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159,347 | 59fa7638a2ccadbb9a03cfc0aaaff6dcf87be076 | BBC political editor Nick Robinson labelled Russell Brand a 'sanctimonious t***' after the comedian refused to speak to him for a radio show. The BBC man approached Brand for a comment ahead of a programme he was making about democracy - but was turned down by the self-styled revolutionary, who allegedly called in security guards. Witnesses to the snubbing have now said Robinson resorted to 'colourful language' when he was denied access to Brand. Scroll down for video . The BBC's Nick Robinson was said to have been left furious after Russell Brand refused to speak to him after appearing on Question Time last month . The political journalist sent an angry tweet out soon after the snub, but was said to have used more 'colourful' language after Brand allegedly called in security . The incident happened after Brand's appearance on the BBC's Question Time show, filmed in Canterbury last month. Robinson is said to have approached Brand and asked for a contribution to his Radio 4 programme, called 'Can Democracy Work?'. A witness told The Sun that Robinson was left 'clearly furious' after Brand refused to speak and called the comedian a 'sanctimonious t***'. Shortly after the incident, Robinson tweeted: 'Dear @rustyrockets (Brand's twitter handle), why refusing to be interviewed for @BBCRadio4 'Can Democracy Work?' series? Time for selfies last night but not Qs. Pity' Neither man had comments on the incident on Twitter this morning. The first show of Robinson's three-part radio series aired yesterday, in which he criticised Brand's attitude to politics. It played a recording of Robinson confronting Brand as he posed for selfies with fans, then shouting: 'Why are you so worried about doing an interview about democracy Russell?' as the comedian retreated. Following Brand's claims that he wouldn't run parliament because he didn't want to become a politician, Robinson also said: 'In one respect Russell Brand is already like them; he doesn't like answering awkward questions.' In the programme, former Labour Prime Minister Tony Blair revealed he has read Brand's book, Revolution, but is unclear how the comedian's ideas could be implemented. He told Robinson: 'I've studied a lot of what the Russell Brand stuff really means. But I suspect if you implemented that, or tried to implement that, I literally don't know what it means.' Robinson has previously attacked Brand's call for people not to vote in elections in his book, Revolution . The BBC has repeatedly invited Brand to talk on Question Time, Newsnight and on numerous Radio shows . Robinson has previously said he is an 'unapologetic believer in elections' after his German Jewish grandparents had to flee both the Nazis and then the Communists in China. The 51-year-old told Radio Times that politicians are not all the same and are not all in it for themselves, and 'it does make a difference whether you vote or not and who you vote for'. He also used the TV listings magazine to attack 39-year-old Brand, who has an estimated fortune of around £9million. He said: 'Are you listening, Russell Brand, and admirers of the man with the most manicured chest in Britain? 'You see I've got a bit of a beef with Brand. More than anyone I can remember in recent times he has energised, excited and enthused people about some of the great issues of our time. 'And yet Brand continues to tell people that all politics and all politicians are corrupt or venal or a waste of time. 'These days he pretends that he's only ever argued that there's no one worth voting for, but not very long ago he wrote in the New Statesman – 'I will never vote and I don't think you should, either'.' Brand's recent book Revolution encouraged people not to vote in order to bring about a collapse in government. He has discussed his views on Newsnight and had a stylist straighten his chest hair before appearing on Question Time. | Journalist approached controversial comedian for comment last month .
But self-styled revolutionary refused to speak and 'called security'
Witnesses say the angry BBC man then used 'colourful language'
Interview approach was for Radio 4 programme on democracy .
Robinson has previously attacked Brand's rejection of voting in elections .
Ex-PM Tony Blair reveals he studied Brand's work but didn't understand it . |
109,372 | 18f8f07b5a13385ba9ea00380e20bd5cc4331489 | (CNN) -- A man involved in an excessive force lawsuit against police in Hammond, Indiana, faces arrest on seven-year-old marijuana charges, according to documents provided by his attorney. Jamal Jones and his partner, Lisa Mahone, are suing the city and police after a traffic stop in which an officer smashed a window next to Jones and used a stun gun on him. Police have said Jones refused to identify himself and repeatedly ignored requests to step out of the car after officers feared he had a weapon. Dana Kurtz, an attorney for Jones, said the arrest warrant on a 2007 misdemeanor charge of dealing in marijuana is "retaliation." "Jamal was unaware of the warrant but will comply with the law. The traffic stop had nothing to do with this," Kurtz said. Hammond police didn't immediately respond to CNN's request for comment. On September 24, two officers pulled the family over because the two front passengers -- Mahone was driving --- were not wearing seat belts. Both police and the family argued they feared for their safety during the traffic stop, which was videotaped by a teenager in the car. The video in question . "I'm scared for my life," Lisa Mahone says in the video. Jones is talking to officers gathered outside his door. His window is rolled down only a few inches. "I don't know what's going on," he says. Joseph Ivy, 14, and Janiya Ivy, 7, are in the back seat. One of them holds a camera, recording the exchange. "Are you going to open the door?" an officer asks Jones. "How can you say they are not going to hurt you? People are getting shot by the police!" Mahone says before her voice breaks into screams as an officer smashes the passenger window. Jones joins her screams as his body convulses from the electric shock of the stun gun. Officers then pull him out of the car, handcuff him and take him away. Fear on both sides . Minutes before the incident, Mahone was driving to the hospital to visit her dying mother when she was stopped by Hammond Police Officers Patrick Vicari and Charles Turner. The officers placed spike strips under the car's wheels and approached Mahone. Mahone "informed the officers that her mother was dying and that (they) were on the way to the hospital to see her before she died," the lawsuit says. "Rather than issuing Lisa (Mahone) a ticket for failure to wear a seat belt, the officers demanded that Jamal (Jones), the passenger, provide the officers with his identification as well." But Jones didn't have any identification. He had previously turned over his license for an unrelated citation. "Jamal offered to show the officers the ticket, which had his information on it, but the officers refused," the complaint reads. Police tell a different story. Call to 911 . Jones refused to identify himself and repeatedly ignored requests to step out of the car, Hammond Police spokesman Lt. Richard Hoyda said. "The first officer saw the passenger inside the vehicle drop his left hand behind the center console inside of the vehicle. Fearing for officer safety, the first officer ordered the passenger to show his hands and then repeatedly asked him to exit the vehicle," Hoyda said. Meanwhile, Mahone was on the phone with a 911 operator requesting to speak to a supervisor. 'Fear for their safety' Mahone, Jones and the children "were in reasonable fear for their safety," the complaint says. "After a minute or two for no reason, the officers drew their weapons." At this point Mahone is heard pleading with someone in the video. "He (Jones) is looking for his information in his book bag. When he goes into his book bag, they pull a gun out. What was the purpose of a gun? And now they ask me to open my door so I can get out. I'm scared. If you can pull out a gun in front of ... there is two kids in the back seat." Both the police department and city officials are standing by the officers. "Police officers who make legal traffic stops are allowed to ask passengers inside of a stopped vehicle for identification and to request that they exit a stopped vehicle for the officer's safety without a requirement of reasonable suspicion," Hoyda said. Hammond Mayor Thomas M. McDermott Jr. cited two recent police officer deaths in Indiana as the reason for heightened precautions. "While I hope that situations like this one can be avoided in the future, I am standing solidly behind the actions of these police officers," McDermott said. Mahone was cited for failure to wear a seat belt and a license plate reciprocity violation. Jones was arrested and accused of failure to aid an officer, resisting law enforcement and was also cited for a seat belt violation, Hoyda said. Lawsuit . In the lawsuit filed this week in the Northern District Court of Indiana, Mahone, Jones and the two children accuse the city, Vicari, Turner and "other unknown officers" of excessive force, false arrest and imprisonment, assault and battery, and Intentional infliction of emotional distress. Hammond Police directed media inquiries to the law firm Eichhorn & Eichhorn. CNN called the firm and asked whether they were representing Hammond Police regarding the September incident. An unidentified woman said, "That's true and we have no comment." CNN attempted to contact Turner and Vicari, but was unsuccessful. Using Taser on an 8-year-old? Mom sues police, city . CNN's Mayra Cuevas, Susan Candiotti and Ross Levitt contributed to this report. | Jamal Jones and his partner are suing the city of Hammond, Indiana, and police there .
He faces arrest on a marijuana dealing charge from 2007 .
Jones was dragged out of a car at a traffic stop in September .
Police say he was noncompliant and they feared for their safety . |
222,314 | abc715169b2de44dc67191c4a656e870f2d70816 | (CNN) -- "I only really have one really major regret," Whoopi Goldberg tells CNN's Piers Morgan. "And it was I had the opportunity to spend a birthday with Sammy Davis Jr., and I didn't." The actress and co-host of "The View" is a guest on Wednesday's "Piers Morgan Tonight." Goldberg said she didn't have an exact reason, other than to lament, "I was young and dumb and -- and he passed like a couple of weeks later. And it devastated me because I thought; you know what, that's what you get. "I just remember that he had been so good to me. And we were really, you know, good friends. And I -- I should have gone." She also called Davis an "amazing performer" who could "do everything." Morgan asked Goldberg whether Davis was the "greatest all-around entertainer that we've seen." "There are maybe three or four, in my lifetime, that were extraordinary dancers and singers and actors and performers," she said. She mentioned Judy Garland, Frank Sinatra and Michael Jackson. The actress also talked about her well-known fear of flying. "I feel like I shouldn't be flying," said Goldberg. "I should be rolling in my bus." She said her fear was instilled nearly 30 years ago when she witnessed a mid-air collision while standing on a balcony in San Diego. The actress said that what frightened her so much was that "the people on the plane were aware that they were in some danger." She said she particularly fears for people "who see something that they're not sure they're going to be able to live through." "And so I -- I just -- I -- that's what stayed in my mind," Goldberg said. "Because I'm a visualist. So if I see it, it lives in my brain. So I always see it." She said her fears were somewhat alleviated by a course offered by Virgin Atlantic that helps individuals work through issues surrounding fear of flying. For decades, Goldberg traveled back and forth from New York to Los Angeles via private bus. With two drivers, she was able to arrive on the other coast in 23 hours. "Some people are meant to fly. And I don't know if I was meant to fly, but I do it now." Goldberg has no choice but to fly in the near future -- she is producing a stage version of her 1992 hit movie "Sister Act." It premieres on Broadway on April 20 and is set to open soon in Vienna, Austria; Hamburg, Germany; and London. Another one of Goldberg's quirks is her self-proclaimed refusal to eat "anything that could be hiding something." She said she doesn't "like anything that has a weird consistency." For example? "Creamed corn. I don't understand the point. "I don't understand sauce, because you could hide stuff in sauce. Like, I like my food naked." Morgan brought up relationships and Goldberg's three marriages. "The first one lasted six years," said Morgan. "The second one lasted two years. And the last one lasted a year." Goldberg responded by saying "I suppose that, you know, you have to actually be in love with the person that you marry. You have to really be committed to them. And I'm just -- I don't have that commitment. I'm committed to my family, you know, and so -- hence, for that relationship has lasted, you know, the longest." Goldberg admitted that she wasn't in love with her husbands and that she married them because she "wanted to feel normal. And it seemed to me that if I was married, I'd have a much normal -- more normal life. But clearly, that's not the case. There's not a good reason to get married. You have to actually want a life with someone through ups and downs. And I -- I just discovered that wasn't for me." She said has been in love only once but would not elaborate other than to say that it was with a man. He's not famous, she's still in close contact with him, but they are just friends -- he's married and had a family with another woman, she said. When Morgan expressed his sorrow over the fact that it never worked out, Goldberg said "lots of other things did. So I didn't do too badly." Goldberg was asked about the recent "Newsweek" magazine report that said she was the most popular host of "The View," and she's more well-liked than Oprah. "Well, I -- you know, I mean I'm thankful," said Goldberg. "I'm grateful. But I don't know really what it means." So is Goldberg a "voice of America in the morning?" "I don't think of myself as the voice of America, but I do think that sometimes I see things from a different perspective, sometimes because of my race, sometimes because of my gender, sometimes because of my experiences." Watch Piers Morgan Live weeknights 9 p.m. ET. For the latest from Piers Morgan click here. | Whoopi Goldberg has been terrified of flying for 30 years .
Says she wasn't in love with her 3 husbands and got married to "feel normal"
"View" co-host is the producer of a stage version of "Sister Act" |
225,241 | afa7320261f2f8dd318f3f14e5ba06d5f306b74d | By . Richard Spillett . Max Clifford went into work today as he remains on bail ahead of his sentencing hearing on Friday . Victims of disgraced PR expert Max Clifford could sue him for his millions following his convictions for indecent assault. The 71-year-old was found guilty of carrying out sex attacks on four victims yesterday, with a jury clearing him of assaults on two other women. The convictions, the first under the Operation Yewtree investigation set up in the wake of the Jimmy Savile scandal, could now pave the way for a string of civil law suits. Lawyers say the jury's verdicts will strengthen any case for damages brought before civil courts, with victims able to claim damages for any trauma or potential loss of earnings caused by his offences. Liz Dux, who represents over 150 complainants in the Yewtree inquiry for law firm Slater and Gordon, said: 'The victims have already proven their case to the higher standard of proof required in a criminal trial, so would have good grounds to bring a civil case. 'They will have to make claims against him individually rather than any organisation, but he is a man of significant assets.' It emerged yesterday that there were 23 alleged victims who came forward to police, but prosecutors decided to proceed only with what they perceived to be the strongest cases. Experts say the civil claims may not be limited to those accusers whose claims led to conviction, meaning other women could also sue Clifford. Tracey Story, expert in abuse claims at law firm Irwin Mitchell, added: 'Others may not have as strong a case, but the standard of proof is lower in civil proceedings so, it would be a challenge for them, but it doesn't necessarily mean their cases would fail. 'The time limit for bringing claims of this kind is the victim's 21st birthday or three years from the date of the abuse. 'But exceptions are made in cases where victims can still get a fair hearing. The fact that there has so recently been a fair trial of the facts in this case means victims would have a very strong claim that they are still in time.' The Metropolitan Police refused to confirm whether further alleged victims have come forward since Clifford's conviction yesterday. Clifford has two large homes in Hersham, Sussex, one he valued at £3.5million in 2008 and another, which his daughter Louise lives in, he valued at £2.5million five years ago. Clifford, pictured leaving his home in Surrey yesterday, could be set to lose his millions to compensation claims from his victims . The Land Registry says property prices in the area have increased by around five per cent a year since then, meaning the two homes could now have a combined worth of up to £8million. The PR expert also has a house in an exclusive golf development in the hills near Nuevo Andalucia, southern Spain, which he valued at £1.5million in 2008. Clifford has said he made £2.5million a year from his PR work. The latest accounts for his company, Max Clifford Associates, in 2012 show a turnover of around £3.5million and give the firm an estimated worth of £1.2million. Clifford has also boasted he gets a new Bentley - each worth £200,000 - every two years. Clifford is bundled into a car after he was found guilty of eight counts of indecent assault at Southwark Crown Court yesterday . The disgraced publicist was seen arriving at his scaled-down offices in Weybridge, Surrey today, a far cry from his former palatial HQ in London's West End. Neighbours said they thought he would stay at home while he awaits his sentencing hearing on Friday and were surprised to see him out and about. One local, who asked not to be named said: 'You would have thought he'd keep his head down knowing the fate awaiting him but his appearance today in public only underscores his arrogance.' Clifford has said his lawyers have advised him not to comment on his situation. Prosecutors are still deciding how to deal with one count of indecent assault upon which the jury could not reach a verdict. Clifford continues to deny that charge. | Experts say victims will have strong claims for damages in civil law suits .
They will have to tell court about trauma or lost earnings caused by abuse .
The 71-year-old publicist is thought to be worth more than £10million .
Clifford is currently on bail awaiting sentencing for indecent assaults .
It has emerged 23 alleged victims came forward to police, with only some cases taken further by prosecutors .
The claims of four women were proved in court, resulting in guilty verdicts . |
44,734 | 7e1c4fa2f6ffd9ee0c5cafa512a57b5a36bb1d80 | These stunning images show the F/A-18E Super Hornet in action as part of the US strikes to degrade and destroy the extremist terrorist group ISIS. The F18s were launched from the aircraft carrier USS George H.W. Bush, which is positioned in the Persian Gulf. The latest pictures were taken this weekend as the US unleashed a wave of fresh attacks in Syria and Iraq, destroying ISIS tanks, armoured vehicles and mortar teams. Scroll down for video . Two US Navy F/A-18E Super Hornets support the operations against IS, after being refuelled by a KC-135 Statotanker over Iraq . The US military unleashed a wave of air strikes against IS terrorists in Syria and Iraq this weekend, destroying tanks, armoured vehicles and mortar teams . One of the F/A-18E Super Hornets on the flight deck of the aircraft carrier, USS George H.W.Bush, a ship that is 1,092 feet long and takes 4,500 sailors to keep it running . Super Hornet planes cost up to £35million and have a long history in Iraq. They were deployed in both the Persian Gulf War in 1991 and the eight-year-long Iraq War, which began in 2003. The destruction of IS targets in Syria and Iraq aims to limit the terrorist's group ability to lead, control and conduct operations. Bahrain, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates have joined the US in participating in the airstrikes against ISIS. Although the RAF has started bombing targets in Iraq, the Prime Minister has ruled out sending ground troops. The US launched air strikes in Iraq in August and Syria, in September. The plane costs up to £35million and is the main fighter-bomber of the Navy - it was also deployed in the Gulf War in 1991 and the Iraq War in 2003 . The fighter planes will target IS fighters, training compounds, headquarters and command and control facilities, storage facilities, supply trucks and armed vehicles . IS has declared a so-called caliphate in the areas it has taken, and is also holding a number of hostages. Although currently limited to Iraq and Syria, IS has promised to 'break the borders' of Jordan and Lebanon and to 'free Palestine'. Countries participating: US, Bahrain, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, United Arab Emirates . Targets: Islamic State fighters, training compounds, headquarters and command and control facilities, storage facilities, a finance center, supply trucks and armed vehicles in the vicinity of Raqqa, Dayr az Zawr, Al-Hasakah and Abu Kamal . U.S. missiles: 47 Tomahawk Land Attack Missiles launched from the USS Arleigh Burke and USS Philippine Sea, operating from international waters in the Red Sea and North Arabian Gulf . U.S. aircraft: Air Force B-1 bombers, F-15E attack planes, F-16 fighters and F-22 fighters; Navy F/A-18 fighters; two types of drone aircraft . Other strikes: The U.S. alone also conducted eight strikes against the al-Qaida-affiliated Khorasan Group west of Aleppo, including training camps, an explosives and munitions production facility, a communication building and command-and-control facilities . | Pictures show the F/A-18E Super Hornet in action as part of the US strikes to destroy terrorist group, ISIS .
Images taken this weekend as the US unleashed a wave of fresh attacks in Syria and Iraq, destroying ISIS targets .
The planes cost up to £35million and were deployed in both the Gulf War and Iraq War . |
138,146 | 3ea7a7e9f4212c319f8aa2fb3ad38778e507961f | Four women have been indecently assaulted in less than two hours and police believe the same man was responsible. The series of incidents, where the women were either grabbed or the man exposed himself to them, unfolded in Melbourne's north west on the first of November. The first case occurred when a 46 year old woman was running on the Tan track on Birdwood avenue at around 6am when she was approached from behind by an unknown man. Police say he grabbed the woman before fleeing towards St Kilda road. Scroll down for video . Police wish to speak with this man in relation to four incidents where women were indecently assaulted in Melbourne's north west on November 1 . It was just 25 minutes later, a second woman, was standing at a nearby tram stop when a man exposed himself to her. It's believed the 23-year-old tried to walk away but the man followed her and indecently assaulted her before heading towards Swanson street. Two women walking along a track near the river at Chifley drive, Maribyrnong were the next targets. Police say one of them was indecently assaulted by a man, believed to be the same responsible for the other attacks, just after 7am before running off. Police say they believe the indecent assault of four women in less than two hours in Melbourn'e north west on November 1 was by the same man. They wish to speak to a man (pictured) relating to those incidents . It's believed the man then struck for the fourth time, the final attack occurred at Clarks road, Keilor East where a woman was grabbed as she was walking by. He again ran off. Police have released CCTV images of a man they wish to speak to as they investigate the four incidents, believed to be by the same man. He is described as being Caucasian in appearance and aged in his 30s with a slim, medium build. He was wearing a dark blue or navy blue t-shirt with a white emblem and dark pants at the time of the incident. | Four women indecently assaulted in less than two hours in Melbourne's north west on November 1 .
Police believe the same man was responsible for all attacks .
It's believed the man grabbed or exposed himself to the women .
Police are looking to speak to a man, caucasian in appearance, aged in his 30s with a slim, medium build . |
136,471 | 3c8a4b48a271245fc22d0652fed06598fa00b59b | By . Rob Cooper . Last updated at 5:24 PM on 13th October 2011 . A Labour councillor who campaigned with Harriet Harman is facing jail after he today admitted sending a '15-year-old schoolgirl' graphic online messages. John Friary begged the man he thought was a teenager for racy pictures and arranged to meet 'her' for sex after she contacted him on the internet. The 53-year-old thought he was exchanging explicit . online chat with a teenager called 'Hannah' but was really the victim of a . scheming blackmailer who planned to extort money from him. Labour campaigner: Councillor John Friary campaigned with Harriet Harman. He was facing jail after admitting attempting to groom the '15-year-old girl' Friary, who was head of community safety at Southwark Council, has also canvassed with Tessa Jowell in elections. The politician promised 'Hannah' he would be her 'father figure', 'look after' her and told her their chat was getting him 'turned on'. He even agreed to pick 'Hannah' up from a tube station in central London and take her to his home in Camberwell, south London, for a night of passion. But Friary was really exchanging the lurid emails with a plotting adult male who has since been jailed for blackmail. He pleaded guilty today to attempting to arrange a meeting with a child following sexual grooming between January 10 and January 14 last year. Facing jail: John Friary, pictured arriving at court today, was remanded in custody ahead of his sentencing, for sending inappropriate messages to the 'schoolgirl' Following his arrest he was sacked as the cabinet member responsible for community safety at Southwark Council and resigned as a councillor. A judge at Isleworth Crown Court was told how on January 12 last year, 'Hannah' sent Friary an online chat message saying: 'Hi John, I am looking for a father figure as my real dad left home when I was five. 'I live with my mum and dad now, but I am looking for someone older I can have fun with. I am also a bit shy until I have had a couple of Bacardi Breezers.' Friary replied: 'Hannah, I would love to be your father figure. You look so beautiful. Tell me about yourself, and what you are into sexually - you know what I like.' Andrew Vout, prosecuting, told the court: 'This 53-year-old defendant came to be in email contact and online chat contact with an individual whom he believed to be a 15-year-old girl by the name of Hannah. 'In fact the individual that he communicated with was an adult male whose intention was in fact to blackmail him. The blackmailer has since been convicted of that offence and sentenced. 'In an email to 'Hannah' on January 9 the defendant introduced himself and very quickly is suggesting that they meet for sexual contact.' In the messages read to the court he said he was excited by her - and described her as a 'gorgeous girl'. He asked: 'Do you have any sexy pictures for me? Do you want me to be your dad?' Friary believed 'Hannah' lived with her parents in Barnet, north London. He told her 'I bet you look hot naked' and added 'I can meet you anywhere and bring you back here'. Before any attempt to extort money from Friary was made, the blackmailer was arrested. Judge Phillip Matthews remanded Friary in custody while pre-sentencing reports are carried out. Friary had represented Camberwell since 1994 but resigned following his arrest. He was also a governor at a Camberwell primary school. He is due to be sentenced at Isleworth Crown Court on November 11. | John Friary had campaigned with Harriet Harman .
'I would love to be your father figure,' he told '15-year-old girl' |
176,908 | 70ff8c9be0ea44e9c0021fdf78b4387dafef52dc | (CNN) -- At 6'3" and 277 pounds, Darryl Roberts had a body mass index of 34.6. Anything over 30.0 on the BMI scale is considered obese, and his doctor warned him that his blood pressure was too high. So the doctor gave Roberts some medication and told him to take the pills daily. Side effects, she cautioned, could include erectile dysfunction. Roberts balked. "Can't I just exercise and eat healthier?" he remembers asking. "Think about it," Roberts says with a laugh. "A 40-something year-old man on a race not to take pills that cause erectile dysfunction. Every guy I tell that to goes, 'Oh my God, I can relate to that.' " The documentary filmmaker bought a bike and started adding salads to his diet. Two months later he returned to the doctor and was pronounced perfectly healthy -- despite having lost only 6 pounds. It's a journey that he chronicles in "America the Beautiful 2: The Thin Commandments," a follow-up to his first award-winning film. The documentary focuses on the United States' unhealthy obsession with dieting and losing weight. "We have a health problem, not a weight problem," Roberts says matter-of-factly. CNN spoke with Roberts about his film, why he believes the BMI system should be outlawed and the award he's most proud of. The following is an edited version of that interview: . CNN: Why did you start filming the "America the Beautiful" documentary series? What sparked your passion for the topic? I always had this knack for attracting really awesome, quality women in my life. Like I had a five-year [relationship], a five-year and an eight-year relationship. [But] I used to travel around the country with these athletes and entertainers, running into these women that would hang out at the gate. After doing that for a while, I went, "Wow, you know what? I want a girlfriend that's awesome like the one I have, but that looks like these [groupies]." After being exposed to them for so long I could no longer appreciate the awesomeness of the woman that I was with. So that's when I started thinking, "Why did I do that?" Like when you have so much, why was beauty so important? That gave me the idea to do a documentary. CNN: What did you learn from your first documentary? I was sitting around watching my film one day and it occurred to me -- it just hit me -- all these three things: plastic surgery, cosmetics and eating disorders, are things that primarily affect women. And we still have an archaic appreciation for women in our country because if things primarily affect women, nobody does anything about it. But when it affects men, they do something about it right away. ... It's like we're in 1910. Everything looks really sophisticated because you have computers, you have iPads, you have smartphones and tablets, and everything you see looks so developed, but underneath it, I don't believe we value women the way that we should in this country. CNN: Why did you decide to focus on dieting in your second documentary, "The Thin Commandments?" When I was traveling with the first film, I went to 287 universities. At each one ... somebody would stand up and say, "Wow, we really like your film, but you didn't deal with the dieting industry. Why not?" So I go on the computer one night just researching dieting, and I come across this website that has the BMI, body mass index, of celebrities. So according to this website, the BMI of Tom Cruise, Will Smith, Mel Gibson, The Rock, Christian Bale, LeBron James -- all these celebrities -- make them either overweight or obese. And I'm like, "This is the most ridiculous thing I ever heard." So then I did some more research on BMI. The government uses it, doctors use BMI, schools use BMI, and I'm like, "This is how they get you." In the first film, I show how we use beauty as a weapon against the American public -- now we're using weight as a weapon against the American public. CNN: What is wrong exactly with the BMI system? It was invented in like 1830 ... and it was invented to show sizes of populations. Like, for instance, the entire population of the United States. It was never intended to be used for an individual diagnosis of someone's health and how much they should weigh. That came in the 1970s with this guy Ancel Keys when he reformulated it to the current BMI thing. Then in 1998, some of the scientific advisers of Weight Watchers went to the government and said, "Hey, you know what? The number that's used for the overweight category for BMI should be lowered." And the government did it. They lowered it. And when they lowered it, literally 25 million people became overweight, overnight. But guess what: Those are new customers now for the dieting industry. CNN: Can you really say obesity isn't a big problem in this country? Why are you, in a way, fighting against that sentiment? First off, because [if] you are defining [obesity] by BMI, then it's erroneous. So what we may have as a problem in this country is a health problem. That I agree with. We show it in the film. We have a health problem. And what we also show in the film is that health problems come to people with or without weight. So the film is making the point that we should be focusing on the health of people and not their weight. Where we have problems is lifestyle choices. We have too many people eating fast food. We have too many people not exercising. We have too many people not engaging in healthy lifestyle behaviors. My point is if we have more people engaging in healthy lifestyle behaviors, we will become a healthier nation, whether we lose weight or not. If you think about it -- it makes sense, right? CNN: Tell me about the third documentary in the "America the Beautiful" series. What will it be about? So far I've done the health and beauty series, so the next one will complete it and make it the health, beauty and sex series, which are the three biggest things affecting our youth. It will be about the sexualization of our youth. Everyone says that's going to be the whopper there. I'm going to start it in January. I have no idea what I'm going to find. I always start my documentaries with no preconceived notions, and I jump in interviewing people to see what I can find. CNN: What award for your documentaries have you won that you're most proud of? There's a film festival that Will Smith and Meryl Streep are affiliated with -- the Giffoni Film Festival. It's a film festival for kids. They never show documentaries, only feature films that appeal to kids, right? But with ["America the Beautiful"], the Giffoni Film Festival made an exception to let a documentary in there. I went to the screening, and I was terrified that my film was going to put all these kids in a comatose state. We went to the awards presentation, and they announced the audience award and called our name. I went into shock. Here are kids voting a documentary as their favorite film in this big film festival. That was literally my proudest moment. CNN: Where can people see "America the Beautiful: The Thin Commandments"? [It's] actually touring around the country in theaters. We've been to six cities so far; we'll go to 30 more. They can go to our website at AmericatheBeautifuldoc.com and go to the screening schedule and see when we'll be coming to a city near them. It [also] comes out on DVD in March. | Darryl Roberts says America has a health problem, not a weight problem .
Roberts is filming three documentaries on beauty, health and sex .
"America the Beautiful 2: The Thin Commandments" focuses on the diet industry . |
256,771 | d8592fc66f1912c59191ede23afe4211a03ee0e8 | The face of evil: Gary Sherrill killed his son with an axe and then claimed he did because he thought the boy was a demon trying to eat him . A Phoenix man did the unthinkable – he hacked his 13-year-old son to death with an axe. Gary Sherrill, 51, told police he killed his son Tuesday because he ‘believed his son was a demon and was going to eat him,’ police said. The deranged man was arrested and charged with first degree murder for a killing that has shocked even veteran police. The horrific crime was discovered after the boy’s mother called police to check on the young boy after Mr Sherrill (her ex-husband) was late bringing him back from a visit and she was unable to reach them by phone. Phoenix police arrived at the unemployed man’s gritty apartment on the city’s north side and initially met resistance, a neighbor told ABC 15. The killer told officers the boy was not home, that he was a good guy, said Divina West, adding that he said he was a boy scout leader and that he wouldn’t hurt children. ‘But obviously he did,’ she lamented. Officers pushed their way into the home to make the horrifying discovery. The boy had been killed with an axe. The father immediately went on the offensive. He admitted to killing the boy, but claimed he was afraid of him because he was a ‘demon possessed’ who tried to eat him, according to an arrest report cited by multiple media outlets. House of horrors: Mr Sherrill lived in this seedy apartment on the northern fringe of Phoenix - he's now residing in a jail cell . The bloodbath shook officers to the core. ‘It is difficult, we find it hard to believe that there are people still out in this world who would do this kind of harm to another person, even more so, to their own child,’ Phoenix Police Department Sgt Steve Martos told AZ Central before pausing to compose himself. A depiction of praying hands and a prayer candle could be seen in the disturbed man’s mostly blocked out windows. Ms West told Fox 10 of the moment the boy’s mother was told what had happened. She let out a series of horrified screams, she was shattered knowing she’d never see her son again. ‘The mother of the child was down here and crying and screaming and inconsolable obviously,’ said Ms West. Religious man: Hands clasped in prayer and a prayer candle are displayed in Mr Sherrill's window . A neighbor who spoke to multiple television stations but did not want to be identified painted a picture of a strange man living a bizarre life. ‘I know that all the windows were blacked out with tin foil. I never saw the child playing whenever he was let out of the house, he had a tight hold on him’ the woman said. ‘In the beginning, I kind of thought he might be kidnapped,’ she added, saying that she called Child Protective Services out of concern but was told nothing could be done unless she actually witnessed the boy being abused. No abuse was ever seen, she said. It is not known how long the boy’s mother and Mr Sherrill were divorced, and if he had any history of mental illness, but divorce papers obtained by Fox 10 hinted at problems. Blocked out windows: Mr Sherrill blacked out his windows with cardboard and tin foil, neighbors said . ‘The father is unemployed and that has likely impacted his mental state,’ said the papers. Multiple neighbors told AZ Central the man had been acting strangely in recent days, and that police had been to the apartment multiple times. He even jumped out of the bushes at one woman and tried to talk to her, but she had no idea what he was saying and stuck around only to make sure he did not follow her home. Neighbors were quick to point out the neighborhood was usually quiet, but that Mr Sherrill and his blacked out, boarded up windows and strange behavior stood out. Joe Harris told AZ Family he’s having a hard time coming to grips with the boy’s violent death. ‘It puts a pit in my stomach,’ he said. ‘It doesn't make me feel good. You don't want to live down the street from where a little kid was killed.’ Mr Sherrill screamed about war and tried to wriggle free from police as he was led away, neighbors told Fox 10. He rang in the new year sitting in a jail cell while the boy’s mother shed tears over the loss of her son. | Gary Sherrill, 51, admitted to cops he killed his 13-year-old son .
Police had been to his home multiple times in the last week alone .
His behavior had alarmed neighbors - one of whom he jumped out at from behind a bush .
He shouted about war as he was led away in handcuffs . |
16,103 | 2da32213aed1473a3340c9d47afc7a5bcc900f9a | (CNN) -- The recipe for bingsu, Korea's beloved shaved ice dessert, used to be simple. A little bowl of shaved ice, red beans boiled in sugar water, a little bit of condensed milk and maybe some fruit or ice cream heaped on top. That was before the Park Hyatt Seoul debuted the first so-called luxury bingsu three years ago, to spectacular sales and a frenzied following. Competing Seoul hotels promptly entered the fray with spoons blazing. With bingsu now at the top of every hotel restaurant's summer agenda, the battle to come up with the most luxurious, inventive, delicious variation of the dessert has gotten more intense this year. Here are the hotels that are currently winning the war. Park Hyatt Seoul . This Gangnam luxury hotel started it all. In 2010, the hotel dreamed up a sweet pumpkin bingsu, made with a base of dunggulle tea made from the dried root of Solomon's seal, and an omija bingsu using shaved frozen berries. While most bingsu in Korea is made with frozen ice, the hotel debuted bingsu with a frozen milk base, and found that customers loved the change. They bought an expensive shaving machine in 2011 and also ordered traditional Korean pottery known to keep cold food insulated longer. Seoul's bingsu fanatics promptly fell in love with the new menu. The hotel's berry bingsu in particular came as a shock. Korea's best bars for summer . The combination of blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, black currant compote with handmade dark chocolate, whipped cream, pistachios and mint created a completely new taste. The hotel became mobbed at meal times and on the weekends, and raked in several hundred thousand dollars of profit in a season, to the amazement -- and likely some envy -- of its competitors. Since that memorable debut, the Park Hyatt has had to top its own bingsu menu each year. In 2012, it introduced a peach bingsu and a chocolate bingsu. And this summer? The Bingsu Colada, made with pineapple, coconut chips, caramel sauce and macademia nuts, is new to the menu. Another new addition is the Tirami Bingsu. It's made with mascarpone cream, espresso sauce, Kahlua, Amaretti cookies and almonds. Despite the new dishes, the Berry Bingsu remains the hotel's most popular. Park Hyatt Seoul, 606 Teheran-ro, Gangnam-gu, Seoul; +82 2 2016 1205; bingsu prices start at ₩33,000 ($29) a bowl . Intercontinental Seoul Coex . The effort that the Intercontinental Seoul Coex has put into its bingsu menu has been extreme. Since the beginning of the year, the hotel's top chefs have created approximately 30 variations of the dessert, presenting a different version each week for tastings and deliberation. From this process, a final three bingsu have ended up on the menu. The Kurumba bingsu is made with shaved frozen pure coconut water from the Philippines, mixed with coconut biscuits and coconut jelly, all made at the hotel. The Mango Rosa Sparkling bingsu is dubbed the "19-plus" bingsu, for its alcoholic content (19 is the legal drinking age in Korea). The sweet Rosso Degli Anjelli Rose Sparkling Wine is frozen, shaved, then blended with frozen mango shavings and fresh mangoes. 10 best Korean restaurants in Seoul . When creating the latter bingsu, hotel chefs went through dozens of trials to capture the "sparkling" aspect of the wine in the actual bingsu. In order to make the perfect red bean paste, which can be ordered separately with each bingsu, a designated red bean chef has the arduous job of boiling the red bean until wrinkles form, then pouring cold water until the wrinkles are stretched out again, and repeating the process over and over until the perfect moist texture is reached. Some of the hotel's bingsu are sweetened with natural xylitol from Finland. Intercontinental Seoul Coex, 521 Teheran-ro, Gangnam-gu, Seoul; +82 2 3430 8603; bingsu prices start at ₩29,000 ($25) The Westin Chosun Seoul . The green tea bingsu at the Westin Chosun's The Circle uses the top-shelf ingredients: matcha (fine green tea powder) from Shizuoka, Japan, and red beans from Ganghwado, South Korea. The lounge takes its bingsu ice seriously -- in order to recreate ice most similar to natural ice, a "maturing process" is used to make the ice "smoother." Chef Jun Sung-kyu did the research for his recipe by visiting restaurants in Japan famous for their ice desserts. World's 50 best foods . Upon returning to South Korea, he created green tea syrup using a maturing method at low temperatures, and also came up with the perfect red bean recipe by soaking the beans in water for a day, then boiling them for eight hours and adding three kinds of sugar at varying intervals. The result is the chewiest and shiniest red bean paste imaginable. Westin Chosun Seoul, Sogong-dong, Jung-gu, Seoul; +82 2 317 0365; bingsu price is ₩28,000 ($24) Sheraton Grande Walkerhill . The variety of bingsu at Sheraton Grande Walkerhill is impressive. The basic menu lists apple mango, persimmon, triple berry, affogato and milk bingsu that are all served with organic red bean sauce, ddeok (sticky rice cakes) and ice cream. The hotel uses shaved frozen milk as its bingsu base, somehow managing to make the shaved ice is as soft as cotton candy. Each of the five bingsu has several layers of ingredients. It's fun to eat layer by layer, but mixing it all vigorously is the Korean style and recommended. On Saturdays and Sunday from 2-5 p.m., diners can create their bingsu with the option of 10 different types of fruit, various nuts and cookies. A variety of sauces, including melted chocolate, are available. Bingsu is served with complimentary tea and coffee. Sheraton Grande Walkerhill, Walkerhill-ro 177, Gwangjin-gu, Seoul; +82 2 450 4467; bingsu prices range from ₩15,000-42,000 ($13-36) The Shilla Seoul . While The Shilla Seoul has been under renovation since the beginning of the year, it still receives calls asking when its apple mango bingsu will be available again. One commenter on the hotel's website even left a note saying he couldn't forget the taste of the dessert and was planning to visit Seoul again for that specific reason. Explosively popular since its 2011 debut, the apple mango bingsu has had customers literally lining up for bowls -- an unusual sight in the austere luxury hotel. "We use the highest quality apple mangoes from Jeju Island and have opted to use a minimum amount of ingredients to keep the taste very clean and healthy," says hotel a representative. The sought after bingsu will return with The Shilla's reopening on August 1. The Shilla Seoul, 202 Jangchung-dong 2-ga, Jung-gu, Seoul; +82 2 2230 3389 . CNN Travel's series often carries sponsorship originating from the countries and regions we profile. However CNN retains full editorial control over all of its reports. Read the policy. | Park Hyatt Seoul debuted the first luxury "bingsu" shaved-ice dessert three years ago .
Since then, Seoul luxury hotels have been battling to roll out the best bingsu .
It's not just a vanity chase -- dessert sales are big business .
Hotels are debuting fancy new bingsu this summer . |
193,790 | 86dbc7b32d9d4111c193e88ff068ca29b644f103 | (WIRED) -- A judge on Monday ordered a Colorado woman to decrypt her laptop computer so prosecutors can use the files against her in a criminal case. The defendant, accused of bank fraud, had unsuccessfully argued that being forced to do so violates the Fifth Amendment's protection against compelled self-incrimination. "I conclude that the Fifth Amendment is not implicated by requiring production of the unencrypted contents of the Toshiba Satellite M305 laptop computer," Colorado U.S. District Judge Robert Blackburn ruled Monday (.pdf). The authorities seized the laptop from defendant Ramona Fricosu in 2010 with a court warrant while investigating financial fraud. The case is being closely watched (.pdf) by civil rights groups, as the issue has never been squarely weighed in on by the Supreme Court. Full disk encryption is an option built into the latest flavors of Windows, Mac OS and Linux, and well-designed encryption protocols used with a long passphrase can take decades to break, even with massive computing power. The government had argued that there was no Fifth Amendment breach, and that it might "require significant resources and may harm the subject computer" if the authorities tried to crack the encryption. Assistant U.S. Attorney Patricia Davies said in a court filing (.pdf) that if Judge Blackburn did not rule against the woman, that would amount to "a concession to her and potential criminals (be it in child exploitation, national security, terrorism, financial crimes or drug trafficking cases) that encrypting all inculpatory digital evidence will serve to defeat the efforts of law enforcement officers to obtain such evidence through judicially authorized search warrants, and thus make their prosecution impossible." A factually similar dispute involving child pornography ended with a Vermont federal judge ordering the defendant to decrypt the hard drive of his laptop. While that case never reached the Supreme Court, it differed from the Fricosu matter because U.S. border agents already knew there was child porn on the computer because they saw it while the computer was running during a 2006 routine stop along the Canadian border. The judge in the Colorado case said there was plenty of evidence — a jailhouse recording of the defendant — that the laptop might contain information the authorities were seeking. The judge ordered Fricosu to surrender an unencrypted hard drive by February 21. The judge added that the government is precluded "from using Ms. Fricosu's act of production of the unencrypted hard drive against her in any prosecution." Subscribe to WIRED magazine for less than $1 an issue and get a FREE GIFT! Click here! Copyright 2011 Wired.com. | Colorado woman accused of bank fraud ordered to allow prosecutors access .
Judge Robert Blackburn rules that Fifth Amendment protection does not apply .
Previous case involving child pornography resulted in the same ruling . |
104,314 | 1298c4614375e14975ce7bfbd4103cf5ca140de3 | (CNN) -- NASA has clamped a tight lid on its choice of a name for the international space station's new wing, but it's sending an astronaut to break the news to comedian Stephen Colbert on Tuesday night. Stephen Colbert has threatened to become "space's evil tyrant overlord" if he doesn't get his way. The name "Colbert" received the most votes in an online poll soliciting names for Node 3, a connecting module and its cupola. The comedian has warned NASA he would "seize power as space's evil tyrant overlord" if the results are not honored. Astronaut Sunita "Suni" Williams will reveal the decision on the comedian's show, "The Colbert Report," which will be taped in New York on Tuesday afternoon and broadcast later at 11:30 p.m. ET on Comedy Central. "I certainly hope NASA does the right thing," Colbert said in a news release from the space agency. "Just kidding, I hope they name it after me." Colbert's campaign generated welcome attention for the oft-forgotten space station, but it also presented a dilemma for NASA. The contest rules spelled out that NASA reserves the right to "select a name in accordance with the best interests of the agency. ... Such name may not necessarily be one which is on the list of voted-on candidate names." The runner-up was Serenity, which was more in line with the names of other nodes. In 2007, a poll of kindergartners chose the name of Harmony for Node 2. Colbert demanded NASA allow "democracy in orbit" on his show two weeks ago. "Either name that node after me or I, too, will reject democracy and seize power as space's evil tyrant overlord," he said. NASA has welcomed the publicity from Colbert's interest. "This spread overall awareness of the international space station," said Bill Gerstenmaier, NASA's associate administrator for space operations, who has appeared on Colbert's show. NASA changed plans to announce the name in late April at Kennedy Space Center in Florida when Colbert's producers invited officials to do the show, the space agency said. Node 3 -- whatever it's called -- will house many of the space station's life support systems. A space shuttle mission is set for later this year to deliver the module to the space station, NASA said. Colbert's loyal fans, known as the "Colbert Nation," have in the past bombarded polls to have things named after their idol. The comedian outpolled every other name in a bridge-naming contest in Hungary. The country's government later said it couldn't name the bridge after him because he didn't speak Hungarian and wasn't deceased. Colbert also tried to get himself on Democratic and Republican primary ballots in his home state of South Carolina in 2007. The Democratic Party's executive council voted against his inclusion, and he did not qualify for the Republican primary because he missed the deadline. But ice cream maker Ben & Jerry's named a flavor in honor of him, calling it Stephen Colbert's AmeriCone Dream. And Virgin America airline named one of its planes Air Colbert. | Stephen Colbert has won NASA poll for name of space station's new wing .
NASA reserves right to pick name for Node 3 .
Astronaut set to announce name on "The Colbert Report" on Tuesday night . |
283,139 | fac38f6009989eaa940c8e44e53c005b29ac67f0 | As Juno took the U.S. by storm, all most East Coasters could see was snow, but the view from space was entirely different. These images have been captured by Terry Virts, an American astronaut on the International Space Station, nearly 250 miles above the earth. He captured the the storm as it moved in on the coast, blurring the bright lights of the big cities below. Last night, forecasters warned that two separate weather systems may bring more snow to New England over the coming days. Scroll down for video . Nice view: The movement of storm Juno along the US east coast, capture by Terry Virts, an astronaut on the International Space Station . Extraordinary: The images, posted by Mr Virts on his Instagram, shows how the storm moves in from the right over the East Coast . Dizzying: As the storm moved in over the coastline, it blurs the bright lights of the cities below . A storm arriving in the region late Thursday and lasting off and on through Friday night will most likely bring 2 to 4 inches of snow to Connecticut, Rhode Island and Massachusetts, said Frank Nocera, a senior meteorologist at the National Weather Service. Eastern Massachusetts, including Boston and Cape Cod, has an 'outside chance' of seeing up to six inches — adding significantly to the 2 to 3 feet of snow already dumped in parts of Massachusetts earlier this week, Nocera said . Forecasters are also monitoring a storm heading into the region over the weekend. Depending on how it tracks, that storm could bring several more inches of snow - or snow turning into rain - from late Sunday into Monday in Connecticut, Rhode Island and southeastern Massachusetts, Nocera said. During the blizzard that pounded New England Monday and Tuesday, the central Massachusetts city of Worcester saw a record 34.5 inches, according to the National Weather Service. Boston saw just over 24 inches, and Providence, Rhode Island, had about 19 inches. It's coming in: A satellite image shows the East Coast on Monday as the storm hit . Bright white: As Juno made its move on the United States, seen on Monday afternoonm, the East Coast became covered in snow . The extent of the snowfall from this week's blizzard can be seen in this satellite image taken on Wednesday afternoon . | Astronaut on the International Space Station captures storm Juno moving in over the East Coast .
NASA's Terry Virts captured the the storm as it moved in over Boston and New York . |
65,684 | ba7df697f03cc017f5235c3b580ac6bb6ed33cbd | By . Daily Mail Reporter . and Ap Reporter . Jerry Sandusky's adopted son has spoken about his life with the serial child molester and prominent Penn State football coach in a new documentary. Matt Sandusky speaks about his ordeal and emotional decision to testify against his own father in Happy Valley, which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival on Sunday. The 34-year-old describes how he was plucked from a deprived upbringing and brought into the affluent Sandusky family, who were local celebrities. He says: 'His name was a golden ticket. It was good to be next to him, to feel powerful, to feel that people envied me instead of looking down on me.' Speaking out: Matt Sandusky says in the documentary Happy Valley that he has been 'betrayed' by the Sandusky family after he testified against his adoptive father . 'If people thought of [head coach] Joe Paterno as god, Jerry was like Jesus. They were to me the two most powerful people. They could do whatever they wanted, they could do no wrong. according to the LA Times. He also says that he feels 'betrayed' by the entire Sandusky family after he took the decision to testify against his father. But he maintains that he refused to be a 'coward' and risked everything to turn against those who had brought him up. Matt says he took part in the documentary 'to empower other survivors' and that he hopes to one day become an . advocate for such victims. The 100-minute film, which premiered on Sunday at the annual Salt Lake City movie jamboree, explores whether it was an open secret that Sandusky - who was convicted of 45 of 48 sexual abuse charges - was molesting boys over the course of his career. Matt revealed he had suffered seven years of molestation at the hands of his adoptive father - between the ages of eight and 15 - in 2012 after years of denying any abuse, including to a grand jury. He said the decision to share his story on film was not an easy one. 'For . me and all survivors it is important to have control over the timing . and setting of (the) disclosure,' Matt Sandusky told The Centre Daily Times. 'My role in the film was to share the perspective of a survivor, to give survivors a voice.' 'There were many victims in this case . who came forward for the trial — I have immense respect for their . strength — and because of those guys, I had the courage to come forward . to the authorities to tell what I had to tell — the truth.' Scroll down for video . Matt Sandusky attends the Happy Valley premiere at the 2014 Sundance Film Festival on January 19, 2014 in Park City, Utah. Sandusky chose the film as the forum for his first public comments of the abuse he endured at the hands of adoptive father and former Penn State coach Jerry Sandusky . Ex-Penn State football coach Jerry Sandusky was convicted of 45 of the 48 child sexual abuse laid against him involving 10 boys. A police confession by his son Matt Sandusky was a major turning point in the case . Matt Sandusky, the adopted son of former Penn State University assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky, leaves the Centre County Courthouse in Bellefonte, Pa., during his fathers trial on June 20, 2012 . 'I hope that people will begin to understand what I have gone through.' Matt Sandusky declined to elaborate on his comments in the film, but he said he discusses his childhood, the abuse and his relationship with family. He is one of six children adopted by Jerry and Dottie Sandusky. He petitioned last year to legally change his name, and that of his wife and four children. Matt's story first became when a secret tape of a 29-minute interview he did with police during the middle of his father's trial was leaked to NBC. In the tape Matt said his father would enter his bedroom at night and 'blow raspberries' on his stomach, then move his hand down his body, rubbing up against his genitals. Matt Sandusky said he would sometimes cower 'in a fetal position' in his bed trying to avoid his father. Matt met Jerry Sandusky through the Second Mile program and would often stay at his home Pennsylvania home (pictured). Matt was taken in as a foster child and eventually adopted by the family . 'It just was, just became very uncomfortable. You know, just with everything that was going on,' he said on the tape. 'What was, what was going on?' a police detective asked. 'With like the showering, with the hugging, with the rubbing, with the just talking to me. The way he spoke. And just, the whole interaction with him alone. Anything, anytime we were alone just those interactions ...' Matt replied. Unlike many of the victims who testified at Sandusky’s trial, Matt Sandusky said he could not remember if his father ever engaged in any oral or penetrative sex acts with him. 'You said at the beginning of our interview last night that things happened to you, but there was no, that you can recall, there was no penetration or oral sex. Is that correct?' the police detective asked. 'Yes. As of this time, I don’t recall that.' Sandusky had been listed as a defense witness at his father's 2012 trial, but he instead disclosed through lawyers that he had also been abused and didn't take the stand. He said that finally telling his story was about 'righting wrongs', with his confession bringing much more integrity to the testimonies of the child victims. Allegations of molestation against Jerry Sandusky first surfaced in 2011, with a total of 10 boys coming forward with stories of sexual abuse. Sandusky maintains he is innocent . It is also allowed the supporters and family members who had backed Sandusky throughout the case a different perspective. Jerry Sandusky, convicted on 45 counts involving 10 boys, maintains his innocence and is appealing his conviction. He is serving a 30- to 60-year prison term. An online synopsis of Happy Valley, made by The Tillman Story director Amir Bar-Lev, describes the film as a 'complicated and tragic tale'. Matt Sandusky watched the film in a recent private screening. The film’s producer, Ken Dornstein, said in a Los Angeles Times review published Friday that Matt Sandusky was the last person interviewed for the documentary. 'We knew his story could stand in for a lot of the victims’ stories, and we waited for Matt,' the producer said. Jerry Sandusky is led in handcuffs by Centre County Sheriff Denny Nau after being found guilty at the Centre County Courthouse on June 22, 2012 . 'We held the film for him.' The Salt Lake Tribune said it 'leaves the stomach in knots for the entirety of the 100-minute film'. The Times’ film critic called the film 'thorough' and 'thoughtful'. Matt Sandusky said he now hopes to start a nonprofit in the State College area to advocate for child sex-abuse victims. 'It is something I am determined to do,' he said. 'My ultimate hope is to empower other survivors.' Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy . | Matt Sandusky, now 34, was one of six children adopted by Jerry and Dottie Sandusky .
Despite denying any sexual abuse at the hands of his father Matt confessed to police in the middle of Sandusky's trial in 2012 he was molested for seven years .
The admission was seen as a critical point in the case, which found Sandusky guilty of 45 of the 48 charges against him .
Matt agreed to be the 'central character' of documentary Happy Valley, a Sundance Film Festival entrant that questions whether Sandusky's abuse was an open secret at Penn State .
Matt said he discusses his childhood, the abuse and his relationship with family in the film .
He hopes his honesty will inspire victims of other sex crimes to report their stories . |
225,249 | afab02bb723b7686a89e0057836758ab0b6a25c5 | Fears that Australia is in a property bubble are set to fade as worries turn to unemployment and inflation, a leading economist says. Tim Toohey, head of economics at Goldman Sachs, predicts the Australian economy will struggle in 2015 and will go into 'income shock' as mining investment drops off. But he said the Reserve Bank of Australia is unable to adopt an 'easing bias' - meaning it would favour cutting interest rates over raising them - because of Australia's booming property market, Fairfax reported. The Reserve Bank of Australia is unable to cut interest rates or go further and change to an 'easing bias' because of Australia's booming property market, says Goldman Sachs head of economics Tim Toohey . Houses stand along the waterfront in Sydney's Point Piper, one of Australia's most expensive suburbs . 'There's really only one hurdle standing in front of the RBA in terms of adopting back an easing bias and it is pure and simply house prices,' Mr Toohey told Bloomberg. Mr Toohey said concerns would shift away from property and any change to the official cash rate in the next year would be based upon the unemployment rate and inflation, rather than house prices. Mr Toohey added that Goldman Sachs reluctantly withdrew its call for the RBA to drop the official cash rate from 2.5 percent to 2.25 percent in August, but said the 'balance of risks still skew in that direction'. AMP chief economist Shane Oliver agreed that worries about a property bubble will fade over time. 'As affordability has deteriorated and as the Reserve Bank continues with its warnings to investors and the possibility of greater constraints on bank lending the pace of gains in property prices will slow down,' Mr Oliver said. 'It's certainly true that the property bubble has constrained them a bit - they might have preferred to cut rates sooner if it wasn't for concerns of a property bubble.' A job seeker takes notes as he browses job notices at a jobs and skills expo in Melbourne. Fears that Australia is in a property bubble are set to fade as worries turn to unemployment and rising inflation . Mr Toohey said the impact of the end of the mining boom will be worse than experts are currently predicting, and the economy will suffer 'income shock' in the next year due to a drop in the price of coal and iron ore experts. He told Bloomberg the Australian dollar needed to fall, but he clarified that it needed to drop 'lower relative to where commodity prices actually are going'. Mr Toohey said Goldman Sachs predicts that the inflation rate will finish the year below 2 percent. The annual inflation rate eased to 2.3 per cent in the September quarter, and the RBA aims to keep it between 2 and 3 percent. But Mr Oliver said he did not predict a dramatic rise in unemployment in the near future, nor did he think that inflation would fall below 2 percent because the Aussie dollar was trending downwards. Mr Toohey said the Australia dollar needed to fall 'lower relative to where commodity prices actually are going' The dollar spent the period between April and early September hovering around 93 and 94 US cents, but since then had dropped off and even hit a low of 86.43 US cents in early October. On Tuesday morning the Australian dollar was trading at 88.04 US cents. 'I don't see inflation as a problem,' Mr Oliver said. 'My feeling is inflation could go a little bit lower, towards 2 percent, but I don't see it falling below 2 percent.' Mr Oliver said inflation would be kept in check so long as the Aussie dollar continued to fall. 'With falling commodity prices the Aussie dollar needs to fall back again,' he said. 'If we're going to see a re-balancing of the economy we need to breathe life into tourism and manufacturing sector. 'And if we want to see them going again we need to see the dollar fall further.' Mr Toohey said the impact of the end of the mining boom will be worse than experts are currently predicting . | Tim Toohey, head of economics at Goldman Sachs, predicts the Australian economy will struggle in 2015 .
RBA 'unable to cut interest rates because of booming property market'
Worries will turn away from property prices to unemployment and inflation . |
190,363 | 82766fac17fc01642f7799c122b105e52b1aed88 | By . Sam Webb . PUBLISHED: . 10:57 EST, 17 October 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 15:37 EST, 17 October 2012 . The body of Cassandra Gittens-Bishop lay in a field for hours after she lost control of her car following a boozy internet date . A young mother lay undiscovered in a field for hours after she drunkenly crashed her car and died. Cassandra Gittens-Bishop, known to . her friends as Cassy, had spent the evening with a man she had met on . the internet but when she became drunk, date Tom Westley dropped her . home. After the 22-year-old said goodbye to Mr Westley and he drove away, she began to scream loudly inside her home in Hitchin, Hertfordshire, so much so that worried neighbours called the police. Officers left after she calmed down, only for her next door neighbour Tracy Watmore to notice that Miss Gittens-Bishop was trying to drive off in her car and she heard the woman stall the vehicle several times. Mrs Watmore called police to warn them that she thought Miss Gittens-Bishop was trying to drive drunk, and although officers arrived in the street almost immediately and began their search, it was not until nearly six hours later that her body was discovered by a passing cyclist. She had lost control of her car and span off a road, crashing into a field with the vehicle spinning nearly three times before coming to rest on its side. The cyclist who discovered her dialled 999 and paramedics rushed to the scene but they found that she was already dead. Blood tests revealed that her blood alcohol level had been 225mg in 100ml of blood - around three times the drink-driving limit. She also had traces of cocaine in her blood, although police scientists could not tell if Cassy had taken a small amount of the drug shortly before her death, or a larger amount earlier. Happier times: Miss Gittens-Bishop with friends on a night out. She asphyxiated in her car after crashing in a field . The inquest at Hatfield, Hertfordshire, was told that the evening before her death, in the early hours of Friday, November 25 last year, Cassy had been out with Mr Westley, who she had previously met up with around six or seven times. Mr Westley had driven, and so had not been drinking, but said that his date had drunk most of a bottle of wine, two Jaegerbombs, a glass of Champagne and a double vodka and coke. 'She was drunk,' he said. Mr Westley confirmed that Miss Gittens-Bishop had asked him to take her to a friend’s house in Bedford but he had refused and instead took her home before he drove away at around 12.15am. Neighbour Mrs Watmore said that police were called to the house shortly afterwards as they had heard her screaming and throwing items around her home. Location: Her car was picked up on an automatic number plate camera at 1.36am on the A600 road (pictured) towards Bedford . 'It sounded like there was fighting going on, or she was throwing stuff - things were getting thrown around. There was a lot of banging,' she said. Police arrived and Mrs Watmore said that Miss Gittens-Bishop seemed to calm down and could be heard laughing with the officers. The officers then left, when Mrs Watmore saw her neighbour get into her car, and pull out of the driveway, only to stall. 'It was like the handbrake was on, she couldn’t move the car forward,' she said. 'I wasn’t sure if she had been drinking, you don’t drive off with a handbrake on. I wanted reassurance so I rang the police as I was worried whether she should be driving.' Officers returned to the street after Mrs Watmore’s call, but Cassy had already driven away. Her car was picked up on an automatic number plate camera at 1.36am on the A600 road towards Bedford, but there was no further sign of her until shortly before 7am when her body was discovered, still in the car, in a nearby field by the cyclist. Troubled: The inquest heard that Miss Gittens-Bishop had been a regular user of cocaine in the month prior to her death and had a history of mental health problems and erratic behaviour, causing police to frequently be called out to her home . She still had the seatbelt on and was in the driving seat, although the car had flipped onto the passenger's side. A post mortem examination revealed that Cassy had died from asphyxia due to the position she had ended up in inside the car but that she had been unconscious prior to this, with her alcohol level a contributing factor. Road traffic investigators concluded that Cassy, who was travelling at the 60mph speed limit, had lost control on a gentle bend and had come off the road when she tried to compensate and over-steered. The inquest heard that Cassy had been a regular user of cocaine in the month prior to her death, as well as a history of mental health problems and erratic behaviour - causing police to frequently be called out to her home. Hertfordshire deputy coroner Graham Danbury recorded that the death had been an accident, adding that the crash had 'distressing results'. | Cassandra Gittens-Bishop's body was found in a field by a cyclist .
The night before the 22-year-old had consumed large quantities of alcohol on a date, prompting a police visit to her home in Hitchin, Hertfordshire .
After officers left she got into her car and drove away, before losing control on a bend.
She asphyxiated and was not discovered for hours . |
33,456 | 5f2b466691bf45de684ffe8487f52cd44429fb69 | A Detroit teenager was taken off life support and died due to a gunshot wound caused by a friend playing with a handgun, police said. WJBK reports that Bernard Walker, 16, was in a home in the neighborhood of Petosky-Otsego on Christmas Day, when two friends arrived, one carrying a loaded weapon. Police say the friends started playing around with the gun in the basement, when the 19-year-old pulled the trigger, firing a shot that struck Bernard in the head. Killed: Bernard Walker, 16, was taken off life support after being struck in the head by a bullet fired by a 19-year-old friend while the two were playing around . The teen was rushed to nearby Henry Ford Hospital, where he was put on a ventilator. He was removed from life support and died Friday afternoon. The station reports that a neighbor called Bernard a 'good kid,' and his mother, Theresa Culbert, described having to watch her son slip away. 'He wasn't really doing good at all,' Culbert said. 'Just basically had to watch his brain die.' Both of Bernard's friends were taken into custody by police. Detroit Police Department spokesperson Jennifer Moreno told Detroit News police are holding the 19-year-old and will seek charges in connection to Bernard's death. Though the decision is up to the Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office, Officer Moreno said the charge would likely be manslaughter or second-degree murder. Memorialized: Friends on Twitter said that a candlelight vigil for Bernard, pictured with a classmate, will be held on Monday . Recklessness: Detroit Police Department spokesperson Jennifer Moreno told Detroit News police are holding his 19-year-old friend and will seek charges in connection to Bernard's death . Police also said that a check to determine whether the gun was registered to an owner had not come back Friday. Friends of Walker's on Twitter said that a candlelight vigil was planned for Monday evening. | Bernard Walker was in the basement of a home with a 19-year-old friend who was carrying a weapon .
The older teen pulled the trigger and fired a shot that struck Walker in the head .
Walker was taken to the hospital where he was put on a ventilator .
On Friday, the teenager was taken off life support and died . |
158,743 | 593cf300b8e1a6e4bcc8491a0c462deb4a870316 | The unclaimed bodies of 13 military veterans were finally laid to rest in side-by-side plots following a poignant 60-mile funeral procession yesterday. The dead soldiers, seven of whom served in Vietnam, were driven from a morgue in Detroit to Great Lakes National Cemetery in Holly Township, Michigan - their hearses flanked by state troopers on motorbikes. All of the men died alone in the last three years, but tragically, their remains were left unclaimed at the Wayne County medical examiner's office. Ex-servicemen and state troopers stand to attention as the 13 veterans are laid to rest at Great Lakes National Cemetery in Holly Township, Michigan yesterday . While some fought in Vietnam, others served as far back as the 1950s - with at least one going to fight in the Korean War. The veterans were identified by the Missing in America Project, who 'locate and inter the unclaimed remains of American veterans through the joint efforts of private, state and federal organizations'. Sadly, they were among 200 unclaimed bodies from the same morgue, which have all now been buried - as the county could not bear the cost of holding on to them. Of the 13 who were laid to rest with full military honors, only one - Vietnam-era veteran Roland Dukes - had a family member present who received a flag from the casket. Shimeca Jackson, Mr Dukes' niece, said: 'We appreciate them honoring him. A lot of time has passed by. It was a beautiful ceremony.' Shimeca Jackson (right) was the only family member present at the funeral, being the niece of Vietnam-era veteran Roland Dukes . David Techner, funeral director of the Ira Kaufman Chapel in Southfield and a member of the coalition responsible for the burials, said having 'hundreds of bodies stacked up in the morgue' will never happen again . David Techner, funeral director of the Ira Kaufman Chapel in Southfield and a member of the coalition responsible for the burials, said having 'hundreds of bodies stacked up in the morgue' will never happen again. He stated that the group have come up with 'Initiative 91', which calls for the coalition to step in and either bury or cremate a body that is not claimed within 90 days. Major Carl Livingston, a chaplain with the Army National Guard, said during the service that 'all service members just want to return home'. The men were identified by the Missing in America Project, which also organised yesterday's funeral . All of the men died in the last three years, but tragically, their remains were left unclaimed at the Wayne County medical examiner's office . He added: 'These men did just that. Rest in peace, dear brothers-in-arms.' He then offered a moving salute to the 13 flag-draped caskets behind him. The Jewish Fund played a key role in coordinating the burials. Their chairman, Dr. Richard Krugel, said: 'This brings to an end a very tragic time in our community,' | Former soldiers were among 200 unclaimed bodies in a Detroit morgue .
A community coalition has now completed burials of all of the bodies .
And vowed 'hundreds of bodies stacked in morgue will never happen again'
Missing in America Project identified 13 men buried yesterday as veterans .
Seven served in the Vietnam and one even fought in the Korean War . |
145,458 | 48190102416b4b134ddb27867dcf7c85d188b7a9 | Former Newcastle United midfielder Nolberto Solano has agreed to become the new manager of Thai regional side Hua Hin City, local media has reported. The 40-year-old will arrive in Thailand on Thursday to sign a contract to take charge of the team from the beachside town south of Bangkok, who compete in the third tier of domestic football. No financial details or length of contract were disclosed. Former Newcastle United winger Nolberto Solano 'agrees' to become boss of Thai side Hua Hin City . Ex-Peru winger had been looking for a coaching role in England but will fly to Thailand on Thursday . The deal was completed after financial backing was secured with unnamed sponsors, Siam Sport quoted Hua Hin team manager Rujipas Pinkaew as saying. Solano became something of a cult figure at Newcastle after spending almost a decade at the club in two spells. He also played for a number of other Premier League sides, including Aston Vila and West Ham United, and represented Peru on more than 90 occasions. The free-kick specialist quit playing in 2012 to embark on a coaching career at home and in Canada and had been linked with some managerial positions in England's lower leagues before agreeing a deal with Hua Hin this week. Solano (left) competes for the ball with Chelsea's Mario Stanic during a Premier League match in 2002 . Â . | Nolberto Solano as agreed to become new boss of Thai regional side Hua Hin City according to reports in the country .
The 40-year-old will arrive in Thailand on Thursday to sign a contract .
Ex-Newcastle United midfielder was seeking a coaching role in England . |
127,726 | 3119ed1cfe62b37afd58d42552bf7099a7556e4e | The father of NSA leaker Edward Snowden told reporters in Moscow that he thinks his son deserves a Nobel Peace Prize. He arrived there Thursday for his first visit with his son since the former government IT contractor fled the United States after leaking National Security Agency spy program details to the media. Members of the European Parliament nominated Snowden in September for the Andrei Sakharov Prize, which honors figures who stand up to oppressive powers. The prize was awarded to Pakistani education activist Malala Yousafzai on Thursday. "Edward took the Sakharov prize nomination very calmly," Lon Snowden told reporters at Moscow's Sheremetyevo International Airport. "He wanted to expose the injustices in the American system, and wasn't doing it with any awards in mind." Edward Snowden collected information on spy programs, in which the NSA mined phone and Internet metadata from thousands of people inside and outside of the United States. He exposed the program to the media. Anticipating legal consequences, he initially fled to Hong Kong in late May but flew to Moscow on June 23. He was holed up at the airport for more than five weeks. U.S. authorities have charged him with espionage and theft of government property. Snowden received asylum in Russia on August 1 and left the airport. Snowden's father: 'I know my son. I know he loves his country' Low profile . Lon Snowden's visit to Russia seems shrouded in mystery, as Edward Snowden is keeping information about himself close to the vest. "I've had no direct contact with my son despite previous reports, so I really have no idea what his intentions are," Lon Snowden told reporters at the airport. Snowden the son has kept a low profile, apparently not even telling his father where in Russia he is living. "I cannot answer the question if Edward is in Moscow," Lon Snowden said. "I don't know that. I haven't been informed where Edward is right now." His lawyer, Anatoly Kucherena, also has not disclosed Snowden's location. But he told reporters that he had met with him Wednesday. It appears that Snowden is settling in to his new surroundings. He has been living from savings and donations but has had some job offers, Kucherena said. "I am confident that he would find a high-paying job. He is very capable." He is also learning Russian and soaking in Russian culture, Kucherena said. And he has a girlfriend. The lawyer earlier told reporters that Edward Snowden may hold a news conference soon, but later reversed that, saying the former contractor had no intention of speaking publicly. Since the movie "The Fifth Estate" came out, which is based on the experiences of WikiLeaker Julian Assange, producers have contacted Snowden about telling his story on film. But he does not seem interested at the time. Defending his son . As in the past, Lon Snowden defended his son's actions Thursday, calling him a "whistle-blower" who is "not leaking information." "I don't think the American public knows all the details of what my son did," he said. Snowden has said that he does not expect his son to receive a fair trial in the United States and would not want him to come home, until that changes. "I'm not sure that my son will be returning to the U.S. again. That's his decision. He is an adult," the elder Snowden told reporters. He thanked the Russian people and President Vladimir Putin for taking his son in. "I consider Edward to be absolutely safe in Russia. He is comfortable here," he said. Lon Snowden has received a visa for multiple entries into the country. "I hope to return to Russia many times," he said. Father Lon carefully separated his own interests from Edward Snowden's, speaking of getting on with his own life in the United States, while his son moves on with his in Russia. But he in no way distanced himself from the younger Snowden. He told reporters: "I am his father. I love my son." Snowden: My father and his legal team do not speak for me . | Edward Snowden has job offers in Russia and has a girlfriend there, lawyer says .
Snowden's father says he wants to get on with his life but stresses that he loves his son .
Snowden fled the U.S. after leaking information about NSA spy programs .
He received asylum in Russia after being holed up at a Moscow airport for weeks . |
106,388 | 15354f7c365615f2dfbdabff8ed82b9f4788a17c | When looking for a thrill or a rush of excitement, people do things like take spontaneous cross-country road trips, go bungee jumping, or, if they’re really brave, go skydiving. But for renowned skier and base jumper Erik Roner, excitement is nothing less than being airlifted in a lawn chair by 90 balloons and shooting his way down with a shotgun. Yes, you read that correctly. In his latest trick, the extreme sportsman from Tahoe City, California, used 50 tanks of helium to create a quirky piece of flying kit. The airship draws on the one crafted by widower Carl Fredricksen in the Disney film, Up. Scroll down for video . Stunt: Renowned skier, BASE jumper, and Nitro Circus member Erik Roner's last stunt involved a lawn chair, 90 balloons, a parachute and a shotgun . Flying high: Roner attached 90 balloons to a lawn chair and ascended 8,000 feet into the air . Source of inspiration: The airship draws on the one crafted by Carl Fredricksen in the Disney film, Up. Friends and family helped Roner to attach dozens of brightly-colored balloons to a lawn chair using a bungee cord - but not without losing a few along the way. A video of the stunt shows Roner ascending thousands of feet above the Utah desert as he casually sits back in the lawn chair. While he places one elbow on an arm rest he holds a shotgun under the other. There are cameras attached to his clothing and his friends are also seen filming from below. 'Wow. It really doesn't get much more peaceful than this,' Roner says when he reaches 8,000 feet. At that moment he pulls out the shotgun and starts shooting at the balloons to start his descent. Then, once at a suitable elevation, he detaches the chair from the cluster of balloons and begins skydiving. The shotgun remains in his hand. He soon deploys his parachute and floats safely to the ground, his trick successful. Building blocks: Roner started out with a lawn chair - which amazingly survived falling thousands of feet from the sky . Team effort: Friends and family helped Roner to attach dozens of brightly-colored balloons to a lawn chair using a bungee cord - but not without losing a few along the way . Getting comfortable: In a video of the stunt, Roner ascends 8000 feet into the air as he casually lies down on the lawn chair . From all angles: There are cameras attached to his clothing and his friends are also seen filming from below . Lost in the moment: 'Wow. It really doesn't get much more peaceful than this,' Roner says as he reaches 8,000 feet . Freefall: When he reaches a certain elevation, Roner detaches the lawn chair from the balloons and starts skydiving . Caught on camera: Here a drone can be seen in the sky recording the hair-raising stunt . Mission accomplished: Roner soon deploys his parachute and floats safely to the ground, his trick successful . | Renowned skier and base jumper, Erik Roner, used 50 tanks of helium to inflate 90 balloons .
He rose thousands of feet into the sky before shooting his quirky aircraft down with a rifle .
Roner then skydived to safety . |
45,270 | 7fa13751f3ace0fad1c4c4af38d70ec88fa136e3 | By . Bianca London . She may have millions of dollars in the bank and a team of experts on hand to ensure she looks flawless 24/7 but Beyonce's make-up artist has revealed the secrets behind the singer's glow are easy to achieve at home and won't break the bank. Sir John, who was Queen Bey's right hand man during her Mrs. Carter world tour and responsible for her dramatic new look for her latest album, has shared his tips for emulating the super star's glow. Writing on Destination Iman, Sir John explains how he uses £32 Caudalie Beauty Elixir - a firm favourite of Karlie Kloss and Liv Tyler - and £5 Visine eye drops to combat fatigued skin. Get the look: Beyonce's make-up artist has shared her tricks of the trade - and getting the singer's glow is cheaper than you may think . 'For shows, she lets me wing it, and we just go with it,' he says about creating Beyonce's tour look. To get her pearlescent glow, Sir John buffs a few drops of Charlotte Tilbury’s Wonder Glow Illuminator (£38.50) onto the skin. To re-create her metallic eyes, he advises blending copper, silver, or bronze to the inner corners of the eyes and complimenting the look with a nude lip. Speaking about transforming Beyonce for her new visual album, he explained that the duo were inspired by people in Rio De Janeiro and New Zealand while shooting and touring. Beauty arsenal: Sir John uses £32 Caudalie Beauty Elixir and Charlotte Tilbury's Wonder Glow Illuminator (£38.50) to brighten Bey's complexion . He said: 'Beyonce herself is my muse. Her passion . for growth, not only as an artist, but as a human being, really pushed . me to greater heights as well.' Sir John, who also works with Joan Smalls and Jourdan Dunn, who appeared in her Yonce video, met Beyoncé backstage at Tom Ford’s spring 2011 show and hasn't looked back since. Another member of Beyonce's glam squad, make-up artist Francesca Tolot, who met Beyonce in 2003 and created that sexy . 'wet look' for her smash hit Crazy In Love, also shared the singer's beauty secrets. Model and muse: Sir John says that Beyonce herself is his muse. 'Her passion for growth, not only as an artist, but as a human being, really pushed me to greater heights as well,' he explained about working with her . Speaking to Into The Gloss, Francesco revealed that the key to Mrs . Carter's incredible glow on stage and camera is in fact just good old . baby oil - a great tip for those who don't have a Beyonce-sized make-up . budget. Francesca says she works closely with the star to create her looks - opting for a much . more pared-down, natural look for many of the videos for her new album. She says: 'There isn't really a look she doesn’t like. She’s very smart—whatever we do is her project. It’s her. Worldly inspiration: Sir John explained that the duo were inspired by the people of Rio De Janeiro and New Zealand while shooting and touring . 'We . stopped using lashes quite a few years ago, except for that look in the . "Blow" video, when we went for a really ‘70s look. At one point I . brought up the fact that I feel that false eyelashes are dated, unless . you're going for the retro look. So I talked to her about that, and she . totally agreed.’ Gushing . about the star, who Francesca travels the world with, she said that . Beyonce’s natural beauty means she actually requires very little . make-up, and the hardest look she has ever created was making her ugly. ‘One of the hardest looks to do was for Cadillac Records when . she looked so distressed. Can you imagine- somebody with perfect skin, . beautiful almond-shaped eyes, very luminous and happy and full of joy—to . make her look so bad?’ Tough gig: Francesca Her hardest task while working for the star was . making her look unattractive for a scene in her film Cadillac Records in . which she strared as Etta James (pictured) Spritz Visine eye spray over the eyes to waken them . Smooth on Caudalie Beauty Elixir to refresh tired skin . Get the Yonce glow with Charlotte Tilbury’s Wonder Glow Illuminator . For luminous metallic lids a la Bey, he recommends dusting the tear ducts of your eyes with a copper, silver or bronze shadow (two coats at most) Get lippy with a nude shade such as a taupe colour . | Sir John says Beyonce lets him 'wing it' with her tour make-up .
Uses £32 Caudalie Beauty Elixir and £5 Visine eye drops .
He and Bey were inspired by their travels .
Says she is his muse and her passion 'pushed him to greater heights' |
136,947 | 3d244801e60430812f52967bd3c372ec71ab4286 | Do you hate your cable company? Is that same company your Internet provider? Or do you pay an outrageous sum for super slow Web access over your phone line? The announcement of yet another megamerger in the telecommunications industry -- this time Comcast is proposing to buy Time Warner Cable in a plan that would merge the country's two largest cable providers -- highlights just how broken and misguided the United States is when it comes to its vital Internet infrastructure. Americans are divided on many issues, but resentment against these telecom giants is so pervasive that it may just be the most heartwarming symbol of national unity. And that's as it should be. Except that the resentment should extend to politicians who have made this disastrous system possible and allow political contributions to prevent them from fixing it. The problem is not just one of dismal customer service. Instead, it is a growing threat to the country's economic and strategic position. If you travel overseas, you will quickly notice that Web access in much of the developed world is light years ahead of America's. You may also be irritated to discover that far better Internet is much, much cheaper in other countries. The average American spends thousands of dollars each year for Internet, phone and cable services. If you live in, say, Lafayette, Louisiana, your best "triple play" deal -- cable, Internet and phone -- comes courtesy of Comcast at $121 per month, according to a study by the New America Foundation. That service limps into your house at a rate of 5 Megabits per second (Mbps). If you lived in Seoul, South Korea, you could buy the same three-service bundle blazing at 100 Mbps -- 20 times faster -- for just $35. Or you could pay just $15 a month for a modest 8 Mbps, still a huge improvement in speed at a small fraction of the cost. How much do you pay? Does it feel like you're being robbed? The problem is that telecommunications services are coming from an ever-smaller number of companies with very little genuine competition. And the way the system is structured, those companies have practically no incentive to build a fast Internet. Why would Comcast invest in fast fiber networks when it already controls most of the market? In fact, if Comcast provided faster Internet service, it might jeopardize its own cable business by making alternatives such as Netflix and Hulu more appealing. Already there are reports that Comcast is trying to keep its competitor Netflix in check. Verizon, incidentally, started building a fiber optic network, FiOS. But it decided to stop expanding and focus on improving the profitability of the existing FiOS ecosystem. Why invest on fast Internet when you can mint money on mobile service, and when fast Internet makes services such as Skype more of threat? What is good for the phone, cable and Internet companies is not good for America. To open the country to the future, Internet providers would need to build a network of fibers reaching into all our homes. Fiber optic cables will make the Internet so fast we can barely imagine it. To show us what we're missing, and probably to prod us into action, Google decided to build those networks in a handful of cities. Google Fiber, growing in Kansas City, Austin and Provo, Utah, will clock at an astounding 1,000 Mbps. That's an incredible 200 times faster than the Lafayette example, and 100 times faster than the U.S. average. In the past few years, I have experienced Internet service that is cheaper and much faster in Paris, Tokyo, London, Amsterdam, Jerusalem and other cities. America's Internet is awful and awfully expensive. That means Americans waste precious time waiting for downloads to limp onto their screens. It also means American businesses are less efficient than they could be, and it means America's brilliant, creative technological minds and its entrepreneurs, who already gave the world the Internet and much of its wonders, are falling behind and will continue to fall even further. According to the World Economic Forum's Global Competitiveness Report, the U.S. ranks 35th in world Internet bandwidth per user despite being ranked No. 1 in gross domestic product. Countless reports have documented the embarrassing state of the country's crawling Internet network. Adding insult to this electronic injury are the larcenous rates extracted by providers from America's mostly helpless consumers. Check out Akamai's quarterly State of the Internet report, and you will discover that as bad as the situation is, it is only getting worse, particularly when it comes to top quality connection speeds. The world's fastest average peak connection speeds, which requires bringing the Internet over fiber lines, are found in Hong Kong, South Korea, Japan, Singapore and Israel, with peak speeds in the range of 47.7 Mbps to 65 Mbps. The U.S. did not even make it into the top ten for the category. Meanwhile, the U.S. average connection speed was just 9.8 Mbps, less than half that of South Korea. There are a number of possible solutions. In places where the Web signal flies like an Olympic luge over the ice, the government may have developed the infrastructure, but they can rent those fiber lines to private telecom firms that package the service for consumers. The fees can even bring profit to municipal coffers. Some American cities are experimenting with the idea. But the telecom firms are generous and powerful lobbyists, poised to block competition and regulations. At this time of national political polarization, this is a ripe issue for new politicians hoping to bring change. My humble proposal is that brave new candidates tackle the problem loudly, embracing the common purpose of helping consumers while responding to an urgent national imperative. It is a problem that unites Americans across party lines, and those fed up with party lines, in their disdain for the companies that give them an inferior service at a ridiculous price. Politicians who campaign -- and later govern -- with a clear plan to improve America's Internet infrastructure will incur the wrath of wealthy corporations, but they will earn the admiration of voters. | Comcast proposed to buy Time Warner Cable for $45 billion .
Frida Ghitis: Merging the two largest cable providers is bad for America .
She says Americans pay more for lower quality Internet service; other nations are ahead .
Ghitis: Comcast will have little incentive to improve our vital Internet infrastructure . |
549 | 019a761cedf604712ca1c6390fe85d4f59b8a4e7 | By . James Tozer . UPDATED: . 19:57 EST, 16 February 2012 . A scanner darkly: The machines are being turned off at Manchester and Birmingham . Costly eye scanners that were meant to slash queues at airport passport control are being quietly scrapped, it emerged yesterday. Labour ministers brought in iris recognition checks at an estimated cost of £9million, claiming they were capable of processing travellers in as little as 12 seconds. But after 385,000 passengers submitted their details, the scanners have been ditched at Birmingham and Manchester airports, and they are expected to vanish from Heathrow and Gatwick after the Olympics. Critics said it was another expensive Government software failure, saying the system had ended up taking longer than traditional manual checks. Some irate travellers even ended up getting trapped inside the scanning booths when they malfunctioned. When the then immigration minister, Des Browne, unveiled the Iris Recognition Immigration System, known as Iris, in 2004, he claimed it would provide a ‘watertight’ check of identities as well as cutting queues. It was targeted at foreign passport holders resident in the UK or who regularly travel here and wanted to avoid lengthy queues. They had to undergo a free 15-minute registration to record the unique pattern of their iris every two years. The Iris system is understood to have cost a total of £4million to run on top of its development price of £4.9million. The contract was given to a French firm, Sagem. Plans to use the technology for UK passports and evden Labour’s ill-fated ID cards scheme were dropped after it emerged that up to one in ten travellers were wrongly rejected by the scanners. Scanner inspection: Labour Home Secretary Charles Clarke tries out one of the new scanners in 2005 as they were hailed by Ministers as a key weapon in the fight against terrorism and fraud . Trumpeted as a key tool in the fight against identity fraud, Iris scanners were expected to slash clues when they were launched by the Labour Government in 2004. But in reality the scanners were dead on arrival. The scheme cost £9million. Immigration minister Des Browne boasted at launch that the scanners would cut waiting times to just 12 seconds per passenger. The devices, which are free to use, were aimed at regular travellers. But perversely, passengers who want to dodge queues by using the scanners have to queue up for a 15-minute registration - then repeat the process every two years. With the registration scheme now closed, biometric scanners will be phased out within two years unless it it reopened. They then had to wait for manual checks to be performed. Subsequently, facial recognition . technology has been developed with the new generation of biometric . passports which can be used at automated ‘e-gates’. These chip-enabled passports are not . held by travellers from outside the European Economic Area, however, and . they have remained dependent on iris recognition. Lucy Moreton, deputy general . secretary of the Immigration Service Union, said the Iris scheme had . been beset with problems from the beginning. She added: ‘Iris scanners . are prone to throwing up false alerts when genuine travellers try to use . them. We welcome the decision to phase them out.’ James Baker, of privacy group No2ID, . said: ‘This is recognition that iris scanning is an expensive failure. The money would be better spent employing more trained staff to use . their initiative and check passports manually.’ A Home Office spokesman said: ‘We are . phasing out Iris and will be replacing it with other types of gates . that non-EU passengers will be able to use.’ | Iris scanners cost £9million when they were launched in 2004 .
Machines were already out of date when they were launched .
Manchester and Birmingham airports quietly scrapping the machines .
Heathrow and Gatwick to halt scheme for new passengers . |
171,789 | 6a560f4ba052382f0ae1829da50246127cfc7a38 | By . Claire Bates . PUBLISHED: . 07:53 EST, 14 May 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 03:00 EST, 15 May 2012 . The Scottish Government has announced it wants to set a minimum price of 50p per unit of alcohol. The measure is predicted to save 500 lives a year, and will see the price of a standard bottle of wine at 12.5% volume set at a minimum of £4.69 in Scotland, compared to £2.99 for the cheapest bottle of plonk in England. The proposals raise the prospect of cross-border booze raids from Scots who wish to avoid paying up to two and a half times the current price of alcohol. The price of a can of strong cider will rise from 45p to at least £1.17 under the planned changes. Health Secretary Nicola Sturgeon with during a visit to Glasgow Royal Infirmary where she announced the Scottish Government is planning to set a minimum price for alcohol . A 70cl bottle of whisky at 40% will cost no less than £14 - while south of the border a supermarket own-brand bottle won't be much over £10. Tesco Value vodka, 70cl . 26.2 units, now 34p per unit . Now: £8.72, After: £13.13 . Tesco Value whisky, 70cl . 28 units, now 36p per unit . Now: £9.97, After: £14.00 . Tesco Strong dry cider, 4x440ml . 9.3 units, now 20p per unit . Now: £1.80, After: £4.67 . Tesco Lager, 4x500ml . 8 units, now 28p per unit . Now: £2.24, After: £4.00 . Tesco Simply Chenin Blanc, 750ml . 9.4 units, now 38p per unit . Now: £3.49, After: £4.69 . A similar-sized bottle of vodka at 37.5% will be at least £13.13, while it will cost less than £9 in some English supermarkets. Meanwhile Scots will pay at least £1 for a can of lager while bulk-buy deals in England will knock the price down to around 65p. Scottish Health Secretary Nicola Sturgeon made the minimum pricing announcement during a visit to Glasgow Royal Infirmary. She said: 'Cheap alcohol comes at a price and now is the time to tackle the toll that Scotland's unhealthy relationship with alcohol is taking on our society. 'Too many Scots are drinking themselves to death. The problem affects people of all walks of life. 'It's no coincidence that as affordability has increased, alcohol-related hospital admissions have quadrupled, and it is shocking that half of our prisoners now say they were drunk when they committed the offence. It's time for this to stop. 'Introducing a minimum price per unit will enable us to tackle these problems, given the clear link between affordability and consumption.' 'There is now a groundswell of support for the policy across the medical profession, police forces, alcohol charities and from significant parts of the drinks and licensed trade industry who recognise the benefits minimum pricing can bring - saving lives and reducing crime.' Raising the price of alcohol is expected to save 500 lives a year in Scotland . The Alcohol Minimum Pricing Bill is making its second passage through the Scottish Parliament after defeat in 2010 when the SNP was in a minority administration. Labour is the only party not to have supported the revised legislation when it was debated at the first stage in March this year. Earlier this month, MSPs agreed to a 'sunset clause' meaning the law could be scrapped in six years if the policy does not work. MSPs have previously banned discount deals such as two-for-one on bottles of wine, restricted "irresponsible" drinks promotions and advertising around premises, and set a requirement for age verification. The proposed minimum price first time round was 45p per unit. Ms Sturgeon said: 'Since 45p was first proposed as the minimum price 18 months ago, we have seen inflation of around five per cent. A minimum price of 50p takes this into account and will achieve a similar level of public health benefits to what 45p would have achieved in 2010.' Dr Brian Keighley, chairman of the British Medical Association in Scotland, said: 'Despite efforts to encourage responsible retailing by supermarkets, they continue to sell high-alcohol products such as vodka and ciders at ridiculously cheap prices to entice customers to their store. 'The trend for cheap alcohol and excessive consumption has a human cost. Alcohol-related illness causes one death every three hours in Scotland and the total healthcare costs are more than £268 million. 'This increasing cost could cripple the NHS with a financial burden that is no longer sustainable, especially in the current financial climate. 'A minimum price, as part of a wider strategy, could end Scotland's heavy-drinking culture and I am proud that Scotland's politicians are once again leading the world on public health policy.' A spokesman for Alcohol Concern said: 'With minimum pricing due to be introduced in England and Wales, the Government in Westminster should follow Scotland’s lead and set the minimum price to at least 50p to make a real difference.' | A bottle of whiskey will cost £14 in Scotland compared to just £10 for a supermarket own-brand in England .
Scottish Health Minister says move will save 500 lives a year .
Price of cider will more than double under proposals, while lager will cost more than £1 a can . |
172,853 | 6bb69d8d1e065f7e865ea120ff2b2a8a83ad6887 | WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Conservationists claimed one of their most significant victories of the new administration Monday as President Obama signed sweeping land reform legislation designating 2 million additional acres of public wilderness areas. Lawmakers applaud as President Obama signs 2009 Omnibus Public Land Management Act . The federal wilderness designation provides the highest level of government protection from logging and other forms of commercial use and development. "This legislation guarantees that we will not take our forests, rivers, oceans ... monuments, and wilderness areas for granted, but rather we will set them aside and guard their sanctity for everyone to share," Obama said at a White House signing ceremony. "That's something all Americans can support." The land protected by the 2009 Omnibus Public Land Management Act, a compilation of over 160 separate legislative proposals, extends across nine states. Among other things, the law also establishes 10 new National Heritage sites, authorizes numerous Bureau of Reclamation water projects, and alters several national park boundaries. It specifically creates 21 new wilderness areas and expands 19 existing wilderness areas in 10 national forests. One of the largest swaths of newly protected wilderness is in California, where over 380,000 additional acres are set aside by the law. The covered areas incorporate the eastern Sierra Nevada, Los Angeles County's San Gabriel Mountains, and the desert areas of Riverside County. In the Pacific Northwest, more than 136,000 acres have been designated to protect areas surrounding Mount Hood and the Copper Salmon headwaters, according to the Department of Agriculture. | Obama signs bill designating 2 million additional acres of public wilderness areas .
Designation provides highest level of government protection from commercial use .
Law, pooling more than 160 legislative proposals, extends across nine states .
Highlights: New heritage sites and water projects, expanded park boundaries . |
152,461 | 5108eb77cf164d88c5be9bed0ffa57cde338ef25 | La Decima is a big number at Real Madrid. Larger still is the amount of money the club have spent pursuing it. Since Zinedine Zidane won Real’s ninth European Cup in 2002, the cash sprayed across the continent chasing No 10 has totalled an astonishing £999million. That, of course, includes two players bought for £80m or more in Cristiano Ronaldo and Gareth Bale and three times breaking the world record transfer fee (twice in one summer). VIDEO Scroll down to watch Zidane and Ronaldo doing what they do best . Target: Real Madrid have spent £999m since last winning the Champions League in 2002 . Stunner: Zinedine Zidane scores an amazing goal in front of Michael Ballack of Bayer Leverkusen in 2002 . Winning the big one: Zidane celebrates with the Champions League trophy in Glasgow 12 years ago . Number of players signed: 62 . Most expensive player: Gareth Bale £86m . Players signed from Premier League clubs: 20 . Most spent in one season: £226.51m in 2009/10 . It also includes Thomas Gravesen, signed from Everton for £2.5m, and Lassana Diarra, signed from Portsmouth for a quite remarkable £20m. Cheques were written for the best and the rest at an average of £83.5m per year. In for £13.4m came Jonathan Woodgate, who scored an own goal and received a red card on his debut; in for £22.8m came Mahamadou Diarra, last seen getting relegated with Fulham; in for £11.5m came Royston Drenthe, who scored twice in 24 appearances for Reading this season. Big money: Madrid spent £80m on their star man Cristiano Ronaldo in 2009 . Brilliant orange: Real topped the Ronaldo transfer with the £86m signing of Gareth Bale in the summer . Flashing the cash: Madrid spent big in 2009, signing Kaka (left) for £56m and Karim Benzema for £25m . Yet there was also Kaka at £56m, once world footballer of the year; there was Karim Benzema at £25m, one of the most sought-after young strikers in Europe; and, at £39.6m, there was Brazilian Ronaldo, the first player bought after Real’ s last European triumph. The most outlandish splurge came in 2009/10 when more than £220m was spent as Ronaldo joined from Manchester United, Kaka from AC Milan, and Benzema from Lyon. Despite all this the furthest the club had progressed in the Champions League in 11 seasons prior to this season was the semi-finals. For six straight years they failed to get beyond the last-16. That is an astonishing feat when you count the number of European Cup winners’ medals amassed by players either before or after their stay at the Bernabeu. Icon: David Beckham moved from Manchester United to Madrid for a fee of £25.5m . Saving not spending: Javier Saviola was a rare free transfer for the La Liga side in 2007 . David Beckham won with United before he joined in 2003. Xabi Alonso did it with Liverpool in 2005 before moving to Madrid four years later. Wesley Sneijder and Arjen Robben were both shifted on in the summer of 2009 after the arrivals of Ronaldo and Kaka as Real searched for that elusive breakthrough. They could have looked closer to home. Sneijder went on to lift the Champions League that season with Inter, while Robben scored the winning goal in the final for Bayern Munich last May. In total Madrid have had nine Champions League winners on their playing staff in the last 12 barren years, almost a full starting XI – including wobbly-legs himself Jerzy Dudek. Fabio Cannavaro had won the World Cup with Italy the summer before he signed but was unable to bring the biggest piece of club silverware to Real. Were they to beat city rivals Atletico and claim their 10th European Cup, the exorbitant cost would still be questioned – but it would then become an afterthought as celebrations began. Team-mates: Michael Owen (right) joined Beckham in Madrid from Liverpool in 2004 . Season by season guide to Real's spending since 2002 . 13/14Gareth Bale (Tottenham) £85.3m, Asier Illarramendi (Sociedad) £34m, Isco (Malaga) £23m, Daniel Carvajal (Leverkusen) £5m, Casemiro (Sao Paulo) £4.8m = £152.1m . 12/13Luka Modric (Tottenham) £33m, Diego Lopez (Sevilla) £3m = £36m . 11/12Fabio Coentrao (Benfica) £26.4m, Nuri Sahin (Dortmund) £8m, Jose Callejon (Espanyol) £5.5m, Raphael Varane (Lens) £11.5m = £51.4m . 10/11Angel Di Maria (Benfica) £29m, Mesut Ozil (W Bremen) £16.4m, Sami Khedira (Stuttgart) £15.5m, Pedro Leon (Getafe) £8.1m, Ricardo Carvalho (Chelsea) £6.7m, Sergio Canales (Racing) £4m = £79.7m . 09/10Cristiano Ronaldo (Man Utd) £80m, Kaka (Milan) £56m, Xabi Alonso (Liverpool) £30m, Karim Benzema (Lyon) £28m, Raul Albiol (Valencia) £15m, Alvaro Negredo (Almeria) £5m, Estaban Granero (Getafe) £4.5m, Alvaro Arbeloa (Liverpool) £4.5m = £223m . Dutch of class: Rafael Van Der Vaart cost Real 11.4m in 2008 . 08/09Klaas-Jan Huntelaar (Ajax) £23.8m, Lassana Diarra (Portsmouth) £20m, Rafael van der Vaart (Hamburg) £13.4m, Ezequiel Garay (Racing Santander) £10m, Ruben De La Red (Getafe) £3.8m, Javi Garcia (Osasuna) £3.2m = £74.2m . 07/08Arjen Robben (Chelsea) £31m, Wesley Sneijder (Ajax) £25.7m, Pepe (Porto) £24m, Royston Drenthe (Feyenoord) £11.5m, Gabriel Heinze (Man Utd) £8m, Christoph Metzelder (Borussia Dortmund) Free, Javier Saviola (Barcelona) Free, Jerzy Dudek (Liverpool) Free = £100.2m . 06/07Mahamadou Diarra (Lyon) £22.8m, Gonzalo Higuain (River Plate) £18m, Fernando Gago (Boca Juniors) £15m, Ruud van Nistelrooy (Man Utd) £11m, Marcelo (Fluminese) £7.8m, Fabio Cannavaro (Juventus) £6.9m, Emerson (Juventus) £6.9m = £88.4m . In the goals: Ruud Van Nistelrooy swapped Manchester United for Real Madrid in 2006 . 05/06Sergio Ramos (Sevilla) £23.7m, Robinho (Santos) £21m, Julio Baptista (Sevilla) £17.9m, Cicinho (Sao Paolo) £6m, Carlos Diogo (River Plate) £5m, Antonio Cassano (Roma) £4.2m, Pablo Garcia (Osasuna) £2.5m = £80.3 . 04/05Walter Samuel (Roma) £20.2m, Jonathan Woodgate (Newcastle) £13.4m, Michael Owen (Liverpool) £8m, Thomas Gravesen (Everton) £2.5m = £44.1m . 03/04David Beckham (Man Utd) £30m = £30m . 02/03Ronaldo (Inter) £39.6m = £39.6m . Hit and miss: Jonathan Woodgate (left) and Thomas Gravesen found it difficult to adapt to Spanish football . Double: Gabriel Heinze (left) and Arjen Robben were added to the squad in 2007 for a combined fee of £32m . Worth every penny: Madrid snapped up Ronaldo (centre) from Inter Milan in 2002 for a snip at £20m . New faces: Isco (left) and Daniel Carvajal are two of Madrid's latest acquisitions . | Madrid have spent more than £80m on two players - Cristiano Ronaldo and Gareth Bale .
Real have broken the world transfer record three times in the last 10 years .
They have not been past the semi-final of the Champions League in the last 11 seasons .
Twelve players have won Champions League before or after their Real days . |
66,218 | bbe1bd2eca6b6b0f719c61d50674c2f6339bf4ab | A top Australian scientist has complained that basic classroom maths just doesn't add up. Australia's chief scientist Professor Ian Chubb said the subject is irrelevant and doesn’t prepare students for the workplace. He argued that this 'disconnect' needed to be investigated thoroughly as basic maths techniques like interpreting data, basic calculations and using graphs were not being applied properly in the workplace. Scroll down for video . Basic classroom maths does not prepare students for the workplace it has been argued by Australia's chief scientist Professor Ian Chubb . The issue needs to be investigated thoroughly as basic maths techniques were not being applied properly in the workplace . News.com.au reported that a new study, conducted by the Australian Association of Mathematics Teachers, the Australian Industry Group and the Office of the Chief Scientist, examined 12 workplaces including engineering, drafting, manufacturing, retail, mining and defence. Prof Chubb said as maths was at the core of many careers, the study had implications for individuals as well as workplaces. The study recommended that school-based research should look at how to help classroom maths reflect what is needed outside of the classroom. It was also advised that the Australian Curriculum directed schools in how to transfer maths skills to the workplace. Basic mathematics content in the national curriculum could be taught through a range of contexts . There should be an emphasis on the 'real life' application of maths, Australian Association of Mathematics Teachers chief executive officer Will Morony said. 'Unless we in schools take particular actions to help students transfer their skills, students won’t be successful in the workplace,' he said. 'Otherwise we will still have this disconnect between the classroom and from what the workplace needs.' A new study examined 12 workplaces including engineering, drafting, manufacturing, retail, mining and defence, and how beneficial maths that is being taught in the classroom really is . Basic mathematics content in the national curriculum could be taught through a range of contexts, a spokesman for the Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority said. He confirmed that individual schools are best placed to determine how maths content is taught in their school, and how best for them to meet the needs of their students in their local situation. 'State and territory education authorities would provide advice to assist schools in implementation,' he said. Individual schools will be best placed to determine how maths content is taught in their school . | Australia's Chief scientist Professor Ian Chubb believes the subject is irrelevant and doesn’t prepare students for the workplace .
A study has recommended that research should look at how to help classroom maths reflect what is needed in the workplace .
There should be an emphasis on the 'real life' application of maths in the classroom .
Individual schools are best placed to determine how maths content is taught in their school . |
82,276 | e93bd68edb9de232f6f0d69e29cd4f38074a4174 | The astounding response to Fernando Torres' homecoming shows no sign of waning as the Chelsea flop continues to prove a record-breaking hit on his return to Atletico Madrid. Torres attracted the biggest welcome ever for a Spanish player's unveiling at a club with 45,000 fans turning out to watch him wave and juggle on the Vicente Calderon pitch. Now the No 19 shirt he will wear is breaking its own benchmarks at the club. Fernando Torres has been given a hero's welcome on his return to Atletico Madrid . Replicas of the No 19 shirt Torres will wear are flying off the shelves in record numbers in Madrid . Spanish media crane their cameras to get shots of Atleti's prodigal son . The Atletico store alone sold 2,000 of the strip with Torres' name and 19 on the back on Sunday alone, Marca reports, at an average of 222 shirts an hour if the nine hours the shop was open are taken into account. Torres takes the 19 worn previously at the club by Diego Costa, before the Brazil-born Spaniard made a £32million move to Chelsea where he's scored 15 goals in 25 appearances. The No 9 Torres called his own while scoring 84 goals in 214 league matches for Atletico before going to Liverpool seven-and-a-half year ago, is now worn by Croatian star Mario Mandzukic. A record 45,000 fans turned out to see Torres unveiled at the club on Saturday . On loan from AC Milan, Torres' return to Atletico is made official with president Enrique Cerezo (left) and sport manager Jose Luis Perez Caminero (right) at Vicente Calderon Stadium . Torres will wear the 19 worn previously by Diego Costa, and his hero Kiko while on loan from AC Milan . Torres hasn't gone with 19 just to have some sort of nine on his back, but in tribute to his hero Kiko who also played for Spain and up front for Atletico for tha majority of his career. Torres has joined Atletico on loan from AC Milan, who made their deal permanent after taking the unwanted striker on loan from Chelsea. Having played for Ateltico between 2001 and 2007, Torres could make his return against none other than Real Madrid in the first leg of their Copa del Rey round of 16 tie. | 45,000 fans flocked to see Fernando Torres return to Madrid .
Striker is on loan from AC Milan after being sold by Chelsea .
Sales of the No 19 shirt Torres will wear broke a sales record . |
9,865 | 1bf85b73f5751c1d4b590b6e50538e10f764bbc3 | By . Emily Allen . PUBLISHED: . 12:46 EST, 19 August 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 13:03 EST, 19 August 2013 . Killed: Mechanic Stephan Hollow (pictured) was named by his neighbours as the victim of the knife attack just yards from his doorstep. A father was stabbed to death after rushing to the aid of his son, as an early morning argument spiralled into a murder. Mechanic Stephan Hollow was named by his neighbours as the victim of the knife attack just yards from his doorstep. It was understood that the 53-year-old had rushed to protect his son Tyler, known as 'Ty', 22 years, who suffered facial injuries in a row at their terraced house. Mr Hollow, known as 'Steph', suffered multiple stab injuries and was rushed to hospital by land ambulance. Police said he died later in hospital. Another man, 27, was arrested on suspicion of murder and was being quizzed by officers. It was believed that Tyler suffered injuries to his face, but he did not require hospital treatment. Today Detective Inspector Dave Storey of Hampshire said: 'This appears to have been an isolated incident between known parties. 'There has been a lot of police activity in the area this morning and we would like to thank residents for their co-operation and assistance while we carry out vital forensic examinations of the scene. 'There is no information to suggest a wider risk to the community from this crime.' One neighbour told how there was a loud party at the house on Sunday evening before the tragedy unfolded in the early hours on this morning. She said: 'There was a bit of a party going on in the back garden and they were all having a few drinks. 'From what I gather, one of Ty’s friends got into a fight with Steph and I saw them all outside with their tops off throwing a few punches. 'I heard Ty saying ‘look Dad let’s stop it’ and they all then went indoors. Then, half an hour later, as my other half was coming in I saw Ty pelt it out of the house and run up the road. 'I woke up at 6am to see all of the police tape around and heard Steph had been killed. It’s just awful. He is a mechanic and everyone knows him around here because of that.' Investigation: Armed police raid at an address in Basingstoke, Hampshire in connection with the fatal stabbing of Stephan Hollow which took place in the early hours of this morning . Police had descended to the bloody death scene at Blackdown Close, Basingstoke, Hampshire. Scenes of crimes officers were seen looking for clues in a car park at the back of the flats, which was cordoned off to the public. There was blood on the floor next to a blue Suzuki jeep, which was towed away by police for analysis. Armed police swooped on a house just five minutes walk from the murder scene at 6.30am, according to neighbours. Officers . swamped Dorset Crescent bearing rifles and side arms and searched the . property, where it was believed a mother and 18-year-old son live. A neighbour, said: 'At 6.30am I opened my curtains to be greeted by loads of armed police. 'There were seven police cars and officers with rifles and hand guns outside the house across from us. They were looking for someone. They were in the house and in the cornfield opposite with dogs and guns. 'I . don’t know if anyone was arrested. I didn’t see if they got anyone. It . was quite an alarming thing to see first thing in the morning. Probe: A 27-year-old man is in police custody following the fatal attack. Police are pictured at a house nearby as their investigations continue today . 'I know a mother and her teenage son live there but I don’t know them because they only moved in about six weeks ago.' Today, a Hampshire Police spokesman said: 'We can confirm the victim is in his 50s and from Basingstoke. The arrested man is a 27-year-old from Basingstoke. He remains in police custody.' A neighbour who knew Mr Hollow well said: 'He seemed like a nice guy. He would always have a chat with you. I never heard him say a bad word about anybody. I cannot believe that this sort of thing has happened. It seems so pointless.' A young woman from the area said: 'His family are grieving. They are in shock.' Tributes flooded into Facebook as news of the tragic death spread. Marie Perry wrote: 'Lovely guy brilliant smile, our love and thoughts are with you all right now.' Meanwhile, Ryan Houston wrote: 'So sorry to hear the tragic news. Our thoughts are with you all.' Mr Hollow’s son Anthony Hollow wrote simply: 'Love you dad xx' A friend, Sean Keen, wrote on Twitter: 'RIP to steph no one deserves what happened thoughts with all the family xx.' Sorry we are unable to accept comments for legal reasons. | Mechanic Stephen Hollow had rushed to protect his son injured Tyler, 22 .
Man, 27, has been arrested on suspicion of murder and is being interviewed . |
40,178 | 7162b5fa294c56e9f9b4e19190942e83b18e725d | The tell-all autobiography of Little House On The Prairie author Laura Ingalls Wilder has emerged as a surprise publishing hit, with readers rushing to snap up the gritty account of pioneer life. First published in November by the tiny South Dakota Historical Society Press, Pioneer Girl: The Annotated Autobiography, offers an unvarnished view of life in the Midwest in the 19th century, a marked departure from the bucolic imagery of the beloved Little House series. The not-safe-for-children tales include stark scenes of domestic abuse, love triangles gone awry and a man who lit himself on fire while drunk off whiskey. Scroll down for video . Runaway hit: Readers have been rushing to snap up copies of Laura Ingalls Wilder's no-holds-barred autobiography Pioneer Girl, which hit the shelves in November . Real pioneer girl: A handout photograph shows Little House On The Praire author Laura Ingalls Wilder, whose autobiography depicts an unvarnished view of the 19th century Midwest . Wilder and her daughter Rose Wilder . Lane, herself a well-known author, tried and failed to get an edited . version of the autobiography published throughout the early 1930s. The . original rough draft has been preserved at the Laura Ingalls Wilder . Historic Home and Museum in Mansfield, Missouri, for decades but hadn't . been published. The children's series of 11 novels published between 1932 and 1943 never presented an entirely romanticized version of life on the prairie - in Little House In The Big Woods, Laura and her sister Mary gleefully help dissect the family pig before bouncing its inflated bladder back and forth in the yard. But the series also left out or fictionalized scenes that Wilder deemed unsuitable for kids, including much of the time the family spent in Burr Oak, Iowa, and Walnut Grove, Minnesota, according to Pamela Smith Hill, a Wilder biographer and the lead editor on the autobiography. 'So you can read Pioneer Girl as nonfiction rather than fiction and get a better feeling of how the historical Ingalls family really lived, what their relationships were and how they experienced the American West,' she said. TV hit: Wilder's series of 11 novels published between 1932 and 1943 were adapted for TV in the 1970s. The show ran for nine seasons . Wilder details a scene from her childhood in Burr Oak, in which a neighbor of the Ingalls' pours kerosene throughout his bedroom, sets it on fire and proceeds to drunkenly drag his wife around by her hair before Wilder's father - Pa in the children's books - intervenes. Scenes like that make Wilder's memoir sound like it's filled with scandal and mature themes, 'which isn't exactly true either,' according to Amy Lauters, an associate professor of mass media at Minnesota State University-Mankato. 'It's just that that first version was blunt, it was honest. It was full of the everyday sorts of things that we don't care to think about when we think about history,' Lauters said last August. 'And it's certainly not the fantasized version we saw on Little House on the Prairie the television show.' The autobiography preserves Wilder's original rough draft - misspellings, idiosyncrasies and all - but adds extensive annotations. Little House lovers can learn about the three girls that Wilder combined to create the Nellie Olson character, or how extensive the damage was in Minnesota during the grasshopper plague of the 1870s, which forced Pa in On The Banks Of Plum Creek to set out in search of work. 'In some ways, I came to think of the annotations in Pioneer Girl as almost an encyclopedia about Laura Ingalls Wilder's life and work,' Hill said. Hard knock life: Caroline and Charles Ingalls, known as Ma and Pa in the series, had financial problems and bounced from one apartment to the next . Speaking to AFP this week, Nancy Tystad Koupal, the director of the publishing house, said they decided to release Wilder's first draft because it painted an honest picture of American pioneers' hardscrabble life, warts and all. In the TV show, the character of Laura Ingalls Wilder was played by Melissa Gilbert . 'At the time, life was hard. Violence was typical. It was part of the pioneers' life,' Koupal said. The author's large family struggled financially and could not afford to buy a house of their own, forcing them to bounce from one apartment to the next. 'They had to flee in the middle of the night to avoid paying rent,' Koupal said. In another episode from her adventures in the Midwest, Wilder tells about a sick woman whose drunk husband tried to rape her. The author only escaped by fighting back. Wilder's books were adapted for TV in 1974 by Michael Landon who also starred on the show. It ran for nine seasons, comprising more than 200 episodes. The 'Little House' books and TV show were enjoyed by several generations of Americans readers and viewers, which could explain the unexpected success of the new memoir. With sales being bolstered by news stories and radio segments about the new book, it has climbed up the Amazon bestseller list, and even briefly overtook Chris Kyle's American Sniper for the top spot last week. As of Wednesday afternoon, Wilder's memoir remained at the top of the US History books list and in fifth spot on the overall list of best sellers. Since its publication two months ago, orders for the autobiography have exploded. Manuscript: The original manuscript of Pioneer Girl was written on tablet paper with lead pencil . An initial print-run of 15,000 was sold out within a few weeks. The historical society then placed orders for another 15,000 followed by another 45,000 books. The editor of the book, Pamela Smith Hill, took it upon herself research the events and dates mentioned in Wilder's original manuscript to make sure all of the information was accurate. 'We had to check if her memory was correct,' Koupal said.'It is her autobiography, but she wrote it when she was 60, and sometimes, memory fails.' | Pioneer Girl: The Annotated Autobiography is original version of author Laura Ingalls Wilder's memoir .
The not-safe-for-children book includes gritty tales about Midwest in 19th century, including one about a man who lit himself on fire while drunk .
Initial print-run of 15,000 copies was sold out within a few weeks, followed by orders for 60,000 more books .
Wilder is best known for a series of beloved Little House books that were adapted for TV in the 1970s . |
213,361 | a04c7fd3a89bbfab0c1d0e178c5b366cebf98a01 | A man is accused of attempting to strangle his wife before killing her with a kitchen knife after she became upset because he failed to buy her a Christmas present. Julio Resto, 51, pleaded not guilty to murdering Gloria Resto, 42, at Waltham District Court in Boston on Wednesday afternoon. But police say Mr Resto first tried to strangle his wife before stabbing her while she was in bed in their apartment in Waltham earlier that day. Accused: Julio Resto, 51, pleaded not guilty to murdering his wife Gloria Resto, 42, at Waltham District Court in Boston on Wednesday . Mr Resto, who also denied seven counts of assault with a dangerous weapon, told police his wife was upset with him because he did not buy her a Christmas gift, reports the station, CBS News reports. She is said to have stayed with a friend on December 26 and had been avoiding him until she sent a text on December 30 saying he needed to move out of their shared home. Court documents say she returned later that night, and was killed after refusing to speak to her husband. Police claim after he stabbed her, Mr Resto made a failed attempt to kill himself by stuffing a towel in the exhaust pipe of his car. Facing trial: Boston Police say that after Mr Resto stabbed his wife he made a failed attempt to kill himself by stuffing a towel in the exhaust pipe of his car . Prosecutors say he then drove to Waltham police headquarters, walked in with a knife in his hand and shouted out to officers, 'Shoot me. I have nothing to live for. I just killed my wife,' reports the station. Police officers reportedly used a beanbag gun to subdue him before arresting him. Officers then went to the couple's home and found Gloria Resto's body - they also found her son asleep in his bed unharmed . Mrs Resto's aunt said she was a devoted mother to her two children and the entire family is distraught. Appearance: Julio Resto denied murdering his wife at Waltham District Court in Boston on Wednesday . 'She did a lot for everybody. She was just always there for us. Right now we all need our privacy,' the unnamed aunt told reporters outside court. Julio Resto's adult son told investigators that his father called him around 5am, shortly before he showed up at the police station, and said 'take care of your kids', before hanging up, The Boston Herald reports. | Julio Resto, 51, pleaded not guilty to murdering wife Gloria, 42, Wednesday .
But police say he tried to strangle her before stabbing her at Boston home .
They claim he then made failed suicide attempt before turning himself in .
Say he went to police station with knife and yelled 'shoot me' to officers . |
19,918 | 388c720219f844b5b44e6c43e160575dd91a9a4d | Copycats: A commercial satellite flying over the Persian Gulf photographed what appears to be a replica of a Nimitz-class aircraft carrier under construction at a ship yard near Bandar Abbas, Iran . Iran is in the process of building a mock-up of an American Nimitz-class aircraft carrier with the possible goal of blowing it up as a publicity stunt. Construction on the crude model appears to be in full swing at a shipyard near Bandar Abbas, as shown in newly released commercial satellite images. 'They got this barge and threw some wood on top of it to make it look like the USS Nimitz. That's all we know for sure,' a U.S. defense official told AFP. Officials in the Obama administration believe that the faux carrier might be used for propaganda value, but they are not sure at this time what Teheran is hoping to accomplish with this project. The wooden, non-operational aircraft carrier made to look like a Nimitz-class nuclear-powered American vessel was first spotted on the Persian Gulf last summer, the New York Times reported. Besides having the shape of the 1,100-foot-long carriers, such as USS Abraham Lincoln and USS Carl Vinson, the shipbuilders also replicated the distinctive white markings on the bow. A satellite flying over Gachin shipyard also photographed a fake plane parked on the deck of the equally fake carrier. But officials are not overly concerned with the boxy, too-short replica, saying that unlike the real thing, Iran's glorified barge is not operational or propelled by nuclear power. The real thing: The U.S. Navy has ten Nimitz-class aircraft carriers, which are 1,100 feet in length and feature a nuclear propulsion system . It still remains a mystery what Teheran is planning to do with the copy once it is complete. One theory is that the Nimitz-inspired vessel could be towed to sea and detonated, with the explosion shown on state TV for anti-American propaganda purposes. According to the Times, Iran has used barges for televised missile target practice in the past. Devil's in the details: Iranian shipbuilders supplied their glorified barge with white markings characteristic of Nimitz carriers, but officials are certain that the fake vessel is not operational and has no nuclear power . FARS News reported that in June, Iran launched its overhauled destroyer named Bayando, but American analysts are convinced that the Middle Eastern nation is not capable of building an aircraft carrier. ‘It is not surprising that Iranian naval forces might use a variety of tactics -- including military deception tactics -- to communicate and possibly demonstrate their resolve in the region,’ said another U.S. official. The revelations concerning the barge come four months after Teheran came to a temporary agreement with the world powers over its nuclear program, parts of which are expected to be rolled back in exchange for an end to some economic sanctions, according to CNN. Tensions between Iran and the U.S. have been at an all-time low recently, and over the past year, there have been fewer Iranian speedboats pestering American warships in the Strait of Hormuz. On Thursday, President Barack Obama sent a message to the Iranian people to mark the Persian New York, saying that he is 'committed to diplomacy.' | Mock-up model complete with white markings like on the original is being built at a shipyard near Bandar Abbas on Persian Gulf .
Commercial satellite first caught glimpse of the barge last summer .
Fake vessel is shorter than 1,100-foot-long U.S. carriers and is not equipped with nuclear-powered propulsion system . |
218,058 | a65296ae4183f11809cc29845e72ddb8c8339b8d | Fightback: Defence minister Anna Soubry denied using the C-word and threatened to sue the Mail . It was supposed to be a warts and all documentary showing what really goes on in the corridors of power. But the most explosive part of the fly-on-the-wall film about the inner workings of Parliament was yesterday dramatically edited out amid claims it showed a Tory minister shout an obscenity at Ed Miliband. Anna Soubry threatened legal action and issued a furious denial just hours before the final episode of Inside The Commons was to air on BBC Two last night. A comment that sounded like 'sanctimonious c***' was shouted at the Labour leader during a Commons debate last June. It appeared to come from the direction of the defence minister but she said this suggestion was 'outrageous'. The heckling was recorded by programme maker Michael Cockerell during filming in the chamber shortly after the Queen set out the Government's agenda. In a preview tape seen by journalists, Mr Cockerell said: 'Official television coverage, even though it is heavily restricted, has fuelled public antagonism to MPs. 'But our cameras have witnessed the unsanitised version in which MPs sometimes use the most offensive language.' Miss Soubry could then be clearly seen and heard on the back row of the Tory benches heckling Mr Miliband. A publicist working for the production company behind the film emailed journalists on Monday claiming Miss Soubry had sworn. Miss Soubry, 58, was alerted and denied that she had used the word. The BBC then removed the sound of the heckling from the programme and the reference to the 'most offensive language'. Instead in his narration, Mr Cockerell referred to 'behaviour even rougher than is usually seen.' When told about the allegation by the Mail, Miss Soubry said she planned to contact her solicitor and the Commons Speaker. Footage: Presenter Michael Cockerell's voiceover to this footage of a Commons debate was changed, cutting out a reference to 'most offensive language'. Instead he cited 'behaviour even rougher than is usually seen' She insisted: 'I can absolutely assure you I have never used language like that. I would never use language like that and most certainly not in the House of Commons, nor against any opponent. 'There is no way, I am telling you now, with the volume of my voice, that I would, even if I was minded to, which I am not. I abhor the word. 'Never ever. That word is never used in the House. Outrageous.' Miss Soubry, who has been reprimanded by Speaker John Bercow for behaviour in the Commons, said the debating chamber was noisy, but foul language was never used. When offered the opportunity by the Mail to view the footage, Miss Soubry said she had 'more important things' to do. The BBC refused to comment on whether it had come under any pressure from Miss Soubry, her solicitor, the Ministry of Defence or the Conservative Party. Denial: Michael Cockerell denied any knowledge of the scene and said the BBC had editorial control . Mr Cockerell yesterday declined to talk about the scene when contacted by the Mail and even claimed to have no knowledge of its existence. He said: 'I don't know what you're talking about. I don't recognise what you're talking about. Anything you're talking about is not in the programme. 'The BBC has editorial control and they make the decisions on the way the programme is cut.' Miss Soubry, who once described herself as 'not a girl but a tough old bird', worked as a TV journalist before becoming a barrister. She was elected as Tory MP for Broxtowe, Notts, at the last election in 2010. In 2013, she apologised to Ukip leader Nigel Farage after making lewd remarks about him. There is no list of banned swear words in the Commons, but terms deemed to be unparliamentary language according to the rule book include: pharisee, swine, jackass, hooligan, blackguard, cad, ruffian and insulting dog. In November communities minister Penny Mordaunt apologised for using a Commons speech on animal welfare to say obscene words after a dare at a dinner with Navy friends. A BBC spokesman said: 'Changes can and are often made to the final version broadcast, as is the case with this episode.' Anna Soubry: 'It is very important that you run this past your lawyers because you will not defame me' I beg your pardon. I can be heard saying what? No. Absolutely not. Never. Never. And if you print that I will sue you because I would never. The C-word? No absolutely not, I would never use that word and I would never use it in the House of Commons and I would certainly never use it… I'm not having that. I can absolutely assure you I have never used language like that and I can equally assure you on the back row nobody, we wouldn't think of shouting a word like that, the foulest word. I'm now going to ring both the press office here and at HQ, and I'm going to ring my solicitor. I would never say that and that's an extremely, extremely serious allegation. Never ever. That word is never used in the House. Outrageous. Forgive me because I need to make a number of phone calls, because I'm not having that. I would never use language like that and most certainly not in the House of Commons, nor against any opponent. I don't use that word so you better not print it. There is no way, I am telling you now, with the volume of my voice that I would, even if I was minded to, which I am not. I abhor the word. There is no way. You guys should know this. You couldn't shout out language like that. No, I'm sorry. End of debate. I would never use that word. I know that I do not use that word and if you print that I will bloody sue you because I would never use that word. I'm going to go to the Speaker. If there's one person, well more than one, that the Speaker would be listening to, it's the likes of me. You heard me use the word c*** in the House of Commons? No sir. Never. Because I do not use it in my ordinary life and I would never use it in the House of Commons and I am profoundly offended at the suggestion I ever would. I just don't use that word and anyone will tell you that because I'm an old feminist who hates that word. If there's word I loathe. it's that word. And the idea I would call anybody in the House of Commons, I don't use the word anyway, it's just inconceivable, I don't do that. I am sorry I absolutely don't. You can hear how strongly I feel. You're telling me you've heard me use the C-word. You really are certain? I do not use the C-Word. Come on. You know how that place operates, you don't sit and shout out foul language. Nobody does. I think it is very important that you run this past your lawyers because you will not defame me, sir. You will absolutely not. I would never dream shouting out the C-word of all words. The one thing you never do is shout out foul language. You don't behave like that. We're noisy and I don't say we're not, but we don't use foul language. I put my hands up when I do something wrong, but I'm not having this. I would never do that. I'm not having it. This is a very serious allegation. I can assure you I do not use the C-word and I certainly do not swear in the House of Commons. None of us do. I know some people don't like our antics, but we do not. You wouldn't. It's inconceivable. You better not defame me, I will have you, and I mean that. Do forgive me, goodbye. | Anna Soubry threatened legal action and issued furious denial over claim .
Row is around footage for fly-on-the-wall BBC Commons documentary .
Comment that sounded like 'sanctimonious c***' was shouted at Miliband .
It appeared to come from direction of defence minister - which she denies .
When final episode aired on BBC Two last night, heckling was edited out . |
230,552 | b690c6c9165c4d6aa2aea720b19c93b9304348b0 | Istanbul, Turkey (CNN) -- -- Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad lashed out at Israel and warned the United States against pushing for new sanctions on his country a news conference on the sidelines of an Asian security summit here Tuesday. A key item on the agenda at the summit is last week's Israeli raid on an aid flotilla in the Mediterranean. Ahmadinejad said the confrontation revealed Israel's "devilish" nature. "It showed violence and hatred and war-mongering attitudes," he said at the news conference. "The devilish sound of the uncultured Zionists was coming out from their deceit. ... They were holding up the flag of the devil itself." The raid led to the deaths of nine people, all Turkish citizens -- including one Turkish-American. Turkey is urging Israel to accept an international probe into the incident. Ahmadinejad congratulated Turkey, which has been in a war of words with Israel following the raid, for its response. Israel's envoy to Turkey later walked out on an Ahmadinejad speech at the conference. Ambassador Gabby Levy walked out in protest when Ahmadinejad started criticizing the "Zionist regime," said Amit Zarouk, a spokesman for the Israeli Embassy in Ankara. Both Israel and Iran are members of Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA). Ahmadinejad and Levy did appear together in a group photo of delegates to the conference, along with dozens of other attendees. "Beleaguered" was how one Western diplomat described Levy's disposition during Tuesday's meeting. Host country Turkey, once Israel's close Middle Eastern ally, has called on member countries to condemn Israel's raid on the aid convoy. The incident has pushed Turkey to side with Israel's enemies Iran and Syria, in harshly condemning the Jewish state. Russia, which is also a member of CICA, condemned the attack as well, Prime Minister Vladimir Putin said in remarks carried on Russian state TV. "Generally speaking, such actions against civilian vessels are unacceptable," Putin said. "The fact that they were conducted in neutral waters raises many questions, and the incident must be thoroughly investigated. We are sorry for the victims of the incident, and we hope nothing of this kind will happen again." Iran's nuclear program has been another major topic at the summit. The United States expects to bring a new resolution on increased sanctions against Iran over its nuclear program to a vote in the United Nations Security Council this week. A draft resolution saying Iran had failed to meet international requirements and U.N. resolutions was circulating at the world body on Tuesday. CNN obtained a copy from a Western diplomat. The resolution -- which could still be changed before it comes to a vote -- is set to call for tighter restrictions on people, companies and organizations, including the Revolutionary Guard Corps. The targets of the sanctions are still being worked out, the diplomat said. By calling for a resolution instead of sitting down for talks with Iran, the United States is "gravely mistaken," Ahmadinejad said. "Within the framework of respect and justice, we're ready to negotiate with everyone. Anyone who is going to resort to the language of force and aggression, the response is clear," he said. Ahmadinejad went on to commend Turkey and Brazil for recently negotiating a deal with Iran on a uranium enrichment swap. "The initiative marked the beginning of a new path -- the beginning of an end to unilateralism in the world," he said. The United States, he added, missed an opportunity by not embracing the deal. Putin said sanctions against Iran should not be "excessive, or put the Iranian leadership, and above all the Iranian people, in a false position that would put obstacles in the way of Iran's peaceful nuclear energy development." Asked whether the raid on the flotilla last week will change the way countries vote in the Security Council, Ahmadinejad said the raid will actually change many things. For Israel, he said, "it has actually rung the final countdown for its existence. It shows that it has no room in the region and no one is ready to live alongside it. Actually, no country in the world recognizes it, and you know that the Zionist regime is the backbone of the dictatorial world order." In fact, many countries recognize Israel. He added, "Maybe at the Security Council, it will impact temporarily. The Zionist regime, with what it has done, it actually stopped its possibility to exist in the region anymore." CNN's Ivan Watson and Maxim Tkachenko contributed to this report. | NEW: Draft resolution slapping tighter sanctions on Iran circulates at U.N.
Russian PM Putin says Israel raid on aid flotilla is 'unacceptable'
Israeli ambassador walks out on Ahmadinejad speech .
Iranian president says last week's flotilla raid showed Israel's 'devilish' nature . |
4,239 | 0c37951ef300dc2d23d725a4454992176b0e4782 | By . Sam Webb . Six people suspected of being 'slaves' have been rescued by police following a raid at a Bournemouth garage this morning. Dorset Police raided the AA Clock Garage as part of an investigation into forced labour and human trafficking. As a result six men, aged between 20 and 30, have been taken to a place of safety and are being given all the help and support they need. A 23-year-old man from Bournemouth has been arrested in connection with slavery offences. Freed: Six men were rescued from a garage on Ringwood Road in Bournemouth (pictured) today after a police raid. A 23-year-old man from Bournemouth has been arrested in connection with slavery offences . Detective Superintendent Kevin Connolly, who is leading the investigation, said: 'Today's operation is the result of a detailed and protracted inquiry and our primary aim is to protect and safeguard vulnerable victims. 'Human trafficking is happening up and down the country. 'In such cases victims are often forced to live and work in poor and unsanitary conditions, sometimes with little or no pay. Some may not recognise themselves as victims and, even if they do, they may feel unable to speak to the police or other authorities.' The business sells cars and vans and is also a hand car wash centre. It has no connection with the Automobile Association. A person living near the garage told the Bournemouth Echo: 'They keep themselves very much to themselves. 'They come and go. We were on holiday over the summer period and when we came back there was a minibus of them going and the crowd that were there before had gone. 'They've never bothered the neighbours, but it's deteriorated since it's opened.' Det Supt Connolly added: 'Human trafficking is a serious offence and Dorset Police remains committed towards tackling such cases. 'Human trafficking, particularly in the form of servitude, is a hidden crime and we will do everything we can to ensure this immoral trade is stopped. 'In order to do this we also need help from the public. 'I would urge anyone who has any information about such offences in Dorset or concerns about people in their community to contact us in confidence on 101.' During the operation, police were assisted by Bournemouth Borough Council, the National Crime Agency and the Red Cross. A British Red Cross spokeswoman said: 'The British Red Cross has been called in by Dorset Police to provide assistance to people being supported in a place of safety following an investigation into forced labour and human trafficking. 'The Red Cross works with the emergency services to provide assistance to vulnerable people in times of crisis.' | Dorset Police raided a garage in Bournemouth this morning .
A 23-year-old has been arrested in connection with slavery offences .
The men have been taken to a safe place and cared for .
A resident has seen minibuses full of men coming and going from garage . |
271,594 | ebc94bf76838e3f7e0c5f3cdb844f92c2e4b3237 | Pretoria, South Africa (CNN) -- The past is a foreign place: they do things more fashionably there. That must be the reason for the continued infatuation with the vintage trend on catwalks, in boutiques and in stores around the world. But for Lourens Gebhardt, aka Loux the Vintage Guru, vintage is not just a trend, it is a way of life. "Vintage clothes have history behind them, they are from a legendary era that has been left behind by our ancestors. It is not a trend, it won't go away," said the Namibian blogger and fashion designer. The Congolese dandies known as the "Sapeurs" have become well known for their love of classic designer labels and elegant vintage clothes, but retro is being worn by hipsters across the continent. "Vintage clothing is cheap here in Africa compared to Europe and people can source their clothes easily at open markets, that's why it's so popular," Gebhardt explained. The Timeless Collective, a group of young creatives from Pretoria, South Africa, want to show off their talents through their love for vintage fashion. Members of the group include stylists, design students and photographers. "I like vintage because of its quality," said Timeless Collective stylist Mapusha Mushe, "the quality which you find in vintage clothes is just great. They are second hand clothes but no-one would believe it if you check the way I style them. "Historically, Pretoria is not so fashionable, it's more of a city, a basic modern city, but fashion wise we are trying as youngsters to bring it up." Johannesburg fashion blogger Jerri Mokgofe also appreciates the quality of vintage clothing. "If you look at the retail stores, it's all about fast fashion, fast fashion is what sells, and now you get a lot of synthetic fibers whereas in the past you got cotton, raw silks and those kinds of materials. Times have changed," he said. "Vintage is people being nostalgic about the time or era that they didn't grow up in; I mean everybody would have loved to have been born in the 1960s or the 1920s. So I think for some people it's about escapism and fashion is escapism. "You can always turn back the hands of time in terms of your wardrobe and revisit the past, the era your mom grew up in, and borrow from your mother's, grandmother's or grandfather's wardrobe and put those elements together and wear it today. And the beauty of it is that it's celebrated and people see it as the hottest trend." Not wanting to be left behind, retailers have also been turning back the hands of time. In Lagos, Nigeria, retro store "Retrospective" specializes in pre-owned clothes and accessories, while Vintage Gh is showcasing second-hand style in Accra, Ghana -- giving "new life and value to otherwise discarded clothing." Vintage haven Fruitcake Vintage was set up by friends Jamakazi Thelejane and Sthembiso Mngadi in Johannesburg's central business district. It opened in 2010, and with prices ranging from about $8 to $50 it is known as the place to find both unique and affordable items. For the owners, their love of all things vintage is nothing new. "I was brought up by my grandparents and I remember my grandfather used to change into three different suits a day," explained Mngadi. "I never once saw my grandfather in casual clothing, so I think that stayed with me and my grandma of course, in her Sunday best. My mother and father were very fashionable people because of them, so it has always been with me. I think I was born with it." | Vintage clothes a hit with fashionistas across Africa .
The quality, availability and price of vintage clothing is part of the appeal .
Bloggers, designers, photographers and retailers are all part of the movement .
It's not a trend, but a way of life, says Namibian designer Lourens Gebhardt . |
277,416 | f369100b11791668ec3d429c74464d9d6a7f006b | (CNN) -- As reports of swine flu continue to rise in the United States and around the world, the average American is probably asking, "How should I protect myself?" U.S. health officials stress the importance of frequent hand washing during outbreaks of illness. Health officials' advice is to follow common-sense precautions: Wash your hands, stay home if you're sick and listen to your local health authorities. "Very frequent hand-washing is something that we talk about time and time again and that is an effective way to reduce transmission of disease," said Dr. Richard Besser, acting director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. "If you're sick, it's very important that people stay at home. If your children are sick, have a fever and flu-like illness, they shouldn't go to school. And if you're ill, you shouldn't get on an airplane or another public transport to travel. Those things are part of personal responsibility in trying to reduce the impact. " So far, Mexico has been hardest hit by swine flu. Cases have been confirmed in the United States, as well as countries including Canada, New Zealand, Spain, United Kingdom, and Israel. "In areas with no disease yet, a lot of what we can do sounds simple and repetitive but helps," said Dr. Anne Schuchat, interim deputy director of the CDC's Science and Public Health Program. In addition to washing hands often, she recommends covering your mouth when coughing and sneezing and avoiding touching your eyes and nose in case the virus is on your hands. The World Health Organization calls the situation a "public health emergency of international concern," and the United States has declared a "public health emergency," likened by Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano to preparations for a potential hurricane. No authorities are calling the outbreak a pandemic. The CDC expects U.S. numbers will grow and recommendations will change depending on what happens in individual communities, said the CDC's Schuchat. The public should pay attention to what is happening nearby and heed the guidance of local health officials regarding school, work and public events. Because so much is still unknown at this point, the main risk factor is people traveling to areas where cases have already been identified. "However this virus may already be in other places in the United States," CDC spokesman Tom Skinner told CNN. "With enhanced surveillance, we will see more cases and that is why it makes good sense to be proactive, by doing things we know are effective in reducing exposure." Explainer: Swine flu facts » . Schuchat noted swine flu symptoms are relatively general and nonspecific. "So many different things can cause these symptoms. it is a dilemma," she said. "It is a challenge that we are wrestling with. There is not a perfect test right now to let a person or doctor know exactly what this is." But Schuchat specifically advised anyone who feels ill after returning from Mexico to see a doctor. Unfortunately, since this is a new strain of influenza, the flu vaccine for this past flu season offers no protection. "However, we do have anti-virals that work against this swine flu," said Skinner, referring to oseltamivir (Tamiflu) and zanamivir (Relenza). "Someone who has [swine flu], if they are treated early, the anti-flu medicines work against this." According to Skinner, health officials are still trying to figure out where exactly the virus originated, how transmissible it is and why it is mild in some cases and deadlier in others. CNN's Mary Carter contributed to this report. | Take standard flu season precautions to avoid infection, CDC advises .
Chief risk factor is traveling to areas where swine flu has been identified .
No vaccine for new strain exists but antiviral drugs can shorten duration . |
47,389 | 859893ef0225ae989d25c968410a34321b05529a | Pope Francis has won the admiration of his followers for his common touch and his accessibility. And yesterday his compassion for a disfigured man prompted comparisons to the 13th Century's St Francis of Assisi. The Pope kissed and prayed with the ailing man who was battling neurofibromatosis - the rare disease said to have affected the Elephant Man. Act of kindness: Pope Francis (left) comforted Vinicio Riva, a 52-year-old Italian who had travelled to Rome for a audience in Saint Peter's Square in November . Touching moment: The pontiff kissed the worshiper, who suffers from a rare disease called neurofibromatosis, which is genetic and not contagious . Images of Pope Francis comforting the ailing worshiper were taken at the end of the general audience Wednesday, when a man covered in neuronal tumors approached the leader of the Catholic Church asking for a blessing. Famous namesake: The pope has drawn comparisons to St Francis of Assisi - a revered 13th century holy figure, who according to legend kissed a leper . The man reportedly suffers from the rare and painful disease, which causes growths, impaired vision and in some cases cancer, according to the Catholic News Agency. Patients suffering from the ailment, which is genetic and not contagious - are often shunned by society because of their appearance. Pope Francis has been widely praised for his common touch and accessibility. Since being elected to the Holy See . earlier this year, the pontiff has made headlines around the world by . washing the feet of juvenile delinquents, personally calling distraught . worshipers on the phone and inviting homeless people to dine at St . Peter's Square. On . Wednesday, the leader of the world’s 1.3billion Catholics was greeting . pilgrims following his weekly public audience when he took a break to . comfort the disfigured believer. Pope . Francis then kissed the man on the face and blessed him. He was photographed with his eyes tightly shut in prayer. Show stealer: Last month, the pontiff allowed a young boy to remain on stage with him as he delivered a speech to 150,000 worshipers, occasionally patting the boy's head . Pontiff's penitence: Pope Francis washes the foot of a prisoner at Casal del Marmo youth prison in Rome March 28, 2013 . Earlier in today’s audience, the pope asked the people assembled in the square to pray for a sick little girl he had just met. Last week, the pontiff allowed a little boy to remain on stage with him and cling to his leg during a speech in front of a crowd of 150,000. Earlier this year, Francis tweeted to his 3.2million followers: ’The Pope must serve all people, especially the poor, the weak, the vulnerable.’ On Tuesday, the pontiff fired off this message: ‘We need courage if we are to be faithful to the Gospel.’ Neurofibromatosis has long been associated with the 'Elephant Man,' the name given to Joseph Carey Merrick, who was severely disfigured. But evidence now suggests he was suffering from another rare syndrome . The man who met Pope Francis is believed to be suffering from a condition called neurofibromatosis – the name for a number of genetic conditions that cause swellings or lumps. Although many people who have the condition inherit it from one of . their parents, up to 50 per cent develop it randomly from a . gene mutation before they are born. There are two types of neurofibromatosis and this man is suffering from type one, Dr Anand Saggar, a London-based genetics expert, told MailOnline. Despite their alarming appearance, the growths and swellings - called neurofibromas and caused by a growth of cells - are not cancerous or contagious. The condition has long been associated with the ‘Elephant Man,’ the name given to Joseph Carey Merrick, who was severely disfigured. However, in 1986, a new theory emerged that Mr Merrick may actually have had Proteus syndrome, a condition which involves symptoms . such as abnormal growth of the bones, skin and head. The confusion was again compounded in 2001 when it was proposed that he had suffered from a combination of neurofibromatosis type one (NF1) and Proteus syndrome. However, DNA tests on his hair and bones have proven inconclusive. Other symptoms of neurofibromatosis type one include flat, light brown spots on the skin. These harmless marks, also called cafe au lait spots, are common in many people. People who have more than six spots that are bigger than half a centimetre wide should get investigated for NF1. NF1 is a condition someone is born with, although some symptoms develop gradually over many years. The severity of the condition can vary considerably from person to person. People with NH1 are more likely to suffer from learning difficulties and behavioural problems, a type of cancer known as malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumours, which affect around 10 per cent of people with NF1 over their lifetime, vision problems, high blood pressure and a curved spine. | Pontiff embraced and prayed with the man, who suffers from neurofibromatosis - a rare genetic condition that is not contagious .
Condition long associated with the 'Elephant Man' Joseph Carey Merrick .
People living with the painful illness are often shunned because of their appearance .
Earlier in Wednesday's general audience, Pope Francis asked the faithful to pray for a sick girl . |
279,483 | f60e7cf455e602d85c78994b3abdff2be1185f68 | (CNN) -- The military is investigating a "shocking and deplorable" YouTube video that seems to show a Marine throwing a puppy off a rocky cliff. YouTube.com removed the video for violating the Web site's terms of use. The black-and-white puppy makes a yelping sound as it flies through the air. "That's mean, that was mean," one companion says off-camera, addressing the alleged puppy thrower by his last name. The fate of the animal is not known. The Marine is identified on the video and in other Internet postings as a lance corporal stationed at Marine Corps Base Hawaii in Kaneohe. It's not clear where the video was shot, although the man who appears to throw the puppy and another Marine are in full combat gear with helmets. YouTube.com had taken down the video by 12:30 p.m. ET Tuesday "due to terms of use violation," according to a banner on the Web site. "This is a shocking and deplorable video that is contrary to the high standards that we set for every Marine," Marine Corps spokesman Maj. Chris Perrine said at a news conference Monday night. "We will investigate this and take appropriate actions," Perrine said. Watch other Marines and civilians react to the video » . He said the Marine is being kept safe in view of the anger over the alleged incident. Perrine added that the majority of Marines conduct themselves honorably. "There are many examples of Marines who adopt pets and bring them back from Iraq and demonstrate their compassion on a daily basis," he said. If the video is deemed legitimate, the lance corporal could face a charge of conduct unbecoming a Marine, Perrine said. There could be administrative action, nonjudicial punishment or a court-martial, he added. "It's all governed by the Uniform Code of Military Justice, and anything from reduction in pay to reduction in rank to confinement to discharge from the Marine Corps" is possible, Perrine said. If others are involved, they too will be disciplined, he said. "Certainly, there's a lot of outrage, and a lot of people are upset about it. I think every Marine is upset about this video," he said. "We hope that it turns out not to be what it looks like." E-mail to a friend . | Marine in YouTube video appears to throw tiny dog over a cliff .
Corps investigating "shocking and deplorable video," spokesman says .
Location of scene not known, but Marines are in full combat gear .
Lance corporal could face mild to severe discipline, spokesman says . |
112,443 | 1d0ab40575b0235f76dca6fb4f878a5d0e6f4ad7 | (CNN) -- When Uncle Si Robertson declared on "Duck Dynasty" that "My favorite color is camo" it spurred a line of clothing sold to the A&E show's fans, according to a federal lawsuit filed Tuesday. But the cable channel's sales of T-shirts, hoodies and other apparel bearing that quote violate a trademark owned by Hajn, a Florida company that was already marketing "My Favorite Color is Camo" merchandise, the civil complaint said. The company claims it registered the trademark and put it on shirts, pants, hoodies, hats, magnets, stickers and bumper stickers in 2011, a year before the "Duck Dynasty" reality series began airing on A&E. "A&E's conduct constitutes clear acts of unfair competition that risks considerable consumer confusion in that customers purchasing apparel from A&E believe that these goods are affiliated, sponsored, endorsed or related to Hajn," the suit said. "Alternatively, A&E's conduct constitutes reverse palming off, in that consumers believe that Hajn is selling Duck Dynasty related apparel." Hajn lawyers sent a cease-and-desist letter to A&E in early June, but the network is still marketing the men's, women's and children's clothing with the trademarked slogan, the lawsuit said. A&E sells the apparel through merchandising deals with retail outlets such as Sears, Wal-Mart, Kohl's, Sports Authority and Target, as well as online, the complaint said. "A&E generated $400 million in revenues from sales of Duck Dynasty branded merchandise at Wal-Mart in 2013 alone," the suit said. The lawsuit demands that A&E stop selling "My Favorite Color is Camo" apparel and pay damages to Hajn. Lawyers for A&E have not filed a response in court. "We don't comment on pending litigation," A&E publicist Dan Silberman told CNN Wednesday. Lindsay Lohan sues over 'Grand Theft Auto V' 'Duck Dynasty' star stands by beliefs . Benham brothers lose HGTV show after 'anti-gay' remarks . | Company claims it registered the "My Favorite Color is Camo" trademark in 2011 .
"Duck Dynasty" reality series began airing on A&E in 2012 .
The Florida company demands A&E stop selling the camo shirts, pay damages .
A&E declines to comment on the federal lawsuit . |
190,996 | 83582ea7f6166749dfcc0b54547bf1e0e08d2adb | Southampton have re-launched a bid to sign Atletico Madrid defender Toby Alderweireld on loan and he is thought to favour a move to St Mary's over Newcastle. Arsenal had also been interested in the Belgian defender but appear to have pulled out of the race. But Koeman is close to sealing a deal for the 25-year-old as he continues his hunt for a replacement for Dejan Lovren. Transfer: Toby Alderweireld could be on his way to Southampton as Koeman looks to replace Dejan Lovren . Saints boss Ronald Koeman had been hoping to sign Virgil van Dijk from Celtic. But a dispute over the potential fee for the Dutchman has stalled the move, with the Scottish champions demanding £8million - a fee Southampton were not prepared to meet. Southampton, who many predicted to struggle after selling so many of their star players this summer, but Koeman's side currently sit eight in the Premier League table, ad have impressed despite their losses. World Cup: The Belgian centre-back impressed for both for Belgium and Atletico Madrid in the last 12 months . Price tag: Virgil van Dijk's move from Celtic to Southampton stalled as the Scottish club asked for £8million . | Southampton targeting Atletico Madrid's Toby Alderweireld .
Belgian midfielder would prefer Saints move to Newcastle .
Ronald Koeman were interested in signing Virgil van Dijk from Celtic . |
185,963 | 7cd1a6ee01a7b99604f0b97ba3b0621462bc4eea | (CNN) -- A body found Monday beside a North Carolina road is that of 5-year-old Shaniya Davis, who was reported missing a week ago, police said Tuesday. The official cause of death was undetermined as of Tuesday afternoon, Fayetteville police said in written statement. An announced afternoon media briefing was rescheduled for Wednesday morning. Earlier Tuesday, police said additional charges are expected in connection with the case and any charges will be made public as soon as they are filed. Shaniya's mother, Antoinette Nicole Davis, has been charged with human trafficking and other offenses. Davis was "prostituting her child," police spokeswoman Teresa Chance said after Davis' arrest over the weekend. Another suspect, Mario Andrette McNeill, has been charged with kidnapping in the case. Shaniya's father, Bradley Lockhart, made a tearful appeal before reporters Tuesday afternoon, asking that "everybody makes it a point not to ignore, to look past a situation where a person, a child, or anybody might be in danger ... so that we don't have another tragedy like Shaniya." He said authorities have given him limited information, but he was to meet with them later. "It's not the result I wanted, it's not the result any father or family would want for their children," he said. "But God has a greater calling for all of us." Shaniya's mother reported her missing from their Fayetteville home in a mobile home park on November 10. According to police, surveillance video taken that day from a hotel in Sanford shows Shaniya in the company of McNeill. "The investigation at this point indicates that Shaniya Davis was alive at the time she left the Sanford hotel," police said in the statement Tuesday. The road where the body was found is near Sanford, which is about 30 miles northwest of Fayetteville. Shaniya's half-sister, Cheyenne Lockhart, said on HLN's "Nancy Grace" Monday that she found it difficult to believe Davis had treated her daughter so poorly. "She seemed like the sweetest woman. She didn't come from much, but ... she had the sweetest voice, she had the sweetest personality, and especially toward me. I would never think that she would do anything like that," said Lockhart, who shared a father with Shaniya. Their father said Shaniya went to her mother's home on October 9. CNN's Gabriel Falcon contributed to this report. | NEW: Grieving father, speaking to media, urges people not to ignore children in peril .
Shaniya Davis, 5, was reported missing last week .
Mother Antoinette Nicole Davis faces human trafficking, other charges .
Davis was "prostituting her child," police spokeswoman says . |
247,748 | cc96b01b2fdee7b2be71dacb29f605b8321c3025 | By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 17:39 EST, 18 February 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 18:27 EST, 18 February 2013 . The body of a Queens woman who went missing in December washed up in a marshland near the Atlantic Ocean in Breezy Point, New York, on Saturday morning . Her cold body, which was still in pajamas, had experienced trauma and her hands and legs were tied up, police say. The distraught family of 24-year-old Marisha Cheong say her possessive live-in boyfriend, Latchman Balkaran, was directly involved in her death. Body found: The body of Marisha Cheong, who went missing on December 19, washed up in a marshland in Breezy Point, New York . Possible suspect: Cheong's family say her live-in boyfriend, Latchman Balkaran, was directly involved in her death . There have been no arrests, but Balkaran is being questioned by police about Cheong’s disappearance. Police have not yet named a suspect. He reportedly told investigators that he was making a delivery when his girlfriend went missing. Police have said that they confirmed his whereabouts and let him . go, but have not ruled him out, police have said. 'I'm just trying to be as strong as I can at this moment,' Balkaran told DNAinfo.com after Cheong's body was discovered. 'I'm still thinking she's gonna come through that door.' Cheong, a Long Island University student studying business administration, disappeared on the morning of December 19 from the Jamaica, Queens, home that she shared with 26-year-old Balkaran, not far from where her body washed up. Cheong, a 5-foot-7 brunette, was last seen alive on video camera. The footage showed her entering her home and then leaving with another person five minutes later, police said. Cheong's mother, Bibi Ali, told reporters that Balkaran was a controlling boyfriend and kept the passwords to Cheong’s iPhone and iPad. ‘I want him to tell me what he did, how she ended up on the beach. He knows. He has to know,. ‘He's obsessive over her. He's very obsessive,’ she said. Cheong's cousin, Andrey Azeez, also said that her boyfriend was extremely controlling. Police interviewed Balkaran, a delivery man and an aspiring Bollywood film director, when Cheong disappeared in December and questioned him again on Monday. 'Staying strong': 'I'm just trying to be as strong as I can at this moment,' Balkaran said after Cheong's body was discovered. 'I'm still thinking she's gonna come through that door' Balkaran said that he is not responsible for his girlfriend's disappearance and cannot believe she's gone . Balkaran said that he is not responsible for her disappearance, and cannot believe she's gone. ‘She was the sweetest person you'd ever meet,’ he said. ‘She would not harm a soul. I still can't believe it. I want to find who did this. We will find who did this.’ Balkaran also praised the investigators on the case. ‘They've been nothing but kind. I respect what they're doing,’ he said. Balkaran said he and Cheong planned to marry and that he had planned to propose to her around New Year's. ‘I'm just trying to be as strong as I can at this moment,’ he said. ‘I'm still thinking she's gonna come through that door.’ The medical examiner will determine the exact cause of Cheong’s death after an autopsy is performed, which could take several weeks. The investigation is on-going. Ongoing case: Cheong's body washed up in Breezy Point, New York, two months after she disappeared . Watch video here: . | Marisha Cheong, 24, disappeared on the morning of December .
19 .
Her body had experienced trauma and her hands and legs were tied up, police say .
Cheong's family say her boyfriend, Latchman Balkaran, was directly involved in her death .
Police are questioning Balkaran, but have not yet named a suspect . |
42,455 | 77b6a69765b339ea3badc9efdb5b4816db6cb859 | (CNN) -- The legacy of the Hatfields vs. the McCoys looms large in Mingo County, West Virginia. Now, in the same mountainous county along the Kentucky state line where blood was spilled and lives were lost in the famed feud nearly a century ago, two new sides are squaring off over serious allegations of repeated sexual assault on two schoolgirls by two male classmates. And there are claims of sham investigations and "punishment" that in one case allegedly amounted to denying the accused an ice-cream break. The case moved behind closed doors Friday at the Mingo County courthouse, where two school district officials and four faculty members made their first appearance in a courtroom for a hearing a week after the state's top lawyer accused them in a civil complaint of concealing alleged sexual abuse at a Mingo County middle school. West Virginia Attorney General Patrick Morrisey filed a request for a civil injunction last week in which he alleges that two female students were victims of sexual assaults over the course of the year at the hands of two seventh-grade boys. According to the filing, abuse of the two 13-year-old Burch Middle School students, also in the seventh grade, took place on multiple occasions between November 2012 and May 2013. The attorney general says in the filing that two boys would work in concert: one would restrain their victim while the other groped her "breasts, genitalia (and) buttocks." Most of the alleged attacks Morrisey outlines in the filing took place at the school, except for a class trip to the state capital of Charleston, where one of the girls said she was raped. Names of neither the boys nor the girls have been released, but the attorney general's court filing identifies the suspects as Juvenile 1 and Juvenile 2, and states they are both relatives of employees of the Mingo County school system. Mingo County Prosecuting Attorney Teresa Maynard told CNN that she first learned of the investigation last week after Morrisey filed the request for an injunction. She said she met with the attorney general on Friday and explained to him that her office must be part of the investigation from now on -- and it didn't take her very long to show that she meant it: Maynard filed juvenile charges against both of the boys on Friday. She would not divulge what those charges were. Maynard has not brought charges against any other parties, but the attorney general did name a handful of teachers and administrators as defendants in the court filing requesting a civil injunction -- which is not to be confused with the filing of criminal charges. Attorney General Morrisey declined to be interviewed for this article, but West Virginia State Police Public Information Officer Lt. Mike Baylous explained that a civil injunction -- like the one requested by Morrisey in this case -- is an "extreme" court order that is made for the purpose of restraining the defendant -- or in this case, the defendants - from pursuing any conduct that amounts to harassment. The attorney general made the case in his complaint that he has ample reason to believe that a state investigation would be stymied. As abhorrent as the allegations are themselves, Morrissey says they are not why he is taking this action; he's doing that because, he said "the overall handling of the allegations was inherently flawed and tainted with conflicts of interest." That may seem like an understatement in a 32-page complaint that details allegations of disappearing evidence, connected suspects, sham investigations, deceitful and vengeful administrators, and refusals to cooperate with law enforcement. Mingo County, going back to the Hatfield-McCoy days, has earned an unsavory reputation, thanks to nepotism, cronyism and a spectacular history of vendettas and public corruption. In the last few years Mingo's sheriff was assassinated, its only circuit judge and prosecutor both went to prison on conspiracy charges in an unrelated case, and a county commissioner pleaded guilty to extortion. Just this week, the mayor of the county's largest city pleaded guilty to lying to federal authorities in a workers' compensation case. Not even the Mingo school system seems to be immune from controversy. Court filings cite repeated examples of school officials allegedly protecting the accused in the seventh-grade sexual assault allegations, and claim that "a relative of (one of the boys) was directly involved in the handling and investigation into the allegations against (him), and involved in decisions relating to the discipline/punishment of the male juvenile offenders." That investigation, according to Morrisey's injunction request, was "ineffective, non-existent, (and) designed (to) illicit contradictory and/or less incriminating statements from the female victims." When punishment was doled out, the attorney general characterized it as a mockery. In one instance, for example, a school official "'disciplined' (the boys) for the alleged abuse of a female student by denying them a break for ice cream during statewide testing," the attorney general's court filing said. The attorney general says the problems go beyond alleged efforts to sweep the accusations under the carpet. Morrisey's complaint said Burch Middle School teachers and administrators "threatened (the girls) with discipline" to dissuade them from coming forward, and the alleged victims were retaliated against when they did. The day after one of the alleged victims alerted state police in April 2014, she was written up for bullying. Morrisey wrote that the "bullying" was actually the victim blocking her Facebook account from the niece of a teacher at the school. The next day she was written up again, this time for "insubordination," according to the filing. The attorney general alleges that the other victim says she was targeted as well: the injunction request states that a high-ranking Burch official "retaliated against (her) by removing her from her classes and placing her in other classes that were below her academic level." When West Virginia State Police showed up at Burch on April 24, the principal refused to allow a trooper to take a statement from a possible third victim, according to the court filing. The principal "went an additional step further and informed the State Trooper investigating the alleged sexual abuse at the school that he could no longer take statements from students at Burch Middle School because it 'disrupted the learning environment.'" CNN tried repeatedly to reach the teachers and administrators at Burch Middle School named in the filing for comment on the allegations, but multiple e-mails and phone messages were never returned. Jason Long, the attorney representing the Mingo County Board of Education and the Mingo County school superintendent, released a statement that said "the Mingo County Board of Education is committed to working with the attorney general's office to resolve this investigation in a timely manner. The hearing today gathered everyone involved and opened a dialogue. We take these allegations very seriously. Be assured our goal is to create a safe learning environment for all students of Mingo County." CNN's Janet DiGiacomo contributed to this report. | The attorney general of West Virginia has taken on the case of two seventh-grade girls .
The girls allege they were sexually assaulted by two classmates during the school year .
The AG says local officials worked to protect the accused and punish their accusers .
The accused are relatives of school system employees, the attorney general says . |
214,751 | a207d44a3711c7da0d81ea29506107880be01597 | State capitols across the country will be more Republican than at any point since the Roaring '20s when victorious legislators and governors take office next year. That could result in lower taxes and perhaps fewer dollars flowing to social safety net programs. A day after a big election, newly emboldened Republican state leaders already were making plans Wednesday to pursue deeper tax cuts, relax business regulations, expand private school vouchers and impose new limits on public welfare programs. In some states, such as Kansas, Republicans will be able to do as they want, because they control both chambers of the legislature and the governor's office. In others, such as neighboring Missouri, the Republicans' legislative supermajorities will be so large that they can essentially disregard the objections of a Democratic governor. In this photo taken on Tuesday, Nov. 4, 2014, Republican Russ Diamond (left) celebrates his victory in the state House District 102 race at the Batdorf in Annville, Pa., by making confetti out of negative ads and tossing them in to the air . Elsewhere, like in New York, the Republican takeover of one legislative chamber simply means a stronger say in a state still otherwise led by Democrats. Nowhere in the entire nation did Democrats take over a legislative chamber previously held by Republicans. And Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Corbett was the only Republican chief executive to fall to a Democratic challenger. For statehouse Republicans, 'it's their strongest position in nearly a century,' said Tim Storey, an analyst at the National Conference of State Legislatures. Republicans will have full control of at least 29 state legislatures, according to the conference, the party's largest total since 1928, perhaps earlier. The GOP will hold at least 32 governorships, including newly won offices in traditionally Democratic Illinois, Maryland and Massachusetts. In many cases, the Republican victories expanded majorities won in previous elections, such as the 2010 GOP sweep. Over the past several years, Republicans already have used those majorities to cut taxes, restrict abortions, expand gun rights and limit the powers of public employee unions. Those all remain high on the Republican agenda. 'We're going to focus on legislation that helps small businesses, whether that's taxes, labor or the regulatory environment,' said Missouri House Speaker-nominee John Diehl, whose Republican caucus now holds its highest-ever number of seats. The challenge for Republicans may be to constrain their enthusiasm, lest they go further than some voters had anticipated and complicate their chances of re-election in the future. After large GOP majorities in Kansas enacted widespread income tax cuts in recent years, the resulting budget difficulties turned Tuesday's election into a referendum on Republican Gov. Sam Brownback's financial policies. He narrowly won, as Republicans added to their ranks in the House. Brownback acknowledged at a victory party that 'it's a difficult time for many Kansas families' and 'jobs are scarce,' but he pledged to keep the state on the route he had charted. 'Our way is holding down taxes, holding down regulations, controlling spending,' Brownback said. Republican governors or legislative leaders in Maryland, Maine, New York, Texas and West Virginia also are already talking of tax cuts. Republican Eddie Smith, left, kisses his wife, Lana Keck Smith, after defeating Rep. Gloria Johnson in the 13th District of the Tennessee House of Representatives, Tuesday, Nov. 4, 2014, in Knoxville, Tenn. At right is their daughter Lauren . Texas Gov.-elect Greg Abbott has promised to make an expansion of school vouchers and charter schools a priority for his new Republican administration that will be paired with an even larger GOP majority in the House and Senate. Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, who won re-election along with an expanded GOP legislative majority, also wants to expand enrollment in a private school voucher program. His agenda includes drug tests for people seeking food stamps or unemployment benefits and more tax cuts on top of the $2 billion enacted during his first term. In Maine, Assistant Republican Senate Leader Roger Katz said that the new GOP-led Senate hopes to team with a Republican governor to implement 'sensible' changes to welfare programs, cut government spending, lower taxes and eliminate bureaucracy for businesses. The Republican victory in Arkansas was the largest since Reconstruction, with GOP candidates sweeping the statewide offices and building upon its legislative majorities. Republicans will have to decide whether to continue a program enacted under Democratic Gov. Mike Beebe that expanded health coverage to more than 200,000 people by using Medicaid money to buy private insurance. 'With these victories by the new Republicans — many of whom have voiced opposition to that — it really puts it in some real danger,' said Jay Barth, a political science professor at Hendrix College in Conway, Arkansas. 'The big test initially is what happens to the private option.' | Some majorities are so large that Republican state lawmakers can ignore objections from Democratic governors .
National Conference of State Legislatures says that for statehouse Republicans, 'it's their strongest position in nearly a century'
Most state legislatures led by the GOP are expected to pass sweeping tax cuts that they say will unshackle small businesses and create jobs . |
184,341 | 7ac5bceed8d55d752e5761d2716cee002764c725 | By . Martin Robinson . PUBLISHED: . 11:26 EST, 25 November 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 12:35 EST, 25 November 2013 . Missing: Police are today hunting for teenager Adam Dugmore, who detectives say is struggling to come to terms with the death of his younger brother . Police have issued an urgent appeal to trace a missing teenager who is struggling to come to terms with the death of his nine-year-old brother. Adam Dugmore, 16, was heartbroken when his sibling Aaron hanged himself in February this year. Adam was reported missing by his father at 11am today after he failed to turn up for school. He was last seen at around 8.45am leaving the family home in Erdington, Birmingham. West Midland Police launched a massive manhunt for Adam and are searching parks and wastelands in the surrounding area. The youngster, a pupil at North Birmingham Academy, was last seen wearing his black school uniform under a grey zip-up hoodie. He is described as 5ft 8ins tall, of slim build, with short blonde hair and brown eyes. The keen Aston Villa fan was wearing grey Ralph Lauren pumps and was carrying a yellow JD sports drawstring bag and was carrying a quantity of birthday cash. Chief Superintendent Rachel Jones, commander for the Birmingham north local policing unit, said: 'He was reported missing to police at 11am by his dad who found out that he hadn't turned up for school. 'Adam has been struggling to come to terms with the death of his nine-year-old brother, Aaron, who took his own life in February this year and officers are anxious to know that he is safe and well. 'For Adam to go off in such circumstances is a cause for concern for us. 'His parents are beside themselves with worry and we are doing everything we can to find him. 'I would ask that anyone who has seen Adam today calls us as a matter of urgency. I would also appeal directly to Adam to contact us. 'Adam you are not in any trouble. We all just want to know that you are safe and well.' Hunt: Adam Dugmore was last seen by his parents at around 8.45am when he left the family home on Tyburn Road, Erdington, and is known to be distraught about the death of little brother Aaron . Bereft: Adam has struggled to cope with his nine-year-old brother Aaron's tragic death in February this year . Appearance: West Midlands Police have released this artist's impression of the North Birmingham Academy school uniform missing teenager Adam Dugmore, was wearing when he was last seen . Adam's brother was being tormented by an Asian gang of bullies at his new school because he was white. His . parents claimed Aaron was threatened with a plastic knife by one Asian . pupil, who warned him: 'Next time it will be a real one.' On August 26 this year Adam wrote a heartfelt message on what would have been his brother's 10th birthday. Updating his Facebook status, he said: 'Happy birthday aaron love you so much r.i.p 3xxxxxx' In his first post about Aaron after his death in February this year, Adam wrote: 'Miss my brother so much' on July 6. Victim: Aaron Dugmore, pictured, died in February, aged nine, after he was badly bullied at school, his parents have said . Hurt: Poignant Facebook posts left by Adam Dugmore after his younger brother killed himself this year . Worried: Adam and Aaron Dugmore's mother Kelly-Marie with their stepfather Paul Jones holding a picture of Aaron after his tragic death . Then on July 28, he posted: 'I miss my brother so much its unreal :(/3' Less than 12 hours before he went missing, Adam also posted a normal Facebook status saying he was looking forward to a football game between Aston Villa and West Bromwich Albion this evening. Younger brother Aaron was found hanged in his bedroom at the family home by mum Kelly Dugmore, 30, at about 6pm on February 11. He was rushed to hospital where doctors desperately attempted to revive him but he later died. His family claimed that the schoolboy had been suffering at the hands of bullies at Erdington Hall Primary School. Police have asked that if anyone has seen Adam, or anyone knows his whereabouts, should call West Midlands Police immediately on 101. | Adam Dugmore, 16, was heartbroken after death of brother Aaron this year .
Teenager was last seen this morning and never turned up at his school .
West Midlands Police urging anyone who may know where he is to call .
Aaron Dugmore killed himself in February after he was bullied at school . |
65,869 | baf9bef35c735a87dd0313d835e0d2eef36a78e2 | Hackers have attempted more than a dozen cyber attacks against the Obamacare website, according to a top Homeland Security Department official. The attacks, which are under investigation, failed, said the official. Authorities also are investigating a separate report of a tool designed to put heavy strain on HealthCare.gov through a so-called distributed denial of service. It does not appear to have been activated. "We received about 16 reports from HHS that are under investigation and one open source report about a denial of service," according to Acting Assistant Homeland Security Secretary Roberta Stempfley of the Office of Cybersecurity and Communications. Related: Many in Congress avoiding health care exchanges . Stempfley testified at a hearing of the House Homeland Security Committee that the attempts were made between November 6 and November 8, but none were successful. The DDOS program, called "Destroy Obama Care," was recently spotted on a "torrent" file sharing web page, and first reported last week on a blog by Arbor Networks, which said it found no evidence the program had actually been launched to attack the troubled federal portal for consumers to shop for health coverage. "We have not monitored any attacks. We have not seen any sizable, or anything to believe that these problems are related to DDOS," said Dan Holden director of security research for Arbor Networks, adding "I don't believe that the problems with the site's availability is due to any kind of DDOS attack." Related: White House officials get earful from Democrats on Obamacare . In a separate hearing, a top Health and Human Services official, Chief Information Officer Frank Baitman, said his department had engaged an "ethical hacker" on staff to test the defenses of the health care site. The hacker discovered between seven and 10 items related to attempted security breaches which were disclosed in a report. Baitman said he would not describe these items as serious and said the majority had been resolved. The use of hackers employed to test on line site security is common, Holden said. "That's pretty standard practice, generally referred to as penetration testing," Holden told CNN. "There are many companies and individuals out there that have done that for a very long time. The idea being, you want to know where your weaknesses are and what the potential of attacks could be." Related: Obamacare's first month: 106,000 signed up . But others are still concerned about the security of the site. In statements made before the House Homeland Security hearing, database expert Luke Chung --whose company did not work on HealthCare.gov -- provided his technical assessment, saying that the problem with the roll out of the website was far deeper than "too many users." Chung said that in his estimation the skill set of the designers of the website were subpar, adding that "when you have an environment where the developer can barely get the web site functional, security is way down on the list of things to take care of. Security has to be built-in at the very beginning not at the very end." But, critical infrastructure protection specialist and CEO of Lunarline, Inc., Waylon Krush told the committee, "There's not a system out there that's perfect in nature, by any means, from a cybersecurity perspective." "You would assume that for hundreds of millions of dollars it would be a secure site," said Chung. | There have been more than a dozen attempts to attack the Healthcare.gov web site .
None of the attacks have been successful, officials said .
Officials also hired an "ethical hacker" to try to find holes in the system .
HealthCare.gov went live on October 1; beset by internal problems since . |
188,003 | 7f7595517ef2a4d1d1a40e35453517e999efe513 | (CNN) -- We all have bad habits. Nobody's perfect. Especially the booger eaters. Most everyone will agree that one of the very worst habits -- if not THE worst habit -- is cigarette smoking. Because, really, as far as poor life choices go, it's right up there with setting your DVR for "Two and a Half Men." Nothing good can come from it. But one horribly addicted man in Turkey is determined to quit, and he's taking his efforts to a hilarious new level. Because, after 26 years of cigarettes, Ibrahim Yucel has decided to encase his entire head in a metal cage. And, hell, it might just work. Though, generally speaking, that kind of self-imposed personal torture is usually best reserved for adventurous bedroom shenanigans with shady (yet willing) people you meet on Craigslist. So I've heard. But Yucel is serious about kicking his two-pack-a-day habit, and, as a last-ditch effort, it's all come down to the metal head cage. Which has now gone somewhat viral. A video detailing his master plan recently surfaced on YouTube, and amazed viewers got to watch Yucel's wife literally lock him in for the day before he headed off to work. Which, despite his positive, health-conscious intentions, is a terribly misguided decision. As someone who had to wear orthodontic headgear as a kid, I can assure you there's no glory being seen in public looking like Hannibal Lecter. But our hero doesn't seem to care, and perhaps this low-tech solution IS the solution. Amazingly, Yucel created the device all by himself using 130 feet of copper wire. Which, on the down side, means if he ever wears it into the wrong neighborhood, it'll be gone in less than 10 minutes. "Come on!" But, until then the cage, which has only two keys that are kept by his wife and daughter, should prevent him from getting cigarettes up to his mouth, while providing just enough room for sliding in crackers and a flattened drinking straw. Yucel is motivated by the memory of his father, who died of lung cancer, and I applaud the man for trying to quit. I wish more of you would do the same. Not so much because I care about your health, but because my biggest pet peeve in life is when people throw their butts on the ground. It drives me crazy. Unfortunately, even the kindest, most law-abiding citizens do it. Apparently, at some point in history a bunch of old dudes got together to make the rules of life and officially agreed that, for whatever reason, this would not be considered litter. "Beer bottles?" "Litter!" "Fast-food wrappers?" "Litter!" "Hey, what about cigarette butts?" "Shut up, Dan." To me, tossing butts on the ground is a habit almost as bad as actually smoking. It's rude. It's unsightly. And it's definitely worse than booger eating. Fortunately, though, the majority of personal bad habits are rather innocent and don't have any real negative impact on society as a whole. For instance, I drink waaay too much Diet Coke, and none of you are any worse off because of it. Save for my distracted co-workers who sit near the men's room. "Hi. Me again." Sadly, there are some habits that are so bad to the point where they don't even technically qualify as habits. For example, setting things on fire really shouldn't be "your thing." "Good grief, Wayne. You gotta stop doing that." "I know, right?" But smoking is still pretty bad. So, if you're not interested in donning Yucel's giant metal cage, and if the patch and the gum aren't working, I know of only one other sure-fire way to quit: Move to Sydney, Australia. Never in my life have I seen cigarettes so expensive, where bumming one on the streets is basically like asking a stranger to pay your next mortgage bill. Mind you, I'm not a smoker. But when I visit a foreign city I find you can often get a pulse for the general cost of living by how much they charge for beer and cigarettes. And, at least from my travels, that's about as bad as I've seen it. So, go to Australia, and I promise you'll be well on your way to better health. Unless, of course, you simply get killed just by virtue of being in that country. Fun fact: Nine out of ten things in Australia are venomous. Including most office supplies. But if all your foreign travel money is being spent on cigarettes in the first place, maybe you should settle for Yucel's giant metal cage. Even if it doesn't work, at least you'll still have it for the next time you browse Craigslist. And that can be fun. So I've heard. Follow Jarrett Bellini on Twitter. | A man in Turkey built a copper-wire head cage to keep himself from smoking .
Ibrahim Yucel had a 2-pack-a-day cigarette habit .
His wife and daughter are the only ones with a key to unlock the cage .
A video detailing his master plan recently surfaced on YouTube . |
230,025 | b5df5ff23fa4a61604d3f4db658a9a03cc23c710 | This gruesome image of a tumour growing from a cigarette is part of the Government's latest attempt to get millions of Britons to stop smoking. The new Department of Health campaign launched today is in response to statistics which show more than a third of smokers still think the health risks are greatly exaggerated. This is despite the fact that smoking is still the biggest cause of premature death, responsible for taking more than 100,000 lives in the UK every year. Scroll down to watch the ad . The Department of Health hopes the image of a tumour growing from a cigarette will prompt some of Britain's eight million smokers to quit . Dr Harpal Kumar, chief executive of Cancer Research UK, insisted the startling images in the ads are necessary . The latest campaign will focus on the fact that every 15 cigarettes smoked causes a mutation that can lead to cancer, according to the Department of Health (DoH). Chief Medical Officer Professor Dame Sally Davies said smokers play Russian roulette with every cigarette. 'This is a hard-hitting campaign to get at the hidden harms of smoking,' she said. 'People will see a man smoking and then a cancer growing out of the cigarette. That is what happens in people's bodies. 'One-in-two smokers die from smoking, most from cancer. We know that people don't personalise the harms of smoking and don't understand what's happening in their bodies. This will show them.' The latest campaign will focus on the fact that smoking just 15 cigarettes can cause a mutation than can lead to cancerous tumours . About two thirds of the nation’s 8million smokers say they want to quit and the campaign urges them to . pick up a free NHS Quit Kit from pharmacies. The last graphic adverts, in 2004, showed fatty deposits being squeezed from a smoker's artery and fat dripping from the end of cigarettes. The following eight years have seen softer campaigns but the DoH says it believes the time is right to deliver a stronger message. Dame Sally said: 'It is extremely worrying that people still underestimate the serious health harms associated with smoking. 'We want smokers to understand that each packet of cigarettes increases their risk of cancer.' The campaign, which cost £2.7 million, will run for nine weeks on television, billboards and online. Dr Harpal Kumar, chief executive of Cancer Research UK, insisted the startling images in the ads are necessary. 'We have got to reduce the impact that tobacco has on the lives of far too many people,' he said. 'It's not a lifestyle choice, it's an addiction that creeps into people's lives and results in death and disease. 'Giving up smoking can be extremely difficult, so providing extra motivation and reminding people of just how harmful the habit is can help smokers to take that first step in quitting for good.' | Department of Health ad, which cost £2.7m, will run for nine weeks on television, billboards and online .
Launched in response to statistics which show more than a third of smokers still think the health risks are greatly exaggerated . |
181,782 | 775fdfe2aa3e838440f8fcb395fdb819dfe037ca | By . Associated Press . PUBLISHED: . 07:45 EST, 6 June 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 12:42 EST, 6 June 2012 . Face of innocence: Angel Mauro Cortez Nava was shot down and killed as he was cradled in his father's arms . A 14-month-old toddler has been gunned down outside his parent's house after his father was targeted for wearing purple clothing. Angel Mauro Cortez Nava was the innocent victim of a gang-related feud on Monday night in the Watts area of Los Angeles when he was murdered as Mauro Cortez, 24, cradled him on the pavement. Mr Cortez was wearing a purple top - a colour associated with one of two gangs that have been involved in a long-running and deadly feud. Neighbours say Mr Cortez has nothing to do with gang crime. Police are now searching for the killer who was a hoodie-wearing teenager and fired several shots as he rode by, injuring Mr Cortez. Mauro Jr was shot in the stomach and . rushed to hospital but died following surgery while his father was . struck in the shoulder and released yesterday. Police have not released a motive but neighbours and relatives all believe it could be a gang feud. Cortez, . who is from Mexico, told the LA Times through an interpreter that he . was devastated and his son was everything to him. He asked for help from . the public but added that he is scared. Marcus Williams, who lives nearby, . said: 'I have seen plenty of people pass away here. For a child to go, . this has to stop immediately. 'When . a child, a child, a baby, this kid didn't have a chance at life. It . really hurt. I'm afraid to let my kids play in the yard now. This is . right across the street.'. A . $50,000 reward has now been put up by the city council for anyone with . information leading to the suspect's conviction. The Los Angeles Kings . has also said it will offer the same amount. A . sign was erected on the fence outside the boy's home which said 'Angel . Maro Cortez Nava', and listed his date of birth and death. KTLA-5 has also got video that shows a . display of photos of him as a newborn baby and on a rocking horse along . with the words 'We Love You'. His father, Mauro Cortez, shows the bullet wound he suffered as a result of the shooting . Numerous tributes have been left outside the families home in the Watts area of Los Angeles . The attacker was black and the father . is Latino, authorities said. Neighbours added that they have been caught . in the crossfire of a six-month turf war between Fudgetown, a black . gang, and the Hispanic Barrio Grape Street gang. Mauro Cortez with his son when he was newborn. He has said he is devastated by the death and Angel was his life . Tim Leiweke, president of the group that owns the Kings, said the team was offering the reward 'to make sure everyone knows this is unacceptable in our city.' Cortez was wearing a purple shirt when the shooting took place, a colour some associate with the Barrio Grape Street gang, the Times said. Grape Street is one block west of Hickory. Cortez is an immigrant from Jalisco, Mexico, who did odd jobs, friends and relatives told the Times. When he showed up three years ago, the Cervantes family took him in, matriarch Sara Cervantes said. Cortez had nothing to do with any gang, neighbours said. He got married and in 2011, Angel was born. 'He . was always here playing with the baby. The baby was his life,' said . Maria Trujillo, another member of the family. 'With these shootings . going on, you don't feel safe in your own front yard,' she added. 'There . was a shooting around over there on the corner a block away; one on . Wilmington, and another up around the corner,' said Miguel Medina, an . unemployed construction worker who has lived on the street for five . years. 'When I came here it was calm, but then six months ago they began . killing each other.' Police chief Charlie Beck said it was 'an awful tragedy' that had unsettled the highest ranks of the police department. Tensions in the neighbourhood have been high with more than half a dozen killings in the last year. He . said: 'Gang violence touches everybody,' he said. 'People have to . understand that even though gang members may target each other, victims . cross a wide, broad swath. It's extremely unfortunate.' A car with a bullet hole is parked outside the house where a man in a purple top was stood when the shooting happened - a colour associated with a gang in the area . Police investigate the scene of the shooting which happened on Monday night . | $100,000 reward offered by LA city council and Los Angeles Kings hockey team .
Angel Mauro Cortez Nava was being cradled by his father as they sat outside family home .
Neighbours believe shooting was gang related but add that boy's father was not involved in criminal gangs .
Mr Cortez was wearing purple T-shirt, colour associated with gang . |
225,759 | b053433f60d82e30af3496439fac76cb55155fcc | ‘For a man who likes electric cars he sure burns a lot of rocket fuel.’ These were the words of Lisa Simpson to Elon Musk in his guest appearance on The Simpsons, humourously citing a supposed conflict of interest between his companies Tesla and SpaceX. But in a series of tweets Mr Musk has hit back at the opinionated cartoon character, explaining why rockets in their current form are the only way to reach orbit. South African-born Elon Musk has responded to comments made by Lisa Simpson. He appeared in the latest episode of the Simpsons on 25 January, pictured here in a still from the episode with the Simpsons family. In the episode Lisa cites a potential conflict of interest between his electric car company Tesla and SpaceX . The episode, called 'The Musk who fell to Earth', aired on 25 January. Towards the end of the episode, Mr Musk takes off in one of SpaceX's Dragon spacecraft, leading Lisa to make her remark. But responding to the jibe, South African-born Musk said in a tweet: ‘If u saw @TheSimpsons and wonder why @SpaceX doesn't use an electric rocket to reach orbit, it is cuz that is impossible.’ In September last year, dreams of taking an elevator into space were given a boost after researchers created ultra-thin, super-strong nanothreads made from diamonds. The threads are made up of a long, thin strand of carbon atoms arranged in the same way as the inside of a diamond. The discovery could finally be the breakthrough needed to hoist and support cosmic elevators that would transport people into the atmosphere. The research was carried out by John Badding, a professor of chemistry at Penn State University, and the findings were published in the journal Nature Materials. He went on to say the reason is Newton’s Third Law, which states that for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. ‘In a vacuum, there is nothing to “push” against. You must react against ejected mass,’ he continued. Ever since the first rockets launched in the mid-20th century, people have wondered if there might be an easier way to reach orbit. People have dreamed up space elevators, ‘cannons’ that could launch vehicles into orbit or electric ion thrusters to slowly raise a spacecraft above Earth’s atmosphere. But as Mr Musk explains, none of these technologies are advanced enough yet to be a feasible alternative to rockets. In particular, space elevators have often been seen as a ‘holy grail’ of reaching orbit, but no one has yet developed a material that could withstand the huge strain of holding itself together - let alone lift anything into orbit. ‘[Please] don’t ask me about space elevators until someone at least builds a carbon nanotube structure longer than a footbridge,’ said Mr Musk. Responding to Lisa's jibe on twitter, Mr Musk said rockets were the only way to currently reach orbit. He said other methods like electric power were simply 'impossible'. And other proposals like space elevators or railguns were not technologically feasible yet . Elon Musk is CEO of company SpaceX, which builds and operates the Falcon series of rockets, in addition to the Dragon spacecraft. Pictured is a Falcon 9 rocket lifting off from Space Launch Complex 40 at the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida on 10 January 2015 . Mr Musk is also CEO of electric car company Tesla, leading Lisa to cite the supposed public of interest with his gas-guzzling rockets. However, as he points out, it's simply not possible to produce an environmentally friendly way of reaching Earth orbit yet, and rockets are the best way to get into space for now . Elon Musk is the founder of electric car maker Tesla, and space exploration firm SpaceX. The South African-born entrepreneur immigrated to Canada at age 17. He then moved to America to study at the University of Pennsylvania. Mr Musk made his first fortune by helping set up money service PayPal. In September, SpaceX won a $1.6 billion contract with Nasa to resupply the International Space Station with its rockets and launchers. In August 2013, Mr Musk unveiled plans for a Hyperloop system that would offer a faster way to travel between Los Angeles and San Francisco. Mr Musk described the concept as a subsonic air travel machine that would stretch approximately 350 miles (560 km). It theoretically would let commuters travel between the cities in 30 minutes or less. He also has plans to colonise Mars and has even said he wants retire on the red planet. Ion thrusters, meanwhile, are a means of electric propulsion employed on some spacecraft. Rather than ejecting chemical propellant like a regular rocket, they accelerate ions to create a slow but steady thrust. They are used on some spacecraft, such as Nasa’s Dawn probe currently on its way to the dwarf planet Ceres, as they can provide sustainable propulsion over a long period of time. However, their rate of acceleration is comparable to the pressure a piece of paper exerts on your hand. Over time, this can accelerate a spacecraft to great speeds - but it is simply not possible to use such an engine to launch a rocket on earth . ‘Ion thrusters are great, but have extremely tiny force (photon thruster even less). Must have more thrust than weight or you don't go up,’ said Mr Musk. And as his final rebuttal, on whether a space cannon could be used to fire a vehicle into space, he said: ‘Anything launched by a railgun (if you could ever reach ~ Mach 27) would explode upon exiting the barrel in our dense atmosphere.’ Elon Musk, pictured, is the founder of electric car maker Tesla, and space exploration firm SpaceX. The South African-born entrepreneur immigrated to Canada at age 17. He then moved to America to study at the University of Pennsylvania. Mr Musk made his first fortune by helping set up money service PayPal . | South African-born Elon Musk responded to comments by Lisa Simpson .
He appeared in the latest episode of The Simpsons on 25 January .
In it Lisa cites a potential conflict of interest between his electric car company Tesla and space exploration company SpaceX .
'For a man who likes electric cars he sure burns a lot of rocket fuel,' she said .
But responding to the jibe on Twitter, Mr Musk said rockets were the only way to currently reach orbit .
He said other methods like electric power were simply 'impossible'
And other proposals like space elevators or railguns were not technologically feasible yet . |
201,198 | 907d0ee091bcf68f792343ddd54fb3905bdb526d | Homeowners face curbs on CCTV cameras on their properties after a surge of complaints about spying neighbours. Gripes about security cameras attached to neighbouring buildings, including homes and shops, to deter crime have almost tripled to six a day amid fears about snooping, it has emerged. The independent surveillance camera commissioner, Tony Porter, warned he would ask the Government to legislate if concerns about the growing use of domestic CCTV systems, which cost as little as £100, did not abate. Gripes about security cameras attached to neighbouring buildings, including homes and shops, to deter crime have almost tripled to six a day amid fears about snooping . He has vowed to issue new guidance next March about the use of cameras on private homes to tackle mounting worries about use of the technology. Many complaints focus on CCTV cameras which invade neighbours’ privacy by focusing on their garden or by pointing into their windows, or fears that paedophiles could use the state-of-the-art kit to leer at children. The Office of the Surveillance Camera Commissioner has seen a rise in the number of calls from people from around two a week – or about 100 a year – to up to six a week, as many as 300 a year. Some 80 per cent are about CCTV on someone’s home. In his annual report, Mr Porter said: ‘The use of surveillance camera systems within domestic environments continues to grow. This upsurge in domestic use is directly responsible for an increase in complaints around their use. ‘The most common concerns coming in to my inbox - around 80 per cent - are over the use of CCTV at someone’s home, in a domestic setting. The concerns are primarily about the intrusion into a neighbour's privacy.’ Commercial CCTV systems have to comply with a code of practice which sets out transparency requirements and a number of measures about how recordings can be stored and used. Home Secretary Theresa May, arriving for a cabinet meeting at 10 Downing Street this morning, may face calls to crackdown on the use of CCTV cameras on people's homes . However, the code does not apply to householders who have installed CCTV to deter burglars and other crime. Mr Porter said drones and body-worn video, including by bouncers, door supervisors or landlords, ‘present challenges’ but did not highlight any of the complaints received about the technology. | Gripes about security cameras attached to neighbouring buildings triple .
There are now six complaints over 'snooping' CCTV cameras every day .
Surveillance camera commissioner Tony Porter threatens legal crackdown . |
210,874 | 9d1f66368451d2e506824f9dd300370fb21e8535 | By . Sarah Michael . Tony Abbott has shrugged off disastrous new post-budget poll results for his government, after it was revealed he is now as unpopular as Julia Gillard ever was. The Prime Minister has also said he won't be rethinking his budget despite the states and territories promising to inflict political pain on his government over $80 billion in budget cuts. Premiers and chief ministers are demanding an emergency meeting with the prime minister before the end of July, saying cuts to health and education funding will have an immediate impact on services. Prime Minister Tony Abbott on Monday said he won't be rethinking his budget despite the states and territories promising to inflict political pain on his government . Both Newspoll and Fairfax-Nielsen show a big drop in support for the coalition after last week's unpopular budget. Nielsen shows Mr Abbott's negative rating has hit minus 28 per cent, which is as low as any number former Prime Minister Ms Gillard recorded at her most unpopular. Newspoll shows the coalition's primary vote dipped two percentage points to 36 per cent, compared to Labor's 38 per cent. But the prime minister shrugged off results showing his personal standing with voters has plunged. 'I'm just getting on with what we were elected to do,' he told ABC radio on Monday. 'In the end, my job is not necessarily to win a popularity contest, my job is to run the country effectively.' Mr Abbott's negative rating has hit minus 28 per cent, which is as low as any number recorded by former Prime Minister Julia Gillard (pictured in September 2013) On a two-party preferred basis Newspoll gives the ALP a 10-point lead - 55 to 45 per cent - and has Labor leader Bill Shorten leading Mr Abbott as preferred prime minister by 10 points. Mr Abbott says the results were to be expected. 'We never said it was going to be be easy,' he said. 'The last government which brought down a very tough budget - the Howard government in 1996 - took a big hit in the polls too. 'But in the end we were elected not to take easy decisions but to take hard and necessary decisions, and that's what we've done.' On Monday Mr Abbott also rebuffed the demand for an emergency meeting with premiers and chief ministers, saying he speaks regularly to state and territory leaders. He says the cuts to health and education funding won't come for three years so the Commonwealth and states have time to develop a new funding model. Mr Abbott says he has delivered a budget in line with Australians' expectations, despite 75% of people polled by Galaxy claiming they will be worse off . 'There's plenty of time to come to grips with this and the best possible ways to deal with it,' he told ABC radio. 'Let's talk all of this through and come up with a system that come 2017-18 ... we have schools and hospitals which are well funded, which are better run, and let's have a federation that works better as well.' But at a meeting in Sydney on Sunday state and territory leaders rejected the cuts as 'completely unacceptable' and said hundreds of hospital beds would have to be closed across the country. South Australian Premier Jay Weatherill promised the states and territories will cause the 'maximum amount of political pain' for the Abbott government unless it reverses the cuts. The Labor party are not the only one opposing the new cuts and payments. The Greens and the Palmer United Party are also opposed to the measures . 'We can explain to people the depth of these $80 billion cuts, the effect that they're going to have on people getting quality health care or get a quality education for your children,' he told ABC radio. NSW Premier Mike Baird predicted NSW would lose $2 billion over the next four years. Victoria's Denis Napthine dismissed suggestions the cuts would have no impact until 2017. 'Our advice is that's simply not accurate and we need to sit down and sort that out,' he told ABC radio. Tony Abbott says everyone needs to help pay down the nation's $667 billion debt . The Abbott government is facing a voter backlash over Tuesday's budget, which hiked the fuel excise, cut welfare, health and education spending, and introduced a new GP co-payment and deficit tax on the wealthy. Mr Abbott spent Sunday again defending the budget, which includes a Medicare co-payment, pension cuts and a fuel excise rise. In one interview the Prime Minister admitted his first budget included 'increased taxes' and in another he pointed to selective listening for confusion about election promises. 'Well, I know that people hear different things,' Mr Abbott told ABC's Insiders TV program. Tony Abbott said no election promises were broken when Joe Hockey (pcitured) handed down his budget . | Prime Minister's support from voters has plunged, new polls show .
His negative rating has hit minus 28 per cent - as bad Julia Gillard .
PM says bad poll results were 'to be expected' following his tough budget .
He won't rethink his budget despite backlash from states and territories . |
178,980 | 73be93caf8c12c22bbca841a027a591c71295e75 | (CNN) -- Fighting in the volatile Sudanese region of Darfur has sparked another wave of refugees into Chad and left a Red Cross employee dead, according to international agencies. Refugee camps in eastern Chad house about 300,000 people who fled violence in the Darfur region of Sudan. The U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees said on Monday that more than 12,000 people have fled militia attacks over the last few days from Sudan's Darfur region to neighboring Chad, still recovering from a recent attempt by rebels there to topple the government. "Most of the new arrivals in Chad had already been displaced in Darfur in recent years. They are really tired of being attacked and having to move," said UNHCR's Jorge Holly. "All the new refugees we talked to said they did not want to go back to Darfur at this point, they wanted to be transferred to a refugee camp in eastern Chad." This latest influx of refugees in Chad aggravates an already deteriorating security situation across this politically unstable region of Africa. Before the latest flight into Chad, the UNHCR and its partner groups "were taking care of 240,000 Sudanese refugees in 12 camps in eastern Chad and some 50,000 from Central African Republic in the south of the country." Up to 30,000 people in Chad fled the country for Cameroon during the rebel-government fighting. The International Committee of the Red Cross said on Monday that one of its employees was killed in western Darfur last week during fighting. The victim is a 45-year-old Sudanese national and father of six children. He was killed in the area of Seleia, one of the three towns where reported government-backed Janjaweed militia attacks on Friday left around 200 people dead. U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon last week deplored the acts, urged all parties to stop hostilities, and said "all parties must adhere to international humanitarian law, which prohibits military attacks against civilians." The United Nations says "more than 200,000 people have been killed and 2.2 million others forced to flee their homes since fighting began in 2003 among government forces, rebel groups and allied militia groups known as the Janjaweed." The recent fight between Chad's government and rebels is seen as a proxy war over Darfur. Sudan's government believes Chad is supporting rebels in Darfur. Chad's government believes Sudan is supporting the rebels that moved on Chad's capital of N'Djamena. E-mail to a friend . | Aid agencies say 12,000 people have crossed to Chad in last few days .
Red Cross says one of its employees killed in western Darfur .
Rebel fighting in Chad seen as a proxy war over Darfur crisis .
Darfur wracked by factional violence for five years . |
91,094 | 01288838d4ebde24c8dcb1737147acff29e3d295 | Washington (CNN) -- It was my first chance to spend some quality time at dinner with First Lady Michelle Obama, so I decided to do what my pal Ali Velshi would probably do in the same situation: get her hooked on Twitter. I was sitting with the first lady and Jay Leno at the head table for Saturday night's White House Correspondents Association Dinner because I'm a member of the association's board, a front-row seat to the slew of celebrities who walked up to gawk at Mrs. Obama and the president, who was a few seats from me. Teen sensation Justin Beiber, famous-for-being-famous Kim Kardashian, comedian Chevy Chase and actor Morgan Freeman all walked up to the rope line separating the head table from the rest of the ballroom to send the first couple a shout-out. I was snapping pics of the celebrity parade on my iPhone and posting them to my Twitter account, @edhenrycnn, during dessert, just a few minutes before the president and Leno would take their turns at telling some jokes. Leno, a social media skeptic, finally turned to me with squinted eyes and said in a conspiratorial tone, "Are you tweeting right now?" I confessed to Leno that I was, sparking Mrs. Obama to ask me whether journalists find value in social media or whether it's mostly trivial. I said I find it helpful to get feedback, good and bad, from people who follow my tweets. When Mrs. Obama mentioned that she had never tweeted, I noted that the president had sent out his first tweet a few months ago from a Red Cross account to promote relief to Haiti and wondered aloud: "Why don't you send out your first tweet on my iPhone?" The first lady laughed and said her press staff wouldn't be happy if she went rogue like that. Besides, she said, White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs would have to sign off first. Noting that Gibbs was sitting at the other end of the head table, I stood and told the first lady I'd ask him. To my surprise, Gibbs instantly told me it was a fun idea, on one condition: I had to first send out a tweet saying he had endorsed it, so that colleagues on Mrs. Obama's staff were not blindsided. I typed out a tweet saying, "i am trying to coax First Lady to do her first ever tweet. Gibbs @presssec just gave his blessing." Then I walked back to Mrs. Obama to tell her the good news. But she told me good-naturedly, "Gibbs did not say that; you're lying!" I assured the first lady I would not tell her a fib, which prompted Leno to jump to his feet to say he'd go get Gibbs to sort this out once and for all. A laughing Gibbs came over and advised the first lady it would be a harmless exercise, but she was skeptical until the commander in chief finally weighed in. Hearing the light-hearted argument playing out a few seats down, the president asked, "What's going on?" The first lady explained her dilemma, but the president waved his hand as if to say "no big deal" and told her to go for it. I handed the first lady my iPhone, but it quickly became apparent that she had very little experiences with this smartphone. Like many people, she said, "How do you type on this?" Gibbs, who was looking over our shoulders, suggested that I type it out, so I told Mrs. Obama to start dictating the note. I started my typing "from flotus," as in "first lady of the United States." She joked about the pressure of coming up with something interesting to say. She started simply with how she was at the dinner and dictated, "this is officially my first Twitter" and added her thoughts about the comedy acts about to perform. I knew Mrs. Obama should have called it her first "tweet," but I didn't want to be in the uncomfortable position of correcting the first lady -- my mom would be appalled -- and sounding like a tech know-it-all. She asked Gibbs for his opinion on what she had dictated, and he said the proper way to say it was that it was her first tweet. Mrs. Obama grilled me on whether Gibbs was right, and I said he was but I didn't want to be the one changing her words, so she politely asked me to change it so that she sounded as hip as possible. The final version, for the history books: "from flotus: 'here at dinner this is officially my first Tweet. i am looking forward to some good laughs from the potus and jay'". Some of my followers were particularly amused that Mrs. Obama referred to her husband as "the potus" -- as in the president of the United States -- and started re-tweeting it. It also got me a few more followers, which brings me back to Ali Velshi. On our daily segment on his show -- the "Ed Henry Segment," of course -- Velshi and I tease each other about necktie choices and who has more people following our tweets. For the record, I have 12,313 followers as of this morning. Velshi seems stuck on 11,025. So let me take this opportunity to encourage the first lady to set up her own Twitter account. I bet it will be a smart way for her to push her initiatives, just as former first lady Laura Bush now has a Twitter account to help sell her memoirs and talk up her pet causes, too. Besides, I'm hoping Mrs. Obama will follow me, and not Velshi, since I hooked her up with her first tweet. | CNN's Ed Henry sat at main table with Jay Leno, Obamas at dinner .
Mrs. Obama asks if journalists find value in social media or if it's mostly trivial .
Henry encourages first lady to tweet from his phone, gets permission from Gibbs .
"Flotus" tweet is picked up by other users . |
31,290 | 58ef6c6787dc01175fa7fcbfd0af4034b180e989 | By . Ellie Zolfagharifard . This lawnmower could transform the chore of cutting the grass into an extreme sport. The high-speed lawnmower entered the record books today after being driven at an astonishing 116mph (187kph). Top Gear writer Piers Ward got behind the wheel of the high-performance Honda, dubbed the ‘Mean Mower’. Scroll down for video... Speedy: This one-off Honda lawnmower entered the record books today after being driven at a 116mph (187kph) He took the machine to the IDIADA Proving Ground in Tarragona, Spain, with the task of beating the 2010 record of 96.5mph (155.3kph) made by a John Deere riding mower. And Mr Ward ended up breaking the record by reaching 116.57mph (187.6kph) in the high-speed machine. To give the 'cutting edge' vehicle its rapid performance, Honda fitted it with a 1,000cc superbike engine. Garden chore be gone: Honda had to prove to Guinness it could cut grass like a conventional lawnmower. They found that it can mow a lawn at up to 15mph (24kph) Top Gear writer Piers Ward got behind the wheel of the high-performance Honda, dubbed the 'Mean Mower' Engine: VTR 1000F Firestorm . Size: 1000cc . Power: 109hp . 0-60: Four seconds . Maximum speed: 116.57mph (187.6kph) Torque: 96Nm . Body: Honda HF2620 Lawn Tractor . Weight: 309lbs (140kg) This gives it a greater power-to-weight ratio than a Bugatti Veyron and acceleration from 0-60mph in just four seconds. The record was set in March with Honda confirming the top speed today. Mr Ward, 33, said: ‘It felt surprisingly stable. You start accelerating and think, “that feels okay”, so you keep accelerating, and it still feels okay, so you keep accelerating, and accelerating? and it just tracks straight and true. ‘The biggest problem was wind resistance. It's a mower and was designed to do 12mph (19kph) max, so there's no aero - it just keeps trying to take your head off all the time. ‘Hence why I adopted my patented “Donkey Kong” pose. ‘Breaking the record felt superb. I grew up watching Roy Castle on Record Breakers. ‘So to have a modern-day Norris McWhirter say “Piers Ward you've broken a new world record” felt excellent.’ The speed was measured through a 328ft (100 metre) speed trap which was overseen by official timers, Timing Solutions Limited. To give the 'cutting edge' vehicle its rapid performance, Honda fitted it with a 1,000cc superbike engine . 'The biggest problem was wind resistance. It's a mower and was designed to do 12mph (24kph) max, so there's no aero,' said driver, Mr Ward . The dull chore of cutting the lawn with an ordinary mower (pictured) could be transformed with Honda's latest creation . Honda claims its high-speed mower has greater power-to-weight ratio than a Bugatti Veyron (pictured) To meet Guinness World Records regulations the mower had to record the same run, in both directions, within an hour - with the average speed taken of these two runs. Honda also had to prove to Guinness it could cut grass like a conventional lawnmower. They found that it can mow a lawn at up to 15mph (24kph). The Mean Mower was designed and built in the UK by Honda's British Touring Car Championship partner Team Dynamics. Engineers redesigned a Honda HF2620 Lawn Tractor from the ground up to create the Mean Mower. To perfect the handling, BTCC champions Matt Neal and Gordon Shedden rode the mower and provided feedback to improve performance. It was fitted with a custom-made six-speed gearbox and also boasted a custom-made Cobra sports seat. Ellie Ostinelli, one of the organisers from Honda, said: ‘The original brief for Mean Mower was to create the world's fastest lawnmower - and now it officially is, by some distance.’ To meet Guinness World Records regulations the mower had to record the same run, in both directions, within an hour - with the average speed taken of these two runs . The Guiness World record was set in March with Honda confirming the top speed today . The speed was measured through a 328ft (100 metre) speed trap which was overseen by official timers, Timing Solutions Limited . | The record was set on the 'Mean Mower' by Top Gear writer Piers Ward .
It beat a record of 96.5mph (155.3kph) made by a John Deere mower .
1,000cc superbike engine allowed vehicle to reach 0-60 in four seconds .
Honda mower has greater power-to-weight ratio than a Bugatti Veyron .
It also is fitted with a 6-speed gearbox and boasts a custom-made Cobra sports seat .
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247,422 | cc2d0dde87358f6e4569038e28e0efc50265cba8 | (CNN) -- Shock and sadness etched the faces of residents in northeastern Wisconsin as daylight on Monday revealed the damage left behind by a powerful storm that cut a swath through the state. An emergency declaration has been made for the city of Kaukauna, where early estimates were that 157 homes had been either damaged or destroyed Sunday night, the city's police chief said. City officials, including the police, fire, planning and utility departments, went out in four teams for the morning assessment. "This tornado, what we believe is a tornado, moved through, hit the back of houses, jumped over the front of those, then hit the front of the houses homes and hit the front of the houses on the other side of the street," said Kaukauna Police Chief John Manion. Despite the damage estimates, which officials believe will grow, no injuries were reported in Kaukauna from the storm. "People were well warned," Manion said. "That contributes to life." Kaukauna is about 20 miles southwest of Green Bay. Authorities in Lincoln County, in northern Wisconsin, did a door-to-door search after the Sunday night storm. At least 25 homes suffered severe damage, said Mark Handlin of the Lincoln County Sheriff's Office. The worst damage was north of Merrill, about 170 miles north-northwest of Milwaukee, he said. Crews are working to clear downed trees and power lines, Handlin said. A shelter has been set up at a motel. Two residents were airlifted to a larger regional hospital because of the extent of their injuries, said Brian Sladek, director of Lincoln County emergency management. Other minor injuries were reported. | Daylight reveals extensive storm damage across Wisconsin .
157 homes are damaged or destroyed in city of Kaukauna; no one is hurt .
Lincoln County officials do a door-to-door search after the storm . |
263,074 | e0bdc14272f766c9053556ef158c2d1478605fad | (CNN) -- Once upon a time, people thought that swarming creatures such as fish, bees and locusts communicated their movements by "thought transference," or telepathy. Thanks in part to the work of Princeton ecologist Iain Couzin, now we know better. Couzin's lab is using computer-vision technology and even the Xbox's motion-sensing camera, called Kinect, to try to get a grip on how these creatures maintain their individually but also function so gracefully as a collective. "Computer vision has been very important to us. This is where you program a computer to see the world for us," he said in an interview last year at PopTech, a science, technology and big-ideas conference held in Camden, Maine. Among the lab's most surprising discoveries: Locusts in the western Sahara Desert swarm because they're trying to not to be eaten by their cannibalistic buddies. "We just discovered by accident that the locusts were trying to eat each other," he said. "So when it looks like a cooperative swarm, in actual fact it's a selfish, sort of cannibalistic horde. Everyone is trying to eat everyone else and trying to avoid being eaten." Using tools like Kinect, Couzin's team is able to collect a much more detailed data set about how various organisms behave, which in turn makes it easier to figure out what they're doing and why. What's Next: In Mauritania, sunny with a chance of locusts . All this may be interesting enough in the abstract (Couzin said he's been fascinated by swarming organisms since he was a young boy). But it's also a matter of life and death. Locust swarms are blamed for countless deaths in West African countries including Mauritania, which Couzin visited to conduct some of his research. The swarms buzz across the desert, chewing up all of the crops and vegetation in their paths. On Tuesday, the UN's Food and Agriculture Organization said in a news release that locust swarms were threatening pastures and crops in Niger and Mali. Research about how and why the locusts swarm could lead scientists to be able to forecast locust swarms just like they would a weather event such as a tornado or hurricane. "Why this is important is that we can now build better predictive models and computational models of where swarms may break out," Couzin said. "So that could be very helpful for control measures." Genetically modified mosquitoes fight dengue fever . | Researcher uses Xbox and computer vision to study swarming behavior .
Princeton researcher Iain Couzin long has been fascinated with collective behavior .
He studies, among other things, why locusts swarm in West Africa .
The UN's agriculture group says swarms are impacting Mali and Niger . |
132,092 | 36d39059900bec233b5c7be3ecab51d2a09fa9ed | Mysterious cases of paralysis in children in the United States may be caused by a previously rare virus spread by sneezing and coughing, according to doctors. More than 100 children and young adults in the US and one child in France have been taken to hospital with unexplained weakness and paralysis in their limbs, known as acute flaccid paralysis (AFP), since September last year. A condition, more commonly associated with the polio virus, had been known to cause similar symptoms, but since the virus was eradicated it has become rare. Scroll down for video . Enterovirus D68, the structure of which is shown above imposed upon a black and white electron microscope image of the virus, is now the prime suspect in clusters of mysterious limb paralysis in children in the USA . The recent outbreak of AFP has alarmed doctors and they now believe another, unknown virus may be causing the condition. Researchers found that a cluster of children suffering from ongoing paralysis despite treatment in Aurora, Colorado had also suffered from infections of respiratory viruses within three months of their condition appearing. Enteroviruses are a type of virus that use a single strand of RNA to replicate themselves inside the cells of mammals. Among other enteroviruses are polio, the virus that causes Hand Foot and Mouth disease along with others that cause a range of respiratory illnesses. Enterovirus D-68 is among the most recently idenfitied and was first spotted in California in 1962. It can cause mild to severe respiratory illness and is likely to be spread by inhaling virus particles when an infected person coughs, sneezes, or touches a surface. In previous years only small numbers of EV-D68 infections have been reported but that has increased during 2014, according to the US Centre for Disease Control and Prevention. It has caused severe illness in a number of children and has even been implicated in some deaths. The incidence of infections has fallen off considerably since October but public health officials warn that infections seem to spike during the late summer and autumn. The scientists found that almost half the children had been infected by a previously rare virus called enterovirus D68 (EV-D68), which is distantly related to polio. These children were also found to have damage to the neurons in their spinal cord and in their brainstem. The researchers now believe this virus could be behind 107 other unexplained cases of paralysis that have been reported across the USA and a further case reported in France. Dr Samuel Dominguez, a microbial epidemiologist at the Children's Hospital Colorado, who led the research, said: 'The extent to which this new distinctive neurological disease has spread is unknown, but it does not appear to be isolated to Colorado or the USA. 'If further investigation confirms the link between EV-D68 and AFP and cranial nerve dysfunction, EV-D68 will be added to the list of non-poliovirus enteroviruses capable of causing severe, potentially irreversible neurological damage, and finding effective antiviral therapies and vaccines will be a priority.' First identified in California in 1962, it is known to cause mild symptoms of fever, sneezing and runny nose, but was rarely seen. However, since August 2014 it has been linked to more than 1,000 respiratory infections through out the USA. The researchers in Colorado, whose findings are published in the Lancet tested 12 children who had been admitted to hospital with unexplained paralysis in their limbs. They found that eight of the children had suffered from a respiratory viral infection before being affected, five of which were identified as EV-D68. While the findings do not conclusively prove that EV-D68 is responsible for the paralysis, there is other circumstantial evidence. Other cases of paralysis have appeared during wider outbreaks of EV-D68. Researchers detected EV-D68 in nasal swabs from 8 out 41 people with paralysis who were tested. There are also signs that the virus has been mutating from its original form since it first appeared in the 1960s. Scientists at Purdue University in Indiana are now attempting to develop a treatment to combat infection by the virus. They performed X-ray crystallography of the virus and found that its protective shell contains a pocket that helps it infect cells. This image shows enterovirus D68 while bound to an antiviral compound called pleconaril (shown in orange). Researchers are working on new antiviral molecules that might work against more recent strains of the virus . They found that it is possible to bind a molecule within this pocket to prevent this infection from happening. Professor Michael Rossman, who is leading the work, said they are now hoping to find compounds that might bind to the virus in this way and could be safely taken as drugs. One antiviral drug, known as pleconaril, was found to act against early strains of the virus, but is ineffective against more recent strains. Professor Rossman said: 'Designing the best possible compound for these newer strains will take more time, but I hope that in a year or so we might have something.' | Clusters of acute flaccid paralysis have been springing up around the USA .
Scientists have found cases often occur after infections by enterovirus D68 .
Children infected by the virus were found to have damage to their nerves .
Enterovirus D68 was once a rare respiratory virus but cases soared in 2014 .
The virus is related to the eradicated polio virus that also caused paralysis .
There have been 107 cases in the US of mystery paralysis since September .
Researchers are attempting to develop new treatments against the virus . |
150,733 | 4ee05f21db74a9ad66a32c106ecf415fc3092f42 | A former police officer involved in the 1992 arrest of notorious paedophile Peter Righton claims letters found at his home pointed to a child abuse network involving public officials and clergy. Terry Shutt, a former detective constable with West Mercia Police, said five suitcases stuffed with letters found at the property in Evesham, Worcestershire suggested Righton was in touch with an extensive network of individuals who wanted to abuse children. Righton, who died in 2007, was a social work expert and founder member of the Paedophile Information Exchange, who campaigned to decriminalise sex with children. Scroll down for video . Claims: A former detective constable involved in the 1992 arrest of notorious paedophile Peter Righton (pictured) says letters found at his home pointed to a paedophile network involving public officials and clergy . Mr Shutt was working as a detective constable when officers raided the home of paedophile Righton - who was once considered to be one of the country’s most respected authorities on child care. As well as images of child abuse, they found five suitcases full of letters, which Mr Shutt says pointed to be him belonging to a much wider paedophile network. ‘In amongst all the other documentation, there was a definite link to establishment figures, including senior members of the clergy,’ he told BBC’s Today programme this morning. ‘So for me there was a definite feel that this was something bigger than we were looking at locally and that it should have been investigated further,’ he added. Yesterday campaigner Peter McKelvie said he told police in 2012 that West Mercia Police were storing seven boxes of potential evidence about Righton . The Metropolitan Police did investigate the letters, but the now retired Mr Shutt says many of the most important leads were not followed up. He claims it was seen to be more important to protect the establishment. A confidential Hereford and Worcester Social Service report from the 1990s said the letters from Righton’s home suggested links to clergy, civil servants, social services and and education staff, according to the BBC. The Met Police last night it couldn’t comment on the case, but a police source told from the time told the BBC that claims the investigation was deliberately shut down were ‘nonsense’. Yesterday Peter McKelvie, a campaigner who first raised the alarm about prominent individuals engaged in child sex abuse two years ago, said he told police in 2012 that . seven boxes of potential evidence about Righton were being stored by . West Mercia Police. He claims he told officers these boxes might contain evidence of further . abuse by senior members of the establishment. Speaking in public for . the first time in 20 years, the former local authority child protection . chief also said there were still people in power who were involved in . child abuse two decades ago. | Terry Shutt says letters were found at Righton's Worcestershire property .
Claims they pointed to a child abuse ring involving establishment figures .
Shutt says senior members of the clergy and public officials were named .
But former West Mercia police officer says the leads were not investigated .
Righton was a founder member of the Paedophile Information Exchange .
He was convicted of child porn offences in 1992 but died a free man in 2007 .
Righton was once considered to be a leading authority on child care . |
264,775 | e2f47a479878fed0f1c0c0b58eb17c20fa423e3a | By . Rebecca English . Slimmed: A svelte Sarah Ferguson, who last year weighed almost as much as when she was pregnant . Reclining on a fur throw in an eye-catching African print silk blouse and harem pants, the Duchess of York is clearly keen to show off her three stone weight loss. The Queen’s former daughter-in-law has endured a life-long battle with her weight and was shocked into taking drastic action when she stepped on the scales last year only to discover she weighed almost as much as she did when pregnant with her first child, Princess Beatrice, now 25. Sarah, 54, speaking exclusively to Hello! magazine, said: ‘I used to be so angry. I believed I was never going to lose the weight, that I had lost control. I couldn’t fit into any of my clothes. I was just drowning in eating, drowning in food.’ After hitting her heaviest weight since pregnancy she immediately headed to the upmarket Swiss ski resort of Verbier with her long-time fitness trainer, Josh Saltzmann, and embarked on a calorie-controlled weight loss programme, particularly cutting out sugar, combined with daily mountain running. As revealed by the Daily Mail, she also developed her own range of pudding-flavoured teas, including jam roly-poly, to sip on while others tucked into tea and cakes as they returned from the slopes. Over five months she has managed to lose three stone – and says she is determined to keep the weight off this time round. Sarah described the moment she stepped on the scales as frightening. She does not reveal exactly how much she weighed but at her heaviest was known to tip 16 stone. ‘Beatrice was an 8lb 8oz baby and I was only 6lb off my full-blown pregnancy weight. I decided to make a change,’ she said. The 54-year-old took drastic action when she stepped on the scales last year. She enlisted the help of a personal trainer and heading to Verbier ski resort where she cut out sugar and climbed mountains daily . She says the weight loss has affected her both mentally as well as physically. A former Weight Watchers ambassador in the US, the duchess insists she hasn’t gone on any faddish diet to achieve her new slimline look, just cutting out sugar and sticking to a ‘straightforward’ exercise regime. ‘It took courage to go out in public in all the years I have been overweight,’ she says. ‘Every time there was a “Duchess of Pork” or “Fat Frumpy Fergie” headline, they didn’t have any idea they were reaching to the depths of my soul.’ The duchess now intends to become a public face of the global fight against obesity and has even been appointed an ambassador for the Institute of Global Health Innovation at Imperial College London.She is also looking to market her pudding-flavoured diet teas which she developed after struggling to combat her sweet tooth. Sarah pregnant with Beatrice in 1988. She said she feared she would never lose weight after childbirth . In 1994, as her marriage broke down, she was pictured looking larger while taking Beatrice to school . In desperation, she went to a master tea maker and asked them to create some flavoured hot drinks to curb her cravings. Together they came up with a range of 17 teas in three ranges. The first is based on English pudding and includes the jam roly-poly, rhubarb fool, strawberries and cream, Bakewell tart, chocolate torte and mint humbug. The second is a variety of ‘mocktail’ teas including pink champagne, gin and tonic, whisky and ginger, and . pina colada. There is also a take on classics including English . Breakfast and Earl Grey. A . friend said: ‘Everyone has been asking her how she has lost so much . weight and of course healthy eating and a hell of a lot of exercise is . largely responsible. 'But . Sarah has a very sweet tooth – it has always been something of a . downfall of hers – and decided she needed to keep it in check.’ Earlier this year, her two-stone weight loss caused a flurry as she left a New York restaurant looking gaunt . The source said the teas had been a huge success and her friends were already clamouring for them. ‘At the moment the teas are just for her but she has had so much interest in them that she is considering whether to market them,’ they said. ‘There are a number of commercial opportunities she is exploring but nothing has been signed yet. Sarah has a very sweet tooth – it has always been something of a downfall of hers – and decided she needed to keep it in check . ‘She swears by them. Like most women she just wants to feel better about herself. She saw a few photographs of herself that she didn’t like.’ The duchess has struggled financially since her 1996 divorce from Prince Andrew, which saw her secure a modest £350,000 cash settlement. Her out of control spending saw her rack up debts of more than £4million in the late 1990s before she went out to work, securing lucrative contracts with Weight Watchers and Wedgwood. She also brought out several successful children’s books. However an ill-fated decision to create a lifestyle and wellness business which later collapsed with more than £1million worth of debts saw her pursued through the courts by creditors. Sarah is now working on a number of projects including a film about Prince Albert and her children’s books. | Last year Duchess of York was 6lb off weight when pregnant with Beatrice .
54-year-old went to ski resort with long-time fitness trainer for strict regime .
Cut out sugar, controlled calories and climbed mountains every day .
See the full exclusive article in Hello! magazine, out now. |
235,533 | bcea736ad1b52b0948451f370977e9b52bd31e0a | By . Harriet Arkell . and Rebecca English . Prince William envies his younger brother flying helicopters on the frontline while Prince Harry envies William his satisfying job and cosy family set-up, the younger Prince revealed today. In an honest interview conducted before the 28-year-old Prince Harry flew back to Britain after a 20-week tour of Afghanistan, he shed light on his relationship with his brother. And he revealed that Prince William is privately frustrated at not being able to serve on the frontline because of his future role. Prince William, left, works as a Search and Rescue pilot while Harry, right, is a co-pilot gunner in Helmand . Prince Harry, who has just finished his second deployment in Afghanistan, where he was a co-pilot gunner in Apache helicopters, said: 'I think there is a bit of jealousy, not just the fact that I get to fly this, but obviously he'd love to be out here. 'And to be honest with you, I don't see why he couldn't. 'His job out here would be flying the IRT [Immediate Response Team], or whatever, doing Chinook missions. Just the same as us - no-one knows who's in the cockpit. 'Yes you get shot at, but if the guys who are doing the same job as us are being shot at on the ground, I don't think there's anything wrong with us being shot at as well. 'People back home will have issues with that, but we're not special. The guys out there are, simple as that.' William, 30, the future Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, is an RAF Flight Lieutenant and works as a Search and Rescue Force pilot on Sea King helicopters. Daring job: Harry's Apache helicopter work in the Afghan desert is envied by his older brother William . Based at RAF Valley on Anglesey in North Wales, he commands missions to help stranded climbers and stricken vessels in the area. Prince Harry revealed there is envy on both sides. 'Before coming out here I was very jealous of my brother,' he said. 'It's operational flying back home. You get all the luxuries of operational flying - the pride, as you call it - and the reward of basically saving people's lives, which is exactly what we try and do as well. 'And back home he gets to go home to his wife and dog, whereas out here we don't. We're stuck playing PlayStation in a tent full of men.' While Harry flies an Apache helicopter, his older brother flies a completely different Sea King helicopter. 'He could fly this. I'd like to think I could fly his,' he said. William's bedroom is probably nicer than this sleeping area that Prince Harry called home for 20 weeks . Captain Wales, as Harry is known in the army, added with a brotherly dig: ‘His job's very cool, and I think he's doing a wonderful job. Even though he's in the RAF.’ Harry is the latest in a long line of royals who have served in the Armed Forces, particularly flying helicopters. The Prince of Wales and Duke of York both trained as helicopter pilots, with Andrew taking part in missions in the Falklands War. But Harry revealed it is not just the family association with rotary aircraft that intrigued him and his brother. ‘Probably the fact that you can only fit a certain amount of people in a helicopter, therefore no one can follow us - like you guys,’ he joked with the press. ‘Our father flew, our uncle's flown, all sorts of people have flown in my family. Top Gun: Prince Harry enjoyed his work escorting Chinook helicopters on daring missions in Helmand . ‘And I wouldn't suggest that's where it's come from, but it is great fun, and I was given the opportunity in the end, and I couldn't say no to it.’ In the interview Prince Harry, who is '100 per cent single', also spoke of his happiness about becoming an uncle this summer. 'Obviously I'm thrilled for both of them,' he said in Helmand shortly after news of the Duchess of Cambridge's pregnancy came out. 'It's about time,' he joked. 'I can't wait to be an uncle.' He said he had telephoned the future parents to congratulate them, adding: 'Of course I have - I had a chat to them.' Asked if there was pressure on him to settle down, he said: 'I don't think you can ever be urged to settle down. 'If you find the right person and everything feels right, then it takes time, especially for myself and my brother. 'You ain't ever going to find someone who's going to jump into the position that it would hold, simple as that.' | Prince Harry says William envied him his daring job in Afghanistan .
But Harry says he'd rather go home to a wife than a tent full of soldiers .
The younger royal says he 'can't wait to be an uncle' this summer . |
236,463 | be11b39a9533d7c752bf3d0ea0af596b49bdcb15 | By . Kieran Corcoran . Prince William proved himself his mother's son today when he observed live surgery for the first time, like Princess Diana did more than 17 years ago. Dressed in medical scrubs, the Duke of Cambridge observed a breast reconstruction operation and the removal of a cancerous bladder tumour at the Royal Marsden hospital in west London. He later hailed the 'incredible' work of the two surgical teams at the hospital, which he has been president of since 2007. Scroll down for video . 'Incredible': Prince William watched parts of two procedures at the Royal Marsden hospital in west London . Watcher: Prince William here he is seen watching the removal of a bladder tumour . Concerned: The future king also observed the breast reconstruction surgery of a female patient during the visit . The visit closely matched a 1996 visit by Princess Diana to Harefield Hospital in Middlesex, where she too donned surgical clothing to watching a heart operation on a small boy from Cameroon. This afternoon the Duke witnessed the operations in the hospital’s Wolfson Surgical Suite where he was introduced to the operating teams led by surgeons, Mr Stuart James and Mr Pardeep Kumar. He spent around 10 minutes viewing a breast reconstruction procedure for a female patient in her 60s. As he was greeted by lead surgeon, Mr James, William said: 'It’s slightly surreal meeting you in this situation.' Echoes: The Prince was following in the footsteps of Princess Diana, who watched a heart operation at Harefield Hospital in 1996 . 'Insightful': Lead surgeon Pardeep Kumar, left, praised the Prince's understanding of the work he witnessed . The Duke looked into a micro-vascular microscope placed above the body as he was talked through the surgical procedure, which usually takes six to eight hours to complete. 'That’s amazing,' he said as he peered through the microscope. 'That’s incredible. Is this fairly major surgery?' 'Think of it as long rather than major,' Mr James replied. The Duke put on a face mask as he moved into a second operating theatre to view surgery to remove a bladder tumour for a male patient in his 80s. 'There’s space for you on this side,' Mr Kumar, the lead surgeon, said. 'Thank you, perfect,' the Duke replied. As Mr Kumar explained the procedure, William asked: 'That’s the whole bladder you’ve got there? Are you searching for any other signs?' 'That's amazing!': The Duke spoke of his admiration for the incricate procedure as he watched through a micro-vascular microscope placed above the patient . Interested: Lead surgeon Stuart James, left, explained the breast reconstruction procedure to the Prince. William watched about 10 minutes of the six-to-eight hour procedure . William is the first royal to view surgery at the Royal Marsden, which is a world-leading cancer centre specialising in all areas of diagnosis, treatment, care and research into the disease. He has been president of the hospital trust since 2007, a position previously held by Diana from 1989 until her death in 1997. The Prince seemed at home as the arrived at the Chelsea site, greeting hospital personnel in front of the main entrance. He reserved an especially warm welcome to Royal Marsden chief executive Cally Palmer, whom he has known for some years as part of his previous work with the hospital. Warm welcome: The Prince arrived in his suit at the site of the hospital, of which he has been president since 2007 . Old acquaintance: The Prince seemed especially pleased to see Royal Marsden chief executive Cally Palmer . Mwah! He embraced and kissed Ms Palmer, whom he knows from previous work with the hospital . The Wolfson Surgical Suite was reopened in 2010 following an extensive rebuilding and refurbishment programme after a fire in 2008 devastated the theatre area. During his visit, the Duke watched a demonstration of the latest radiotherapy technology, CyberKnife, which allows larger doses of the treatment to be delivered because of its improved accuracy and means patients require fewer hospital visits. The Duke and the Duchess of Cambridge previously opened the trust’s cancer unit for children and young people at its hospital in Sutton, south London, in 2011. Consultant urological surgeon Mr Kumar later praised William’s understanding of the work of his team. He said: 'He really had an insight into the kind of work we do. He really understood. The questions he asked were really on the money and were very insightful.' 'For want of a better word, he did enjoy himself. Peering: William observed each procedure for around ten minutes . 'The Royal Marsden offers one of the most comprehensive ranges of bladder reconstruction surgeries in the country. 'The Duke was fascinated by the procedure and the intricacies of the surgery and it was a privilege to talk him through the surgery and its benefits.” Consultant plastic surgeon Mr James, 43, said the royal visit had not been a distraction during the procedure. He said: 'The priority is looking after the patient. This sort of operation is slow, meticulous and very careful. A spokeswoman for the Royal Marsden confirmed that both operations had gone well so far and continued after the Duke’s departure. Earlier in the day the Prince and wife Catherine attended a Poppy Day event at Kensington Palace . | The Duke of Cambridge wore scrubs as he observed two live operations .
He watched a breast reconstruction and the removal of a bladder tumour .
The procedures took place at the Royal Marsden Hospital in west London .
By observing the operations he followed in the footsteps of Princess Diana .
She had watched a heart operation at Harefield Hospital in 1996 .
The Prince has been president of the Royal Marsden since 2007, a position which Diana had also held from 1989 until her death in 1997 . |
45,289 | 7facb38212ae555aebc57561c5ee8ff051042ce1 | By . Darren Boyle . An elephant which appeared in Oliver Stone's epic movie Alexander has been killed by poachers in Thailand.. The 50-year-old elephant was poisoned by poachers who then sawed-off its tusks at the Ayutthaya Elephant Palace. As well as appearing in the movie starring Colin Farrell and Angelina Jolie the elephant named Klao was found dead yesterday at the nature reserve. The elephant was found on Friday at the Ayutthaya Elephant Palace after it was attacked by ivory poachers . The elephant was worth £70,000 according to local media reports. The Bangkok Post reported that Thai police arrested one man who is believed to be a drug addict in connection with the crime. They found poisoned bananas at the scene which were used to kill the beast before the one metre long tusks were removed. Police believe that the poaching gang were amateurs as they failed to remove all of the tusk. It is understood they used an electric power saw to cut through the ivory. The facility's manager Laithongrian Meephan admitted that the animal was probably poisoned before it was mutilated. He said the centre breeds and trains elephants and also acts as a retirement home for the animals who are revered in Thai culture. Although the country is also a major transport hub and destination for the illegal trade. Elephants are revered in Thai culture and animals from the sanctuary - including Klao - are regularly used in parades and festivals honouring the country's royal family as well as being used for film and TV work . Mr Meephan confirmed that Klao had also been used in parades celebrating the Thai royal family. He has also trained elephants for martial arts star Jackie Chan. The wildlife sanctuary is popular with tourists and guests even have the opportunity to hire an elephant to explore the countryside. Travellers pay £700 to stay at the sanctuary where the get the opportunity to care for an elephant and ride it into a river. Mr Meepan is the world's largest owner of elephants and has introduced a highly successful breeding programme at this centre. Wildlife trade monitoring group TRAFFIC said: 'Thailand has the unenviable reputation as home to one of the world's largest unregulated ivory markets.' Elephants are the de facto national animal and were once featured on the Thai flag. TRAFFIC estimates that Thailand has a population of 2,500 to 3,200 Asian elephants in the wild, and cites government statistics that another 4,169 were held in captivity in 2012. Their numbers have decreased over recent decades and expanding human settlements have shrunk their natural habitat. The beasts once were used overwhelmingly for logging, but deforestation and a consequent ban on most logging has led to many elephants now being used as tourist attractions. TRAFFIC said one reason that Thailand is a major smuggling point for ivory poached from African elephants is that a 75-year-old law permits the legal trade of ivory from domesticated Asian elephants inside Thailand, though the origin of retail ivory is seldom checked. 'Monitoring of Bangkok's domestic ivory market by TRAFFIC reveals a near trebling of the number of ivory items for sale in the past 18 months and a steep rise in the number of retail outlets selling ivory in Thailand's capital city,' it said. The group said that at least 20,000 African elephants were killed in 2013 to meet the heavy demand for ivory from Asia, and more than 13 tons of African elephant ivory have been seized inside, or headed to, Thailand since 2008. Staff at the Elephant Palace believe that poachers poisoned the beast before hacking-off its tasks . | Klao the elephant appeared in hit movie Alexander alongside Angelina Jolie .
The 50-year-old beast was poisoned before poachers hacked-off its tusks .
13 tonnes of elephant ivory has been seized heading to Thailand since 2008 .
Domesticated Asian elephants can be killed legally for their tusks in Thailand . |
77,803 | dc986c49c93747b9309e8b3d8a64019dec5df72d | A nine-month-old northwest Missouri boy has died after being accidentally shot in the head by his five-year-old brother. Emergency responders were called to a home in Elmo just before 9am on Monday after receiving a frantic call from the children's mother, Alexis Wiederholt. She told emergency services that she needed an ambulance at her home as her five-year-old had shot her infant son Corbin in the head with a paintball gun, news she found out when the young boy ran to tell her; 'I'm sorry, Mom. I shot Corbin.' She later found out it was in fact a revolver, and not a paintball gun, that had been fired. Scroll down for video . Tragedy: Corbin Wiederholt (above in mother Alexis' arms with his father Brad and three older brothers) was killed when his five-year-old brother reportedly shot him with a revolver . Horrible accident: Corbin's mother initially told police that the nine-month-old (above) had been shot with a paintball gun while in his crib . 'I walked in and there was my baby, lying there, bleeding," the young mother told NBC News. 'I had just hugged him in my arms five minutes before that.' Alexis also revealed that she had no idea her father, William Porter, even kept a loaded gun in the home she and her children were visiting. 'I didn't know it was there until I turned around and saw it laying on the bed,' she said. 'I don't know why someone would have a loaded gun in the house while kids were around.' Porter said of the tragedy; 'I told the boys they weren't supposed to be in my bedroom where I keep the gun cabinet and they knew it — but like I said, boys will be boys.' When police arrived they discovered that the older boy had apparently found a loaded .22 caliber Magnum revolver which he was holding when it fired, injuring his younger brother, the Kansas City Star reported. The loaded gun belonged to a family member and was kept on a shelf built into the headboard of the master bed, Sheriff White told Fox4. The playpen was in the same room. The baby was taken by air ambulance to the hospital but was pronounced dead at Children's Mercy Hospital in Kansas City just before noon yesterday. Authorities say their is no reason to believe the incident was anything other than a tragic accident, as Corbin's three older brothers (above with their mother) are now in the custody of a family relative . Nodaway County Sheriff Darren White said the baby was pronounced dead at Children's Mercy Hospital in Kansas City just before noon yesterday . White said there was no reason to believe the incident was anything other than a tragic accident. Neighbor Jessica Hutchison, said: 'I think that gun safety could have come into play and would have maybe prevented the situation. It's just really sad altogether.' The five-year-old boy along with two other siblings are in the custody of relatives. Amid increasing public concern about possession of guns, The Washington Post recently reported that the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has not conducted research on gun control since 1996 despite President Barack Obama ordering the organization to resume studies two years ago. | Nine-month-old Corbin Wiederholt was shot in the head while in his playpen at his grandfather William Porter's home .
Brother was holding a loaded .22 caliber revolver when it fired, a gun the boy's mother, Alexis, had no idea was even in the home .
Emergency responders were called to the home in Elmo byAlexis .
The baby was taken to hospital but died from his injuries in what police are calling a tragic accident .
Alexis has revealed that after the incident, her five-year-old son said to her; 'I'm sorry, Mom. I shot Corbin.' |
254,465 | d5631e949c330bf8ab83aef93b79a3ba1faf56e9 | Los Angeles (CNN) -- On April 29, 1992, the intersection of Florence and Normandie avenues in south Los Angeles became a flashpoint for one of the worst riots in U.S. history. It was the site where Reginald Denny, a white trucker, was savagely attacked by a mob after the acquittal of four Los Angeles Police officers charged in the beating of Rodney King, an African-American. When the rioting was over, more than 3,000 structures and businesses were destroyed, leaving $1 billion in property damage and 54 people killed. In the immediate aftermath of the riots, many considered south Los Angeles an economic wasteland. But John Hope Bryant saw an opportunity for economic empowerment. Bryant is the founder of Operation Hope, a financial literacy and small business development program formed after the riots. He led a convoy of bankers, businesses leaders, politicians and entrepreneurs on a bus tour Tuesday to survey the past and recognize economic progress in south Los Angeles 20 years later. While manufacturing jobs in Los Angeles have declined from 700,000 to 370,000 since 1992, according to the L.A. County Economic Development Corp., Bryant remains optimistic about future economic growth in areas hardest hit by the rioting. "Over the 20 years since the 1992 riots, over $1 billion have been invested in our underserved communities in and around south Los Angeles," he said. In many areas where urban blight and hostility between the Los Angeles Police Department and mostly African-American residents contributed to the urban unrest in 1992, businesses and shopping centers have replaced entire corridors once reduced to ashes. Bryant has served as an adviser on economic empowerment to the past three U.S. presidents and is on President Barack Obama's Advisory Council on Financial Capability. He acknowledged that high unemployment and access to capital for small businesses has stifled the economic recovery but said there are visible symbols of urban renewal that offer optimism about a full recovery. "We believe that you cannot have a rainbow without a storm first, and no doubt, 20 years later, while real problems remain to be solved in our underserved communities, south Los Angeles and its surrounding communities have made great strides from the chaos to becoming a community," he said. As part of the anniversary tour, Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa dedicated an elementary school in honor of music icon Quincy Jones, who joined the bus tour. Speaking to a group of elementary students on the campus that once stood surrounded by ruins, Jones described the tour as a humbling experience. "When I was growing up, we didn't have any role models," he said. "When I was a child at your age, there was no way I could even dream about a school named after me," Jones said, adding that he grew up in a racially segregated section of south Chicago where gangsters once controlled the streets. | Many considered south Los Angeles an economic wasteland In the aftermath of 1992 riots .
But John Hope Bryant saw an opportunity for economic empowerment .
Bryant is the founder of Operation Hope, a financial literacy program .
He led a convoy on a bus tour to recognize economic progress in south Los Angeles . |
273,779 | eea60181b64ed6aeff7ffcf4843c7d6c2edfe867 | One US restaurant is planning to put on the spread to end all spreads for Thanksgiving this Thursday. Old Homestead Steakhouse in New York's Meatpacking district is hosting a $35,000 (£22,300) feast for four - that's $8,750 (£5,500) a head - making it the most expensive Thanksgiving feast of all time. What's more unbelievable, one group of four has already bought it (although its not yet been revealed who). Game bird: The meal includes turkey stuffed with seven pounds of ground Japanese Wagyu filet mignon . And it's not just a meal, but the ultimate American Thanksgiving experience that's up for grabs. Tourists with deep pockets will also be treated to four grandstand seats at the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade; a $6,000 (£3,800) gift card to Bloomingdale's; and dancing lessons at Fred Astaire dance studios to learn the Turkey Trot, a popular dance from the early twentieth century. The food itself with include a nine-course meal with squab (young pigeon) stuffed with foie gras and soaked in Courvoisier L'Esprit Cognac ($5,000/£3200 a bottle) followed by roasted organic turkey stuffed with seven pounds of ground Japanese Wagyu filet mignon and gravy made with Château Mouton Rothschild ($1,750(£1,100)/bottle), widely regarded as one of the word's finest clarets. Finest dining: New York Old Homestead Steakhouse promises a dinner 'with attitude and personality' A serving of butternut squash will be infused with winter black truffles ($160£100/lb) and whipped sweet potatoes are topped with three pounds of Royal Osetra 000 caviar ($1,600£1,020/oz). The creamy mash potato is accompanied by Swedish moose cheese and the cranberry orange relish is made with Gran Marnier. To finish diners will get poached bourbon-soaked pears with pumpkin paste dusted with 24-carat gold flakes. Far from a dry lunch, the drinks menu is unsurprisingly lavish with fine wine, champagne and Scotch. No expense spared: A bowl of the potato mash with Swedish moose cheese, made from moose milk . Feast: The whipped sweet potatoes is topped with three pounds of Royal Osetra 000 caviar . 'Let's face it, Thanksgiving dinner is boring, basic, and frankly, unimaginative. We're taking all of the traditional holiday fare — the turkey, gravy, stuffing, pumpkin pie — to a creative level never seen before. It's turkey dinner with attitude and personality,' co-owner Marc Sherry told the New York Daily News. 'We know it's over-the-top expensive, but Thanksgiving comes once a year. If you can splurge for this, you have a lot to be thankful for.' For the less Amex-ready the restaurant also has a $65 (£40) Thanksgiving package that comes with turkey, stuffing and the rare opportunity to watch four people eat a $35,000 dinner. Thanksgiving is celebrated every forth Thursday in November and every second Monday in October in Canada. | New York's Old Homestead Steakhouse offering diners $35,000 experience .
One group of four has already booked in for the Thanksgiving spread .
Menu includes Cognac soaked foie gras and bourbon drenched pears .
Package includes seats to Macy's parade and 'Turkey Trot' dance lessons . |
225,524 | b00425b32e547de9e9a25356afefd88058f95a6c | By . Chris Pleasance . PUBLISHED: . 14:39 EST, 31 December 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 04:31 EST, 1 January 2014 . Council plans to change the name of Welsh village Varteg to Farteg have been dropped due to 'overwhelming' public opposition. Welsh language campaigners had argued the name change was necessary because there is no 'v' in ancient Welsh. However the 1,000 villagers protested, arguing that the name Farteg would make them the butt of schoolboy jokes, as people unfamiliar with the nuances of Welsh pronunciation would say it as 'Fart Egg'. Due to 'overwhelming' opposition, plans to rename Welsh village Varteg as Farteg have been dropped . Welsh language campaigners argued that Farteg would be more accurate as there was no 'v' in ancient Welsh . After receiving a letter with 150 signatures opposing the plans, local councillor Richard Clark agreed that the new name could bring the town and villagers into 'disrepute'. He added: 'Whilst we in Wales understand the pronunciation, outsiders will say it Fart-egg.' The change was asked for because most Welsh street signs display place names in both English and Welsh. At the time Sioned Jones, 42, who lives in the village near Pontypool, South Wales, said: 'Just imagine how embarrassing it will be to have the word "fart" in your village's name - never mind being followed by "egg". The 1,000 residents opposed because they were worried that outsiders would pronounce it 'Fart Egg' Local councillor Giles Davies has hailed the decision as a 'victory for common sense' 'I'd be humiliated every time I told someone my address. Everyone will be laughing at us and coming to get photographed next to the street signs. 'I just think it's ridiculous - these Welsh language campaigners are a lot of gasbags, they’re full of hot air.' Fellow villager Ray Leyshon, 62, said: 'Can you imagine the bus going past and some naughty schoolboy shouting: "You are going to Fart Egg". It is just a bad joke.' Following the decision to keep the name Varteg, councillor Giles Davies hailed a victory for 'common sense.' Speaking to the BBC, he added: 'It's one thing for an outsider to say they have got to do it, it's the law, but if you live in the village and you don't want this change it's a different story.' While the villagers of Varteg may have narrowly escaped the humiliation of being called 'Fart Egg' by passersby, spare a thought for the residents of these unfortunately named places. Sitting between Dorchester and Poole, the hamlet of Shitterton has been voted as officially the most embarrasing place to live by ancestry website www.findmypast.co.uk. The tiny hamlet gets its unfortunate name from a literal translation from French, which meant it sat astride a sewer. It is probably best not to speculate as to how Slack Bottom, near Burnley got its name, though it could just be an unfortunate counterpart to the nearby Slack Top. Schoolboy taunts could also be levelled at places such as Upperthong, in West Yorkshire, Bushy Gap, in Northumberland, and Fannyfield in the Scottish highlands. The town of Sandy Balls misses out on the dubious accolade of most appropriate place name, because it is sadly at the wrong end of the New Forest, and therefore not next to the beach. | Due to 'overwhelming' opposition name will not be changed .
Councillor hails decision as a 'victory for common sense'
Welsh language activists said Farteg would have been more authentic . |
247,914 | cccf3e9bfc6ef8ffc0f5668ffd6d7a8a6fcfe58f | By . Alex Gore . PUBLISHED: . 14:20 EST, 30 March 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 03:36 EST, 1 April 2013 . Ever imagined what a scene from your favourite movie would look like if the state-of-the art Hollywood cameras were replaced by the one on top of Google's Street View car? Thanks to the creative joys of the Internet and a new blogging website, you no longer have have to. It features a range of images which mix famous film scenes with a Street View screen grab of the real life location where they were shot. Like is like a Street View scene: Tom Hanks' loveable Forrest Gump character gets the map makeover . Explosion: Even the special effects-heavy Inception is not to much for the Street View treatment . Google vision: Ewan McGregor has his face blurred out as he runs down Hanover Street in Trainspotting . Creative: Thelma and Louise is among the images posted on blogging website googlestreetscene.com . Thelma and Louise, Forrest Gump, Terminator 2 and Trainspotting are among the well known film titles to get an online makeover courtesy of the panoramic map. In the case of Quentin Tarantino's 1994 classic, Pulp Fiction, a Street View grab of Fletcher Drive in Los Angeles provides the backdrop for Marsellus Wallace - played by Ving Rhames - as he shoots at Bruce Willis' character, Butch Coolidge, from across the street. Even the special effects-heavy explosion of a Paris cafe in the 2010 blockbuster, Inception, is not too much for Street View to handle. And just like the interactive map, its star Leonardo Di Caprio gets the full face-blurred-out treatment - just like any other passer-by caught in the lens of the Street View car. Other locations include County Road, Kansas, complete with the loveable dog car from Dumb and Dumber. Shootout: Bruce Willis runs for his life in Fletcher Drive, LA, during a scene from Pulp Ficton . Clever and cleverer: County Road in Kansas provides the real life backdrop for Dumb and Dumber . 'I'll be back': Arnold Schwarzenegger approaches Hayvenhurst Avenue in LA during Terminator 2 . There is also a shot of Hayvenhurst Avenue in Los Angeles, where motorcycle-riding, shotgun-firing Arnold Schwarzenegger gives chase in Terminator 2. One of the more impressive images is an aerial view of Thelma and Louise, with the leading ladies being tailed by police cars as they approach the edge of the Grand Canyon. The images are created by Tre Baker and posted on his Tumblr website, googlestreetscene.com. He told the Daily Dot website: 'I try to say true to the Google Street Scene looking like something you would actually see on GSV . 'So no night scenes. No point-of-views from inside of the car. Nothing from a high angle.' Fast lane: Keanu Reeves slams on the brakes to warn the bus driver in chase movie Speed . Don't hang up! Colin Farrell is otherwise engaged in a New York Phone Booth despite the angry crowd . On foot: There is no time for hanging around in this picturesque Berlin street during Run Lola Run . | Images mix famous scenes with real life locations as seen on Street View .
Forrest Gump and Thelma and Louise among those getting a makeover . |
258,172 | da216739f937fd2c4f78c64e9ff22b2efb4c5aa3 | By . Louise Boyle . PUBLISHED: . 10:24 EST, 5 September 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 13:15 EST, 5 September 2013 . The NYPD have launched an internal investigation after officers were caught posting pictures of themselves in full uniform on dating websites. A spokesman confirmed to MailOnline today that an investigation is underway after cops were spotted showing off to prospective online dates in their uniforms, posing next to patrol cars and motorcycles. Despite several officers' profiles being taken down since the flaunting of NYPD rules emerged, others are still looking for love on sites such as Match.com and OkCupid. Bad romance: The NYPD has launched an internal investigation into cops who have been posting pictures in their uniforms on dating websites . On patrol: Members of the NYPD are posting pictures on their dating profiles of when they are on duty . An arresting site: Dating websites including OkCupid and Match are filled with NYPD cops looking for love . In a statement to MailOnline on . Tuesday, John J. McCarthy, NYPD Deputy Commissioner, said: 'Members of . the Police Department are prohibited from posting photographs of . themselves in uniform without the prior authorization. 'This . does not include photographs taken during official department . ceremonies. This directive is in compliance with the New York City . Social Media Policy and is in part intended to protect officers from . divulging identifying information on social media sites that may . endanger officer safety. 'Members of the service found to be in violation of the order may be subject to disciplinary action.' A spokeswoman repeated this statement . today adding that the NYPD does not allow officers to post pictures on . major sites such as match.com, OkCupid and eHarmony. The NYPD is also clamping down on more specialized sites such as uniformdating.com and meetsinglepoliceofficers.com. Looking for love: A hunky firefighter posted this picture on his match.com profile in front of a truck . What a catch! Yet another fireman poses up in his protective jacket and helmet on his dating profile . Among the hastily-deleted profiles, are a 29-year-old Brooklyn officer with a penchant for rock music, snacks and 'girls with respect for themselves'. However other cops are still actively looking for love, including one 34-year-old cop from Howard Beach, New York whose posed up on OkCupid next to his patrol car. There has been criticism that the NYPD could . make better use of its resources fighting real cyber-crime rather than . the department's Romeos. New York's Finest are not the only ones hoping to lure ladies with their heroic jobs. Man in uniform: Dating websites are full of profiles featuring prospective dates in their military uniforms and on base . Profiles for U.S. Marines and firemen have been spotted on dating sites with pictures in full uniform and on duty. In one Match.com profile for a . 33-year-old fireman from the Bronx, the romantic hopeful is pictured in . front of his fire truck, wearing a safety harness. In another on OkCupid, a 23-year-old . U.S. Marine poses in fatigues, telling potential dates that 'music is . passion in the form of sound'. Another 25-year-old from West Hempstead, NY posted pictures in uniform and of military helicopters on his dating profile page. A public affairs spokesman for the Marine Corps told MailOnline: 'There is nothing against Marines appearing in uniform so long as they do not undermine good order and discipline, bring discredit on the Marine Corps, or violate uniform regulations. 'If a violation is found, any punishment or counseling is decided on by the Marine's commanding officer on a case-by-case basis.' MailOnline has contacted the New York City Fire Department on several occasions and is still waiting for a response. Falling for a hero: Along with NYPD officers, US Marines have also been spotted on various dating sites in their uniforms . | Hopeful romantics from New York's Finest pictured posing in their uniforms next to squad cars and motorbikes .
U.S. Marines and New York City firemen also posting pictures in uniform . |
221,416 | aa9fcbbfbff8536629a20ca01d562887a8d5a541 | (CNN) -- For workers of Bangladesh, the worst kind of tragedy imaginable struck last week when the Rana Plaza garment factory building -- just outside my home city of Dhaka -- collapsed, killing more than 500 workers. Despite the many warnings of dangerous cracks in the walls reported to supervisors, police and the media earlier in the week, thousands were still sent to work on Wednesday to proceed with business as usual. There's no question that this building collapse is tragic, but for garment workers, it's not surprising. I began working in Bangladesh's garment industry at the age of 12, making just $3 a month. I went to work because my father had a stroke and the family needed money to cover basic living expenses. I worked 23 days in a row, sleeping on the shop floor, taking showers in the factory restroom, drinking unsafe water and being slapped by the supervisor. Bangladesh vs. the U.S.: How much does it cost to make a denim shirt? By the time I was a young woman working at a factory that made clothing for a big U.S. retailer, I knew the time had come for change. The factory owed my coworkers and me overtime wages, but it wanted to pay us only half of what we had earned, making it even harder for us to support our families. So I helped lead a strike to hold our manager accountable. I was fired and blacklisted, but my work was far from over. I later learned labor law, English and computer skills so that I could help win justice for garment workers. Today I lead a worker education and advocacy nonprofit that counts tens of thousands of garment workers as members. Opinion: Who really pays for our cheap clothes? The sad reality is that tragedies like this have become business as usual, advanced by some of the most highly profitable American and international corporations in the world. Last November, 112 workers lost their lives when the Tazreen Fashions factory, which produced garments sold by Wal-mart, Sears and other retailers, caught fire. Much like New York's infamous Triangle Shirtwaist factory fire more than 100 years ago, the workers at Tazreen were trapped inside, with many jumping from upper story windows to try to save themselves. The death toll at Bangladeshi factories stands at nearly 1,000 since 2006, based on estimates by the Bangladeshi government and an advocacy organization. In the case of these two recent tragedies, there is plenty of blame to go around -- from the Bangladeshi government for looking the other way at safety violations, to the incredibly dangerous circumstances workers face when they try to unionize, to the pressure factory owners and managers are under to turn out high product volume at low prices no matter what. It is the responsibility of the government of Bangladesh to make a sustained, concerted effort to rectify the dire situation. Strict, well-enforced factory codes and clear support for workers' rights are paramount to protecting Bangladesh's garment workforce. But more tragedies can be prevented only if the multinational corporations and retailers whose goods are produced at these factories are willing to stand up and do what is right. A coalition of labor and non-governmental organizations in Bangladesh, Europe and the United States has developed a protocol for an innovative two-year inspection and renovation program to finally make these factories safe -- the Bangladesh Fire and Building Safety Agreement. In addition to facilitating government-supported employer-labor relations and stringent oversight of factory safety management, this protocol focuses on the responsibility of brand owners and retailers to support safety standards. If Wal-mart and its fellow retailers that count on Bangladeshi labor demand change, we can be sure it will happen. As the protocol states, these corporations must verify that the factories they use comply with applicable safety standards. They must ensure that their pricing of garments makes it feasible for the factories to stick to standards. No longer should a Bangladeshi factory manager feel forced to pressure his employees to work in a deadly environment to meet a corporation's bottom line. As for the tragedies that have already taken place, these brands should contribute to worker compensation funds for victims and victims' families, including those in the fire at Tazreen. To date, Wal-mart and Sears have refused to contribute. Both companies maintain that subcontractors had used the factory without their authorization, so they are not responsible. I single out Walmart because its past actions have been painfully inadequate. Walmart has refused to sign onto the protocol designed to enhance fire safety and improve factory structures, saying it is putting its own standards in place, which are perfectly adequate. Yet those are Band-Aid measures that are woefully insufficient. Last fall, Wal-mart refused to admit its connection to the Tazreen factory until my colleagues and I went there the day after the fire and photographed products with Wal-mart's labels in the wreckage. We must no longer tolerate this willful ignorance on the part of multinational corporations about where their goods are produced. It's high time that companies like Wal-mart, The Gap, and others step up and demand the safety of Bangladesh's garment workers. Too many Bangladeshi workers live and work in fear for their lives each day. The fire safety protocol is a critical first step to making real change, and I urge Wal-mart to become a leader in the fight to save Bangladeshi lives. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Kalpona Akter. | Kalpona Akter: Deadly factory collapse in Bangladesh was inevitable, considering conditions .
Akter started work in Bangladesh's garment industry at 12, working 23 days in a row .
Akter: 1,000 Bangladeshi workers have died since 2006 in factory fires or accidents .
Akter: Multinationals that buy cheap clothing need to demand safety and pay living wages . |
73,233 | cfae99f5eadc00ce5b8b263cc46143f0349dce56 | By . Jennifer Smith for MailOnline . Worth a staggering £2.1million, the Bugatti Veyron Grand Sport Vitesse is no ordinary car. So when it comes to getting a polish, a quick once-over just won't do. After announcing that the world's most expensive new car was going on sale, the London dealership displaying it spent £3,000 making sure every inch of its lacquer coat was perfect. Scroll down for video . Two Topaz experts buffer the Bugatti Veyron Grand Sport Vitesse worth £2.1million in the Jack Barclay Showroom in Mayfair . The vehicle was shipped from Shanghai to the Jack Barclay showroom in Mayfair, west London, after being showcased at events around the world. To give it a 'shake down' ahead of sale, they brought in Topaz Detailing to give its carbon fibre and polished aluminium body new finish. Experts spent more than eight hours forensically examining the car with a microscope to pinpoint even the tiniest imperfection. Using an ultrasonic depth measurement gauge, they assessed the depth of each layer of the vehicle’s paint, which is made up of primer, paint and lacquer. After studying the scans on a laptop, they then remove the scratches and impurities in a process known as paint correction, using electronic buffing tools. Using the finest grades of polish, they scanned and polished until all of the scratches and impurities in that section were removed before moving on to the next part. The car, which has a top speed of 255mph is one of the fastest in the world as well as being the priciest . The process begins by covering the car's wheels with protective plastic before specialists get to work . The Topaz Detailing staff use paper tape to cover the vehicle's headlights and bonnet rim . The full Topaz Detailing treatment costs between £2,500 and £3,000 and can take up to eight hours . Using an ultrasonic depth measurement gauge the experts assess the depth of each layer of paint on the car . The experts then study the images from the device to identify the tiniest of imperfections on the car's finish . After examining the car in small sections the analysts can identify how where to polish it without causing damage to its paint . Two of the Topaz Detailing experts examine images from the microscope on a laptop before polishing the car . The service, which sometimes takes more than 60 hours, typically costs between £2,500 and £3,000 plus VAT, but is vital when dealing with a car worth more than £2 million. Derek Bennett, general manager of the the Jack Barclay showroom, said: 'I have never seen anything like it. For the price of the Topaz Detailing polish, you could put your car through a standard car wash 6,000 times . Two Honda Jazz 2004 models would cost less at £1,425 each on Autotrader . A Peugot 1.07 0.9l engine could be filled more than 75 times for the same amount . Two tickets on the Silver VIP Terrace at the 2015 F1 Monaco Grand Prix would cost less at £1,303 each . 'It is amazing what they have done. We are absolutely delighted with what they have done. 'Jack Barclay has a long and rich history in selling some of the most exotic and finest supercars in the world. 'For many of our customers perfection is the only goal. Everything associated with the car from the factory to the detailers meets exacting standards only achievable through carefully selected partners such as Topaz. 'Our showroom is literally a motor show, everyday our cars must shine spotlessly and fit the vision our customers had when they first dreamt of supercar ownership. 'Attention to detail is a statement of intent, that we will deliver on our promise of being the finest Bugatti retailer in the world. 'Bugatti detailers polish and finish their cars by human eye, but Topaz use a digital scanner to seek out areas so microscopic that only the final polishing effect of these marginal gains can be appreciated as a whole once the car is complete.' While it may seem like a lengthy process the cars at the showroom have to be at their best at all times, says manager Jack Barclay . The service is a 'must' for any car worth more than £2million according to the Jack Barclay showroom . Once the tiny imperfections are identified the experts can get to work buffering the carbon-fibre exterior of the car . The vehicle was brought to the UK after being showcased at car events all over the world . As good as new: Following the eight hour clean the car gleams in the windows of the London showroom . A manager at the Jack Barclay showroom, which is home to some of the most exquisite cars in the world, described the process as 'amazing' Mazin Naamo, director at Topaz Detailing said he was thrilled to have worked with the car. 'It really gives us a sense of achievement to work with what is probably the most exclusive dealership in the world and with one of the last Veyrons that may ever be made.' Mr Naamo described the company as cosmetic enhancement specialists for anyone who cares about the way their car looks. 'Our service caters to everyone you don't have to have a Bugatti. 'It is for people who are passionate about the way their cars look, paying for them to look a certain way and maintain it. 'It's like consulting a specialist doctor - we're paint specialists and everything to do with the cosmetics of the car. We are cosmetic enhancement specialists, we know how to bring up the paint work on specialist materials to make it look brand new or better.' Mr Naamo added the technologies used on the Bugatti were the company's 'secret'. 'Every buffer pad has a different density and a different abrasion level. It also has a different backing plate so the combinations that we have to work out in terms of machine, pad and compound combination - you're talking hundreds of possibilities. 'That's where our experience comes in, that's our secret.' | The Bugatti Veyron Grand Sport Vitesse is the world's most expensive car .
It has been brought to the Jack Barclay showroom in Mayfair to be sold .
Experts from Topaz Detailing inspect car's lacquer coat with microscope .
After examining scans of car's paint on laptop they correct imperfections .
Process took eight hours and can cost between £2,500 and £3,000 . |
139,845 | 40d0d39cf9d5519713d4e20f953920ec71deb31a | (CNN) -- China and India need to reach agreement on how they will manage water from one of the world's great rivers -- the Yarlung-Zangbo-Brahmaputra -- before it becomes another serious impediment to relations between the two Asian heavyweights. Water scarcity already affects large parts of China and India. As their populations grow and income levels rise, forcing up demand for water-intensive food such as meat, the supply situation will worsen. Inevitably, that means tension over water resources. There is a regional precedent for a bilateral water treaty: bitter rivals India and Pakistan, under prodding from the World Bank, signed the Indus Waters Treaty in 1960 to cover water use from the Indus and five other rivers that flow through the two nations. While far from perfect, the treaty has given farmers and other users in both countries a framework on which they can make crop production and hydropower decisions. Infographic: The secret life of drinking water . Already, China's construction of a 540-megawatt hydropower dam on the Yarlung-Zangbo, which flows for 1,700 kilometers (1,050 miles) across the southern Tibetan plateau before it enters Indian territory and becomes the Brahmaputra, is cause for concern in New Delhi. The dam, known as the Zangmu, is due for completion in 2015. While the Zangmu dam is a relatively small project, there is something much bigger on the horizon: a 38,000-megawatt dam at Motuo, near the river's "Great Bend," which potentially could reduce the volume of water flowing into India and Bangladesh. While China maintains that any dams it builds on its part of the river will have little downstream impact, up to 150 million people living in eastern India and Bangladesh could be affected. Almost half the world's population -- the 3.5 billion people living in Central, South and East Asia -- relies on water from the great rivers that rise in the Himalayas, the Tibetan plateau, and the Tibetan ethnic areas of China. The way the most important of these rivers -- the Indus, Ganges, Brahmaputra, Salween, Yangzi, Yellow and Mekong -- are used carries the potential for conflict as countries struggle with the challenges of rising populations, pressure on farming and food supplies, diminishing water quality and demand for hydropower. China has always been prepared to move mountains and people to achieve its economic and social goals. The $25 billion Three Gorges Project, built in the upper reaches of the Yangzi River between 1994-2011, is testament to that. As many as 1.3 million people were relocated so the dam could be built, both to generate power and as a flood mitigation measure. Its full ecological impact is yet to be determined. Now China is working on its massive $60 billion South-North Water Diversion Project that involves the country's two most important rivers -- the Yangzi and the Yellow -- plus numerous tributaries, canals and other rivers such as the Huai and Hai. It is one of the biggest civil engineering projects conceived anywhere in the world. First formulated by Chairman Mao Zedong in 1952 as a way to move water from the southern half of China to the dry but heavily populated north, the three-part scheme took its first steps forward in 2002 when work began on the 1,155 kilometer (716 mile) eastern route. This part of the project, scheduled for completion in 2013, will take water from the Yangzi River via channels to Shandong province, and then by a tunnel under the Yellow River and onwards to the coastal city of Tianjin. Work on the central route began late in 2003. This 1,267 kilometer (785 mile) diversion is designed to take water from a reservoir on the Han River (a tributary of the Yangzi) along new canals on to Henan and Hebei provinces, and finally to Beijing. A trunk line will also serve Tianjin. Long-term, the western route is the one which causes the most concern, as it involves diverting water from tributaries of the Yangzi, including the Tongtian, Dadu and Yalong rivers, across the Bayankala Mountains to the Yellow River, to supply northwest China. While some experts doubt the western diversion will ever be built because of the massive cost and logistical challenges of tunnelling under a mountain range, China's record in building mega-projects suggests otherwise. In March this year, Vice-Premier (and likely premier in 2013) Li Keqiang told a State Council meeting that drought and water shortages in the north had held back economic development there. As a consequence, he said, the South-North diversion project was "essential." In June, China announced it had begun work on a key part of the central route: a $1.4 billion, 45 kilometer tunnel to divert water from the Yangzi river to Beijing. The tunnel should be finished by 2014. China has always moved faster than India; that's why the time for a water treaty is now. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Geoff Hiscock. | China, India need to agree on water management of Yarlung-Zangbo river .
Precedent for this when India and Pakistan signed Indus Water Treaty in 1960 .
Chinese construction of Zangmu dam already causing concern for New Delhi . |
164,191 | 6053c8ad489c7bca2c247d93dca7ad2b284fd8f9 | A vaccine against the human form of mad cow disease could be a step closer after scientists immunised deer against a similar illness. The researchers say their breakthrough in the fight against chronic wasting disease (CWE), which affects captive deer across the U.S., could have wide implications for the medical world. CWE and variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (vCJD), which has killed 177 Britons since 1995, are both fatal brain conditions which are thought to be caused by dangerous proteins known as prions. Vaccine: An innoculation against the human form of mad cow disease could be a step closer after scientists immunised deer against a similar illness. Pictured, a false colour brain scan of a human patient with CJD . Prions convert healthy proteins into a disease state which then affects the brain, causing a loss of balance, dementia and muscle twitching before vCJD patients die. Led by experts at New York University's Langone Medical Centre, the team gave their experimental vaccine to five deer which were then exposed to prion-infected brain tissue. They were housed together and monitored daily for signs of illness, including having biopsies taken of their tonsils and gut, while being given eight boosters over 11 months. Eventually the deer started producing antibodies against the disease which could be detected in their saliva, blood and faeces, according to the study in the journal Vaccine. Although four of the deer still developed the infection, it took 'significantly longer' than for a control group of six deer who were given a placebo. The fifth deer which was given the vaccine remains infection-free, the scientists added. To prepare the vaccine, the researchers inserted a prion-like protein into the genome of a neutralised salmonella bacterium. Experimental: Five deer produced antibodies against CWE, a similar illness, after being given the vaccine . The salmonella was then induced to produce an immune response in the gut, producing anti-prion antibodies. They now claim their breakthrough could have two major implications. The first would be to prevent CWE among captive deer in the U.S., where the disease also affects wild deer, elk, caribou and moose. Vaccinating just a tenth of each herd could induce 'herd immunity' despite the disease being known to affect every animal where it breaks out, the researchers said. The second implication - described as 'equally important' - would be to prevent human vCJD, where the vast majority of cases were recorded in Britain in the late 1990s and early 2000s. Professor Thomas Wisniewski, one of the study's leaders, said: 'Now that we have found that preventing prion infection is possible in animals, it's likely feasible in humans as well'. Associate professor Fernando Goni added: 'Although our anti-prion vaccine experiments have so far been successful on mice and deer, we predict that the method and concept could become a widespread technique for not only preventing, but potentially treating many prion diseases.' Bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), better known as mad cow disease, broke out across Britain two decades ago and is believed to have led to the UK's 177 fatal cases of vCJD. At its peak in 2000, 28 Britons died of the disease after eating beef products contaminated with brain or nervous tissue from cows infected with BSE. After BSE was contained within cattle the number of human infections began to drop, and just one Briton has died of vCJD since the start of 2012. | Five deer immunised against chronic wasting disease (CWE) for first time .
Brain disease which affects animals in U.S. is similar to vCJD in humans .
Both are believed to be caused by dangerous proteins known as prions .
Variant CJD emerged in 1995 and has since killed 177 people in Britain . |
51,341 | 91591c2d49bcc87392d7b7ac8aa90427480ad107 | By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 19:01 EST, 4 March 2014 . | . UPDATED: . 19:15 EST, 4 March 2014 . A teacher who arrived at her primary school smelling of alcohol and laughing 'uncontrollably' has been suspended for six months. Catrin Williams stomped around erratically and mocked the work of a pupil with learning difficulties, the General Teaching Council for Wales professional conduct hearing was told. Teaching assistant Ceri Falshaw said the Year Two teacher turned up late for work with mud on her clothes, which she said was because she had fallen over in her garden. When Miss Falshaw entered the classroom at Ysgol Yr Esgob, a primary school in Caerwys, Flintshire, North Wales, at 9.20am, she said Miss Williams smelled of alcohol and mouthwash and was laughing 'loudly and uncontrollably'. Catrin Falshaw was a teacher at Ysgol Yr Esgob, a primary school in Caerwys, North Wales. A hearing heard how the teacher was laughing uncontrollably when she arrived late for work . She stomped over to a wall display and fell into the wall, before using it to prop herself up. Miss Falshaw said Miss Williams 'appeared drunk' and that she mocked the work of a pupil with learning difficulties. Miss Falshaw added this kind of behaviour was 'most unusual' and the children in her class were 'agog' at her behaviour. Presenting officer Lousha Bryl said Miss Williams, of Denbigh, had written a letter in which she denied turning up at the school smelling of alcohol on January 28, 2013. She did not attend the hearing at St David’s Hotel in Ewloe, Flintshire, and was not represented. Professional conduct committee chairman Richard Parry Jones said Miss Williams’ actions 'breached the code of conduct and practice of a registered teacher'. Fellow teaching assistant Hayley Hannah told the hearing she let Miss Williams into the building on the morning of January 28 and could smell an 'overpowering' smell of mouthwash, which she suspected was used to conceal a smell of alcohol. Mrs Hannah expressed her concerns to other teaching assistants, who then informed head teacher Sue Clisham. Mrs Clisham told the hearing that as a result of the events Miss Williams was suspended pending an investigation. The teacher mocked the work of a child with learning disabilities before walking in to a wall and having to prop herself up, a hearing heard (library image) She left a 'lasting smell of alcohol' in the school office when she was called in at 10.45am, Mrs Clisham said. Mrs Clisham added that she did not feel Miss Williams should be in charge of a class or drive herself home. An independent investigation in May found that Miss Williams had presented herself for work smelling of alcohol and attending work while still under the influence, leading to her dismissal for gross misconduct. Williams appealed, but the dismissal was upheld, based on the seriousness of attending work smelling of alcohol. The charge of attending school while still drunk was overturned. After yesterday’s judgment Miss Williams will not be permitted to teach anywhere in Wales for the duration of the six month suspension and must provide the General Teaching Council for Wales with a written assessment from an approved medical professional that she is medically and physically fit to teach after that time. The assessment will specifically assess Miss Williams’ use of alcohol. After the hearing Liz Jenkins, chairman of the school governors, said: 'We note today’s outcome which reaffirms the decision made by the school’s governing body.' | Catrin Williams was laughing 'uncontrollably' when she turned up to work .
Stomped around erratically and mocked the work of pupil, hearing told .
Investigation in May found teacher did go to work smelling of alcohol .
Was dismissed for gross misconduct - but teacher appealed .
Dismissal was upheld yesterday though charge of attending school while drunk was overturned . |
37,374 | 69e034a6663007e5d74bd7be71b16f0e3722668d | By . Toni Jones . PUBLISHED: . 07:59 EST, 7 February 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 10:28 EST, 7 February 2013 . British denim brand Pepe Jeans London is celebrating its 40th birthday in style ... with an achingly hip street-style advertising campaign featuring Cara Delevingne. Model of the year Cara poses alongside bright young things actress Mia Goth, 19, and model Jeremy Young, 21, on the roads of Notting Hill in the 'Have You Seen Pepe' campaign, shot around the streets of Portobello where the jeans brand first came to life four decades ago. The campaign shot by British fashion photographer Josh Olins and styled by Claire Richardson draws on some of West London’s most iconic backdrops as well as local boozers and pretty parks highlighting the brand's affinity with the eclectic area. Cara Delevingne, Mia Goth and Jeremy Young are the stars of the latest Pepe Jeans London campaign . In the pictures this crew of beautiful . people travel from the culture-clash streets of Portobello through to . the ornately manicured vistas of Kensington Park in their mission to . find the mysterious 'Pepe', dressed - naturally - in seriously cool . denim. 20 year-old Cara is following in the footsteps of her friends Sienna Miller and Alexa Chung by pulling on the British brand skinnies. Comparing her style to her friends' the blonde said on the shoot: 'My style is a mixture of both Sienna and Alexa although I’m more tom boyish than either of them. They dress very casually, but still look very chic all the time.' Bright young things Mia, Cara and Jeremy posed around the streets of London's Notting Hill where the brand was first launched 40 years ago . Cara's advice to aspiring models: 'Don't let people knock you down, keep grounded and be happy,' The Pepe Jeans London campaign is the latest addition to Cara's already stellar modelling CV. The Londoner is currently the face of Burberry and Chanel, and landed her first ever British Vogue cover this month. Her advice for asipring models? 'Don’t let people knock you down, keep grounded and be happy and have a great agent ... and have a good relationship with them. 'I have a great support network, my family, my model agency Storm, people I work with in the fashion industry and of course all my followers on Twitter who stop me from feeling lonely, I love them all, they keep me grounded.' The Pepe Jeans London campaign is the latest addition to Cara's already stellar modelling CV: she is the face of Burberry and Chanel, and landed her first ever British Vogue cover this month . Pepe Jeans London prides itself on finding fresh new advertising faces destined to become the stars of tomorrow and previous models have included Bridget Hall, Laetitia Casta and Edie Campbell . 2012 was a brilliant year for the young model: she made her debut at the Victoria's Secret show in November, bagged the coveted model of the year title at the British Fashion Council awards and was labelled as 'the new Kate Moss' by epic photographer Mario Testino. Cara says: It’s crazy to be even be considered in . the same calibre as Kate, it’s a huge compliment but scary even to be . mentioned in the same breath' But Kate doesn't need to worry, it's Gisele's gig the model is chasing next: the Chanel cosmetics campaign is the fashion job she would love to get. She adds: 'And I would love to design my own range . of t-shirts, really beautiful and simple t-shirts, . 'I love them and wear . them all the time and I can never find really plain ones. The devil is . in the detail.' 20-year-old Cara is following in the fashionable footsteps of her friends Sienna Miller and Alexa Chung who have both posed for the brand in the past . The 'Have You Seen Pepe?' campaign shot by Josh Olins features uses the eclectic Portobello Road and its shops and landmarks as a backdrop . Starting life on the streets of London’s Notting Hill, it didn’t take long before the capital’s most trend-savvy hipsters were flocking to Portobello Market to lay their hands on a pair of the most in-demand jeans of the day. Detail-rich denims with an unswerving attention to fit and fabrication helped set Pepe Jeans London apart from the swathe of bland and anonymous jeans brands of the time. Visionary and market redefining collections have come to define Pepe Jeans London, from Kinetic Denim, the first resin-coated denim on the market, and TrueSize, the first non-shrink raw denim, through to the Tru-Blu® collection which uses zero chemicals and slashes the amountof water used in the laundering process. Bridget Hall as a fresh face modelling for Pepe Jeans in the 1980s . This commitment to denim-led innovation continues to inform the design spirit of the company 40 years later. In 1984 Pepe Jeans London landed on U.S. soil. Encouraged by immediate Stateside success and fuelled by an appetite to spread the brand message in a sexy and cool way they hired the most celebrated fashion photographer of the decade, Bruce Weber, to shoot what was their biggest ever ad campaign at the time. This inaugural campaign with Weber helped propel ascending model Bridget Hall to the supermodel stratosphere and set a precedent in the firm's ability to find fresh new advertising faces destined to become the stars of tomorrow. Cinema and TV campaigns followed. From performance artist Leigh Bowery’s extravagantturn in front of the camera to Raindance, a 90-second love story filmed between Nevada and Notting Hill and set to the bass-rattling soundtrack of The Smiths’ iconic anthem How Soon Is Now, each campaign has left an indelible mark in the annals of fashion advertising. Brit it girl of the moment Cara Delevingne and future film starlet Mia Goth are the latest in the long line of celebs who have appeared in the campaigns. From Jason Priestley, Laetitia Casta, Donovan Leitch and Ashton Kutcher, to Sienna Miller, Cristiano Ronaldo and Alexa Chung and Edie Campbell, Pepe Jeans London has always had a passion for discovering new talent. | Brand celebrates 40th birthday this year .
Campaign shot by Josh Olins stars Mia Goth and Jeremy Young .
Alexa Chung, Sienna Miller and Edie Campbell have all been Pepe girls . |
171,897 | 6a792fcb0af9f484aec62db4d846266cd4af30ec | Al Qaeda's leadership has sent experienced jihadists to Libya in an effort to build a fighting force there, according to a Libyan source briefed by Western counter-terrorism officials. The jihadists include one veteran fighter who had been detained in Britain on suspicion of terrorism. The source describes him as committed to al Qaeda's global cause and to attacking U.S. interests. The source told CNN that the al Qaeda leader, Ayman al-Zawahiri, personally dispatched the former British detainee to Libya earlier this year as the Gadhafi regime lost control of large swathes of the country. The man arrived in Libya in May and has since begun recruiting fighters in the eastern region of the country, near the Egyptian border. He now has some 200 fighters mobilized, the source added. Western intelligence agencies are aware of his activities, according to the source. GPS: Rebuilding the ruins of Gadhafi . Another al Qaeda operative, of dual European-Libyan nationality, was arrested in an unnamed country on his way to Libya from the Afghan-Pakistan border region. The individual now trying to establish a bridgehead for al Qaeda in Libya is known as "AA." His name has not been made public because of UK law on terrorist suspects who are detained but not charged. "AA" has been close to Ayman al-Zawahiri since the 1980s and first traveled to Afghanistan in the early 1990s to join mujahideen fighting the Soviet occupation -- as did hundreds of Arab fighters. "AA" later moved to the United Kingdom, where he began spreading al Qaeda's ideology to younger Muslims. He was an admirer of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, who emerged as leader of al Qaeda in Iraq after the U.S. invasion and who led an especially brutal campaign that targeted civilians and promoted sectarian hatred between Sunni and Shia Muslims. War crimes court leaves Gadhafi inquiry up to Libya . After the terrorist attacks in London in July 2005, heightened concern about terrorist activities in the UK led to the arrest of a number of Libyans resident in England. "AA" was detained under what was termed a "control order," a mechanism used to detain terrorist suspects -- usually under home arrest -- without charging them. Control orders have been used in dozens of cases where the government does not want to reveal evidence in court for fear of compromising security sources. Those subject to control orders are not named by authorities. "AA" also spent some time in Belmarsh high-security jail in the UK in 2006-07, possibly because he was seen as a flight-risk. It is also possible, according to the source, that he was resisting legal moves to have him deported to Libya. At the time, relations between the Gadhafi regime and the United Kingdom were improving, and Libyan authorities were seeking the deportation of opponents. At some point the control order lapsed, and "AA" left Britain late in 2009 and went back to the Afghan-Pakistan border area -- taking two teenagers with him. One was subsequently killed. Western intelligence agencies have voiced concern in public and privately about the potential for Islamist extremists and especially al Qaeda to gain a foothold in Libya. The al Qaeda leadership has included several Libyans -- among them Atiyah Abd al-Rahman, who was killed in August, and Abu Yahya al-Libi. In a video message to fellow Libyans distributed on jihadist forums earlier this month, al-Libi said: "At this crossroads you have found yourselves, you either choose a secular regime that pleases the greedy crocodiles of the West and for them to use it as a means to fulfill their goals, or you take a strong position and establish the religion of Allah." Militant groups have long had a presence in eastern Libya, even if they were ruthlessly suppressed by the Gadhafi regime. Al Qaeda documents discovered in Iraq in 2006 showed that many of the fighters who had joined the insurgency had come from eastern Libya. And a U.S. diplomatic cable from 2008 -- published this year by WikiLeaks -- told of support for extremist Islamist views in the town of Derna, which is close to where "AA" has established a presence. Entitled "Die Hard in Derna" the cable describes the town as a "wellspring of Libyan foreign fighters" for al Qaeda in Iraq. The diplomat who traveled to Derna quoted a local businessman who had "likened young men in the town to Bruce Willis' character in the action picture 'Die Hard,' who stubbornly refused to die quietly. For them, resistance against coalition forces in Iraq is an important act of 'jihad' and a last act of defiance against the Gadhafi regime." High youth unemployment, discrimination by the Gadhafi regime and the influence of veteran Libyan jihadists from Afghanistan all played a role in radicalizing a new generation. "It's jihad -- it's our duty, and you're talking about people who don't have much else to be proud of," the businessman said. | A source tells CNN that al Qaeda's leadership is mobilizing forces in eastern Libya .
Source: Al Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri personally dispatched one jihadist to Libya .
The man has been recruiting, and now has some 200 fighters mobilized, the source says .
Source: The man is committed to al Qaeda's global cause and to attacking U.S. interests . |
111,739 | 1c17279f5c5b9a603c6eba60bc72b6dd2f0f7fb2 | They know your name, your phone number, where you live, your buying habits and, in many cases, what you are interested in buying -- sometimes even before you do. Meet Acxiom, sometimes described as "the biggest company you've never heard of." But they've heard a lot about you. Acxiom is one of the largest data-brokering firms in the world. It is just one of hundreds of companies who are peering into your personal life, collecting data that is generated from everything you do online, and much of what you do in the real world. The company recorded $1.1 billion in sales last year offering "analytical services" on 144 million households. And that's just a fraction of the evolving -- some say loosely regulated -- big-data industry. Data is now a $300 billion-a-year industry and employs 3 million people in the United States alone, according to the McKinsey Global Institute. Acxiom Chief Executive Officer Scott Howe agreed to speak with CNN in his first television interview since taking the top job at the company a year ago. The former Microsoft executive wants to "demystify" what companies like Acxiom do and how they collect information. "Companies like Acxiom are trying to get intelligent about what you might be interested in and who you are. Such that we can deliver more relevant advertising to you, and we can deliver offers and products and services in which you might have interest," Howe told CNN. "All the information we collect and utilize is secure, appropriate, and legal." Howe said Acxiom's clients range from small businesses to large Fortune 500 companies. He envisions "Big Data" companies helping consumers by helping to eliminate the spam that clogs our inboxes and the ads that clutter websites. "I don't think there is a person in the world who wouldn't agree that data generates tremendous value for both people and for businesses," he said. Howe said he believes his company's marketing platform has a dramatic impact on the economy, both for consumers and for businesses. "I get access to free content, relevant offers. Advertising is more like education, all useful and relevant," Howe said. He said this detailed marketing information is critical in breathing success into business. "We collect things like contact information, demographics and your preferences on things. And we'll aggregate that information to try to discern a picture of what people want," Howe explains. Critics of data-brokering companies say that the average consumer has no idea that their intimate personal details are up for sale on these sites. They argue that having this information one click away could be a privacy risk. "The other side of the coin is that important decisions are being made about you, the real you, based on the virtual 'you' that's made up of all this data," said Sarah Downey, a privacy analyst with Abine.com, an online-privacy company based in Boston. "Decisions like your credit score, your insurance rates, or even if you get a job. And these things are serious, they have serious import in people's lives and sometimes they are wrong." There are hundreds of companies specializing in collecting marketing data and creating profiles of millions of consumers across the country. But unlike the national Do Not Call List, which gives consumers a one-stop location to have their telephone numbers removed from telemarketing databases, data marketing does not have a universal opt-out system. Abine.com created a subscription service called "Delete Me" that removes people's information from the web. For $99 per year, they will coordinate to remove all of your information from data-broker sites. It's a tremendous amount of work because each data broker site has a different procedure to remove personal information: phone calls, e-mails, faxes, and/or certified letters. And many times these companies require users to submit more personal information just to opt out. Don Jackson, a security researcher for Dell SecureWorks, warns that data mining could open the door to hacking, identity theft and stalking. "I don't think anybody is being intentionally malicious, but from a security standpoint you want to know how the data is being used, Jackson said. "That information becomes powerful at that point, and it can be misused. We have seen cases where just basic information, just very few pieces from social networks, can lead predators to potential victims, for example. That's a common scenario, actually." Currently, there is no comprehensive federal regulation for data brokers. Last March, the Federal Trade Commission issued a report on protecting consumer privacy in which they recommended that Congress consider legislation overseeing online privacy, data security and breach notification, and data brokers. President Barack Obama has said updates to U.S. laws are urgently needed to keep pace with the many threats that Americans face in cyberspace. But the Senate's most recent cybersecurity legislation stalled this summer on a procedural vote. Howe says Acxiom supports effective regulation, and that his was the first data-brokering company to employ a chief privacy officer. But "if regulation has unintended consequences, it can be really damaging to our economy," he said. Clearly, the collection of big data is raising big questions. And even though Acxiom knows a lot about you, Howe isn't convinced you need to know a lot about them. "Do people need to know who Acxiom is? I don't know. I withdrew money from the ATM this morning and I didn't know who made the ATM. But that didn't mean that I didn't trust I wasn't going to get my money," he said. "I think people are far more concerned with, 'does this generate value for them?' "Is the world a better place due to data? I can't see there being any debate about the fact that data is good." | Data is now a $300 billion-a-year industry and employs 3 million people in the U.S.
Acxiom Chief Executive Officer Scott Howe agreed to speak with CNN .
Howe believes detailed marketing information helps breathe success into business .
Critics of data-brokering companies say they pose privacy risks . |
285,513 | fdf6f4b1c479bc5a762e17609823d8d27d1e6c03 | By . Emma Glanfield . These incredible pictures reveal the stunning yet stark contrast between the bright lights of London and the peaceful tranquility of the English countryside. Italian-born photographer Alessio Andreani, who now lives in London, has spent weeks capturing iconic images of some of the most famous landmarks in the capital including the Houses of Parliament, the Shard and Battersea Power Station. In contrast, the 26-year-old has also spent time in Cornwall shooting some of the country’s most beautiful and rugged landscape including the coastline at Land’s End and St Ives. Italian-born photographer Alessio Andreani, who now lives in London, has shown the stark yet contrast of the capital with the English countryside and recently visited Cornwall to capture these stunning images of the British coastline. Pictured: Carnewas and Bedruthan Steps on the north Cornish coast between Padstow and Newquay . The 26-year-old has spent time in Cornwall recently shooting some of the UK's most beautiful and rugged landscape including the coastline at St Ives (pictured) Mr Andreani, who now lives in London after moving from Italy, has spent weeks capturing iconic images of some of the most famous landmarks in the capital including the Houses of Parliament, the Shard and Battersea Power Station (above) Mr Andreani, who spends hours in each location to familiarise himself before photographing the landscape, said that despite the contrasting differences, he found some similarities between the differing locations. He said: ‘I've really challenged myself to take pictures in a different environment. ‘I visited Cornwall to find the beautiful natural landscapes that I'm used to seeing in my home country. ‘As a result I found a nice contrast, but I noticed some similarities too - between nature and man-made landscapes. ‘I like the symmetry you see in the cityscapes, like in the shot with the Millennium Bridge and St Paul's dome or the shiny beauty of the Shard. The photographer, who took up his passion in 2008, has taken images all over the world. Pictured: Battersea Power Station overlooking the River Thames . Mr Andreani said: 'I like the symmetry you see in the cityscapes, like in the shot with the Millennium Bridge and St Paul's dome or the shiny beauty of the Shard' The landscape photographer said he spends several hours at each location before taking the stunning images and likes to watch the sunrise or sunset . ‘The hard shapes and shiny surfaces are so different from the nature but they works great in the same way.’ The landscape photographer, who has taken images all over the world, said he particularly shooting along the English coastline. During his recent trip to Cornwall, he spent time at Land's End, as well as in the quaint seaside town of St Ives and captured stunning images at Carnewas and Bedruthan Steps on the north Cornish coast between Padstow and Newquay. Mr Andreani said that despite the contrasting differences between the bustling atmosphere of London and the tranquility of Cornwall, he actually found some similarities between the differing locations, especially the symmetry. Pictured: The Shard overlooking the River Thames . Mr Andreani said: 'I love the beauty found in the natural setting and the powerful forces that have created cliffs and natural arches. It's really amazing and peaceful to admire during a sunset or sunrise.' Pictured: The sun breaks over Land's End in Cornwall . During a recent trip to Cornwall, Mr Andreani, 26, spent time photographing the coastline of the quaint seaside town of St Ives (pictured) He said: ‘I arrive at the location hours before I start shooting. I like to have time to enjoy the place and find the best spot.’ ‘I love the beauty found in the natural setting and the powerful forces that have created cliffs and natural arches. ‘It's really amazing and peaceful to admire during a sunset or sunrise.’ | Italian-born photographer Alessio Andreani, 26, has photographed some of London's most famous landmarks .
Images include the Houses of Parliament, Shard, St Paul's Cathedral, Millennium Bridge and Battersea Power Station .
The landscape photographer, who now lives in London, has also spent time shooting the rugged coastline in Cornwall .
He visited Land's End, the quaint seaside town of St Ives and the north Cornish coast between Padstow and Newquay . |
74,853 | d432cdd0387606ce9c307e6a595f7cf5b687424b | A witness who testified before a Missouri grand jury that she saw Michael Brown charge at Ferguson officer Darren Wilson ‘like a football player, head down,’ has been claimed to be a bipolar woman with a track record of lying to the police and making racist remarks. St. Louis resident Sandra McElroy, 45, told police that she watched the August 9 shooting unfold in front of her as she stood on a nearby sidewalk smoking a cigarette. She twice appeared before the grand jury giving a version of events that supported Officer Wilson’s statement, before her testimony was eventually discounted after she admitted that it included information she had read online about the shooting. Scroll down for video . St. Louis resident Sandra McElroy, 45, testified before a Missouri grand jury that she saw Michael Brown, right, charge at Ferguson officer Darren Wilson 'like a football player, head down' Prosecutors argued that McElroy had fabricated the entire incident and was not even at the scene the day of the shooting - although she maintained she was. In grand jury materials McElroy was referred to only as ‘Witness 40’, but her real identify has been revealed by The Smoking Gun after it carried out research into her background which uncovered that she has a history of lying to the police and making racist statements on social media. According to her grand jury testimony, the divorced mother-of-five was diagnosed as bipolar at 16, but hasn’t taken medication for about 25 years. McElroy’s legal history shows that along with a variety of civil lawsuits she was arrested in 2007 on two felony bad check charges for which she received a suspended sentence. The Brown shooting wasn’t the first high-profile Missouri criminal case that McElroy had claimed involvement with. In 2007 she had approached the cops claiming to have important information after the case of a boy who had been rescued after four years in captivity – however her claims were dismissed as a ‘complete fabrication’ by the police, according to The Smoking Gun. It was four weeks after the Brown shooting that McElroy first approached the police with her claims that she had been witness to it . On social media platforms such as YouTube, the website claims McElroy was found to have a history of posting racist comments. On her YouTube page - shared with one of her daughters - she had posted a racial charged comment next to a clip about the disappearance of a white woman who had a baby with a black man. ‘See what happens when you bed down with a monkey have ape babies and party with them,’ she commented. On another clip about the sentencing of two black women for murder, she had written, 'put them monkeys in a cage.' McElroy also used social media to comment on the Brown shooting and on September 13, she had visited a pro-Wilson Facebook page and posted a graphic that included a photo of Brown lying dead in the street. ‘Michael Brown already received justice. So please, stop asking for it,’ read the text beside the image. It was just two days before that post – and some four weeks after the Brown shooting – that McElroy first approached the police with her claims that she had been witness to it. On October 22, she went to the FBI field office in St. Louis and was interviewed by an agent and two Department of Justice prosecutors. McElroy also used social media to comment on the Brown shooting and on September 13, she had visited a pro-Wilson Facebook page and posted a graphic that included a photo of Brown lying dead in the street (above) The day before her meeting, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch had published a lengthy report detailing what Wilson told police investigators about the shooting. The next day McElroy provided federal investigators with an account that was very similar to Officer Wilson’s version. However she also recalled the unarmed teenager giving Wilson a ‘What are you going to do about it look,’ before he then ‘bent down in a football position…and began to charge at the officer.’ Brown, she said, ‘looked like he was on something.’ As Brown rushed Wilson, McElroy said, that the cop began firing. The ‘grunting’ teenager, McElroy recalled, was hit with a volley of shots, the last of which drove Brown ‘face first’ into the roadway. McElroy’s version of events was met with skepticism by the investigators, who reminded her that it was a crime to lie to federal agents. 'I know what I seen,' she said. 'I know you don’t believe me.' When asked what she was doing in Ferguson - about 30 miles north of her home - McElroy said she had been planning to ‘pop in’ on a former high school classmate she had not seen in 26 years but had got lost. McElroy recalled the unarmed teenager giving Wilson a 'What are you going to do about it look,' before he then 'bent down in a football position…and began to charge at the officer' Despite concerns about her version of events, state prosecutors put McElroy in front of the Ferguson grand jury and - under oath – she told her story to the 12-member panel. When McElroy returned to the Ferguson grand jury on November 3 she brought notes she claimed she had written on the same day that the shooting had taken place. But her testimony soon began to unravel when she changed her reason for being in Ferguson on the day of the shooting. Under oath, McElroy claimed that the real reason she had visited the primarily black neighborhood was because she wanted to 'strike up a conversation with an African-American.' In her note 'written' on the day Brown had died she had declared: 'Well Im gonna take my random drive to Florisant. Need to understand the Black race better so I stop calling Blacks N****** and Start calling them People.' As she testified, McElroy also admitted that her sworn account of the shooting included details she had read online about the incident. She remained adamant however that she had witnessed the events and had seen Brown ‘going after the officer like a football player’ before being shot to death. After her testimony, prosecutors suggested that McElroy had fabricated the entire incident and was not even at the scene the day of the shooting and her evidence discounted. | St. Louis resident Sandra McElroy, 45, testified before a Missouri grand jury that she saw Michael Brown charge at Ferguson officer Darren Wilson .
As 'Witness 40' she twice appeared before the grand jury before her testimony was eventually discounted .
During her second testimony she changed her reason for being at the scene and admitted she had included details she had read online .
According to her grand jury testimony, the divorced mother-of-five was diagnosed as bipolar at 16, but hasn't taken medication for 25 years .
She was arrested in 2007 on two felony bad check charges for which she received a suspended sentence .
In 2007 she approached the cops claiming to have information about a case that was later dismissed as a 'complete fabrication'
On social media platforms such as YouTube, McElroy was found to have a history of posting racist comments . |
227,044 | b200c035c8bc13bf7e808a97cedd8d3d3ce42664 | A couple have been charged with murder after a grandfather was found shot in the head inside his burning truck. Cleate Davis, 50, was allegedly robbed and left for dead by Aleasha Cox, 34, and Morrieo Allen as he sat in his Ford pick-up in Millington, Tennessee, on December 18. Police discovered the burning vehicle in a ditch at the side of the road with Davis' charred body still inside. Cleate Davis, 50, was robbed, shot twice in the face and left for dead as he sat in his burning Ford pick-up in Millington, Tennessee, on December 18 . The pair, who reportedly knew Davis, are believed to have shot him twice in the face during a robbery gone wrong. His grieving family said his death came just days after they discovered he had beaten cancer for the second time. Authorities said that Allen was seen running from the scene and was arrested and detained two days later following a manhunt. Cox was caught a short time later and has already admitted her part in the murder, according to My Fox Memphis. His daughter, Rachel Davis, told the station that she still has one Christmas gift left to unwrap, the one from her grandfather. She is now trying to figure out how to explain what has happened to his two granddaughters, aged just two and six. He had bought one of them a bike for Christmas and never got to watch them open it. Aleasha Cox, 34, (left) and Morrieo Allen, who knew the grandfather, have both been charged with his murder . 'I mean how do you tell a two-year old that grandpa's not here anymore?' she said. 'That was her hero, and she loves her grandpa more than anything.' Davis' other daughter Rochelle Weber said: 'We're just still kind of shell-shocked about it. We're glad that both of them are in custody now.' The pair made their first court appearance on Monday morning and were read their rights before they were returned to custody. Their family claim they both knew Davis and how 'kindhearted' he was. Davis leaves behind two daughters and two young grand-daughters . | Cleate Davis, 50, was robbed and killed in Millington, Tennessee .
Police discovered his burning Ford pick-up and his body inside .
Aleasha Cox, 34, and Morrieo Allen have been charged with his murder .
Family revealed he had received the all-clear from cancer just days before . |
72,345 | cd1504a348f43821335fb9ded6cbf94e26693926 | Australian military aircraft and special forces have been given the green light to fight Islamic State extremists in Iraq. Federal cabinet has approved Super Hornets to start bombing raids against Islamic State extremists in coming days, supported by 400 RAAF personnel. About 200 special forces members will train and advise Iraqi forces, but are awaiting final legal approval before deploying. It's the first time since July 2009 that the Australian Defence Force has engaged in combat in Iraq. However Prime Minister Tony Abbott declined to describe it as Australia declaring 'war', in stark contrast to the operation which began in 2003. 'I know that you'd love to have that headline, but it's not strictly accurate,' Mr Abbott told reporters in Canberra on Friday. Scroll down for video . Prime Minister Tony Abbott (right) and defence force chief Air Marshal Mark Binskin during a press conference at Parliament House to announce the approval of air combat operations in Iraq . F/A-18F Super Hornet aircrew head to their aircraft in preparation for departure to the Middle East from RAAF Base Amberley last week in Amberley, Australia . Six Super Hornets, a Wedgetail surveillance aircraft, a KC-30 refueller and a special forces contingent have been pre-deployed to the United Arab Emirates. The operations are in support of the legitimate government of Iraq against an insurgency, he said. 'It is a combat deployment, but it is an essentially humanitarian mission to protect the people of Iraq and ultimately the people of Australia from the murderous rage of the ISIL death cult. 'ISIL must be disrupted and degraded at home and abroad, so it is absolutely in Australia's national interests that this mission go ahead.' Mr Abbott, who previously estimated the cost at $250 million for every six months of operations, warned it would take months rather than weeks. 'But not a day longer than is absolutely necessary.' Budget cost of about $250 million every six months of operations . Aircraft greatest risk comes from IS small arms, anti-aircraft fire, portable surface to air missiles . Special forces risk comes from small arms and roadside bombs . Ability to call off, or 'red card', air strikes if not satisfied target has been clearly identified . Civilian casualties to be minimised. The RAAF will deploy six Super Hornets, a Wedgetail surveillance aircraft and a refueller. 'The team is well trained, they're well equipped, they're well prepared,' Chief of the Defence Force Air Chief Marshal Mark Binskin said. 'We're ready to get on with the job.' Mr Abbott said the aim was to help Iraqi security forces restore government control over its towns and cities. Opposition Leader Bill Shorten, who was briefed on the cabinet decision, said Labor supported the mission. 'In the face of evil, nations of good conscience do have a responsibility to act,' he said. But he recognised military action alone would not 'drain the swamp of terrorism'. RAAF aircraft set to participate in attacks on Islamic State jihadists have conducted their first training missions in the Middle East region . 'I must warn Australians; this is a dangerous mission,' said Prime Minister Tony Abbott on Friday . This could only come through the nations of the Middle East working together to restore peace and stability and for the government of Iraq to be more representative of its people. Australia should also commit to taking in more immigrants displaced by the extremists. Greens leader Christine Milne said the operation would make Australia a greater target for terrorists and a more attractive recruiting ground. 'Why would we not be better served by a strategy to combat extremism with inclusion at home, whilst supporting global efforts to cut off financial and personnel support to ISIL?' Senator Milne said. | Federal cabinet has approved combat flights to fight IS extremists in Iraq in coming days .
Australian Super Hornets and 400 RAAF personnel will be sent in as part of a US-led mission .
Prime Minister warns the deployment is a 'dangerous mission,' it will be 'quite lengthy' and cost an estimated $250 million for every six months of operations .
'It is an essentially a humanitarian mission to protect the people of Iraq and ultimately the people of Australia,' says PM .
Greens say the operation will make Australia a greater target for terrorists . |
252,360 | d2a1434c6fdd92385e10abf02d077fc6d233edd8 | Lee Middleton escaped and committed an armed robbery after stuffing his bed with pillows so it appeared he was fast asleep . An escaped prisoner terrorised a couple in an armed raid at their home – after stuffing his cell bed with pillows to sneak out of an open jail. Lee Middleton, 32, was serving time for a string of armed robberies when he slipped out of HMP Hewell, leaving officers believing he was still asleep. With an unknown accomplice, he travelled to an address in Coventry, 30 miles from the multi-category 1,261-inmate prison near Redditch, Worcestershire. A court head how the masked men, armed with a knuckle duster and a knife, forced their way inside before Middleton threatened to smash terrified resident Matty Grove’s head in with a brick. They made off with cash, mobile phones and Mr Grove’s £10,000 Audi S3 Quattro following the raid in June but Middleton was caught after a police chase. Jail guards had no idea the violent criminal – classed as ‘dangerous’ by his original trial judge – was missing until police rang to say he was in custody. Lal Amarasinghe, prosecuting, said: ‘The prison did not realise he had left until the police contacted them. He had left his bed with two pillows in it.’ Yesterday Mr Grove, 28, and girlfriend Danielle Ismay told of their shock that Middleton was able to sneak out of prison to commit the crime. Miss Ismay, 23, a receptionist, said: ‘It’s disgusting that he was able to get out of a prison to do this to us, particularly as he had been jailed for other burglaries and violent raids in the first place. ‘We have suffered a horrendous ordeal and were left so fearful of our safety that we had to move house.’ She said they could not believe it when police told them Middleton was a serving prisoner. The couple plan to sue the jail for negligence. Scroll down for video . Pictured is HMP Hewell, from where prisoner Lee Middleton was able to escape by stuffing his bed with pillows . Victims: Matthew Grove and Danielle Ismay (pictured) were at home watching TV when Middleton and his unidentified accomplice broke into their home and threatened them with a knife and knuckle duster . 'It was a horrendous ordeal': Matty Grove, left, and his receptionist girlfriend Danielle Ismay, right . ‘If the prison had done its job and kept Middleton locked up, he would never have been able to burgle us,’ Miss Ismay added. On Tuesday Middleton was jailed at Warwick Crown Court for a total of 11 years and six months after earlier pleading guilty to the aggravated burglary, dangerous driving and driving while disqualified. Judge Sylvia De Bertodano said it was ‘not quite clear’ how he had escaped, but added that it was ‘quite clear’ how dangerous he was. She also told the court: ‘There must have been planning to the extent that someone must have met him (outside the prison) to take him there (to Coventry).’ Middleton had been seen by jail staff at 9.30pm, but at 11.40pm he was outside Mr Grove and Miss Ismay’s house in Coventry. They used the brick to smash a pane on the front door to force their way inside, screaming ‘It’s the police!’ before Middleton began rifling through Miss Ismay’s bag. Mr Grove, who works in logistics at a factory, told the Daily Mail: ‘I stood up to try to stop him emptying the bag, but he had picked up the brick and told me, “Sit down now or I will smash your head in”. It was a really nasty incident.’ Middleton, of Wyken, Coventry, had been given an indeterminate sentence, with a minimum of ten years, in 2007 for armed robberies committed with two accomplices. In one they terrorised a pregnant woman and her children before stealing £40,000 in possessions. Pictured left is prisoner Frank Morris, and right, a dummy found in the bed of his accomplice . Lee Middleton's method of escape from HMP Hewell - by stuffing his bed with pillows to make it appear he was fast asleep - is actually tactic devised in one of the most notorious prison escapes of all time. In 1962 Frank Lee Morris, along with fellow prisoners Clarence and John Anglin, escaped from Alcatraz prison by leaving hand built dummies with human-like heads in their beds to fool the patrolling guards. They then crept out of their cells through tunnels they had spent years digging, before boarding a life raft when they reached the water. Although it's been claimed the three men have been spotted in the years since the prison break, there have been no confirmed sightings of the three and it is likely they all died attempting to make it across San Francisco Bay. In the decades since, the stunt has become one of the most infamous prison tales of all time, due to the fact it was remained the only successful escape from Alcatraz, and its portrayal in Hollywood films including 'Escape from Alcatraz' starring Clint Eastwood. The dummy heads used by the Alcatraz trio to fool prison guards into thinking they were asleep in bed . The prison break was the inspiration for Hollywood film 'Escape from Alcatraz' starring Clint Eastwood, pictured . | Prisoner stuffed his bed with pillows to fool guards he was in bed fast asleep .
Method was also used in only successful escape from Alcatraz, which was made into a film starring Clint Eastwood .
He then escaped and committed an aggravated burglary with an accomplice .
The two smashed into a couple's home and stole their £10,000 Audi vehicle .
A judge yesterday sentenced him to another 11 years and six months in jail . |
266,817 | e598205b0b9d259bd1c6b26a2565dd1ca99ac6be | Madrid, Spain (CNN) -- Popular Party leader Mariano Rajoy is poised to become the next prime minister of economically embattled Spain, with his ascension assured after the ruling Socialist Party's candidate conceded Sunday's national election. Alfredo Perez Rubalcaba made the concession before a somber audience of Socialist Party supporters -- a stark contrast to the raucous, celebratory crowd gathered outside the Popular Party headquarters in Madrid. Less than 30 minutes later, Rajoy offered "a message of confidence" and vowing to push for "solidarity" in the wake of Sunday's vote. He did so in a televised speech inside a quiet room before coming out minutes later to address the boisterous crowd. "The Spanish people have expressed themselves, they've done so clearly," he said in the first address. "And we'll now embrace this change." As detailed on the Interior Ministry website, with 100% of the votes counted, the Popular Party had over 10.8 million votes (44.6% of the total votes) and captured 186 seats in parliament. That compares with just under 7 million votes for the Socialist Party, giving it an advantage in 110 legislative contests. A party had to win 175 seats in order to win an outright majority in the 350-seat chamber. The majority result, thus, paves the way for Rajoy's unfettered ascension to prime minister, giving him a free hand to set policy without having to first make deals with other parties. The outcome makes Spain the latest country to lose a government amid the Europe-wide money crisis. Earlier this month, the leaders of Greece and Italy resigned over their own countries' debt woes. In the closing days of the campaign, the 56-year-old Rajoy had spoken repeatedly about the nation's deep economic crisis, such as the sobering 21.5% unemployment rate overall -- including a 45% rate of unemployment for young people. Nearly 5 million working-age Spaniards are without a job, and the country faces a steep public deficit and only tepid economic growth. Some immigrant workers are also leaving the country. Entering the elections, voters told CNN the economy was their top priority. "This vote will determine the future of the country for years to come," Jose Miguel Ariza, a university researcher, said after voting at the Menendez Pelayo school in central Madrid. In his initial speech Sunday night, the Popular Party leader said he would not forget those suffering -- from recent university graduates who can't find jobs to small business owners struggling to stay afloat to those hit hard by illness or other tragedies -- as he shaped policies. "We're going to try our best to better their situation," he said. "And we'll think of them before making a decision." Rajoy has said he would not cut pensions -- which the incumbent Socialist government earlier froze, to much criticism -- but he says all other issues are on the table in order to reduce the deficit. He has also said he'll consider tax cuts for businesses to encourage them to hire more workers. A Cabinet minister between 1996 and 2004 under conservative Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznar, Rajoy twice lost to Socialist Party leader Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero, in 2004 and 2008, in his first attempts to become prime minister. But his conservative party swept to victory in regional and local elections last May, presaging what polls had long accurately predicted would be a triumph the third time around. Zapatero called the early election and announced he would not seek a third term. While other parties and candidates were in the race, Rajoy's chief challenger had been Rubalcaba. The 60-year-old served under former Socialist Prime Minister Felipe Gonzalez and most recently under Zapatero, rising to the positions of deputy prime minister and Interior minister. Rubalcaba had warned that the conservatives would cut into public health and education, the social programs which he said the Socialist party would fight to preserve, despite the economic crisis. About 35 million Spaniards are eligible to vote, of whom the government claims 1.5 million are first-time potential voters, having turned 18 since the last general elections in 2008. The economic protests across Spain during the past six months have been fueled by the young -- the so called 'indignants' -- but it was not clear how much impact the protesters had on the results Sunday. Esteban Guerrero, a university student in his last year of journalism studies and who has been active in the protests, said: "I think it's necessary to vote, but that's not enough. People feel the elections won't change the situation. They won't stop the cutbacks." Guerrero, 25, sees his own prospects of getting a job after college as bleak. "I think there's a pent-up rage. The workers and young people of this country are fed up," Guerrero said. "It's been years of frustration, over cutbacks and lower salaries." Putting the Iberian nation on the right track won't be easy, Rajoy admitted in his speech to celebrating supporters later Sunday night. But the incoming prime minister stressed he felt it was possible, especially if Spaniards joined forces to work toward a common goal. "That's what it's all about -- to be together, everybody, (and) work together," he told the crowd. "Our political project invites all Spaniards who want to resolve this situation. It means a lot of work, a lot of effort and a lot of unity." | NEW: The Popular Party wins 45% of votes and 186 legislative seats, giving it a majority .
Rajoy says overcoming Spain's economic woes requires "a lot of effort and a lot of unity"
The Socialist Party candidate conceded, so his party won't rule for first time since 2008 .
The economy was the top issue, with nearly 5 million working-age Spaniards without a job . |
12,707 | 240882613f4182f8a914ff1fb7fc64cf2b5ff729 | (CNN) -- Relief expressed Sunday at the death of Pan Am 103 bomber Abdelbeset Ali Mohmed al Megrahi by relatives of some of his 270 victims was tempered by still-smoldering anger at his release from prison more than two years ago. "Fine. He deserved to die," said Susan Cohen of Cape May Court House, New Jersey, whose daughter Theodora died in the December 1988 airplane bombing over Lockerbie, Scotland. "He was a mass murderer. I feel no pity around him. He got to die with his family around him. My daughter, at age 20, died a brutal, horrible death." Al Megrahi was the only person convicted in connection with the bombing. In August 2009, he was released from a Scottish prison on the grounds that he was diagnosed with terminal prostate cancer and had only a few months to live. He was sent home to Libya on "compassionate" grounds, receiving a hero's welcome at the airport. 2011: Convicted Lockerbie bomber says truth will eventually come out . "I think Megrahi exemplified the classic case that no matter how heinous the crime, that justice can be bought," said Victoria Cummock of Miami, who lost her husband John in the bombing and serves as co-president of the Families of Pan Am 103 group. "His death is a relief," Cummock said. "Finally Megrahi will be judged by the highest of authorities -- our maker, his maker." Barbara Zwynenburg of West Nyack, New York, whose 29-year-old son Mark died aboard the plane, said, "It's about time. I'm glad he's dead." But she called the deal resulting in al Megrahi's release "disgraceful." "He was supposed to be ill and was allegedly ready to die," Zwynenburg said. "He went home to his family, and our son never came home." At the time of al Megrahi's release, Saif al-Islam Gadhafi, son of then-Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi, told Libyan channel Al Mutawassit that "in all commercial contracts for oil and gas with Britain, (al Megrahi) was always on the negotiating table," adding that then-British Prime Minister Tony Blair raised al Megrahi's case each time he visited Libya. 2011: CNN's Nic Robertson tracks down Lockerbie bomber . Blair said that while Libya brought up al Megrahi, no deals were ever made when he was in power to arrange for his release. British authorities rejected that al Megrahi's release was tied to British business deals with Libya. However, victims' relatives expressed disbelief. "That was a disgusting deal that involved oil and money," Cohen said. "All of us," said Cummock, "have been pawns in all of this." Bert Ammerman of New Jersey, whose brother Tommy was aboard Pan Am 103, said Sunday he was "pleased" at Megrahi's death. Megrahi's 2009 release, he said, was "when I was most angry in this 24-year journey." Libya agreed in 2003 to pay $2.7 billion in compensation to the families of the bombing victims, though Gadhafi always remained cagey about admitting official Libyan involvement in the bombing. Gadhafi died in October following months of unrest in Libya. "Gadhafi's death brought me a great deal of, the word is, pleasure," Cohen said. "I was happy when he died because he was the primary villain in this." Megrahi, she said, was "sent to do the job." Ammerman said Gadhafi's ouster and death also helped reduce some of his anger at al Megrahi's release. "He was the big fish and Megrahi, as far as I'm concerned, became a minor actor once Gadhafi was killed," he said. But, he said, the release was "a true act of betrayal by our government and the British government." He felt the United States didn't do enough to keep al Megrahi behind bars. The full truth about the bombing may have died with al Megrahi, who never provided details. If Megrahi had not been released, Cohen said, he might have talked when the Gadhafi regime fell. But Cohen and Ammerman said they believe others still in Libya or former Gadhafi regime officials may also have been complicit in the bombing, and that U.S. and British officials should go into the country and conduct interviews in an effort to find them. "He was not the only person taking orders," Cohen said of al Megrahi. "... We really do need to know how these terrible things are done and who's involved in them ... The key is, where do we go from here?" Cummock said she previously met with Blair, who told her the Scottish authorities were the ones who released al Megrahi. And she said in the fall, she met with Mustafa Abdul Jalil, chairman of Libya's Transitional National Council, who has said he has proof Gadhafi ordered the bombing. After the Gadhafi regime fell last year, U.S. officials renewed their call for al Megrahi's imprisonment. "Once there's a government in place, we will renew our calls that Megrahi, who should never have been released in the first place, be returned to serve the rest of his sentence," Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said in October. However, Cummock said, "I don't think the U.S. government or the U.K. government has the will to find out the truth about why Pan Am 103 was attacked and hold people involved accountable. We've seen (nearly) 24 years of turning the page." "Both the Scottish and British governments have not been forthcoming," said U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer, D-New York, on Sunday. "The whole deal (regarding al Megrahi's release) smelled of a trade of oil for this man's freedom, and that was almost blasphemy given what a horrible person he was and the terrible destruction and tragedy he caused." "This is long overdue," Zwynenburg said of al Megrahi's death. "It's been 23 years now, but you never get over losing your kid." CNN's Miguel Susana contributed to this report. | Relatives of those who died are still angry about bomber's release .
"It's about time," says the mother of on Pan Am 103 victim .
Another victim's mother believes co-conspirators are still in Libya . |
222,290 | abbfdb4a09d844a6d6d894d00203efb41d44fa3d | (CNN) -- Pope Francis put the ideals of professionalism, service and holiness to the fore Saturday in his first Christmas message to the Curia, the Roman Catholic Church's governing body. The Roman Curia, which includes Vatican staff, priests and cardinals, gathered in the ornate Clementine Hall. The pope praised those who have worked in the Vatican for "many years with immense dedication, hidden from the eyes of the world." The church needs "people who work with competence, precision and self sacrifice in the fulfillment of their daily duties," he said. Without professionalism, Francis warned, "there is a slow drift downwards towards mediocrity" and "dossiers become full of trite and lifeless information" that fail to inspire. Without an attitude of service to bishops and churches worldwide, he said, "the structure of the Curia turns into a ponderous, bureaucratic customs house, constantly inspecting and questioning, hindering the working of the Holy Spirit and the growth of God's people." Holiness encompasses an openness to God, prayer, deep humility and fraternal charity in relationships with fellow workers, Francis said. "It also means apostleship, discreet and faithful pastoral service, zealously carried out in direct contact with God's people. For priests, this is indispensable," he said. He also urged the Curia to avoid indulging in gossip, saying: "Gossip is harmful to people, our work and our surroundings." Francis has already taken a number of steps to try to reform the Vatican's administration in the nine months since he was elected to the papacy. CNN's Vatican reporter John Allen, also a senior correspondent for the National Catholic Reporter, said Saturday's speech was brief but set out some core principles. "He said very clearly he wants a Vatican that is focused on service, rather than power," Allen said. In July, the pope set up an expert committee to recommend reforms to the economic and administrative structures of the Holy See. He has also ordered more scrutiny of the Vatican bank, which has been plagued by financial scandals for years. Earlier this month, he announced the creation of a commission to prevent the abuse of minors and to support victims of abuse. The Catholic Church has faced calls for reform in the wake of scandals involving the sexual abuse of children by priests and allegations of corruption. Since taking charge, Francis has also shifted the tone of the church toward a focus on service, compassion and helping the poor and addressed controversial issues such as homosexuality and the role of women in the church. At his final general audience of 2013 in St. Peter's Square on Wednesday, the pope spoke about the birth of Jesus and the importance of humility. "It is an ugly thing," he said, "when you see a Christian who doesn't want to humble himself, who doesn't want to serve, a Christian who struts about everywhere: it's ugly, eh? That is not a Christian: that's a pagan!" In a measure of the impact he's already had as pontiff, Francis was named as Time magazine's "Person of the Year" this month. The Vatican welcomed Time's selection, while making it clear the man so widely recognized for his own humility didn't seek the award and didn't want its light to shine on him but on the mission of the church. Pope Francis calls for big changes in Roman Catholic Church . | Pope Francis urges the Curia to be professional and to serve the rest of the church .
He also warns against gossip, saying it is harmful to people and the church's work .
This is Francis' first Christmas message to the Roman Curia .
Since becoming pope, he has been taking steps to reform the way the Holy See is run . |
85,434 | f24ef2f022520cce5051e0d3c247076d256ad2c4 | (CNN) -- A police chief from southeastern New Hampshire who planned to retire in a few days has been shot to death while trying to execute a search warrant, authorities said Friday. Chief Michael Maloney of the police department in Greenland, a town of about 3,500, was killed in a shooting that wounded four other officers on Thursday night at a home in the community, said Attorney General Michael Delaney. "This is a tragedy for our community," he said. "Our law enforcement community is in mourning." Two suspects, a man and a woman, were found dead in the home after a long stand off, Delaney said. Investigators believe the deaths came from either a "murder-suicide" or a "double suicide," he said. Greenland is just south of the city of Portsmouth. Its police force has 10 members, the town says on its website. During a news conference Friday, Delaney was asked why a police chief would be part of a dangerous mission so close to his retirement. He did not answer the question directly but said all the officers involved were part of a drug investigation. The shootings come after a year in which U.S. cities saw an increase in officers killed. The number of officers who died in the line of duty in 2011 increased 16% nationwide from last year, according to the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund. Last year, 177 officers were killed, compared with 153 in 2010, the organization said. | The police chief in Greeland, New Hampshire has been shot to death .
He planned to retire in a few days .
Greenland is a town 3,500 people located just south of Portsmouth .
"This is a tragedy for our community," official says . |
77,105 | daa1322ff110064644a6c239b3b6da180e151c26 | London (CNN) -- For the past week, members of Britain's armed forces have been taking part in major exercises to prepare for the Olympics in London later this summer. Alongside the emergency drills and simulated alarms, designed to ready the city for potential terror threats to the 2012 Games, soldiers have also practiced launching missiles from the city's rooftops. The residents of an exclusive apartment complex in London's East End were horrified to discover that the UK Ministry of Defence planned to site ground-to-air rocket launchers from the roof of their homes. Now one historian has called on them to channel the spirits of the factory workers who once worked where they now live, and insist that the missiles are removed. Today Bow Quarter is an upscale gated community, complete with swimming pool, gymnasium, private gardens and its own restaurant, bar and shop. Makeup artist Susan Aherne, who has lived in the complex for 18 months, told CNN she was attracted to the complex by its air of security -- but now fears the missiles will mean her home becomes a terrorist target. "I'm frightened of getting my head blown off," she said. "I moved here because it's a gated community and it made me feel safe, but now it feels like we're living inside some military compound. They say it's going to make us safe, but in fact it's going to make us a target. They're going to convert a residential area into a war zone." And security guard Mohammed Miah, who lives opposite Bow Quarter, agreed: "If terrorists are a threat, this is now the first place they're going to come. Also, if something attacks us from the sky and they shoot it down, where is it going to land? This is a residential neighborhood, loads of families, loads of kids. It just doesn't make any sense bringing missile launchers here." The Ministry of Defence says it chose Bow Quarter because "it is situated close to the Olympic Park and offers an excellent view of the surrounding area, and the entire sky above the Olympic Park." It says the ground-to-air missile system "is operated by fully trained and experienced soldiers," and insists "it does not pose any hazard to residents," adding that the missiles will be guarded 24 hours a day by a team of military personnel and police. For many of those living inside the high walls and security gates, what annoys them most is that no-one asked their opinion. Neil Midgley, Bow Quarter resident and one of the journalists who broke the story of the missiles, told CNN: "In a Western democracy in 2012, I don't think the army should occupy private land without consulting the people who live there and getting their consent. "People are grown-ups, they understand that the Olympics need to be protected, but there are questions: Do the missiles make us a target? If they are fired, where does the debris fall? And who pays for any damage caused?" Bow Quarter was not always so glamorous and gentrified. The site was once home to the Bryant and May match factory, notorious for the horrific working conditions inside its walls -- until, that is, the mainly female workers rose up and demanded action, and changed British society for good in the process. The "match girls" at Bryant and May were paid a pittance -- less than five shillings a week -- and those earnings were frequently whittled away by a system of fines imposed for "offenses" including talking, lateness, talking, and dropping matches. In addition, the dangerous white phosphorous they worked with on a daily basis made them very sick, Louise Raw, historian and author of "Striking a Light: The Bryant and May Matchwomen and their place in Labour history," told CNN. Many were in poor health because of their work, left bald from carrying heavy boxes on their heads and suffering the horrific industrial disease known as "phossy jaw" -- the necrosis of their jaw bones caused by the white phosphorus used in the matches. "They were physically very frail," Raw said. "They were working in the factory from the age of 10 or 11 -- sometimes even younger. Their growth was stunted, they were malnourished, and the phosphorus made them really ill. "It's terrible stuff: Back then people used it to commit suicide or to cause abortions, and these women were working with it everyday. It made them really sick. The average life expectancy was just 25." Disgusted by working conditions at the factory, feminist and social campaigner Annie Besant wrote a crusading article, "White Slavery in London" which brought the suffering of the match girls to a wider audience. They were, she wrote: "Undersized because under-fed, oppressed because helpless, flung aside as soon as worked out. Who cares if they die or go on the streets provided only that Bryant & May shareholders get their 23%." Bryant and May were furious, but when they tried to force the workers to sign a statement insisting they were happy with their treatment, the matchmakers refused, and when one of their number was fired, they walked out. But despite the match girls' lowly status, the resulting strike garnered the backing of high-profile supporters including playwright George Bernard Shaw, and led to a boycott of the company's products. "The match women were the lowest of the low," said Raw. "They were a wild and wonderful bunch: factory girls, working class, they were loud and dressed in colorful clothes -- they really had polite Victorian society reaching for the smelling salts. "In contrast, Bryant and May were big, powerful men, and yet they had to give in to them." Within weeks, the company reluctantly accepted the strikers' demands for improved pay and conditions, an end to the system of fines. The match girls went on to found the first union for female workers in Britain, and their actions helped shape the modern Labour movement. That a location of such importance to workers' rights should be the site of "undemocratic" actions today is not lost on those who live there -- or their supporters. Twitter user Anne McCrossan (@Annemcx) was among those quick to point out the irony: "Laughable that BQ was the site of emancipation in the past, but authoritarian control today, is this the spirit of the games?" Raw said the match women should be an inspiration to those at Bow Quarter who were unhappy at the MoD's decision. "It is such Bryant and May-like behaviour to stick missiles on the roof without asking," she told CNN. "The match women wouldn't have stood for it. They were, in theory, completely powerless in the face of authority -- nobody thought they could change anything, but they stood together and they did change things -- they had a huge influence. "It was a victory for people power, and they are an example to us all." But Midgley said he doubted that the residents would take action in quite the same way. "I wish I could tell you I think there will be a Bow Quarter uprising, a Bow Quarter Spring over this, but I doubt it. "In reality, people are very concerned, and they have questions which will need to be answered. If they are not, then people will try to stop it." CNN's George Webster contributed to this report. | British Ministry of Defence plans to place missiles on top of east London apartment block .
Former match factory chosen because of proximity to, and view over, Olympic Park .
Residents angry at lack of consultation, fear missiles will make homes a terrorist target .
Historian says those angry at plans could take inspiration from match girls' strike of 1888 . |
74,331 | d2c6d6e6af8d3bdf8fb149dd94a9579612f41b63 | By . Bianca London . Poppy Delevingne has been busy focussing on her wedding and life as a newlywed so she's handed over one of her modelling duties to good friend Alexa Chung. Queen of cool Alexa has today been unveiled as the new face of Nails Inc, who called on the model to help celebrate its 15th anniversary. Always one to throw her all into a collaboration, as the AW14 face, IT girl Alexa has given the nail polish brand a high fashion makeover. New face: Alexa Chung has been unveiled as the face - and hands - of Nails Inc. The model replaces good friend Poppy Delevingne as the face of the beauty brand . The 30-year-old has posed for the brand's fashion-led campaign, shot by industry heavyweight Rankin, will act as a brand ambassador and has even created a range of fabric inspired polishes, which will launch in August 2014. Prepare for a stampede. Thea Green, founder and MD of Nails inc said: 'Fashion is at the heart of Nails inc and we're well known for colour, innovation and amazing fashion effects for nails. 'Our Leather effect polish, as worn by Alexa Chung to the 2012 British Fashion Awards was a sell-out with a wait list of more than 3,000. 'There's a real synergy with our brand and Alexa collaborating was a natural evolution of our relationship with her.' Stylish makeover: Alexa, known as fashion's IT girl, has designed a range of on-trend varnishes, as well as acting as the brand's model . Collaboration: A spokesperson for Nails Inc said: 'There's a real synergy with our brand and Alexa collaborating was a natural evolution of our relationship with her' Debuting housed in Nails inc's new bottle designed by Creative Director Fabien Baron, the range of six polishes aim to embrace a new era of fashion forward fabric effects for nails, which Nails Inc have been championing with their leather, concrete and feather effect polishes over the years. Speaking about her new job, Alexa said: 'It was Nails Inc's array of bold, fresh colours that first caught my eye. Then I wore Nails inc's black leather polish a few years ago and I fell in love with the brand. 'When Thea asked me to collaborate I was so excited - not only am I the face of the brand but we've created an amazing collection of fabric inspired polishes. I've been playing with textures and innovative effects to create the perfect collection that girls can use to revitalise an outfit. This collection is a party for your hands.' Black out: Speaking about her new signing, Alexa said: 'It was Nails Inc's array of bold, fresh colours that first caught my eye. Then I wore Nails Inc's black leather polish a few years ago and I fell in love with the brand' Alexa has created a range of £15 polishes starting with a classic lace effect red called Alexa Lace In Red. There's also Alexa Cashmere In Mink and the model has fused warming mink shades of matte polish with pure glass pearls to provide a subtle sheen and cashmere texture. 'For me fashion is all about texture and colour. I love cashmere, it's so luxurious. My favourite feeling is pulling on a cashmere sweater,' she said about her inspiration behind the polishes. Remember when? Alexa Chung was pictured wearing Nails Inc.'s leather effect nail polish at the British Fashion Awards in 2012 before it had been released to the public and it went on to sell out . Lady in red: Alexa has created a range of £15 polishes starting with a classic lace effect red called Alexa Lace In Red, which will pre-launch online in June for £12 . Goodbye, Poppy! The newlywed has been replaced by her good friend Alexa as the face of the brand . Fashion's darling: Her style is so well respected that Mulberry named a bag after her, the much sought-after Alexa, which sold out . Speaking about Alexa Silk In Black, which is inspired by Alexa's love of the brand's black leather polish, she said: 'I'm a huge fan of the black leather polish. It was my favourite look on the shoot. The effect is so cool and I love the matte texture. I'd wear it with a breton t-shirt for an edgier look.' Alexa Sequins in Black and Gold aims to give the effect of an 'amazing' sequin dress. 'My favourite polish in the collection is sequins. Its classic and easy to team with lots of different outfits. Often I dress relaxed and in a tomboy kind of way, so it's nice to have a little disco on my nails,' she said. And finally, Alexa Camouflage blends a mix of green and nude metallic and matte particles to create a cool camouflage effect for the nails. Taking over the reigns: Alexa replaces best friend Poppy Delevingne, right, as the new face of Nails Inc . Fashion darling: (L-R) Taylor Schilling, Dree . Hemingway, Alexa Chung, Diane Kruger all wearing designer Peter Pilotto . at the Peter Pilotto for Target launch party on 6 February in New York . Alexa kickstarted her career at 16 when . she was signed to Storm models, the agency that has Kate Moss and Cara . Delevingne on its books. She moved into TV in 2006, presenting the music . show Popworld in 2006 with Alex Zane, before becoming a staple of the . now-defunct T4. It wasn’t . long before Alexa’s tomboyish style earned her some serious fashion . stripes and she was seated front row at every major fashion show, . featured on countless fashion magazine covers and landed modelling . campaigns for New Look, Pepe Jeans and Superga. Mulberry named a bag after her, the much sought-after Alexa, which sold out. She is now contributing editor at Vogue UK, for which she recently . interviewed cover star Kate Upton, and has her own eye make-up range for Eyeko. Alexa Chung The Nails inc Alexa Chung fabric collection is available nationwide and on nailsinc.com from August 2014. | Alexa, 30, unveiled as new AW14 face .
Will model for brand and has designed varnish range .
Gives nail varnish company a fashion makeover . |
16,412 | 2e90ed4be7a05d50fc6026e6ed3f10a082262a33 | By . Jill Reilly . The French rogue trader who lost 4.9bn euros ($6.4bn; £4bn) at bank Societe Generale has lost his appeal against a three-year jail sentence. France's highest court today upheld the prison sentence for Jerome Kerviel, but threw out the 4.9 billion euros ($7 billion) in civil damages he'd been ordered to pay back. Kerviel was convicted in 2010 of carrying out one of the biggest trading frauds in history that almost took down his bank, Societe Generale, with 4.9 billion euros in losses. France's highest court today upheld a prison sentence for Jerome Kerviel, but threw out the 4.9 billion euros ($7 billion) in civil damages he'd been ordered to pay back . Kerviel is currently on a trek from Rome to Paris 'against the tyranny of the markets' He sees himself as a victim of a system that turned a blind eye to his illegal trades as long as they made money for the bank. Kerviel had appealed the sentence of three years in prison, which had already been upheld once before by a lower appeals court. In a statement, the high court said Wednesday that the lower court decision had not taken into account faults committed by Kerviel's former employer, French bank Societe Generale, when it ordered ordered Kerviel to repay the bank's entire losses in the fraud. He sees himself as a victim of a system that turned a blind eye to his illegal trades as long as they made money for the bank . Kerviel is currently in Italy, walking back to Paris on a pilgrimage after meeting the pope. Television images showed him wearing a red jacket and red backpack, walking swiftly and trying to ignore the numerous journalists trailing him. He made no statement. Outside the courtroom in Paris, Kerviel's lawyers claimed a partial victory. 'The errors of Societe Generale were at the heart of the concerns expressed by the judicial system, and it appears at the least surprising to lock up Jerome Kerviel when the existence of significant errors on behalf of his employer - and the consequences of these errors on events attributed to him - were affirmed,' said Patrice Spinosi. Kerviel's lawyer Patrice Spinosi talks to the press the Paris' court at the end of the appeal . The high court ordered the civil damages to be retried by an appeals court in Versailles. The bank's lawyer Jean Veil said that in the new trial the bank will explain that they knew 'from the moment that these events were discovered, that there were errors in our system, which we've repaired and spent hundreds of millions to be able to change our control system.' The appeals court had upheld the October 2010 conviction of Kerviel for forgery, breach of trust and unauthorized computer use for covering up bets worth nearly 50 billion euros - more than the market value of the entire bank. It sentenced him to a five-year prison term - with two years suspended - and ordered he pay 4.9 billion euros in damages. Jerome Kerviel, seen here in October 2012, has not made a statement about the verdict . An internal report by the bank, however, found managers failed to follow up on 74 different alarms about Kerviel's activities. Banned for life from working in the financial industry, Kerviel was making 2,300 euros a month ($3,150 at the time) as a computer consultant after leaving the bank. Societe Generale had paid him less than 100,000 euros a year ($155,700) with bonuses, a modest sum for the 1.4 billion euros in profits he earned for the bank in 2007. A few of the bank's executives resigned in the scandal's aftermath, including longtime Chairman Daniel Bouton. Kerviel's superiors were questioned in the probe, but none of them faced charges. | France's highest court today upheld a prison sentence for Jerome Kerviel .
Threw out 4.9 billion euros in civil damages he'd been ordered to pay back .
Kerviel was convicted in 2010 of carrying the record trading fraud .
Fraud nearly took down his bank, Societe Generale - 4.9 billion euro losses .
Did not attend court - in the middle of a walk from Rome to Paris . |
81,520 | e6f66988f44501f48314fc63e531288f482cf761 | (CNN) -- Arizona has temporarily halted executions after the prolonged death of a convicted killer during an execution described by Sen. John McCain and others as tantamount to torture. It took death row inmate Joseph Wood two hours to die Wednesday afternoon. His attorney says Wood "gasped and struggle to breathe" after receiving a novel combination of drugs. McCain told Politico he supports the death penalty in some cases, but he said Wood's execution was carried out in a "terrible" way. "The lethal injection needs to be an indeed lethal injection and not the bollocks-upped situation that just prevailed. That's torture," he told Politico on Thursday. The Arizona Republican knows a little something about torture. McCain served as a U.S. military pilot in Vietnam. He was shot down, captured and beaten and tortured. After Gov. Jan Brewer ordered a review, the state's attorney general ordered a halt to all executions, pending the investigation of the Wood case. "I have been advised by the Arizona attorney general that his office will not seek any warrants of execution prior to the completion of the review of this matter," said Corrections Director Charles Ryan. Reporter Troy Hayden witnessed the execution and compared Wood's death last breaths to "a fish on shore gulping for air." Wood's attorneys even tried to stop the execution more than halfway through, with one calling it "bungled" and "botched." State officials and his victims' relatives disagreed, saying Wood snored and didn't appear to be in agony. Opinion: 5 ways to improve the U.S. death penalty . Reports that the execution was botched are "erroneous," Ryan said. Wood was comatose and never in pain during his execution, he added. "The record clearly shows the inmate was fully and deeply sedated ... three minutes after the administration of the execution drugs." Arizona execution raises questions over novel lethal injections . Wood's slow death is fueling a debate stirred up as states look for new drug combinations for lethal injections, thanks in part to pharmaceutical companies' decisions to withhold or stop making drugs used in the past. "It took Joseph Wood two hours to die, and he gasped and struggled to breathe for about an hour and 40 minutes. We will renew our efforts to get information about the manufacturer of drugs as well as how Arizona came up with the experimental formula of drugs it used today," attorney Dale Baich said in a statement. He added, "Arizona appears to have joined several other states who have been responsible for an entirely preventable horror -- a bungled execution." Oklahoma's botched lethal injection marks new front in battle over executions . One of the victims' relatives had a strongly different view -- that he didn't suffer, and that he got what he deserved. "I don't believe he was gasping for air; I don't believe he was suffering. It sounded to me like was snoring," said the relative, Jeanne Brown. "You don't know what excruciating is. What's excruciating is seeing your dad laying there in a pool of blood, seeing your sister laying there in a pool of blood. This man deserved it. And I shouldn't really call him a man," she said. Wood had been convicted of murder and assault in the 1989 deaths of his estranged girlfriend and her father. The state used midazolam, an anesthetic, and hydromorphone, a narcotic painkiller that, with an overdose, halts breathing and stops the heart from beating. It's one of the new combinations that states have tried -- with some controversial results -- after manufacturers based or operating in Europe prevented U.S. prisons from using their drugs in executions. Death penalty facts that may surprise you . Mississippi mother swaps death row for jail cell to await trial . California's death penalty ruled unconstitutional . CNN's Shelby Lin Erdman, Mayra Cuevas, Dave Alsup, Ross Levitt and Michael Pearson contributed to this report. | Arizona temporarily halts executions after prolonged execution .
Sen. John McCain says the nearly two-hour incident is tantamount to torture .
Media witnesses say Arizona murderer Joseph Wood gasped intensely .
His attorneys tried to halt the execution more than halfway through and have Wood revived . |
225,072 | af74de8498a6407f2b791532172482c6edb6ea98 | Kurdish fighters defending the key Syrian border city of Kobani are dangerously outmatched as ISIS advances, a top United Nations official said Tuesday, calling for the international community to step in. "They have been defending themselves with great courage. But they are now very close to not being able to do so. They are fighting with normal weapons, whereas the ISIS has got tanks and mortars," Staffan de Mistura, the U.N. special envoy for Syria, said in a statement. "The international community needs to defend them. The international community cannot sustain another city falling under ISIS." Were Kobani to fall, ISIS would control a complete swath of land between its self-declared capital of Raqqa, Syria, and Turkey -- a stretch of more than 100 kilometers (62 miles). Outnumbered and outgunned by ISIS, local fighters trying to defend the Kurdish-dominated city have tried to flee into Turkey. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan warned that Kobani was about to fall to ISIS as protests raged in his country over how the group should be handled. And hours after U.S. airstrikes targeting ISIS struck near Kobani overnight, the city's future was far from certain. Stopping ISIS from taking over cities, towns and other territory in Syria isn't the focus of U.S. efforts, a senior administration official and a U.S. official told CNN. At a briefing, a State Department spokeswoman faced persistent questions over whether saving the city was a U.S. priority. The answer, CNN global affairs correspondent Elise Labott said, sounded like a resounding "no." "It's obviously horrific to watch what's going on the ground, but it's important for the United States, for us to also step back and remember our strategic objective as it relates to our efforts and our engagement in Syria," spokeswoman Jen Psaki told reporters. The U.S. goal, she said, is "a deliberate, well thought-out campaign in Syria" to disrupt ISIS command and control, destroy the group's infrastructure and attack sources of fuel and financing for ISIS. "Certainly no one wants to see Kobani fall, but our primary objective here is preventing (ISIS) from gaining a safe haven," she said. "And we're going after those specific structures that I mentioned," Psaki added. "But we would not have taken the range of military strikes we have taken, including overnight, if we did not want to support and -- and defend the area." Five airstrikes targeting groups of ISIS fighters struck near Kobani overnight, U.S. Central Command said. There were another four strikes elsewhere in Syria and four in Iraq. "Finally, they are hitting the right places," one local fighter against ISIS said after the airstrikes near Kobani, which is close to the Turkish border and key to ISIS' effort to extend its terrain. Airstrikes against the radical Islamist group in Kobani can be challenging because many targets are too close to the Turkish border or Kurdish forces to strike, a senior U.S. military official said. Violent protests in Turkey . Destroying ISIS will require ground operations, Erdogan said, according to the semi-official Anadolu news agency. Speaking to Syrian refugees, he said there has been "no achievement yet," despite months of efforts against ISIS. Erdogan called for a no-fly zone, and for the arming of opposition groups in Iraq and Syria. People upset over what they consider Turkey's failure to respond adequately to the ISIS threat launched protests in Turkey, some of which turned violent. Three people were killed and at least 36 injured in demonstrations throughout Turkey, police said, according to Anadolu. At least five Turkish police officers were among the injured, Anadolu said. There were clashes overnight in Istanbul, and a group of about 50 to 60 protesters blocked a road, CNN affiliate CNN Turk reported. Some demonstrators set fire to a bus and garbage truck and smashed windows and cars. One protester was killed in the middle of a demonstration after being hit in the head by a gas canister in the town of Varto, police said. And two protesters died during demonstrations in the southeastern province of Siirt, Anadolu reported. In Belgium, meanwhile, Kurdish protesters stormed the European Parliament building. CNN affiliate RTL Belgium said about 50 protesters stormed into the building. Police then cordoned it off. Some European nations have joined the fight against ISIS, but the Kurdish protesters want tougher action. Belgium participated in overnight airstrikes in Iraq, U.S. Central Command said. Dutch join in, Canada to follow suit . Dutch forces participated for the first time in airstrikes against ISIS in Iraq as well, dropping three bombs on ISIS vehicles that were shooting at Kurdish Peshmerga forces, the Dutch Defense Ministry said in a statement. The vehicles were destroyed, and ISIS fighters may have been killed, the ministry said. Canada's Parliament approved an air combat mission against ISIS in Iraq, pledging up to six CF-18 fighter jets as part of a strike force, in addition to other aircraft for surveillance, reconnaissance and refueling. "To be absolutely clear, Canada's engagement in Iraq is not a ground combat mission. It includes a number of targeted measures, being taken with allies, to severely limit the ability of ISIL to engage in full scale military movements and to operate bases in the open," Prime Minister Stephen Harper said in a statement. "We do not take this step lightly. The threat posed by ISIL is real. If left unchecked this terrorist organization will grow and grow quickly." Near Kobani, airstrikes hit ISIS vehicles . In Syria, according to U.S. Central Command, the airstrikes against ISIS included: . -- One south of Kobani destroyed three ISIS armed vehicles and damaged another . -- One southeast of Kobani destroyed an ISIS armed vehicle carrying anti-aircraft artillery . -- Two southwest of Kobani damaged an ISIS tank . -- One south of Kobani destroyed an ISIS unit . Elsewhere in Syria, two strikes west of al-Hasakah hit multiple ISIS buildings, one near Deir Ezzor struck an ISIS staging area and IED production facility, and one southwest of Rabiyah struck a small group of ISIS fighters. The United States, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE all participated in the strikes, Central Command said. Death toll in fight for Kobani . More than 400 people have been killed in the fight for Kobani since mid-September, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. The group said it has documented the deaths of 219 ISIS jihadists, 163 members of the Kurdish militia, and 20 civilians. A northern Iraqi hospital has received the bodies of at least 29 suspected ISIS militants, the head of the Tal Afar hospital said Tuesday. Danial Qassim said most were killed in U.S.-led coalition airstrikes overnight. Tal Afar is about 70 kilometers (43 miles) west of Mosul -- Iraq's second-largest city. Mosul has also been overtaken by ISIS, which calls itself the Islamic State. How ISIS makes its millions . Why is ISIS so successful at luring Westerners? U.S. military airstrikes against ISIS in Iraq and Syria have cost more than $62 million so far, according to data provided by the U.S. Defense Department. The data, apparently sent out inadvertently to the Pentagon's press contacts on Monday, listed the total number of airstrikes by U.S. Central Command in Iraq and Syria. It also detailed locations of targets and specified the costs of munitions used. | Canada will send fighter jets to target ISIS in Iraq .
U.N. envoy: "The international community cannot sustain another city falling"
State Department: U.S. goal is preventing ISIS "from gaining a safe haven"
Turkish President Erdogan warns Kobani is about to fall to ISIS . |
241,922 | c5177f9aac21e14f873c9bab45c7a0d4be3ea0dd | A picture has emerged of the boy who survived a 230-foot fall from a seaside cliff in Bodega Bay, California, after landing on a rocky beach. The child was named by Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital spokesman Kevin Kimbrough as Sebastion Johnson, who said he is in a critical but stable condition. Sebastion was on a family outing on a trail in Bodega Bay on Monday evening when he suddenly couldn't be found,The Santa Rosa Press Democrat reported. A picture has emerged of the boy who survived a 230-foot fall from a seaside cliff in Bodega Bay - named as Sebastion Johnson . Rescue teams rushed to Bodega Head in Northern California to take the boy to hospital (pictured) Paramedics are pictured putting Sebastion into the ambulance after his accident . Bodega Bay Fire Department rescuers spotted him on the beach at the bottom of the cliff. Two firefighter-paramedics rappelled down with a rescue basket and reached the boy, with help from illumination flares fired into the air from a Coast Guard motor lifeboat. Fire Capt. Justin Fox said: 'He was at the water line and it was low tide. If it was high tide, he wouldn't have been easy to find.' Fox says the boy was awake and crying by the time he was loaded into an ambulance and rushed to a hospital. It's the second rescue in Bodega Bay in three days, after a woman, 23, slipped 20 feet while climbing rocks in Bodega Head. Northern California's Bodega Bay, where the boy fell from a cliff, is pictured . | The boy fell from a seaside cliff in Bodega Bay, California, and landed on a rocky beach .
Paramedics found him at the water line, where he was awake and crying .
He's been named as Sebastion Johnson and is in a stable condition . |
163,374 | 5f3d6de0776dbe33a4932a7e87ffda34f8087a00 | By . Richard Spillett . He has recently been spotted dining in Pizza Express and Nandos, but David Cameron moved a little more upmarket on his latest 'date night' with wife Samantha. The couple were spotted leaving achingly-trendy celebrity hotspot The Chiltern Firehouse in north London last night after spending some quality time together away from the hustle and bustle of Westminster and their children. It was something of a step up for Cameron, who was accused of using vouchers to pay for his £12.75 pizza and Samantha's £10.90 lasagna on a romantic night out last year. David Cameron and wife Samantha exit trendy eatery The Chiltern Firehouse via the back door last night . Their visit to the restaurant is thought to be their latest 'date night', which they do at least once a week . He was also recently spotted in a branch of chicken chain Nandos in Bristol, where he posed for selfies with fellow diners shocked to see the former Bullingdon Club member arrive. The couple were not the only famous faces partying in the venue last night, U2's Bono and The Edge - real name David Evans - were also seen heading for a meal. They were joined by model Laura Bailey, The Wolf of Wall Street star Margot Robbie, socialite Lady Victoria Hervey and actress Lindsay Lohan. But Cameron and his wife seemed keen to hide their following of London's in-crowd, and left via the building's back entrance following their evening together. The couple are the latest high-profile figures to be seen at the venue, which boasts David Beckham and Lily Allen among its regulars . The meal was something of a step-up for Mr Cameron, who was chided for using vouchers to pay for a previous romantic meal with his wife at chain Pizza Express . The . Chiltern Firehouse in Marylebone, which is owned by luxury hotel magnate . André Balazs, is the current restaurant of choice for London's . A-listers and elite. This . week alone it has hosted singer Lily Allen, model Kate Moss, talk show . host Piers Morgan and X Factor boss Simon Cowell, who took partner . Lauren Silverman to the restaurant on Tuesday. It has also been frequented by Cameron's predecessor Tony Blair, who was seen there with his wife, Cherie, last month. Set in a converted fire station, the venue was described by reviewer Tom Parker-Bowles as 'hotter than the surface of the Sun,where even God would have to wait for a table'. Actress Margot Robbie (left) and Lindsay Lohan (right), who is said to be a regular at the restaurant, also dined there on the night of the Camerons' visit . U2 singer Bono (left) and guitarist The Edge, real name David Evans (right), were also seen leaving the venue . The Grade II listed Victorian building . was built in 1889 by Robert Pearsall, the resident architect for the . Metropolitan Board of Works, and is regarded as one of the finest . surviving examples of the gothic architectural style used during the . pre-war period. It closed in 2005 and Balazs discovered the building around five years ago with a friend and London property developer Harry Handelsman. Rita Ora, Cara Delevingne and David Beckham are also said to be among the new restaurant's growing list of regulars. Mrs Cameron set a patriotic tone for the . Camerons' latest meal, matching a red and white dress with a blue . blazer, while her husband kept it simple in a black suit and slightly . unbuttoned blue shirt. Lady Victoria Hervey (far left) and model Laura Bailey (right) were also at the restaurant, fast becoming the place to be seen for London's elite, on the night the Camerons visited . Model Kate Moss (left) was also seen leaving the venue, built in an old fire station, earlier this month and former PM Tony Blair (right) and his wife Cherie were spotted there last month . The Prime Minister, known for his love of 'chillaxing', used the evening to unwind after he received a battering in the House of Commons over the continuing fiasco at the Passport Office. He told Now magazine in 2010: '[Sam and I] have one night a week where we either stay in and do nothing or go out on our own. 'We have a couple of favourite Italian restaurants in north Kensington but I can't tell you about them. 'I once named my favourite Spanish restaurant and a newspaper went there and said the food tasted like boiled sawdust or something and totally trashed it, so I don't want to risk it.' The building's interior - which boasts a bustling open kitchen - was revamped with the help of Paris Studio KO . The Grade II listed Victorian building was built in 1889 and was bought by André Balazs five years ago . | Prime Minister and his wife seen leaving fashionable north London eatery .
Actresses Lindsay Lohan and Margot Robbie and singer Bono also at venue .
Tory leader's night out thought to be his latest 'date night' with wife Sam .
Unlike other high-profile guests, the couple slip out the building's back exit . |
16,340 | 2e58bc0d71abae4e94e2e3c15ea672ccb1162b61 | A Virginia mom is facing a social media backlash for hitting out at a restaurant that kicked her out for drinking alcohol while breastfeeding. Crystal McCullough was refused service from the Big Woody's Bar and Grill in Chesapeake on Labor Day because she was nursing her 11-month-old baby with a beer and shot of whiskey in front of her. McCullough - who says she has a degree in chemistry - told the wait staff the drinks were for after she was finished, that she had only had one sip of beer before breastfeeding and was well within her rights to be doing so. After the restaurant asked her to leave, McCullough took to Facebook to vent her anger, opening the feedback floodgates for people to both commend and blast her. 'That treatment was wrong,' McCullough told News Channel 3. Controversial: Crystal McCullough says she was within her rights to sip a beer while breastfeeding her 11-month-old daughter at a bar on Labor Day, however staff asked to leave . Facebook floodgates: After venting her anger on social media, McCullough was hit back with a variety of responses, many of them blasting her, but more supporting the rights of women who breastfeed . Scene: McCullough was celebrating Labor Day with her family at Big Woody's Bar and Grill in Chesapeake when the incident occurred . Standing his ground: Big Woody's co-owner Jeff Leeroy said the issue was not with breastfeeding, but that other patrons were uncomfortable seeing McCullough drink while doing so . 'I had a huge water I was downing. I had a beer and a shot of Fireball in front of me but that was for after I was done.' 'And I had one sip of beer and I’m not planning on the rest until after I’m done nursing.' Restaurant co-owner Jeff Leeroy said the staff issue was not over McCullough breastfeeding, but the reaction of other patrons to her drinking while doing so. 'Women have breastfed in here numerous times with no issues whatsoever,' Leeroy said. 'It was about the drinks being in front of her and people seeing that she had partaken in the drink. 'It’s not easy to go and talk to someone and say you’re breastfeeding but you’re drinking too.' Alot of the comments McCullough received supported her stance, saying that women have a right to breasfeed. However other branded her a bad mom who should have left her daughter at time if she wanted to drink. Backlash: Crystal McCullough, a chemist, said she would never endanger her daughter and had done her research about consuming alcohol while nursing . There is no medical consensus on whether women should or should not drink while breastfeeding. While the Mayo Clinic is against doing so, the American Academy of Pediatrics has approved the use of alcohol in breastfeeding mothers. 'Alcohol does pass into breast milk more readily that other drugs, but unless you drink several drinks or more a day, every day, then there should be no problem,' the Academy said, according to News Channel 3. As a chemist, McCullough said she is well aware of her limits while breastfeeding and would never endanger her child. She wants an apology from Big Woody's for the incident. | Crystal McCullough was breastfeeding her daughter at Big Woody's Bar and Grill in Chesapeake, Virginia, on Labor Day .
In front of her was a glass of beer and a shot of whiskey .
Staff asked her to leave because they didn't condone her consuming alcohol while pregnant .
McCullough claims she was within her rights and had only taken a sip of beer .
After venting on Facebook, she faced a backlash of people both blasting her and supporting her .
There is no medical consensus on whether women should drink while nursing . |
46,801 | 83dbd2b9836c0d62d22d17629f17c1a5a57d13f3 | 'Do you want to see something that will make you feel alive?’ whispers my girlfriend. It’s the middle of the night. Forgive me, but I think my luck could be in. I’m awake in a flash. Turns out I’ve misread the situation, but she’s right about feeling alive. A storm has swept in from the Caribbean Sea on to the Tulum coastline and it’s electric. Wind swirls; rain lashes; blue-white lightning fills the sky. The cabana where we’re staying is 20 yards from the sea, so we sit outside on the terrace and watch the show. Monty Halliday explores the off-the-beaten-path glamour of Mexico's Tulum Bay coastline . We’re on the Mexican coast, two hours south of Cancun. Tulum Bay is a three-mile stretch of sand. Once the preserve of backpackers and yoga nuts, it now attracts a more chic crowd and bohemian film stars such as Sienna Miller, who wander along the beach nibbling on coconuts, waxing surfboards and snapping photographs of one another. The vibe is Goa meets Jamaica with a few ancient ruins thrown in. We’ve booked through Mr and Mrs Smith, staying in three different places. First up is Papaya Playa, where 100 or so cabins line a private beach. By day, guests congregate at the bar or lounge by the sea. Primitive, but pristine, like an upmarket gap year. No sooner do I flop onto the sand than a wide-eyed Mexican introduces himself as Mariano and asks if I’d like a contest of bat and ball? Sure would. After much prancing and pirouetting to boost our rally count, he slaps me on the back. ‘Amigo, we’ve earned ourselves a beer.’ With that we stroll up to the bar. This sets the scene perfectly. Tulum is more relaxed than an iguana on a hot rock. Locals like to call it ‘off the grid’ because it’s funky. It’s also disconnected from the mainland power supply, so don’t pack anything more than a phone charger. At Papaya Playa, two hours south of Cancun, 100 or so cabins line a primitive, yet pristine private beach . Perhaps unsurprisingly, bohemian-chic celebrities, like Sienna Miller, are also fans of this lush paradise . The food’s not bad, either. If you’re after something authentically Mexican, try the aptly named Simple, down at the south end of the bay on the jungle side of the road. Whopping garlic butter lobsters and octopus with pea puree is the norm here, all accompanied by shots of mescal — tequila’s younger cousin. On route, we pass small gatherings of people looking for mother turtles hauling themselves out of the ocean to lay their eggs. There’s a strong conservation ethos here. If boutique hotels and New York bohemians aren’t your thing, then try the Grand Velas north of Tulum on the Riviera Maya, where we stop before heading inland. As you approach, it looks like a Roman fort. It has an array of suites across a vast acreage of jungle running towards to the sea. It’s so large the hotel has its own safari car to venture into the undergrowth, where you’ll find birdlife to satisfy even the most practised ornithologist. Don't love boutique hotels? Try the Grand Velas resort on the Riviera Maya . We drive inland to the hidden city of Vallodolid, a colonial outpost of Spanish arcades and spas. Here, the Yucatan peninsula was home to the Mayan civilisation, a society highly advanced in art, trade, and temple-building. Well worth a visit is the Coqui Coqui perfumery, near the city centre. Imagine an ancient townhouse where the Franciscan monks who colonised the Yucatan in the 16th century and concocted herbal remedies and perfumes. This is where Nicolas Malleville, who set up and runs Coqui Coqui with his wife Francesca Bonato, takes his inspiration. He spent years researching the monks’ techniques to create a vast range of room scents, aftershaves and perfumes. In Vallodolid, the Coqui Coqui perfumery creates a vast range of scents, inspired by the monks' techniques . Monty and his girlfriend stayed at the perfumery's sister establishment, located an hour away in Coba, Mexico . We actually stayed at a Coqui Coqui sister establishment about an hour away in Coba. The hotel overlooks a crocodile-laden lagoon and if there’s ever a time to sport your Indiana Jones hat, this is it. Coba was once home to 100,000 people. A scattering of old structures have been uncovered, but 6,500 more are thought to be below the surface. For all the man-made wonders of the world, our most exhilarating experience in Coba comes from a purely natural source. Cenotes, or sinkholes, are formed from the collapse of limestone bedrock to create wondrous cave lakes — we feel as if we are hunting for one of Lord Voldemort’s horcruxes as we descend 60ft. A deep pool greets us. As I dive in, the icy sensation shoots from head to toe. It’s an electric grand finale to a thrilling Mexican adventure. Mr and Mrs Smith (033 100 3180, mrandmrssmith.com) has doubles at Papaya Playa from £77 per night, room only; doubles at Coqui Coqui Tulum from £177 a night, and Coqui Coqui Coba from £140 a night, room only (including price-match pledge). Thomas Cook flies to Cancun from Gatwick from £420 return. | Tulum Bay's 3-mile stretch of sand attracts chic crowds and boho film stars .
Papaya Playa offers 100 or so pristine cabins lined up along a private beach .
While the Grand Velas hotel in Riviera Maya looks more like a Roman fort .
The Coqui Coqui hotel in nearby Coba overlooks a crocodile-laden lagoon . |
1,233 | 03793b38934fee6ca512ffbb75b10446abc1fbfa | By . Dan Bloom . and James Nye . Murdered: Prom queen Maren Sanchez was killed on the morning of the big dance last Friday . Huge crowds gathered to mourn a 15-year-old girl who was stabbed in the neck just hours before her junior prom. Maren Sanchez's jilted friend Chris Plaskon, also 16, will appear in court today charged as an adult - with police saying he may have murdered her because she turned him down as a date. Distraught classmates queued down the street to pay their last respects at a funeral home in Milford, Connecticut. It is said Maren will be buried in her gown with the rose her boyfriend gave her for prom night. Sherry Johnson, a health care worker at Bridgeport Hospital, told the New Haven Register: 'It could have been anyone’s daughter... It could have been my daughter.' Her daughter Katie, 15, added: 'There’s still a lot of support going on for her. I can’t really picture how horrific it was for [her classmates].' Therapy dogs were used outside the wake and the nation's reporters and broadcasters were given their own area, at a respectful distance from the mourners. One family friend said Maren 'looked beautiful in there'. The stabbing has sparked a national debate about school safety. Sanchez, a member of the National Honor Society who was active in school drama, was killed in a hallway at Jonathan Law High School last Friday on the morning of her prom. She had organised the dance herself and was set to be prom queen, her friends said. Grief: Mourners queued down the street yesterday in the small seaside community, which has been rocked by the stabbing. Maren's friend Chris Plaskon will appear in court today charged with murder as an adult . Crowds: People arrive for the wake yesterday at the Cody-White funeral home in Milford, Connecticut . Mourning: Grieving pupils wore shirts and ribbons in purple, her favorite color, and released purple balloons . She died of wounds to her torso and neck, and her boyfriend is still reeling from her death, his father told MailOnline. Jarrod Butts, 16, was due to take Maren to prom but instead attended a memorial for his girlfriend, holding her prom dress. Speaking briefly on his doorstep on Sunday, . Mr Butts said his son had been 'hit hard' and was spending time with friends as they try to cope . with the devastating loss together. According to a police affadavit, a witness saw Plaskon on top of the 16-year-old victim during the attack, and tried unsuccessfully to pull him away. Another saw him discard a bloody knife. Plaskon was inside the principal's office with bloody clothes when an officer arrived and asked what happened, the affadavit continued. 'I did it. Just arrest me,' Plaskon replied. He was arraigned earlier this week at a psychiatric facility, where he is undergoing medical examination. Paying their respects: Friends of the teenager arrive at the funeral home yesterday . Gathering: Therapy dogs were used outside the wake and the nation's media were given their own area . Queue: Mourners paid their respects inside the funeral home and said the girl 'looked beautiful in there' The small seaside community has been devastated by Maren's death. Earlier this week Connecticut Governor Dannel P Malloy joined tributes to Maren which saw friends releasing purple balloons and tying purple ribbons together, in honor of her favorite color. Plaskon's family said they joined the community in mourning the loss of life as they struggled to understand what led to the crime. 'Words can only fall short in conveying the depth and breadth of the raw sadness we are left with by this unimaginable tragedy,' the family said. 'We join with the entire Milford community to celebrate the life and mourn the loss of this most vibrant and exceptional young woman.' His family thanked relatives, friends and neighbors for reaching out to them in what they called their darkest hour. 'We pray for the wisdom to guide us as we desperately try to pull together the shattered pieces of our families,' the family said. Victim: Maren Sanchez, pictured with her boyfriend Jarrod Butts, was stabbed to death on Friday morning . Plans: Maren Sanchez, pictured in the dress she had planned to wear to prom, was excited about the dance which was due to attend with her new boyfriend . Detained: Chris Plaskon is being charged with murder as an adult over the stabbing of a girl at his school . Apartment: The alleged attacker lives in an apartment in this complex in Milford, Connecticut with his parents and three brothers . On Saturday Jarrod Butts posted a touching photograph of his girlfriend laughing on Twitter. He posted just three words, 'I miss you.' Police reportedly have Chris Plaskon, 16, in custody and friends have said that he knew Maren Sanchez since middle school . An emotional video uploaded to YouTube shows a sequence of photographs of Maren Sanchez set to music. 'My girlfriend,' reads the accompanying text. 'I will forever love and cherish her. R.I.P. 4/25/14.' Plaskon is a ‘cutter’ who had previously attempted suicide and has a history of depression, his classmates have told MailOnline. Friends say the suspect, who previously dated Maren in middle school, battled ADHD and other mental issues that led to sometimes bizarre behavior in the classroom. 'He just wasn't right. I know his cousin. He didn't act right,' 16-year-old Seamus O’Reilly said. 'He had depression.’ Tyler Curtin, 16, said he was very close to Plaskon when they played on the football team together as freshmen – though Plaskon’s behavior had changed recently and the two grew apart. Plakson had previously tried to take his own life, Curtin said, adding: ‘He was dealing with a lot of things.’ He also began acting out and seeking attention from his classmates. For Halloween last year he wore a full bodysuit under his clothes and ripped his pants off in the middle of class, Curtin said. Connected: Tyler Curtin (left, in the white shirt), Jarrod Butts (crouching in a green shirt) and Chris Plaskon (right, showing a thumbs up sign) were all on the same football team freshman year but have since grown apart . Heartbreaking: Maren's boyfriend Jarrod Butts holds up the dress that the teenager planned to wear to their junior prom as friends gathered in her honor on Friday at the beach . Different duty: Maren's junior prom date Jarrod Butts was seen bringing the dress she was so eager to wear to the beachside memorial service held Friday night (left) and he was wearing a matching vest (right) Emotional: Butts posted this message to his Twitter account on Friday . ‘He was always acting up and always looking for attention,’ he said. ‘Everybody thought it was funny at the time.’ Friends . said that by all indications, Plaskon had a good home life. He lives in . an apartment on Long Island Sound with his father, a contractor, and . his mother and three brothers. Classmates, even the ones who said . they once knew Plaskon well, said nothing in his behavior had ever . indicated he was capable of violence. ‘He was such a nice, sweet kid,’ Curtin said. On . Saturday, most of Sanchez’s classmates gathered in the gym at the high . school which administrators have into a makeshift crisis center. Grief . counselors were on hand to speak with students and teachers, many of . whom witnessed the attack or its aftermath first-hand. Heartbreaking: Maren was fatally stabbed on Friday morning by a boy who reportedly asked her to prom . Too soon: Maren had been looking forward to . going to the junior prom with her hockey star boyfriend, and another . boy- who she reportedly knew since middle school- asked her and she said . no . Excited: Maren's drama teacher said that she had left rehearsals early on Thursday in order to get a manicure ahead of the big prom on Friday night . | Maren Sanchez, 15, was stabbed in neck at school in Milford, Connecticut .
It happened just hours before her junior prom was due to take place .
Hundreds of mourners queued for wake almost a week after her death .
Is is said she will be buried in prom gown with rose her boyfriend gave her .
It's claimed friend Chris Plaskon, 16, attacked her then told police: 'I did it'
Plaskon will appear in court today charged with murder as an adult . |
59,864 | aa12e651c72b40b75e7dceaa572c374d127ec68d | By . Jill Reilly . PUBLISHED: . 03:23 EST, 12 July 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 03:23 EST, 12 July 2012 . An Alaskan resident has been arrested and charged in the 1985 killings of an elderly Washington state couple. Ricky Riffe, 53, was charged with first degree murder, kidnapping and other counts in the deaths of 81-year-old Edward Maurin and his 83-year-old wife, Wilhelmina Maurin. He was arrested on Sunday and yesterday he declined to waive extradition proceedings telling a judge in Anchorage during a hearing in a jailhouse courtroom 'Not at this time.' Waived: Ricky Riffe, an Alaskan resident charged in the 1985 killings of an elderly Washington state couple has declined to waive extradition proceedings . The couple died from shotgun blasts, and their bodies were found at the end of a road in Chehalis, Wash., five days after their family reported them missing. The Lewis County Sheriff's office says Riffe, of King Salmon, Alaska, and his brother, John Riffe, were the primary suspects all along , but probable cause for their arrest was not developed until much later when additional evidence was uncovered and witnesses came forward. 'Detectives feel many witnesses did not come forward during the time of the initial investigation due to being fearful of the Riffe brothers and possible retaliation for speaking out,' Lewis County Sheriff Steve Mansfield said in a statement earlier this week. Tragic: Edward Maurin, 81, and his wife, Wilhelmina Maurin, 83 died from shotgun blasts, and their bodies were found at the end of a road in Chehalis, Wash., five days after their family reported them missing . The brothers moved to Alaska in 1987. John Riffe died just before the sheriff's office bought tickets to Alaska to arrest both men. Washington investigators attended the brief hearing Wednesday and declined to comment afterward. So did Paul Miovas, an assistant attorney general for the state of Alaska. During the hearing, Miovas told the judge that the Washington authorities were present and 'they are interested in talking (Riffe) back to Washington.' Ricky Riffe is being held on $5 million bail. He told District Court Judge Alex Swiderski yesterday that he was in the process of hiring a lawyer. 'I don't want a public defender,' Riffe said. The bespectacled Riffe, who has silver hair and a long gray beard, wore yellow prison garb. According to authorities, the Riffe brothers kidnapped the couple then drove their car to a bank and forced them to withdraw $8,500. The couple was then shot inside their vehicle and their bodies were dragged to a wooded area, authorities said. On Dec. 19, 1985, Maurin relatives reported that the couple was not home as expected for a family Christmas party, Mansfield said. When their car was found, there were large blood stains inside and the keys were in the ignition. Mansfield said authorities are seeking to bring Riffe back to Lewis County to stand trial. In Alaska, Riffe is charged with being a fugitive from justice. An affidavit signed by an Alaska State Trooper shows the trooper assisted Lewis County investigators in the arrest. | Ricky Riffe is charged in the deaths of 81-year-old Edward Maurin, 81, and his wife, Wilhelmina Maurin, 83 .
The couple died from shotgun blasts, and their bodies were found at the end of a road in Chehalis, Wash. |
227,251 | b240c5b77e32ab3361f192af89f682fc2622ff42 | A terminal cancer sufferer has managed to grow rare Japanese bananas in his Devon back garden. Paul Edis, 54, and his wife Srey-March, 32, planted a Musa basjoo tree - which originates from Japan’s remote Ryukyu Islands - in Plymouth, but it remained dormant for four years. However, as Britain enjoyed one of its longest, warmest summers and driest Septembers on record, the plant burst into life - shooting up to 15ft tall and producing juicy bananas for the first time. Achievement: Paul and Srey-March Edis have grown rare Japanese bananas in their garden in Plymouth, Devon . Fruit: Bananas are fruiting in Mr Edis's garden in Devon. He buried the plant on 4ft of decaying autumn leaves . Mr Edis, a decorated Royal Navy veteran, tried twice before to grow banana trees but said they died out in the harsh winters. This time he buried the plant on 4ft of decaying autumn leaves. But he said the latest growth was thanks to prayer, adding: ‘I was sitting next to my beloved banana tree and said that if the Lord was up there, looking down at me, to give me a sign. ‘Within a week we had our first flower. I think it’s spiritual. The heat from the leaves kept it alive. No one I know has heard of a banana tree being grown in someone’s garden. We get a lot of people coming to see it.’ Mrs Edis, who has two sons with her husband - Deano, four, and Rio, two - now uses the bananas to cook authentic cuisine from her native Cambodia where they are used for both food and medicine. Mr Edis - a former shopkeeper who sold his business after being diagnosed with cancer of the oesophagus, stomach and liver - added: ‘They lay the leaves on the ground to prepare food on. Food: Yellow bean cakes which Mr Edis has been making with the banana leaves from his front garden . Success: Mr Edis, 54, tried twice before to grow banana trees but said they died out in the harsh winters . ‘They use it for cooking, wrapping food in it. They use the bark for fires, and the plant for medicines, especially upset stomachs. And of course the bananas are a source of food and nutrition.’ Experts at Cornwall’s Eden Project attraction have confirmed the plant is almost certainty a Musa basjoo, also known as a ‘Japanese banana’ or ‘hardy banana’. It is typically grown in southern China, with vast wild populations found in Sichuan province, and parts of Canada and the US. Hetty Ninnis, Eden’s rainforest biome team lead, said: ‘It’s a type that is quite hardy. We grow it here at Eden in the outdoor biome. ‘If you can find a nice south-facing sheltered spot, protect from frost and feed them well they can be grown very successfully down this way. ‘This looks like a lovely healthy specimen. The sap is good for treating burns, a bit like aloe vera. Leaves are used in some other traditional medicines.’ Good weather: It comes as experts revealed September was warmer than August across parts of the UK . New recipes: Mrs Edis now uses the bananas to cook authentic cuisine from her native Cambodia where they are used for both food and medicine . Mr Edis spent 26 years in the Navy, being awarded five medals for serving in the Falklands, Gulf and Adriatic wars. His horticultural feat comes as experts revealed September was warmer than August across parts of the UK. The Central England Temperature of 15.3C was 1.2C above the mean for 1981-2010, making the month - rarely - warmer than August, said weather historian Philip Eden. It was the warmest September since 2006, and in the last 100 years only three Septembers were warmer, two had the same mean temperature, while 95 were cooler. Separately, the Met Office said it was set to be the driest September across the UK since records began in 1910, with exceptionally low rainfall for many parts of the country. | Paul Edis planted tree which originates from Japan's remote Ryukyu Islands .
But it remained dormant for four years in his garden in Plymouth, Devon .
However plant has now shot up to 15ft tall and produced juicy bananas .
Father-of-two Mr Edis says latest growth is down to the power of prayer . |
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