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137,514 | 3dd75b4970584b07974274e282648e1535494731 | (CNN) -- An American doctor who was exposed to Ebola has arrived at the NIH Clinical Center in Bethesda, Maryland, the National Institutes of Health said Sunday. The doctor was volunteering at an Ebola treatment unit in Sierra Leone and arrived from an "overseas location" according to the NIH. No more details on the patient were made available, but the doctor will be there for observation and research purposes, officials said. The NIH is currently testing an experimental Ebola vaccine on human volunteers that did extremely well in earlier trials with chimpanzees, doctors say. The patient will be kept in isolation. "Out of an abundance of caution, the patient has been admitted to the NIH Clinical Center's special clinical studies unit that is specifically designed to provide high-level isolation capabilities and is staffed by infectious diseases and critical care specialists," the NIH statement said. Safety measures are in place to protect other patients and the public. The Ebola outbreak in West Africa is the worst on record, according to the World Health Organization. The number of deaths from Ebola now stands at 3,083 and the number of cases has reached 6,553, the WHO said in a statement. The figures are based on information provided on September 23 by health ministries in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone, the countries most impacted by the Ebola outbreak. CNN's Miriam Falco contributed to this story . | NEW: NIH is testing Ebola vaccine, now has patient who was exposed to the virus .
Patient is a U.S. doctor who volunteered in Ebola treatment center in Sierra Leone .
The doctor is at the clinic for observation, research and will be in isolation .
NIH says safety measures are in place to protect other patients and the public . |
212,924 | 9fb9fbb41aabe2b056cf582d3952a5790855d931 | (CNN) -- Every year on World AIDS Day, old-timers like me are trotted out to say a few words to well-motivated audiences, while over the years, the over-riding themes become more empty and banal. The international theme for World AIDS Day from 2011 to 2015 is "Getting to zero," which UNAIDS defines as zero new HIV infections, zero discrimination and zero AIDS-related deaths. This strikes me as frankly preposterous for the simple reason that such a goal remains so patently unachievable. Of course World AIDS Day provides a welcome opportunity for AIDS charities and others to discuss the latest statistics in public, but one cannot escape the feeling that it all amounts to little more than a convenient excuse for government departments to shrug off the whole issue. On December 2 the whole subject may be conveniently forgotten for another 12 months. The availability of effective treatment drugs from 1996 onwards had an immediate impact on mortality rates throughout the developed world and beyond, with the result that few people under 30 have experienced multiple loss on anything remotely like the same scale as previous generations. Yet today far more gay men of all age groups in many countries including Britain are now living with HIV than ever before. Overall rates of new infections remain high. In the UK, 6,364 new cases were reported last year, compared to 2,938 in 1998. And reported infections among gay men in the UK reached an all-time high. Unsurprisingly perhaps, the young are disproportionately affected, not because they have some of death wish, but for the simple reason that they were not born when my generation began setting up the first AIDS-related charities and self-help groups and grass-roots education campaigns, and many have had no access whatever to targeted HIV education. Many older gay men like me are cautious about sounding like AIDS bores, and often feel obliged to censor what we say about our own experience and emotions. So ironically, younger gay men hear little or nothing about the complex realities of the epidemic, or its history, from which many feel emotionally distanced. Taboo subject . If anything the subject is more taboo than ever. This is why it makes me furious whenever I hear the word apathy used of young gay men in relation to HIV, as if they had some kind of magical access to helpful, reliable advice and information, when nothing could be further from the truth. In the 21st century, HIV has largely disappeared into its own particular closet, for understandable reasons. Who after all would choose to be primarily defined in public by a medical diagnosis of any kind? This has however had the consequence of hiding the epidemic in our midst. The triumphalist rhetoric surrounding the whole issue of treatment these days can alas all too easily serve to undermine prevention work. Messages intended to reassure the newly-infected may be taken by the uninfected as an invitation to minimize the significance of contracting HIV in the first place, or for that matter of infecting others, and only serve to establish the general impression that HIV is in fact no big deal. Just what is so bad then about becoming HIV positive in 2013? What is not initially apparent to many is the fact that while it is easy to get infected, this cannot be reversed. Nothing is said about the fact that following diagnosis there stretches a lifetime relationship to doctors and the world of specialist clinics and primary care. Nothing is said about the need for regular monitoring, and regular compliance with your medication. Most of us come to take this in our stride, but it none the less tethers one daily to the fact of infection and the associations of mortality with which it is inevitably associated. Widespread stigma . Nothing prepares you for the sensation that is very like extreme jet-lag which sets in within an hour or so of taking standard daily anti-HIV medication. Nothing prepares you for waking screaming most nights from hideous chemically-induced nightmares. Nothing is said about the widespread stigma experienced by most HIV+ gay men, not least from our frequently ignorant and prejudiced gay peers. And nothing whatsoever is said about the fact that if you stop taking your drugs you are highly likely to die a very unpleasant death. All of us involved in the long-term community-based response to HIV have long understood that it is both pointless and dishonest to try to scare people into behavior change by pretending that HIV is still an automatic death sentence. It remains, however, a life sentence, and one which over time is likely to profoundly affect one's relationships with other people, from friends and lovers to family members, and it strikes me as misguided folly not to make it very clear to everyone that HIV remains a potentially life-threatening and incurable disease. In relation to HIV I think we can identify two relatively distinct sets of pressing contemporary issues. One concerns the long-term psychological impact for older gay men of living through a disaster of such duration, which is still so easily forgotten by everyone around us. The other concerns the need for targeted support and education for African residents in the UK and gay men, especially relating to the advantages of regular HIV testing which should be understood as a fundamental aspect of self-care. The issues are complicated by the fact that so many gay men grow up with a radically impaired sense of self worth, and there has long been a yawning gulf between excessive attention to physical fitness and appearances, and neglect of our inner emotional well-being. Slow-motion catastrophe . In these circumstances the A-word that interests me is not apathy, imagined as a form of culpable voluntary moral failing, but alliances, above all between different generations of gay men who share such closely parallel contemporary challenges. All too often such vast global problems as global warming or the crisis of the banking system end up merely sapping our energy since it seems so hard for individuals to feel that we can make any measurable improvements. Yet this is not the case in relation to HIV, where there are clear practical targets which could be achieved with sufficient collective determination. This is not a vague general question of "Getting to zero" as UNAIDS so unhelpfully frames it, but by contrast of working towards specific achievable local goals. The early fight against AIDS was fought and largely won above all as a cultural achievement on the part of often small grass-roots organizations rooted in traditions of self-help. This is precisely why campaigns to normalize testing are so important, alongside the clear medical advantages of knowing one's own HIV status. It is fashionable in some quarters to attack condom education, but it cannot be sufficiently emphasized that most gay men have got through the epidemic without getting infected because they have indeed been diligent in their use. This is not necessarily always as easy as it may sound. But whatever else may be in the pipeline by way of chemical prophylaxis, it remains every bit as important today as it was 30 years ago when the idea and practice of safer sex was first invented in New York, that any gay man getting fucked who is not 100% confident about his partner's HIV status should insist on their using a condom. If the rates of new infections among gay men were occurring within any other population group, I think there would be riots on the streets. Almost 30 years ago, in my first book on AIDS, I wrote that until gay men are provided with adequate resources to fight this ongoing slow-motion catastrophe in our midst, "it will be difficult not to conclude that we are regarded in our entirety as a disposable population." Yes, much has changed, especially in the West, but sadly in many parts of the world that day has evidently yet to dawn. The opinions expressed in this article are solely those of Simon Watney. | World AIDS Day theme "getting to zero" is a goal that remains patently unachievable, Watney says .
The young are disproportionately affected "because they have no access to targeted HIV education"
HIV may no longer be an automatic death sentence, "but it is still a life sentence," Watney says .
New alliances between different generations of gay men, and achievable local goals, are required . |
243,376 | c6fa96db98b5d2e9d9c8b85834943a9bc3c80813 | Sacred hairdo: The sine crenes hairstyle symbolised chastity and was worn by brides on their wedding day as well as the Vestal Virgins . The hairstyle of Ancient Rome's Vestal Virgins has been recreated on a modern head for the first time. A U.S. hairdresser has painstakingly 'reverse engineered' the 'do - thought to be Rome's oldest - and shown how it may have been carried out. The Vestal Virgins were the priestesses of Vesta, goddess of the hearth, and their sacred duty was to guard the fire in her temple, which was linked to the prosperity of Rome. Chosen before puberty and bound by a . vow of celibacy, their braided hairstyle, known as the sini crenes, was a . symbol of their chastity. Janet . Stephens, a Baltimore-based hairdresser and amateur archaeologist, has . unravelled the secrets of the Vestals' braids and recreated it for the . first time on a modern head. She . reported her findings last Friday at the annual meeting of the . Archaeological Institute of America in Seattle and published a YouTube . video detailing showing how it was replicated. 'In . ancient Rome's Temple of Vesta six virgins guarded a sacred flame,' she . said. 'During their 30 years service to the goddess, the vestal virgins . were constrained by strict vows of chastity. 'In . exchange, they enjoyed enormous prestige and legal privilege which was . denied to other Roman women. Their guardianship of Vesta's sacred flame . was believed to ensure the continued existence of the Roman state and . its people. 'Both brides and the Vestal Virgins wore an ancient hairstyle called the sine crenes which the Romans associated with chastity.' Since . her first inspiration after an 'accidental encounter' with an ancient . bust in a Baltimore museum, Ms Stephens has devoted the past seven years . to a detailed study of Roman hairdressing. In that time she has shown how many ancient hairstyles were achieved. But . the sine crenes presented her with particular challenges since the . Vestal Virgins are almost always presented wearing layered headdresses . which covered much of their braids. However, . hailed as it was by contemporary sources as the oldest hairstyle among . the ancient Romans, studying it gave her the opportunity to . recreate what is perhaps the oldest recorded hair fashion. Full regalia: Hairdresser and archaeologist Janet Stephens's attemps to recreate the sine crenes were complicated by the layered headdresses worn by the Vestal Virgins, like the one shown here . How to: Ms Stephens reported her findings last Friday at the annual meeting of the Archaeological Institute of America in Seattle and published a YouTube video detailing showing how the sine crenes was replicated . Elaborate: Ms Stephens was able to complete . the full sine crenes in 35 to 40 minutes working alone with only Roman-style . tools. But she believes that several slaves working together could have . had it done in 10 minutes . Rome's Vestal Virgins, a group of six hand-picked women, held unparalleled positions of status as some of the city's most senior religious leaders. They had rank and a level of self-government denied to normal women and as priestesses of Vesta they were responsible for maintaining the soul of Rome. But their power and status came at a cost. Chosen from nobly born families at a young age, Vestal Virgins had to commit to maintaining their virginity for the duration of their posts - at least 30 years. When the girls, some as young as six, . were sent by their families to become Vestals they became brides of the . city itself. With Rome as their guardian, any sexual relationship with a . citizen was considered an act of incest which amounted to treason, a . crime punishable by death. Vesta was a powerful goddess of fire. Romans believed that as long as Vesta's sacred flame was kept burning then the city and its civilization would endure. It was the duty of the six priestesses to tend this fire on a daily basis. If it faltered it was seen as a bad omen for Rome and its associated military campaigns. Allowing the sacred fire to die out would lead to the Vestal responsible being taken to a darkened room by the Pontifex Maximus (chief priest) where she would be stripped and beaten. The College of the Vestals was . regarded as fundamental to the continuance and security of the Roman . state, and their hairstyle represented the vow of chastity they gave at . their ordination. The . religious significance of Vesta's sacred flame made her priestesses a . powerful and influential force in the Roman state, and they were . included in nearly all major dedications and ceremonies. The . College of the Vestals was disbanded and the sacred fire extinguished . in 394, by order of the Christian emperor Theodosius I. Such . was the power of their myth, the theologian Augustine felt compelled to . write The City of God in response to rumours the downfall of Rome was . due to disrespect shown to the old gods who had protected the city for . 1,000 years. Ms Stephens had just one bust . available for study which showed the braids in enough detail to 'reverse . engineer' the hairstyle enough to work out how it was done. Using . that bust, Ms Stephens tracked the braids back to the part of the head . where each must have originated. 'It's like weaving,' she told LiveScience. 'Every weaving pattern shows its marks.' The . virgins' hair was first separated into six sections and braided into . separate braids, including two that ran cornrow-style across the top of . the head above the ears. Hair . around the hairline was wrapped around a length of cord which was tied . at the nape of the neck, while any that was leftover around the face was . weaved into a seventh, final braid. The . first six braids were then brought around the back of the neck and tied . in pairs in half-square knots, with their ends wrapped up to the front . of the head and fastened to the cornrow braids. The seventh braid was finally coiled round to the back of the head and tucked beneath the knotted braids. Ms Stephens was able to complete the full hairdo in 35 to 40 minutes working alone with only Roman-style tools. But she believes that several slaves working together could have had it done in 10 minutes or less. It . takes waist-length hair to properly pull off the sine crenes, Ms . Stephens said. But her research indicated that there were workarounds . for Vestals who suffered from hair problems. | Vestal Virgins guarded the sacred flame of Rome and their hairstyle was a symbol of their chastity .
Contemporary sources identify the style, also worn by brides on their wedding day, as the most ancient of the Roman civilisation .
U.S. hairdresser-cum-archaeologist recreates the style and publishes YouTube clip showing how you can do it at home . |
249,873 | cf63211b12d926fe4348afeba7047f953e9ea783 | Ireland laid down a heroic World Cup marker by producing a stunning defensive effort to keep Australia at bay in Dublin. The Aussies fought back from 17-0 down at the Aviva Stadium to take a three-point lead just before half-time. But Joe Schmidt’s men weren’t to be denied their first autumn Test series clean sweep since 2006 and it leaves Australia — who also lost 29-26 to France — desperate to avoid the humiliation of a hat-trick of November defeats when they round off their tour against England at Twickenham on Saturday . Simon Zebo raced onto Jonny Sexton's perfectly judged crossfield kick to give Ireland a dream start after 10 minutes . Ireland winger Tommy Bowe intercepts a stray Wallabies pass to race 90 metres upfield . Adam Ashley-Cooper (right) managers to track down Bowe but the Ulster flyer manages to touch down for Ireland's second try . Zebo tries to offload in the tackle but Bernard Foley does well to disrupt the Munster winger's pass . Ireland got off to a lightning start thanks to tries from Simon Zebo and Tommy Bowe, while Johnny Sexton booted 16 points. Australia scrum-half Nick Phipps crossed twice, with Bernard Foley claiming a third score for the visitors, but Ireland held firm under huge final-quarter pressure. Captain Paul O’Connell said: ‘It really is a good win. We couldn’t have had a better first 20 minutes and it was frustrating to let them back in in the next 20. Wallabies scrum half Nick Phipps intercepts Zebo's stray pass to race away unopposed and get his side back into the contest . New South Wales Waratahs flyer Israel Folau (left) takes on Ireland fullback Rob Kearney . Peter O'Mahoney gets an offload away under pressure from Wallabies winger Henry Speight . ‘But they are a fast side who put you under pressure and are probably further down the road in terms of match play than we are, so the way we finished off the game was very satisfying.’ Ireland will now go into World Cup year with a spring in their step after atoning for last year’s 32-15 defeat to Australia in combative style. It also provided some relief for coach Schmidt as it was later revealed he had been suffering from the effects of suspected appendicitis all day and had left the ground for medical tests straight after the final whistle. Folau and Kearney collide after contesting for a high ball during what was a frantic first 40 minutes of rugby at the Aviva Stadium . Ireland flanker O'Mahoney takes a high ball supported by hooker Rory Best (right) as Michael Hooper (right) watches on . On the pitch, Sexton kicked an early penalty before teeing up the game’s opening try with a precise kick which allowed Zebo to slide home. Bowe pulled off a keen-eyed interception and galloped over for a second try but Australia clawed one back when Phipps ntercepted Zebo’s pass to hare home. Foley’s conversion cut the deficit to 10 points. The Wallabies then scored a controversial second. Phipps’ scoring pass to Foley appeared forward, but was awarded by French television match official Eric Gauzins. Foley missed the conversion, though Phipps crossed again to level the scores. Foley’s penalty wrestled the visitors into the lead for the first time before Sexton tied the scores with the last kick of a breathless half. Sexton posted his third penalty after the restart before Foley responded, and the teams were still locked at 23-23 on the hour. Rob Kearney launched an ambitious drop-goal attempt from long range after a period of Irish pressure but his effort rebounded off the right-hand post. However, Sexton’s fourth penalty of the night did edge Ireland back into a three-point lead. Australia duly pegged Ireland back into their half for the remaining 16 minutes but, unlike in times past, this gritty group, conquerors of South Africa and Georgia over the last two weekends, bravely held out for a famous win. | Ireland led 17-0 early on thanks to tries from Simon Zebo and Tommy Bowe .
A brace from Nick Phipps and a Bernard Foley try brought the Wallabies back into the match .
Joe Schimdt's side finish the autumn internationals unbeaten .
Ireland lock Paul O'Connell named Man of the Match . |
200,087 | 8f0d1732ad0c5648f45fd5c3af528edd7fb89882 | It does not get any bigger, better or tougher than playing the All Blacks. It tests every part of your being; physically, mentally, emotionally and, maybe even, spiritually. If you have a weakness they will identify it and exploit it. There are no hiding places. Eat or be eaten. I loved playing the All Blacks and hated playing the All Blacks in equal measure. I loved it because it was the ultimate challenge and stretched you to be everything you could possibly be. I hated it because they were so good and there was always the chance that you could get an absolute hiding. I played against the All Blacks more than I did against Australia and South Africa combined just because we always toured there every four years or so. We did this because the likes of Jim Telfer and Ian McGeechan felt it was the best place for Scotland to tour due to the amount we could learn from playing rugby in a country like New Zealand. Andy Nicol (centre) knows what is like to face New Zealand having played them seven times in his career . Nicol tasted victory against the All Blacks once when turning out for a world XV . Former Scotland captain Nicol (right) said there is nowhere to hide against New Zealand . A lot of New Zealanders are descended from Scotland, the climate is very similar but, sadly, they have always been slightly better than us at rugby. McGeechan says that he thinks New Zealanders are just Scots that have learnt how to win! I do know what it feels like to beat the All Blacks though. I was lucky enough to play for a World XV in 1992 to celebrate the New Zealand Rugby Union centenary and we played the All Blacks three times in a week. I played in the first test with players like Tim Horan, Jeremy Guscott and some fellow Scots, David Sole, Gavin Hastings and Derek White and we beat the All Blacks 28-14. In fact, we battered them that day and, as it was the first time I had played them, I thought this would continue. Scotland recorded a 41-31 win over Argentina last weekend at Murrayfield . Nicol said Scotland will have to take their game up a couple of notches when they play New Zealand . I played them a further six times in my career and it is fair to say they got their revenge as we lost all six games. The sixth turned out to be my last game for Scotland in 2001 and it summed up what it is like to face the All Blacks and the same could happen today. We played very well for 70 minutes to be only 15-6 down but we had expended so much energy just to be in touch of them that we had nothing left in last 10 minutes and they ran in three tries. I was substituted with 10 minutes to go and I could barely put one foot in front of the other I was so tired. I was emptied and had absolutely nothing left to give. But it wasn’t enough, and this is why playing the All Blacks is such a challenge. The game today will be one of the fastest, hardest games the Scottish players will have ever played. It will be a couple of notches up from last week against Argentina and they will also have to face the Haka! Nicol said that it was brilliant facing the Haka before playing New Zealand and he loved the tradition . Nicol does not think it gives the All Blacks an unfair advantage and you can not let yourself get intimidated by it . I get asked a lot what was it like to face the Haka. My answer is, it was brilliant. I loved the tradition. I remember seeing it as a kid, trying to copy it and vowing, then, that I would love to face it one day. People that say it gives New Zealand an unfair advantage have never played International rugby. If you are intimidated buy a bunch of guys in black shirts singing and dancing in front of you, 60 seconds before you are about to play one of the best teams in the world, you should not be on the pitch in the first place. When the TV cameras close in to the faces of, especially, the Maori players with eyes popping and tongues hanging out, it can look intimidating but it should not intimidate the players. It inspired me and I hope it inspires the Scotland team today to get the first win against the mighty All Blacks. | Scotland face New Zealand at Murrayfield on Saturday evening .
Scotland have never beaten the All Blacks in 29 matches .
Andy Nicol beat New Zealand once, playing for a world XV .
He said it does not get any tougher than facing the All Blacks .
Adding that Saturday's game will be one of the fastest and hardest games of the Scottish players' careers . |
154,760 | 53fe7adcf3e23795f09ac27c03be1f6d5b2206cf | By . Snejana Farberov . Moonstruck: Cameron Read, 39, has been arrested on weapons charges for trying to shoot at the moon . An Arizona man landed behind bars after taking the inspirational tip 'shoot for the moon' a little too literally. Cameron Read, 39, of Prescott Valley, was arrested last Friday on a slew of weapons charges after police say he discharged a handgun trying to hit the moon 238,900 miles away. Prescott Valley police responded to the man's home after a 49-year-old woman reported that her boyfriend had fired several round from a handgun and still was armed last Friday night. The unnamed girlfriend woman and her 15-year-old son told responding officers Read was talking about seeing Halley's Comet and fired a round out of the window. They heard several more shots before fleeing the residence in the 4400 block of Preston Drive. Read has been booked into the Yavapai County Jail on suspicion of felony counts of unlawful discharge of a firearm, resisting arrest, disorderly conduct and endangerment plus misdemeanor criminal damage. When officers responded to the home, Read acted 'confrontational' and initially refused to open the door, AZfamily.com reported. Bad aim: Read admitted that he was smoking marijuana before he grabbed his handgun and squeezed off several rounds out the window hoping to strike the moon 238,900 miles away . Out of this world: Read's girlfriend told police the 39-year-old also mentioned Halley's Comet (pictured) When he finally emerged from the apartment, Read allegedly resisted arrest. When questioned by police, Read admitted to smoking marijuana before trying to shoot the moon, but insisted that it was not his intent to hurt anyone. | Cameron Read, 39, charged with unlawful discharge of firearm, resisting arrest and disorderly conduct .
Police say Read squeezed off several rounds out the window with his girlfriend and her teenage son in the house .
Read was raving about Halley's Comet before he tried to shoot the moon 238,900 miles away . |
60,381 | aba6f659eeaa6a52e4140e1df134ae31bd3c79e2 | A Brazilian MMA fighter broke his leg in horrendous fashion during a fight on Sunday. Marcos 'Rino' Souza took on Cristian Goetz in a light heavyweight Kombat 10 tournament in Sao Goncalo, Brazil. Thirty seven seconds in to the contest, Goetz blocked a kick from Souza whose right leg crumples under itself. VIDEO - WARNING GRAPHIC CONTENT . Attacking move: Marcos Souza kicks Cristian Goetz during a fight in Brazil on Sunday . Going down: Marcos Souza's leg breaks under itself in horrific fashion . Down and out: Marcos Souza lies in pain after breaking his leg kicking Cristian Goetz . Pain game: Medical staff attend to Marcos Souza after he breaks his right leg . Medical staff immediately rushed in to help Souza as he lay in clear agony on the ring's canvas. The freak accident is reminiscent of Anderson Silva's famous leg break during a UFC fight against Chris Weidman in December 2013. Local reports suggest Souza broke his right tibia and will undergo surgery next week. WARNING - Video contains graphic content some viewers may find distubing . | Marcos 'Rino' Souza broke his leg kicking Cristian Goetz .
The pair fought in a light heavyweight Kombat 10 tournament .
The accident draws comparisons with Anderson Silva's famous leg break during a UFC fight against Chris Weidman . |
42,349 | 7770380d7c834937ad09f76bb37fd9ad9af8b201 | By . Matt Blake . PUBLISHED: . 07:11 EST, 25 October 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 07:39 EST, 25 October 2013 . No trip to Thailand would be complete without a picture of an elephant... unless of course you can get one by an elephant. This art-loving pachyderm with a penchant for Picasso has wowed audiences with its portfolio of paintings all created using just a brush and its trunk. The Asian elephant is one of a herd the mighty beasts who while away their days painting still lifes at the Thai Elephant Conservation Center in Lampang, northern Thailand. A video released by website Travel For Kids shows the elephant methodically painting a red-rose bush as awestruck sightseers look on. Scroll down for video. Monet the elephant: This art-loving pachyderm with a penchant for Picasso has wowed audiences with its portfolio of paintings all created using just a brush and its trunk . Mighty skill: The Asian elephant is one of a herd the mighty beasts who while away their days painting still lifes . Raw talent: The still life is probably better-painted than that which most humans could produce . She begins by carefully outlining the stems before painting the flowers, petal by petal, under the watchful eye of one of the park's trainers. According to its website, the TECC is 'a cornerstone in the evolution of elephant painting'. In 1997, two American artists supervised the first artworks painted by elephants ever done in Thailand. Since then, the center claims, 'many Thai elephant camps have started painting with their animals as a harmless way to increase revenue while entertaining guests'. Eye for detail: She begins by carefully outlining the stems before painting the flowers, petal by petal, under the watchful eye of one of the park's trainers . Artistically relephant: : According to its website, the center is 'a cornerstone in the evolution of elephant painting' Give it some nelly: And this is the finished piece, flowers and all . But art is not the elephants' only talent. The center also supervised the world's only elephant orchestra where 'many as 14 elephants have played together on one song'. The orchestra has even released a CD of its music. | She created the still life at the Thai Elephant Conservation Center in Thailand .
Using just a brush in her trunk the elephant paints a red-rose bush .
She is one of a handful of elephants trained to paint for tourists . |
62,101 | b06ae9f13286c5c93ab4f8e314c818b9485dfbc0 | Kieron Dyer and Titus Bramble have slammed the Rooney Rule, saying they don't want to be shortlisted for a coaching job just because they are black. The Ipswich Town coaches, back at the Championship side where they once played, believe they should be judged on their merits, not their skin colour. The Rooney Rule is a practice in which every NFL franchise is required to shortlist and interview at least one black or ethnic minority candidate when looking for a new head coach. Kieron Dyer (centre), currently a coach at Ipswich, says the Rooney Rule should not be used in football . Bramble, a former England defender and now Ipswich Under 11 coach, told The Telegraph: 'At the moment, I think the Rooney Rule is a disgrace. 'I think it’s disgraceful that someone might be shortlisted for the job just because of their skin colour. 'You could say it’s just as bad being given a job because of your skin colour as it is not being given a job.' Titus Bramble (left) and Dyer in their Ipswich days; both also had long stints at Newcastle United . Dyer, another former England player who made a name for himself at Newcastle, also strongly believes the Rooney Rule wouldn't work here, despite it being a relative success in America. He said: 'I want to be interviewed because the chairman wants to interview me. 'I don’t want to be interviewed because it’s filling a quota. I don’t want to be on a shortlist because football clubs are told I have to be because I’m black. Keith Curle, manager of League Two Carlisle United, is one of only two black bosses in the top four divisions . Huddersfield boss Chris Powell, formerly of Charlton, is the only other black manager working in England . 'I don’t agree with the Rooney Rule either. That’s me personally, it doesn’t mean it hasn’t worked in America, but I don’t like the idea here.' Only 19 out of the 552 senior coaching positions at England's 92 league clubs are held by black and ethnic minority (BME) coaches, according to new report by the Sports Person's Think Tank. Only 3.4 per cent of the coaches employed come from BME backgrounds despite making up 25 per cent of professional players. | The Ipswich Town coaches believe they should be judged on their merits .
The Rooney Rule is a practice in which every NFL franchise is required to shortlist and interview at least one black or ethnic minority coach .
Ex-Ipswich players Kieron Dyer and Titus Bramble are against the ruling .
Only 19 out of the 552 senior coaching positions at England's 92 league clubs are held by black and ethnic minority (BME) coaches . |
117,652 | 23ea59d425f3ded323f4297cfbc87003081dc99c | Six people were seriously injured after an alleged female drunk driver lost control of her car, mounting a curb in midtown Manhattan and mowing down a group of Christmas shoppers. A witness said the driver of a Mustang convertible hit an SUV before driving into oncoming traffic, colliding with a vehicle before careering into more people on the sidewalk. There are unconfirmed reports that the crash left a little girl pinned under the vehicle. Scroll down for video . Six people have been seriously hurt after an alleged drunk driver jumped a curb in a busy midtown Manhattan shopping district and struck a group of Christmas shoppers on the sidewalk . Vehicles involved in the accident are surrounded by police tape on 34th Street, New York, after a driver caused havoc in a crash yesterday evening . Police search a car at the scene of the crash on 34th Street, New York, on Wednesday night . The incident happened at around 10pm last night on West 34th Street between Fifth and Sixth avenues in the Herald Square shopping district in front of clothing and accessories store Forever 21. Pictures from the scene show that at least three cars were involved, with the wreckage of one vehicle ending up sitting on the pavement outside the shop. There are unconfirmed reports that the smash, just yards from Macy's flagship store, left a small girl pinned under the car. Witness Matty Thomas, speaking to the NY Daily News, said: 'There were four bodies in the air. There was a lady who got hit as [the car] went through the glass window. 'Her body was in the display case and her legs were under the car. She was bleeding all from the side of her head. They had to saw her out of the car. It’s going to be in my mind for the rest of my life.' Reports suggested that the driver rear-ended a silver SUV before turning around and driving the wrong way down the street. The incident happened at around 10pm on Wednesday on West 34th Street between Fifth and Sixth avenues in the Herald Square shopping district in front of retail clothing and accessories store Forever 21 . The injured have been taken to Bellevue Hospital with serious but non-life-threatening injuries . Police say the driver, a woman, is being investigated for possible drink-driving offenses . It is then said that she collided head-on with a Chevrolet Impala, which then hit a yellow cab, before plowing into pedestrians on the sidewalk and smashing into Forever 21. Five pedestrians were injured, as well as the female driver of the Mustang and her male passenger. Six were taken to Bellevue Hospital with serious but non-life-threatening injuries, a fire department spokesman said. A seventh person, possibly the driver, suffered minor injuries. The driver of the Mustang is being investigated for possible drink driving. | Six people injured in crash in busy midtown Manhattan shopping district .
Car hit a person and drove into oncoming traffic, colliding with a vehicle .
Driver then hit more shoppers on the sidewalk before coming to a halt .
Woman was thrown through display window of clothes store, witness says .
There are unconfirmed reports that a little girl was left pinned under the car .
Injured taken to hospital in serious but non-life-threatening condition .
The female driver is being investigated for possible drink-driving . |
77,941 | dcf2c28bb39bf32f7d936746cfba43cfb32462e4 | (CNN)Between light-hearted moments like Benedict Cumberbatch taking a swig from a hip flask and Neil Patrick Harris parading on stage in his underwear, it was all about activism and controversial topics at the 87th Academy Awards. A broad range of issues, from immigration to suicide to Alzheimer's disease to wage inequality, took center stage. Sean Penn rubbed many the wrong way when he joked "Who gave this son of a bitch his green card?" as he presented Mexican director Alejandro Gonzalez Iñarritu the best picture award for "Birdman." Iñarritu seemed unperturbed and devoted the Oscar win to his fellow Mexicans, saying, "I just pray they can be treated with the same dignity and respect of the ones that came before and built this incredible, immigrant nation." In the press room, Iñarritu said of Penn's joke, "I found it hilarious. Sean and I have that kind of brutal (relationship) where only true friendship can survive." Mostly, though, the night belonged to messages of empowerment. After expressing the usual gratitude to cast and crew of Richard Linklater's "Boyhood," best supporting actress winner Patricia Arquette took a moment at the end of her acceptance speech to call for equal pay for women. "To every woman who gave birth to every taxpayer and citizen in this nation: We have fought for everybody else's equal rights. It's our time to have wage equality in the U.S.," she said, causing an uproar in the room as well as on social media. Despite Meryl Streep's whooping approval, some viewers said the irony was not lost on them that Arquette's speech was given at such a lavish affair. Others argued that although the message was important, it marginalized the LGBT and non-white communities. Reese Witherspoon, who was nominated for best actress for her role in "Wild," advocated for the hashtag #AskHerMore, which encourages red carpet presenters to ask more thought-provoking questions instead of the usual appearance-driven ones like "Who are you wearing?" Graham Moore gave an emotional speech after his win for best adapted screenplay for "The Imitation Game." "When I was 16 years old, I tried to kill myself because I felt weird and I felt different and I felt like I did not belong," Moore said. "And now I'm standing here, and so I would like this moment to be for that kid out there who feels like she's weird or she's different or she doesn't fit in anywhere. Yes, you do. I promise you do. Stay weird. Stay different, and then when it's your turn and you are standing on this stage, please pass this same message to the next person who comes along." The hashtag #StayWeird took off in the wake of Moore's speech. Resources for suicide awareness and prevention include the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline and The Trevor Project. And lastly, J.K. Simmons got preachy about a topic that hits close to home for many: The winner of best supporting actor for "Whiplash" encouraged viewers to #CallYourMom. "And if I may, call your mom. Everybody -- I'm told there's like a billion people or so. Call your mom; call your dad. If you are lucky enough to have a parent or two alive on this planet, call them. Don't text, don't email," he said. So, have you called her yet? | Sean Penn's immigration comment at the Oscars causes some to cry "inappropriate!"
Patricia Arquette took on wage inequality, to the appreciation of Meryl Streep .
Screenplay winner Graham Moore gave an emotional speech about growing up "weird" |
242,115 | c55a348527e9e81c54c20d0d8840eeb47993bd1e | London (CNN) -- One British citizen was killed and another one was kidnapped overnight at a resort near Kenya's border with Somalia, Britain's Foreign Office told CNN Sunday. The attack occurred at a beach resort north of Lamu, Kenya, the foreign office said. A maritime security source aware of the situation said the victims were a couple and the husband was killed. His wife has likely been taken by Islamic militants by boat toward Ras Kamboni in Somalia, the source told CNN. "We are working to secure the safe and swift release of the British national who has been kidnapped and ask those involved to show compassion and release the individual immediately," the foreign office said in a statement. British officials did not release further details about the kidnapping case, but said they are working closely with Kenyan authorities. The office said it has amended its travel advice for Kenya in light of the attack. "We continue to advise against all but essential travel to within 30 kilometers of Kenya's border with Somalia. There have been previous attacks by Somali militia into Kenya," the advisory said. CNN's David Wilkinson contributed to this report. | NEW: Kidnapped British woman may have been taken to Somalia .
The killing and kidnapping attack occurred at a beach resort north of Lamu, Kenya .
The foreign office advises against travel near Kenya's border with Somalia . |
162,444 | 5e08c3e661cc827ebc72e160589f14d42d6c281e | It may have been integral in Britain's defence against Nazi invasion, but as a historical icon the Beacon Hill Fort hasn't exactly captured hearts and minds of history tourists. In fact, the Essex fort is Britain's least favourite tourist attraction with just just six visitors - an average of one person every 61 days or nine weeks - recorded there last year, leaving it last in VisitEngland's survey of 1,279 destinations. Beacon Hill is a long way from the Tower of London, number one on VisitEngland's list for top paid destinations, despite being restored by the The Harwich Society after being decommissioned in 1956. Scroll down for video . The Beacon Hill Fort in Harwich, Essex, is England's least popular attraction with just six visitors last year . The Tower of London attracted 2,894,698 visitors in 2013, which is 7,931 per day . The British Museum is not surprisingly the most popular free attraction, with 6,701,036 visitors last year . The Tower pulled 2,894,698 visitors in 2013, 7,931 per day, but in Beacon Hill Fort's defence the historical monument currently surrounded by poppies to mark a century since the outbreak of World War I is only closed four days a year. The World War II post in Tendring, for which entry costs £1 compared to the Tower's £22, is open only on the first Sunday of each month. For free educational entertainment, 6,701,036 visitors flocked to the British Museum to view its more than seven million objects from every continent including the Rosetta Stone and Elgin Marbles. The National Gallery is a close second with 6,031,574 visitors last year. Beacon Hill Fort isn't alone in its unfortunate neglect from tourism - there are a host of potentially intriguing destinations open to the public that are largely neglected. Here are the 10 least visited attractions in England. Rosedene, Bromsgrove, Worcestershire . Annual visitors: 275 . The Victoria era is brought back to life in this largely unchanged red-brick cottage barely unchanged since it was occupied by early Chartists, with an organic garden and orchard still maintained to this day . William Booth Birthplace Museum, Nottingham . Annual visitors: 235 . A humble tribute in memory of the Salvation Army's founder can be seen at Number 12 Notintone Place . Papplewick Hall & Gardens, Gedling, Nottinghamshire . Annual visitors: 187 . Amid stunningly well-kept and award-winning grounds, Papplewick Hall dates back to the early 1780s. Inside you can see local antiques, pieces of furniture and a range of artworks . Calverton Folk Museum, Gedling, Nottinghamshire . Annual visitors: 175 . The main street of Calverton which has a quaint folk museum dedicated to the village during the Victorian era. Set inside a surviving Stockinger's cottage (not pictured), four rooms are dedicated to their day to day life. Also see an actual Frameworker's knitting machine and a host of tapestries. A taped commentary is included . Long Crendon Courthouse, Aylesbury Vale, Buckinghamshire . Annual visitors: 153 . An early 15th century courthouse in excellent condition hosts an exhibition about the village. Here was where the parish council would hold an annual manorial court to deal with tithes and crimes such as selling bad fish or brewing without a licence . Old Buckenham Mill, Breckland, Norfolk . Annual visitors: 128 . A mill with the largest diameter tower in England, dating back to 1818, but just 128 visitors last year . The Gissing Centre, Wakefield, West Yorkshire . Annual visitors: 118 . Wakefield-born George Gissing was hugely under-rated and his 23 novels between 1880 and 1903 should rank up there with George Meredith and Thomas Hardy the curators say. He was also friends with Henry James and H.G. Wells. Gissing's life and the literature of Wakefield is celebrated in this, Gissing's former childhood home . North Ings Farm Museum, North Kesteven, Lincolnshire . Annual visitors: 98 . A quaint agricultural museum specialising in agricultural equipment, it has a range of old tractors, farm machinery and a narrow gauge railway that takes rides along the adjoining lake . British in India Museum, Pendle, Lancashire . Annual visitors: 70 . 'Truly unique,' VisitPendle's website screams. See a range of swords, kukris and other weapons, commemorative items, models carved in ivory, photographs, paintings, Indian army cap badges and buttons, and a collection of Indian regimental neckties in this chronicle of Brits in India that only 70 people saw in 2013 . Radar Tower (Beacon Hill Fort), Tendring, Essex . Annual visitors: 6 . Also known as Harwich Radar Tower, it is the 'earliest radar tower containing original 21ft scanners' and now famous for being the least visited tourist attraction according to VisitEngland . | Beacon Hill Fort is the least visited tourist attraction in England .
The World War II radar tower came last in VisitEngland's survery .
The tourism body studied 1,279 destinations and their 2013 figures .
Tower of London had 2,894,698 visitors in 2013 to be the top paid-for attraction while the British Museum is the most popular free drawcard . |
135,207 | 3ae2d03015eafd20a36691a61d521da157d07a12 | By . Associated Press . If you want to party at college, Syracuse University is your best bet. The New York college has claimed the title of nation's top party school, according to The Princeton Review. The nationwide survey of 130,000 students also found Syracuse's student newspaper ranked second best among the 379 colleges, while its sports scene, rated third best, likely helped the party mood. Number one: Syracuse University in New York has been ranked bu college students as the best place to party . Party town: Syracuse University has claimed the title of America's top party school. Pictured are Syracuse students erupting during an NCAA college football game against Maine in Syracuse, New York on September 18, 2010 . University officials had no immediate . comment on the private university's showing in the 2015 edition of 'The . Best 379 Colleges'. The . book contains 62 top-20 lists gauging student satisfaction with . professors, financial aid awards, athletic facilities, food and other . factors. Rounding out the . top five party schools were: the University of Iowa (last year's . winner), the University of California-Santa Barbara, West Virginia . University and the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Repeating at the top of the 'stone-cold sober' schools was Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah.Syracuse's central New York neighbor Colgate University topped the list of most beautiful campuses. The . university of Chicago was found to have the best college library, and . students voted Virginia Tech's dining hall offerings as the best campus . food. Other No. 1 spots: Stanford University . in the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender-friendly category; Elon . University in North Carolina as best-run college; Washington University . in St. Louis, Missouri, for its dorms; and Yale University for best . newspaper. 'Our purpose is . not to crown one college 'best' overall or to rank these distinctive . schools 1 to 379 on any single topic,' said Princeton Review senior vice . president Robert Franek. Stunning: American college students consider Colgate University in New York to have the most beautiful campus in the country . 'We . present our 62 ranking lists to give applicants the broader base of . campus feedback to choose the college that's best for them.' Northeastern . University in Boston took the No. 1 spot on the list of best career . services. Oregon's Reed College topped the list of best professors, and . the happiest students were found at Vanderbilt University in Tennessee, . according to the rankings. An . average of 343 students per campus were asked 80 questions about their . schools and themselves during the 2013-14 and/or previous two school . years. With no affiliation to Princeton University, the Natick, . Massachusetts-based Princeton Review has published 'The Best 379 . Colleges' since 1992. 1. Syracuse University, New York2. University of Iowa, Iowa3. University of California-Santa Barbara, California4. West Virginia University, West Virginia5. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Illinois6. Lehigh University, Pennsylvania7. Penn State University, Pennsylvania8. University of Wisconsin-Madison, Wisconsin9. Bucknell University, Pennsylvania10. University of Florida, Florida11. Miami University (Ohio), Ohio12. Florida State University, Florida13. Ohio University-Athens, Ohio14. DePauw University, Indiana15. University of Georgia, Georgia16. University of Mississippi, Mississippi17. Tulane University, Louisiana18. University of Vermont, Vermont19. University of Oregon, Oregon20. University of Delaware, Delaware . 1. Brigham Young University, Utah2. Wheaton College, Illinois3. U.S. Military Academy, New York4. Calvin College, Michigan5. Thomas Aquinas College, California6. College of the Ozarks, Missouri7. Gordon College, Massachusetts8. Grove City College, Pennsylvania9. U.S. Coast Guard Academy, Connecticut10. City University of New York-Brooklyn College, New York11. City University of New York-City College, New York12. Wesleyan College (Georgia), Georgia13. U.S. Naval Academy, Maryland14. Franklin W. Olin College of Engineering, Massachusetts15. City University of New York-Queens College, New York16. Mills College, California17. St. Olaf College, Minnesota18. University of Houston, Texas19. Nazareth College, New York20. University of Dallas, Texas . | Princeton Review surveyed 130K American college students .
379 colleges ranked in 62 categories including top social scene, extracurricular activities and food . |
46,290 | 826f2414623f8e444725f1c9af593f27b440ebdc | (CNN) -- Animal print is as classic to fashion as the little black dress. But this spring, the orange-and-black look of leopard is heading to the back of the closet in exchange for cuddly kitten faces. Animals are shaping what we wear, from high-fashion runways to big retail stores to resale shops -- and it has nothing to do with fur, or even zebra print. No, fashion is trying to re-chic the old sweater of a wolf howling at the bright yellow moon or a T-shirt of an iguana going for a snack. The animal illustrations growing popular now are a departure from the sophisticated animal prints that designers used a few years ago. Pets, specifically cats, are the most popular animals within the trend, fashion watchers said. "Pets are a language of international happiness," Susan Cernek, Glamour magazine's fashion development director said. "You can hop on YouTube and see a cute puppy video and have comments come from all over the world. There is a universal appeal." Cernek said animal motifs cycled into trendiness about 2006. The use of animal prints like leopard and zebra took off during the recession, when designers were trying to find a luxe substitute for pricier bejeweled clothing. "It is the kind of print that scales well," Cernek said. "You can have a great print in a $30 shoe or in a $3,000 dress." Leah Chernikoff, the editor of Fashionista, an online fashion blog, said the graphics' transition from tacky to stylish can be attributed to designers like Riccardo Tisci and his Givenchy men's line, which prominently features Rottweiler prints. Rapper Kayne West donned a Givenchy Rottweiler shirt during a celebrity- and media-studded event. It exposed the public to the rising trend, Chernikoff said. She also points to celebrities like Liv Tyler and lines like Burberry that brought animals like the owl to the center of fashion. Chernikoff said city street fashion culture helped to pioneer animal fashion before it showed up in magazines. "We were seeing people wearing these cheesy animal sweaters in an ironic way," Chernikoff said. "There is something cool about the cheekiness. Hipsters are reclaiming things... you would buy [animal prints] at souvenir shops, but there was this hipster appropriation in fall 2011." It's the nature of the fashion industry, Glamour's Cernek said -- it's cyclical and reactive, always looking to rethink what's out there to create a different effect. "More fashion-forward designers try to do the opposite, and do something that is more fun, like the cheeky animal prints," Cernek said. The tongue-in-cheek animal graphics are showing up on runways, and among the work of artists like Kelly Eident. Eident owns an Etsy store, I'm Your Present, where she sells clothes created with vintage fabrics and repurposed clothes she finds at thrift stores. One of her best-selling items is a form-fitted dress adorned sheer sleeves and a large graphic illustration of animals like wolves or cats. She describes her clothes as fun -- with a sense of humor. "I think animals are always in style," she said. "Everyone loves them." Everyone -- including designers like Victoria Beckham, who came out with a line that features cat prints on dresses and blouses, and Roberto Cavalli, whose line Just Cavalli features strands of earth-tone feathers and desert sand snake print. "Fashion went through a phase of being very serious and had a heavy vision," Cernek said. "But the best designers epitomize this sense of whimsy and they take leopard print, luxurious and serious, and do something more fun with it."" That universal appeal has driven the trend from the street to the store. Target spokesman Joshua Carter said this season's animal fashions are well-received by customers. The store sells a Jason Wu for Target T-shirt featuring a black cat, men's shirts with large prints of huskies, pugs and beagles, plus items like snake-print skirts, faded leopard skinny jeans and cheetah-print flats. "We have seen animal print as a growing trend and continue to incorporate it into our apparel and accessories as either a full print or an embellishment on a solid style," Carter wrote in an e-mail. Target's success with the trend demonstrates that it is making impressions on mainstream fashion and consumerism. Whimsy is a really important aspect to Berene Campbell when it comes to design and fashion. The Vancouver resident grew up in South Africa, where animals were incorporated in everything from fashion to décor. Campbell is now a graphic designer who crafts unconventional fabric patterns for handbags inspired by animals. She created a handbag in the shape of an owl, merging "geek" appeal with a colorful palette. "I like things that are fun and whimsical and entertaining," she said. "Something that you look at and you go 'Aww,' something that makes a person turn up the creases on the side of their mouth." Eva Kischel crafts her clothing by outfitting T-shirt sleeves with minimalist cat face designs. Kischel, who runs the Etsy shop The Petite Chouette, said she gravitates toward the animal trend not because of ironic appeal or Vogue magazine, but because of its eco-friendly appeal. "I think wearing animal-themed clothes also demonstrates that you are against fur or other animal skin in fashion, which is a good thing," she said. "I personally like this trend because it simply makes me happy to 'wear' my favorite animals without hurting them." Whatever the reasons, animals cute and fierce have clawed through many layers of fashion because it makes people happy, fashionistas said. "It is joy and whimsy," Cernek said. "Why not have something like that is your clothes?" | Graphic animal prints are a fashion trend this spring .
Sophisticated animal prints came into fashion in 2006, opening the door to other animal motifs .
Wolves, dogs and cats show up on shirts and dresses on runways and in Etsy stores . |
73,220 | cfa35fb3f1ccd99de710cfee0015724992bee023 | Read our brilliant preview to the new NBA season... so, who will come out on top? Tickets for the NBA's regular season game between the Milwaukee Bucks against the New York Knicks at London's O2 Arena on January 15 have sold out in a record time of less than an hour. The Eastern Conference match-up is the fifth NBA match to be played at this venue since 2011. Tickets went on public sale on Friday at 9am and were snapped up less than 60 minutes later as the sport continues to grow within the UK. Tickets for the New York Knicks' clash against the Milwaukee Bucks in London have sold out in record time . 'We are thrilled with these results and really want to thank our fans for their ongoing support. Selling out faster than ever further demonstrates the tremendous appetite for more NBA basketball in the UK and throughout Europe,' said Benjamin Morel, NBA Senior Vice President, Europe, Middle East and Africa. 'With these exciting teams coming to London prepared to compete, our fans can look forward to an authentic NBA experience delivering the entertainment, excitement and all-around spectacle European fans have come to know and love.' The clash will be the second fixture to be played on foreign soil this season with the Houston Rockets facing the Minnesota Timberwolves in Mexico City on November 12 as the NBA looks to expand the sport beyond America. Stoudemire scored 17 points when New York beat the Detroit Pistons 102-87 in January 2013 at the O2 Arena . CLICK HERE to read New York Knicks' star Amar'e Stoudemire's thoughts that the NBA should play more games out of the USA. Speaking ahead of the release of tickets earlier in the week, New York Knicks star Amar'e Stoudemire revealed his desire to play more matches in the English capital. Stoudemire, who scored 17 points in the Knicks' 102-87 win against the Detroit Pistons at the O2 Arena nearly two years ago said: 'I wish we could play in London every single season but again it's up to the commissioner to come up with that but I do truly enjoy playing in London for sure.' The 31-year-old's team-mate Carmelo Anthony has echoed his sentiments revealing his excitement at returning to the venue where he won Olympic gold with the United States at the London 2012 Games. 'On behalf of my teammates and the entire Knicks organization I want to say how excited I am to be returning to London for NBA Global Games 2015,' Anthony said. 'I have played several times in London both for the Knicks and the US Olympic team and have fond memories of the city and the great fans.' Knicks' star player Carmelo Anthony (left) also played in their victory against the Pistons in 2013 . For the Milwaukee Bucks it will be their first-ever match in England and their guard Brandon Knight revealed the franchise are looking forward to making history. 'We are looking forward to coming to London for our first ever game in the UK,' the 22-year-old revealed. 'The opportunity to play in front of fans in London and to explore a different city and represent the Bucks organization will be a unique experience for us all.' Bucks' Brandon Knight (left) says he is looking forward to playing in the franchise's first match in London . Fans are reminded to follow @NBAUK and NBA UK Facebook as a limited number of tickets may become available through releases closer to the game. | Milwaukee Bucks face the New York Knicks in London on January 15 .
Tickets went on sale at 9am on Friday and were gone in under an hour .
Eastern Conference clash is the fifth regular season match to be held at O2 . |
143,750 | 45e5822a25f567242959116ca18dbd508cf2e441 | By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 22:33 EST, 12 March 2014 . | . UPDATED: . 06:18 EST, 13 March 2014 . Hidden cameras have captured the birth of three tiger cubs at London Zoo. Three of the world's rarest tigers were born to five-year-old Sumatran tigress Melati on February 3 after a 106-day pregnancy, keepers announced today. The cubs arrived in the early hours, and all were born within an hour. The first cub was born at 12.28am, the second at 12.59am and the third made its entrance into the world at 1.18am. Scroll down for video . My babies: Tigress mother Melati cuddles her cubs in the birthing den at London Zoo in Regents Park . Feeding time: The tiger triplets, whose sexes have not yet been determined, suckle on Melati . The entire birth process was monitored using remote camera technology. The zoo has yet to establish the sex of the cubs. Melati and her cubs remain together inside special 'cubbing dens' with the mother only occasionally venturing away from her babies for food. Their birth will be a welcome addition to the zoo as it comes less than six months after the death of the zoo's first Sumatran tiger cub in 17 years. Keepers at the zoo were left 'very distraught' after the cub was found drowned on the edge of the pool inside the tigers' enclosure, two weeks after its birth in October. The cub had been the grandchild of the zoo's last tiger cub, Hari, the father of Melati. Little explorers: Keepers have nicknamed one of the cubs Trouble, as it's much bolder than the others . Welcome addition: The birth of the triplets comes less than six months after Melati's last cub drowned . Zookeeper Teague Stubbington said: 'We couldn't be more delighted with our new arrivals, and with how Melati is responding to her three cubs. 'We've been observing them 24/7, and one of us is always on duty to keep an eye on the little ones throughout the night. We've even been able to observe key milestones like their eyes opening and their tentative first steps. 'While we still don't know whether they're boys or girls, we're starting to see their personalities develop. We've nicknamed one Trouble, as it's much bolder than the others - it was the first to start exploring its den, and we've spotted it waking up its siblings when they fall asleep.' Ever felt like you're being watched? The triplets' entire birth process was monitored using remote cameras . In the Seventies there were 1,000 Sumatran tigers in the wild; today there are believed to be just 300 individuals. If numbers continue to decline at that rate, they face a very real threat of extinction within the next decade. The cubs represent a great achievement for the zoo and the global breeding programme for the critically endangered species. While mother Melati relaxes with her cubs, visitors to the zoo can still see six-year-old father Jae Jae in Tiger Territory, and there will be exclusive footage of the cubs on the zoo's YouTube channel throughout this month. | Sumatran tiger cubs were born on February 3, it was announced today .
Their arrival comes less than six months after zoo's last tiger cub drowned .
Sumatran tigers face the threat of extinction from the wild within a decade . |
240,273 | c30a7a92f1575f73e46588f7b3a7b72a0dd1944f | (CNN) -- Demonstrators stormed a provincial administration building in eastern Ukraine on Sunday and raised the Russian flag atop it, demanding the release of riot police accused of killing protesters in Kiev, the Ukrainian capital, in February. Police were negotiating with the demonstrators, who have called for supporters to rally around the Regional Security Administration building in Donetsk, about 200 kilometers (120 miles) from the Russian border. Video of the negotiations was being streamed live online by local news outlets. The protest is the latest challenge to Ukraine's embattled new government, which took power after a revolt that toppled pro-Russian President Viktor Yanukovych in February. There was no immediate response to the seizure from top officials in Kiev, where the jailed police are accused of killing protesters during the uprising against Yanukovych. The separatists inside the building used a loudspeaker to call for formation of a "people's city council" for Donetsk. A similar demonstration took place in Lugansk, according to Ukrainian news agency Ukrinform. Protesters stormed a Security Service office there, demanding the release of a leader. "The Russians are trying to destabilize the situation in the country," Ukraine Interior Minister Arsen Avakov said in a post on his Facebook page Sunday. "Putin and Yanukovich have ordered and paid for another round of separatist disturbances in the East of the country, Lugansk, Donetsk, Kharkov." The pro-Russian "paid provocateurs" were trying to "bring blood and victims," but Ukrainian police have been ordered to "take the situation under control without spilling blood," Avakov said. "The police will not shoot people due to a bunch of paid provocateurs," the interior minister said. "There are people who were deceived and who were paid among the protestors." The protests led Ukraine's acting President Oleksandr Turchinov to cancel a trip to Lithuania Sunday, his spokesman said. Turchinov, who also serves as parliament speaker, was scheduled to travel there to meet with speakers from European Union states. Turchinov will instead meet with law enforcement chiefs and take "personal control" of the response to the protests, the spokesman said. Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk announced on live television Sunday evening that he would travel to his country's eastern regions "to dismiss their fears." Yatsenyuk said he would offer to decentralize power and state financial support for local businesses. In mid-March, Ukraine's new government warned that pro-Russian forces in other regions might attempt to follow the model used to wrest the Crimea region from Ukraine. Yatsenyuk said demonstrations by what he called "political tourists" with foreign passports were already under way; Andrii Parubii, the secretary of the Ukrainian parliament's National Security and Defense Council, said protesters included "elite special units that are trying to arrive to Ukraine with weapons." The Donetsk protest comes more than a month after pro-Russian forces seized government headquarters in Ukraine's semi-autonomous, Russian-majority Crimea region. A new administration was quickly put in place, backed by Russian troops and local militias. A hastily called referendum on independence, condemned as unconstitutional by Ukraine's government and the West, led to the territory's swift annexation by Moscow, a process completed by March 20. CNN's Claudia Dominguez contributed to this report. | NEW: Pro-Russian protests also take place in Lugansk .
Ukrainian Prime Minister Yatsenyuk plans trip to eastern regions "to dismiss their fears"
"Russians are trying to destabilize the situation in the country," Ukraine interior minister says .
Protesters are demanding the release of riot police accused of killing demonstrators in February . |
169,337 | 671ab0cf81931b5ac424488b3b360395f5290650 | Istanbul (CNN) -- The European Union avoided a rupture of relations with Turkey by agreeing to open a new round of membership negotiations with the Turkish government. But the date for the next round of talks on the nation joining the EU will be determined only after publication of an annual progress report on Turkey. The decision was reached after several long rounds of talks last weekend between the foreign ministers of Germany and Turkey. Germany had threatened to block Turkish membership negotiations after more than three weeks of riots in Turkey during which riot police repeatedly attacked anti-government demonstrators with tear gas and pepper spray. The development comes amid daily tensions. Turkish police detained at least 20 people in Ankara on Tuesday. Turkey's semiofficial Anatolian Agency reported they were accused of being members of a terrorist organization, attacking police and destroying public property. Turkey's foreign minister welcomed Tuesday's decision by the EU. "I hope we will not go through such a crisis again," Ahmet Davutoglu said in remarks to journalists in Ankara. "The Turkey-EU train will move to reach its target in the quickest way." "Compromise (is a) good decision in difficult times," the German Embassy in Ankara said on Twitter, citing German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle. Turkey has been pursuing membership in the European Union for more than half a century. But while Turkey's top diplomat was embracing international rapprochement with Europe, the Turkish prime minister was delivering a speech warning of a shadowy foreign conspiracy aimed at toppling him from power. Speaking before members of his political party in the Turkish parliament, Recep Tayyip Erdogan repeated his claims that the protests against him were being organized by the same "center" that he alleged organized recent riots in Brazil. "There are many similarities between what is going on in Brazil and here," he said. "... The button that was pushed to activate the riots in both countries was pushed from the same center." Erdogan vowed to prosecute hotels that sheltered protesters during clashes with police. He also criticized a female journalist from the British Broadcasting Corporation's Turkish service, who became the target of an online smear campaign by the mayor of Ankara last Sunday. Ibrahim Melih Gokcek, an elected mayor from Erdogan's Justice and Development Party, launched a hashtag campaign on Twitter accusing the BBC's Selin Girit of being a British spy. The BBC issued a statement on Monday expressing concern about what it described as Turkish government threats against a BBC employee. Monday night, U.S. president Barack Obama held a telephone call with Erdogan, a close Middle Eastern ally who received a warm reception during a visit to the White House last month. The two leaders discussed providing additional support to rebels battling the government in neighboring Syria. According to a White House statement, Erdogan and Obama also discussed "the importance of nonviolence and of the rights to free expression and assembly and a free press." Family of slain protester 'devastated' Meanwhile, the family of Ethem Sarisuluk, a protester who died in a hospital after being shot by a police officer earlier this month in Ankara, said they were "devastated" after a court released the suspected shooter on Monday. The court ruled the police officer shot Sarisuluk while firing in self-defense, Anatolian Agency reported. "My family thought justice would be shown in this case, and now especially my mother is devastated," said Sarisuluk's brother, Mustafa, in a phone call with CNN. "The government controls law and justice and blesses the murderous police department," he added. Amateur video of what is believed to be the shooting incident on June 1 shows a helmeted police officer nearly surrounded by stone-throwing protesters. In the video, which has gone viral across Turkish social networking sites, the police officer lunges forward, kicking a demonstrator while being pelted with stones. Immediately afterward, he pulls out his pistol and fire three rapid shots in the air, at which point Sarisuluk, one of the masked demonstrators involved in the clash, drops to the ground. According to Anatolian Agency, the court ruled that "the suspect's action of firing into the air may fall within the limits of self-defense." Sarisuluk, two other demonstrators and a police officer are among at least four people killed during the wave of anti-government protests over the past month. Earlier this month, the European Parliament adopted a resolution criticizing the Turkish government for "the disproportionate and excessive use of force by Turkish police to break up peaceful and legitimate protests." On Monday, several hundred demonstrators organized a protest march in Istanbul upon receiving news of the release of the suspected shooter of Sarisuluk. Protesters also organized a Twitter campaign repeating the message, "My name is Ethem Sarisuluk. I was unarmed. Police shot me in the head and I died. They set my murderer free." The unprecedented violence in Turkey began after riot police repeatedly attacked a group of demonstrators who were protesting against the demolition of a small park in Istanbul. Prime Minister Erdogan had announced plans to replace the park with a shopping mall. After police launched a predawn raid on the sit-in on May 31 using tear gas and water cannons, demonstrators began fighting back. The violence rapidly escalated and spread to other Turkish cities, as protesters began building barricades, hurling stones, and eventually throwing fireworks and gas bombs at police. The clashes blossomed into the largest civil disobedience movement Turkey has seen in a generation. Demonstrators have lashed out against what they describe as the increasingly dictatorial policies of Erdogan. Erdogan first swept to power after his party won national elections more than a decade ago. | The government's harsh reaction to protests has raised concerns among EU nations .
Police detain at least 20 in Ankara .
Turkey's prime minister warns of a shadowy foreign conspiracy aimed at toppling him .
Family of slain protester "devastated" over release of shooter . |
68,813 | c31f79babaf4d93609ef3ee2966e25428a4fc130 | By . John Naish . Like many artists, Arthur Ellis paints the things he sees around him. This is why his paintings are inspired by dizzyingly high precipices, towering piles of sofas, cartoon animals and even Victorian dolls that have come to life. But in fact, Arthur is completely blind. The 66-year-old from Southborough, Kent, lost his sight after a near-fatal bout of meningitis that damaged his optic nerve seven years ago. But instead of experiencing only darkness, he lives amid a vivid world of hallucinatory visions. His illness has left him with a strange, but surprisingly common, condition called Charles Bonnet syndrome. Painting in the dark: Artist Arthur Ellis, 66, from Southborough, Kent, lives amid a vivid world of hallucinatory visions, despite being completely blind . An estimated two million people in Britain experience often bizarre visual hallucinations, according to the Institute of Psychiatry. Often these are caused by Charles Bonnet syndrome, which is named after an 18th-century Swiss scientist and philosopher who identified the condition in his grandfather, who was nearly blind from cataracts. Such visual hallucinations are most commonly are associated with medical conditions affecting the brain or vision, such as Parkinson’s, dementia and the relatively common eye condition, macular degeneration. The latter develops when the macula, the part of the eye responsible for central vision, starts to fail. It is most commonly age-related, and some 460,000 Britons suffer from it — with around one in five of those thought to develop Charles Bonnet syndrome. Another world: One of Mr Ellis's paintings, drawn from his hallucinations after his blindness . When a person suddenly loses his or her sight, the brain can start to overcompensate for blindness by filling blank spots with stored images. However, because of lack of research so far, relatively little is yet known about the syndrome — let alone how it can be treated. Sufferers and medical professionals can be reluctant to discuss it, for fear that the hallucinations are a sign of insanity. In 2006, Arthur, a divorced father of three grown-up boys, was working in the printing industry. In his spare time, the fine-arts graduate painted portraits and surreal art. But one Saturday morning, he came down with an intense headache. ‘I put up with it for the whole weekend then struggled into work on Monday,’ he remembers. ‘My colleagues took one look at my awful state and sent me to my GP.’ He barely managed to get there before collapsing in the consulting room. Arthur was rushed to an intensive care unit, but lapsed into a coma. ‘I was diagnosed with bacterial meningitis,’ he says. He was put on a life-support machine and his family were warned he’d most probably be left brain-dead. After three weeks, however, Arthur began to rouse. ‘I was in a terrible state,’ he says. But although his sight had gone, Arthur emerged into a strange world of terrifying images and bizarrely cartoonish apparitions. ‘While I was in a neurological rehabilitation unit in hospital, I kept seeing myself on the edge of a precipice like a big, craggy bay. There was the feeling you could just tip off,’ he remembers. The doctors had told him that he was blind, and so he understood this to be a hallucination, but still it was an extremely disturbing visitation. ‘I got my sons to take me from room to room to get away from it, but I just got different views of the same frightening thing. I could also see a dry riverbed below, and felt certain that it would flood and carry me off.’ Arthur feared that he was about to lose his mind entirely. ‘It scared the nurses too,’ he says. ‘One instructed me not to tell anyone about the hallucinations, for fear that I would be sectioned under the Mental Health Act.’ Eventually, a specialist confirmed that Arthur had Charles Bonnet syndrome, as a result of optical nerve damage in his brain. Surreal life: Charles Bonnet sufferers often see grotesque disembodied faces, bizarre figures in elaborate costume, nonsense text and letter strings and extended landscape scenes . It is believed that in such cases, the brain can start to overcompensate for blindness by filling blank spots with stored images. These may be confabulated from life, from film or TV, from books or radio. ‘I know now that I can handle the visions, because I understand that it is my brain playing tricks on me,’ says Arthur. ‘Some of the images I see are really entertaining, like cartoon animals,’ he says. ‘If I wave my arms at them, they even flinch. It is a surreal world. A hallucination of a sofa becomes a flight of stairs and then I see someone standing on the top of them.’ Arthur has spoken to other people with Charles Bonnet syndrome and found remarkable similarities in their hallucinations — such as seeing Victorian dolls coming to life. Many sufferers’ hallucinations can also range from simple patterns and colours to grotesque disembodied faces, bizarre figures in elaborate costume, nonsense text and letter strings and extended landscape scenes. In fact, hallucinations seem to be far more common than most of us would acknowledge. Grief hallucinations, for example, may affect the majority of bereaved people. These ghostly visions of dead partners, friends or pets are often experienced by bereaved people shortly after their loss. A study from the University of Goteburg, Sweden, found that more than 80 per cent of older people experience hallucinations associated with their dead partner one month after the bereavement. The ghosts seemed to be so real that they heard them and spoke to them. The ghostly visits were commonly felt to be a ‘helpful and comforting experience’, said the researchers. One much rarer condition is Lhermitte’s peduncular hallucinosis. This involves bizarre visual hallucinations, such as strange-looking chickens and people attired in odd costumes. The condition is caused by a lesion in a patient’s midbrain, caused either by accident or disease. The hallucinations are believed to occur because the midbrain is associated with the faculty of vision. Despite its relatively widespread nature, Charles Bonnet syndrome remains essentially a medical mystery. Vivid imagination: Arthur suffers from Charles Bonnet syndrome, as a result of the damage in his brain and now makes art from his hallucinations . Now the Institute of Psychiatry, at King’s College London, has launched an in-depth investigation into how it may best be treated. Dr Dominic ffytche, a consultant psychiatrist and expert in visual hallucinations, is joint leader of the £1.9 million initiative. As he explains: ‘Despite the large numbers of people suffering from distressing hallucinations, there is no clear evidence that any treatments actually work.’ He believes this is partly because no one has previously taken an over-arching view of the condition. ‘Depending on whether the hallucinations are a symptom of conditions such as Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s or eye disease, you might be treated by a psychiatrist, neurologist or ophthalmologist, often with very different advice on how there might be any way to treat the condition.’ His project aims to understand more clearly what causes visual hallucinations and identify which treatments work best for which patients. He hopes that this will ultimately improve NHS care. In the meantime, though, sufferers can still be faced by ignorance. Indeed, the Macular Society, a charity campaigning for people with sight loss, has been urging ophthalmologists and opticians to warn patients with the condition that they have at least a 20 per cent chance of developing Charles Bonnet syndrome. ‘It is extraordinary that so many people don’t know about this condition,’ says the charity’s spokeswoman, Cathy Yelf. ‘Sufferers can fear that they are going mad as well as blind. ‘Most people can cope with it well, once they know what is happening to them. But some suffer quite horrifying hallucinations, for no apparent reason. For example, one woman saw her dead husband’s disembodied head on the pillow next to her. Other people see huge snakes or insects.’ For Arthur, though, the hallucinations have positively helped him to find purpose in his life post-blindness. Moreover, he has been able to sell his pictures through professional exhibitions. ‘A lot of my art work is trying to make sense of my Charles Bonnet hallucinations,’ he says. ‘When I left hospital after nine months, I started trying to draw like I used to do. But now it is a different ball game. I cannot now let the pen or pencil leave the paper. If I do, I am lost.’ To get an idea of how his finished paintings look, Arthur relies on feedback from sighted people, including his sons and professional carers who look after him every day. ‘People have told me that my work is inspirational. But I had the drive to do it anyway,’ he says. ‘Before the illness, I had planned to take up painting fully again when I retired. It’s what keeps me going.’ For information on Charles Bonnet Syndrome visit macularsociety.org . | Blind artist Arthur Ellis, 66, paints what 'bizarre visual hallucinations'
Ellis, from Southborough, Kent, lost his sight seven years ago . |
182,440 | 783c0e48c72ca8297bd6103e3310906f92e33f42 | (CNN) -- Echoing an airline chief and flight attendants, U.S. Rep. Ed Markey came out Saturday against the Transportation Security Administration's move to allow small pocketknives on airplanes, calling it unnecessary, counterproductive and potentially dangerous. In a letter to TSA Administrator John Pistole, the Massachusetts Democrat expressed concern about the new policy and asked it be reversed. "The attacks on September 11, 2001, demonstrated that in the confined environment of an airplane, even a small blade in the hands of a terrorist can lead to disaster," wrote Markey, who is running for the U.S. Senate seat recently vacated by John Kerry. "... In addition, the additional responsibility of assessing which knives meet the new requirements could be a distraction for already overburdened screeners at TSA checkpoints, potentially leading to increased wait times and decreased security." Knives on a plane? Really? Under the new rules outlined this week, knives with blades no longer than 2.36 inches (6 centimeters) and less than a half-inch wide will be allowed in airline cabins as long as the blade is retractable and does not lock into place. Razorblades and box cutters are still prohibited. The rules also allow passengers to carry two golf clubs, toy bats or other sports sticks -- such as ski poles, hockey sticks, lacrosse sticks and pool cues -- aboard in carry-on luggage. Pistole said the move brings the United States into alignment with international rules and are keeping with his "risk-based security" approach. Kip Hawley, who oversaw the TSA from 2005 to 2009, said the search for knives interferes with the search for objects such as bombs and toxins that can threaten aircraft. Ex-TSA chief backs decision . But others have sharply criticized the change, which takes effect April 25. They include the Flight Attendants Union Coalition, a nearly 90,000-member group that has launched a campaign to reverse the TSA's decision. The policy is also opposed by the Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association, a union representing more than 26,000 officers from 65 agencies. And Delta Air Lines CEO Richard Anderson said Friday that he shares the same "legitimate concerns" as his flight attendants. Delta CEO opposed to allowing small knives on aircraft . "If the purpose is to increase security checkpoint flow, there are much more effective steps we can take together to streamline the security checkpoints with risk-based screening mechanisms," he wrote in a letter to Pistole. | The TSA said it would allow small knives onto planes, starting April 25 .
The agency's chief says this brings the U.S. in compliance with world norms .
U.S. Rep. Ed Markey calls the move unnecessary and potentially dangerous .
Delta's CEO, unions for flight attendants and federal law enforcement also oppose it . |
249,009 | ce3a37fd6b5be8a2716e489fa0158792772e7a02 | By . Catherine Hardy . Abbey Clancy has been voted as the owner of the best legs in showbiz. The model, who is the face (and legs) of Veet and Scholl, also scooped third place in the best feet awards, while TV presenter Holly Willoughby topped the pedi poll, coming second in the best legs category. Kelly Brook, Tess Daley, Emma Willis and Cat Deeley were also named as having fabulous pins and tootsies. Scroll down for video . Perfect pins: British women named Abbey as having the best legs in showbiz . The survey by Veet found that although British women admire the petite scouser’s long legs they are shy when it comes to showing off their own. Hairy legs, pale skin and hard skin on feet particularly leave British women unwilling to make the most of the sun and the survey found that almost half of women will cover up their legs by wearing jeans instead of skirts. And it’s . not much better on the feet front; almost half of women will opt for . pumps instead of sandals because they’re embarrassed to let anyone see . the hard skin on their feet and cracked heels. Only 15 per cent of women . think that their feet look good in a pair of sandals. Summer ready: Abbey says she gets the most compliments about her legs when she's kept up her grooming routine . Abbey . says: ‘It’s no wonder women keep their legs and feet covered up when . they feel unprepared to bare their skin. I know I tend to hide in a pair . of skinny jeans and ballet pumps when I’ve neglected my legs and feet. ‘However, I get the most compliments and . feel best about myself when I have taken the time to ensure my legs are . smooth and hair-free and that my feet are well cared for.’ It is cost that is putting most people off getting summer-ready, with over three quarters of women saying the price of treatments at salons . is an issue. Feeling embarrassed and lack of time are also reasons women . are deciding to take grooming into their own hands. Hairy no more: British women named lack of tan and hairy legs as the top reasons for staying covered up . ‘As a model I have learnt how to take care of my body and make sure it’s always looking its best’, says Abbey. ‘I feel most confident when I’ve carried out my beauty basics such as waxing and foot care. It’s not just about how great your legs and feet look, but how you feel once they are prepped and ready to bare as soon as the sun comes out.' 'Any mum with a full time job knows that fitting in time to do even the simple things like going to the gym and shops can be a struggle, never mind finding the time to visit a salon. That’s why products like Veet EasyWax that are quick and easy to use at home are a god send.' Pampering time: Hard skin on our feet and cracked heels have us reaching for our pumps instead of showing off in summer sandals . Abbey has certainly been busy lately, revealing her new range of figure-hugging summer dresses for Matalan on Wednesday. Following the success of her AW13 collection, 28-year-old Abbey was invited back by Matalan to design a summer dress collection. Summer style: Abbey modelling her SS14 collection for Matalan . Keeping it bright: The eight-piece dress collection includes pieces in citrus orange to brighten up the colour palette for summer . With all this campaigning, she deserves her holiday in Dubai, where she is currently sunning herself with her footballer husband Peter Crouch. Topping up the tan: Abbey doesn't have to worry about pasty legs while she holidays in Dubai with husband Peter . Award-winning pins: Abbey shows off her enviable legs . | Abbey Clancy and Holly Willoughby voted as having the best legs and feet .
Almost half of British females cover up their legs and feet in the summer .
Feeling pasty is our biggest concern, with cracked heels a close second .
Abbey has teamed up with Veet and Scholl to boost women's confidence . |
183,857 | 7a272c60757a7126e355b1e6b6950e59614e3a25 | (CNN) -- The pilot of a tanker that crashed into the San Francisco Bay Bridge in 2007, causing a major oil spill, was under the influence of multiple prescription medications that impaired his judgment, federal officials said in a report Wednesday. The November 2007 crash left a gash in the tanker's side and led to an oil spill that killed more than 2,000 birds. The National Transportation Safety Board said the pilot of the Hong Kong-registered Cosco Busan, was "medically unfit" on November 7, 2007. That, and a master pilot's poor oversight of his performance, were major factors in the crash that dumped 53,000 gallons of oil into the bay, the NTSB said. "How a man who was taking a half-dozen impairing prescription medications got to stand on the bridge of a 68,000-ton ship and give directions to guide the vessel through a foggy bay and under a busy highway bridge is very troubling," said acting NTSB Chairman Mark V. Rosenker. The pilot, John Cota, was charged with criminal negligence in federal court last year. He faces two misdemeanor charges that could result in up to 18 months in prison and $115,000 in fines. The 901-foot ship left Oakland, California, en route to South Korea when Cota gave orders that steered the ship directly toward a support tower on the bridge. While the ship avoided a direct hit, it hit a support system at the tower's base, cutting a 212-foot gash in the ship's side, the NTSB said. The board ruled that Cota and Chinese master pilot Mao Cai Sun never thoroughly discussed a plan before they took off on a foggy night when visibility was less than a quarter-mile. The oil spill killed about 2,500 birds of 50 different species, according to the report. The crash caused more than $70 million in environmental cleanup costs, $2 million in damage to the ship and $1.5 million in damage to the bridge. The report also blamed the ship's operator, Fleet Management Ltd., for not properly training crew members and the U.S. Coast Guard for not providing adequate medical oversight of the pilot. It said the Coast Guard should have revoked the pilot's license, the pilot should have given a meaningful pre-departure briefing about plans for the voyage and the master pilot should have taken a more active role in ensuring the ship's safety. "There was a lack of competence in so many areas that this accident seemed almost inevitable," Rosenker said. | Pilot of tanker that struck San Francisco Bay Bridge "medically unfit," NTSB says .
Man was taking "a half-dozen impairing prescription medications," report says .
Crash in 2007 caused oil spill that killed about 2,500 birds, NTSB says .
Supervisor's poor oversight also cited as factor in NTSB report . |
56,719 | a0b5a6a9618cd5405f59b1448ecbb96741a63ab0 | Liverpool are expected to turn a near-£50million loss reported in 2013 into a profit last season - figures that the club are confident will mean they avoid any sanctions from UEFA for financial fair play (FFP) rule breaches. UEFA has announced that Liverpool are one of seven clubs who did not play in European competition last season who are under investigation for potential FFP breaches. Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers said the club were 'comfortable' with UEFA's action and it is understood the 2013-14 figures will show a profit when they are formally announced in the spring. That is a significant turnaround given that Liverpool made a loss of £49.8million for the 2012-13 season, and £40.5million for the 10-month period before that. Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers speaks to his players during training at Melwood on Thursday . UEFA's FFP rules dictate that losses must be restricted to £35.4million over a two-year window so ending the 2013-14 season in the black - thanks to a combination of the bumper new Premier League TV deal, commercial income increases and cost-cutting - will be a huge boost to efforts to avoid sanctions. The Merseyside club will also aim to write off a big chunk of losses as allowable stadium expenditure - the 2011-12 accounts reported that £49.6million was associated with Liverpool's stadium costs, £35million coming from former co-owner Tom Hick's aborted plan to build a new stadium on Stanley Park which current owners Fenway Sports Group had to scrap. UEFA announced that Liverpool, Monaco, Roma, Besiktas, Inter Milan, Krasnodar and Sporting Lisbon are all being subjected to investigations relating to 'potential break-even breaches'. Liverpool hope to write off a big chunk of losses last season as allowable stadium expenditure . Rodgers said: 'It's obviously something that will be dealt with by the directors. It's something we're comfortable with because we're great advocates of financial fair play. It's ongoing with the club.' UEFA will not withhold any Champions League or Europa League money from those clubs, but prize money has been held back from five clubs - Bursaspor, CFR Cluj, Astra Giurgiu, Buducnost Podgorica and Ekranas - as a result of 'over-due payables' - non-payments to other clubs, players and/or tax authortities. A UEFA statement read: 'The CFCB (club financial control body) has opened formal investigations into seven clubs as they disclosed a break-even deficit on the basis of their financial reporting periods ending in 2012 and 2013. A new bumper Premier League TV deal could help Liverpool avoid UEFA sanctions . 'These clubs will need to submit additional monitoring information during October and November upon the deadlines set by the CFCB, subsequent to which an additional communication shall be made and conservatory measures may be imposed.' Manchester City and Paris St Germain were the clubs hit hardest by UEFA last season for breaching FFP rules - they were each fined £49million and handed restrictions on transfer spending and a reduction in Champions League squad size. UEFA said the impact of FFP was showing positive results. Liverpool have invested heavily in the squad to tackle Premier League and Champions League commitments . The statement continued: 'The introduction of the UEFA club licensing and financial fair play regulations has already had a very positive impact on the scale of overdue payables, as they have decreased from 57 million euros in June 2011 to eight million euros in June 2014. 'In addition, aggregate losses reported by Europe's first-division clubs in the 2013 financial year have gone down to 800million euros from a record-reported deficit of 1.7 billion euros in 2011.' | Liverpool are one of seven clubs under investigation by UEFA .
Monaco, Roma, Besiktas, Inter Milan, Krasnodar and Sporting Lisbon are also under investigation for breaches of FFP regulations .
UEFA dictate that losses must be restricted to £35.4m over a two-year window . |
100,358 | 0d4efb866d37ec807cef26224a6e63a0d94ff18c | Two distinguished authors — arguably the most celebrated in their fields — will take centre stage at our autumn literary lunch. Dickie Arbiter served as Press Secretary to the Queen and media manager for Prince Charles and the late Diana, Princess of Wales. He is the only royal commentator to have been present at the Queen’s Coronation and her Silver, Golden and Diamond Jubilees. As well as his duties as a royal spokesman, he media managed all the Queen’s major ceremonial engagements as well as the arrangements for royal funerals, including that of Diana, Princess of Wales. Author Dickie Arbiter served as media manager for Prince Charles and the late Diana, Princess of Wales . He is considered one of the most knowledgeable commentators on the British monarchy, and broadcasts extensively on royal matters both in Britain and abroad. His new book, On Duty With The Queen, is his frank account of life with the Royals, told with wit and insight by a seasoned raconteur. We are proud to mark the centenary of the outbreak of World War I with eminent historian and Daily Mail journalist Sir Max Hastings. The prize-winning and best-selling author of numerous books on both World Wars, his latest — Catastrophe: Europe Goes To War 1914 — is a passionate defence of why this was a conflict in which Britain had to fight and a brilliant description of the early theatre of war from Ypres to Serbia, Prussia and Galicia. Gyles Brandreth will be master of ceremonies at the event where Sir Max Hastings will also be speaking . In the chair once more is Gyles Brandreth, our genial master of ceremonies, whose books include diaries, biographies, the popular Oscar Wilde detective series (‘very entertaining’ with ‘rattlingly elegant dialogue’) and his inspirational The 7 Secrets Of Happiness, now also a one-man show. HOW TO BOOK: Our lunch is held at the four-star Lancaster London Hotel, West London, overlooking Hyde Park, on Friday, September 26, from noon. There will be a three-course lunch with wine preceded by a reception with cash bar at which guests can meet the authors. There will also be book signings after lunch. Tickets cost £75 per person. Please send cheques, payable to the Lancaster London Hotel, with the name(s) of your guest(s) if any for the table plan, to: Caroline Hamilton Fleming, 27 Baalbec Road, London N5 1QN. | Dickie Arbiter served as Press Secretary to the Queen and media manager for Prince Charles and the late Diana. Princess of Wales .
He is the only royal commentator to have been present at the Queen’s Coronation and her Silver, Golden and Diamond Jubilees .
He media managed all the Queen’s major ceremonial engagements as well as the arrangements for royal funerals, including Diana's . |
242,518 | c5e47bee9ceace532ffaeea4ed2efc0514d35df2 | Guardian deputy sports editor Barry Glendenning has been forced to apologise after calling the late Sir Jack Hayward 'a big, massive racist' The deputy sports editor of the Guardian has apologised after branding late philanthropist and ex-football club owner Sir Jack Hayward a 'racist' and comparing him to Hitler. Barry Glendenning was attacked on social media after using an appearance on podcast Football Weekly to criticise Sir Jack, who passed away on January 13. Mr Glendenning described the former chairman of Wolverhampton Wanderers as 'a big, massive racist' before commenting 'but in a kind of endearing way.' He went on to say that Sir Jack had once described himself as a 'xenophobe', adding: 'At least he was open about it, but then so was Adolf Hitler and that doesn’t make him a nice guy does it?' Furious Wolves supporters called on fans to boycott the Guardian in the wake of the remarks, with one user branding them 'out of order' and 'akin to criticising the buffet at the Last Supper'. Mr Glendenning was forced into an apology today, saying he was 'very sorry' he had used the word racist, and refuting allegations that he had compared Sir Jack to the Nazi leader. The controversial comments came less than a week after 91-year-old Sir Jack, who ploughed millions of pounds in Wolverhampton Wanderers FC, died in Florida. Appearing on a light-hearted sports talk show, Mr Glendenning was speaking about Sir Jack when an email from a listener called Greenmile was read out by presenter James Richardson. It said: 'I was a bit disappointed that your tribute to Sir Jack Hayward focused almost exclusively on him giving money to Wolves and kind of glossed over him being an appalling old racist bigot.' In response Glendenning said: 'It’s a fair point, he was a big massive racist, but in a kind of endearing way. 'On his estate in the Bahamas, no-one was allowed to drive a foreign car, only English models. He was quite openly xenophobic and racist, but yet he was also very generous. 'To think someone’s not even cold on the slab, maybe we should’ve touched on it at least. Mr Glendenning made the comments during a podcast on Sir Jack. He was attacked by Wolves supporters, who branded him 'scum' and said the remarks were 'akin to criticising the buffet at the Last Supper' 'As my mam says, "if you don’t have anything nice to say about a dead person, then just don’t say anything". At least he was open about his views, but so was Adolf Hitler and that does not make him a nice guy.' But the Guardian website was quickly flooded with comments criticising the remarks. Chris Harper wrote: 'The racism/hitler comments were out of order. Akin to criticising the buffet at the Last Supper.' Sir Jack Hayward was known as a big-hearted philanthropist and staunch patriot. He bought his boyhood football club Wolverhampton Wanderers for £2million in 1990, spent £50million taking them to the premier league, then sold the club for a token £10 in 2007. He also paid the equivalent of £2million in today's money to have the SS Great Britain brought back to this country after the Falklands War and restored. He also gave £1million to help rebuild a Falklands hospital, and another £1million to support widows and orphans. Another project of his was wildlife sanctuary Lundy Island, situated off the North Devon coast, which he bought for £150,000 in 1969 to 'stop it falling into foreign hands.' Instead of keeping it for himself, he turned it over to the National Trust, saving it for generations to come. He was knighted by Margaret Thatcher in 1986, and once hosted the Queen at his home in the Bahamas. While there, he served Her Majesty her favourite Malvern water, because he didn't want her drinking 'any of that foreign Perrier stuff'. He passed away in Florida on January 13. Dan Baillie added: 'Disgraceful stuff from you about £SirJack in your podcast. He gave so much to several causes, and all you do is cry "racist"' Tom Hever tweeted: 'Just listened to a podcast on your website where Sir Jack Hayward was compared to Adolf Hitler. You horrible bunch of scum bags.' Neil Weav added: 'You should hand in your resignation immediately. Disgusting and disrespectful.' Earlier today Glendenning apologised for his comments, saying he 'used the wrong words'. He said: “I’m very sorry I said racist. He was by all accounts a very nice man. He had some old fashioned views. He was happy to declare himself a xenophobe. “Sir Jack was a great and generous man and a brilliant owner. I’m annoyed some Wolves fans now think that’s not my view. 'I certainly wasn’t comparing him to Hitler. I do not think in any way Sir Jack was like Hitler.' He later posted another apology on twitter, saying: 'I have no problem with him - he was a good and generous man. Just a bit old school in some of his views. 'It was misplaced yes, he had rather eccentric views but was by all accounts a top bloke. Will clarify on Thursday’s podcast.' Former World War II pilot Sir Jack, who became a millionaire after expanding his father’s agriculture business, bought his boyhood club in 1990. He went on to spend £70million of his personal fortune renovating their dilapidated Molineux stadium and propelling the club into the Premier League. He sold the club in 2007 for just £10 and retired to his home in the Bahamas before dying on January 13 following a long battle with ill health. | Sir Jack Hayward, former chairman of Wolves football club, died Jan 13 .
Guardian deputy sports editor Barry Glendenning branded him 'racist'
Said Sir Jack hadn't hidden his attitudes, before comparing him to Hitler .
Was today forced into an apology, saying he had 'used the wrong words' |
18,844 | 3555943d5b9b479d2c5aa836a2d56a0df8f669a1 | By . Tom Kelly, Gerri Peev and Nazia Parveen . PUBLISHED: . 17:26 EST, 17 July 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 17:31 EST, 17 July 2013 . Scotland Yard was urged to investigate the former head of the Serious Fraud Office yesterday after it emerged that he approved ‘irregular’ taxpayer-funded payoffs to staff worth £1million. Shadow attorney general Emily Thornberry asked the Metropolitan Police chief to examine whether the behaviour of Richard Alderman constituted misconduct in public office. She accused the former boss of the corruption watchdog of ‘flying in the face of legal advice’ by sanctioning bumper severance payments without approval. The Metropolitan Police have been asked to examine whether the behaviour of Richard Alderman constituted misconduct in public office . She said: ‘A financial irregularity on this scale is an affront to the standing of the SFO, which is supposed to be the nation’s flagship fraud and corruption watchdog.’ The development came after a report by the Public Accounts Committee found Mr Alderman did not get approval from the Cabinet Office or Treasury before agreeing payouts to three senior civil servants taking voluntary redundancy. One of them, former chief executive Phillippa Williamson, was also allowed to work from her Lancashire home near the Lake District and rack up travel and hotel bills worth £98,946 when visiting the London office for three days a week. Former CEO Phillippa Williamson was also allowed to rack up travel and hotel bills worth £98,946 . MPs on the committee said Mr Alderman, 60, who retired as director of the SFO last April days after Mrs Williamson left, had ‘failed to follow due process’ or ‘to comply with the rules that should underpin the use of public money’. The report described the SFO as a case study in ‘how not to run a public body’. In a letter to Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe, the Met Commissioner, Miss Thornberry wrote: ‘I fear that Richard Alderman’s conduct with regard to severance packages and ex-gratia payments to senior staff may amount to an offence of misconduct in public office. I would be very grateful for any assistance that you can offer in investigating this deeply troubling matter.’ The Labour MP said the report made clear that ‘Alderman failed to obtain approval for exit payments totalling over £1million and did so flying in the face of legal advice’. Matthew Sinclair, of the TaxPayers’ Alliance, said: ‘It’s deeply worrying that the body charged with rooting out financial malpractice has been found so wanting in its own affairs. It raises questions over how the public can trust a body in such a sensitive position.’ Mrs Williamson was given a payout of more than £464,000, including an ‘irregular’ £407,000 pension top-up that did not go through the proper approval process. Mr Alderman’s failure to obtain the appropriate permission led to the National Audit Office refusing to sign off Serious Fraud Office accounts. Mr Alderman also decided on a £15,000 special payment to Miss Williamson and former chief operating officer Christian Bailes to avoid grievance actions, despite legal advice that there were no such claims to be made. Mr Bailes’s severance package was worth £473,167, and a further £49,885 was handed to the head of technology, Ian McCall. Yesterday there was no answer at the £750,000 detached Georgian property that Mrs Williamson, 51, shares with her husband Peter, 68, and son Thomas, 16, in Arkholme on the border of the Lake District. | Police asked to examine the behaviour of former Serious Fraud Office boss .
Shadow attorney general accused Richard Alderman of 'flying in the face of legal advice' by sanctioning bumper severance payments without approval . |
88,732 | fbd89d6fc4079d7c4183861032101793bf30fd9d | (Travel + Leisure) -- Another New Year's Eve party? A Chinese New Year parade in Manhattan's Chinatown is scheduled for February 1. If you're still recovering from December 31, there's no need to worry about having to do it all over again. The Chinese New Year celebration for the Year of the Ox -- which begins on January 26, 2009 (year 4707 on the Chinese calendar) -- is more laid-back than the usual Dick Clark spectacle. Of course, there are parades. No matter where the celebration, there will be a decorated dragon winding its way through crowds, streaming a trail of men behind it. You can also count on seeing a lion that "eats" lettuce and oranges from local merchants, who give the lion red envelopes filled with money (in hopes of a prosperous year). But mostly, Chinese New Year is a time to enjoy food with family and friends. Dumplings and pineapples are served for their likeness to certain Chinese currency, as are spring rolls that resemble gold bars. Whole fish and chickens represent abundance, and a sticky rice pudding cake is said to help people prosper. Travel + Leisure: Your 2009 travel horoscope . "I equate it to Thanksgiving," says Stephen Chen, President of Massachusetts-based Joyce Chen Foods (and the son of Joyce Chen, the first Asian chef to have a cooking show in the U.S.). Stephen recalls that his household was encouraged to stay up all night gambling into New Year's Day. His mother explained that the longer you stay up, the longer your life will be. So if New York is the city that never sleeps, its residents should have very long lives. One of them, Taipei-born Hsin Lin Lee, is celebrating her first Chinese New Year in the Big Apple, and she's excited. An assistant TV producer, Lee explains that President-elect Obama was born in the year of the Ox -- fitting, as the pronunciation of the Chinese character for ox sounds like the Chinese word for change. To join in the festivities, Lee has three Chinatowns to choose from: Flushing, Queens; Sunset Park, Brooklyn; and Manhattan (America's largest Chinatown). But Lee points out that American Chinatowns blend together people from many regions and countries, so traditions have been mixed together. "It's less like Chinatown, and more like Asiantown," she says. "But it's a good thing to see different cultures living together." Here's where to celebrate that cultural melding: . New York: January 26, February 1. More than 400,000 fireworks will rain down over Manhattan's Roosevelt Park on January 26, while a parade is slated for February 1. On that day, some 500,000 spectators will watch martial arts performances, traditional dancers from Mexico and Bolivia and live bands playing from decorated floats -- all while a continual burst of confetti poppers fills the streets with brightly colored paper. The January 31 parade in Flushing, Queens, brings together all of that borough's East Asian groups, and Brooklyn's 8th Avenue Chinatown hosts the most homegrown parade in New York, with the whole neighborhood taking to the streets in celebration. Honolulu: January 23-24. A 150-foot dragon snakes its way through the "Night in Chinatown" parade, which features festival queens, dancing lions, and kung fu artists. The days prior host a bevy of events, including an all-day block party with holiday favorites like jai (vegetarian monk's food), gin doi (Chinese doughnut), and gau (New Year pudding). Singapore: January 30-31. Singapore hosts one of the world's largest, most elaborate, and most colorful Chinese New Year festivities: the annual Chingay Parade Singapore. The streets along Marina Bay are festooned with red lanterns, and nightly dance, song, and martial arts performances lead up to the New Year countdown. With 3,800 performers painted and preened with gold headdresses and silk costumes, mechanical dragon floats, a puppet parade, and an LED display, this celebration is a modern interpretation of ancient Chinese traditions. Hong Kong: January 26--28. The theme of Hong Kong's New Year parade, sponsored by Cathay Pacific, is the "world's happiest party." New Year's Day here takes on an international, carnival-like atmosphere, bringing together the Washington Redskins cheerleaders, a brass band from Russia, and stilt-wearing ballerinas from Spain. A fireworks show will launch over Victoria Harbour, and horseracing fans will head en masse to the Sha Tin racecourse for the popular first day of racing in the new year. London: February 1. Some 300,000 people are expected in London's Chinatown, Trafalgar Square, and Leicester Square for acrobatic performances, fireworks, and food stalls serving steamed dumplings and red bean cakes. Sydney: February 1. Sydney's Chinese New Year Twilight Parade features illuminated floats, along with 500 dancers, martial artists, and musicians, who make their way from City Hall to Chinatown. Fireworks will light up the nighttime sky over Cockle Bay. Then, on February 7 and 8 in Darling Harbour, 3,000 dragon-boat racers will entertain 200,000 visitors. Planning a beach getaway? Don't miss Travel + Leisure's guide to Affordable Beach Resorts. Copyright 2009 American Express Publishing Corporation. All rights reserved. | Some 500,000 will watch a parade in Manhattan's Chinatown on February 1 .
Singapore hosts one of the world's most elaborate Chinese New Year festivities .
Fireworks will light up the nighttime sky over Cockle Bay in Sydney . |
63,259 | b3add3e116a0cf213ddcc079ac1b9cfbd89eb418 | By . Jennifer Smith . PUBLISHED: . 08:06 EST, 28 December 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 11:46 EST, 28 December 2013 . X Factor winner Sam Bailey had been secretly mentored by PR guru Max Clifford for years before entering the singing competition, it has emerged. The 36-year-old, who snared a £1million record deal through the show, even performed at the consultant's 70th birthday celebrations after he discovered her in a Cotwolds pub. Clifford, who is due to stand trial for sex offence charges next year, 'opened doors' for the former prisoner officer who had previously been rejected by the X Factor in 2007. 'Mentor': X Factor winner Sam Bailey with Max Clifford at a charity function earlier this year before she was 'discovered' on the show . The former prison officer was a firm favourite to win the competition throughout the live shows . He reportedly told his friend and the show's producer Simon Cowell he 'simply had to hear her sing', and to allow her to audition. The 70-year-old refused to talk of his hand in making Bailey's career a success, but admitted: 'Sam's voice bowled me over. 'All I . did for her was to open a few doors and talk to several influential . people. 'The rest was up to her - and now she's big-time. But her success . is all really down to her and her alone.' But sources close to the publicist suggested he convinced Simon Cowell to hear her out, and allow her one more shot at fame. The 36-year-old singer was allegedly discovered by the PR guru two years before entering this year's competition . The singer not only scooped a £1million recording contract through the show but was named Christmas Number One with her debut single Skyscraper . 'As a result the music guru and his . fellow executives were amazed by her voice and Sam went from . strength-to-strength through the televised rounds of public votes. Max Clifford is due to stand trial for indecent assault charges in March . 'Not only did she win the X-Factor show . by being crowned peoples' favourite, she also notched up the top selling . Christmas No1 with her disc Skyscraper,' added the source. A spokesman for the Syco Entertainment dismissed claims the publicist had influenced music mogul Cowell, and that he never knew the pair had met. 'Sam Bailey was an emphatic winner of the X Factor this year with more than a million votes from the public in the final alone. 'To suggest any inappropriateness would be untrue and, frankly, ridiculous.' However sources close to Max Clifford said: 'Nothing of Max's involvement in the years leading up to Sam's fame could have been publicised beforehand because people would have argued Sam she had an unfair advantage. 'His involvement needed to remain under wraps - in fact, Max's role in talking to Simon about her talents, was one of the show's best kept secrets.' Bailey is thought to have performed at Clifford's birthday party as well as at a string of charity events hosted organised by the guru in the south-east. The singer from Leicester was praised and admired by fans for her down-to-earth and honest demeanor throughout the show. Her . girl-next-door image could be damaged by the news which suggests she . had some help honing a a public persona before entering the . competition. The singer's representatives have not responded to Mail Online's request for comment. Clifford is due to appear in court in March to face charges of indecent assault after being arrested by police working on Operation Yewtree. The 70-year-old pleaded not guilty to 11 sexual offence charges in October and will stand trial in the new year. | Publicist reportedly discovered singer two years before competition .
Bailey allegedly sang at his birthday and at charity events .
Clifford 'opened doors' for the 36-year-old by 'talking' to Simon Cowell .
Source said his involvement was one of 'show's best kept secrets'
The show's representatives have dismissed claims as 'ridiculous' |
205,354 | 95d502b7c666fd9d900c99e877c2c79c6b343581 | By . Rachel Quigley . PUBLISHED: . 17:51 EST, 14 August 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 19:45 EST, 14 August 2012 . Stacy Murphy was like any other young woman her age. The pretty blonde, who was 'loved by everyone', was a cheerleader, went to church regularly and had dreams of being a vet. But the 20-year-old died last month while she was a patient at Narconon Arrowhead in Oklahoma, the home of Scientology's drug treatment program. She became the third person to die while under the care of the flagship facility in the last nine months. Seven have died since 2005 as exposed by NBC's The Rock Center with Brian Williams in a segment to air on Thursday. Scroll down for video . Investigation: Stacy Murphy was only 20 years old when she died while being treated at the Narconon Arrowhead, in Oklahoma, for drug addiction. her family want answers . Controversial clinic: Stacy Murphy died at Narconon Arrowhead, a nonprofit drug and alcohol rehabilitation center located on Lake Eufaula near Canadian . The deaths have sparked outrage, the . families of those who died want answers, and there are new questions . about this global network of rehab centers. The rehabilitation program was founded in 1966 and is based on the teachings of Scientology's founder L. Ron Hubbard. Narconon claims it is a non-profit, non-medical . rehabilitation program with around 150 patients. Its methods include . spending up to five hours a day in a sauna for 30 days straight and mega . doses of the vitamin Niacin. The hypothesis underlying the program is . that drugs and their metabolites are stored in the body's fatty tissues . for years, causing the addict's cravings when partially released later . on. But these can be flushed out through a regimen comprising elements such as . exercise, sauna and intake of high doses of vitamins, according to the facility's methods. Another victim? Hillary Holton, from Texas, died in April while she was under the care of Narconon Arrowhead center. Autopsy and toxicology results are pending . Mystery: Gabriel Graves died in October of last year. His autopsy report lists his cause and manner of death as 'undetermined' and 'unknown' The program tries its best to hide its affiliation with Scientology, which licenses Narconon centers through its division called ABLE, the Association for Better Living and Education. Famous Scientologists Tom Cruise, John Travolta and Kirstie Alley have praised the program - with Cruise calling it: 'The authority on getting people off drugs' and Travolta saying: 'Compared with other rehabs, we are the best'. But the three recent deaths of Stacy, Hillary Holton, 21, of Carrolton, Texas, and Gabriel Graves, 32, of Owasso, Oklahoma, have attracted lot of negative publicity. Last month, the inquiry into the July 19 death of Stacy was expanded to include the April death of Hillary and the October death of Gabriel. The state district attorney has asked the sheriff’s department to deepen its investigation into the center. Stacy Murphy's father, Robert Murphy, said his daughter would have been grateful that 'law enforcement will continue to give full diligence in the investigation of her death'. The CEO of Narconon Arrowhead: Gary Smith said that due to privacy laws, he cannot comment on the deaths, but said he and his staff are devastated by the loss of young lives. He told NBC: 'We put our faith in this place. Then I got a phone call that morning from her mother to tell me, "She's dead", and I'm like "WHAT?"' The CEO of Narconon Arrowhead, Gary . Smith, said that due to privacy laws, he cannot comment on the deaths, . but said he and his staff are devastated by the loss of young lives. 'We will continue to cooperate openly with any local and state agencies that are looking into these matters. 'Our prayers are with the families of the deceased,' he said in a statement. Toxicology and autopsy reports are pending and authorities say that what charges, if any, are filed is dependent on the results of this and any subsequent investigation. Stacy and Hillary's autopsy and toxicology reports are pending. Gabriel's autopsy report lists his . cause and manner of death as 'undetermined' and 'unknown'. A man who wanted to be known only as Rick S. spoke to the Village Voice about Stacy Murphy's death. He was a patient at the same time as the 20-year-old, who had been there for approximately six weeks before she died. Stacy was allowed out on day release from the center, despite not meeting the criteria. When she returned on July 18, the staff noticed she was high and tested positive for opiates. The 20-year-old was sent to the 'withdrawal unit' of the facility and it was there that her . condition became grave, according to Rick. He claimed the drugs that might have saved Stacy's life were either not available or that no one there at the 'unit' knew how to administer them. Answers: Stacy Murphy's parents said they are holding Narconon accountable for their daughter's death and await the outcome of the investigation . Celebrity Scientologist: Kirstie Ally is the official spokesperson for Narconon . He said: 'My understanding is that everyone there is pretty much a . former patient. You . really can't expect them to be able to diagnose a drug overdose.' The rehabilitation program was founded in 1966 and is based on the teachings of Scientology's founder L. Ron Hubbard. Narconon claims it is a non-profit, non-medical . rehabilitation program with around 150 patients. Its methods include . spending up to five hours a day in a sauna for 30 days straight and mega . doses of the vitamin Niacin. The hypothesis underlying the program is . that drugs and their metabolites are stored in the body's fatty tissues . for years, causing the addict's cravings when partially released later . on. But these can be flushed out through a regimen comprising elements such as . exercise, sauna and intake of high doses of vitamins, according to the facility's methods. This hypothesis does not enjoy . mainstream acceptance, and researchers and practitioners tend . to discount Narconon due to its connection with Scientology. No independent study that has not been funded by the center exist to confirm its efficacy. Since its establishment, it has faced considerable controversy over the . safety and effectiveness of its rehabilitation methods and the . organization's links to the Church of Scientology. Fees are anything between $12,000 and $20,000. Rick said he checked himself into Narconon two months ago to dry out with no idea that it was connected to Scientology. He paid an upfront fee of $13,000 and after an initial withdrawal period including sauna treatments and high doses of vitamins, he was put on a strange 'training program'. Rick told Village Voice: 'Within the first hour of that, I realized this was Scientology. But I thought, I might as well give it my best shot. But what they try to get you to do is insane.' He claims he was talking to ashtrays before long. Tom Cruise is known to have done some of his early Scientology training by talking to . ashtrays and beverage bottles, part of Hubbard's approach that is . supposed to increase a person's communication skills. Rick claimed that none of the patients received any counseling about their addictions, what caused them to fall victim to drugs or alcohol and how to prevent it in the future. Instead, the patients sat in a sauna for five hours . a day while taking massive doses of Niacin and other vitamins. Rick got kicked out of the facility shortly after Stacy's death because he was talking to police and the media about 'how upside down the place is'. Narconon International declined request for an interview, but in statements said it has served 'tens of thousands of people' and 'three out of four Narconon graduates are able to live stable, drug-free lives'. Since its establishment, Narconon has . faced considerable controversy over the safety and effectiveness of its . rehabilitation methods and the organization's links to the Church of . Scientology. NBC's Rock Center with Brian Williams will run a segment on Narconon on Thursday at 10pm/9pm Central. Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy . | Death of Stacy Murphy last month sparked off a police investigation looking into death of three other patients .
Rehabilitation program founded in 1966 and is based on the teachings of Scientology's founder L. Ron Hubbard.
Tom Cruise, John Travolta and Kirstie Allie are advocates .
Stacy and Hillary Holton's autopsy and toxicology reports are pending .
Gabriel's autopsy report lists his .
cause and manner of death as 'undetermined' and 'unknown' |
57,045 | a19170848837d5d150215178a01af727b887ecd9 | Kevin Spiolek, 52, a former professional darts player, has been cleared of groping a 14-year-old superfan . A former professional darts player has spoken of his two-year 'nightmare' after being cleared of groping a 14-year-old superfan who came forward with allegations 13 years later. Kevin Spiolek, 52, a former world number eight, was arrested in October 2012 for allegedly groping his 'number one fan' during the World Matchplay darts competition at the Winter Gardens in Blackpool, Lancashire, in 1999. Mr Spiolek - one of only eight players to have beaten Phil 'The Power' Taylor at the World Darts Championships - was charged with four counts of indecent assault following the accusations. Now the father-of-two from Cambridge has spoken of his relief after being cleared of the charges. Speaking from his home, Mr Spiolek said he and his family had been subject to a hate campaign since the allegations surfaced. He also accused the woman of living in a 'fantasy world' driven by her love of celebrity - and even suggested that he wished he had never started playing the sport. He said: 'The past two years have been absolutely awful - It's been a nightmare. I felt as though I was being treated as guilty until proven innocent. 'The person who made the accusations has had anonymity whereas my address and name have been all over the place. It shouldn't just be one way traffic. There should be protection for the accused until there is proof there. 'My daughter has been walking down the street and people have shouted abuse at her out of cars and my son and I have had our cars vandalised. 'My wife Claire and I have been married for 29 years and she has carried me through with her support. I would not have been able to cope without my wife.' He added: 'I have often said to my wife that I wish I had never played darts. I had great times in my career and some very good memories but it all pales into insignificance because of everything we have been through in the past two years. At least now I can hold my head up high and move on.' After making the allegations, the woman said she did not go to police at the time as she was 'troubled and confused' about the encounter. She said she recorded an entry in her diary instead. But she decided to come forward when she was 27, after being contacted on Facebook by a fellow darts fan who she used to see at competitions. She said the memories of the incident 'came back to her'. After being charged in October 2012, Mr Spiolek faced two trials before a jury cleared him earlier this month. Witnesses gave evidence during the trial to verify his movements on the day of the alleged incidents. Mr Spiolek - one of only eight players to have beaten Phil 'The Power' Taylor at the World Darts Championships - was charged with four counts of indecent assault. He is pictured in 2005 at the Ladbrokes World Darks Championships . Speaking today, he added: 'Until I read this person's diary I had no idea she was an obsessed fan. Lots of other people had been mentioned there. It wasn't just me. 'I was in sheer shock when I heard the diary entries. It was complete and utter rubbish. She seemed to be in a fantasy world. I couldn't believe the courts were taking it seriously, there were so many other things that were made up in her diary entries. 'Her whole lifestyle seemed to revolve around being in the limelight and mixing with celebrities. My personal opinion is that she was saying whatever she thought would win her the case.' Preston Crown Court was told that, at the time of the alleged incident, Mr Spiolek was well-known and well-respected on the darts circuit. He was one of the 16 players who created the Professional Darts Corporation and played in the first seven PDC World Championships. The court heard how the teenage fan was from a family interested in professional darts. They would go to Blackpool to watch the Matchplay tournament every year, the court heard. The woman claimed the groping incidents took place in 1999 during a darts competition at the Winter Gardens in Blackpool, Lancashire (pictured) Mr Jeremy Lasker, prosecuting, said players would mingle with members of the public, pose for photos and give autographs. The same fans would return year after year and got to know the players, he said. 'The girl became a fan of this particular player. In fact, she may have regarded herself as his number one fan and we suggest the defendant himself may have been very well aware of that fact,' he said. The complainant had alleged she took a friend with her to the tournament where they sat on the balcony, overlooking the players and public in the auditorium. She said that, when Mr Spiolek lost a match, he went up on the balcony, where the teenager join in with his commiserations. She alleged Mr Spiolek then led her to a quiet room where he began to kiss her on the lips, undid her bra, fondled her breasts and asked if she was a virgin. He then asked whether she would like to have sex with him, she claimed. The darts player was cleared by a jury after a trial at Preston Crown Court (pictured) It was further alleged there was a second sexual encounter between the pair at the evening session. She claimed Mr Spiolek asked again whether she wanted to have sex with him. Mr Spiolek always denied any wrongdoing and dismissed the allegations as 'a load of garbage'. He told police he remembered seeing her at the Winter Gardens and recalled received Good Luck cards. He added that she loved it when he said hello to her. Mr Spiolek added: 'Over the past two or three years there has been a lot of media attention on these types of cases. 'I have seen people on TV and how gaunt they look and the relief when it's all over and now I know how they feel. 'One person said the relief is not a celebration and that there are no winners - I really empathise with that feeling. When the jury found me innocent I just felt a sense of justice and relief.' Mr Spiolek, who is now a area sales representative for a stainless steel stockholder, added: 'When the police first put the charges to me I was shocked. 'I did know of the girl because she made herself known to me many years ago. I co-operated with the police, gave them all the information they needed and told the truth. When I found out I was going to court I was devastated. 'I knew all along I was innocent but there were times when I thought I might be convicted. I had never been in this position before, I didn't know much about how the criminal justice system and how it all worked. 'As a family we definitely curbed our visits out of our family home because every time we went out we were wondering what people were thinking. Sadly some we thought were friends hid away rather than support us.' | Kevin Spiolek, 52, was charged in 2012 with four counts of indecent assault .
Woman claimed she was groped during competition in Blackpool in 1999 .
Former world number eight faced two trials before being cleared by jury .
Said his family were subject to hate campaign during two-year 'nightmare'
Said his accuser was an 'obsessed fan' and lived in a 'fantasy world' |
76,561 | d9272cd43a5ea48ad289663e065b3d52eff1c72c | (CNN) -- After a day of recovery for battered regions of the Midwest and South, a line of storms stretching from Illinois to Louisiana will bring the threat of tornadoes and severe weather Friday, forecasters said. Areas most at risk for twisters are southern Indiana, southern Ohio, most of Kentucky, central Tennessee, northeastern Mississippi and northwestern Alabama. The storms are forecast to rapidly develop around noon ET Friday. The most likely window for tornadoes will be between 4 p.m. and 8 pm. ET Friday, according to CNN meteorologist Sean Morris. There is the potential for widespread damaging wind gusts, large hail and violent tornadoes in some areas. Storms will begin to weaken during the late evening as they move eastward toward the Appalachians. The severe weather threat will diminish overnight Friday into Saturday morning, Morris said. The tornado outbreak that began Tuesday night left 13 dead across Kansas, Missouri, Illinois and Tennessee and battered parts of Kentucky as well. The latest death was reported in Kansas, where authorities said 53-year-old Richard Slade died Thursday from injuries suffered when a tornado struck Harveyville on Tuesday night. Slade had been airlifted to a nearby Topeka hospital after being pulled from the wreckage of his home. The decision was made to take him off life support, officials said. National Guard troops helped police and sheriff's deputies direct traffic and patrol streets in stricken areas of Missouri and Kentucky, while those who survived began the task of cleaning up. In Harrisburg, Illinois, where the highest death toll occurred, a tree smashed in the front window of Chris and Alice Retzloff's home before dawn Wednesday. But their neighbor's house was "pretty much gone," Chris Retzloff told CNN's "Starting Point." "Our damage was minimal compared to this," his wife added. "We have a basement, and we went in our basement and huddled together with our dogs and the sirens went off," she said. "The wind was just immense, the sound, and then the next siren went off, and there was just this incredible pressure that we all had on us." Four women and two men died in Harrisburg, about 30 miles north of the Kentucky border. The tornado that struck it had a preliminary rating of EF4, the second most powerful on the rating scale, according to the National Weather Service. The twister appeared to have been on the ground for several miles, said Harrisburg Mayor Eric Gregg, and the path of destruction was about three or four football fields wide. Sheriff's deputes said about 100 people were injured and between 250 and 300 houses were damaged or destroyed. This Just In: Harrisburg's path of destruction . Darrell Osman lost his mother to the storm. After the twister struck, he ran to her house, only to find nothing left. "Her house was literally gone," Osman said. He found his mother in an ambulance, but she passed away later at a hospital. In Washington, the White House said President Barack Obama called the governors of six states affected by the storms -- Illinois, Missouri, Kansas, Tennessee, Kentucky and Indiana -- "to offer condolences and assistance as necessary." One person died in each of three towns in southern Missouri where the twisters struck -- Buffalo, Puxico and Cassville -- while another three died in two east-central Tennessee counties, authorities in those states reported. A smaller tornado caused significant damage in the music resort city of Branson, Missouri. The city's entertainment district, which boasts 50 theaters, had five or six damaged; of the city's 200 hotels, 15 had significant damage, Branson Mayor Raeanne Presley said. But she told CNN, "We'll be open for business in short order, and we will be helping those who suffered damage to rebuild." Presley took cover with her family in the basement before immediately going out to survey the damage. Tourist town of Branson, Missouri, hit . An EF2 tornado smashed at least seven miles of the city's commercial strip, leaving 33 people hurt, most with minor to moderate injuries. The city's convention center and an attached Hilton were damaged, as was a portion of Branson Landing, a large shopping and entertainment complex. City Administrator Dean Kruithof said about five or six of the city's roughly 40 theaters were damaged. iReport: Branson Hilton windows blown out . Two tornadoes were confirmed in Tennessee's Cumberland and DeKalb counties, between Nashville and Knoxville. The one that struck Cumberland County, where two people died, was an EF2 with top winds of around 125 mph, the weather service reported Thursday evening. The remaining fatality was from an EF1 twister with top winds around 90 mph, according to forecasters. CNN's Logan Burruss, Kara Devlin, Joe Sutton and Phil Gast contributed to this report. | Storms are forecast for Friday afternoon from Illinois to Louisiana .
"The wind was just immense," survivor recounts from Wednesday storms .
Harrisburg, Illinois, is among the hardest hit by earlier storms, with at least six deaths .
13 killed in storms across Kansas, Missouri, Illinois and Tennessee . |
80,807 | e504ce60d42f8ea756bab1091965298c817658a2 | By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 03:13 EST, 20 September 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 06:42 EST, 20 September 2012 . A marital arts instructors has claimed he stabbed his new wife and teenage son to death in self-defense. William Medei, 56, knifed Renee Bader 30 times, and her son, Joshua, was found with over fifty stab wounds after the attack in their Florida mobile home in 2009. Yesterday he appeared in court on two counts of second-degree murder, admitting he carried out the killings in a 'blind rage.' Taking the stand: William Medei, 56, knifed Renee Bader 30 times, and her son, Joshua, was found with over fifty stab wounds after the attack in their Florida mobile home . He said he was was asleep at their home in Okomo Park mobile home on Loop Road when he awoke after hearing their pet dog whining, reported Sun Sentinel. He recalled that was when he saw his new wife, Renee, who he had married a month before, standing over him with a 14-inch knife. He told the court he reacted on an impulse and grabbed the knife from his 42-year-old partner, who he said was jealous and wanted a divorce. 'I didn't have time to think,'he said. 'I don't even know who it is that's doing this. I twist the hands. The knife fell in the doorway…I was choking her. I was choking her bad.' In action: William Medai in the ring at a fight . Medei said that was when Joshua, his wife's son emerged and attacked from behind. In a scuffle he said the couple fell onto the mattresses in the bedroom. He said that was when Joshua went to grab the knife which was on the floor, but Medei explained that he managed to pick it up. During the hearing the prosecutor warned Medei that he had just admitted to disarming both victims before killing them. But Medei responded, 'Look at the victims. There had to be rage there.' He pointed at photos of the crime scene which showed the bloodied victims bodies. When his defense lawyer asked him if he was worried for his life, he replied 'Definitely.' He told the court he was rendered 'temporarily insane' during the stabbings, but has not presented a mental health defense. Medei gave his testimony as part of an pre-trial motion to get the charges dismissed under the state's Stand Your Ground law. The law means that a person may justifiably use force in self-defense when there is reasonable belief of a unlawful threat. Sorry we are unable to accept comments for legal reasons. | William Medei, 56, stabbed Renee Bader 30 times and her son Joshua, was found with over fifty stab wounds .
Attacked at their Florida mobile home .
Admitted he carried out the killings in a 'blind rage' |
66,861 | bda800300f29a8db70918661d4dce1287b1eccad | (CNN) -- A band of insurgents dressed in U.S. Army uniforms waged a deadly assault on U.S.-British military complex in Afghanistan before being beaten back by coalition forces, NATO's International Security Assistance Force said Saturday. Two U.S. Marines and 14 insurgents died in the "sustained" fighting during the Friday-night attack, ISAF said. The Taliban claimed responsibility, saying the strike was in response to the anti-Islam film stoking anger across the Muslim world. ISAF said the attack started just after 10 p.m. Friday when about 15 insurgents -- organized into three teams -- waged an assault on the airfield of a complex that includes American-run Camp Leatherneck and the British-run Camp Bastion, where British royal Prince Harry is stationed. Wearing U.S. army uniforms, the attackers toted automatic rifles, rocket-propelled grenade launchers and suicide vests. One of their teams was able to breach the perimeter fence, at one point, according to ISAF. The insurgents inflicted considerable damage around the base, including destroying six AV-8B Harrier jets and damaging two others. Six aircraft hangers suffered damage, while six refueling stations were destroyed. The violence ended after coalition troops killed all but one of the attackers. The lone survivor was wounded and taken into custody, ISAF said. Eight coalition military personnel and one civilian contractor were also wounded. An ISAF statement detailing the attack gave no indication how the insurgents might have obtained U.S. Army uniforms. Earlier Saturday, ISAF said the camp is secure and the strike would not "impact" air and ground operations. Camp Leatherneck, the U.S. side of the base, was not affected by the attack, Maj. Adam N. Wojack, an ISAF spokesman, told CNN. White House says Karzai, Obama committed to preventing Afghan riots . The assault occurred amid anger over the film denigrating the Prophet Mohammed. Angry protests tied to the film, a trailer of which was posted online on YouTube in July but only gained widespread attention this month, have occurred in recent days at American and other Western diplomatic missions across the Muslim world. Still, despite such protests and the Taliban claim tying the attack to the film, ISAF spokesman Maj. Martin Crighton said there had no organized demonstrations outside its gates before the attack. A week ago Friday, Prince Harry arrived in Afghanistan for a tour as an Apache helicopter pilot in the British military, Defense Ministry said. He is deployed at Camp Bastion with the 100-strong 662 Squadron, 3 Regiment Army Air Corps. Harry, the grandson of Queen Elizabeth II and third in line to the British throne, is a captain in Britain's Army Air Corps. The prince "was in no way in any danger" during the latest attack, Crighton said. Violence has been rife in Helmand and other parts of southern Afghanistan, which is considered the Taliban heartland, since a U.S.-led force first went into the country after the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. Separately, the British Defense Ministry on Saturday announced the deaths of two members of the 3rd Battalion of that nation's army in Helmand province. A man wearing an Afghan police uniform fatally shot the two soldiers at a checkpoint in the south of the province's Nahr-e Saraj district, Maj. Laurence Roche, a spokesman for Task Force Helmand, said in a statement released by the British defense ministry. This is the latest so-called insider or green-on-blue attack in which members of Afghan security forces are suspected of turning their weapons on coalition or Afghan soldiers. It was not immediately known where the incident occurred and where the slain service members were from. Another British soldier died Saturday in a separate incident in Nahr-e Saraj, according to the UK defense ministry. This troop was killed when the vehicle in which he was traveling in struck a bomb. CNN's Jessica King and Greg Botelho contributed to this report . | NEW: 14 of 15 insurgents who attacked a coalition base were killed, ISAF says .
NEW: They attacked the base heavily armed and wearing U.S. Army uniforms .
NEW: 6 AV-8B Harrier jets and 6 refueling stations are destroyed, adds ISAF .
3 British service members die in separate attacks, also in Helmand province . |
275,050 | f04d6d9351f02372b4adb8970a8e81fc1bbdd2c8 | By . Corey Charlton . Fraudster Mirriam Clark pictured before her sentencing outside Southwark Crown Court today . A crooked book-keeper at a leading real estate firm who plundered £2m from her bosses to launch her own property empire in Zambia has been jailed for four years. Mirriam Clark, 47, blew the cash on first class flights to Africa and private school education for her children. She bought properties in her native Zambia and used stolen funds to maintain five homes she owned across England and Wales, Southwark Crown Court heard today. Clark was working for Dowley Turner Real Estate (DTRE) from their luxury offices on London’s Bond Street at the time of the thefts. Prosecutor Charles Pentangeli said only £295,000 has been recovered by Clark’s former bosses so far. ‘This fraud was carried out over a three-and-a-half year period while the defendant was the book keeper for the property and real estate consultancy firm Dowley Turner Real Estate, based in London. ‘The partners at the business had both known the defendant for 15 years, she having previously worked for the previous incarnation of the firm between 1995 and 2006. ‘Not only did she work as a bookkeeper and a personal assistant to Mr Dowley and Mr Turner but she was their friend. ‘She played a key role with the business’s bank account and tax affairs’. Clark siphon £1,977,327 from the company over a three-and-a-half-year period, the court heard. She confessed to the thefts, which began in late 2009, just days after she was sacked for work related reasons in March last year. Clark said she stole the cash to pay off credit card debt and claimed she had been struggling financially since her divorce. But it emerged she had spent £50,000 of . her employers’ money on 14 return flights to Zambia and paid a £25,000 . gift to an ex-employee of the firm. Even after all Clark’s properties are sold, Dowley Turner may be short of £700,000 as a result of her fraud. Clark, left, admitted to the theft of £2 million from her employers Dowley Turner Real Estate, pictured right. However, so far the company has only recovered £295,000 and is facing an expected shortfall of £700,000 . Jailing Clark for four years, Judge Alistair McCreath said: ‘While this fraud was going on you were buying other properties in Zambia from the proceeds of your crime. ‘You were taking flights which the partners paid for personally - 14 of them - the maths suggest you weren’t going economy. ‘These thefts were over a substantial period of time, in excess of three years, and you were in a position of trust. ‘You have caused your former employers, your former friends, a significant loss indeed’. Clark was sentenced to four years in jail at the Southwark Crown Court today for her large scale fraud . Clark, of Cavalier House, Uxbridge Road, Ealing, West London, admitted fraud by abuse of position. Detective Constable Malcolm Duncan, of Westminster Major Crime Unit, said: ‘Mirriam Clark was put in a position of trust by colleagues who she had worked with for a number of years. ‘However, she chose to abuse that trust and defrauded her employers out of a significant amount of money with no consideration of those that had employed and trusted her. ‘It is commendable how they have managed to not only stay afloat but also managed to safeguard their employees’ livelihoods during what has been a difficult and upsetting time.’ One of the directors of DTRE, who did not wish to be named, said: ‘From the outset this has been an extremely harrowing experience, which has not come close to ending for us, as individuals or a company. ‘Mirriam Clark has not disclosed to us, the court, or the police where she has put the money. This has been, and continues to be, the most arduous and stressful time of me and my business partners’ lives.’ | Mirriam Clark jailed for four years for plundering £2 million from employees .
Money used to start property empire and buy homes across the globe .
Spent £50k on first class flights to Zambia and bought a one-off £25k gift .
Clark unable to pay the money back - only £295,000 so far recovered .
Even when all her properties are sold the company will be left £700k short .
Company directors: 'The most arduous and stressful time of our lives'
Victims had known Clarke for 15 years and considered her a close friend . |
65,949 | bb2dfce805df0ddae70c03389e1bc85fe237fbf0 | London (CNN) -- Tension in the stadium was at fever pitch, with the world record holder Jonnie Peacock gesturing for quiet from the partisan home crowd as two more star performers in the field settled into the blocks for what was billed as a grudge match. At stake was a London Paralympics 100m gold medal featuring rival runners who had been involved in a spat in an earlier race. But it was also the moment I realized for the first time that I was watching the contest not through the prism of disability but as a genuinely exciting sporting event that had me riveted to the edge of my seat. It was the first of two revelations of the night. As a sports fan and Brit I gobbled up hours of breathtaking competition from the London Olympics but I confess I had mixed views on the Paralympics before the event started. Great for the competitors, great for the home crowd who could be confident of a high medal count, great for the profile of disabled sport -- but would we really be watching a fair contest? For the most part, that reservation has been blown away by a week of heart-warming stories of courage and determination, and of blistering, thrilling athletics, cycling, swimming and a host of other sports I have not explored before. Take blind football for example. It is an astonishing mixture of traditional football and a ballet in fast-forward. Players sprint across the pitch, skilfully tapping the football from foot to foot, while defenders follow the game by sound, listening for the bell inside the ball. You can only wonder at their close control and spatial awareness. It's thrilling stuff and such was their mastery that if you didn't know better, you would swear the players could see. Then there's the passion and aggression of wheelchair rugby, or "Murderball" as it has been coined. It's fast, it's furious, and full-on. Never mind that they are in wheelchairs -- the hits are real. The same agility is evident in the wheelchair basketball where the athletes can turn their chairs on a dime. On Thursday night, Olympic and Paralympic sprint star Oscar Pistorius . -- "Blade Runner" as he is known -- was pipped for third place in that eagerly-anticipated 100m sprint by his South African team mate Arnu Fourie. Local boy Peacock duly delivered joy for the home crowd by winning gold, and American Richard Browne took silver. It was an explosive race that made a change to the medal table... and my second pause for reflection. Where on earth was the United States of America in all this? Given the size of the United Kingdom, we have no business occupying third slot in the Paralympic Games medal table. Browne ran well in the 100m but the U.S. languished in sixth place despite the team being the third largest represented at the Games. The CNN website has given prominent coverage to the London 2012 Paralympics but U.S. host broadcaster NBC decided to show only four hour-long highlight programs on its sport channel. It's a decision that has drawn criticism from former Paralympian and chef de mission of the U.S. Paralympic team, Aimee Mullins. "That disconnect between the U.S. being a world leader in disability issues and the broadcast coverage in real time of the Games is disappointing," she said in the UK newspaper, The Guardian. The lack of coverage is a terrible shame because American citizens have missed out on the fantastic endeavours of their athletes and could potentially hold back the future aspirations of many more. U.S. athlete Tatyana McFadden has won a heap of Paralympic medals since 2004. But as her own website puts it: "She probably should not be alive." She was born with spina bifida, resulting in paralysis below the waist, and spent the first six years of her life using her hands as if they were feet because she didn't have a wheelchair. She was rescued from a Russian orphanage in 1994 by Debbie McFadden -- then Commissioner of Disabilities for the U.S. Tatyana has overcome abandonment, disability and illness to become a world beating athletic star. Eight-time world champion Mallory Weggemann represents the U.S. in the swimming pool and described to CNN the commitment needed to win Paralympic gold. It would be a tragedy if people like McFadden and Weggemann were denied a chance to shine on an international stage. The UK has been creating opportunities for disabled athletes since the end of World War II, and it shows on the medal table. But many nations were only able to send one or two athletes to London. I hope the interest and enthusiasm demonstrated by the sell-out crowds at London Paralympic events will be matched by other countries because the fun attached to inspiring, entertaining sport has been a welcome tonic to the economic gloom. There may still be questions over whether there is a level playing field in all sports in the Paralympics but the exposure and debate can only improve the way the events are organized. Perhaps the real inequality is in the sporting chance that nations give to those who wish to confront their disabilities, excel in sports they have made their own and compete in the kind of activities that the able-bodied take for granted. Perhaps too they deserve better media coverage at home. For my part, I just can't wait for the Rio Paralympic Games. I hope you get to watch them too. | Paralympics showed stories of courage and thrilling athleticism, writes Dave Gilbert .
Gilbert asks: Where on earth was the United States of America in all this?
American citizens have missed fantastic endeavours of their athletes, he says .
Exposure and debate can only improve way events are organized - Gilbert . |
162,810 | 5e86f0eaf2adf46de90b2172fcda00f59d1ff7c0 | By . Deni Kirkova . PUBLISHED: . 12:32 EST, 29 November 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 13:37 EST, 29 November 2013 . An Olympic hopeful who had to give up her sporting dreams after breaking her neck has managed to walk down the aisle, and had a baby, thanks to her unflagging determination and the devoted care of her fiancé. Natalie Burr, 30, from Maidstone, Kent landed on her head while trampolining, leaving her paralysed and unable to walk or use her arms. But with the unwavering support of her fireman fiancé, Shane, 35, she went on to walk down the aisle and give birth to baby Holly, now one. With Shane's encouragement and intense physiotherapy, in 2009 Natalie walked down the aisle with her father . Natalie had been trampolining since she was four years old, and dreamed of making it to the Olympics. But in 2007, she was training for the World Championships when she fell during a move. 'I knew I'd broken my neck - I heard it crack,' Natalie says. 'I couldn't move or feel anything. I was terrified.' Natalie's day job as an ambulance . technician meant she knew staying still was crucial, so she asked a . bystander to call her fiancé, Shane. 'I remember saying to him: "I've broken my neck. You're going to leave me",' she says. The happy couple pictured together prior to the accident in September 2006 . 'He promised he wouldn't, but I was in . complete shock.' In hospital, doctors discovered Natalie had broken most . of the bones in her neck, and she was put on life support. A week later, a metal plate and bone . from her hip were inserted into her neck. While she was still on life . support, Shane was told the devastating news that she'd never walk . again. 'I couldn't believe it,' Shane says. 'I remember wondering how I'd break it . to Natalie when she woke up. I didn't want her to lose hope - I had to . be strong for her.' Natalie was training for the World Championships when she fell during a move . Natalie stayed on life support for two months, Shane visiting every day. 'Not being there wasn't an option,' he says. Despite doctors warnings that Natalie would be paralysed for life, with Shane's support she was determined to defy the odds. 'I remember my knee moving slightly,' Natalie says. 'I showed Shane and we were really excited.' After just a month in rehab, Natalie defied doctors by taking her first tentative steps. Looking forward to finally putting the accident behind her, she left hospital and returned to work in a desk role. But the couple's challenges weren't over. A year later she was struck down with meningitis, caused by the metal plate in her neck. Surgery meant Natalie was unable to eat for six months, during which time Shane fed her through a tube. Her vocal chords were also damaged so Shane - travelling 140 miles a day to visit in between working as a fireman - could only understand her by lip reading. 'She was the same Natalie underneath, even if she couldn't express herself,' he says. When Natalie finally recovered, the couple began to discuss getting married. 'I was still confined to a wheelchair, but determined to walk down the aisle,' Natalie says. With Shane's encouragement and regular physiotherapy, in May 2009 Natalie walked down the aisle with the help of her father. 'We even managed a first dance, Shane holding me up as we swept around the floor to Take That,' she says. 'It felt like a dream.' The icing on the cake for the couple came in August 2012, when Natalie gave birth to daughter Holly. To help Natalie adjust to motherhood, Shane adapted a buggy to fit Natalie's wheelchair. 'It was incredible to know we'd made it and were a family, after everything we'd been through,' she says. Natalie defied doctors by taking her first tentative steps but was later struck down with meningitis . Today, Natalie - pictured pregnant with Holly - is back coaching trampolining, having defied doctors' predictions . Today, Natalie is back coaching trampolining, having beaten insurmountable odds thanks to the love and support Shane has given her. 'It's not easy, but I've confronted my fear,' she says. 'Nothing scares me anymore.' Natalie's sister, Kirsten MacDonald, says: 'Natalie and Shane have always been close, but Natalie's accident made Shane realise exactly how important they were to each other. 'They make a great couple - one's weakness is the other's strength. There wasn't a dry eye on their wedding day.' Natalie and Shane have been shortlisted for the Love Story category of The Cosmopolitan Ultimate Women of the Year Awards 2013 with Vauxhall Adam . Natalie pictured with husband Shane and daughter Holly, now one, on holiday together in April this year . | Natalie Burr, 30, from Maidstone, Kent was an Olympic hopeful .
Was training for World Championships when she fell in 2007 .
Fireman fiancé Shane helped her recover and they married in 2009 .
Became a mother to daughter Holly in 2012 .
Now coaches trampolining .
Couple shortlisted for Cosmopolitan Ultimate Women of the Year Awards . |
79,289 | e0c0d6abf05ae78fd9535874014e04f36424b3ec | By . Jessica Jerreat . A 20-year-old welding student from Philadelphia was killed on Monday afternoon when a train struck him as he walked along the tracks while texting. Andre Washington, who was hit at about 4.30pm, never looked round at the train that was coming up behind him while sounding its horn. The conductor of the SEPTA train tried to hit the brakes and alert Mr Washington, but he was unable to stop in time. Hit: Andre Washington, 20, was struck and killed by a train on Monday afternoon . Mr Washington, who was due to graduate from the Eastern Center for Arts and Technology later this year, was on the way to see a friend when he was struck by the commuter train, which was carrying about 500 passengers. He died at the scene, near Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority's Noble station in Jenkintown. In his statement to police, the . conductor, who has not been named, said Mr Washington had his back to . the train as it came round a bend in the tracks. 'The victim never once flinched, . turned around, looked at [the conductor] or indicated that he knew the train was . coming,' Deputy Chief John Livingwood told 6ABC. Warning: The conductor tried to alert Andre, center, by sounding the horn but the student didn't hear him . Loss: Andre, pictured with girlfriend Mandy Lee Llanos, was due to graduate later this year . Despite applying the brakes and sounding the horn, the conductor was unable to get the attention of the victim. 'It doesn't make sense: He would've heard, he should've heard,' Andre Washington Sr, who shares the same name as his son, said. 'We're still grieving. The whole thing is just too much to think about.' The victim's grandmother, Beverly Washington, said she couldn't understand why Mr Washington chose to walk on the tracks. 'My thoughts are all up in the air. When they told me what had happened, I could barely understand them, . through my crying,' she told Philly.com. She paid tribute to her grandson, who 'cared about everybody and would do anything to help'. Kind-hearted: Andre's family paid tribute to the 20-year-old who was always willing to help . In a tragic twist of fate, the day after Mr Washington's death, a nationwide campaign to raise awareness of track dangers was promoted by SEPTA. The See Tracks? Think Train! campaign, by national group Operation Lifesaver, was launched on April 8 to help reduce the number of injuries around railway tracks. SEPTA spokeswoman Heather Redfern told Mail Online: 'The launch of the program had been previously scheduled for April 8, the timing with the incident at Noble Station is an unfortunate coincidence.' She added that a full investigation into Mr Washington's death is underway. | Andre Washington never saw the train coming, conductor says .
20-year-old had been due to graduate from welding course later this year . |
240,180 | c2ee457ecbb436078252573505ab4285730d6598 | By . Helen Lawson . PUBLISHED: . 08:00 EST, 1 May 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 10:27 EST, 1 May 2013 . An Australian man accused of robbing a U.S. bank on New Year's Eve has told jurors in an emotional opening statement that the robbery was justified because he gave much of the money to the homeless. Corey Donaldson, an author of self-help books, is accused of robbing a Wyoming bank of $140,000 by claiming explosives were planted around the building. Donaldson, 39, is acting as his own attorney in federal court. He claims the robbery was a protest at the banks bailout during the financial crisis. 'I must say, I feel like a frightened child,' he said. 'I feel there's a lot of people who want to cut my throat.' Corey Donaldson robbed the U.S. Bank in Jackson, Wyoming on New Year's Eve. He claims he was justified in doing so because he gave the money to the homeless. Donaldson, a legal resident in the States, said he was the second of 11 children and grew up in the country outside Melbourne, only to see his father lose his home to bank foreclosure. Donaldson said he became homeless late last year, coming face-to-face with people who were on the streets because of bank foreclosures. 'I came up with the idea that since the banks had been bailed out, and the people had not, I was going to confiscate money from US Bank in Jackson and redistribute it to the poor and homeless in America,' Donaldson said. 'And that's what I did.' The U.S. District judge ruled last week that Donaldson, whose books include Don't You Dare Get Married Until You Read This, cannot argue to the jury that he was justified in robbing the bank. Jared Thomas Williams, branch manager of the bank, testified that Donaldson met him in his office on the day of the robbery. He said Donaldson told him members of a Mexican cartel were outside the building and were prepared to blow it up if Williams didn't turn over $2million in cash. He said Donaldson told him: 'There were four military-grade explosives that had been buried in the snow, and they were prepared to detonate them.' Williams said he loaded $140,000, nearly all the cash in the bank, into a duffel bag and gave it to Donaldson. Donaldson later asked Williams, 'If you knew there were foreclosed people on the streets who feel that way every day, how would you feel about it?' Prosecutor Todd Shugart objected, and Johnson ruled that Williams shouldn't answer. Donaldson is representing himself during the trial at a Cheyenne court . Investigators began looking for Donaldson after piecing together information from surveillance cameras in and around the bank. Authorities arrested him when his longtime friend Kevin Lee Day called police after Donaldson turned up at his home in late January. Day testified that he and Donaldson have been close friends for 16 years. He said Donaldson told him where to find $8,000 after the robbery. Day said he became emotional when he received the money, and that it came at a good time because he faced losing his Utah house to foreclosure. Investigators testified Tuesday that they recovered about $30,000 after Donaldson's arrest. Donaldson told an FBI agent shortly after his arrest that he had intended to surrender. The case continues. | Corey Donaldson carried out the robbery in Wyoming on New Year's Eve .
Donaldson, a self-help author, is representing himself in court . |
203,650 | 93a160935a85ab284a7bbe9a7e0ef9d08fbdaaa9 | Freed Amanda Knox is in regular contact with her former boyfriend Raffaele Sollecito, he has revealed in an interview. The couple were sensationally cleared of murdering and sexually assaulting student Meredith Kercher, 21, who was found semi-naked and with her throat cut in her bedroom of the house she shared with Knox, 24. She and Sollecito, 27, had been seeing each other for a week before the brutal murder and initially they had been sentenced to 26 and 25 years respectively but they were released on appeal earlier this month. Contact: Amanda Knox, pictured in Seattle last week, is in regular . contact with her former boyfriend Raffaele Sollecito, left, he has . revealed in an interview. He is planning to visit her in Seattle before Christmas . Breaking his silence for the first time in an interview with glossy Italian weekly Oggi, computer studies graduate Sollecito said: 'We need each other - we speak to each other on the phone and write to each other every day.' Then, speaking of his invitation to visit Knox in her hometown of Seattle, Sollecito added: 'I will certainly go and see Amanda. She asked me over and I accepted with pleasure and there is no saying I will wait until Christmas. 'I could go earlier - I could go at any moment. I really want to see her again, to speak with her and look into her eyes. Knox and Sollecito were photographed kissing shortly after the death of Meredith Kercher . 'We need to speak and write to each other to try and understand what happened to us and to look forward to a future that appeared broken forever but instead we can still build on. 'We have so many things to say to each other. We spent four years in a circle of hell, we suffered unspeakably and it ruined our lives.' Knox has kept a low profile since she . was freed and is said to be negotiating a money-spinning TV interview . deal with an American TV network which could make her $1 million - with . the potential of earning up to ten times that amount as well. Since returning to Seattle she has been seen out and about with friends but generally keeping a low profile and spending time with her family. The couple pictured in 2007. Sollecito said: 'We have so many things to say to each other. We spent four years in a circle of hell, we suffered unspeakably and it ruined our lives.' She was pictured out in downtown Seattle earlier this month with best friend Madison Paxton, who stayed close to her while she was in prison, and days earlier taking a drive with her step-father Chris Mellas. She wrote in prison of how she longed to . see her former boyfriend, David Johnsrud, and he was one of the first . to pay her a visit on her return, although her father Curt stressed their . relationship was now one simply of ‘friendship’. Asked how his daughter had changed since . she was jailed, Mr Knox said in an interview earlier this month that she was little different, other than . occasionally slipping into speaking Italian and being less trusting of . authority after her experience with Italian police. ‘It’s almost like . she hasn’t lost a step with the family, which is nice to see,’ he said. Freed: Knox addresses supporters and the media at Seattle airport supported by her mother Edda Mellas following her sensational release from prison . He said his daughter had to remain . largely indoors for the moment, describing it as ‘a different version of . jail’ but said she had at least been able to lie down in the grass – . something she had longed for while in prison. Mr Knox also revealed his daughter was being shadowed by a bodyguard and the family has been inundated with hate mail and threatening phone calls. Knox and Sollecito, from Bisceglie near Bari, were originally found guilty in 2009 of the murder which had taken two years previously in the Italian hilltop town of Perugia. However the appeal heard how the original evidence used to convict them was flawed and contaminated and they were freed after an independent forensic report ordered by the judge condemned the forensic investigation. Jailed: Ivory Coast drifter Rudy Guede, 24, (left) was convicted of . the murder and sexual assault of Meredith Kercher (right) after a fast-track . trial in 2008 . Key to the case was a 30cm kitchen knife found in Sollecito's apartment and on which was said to be DNA from Knox on the handle and that of Meredith on the blade. But the report said the amount on the knife was so low is should not be used to convict Knox - although they confirmed it was her DNA on the handle but she argued she had used it to cook with. DNA from Sollecito which was found on Meredith's bloodied bra clasp was also dismissed as it emerged it had been left in the murder scene for six weeks before being collected and leaving it open to contamination. Prosecutors in Perugia have said they will appeal the decision but they will have to wait until the judge's written ruling on the verdict is published sometime in the New Year. Meredith from Coulsdon, Surrey, was a Leeds University student and was in Perugia for her degree course and she had only been in Italy for two months before she was murdered in November 2007. Ivory Coast drifter Rudy Guede, 24, was convicted of murder and sexual assault after a fast track trial in 2008 and originally sentenced to 30 years but this was later reduced to 16 on appeal. | Raffaele Sollecito said the pair speak to each other on the phone every day to 'try and understand what happened'
He is already planning a trip to Seattle to see his former girlfriend .
He says: 'I really want to see her again and look into her eyes' |
81,057 | e5b45f656ff2d6c97bd0c50c7b97d6edc260e96c | Los Angeles (CNN) -- The 1997 murder of Christopher Wallace, the rapper also known as The Notorious B.I.G. and Biggie Smalls, remains an unsolved crime despite Los Angeles police and FBI investigations that lasted for years. The FBI, which joined the case five years after the shooting, opened up its files this week by publishing hundreds of pages of investigation reports and notes from its probe on the agencies website. Readers get a behind-the-scenes look at the FBI and LAPD's work, but the documents are heavily redacted, hiding the names of sources, investigators and suspects. The drive-by shooting, in front of dozens of witnesses who were leaving a music industry party in Los Angeles on March 9, 1997, spurred several conspiracy theories, but no arrests. Smalls, 24, was killed six months after his former friend and rap rival Tupac Shakur was gunned down on a Las Vegas street, causing suspicion that both shootings were part of an "East Coast versus West Coast" hip hop war. Shakur recorded for Marion "Suge" Knight's Los Angeles-based Death Row Records, while Smalls was signed with New York-based Bad Boy Entertainment, founded by Sean "Puffy" Combs. The FBI opened its case in December 2002 because of "multiple source information" that Smalls was killed "in retaliation for the murder of Tupac Shakur" and that a rogue LAPD officer was involved, an FBI report said. The FBI's case was closed in January 2005 when the U.S. Attorney in Los Angeles decided there was enough evidence for indictments in the case, according to one letter in the files. The files include a Los Angeles Times newspaper story that suggested the FBI was pressured by the city of Los Angeles to drop its probe after the lead FBI investigator was named as a witness in a $400 million lawsuit Smalls' mother filed against the city. Smalls' mother and his estate claimed that an LAPD officer, who was later convicted of bank robbery, was involved and that the police department was ignoring evidence. The lawsuit was later dismissed. The newly-published documents, despite the redactions, do indicate tension between the FBI and LAPD. Near the end of the FBI probe, the lead agent writes that he had been ordered to have no contact with the civil lawyers for the Smalls family. The agent notes in one report that he would not contact a certain source "because he/she is one of the main witnesses" in the civil suit against the LAPD. Retired Los Angeles Police Detective Russell Poole, who worked on the Smalls' case, told CNN earlier this year that he believes Suge Knight was behind the murder, even though the Death Row Records' boss was serving time on a probation violation at the time. "Suge Knight ordered the hit," Poole says, adding that he believes it was arranged by Reggie Wright Jr., who headed security for Death Row Records. Poole goes even further, stating that he believes Knight was behind the shooting of Tupac Shakur as well. Poole says Shakur's bodyguards told him that the rapper planned to sever ties with Knight's Death Row Records which could have cost the company millions of dollars. "That theory doesn't even add up," says Cathy Scott, who wrote "The Killing of Tupac Shakur," noting that Knight was sitting in the driver's seat next to the rapper. "Open fire on my car, but try not to hit me?" Reggie Wright Jr. told CNN he had nothing to do with either murder, and Suge Knight has repeatedly said he had nothing to do with the crime. But two months after Shakur's killing, Knight talked to ABC News and one quote seems to follow the former record company executive: "If you knew who killed Tupac, would you tell police?" To which Knight responded: "Absolutely not. It's not my job. I don't get paid to solve homicides. I don't get paid to tell on people." CNN's Ted Rowlands and Michael Cary contributed to this report . | Hundreds of pages from the FBI files are available on the FBI website .
The documents are heavily redacted, hiding names .
The FBI investigated suspicions a rogue LAPD officer was involved .
The rapper was gunned down in Los Angeles in 1997 . |
3,549 | 0a47d5753cef1227d82fbc4290b27b58047d3a4c | By . Sophie Goodchild . Thousands of patients are being denied the choice of life-saving heart drugs by cash-strapped NHS trusts. The UK drugs watchdog gave GPs the green light two years ago to prescribe new-generation blood-thinners for people with irregular heartbeats at risk of suffering strokes. But doctors are defying recommendations from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (Nice), according to a leading charity. The Atrial Fibrillation Association claims that the bodies that deliver NHS treatments are placing restrictions on use of new blood thinner drugs . The Atrial Fibrillation Association (AFA) claims that clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) – the bodies that deliver NHS treatments – are placing restrictions on use of these new drugs. Jo Jerrome, the charity’s deputy chief executive, said such limits were affecting the quality of life of patients. She claimed CCGs were driven by a fear that the drugs would be ‘overly expensive and stretch resources’, despite being deemed cost-effective by Nice. The new blood-thinners – known as novel oral anti-coagulants (NOACs) – cost about £2 a day compared with just £1 a month for warfarin, the most commonly used treatment. But patients on warfarin need regular monitoring which increases the cost of care. New drug: Novel oral anti-coagulants cost about £2 a day for the NHS . ‘We have been told that CCGs are making it extremely difficult such as imposing a nine-month wait before patients are given an alternative drug,’ said Ms Jerrome. ‘Patients have even said they’ve been told wrongly that the drugs haven’t been approved. ‘Trusts in some parts of London have made it difficult by making GPs sign long contracts if they’re going to prescribe these new drugs. This isn’t usual and it limits patient choice.’ One doctor, who asked not to be named, told The Mail on Sunday he had seen evidence of CCGs prohibiting the drugs, and the AFA claims to have reports of doctors being threatened with fines for prescribing them. On its website, NHS Vale of York CCG warns of ‘cost implications to the NHS’, stating: ‘Significant numbers of patients changing from warfarin to a NOAC would . . . lead to the need to limit commissioning of other services’. In Oxfordshire, the CCG says ‘warfarin remains the agent of choice for most patients’. It denied it was restricting the use of the new drugs, and said clinicians were using them ‘in line with published Nice guidelines’. More than a million patients in the UK suffer the most common heart rhythm disorder – known as atrial fibrillation – and the condition is blamed for causing more than 20,000 strokes a year in this country. The most commonly used therapy is warfarin, which is the same chemical used in high doses to kill vermin. But patients who take this blood-thinner need regular blood tests to prevent them suffering complications. These checks reveal if their blood is clotting too much, which can trigger a stroke, or clotting too little, which increases the risk of internal bleeding. Nice gave the go-ahead in 2012 for three new thinners – dabigatran, rivaroxaban and apixaban – that promised to revolutionise stroke-prevention. They are effective yet do not require the same monitoring. However, the UK lags behind the rest of Europe when it comes to prescribing them. Consultant cardiologist Martin Cowie, from Imperial College London, said doctors were failing patients by denying them choice and it should be ‘automatic’ that people received the new drugs. Tory MP Glyn Davies, who has undergone treatment for an irregular heartbeat himself, claimed take-up of new treatments had been absolutely ‘abysmal’. A Nice spokesman said: ‘CCGs are legally obliged to fund these new drugs in cases where they’re clinically appropriate.’ | New blood-thinners could save lives, but patients are denied them .
Charity says the bodies that deliver NHS treatments restrict drugs . |
24,297 | 44ed4a49ebc5e372a6ad0827b42036cb99b28b4d | Washington (CNN) -- On its face, the political showdown over extending long-term unemployment benefits to 1.3 million Americans is about offering a lifeline to those struggling to recover from a job market that hasn't caught up to the recovering economy. But just below the surface is a political fight that will continue into the midterm elections in November. Democrats say they're trying to help Americans struggling to pay their bills until they get back on their feet and that failing to pass an extension will tank the economic recovery. Republicans say they, too, want to help, but want to offset the $6.4 billion price tag with cuts elsewhere. They also argue such extensions are a disincentive to looking for work. Caught in between are those who lost their benefits because of Congress' failure to act late last year. Why have unemployment benefits become a battle? On Tuesday, a Democratic bill that would provide the three-month extension cleared its first hurdle in the Senate with the help of a handful of Republicans. In an effort to help end a budget stalemate and avoid another government shutdown like the one in October, leaders in both parties last month agreed to a deal that funded the government but excluded an extension of jobless benefits. As a result, Congress did not continue a 2008 recession-era law providing nearly a year of payments, footed by U.S. taxpayers, that kicked in when state jobless benefits ran out. Democrats promised to take up the issue as soon as they returned after their holiday recess, but Republicans said they saw no reason to rush to preserve the benefits until it was time to make a deal. "I have to admit I am a little surprised at the fervor with which the majority is dedicated to reviving the expired emergency unemployment benefits after they ignored the issue all of last year," Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell said during debate on the Senate floor on Tuesday. Democrats do seem to be playing it both ways — taking credit for engineering the economic recovery, but claiming that the economy is still too fragile to withstand changes to assistance programs. The White House also pointed out that Republicans who voted for a similar jobless benefits extension since 2008 now oppose it. Republicans have blamed President Barack Obama for the slow pace of the economic recovery on the one hand while claiming that the economy is now stable enough to withstand the impact of letting people go without benefits. Democrats feel like they are in a win-win position on jobless benefits — if they win this fight, they are the champions of those struggling to recover from the Great Recession; if they lose, they can blame the Republicans. The issue also can energize their base going into the midterms. Extending benefits is a priority for congressional Democrats and Obama, who is trying to make income equality a centerpiece of his second term. Republicans want to keep the focus on the disastrous rollout of the President's signature health care reform law and wield it in the midterm campaigns. The broader argument over the divide between the haves and have-nots will rage on through the midterms. However, conservatives aren't ceding the issue of income disparity to Democrats. Rep. Paul Ryan of Wisconsin and Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky have both made addressing poverty part of their tentative explorations into possible 2016 presidential bids. The political war over poverty . In remarks after the Senate vote, Obama noted that members of Congress have not yet passed the jobless benefits bill itself. "All they've agreed to, so far, is that we're actually going to be able to have a vote on it," he told supporters in a speech at the White House. "We have got to get this across the finish line without obstruction or delay." Still, he achieved a major step on the path toward his goal when 60 senators -- including six Republicans -- voted Tuesday to move ahead with debate on the measure. "Today brought us a glimmer of hope," said Sen. Charles Schumer, D-New York, after the vote. "It shows that the big plates -- the tectonic plates in our politics -- are moving." But House Speaker John Boehner said he told Obama a month ago that another extension of temporary emergency unemployment benefits "should not only be paid for but include something to help put people back to work. To date, the president has offered no such plan. If he does, I'll be happy to discuss it, but right now the House is going to remain focused on growing the economy and giving America's unemployed the independence that only comes from finding a good job." The 60 yea votes were the minimum needed to allow debate to go forward and avoid a filibuster in the Senate. Democrats got help from Republicans Kelly Ayotte of New Hampshire; Dan Coats of Indiana; Susan Collins of Maine; Dean Heller of Nevada; Lisa Murkowski of Alaska; and Rob Portman of Ohio. Obama: Extend unemployment insurance . Obama was introduced before his remarks at the White House by Katherine Hackett, of Moodus, Connecticut, who wrote to the President last month, explaining that she is unemployed and had been forced to cut back on food and home heating. "I have cut expenses everywhere possible," she said, adding that she wears a coat inside her house to keep down heating bills. Both her sons serve in the military, she said. "I hope our leaders in Washington can find a solution to help families like mine," Hackett pleaded. Obama appealed to Congress and the rest of the nation to do just that. "These are your neighbors, your friends, your family members," Obama said. "When times get tough, we are not a people who say, 'You're on your own.' We are people who believe we're all in it together, and we know, there but for the grace of God go I." Republican Sen. Mark Kirk of Illinois said he wants to help people, but insisted Congress must find a way to pay for the measure. "I, obviously, have people in my state who would benefit. The better way to go is to not add to the deficit in an irresponsible way," Kirk said. "I want us to get on the bill so we can talk about an offset to pay for it," Collins said. "Ultimately, I think we should restructure the unemployment compensation program so it's more closely linked to job training for the long-term unemployed whose jobs probably are not coming back." In the run up to the vote, conservative interests were applying heavy pressure. New year, same old fight over jobless benefits . The Club for Growth had urged all senators to vote "no" on the proposal and cited the lack of spending offsets. "Congress should end the federal unemployment insurance program and return the authority back to the states, which already have programs in place," the group said. "Absent this, Congress should pay for this extension by cutting spending elsewhere in the budget. After six years, an extension can no longer be called an 'emergency' with any credibility. There is plenty of waste in the federal budget from which to find an offset," it said. The U.S. unemployment rate stood at 7% in November, the most recent Labor Department statistics show. That means more than 10 million people were out of work, a third of them for at least 27 weeks. CNN's Ted Barrett and Alan Silverleib contributed to this report. | The benefits extension is year's first partisan showdown in Congress .
The debate over unemployment and poverty foreshadows midterms .
Bald politics at play as both parties try to score points . |
47,636 | 86626fa937a4c6ebf0bba45e4a8afbbd2df8fca7 | By . Alex Ward . PUBLISHED: . 14:14 EST, 3 February 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 14:22 EST, 3 February 2013 . Racial impact: A study into interracial adoption in the UK found that orphans experience some form of racism or prejudice in child and adulthood . Children from ethnic minorities adopted by white parents are deeply affected by cultural and racial differences, a study has found. The research challenges the government’s proposed adoption policy reforms which aim to make it easier for prospective parents to adopt. The study into the long-term impact of interracial adoption in the UK found that the orphans had all experienced some form of racism or prejudice in both child and adulthood ranging from playground name-calling as a child to serious racist attacks. The government is currently trying to make the adoption process swifter and place more children with loving families after it was revealed that children seeking adoption languish in care for up to three years in some local authorities. The research done by the British Association for Adoption and Fostering (BAAF) investigated how 72 orphaned women abandoned as infants in Hong Kong fared in life over 50 years. The study found that some of the women found it difficult to come to terms with their separation from their birth family and being Chinese in the UK. Some ‘felt alienated, struggled with conflicts of dual/multiple identities and had experienced race-based mistreatment’. When asked how they usually described their ethnicity, half identified themselves as Chinese, 19 per cent as British and 15 per cent as British-Chinese while the remainder used personal definitions. Julia Feast, co-author of the project, said of the study: ‘It attests to the importance of family life in providing nurture, care, stimulation and opportunity even when children have had a poor start in life. ‘Whilst the findings are in the main very positive, the challenges and complexities of inter-country adoption should not be underestimated.’ Some participants found childhood and adolescence exceptionally traumatic, with 54 per cent feeling uncomfortable after comments made by their adoptive family about their appearance and 75 per cent said they wished they looked less Chinese. John Simmonds , director of policy, research and development at the BAAF, recommended the government spend more time considering legislation. He told The Observer: ‘If the government has the view that a child being adopted from a different country, religion, culture, language, is a marginal issue that becomes an irrelevance over the course of time given the benefits of adoption, then that is not what this study has said.’ Education Secretary Michael Gove, who was adopted at four months, hopes to stop councils blocking mixed-race adoptions as part of radical reforms to ensure children are removed from unfit parents more quickly. Mr Gove has said there was ‘horrifying’ evidence that children were being left in dangerous homes for too long. He said local councils were blocking potential adoptions purely because would-be parents were not the same race as the child. Of 3,600 children in care under the age of one, only 60 were adopted last year. Black children were three times less likely to find new parents than white ones. Mr Gove said he was deeply angered . that falling numbers of adoptions – a 17 per cent decline in the last . decade – meant a ‘cruel rationing of human love for those most in need’. The . Education Secretary said couples were being turned down for trivial . reasons, including one case in which a couple who had already adopted . five children successfully could not take on another until they bought . an electric kettle with a shorter lead. Questions reform: The study challenges the government's proposed adoption policy reforms which aim to make it easier for prospective parents to adopt (file picture) Other couples are being asked questions such as whether they have non-slip mats in the shower, and asked to fill out nine pages of forms about the potential risks posed by their pets. The Department for Education said: ‘We are changing the law to ensure black and minority ethnic children - who take on average a year longer to be adopted than white children - are not left waiting in care any longer than necessary.’ The women in the study were mostly abandoned as infants (and left to be found) and spent between eight and 72 months in one of four orphanages in Hong Kong. Whilst they appeared to have experienced a reasonable quality of physical and medical care and nutrition in comparison to the globally depriving environments reported in other adoption studies, they lacked the consistent one-to-one care and stimulation that infants typically need for their proper development. | The study investigated the long-term impact of interracial adoption in the UK .
It found that orphans experienced some form of racism or prejudice in both child and adulthood .
The government is proposing reforms to adoption policy to speed up the process for prospective parents . |
15,239 | 2b5794fb8e8970f5b9a039eae46e13f2b85d5dc4 | By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 03:14 EST, 30 April 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 07:17 EST, 30 April 2013 . Support: An onliine petition set up to support Kimberley Rivera (pictured) was signed by 19,000 people in Canada . A female soldier in the U.S. Army who fled to Canada after becoming 'disillusioned' with the Iraq War has been sentenced to 10 months in prison. During a two-week leave in 2007, Private First Class Kimberly Rivera crossed the Canadian . border to avoid having to complete a second tour of duty in . Iraq. Rivera, 30, was a wheeled-vehicle driver in Fort Carson's 4th . Infantry Brigade Combat Team and served in Iraq in 2006. At a court martial on Monday the . mother-of-four said she had became 'disillusioned' with the U.S. mission . and pleaded guilty to two counts of desertion and a bad-conduct . discharge. The Colorado . Springs Gazette reported that when judge Colonel Timothy Grammel asked . Rivera how long she remained absent, she replied: 'As long as I possibly . could, sir. ... I intended to quit my job permanently.' After fleeing to Canada, Rivera applied for refugee status but was denied. She also applied for permanent residency, but Canadian immigration officials rejected that application as well. Requests to stay on humanitarian and compassionate grounds were also rejected by the authorities. An online petition was set up in Canada . to oppose Rivera's deportation order, which was signed by 19,000 people . and rallies were held in a number of cities in the country calling on . the government to let her stay in the country. Deserter: Kimberley Rivera, a female soldier in the U.S. Army has been sentenced to 10 months in prison after she admitted fleeing to Canada to avoid a second tour of duty in Iraq . Nobel Peace Prize winner Archbishop . Desmond Tutu and the U.S. veterans organization Veterans for Peace also . protested the deportation order. But, following an unsuccessful appeal against the order, Rivera was finally deported last year and was arrested as soon as she entered the U.S. and taken into military custody. During her sentencing hearing, government lawyers argued that Rivera, who was granted leave shortly into her tour to work out marital issues, failed to return because her husband threatened to leave her and take their children. James Matthew Branum, Rivera's civilian defense attorney, said Rivera never filed for status as a conscientious objector because she didn't know the option was available to her. Mr Branum said Rivera should have . been informed about it when she met with a chaplain in Iraq over . concerns that she couldn't take a life. In . 2012, the War Resisters Support Campaign, a Canadian activist group, . estimated that there were about 200 Iraq war resisters in Canada. It . said two other Iraq war resisters who were deported, Robin Long and . Clifford Cornell, faced lengthy jail sentences upon their return. Kimberley Rivera pictured with her husband and four children . Long was given a dishonorable discharge in 2008 and sentenced to 15 months in a military prison after pleading guilty to charges of desertion. The lower house of Canada's Parliament most recently passed a motion in 2009 in favor of allowing U.S. military deserters to stay, but the Conservative Party government was not persuaded. During the Vietnam War, as many as 90,000 Americans won refuge in Canada, most of them to avoid the military draft. Many were given permanent residence status that led to Canadian citizenship, but the majority went home after President Jimmy Carter granted amnesty in the late 1970s. Some Canadian politicians say the situation is different now because Iraq war deserters like Rivera enlisted in the U.S. military voluntarily. | Kimberly Rivera pleaded guilty to two counts of desertion at a court martial .
She fled to Canada to avoid second tour of duty in Iraq in 2007 .
An online petition set up to support her was signed by 19,000 people . |
48,402 | 88a1216ed9daad165788a3eb676b50fb375e4b82 | By . Snejana Farberov . As Noel Shannon lay trapped under her truck after a horrific crash in the mountains of Oregon, the 23-year-old weighed her options, one of which was to use her car keys to amputate her own leg. The Washington state resident was eventually rescued, but doctors were unable to save her mangled limb. Last Saturday, Shannon's left leg was cut off from the knee down at Harborview Medical Center in Seattle. Survivor: Noel Shannon, 23, seen in the hospital several days after doctors amputated her badly damaged left leg above the knee . Fearless: Noel, 23, considered severing her own leg with her car keys after she became trapped under her truck . Taste for adventure: On July 5, Noel (far left) traveled to the Walla Walla River country in Oregon to take pictures in a forest . Beauty: The athletic young woman, pictured with her boyfriend, got into an accident after swerving to avoid a deer on a country road . Noel's mother, Christa Shannon, said her daughter's main concern now is to get a prosthetic running leg. On July 5, Noel was returning from taking pictures in the Umatilla National Forest near Walla Walla River country in Oregon at around 8pm when she saw a deer in front of her 1996 Toyota car. The 23-year-old made a sharp turn to avoid hitting the animal, which caused her vehicle to roll over several times. The truck came to rest on the driver's side, with Noel's left leg sticking out the window. She was not buckled in that night. Her foot was lodged under the door frame, and try as she might, Shannon was unable to pull it out. That is when she first thought of her keys. The quick-thinking photographer used the keys at first to try and dig a furrow under the door frame in an attempt to free her foot. But after 10 hours of work, she was able to make only a small dent in the rock-hard ground. Keeping calm: The quick-thinking Noel tried to use her keys to dig a trench under the car door frame to free her foot, but after 10 hours of work, she only made a small dent in the ground . Hero: Dax McReynolds, a U.S. Army combat veteran, was driving through the Walla Walla area when he spotted Noel bleeding to death on the ground surrounded by flies . As she lay bleeding heavily from her split-open leg, Noel recalled hearing wolves howling, and the thought that sooner or later the animals will make their way to the site of the crash terrified her. ‘She knew she would have to cut off her leg with her keys, a lot of those were little keys and she knew they were not sharp enough to do so,’ Mrs Shannon told Walla Walla Union-Bulletin. ‘So she just had to buckle down and just jerk her leg out.’ Her leg was now in an even worse shape, but at least Miss Shannon was free. In the nick of time: Doctors were able to repair Noel's artery, but her left leg was beyond mending . The fit and healthy 23-year-old used her good leg to smash the windshield and crawled out of the wreckage. Noel Shannon used her sweatshirt to tie a tourniquet around her mangled left leg to stop the bleeding and set out to get help. But Noel was too weak from blood loss, and so she collapsed only about 15 feet from her overturned truck. ‘I couldn't believe it was happening to me and I really thought I was going to die,’ Noel later recalled to KVEW. At around 8.30am the next day, Dax McReynolds was returning with a friend from target practice in the Walla Walla area when he spotted a 'pile of debris' on the ground next to a flipped-over truck. McReynolds and his companion, both U.S. Army combat veterans who fought in Iraq, found Noel near death, with 'bees and flies warming around her.' ‘I see this older Toyota 4-Runner coming up the road,’ said Noel, referring to the moment she first saw the two Good Samaritans approach. ‘It was like they were angels from heaven.’ The men loaded Noel into their vehicle and hit the road, hoping to reach a spot where there is cell phone service so they could call 911. Staying positive: Despite the pain, Noel flashed a smile and two thumbs up for the camera before undergoing surgery last week . Tough decision: Doctors were forced to amputate the woman's leg below the knee because too much of the muscle tissue has died . One last time: Noel, her boyfriend (right) and her family are seen just before the surgery, with Shannon's leg still intact . 'But she wanted to go home,' McReynolds said. 'She said she couldn’t afford the ambulance ride.' When the group finally reached Providence St Mary Medical Center in Walla Walla, doctors were able to repair the artery in Noel's left leg, but they could not save the limb since too much muscle tissue has died. On Saturday, her family posted several pictures from the hospital showing Noel getting ready for surgery. In one photo, the young woman is seen casting a final glance at her leg wrapped in a bandage but still intact. Noel's loved ones have launched an online fundraiser to help her with medical expenses and the costs of a prosthetic leg. The goal is to collect $75,000 in donations. Christa Shannon, Noel’s mother, wrote on a Facebook support page dedicated to her daughter that prosthetics are very costly and have to be changed every 4-5 years. Unstoppable: Noel Shannon hopes to resume running one day, and she plans to open a gym for people with prosthetic limbs . After a tough week following the surgery, Noel is on a road to recovery. She will be released home in a few days and will spend the next six months getting around with the help of a wheelchair and crutches. Before the accident, the 23-year-old enjoyed running, training horses and riding her Harley Davidson. Now, Noel's dream is to get a prosthetic leg and open a gym for people like her. Miss Shannon’s message is: ‘Just don't take life for granted, you never know when your last day will be.’ | Noel Shannon, 23, was taking pictures in Oregon mountains July 5 when she crashed after swerving to avoid a deer .
Shannon was able to crawl away from the flipped over car and was rescued the next morning by two U.S. Army combat veterans .
Doctors were forced to amputate Noel's left leg above the knee due to tissue damage . |
148,329 | 4bc9a1b1db884c9e6bc9420290e6f5151ae92f8f | She may have been working in the industry for nearly 15 years but Sophie Ellis-Bextor's dazzling career shows no sign of slowing down anytime soon. The ex-Strictly Come Dancing contestant and pop star has been unveiled as the face of fashion brand Phase Eight for Spring/Summer 2015. Proving that she's more than just a clothes horse, the 35-year-old singer-songwriter worked with the brand to create the campaign, which aims to epitomise the femininity and elegance of the designs. Scroll down for video . Popstar and Strictly Come Dancing favourite Sophie Ellis Bextor has been unveiled as the face of Phase Eight . Modelling the latest collection in a hazy shoot, Sophie showcases the feminine lace and floral print designs. The garments, which are mostly Fifties-inspired and cost between £110-£169, are designed to be worn both at the office or at a social event and each look is completed with jewellery, heels and clutch bags from the collection. Speaking about her new shoot, Sophie said: ‘This collection provides perfect outfit solutions for summer weddings and garden parties where you always want to feel special and unique. 'I love how the collection exudes feminine and stylish dressing’. The brand say she is the 'ultimate Phase Eight woman' because she is successful, confident, loves fashion and interprets it to work for her own personal style . Starring in a hazy shoot, which she collaborated with the brand on, Sophie showcases the feminine lace and floral print designs for the high street brand . Sophie defies her years in the new campaign - and proves that she's still got her enviable dancer's body . The dresses, which are mostly Fifties-inspired, are designed to be worn at the office or at a social event . A spokesperson for the brand added: ‘Sophie is the ultimate Phase Eight woman - she is successful, confident, loves fashion and interprets it to work for her own personal style. 'She relates well to our customers who aspire to wear dresses that are elegant, flattering and versatile and our full collection offers beautiful and contemporary designs with unique prints and feminine shapes that meet their full wardrobe requirements’. Sophie defies her years in the new campaign - and proves that she's still got her enviable dancer's body. Each look mdoelled by Sophie is completed with jewellery, heels and clutch bags from the collection . The 35 year old said: 'I try to go to the gym two or three times a week if I can.' But she recently admitted that much of her exercise comes from running around after her three children, who are all under 11. This isn't the first fashion coup for Sophie; in September she was unveiled as the face - and legs - of Pretty Polly. The long-limbed singer signed up to front the hosiery company's autumn/winter collection for a six-month stint. The 35-year-old also tried her hand at fashion design, launching a series of styles for the brand's collection called Flirty. Sophie Ellis-Bextor attends the launch of the Burberry festive campaign, proving her fashion credentials . Sophie shows off her skills on Strictly, where she came fourth in 2013's show . | Pop star and ex-Strictly Come Dancing contestant lands new ad campaign .
She helped design the Phase Eight shoot and models 1950s-style dresses .
Sophie also unveiled as the face of Pretty Polly tights last September . |
172,764 | 6b9810ba8ac17eb7eb0f914bd67e57db9fe23566 | (CNN) -- A wave of protests broke out at Syrian embassies on several continents amid reports of hundreds of deaths in one Syrian city and hours before a possible U.N. Security Council vote on a response to the violent crackdown in the country. Here's a breakdown of some of the demonstrations Friday and Saturday: . CAIRO . Egyptian police arrested 12 people, mostly Syrians, accused of setting the first floor of the Syrian embassy in Cairo on fire, according to Egyptian police Maj. Karim El-Fouli. Groups of Syrians outside the police station demanded the release of those detained, El-Fouli said. About 100 people sat outside the police station, leading to a tense standoff with police, said Sumer Badr, a Syrian activist in Cairo. Badr said demonstrators gathered because of the "massacre" in Homs. (The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, an opposition activist group, had reported that more than 200 people were killed in the besieged city Homs. One activist told CNN the assault on Homs took place after dozens of soldiers from the Syrian army defected and fled into the city.) Syrians in Cairo chanted, "Mubarak gone gone, Assad next next" -- references to former Egyptian ruler Hosni Mubarak, who was ousted after a popular uprising last year, and Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, whom many Syrian protesters are demanding step down. LONDON . About 150 protesters gathered outside the Syrian embassy in Belgrave Square, London's Metropolitan Police said, and five people were arrested after gaining entry to the building in the early hours Saturday. One person was arrested for assault on a police officer. The demonstrators called for the ouster of al-Assad. The protest continued outside the embassy Saturday afternoon. Syrian Ambassador to London Dr. Sami al Khiyami told CNN one room had been broken into and furniture damaged. The U.K. Foreign Office condemned the break-in and said it was reviewing security arrangements. BERLIN . Thirty-one people broke through the locked doors of the Syrian embassy in Berlin, police said. The men -- all Syrian or of Syrian decent -- infiltrated the building, destroyed office furniture and displayed a flag out of an embassy's office window, Berlin police said. The intruders also spray-painted slogans on walls. Police arrived and detained all the men, who were later released. WASHINGTON . A few dozen protesters gathered outside the Syrian embassy in Washington on Friday night. Some chanted, "shame, shame, shame on you." The demonstration was largely peaceful. KUWAIT . A group of Syrian nationals as well as Kuwaiti citizens stormed Syria's embassy in Kuwait early Saturday, damaging property in the building, the state-run Kuwait News Agency (KUNA) said. The Kuwaiti Foreign Ministry condemned the incident, saying it was a "breach on Kuwait's policy towards diplomatic missions in the country," according to KUNA. Both Syrian nationals and Kuwaitis were arrested, the agency said, but the exact number was not released. CNN's Nic Robertson, Bharati Naik, Amir Ahmed, Salma Abdelaziz, Stefan Simons, Azadeh Ansari and Bob Kovach, and journalist Mohamed Fadel Fahmy contributed to this report . | Syrian ambassador to London says protesters got into embassy, damaged furniture .
Protests erupt at Syrian embassies in Cairo, Berlin, Washington and London .
They come amid reports that at least 260 people were killed in the Syrian city of Homs .
The U.N. Security Council could vote on a draft resolution on Syria Saturday . |
151,661 | 500d1e0e51b3bcf2c83c5fb6ca4622e56a0a3107 | By . Mark Duell . PUBLISHED: . 18:45 EST, 15 September 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 12:49 EST, 16 September 2013 . The Syrian government has described the US-Russia deal on chemical weapons as 'a victory' that averts war. A . government minister has praised their 'Russian friends' for brokering . the deal which seeks to destroy Syria's chemical weapons by mid-2014, in . exchange for America's agreement not to launch military strikes. Under . the agreement President al-Assad must turn over full details of the . country's chemical weapons stockpile within a week, or face UN . enforcement which could lead to further conflict. Mothers mourn during a symbolic Free Syrian Army funeral held in Aleppo today as the government welcomes a deal which seeks to destroy the country's chemical weapons . A mourning mother grieves the loss of her son at the funeral held in Aleppo today as conflict continues in the war-torn country . Speaking of the US-Russian deal, . Syrian minister Ali Haidar said: 'These . agreements ... are a victory for Syria, achieved thanks to our Russian . friends.' President . Bashar al-Assad's jets and artillery hit rebel suburbs of the capital . again on Sunday in an attack that residents said began last week, when . President Obama delayed air strikes in the face of opposition from . Moscow and his own electorate. Reports . indicate rebel brigades have expressed disdain for the American . President and his government after shying away from military . intervention against al-Assad's regime. Mourners attend the symbolic funeral today as US Secretary of State John Kerry warns the threat of force is imminent if Assad fails to comply with agreement . Mourners unite at a Syrian Free Army symbolic funeral held in Aleppo today as rebel brigades continue to join forces amid fears 'the world does not care about Syria' Syrian rebel brigades celebrate joining forces while reports indicate the free fighters have expressed disdain for President Obama's decision to shy away from military action . Members of rebel brigades flash the sign of victory from the top of a tank during a ceremony to mark an agreement to unite the of forces Liwad al-Tawid and Liwad al- Fatah . Free Syrian Army fighters take a shooting position in Sheikh Khodr area in Aleppo today . John Kerry however today sent a strong . warning to Syria, insisting 'the threat of force is real' if it does not . carry out an internationally-brokered agreement to hand over its . chemical weapons. The US . Secretary of State issued the warning in Jerusalem, where he briefed . jittery Israeli leaders on the new American-Russian plan to rid . neighbouring Syria of its chemical weapons by mid-2014. In . comments aimed at his hosts, Mr Kerry said the deal also served as a . ‘marker’ for the international community as it deals with Iran's suspect . nuclear programme. Scroll down for video . Discussions: US Secretary of State John Kerry (left) and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (right) attend a press conference today after a meeting on the Syrian conflict in Jerusalem . ‘We cannot have hollow words in the conduct of international affairs,’ he added. The . US has been formulating its response to an alleged chemical attack . carried out by Syrian forces that killed hundreds of civilians last . month. ‘These are crimes against humanity and they cannot be tolerated,’ Mr Kerry warned. In . a deal meant to avert a threatened US military strike, US and Russian . officials reached an ambitious agreement over the weekend calling for an . inventory of Syria's chemical weapons programme within one week. All parts of Syria's chemical weapons programme will be removed from the country or destroyed by mid-2014. Agreement: U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, left, and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, shake hands yesterday after making a deal over Syria following three days of negotiations . Deadline: Syrian President Bashar Assad, pictured, is thought to hold about 1,000 tons of chemical agents and precursors, details of which must be handed over by September 21 . The deal was greeted with . cautious optimism in Israel, where leaders expressed satisfaction that . Syria, a bitter enemy, could be stripped of dangerous weapons but also . pessimism about whether Syrian President Bashar Assad will comply. 'We cannot have hollow words in the conduct of international affairs' US Secretary of State John Kerry . Israel has repeatedly voiced . concern that Assad, locked in a two-year-old civil war, may fire his . chemical weapons at Israel in a bout of desperation or that the weapons . could fall into the hands of Hezbollah or other hostile groups fighting . in the Syrian civil war. Perhaps . more critically, the Israelis also fear that a tepid international . response to Syria could encourage Iran to press forward with what is . widely believed to be a nuclear weapons program. Iran . denies its nuclear programme has a military purpose and says it is . pursuing peaceful applications like cancer treatment and power . generation. Meeting: US Secretary of State John Kerry, second right, and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, back to camera, talk, with their senior aides seated by a swimming pool at a hotel in Geneva, Switzerland . Standing alongside Mr Kerry, Prime . Minister Benjamin Netanyahu welcomed the US-Russia deal and stressed his . belief that it would have deep repercussions on Iran, Syria's close . ally. ‘The world needs to . ensure that radical regimes don't have weapons of mass destruction . because as we have learned in Syria if rogue regimes have weapons of . mass destruction they will use them,’ Mr Netanyahu said. ‘The . determination the international community shows regarding Syria will . have a direct impact on the Syrian regime's patron Iran,' he . added. 'Iran must . understand the consequences of its continued defiance of the . international community by its pursuit toward nuclear weapons.' | A Syrian government minister said the agreement was a 'victory achieved thanks to our Russian friends'
Rebels continue to gather force amid fears 'the world does not care about Syria' after President Obama's decision not to strike .
US .
Secretary of State John Kerry said today the threat of force was still .
'very real' if Syria fails to hand over chemical weapons report .
Agreement forces war-torn Syria to give full details of stockpile and destroy all chemical weapons by mid-2014 . |
67,151 | be7d80af4d9206a538e7f88263405e49079212d0 | Nobody that day at the High Court will forget it. The screams of abuse and sobbing relatives in the public gallery as the jury returned its verdict, and actress Gillian Taylforth collapsing in a Victorian swoon of despair and being wheeled to an ambulance. It was January 25, 1994, and Taylforth, who at that time was playing cafe owner Kathy Beale in the BBC1 soap opera EastEnders, had sued The Sun for libel, and lost. Fundamentally, it was a simple issue. She challenged the red-top tabloid after it published a report that a policeman saw her performing a sex act on her fiance in their car while parked in a lay-by. Her story was that he was not well and she was simply soothing his tummy. Gillian Taylforth and her then boyfriend Geoff Knights, who sued the Sun for libel . Even in the richly endowed annals of High Court libel actions over the years, this one produced evidence that was uniquely colourful and stark, including film taken at a party some years earlier of the actress simulating sex acts, using a bottle and a sausage. Added to this was the diminutive, intriguingly soft-voiced figure of the late George Carman QC, representing The Sun, a man about whom it was said in legal circles ‘doesn’t clear his throat for less than £10,000’. So it is hardly surprising that a reconstruction of this hotly contested libel action has been chosen to be the first in a series of court reconstructions, The Trial, starting tonight on Channel 5. As the jury heard, it all began 18 months earlier, in June 1992, when Taylforth and her fiance, Geoff Knights, went to Royal Ascot, where he drank champagne. As she drove them home in her Range Rover, they stopped in a lay-by on the A1, near Trotters Bottom in Hertfordshire. As luck would have it, a police patrol car came by at that moment, and PC Terence Talbot stopped to check the parked vehicle. Peering through the Range Rover window, he saw Taylforth with her head on Knights’s lap. He was in no doubt she was performing a sex act, ‘lying prone’ across the front seat ‘with her head moving slightly up and down in Mr Knights’s lap’. Knights was taken to the police station — Taylforth went to collect their daughter — where he accepted a caution for gross indecency. According to another policeman, Knights said they’d had ‘a good day at the races, the urge got hold of us on the way home — you know how it is’. That might have been the end of the matter — except a story about the arrest later appeared on the front page of The Sun under the banner headline ‘TV Kathy’s Sex Romp Fury’. A furious Taylforth and Knights denied there had been a sex act, but the tabloid refused to back down. So the couple sued for libel. When the verdict was announced the actress collapsed and had to be taken away by ambulance . This was the state of play as the warring parties assembled in Court 13 at the High Court on January, 11, 1994, with a jury of eight men and four women. Taylforth’s barrister was rangey Old Etonian Michael Beloff QC. He told the court that the officer’s reaction to the A1 lay-by incident was ‘a simple misunderstanding’. What he had, in fact, seen — Knights with trousers undone and Taylforth leaning across him — was simply Taylforth trying to comfort Knights after he had suffered an attack of pancreatitis. She was massaging his stomach because he felt sick after drinking too much champagne. In the witness box, the actress wept and said she felt ‘disgusted’ and ‘ashamed’ of the sex act allegation. She shouted at Carman, The Sun’s barrister, when he accused her of making up her story about Knights being unwell ‘to cover your tracks’. ‘I would never have been able to make up any such lies like that,’ she snapped. ‘How could anyone think that you could stop on the A1 for oral sex with cars going by?’ Asked by her own counsel to describe how The Sun’s story made her feel, she replied: ‘It is so cheap, it makes me feel sick to the stomach.’ For his part, wheeler-dealer Geoff Knights was much more relaxed in the witness box, agreeing he undid his trousers in the lay-by when his girlfriend was comforting him. There was an amusing moment when Carman asked him to list his criminal convictions and prison sentences. ‘What, all of them?’ was his reply. After which he read aloud a lengthy list including assault and breaking a man’s jaw. At the time, Miss Taylforth played Kathy Beale in the soap Eastenders and has also starred in Hollyoaks and Footballers' Wives . So the battle raged — outside the courtroom as well as in. For, to allow the jury to see how the alleged sex act took place, everyone trooped out into the West Green car park of the Gothic courtroom complex in The Strand. Led by Mr Justice Drake, jurors, barristers and members of the Press all formed a circle round a metallic blue Range Rover — the very car at the heart of the case. Already sitting inside were Taylforth, then 36, and Knights, 38. This time, they were about to perform what they claimed really happened in the car — but this time in front of a circle of some 30 people. Knights sat bolt upright in the front passenger seat. Taylforth, wearing a tight black suit with white stitching, leaned towards him and gently patted his stomach. On this occasion, Knights did not undo his trousers. As she went through her patting procedure, Taylforth’s face was, according to witnesses ‘a picture of concern’. Moments later, two lookalike stand-ins — Sarah Stephens and Sean Rayment, both journalists on The Sun — were directed into position in the car by PC Talbot to re-enact what he insisted he saw. This time, the woman’s face could not be seen as she buried it in her companion’s lap while the solemn circle of observers took turns to peer in. As the young pair emerged, pink-faced, Carman declared the second enactment could not be ‘exact’ because the stand-in’s penis had not been exposed. The brilliant QC hadn’t finished. On the opening day of the second week of the action, he calmly tossed into the case an unexpected bombshell that had been delivered to his legal team over the weekend. This was a 35-minute home-video that had been obtained — for a fee — by News International, the publisher of The Sun. It had been filmed six years earlier, in 1988, at the 20th anniversary daytime party of the Anna Scher Theatre School in Islington, north London, and among the guests were the stars of popular TV shows including Grange Hill, The Bill, Casualty, London’s Burning and EastEnders. Carman believed the video contained important character evidence the jury should see. Beloff, for Taylforth, argued it should be inadmissible as court evidence. With the jury told by the judge to be absent, they each argued their case. Eventually, the judge ruled in favour of Carman. At first, as the film was played, the actress occasionally giggled and pointed out people on the screen to Knights. In one . clip, the jury saw Taylforth standing in a street, opposite a . playground, apparently simulating masturbation with a wine bottle . between her legs, and saying: ‘I could sell my services down the road.’ Another . showed her surrounded by friends and holding a large German sausage, . intermittently in her mouth. She was smiling at the camera and saying: . ‘I’d like to state I give good head (a slang term for oral sex). I give . very good head.’ She . then asked if anyone ‘has a battery for it’. After the jury had watched . the film, Taylforth went back into the witness box, where she explained . she was pretending the sausage was a vibrator. More recently Miss Taylforth appeared in Strictly Come Dancing and partnered Anton du Beke . ‘It was only a joke with a sausage — nothing more than that,’ she said, ‘just a joke between friends.’ Replying to her counsel, she said her sister, a police constable, was also at the party. How had she felt, Beloff asked, when Carman accused her of lying to the jury? ‘What can I say? I just think it’s totally unfair,’ she said. In the closing speeches, Carman accused Taylforth of ‘acting’ to the jury, while he himself was accused of trying to influence the jury with ‘magician’s tricks’. Then, after almost two weeks, the jury went out. Almost five-and-a-half hours later, the jury foreman rose to announce the verdict, and Taylforth’s left hand could be seen tightly gripping Knights’s wrist. ‘Oh God,’ she gasped, and then she began to sob amid shouts and abuse from friends and family in the public gallery towards the police and even at the judge. As Carman asked for the couple to pay The Sun’s legal costs (a crippling £500,000), the actress’s mouth opened and she finally collapsed, was carried out to an ambulance, and taken to hospital, where she swiftly recovered. The jury’s decision, it must be said, was not unanimous. They found for The Sun 10-2. Carman had suggested Taylforth — the Cockney daughter of a printer and a cleaning lady — sued to prevent the story damaging her career. In fact, although she lost, it seems to have had no impact at all. In the 20 years since, Taylforth has scarcely been out of work. She has appeared in Footballers’ Wives and The Bill, partnered Anton Du Beke in Strictly Come Dancing in 2008 and was in Celebrity Big Brother last year. For several years she has starred in Hollyoaks, which she is leaving this summer for ‘family reasons’. She and Knights were together for 23 often stormy years and had two children. They parted in 2009 and he died last year aged 58 from cancer. | Trial of Gillian Taylforth who sued The Sun is being reconstructed .
Will recreate moment she collapsed when jury revealed she lost the case .
The Trial Of Gillian Taylforth is on Channel 5 tonight at 10pm. |
109,719 | 196b5188c019f691bc3d41c123c485bea16d84e0 | By . Eddie Wrenn . PUBLISHED: . 08:56 EST, 31 July 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 08:56 EST, 31 July 2012 . Shatner in his heyday: Captain Kirk (right, with Leonard Nimoy) narrates NASA's mini-documentary about the Mars mission . Next week, one of the most daring missions in space will take place as Nasa pushes the final frontier with a trip to Mars. The Curiosity vehicle, which is the size of a car, will use a combination of parachutes, thrusters, and even a 'sky crane' to navigate its way through the thin Martian atmosphere and land in a crater. The mission will culminate in 'seven minutes of terror' as Curiosity relies on a complex series of instructions being executed perfectly. Despite the intellectual skills and clever technological tricks employed by Nasa, this may all sound a little quaint to Star Trek fans more used to galaxy-sprawling adventures in the 23rd century. So perhaps that is why Nasa asked William Shatner - aka Captain James T. Kirk - to narrate their documentary of those seven minutes. The Shatner presented video will be used at events around the country and shared on the web and social media. Also providing an alternative version of Shatner is Will Wheaton, who joined the Next Generation to play 'Wesley Crusher'. Each provided their own unique narration to the video, which Nasa hopes will make the videos more appealing to a wide range of audiences. The actors are icons to sci-fi fans worldwide through their work on Star Trek - albeit in two different generations of the show. Artist's impression of Nasa's Curiosity Rover on the surface of Mars . The yellow oval shows the elliptical landing target for Nasa's Curiosity rove in the Gale Crater area of the red planetr. William Shatner today, where he is perhaps best known to younger fans for his role in drama Boston Legal . A recent study suggested that just digging inches beneath the surface could . uncover complex organic molecules that could show that life once existed . on Mars. The rover, in a protective capsule, will hit the top of the Martian atmosphere at 20,000km/h (13,000mph) and attempt to slow to just one metre per second to execute a soft touchdown. The landing system includes a supersonic parachute and a rocket-powered crane. It was expected that the Odyssey orbiter would track the whole descent, relaying UHF signals from the rover right up to the landing and for a few minutes beyond. The scoop on . Curiosity, which is due to arrive on Mars in August, will dig four . inches beneath the surface - enough to find the complex building blocks . of life, particularly in new craters excavated by recent asteroid . impacts. Some scientists such as Jay Melosh of . Purdue University believe that life may even have originated on Mars, . then been carried to Earth on asteroids. The . results suggest that, should Mars harbor simple organic molecules, . NASA’s prospects for discovering them during Curiosity’s explorations . are better than previously thought, said Alexander Pavlov of the NASA . Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, lead author of the . study. Nasa's Mars Rover Curiosity . | Car-sized probe to hurtle onto martian surface on August 6th .
Next Generation star Will Wheaton provides alternative narration . |
218,068 | a656da983bdf0edb85fba0c625abfafeffff16ce | Washington (CNN) -- President Barack Obama told Hispanic leaders and immigration reform activists Thursday that despite frustrations with the delays in fixing the country's immigration system, he's going to need them to have his back. After punting on taking executive action on immigration until after the midterms, Obama pledged Thursday evening at the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute that he will act on immigration before the end of the year. "The moment I act -- and it will be taking place between the November election and the end of the year -- opponents of reform will roll out the same old scare tactics," Obama said. "And when opponents are out there saying who knows what, I'm going to need you to have my back." Obama was interrupted by one heckler that The Hill newspaper identified as Blanca Hernandez, an undocumented immigrant activist, who shouted "we need relief now" and was escorted out by security. Obama emphasized Thursday that he can't accomplish real, long-term change without what he called the "powerful" Latino vote. "Si se puede, si votamos. Yes we can, if we vote," Obama told the crowd to applause. That rallying call, reminiscent of his 2008 campaign slogan, piles on top of Democratic efforts to mobilize lackluster Latinos who appear less likely to support Democrats in November despite strong backing in recent cycles, according to the Washington Post. "Nothing I can do will be as comprehensive or lasting as the Senate bill. Anything I can do can be reversed by the next President," Obama said. While Obama pushed back his plans for executive action this summer and a bipartisan Senate bill on immigration reform last year failed to pick up steam in the House, Obama insisted that his administration has done a lot to benefit Latinos in his nearly six years in office. Obama rattled off a list of campaign promises that he said he has kept: from confronting "the crisis of overcrowded classrooms and underfunded schools" to fixing the "broken health care system that left one out of three Hispanics uninsured." "The progress we've made has been hard. Sometimes it's been slower than we want, but that progress has been steady and it has been real. We have big things together and we're going to do more," Obama said. And fixing immigration reform falls under that category of "more." "Fixing our broken immigration system is one more big thing that we have to do and that we will do," Obama said. | Obama pledged to take action on immigration reform by the end of the year.
Obama was interrupted by an undocumented immigrant activist.
Obama listed accomplishments that he said have specifically benefited Latinos in the U.S. |
161,926 | 5d5e095569b6e71786e534add3aee4cdcb7fa4e8 | (CNN) -- The European Union is dialing up the pressure on Iran, saying Monday it will cut off oil imports and freeze assets in an effort to starve the country's nuclear program of funding. "Today's action demonstrates the EU's growing concern about Iran's nuclear programme, and our determination to increase peaceful, legitimate pressure on Iran to return to negotiations," British Foreign Secretary William Hague said in a statement from Brussels, Belgium. The sanctions freeze the assets of Iran's central bank in European Union nations and ban the importation of Iranian oil to those countries. The measures also block European Union countries from exporting petrochemical equipment and technology to Iran, or trading diamonds and precious metals with the Middle Eastern state. The sanctions are necessary because Iran continues to defy United Nations resolutions regarding its nuclear program, Hague said. "Iran has it in its power to end sanctions by changing course and addressing the concerns of the international community," he said. Saudi prince: Why Iran won't close Strait of Hormuz . U.S. officials welcomed the sanctions, with Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton saying in a joint statement Monday that the new measures will "sharpen the choice for Iran's leaders." But Iran's deputy foreign minister, Abbas Aragchi, said the measures will only harm the fragile economies of the European Union, according to the official Islamic Republic News Agency. "Sanctions have proved ineffective in the past and will prove futile in the future, too," IRNA quoted Aragchi as saying. The U.S. government took its own punitive action regarding Iran on Monday, with the Treasury Department targeting the nation's third-largest bank, the state-owned Bank Tejarat, for allegedly working with other Iranian banks and firms subject to sanctions tied to Iran's nuclear program. Read a summary of sanctions against Iran . This step means "all of Iran's largest state-owned banks have been sanctioned by the U.S. based on their involvement in Iran's illicit activities," according to a statement from the U.S. government department. David S. Cohen, the U.S. Treasury undersecretary for terrorism and financial intelligence, called Bank Tejarat -- which has nearly 2,000 branches in Iran, plus branches in France and Takijistan -- "one of Iran's few remaining access points to the international financial system. "Today's sanction against Bank Tejarat will deepen Iran's financial isolation, make its access to hard currency even more tenuous, and further impair Iran's ability to finance its illicit nuclear program," said Cohen. The International Atomic Energy Agency said shortly after the fresh oil sanctions were announced that officials from the U.N. nuclear watchdog agency will visit Iran January 29 to 31 "to resolve all outstanding substantive issues." How sanctions hit ordinary Iranians . Inspectors are in and out of the country regularly, an agency spokeswoman said Monday, but a high-level visit of the kind taking place at the end of the month is more unusual. Top officials in Israel, which fears it would be a target of an Iranian nuclear weapon, welcomed the sanctions. "This is a step in the right direction. ... Heavy and swift pressure on Iran is needed," Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said, even as he warned that it is impossible to know what would come of the measures. "For now, Iran continues to produce nuclear weapons without disturbance," he said. Defense Minister Ehud Barak called the EU move "highly important," saying it set "a new standard for the sanctions like never before." Iran exports 2.2. million barrels of oil a day, with about 18% bound for European markets, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. The world consumes about 89 million barrels of oil per day. The European Union will allow contracts that are already in place to be fulfilled until July 1, it said. Saudi Oil Minister Ali al-Naimi told CNN last week that his country could make up the difference if Iran was banned from exporting oil. Al-Naimi said the country has a spare capacity "to respond to emergencies worldwide, to respond to our customer demand, and that is really the focus. Our focus is not on who drops out from production, but who wants more." Tehran has threatened to close the Strait of Hormuz, the only outlet to and from the Persian Gulf, as it faces possible sanctions. The United States has made clear it will not let that happen. Iran: Stuck between U.S. and a hard place . Seventeen million barrels of oil per day passed through the critical shipping lane in 2011, according to the Energy Information Administration. The Iranian government gets about half its revenue from oil exports, according to the agency. Analysts have said that while the new sanctions are the toughest ever imposed, they still contain many loopholes. Iran is expected to still be able to sell its oil to places like China, India or other Asian countries, but perhaps at a discount of 10% to 15%. About 35% of Iran's oil exports currently go to China and India. Western leaders have been walking a fine line with Iran, working to come up with a plan that squeezes the country's finances yet doesn't result in a loss of Iranian oil exports, which could send crude and gasoline prices skyrocketing. The United States and United Kingdom have already put new measures in place against Iran, and Washington has been pressing allies, including Japan and South Korea, to stop buying Iranian oil. U.S. carrier defies Hormuz threat . On Friday, EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton challenged Iran to respond to an offer she made in a letter last October. Ashton wrote that world powers are open to negotiations if Iran is serious about addressing its nuclear program without preconditions. Her office released the letter on Friday. Ashton's spokesperson pointedly noted, "We are waiting for the Iranian reaction." Ashton wrote that the West wants to "engage in a confidence-building exercise" that would lead to a "constructive dialogue" and a "step by step approach" in which Iran would assure the international community that its nuclear program is peaceful. Clinton told reporters in Washington that "we stand by that letter." "They have to give up their nuclear weapons program ... and they have to be willing to come to the table with a plan to do that," she said. Clinton made the comments Friday after a meeting at the State Department with German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle. The German minister was blunt in his assessment of Iran's actions: "Tehran keeps violating its international obligations on the transparency of its nuclear program. We have no choice but to pass tough new sanctions that address the financial sources of the nuclear program." Iran says its nuclear program is not military, but the United States and many of its allies suspect Iran intends to produce a bomb. The International Atomic Energy Agency has expressed similar concerns. "One thing is clear," Westerwelle added. "The door for serious dialogue remains open, but the option of nuclear weapons in Iran is not acceptable to both of us." CNN international affairs correspondent Jill Dougherty, CNNMoney's Steve Hargreaves, and CNN's Claudia Rebaza, David Wilkinson and Guy Azriel contributed to this report. | NEW: The U.S. government announces sanctions against Iran's third-largest bank .
European Union bans Iranian oil imports, freezes Iranian central bank assets .
The move is designed to get Iran to give up its nuclear program .
Iran's deputy foreign minister says sanctions won't solve anything . |
233,022 | b9ae1ca6d313ada5d3743f3301a74400182291c2 | The family of a 48-year-old man have told how they rescued him from dying on the controversial Liverpool Care Pathway by reviving him with drops of water. Andy Flanagan’s family were told that he was severely brain damaged, had organ failure and was close to death after a cardiac arrest. They gathered at his bedside to say their goodbyes after the hospital withdrew fluids and said it was going to let him ‘slip away’. Told he was dying: The family of Andy Flanagan (pictured with daughter Andi-Jo) were told he was severely brain damaged, had organ failure and close to death after a cardiac arrest but they rescued him from dying after he showed signs that he had not had severe brain damage . But when Mr Flanagan’s sister, who is a nurse, gently moved him to change his bloodstained sheets, he started to murmur words, showing signs that he had not suffered severe brain damage. Then, as she cleaned his face with a wet cloth, he desperately tried to suck in the moisture. The family continued their vigil at his bedside around the clock, concerned that doctors did not want to keep the patient alive. Every ten minutes they gave him drops of water that helped him start to come round before doctors eventually agreed to put him back on a drip. Mr Flanagan recovered and returned home. He lived for another month and was able to properly say farewell to his loved ones. His sisters last night called the Liverpool Care Pathway a ‘licence to kill’. It can involve withdrawing treatment and the heavy sedation of a patient and removal of tubes providing food and fluid in the last 24 hours of their life. 'Insidious': Sister Lesley Flanagan called the Liverpool Care Pathway a 'licence to kill' Devised in the 1990s as a means of easing pain for the dying, it has been in widespread use in the NHS in recent years. However, . critics claim it is increasingly being applied to patients without . their families’ knowledge and when they still have a chance of recovery. Lesley Flanagan, 53, last night said her brother had been put on the Pathway, which she describes as ‘insidious and a licence to kill’, long before he was ‘ready to go’. She said the hospital had chosen to ‘give up’ on Mr Flanagan, a father of five and grandfather of two who had been a carpenter. Mr Flanagan, who was suffering from pancreatic cancer, was admitted to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in King’s Lynn in the early hours of June 19 after he had a cardiac arrest. When Miss Flanagan arrived at the hospital she was told that he was very ill, that his organs were shutting down and that they had taken all of the tubes from him. She said: ‘They told us that he had not got long to live and that the kindest thing to do would be to let him slip away. We did not know that they had instituted the Liverpool Care Pathway. ‘They mentioned something about a care pathway, but we didn’t perceive for a second that it was a way to kill people. ‘In the evening my sister, who is a qualified nurse, arrived from Stockton. She was angry because no one had taken care of his basic needs. The bed he was in was dirty and covered with blood. ‘She asked if she could change the sheets and when she asked Andy questions, such as if they could roll him on his side, he replied with “yes” and started to open his eyes. ‘That is when she began to suspect he had not been brain damaged. When she used a wet cloth to clean his face he tried to suck the moisture. We started to give him water from pipettes ourselves and he gradually became more awake. But we still had to campaign for the doctors to put him back on a drip.’ The family also found Mr Flanagan’s medical notes were marked with ‘do not resuscitate’, despite this never being discussed with them. Miss Flanagan added: ‘We stayed with him around the clock, because we were scared they were going to try to kill him again. Admitted: Mr Flanagan, who was suffering from pancreatic cancer, was admitted to Queen Elizabeth Hospital (pictured) after he had a cardiac arrest . ‘He was terrified of the doctors and at one point told his consultant himself, “you tried to kill me and told my family that I wanted to die”. He went home at the end of June and lived for another month until July 25.’ Mr Flanagan’s other sister Kathy Flanagan, 57, who has worked as a nurse for 39 years, said: ‘We had another five weeks with our brother – that time was very important for us and everyone else in the family. ‘Even when Andy had started to come round we had to beg the doctor to put him back on a drip and he told us that our brother did not like needles and that he was sure that he wouldn’t want to be put back on a drip. ‘I think it’s very difficult for relatives to comprehend what’s going on when they’re in state of shock, grieving and hurting. People just listen to doctors and respect them and I’m not saying perhaps at the very end that it might not be appropriate, but who knows when that end stage is.’ Last night a hospital spokesman said: ‘This case is subject to an official complaint and we are unable to comment at this time.’ | Andy Flanagan was rescued from dying on debated Liverpool Care Pathway .
Doctors told his family that he was close to death after a cardiac arrest .
His family gave him drops of water that helped him come round before doctors agreed to put him back on a drip .
His sister Lesley Flanagan said the method was 'licence to kill' |
232,721 | b953905205fbb6d3a617c24cb7c2dbdeb9143dda | A woman who posted a photo of sleeping Patriots star Julian Edelman following their Tinder hook-up has apologised after suffering a backlash of abuse. The woman, known only as Sabrina, posted a selfie of herself next to the New England Patriots wide receiver while he was fast asleep in bed following his team's Superbowl victory. The caption on the photo, which she then added to her Tinder profile, said: 'Just f***** Edelman no lie'. Scroll down for video . Julian Edelman acknowledges cheers from the crowd gathered for the New England Patriot's Superbowl parade on Wednesday. A woman has now posted a photo of the player sleeping next to her in bed . But she has since apologised for what was labelled a gross violation of the player's privacy after she suffered a backlash of abuse and was banned from Boston nightclubs. Michael Winter, one of the biggest nightclub promoters in Boston, told TMZ he would blacklist her from the city's nightclubs. He added: 'You're a five if that and he was blackout. I'm sure I speak on behalf of many Boston industry ppl to not show your face in this city.' However, she has since apologised for sneaking the selfie and said she 'made a mistake'. She told TMZ: 'He passed out and I was bored I guess. Some of the players were texting me that they were really disappointed. I obviously made a mistake and I can't take it back.' Sabrina also said it was unlikely that the nightclub ban would last, claiming she had friends who worked in Boston nightclubs who said she was still welcome. Edelman, 28, scored the winning touchdown in Sunday's Superbowl XLIX in the fourth quarter against the Seattle Seahawks. Edelman spikes the ball after scoring what was the winning touchdown in Superbowl XLIX on Sunday . | Woman named Sabrina posted a selfie next to the sleeping Superbowl star .
She claimed to have hooked up with player Julian Edelman on Tinder .
The caption in the sleeping selfie read: 'Just f***** Edelman, no lie'
But she has since apologised for the 'mistake' and says she feels 'terrible' |
86,753 | f636288db80663037915ddd45cc6fb6bc2ebc815 | An Australian woman who allegedly sold fake ultrasound photos to pregnant mothers is now facing numerous charges of deception. Scores of mothers-to-be cherished the images that had allegedly been printed of the babies they were carrying in the womb, but concerns grew when the women realised that others had been provided with the same pictures. Now a West Australian woman in the town of Bunbury, running a business called ‘Amazing 4D Imagining’, has been charged with making false and misleading representations to consumers. A woman in West Australia has been charged after she allegedly supplied dozens of expectant mothers with fake 4D ultrasound photos . The un-named woman is alleged to have provided pregnant women with pictures of babies in the womb and claimed they were the same images that the mothers-to-be had seen on the ultrasound screen. But, it will be alleged, the photos the mothers-to-be were given - and cherished - had been downloaded from the internet. The ABC reported on Monday that West Australia’s Department of Commerce had received dozens of complaints. ‘We had an unprecedented 76 actual written complaints in relation to that issue,’ said Ms Debbie Butler of Consumer Protection. Running a business called Amazing 4D Imagining, the woman is accused of using images from the internet and giving them to clients . Dozens of expectant mothers claim to have received the same pictures and are devastated they had been misled . The Bunbury Mail reported earlier this year that more than 100 people had joined a group set up for people who believed they had been given false ultrasound photos of their unborn children. The paper said that the issue had first come to light when a Bunbury woman posted her concerns on Facebook - which resulted in numerous other women coming forward. One mother, Catherine Osment, was said to have paid for an ultrasound DVD and photographs of her unborn baby, attending a private 4D ultrasound home business, but when she received her photographs she said it was ‘clearly obvious’ all eight images were of different babies . ‘I knew as soon as I opened them they were fake and it made me feel sick,’ she said. She added that when she searched the internet she found the same photographs in Google Images. Further checks revealed that the prints had been made before she had had her scan. Women shared images on Facebook to compare the pictures, finding many of them had duplicates . Her partner, she revealed, had even been planning to have the baby’s image tattooed on his chest, but he cancelled the appointment when he realised the photo might not be of his child. A second mother, Jacinta Langford, said she believed an ultrasound photos of her twins had been lifted from Google Images. The Bunbury paper reported the business owner, who could not be named for legal reasons, said she was considering legal action for what she said were defamatory claims, adding that her work was legitimate and professional. Women writing in response to the allegations expressed their horror and dismay with one commenting: ‘What a terrible thing to do to people.’ Women writing in response to the allegations expressed their horror and dismay with one commenting: 'What a terrible thing to do to people' Another wrote: ‘OMG, this is absolutely horrible. I could only image the heartbreak these mothers must be feeling, having 2 kids of my own. My heart goes out to them.’ Yet another commentator wrote that it was ‘heartbreaking watching these parents put "their" little images up…and other parents are saying and posting “their” own images EXACTLY THE SAME…it is a disgusting betrayal of trust.’ Others took to Facebook to share and compare images they believed to be duplicates of their own, and pictures which they all believed showed their own children. The charged woman is due to appear before Bunbury Magistrates Court on January 12. | A West Australian woman is facing numerous charges of deception .
She allegedly provided many mothers-to-be with fake ultrasound images .
Dozens of Bunbury mothers have been left devastated by the deception .
The accused, also from Bunbury, will face court in January . |
19,599 | 37a95365445563b581fd7233b1ab2175332c03d3 | A group of residents furious at Christmas shoppers clogging up their street are issuing fake parking tickets to ward them off. They have even placed mock permits in a number of car windscreens along Victoria Park, Cambridge, and put up signs warning drivers of the 'parking restrictions'. Motorists who park in the street illegally will be slapped with a 'ticket' which politely tells them it is against the law to park there. Families living in the access only road in West Chesterton became so fed up with the parking war that they were given yellow 'parking permits' to hand to visitors. A group of residents furious at Christmas shoppers clogging up their street are issuing fake parking tickets and putting up signs to ward them off . Motorists who park illegally in Victoria Park, Cambridge, will be slapped with a 'ticket' which politely tells them it is against the law to park there . But these were not sanctioned by any official parking authority. Both the police and the county council have confirmed that no such laws are in place and said they would not be enforcing any parking law in the area. But Simon Watkins, chairman of the local resident's association, has said 'something radical has to be done'. He said: 'We did make the permits up ourselves and we do put polite notices on cars illegally parked. They have even placed mock permits in a number of car windscreens along the only-access road . 'This is merely an attempt to discourage people from parking here. We did have a sign up by the green but the council said it was illegal and it was taken down. 'We do have other signs up. I think the wider issue is the lack of parking in Cambridge. Something radical has to be done. 'The council and the police are both right but it is illegal to park in an 'access only' area. It used to be enforced by the traffic wardens before the council took over and the wardens encouraged us to set up our own scheme. It worked for a few years then stopped. The police enforced it for a while and then got fed up. One resident, who did not wish to be named, has branded the parking 'permits' a 'joke' and was unhappy that it was pulling the wool over the public's eyes. He said: 'I came across the permit when I moved into the house – it had been left behind by the previous owner. As soon as I saw it I thought it couldn't be serious – it seemed like a bit of a joke. 'It's the attempt to mislead the general public that it's some form of 'official' document which bothers me as it's quite clearly a fabrication. 'What's the point of having the permits when they're completely meaningless anyway? It seems to me that it's a minority of busybodies trying to impose their will unlawfully on the rest of the community. Simon Watkins, chairman of the local resident's association, has said 'something radical has to be done' 'What also annoys me is the attempt to make it look pseudo-official, which means when a relative comes to stay they feel as though they can't even park near my home.' A spokesman for the county council, which enforces parking laws in the city, said: 'There is no council managed residents' parking permit scheme on Victoria Park. 'This is an access only road which is enforced by the police. We and the police have met with the residents but there was no clear consensus about being part of a council run permit scheme.' A Cambridgeshire police spokesman said: 'If there was an official parking permit sign or restrictions in the street we would enforce them.' | Disgruntled residents have set up their own parking scheme with permits .
They issue 'tickets' and put up signs warning drivers not to park illegally .
Families living in Victoria Park, Cambridge, also hand out visitor permits .
Police and county council said there were no such law in place there . |
54,779 | 9b2b631125ab7834ebe938c16026315149ae093b | A charming carriage house in the heart of Brooklyn featured in the 2010 film Eat Pray Love starring Julia Roberts has gone back on the market for $6.995million. The spacious, inviting residence at 172 Pacific Street in Cobble Hill was originally listed at $7.995million back in April, but it was taken off the market in July. Now, the listing price has been reduced by a million dollars by Deborah Rieders, of Corcoran Group. Scroll down for video . Home, sweet home: This 25-foot-wide former firehouse in Cobble Hill, Brooklyn, featured in 2010 film Eat Pray Love is now up for sale for $6.995million . Rustic elegance: The inviting two-unit mansion features large wooden beams and a big wood-burning fireplace on the main floor . With large exposed wood beams, a wood-burning fireplace , wood-plank floors, large arched windows and an attached glassed-in greenhouse , the home exudes rustic elegance worthy of an A-list movie star. Director Ryan Murphy used the visually appealing carriage house as a movie set in the beginning of Eat Pray Love, based on Elizabeth Gilbert's best-selling nonfiction novel by the same title about the author’s journey of self-discovery following a bitter divorce. Beside Ms Roberts starring as Liz Gilbert, the film also featured Javier Bardem, Viola Davis and James Franco, with Brad Pitt acting as a producer. The Cobble Hill mansion’s history goes back to the 1840s, when the 25-foot-wide building was used as a New York City firehouse, Curbed NY reported. Plenty of space: The charmng dwelling, initially listed for just under $8million, has three loft-like floors connected with staircases . Temporary resident: Julia Roberts appeared in Ryan Murphy's hit film playing Elizabeth Gilbert - the author who wrote the bestselling nonfiction book Eat Pray Love . It was later transformed into a two-unit home with three 'loft-like' floors connected by staircases, skylights, and a gourmet kitchen. The main floor of the residence measures 2,125 square feet and boasts double-height ceilings, while the second floor has a lovely terrace that can easily double as a breakfast nook. Outside, the carriage house's new owners will be able to enjoy their morning coffee al fresco in a bucolic perennial garden overflowing with greenery. | The 25-foot-wide mansion in Cobble Hill section of Brooklyn, New York, was initially listed for just under $8million .
The two-unit house with three floors used to be a firehouse in 1840s .
The residence, known as the carriage house, features wood-burning fireplace, a gourmet kitchen and a greenhouse . |
197,119 | 8b24300fbb811801e4c2c55f60ad9aa9b4d43e99 | Wimbledon mixed doubles champion and Jamie Murray talks to Sportsmail about everything from his sporting heroes and career highlight to who he would like to play him in a movie about his life. Who is your sporting hero? As kids we were taken to Hibernian every week and my favourite player was winger Michael O’Neill, who is now manager of Northern Ireland. What would you be if you weren’t a tennis player? I’d love to have been a golfer, I was quite promising once. I was close to going to an American university, but am not sure what I would have studied there. Which other sportsman would you like to be? Usain Bolt, he seems to be someone who enjoys both his sport and his life, making the most of it. Career highlight? Winning the mixed doubles title at Wimbledon in 2007. I also played in Tim Henman’s last ever match as his partner, in the doubles of a Davis Cup match against Croatia, which was pretty special. Wimbledon champion Jamie Murray talks to Sportsmail about his sporting heroes and career highlights . . . . And the worst moment? Losing in the Australian Open doubles of 2012. I didn’t have a regular partner and was at a very low ebb. I couldn’t face the thought of going through the year with nobody regular to play with. If your house was burning down, what one possession would you save? Apart from my wife it would probably be my wallet and passport, that’s not very exciting but they’re difficult to replace. What are the most-listened to songs on your ipod? Waves by Mr Probz plus anything by Ed Sheeran. Murray also revealed himself to be a big fan of singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran . Last film you saw? I usually catch up with films when I’m on planes. The last was The Railway Man with Colin Firth (below), it was excellent. Last book you read? I read a lot of sports biographies, especially football. Recent ones include Paul Merson and Keith Gillespie. The gambling theme is a coincidence! Three people you’d invite to dinner? Michael Jackson, Sir Alex Ferguson and Roy Keane. I’d love the last two together. Murray all smiles playing alongside his brother Andy (left) during a doubles match in 2011 . Favourite pre-match meal? Something light. Fish, rice and vegetables. Can you cook? Best dish? I can do some chocolatey things, like cake and cookies. I made my wife some cookies for her birthday. Your favourite holiday destination? Bali, and I’ve just been lucky enough to go to Necker Island to play tennis with Richard Branson. Murray also revealed he would love to have Sir Alex Ferguson and Roy Keane round for dinner . In a film of your life, who would YOU like to play you? Maybe Leonardo di Caprio. Do you think I look a bit like Colin Firth? What’s the most expensive thing you’ve ever bought? My wife’s engagement ring, or the holiday in Bali. Tell us a secret . . . Andy I were big wrestling fans. We used to make wrestling championship belts out of cardboard and fight for them. Jamie Murray will join John McEnroe, Tim Henman and Andy Roddick for the Statoil Masters at the Royal Albert Hall December 3-7. www.statoilmasterstennis.com . | Jamie Murray talks to Sportsmail about his sporting hero, favourite Karaoke song and favourite holiday destination .
Murray won the Wimbledon mixed doubles title in 2007 .
Murray also reveals who he would invite round for dinner . |
251,993 | d22707d2070ce9e30e669d54f70e919d46c49328 | By . Associated Press . PUBLISHED: . 11:47 EST, 23 October 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 12:00 EST, 23 October 2012 . Infiltrating: Shamuir Rahman (left) attended a Muslim student group's talk, where he posed for a photo with prominent but controversial New York imam Siraj Wahhaj (right) A paid informant for the New York Police Department's intelligence unit was under orders to 'bait' Muslims into saying incriminating things as he lived a double life. Shamiur Rahman, a 19-year-old American of Bengali descent, was paid up to $1,000 per month for snapping pictures inside mosques and collecting the names of innocent people attending study groups on Islam, he told The Associated Press. He now denounces his work as an informant, saying police told him to embrace a strategy called 'create and capture.' The strategy had him create a conversation about jihad or terrorism, then capturing the response to send to the NYPD. In addition to the monthly payments, Rahman also earned goodwill from the police after a string of minor marijuana arrests. 'We need you to pretend to be one of them,' Rahman recalled the police telling him. 'It's street theater.' Rahman, who said he plans to move to the Caribbean, said he now believes his work as an informant against Muslims in New York was 'detrimental to the Constitution.' After he disclosed to friends details about his work for the police — and after he told the police that he had been contacted by the AP — he stopped receiving text messages from his NYPD handler, 'Steve,' and his handler's NYPD phone number was disconnected. Rahman's account shows how the NYPD unleashed informants on Muslim neighborhoods, often without specific targets or criminal leads. Much of what Rahman said represents a tactic the NYPD has denied using. Informants like Rahman are a central component of the NYPD's wide-ranging programs to monitor life in Muslim neighborhoods since the 2001 terrorist attacks. Police officers have eavesdropped inside Muslim businesses, trained video cameras on mosques and collected license plates of worshippers. Informants who trawl the mosques — known informally as 'mosque crawlers' — tell police what the imam says at sermons and provide police lists of attendees, even when there's no evidence they committed a crime. The programs were built with unprecedented help from the CIA. Secrets: In the wake of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, the NYPD activated and enlisted informants who could attend Muslim community events and mosques without being noticed . Police recruited Rahman in late January, after his third arrest on misdemeanor drug charges, which Rahman believed would lead to serious legal consequences. An NYPD plainclothes officer approached him in a Queens jail and asked whether he wanted to turn his life around: the next month, Rahman said, he was on the NYPD's payroll. NYPD spokesman Paul Browne did not immediately return a message seeking comment about Tuesday. He has denied widespread NYPD spying, saying police only follow leads. Rahman said he received little training and spied on 'everything and anyone.' He took pictures inside the many mosques he visited and eavesdropped on imams. By his own measure, he said he was very good at his job and his handler never once told him he was collecting too much, no matter whom he was spying on. Rahman said he thought he was doing important work protecting New York City and considered himself a hero. One of his earliest assignments was to spy on a February lecture at the Muslim Student Association at John Jay College in Manhattan. The speaker was Ali Abdul Karim, the head of security at the Masjid At-Taqwa mosque in Brooklyn. The NYPD had been concerned about Karim for years and already had infiltrated the mosque, according to NYPD documents obtained by the AP. Denials: Police officials, including commissioner Ray Kelly, denied widespread NYPD spying, saying police only follow leads . Rahman also was instructed to monitor the student group itself, though he wasn't told to target anyone specifically. His NYPD handler, Steve, told him to take pictures of people at the events, determine who belonged to the student association and identify its leadership. Rahman attended the event with Karim and listened, ready to catch what he called a 'speaker's gaffe.' The NYPD was interested in buzz words such as 'jihad' and 'revolution,' he said. Any radical rhetoric, the NYPD told him, needed to be reported. Talha Shahbaz, then the vice president of the student group, met Rahman at the event. As Karim was finishing his talk on Malcolm X's legacy, Rahman told Shahbaz that he wanted to know more about the student group. Rahman told the student leader that he wanted to turn his life around and stop using drugs, and said he believed Islam could provide a purpose in life. In the following days, Rahman friended him on Facebook and the two exchanged phone numbers. Shahbaz, a Pakistani who came to the U.S. more three years ago, introduced Rahman to other Muslims. 'He was telling us how he loved Islam and it's changing him,' said Asad Dandia, who also became friends with Rahman. Within the ranks: According to the report, the NYPD regularly sent a number of informants into Muslim-heavy events . Really, Rahman was mining his new friends for details about their lives, taking pictures of them when they ate at restaurants and writing down license plates on the orders of the NYPD. On the NYPD's instructions, he went to more events at John Jay, including when Siraj Wahhaj spoke in May. Wahhaj, 62, is a prominent but controversial New York imam who has attracted the attention of authorities for years. Prosecutors included his name on a 3 ½-page list of people they said 'may be alleged as co-conspirators' in the 1993 World Trade Center bombing, though he was never charged. In 2004, the NYPD placed Wahhaj on an internal terrorism watch list and noted: 'Political ideology moderately radical and anti-American.' Rahman was told to spy on the speakers at the annual Islamic Circle of North America and Muslim American Society held in Hartford, Connecticut. According to NYPD documents obtained by the AP, the NYPD sent three informants there in 2008 and was keeping tabs on the group's former president. Rahman, who was born in Queens, said he never witnessed any criminal activity or saw anybody do anything wrong. Look out: Rahman said that he was never given specific instructions on what or who to look for, but told to bring up controversial topics and see how they reacted . He did say that he sometimes intentionally misinterpreted what people had said. For example, Rahman said he would ask people what they thought about the attack on the U.S. Consulate in Libya, knowing the subject was inflammatory. It was easy to take statements out of context, he said. He said wanted to please his NYPD handler, whom he trusted and liked. 'I was trying to get money,' Rahman said. 'I was playing the game.' Rahman said police never discussed the activities of the people he was assigned to target for spying. He said police told him once, 'We don't think they're doing anything wrong. We just need to be sure.' Rahman said he eventually tired of spying on his friends, noting that at times they delivered food to needy Muslim families. He took $200 more from the NYPD and told them he was done as an informant. He said the NYPD offered him more money, which he declined. He told friends on Facebook in early October that he had been a police spy but had quit. He also traded Facebook messages with Shahbaz, admitting he had spied on students at John Jay. 'I was an informant for the NYPD, for a little while, to investigate terrorism,' he wrote on October 2. He said he no longer thought it was right. Perhaps he had been hunting terrorists, he said, 'but I doubt it.' | Police enticed Shamiur Rahman, 19, to help spy on Muslims for them .
He collected pictures of people at rallies, Muslim community talks, and interior shots of mosques .
Paid him up to $1,000-per-month .
NYPD denies widespread spying but CIA allegedly helped set program up . |
259,133 | db6c7ba7b73a0c542e77a4a0c579598735226fe5 | AC/DC's guitarist Angus Young says he fell out of bed when he heard about drummer Phil Rudd being charged with allegedly hiring a hitman earlier this month. Young and AC/DC singer Brian Johnson joked about Rudd's recent run-in with law in New Zealand with US radio host Howard Stern. 'My wife woke me up and said "Phil's been up to no good",' Young told Howard Stern. Scroll down for video . AC/DC bandmates Angus Young and Brian Johnson have joked about Phil Rudd's recent run-in with the law with US radio host Howard Stern . 'Someone said "who was he trying to hit". It was his drug dealer.' Johnson said he was getting ready to fly home to the States and had a cup of coffee in his hand when he saw the news on TV. 'There was this guy getting led out of a car with no shoes on looking like he was f***ing drugged and his head was on backwards,' Johnson said. Young and Johnson were being interviewed about their latest album Rock And Bust when they spoke of Rudd. Police charged Rudd with allegedly hiring a hitman to kill two men in New Zealand in September. Those charges were later dropped. Police charged Rudd with allegedly hiring a hitman to kill two men in New Zealand in September. Those charges were later dropped. Rudd, who has been with the band on and off for nearly three decades, was charged with threatening to kill and drug possessing in New Zealand earlier this month . The 60-year-old drummer still faces charges of threatening to kill and possessing methamphetamine and marijuana. He is expected to appear in court on November 27. Stern asked if Rudd was a still a member of AC/DC as a result of the charges. 'We've got to resolve that,' Young said. Young said he fell out of bed when he heard the AC/DC drummer Phil Rudd (pictured) had been charged with hiring a hitman earlier this month . Johnson said he was getting ready to fly home to the States and had a cup of coffee in his hand when he saw the news on TV . Johnson suggested Rudd would not be back in the band. 'I don't think we need to do any firing,' he said. 'The situation will take care of itself. He has gotten himself into a pickle. There is nothing we can do about it. We are talking about criminal charges here. We are talking about judges, we are talking about juries. We are going to go on tour. Nothing is going to stop us.' But the pair made it clear that AC/DC would not break up because of Rudd. 'In the past we have had good drummers who have worked with us,' Young said. AC/DC singer Brian Johnson and guitarist Angus Young gave an audience in New York a preview listening of Rock Or Bust on Tuesday, with Rudd noticeably absent from the appearance . The famous rocker, seen here with daughter Milla, has been charged with threatening to kill. He is expected to face court in New Zealand . | AC/DC bandmates Angus Young and Brian Johnson joked about Phil Rudd's recent police charges with US radio host Howard Stern .
Rudd was charged with threatening to kill and drug possession in New Zealand earlier this month .
Young said he fell out of bed when he heard Rudd had been charged with hiring a hitman .
Johnson made it clear AC/DC would not break up following Rudd's charges as the band prepares to go on tour . |
199,094 | 8dbd5fd92344295c314981d33a629228dffa37dc | (CNN) -- Stretch out your core, cue the music and get ready to follow the beats. Zumba and other dance workouts are debuting on the list of the top 20 predicted fitness trends for 2012. Lack a little rhythm? Well, there's a trend on the list for just about every person, preference and body part. The trends were selected through an annual survey conducted by the American College of Sports Medicine. The survey was completed by 2,620 fitness professionals worldwide who ranked their selections into a list of 20 trends they believed would be big in 2012. "The survey attempts to show a distinction between fads and trends and is a good representation of what's occurring in the health and fitness industry worldwide," said Walter Thompson, Ph.D., the lead author of the survey and a fellow of the American College of Sports Medicine. The list serves to educate consumers and have them question the health clubs they attend. Gym-goers need to determine if their club offers the services that have been deemed trendy across the fitness industry in the year ahead, Thompson says. For instance, Zumba, a dance workout, offers classes in more than 110,000 gyms in more than 250 countries. So it probably won't be hard to find a gym that offers these classes. "I think people are waiting to see if we're a fad, but class numbers keep getting bigger and Zumba is becoming more popular, so now, people realize we're here to stay," said Alberto Perlman, CEO and co-founder of Zumba fitness. Zumba's popularity has skyrocketed over the years, and the dance workout was one of the biggest surprises on the list for 2012. "Zumba is liberating and magical, and one of the key ways it has expanded is through word of mouth," Perlman said. Zumba ranked ninth on this year's list. Thompson is curious to see if it will follow Pilates' short run in the top 20 fitness trends. Pilates was ranked in the top 10 for three consecutive years, beginning in 2008, but dropped off in 2011. Of course, there are always trends that are expected to make an appearance on the list each year, such as educated, certified and experienced fitness professionals; strength training; and fitness programs for older adults. Fitness professionals claimed the No. 1 spot on the 2012 list -- and have done so for the past five years. The demand for fitness trainers is expected to boom over the next half-decade. The U.S. Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics determined that the "... jobs for fitness workers are expected to increase much faster than the average for all occupations [through 2018]." "It starts with knowledge, and from that stems all the different ways to get in shape. If you have a certified and educated fitness professional, they can guide you through the other 19 fitness trends," said Brian Attebery, a trainer certified by the National Fitness Professionals Association and the owner of RESULTS Fitness and Nutrition Center in Edmond, Oklahoma. Also returning among the veteran trends is No. 3 on the list: fitness programs for older adults. As baby boomers are aging, more are attempting to keep their youthful physique and energy with frequent gym visits. "The baby boom generation is retiring, and retiring more healthy. They're a lot more active, and many enjoy working out," Thompson said. "And with the economy the way it is, group training was another trend that didn't come as a surprise. These group training sessions are directly related to the economy, and trainers often offer discounts to groups of people." Once the new year rolls in and resolutions to hit the gym go into full effect, this predicted list of fitness trends will certainly come in handy. | Survey predicts the top 20 fitness trends for 2012 .
Dance workout Zumba debuts on the list, ranking ninth this year .
Certified fitness professionals have taken the No. 1 position for the past five years .
Fitness programs for older adults moves to No. 3 as baby boomers hit the gym . |
121,698 | 294b5c3e81f0ac78a0f20f8db3b352fc9e90d58c | By . Martyn Halle And Jo Macfarlane . PUBLISHED: . 18:18 EST, 23 February 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 11:03 EST, 24 February 2013 . Student nurse Barbara Allatt was kicked off her university course when she highlighted problems in hospitals . A student nurse who blew the whistle on the appalling care of elderly patients at Stafford Hospital was disciplined and is still blocked from completing her course – while staff she complained about continue to work in the NHS. Barbara Allatt, 43, reported her concerns over poor care and patient neglect to her university tutors, hospital mentors and senior nurses. But she found herself facing a fitness-to-practise panel at the University of Stafford’s school of nursing, which threw her off her course. She has since lost two appeals against the decision and, three years later, her place remains permanently withdrawn. Despite her role in raising concerns, she remains the only health professional to be disciplined at Mid Staffs NHS Trust, where there were between 400 and 1,200 unnecessary deaths from 2005 to 2008. Ms Allatt, from Cannock, Staffordshire, now plans to take her case to the European Court of Human Rights in an attempt to change whistleblowing legislation to ensure student nurses are also protected. She is being supported by the Royal College of Nursing. Her case comes amid the growing furore over the silencing of NHS whistleblowers that has broken out in response to the Mid Staffordshire scandal. Gary Walker, who was sacked as chief executive of United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust, claimed this month he was handed a £500,000 pay-off but was prevented from airing his concerns about patient safety. Nearly 600 more doctors, nurses and managers have been paid a total of £15 million in ‘special severance payments’ during the past three years, the latest figures reveal. Ms Allatt blew the whistle on Stafford Hospital but instead of being rewarded was blocked from finishing her course . Mother-of-one Ms Allatt said: ‘Because I wasn’t employed by the NHS and was still a student, I have no right of appeal within the Health Service and I can’t go to an industrial tribunal. ‘If they want to keep me out of the job I love, it seems there is nothing I can do about it. Gary Walker, former Hospital chief executive for United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS trust, was prevented from airing his concerns . ‘What sickens me is that the nurses who neglected and abused patients appear to have got away with what they did. There doesn’t seem to be any justice in a situation where I did the right thing and have been punished all these years.’ Ms Allatt was working as an occupational therapy technician when she began her nursing diploma at the University of Stafford in 2009. The course included placements on the wards at Mid Staffordshire NHS Trust, which includes Cannock Chase and Stafford Hospitals. The scandal over poor care at Stafford had already emerged but what Ms Allatt experienced on the wards suggested it was still going on. While at Cannock Hospital she reported seeing a nurse putting tablets in a patient’s tea and patient hygiene being neglected. During a placement at Stafford Hospital she reported patients left in soiled sheets and nurses mocking patients. Julie Bailey, of Cure the NHS, which campaigns for better NHS care, said: ‘We desperately need people like her in the NHS. Somebody should be doing something to make sure she can resume her training.’ A spokesman for Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust said: ‘An investigation was carried out into Ms Allatt’s complaints and came to a natural conclusion that there was no case to answer.’ A Staffordshire University spokesman said: ‘We remain committed to whistle-blowing and to supporting our students through the process.’ | Barbara Allatt blew the whistle on Stafford Hospital three years ago .
She was then blocked from finishing her nursing course .
She has since lost two appeals and still can't do the job she loves . |
188,085 | 7f931cd56a1dc851b6540b707bc06c46f11591a2 | Friends of a young Sydney woman who could face the death penalty in China for allegedly trying to smuggle the drug 'ice' first became worried when she failed to show as a bridesmaid at her best mate's wedding in mid-November. Kalynda Davis, 22, a talented basketballer from Glenmore Park in Sydney's west, will face a Chinese court this week accused of trying to import 75kg of methamphetamine to Australia. She was arrested with Peter Gardner, 25, from Richmond in Sydney's north-west. Kalynda Davis, 22, has been arrested in China for smuggling drugs to Australia . The 22-year-old woman (right), from Sydney's west, was arrested along with Peter Gardner (left), 25 . It is believed they had known each other for just weeks before they flew to Guangzhou on November 5. Friends of Davis told Daily Mail Australia they became concerned when Davis did not appear at the wedding ceremony 10 days later on the afternoon of November 15. Her friends said the drug crime allegations that emerged this week were unbelievable and 'out of character'. In a Facebook conversation seen by Daily Mail Australia, one clearly angered friend of the 22-year-old was enraged at Gardner, her alleged accomplice. 'He took her from us! He deserves nothing! He took our Kalynda and used her,' the friend wrote. 'She would be so scared right now. I just want to hug her.’ A source close to the family confessed it was a stressful time for the Davis family. Worried family members reported her missing on the day she left for China but many of her friends were unaware of her disappearance. Lawyer Paul Blunt told Daily Mail Australia: 'The family just wishes all media outlets respect their privacy at this difficult time.' Another friend of Davis', Blake Tatafu, 22, said he was shocked by the allegations, which were extremely unexpected. Davis' friends hoped for the best and shared the blame in various social media posts. They became concerned when she did not show up as a bridesmaid for her best friend . Davis, (left and right when she was younger) participated in fun runs and fundraising efforts for mental health and cancer campaigns . 'All the allegations, really - it's very out of character for her,' Mr Tatafu, who has known Davis for about a decade, told Daily Mail Australia. 'I don't understand if the allegations were true how they would come about.' Mr Tatafu, who had not talked to Davis for about a month, was stunned when he saw missing posters circulating on social media a fortnight ago, describing his reaction as: ‘Oh s***.' He said if Davis had been seeing Gardner, it would be unusual for her friends not to know. Neighbours of the Davis family mirrored Mr Tatafu's shock at the news. The Davis family live in a large double storey brick home with a pool at the back of a golf course in Glenmore Park, a wealthy pocket of Sydney's greater west, which is home to many young families. One neighbour who preferred not to be named told Daily Mail Australia he had only kind words to say about the family. The family's patriarch, dad Larry, is an ANZ mobile insurance broker who operates in the city's far west. 'They're a genuinely good family,' the neighbour said. 'They really are. When my son told me she was on the news, I hadn't even heard of it.' 'Kalynda was an amazing girl she just got herself into the wrong crowd,' one friend said . Davis, who studied at Penrith Anglican School, was very active on Instagram and had many friends in Sydney's outer west. Mr Tatafu said she was a keen community advocate who had participated in fun runs and fundraising efforts for mental health and cancer campaigns. 'If I could tell her anything is to "Stay strong, it's going to be very tough times ahead. Remember you still have family and friends who love you back home",' he said. As for Gardner, his friends said he had been doing well for himself until the drug charges. The muscular 25-year-old with blond hair was also reported missing the day he flew to Guangzhou. One mate wrote on Facebook: 'He was doing so so well for himself as well, and now this!' Another friend, Brad King, told Daily Mail Australia in a statement: 'He was actually a really genuine bloke who would do anything for his mates.' On November 8, three days after the pair arrived in Guangzhou, Davis and Gardner were apprehended by Chinese authorities at the airport, 9News reported. The pair booked their seats on the plane at the Flight Centre at a nearby shopping centre, the broadcaster said. Kalynda Davis, pictured here at a younger age, is one of two people who are facing drug charges in China . A New South Wales police spokeswoman said they had referred to the matter to the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade as soon as Davis was located overseas. A number of Australians have been detained overseas on drug charges in recent times. The most infamous of these cases is that of convicted drug smuggler Schapelle Corby, who served nine years in an Indonesian prison. Some have been put to death, including Vietnamese Australian Van Tuong Nguyen, who was hung for drug trafficking on December 2, 2005. According to U.S. human rights groups, China is the world's biggest executioner, having put 2,400 people to death in 2013 alone. Ice is an increasingly popular drug in Australia, with the number of drug users who take the substance increasing significantly in 2014 - from 55 per cent in 2013 to 61 per cent in the six months leading to October this year, according to the National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre. The man who gave Gardner his apprenticeship, builder Michael Kulakovski, said he was deeply concerned for the young man's future. 'To be caught with substance in China is probably one of the worst countries to be caught in,' Mr Kulakovski told 9News. 'He was doing really good, he had a lot of work and he was earning good money. [I] don't know why he's done this.' One of Davis' friends expressed a similar sentiment. 'Please don't let anyone portray her as something she's not,' she told Daily Mail Australia. 'She's the most fun, loving, beautiful girl and so full of life. She just made the biggest mistake of her life.' Davis and Gardner's case were expected to be heard by a Chinese court later this week. Do you know more? Email [email protected]. | Kalynda Davis and Peter Gardner could face execution over drug charges .
The pair allegedly tried to import 75kg of the drug 'ice' to Australia .
Davis' friends say the charges were a surprise and it was 'out of character'
The 22-year-old and 25-year-old will face a Chinese court this week . |
147,305 | 4a767bf44f22f0cbf50bd72fd02cc48de813b747 | Former Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius maneuvered one of America's richest liberal philanthropies into contributing $13 million to Enroll America, a group founded by a former Obama White House staffer to drive up insurance enrollment numbers under the Affordable Care Act. A report issued Monday by the Government Accountability Office shows what Republican members of Congress ave anticipated learning since 2013: that Sebelius called a total of five organizations a year ago and urged them to help Enroll America reach its goals. One call went to the CEO of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, which made $3 million and $10 grants to the group after hearing her request. That amount was a dramatic increase from the $150,000 it had contributed the previous year. The foundation, known for bankrolling gun-control, diet-control, anti-alcohol and anti-tobacco campaigns, improbably insists that that the decision to award the money was 'not made in response to the Secretary's call.' Kathleen Ssbelius (L) stood alongside a smirking Barack Obama on April 11 as her successor Sylvia Burwell (R) was presented to the public. Sebelius allegedly pressured corporations and one philanthropy into donating to a pro-Obamacare group founded by a former White House aide . Enroll America president Anne Filipic (C, in yellow, shown at a 2013 'Get Covered' event) was the White House's deputy chief of public engagement, and the Democratic National Committee's deputy executive director, before leading the Obamacare cheerleading group . Dr. Risa Lavizzo-Mourey, president and CEO of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, made $13 million in commitments to Enroll America after a phone call from Kathleen Sebelius . Sebelius also asked the tax-preparation giant H&R Block for funds, but that company decided against giving. Three more calls from Sebelius went to Kaiser Permanente, Ascension Health and Johnson & Johnson – all companies HHS regulates. The independent GAO report concluded that Sebelius sought 'nonfinancial support' from them for Enroll America, 'such as technical assistance.' Texas Sen. John Cornyn told MailOnline that 'Kathleen Sebelius' shake-down of the very health companies her department regulates is a gross abuse of government power.' 'After putting taxpayers on the hook for billions of dollars in Obamacare spending,' said the hard-charging Republican, 'a full investigation is needed to account for all the money wasted and the need to fundraise from the health industry.' Others in the GOP had equally harsh words. 'I have said all along that Obamacare is a complete disaster,' Arizona Republican Rep. Paul Gosar told MailOnline. 'Now we learn it’s so bad that Secretary Sebelius attempted to solicit donations from an industry that her department is supposed to regulate in order to persuade folks to sign up.' Gosar pointed to Obamacare alternatives like the American Health Care Reform Act, a GOP-sponsored alternative plan that he called 'patient-centered' and 'market-based.' 'The evidence couldn’t be more clear that Obamacare just doesn’t work,' he said. Tennessee GOP Sen. Lamar Alexander's office was more biting, with spokesman Jim Jeffires writing that his boss 'hopes that the next Secretary of HHS will not ask the entities she regulates to support the president’s allies.' Sebelius is on her way out after a lackluster Obamacare program launch and a series of missteps that included meltdowns in front of congressional committees. Her successor, current White House budget chief Sylvia Mathews Burwell, is expected to be confirmed in May. But Sebelius has clung to the assertion that she has always had the legal authority to ask for donations to outside groups that support President Obama's agenda. 'Obamacare is a complete disaster,' said Arizona GOP Rep. Paul Gosar, complaining that Sebelius had to 'solicit donations from an industry that her department is supposed to regulate in order to persuade folks to sign up' Enroll America? Obamacare hit the March 31 finish line with a contested bit of good news, but spent most of its first six months in the Internet's version of after-school detention . Sebelius' tenure at HHS was marked by flailing performances before Congress and a tendency to underperform in her role as Obamacare's quarterback. HHS's Office of General Counsel told Sebelius in February 2013, GAO wrote, that she was permitted to 'encourage members of the public to support certain organizations assisting Americans to enroll' in Obamacare coverage. The written legal advice, which stopped short of saying she had the authority to pressure corporations or private foundations, came after her call with the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. Snark: A spokesman wrote thatTennessee GOP Sen. Lamar Alexander 'hopes that the next Secretary of HHS will not ask the entities she regulates to support the president¿s allies' Sebelius dismissed the idea last year that she was shaking down organizations to help a politically favored nonprofit. 'If they felt pressure, they misunderstood,' she told a House Committee on Education & The Workforce hearing in June 2013, according to the Post. 'I can't answer what they felt.' She also insisted that she 'could legally solicit funds from anybody regulated by our office,' but claimed – in contradiction to Monday's report – that 'I chose not to do that.' In 2013 HHS officials told Congress that Sebelius was the only federal government employee to solicit money for Enroll America. But according to Monday's GAO report, White House Deputy Assistant for Health Policy Jeanne Lambrew teed up the conversation for Sebelius with a Robert Wood Johnson Foundation employee in 2012. GAO reported that the foundation said Lambrew 'estimated that Enroll America or other similar national enrollment organizations would likely need about $30 million to finance a national outreach effort' for Obamacare enrollment. 'RWJF told us that the official also indicated a hope that RWJF would provide a significant financial contribution to support such efforts,' but did not name a specific price tag. Months later, with the Obama administration's permission, the foundation's CEO announced the $10 million grant to Enroll America during a White House meeting of liberal foundation executives.' The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation also committed more than $834,000 in 2010 and 2011 to create Enroll America, which spun off from the progressive Families USA Foundation. In 2012 White House Office of Public Engagement deputy director Anne Filipic left the administration to become Enroll America's president. She was previously the deputy executive director at the Democratic National Committee. It's this sort of revolving-door politics, practiced on both sides of the aisle, that has Republican lawmakers steamed. 'The conflict of interest is hard to avoid,' said Texas Rep. Kevin Brady, addressing Sebelius' approach of companies she was in charge of regulating. 'Our . government and government officials should be held to a higher standard than . this, and the American people deserve better.' | Outgoing health secretary insists she was legally authorized to ask businesses she regulated for help with funding for Enroll America .
Republicans are upset about the appearance of ethical impropriety .
Kathleen Sebelius pressed the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation for money to help the group, and was answered with $13 million in pledges .
A former White House staffer helped form Enroll America, whose goal is to increase Obamacare insurance signups . |
221,768 | ab120208ef8a98e4869b90abc14d003f0ec09785 | Ahead of this weekend's Premier League action, Sportsmail will be providing you with all you need to know about every fixture, with team news, provisional squads, betting odds and Opta stats. Here is all the information you need for Everton's home clash with West Ham... Everton vs West Ham United (Goodison Park) Kick-off: Saturday 3pm . Odds (subject to change): . Everton 4/5 . Draw 5/2 . West Ham 7/2 . Referee: Mark Clattenburg . Managers: Roberto Martinez (Everton), Sam Allardyce (West Ham) Head-to-head league record: Everton wins 59, draws 25, West Ham wins 32 . Team news . Everton . Everton have 10 players on the injured list with most unlikely to feature against West Ham on Saturday. Left-back Leighton Baines, who injured a hamstring on international duty, is doubtful while midfielder James McCarthy will be given every chance to recover from a similar problem he suffered a fortnight ago at Sunderland. Leighton Baines scores a penalty for Everton last time out at Sunderland but could miss West Ham's visit . A late decision will also be made on fellow midfielder Darron Gibson after he returned from international duty with a minor knee problem. Provisional squad: Howard, Coleman, Distin, Jagielka, Garbutt, Gibson, McGeady, McCarthy, Barkley, Osman, Lukaku, Robles, Browning, Hibbert, Pienaar, Besic, Atsu, Naismith, Eto'o. West Ham . West Ham striker Diafra Sakho (back) and midfielder Stewart Downing (knee) are doubtful for Saturday's Barclays Premier League trip to Everton. Forward Andy Carroll, fit again following ankle surgery, played and scored in a behind-closed-doors match with Fulham over the international break, so is pressing for a start after a late substitute appearance against Aston Villa. Andy Carroll made a late cameo against Aston Villa and is now looking for a West Ham starting spot . Defender Guy Demel (thigh) continues his recovery. Provisional squad: Adrian, Cresswell, Reid, Collins, Jenkinson, Downing, Noble, Song, Kouyate, Valencia, Sakho, Jaaskelainen, Carroll, Cole, Nolan, Amalfitano, Tomkins, O'Brien. Key match stats (supplied by Opta) Everton are unbeaten in their last 12 Premier League games against West Ham United (W8 D4 L0). There have been four red cards in the last five Premier League games between West Ham and Everton with three of those for the Hammers. In four of the last six meetings, the Hammers have taken the lead but have been pegged back to two draws and two defeats on those four occasions. This is West Ham’s joint-best start to a Premier League season in terms of points accrued (18), equalling their record in 2005-06 and 2012-13. Everton are looking to stretch an unbeaten Premier League run over West Ham to 13 games, with Romelu Lukaku hitting the only goal in the previous meeting at Goodison Park back in March . Only West Ham (8) have scored more headed goals than Everton (6) in the Premier League this season. 42 per cent of the goals the Hammers have netted have come from headers, the highest proportion in the top division. Everton and West Ham have scored the joint-most goals from outside the penalty area in open play this season (4). Diafra Sakho has scored six goals in his last seven Premier League appearances for the Hammers. The Hammers are unbeaten in their last five Premier League matches; they have not gone six unbeaten since January 2009 in the top flight. Everton have won just four of their last 14 Premier League matches (W4 D5 L5). | Leighton Baines one of ten Everton stars carrying an injury .
James McCarthy also a doubt ahead of West Ham's visit to Goodison Park .
Diafra Sakho injury may hand Andy Carroll first start of the season .
Stewart Downing also doubtful following England duty in Scotland . |
268,734 | e81af91170c2ad05a3f72ab38b9d165b043c870e | By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 08:15 EST, 17 September 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 10:08 EST, 18 September 2013 . Taken: 14-year-old Ayvani Hope Perez was abducted from her suburban Atlanta home Tuesday by two men who broke in through a back door. She is 4-foot-9 and weighs 93 pounds with brown eyes and hair . A 14-year-old Ellenwood, Georgia girl is believed to be in extreme danger after she was abducted in the night Tuesday by two armed home invaders. Two African American men broke into Perez's suburban Atlanta home around 2am and demanded money and jewelry from the family's mother. The mother attempted to hide her children and the family dog, but the invaders discovered them and apparently took Ayvani after finding no valuables. 'She did not have any money and . jewelry so they shot the dog and kidnapped the 14-year-old,' Clayton . County police spokesman Phong Nguyen told the Atlanta . Journal-Constitution. The thieves pried open a back door in order to enter the home and were apparently total strangers to family. 'It didn’t appear that they knew each other,' he said. 'They just moved in about a month ago.' The abductors escaped with Perez in a gray Dodge and were described as wearing dark clothing. No other details were available. Scroll down for video... Pictured: Sketches of the two armed African American men who fled an Ellenwood, Georgia residence after kidnapping 14-year-old Ayvani Hope Perez early Tuesday. She is believed to be in extreme danger . Perez is believed to be in extreme danger and a Levi's Call--Georgia's version of the Amber alert--has been activated. Perez is Hispanic, 4-foot-9, 93 pounds, and has brown eyes and brown hair. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation has released sketches of the two men who kidnapped Perez from the 3800 block of Brookgate Drive after 2am Tuesday morning. Clayton County police urge anyone who may have information to call (678) 610-4781 immediately. Senseless: Two black males in dark clothing broke into Perez's Ellenwood, Georgia home at 2am Tuesday. When her mother had no valuables, they shot the dog and took Ayvani . Unthinkable: The calm was shattered subdivision of Brookgate, which residents described as nice and quiet . | Ayvani Hope Perez, 14, was kidnapped while still in her Star Wars pajamas .
Georgia police put out an alert on the 4-foot-9, 93-pound girl around 4am Tuesday .
Two male, African American men fled the scene in a gray Dodge and Perez is believed to be in extreme danger .
The invaders also shot the family dog . |
258,461 | da86858a41bd2617a0c3ca461e5ae1ad2a1e0ac4 | A woman lies face down on a bed, blood stains are splattered up the white bathroom walls and furniture is strewn across the living room - but this isn't an episode of CSI. Behind the walls of this regular-looking four-bedroomed semi-detached house in Derby, East Midlands, is actually a training facility for the next generation of forensic investigators. Mocked up to look like any other house on a suburban street, the £410,000 provision has been purpose built at the University of Derby and comes complete with an array of mysteries. Scroll down for video . Crime scene: Student Sarah-Jane Smith analyses the mock murder scene after finding a 'body' face down on the bed at the forensic training facility at the University of Derby . The facility is purpose-built inside a former four-bedroom family home opposite the campus and comes with seven replica crime scenes, including a living room (pictured) Student are closely monitored via CCTV cameras by their tutors as they analyse clues scattered around what was previously a family home, close to the campus. Their task is to gather as much information from the scene as possible, without disturbing or contaminating vital evidence, that can be later used in a court trial. Senior tutor, Jon Wright, who previously worked for the Metropolitan Police, said the rules of forensics are ABC - 'Assume Nothing, Believe No One and Challenge Everything'. 'The first rule is safety. You must make sure that you're safe and it is safe to enter. The second rule is to make sure that it is secure by checking the entry and protecting any other exit,' he said. 'The ABC rules should be going through your head as well as the six Ws - who, what, where, when, why and how. 'A crime scene is not a sterile environment and you need to remember you can change the environment from the minute you walk in. 'As the first forensic scientist to examine the scene, you are seeing something that can never be repeated, and which you have to make the most of,' he said. A student takes a swab of blood from the 'murder weapon' in the bathroom at the training facility for forensic science undergraduates . The house also comes with a chemist shop in one room and students are advised to look for evidence that may be out of context, while trying to disturb any potential clues . The three-year course is more than just poking around a four-bedroom house in white overalls. As well as practical lessons in the laboratory and field, there are also more traditional theory-based lectures in areas including biology, chemistry and law. Students cover key forensic practices such as crime scene investigations, human tissue analysis and fingerprint analysis. Lessons in blood pattern analysis, firearms and fire investigation and how entomology and tissue decay can help the forensic scientist is also taught. The University of Derby offers its students the practical scenarios at its house (featured) and also a crime scene car, before presenting the findings in its mock courtroom. Not all students go on to work as crime scene investigators but the qualification opens up doors for those hoping to work in the criminal justice system, for local constabularies or for forensic science providers like Rolls Royce and AstraZeneca. Alternatively, people may choose to go on and work for law firms, private forensic laboratories or insurance companies. The emphasis on chemistry and molecular biology also opens opportunities for studying medicine. He continued: 'Every crime scene is different, so we set up the scenes to mimic ones we have seen in the past in our work or completely new ones and see how the students would handle it. 'It's a normal house so it's really flexible in how we set it up - there's also a small shop which we can adapt and distribute evidence.' Mr Wright said that the most important thing for any crime scene investigator is to be aware of their attention to detail. 'Everything is potential forensic evidence and while you are looking for things that are there, you must also be looking for things that aren't, which can be taken back to the lab and examined. 'Looking for things out of context, like a mark on the wall or an item that might be missing, it's those things that could be crucial.' All the trainees wear proper overalls and gloves so as not to contaminate any evidence, which is put in clear bags (left) and they also properly measure blood splatters to give them more clues on what happened . They are closely monitored by their tutors using CCTV, so that they can work on the scene independantly . He also said that students are looking for less obvious things such as a biro that could have fingerprints or a blank piece of paper that could bear an imprint. Mr Wright added: 'You only get one chance to do a crime scene so anything that could be potential evidence must be gathered.' Within the house, which was completed last month, are seven replica crime scenes - a bedroom, bathroom, office, shop, garage and living room, as well as a 'blood pattern analysis room'. Mr Wright added that the blood is actually sterile horse blood, which has the 'same appearance and reacts similarly to human blood'. Once the evidence has been gathered, students are then encouraged to present their findings in the on-campus mock 'courtroom', to further mimic the real-life procedure. They are given training in law, criminology and the criminal justice system, and the facility is also open to law and criminology students. Along with 180 undergraduates currently on the BSc Forensic Science course, the facility is also used by emergency service teams and Derbyshire Constabulary for staff training. Students previously shared a unit with the police but now they have their own purpose-built facility, which Mr Wright described as 'perhaps one of the best in the country'. One student, Sarah-Jane Smith, 34, joined the course after spending 10 years as a special needs teacher. 'I thought it sounded an interesting job, but when I came here on an Open Day, I found to my surprise that I just couldn't tear myself away from the forensic department stand. And here I am,' she told the paper. Television programmes like CSI and Silent Witness fuelled a surge in the number of people taking up a forensic science degree, research has previously found. The next generation of crime scene investigators undertake practical assessments at the crime scene . The facility cost £410,000 and was opened last month. It may look like a regular house from the outside but inside it is littered with potential evidence from a murder . Students are taught the ABC rules of forensics - 'Assume Nothing, Believe No One and Challenge Everything' Along with 180 undergraduates currently on the BSc Forensic Science course, the facility is also used by emergency service teams for staff training . A report in 2009 revealed that the number of universities offering the degree had risen from two in 1990 to 285. The report cited the TV detective programmes as the reason for the escalation in popularity. Dr. Ian Turner, head of forensic science, said: 'Having this resource onsite allows us to give our students the skills needed to develop a career in forensic science because they are learning in a real life context, with the same equipment and facilities used by professionals' 'The staff on the teaching team are also a major asset. The academics leading the project have nearly 30 years of commercial forensic experience between them in addition to their academic expertise, and can share their skills and knowledge with the students.' University of Derby Online Learning, which allows students from all over the world to gain a degree from home, has also used the facility to film a 360 degree virtual crime scene. Students can navigate the scene remotely, collecting and analysing evidence then write and prepare a statement of evidence for a court of law. Forensic science students at the University of Derby also have access to a forensic car, which is treated like a crime scene in a similar way . Students are then asked to present their evidence before a mock jury at the on-site courtroom as part of their assessment . Once the students have collected as much as evidence as they can they are encouraged to present their findings in the university's mocked up court room - also on campus . The outside of the house (pictured) may look regular but behind its walls is reminiscent of a detective show . | The forensic training facility was purpose-built at the University of Derby .
It is used by forensic science students hoping to become investigators .
Comprises seven replica crime scenes in bedroom, bathroom and garage .
Students' job is to gather as much forensic evidence from it as possible .
They are closely monitored by lecturers using CCTV cameras around home .
Facility is also used by members of the emergency services for training .
Research says CSI and Silent Witness fuelled surge in degree applications . |
116,994 | 2309be6ff3a03c89377c91e4ac1a3a97406d8e15 | By . Martha De Lacey . PUBLISHED: . 08:10 EST, 10 December 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 08:39 EST, 10 December 2013 . Do you think spending your holiday flopped face-down in a bucket of Malibu-pineapple while snoozing beside the pool leaves you refreshed, replenished and ready to face the year of office politics looming ahead? Sorry, but you're wrong. People who use holidays as a chance to catch up on 40 (or even 140) winks find it much trickier readjusting to real life after a vacation than those who go on energetic holidays. Some 82 per cent of Brits find it difficult to get back into the swing of life when they return from holidays, and say that it takes them around four days to fully recover. But many of those who go on active holidays say it takes them just one. People who use holidays as a chance to . catch up on 40 (or even 140) winks find it much trickier readjusting to . real life after a vacation than those who go on energetic holidays . In fact, the best way to leave yourself feeling refreshed, replenished and ready to take on office politics until your next break is to spend annual leave doing something that gets your blood pumping, such as skiing, hiking, diving or swimming, according to research. Holidaymakers who take lazy trips return feeling sleepy, and beach-goers also struggle thanks to over-indulging on exotic food and enjoying too many late nights in seafront bars. Some 31 per cent admit they take longer to complete tasks at . work in the days immediately after returning from a holiday, and a quarter have forgotten to do a job altogether. More than one in five oversleep and another 17 per cent end up making mistakes. Almost one in ten miss important deadlines because their head is still in 'relax' mode, and a quarter of workers have even had a colleague or their manager comment on the time it takes them to get over the holiday blues. Almost one in ten people miss important deadlines because their head is still in 'relax' mode, and a quarter of workers have even had a colleague comment on the time it takes them to get over the holiday blues . Researchers . found that six in ten blame their slow uptake on being stuck in the . 'holiday frame of mind', while 45 per cent say it takes them a while to . get used to actually doing things again after spending their time . relaxing. More than two . thirds come back from their break feeling sluggish, while 84 per cent . have even returned feeling like they still need more time off. Forty-five . per cent of workers struggle so much after being away they even book . extra time off so they have a few days before they need to return to . work. A cheeky one in four . even admitted to calling in sick after returning from a holiday to get a . few extra days to get back with it. 'Sitting on a beach or alongside a pool for hours on end sounds like the most relaxing way to spend a holiday, but you are more likely to get home feeling sluggish and lacking in energy' But those who have spent their time away being active return feeling full of beans, with a fifth claiming to be on top of things within just one day. And more than half of people who have gone on both types of holiday admit they return home more refreshed and less sluggish from a break which saw their days filled with some kind of activity. Felix Rodel, director at UK and Ireland SWISS which commissioned the research, said: 'Sitting on a beach or alongside a pool for hours on end sounds like the most relaxing way to spend a holiday. 'But while you may feel like you are recharging your batteries, it seems that you are more likely to get home feeling sluggish and lacking in energy. 'Dozing in the sunshine and chilling out all day can have an effect on your body clock so although you come back from a holiday expecting to feel better for it, it can be a real struggle for a few days as your body gets used to your daily routine again.' | 82 per cent of Brits feel exhausted after holidays .
Most people take four days to recover after returning from a break .
Active holidays - skiing, hiking or diving - leave you more refreshed .
Many of those on active holidays take just one day to recover . |
59,464 | a8d7852d4c2a14c4a1df3d1144651b4a437ba75b | By . Glen Owen . PUBLISHED: . 17:54 EST, 30 November 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 20:34 EST, 30 November 2013 . Nick Clegg was last night accused of being at the centre of a ‘Coalition cover-up’ over bombshell emails that reveal how he helped to fast-track £12 million of taxpayers’ money to a charity linked to his wife. A watchdog, acting on the advice of a Cabinet Minister, has banned the release of all correspondence relating to the Booktrust case on the grounds that it would have a ‘chilling effect’ on the Government. The ban – condemned by one of the Deputy Prime Minister’s own Liberal Democrat MPs – follows a year-long drive by the Cabinet Office to suppress details of how one of Mr Clegg’s advisers successfully lobbied for Booktrust to receive automatic funding, rather than having to bid against other charities. Nick Clegg (pictured with his wife Miriam) was accused of 'covering up' emails which revealed how he helped to fast track £12million to a charity linked to his wife . The £12 million award came shortly after Miriam Clegg had hosted a lavish reception for the charity – which promotes reading – a fact mentioned by Mr Clegg’s aide Matt Sanders during the lobbying process. It led to angry exchanges within Whitehall after mandarins argued that abandoning procedures to favour the charity was unfair. Now, after a battle by this newspaper to see the emails under Freedom of Information legislation, Information Commissioner Christopher Graham has ruled that they should be kept secret. He said that after reading the ‘candid and frank’ emails he had concluded their disclosure ‘would be likely to prejudice the conduct of Government’. The ban was even condemned by the Deputy Prime Minister's own Liberal Democrat MPs . In his ruling, Mr Graham, advised by Cabinet Office Minister Francis Maude, admitted there was ‘a public interest in the processes that lead to such decisions being transparent’ because the funding decision ‘may have an effect on the educational opportunities for children’. Significantly, he added: ‘The public interest in ensuring such transparency in this case is increased given the specific circumstances of this case which the [Mail on Sunday] has highlighted . . . there is genuine public interest in the disclosure of information which would inform the public as to whether or not there has been any impropriety in the awarding of these funds.’ But he decided this was overridden by the need for Ministers to be ‘able to inform themselves about how the implementation of Government policy might affect the Government as a whole’, adding that this ‘was particularly important for the Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Minister who must have an overview of the Government’s activities’. He concluded: ‘The withheld information contains candid and frank exchanges that were clearly conducted with the expectation that they would be treated confidentially.’ This led him to conclude: ‘Disclosure of the withheld information would have been likely to result in a chilling effect and thus potentially inhibit the contributions of individuals when providing advice to other departments.’ Last night, Lib Dem MP John Hemming said: ‘Where public money is involved I think there should be a clear audit trail, and I am surprised that they did not release, at the very least, a few redacted emails. ‘They seem to have taken a Trappist vow of silence. We should know how decisions such as these are made now, not have to wait 30 years for the release of Government papers.’ Labour MP John Mann said: ‘This looks a lot like a Coalition cover-up – Mr Maude protecting his new friends in the Lib Dems. If they had wanted to disprove any allegations of impropriety, they could have released a section of the emails to rebut that charge without jeopardising either officials’ identities or the confidentiality of Government business.’ Mr Clegg’s office maintains that the decision on Booktrust’s funding was taken ‘in an entirely proper way by the Secretary of State for Education’. There is no suggestion of any wrongdoing by Booktrust. A Cabinet Office spokesman said: ‘There is no question of any undue influence or pressure being brought to bear by the Deputy Prime Minister.’ | Deputy Prime Minister helped push through multi-million grant to Booktrust .
His wife Miriam hosted lavish reception for charity shortly before decision .
Watchdog has refused to release emails linked to the controversial case . |
166,189 | 62e31d3468630242ea013313e24a3c2e1fb66fa7 | A 9-year-old Kansas girl died this week due to a brain-eating amoeba. Victim Hally Yust died on Wednesday, Fox4KC says, and had been exposed to the Naegleria fowleri amoeba. Yust's obituary said she played multiple sports and hoped to play college basketball. 'As a giver, caretaker, sister, daughter, and friend, Hally was the light to the world and a blessing to all,' her obituary said. She is survived by her parents and three siblings. Scroll down for video . Victim: Hally Yust, pictured, died this week because of a brain-eating amoeba . The Kansas Department of Health and Education (KDHE) said in a news release that the victim had been in several bodies of fresh water. The source of the amoeba was not identified, the agency said. The KDHE said the amoeba led to primary amoebic meningoencephalitis (PAM), which can reach a swimmer's brain through his or her nose. 'Naegleri fowleri can be found in freshwater environments around the world, but infection causing PAM is extremely rare,' the agency said. 'From 1962 to 2013, there have been 132 cases reported in the United States, with 34 of those cases occurring from 2004 to 2013. 'Most cases have occurred in southern-tier states. The risk of infection is very low, but increases during the summer months when water temperatures rise and more people participate in water-related activities.' Active: Hally Yust, pictured, enjoyed sports, including waterskiing . Robert Moser of the KDHE said in the release 'It is important for the public to know that infections like these are extremely rare and there are precautions one can take to lower their risk – such as nose plugs.' Yust's family said in a statement to Fox4KC that Hally 'loved life and part of her great joy was spending time playing in the water. Her life was taken by a rare amoeba organism that grows in many different fresh water settings. We want you to know this tragic event is very, very rare, and this is not something to become fearful about. 'We hope you will not live in fear of this rare infection that took our daughter’s life. Our family is very active in water sports, and we will continue to be.' | Hally Yust died on Wednesday and had been exposed to the Naegleria fowleri amoeba .
Officials said the amoeba caused an extremely rare .
infection called primary amoebic meningoencephalitis (PAM), which can .
reach a swimmer's brain through his or her nose .
Yust played multiple sports and hoped to play college basketball .
There have only been 132 known cases of PAM in the US between 1962 and 2013 . |
136,127 | 3c1ee096631922805727464ed04af6648d272e47 | By . Dominic King for The Mail on Sunday . If Jack Wilshere wanted to go quietly about his business, a tweet just before kick-off catapulted him firmly into the spotlight. As the England midfielder prepared for a game that was always going to provide a stern examination of Arsenal’s credentials, Piers Morgan proclaimed to his 4.2million followers that he ‘bet @JackWilshere has a big game today. Convinced he’s going to have a huge season. #quality’ No pressure, then. Coming just 48 hours after Arsene Wenger complained that Wilshere had been put ‘under too much pressure’, Morgan’s declaration guaranteed every step the 22-year-old took would be scrutinised. VIDEO Scroll down to watch Jack Wilshere's Ice Bucket Challenge . Don't believe the hype! Jack Wilshere struggled to impose himself during Arsenal's draw at Everton . This, after all, is the type of game in which he should be making a difference. The thing with Wilshere, though, is that we are still waiting for him to put it all together and run a game that matters, to dominate the type of contest in which Arsenal have habitually fallen short down the years. After another troubling evening on Merseyside, the wait goes on. If Arsenal were collectively abject for 83 minutes, failing to deal with Everton’s slick passing and movement, Wilshere epitomised their shortcomings, not getting a look-in as James McCarthy and Gareth Barry dominated. He set the tone for a petulant display as early as the fifth minute, complaining without justification to referee Kevin Friend after being outmuscled by the energetic Steven Naismith. Sulking and scowling, Wilshere shuffled around on the periphery and never looked to take charge. There have, of course, been well-documented fitness problems down the years but this effort — coming after a similarly anonymous showing against Crystal Palace in which he was substituted after an hour — never threatened to get out of first gear. Why me? The England midfielder argues with referee Kevin Friend at Goodison Park on Saturday evening . Crunch! Sylvain Distin attempts to take the ball off Wilshere before Arsenal's stirring comeback . When Everton broke forward, Wilshere never had the pace to snap back and help Mathieu Flamini, while his occasionally forays into the opposition area lacked the wit or invention to cause problems. As his frustration mounted, it came as little surprise when he was booked for scything down Barry. ‘I believe at the moment he should not respond (to criticism), just focus on his game,’ Wenger argued. ‘At the moment I believe he should just focus on being fit, present and improve physically. If Wilshere can maintain his physical fitness, he can have a huge career.’ Yet that is a big ‘if’. Wilshere has long been championed as the player who will provide the fantasy in Arsenal and England’s midfield but, at present, his form merely adds weight to the acerbic comments Paul Scholes made about him last spring. When Wenger has a full complement of midfielders, where does Wilshere fit in? It should be pointed out that Wilshere — roundly booed by Everton supporters when Wenger did the decent thing and ended his evening on 73 minutes — was not the only Arsenal player to let his manager down badly. How much did you pay? Arsenal's new striker Alexis Sanchez looked hopelessly out of sorts on his own . Mesut Ozil started his first competitive game since winning the World Cup with Germany but his meaningful contributions could be counted on the fingers of one hand. Indeed, his loose ball enabled Everton to break and score their second goal before half-time. Alexis Sanchez, meanwhile, looked hopelessly out of sorts deployed as the lone front man. The experiment lasted 45 minutes, during which the Chilean never had a shot and Everton’s swagger nearly took the game away from Arsenal. All, clearly, is still not right with the Gunners. At least the changes Wenger made in the second half worked magnificently and the fighting spirit they showed to rescue the contest might be a trigger for them to have a big season. Whether the same can be said for their lacklustre No 10 remains to be seen. | Arsene Wenger's side came away from Goodison Park with a point .
Late goals from Aaron Ramsey and Olivier Giroud saved the day .
Roberto Martinez's team had gone two goals up .
Jack Wilshere and Alexis Sanchez both failed to impose themselves . |
259,193 | db84c8defd30cdc84b164205170692bae4d648ed | By . Simon Jones . Sunderland are closing on a loan deal for Chelsea winger Christian Atsu. The 22-year-old, who has also been a target for Everton, has been on loan at Vitesse but did not figure in last night's 3-1 friendly win for Chelsea after opening talks with Sunderland. Manager Gus Poyet is also awaiting confirmation of a deal for Liverpool's Fabio Borini - Sunderland offered £14m for the Italian but, after his shoulder injury against Roma, the deal was almost called off. Transfer: Chelsea's Ghanain winger could be heading north after Sunderland approached him for a loan . Liverpool's failed pursuit of Loic Remy was another stumbling block in the transfer but it is thought both clubs are keen to make the deal happen and Guy Poyet is now sure he has his man . The Uruguayan manager has also made an offer to Lazio for Luis Pedro Cavanda. The 23-year-old is a versatile full-back and with the departure of Phil Bardsley and Andrea Dossena the Black cats are looking short in that department. Marcos Alonso is another option after impressing on loan at the club last season, but so far Sunderland have failed to agree on personal terms. Injury: Fabio Borini's shoulder injury put his move to Sunderland in doubt but the deal is now back on . Utility man: Luis Pedro Cavanda is a right-back, but can play on the left hand side as well . | Sunderland close to loan for Chelsea's Christian Atsu .
Gus Poyet has also bid for Luis Pedro Cavanda of Lazio .
Uruguayan is awaiting confirmation of a deal for Fabio Borini . |
62,565 | b1bb5eb033f4ce322ea88cb2fa8ed70ad4fbc169 | By . Annabel Fenwick Elliott . Lifetime has announced a new reality TV show which will follow the escapades of soon-to-be nuns, entitled The Sisterhood. The unscripted series will sneak behind the doors of a Catholic convent and delve into the lives of five woman with a big decision to make: whether or not to fully commit themselves to God. The wannabe nuns will live and work in the convent as they take part in what is traditionally the first step in entering this religious order, the 'discernment phase.' Breaking bad habits: Lifetime's new reality TV show will follow five wannabe nuns as they enter a monastery for a trial period, where according to the network, their devotion will be 'truly tested' (file photo) Over six hour-long episodes, where the hopeful 'servants of God' will live according to the vows of chastity, poverty and obedience, each woman will undergo a program which will 'truly test their devotion.' Already, the premise of the show is skirting the lines of 'reality', as women don't usually live in a convent during this phase. Once they have opened their minds to the possibility of joining the sisterhood, as it exists in the real world, a young woman will traditionally spend her discernment phase - amid her usual setting - pondering the pros and cons of forgoing single or married life. Round two: Original series, Breaking Amish, followed (from left), Sabrina, Abe, Rebecca, Jeremiah and Katie, on their travels to New York, all of whom have now returned to Pennsylvania except for Katie . Next she transitions into the 'postulancy' phase, which is a six month test period in which she will live according to the requirements of a nun, to see if the lifestyle truly appeals. Only then will she be accepted to live in a convent for one to two years, without taking vows, until she is finally absolutely certain that she is ready to live an ordained life - at which point she is permitted to take her vows. Of course, in the land of Lifetime - which is hiring the same producers who bought us the questionable 'reality' show, Breaking Amish - the standard process is 'accelerated', according to the network. Lifetime and collaborator Hot Snakes Media are in the process of finalizing the convent and location for The Sisterhood, and a premiere date has not yet been determined. | The Sisterhood will be produced by the same team who bought us Breaking Amish . |
228,646 | b40d18901ba899522408d4a096fc3e94b321516a | Brattleboro, Vermont (CNN) -- The skies may have cleared, but an assessment of damage has only just begun. Officials from President Barack Obama's administration will travel Tuesday to Virginia, North Carolina and Vermont -- some of the hardest-hit states -- to survey ongoing response efforts, according to the Department of Homeland Security. The storm known as Irene left parts of the U.S. East Coast grappling with dangerous floodwaters and widespread power outages. At least 27 deaths in nine states have been blamed on Irene, which fizzled to a post-tropical cyclone and headed over eastern Canada Monday. Flooding was ongoing, particularly in New England, said Craig Fugate, director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Upstate New York, New Jersey and Vermont endured some of the worst flooding. "A lot of the activities are moving into recovery phases, but we are still very concerned about the flooding," Fugate told reporters Monday. Southern states were affected primarily by power outages and the effects of the storm surge, particularly on the Outer Banks of North Carolina, where Highway 12 had been chopped into pieces in several places by the pounding surf. As of Monday afternoon, about 5 million customers were without power, Fugate said, citing figures from the Department of Energy. That was down from about 6 million earlier, he said. In New York, torrential rains washed out roads and bridges, flooding homes and some businesses. The town of Prattsville was struck particularly hard. In Vermont, the governor warned that further flooding and loss of life are likely for the small, rural state. While small brooks have crested, large rivers have not, he said. "It's just devastating," Gov. Peter Shumlin said. "Whole communities under water, businesses, homes, obviously roads and bridges, rail transportation infrastructure. We've lost farmers' crops. We're tough folks up here but Irene ... really hit us hard." David Vallee, a hydrologist for the National Weather Service in charge of the Northeastern forecast center in Taunton, Massachusetts, said rainfall reached 15 inches in some places. The fact that much of the affected area was already heavily saturated by rainfall in the weeks prior to Irene made things worse, he said. Moderate to major flooding was occurring from New York into the Connecticut Valley, through much of northern New Hampshire "and a good chunk of Vermont." Many of the river crests set records, he said. In New Jersey. an array of rivers and creeks eclipsed flood stages and continued to rise Monday. "We're seeing record flooding levels across the northern part of our state. Nine river locations have reached or passed record flooding levels," New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie told reporters. Asked how FEMA has changed its approach to handling disasters six years after Hurricane Katrina laid waste to much of the Gulf Coast, Fugate said the agency now has more authority to act prior to receiving a request from a governor. That translates into "not having to wait" until the impact of the storm is clear. "We have to act quickly and be prepared to support that," he said. In Washington, Obama vowed, "We will make sure folks have all the support they need." He added that "it will take time" to recover. Residents from North Carolina through New England will need that support, with homes, businesses, roads and bridges torn apart by floodwaters. Some of the worst flooding since 1927 ravaged Vermont's normally tranquil countryside, turning babbling brooks into turbulent rivers and knocking homes from their foundations. In Wilmington, Vermont, a young woman who had been standing near a river was swept away by the water. Her body was recovered Monday. One person is still missing in Vermont and feared dead, authorities said. In all, 260 roads were affected, many of them underwater, Vermont's Emergency Management Agency said Monday. The emergency management headquarters flooded overnight and was evacuated and relocated from Waterbury to Burlington, approximately 20 miles away. "We never see this sort of thing in Vermont," said Jesse Stone of White River Junction, where a covered bridge was flooded. "For the people who are saying that Irene was disappointing, maybe, because they didn't get the sort of wind and damage they expected, I just want to remind them that, in places like Vermont, we really got it pretty hard." In North Carolina, about 250,000 customers were without power Monday, down from more than 440,000 on Sunday night, the state's division of emergency management said. Connecticut Light & Power reported Monday evening that an estimated half million people had no power. Some customers might have to wait a week or more because of damage to the system. But life along much of the East Coast returned to normal, as subway services resumed on all 22 lines in New York City, and the three major airports in the area reopened after thousands of flights were canceled over the weekend. Flight schedules were expected to normalize slowly, and passengers were urged to check with their airlines before going to the airport. Amtrak canceled many trains, but had some service in the Northeast. Officials reported six deaths in North Carolina, four in Virginia, five in Pennsylvania, three each in New York and Vermont, two each in Connecticut and New Jersey and one each in Maryland and Florida. The U.S. government estimates that the cost from wind damage alone will exceed $1 billion. Analysts have put the total anticipated cost of Irene much higher. CNN's Joe Sutton, Gary Tuchman, Paul Courson, Jake Carpenter, Mark J. Norman, Poppy Harlow, Divina Mims, Rob Marciano, Rose Arce, Jeanne Meserve, Chris Boyette, David Mattingly, Susan Candiotti, Greg Botelho, Phil Gast, Ed Payne, Ric Ward and Justine Redman contributed to this report. | NEW: Obama administration officials will visit hard-hit areas on Tuesday .
New Jersey, Vermont and upstate New York are coping with floodwaters .
The death toll rises to at least 27 .
5 million customers without power as of Monday afternoon, FEMA's administrator says . |
200,807 | 8ff46ddca917721820065b4a6363cf3f9304fc66 | Manchester City emerged 2-0 victors in a rather awkward-feeling fixture against Hamburg in the Hazza Bin Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi. Starting with a relatively strong line up including Frank Lampard, Edin Dzeko and Stevan Jovetic, boss Manuel Pellegrini used this an opportunity to give many of his starlets some much-needed first team experience. Despite Jovetic and Dzeko both gladly putting their names on the score sheet, there was some sad news for the Blues as Thierry Ambrose came off injured just eight minutes after coming on at half time. Host commentator . Ultimately Manchester City will be the happier of the two teams. A good second half display from Manuel Pellegrini's men as they return to England with a 2-0 victory against Hamburg. Next up - Middlesbrough! Thanks for tuning in everyone! There is a feeling this game is winding down to a close now. City will be happy with the result, Hamburg not so much after their spritely start to the match. Jovetic shows his composure to beat the on-rushing Hamburg goalkeeper Rene Adler . Pablo Zabaleta on for Aleksandar Kolarov Martin Demichelis replaces Bacary SagnaGael Clichy on for James Milner . Tenacious work from James Milner leads to him crossing the ball for Edin Dzeko, who similarly to Jovetic, controls with his chest and directs the ball into the back of the net. Sergio Aguero is put through but still has some work to do as the Hamburg defence triple up on him. The limited crowd are going wild every time the Argentine touches the ball. Zoltan Stieber makes way for Gojko KacarSlobodan Rajkovic is brought off for Heiko Westermann . Jovetic comes off as Aguero comes on to a rapturous applause. One quirky Manchester City fan skipped a day in the library to be here today. Let's hope his dad isn't watching! After a good phase of play from Hamburg, Boyata is there to read the game well and cut out a through ball to Gouaida. Nicolai Muller on for Rafael Van der Vaart . Maximilian Beister comes on for Innocent Emeghara . Jesus Navas on for Ambrose . There's a slight coming together between Hamburg goalkeeper Adler and and Thierry Ambrose, who is 8 minutes into his first team debut. As the City forward goes for an overhead kick, Adler clatters into him and they both land in a pile. The stretcher is brought on and the 17-year-old is withdrawn as quickly as he was brought on. A great long ball from Evans finds Jovetic in the box, who chests and blast home. Adler just fails to do enough to stop it but it rolls in. Ambrose on for Fernando . Evans on for Lampard . Rene Adler on for Jaroslav DrobnyMarcell Jansen replaces Ronny MarcosCleber on for Johan Djourou . Who can break the deadlock? Let's find out shall we? Relatively dull opening 40 minutes or so. The action only really began with City's double chance and the disallowed Hamburg goal when Stieber's strike was ricocheted in off one of his own players in an offside position. Kolarov takes an out-swinging corner from the left and Sagna strikes, but it is deflected narrowly wide. A corner is then taken from the other side and it ends up with Jovetic, who tries to curl one into the top corner but it goes just over. Rafael van der Vaart has a free kick from 30 yards blocked by the wall. The ball rebounds back to the feet of the former Tottenham man, but his half-volley takes a deflection into the thankful hands of Caballero. Manchester City's James Milner once again drives down the right towards the Hamburg goal, but just before he is able to pull the trigger he is intercepted. City try to work a short corner in the follow up, but it comes to nothing. Possession mainly being held in the midfield area as we head past the half hour mark. Hamburg still probing away but they are yet to make any real clear cut chances . Patient build up for City this time, who are looking to find a way through the Hamburg midfield. Mangala is cautioned for a silly tackle on the edge of his own box, but the resulting free kick fails to test the goalkeeper. Dzeko is slipped through by Barker and he shoots from just inside the box, but it is blocked out for a corner. James Milner is looking most likely down that right flank as he drills another low ball across the penalty box box Stevan Jovetic fails to meet it at the back stick. The ball falls to Fernando on the edge of the box but his shot is blazed over. Hamburg are happy to build up play with some patient possession, which ends with Van der Vaart letting rip from 25 yards. Caballero deals with it well. First real chance of the game goes to City as James Milner squares a ball across the box. But it is cleared for a corner. The Manchester City players get limbered up ahead of the mid-week friendly clash. 7 min: Rafael van der Vaart finds an opportunity to squeeze in a shot but it merely dribbles towards goal. The Blues clearly want to show off their domestic prowess as the teams pass the illustrious Premier League trophy. The City squad turned up in style to the Hazza Bin Zayed Stadium. The 36-year-old will no doubt want to take this opportunity to prove to Pellegrini that he is fit for a regular starting berth in his title chasing side. Hamburg captain Van der Vaart knows Premier League defences well, having played two seasons at Tottenham Hotspur. The Dutchman has three goals for his club this season and will be looking to keep the City midfield quiet. Manchester City face Hamburg in a specially-arranged midweek friendly at the Hazza Bin Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi. The match will be used as preparation for Hamburg as they gear up for the resumption of their season, while City will use the match to get their players in-tune ahead of their FA Cup match against Middlesbrough. City boss Manuel Pellegrini has fielded a strong side with the likes of James Milner and Edin Dzeko starting. Will he rue this decision in a meaningless game? Hamburg starting XI: Drobny, Gotz, Djourou, Rajkovic, Marcos, Jiracek, Emeghara, van der Vaart, Stieber, Gouaida, Rudnevs . Manchester City starting XI: Caballero, Sagna, Boyata, Mangala, Kolarov, Fernando, Lampard, Milner, Barker, Jovetic, Dzeko . Subs: Wright, Zabaleta, Demichelis, Clichy, Navas, Aguero, Sinclair, Evans, Celina, Ambrose . | Stevan Jovetic gave Manchester City the lead on 50 minutes .
Edin Dzeko doubled the lead after some good work from James Milner .
Thierry Ambrose came off injured eight minutes after his City introduction .
Hamburg's Zoltan Stieber had a goal disallowed in the first half for offside .
Manchester City XI: Caballero, Sagna, Boyata, Mangala, Kolarov, Fernando, Lampard, Milner, Barker, Jovetic, Dzeko .
Hamburg XI: Drobny, Gotz, Djourou, Rajkovic, Marcos, Jiracek, Emeghara, van der Vaart, Stieber, Gouaida, Rudnevs .
Manchester City play Hamburg in a friendly staged in Abu Dhabi . |
83,286 | ec28125bcf5bdeb0353d780fe282714ac6402831 | By . Tom Mctague, Mail Online Deputy Political Editor . Vladimir Putin would welcome Scottish independence because it would weaken Britain, the outspoken Education Secretary Michael Gove has claimed. Mr Gove said a break up of the United Kingdom would put Russia in a 'stronger position' to dictate to the world. He claimed Britain was the 'second principal beacon of liberty' in the world and its break up would weaken the West. Education Secretary Michael Gove said Britain was the 'second principal beacon of liberty' in the world and Scottish independence would leave it weakened . The Tory Cabinet minister, who was born in Edinburgh and raised in Aberdeen, said a 'Yes' to independence vote would be cheered among Britain's enemies. Mr Gove, speaking during a debate on independence at the Chalke Valley History Festival yesterday, also attacked independence campaigners for portraying England as a 'loads'a money' nation which was 'meaner' than Scotland. The Education Secretary's controversial remarks come after Alex Salmond sparked controversy after declaring that he admired 'certain aspects' of Mr Putin's leadership. Mr Salmond's comments came at the height of the crisis over Russia's annexation of Crimea. The First Minister said during an interview in March that it was a 'good thing' Mr Putin had restored Russian pride. But the Tory MP said: 'Think globally. Think what would happen if Scotland and England broke up. Do we think that Vladimir Putin in the Kremlin would think 'oh that's a pity?' 'Or do you think he would think: 'Ah look, the second principal beacon of liberty in the world is a little more unstable. That plinth has been broken. I'm in a stronger position to do what I want'? 'Similarly, if we think of all of those across the globe who are against the principles of freedom and who might wish to cause us and our friends harm, would they regard the break up of the United Kingdom as a welcome weakening in the West's defences? Of course they would.' Mr Gove also attacked the SNP's attempt to play England and Scotland off against each other. He said: 'There's one thing that the Yes vote - the independent vote - campaigners in Scotland are saying. They're saying that England is somehow a different country. A narrower and a meaner country than Scotland. 'They're basically trying to say that England is a "loads'a money' country, and Scotland a warmer place". SNP leader Alex Salmond sparked controversy earlier this year after admitting there were 'some aspects' of Vladimir Putin's leadership that he admired . A Yes Scotland spokesperson said Mr Gove was guilty of 'hyperbole' and likened his remarks to Labour peer Lord Robertson, the former Nato general secretary, who said independence would be 'cataclysmic' for the world. The spokesman said: 'This hyperbole from Michael Gove is no less embarrassing to the No campaign. Scotland will be a valued friend and ally of the rest of the UK and western world, just like a myriad of other independent European nations. 'It is Michael Gove's Tory government which has been caught out trying to enlist Putin's support to oppose Scottish independence - just as they have been going round the world briefing against Scotland.' | Education Secretary says 'Yes' vote would be cheered in Moscow .
The Tory Cabinet minister was born in Edinburgh and raised in Aberdeen .
He says break up of UK leaves the West's enemies emboldened .
Also attacks SNP for portraying England as a 'loads'a money' mean nation . |
26,717 | 4bd8e81d21a561781597826fd7deaa467d5c5851 | By . Daily Mail Reporter . Last updated at 6:35 PM on 2nd March 2012 . A man doubled his trouble by acting out in court after being convicted of domestic violence charges. Ernest Burch, who was in court for violating terms of a restraining order against his girlfriend, went into a rampage after Broward County judge Geoffrey Cohen said the Fort Lauderdale man was guilty. He tried to kiss his girlfriend, but was pulled away by a court officer, which spurred more than a minute of chaos before he was finally subdued by two attorneys and bailiffs. Scroll down for video . Trouble brewing: A judge orders Ernest Burch (second from left) to be taken into custody . Refusal: He can then be seen struggling with the bailiff . When push comes to shove: Burch then jostles his way through the court . Burch had violated a no-contact order in place with his girlfriend, WSVN reported, and was ordered to be taken into custody. But just as Deputy Gerald Crowther tried to handcuff him, Burch lashed out and struggled against the cuffs, CBS Miami reported. Burch reportedly became angry when bailiffs wouldn't let him kiss his girlfriend as he was being taken away. A complaint affidavit states that Burch pushed a bailiff who was trying to place handcuffs on him. Seeing Mr Crowther struggling against Burch, two attorneys rushed to his aid. It takes a village: Two attorneys join the melee . Bring him down: Burch was tackled by the court bailiff and two lawyers . The courtroom violence was all caught on camera. Assistant State Attorney Andrew Newman told NBC Miami that he saw trouble brewing when Judge Cohen ordered Burch away. ‘I could see that the judge was getting ready to revoke his bond,’ he said. 'I like to watch their hands because if they’re going to resist, you can see it right when the deputies go to take their hands from behind.’ The video shows Burch struggling to get away even after he was tackled in a corner of the court room. Order in the court: An army of court officials finally subdue Burch and take him into custody . ‘He tried to make a break for it,’ attorney Nirav Jamindar told CBS Miami. ‘Unfortunately, he was out of luck, because we got him.’ Now Burch faces eve more charges, including violation of pre-trial release, battery and resisting with violence. He is currently being held in Fort Lauderdale’s Main Jail, the Broward Sheriff’s Office said. Watch video here: . View more videos at: http://nbcmiami.com. | Ernest Burch was in court for domestic violence charges against girlfriend .
Burch tried to kiss his girlfriend before he was taken into custody .
When held back by court officer, Burch went into rampage . |
143,553 | 45a56faecd152caa9602853269f95a3ed2664299 | It was that time of year, and shoppers were probably expecting to see revellers dressed tastelessly for Halloween. But the sight of Paul Dutton among the aisles of groceries and toys was beyond a joke. The 48-year-old, pushing his baby grandson in a trolley, was dressed in full Nazi uniform. Nazi fanatic Paul Dutton claimed on Twitter it was he who was thrown out of an Asda store in Cambridge after horrified shoppers took offence at his Nazi-SS uniform . Outraged customers complained prompting the manager of the Cambridge . branch of Asda to ask the Nazi sympathiser, pictured above entering the . store yesterday, to leave . The Hitler-obsessed father of six was wearing a black SS uniform and cap, with a red armband bearing the swastika, and swastika tattoos on his neck, chest and hand. While a few shoppers in the Asda store treated it as a sick stunt, others immediately complained to staff, who told Mr Dutton to leave. An unrepentant Mr Dutton went on Twitter later to say he had been using the Asda branch in the Beehive Centre in Cambridge since it opened three years ago and often wore his uniform. He said he had intended to hand out cards promoting his website, where he writes about his fascination with Adolf Hitler. Referring to Prince Harry, who had to apologise in 2005 for wearing a Nazi uniform to a fancy dress party as a joke, he added: ‘I got ejected from Asda for wearing something that is good enough for a Prince 2 wear.’ Shopper Rosina Rusin, 60, said: ‘My grandmother’s family died in the gas chambers and I thought “Here is this bloke parading about”. People’s mouths were falling open. ‘You are not going to come out like that unless you want to draw attention to yourself. One lady was very upset – she was close to crying.’ Marisa Baker, 38, said: ‘I saw the tattoo on his neck and a swastika on his hand. It’s not what you want to see, especially as there’s children around. Mr Dutton at home in Cambridge, left, and in the outfit he was wearing when he outraged customers in Asda, right. The uniform is similar to those worn by the brutal SS in Nazi Germany . Police were called at 2pm on Thursday, but Mr Dutton had already left. Asda said: ‘We had a number of customer complaints so we asked him to leave the store.’ On his website, Mr Dutton says his partner left him after he became fascinated with Nazism and claims that Hitler and Eva Braun faked their deaths and went on to have children in Argentina. He also uses a quote saying that the Holocaust was a ‘necessary evil’. Last night Mr Dutton insisted that he is not racist. ‘I don’t hate anyone... it’s not about the politics for me,’ he said. ‘I just live and breathe everything Adolf Hitler. Hitler is my whole life, it’s not just a hobby.’ The Waffen-SS, led by Heinrich Himmler, centre, ran concentration camps across eastern Europe where millions of Jews were gassed to death . The SS, Schutzstaffel or protective echelon, was created as an elite corps of the Nazi party. The black-uniformed members, began their existence as a small personal bodyguard for Hitler. But the group grew with the success of the Nazi movement to become a virtual state within a state. Leader . Heinrich Himmler built up the SS following from around 300 men at its . formation in 1929 to more than 50,000 by the time the Nazis came to . power in 1933. Himmler, a . racist fanatic, screened applicants for their supposed physical . perfection and racial purity but recruited from all ranks of German . society. The SS gained . power during the Night of the Long Knives in June 1934 when the Nazi . regime committed a series of political murders. Leading members of the left-wing faction of the Nazi party were slayed along with prominent conservative anti-Nazis. Many of those killed were members of the SA, the paramilitary brownshirts. Hitler . used the purge to eliminate critics of his new regime, especially those . loyal to Vice-Chancellor Franz von Papen, and settle old scores with . his enemies. The Night of . the Long Knives was a turning point in Hitler's leadership, establishing . him firmly as leader and dictator of the state. As a result the SS became an independent group answerable to Hitler alone. Between . 1934 and 1936, Himmler and his second-in-command Reinhard Heydrich, . consolidated SS strength by gaining control of all of Germany's police . forces. By 1939 its numbers totalled around 250,000 men. It was divided into two groups - the Allgemeine-SS (General SS) and Waffen-SS (Armed SS). The Waffen-SS was responsible for running the concentration camps, and the mass murder of millions of Jews. SS men were taught racial hatred and swore absolute loyalty to their Fuhrer, Hitler.Their motto was: 'Thy honour is thy loyalty.' Following . the defeat of Nazi Germany by the Allies in 1945, the SS was declared a . criminal organisation at the Nuremburg trials in 1946. | Polish-born shopper who lost family members in the Nazi gas chambers said she wanted to make sure the man was evicted .
Paul Dutton identified himself as a Nazi sympathiser on Twitter .
Angry customers prompted manager to ask the grandfather to leave .
Horrified shopper said Halloween is NO excuse for offensive outfit .
Police officers visit 48-year-old to look into whether a crime was committed . |
79,125 | e048748860c4b0fdd2f77bcee9f677ac57be876a | Arsene Wenger will one day sit down, take a deep breath and remember his remarkably long career at Arsenal. But that will have to wait until he finally calls time on his reign. The 64-year-old celebrates 18 years since he took over the north London club on Wednesday, but insists he does not have time to look back over almost two decades there — especially with a crucial Champions League group stage game against Galatasaray marking his anniversary. He is one of the last of a dying breed of long-standing managers who were afforded time and patience to build an empire, watch it grow, nurture it, then start over again when it floundered. Arsene Wenger celebrates 18 years as Arsenal manager on Wednesday but is only looking forward for now . Alan Pardew is the next longest-serving manager in the Premier League having been in his job just four years . Alan Pardew at Newcastle is the closest boss in the top flight to the Frenchman — with just four seasons at the helm — but his tenure is dangerously close to ending. Wenger said: ‘It’s a great honour and privilege to be in charge of such a big club for such a long time, but I have no time to look back right now, I will do it at another time. 'I never look back. What is always your target is to take the maximum potential out of the team. The Arsenal manager celebrates his 18th year in charge at Arsenal on Wednesday. Here are some of his key numbers: . 1,021 Games in charge at Arsenal. He has won 590, drawn 230 and lost 201. 13 Trophies won by Wenger at Arsenal: three League titles, five FA Cups and five Community Shields. 1,880 Arsenal goals under Wenger — an average of 1.84 per game. 1,353 Premier League points won. Only Sir Alex Ferguson (1,752) has more. 1st In 1998, Wenger became the first foreign manager to win the English league title. 57.8 Overall Arsenal win percentage. 'The only thing I would say this season is that this team has huge potential and it has to come out. At the moment I am more worried about that.’ He added: ‘For the rest, Champions League evolution, maybe it was more open 15 years ago than it is today. The concentration of the big players in a small number of clubs is much more than it was before. ‘It’s much more predictable, the outcome of the Champions League, than it was 10 years ago. It’s harder to win it. 'If you make a poll tomorrow and say to people “Give me four clubs who will win the Champions League”, 80 or 90 per cent of people will say they are these four clubs. ‘I don’t think that we are one of the four who will be favourites to win it, but football is strange and not always predictable.’ Former Italy boss Cesare Prandelli watches over Galatasaray training on the pitch at the Emirates Stadium . Wesley Sneijder and his teammates will be looking to inflict back-to-back defeats on Arsene Wenger's side . The competition winners may be predictable for the Frenchman, but he could not have envisaged the sound beating his side were given by Borussia Dortmund in their opening match. It was the first time in 11 years they had lost an opening group game in the competition. The last time, a Wednesday night in 2003, they were hammered 3-0 by Inter Milan at home but still went on to top their group and reach the quarter-finals, where they were eliminated by Chelsea. ‘One thing that has not changed compared to 18 years ago, the players were very intelligent and they are still very intelligent today,’ said Wenger. ‘They know what is at stake. Mathematically they know Galatasaray is the game for us.’ Back in 2003-04, Wenger’s team became The Invincibles as undefeated league champions, which he will surely fondly recall. Arsenal lost their first game of this year's Champions League, going down 2-0 to Borussia Dortmund . It was the first time in 11 years that they lost on the opening day, and Wenger has never lost his first two . Jack Wilshere is fit enough to make the Arsenal squad as they look to revive their Champions League hopes . But defeat at home to Galatasaray will heap pressure on qualifying for the knockout stages and would bring a more painful memory to mind for Wenger — who has never lost the opening two games in a Champions League campaign. On Wednesday, Wenger will make a decision on whether to start Jack Wilshere after he turned his ankle against Tottenham. It was feared the midfielder would be out for a lengthy spell, but he came through training on Tuesday, when he looked sharp. Aaron Ramsey, who has a hamstring injury, and Mikel Arteta, struggling with a calf problem, also suffered significant problems in that match and will be out for at least three weeks. Kieran Gibbs is set to start in the absence of Nacho Monreal, and Wenger has tipped the injury-prone left back to become England’s long-term replacement to Ashley Cole. German trio Per Mertesacker (right), Mesut Ozil (centre) and Lukas Podolski (left) are all in the squad . Wenger believes Kieran Gibbs could be England's next left back, emulating former Arsenal man Ashley Cole . Indeed, national team manager Roy Hodgson and his assistant Ray Lewington will be at the Emirates tonight to monitor Gibbs, along with Arsenal’s other English players. Wenger revealed on Tuesday that he only allowed Gael Clichy to leave for Manchester City in 2011 to give Gibbs a chance. ‘For a long time there was no discussion, it was Ashley Cole for England. Now it’s a bit more open,’ explained Wenger. ‘Gibbs has such great potential, if he lets it go.’ Wenger nurtured the teenage Cole from a forward into one of the world’s best full backs and similarly moved Gibbs back when he joined the club as a winger aged 16. Asked if Gibbs, now 25, can reach Cole’s level, Wenger replied: ‘Yes, it’s a good example to follow. When it mattered and when you had to be there, he was always there.’ Like our Arsenal Facebook page. Kieran Gibbs (left) trains alongside teammates Danny Welbeck and Ozil before the Galatasaray clash . The young left-back has been superb so far this season for Arsenal and could be in line for an England call . | Wenger is longest serving Premier League manager .
Arsenal face Galatasaray in Champions League on Wednesday .
The Gunners lost their first game of the competition for the first time in 11 years against Borussia Dortmund .
But Wenger believes his side can win the Champions League .
Wenger also says Kieran Gibbs can be as good as Ashley Cole . |
113,338 | 1e4a189ff233dabf8797f479272491f243618599 | Several discount stores across Britain have been unknowingly selling fake bottles of Head and Shoulders shampoo, which contain potentially dangerous ingredients including 'sex change' chemicals. Thousands of counterfeit bottles of the top-selling haircare brand have been seized by Trading Standards officers after customers began reporting side effects of itching and bleeding after using the products. Tests carried out by scientists at Loughborough University, on samples collected during the UK seizures, revealed the fakes had a 'significantly different chemical make-up to the genuine product'. The bogus products were found to contain high levels of the 'sex change' chemical Diethyl Phthalate, which can affect reproductive health and can also be toxic to wildlife. Thousands of bottles of counterfeit Head and Shoulders shampoo were seized across the country by Trading Standards after they were found to be fake. Tests showed they had high levels of a 'sex change' chemical . Spot checks at two Trago Mills' stores in Cornwall found counterfeit bottles of the leading shampoo brand. 160 bottles were seized in total from Trago stores in Falmouth and Liskeard and every one was a fake . An investigation found fake bottles of the leading shampoo brand had been on sale at two Trago Mills' stores in Cornwall and at a discount B&M store in Northern Ireland. Health experts fear there could be thousands more of the counterfeit bottles on sale across the country, with the fakes so realistic that it is extremely difficult to tell the difference between the bogus product and the real thing. The makers of the genuine Head and Shoulders brand, Procter and Gamble, said chemicals in the fakes had the potential to cause irritation to breathing and skin, could be harmful if swallowed and had risks of 'serious damage' to eyes. The counterfeits also tested positive for large amounts of the 'sex change' chemical Diethyl Phthalate, which can affect reproductive health. The endocrine chemicals, which could find their way into into rivers and lakes from drains and sewage, can lead to fish having their hormones altered and some scientists claim it can stop them breeding. Experts said there was ten times the amount of the 'sex change' chemical compared to any other ingredients in some of the fake bottles. An investigation on TV show Fake Britain found that of the 160 bottles seized from Trago Mills stores in Falmouth and Liskeard in Cornwall, every one turned out to be a counterfeit. In a statement, Trago Mills said: 'As a retailer that has been established for nearly 50 years, we have always taken great care to build relationships with reputable suppliers and top brands, in order to source the best products for our customers. The genuine Head and Shoulders brand, Procter and Gamble, said chemicals in the fakes had the potential to cause irritation to breathing and skin . 'We purchased this particular product in good faith, from a trusted source, and we were one of a number of wholesalers and retailers, worldwide, who received it. 'The copy was so advanced that it took rigorous testing to identify it as a copy. 'We work closely with the Office of Fair Trading to ensure our customers' best interests are put first and are grateful to them for helping us to identify this sophisticated copy and to ensure the product was removed immediately from sale.' Cornwall Trading Standards was involved in the investigation and a spokesman described them as 'extremely good counterfeits' which looked almost identical to the real thing. She added: 'The copies were so incredibly good that the store, in our opinion, had done everything they could to make sure it wasn't selling counterfeits. 'As such, we have closed the investigation against the store that sold it, by way of providing advice for them to potentially spot counterfeits in the future.' Tests on the counterfeit products, carried out at Loughborough University, found it did not have any acidity regulator, meaning there's nothing to control chemical reactions in the bottles, which could produce harmful substances. A skin sensitiser was also found, which could cause contact dermatitis to those allergic. On the BBC investigative show, a woman in St Austell, called Sharon, described how the fake shampoo which she'd unwittingly bought at a 99p Store in the town, caused her scalp to itch and turn red after just the third use. Scabs then formed which later began to bleed. She said: 'You'd itch so vigorously and then it would kind of scab and then the next time you would itch it would make a certain patch bleed. Dozens of fake bottles of Head and Shoulders shampoo was seized from Trago Mills in Falmouth, Cornwall (pictured). However, Trading Standards confirmed the store took all necessary action to avoid counterfeits . A probe by TV show Fake Britain found counterfeit bottles of Head and Shoulders in B&M Stores (file picture) 'I was quite angry to think that something I was paying my money for was making me sore and itchy. 'You feel dirty I suppose that you're forever sitting there scratching. 'Having a sore head and scalp was bad enough but to actually have a product to make me bleed. 'I was still using it so who knows what the chemicals were in it that I was putting on my head. 'It's disgusting.' The BBC show also interviewed a woman called Nicole from Antrim, Northern Ireland, who bought Head and Shoulders shampoo from a local B&M store. She used it to wash her five-year-old daughter Imogen's hair and said she noticed adverse effects immediately. She said: 'The next day after use it looked like there were particles of paint in her hair. 'It wasn't small bits of dandruff, it was big flakes. The size of a small finger. 'My worry was, is my daughter going to be losing her hair? 'I'd say "is it sore" and she would say "mummy, it's really itchy". She was scratching like crazy.' Sharon, from St Austell, Cornwall (pictured), told Fake Britain how the fake Head and Shoulders shampoo which she'd unwittingly bought at a 99p Store caused her scalp to itch and turn red after just the third use . Imogen eventually received treatment from her GP, but her mother notified Northern Ireland Trading Standards of the reaction. Officers launched an investigation and within weeks the authority seized almost 2,000 bottles of the illegal product from 15 discount stores across the country. Nicole added: 'What makes me angry is that I don't know what the cause is, what was in the shampoo. I don't know what I've put in her hair and the effects are ongoing. Something needs to be done about it.' B&M Retail said it was 'shocked to discover that some counterfeit product had entered the supply chain from one of the wholesale supplies of the product'. The store added: 'As soon as we were made aware the suspect stock was withdrawn from sale across all B&M stores. 'We are actively supporting the Trading Standards service to ensure a successful prosecution of the parties responsible further up the supply chain. 'This incident is the first in our 30 year history and we have taken steps to prevent a repeat occurrence.' Procter and Gamble, the firm which makes the genuine Head and Shoulders brand, today urged anyone who believes they may have a counterfeit product to contact Trading Standards. A spokesman said: ‘As we do not make these counterfeit products we cannot guarantee their safety so our first advice to people would be that, if they are in doubt, to stop using it immediately. 'We would also recommend that they return the product to the retailer where they made the purchase and make a complaint, or contact Trading Standards directly.’ MailOnline has contacted 99p Stores for comment. | Thousands of counterfeit Head and Shoulders shampoo found across UK .
Fake bottles contain harmful ingredients which could cause skin irritations .
Experts also found they contained high levels of a 'sex change' chemical .
Trading Standards said bogus bottles were 'extremely good counterfeits' |
86,006 | f3f23706b73d71efe37653bce8c5b5fd55c6ff40 | By . Press Association . There was a home winner on the eighth stage of the Tour de France while Vincenzo Nibali remains in the yellow jersey after a thrilling battle with Alberto Contador. Blel Kadri dragged himself over the line, rain soaked, after a 161km ride from Tomblaine to Gerardmer La Mauselaine, his victory itself a story as he went solo after being part of a breakaway that had featured gutsy Brit Simon Yates. But as Frenchman Kadri crossed the line, Nibali had to dig as deep as he could to stay with Contador who, with a kilometre or so to go tried to drop the Astana rider. Home win: French rider Blel Kadri took the eighth stage of the Tour de France, a 100 mile route between Tomblaine and Gerardmer La Mauselaine . High climber: His stage victory also meant Kadri claimed the polka dot jersey for best climber . Break away: Kadri, of the Ag2r La Mondiale Procycling team, surged clear of his competitors over the twin uphill climbs at the end of the route to claim victory in wet conditions . Still on top: Italian rider Vicenzo Nibali did enough to keep hold of the yellow jersey . All he saw was a magnificent response from Nibali who went with him and lost just three seconds of his overall lead to the Spaniard, but increased it to a minute and 44 seconds over second-placed team-mate Jakob Fuglsang. Contador is two minutes and 34 seconds down in sixth, while away from the scrap between he and Nibali, Team Sky's new leader Richie Porte moved up to third overall, although he has lost four more seconds to Nibali, trailing by a minute and 58 seconds. For so long it had looked as though Bury's Yates would be in the mix at the end, sticking with the breakaway he joined 35 kilometres in until they approached the gruelling climax of the first of three successive days in the Vosges. Gaining time: Alberto Contador (left) puts in a late attack to gain seconds on race leader Nibali (right) Rural idyll: A farmer sits on his tractor to watch the peloton go past . Here they come: The riders bunched in a pack as they cover the 161km eighth stage that started in Tomblaine, near Nancy, north-eastern France . The final 30 kilometres saw the category climbs of the Col de la Croix des Moinats and the Col de Grosse Pierre, while the steep finish at La Mauselaine did its best to separate the challengers from the rest. Yates battled gamely but was duly eaten up by the peloton, with Contador, Nibali and Porte emerging as the big three as the Tour reaches its one-week mark. The big loser was Andrew Talansky who crashed on the ride down the Grosse Pierre, losing over two minutes on his yellow jersey rivals. Picnic: Spectators watch the race while enjoying some refreshments . Scenic?: The breakaway group passes the Hotel de Ville in the town of Baccarat on their way to Gerardmer La Mauselaine . Picturesque: The pack of riders cross a canal in Baccarat on the eighth stage . It was a positive day for Porte, who is adapting to the role of Sky's main man after defending champion Chris Froome had to abandon injured. Speaking to ITV4, he said: 'I'm happy with how that went, it is not really my bread and butter and I think that on the longer climbs I will be better.' He acknowledged that the aggressive riding of Contador's team had changed the landscape, though. 'Tinkoff Saxo are riding very aggressively from a long way out, a bit like Team Sky used to do,' he said. Sunday's ninth stage is a 170-kilometre hike from Gerardmer to Mulhouse. STAGE EIGHT RESULT . 1. Blel Kadri (France / AG2R) 3:49:28" 2. Alberto Contador (Spain / Tinkoff - Saxo) +2:17" 3. Vincenzo Nibali (Italy / Astana) +2:20" 4. Richie Porte (Australia / Team Sky) +2:24" 5. Thibaut Pinot (France / FDJ.fr) +2:28" 6. Jean-Christophe Peraud (France / AG2R) 7. Alejandro Valverde (Spain / Movistar) +2:36" 8. Tejay van Garderen (U.S. / BMC Racing) +2:40" 9. Romain Bardet (France / AG2R) +2:48" 10. Sylvain Chavanel (France / IAM Cycling) +2:54" OVERALL CLASSIFICATION . 1. Vincenzo Nibali (Italy / Astana) 33:48:52" 2. Jakob Fuglsang (Denmark / Astana) +1:44" 3. Richie Porte (Australia / Team Sky) +1:58" 4. Michal Kwiatkowski (Poland / Omega Pharma - Quick-Step) +2:26" 5. Alejandro Valverde (Spain / Movistar) +2:27" 6. Alberto Contador (Spain / Tinkoff - Saxo) +2:34" 7. Romain Bardet (France / AG2R) +2:39" 8. Rui Costa (Portugal / Lampre) +2:52" 9. Bauke Mollema (Netherlands / Belkin) +3:02" 10. Jurgen Van den Broeck (Belgium / Lotto) | French rider Blel Kadri won 100-mile eighth stage in Gerardmer La Mauselaine .
Kadri broke away during the twin climbs that ended the stage .
Vincenzo Nibali held on to yellow jersey, though Alberto Contador gained vital seconds .
First of three stages in the mid-sized Vosges mountain range . |
283,593 | fb5a801c0e038376141ba15da96cf3617f118b76 | By . Belinda Robinson . A mother accused of making false claims that she and her son had cancer was arrested by police on her way to appear on the Dr Phil TV show. Melissa D. Barton, 25, from Troy, South Illinois, was arrested by police at Abraham Lincoln Capitol Airport in Springfield as she headed towards Chicago to film Dr Phil. Troy Police Chief Brad Parsons said she was stopped by officers and charged with theft by deception - similar to charges brought against her on August 5. Arrested: Melissa D. Barton, 25, from South Illinois, was arrested by police in Springfield . Mugshot: Troy Police Chief Brad Parsons said she was charged with theft by deception, similar to charges brought against her on August 5 . TV appearance: Ms Barton was due to tell her story on the popular daytime talk show Dr Phil . According to police, Ms Barton . carried out her scam on social media, in person, and at a local church where she asked for . cash donations for her cash-strapped family. She used a website called 'Youcaring.com and wepay.com to garner sympathy for her and her son by putting up photographs of herself looking unwell in bed. The additional charges of theft by deception came about because a second victim was located since she had been first charged 10 days ago. Fake: Ms Barton was arrested for faking her and her son's cancer diagnoses in order to get donations . Deception: The mother is alleged to have used her kids, pictured, in the scam to ask for donations and cash from religious organizations and through donation websites like youcaring.com and wepay.com . Donation websites: Ms Barton used donation website youcaring.com, pictured, to get people to part with their money to help her battle her alleged illness . It’s alleged that she accepted donations from people she'd told that she and her son had leukemia. However, she was arrested on a warrant in Springfield and was transferred from Springfield to Madison County and jailed on a $100,000 bail on Friday. Jailed: Ms Barton was arrested on a warrant in Springfield and was transferred from Springfield to Madison County and jailed on a $100,000 bail on Friday . But she was not considered a flight risk at any point, according to Chief Parsons. He told The Belleville News Democrat: ‘We heard that she was on her way to Chicago to be on the 'Dr. Phil' show.’ Police said that she used the names Melissa Dawn Pruett Barton and Missy Barton Pruett during the scam. Ms Barton was initially charged over the deception on August 5. She was jailed on a $50,000 bail after the first charge but was able to pay for a bond to get her out of jail. Troy Police have confirmed that they will continue to investigate her case. Chief Parsons said: ‘Right now I can tell you that the case isn't closed. We're following every lead and looking for more victims. But no additional charges are imminent.’ Anyone with information is asked to contact Troy Police at 618-667-6731. | Melissa D. Barton, 25 used social media to ask for cash donations .
She also asked for donations personally and used her local church .
She was caught out when a second victim came forward to report her .
Troy Police said she that she was charged with theft by deception .
Police will continue to investigate her case and it remains open . |
100,501 | 0d776eb80e9ee91ef46ff90a1e94adf59c259e7d | By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 11:25 EST, 12 June 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 12:48 EST, 12 June 2012 . The mother of a British base jumper who fell to his death after clinging to a cliff for three hours said her son could have been saved if the emergency services had sent a helicopter. Jake Simkins, 42, was left trapped on a rock face after his parachute became tangled while base-jumping on the Greek island of Zante. The Londoner calmly chatted to his girlfriend, who was seven months pregnant, while waiting for rescuers to arrive, but was blown 180ft to his death by a gust of wind. Terror: Jake Simkins is stuck up the cliff 180ft off the ground. He clung on desperately for three hours before falling to his death . Massive cliff: The scene of the tragedy on the Greek island of Zante. Rescuers could not reach Mr Simkins . Speaking for the first time since the . tragedy, his mother Julia, 77, from Hampstead, London, said he could . have been saved if the response team had dispatched a helicopter. 'If you are going to do an extreme . sport like base jumping then make sure you go where you are rescuable,' she told the Evening Standard. 'That’s the awful thing, apparently he was rescuable, but they wouldn’t get the helicopter down to him.' 'From what we gather, the wind caught him on the rock face on his parachute and he phoned Anita (his girlfriend) to get help. Demanding answers: Julia Simkins says her son (pictured) could have been saved if response teams had sent a helicopter to rescue him . 'He was there for three hours, they didn't get a helicopter. He was taken to the local hospital and pronounced dead.' Mrs Simkins said her son, who worked . for London Underground's engineering department, was 'very hardworking' and had a passion for extreme sports. She said he had moved onto base jumping from skydiving about two years ago and had travelled around the world to do it. He was in the process of buying a flat . with his partner Anita and she believed this was to be his last jump . before they started a family together. They were expecting their first child in September and were planning to get married. Mrs Simkins added: 'This was their . last holiday before the baby. He had already done three jumps and this . was his last one before coming home.' She said she went 'numb' when she . found out about her son's death when two policemen knocked on her door . in the middle of the night on Friday. She flew straight to the island to . be with Anita. She said: 'We would like to thank . everybody on the island, but we had a lot of problems with ambulance . chasers who had falsified papers and tried to get hold of the body to . get money out of us but that's all cleared up now.' Her son's body is due to be returned . to London tomorrow. There is no date yet for the funeral, but they are . planning a natural burial in July. Anthony Adams, Mr Simkins' neighbour . at his Wood Green house for 13 years, today told the Standard: 'He was . outdoorsy, but not the kind of guy who would go for a two-day walk along . the Devonshire coast. 'He was a real thrill-seeker, you could spot it a mile off. His death is such a shock. It’s a great shame.' Failure: Greek emergency services were unable to rescue the London Underground worker, who fell onto Navagio beach on Zante after a gust of wind dragged his parachute off the cliff. Pictured is another base jumper in action . Mr Simkins had been practising base . jumping, in which parachutists jump from cliffs, bridges or buildings. The pursuit is regarded as one of the most dangerous sports in the . world. Mr Adams added: 'Most weekends he . would be off base jumping somewhere, he did it a lot. He was also into . parachuting and sky-driving. I didn’t actually see him at home that . much. He was really bubbly and outgoing, a very friendly guy.' As he dangled hundreds of feet above . the rocks on the island – also known as Zakynthos – Mr Simkins made . calls from his mobile to reassure partner Anita that he was not badly . hurt after hitting the cliff and had only injured his leg. A Greek worker who was alongside Anita contacted the emergency services, but fire crews failed to reach Mr Simkins. The woman, who did not want to be named, said: ‘He was speaking to her constantly and letting her know he was okay. ‘He was calm, and they were even joking. Jake asked for the emergency services to throw him a rope, so he could climb down. ‘Surely three hours was enough time for the fire service to find a rope and get it to him?’ Accident: Mr Simkins was stuck for three hours as emergency services tried to rescue him from these cliff faces at Navagio beach after he base jumped with a parachute . Antonis Potamitis, who runs tour . boats to the bay and had collected Mr Simkins following other jumps, . said he had repeatedly called the fire service and begged them to bring a . specialist climbing team from Athens. He added: ‘It was a terrible tragedy. Jake was a really good man, and knew what he was doing, but somehow ended up on the rocks. ‘I asked the local fire chief to call for specialist back up, but he wouldn’t listen. ‘And even though three hours passed . and he was hanging 70 metres above the rocks, they didn’t even get a . rope down. How is that possible?’ Mr Simkins was pronounced dead after . his fall on Friday evening. His partner was taken to hospital suffering . from shock, although she was discharged on Sunday and his since flown . back to Britain. The pair were hoping to get married following the birth of their child. A local on the island said: ‘She was . in complete shock. She could hardly speak for the first day. But then . it is to be expected. She came on holiday with her partner, and she left . without him.’ Mr Simkins’ partner was too upset to speak yesterday when she answered the door of his family home in north London. Friends said Mr Simkins, who worked . as a signal technician for London Underground, was an experienced . base-jumper who had undertaken more than 40 solo jumps. He had also parachuted down to Navagio beach – known as ‘shipwreck bay – on three occasions before his fatal fall. Base-jumping is an extreme sport in . which participants leap from a fixed point before using a parachute at . the last minute to break their fall. The word ‘base’ is an acronym of the . four points from which they can leap: buildings, antennas, spans . (bridges) and earth (cliffs). A spokesman for the Foreign and . Commonwealth Office said: ‘We can confirm the death of a British . national on June 8 in Greece. We are providing consular assistance to . the family.’ | Julia Simkins says son Jake was 'rescuable' but teams didn't send a chopper .
Mr Simkins left trapped on cliff on Greek island after parachute got tangled .
Chatted calmly to his girlfriend, Anita, but was blown to his death by a gust .
Couple were expecting first child in September and planned to get married .
This was to be his last base jump before settling down, says Mrs Simkins . |
165,660 | 623fa5e88618ec0222f18d7663000fcdd22531ba | By . Mia De Graaf . PUBLISHED: . 11:04 EST, 21 December 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 12:30 EST, 21 December 2013 . Hundreds of druids and pagans have gathered to experience the winter solstice at Stonehenge today. The crowds dressed in Bronze Age clothing danced, chanted, and pressed their heads against the rocks the celebrate the dawn of the shortest day of the year. They were joined by 3,500 visitors at the site to watch the sun rise at 8.09am. Ritual: Druids and revellers sing incantations as they celebrate the winter solstice at Stonehenge today . Chief Druid Arthur Pedragon led the Winter Solstice service as the sun rose at 8.09am today with a bouquet . As the sun set at 3.53pm, a girl basks in the dusk at Glastonbury Tor, shortly before the solstice at 5.11pm . It is the only time the meticulous layout of the stones appears to align. At dawn, the sun casts a line of light directly connecting the altar stone, the slaughter stone and the heel stone. While many left the newly developed £27million site soon after sunrise, the New Age Tribes will stay for the full spiritual experience until well after the sun sets at 3.53pm. The precise moment of the winter solstice, when the sun reaches its southern-most point, changes every year. Tonight it will be at 5.11pm. Gathering: More than 3,500 people were clustered around the site when the sun finally rose . Eclectic: People flock to the Wiltshire site wearing mystical costumes to honour the rising of the sun . Ian Temple, arch druid of Dorset, dressed as the green man for the event which will last well past sunset . The Winter Solstice is regarded as more important than summer as it was the time when Bronze Age clans would slay cows, finish fermenting their wine, and mark the start of a new year . The druid Merlin strode around the Aylesbury fields clutching a sword in the blustery weather . The Winter Solstice is regarded as more . important than summer as it was the time when Bronze Age clans would . slay cows, finish fermenting their wine, and mark the start of a new . year. It is the first solstice since the . unveiling of the new English Heritage site, complete with interactive . laser technology that lets visitors experience the solstice at any time . of the year. The Winter Solstice is the moment when the sun reaches its most southern point, after which days get longer again. It creates an alignment at neolithic sites around the world, including Stone Henge, Newgrange in Ireland, and Cerro del Gentil pyramid in Peru. Neo-druids, neo-pagans, and Wiccans - a variation on paganism - gather to chant spiritual mantras and bless the sun. This year, the chief druid blessed a baby, which is a great honour for druids. Many of our traditional Christmas tokens, including the Yule log, mistletoe, and decorating Christmas trees, started as Winter Solstice rituals. The head of a Neolithic man was even created to mark the biggest capital project English Heritage has ever undertaken. But it sparked a row with the druids, as the bones on which the model was based are now displayed for context. In protest against the new visitor site, Chief Druid Arthur Pendragon, who claims to be a reincarnation of King Arthur, led a counter celebration on the other side of the monument. Their prayers and chants coincided with a protest, as druids held up signs and banged on drums urging tourists to boycott the site. Mr Pendragon said: 'The Winter Solstice was incredibly over-managed this year. The situation with parking was awful and everyone was herded like sheep. 'People were asked to leave before midday, when in previous years they have stayed at the Solstice until well after 5pm. 'I got the impression that English Heritage wanted worshippers out of there as quickly as possible because they thought they got in the way of tourists. 'I'm sad to say that it was an utter shambles.' Chants of 'rebury the dead' and 'grave robbers' were shouted at the visitor centre by the group, while tourists were told 'don't pay, go away'. As dawn approached, Mr Pendragon produced a bouquet of flowers before a woman who held mistletoe over it, chanting. Ian Temple, arch druid of Dorset, dressed as the green man for the event. Others wore robes and some arrived dressed as unicorns. Kate Davies, who manages Stonehenge for English Heritage, said: 'Our staff received lots of positive feedback from visitors who celebrated the Solstice joyfully and peacefully. 'On arrival, people gathered at the entrance to the Monument Field eagerly awaiting confirmation that it was light enough to safely enter the site and they were given free access from 7.30am until 9.00am. Chants: The group sing incantations by torchlight after English Heritage let them in early for the occassion . It is the only time the stones at the Bronze Age site seem to align in what druids regard as a spiritual moment . He was surrounded by fellow tribesmen and women with musical instruments to celebrate the day . Blessing: Here, Chief Druid Arthur Pendragon blesses a four-month-old baby Jim at the request of father, Jim . The exact time of the solstice, when the sun reaches its southern-most point, will be at 5.11pm today . 'Visitors were able to park on Byway . 12, on the A344 and in the old visitor centre car park. We also opened . up the new visitor centre car park to accommodate even more people. 'We believe the majority of people who came along this year would agree that it was a well-run and successful Winter Solstice.' While the site's managers see it as a way . to reflect on our history, the New Age Tribes are calling for the . remains to be reburied. Arthur Pendragon said: 'Pre-Christian human remains can be put in display, but ones afterwards cannot. Our ancient ancestors should have the same protrection under law.' | More than 3,500 people watched the sun rise at 8.09am at the Wiltshire site .
Druids and pagans chanted, danced and lent on rocks to celebrate .
It is the first solstice since row between New Age Tribesmen and site owners over features in the newly-unveiled £29million visitor centre . |
173,856 | 6cf6db0bed9e5669704c8eabe8230d404de2f3cd | (CNN) -- Residents of a North Dakota town got the all-clear to return home after a fiery crash this week involving a derailed train and a second one carrying crude oil. The wreck sent massive flames into the sky. Residents vacated homes amid fears of dangerous smoke. Crews will be able to access the site near the town of Casselton on Wednesday, where they hope to collect the rest of the data needed to finish their probe, safety investigators said. But information taken from recording devices has been revealing, said National Transportation and Safety Board spokesman Robert L. Sumwalt. A video camera at the head of the oil train recorded the crash as it slammed into a car of a derailed grain train. "We looked at the last 20 seconds of the forward facing video from the oil train. And basically it shows the collision sequence," Sumwalt said. Derailment, then crash . When the oil train arrived, the other train transporting grain and soy bean had already derailed, and one of its cars was lying in the oil train's path, he said. The oil train slammed into it and burst into flames. All oil trains in the United States are also outfitted with event recorders, but the crash scorched those mounted in the front of the train. "We are not optimistic that we will be able to retrieve data from those two recorders," Sumwalt said. The ones in the rear engine are intact, and NTSB officials hope to reveal its data Wednesday. On the ground, they will search for signs of the cause of the derailment, including marks on wooden cross ties and on rails, Sumwalt said. Overheated wheels? They will also examine data from hotbox detectors, which are located along the tracks and pick up unusual sources of heat. They want to see if the grain train had overheating wheels or axels or whether it had equipment dragging on the ground. Early Tuesday, crews had tested the air for toxic fumes emitted when flames and pillars of smoke towered into the sky near the town. Their all-clear meant that residents could return home Tuesday afternoon. Nearly two thirds of the town's some 2,500 residents had vacated their homes after authorities issued a voluntary evacuation order. After the collision, the sheriff's office said that there were no injuries and everyone was accounted for. CNN's Steve Almasy, Aaron Cooper and Carma Hassan contributed to this report. | Video shows oil train colliding with a derailed car .
All oil trains in the United States are also outfitted with event recorders .
Two of them likely burned up, but one in the train's rear is intact .
Inspectors will access the site Wednesday to look for derailment marks on rails . |
286,574 | ff515f3963f8e2ca7d3776fb84a78db63258359a | By . Daily Mail Reporter . A Chicago man has caught on video what could be the worst effect yet of the polar vortex: A burst pipe raining a storm of human waste through the ceiling of his advertising agency office. Kasey Moore, an advertising art director for Arc Worldwide, posted the stomach churning scene from the 15th floor of the Leo Burnett skyscraper Tuesday afternoon and the content is not suited for the faint of heart. It shows a sea of brown water filling up the office floor as more continues to gush down in a torrent onto the sprawling room’s desks and cubicles as horrified workers scramble to get out of the way. Scroll down for video... It's raining, it's pouring: As if the polar vortex couldn't get any worse, a burst pipe in a Chicago skyscraper caused a sewage storm to rain down on the Arc Worldwide ad agency . ‘So, this is happening on my floor at work,’ writes Moore on Instagram. ‘Poo eruption.’ It remained unclear from the video how widespread the leak was, but at over a million square feet, the 50-story tower can undoubtedly contain enough sewage to rain on a lot of employees’ parades. A spokesperson for the building officially denied that the brown liquid described by some as 'smelly' actually contained feces. 'While we appreciate the creativity, rest assured that it's only dust and water,' the spokesperson told Business Insider via e-mail. Moore’s appears to be the most vivid post yet of the ‘poo eruption,’ but some of his office mates have taken to social media to document the destruction as well. Instagram user bobbi12781 posted a . photo of a distraught man fleeing a cascade of human waste, but gave an . understated description of the putrid scene. ‘It's water from a busted pipe,’ she wrote. ‘Smelly water.’ Adrift in it: Kasey Moore of ad agency Arc Worldwide posted a video that makes all too clear the extent of the sewage leak on the 15th floor of the 50-story Leo Burnett building . Rain of terror: The sewage poured down the walls and from the ceiling in what Moore called a 'poo eruption' ‘What better way to start off the new year,’ complained jenibreni beside her own photo of the leak. While the exact cause of the leak remained unclear Tuesday evening, hospitals in Boston, Washington, DC, and Cleveland have all reported pipe bursts caused by the freezing Polar Vortex temperatures. These unfortunate Chicagoans have not only experienced a sewage storm this week, but they’ve also had to endure some of the worst winter chills the historic polar vortex has to offer. Temperatures in the Windy City hit -15 degrees Monday evening and hovered around 10 degrees at their highest on Tuesday. While the situation appears dire for the ad men and women of Arc Worldwide, commenter blipsman suggests on Moore’s video post that there could be a silver lining in all that sewage: . ‘Viral campaign for Bounty?’ Run for your lives! The disgusting sewage storm had employees fleeing as the floors became completely covered in the muck . | Kasey Moore of Arc Worldwide, an advertising firm, posted the since-removed video of what he dubbed a 'poo eruption' Tuesday afternoon .
A spokesman for the one million square foot Leo Burnett Building has officially denied the liquid contained feces .
It remained unclear if Polar Vortex freezing caused the pipes to burst, but freezing and burst pipes have been reported at hospitals in Boston, Washington and Cleveland . |
25,401 | 47efb9dc46ccba4b5a23fa4fa33683ae7a41966c | By . Lucy Crossley . Tearing around the Goodwood motoring circuit in front of a packed crowd waving Union flags, these classic Jaguars could be racing for glory at a 1950s Grand Prix - were it not for the helicopter flying over head capturing the action for a new advertisement. The fleet of retro Jaguars were filmed as the raced around the historic track near Chichester, West Sussex, as part of a new campaign to promote the manufacturer in China. And a familiar face was rumoured to be among the drivers, who were kitted out in period costume complete with helmets and goggles as they made their way around the 2.4mile loop - with onlookers suggesting that David Beckham was behind the wheel of one of the cars. The former footballer is a spokesman for the brand and earlier this month launched the new Jaguar F-Type Coupe at the 13th Beijing International Automotive Exhibition. Motors running: A fleet of classic Jaguars are filmed from a helicopter as the race around Goodwood motoring circuit for the car firm's new advert . Onlookers: The classic cars tore past what appeared to be a 1950s press pack, kitted out in flat caps and trench coats with their vintage cameras at the ready . On show: The fleet of cars, which included classic D-Types from the 1950s, lapped up the sunshine as they raced around the historic circuit . Venue: Jaguar has also been filming with the classic cars on Westminster Bridge in recent weeks . Star of the show: Onlookers suggested that this driver, his face partially hidden by his helmet and the car's windscreen may have been brand ambassador David Beckham . Star in a (very expensive) car? The former footballer has enjoyed a long association with the luxury car manufacturer and earlier this month launched the latest model in China . History: Cars have been racing at the Goodwood circuit since 1948, and the track was home to the Glover Trophy non-championship Formula One race in the 1950s . Cheering: Bedecked in period costume this crowd of onlookers waved Union flags as they watched the racing, giving an authentic feel to the proceedings . They're off! Jaguar started life as the Swallow Sidecar Company in Blackpool in 1922, before the firm was renamed after World War II . Speed: Throughout its long history Jaguar has enjoyed success in motor racing, particularly in the Le Mans 24 Hours in the 1950s with the C-Type and D-Type cars . Endorsement: David Beckham poses with the brand new Jaguar F-Type Coupe during the Chinese launch event . | Fleet of cars filmed from a helicopter as they tore around the historic circuit near Chichester, West Sussex .
Advert thought to be part of a campaign to promote the luxury car manufacturer in China .
David Beckham, an ambassador for the brand, was rumoured to be behind the wheel of one of the classic motors . |
78,032 | dd31fe9c1e2068ad055aa5d55dd89e832f5ef73f | Neurologists have warned that Michael Schumacher now seems unlikely to make a full recovery after spending nearly two months in a drug-induced coma. The 45-year-old Schumacher fell while skiing in France and hit the right side of his head on a rock, cracking his helmet. Doctors operated to remove blood clots from his brain, but some were left because they were too deeply embedded. Nearly two months after Michael Schumacher suffered serious head injuries in a skiing accident some neurologists say the seven-time Formula One champion seems unlikely to make a full recovery. The racer with his wife Corrina . The seven-time Formula One champion's condition stabilised after he was placed in the coma. Late last month, doctors began the process of withdrawing sedatives to try to wake him up. His agent, Sabine Kehm, said in an email today that 'Michael is still in the wake-up phase' and that 'this phase can be long.' Schumacher's family has released few details of his condition to protect his privacy. 'It does not bode well,' said Dr. Tipu Aziz, professor of neurosurgery at Oxford University who is not connected to Schumacher's care. 'The fact that he hasn't woken up implies that the injury has been extremely severe and that a full recovery is improbable.' His agent, Sabine Kehm, said in an email today that 'Michael is still in the wake-up phase' and that 'this phase can be long' Patients who have had major head injuries are sometimes put in a drug-induced coma to give the brain a chance to heal; a coma reduces the need for blood flow and may help the swelling go down. Aziz said doctors typically try every few days to bring someone out of a coma. 'If you don't start getting any positive signs, that becomes very worrisome,' he said, adding that Schumacher's doctors are probably doing regular brain scans to look for signs of activity - though such signs may be difficult to detect if he is still being sedated. Other experts said it was premature to make an accurate prognosis. 'About 90 percent of the recovery is made within nine to 12 months, so this is still early days,' said Dr. Anthony Strong, an emeritus chair in neurosurgery at King's College London. 'The longer someone is in a coma, the worse their recovery tends to be.' Coma: Doctors have told the family of Michael Schumacher 'only a miracle can save him' Now that several weeks have passed since the accident, doctors may also have a better idea of how the rest of Schumacher's brain is doing. 'MRI scans can show any secondary deterioration in the brain structure,' said Dr. Colin Shieff, a neurosurgeon at the National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery in London and a trustee for Headway, a British brain injury charity. He said other parts of Schumacher's brain that weren't directly affected by the accident might now be starting to show worrying signs that may not have been visible before. Shieff said that if Schumacher does eventually come out of the coma, he probably would face significant disabilities because of the length of time he has already spent comatose. While there have been rare instances of people emerging from comas months and years later with the ability to communicate, Shieff was doubtful that would be the case with Schumacher. He said the cases where comatose people made a surprising recovery had mostly suffered things like poisoning, strokes or failed resuscitation attempts. Treatment: Schumacher is currently being kept under anaesthetic at the University Hospital (above) in France . | The 45-year-old fell while skiing in France and hit his head .
Doctors removed blood clots from his brain but had to leave the deep ones .
Last month doctors began process of withdrawing sedatives to wake him up .
His agent, Sabine Kehm, said today: 'Michael is still in the wake-up phase' |
104,414 | 12b644176fa5084acba009616797cfdf88be7a78 | By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 08:23 EST, 8 August 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 04:14 EST, 9 August 2012 . 'My life is in tatters': Kay Delany looks at pictures of her children as she tries to piece together her memories after a freak fall made her forget 20 years . The last thing Kay Delaney remembers is tucking her six-year-old son and two-year-old daughter into bed for the night. Two decades on, those children have grown up and graduated from university – but Miss Delaney cannot recall any of it. After falling at work and hitting her head, more than 20 years have been erased from her memory. She is convinced she is still in her 30s and is stunned every time she sees the face of a 55-year-old staring back at her from the mirror. To her, it is still 1990, when Margaret Thatcher was prime minister and mobile phones were the size of bricks. The mother of three cannot even remember the birth of her younger son James, now 19. Before the accident, Miss Delaney worked as a care home manager and was in line for promotion, but she now finds it hard to make a cup of tea because she repeatedly forgets to switch the kettle on. Yet she has shocked her partner by waking up in the middle of the night and reciting an Edith Piaf song in perfect French, despite not speaking the language. Miss Delaney was diagnosed with retrograde amnesia after she slipped on a wet floor while working at Dove Court Care Home in Wisbech, Cambridgeshire. She was told she had nothing more than a minor concussion and sent home from hospital. However, it soon became clear that she was having problems with both short-term and long-term memory. Since then, she has struggled with simple tasks such as cooking and cleaning, and her partner of four years, Robert, 60, has given up work to look after her. Miss Delaney, who admits that it feels as if she is being hugged by strangers when her children Sandy, 23, Kenny, 27, and James embrace her, said: ‘I remember tucking the children into bed when they were about six and two. 'I have been left without a sense of . motherhood': The last thing Miss Delaney, 55, remembers is putting her . young son and daughter to bed in the early Nineties as a 34-year-old . The woman she still thinks she is: Miss Delaney with her children Sandy and Kenny in 1990 . Miss Delaney's son James, pictured left in 1992 as a newborn, and right last year. Miss Delaney's youngest son, James, pictured this year: She is unable to remember any of his life at all, even giving birth to him . 'Then I woke up and it was 20 years . later. 'I cannot even begin to describe the pain and sense of loss I feel . every day of not being able to remember my children growing up, let . alone not being able to remember my youngest child. Kay Delaney's brain injury has robbed her of the memories of her own life over the last 20 years, and everything that has happened in the wider world. Among the events she can't remember are Nelson Mandela being released in 1990 and end of apartheid in South Africa, the break-up of the USSR in 1991. Nor can she remember the two Gulf Wars, the opening of the Channel Tunnel in 1994, the death of Princess Diana in 1997, world-wide New Year's Eve celebrations on December 31, 1999, and September 11 in 2001. Since 9/11, Kay can't recall the Boxing Day tsunami that struck parts of Asia in 2004, Hurricane Katrina in 2005, the election of America's first black President, Barack Obama, in 2008, and pop singer Michael Jackson's death in June 2009. ‘I have been left without a sense of . motherhood as there is such a huge gap. 'I have no memory of their . progress through childhood and teenage years, their troubles and . triumphs, their friends and the laughter, tears and love that makes up . normal family life. ‘I have no memory of my elder two . children graduating from university. My youngest is a stranger to me. 'I . have been able to develop a relationship of sorts with my elder two but . it is more as friendship than mother and child. 'The results of the accident have left my life in complete tatters. ‘My relationship with my partner is now under a lot of strain as I am almost totally dependent on him.’ Miss Delaney, from Newton, Cambridgeshire, suffered a minor traumatic brain injury when she slipped in July last year. It has caused retrograde amnesia, short-term memory problems, anxiety and concentration issues. She is a qualified nurse with a degree . in psychology and gave university lectures on behavioural psychology . before the fall, but now fears she will never work again. The accident is being investigated and Miss Delaney is considering fighting for compensation. Jeanette Tasker of brain injury . charity Headway said: ‘The severity of a brain injury does not always . relate to the amount of memory loss someone has as a result. Retrograde amnesia can completely change someone’s personality.’ Miss Delaney at her son Kenny's graduation in 2010, left, and right, her daughter Sandy at her graduation party: She has been able to rebuild a relationship with her two older children, but more as a friend than as a mother . | When Kay Delaney's children embrace her, she feels as if she is being hugged by strangers .
She cannot even recall their birth of her youngest son, and feels she can no longer relate to him at all . |
130,855 | 353b179953c09f4a996dd3a711102c5877a26e9c | By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 13:34 EST, 20 December 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 13:35 EST, 20 December 2013 . A rapist offered fellow inmates $20,000 cash, a Mercedes-Benz and a $14,000 ring so they would kill his victim before she testified against him, court documents have claimed. Tony Dotson, who was convicted of raping one of his fiancee's friends at knife point in 2012 after staging a burglary at her home, tried to recruit inmates at the Van Cise-Simonet Detention Center in Denver, Colorado before she could appear in court, the grand jury indictment said. It claims that the 41-year-old bought canteen items at the prison - with $6,691 that a friend had put in his inmate account - to win over gang members to help with his plan. Accused: Tony Dotson, left and right, allegedly offered fellow inmates $20,000 cash and other lavish gifts in the hope that they would kill his rape victim before she could testify against him, court documents say . Denver District Attorney Mitch Morrissey's office told the Denver Post that Dotson tried to solicit gang members from the Eight Tres Gangster Crips, the Gallant Knights Insane and the 211 Crew. The indictment detailed how one of Dotson's friends took $1,000 from the inmate account as partial payment that would then be passed from one gang member to another to carry out the murder. But those two gang members were later arrested and indicted, leaving them unable to commit the killing, the indictment explained. Not to be put off, Dotson allegedly continued to try to negotiate the murder-for-hire scheme with gang members, the indictment said. Scene: He allegedly tried to curry favor with gang members at this Denver detention center . If found guilty of the . solicitation-to-commit murder charge, he could get 24 years in prison. He is also facomh 31 years to life in prison the rape, but has yet to be . sentenced. The conviction comes after Dotson staged a burglary so he could rape a friend of his fiancée during the early hours of May 21, 2012. In 2007, he was also the last person to see his sister Nonnie Dotson, a nurse in the U.S. Air Force, who vanished while on a trip to see him before Thanksgiving in 2006. Nonnie, 33, left behind her 16-month-daughter. The father, Ed Vehle, had reportedly not wanted her to have the child and before her disappearance, Nonnie had gained child support for her. Mystery: Dotson's sister Nonnie, pictured above, vanished as she was staying with her brother in 2006. Authorities have now listed the case as a homicide investigation but it has never been solved . The case has never been solved. It was initially listed as a missing persons case but now is a homicide investigation. 'She asked me to look after Savannah for a couple hours and she walked out that door and we never saw her again,' Tony Dotson had told police at the time. | Tony Dotson, 41, was convicted of staging a burglary and raping a friend of his fiancee at knife point in 2012 .
Before the trial, he 'tried to curry favor with gang members by buying them canteen items so that they would carry out a murder-for-hire scheme'
He 'paid 2 gang members but they were arrested before they could kill her'
Dotson faces 24 years in prison for the new charges as well as up to life in prison for the rape conviction . |
151,720 | 501d9cdf785ef2960431ea3ec0336d5308bfb5a6 | It's the honey-stone pile that glowers out across Danish capital Copenhagen and is home to the country's Crown Prince Frederik and Crown Princess Mary. But Frederik VIII's Palace, which sits within the Amalienborg Palace complex, isn't only popular with the crowds of tourists who flock there in hopes of catching a glimpse of a royal. According to Danish sources, another fan of the palace is none other than the Duchess of Cambridge herself who was given a personal tour during her 2011 visit to Copenhagen. Scroll down for video . Colourful: Frederik VIII's Palace in Copenhagen reportedly left the Duchess of Cambridge inspired . So enamoured of the palace was the Duchess during her 2011 visit to the Danish capital, which was on behalf of UNICEF, she reportedly asked Australia-born Mary for decorating tips. 'Mary showed them around their apartment at Amalienborg Palace and they loved the way they had combined their collection of modern art with antique furniture,' a Royal Court source revealed to Royalista.com. 'Kate was truly inspired and wants to use some similar ideas in some of the rooms at Kensington Palace.' The Duchess of Cambridge, who is almost seven months pregnant with her second child, recently moved into a palatial new home in Norfolk called Anmer Hall. Tour: Kate was given a tour by Crown Princess Mary (far right) during the Cambridge's 2011 visit . Striking: Renovations on the 4,800sqm property were completed in 2010 and include some modern touches . Renovations at the Grade I listed home reportedly cost £1.5m, including £500,000 for replacing the roof tiles and another £500,000 on landscaping the lawn. The property has also had a new kitchen put in after the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, who are currently on holiday in Mustique with Prince George, decided the existing £175,000 kitchen wasn't to their taste. Frederik VIII's Palace, which was built betweenn 1750 and 1760 for Baron Joachim Brockdorff, also underwent expensive renovations before its current occupants moved in. Home to current monarch Queen Margrethe's Swedish mother Ingrid until her death in 2000, the palace lay empty for 10 years, with the present royals moving in in 2010. Eye-catching: The most striking additions are the colourful murals created by contemporary artists . Tasteful: The murals are offset by tasteful beige walls and limited amounts of gilding . Stylish: Crown Prince Frederik and Crown Princess Mary also have light sculptures by Olafur Eliasson . Before they did, the 250-year-old 4,800sqm palace was completely redecorated over five years at a cost to the Danish taxpayer of 220m Danish Krone (£22m). Along with enormous crystal chandeliers and tasteful beige walls, the palace is also home to a series of murals and artworks created by Danish contemporary artists, among them the Icelandic-Danish sculptor, Olafur Eliasson. Another, by artist John Kørner, is themed around Afghanistan and shows camels, stately palm trees and soldiers silhouetted against a colourful Afghan sunset. Speaking to CNN shortly after moving in, Crown Prince Frederik revealed that some thought his choice of murals, in particular the Afghan artwork, was a brave one. Inspired: The palace cost a total of £22m to renovate and was briefly opened to the Danish public . Minimalist: Apart from the mural, the kitchen is strikingly minimalist and includes pared-back pine units . 'People were amazed that we had dared to do this,' he said. 'We took a chance, but we didn’t do it like gambling on a roulette or poker. It was calculated, but it was also a calculated risk from our hearts.' Other rooms are more traditional, including the beautiful Sun Room, which boasts a series of beautifully worked tapestries and delicate apple-green walls. Equally striking is the kitchen which, along with having classically Scandinavian minimalist fittings, includes one wall completely covered by a mural featuring wildlife and flowers painted by Danish artist, Kathrine Artebjerg. Trip: The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge visited Copenhagen for a UNICEF event in November 2011 . Welcome: They were met by Denmark's Crown Prince Frederik, 46, and Crown Princess Mary, 42 . LK Bennett Autumn Winter 2011 Ami Coat . Click to head to L.K.Bennett . Visit site . The Duchess of Cambridge has one of the most coveted wardrobes around, spilling with designer dresses and sophisticated courts. But her style isn't just about high-end pieces, she's known just as much for wearing high-street too from Whistles to REISS, ZARA and L.K.Bennett. And coincidentally, she is wearing L.K.Bennett here. Pictured here she was showing her royal support for Armistice Day in regal red - how appropriate. This elegant wool coat from the Autumn Winter 2011 collection featured a high collar, epaulets and a clinching waist belt that showed off her slender figure. She looked super sophisticated in the pick that she teamed with her suede knee boots. We've seen this winning combination on her quite a few times and that's just one of the things we love about her - her fashion recycling. Sadly, the 'Ami' coat is quite old so it's now sold out, but maybe we can tempt you with one of the royally red coats below instead? Tahari Izzy wool blend coat at Macy's (now $159.99) Visit site . Larry Levine coat at Zappos . Visit site . Ellen Tracy wool blend coat at Macy's (now $169.99) Visit site . Michael by Michael Kors long wool coat at Flannels . Visit site . Stunning: The Amalienborg Palace pictured in 2000, shortly after the death of former occupant, Queen Ingrid . New home: The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge recently moved into the newly renovated Anmer Hall . | The Duchess of Cambridge reportedly took design tips from Princess Mary after being shown around the palace .
Tour of the Australia-born royal's Copenhagen home, Frederik VIII's Palace, was during 2011 visit .
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge moved into new home Anmer Hall in Norfolk following £1.5m renovation .
Cost a fraction of the £22m needed to renovate Frederik VIII's Palace which took five years to complete .
Danish royals moved into 4,800sqm palace in 2010 following the lengthy redecoration . |
248,468 | cd7cbb70b5de0d1f74c3e203f3d999839e8c589b | Premier League soccer footballer James Ward-Prowse has been hailed a hero for helping his teenage sister battle alopecia. Emma Turner, 19, from Portsmouth, Hants, became one of the youngest people in Britain to be diagnosed with the hair-loss disease when she was just 16. Southampton midfielder James, 20, has a close relationship with Emma and would often spend hours searching for treatments that would help her come to terms with her illness. Scroll down for video . Emma Turner, 19, was diagnosed with alopecia at the age of 16 but doctors can't help her with a cure . She was one of the youngest people in Britain to be diagnosed with the hair-loss disease at the age of 16 . Southampton midfielder James Ward-Prowse spent hours helping his little sister research treatments . The teenager struggled to cope with the loss of her thick blond locks but when she spoke to her doctors, they failed to recommend any successful treatment or social groups for people with alopecia. Emma said: 'James is a very protective older brother and he is very sensitive about things. 'He is someone that I can always go to. I was feeling really down one day and he told me to come over and he sat with me for hours going through different treatments that I could try.' Emma would often go into panic after finding clumps of hair about the size of a pound coin in the shower and doctors diagnosed it as alopecia areata - sporadic hair loss from the head caused by stress. Emma said: 'When I was diagnosed I didn't really know what it was and I had to do some research to fully understand my condition. 'I was given steroids to try over the first couple of months and then I was given the option to go on oral treatment but these had side effects such as weight gain and hormone change. She wears a wig most of the time to remain in touch with her 'inner girl' but feels relieved to remove it . Emma's mother Jackie Ward-Prowse has set up a support group for alopecia sufferers after their experience . 'It was at that point that I realised that I was going to have to get over it as it was likely that I might never be cured.' Emma would experience the excitement of seeing her hair grow back again, only for it to be followed by the crashing disappointment when her hair fell out just days later. She now wears a wig so to cover her bald patches and reclaim her 'inner girl'. Animal care student Emma said: 'I had to pin my hair down to the bold patches and some days this was really difficult. All I wanted to do was style my hair like any teenage girl would want to. 'When I first started wearing a wig I had embarrassing moment with my boyfriend. I was driving down the motorway in my soft top car and the wind made my wig slip and it started to come off it was so funny. Emma took steroids after her diagnosis but side effects like weight gain and hormone change made her stop . 'Now I forget that I even wear a wig. I still won't go out much without it on but when I am in college my friends always encourage me to take it off when it starts to irritate me. 'I have a close group of friends which makes it easier when I want to take my wig off. Sometimes you do get people who stare but it doesn't bother me.' Emma and James's mum Jackie Ward-Prowse admits she found it difficult to come to terms with her daughter's condition but has now set up a support group to help fellow sufferers. Jackie said: 'I felt racked with guilt as I thought I might have given it to her and it took me a while to get over this feeling. 'After a while I realised Emma was a healthy and happy girl and that was all that mattered. Premier league footballer Jamie is a 'typical protective older brother' says his loving younger sister . 'Emma and I found it difficult to find information on this condition and I felt the doctors didn't provide much support and advice. 'We found lots of information on the Alopecia UK website and it was such a relief to finally understand the condition. 'It was then that I set up an alopecia group which allows people to come along and talk about their symptoms and issues that they've had. 'Since having this group I've seen Emma fully come to terms with her condition and it feels great that we can help other people in a similar situation.' Visit alopeciaonline.org.uk for more information. | Emma Turner, 19, one of the youngest people in Britain to be diagnosed .
Southampton midfield spent hours trawling the internet for treatments .
He is a 'protective older brother' who helped research cures for Emma . |
156,860 | 56d1b375920eb681f8982cd4a1904f8458990f00 | (CNN) -- White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel dismissed questions about whether President Obama is being overexposed with his recent media blitz, saying Tuesday that the American people want to hear what Obama is doing about a struggling economy. Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel says President Barack Obama is using the media to keep citizens informed. Speaking to CNN's Larry King moments after Obama finished a prime time news conference, Emanuel said people are talking about issues like jobs, education and health care, and want to know where their president stands. "You can say maybe there's overexposure," Emanuel said. "I think if you watch and see, there have been greater audiences for the shows he has been on to answer these questions, because these are the questions the American people are asking around their kitchen tables." In the past week, Obama has appeared on CBS' "60 Minutes" and NBC's "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno," the first appearance by a sitting president on a late-night talk show. He fielded questions for an hour at Tuesday's news conference and also appeared last week on ESPN filling out his bracket for the NCAA men's basketball tournament. Some analysts say the president risks diluting his message in the public's mind by being visible so frequently. Some Republicans and other critics have accused Obama of maintaining a campaign mentality when he needs to be governing. But Emanuel said a public anxious about the economy has largely rejected those notions. "I think in this troubled time ... the American people expect the president to talk to them, walk them through his thinking -- why he makes the decisions he makes, what are the tradeoffs to those decisions -- and carry them through this process," he said. "I think they're very engaged in this conversation. If you look at the data, they are involved in this conversation and interested in this dialogue and appreciate an adult conversation with them about the changes they're making and the changes their government and their elected leaders are making on their behalf." | Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel says president using media to spread message .
Emanuel says Obama wants to keep Americans aware of his economic plan .
Some say president risks diluting his message by being visible so frequently .
Emanuel: In troubled time, Americans "expect the president to talk to them" |
242,928 | c6712ae23a93afb7825d8d3c09fee7974c2b2f5c | Wearing a huge doorknocker through your nose may not be the epitome of high fashion for most of us, but this catwalk trend is now hitting the High Street. The look was first seen in Givenchy’s autumn/winter 2013 fashion show in Paris, when designer Ricardo Tisci sent both male and female models down the runway with intricately embellished, oversized nose rings. Unsurprisingly, pieces by the high-end French designer do not come cheap: a . single pale gold hoop nose ring with wing and jet crystal detail was on . sale for $595 (£388) at Barneys department store. However, you can now get the couture look at a fraction of the price as High Street brand ASOS.com has come up with a lookalike ‘spike’ nose ring - for just £5. Punk look: The Asos doorknocker septum ring costs just £5 - and doesn't require you to have your nose pierced . Not born that way: Lady Gaga had her septum pierced while in Chicago this week. She's pictured here with the man who punched the hole . The clip-on hoop is made from stainless steel and features . faceted stones either side of the central spike to give a touch of . sparkle. It's designed to hang down over the lip, like the Givenchy jewellery. Happily for the squeamish but fashion-conscious, neither the . Givenchy and Asos versions require a piercing. However, the trend for puncturing the septum appears to be gathering steam. Last week, Lady Gaga posted a video of herself having a hole punched between her nostrils, while Scarlett Johansson had hers done way back in 2006. At this year's punk-themed Costume Institute Gala, Jessica Biel and Karen Elson both wore delicate septum hoops. The . glamorously Gothic look which so impressed on the Givenchy catwalk was . inspired by the meatpacking industry and iconic biker looks. The . striking nose jewellery was paired with oversized stud earrings by . the male models, while the women showcased elaborate, chandelier-style earrings, which reached below their shoulders. Winner by a nose: The dramatic jewellery stole the show as models walked the runway during the Givenchy Autumn/Winter 2013 show in Paris . Star power: Model Andrej Pejic wore an embellished nose ring at a charity event in New York last month (left) and actress Jessica Biel channelled her inner punk at this year's Costume Institute Gala with a temporary ring . Striking: Writer and performer Ladyfag attended the Givenchy Menswear Spring/Summer 2013 show wearing an oversized nose ring . Delicate: Givenchy's pale gold hoop nose ring with wing and jet crystal detail was on sale for $595 (£388) at Barneys . But wearing a septum ring can mean more than a simple fashion statement. The nasal piercing is traditionally . associated with South Asian countries, such as India, Pakistan, Nepal. Bengali women traditionally wear the 'nathori' piercing as a sign . of being a married woman. The . area pierced - the small gap between the dividing wall . between the nostril and the bottom of the nose - is full of nerve . endings, so the process can be extremely painful. A septum piercing also takes between a month and three months to heal and needs to be carefully cleaned to prevent infection. Ouch. Think we might stick to clip-ons for the time being... Celebrity trend: Lady Gaga (left) and Scarlett Johansson (right) have both had their septums pierced . Catwalk inspiration: Septum piercing and huge double nasal rings were also seen on men in the Givenchy Autumn-Winter 2013 shows, worn with oversized stud earrings . Androgynous model Andrej Pejić has been sporting a decorative septum ring this year (left), and even Jessica Biel wore one to the Costume Institute Gala at the Metropolitan Museum of Art (right) Karen Elson attended the Costume Institute Gala for the 'PUNK: Chaos to Couture' exhibition at the Metropolitan Museum of Art wearing a septum ring (right) and Lady Gaga recently had hers pierced (left) Make-up free: The 27-year-old shunned her usual heavy make-up opting to go completely natural . Urban Outfitters Cross Septum Nose Ring, $10.00 (£6.50) River Island Gold tone ear cuff with feather embellishment £13 . Luv AJ Rose Gold Septum Ring, $43 (£28) | Huge, embellished septum rings seen on Givenchy's AW12-13 catwalks .
Both male and female models wore the elaborate jewellery .
Givenchy's gold hoops cost hundreds of pounds .
ASOS.com has brought out a stainless steel, clip-on version for just £5 .
Lady Gaga had her septum pierced last week . |
263,974 | e1e36188610027e1b6dd9113d7b3c30b211ed3c3 | By . Mark Duell . Its previous clients include the Duchess of Cambridge, Claudia Schiffer and Tamara Ecclestone. But now Blue Almonds, one of London’s most exclusive - and expensive - baby stores can boast that it has helped another expectant mother prepare for her imminent arrival: so-called boob job scrounger Josie Cunningham. The 24-year-old was seen browsing at the shop in South Kensington, south-west London, as she prepares to become a mother for the third time. Scroll down for video . Visit: Pregnant would-be glamour model Josie Cunningham (left) was seen shopping at one of Britain's most exclusive baby stores - Blue Almonds in South Kensington, south-west London . According to a Sunday newspaper reporter, she is said to have liked the look of a blue hat and a matching babygro, but been unimpressed by knitted booties and cardigans, saying: 'I’m just chavvy.' The store – where the Duchess of . Cambridge and her mother Carole Middleton bought a £295 wicker basket . for Prince George a few weeks before his birth – is a far cry from her . usual lifestyle. When . Kate, 32, visited in April 2013 with her mother Carole . Middleton, they spent up to an hour browsing the Moses baskets on sale, . before purchasing a large white wicker version. At . up to £295 for an off the shelf model, their prices are out of reach . for many new mothers-to-be. Some bespoke versions can cost up to £1,000 . and come with frilled fitted sheets and sun shades. Blue . Almonds boasts that it creates ‘magical rooms for children’, and . previous clients are also said to include singer Lily Allen. The owner of Blue Almonds, Izabela Minkiewicz, told online magazine Belle About Town last year: ‘I don’t just sell as much as I can, I talk to them about what they want for their nursery. Shopping trip: Miss Cunningham already has two children - and her next baby, a third boy, is due in October . ‘This is an exciting time and a busy time and I don’t want anyone to feel pressured or stressed when they’re in my shop. I like to take my time and make sure the customer is totally happy.’ The shop, which has moved its premises across the street since Kate visited, is based on a road with an average house value of £1.9million. No-one was available for comment at the store today. Last Wednesday, Miss Cunningham said she smoked a packet of cigarettes and drank one glass of wine after the other because she felt 'genuinely gutted' to discover her new arrival was a boy. She had been hoping it would be a little girl - and admitted she would not have done that same if the baby had been female, adding: 'I knew it could harm my child but it didn't stop me.’ Her controversial comments came after she said she wanted to pay the NHS back for her breast enlargement operation, not out of a sense of duty but in an attempt to stop people confronting her. Royal fan: When Kate, 32, visited the store in April 2013 with her mother Carole Middleton they spent up to an hour browsing the Moses baskets on sale, before purchasing a large white wicker version . Miss Cunningham, who has sold tickets to watch her give birth to her third child in October for a total of £30,000, insisted the £4,800 operation on her breasts was medically necessary. But she said that she intended to give the money back to taxpayers, who also footed the £6,000 bill for the taxis that she took on the school run, in an attempt to deflect vitriol from strangers. Miss Cunningham said her breast operation was needed because she had 'no breast tissue at all'. And the mother of boys aged six and three said she needed taxis for the school run rather than taking the bus because she feared abuse from strangers. Miss Cunningham became a household name when she admitted undergoing £4,800 worth of breast enhancement surgery paid by the NHS to increase her bust from a 32A to 36DD. Also fans: Previous clients of Blue Almonds also said to include Formula One heiress Tamara Ecclestone (left) and supermodel Claudia Schiffer (right) Exclusive: Blue Almonds, based in South Kensington, boasts that it creates 'magical rooms for children' She claimed she needed the surgery because she had been bullied since the age of 14 for being flat chested. Later it emerged that she received Botox on the NHS over a 'sweat problem'. She courted further publicity when she said she was considering aborting the child she is now pregnant with so that she could take part in the Celebrity Big Brother reality TV show. Miss Cunningham later said she was receiving negative attention on public transport and asked the council to provide her with a £6,000-a-year taxi to take her children to school. Eventually Leeds City Council decided to axe the service, which prompted Miss Cunningham to tweet: ‘Sticks and stones may break my bones but taxpayers will always fund me.’ She said: 'If the council think I’m getting a bus, they can think again.' Initially, she had planned to cash in on the birth of her son by selling DVDs of the event through a pound shop chain. | Pregnant would-be glamour model spotted at Blue Almonds in Kensington .
Duchess of Cambridge visited 16 months ago before Prince George's birth .
Miss Cunningham's baby is due in October and this will be her third boy .
Other clients of Blue Almonds include Tamara Ecclestone and Lily Allen . |
107,937 | 17260181a46530430a37dee4fa38a900a9083bed | (CNN) -- At least 13 people in Turkey have been detained in connection with the deadly weekend car bombings near the Syrian border, the semi-official Anadolu news agency reported Tuesday, quoting a top government official. At least 47 people died and about 100 were wounded when two explosives-laden cars blew up Saturday in the town of Reyhanli. Deputy Prime Minister Besir Atalay confirmed the number of detentions Tuesday and said police were looking for others who have been tied to the incident. "Because the investigation is ongoing, we are naming neither the persons nor the organization," he said. Turkish government officials blame Marxists with Syrian connections for the attacks and the incident stoked concern that Turkey has gotten too involved with the Syrian crisis. "For the time being, there is no evidence suggesting that al Qaeda was involved," Interior Minister Muammer Guler told Anadolu. He and other Turkish officials accuse a former Marxist terror group that they say maintains relations with Syria's intelligence services. The conflict in Syria has repeatedly spilled across the border into Turkey, prompting Turkish security forces to reinforce the frontier. At Turkey's request, the NATO military alliance deployed several Patriot missile batteries to protect Turkish border cities from the threat of Syrian missile attacks. Turkey is trying to accommodate nearly 300,000 refugees from Syria's civil war, according to the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees. The attacks fueled anger at some of the Syrians who have taken shelter in Reyhanli. CNN's Yousif Basil, Gul Tuysuz and Joe Sterling contributed to this report . | At least 47 people were killed and scores were wounded in the bombings .
Police are continuing their investigation .
Turkey has sheltered many Syrian refugees . |
271,415 | eb8f82637026aeef75ebbc379d8d382ce66a8aed | The look of joy on the owner's face is unmistakable. As his dog is rescued after a long period of being lost in woods in the US, the owner opens his arms and the pooch jumps into them. The dog and his owner are clearly delighted to be reunited as they greet each other in this adorable video which shows the emotional moment a beloved pet is found after going missing. The man who found the dog, which they call Zeezee, is first filmed holding the cute Chihuahua, with blood on his T-shirt from a scratch above his lip. 'Don't worry the blood is mine, it's not hers,' he assures the dog's owner as he hands her over. The scratch on the man's face is perhaps the result of an excited greeting from Zeezee, but he assures her owner, 'It's fine, I'm fine.' Here you go! The man who found the dog, left, proudly hands her over to her owner, right, after finding her . The man who first finds her looks pretty emotional too as he calls for her owner to come over and hands her over proudly. Zeezee looks none the worse for her extended sojourn in the woods - but is certainly pleased to see her owner, who she licks frantically. Easy Zeezee! The chihauhau leaps into her owner's arms, left, and kisses his face. Right, his expression of joy . It may not be clear exactly where in the US the video was taken but the joy on the owner's face is certainly clear as he scoops Zeezee into his arms and she responds lovingly. 'Call Katy!' the owner says with a huge smile on his face, wanting everyone close to the dog to know immediately that she has been found. That's one lucky Chihuahua. | Adorable pet dog called Zeezee is found after nearly two weeks in the woods .
Emotional rescuer hands the missing Chihauhau over to her owner .
Owner and dog greet each other, with the pooch lovingly licking his face . |
87,481 | f83667b3a55af0d5417ff84c9435c5e94d992a31 | By . Pete D'amato for MailOnline . Despite student loan debt hitting $1trillion this decade, going to college is still the smart thing to do, as the average student makes back the cost of their degree in 10 years, says the New York Fed. Jaison R. Abel and Richard Dietz, economists at the New York Federal Reserve Bank, looked at data on college graduates and found steady growth in earnings over the last few decades. The average value of earning a bachelor's degree instead of only graduating high school has been hovering 'near its all-time high of about $300,000' for around a decade, according to a blog posted on the New York Fed's site Tuesday. Higher ed: Researchers at the New York Federal Reserve found that college graduates earn $300,000 more than high school graduates over their lifetime . Abel and Dietz looked at data going back to 1970 for the study, which was originally published in June. The record earnings took student loan debt into account on the balance, though the researchers acknowledge they did not count jobless or part-time workers with college degrees. Graduates weather bad economies better than the rest, but college graduates experienced their worst unemployment rates in decades during 2010 according to NPR. What's encouraging for students with five- or six-figure debts are findings that a college degree pays off twice as fast as it used to. Back in 1980, it took more than 20 years for a graduate to break even on a college degree. Now the average is around 10. This is in spite of the fact that tuition nearly sextupled from 1985 to 2011 as the New York Times reported. Payoff: Abel and Dietz found that the time it took for a college degree to pay for itself dropped significantly over the past few decades . College students shouldn't take this as a chance to slack. In a follow-up, Abel and Dietz explained that in addition to paying tuition, those who take an extra year to complete their bachelor's degree lose out on $37,000 in wages and earn $41,000 less over their lifetime. Students who spend a sixth year can kiss $144,000 goodbye. The returns on investment for a bachelor's degree are also not evenly distributed across every field of study. Unsurprisingly, graduates with engineering or math and computer science degrees experienced the highest rates of return. The lowest was education, where the average graduate's income amounted to nine percent return, only slightly better than investing those tuition dollars into the stock market. | Jaison R. Abel and Richard Dietz of the New York Federal Reserve Bank studied data on graduate earnings beginning in 1970 .
A bachelor's degree is a $300,000 value over a high school degree .
College graduates now earn back the cost of their degree in around 10 years compared to more than 20 years in 1980 .
A fifth year in college can cost almost $80,000 in lost wages, two extra costs around $144,000 .
Engineering degrees have the best return on investment, education the worst . |
47,793 | 86db8169a8c9a16e4a2eb24c37bd226a4c5b6176 | By . Hugo Duncan . PUBLISHED: . 18:46 EST, 31 May 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 18:46 EST, 31 May 2013 . Banks are still starving businesses of the cash they need to thrive in a serious threat to the economic recovery, figures showed yesterday. The Bank of England said lending to British firms fell by £3billion in April - the biggest slump so far this year. Lending to small businesses was down £660million in yet another sign that the government’s flagship Funding for Lending Scheme is not working. The Bank of England (pictured) said lending to British firms fell by £3billion in April . The programme was launched by the Treasury and the Bank in August last year in an effort to get £80billion of cheap loans out to households and businesses. There is evidence that mortgage lending has increased but small firms in particular continue to be deprived of the funds they need to grow and create jobs. Samuel Tombs, UK economist at Capital Economics, said: ‘The Funding for Lending Scheme has not driven a recovery in borrowing yet. We continue to think that a strong and sustained economic recovery will remain elusive so long as overall bank lending remains this weak.’ The figures showed that lending to British businesses has fallen by more than £100billion since the start of 2009 in a punishing setback for the economy. The crisis has been highlighted by the Daily Mail’s Make the Banks Lend campaign which was launched nearly three years ago to draw attention to the desperate plight suffered by small firms at the hands of their banks. Mervyn King (pictured) admitted that the changes to the FLS are ¿not a gamechanger' Banks insist many companies do not want to borrow money because they are too scared about Britain’s uncertain economic future. But experts dismiss the claim as nonsense and the FLS was beefed up in April to focus on lending to small and medium-sized businesses - known as SMEs. John Allan, chairman of the Federation of Small Businesses, said relying on the ‘big five’ banks - HSBC, Barclays, Lloyds, RBS and Santander - ‘is clearly not working’. He said: ‘To get the recovery on a firmer footing businesses need to access finance and greater competition in the banking sector should help this. Business confidence is up, suggesting firms want to invest but to do this many need the finance to make it happen.’ Bank governor Sir Mervyn King, who retires at the end of this month after 10 years in the job, has admitted that the changes to the FLS are ‘not a gamechanger’. More than half of small firms in some parts of Britain have been rejected by their bank for a loan over the last two year, according to a recent report by the research firm BDRC Continental. Howard Archer, an economist at IHS Global Insight, said the latest data from the Bank showed why officials felt the need to extend the FLS. ‘The FLS has so far failed to have any material impact in lifting bank lending to companies. ‘Of course, it needs to be borne in mind that low lending levels to companies have reflected weak demand as well as supply factors. ‘How much companies want to borrow going forward remains questionable, but it is important for UK growth hopes that all companies who are in decent shape and who do want to borrow - whether it be to support their operations, lift investment, explore new markets - can do so, and at a non-punishing interest rate. This applies to all companies, whatever their size.’ | The Bank of England said lending to British firms fell by £3billion in April .
Lending to small businesses was also down £660million .
Despite the government investing money into their Funding for Lending . |
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