arraigned on this charge next Monday in a juvenile court in New Haven, though police note that courts will decide later if he will be tried as an adult. The incident began around 7 a.m. in a stairwell at the school, and was witnessed in part by at least one school staff member. The victim -- Maren Sanchez, a junior -- suffered "multiple lacerations" and investigators "recovered a knife at the crime scene," police said. The Connecticut Chief Medical Examiner's Office has yet to officially determine a cause of death. School staff members and emergency technicians attempted "life-saving measures," according to Milford Police Chief Keith Mello, but Sanchez was pronounced dead at Bridgeport Hospital at 7:43 a.m. Addressing reporters on Friday, the police chief didn't provide a motive but said investigators are looking into rumors a boy was angry because Sanchez had declined to go to the prom with him. The prom, scheduled for Friday night, has been postponed. All students were sent home, and Milford Public Schools Superintendent Elizabeth Feser said counseling services will be available to them throughout the weekend. The slain girl's cousin, Edward Kovac, read a statement from her family lamenting what they called an "unprovoked attack" that ended the life of a young woman who had "her future at her fingertips." "Maren should be celebrating at her prom this evening, with her friends and classmates," the family said, via Kovac. "Instead, we are mourning her death, and we are trying as a community to understand this senseless loss of life." The family statement recalled other cases of school violence, saying "we can never forget the lessons ... from this" and other incidents. One of those incidents happened about 22 miles away, in December 2012 in Newtown, when a lone gunman shot his mother to death, then went to Sandy Hook Elementary School and killed 26 people, including 20 children, before taking his own life. "We need to ensure that more young children are protected from violent attacks at school," the family said. READ MORE: Teaching teens to be active bystanders . CNN's Ralph Ellis contributed to this report. | NEW: Police: A 16-year-old girl was cut in the neck, chest and face; a knife is found . NEW: The suspect, 16, faces murder charges; he could later be charged as an adult . NEW: The family of Maren Sanchez says more should be done to prevent school violence . The assault happened at Jonathan Law High School in Milford, Connecticut . | 61a99106224723b481fff299b8a79698d1ab79d7 |
By . Anthony Bond . Last updated at 5:42 PM on 24th January 2012 . Prisoners serving life sentences are being allowed to keep pet budgies, canaries and parrots in their cells, it has emerged. More than 80 inmates at HMP Isle of Wight have been sold the birds at the discretion of prison governors for just £5 each. The prisoners, most of whom are serving life imprisonment, are given the pets after they are bred in the prison’s own aviary, based on the Albany wing. Albany wing at Isle of Wight prison where inmates are keeping birds . Lags are responsible for the care of their bird, including feeding and cleaning, and face being charged with an offence against prison discipline if they don’t. The Ministry of Justice says prison governors have the discretion to allow inmates to keep a small bird in their cell but according to the Prison Reform Trust, not many prisons allow it. The MOJ says allowing prisoners to have birds in their cells 'engenders a sense of responsibility as well as providing an interest, particularly for those serving long sentences'. A Freedom of Information request revealed 81 prisoners have pet birds at Isle of Wight - of these 63 have one bird and 18 have two. The type of bird is not always recorded but it appears there are currently 97 budgies, one canary and one parrot. The . pets are allowed to be kept under the Incentives and Earned Privileges . scheme, which is designed to encourage responsible behaviour. Pets: Prisoners can be sold birds such as parrots, left, or a budgie, right . Privileges are earned by prisoners through good behaviour and performance and removed if they fail to maintain acceptable standards. An MOJ statement said: 'Many of these prisoners take great pride and comfort in their birds. 'Prisoners are allowed to have sufficient property in possession to lead as normal and individual an existence as possible within the constraints of the prison environment. 'Every prison governor assesses the needs of their population and compiles a facility list which they consider appropriate for their local circumstances. 'Prison governors have the discretion to allow prisoners to keep a small bird in their cell. Other pets are not permitted. 'A prisoner who fails to care for a bird properly would be liable to be charged with an offence and the bird would also be removed and re-homed with another prisoner.' Glyn Travis, spokesman for Professional Trades Union for Prison, Correctional and Secure Psychiatric Workers, said: 'Looking after birds gives prisoners something to focus on. 'There are some people that feel prisoners shouldn’t have any comforts, but we try and give them access to a reasonable lifestyle. 'I have seen some very nervous people, such as victims of sex abuse, become much more confident because of the responsibilities they have learnt looking after their birds.' | More than 80 inmates at HMP Isle of Wight have been sold the birds for just £5 each . Ministry of Justice says allowing prisoners to have the pets provides them with an interest . | 0f068f1bb0c3c6ec8cf76695189f151feaa7b829 |
By . Martin Robinson . Last updated at 1:57 AM on 24th August 2011 . Four wealthy Russians cheered a gang rape like 'professional footballers celebrating the scoring of a goal' a judge said yesterday as he jailed them for a total of 36 years. Oleg Ivanov and Gregory Andreev Melnikov, both 23, Norayr Davtyan, 22, and Armen Simonyan, 19, filmed the sickening attack on an 18-year-old Malaysian fellow student at their £30,000 a year . boarding school using an iPhone. Jurors unanimously convicted the 'minigarchs' of rape after viewing the video, during which one of them labelled the victim a 'machine for ****ing', while another had to ask her name. Guilty: Clockwise from top left, Oleg Ivanov, 23, Norayr Davtyan, 22, . Armen Simonyan, 19, and 23-year-old Gregory Melnikov were sentenced to a . total of 36 years at Woolwich Crown Court . Ringleader Davtyan, who maintained that . the 18-year-old Malaysian teen was a 'slut' in the witness box, was . jailed for 10 years, Melnikov for nine years and Ivanov and Simonyan for . eight years apiece at Woolwich Crown Court this afternoon. In the course of the 'disgusting' attack they egged each other on by saying: 'You're not going to marry her.' They later showed the iPhone footage of their victim's ordeal to friends at their exclusive college in south London . Judge Peter Murphy said: 'The iPhone footage shows what can only be described as a callous disregard for the victim as a human being and indeed as anything other than an object of their own pleasure. 'Although there was no pre-existing plan, once the sequence of events started, they were encouraging each other to do more and more and were clearly seen on the iPhone celebrating their triumph almost in the manner of professional footballers celebrating the scoring of a goal. College: Oleg Ivanov was one of the four 'minigarchs' convicted of rape . 'They also boasted that they would show the footage to anyone in Moscow. '(The victim) in my judgment certainly is heard to utter the word 'no' on a number of occasions. Whatever the case of her condition, it is clear as I think it must have been to the defendants that she was in no position to decide whether to consent or not to consent, or to resist what was going on. 'No-one who has seen that footage can leave this trial without feeling complete disgust towards it.' On the night of January 21 this year, the college put on a disco for its students, while Davtyan also held an impromptu party in his room. The group of Russians filmed the whole attack on a mobile phone . The victim went to the room between 7pm and 8pm and downed a shot of whiskey before going back to the main building. She thought her drink had been spiked and felt dizzy. CCTV cameras captured her stumbling though the main entrance before later filming her in an outdoor smoking area talking to Ivanov and Melnikov. She was later seen walking away from the smoking area with Melnikov when she was taken to the party in Davtyan's room. Once there she was seen to vomit and lie down on the floor, and as the party wound down she was eventually left alone with the four men. Video footage recovered from Davtyan's iPhone taken between 12.38am and 3.10am then showed all four men raping the girl. 'At one point Mr Ivanov said he felt pity for her, but this was only after he and the others had sex with her,' prosecutor Peter Clement said. 'He was talked out of that attitude by Mr Davtyan who described [the girl] as just a whore and a machine for f******'.' The footage also showed that the rapists took regular breaks to go outside for cigarettes. Ivanov, Melnikov, Davtyan, Simonyan, all of Deptford, South-East London, all denied two counts of rape. In their evidence, they tried to claim that the sex had been consensual. The jury of seven men and four women unanimously convicted Davtyan of two counts of rape. They convicted Melnikov of one count of rape but found him not guilty of the other, instead finding him guilty of an alternative charge of attempted rape. Ivanov and Simonyan were both convicted of one rape count and acquitted of the second. | Oleg Ivanov, Gregory Melnikov, Norayr Davtyan and Armen Simonyan were unanimously convicted of rape . Gang had only been in Britain for two weeks when attack occurred . Also filmed themselves boasting about their planned rape the day before . The sick rapists took cigarette breaks as the attack went on . | f21ab5df588556e255d4258be580efc2a0276e51 |
You wanted to know more about greenwashing, and Scot Case, from environmental marketing firm TerraChoice, answered. Greenwashing expert Scot Case of TerraChoice . "Why are green products often more expensive than ones that don't say they are green or environmentally friendly? Is it just because green has become a new form of 'premium brand'? Isn't this bad news if we want to make more people environmentally aware when they go shopping?" Harriet Gladwell . Case: First, it should be noted that not all greener products are more expensive. The remanufactured toner cartridges I purchase at a nationwide office-supply store, for example, carry the same warranty as other cartridges at a 30-percent lower cost. This greener option is less expensive because the manufacturer avoids the cost of manufacturing the plastic and electronic components. They simply reuse the parts from recycled cartridges. There are also greener products that do not cost extra. There are cleaning products and paints, for example, that have been certified as meeting tough environmental standards by EcoLogo or Green Seal that deliver the same high-quality performance one expects without costing any extra. Other greener products might be slightly more expensive initially, but generate substantial savings for the consumer. Energy-efficient compact fluorescent lightbulbs (CFLs), for example, are still four times more expensive than traditional cheap incandescent light bulbs. However, CFLs use 75 percent less electricity and last 10 times longer, so they don't have to be replaced as frequently. As a result, the typical CFL saves consumers $30 over the life of the bulb. There are now energy- or water-efficient versions of all sorts of products -- refrigerators, windows, air conditioners, televisions, dishwashers, ovens, showerheads, washing machines, etc. The more efficient versions are typically more expensive initially to reflect the higher-quality components used to make them, but they quickly pay for themselves in lower energy and water costs. Look for products that are Energy Star registered. Even better, look for products that have been independently certified as meeting the Energy Star standards. Why are other greener products still more expensive sometimes? It boils down to the simple laws of supply and demand. Any new innovative product, whether it is "greener" or not, costs extra initially. It costs money to research and develop the product and to build the factories and supply chains it takes to make the product. Manufacturers try to recoup those costs as quickly as possible during the initial sales of the product. As demand increases, however, additional manufacturing efficiencies -- economies of scale -- begin to emerge that permit the prices to fall. In addition, high prices attract competitors with similar products, and the additional competition helps force prices lower. Are some manufacturers attempting to earn additional revenue by presenting their greener options as a premium brand? Absolutely. Just as some clothing manufacturers charge extra to have their name brand applied to a shirt. It is also possible, however, to buy high-quality, greener products, at very good prices, at growing numbers of mainstream retail outlets. When DVD players and cell phones were first introduced, they were only available to the very wealthy. Now everyone has at least one. The same is increasingly true with greener product offerings. "What are the most obvious signs that a company is greenwashing the public with false claims? What words and phrases should raise a red flag?" Carla Dos Santos . The most obvious sign a company is greenwashing is if the company fails to provide proof of their environmental claims. Legitimate environmental claims can be certified by independent outside third-party auditors. Manufacturers can also provide test data and other relevant information on Web sites. Consumers should also beware of generic environmental claims that are so vague they are likely to be misunderstood. Watch out for broad claims like "eco-friendly," "earth kind," "all natural," "eco-safe" or other green babble. Even phrases like "biodegradable," "recyclable" and "compostable" can be misleading if they fail to clarify how the products were tested or under what circumstances the claim is true. Make sure any environmental claim is specific, backed by proof, and, preferably, verified by an independent, outside third-party. For additional greenwashing examples and recommendations on how to avoid being fooled, check out the Six Sins of Greenwashing or the accompanying wallet-size guide book. "Is it possible to put together information about a product's greenness that has both the detail that's really needed, and is at the same time simple and clear? And how can we get governments to serve the public and advise them on green purchasing, in the way that is most fair to commercial interests?" Rick Reibstein . There are certainly efforts underway to provide consumers with additional information about the environmental impacts of their purchasing decisions. The traditional environmental standards such as Green Seal and EcoLogo publish standards and then certify products meeting those standards. Most consumers find the simplicity of this type of certification scheme the most useful. Some particularly savvy green consumers, however, want additional information beyond knowing that a product has been certified as meeting a standard. They are seeking information presented in a nutrition-label format that allows them to compare two certified products to determine which is greener. I think we will see the emergence of hybrid labeling systems that do provide greater detail about the environmental features of a product. Such a label would combine the traditional "thumbs up or thumbs down" approach of Green Seal or EcoLogo along with additional information in a standard format. The information might be available on product packaging or on an accompanying Web site. Governments are actually already pushing manufacturers to provide this level of detail using their purchasing power rather than their legislative power. Government purchasers across North America, for example, are demanding safer, more environmentally preferable cleaning products, papers, paints, vehicles, building products, office equipment and computers. Government purchasers in New York, Illinois, California, Minnesota, and other places, for example, require cleaning products to meet the Green Seal or EcoLogo cleaning-product standards. As a result, those products are becoming more widely available for consumers too. The U.S. Federal government and many state governments are also purchasing more environmentally preferable computer products. They are requiring products to meet the EPEAT green computer standard. One unique feature of the EPEAT label is that the EPEAT Web site provides additional information on the environmental features associated with the almost 1,000 products on the EPEAT registry. Now that the information is available, consumers can use the EPEAT information to make their own purchasing decisions. Providing this level of environmental information is the foundation of market-based environmentalism. Government purchasers, other large purchasers such as colleges and universities or Fortune 1000 companies, and individual consumers can use the publicly available information about the environmental impacts of their purchasing decisions along with traditional factors like price and quality to determine how they will spend their hard-earned money. This approach allows the greenest products to be identified and to compete with other products for market share. Of course, in addition to the market-based approach, governments always have it within their power to actually legislate minimum environmental requirements or the publication of basic environmental information. There are persistent rumors of efforts underway to use the legislative power of the federal government to encourage greater transparency regarding the environmental footprint of a product and to make it easier to share that information with consumers. It will be interesting to see what happens in Congress with a new U.S. president in January. "How can we know if the 'green' label is credible, and do you think we'll ever get to the place where all these different certifications merge into one consistent and widely recognized label? Is this happening in any countries?" Amber Wells . While there were only three or four eco-labels 20 years ago -- EcoLogo was North America's first and it was founded in 1988 -- there are now more than 300. At some point, I think it is inevitable that there will be some significant consolidation in the environmental-labeling world. There are already numerous meetings among the most legitimate environmental-labeling programs to collaborate more closely. A variety of efforts are attempting to separate the truly green labels from the fake green ones. There are also persistent rumors of pending federal legislation to encourage or even require greater accountability. Until then, consumers need to be aware that not all green-labeling programs are created equally. Before relying on any "green dot" to help make a purchasing decision, consumers need to understand exactly what the "green dot" means. Make sure you can answer the following questions about an environmental label before making a purchase: . (1) Who created the labeling program? -- Was it created by a manufacturer or a trade association to promote their own products, or was it created by an independent outside organization in an open, public, transparent process? Is it backed by a respected European or North American government? (2) Does the label require a product to actually meet a specific standard? -- Some labels are being awarded based on fees paid to a consultant rather than based on compliance with a published standard. Others are being awarded simply by joining a trade association or paying a membership fee. (3) Does the label address multiple environmental issues or does it focus narrowly on just a single issue like energy-efficiency or recycled-content? -- Review the standard to determine whether it covers multiple environmental issues throughout the entire product life-cycle, which includes the raw materials used to make the product, the manufacturing process, transportation and packaging, and the impacts of using and discarding or recycling the product. Make sure the standard covers the environmental issues you and the environmental community are most concerned about. (4) What does a manufacturer have to do to prove a product meets the standard? -- Some labels permit a manufacturer to determine on its own whether it meets the published standard. Other programs -- including EcoLogo, Green Seal, and the Chlorine Free Products Association -- independently review product test data and visit the manufacturing facilities to ensure compliance with the standard. There is a three-page appendix to the Six Sins of Greenwashing report that provides additional information to help identify legitimate environmental standards. Click here to read more of your questions and Scot Case's answers on greenwashing. | Scot Case answers your questions on greenwashing . Has green become a new form of "premium brand"? What green words and phrases should raise a red flag? Click here to read more answers to your questions . | 1151e28352e5d92937eeefb9ede8ad63137b9a20 |
In the exceedingly tight contest to become Iowa's next senator, Saturday's closely watched debate between Bruce Braley and Joni Ernst had the candidates trying to make each other blue by talking green. When it comes to energy, Ernst, a Republican state senator, and Braley, a Democratic congressman, both have controversial positions to defend to voters. Ernst elaborated on her position to shutter the Environmental Protection Agency, a move that critics say will make Iowa more polluted. Braley, meanwhile, explained his flip-flopping on the Keystone Pipeline that has left some Iowans skeptical about his commitment to create jobs. The debate made it clear: Environmental regulation is the issue where the 2014 hopefuls really differ. The states know how to best protect their natural resources, Ernst said, saying that "the EPA has overreached." Braley accused his Republican opponent of not wanting to ensure the cleanliness of the country's air and water. Braley himself was put on the defensive when he was asked why he had switched his position from supporting the construction of the Keystone XL Pipeline to opposing it. "When the pipeline was first proposed and we were first asked to vote on it, a lot of promises were made about what was going to happen with the oil produced in that pipeline and the jobs it created," Braley said. "But the more I looked into it and the more I talked to Iowans, there was no guarantee that the oil produced and sent through that pipeline was going to stay in the United States and benefit U.S. consumers. And there was no guarantee that a lot of jobs would be create for Iowans." The pipeline, which has yet to receive federal approval, would not run through Iowa, although the Republican Patty of Iowa strongly supports the measure as a part of their platform. At the center of the energy debate, the candidates swapped jabs about another kind of green: special interest dollars. Braley accused Ernst of favoring the interests of the oil industry over those of the alternate energy because she is backed by oil money. Ernst said the EPA overreached when the federal agency sent workers to Iowa to manage the water supply of agriculture producers, and accused Braley of supporting the agency because he is backed by wealthy environmentalists. The two candidates displayed a smaller gap in positions when it came to foreign policy. Both expressed concern over vetting and arming Syrian rebels to fight ISIS there. Ernst and Braley's parties differ greatly on immigration, but in this Senate race, the difference was a matter of degrees. The Republican said she is opposed to amnesty for undocumented immigrants already in the country but would not vote to repeal an Obama administration program that grants relief to some youths who were brought illegally into the country as children. Braley went a step further, saying that the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, as the program is known, is working well for Iowans. "I've talked to young people in Iowa who are using it ... and I've seen what it's done to give them hope and opportunities to get a job and make a better future for themselves and their families," he said. For much of the election, Braley has tried to shake his white collar image, after he made comments suggesting that Sen. Chuck Grassley was merely "a farmer with no law degree." Ernst capitalized on that gaffe last night. "I am a young woman who grew up on a southwest Iowa farm drinking well water. My father is a farmer, and our farmers are some of the best conservationists out there. " But Braley bit back. "That's why my ancestors came from Ireland during the potato family, settled across the river in Cole Valley to start a better life for themselves. Than they moved to Iowa to start a farm. My great-great-grandfather died breaking that prairie." On debate night, a new Des Moines Register poll showed the candidates in a dead heat. Ernst now leads 47% to 46% over Braley, down from a 6-point lead in their last poll. | Republican Joni Ernst defends her position to eliminate the EPA for overreach . Bruce Braley defends his decision to reverse his support for the Keystone Pipeline . Both candidates accused each other of having ties to dark money . | 2f7fc6ae5425e2ea0813c035777e39c11ff88c89 |
Morning commuters were stunned to see a hot air balloon, which had been enjoying a scenic flight over Melbourne, descend in the middle of a car park on Monday. 'Light and variable winds' forced the pilot and his nine passengers to land outside Footscray Town Hall on Monday at around 7am, not far from a busy railway line. According to Mike, a caller on 3AW Radio who witnessed the landing, there was 'a mild scene of panic as crew and people who were on the balloon madly tried to pack up the balloon'. Onlookers were stunned when a red hot-air balloon landed in the empty car park at Footscray Town Hall on Hyde St in Melbourne's west on Monday morning at around 7am . According to Mike, a caller on 3AW Radio who witnessed the landing, 'a mild scene of panic as crew and people who were on the balloon madly tried to pack up the balloon' But Damian Crock, director of Picture This Ballooning, told Daily Mail Australia that the landing was 'routine' and safety was the pilot's priority. 'The winds became light and there was not much reliable steerage. Rather than using up lots of fuel, the pilot found a safe and available landing spot', he said. Mr Crock said the hour-long flight was close to its end when it landed in the car park. The balloon displaying the Fujitsu logo allegedly landed 25-metres away from a railway line connecting Footscray and Seddon train stations. A driver snapped this image moments before the Fujitsu balloon landed in the Footscray car park . Thankfully, no one was injured during the impromptu landing. 'Everyone had a ball and they all went back to breakfast at level 35 at the Sofitel Hotel. They all had a marvellous time', Mr Crock said. Action shots taken from onlookers show the red balloon making its way down from the sky to the empty car park, as the balloon slowly deflated to the ground. Action shots taken by onlookers show the red balloon making its way down to the empty car park . Picture This Ballooning has made around 15,000 landings in Melbourne since it was established 18 years ago. 'Annually we might get a couple of routine landings - they are quite uncommon'. Mr Crock said Melbourne was the first city in the world to begin flying commercial hot air balloons and now balloons fly nearly 150 days a year. Earlier this year, another Fujitsu balloon was forced to make an emergency landing in a home's front yard in Hawthorn, Melbourne. The pilot was forced to land after winds took control of the balloon, 3AW reported. The Fujitsu balloon was flying for nearly an hour before it made a 'routine landing'. Onlookers watched as the balloon slowly deflated to the ground . Thankfully, the pilot and his nine passengers were not injured during the impromptu landing . | Picture This Ballooning's red hot air balloon made a 'precautionary landing' in the car park at Footscray Town Hall on Hyde St in Melbourne's west . The balloon displaying the Fujitsu logo was carrying 10 people, including the pilot, on Monday morning . After wind conditions became 'light and variable', the pilot found a safe spot to land . A witness told 3AW that there was 'a mild scene of panic' Damien Crock, director of Picture This Ballooning, said it was a 'routine landing' and 'everyone had a ball' | aedfa0d9dc6f9284fc1468eebea4ecf899ab26d5 |
A former daycare worker in Illinois convicted of murder in the shaking death a 14-month-old girl who was in her care was ordered released from prison on Monday as the court tries to sort out her 'substantial' claims that she is innocent. Jennifer Del Prete, 43, has been in prison for nearly a decade after she was found guilty of first-degree murder in the 2003 death of Isabella Zielinski, who was only four months old when Del Prete allegedly shook her. The girl died 10 months later. U.S. District Judge Matthew Kennelly acknowledged in his ruling that it's rare to release someone from custody who already has been convicted - even as they wait on an appeal of their original conviction. Scroll down for video . Doubt: New evidence casts doubt on the guilt of Jennifer Del Prete in the shaking death of a 4-month-old girl . However, in Del Prete's case, new evidence has been presented that calls into question the science in diagnosing 'shaken baby syndrome' - which is what helped prosecutors convict her in the first place. According to the Chicago Tribune, the judge ruled that based on the new evidence, 'no reasonable juror' would convict Del Prete of first degree murder, and that the evidence is so compelling that he is taking the unusual step of releasing Del Prete on bond as her appeal in state court is pending, which could take years. 'Del Prete should not have to wait in custody for this claim to be exhausted in the state courts,' Kennelly said. U.S. District Judge Matthew Kennelly made the rare move of releasing Del Prete from prison as she awaits her appeal . Del Prete, who has two children of her own - ages 23 and 16 - was sentenced to 20 years in prison for murdering Zielinski. The day of the alleged shaking, Del Prete noticed the baby wasn't breathing and got 'panicky,' she told police.Del Prete called 9-1-1 and performed CPR on the girl. She admits that she may have shaken Zielinski gently to try and get her to wake up. 'I remember holding her and she doesn't wake up,' Del Prete told MyFoxChicago in a 2013 interview. 'I picked her up like this and said her name, ‘Isabella, Isabella' because she was limp. She seemed limp.' The baby would never again regain consciousness and died 10 months later. Much of the prosecution's case relied on the testimony of a pediatrician who determined that the injuries the girl suffered could only have been suffered on the day she was left with Del Prete. The judge ruled that the doctor ignored evidence that showed the girl suffered an unexplained brain injury days earlier. Additionally, Judge Kennelly referred to a . memo written by the lead detective investigating the baby's death who . worried that the pathologist who conducted the autopsy didn't believe . the baby had suffered shaken baby syndrome - a fact that would hurt the . prosecution's case against Del Prete. New evidence shows that there is nothing to support the prosecution's theory that the only time the baby could have been injured was while she was in Del Prete's care . Some of the new evidence was discovered by students involved in the Medill Justice Project at Northwestern University. Kennelly said in his decision that he feels the new evidence gives Del Prete a good chance at winning her appeal. 'The scientific basis for the prosecution's testimony is indeed highly suspect,' Kennelly wrote. | Jennifer Del Prete was convicted of murder in the 2003 shaking death of 4-month-old Isabella Zielinski . A federal judge ruled that she be released from prison as she appeals her case . Judge Matthew Kennelly believes new evidence gives Del Prete a good chance at winning her appeal . | 114857d9cc5cffcaf166b800de097392ab01bbf8 |
(CNN) -- In today's publishing market, "Going Rogue" is a fat book at 432 pages, at a high price point of $28.99, with a massive (rumored 1.5 million) first printing, launched on the book world's version of a Royal Tour, where Oprah is Queen of the Universe and Barbara Walters is Duchess of the D.C.-Manhattan cognoscenti. In today's political market, well before it was officially released, "Going Rogue" was reduced to a pinprick-sized, petty insiders squabble. How do we square these disparate perspectives? As a person with alternating publisher and political hats, who knows the players but wasn't inside the John McCain campaign, who cares deeply about the current conservative movement and the future of the country (which are inextricably intertwined), may I offer a few thoughts to the friends on CNN.com's site? The publishing "frenzy" Full disclosure: Threshold Editions, an imprint of Simon and Schuster, (for which I serve as editor-in-chief, a misnomer of a title, since my editing is confined to reading; for you political types, think, "operative/organizer") would have loved to acquire Sarah Palin's book. She didn't really shop it and it's not certain we would have paid what she was reputed to have commanded, but upon notice she was considering writing, we, like the rest of the book world, were in a frenzy at the prospect of publishing it. Many were prepared to offer Palin's lawyer, Bob Barnett, their first-born male child for it. We are now all watching very closely how it plays out (and more precisely, "earns-out") in a book market that's unpredictable and fickle always, but in major transition today. The pre-orders immediately kicked it onto the best-seller lists, but a dirty little secret of publishing (where spin is as prevalent as in politics) is not all best-sellers earn out (i.e., the publisher sells enough books to cover an author's advance, which is the threshold for making a profit). "Going Rogue" will now be a "comp" (or baseline) for assessing the value of and advances for political "big books," so all you big book writers of the future better hope it sells big -- or your future advances won't be. "The Political Palin" On to politics. While having your own title is now de rigueur for politicians and policy makers, and the upshot is usually no harm-no foul, the goals of the publishing and political worlds are not always in tandem. Though there is much, much more in Palin's book that fleshes out her inner core, her grounding in faith and family, as well as her policy achievements and forward-thinking philosophical framework of common sense conservatism, so far the coverage of it has constrained her in a defensive backward-focused box, re-litigating the darkest days of the campaign and reliving difficult family moments. Though all the breathless chatter about 2012 is premature, the way Palin lays out her world view throughout the book and especially in the eloquent closing pages is sure to attract conservatives yearning for an unapologetic articulation of first principles. But because of the inordinate mainstream media focus on the political insiders' tiff, the Political Palin is getting sucked down and mucked up by the Published Palin. Listening to her on Rush Limbaugh as I write, she is digging out of the box her detractors would like to bury her in for once and all and needs to keep on it: Get off their message and onto her own. Now, for a point of personal privilege. I have been and will continue to be an advocate of Sarah Palin and her principles. Had I been asked about how to use her publishing opportunity to maximum political benefit, I would have proffered to Palin the received wisdom of the unlikely duet of my mother and Lee Atwater: Never burn bridges. As campaign memoirs go, "Going Rogue" napalms bridges, incinerates detractors, hoses gas on what were smoldering embers. It is without refutation anywhere, even among rabid Palin haters, that she received political hazing of a magnitude previously unimaginable. More mother wisdom: Two wrongs don't make a right (to which my Obama-loving daughter always replies, "Yes, but three rights make a left"). There was a way to defend her honor, make her case, pivot to the future while showcasing her moral foundation by doing unto others as she wished they had done unto her, so to speak. Campaign pressure cooker . Anyone who has ever been in the Defcon One pressure cooker of a national campaign knows that "mistakes are made," feelings are hurt, tempers are short, bitching is background noise. There is no such thing as Emily Post for political campaigns. Except for maybe Poppy Bush, good manners do not exist on any campaign planet. For good reason: They take time. Time is the most valuable commodity on a campaign and you just can't waste it thinking about how to choose your words carefully or get your job done more diplomatically. If someone isn't in tears every day, that day wasn't all it could be advancing the campaign. I once witnessed an experienced (big) man slap a professional female colleague across the face over an ad buy... and no one thought anything of it, starting with the woman. In fact, she would have been insulted if anyone told her she should have been insulted. Though the two primary Palin antagonists, McCain campaign senior strategists Steve Schmidt and Nicolle Wallace, have said little about the Molotov cocktails thrown at them in "Going Rogue" (other than a true Schmidt, aka, "The Bullet," retort, "Why are the bald guys always the villains?"), both have made it clear the accounts of their actions in "Going Rogue" are "fiction." And while I wasn't there, I have worked with and adore them both. They are uniquely talented, cool under fire, cutting-edge creative professionals, admired and respected by their peers of all political persuasions and their many high-level bosses. And ironically, however it ended, the relationship began as a match made in heaven. Both Steve and Nicolle were ecstatic with Palin's selection as vice presidential nominee; and both were appalled at the outrageous, unspeakable, unparalleled media treatment heaped on Palin and her family. Steve, normally the toughest guy in the room, called me at home on multiple occasions, just flabbergasted and flummoxed about how to protect Palin and her family and, of course keep the campaign on track. He was in genuine pain for her -- not a good state of mind or use of energy for the campaign guru, which he knew -- but he devoted much concentration to the astounding set of circumstances. Ditto for Nicolle. That Palin recalls her experience with them so negatively and ugly incidents so vividly does not make her a liar, as people with neither her nor the party's best interests in mind have charged. The operating principle of campaigns, perception is reality, works inside as well as outside. Once her perception of reality locked in negatively, particularly on Schmidt and Wallace, there was only one prism through which all their actions flowed. And it wasn't pretty. I have seen this phenomenon on countless campaigns and in the White House. It is unavoidable in any operation that is always under stress, where clearing-the-air sessions aren't possible given time or physical constraints. That campaign people tend to be uncommonly focused, which can come off as insensitive, might exaggerate the perception, but it is just an occupational hazard. The plight of the number two . Another common source of campaign discomfort is the role of the VPOTUS (that's vice president of the United States) candidate. It is always secondary to the POTUS in every respect. His/her operation is always subservient to the principal one. They do not set strategy or adjust message; they are assigned to B markets. They are an echo chamber. They do not give unique speeches unless they are given a specific and pointed attack, which might appear unseemly coming from the principal. Granted, Palin was a unique nominee, with uncommon charisma and fire-power, but number two is number two. It was ever thus and will ever be. Adjusting to being number two, after being number one (as a governor) is a process. Even if you were never number one, it is a trial -- witness Joe Biden, in perpetual adjustment mode. Bottom line: The book is a good read, an unusually detailed front-row seat view to how strained campaigns always are, and a compelling insight into Palin's perspective. Its long-term publishing and political impact are unknown for now, though as Palin moves out of the mainstream media monster publicity machine and into more hospitable, relevant political terrain, the prospects for success on both fronts improve exponentially. But its impact on personal and professional relationships is a sad one indeed and one I hope conservatives don't let it divide us just when we are marching toward a promising midterm, which reflects an ascendant common-sense conservatism and requires all the good guys in the foxhole together. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Mary Matalin. | Palin's book is a publishing blockbuster and "a good read," says Mary Matalin . She says in the political world, the Palin book is being reduced to an insider spat . She says her advice would have been to focus the book on the future, not the past . Campaigns are rough, and there's no time for diplomacy, Matalin says . | 3657d6d8ef4d2437bf265f67bda0584e4ed897b0 |
By . Russell Myers . Last updated at 5:09 PM on 9th October 2011 . A British ticket-holder came forward yesterday to claim a staggering £101 million EuroMillions jackpot – but the identity of the winner remains a mystery. The prize is the third biggest won in the UK, and makes the lucky ticket-holder £1 million richer than pop star David Bowie, the 703rd richest person in the country. A National Lottery spokeswoman said last night: ‘This is amazing news – we are absolutely delighted for the winner. Jackpot jubilation: Biggest-ever EuroMillions winners Colin and Chris Weir, who scooped £161m in July . ‘We’ve got the champagne on ice and look forward to welcoming the ticket-holder into the National Lottery millionaires’ club.’ It was unclear last night if the jackpot had been won by a single ticket-holder or by a syndicate. The winner contacted representatives of Lottery organiser Camelot yesterday by telephone to report they had the seven winning numbers. The numbers from Friday night’s draw were 18, 26, 34, 38 and 42. The Lucky Star numbers were 5 and 8. Subject to checks, the prize could be paid out as early as tomorrow morning when the banks open. 'Mr Scotland' Jordan Steele and model Emily Shakarji pictured in Glasgow in the lead up to last night's huge draw . Scottish couple Colin and Chris Weir scooped the biggest-ever EuroMillions jackpot of £161million earlier this year. The latest lucky British winner may look to the husband and wife from Largs for inspiration on how to spend their fortune. Mr and Mrs Weir decided to buy homes for son Jamie, 22, and 24-year-old daughter Carly, a photography student. They also modestly aimed for driving lessons for them both and said Jamie would probably quit his job at a call centre. The loaded pair also intended to . start their own charity and travel to Cambodia, Thailand and Australia, . where Mr Weir wanted to visit mystical Ayers Rock. Mr Weird jokily said he wanted to keep his 'reliable' Suzuki SX4 and six-year-old Suzuki Ignis. But Mrs Weir insisted she wanted a Lexus Prius Hybrid. However, the winner is not expected to meet Camelot officials until later in the week to have their claim validated.Officials will then advise them on setting up a more secure bank account in which to transfer the funds – an eye-watering £101,203,600. The biggest ever EuroMillions prize was a £161m jackpot won by Colin and Chris Weir, from Largs in Scotland, in July. The second largest was claimed by a single ticket-holder, who chose to remain anonymous after scooping £113m in October last year. The fourth-biggest EuroMillions prize winner in the UK won £84million last May. In . February 2010, Nigel Page and Justine Laycock, from Gloucestershire, . broke the then record with a £56million win – now the fifth-biggest . prize in the history of EuroMillions. The sixth-biggest payout went to Les and Sam Scadding in South Wales who won £45millon in November 2009. Subject to checks, the prize can be paid out as early as Monday morning when the banks open their doors. The millionaires will now be able to buy six of the world’s most expensive watches – a diamond-encrusted timepiece from Chopard costing £15millon each. Cash bonus: Nigel Page and Justine Laycock scooped £56million in the EuroMillions last year . Or they could treat themselves to 720 pairs of the world’s most expensive shoes – the £140,000 diamond-encrusted heels made by the House of Borgezie. They could also buy 600 top-of-the-range sports cars – the Ferrari 458 Italia costs a mere £170,000. For a party to celebrate the win, they could easily afford Barbadian singer Rihanna, who charges £500,000 for a performance. But if they wish to avoid long-lost family members who are no doubt set to come out of the woodwork, the winners could escape to their own private island, such as £100million Rangyai near Phuket in Thailand. The 110-acre private island boasts white beaches as well as tropical forests. | Jackpot win is third-biggest UK lotto payout ever . Do you know the lucky winner? If so, call the Daily Mail news desk on 0207 938 6372. | e194250f189643112b5c1c4fa52f12b9a60823b4 |
Seven years ago, he was an overweight smoker who feasted on chocolate and takeaways. But yesterday, Steve Way finished tenth in the Commonwealth Games marathon, breaking a 35-year-old British record. And the 40-year-old celebrated his feat by drinking his first pint of lager for three months. The bank worker finished in two hours, 15 minutes and 16 seconds, beating Ron Hill’s 1979 best for the over-40s. Mr Way, from Bournemouth, weighed sixteen and a half stone and smoked 20 cigarettes a day when he decided to get fit at the age of 33. Scroll down for video... Steve Way finishing 10th in the marathon yesterday (left) and after he lost weight and stopped smoking (right) Pleased: Steve Way tweeted shortly after the race describing it as the 'Best day ever' Going the distance: Steve Way will represent England in the marathon at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow . He soon realised he was beating club . runners despite being a ‘fat bloke’ and began to train before and after . work. Yesterday, he said: ‘I need to go have a drink and I’m not talking . about water. This is the best day ever. Running is normally second . place to my wedding day but this one matches it.’ He told BBC Radio 5 Live achieving the 'old man record' was great and matched his wedding day to wife Sarah, in terms of being the best day of his life. He said: 'Commonwealth Games 10th place, these sort of athletes, mixing it up with the Africans at the front of a Commonwealth Games – I thought it’d be scary but it was so much fun. 'The smile is not going to go away for a while.' And he advised other people: 'Get off the couch, go and give it a try you never know. Underneath that fat suit of mine there was a marathon runner, you never know and you’ve got to give it a try.' There . were also inspirational scenes in the velodrome as Olympics poster girl . Laura Trott struck gold again despite suffering a kidney infection over . the weekend. The 22-year-old had eaten nothing but porridge for several . days after falling ill, but still managed her first Commonwealth . medal. After winning the . 25km points race at Glasgow 2014, she cycled to her parents, who hugged . her. The Olympic double gold medallist was also supported by boyfriend . Jason Kenny, 26, who was competing in the velodrome too but failed to . win a medal. Miss Trott . said she initially did not realise she had won and mistakenly . congratulated second-place Elinor Barker from Wales after crossing the . finishing line. ‘I actually rolled up alongside Elinor and said “Well . done, Commonwealth champion,” then it came up [on the screen] and I was . like, ‘Oh ****, she’s going to think I have said that on purpose.’ After . she won, Miss Trott held up her red helmet, bearing the Union Flag. It . is believed to be the same one she wore for London 2012, when she rode . for Team GB rather than Team England. A Team England spokesman said: ‘As . with all technical equipment, athletes stick with what they’re used to . and train and compete in all the time.’ Turnaround: Steve Way was overweight and unhealthy before he changed his life through running . | Way finished 10th for England in the marathon at Glasgow 2014 . He promised to celebrate with his first pint of lager in three months . Shortly after the race he tweeted with the hashtag #BestDayEver . He once weighed more than 16st and smoked 20 cigarettes a day . He changed his lifestyle and now runs 130 miles a week . The 40-year was the fourth man home at the London marathon . | 9d133e4ecf10217f8ecef8e03ea6f8273a69df07 |
By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 20:00 EST, 26 April 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 05:40 EST, 27 April 2013 . The Duke of Edinburgh was seen with what appeared to be a painful-looking black eye as he was presented with one of Canada's highest orders. Prince Philip was presented with insignias of Companion of the Order of Canada and the Commander of the Order of Military Merit by Governor General David Johnston, the Queen's representative in Canada, yesterday. Prince Philip arrived in Toronto for what was described as a 'private working visit'. Scroll down for video . Prince Philip appeared with a black eye as he presented with one of Canada's highest orders . The Duke of Edinburgh (left) arrives with Governor General of Canada David Johnston (right), at the Fairmont Royal York Hotel in Toronto . Prince Philip signs a guest book after receiving the Order of Military Merit and the Order of Canada . The Duke and Gov Gen Johnston appeared in matching ties during the presentation yesterday. He was due to present a new regimental colour today to the Third Battalion of the Royal Canadian Regiment in Toronto. Regimental colors are a kind of ceremonial flag considered the most prized possession of every regiment. The 91-year-old prince has served since 1953 as the regiment's colonel-in-chief, an honorary title often bestowed on members of the Royal Family. A sprightly looking Duke of Edinburgh was seen last month accompanying the Queen and a pregnent Duchess of Cambridge as they visited Baker Street tube station to mark the 150th anniversary of the London Underground. And he was back to his devilish best as he joked with an 83-year-old factory worker about her talent for 'stripping' earlier this month. Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh, right, receives the Order of Military Merit from Governor General David Johnston . The Duke sits with Governor General of Canada David Johnston at the Fairmont Royal York Hotel in Toronto . The Queen’s 91-year-old husband . proved he still has a twinkle in his eye as he indulged in a string of . double entendres with Audrey Cook, who has worked at the at the Mars . factory in Slough for 69 years. Mrs Cook explained that when she . first joined as a 14-year-old girl in 1944 she was employed in the . stripping department where the original Mars bars were cut by hand. 'Stripping department? That’s Mars bars?' Philip enquired. 'I thought it was something else!' Undeterred the factory’s . longest-serving staff member told him innocently: 'It was all done by . hand then.' To which the flirty nonagenarian replied: 'Well, most . stripping is done by hand.' | Duke of Edinburgh presented with one of Canada's highest orders . But he was seen with what appeared to be black eye . He arrived in Toronto for a 'private working visit' | 232a52eaf1843f2602759da5318c77752219d1d5 |
Google has launched an online ‘video university’ to give lessons in everything from cooking to DIY. The Helpouts service launches today, and has over 1,000 providers signed up, ranging from chefs to psychotherapists. Users can access the service by searching for Helpouts on Google via their desktop, or downloading the app via an Android device. Customers will pay by the minute for live video chats with providers - although some firms will offer free sessions to boost their brand. Scroll down for video... Google's Helpouts service launches today, and has over 1,000 providers signed up, ranging from chefs to psychotherapists . Providers will give the search giant 20 per cent of their fee, which can range from a few pence a minute to hundreds of pounds for medical advice and therapy. 'Helpouts is a marketplace for services over live video, from music and yoga lessons to healthcare,' said Google’s Udi Manber, who ran Google’s search operation before working on the new service. 'We've been running this at Google for several months now, and we think efficiency and convenience always win.' Google has been testing the service with its own staff, including its in-house nutritionist who used the service to look through people’s fridges at home and tell them what to eat. User's will pay via Google's wallet service which holds their credit card details, and the firm said it will offer to refund users entirely if they are not happy with the advice they receive. The service will be available via a desktop computer and an Android app . It believes live video will become dramatically more popular, and hopes its experience with YouTube will allow it to exploit the technology. 'Live video today reminds me of the beginning of the web, and it will improve in the same way. 'There are three areas the web can offer more convenience in - ease of use, removing geographic and time barriers - if you want a personal trainer at 5am, it's a good time somewhere in the world.' Google will also vet those signing up to offer lessons. 'Everybody on the platform is invited by us,' said Manber. 'There's a whole QA team checking background, for the medical field we are checking credentials.' For firms like makeup company Sephora, it will also be used to replicate free in-store makeup tips. Customers will pay by the minute for live video chats with providers - although some firms will offer free sessions to boost their brand . 'We’ll be offering free, 15 minute express tips for people who need coaching,' Bridget Dolan of Sephora told Mailonline. Over 1,000 people have signed up to offer video lessons, and in the US certified medical experts can also use it to offer therapy. In the UK, firms like Dixons and private tutor company Bonas MacFarlane will offer services via the new platform. Users will pay via Google’s wallet service which holds their credit card details, and the firm said it will offer to refund users entirely if they are not happy with the advice they receive. The service will be available via a desktop computer and an Android app. | Helpouts service launches today and has over 1,000 providers signed up . Users pay via Google’s wallet and will be refunded if they are not happy . The service is available on a desktop computer and an Android app . | 5132300c6baf615aacad45b5e0f7c75fa154ede0 |
By . Daily Mail Reporter and Associated Press . PUBLISHED: . 17:12 EST, 9 September 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 17:34 EST, 9 September 2013 . Shot dead: Monroe Isadore, age 107, of Pine Bluff, Arkansas, was killed in a standoff with a police SWAT team on Saturday . The 80-year-old Arkansas woman who called police on her 107-year-old roommate on Saturday said today that the SWAT officers who got into a standoff with the man had no choice but to shoot him. But his friends don't agree. Pauline Lewis, of Pine Bluff, said centenarian Monroe Isadore barricaded himself in his bedroom with a pistol and threatened to fire at anyone who came near the door. 'He was very angry. He got hostile. He was gonna kill somebody,' Lewis said of the man who then died after entering into a gun fight with authorities. The woman said that Isadore had lived . with her for a month but that he got violent when she asked him to find . another apartment. Lewis told THV that he shut himself in: 'Monroe was in the room and he had the gun and he said 'If you wanna live you better get away from this door.' She called the police and when the SWAT team arrived the 107-year-old suspect had his gun trained at two people in the room. Officers had the pair leave the home for their own safety and approached a bedroom looking for Isadore. When the officers announced who they were, Isadore shot through the door at them but missed hitting them, said Pine Bluff Lt. David Price in a news release. Standoff: Isadore barricaded himself in his bedroom with a pistol at this residence in Pine Bluff, Arkansas. According to his roommate he threatened to shoot anyone who came near the door . The officers retreated to a safer area, and supervisors and additional help were called, Price said. Supervisors started negotiating with Isadore and continued after SWAT officers arrived at the home about 45 miles southeast of Little Rock. The SWAT team inserted a camera into the room and confirmed Isadore was armed with a handgun, Price said. When it was clear the negotiations weren't working, SWAT officers released gas into the room from outside a bedroom window. SWAT officers entered the home, made their way to the bedroom and threw a 'distraction device' into the room, Price said. He said Isadore began to fire at the officers and they fired back, killing him. Centenarian killed: An 107-year-old man was shot and killed by a SWAT team after engaging with them in a fire fight at a residence in Pine Bluff, Arkansas . Lewis told THV: 'I think they didn't have a choice but to shoot him after they had put the teargas in and everything. He refused and he shot first.' Isadore's friends weren't so sure. Larry Smith went to the same church as the 107-year-old. He told Arkansasmatters.com: 'I'm in shock today.' Smith said that Isadore was legally blind and had poor hearing. 'He couldn't hear,' Smith said. 'Somebody should've told the [police] he couldn't hear.' He also believes that the man would have been highly confused after the SWAT team released tear gas and the distraction device. | SWAT team in Pine Bluff, Arkansas, got into gunfight with 107-year-old Monroe Isadore when he barricaded himself in a bedroom on Saturday . Suspect's roommate Pauline Lewis, 80, said officers 'didn't have a choice but to shoot him' as he was 'hostile' and shot first . Lewis called the police after Isadore got violent when she asked him to find another apartment . | 1096bab37c2ca66d6cf7a2d652ad68b6edb44f21 |
By . Associated Press Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 01:00 EST, 20 November 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 01:00 EST, 20 November 2013 . The former host of Animal Planet's 'Wild Recon' show admitted Tuesday that he sold two endangered Iranian desert monitor lizards without a permit. Donald Schultz pleaded guilty in federal court in Los Angeles to violating the Endangered Species Act, the U.S. attorney's office said. As part of a plea deal, Schultz agreed to pay a $6,000 fine and $3,000 restitution, as recommended by prosecutors, and to perform 200 hours of community service. Better times: Donald Schultz prepares for a 2010 stunt called 'Venom in Vegas,' outside O'Sheas Casino on the strip . Schultz's lawyer, Ken Miller, said he didn't want to comment on the plea because the case is ongoing, but he wanted to clarify that the lizards were Schultz's personal pets, and they were 'captive, born and bred in the United States.' Schultz sold the rare lizards for $2,500 to an undercover federal wildlife agent who answered his 2010 offer on Facebook. A federal agent received the lizards in Buffalo, N.Y., and took them into custody. On his show, Schultz parachuted into remote locations to take biological samples from deadly snakes and other dangerous animals. | Donald Schultz was once the host of Animal Planet's 'Wild Recon' The former television personality admitted selling monitor lizards . They were his pets, but he sold them to an undercover federal agent . | b882c6942ea8acd11058df2b5e9d68f18866714e |
(CNN) -- A woman was found bound to a bed late Friday night in Philadelphia when police responded to a neighborhood dispute, police said. Around midnight, officers arrested Regina Bennett, 46, at her residence on Linton Street in connection with threats and assault against a neighbor in an ongoing dispute. As officers were leaving, neighbors told them that a small child may also have been living in Bennett's residence, Officer Tanya Little said. Initially, police saw no signs of a child living at the residence. But after conducting a full walk-through, they found a 36-year-old woman tied to a bed in "unsuitable conditions," Little said. The woman was extremely thin, with apparent sores and injuries to her body. According to Little, she also seemed to have special needs and has a limited vocabulary. "We went in there looking for a child, and then this is what we found," Little said. The woman was freed by officers and transported to Einstein Hospital, where she was being evaluated Sunday. Little said it appears to be a case of neglect, and police are unsure for how long the alleged abuse had been going on. Officers and medics are also investigating whether the woman had been sexually abused, she said. Bennett's relationship to the woman is still under investigation, Little said. According to Little, Bennett is being held at Philadelphia Police Headquarters. She is charged with terroristic threats, simple assault, public drunkenness, aggravated assault, unlawful restraint, false imprisonment and related offenses. It was unclear Sunday afternoon whether Bennett has an attorney. CNN's Susan Candiotti and Kristina Sgueglia contributed to this report. | After responding to a dispute, Philadelphia police find a woman bound to a bed . The woman, 36, had sores and injuries and seemed to have special needs, police said . Regina Bennett, 46, was charged in connection with the woman's captivity, police said . | faca5b50cb24c534900db257fed4802d9f6e79cb |
(CNN) -- Reality show star and White House party-crasher Michaele Salahi has been asked to leave the television show "Celebrity Rehab" because she does not have an addiction, VH1 said in a statement. Salahi's manager shot back, saying the network knew that all along. Salahi and her husband made news in November 2009 after attending President Barack Obama's first state dinner without an invitation. VH1 said Tuesday it has canceled her appearance on the show, which chronicles celebrities undergoing treatment for alcohol and drug addictions. "The treatment program that 'Celebrity Rehab' documents is intended for individuals with serious substance abuse and addiction issues," VH1 said in a statement Tuesday night. "Prior to the taping of the current season, producers were advised that Michaele Salahi met the criteria to be treated in this setting. However, professional assessments spanning from that time to the present, found that she did not meet such criteria." However, the show knew that in advance, according to Gina Rodriguez, her manager. "That is the excuse they used. But they knew what it was when they cast her," Rodriguez said. The Virginia couple slipped through White House security and shook hands with Obama, and had their pictures taken with Vice President Joe Biden and Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. Salahi has also appeared on "Real Housewives of DC." CNN's Henry Hanks and Denise Quan contributed to this report . | The show chronicles celebrities undergoing treatment for alcohol, drugs . Michaele Salahi does not have an addiction, VH1 says in a statement . She and her husband crashed a White House party in 2009 . | 264a5b6f66b9b951151a47ce4070809e1a5d1b2a |
By . Joel Christie . A father and daughter in Houston decided to take the law into their own hands on Friday. The plastic surgeon, who was picked up from the airport by his daughter following a business trip, returned home to find a group of apparent thieves pulling out of their driveway in south Houston. So the two decided to go after them, KHOU reported. Courageously chasing down the red pick-up truck, which was carrying three suspects, the father started filming the action scene on his cellphone while his daughter was behind the wheel. Scroll down for video . Daring: With the daughter behind the wheel and the father filming, this family duo in Houston went after men they believed had robbed their house on Friday . But after ramming the truck with their Audi, the bandits turn the tables and reverse into the car . After the chase continued for several miles and went off road, the truck turns around and comes at the father and his daughter . As the truck comes hurtling toward them, the passenger opens his door and hangs out of the vehicle . Although the daughter is reversing away, it is not fast enough to escape the approaching truck . The cars collide, however the impact send the pick-up into a ditch . The young woman managed to ram the bandits with her dark Audi. However, realizing they were being chased, the thugs start to retaliate. As the chase continued, the men suddenly stopped and speedily went into reverse, knocking into the daring duo. 'Dad, now what do I do?' the woman can be heard asking on the video. He tells her to keep going. They chased the truck for several more miles until the suspects turned their vehicle around and aimed it right at the father and daughter. In the most intense part of the video, the truck comes barreling toward them, the passenger of the truck hanging from the door. The cars collide, but the impact sent the truck hurtling into a ditch. The doctor, a Houston plastic surgeon who asked not to be named, said he does regret going after the alleged bandits . Significant damage was done to the daughter's car as a result of the chase . The police were able to arrive at the scene and arrest two of the suspects, while one got away on foot . Police arrived at the scene moments later and arrested two of the suspects. One got away on foot. Authorities have advised people not to go after potentially dangerous people in such a fashion. However the father, who agreed to talk to the media but did not want to be identified, said that he would it again. 'It was just like in the movies,' the father told KHOU of the chase. 'I’m tired of these people taking advantage of us,' he said, adding that there have been other robberies in the neighborhood. 'We’re not going to tolerate it anymore in our neighborhood.' The father praised his quick-thinking daughter and how she acted. 'I'm proud of my daughter ... She is a very hard-nosed girl.' The woman was treated for whiplash in hospital but later released. The victims were able to recover several of their stolen belongings from the back of the truck. | Daughter picked up father from Houston airport following business trip on Friday . Pair returned to home to find a red pick-up leaving their driveway . Believing they had been robbed, they gave chase . Daughter was driving and rammed the truck . Suspects retaliated by turning around and crashing into the car . Collision caused the truck to crash into a ditch . Two of the men were arrested and one escaped . | a7828e483ac1806958339f3d7a02422e4def8bca |
By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 17:29 EST, 27 December 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 05:32 EST, 29 December 2013 . Ray, 56, plays Elzevir in Sky1’s Moonfleet, a two-part adaptation of John Meade Falkner’s tale of smuggling and adventure in the 18th century. Here Ray, star of movies such as Scum and The Sweeney, takes us behind the scenes on the drama, filmed on location in Ireland. Top dog: Ray Winstone swaps Rooney for robbery in Sky One's new smuggling drama, Moonfleet . MONDAYMuch of the drama in the first part of Moonfleet revolves around the battle between Elzevir and Mohune, played by Ben Chaplin, a magistrate determined to stamp out Elzevir’s smuggling in the Dorset village where the story is set. The scene we’re filming today involves quite a lot of running as Elzevir and his sidekick John Trenchard, played by Aneurin Barnard, attempt to escape the law. I’m not getting any younger, but I’m determined to carry on doing action sequences for as long as I can. I’ve earned my pint of Guinness at the end of the day… TUESDAYToday we’re at Coral Strand beach in Galway for a scene where John is emerging from the ocean, dripping wet and starkers. We’re all highly amused to find a busload of American tourists arriving to see this particularly beautiful beach, just as Aneurin leaves the sea totally naked! He’s a brave boy is Aneurin and he carries on regardless, finishing the scene like a pro. Once we’ve finished chuckling, there’s time to admire this spectacular coast which is like the Amalfi Coast in Italy – only colder. There are seals here too – what a fantastic place! Fire! Winstone's Elzevir teaches John Trenchard (Aneurin Barnard) how to work a flintlock pistol . Loveable rogue: Ray Winstone has made playing villains with a heart such as Elzevir into an art form . WEDNESDAY . Today Elzevir is teaching John how to fire a flintlock pistol [right]. There’s quite a lot of shooting with flintlocks in Moonfleet, and they’re quite tricky to handle, so we’ve had lessons. I’m not bad but the miracles of the editing process may make Elzevir look a bit more proficient than I actually am...THURSDAYIn the second part of Moonfleet, Elzevir and John take to the high seas in pursuit of Blackbeard’s fabled diamond. We don’t actually get on board a ship – but it certainly feels like it! A large section of a sailing ship has been constructed and put on hydraulics in the car park of the old John Player cigarette factory in Dublin, where we’re being bombarded with gallons of water. It’s the nearest thing to being in a tempest without actually being at sea and it’s hard graft! We’re never sure where the boat’s going to shift next so those looks of fear and surprise on our faces are genuine. On set: Ray Winstone talks to members of the crew on the first day of filming Moonfleet in Ireland . Chilly: Aneurin Barnard and Sophie Cookson take cover under a puffa coat in between takes . Unlucky day: Barnard appears to be feeling the cold during his Colin Firth style beach scene in Moonfleet . Bracing: Villain Mr Maskew (Ben Chaplin) gallops up to his daughter Grace and the errant John Trenchard . FRIDAYWe’re completing our final scenes and I hope Moonfleet is the kind of exciting, escapist drama people will want to watch as a family at this time of year. I’ve suffered a few bumps and bruises during filming but nothing that won’t heal. And I’m sure all the Guinness I’ve consumed has been good for me! We’re in Donacomper, County Kildare today – stunningly beautiful surroundings for a gruesome scene in which those who have caused Mohune great displeasure suffer a horrible punishment. What a lovely way to finish the job!Moonfleet, tonight and tomorrow, 8pm, Sky1. | The actor, 56, plays smuggler Elzevir in the Sky One drama . Co-stars include White Queen actor Aneurin Barnard . Airs on Sky One at 8pm on the 28th and 29th December . | 5409722cf8acada48cdf8fe5d7acf0ee2e7f22a1 |
(CNN) -- Big Ben, arguably the world's most famous clock, celebrates on Sunday 150 years of keeping London on time. The British landmark has lived through war, bad weather and disasters. Big Ben's distinctive bongs have been a part of the London scene for 150 years. Big Ben is the 14-ton bell inside the world's largest four-faced chiming clock, although most people use the name to describe the tower that houses it. The clock is perched on a 96-meter (310-foot) elegant tower at the Westminster Bridge end of the Palace of Westminster. The Victorian masterpiece, which provides distinctive chimes known as bongs, was voted Britain's favorite monument in 2008. It has been featured in films such as "101 Dalmatians" and "Harry Potter and the Order of The Phoenix." Big Ben has been disrupted a few times over the years for various reasons, including weather and breakages. Its bongs went silent for about two months in August 2007 to allow a crew to repair its mechanism system. During that time, the rest of the clock was running on an electric system. It was fully restarted again October 1. The clock pays tribute to Britain's royal history: It has a Latin inscription of the phrase: "O Lord, save our Queen Victoria the First." The ornate masterpiece has some quirky features. The hour hand, which weighs 300 kilograms (661 pounds), is made of gun metal while the minute hands are made of copper sheet. The minute hands would not work when they were first made of cast iron because they were too heavy. The clock started working on May 31, 1859, after the lighter copper hands were installed. The origins of the landmark's name are obscure. Some say it was named after the 1850s heavyweight boxer Ben Caunt while others suggest it was named after Sir Benjamin Hall, a former member of parliament. Hall, the commissioner of works in 1859, was responsible for ordering the bell. Alan Hughes, the director of the Whitechapel Bell Foundry that made the bell, prefers the latter. "I suppose I like it chiefly because it was a nickname of a man who was big and loud and pompous, and never used one word if 27 would do," he said in a 2008 interview. Hughes' company also made America's Liberty Bell and a number of others for cathedrals and churches around the world. | London's Big Ben turns 150 years old on Sunday . Last year, Victorian masterpiece was voted Britain's favorite monument . No one is quite sure where the clock's moniker came from . | 868b7837e73553da1b749a5d9a846710a05c1fbd |
Cristiano Ronaldo has taken a dig at Atletico Madrid - labelling them as 'defensive' following Real Madrid's 4-2 aggregate loss to their rivals in the quarter-final of the Copa del Rey. The 29-year-old picked up his third Ballon d'Or on Monday but then saw his side eliminated from the cup by their Madrid rivals during the week. Fernando Torres netted twice during the 2-2 second-leg draw - with Ronaldo himself getting on the scoresheet - as the cup holders were knocked out at the last-eight stage. Cristiano Ronaldo points to the ground and smile during Real Madrid training on Saturday . Fernando Torres celebrates opening the scoring for Atletico Madrid after just 49 seconds against Real . But Ronaldo told AS: 'Atleti don’t play attractive football. They are very defensive. They wait for dead-balls, but it works well for them. Their coach and players should be respected. ... 'Atleti are a consistent team who have spent a long time together. Valencia are getting better and are a rival to watch out for. 'And then there are Madrid and Barcelona who are candidates for everything. This is good for La Liga.' Ronaldo and his team-mate trained at Valdebebas on Saturday and looked in good spirits. Manager Carlo Ancelotti says his side will not be lapse in defence when they look to preserve top spot in La Liga on Sunday. Ronaldo (right) walks past some hurdles at Valdebebas during Real training on Saturday . Torres (left) is congratulated by team-mates after scoring in the first minute against Real Madrid . Los Blancos head to mid-table Getafe in Sunday's morning kick-off on the back of losing their Copa del Rey crown. Real have found the going tough since the winter break and have seen their lead at the top of La Liga reduced to a point, but Ancelotti is confident they will be up to speed this weekend. 'We would be concerned if we did not have chances to score, but (against Atletico) we produced attractive play with quality, tempo and intensity,' the Italian told his club's official website. 'I'm not concerned about that, we scored two goals. The concern comes from the mistakes we made at the back in bringing the ball out, which I don't think we will make again.' Real goalkeeper Iker Casillas jumps and touches his boots during the session at Valdebebas . Carlo Ancelotti, Real's manager, looks across the training field as his players take part in a session . And rather than dwell too much on the loss, Ancelotti is looking to take lessons from it in order to help Real's chances for the rest of the season. 'You have to assess the match; we were made to pay a heavy price for our mistakes,' he said. 'But for the first 60 minutes we played very well. You can't play better. We now have three weeks to prepare for the Champions League and this is good for the team.' Defeat was a bitter pill to swallow for Ronaldo. The division's 26-goal leading scorer is of the same mindset as his coach, though. Real Madrid players warm up during a training session at Valdebebas on Saturday . Toni Kroos (left), Javier Hernandez (centre) and Alvaro Arbeloa (right) enjoy a joke during training . 'I apologise on behalf of the team, perhaps we could have done things better,' he said. 'However, we can also say that we have La Liga, the Champions League and lots of other things to win this year. 'Obviously it's never good to lose, however you have to think positively. The team will play at a higher level later in the season. We aim to win La Liga and the Champions League.' In Getafe Real will meet an opponent woefully out of form in the league but flying high in the Copa del Rey. Their last La Liga success came back on October 31 - a 2-1 win at Deportivo - but since then they have been winless in nine, with their three victories coming in the cup. A 1-0 success over Almeria on Wednesday booked them their place in a quarter-final with Villarreal. Kroos laughs after joking with his team-mates as Real get prepared for the trip to Getafe on Sunday . | Real Madrid knocked out of Copa del Rey 4-2 (on agg) by Atletico Madrid . Fernando Torres scored twice for Atleti as they knocked out Real . Cristiano Ronaldo has labelled his Madrid rivals as 'defensive' Real face Getafe at the Coliseum Alfonso Perez in La Liga on Sunday . Ronaldo and his Real team-mates trained on Saturday at Valdebebas . | 8201f362a0c1bac858d91f5618efa790ce4dac2c |
By . Sam Webb . and Rebecca Evans . Nawal Masaad was allegedly caught with 20,000 Euros in her underwear on a flight to Turkey . A university student who was caught with 20,000 Euros (£16,000) in her underwear on a flight to Turkey denied funding terrorism today. Nawal Masaad, 26, of Holloway, north London, is accused of trying to smuggle the cash through Heathrow Airport en route to Syria. She was recruited by mother-of-two Amal El-Wahabi, 27, to take the money to El-Wahabi's terrorist husband, it is claimed. The cash, which was wrapped in clingfilm, was discovered when Masaad was searched at Heathrow airport on January 16 this year. Both women pleaded not guilty to one count of becoming concerned in a funding arrangement when they appeared in court. Miss Msaad has posted a statement on her Facebook page proclaiming her innocence and denying that she has any ‘jihadist affiliations’. She said: ‘On 16th January 2014 I was arrested at Heathrow airport and accused of transporting money to Syria for the purposes of terrorism. ‘I was not travelling to Syria, I was travelling to Turkey, Istanbul which is very far from the Syrian border.’ She describes herself as a British Muslim who ‘hates terrorism’ and feels that she has been targeted because of her race, adding: ‘I can’t help but wonder if I had been called Natalie from Surrey whether the authorities would have pressed terrorism charges against me.’ The pair, who are both of Moroccan descent, are the first British women to be charged with terrorism offences related to the conflict. Yesterday, carrying what appeared to be a £3,500 quilted black Chanel bag and wearing stilettos, a blouse, and white mini-skirt and jacket, Miss Msaad arrived at the Old Bailey with her electronic ankle tag clearly on display. Massad was recruited by mother-of-two Amal El-Wahabi, 27, to take the money to El-Wahabi's terrorist husband, it is claimed. Both women are on conditional bail until their trial at the Old Bailey on 7 July this year . In heavy make-up and aviator sunglasses, she was seen smiling as she left the building following her brief court appearance. Both women are on conditional bail until their trial at the Old Bailey on 7 July this year. Masaad and El-Wahabi, of northwest London, both deny becoming concerned in a funding arrangement as a result of which money was made available or was to be made available to another, and they knew or had reasonable cause to suspect that it would or may be used for the purposes of terrorism. A Contempt of Court order bans publication of El-Wahabi's address other than 'northwest London'. Sorry we are not currently accepting comments on this article. | Nawal Massad accused of trying to smuggle cash to war-torn Syria . It is claimed she was recruited by the wife of an alleged terrorist . Massad, 26, and Amal El-Wahabi will go on trial in July . | aec1e99aacc4088aed6fd5c99f905208b27ad77a |
By . Lee Moran . Last updated at 2:43 PM on 8th October 2011 . Wayne Rooney failed to keep control of his emotions last night as he was sent off in shame during England's match against Montenegro - the day after his father and uncle were arrested and bailed in connection with a 'football betting scam'. The £180,000-a-week Manchester United star, who is worth £37million, lost control 17 minutes from time and kicked out at Miodrag Dzudovic. It led England, who were winning 2-1, to concede a last minute goal. And it provoked a stern response from . angry manager Fabio Capello who, despite seeing his team qualify for . Euro 2012, appeared to utter an Italian expletive in the direction of . the disgraced player as he passed him. Scroll down to see video of last night's sending off... Off: Wayne Rooney was dismissed during the second half of England's match against Montenegro after fouling Miodrag Dzudovic . Kicking out: Rooney was shown a straight red card for a moment of petulance . Capello had said on the eve of the game that Rooney was 'focused and calm' following the arrest of his father, also called Wayne, and his uncle Richie. The pair were arrested on Thursday and bailed in connection with a spot-fixing investigation. Both deny the allegations. Following last night's sending off, Rooney is now automatically banned from the opening game of Euro 2012 - probably the first two - although UEFA will decide the length of his suspension towards the end of next week. Allegation: Wayne and Coleen Rooney sit alongside the Manchester United star's father Wayne Snr (right) who was arrested in connection with a betting scam . Rooney is only the second England player to be sent off twice - the other being former captain David Beckham. England drew 2-2 to secure top spot in Group G but Capello said: 'He made a silly mistake when he kicked the opponent. The arrests of Wayne Rooney's father, uncle and seven other men followed a police probe into a rash of 'suspicious bets' placed on a sending-off. Police were alerted after the Association of British Bookmarkers raised concerns about a number of irregular bets, ranging from £200 to £500, on Motherwell's Steve Jennings being red-carded, after he swore at the referee in a match against Hearts in December 2010. Jennings had already been booked by referee Stevie O'Reilly when he was shown a straight red card seven minutes from time. The 26-year-old reportedly asked the referee when he was going to 'stop cheating' Motherwell. Some of the activity is understood to have taken place via a new account opened in Liverpool - Rooney's home town. One bet of £500, placed at odds of 10/1, netted £5,000. Former boxer Wayne Snr, 48, was arrested in a 7am raid at the lavish £450,000 home the striker bought for his parents in West Derby, Liverpool. Richie Rooney, 54, was arrested at his home in Croxteth, Liverpool, while Jennings, a former Tranmere Rovers players who hails from Kirkby, near Liverpool, was arrested at his home in Glasgow. The alleged betting scam is said to be worth £100,000. All men deny the allegations. 'And he will now not be able to play the first game in the Euros. It's a red card. You can't defend that. 'I'm not happy, absolutely. I spoke with him. He made a silly mistake and he said, "Yes, sorry". More than that, I can't do. 'He's a really important player with a lot of experience and he's played really important games. But it's a silly mistake. 'Rooney was not happy because he missed some control and some passes. For this reason, I think he reacted. His reaction was to kick the opponent. 'It will be good lesson for him and the team. The player is frustrated from on the pitch not from what happened away from it.' Goals from Ashley Young and Darren Bent gave England an early 2-0 lead but they were pegged back to 2-2 by a goal in the final seconds of each half. Capello added: 'I can't enter into the head of Wayne Rooney when he plays. I can speak before. I can substitute him. 'I can find different solutions. But the reaction of the players, you cannot understand during the game, why things happen.' When Andrija Delibasic equalised in stoppage time at the end of the game, the home crowd went crazy. The draw clinches second place for them and a chance to qualify through a play-off. Home fans invaded the pitch and taunted the England fans. England's players ran for the tunnel to avoid the stampede. It ought to have been a night of celebration for Capello's team but the late goal and Rooney's red card took off the gloss. Montenegro manager Branko Brnovic said: 'I read in the newspapers that Rooney has some family problems in England. To be honest, I didn't expect him to play.' Joe Hart said after the game that the England players had been disappointed by the antics of their opponents. He claimed England had met with physical intimidation and questioned why there was not a red card for Montenegro. | Team left hanging on with 10 men to scrape into European Championships after dismissal . Capello says Rooney apologised to him after match . | d0af7d71cb4316b18b860ad47dc75f334faec40a |
Brendan Rodgers felt the Chelsea game would be the biggest of Liverpool’s week. After an extraordinary night in Madrid on Tuesday, it has now become bigger than even he could have imagined. I was in Madrid as a fan. These occasions sum up what Liverpool are about: the Champions League, a capacity crowd in a magnificent stadium, supporters travelling in vast numbers, dreaming they will be able to say in years to come: ‘I was there the night we beat Real Madrid.’ It turned out to be a game that will live in the memory but not for the reasons anyone hoped would be the case. The team sheet that Rodgers handed in before kick-off — and the relentless debate that followed — has seen to that. Scroll down for video . Martin Skrtel reflects on the first-half, leaving the famous Bernabeu turf with Liverpool a goal down . Matchwinner Karim Benzema celebrates his strike after Liverpool's rearguard were caught flatfooted . Rodgers has received some scathing criticism for making seven changes but I am not going to join the chorus of disapproval. Some of his decisions I didn’t agree with, others I could completely understand. This is how I saw it. When we got into the Bernabeu before kick-off, the full extent of how much Rodgers had altered his team had circulated and it left many high up in the away section, who already viewed the fixture with trepidation, fearing a night even more painful than the one Madrid inflicted at Anfield. So then I began to study the team sheet. Javier Manquillo instead of Glen Johnson? I could understand that. Manquillo has been Liverpool’s best right back this season. Kolo Toure for Dejan Lovren? Again, no problem. Lovren’s erratic form meant he didn’t deserve to be picked. Fabio Borini for Mario Balotelli? No issue there. Borini covered more ground in one game than Balotelli had done in 10. The absence of Philippe Coutinho didn’t bother me, either, as he can’t be trusted to deliver in big away games. Those players who came in all deserve to start against Chelsea. Kolo Toure (left) had one of his best games in a Liverpool shirt, frequently frustrating Madrid's stars . The ever-willing Fabio Borini (centre) put in more effort than the mercurial Mario Balotelli . Rodgers, remember, wasn’t ripping up a team that had won six straight matches. Nobody knows what Liverpool’s best XI is at present, not even the manager. And if we think the best he had were on show when Madrid came to Anfield, being on the end of a 3-0 battering weakens those claims. What’s more, Liverpool were never going to attack Madrid, so the changes didn’t alter tactics. Anyone who believes Liverpool, under Gerard Houllier and Rafa Benitez, took on top teams away in Europe are living in a dream world. We didn’t. Neither did the all-conquering sides in the 1970s and 1980s. Yet what I couldn’t fathom were the omissions of Steven Gerrard (Rodgers’s captain), Jordan Henderson (his vice-captain) and the best attacker, Raheem Sterling. Those three, along with Luis Suarez and Daniel Sturridge, were the reason they came so close to winning the title and returned to Europe’s elite. After their efforts last season, they deserved to start in the Bernabeu. The reason players love the Champions League so much is the thought of playing in an arena such as the Bernabeu. What are the chances of Stevie playing there again? Will Jordan and Raheem ever have the opportunity in the future? You believe that you will get plenty of chances but I played for Liverpool for 17 years and a trip to the Bernabeu only came around once. Jamie Carragher (right) stifles Raul with Xabi Alonso's help during Liverpool's 1-0 win in Madrid in 2009 . Steven Gerrard (left) watches from the bench, alongside Glen Johnson and Jordan Henderson . I felt those three deserved to be in the team and it had nothing to do with sentiment. They deserved to play because they are part of Liverpool’s best team. I can imagine how they would have felt when Rodgers told them they were out. They would have been professional but they would have been devastated. When you grow up, you dream about playing against Real Madrid in the Bernabeu. During my career, I won several big trophies but, believe me, nights in the Nou Camp, the San Siro and the Bernabeu, three of football’s cathedrals, are up there in my memories; victories against Barcelona (February 2007), Inter Milan (March 2008) and Real (February 2009) were special. This squad had a similar opportunity. Yes, Liverpool played reasonably well and showed more than they had for a number of weeks but relief that they didn’t suffer a heavy defeat is not what following Liverpool in Europe should be about. What confuses me is the importance the Chelsea game has been given. It is big, of course it is. But there are 28 matches to go. Winning won’t guarantee Liverpool’s place in the top four this season, in the same way a defeat won’t leave them with too much ground to make up. Gerrard (left) and Raheem Sterling were introduced in the 69th minute. Both should have started the game . The travelling fans were in good voice as ever, but left the Bernabeu with a narrow defeat . It baffles me when teams are more interested in qualifying for the competition next season than doing their best in the competition they are already in. Chelsea isn’t make or break. Had Manchester United — a side with no European commitments — been the visitors to Anfield and Liverpool had played abroad on Wednesday night, I could have seen why Rodgers wanted Gerrard, Henderson and Sterling refreshed, but not on this occasion. They are playing a Chelsea side who have been away in Europe and had 24 hours less to recover. Liverpool stayed in Madrid after the game to train on Wednesday, too, so the players haven’t had a disrupted night’s sleep to contend with. The physical demands haven’t been so severe. This, however, is where we are. When you are involved with Liverpool, things can be moving along quietly when an issue explodes and takes over. This is one of those times. Chelsea were held by Maribor in Slovenia and played a day after Liverpool in midweek . When Jose Mourinho makes an appearance at Anfield, it is usually an eventful one . City’s Euro excuses just don’t stack up . Manchester City now need a miracle to reach the Champions League knockout stages. We keep hearing how they are unlucky because they have been drawn in tough groups but that does not wash. Manuel Pellegrini has enough quality at his disposal and should have got out of this group with Bayern Munich. Why are they behind Roma? The Italians have improved in the past two seasons but their squad does not boast the depth of City’s. Why have they failed to beat CSKA Moscow over two games? Last season, City did the double over CSKA, who lost five out of six matches. Vincent Kompany is in disbelief during City's costly Champions League defeat to CSKA Moscow . Pablo Zabaleta sums up the mood after City concede a second early goal to Ajax in 2012. They drew 2-2 . Carlos Tevez leads the troops as they trudge off after City sank to a 1-0 defeat in Dortmund in 2012 . This isn’t like how it was for Manchester United and Arsenal when they were new to the competition. In the 1990s, they had British squads who were not used to playing in Europe, and it took time to adjust. Yes, City have had some tough draws against Dortmund, Real Madrid and Munich but they were knocked out of a group by Napoli and failed to beat Ajax, home or away, in 2012 under Roberto Mancini. City have men who have played in Champions League and World Cup finals. They should be able to negotiate these tests. The excuses don’t stack up. I said last week City’s squad needs to be broken up. Defeat by CSKA provided confirmation. This week I'm looking forward to... seeing James McCarthy continue to dazzle . Everton have a rich history of building teams around influential central midfielders, headed by the ‘Holy Trinity’ of Alan Ball, Howard Kendall and Colin Harvey. In the 1980s, the team I grew up watching was inspired by Peter Reid and Paul Bracewell, and it is looking more and more like James McCarthy, the Republic of Ireland international, is going to keep up past traditions. He has the potential to be one of the best in the Barclays Premier League. McCarthy was outstanding in Thursday’s 3-0 Europa League triumph over Lille and he will have a key role again at the Stadium of Light, as Everton look to apply pressure to the teams near the top. James McCarthy (left) was again impressive in midweek as Everton strolled past Lille in the Europa League . Peter Reid (right) is challenged by Sheffield Wednesday's Gary Shelton during 1985's FA Cup semi-final . Paul Bracewell controls the ball during the 1989 Simod Cup final, which Everton lost to Nottingham Forest . Liverpool wanted to sign him when he was 16 and the better he plays for Everton, the more it is looking like a mistake that we allowed him to slip through our fingers. He didn’t want to leave Scotland at that age but Liverpool’s loss has been Everton’s gain. I am a big fan of McCarthy and I never fail to be impressed when I see him. I do feel he needs to add more goals to his game but, if he can do that, he will be the real deal. Everton have a top player on their hands. | Rodgers has been widely criticised for his team selection in the Bernabeu . I am not going to join the chorus of disapproval. Some of his decisions I didn't agree with, others I could completely understand . Nobody knows what Liverpool's best XI is at present, not even the manager . What I couldn't fathom were the omissions of Gerrard, Henderson and the best attacker, Sterling . It baffles me when teams are more interested in qualifying for the competition next season than doing their best in the competition they are already in . | 0c4e6706a1e9f77a816d31050c136e4947569d35 |
Washington (CNN) -- TSA officers rescued a woman from two kidnappers as a group of travelers passed through a security checkpoint at Miami International Airport, the Transportation Security Administration said. In the July 5 incident, the two TSA behavior detection officers, trained to spot terrorists in passenger lines, noticed the 25-year-old woman trembling and trying to hide facial injuries at an airline ticket counter. The woman at first said she was fine, but later broke down crying and said she had been kidnapped, the TSA said. The officers separated the woman from her four travel partners, leading to her rescue and the arrest of two women in the group on kidnapping and other charges, the TSA said. "Our officers recognized that the woman was in danger and acted immediately to protect her," said Mark Hatfield, the TSA's federal security director for Miami International Airport. The incident was first reported Tuesday by Miami television station NBC 6, a day before a congressional hearing on TSA screener misconduct. Several TSA officials said the timing of the news release was coincidental. Nonetheless, TSA Deputy Administrator John Halinski mentioned the kidnapping case as an example of good work being done by agency employees. TSA to speed flight attendants through security . "We stopped a kidnapping basically though the quick thinking and the abilities of our BDO (behavior detection officers)," he told the committee. A North Miami Police Department report gave this account: . The incident began when the victim and four friends came to Miami from New Jersey to celebrate the Fourth of July. The following day -- July 5 -- the woman was alone at a Best Western hotel when her four friends returned from an outing, apparently intoxicated. While the victim was lying in bed, one woman accused her of having intimate relations with her boyfriend and "began to violently punch her numerous times in the face." When the woman stopped punching her, a second woman punched her in the face several times. The victim locked herself in a bathroom, but her two attackers struck her again when she left the bathroom. The two other friends "refused to get involved," the report says. The attackers took jewelry from her, took money from her purse and went to an ATM, where they withdrew money from the victim's account, it says. The group took a taxi to the Miami airport, and while they were at a ticket counter, a TSA behavior detection officer noticed the victim's injuries. The officer said that one woman "didn't seem comfortable with the people she was traveling with," the TSA said in a statement. The victim at first said she was fine, but a TSA officer "re-engaged the woman and she broke down crying and stated she was kidnapped," the statement said. "The victim was pulled away by TSA Agents before reaching the travel document check point and Airport Police were called," the TSA said. Police questioned the woman's four travel partners and arrested the two women. Police identified the women as Tori Beato, 19, of Secaucus, New Jersey, and Melissa Pineiro, 25, of North Bergen, New Jersey. Beato and Pineiro are charged with kidnapping, false imprisonment and related charges. Both have been released on bond, police said, and efforts by CNN to reach them were unsuccessful. Beato's listed phone number was no longer in service, and Pineiro did not immediately return a call for comment. At Wednesday's hearing on screener misconduct, the TSA defended its workforce, saying that most screeners behave professionally and that the agency works aggressively to weed out unprofessional workers. Deputy Administrator Halinski said criticism of the agency comes chiefly from the media, bloggers and politicians. Of the 600 million passengers screened every year, about 750,000 initiate contact with the TSA, and less than 8% of them register complaints, he said. TSA: Eight Newark officers fired for violating procedures . "When you look at the large number of passengers that are going through, I think that statistic speaks for itself," Halinski said. Rep. Mike Rogers, R-Alabama, chairman of the subcommittee, agreed that only a small subset of TSA workers are unprofessional, but he said the frequency of TSA misconduct "is a symptom of a larger problem." "In some cases, we've seen poor screener performance going uncorrected or, even worse, being encouraged or covered up or by TSA management," he said, noting a 2011 case in which TSA employees at a Honolulu airport were failing to check baggage for explosives. "TSA's own federal security director was in on it," Rogers said. "One of these cases is too many, but there have been others disturbing since then, including airports in southwest Florida, Philadelphia, JFK and Newark." Said Halinski: "I'm not saying we're different from any other group of Americans. I'm saying we're exactly like any group of Americans." | Agency says behavior detection officers noticed suspicious group at Miami airport . Officers separated nervous woman from her four travel partners, report says . Police report: Woman accused two other women in group of punching her, taking her money . Pair charged with kidnapping, false imprisonment, other offenses . | 4d62105645008798c558edb0ed02db6fdfc7753b |
By . Daily Mail Reporter . UPDATED: . 11:48 EST, 21 July 2011 . A baby giraffe born with 'back-to-front' feet has walked unaided for the first time after wearing special customised shoes for more than a year. Hope was born at the Topeka Zoo, Kansas, in July last year with a rare deformity called hyperextended fetlocks - meaning each rear foot was bent forwards. In a pioneering move, zoo vet, Dr Joseph Kamer, fitted the newborn giraffe with fabricated shoes made from plywood. Red shoes on: Hope gets to grips with his boots at the Topeka Zoo, Kansas, soon after being fitted with them . The shoes featured extended heels and . an artificial tendon, which he glued to the bottom of her rear hooves - . the first time the procedure has ever been carried out on a giraffe. The . shoes and casts kept her legs straight and stretched the front tendons . and for almost a year Hope used the customised shoes to walk. Now . enough tension has been created in Hope's rear tendons allowing the . shoes to be removed and the giraffe to walk unaided for the first time. Hope springs up: The giraffe was born wth a rare deformity called hyperextended fetlocks - meaning each rear foot was bent forwards . A spokesman for the zoo said: ‘We were shocked when we first saw Hope. ‘Her . feet were bent in such a way that if she were to stand up it would have . been the equivalent of our feet bent so far forward we would be walking . on our ankles and not our heels. ‘At birth, Hope's front tendons were too tight while the rear tendons in her legs were stretched out too much. ‘The . idea of the shoes was that they could continue to offer some support to . the legs while at the same time allowing her body to begin to use those . legs in a more normal manner. Animal magic: Thanks to the brilliance of zoo vet Dr Joseph Kamer, Hope received treatment that eventually gave her the freedom to roam around with her family . ‘Right from the beginning her mum . Dolly was so supportive. We had to separate Hope from her mum while the . procedure was carried out but she watched over the fence the whole time. ‘It is fantastic to see Hope walking completely normally now. One of her favourite things to do is chase squirrels and birds. 'We . are all very ecstatic that the procedure worked and it looks as though . this sweet little giraffe will live an otherwise normal life.’ Walk this way: Hope is now able to move around without the aid of her special shoes . | Hope born with rare fetlock deformity in Kansas zoo . Wore casts for a year and can now chase birds . | 0b597610973dee5aa84e3a544d7b51580dc87d5f |
Islamic State has publicly executed two alleged spies and mercilessly crucified another to a road sign in the Syrian city of Al-Bab. Images have emerged showing two men - bound and dressed in orange jumpsuits - kneeling on the ground as hundreds of jeering insurgents surround them. Masked men dressed in black have their weapons trained on the captives, while young boys force their way through the crowd to catch a glimpse of the helpless men. Another picture shows a deceased man hanging from a post with a sign hanging around his neck. The onlookers in the photograph seem unphased by the man's limp, crucified body. On Thursday, the extremist group announced it was holding an Israeli-Arab who posed as foreign a fighter to spy for the country's intelligence agency, Mossad. Scroll down for video . Helpless: Islamic State has reportedly executed two alleged spies in the Syrian city of Al-Bab . Crucified: One of the men's dead bodies was tied to a post, with a message hung around his neck . Public killing: One picture seems to show a crowd of hundreds gathering for what could be the execution . Muhammad Musallam, 19, was quoted in Islamic State's online magazine Dabiq saying he joined the insurgents in Syria to report information about their weapons cashes, bases and recruits back to Israel. It claims he said: 'I say to all those who want to spy on the Islamic State, don't think that you're so smart and that you can deceive the Islamic State. You won't succeed at all. 'Stay away from this path. Stay away from helping the Jews and the murtaddin [apostates]. Follow the right path.' His cover was blown when he phoned his father back in East Jerusalem, Dabiq claimed. The Israeli government has denied he was working for them as a spy. So has his father Said who claims he was kidnapped after travelling to Turkey as a tourist. Muhammad phoned home to say he had been abducted to neighbouring Syria and could not find a way to escape, his father said. Said Musallam claims his son needed '$200 or $300' before they would release him. But before he could send the money, another man phoned to tell him Muhammad had escaped his captors and was seized by Islamic State. Surrounded: Hundreds of masked and armed men encircle the helpless captives, while young men look on . Cruelty: Men believed to be IS fighters and sympathisers seem to celebrate the kidnapped men's deaths . An Israeli security official said Mr Musallam travelled to Turkey on October 24 to fight alongside Islamic State soldiers in Syria. He said: 'He went on his own initiative, without his family's knowledge.' Asked whether his statement constituted a denial that Musallam was an Israeli spy, the official replied: 'You can understand it that way, yes.' Ayoob Kara - an Israeli politician and former army officer close to Prime Minister Benjamin Netenyahu - said he was unaware of Musallam's case and did not believe he was a spy. He claims several Arab men cross the boarder to aid refugees only to be kidnapped and exploited by Islamic State. Kidnapped: On Thursday, ISIS announced they are holding another man believed to be an Israeli spy but Muhammad Musallam's father Said (pictured) denied those allegations . Israel has recently intensified its monitoring of would-be volunteers who might cross the border to join Islamic State and return to the country as battle-hardened extremists. Turkey is a popular holiday destination for Israeli-Arabs. In November, the country jailed an Arab citizen who returned from Syria voluntarily having spent three months there with Islamic State. In the first conviction of its kind, Ahmed Shurbaji was imprisoned for 22 months on the condition he cooperated with security services. A source from Israel's internal security agency Shin Bet said Israeli-Arabs returning from Syria were routinely questioned for intelligence on jihadist groups. Footage released yesterday showed Kurdish fighters dressed in orange jumpsuits being paraded through the streets by jeering IS militants. Surrounded: A terrified Kurdish prisoner looks out from his cage at a mob of jeering militants in the horrific scene . Humiliation: Each prisoner was accompanied by black clad and flag waving jihadis, some armed with AK-47s . Posts on social media implied the men - shackled in cages - would suffer the same fate as a captured Jordanian pilot who was burned alive by the extremists. The grim procession apparently took place through Kirkuk in North-west Iraq - an oil rich Kurdish stronghold where ISIS now has a presence after mounting repeated attacks in recent weeks. In the nearly four minute long video, 17 of the Iraqi-Kurdistan soldiers are driven one by one on the backs of white pick-up trucks with ISIS flag-waving militants toting AK-47s accompanying each prisoner. At the end of the clip the long line of cages can be seen retreating into the sunset over the heads of massed crowds of militants. | Images have emerged of two helpless men surrounded by armed fighters . The masked men surround their captives as young boys in crowd look on . Another picture shows crucified man with message hanging from his neck . On Thursday, Islamic State announced they had another Israeli-Arab spy . Israel and Muhammad Musallam's father denied allegations against him . | 896adf67982d796e1b219a087fb08cae22bec026 |
Morris Carruth's body has been missing for two months . The funeral home had their license revoked by the State of California and shut . By . Jessica Satherley . PUBLISHED: . 12:52 EST, 30 October 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 13:00 EST, 30 October 2012 . The grieving family of a deceased Californian man is now trying to find his missing body after the funeral home he was in closed down. Morris Carruth, 45, died of a heart on August 9, and his body was placed in the hands of Advanced Care Funeral and Cremation in Sacramento. But the Carruth family were never given Morris’s remains, despite asking the funeral home to cremate him two months ago. Advanced Care Funeral and Cremation in Sacramento lost the body after the business closed down . Carruth’s sister, Lisa Evans, said she visited the offices of the Sacramento company and found the funeral home closed down and cleared out. She told Fox40 News: ‘The new stress is now we can’t find his body. ‘He was to be cremated after the funeral, they told us the body would be delivered to us in two weeks, and it never happened.’ It has now been revealed that Advanced Care Funeral Services had their license revoked by the state of California and in consequence, shut down. The California State Cemetery and Funeral Bureau is currently investigating the company for mishandling five people’s remains and has a temporary restraining order. State agents also revealed the director of Advanced Care Funeral Services was only working minimal hours and might have authorised non-licensed people to work with the remains of bodies. Evans said she now has no idea where her brother’s remains are. ‘I owe this to him, most defiantly owe this to him, he needs to rest in peace and he is not in peace right now’, she said. Nowhere to be seen: There whereabouts Morris Carruth's body are unknown . | Morris Carruth's body has been missing for two months . The funeral home had their license revoked by the State of California and shut . | a4d1a3f9f37975f5fe30ed27a5058ad1ddc3a807 |
A callous dog owner battered his pet to death before hurling the animal from the balcony of his 15th-floor flat in an attempt to cover up the attack. Dean Edwards, 44, beat two-and-a-half-year-old Staffordshire Bull Terrier Diesel so badly at his home in Bloxwich, Walsall, that he suffered 'catastrophic injuries' to his internal organs. Edwards was yesterday jailed for six months after the RSPCA and police found Diesel lying in a pool of blood on the ground. Shocking attack: Dean Edwards, left, beat his Staffordshire Bull Terrier so badly that the animal suffered 'catastrophic' internal injuries, and then flung him from the balcony of his 15-floor flat, right . The vicious dog owner claimed at the time that the first he was knew of Diesel being on the ground was when he was alerted by a neighbour. He told the neighbour he had thought the dog had been sleeping on his balcony and must have rolled off the edge. Tragic: Edwards told neighbours that Diesel must have rolled off the balcony while having a nap - but vets believe he was dead before he hit the ground . Inspectors decided sick Edwards was . lying, however, after blood was found on the balcony and inside the flat . following the dog's death on November 15 last year. Specialist vets said heavy bruising discovered on the dog's body was not consistent with a fall and that it was likely that Diesel was dead before hitting the ground. Edwards has been banned from keeping dogs for life after he was found guilty of causing unnecessary suffering to an animal. Sentencing him, District Judge Michael Morris said: 'I am satisfied beyond reasonable doubt you struck a fatal blow to Diesel and attempted to throw Diesel to the ground to cover your actions.' During a two-day trial, Walsall Magistrates Court heard that baseball and rounders bats were seized at Edwards' flat after Diesel was killed. Prosecuting Nick Sutton, said: 'The prosecution's case is that this man killed the dog and threw it from the balcony. 'He attempted to cover up the act by fabricating a fall.' A spokesperson for the RSPCA said: 'We are pleased to hear Mr Edwards was convicted of the offences and the sentence reflects the seriousness of the offence.' | Dean Edwards, 44, caused 'catastrophic internal injuries' to two-year-old dog Diesel . He told neighbours Diesel must have fallen off the balcony while sleeping . The callous owner has now been jailed for six months . | a18c52f5df5272ee039b007a1e5cc95ef05a7865 |
By . Travelmail Reporter . They are the nostalgic images that capture a glorious bygone era – a sepia time of domestic travel, short journeys and unfussy breaks on UK soil. And now, a range of promotional posters depicting the golden age of British seaside holidays looks set to make a small fortune – in America. Vintage rail posters advertising seaside resorts in Devon and Cornwall are in line to fetch around £2,000 at an auction – on the other side of the Atlantic – next month. Different time, familiar places: These glorious vintage posters, including adverts for Paignton and Bude, will go under the hammer in New York in August . The images will go under the hammer at the Swann auction house in New York. One poster alone – emblazoned with the words 'Newquay on the Cornish Coast', produced for the Great Western Railway in 1937 by artist Alfred Lambart – is expected to sell for between $1,000 and $1,500 dollars (£584-£877) in New York on 6 August. What will they make of this in New York? The images celebrate the seaside towns of Devon and Cornwall and are expected to fetch around £2,000 at auction . Another pre-war poster – produced for the Southern Railway in 1935, featuring the words 'Bude for sunshine and surf' – is set to fetch between $800 and $1,200 (£467-£701). A poster for British Railways, produced circa 1956 – bearing with the words 'Paignton, Torbay's ideal holiday centre' – is valued at between $700 and $1,000 (£409-£584). Snapshots of a bygone age: The Welsh town of Aberystwyth is one of those advertised, along with Clacton-on-Sea on the Essex coast . Another British Railways poster – featuring the words 'Teignmouth IS Devon', produced in or around 1960 – is expected to sell for between $400 and $600 dollars (£233-£350). In the early and middle parts of the 20th century, when comparatively few people owned cars, and when expensive overseas holidays were beyond the financial reach of many people, railway companies commissioned artists to produce colourful, eye-catching posters featuring seaside resorts, beauty spots and places of historical interest. Return to the age of innocence: The posters capture a time of simple holidays taken on British beaches, before package holidays were introduced . They were a romantic bid to boost rail travel throughout Britain – and they worked. In recent years, these posters, which once adorned and brightened railway station platforms and waiting rooms, have become increasingly sought-after and valuable mementoes of a gentler, more innocent age. In the early and middle parts of the 20th century, when comparatively few people owned cars, and when expensive overseas holidays were beyond the financial reach of many people, railway companies commissioned artists to produce colourful, eye-catching posters . Their value was ably demonstrated 12 years ago. In 2002, at Christie’s auction house in London, a 1932 Great Western Railway poster by artist Bruce Angrave – featuring the words 'Newquay, Cornwall's finest Atlantic resort’ – sold for £8,225. Before the auction, the anticipated price had been £3,000-£5,000. | Swann auction house in New York will sell off vintage posters next month . Grand old posters feature UK seaside towns like Teignmouth and Clacton . Some are expected to sell for up to $1500 dollars to American collectors . | 8863f14976367abb10f038a911d2210b262e7702 |
China's two-time Grand Slam winner Li Na is set to announce her retirement, according to widespread reports in her home country. State broadcaster CCTV claims world No 6 Li, who won the 2011 French Open and 2014 Australian Open singles titles, has chosen to quit due to knee injury concerns. CCTV cites unnamed sources as saying the announcement will come on Friday. Li, 32, has not commented on the reports. Li Na won the 2014 Australian Open, to add to her 2011 French Open title, but is set to retire from tennis . The two-time Grand Slam champion has not played since Wimbledon when she lost in the third round . CCTV said on its micro-blogging site: 'According to insiders who broke the news, Li Na, who won two women's tennis grand slams, will officially announce her retirement publicly tomorrow.' Li's last message on Chinese social media website Weibo was sent on September 5, saying: 'I love this job and am delighted for your encouragement, my career is the fight of my life, your encouragement is my greatest happiness.' The world No 6 has not played since losing in the third round at Wimbledon in June to Czech player Barbora Zahlavova Strycova, sitting out the US Open. At Wimbledon, she said that prior to the tournament she had taken a 'vacation to think about what I should do in the future'. The Chinese player celebrates winning the 2011 French Open, as she became the first Asian to win a Grand Slam singles title . Organisers of next week's Wuhan Open, the tournament held in her home city of Wuhan, still have Li on their competitors' list. Li's success in becoming Asia's first Grand Slam singles champion has made her a national sporting hero in China, with Time Magazine naming her among its 100 most influential people in the world in 2013, featuring her as the cover star. Her off-court earnings have been vast, outweighing on-court income, with Li behind only Maria Sharapova in this year's Forbes list of highest paid female athletes. She was estimated to have earned around £14.5million in total for the 12 months to June 2014. Li's huge profile in China led to her earning around £14.5million for the 12 months to June 2014 . | Chinese tennis player Li Na, 32, is set to announce her retirement . The world No 6 won the 2011 French Open and 2014 Australian Open titles . Li is Asia's first Grand Slam singles champion and a national sporting hero in China . But she has struggled with knee injures for much of this year . Li has not played since losing in the third round of Wimbledon . | 18191b82f3307787109c9d8d712255dc36b1019c |
The crowded season of sports awards is one ceremony lighter this year with a glittering FA event quietly kicked into the long grass. The FA England Awards were launched with much ballyhoo at St George’s Park two years ago, with gongs for all age groups and Steven Gerrard voted player of the year. There was even a prize for the best England newspaper reporter in honour of the late Brian Woolnough. However, there was no such function last February because England were fully focused on their World Cup preparation. And the woeful performance by Roy Hodgson’s side in Brazil is the primary reason why a big England bash is not considered appropriate for 2014. England manager Roy Hodgson endured a torrid World Cup with his side in Brazil in the summer . The FA say the first awards night was part of the FA’s 150th anniversary celebrations and they did not commit to an annual event — although that was the strong impression given at the time. The England men’s and women’s 2014 player of the year plus the Under 21 choice are collecting votes on the FA website. Meanwhile, the Sports Journalists’ Association British Sports Awards, held yesterday at the Connaught Rooms in London, has a long tradition. But the ever-declining number of current sports stars who attend makes it debatable whether the lunch is worth sustaining in its current guise. The nadir came when interviewer Sybil Ruscoe, charged with chatting to the ‘great names of sport’ in the room, started with the England Rugby 2015 spokeswoman. James Taylor has been in superb form, hitting 68 on Wednesday as England beat Sri Lanka in an ODI . England's in-form one-day batsman James Taylor has the strength of character to survive Kevin Pietersen saying he would be better off as a jockey. But Taylor does have to make one allowance for his 5ft 6in stature. He cuts an inch-and-a-half off the top of his short-handle bats to stop them catching on the ground when he drives the ball. British rugby already looks to be in danger of missing out on a proper challenge for the Olympic rugby sevens in Rio, which would be a major lost opportunity to grow the format. RFU chairman Bill Beaumont needs to decide how to take Rugby Sevens forward for the 2016 Rio Olympics . England, charged with qualifying, are struggling to get into the top four of the world group while coached by the low-profile Simon Amor, with the formation of a GB side still at the paperwork stage. So a combined GB team will have neither enough preparation time nor competitive games to mount a realistic challenge. Ben Ryan, regarded as a top sevens brain, has been lost to Fiji, while the word inside Twickenham is that RFU chairman Bill Beaumont is lukewarm on sevens since losing the last IRB chairmanship election to France’s Bernard Lapasset, who champions the format and led the successful bid for an Olympic place. The RFU say forming a GB team is a complex process and Beaumont is a fan of sevens. Sergey Bubka was supposed to be challenging Lord Coe for the IAAF presidency next year . Sergey Bubka looks to be holed below the waterline before he has even officially declared himself a challenger to Lord Coe for the IAAF presidency. Bubka has had close links for years with Russian federation chief and IAAF treasurer Valentin Balakhnichev, who stepped down from the IAAF board yesterday after being heavily implicated in covering up a serial Russian doping scandal. That, and other explosive revelations in a German TV documentary, are being investigated by the IAAF ethics committee. England coach Peter Moores (left) takes his Test side to the West Indies next April at the same time of the IPL . Sky Sports already promoting the Indian Premier League, which starts in April, helps demonstrate why Test cricket is in crisis. England’s series in the West Indies that same month looks like it will be contested by a second-XI home side, with their best players wanting to maximise IPL earnings. And if England do well in the World Cup, they will have to go straight from that tournament to the Caribbean — such is the crazy scheduling — and some mainstays of the side will have to be rested. A series in the West Indies always attracts a lot of England fans, so the ECB have an obligation to ensure the travelling supporters are not short-changed by substandard Test line-ups. Coincidentally, new ECB chief executive Tom Harrison comes from IMG — agents for the IPL. | England exited the World Cup this summer at the group stages . FA England Awards launched two years ago but have been halted . IPL threatens to overshadow England's Test tour to the West Indies . | b5ecebf08c81635e654489b327cc73eab4fc4cdf |
By . Lucy Crossley . PUBLISHED: . 02:48 EST, 9 January 2014 . | . UPDATED: . 05:41 EST, 9 January 2014 . German football star Thomas Hitzlsperger has said diver Tom Daley's acknowledgement that he was in a same-sex relationship helped him to come out publicly as gay. The 31-year-old German international midfielder yesterday became the first Premier League star to reveal he was homosexual, saying that he had recently accepted that he 'preferred men'. Hitzlsperger, who ended his playing career in September due to persistent injuries, said that other sportsmen's revelations about their sexual orientation, including those of Tom Daley, had made him feel that he was not alone. Scroll down for video . Inspiration: German football star Thomas Hitzlsperger (right) has said that diver Tom Daley's YouTube acknowledgement that he was in a same-sex relationship (left) helped him to come out . Last month the 19-year-old Olympian revealed in a video posted on YouTube that he was in a relationship with a man, later revealed to be screenwriter Dustin Lance Black. Daley, who won bronze in the men's 10 metre platform competition at the London 2012 Olympics, had said: ‘Come spring this year my life changed massively when I met someone and they made me feel so happy, so safe and everything just feels great - and that someone is a guy. 'Of course I still fancy girls but right now I'm dating a guy and I couldn't be happier.’ The former Aston Villa, West Ham and Everton player said he had also felt empowered by Welsh rugby player Gareth Thomas, who publically announced he was gay in 2009, and John Amaechi, who became the first NBA (National Basketball Association) player to speak out about his homosexuality. Big moment: The 31-year-old footballer ended his playing career in September due to persistent injuries . Announcement: Last month 19-year-old Olympian Tom Daley revealed in a video posted on YouTube that he was in a relationship with a man, later revealed to be screenwriter Dustin Lance Black . Justin Fashanu was the first professional footballer in Britain to come out in 1990 before he took his own life eight years later, aged 37. But he never played in the Premier League, which began in 1992. Hitzlsperger said that he was also encouraged by former . Leeds United and US winger Robbie Rogers announced he was gay last . year, and hoped that he too might be able to encourage other footballers to do the same. 'I read about John Amaechi, Gareth Thomas and Tom Daley,' Hitzlsperger told The Guardian newspaper. 'They weren't footballers but the fact that they went public gave me the feeling that I was not alone. I began to think that I could help other footballers who might be in the same shoes, so that they could see that here's someone who was even an international.' Empowered: Hitzlsperger said he had read about rugby player Gareth Thomas (left), who announced he was gay in 2009, and basketball player John Amaechi (right), who was the first NBA star to come out publically . Another announcement: Former Leeds United and US winger Robbie Rogers said he was gay last year . Early death: Former England Under-21 international Justin Fashanu was the first professional footballer in Britain to come out in 1990 before he took his own life eight years later, aged 37 . Hitzlsperger, who was capped 52 times by his country, said he had considered coming out while playing for German side Wolfsburg in 2011-12, but had been warned not to. He had said that he had only realised ‘in the past few years’ that he would ‘prefer to live together with another man’, and in 2007 had been due to marry his childhood sweetheart Inga Totzauer, only for the pair to break up a month before their wedding. The footballer said team-mates eventually stopped asking about his lack of a girlfriend, and that he had not had to lie about his sexuality. But he said that he had found the decision to make his sexuality public had been a difficult one to make, and added that he had the 'total support' of his family. Star: Thomas Hitzlsperger in action for Germany (left) and Aston Villa (right) The former international, who played . in the 2006 World Cup and the 2008 European Championship, has been inundated with messages of support and praise since yesterday's announcement made via Germany's Die Zeit newspaper that he was gay. Former England footballer Gary . Lineker said on Twitter: 'Congratulations to Thomas Hitzlsperger on . bravely being the first player to have played in the Premier League to . "come out".' Lineker later tweeted that he was looking forward to interviewing Hitzlsperger for the BBC One show Football Focus this week. 'A man, hopefully, paving the way for others to follow,' he added. Love life: Hitzlsperger pictured with his former partner Inga Totzauer at home in Sutton Coldfield in March 2002 . Arsenal's German forward Lukas Podolski wrote on the microblogging site: 'Respect to Thomas Hitzlsperger! That was a courageous and correct . decision and an important step.' David Cameron tweeted: 'As an #AVFC fan, I've always admired . what Thomas Hitzlsperger did on the pitch – but I admire him even more . today. A brave & important move.' However, Hitzlsperger, who also played for VfB Stuttgart and Lazio, said that the description of his as courageous, though nice to hear, was part of the problem facing the taboo around homosexuality in sport. He said: 'That's something that should change. I sincerely hope that we'll see the day when nobody mentions courage in these circumstances anymore, because it will be seen as totally normal that a sports person will speak about his homosexuality, the way others talk about their wives and girlfriends.' | Thomas Hitzlsperger says he had read about Tom Daley's announcement . Footballer was also inspired by Gareth Thomas and John Amaechi . Says he wants to help other footballers who may be in his shoes . 31-year-old ended playing career in September due to persistent injuries . German midfielder played for Aston Villa, West Ham United and Everton . Used to live with fiancée Inga Totzauer but split up with her in June 2007 . | 4f150896d3580d9b0aeb5a81853269889bc27d70 |
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