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272,865 | ed6704933e82f1858b6e0e193c411aefd730e8f7 | By . Associated Press . PUBLISHED: . 11:00 EST, 12 August 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 12:32 EST, 12 August 2013 . Greg Myerson, of North Branford, Conn., with one of the record striped bass he caught off the Connecticut coast . A Connecticut man, who is called the Warren Buffett of the fishing world, has been branded the greatest living striper fisherman for consistently snagging record breaking bass. Greg Myerson, 45, who is also an electrician, gives seminars on how he continues to catch striped bass weighing 50lbs or more, but won't reveal all his secrets. Myerson set the world record two years ago by catching a striped bass that weighed 81.8lbs off the Connecticut coast. Last year he set the striped bass length record of about 44 inches. Just last month he caught a 73-pound bass . 'I'm just going to go ahead and say it: Greg Myerson is the greatest living striper fisherman,' declared Rick Bach in an account last month in The Fish Report. Chris Megan, owner of On the Water magazine, said he doesn't know anyone who's caught so many large striped bass. Myerson reached the pinnacle by methodically studying his prey and developing devices to lure the fish to him and, perhaps, change how people fish. 'I've gotten it down to a science,' Myerson said. 'That's what all these great catches are attributed to, knowledge of the fish. You gotta think like them.' The 45-year-old electrician from North Branford began fishing at age two. At eight, he used the feathers from his grandmother's dead parrot to make his first fly, catching a rare rainbow trout and realizing the thrill of catching a fish with something he made. He studied fish, learning that striped bass feed on lobster and are drawn to them by the sound they make along the ocean floor. Myerson began trying to replicate that sound with a rattle he put in sinkers, at one point using discarded crack cocaine vials he cleaned up at work and filled with bearings and BBs. His methods grew more sophisticated as he listened to crayfish in his 200-gallon aquarium with a stethoscope. He also used a sound meter to determine the decibel and frequency and then tweaked the sound of the rattle to mimic it as much as possible. Last year Greg Myerson (pictured center) set the striped bass length record of about 44 inches . Greg Myerson (pictured left) has been called the Warren Buffet of the fishing world, giving seminars on how to catch the big bass . 'It's the reason why I caught more big striped bass than anyone in the world,' Myerson said. 'It was my secret weapon for years.' Myerson said he's received patents for his rattling sinkers designed to lure the striped bass to fishermen and formed a company called Fish Call to sell the products. 'We're changing the whole fishing industry. We already have,' Myerson said. Myerson stocked a stream on his property with trout and noticed how the biggest ones take the best spot. He figures striped bass do the same, such as by staying near a boulder that breaks the current so they can conserve energy as they wait for lobster to come out when tides are slow. He likes to head out in the evening and will fish through the night at times. He insists on quiet, often barefoot on the boat to prevent noise and alert to the slightest disturbance to his line. Myerson really began to attract attention when he caught three bass in 2010 that weighed more than 60 pounds and won angler of the year. In 2011, Myerson headed out in calm waters off the Connecticut coast when he snagged a powerful fish that began to pull his boat. 'It was an incredible fight,' Myerson said. The 81.8-pound catch, certified by the International Game Fish Association, broke a 29-year-old record of more than 78 pounds. Myerson stands with a friend, holding two massive bass weighing over 50lbs in Connecticut . Myerson said he's caught more than 25 striped bass that weighed at least 50 pounds, eight or nine over 60 pounds and three more than 70 pounds. Myerson has become so famous in the fishing world that others will follow him. Myerson said he didn't catch all the big fish in the same spot. 'No one knows where those spots are,' he said. 'I'll never tell anyone where those spots are.' Myerson said he has fished with actor Edward Burns, retired ballplayer Wade Boggs, top chef Tom Collichio, Miami Dolphins football player Jim Jensen and even an astronaut. Myerson is proud of his records but doesn't dwell on them. 'I kind of almost crave that bite that I know is coming,' Myerson said. 'I don't care about any of the fish I've already caught. The best fish is the next fish for me.' | Greg Myerson, 45, consistently catches striped bass that weigh 50lbs or more .
He set the world record in 2011 for snagging an 81.8lbs bass . |
239,589 | c2315b2a1045825795e5e5926b65a8a0da32cbf3 | A major sea search has been called off after a passenger was reported to have 'jumped' from a ferry in the English Channel. The passenger was reported missing by the crew just after 1.30am when the Pride of Kent ferry was around six miles off the coast of Dover. HM Coastguard sent a helicopter, three lifeboats and a tugboat to search the sea in darkness after the ferry crew said they feared someone had gone overboard. A witness claimed he saw someone having a drink on the deck before calmly putting down their glass, climbing over the railings and jumping into the Channel. Hunt: A huge search has been launched for a woman who went missing in the English Channel while travelling on the Pride of Kent ferry (above, file picture) just after 1.30am six miles off the coast of Dover . Channel at dawn: The tug helping with the search last night returned to Dover at around 7am having not found the missing passenger . But a Coastguard spokesman said that after the ferry arrived at Calais, a head count established that all crew and passengers were accounted for. However, the search continued after the witness insisted they saw someone go overboard before finally being called off at 9,30am. The spokesman added: 'The area has been extensively searched overnight and into this morning with nothing found. 'Unless any new information comes to light, the search has been stood down.' The ferry left Dover at 1.11am with 385 passengers on board, with the weather conditions described as 'pretty good' when the missing-person report was made around 20 minutes later. There had been conflicting reports about whether the passenger was a man or woman. Witness: A passenger on board the Pride of Kent insists he saw someone climb up and jump off the ship . Chris Laming, spokesman for P&O Ferries, told MailOnline: 'We had a witness report that a male had been seen to jump over the side of the ship. 'The witness described the man as being perfectly calm. He finished his drink and walked calmly to the rail and jumped over.' Mr Laming said the ferry went into a 'search and rescue' holding pattern as is standard procedure in the event of a person going overboard. He added: 'These things happen from time to time very sadly'. The coastguard said it had received reports the passenger was a woman. A coastguard helicopter, several lifeboats and a tug boat from the Port of Dover were involved in the search . | Passenger reported missing just after 1.30am around six miles from Dover .
Helicopter, lifeboats and tug boat all scrambled to join the overnight hunt .
Witness insists person drinking on deck climbed over railings and jumped .
A head count of passengers and staff at Calais found no missing people . |
182,130 | 77cff26d76c33d9649ff0e86fb3e00fb96e53a56 | (CNN)Despite a shared passion for food, we come from very different backgrounds. To look at us, you might not think we have much in common; one of us is a veteran Marine from New Orleans, the other a tattooed New Yorker with Mexican roots. But together these different perspectives strengthen our shared work both as chefs and as advocates. That's why last summer, when we were offered a chance to join the international relief and development organization Oxfam on a trip to Haiti as part of its GROW campaign, we jumped at the opportunity. GROW is Oxfam's global campaign to shift how our food is grown, sold and distributed by promoting smarter investment in sustainable agriculture models that will ensure everyone has enough to eat now and in the future. Oxfam invited us to Haiti to meet some of the Haitian farmers and chefs who are planting seeds of hope in a country that has faced more obstacles than any community should rightly be expected to overcome. Oxfam hoped we could learn about the inspiring work being done in Haiti and share our own experience with sustainable food systems. You don't often hear stories of hope from Haiti. In the rare moments when news from the country makes its way to the United States, it's almost always about crisis. The challenges Haiti faces were obvious when we visited one of the largest remaining camps for people who are still -- five years later -- displaced as a result of earthquakes that devastated the country in 2010. Extreme levels of poverty and hunger and a lack of economic opportunity are all ongoing and serious issues. But during our short visit, we saw a different Haiti. Almost everywhere we went, we met problem-solvers who were innovative, creative and full of hope. They are working to build a stronger Haiti that can prosper and thrive. Oxfam is working in Haiti to empower farmers with tools and sustainable models of production that will help them build thriving farms and businesses that feed their communities. It also advocates for changes to policies that make it more difficult for Haitian farmers to thrive. We saw the inspiration in the eyes of women farmers who were beginning to chart their own course for the first time, reaping the benefits from the System of Rice Intensification, a groundbreaking way to grow rice that improves the quality of harvests and yields more rice while using less water, fertilizer, and other expensive inputs. We felt the ingenuity of the lush urban gardens that seemed to have sprouted up from nowhere in places previously destroyed by the earthquake. We cooked jambalaya with produce bought from those gritty urban farmers, most of whom had lost spouses, siblings or parents in the earthquake. The gardens offer the prospect of a new way to earn a living -- growing fresh, healthy food for their community. We tasted the hope in the delicious meals we shared with young chefs who had just graduated from Haiti's Ecole Hoteliere -- their ambition and optimism the same as any chef you'd meet in New York or New Orleans or Paris. We cooked for them and ate the local dishes they prepared. Their food showcased a rich culinary tradition comparable to any food capital in the world. We danced and sang late into the night at the Carnaval des Fleurs until our ears rang and our throats were hoarse. The innovation, ingenuity and hope we saw can create the foundations of a Haiti known for its food, culture and beauty rather than its poverty. This was the constant theme we heard throughout our trip. Together, Haitian people can lift themselves up and build a better future for their country. (Find out more at www.oxfamamerica.org/grow.) | Chefs John Besh and Aaron Sanchez traveled to Haiti as part of Oxfam's GROW campaign .
GROW is working to create sustainable agriculture models to ensure quality and quantity of future food supplies .
Besh and Sanchez were able to experience some of Haiti's rich culinary traditions . |
63,080 | b3358c6fe51933dc1f524832ba5879c8d90d22ba | By . Press Association Reporter . Alastair Cook hailed a near-perfect performance from England as they recorded their first Test win in almost a year. Victory by 266 runs over India in the third Investec Test at the Ageas Bowl ended a 10-Test run without a win - a run which featured only two draws. Cook said: 'It was a good performance right from day one, I don't think we lost a session. Every single one of the XI has contributed to a great win. 'Getting 570 (in the first innings) was a great start, then we bowled them out, got runs quickly and put pressure on them then got them out again.' VIDEO Scroll down to watch Cook feels 'weight has lifted' At last: Alastair Cook celebrates England's win over India in the third Test . VIDEO Cook feels 'weight has lifted' In an inexperienced line-up, the likes of Moeen Ali, Sam Robson, Gary Ballance and Chris Woakes had not tasted Test victory before. And Cook added: 'There was a bit of a scramble for the stumps for their first win, people will remember that for a long time.' Cook's much-needed innings of 95 in the first innings not only set the tone for big hundreds from Ballance and Ian Bell and a rapid 85 from debutant wicketkeeper Jos Buttler but eased questions over his own form. 'I said at Lord's I thought my game was heading back in the right direction and to back it up, I'm incredibly pleased,' Cook added. All smiles: Cook looked happy for the first time in a long time as England won for the first time this year . 'I was frustrated I didn't get the hundred in the first innings but to get 160 runs (in the match), I'll certainly take that.' James Anderson was named man of the match after taking five for 53 in the first innings and seven wickets in the match, while spinner Moeen wrapped up the Indian second innings with six for 67. 'His bowling has come on leaps and bounds from the beginning of the summer,' Cook said of the Worcestershire all-rounder. Taking the applause: Cook signs autographs for the fans at the Rose Bowl . 'Credit to Mo, he's worked incredibly hard. 'He's a bit part-time backing up (Saeed) Ajmal at Worcestershire but he's bowled a huge amount in the nets with the guys here.' Regarding Buttler, he added: 'It was a brilliant debut, he came in in a brilliant situation and was very attacking, it was good to watch. 'And the good thing is nobody is talking about his keeping, he had a good game all round.' | England won by 266 runs in the third Test .
Moeen Ali took six wickets in the second innings .
Series now level at 1-1 with two Tests left to play . |
125,116 | 2dbb46008f1c36a26e1b34075c15afeb4ef81ebd | By . Alex Ward . PUBLISHED: . 12:34 EST, 21 August 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 15:20 EST, 21 August 2012 . A man with no arms or legs has made history by swimming across four intercontinental channels after losing all four limbs when he was severely electrocuted. French athlete Philippe Croizon finished the final stage of his marathon swim last Friday, swimming the two mile channel in arctic waters between Alaska and Russia in extreme conditions. The 44-year-old, who had never swum before, is only the second person to swim the Bering Strait. He will now travel to London to be a French commentator at the Paralympic Games. Amputee makes history: Philippe Croizon, right, has swum all four intercontinental channels with swimming partner Arnaud Chausserie, left, after all four limbs were amputated when he was electrocuted . Arriving in Russia along with swimming partner Arnaud Chausserie last Friday, Croizon has now swum all four channels that link the world’s five continents of Oceania, Asia, Europe, Africa, and America. The final leg of their journey, the Bering Strait, was the shortest of their swims but the toughest as they swum through three degree Celsius water, six foot swells and heavy fog. Croizon became a quadruple amputee when he was severely electrocuted by a 20,000 volt charge while he attempted to install a television antenna on his roof in 1994. The burns to his limbs were so bad that they all had to be amputated but after hitting ‘rock bottom’ he was determined to set himself a seemingly impossible task. Toughest swim: While it was the shortest swim, the two mile channel, Bering Strait, was the hardest with arctic waters, six foot swell and heavy fog . Making a splash: Croizon rests on the shore in the coastal village of Pasar Skow located in Indonesia after completing his swim from Oceania to Asia which took seven-and-a-half hours in May . Wetsuit mishap: Croizon swum from Papua New Guinea to Indonesia in a customised wetsuit, pictured, but on the final journey, his specifically designed wetsuit for the arctic water did not fit and he was forced to wear a thin wetsuit in the icy water . Speaking through his translator Marc Gaviard, Croizon said: ‘The idea was to bring able-bodied and people with disabilities together and prove that having a disability doesn't have to stop you achieving what you want. ‘I hit rock bottom after the accident so I wanted to set myself a big challenge and I decided I should hope for the impossible. ‘Whilst we should look at our differences we should also look at our similarities in what we can achieve.’ From America to Asia: The journey from Alaska's Little Diomede Island to the Russian maritime border near Big Diomede Island, measured about two miles and took the swimmer about an hour and 15 minutes . Stranded during storm: The swimming pair were stranded on Little Diomede Island in Alaska for four days while they waited for a storm to pass before completing their remarkable journey . Not long after his accident, Croizon was inspired after watching an American woman swim the English Channel. Using specially adapted artificial legs fitted with giant flippers, Croizon became the first quadruple amputee to cross the 21-mile English Channel in 13.5 hours in 2010. After he crossed the channel he put his elaborate plan to swim all four intercontinental channels into action, dubbed ‘Swimming Beyond Borders’. He arrived in Alaska three weeks ago to adapt to the harsh weather conditions and during the last swim the pair were stranded on Alaska’s Little Diomede Island for four days while they waited for a storm to pass. Croizon also risked getting hypothermia because he had to wear a thin wetsuit after his customised one did not fit properly. He said: ‘The final stage of the challenge in Alaska was the hardest thing I've ever had to do because the weather conditions were so bad so I was very exhausted when we finished. ‘Water is soothing for me and a much better environment for my body compared to being in a wheelchair. ‘I've got no plans for any big challenges in the near future but “never say never” but now I'm going to get some sleep.’ Exhausted but soothing: Croizon said the last swim was the most challenging but that the water is soothing and much better than being in his wheelchair . | Philippe Croizon finished the last of four intercontinental channel swims on Friday .
He lost all four limbs after being severely electrocuted but was inspired to do the seemingly impossible, swim many miles around the world .
He arrived in Russia after swimming from Alaska on Friday .
Croizon will be in London as a French commentator at the Paralympic Games . |
221,167 | aa4d6a2c91bbc6a2b55da6c73d671c4ce4562d3c | By . Daily Mail Reporter . A married former Washington Post vice president has been found dead in a gay bar in Manhattan with drug paraphernalia near his body. Guyon Knight was found dead around 8am on Saturday in a bar called the Out in the Hell's Kitchen neighborhood of New York. The New York Post reported the circumstances of the 64-year-old's death, saying that he was seen with a needle, a pipe and unspecified pills near his body. Scene: Guyon Knight was reportedly found on the floor outside of a room where a party was being held at 8am on Saturday morning at The Out hotel in Hell's Kitchen . Knight was rushed to Roosevelt Hospital but doctor's could not save him. Calls to the medical examiner about the formal cause of death were not immediately returned. He leaves behind his wife Linda and his grown son. Knight was previously based in Washington D.C. when he worked as a vice president for the national newspaper but left the company in 2007 to work for Bellor Knight, a communications firm in Virginia. The New York Post reports that Knight and his wife live in a high rise apartment overlooking Central Park on Manhattan's Upper West Side. Former workplace: Knight worked at The Washington Post starting in 1982 and progressing to the role of vice president by the time he left the company in 2007 . The club where Knight was found describes itself as being gay-but-straight friendly, but a person familiar with the bar told MailOnline that it is mostly frequented by gay patrons. 'It would be pretty darn strange to see and old straight guy partying in there,' the source said. The 42nd Street location, where Mr Knight was found at around 8am on Saturday, has a bar, a spa and hotel rooms. Calls to Out NYC's press representatives were not immediately returned. | Guyon Knight, 64, was reportedly found dead while surrounded by drug paraphernalia .
His cause of death has not been officially released by the medical examiner .
Worked as a vice president for The Washington Post until 2007 . |
189,425 | 814d92f293b0a7c3d3015284c2e420e7e644c8eb | By . Hayley Peterson and Meghan Keneally . PUBLISHED: . 00:00 EST, 1 March 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 05:50 EST, 4 March 2013 . House Speaker John Boehner today admitted there is no easy way to stop the budget cuts dashing hopes for millions of Americans. The cuts, also called the 'sequester' began to take effect on Friday night. In an interview this morning with NBC’s Meet the Press, Mr Boehner said he wasn't sure how Washington could solve the fiscal problems that have dominated the country's politics for more than two years and he also suggested that he's not sure where the debate goes from here . Now what? House Speaker John Boehner says there is no easy way to stop the "sequester" budget cuts that took effect Friday night . 'I don't think anyone quite understands how it gets resolved,' Mr Boehner admitted during his interview with NBC’s David Gregory. President Obama and officials within his administration had warned of consequences for national security and government services if the sequester went ahead. Mr Obama has suggested new tax increases to avoid the cuts but Mr Boehner and his fellow Republicans have said that such a deal is not on the cards. Both the Republican and Democrat parties are agreed on one thing: neither wants the spending cuts to continue. Yet they've been unable to reach any agreement on an alternative measure. Where do we go from here? Both Republicans & Democrats are agreed on one thing - neither wants the spending cuts to continue... but they can't agree how to resolve the issues . Mr Boehner insists that the President should look at spending instead of attempting to push through new tax inceases. 'Every American, in these tough economic times, has to find a way to balance their budget. They've got to make choices,' Mr Boehner said. 'They expect Washington to live within its means and to make choices as well and it's time for the president and Senate Democrats to get serious about the long-term spending problem that we have.' Mr Boehner, who met March 1 with Obama and other congressional leaders, blamed Democrats for the impasse over the 'silly' cuts. He also said Republicans will hold firm in their demands for cuts in entitlement spending. SCROLL DOWN FOR VIDEO . Facing public scrutiny: Neither side looks particularly good from the sequester fight but Republicans are very supportive of Speaker John Boehner's tough approach and his refusal to negotiate . President Obama cast blame on Congress for failing to avoid the sequester cuts . 'I’ve been here for 22 years' and 'I’ve watched leaders from both parties kick this can down the road,' he . said. 'We’re out of road to kick the can down. We’ve got a long-term . spending problem that has to be addressed.’ At the same time, Mr . Boehner said Republicans have no interest in shuttering the government . later this month when Congress will have to approve budget legislation . to keep federal agencies running beyond March 27. 'We should not . have any talk of a government shutdown so I’m hopeful that the House and . Senate will be able to work through this,' he said. Mr . Obama has demanded that any plan to replace the sequester must include . new tax increases, but Mr Boehner has said the President had already . secured a tax increase in a deal he made with Republicans in December. 'American . family's wages aren't growing,' the House speaker said. 'They're being . squeezed. And as a result, we've got to find a way through our tax code . to promote more economic growth in our country. We can do this by . closing loopholes, bringing the (tax) rates down for all Americans, . making the tax code fairer. It will promote more economic growth.' Headed in without hope: Boehner agreed to nothing during the last-ditch negotiation session . On . Friday the President said it could take some time before members of . Congress agree to bargain with him on how to replace the spending cuts. He . told reporters that he hoped that as members of Congress began to hear . from constituents who are being negatively impacted they would think of a . way to move forward. 'It's going to mean hundreds of thousands . of jobs lost,' the President said. “That is real. We're not making that . up. That’s not a scare tactic, that’s a fact.' Mr Boehner . responded, 'I don't know whether it's going to hurt the economy or not. I . don't think anyone quite understands how the sequester is really going . to work.' On Saturday Obama made phone calls to both Democratic . and GOP senators to form a 'caucus of common sense' and support an . alternative to the spending cuts. Sharing his thoughts: Former presidential candidate Mitt Romney said that the sequester is not a good move for President Obama and he blamed his former opponent for 'forcing' Republicans to dig in their heels . Mr Boehner has also won himself a . big-name fan in Mitt Romney, but his support comes more at Mr Obama's . expense rather than as a result of Mr Boehner's tactics. 'Well, no one can think that that's . been a success for the President,' the former presidential candidate . said in his first post-campaign interview with Fox News Sunday. 'He . didn't think the sequester would happen. It is happening, but to date, . what we've seen is the president out campaigning to the American people, . doing rallies around the country, flying around the country and . berating Republicans and blaming and pointing. That causes the . Republicans to retrench and to put up a wall and to fight back. It's a . very natural human emotion. 'The . President has the opportunity to lead the nation and to bring . Republicans and Democrats together. It's a job he's got to do, and it's a . job only the President can do.' President . Obama officially signed off on the $85billion in spending cuts on . Friday night after congressional leaders fail to compromise on a . replacement deal, leaving thousands of Americans in fear for their . jobs. The President made his displeasure with the deal known in a formal statement from the press briefing room. 'Everybody here, . all the folks who are cleaning the floors at the Capitol … They're going . to have less pay, the janitors, the security guards. They just got a . pay cut, and they got to figure out how to manage that,' Obama said. 'That's real... that's not a scare tactic.' Obama made the remarks from the White . House following a meeting with House Speaker John Boehner and Senate . Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, as well as Democratic leaders Nancy . Pelosi and Harry Reid. Boehner emerged from the . meeting and told reporters that taxes were off the table as an option . to avoid the spending cuts, making it clear that no compromise had been . made. House Speaker John Boehner emerged from a White House meeting and declared that taxes are off the table as an option to avoid the sequester cuts . 'The discussion about revenue, in my view, is over,' he said. 'It's about taking on the spending problem.' Obama blamed Republicans for the country's predicament, claiming that there are many conservatives on Capitol Hill who agree with him, but are unwilling to say so publicly. President Obama wanted to replace the so-called sequester with a plan that would raise revenues as well as make a series of targeted spending cuts. But after making concessions on taxes in December by raising rates on the wealthiest of Americans, Republicans said they were unwilling to include new revenues in a plan to avert the sequester. The . immediate impact of the reductions remains uncertain, even as Obama has . declared it would mean 'hundreds of thousands of jobs lost.' The . administration has pulled back on earlier warnings of long lines . developing quickly at airports and teacher layoffs affecting classrooms. Because of those claims, Obama has been accused of posturing and exaggerating the effects of the cuts. His warnings of economic doom appeared to be a partial attempt to avert blame in the future if the economy begins to contract. 'Every time that we get a piece of economic news over the next month, two months or six months... We'll know that that economic news could have been better if Congress had not failed to act,' he said. Industries most affected by the cuts . will be those that rely heavily on government funding, including the . military and defense contractors. 'Communities near military bases will take a serious blow,' Obama said. 'Border patrol agents, FBI agents ... all will suffer significant pay cuts and furloughs.' While Obama warned off mass layoffs and smaller salaries as an immediate result of the cuts, he also hedged his warnings, saying, 'This is not going to be an apocalypse... It's just dumb.' He urged Congress to continue working on a plan to eventually replace the sequester. 'I don't anticipate a huge financial . crisis, but people are going to be hurt, he said. 'The economy will not grow as . quickly as it would have, unemployment will not go down as quickly as it . would have.' Mr Boehner said Congress will move next week on a measure to maintain government funding after March 27th. Department of Defense . Homeland Security . Transportation and Recreation . Public Schools . Federal Workers . Health and Safety . | House Speaker John Boehner says the cuts have dominated the country's politics for the last two years but is unsure where the debate goes from here .
Boehner says he's 'unsure whether the cuts will hurt the economy or not'
Obama said the cuts will mean 'hundreds of thousands of jobs lost'
President blamed the 'dumb' cuts on Republicans but conservatives see it as a win for their tough approach on spending cuts .
President officially signed off on the sequester on Friday night . |
48,197 | 880bd503c28ea8e0072e255e107231448e9228ad | When the republican revolutionaries set up their barricades in Paris in 1832, they had a lot more on their mind than setting off a smoke alarm. But as the cast of Les Miserables started to recreate the scenes at a world-famous London theatre this afternoon, the building's electrical equipment had other ideas. Some 1,200 people had to be evacuated from the Queen's Theatre in Shaftesbury Avenue, 17 minutes into today's matinee performance of the West End show. Scroll down for video . The cast of Les Miserables were seen milling about the streets of London this afternoon after the matinee performance of the West End show was evacuated after 17 minutes . The cast, dressed in full 19th Century attire, were at one point even seen giving directions to passing tourists . The entire audience, as well as the cast, had to be ousted from the theatre after part of the tranformer over-heated, leading to a fire alert. The incident led to bizarre scenes in central London, as cast members - dressed in full 19th Century attire - milled around the Soho streets, waiting for news. As hundreds gathered in the road outside the building, the revolutionaries were even seen handing out directions to passing tourists. Once the drama had died down, the official Les Miserables Twitter feed posted: 'The show is back on tonight, and we haven't burnt much energy... So we're gunna be on fire!!' Fire crews were called to the incident just before 4pm this afternoon. Everyone inside had to be evacuated from the building as a precaution. A spokeswoman for LFB said: 'There has been no fire but a transformer in part of the threatre has overheated. The auditorium itself has not been affected. Fire crews were called to the incident just before 4pm this afternoon and everyone inside had to be evacuated from the building as a precaution. A spokeswoman for the London Fire Brigade said there was no fire but a transformer in part of the threatre had overheated . 'Two fire engines are on standby to oversee work by the UK Power Network. Around 1,200 persons had already been evacuated as a precaution before the arrival of the crews.' Grace Perry tweeted: 'Half way through watching a play and the whole of Shaftesbury avenue decides to have a powercut. Brill' She added that after being evacuated the cast, who were still in costume, were helping by 'just wondering (sic) round giving people directions'. The Queen's Theatre on Shaftesbury Avenue. The London production is the world's longest-running musical . People took to Twitter to wish the crew best wishes as they wandered around London in their costumes . Another said: 'Bless all the cast wandering the streets of London in full costume. Those little troopers!' While another person added: 'Hope everyone is ok and not to (sic) cold/embarrassed to be standing outside in their costumes.' Another said: 'People walking past must have thought "another revolution"! Hope are all OK. Audience members said on Twitter that they experienced a black out half-way through the show. The London production of Les Miserables is the world's longest running musical where it played 7,602 performances at the Palace Theatre before transferring to the Queen's Theatre where it opened in April 2004, according to the show's website. This year it will celebrate its 30th anniversary in London. | 1,200 people were evacuated from Queen's Theatre in Shaftesbury Avenue .
London Fire Brigade said electrical equipment overheated during matinee .
Cast members were seen mingling in full costume in Soho area of London .
One audience member tweeted that some were giving directions to tourists .
Theatre confirmed show will resume tonight, tweeting: 'We're gonna be on fire!' |
111,037 | 1b2ebf79d031b12a71ed32109afcabd570572e9d | The campaign of airstrikes against ISIS in Syria has pitted several Arab countries into action alongside the United States. Analysts say the involvement of leading Sunni Muslim nations in a fight against the Sunni extremism of ISIS is crucial. "I think that's very important going forward as it does show that we've got some regional buy-in, it shows that there are Arab countries willing to put their reputations on the line," said retired Lt. Col. Rick Francona, an Air Force veteran intelligence officer and CNN military analyst. But there are also some U.S. allies and regional powers that are conspicuous by their absence from the new phase of the conflict with ISIS. Here's the lowdown on who's taking part and why -- and who's staying on the sidelines. Who's in . Saudi Arabia: The largest and most influential Gulf nation has fought with U.S. forces in previous conflicts, including Operation Desert Storm in the 1990s. ISIS' rapid gains in Syria and Iraq have raised alarm in the oil-rich kingdom. The Saudi government has already agreed to train moderate rebel fighters on its soil, according to U.S. officials. Jordan: The Arab kingdom has experienced a lot of spillover from the unrest in Syria and Iraq. It has received large numbers of refugees across its borders with both countries. Jordan's involvement in the airstrikes is part of its "position on combating terrorism and protecting its security and borders," Jordanian government spokesman Mohammed Al Momani told CNN Arabic. The country also claims to have strong intelligence resources on ISIS. United Arab Emirates: The country was previously reported to have offered to support the U.S. attacks against ISIS. It is also hosting Australian combat jets on its soil. The UAE contributed aircraft to the international coalition that intervened in Libya in 2011. Bahrain: A key U.S. ally in the region, the island nation of Bahrain houses the U.S. Navy's Fifth Fleet. As a regularly participant in U.S.-led coalitions, its involvement in the airstrikes isn't surprising. Qatar: The Gulf nation had already flown a number of humanitarian flights to help anti-ISIS efforts in Iraq. But its involvement in the military strikes in Syria significantly raises its commitment. Qatar has strained relations with Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates over its willingness to provide refuge for members of the Muslim Brotherhood, which espouses a political Islam feared by several other governments in the region. Who's not . Turkey: A NATO member and one of the hardest-hit countries by shock waves from the Syrian civil war, Turkey's absence from the first wave of airstrikes will raise some eyebrows. The country is absorbing vast numbers of refugees from the conflict and is seen as a major transit point for foreign fighters joining ISIS and other armed groups. Until recently, the country had one strong reason to stay out of military action against ISIS: 49 of its citizens, including senior diplomats and their families, were being held hostage by the militants. Those captives were released over the weekend. How Turkey's role in the fight against ISIS evolves from here will be closely watched. Egypt: Another large, influential Middle Eastern nation that receives substantial U.S. military aid. Egypt is considered to have the air power to conduct strikes where it wants in the region. Cairo has denied recent assertions that it and the UAE had carried out secret airstrikes against Islamists in Libya. Iran: The Islamic Republic is a hugely influential player in both Syria and Iraq, where it supports the Shiite-led governments. ISIS' Sunni extremism is a fierce challenge to Iran's sway in the region, but Tehran's long-standing tensions with Washington make any link to the coalition extremely tricky. Earlier this month, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei rejected the idea of cooperation, accusing the United States of planning to use military action against ISIS to "dominate the region." United Kingdom: A close ally to the U.S. in recent conflicts in the Middle East, the U.K. says it isn't involved in the airstrikes on ISIS in Syria. ISIS has already killed one British hostage this month and has threatened the life of another. Reports in the British media suggest Prime Minister David Cameron may seek parliamentary approval to participate in airstrikes against ISIS in Iraq. Cameron has previously pledged to help arm Kurdish forces fighting ISIS and continue supplying humanitarian help. France: The French military began airstrikes against ISIS in Iraq last week, using Rafale fighter jets to attack a logistics warehouse. But Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius said Monday that France doesn't plan to expand the attacks into Syria. "The French President has said we do not have intention to do the same in Syria, I mean by air," he said at the Council of Foreign Relations in New York. But Paris will help "the moderate opposition in Syria," he said. Netherlands: The Dutch military will contribute six F-16 fighter jets and 250 troops to carry out airstrikes and train Iraqi and Kurdish forces in the fight against ISIS in Iraq, the Dutch Foreign Ministry said. The Dutch F-16s, which will be based outside of Iraq, will be used in Iraq for a period up to 12 months, the ministry said. Of the troops being deployed, 130 will be focused on training Iraqi forces, it said. Belgium: A long-standing ally of the United States and the UK, Belgium is seeking the approval of Parliament to send six fighter jets to participate in the bombing campaign against ISIS in Iraq, Foreign Minister Didier Reynders said. There is no plan to send ground troops. Maps: Arab nations join U.S., expand fight against terror to Syria . | Belgium and Netherlands will participate in strikes in Iraq, but not Syria .
Saudi Arabia, Jordan, the UAE, Bahrain and Qatar joined the U.S. in airstrikes .
But other close allies and regional powers stayed out of the fray .
The future role of NATO member Turkey, heavily affected by the Syrian conflict, remains unclear . |
128,675 | 32433f8681d25d7520f3cb1d8324e5a241802497 | By . Mark Duell . PUBLISHED: . 10:25 EST, 18 December 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 13:19 EST, 18 December 2012 . Two fisherman rescued in the Russian wilderness ate the corpse of their . friend in order to survive after vanishing in one of the most remote . places in the world, it was reported yesterday. Alexander Abdullaev, 37, and Alexei Gradulenko, 35, were plucked to . safety by a helicopter having survived temperatures lower than -30C . three months after embarking on their Yakutia fishing trip. Police discovered fragments of a human corpse at their campsite, which . prompted officers to launch a murder probe amid cannibalism concerns. But officers now believe they ate the man after he died. Survivor: Alexander Abdullaev is one of two men suspected of resorting to cannabalism in order to survive . Warmed up: Alexei Gradulenko, 35, was plucked to safety by a helicopter having survived the temperatures . ‘During questioning, one of the witnesses testified that cannibalism did . indeed take place,’ a source close to the investigation told the . Russian newspaper Komsomolskaya Pranda. ‘It was not murder.’ The source added that Mr Abdullaev and Mr Gradulenko ate the man after . he died from the harsh conditions. The two survivors were not arrested . but had been treated as witnesses in a murder case. The group of four men went missing in August during their trip in the . Russian Far East, and these dramatic pictures showed two of them being rescued and . taken to safety at the end of November. Mr Abdullayev confessed that he and Mr Gradulenko fed themselves with . the flesh of Andrei Kurochkin, 44, for weeks after he froze to death, . investigators told Yakutia newsite NVPress.ru. Dramatic survival: The pair, who survived for three months, in their rescue helicopter in November . Found: The group of four men went missing in August during their trip in the Russian Far East . Mr Abdullayev was flown out by investigators to find the fourth man, . Viktor Komarov, 47, and they did discover the fishermen's UAZ jeep – but failed . to find Mr Komarov either alive or dead. The survivors strongly denied they killed their friends and claimed to . have left them at a deserted gold digger's house while they tried to . seek help, reported the Siberian Times earlier this month. Mr Abdullaev and Mr Gradulenko were found by the Sutam River around 155 . miles from the nearest town of Neryungri. The men had covered 94 miles . on foot after their jeep broke down. Reports of cannibalism have previously emerged in Russia during some of the darkest periods of the country's past. There were said to be instances of cannibalism in remote Gulags - the Soviet system of forced labour camps established under Stalin. In 1933, 6,000 people were deported en masse from Moscow and Leningrad to isolated Nazino Island in Western Siberia. The plan was for settlers to bring virgin land into production and ultimately become self-sufficient. In reality, they were abandoned on a desolate island with nothing to eat but flour, a few tools, and insufficient clothing. Already weak from the five day journey to the island, during which they received virtually no food, the settlers were given only flour to mix with river water upon arrival, and malnutrition and dysentery was widespread. Reports of people resorting to cannibalism in near anarchical conditions on the island were rife. Of 6,000 people deported to Nazino, 4,000 died. The devastating famine caused by the two and a half year Siege of Leningrad, which lasted from September 8 1941 until January 27 1944 and saw around 800,000 people starve to death, led to rumours and reports of cannibalism emerging after supplies of birds, rats and pets had been exhausted. During the winter from 1941 to 1942, there were reports of hungry gangs attacking and eating people. Police in Leningrad were said to have established a special unit to combat cannibalism, and 260 people were reportedly jailed for the crime during this period. Sorry we are unable to accept comments for legal reasons. | Alexander Abdullaev, 37, and Alexei Gradulenko, 35, were plucked to .
safety .
Police initially launched murder probe after men were rescued in November .
But investigators now believe men ate their friend after he froze to death .
Four men were lost for three months in harsh conditions in Yakutia, Russia . |
253,511 | d4234826e5c0c322086bc3f15010c092f611fdfd | 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 . |
130,793 | 35253ea569742d01796c3f813863a460bafeb0dd | Former President Bill Clinton said Tuesday that although the conflict in Syria will mean "an extended involvement" for the United States, airstrikes in the region do not mean "a prolonged involvement in a land war." "Yes, I think it will be going on awhile," Clinton said during an interview with CNBC's Becky Quick. "I think we will be involved in this as long as someone is trying to have total control, particularly if it is ISIS." Later, Clinton said, "We don't need to be there on the ground and I don't think it means a land war in Iraq." His earlier comments on a land war came in the context of Syria. A coalition of countries, including the United States, launched overnight airstrikes against the terrorist group ISIS in Syria. Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Jordan and Qatar all participated in the operation, the U.S. military said. "The strength of this coalition makes it clear to the world that this is not America's fight alone," President Barack Obama said on Tuesday before Clinton's comments. "Above all, the people and governments in the Middle East are rejecting (ISIS) and standing up for the peace and security that the people of the region and the world deserve." Clinton said that the conflict would not last for years and recognized that "no one expects in the world we are living in now that every threat can be eliminated." "I think it will be an extended involvement with air power and with providing intelligence and other institutional support to the people who are fighting ISIS and trying to create a more inclusive set of governments in the Middle East," Clinton said. The former President, who in the past has been somewhat critical of Obama's Syria policy, said Tuesday that he backed the President's airstrikes. "I actually think in this case the President, the administration's strategy has a chance to succeed," said the former President. "But I wouldn't expect it the day after tomorrow, I think it is going to take awhile." Most positive reaction to air strikes comes from Obama's critics . | Former President Bill Clinton doubts U.S. involvement in Syria will last years .
He believes President Obama's strategy against ISIS "has a chance to succeed"
In the past, Clinton has sometimes been critical of Obama's Syria policy . |
29,474 | 53c44f18efd4b4d2e8fa19935b748d67c4bba830 | By . Leon Watson . PUBLISHED: . 05:53 EST, 16 August 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 05:03 EST, 18 August 2012 . An aerial assault has been launched on the mosquito population of Dallas for the first time in 45 years in a bid to combat the spread of deadly West Nile virus. Aircraft loaded with insecticide have sprayed parts of the north east of Dallas County, after the virus killed 10 people and left at least 230 more ill. Although commonplace in other major cities, the efforts have provoked a debate in the Dallas area between health officials trying to reduce the risk of disease and residents concerned about the dangers posed by the chemical cloud drifting down from above them. Preparing for action: An aircraft carrying insecticide is loaded with fuel before taking off to spray parts of Dallas County as part of the battle against the spread of the West Nile virus . Battle: An aircraft sprays insecticide over part of Dallas County . 'I cannot have any more deaths on my conscience because we did not take action,' Dallas mayor Mike Rawlings said. Aerial . spraying is also being used elsewhere, including in neighborhoods in . New York City and Sacramento, California, to combat the spread of West . Nile virus. Cases of West Nile Virus have also been reported in the Chicago area, with officials spraying the nearby town of Skokie with insecticide. Two people have been taken ill with the virus in Skokie, while the Chicago suburb of Lake County has reported its first case. State of emergency: The Culex quinquefasciatus mosquito is associated with transmission of the West Nile virus . Nearly half of all West Nile cases in . the United States so far this year are in Texas, however, according to . the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. If the trend continues, 2012 will be the worst West Nile year in the southern state's history. The hot, dry weather has created ideal conditions for some species of mosquito. The heat speeds up their life cycle, which accelerates the virus's replication process. And during a drought, standing water can quickly turn stagnant when it's not flushed away by rain or runoff. Dallas mayor Mike Rawlings, pictured with his wife Micky, has declared a state of emergency in his city . Parts of north Dallas are being sprayed with insecticide to combat the spread of the virus . A gravid trap (left), in a field near Spruce High School in Dallas, is part of the mosquito control efforts by the Dallas County Mosquito Lab. First Lieutenant Carol Calix (right) examines a mosquito through a microscope at the U.S. Army Center for Health Promotion and Preventive Medicine-North in Maryland (File picture) Byron Chism, mosquito technician at Dallas County Mosquito Lab, holds a trap while collecting mosquitoes . Covering up: Jenny Wegley is seen wading into waist-deep water to guide protective tarps over koi ponds at the Dallas Arboretum . Ponds' protection: The arboretum had crews out working to cover about 8,000 square feet of ponds with tarps to protect the aquatic ecosystems from insecticide that will be sprayed over the city from aircraft . Both the mayor and Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins have declared a state of . emergency and voiced their support for the use of aircraft to battle the virus. Yet even with the threat of . infection, the spraying has sparked widespread opposition from people . who fear the chemicals could be harmful. Because of the severity of the outbreak, the Texas Health Department is stepping in to oversee the effort and to pay for it. Research: Mosquito technician Daryl Beckwith looks through the mosquitos as local, state and federal officials are set to meet to discuss options for responding to the growing number of West Nile virus cases . Prevention: The mosquitoes seen in a laboratory will help researchers fight the disease's spread . Sorting: These dead mosquitoes await sorting at the Dallas County mosquito lab . 'This year is totally different from . the experience Texas has had in the past,' state Health Commissioner Dr. David Lakey said. 'If it's nuisance mosquitoes, we ask the city or . county to pay part of that. But in the midst of this disease outbreak, . it's easier for us to go ahead and do it.' A national spraying . company called Clarke was set to deploy two to five Beechcraft King Air . twin-engine planes for three hours of spraying. Close eye: Mosquito tech Spencer Lockwood is seen sorting the mosquitoes beneath a microscope at the Dallas County mosquito lab . Critics . have questioned whether the approach is scientifically proven to . reduce West Nile cases. But at least one study in California concluded . that the odds of infection are about six times lower in treated areas . than in those that are untreated. Still, some residents fear the chemicals could harm their children, pets and useful insects such as honeybees and ladybugs. Plans: Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings talks about aerial spraying to curb the spread of West Nile virus while standing before one of the Beechcraft aircraft being used to administer the insecticide . Target areas: A map of Dallas County highlights the areas that were planned to be sprayed by air on Thursday night . Chemical released from the planes, synthetic pyrethroid, mimics a . naturally occurring substance found in chrysanthemums. The Environmental . Protection Agency has said that pyrethroids do not pose a significant . risk to wildlife or the environment, though no pesticide is 100 percent . safe. About eight-tenths of an ounce of chemical is applied per acre. The . insecticide's common name is Duet Dual-Action Adulticide. Dr David Lakey, commissioner with the Texas Department of State Health Services, speaks to area media about the spraying of mosquitoes in Dallas County . West Nile Virus (WNV) is found in . both temperate and tropical regions, having been first identified in the . West Nile region of Uganda in 1937. It mainly infects birds and horses, and human infection is almost always transmitted through the bite of an infected mosquito. Symptoms include fever, headache, excessive sweating), weakness, drowsiness and, pain in the joints. Stronger strains of the virus can inuce nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea. The most dangerous form can lead to unconsciousness, sometimes approaching near-coma, and death. Up to 80 per cent of human infections do not show any symptoms. WNV . emerged as a distinct virus around 1,000 years ago, developing into two . distinct forms. One has been transmitted in Africa and around the . world, while the other has been confined to Africa - although it has been recently detected in horses Europe. The label . says it's toxic to fish and other types of aquatic life, and it contains . distilled petroleum. Kelly Nash, . who lives in Dallas and works for an environmental consulting firm, has questioned the move. 'One . ounce an acre doesn't sound like much, but we will spray at least 2,000 . gallons all over the city,' Nash said. 'A 2,000-gallon oil spill would . be significant. 'I'm concerned that we're breeding resistant mosquitoes . that next time will have Dengue fever or something worse.' Harris . County, which includes humid, mosquito-filled Houston, has used aerial . spraying once a year since 2002, the year the virus was first detected . in Texas. 'We can't be everywhere at all . times,' Mosquito Control Director Dr. Rudy Bueno said. 'Aerial treatment . is a way to supplement what we do on the ground.' Most people . infected with West Nile virus won't get sick, but about one in 150 . people will develop the severe form of the illness. Symptoms include . headache, high fever, neck stiffness, disorientation, coma, tremors, . convulsions, muscle weakness and paralysis. Jordan Conner, 14, spent . eight days in intensive care with the most severe form of West Nile . virus. Her mother, Ebonie Conner of Arlington, said she doesn't approve . of aerial spraying and wishes local leaders would do more to educate the . community. 'We've been desensitized to West Nile virus,' Mrs Conner . said. 'It's been ingrained in us that it affects older people and . infants. 'I think they need to pass out insect repellent, mention it in . back-to-school drives.' | Aircraft used to spray mosquitoes with insecticide over Dallas for the first time in nearly 50 years .
Around half of all cases of West Nile virus in the US this year have been in Texas .
Hot, dry weather has created an ideal environment for the mosquitoes to breed . |
271,392 | eb87cfded3f22aca5c6de5595c54a99e19695935 | By . Larisa Brown . PUBLISHED: . 13:45 EST, 26 November 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 02:39 EST, 27 November 2012 . It may not be the most obvious solution to keep the flooding at bay. But homeowner Andy Ford held back 2ft of flood water by sealing his property with plasticine. The 32-year-old was bestowed the advice by his neighbour Tad Mandziej, who successfully protected his own home from gushing torrents using the modelling clay. Tad Mandziej, 70, from Williton, with the plasticine he used to save his neighbour's house from flooding after protecting his own home using the material . Mr Ford was horrified when a torrent breached flood gates at his 17th century cottage in Williton, Somerset. After Mr Mandziej's suggestion of clay, . Mr Ford sealed the doors before fleeing through a window. When he returned home the next day he was delighted to find just a few inches of water on the ground - compared to 2ft in neighbouring homes. Mr Ford, an account manager for cheese producer Cricketer Farm, said: 'Our house was flooded 12 years ago and so the old owner had flood gates installed. 'But the water began coming over the top of them, which was horrific. 'I was outside my home wondering what I could do when my neighbour Tad came over with a sack of plasticine. Sticky situation: Mr Mandziej holding the trusty clay which has prevented two houses being submerged in flood waters . 'The water was already up to my knees around the back of the house, around 18 inches deep. I quickly put the plasticine around the back porch and door frame. 'I then used it to plug gaps in the flood gates, even though it was raining, and our front door too. 'It definitely contributed to us not getting flooded like a lot of our neighbours. They had a couple of feet.' Mr Ford and wife Emma, 30, who works part time in insurance, moved into their picturesque two-bedroomed home three years ago. The area regularly floods in heavy rain and so many of the properties have flood gates installed outside. The two families in Williton, West Somerset, sealed the windows and doors with the plasticine . Mr Mandziej, 70, his neighbour who brought over the sack of commercial plasticine for professional model makers, said: 'We have a very old house and outside we have air bricks and in order to stop the water getting in I just make a sheet of the plasticine and then put it around them. 'It is incredible how water tight it is. It just fills the gaps. 'I passed some to Andy after I had done my house because I saw him flailing around and complaining the water was seeping through into his house. 'I told him to try the plasticine and he did and it stopped seeping in. He pushed it in between the cracks and it stopped the water. 'We have a problem in the sense that we are very susceptible to the water just tanking up, the flood waters just stops there and doesn’t move. 'This is the third flooding I have experienced, I didn’t use the plasticine the first time but I did the last time and it worked. 'So when I saw this guy getting frantic the idea flashed back into my head.' Water began pouring into the couple's home at around midnight on Saturday, following hours of torrential rain that battered the South West. They fled the property with 16-month-old daughter Elizabeth after Andy sealed the door and gates. The family are currently staying at Emma’s parents nearby as dehumidifiers dry out out their home. Mr Ford added: 'Hopefully the damage won’t be too bad. I would never have thought of the plasticine before but it was a great idea, it certainly helped.' | Andy Ford held back 2ft of flood water by sealing his 17th century cottage .
Neighbour Tad Mandziej gave him the advice after using plasticine himself . |
74,878 | d449525864b40e8886a68f1ca7b891f99bacddf4 | Shots: 5 . Shots on target: 0 . Goals: 0 . Touches: 50 . Touches in the box: 10 . Diego Costa's proposed transfer to Chelsea will have excited many fans before the World Cup. But after some dismal displays for Spain, some may be hoping Jose Mourinho has a change of heart. Samuel Eto'o and Fernando Torres were criticised for their lack of potency all season, and for their lack of desire to break into the box. But with the world champions crashed out of the tournament in Brazil, Costa barely tried to influence play against the brave Chileans. VIDEO Scroll down to see Costa nutmegged by soon-to-be Chelsea team-mate Azpilcueta . Flopped: Diego Costa failed to inspire Spain as they were dumped out of the World Cup by Chile . Not in the game: Costa has had five shots in the tournament but is yet to hit the target . Not involved: Costa has touched the ball 50 times in the tournament... (Chile left and Holland right) Embarrassing: Costa is replaced by Chelsea flop Torres... will Diego be the next one? Costa was praised after a fine campaign with Atletico Madrid for his all-action style, creating and scoring chances out of nothing, displaying some of the raw power Didier Drogba showed during his legendary stint at Stamford Bridge. Mourinho has admitted that Costa was the star striker he was after this summer, with Eto'o and Torres grabbing a total of 14 goals between them in the Premier League last season. The World Cup was his chance to show what he was all about. But after zero shots on target and just 21 touches so far in the tournament, his reputation could begin to slide. With Brazil crying out for a dominant centre forward, Costa may regret not making the decision to ply for his home country, instead of figuring in Spain's tiki-taka system which is out of date, and out of ideas. In fairness to the target man, it simply doesn't suit his style. Mourinho has a habit of getting the best out of players like Costa, and while his confidence may be restored quickly upon returning from South America, English football demands more of an impact for a £32million rated star. Loser: Costa sits on the bench as the Spanish side are knocked out . Head in hands: Chile blew Spain away in the first half, with two goals from Vargas and Aranguiz . VIDEO Costa on verge of Chelsea switch . | Costa has touched the ball just 50 times in the World Cup .
Zero goals, zero shots on target, just 10 touches in the box .
Spain beaten 2-0 by Chile, knocked out of the tournament . |
182,396 | 7831f760450c67ad2b62d3f7583eb32816e7d9a3 | New York (CNN) -- Some families of 9/11 victims say they are confused, anxious and surprised as the 10th anniversary approaches because they have not received invitations to the Sunday ceremony opening the ground zero memorial. Gillian Joseph, who lost her husband Stephen in the terrorist attack on the World Trade Center, said she is thinking of canceling her plans to attend the memorial because the whole thing seems so disorganized. "There was no notification. I made reservations not knowing what the final plans were. I still haven't received an official invitation," Joseph said. She added that the last thing she wants for herself and her 12-year-old son is have to deal with a large crowd and make a "hard day even harder." Joseph said she has made several calls to the New York mayor's office about her missing invitation without hearing back. So did Ansu Philip, who said the mayor's office finally told her after several days of calling that she would be receiving the invitation last week but she still has not received it. It's been 10 days since she spoke to the mayor's office, and she is anxious to make sure she and her relatives can attend the memorial to honor her daughter, Sneha Anne Philip. And a widow who did not wish to be identified told CNN while she did not receive an official invitation, she assumed there would be some kind of memorial. "We made plans knowing that something was going to happen. My friend will take us with her. She got two invitations, I got none," she said. The woman still feels she should have gotten her own invitation, especially since she says she has never had any problems receiving memorial notifications in the past. "I'm appalled, surprised, and irritated. This just makes things more difficult," the widow said. The confusion and anxieties surround official invitations -- or lack of them -- for the Sunday morning service that will mark the opening of the National September 11 Memorial at ground zero. The ceremony starting at 8:30 a.m. will include the reading of the names of victims and two moments of silence to mark the times the towers were hit. Family members will be allowed in the memorial, where they will see for the first time their loved ones' names inscribed in bronze. Meanwhile, New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg's office said in a statement on Sunday: "We communicate regularly with the family members and have recently sent out letters and e-mails about this year's ceremony. Family members have direct access to our staff for any questions that arise, and we'll have staff on site that day to resolve any issues. So while we apologize for any confusion, there is no reason for any family member to be concerned about not being able to attend the ceremony." Joe Daniels is the president and CEO of the 9/11 memorial. He said he has reached out to victims' families, letting them know that if they have not yet received an official invitation, they will be able to use alternate methods to identify themselves for admission to the ceremony. "I want to assure you that nothing has changed from years past in terms of access to the ceremony," Daniels said. That offers little consolation to family members who want a real invitation that will guarantee them entry. Lois Paterson-Gallo worries that trying to get into the ceremony with other identification methods will complicate getting in, and that will add more stress and anxiety. "I want the official invitation to cut down on the hassle the day of the memorial. I don't feel totally comfortable that this is going to work," she said. Laurie Mirak, whose husband died on 9/11, is traveling and said she won't be back home to get her invitation until after September 11, if in fact it arrives. She has been relying on a website for the 9/11 community of families -- Voices of September 11th -- for information. She plans to bring her husband's death certificate to gain entry to the memorial. Mirak said she is planning on taking part in all of the memorials for her husband and the other victims, and has invitations to all events -- except the ground zero memorial ceremony Sunday morning. Not everyone has had a problem receiving an invitation, though. Elaine Hughes, whose son Kris died on 9/11, received her cardboard invitation in the mail two weeks ago. She thinks the whole issue of invitations is getting blown out of proportion and is confident that "if you're a family member, they're going to let you in." Patricia Tamuccio, who lost a son, was anxious until her invitation arrived in the mail last Thursday. She plans to bring other relatives and she received a notice telling her that she was permitted to bring guests. David de Vere from the United Kingdom, who lost a relative on 9/11, received his invitation in plenty of time to plan a visit and he said he wonders if some people just weren't in the correct database. | A ceremony Sunday morning will open the 9/11 memorial at ground zero .
Some families of 9/11 victims say they have yet to receive invitations .
The mayor's office says staff on site that day will resolve any issues of admission .
"There is no reason for any family member to be concerned" |
245,547 | c9d203a4f0aea7970407bd88ade21e333cadd389 | By . Bianca London . PUBLISHED: . 04:47 EST, 28 June 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 04:47 EST, 28 June 2013 . Family chats are becoming a thing of the past as the majority of parents now communicate regularly with their children through social network sites, according to a new report out today. A staggering seven in ten parents have admitted to now using social sites such as Facebook and Twitter as a regular channel of communication in their family. And more than one in ten admit they didn’t have meaningful chats in person with their children at all throughout a typical week. Tech family: A staggering seven in ten parents have admitted to now using social sites such as Facebook and Twitter as a regular channel of communication in their familyis . It has been revealed that the average Brit has just six face-to-face conversations with others in their family each week – that's less than one a day. Instead, we send five emails on an . average week, post on walls three times a week and comment on photos . twice a week via social networking sites. Furthermore, over a third of parents claim to rely heavily on other social websites such as Pinterest and Instagram to really understand what makes their child tick. An overwhelming 62 per cent of those parents quizzed revealed that they checked what their children were 'liking' or 'wanting to be seen in' at least once a day. 80 per cent of those parents who keep an eye on things that their child has shown an interest in online - whether it’s a hobby or an item of clothing or a place to go to - say it has significantly helped their relationship with their child. However, nearly all (98 per cent) admitted to not really wanting to be 'friends' with or 'followers' of their children, but felt that they needed to as this was the only way they would get the quickest response. Prying eyes: Over a third of parents claim to rely heavily on other social websites such as Pinterest and Instagram to really understand what makes their child tick . Andrew Hewitt, co-founder of Iam150/, who carried out the research, said: 'It’s definitely a sign of the times that parents are using social tools as the main way to communicate with and understand their children. 'Who would have thought ten years ago that the web would play such a big part in a family’s everyday life? 'Our research clearly shows that it’s these technically adept parents who are the smart ones as they’ve realised that children can hide the majority of content in their Facebook feed from them so their “friendship” with their child can be meaningless. 'Instead they have turned to things like Pinterest to understand what their children are really about.' Professor Karen Pine, Psychologist at University of Hertfordshire added: 'As children develop and are able to spend more time away from their parents it leaves mothers and fathers ignorant of what their children are doing, and also feeling they know them less well. 'This survey reminds us that it is vital that parents keep up with technology and become familiar with the social tools used by the younger generation. This way the tech savvy parents will be better able to keep tabs on their children. 'By being able to see what their child likes and dislikes online they may also gain better insight into their child's behaviour. This will not only enhance the parent-child relationship but may also help ensure child safety on-line. 'Although face-to-face communication is important for healthy family functioning, we also all have to accept that we live in a digital age and need to adapt to new ways of interacting.' Catching their attention: Nearly all parents admitted to not really wanting to be 'friends' with their children online, but felt that they needed to as this was the only way they would get the quickest response . | One in ten admit they don't have meaningful chats in person with children .
Average Brit has just six face-to-face conversations with family per week .
Over a third of parents rely on social media to understand their children . |
181,419 | 76dd0de0125c2c560230d7eeb83e5fd678b24479 | By . Sara Malm and Jill Reilly . PUBLISHED: . 14:16 EST, 2 January 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 15:13 EST, 2 January 2013 . Victim: 17-year-old Dogan Ismail who was stabbed to death on Sunday . The family of a teenager stabbed to . death protecting his younger brother during a row over a stolen phone is demanding justice. Dogan Ismail, 17, died after being knifed in the chest on Sunday afternoon at a block of flats in Walworth, south-east London. The sixth-form student and his younger . brother Orhan, 15, had gone to retrieve a stolen BlackBerry . when they were confronted by up to four youths and a row broke out. The brothers' cousin Sultan Orun, 25, said Orhan fought to save his brother's life but was unable to stem the blood. Dogan collapsed in his brother's arms and Orhan was holding his chest to stop the blood. 'He said this picture of the stabbing will stay in his memory for the rest of his life,' she said. According to his cousin Dogan was a . committed student and 'family boy' who dreamed of running his own . business who had never been in any trouble with the police. 'Why did they do this over a stupid . phone? I hate them,' she told the Evening Standard. 'They took him away . from me. There has got to be justice.' The mobile phone had previously been stolen by a trio of pupils - that Orhan recognised from his school - as he walked home from playing football. Two days later he received a message saying: 'If you come here we will give it back to you,' according to The Sun. The pair headed to Latimer House to retrieve the phone, but instead one of the boys pulled out a knife and stabbed Dogan in the chest at the top of a stairwell. The teenager bled to death as his younger brother tried desperately to save his life. Orhan later told his family: 'He made to give back the phone, but instead brought a knife from behind his back and stabbed Dogan in the chest. 'His last words were, ‘Oh my God, you have stabbed me!’ The guy just calmly walked away.' Police have now taken the unusual step of naming a youth wanted for questioning in connection with Dogan's death. Dawda Jallow, 15, from the Peckham . area, is described as black, clean shaven with cropped black afro hair, . 5ft 5in tall and slightly built. He was spotted on a bus eight hours after the killing, detectives revealed today. The CCTV footage is the only confirmed sighting of murder suspect whom police believe could have been wearing the same clothes when he was seen on a No. 35 bus from Camberwell Green in south London to Newington Causeway at 10.31pm on December 30th. Appeal: This CCTV image released by London Metropolitan Police shows Dawda Jallow in a black jacket on a bus which he boarded at Camberwell Green at 10.19pm and got off at 10.32pm at Newington Causeway . He has brown eyes and speaks with a London accent, although he is a Gambian national. Detective Chief Inspector Matt Bonner . of the Homicide and Serious Crime Command, leading the investigation, . said: 'I am seeking help from the local community to locate Dawda . Jallow. I appeal to anyone who knows of his whereabouts, or has any . information that could assist us, to come forward. 'If Dawda is seen, please do not approach him but contact police. 'I appeal direct to Dawda to present himself at a police station so this matter can be dealt with.' Speaking at a press conference this afternoon DCI Bonner said: ‘Anybody who knows where he is or is thinking about offering him assistance whether that’s food, accommodation or money should think twice about it and give us a call instead. ‘I’ve thought long and hard about releasing his identity, but this is a serious incident and we need to speak to him and I believe this is a good way of prompting that.’ DCI Bonner said he did not believe the killing was gang related and added that police believe the suspect, who is from nearby Peckham, would stay in the local area. Police carrying out investigations into the latest incident while flowers remain lying in tribute following the death of a 21-year-old man in September . Dogan, a business student at Walworth Academy, was of Turkish origin and lived in nearby Peckham. The Metropolitan Police and London . Ambulance Service were called to Latimer House, Beaconsfield Road, at . 4.20pm, where the victim, from Peckham, south-east London, was . subsequently pronounced dead. A 15-year-old boy has been arrested . on suspicion of murder and a 39-year-old woman on suspicion of . perverting the course of justice, and were yesterday bailed. Mr Bonner added: 'My thoughts go out . to Dogan's family, who have been left devastated by his senseless . killing. That it should happen at this time of year is all the more . tragic. I would like to urge anyone with information about this incident . to come forward and speak with my officers or, if they would prefer to . remain anonymous, Crimestoppers. Neighbours in the area have said they are living in fear following the second incident in a matter of months . The murder scene is yards from where . 21-year-old Shaun Chambers died on September 26 after being stabbed in . an apparent gang-related killing. Mr Chambers, 21, from Greenwich, was stabbed in the heart. However Mr Bonner said there was 'no evidence' to suggest Dogan's death was gang related. He said: 'I know there will also be . local speculation about the fact that this murder took place on the same . spot that Shaun Chambers was killed on 26 September, but I would like . to make clear that there is no link between the incidents aside from the . location.' Dogan is the eighth teenager to be murdered in London in 2012. Residents on the estate today said . they were living in fear following the second such incident on their . doorstep in the space of a few months. Shaun Chambers, 21, died on September 26 after being stabbed in an apparent gang-related killing . A mother-of-two, who did not want to . be identified, said: 'This is a very bad estate. It's so dangerous. I . want to move, but I have to wait for the council to move me because I am . poor.' Met Police are now cracking down on crime in the area and made 30 arrests as part of Operation Dragonet in December. Southwark Chief Superintendent John . Sutherland said: 'We have now put extra patrols on the street, but our . overriding priority now is to get justice for Dogan and his family.' Anyone with information should call police on 020 8358 0200 or, to remain anonymous, call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111. A 39-year-old woman and a 15-year-old boy have been arrested in connection with the latest incident . Sorry we are unable to accept comments for legal reasons. | Dogan Ismail, 17, died after being knifed in the chest on Sunday afternoon at a block of flats in Walworth, south-east London .
Police appeal for Dawda Jallow, 15, from Peckham, to come forward .
Neighbours say they are living in fear on the south east London estate .
15-year-old boy and 39-year-old woman arrested in connection with incident . |
47,950 | 8756af187380ccce6a62f2e2730334a32c02c093 | Somalia and North Korea are perceived as the most corrupt countries, a report released this week said. New Zealand, on the other hand, comes in at number one with the most sparkly clean reputation for corruption. The report, released by German watchdog organisation Transparency International, ranked Britain as 16th least corrupt on a 'corruption perceptions index' while the U.S. came in at number 24. North Korea and Somalia are the 'most corrupt' countries, according to a study. Here North Korean leader Kim Jong-il appears with the Korean People's Army . The bottom ranks, in front of Somalia and North Korea who tied at number 182, were occupied by Myanmar, Afghanistan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Sudan, Iraq, Haiti and Venezuela. In terms of the top performers, with the exception of New Zealand, Singapore at number five and Australia at number eight, most of the top spots are occupied by European nations. These include the Scandinavian nations of Denmark, Finland, Sweden, Norway and Iceland - along with Switzerland, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, Germany, Austria, Belgium and Ireland which were all in the top 20. Bulgaria was the lowest-performing European Union country, ranking at number 86. The top performers of the Americas include Canada which ranked 10th, Barbados 16th, Bahamas 21st and Chile at 22nd. Somalia tied at 182nd as the world's most corrupt country. Here, a displaced Somalian woman stands at Banadir hospital which serves the residents of the world's largest refugee camp . To compile the index, Transparency International used reports based 'on different assessments and business opinion surveys carried out by independent and reputable institutions.' The organisation said perceptions needed to be because corruption is so hidden it is hard to measure. 'Over time perceptions have proved to be a reliable estimate of corruption,' Transparency International said in it's report. The report asked questions relating to: . Regionally, in Eastern Europe and Central Asia, Turkey is ranked highest at 61 while Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan are lowest at 177. In the Middle East and North Africa, Qatar ranks best at number 22 while Iraq is the lowest at number 175. In Sub-Saharan Africa, Botswana ranked highest at number 32. India fell from 87th in 2010 to 95th, ranking behind China (75th) but in front of Pakistan (134th) in South-Asian nations. | New Zealand is ranked least corrupt in survey .
U.S. is ranked at 24th in survey of 182 nations .
Large proportion of European nations in the top 20 .
the bribery of public officials, .
kickbacks in public procurement, .
embezzlement of public funds, .
the strength and effectiveness of public-sector and anti-corruption efforts . |
20,450 | 3a0a3241e9d1c494d6914e8d73558d315941dc39 | By . Daniel Miller . A gardener left fighting for his life after a neighbour battered him over the head with a hammer in a feud over a smokey bonfire has been told his attacker is out of jail and moving back in next door. James Killian, 52, suffered horrific head injuries when 'vicious' James Sharrod, 74, burst through his garden fence wielding a lump hammer. Grandfather Sharrod was jailed for 12 months for attacking Mr Killian in a fit of rage because smoke from his bonfire was drifting into his home. Vicious attack: James Killian, left, was left fighting for his life after neighbour James Sharrod, 73, right, battered him over the head with a lump hammer . But he has . now been released from jail and is about to move back into his home - . just 30 yards from where terrified Mr Killian and his wife live. Mr Killian said: 'After what he did to me I think it's disgusting that this man can waltz back into the neighbourhood. 'We are in bits, my wife is so fearful of the day when he will be sharing a boundary again and be able to see him from our home. 'We've been told that it is his home and he's entitled to live there but what about how I feel? 'I'm stressed enough with frightening flashbacks and the long term medical problems I've suffered at the hands of this man.' Aerial view: Sharrod stormed through a hedge and attacked Mr Killian with a hammer after smoke from his bonfire drifted into his property . Location: Pensioner Sharrod is to return home to his static caravan (marked with an arrow), which is one of several on a site which borders the back of Mr Killian's three-bedroom detached property . Mr Killian, 53, was putting out the bonfire when Sharrod burst through his hedge and began attacking him with the hammer. An eye-witness described Mr Killian's battered head and face as 'like something from a horror film.'The attack was halted by Mr Killian's wife who ran into the garden after hearing her husband's screams. Mrs Killian told a court she feared her husband was being murdered when she saw Sharrod astride of her husband. Injuries: Mr Killian suffered horrific injuries to his head following the attack last year . Keen gardener Mr Killian survived the attack but needed surgery to head and facial wounds. Sharrod claimed he had hit his neighbour 'once or twice' with the hammer which he had found in his garden. The weapon was never recovered. After Sharrod was found guilty at Swansea Crown Court Judge Paul Thomas described the hammer attack as 'wholly and entirely vicious and unjustified'. Sharrod is expected to return to his mobile home in Parkmill, Swansea, one of several on a residential caravan site bordering the back of Mr Killian's three-bedroom detached property. Father-of-two Mr Killian said: 'When he was locked up we hoped that would be the last we'd see of him. 'But we have been told by his landlord that he is returning soon - probably in July. 'But no one will tell us officially when Mr Sharrod will be back so we can't prepare ourselves. 'The Probation Service refused to tell me when he will return other than to say soon.' A spokesman for the Probation Service said it could not comment on the case. | 'Vicious' James Sharrod, 74, burst through garden fence wielding hammer .
Victim James Killian, 52, suffered horrific head injuries in the attack .
Sharrod was furious after smoke from a bonfire drifted into his property .
He was jailed for 12 months but is now due to return to his home .
Property is a mobile home on a site bordering the back of Mr Killian's garden . |
46,409 | 82c49f444017d9ce6501530df7958a187be2c4c1 | By . Daily Mail Reporter and Reuters Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 17:57 EST, 14 January 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 18:20 EST, 14 January 2013 . Relatives and neighbors of children killed in the elementary school massacre in Newtown, Connecticut, launched an initiative on Monday to help curb gun violence in America. 'On Friday, December 14th, I put two children on the bus and only one came home. 'I pray that no mother, father, grandparent or caregiver of children ever have to go through this pain,' said Nelba Marquez-Greene, whose six-year-old daughter Ana Marquez-Greene, a first grader with brown eyes and black curls, was killed in the shooting. Nelba Marquez-Greene (center), whose six-year-old daughter Ana Marquez-Greene, died in the shootings said: 'I pray that no mother, father, grandparent or caregiver of children ever have to go through this pain.' Parents of the Sandy Hook shooting victims hold pictures of their children. At a press conference on Monday families launched a grassroots initiative called Sandy Hook Promise to support solutions for a safer community . Francine Wheeler holds a photo of her son Benjamin Wheeler, 6, a victim of the massacre on December 14, 2012. Parents of the children helped launch The Sandy Hook Promise, a non-profit organization created in response to the shootings . One month after the shootings that left 20 children and six adults dead, the group, called Sandy Hook Promise, vowed at a press conference to transform public outrage into action to 'make our communities and our nation a safer, better place.' Named for Sandy Hook Elementary School where the shootings took place, the group pledged to hold debates on wide-ranging safety issues and come up with a plan of action. At least half a dozen pairs of parents of children slain in the attack appeared on stage with the organizers, some making their first public appearances since the shooting, all holding photographs of their son or daughter. 'There is no quick-fix single action but instead a multitude of interlinked actions that are needed,' said Nicole Hockley, whose son Dylan, a blue-eyed, blond-haired six year old, was also killed. Mark and Jackie Barden, parents of Sandy Hook victim Daniel Barden, hold hands at the news conference one month after the shootings . Photos of Sandy Hook Elementary School massacre victims sit at a small memorial near the school a month after the atrocity . Jackie Barden, whose son Daniel was killed a month ago in the Sandy Hook shootings, kisses her daughter Natalie (10), during the press conference . The killings plunged the rural New England town of 27,000 into grief along with much of the country and prompted President Barack Obama to form a task force headed by Vice President Joe Biden to find ways to curb gun violence. Biden is due to submit recommendations as early as Tuesday. He has said that he will recommend universal background checks for gun buyers and limits on the ammunition capacity of magazines. Gun rights groups said on Sunday that these restrictions would fail in Congress. The Newtown group offered no specific solution or policy position, but co-founder Thomas Bittman said its aim is to drive a national conversation on three issues: gun ownership and regulation, mental health, and school and public safety. 'Some of us who came together to start Sandy Hook Promise are gun owners,' Bittman said. 'We hunt. We target shoot. We protect our homes. We're collectors. We teach our sons and daughters how to use guns safely. Family members of the Sandy Hook victims arrive at the press conference, all carrying a photograph of their relatives . Tim Makris, co-founder of the Sandy Hook Promise, speaks at the podium to victims' families . 'We're not afraid of a national conversation within our community and in Congress about responsibility and accountability,' Bittman said. The National Rifle Association, the biggest gun rights lobby group, has predicted that Obama's drive for new limits on firearms and ammunition sales will fail in Congress. U.S. Senator Chris Murphy, a Democrat from Connecticut who attended the event in the basement gymnasium of Newtown's former town hall, warned the NRA against being too confident of congressional inaction. 'I think what is possible politically today changed a month ago today,' Murphy said, referring to the December 14 school attack. 'It's the NRA's job to say that no gun control legislation can pass Congress, but they're wrong.' The elementary school, about 70 miles northeast of New York City, remains closed to everyone but police who are still investigating the attack. Its students, more than 400 children in kindergarten through fourth grade, are attending school in the neighboring town of Monroe. Residents on Sunday began debating what to do with the school itself. At a town meeting attended by several hundred people, including Sandy Hook parents, it was clear there is no early consensus on whether the building should ever be used again as a school. Newtown First Selectman Patricia Llodra, the town's top elected official, said it would be months before a decision on the facility's future is reached. Authorities have not offered a motive for the attack. The gunman, Adam Lanza, 20, killed his mother before driving to the school and shot himself dead after the rampage. The press conference was a sombre affair for all at the press conference . Nelba Marquez-Greene (center), the mother of six-year-old Ana Grace, 6, a victim of the December 14, 2012 shooting, is hugged following the launch of The Sandy Hook Promise, . | Families of Newtown shooting victims get behind Sandy Hook Promise, a group hoping to 'make our communities and our nation a safer, better place.'
Emotional press conference takes place exactly one month after the massacre . |
209,586 | 9b674bf67472c8e0e994f1bb031f51ecd8e4d8d2 | (CNN) -- A 49-year-old Nevada man grew up believing he was kidnapped from the hospital as a day-old baby and was returned at age 2 to his parents in Chicago, months after being found abandoned in a stroller in New Jersey. The FBI closed the case: The toddler looked like the missing newborn. The audacious kidnapping -- by a woman dressing as nurse who told the mother to hand over her infant because the doctor needed to examine him -- was a sensational crime nearly a half-century ago. But now the life of Paul Joseph Fronczak has taken another extraordinary turn, he told CNN affiliate KLAS. After taking a home DNA test, Fronczak said, he discovered he wasn't the missing baby. The FBI has reopened the case to tackle the questions of what happened to the real kidnapped baby and who Fronczak is, exactly, he told KLAS. "I don't know how old I am, or who I am, or what nationality, all those things you just take for granted," he said. "The FBI decided that because my ears matched the Fronczak baby that I was probably the Fronczak baby." On Thursday, Fronczak told CNN he's optimistic about a resolution. Wrote Fronczak: "I believe that we will solve these 2 tragic mysteries. I feel we are one step closer to solving this, and one step closer to a happy ending!" He declined to comment further. He told the Las Vegas station the furor surrounding the 1964 investigation "was huge." "My parents had letters from the pope, letters from people all over the country. It was a huge case," he said. "My parents got really frustrated because they had reporters hanging outside their windows, climbing telephone poles, taking pictures of them at church, following them all over the place." Federal investigators in Chicago hope modern technology will help solve the 1964 case, said FBI special agent Joan Hyde. The FBI has a destruction schedule for old files, and agents were happy that the case file wasn't on that schedule, she said. "We weren't sure if it was still around, but we were pleased to find it did exist," Hyde told CNN. Hyde declined to comment when asked if the agency felt any embarrassment about the reversal in the case. No one was ever charged in the 1964 kidnapping. "They conducted a thorough and complete investigation when it originally occurred, and we'll do that again," Hyde said. "We now have technology and tests that we didn't have then, and we're hoping this time around we'll get that piece of information that will help us solve this case, either from evidence or witnesses." Fronczak's parents, who are still alive, are cooperating with the FBI, but agents are concerned whether their DNA would yield any matches in DNA databases, Hyde said. "If we take hair or fiber or DNA from the victim's side of the crime, we have to get to the other side of it to compare it to -- to find the persons who did the kidnapping," Hyde said. Maybe new witnesses will come forward almost a half century later, Hyde added. With the FBI's mandatory retirement age of 57 for agents, the original Chicago FBI investigators would no longer be with the agency, she said. Today's investigators will concentrate on who was the kidnapper -- and not on what is Fronczak's real identity, Hyde said. "Our focus is on the crime that occurred, the kidnapping," Hyde said. "If in the course of the investigation we have information that will assist him in that, that will be an added benefit." The reinvestigation of such a crime 49 years later is rare, she conceded. "There are always cold cases," she said. But when talking about reopening a 1964 baby abduction case, she remarked, "It's unusual. It's certainly unusual." Fronczak, who lives in Henderson, Nevada, with his wife, Michelle, and daughter, Emma, said his name was Scott McKinley when he was found abandoned in 1965 at age 14 months. The people who became his parents, Dora and Chester Fronczak of the Chicago area, were able to take possession of him in June 1966 under the belief that the boy was indeed their child, KLAS reported. The Fronczaks adopted and renamed the boy, taking him into their Chicago home. But as he grew older, Fronczak developed a hunch he didn't fit into the family. He didn't look like his Polish and Croatian parents, who didn't reveal much about the kidnapping, he said. Last year, Fronczak bought a home DNA kit and took a swabbing from his parents while they were visiting from Chicago. A week later, the results of the test ruled out his being the biological son of Dora and Chester Fronczak, he said. The DNA technician told him that "there is no remote way that you are the Fronczaks' baby," he said. "I thought, 'Wow.'" He revealed his story to KLAS just before what was supposed to be his 49th birthday in April. At the time, he said, he didn't even tell his adoptive parents what he learned because it was too agonizing. The Chicago office of the FBI is now investigating the dual mystery of the kidnapped Fronczak baby and the abandoned Scott McKinley, with assistance from the agency's Las Vegas office, the TV station said. The original kidnapper in the Fronczak case was never found. Neither Fronczak nor the FBI returned CNN's calls for comment Thursday. Since obtaining the DNA findings, Fronczak submitted the results to Ancestry.com, a genealogy tracing company. Based on his DNA, Fronczak is discovering blood relatives: he's found a third cousin, KLAS reported. CNN's Ted Rowlands contributed to this report. | NEW: "I believe that we will solve these 2 tragic mysteries," Fronczak texts CNN .
NEW: FBI pledges "a thorough and complete investigation" into 1964 baby kidnapping .
Paul Joseph Fronczak, now 49, tells KLAS he wasn't the kidnapped Chicago baby .
Fronczak wonders "how old I am, or who I am, or what nationality" |
78,256 | dddd4c6cfd0a9a8adefe6d42e04b68721715821d | By . Emma Innes . PUBLISHED: . 19:20 EST, 31 December 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 19:20 EST, 31 December 2013 . A teenage girl was given just months to live after daily 18-hour alcohol binges left her body ravaged. Phoebe Haffenden would consume an astonishing six litres of cheap cider a day, and at the age of 19 was warned by doctors that her body was close to shutting down. The teenager, who is still 19, from New Milton in Hampshire, started drinking at just 15, but her habit spiralled out of control and she was soon drinking a litre of vodka at a time. Phoebe Haffenden (pictured with her mother, Kate) started drinking when she was 15 and by the time she was 16 she was addicted to alcohol . Her addiction became so extreme she was kicked out of her family home and would suffer uncontrollable shakes and terrifying hallucinations. Despite a happy childhood and a stable upbringing with mother, Kate, 39, a cleaner, and brother Ben, 17, Phoebe flew off the rails as the addiction took hold of her. At her worst, the once-shy schoolgirl would even wake to find herself in bed with strangers who she had forgotten having sex with. Phoebe first started drinking as a way to increase her confidence, but by the age of 16 she had developed a problem. By the time she was 18, she had totally hit rock bottom. Phoebe said: ‘I couldn’t stop and I was soon hitting the bottle from 10am to about 3am or 4am the next morning. ‘I was running out of money and soon turned to cheap cider to feed my addiction.’ Phoebe went on 18-hour binges and drank as much as six litres of cider a day. She is pictured at the age of 18 . Phoebe's addiction became so severe she was kicked out of the family home and she started to suffer from uncontrollable shakes and terrifying hallucinations . And with her new-found drunken confidence came outrageous promiscuity and a string of one-night stands. ‘I got myself into some awkward positions when I was drinking,’ said Phoebe. ‘I had quite a few one night stands that I do regret. ‘There was one night when I went to a party with a friend and I didn’t know the guy I woke up next to. ‘I was confused where I was and my friend had to explain what had happened. Most of the nights were a blur.’ The sixth form student struggled to keep up with her studies as debilitating hangovers left her unable to attend classes and she would often skip lessons to while away hours in the pub. Phoebe (pictured aged 18) was told that if she did not stop drinking she would die within a few months as her body was shutting down . Phoebe (pictured at the age of five with her brother) said: 'I couldn't stop and I was soon hitting the bottle from 10am to about 3am or 4am the next morning. I was running out of money and soon turned to cheap cider' ‘I knew I had a problem,’ said Phoebe. ‘I would watch EastEnders and the storyline when Lauren Branning was drinking and cry. ‘I knew deep down that parts of her character were like mine. I was so scared.’ And as her money started to dwindle away, Phoebe started drinking bottles of cheap cider to satisfy her habit. ‘When I was drinking cider I was spending anything between £3 and £10 a day but when I was on a massive binge I could spend £50 to £100 a night. ‘The most I’ve spent in one night is about £250 on alcohol.’ 'I knew I had a problem,' said Phoebe (pictured age six). 'I watched EastEnders and the storyline when Lauren Branning was drinking and cry. I knew deep down that parts of her character were like mine. I was so scared' On one occasion, Phoebe (pictured at 17) spent £250 on alcohol in one night . ‘The arguments between me and my family were horrendous - it got so bad they asked me to leave,’ she added. ‘I was sleeping on friend’s sofas and floors and there were times where I came very close to sleeping rough. ‘I could walk the streets until 4am before I’d find somewhere to crash.’ A couple of months later she ended up in the resuscitation room because of self-harming and excess drinking. Doctors told Phoebe that if she carried on drinking she would be dead within a few months. Phoebe (pictured at 14 with her brother, Ben) ended up in hospital as a result of her drinking and self harming . Phoebe's alcoholism meant she became extremely promiscuous and had numerous one night stands with men she didn't know . She said: ‘That was the turning point seeing how distraught and heartbroken I was making my mum, I had to stop being so selfish and think about my family.’ After a four-year battle with alcohol, in July this year, Phoebe spent ten days in a detox clinic and is starting to get her life back on track. She was told that she had a kidney infection and her body was so dependent on alcohol that to go cold turkey could have killed her. Instead she was weaned off gradually, using withdrawal medication. Phoebe (pictured at 15) has now spent time in a detox clinic and is getting her life back on track . Phoebe (pictured passed out at the age of 16) has now stopped drinking and has enrolled in college . Fortunately her body is young and will repair itself from any damage caused by the alcohol, but if she drinks again she could risk overdose. Now Phoebe is back at home and has started an acting course at her local college. She hopes to use her experiences to help other young addiction sufferers. ‘Everyone thinks it’s old men that drink and get an addiction,’ she said. ‘But it’s so accessible and can quickly become a problem to young people too. ‘I’m looking forward to the year ahead and putting all my energy into making my family proud of me,’ she added. ‘I’m taking one day at a time but I’m loving it.’ If you are concerned that you, or someone you know, has a problem with alcohol, visit the Addaction website. | Phoebe Haffenden started drinking at 15 and was addicted by 16 .
Went on 18-hour binges and started to suffer shakes and hallucinations .
Her mother threw her out of the family home as she became increasingly promiscuous and had numerous one night stands with strangers .
She ended up in hospital and was told she would be dead within months .
She has now turned her life around and stopped drinking . |
285,795 | fe50e140cd5927dcb63c76ec99209249718e63ab | By . Anna Edwards . PUBLISHED: . 07:31 EST, 15 January 2014 . | . UPDATED: . 07:55 EST, 15 January 2014 . Catherine Jenkinson-Dix spent thousands out of the school budget . A school headmistress has come under fire for spending thousands of pounds worth of school funds to go on an 'educational trip' to California with an assistant during term-time . Catherine Jenkinson-Dix, 51, and assistant Damien Whales jetted to San Diego despite there still being one week left of term at Ely College in Cambridgeshire. The academy school claims the £2,500 trip to a High Tech High (HTH) teaching facility was aimed at learning about ‘project-based learning’. But one anonymous staff member said the week-long trip was a 'scandalous waste' of school funds and claimed the research could have been carried out online. In a letter to the local newspaper the whistleblower wrote: 'Staff at Ely College are outraged that the principal and one of her assistant principals went to San Diego during the last week of term - costing thousands out of the school budget. 'The trip was to investigate project-based learning - information which can be gained from the internet. 'A scandalous waste of the school’s money.' School governors said the trip 'provided a great return on its investment' and similar ones would be arranged in future . School governors however said the trip . 'provided a great return on its investment' and more similar ones would . be arranged in future. Assistant principal Mr Whales, 35, said the journey was well worth the money. He said: 'The visit completely changed our view of how best to adopt project-based learning at Ely College, and clarified which aspects we need to focus on to ensure our students gain as much as theirs do. 'It was an incredible experience that has had a significant impact on my professional development, not least because of the students we met. 'If we can help our young people become as self aware, motivated and ambitious as those we met at HTH, we will have succeeded.' One anonymous staff member said the week-long trip was a 'scandalous waste' of school funds . Chair of governors Ben Gibbs said: 'Having seen how inspired both Catherine and Damien are after their trip, I am completely satisfied that the visit has provided a great return on our investment. 'I am encouraging the college to arrange further visits to other leading schools and to develop partnerships which broaden our horizons and improve our students’ experience.' In 2011 Ely College was dubbed 'Britain’s strictest school' after Ms Jenkinson-Dix handed out 717 detentions in four days. Students were punished for wearing excessive make-up, eating between lessons and carrying mobile phones. At the time she said: 'This is fundamental in preparing them for their future careers, where they certainly would not get away with being rude, dressing inappropriately and chewing gum.' | Academy school claims the £2,500 trip to a High Tech High teaching facility was aimed at learning about 'project-based learning'
Staff member said week-long trip was a 'scandalous waste' of school funds .
Whistleblower claimed the research could have been carried out online . |
253,995 | d4b99180d343a15a8f54083c6e524a2372cee219 | (CNN)As police across the South search for a teenage couple on the run, a mother in Kentucky has a message for her son. "We know they've done wrong but you need to step up and take the consequences of what you done and come home before someone is really, really hurt," Tammy Martin, mother of Dalton Hayes, told CNN affiliate WAVE. Hayes, 18, and Cheyenne Phillips, 13, are suspected of stealing three cars -- two with guns inside -- and are the subject of a law enforcement search that stretches from Kentucky to Georgia -- and maybe on to Florida. "I don't know why they're doing it," Martin said. "I just wish they would turn themselves in." Martin said that until recently she and her son thought Phillips was much older than 13, WAVE reported. The couple had not been dating long, she said. Phillips' mother, Sherry Peters, says she, too, wants her child to come home. "I really want them to just turn themselves in," she said. "I haven't been sleeping very well lately." Hayes and Phillips are "increasingly brazen and dangerous," Sheriff Norman Chaffins of Grayson County, Kentucky, said in a press release. "I know Dalton and he has a history of making bad, bad decisions," said Chaffins, sheriff for the county of about 25,000 people in central Kentucky. "I was the school resource officer before I was elected sheriff. Dalton is known to have disciplinary and defiance issues at the high school with authority." Hayes was recently charged with burglary and was out on bond, the sheriff said. He's worried things will end badly as the two get farther and farther from home. "They are in strange territory," Chaffins said. "We are a local, tight-knit community here, we just want them home ... other agencies see them as criminals stealing cars. They would be treated differently than they would be in our county." It was not clear whether any formal charges have been filed against either teen. The sheriff has referred to them several times as "suspects." Cheyenne's father reported her missing January 3 from Clarkson, Kentucky. Chaffins said she was thought to be in the company of Hayes. Chaffins said the couple first stole a truck in Clarkson. Jim McGrew, its owner, told WAVE the teens took the truck out of his garage and sped down the road before crashing into a fence and fleeing on foot. Police searched and McGrew said he flew his private plane to look for the couple. The wreck caused about $7,100 in damage to the truck, McGrew told WAVE. An hour later, the couple stole a 2006 Toyota Tacoma pickup truck with a firearm inside, Chaffins said. Both teens are suspects in the two felony auto thefts and Hayes is wanted for custodial interference. "It is imperative that these two be located and apprehended as their behavior is becoming increasingly brazen and dangerous," the sheriff said in a press release. On Wednesday, the sheriff's department said the couple was spotted on security-camera video at a Walmart store in Manning, South Carolina. The girl was wearing pink cowboy boots, and the man with her was dressed in a dark-colored University of Kentucky T-shirt, the department said. On Thursday, authorities said the Toyota Tacoma pickup stolen in Kentucky was recovered in Henry County, Georgia, just south of Atlanta. A silver 2001 Toyota Tundra pickup with a Georgia certified firefighter license plate was reported stolen from the area around the same time. That truck had two handguns -- a .38-caliber and .a 45-caliber -- inside, the sheriff's department said. The sheriff said the two teens may be headed to Florida. "They are becoming increasingly desperate and we just hope they have enough sense to do the right thing," he said. Martin told WAVE she last heard from her son in a January 6 text message. "It says 'Mommy, don't worry. I'm fine, okay -- plenty of money and food. Love you, good night, sweet dreams,'" Martin said. CNN's Janet DiGiacomo contributed to this report. | "I just wish they would turn themselves in," says mother of Dalton Hayes .
18-year-old man and 13-year-old girl wanted in rural Kentucky .
Sheriff says they may have stolen three vehicles -- two with guns inside . |
266,607 | e55320f8a87a17be3cc5a62ce1bc946ca3843f03 | (CNN)If you're planning on packing up and changing addresses to Kepler-442b or Kepler-438b anytime soon, you can probably put away the moving boxes for now. While the newly discovered exoplanets and their six friends hold the exciting possibility of being capable of supporting life, scientists won't know for sure for a while. The Kepler Space Telescope made the discoveries, pushing the number of such exoplanets it has found to more than 1,000. The punch list, according to astronomers with the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics (CfA), sounds good. They are not too close or too far from their star so that they might have water instead of ice or steam. They are about the right size, and they get a decent amount of sunlight. And they also might have the kinds of surface that could bear life. "Most of these planets have a good chance of being rocky, like Earth," lead author Guillermo Torres of the CfA said in a release. Which is a lot more hospitable that being a big ball of gasses. "We don't know for sure whether any of the planets in our sample are truly habitable," second author David Kipping of the CfA said in a release. "All we can say is that they're promising candidates." Kepler-438b and Kepler-442b are the most similar to Earth of any known exoplanets to date. And even if there was confirmation, Christine Pulliam with the CfA said teams are "still a couple of generations of telescope development away," from even seeing them, much less visiting. Kepler-438b is 470 light-years away and Kepler-442b is 1,100 light years away, according to CfA. "That's a little far away," Caldwell said, "We need to get to Mars first." Still it's very exciting just to discover them and to be closer to identifying a "second" Earth. At a panel held last summer at NASA headquarters in Washington, astronomers said they were "very close in terms of technology and science to actually finding the other Earth." That's due in part to the Kepler telescope. The planet-hunting Kepler probe, launched in 2009, finds planets by looking for dips in the brightness of a star as a planet transits, or crosses, in front of that star. Pulliam said the team of scientists monitored data for more than 160,000 stars, which led them to the eight new planets. The couple most like Earth, Kepler-438b and Kepler-442b, both orbit red dwarf stars, which are cooler and smaller than the Earth's sun. Kepler-438b's diameter is 12% bigger than Earth and has a 70% chance of being rocky, which means the surface of the planet appears to be like Earth's. Kepler-442b is about one-third larger than Earth with a 60% chance of being rocky. Scientists give it a 97% chance of being in the habitable zone, but caution that the estimates aren't certain. NASA stuns with new image of 'Pillars of Creation' CNN's Suzanne Presto contributed to this report. | Scientists find eight new planets in habitable distance from their stars .
Two of the eight are most similar to Earth of any known exoplanets .
Observations of these new planets is difficult due to their light-years distance away from Earth . |
59,420 | a8b68a123bf1d82469f0554d8bf08752bfcd8d39 | JUAREZ, Mexico (CNN) -- A deadly trade is occurring along the U.S. border with Mexico, federal officials say -- a flood of guns, heading south, used by drug thugs to kill Mexican cops. Authorities recently seized these .50-caliber bullets, already belted to be fed into a machine gun. In Mexico, guns are difficult to purchase legally. So, officials say, weapons easily purchased in the United States are turning up there. "The same routes that are being used to traffic drugs north -- and the same organizations that have control over those routes -- are the same organizations that bring the money and the cash proceeds south as well as the guns and the ammunition," says Bill Newell, a special agent with the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Police in Mexican border towns fear for their lives, and with good reason. Five high-ranking Mexican police officials have been killed this year in what Mexican officials say is an escalating war between police and drug cartels. In Juarez, Mexico, just across the border from El Paso, Texas, a police commander was gunned down in front of his home. The weapon used to kill Cmdr. Francisco Ledesma Salazar is believed to have been a .50-caliber rifle. The guns are illegal to purchase in Mexico but can be obtained just north of the border at gun shows and gun shops in the United States. ATF special agent Tom Mangan says the .50-caliber rifle has become one of the "guns of choice" for the drug cartels. The weapon fires palm-sized .50-caliber rounds that can cut through just about anything. Mangan showed CNN the power of the rifle on a gun range near Phoenix, Arizona. The weapon, a Barrett, was seized in an ATF raid. A round fired from 100 yards away tore through a car door and both sides of a bulletproof vest like those used by Mexican police. "There's nothing that's going to stop this round," Mangan says. The rifle was intercepted as it was being smuggled into Mexico. Mangan says investigators believe four others already had passed through the border. Watch how the weapons fuel a little-known war » . The ATF has been trying to help Mexican police by cracking down on illegal purchases of guns and ammunition. Operation Gunrunner has led to several arrests and seizures of guns and ammo. But the operation has mainly shown just how big a problem exists, authorities say. One recent seizure in a Yuma, Arizona, storage locker yielded 42 weapons and hundreds of rounds of .50-caliber bullets already belted to be fed into a machine gun-style weapon. The guns confiscated included AK-47 rifles and dozens of Fabrique National pistols. The semiautomatic pistols fire a 5.7-by-28 millimeter round, which is technically a rifle round, according to the ATF. Newell says the round has a special nickname in Mexico. "It's called 'mata policias,' or 'cop killer,' " he says. Mexican authorities along the border recently met with their counterparts in the United States, hoping more cooperation will lead to more arrests of criminals and fewer killings of Mexican police officers. Guillermo Fonseca, Mexico's regional legal attaché for the West Coast, told CNN the violence in his country is "problem number 1" -- and police in his country are outgunned. Officers in Mexico lack heavy firepower, he says. With the presence of large-caliber weapons from the United States, drug cartels and criminals have the advantage in what he says is basically a war. Part of the solution, he says, is for the United States to give Mexico more information about who is selling these guns illegally in the United States. Then Mexico could go after the buyers. "We have access to systems to trace guns that have been smuggled into Mexico, and that has worked very well," Fonseca told CNN. "We need more information about the people who are actually purchasing the guns. We need to prosecute those people, to convict those people. In our opinion, that's the next step we have to take." Last year Mexican police confiscated 10,000 guns and $200 million in raids aimed at cracking down on border violence. Still, local police tread carefully, especially in neighborhoods controlled by the powerful drug cartels. Officer Cesar Quitana patrols a dangerous barrio in Juarez, Mexico. He is armed with an M16 assault rifle -- a weapon that would be no match in a gunfight with drug lords. "I think most of us feel scared just to bring this with us," he says, pointing to the rifle in the front seat of his patrol car. "But this is what we use to defend ourselves." E-mail to a friend . CNN's Orlando Ruiz and Mayra Cuevas contributed to this report. | Firearms difficult to purchase in Mexico are more easily obtained in United States .
Drugs and money go north to U.S. while guns go south to Mexico, authorities say .
Mexican drug cartels blamed for killings of police officers . |
89,198 | fd2841d1f8f05cb87f9bda7e772bb7ebce319662 | Charles Baker was arrested on Tuesday in Memphis, Tennessee on rape charges . An accused rapist, who allegedly sexually assaulted a woman at gunpoint, has finally been arrested after a backlogged rape kit was tested. Charles Baker, 44, was charged with aggravated rape on Tuesday in Memphis, Tennessee - 15 years to the day that the attack took place. Baker was believed to have abducted a woman at gunpoint in 2000 in downtown Memphis and raped her. The victim consented to a rape kit 15 years ago but the evidence wasn't sent to the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation until July 2012. A positive DNA match was discovered in January 2015. According to Fox, the alleged rapist was the latest in a string of suspects caught from a backlog of 12,000 untested rape kits. Testing on the kits began in 2013 but the Memphis Police Department has struggled to get funding to process all of them. The rape kit which allegedly holds Baker's DNA was sent to the Tennessee Bureau of Investigations a year before the backlog began to be cleared. It is unclear why police wanted to test that kit in 2012. Calls to the Memphis Police Department went unanswered today. Baker is due in court on Wednesday morning. The 44-year-old alleged rapist was finally arrested by police 15 years after he was believed to have assaulted a woman at gunpoint in downtown Memphis . | Charles Baker, 44, was picked up on Tuesday in Memphis, Tennessee .
Baker is believed to have abducted a woman at gunpoint in 2000 in downtown Memphis and raped her .
The victim's rape kit was not tested until 2012 and a result was only made available last month .
Memphis Police Department has a backlog of 12,000 untested rape kits . |
188,178 | 7faee6ba59cda37d562241bcb4942a1d086bc009 | By . James Chapman . PUBLISHED: . 09:22 EST, 3 September 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 18:13 EST, 3 September 2013 . Barack Obama dramatically escalated his plans for military action in Syria yesterday. The US president said proposed strikes against the regime were part of a ‘broader strategy’ to topple Bashar Assad, who is accused of killing hundreds of civilians with chemical weapons. The suggestion of ‘regime change’ emerged as tensions in the region were heightened further by the Israeli firing of two missiles in the eastern Mediterranean in the early hours of yesterday. Scroll down for video . Confident: US President Barack Obama, who today met members of Congress in the Cabinet Room of the White House, said he thought a resolution paving the way for military intervention in Syria would be passed . President Obama’s remarks helped win support in Washington from sceptical Republicans, who have cast doubt on the value of a ‘symbolic’ strike in response to the use of poison gas. But they also suggested there is already ‘mission creep’ in the planned US intervention in the wartorn country, reflecting the fears of Tory and Liberal Democrat rebels who joined with Labour to defeat David Cameron over plans to join military action last week. Despite the crushing blow to the Prime Minister’s plans, Downing Street yesterday repeatedly refused to rule out doing more to support rebel leaders in Syria. Briefing: President Barack Obama held talks with Republican senators John McCain (left) and Lindsey Graham about his plans to degrade the Syrian regime . Sources said providing arms to the . rebels – a move opposed earlier this year by more than 80 Conservative . MPs – was ‘not on the cards’. However, . it is expected that Britain could provide more technical support and . equipment, including chemical weapons protection kit, and assistance in . areas opposition forces have taken from the regime. Foreign Secretary William Hague told the Commons that Britain is already the second-largest donor to humanitarian causes in Syria and promised that ‘we will do more’. Britain remains ‘highly active’ in seeking an end to the violence, he told MPs. Israel yesterday carried out a joint missile test with the US in the Mediterranean, leading to heightened tensions in the region. The firing was part of a test of Israel’s Arrow defence system. The country’s defence ministry said the system successfully detected and tracked a Sparrow medium-range guided missile. Experts say the missile test is a sign Israel is taking seriously the possibility that any US air strikes could lead to retaliatory attacks, either by Syria itself or by its ally, Hezbollah, in Lebanon. Out: David Cameron, pictured with Michael Gove, announced in the wake of the Commons vote that Britain would play no part in military action against Syria . Mr Obama stressed last night that his . primary objective remained ‘limited and proportional’ attacks to degrade . Syria’s chemical weapons capabilities. But, . suggesting he plans to boost the rebels to bring about regime change, . he added: ‘It also fits into a broader strategy that can bring about . over time the kind of strengthening of the opposition and the . diplomatic, economic and political pressure required – so that . ultimately we have a transition that can bring peace and stability, not . only to Syria but to the region. Condemnation: William Hague used Foreign Office questions in the House of Commons to attack the Syrian regime for preventing vital humanitarian aid from reaching refugees . ‘We have a broader strategy that will . allow us to upgrade the capabilities of the opposition, allow Syria . ultimately to free itself from the kinds of terrible civil war, death . and activity that we’ve been seeing on the ground.’ The . US president’s shift was welcomed by Republican Senator John McCain, . who offered to help him avoid a humiliating defeat in Congress next week . in exchange for a pledge to do more to back the rebels. London Mayor Boris Johnson said he believed Congress would back Mr Obama and insisted Parliament should ‘think again’ about UK involvement if Assad was confirmed as being behind the gas attacks. Mr Cameron said however: ‘Parliament spoke very clearly and it’s important to respect the view of Parliament, so I am not planning to return to Parliament to ask again about British military action.’UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon warned last night any ‘punitive’ action taken against Syria for an alleged chemical weapons attack would be illegal without Security Council approval or a sound case for self-defence. ‘As I have repeatedly said, the Security Council has primary responsibility for international peace and security,’ Ban said. ‘The use of force is lawful only when in exercise of self-defence in accordance with article 51 of the UN Charter and or when the Security Council approves such action.’ He also warned that a military strike against Syria could unleash more turmoil and bloodshed in a crisis that has already killed more than 100,000. | US President plotting wider attacks on Syrian regime, says ex-General .
But UK military chiefs excluded from US meetings after Commons vote .
Foreign Secretary William Hague rules out a second debate in Parliament .
Insists David Cameron will use G20 this week to push for global action . |
167,380 | 6478b10cc737cc8c9624217b552299a0ed2ca0be | A small family business standing in the way of Tottenham Hotspur's £400million stadium redevelopment has lost its David versus Goliath court battle against the club. Archway Sheet Metal Works asked a judge to quash Communities Secretary Eric Pickles' decision to confirm a compulsory purchase order (CPO) on the grounds that it was 'unlawful and invalid'. But a judge ruled there was 'no legal flaw' in the decision-making process, meaning the football club can secure the last patch of land needed to start work on its new 56,000-seater stadium. A small family business standing in the way of Tottenham Hotspur's £400million stadium redevelopment has lost its David versus Goliath court battle . Archway Sheet Metal Works asked a judge to quash a ruling that they must sell up so Tottenham can build their new 56,000-plus seater stadium . Archway, which is owned by Tottenham fan Josif Josif, 46, was gutted by fire in a suspected arson attack, and Mr Josif says his firm has been subjected to bomb threats. The London Borough of Haringey made the compulsory purchase order in March 2012 and it was confirmed by the Communities Secretary in July 2014 following a public inquiry. The company argued that the CPO was invalid, but Mr Justice Dove, an Aston Villa fan, ruled there was 'no legal flaw' in the decision-making process, paving the way for building work on the 'world class' venue to go ahead. As well as challenging the legality of the CPO itself, Archway argued that proposed new changes to Tottenham project are so substantial that they 'alter the viability case made at the inquiry' and further undermine the order. Christopher Lockhart-Mummery QC, for Archway, said in written submissions that the Premier League Club dismissed these as matters of 'minutiae' within 'a sea of detail' which was 'irrelevant'. However, the Tottenham documents did reveal discussions had taken place involving an updated design of Tottenham's stadium and increasing its capacity by 5,000. Archway, which is alongside White Hart Lane's North Stand, was served the compulsory purchase order in 2012 and it was confirmed in last year . Arson: Last November, a mystery fire gutted the Archway premises, which are owned by Tottenham fan Josif Josif . The firm describes itself as a 'wonderfully old-fashioned family business' producing metal items for the catering and hospitality industry . Other potential improvements included an increase in residential development, incorporating 900 units in five blocks, plus 60,000 square feet of commercial development space and a medical centre and a 30,000 square feet gym and fitness centre. But the judge rejected the argument and all other grounds of challenge involving complex planning law. The judge refused Archway permission to appeal but the firm can still ask Court of Appeal judges directly to consider their case. Last November, a mystery fire gutted the Archway premises, which is alongside White Hart Lane's North Stand. Mr Josif who runs the family business, said at the time of the fire: 'People were calling us and threatening us and we were receiving bomb threats and that started a few months ago, but we don't know if that's got anything to do with it.' The small family business also received bomb threats after their objection to Tottenham's new stadium . The firm describes itself as a 'wonderfully old-fashioned family business' producing metal items for the catering and hospitality industry. The owners have been in a dispute with Tottenham for the last decade over its redevelopment plans. Tottenham plan to build the new capacity stadium next to the existing White Hart Lane ground, where they have played since 1899, which holds just over 36,000. The club hopes that moving to a larger, state-of-the-art stadium with an increased capacity will help bring in more revenue, making it easier to compete with top European clubs. North London rivals Arsenal moved into their 60,272-capacity Emirates Stadium in 2006. Tottenham already has planning permission for the new stadium it hopes to open for the 2018/19 season, after Archway's move to challenge the decision in the High Court resulted in a revised construction programme. The club was said to be considering moving to a temporary home for a season during the construction period. Options mooted included Wembley and the Olympic Stadium, while reports of a move to stadium:mk in Milton Keynes were met unfavourably by many fans. A spokesman for Tottenham Hotspur said: 'While there is still therefore a possibility of a further appeal, the hope must be that this High Court decision will now allow us to progress what is widely recognised as the flagship development in the regeneration of Tottenham.' | Archway Sheet Metal Works loses court battle against Tottenham stadium .
Company challenged order forcing them to sell property for stadium build .
Ruling paves way for Tottenham to build 'world class', 56,000-seat ground .
Family business Archway received bomb threats after objecting to sale . |
96,407 | 08099caef05f807a45fa28f8c455b39bf5de5182 | By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 15:44 EST, 27 January 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 03:53 EST, 28 January 2013 . It looks just like any other wedding photo with happy faces smiling back at the camera. But look closely and you will see the sinister face of a killer standing just feet away from one of his victim's relatives, who had no idea her family member had been murdered. The picture has remained hidden in a family album for years and was discovered by Tracey Mullane, aunt of Becky Godden-Edwards, in her loft last week. Now the 49-year-old has spoken of her . shock at realising that she was at the same wedding as Christopher Halliwell - . the man who confessed to her niece's murder. Sinister: Christopher Halliwell stands near the back (circled top) just feet away from the victim Becky Godden-Edwards's aunt Tracey Mullane (right) at the Swindon De Vere Hotel in Wiltshire in 2008 . Speaking to the Sunday Mirror, Ms Mullane said: 'I felt sick to the stomach because he looks so insignificant and acted normally throughout that day, seemingly without a care in the world, appearing as nothing happened to him.' Ms Mullane spoke to the police and confirmed Halliwell was in the photo. She said: 'I told them he had an evil look about him and of course, I know that's the case. He is evil.' Less that two years after the photograph was taken at the Swindon De Vere Hotel in 2008, Halliwell, a taxi-driver, would murder again. Troubled: Becky Godden-Edwards (left), whose remains were found after . police investigated the death of Sian O'Callaghan. Christopher Halliwell . (right) was jailed for life after pleading guilty to Ms O'Callaghan's death . This time his victim was Sian O'Callaghan, a clubber on her way home from a night out in Swindon, Wiltshire. 'I felt sick to the stomach because he looks so insignificant and acted normally throughout that day, seemingly without a care in the world, appearing as nothing happened to him' Tracey Mullane . Halliwell was arrested and led police to the spot where he buried Sian in a shallow grave. But he shocked detectives when he told them he could lead them to another body in return for a cigarette. Halliwell was jailed for life after pleading guilty to Sian's murder. But there would be no justice for Becky after a judge ruled that Halliwell's legal rights had been breached by detectives during the course of the search. Becky's family may never know exactly how, when or why she died but her family have vowed to continue searching for justice. Tragic: Sian O'Callaghan (left) was killed by taxi driver Christopher Halliwell, who led police to her grave. Karen Edwards (right) has vowed never to give up fighting for justice for her daughter Becky . Anger: Members of the public attempt to attack the police van containing Christopher Halliwell as it leaves Swindon Magistrates Court, after he was charged with the murder of Sian O'Callaghan in March 2011 . Becky, a heroin addict since she was 16, walked away from her family on December 17, 2002. The . 20-year-old told her mum Karen Edwards: 'I love you, but I can't put you . through this anymore. It's not fair on you. I'll come back when I'm clean.' But she never did. 'I told them he had an evil look about him and of course, I know that's the case. He is evil' Tracey Mullane . Police officers finally arrived at Karen's home in April 2011, on what would have been Becky's 29th birthday, and told her that Becky's remains had been found in a field. She had been dead for at least six years. Ms Mullane, who found the photo in her loft, decided to show the picture to Becky's mother Karen, who was shocked that Halliwell acted normal at the wedding despite hiding his secret that he had killed Becky. | Tracey Mullane, 49, attended wedding in Swindon, Wiltshire, in 2008 .
She is aunt of Becky Godden-Edwards, killed by Christopher Halliwell .
Mullane spotted Halliwell in wedding picture in photo album in her loft . |
105,616 | 1433d3069793390a7f2aa5b2c71f10780d3f3001 | (CNN) -- Syrian military forces have taken control of villages in the northern part of Aleppo, Syrian state news agency SANA reported Friday. Syrian army forces "eliminated big numbers" of militants and destroyed scores of vehicles used by them in three villages in the northern countryside of Aleppo, the news agency said, citing a military source. The opposition Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported Friday that one of the seized villages, Handarat, which is crucial because it sits on a hill overlooking the only entry point into the area. The Observatory, however, later reported that rebels had retaken the hill of Handarat amid heavy clashes, which continued Friday. It is estimated that there are up to 300,000 people in the rebel-held areas, and it's unclear if the militants will allow civilians to leave the war-torn region. The number of people who have fled Syria and registered as refugees amid the country's civil war surpassed 3 million in August, and a further 6.5 million are believed to be displaced within the nation, the U.N. refugee agency has reported. The war, pitting an Alawite Muslim-dominated regime against a largely Sunni Muslim insurgency, has torn the country apart. Numerous factions, some of them Islamist, oppose the government of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, and one of them -- ISIS, or the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria -- has captured large swaths of northern and eastern Syria for what it says is its new Islamic caliphate. | Syrian forces seize villages in the northern part of Aleppo, state news agency reports .
One village sits on hill overlooking only entry point into area, opposition group says . |
64,559 | b75807e1b56d1a2a1e044ac0bf0f8974e5dbd4dd | By . Emma Innes . PUBLISHED: . 06:05 EST, 29 August 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 07:41 EST, 29 August 2013 . A former anorexic claims that she owes her life to her gym for banning her when her fitness obsession saw her shrink to a tiny five stone. Caitlin Millar, 21, became addicted to the gym and skipping meals after she began to feel that she was unable to control anything else in her life. While her exercise regime seemed healthy, Ms Miller was losing weight rapidly because she was consuming far fewer calories than her body needed. Caitlin Millar (left), 21, says that she owes her life to her gym for banning her when she became dangerously thin (right). In a year she dropped from weighing 8st 7lbs to weighing just 5st . It was only once she was banned from her gym that she realised how painfully thin she had become. Now, she is finally on the road to recovery - and has been able to start living like any other student at a healthy 8st 9lbs. Ms Millar, from Berkshire, said: ‘I was obsessed with being the best in everything I did whether it was in sports events or school, I had to be the most successful or I wasn’t happy. ‘When I started puberty I couldn’t deal with all the changes happening to my body that I couldn’t control. ‘I had always competed in running and when younger talent started emerging and I wasn’t the best anymore I couldn’t handle it. ‘My weight was something I could control completely and so I started skipping meals and working out more knowing that if I kept control of this then I might regain control of everything else in my life. Ms Millar, who now weighs a healthy 8st 9lbs, says that she started to skip meals and over-exercise when she began to feel that she was losing control of her life . Ms Millar (pictured since her recovery) said: 'My weight was something I could control so I started skipping meals and working out more knowing that if I kept control of this then I might regain control of everything else' ‘When I started at university I became even worse because there was no one there to realise what I was doing or to make sure I didn’t skip meals.’ Ms Millar first began to obsess about her weight when, aged 15, training started to become more of a chore than a hobby and she could feel herself losing grasp of the perfect life she had crafted for herself. Despite being a slim size eight, she felt this was not the best she could be and started skipping meals and heading to the gym as much as she possibly could. Ms Millar (pictured when she was ill) says that her weight loss increased when she started university as there was no one there to ensure that she was not skipping meals . Ms Millar (pictured, left, when she was ill and, right, since she has recovered) says that her health problems began when she struggled to cope with the fact that she was no longer the best runner in competitions . She said: ‘Knowing that there were younger people coming into competing who were better than me was hard. ‘I wanted to regain control of something and so I started to cut meals out and added in more and more gym workouts.’ Aged 18, Ms Millar was a healthy size eight and weighed about eight-and-a-half stone – healthy for her 5ft 6ins frame. But within a year, she had lost more than a third of her body weight, dropping to five stone. Ms Millar (pictured taking part in an athletics competition) said: 'Knowing that there were younger people coming into competing who were better than me was hard' Despite her friends and family mentioning their worries, she was determined to keep losing weight and keep control of that part of her life. Ms Millar said: ‘I had been ill for about two years when one day I was pulled into the office at the gym at university by one of the staff. ‘He sat me down and said that he was going to have to ban me from the gym as people had been commenting on how worried they were about my weight. Ms Millar said: 'I had been ill for about two years when one day I was pulled into the office at the gym at university by one of the staff. He sat me down and said that he was going to have to ban me from the gym' ‘I was furious to know that people had been talking about me behind my back but shocked that they were worried enough to make a comment. ‘I walked away from the gym feeling so embarrassed that I knew something had to change then and there. ‘I trawled the internet for somewhere that could help me and came across the Anorexia Nervosa Intensive Treatment Team. ‘They tailor-made a less terrifying diet plan based on my current food and exercise regimes which gradually built up over time.’ Ms Millar says that being banned from the gym came as a shock to her because she had not realised that she was so thin. As soon as this happened, she started to look for help . Ms Millar has now returned to full health and is able to enjoy university weighing a healthy 8st 9lbs. Her mother said: 'I am so proud that she managed to battle the illness and come out of the other side' Ms Millar’s mother, Alison, said: ‘When Caitlin started becoming obsessed with her weight we knew that this was a battle that she had to face. ‘The more we tried to stop her from doing it the more we pushed her into doing it more. ‘We just had to hope that she got things under control herself. ‘Watching her so poorly was awful but all I could do was support her and try to look after her as much as I could. ‘I’m so happy she is better now though and back to her normal self. ‘I am so proud that she managed to battle the illness and come out of the other side a much better and happier person.’ | Caitlin Millar dropped from 8st 7lbs to 5st in a year by skipping meals .
Only realised how thin she was when gym staff told her was no longer allowed to use their equipment and that they were concerned about her .
When this happened, she sought help and has now returned to a healthy weight .
If you're concerned you may have anorexia, or know someone who has, visit anorexiabulimiacare.org.uk . |
263,661 | e17de4e004684a01a419b9000e02d1108e515e2f | Failures: Dr Bijan Saha is facing sanctions after being accused of taking mobile phone calls during appointments, storing drugs dangerously and failing to respect patients' privacy . An elderly doctor is facing sanctions after being accused of taking mobile phone calls during appointments, storing drugs dangerously and failing to respect patients’ privacy. Patients described Dr Bijan Saha as ‘terrible’ and advised others to avoid his surgery ‘like the plague’. They complained the 73-year-old GP discussed private medical conditions in front of reception staff and other patients, and took personal calls during consultations. Others complained he wrote prescriptions for them before they had even described their symptoms. The surgery in Sittingbourne, Kent, where Dr Saha is the only GP, was found to have serious failings after an unannounced inspection by the Care Quality Commission. It found he was failing to meet all 11 standards that are monitored and this was having a major impact on patients. The CQC would not discuss the nature of the action it is taking for legal reasons. Patients had difficulty making appointments at the practice – which closes for five hours in the middle of each day – and were forced to use other services such as walk-in centres. One, Brian Woodruff said he changed surgeries after his ‘awful’ experience there. The 52-year-old, who runs a dog-sitting business, said: ‘Dr Saha is just a rude man. When you went in to speak to him he had never finished his notes on the previous patient. He wouldn’t listen to anything you told him. ‘I suffered with depression and I felt he just fobbed me off with a prescription or some pills. I’ve changed doctors and feel so much better.’ Another patient said: ‘I’ve been with this surgery for 13 years and it just gets worse. What do I pay national insurance for? When I need a doctor I can’t get an appointment. When I do see the doctor, they never listen and are writing a prescription before I’ve even finished my first sentence.’ One patient said of the surgery online: ‘Twice during my consultation the doctor answered their mobile phone and from the conversation that I heard was discussing matters unconnected with the surgery. ‘I would advise anyone considering this GP practice to avoid it like the plague.’ Another said: ‘This is a terrible surgery. The staff are rude and never answer the phone.’ Complaints: Patents complained the 73-year-old GP discussed private medical conditions in front of reception staff and other patients, and took personal calls during consultations . Damningly, the report revealed: ‘Medicines were not handled appropriately or stored correctly. Medication prescribed for a named individual was being used for general administration to others. ‘Repeat prescriptions were issued without reviews, and were often printed by administrative staff. This procedure had led to a prescribing error which could have had very serious consequences. There were no formal processes to ensure security of prescription pads or stocktaking of medicines.’ Staff who chaperoned people during intimate procedures had not been give criminal records checks. In addition, the waiting area was found to be dirty, with all the waiting room chairs badly stained. Michele Golden, CQC’s head of GP inspection in the South, said: ‘The issues we have identified at Dr Saha’s practice are very serious. People using this practice are currently at unacceptable levels of risk.’ Dr Saha, who could earn up to £82,789 a year, was pictured yesterday during his five-hour break getting into his car with a personalised number plate. He said: ‘I’m extremely sorry, I don’t want to say anything.’ | Patients described Dr Bijan Saha, 73, from Sittingbourne, Kent, as 'terrible'
Complaints GP discussed medical conditions in front of reception staff .
Care Quality Commission inspection finds surgery has serious failings .
Report reveals medicines 'not handled appropriately or stored correctly' |
124,483 | 2ceb00c1f9500c44feb66e9f2f7ea57a1e849ad0 | By . Ellie Zolfagharifard . The dark skies of the Isle of Wight provide a stunning backdrop for these colourful images of the majestic Milky Way. Photographer Chad Powell used a Canon 6D DSLR camera to capture images of the spectacular constellation above the familiar beach scenes of England’s largest island. The 22-year-old, who shot the pictures over a year of stargazing on the island, often stayed up until dawn to catch the most dramatic skyscapes. The Milky Way above Steephill Cove in Isle of Wight, England. Photographer Chad Powell used a Canon 6D DSLR camera to capture images of the spectacular constellation above the familiar beach scenes of England’s largest island . The DSLR camera enhanced the Milky Way from the white strip visible to the naked eye into an explosion of colourful lights. Mr Powell, a graphic designer from Ventnor, Isle of Wight, used foregrounds of abandoned theme parks, harbours and lighthouses against the illuminated sky. ‘The perfect conditions to take these pictures are a clear sky on a moonless night,’ he said . 'Light pollution needs to be minimal too, unfortunately for the UK there are very few areas of dark sky, especially in England.' The 22-year-old, who shot the pictures over a year of stargazing on the island, often stayed up until dawn to catch the most dramatic skyscapes. Pictured is the Milky Way behind Castle Haven, a small harbour in Nilton . This stunning image shows the Orchard Bay steps in Isle of Wight. Mr Powell, a graphic designer from Ventnor on the island used foregrounds of abandoned theme parks, harbours and lighthouses against the illuminated sky . A combination of 120 separate photographs over the space on an hour were used to capture the stars trail on 24 June 2014 (left). On the right, the Milky Way is pictured above an abandoned roundabout from Blackgang Chine Amusement Park . A panoramic image shows the reflection of the Milky Way in the glass-like water of Flowers Brook. Minor adjustments were made to bring out the contrast and whites in this collection of images . The Milky Way is thought to be 120,000 light years across and contains more than 200 billion stars. This makes it a ‘middleweight’ galaxy with the largest galaxy known, IC 1101, containing more than 100 trillion stars. On a clear night, when you look up into the night sky the most you can see from any one point on the Earth is about 2,500 stars. Like more than two-thirds of the known galaxies, the Milky Way has a spiral shape. At the centre of the spiral, a lot of energy and, occasionally, vivid flares are created. Based on the immense gravity that would be required explain the movement of stars and the energy expelled, astronomers believe the centre of the Milky Way has a supermassive black hole. Astronomers believe the Milky Way wasn’t always a stunning barred spiral. It formed into its current size and shape by ‘eating’ other galaxies. In one image the Milky Way can be seen above Steephill Cove in incredible hues of pink, orange, blue, green and purple. A separate picture captures the stars trail on 24 June 2014 in the Isle of Wight using a combination of 120 separate photographs over the space on an hour. Mr Powell also captured images of the moon shining bright behind St Catherine's Oratory, a 14th century lighthouse. A separate image shows a luminous moon behind Steephill Cove. Other highlights include the galactic core of the Milky Way occupied by two small wooden boats, while a panoramic image shows the reflection of the Milky Way in the glass-like water of Flowers Brook. The majority of Mr Powell’s photographs are single exposures taken in a Raw image format. This captures more detail than a JPEG format which is altered in Lightroom - an editing program - by bringing out the contrast and whites in the image. Mr Powell added: 'Today’s DSLR cameras can gather much more light and capture a lot more detail than our eyes can. 'The Milky Way is still visible to the naked eye in dark sky areas, it just appears as a faint white strip in the sky, which is still an incredible sight to see. 'Before I picked up a camera I never thought it would be possible to take pictures like this without travelling to low light areas such as New Zealand or Africa. 'It’s an incredible feeling being able to share my photographs with people, and make them more aware of what can be seen in low light polluted areas here in Britain.' The Milky Way is thought to be 120,000 light years across and contains more than 200 billion stars. On a clear night, when you look up into the night sky, the most you can see from any one point on the Earth is about 2,500 stars. The Milky Way outside photographer Chad Powell's doorstep on 4 July 2014, in Ventnor on the Isle of Wight. The majority of Mr Powell’s photographs are single exposures taken in a Raw image format . The night stars are pictured above the coast on the Isle of Wight. Taking these images in in a Raw image format captures more detail than a JPEG format . The moon shines bright behind St Catherine's Oratory, a 14th century lighthouse (left). On the right, a super moon illuminates the white waves on the island. The pictures were touched up in Lightroom - an editing program - by bringing out the contrast and whites in the image . The galactic core of the Milky Way occupied by two small wooden boats. Mr Powell said: 'Today’s DSLR cameras can gather much more light and capture a lot more detail than our eyes can' A super moon behind the gates to heaven at Steephill Cove is pictured here. 'It’s an incredible feeling being able to share my photographs with people, and make them more aware of what can be seen in low light polluted areas here in Britain,' said Mr Powell . Mr Powell, a graphic designer from Ventnor, Isle of Wight (pictured), used foregrounds of abandoned theme parks, harbours and lighthouses against the illuminated sky . | 22-year-old Chad Powell used a Canon 6D DSLR camera to capture images of the stars above familiar beach scenes .
DSLR enhanced the Milky Way from the white strip visible to the naked eye into an explosion of colourful lights .
In one image the Milky Way can be seen above Steephill Cove in hues of pink, orange, blue, green and purple .
Another image captures star trails using a combination of 120 separate images taken over the space of an hour . |
231,600 | b7dd55f488aab3bf896a24d9c2230d63c3f34740 | By . Jaya Narain . PUBLISHED: . 09:39 EST, 4 September 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 19:32 EST, 4 September 2013 . Coronation Street actor Michael Le Vell arrives at Manchester Crown Court for the third day of his trial . The girl allegedly raped by Coronation Street actor Michael Le Vell showed no signs of injury during physical examination, a medical expert said yesterday. The girl claims she was raped at the age of six, nine and ten during years of abuse at the hands of the star. But Louise O’Connor said her intimate examination of the alleged victim found no evidence of injury that could be directly attributed to a sexual assault or rape. The doctor added: ‘Having no injuries certainly does not negate any of those allegations – a significant number of children and young people who make allegations of assault and come to us to be examined will not have any injuries.’ Le Vell denies 12 charges of rape, indecent assault and sexual activity involving a minor. The 48-year-old, who has played garage mechanic Kevin Webster in the ITV1 soap opera for 30 years, was charged under his real name of Michael Turner. The jury at Manchester Crown Court was told the physical examination took place two years after the last alleged sexual assault. Dr O’Connor, a paediatric consultant, examined the girl at the St Mary’s sexual assault centre in the city after the alleged victim made the attack claims in October 2011. She said the girl cooperated throughout the examination though was in discomfort during certain procedures. Scroll down for video . A court picture of Le Vell from yesterday. Le Vell, who is on trial under his real name of Michael Turner, denies the offences saying they are 'an absolute pack of lies' Le Vell is accused of five counts of rape, three of indecent assault, two counts of sexual activity with a child and two of causing a child to engage in sexual activity. He denies all the charges . Le Vell was seen in Manchester alongside his brother Phil before the third day of his trial . Le Vell, 48, who has played garage mechanic Kevin Webster in the ITV soap for 30 years, is facing a total of 12 sex charges . She said the girl suffered from a . hereditary condition – lichen sclerosis – that could make the skin prone . to irritation and infection. But Dr O’Connor said that during the . examination she could find no clear evidence of physical injury that . would support claims of sexual assault. Le Vell (left) who has been charged under his real name of Michael Turner, has been accused of raping the girl as she clutched a teddy bear . The court heard that the last alleged . sexual assault had occurred some two years earlier and any physical . injury could have completely healed. Dr O’Connor said quite serious injury . and laceration could have healed without leaving any noticeable . scarring on medical examination. Earlier the jury was told Le Vell had repeatedly raped and sexually abused the girl from the age of six. On one occasion he allegedly held her favourite teddy bear over her mouth to ensure she remained silent while he raped her. The court was told the girl first . said she had been raped after attending a motivational conference in . London hosted by a woman who had herself been raped as a young child. The teenager had travelled to the . self-help conference with her mother and the pair had attended workshops . and seminars separately. But during a scheduled break in the day the girl broke the news to her mother and told her it had been going on for years. Le Vell was in arrested in 2011 but . the case was dropped only for him to be rearrested and charged in the . light of fresh evidence last year. He has been suspended from Coronation Street until the conclusion of the trial, which continues. Sorry we are unable to accept comments for legal reasons. | Doctor agreed with second expert that medical findings were 'neutral'
Michael Le Vell is facing total of 12 sex charges at Manchester Crown Court .
Actor has played Kevin Webster in Coronation Street for 30 years .
He arrived at court today for the third day of his trial . |
105,491 | 1408b6f4d930f02a0725ddff5cf5c2a05a2ccfca | The Lockerbie bomber’s release was linked to a £400million arms deal with Libya, secret documents reveal. They show ‘reprehensible’ connections between the Labour government boosting business and freeing the man convicted of Britain’s worst terrorist atrocity. An email sent by the then UK ambassador in Tripoli to former premier Tony Blair explained how a prisoner transfer agreement will be signed once Libya ‘fulfils its promise’ to buy an air defence system. Handshake: Tony Blair, pictured with Colonel Gaddafi in Tripoli, met the dictator six times after he resigned as Prime Minister . The disclosure, obtained under Freedom of Information laws, reignites a row which is hugely embarrassing for Labour. At the time of Abdelbaset Al Megrahi’s release in August 2009, then prime minister Gordon Brown and his senior ministers insisted there was no link to ‘blood money’ trade deals with Colonel Gaddafi. Megrahi, a Libyan, was convicted of killing 270 people by blowing up an American airliner over Lockerbie in December 1988. He was sent home early from a Scottish jail on compassionate grounds because he had terminal prostate cancer. He died last year. Ministers insisted his release was a decision taken solely by the Scottish government. The email was sent by Sir Vincent Fean, then the UK’s top diplomat in Libya, to Mr Blair, ahead of his visit to Gaddafi in June 2008. It updated Mr Blair, who quit Downing Street a year earlier, on the UK’s ongoing relations with the brutal dictator. Prior to this, Mr Blair met Gaddafi and his prime minister Al-Baghdadi Ali al-Mahmoudi in Sirte in a desert tent. The pair thrashed out a memorandum of understanding on prisoner transfers just before BP announced the firm was investing about £545million to search for £13billion of oil in Libya. But according to the email, Mr Blair and Baghdadi agreed Libya would buy a missile defence system from MBDA, part-owned by BAE Systems. When he returned in June 2008 the Government appeared to see a chance for him to push for the arms deal to be sealed. Release: Lockerbie bomber al-Megrahi was released from prison in 2009 with only 'weeks to live'. He died almost three years later . Sir Vincent wrote: ‘There is one bilateral issue which I hope TB [Tony Blair] can raise, as a legacy issue. On 29 May 07 in Sirte, he and Libya’s PM agreed that Libya would buy an air defence system (Jernas) from the UK (MBDA). ‘One year on, MBDA are now back in Tripoli aiming to agree and sign the contract now — worth £400million, and up to 2,000 jobs in the UK. We think we have Col Q’s [Gaddafi’s] goodwill for this contract. This issue can also be raised with Libya’s PM. It was PM Baghdadi who told the media on 29 May 07 that Libya would buy British. ‘Linked (by Libya) is the issue of the 4 bilateral justice agreements about which TB signed an MoU with Baghdadi on 29 May. The MoU says they will be negotiated within the year: they have been. Atrocity: 270 people died when Pam Am flight 103 exploded over Lockerbie, in Scotland on December 21, 1988, in the worst terror attack ever seen on British soil . They are all ready for signature in London as soon as Libya fulfils its promise on Jernas.’ The prisoner transfer agreement was signed in November 2008. Susan Cohen, whose daughter Theo, 20, was among those killed at Lockerbie, said: ‘These revelations simply serve to increase the awful stench that still surrounds the whole scandal. They turned human tragedy into a business transaction. It’s absolutely reprehensible.’ Lord Mandelson, Business Secretary at the time of Megrahi’s release, said then that it was ‘offensive’ to suggest it was linked to improving commercial relations with Libya. He said yesterday: ‘I was not aware of the correspondence covered in this FOI request.’ Mr Blair’s spokesman said the email did not show ‘the UK government was trying to link the defence deal and Megrahi’. He said: ‘Actually it shows the opposite – that any linkage was from the Libyan side. As far as we’re aware there was no linkage on the UK side. What the email in fact shows is that, consistent with what we have always said, it was made clear to the then Libyan leader that the release of Megrahi was a matter for Scotland. Of course the Libyans, as they always did, raised Megrahi.’ MBDA said yesterday the Libyans never signed the arms deal. Deal: Tony Blair agreed with Colobnel Gaddafi that Libya would sign a £400million air defence contract . | Tony Blair discussed air defence deal with Libyan dictator .
Briefing note written by British ambassador said Libya was linking the contract with a prisoner transfer agreement .
Lockerbie bomber Abdelbaset al-Megrahi was released from jail in 2009 on 'compassionate grounds' because he had terminal cancer .
Ultimately the defence contract was never signed by Libya . |
260,133 | dcd63834aaf460f8361f43772758f2acf7d8e6c4 | Maykop, Russia (CNN) -- Russian authorities have arrested a prominent community leader from the country's Circassian ethnic minority. The arrest took place on Friday night in the same province where the Winter Olympics are currently being held. The detention of Asker Sokht follows the police roundup on February 7 in the southern city of Nalchik of dozens of Circassian activists who tried to hold a protest denouncing the Winter Olympics. Russian officials could not be reached on Sunday to comment on Sokht's arrest. But the detention of a leader widely perceived as a moderate, who often defended Russian government policy, has sent ripples of alarm through the Circassian community in Russia, which is estimated to number around 800,000. "This is deeply sad for Circassians," said Adam Bogus, the leader of another Circassian council based in Maykop, which is located about 150 miles north of Sochi. "Even those who weren't strongly associated with the nationalist movement and were fairly assimilated in Russia interpret this as an insult to the Circassian people," Bogus told CNN. Circassian activists have criticized the Russian government for failing to acknowledge that the Olympic city of Sochi is also the traditional homeland of their people. "The question isn't whether or not the Games are taking place on our land," said Abdullah Bersirow, a Circassian architect who designed a monument to his people that looms uncompleted over a park in Maykop. "The most important thing is when they announced (the Olympics), they didn't say a word about us. They tried to forget us as if we never even lived here," Bersirow said. Circassians once dominated large swaths of the Caucasus and northern Black Sea coast. They were defeated by the Russian army in the Caucasus War, a conflict that lasted for more than a century, until the mid-1800s. Circassian historian Samir Khotko told CNN that the Circassians fought their last stand against imperial Russia in Krasnaya Polyana, the mountainous area above Sochi where the Olympic Alpine sports are now being held. 2014 marks the 150th anniversary of that final battle. Many Circassians accuse 19th-century Russia of carrying out genocidal massacres of their ancestors, as well as the forced deportation of hundreds of thousands of Circassians. Today, members of the Circassian diaspora are scattered across the Europe and the U.S., along with communities in Middle Eastern countries like Turkey, Syria and Israel. Some Circassian activists have led an anti-Olympics campaign on the website nosochi2014.com, which is accompanied by slogans like "Sochi, the land of genocide." Russian President Vladimir Putin, who personally lobbied for Sochi to host the Winter Olympics, has repeatedly urged observers to avoid mixing politics with sport. The Russian government has been particularly sensitive to criticism of the Sochi Olympics. On February 7, several activists carrying the rainbow flag of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender movement were detained while singing the Russian national anthem in Moscow's Red Square. Last week, Evgeny Vitishko, an outspoken environmentalist critic of the Sochi Games, was sentenced to three years in a penal colony, accused of hooliganism and destroying private property. Human rights activists in Russia as well as the U.S.-based group Human Rights Watch denounced the verdict, claiming it was politically motivated. On Sunday, a spokesman for the International Olympic Committee sided with Russian authorities on the Vitishko verdict. "We received clarification from Sochi that this is, and we think it remains, a non-Olympic case," said IOC communications director Mark Adams. Sokht, the Circassian activist leader, was arrested in Russia's Krasnodar region, the province where Sochi is located. Friends and relatives said Sokht had been active in resettling in the region at least 10 families of Circassian refugees who had fled Syria's civil war. As news of Sokht's arrest spread this weekend, several prominent Circassians asked CNN not to publish their interviews for fear of punishment at the hands of Russian authorities. "This has led a great number of people to conclude that anybody who deals with the Circassian question -- even the most loyal -- will now be under pressure," said Bogus, the Circassian community leader in Maykop. CNN's Gul Tuysuz contributed to this report. | Asker Sokht, a leader in Circassian community, was arrested Friday night .
Circassians have protested against Sochi Olympics, held in their ancestral homeland .
They want Russia to acknowledge the connection and a major battle in the area .
Many Circassians accuse 19th-century Russia of genocide against their ancestors . |
249,168 | ce6c1bbb1f9a6ab895d79c1a5a6ff4c7e49556be | (CNN) -- Tuesday brought a shocking result -- at least for Americans -- from the snowboard halfpipe, a magnanimous gesture from one country to another, and just another, ho hum, two gold medals for Norway in its favorite event. Bad Things for Shaun White . Was it the condition of the halfpipe? Was it the haircut? Or was it that some days you just get beat? The big newsmaker in the men's halfpipe was the guy who finished fourth (which might be the worst place to finish if you make it to the Olympic Games). Many Americans were crushed when they found out Shaun White not only didn't win, he didn't even get a medal. He seemed pretty disappointed himself. "I had a game plan, I had a specific run I wanted to land and I didn't get to put it down and that's one of the most frustrating things," he said of his mistakes. "If I get to land my run and I get beat I'm OK with that, but it didn't work out that way." But don't pronounce the king dead just yet, he warned. Those tricks he was landing in practice, ones that he didn't get to break out, they will "carry on for the next few years." White, 27, may be an old man among snowboarders, but he's giving every indication he'll be back for 2018. For now, it's time for Bad Things. We're not referring to his results at Sochi. We're referring to the band for which he plays guitar. He said it will be a nice break from competition. Historic day for American women . Sarah Hendrickson didn't medal in the women's ski jump, but she made history that can't be taken away. Years from now, she can brag that she was the first woman to ever ski jump in the Olympics. Tuesday didn't go the way she planned; the 19-year-old, who was a pre-event favorite despite a knee injury, finished 21st. After the event, she tweeted again, saying: "Ya I didn't win a medal ... you can judge me all you want but you'll never know how hard I worked to jump compete today as an Olympian." Trust me, we're not judging. Ski jumping takes equal parts crazy, determination and unreal athleticism. Obviously at 19 she'll have a chance to see several more Olympics. She and the other female jumpers want to compete in a large hill and team event at the 2018 Games in South Korea just like the men. We're thinking they'll get their shot. Over at the luge track, Erin Hamlin slid into what is traditionally a Germans-only victory celebration and earned a bronze medal. It was the first medal for an American woman in singles. "Luge isn't the biggest sport at home and we've never won an individual medal. Hopefully this gives it a boost. I'm happy to pave the way to the future," she said. Canadian coach lends a hand, er, ski . Anton Gafarov of Russia was struggling. He was well out of contention in the cross-country sprint event after two crashes. During the first he broke a ski. During the second it snapped to the point it was unusable. Still he was trying to complete the race, despite being almost three minutes behind in an event that takes just longer than that time frame. That's when an opponent's coach trucked out on the course with a spare ski. "I wanted him to have dignity as he crossed the finish line," Canadian Justin Wadsworth told the Toronto Star. He was baffled as to why the Star even wanted to talk to him about the incident. Any coach would do something like that, he said. But that's just it, none of the other coaches, not even the Russians, made a move. Medal marvels . A lot of the sports at the Winter Olympics are dominated by one nation. Speed skating -- the Dutch. Luge -- the Germans. Snowboarding -- the United States, well, most of the time. But no one has taken home as much hardware as Norway, a country of 5 million, has in cross-country skiing. They've won 38 gold medals, the most top finishes in any Winter Olympics sport. They added to the total Tuesday when Ola Vigen Hattestad and Maiken Caspersen Falla won the sprint events. It makes sense that Norway is so good at the sport. According to the Olympic News Service, in or about the year 1200, King Sverre of Norway was the first to have his troops use skis in battle. He ordered his scouts to use them to spy during the Bagler War. The first timed race was held in Norway in the 19th century. OK, enough of the history lessons. Norway now tops the overall medals table with 11, six from cross-country skiing. Letter for Jamie . We could all use a fan letter like this. Jamie Anderson, who won the first women's slopestyle snowboard event, received a "precious letter" from Leanne, who is lives in San Jose, California, and is in second grade. Bleacher Report says USA Today reporter Mike Foss noticed the letter posted to Anderson's Twitter account. Foss writes that the letter is beyond cute -- it's adorable. Leanne even interspersed different colored stars into a cheering letter that reads: . Dear Jamie Anderson, . I'm so proud you made the Olyimpic (remember, she's in second grade) team! I've been reading about you and you are really amazing! I learned that you like biking. I like biking, too. I hope you go high and do lots of tricks and do a really good job and do a nice job on the USA team. You are really good at Slopestyle Snowboarding. Rub the penny to get good luck. Sincerely, . Leanne . And Leanne taped a penny to the letter. Someone needs to get Leanne her own gold medal. | Shaun White puts down the snowboard, picks up his guitar .
An American ski jumper writes history despite failing to fly as far as she wanted .
Canadian coach helps a Russian skier .
Second grader sends lucky penny to snowboarder who won gold . |
277,238 | f32dd3ee7d896b85d399c7441e40d8b20cd86046 | Misrata, Libya (CNN) -- Heavy fighting that began at dawn and continued past midnight Friday left at least 31 people dead Saturday in the western Libyan city of Misrata, where rebel forces thwarted efforts by government forces to enter from the west and south. By the end of Friday, more than 160 others had been wounded, said medical sources at the city's Hekmah Hospital. Friday's casualties were the heaviest in a month, Dr. Khaled Abu Falgha said. Medics chanted, "The martyrs are beloved to God" every time a patient died, he said. The rebels said Gadhafi's forces also shelled nearby Zlitan, as well as rebel positions in Dafniya. Tanks were rolling in and witnesses on the frontline said pro-Gadhafi forces were firing rockets and missiles. "It is horrible out there," one rebel fighter said. "The revolutionaries are taking tank power in their chests." Misrata's oustkirts were under continuous bombardment Friday. At a field hospital set up on the western front, doctors were so busy they didn't count the dozens of patients they treated. Their efforts were focused largely on stabilizing the wounded so they could withstand the trip to the main hospital in the city center. There, rebel forces were firmly in control and the streets remained quiet throughout the day, except for loud, thunderous booms in the distance. By the end of the day, rebels said, government forces had been pushed farther west -- away from the city. Misrata has borne the brunt of the fighting in Libya for the past two months. More than 1,000 people are believed to have been killed here since early February, including 686 civilian residents. Gadhafi's forces laid siege to Misrata and cut off land access, leaving the port as the only escape route. They retreated to the perimeters but were trying to regain control of the city, about 130 miles (209 kilometers) east of Tripoli. In Washington, Sen. Carl Levin emerged from a meeting of the U.S. Armed Services Committee and appeared pleased with NATO's progress. "I am satisfied that Gadhafi's military has been severely degraded, that politically he has been significantly weakened, that the NATO operations are going well, they are coordinated and we have not lost one person yet," the Democrat from Michigan said. The committee chairman rejected the term "stalemate" to describe the effort, which has lasted nearly three months. But Sen. Jeff Sessions, also a member of the committee, expressed impatience over NATO's pace of progress in the northern African country. "I'm not sure we are acting with decisive abilities that we have to impact the outcome," the Republican from Alabama said. "I felt like, had we moved aggressively, as Senator (John) Kerry (D-Massachusetts) and Senator (John) McCain (R-Arizona) suggested in the beginning, maybe the matter would be concluded by now." In Brussels, Belgium, outgoing U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates blasted NATO as a "two-tiered" alliance poorly equipped to deal with challenges. In his farewell speech Friday to the NATO Council, he contrasted those members "willing and able to pay the price and bear the burdens of alliance commitments, and those who enjoy the benefits of NATO membership ... but don't want to share the risks and the costs." Gates had harsh words for the conduct of the air campaign against Gadhafi's regime. He said it had become "painfully clear" that shortcomings could "jeopardize the alliance's ability to conduct an integrated, effective and sustained air-sea campaign." "While every alliance member voted for the Libya mission, less than half have participated at all, and fewer than a third have been willing to participate in the strike mission," he said. Gates concluded with a warning about American willingness to continue bearing a growing part of the NATO burden. "The blunt reality is that there will be dwindling appetite and patience in the U.S. Congress ... to expend increasingly precious funds on behalf of nations that are apparently unwilling to devote the necessary resources or make the necessary changes to be a serious and capable partners in their own defense," he said. NATO members must better allocate their resources, follow through on commitments and protect defense budgets from being "further gutted" to avoid "a dismal future," Gates said. His warning came on the same day that Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan told Turkish broadcaster NTV that Turkey had offered Gadhafi some guarantees, including helping him seek another country of residence, if he were to step down. "Unfortunately, we still have not received a response from him," he said. On Thursday, global powers charting out the course of a post-Gadhafi Libya met in the United Arab Emirates. U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and others urged the international community to sustain pressure on the Libyan regime. An opposition spokesman predicted Gadhafi would fall within days. But Friday's fighting was evidence that, despite 10,439 sorties carried out by NATO jets and a fierce opposition revolt, Gadhafi was holding strong. In a three-page letter purportedly from Gadhafi to the U.S. Congress that was given to CNN by the office of House Speaker John Boehner, the writer calls for a cease-fire. "Let's stop the destruction and begin the negotiations to find a peaceful solution for Libya," it says. "I appeal to you, as the great Democracy, to assist us to determine our future as a people." The letter calls the NATO military effort "inappropriate and illegal interference in what is essentially a Libyan civil war." "If authentic, this incoherent letter only reinforces that Gadhafi must go," said Boehner spokesman Michael Steel. "There's no disagreement about that. That's why so many Americans have questions -- which the White House refuses to answer -- about the administration committing U.S. resources to an operation that doesn't make his removal a goal." A senior administration official told CNN that the letter "probably" is genuine but added that Gadhafi "obviously didn't write it, for it's not weird enough." The official said it was not clear what the letter meant. "It will be hard to take seriously that he wants to talk about transition when he won't even take the bare minimum steps of putting a cease-fire into place," the official said. Meanwhile, NATO officials have said repeatedly that airstrikes are aimed solely at military targets, but a senior NATO military official with operational knowledge of the Libya mission has told CNN that attacking Gadhafi was justified under the United Nations mandate. The resolution applies to the Libyan leader because, as head of the military, he is part of the command-and-control structure and therefore a legitimate target, said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity. The official was not authorized to talk to the media. But the NATO official declined to give a direct answer when asked whether Gadhafi was being targeted. NATO spokeswoman Oana Lungescu, however, said the alliance was not specifically targeting Gadhafi. "We are targeting critical military capabilities that could be used to attack civilians, including command-and-control centers that could be used to plan and organize such attacks," Lungescu said. CNN Foreign Affairs Correspondent Jill Dougherty contributed to this story. | At a field hospital, doctors didn't take the time to count the dozens of wounded .
Letter purportedly from Gadhafi appeals to "the great Democracy" for assistance .
Sen. Levin "satisfied that Gadhafi's military has been severely degraded"
Sen. Sessions "not sure we are acting with decisive abilities" |
248,944 | ce22fd11a0bf34d9041549240f701b84139c9926 | By . Sarah Griffiths . PUBLISHED: . 11:01 EST, 1 August 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 11:01 EST, 1 August 2013 . The world's most technologically advanced bin being trialled with a London council that thinks despite its hefty price tag, it could save them money . The world's most technologically advanced bin has gone on trial, with a London council believing that despite its hefty price tag, it could save them money. The BigBelly Solar bin harvests energy from the sun and uses it to compact waste to an eight of its size. The cost of leasing the high-tech bin is an eye-watering £1,000 a year when leased for five years but because of its huge capacity, it could save councils money in vehicle journeys and fuel to collect waste. The solar-powered unit runs on a 12v battery. It needs just eight hours of sunlight per month to function as intended and is currently on trial in Merton, south west London. According to the distributors of the BigBelly Solar bins, Kyron Energy & Power, the compactor technology increases the capacity six to eight times that of a normal street bin. Consequently the company says the bin has been proven to reduce the number of waste collections needed by 86 per cent. Each compactor comes equipped with a wireless monitoring system. This enables the refuse collection teams to view fullness of each bin on computers and smart phones. The system sends a text or email when the bin is 85 per cent full and in need of emptying. The cost of leasing the high-tech bin is an eye-watering £1,000 a year when leased for five years but because of its huge capacity, it could save councils like Merton money in vehicle journeys and fuel to collect waste . Merton council invested in 30 bins and if the year-long pilot is successful, it predicts savings of £15,000 per year could be made on expenditures such as vehicle journeys and fuel costs. Merton Council cabinet member for performance and implementation, Councillor Mark Betteridge said: 'These new bins are great and a fantastic example of Merton’s business-like approach to running our services. 'Not only will they assist in keeping our parks clean, they should also help us be more efficient, delivering better value for our residents. 'We want to see local people and their families out and about in our parks this summer. There’s so much to enjoy from paddling pools to great play areas, walks and picnics - there’s something for everyone.' The system sends a text or email when the bin is 85 per cent full and in need of emptying and the information (pictured) helps customers reduce collection and disposal costs by 70 per cent, if the number of collections, staffing and fuel costs are taken into account . Two bins will be placed in Wimbledon Park, while Dundonald Rec, Sir Joseph Hood, Colliers Wood and South Park will each get one. The company also makes recycling bins that are used by many councils. Just like the compactor bins, the recycling units send details about real-time fill levels to computers and smartphones, to eliminate 'milk-round collection rounds. The company said its products reduce collection and disposal cost for its customers by 70 per cent, if the number of collections, staffing and fuel costs are taken into account. | The BigBelly Solar bin harvests energy from the sun and uses it to compact waste to an eight of its size .
It is currently on trial in Merton, south west London and the company claims it will cut the number of rubbish collections needed by up to 86 per cent .
The bin is powered by a 12v battery and sends a text message or email to its 'owner' when it is 85 per cent full and in need of emptying . |
183,263 | 795ed4203a2ff29b0ca6312a050377baec2c3d2a | TOKYO, Japan (CNN) -- Japan will lobby a dozen members of the International Whaling Commission at a meeting Monday to support its much-criticized Antarctic whaling program -- just three days before all members of the commission meet in London to discuss reaching an agreement on whale conservation rules. Japan's annual hunt kills up to 1,000 whales a year. Japan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the nation's fisheries agency will make their case to officials from Angola, Eritrea, Congo, Guinea, Ghana, Malawi, Tanzania, Palau, Micronesia, Cambodia, Laos and Vanuatu, a government spokesperson said. Several of the countries are new to the 78-member whaling commission. Two months ago, Japan "temporarily halted" its plan for a humpback whale hunt in the seas near Antarctica as what it said was a gesture to enhance the dialogue at the International Whaling Commission, which remains torn over whaling. Japan, which says it is conducting the hunt as part of scientific research, believes the practice is environmentally and scientifically sound. The country's annual hunt kills up to 1,000 whales a year -- the fisheries agency insists it wants "sustainable whaling." However, many in the international community -- particularly Australia -- believe that such hunts amount to needless slaughter. Critics believe that calling it research is just a pretext for retrieving whale meat to be sold in markets and restaurants. Greenpeace spokesman Junichi Sato told CNN that Monday's meeting is nothing more than Japan "wining and dining its way to win votes." | Japan will lobby IWC members to support its Antarctic whaling program .
Move ahead of IWC meeting on reaching agreement on whale conservation rules .
Japan claims it is conducting the hunt as part of scientific research .
Many in international community believe such hunts amount to needless slaughter . |
190,459 | 8296dc6452c997cc749a576a5ccf2cab98267302 | By . Sarah Harris . Scruffy new teachers will be forced to dress smarter and get a tighter grip on pupil misbehaviour under an Ofsted shake-up. They will be expected to project a more professional image in the classroom to set a better example to their students. Ofsted insists that from ‘day one’, trainees and freshly qualified teachers should act and dress in a way that befits their position. Crackdown: Scruffy new teachers will be forced to dress smarter under an Ofsted shake-up. They will be expected to project a more professional image in the classroom to set a better example to their students . The move is part of a crackdown on teacher training providers, which the watchdog believes are not adequately preparing new recruits for the rigours of the classroom. Ofsted yesterday launched a consultation on a revised framework for inspecting initial teacher education (ITE), which will be implemented in June. This places a greater emphasis on trainees’ handling of pupil misbehaviour and the standard of their ‘professional dress and conduct’. Inspectors will judge the quality of their training in how to instil discipline and cope with bad behaviour. Concern: Ofsted's chief inspector, Sir Michael Wilshaw, warns that trainee teachers are being sent into classrooms inadequately prepared . Specific attention will be paid to how well trainees ‘manage behaviour effectively to ensure a good and safe learning environment’. Inspection frameworks will be changed to ensure that inspectors can ‘directly observe how well trainees teach nearer the end of their training’. They will also return to assess newly qualified teachers (NQTs) in the first term of their employment as part of a two-stage inspection process. At present Ofsted does a single visit - observing the teaching of trainees and former trainees based in the same schools or colleges. Referring to the shake-up, the consultation document says: ‘We believe that this will allow a sharper focus on trainees’ outcomes and how well they are prepared for teaching and the rigours of the classroom.’ In a speech to the North of England education conference in January, Ofsted’s chief inspector of schools, Sir Michael Wilshaw, warned that trainee teachers are being sent into classrooms inadequately prepared. He said: ‘How many times have I heard that trainees are being sent into schools without proper guidance on professional behaviour or dress?’ ‘How many times have I heard that trainees have been inadequately prepared to deal with poor behaviour?’ Sir Michael said that if trainee teachers are struggling in the classroom, the college where they trained should share some of the responsibility. He added: ‘Ofsted has not been as demanding as it should have been with training providers who have sent newly qualified teachers out into schools unprepared for the rigours of the classroom. ‘In my view, there is no such thing as a bad NQT (newly qualified teacher), just one that is badly trained, poorly accredited and badly supported.’ Sean Harford, Ofsted national director of Initial Teacher Training, said yesterday: ‘Parents know that it is really important that trainee teachers get the best quality training before they face a classroom of pupils or students. Discipline: New teaching recruits will also be forced to get a tighter grip on pupil misbehaviour. The move is part of a crackdown on teacher training providers, which Ofsted believes are not adequately preparing new recruits . ‘That’s why from June, Ofsted will raise standards for teacher training partnerships to make sure that all new teachers are as ready as they can possibly be to excel in the classroom.’ An Ofsted spokesman added: ‘We are not being prescriptive about what teachers should and should not wear. ‘But we are clear that teachers must, on day one, conduct themselves and be dressed in a manner which befits their professional status.’ Ofsted inspects all training which leads to Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) for maintained schools and further education teacher training that has been endorsed by higher education institutions. Its public consultation runs until May. | New teachers expected to project more professional image in classroom .
Ofsted insists staff should act and dress in way that befits their position .
They will also be forced to get a tighter grip on student misbehaviour .
Move is part of a nationwide crackdown on teaching training providers . |
197,012 | 8afe1664e8c8776d7c760d86f3b5e39c9e4b24db | (CNN) -- A policeman and a former corrections officer say that on Friday they will unveil evidence of what they claim is their biggest find ever: the body of Bigfoot. The thawed body of a creature reputed to be Bigfoot reportedly weighs more than 500 pounds. Matthew Whitton and Rick Dyer, a pair of Bigfoot-hunting hobbyists from north Georgia, say they found the creature's body in a wooded area and spotted several similar creatures that were still alive. The carcass of the furry half-man, half-ape is 7 feet, 7 inches tall and weighs more than 500 pounds, they say. However, the two are not disclosing the exact location of their discovery to protect the remaining creatures. Tom Nelson, chairman of the biology department at North Georgia College and State University in Dahlonega, said he's "pretty skeptical" the world will feast its eyes on a new species Friday. "That would certainly rock mammalogy," joked Nelson, who specializes in the study of mammals. "I see a research grant in my future." Whitton and Dyer plan to unveil what they say is DNA and photo evidence of the discovery in Palo Alto, California, in conjunction with a group called Searching for Bigfoot Inc. A photograph on that group's Web site shows what appears to be the body of a large, hairy creature with an ape-like face, stuffed into a large freezer. According to a written release, the two announced the discovery on an Internet radio show, "Squatch Detective," several weeks ago. iReport.com: Do you believe in Bigfoot? "The only person we would allow to come down and verify the body was 'the Real Bigfoot Hunter,' Tom Biscardi," Dyer said, referring to Searching for Bigfoot's CEO, who has been looking for the elusive, legendary creature in the United States and Canada since 1971. Whitton is a Georgia police officer who is on administrative leave after being shot in the wrist during a pursuit. Dyer is a former prison guard. DNA tests on the body have begun, said the statement, and "extensive scientific studies" will be done on the body by scientists, including a molecular biologist, an anthropologist and a paleontologist. Nelson, the university professor, acknowledged that new species of animals have been discovered in recent decades and that, in science, "we always acknowledge the possibility of something new." But he said that even in north Georgia, home to the Blue Ridge Mountains and the foot of the Appalachian Trail, it stretches the imagination to think a family of 7-foot-tall creatures could have eluded hunters, hikers and creeping development until now. "To the average person, these places just seem like extreme wilderness where you'll find lions and tigers and bears," he said. "The reality is that you're never more than a mile from a road." The group says the animal is male, has reddish hair and "blackish-gray" eyes and human-like feet, hands and teeth. CNN's Doug Gross contributed to this report. | North Georgia men say they've found a den of Bigfoot creatures .
They say they'll reveal details of one Bigfoot on Friday in California .
The body of the furry half man-half ape is 7 feet, 7 inches tall, they say .
Men won't reveal Bigfoot den's location because they don't want others disturbed . |
171,744 | 6a48191b804878d03927aa479748b8512e3fc2ee | ONDO, Nigeria (CNN) -- In the dark of the early morning, the assembled drug agents murmur a short prayer before setting out on an early morning drugs raid. A agent torches marijuana plants found in the Nigerian forests but there could be hundreds more farms. After a few short orders, we set off into the deep undergrowth of southern Nigeria's forests on a tip-off that somewhere ahead are hidden farms illegally growing cannabis. "It's dangerous because some of them have machetes and in the deeper forest they have pump action shotguns that they use," explained Gaura Shedow, Nigeria's narcotics commander for Ondo state. Nigeria's National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, or NDLEA, are battling to stop drugs illegally transited through the country, from Latin America and Asia into Europe and the U.S., spilling over into the streets of Nigeria. As we approach the farm, orders go for out for silence and torches out. The agents spill into an opening in the dense forest, and in the red-glow of the rising sun we can make out the unmistakable leaf of the marijuana plant. NDLEA suspects there may be hundreds of farms hidden in the forest - estimating the crop they've found this morning to be about $6,000. Despite NDLEA's efforts the farmers are nowhere to be seen, but Commander Gaura remains practical. "The people that stay in these farms are not the big people. The big men stay in the cities -- they don't even come to the farmlands." Nigeria is on the frontline in the global war on drugs -- an international gateway for cocaine from Latin America and heroin from Asia to abusers in Europe and the United States. It's not known exactly how much is transited through Nigeria but NDLEA says last year they seized over 300 tons of narcotics. Focusing primarily on the main transit points -- roads, ports and airports - NDLEA claim to have convicted over 1,800 traffickers. Most of them are Nigerian. "We do have a big expatriate community of Nigerians in Europe and United States," explains Dagmar Thomas at the U.N. Office on Drugs and Crime in Nigeria. "And there is always the danger that these communities are tapped into by organized crime cartels." We spoke to one man arrested for trying to trafficking cocaine to Europe. A young graduate, he explained how after losing his job in Spain he was tempted by the offer of $5,000 to transport cocaine packets in his stomach. "When you are swallowing - taking in this thing into your body it's just as if you are signing your death warrant ... but this is what many youths do today just to make a living." And with low-ranking NDLEA officers paid on average $200 a month corruption within the agency is a key concern. "Yes, certainly there was a lot -- a lot, I think -- of corruption in the agency," explained Ahmadu Giade, the agency's chairman. "But so long as I continue as chairman of the agency, so long I will continue to dismiss anybody who's involved in corruption -- I will never spare him." But neither do the drugs. Living under a bridge in Nigeria's over-crowded metropolis, Lagos, Mercy Jon sleeps behind a public toilet with five other people. She prostitutes herself to pay for her cocaine habit. "Cocaine has destroyed my life - if it was not for the cocaine I'm taking, I would not be in such a place because I'm a learned somebody. My parents spent a lot to make sure I go to school, but because of cocaine I've ruined everything." Mercy Jon is being helped by one of only a handful of drug rehabilitation centers in Lagos -- Freedom Foundation. But struggling to find funding to cope with the number of addicts, their founder Tony Rapu is seeing a disturbing trend. "I actually think its increasing -- in the past few years we've seen more cases of heroin and cocaine abuse and in the area of marijuana it's like its getting even more common." Watching his officers systematically set about cutting and burning the seized cannabis crop Commander Gaura gestures to the flames. "We prefer to get to the grass roots and cut it down before it gets to the streets." But with the farmers and drug barons still in hiding Nigeria's drug war is far from over. | Nigerian drug agents patrol southern forests hunting for hidden drug farms .
Nigeria is hub for trafficking and fears problem is spilling into its streets .
Courier paid $5,000 to transport cocaine in stomach; drug agent paid $200 a month .
Educated addict now living under bridge says her life was destroyed by cocaine . |
244,546 | c87a9187693adf7a4e46291740290042a48f0c29 | Inspired: Jack Kerouac totally changed his style of writing after reading a 16,000-word, amphetamine-fuelled letter by his friend Neal Cassady. That letter is set to go up for auction in California next month . It has been called the letter that launched a literary genre. Neal Cassady wrote 16,000 amphetamine-fuelled, stream-of-consciousness words in a missive to Jack Kerouac in 1950. On reading them, Kerouac scrapped an early draft of his latest novel and, in a three-week writing binge, revised it into a style inspired by Cassady. That novel was On The Road, and its style became known as Beat literature. The letter, Kerouac said shortly before his death, would have transformed his counterculture muse Cassady into a towering literary figure, if only it hadn't been lost. Turns out it wasn't. It was just misplaced, for 60-some years. At least, so says Joe Maddalena, boss of Profiles in History, a southern California action house putting the letter up for sale next month. The letter is being offered as part of a collection including papers by E.E. Cummings, Kenneth Rexroth, Robert Penn Warren and other prominent literary figures. But Mr Maddalena believes the item bidders will want most is Cassady's 18-page, single-spaced screed describing a drunken, sexually charged, sometimes comical visit to his hometown of Denver. 'It's the seminal piece of literature of the Beat Generation, and there are so many rumours and speculation of what happened to it,' he told the Associated Press. Kerouac told The Paris Review in 1968 that poet Allen Ginsberg loaned the letter to a friend who lived on a houseboat in Northern California. Kerouac believed the friend then dropped it overboard. 'It was my property, a letter to me, so Allen shouldn't have been so careless with it, nor the guy on the houseboat,' he said. As for the quality of the letter, Kerouac described it this way: 'It was the greatest piece of writing I ever saw, better'n anybody in America, or at least enough to make Melville, Twain, Dreiser, Wolfe, I dunno who, spin in their graves.' It turns out Ginsberg apparently was trying to get it published when he mailed the letter to Golden Goose Press in San Francisco. There it remained, unopened, until the small publishing house folded. When it did, its owner planned to throw the letter in the trash, along with every other unopened submission he still had in his files. That was when the operator of a small, independent music label who shared an office with publisher Richard Emerson came to the rescue. He took every manuscript, letter and receipt in the Golden Goose Archives home with him. Up for sale: This image provided by the Profiles in History auction house shows the cover of an auction catalog, featuring several pages of what has become known as The Joan Anderson Letter, some 16,000 Benzedrine-fueled, stream-of-consciousness words written by Cassady to Kerouac in 1950 . Beatniks: Left to right, William Burroughs, Jack Kerouac and Allen Ginsberg. Kerouac blamed Ginsberg for losing the letter, believing the poet had loaned it to a man living on a houseboat who dropped it in the water . 'My father didn't know who Allen Ginsberg was, he didn't know Cassady, he wasn't part of the Beat scene, but he loved poetry,' said Los Angeles performance artist Jean Spinosa, who found the letter as she was cleaning out her late father's house two years ago. 'He didn't understand how anyone would want to throw someone's words out.' Although she knew who Kerouac and Cassady were, Ms Spinosa had never heard of The Joan Anderson Letter, the name Kerouac gave it for Cassady's description of a woman he'd had a brief romance with. On The Road: Kerouac's 1957 masterpiece, which he totally transformed in draft stage after reading Cassady's account of a drunken visit to Denver . 'It's invaluable,' historian and Kerouac biographer Dennis McNally said. 'It inspired Kerouac greatly in the direction he wanted to travel, which was this spontaneous style of writing contained in a letter that had just boiled out of Neal Cassady's brain.' It was a style he'd put to use in the novels On The Road and Visions of Cody, which featured Cassady, thinly disguised under the names Dean Moriarty and Cody Pomeroy, as their protagonists. He'd continue to use it in such books as The Subterraneans, The Dharma Bums and Lonesome Traveler, cementing his reputation as the father of the Beat Generation. Cassady would gain some small measure of fame as Kerouac's muse and, later, as the sidekick who drove novelist Ken Kesey's Merry Pranksters bus across the country. Meanwhile, about a third of The Joan Anderson Letter, copied by someone before it disappeared, became well-known to students of Kerouac. When Ms Spinosa discovered she had the whole thing, she took it to Mr Maddalena, a prominent dealer in historical documents and pop-culture artifacts, to authenticate it. He's reluctant to estimate what it might sell for. Although the original manuscript of On The Road fetched $2.4million in 2001, everyone knew that existed. It's much harder to estimate the value, he said, of something no one knew was still around. For her part, Ms Spinosa says she's just happy her father rescued the letter from the trash. She's hoping whoever buys it will give the public a chance to see it. 'The letter is so good, and you see why these guys loved him,' she says of Cassady's fellow Beats. 'The writing, it just breathes off the page.' | Speed-fuelled 16,000-word letter written by Kerouac's muse Neal Cassady .
It tells the story of a brief romance on a drunken visit to Denver .
Kerouac believed Allen Ginsberg had lost the letter after loaning it out . |
216,303 | a4073c82d91ea3e9f17295d146936c1666fbe125 | (CNN) -- Talk with two people who have been to Marrakech and you'll get very different views on what a trip there is like. One person will speak of the allure of wandering through a warren of market streets; the other will complain of getting lost over and over again. One will tell you that people there are among the friendliest they've met, if you can meet them halfway on the language. The other will say that the locals are only out to make money and not even directions are free. The food is exotic yet easy on the palate, or restaurants serve up bland clichés that still manage to turn you inside out. And they would both be correct. Bottom line: Marrakech is not for the timid traveler. My wife and I visited last November. We had heard it had much of what we look for in a travel destination: Centuries of history coupled with a very modern vibe. The city has a European feel, from the brand-name stores to the widespread use of French as a second or third language. The crowded souks and calls to prayer from the mosque minarets are what you would find at the heart of a Middle Eastern country. It is the outline of the High Atlas Mountains that reminds you that this is North Africa. Share your Morocco tips and photos . The city's origins stretch back to the 11th century. Back then Marrakech was a key trading route with sub-Saharan cities. And like other hubs -- Bruges as a European port, Samarkand on the Silk Road -- Marrakech had its golden epoch before falling from favor. The result is that parts of the city within the rose-colored walls and imposing gates surrounding the medina, or Old City, have a sense of being frozen in time. The massive Jemaa el Fna is likely to be the focal point of your time in Marrakech, both as a destination and as a much-needed reference point. It is one of Africa's largest squares, and as long as the city has existed it has been a place where storytellers, musicians, healers and just about everyone else has gathered. During the day you can't walk through it without some snake charmer or henna tattoo artist offering to make your stay more memorable. At night, they push aside to make way for innumerable food stalls offering as genuine a selection of Moroccan cuisine as you'll find at any restaurant. Grills sizzle beneath tiny merguez sausages and fish and skewers of vegetables. For the more adventurous, there is boiled goat head or bowls of snails. More than once we were brought food that we didn't order, like the deep red harira soup and a basket of bread, maybe some fresh olives. We paid for it anyway, and frankly, it was worth it. It exposed us to foods we may not have tried otherwise. Just plan on paying a bit more than you might have expected. Later, you'll walk it off as you wander amid the chaos, moving to incessant drum beats and chants, trying your best to take it all in. Just north of the Jemaa el Fna you'll find the myriad alleyways of the Marrakech souk, or traditional market quarter. No map will help you navigate these passages; just accept that you are going to get lost and enjoy yourself along the way. While souvenir stalls are everywhere, you can still find shops selling items of remarkable craftsmanship that reflect local designs -- whether it is in the intricate patterns and colored glass of the hanging lamps, or leather goods from the tannery in another part of the city. And trust me, the shop owners are always ready to make a deal. Make eye contact with a market trader, and before you know it you're haggling over the price of something that you may or may not need, but will provide a terrific story when you get back home. Nothing here has a set price, and shopkeepers can be aggressive when they think you are interested in something. But no trip to Marrakech would be complete without trying your hand at negotiating. At some point you realize that the hardest thing about visiting Marrakech is that you are usually moving at someone else's pace. The streets of the souk are jammed with people who are either jostling to get past you or quite content standing in your way. You and the other pedestrians will be on the lookout for young people on motorbikes heading in both directions. And everyone will try to maneuver around donkey-pulled carts. But anywhere you go -- and this is what makes a trip to Marrakech so special -- is an assault on the senses. It could be the vibrant colors of the shops selling mounds of rich spices or hand-tied rugs, the smell of food cooking, the press of the crowd, or the calls of the souk. When all the bustle gets to be too much, there are plenty of sites that give you a chance to relax. South of the Jemaa el Fna stands the 19th century Bahia Palace and gardens, originally built for a high-ranking official and his concubines. You won't find a palace in the sense of Versailles or the Hofburg. Instead, you'll meander through a series of rooms with little more than lavishly decorated floors, walls and ceilings, leading to courtyards with fruit trees and fountains. We walked through the palace on our own, though I suspect a proper tour could be organized. The Ben Youssef Medersa, a former boarding school where for hundreds of years young men studied the Quran, will amaze you with its intricate stucco and cedar carvings. Or just sit in the shadow of the Koutoubia Mosque minaret, an important example of the region's Islamic architecture. Or simply hop on one of the tour buses at the far end of Jemaa el Fna and check out Marrakech's modern Gueliz district. Staying in Marrakech is best experienced at a riad, a traditional Moroccan home built around a central courtyard. The whole idea was originally to create as private a dwelling as possible, so even finding the entrance to one can be a challenge (always ask your hosts if someone can meet you, if not at the airport, at least at the edge of the Old City to get you there). The best have only a few rooms, each uniquely decorated and appointed. Your hosts will be more than ready to offer suggestions on where to eat, what to see, or just to offer a soothing cup of tea on the rooftop terrace. Soothing tea aside, when you get back from Marrakech, don't expect to feel relaxed. Exhausted is more like it. You will have navigated more alleyways, gotten lost more times and told more people "no, thank you" for one reason or another than you should on a vacation. But a few weeks later, when you are looking back over the pictures you took, none of that will matter much. All you'll remember will be the sights and sounds that make Marrakech so special. And you'll be thinking about when you might go back. | Marrakech is not for the timid traveler. But if you're up for an adventure, it's a great destination .
The city's origins stretch back to the 11th century, and there's plenty of history to explore .
For the full experience, stay at a riad, a traditional Moroccan home built around a central courtyard .
Have you traveled to Morocco? Share your photos and travel tips with CNN iReport . |
119,497 | 265a276ff0e685c4b73abc555b9755426a6afae0 | By . David Mccormack . NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden has hit back at claims made by the Obama administration that he was merely a low-level hacker and has claimed that he worked undercover for both the CIA and the National Security Agency. ‘I was trained as a spy in sort of the traditional sense of the word, in that I lived and worked undercover overseas - pretending to work in a job that I'm not - and even being assigned a name that was not mine,’ he told NBC News in his first interview with a U.S. TV network. Snowden, who was granted temporary asylum in Russia after revealing details of U.S. spying activities to journalists, portrayed himself as ‘a technical specialist... a technical expert.’ Scroll down for video . In his first ever interview with a U.S. TV network, the Moscow-based NSA whistlebower said many of the terms used by the Obama administration to describe him were 'misleading' ‘I don't work with people. I don't recruit agents. What I do is I put systems to work for the United States. And I've done that at all levels from - from the bottom on the ground all the way to the top,’ he told NBC’s Brian Williams. Last year, when Snowden began leaking details of NSA spying programs and left the country, administration officials played down his work history, using descriptions such as 'systems administrator' to describe his role at the agency. In June, President Obama told reporters: 'No, I’m not going to be scrambling jets to get a 29-year-old hacker.' Snowden told Williams that those terms were 'misleading.' Snowden told NBC's Brian Williams that he had been trained as a spy and had worked undercover for both the CIA and the National Security Agency . In the Defense Intelligence Agency job, Snowden said, he 'developed sources and methods for keeping our information and people secure in the most hostile and dangerous environments around the world.' 'So when they say I’m a low-level systems administrator, that I don’t know what I’m talking about, I’d say it’s somewhat misleading,' he said. After leaving the government, Snowden continued his intelligence work for the NSA as a private contractor, including stints in Japan and Hawaii. While in the Aloha State he downloaded an estimated 1.7 million files before fleeing first to Hong Kong and then to Moscow. He has been charged with espionage and had his U.S. passport revoked. Back in the limelight: NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden will appear in his first interview with mainstream American TV this week . Snowdon was interviewed in Moscow last week. An hour-long special will air on Wednesday at 10 p.m. ET. The exclusive interview is the latest media appearance by Snowden, following a videolink speech at the South by Southwest Interactive Festival, a TED Conference in March and an interview in Vanity Fair's May issue. Also appearing on the NBC special is Glenn Greenwald, the Pulitzer prize winning journalist who broke the NSA surveillance story in the Guardian. Snowden’s interview comes after the House moved the U.S. closer to ending the NSA's bulk collection of Americans' phone records last Thursday. It is the most significant demonstration to date of Snowden's impact on the debate over privacy versus security. But the final version of the legislation, ‘watered down’ in the words of one supporter, also showed the limits of that impact. Interview: NBC Nightly News anchor Brian Williams travelled to Moscow, Russia, where Mr Snowden holds temporary asylum since last year, and spent several hours quizzing him . Exclusive: The hour long interview is set to air on Wednesday night, and may give a further insight into Snowden's future plans . The bill was severely weakened to mollify U.S. intelligence agencies, which insisted that the surveillance programs that shocked many Americans are a critical bulwark against terror plots. The bill was approved 303-121, which means that most House members can now say they voted to end what many critics consider the most troubling practice Snowden disclosed — the collection and storage of U.S. calling data by the secretive intelligence agency. But almost no other major provision designed to restrict NSA surveillance, including limits on the secret court that grants warrants to search the data, survived the negotiations to get the bill to the House floor. And even the prohibition on bulk collection of Americans' communications records has been called into question by some activists who say a last-minute change in wording diminished what was sold as a ban. ‘People will say, “We did something, and isn't something enough”,‘ said Steven Aftergood, who tracks intelligence issues for the Federation of American Scientists. ‘But this bill doesn't fundamentally resolve the uncertainties that generated the whole controversy.’ Though some privacy activists continued to back the bill, others withdrew support, as did technology companies such as Google and Facebook. | In his first ever interview with a U.S. TV network, the NSA whistlebower said many of the terms used to describe him were 'misleading'
Snowden said, he 'developed sources and .
methods for keeping our information and people secure in the most .
hostile environments'
A one-hour interview with NBC will air on Wednesday night .
Nightly News anchor Brian Williams travelled to Moscow to meet him . |
148,662 | 4c3e98fbc44e73defe6f05865eeaf02800085628 | Jerusalem (CNN) -- The Indian nanny who saved the life of an Israeli boy during the Mumbai terror attacks in 2008 has been granted honorary citizenship and temporary residency in Israel. At a ceremony Monday, the Israeli interior ministry in Jerusalem handed Sandra Samuel her identity card. "I hope I will honor the citizenship and love Israel. I would give my heart and soul for Israel," she said. Samuel has been caring for the boy, Moshe Holtzberg, since his parents died in the terror attacks on a Jewish cultural center, Chabad House, and several luxury hotels in India's financial capital. They were among six people who were killed at Chabad House. Altogether, more than 160 people died in the attacks. During the raids, 10 men also attacked buildings including the luxury Taj Mahal Palace and Tower and Oberoi-Trident hotels and the city's Chhatrapati Shivaji train station. The only surviving gunman, Mohammed Ajmal Kasab, a Pakistani, was convicted of murder, conspiracy, and waging war. Moshe's father, Rabbi Gavriel Noach Holtzberg, and his pregnant wife, Rivka, ran the Mumbai headquarters of the Chabad community -- a Hasidic Jewish movement. Samuel, who worked as a cook and nanny at the Chabad House, found Moshe -- who turned 2 just after the attacks -- standing between the bodies of his slain parents. She returned to Israel and has continued to care for the boy, helping his grandparents to raise him. "Sandra Samuel stepped into the fire and abyss and did not think of herself," said Rabbi Shimon Rosenberg, Moshe's grandfather, at the ceremony. "She saved Moshe from the fire and we as Jews must thank and respect her." CNN's Michal Zippori contributed to this report. | Samuel: "I would give my heart and soul for Israel"
She has been caring for the boy since his parents died in an attack on Chabad House in India .
She found the boy standing between his parents' bodies . |
97,246 | 092278e675582895b3438bfff2ebe29fd9b6f9b4 | England Rugby 2015 have marked a year to go until the World Cup by making Prince Harry their honorary president. The prince, a keen rugby fan, participated in a photo call with former World Cup-winning fly-half Jonny Wilkinson at Rugby School, the birthplace of the sport, to promote next year’s tournament. Prince Harry played wheelchair rugby alongside Zara Phillips at the Invictus Games last week, and England Rugby 2015 chief executive Debbie Jevans said of his appointment. Prince Harry, the England Rugby 2015 honorary president, hold the ball for World Cup ambassador Jonny Wilkinson during a photo call at the Rugby School . ‘With one year to go to the tournament, we are delighted to announce that Prince Harry has agreed to be our honorary president,' Jevans said. ‘The prince is a great rugby fan and recently inspired us all with the Invictus Games. ‘We have no doubt that he will help us achieve our aim of staging a tournament that reaches out to new and existing rugby fans.’ Rugby fan Prince Harry enjoys some down time while serving in the Helmand province in Afghanistan . Prince Harry (left) competes in a wheelchair rugby match with England legend Mike Tindall during the Invictus Games in London . Lancaster: England will be ready for Rugby World Cup . | Prince Harry appeared at the Rugby School with Jonny Wilkinson .
The royal was recently the driving force behind the Invictus Games .
World Cup winner Wilkinson gave the prince a kicking masterclass . |
263,140 | e0d52e996ff01cbb45441c85cc24cd44cc7b89e3 | (CNN) -- Slipknot bassist Paul Gray's death two months ago was from an accidental morphine overdose, the Polk County, Iowa, medical examiner said Monday. Gray, 38, was found dead by staff at a hotel near Des Moines, Iowa on May 24, said Sgt. Dave Disney of the Urbandale Police Department. Toxicology test results showed a fatal level of morphine and fentanyl -- a synthetic morphine -- in Gray's body, said Dr. Gregory Schmunk. Schmunk also noted the presence of significant heart disease, according to a police statement Monday. The autopsy did show that Gray had been dead for several hours before his body was found, Schmunk said. Grammy-winning metal band Slipknot -- whose fans are affectionately known as "maggots" -- was formed in Des Moines in late 1995 and became immediately recognizable for the dark and often grotesque homemade Halloween masks its nine members wore on stage. The band won a Grammy award in 2006 for best metal performance for "Before I Forget." Slipknot's self-titled debut album went platinum in 2000. Its fourth album, "All Hope is Gone," spent 69 weeks on Billboard's Top 200 charts, debuting at No. 1 its first week in 2008. Gray was arrested in Iowa in 2003 on drug possession charges when police found small amounts of marijuana, two syringes and a substance that field-tested positive for cocaine after he was involved in a wreck with another motorist. CNN's Denise Quan contributed to this report. | Autopsy showed morphine overdose killed Gray .
Slipknot bassist was found dead May 24 .
Gray also sufffered "significant heart disease" |
239,413 | c1f8970311927ccbbc723d9d61e7ed91e42ca226 | By . Jaya Narain . and Tom Kelly . For seven days they evaded capture in the Caribbean while running up thousands of pounds on credit cards ‘living like there was no tomorrow’. But yesterday the two boarding school runaways were finally tracked down – and had to face a furious mother. Sixth-formers Edward Bunyan, 16, and Indira Gainiyeva, who turned 17 during their jaunt, had sparked an international manhunt after sneaking out of their £30,000-a-year boarding school last Monday and boarding a flight to the Dominican Republic. End of the party: Suzannah Bunyan looked stern as she ushered son Eddy Bunyan, 16, into a car to go home . They originally checked into a . five-star hotel on the island where they are believed to have spent . several days enjoying lavish meals and cocktails. But, . fearing the authorities were closing in, they moved to a rundown . £75-a-week apartment block where they hoped to remain under the radar. They were finally caught late on Sunday when plain clothes police found . them sitting at a beachside restaurant in the resort of Punta Cana. They told police: ‘We’re having a great time and want to stay.’ Ramon . Brito, spokesman for the local tourist police, said: ‘We located them . by tracing their credit cards. They spent Sunday night at the Sol Caribe . apartments, in the Los Corales resort in Bavaro. We confirmed that they . were there, contacted their parents, and the police went in to take . them to be reunited with their families. ‘The . hotel owners won’t face any procedures – the youngsters came for a good . time and behaved well, so there was never any danger to them or . others.’ The pair were later reunited with Edward’s mother, Susannah Bunyan, who had flown out to help the search. Yesterday . morning she frogmarched the sheepish couple from their bolthole to a . taxi and reluctantly returned them to the luxury hotel where she had . checked in. She later accompanied them for a meeting at the police . station flanked by motorcycle outriders. The pair have been on a week-long escapade, fleeing officials as they hop from one five-star resort to the next. Ms Bunyan carried the luggage as a sullen-looking Indira Gainiyeva, 17, stood behind waiting to get into the car . Action: The couple, who have been dating for seven months, face police questioning back in the UK . A source said: ‘Edward’s mother is very, very angry but also hugely relieved and wants to know what got into the pair. ‘She . desperately wants to know whether her son has been unhappy at boarding . school and whether he really wants to go back there. But she is also . very angry at what they did. We understand this stunt cost thousands of . pounds which he racked up on his credit card. It was like he was living . like there was no tomorrow.’ Their . adventure began last Monday when they left Stonyhurst College in . Clitheroe, Lancashire, at 3am and took a taxi to Manchester airport for a . flight to the Caribbean. On the run: The couple were believed to be staying in a room similar to this one when they were found . They spent the week jumping from one five-star hotel to another until police traced their credit card payments . After . British police alerted Interpol, local officers spent days scouring 250 . miles of coastline packed with resorts. They finally traced them via . their credit cards at the luxury Occidental Grand Hotel in Punta Cana, . which boasts three swimming pools, a spa, tennis courts, nine . restaurants, seven bars and live nightly shows. But . by the time officers arrived on Sunday they had moved half a mile away . to a one-bedroomed apartment in a shabby block a ten-minute walk from . the beach. They were also more frugal, stocking up on bread and water and dining at cheap beachside restaurants. The pair were traced to the Sol Carib apartment complex in Punta Cana on the island . Indira's oil-rich family refused to fly out to the resort as they had no way of tracing the so-called 'Bonnie and Clyde' Fellow pupils took to Twitter to try to trace their whereabouts as the couple turned off their mobile phones . This is the beach front bar area where the couple were found on Sunday night before Eddy's mother arrived . The Roman Catholic school has refused to reveal what action will be taken over their escapade . At . around 11pm on Sunday police moved in and picked them up. It is . understood that they are now in separate rooms at the Occidental and . that Mrs Bunyan will act as guardian to Indira for the journey back to . Britain later this week. Indira’s . father, Ravil Gainiyev, a businessman in Kazakhstan, said: ‘Everything . is under control. We now want to take Indira home, back to Kazakhstan.’ It is understood that he and Indira’s mother Firuza spoke to their . daughter by phone after she was found, but they declined to talk about . the call. Eddy Bunyan was described by friends as 'a bit of a rebel'. Indira's parents believe she fell in love with him . Stonyhurst College in Lancashire prides itself on its high-end security measures . Stonyhurst headmaster Andrew Johnson said staff were delighted . the pair had been found safe and well but would not be drawn on whether . they would be expelled. The . college had earlier defended its security measures, saying they were . intended to keep out intruders, not to ‘imprison’ pupils. Lancashire . police said: ‘They will be given a welfare de-brief by police following . their arrival back in this country. This will signal an end of police . involvement in this matter.’ | Suzannah Bunyan flew out to Dominican Republic to pick up her son Eddy Bunyan, 16, and girlfriend Indira Gainiyeva, 17, after seven-day escapade .
They were tracked by credit card bills in various five-star hotels .
Pair 'sick of rainy weather' fled £30,000-a-year Stonyhurst school last week . |
95,939 | 075c02ab9a4182ad728a21053e22f9699a924c65 | The winning contestant on last week's Take Me Out worked as a prostitute, it has been revealed. Wen-Jing Mo won at date with Aaron Withers on the hit ITV show last Saturday and the pair were whisked off to Cyprus in the hope that romance would blossom. However, now it has emerged that Wen, 28, became a £200-an-hour prostitute aged 18 to help make ends meet. 'A matter of survival': Take Me Out winner Wen-Jing Mowho has admitted to being a £200 per hour prostitute . It follows revelations earlier this week that Mr Withers, 32, is a £50-an-hour escort - and has a criminal conviction for punching a girl in a pub. Embarrassed show producers have now decided to axe follow-up footage of the couple on holiday when the show airs again on Saturday night. Wen told the newspaper she didn't tell producers about . her past as she said she wanted to find love on the show. She had also hidden . her dark secret from her friends and family. Match: Aaron was seen on Saturday night's show picking 28-year-old Wen for a date. Seen here with Wen and host Paddy McGuinness . She joined a central London escort agency aged 18 and was turned down by her first client - a rich businessman - for not being thin enough, she said. Wen, who grew up in care, said: 'Looking back now of course I regret . doing it – but at the time it was a lifeline for me. 'I think a lot of . other people in my position would do the same if it meant they could eat . properly – I saw it as a matter of survival.' Escort past: Take Me Out contestant Aaron Withers has been revealed as a £50-an-hour male escort . She said she had only been earning . £120 a week as a trainee hairdresser in London and had huge bills to pay . when the salon folded. However, she claimed she managed to save £3,000 a . week working as a high-class escort and said being able to pay her bills was 'like a massive . weight lifted off my shoulders'. The money meant she could afford to go to hairdressing college and take a job in property. But the memories of her time as a prostitute are 'unpleasant', she said, and she tries to block them out. Selling his wares: Aaron's escort profile page on the Platinum Select website . She recalled 'rude and obnoxious' clients and said it was 'very scary sometimes'. The revelations are the latest scandal to hit the popular show hosted by Paddy McGuinness. Yesterday, it was reported one contestant organised a 48-hour long sex party at a £4.5million . mansion in south Wales to celebrate the new series. However, it was reported that the 90 revellers caused thousands of pounds worth of damage. ITV said it was 'relaxed' about the event. Mr Withers is signed up to the Platinum Select escorts website. On . his profile page on the site, which advertises the services of more . than 5,000 escorts, Withers states his charges as £50 for an hour, £500 . for an overnight visit or £1,500 for the whole weekend. His profile states that he is happy . to entertain 'mature clients', adding: 'I have an awesome personality . and will never struggle to hold conversation.' Referring to his other job, tarmac . worker Withers said: 'I was really skint and needed to earn cash.' Sex party: Grade II listed Wyelands House in Chepstow, south Wales where the Take Me Out party took place . However, he insisted that he never offered any more than an escort service, . unlike many of his competitors who provide 'X-rated extras'. He added to the paper: 'I certainly didn't offer any more than that.' Withers . was convicted of hitting Amy Kerr and her boyfriend Simon Edwards with a . pool cue during a brawl in a pub in Somerset last summer. He was fined £200 and told to pay both victims £50 compensation each after pleading guilty to the attack. A spokesperson for show producers TalkbackThames said Mr Withers's date with Wen would not feature on this weekend's show as he had failed to disclose his criminal record. A spokesman told MailOnline: 'During the application process we ask . contestants to declare any convictions and background checks are carried . out on each individual, in line with industry practice. Aaron’s . criminal record did not come to light. 'We will be reviewing procedures . going forward.' | Wen-Jing Mo became a prostitute aged 18 and earned £3,000 a week .
Says she has 'no regrets' and it was 'simply a matter of survival'
Fellow contestant Aaron Withers is a £50-an-hour escort . |
135,750 | 3b9e038cb1a3804529f934c21c79ce8e60ff2799 | British armed forces could become deeper embroiled in the battle against the Islamic State after it was revealed last night that Apache helicopters could be deployed to Iraq. Until now, only the Royal Air Force has been involved in air strikes against the terror group. If Apaches are sent to Iraq - which are piloted by the Army Air Corps - it would mark the first British Army involvement in a conflict role in the country. Escalation: British Army Apache helicopters could be deployed to Iraq, it has emerged. File picture . A source told The Times last night that Apache attack helicopters may become necessary because jihadis are able to move around the battlefield quickly thanks to social media and messaging application WhatsApp. Warplanes flying at 20,000-30,000ft are therefore having to react to moving targets. A Government source told the newspaper: ‘What we are seeing is ten-man, two-vehicle teams being tasked through messages on WhatsApp or Facebook. Apache helicopters are able to fly close to the ground and at a slow speed, making them more effective at finding opposition troops on the ground . ‘Once they’ve got their objective, they decide themselves how to meet it, what equipment and arms they need, so there’s almost no command or control to hit from 20,000ft.’ The source said that, in order to respond to the changing tactics, UK troops needed ‘something that can act very quickly on intelligence’. Apache helicopters are able to fly close to the ground and at a slow speed, making them more effective at finding opposition troops on the ground. Britain had a fleet of eight Apaches in Afghanistan, where Prince Harry was among the co-pilots during 2012. Until now, only the Royal Air Force has been involved in air strikes against the terror group ISIS. File picture . A second Whitehall source told The Times that the idea of sending Apaches to Iraq had been suggested to Permanent Joint Headquarters, the UK’s hub for all military operations. Sending the helicopters could be seen by some critics as a step closer to putting troops on the ground. If Apaches were deployed, a base would also have to be set up for the helicopters closer to the area of engagement. Describing the Apache’s strengths, Colonel Mike Smith, the Army Air Corps officer in charge of aircrafts at a US base in Kandahar told The Times: ‘What we have demonstrated [in Afghanistan] is if you take the Apache specifically, if you need to engage, it is a hugely capable attack platform.’ A Ministry of Defence spokesman said last night that Britain had no current plans to send Apache helicopters to Iraq. ‘We constantly review our options and will carry on scoping what other training and support we can offer in conjunction with the coalition,’ he said. | Move would mark the first British Army involvement in a conflict role .
Until now, only the Royal Air Force has been involved in air strikes .
The attack helicopters can react quicker to moving targets than jets . |
8,940 | 1938800662421e2a424c3e71e2310a30836fcb25 | (CNN) -- Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal made light work of their opening matches on the 2010 ATP Tour circuit on Tuesday, but a man who has beaten the world's top two tennis players suffered an embarrassing defeat. No. 1 Federer brushed aside unseeded Belgian Christophe Rochus 6-1 6-2 in the first round of the Qatar Open in Doha, while second seed Nadal was similarly untroubled in defeating Italy's Simone Bolelli 6-3 6-3. However, world No. 8 Robin Soderling was knocked out in the first round of the Chennai Open in India, where he was top seed. The Swede -- who beat Federer in an exhibition tournament in Abu Dhabi last week before losing in the final to Nadal, on whom he inflicted a shock defeat at last year's French Open -- was beaten in straight sets by American Robby Ginepri. "Everything went wrong for me," Soderling said after his 6-4 7-5 reverse to a player ranked 100th in the world. "I wasn't hitting the ball well, I didn't take my chances and he took his. "It doesn't matter whether you have two break-points or three, you still have to take them." Swiss star Federer should have another easy ride in the second round when he faces unseeded Russian Evgeny Korolev, while Spaniard Nadal takes on another Italian in Potito Starace. The day's most significant result in Doha saw 38-year-old Moroccan wildcard Younes El Aynaoui become the oldest player to win an ATP Tour match since Jimmy Connors, who was 42 when he triumphed at the Halle Open in 1995. El Aynaoui, whose previous competitive match was in May 2008, beat American qualifier Ryler DeHeart 7-6 (7-3) 7-6 (7-4). The 2002 champion, who was runner-up in 1996, earned a clash with Belgian qualifier Steve Darcis, who upset Spanish eighth seed Guillermo Garcia-Lopez 6-4 6-1. Meanwhile, at the Hopman Cup mixed teams event in Perth, hosts Australia eliminated the United States with a 2-1 victory in Group A on Tuesday. Samantha Stosur beat Melanie Oudin 6-2 6-4, then Lleyton Hewitt gave Australia an unassailable lead by defeating big-serving John Isner before the Americans won the mixed doubles. Australia, who have a win and a loss, next face Spain -- who remained on course for a fifth final appearance with a 3-0 drubbing of Romania. Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez won the opening singles 6-4 6-3 against Sorana Cirstea, and then the Romanians had to concede after Victor Hanescu suffered an injury and pulled out at 6-3 down against Tommy Robredo. | Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal win their opening matches on the 2010 ATP Tour circuit .
The world's top two players triumph in straight sets in first round at Qatar Open in Doha .
Robin Soderling, who has beaten both recently, loses as top seed at Chennai Open .
Younes El Aynaoui, 38, becomes the oldest player to win on ATP Tour since 1995 . |
204,353 | 948d14354989bde962ebeda8eb98bbc473cf3e7a | Late on the night of last September 11, U.S. Ambassador to Libya Christopher Stevens spoke to his deputy for the final time from the diplomatic compound in Benghazi, Libya. "Greg, we're under attack," Stevens told Gregory Hicks. Within hours, Stevens and three other Americans were dead, victims of an armed terrorist assault that has since become a political and foreign policy flashpoint in Washington's partisan wars. The dramatic narrative recounted by Hicks at a six-hour Republican-led House hearing on Wednesday reflected the knowledge of a high-level insider who was in Libya that long night and was deeply involved in trying to react to events. His efforts to determine the circumstances of the attack and muster help for those under siege in eastern Libya were later praised by his superiors and by President Barack Obama. The step-by-step account riveted the Oversight Committee proceeding that was also marked by sharp partisan exchanges over the merits of continued congressional inquiries over the attack. What the Obama administration has said about the Libya attack . Republicans once again accused the Obama administration of trying to cover up the fact that it was a well-orchestrated assault by militants, failing to adequately explain events to the public, and then refusing to cooperate with congressional investigators. Democrats once again accused Republicans of using tragedy for political gain. Hicks -- praised by Republicans as a "whistleblower" but who says he has since been effectively demoted -- was joined at the witness table by Eric Nordstrom, a former regional security officer in Libya, and Mark Thompson, the State Department's acting deputy assistant secretary for counterterrorism. Our goal "is to get answers, declared committee chairman Rep. Darrell Issa, R-California. "The administration, however, has not been cooperative." Hicks described in personal detail how he missed Stevens' initial call and then reached him by cell phone as the attack unfolded in phases. "I got the ambassador on the other end and he said, 'Greg, we're under attack.'" He recounted the efforts of a security response team on site that drove back the attackers, and "repeated attempts" by those on the ground to enter the burning compound to try and rescue Stevens and others. He then said that Stevens was at a hospital that was controlled by a group that he said Twitter feeds identified as leading the attack. Was it a trap to lure more Americans? Then the worst news about his boss. "I received a call from the prime minister of Libya. I think it's the saddest phone call I've ever had in my life. He told me that Ambassador Stevens had passed away," Hicks said. Mother of Benghazi victim: I blame Hillary . A slow-to-evolve explanation . Oversight committee Republicans continued to go after televised remarks by U.N. Ambassador Susan Rice five days after the attack. In them, she insisted it was the result of a spontaneous demonstration over an anti-Islam film that turned violent. GOP critics believe Rice was shielding Obama at the height of his re-election campaign during which there were times that he trumpeted U.S. successes in combating terrorism, including the death of al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden in 2011. Administration officials say Rice was using official talking points that relied on the best available information at the time. Rep. Patrick McHenry, R-North Carolina, asked Hicks if there was any evidence early on that the attack was a protest. "No, there was none," Hicks said. "I'm confident Ambassador Stevens would have reported a protest immediately if one appeared on his door." Hicks also said an inflammatory anti-Muslim YouTube video initially cited as a cause of the alleged protest was "a non-event in Libya." He previously insisted administration officials immediately knew the culprit was al Qaeda. "I think everybody in the mission thought it was a terrorist attack from the beginning," Hicks told investigators in interviews before the hearings. In fact, Hicks said during the hearing that he was told by the Libyan president soon afterward that elements with possible terror links were thought to be behind the assault. The veteran diplomat said his "jaw dropped" and he was both "stunned" and "embarrassed" when Rice said the attack was a response to the YouTube video. Boehner calls for White House to release Benghazi emails . Hicks also argued the U.S. military could have blunted the attack by scrambling intimidating military aircraft from Italy's Aviano Air Base -- an assertion denied by Joint Chiefs Chairman Martin Dempsey when he testified before Congress in February. Dempsey told Congress it would take up to 20 hours to scramble the aircraft to get to Benghazi; Hicks said he believed it would take two to three hours. "I was speaking from my perspective ... on the ground in Tripoli based on what the defense attache told me," Hicks said when asked by . Rep. Elijah Cummings of Maryland, the top Democrat on the Oversight panel, asked Hicks if he had any reason to question Dempsey's assertion. Finally, Hicks claimed four members of the military were ready to board a plane from Tripoli to Benghazi, but were prevented from doing so by their superiors. "How did the personnel react at being told to stand down?" asked Rep. Jason Chaffetz, R-Utah. "They were furious," said Hicks. "I can only say, well, I will quote Lieutenant Colonel Gibson who said, 'This is the first time in my career that a diplomat has more balls than somebody in the military.'" Pentagon officials insist the members of the military in question were told not to go to Benghazi because they were not equipped for combat, and were needed in Tripoli to care for wounded headed their way. Analysis: State Department failed to understand dangerous situation in Benghazi . Nordstrom said in written testimony it was "inexplicable" that a followup internal State Department review ignored "the role senior department leadership played before, during, and after" the attack. In the run-up to the hearing, Issa trickled out testimony from the witnesses in an apparent attempt to build anticipation for the session, one of several that have occurred in Congress focusing on security at the compound and the administration's response. Committee Democrats accused Republicans of engaging in a "smear" campaign. "What we have seen ... is a full-scale media campaign that is not designed to investigate what happened in a responsible and bipartisan way but rather a launch of unfounded accusations to smear public officials," Cummings said. White House spokesman Jay Carney also weighed in, telling reporters that the Benghazi attack "is a subject that has from its beginning been subject to attempts to politicize it by Republicans." He defended defended the administration has "made extraordinary efforts to work with" Congress on multiple investigations. Four Americans killed in Benghazi: Why? Accusation of playing politics . For its part, the State Department also accused House Republicans of playing politics with the tragedy. "This is not sort of a collaborative process where the committee is working directly with us in trying to establish facts that would help, you know, as we look to keep our people safe overseas in a very complex environment," State Department spokesman Patrick Ventrell said on Monday. Read the document (pdf) Wednesday's hearing is another chapter in what has become an epic back and forth between Democrats and Republicans on Benghazi, partly stemming from Rice's televised comments. The comments are widely believed to have cost her a likely nomination to succeed Hillary Clinton as secretary of state. Some congressional Republicans previously sharply questioned Clinton over the administration's explanation of events and the state of security at the compound at the time of the attack. Clinton has said that she accepted responsibility for the deaths, declaring that as secretary of state, she was "in charge of the State Department's 60,000-plus people all over the world." In January, Clinton testified for more than five hours before the House and Senate Foreign Relations committees. In her testimony, she acknowledged a "systematic breakdown" on Benghazi and said her department was taking additional steps to increase U.S. security at diplomatic posts. At one point at that hearing, Clinton barely controlled her anger as she responded to a lawmaker who pressed her on the administration's post-attack storyline. Critics have questioned the validity of continued congressional scrutiny, especially Democrats, who say Republicans are only interested in discrediting the administration and hurting Clinton's chances if she were to run for president in 2016. Former deputy chief of mission in Libya: U.S. military assets told to stand down . One Republican congressman, Ohio's Jim Jordan, used the hearing to criticize top Clinton adviser Cheryl Mills. Hicks said he received a call from Mills, who he added was not happy that a State Department lawyer -- described by Republicans as a minder -- was excluded from a briefing on Benghazi in Libya with Hicks, a Republican congressman and others. Hicks has been "praised by everybody who counts, the president, the secretary, everyone above him," Jordan said. "And yet now, they're obstructing -- because he won't -- he won't help them cover this up." But former Clinton aide Philppe Reines disputed that characterization, saying the State Department took a cooperative approach with Congress. He said in a written statement that Mills had, in fact, called Hicks to support him. "She wanted (people on the ground in Libya) to know that no matter how far away they were from home, they weren't alone," Reines said. "She was with them, and most importantly (Secretary Clinton) was with them." | State Department official says he never believed the attack was a protest .
Key lawmaker says administration is not cooperating with investigation .
Rep. Elijah Cummings accuses GOP of trying to "smear" officials .
Another hearing witness said it was "inexplicable" attack review ignored key points . |
54,692 | 9af41bff75556653aa20b4cfb72024861b75cccb | (CNN) -- When I started the Fit Nation program, I was a big guy. Seven months later, I'm still a big guy. I've run endless miles, biked endless hills, swum endless laps. Is there less of me? Yes. Am I fitter? Yes. Am I healthier? Absolutely. But am I finished? NO WAY! There has been quite a debate raging in recent years about whether you can be "fat and fit." There's no easy answer to that question. Perhaps the answer changes from person to person as our goals change. Over the years, everyone in the Fit Nation family has achieved great success, but in many cases, the pounds don't always dramatically disappear. We've all gained strength and improved our cardiovascular health, but I never thought of this as a weight-loss program. At least for me, the real changes have been in my body composition (more muscle and less fat), my overall endurance and my mental toughness. I've learned that being healthy is ultimately about being honest with myself. It's about being honest about what I can accomplish and what I can expect to accomplish in the short- and long-term. I think I would be doing myself and my health a disservice if I accepted the premise that I could be fat and fit, or at least as fit as I want to and can be. While I'm healthier now that I was at the beginning of the year, I still have improvements to make and fitness to gain. I hope to continue making gains for the rest of my life. Good health: The best birthday present . We all joined this program for different reasons, but the one thing that united us is that we wanted to take steps toward better health through a more active lifestyle, for ourselves and for the people we love. The one thing that Fit Nation has taught me is that I now know where I want to go, and I feel like I'm better prepared mentally and physically to get there. Getting what you want doesn't always come easily. I am about to achieve my short-term goal of finishing the Nautica Malibu Triathlon. I didn't expect to cross the finish line as an elite racer, but I did expect to become healthier person. Mission accomplished. Setting goals is really pretty simple, when you think about it. A goal is something for which you're willing to work. And you get what you want by planning and putting that plan into action. I have more goals to set and more success to achieve. Training for a tri: What I wish I'd known . The only true measure of my accomplishments is to compare myself to how far I've come and to see how much farther I have to go. Most importantly, I've come to understand that fitness is a journey and not a destination. And I'm just getting started. Follow Stacy on Twitter @TriHardStacy . | Stacy Mantooth has seen improvements in his endurance and mental toughness .
He also has a better body composition but says he still has work to do .
Mantooth has more goals to accomplish after crossing the Malibu Triathlon finish line . |
220,546 | a97942ea84196a989acc0a1d1dda81dcdbbec84c | Manchester City, who thought they would escape the Allianz Arena with a hard fought draw, succumbed to a late Bayern Munich winner, scored by Jerome Boateng. Here, Sportsmail's Joe Bernstein gives his verdict on the performances of both sets of players. BAYERN (4-3-3) MANUEL NEUER - Made everything look ridiculously easy including a near-post save from Edin Dzeko. 7 . Thomas Muller had an opportunity to score in the first couple of minutes but put his shot inches wide . RAFINHA - Plenty of energy as a right wing-back but not always the highest quality. 6.5 . JEROME BOATENG -Excellent reading of the game. His wasted season at City is a mystery and after being foiled by Hart, he broke their hearts with a late, late strike. 7.5 . MEHDI BENATIA - Didn't take any prisoners, appearing to knee Silva in the back at one stage. 6.5 . JUAN BERNAT - Dangerous on the left-hand side, with fantastic delivery from wide areas. 7.5 . Fernandinho played well for Manchester City and set the tone in the centre of the park . PHILIPP LAHM - The man is a machine. Nothing spectacular but always a leader. 6.5 . XABIO ALONSO- Seems to have got over his World Cup loss of form. Neat and tidy. 6.5 . DAVID ALABA - His pace and movement caused City problems. Always a threat. 7 . THOMAS MULLER - Excellent movement but left his prolific World Cup scoring form at home. 6.5 . ROBERT LEWANDOWSKI - Looks ungainly but he gave the Bayern attack a focal point. 6.5 . Mehdi Benatia, who was making his Champions League debut against City, challenges Samir Nasri . MARIO GOTZE - Denied by Joe Hart when set to add to his famous goals collection. 7 . SUBS . Robben 76 (for Muller) 5.5 - The best and worst, great dribble followed by Olympic dive as Fernandinho came across to challenge . Claudio Pizarro 84 (for Rafinha), . Dante (for Benatia 85) PEP GUARDIOLA - Got it right tactically, though the win was late in coming. 7.5 . Robert Lewandowski has endured a slower than expected start at Bayern Munich since his summer move . Man City (4-5-1) JOE HART -Back to his best with a string of saves particularly from Muller, Gotze, Bernat and Boateng. He didn't deserve to end up on the losing side. 9 . BACARY SAGNA - Given the nod at right-back and survived early penalty shout on Muller. 6.5 . VINCENT KOMPANY- The sort of dogfight he loved. A great battle with Lewandowski. 7 . MARTIN DEMICHELIS - No reason for Pellegrini to use £32m Mangala with Demichelis steady. 6.5 . GAEL CLICHY - Over-worked and no surprise when he was booked for foul on Rafinha. 6 . Jesus Navas enjoyed a rare start as Manuel pellegrini opted to begin the match with a five-man midfield . SAMIR NASRI - Speed of game seemed to pass him by. Replaced by James Milner. 5.5 . FERNANDINHO - Couldn't stem Bayern fully and relieved his handball was judged accidental. 6 . YAYA TOURE- Rested at weekend to recover from Ivory Coast duty. Hasn't recovered. 5.5 . JESUS NAVAS - His blistering pace was a good outlet. One sprint and cross set up Silva. 6 . Bacary Sagna played well in his first Champions League match for Manuel Pellegrini's side . DAVID SILVA- What a player. Set up Dzeko with a pass of beauty & nearly headed a winner. 7.5 . EDIN DZEKO - Tried manfully in lone striker's role and took the hits, but blew his goal chance. 6 . SUBS . Milner 58 (for Nasri) 6 - The discipline you'd expect from Milner in a central midfield role . Aguero 74 (for Dzeko) 5.5 - City on the backfoot by the time he came on . Kolarov 87 (for Navas) MANUEL PELLEGRINI - Outplayed but can claim his tough love to Joe Hart has worked. 6.5 . REFEREE . UNDIANO MALLENCO - Did well to control a full-blooded match. 6.5 . In-form Bosnian forward Edin Dzeko was preferred up front to Sergio Aguero for Manchester City . | Manchester City lost 1-0 with Bayern Munich in Champions League .
Thomas Muller missed best chance of the game in first minute .
Joe Hart pulled off impressive saves for Premier League champions .
Fernandinho marshalled the midfield well .
Arjen Robben looked lively when he came on .
Jerome Boateng scored late winner . |
172,317 | 6b02524735bf0ef3441e50fe10ca2664afa15adf | By . Corey Charlton . Genius: Tanishq Abraham, 10, has become one of the youngest people to graduate high school . While most 10-year-olds are busy climbing trees or riding bikes, child genius Tanishq Abraham has graduated high school and is ready to join university. A true child prodigy, he has become one of the youngest people to graduate from high school. His meteoric rise through academia started early, with college classes beginning at the age of seven. Tanishq joined Mensa, a group for people whose IQ is in the top two percent of the population, at the age of four. He . has also written astronomy blogs for NASA in which he discusses his . 'cool' adult classmates and college professor, and his love for subjects . foreign to any normal kids his own age - the theories of special . relativity, fundamental particles, and astrobiology. The . 10-year-old from Sacramento, Northern California, received his . graduation diploma at a private ceremony in front of friends and family . on Sunday. He even received a congratulatory letter from the White House. Homeschooled and graduating with a 4.0 GPA, he told news network KXTV the work wasn't easy, but not that hard either. 'The way my brain works is that when you . give me something, information about that topic comes into my mind," he . said. "I don't know what it is, but that's how it is for me.' Tanishq is taking college courses and . says he wants to be a scientist, but also president. He now has his sights . set on medical school at the University of California, Davis, and . finding a cure for cancer. Scroll down for video . Academic: The young prodigy now has his sights set on medical school at the University of California, Davis . | Genius 10-year-old graduates high school, sets sights on medical school .
Child prodigy Tanishq Abraham began college classes at the age of seven .
Has written blogs for NASA, professing his love of astrology theory .
Wants to become President and scientist, and find a cure for cancer . |
5,358 | 0f2f02425d5e82efba865a570d5e15a28dbdd36c | It is not often that Oxford University finds itself receiving a rejection letter from a would-be student, rather than issuing them with one. So it will have raised a few scholarly eyebrows when state-educated Elly Nowell, 19, wrote to the elite institution’s Magdalen College without even waiting to hear whether her application to read law had been successful. In a parody of Oxford’s own rejection letters, she told admissions tutors: ‘I realise you may be disappointed by this decision, but you were in competition with many fantastic universities and following your interview I am afraid you do not quite meet the standard of the universities I will be considering.’ Mocking: A-level student Elly Nowell, who is predicted A*s in history, law and English literature, sent a scathing rejection letter to Magdalen College, Oxford . Miss Nowell, who says she changed her . mind about Oxford after being put off by her experience at interview, . claimed its admissions process was biased against state-school pupils – . despite them making up more than half the university’s intake. She wrote: ‘Whilst you may believe . your decision to hold interviews in grand formal settings is inspiring, . it allows public school applicants to flourish in the environment they . are accustomed to and intimidates state school applicants, distorting . the true academic potential of both.’ The teenager also claimed there were . ‘significant flaws’ in Oxford’s education system and argued that the . ‘gap between elitism and discrimination’ was a ‘narrow one’ that the . college had not ‘adequately addressed’. Rejected: Elly Nowell told Magdalen College, which counts Foreign Secretary William Hague among its alumni, that there were 'significant flaws' in its education system . She wrote: ‘Whilst you may believe . your traditions and rituals are impressive, they reflect badly on your . university…frankly, I feel humiliated for both you and your students.’ Describing the interview process as ‘torture’, she accused the college of being ‘rude’ for not offering her a glass of water. She also claimed there was an ‘obvious gap’ between minorities and white middle-class students that she found ‘embarrassing’. Letter in full: The rejection letter that Elly Nowell, 19, sent to Oxford University via email . Miss Nowell, of Winchester, . Hampshire, even cheekily warned the university to hold off on any . attempts to ‘reapply’ and wished it ‘every success in future’. Oxford yesterday hit back at her claims, pointing to figures that show . that for 2010 entry, 55.4 per cent of places for UK students went to . state school pupils. Full figures for UK 2011 entry are not yet . available but 58.5 per cent of offers were to state school pupils. A spokesman said: ‘The irony is that six out of the seven people offered . law places at Magdalen were state-educated. 'It’s really important to . understand that school attainment is the biggest factor affecting . Oxford’s mix of students – not the way Oxford selects them.’ Magdalen College, which counts among its alumni Foreign Secretary . William Hague, Private Eye editor Ian Hislop, documentary-maker Louis . Theroux and Oscar Wilde, interviewed Miss Nowell, a student at . Brockenhurst College, Hampshire, in December. She is predicted to get . A*s in her history, law and English literature A-levels, and now hopes . to read law at University College London. She said: ‘It was during my interview that I finally realised subjecting . myself to the judgment of an institution I fundamentally disagreed with . was bizarre. ‘I spent my entire time at the university laughing at how seriously they . were taking everything and felt like the only atheist in a gigantic . monastery.’ Oxford students took to Twitter to vent their anger at Miss Nowell . yesterday. One, going under the name ‘jpspencer2’, said: ‘Elly Nowell . has no idea what it is like to go to Oxford. Her own stupid and . narrow-minded opinions show why she would not be fit to go here.’ | Elly Nowell, 19, tells Magdalen College it 'did not quite meet the standard of universities I will be considering'
She writes that she found 'obvious gap' between minorities and white middle-class students 'embarrassing' |
262,301 | dfc37f79439982f10574a01875adbe4a3242da13 | By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 17:44 EST, 22 July 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 08:31 EST, 23 July 2013 . San Diego’s troubled mayor is in more hot water as his former director of communications brings further allegations of inappropriate sexual behavior against him. Irene McCormack Jackson filed a lawsuit on Monday alleging that Mayor Bob Filner sexually harassed her, put her in a headlock on multiple occasions, dragging her 'around like a rag doll,' and said ‘crude and disgusting’ things to her. The lawsuit, seeking unspecified damages, was filed in San Diego County Superior Court by celebrity attorney Gloria Allred on behalf of Jackson, 57, a former journalist and employee of the San Diego Port District. Public accusations: Irene McCormack Jackson filed lawsuit Monday alleging that San Daniego Bob Filner sexually harassed her, put her in a headlock on multiple occasions and said 'crude and disgusting' things to her . Out in the open: Jackson, left, talks about the alleged sexual misconduct she suffered at the hands of San Diego Mayor Bib Filner as her attorney Gloria Allred, right, listens . Allred said Filner had repeatedly asked Jackson when they could have sex and asked her on several occasions to ‘come to work without panties.’ Jackson, who now works in a different position at San Diego’s City Hall, is the first alleged victim of Filner to make her accusations against Filner publicly. Jackson and Allred called on the 70-year-old mayor to resign. ‘A man who lacks character makes a mockery of his ideas,’ Jackson said at a news conference Monday evening. Allred said Filner needs to stop ‘treating women as pieces of meat,’ adding that his video apology was inadequate and that his statement that ‘I need help’ is not enough. ‘Do you need help to know that making vile and disgusting sexual comments is wrong,’ Allred said. Allred also announced that the council is undertaking investigations into Filner's use of a credit card during a trip to Paris, his dealings with a land developer, and his absence during a key vote about the city's pension plan. Jackson, who became the Democratic . mayor's director of communications because she said she ‘believed in . him’ at the time, did not take questions during or after the press . conference. Media field day: Allred and Jackson held a news conference on Monday where they revealed details regarding their accusations of sexual misconduct against Filner . More fire: Allred also announced that the council is undertaking investigations into Filner's use of a credit card during a trip to Paris, his dealings with a land developer, and his absence during a key vote about the city's pension plan . Within the past few weeks, a growing number of details have emerged about how Filner reportedly kissed constituents and groped female staffers. The San Diego mayor released a cryptic video two weeks ago apologizing for ‘inappropriate’ behavior towards women in his office but refused to resign, saying that he planned to get help. His refusal to leave his post as the city's first Democratic mayor in two decades has prompted some of his closest allies to come forward and reveal more about his alleged inappropriateness. The women in his office became so used to his advances that they coined the names 'the Filner headlock' and 'the Filner dance' for the times when he would corner women and make sexual advancements. In front of it: San Diego Mayor Bob Filner released a statement apologizing for his mistreatment of women that he worked with, and did so before any of the women came forward to rehash specific details . On top of that, his former fiancée . released a statement saying that his behavior became 'more aggressive, . standard decorum seemed to disappear' and played a major role in her . decision to end the engagement a week before he released his video . apology. 'Bob recently began texting other . women sexually explicit messages and setting up dates while in my . presence and within my line of vision,' his ex Bronwyn Ingram told local . station KPBS. 'I have . witnessed a severe deterioration in Bob's ability to engage with anyone . in a civil manner, myself included. During our trip to Paris, he . screamed at me in public without provocation, among other inappropriate . and disrespectful acts. 'Anyone . embroiled in so many serious controversies is impaired in ability to . run a city. The mayor's office is now paralyzed, engaging only in . defensive posturing and struggling to survive. 'I therefore urge Bob to put the best interest of the people of San Diego first and submit his resignation.' Filner's fiancee Bronwyn Ingram (L) walked out on him just days before he released an apologetic video, and later made her own statement bashing his behavior . Aside from his ex-fiancée, none . of the women who allege that Filner harassed them have come forward, . choosing instead to talk through lawyer Marco Gonzalez. He . told The Los Angeles Times that the mayor would allegedly begin by . making lewd comments to the women in question, and continue to ramp up . their interactions by cornering them and then forcibly kissing them. In some cases, he would grab the breast or butt of female staffers. While no charges have been filed, the attorney floated the possibility that they will file lawsuits against the 70-year-old. 'This . mayor cannot control himself... He does not deserve to be the mayor of . this city any longer,' Gonzalez said at a press conference outside of . City Hall. Bob Filner became San Diego's first mayor in 20 years from the Democratic Party when he assumed office in 2012, coming off of a 20-year career in the U.S. Congress . The continued calls by Gonzalez as well as friends and longtime political allies, have not changed Filner's stance, however. 'I’m . not going to resign, and here’s why: as your elected mayor, I fully . expect to be accountable to the citizens of San Diego for all of my . actions,' he said at a press conference. 'But . as a citizen of this country, I also expect -- and am entitled to-- due . process, and the opportunity to respond in a fair and impartial venue . to specific allegations. 'I do not believe I am guilty of sexual harassment, and I believe a full presentation of the facts will vindicate me.' Former City Councilwoman Donna Frye said of one alleged victim that Filner 'grabbed her [and] kissed her, jamming his tongue down her throat.' | San Diego's Mayor Bob Filner is facing multiple accusations of sexual harassment .
The latest accusation comes publicly from his former communications director Irene McCormack Jackson .
Filner has made a public apology, but has refused to resign . |
264,793 | e2fd0ee338498cfb0db15f1b4a8923d6c5c7cb1a | By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 09:48 EST, 18 June 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 11:35 EST, 18 June 2013 . A surveillance video reveals the shocking moment a special needs teacher grabbed an autistic child by his hair before throwing him to the ground. The Florida teacher, David Baier, lost his job at the school where the alleged abuse took place, and faces four counts of child cruelty. 'I wanted what was best for my son, and I trusted these people,' the 12-year-old boy's mother, known only as Wendy, said. Watch the video: . Shocking: A classroom surveillance camera shows David Baier pull the 12-year-old boy up by his hair . Forceful: When the autistic boy refuses to stand, Baier is seen throwing him to the ground . The incident happened at a summer camp field trip organized by Davie Preparatory School, for children with emotional and behavioral problems, on July 27 last year. Prosecutors claim Baier was captured . forcibly throwing the autistic student to the floor, before pulling him by his hair and forcing him to stand. 'I was going to . say if you do that again I'm going to slam you,' Baier can be heard saying . on the security footage, shown by 7News. The child was being disciplined after reportedly earlier stomping on Baier's foot. He had been ordered to stand, but had crouched down by the chair. Arrest: David Baier faces four counts of child cruelty and has lost his job at the Davie, Florida school . The student can be heard crying: 'No, no, no,' as Baier walks over to him in a classroom, and grabs him by the hair. 'Now stand up and stay standing or I'm going to have to do something worse,' the teacher can be heard telling the child, whose identity has been protected. As the child whimpers and rubs his head, Baier can be heard telling him: 'I didn't think it was going to feel good.' When he asked the student why he had misbehaved earlier, the boy accused Baier of being pushy. Moments later Baier grabbed the autistic student by his neck and threw him to the ground. His mother, Wendy, was distressed by the 'thought of somebody doing this to my son and hurting him and putting him through that and not caring,' she told CBS Miami. Although the child was not physically hurt, Wendy decided to press charges after her son returned from school and told her: 'Mommy, he pulled my hair, and he threw me and it hurt.' Captain Dale Engle, of Davie Police Department, said more than a dozen complaints about the school had been received from parents since Baier's arrest. 'I understand that some of these . teachers are forced to use some type of physical force to restrain these . children,' Captain Engle said. Distressed: Wendy, the mother of the autistic boy, says she trusted the school to care for her son properly . Assault claim: The incident was recorded at a summer camp trip at the Alternative Education Foundation . 'But based on what I saw on the video, it was . well in excess of what any acceptable force would be,' he told the Sun . Sentinel in April. After the family reported the alleged abuse, Baier was fired from the Alternative Education Foundation Preparatory School. He was bonded out of jail in August last year and is currently awaiting trial. Neither Baier or his attorney were available for comment. Sorry we are unable to accept comments for legal reasons. | Shocking attack filmed in Florida classroom last summer .
Teacher faces child cruelty charges and was fired from school . |
269,623 | e93b12984b4128aa7d0ab9ec6977db06cf662aaa | A woman who wrote in her journal that it was 'ahmazing' to kill her nine-year-old neighbor when she was 15 has asked a judge to overturn her guilty plea. Alyssa Bustamante, now 19, appeared in court in Jefferson County, Missouri on Thursday and she only pleaded guilty to killing Elizabeth Olten in 2009 because she had been threatened with a life in prison without parole. After admitting to authorities that she strangled and stabbed her neighbor because she wanted to know what it felt like to kill someone, she was charged as an adult with . first-degree murder, which carries a mandatory prison sentence of life . without the possibility of parole. But in January 2012, just before she was to go to . trial, Bustamante pleaded guilty to a reduced charge of . second-degree murder and was sentenced to life with a chance of parole. Killer: Alyssa Bustamante, 19, pictured in court on Thursday, says she only pleaded guilty to killing her neighbor because she faced the possibility of life without parole, and wanted to reduce the sentence . 'I couldn't wrap my mind around it. It was just hopelessness,' Bustamante said in court on Thursday. Bustamante, who appeared in court wearing an orange prison suit and shackled, added that she didn't understand many of the legal issues her attorneys talked about. Her grandmother, who raised her, sat on a courtroom bench a couple of rows behind her. Elizabeth's mother, Patty Preiss, sat on . the opposite side of the courtroom, wearing a sweatshirt with her . daughter's smiling photo inside of a heart and the words: 'Always Loved, . Never Forgotten.' In 2012, she also pleaded guilty to armed criminal action for using a knife in the . killing and was handed an additional 30-year sentence to run after her . life sentence. But five months after Bustamante . pleaded guilty, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in a separate case that . juveniles cannot face automatic life sentences without the possibility . of parole. Bustamante's new attorney is citing that ruling as a reason to reverse her guilty plea. 'The . threat of (life without parole) as a mandatory sentence was allowed to . intimidate Alyssa into accepting a guilty plea she would not have . otherwise accepted,' Gary Brotherton wrote in . court documents. In court: Alyssa Bustamante (left) appeared with her attorney Gary Brotherton in court on Thursday for a hearing on whether to set aside her plea in the 2009 slaying of 9-year-old Elizabeth Olten . In cuffs: Bustamante is pictured at the witness stand for her hearing in Jefferson City, Missouri on Thursday . Bustamante was just 15 at the time she . strangled and slashed the nine-year-old girl to death, saying she . wanted to know what it was like to kill someone. Prosecutors . said Bustamante plotted Elizabeth's death, even digging two holes to be . used as graves, then attended school for about a week while waiting for . the right time to kill. The girl had been playing with . Bustamante's younger half-sister, aged six, when the older girl led her . into the woods, saying she had a surprise for her. Bustamante told the court that she used a knife to cut Elizabeth's throat and then strangled the girl with her hands. Hundreds of volunteers searched for two days for Elizabeth before her body was found. At a November 2009 hearing, Missouri . State Highway Patrol Sgt. David Rice testified that she led authorities . to Elizabeth's body. Rice said Bustamante said 'she wanted to know what . it felt like' to kill. Victim: Elizabeth Olten was lured to the woods and strangled and stabbed in 2009. Bustamante, right, led police to her body after a days-long search and was arrested for first-degree murder . On the night of the killing, she wrote in her diary that it had been 'ahmazing'. 'I . just f***ing killed someone,' she wrote in the entry, which was read . aloud in court. 'I strangled them and slit their throat and stabbed them . now they're dead. I don't know how to feel atm [at the moment]. 'It . was ahmazing. As soon as you get over the "ohmygawd I can't do this" feeling, it's pretty enjoyable. I'm kinda nervous and shaky though right . now. Kay, I gotta go to church now...lol.' Following the latest revelations that . Bustamante wants the plea overturned, prosecutor Mark Richardson said . the claims 'do not have any merit' and her original sentence should . stand. 'Generally, they're . very big long shots to try to prove that somehow some bad advice caused a . person to plead guilty when they otherwise wouldn't have,' Richardson . said in an interview. Bustamante's . attorney claims her due process rights were violated because the . initial first-degree murder charge would have led to an . unconstitutionally cruel and unusual punishment. Eerie: Bustamante, who shared these disturbing images of herself online, called the killing 'ahmazing' He added in court documents that her actual sentence is also unconstitutional because 'it does not provide her with any realistic opportunity for release'. When she was sentenced, the Missouri Department of Corrections said Bustamante would have to serve 35 years and five months before she is eligible for parole. She's in prison in eastern Missouri. Brotherton's court filing also argues that Bustamante's original attorneys provided ineffective advice. It says they pressured her during a more than half hour jailhouse visit to make a quick decision to plead guilty to second-degree murder without explaining that the pending Supreme Court case could have affected her punishment. 'They said I could go think about it, but the urgency they expressed made me feel like I couldn't,' she said in court on Thursday. Juvenile justice officials testified that . Bustamante had attempted to commit suicide in 2007 and had been . receiving mental health treatment for depression and cutting herself. | Alyssa Bustamante strangled and stabbed Elizabeth Olten in Missouri in 2009 because she wanted to know what it felt like to kill someone .
She was initially charged as an adult with first-degree murder and face life without the possibility of parole .
She pleaded guilty to a reduced charge of second-degree murder and was sentenced to life with a change of parole .
But five months later, the Supreme Court ruled that juveniles cannot face automatic life sentences without the possibility of parole .
Attorney: 'The threat was enough to intimidate her into pleading guilty' |
31,787 | 5a6b2729e1dcf382ffc20e760ce34f8a6a0069bb | By . Daily Mail Reporter . The decomposing body of a man suspected of killing his pregnant girlfriend has been found hanging beside a suicide note admitting to the murder. The remains of Boaz Johnson, 22, of Petersburg, Alaska, were discovered hanging from a tree in a remote forest in Kalapana, Hawaii on January 2, according to Big Island police. He was the only person suspected in the murder of his girlfriend, 25-year-old Brittany-Jane Royal from Tustin, California, and of dumping her body in the ocean last May. At a press conference on Tuesday, police revealed that they found a composition book near Johnson's body in which he confessed to murdering Royal after an argument. Scroll down for video . Killed: The body of Boaz Johnson, right, has been found hanging from a tree in Hawaii next to a note admitting that he killed his pregnant girlfriend, Brittany Royal, left, last May and dumped her body in the ocean . 'A composition book found near Boaz body contained three handwritten pages, Hawaii Police Department Assistant Chief Henry Tavares said, Big Island Video News reported. 'The writer ID'd himself as Boaz Johnson. He confessed to strangling Brittany while involved in a domestic dispute.' Johnson also admitted throwing her body into the sea and indicated he planned to commit suicide, Tavarez said. He added that Johnson used the same type of rope to kill Brittany and himself. Tavarez said that the note indicated Johnson killed himself just days after the murder, but the body was only found months later because it was hanging in a remote area surrounded by lava fields. It was less that two miles from where Brittany was killed. Brittany's father, Ted, and maternal grandfather, Jerry Spahn, spoke at a press conference in Hilo on Tuesday to thank authorities and to reveal how they are coping with the loss of their beloved child. 'I've been looking forward to this day for seven months,' her father began. 'The loss of Brittany is something that we are learning to live with, but throughout this time we've been blessed with support. Heartbroken: Brittany's father, Ted Royal, struggled to hold back tears as he spoke at a press conference about the discovery on Tuesday. 'I've been looking forward to this day for seven months,' he said . Sadness: Her grandfather, Jerry Spahn, said a grandparent never expects to see their grandchild leave this world before them before reading a heartfelt statement from Brittany's mother, Julie . 'One evil act will never outgrow the aloha spirit we’ve received and that Brittany so much loved.' Her . grandfather added: 'When we think back on when we raise our children, . we don't ever think we'll see the day your granddaughter precedes you in . leaving this world. But we have learned to endure that thought and she . still is with us in thought.' He . also read from a statement provided by Brittany's grieving mother, . Julie, who called the time since the murder, 'the most difficult seven . months of our lives'. 'Losing . Brittany to murder at the hands of another is life changing,' she said. 'Life will go on and it will just be different, somehow, less than . complete.' She thanked . people for their support, and said that due to a Facebook group set up . to appeal for information, 'We know that a 25-year-old free spirit . hippie girl could touch so many lives.' She . added: 'Brittany's life was about peace, love - we can all learn from . her. She was searching for the perfect place to call home and to raise a . child. She is now in that ultimate paradise. She is playing her guitar, . singing sweet songs of meoldies, pure and true.' Missed: Brittany's mother Julie, pictured with . her daughter left and as a baby, said Brittany's life 'was about peace, . love, we can all learn from her' in the statement delivered by Mr Spahn . Tragedy: Brittany was newly pregnant and looking forward to starting a yoga business when she was killed . A private forensic laboratory confirmed the body found in January was Johnson's through DNA and dental records. Dead: DNA and dental records confirmed a decomposing body as belonging to Bo Johnson . According to an autopsy, Johnson's cause of death was asphyxia due to hanging and the manner of death was ruled a suicide. A forensic document examiner also determined that the writing in the composition book matched Johnson's handwriting. Tavares said that Johnson didn't express remorse for the murder in his note. But 'he was very specific in what he did and in his intention to take his life,' he said. Brittany's . body was discovered by a fisherman on May 28 2013 in waters off . Kalapana and an autopsy revealed she had died from strangulation. She had moved to the island from . California in January 2013 and met Johnson. Just months later they . returned to her family home to break the news: they were expecting a . baby. They also announced their plans for the . future; Brittany said she would work as a yoga instructor while Bo . wanted to give lava tours.'She seemed finally ready to settle down,' her mother Julie Royal told People magazine last year. But . less than three weeks later, Bo failed to turn up to a meeting with a . real estate agent and Brittany didn't call her mother to wish her a . happy birthday. Fight: Johnson wrote in his suicide note that he had strangled Brittany after they got into an argument . Ambitions: She told her family that she was hoping to teach yoga, while Johnson would conduct tours . Days later, a fisherman found her body in waters off the island. It . was determined that Royal, who was 10 weeks pregnant, was strangled . with rope, dragged across rocks and thrown into the ocean. Relatives protested Johnson's innocence, insisting he had no money to escape or motive to kill . her. Police said he may have stayed in a local hostel two weeks . after Brittany's death using a pseudonym. According to ABC News, . the manager of the hostel said she recognized his face from pictures but . said he checked-in as Jeffrey Allen. Johnson also allegedly told a friend in a . telephone conversation that he and Royal were in good health after the . woman's body had already been recovered. The phone call, in addition to DNA and other evidence found at the crime scene, made Johnson an early suspect in Royal's murder. Unanswered questions: Brittany's family became concerned when she failed to call her mother on her birthday, and her partner missed an appointment with a real estate agent . Bizarre: Last year, signs started appearing around the town saying that Bo was murdered on the lava fields amid racial tensions - strange discoveries that complicated the murder investigation . Authorities . said the evidence showing Johnson was the killer was presented to a . grand jury on December 18, and he was indicted for second-degree murder. But . because the indictment was sealed - to give authorities a chance to . find him - it had not previously been reported. They were unaware at . that point that Johnson was already dead. In December, the families of Royal and the then-missing Johnson said they feared he too may have been murdered. 'We're . definitely concerned that he was also murdered alongside Brittany. It's . very possible her body showed up and his didn't,' Johnson's sister . Sarah Johnson said before Christmas. 'It . just seems all too easy to blame someone who isn't even here, may not . even be alive to defend himself... He has a good heart. We were taught . right from wrong.' To further complicate the case, a news site received the anonymous . letter claiming that Bo had been killed following racial tensions. The note listed specifics about the alleged murder. Scene: Her body was found off the coast of Kalpana, Hawaii near to where the couple had been camping . The writer explained that Bo had . intended to buy land at Kalapana and conduct lava tours without paying . locals a cut of $1,000 a week. 'Haole . had to be killed befor (sic) he buy land... said this message 2 haole, . stay out of Puna - Puna is for the pono,' the note said. In Hawaii, 'haole' is a term used for Caucasians and 'pono' is a Hawaiian word for righteousness. Posters also began to emerge around the town, reading: 'You killed the baby! They killed Bo on the lava flow! Confess!' 'If . he isn't the murderer, that means he's dead,' his sister said last . year. 'So what do we have to look forward to. I keep praying that the . police get their job done and they find this killer.' | The remains of Boaz Johnson, 22, from Petersburg, Alaska, were found hanging in Kalapana on January 2, according to Big Island police .
He was suspected in the murder of his pregnant girlfriend, Brittany-Jane Royal, 25, whose body was found dumped in the ocean last May .
Police revealed Johnson confessed in a note that he had murdered Royal after an argument while they were camping .
Authorities believe he killed himself just days after the murder but it took more than 7 months to find his body because it was in a remote area .
Brittany's mother: 'Life will go on but it will never be complete' |
141,832 | 4367ec815d29ec63743ba0ce00c592e7c1166963 | A Harley Street doctor who provoked fury after going on an elephant-hunting trip to Africa has been arrested on suspicion of writing fake invoices to insurance firms. Dr Benjamin Chang, 54, from north London, is alleged to have written the bogus accident treatment claims for physiotherapy patients. Detectives interviewed the orthopaedic specialist in November this year. Officers reportedly raided his private surgery and his £1.1m detached home in north London in connection to the allegation. Dr Benjamin Chang, 54, pictured, shot this lioness while on safari in Zimbabwe in 2008 . Dr Benjamin Chang, 54, is alleged to have written the bogus accident treatment claims in a bid to sting insurance firms. He is pictured in 2009 sitting on top of an elephant he killed in Zimbabwe . The doctor, who was born in Hong Kong, sparked controversy in 2009 when he was photographed giving the thumbs up while sitting on the head of an elephant he had just shot in Zimbabwe. The animal was reported to be one of three elephants he killed after paying £5,600 to take part in the shoot. Seperately, he was pictured with a dead lioness he had killed in South Africa. Dr Chang was part of a hunting party visiting the Hwange national park who culled a herd of 11 elephants, including young calves. The cull took place in areas where elephants are said to be destroying the environment and was permitted by the Zimbabwean government. Most of the money was passed on to the Zimbabwean park authorities. At the time, he defended killing the elephants, insisting it helped the Zimbabwean people and was the most humane method of killing. He added that the elephant meat was donated to starving villagers. He told the Times: ‘The meat goes to the village. They are queuing at the camp saying, "Please give us the meat". I was told one elephant will feed one village for three and a half months.’ The orthopaedic specialist had consulting rooms in London's highly-respected Harley Street (pictured) He also defended the practice of foreigners paying to kill elephants, saying that the army did not have the necessary guns to shoot the animals. Dr Chang, who trained as a doctor in Ireland, was arrested in November by City of London Police on suspicion of fraud by false representation. He is listed as the director of the Milton Medical Centre in Luton, the headquarters of which is said to be in Kenley, Surrey. His wife Corrina Chang is listed as the company secretary. Dr Chang, who also had consulting rooms in London's Harley Street, is registered with the General Medical Council but has not had a licence to practise since August. A City of London Police spokesman said: ‘Insurance Fraud Enforcement Department detectives investigating the supply of what are suspected to be fake invoices for physiotherapy treatment arrested a 54-year-old man from north London on suspicion of fraud by false representation. ‘He was released on police bail and is due to return in March 2015.’ MailOnline has contacted Dr Chang but he was not available for comment. Sorry we are not currently accepting comments on this article. | Dr Benjamin Chang, 54, allegedly wrote fake invoices to sting insurers .
He was arrested in November on suspicion of fraud by false representation .
Specialist was pictured in 2009 sitting on an elephant he shot in Zimbabwe .
He paid £5,600 to take part and defended it as a humane method of killing . |
141,359 | 42c9b0bf4972adb5575b16d2e3b7c7bac6233b6e | By . James Salmon for Daily Mail . Follow @@JamesSalmon79 . Millions of customers are being targeted by sales-hungry Lloyds staff despite the bank’s appalling record on mis-selling. Branches are under increased pressure to sell more insurance policies, loans and investments, secret documents reveal. Despite racking up a £10billion bill for mis-selling payment protection insurance (PPI), Britain’s biggest bank has ordered staff to meet increased sales targets or face losing their bonuses – or even their job. Cut throat: Staff at Lloyds, Britain's biggest bank, face losing bonuses or their job if they don't meet targets . And the edict was issued months after Lloyds – which was bailed out by the taxpayer in 2008 – was fined £28million by watchdogs over its ruthless sales culture and ‘champagne’ bonuses. The order to ramp up sales led one exasperated employee to post a message on the company’s intranet asking: ‘Will this bank never learn?’ The secret move was revealed by a whistleblower who has lifted the lid on the bank’s rapacious methods. The whistleblower, a senior personal banking adviser at a North London branch of Lloyds, says staff fear for their jobs and are mis-selling insurance and investments just to hit their sales targets. To back up his claims, he has handed internal documents to the Daily Mail showing the latest targets. Lloyds has insisted it has eradicated the sales culture which has blighted so many of its 30million customers. But managers raised their targets in March, the documents show. They reveal the elaborate points system Lloyds now uses to encourage staff to sell products to customers who walk into a High Street branch. The system is skewed to encourage the sale of products which are more profitable for the bank but often riskier or more expensive for the customer. Selling a £10,000 loan generates 550 points while selling a junior cash Isa generates just 23. Staff who fail to hit their targets miss out on their bonus – an important incentive to personal banking advisers whose average starting salary is just £19,055. The whistleblower, who asked not to be identified, said: ‘The bank pretends they don’t talk about sales but they do. Staff are being exploited by the bank and we are all under huge pressure. ‘It is difficult to give honest advice to customers. There is a clear incentive to lend as much to customers as possible. Most of us are not trying to get a bonus. Dishonest? A whistleblower said it is difficult to give honest advice to customers while keeping a bonus or job . 'Sometimes people are mis-selling to customers because they don’t want to be disciplined. Lots of advisers are on “red”, which means they haven’t hit their targets. People are afraid of losing their jobs.’ The employee came forward after the Mail published a leaked internal email last week which revealed the bank is continuing to pressure staff to mis-sell credit cards, loans and insurance. In the memo, a regional manager chastised staff for failing to hit targets. Referring to the number of daily appointments advisers are expected to make, it warns: ‘I’ll give you a clue that 1s, 2s and 3s are simply not acceptable.’ The email, described by Lloyds Trade Union as ‘gratuitous, threatening and menacing’, emerged in the same week that the bank’s bill for mis-selling PPI topped £10billion – dwarfing the provisions made by its rivals. Lloyds insisted the email ‘is in no way representative of behaviour across the group’, adding it had launched an internal investigation and was taking disciplinary action. But the internal documents passed to the Mail reveal how Lloyds increased its sales targets for staff by more than a quarter in March – three months after the bank was fined £28million for promoting a ruthless sales culture. Staff were handed bonuses for selling customers investments they did not want or need. One salesman sold insurance to himself, his wife and a colleague to prevent his salary from being cut. Comments posted on the company’s intranet – in response to a weekly blog posted by Lloyds retail boss Owen Woodley – reveal the bitterness felt by some staff who feel under increased pressure. Lloyds branch staff are awarded points for selling a product, such as an insurance policy or a fee-charging bank account. They also earn points if they refer a customer to a Lloyds financial adviser who goes on to make a sale. Each employee is given a quarterly sales target based on a multiple of 1.91 times their salary. So a worker earning an annual salary of £20,000 will have to generate 38,200 points every three months. If they hit their target, they qualify for a bonus. Lloyds says employees also have to satisfy a range of other criteria, such as providing good customer service, in order to win bonuses. But products that are more profitable for the bank – which tend to be either more risky or more expensive for the customer – will bring in more points towards their sales target. So a tax-free cash Isa will generate just 45 points. But referring a customer to a financial adviser who then sells them a life insurance policy will generate 500 points for the frontline staff member. If they refer a customer and it results in a mortgage sale they will get 1,200 points. A frontline staff member who simply books an appointment with an investment manager for a customer will also receive 500 points. A personal loan will generate 55 points per £1,000 borrowed – so the bigger the loan, the more points awarded. One employee said: ‘[Is this] really the way to motivate staff and prevent mis-selling? Surely when we are supposed to be needs-based selling, the pressure should stop.’ Another said: ‘And so it begins again, the pressure to sell to our customers, targets for internet banking, targets for Club Lloyds, will this bank never learn!!!!’ But last night a Conservative MP said Lloyds’ staff could not absolve themselves from blame. Mark Garnier a member of the Treasury Select Committee said: ‘Frontline staff need to be exposed to sanctions for responding to flawed sales incentives. 'A defence of “I was only obeying my bonus incentive scheme” is simply unacceptable. Sales staff have a crucial role to play in upping standards at banks and they must all be held responsible for bad practice, not just their managers.’ Lloyds said it has ditched straightforward sales targets, and said annual bonuses are based on ‘balanced scorecards’, which gauge feedback from customers. But it admitted that targets for staff were increased in March. It refused to reveal the size of the bonuses available to staff, but said they are based on a percentage of salary. A spokesman said: ‘Our key objective is to help our customers manage their money in the best possible way. ‘Our training, processes and measures are focused on providing excellent service to our valued customers. We conduct regular reviews to ensure that customer needs are being appropriately met, but encourage our colleagues to talk to us if they do have any concerns.’ | Banks under increasing pressure to sell more policies, loans, investments .
Secret documents reveal Lloyds staff face losing bonus or job if they don't .
It comes after the bank, Britain's biggest, racked up £10bn PPI bill . |
153,441 | 52453c6648f735f305c4bed71f2c8b6ef9cfe07c | Los Angeles (CNN) -- Columbus Short's wife swears the "Scandal" actor threatened to kill her and himself with a knife last week. The allegation is part of Tanee Short's affidavit filed Tuesday asking for a restraining order to keep her husband away from her and their 2-year-old daughter. She also filed for divorce after almost nine years of marriage, citing irreconcilable differences. A judge signed a temporary restraining order and set a hearing for May 6 to decide whether it would be extended. Columbus Short, 31, plays Harrison Wright, a member of fixer Olivia Pope's team, on the hit ABC series. In a statement Thursday to CNN, the actor said he would refrain from sharing his side of the story. "As you all know, lately my personal life has been subjected to a lot of press. As much as I would like to provide my side of events, my counsel has instructed me that a Court of law is the only and proper venue to deal with such matters," Short said in the statement. "Accordingly, I must refrain from making any comments even though that is very difficult for me under the circumstances. Thank you to my fans for your continued support during this difficult time." According to court filings, the actor has been to jail at least three times for violence in the past three months. Tanee Short's sworn statement described an April 7 incident at the couple's Los Angeles County home when her husband allegedly was intoxicated and threatened to hit her with a wine bottle after he "dumped the wine on me." He then "grabbed a knife from the kitchen" and "pinned me on the couch and began to choke me," she said. "He placed the knife close to my neck and threatened to kill me and then kill himself." Her husband demanded they play "a game he called 'Truth or Truth'" in which he randomly listed "names of people we know and accused me of having an affair." He stabbed the couch or other furniture each time she denied an affair, she said. Tanee Short said she grabbed her daughter, ran to her car and drove away. She realized after driving two miles that one of her tires had been slashed, she said. The affidavit also described two alleged incidents of violence in February at the couple's home. In each instance, Columbus Short was taken to jail by police who responded to his wife's 911 call, the statement said. The actor woke his wife on the morning of February 3 and choked her before chasing her around the house and "constantly threatening me," she said. He "pushed me and started screaming that I need to leave" during a February 18 argument, she said. She called police with her nanny's cell phone after her husband shattered her phone, according to the sworn statement. Short was charged with felony battery after a fight in which he allegedly punched and knocked out a man at a West Los Angeles restaurant last month, the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office said in a statement. He was released from jail on $50,000 bail. HLN's Selin Darkalstanian and CNN's Joan Yeam contributed to this report. | NEW: "I must refrain from making any comments," Columbus Short tells CNN .
Tanee Short alleges three violent incidents with her husband in three months .
Columbus Short was arrested at his home twice in February, wife says .
A judge ordered the actor to stay away from his wife and home . |
89,660 | fe9f0989a8008fb3634eedd25a789543926f7efc | The poorest people in society have eight fewer teeth by their seventies than the richest, a study has found. While it is already known that there is a strong link between socio-economic status and oral health, the research reveals the full extent of the problem. It shows a shocking discrepancy between the dental conditions enjoyed by the richest 20 per cent of society compared with the poorest. For those aged over 65, the least well-off averaged eight fewer teeth than the richest – a quarter of a full set. The poorest people in society have eight fewer teeth by their seventies than the richest, a study has found . More than 6,000 people aged 21 and over from all income groups were involved in the British study, published today in the Journal of Dental Research. Those with lower incomes, a lower occupational class, higher levels of deprivation and lower educational attainment had the worst oral health. This includes having more tooth decay, gum disease and tooth gaps, as well as having fewer teeth. But despite these social differences, the overall oral health of young British adults is much better than it used to be. The study was a collaboration between Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne NHS Foundation Trust, University College London and the National Centre for Social Research. Professor Jimmy Steele, head of the dental school at Newcastle University, said: 'It's probably not a big surprise that poorer people have worse dental health than the richest, but the surprise is just how big the differences can be and how it affects people. For those aged over 65, the least well-off averaged eight fewer teeth than the richest – a quarter of a full set (stock image) 'Eight teeth less on average is a huge amount and will have had a big impact.' Dr Georgios Tsakos, senior lecturer at the Department of Epidemiology and Public Health at UCL, said education was key. 'In terms of the younger adults, we showed that it is not only being poor that affects their perceptions about their oral health and quality of life, but educational attainment can also make a major difference. 'This has profound implications for policy as intervening in earlier life could have a significant long term effect on oral health,' he said. John Wildman, professor of health economics at Newcastle University Business School, and the Principal Investigator on the ESRC study, said the issue has not been given enough attention. 'Inequalities in oral health have not received the attention that they deserve. Our study is an attempt to redress this balance. Oral health contributes hugely to everyday wellbeing and addressing these inequalities may result in considerable improvements in quality of life for large numbers of individuals,' he said. Professor Richard Watt, head of the Department of Epidemiology and Public Health at UCL, referred to the policy implications of this research. 'Inequalities in oral health require urgent action by organisations such as Public Health England - in particular more needs to be done to tackle the underlying causes of oral diseases such as sugary diets,' he said. One example is Sydney Alcock, 68, a shoemaker from Washington, Tyne and Wear, who was a keen trombonist in a brass band. He lost all his teeth at a young age due to suffering from gum disease, primarily caused by poor oral hygiene, and has struggled ever since. He has never smoked regularly and says he did not have too much sugar in his diet. 'You can't play the trombone without any teeth', he said. 'I have had false teeth but they don't last, so losing my teeth has made a big impact on my life. It costs a lot of money for false teeth. 'When I was young we didn't have milk or eggs, or much other dairy, we had to eat powdered eggs. I'm sure that has had an impact on how good my teeth were.' | For those over 65, the least well-off averaged eight fewer teeth than richest .
The British study is published today in the Journal of Dental Research .
It found those with lower incomes, lower occupational class, higher levels of deprivation and lower educational attainment had the worst oral health . |
10,692 | 1e62ec9b0909a7c50ffa150790285b013edd47f5 | (CNN) -- Kia Scherr couldn't reach her husband and daughter after the terror attacks in Mumbai, India, and didn't know if they were alive. Alan Scherr, 58, died in the attack on the Oberoi hotel in Mumbai, his wife, Kia, confirms. She learned on Friday that her husband, Alan Scherr, 58, and 13-year-old daughter, Naomi, were killed in the assault on the Oberoi hotel. Scherr told CNN that a U.S. consular official confirmed the deaths after members of the group they were traveling with identified the bodies. Naomi and Alan Scherr had come to Mumbai with a travel group for a high-tech meditation retreat with the Synchronicity Foundation, she said. They had been there since November 17 and were due to leave Monday. The Synchronicity Foundation, a meditation group near Charlottesville, Virginia, has posted a message on its Web site saying that the Scherrs were killed at the Oberoi. Kia Scherr said she knew Thursday that her husband and daughter were dining in the Oberoi hotel restaurant when shots rang out. But she had held out hope that they were OK. Her son, Aaron Butler, had filed iReports looking for information about his stepfather and sister. A Synchronicity spokeswoman said the Scherrs were among 25 members of the group who were visiting India. The other Synchronicity people who were staying at the Oberoi "are accounted for and safe," the group's Web site said. iReport.com: Where you there? The coordinated attacks on Mumbai frightened and concerned iReport contributors all over the world. Some were in Mumbai, and others have loved ones there. Watch as an iReporter describes the scene in Mumbai » . Biswa Dash, an iReporter, says he was on the phone with his wife while she was in her room at the Oberoi during the attacks. His wife works for Hewitt Associates and was on a short-term assignment in Mumbai. Aparna Dash managed to escape her 26th-floor room and take cover in a parking lot, her husband said. "Believe me, I was sitting at home completely helpless," Biswa Dash said from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. iReport.com: Read about Dash's ordeal . At one point, Dash could not get hold of his wife. She briefly called to tell him that her cell phone's battery was low. Dash sent text messages to his wife about every 30 minutes to check on her. Finally, she made it to safety and went to stay in a colleague's home in Mumbai, Dash said. Aparna Dash later caught a flight back to New Delhi, where she had been working, according to her husband. iReporter Andrea, an American tourist who asked CNN not to use her last name, had just eaten breakfast on Wednesday at the Taj Mahal hotel, another one of the sites targeted in the terror attacks. She and her family are in Mumbai for her brother's wedding. Andrea has been staying in a hotel nearby the Taj and was close enough to hear the attacks Wednesday night, she said. iReport.com: Take a look at what Andrea saw . "Over the course of the night, we heard maybe three explosions, some emergency vehicles, sirens," she said. "For the most part, the street was really quiet." The strong military presence on the street provided her some comfort, she said. | After anxious wait, Kia Scherr learns husband, daughter were killed in Mumbai, India .
iReporters in Mumbai describe scenes of deadly attacks .
From Pennsylvania, husband says, "I was sitting at home completely helpless"
iReport.com: Are you there? Tell your story . |
26,525 | 4b4ef7f063d0f9599298f147e71e02436dfb13b9 | By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 15:16 EST, 2 September 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 15:30 EST, 2 September 2013 . A mother launched an outrageous and crude attack at a cell phone store after she wanted a refund for the phone her son bought. The woman, identified only as Stephanie, was caught on camera by the shop assistant after she launched into a tirade which ended with her lifting her dress and mooning him last week. The crude display happened at a Detroit cell phone store after the woman tried to return the phone outside of the refund period. Scroll down for video . Crude gesture: A woman, identified only as Stephanie, lifts her dress and moons the store clerk in Detroit after a dispute over a cell phone refund . Unrepentant: The mother later said she was unrepentant because the store had sold her son a broken phone . The clerk told CNN: 'They came in a week ago, I explained them the situation. I showed them everything on the receipt.' Despite explaining the clear returns policy, the clerk said that the woman went berserk. She threw bundles of leaflets all over the store before allegedly stabbing at display cabinets with a knife in a rage. She then screamed at the store employee to take her picture before yelling: 'You got that? Because I will be back. You got that close up? Cheese!' The woman explained her actions by saying that the store had sold her son an outdated and damaged phone - but would not replace it or give her the money back. The store clerk said that no worker should have to endure such displays. According to the employee, the owner, who lives in Florida, is planning to file charges for damage done to the store. Rage: Staff at the store said the irate customer threw leaflets everywhere and chipped a display cabinet with a knife . | The woman, named only as Stephanie, shocked the employee when she lifted her dress at the Detroit store .
Store owner is planning to file charges for vandalism . |
277,750 | f3cf5600407a82f237cb524629d6010351345637 | WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The FBI is offering a $25,000 reward in the case of a Washington, D.C., man who was last seen with a missing 8-year-old girl and is now wanted in connection with his wife's killing. The FBI released new photos and video surveillance of Kahlil Malik Tatum, 51, and Relisha Tenau Rudd, who disappeared from a homeless shelter where she lived. Washington's Metropolitan Police Department issued an Amber Alert for the girl last week. After the girl's disappearance, police discovered the body of Tatum's wife, Andrea Denise Tatum, 51, at a suburban Maryland motel. Police in Prince George's County have issued a warrant for his arrest in his wife's slaying. | 8-year-old Relisha Tenau Rudd disappeared last week from a homeless shelter .
She was last seen with a man whose wife was later found dead at a Maryland motel .
An arrest warrant was issued for Kahlil Malik Tatum .
Authorities also have issued an Amber Alert for Rudd . |
123,407 | 2b83da49e47e70d04f0a80efd58bb713d8e32c6f | Ed Miliband's chances of getting into Downing Street have been damaged as he struggled to draw a line under Labour's snobbery row, a senior member of his frontbench warned yesterday. The embattled leader was accused of being out of touch by his own MPs as party figures publicly feuded over his handling of the Rochester by-election crisis. Mr Miliband also faced a series of stinging attacks from his senior colleagues, including claims he had made the situation worse. Scroll down for video . Ed Miliband's (left) chances of getting into Downing Street have been damaged by the row over Emily Thornberry's (right) sneering tweet, a senior member of his frontbench warned yesterday . Shadow work and pensions secretary Rachel Reeves said the Labour leader had been right to sack his close ally Emily Thornberry – but suggested the row had weakened his election chances. Miss Reeves said the shadow attorney general been 'condescending and disrespectful' when she posted a tweet that appeared to sneer at a white van driver whose home was decked with England flags. 'I think it's right that she's no longer in her job because what she was suggesting doesn't represent the ethos and the values of the Labour Party,' she told the BBC's Sunday Politics. 'I was angry when I saw it because I'm working hard, as are other Labour MPs and activists, trying to get a Labour government back in six months' time and she set that process back.' However, former Labour minister Diane Abbott led the revolt against Mr Miliband, saying he had over-reacted by getting rid of the frontbencher. Former Labour minister Diane Abbott said Miliband had over-reacted and shadow work and pensions secretary Rachel Reeves said the row had weakened his election chances . 'I think he made a mistake sacking her because apart from anything else it implied she had said something about the man's house, which she hadn't,' she told Sky News. 'But more important I think it made it a bigger story than it otherwise would have been.' Meanwhile, another senior MP said the episode showed Mr Miliband needed to tear down his 'Berlin Wall' of north London liberal allies and reconnect with normal voters if he wants to win the election. Frank Field said Mr Miliband was right to fire Miss Thornberry, who lives in a £3million home in her Islington South and Finsbury constituency. 'Ed's trying to move us on immigration and welfare and with one blast of a tweet she wrecks that and puts us back to square one,' he told the Sunday Times. Mr Field added: 'It's the north London set we've got to control. They are a Berlin Wall trying to prevent us reaching out to our voters and like the Berlin Wall they've got to be demolished.' Gordon Brown is to announce 'within days' that he is stepping down as an MP at the next general election, sources said yesterday. The ex-Premier is said to be planning to focus on his international charity work. He is a UN Special Envoy for Global Education. Mr Brown is credited with saving the Union by giving a barnstorming speech against Scottish independence the day before this year's referendum. An ally told the Sunday Mirror: 'He wants to go out on a high after salvaging the campaign to keep the UK together. He will focus on his charity work.' Mr Brown, 63, has been an MP since 1983. | Ed Miliband has faced a series of stinging attacks in wake of snobbery row .
Shadow work and pensions secretary said it weakened election chances .
But Rachel Reeves said Emily Thornberry's tweets were 'disrespectful'
Former Labour minister Diane Abbott said Miliband had over-reacted . |
266,475 | e525903e65df508d0c9431b9b24ae8f218f7e9a3 | HERMOSILLO, Mexico (CNN) -- President Felipe Calderon traveled to Hermosillo on Saturday to meet with health officials as the death toll of a day care center fire there grew to 38 children. A crib and baby seats lie outside a day care center Friday in Hermosillo, Mexico, as police cordon off the area. The cause of Friday's blaze remained unknown, but investigators concluded that the fire did not start inside the ABC Day Care, Eduardo Bours, the governor of Sonora state said. As of Saturday night, 23 children remained hospitalized, 15 of them in critical condition, Sonora spokesman Daniel Duran told CNN. Another 10 children had been transported to other hospitals: eight to Guadalajara, one to Ciudad Obregon, and one to Sacramento, California. A team of 29 medical experts in Hermosillo were deciding if any more victims would be moved to the Shriners Hospital in Sacramento, or elsewhere. In addition, six adults were injured, Duran said. "Without a doubt this is the worst disaster we've had," Bours told CNN. The president arrived with Interior Secretary Fernando Gomez Mont and Health Secretary Jose Angel Cordova to get firsthand updates from doctors and investigators, the state news agency Notimex reported. Calderon ordered the nation's attorney general to investigate the blaze. Most of the victims died from smoke inhalation and not burns, Bours said. But the fire was enough for the roof to collapse, he added. At the time of the blaze, 142 children were inside the ABC Day Care. The day care is for children ages 2 to 4, but Bours confirmed that children even younger were among the victims. All the children at the day care had been accounted for by Saturday evening, Bours said. A severely burned 3-year-old girl arrived Saturday at the Sacramento hospital -- where pediatric burn treatment is a specialty -- and was in critical condition, according to Dr. Tina Palmieri, assistant chief of the burn unit. The child was burned over 80 percent of her body, the doctor told reporters. She said the hospital normally can save just over half of the children with burns that severe. In Hermosillo, a large crowd gathered outside of the emergency entrance of the city's general hospital and many people consoled each other, video from the scene showed. "They told me that this happened in a matter of five minutes," Hermosillo Mayor Ernesto Gandara told reporters after surveying the scene. | NEW: President Felipe Calderon travels to Hermosillo to meet with health officials .
NEW: Officials believe blaze did not start in center; attorney general to investigate .
NEW: 23 children remained hospitalized, 15 of them in critical condition .
One child admitted to Shriners Hospitals in Sacramento, California . |
40,813 | 731c94fd885976fffdff2bb2bbceb4ddde854bd6 | By . Kieran Corcoran . and Sophie Jane Evans . Leonardo da Vinci could have pioneered the world's first 3D image by painting two similar portraits of the Mona Lisa, it has been claimed. The Renaissance artist produced two almost identical copies, which when viewed next to one another would create the impression of depth, according to German art researchers. The effect would reportedly be similar to superimposed images used today to create the . impression of three-dimensional drawings, which are often viewed with . red and blue tinted glasses. Artworks: Leonardo da Vinci could have pioneered the world's first 3D image by painting two similar portraits of the Mona Lisa - the famous Mona Lisa at the Louvre (left) and the 'Prado Mona Lisa' (right), it is claimed . The extraordinary theory was revealed in a paper by Claus-Christian . Carbon and Vera Hesslinger, according to the Huffington Post. It relies on a similar painting to the Mona Lisa - unveiled in 2012 . - being produced by the artist himself rather than a student, as has . been theorised. The researchers analysed the copy, called the 'Prado Mona Lisa', at the Museo del Prado in Madrid, Spain, as well as the famous portrait of Mona Lisa that hangs at Paris's Louvre museum. They discovered there was a slight perspective shift between the artworks - with the painter (or painters) having created them from different vantage points. Difference: German reseachers discovered there was a slight perspective shift between the artworks - with the painter(s) having created them from different vantage points of around 2.7 inches in horizontal distance . These points measured around 2.7 inches in horizontal distance - which is similar to the average distance between a person's eyes, they found. 'When I first perceived the two . paintings side by side, it was very obvious for me that there is a very . small but evident difference in perspectives,' Mr Carbon, of the University . of Hamberg in Germany, told Live Science. 'This is particularly clear if . you observe the chair on which La Gioconda sits: In the Prado version, . you can still see the end of the end corner of the chair at the . background of the painting, which you cannot see in the Louvre version.' Copy: The theory relies on the 'Prado Mona Lisa' being produced by the artist himself. The difference in vantage points is reportedly 'particularly clear' if you observe 'the end of the end corner' (circled) of Mona Lisa's chair . He said this was because the painter of Prado Mona Lisa - supposedly, da Vinci himself - had been positioned more to the left than the creator of the Louvre artwork. The researchers then cited the manner in which our eyes perceive objects at varying perspectives, before sending individual, flat images to our brain to be translated into one three-dimensional picture. Using this notion, they concluded that the two paintings, when viewed together, could present the first stereoscopic image in the world. Study: The researchers used a red-cyan anaglyph to combine the two paintings of the Mona Lisa (pictured) The researchers added that they had used a red-cyan anaglyph to combine the two portraits - and it had backed their theory that the finished product portrayed depth. But they admitted it was impossible to know whether the stereoscopic masterpiece was a coincidence, or whether da Vinci had knowingly created it as part of a science project. Three-dimensional? They claimed the finished product (pictured) backed their theory that the paintings, when viewed together, portrayed depth . As well as creating artworks such as 'The Last Supper' and 'The Vitruvian Man', da Vinci is also renowned for his work in the fields of anatomy, geology, mathematics and literature, among others. He was one of the greatest anatomists the world had ever seen - with his intricate knowledge of the human body demonstrated in a collection of notebooks which he filled with detailed studies of organs, bones, vessels and muscles. In February this year, it was revealed that Italian art detectives are a step closer to identifying the lady behind the artist's famous Mona Lisa portrait. DNA tests are underway on bones that may belong to a Florentine noblewoman, named Lisa Gherardini, who is widely believed to be the model for the painting. Historian Silvano Vinceti has taken samples from a skeleton in Sant’Orsola convent near Florence and is comparing them to DNA from the bones of some of Gherardini's confirmed relatives. If a DNA match is made, Professor Vinceti will make a 3D reconstruction of Gherardini's face from the skull, as well as details in da Vinci’s Mona Lisa painting. The results from the analysis should be ready by May or June, the professor told the Wall Street Journal. Lisa Gherardini is thought to have posed for the painting between 1503 and 1506. Leonardo da Vinci is best known for his stunning artwork but the Italian Renaissance painter had many talents. He . was also a sculptor, architect, musician, mathematician, engineer, . inventor, anatomist, geologist, cartographer, botanist, and writer. The . Mona Lisa is his most famous and most parodied portrait while his . painting of The Last Supper is the most reproduced religious painting of . all time. Leonardo's . drawing of the Vitruvian Man is also regarded as a cultural icon - being . reproduced on items as varied as the euro coin, textbooks, and . T-shirts. Only around . fifteen of his paintings survive because of his constant, and frequently . disastrous, experimentation with new techniques, and his chronic . procrastination. Leonardo is also revered for his technological ingenuity. He . conceptualised a helicopter, a tank, concentrated solar power, a . calculator, and the double hull, also outlining a rudimentary theory of . plate tectonics. Relatively . few of his designs were constructed or were even feasible during his . lifetime, but some of his smaller inventions, such as an automated . bobbin winder and a machine for testing the tensile strength of wire, . entered the world of manufacturing unheralded. He . made important discoveries in anatomy, civil engineering, optics, and . hydrodynamics, but he did not publish his findings and they had no . direct influence on later science. | Renaissance artist painted two similar images of Mona Lisa, it is claimed .
When viewed together, works reportedly create the impression of depth .
Effect similar to superimposed images used today to make 3D drawings .
Theory relies on the copy of famous Mona Lisa being produced by artist .
The artwork, known as 'Prado Mona Lisa' is housed in museum in Madrid . |
8,648 | 186210bbc060c272ff9a2412ec2e711a3e4a5e6e | By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 03:25 EST, 16 May 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 05:14 EST, 16 May 2012 . They do say it's lonely at the top, so France's new president Francois Hollande must have been grateful for a helping hand from German chancellor Angela Merkel yesterday. Mr Hollande was the guest of honour at a red-carpet ceremony in Berlin, but the French newcomer looked decidedly out of his element - understandably nervous as the world watched the first meeting between Europe's new power duo. It was an ominous first day for Mr Hollande, having been soaked through by a torrential downpour during a parade in France, and then arriving late for his meeting with Mrs Merkel after his plane was struck by lightning and had to be diverted. Scroll down for video . This way Francois: While French president Francois Hollande looks decidedly awkward - his arms rigidly by his side like a naughty schoolboy - German chancellor Angela Merkel shows him the way . No no, this way: Mr Hollande seems to be off in all directions outside the Federal Chancellory in Berlin, but Mrs Merkel patiently points him in the right direction or offers a helpful tap on the arm . On the ground, he stood on the wrong side of the red carpet and fidgeted constantly - with Mrs Merkel giving him a helpful push in the right direction. Later, as Mrs Merkel spoke of her determination to keep up the Franco-German cooperation that flourished under Mr Hollande's conservative predecessor Nicolas Sarkozy, Mr Hollande fumbled in his pocket for pen and paper to take notes. When it came to his turn at the microphone, Mr Hollande repeatedly used hands and arms to stress how reasonable his arguments were. Shoulder charge: When hand signals would not do the trick, Mrs Merkel resorted to a good old-fashioned barge to get Mr Hollande moving in the right direction . We made it: By the time the two leaders had finally found their way to waiting reporters, it looked like Mr Hollande had relaxed a little bit - to the relief of Mrs Merkel . Off to a bad start: Mr Hollande's excessive hand gestures and talk of amending Mrs Merkel's European policies did not endear himself to the German chancellor . While the two leaders talk about wanting to continue the status quo between their two countries, a body language expert might have had more to say on Mr Hollande's intentiions. At one point, Mr Hollande explained why he wanted to tamper with Mrs Merkel's fiscal pact, agreed by 25 European states, to make it more growth-oriented. Mrs Merkel simply shrugged and smiled at reporters. The German leader and Mr Sarkozy were so different in character that aides thought they would never get along. Raining on his parade: In weather that could have been orchestrated by his opponent Nicolas Sarkozy, the heavens opened on Mr Hollande's motorcade through Paris . Still chucking it down: Mr Hollande endured more outdoor ceremonies in the rain yesterday as he placed flowers at the monument to the Unknown soldier at the Arc de Triomphe . This never happened to the other guy: Mr Hollande looks like he might be regretting his decision to run as French leader after his inauguration . Mrs Merkel, a physicist from the former East Germany who guards an intensely private home life, seemed polar opposite to Mr Sarkozy - dubbed 'President Bling-Bling' because of his flashy tastes and marriage to self-promoting singer/model/actress Carla Bruni. But the two conservatives saw eye-to-eye on the euro crisis to such an extent that media commentators lumped them together as a single entity - 'Merkozy'. However, it might take some time before the world starts hearing of 'Merkollande'. Mr Hollande's first day in office was not so much a baptism of fire as it was a baptism of water - and lightning. The man dubbed ‘Mr Normal’ by the French endured a first 24 hours in charge that were anything but normal. The day started well enough, with the new leader exchanging pleasantries with outgoing president Mr Sarkozy at the Elysee Palace - and being sworn in as the seventh president of the Fifth Republic. But it all went downhill from there. Poking through the sunroof of a small £25,000 hybrid Citroen DS5, and surrounded by guardsmen on horse-back, he was driven up the Champs Elysees waving to well-wishers. But - in weather that could have only been choreographed by Mr Sarkozy himself - the heavens opened and rained heavily on Mr Hollande’s parade. By the time he arrived at the Arc de Triomphe, he was a mess; his black suit and white shirt clinging to his body, and water dripping uncharismatically from from his spectacles. If he thought things would improve when he boarded his plane to meet Mrs Merkel, he was wrong. His Falcon 7X was hit by lightning and he was forced to return to Paris, to board a second aircraft. Air France One: To add to Mr Hollande's woes his plane was hit by lightning as he flew to Germany for a meeting with Angela Merkel . | World watches as Europe's new power duo get to know each other .
Body language shows French and German leaders have a long way to go match the 'eye-to-eye' relationship of Mrs Merkel and Nicolas Sarkozy .
Hollande's first day includes being drenched and 'struck by lightning' |
118,486 | 24fd53ecb26034462fe269920b6b979da492faf3 | (CNN) -- Doctors Without Borders is pulling out of Somalia after more than two decades because of frequent attacks on its staff, the aid group said Wednesday. The group, internationally known by its French name, Medecins Sans Frontieres, has worked in the nation since 1991. It said civilian leaders tolerate or "condone the killing, assaulting and abducting " of aid workers. "The same actors with whom MSF must negotiate minimum guarantees to respect its medical humanitarian mission have in some cases played a role in the abuses against MSF staff, either through direct involvement or tacit approval, particularly but not exclusively in south-central Somalia," it said. In 2011, two MSF members were killed in Mogadishu, and their convicted killer was released early, the group said. Aid worker dies after attack in South Sudan . In addition, 14 other staff members have been killed and dozens of MSF's ambulances and medical facilities have been attacked, the group said. "In choosing to kill, attack, and abduct humanitarian aid workers, these armed groups, and the civilian authorities who tolerate their actions, have sealed the fate of countless lives in Somalia," said Dr. Unni Karunakara, MSF's international president. "... The situation in the country has created an untenable imbalance between the risks and compromises our staff must make, and our ability to provide assistance to the Somali people." The aid agency had a staff of about 1,500 in the nation to provide various services, including health care, malnutrition treatment, surgery and relief supplies. Somalia has been plagued by a long-running struggle between government forces and Al-Shabaab, a militant Islamist group with connections to al Qaeda. It has waged a war to implement a stricter form of Islamic law in the country. Two years ago, Somali and African forces pushed the militants out of the capital, Mogadishu, raising hopes of a return to relative security after about 20 years of violence. But the militants have maintained control of large chunks of southern and central Somalia, where they stage attacks. Until last year, Somalia had not had an effective government since dictator Mohamed Siad Barre was overthrown in 1991. Rape and injustice: The woman breaking Somalia's wall of silence . | The aid agency had a staff of about 1,500 in the nation, where it has worked since 1991 .
Civilian leaders "condone the killing, assaulting and abducting " of aid workers, it said .
Somalia has been plagued by a struggle between government forces and Al-Shabaab . |
94,581 | 058d35829db87a7722f44e50c24dc488347e7b44 | France head coach Philippe Saint-Andre believes his team's RBS 6 Nations encounter with Scotland will give the country a chance to come together following the spate of recent militant attacks. Seventeen people were killed in France across three days earlier this month after attacks on satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo, police officers and a kosher supermarket. Les Bleus host Scotland at Stade de France on February 7 in the team's opening game of the tournament, and Saint-Andre expects the fixture to be a 'very emotional' occasion. France coach Philippe Saint Andre poses with Thierry Dusautoir during the Six Nations launch . Saint Andre (centre) hopes the tournament can bring a grieving nation together . 'I am definitely sure the Marseillaise against Scotland will be very emotional,' Saint-Andre said. 'It was a very, very tough time, but everybody stuck together and demonstrated how proud we are of our country and very proud of our different cultures. 'All the crowd and French public will be 150 percent behind the French team.' Saint-Andre continued: 'I am always proud to sing the national anthem. 'French society has people from different origins. It is nice to see the team working like this in a good way and and the team is representative of French society. 'It will be a nice moment to enjoy being together, to show our pride in being French. Saint Andre says that the crowd and French public will be '150 per cent' behind the team . 'Sport is nice in this way. It allows us to take this moment to share and to be part of the community.' France have not won the Six Nations since 2010 and have finished fourth or lower in each of the past three competitions. Saint-Andre, however, reckons his team are one of four sides capable of lifting the trophy this year. 'I think our front five is as strong as England and Ireland,' he said. 'But, as we get closer to the World Cup, it looks like all the countries get closer. France's Yoann Huget breaks away to score against Scotland in last year's Six Nations . 'It is very difficult to say who will win the Six Nations. Four countries can win the tournament. 'We need to be more precise with our set-piece. Last year we missed a penalty against Ireland and that was the difference between finishing first and fourth. 'It shows how tight things are at the top level.' | France face Scotland in opening game of RBS 6 Nations on February 7 .
Philippe Saint-Andre hopes tournament can bring nation together .
17 people were killed following terrorist attacks on Charlie Hebdo office . |
65,075 | b8c4848cbf79741eb1ad23fc9e07873007c8aa2f | At least 40 people have died in a double-bombing in central Nigeria, just months after more than 100 were killed in a similar attack. Two bombs exploded near a . bus station in the city of Jos on Thursday . evening, witnesses said, the second one killing at least 40 . people. It is feared that the bombings were carried out by Islamist militants Boko Haram, who engineered an attack on the same bus station in May, killing 118. Scroll down for video . Rescue workers carry an injured victim of the double bomb blast in the central Nigeria city of Jos . Casualties from the first blast could not immediately be . ascertained and Nigerian security sources could not immediately . be reached for comment. Mohammed Abdulsalam, coordinator for the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) in the city, said the scene of the attack was a densely populated area. 'I saw a flash of light and heard a loud boom. Afterwards . there was debris everywhere and mutilated bodies,' witness Tanko . Mohammed said of the blast in Jos's commercial Terminus . district. 'The bodies recovered so far are 31 but rescue workers are at the scene and the figures may change,' Pam Ayuba, spokesman for the Plateau state governor Jonah Jang said. Boko Haram is a Sunni jihadist movement that has been waging . a five-year insurgency to establish an Islamist state in the . northeast of the country. Two bombs exploded near a bus station in the city of Jos on Thursday evening, witnesses said, the second one killing at least 40 people . Similar attack: Thursday's blast in the central city of Jos, Nigeria, comes just months after a similar attack at the market killed 118 people . The terrorist organisation has increasingly used women as suicide bombers in attacks ranging from Borno state in the far northeast to Niger to the northwest. Just last month, at least 120 people were killed when two suicide bombers blew themselves up at Kano's central mosque and gunmen opened fire on worshippers as they fled. Security analysts have seen the use of women - whether voluntarily and ideologically motivated or coerced - as a sign that Boko Haram wants to sow fear and terror further afield. President Goodluck Jonathan declared a state of emergency in . three northeastern states last year. The number of attacks has . risen sharply since then, in the run-up to elections in February . 2015. The latest blasts came as both Jonathan's ruling party and . the main opposition coalition agreed on candidates to contest . the elections, in which security is likely to be a major . campaign issue. Former military ruler Muhammadu Buhari will be . challenging Jonathan at the polls for the second time. | Two bombs exploded at busy marketplace in central Nigeria .
At least 40 people died in the blasts, witnesses say .
Follows similar attack at the same marketplace in May . |
83,488 | ecce044c95b5f1fec776d197722d0430d5a50884 | (CNN) -- After President Obama announced his support for same-sex marriage, a group organizing a fundraiser on his behalf suddenly had to find a bigger venue. The event, featuring the pop singer Pink, is one of two LGBT-organized fundraisers Obama is expected to attend on the West Coast on Wednesday. A CNN analysis of President Obama's biggest fundraisers, known as bundlers, shows that at least 33 -- or about one in every 16 bundlers -- is openly gay. Together, they have raised at least $8 million for the campaign between January and the end of March. CNN poll: Majority of Americans say they have gay friends, family members . By contrast, in the same period, bundlers from the television, movie and music industry, some of whom attended a recent high-profile fundraiser hosted by actor George Clooney, raised $6.8 million, according to the Center for Responsive Politics. Interactive: Celebrities back candidates for president . While campaign finance laws require donors to disclose their full names, addresses, occupations and employers, there is no box to check for sexual orientation. Nor does the law require candidates to release information about their bundlers. Under prodding from watchdog groups, presidential campaigns have released bundler data in past elections. Obama's campaign has released its list. Republican candidate Mitt Romney's campaign has not. In CNN's analysis, only bundlers who have disclosed their orientation in past CNN reporting or in trusted LGBT publications were counted as gay. The Washington Post has reported that as many as one in six bundlers supporting Obama are gay. The Advocate Magazine estimates one in five. Glancing down the names on the bundlers list released by the Obama campaign for the first quarter, it is easy to find people known for their work on behalf of the LGBT community. Tim Gill, a software entrepreneur who runs a large Colorado-based foundation that backs gay rights projects, has already contributed $672,800 with his partner Scott Miller to the Obama for America campaign. Fred Eychaner, who owns the Chicago-based Newsweb Corp., has donated $1,220,550 so far. He co-hosted a $35,800-per-person LGBT organized fundraiser for Obama in February. Kathy Levinson, the former president and CEO of the Menlo Park, California-based Etrade, gave $202,150. The LA Gay and Lesbian Center Women's Night named Levinson a "Community Role Model" in 2000. She was instrumental in raising money to stop the anti-same-sex marriage law in California. Donations made after Obama announced his support for same-sex marriage May 9 won't be released until mid-June, when the campaign files its second-quarter reports with the Federal Election Commission. Many LGBT bundlers have maintained a close relationship with the president throughout his first term. A state dinner in March was attended by bundlers Gill; Eychaner; Barry Karas, a former Human Rights Campaign board member; James (Wally) Brewster, senior vice president of General Growth Properties, a real estate investment trust that owns and operates shopping malls; Dana Perlman, a corporate lawyer who has served as co-chair of the Obama/DNC LGBT Leadership Council; Joseph Falk, a Miami mortgage broker and others. Support for Obama from the LGBT community was challenged after the initial excitement of his first campaign, largely because of what was perceived as his lukewarm support on same-sex marriage. Some say a low point came during the election in 2008, when evangelist pastor Rick Warren asked Obama how he defined marriage and he called it "a union between a man and a woman." He added: "For me as a Christian, it is a sacred union. God's in the mix." He further angered the community by picking Warren to deliver his invocation at the presidential inauguration. Actor Alan Cumming wrote in 2010, "We keep hearing that Obama is an ally, that DADT [the 'don't ask, don't tell' policy that kept LGBT people from openly serving in the military] will end under his watch, but what do we actually get? Diddly squat." Dustin Lance Black, who won a best screenplay Oscar for "Milk," a movie biography of the gay San Francisco politician Harvey Milk who was gunned down because of his sexual orientation, said last year that he had been an Obama supporter before but might sit out the upcoming election. When President Obama finally signed the repeal of "don't ask, don't tell" and "evolved" in his position on marriage by saying he was in favor of it for the LGBT community, both Black and Cumming did more than just say they supported the president. They donated money. They also encouraged others to do the same. David Mixner, who started one of the first LGBT-themed PACs in the late 1970s, said the community has come a long way in being accepted in electoral politics. "We had some candidates who wouldn't take our money back then because they didn't want to be associated with anyone who was gay," Mixner said. He said he believes that changed with the Clinton administration, which the PAC raised $4 million to support. "Now the community knows how to raise money and contribute on their own and we are more than welcome at the table." The LGBT community is such an important part of this president's re-election effort that the Obama for America campaign hosts a special section for it on its website. It includes a video discussing the president's support for LGBT issues narrated by actress Jane Lynch, who is openly gay. It also offers Obama merchandise like T-shirts and drink koozies to bring to Gay Pride events this summer. The president has already attended several LGBT-organized fundraisers, including one in New York hosted by openly gay singer Ricky Martin, the Futuro Fund, and Obama for America LGBT Leadership Council. Another event in Washington, hosted by Karen K. Dixon and her partner, Dr. Nan Schaffer, was rumored to have raised more than a million dollars for the campaign, although the Obama team won't comment on the record about fundraising. Tickets for one of the California events were selling so well the campaign had to find a larger venue. There also is great interest in a Chicago fundraiser co-hosted by LGBT bundlers Brewster and Bob Satawake. The couple has already raised $288,663, according to the CNN analysis. "I think there has always been a strong base of support from LGBT people for the president," said Michael Cole-Schwartz, spokesperson for the Human Rights Campaign, whose incoming president Chad Griffin is a bundler. "He earned even more respect from the community -- from repealing 'don't ask, don't tell,' to signing the hate crimes law giving the first civil rights protection for us in federal law, to coming out against DOMA," the Defense of Marriage Act that defines marriage for federal purposes as unions exclusively between a man and a woman. "Now, with his saying he believes in full marriage equality, we have another reason for people in our community to be generous with their time and money." It is difficult to know if there are any openly gay bundlers for the Republicans, because Romney has not disclosed his bundler list. The Republican candidate has, however, voiced his opposition to civil unions and supports a federal amendment to the U.S. Constitution to deny same-sex couples the right to marry. But some gay Republicans say Romney is not totally close minded on LGBT issues. "On gay issues, where Romney stands is not as black and white as it seems," said R. Clarke Cooper, executive director of the Log Cabin Republicans, an organization for gay and lesbian Republicans. "One thing he has been consistent on, as governor and as a candidate for president, is he has spoken in broad terms about ending discrimination in the workplace. He has said there is no room for it." Cooper said the Log Cabin Republicans haven't decided yet if they will endorse Romney. That announcement will come sometime this fall. He does believe, though, that there are gay donors to Romney's campaign. They just might not be as outspoken. "We joke that at Pride (festivals), the question we most often ask other Republicans we see there is, 'Are you out?' Meaning 'out' about your politics yet." | A CNN analysis of Obama's biggest fundraisers shows about one in every 16 is openly gay .
Gay fundraisers have raised more than $8 million for the Obama campaign .
Similar figures are not available for the Romney campaign . |
85,492 | f27e7c73543aed69cebd8608871944a58f9862f9 | (CNN) -- The rise of Brazil as an economic force has brought with it a policy challenge familiar here in the United States: immigration. Recently crowned the world's sixth-largest economy, Brazil has become an immigration magnet, both to low-skilled workers --some of whom enter illegally -- and high-skilled workers looking for opportunities in the country's thriving sectors. Brazil historically has been welcoming to immigrants, but the challenge now is more pronounced as the government seeks to accept foreigners while protecting its hard-won prosperity. The country faces two simultaneous challenges: how to deal with recent illegal immigration, mostly from Haiti, and how to make it easier for highly educated immigrants to get work permits. A number of Brazilian ministries have either proposed or are deliberating policies as the country ushers in a new era of immigration. "You cannot become the sixth economy in the world with impunity," Defense Minister Celso Amorim, a former foreign minister, said recently. Before, people left Brazil to chase a better life, he said. Now, the tide has turned. "Naturally, we have to study how to act during this new situation. It's not just Haitians, but Brazilians who are returning. We have to try to exercise the same humanitarian spirit that's present in Haiti (where Brazil leads a U.N. mission), and in a manner that compatible with our means," Amorim said. In 2011 through September, Brazil processed 52,353 work permits to immigrants, a 32.8% increase over 2010. Brazil's needs and wants have created the situation where there are ideas to limit the entry of some immigrants and entice the entry of others. In recent decades in Brazil, the education levels of the population have increased significantly, said Ernesto Amaral, a demographer and professor at the Federal University of Minas Gerais, Brazil. In that period, an increase in the number of educated workers meant more competition for jobs and a negative impact on wages, he said. "But this negative impact is decreasing because we have the demand for skilled labor in Brazil," he said. In other words, Brazil's boom has created an environment where the demand for high-skilled jobs is now outpacing the growth of Brazil's educated workforce. To meet this challenge, Brazil will have to ramp up its education efforts even more. "Immigration is important in the short run. We need these workers in Brazil right now," he said. At the same time, an opposite effect is happening for low-skilled work, Amaral said. The percentage of low-educated Brazilians is decreasing, but the demand for low-skilled labor is decreasing faster, he said. Amaral summed up the way that Brazilians, usually welcoming to immigrants, see this development: "We want to help these low-skilled people, but there is a limit." Facing with illegal immigration from Haiti, Brazil's National Council on Immigration agreed this month to provide 1,200 work visas per year to Haitians affected by the 2010 earthquake who emigrate to Brazil. The work permits will be good for five years, a period during which the immigrants will find jobs and apply for extensions, or will return home. Unlike other work visas in Brazil, applicants need not have a job contract in hand when they arrive. Under the plan, those immigrants already in the country who entered illegally will be "regularized." Unlike the United States, where illegal entry by low-skilled workers is often viewed as a threat, Brazilians are extolling the positives such newly-legalized immigrants can bring. "For example, the Haitians speak French and could be useful in the cities where the World Cup games will be held," Labor Minister Paulo Roberto dos Santos Pinto said. The country's justice secretary, Paulo Abrao, is another immigration cheerleader. "Brazil can be an example to the world of an immigration policy that is open and democratic that reflects our historical welcoming tradition," he said on Twitter this week. He continued: "Immigrants add cultural value to Brazil and collaborate in the development of the nation." In addition to providing visas for the Haitians, the health department offered 1.3 million reais (U.S. $745,000) for healthcare for them. But pleasantries aside, Brazil has an economy to protect, and the work visas might signify a closing of a door rather than an opening. "The attempt to grant visas is an attempt to limit and control the number that come, rather than being generous and open," said Albert Fishlow, professor emeritus at Columbia University and the author of "Starting Over: Brazil Since 1985." The approach toward immigration by Brazil and the United States isn't that different after all, he said. "Both countries want to benefit from advances in technology and both countries want to attract people who are relatively skilled and have an opportunity to contribute to that," Fishlow said. As for low-skilled immigration, there are other forces raising opposition to their entry. The Haitian immigrants are arriving mostly to the western states of Amazonas and Acre, in the heart of the Amazon rain forest. A debate of great importance in Brazil currently is how to protect the Amazon. This is the larger issue behind the immigration debate, Fishlow said: will the Amazon be less protected with an influx of newcomers? Meanwhile, the country's Secretary of Strategic Affairs has created a team that will propose a new national immigration policy wit emphasis on high-skilled workers. One reported proposal would create two "lines" for foreigners applying for work visas in Brazil. One for highly-educated applicants, and one for everyone else. The coordinator for the project, Ricardo Paes de Barros, declined to speak to CNN about the commission's deliberations. | Brazil is experiencing an increase in immigration .
It's economy is attracting both low- and high-skilled labor .
The country has been open to immigration, but challenges remain . |
98,769 | 0b31eead3ca13d353d3d3b99abaf5767886572ba | By . Simon Tomlinson . PUBLISHED: . 10:58 EST, 13 November 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 13:05 EST, 13 November 2012 . 'Jilted': Karen Orchard arrives at Truro Crown Court accused of trying to kill her former partner and her best friend by allegedly running them down in her car after they started an affair . A jilted mother tried to mow down and kill her former partner and her best friend after they began an affair, a court heard today. Karen Orchard, 40, drove her people carrier three times at Geoffrey Richards and Rosanna Vanhorn after she spotted them walking hand in hand in the village of Lizard, west Cornwall, it was alleged. Truro Crown Court was told that minutes afterwards she sent a text message in which she wrote: 'I have just tried to kill them.' She also condemned Ms Vanhorn, who had been her best friend, in the same text, which was recovered by police from her phone. Orchard, a mother of two, wrote: 'You were right as usual about sweet, little, innocent Rosanna, f****** b***h.' She claimed that she was the ‘latest of at least three women’ whose men Rosanna had ‘muscled on in’. Orchard denies charges of attempted murder against both Mr Richards, 41, and 35-year-old Ms Vanhorn as well as alternative charges of attempting to cause GBH with intent and two further counts of dangerous driving on January 21 this year. Prosecutor Llewellyn Sellick told the jury: 'The defendant learned that her ex partner Geoffrey Richards, known as Gof, had started a relationship with a friend of hers, Rosanna Vanhorn, and she decided that she would kill them by running them over in her car.' The jury heard Orchard and plumber Mr Richards split up last Christmas but he had not told Orchard about his new relationship with Ms Vanhorn. Mr Sellick said on the night in question Orchard saw the couple hand in hand in the village and drove her car at them, forcing them to jump out of the way. He said she had her hand on the horn continuously as she drove at the couple. Mr Sellick said: 'They jumped out of the way, had they not jumped they would have been run over.' Mr Richards said the first incident - in his evidence - was more ‘to scare’ them. But 20 minutes later they returned to Ms Vanhorn’s Peugeot car and found that it had been rammed forwards by Orchard’s vehicle and yellowy orange paint and excrement had been poured over it. The police had been called by a local pub landlord and Mr Richards went to see if Orchard was back at her home because Ms Vanhorn was worried about a possible threat to her children and horses. Mr Sellick said that Orchard then drove at them again, mounting a pavement and striking a concrete bollard that got caught under the front of her car. The prosecutor said: 'The bollards saved them. Without them they would have been run over.' The frightened couple ran off as Orchard reversed off the bollard and she then drove at them for a third time. 'Victims': Geoffrey Richards and Rosanna Vanhorn (pictured leaving court) had to 'jump out of the way' to avoid being run over, the jury was told . Ms Vanhorn was on top of a gate about to leap away when Orchard’s car hit the gate which landed on top of Ms Vanhorn. Ms Vanhorn told the court: 'I was on the floor when the car went through and the gate ended up on top of me. 'Then the car reversed, I tried to get up, but I couldn’t get to my feet, then Geoff grabbed me away from the car as it was reversing, I didn’t see what happened after that.' The pair hid behind some nearby garages as . Orchard again reversed her car and drove towards the smashed gate, the court heard. Mr . Sellick said: 'It is the deliberate driving at these two people which . we say is attempted murder. We say she intended to kill them.' The text message also revealed that Orchard had been battling cancer for 12 weeks on ‘ top of all the other sh**’. She accused Ms Vanhorn of ‘cosying up to Gof knowing full well we had still been sleeping together’. 'I have just tried to kill them': Orchard drove her people carrier three times at Mr Richards and Ms Vanhorn after she spotted them together in the village of Lizard (file picture), west Cornwall, her trial heard . She added in the text: 'I have just tried to kill them. If you hear the rossers (police) they are for me.' She also wrote that there was nothing left of her life and she felt like jumping to her death ‘but for my girls’. She branded the pair ‘evil’ adding that they will be ‘glad I am gone’. After . the series of incidents, Mr Richards rang Orchard and she screamed and . shouted at him in that call saying ‘this was the final nail in the . coffin’ and Ms Vanhorn was ‘a bitch’. He said: 'She said she has done this before to other people. This is the third time she has done it.' When police arrived, Orchard was at . home crying and had drunk a little wine to calm herself down and her . clothes had orange paint on them. In . a prepared statement to police, she said: 'I totally deny that I . purposely drove at Gof or Rosanna or tried to harm them. I drove to see . them. 'I was peeping my horn . to get their attention but before I got to them, they ran off. At no . stage did I run them over. I wanted to talk to them.' Truro Crown Court (above) heard Orchard and plumber Mr Richards split up last Christmas but he had not told Orchard about his new relationship with Ms Vanhorn . Mr Sellick told the jury she drove at speed deliberately at the pedestrians and ‘that is clearly dangerous’. Mr Richards gave evidence and said in the first attempt Orchard drove at them with her headlights on and horn blaring at speed. He . told the court: 'She drove at us and swerved away. I guess she was . upset. She swerved away at the last minute about three metres from us. We jumped out of the way. 'I don’t think at the time she was driving at us,' he admitted, adding: 'It was more of a scare. It was a bit frightening.' Prosecutor Llewellyn Sellick . He said they met ten years ago when she worked in the local pub and last slept together a month before the alleged incident - and allegedly a month after he and Ms Vanhorn had become ‘friends’. Mr Richards said after the first incident he did not want to press charges because ‘I did not want to get her into trouble’. Defence barrister Michael Melville-Shreeve accused Mr Richards of exaggerating the whole incident. He said: 'All she did was honk her horn at you.' He said Ms Vanhorn only suffered two minor grazes to her elbows and said it was ‘absolute nonsense’ that she had been trapped under the gate. Mr Melville-Shreeve suggested: 'We were spotted by Karen Orchard and she honked her horn with some vigour. Rosanna and you were hand in hand together.' He said the couple ‘nipped off like caught-out teenagers’ when they were spotted by Orchard, who lives in Lizard Village, who only wanted to speak to them. Orchard, who walks with the aid of a stick because of an ankle injury, denies all six charges against her. The trial continues. Sorry we are unable to accept comments for legal reasons. | Karen Orchard allegedly drove people carrier three times at Geoffrey Richards and Rosanna Vanhorn .
Prosecutor: 'If they not jumped out of way, they would have been run over'
She sent text minutes later which said: 'I have just tried to kill them"'
Orchard, 40, denies two counts of attempted murder and four other charges . |
7,351 | 14d235eb877c49fad959d1c87ed1227666fe583b | Editor's note: Pedro A. Noguera is a professor at New York University and director of the Metropolitan Center for Urban Education. He is editor of "Unfinished Business: Closing the Achievement Gap in Our Nation's Schools" and author of "The Trouble With Black Boys: And Other Reflections on Race, Equity and the Future of Public Education." Pedro Noguera says Obama needs to be wary of alienating teachers who can be his allies on education reform. (CNN) -- President Obama has made it clear from the earliest days of his presidency that he intended to make education a high priority for his administration. He reaffirmed that commitment Tuesday when he addressed schoolchildren on the topic. In one of his first presidential addresses, he made a special appeal to students at risk of dropping out: "... [D]ropping out of high school is no longer an option. It's not just quitting on yourself, it's quitting on your country, and this country needs and values the talents of every American." The president's commitment to education is truly remarkable, considering the enormous array of policy challenges confronting the administration. From health care and the economic crisis, to global warming and the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, the administration is beset by controversies that will not be easily resolved. The fact that the president and his education secretary, Arne Duncan, have not allowed education to be ignored or placed on the back burner says a great deal about their recognition of its central importance to our nation. However, as the administration navigates its way into the policy debates that are swirling over the future of education, it would be wise for it to proceed with caution. The administration has already staked out positions on a number of issues -- charter schools and merit pay for teachers being two of the big ones -- which run the risk of generating additional controversy in the polarized debates over how to reform education. If these issues and the stimulus money being made available under the Race to the Top (RTT) program are not handled carefully, conflict and even paralysis are likely to ensue. The president may even inadvertently alienate an important core constituency that he will surely need in the years ahead -- public school teachers. The current policy debates over the direction of education are typically presented as battles between the reformers, led by school superintendents like Joel Klein of New York and Michelle Rhee of Washington, D.C., and the defenders of the status quo, most often presented as the powerful teacher unions and other elements of the education establishment. While anyone familiar with the current debates knows that the differences between the two sides are real and profound, a protracted battle over the direction of education reform is not a good thing either for the administration or for those who genuinely want to see improvement in public education. Instead of choosing sides, it would be wise for the administration to do all it can to find common ground between the opposing camps as it formulates new policy initiatives. For example, instead of requiring states to adopt some form of merit pay for teachers -- a measure to which both the teachers' unions, the National Education Association and American Federation of Teachers, have already declared their opposition -- the administration could encourage states to adopt school-based formulas that reward increases in student achievement. This is similar, though not identical, to the approach taken in New York City, one that encourages collaboration among teachers and recognizes the importance of evidence that children are learning. Similarly, rather than touting charter schools as the solution to public education, the administration should treat the best charters as models of innovation that provide educators with the flexibility to implement new strategies. This is a subtle but important distinction that has been lacking in many of the administration's pronouncements about charter schools. Unlike the public schools, many charter schools find ways to avoid serving the most disadvantaged students, and their teachers often work a longer day and longer school year without a contract. Moreover, many of the best charters are subsidized by private philanthropists and are able to spend considerably more per pupil than traditional public schools. These facts should not be used to negate the accomplishments of the excellent charter schools that have emerged in many large cities. In fact, it is far more likely that struggling public schools in these same cities would be more open to learning from the charters' accomplishments if they were not cast as competitors. Finally, the president has championed the idea of "promise neighborhoods" as a way to increase the availability of social services to children in high poverty communities, using as a model the Harlem Childrens Zone. If this initiative is to result in lasting benefits to children, it will need to be combined with creative approaches to reforming urban public schools that re-formulate how we think about standards and focus attention more intently on how to deliver quality instruction to children. With dropout rates at over 50 percent in several of our nation's cities, the administration must realize that tinkering at the margins with No Child Left Behind will not deliver the change we need. The president entered office promising to bring a new kind of politics to the nation, an approach that focused on finding common ground among diverse constituencies to solve the pressing problems of our time. In areas like health care, energy, the economy and foreign policy, this new approach has not yet gained traction. However, it is not too late for the president to unite the nation around a common effort to improve public education. For this to happen, he will need to keep above the fray and stay focused on a strategy that sends a clear message to all constituencies that working together to improve public education is in our national interest. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Pedro A. Noguera. | Pedro Noguera: It's good that Obama is emphasizing education's importance .
He says president needs to be wary of taking sides on volatile issues .
He says merit pay and charter schools could alienate key allies .
Noguera: Obama needs teachers on his side to improve schools . |
8,114 | 16f25a0c21c0df3a79f3c9a7d7e1896a82b6d60e | (CNN) -- Brazilian military police say they destroyed a small explosive device over the weekend after discovering the item in a bathroom near a sanctuary Pope Francis is scheduled to visit later this week. The device was found in Aparecida, where Francis is scheduled to visit a historic Roman Catholic sanctuary Wednesday. It had "low destructive power" and wasn't in an area on the pope's route or in an area where pilgrims would be gathering, military police in the southeastern state of Sao Paulo confirmed to CNN. The explosive was made from a small plastic cylinder wrapped in duct tape, they said. "The artifact was sent to military authorities for verification," police said. "Security personnel quickly cordoned the area off." A tactical squad was called in to destroy the device "without any further risk," police said. Francis landed in Rio de Janeiro on Monday for the start of the Roman Catholic Church's World Youth Day. Hundreds of thousands of pumped-up young Catholic pilgrims are on hand for the weeklong festival, hosted by a country eager for good news after a summer of protests. Anger over high taxes, corruption and lavish spending on the upcoming World Cup soccer tournament spurred Brazilians to turn out for the largest protests seen in 20 years. The demonstrations, held in Sao Paulo, Rio and the capital of Brasilia, were sparked by a planned increase in bus fares in June. Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff promised to address the concerns, announcing that she heard "the direct message from the streets" for better services and social reforms. Singing priests revive Catholic Church in Brazil . | Police find "homemade explosive" near site of upcoming papal visit .
The device was destroyed "without any further risk," police said .
Francis landed in Brazil for World Youth Day on Monday . |
36,577 | 67a4501582012bee3a11044d756f6478ad37a76e | Children of illegal immigrants would be banned from schools under plans drawn up for ministers to curb the impact of ‘education tourists’. The idea was put forward by officials told to find ways to limit migrants’ access to benefits, housing, and the NHS but has been blocked by ministers. But David Cameron’s pledge to end the global perception of Britain being a ‘soft touch’ have been slammed as ‘unfortunate’ by Swedish Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt. Scroll down for video . Immigration minister Mark Harper (left) and . education minister David Laws sit on the inter-ministerial group looking . at ways to limit migrants' access to benefits and public services . Mr Cameron used a major speech on immigration this week to say the government would make it harder for new arrivals to Britain to claim out-of-work benefits, jump the queue for social housing or get free treatment on the NHS. But it has emerged officials have begun examining how to limit access to free education for children who are in the country illegally. It is estimated that there could be 120,000 children in the UK without legal immigration status. One plan would require headteachers to check the immigration status of pupils before admitting them to lessons. The idea has been put forward in a series of emails sent by officials advising the inter-ministerial group on migrants' access to benefits and public services, The Guardian reported. The group includes schools minister David Laws and immigration minister Mark Harper. A proposal to ban illegal immigrant children from schools was suggested, but there are warnings it could contravene the UN convention on the rights of the child. Mr Laws is said to consider the idea a ‘red line’. David Cameron this week used a speech to promise to tackle Britain's reputation as being a 'soft touch' on immigration . One email sent by a civil servant on . Monday said: ‘Barring children, whatever their migrant status, from . compulsory education has pretty much been ruled out by ministers and at . the moment is off the table for cross-government discussions. ‘The . question now is whether, if not to enforce a ban, it would nevertheless . be helpful to carry out migrant status checks as part of school . admissions.’ Another . email suggested ‘strategies could probably be employed to deal with . “education tourists”, in much the same [way] as “health tourists” are . managed’. The plan was revealed . by Labour MP John McDonnell who accused minister of being ‘diverted to . policy stunts prepared for prime ministerial statements and speeches’ instead of focussing on practical ways to tackle immigration. He . told the Commons that ‘ministerial attention has recently been focused . on discussions in the inter-ministerial group on barring migrant . children from compulsory education’. He . said the Department for Education then intervened and the children’s . rights adviser said: ‘If we were to withdraw the right of education from . any children in the UK, regardless of their status, we would be hugely . criticised for it by the UN. Mr Cameron promised to restrict migrants' rights to unemployment, health and housing benefits . ‘With the periodic review report due to be submitted in January 2014, this would be very controversial.’ Home Secretary Theresa May played down the idea of banning children outright. She said: ‘We have been looking at public services across the board in relation to what we describe as the pull factors. ‘We . have focused on housing, health and the benefits system. We do not . propose not having the provision of education for individual children.’ But she rejected the claim that the government’s policy changes were about publicity stunts. ‘We have been sorting out a chaotic immigration system and immigration policy introduced by the previous Government that led to net migration in this country reaching hundreds of thousands a year. ‘We aim to bring it down to tens of thousands. We have already seen net migration cut by a third. That is not a publicity stunt; it is a real benefit and a policy that the people of this country want to see.’ The move to consider targeting illegal immigrant children was condemned by Lesley Gannon, head of policy at the National Association of Headteachers. She said: ‘You can't hold children responsible for the behaviours of their parents, it's simply not fair. ‘All of our codes of practice around admissions, behaviour and exclusions have always emphasised that you deal with the child and not the parents in terms of their access to education and their treatment within the school. We wouldn't want to see anything jeopardise that. ‘It's also really worrying to start to drag schools into politics in this way. Yes, we are public servants, part of the state, but once you put that process in place, I'd suggest you're encouraging parents who are worried about their immigration status to avoid putting their children into school, to avoid detection. That puts the educational rights of that child at risk.’ Sweden Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt said Mr Cameron's speech was 'unfortunate' Mr Cameron’s speech on Monday focussed on benefits and housing, but was criticised for lacking detail and targeting relatively small numbers of people. He promised that new EU migrants will be stripped of jobless benefits after six months, but critics said existing rules meant this effectively already happened. The PM said net migration needs to ‘come down radically’ after getting ‘badly out of control’ under Labour. He also unveiled a crackdown on so-called health tourism, with hospitals ordered to start charging foreign visitors. Those from outside the EU will need health insurance before being granted a visa. There will be a major shake-up of council housing rules designed to keep immigrant families off waiting lists for at least two years and possibly as many as five. But the speech was criticised by the Swedish Prime Minister. Mr Reinfeldt said: ‘I think it's unfortunate. I believe in a Europe that should be open, where we have free movement, and where we instead ask ourselves how people who come here can get work more easily.’ | Leaked emails reveal officials proposed barring pupils from lessons .
Plan would fall foul of UN convention on the rights of the child .
Ministers consider asking children to prove they are UK legally .
Sweden's Frederik Reinfeldt says UK moves to limit benefits for migrants is 'unfortunate' |
108,348 | 17b427368c64b2d414477d1b481575a0357f3741 | Cutting the green c**p: David Cameron, who once pledged to lead the 'greenest government ever', has publicly promised to 'roll back' green taxes, which add more than £110 a year to average fuel bills . David Cameron has ordered ministers to ditch the ‘green crap’ blamed for driving up energy bills and making business uncompetitive, it is claimed. The Prime Minister, who once pledged to lead the ‘greenest government ever’, has publicly promised to ‘roll back’ green taxes, which add more than £110 a year to average fuel bills. But a senior Tory source said Mr Cameron’s message in private is far blunter. The source said: ‘He’s telling everyone, “We’ve got to get rid of all this green crap.” He’s absolutely focused on it.’ Tory high command has also privately abandoned Mr Cameron’s pre-election mantra ‘vote blue, go green’. ‘It’s vote blue, get real, now – and woe betide anyone who doesn’t get the memo,’ the source said. The Prime Minister’s comments relate to his bid to cut fuel bills by removing green taxes, the source said. But they will horrify environmental campaigners. But a senior Downing Street source said: 'We do not recognise this phrase'. Meeting supporters of the HS2 high-speed rail project outside Number 10 this morning, Mr Cameron was asked by journalists whether he still believed in the environmental agenda. 'This is a part of it,' he replied. 'We have got the world's first green investment bank, we have got great support for our green technology industries. We have got the first nuclear power station since 1995. This is a government investing in important green technologies.' Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg said today green levies are not 'all crap' and added that Mr Cameron agrees with him. 'The Prime Minister and I, funnily enough, were discussing it just yesterday so it so happens I don't think that's a fair reflection of his views,' he said. 'We both want to see policies, where we are control of them in government, made as cost-effective as possible without cutting our commitment to reducing carbon commitments and looking after the environment.' In opposition, Mr Cameron made great play of his green credentials as he tried to detoxify the Conservative Party’s image. Cuts? Mr Cameron wants to scrap green levies which subsidise wind farms . In 2006 he travelled in the Arctic Circle with a pack of huskies to highlight his concern about climate change. Huskies: In 2006 Mr Cameron travelled in the Arctic Circle with a pack of huskies to highlight his concern about climate change . He was repeatedly pictured cycling to the Commons – though this backfired when it emerged his shoes and papers followed in a car. And he even applied to put a wind turbine on the roof of his family home. But although he still pays lip service to the need to tackle climate change, his enthusiasm for green issues waned as the Government battled the economic crisis. In September, Chancellor George Osborne said Britain should not be ‘in front of the rest of the world’ on tackling climate change. And the Government has driven through radical planning reforms to boost the economy, which critics claim could lead to the concreting over of large parts of the Green Belt. The revelations come as the Prime Minister is locked in a dispute with the Lib Dems about his plan to cut the costly green levies on energy bills. Mr Cameron wants to scrap most of the charges, which help subsidise wind farms and pay for home insulation. But Nick Clegg is insisting they must stay. The Prime Minister is understood to be pushing for a delay in the rollout of the Energy Company Obligation scheme, which adds about £60 a year to average bills. The £1.3billion scheme, which pays for insulating the homes of the poor, has been criticised for waste and bureaucracy. It is due to be rolled out across the country by 2015 but could now be delayed until 2017. The Tories also want to see cuts to subsidies for wind turbines and solar panels. The Government’s green record came under attack from 41 environmental groups this week. Picture: Green taxes add more than £110 a year to the average annual household fuel bill, which has now hit £1,400 . The umbrella group Wildlife and Countryside Link said the Government was failing to deliver a third of its commitments to protect the natural environment. Dr Elaine King, the group’s director, said: ‘David Cameron promised the greenest government ever. Using the Government’s own promises as a yardstick, these findings show he’s failed to stick to his plan.’ - Prime Minister David Cameron . Downing Street said today the Prime Minister had not abandoned his commitment to the environment. 'He has been quite clear about rolling back the impact of levies on energy bills, but only last week in Sri Lanka he was talking about the importance of tackling climate change,' said the Number 10 source. Mr Cameron made clear during that Sri Lanka visit that he believed the evidence of global warming was 'growing' and thought it was right to take 'preventative and mitigating steps' in response. Responding to speculation that man-made climate change may be to blame for the devastating typhoon in the Philippines, the PM said then: 'I'll leave the scientists to speak for themselves about the link between severe weather events and climate change. 'But the evidence seems to me to be growing. As a practical politician, I think the sensible thing is to say let's take preventative and mitigating steps given the chances this might be the case.' | The Prime Minister has publicly promised to 'roll back' green taxes .
But a senior Tory source said Mr Cameron's message is far blunter .
'He’s telling everyone, “We’ve got to get rid of this green crap",' source says .
In 2010 the PM pledged: 'We will be the greenest government ever’
Downing Street source says they 'do not recognise' the green crap phrase .
Nick Clegg says Coalition 'aren't going to turn our back on the environment' |
121,044 | 28722c20e935b6cbb0dcea1256d48625dfc81acc | By . Daniel Mills For Daily Mail Australia . A downhill mountain biker who careered into a young boy at high speed said he could have killed the child had he not been wearing a helmet. Professional rider Nick Van Lier, 20, was hurtling down the dirt track at the Black Hill bike park in Ballarat when he suddenly noticed a young boy, aged about four or five, running across his path. The quick thinking rider made very effort to avoid making contact with the child, who yelps on impact before his head makes solid impact with the ground. Scroll down for video . The rider went in the wrong direction to avoid the boy and ended up hurtling into him at high speed . The boy braces for impact and Mr Van Lier turns his wheel at the last moment to avoid hitting him front-on . The young boy was running across the path when the quick thinking rider slammed on his brakes . Other screams can also be heard coming from a nearby child as the rider comes to a halt and rushes to the boy's aid. The footage, taken from a camera mounted to the rider's helmet, was uploaded to YouTube where Mr Van Lier commented on the incident. An experienced downhill racer, he wrote that he was travelling to fast to avoid the boy and had 'no doubt' that the child's helmet saved him from a serious head injury and possibly even death. 'I have no doubt that the little fella's helmet saved him some extensive head injuries, and possibly his life,' he said. 'The force of that impact, though reduced as best I could, would have easily been enough of a 'king hit', if he had not been wearing a helmet I dare say he'd be in a hospital or worse.' Mr Van Lier's YouTube channel is filled with videos of him riding along similar circuits to the Black Hill bike park, in Victoria - the track he was riding on when he hit the child. He says he is a rider for Knolly Bikes, a brand of mountain bike specifically designed for downhill racing. The boy was hit by the bike before being completely run over . Miraculously he escaped unhurt despite hitting his head hard on impact . The whole incident was over in less than five seconds from the time Mr Van Lier first noticed the boy . After letting out a yelp, the boy managed to pick himself up from the incident . Worried by the impact of the collision Nick Van Lier went to his aid to see if he was OK . Describing the event, Mr Van Lier said he was on a 'practice run' the day the incident happened and everything 'was going awesome' until he came to the top of the jump. 'Practice run was going awesome until I got over the top of this blind drop to find a small child standing on the landing,' he said. 'Unfortunately we both chose the same way to avoid each other, luckily he had a helmet on and was OK. Gave me a heart attack though!' The video was originally uploaded to the social media site Reddit by user Otiotori. 'It's my buddy Nick he was out training for a race at a well signed and official mountain bike park,' the poster wrote. 'This is a VERY blind drop so Nick had no chance. You can (only) see the trail once you're airborne.' Thankfully, both rider and boy escaped the incident unharmed. | Nick Van Lier careered into a young boy while travelling downhill .
The boy, aged four or five, was struck when he crossed Mr Van Lier's path .
The incident was filmed from his helmet and showed the pair colliding .
Mr Van Lier said he could have killed the boy had be not been wearing a helmet . |
45,338 | 7fc64558ba55cc4506c90c410fe442ba34818c18 | WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Sen. Hillary Clinton was in the White House on multiple occasions when her husband had sexual encounters with Monica Lewinsky, according to newly released documents. The National Archives released 11,000 pages of Hillary Clinton's schedule as first lady. The National Archives on Wednesday released more than 11,000 pages of Clinton's schedule when she was first lady. Sen. Barack Obama's campaign pushed for the documents' release, arguing that their review is necessary to make a full evaluation of Clinton's experience as first lady. But the documents also provide a glimpse into Clinton's life during her husband's publicized affair. The scandal involving former president Bill Clinton and Lewinsky, first broke in the national media on January 21, 1998. According to the documents, Hillary Clinton started that day at a private meeting in the White House. She later made an appearance at a college in Baltimore, Maryland, and stayed there until late in the afternoon before returning to the White House for a black-tie dinner. Watch where Hillary Clinton was during the scandal » . The schedules reveal where Clinton was, but provide no indication of how she dealt with the controversy. Carl Bernstein, who wrote a biography of Hillary Clinton, said there was much more going on behind the scenes. "She was on the telephone with her aides, she was trying to learn more about what the press was doing, she did not want to give the impression of a firestorm that was raging outside," he said. On the day her husband made his first public admission -- August 16, 1998 -- she was on a trip to Martha's Vineyard. She had no public schedule for the days that followed. And on December 19, 1998 -- the day the House voted to impeach her husband -- the calendar shows a holiday party. A dance between the president and first lady is listed as "optional." The papers show Hillary Clinton had no public schedule on the day independent counsel Kenneth Starr was appointed to investigate Bill Clinton's affair with Monica Lewinsky, or on the day Bill Clinton was deposed in the case. On the day the affair began -- November 15, 1995, according to Starr's report -- Hillary Clinton had a private meeting and a meet-and-greet with then-Vice President Al Gore and Nobel Prize winners. Lewinsky said she and the president had an encounter in the bathroom outside the Oval Office study on January 7, 1996. This is the same day the president and his wife had a small dinner gathering at the White House, according to the documents. The president and Lewinsky also had a sexual encounter on February 4, 1996, according to Lewinsky. On this day, the president and Hillary Clinton went to the National Governors Association annual dinner. Hillary Clinton kept up a busy schedule as the affair spiraled into impeachment. Thousands of pages are marked by redactions -- blacked-out information like the names of people who attended meetings. "This is not about someone who is eager to shine a light on her full record. That's the point. And at the same time, some of this is understandable -- when you're running for office, the slightest thing can be misinterpreted," Bernstein said. But the schedules also show her involvement in policy -- she dove into health care reform just three days after her husband's inauguration in 1993, and dozens of related events followed. Despite her efforts, the Clinton health care reform foundered in Congress. Tom Fitton, president of Judicial Watch, said the trove of documents "shows she was a co-president," revealing an "extraordinary extent of meetings for an unelected official to be meeting with cabinet officials." The documents cover nearly 2,900 days. An additional 27 days will be posted in the near future, the archives said. The documents are among those at the center of a legal battle between the archives and Judicial Watch, a conservative public interest group that has long urged a speedier release of files from the Clinton White House years. In a court motion this month, the archives promised to release the schedules by the end of the month but said it will need "one to two years" to process remaining documents, including more than 20,000 pages of call logs -- well after the November 4 presidential election. A Clinton spokesman said the lawsuit had nothing to do with the release, and the Clinton team had nothing to do with the redactions. A key aide to the Clintons actually fought to un-redact some parts, the spokesman said. According to the archives statement, 4,746 of the schedules have redactions that largely relate to privacy concerns including Social Security and telephone numbers and home addresses. "We'll look them over, and may ask the court for relief if it looks like something important is missing," Fitton said of the redacted information. He said Judicial Watch continues to demand phone logs from Clinton's time in the White House. The documents are from the files of Patti Solis Doyle, director of Clinton's scheduling as first lady, the archives said in a statement. Doyle stepped down as Clinton's presidential campaign manager in February after a string of poor showings in primaries. "Arranged chronologically, these records document in detail the activities of the first lady, including meetings, trips, speaking engagements and social activities for the eight years of the Clinton administration," the archives said. The records were simultaneously released on CD-ROM at the William J. Clinton Presidential Library in Little Rock, Arkansas, and at the archives in Washington. The documents are also available for view on the Clinton Library's Web site. E-mail to a friend . CNN's Alexander Mooney and Robert Yoon contributed to this report. | Documents shed light on Clinton's schedule during affair and resulting scandal .
Papers also document her involvement in policy, specifically health care reform .
More than 11,000 documents cover nearly 2,900 days . |
123,663 | 2be22694b684de866391f9f39fa43b09fe1fef9a | (CNN) -- Two days after the ferry they were on sank after colliding with a cargo ship, 82 people remained unaccounted for Sunday in waters between southern Philippine islands, a Coast Guard official said. Authorities have found the bodies of 38 people and rescued another 750, said Coast Guard spokeswoman Dawn Baterbonia. The incident occurred around 9 p.m. Friday in the Mactan Channel about 2 miles northwest of Cebu City, the capital of Cebu province. The passenger ship -- MV St. Thomas Aquinas -- was coming from nearby Butuan City and the cargo ship -- the Sulpicio, which had about 20 people aboard -- was leaving Cebu for the province of Davao in Mindanao. The passenger ferry sank, but not before sending out a distress call heard by Coast Guard officials. The cargo vessel involved in the crash -- along with Navy, Coast Guard and commercial vessels -- was helping in the rescue efforts. The incident recalls one of the worst maritime disasters in world history dating to December 20, 1987, also off the Philippines. Between 1,700 and more than 4,000 people were killed when the ferry Dona Paz collided with the tanker MT Victor. The number of casualties has varied; many claim the Dona Paz was extremely overcrowded. Philippines arrest Chinese 'poachers' after reef collision . Ships collide in North Sea . CNN's Greg Botelho and Sara Mazloumsaki contributed to this report. | NEW: 38 people have died and 82 remain missing, the Philippine coast guard says .
NEW: 750 passengers have been rescued .
Rescue crews continue searching for survivors .
Their ferry hit a cargo ship off Cebu City in the southern Philippines . |
284,008 | fbf1f1a6f88fc090b3e5ec38ab388a11fbbbf77a | Teenagers down the years have typically rebelled by drinking, smoking and taking drugs – earning themselves a less than favourable reputation. Today they’re more likely to be found in their bedrooms surfing the web and playing video games on their computers, before sitting down to supper with their parents. Meet the ‘laptop generation’ – the new, more sensible breed of adolescent. Scroll down for video . Teenagers today are more likely to be found in their bedrooms surfing the web and playing video games . A portrait of 13-year-olds today shows they are more ‘sober and responsible’ than youngsters ten years ago. However, they enjoy fewer friendships, spend less time socialising after school, and are more likely to be at home for a family evening meal. The research suggests the rise of social media sites such as Facebook is behind the change, explaining why teens today are more like to say they ‘mainly spend time by themselves’. The Department for Education study, which compared 13-year-olds in 2004 and 2013, found a marked decline in ‘risky behaviour’ among youngsters, such as drinking and taking drugs. Just 32 per cent had tried alcohol compared with 52 per cent in 2004. Meanwhile, the proportion saying they mainly spent their spare time going out with friends fell from 50 per cent to 42 per cent, while the numbers saying they went round to a friend’s house dropped from 20 per cent to 13 per cent. At the same time, 22 per cent reported ‘mainly spending time by themselves’, compared with 9 per cent in 2004. And the proportion who ‘never went out’ doubled, from 5 to 10 per cent. Nearly half of girls – 47 per cent – and 30 per cent of boys reported using social networking or instant messaging sites ‘throughout the day’. 13-year-olds today shows they are more ‘sober and responsible’ than youngsters ten years ago and are being labelled the 'laptop generation' Research by the Department for Education suggests the rise of social media sites such as Facebook is behind the change, explaining why teens today are more like to say they ‘mainly spend time by themselves’ And more than a third of youngsters play computer games most days compared with 23 per cent in 2004. However, the study also found evidence that teens are enjoying closer and stronger relationships with their parents. The traditional family meal appeared to be making a comeback, with 52 per cent of children saying they shared a meal with their parents six times in the last week compared with 42 per cent in 2004. Overall youngsters were generally found to be more ‘positive about their school, home and personal lives’ than a decade earlier. The study concluded: ‘Young people were socialising less in person and spending more time on their own, although spending time with friends remained the most common leisure time activity. It also found a marked decline in 'risky behaviour' among youngsters, such as drinking and taking drugs, and revealed just 32 per cent had tried alcohol compared with 52 per cent in 2004 . ‘There was a parallel increase in the proportion of young people playing computer games. There was also a reasonably widespread use of social networking sites.’ ‘They appear more likely to make responsible choices than ten years ago. ‘The findings in this report are in line with other research suggesting this is a more sober, responsible generation of young people.’ Earlier this year, a Government-backed study showed that the number of schoolchildren who have tried cannabis or other illegal drugs has almost halved over the past ten years. Smoking, meanwhile, had dwindled to a 30-year low, with just 3 per cent of pupils reporting smoking a weekly cigarette. Drinking habits showed similar a pattern. However, experts have warned that a decline in personal contact – driven by increasing use of tablets, smartphones and laptops – is affecting the social skills of a generation. | 'Laptop generation' of teenagers more likely to surf web and play games .
13-year-olds today are more 'sober and responsible' than 10 years ago .
Rise of social media sites such as Facebook is said to be behind change .
A study by Department for Education found a decline in 'risky behaviour'
Just 32 per cent had tried alcohol compared with 52 per cent in 2004 . |
184,292 | 7ab68dee8e0d49c48fff9a1eb7b8534e16928c2e | Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers is hoping his side can go one step further this year and win the Premier League. Having narrowly missed out to Chelsea last season, Liverpool have invested heavily in their squad to compensate for the departure of talisman striker Luis Suarez. Summer signings Mario Balotelli, Alberto Moreno and Dejan Lovren feature in the FIFA 15 line-ups as the Liverpool team possesses a wealth of talent. Here are the FIFA 15 ratings for Liverpool… . Liverpool captain has a word with midfield partner Jordan Henderson on the new FIFA 15 . England striker Daniel Sturridge has been rated Liverpool's top player on FIFA 15 with an 83 rating . Simon Mignolet – 82 . Glen Johnson – 76 . Martin Skrtel – 81 . Dejan Lovren – 79 . Alberto Moreno – 78 . Steven Gerrard – 82 . Jordan Henderson - 78 . Raheem Sterling – 80 . Philippe Coutinho – 81 . Mario Balotelli – 82 . Daniel Sturridge - 83 . Liverpool: Attack 81, Midfield 79, Defence 79. | England rising star Raheem Sterling gets an improved 80 rating .
Summer signing Mario Balotelli has been rated 82 by the FIFA 15 team .
EA Sports has rated Striker Daniel Sturridge Liverpool's top player . |
31,239 | 58cb1110235831803717c2714b7f8aaeea44b73c | (CNN) -- One by one, surviving family members and friends stepped up to a podium in Arlington National Cemetery. Before them were short lists of names, which included their loved ones -- fathers, sisters, sons and more. Slowly, they read the names, each one punctuated with a ring of a bell, to honor and remember who was lost. A quarter of a century ago Saturday, Pan Am Flight 103 exploded in the evening skies above Lockerbie, in Scotland, killing all 259 people on board and 11 more on the ground. Events Saturday in the United States and Britain marked the 25th anniversary of a bombing that devastated families on both sides of the Atlantic. It remains the deadliest act of terrorism on British soil. At Arlington, a crowd used to gathering in bitter cold to remember this day each year sat beneath unseasonably warm Virginia skies. They heard from dignitaries, including Attorney General Eric Holder and Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Scotland David Mundell. And they paid tribute to their collective loss, their fight for justice and aviation security reform, and their sense of community -- not just with each other, but with those in Lockerbie. "You created light out of darkness, and out of that light has come a lasting legacy," said former FBI Director Robert Mueller. "We mark your strength... May the thought of your loved ones bring a smile to your lips." A bagpiper honored the anniversary with "Amazing Grace." Children placed flowers at the cemetery's Lockerbie Cairn. A wreath was laid and taps was played. The explosion left 189 Americans dead. Across the Atlantic, services of remembrance were held Saturday evening at Westminster Abbey in London and at Dryfesdale Church in Lockerbie. The anniversary was also marked at Syracuse University in New York, which was especially hard hit by the disaster. "Today marks the 25th anniversary of the tragic crash of Pan Am Flight 103 in Lockerbie," Gov. Andrew Cuomo said in a press statement. "That day, 270 innocent lives, including 35 students from Syracuse University who were returning home for the holidays, were taken from us. As we commemorate those we lost in this horrific terrorist attack, the families and loved ones of the victims are in the thoughts and prayers of all New Yorkers. Our state and nation will never forget their loss." The service, in the university's Hendricks Chapel, started at 2:03 p.m. ET, the time the bomb exploded (7:03 p.m. in Scotland), and was scheduled to include the recitation of a specially composed "Common Prayer for Peace." Composed jointly by Hendricks Chapel Dean Tiffany Steinwert and the Rev. Sandy Stoddart of Lockerbie, it includes these lines: "Rising up from the ashes of tragedy, we proclaim our commitment to creating a better, more just world." Remembrance services were also planned at the university's Lubin House in New York City. UK Prime Minister David Cameron, in a statement, paid tribute to the "fortitude and resilience" of those affected by the bombing and said it demonstrated how "terrorist acts cannot crush the human spirit." He said, "Though 25 years have passed, memories of the 243 passengers, 16 crew and 11 Lockerbie residents who lost their lives on that terrible night have not dimmed. "Over the last quarter of a century, much attention has been focused on the perpetrators of the atrocity. Today, our thoughts turn to its victims and to those whose lives have been touched and changed by what happened at Lockerbie that night." Cameron said a strong bond between the town of Lockerbie and Syracuse University, which offers scholarships to two Lockerbie students each year, represented a "lasting and optimistic legacy" that had emerged from tragedy. After a three-year investigation, U.S. and British investigators indicted two Libyans for murder in the bombing of the New York-bound Boeing 747. Only one, Abdel Baset Ali Mohmed al Megrahi, was convicted. Megrahi died last year in Libya, having been released from prison in Scotland in 2009 on compassionate grounds because he had terminal cancer. Libya agreed in 2003 to pay $2.7 billion in compensation to the families of the bombing victims, although its late leader, Moammar Gadhafi, always remained cagey about admitting official Libyan involvement in the bombing. | Services are held in the United States and Britain to remember those killed .
It's been 25 years since Pan Am Flight 103 exploded in the skies above Lockerbie, Scotland .
Syracuse University remembers 35 of its students who were on the plane .
Prime Minister David Cameron says memories of the 270 dead "have not dimmed" |
223,514 | ad5c77fe96718e8b259437f07a1659c4c334b1a2 | By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 07:30 EST, 15 July 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 14:47 EST, 15 July 2013 . George Zimmerman's lawyers have revealed that the former neighborhood watch volunteer could bring his own lawsuits following his not guilty verdict. Speaking on Good Morning America on Monday, attorney Don West said that Zimmerman, who was cleared of murdering 17-year-old Trayvon Martin, is considering taking action over how his case was handled. 'If you look at this case and take away the emotion of the loss of Trayvon Martin's life... and look at what happened, we have a lot of political and social pressures that [we] normally would not... and there may be compensation for something like that,' West said. He added that they could potentially take legal action over the way Zimmerman was prosecuted, who decided to bring the charges against him 'and everything that's happened to George Zimmerman'. Scroll down for video . Speaking out: Attorneys Mark O'Mara (left) and Don West (right) said Zimmerman could bring his own suits following his not guilty verdict on Saturday. They said that he now lives in fear . The charges and subsequent witch hunt came despite the Sanford Police initially choosing not to charge him because of a lack of evidence, he said. It comes as the attorneys said they would now be pursuing action against NBC for how it edited the 911 calls Zimmerman made to dispatchers the night of February 26, 2012. The edited tapes depicted Zimmerman as a racial profiler after he came across the teenager walking through a Sanford neighborhood to his father's home, armed with nothing but a bag of sweets. On March 27 last year, NBC aired a version of the tapes which said: 'This guy looks like he's up to no good. He looks black.' In fact, the full tape showed Zimmerman had only said Martin was black when asked by a dispatcher. Anger: George Zimmerman, pictured with West in court on Friday, could seek for compensation over how he was treated following Trayvon's death, his lawyers have said . George Zimmerman's call to 911: . Zimmerman: 'This guy looks like he’s up to no good. Or he's on drugs or something. It's raining and he's just walking . around, looking about.' Dispatcher: 'OK, and this guy - is he black, white . or Hispanic?' Zimmerman: 'He looks black.' NBC version, aired March 27, 2012 . Zimmerman: 'This guy looks like he's up to no good. He looks black.' 'This guy looks like he’s up to no good,' Zimmerman said on the tapes. 'Or he's on drugs or something. It's raining and he's just walking . around, looking about.' The dispatcher asked: 'OK, and this guy - is he black, white . or Hispanic?' Zimmerman said: 'He looks black.' He sued NBC for defamation over the editing last December, but the case was put on hold pending the outcome of the trial. NBC maintained that other media outlets had also highlighted the racial angle of the killing, and said that if he was convicted, this would show Zimmerman's loss of reputation was his own doing, rather than that of any media outlet. With no conviction brought, Zimmerman is now ready to move forward with the suit, one of his lawyers told the Washington Post. 'We’re going to start in earnest asap, we just have to get the stay lifted which is a ministerial act,' James Beasley said. Outrage: Averri Liggins, 22, of Atlanta, holds a picture of Trayvon Martin during a protest over the verdict . He added that the verdict had shown the jury did not believe Zimmerman was a racial profiler and now 'it's simply time for us to start the case and hold accountable anyone who was irresponsible in their journalism'. Zimmerman's lawyers said on GMA that due to the charges, Zimmerman's life is forever changed. Following the verdict, protests have erupted across the country and their client is now fearful. 'I think he's aware of [the anger . against him], he's been aware of it for 16 months,' Mark O'Mara said. 'He’s become the focus of a lot of people's dismay, disgust, anger about . the event that happened that night.' Asked . if Zimmerman was scared, O'Mara added: 'Absolutely. He's been scared . for 16 months and with anger like this I think he has good reason to be . worried.' Protest: Throngs of marches arrive at Times Square in New York City on Sunday in protest of the verdict . Rage: A man shouts during a protest march against the acquittal in Los Angeles, California on Sunday . West dismissed calls for Zimmerman's gun to be seized - because now he needs it more than ever. 'I don't know how he could not lawfully carry a gun at this point since he has been lawfully allowed to carry one,' he said. 'This is the worst time in his life isn't it?' Protests have spread across the country in the wake of the sensational not-guilty verdict. Demonstrations - from Florida where the trial took place to Atlanta, DC and New York - remained largely peaceful, though Los Angeles protesters managed to shut down an entire freeway and thousands of New Yorkers mobbed Times Square and blocked traffic for an hour. Emotional crowds screamed 'Justice for Trayvon' and carried signs that likened the struggle of the slain teen and his supporters to that of the original civil rights movement. | NBC edited call 'to make it look as if Zimmerman was racial profiling' |
139,947 | 40f43dcaa73b4693ffd51c25b5b443763545ed29 | By . Stuart Woledge . PUBLISHED: . 05:14 EST, 7 September 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 06:05 EST, 7 September 2013 . New powers to test doctors' language skills could be introduced after a survey showed that patients' lives were being put at risk. An alarming 66 cases were investigated by senior NHS staff in 2011 . after patients complained that they had received poor treatment from doctors who had a poor grasp of the English language. In an attempt to tackle the problem, the Government has proposed introducing language tests specifically for doctors arriving from EU countries in what would amount to a change to EU law. Powers: The Government is seeking for a change to EU law to allow the GMC to test language skills of doctors . Although the General Medical Council can test the English of doctors from non EU countries, it has been banned from testing the skills of those arriving from member states since 1983. More than 25,000 doctors from the EU are registered to practice in the UK, none of whom have ever been tested for their English skills. Health minister Dr Dan Poulter said: . 'Overseas doctors make a hugely valuable contribution to the NHS but it . is clear that tougher checks are needed. 'We have already strengthened the way doctors' language skills are checked at a local level. Important step: Health minister Dan Poulter said the change would prevent doctors with limited English from practicing in the UK . 'These . new powers are an important step in making the system even stronger by . allowing the GMC to carry out checks on a national level before they . start work in the UK and prevent doctors who do not have the necessary . knowledge of English from treating patients.' Roughly half of the 500 senior doctors . responsible for investigating complaints took part in a poll, which . revealed the scale of the language problem. In 2008 German Dr Daniel Urbani killed Cambridge patient David Gray when he confused two drugs and gave him 10 times the recommended dose of diamorphine. Under the Government's plans, the GMC would not be given the right to automatically test all EU doctors, but it would be able to carry out tests if concerns were raised when they registered to work. Inspectors could be given the right to check competency when looking at qualifications, how long doctors have been registered in other countries and what experience they have. Red flags might include doctors turning up with interpreters, poor English in interviews or poor written English on application forms. Any worries could then prompt full testing of the doctor's language skills. The new plans would also allow the GMC to assess any doctor if language concerns arise during a fitness-to-practise investigation. At present, the GMC has no powers to carry out such checks during its hearings. Lethal dose: Dr Daniel Urbani killed a patient after confusing two different drugs . Chief executive of the GMC Niall Dickson said: 'We are delighted that the Government is consulting on changes to the Medical Act to give us new powers to check the English language skills of all doctors when we have concerns about them. 'This is an important move that will help protect patients and will be welcomed across the country.' A spokesman for the British Medical Association (BMA) said: 'It is vital for clinical safety that doctors working in the UK have the appropriate English language skills to communicate effectively with colleagues and their patients. 'The BMA believes that it is right that we consider enhancing the GMC's powers to ensure doctors working in the UK can speak English well enough before they treat patients.' At a local level, staff called responsible officers - appointed senior doctors - already have a legal duty to make sure doctors can speak English to perform their role. Since April, there has also been one, single national list which every GP has to be on before they can treat NHS patients. The new changes are expected to come into force next year. A 12-week consultation on the proposals will run until December 2 . | Senior doctors investigated 66 complaints from patients of poor language .
General Medical Council could once again test English in change to EU law .
'This is an important move that will help protect patients,' says GMC .
In 2008 a patient died when German doctor Daniel Urbani confused drugs . |
58,248 | a52830ee1e2c7b75bab25cb72051adc75c89dc6d | By . Sam Webb . and Sebastian Shakespeare . The Duchess of Cambridge was pictured wearing the new must-have toy for children - a glittery wristband now being sold on the website owned by her parents. Carole and Michael Middleton have begun selling a product similar to Rainbow Looms through their mail-order company Party Pieces. Kate was seen wearing one during the royal tour of New Zealand. ‘Just arrived,’ it boasts in an announcement with a picture of the brightly coloured plastic rings that children make into bracelets. Scroll down for videos . Supporting the family: Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, was spotted wearing a loom band bracelet. Now her parents' firm Party Pieces is selling a similar product . The firm is selling the Glitter Loom band kits for £2.99 each. ‘Join the latest craze with this multi-coloured loom band pack,’ it adds. Sales of loom bands have rocketed by more than 300 per cent and they're now as much a fashion statement as they are a children's fad. The simple, colourful, rubber bands, are weaved together to make friendship bracelets and have been seen on the arm of celebrities including presenter Fearne Cotton, David Beckham, One Direction’s Harry Styles and pop star Miley Cyrus. Colourful: The £2.99 bands are on sale at online retailer Party Pieces . What a following: Even David Beckham (left) has been spotted wearing a loom band as has the Duchess of Cornwall (right) Child's play: Teens and younger children can get creative making the Loom bands which are the latest craze . However, the country’s largest craft retailer, Hobbycraft, has revealed that since Kate was seen wearing one during her tour of New Zealand and Australia, loom sales have gone through the roof. So popular are loom bands, that they also occupy every top 20 spot on online retailer Amazon’s current bestselling toy chart. The Duchess was given bracelets by two young girls during her trip in April and both she and husband Prince William wore them afterwards. Since then, Hobbycraft said sales have risen by 331 per cent. In addition to jewellery, loom bands can be used to create various accessories and toys, including key rings, phone cases and even shoes. Despite the success of Party Pieces, The Middletons have been accused of cashing in on their royal connections. They were invented in the U.S. last year by father-of-two Cheong Choon Ng. Since then, his company, Rainbow Looms, has sold more than four million kits - including a plastic loom, crochet hook and bands – worldwide. Despite the success of Party Pieces, The Middletons have been accused of cashing in on their royal connections. When Kate was pregnant their website offered miniature castles, ‘prince’ and ‘princess’ banners and balloons are among the other royal baby-themed products. The website, set up by Carole Middleton in 1987 also offered paraphernalia themed around the Royal Wedding and the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee. | In April Kate was seen wearing the colourful band, popular among children .
They were given to her by a little girl in New Zealand during royal tour .
Now a similar product is available through her parents' website Party Pieces . |
13,680 | 26c2468b42d0f12555a1bfaacf7b733437c30831 | (CNN) -- A Maryland-based home health services company has agreed pay a record $150 million in civil and criminal damages to settle charges that it engaged in a nationwide scheme to defraud Medicaid and other federal programs, according to federal prosecutors. The details of the settlement with Maxim Healthcare Services were announced Monday in a press conference at the U.S. attorney's office in the District of New Jersey, in Newark. Maxim Healthcare Services is a leading provider of home health services throughout the United States, and bills federal health care programs for care it provides to patients. "This is the largest civil recovery in a home health care services suit ever," Tony West, assistant U.S. attorney general of the Civil Division of the Department of Justice, told reporters on Monday. The criminal complaint in the case accuses Maxim of submitting more than $61 million in fraudulent billings over a six-year period to Medicaid and the Veterans Administration for services it either did not perform, or that were not reimbursable under the programs' guidelines. "Money that should have gone to benefit medical patients went instead to Maxim's bottom line," said Gil Childers, the acting U.S. attorney in the case. The case came to the attention of authorities when Richard West, a Medicaid beneficiary in New Jersey, called the Department of Health and Human Services to complain about billing irregularities in his Medicaid statements, according to Tom O'Donnell, the special agent in charge at the Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General that covers the New York and New Jersey region. That one phone call helped launch the government's investigation and led to a whistleblower's complaint later filed by West, O'Donnell said. According to the settlement arrangements released by the U.S. attorney's office, Maxim has entered into a "deferred Prosecution agreement" that allows the company to avoid a health care fraud conviction if the company takes a series of steps within the next two years to reform its corporate practices and strengthen compliance monitoring. In addition, Maxim will pay out approximately $70 million in civil damages to the federal government and another $60 million in civil penalties that will be divided between 42 states. Maxim will also pay a $20 million criminal penalty, according to prosecutors. Nine former Maxim employees, including three former regional managers, have been convicted to date on fraud charges related to the case, according the U.S. attorney's office. More prosecutions may be in the pipeline, Childers told reporters. Maxim released a statement on Monday stating that the settlement was reached in large part because of reforms and remedial actions instituted at the company over the past two years. The company says it fired senior executives responsible for misconduct and established a new corporate officer charged with maintaining compliance controls. Childers agreed with that assessment on Monday, telling reporters, "Maxim has demonstrated a commitment to reform." Maxim said in Monday's statement that its conduct "did not adversely affect patient health or patient care." While the government agreed with that assessment in its complaint against the company, Childers told reporters, "Individuals facing monthly caps were facing situations in which they were unable to get their benefits." "There has been an uptick in fraud cases that we've been able to investigate," said Special Agent O'Donnell. He estimated that between 3% and 10% of health care costs in federal programs are lost to fraud. "Some of our best cases come from whistleblowers and beneficiaries... It is critical that beneficiaries report anything that looks suspicious; some of our best cases start with that phone call," he said. The Justice Department has stepped up its pursuit of fraud cases under the Obama administration, according to West. "Since January 2009, more than $8 billion have been recovered in lost funds -- a record," he said. | Maxim Healthcare Services is a leading provider of home health services in the U.S.
Prosecutors say the company submitted more than $61 million in fraudulent billings .
Maxim says it has instituted reforms and remedial action at the company, including firings .
The company says previous actions "did not adversely affect patient health ... or care" |
136,676 | 3cd24fed1e32a21b7e13c9c1a763def60400fac6 | By . Jaymi Mccann . PUBLISHED: . 13:35 EST, 7 July 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 02:40 EST, 8 July 2013 . The picturesque Outer Hebridean island that Bonnie Prince Charlie used as a hideaway after his defeat at Culloden has been put up for sale for £500,000. And Barra and Vatersay - also in the island chain - may also be about to be taken over by locals. Wiay, which lies off the coast of South Uist, boasts the cave in which the leader of the 1745 Jacobite rebellion concealed himself for several days while being sought by British government forces. uninhabited Wiay, in the Outer Hebrides, has been put up for sale for £500,000 . The island has been uninhabited for over a century, although the current owners - the Chettle family from England, who bought it in 2003 - used it for holidays and summer camping. But the new owners will not have to make do with life underground or under canvas. A ruined croft, which was once home to ten islanders, has planning permission for a new home that will provide spectacular views of the island's surroundings. Mark Mitchell, head of selling agents Bell Ingram, said: 'An area of land with as much history and beauty as the Island of Wiay does not come up on the market very often. 'It has a fantastic back story, once being the hidey-hole for Bonnie Prince Charlie, which is paralleled by the stunning views of the surrounding Benbecula and South Uist islands, making it the ideal location for those looking to totally escape the rat race.' The 970-acre island also has sporting rights, and in recent years the land has been used for woodcock and duck shooting. There is also red deer stalking and fishing. The 970-acre island also has sporting rights, and in recent years the land has been used for woodcock and duck shooting. There is also red deer stalking and fishing . Located half a mile south-east of Benbecula, Wiay is accessed by private boat from Petersport to a sheltered bay close to the ruined cottage on the west side of the island. The island is predominately heather clad, with a small number of freshwater lochs, rising to 335ft at Beinn a'Tuath. But it is best known for playing its part in the escape of the prince following the defeat of his Jacobite forces at Culloden in 1746. In 1745, Charles travelled to the Highlands to raise the Scottish clans in rebellion against the current British monarch - King George II, of the house of Hanover. His plan was to make his father James Stuart, the 'Old Pretender', king. But after Culloden, he fled west and was transported to the Outer Hebrides by boat in an eight-hour voyage in atrocious conditions. He eventually sought shelter in a cave on Wiay, now known as 'Prince Charlie's Rest', while his followers kept watch for the British navy. He was brought fresh clothing and it appears this was the first time the prince wore Highland dress. Wiay from the air. The island has been uninhabited for over a century, although the current owners - the Chettle family from England, who bought it in 2003 - used it for holidays and summer camping . Prince Charles spent the next few weeks in hiding, employing several disguises. He lived like a commoner and ate drammach, a type of oatmeal mixed raw with seawater. The prince eventually obtained passage to France and escaped, pledging to his remaining followers that he would return with an army. Wiay has since slipped back into obscurity. One former resident, William Buie, left the island in 1825 to become a banker in Canada. Although the island was logged as having six inhabitants in 1861, it was deserted by the turn of the 20th century. Meanwhile a series of meetings are taking place on Barra and Vatersay this week for islanders to consider a takeover, which would include all fishing and mineral rights on the 16,000-acre isles. Barra are Vatersay, which are linked by a causeway and have around 1300 inhabitants, are currently under the ownership of the Scottish Government's agriculture department, as a result of a long-standing historical arrangement and after additional land was handed to it in 2003 by former laird Iain MacNeill. Bonnie Prince Charlie eventually sought shelter in this cave on Wiay, now known as 'Prince Charlie's Rest', while his followers kept watch for the British navy . Part of the deal by Mr MacNeill, whose family lines go back more than 1000 years on Barra, was that the estate should be given to islanders free of charge should they decide to vote for ownershup.Residents are now to attend public meetings to investigate whether they want to take this step. They will not only discuss the 9,000 acres donated by Mr MacNeill, who died two years ago, but also the possibility of taking over the remainder of Barra and Vatersay, which has over 400 crofts. The prince eventually obtained passage to France and escaped, pledging to his remaining followers that he would return with an army . This has been under the control of the agircultural department through an historical legacy of the Land Reform uprising a century ago. The debates have been organised by Coimhearsnachd Bharraidh agus Bhatarsaidh - Barra and Vatersay Community. A spokesman for the community-owned company aimed at the future development of the islands, said: 'The whole purpose of the meetings is basically testing the temperature of the water, and seeing what the feeling is locally. 'It is for the community toconsider the pros and cons of a community buyout. This is an important step in the potential development of a land buyout. 'This is a pre-feasability to see what the local mood and perception is.' Local councillor Donald Manford said: 'I am sure the islanders want to take control of their own affairs, although there will still have to be a vote to decide.' Three guest speakers are helping inform the debate and gather local reaction. These include David Cameron, chair of Community Land Scotland which helps support small rural communities in considering taking ownership of public land. Also taking part is Murdo MacKay, director of the West Harris Trust which recently won a Lottery grant of £380,000 to help kick start a process of allowing their community to manage their own affairs as they develop plans for affordable housing, a hydro-electric scheme and other economic development projects. Helen MacDougall of HIE Community Assets Branch is also speaking about how they assist communities in the preparation for a bid and offers start-up advice. A community buyout of Barra and Vatersay would be the latest in a long succession throughout the Highlands and Islands. Only last month, residents on the small island of Scalpay, off Harris, voted to take over the running of their own affairs. | Wiay, off the coast of South Uist, has been put up for sale for £500,000 .
It is where Bonnie Prince Charlie hid after his defeat at Culloden .
Uninhabited for over .
a century, the current owners used it only for holidays .
A ruined croft, which was once home to .
ten islanders, has planning permission for a new home that will provide .
spectacular views . |
186,870 | 7e022f3601d2eca223b96765faa58774929f2c10 | By . Matt Chorley, Mailonline Political Editor . and Tim Shipman . Ed Miliband is facing a growing revolt over this leadership, after his poll lead over the Tories evaporated and four in 10 voters branded him ‘weird’. The Labour leader is under pressure from all sides in the party after a lacklustre response to the Budget and slumping to only one point above the Conservatives in three different opinion polls. One MP called for Mr Miliband to stop ‘just talking about the state’, while a group of left-wing think tanks urged him to explain what he would actually do if he became Prime Minister. Some 41 per cent of voters think Ed Miliband is 'weird', compared to only 27 per cent who thought the same of David Cameron . The Labour lead over the Conservatives has narrowed dramatically in recent days, and is down to just one point in three different polls, including this one from YouGov for the Sunday Times . A string of MPs and influential party thinkers say he needs ‘bolder’ ideas and cannot try to coast to victory complaining about the cost of living. Members of the Shadow Cabinet told the Mail that his top team is split over whether to ‘go big or go small’ to woo voters over the next year. Allies of policy chief Jon Cruddas broke cover yesterday to demand he ‘goes big’ with a more radical set of policies. They believe general election coordinator Douglas Alexander is encouraging Mr Miliband to be more cautious, in the belief that winning 35 per cent of the vote next year will be enough for victory. In further dispiriting news for the Labour chief, a survey revealed that voters think he is the ‘weirdest’ party leader in Britain. The YouGov poll for BuzzFeed showed that 41 per cent think Mr Miliband is either ‘very weird’ or ‘somewhat weird’. Just 34 per cent thinks the same of Nick Clegg and only 27 per cent believe that David Cameron is weird. The survey, which looked at the public’s perception of the leaders’ personalities, also found 36 per cent of the population believe Mr Miliband would have been bullied at school. A third also think he would have been an unpopular student and 57 per cent said he would have been the hardest-working pupil. But the more pressing concern for Labour MPs is that another YouGov opinion poll put the Tories on 36 points, just one point behind Labour, while a Survation poll had the Conservatives on 34 points – also only one point behind. More than half of under-24s think Mr Miliband is weird, the YouGov survey for BuxxFeed found . A third of people suspect that Mr Miliband was bullied at school, and only 16 per cent thought he was popular . Yesterday a Populus poll put Labour on 35 per cent, again only one point ahead of the Tories on 34 per cent. Mr Miliband and Shadow Chancellor Ed Balls are still trailing far behind the Conservatives when voters were asked which party they trust to run the economy. A senior Labour frontbencher said: ‘Our economic offering was already seen as weak by some voters. Ed’s lame response has not helped with that. ‘Some people seem to think that we can just coast to victory. This poll should be a wake-up call.’ And a member of the Shadow Cabinet described the ‘pretty intense debate’ with those wanting to think big calling for a ‘distinctive, more radical platform for voters’. He added: ‘And if we win we will have a firmer platform to tackle the problems Ed has identified with predator capitalism. You can either have a mandate to do something interesting or you can try to creep over the line not offending anyone.’ Responding to last week’s Budget, Mr Miliband recycled several tired attacks on the Tories, accusing them of being ‘out of touch’ members of the ‘Bullingdon Club’ with little idea of how normal people are affected by cuts. But a Labour MP said: ‘People just don’t take any notice of all the posh Tory boy attacks. They want to know what we are actually going to do.’ An alliance of think-tanks and Left-wing intellectuals provided a fresh blow to the Labour leader, writing a joint letter to Mr Miliband questioning his sense of direction. Labour leader Ed Miliband has faced criticism for his 'lame' response to last week's Budget . Ed Miliband is seen as the most honest leader, while Lib Dem Nick Clegg is the least honest . The 19 leading figures from groups such as Fabian Society, Compass, Policy Network and Progress expressed unease that Labour’s leader may not secure a mandate for the kind of reforms they believe Britain needs. They argued that Britain needs ‘transformative’ change, adding: ‘If Labour plays the next election safe and hopes to win on the basis of Tory unpopularity, it will not have earned a mandate for such change.’ Neal Lawson, of the think-tank Compass, said Labour needed to ‘shape up, be bolder and more radical’. Labour MP Simon Danczuk warned Mr Miliband had to be ‘much stronger’ when communicating his message to voters. He told BBC Radio 4’s Westminster Hour: ‘We have to talk less to ourselves and more to the wider public. ‘We're sometimes seen as just talking about the public sector, just talking about the state. ‘I think we need to cut the soundbites and really talk more about small business, about entrepreneurialism, about people's aspirations there, because... the general election will be very much about the economy and as a party we need to get onto the front-foot talking about how we can support some small businesses, not least because they are the backbone of the return to the successful economy.’ Another radical accused Mr Miliband of being on the back foot after George Osborne’s plans to overhaul pensions. Even an ally admitted that cost of living issues will not be enough to win a majority in 2015 as wages will begin to overtake prices later this year. Labour sought to downplay the polls, saying the Tories were ‘always going to get a bounce out of the Budget’. A survey by ComRes last night put Labour five points ahead of the Tories on 36 per cent, although the party’s lead has shrunk by eight points. Mr Miliband faces a fresh headache this week when around 15 of his MPs are expected to defy his instructions to vote for the Government’s welfare cap. | Voters also think Miliband was bullied and unpopular at school .
Crisis mounts after Budget erodes Labour lead over the Conservatives .
Left wing think tanks urge Miliband to explain what he would do as PM .
Labour MPs call for fewer slogans and defending the state . |
17,123 | 3087028454ff0e75f928a9e27a1e1b434d8c3b38 | When exactly did once-lowly kale become an international locavore staple? Not sure, but let's call it 2011, when Gwyneth Paltow made kale chips on TV with Ellen DeGeneres. What's that got to do with a list of great veg eateries around the world? We're not sure -- we just know that, like the rest of the world, we've been spending more time lately eating plants we'd never heard of when we were kids and seeking out an evolving supply of incredible vegetarian options while traveling. From the world's only city with an all-vegan strip mall to those with large Hindu and Buddhist populations and a huge variety of options, the following vegetarian-friendly destinations have imaginative restaurants with cult-like followings. Some of the cities on this list are obvious choices, while others, like Glasgow, Scotland, have only recently forayed in any significant way into vegetarian cuisine. Here are our top 10 choices for herbivores who travel. Portland, Oregon . From vegetarian/vegan-friendly bed-and-breakfasts to the world's only all-vegan strip mall, compassionate choices rule many establishments in this city. We recommend: Natural Selection, the brainchild of California Culinary Academy graduate Aaron Woo. With European-style decor and fare derived from France, Italy and Spain, this excellent restaurant serves dishes such as chard and mushroom gnocchi and caramelized cauliflower with polenta, using local vegetables and fruits at their seasonal peak. The menu changes weekly. Natural Selection, 3033 N.E. Alberta St., Portland, Oregon; +1 503 288 5883 . New York . The chance of blindly stumbling into a vegetarian restaurant is probably higher in New York than in any other U.S. city. While there's seemingly no end of diversity, from raw restaurants like Pure Food & Wine to farm-to-table Candle Cafe, our latest favorite is the amazingly creative Dirt Candy. Yes, there's a wait to get a reservation -- the restaurant has only nine tables -- but we love the thoughtful, complex dishes and emphasis on a star ingredient per dish. Dirt Candy, 430 E. Ninth St., New York; +1 212 228 7732 . Chennai, India . As the ancient birthplace of vegetarianism, South India is largely vegetarian. The states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu offer extremely spicy rice-based dishes and curries, while tiffin items like dosas, tamarind and lemon rice are common. Vegetarian thalis (platters with a few curries, rice dishes and breads) cost less than a Starbucks latte. We recommend: Madras restaurant for delicious South Indian home-style cooking. Madras, Raintree Hotels, 636 Anna Salai, Teynampet, Chennai, India; +91 44 4393 9999 . Chiang Mai, Thailand . Thanks to a large Buddhist population, Chiang Mai has more than 80 vegetarian restaurants. Even those that aren't vegetarian-specific offer meatless tom yum soup, pad thai, salads and coconut-milk based curries. We recommend: Pun Pun, which sources organic vegetables from its own farm. Curries are served on banana leaves. Pun Pun has two locations in the city: Wat Suan Dok temple or Suthep Road near Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, Thailand; +66 81 470 1461 . Glasgow, Scotland . It may come as a surprise to many that PETA named Glasgow the best city for vegans in the United Kingdom in 2013. The growing number of vegan restaurants is part of the city's effort to improve the health of its residents and the result of its vibrant youth culture. We recommend: Mono Cafe Bar in the Merchant City area. The bar brews its own beer and offers a home-style meatless menu including refried bean burritos. Music from folk singers, songwriters and the operatic crowd is a plus. Mono Cafe Bar,12 Kings Court, Glasgow, Scotland; +44 141 553 2400 . London . PETA ranked London the most vegetarian-friendly city in the world in 2009. It's still a top site for meat-free eaters. With more than 130 vegetarian-centric restaurants, spicy vegetarian curry houses are as plentiful as pubs offering fish and chips. Nowadays, even pubs are serving meatless cuisine and raw food -- notable newcomer Redemption is an example. We recommend: Arguably London's most well known vegetarian restaurant, Food for Thought in Covent Garden serves everything from Mexican to Indian dishes, cheese and dill scones to quiches. The carefully chosen menu is inexpensive and satisfying. Food for Thought, 31 Neal St., Covent Garden, London; +44 20 7836 0239 . Seoul, South Korea . While it's best to double check with the server if there's any meat in the bibimbap, vegetarian dishes are common on Korean menus. There's kimchi, of course, and a wide variety of veggie pancakes and side dishes, good news for any vegetarian visitor who may get dragged to a barbecue restaurant. We recommend: Traditional Korean vegetarian restaurant Hangwachae in Seoul serves house-made condiments from chili paste to soy bean paste. Even the rice is made with 20 different Asian herbs. Hangwachae, Gwanhun-dong Jongno-gu, Seoul 30-9, Cheong-A Building, B/1; +82 2 720 2802 . Vancouver, British Columbia . In the last year or so, Vancouver has seen notable restaurants including the Heirloom, The Parker and The Acorn open to meet rising vegetarian demand. We recommend: The Acorn, which received a Top Ten Best New Restaurants mention in En Route Magazine, the first vegetarian restaurant ever to snag the honor. Vegetarians, vegans, gluten-free and raw junkies can sample a seasonal menu created with fruits and legumes from apples to Hen of the Woods. The artfully composed dishes look like they belong in a museum. The Acorn, 3995 Main St., Vancouver, British Columbia; +1 604 566 9001 . Jordan . It's so easy to find vegetarian-friendly restaurants in Jordan where mezze dishes such as tabouleh, hummus, falafel and gourmet Arabic flatbreads abound. From Beit Sitti (it means "my grandmother's kitchen" in Arabic), located in the heart of Amman, to Petra's Kitchen, there are good options at nearly every bend of the country. We recommend: Feynan, an ecolodge in the heart of the mountainous Dana Biosphere Reserve. In a candle-lit environment, visitors feast on flat breads baked by Bedouins, vegetarian stews, hibiscus juices, falafel, hummus and sticky knafeh for dessert. Feynan, Dana Biosphere Reserve (western edge), off Dead Sea-Aqaba Highway, Ma'an, Jordan; +962 6 464 5580 . Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia . A melting pot of cultures from China to India, Kuala Lumpur has more than 86 vegetarian-specific restaurants according to online healthy eating guide HappyCow. Chinese, Malay and Indian cuisines are common. We recommend: The inexpensive Gopala Vegetarian Restaurant, which features a potpourri of cultural cuisines from Thai to Indian. The vegetarian satay and vegetarian fried rice earn raves. Gopala Vegetarian Restaurant, No. 59, Jalan Thambipillai, Brickfields, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; +60 3 2274 1959 . | We picked our favorite vegetarian restaurant in vegetarian-friendly cities .
Cities with large Hindu and Buddhist populations tend to have more variety .
Even Glasgow, Scotland, renowned for unhealthy dietary habits, is getting in on the veggie act . |
139,862 | 40d5cac1106d6034b990b5e20e4ca856eafa9052 | Editor's note: Jane Velez-Mitchell is host of the HLN show, "Issues with Jane Velez-Mitchell," a topical event-driven show with a wide range of viewpoints. Velez-Mitchell is the author of "Secrets Can Be Murder: What America's Most Sensational Crimes Tell Us About Ourselves." Jane Velez-Mitchell says the targets of stalkers aren't just celebrities and that millions are victims. NEW YORK (CNN) -- Hollywood starlet Jennifer Love Hewitt recently obtained a restraining order against a man who she claims had been stalking her since 2007. The man sent hundreds of threatening letters, as well as plane tickets to Australia, and he left flowers at the home of Hewitt's mother. Uma Thurman had even more frightening brushes with her stalker before he was convicted. Jack Jordan visited her house and also tried to get into her on-set trailer. Thurman eventually faced Jordan in court, where he was convicted of stalking and aggravated harassment and sentenced to three years probation and psychiatric counseling. This, to me, sounds like a victory for Jordan, since he was placed in the same courtroom as his victim and could eventually go right back to stalking. Many assume this type of thing is relegated only to those who grace the covers of gossip magazines and movie posters. Sheila Ann Grayson wasn't famous, but that didn't save her. Police in South Carolina say Grayson was killed by her stalker last May, two weeks after taking out a restraining order against him. A new study published this month by the Department of Justice's Bureau of Justice Statistics estimated based on a survey that 3.4 million Americans per year are victims of stalking. For some perspective, that's more than the entire population of Chicago, Illinois. The comprehensive study found that divorced or separated individuals are at the highest risk of being stalked. Women are more than twice as likely as men to be stalked, and two thirds of female victims are stalked by males. It is becoming an epidemic -- 1.4 million Americans were stalked a decade ago, according to a similar Justice Department study, and new technology is partly responsible for the increase. Texting, e-mailing and social networking sites make it easier to connect with friends. But they also make it easier for stalkers to connect with -- and track -- their targets. I recently saw a cellphone advertisement promoting an application that allows the user to track friends on a map and see what they're doing. The ad sent chills up my spine. What a tool that would be for someone's obsessed ex-lover. America's law enforcement system doesn't play a dominant role in deterring stalking. Most incidents aren't reported by the victims. And according to the study, of the victims surveyed, 15 percent credited law enforcement warnings for keeping their stalker in line while only 10 percent said a restraining order did the trick. Even locking stalkers up only works until they're free. Only 6 percent of victims said the stalking stopped after the offender was arrested or incarcerated. Stalkers often have underlying psychological problems or are socially incompetent, and about 30 percent have delusional disorders, according to a study in the American Journal of Psychiatry. So trying to solve stalking cases through legal means is like trying to clear a roach problem without getting rid of the food lying around. The American Journal of Psychiatry study recommends a mixture of legal action and therapeutic intervention. But intervention must happen early. Troubled children who get no counseling could grow up and develop the dysfunctional traits identified in the American Journal of Psychiatry study. In elementary school we should teach nonviolent conflict resolution and healthy communication skills, which will help children cope with issues like rejection and sexuality later in life. I've been stalked and it was one of the most terrifying experiences of my life. I can say firsthand that it becomes a hunter-prey relationship. So we must try psychological approaches that emphasize healthy interaction between consenting persons. Therapy could help early offenders see their victims as humans again, instead of objects. Some stalkers show addictive behavior, and their victim is the drug. Just as marijuana is seen as a gateway drug, I believe stalking is a gateway crime that leads to violence and even murder. This approach provides another angle from which to attack the problem. Unlike other crimes, stalking crosses all classes, races, and age groups. This makes it difficult to pin down causes, but provides opportunities to try out these creative and inexpensive prevention techniques. But we can only change our approach to this problem if victims speak up. Approximately 60 percent of stalking victims don't report to the police, according to the Justice Department study. Though law enforcement alone isn't the answer, imagine if all 3.4 million victims had reported. It would provide authorities with a much larger pool of information. And with such a large number of people affected, it becomes a problem politicians can't ignore. The opinions expressed in this column are solely those of Jane Velez-Mitchell. | Jane Velez-Mitchell: New study says 3 million-plus Americans are stalked .
She says most victims don't report the crime to law enforcement .
Velez-Mitchell: Few cases wind up being resolved by police and court action .
She says we need to do counseling and victims need to come forward . |
47,272 | 8535ecd7ffd228682160e748462a272ef01a0453 | A former head of MI5 last night warned the revelations by CIA fugitive Edward Snowden had left Britain at risk of ‘vigilantism’ because it was less able to protect itself from Islamist fanaticism. Breaking his silence on the devastating impact of the security breach, Jonathan Evans said: ‘The result of this can only be that the overall risk of a successful terrorist attack in this country has risen.’ In a chilling intervention, he also warned that events in Syria and Iraq had given jihadis a ‘jolt of energy’ and the Government must complete the ‘unfinished business’ of giving the security services extra surveillance powers – or risk ‘vigilantism’ on the streets as citizens look to protect themselves. Former MI5 spy chief Jonathan Evans, pictured, warned that a lack of security will lead to vigilantism . Lord Evans said: ‘Inadequate security will breed vulnerability and fear and that in turn will tend to limit people’s ability to contribute to civil society, will tend to provoke vigilantism and will tend to diminish people’s ability to exercise the very civil liberties and human rights that we wish to sustain.’ The ex-spy chief’s comments came amid a warning from the EU’s security chief that Europe faces its ‘most serious’ threat since 9/11. Rob Wainwright, the head of Europol, revealed there were between 3,000 and 5,000 EU nationals who posed a terrorist threat after travelling overseas to countries such as Syria. He told MPs: ‘Clearly, we’re dealing with a large body of mainly young men who have the potential to come back and have the potential or the intent and capability to carry out attacks we have seen in Paris.’ Lord Evans, who stood down as head of MI5 in April 2013, used his maiden speech in the House of Lords last night to deliver a devastating analysis of the harm caused by Snowden, who stole and leaked thousands of documents detailing intelligence-gathering techniques used by Western intelligence agencies. The revelations, printed in The Guardian, have led to terrorists changing the way they communicate. They have also made internet companies less willing to co-operate with MI5 and GCHQ for fear of upsetting privacy campaigners. Lord Evans, who sits as an independent crossbench peer, said: ‘When I left MI5 in 2013, I felt cautiously optimistic that we were over the worst as far as Al Qaeda and Islamist terrorist attacks were concerned. ‘It seemed to me that we were making significant progress. Regrettably, subsequent events have proved that judgment to be wrong. ‘The atrocious killing of Fusilier Rigby in May 2013 demonstrated the reality of the threat we face in this country and the brutal murders in Paris last week demonstrate that this is a European and international problem, not one we face alone. Lord Evans said Edward Snowden's revelations allowed terrorists to avoid detection by the security services . ‘The revelations made by Edward Snowden . . . have clearly led a reduction in the ability of the security agencies both here and overseas to access and read the communications of terrorists internationally, with the result that as the threat from terrorism has gone up in the last two years, the ability of the security agencies to counter those threats has gone down.’ Lord Evans also warned the current situation of extremists returning to the UK from Syria – 600 have travelled out, according to MI5 – put him in mind of the Al Qaeda training camps in Afghanistan before 9/11. He said: ‘On their return, many of them were even more radical than they had been when they departed. ‘They had experience of combat and had been trained in violence and they had an international network of support on which they could draw. Those circumstances led to a series of attacks internationally and over a long period, and I fear we may be facing the same situation.’ Mr Wainwright said the terror threat was the ‘most serious’ the continent had faced since the fall of the Twin Towers more than 13 years ago. He told the Commons Home Affairs Committee that Europol had been building a database of EU citizens who had travelled overseas to fight. So far it has collected 2,500 names of suspects from security agencies across member states – but he believes as many as 5,000 may have gone abroad. It came amid a continued row at the top of Government over surveillance powers. On Monday, Prime Minister David Cameron said a future Conservative government would pass laws which aim to deny terrorists a ‘safe space’ to communicate online. Yesterday, Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg reiterated his party’s opposition to a ‘snoopers’ charter’, saying Britain will not be kept safer by keeping records on grandmothers visiting ‘garden centre websites’. | Former MI5 head Jonathan Evans said Edward Snowden damaged security .
Lord Evans said Islamist terrorists were able to use the Snowden leaks .
He warned the security services required extra surveillance powers .
Lord Evans told the House of Lords, terrorists had changed their methods . |
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