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106,715 | 15a8c3280f8215c19fad01646ed3381798592bbd | She is the faceless Australian criminal who was spared from execution back in the 1800s despite murdering her two youngest children and stabbing four others before they escaped. The incredible details of Martha Rumph's history has until now remained scarce with her family doing everything in their power to erase the shame of her crimes by destroying all records and photos. But a descendant has remarkably managed to piece together elements of Martha's twisted story and unravel further drama that plagued the Rumph family almost 150 years ago. Martha Rumph was committed to The Hospital for the Insane (pictured) at Gladesville, north-west of Sydney, in March 1894 several years after murdering two of her young daughters and stabbing four others . Martha, who emigrated to Australia with her husband Michael and son George from Germany in 1856, lived in the Snowy Mountains region of NSW and gave birth to six more children in the years to follow. She brutally murdered her two youngest children - two-year-old Elizabeth and seven-month-old Wilhelmina - on January 11, 1871. Martha stabbed four of her other children, Mary, 10, Annie, 7, William, 6, and Martin 4, before they managed to escape and run for their father who worked as a shepherd on a squatting run. When her husband arrived at the scene, he found Martha lying in their bed with their two dead daughters and a butcher's knife. Martha, who emigrated to Australia from Germany in 1856, murdered her children Elizabeth, 2, and seven-month-old Wilhelmina in the family home (pictured) in the Snowy Mountains region of NSW in 1871 . Martha stabbed four of her other children, Mary, 10, Annie, 7, William, 6 (pictured here later as a school teacher), and Martin 4, before they managed to escape and run for their father . The death certificates of Elizabeth and Wilhelmina Rumph were uncovered during a general family history search some 20 years ago and led descendant and Ancestry member Patricia Moon to uncover the gruesome story. At Martha's murder trial at Darlinghurst in Sydney on February 16, 1871, medical experts argued that she was suffering from puerperal mania - a psychic condition that affects women after the birth of a baby. Members of her tight-knit community rallied in support of Martha saying she should be treated in an asylum and not jail because she must have been in a trance-like state when she murdered her daughters. 'She was found not guilty on the grounds of insanity. She would have been hanged if she had been found guilty in those days,' Ms Moon told Daily Mail Australia. 'That’s the incredible part of it, she was sort of forgiven by the community, the judge, the government, her family – if she had been found guilty, that would have been it.' While Martha was freed from jail three years after the murder, she was admitted to a psychiatric hospital at Gladesville in March 1894 where patients were often strapped into straighjackets (pictured) Hospital records showed Martha was confined to a single room because other patients didn't want to sleep with her due to homicidal attempts. Doctors said she was delusional and would talk to herself . Martha lived out the rest of her life in asylums. She was initially placed at The Hospital for the Insane at Gladesville (pictured) before being moved to Kenmore Hospital, south of Sydney . She was later transferred to Kenmore Hospital, south of Sydney, where she died of Bright's disease on April 26, 1902. Martha's grave is among the 1,200 psychiatric patients buried within the hospital grounds . There are no photos of Martha after her granddaughter, Minnie Hare, left orders in her will in 1951 to destroy any information or photos Martha appeared in to try and erase the shame . Martha was deemed sane three years later and was sent back home. The Rumph's run of bad luck continued when she returned after her eldest son George was kicked in the head by a horse and died when he was 21. Martha's daughter Annie, who survived the stabbing, was also found dead in 1884 when she was just 19. 'She took a job as a servant on some property down in Bega. One of the men on the property seduced her and told her he would marry her,' Ms Moon said. 'She got pregnant and then he refused her. She left her saddle and a note on the side of a river and drowned herself. 'The doctor who did the autopsy said they knew who she was because she had a slit across her throat from where her mother had cut her. 'They found a six-month-old foetus inside her.' The Rumph's run of bad luck continued when Martha's daughter Annie, who survived the stabbing, committed suicide in 1884. She threw herself in the Bega (pictured) river after falling pregnant to a man she worked for . The doctor who did the autopsy on Annie said they knew who she was because she had a list across her throat from where her mother had tried to cut her . Up until 1894, Martha had managed to maintain her relationships with her family despite her crimes some 20 years before. But when she had another manic episode and attacked her nephew with a fork, Martha was sent to The Hospital for the Insane at Gladesville, north-west of Sydney, in March 1894. Hospital records show Martha was confined to a single room because other patients didn't want to sleep with her due to homicidal attempts. Doctors said she was delusional and would talk to herself. Martha lived out the rest of her life in asylums. She was later transferred to Kenmore Hospital, south of Sydney, where she died of Bright's disease on April 26, 1902. Only three of Martha's children lived on into adulthood, including William (pictured here with his children) who was just six years old when his mother tried to slash his throat . The death certificates of Martha's two children that she murdered in 1871 identified that their throats had been slit by their mother . The death certificates of Elizabeth and Wilhelmina Rumph were uncovered during a general family history search some 20 years ago and led to the gruesome story being uncovered . Martha's grave is among the 1,200 psychiatric patients buried within the hospital grounds. Ms Moon spent years trawling through records and old newspaper clippings to piece together Martha's story. 'This is all sort of hidden in history,' she said. 'She fell through the cracks. The family didn't ever speak about it.' Her granddaughter, Minnie Hare, left orders in her will in 1951 to destroy any information or photos Martha appeared in to try and erase the shame. The family of Martin Rumph, one of Martha's three children to survive, still live on the family property in the Snowy Mountains region. Martha Rumph’s records are now available in Ancestry’s Asylum and Gaol record collection. | Martha Rumph murdered her two youngest children on January 11, 1871 .
She tried to stab four of her other children at the family home in the Snowy Mountains region of NSW but they managed to escape .
She was deemed insane due to a post-birth condition and was jailed at Darlinghurst in Sydney .
Martha served three years before returning home to raise her surviving children after doctors deemed her safe .
She relapsed in 1894 and was committed to The Hospital for the Insane at Gladesville, north-west of Sydney .
Her family destroyed photos of Martha in a bid to erase the shame .
They've now been pieced back together and are stored on Ancestry . |
156,763 | 56b0c4e176bb594a5755824ce101cc31530a35d5 | By . Dominic King for the Daily Mail . Follow @@DominicKing_DM . Gareth Southgate has urged his England squad not to fall into the trap he did as a player and wilt under play-off pressure. The Under-21s will discover the identity of the opponents standing in their way of Euro 2015 when the draw is made on Friday and Southgate intends to draw on personal experience to help this group through their biggest test. Saido Berahino was the star of the show in Moldova for England U21 as he bagged a brace . Southgate played in the second leg of England’s clash with Scotland at Wembley in November 1999 and he remembers how a team containing David Beckham, Michael Owen and Alan Shearer almost threw away a place at Euro 2000 as the occasion got to them. He does, however, want the Under-21s to experience the tension of a game when, potentially, one mistake could lead to a year’s work unravelling, as Southgate is adamant it will accelerate their development. ‘I played in the debacle at home,’ Southgate recalled. ‘We were under more pressure at Wembley. Everyone expected Hampden to be the game when it would be tough but Paul Scholes got a couple of goals early and it killed that match. ‘But there is something about [having a lead] that makes everyone anxious. There were top players that night who just couldn’t keep the ball. It was incredible really. I can remember some of our top players giving it away all the time. It’s something we will have to deal with.’ Harry Kane challenges for the ball during the U21 showdown between Moldova and the Young Lions . A 3-0 victory in Moldova on Tuesday stretched England’s winning run under Southgate to eight games but there is no sense that the comfortable manner in which they have been winning games will breed complacency in the group. Dangers lurk throughout the draw - Germany, Spain, France and Portugal are all in the mix, while the potential for a reunion with Serbia remains on the cards - but Southgate is happy for his squad to be scrutinised. ‘I strongly believe that if they do the right things, as they have done, then they will get there,’ said Southgate. ‘If they don’t, then it is another two big, pressure games they have been involved in. We will review it and move on. That is how it works. ‘In the club game, and in the seniors, sometimes that pressure can mean change. You have to live with that as a head coach. That’s not necessarily where we are at this age group. It is a positive pressure rather than a negative pressure. ‘We want to go and test ourselves against the best. We want to start achieving things so the other teams at St George’s see us and think “they were the first group to win the Under-21s”.’ Gareth Southgate looks on during the clash between Moldova U21 and England U21 . | Under-21s will discover the identity of the opponents standing in their way of Euro 2015 on Friday .
Gareth Southgate intends to draw on personal experience to help this group through their biggest test .
Southgate remembers how England almost threw away a place at Euro 2000 in play-off against Scotland . |
63,919 | b57755221176e62598e8466f36187a0c34d69f89 | (CNN) -- Thousands of people turned out Saturday in the southern Austrian city of Klagenfurt for the funeral of politician Joerg Haider, a popular but polarizing figure who led right-wing Austrian politics for decades. Harald Scheucher, mayor of Klagenfurt, speaks in front of the coffin of Joerg Haider Saturday. Among those attending the service at the town's central Neuen Platz square were Austrian President Heinz Fischer and Chancellor Alfred Gusenbauer. Haider's widow sat in the front row with her two daughters, all of them dressed in black. "Many people expected things of Joerg Haider that they themselves weren't able to fulfill, and he too expected things of people that he wasn't able to fulfill," Gusenbauer said at the funeral. "Therefore his death, and the end of his life, may be a time to think about whether death's only consolation is that we can now reconcile things that seemed irreconcilable during his lifetime." Haider's coffin was draped in the yellow, red and white flag of the southern state of Carinthia, where he was governor, and topped with red roses. Haider, 58, died last Saturday in a car accident while driving out of Klagenfurt, the state capital. He had just passed another car on a highway when his car hit a concrete post and rolled over several times, police said. His spokesman said this week that Haider was drunk at the time of the crash. Besides being Carinthia's governor, Haider was also head of the right-wing BZO party (Alliance for the Future of Austria), which he founded in 2005 after years with the conservative Freedom Party. Haider came to prominence in 1986, when he became head of the Freedom Party while still in his 30s. A politician who projected youth and style, Haider appealed to many working-class Austrians, promising to cut their taxes and give money to those with children. Some older Austrians responded to his demands for strict law and order. But he drew widespread criticism both at home and abroad for his anti-immigrant stance and remarks considered anti-Semitic, and in 1991 he publicly praised Nazi Germany's employment policy. Asked in 2000 about the statement, Haider told CNN the quote was taken from a long speech and that he never praised the Third Reich. He called the remarks a mistake and publicly denounced Nazism. But Haider continued to draw attention for his controversial remarks. They included an address to veterans of the Waffen S.S., Adolf Hitler's elite soldiers, in which he praised their character. The address created an uproar after it was broadcast on German television. Haider said he had simply been speaking to elderly citizens of Carinthia who included some former Waffen S.S. members. Despite the controversy, Haider said he was not racist: "You will not find any anti-Semitic position in our party program, and you will not find any anti-Semitic speech or statement by me." The policies of the Freedom Party drew international attention during the elections in 1999. Party campaign posters urged voters to stop the flood of immigration and used the term "over-foreignization," the same word used by Nazi propaganda minister Joseph Goebbels in 1933 to criticize what he called Jewish influence in Germany. Haider told CNN he favored restricting immigration simply because of Austria's small size, but that he wanted to keep an open border for refugees. It was his family background, Haider said, that kept singling him out for criticism. Haider's parents were activists in the Nazi Party long before Austrian-born Hitler annexed Austria to Germany in 1938. Haider's father, Robert, volunteered for the S.A., the notorious brown shirts who terrorized Jews and others before the war. He then served in the German army. His biographer, Melanie Sully, said Haider felt a strong sense of loyalty to his parents and those in the war generation. "He feels that what they sacrificed after the war in rebuilding Austria in very difficult circumstances needs to be honored and that they weren't all criminals," Sully told CNN in 2000. Under Haider's leadership, the Freedom Party made a strong showing in the 1999 elections, winning 27 percent of the vote and shaking up the traditional two-party system that had ruled Austria since World War II. When the two main parties in that election failed to agree on forming a government together, the Freedom Party was invited to share power. Haider retired as party leader after that but remained governor of Carinthia. When Haider formed the BZO party three years ago, he took with him a number of Freedom Party lawmakers. Haider was credited with helping the BZO make significant gains in last month's general elections alongside the Freedom Party, though Austria's two largest parties, the Social Democrats and the People's Party, came out on top. The vote reflected reflected public dissatisfaction with the two largest parties as well as support for the social populism, anti-European Union and anti-immigrant rhetoric of the BZO and Freedom Party. southern Austrian city of Klagenfurt . | Thousands attend the funeral of right-wing politician Joerg Haider in Austria .
Chancellor: Many people expected things of Haider they themselves could not fulfill .
Haider died last Saturday in a car accident, spokesman confirms he was drunk .
Haider drew support from many but criticized for his praise of some Nazi policies . |
250,284 | cfec8608117207b8cc3f38e384aa2a0e08983b31 | By . John Drayton and Jill Reilly . PUBLISHED: . 11:29 EST, 7 December 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 12:34 EST, 7 December 2012 . Dutch police have arrested a fourth teenager over the fatal beating of a volunteer linesman at a youth football match. Prosecution spokeswoman Brigit Haan said police arrested a 16-year-old boy Thursday night on suspicion of involvement in the attack on Richard Nieuwenhuizen. The latest arrest came on the eve of a weekend in which all amateur matches have been canceled nationwide as a mark of respect for 41-year-old, who was assaulted Sunday. Mr Nieuwenhuizen had been officiating a match his son was playing in between Almere club Buitenboys and Nieuw Sloten of Amsterdam and died a day later with his family surrounding his hospital bed. Scroll down for video . Tragic: Richard Nieuwenhuizen and his children smile in a photo taken from his Facebook page . Attack: Linesman Richard Nieuwenhuizen died after he was allegedly attacked by three teenage footballers . Three other Nieuw Sloten players were arrested Monday and are being held on suspicion of manslaughter, assault and public violence. The fourth suspect is a player in the same team, Haan said. Nieuwenhuizen's death sent shock waves around the Netherlands and beyond, with even FIFA President Sepp Blatter sending his condolences. Mr Nieuwenhuizen’s . team, Buitenboys, have not announced the exact cause of his death, but . Dutch TV station RTL said he had brain damage. Mr . Nieuwenhuizen left after Sunday’s match and was not aware anything was . wrong. He returned to his club later that night and collapsed. ‘You can’t believe this could happen. That kids of 15 or 16 are playing football, you come to watch and see . something like that,’ said Buitenboys chairman Marcel Oost. ‘He did it every week. He enjoyed doing it. He was a real football man - he was always here.’ Horrific: Three teenagers will be charged with manslaughter by Dutch prosecutors for allegedly taking part in an attack on a linesman at a youth football match. Members of Buitenboys are briefed by board members after the death . Tribute: Flowers are left on the side of the pitch . FIFA president Sepp Blatter said in a statement he was ‘deeply shocked’ by Mr Nieuwenhuizen’s death. ‘I would like to express my sadness and distress on hearing of the death of assistant referee Richard Nieuwenhuizen,’ he said. ‘I was deeply shocked to learn of this tragic incident. ‘Football is a mirror of society and, . sadly, the same ills that afflict society - in this case violence - also . manifest themselves in our game. ‘Nevertheless, I remain convinced that . football - through the example set by the tireless efforts of people . like Mr Nieuwenhuizen - is a force for good, and we must continue use . its positive example to educate people against these wrongs.’ Sadness: The whole of Dutch football has been left shocked by the news . Respect: Buitenboys fly their flag at half mast . Dutch sports minister Edith Schippers . said: ‘It is absolutely terrible that something like this can happen on a . Dutch sports field.’ Meanwhile, all amateur fixtures in Holland have been postponed this weekend as a mark of respect to Mr Nieuwenhuizen. The Dutch Football Association, the KNVB, . announced all amateur games this weekend have been called off while . professional matches will be preceded by a minute’s silence with all . players and referees involved wearing black armbands. KNVB director of professional football . Bert van Oostveen said: ‘It is inconceivable that anything like this . occurs on a football field. 'These are the volunteers that we build our sport on, that we cannot do without. Without respect, no football. ‘That is why we in professional football want to show our support in this terrible situation. ‘Our thoughts go out to the family of Richard Nieuwenhuizen.’ Sorry we are unable to accept comments for legal reasons. | Richard Nieuwenhuizen .
died in hospital on Monday - a day after he was allegedly beaten and .
kicked by players from Amsterdam team Nieuw Sloten .
His son had been playing in the game held in the town of Almere .
Three other Nieuw Sloten players were arrested Monday and are being held on suspicion of manslaughter, assault and public violence . |
87,307 | f7b1a900f2ea9927b25c5b94f142131443385545 | By . Kate Lyons . The cameraman who filmed Steve Irwin’s final moments has spoken for the first time about the Crocodile Hunter’s shocking death. Justin Lyons was in the water with Irwin when he was killed by a stingray eight years ago and told how the sting ray stabbed his mate ‘hundreds of times’, including one blow that punctured his heart. Mr Lyons, whom Steve Irwin described as his ‘right-hand man,’ said they were cruising in an inflatable boat off the coast of far north Queensland looking for something to film for a documentary when they spotted the giant stingray. Tragic end: Steve Irwin's cameraman and 'right-hand man' Justin Lyons has shared what happened in the Crocodile Hunter's final moments . They filmed the stingray, which measured eight feet across, for some time before they decided to get one last shot of Steve Irwin swimming up behind the animal. ‘All of a sudden it propped on its front and started stabbing wildly with its tail, hundreds of strikes in a few seconds,’ Mr Lyons told Channel Ten’s Studio 10 programme. He said the stingray probably thought Steve Irwin’s shadow was a tiger shark and acted to defend itself. Mr Lyons did not realise that anything was wrong with his friend at first, as he was filming the stingray swim away. ‘It wasn’t until I panned the camera back [and saw] that Steve was standing in a huge pool of blood that I realised something had gone wrong.’ He managed to get the injured Crocodile Hunter back onto the boat, where he saw the extent of his injuries. He said the stingray had a ‘jagged barb’ which ‘went through his chest like hot butter.’ ‘He had a about a two-inch injury over his heart with blood-fluid coming out of it,’ said Mr Lyons. ‘He was in extraordinary pain. [The stingrays] have got venom on their barb, so I’m sure it was excruciatingly painful. 'Hundreds of strikes': Cameraman Justin Lyons demonstrated the stingray's fatal blows . The Irwins pose for a family portrait before his death. From left: Bindi, Steve, Robert and Terri . ‘Even if we’d been able to get him into an emergency ward at that moment, we probably wouldn’t have been able to save him because the damage to his heart was massive.' Mr Lyons, who has not spoken about the tragic death of his friend before, held back tears as he described Mr Irwin’s last moments. ‘As we’re motoring back, I’m screaming at one of the other crew in the boat to put their hand over the wound and we’re saying to him things like, “Think of your kids, Steve. Hang on, hang on, hang on.” ‘He just sort of calmly looked up at me and said, “I’m dying.” And that was the last thing he said.’ Mr Lyons could not believe what had happened to his seemingly invincible best mate. ‘We thought he was going to live forever,’ he said. ‘We hoped for a miracle, so I literally did CPR on him for over an hour before we got him to … the medics.’ But the Crocodile Hunter was pronounced dead by medics at the scene. Mr Irwin had a rule that his crew were to keep filming no matter who was injured and so the stingray’s attack, the CPR on Steve and his death were all caught on camera. Mr Lyons insists he does not know where the footage is and believes it should never be aired out of respect for his family. ‘I don't know what's happened to it and I hope it would never see the light of day,’ he said . Animal lovers: Bindi Irwin has expressed the desire to continue her father's work and announced last week that she will partnering with Seaworld . The Crocodile Hunter tackled many dangerous animals during his life. He is pictured here during filming in West Africa . Irwin's widow and children were in New York last week, pictured, where Bindi announced her controversial involvement with Sea World as a youth ambassador . | The Crocodile Hunter was killed by a stingray in Queensland in 2006 .
His cameraman and good friend Justin Lyons filmed the stingray attack .
The stingray stabbed Irwin 'hundreds of times', left him 'in a pool of blood'
He recounted his mate's calm final words: 'I'm dying' |
92,441 | 02e621b2a8dbea2d07bb8de6269e0184534cf864 | (CNN) -- In November 2010, I watched "HBO's Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel" and saw a piece on the hazing antics at several historically black colleges and fraternities. I took to Twitter to share my thoughts on the issue. Much of the report focused on Southern University, and man, did the floodgates open as a number of students from the university angrily tweeted me back, cussing, yelling and screaming, with some defending hazing, while others were angry at the national attention focused on their university. For hours we went round and round, and were joined in the discussion by members of several black fraternities, including my own Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc. A number of these individuals actually supported hazing, or "pledging hard" and not becoming a "paper" member who "skated" into the fraternity. Despite the anger and vitriol, I refused to back down, making it clear that getting beaten for being in a band or fraternity was absolutely dumb. One year later, when news of the death of Florida A&M University drum major Robert Champion became public, I immediately thought of that discussion and those folks who viewed hazing as a ritual worthy of continuing. Here was a young man who went off to college, planning to earn a college degree while leading one of the nation's most colorful and exciting bands, only to be returned home to his parents in Georgia in a coffin. While hazing immediately was suspected, we could only speculate about the cause of the 26-year-old's death. That is, until Friday, when the medical examiner released details of his autopsy, concluding that Champion "collapsed and died within an hour of a hazing incident during which he suffered multiple blunt trauma blows to his body." News of the death has rocked the Florida A&M campus, angering its students and alumni, triggering multiple state investigations and leading Gov. Rick Scott to call for the suspension of school President James Ammons. That prompted FAMU students to march to the governor's mansion on Friday and camp out on his lawn, demanding he rescind the resignation call. Champion's death isn't the first time we have seen individuals in a band or fraternity die. It is incredible that some folks have given their lives -- literally -- for just being a part of a student group. State laws have been passed, organizations have been kicked off campuses and national fraternal and sorority groups have paid millions in settlements because of hazing, but we continue to see these stories. "Why?" is a consistent question that is asked, and at the end of the day, it boils down to power and a desire to demand others kowtow to someone else's demands in order for them to be accepted. A decision not to follow through means you can be ostracized, ignored and marginalized. That's the last thing any young person wants to experience when in an organization. Every one of these organizations is overseen by adult leaders or advisers. But in truth, fellow students run the show. Normally in a band, a drum major sits at the top of the food chain, but Champion clearly had to bend to the band's culture to be fully accepted as a member of FAMU's "Marching 100." So what you have is a bunch of students between the ages of 18 and 22 calling the shots and making it clear who is accepted and who isn't, who gets in and who doesn't. You aim to please them and no one else. Oftentimes they are leading based on how they were led, and it has been indoctrinated into them that this is the way of life, take it or leave it. These are powerful forces that can only be changed by peers. Hazing will only be brought to a close when members of organizations make it clear the vile hazing traditions will not go forward. No one today can be hazed if the student leaders make it clear that it's unacceptable. Yet because of the natural turnover in student organizations, that mindset has to be created and passed on for it to succeed. When I was about to pledge Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc. in spring 1989, I met with my four other pledge brothers and made it clear: I'm not getting hit, I will never use alcohol and I will not agree to be hazed. Even though my older brother pledged the same fraternity at Texas A&M two years earlier without any nonsense, I was making it clear that such shenanigans were idiotic. All five of us agreed and in the four weeks, two days, 16 hours, 38 minutes and 39 seconds I was on line (yea, having to recite such specifics was a part of our process), the behavior that we often heard was associated with pledging didn't exist. Yet because of that, we weren't always as accepted by other fraternity members at other campuses. Our chapter was called soft; we were criticized as not "pledging the right way" and had to constantly defend our manhood. Me, I didn't give a damn. I would look others in the eye and say, "In the history of our chapter, only one brother has failed to graduate, and we do nothing with him. Are you guys on the six- or seven-year plan, and can you match our graduate rate?" From my perspective, we were supposed to be in college to graduate, not to pledge. And if my fraternity was founded as a study group at Cornell University on December 4, 1906, why would we eschew academics? Even though we pledged the right way at Texas A&M, that peer pressure was still unbearable for some. That summer at our national convention in San Antonio, hazing was on the agenda, and I made it clear I was going to speak. Some other brothers in my chapter pulled my coattails and said, "Don't tell the brothers you didn't take any wood (that's being paddled)." I yelled, "If we pledged brothers the right way, why in the hell are we afraid to say it?" Since those days, I've never wavered from my anti-hazing position. It is deplorable and shameful to think that someone would beat another person for them to prove something. Prove what? They can take a punch? No. I prefer to challenge his mind, his intellect. Our goal as fraternity men is to take young men and mold and shape them to be better men. It is not our aim to take young men and train them to be collegiate mercenaries, hellbent on inflicting as much pain as they got onto the first person they have control over. Is there tremendous value in fraternities, sororities, bands and student organizations? Absolutely. The leadership opportunities are tremendous, and the lifelong relationships are vital. But what has to be preached and preached and preached to every student, whether they are white, black, Asian, Latino, male or female, is that if they love that frat, sorority, drill team or band, they shouldn't do anything to jeopardize it for the next person. Do we need tougher hazing laws? Yes. Do we need universities to take punitive action, including kicking students out who break the rules? Yes. Do we need national organizations to ban chapters for years for egregious behavior? Absolutely. Should fellow student leaders turn in others who break the rules and haze? Of course. There must be a zero tolerance attitude from every state official, administrator, student leader and organization member. To hell with tradition, rituals and "the way we do things." All that must end. Now. But we also must raise a generation of young people who have enough confidence in themselves to say, "I will not take a beating just to be accepted by you. I'd rather not have your affection or support if it means putting my life on the line." And if that means other students calling you out or teasing you, fine. I'd rather you talk about me like a dog today than be hazed and have my friends search to figure out what to say at my funeral. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Roland Martin. | Roland Martin says he has long been opposed to hazing .
The death of a university band member has raised the topic again, he notes .
A zero tolerance policy on hazing is needed now, Martin says . |
96,824 | 089add469005500f2ab2ba986dea58b27564d529 | Find it, solve it: David Cameron will give £1million to the person who solves the world's biggest problem . The Prime Minister will award £1million to the person who solves the biggest problem of our time – we just have to figure out what it is first. David Cameron will today launch the global competition asking the brightest minds of the world to identify and solve humanity’s biggest challenge, hoping the result will change the world. The Prime Minister will announce the prize fund at the G8 Innovation Conference ahead of next week's meeting of leaders from the world's richest countries. It is hoped competition will result in the creation of revolutionary technologies such as new forms of low-carbon travel or advances in medical science to create replacement limbs. A Downing Street source said: ‘We want people to think big. What does the world need and how can we achieve that? 'We are looking for the next penicillin, aeroplane or worldwide web. ‘Can we grow limbs or create universal low-carbon travel? 'Something that is going to really revolutionise what we do and how we live our lives - sending us sprinting ahead in the global race.’ The initiative is inspired by the Longitude Prize set by the British government in 1714 which promised £20,000 to the person who mastered the challenge of calculating longitude at sea to help maritime navigation. Astronomer Royal Lord Rees will chair the new Longitude Committee, with £500,000 pledged by innovation organisation Nesta to support its work. The Prime Minister will also announce £50 . million of funding, from within the UK's aid budget, for ideas to make a . difference in the developing world. Revolution: The Government hopes the result of the competition will help change the world . At the G8 Innovation Conference in east London, Mr Cameron will say: ‘More than any time in history, our world is being shaped by innovation, new ideas, new technologies and new companies. This is the story of the global economy. ‘Countries around the world have got to get this. Jobs and growth depend on it. 'We've all got to open up our economies to innovation, we've got to nurture new ideas, we've got to bend over backwards to attract the best and the brightest. ‘A global race is under way and it is waiting for absolutely no one.’ Mr Cameron will also launch the Government's new information economy strategy, which it is hoped will provide a massive boost to e-commerce. | Solve biggest problem faced by humanity - win £1million .
Challenge includes finding which is the biggest problem .
David Cameron will launch competition today at G8 conference . |
154,096 | 532d672f9bd170d472cdd48d7117031e47eefe2b | Borussia Dortmund goalkeeper Roman Weidenfeller and defender Mats Hummels attempted to placate angry fans after Jurgen Klopp's side slumped to another defeat on Wednesday night. Last season's Bundesliga runners-up were booed off after the a 1-0 home defeat by 10-man Augsburg which left Dortmund firmly anchored to the foot of the Bundesliga table. After the final whistle Weidenfeller climbed on top of the crowd barrier to talk to angry supporters, while Hummels also faced up to the frustrations of the club's famous 'yellow wall'. Dortmund defender Mats Hummels talks to supporters after defeat by Augsburg on Wednesday night . One fan voices his frustration at Hummels after Dortmund slumped to their 11th league defeat of the season . Dortmund goalkeeper Roman Weidenfeller also tried to placate angy supporters after final whistle . Dortmund coach Jurgen Klopp was bewildered by 11th defeat in 19 Bundesliga games . Dortmund completely lacked ideas in front of a sold-out 80,000 crowd and were easily outmuscled by European hopefuls Augsburg for whom Raul Bobadilla netted the winner in the 50th minute to seal his club's first ever win over Dortmund. Surprise packages Augsburg, who had Christoph Janker sent off midway through the second half, shut out Dortmund in the last half hour and climbed into fourth place on 33 points courtesy of their third successive league win. Dortmund, who take on Juventus in the Champions League round of 16 this month, are 18th in the Bundesliga on 16 points after their 11th league defeat. Coach Jurgen Klopp was left speechless after the game while goalkeeper Roman Weidenfeller and defender Mats Hummels went straight to speak to their furious fans. 'We can be accused of anything tonight and it is all justified,' Klopp said. 'Battling also means having the courage to take the right decision. We were missing that tonight.' 'It hurts, no doubt. We are doing everything wrong at the moment. We are not making anything of our chances.' Augsburg's Raul Bobadilla, right, scores past Dortmund goalkeeper Roman Weidenfeller . Raul Bobadilla scored the winner in the 50th minute against Dortmund on Wednesday night . Bobadilla's goal secured Augsburg's first ever win over Dortmund . Argetine striker Bobadilla has his parents' faces tattooed onto his chest . Dortmund showed attacking spirit in the first half with Marco Reus scraping the post but failed to intimidate the visitors. Argentine Bobadilla rifled in from close range after four Dortmund players failed to stop a charging Halil Altintop in the 50th minute. Augsburg kept pressing for a second goal but held back after Janker was sent off for bringing down Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang outside the box with only keeper Alex Manninger to beat. Dortmund failed to make the extra man count and did not carve out a single chance until the final minute when Ciro Immobile's close-range header was saved by Manninger. Referee Marco Fritz shows red card to Augsburg defender Christoph Janker for professional foul on Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang . Ciro Immobile missed a great chnace to score a late equaliswer when he directed header straight at keeper Alex Manninger . Borussia Dortmund's miserable night was compounded by an injury to defender Kevin Grosskreutz . 'If one is in this position after 19 games then it would be unacceptable not to have understanding for the fans' reactions,' Hummels said. Hamburg SV, also former Bundesliga champions, eased their relegation fears by beating Paderborn 3-0, ending a league goal drought that had lasted 398 minutes. Rafael van der Vaart converted a penalty after Hamburg were awarded the fastest Bundesliga spot-kick since timings were introduced in 2004-05 just eight seconds into the game. Goals from Marcell Jansen and Zoltan Stieber made sure of the three points and lifted Hamburg to 13th on 20 points. Champions League club Bayer Leverkusen edged past Hertha Berlin 1-0 to move into fifth, a point behind Augsburg. Bayern Munich maintained their eight-point lead at the top on 45 points despite their 1-1 draw against Schalke 04 as second-placed VfL Wolfsburg also drew against Eintracht Frankfurt on Tuesday. Dortmund players hold a minute's silence for former coach Udo Lattek, who died last Sunday, before the match . | 2011 and 2012 Bundesliga champion Borussia Dortmund remain anchored to bottom of the Bundesliga .
Raul Bobadilla scored the winner as surprise packages Augsburg moved up to fourth place in the table .
The Bavarians claimed first ever win over Dortmund despite having Christoph Janker sent off in second half .
Defender Mats Hummels and goalkeeper Roman Weidenfeller tried to placate angry fans after the final whistle . |
190,097 | 821fb6088667161915fce6b9ab8cf9bde6162e70 | Kumar Sangakkara has been fined 15 per cent of his match fee from Sri Lanka's win over England on Saturday. The International Cricket Council has announced the penalty as a result on Sangakkara 'showing dissent at an umpire's decision'. The disagreement came at the start of 34th over when the veteran batsman disputed umpire Bruce Oxenford's decision not to sanction a batting power play, with a further exchange two balls later. Kumar Sangakkara was not happy with umpire Bruce Oxenford's decision not to sanction a batting power play . Sangakkara scored a stunning century on Saturday as Sri Lanka wrapped up the series . England's sixth game against Sri Lanka was supposed to be a chance to set up a decider in Colombo on Tuesday. However they fell to series defeat as Sri Lanka made it 4-2. | Sri Lanka's Kumar Sangakkara has been fined 15 per cent of match fee .
Sangakkara disagreed with umpire during the 34th over .
England lost series against Sri Lanka as hosts made it 4-2 . |
254,789 | d5ceb06219ebd727a8870aa15e2cc2934e80eb50 | By . Ellie Zolfagharifard . Cinnamon, Boris and Sylvester have become heroes in the scientific community. The cats have given up a small part of their genetic material to help researchers, for the first time, sequence the entire domestic cat genome. Cats can suffer the same diseases as humans - such as leukaemia and AIDS - and scientists say details about the cat genome could help doctors better understand these conditions. The researched involved an international team who were able to sequence the genome of Cinnamon, an Abyssinian cat living at the University of Missouri in Columbia (left) There have been a number of attempts at sequencing domestic cat DNA, but this is the first project to successfully map a domestic cat’s entire genome. It involved an international team who were able to sequence the genome of Cinnamon, an Abyssinian cat living at the University of Missouri in Columbia. Cinnamon was sequenced in 2007, but the technology at the time was only picked up about 60 per cent of her total DNA. A cat’s genome is of particular interest to geneticists because their genome hasn’t changed much since they first evolved.Scientists now hope to be able to compare a cat genomes to humans to see whether there are similarities, and why were are vulnerable to similar diseases . The team also looked at the genes of Boris, a cat from St Petersburg and Sylvester, a European wildcat, according to a report by Annalee Newitz in iO9. The cat’s genome is of particular interest to geneticists because it hasn’t changed much since the creatures first evolved. Scientists now hope to be able to compare a cat genomes to humans to see whether there are similarities, and why both are vulnerable to similar diseases. A separate project, the 99 Lives Cat Whole Genome Sequencing Initiative is also collecting DNA samples from cats worldwide. The work requires samples from cats that are neutered. The cats' leftover ovaries, uteruses and testicles contain DNA that can be extracted. They hope a full mapping of those 20,000 genes in different breeds could help pinpoint the genetic cause of distinguishing marks, like fur and eye colours and also cat health problems. It’s estimated that pet owners in the US spend $26 billion (£15.5 billion) a year on looking after their cat’s health. In the UK, the average cost of looking after a cat is £17,000 ($28,500) over its lifetime. Sequencing means determining the exact order of the bases in a strand of DNA. Because bases exist as pairs, and the identity of one of the bases in the pair determines the other member of the pair, researchers do not have to report both bases of the pair. In the most common type of sequencing used today, called sequencing by synthesis, DNA polymerase (the enzyme in cells that synthesises DNA) is used to generate a new strand of DNA. In the sequencing reaction, the enzyme incorporates into the new DNA strand individual nucleotides that have been chemically tagged with a fluorescent label. The reaction is different depending on which of the four nucleotides was incorporated. This method can generate 'reads' of 125 nucleotides in a row and billions of reads at a time. Researchers can use DNA sequencing to search for genetic variations and/or mutations that may play a role in the development or progression of a disease. T . The disease-causing change may be as small as the substitution, deletion, or addition of a single base pair or as large as a deletion of thousands of bases. Source: National Human Genome Research Institute . | Scientists have sequenced the genome of Cinnamon, an Abyssinian cat .
Genome of cats has changed very little since the creatures first evolved .
This makes it of particular interest to scientists looking for DNA variations .
Cats can suffer same diseases as humans - such as leukaemia and AIDS - and the cat genome could help doctors better understand these illnesses . |
187,304 | 7e90aae00368b7313204cb6c02c07d15681cd464 | By . Anna Edwards . PUBLISHED: . 10:42 EST, 5 October 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 15:55 EST, 5 October 2012 . Koo Stark claims the oil painting was given to her as a gift from her ex-partner . Prince Andrew's former girlfriend Koo Stark has been accused of stealing a £40,000 painting from her former partner. The US-born actress has 'strenuously denied' the charge, and claimed it was given to her as a gift. Miss Stark, who famously appeared naked in the film Emily, is accused of taking the oil painting of a moonlit coastal landscape by Dutch master Anthonie Van Borssom from the home of her ex-partner American financier Warren Walker. She was arrested two days later. Wearing a blue polka dot dress Miss Stark, whose real name is Kathleen, indicated she would be entering a not guilty plea when she answered a summons at Hammersmith Magistrates Court today. Prosecutor Paul Mitchell told the court Miss Stark arrived at Mr Walker’s Notting Hill home with a bunch of flowers on July 21 and told the housekeeper she was taking two pictures. As the housekeeper went to get a vase Miss Stark is alleged to have taken a picture off the wall and the pair got in a 'tug-of-war’ over it. Miss Stark lost when the housekeeper managed to hold on to it but she then ran up the staircase and took another painting before fleeing the property, it was claimed. Miss Stark’s lawyer Edward Henry told the court his client 'strenuously denied’ the charge. District Judge Paul Clark declined jurisdiction of the case and bailed the 56-year-old to appear before magistrates again on November 16 so her case can be sent to the crown court for trial. The photographer was in a relationship with Mr Walker until he jilted her ten days before their wedding in 1997. She also dated Prince Andrew when he returned from the Falklands conflict in 1981, after they met on a blind date during his leave from the Royal Navy. He took her on holiday to Mustique, . she was invited to Balmoral to meet the Royal Family and there were . rumours of an engagement. But the romance ended when it emerged she had appeared semi-naked in a raunchy film called Emily in 1976. In a statement read outside court by Miss . Stark’s solicitor Jules Azzopardi, she branded the charge she faced as . 'bogus’ and told how she had been subjected to a 12-hour ordeal at a . police station over it. Prince Andrew and Koo Stark had a romance before her naked role in a film was discovered . Stunning Miss Stark denies the claim . Mr Azzopardi said: 'Miss Stark’s innocence and her reputation will be vindicated during these proceedings. 'She faces prosecution for allegedly stealing a painting. It is a bogus charge. 'This was one of several gifts given to her by the chief prosecution witness, given to her before and after the birth of their child. 'You may think that his is the crime, not hers - to claim that this painting, which was given in love to her by him is now claimed to be allegedly stolen by the mother of his child. 'In a 12 hour ordeal following her arrest, detention and interrogation in which she set out her defence, Miss Stark was told by the police that no future action would be taken against her and that this investigation would be discontinued. 'The reinstatement of this investigation and prosecution is regrettable as is the lack of respect towards Miss Stark by her accuser. 'The basis of allegations made against her will be shown for what they are at trial and Miss Stark is confident that the court will acquit her.' Stark will next appear at West London Magistrates’ Court on November 16 before the case is sent to Crown Court. Sorry we are unable to accept comments for legal reasons. | US-born actress strenuously denies theft charge .
She maintains Anthonie Van Borssom oil painting was given to her as a gift . |
243,900 | c7b2aa2725b6cbf8f0ed5f38d4038e70d500b48f | A massive European satellite is expected to plummet down to earth Monday - and no can predict with accuracy where exactly its debris is going to land. Europe's Gravity field and steady-state Ocean Circulation Explorer, or GOCE, was just 99 miles above Earth and dropping at a rate of 8 miles per day, operations manager Christoph Steiger wrote in a status report posted on the European Space Agency's website. ‘Re-entry into the atmosphere (is) probably less than two days away,’ Steiger said. The European Space Agency (ESA) claims one of its sleek research satellites, dubbed the 'Ferrari of space' has plummeted somewhere into the South Atlantic ocean . The 1.2-ton, $466million science satellite built by German and Italian engineers was launched in 2009 to map variations in Earth's gravity, and now it is doomed by its force. Scientists assemble the data into the first detailed global maps of the boundary between the planet's crust and mantle, among other projects. Full name: Gravity field and steady-state Ocean Circulation Explorer . Launched: 17 March 2009 . Launcher: Rockot (with Breeze-KM upper stage) by Eurockot Launch Services GmbH . Launch site: Plesetsk Cosmodrome, Russia . Nominal life: 20 months . Cost: $466million . Orbit: About 161.5 miles altitude, polar, Sun-synchronous . Mass: 2,000lbs . Dimensions: 17.4 feet long, about 3.3 foot body diameter . Propulsion tank: 88.2lbs of xenon gas . Mission: Measuring Earth's gravity field and modelling the geoid with unprecedented accuracy and spatial resolution . The arrowhead-shaped GOCE ran out of xenon fuel on October 21 and has been steadily losing altitude since, tugged by Earth's gravity. The satellite was intended to orbit at 160 miles, but on Saturday morning it hovering at just 105 miles. With its aerodynamic design featuring wings and tail fins, GOCE has been called the ‘Ferrari of space.’ Most of the spacecraft will burn up as it blasts through the atmosphere, but up 25 per cent of the satellite is expected to survive re-entry and end up somewhere on the planet's surface. Jeffrey Kluger, senior science and technology editor for Time Magazine, told CBS that earthlings have no cause for panic, but people should be ‘a little bit worried’ about the plunging pile of scorched space debris. ‘Whenever you have one ton of hardware coming down, no one knows where, that's not a good thing,’ he said. With two-thirds of Earth covered by water and vast areas of sparsely populated land, the risk to human life and property is considered extremely low, the European Space Agency said. Rocket science: GOCE is seen on show at the Turin Thales Alenia space facility before press day, on July 18, 2007 . Space mission: GOCE was launched in 2009 to map variations in Earth's gravity with unprecedented accuracy and spatial resolution . Kluger explained that it is estimated that about 45 pieces of satellite debris, each weighing no more than 200lbs, will breach the atmosphere and land within a footprint of 190 square miles. ‘So a satellite would practically have to be aiming at your house to strike it,’ Kluger wrote in his Friday Time column. Skyfall: Jeffrey Kluger, senior science and technology editor for Time Magazine, said that earthlings should be 'a little bit worried' about the plunging pile of scorched space debris . Due to constant changes in Earth's upper atmosphere, scientists cannot yet predict where and when GOCE will re-enter. Satellites that are too bulky to bring down safely to Earth after they had served their purpose are sometimes boosted into one of the graveyard orbits more than 22,000 miles up, where they can hang around for centuries. For GOCE, however, it was not a viable option because the satellite only has a small, weak ion engine on board. The last big satellite to fall back through the atmosphere was Russia's failed Phobos-Grunt Mars probe. The 14-ton spacecraft re-entered in January 2012. In 2011, NASA's 6.5-ton Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite and Germany's 2.4-ton X-ray ROSAT telescope re-entered. Heiner Klinkrad, head of the European . Space Agency's space debris office in Germany, told the site Spaceflight Now that statistically . speaking, it is 250,000 times more likely to win the jackpot in the . German lottery than to get hit by a GOCE fragment. About . 100 tons of space debris falls to Earth every year, and so far there . have been no reports of injuries of fatalities caused by extra-terrestrial . scrap metal. In living color: In this handout image supplied by the European Space Agency, a rendering of the variations in Earth's gravitational pull is shown as seen by the Europe's GOCE satellite . However, under UN’s Convention on International Liability for Damage Caused by Space Objects created in September of 1972, should a space fragment cause damage upon re-entry, the country that launched the satellite would be held accountable, Fox News reported. The treaty, which has been ratified by 88 countries as of January 2013, guarantees that the state responsible will pay compensation. In the case of GOCE, the satellite was launched from Russia, so that country would be on the hook for any damage. | Gravity field and steady-state Ocean Circulation Explorer, or GOCE, was launched in 2009 to map variations in Earth's gravity .
GOCE ran out of xenon fuel October 21 and has been losing altitude since .
Most of spacecraft will burn up, but 45 pieces weighing no more than 200lbs each are expected to survive . |
199,762 | 8e9a3f53984f109ce190df542b8aea41efc8f3e2 | London (CNN) -- Pakistani teen activist Malala Yousufzai was in stable condition at a British hospital on Sunday after undergoing surgeries to repair her skull and help her hearing, officials said. "Both operations were a success and Malala is now recovering in hospital. Her medical team are 'very pleased' with the progress she has made so far," the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham said in a statement. "She is awake and talking to staff and members of her family." Saturday's five-hour surgeries were the latest step on a long road to recovery for Malala, who was shot in the head and neck by Taliban gunmen in October for speaking out in favor of education for Pakistani girls. Last week doctors said they would use a titanium plate to cover an opening in her skull, and give her a cochlear implant to partially restore hearing in her left ear. The plate was necessary to replace a section of her skull about the size of a hand, which doctors removed to relieve swelling after the shooting. And the inner ear implant will restore some function to her damaged ear, doctors said last week. The 15-year-old became an international symbol of courage after she was shot by Taliban gunmen last fall for her crusade about girls going to school. She had blogged fearlessly about girls' education and accused the Taliban of thriving on ignorance. The Taliban forbid girls in the classroom and have threatened to kill anyone who defies them. Malala was in a school van on October 9 when the gunmen stopped the vehicle and shot her at point-blank range. She was flown to the British hospital six days later. Doctors there discharged her last month, and she has been recovering with her family at a temporary home nearby. Her father, who had been an educator in Pakistan, is now employed at the Pakistani Consulate in Birmingham. On Sunday, officials said Malala would remain hospitalized until she is well enough to be discharged. CNN's Ben Brumfield, Laura Smith-Spark and Per Nyberg contributed to this report. | Operations to repair Malala's skull and help her hearing "were a success," the hospital says .
Queen Elizabeth Hospital: She is stable, "awake and talking to staff and members of her family"
Saturday's five-hour surgery is the latest step on a long road to recovery for the teen activist .
In October Taliban gunmen shot her in the head and neck . |
126,856 | 2ffe37a043f0f1c12599100d191e704ea26dfa70 | By . Ted Thornhill . PUBLISHED: . 03:10 EST, 12 November 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 03:43 EST, 12 November 2013 . Failure: South . Yorkshire PCC Shaun Wright said there had been 'a failure of . management' at South Yorkshire Police . A police force under the spotlight over its handling of child sex exploitation is still prioritising burglary and vehicle crime, according to a new report. Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary (HMIC) found that the emphasis from senior and middle local managers at South Yorkshire Police was still more focused on dealing with other crimes and must act immediately to improve its response. It also found that intelligence teams were not fully supporting child sexual exploitation investigations and that staffing problems were hampering the investigations. It said that these matters should be addressed 'as a matter of urgency'. South . Yorkshire PCC Shaun Wright said there had been ‘a failure of . management’ at South Yorkshire Police as he responded to the report, . which he commissioned in the summer. The . HMIC inspection report did say, however, that South Yorkshire Police . now showed a ‘clear commitment to enhancing the force's response to the . sexual exploitation of children’ and found ‘all the officers and staff . working in child protection to be deeply committed to their work’. But the inspectors also said these efforts have had ‘mixed success’. Their . report concluded: ‘In particular, although staff and officers were . aware that tackling child sexual exploitation was a stated force . priority, this has not consistently been translated into operational . activity on the ground at a local (district) level.’ Mr Wright said: ‘This current situation has to change. Police on patrol in Rotherham, which was at the centre of a major child sex exploitation case in 2010 (file photo) where five men were jailed after being found guilty of grooming teenage girls . ‘The report makes a number of . recommendations, with the most urgent to be implemented immediately and . others within three and six months. I fully support the recommendations . and have instructed the chief constable that he must ensure they are in . place within the time frames set out by the inspectors.’ ‘The . commitment and effort of officers and staff on the front line of this . most heinous of crimes is fully appreciated by me and rightly recognised . by the inspectors. 'However, there is clearly a failure of management to . turn my, and the public of South Yorkshire's, key strategic priority . into operational effectiveness uniformly across the whole force area.’ South . Yorkshire Police found itself a focus of concerns about under-age . teenage girls being groomed by groups of adult men for sex, particularly . in the town of Rotherham. The prosecution in Rotherham (pictured) was the first of a series of high profile cases in the last three years. A report by The Times claimed police and child protection agencies had known about the activities for a decade . The spotlight first fell on the town in 2010 when five men, described by a judge as 'sexual predators’, were given lengthy jail terms after they were found guilty of grooming teenage girls for sex. The prosecution was the first of a series of high-profile cases in the last three years that have revealed the exploitation of young girls in towns and cities including Rochdale, Derby and Oxford. Following the 2010 case, The Times claimed that details from 200 restricted-access documents showed how police and child protection agencies in the South Yorkshire town had extensive knowledge of these activities for a decade, yet a string of offences went unprosecuted. The allegations led to a range of official investigations, including one by the Home Affairs Select Committee. Earlier this year, The Times published fresh claims that a teenager in the care of social services was allowed extensive contact with a violent adult offender who was suspected of grooming young girls to use and sell for sex. At the same time, a South Yorkshire law firm announced that it was working on behalf of four women who want to take legal action against Rotherham Council in relation to sexual exploitation when they were teenagers. | In 2010 five men in Rotherham were found guilty of grooming .
teenage girls .
HMIC: Force's approach to child sex exploitation must 'urgently' improve .
Report found staffing problems were hampering child sex investigations . |
276,468 | f23024acab8b73c2f853e217c355d1a99fac3107 | (CNN) -- A 5-year-old boy with a brain tumor who was removed from a British hospital, starting an intense international search, has been found in Spain with his parents, the Hampshire Constabulary posted on its Facebook page late Saturday. The search for Ashya King, who recently had surgery, began Thursday when his parents, Brett King, 51, and Naghemeh King, 45, took him without authorization from the Southampton hospital, Hampshire police said. "Ashya has been found," police said on Facebook. "He is in Spain with his mum and dad. Police are speaking to his mum and dad and we are waiting to hear on Ashya's condition. This is all we know at this time -- but, he has been found. ... We will provide further detail just as soon as we can ...." The boy is not mobile on his own, cannot communicate verbally, and is supposed to be receiving constant medical care because of the surgery and "ongoing medical issues," Hampshire police Detective Superintendent Dick Pearson said earlier. "Without this specialist 24-hour care, Ashya is at risk of additional health complications which place him at substantial risk," Pearson said in a news release Friday. Police have not said why his parents took Ashya from the hospital. After Ashya was taken from the hospital Thursday, the family -- including Ashya's six siblings -- boarded a ferry in nearby Portsmouth, and disembarked Thursday night in Cherbourg, France, according to Hampshire police. Interpol issued an international missing person notice, otherwise known as a yellow alert, for the boy. Such notices are distributed to police in Interpol's 190 member countries to help find missing people, especially children. | Police say the boy was found with his parents in Spain .
Parents took Ashya King, 5, from British hospital prematurely, police say .
Without further care, boy is at "substantial risk," police say .
Interpol issued a international missing-person notice . |
180,954 | 7645dba419df104e9a6f719f87f33acb2da8be16 | Washington (CNN) -- It's one of the busiest days in this year's primary calendar. Six states from coast to coast hold primaries on Tuesday, and again anti-establishment candidates face long odds in high-profile Republican showdowns. Since its birth in 2009, the tea party has had a number of primary successes, with victorious challenges from the right producing major headlines for the movement. But they've also given the party plenty of headaches and hurt its chances of winning back the Senate, effectively costing the GOP five winnable elections over the last two cycles. This year, the establishment learned to fight back, and so far has had the upper hand in most contests against tea party-backed challengers. Here are five key showdowns to watch how they play out on Tuesday. 1. Big showdown in the Bluegrass State: Tuesday's marquee battle is in Kentucky, where Senate GOP Leader Mitch McConnell is challenged by businessman Matt Bevin, who enjoys strong support from many tea party groups and influential conservative anti-establishment organizations. While this race has seen big spending by the campaigns and outside groups, McConnell is expected to cruise to renomination for a sixth term. Anti-establishment Republicans feel McConnell represents everything wrong in Washington and thought he could be knocked off. The Senate Conservatives fund, a D.C.-based anti-establishment organization, spent around $1 million in support of Bevin and against McConnell. But it's been quiet recently, with McConnell's formidable lead in the polls. McConnell had two Kentucky-based super PACs supporting him as well as the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the National Rifle Association. "It was a vintage Mitch McConnell campaign. They found Bevin's weaknesses and used them against him. They boxed him in and he couldn't move," said Jennifer Duffy, senior editor for the non-partisan Cook Political Report, a top campaign handicapper. She added that "Bevin suffered from new candidate syndrome." McConnell's ending his primary campaign by once again touting his endorsement from Kentucky's other Republican senator, Rand Paul. Paul was the upstart who beat McConnell's pick in the race. But Paul, who is very influential among tea party activists and libertarians, backed McConnell last year before Bevin got into the race. The narrator in one of McConnell's two closing statewide TV commercials says, "On Tuesday, join with Rand Paul and vote for Mitch McConnell." And the spot includes a clip of Paul saying last year that Kentucky "ought to be proud of having Senator McConnell." While McConnell should have an early night on Tuesday, he faces a serious challenge in November from rising Democratic star Alison Lundergan Grimes. Big-name Democrats are already campaigning for her. 2. Idaho -- the other big event: The other high-profile, outsider vs. establishment battle of the night is in the House. Eight-term Rep. Mike Simpson faces a serious primary challenge from Bryan Smith, an attorney who claims that Simpson's not conservative enough and is soft on spending. Smith is backed by some tea party groups and by the D.C.-based anti-tax group Club for Growth, which has a history of backing conservative primary challengers. The group has spent some $700,000 to attack Simpson and support Smith. But their spending dwindled the past couple of weeks, as Simpson has held a sizable lead in recent polls. Simpson is backed by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, which has spent heavily in the race. "You can take it from me, the conservative choice for Congress is Mike Simpson," Mitt Romney says in one ad put out by the Chamber last month. Simpson, was an early backer of the Republican 2012 presidential nominee's campaign. And Romney returned the favor last year, endorsing Simpson. The winner of the primary will be the odds-on-favorite in November in the heavily Republican district, which covers the central and eastern parts of the state, from Boise to the borders with Utah and Wyoming. 3. Georgia -- tea party splits vote: Republican Sen. Saxby Chambliss' announcement last year that he wouldn't run for re-election triggered a free-for-all GOP primary battle. Reps. Phil Gingrey, Paul Broun and Jack Kingston, former Georgia Secretary of State Karen Handel, and businessman David Perdue are the major candidates and Kingston, Handel, and Perdue, rather than the more conservative Broun and Gingrey, are on top of public opinion polls. "I think they (Broun and Gingrey) both ran terrible campaigns," said the Cook Report's Duffy. "Because both of them were in there, the tea party movement was divided." The primary campaign's closing days have seen near daily attacks between the candidates. An example of how ugly it's getting on the campaign trail: Gingrey's campaign sent out an email accusing Handel of "promoting teenage homosexuality," highlighting a vote she took in favor of funding for an LGBT youth program when she served on the Fulton County Commission. Since no candidate's expected to top 50%, this contest's all-but-certain to head to a July 22 runoff between the top two finishers. The eventual GOP nominee will face off against Michelle Nunn, the all-but-certain Democratic nominee and daughter of former longtime Sen. Sam Nunn, a household name in Georgia. 4. Oregon -- a last-minute wildcard?: The race for the GOP Senate nomination in Oregon, a vote-by-mail state, has only recently grabbed some national attention, mostly due to some high-profile support for Portland pediatric neurosurgeon Dr. Monica Wehby. She recently won endorsements from Romney and another 2012 GOP presidential candidate: former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, who's a co-host of CNN's "Crossfire." More importantly, D.C.-based NewRepublican.org went up with major television, digital and radio spots in support of Wehby. The organization was formed early last year, following the 2012 GOP election defeats, by a group of Republican veterans to refocus its messaging and policy goals in an attempt to broaden the GOP's appeal beyond its traditional base. Wehby, who also enjoys the backing of several GOP senators including McConnell, grabbed some attention last month for a campaign ad of her own. The 60-second spot highlighted a woman who was advised to consider terminating her pregnancy because her unborn daughter had spinal problems. In the ad, the woman recalls how Wehby operated on her daughter shortly after she was born, and that the girl is now a healthy 12-year-old. But Wehby's support for abortion rights has fueled a six-figure spending push by anti-abortion groups in opposing Wehby. Polls show Wehby ahead of more conservative state Rep. Jason Conger, who was backed last week by former Sen. Rick Santorum of Pennsylvania, a Republican presidential candidate last time who may run again for the White House in 2016. The wildcard: A last-minute story over the weekend revealed that after a breakup last year with the wealthy man she was dating, Wehby was accused of "stalking" him, according to a police report. The primary winner will run in November against first-term Democratic Sen. Jeff Merkley, who Republicans think might be vulnerable if 2014 turns into a wave year for the GOP. 5. Pennsylvania -- a race to the left: Republicans can't have all the fun. The Democratic gubernatorial primary contest in the Keystone State has been one long wild ride. In this race to the left, Rep. Allyson Schwartz has been touting her strong support for the health care law, better known as Obamacare, a rare sight this midterm election year, as she plays catchup with businessman Tom Wolf, who leads in the polls. Wolf was virtually unknown in Pennsylvania at the start of the year, but he spent big bucks to flood the airwaves with ads. Wolf has increasingly come under attack from Schwartz as well as state Treasurer Rob McCord, another contender in the field. The winner will face off in November against GOP Gov. Tom Corbett, who seems to be enjoying the food fight among the Democratic challengers. "The Democrat fight for governor is getting ugly," says the narrator in a new Corbett TV ad that uses a boxing theme. But Corbett has his own concerns, as he's considered one of the most vulnerable governors running for re-election this year. | Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell faces tea party challenge .
Incumbent Idaho congressman is expected to fend off tea party challenge, too .
Tea party candidates might be splitting the vote in Georgia Senate primary .
Pennsylvania governor's race is a race to the left among Democrats . |
19,402 | 3702c7bb35cbd86c754d5fc945ac5c5404836fd7 | When a group of students got together to secretly film how Australians would respond to racial attacks against Muslims in public, they were amazed with the end results. The social experiment was filmed with hidden cameras, showing members of the public who intervened when the man attempted to link conflict in the Middle East with Australian Muslims. Different reactions in the video were recorded of passers-by defending a Muslim woman, while the man accuses her of being a terrorist and questions what she’s wearing. Scroll down for video . Racism put to the test: The footage shows different scenes of passers-by defending a Muslim woman while the man accuses her of being a terrorist and questions what she’s wearing . 'What are you wearing? Isn't it a bit too hot to be wearing that sort of stuff outside? Like seriously, don't you find it confronting?’ he said. 'You look like a terrorist wearing that. You know that, right? 'Don't you want to be part of team Australia? Don't you think it's a bit hot to wear that? ‘What’s in the bag? Do you have some explosives - some bombs in the bag?' The actor, who is seen wearing black pants, a denim jacket over a black top, baseball cap, with headphones around his neck and black sun glasses, is recorded in a busy public area as he makes his racial slurs against Muslim people. Members of the public are seen and heard defending the Muslim woman in the video, while another woman walks over and takes her away from the man . The man publicly questions passers-by about what the young boy was wearing, saying: 'With everything going on, it's a bit insensitive for them to be wearing these sorts of stuff outside...' While he continues his abuse of Muslim woman, the video shows a young woman walking over and taking her away, while others are heard in the background saying: 'Leave her alone.' The student starts asking passers-by: 'Can you see this? Can you see what she's wearing? Why can't they be Australian?' One man is heard in the video, saying: 'Hey! Leave her alone. It doesn’t matter. Leave her alone. It’s part of her religion.' Members of the public are seen and heard defending this young boy and telling the man to 'leave him alone' A man in a white button up dress shirt is sitting on the next bench beside the Muslim women, while eating his lunch but he interferes and tells the man to ‘move along mate’ In another scene, another man tells the student: 'That's not Australian. You're not being Australian.' The student responds: ‘Exactly, look what she’s wearing. I’m Australian. I was born here’ before the man says: ‘You’re not acting like one.' The next scene, the student is seen standing in front of two Muslim woman, sitting on a bench while he continues to make his racial comments towards them. A man in a white button up dress shirt is sitting on the next bench beside them eating his lunch but he interferes and tells the man to ‘move along mate’. The man defends himself, saying he was born in Australia but one man said: 'You're not being Australian' The student looks at the man and said: ‘Sorry mate? So you support this? Are you Muslim as well?’ and the man said: ‘Did you hear what I said? I’d like you to move along. Move. Keep going.’ The last scene shows a young boy dressed in a cultural attire and the man continues making his racial comments. 'Look at this guy. You look like a terrorist, seriously. With everything going on, it's a bit insensitive for them to be wearing these sorts of stuff outside. Why can't he just dress like normal Australians?' In the last scene, a woman storms over and defends the young boy . The man responded: 'Do you support these people?' and she said: 'Why not? Free people' The woman confronts the man: 'He's a kid! How dare you! How dare you do that to him? Go on. Go live somewhere else if you can't accept this is how we live' The man grabs the young boy's bag and looks inside and said: 'Is there a bomb in there?' and the little boy replies, 'just leave me alone.' A man in a flannelette top, walks over and says: 'Just leave him alone. He can wear whatever he wants. If he wants to wear that, let him wear that. It's fine, there's no problem with it.' Another woman approaches and says: 'Why is it any different to what you've got on? He's chosen his dress, you've chosen yours. I've chosen mine.' The video has gained a significant number of positive comments on Facebook. Johnathon Willson posted: Now there's proof! Australians aren't racist...' Frankie Barhoum posted: This is the true face of Australia and we are PROUD' The video was also promoted on the Talk Islam Facebook page and received positive comments . The video has gained a significant number of shares and positive comments on Facebook . The man continues and says: 'Just look at this guy' before another woman storms over and confronts him. 'Everybody has a right to be here. Don't you dare speak to people like that. How dare you!' she said. The man responds: 'Do you support these people?' The woman said: 'Why not? Free people. These people belong here too as much as we do. Alright! 'If you don't like it, go somewhere else but these people belong here. He's a kid! How dare you! How dare you do that to him? Go on. Go live somewhere else if you can't accept this is how we live.' Kadal Saleh, who created and starred in the video, took to his Facebook page and said the 'social experiment was possibly one of the most eye opening experiences ever' The four-and-a-half minute video has gained a significant number of shares and positive comments on Facebook, as well as prompting the Talk Islam official page to share the video as well. The video was made by Sydney student Kamel Saleh and his friends from the Macquarie University Muslim Students Association for the upcoming Islamic Awareness Week - Islamophobia. Mr Saleh took to his Facebook page and said the 'social experiment was possibly one of the most eye opening experiences ever'. 'EVERY SINGLE PERSON STOPPED and interfered. NOWHERE ELSE IN THE WORLD have we seen such a response!' he posted. 'This video is hard proof that the Australian public do not welcome hate against Muslims. Yes it does occur. But it is clearly not welcome. #Respect' | The social experiment was filmed with hidden cameras .
It shows members of the public intervening when a man attempts to link conflict in the Middle East with Australian Muslims .
The video was made by Sydney student Kamel Saleh and his friends for the upcoming Islamic Awareness Week - Islamophobia .
Mr Saleh said: 'The social experiment was possibly one of the most eye opening experiences ever'
The four-and-a-half minute video has gained a significant number of shares and positive comments on social media . |
69,868 | c61608a40897f9c8932b93836c7ef6bd0ea84117 | (CNN)Tiger Woods' season took a turn for the worse when he was forced to withdraw from the Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines just 11 holes into his first round on Thursday. A 14-times major tournament winner, Woods pulled out of the San Diego event when back spasms became such a problem that playing partner Billy Horschel had to pick up his tee for him on several occasions. The struggling 39-year-old was making his second PGA start of 2015 and had been on two over par when forced out of the event. Last year, Woods underwent surgery on a pinched nerve. His first start, at the Waste Management Phoenix Open last week, saw him chalk up the worst score of his professional life in the 1,267th round of his career. Former world No.1 Woods -- now at 56 in the standings -- recorded an 11-over-par 82 at TPC Scottsdale in Arizona. That meant he missed the cut, finishing bottom of a field of 132 as his short game fell apart and he racked up six bogeys, two double bogeys, a triple bogey and two birdies. The PGA tour website quoted him as saying that a delay to the start of his round in San Diego, caused by foggy weather, had been behind the back problems that forced him out. "My glutes are shutting off," explained Woods. "Then they don't activate and then, hence, it [pain] goes into my lower back. "I tried to activate my glutes as best I could, in between, but they never stayed activated. "I had a good warm-up session [before the weather delay], but then we stood out here, I got cold and everything started deactivating again. "It's frustrating that I just can't stay activated. That's just kind of the way it is." Horschel said he had become aware of Woods' increasing discomfort as the round progressed, adding: "If I didn't see it on 10, I saw it on 11. Then I asked him when I walked off the 12th tee: 'Back hurting you again?' He said: 'Spasms.'" What happened in San Diego will inevitably raise questions about where Woods goes from here as one of the game's all-time greats battles for full fitness and form. Horschel expressed his sympathy, saying: "It's unfortunate, because I consider him a friend and I want to see him get back to his level of play that we all know he can. "If he can just stay healthy and be able to work on it, I think we would see the results." In November, Woods -- who has not won a major since 2008 -- was in the spotlight for his angry response to a parody interview by veteran Golf Digest writer Dan Jenkins. The second golf course created by his design business is due to open at Bluejack National, Texas, later this year. In an exclusive interview, he told CNN: "My goal is to design a limited number of distinct and memorable golf courses." | Former world No.1 blames weather delays for discomfort .
He was two over par when forced out after 11 holes in San Diego .
Tournament was his second PGA event of season after 2014 back surgery .
Setback follows worst round of his professional career last week . |
132,695 | 379723e8513f8208733d0f66683bc5352128d4d1 | Ever felt like getting away from it all? Well one Kansas couple took that adage really to heart and departed on an incredible adventure across the U.S. with their young son - quitting their jobs and selling everything they owned to do it. Joshua and Jessa Works decided to ditch their nine-to-five routine in order to travel the U.S. almost four years ago and have spent since 2011 living out of the 27-foot airbus they bought to replace their five-bedroom house and everything inside it. Sharing images on their blog Tomorrow Somewhere New, the family has visited locations from Hawaii to New York and Yellowstone to Niagara Falls - a whopping 47 U.S states in total. Scroll down for video . On the road: Joshua and Jessa Works decided to ditch their nine-to-five routine in order to travel the U.S. Adventure: The artistic couple renovated an airstream bus to cater to all their needs on the trip . Country tour: The Works family traded in their large home and quit their jobs in order to go on the road trip of a lifetime . The family decided to ditch their nine-to-five routine to open up their opportunities . New horizons: They have spent since 2011 living out of the 27-foot airbus they bought to replace their five-bedroom house and everything inside it . Quite the change from their old lives which they described as a ‘loop-de-loop routine of commutes, cooking, cleaning and being couch potatoes’. ‘I think we just get caught up in chasing some sort of version of success. We had excellent jobs that would allow us to do that except for the time that we wanted to be spending outdoors,’ Joshua said in a Dark Rye film about the trip. ‘So we decided to sell all of our stuff, sell our cars, put our house on the market, buy an Airstream and hit the road.’ ‘Once he started pointing out that we were set in this routine that may in fact be the same routine that we would be living for the rest of our lives, we started looking at it much more closely,’ Jessa adds on the film. ‘How many of those choices, were choices we had made? Really none of it was.’ The couple invested in improving a basic Airstream travel trailer to include mod-cons like an Apple computer and memory foam mattresses. They made-over the sleeping arrangements (a pair of bunk beds) and the kitchen and bathroom until the bus more closely resembled a modern and chic - if a little compact - family home. 47 states: The family have been traveling since 2011 and have visited numerous sights and beautiful landscapes across the U.S. Sights: The Works family were tired of routine and their normal nine to five lives when they decided to trade them in for a U.S. adventure . Inspirational: The couple say the trip has had a profound effect on their son and opened their horizons . New challenges: Quite the change from their old lives which they described as a ‘loop-de-loop routine of commutes, cooking, cleaning and being couch potatoes’ As a web developer and graphic designer, Joshua and Jessa, respectively, left their jobs behind but were able to work freelance while on the move so they could afford to keep funding their travelling existence. Belongings were kept to a handful of goods and even Jack’s toys were ditched in the clearout however the couple say the adventure alone was more than enough to keep him entertained. On the latest set of family photos Jack can be seen enjoying July 4 in the Grand Canyon and flashes a huge smile as he collects sticks and rambles across the great american outdoors. ‘It’s become this amazing tool for Jack. We knew when we started it would be a great opportunity for him but we had no idea how powerful it would be for his creativity and imagination,’ Jessa explained. ‘We’ve traded our small back yard for this expansive world,’ Joshua added. 'Amazing tool': Jessa Works said the adventure was an amazing experience for the couple's young son and boosted his creativity and imagination . Memories: The family is now back in Kansas starting a new, stationary life in a farmhouse but they still look fondly back on their epic journey across the states . Wisdom: ‘The hardest part of doing something interested is getting started. If we can convince ourselves to get on our coats and get on our backpacks something great can happen,’ Josh concludes . That’s not to say the entire trip has been smooth sailing. As they point out there was very little time to be alone in the confined truck and without a regular home and babysitter, date-nights were pretty much out of the window. The family is now back in Kansas starting a new, stationary life in a farmhouse but they still look fondly back on their epic journey across the states . ‘The hardest part of doing something interested is getting started. If we can convince ourselves to get on our coats and get on our backpacks something great can happen,’ Josh concludes. On their blog the couple simply sum up the whole trip as ‘the best decision of our lives’. | Joshua and Jessa Works sold up their Kansas home and gave up their jobs to begin the trip three years ago .
Couple and their young son have lived on the road since in a 27-foot airbus .
They have traveled across the U.S. sharing photographs on their blog . |
107,953 | 172b64dfe9c669e757137d5b9ab2a31cfd89e5e4 | Bullied: This photo of blogger Carly Findlay was posted to Reddit on Wednesday (minus the writing), with many commenters mocking her appearance caused by a chronic skin condition . A blogger with a chronic skin disease bravely stood up to internet bullies who ridiculued her looks when her picture was posted on Reddit. A Reddit user with the screen name 'roschleiche' shared a picture of Carly Findlay on a thread called 'WTF' on Wednesday. Ms Findlay suffers from both Netherton's syndrome and erythroderma, causing her skin to inflame when exposed to the elements. In the picture her face appears shiny because she wears paraffin as protection . The Melbourne, Australia-based writer figured out that her image was posted to the site when she noticed an influx of traffic to her blog. Many of the comments made fun of Ms Findlay's appearance, comparing her to a glazed donut, a lobster and 'something that was partially digested by my dog'. One commenter even said that Ms Findlay's smile looked fake. 'Seeing people like this smile makes me uncomfortable, It looks like a lie; they are only smiling in an attempt to fool themselves that their lives aren't horrible. You can see it in her eyes. The same rehearsed dead-eye mouth-smile in all her pictures. Gives me the willies.' After reading through the nasty comments, Ms Findlay decided to enter thread. Ms Findlay wrote that for years she didn't share pictures of herself online for fear that they would be used against her in this way. Scroll down for video . Speaking out: Ms Findlay responded to the hate comments by entering the thread herself . Those feelings of anxiety stopped when she started blogging, and gained both confidence and a support system. 'The love I have around me and the success I have had through telling my own story to break down stigma like these Reddit threads is stronger than any of those words,' she wrote. At the same time, Ms Findlay took the opportunity to thank the people who stood up for her on the thread. 'The level of kindness shown in these situations is always greater than the level of hate,' she said. Sorry: After posting her response on Reddit, the user who originally posted her picture apologized . While many defended Ms Findlay before she entered the discussion, even more came out saying she was 'inspirational' and a 'champion' after. The Redditer who originally posted the picture even apologized, though Ms Findlay beleives the apology was somewhat backhanded. 'I'm reading all this and I apologize! I was looking for "champagne fridge" on google images. When I saw your pictures, I thought "WTF!" and further: "allergic reaction", also your hair looks a bit of fire so I put it here. Hopefully you see it as a good promotion for your blog and chapeau to you for being awesome!' the poster wrote. Ms Findlay wrapped up the entire experience in a post on her blog, writing: 'Today's comments on Reddit showed me that the Internet is full of pretty awful people. But it also showed me people are so kind, and are willing to learn.' | A picture of blogger Carly Findlay was posted online Wednesday with many criticizing her appearance .
The Melbourne, Australia-based blogger suffers from both Netherton's syndrome and erythroderma which causes her skin to inflame .
She protects her skin by wearing paraffin .
Ms Findlay called out the hateful commenters by entering the thread on Reddit and writing about the experience on her blog . |
96,248 | 07cbd580e75a9734bb053e60a32b5ff537b980e2 | By . Josh Gardner for MailOnline . America's oldest indoor mall is now one of its newest settings for a trend in tiny-apartments. Opened in 1828 Arcade in Providence, Rhode Island was nearly shut down in 2008 but the addition of 38 micro-loft apartments last year has saved the landmark from shuttering. Now tenants are clamoring to pay $550 per month and up to live in the miniature homes, so much so there's already a waiting list. Scroll down for video . Growing trend: America's oldest indoor mall has been transformed with the help of 38 micro-loft apartments . Tiny: The lofts measure no more than 300-square-feet and have a kitchen, bedroom, hidden storage but no oven . Saved: The Arcade in Providence, Rhode Island was nearly shut down in 2008 but the addition of 38 micro-loft apartments last year has saved the landmark from shuttering . Each of the units, which according to Curbed were inspired by ship construction, features a bedroom, living room, kitchen and hidden storage. However, there's no oven. But with a clientele that generally consists of recent college grads, that sort of omission is okay. 'They travel really light. They might have a bike and two suitcases,' J. Michael Abbott of Northeast Collaborative Architects told Curbed. The once-struggling mall offered space on the first floor to retailers, some of whom even chose to take advantage of the convenient real estate upstairs. The project is part of a rise of shoebox living in major cities across the country where, reports Bloomberg, restrictions on the low end of residence sizes have been lowered--some to as small as 220-square-feet. The Providence Arcade opened to tenants in October 2013 at a cost of $7 million. Investors are likely feeling good about the project. Not even a year in, there is already a waiting list for the tiny lofts. New look: The Providence Arcade opened to tenants in October 2013 at a cost of $7 million . Convenient: The shoebox apartments line the halls of what was once the country's original indoor mall. Retail space has been preserved on the bottom floor . The way it was: The Arcade was nearly shuttered permanently in 2008, but the micro-loft trend appears to have prevented that . | The Arcade in Providence, Rhode Island is America's largest indoor mall and now features 38 tiny apartments .
The apartments, which start at $550/month, helped save the struggling historic building .
The apartments haven't been open a year and already have a wait list for tenants .
The 225-300 sq. ft apartments have a kitchen, bedroom and hidden storage but no stove . |
272,261 | eca79494b83d56caa9a727421155cdf755f8744c | KFC may have disqualified Taylor Swift from a coveted Triple J Hottest 100 spot after the fast food chain launched a campaign endorsing the pop icon in the lead up to the annual Australia Day countdown. The fast food giant jumped on the frenzied social media attempt to include the starlet in the Triple J Hottest 100, a campaign which has sparked both waves of support and fury from polarised music lovers. The fast food chain offered a $19.89 voucher, in reference to the pop star's latest album 1989, to customers who posted their favourite Swift song- a move which may breach the countdown's strict policy of banning artists who give their fans incentives to vote. Scroll down for video . KFC is offering a $19.89 voucher, in reference to the pop stars latest album 1989, which may see Taylor Swift disqualified from the Triple J Hottest 100 . 'The #tay4hottest100 campaign is going strong and she’s got our vote,' KFC announced on it's Facebook page last Thursday. 'Tell us which Taylor song is your favourite for your chance to win a voucher for $19.89! (Generous, we know). #taylortribute'. The voucher may be in direct violation of the Triple J Hottest 100 voting rules, which clearly state that the station will 'remove artists from the list who have benefited from competitions or commercial campaigns that incentivise fans to vote for them'. While ABC has declined to comment officially, former Triple J announcer Angela Catterns told The Drum on Monday that Swift had been disqualified. 'You probably know that there was a push to get a Taylor Swift song in (the Hottest 100), which has now been disqualified because a fast food chain became involved in the whole process,' Ms Catterns said. Take that! If Taylor's number 75 ranking on Social Hottest 100 is an accurate prediction, hipsters nationwide may well hurl into a fits of range come Australia Day when the ABC radio station's annual alternative music poll hits the airwaves . Haters gonna hate! Swift's catchy tune Shake It Off has a good chance at cracking Triple J's Hottest 100 . The response to the potential blow KFC may have dealt to the #tay4hottest100campaign has been as divided as the movement itself. 'Thank you KFC!!! You just invalidated this song from being in the hottest 100 by commercially incentivising it!!!' said one Facebook user. 'I hope that was your plan all along this just made my day as now I know the hottest 100 wont be tainted by this rubbish'. 'You've ruined #Tay4Hottest100 KFC! Arrghh!!!' said another user. Other social media commentators were pleased with the seemingly unintended outcome. 'Fantastic. For the first time ever KFC has done something useful and gotten Taylor Swift disqualified from the hottest 100,' said one Facebook user. 'if this is the reason swift gets disqualified from the hottest 100 then I hereby pledge to only eat KFC when I have that fast food craving....' said another. A spokesperson for KFC . We know many of our fans are music lovers and our recent post has caused a bit of a stir so to avoid any more confusion we have removed the post. The post simply asked our fans to tell us what their favourite Taylor Swift song was for the opportunity to win a voucher, we were not incentivising people to vote for the Hottest 100. ��5 . Earlier on Tuesday, an unofficial poll shed some insight into who might take home the coveted Triple J Hottest 100 crown, with Swift making the cut despite the controversy. If Taylor's number 75 ranking on Social Hottest 100 is an accurate prediction, many hipsters nationwide may well hurl into fits of rage come Australia Day when the ABC radio station's annual alternative music poll hits the airwaves. Harsh: In retaliation, extreme alternative music fans with a penchant for violent threats then took to social media to intimidate Taylor supporters . More than 20,000 votes were tallied to come up with the Shake It Off singer's double digit spot, beating out hits by Triple J favourites Vance Joy and Banks. Peking Duk ft. Nicole Miller's tune High came in at number one while Chet Faker takes second and third position with Talk Is Cheap and 1998, respectively. Milky Chance are at number four with Stolen Chance, and Peking Duk return in fifth place for Take Me Over ft. Safia. 'Here we go, after countless hours of tallying the votes of those kind individuals who shared them on social media, our predicted #hottest100,' the poll's Twitter account wrote. Songs that are eligible for the list this year have to be released between December 1, 2013 and November 30, 2014, according to the radio station's site. The campaign to get Taylor on the list kicked off after super fan Joe McKenzie tweeted ABC boss Mark Scott about the omission of Swift's hit Shake It Off from the voting list. Nasty: 'I hope you die a slow, painful death,' one wrote to a voter, while another compared a fan to ISIS . 'Triple J is refusing to let me vote for Taylor Swift in the Hottest 100 I personally blame @mcscott [Scott's Twitter handle],' he wrote. To which, Scott replied: 'Shake it off Joe.' The tweet sparked a social media campaign, with fans of Swift boycotting the Australia Day tradition by voting for her songs and trending the hashtag '#Tay4hottest100'. In retaliation, extreme alternative music fans then took to social media to intimidate Taylor supporters, some with death threats. 'I hope you die a slow, painful death,' one wrote to a voter, while another compared a fan to ISIS. A Triple J spokeswoman told Daily Mail Australia last week she could not comment on the movement. 'We don't comment on voting campaigns whilst Hottest 100 voting is open, as it may influence the results of the poll,' she said. Too cool for school: The campaign to get Taylor on the list kicked off after super fan Joe McKenzi tweeted ABC boss Mark Scott (pictured) about the omission of Swift's hit Shake It Off from the voting list . | KFC jumped on the #tay4hottest100 campaign to include Taylor Swift in the annual Triple J Hottest 100 countdown .
The fast food chain offered the chance to win a $19.89 voucher for customers who posted their favourite Taylor Swift song .
The move may breach the strict voting rules, which disqualify artists who offer fans encouragement to vote for them .
Former Triple J presenter Angela Catterns said Swift had been excluded based on 'a fast food chain be involved in the process' |
171,992 | 6a9c2ea305d656a2ac705520f1511c35064d8989 | (CNN) -- Sometimes, the effects of fame can ripple like a stone dropped in a pond. A YouTube video shows a Minnesota wedding party dancing down the aisle. Take the case of Minnesota residents Kevin Heinz and Jill Peterson. The couple had a fun idea for their wedding party to do a nontraditional procession to a catchy tune, "Forever" by Chris Brown. The joyous video of the group busting their loosely choreographed moves down the aisle went viral after the newlyweds posted it on YouTube. Soon they were being deluged by the media and flown to New York to appear on national television. Since then, millions have watched the funky wedding march and helped transform Heinz and Peterson into instant celebrities. Amy Carlson Gustafson, a pop culture reporter for the St. Paul Pioneer Press, reported on the story that she said has not only stirred up the hometown folks, but also showed a different side of Minnesota. "I think people are loving it," she said. "It's really fun and it's especially fun in Minnesota where a lot of people think we are a bunch of uptight Scandinavians who sit around and say 'You betcha.' This video helps to debunk that a little bit." That sense of fun and whimsy has enchanted many and led to Heinz and Peterson being sought for interviews by everyone from their local publications to the major networks. Watch guests at the wedding discuss the experience » . But they have apparently also learned quickly about the downside of fame. The New York Post reported the pair was caught in the crossfire of the battle of the morning shows. According to the newspaper, ABC flew Heinz and Peterson to the Big Apple after booking them to appear on "Good Morning America." Things soured, the paper's Page Six column reported, after ABC learned the couple had also taped a segment for the rival "Today" show, which aired before the couple's appearance on "Good Morning America." Adding fuel to the fire was a planned live re-creation of the dance by the wedding party scheduled for Saturday morning on "Today." When it appeared that Heinz and Peterson weren't adhering to the age-old "dance with who brung ya" rule, their ABC-sponsored hotel and flight home were canceled, the paper said. "We've been kicked out of our room," Heinz told the Post after the incident. "New York is cutthroat. That's what we've learned." "Today" reportedly stepped in and secured a new room and flight for Heinz and Peterson. Reporter Gustafson said she spoke with mother-of-the-bride Marge Peterson, who said her daughter and new son-in-law were done talking to the media. "They are not used to this type of publicity," Gustafson said. Shane Mercado can relate. The 27-year-old from New York posted a video last year of himself mimicking step-for-step Beyonce's dance moves from her "Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It)" music video. Mercado said he did it at the suggestion of a friend and before he knew it, he was a YouTube sensation. "Once I did it I thought 'What did I just do?' " he recalled. "The response was overwhelming." Soon, Mercado was a minor celebrity being asked for autographs and dancing his routine on the "Bonnie Hunt Show." "Extra" even arranged for him to surprise Beyonce on the red carpet during the premier of her film "Cadillac Records" Not only did the superstar singer know who he was, Mercado said, but so did other celebs. "The actress Gabrielle Union knew who I was," Mercado said. "That just blew me away.' Mercado said he doesn't consider himself famous and finds the notoriety humbling. The loss of anonymity is challenging, he said. Suddenly, the number of people "in your business" dramatically increases. He said he can imagine how Heinz and Peterson are feeling: overwhelmed. "That was their [wedding] and it was probably very private to them," Mercado said. "It can be a bit much to handle and if they were not ready to handle it, then it's not a good thing." Being sucked into a vortex of whirlwind publicity can be a heady experience, said Atlanta, Georgia-based photographer Ross Oscar Knight. Two years ago, Knight photographed an elaborately staged engagement planned by Robert Gray Jr. to surprise his girlfriend, Keisha Williams. Gray rented 10 rooms at the Ritz-Carlton, Buckhead, and filled them with rose petals, candles, and music. As Gray led Williams to each room, friends and family were waiting with well wishes and prayers, all leading up to his proposal. A slide show of Knight's pictures of the moving event scored millions of hits and crashed several sites linking to it, the photographer said. "I immediately started getting calls from all over the world," Knight said. "We got an extra phone line because so many calls were coming in." Not only were people touched, but many also wanted to have their engagements documented, Knight said, so there are sure to be dancing-down-the-aisle videos to come. Knight said Gray and Williams, whose fairy-tale engagement attracted the attention of national publications like Essence Magazine, have married but decided to do so quietly after shutting down a Web site they had started to keep fans updated. "They did a private ceremony because they didn't want any of that released to the media," Knight said. "I think they got to see stardom and what can happen when there is so much of a focus put on you." Someone else who has also been thrust into the spotlight, albeit again, is singer Chris Brown, whose song the Heinz-Peterson wedding party danced to. Despite increased demand on iTunes for the single "Forever" and speculation by media outlets like Gawker.com that the wedding video could help rehabilitate Brown's image, US Weekly staff editor Lindsay Powers said she doesn't believe all will be forgiven. Brown, who has publicly apologized for assaulting his girlfriend, the singer Rihanna, has a long way to go before the tide of public opinion can be swayed, Powers said. "I think that Chris Brown has had considerable career damage over these past couple of months," she said. "I think that people are going to say that's a catchy song, they'll go to iTunes and download it to their iPods, but I don't think that because people like the song they are going to like Chris Brown." | Minnesota couple instant stars after YouTube wedding video goes viral .
Dancing wedding party garners fans, draws media attention .
Fellow YouTube star says attention "can be a bit much to handle"
Popularity of video has also sparked interest in the Chris Brown tune featured . |
279,902 | f69a4b218a8d44fd3d67e3db16341eca710702d2 | While President Barack Obama has relaunched a massive public relations effort for the Affordable Care Act, Republican opponents to the law have also implemented a relaunch of sorts. Absent from their public outcry is any talk of repeal. It is a deliberate and significant shift in strategy for Republicans in the House after years of beating the drum of repeal. For the first time since they regained control of the House in 2011, Republicans have no plans at the moment to bring up a bill to repeal the law -- something they have done nearly 50 times. Instead, "We'll continue to do everything we can to protect the American people from the effects of this awful law," said Michael Steel, House Speaker John Boehner's spokesman, without saying that repeal was still part of the plan. A confluence of events hampered the Republican repeal effort and put it on pause. Stand back . The problems with the Affordable Care Act exist beyond its balky website. The troubled roll out of Obamacare has also forced the President to delay multiple important components of the law, including the insurance marketplace for small businesses and the requirement that businesses with 50 or more employees provide their workers with health insurance or face fines. Republicans realized they should have let the launch play out, instead their shutdown distracted from the Obamacare debacle. "Never interfere when your opponent is committing suicide," Michael Tanner, senior fellow working on health care at the libertarian Cato Institute, said. Instead, Republicans have gone to great lengths to promote the negative aspects of the law by launching their own public relations campaign. The strategy is outlined in a 17-page Republican playbook that CNN reported last month. During a news conference on Tuesday, Republican leaders didn't utter the word "repeal" once. Instead, they promoted reports that people have been canceled from their low-coverage insurance plans and that insurance plans in the exchanges have dropped doctors and hospitals from plan options. "The American people want to be able to pick their own type of health insurance, they want to be able to pick their own doctor and they want to be able to pick their own hospital," Boehner told reporters Tuesday. "It's all negative," Tanner said of the Republican strategy. "It's to form this general feeling out there that it's failed." The law's the law . Additionally, Republican opposition had been based on hypotheticals, now the rhetoric has become reality. "We're not going back," Obama said earlier this week. "I mean, that seems to be the only alternative that Obamacare's critics have is, well, let's just go back to the status quo." Obama urges young supporters to talk up Obamacare . With that strategy, Republicans could deprive the President of that argument. Republican strategist Ron Bonjean said the change happened because circumstances changed. "The effort to defund Obamacare is that people weren't experiencing it yet." Now, "voters are starting to experience bad news," he said. "As the law is being implemented, millions are either losing health care or having premiums go up, and Republicans want to make sure that everyone recognizes that." That has caused Republicans to move away from their blanket calls for repeal to highlighting problems with the law. Additionally, they could be proactively looking down the road. While some are being negatively impacted by the law, millions are expected to benefit. Salon's Brian Beutler wrote, "I think Republican leaders will be extremely reluctant to hold votes to nakedly destroy the law." Reality . "To get rid of it completely would be very difficult," said Ilya Somin, law professor at George Mason University, who was involved in Republicans' Supreme Court challenge. Democrats control the Senate and the White House. Efforts to repeal the law have gone nowhere. The Cato Institute's Tanner said repealing the law "hasn't been a realistic option for quite some time." Regardless, Republicans pushed by their conservative wing shut down the government for 16 days in October in an effort to defund the health care law. "They don't have to go down the legislative road to defund Obamacare at this point because it didn't work," Republican strategist Ron Bonjean said. Lawmakers pass more blame than bills in do-nothing Congress . The move, pushed by the most hard-right members of the party, including Texas Sen. Ted Cruz and multiple members of the House, did not sit well with the public and distracted the country from the horrible roll out of the federal health care exchanges. The race for public opinion . While the Republicans have been taking to news conferences, committee hearing rooms and cable television to espouse the negative aspects of Obamacare, Obama has launched his own public relations campaign to highlight the bright parts of the law. He is working to reverse negative perceptions of the law that have increased since the law's implementation at the beginning of October. And the President still has time. The latest CNN/ORC poll found that while only 40% favor the law, 14% of opponents say the law doesn't go far enough. Meanwhile, 53% say it's too soon to tell if the law will be successful. But Tanner says the Democrats don't have a lot of time because "opinions harden" over time. The uncertain voter is what the Republicans are hoping to tap into. Republican risk? Republicans might have realized that the defund or repeal argument is not politically advantageous as it is associated with the right-wing elements of the party. But that aspect of the party might not be pleased with their decision to stop trying to repeal the law. The conservative group FreedomWorks is still pushing the repeal agenda. Dean Clancy, vice president of public policy for the group, wrote in a recent news release that "FreedomWorks plans to redouble our efforts for full repeal." "ObamaCare can't be fixed; it needs to be uprooted," he added. Bonjean said Republican incumbents shouldn't be worried about primary challengers if they drop the repeal argument in the halls of Congress because they can still espouse it on the campaign trail. "Republicans can still say defunding or replacing Obamacare," he said, adding that they can point to the dozens of votes taken to repeal it in the past. "It's hard to get (to) the right" of Republican incumbents on this issue, he said. Washington could still screw up your holidays . Repeal isn't going to be possible until "after the 2014 elections," Bonjean said, hoping that Republicans maintain their majority in the House and gain a majority in the Senate. Regardless if Republicans continue to shelve the repeal argument, Tanner said repeal will never happen. "There will be something on the books called the Affordable Care Act," he said. He just doesn't know what it will look like in five or 10 years. If the law proves unworkable and not beneficial for Americans, expect Democrats to join with Republicans to alter the law. On the other hand, if the law is successful and voters are pleased, the law is unlikely to be rolled back. "If the positive stories begin to sell, then you won't get wholesale changes," Tanner said. | Republican Party has shifted its strategy on Obamacare away from repealing the law .
GOP launched its own public relations campaign to highlight negative aspects of the law .
The defund strategy has proven counterproductive .
Some on the right still pushing for Republicans to keep repeal efforts moving . |
188,878 | 80a1bfee09220a7854723efe6e4cd14e7e15731b | By . Anthony Bond . Last updated at 6:29 PM on 1st January 2012 . Sad loss: Private John King, 19, was killed in a blast in the Nahr-e Saraj district of Helmand Province on Friday . A soldier who was killed in an explosion in Afghanistan has today been named by the Ministry of Defence. Private John King, 19, was from the 1st Battalion The Yorkshire Regiment, and was killed in a blast in the Nahr-e Saraj district of Helmand Province on Friday. Private King, from Darlington, joined the Army in 2009 and deployed to Afghanistan in October. The Ministry of Defence (MoD) said Private King was taking part in a partnered foot patrol with Afghan national security forces to increase security around the village of Llara Kalay. It said in a statement: 'The patrol had identified insurgents in the area and had begun to search and clear a number of compounds in the village. 'The Afghan National Army members of the patrol came under fire from insurgents and the International Security Assistance Force soldiers moved forwards to support them. 'During the firefight Private King was caught in the blast from an Improvised Explosive Device and was killed in action, despite the best efforts of medics at the scene.' Private King had deployed to Afghanistan as part of Combined Force Nahr-e-Saraj (North), commanded by the Danish Battle Group. The MoD said: 'As an infantryman on the front line he played a pivotal role in the counter-insurgency campaign. He was also a friend to the local community and our Afghan partners, especially the local police, who considered him a brother-in-arms.' Private King leaves mother Karen, father Barry, brothers Ian and Stephen, and girlfriend Kelly. The family said: 'John was a tremendous . son, brother and boyfriend. He was a devoted grandson, a loving family . member, and a proud soldier who died doing a job he adored. Upset: Defence Secretary Philip Hammond said he was 'hugely saddened' to learn of the death of Private John King . 'He will be sadly missed by all his family, friends, and loyal German Shepherd dog Rex.' Lieutenant Colonel Dan Bradbury, Commanding Officer, 1st Battalion The Yorkshire Regiment said: 'Private King had been part of the 1st Battalion The Yorkshire Regiment for a little over 18 months - but one of the busiest 18 months in the Battalion's recent history. 'From early on he was able to fit in quickly through a combination of hard work, grit, a willingness to endure difficult conditions and an irrepressible sense of humour. 'Always the first to volunteer for anything, he was one of B Company's characters: someone who could be found at the front at work or play, and was hugely popular as a result. 'His cheeky smile - no matter what we were doing - is the thing we will miss most of all.' Defence Secretary Philip Hammond said: 'I was hugely saddened to learn of the death of Private John King. 'His colleagues speak of a soldier with true grit and determination who was always willing to support and help those around him, and above all of his tremendous sense of humour. 'I extend my deepest condolences to his family, loved ones and to his brothers in arms in The Yorkshire Regiment.' A total of 394 British troops have died since the start of operations in Afghanistan in 2001. | Victim's family say he was a 'proud soldier' who died doing a job he adored .
Soldier's death takes the total of dead British troops in Afghanistan to 394 . |
225,411 | afe454fbbc3a7357366e769e4107f1cb2baefd39 | After a difficult encounter with Switzerland, Javier Mascherano does not deny that Argentina need to improve if they are going to progress beyond their quarter-final encounter with Belgium. ‘The moment of truth has arrived,’ said the Barcelona and former Liverpool midfielder. ‘Now we have to maintain the level and get rid of the mistakes.’ Had Switzerland been more clinical in front of goal, Argentina could already be out of this World Cup. But they survived the many opportunities the Swiss had, securing victory and their passage to the last eight with a goal from Angel Di Maria only two minutes before the end of extra time. Must do better: It was a night of frustration for Javier Mascherano (right) and Argentina before they eventually prevailed 1-0 against Switzerland and reached the last eight of the World Cup . Last-gasp: A penalty shoot-out was looming when Angel Di Maria scored Argentina's winner in the 118th minute . ‘It’s very difficult,’ he said. ‘But it’s not just about what we’re missing. I like to look at positive aspects. In a World Cup that is so difficult, where it costs so much to go through, we have made good strides forward. ‘In the second half of extra-time Switzerland had less legs. They couldn’t attack in the same way. We could press higher, and we started to win a lot of the ball in their half. But you know that with one mistake you’re going home.’ Mascherano is encouraged by the success the South American teams have so far enjoyed, even if it is the Central Americans from Costa Rica he considers the major threat to the ambitions of the so-called bigger teams. ‘The South Americans, while one or two have gone out, have put in a very respectable performances,’ he said. ‘Obviously we’re seeing a very different World Cup. South America, it’s not the same to play in as Europe. Roar of encouragement: Mascherano urges his team-mates on during the las-16 clash with Switzerland in Sao Paulo . Getting stuck in: Mascherano tries to win the ball from Fabian Lichtsteiner during the encounter at Arena Corinthians . ‘There’s been an evolution. Today you have countries who, historically, don’t have such a football tradition but they’ve evolved; they’ve made a stride forward. ‘Costa Rica are getting their reward for being a brave side. They’re a team that likes to play, that I love to watch because they never depart from their style of play. ‘I said it when they won their first game, against Uruguay; they’re a squad who invite others to copy them. ‘Colombia, well, they’re a fine team. It’s something we knew from qualifying. Jose Pekerman has done extraordinary work with very young players with great potential. Whoops! Mascherano mis-kicks as Argentina struggle to make the breakthrough in the second round game . ‘It’s a bit of a lottery too. Chile could well have gone through. It would have been deserved. I think they put in a very respectable display. They’ve grown a lot and, above all, they never deviated from their idea. That’s the identity of a team.’ Mascherano thinks it difficult to identity a favourite from the eight remaining sides. ‘I’ve read that it’s the World Cup with the most goals, where there are a lot of entertaining games, where there are a lot of great match-ups,’ he said. ‘There aren’t too many big gaps between teams. For the supporters, that’s great. I don’t think it’s fair to say anyone’s been a surprise but you have to mention Costa Rica, who are doing something extraordinary.’ | Argentina midfielder says 'moment of truth has arrived' as they prepare to face Belgium .
Mascherano and his team-mates struggled to get past Switzerland in last-16 .
Required a late goal in extra time from Angel Di Maria to secure progress .
Argentina considered one of the favourites to lift World Cup in Brazil . |
102,422 | 0ff88832ce18fa4011c51a42f30062e3d710483c | (CNN) -- The Danish exception to the history of the Holocaust sheds new light on the relation between the Third Reich and the countries it occupied. It is of particular interest to compare the Danish, Norwegian and Dutch experiences, because the three countries shared many similarities before the war and because the Nazi leadership saw them through the same prism. Despite this, the fate of the Jews in the three countries was very different. The armed resistance of Norway and the Netherlands led the Nazis to take control not only of their territories but of their entire societies. High-ranking German officials were sent to oversee the administration of Norway and the Netherlands, and local Nazis were installed in powerful positions throughout their civil administration. In sharp contrast, elected Danish politicians remained in control until the end of August 1943 and no Danish Nazis were allowed to be part of the Danish administration. This made it possible for the Danish authorities to reject the rationale for any measure to be taken against the Danish Jews. Indeed, the Danish government insisted that no Jewish problem existed in Denmark and that therefore no solution was called for. This attitude provoked a surprising reaction on the part of the Nazi leadership which not only hesitated and postponed the measures that were put in place elsewhere, but also softened the blow when finally, on October 1, 1943, the raid against the Danish Jews was executed. The Germans anticipated the popular Danish reaction in defense of their countrymen and sought to downplay the raid in order not to stir up too much trouble in the occupied country. The Danish opposition to the action caused the Nazis to hesitate and at the same time stimulated a consideration in Berlin of whether the action against the Danish Jews was worth the price? The continuation of "Model-Protectorate Denmark" with provisions of foodstuffs to Germany proved to be more important to the Nazi leaders than deporting and killing the Danish Jews. It is hard to conclude that something similar could have been achieved elsewhere under different conditions. But it is clear that the resistance of the Danes towards discrimination and persecution of their Jewish countrymen made it possible for the Danish Jews to escape. This unique story begs the question whether the same would be true today? Would Danes -- or for that matter any other people -- in a comparable situation rise up and act spontaneously to rescue their countrymen, even at the risk of their own safety? The question goes to the heart of one of the most intense discussions of modern democracies: who are "we" and who belongs to our society? What does it take to be British -- or Danish, or for that matter German? And who, living in Britain or in Denmark, are not seen as part of the national "us"? These questions find no easy answers. And yet, the history of the escape of the Danish Jews shows to us the critical importance of the answers. We have no reason to believe that Danes or other Europeans would not today act on their own initiative to help their countrymen at peril. But it may be less obvious who would in that case be considered countrymen. Whom do we see as part of society and thus under the protection of the communality? And whom do we see as strangers living among us? In the case of Denmark in the 1940s, the inclusion not only related to the well-established Jewish families who had been part of Danish society for centuries. It also included the more recently arrived "Russian Jews" who were first generation immigrants, and, perhaps more surprisingly, the not insignificant number of stateless Jews, mostly German refugees on the run from Nazi persecution. This group did not belong to Danish society in any trivial sense and they did not speak Danish. Most of them had been in the country only shortly, and many had no, if any, personal relation to Denmark. Yet, they were rescued, because most Danes at the time saw the Nazi assault against them as a violation of the sense of justice on which their nation was built. Therefore, coming to their rescue was considered a national duty, an act of patriotism. The rationale was neither abstract nor sophisticated. It was a widely shared sense that an injustice was being committed and that letting it pass without attempting to stop it would eventually corrupt the entire society. This sense is what society is about, today just as much as at the time of the escape of the Danish Jews. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Bo Lidegaard. | The Danes resisted persecution of their Jewish countrymen, writes Bo Lidegaard .
He asks: Would anyone rescue their countrymen today, even at the risk of their own safety?
Lidegaard says it begs the question: Who are "we" and who belongs to our society?
The escape of the Danish Jews shows to us the importance of the answers, he writes . |
147,366 | 4a873d1808ff61098a80fe11a1139e0ee2cba397 | Chicago (CNN) -- President Barack Obama's re-election campaign said Tuesday it is returning about $200,000 in donations collected by two Chicago men after a newspaper report described their brother as a fugitive with alleged links to violence and corruption in Mexico. "More than 1.3 million Americans have donated to the campaign and we constantly review those contributions for any issues," Obama campaign spokesman Ben LaBolt said. "On the basis of the questions that have been raised, we will return the contributions from these individuals and from any other donors they brought to the campaign." The announcement came after The New York Times published a report detailing alleged ties between the two campaign donors and a Mexican casino magnate. Carlos Rojas Cardona and Alberto Rojas Cardona began raising money for the Obama campaign and the Democratic National Committee in Chicago last fall, according to the newspaper. Various members of their family gave a total of $200,000 due to the efforts of the men, an Obama campaign official told CNN. The two Chicago-based brothers maintain connections with a third brother, Juan Jose "Pepe" Rojas Cardona, a Mexican casino magnate who pleaded guilty to U.S. federal drug charges in 1994 and later jumped bail in Iowa, the New York Times said, citing public records and news reports. A 2009 U.S. State Department cable obtained by WikiLeaks alleges that Pepe Rojas had ties with violence and organized crime. Citing an anonymous source, the cable also alleges that Pepe Rojas and another brother had donated millions of dollars to political campaigns in northern Mexico, in addition to providing one candidate with a helicopter and free advertising. "Obviously we didn't know who these folks were, and they themselves were not the guilty party, and the vet didn't go deep enough, obviously," David Axelrod, a senior strategist for Obama's re-election campaign, said on MSNBC Tuesday morning. "When we found out about these entanglements, we returned all the money that they donated and raised, and we'll continue to do that." That was the right move, according to Manny Sanchez, a Chicago attorney and staunch Obama supporter. "If it appears like it might be questionable, the smartest thing is to return the money and just back off," said Sanchez, who first met Carlos and Alberto Rojas at a fundraiser organized by influential Latino Democrats in Chicago last December. "The appearance doesn't look good, but I can tell you this: nothing nefarious was involved in any of the exposures I had to either of the brothers. ... The brother in Mexico, the name never came up nor did any activity with respect to this brother ever come up," he said. They might not have anything to do with their brother's alleged activities in Mexico, he said. "I step back a second and say, just because someone's got a sibling with some issues doesn't necessarily impact or reflect poorly on the siblings that are here," he said. Carlos, Alberto and Pepe Rojas could not be immediately reached for comment. Accounts in the Mexican magazine Proceso describe Pepe Rojas as a "casino czar" with numerous holdings in the industrial city of Monterrey. The magazine said he had donated millions of dollars to candidates at the state and federal level, suggesting some donations paved the way for obtaining casino licenses. Pepe Rojas pleaded guilty to federal drug charges in 1994 after authorities accused him of transporting marijuana in New Mexico. A judge granted prosecutors' request to dismiss the indictment and close the case in 1998. He was convicted of felony theft and forgery charges in Iowa state court two decades ago, and there is still a warrant for his arrest there stemming from a judge's decision to revoke his probation after his 1994 federal drug arrest, Johnson County Attorney Janet Lyness said. In 1991, authorities say, he forged and cashed hundreds of dollars worth of employee paychecks while working as the vice president of a telemarketing company, Lyness said. When an attorney requested that Iowa's governor pardon Pepe Rojas for the state charges last year, Lyness replied that he did not deserve a pardon. "He hurt a lot of very innocent people in his actions," she said Tuesday. "He has yet to take responsibility." CNN's Kevin Bohn, Gustavo Valdes, Rafael Romo, Rene Hernandez, Krupskaia Alis and Catherine E. Shoichet contributed to this report. | NEW: An attorney says he saw "nothing nefarious" about the fundraising brothers .
Report: The fundraisers' brother is a Mexican casino magnate .
A State Department cable alleges connections with organized crime .
Pepe Rojas is wanted on a warrant in Iowa after his probation was revoked . |
208,674 | 9a3186347fb54f2f9f5a1b8f21c2d1e53b6e943e | (CNN) -- While the coastal town of Savannah, Georgia, fills with spectators on Saturday for the Rock 'n' Roll marathon, Chris Fenton and Laura Devrieze will be focused on the finish line. For Fenton, crossing that line means completing his 10th marathon in six months. For Devrieze, it means finishing her first. For both, it's about running 26.2 miles for a parent with cancer. Fenton and Devrieze are a part of the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's Team in Training program. As the world's largest endurance sports training program, Team in Training has raised $1.2 billion for blood cancer research. The program started 23 years ago when Bruce Cleland formed a group to run the New York City Marathon in honor of his daughter, a leukemia survivor. Approximately 45,000 runners are signed up this year for the New York marathon, which takes place on November 6. Many are associated with one of the 200 registered charities; in 2010 the race raised more than $30 million for different causes. Train with Sanjay: 2012 Fit Nation Triathlon Challenge . Leukemia & Lymphoma Society communications manager Kristin Hoose says having a cause helps athletes focus on a goal, and having an athlete to support helps donors open their wallets. "When people share their personal stories, and those of their heroes ... people see that their $10 can make a big difference." A mother's strength . Chris Fenton was on a business trip in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, when he got a message from the secretary. His sister had called from Manhattan. Fenton looked at his watch and realized it was close to midnight in the States. Something was wrong. "You hear those words for the first time: 'Mom has cancer.' You just kind of drop the phone and go into shock and say 'Oh my god. Oh my god. Oh my god,'" he said. His mom, Barbara, is the matriarch of the Fenton family. As the second oldest of 14 children and a mother of six, Barbara received an outpouring of love after her non-Hodgkin lymphoma diagnosis. She had always taken care of everyone else, now they would take care of her. Treatment was hard. Barbara endured four courses of chemo and four of radiation therapy. In October 2001, she went into remission. Fenton's left Achilles tendon is screaming at him as he talks about his mom -- now the picture of health at 78 -- from home in Kohler, Wisconsin. "She's settling in, loves to be a grandmother and spoil the grandkids, and (is) just kind of enjoying the golden years," he says with a laugh. A long-time runner, Fenton started his journey to honor his mom in May. He's running 10 marathons (to celebrate her 10th anniversary of going into remission) in six months -- the time it took from diagnosis to remission. Since May, he has logged more than 200 official miles. Saturday marks his final race. "I'm still a middle-of-the-pack plodder," he says, "but I'm able to find my way around a marathon course." He has raised close to $100,000 over the last 10 years and hopes to continue supporting blood cancer research with Team in Training. "My mom's story had a positive outcome. There are a lot of people who don't." A father's joy . People loved Harry Devrieze. With thinning dark hair and bright blue eyes, he had a smile that lit up a room. Friends and family were his priority and he never hesitated to lend a helping hand. The owner of a construction business, he often came by his daughter Laura's house in Carrollton, Georgia, to make repairs. It was from him that she learned plumbing, drywall and her way around the Home Depot store. "He loved doing that -- he loved fixing things, he loved gardening, he loved working around the house." Two years ago, Harry developed a rare, aggressive form of non-Hodgkin lymphoma. After chemotherapy, he was giving a clean bill of health, but the cancer returned and was discovered in January. The Devrieze family was almost surprised by the intensity of the disease the second time around. The toll it took on Harry's body was more menacing. "This was a full attack on his bones, his lungs, his muscles," Devrieze remembers. It was during this time that she went to her first Team in Training meeting and signed up for the Rock 'n' Roll marathon. Running gave her time to clear her mind and be by herself. Her dad supported Devrieze's decision to race and to raise money for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. "It was always important for him for me to be involved and kind of have a cause," Devrieze says. "He's the reason I was doing it, but he didn't want to be the reason I was doing it." While she ran 5 miles, then 10, then 15, her dad started preparing for a stem cell transplant. He spent the month of May at Emory University Hospital. On Saturdays, Devrieze joined Team in Training in Atlanta for a run and then went to visit him. Harry was released from the hospital in late June after the transplant didn't take. He passed away on August 16, 2011 at age 70. For a couple of weeks, Devrieze refused to run, clutching to the friends and family Harry had held so close. Then she picked up her shoes and moved with the pain. For Devrieze, Saturday will be yet another reminder of her loss. Her dad won't be there to watch her cross the finish line. That's why she's all the more determined to do exactly that. "He was very proud and very excited. This is the longest I've ever run. It's mind over body, and having a greater purpose ... makes the mind part work better." | The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's team raises money for blood cancer research .
Chris Fenton is running 10 marathons in six months in honor of his mother .
Sharing personal stories helps runners focus on the goal, donors open wallets . |
187,020 | 7e3424d6a88e73852d4e1769437d412c2d4063b6 | MADRID, Spain (CNN) -- Chess legends Garry Kasparov and Anatoli Karpov faced off again in Spain on Tuesday, 25 years after their epic first world championship battle in Moscow, in what organizers are calling a "historic revenge match." Garry Kasparov, right, and Anatoli Karpov play chess at the Arts Palau in Valencia, on Tuesday. Revenge or not, the past chess champs will receive undisclosed sums for playing the three-day, 12-game match in the eastern port city of Valencia. There will be no additional cash prize for the winner of the exhibition event, which the regional Valencia government is organizing under the title "Valencia, cradle of modern chess," event spokesman Rafa Carretero told CNN. But bragging rights, yes, and perhaps with more on the line for Kasparov, who dominated the chess world for 20 years. Kasparov carried on that legacy on Tuesday, winning the first two games in this rematch, Spain's state new agency EFE reported. Karpov was world champion when they began their initial five-month match in 1984 in Moscow. That match was controversially stopped by chess authorities, citing concerns about the health of the contestants after 48 grueling games. But the next year in Moscow, Kasparov beat Karpov in a rematch and went on to hold the number-one world chess ranking almost without interruption until his retirement in 2005. The two last met, in their fifth match, in 1990, with games played in New York and Lyon, France. Kasparov won. In a total of five world championship matches, Kasparov has the edge with 21 wins, 19 losses and 104 ties in a total of 144 games. Karpov, now 58, and Kasparov, 46, told Spanish newspaper El Pais they hoped the rematch in Valencia would put chess in the spotlight again. Karpov came from Russia to Valencia more than a week ago, with a team of elite trainers, organizers said. Kasparov arrived last Sunday from his home in Croatia, where he had been training. The match, at Valencia's Palace of Arts, has attracted interest from ticket buyers on five continents, organizers said. One of the highest-profile fans on hand is Sulaiman Al-Fahim, president of the chess federation of the United Arab Emirates and owner of England's Portsmouth football team. Dutchman Geurt Gijssen, who was referee for the last two matches between Karpov and Kasparov, will referee this match as well, the organizers said. Kasparov is now an opposition politician in Russia, running unsuccessfully against then-President Vladimir Putin in 2007. During their first match, in 1984, Kasparov was just 21 and Karpov was 33. | Garry Kasparov and Anatoli Karpov face off again, in Valencia, Spain .
Match comes 25 years after their epic first world championship battle in Moscow .
Kasparov wins first two games in the 12-game rematch .
Their 48-game Moscow match was controversially stopped citing health concerns . |
206,287 | 970def2aed1aab815aa095cf5d781582d590cdd1 | A controversial Queensland cartoonist claims he is under police protection after publishing a cartoon featuring the Prophet Muhammad. In a post on his Facebook page, Larry Pickering said he was visited by law enforcement officers at his home on Sunday night. 'I must be getting up someone’s nose because two gentleman from the Counter Terrorism Unit came to my door in the pouring rain last night to tell me I was under protective surveillance due to some chatter or other,' he said. Political cartoonist: Larry Pickering, pictured, is known for his controversial carto . Pickering posted a picture of the Prophet Muhammad in the immediate aftermath of the Paris massacre . The provocative artist posted the picture in the immediate aftermath of the Paris massacre where 12 people were killed by gunmen at satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo. In an interview with the Herald Sun newspaper, Pickering said: 'They gave me their details and special phone numbers and said if I call they will be there in minutes. Pickering was responsible for an online campaign against former Prime Minister Julia Gillard several years ago, which involved several derogatory cartoons. A police spokesman told Daily Mail Australia: 'For operational, security and privacy reasons, the QPS would not comment on such matters regardless of the individual.' Pickering told the Herald Sun he 'won't be cowed by acts of barbarism'. More than 40 world leaders marched down the streets of Paris in defiance to the Charlie Hebdo massacre . Biggest demonstration in the nation's history: More than 3 million people took to the streets in defiance of last week's sieges . 'Not afraid': Another sign of defiance in the crowd in Paris . | Larry Pickering claims he is under police protection .
He posted a derogatory image of the Prophet Muhammad .
Comes after the Paris massacre of twelve people at satirical magazine .
He said he was visited by police at his home on Sunday . |
171,450 | 69ecaec996b032031dc44d3fed8006339dc7a4b3 | By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 01:59 EST, 6 January 2014 . | . UPDATED: . 05:31 EST, 6 January 2014 . Air traffic control tapes released Sunday shed light into the cockpit as a student pilot navigated his broken plane into an emergency landing on the Major Deegan Expressway in the Bronx. Pilot Michael Schwartz had taken out two female passengers for a flight around the Statue of Liberty on Saturday when he encountered engine troubles on the way back to Danbury, Connecticut. He called air traffic control around 3:20pm asking for guidance and remained levelheaded even when the controller didn't come up with a ton of options for possible landing areas. 'Mayday, mayday...we're losing engine power,' the pilot of the Piper Pa-28 says. Scroll down for video . Crash: The small plane is pictured on a Bronx highway after the pilot was forced to make an emergency landing . Owner: The plane is registered to Michael Schwartz of South Salem, New York. The other two women on board were not identified . In the call he asks for a place to . make an emergency landing, and the air traffic controller points out . that La Guardia Airport in Queens is five miles away. 'I'll never make it, where do I touch down?' At that point the air traffic controller struggles for a while to think up another option . 'I'm . not sure where you can touch down if you're not going to make it,' he . says before throwing out the idea of Harlem River or Major Deegan. He . quickly changes his mind on landing on the Major Deegan however since . its populated and points the pilot in the direction Van Cortlandt Park . which is 1,100 acres. By then it was too late. 'I'm at less than 1,000 feet,' Schwartz said just as he landed on the freeway. Mr Schwartz made the landing, saving himself and the two passengers and without hitting any of the cars on the freeway. 'Looks . like we made a pretty good landing here,' he said once on the ground. 'Looks like there isn't much damage to the aircraft at all.' Only option: The air traffic controller suggested landing in Van Cortlandt Park, but Mr Schwartz was too far off . Witnesses were astounded as the plane made its shaky descent on the highway. One quick-thinking maintenance worker rushed to help alerting cars to move out of the way as he saw the craft coming in. 'The propeller wasn't moving and it went down right over us,' Jarel Paul, who was driving along the road with friends, told the Daily News. He added that as they spotted the plane, one of his friends was yelling: 'It's flying low, it's low.' The two passengers have not been named but it was revealed the plane was heading back to Danbury, . Connecticut, after the pilot and passengers had taken a flying visit . around the Statue of Liberty. Speaking to the New York Daily News, Schwartz's wife spoke of her relief and pride. 'It is amazing. I'm just thankful he learned how to land well,†. | Drivers say light aircraft stalled before coming down on highway .
Pilot and two passengers on board were returning from flight around Statue of Liberty .
Michael Schwartz made the daring landing in the middle of the busy highway saving both his passengers who he was taking back to Connecticut .
An audio tape of his conversation with air traffic control were released Sunday . |
167,842 | 65179c2e5733ec2a0ce96cd6cc79f42c5d0feabb | Eyelid surgery has become an increasingly popular way for Asian women to attain 'double eyelids' but a new invention promises a cheaper and less painful alternative to undergoing blepharoplasty in the operating theatre. The aim of blepharoplasty is to create . an upper eyelid with a crease (the 'double eyelid') from an eyelid . that is naturally without a crease. Fashion fans in Japan have now become hooked on a bizarre craze to give themselves these 'double eyelids' with an instant DIY facelift. Rather than pay £3,000 for cosmetic surgeons to give them eyelids with a more Western appearance, they can buy a £3.50 box of ordinary sticking plasters to give the same effect. Scroll down for video . Before and after: Teenagers in Japan have become hooked on a bizarre craze to give themselves Western-style 'double eyelids' with an piece of sticky tape they place on their lids . Many young Japanese strive to what they call double eyelids, with a crease missing from many natural Asian lids. One magazine, Scawaii Beauty, describes how cutting a semi-circular strip from a plaster and sticking it on the top of the eyelid will give a perfect Western-style crease. 'It is the godly effect we all want,' says the magazine. DIY eye lift: Many young Japanese covet what they call double eyelids, right, with a crease in the middle which is missing from many oriental lids, left . How does it work? Cutting a semi-circular strip from a plaster and sticking it on the top of the eyelid will give a perfect Western-style crease, claim Japanese magazines . The craze started in South Korea and has spread quickly through Japan, where teenagers think the ideal face would have big, Western-style round eyes and small Asian features. The tape is even sold on Amazon, where is it described as a 'medical grade tape designed to lift the eyelids and sagging skin around the eyes. The result is your eyes look bigger and clearer'. But the obsession has been criticised by traditionalists who say it is robbing the nation of its identity. 'How can you call yourself Japanese when you seem to be obsessed with making yourself look like something else?', writes one. Reika Kosaka, 23, who tried the tape, defended the trick, saying: 'We wear make-up, put on fake eyelashes and fingernails, add hair extensions and wear bras that make our breasts look bigger, so why not a bit of alteration of the eyelid, especially if it's only temporary for a night out on the town?'. Striving for 'perfection': The craze has spread quickly through Japan, where teenagers think the ideal face would have big, Western-style round eyes and small Asian features . Perfection? One magazine called Scawaii Beauty says the eyelid look is the 'godly effect we all want' | Teens in Japan obsessed with sticky tape for DIY facelift .
Sticky plasters gives double eyelids, with crease in the middle . |
170,016 | 6809e2fc7172359e45617284f5bbdeeb6071f0a4 | Zinedine Zidane has revealed he told Real Madrid president Florentino Perez to sign Steven Gerrard in the summer of 2004 - but the Liverpool captain would not leave Anfield. Zidane wanted the then-England international to partner him in midfield but Gerrard stayed loyal to Liverpool, turning down a move to the Bernabeu on two occasions. Gerrard announced on Friday he will leave Liverpool at the end of this Barclays Premier League season after a 26-year association, and Zidane has hailed the 34-year-old's dedication. VIDEO Scroll down to watch as Brendan Rodgers admits he wanted Steven Gerrard to stay . Steven Gerrard (right) trains on Saturday with his Liverpool team-mates at Melwood after his announcement . Gerrard during a training session on Saturday and Zinedine Zidane feels his MLS move can bring trophies . Zidane has revealed he told Real Madrid president Florentino Perez to sign Steven Gerrard in 2004 . Gerrard (centre) runs during training with Emre Can (left) and Jordan Henderson (right) at Melwood . Casillas . Salgado - Pavon - Samuel - R Carlos . Beckham - Gerrard - Zidane - Figo . Raul - Ronaldo . Beckham, Figo, Ronaldo, Zidane and Raul in 2004 . 'I have said in the past that at his peak he was the best in the world,' said Zidane. 'I think it was the summer of 2004 I was having a conversation with Florentino (Perez) and I told him I wanted him to partner me in midfield for Madrid. 'I know the club tried twice but he wouldn't leave Liverpool. Not many players turn down Real Madrid but I think that tells you a lot about the loyalty of the man.' Gerrard went close to his first Premier League title last year as Liverpool finished two points behind champions Manchester City. He confirmed he will move to America with LA Galaxy, New York City and New York Red Bulls among potential suitors, and Zidane feels it will prove a good move. 'It is incredible he has never won a league title but he has had success with Liverpool,' continued Zidane. 'The years of him winning trophies are not behind him. I am sure he will be very successful in the MLS.' Zidane (right) revealed he told Real Madrid president Perez to sign Gerrard (left) in the summer of 2004 . Gerrard tackles Zidane during a Euro 2004 international match between England and France in 2004 . Liverpool captain Gerrard celebrates scoring the winner against Olympiakos in the Champions League in 2004 . Gerrard turned down two moves to the Bernabeu with Real Madrid and stayed loyal to Liverpool . But Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers has made no secret that he wanted to keep Gerrard. 'I think if you look at Steven's statement then that makes it clear,' Rodgers admitted. 'He certainly knew my feelings on me wanting him to be here. 'He has been a brilliant captain for me in my time here. I naturally wanted him to stay here. 'His role is slightly different now, he still sees himself wanting to go on and play for a couple of years. Naturally at this level it was going to taper over the next couple years. 'He wasn't ready to go into coaching or anything like that yet. He sees himself very much as a player. When he finishes as a player then we can look at coaching then as he is someone who would be brilliant to come back as part of the staff. But his concentration at the moment is on his football.' Gerrard trains with his Liverpool team-mates at Melwood on Friday after announcing he will be leaving Anfield . Gerrard (left) with deputy Henderson as the club captain prepares to leave Anfield at the end of this season . | Zinedine Zidane wanted Steven Gerrard to partner him in midfield in 2004 .
Real Madrid president Florentino Perez tried to sign Gerrard TWICE .
The Liverpool captain stayed loyal and turned down moves to Bernabeu .
Zidane: 'Not many players turn down Real Madrid but I think that tells you a lot about the loyalty of the man' |
281,532 | f8af934587b9f3abf9c6b667110ce4e9fe7f21c5 | Creepy clown hoaxes have landed YouTube sensations DM Pranks a Hollywood feature deal, but that can wait - first the Italian reality horror outfit wants to terrify fans for Halloween. A new film by the team from Magione, Perugia, led by Matteo, replaces their brutal Bozo character, who duped passers-by into believing he was committing gory murders, with a spooky flesh-craving mutant character. With the star's costume made by Matteo’s grandmother and three of their six-man crew for the latest film his cousins, it’s a genuine family affair and can be watched here first on MailOnline. In one prank, the mutant slices through a model with an axe like a hot knife through butter . DM Pranks is coming up on 2.5 million followers on YouTube after they begun to upload the videos they’ve been making since college last July, and have amassed 380,000 Facebook fans. Hollywood came knocking and after a host of meetings with interested producers a deal was struck with Dallas Sonnier, of independent filmmakers Caliber Media, to make their first feature. ‘Over the past few months, I have been getting tonnes of emails and calls from production companies in Hollywood wanting to make a movie with me,’ Matteo says. '[We] developed a brilliant idea for a movie that I¹m going to do with his company.' Matteo aims to have a script ready to roll by next year which ‘will be scary, but in a fun way’. The new work shows the power of their pranks with the star of the show coming straight from the horror genre copybook. The costume that scares the pants off the general public was made by one of the filmmaker's grandmothers . A disfigured head, gnarly yellow teeth and dark cape ensure that when he emerges from the darkness armed with a range of weapons - including a pitch fork, scythe and a bow and arrow - the passing members of the public are duly scared out of their wits. In the most gory moment of the film, the mutant slices through a dummy with an axe to reveal fleshy insides as a couple walks by. ‘I will always work with my team to keep producing top-notch pranks,’ he says. 'People always like to see other people run for their lives. As a member of the public walks along a path, the mutant on the grassy knoll (right out of shot) fires an arrow . The big finale when the mutant appears to be feasting on a collection of corpses before a man arrives . Naturally, the man (to the right) screams help and makes a hasty escape from the cape creature . Their latest effort was 10-day filming project followed by 30 hours of editing. The tight team of six people along with Matteo. Executing a perfect prank is just part of the challenge for the DM crew, with police and the stars of their videos – the unassuming public – often standing in the way. ‘Many people won’t let us use them in the video and have called the police to make us erase the scene on the camera,’ says Matteo. In their new video Matteo said they were descended upon by six police cars and 15 officers after we filmed with the fake gun. The clown character features in a previous hit video, faking to smash a man's head in a car park with a mallet . The element of surprise is key, as two unknowing men walk around the corner and see the clown in action . The clown spooks a man at a petrol station pouring a mystery clear liquid on the ground around his car . ‘Sometimes we get scared, we had few violent reactions which for obvious reasons are not in any video,’ Matteo says. The mutant film stands among DM’s proudest products to date, says Matteo, as their increasing success means they can offer a higher quality of production. ‘This is one of my favourites,’ says Matteo. ‘I’m trying to move in another directions making the video look more cinematic and better quality.’ | DM Pranks landed a Hollywood deal after their clown horrors went viral .
Their new work features a mutant character spooking the general public .
The flesh-hungry mutant chases people with an axe and shoots an arrow .
During filming the crew were stopped by 15 police officers while using a fake gun in a scene which didn't make the final cut . |
163,040 | 5ed3d80b48355c6c2388d926d3ef9fd6d6ba674e | The Venezuelan government says it is investigating allegations that unauthorized Brazilian gold miners killed dozens of Yanomami Indians in an attack in the Venezuelan Amazon. The announcement Wednesday followed calls for action this week by a Yanomami organization and other indigenous groups. The Venezuelan government said that two public officials had been asked to carry out the inquiry into the alleged attack from a helicopter. Survival International, a London-based organization that advocates tribal peoples' rights worldwide, published online what it said was a declaration from a group of organizations representing indigenous peoples and communities in the Amazon about the alleged attack. The indigenous organization's declaration said that the number of people killed had yet to be fully established, but that of about 80 Yanomami people who lived in the community, only three survivors had been found. The alleged attack on the community of Irotatheri in the Venezuelan municipality of Alto Orinoco, near the Brazilian border, is believed to have taken place in July. Survival said in its own report that information is only just beginning to emerge because of the remote location of the community. The Yanomami, who live in Venezuela and Brazil, are considered the largest indigenous group in the Americas that remains largely untouched by advances in the outside world. Anthropologists have described the tribe in a variety of ways, ranging from fierce warmongers to mystics to introspective intellectuals. In recent years, the tribe has been under increasing pressure as miners illegally entered their land in the search of profits. Miners in Brazil have transmitted diseases such as malaria and flu to the Yanomami, who have little resistance to such diseases, observers say. The site where the attack is alleged to have happened is a five-hour helicopter ride, or 15 days on foot, from Puerto Ayacucho, the main Venezuelan city in the Amazon, the government said. The harm caused to indigenous peoples and the environment by Brazilian gold miners working in the border area is a long-standing issue. The Brazilian police carried out an operation last month targeting miners operating on the Brazilian side of the border. In its report on the situation, Survival cited Yanomami people who had spoken to Indians who said they had seen burned bodies and bones in the area where the attack is alleged to have happened. One of the people it quoted, Luis Shatiwe Yanomami, a leader of the Yanomami organization Horonami, said he had been told that those who survived had been out hunting when the community's communal house was set on fire. "For three years we have been denouncing the situation," Survival quoted him as saying. "There are lots of gold miners working illegally in the forest." Both Survival and the indigenous organizations referred to an attack in 1993 on the Yanomami community of Haximu in Brazil in which they said 16 Indians were killed. Several miners were subsequently convicted for their role in the attack, Survival said. The organizations called for a criminal investigation into the alleged attack in July, and for measures to clamp down on the illegal activities in the area. "This is another appalling tragedy for the Yanomami -- heaping crime upon crime," said Stephen Corry, director of Survival. "All Amazonian governments must stop the rampant illegal mining, logging and settlement in indigenous territories." Venezuela's state-run refineries afflicted by mismanagement . | Venezuela has appointed two public officials to look into the allegations .
Indigenous groups say only three survivors have been found from a community of about 80 .
Harm caused by Brazilian gold miners in the Amazon region is a long-standing issue .
The attack is alleged to have happened in July, but information is only now emerging . |
831 | 0262c45007e116626eafbecfe3d9adff0adae961 | (CNN) -- Like what you've seen so far? Well, the World Cup will dish up even more soccer superlatives as the "Round of 16" kicks off on Saturday. After surviving the "Group of Death," the U.S. soccer team will have to duck a knockout punch this week. Or throw one themselves. With the complicated math of group play gone, the elimination principal will take to the pitch with the squads. That means it's win or go home. Team USA has to knock Belgium out cold to advance to the quarterfinals. That's not until Tuesday. But wait! Leave that TV on! Nascent U.S. footy fans shouldn't get tempted to take a break along with the home team they've newly fallen in love with, or they'll miss big games like Mexico vs. Netherlands on Sunday -- and the ultimate futbol acrobats on Saturday: . They're the beauty in the "beautiful game," the big kahuna, the unmatched five-time World Cup champions, the team sportscasters call "The Scratch" -- that has proven that soccer can be better than you-know-what: Brazil. Here are this weekend's four knockout matches with viewing times and channels -- and at bottom, a fun way to find a love match and score yourself at the cup. 1. "The Scratch" Brazil vs. Chile, noon ET Saturday on ABC, Univision . Despite the home field advantage, the Brazilian team is getting the jitters as rival Chile approaches, Brazil's coach told the BBC. But that's "normal," he said. It doesn't seem to calm their nerves that FIFA ranks Chile's team 14th and Brazil's 3rd in the world. -- Or that Brazil has won 48 of the two teams' 68 previous face-offs. -- Or that it scored 159 goals vs. 58 for Chile in those matches. -- Or that Brazil has shot seven goals in this tournament so far to Chile's five. -- Or that Brazil has fired 23 shots on target at the goal at this World Cup compared to 10 for Chile. Forget all of it. It doesn't matter. FIFA ranked Spain No. 1, and they've already gone home. If Chile gets just one more point than Brazil -- just the right ankle-breaking dance to the goal by maestro forward Alexis Sanchez -- or if their impenetrable goalie Claudio Bravo holds off one last goal attempt by Brazil. Then Brazil goes home, too. Er, uh, wait. They're home already. But they'd have to sit in the stands in front of the whole country without that sixth championship star on their jerseys. 2. The bite . Colombia vs. Uruguay, 4 p.m. ET Saturday on ABC, Univision . It's almost like Colombia never lost star striker Radamel Falcao to injury even before the cup started. They ate up their competitors in Group C play and go to the knockout round euphoric. And at the same time, Uruguay literally lost a lot of its bite this week when FIFA suspended forward Luis Suarez for four months for ... well ... biting another player. He's a massive scorer -- saved his team after it lost to Costa Rica 3-1 in Group D play. He shot both goals, when Uruguay downed England 2-1. Uruguay's team is raving mad at FIFA for sending Suarez home. Maybe it will give the team the fire in the belly it needs to keep from joining him at Colombia's hands. In their previous matchups, Uruguay has come out on top much more often. And they've still got forward Edinson Cavini, whom FIFA calls "a born goalscorer." And he has a reputation for being much more laid back than Suarez. Sports clothier Adidas has had some fun with the infamous chomp. 3. Big cheese or whole enchilada . Netherlands vs. Mexico, noon ET Sunday, ESPN, Univision . Call it Offense vs. Defense. The Netherlands are to Europe what Wisconsin is to the United States in its clichéd role as a cheese maker -- although in reality, the European Union says Germany and France make more of it. But Holland has the stuff to be the big cheese of global soccer this year. The guys in screaming orange jerseys have shot the most goals in this year's World Cup -- 10, compared to the top two seeds -- Germany's and Brazil -- which have seven each. They dominated their group, roundly stomping reigning world champ Spain 5-1 in their first game. Mexico has played more defense than offense, scoring only four goals so far but also allowing only one. They held Brazil to a 0-0 tie. But Mexico may have just turned up the heat. It looks like their scoring hope Javier Hernandez just got cranked in their 3-1 win against Croatia. If they beat the Dutch, they would reach the level of their best ever performance at the World Cup. They've only previously made it to the group of eight twice before. 4. Pleased to meet you. Now, please, go home! Costa Rica vs. Greece, 4 p.m. ET Sunday, ESPN, Univision . They've never met on a World Cup pitch before. And it's no wonder. This is only Costa Rica's third appearance at a World Cup, and only Greece's second. Greece has shot only two goals so far this tournament but also allowed only one. Costa Rica has shot twice as many, while allowing only one and putting away major contenders Italy and Uruguay. Sound like Greece is the underdog? Consider that FIFA ranks the team 12th in the world and Costa Rica 28th. Remember many good things come from Greece, even if they are from Brazil: . 5. Scoring apps . No, no, not apps to keep score of the game. Apps to find the right match -- as in people to date. Tinder and Blendr are dating apps for smart phones, and they're booming in Brazil at the World Cup. With more than 600,000 fans pouring into Brazil for the tournament, Tinder says usage and downloads here have jumped 50%. Many locals are using it to meet visitors from around the world. At bars and open-air fan game viewing sites, people are checking their smart phones to see how many new matches they have -- and the apps turn up plenty of people to meet. Time for a chat. Maybe with a particular goal in mind? --------------------------------------- . CNN's Rick Martin and Shasta Darlington contributed to this report. Fan zone photo by Rick Martin. | The U.S. gets a break, but there are some magical matches coming this weekend .
First up, team Brazil, the beauty in the "beautiful game"
Mexico plays dogged defense against this year's highest scorers from the Netherlands .
Looking to score with the right match? Dating apps go ape at Brazil World Cup . |
46,712 | 839db0cf49fc09538f39e91c65f00ae9e8249a6d | By . Kerry Mcqueeney . PUBLISHED: . 12:52 EST, 1 April 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 04:21 EST, 2 April 2012 . He was long-blamed for the failure of Captain Scott's ill-fated expedition to the South Pole in 1911. However, a historian now believes Edgar Evans - whose injuries were thought to have contributed to the Antarctic mission's demise - was actually an unsung hero. Legendary Captain Robert Scott led his four-strong team to the South Pole as part of the Terra Nova Expedition. Doomed: The members of Captain Scott's ill-fated expedition to the South Pole (from left to right); Laurence Oates, H.R. Bowers, Robert Scott, Edward Wilson and Edgar Evans . Deadly expedition: Legendary Captain Robert Scott led his four-strong team to the South Pole as part of the Terra Nova Expedition . The group died on the return leg of their journey having lost the Polar race to the Norwegian explorer Roald Amundsen. Until now, Welshman Petty Officer Evans was believed to be largely responsible for the failure of the mission due to a head injury he suffered when he fell and hit his on a crevasse, during the expedition. It was said his deteriorating condition delayed the explorers, diminishing their food supply and leading to their desperate demise. But now new light has been shed on his role. Historian Isobel P. Williams claims that Edgar Evans was actually a key player in the expedition and his injury played no part in the men's deaths. According to Williams they died as a result of the extreme cold and exhaustion, coupled with a 'completely inadequate' diet. Unsung hero: Edgar Evans (left) suffered a head injury and was the first to die but his determination, endurance and loyalty to Scott (right) 'makes him a hero of the British Expeditions', a historian says . Williams, a former medical consultant in Respiratory Medicine, said her research proved beyond doubt that Evans was an unsung hero. The historian, who has now published a book about her findings, said: 'Edgar was the first to die and when the news reached England, he was unfairly blamed by some, for the tragedy. 'We now have a better understanding of the appalling physical conditions endured by all members of the Polar assault. 'And my medical knowledge has given me insight into the problems suffered by the explorers on their return and particularly the difficulties that Edgar encountered. 'Edgar died due to circumstances entirely beyond his control and that his determination, endurance and loyalty to Scott makes him a hero of the British Expeditions.' Frozen in time: Scott's ship, the Terra Nova, at the Ice Foot, Cape Evans . The Terra Nova Expedition began on . November 26, 1910 when Captain Scott and his crew left Lyttelton, New . Zealand, in the hope of becoming the first people to reach the South . Pole. Despite atrocious weather conditions, Scott and four companions reached the pole in January 1912. However . their hopes of snatching the international ‘Polar race’ were dashed . after they discovered that a team led by their Norwegian rival, . Amundsen, had beaten them to it. All . five of Scott’s men died of exposure on the return journey from the . Pole, with the last three survivors being just 11 miles from the next . depot of food and fuel. Scott . held Edgar Evans in high regard, writing in his journal that he was 'a . giant worker - he is responsible for every sledge, every sledge-fitting, . tents, sleeping-bags, harness, and when one cannot recall a single . expression of dissatisfaction with any one of these items, it shows what . an invaluable assistant he has been'. The Terra Nova Expedition began on November 26, 1910 when Captain Scott and his crew left Lyttelton, New Zealand, in the hope of becoming the first people to reach the South Pole . In spite of this, for almost a century, his name has been linked with the party’s failure. Evans was believed to have suffered a serious head injury following a fall into a crevasse on the Beardmore Glacier. His worsening physical condition delayed the party and what little food they had gradually diminished. Edgar Evans, a father of three, deteriorated rapidly on the return journey, with little his companions could do to help him. He finally collapsed and died on February 17, 1912. But in Captain Scott’s Invaluable Assistant, Edgar Evans, Williams reveals that Petty Officer Evans was, in fact, an 'invaluable team member' who was 'far' from incompetent. The book, Captain Scott's Invaluable Assistant, Edgar Evans is on general sale now, priced £12.99. | Edgar Evans' injuries were thought to be responsible for mission's demise .
Historian claims Welshman was a 'key player' who played no part in their deaths . |
11,298 | 20246cc51e691c2e8e83795744c037f1afea3f78 | By . Chris Greenwood . Radical: A British militant in Syria on a YouTube video - one of a growing number going to fight . Hundreds more British jihadists have now travelled to Syria, the UK’s police counter-terrorism chief admitted yesterday. Deputy Assistant Commissioner Helen Ball said the authorities are powerless to stop young Muslims heading to the war-torn state. The Scotland Yard chief said the battle against the Assad regime acts like a ‘magnet’ – and fighters now number in the ‘mid’ rather than ‘low’ hundreds. There is speculation the figure could be as high as 700 as the authorities admit they are struggling to monitor those who are in the Middle East. Among those in Syria are children as young as 16, and even a small number of women who have gone to marry and care for militants. The warning came as a national campaign to urge women to stop their loved ones going to Syria was criticised as fundamentally flawed. The mothers, wives and sisters of potential jihadists were asked to contact the police so that officers can intervene. But Labour MP Keith Vaz, the chairman of Parliament’s Home Affairs Committee, said that the police are not a counselling service. He said: ‘It is unlikely that family members will want to report suspicions about their own children to the authorities. All the evidence indicates that the families themselves are last to know. ‘The police are not the Samaritans, they are the first step in the criminal enforcement process.’ Ministers are increasingly concerned at the growing numbers of Britons travelling to Syria to fight alongside militants. Among the armed groups are terrorists fighting under the flag of Al Qaeda who want to bring sharia law to the broken state. The fear is that young men will be radicalised while fighting on the front line, learning about weapons and bomb-making. If they survive, they could return to Britain with violent ideological ideas and launch domestic terrorist attacks. Scroll down for video . Mothers, wives and sisters of potential jihadists have been asked to contact the police who will intervene . Scotland Yard is considering whether to release graphic images of those injured in the fighting in a bid to discourage potential jihadists. Senior officers are concerned that young men are being groomed by romanticised propaganda on social networks, which promises ‘five star jihad’. DAC Ball admitted that police could not physically stop anyone travelling to Syria, even if relatives reported them. She said police and the security services face huge challenges as they try to monitor what is taking place in Syria and along its chaotic border with Turkey. But, she added, anyone identified on their return as having joined the conflict – even for the Free Syrian Army – faces arrest under anti-terrorism laws. Scotland Yard warned the Assad regime is increasingly becoming a 'magnet' for young extremists . More than 40 people have been arrested for crimes linked to Syria in the first three months of this year, compared to 25 in the whole of 2013. Earlier this month prospective Brighton University student Abdullah Deghayes, 18, was killed in a gunfight in Kassab in Latakia. His two brothers, Jaffar, 16, and Amer, 20, remain in Syria. Prime Minister David Cameron said the Government is ‘very concerned’ about the threat posed by jihadists returning from Syria, adding: ‘We are trying to prevent people from travelling there. ‘If you know someone who is in danger of being radicalised, with radical views, and is thinking of travelling to Syria, then the best thing to do is to talk to the police, talk to the authorities so that we can help you.’ | Scotland Yard said Assad regime is 'magnet' for young extremists .
Children as young as 16 left to fight as well as women caring for militants .
Mothers, wives, sisters of potential fighters were asked to contact police . |
85,471 | f26c488e125e5814583fc0586c940d9dc6033178 | By . Ryan Gorman . PUBLISHED: . 23:56 EST, 16 March 2014 . | . UPDATED: . 06:54 EST, 17 March 2014 . Two men are under arrest after the body of a third man missing for almost two months was found this week in Montana. Authorities arrested Russell Britton, 58, and Moises Mendez, 26, both of Boulder, and charged both with first-degree murder after Nathaniel Tallman, 25, of Lafeyette, Colorado, was found dead Thursday near Lusk, Montana - he had been missing since January. No details on Tillman’s death have been made public, but the Daily Camera reported that Britton is being held in a Colorado jail without bond, and Mendez is locked up in San Diego on a $1million bond. A mystery: Nate Tallman went missing on January 23, he was found dead this week in Montana . Tillman was last seen leaving his apartment just outside Boulder on January 23, according to the Denver Post. His car, a 2014 Mitsubishi Lancer, was found three weeks later at a nearby office complex, said the Post. It is not clear what relationship Tillman had with his two supposed attackers, how they killed him or what their motive was. His family has also declined multiple opportunities to speak with local media in Colorado. Authorities have yet to release the details of a Friday autopsy and were not immediately able to be reached by MailOnline. It is also not clear how Britton was . arrested, but police did tell the Daily Camera that Mendez was taken . into custody by Customs and Border Protection Saturday afternoon. Both . Mendez and Britton have a prior criminal history, with the former . having been arrested as recently as Feb 18 – three weeks after Tillman’s . disappearance – for a misdemeanour charge of driving with a revoked . license, records showed. Murdered: Authorities have charged two suspects with murder in Tallman's death, but have not disclosed how he was killed or any motivation for the slaying . Mendez also has drunken driving, assault and menacing with a weapon charges dating back to 2006. Britton has multiple criminal charges in his past dating back to 1983, when he was arrested for felony forgery. He was also charged with contempt of court in 1999, records revealed. Britton is due in court Monday, it is not clear when Mendez will be in front of a judge for an extradition hearing. | Nathaniel Tallman was last seen leaving his Colorado apartment on January 23 .
His body was found Thursday in Montana .
Two suspects, including one trying to flee to Mexico, were arrested this week and charged with murder . |
267,150 | e607f2333afdad8f75255df18e0a212ebed265eb | By . Hugo Gye . PUBLISHED: . 08:11 EST, 27 November 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 09:57 EST, 27 November 2013 . A motorist has been caught on camera smashing in to three cars after losing control of his vehicle in a railway station car park. The inattentive driver was reversing out of a parking space when he suddenly jammed down the accelerator and shot backwards into the other cars. He promptly left the scene, and police have now launched a public appeal in an attempt to find him after a fruitless search lasting two months so far. Scroll down to watch the CCTV footage . Incident: A silver Ford Escort backs out of a parking space at Olton railway station in the West Midlands . Accelerating: The driver suddenly sped up while performing the simple manoeuvre . The mystery motorist was filmed trying to leave the car park at Olton railway in the West Midlands on September 27. The 21-second CCTV clip, released this week by British Transport Police, shows the silver Ford tentatively reversing out of its space. But it suddenly speeds up and strikes three cars, sending one hurtling forwards. The silver car comes to rest in the car park's zig-zag zone after hitting a safety barrier. Smash: The Ford scraped past three other cars as it reversed out of the space . Out of control: The car did not slow down even after crashing into the parked vehicles . Reversing cars into and out of parking spaces is considered one of the fundamental motoring skills and often features in driving tests. Investigating officer Ali Jama said: 'We are now two months on from this incident taking place shortly after 1.20pm on Friday, 27 September. 'Despite extensive inquiries, officers have yet to trace the driver of the silver Ford Escort which collided with three parked cars before the driver left the scene. 'So far, the driver has not reported the incident to police. Knock: The red car was pushed forwards out of its own parking space . Aftermath: The car came to rest when it smashed into a crash barrier, but it then left the scene . 'I am today hoping that someone will recognise the car and/or the driver, and come forward with information which can assist the investigation. 'Unfortunately, the CCTV camera did not capture any part of the vehicle's registration.' Anyone who has information which they believe can assist the investigation is asked to contact British Transport Police on 0800 40 50 40 or text 61016. | Crash happened in car park of Olton railway station in the West Midlands .
Driver began reversing out of parking space then suddenly accelerated .
The motorist left the scene and police have launched investigation . |
67,816 | c05f0f7997a7405183c012fc1a172b6080edc71c | By . Ryan Gorman . PUBLISHED: . 01:18 EST, 7 October 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 07:57 EST, 7 October 2013 . At least 19 people- including two young children - were killed when a bus traveling from the Peruvian capital Lima to a rural southern province plunged off a cliff Saturday. Two children, aged one and three-years-old, as well as 17 adults, were killed when the bus careened off a cliff and over 260 feet down a steep hill in Huancavelica, southern Peru. 25 more people were injured, according to officials. The bus was carrying 55 passengers when it dropped over 260 feet, according to Correo. The driver is hospitalized after suffering injuries, Correo reported, his condition is not known. Scroll down for video . Catastrophic damage: 19 people died, 25 were injured when this bus plunged over 260 feet off a cliff in southern Peru . The accident occurred about 4:20 a.m. Sunday in a farming community in the Acoria district of the Huancavelica region about 246 kilometers (152 miles) southeast of Lima. The bus was only one hour from its destination, according to Peru21. At least one surviving passenger has blamed the crash on excessive speed as the driver raced up the narrow, winding road, according to AFP, which cited RPP news radio. Several bodies: Many of the 19 killed were lined up along the steep hillside, covered in blankets or tarps . Team effort: Locals ran to the scene of the tragedy and worked together to flip the bus right side up . Video from the scene of the accident showed several locals rush to the bus, turn it right-side up and begin to pull passengers from the wreck. Several bodies could be seen being carried away from the chaotic scene, many more were lying on the ground covered in blankets along the steep hillside. Survivors were shown crying, some thanked God for allowing them to survive, many just wanted loved ones to know they were still alive. The condition of the 25 injured, according to Correo, is not known, many have been airlifted to a local hospital. Deadly bus accidents are frequent in Peru, where enforcement of road safety rules is weak. Government figures say 5,435 people died and 13,520 were injured in bus crashes between September 2008 and December 2012.The Peruvian Attorney General's Office says the main causes of such accidents are bus drivers' recklessness, excessive speed, alcohol drinking and sleepiness. | The bus had traveled over 240 miles from Lima and was only one hour from its destination in rural Huancavelica .
Among the 19 dead are two children, one and three-years-old .
The bus was carrying a total of 55 people . |
240,097 | c2d73a747625e33d745ff00f65b00fb65bc57ce3 | By . Padraic Flanagan . PUBLISHED: . 02:42 EST, 23 June 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 02:42 EST, 23 June 2013 . The . state-backed Royal Bank of Scotland is under fire for lavishing . hundreds of thousands of pounds on corporate hospitality at Wimbledon. Staff . and guests of the bank, bailed out with billions of pounds of . taxpayers’ cash, will enjoy the run of plush ‘Suite H’ overlooking the . famous No 1 Court throughout the tournament. They . will be able to watch the top matches from the best seats at the All . England Club’s show courts, and dine on gourmet food such as lobster, . gammon and Gressingham duck. VIP: RBS staff and guests will dine on gourmet food such as £50 pork and sage pies . A free bar will serve champagne . cocktails, and other delicacies will include Vale of Evesham asparagus, . slices of a £50 pork and sage pie with pickle and tasty British . cheeses. Other companies using the tournament to entertain clients include the BBC, oil giant BP and Barclays Bank. RBS, . which was taken to the brink of collapse by former boss Fred Goodwin, . was saved by a Treasury bailout in 2008. The Government now has an 81 . per cent shareholding. The . bank axed 15,000 jobs and pledged to cut corporate hospitality, but . continues to sponsor Britain’s No 1 tennis player, Andy Murray. Bailed out: The Government has an 81 per cent shareholding in the bank which has recently axed 15,000 jobs . It is . thought that RBS is paying about £260,000 for its suite at Wimbledon. News . of its extravagance was met with disbelief last night.Matthew Sinclair, . chief executive of the TaxPayers’ Alliance, said: ‘It is outrageous . that hard-pressed families are still paying the price for propping up . the banks yet RBS can afford to wine and dine clients.’ An . RBS spokesman said that as well as entertaining, the bank used . Wimbledon to promote an initiative to help foster children’s sport. | RBS is thought to be lavishing around £260,000 on hospitality at tournament .
The state-backed bank was bailed out with billions of taxpayers' cash . |
230,937 | b707247621edb90a9a258bae77e6eb0e239376ed | Outrage: A quarter of TSB customers could not use their cards after two of the company's seven servers failed . Lloyds Banking Group could face a huge compensation bill after hundreds of thousands of customers were left unable to use debit cards and 7,000 cashpoints yesterday as the result of a computer glitch. The largest retail bank in the UK, which has 22million customers, has apologised for the widespread disruption – the latest in a series of IT problems to hit UK banks in recent years. It said debit card transactions were affected between 3pm and 6pm yesterday, while Lloyds, TSB, Halifax and Bank of Scotland customers suffered ATM problems for four and a half hours. A spokesman told MailOnline today it would not 'leave customers out of pocket' and would consider compensation claims on a 'case-by-case basis'. The bank is also confident they were not hacked and it was a server error, although the exact problem is yet to be identified. TSB said a quarter of its customers’ debit card transactions were affected after it suffered problems with two out of seven computer servers. But despite this, there was no mention of problems on the bank’s website last night. It has 4.6million customers and more than 630 branches. Furious customers last night took to Twitter to vent their frustration, forcing the bank’s chief executive, Paul Pester, to post an apology. He said: ‘My apologies to TSB customers having problems with their cards. 'I’m working hard with my team now to try to fix the problems.’ In December, an estimated 750,000 Royal Bank of Scotland customers were unable to use their credit and debit cards for three hours following an IT glitch on one of the busiest shopping days of the year. In 2012, a major IT failure locked many RBS, NatWest and Ulster Bank customers out of their accounts for several days. Twitter users blasted the banking group as their inability to pay for low-cost items left them embarrassed . TSB, which split from Lloyds last . year, issued a statement on Twitter saying: ‘We’re having issues with . ATMs and debit cards at present. ‘We’re . hoping to have this fixed shortly, apologies for inconvenience caused.’ Customers yesterday reported difficulties paying for goods in shops and . getting money out of ATMs. Leanne . Seaward, 29, from Verwood in Dorset, said she found she had problems . when she went to pay for her weekly supermarket shop. ‘It . was a little embarrassing,’ she said. ‘I put my card in and it kept . saying “transaction void”. 'I thought it was because I am in the process . of switching banks, so assumed they might have closed my account without . telling me. Luckily I had my husband with me so he was able to pay, but . if I was getting petrol and on my own it could have been a completely . different matter.’ Apology: Paul Pester, chief executive of TSB Bank, took to Twitter to apologise to angry account holders . On . Twitter one TSB customer, Nicky Kate, wrote: ‘Really embarrassed to get . my card declined while out shopping, never had any problems with Lloyds . then they changed my account.’ Another, . Hannah Smith, said: ‘I am a TSB customer with a Lloyds card still (like . everyone else). And I’ve been embarrassed three times today re: card . declined.’ TSB customer Essie Young wrote: ‘Could not buy my twins a birthday present today with TSB card.’ Mark Logan wrote: ‘Put petrol in then realised my Lloyds card was not working. Great service Lloyds. Left me right in it.’ TSB . was launched in September 2013 and was formed from a number of Lloyds . TSB branches in England and Wales, all branches of Cheltenham & . Gloucester and the business of Lloyds TSB Scotland. A . bank spokesman said last night the problems had been fixed but added . that some customers ‘may still experience a short delay making payments’ while the backlog of payments was processed. | Two of seven servers went down at Lloyds Banking Group, which has 30million customers at Lloyds, TSB, Halifax and Bank of Scotland .
Quarter of TSB users and thousands at Lloyds couldn't access money .
Customers raged on Twitter at being unable to pay for inexpensive items .
Bank tells MailOnline that it would ensure customers 'are not out of pocket' |
108,327 | 17af72f95895dbc7db173a6a621b99b4d52e240c | A property tycoon was shot by a cyclist as he sat inside behind the wheel of his Rolls Royce in Los Angeles. Philanthropist Kameron Segal, 48, was hit in the face and chest in a parking lot on Sunset Boulevard on Friday night just before leaving to meet his business partner. According to police the suspect, who is on the run, approached the driver's side window, pulled out the gun and fired twice. The victim was taken to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in critical condition but is expected to survive. Scene: Kameron Segal was shot in the face and chest in a parking lot on Sunset Boulevard as before leaving to meet his business partner on Friday night . Injuries: The 48-year-old philanthropist and property tycoon (pictured in 2013) was then taken to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center and is expected to survive . The LAPD have now launched a manhunt for the shooter who was last seen by witnesses on a on a bike wearing a baseball cap and carrying a ruck sack. According to KTLA, witnesses saw the suspect fleeing on a bike after the shots were fired. Authorities believe he is a black man in his late 30s to early 40s, is said to be around six feet tall and was last seen wearing a baseball cap and carrying a ruck sack. Aerial footage of the scene showed fire engines and patrol cars surrounding the vehicle which has suicide doors - where the hinges are at the rear rather than the front. Mr Segal is the CEO of Williams Holdings property and acquisitions, one of the largest apartment complex owners in LA. He was interviewed by News 11 in 2013 after he installed solar panels on buildings throughout the city. In December 2013 he surprised a homeless woman who had lost her job by giving her an apartment for Christmas. A man matching the description of the suspect was taken into custody nearby but was later released. The LAPD have now launched a manhunt for the shooter who was last seen wearing a baseball cap and carrying a ruck sack as he fled the scene . Businessman: Mr Segal is the CEO of Williams Holdings property and acquisitions, one of the largest apartment complex owners in Los Angeles. He was interviewed by 11 News about solar panels in 2013 . Philanthriopist: In 2013 Mr Segal surprised a homeless woman who had lost her job by giving her an apartment . Gathering: He is pictured (center) celebrating with a group of friends in May 2012 . | Kameron Segal was hit twice while in a parking lot on Sunset Boulevard .
Cyclist approached the driver's side window and fired twice .
The 48-year-old victim was taken to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center .
Authorities said he is expected to survive, but the suspect is on the run .
Mr Segal is the CEO of property management firm Williams Holdings . |
75,033 | d4b8f69f9ae5b1e2fc368e2ed56c96621f92f349 | By . Daily Mail Reporter . A drugs mule was arrested for smuggling £200,000 of opium into Britain after he complained the case carrying the drugs had got lost. Amir Rahnama, 43, had hidden the drugs in tubs of hair cream which he then stuffed into his suitcase before boarding a flight from Iran. But his luggage was mistakenly left behind during a stop in Dubai and he was dismayed when it failed to arrive at Manchester Airport. Amir Rahnama luggage failed to arrive at Manchester Airport after it was checked in Dubai . On arrival, he reported it missing at the missing luggage desk and filled in the necessary forms asking for it to be forwarded to the UK. It was tracked down in Dubai and flown into Manchester's Terminal One where border police and sniffer dogs detected the opium. They found 15 tubs of hair cream containing nearly 22lbs (10kg) of opium which officers estimated had a street value of £197,000. Unaware he had been rumbled, Rahnama turned up to claim his suitcase, which also bore his name, and used his passport to prove it was his. When officers swooped and arrested him, he said he had bought the opium in Tehran for £1,000 and was planning to sell it for around £9,000. When officers swooped and arrested him, he said he had bought the opium in Tehran for £1,000 and was planning to sell it for around £9,000 . Rahnama sobbed in the dock as an . interpreter told him the judge at Manchester's Minshull Street Crown . Court had sentenced him to six years in jail. The . court heard Rahnama initially told police officers he had been . smuggling the drugs to pay for cancer treatment for his sick wife. But he later changed his story and admitted he had been acting as a courier or 'drug mule' for drug bosses but didn't realise Duncan Wilcock, prosecuting, said: 'He said he knew it was illegal and he was selling it to pay for medical care for his wife in Iran. 'I'm aware the defendant has now amended his statement to say that he was asked to carry the drugs.' Robert Mann, defending, said Rahnama was of Iranian heritage and first came to the UK to claim asylum after being jailed there as a political prisoner. He held a regular job in Bolton and Wigan for a number of years and when the government in Iran changed he returned where he worked in a family business importing televisions. Mr Mann said his client had been genuinely shocked to hear the drugs were worth up to £197,000 and admitted others may not have acted so 'naively' in trying to claim the bag. The court heard Rahnama had claimed that he turned to drug trafficking when his wife got bone cancer while pregnant and he could no longer afford the costly medical treatment. Judge Mushtaq Khokhar observed that while there was no medical evidence to back up the claims, he accepted his crime was designed to raise money to help his wife. But he told Rahnama: 'Drugs always find their way into the larger community. 'They cause considerable damage in society. Those who are addicted to drugs, in order to fund their habit that can't be legitimately funded, commit crimes. If you had not been a mere courier the sentence would have been far longer.' | Amir Rahnama, 43, had hidden the drugs in tubs of hair cream .
His luggage was mistakenly left behind during a stop in Dubai .
At Manchester Airport Rahnama reported the case missing .
When the bag was flown into Manchester sniffer dogs detected the opium .
Rahnama was sentenced to six years in jail at Manchester Crown Court . |
175,950 | 6fbec2a638b2df225a7fcd436738f6bf0c7355ff | By . Aap . A man accused of murdering Brazilian Lucio Stein Rodrigues outside a pub in Sydney's CBD allegedly told police he was just trying to get "out of there without getting hurt". The 34-year-old Brazilian national was killed after he was hit outside Scruffy Murphy's Hotel in the inner city in the early hours of November 3 last year. Nicholas Lambaditis, also 34, has been charged with his murder and with assault occasioning actual bodily harm over the alleged attack of another man Eric Heward on the same night. Family and friends of accused murderer Nicholas Lambaditis, 34, leave during a break in proceedings at Central Local Court in Sydney . In a hearing on Thursday, Magistrate Greg Grogin told Central Local Court that CCTV footage "seems to show there were some words spoken" outside the pub. A scuffle then broke out between Lambaditis and Mr Heward, sparking Mr Rodrigues's involvement, he said. Moments later, the Brazilian national was knocked to the ground. When Lambaditis was later asked by police why he struck Mr Rodrigues, he allegedly told them: "the only reason I punched him is because he was attacking me." "I dare say he (Rodrigues) was defending his friend," Lambaditis said, adding later: "I just wanted to get out of there without getting hurt." Lambaditis's lawyers were seeking to cross examine Mr Heward about the altercation at a pre-trial hearing. But Mr Grogin rejected their application saying Mr Heward told police he didn't remember anything about the alleged attack. "The CCTV is extremely clear. The recollections of Mr Lambaditis seem to be very clear as well," he said. "There is nothing to be gained by way of cross examination by Mr Heward (at committal)." Lambaditis was sent to the Supreme Court for trial where he is due to enter formal pleas on October 3. Brazilian Lucio Stein Rodrigues died 48 hours after he was allegedly struck by Nicholas Lambaditis on 3 November 2013 . Mr Rodrigues working holiday in Australia came to a tragic end outside a pub in Sydney's CBD . Mr Rodrigues from Capivari, in the state of Sao Paulo in Brazil, was planning to return home in March next year . Lambaditis has been charged with his murder and with assault occasioning actual bodily harm over the alleged attack of another man Eric Heward on the same night . Lambaditis was sent to the Supreme Court for trial where he is due to enter formal pleas on October 3 . | Nicholas Lambaditis told Central Local Court that he was attacked and was acting in self-defence .
Lambaditis has been charged with murder and assault after a one-punch killing outside a pub last year .
Lambaditis was sent to the Supreme Court for trial where he is due to enter formal pleas on October 3 . |
41,902 | 76275cf11b65d69cda0c7e6961516d45996401bf | (CNN) -- We have met the enemy, and he is us. Debate on health care reform has once again become a miserable exhibition of seemingly irreconcilable differences, which President Obama is trying to address in his health care summit. There is a path forward, and it starts with understanding that waiting for the government to lead an uncertain reform effort isn't necessary. Prepaid integrated health systems like Kaiser Permanente, Geisinger Health System, Group Health Cooperative and HealthPartners are succeeding and innovative. It's no coincidence that these organizations are often mentioned when describing health care providers that offer high quality care while staying affordable. Legislators should encourage such proven successes and make them available to all Americans. Integrated health systems simply assume responsibility for both the financing and delivery of care, so they try to keep patients healthy and avoid costlier illnesses and hospitalizations down the road. They are more likely to provide preventative care, such as vaccinations and cancer screening. Basically, the system we are all accustomed to in the United States separates insurance from the provision of care. That is, your doctor and hospital and your health insurance company are different institutions. This pits them against one another, because one wants to cut care whenever possible, while the other wants to provide as much care as possible, with little incentive to keep costs down. Integrated systems are simply both -- they are either insurance companies who own their own hospitals and hire their own doctors or hospital and physician groups that offer a health plan. Other innovations routinely seen in integrated systems include digital medical records, direct electronic messaging with providers, instant access to health records and test results, telehealth and home-based medical services and affordable access to primary care. Many people are determined that the United States should emulate the rest of the industrialized world and adopt a publicly subsidized system of universal coverage. Admirers of these foreign systems point to their low costs and accessible primary care services, but they may be surprised to find that successful integrated health systems in this country are organized very similarly to the most admired state-sponsored systems found overseas. Whether taxpayers help fund an institution is not the main factor for success; rather, it is the integration between delivery and payment that creates an incentive to provide high-value care that keeps members healthy and out of hospitals. This is the mantra that guides care delivery in both the best-performing systems overseas and in prepaid integrated systems in the United States. Meanwhile, there are, of course, publicly supported health programs in the United States, including Medicare and Medicaid. Yet the same people who lament that a state-subsidized health care system would lay an unrelenting path to outright socialism hardly ever call for a dismantling of Medicare. Whether that's because of political expediency or simple hypocrisy can be left to conjecture. What's important is that a high-performing, state-sponsored health institution already operates in the United States -- the Veterans Health Administration. Unlike Medicare and Medicaid, however, the VA has a tightly integrated health care system that has managed to dramatically improve quality and introduce innovations, all while keeping costs in check. Killing off all state-sponsorship of health care in this country in a shortsighted resistance against progressivism would be a grave mistake. The bottom line is that we've been arguing over the wrong question. The best health care system isn't a matter of private vs. public, or us vs. them. The debate should be about how to foster a system that is organized in a way such that its utmost concern is providing value to its patients. There is no need to import a foreign system; we already have many similar systems in existence. The biggest hurdle is that, despite their advantages, integrated systems only serve about 5 percent of the population. Entrenched players in the health care industry stand opposed to integrated care. If legislators truly want to make health care better, they will encourage the development of more integrated systems so that everyone has access to multiple options in a competitive marketplace. Maintaining a vibrant, innovative private sector is critical, but we also can't ignore the success of many integrated, publicly subsidized systems abroad. Fostering the growth of our own integrated health systems in the private sector addresses the right question and offers the opportunity for us to have the best system of all. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Jason Hwang. | Jason Hwang touts integrated health systems, which handle finances and care .
Hwang: They have incentive to keep patients healthy and avoid costly illnesses .
He writes that the best health care isn't a matter of private vs. public, but how it's organized .
Hwang says VA has a tightly integrated, high-quality health care system . |
146,564 | 4987c83123d8dd525fff3411ff8c5b1d1870ef5d | Nathan Harrison, aged four (pictured) died after accidentally starting a fire with a utility lighter he mistook for a toy while hiding under a bed . A four-year-old boy died after accidentally setting fire to his makeshift den during a game of hide and seek with his brother, an inquest has heard. Nathan Harrison, from Keighley in West Yorkshire, died after he found the lighter which he 'mistook for a toy' and accidentally started the fire. The incident took place on August 11 last year while he was hiding under the bed. The polyester duvet quickly caught fire and filled the room with toxic black smoke. His horrified mother Jodie Collins, who had been using an exercise machine in the garage while her sons played, discovered the fire and pulled the little boy out of the bedroom. A heartbreaking statement read to Bradford Coroner's Court heard how she wrapped Nathan up in a towel as she carried him out of the house. The statement said: 'I sat on the driveway cuddling him in my arms. It was at this point I believed he had died.' Nathan was rushed to nearby Airedale Hospital, but despite the best efforts of medics he died from the effects of inhalation. The court heard his brother Matthew, aged 10, had taken the utility lighter from the top shelf of the pantry at the family's home and placed it under his bed to look at later because he thought it 'looked like a gun' and he 'wanted to shoot it out of the window'. After finishing her exercise Ms Collins had gone upstairs to shower when she noticed Matthew's bedroom door had blackened around the top. Believing her sons to be playing outside and not having her mobile phone on her, she ran out of the house to raise the alarm with her next door neighbour. She returned to the house to find the boys, but her shouts couldn't be heard over the sound of the smoke alarm. The house where the blaze took place in Keighley, West Yorkshire (pictured). Nathan accidentally started the fire in his big brother's bedroom during a game of hide and seek while he was hiding under the bed . After disabling the alarm she saw Matthew at the bottom of the stairs and asked him where Nathan was, and Matthew replied he had gone to the toilet. After finding the bathroom empty Ms Collins went into Matthew's room to find it engulfed in smoke. She twice tried to enter the room but was unable to breathe properly due to the toxic fumes. She then grabbed a towel to cover her mouth and ran into the room, where she found Nathan collapsed at the foot of the bed. In a statement read out to the court, Ms Collins said: 'I grabbed one of Nathan's limbs and dragged him out of the room, banging his body on the floor. 'I was too dizzy from all the smoke to carry him. After I got him out I wrapped him in a towel and carried him outside. 'I sat on the driveway cuddling him in my arms. It was at this point I believed he had died.' When investigators examined the lighter used by Nathan they found that the safety 'off' position that prevents it igniting had been switched to the 'on' position. Ms Collins' statement described the strong bond between Matthew and Nathan. 'Matthew adored Nathan. In fact he mothered him and we often had to set boundaries to curb this mothering,' her statement said. The fire spread to bedding which turned into toxic smoke and prevented Nathan from getting out of the room . Recording a narrative verdict about the incident, senior coroner for West Yorkshire Martin Fleming said: 'Nathan was a very much loved son, grandson and brother. 'Tragically Nathan came into contact with the lighter and plainly the four-year-old mistook that for a toy. 'The naked flame spread to the bedding which turned into toxic smoke and prevented the little boy from getting out of the room.' Mr Fleming added he would look into making recommendations aimed at making utility lighters harder to use for young children. | Nathan Harrison, aged four, died after accidentally setting fire to his den .
Had been playing hide and seek with his brother when tragedy occurred .
Started blaze with lighter he found under a bed which he mistook for a toy .
His horrified mother dragged him out of the house but he died in her arms .
Coroner Martin Fleming recorded a narrative verdict following the incident . |
98,448 | 0ac12cf74416d31e3ad305045719d2aec056fe9a | Statins could be used to treat multiple sclerosis (MS) but are being blocked by NHS red tape, a charity has claimed. The Multiple Sclerosis Society believes cholesterol-busting statins could help treat MS but are not prescribed because of strict NHS rules that prevent drugs being re-licensed for conditions other than that for which they were originally designed. The disease affects nerves in the brain, eyes and spinal cord, often causing patients to lose basic bodily functions. The Multiple Sclerosis Society believes cholesterol-busting statins could help treat MS . Initial trials conducted show that simvastatin, a drug traditionally prescribed to those suffering from heart disease, could slow the breakdown of the tissues in the brain by 40 per cent. But the drug is not being given to MS sufferers because of laws which prevent old drugs being re-licensed. The patent for simvastatin expired in 2004 and a new licence would be required to make the drug widely available, the charity has said. In a letter to today’s Daily Telegraph, the charity described giving old medication a new purpose as ‘a fast and cost effective way’ to provide new treatments. The MS Society is now asking people to lobby their MP to attend the Off-patent Drugs Bill reading, which will be held in the House of Commons this Friday. The bill could help tens of thousands MS sufferers currently receiving no effective treatment according to the MS Society. Initial trials conducted show that simvastatin could slow the breakdown of tissues in the brain by 40% . The letter to the newspaper has been signed by half a dozen medical experts including five neurologists. Michelle Mitchell, the charity’s chief executive, said that denying patients from receiving the medication was ‘nonsensical’ and called for MPs to ‘cut the red tape’. She said: ‘In progressive MS, symptoms gradually worsen and there are currently no medicines that can slow or stop the accumulation of disability. ‘This can leave people desperate and willing to try anything and we know some even consider unproven therapies or interventions which might be expensive and dangerous. ‘In the example of simvastatin, if phase 3 trials are successful, it would be cruel to tell people we have finally found a drug that might slow the progression of their MS but they cannot have it.’ | Multiple Sclerosis Society believes cholesterol-busting statins could help .
Disease affects the nerves in the brain, eyes and spinal cord .
Drug not given to MS sufferers because laws prevent medicines being re-licensed . |
134,971 | 3a9ac922db7f40d4b744b08ef37ddd7ad566974f | A football fan has blasted a Premier League club after shelling out £38 on an away-end seat that offered almost no view of the pitch. Southampton supporter Sam White was horrified when he got to his seat at Loftus Road on Saturday to watch the away clash with QPR to find his view was almost completely blocked. Instead of watching his beloved Saints clinch a last-gasp 1-0 win in the Premiership match, Mr White was forced to stare at a massive steel container - thought to be a commentary box - which obstructed most the pitch. Scroll down for video . Sam White's view of the pitch at Loftus Road was almost totally obscured by this commentary box . Sadio Mane celebrates after scoring in the 93rd minute as Southampton grabbed a late win at QPR . He was a unable to see the 90th-minute goal, the kick-off, or any of the action at one end. He is now demanding a full refund for his £38 'restricted view' seat - because he claims it was far too restricted. He said: 'I think it is crazy that they can legally sell these. 'Whether £38 is cheap for a Premier League ticket or not, I wouldn't have taken the ticket for free having known the view. 'I don't understand how the club hasn't been sanctioned before, it is absolute madness. I would have been a lot angrier had we not grabbed a 90th-minute winner.' He is now demanding a refund after the picture he tweeted from his seat went viral on Twitter. A spokesman for Queens Park Rangers FC said: 'Loftus Road is an all-seater stadium and while we understand the supporter’s frustration, we as a club advise fans to sit down for a number of reasons. 'Safety is of paramount importance and the main purpose for asking everyone to sit down, but it is also to ensure the best possible view of the pitch from all seats. 'Owing to the structure of Loftus Road, if everyone in the stadium stood up there would be a number of viewing positions where it would not be possible to see both goals. Loftus Road isn’t unique in this. 'Once again, we are sorry to hear of the supporter’s disappointment following his visit to Loftus Road and in light of his observations, we will be contacting all opposing clubs in advance of their fixture at our stadium to reiterate to them the importance of their supporters remaining seated to ensure the best possible viewing experience for their fellow fans.' | Fan charged £38 for a seat that offered almost no view of the football pitch .
Southampton supporter Sam White attended his team's game versus QPR .
But when sat in his Loftus Road seat, a commentary box blocked his view .
He said: 'I wouldn't have taken the ticket for free having known the view' |
20,765 | 3ae9ca623330d707d32e52e382ca408bf45e7138 | By . Ryan Gorman . A Minnesota teen living on a U.S. military base in Japan has been arrested for raping a classmate and recording the act on a smartphone while friends watched, authorities said. Ricky Sherwood, 18, allegedly got the 17-year-old girl intoxicated February 11 before forcing himself on her at Kadena Air Force Base in Okinawa, said police. Witnesses said she was barely conscious during the assault. Her blood alcohol content was discovered that night at a local hospital to be 0208 per cent, according to the Minneapolis Star Tribune. Where it happened: Ricky Sherwood raped the teen girl on Kadena Air Force Base, in Okinawa, Japan, police said . The high school senior and part-time lifeguard at the island base was undeterred by a friend heard in the video saying ‘she looks like she’s gonna die,’ according to a criminal complaint cited by the paper. Sherwood admitted to plying the girl with alcohol, raping her and recording a video of his actions when interviewed by investigators, the affidavit said, according to the paper. The girl told police that went to Sherwood’s home that afternoon after school, drank two cups of alcohol and blacked out until being tended to by paramedics in a local park hours later. Other students said the victim was ‘unable to stand, walk or dress herself,’ cops said. Sherwood put her in a chair, carried her to a car and dumped her in the park after the rape, police said. Investigators said the video shows the girl not moving and with her eyes closed while Sherwood raped her. Sherwood was living on the base with his uncle, who has legal custody of him, because his mother lives in Mexico, the Star Tribune reported. He was arraigned this week over the phone by a judge in St. Paul – U.S. officials have jurisdiction over the case because he is a base employee, the paper said. He will eventually be extradited to the U.S. to face charges, ad faces at least one year in prison. | Ricky Sherwood, 18, went to school with his underage victim, authorities said .
The young girl was so drunk she could not move and her eyes remained closed while he assaulted her, witnesses told police . |
225,520 | b0017c62670c3486ead6d97007aa8209322c0805 | By . Associated Press Reporter . UPDATED: . 07:09 EST, 3 April 2013 . The woman who married and had a child with a notorious Rockefeller imposter has described how she was charmed by the 'intelligent' and 'quirky' con man - and said they acted out characters from Cluedo. Sandy Boss, 45, who now works in London, gave evidence yesterday in the murder trial of Christian Gerhartsreiter, who told her he was 'Clark Rockefeller', a distant scion of the famous banking dynasty, when they met in New York in 1993. Ms Boss said of Gerhartsreiter, 52, who is charged with the 1985 murder of John Sohus in California: 'I didn't have reason to think he was not the person he said he was.' 'Quirky': Christian Gerhartsreiter, left, posed as 'Clark Rockefeller' to woo Sandra Boss, seen right in court yesterday, who told jurors she found him 'intelligent', 'funny' and 'quirky' 'Heir': Gerhartsreiter, seen in court yesterday, is on trial in California, U.S. for the 1985 murder of John Sohus, who disappeared from his home in San Marino with his wife, Linda . The couple married in 1995 and had a daughter, Reigh, who the defendant was later found guilty of kidnapping in 2009 after the then seven-year-old vanished during an access visit in Boston following the pair's split. Ms Boss first met the defendant when she was invited to a cocktail party at his New York apartment while she was studying for her MBA at Harvard, the court heard. The theme was the . game 'Clue', and guests came in costume. 'I was Miss Scarlett and he was Professor Plum,' said Ms Boss, who now lives in London with the couple's 12-year-old daughter. 'I liked him. I thought he was intelligent, very funny, quirky, flattering and complimentary. A good person to get to know.' They began dating and by 1994 she had graduated, secured a finance job in New York and moved in with him. He told her he was an heir to the Rockefeller fortune but was on the outs with the rest of his relatives and never saw them. He said his parents had been killed in a car crash in 1978. 'I assumed that what he was telling me was true,' she said. 'I didn't have reason to think he was not the person he said he was.' Kidnap: 'Rockefeller' was found guilty in 2009 of kidnapping the couple's daughter Reigh Boss, then seven, who disappeared from Boston during an access visit . Ms Boss described how the defendant's charming demeanor dissipated soon after they married in 1995, as he became insistent on secrecy in all of their affairs. He handled finances but she provided the funds and signed blank cheques for him to use. She said he put charges on her credit cards and had none in his own name. He installed multiple phone lines and had their mail delivered to post office boxes. They moved frequently. Divorce: The defendant is seen with his daughter, now 12, who lives in London with her mother . He also had an aversion to certain places. He refused to visit California which he said he hated and would never set foot in Connecticut. Unknown to her, he was under investigation in both places in connection with a missing persons case. Gerhartsreiter is charged with the 1985 murder of John Sohus, who disappeared from his San Marino, California, home with his wife, Linda. The man's bones were unearthed a decade later. Linda Sohus has never been found. Ms Boss had no idea her husband was a German immigrant named Christian Gerhartsreiter who had once lived in San Marino and was under investigation in the couple's disappearance. He told her he was doing Third World debt negotiations. Their daughter was born in 2001, she said. Ms Boss left her husband in 2007 after realising he was not who he claimed to be. 'I hired private investigators who told me they couldn't tell me who I was married to," she said. Ms Boss, 45, was composed on the witness stand but never mentioned her ex-husband's name, referring to him as 'the defendant'. She now lives in London with their 12-year-old daughter. Defense attorneys deferred cross-examination of Ms Boss until Wednesday. Earlier, a key witness linked the defendant to a truck bought by the man he is charged with killing in California more than a quarter-century ago. Christopher Bishop, who became an Episcopal priest, testified that in the 1980s he met a man who called himself Christopher Crowe. Mr Bishop was a film school student and was told by his father, a priest, that there was a new young man in their Greenwich, Connecticut, community who was a filmmaker. He introduced them and they became friends. Testimony: Christopher Bishop told jurors how he met Gerhartsreiter, who was then calling himself Christopher Crowe, in Connecticut in the 1980s . Mr Bishop said Crowe talked of producing films and one day he offered to give him a truck he said had been used on a production shoot. He suggested Bishop contact California to get license plates. But when he did, he said, he was told there was a lien on the vehicle for $6,000. 'I got a bright idea to buy a cheaper model of the same truck, take the plates off and register it. I was a poor film student then,' the witness said. He said he drove the truck around with fake plates and then abandoned it at a train station. He never saw it again, and it has never been found. Mr Bishop acknowledged lying about the saga when he was first questioned by police. 'I lied,' he said. 'I said I knew nothing about a truck. I was pretty panicked... This was a person I trusted.' He added: 'It was not my finest hour.' Ex-girlfriend: Mihoko Manabe, left, testified in the trial of Christian Gerhartsreiter, right, accused of murder in California in 1985, today. She told how her fiance acted strange when police called him over the deaths . Many identities: Christian Karl Gerhartsreiter listened as his ex-fiance told the court that she knew him as Clark Rockefeller when they met in 1987 . Mr Bishop said the . next time he talked to Crowe he told him a detective had been inquiring . about him, and angrily asked: 'Who the (expletive) are you?' 'He said "I gotta go", and that's the last I saw of Chris until this case,' the witness said. Other . witnesses have said victim John Sohus and his wife, Linda, bought the . truck just before they vanished in 1985. At the time they lived in a . suburban San Marino home owned by John Sohus' mother, and defendant . Gerhartsreiter - using the name Christopher Chichester - occupied a . guest cottage. Defense . attorneys claim that victim John Sohus was not killed by their client . but by his wife, who vanished at the same time he did. There has been no evidence of a motive for either Gerhartsreiter or Linda Sohus to kill John Sohus. Earlier in the . trial Gerhartsreiter's former lover Mihoko Manabe told jurors she never . knew his true identity until he was charged with murder. Manabe recalled meeting him in 1987 when they worked at a New York brokerage firm. Accused: Christian Gerhartsreiter is accused of the 1985 murder of John Sohus . Man of mystery: Manabe never knew he was Gerhartsreiter, a German immigrant charged with the murder of a California man who vanished in 1985 . Ms Manabe was working as a tranlator while the defendant was head of the bonds desk. She knew him as Christopher Crowe until he began using the Rockefeller pseudonym. She didn't know until recently that he was Gerhartsreiter, a German immigrant charged with the murder of a California man who vanished in 1985. 'He was an unusual person,' she said, but after police began calling to interview him, she said he became downright odd. 'After the call, he was markedly different,' she said. Connection: The bones believed to belong to Mr Sohus were found buried at a home Garhartsreiter was living at while going by the name Chichester . Violent death: The remains believed to be of John Sohus, seen with his then-wife Linda, who is also missing, were found to have died of multiple fractures of the skull inflicted by a blunt object, possibly a baseball bat . He became paranoid . and said they had to go into hiding. She described a cloak-and-dagger . existence in which he had her dye his hair blonde, grew a beard, . exchanged his glasses for contact lenses, and made plans to leave the . country. He proposed marriage and she accepted, she said, but they neither left the country nor got married. 'The plans all fell by the wayside,' she said. Her fiance quit . his job at another major brokerage house and never worked again. She . said she supported him while he stayed home and took care of bills and . household chores. She got him a credit card in the name Clark . Rockefeller. 'Why did you stick . around that long and go along with it?' asked Deputy District Attorney . Habib Balian. 'He had asked me to marry him and I was loyal,' she said. 'Did you love him?' asked Balian. 'Yes, I did,' said the witness as her former lover sat at a courtroom table taking notes and not looking at her. 'Did you believe he loved you?' asked the prosecutor. 'Yes,' she replied. Their relationship eventually deteriorated and in 1994 she left to marry another man. Manabe appeared nervous and said she would have preferred not to testify. 'It's not a part of my life I like to talk about or remember,' she said. | Sandy Boss told jurors she was charmed by 'bright, quirky' man .
German immigrant Christian Gerhartsreiter told her he was a Rockefeller .
Ms Boss left her husband in 2007 when she discovered his ruse .
He was convicted in 2009 of kidnapping the couple's daughter, now 12 .
Gerhartsreiter is charged with the 1985 murder of John Sohus in California .
Ms Boss now lives in London with her daughter . |
216,528 | a45604d3a6609878ffbdaeb045edebafda8c6a8c | By . Simon Murphy . and Glen Owen . Vince Cable held a secret ‘ski summit’ in the French Alps with a long-term ally who has called for Nick Clegg to be replaced as the Liberal Democrat leader. Mr Cable was spotted at the exclusive resort of Courchevel enjoying a £3,000 break with Lib Dem peer Lord Oakeshott, who is widely regarded in Westminster as the unofficial ‘campaign chief’ for the 70-year-old Cabinet Minister. The Alpine get-together is bound to reignite speculation about the Business Secretary’s undimmed ambition to succeed Mr Clegg as leader if the party performs poorly in next year’s Election. Business Secretary Vince Cable (left) held a secret 'ski summit' in the French Alps with his long-term ally, Lib Dem peer Lord Oakeshott (right) who has called for Nick Clegg to be replaced as leader of the party . Mr Cable, who was accompanied by his wife, Rachel, spent the week in a £410-a-night suite at Les Ducs De Savoie Hotel, which boasts a swimming pool, jacuzzi and a gym as well as direct access to the slopes. Former Lib Dem Treasury spokesman Lord Oakeshott was seen there huddled in conversation with Mr and Mrs Cable. The Cabinet Minister was forced to distance himself from Lord Oakeshott last September after he said Mr Clegg’s ratings were ‘very poor and have been for a long time’ – the latest in a long line of his anti-Clegg interventions. He added: ‘We need to face facts, there’s quite a lot of complacency going on and self-delusion going on. We are likely to lose seats.’ Lord Oakeshott then compared the Deputy Prime Minister to Michael Foot – the former Labour leader who led his party to a crushing General Election defeat in 1983. The Alpine get-together in the French resort of Courcheval is likely to reignite speculation about the Business Secretary's undimmed ambition to succeed Mr Clegg as leader if the party performs poorly at next year's election . During the interview, he also indicated that Mr Cable would be the best candidate to take over as leader. Mr Cable claimed at the time that he found the remarks ‘seriously unhelpful’, while Mr Clegg said the peer appeared ‘like clockwork’ every year to make similar criticisms. He added: ‘When it’s conference and the weather turns bad, up pops Matthew Oakeshott with some disobliging remarks about me.’ Lord Oakeshott compared Mr Clegg to Michael Foot - the former Labour leader who led his party to a crushing General Election defeat in 1983 . Courchevel is part of the Three Valleys, which is the largest ski complex in the world. It is a hotspot for celebrities and Royals, including Prince William and the Duchess of Cambridge, who holidayed there in 2010. The resort, which is popular with wealthy Russians, is full of Michelin-star restaurants and designer shops. Chancellor George Osborne found himself facing criticism three years ago when he took his family on an £11,000 ski trip to Switzerland after telling the public that ‘we’re all in this together’. But Mr Cable took time out of his own skiing break to urge the Chancellor to introduce a VAT cut for homeowners trying to repair flood damage. The move, which could cost the Treasury £150 million, was viewed as another attempt by the Lib Dems to distance themselves from their Coalition partners as next year’s Election draws closer. Last night Mr Cable went out of his way to stress that Lord Oakeshott was with him on the skiing trip as an old friend – not as his political spokesman. Mr Cable said: ‘There’s a lot of difference between expressing distinct political views and personal friendships which go back for many years.’ He added that as well as Lord Oakeshott and his wife, the skiing party also included Lib Dem peer Lord Strasburger and ‘other people’. Later, aides for Mr Cable insisted that ‘Matthew does not speak for Vince’ and said Mr Cable had met the costs of his holiday out of his own pocket. | Vince Cable met with Lib Dem peer Lord Oakeshott in Courcheval, France .
The get-together is likely to reignite speculation about the Business Secretary's ambition to succeed Nick Clegg as leader of the party .
Lord Oakeshott is known for his regular anti-Clegg interventions . |
162,245 | 5dc3935810b7cf3d4378d8d1fceed7fc181fd38b | China's skylines could look a lot more uniform in the years to come, if a statement by a Beijing official is to believed. The backlash against "weird buildings" escalated earlier this week when the capital's vice mayor, Chen Gang, announced that the city would be taking a greater role in influencing its structures' aesthetics. The city plans to implement "building ordinances to govern the city's building size, style, color and materials," Chinese state media reported. China's cities, with their huge growth and increasingly bold architectural choices, have been a boon to the architecture industry over the past decade or so, with eye-catching structures popping up across the country. However, following Chinese President Xi Jinping's remarks, which call for an end of "weird architecture," to a symposium in October, it seems as though there might be a politically-motivated directive at hand. The comments were widely reported in Chinese media. Chen's announcement is ostensibly to allow urban planning a greater hand in creating public spaces and "a better cityscape" for residents. When contacted by CNN, the municipal government declined to comment further. "Like a pendulum" Some are not concerned. Pritzker-prize laureate Rem Koolhaas, whose landmark CCTV building in the capital is often used as an illustration in media reports of so-called "weird architecture" told CNN that there have been previous, similar edicts. "There have been periods (in China) where ordinances existed, there were mayors who insisted (to put) Chinese roofs on modern buildings but it's like a pendulum," he said while attending a design conference in Hong Kong. He says he's holding off making judgment until the updated ordinances were expanded upon. "I'd like to see (the rules when they are announced). There was a rule that buildings had to be grey, and the CCTV building is grey, and I don't think it is diminished because of that." Koolhaas is quick to clarify that the "weird buildings" remarks were not directly aimed at his flagship China project. "The media has made that connection. No more weird buildings, it's understandable if you look around and I don't feel that CCTV is a weird building so that's my comment." Stifling creativity . Hong Kong-based architect William To, project director at the Hong Kong Design Centre, however, decried Chinese attempts to rein in creativity. "Wouldn't (the ordinances) make everything pretty much the same? Then they're not giving the young creative industries a chance to come up with new ideas or innovation." To said that the proposed rulings would stifle what has been a playground for architects. "That's setting parameters on creativity and this will limit or kill a lot of great ideas. From creativity there shouldn't be boundaries. For new ideas and new projects to take shape, thinking out of the box is essential. By putting parameters you're limiting (architects) to remain in the box. Cheng Taining, from the Chinese Academy of Engineering, says that China's unorthodox skylines are the result of a "judgment imbalance," according to the China Daily. "These weird buildings are too alienated from basic architectural norms and ... have become super-sized art installations that jump on the desire and vanity bandwagon," he told the paper. | Beijing authorities announce plans to place restrictions on new building designs, materials .
Vice-mayoral announcement comes shortly after President Xi Jinping called for no more "weird buildings"
Architecture in Chinese cities has become increasingly bold and outlandish .
Experts are divided on the potential impact of the planned building ordinances . |
190,483 | 829e26da561b23ac5c8d86250673b5261e351f9a | By . Sarah Womack . PUBLISHED: . 05:30 EST, 27 January 2014 . | . UPDATED: . 10:06 EST, 27 January 2014 . Millionaire Chinese businessmen wanting to settle in the UK has led to a surge in the number of British visas given to wealthy foreigners from outside the EU. Investor visas issued to the wealthy Chinese jumped from 95 to 171, for Americans from 19 to 66 and for Russians from 99 to 125. The visas allow migrants to invest £1 million, £5 million or £10 million in government bonds or British business. The rise in those issued to Chinese millionaires comes after David Cameron, on a trade trip to Beijing last month, encouraged Chinese entrepreneurs to put their cash in the UK. The number of investor visas issued to wealthy foreigners has jumped 25%, with demand from the wealthy Chinese leading the surge . 'If you are investing in Britain, . invest more,' the Prime Minister told Chinese businessmen and women. 'If you . are thinking of investing in Britain, come and find us. You will get a . warm welcome.' In . return for investing their millions, wealthy foreigners get permission . to apply for permanent residency in five, three or two years . respectively. After being allowed to settle permanently, investors may apply to become British citizens. The visa figures were disclosed by Pinsent Masons law firm following a Freedom of Information request. Visas issued to wealthy Chinese jumped from 95 to 71. They come to Britain because they feel their wealth is better protected in a democratic and transparent country. They show investor visas jumped from 423 in 2011-12 to 530 in 2012-13. In addition to the 530 investor visas, 1,038 visas were issued for applicants' dependents. The number of investor visas issued to Egyptians nearly doubled to 19. Applicants need not speak English and may bring their spouses and dependents to study or work. Investor visas are an increasingly popular way for wealthy individuals to obtain UK residency. To . qualify, the applicant must have at least £1m of their own funds, which . must be invested within three months of arriving in the UK. Shopping in Oxford Street, these Chinese women pose with their purchases from Selfridges' Boxing Day sale in Oxford Street . Unlike other categories of visa, individuals applying for an investor visa do not need to meet an English language requirement, and are able to bring their spouse and dependents to the UK to work or study. Direct investment in UK businesses creates thousands of new jobs every year. However, . an inquiry by the Migration Advisory Committee, which counsels the . Government, found that most using the investor visa route bought gilts . that Britain did not need when the Treasury is selling £300 million of . gilts every day to fund the deficit. Sir David Metcalf, chairman . of the committee, said that wealthy investors sometimes held the gilts . for five years and then sold them. This effectively amounted to making a loan to gain indefinite leave to stay in the country. Chinese . investors now make up the largest group of all successful applications, . accounting for 32% of all investor visas issued this year. Investors from the USA received 12% of all visas issued. Britain benefits from the thriving Chinese economy, with Chinese shoppers flocking to London and millionaires coming to invest their cash . Jill Turner, senior associate at Pinsent Masons, says: 'High Net Worth Individuals continue to pick the UK over other major international cities as they seek a safe haven for wealth.''The UK benefits from a very stable, liquid economy, and is free from any governmental interference in the assets of private individuals or any political instability. 'The UK government is also pro-business, with relatively low tax rates imposed on businesses and London has a reputation for being more welcoming of foreign nationals who benefit from the favourable tax environment. 'By contrast, China and Russia has a fairly volatile stock and . housing market that can make it a risky place to invest, and many of the . Chinese investors who flock to the UK feel that their wealth is better . protected in a democratic country.' The Peking pound: these shoppers from Chengdu, Sichaun province in China come to London to experience the delights of Oxford Street . For US investors, the booming Silicon Roundabout is a major attraction. Many American investors have expertise in the IT and technology in their own country, and want to capitalise on the growing high-tech sector in the UK. The number of investor visas issued to Egyptian nationals has nearly doubled in the last year, from just 10 visas issued last year to 19 this year. Political and economic instability in Egypt has prompted many wealthy families to divert their funds into the UK. Even the recent announcement that the Government will be charging Capital Gains Tax on the sale of properties owned by foreign investors from April 2015 isn’t discouraging foreign investment into the UK property market. Ms Turner says: 'High Net Worth Individuals continue to be attracted to the UK to invest in property, especially at the moment with house prices and rents soaring.' 'While the Capital Gains Tax levy may discourage some smaller investors from investing in UK property, the majority will not be put off by the charges.' | Special visas for rich foreigners rises 25% .
Demand from Chinese millionaires drives the surge in last 12 months .
Number of wealthy Egyptians has nearly doubled .
Applicants must have at .
least £1m, to be invested in UK in three months . |
124,946 | 2d7f66fed3c7a3c42eea18f91501f1fca8399492 | (CNN) -- A French-Moroccan family of five was killed Saturday when their plane crashed near the French Alps, authorities said. It was not immediately clear why the twin-engine plane went down. Everyone aboard died -- a man, his wife and their three children -- Virginie Favier, a local police captain, told reporters. The family had been returning to Morocco after spending their holiday in the French Alps, she said. Gilles Rabault, another police captain, told reporters that the plane disappeared off the radar and crashed shortly after takeoff from an airport near the southeastern city of Grenoble. Emergency workers responded after a resident reported the crash. "We felt a big shake. The crash happened just below my house. At the beginning, I did not know what it was. We found out after firemen came that it was a plane crash. We did not see the wreckage," a witness, identified only as Leo, told CNN affiliate M6. | Everyone aboard died; a man, his wife and their three children .
French-Moroccan family was flying to Morocco after holiday .
Cause not immediately clear . |
212,756 | 9f7d9a4da8646123403692f396564d46a2618644 | By . Jonathan O'Callaghan for MailOnline . Researchers claim the Ebola virus disease (EVD) is rapidly and continually mutating, making it harder to diagnose and treat. A study of the initial patients diagnosed with the virus in Sierra Leone revealed almost 400 genetic modifications. And it could be detrimental not only to current treatments, but also to future vaccines that are in the works. Researchers at the Broad Institute in Massachusetts and Harvard University claim the Ebola virus (transmission electron micrograph image shown) is mutating rapidly. The findings show it is becoming more difficult to diagnose and treat. Future vaccines could also be less effective as mutations continue . The team of researchers, led by the Broad Institute in Massachusetts and Harvard University, analysed more than 99 Ebola virus genomes. Ebola emerged in 1976 in two simultaneous outbreaks in Sudan and near the Ebola River in the Democratic Republic of Congo. There are several strains which vary in how dangerous they are to humans, but death rates have reached as high as 90 per cent. In the current outbreak it is just over 50 per cent. The virus is introduced into humans through direct contact with the blood, organs or other bodily fluids of infected animals including fruit bats, which are eaten as a delicacy. The virus then spreads between humans through direct contact with blood, organs or other bodily fluids of infected people. Symptoms include fever, intense weakness, muscle pain, headache and sore throat followed by vomiting, diarrhoea, rash, impaired kidney and liver function, and in some cases, both internal and external bleeding. People are infectious as long as their blood and bodily fluids contain the virus and the incubation period can range between two and 21 days. Although the disease has no cure, modern medical treatment and quick isolation help hugely to bring the death toll down. Source: World Health Organisation . These were collected from 78 patients diagnosed with Ebola in Sierra Leona in the first 24 days of the outbreak. Their findings, reported in the journal Science, could have important implications for rapid field diagnostic tests. The team found more than 300 genetic changes that make the 2014 Ebola virus genomes distinct from the viral genomes tied to previous Ebola outbreaks. They also found variations in the genome sequence indicating that, from the samples analysed, the outbreak started from a single introduction into humans, subsequently spreading from person to person over many months. To accelerate response efforts, the research team released the full-length sequences on the National Center for Biotechnology Information's (NCBI's) DNA sequence database, in advance of publication. This means the data is available to the global scientific community. 'By making the data immediately available to the community, we hope to accelerate response efforts,' said co-senior author Dr Pardis Sabeti, a senior associate member at the Broad Institute and an associate professor at Harvard University. 'Upon releasing our first batch of Ebola sequences in June, some of the world's leading epidemic specialists contacted us, and many of them are now also actively working on the data. We were honored and encouraged. 'A spirit of international and multidisciplinary collaboration is needed to quickly shed light on the ongoing outbreak.' This map shows the countries affected by Ebola as of 14 August 2014. The latest study was based on analysis of 78 patients diagnosed in the first 24 days of the outbreak in Sierra Leone. The scientists have released their findings to help efforts to halt the spread of Ebola . The 2014 Ebola outbreak is unprecedented both in its size and in its emergence in multiple populated areas. Previous outbreaks had been localised, mostly to sparsely populated regions of Middle Africa, with the largest outbreak in 1976 reporting 318 cases. By comparison, the 2014 outbreak has manifested in the more densely-populated West Africa, and since it was first reported in Guinea in March 2014, 2,240 cases have been confirmed with 1,229 deaths as of 19 August. Dr Augustine Goba, Director of the Lassa Laboratory at the Kenema Government Hospital and a co-first author of the paper, identified the first Ebola virus disease case in Sierra Leone. 'We established surveillance for Ebola well ahead of the disease's spread into Sierra Leone and began retrospective screening for the disease on samples as far back as January of this year,' said Dr Goba. 'This was possible because of our long-standing work to diagnose and study another deadly disease, Lassa fever. 'We could thus identify cases and trace the Ebola virus spread as soon as it entered our country.' Workers unload medical supplies to fight the Ebola epidemic from a USAID cargo flight on 24 August 2014 in Harbel, Liberia. International aid agencies and the Liberian government are struggling to keep up with the rapidly-expanding epidemic. The deadly virus has killed at least 1,400 people in West Africa . The research team increased the amount of genomic data available on the Ebola virus by four-fold and used the technique of 'deep sequencing' on all available samples. Deep sequencing is sequencing done enough times to generate high confidence in the results. The research team increased the amount of genomic data available on the Ebola virus by four-fold and used the technique of 'deep sequencing' on all available samples. Deep sequencing is sequencing done enough times to generate high confidence in the results. In this study, researchers sequenced at a depth of 2,000 times on average for each Ebola genome to get an extremely close-up view of the virus genomes from 78 patients. This high-resolution view allowed the team to detect multiple mutations that alter protein sequences - potential targets for future diagnostics, vaccines and therapies. The team's catalogue of 395 mutations may serve as a starting point for other research groups. In this study, researchers sequenced at a depth of 2,000 times on average for each Ebola genome to get an extremely close-up view of the virus genomes from 78 patients. This high-resolution view allowed the team to detect multiple mutations that alter protein sequences - potential targets for future diagnostics, vaccines and therapies. The Ebola strains responsible for the current outbreak likely have a common ancestor, dating back to the very first recorded outbreak in 1976. The researchers also traced the transmission path and evolutionary relationships of the samples, revealing that the lineage responsible for the current outbreak diverged from the Middle African version of the virus within the last ten years and spread from Guinea to Sierra Leone by 12 people who had attended the same funeral. The team's catalogue of 395 mutations may serve as a starting point for other research groups. 'We've uncovered more than 300 genetic clues about what sets this outbreak apart from previous outbreaks,' said Stephen Gire, a research scientist in the Sabeti lab at the Broad Institute and Harvard. 'Although we don't know whether these differences are related to the severity of the current outbreak, by sharing these data with the research community, we hope to speed up our understanding of this epidemic and support global efforts to contain it.' 'There is an extraordinary battle still ahead, and we have lost many friends and colleagues already like our good friend and colleague Dr. Humarr Khan, a co-senior author here,' said Sabeti. 'By providing this data to the research community immediately and demonstrating that transparency and partnership is one way we hope to honor Humarr's legacy. We are all in this fight together.' | Researchers from Massachusetts claim the Ebola virus is 'mutating rapidly'
The findings show it is becoming more difficult to diagnose and treat .
Future vaccines could also be less effective as these mutations continue .
Study was based on analysis of 78 patients diagnosed in the first 24 days of the outbreak .
Almost 400 genetic modifications were found during the course of the study .
The scientists have released their findings to help the efforts to halt Ebola . |
102,609 | 103c50884127930fd0fd64036bee81e21d326285 | Two officials at San Jose State University officials have been forced to resign after a storm over alleged derogatory comments made about Latino women during a meeting of university employees earlier this year. Wanda Ginner, a donor and board member of the university's philanthropic Tower Foundation since 2007, resigned on Friday over the long-running incident. Ginner is alleged to have said that Latina students ‘do not have the DNA to be successful’ during a February meeting. She has denied the allegation. Student protests: Two officials at San Jose State University have been forced to resign after a storm over alleged derogatory comments made about Latino women during a meeting in February . Within hours of Ginner’s stepping down, Vice President for University Advancement Rebecca Dukes also resigned. She had been criticized for failing to challenge the remarks during the original meeting. An informal complaint had been made by a Latina administrator present at the meeting. She then filed a formal complaint in August after she wasn't informed of any resolution. Students have staged protests to voice disapproval with the way the school has handled the accusations. The group Students for Racial Equality publicized one of Ginner's purported quotes in a news release: 'I contribute to this university because these little Latinas do not have the DNA to be successful.' Stepped down: San Jose State University donor Wanda Ginner, right, and Vice President for University Advancement Rebecca Dukes, left, have both been forced to step down over the incident . Ginner denies having ever made the statements and says she is dedicated to supporting organizations that help Latinas, the San Jose Mercury News reported. ‘Although many efforts are already underway, a great deal of work lies ahead as we seek to be the welcoming, inclusive community all Spartans aspire to,’ said University President Mo Qayoumi following the resignations. Students are now demanding that he issue an apology letter to the original complainant and implement mandatory anti-racism trainings. Tower Foundation board chair Amir Mashkoori said Ginner's resigned to stop diverting attention from the university. ‘The fact that Wanda agreed to step down reflects genuine concern for the university and her desire to avoid being a distraction,’ Mashkoori said. The resignations come a year after four San Jose State University students were charged with misdemeanor hate crimes for abusing a black roommate. A report on that incident found the university was slow to respond to the students' cruel taunts and abuse, which included writing racial slurs on a whiteboard, hanging a Confederate flag in their suite, and barricading him in his room. Apology: Students at the university are now demanding that President Mo Qayoumi issue an apology letter to the original complainant and implement mandatory anti-racism trainings . | Donar Wanda Ginner has been forced to resign from her position at San Jose State University after a storm over her alleged comments .
She denies that she said: 'these little Latinas do not have the DNA to be successful'
Student protests forced the university president to act on the issue nine months after the original compliant was made .
Vice President for University Advancement Rebecca Dukes also resigned - she had been criticized for failing to challenge the remarks in February . |
227,139 | b21b241c725850527db7e845a79a4128dc6f4ea8 | Died of his injuries: Bilal Khizar was knocked down and killed by a hit-and-run driver who was speeding away from police . A boy of 12 was knocked down and killed by a car being chased by police as he walked home from a friend’s birthday party. Bilal Khizar was hit by the red Seat Ibiza as he crossed the road at a set of traffic lights at 7pm on Saturday. Moments earlier, officers in a marked police car had pulled the vehicle over at a lay-by to carry out a routine check. As they got out to speak to the driver, the car suddenly sped off. The two officers jumped back into their car and began pursuing the suspect at speed through Bradford. But as the speeding car headed along a 40mph dual carriageway towards the nearby M606, it struck the schoolboy. Despite hitting the youngster, the Seat Ibiza continued towards the motorway and crashed into two further vehicles at a roundabout. Officers discovered the car abandoned six miles away. Two men were later arrested and were last night continuing to be questioned by detectives. The parents of the ‘fun-loving’ youngster, who was a keen rugby, cricket and football fan, were too distraught to comment. They are said to have grown concerned for him after he failed to return home on time and began phoning his friends and family and contacting people on Facebook. They had no idea he had been involved in an accident and were still searching for him at 9pm on Saturday, friends said. Bilal’s aunt, Nadia Karin, said: ‘He was such a happy child. He was loved by all the family and everyone at school. We just can’t believe he’s gone. We’re devastated.’ Tyre marks were clearly visible at the scene of the crash on Rooley Lane yesterday as specialist accident investigators set about the task of piecing together Bilal’s last moments. Devastated: School friends lay flowers at the spot where the 12-year-old boy was killed as he walked on a pedestrian crossing . Inconsolable: Mourners, believed to be the victim's relatives, attend the scene of the collision, which happened at around 7pm on Saturday . In a tragic twist, it emerged that just hours before his death Bilal had told his friends how he wanted a ‘yellow and happy’ funeral. Eve Whitaker, 12, who left a tribute with her mother, teacher Sam, 44, and other friends, said: ‘He had left at about 6.40pm on his scooter to go home. ‘It’s so strange, just before he died we were talking about funerals. He said he wanted his to be yellow, with yellow flowers, nothing black. He wanted it to be happy.’ Ifrah Satti, 12, who was in the same class with Bilal at Bradford Academy, said: ‘I can’t believe what has happened. Bilal was so popular. He had been to a birthday party and was on his way home when he died.’ West Yorkshire Police has referred itself to the Independent Police Complaints Commission. A spokesman for the force said: ‘The incident happened when a marked police car stopped a red Seat Ibiza in a lay-by on Rooley Lane for a check. ‘As officers got out of their vehicle to speak to the driver the car immediately made off at speed along Rooley Lane. Officers got back into their car and followed it. The collision happened moments later.’ Evasion tactics: A policewoman offers support the boy's family and friends. The collision happened as the car made off at speed after being stopped by police for a check . Tragedy: The boy was on a crossing on Rooley Lane, in Bradford, West Yorkshire, when he was hit by the red Seat Ibiza . The spokesman said the force was . unable to reveal exactly what offences the two men in custody had been . arrested for. But it will almost certainly include causing death by . dangerous driving and fleeing the scene of an accident. Detective Superintendent Mark Ridley said: ‘This is a tragedy for the family and they are absolutely devastated. ‘I am appealing directly to anyone who saw the vehicle being driven or the incident to get in contact.’ | Bilal Khizar had discussed his funeral moments before he died, friends said .
Two arrested as police urge community to come forward with information .
Red Seat Ibiza had been pulled over by marked police car moments earlier .
Car made off as officers got out of their vehicle before hitting youngster .
Continued on to another roundabout where it struck two other vehicles .
Family and friends in tears as they lay flowers at the scene of the tragedy . |
277,629 | f3a683d3fe7843aee0b1172c2bb787c7f6fd2d79 | WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The "vast right-wing conspiracy" that attacked him during his presidency has been weakened, but continues to operate against President Obama, former President Clinton said Sunday. Former President Clinton said Republicans won't see a 1994-like surge at the polls in 2010. On NBC's "Meet the Press," Clinton was asked about the term his wife Hillary Clinton, now secretary of state, famously coined. "Is it still there?" host David Gregory asked. "Oh, you bet. Sure it is. It's not as strong as it was, because America's changed demographically, but it's as virulent as it was," the former president replied. "I mean, they're saying things about him [Obama] -- you know, it's like when they accused me of murder and all that stuff they did," Clinton said, in an apparent reference to conspiracy theories surrounding the suicide of White House deputy counsel Vince Foster. "It's not really good for the Republicans and the country, what's going on now," Clinton said. "I mean, they may be hurting President Obama. They can take his numbers down, they can run his opposition up. But fundamentally, he and his team have a positive agenda for America." The nation needs "a credible debate about what's the right balance between continuing to expand the economy through stimulus and beginning to move back to fiscal balance," Clinton said. "We need a credible debate about what's the best way to get to universal [health care] coverage." Clinton was asked whether he is concerned that the 2010 midterm elections could resemble those of 1994, when Republicans took control of the House and Senate two years into his first term. "There's no way" that could happen, Clinton said, adding that "the country is more diverse and more interested in positive action." Also, he said, Republicans had control of Congress for several years under President George W. Bush, "and they know the results were bad." And, he said, "the Democrats haven't taken on the gun lobby like I did." "Whatever happens, it'll be manageable for our president," Clinton said. | Clinton: Right-wing "conspiracy" not as strong as it once was, but is as virulent .
Obama's popularity may take hit, but attacks not good for country, Clinton says .
Clinton: "No way" that Republicans will enjoy 1994-level success in 2010 elections . |
60,751 | aca52300860b8c64b0b1191b201e21610082c38e | Israel has been hit by its worst ever environmental crisis as millions of litres of crude oil gushed out of a pipeline to flood 200 acres of a desert nature reserve, officials said. More than 80 people have been taken to hospital with breathing difficulties after the oil spill which happened during maintenance work on the Eilat-Ashkelon pipeline, north of the Red Sea resort of Eilat, on Wednesday night. Officials say rehabilitation of the area could take months, even years, as the spill stretched to 'a couple of kilometers long' and reached the Evrona nature reserve, close to the Jordan border. A preliminary investigation indicated that the pipeline burst after a new section was struck accidentally during maintenance work, according to The Times of Israel. Millions of litres of crude oil have gushed out of a pipeline to flood 200 acres of a desert nature reserve in southern Israel, officials said . Environmental workers inspect damage after an oil spill of thousands of cubic meters close to Beer Oral, just north of the Red Sea resort city of Eilat . Ronen Moshe, from the Eilat Ashkelon Pipeline Company (EAPC) said: 'The leak has been stopped', adding that a full investigation was under way to determine the cause of the spill. Firefighters and environmental groups scrambled to the scene in an attempt to seal the puncture in the pipeline and prevent further contamination, which was described as 'considerable' by Guy Samet, the director of the southern region in the Environmental Protection Ministry. 'This is one of the largest [environmental] events in the history of the country,' Mr Samet said. 'We're talking about thousands of gallons of crude oil, which will endanger local wildlife and the surrounding nature reserve,' he said, adding that rehabilitation could take 'years.' Doron Nissim from Israel's Nature and Parks Authority said the black slick had run and pooled in ravines, but it appears to have spared the 4,250-acre Evrona reserve's rare deer and douma palms. He said there was no doubt that 'insects and other crawling animals have been harmed', but there was little chance of the oil sluicing to Eilat and endangering Red Sea marine life because of the absence of heavy rainfall. The leak was stopped before the torrent of oil could cross the nearby Jordanian border, Israel's Environment Ministry said. An aerial photograph provided by the Israeli Ministry of Environmental Protection shows a large oil spillage caused by an oil pipeline that breached during maintenace work . The leak was stopped before the torrent of oil could cross the nearby Jordanian border, Israel's Environment Ministry said . Environment Ministry official Guy Samet estimated the spillage at millions of litres, telling Israel Radio: 'Rehabilitation will take months, if not years' Civil defence officials in Amman said several Jordanians had gone to hospital as a precaution after smelling the fumes, but had not required treatment. The main road leading to Eilat from central Israel was closed intermittently and the Environment Ministry advised the town to cancel a triathlon that was due to take athletes through the contaminated area. Mr Nissim said pools of oil would probably be drained with suction equipment, and contaminated earth might also be removed. In Jordan more than 80 people were hospitalised, including 30 workers at Aqaba’s King Hussein International Airport. On the Israeli side, at least three people were treated by paramedics after they inhaled poisonous gases. The pipeline, which stretches between Eilat on the Red Sea to Ashkelon on the Mediterranean, was built in the 1960s to bring Iranian oil from the Persian Gulf to Europe. Since the severing of relations between Iran and Israel after 1979 Islamic Revolution it has been mostly used to move oil within Israel. The spillage happened during maintenance work on the Eilat-Ashkelon pipeline, north of the Red Sea resort of Eilat, on Wednesday night . Pools of oil will be drained with suction equipment, and contaminated earth might also be removed, according to officials . The Environment Ministry advised the town to cancel a triathlon that was due to take athletes through the contaminated area . Firefighters and environmental groups scrambled to the scene in an attempt to seal the puncture in the pipeline and prevent further contamination . A preliminary investigation indicated that the pipeline burst after a new section was struck accidentally during maintenance work . | Millions of litres of crude oil have flooded 200 acres of a desert nature reserve in southern Israel, officials said .
More than 80 people have been taken to hospital in Israel and Jordan after inhaling oil fumes, local reports suggest .
Oil spill happened during maintenance work on the Eilat-Ashkelon pipeline north of the Red Sea resort of Eilat .
Environment Ministry official Guy Samet estimated that: 'Rehabilitation will take months, if not years' |
46,120 | 81e7bf9fb3a162ddfc2be13c6b9fbd68d0367ff4 | A flight to America's adult playground, Las Vegas, had an unusual passenger last week: a 9-year-old boy traveling on his own, apparently without a ticket. The boy went through security with all other passengers, the Transportation Security Administration said in a statement, but officials are still trying to figure out how he did it -- and how he then got on the flight. Patrick Hogan, a spokesman for Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport, said the crew of Delta Flight 1651 "became suspicious of the child's circumstances" during the flight from Minneapolis to Las Vegas. Crew members got in touch with authorities in Las Vegas and turned the boy over to Child Protective Services, Hogan said in a statement. "Fortunately, the flight crew took appropriate actions to ensure the child's safety, so the story does have a good ending," he said. Delta said it takes the incident "very seriously" and is working with authorities. The airline spells out its policy about children flying solo plainly on its website. Children between the ages of 5 and 14 may travel alone as part of the unaccompanied minor program. Someone from Delta pays special attention to the children, walks them on board, shows them their seats and even introduces them to the cockpit crew, time permitting, Delta says, adding, "Kids love this part." Airport officials reviewed security footage and don't think the child had a ticket, CNN affiliate KARE reported. The boy, a runaway from the Twin Cities, spent a good amount of time at the airport before boarding the plane, KARE said. He was there the day before, the station reported, citing airport officials. He passed his time by taking luggage from a carousel, bringing it to an airport eatery and then ditching it, asking a server to watch the bag "while he went to the restroom." The following day the child took the train to the airport, cleared security and made it to Las Vegas nearly without detection. "Obviously, the fact that the child's actions weren't detected until he was in flight is concerning," Hogan wrote. Still, 33 million people travel through Minneapolis' airport every year, he noted. "I don't know of another instance in my 13 years at the airport in which anything similar has happened," he said. Man pleads guilty to slapping crying boy on Delta flight . A flight security expert said it's very concerning that the child made it through several security checks. "All of this (security) since 9/11 has been to keep us safe. And it has, but still we have gaping holes, and this is a perfect example of it," Terry Trippler of ThePlaneRules.com told KARE. The incident may be a first for Minneapolis, but over the years other airports have had similar incidents. In 2007, another 9-year-old managed to fly from Seattle to Phoenix to San Antonio before being found out. He had a boarding pass, though. His mother told CNN her son gave ticketing agents a fake name. Last year an 11-year-old boy in Manchester, England, managed to slip away from his mother during a shopping trip. He made it all the way to Rome without a boarding pass or a passport. But any Colosseum dreams were dashed. He never left the airport in Rome and was returned to his parents the same day. | The TSA says the boy went through security with all other passengers .
A child, apparently without a ticket, boards a flight from Minneapolis to Las Vegas .
Mid-flight the Delta crew becomes suspicious of the child's "circumstances"
The 9-year-old is thought to have been at the airport the day before as well . |
154,033 | 5316a2be55876d5e17f61939aea2b9be7081df07 | Southampton will have to pay £5 million if they want to sign Feyenoord midfielder Tonny Vilhena, with the Dutch club reluctant to sell him for anything less. Feyenoord playing hard ball means that Saints boss Ronald Koeman and head of football development Les Reed face a tough decision as to whether to push the move through now or wait until the summer. Vilhena played regularly in Koeman's Feyeoord team last season when the Dutchman was in charge at De Kuip. Southampton will have to shell out £5 million if they want to sign Feyenoord midfielder Tonny Vilhena (left) Southampton boss Ronald Koeman must decide whether to push a deal through now or in the summer . However, the 20-year-old has not enjoyed the same success under Koeman's replacement, Fred Rutten, and is keen to link up with his former boss at Southampton. But the south-coast club will have to meet Feyenoord's valuation with Vilhena having been a star of the Dutch Under-17 teams and is considered one of the country's brightest young talents. Koeman and Reed will decide on Sunday whether Southampton should up their bid to £5m, following the £3m departure of Jack Cork to Southampton. Vilhena played regularly under Ronald Koeman at Feyenoord last season, but has struggled this campaign . Jack Cork's £3 million move to Swansea City means Southampton are now short of options in midfield . | Feyenoord have placed a £5m asking price on Tonny Vilhena .
Ronald Koeman is keen to bolster Southampton's midfield .
Vilhena played under Koeman last season at Feyenoord .
The 20-year-old has starred for Holland's youth teams . |
187,349 | 7ea60d9b7fae1d89c634d9565a9062b4ff4f72f9 | Eerie apparitions, spooky sightings and paranormal phenomena are all in days commute for passengers travelling to and from Leamington Spa station. And now the station which has been plagued by ghosts has employed Supernatural Liaison Officer Nick Rees as their specialist 'ghost hunter'. As Supernatural Liaison Officer Mr Rees' duties include checking ghosts' tickets, ensuring that they do not eat customers' sandwiches, directing them to their train and generally keeping these spooky spectres in check. Nick Rees from Warwick is Leamington Spa train station's Supernatural Liaison Officer . Station host Mr Rees is already a big hit with living customers and was deemed the man for the job after developing a bond with the ghostly guests. He will now patrol the station, ensuring that passengers won't have to deal with any ghostly high jinks whilst waiting to board their trains. The father of two from Warwick volunteered for the role after being approached by Chiltern Railways. He said: 'I get on with people and I can make anyone smile. I suppose that's why I can go about my duties as a supernatural liaison officer. I respect them and they respect me. The father of two is currently the station host but will be adding on to his responsibilities . Built in the late 1800s, the station is reputedly one of the most haunted places in Britain . Built in the late 1800s, the station is reputedly one of the most haunted places in Britain, with both commuters and station staff reporting supernatural incidents. One of the haunted areas is a disused basement on platform 3 which has a partially blocked off staircase that seemingly leads to nowhere. The other area is the upstairs office building where staff regularly see and hear things including doors slamming and electrical equipment turning on and off. One member of staff said: 'When we first moved into the top floor offices the people who had been there previously had obviously left in a hurry. 'Woooooooh's there?: Mr Ree's duties include checking ghosts' tickets and ensuring that they do not eat customers' sandwiches . 'I regularly have paperwork thrown about, drawers left open and hear footsteps. I find it is often a quick way to end a meeting having a door slam for no logical reason. I've now learned to live in harmony with the ghosts.' Stephen Herbert, a night time security officer at the station, said: 'Leamington Spa station is one of the most haunted places I have been to, and I've been to many. 'I often see and hear ghosts on both platforms but from what I have seen they are nice ghosts and have good energy.' As it is his first week in his extended role, Mr Rees will be giving customers garlic bulbs to take home for Halloween. | Leamington Spa station reputed to be one of Britain's most haunted places .
Nick Rees from Warwick has been employed as 'specialist ghost hunter'
Passengers and staff reported lights turning off, and ghostly apparitions . |
242,846 | c650a1c7d811d77bffc23bd3592eb13ad92fff67 | By . Hugo Gye . Killed: James Hunter, 18, was stabbed to death in a street fight in south-east London last night . Three teenage boys - one aged just 13 - have been arrested on suspicion of murder after an 18-year-old was stabbed to death last night. The victim, named locally as James Hunter, was killed during a street fight in Sydenham, south-east London. His brother could be heard screaming hysterically while paramedics battled unsuccessfully to save the teenager's life. Three suspects, one aged 13 and the other two 15, are being questioned by police on suspicion of murder. A 17-year-old was arrested on suspicion of assault, while another 17-year-old who was also stabbed in the fight is currently in a stable condition in hospital. Police and paramedics were called to the area around 8.30 last night, and Mr Hunter was declared dead at the scene an hour later. A local resident whose flat overlooks the scene of the fight said that he saw the victim's brother yelling after paramedics arrived at the scene. The witness said: 'He just kept shouting over and over, "That's my brother, that's my brother!" 'He was really upset, waving his arms around and screaming and kept putting his head in his hands. 'I saw the guy on the floor. There were people there doing CPR, but to me it just looked like the boy was dead.' Neighbour Khloe Crowley said she saw Mr Hunter less than an hour before he died, and insisted he was not a troublemaker. 'He was just a quiet boy and we used to see him around here with his friends,' she said. 'He would just nod and say hello, but was never in any trouble or anything like that. 'It's very sad - his friends and family are going to have to walk past that spot every day and think of what has happened.' Probe: Police investigating the scene in Sydenham today after Mr Hunter was killed yesterday . Tribute: A bunch of flowers which was left at the scene in memory of Mr Hunter . Russell Taylor of the Metropolitan Police urged witnesses to the incident to come forward. 'A number of youths gathered in Wells Park Road before a fight broke out,' he said. 'Many people would have witnessed the attack as well as the aftermath. 'I would urge those people to contact officers so that we can piece together the events that led up to this murder.' Clues: The Metropolitan Police are investigating a possible link to gang culture . A police spokesman said officers were investigating the possibility that the incident could have been gang-related. Mr Hunter is the fifth teenager to have been murdered in London last year. Anyone with information about his death should contact the incident room on 0208 721 4868 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111. Sorry we are not currently accepting comments on this article. | James Hunter, 18, was killed in a street fight in south-east London last night .
Two 15-year-olds and a 13-year-old arrested on suspicion of murder .
Witness described hearing the victim's brother screaming as paramedics battled to save his life . |
283,702 | fb86f74024e23421e90112f56cc99c6e7d620b1a | More than 12,000 patients are going to A&E at least ten times a year, figures show. They include more than 150 who turn up every week and a handful who arrive five times a week. Such patients are referred to by medical staff as ‘frequent flyers’ and they include the homeless, alcoholics, drug abusers and those with mental health problems. Repeat visits: Emergency staff are being put under increasing pressure by patients bypassing their local doctor surgeries and heading straight to A&E . Others who go once or twice a month . tend to be the elderly with illnesses which aren’t properly managed and . migrants who don’t know how to make an appointment with a GP. Senior . doctors warn that already-strained A&E units cannot cope with the . added pressure from these patients and say they need to be cared for . elsewhere by GPs and community health services. Separate . NHS figures show the number of seriously-ill patients arriving in . casualty reached a three year high at the end of last month. A . total of 75,751 patients – mainly elderly – had to be admitted to a . ward from A&E in the week ending December 22, the highest since the . last week of 2011. The . deputy head of the NHS, Barbara Hakin, admitted the figures were a . ‘significant concern’. There are fears elderly patients are not being . properly looked after by carers, community nurses and GPs.Dame Barbara . also warned that the next few weeks would be the ‘toughest of the year’ for A&E with more vulnerable patients succumbing to pneumonia and . other infections in the colder temperatures. Dame . Barbara, who is deputy chief executive for NHS England, also warned . that the number of emergency admissions – patients needing to be . admitted on to a ward from A&E – had risen by nearly a third in a . decade. Katherine Murphy, of the Patients' Association, and Dr Cliff Mann, of the College of Emergency Medicine, said people making repeated visits to A&E put pressure on already overstretched emergency staff . An investigation by . the BBC using the Freedom of Information Act show that 157 patients went . to casualty at least 50 times last year.One visited Luton and Dunstable . A&E 234 times, another turned up at Lewisham in south London, 225 . times and one went to Northern General Hospital in Sheffield on 223 . occasions. Dr Clifford Mann, . president of the College of Emergency Medicine, which represents . A&E doctors, said: ‘Some individuals attended 250 times a year which . is almost five times a week, whereas others are using it ten times a . year which is more like once a month. ‘There’s clearly a difference between those groups but most of them are to some extent on the margins of society. ‘There . are a lot of problems associated with drugs and alcohol, some with . homelessness, a lot with mental health problems, isolation and . loneliness for some individuals.’ He . said on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: ‘It’s also fair to say that some . people are unfamiliar with the system of healthcare in this country and . in particular the way in which they access general practice. For these . people, at least when they first arrive, attending A&E department . seems like the most straightforward way to access healthcare.’ n . Residents of three cities were urged to avoid going to A&E unless . they faced a real emergency after three major hospitals went on ‘black . alert’. Peterborough City . Hospital, Addenbrooke’s Hospital in Cambridge and Milton Keynes Hospital . in Buckinghamshire have all seen an unexpectedly high influx of . patients. Black alert is the highest crisis level for a hospital, . meaning there is severe pressure on staff and the number of beds . available. More than half of the beds at Peterborough City Hospital have been taken up by patients over 80 with winter chest infections. The figures below show how many attendances each A&E unit had over 12 months from people who visited at least 10 times in the year. Manchester Royal Infirmary 6895Royal Liverpool University Hospital 6133Northern General Hospital (Sheffield) 3548Hereford County Hospital 3499University Hospital Lewisham 3376 (source: BBC) | Nearly 12,000 people visited casualty department more than 10 times a year .
Meanwhile 150 people went to A&E more than 50 times a year, figures show .
Doctors say repeated visits to units are increasing pressure on staff .
As a result, some wait more than four hours to be seen by a doctor .
One person visited A&E department in Bedfordshire 234 times in one year . |
276,306 | f1fe0b102c3fd7255f8c3db0039ec716183edb23 | By . Suzannah Hills . PUBLISHED: . 04:50 EST, 28 March 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 09:33 EST, 28 March 2013 . A 75-year-old conman has been jailed for six years after pocketing £90,000 from the sale of a house he didn't even own. Brian Kiddell posed as the owner of the home in Newton Abbot, Devon, and put the house up for sale on the internet. The real owner had no idea what was going on until he happened to drive past the property and noticed an estate agent's For Sale board outside. When he alerted police, he discovered that Kiddell had already completed the sale and made off with the money. Brian Kiddell, pictured left, has been jailed for six years for posing as the owner of a property in Newton Abbot, Devon, pictured, which . he then sold for £90,000 on the internet in one of his most elaborate . frauds . Gareth Evans, prosecuting, said: 'Kiddell had been renting the house for four months when the owner happened, purely by chance, to be driving past and noticed there was a For Sale sign outside the address. 'He contacted his own letting agent and the estate agent and found that it was being sold on behalf of a company called Momentum Asset Management.' Exeter Crown Court heard how the house sale con was just one in a long line of complex frauds Kiddell carried out using a string of false identities. He bought expensive clothes at a shop in Budleigh Salterton, Exeter, Devon, using cheques made out in the name of Paul Stevenson that were worthless. In Essex, Kiddell impersonated two different people to try to extract money from bank accounts in Leigh on Sea and Canvey Island. In court: Kiddell was jailed for six years at Exeter Crown Court, pictured, for nine charges of fraud, theft and dishonest use of a dead man's passport . In one case he claimed the account holder had died and presented a fake death certificate. He claimed to be the dead man's brother but the bank blocked the transfer of £18,000 when they found the real customer was alive and well. His next scheme involved using false documents to create a joint account with a customer at a bank in Canvey Island so he could transfer their money to himself. He withdrew £4,500 before the scam was stopped. Kiddell was finally caught when staff at a Barclay's Bank in Launceston, Cornwall, became suspicious and called police when he tried to apply for a £25,000 loan by using the stolen account details of a legitimate customer. Former Squash Club owner Kiddell, who has been jailed twice before for similar offences, admitted nine charges of fraud, theft, and the dishonest use of a dead man's passport. He was jailed for a total of six years by Judge Francis Gilbert, QC, who told him: 'You are no stranger to fraud. You are a persistent fraudster who thrives on dishonesty as a method of behaviour. 'You played a key role in these frauds, and there were many. There were others involved but you knew full well what was going on. 'You pretended to be the owner of a house which you had leased in a false name, or at least the owner's representative, and you sold the property. 'You were well aware of what you were doing and used a number of aliases and a number of addresses.' | Brian Kiddell posed as the owner of the home in Newton Abbot, Devon .
He sold the property on the internet and then disappeared with the money .
Exeter Crown court heard Kiddell's house con was one of numerous frauds .
He was caught when bank staff became suspicious over a loan application . |
61,755 | af6b53ab27178ea1cf82d200f20dcb8ea7c728bc | More than a million selfies are taken every day, and a third of us admit to digitally retouching our self-portraits before uploading them online. But researchers from the University of Surrey claim that many of these images could be improved simply taking note of some of their tips. For example, when using a smartphone, the closer the person can get to the lens the better when trying to capture the perfect selfie. Scroll down for video . Researchers from the University of Surrey claim that many selfies could be improved simply by holding the camera further away, and zooming in, to change the perspective. But when using a smartphone, place the camera at arm's length, and hold the phone in landscape when taking group shots (Oscars selfie is pictured) A conventional digital camera's wide-angle lens should be positioned further away from the subject and zoomed in, to achieve a more accurate perspective. On . smartphone cameras, however, a person can be positioned much closer to the phone. This is because the lens and sensor are smaller, so can be used for close-up shots while maintaining the correct amount of separation. For . portraits, the best photos have the shallowest . depth of field, meaning the subject is in focus. To achieve this on a digital camera, choose a larger aperture, which will have a . lower number on the settings menu. Focus can be adjusted on smartphones by tapping the screen. In terms of . lighting, Dr Sporea and Dr Pye claim that photos should not be back-lit, . meaning the light is in front of the subject, rather than behind it. There should also be less separation between the light and dark areas. This means using more lights, or bouncing the light off another surface. Dr Andrew Pye and Dr Radu Sporea, . photography experts and research fellows from the University of Surrey, . revealed the tips during their ‘A Perfect Picture - the science behind . good photos’ talk at the British Science Festival this weekend. When using a digital camera, Dr Sporea and Dr Pye said that a wide-angle lens needs to be positioned further away from the subject and zoomed in, to achieve a more accurate perspective. When a wide-angle lens is too close to a subject, the distance from the lens is approximately the same distance between the subject’s features. This causes the image to be distorted. A selfie-stick can be used to get extra distance between the lens and face. However, these tips only typically work with wide-angle lenses. On . smartphone cameras, for example, Dr Sporea said . that subjects can be positioned much closer to the phone. This is because the lens and sensor are smaller, so can be used for close-up shots while maintaining the correct amount of separation. For . portraits, Dr Sporea added that the best photos also have the . shallowest depth of field, meaning the subject is in focus. When using a digital camera, Dr Sporea said a wide-angle lens needs to be positioned further away from the subject and zoomed in, to achieve a more accurate perspective (pictured) When a wide-angle lens is too close to a subject, the distance from the lens is approximately the same distance between the subject’s features. This causes the image to be distorted. A selfie-stick (pictured) can be used to get extra distance between the lens and face . On some smartphones, focus can be changed by tapping the touchscreen. With digital cameras, however, the aperture can be adjusted. Choosing a larger aperture, which will have a lower number on the settings menu, is better for portraits. In terms of . lighting, Dr Sporea and Dr Pye claim that photos should not be back-lit, . meaning the light is in front of the subject, rather than behind it. There should also be less separation between the light and dark areas. For example, a single bright light producers darker, more harsh shadows because there’s a clear separation. By . increasing the number of lights, or bouncing it off another surface, . this separation is reduced and creates a softer light, which is better . for portraits. In terms of lighting, experts claim photos should not be back-lit. There should also be less separation between the light and dark areas. For example, a single bright light producers harsh shadows because there’s a clear separation. By increasing the number of lights (pictured), this separation is reduced and creates a softer light . Smartphones typically have automatic exposure settings, to allow more light to this the sensor, but on digital cameras, photographers can tweak the sensitivity, also known as ISO. By adjusting these settings, light hitting the sensor can be ‘drowned out by noise’, from the camera. This can cause images to become grainy . Dr Sporea advises against taking photos in the midday sun, for this reason, or underneath strip lights. Umbrellas can also be placed over a bulb to soften the light when taking a selfie. In terms of exposure, smartphones typically have automatic settings, but on digital cameras, photographers can tweak the sensitivity, also known as ISO to improve the amount of light that hits the shutter. By adjusting these settings, however, in low lighting for example, the small amount of light hitting the sensor can be ‘drowned out by noise’, from the camera. This can cause images to become grainy. | Tips were given by Dr Andrew Pye and Dr Radu Sporea at Surrey University .
They explained how to get the best focus and lighting from a digital camera .
This also included tips on managing perspective and depth of field .
The pair additionally detailed why smartphone selfies can look different . |
49,081 | 8aa087b227708bfab5fcfdca09034287f32fb2f7 | This is the amazing moment where a baby bear runs from the woods onto the green of a golf course and begins performing circus tricks. Two other baby bears remain on the edge of the green as their more adventurous sibling makes his way to the flag. The bear quickly reaches out to the flag and rears up onto his hind legs. The adventurous baby bear approaches the flag marking the pin with a certain degree of trepidation . The bear grasps the pole with his paw as two of his more nervous siblings watch from the edge of the green . After about one minute, he starts pulling down the flag and begins dancing around in a circle. Then he changes to a forward and back motion. The bear was spotted by Andi Dzilums as he played with friends at the Fairmont Hot Springs' golf course in British Columbia, Canada. Mr Dzilums said: 'It was a once-in-a-lifetime thing to see this amazing baby bear playing like all kids do!' At one stage the bear pulls the pole down towards the ground and attempts to chew on the red flag. He then releases the flag which springs up at some considerable speed. Soon the bear starts climbing on the pole before beginning his unusual dance routine and swinging around . The bear then decides it wants to play with the flag and pulls down on the flag bending it over . Standing on his hind legs, the bear begins to swing around on the pole before trying to bite the red flag . Having lost interest in the flag, the bear then spots one of the player's golf balls which was lying a tricky 12-foot putt from the hole. The bear bounds over to the bright yellow ball and takes it into its mouth before retreating to the edge of the green. The video, which was posted on YouTube, has been viewed almost 625,000 times. Eventually the bear gets bored playing with the pole and instead decides to investigate the yellow golf ball . Unfortunately for the golfers, the bear picks up the ball and trudges over to the edge of the green . | Andi Dzilums was playing a round of golf with friends when he saw the bear .
The baby bear was on the green of the Fairmount Hot Springs' course .
Mr Dzilums recorded the encounter on his smart phone and posted it online .
The bizarre dance in British Columbia has been viewed more than 600k times .
After playing with the flag, the bear ran off with one of the golf balls . |
42,880 | 78f0f72960f6348bd0d1e6a9ea8532a2724cca95 | By . Marie-louise Olson . PUBLISHED: . 10:45 EST, 26 November 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 15:35 EST, 26 November 2013 . Five people were killed and one person is fighting for his life after they went ‘hill-jumping’ in their car in Hamilton County, Illinois, on Saturday. The six relatives went driving after an early Thanksgiving celebration that same evening on a road popular among the locals for its ‘thrill hills’. But they never made it home after the driver lost control of the vehicle, which flipped multiple times. Diana Wright, 23, Robert L. Parker, 49, Lori S. Parker, 42, and Tammy A. Delong, 35, and Delong’s 16-year-old daughter, Katelynn Fancher, died in the crash. Victims: Katelynn Fancher, 16, left, and Diana Wright, 23, right, were both killed in the car crash on Saturday which claimed three other lives. They went for a drive with relatives to 'fly' over four popular large hills, but the joy ride ended tragically . Serious condition: The driver of the car, Darrell G Delong, 49, right, is the sole survivor of the crash, which killed his wife, Tammy A Delong, 35, left, and his 16-year-old daughter Katelynn . Dead: Robert L. Parker, 49, left, and Lori S. Parker, 42, right, were also killed in the crash . The driver, Darrell G Delong, 49, whose wife and daughter were killed, was the only survivor. He was flown by helicopter to a hospital in Evansville, Indiana, where he is in serious condition, according to the St Louis Post-despatch. Sam Dorris, 22, who was married to Wright, was with them before they headed out to drive the thrill hills. ‘When they walked out the door, they said, “We’ll be back in a little bit”, and they never came back,’ said Dorris, of McLeansboro. ‘I guess they caught a little too much air going over that last hill and lost control at the bottom.’ The killed family were driving in a Chevrolet Trailblazer at about 10:20 pm on Anderson School Road about a quarter-mile north of County Road 1000 North when the sport utility vehicle rolled several times. 'They never came back': Sam Dorris, 22, the husband of Diana Wright, 23, who was killed in the crash says he will never do the thrill hill drive again, even though he admits he is 'good at it' All but Robert Parker were ejected. He was wearing a seat belt and was trapped in the SUV. Driving on the roughly four-mile stretch of rural paved road for the fun of flying through the air is a common activity in the area, according to police. ‘There are about four hills that are close together, and if you’re driving very fast, it doesn’t take much for a vehicle to go airborne,’ said Hamilton County Chief Deputy Jason Stewart. ‘Everybody does it,’ said Dorris. ‘I’ve done it. I’m good at it. But I won’t do it ever again.’ Ejected from the car: Both Katelynn, left, and Diana, right, were thrown from the vehicle and killed when it rolled over multiple times after the driver, Katelynn's father, Darrell, lost control of the vehicle . Robert and Lori Parker were married, as were Tammy and Darrell Delong. Robert Parker was Darrell Delong’s nephew. Robert Parker had worked as an assistant starter at Fairmount Park racetrack. Wright was a niece of the Delongs and worked at a hog farm, said Dorris, who had been married to her for about three years. Police said hill-jumping on the road had been the cause of several crashes — many involving deer — and that residents have often complained about speeders. | The people were killed, including a 16-year-old girl, after going 'hill-jumping' in their car, a popular pastime for the locals in an area with four large hills in a row .
Diana Wright, 23, Robert L. Parker, 49, Lori S. Parker, 42, and Tammy A. Delong, 35, died in the crash .
Delong's daughter, Katelynn Fancher, 16, was also killed .
The driver, Darrell G Delong, 49, whose wife and daughter were killed, was the sole survivor and is in serious condition at an Indiana hospital . |
248,436 | cd717fb77ee136f44d1773019f8d8cb123585ddd | (CNN) -- For those following the Confederations Cup game on television around the world, Brazil's 2-0 victory over Mexico in the north-eastern city of Fortaleza seemed a routine affair. Brazil's latest number 10, Neymar, dazzled while scoring one goal and setting up the second in a stadium bedecked with yellow-shirted fans as the hosts continued their serene progress in Group A. The hosts will match up against Italy for top spot in the group table after the Azzurri beat Japan 4-3, eliminating the Blue Samurai from semifinal contention. The loser of the Brazil and Italy game will likely draw Spain in the semifinals. At the Brazil-Mexico game, not all the action was on the pitch. A closer look around the stadium revealed numerous placards railing against corruption, social injustice, high taxes and even some requesting that FIFA bring hospitals to Brazil rather than stadiums. And outside the Castelao stadium, newly built at a cost of $240 million, it was anything but normal as protesters blocked roads in such numbers they forced a number of vehicles, including some containing FIFA passengers, to take a different route to the arena. Brazil has been rocked by the biggest demonstrations seen in over two decades this week as protests initially sparked by a hike in bus fares in Sao Paulo have spiraled into nationwide marches. Protesters have decried the $15 billion being invested in the Confederations Cup, the 2014 World Cup and the 2016 Olympic Games while outlining the need for improvements in hospitals, transportation, education and other key social programs. With Brazil gripped by what is being called the "Tropical Spring", it seemed apt that the golden hope for the national team - one who supposedly can bring about a brighter future himself - set the hosts on their way. "Saddened by all that is occurring in Brazil," Neymar, 21, wrote in a statement issued before kickoff. "I always had faith that it would not be necessary to come to the point of having to take to the streets to demand better conditions for transport, health, education and security. All this is the OBLIGATION of the government." Just hours later, the politically disillusioned Neymar brought great joy to his 200 million compatriots as he opened the scoring against the Mexicans with a fine volley -- firing home from just inside the box with his left foot, just days after a beauty against Japan with his right. The ball fell to the new Barcelona signing after a cross from right back Dani Alves, who had given his backing to the widespread protests in the run up to the game. "Order and Progress without violence for a better Brazil, a peaceful Brazil, an educated, healthy, honest and happy Brazil," he wrote on his Instagram account. While the protestors face an indeterminate wait to see what effect their actions will have, Brazil's football fans can rest a little easier after the five-time world champions reached the verge of the Confederations Cup semifinals. Victory was sealed when Neymar, who had taken his tally to 13 goals in 15 internationals, shimmied his way between two defenders in stoppage time to set up substitute Jo for the second goal. Despite the protests, the players arrived at the stadium in relaxed mood -- Neymar tapping away at a tambourine while squad member Dante was among several banging a drum. Brazil's victory went some way to redressing their poor run against Mexico, who boast a better recent record against their opponents than any other side in the world - with six wins from 11 meetings. But Mexico, who won the 1999 Confederations Cup when beating the Brazilians 4-3 on home soil and took Olympic gold when defeating the South Americans at London 2012, could not find a way past a defense that looked ragged at times. Having beaten Japan 3-0 in their opener on Saturday, Brazil have maximum from two games -- with their final Group A clash coming against Italy on Saturday in Salvador. | Neymar scores one and makes the other as hosts Brazil beat Mexico 2-0 in Group A .
Italy defeat Japan in an epic, to meet hosts in competition for top group spot .
Build-up to Brazil match in Fortaleza overshadowed by widespread protests outside stadium perimeter . |
157,531 | 57af7d426fbcc74a1d321c18a1ecb55f43faf86b | Recovering: Rio Negro, the racehorse who was poisoned by crooks days before he was due to run - a crime blamed on illegal gambling syndicates . One of Venezuela's most-popular race horses is struggling to regain his strength after he was poisoned by an underground gambling ring. The attack on four-year-old stallion Rio Negro has shone a light on a criminal underworld where millions of dollars in bets are made under the table. The horse's dramatic plight has underscored the growing brazenness of the well-organised betting rings in Venezuela, who many say threaten to destroy the sport entirely. Rio Negro had been heavily favoured to win the Army Day derby until criminals injected him with a near-fatal overdose of cortisone sometime in June - police aren't exactly sure when. His trainers say he nearly collapsed and began urinating frequently during a training session four days before the June 22 race. He lost almost a fifth of his weight, his black-colored skin broke out in welts and he was diagnosed with temporary diabetes. 'It was painful to watch,' said vet Julio Lobo. Rio Negro is now kept in a dark, cold stable that looks more like a prison with iron bars and proliferation of security cameras to ward off intruders. Like many of its neighbours, Venezuela has long-suffered lawlessness and violence. But the country's situation has been badly exacerbated by civil divisions caused by the leftist policies of its longstanding socialist government. Since the death of hugely popular former president Hugo Chavez the country has been riven by unrest, with many middle class areas erupting into open revolt for a time earlier this year. Despite the country's massive oil wealth, after nearly 15 years of socialist policies the economy is in recession, there are shortages of basic goods, annual inflation is running above 60 per cent and crime rates are sky high. The approval ratings of Chavez's hand-picked successor, Nicolas Maduro, a former bus driver, have plummeted to just 35 per cent. But few in Venezuela are willing to return to the situation they faced before Chavez. Then it was one of the most unequal countries in the world, politically dominated by a mainly white ruling elite and with rates of poverty almost double current levels. And many Venezuelans are deeply sceptical of the opposition's democratic credentials after a failed 2002 coup against Chavez which was backed by the U.S. Nevertheless, the country is very sick. Authorities have arrested nine people in connection with the poisoning of Rio Negro, among them former police officers and a horse owner linked to betting rings. But it's unknown if the investigation, an outcry from top government officials and beefed-up security at La Rinconada track in Caracas can control the rings that some racing officials call 'mafias.' Gambling on horse races is legal in Venezuela, but the socialist government tightly controls betting at the country's four racetracks and 1,200 off-track bookies. Illegal gambling is driven by the government's limit of 1,000 bolivars on bets, which converts to about $10 (£6.20) at the black market rate. Vet Julio Lobo checks Rio Negro at a stable in La Rinconada racetrack in Caracas: The horse was a sensation of Venezuela's horse racing season until criminals injected him with a near-fatal overdose of cortisone . Last year, the industry in Venezuela handled about $120million in legal bets, according to the Paris-based International Federation of Horseracing Authorities. But Jaime Casas and others who follow the local horse racing industry say the real money is in illegal betting, especially now as Venezuelans try to boost the value of their bolivars in the face of 60 per cent inflation and a plunge in the currency's value on the black market. The illegal operations known as 'offices' can frequently be seen operating in plain view from inside the state-sanctioned gambling halls by so-called 'bankers' who receive bets in person and by phone. Venezuela's state-run National Institute of Hippodromes declined to comment on the illicit operations. Mr Casas, who runs the Hipicomputo 2000 website that tracks race results, estimated that illicit betting rings move between 50 and 60 times the legal market for gambling. The state-run horse racing agency says that on any given Sunday the government's take from wagers at La Rinconada can surpass $3million. Mr Casas said violence has also increasingly encroached on the sport through the kidnapping of and threats against jockeys. 'Illegal betting has existed in every part of the world for a long time,' he said. 'But here it was allowed to flourish with so much freedom and impunity.' | Stallion Rio Negro was injected with a near lethal dose of cortisone .
He had been heavily tipped to win the Army Day derby in Caracas .
Illegal gambling is huge because legal bets are restricted to just £6.20 . |
189,012 | 80c8dd7c7b1da2a089a6552142a6aa39e596ba03 | (CNN) -- King Juan Carlos I is stepping down from the Spanish throne after nearly 40 years, handing power to his son after a series of scandals that has dented the royal family's popularity. The King said Crown Prince Felipe, a former Olympic yachtsman, has "the maturity, the preparation, and the sense of responsibility necessary" to serve as king and "to lead to a new stage of hope using his experience and the drive of a new generation." Prince Felipe, 46, is regarded as being untouched by the accusations of corruption and excess that have plagued the royal family as many Spaniards continue to struggle to find jobs and pull themselves out of financial ruin. Princess Cristina, the Prince's older sister, is embroiled in a tax fraud and money laundering investigation. She and her husband, Inaki Urdangarin, have denied allegations that they diverted public funds from Urdangarin's foundation for private use. Spaniards have long held Juan Carlos, 76, in high regard for shepherding the country into democracy following the death of dictator Francisco Franco in 1975. But his popularity took a hit in 2012 over a controversial elephant-hunting trip to Africa while the nation was mired in a deep economic crisis. Prince Felipe, the third child and only son of Juan Carlos and Queen Sofia, has been preparing to be king his entire life. He attended his father's coronation before parliament in 1975, and reportedly stayed awake late into the night to witness what is considered to be the King's finest moment -- his decisive put-down of an attempted coup by a section of the military in February 1981. Felipe studied international relations at Georgetown University in the U.S. and trained as a Spanish military officer. He was also a member of Spain's Olympic yachting team at the Barcelona games in 1992. The Prince has increasingly stood in for the King at a variety of official engagements in recent years as his father's health has faltered. Felipe also presides over the annual Prince of Asturias awards, prestigious accolades presented by his foundation for achievements in the fields of science, the humanities, and sports. In 2004 Felipe married Letizia Ortiz, a famous former TV anchor who worked for Bloomberg TV, Spain's state-run TVE, and CNN+, a Spanish CNN station that is no longer on the air. The Prince's marriage to Princess Letizia, a divorced commoner who left her own career behind to join the royal family, has made the monarchy seem more modern and accessible to ordinary Spaniards. Letizia is "someone who has travelled on the subway, taken out a mortgage to buy an apartment in a Madrid suburb, and brought emotional baggage to the relationship," according to Tereixa Constenla at El Pais. The couple have tried to create a normal living environment for their family, according to El Pais, regularly taking their two young daughters to school and putting them to bed at night themselves. And despite his family's recent troubles, Felipe remains a very popular figure in Spain. Two-thirds of Spaniards see the Prince in a favorable light, according to a survey by El Mundo in December. The King's approval rating in the same poll was just 41.3%. Felipe's biggest task, in light of the recent scandals, will be to make the royal palace more transparent. His family has a relatively austere reputation when compared with other European monarchies, but there has been increasing resentment in Spain over the cost of the royal family to the public. The crown's budget -- more than €7.78 million ($10.5m) in 2014 -- has been cut nearly 13% over the past five years, and the monarchy has begun publishing yearly breakdowns of its annual spending in an attempt to curb criticism, according to the UK's Daily Telegraph. The overtures, however, have done little to silence a vocal minority in Spain who want to see the crown abolished altogether. After Juan Carlos' announcement Monday, thousands poured into the streets to call for a nationwide referendum on the future of the monarchy. Lawmakers have largely ignored those calls, and the soon-to-be-named Felipe VI is expected to be sworn in as king sometime after June 18 at a ceremony in front of Spain's Congress. CNN Wires contributed to this report. | Spain's King Juan Carlos I abdicates throne after nearly 40 years .
King's only son Felipe, a former Olympic yachtsman, to be sworn in within weeks .
Georgetown-educated Crown Prince married former CNN+ anchor Letizia Ortiz in 2004 .
Spain's monarchy dogged by allegations of corruption and excess in recent years . |
180,197 | 7551343195d59ece9c3ba88718da266768d4066d | By . Hanna Flint . PUBLISHED: . 16:05 EST, 25 March 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 09:26 EST, 26 March 2013 . Reality star Millie Mackintosh and Hackney-born rapper Professor Green are engaged. The Made In Chelsea star, 23, tweeted a snap of her dazzling . engagement ring by Frost of London on Monday evening, with the touching caption: 'If I could scream loud . enough for the whole world to hear I would.' Her ring is made up of a typically large rock set on double bands encrusted with diamonds. Earlier in the day the brunette had told her Twitter followers that her beau whisked her away to 'her favourite restaurant in the whole wide world' - in the famously romantic city of Paris. Engaged: Millie Mackintosh said yes to Professor Green's proposal on Monday evening while on holiday in Paris . The couple have been dating for over a year, after the 29-year-old Professor - real name Stephen Manderson - became enamoured by the reality star when he saw her cover shoot for FHM two years ago. By the end of 2011 he had her number and they debuted their relationship at the BRIT Awards 2012 ceremony. At the beginning the longevity of the union was doubted by critics who said Quality Street heiress Millie . was simply after 'a bit of rough' with her rapper boyfriend. Long haul: The couple have been dating for over a year . Twitter love: Millie shared her news on the social networking site . Happy days: Professor Green's reaction to the news - sorry Jessica Alba, he is off the market . His response to her acceptance to his proposal on Tuesday was just two words on Twitter: 'Happy days.' However, . the typically jovial rapper did send his sympathies to two Hollywood . starlets who would undoubtedly be rather disappointed by his new . relationship status. He tweeted: 'Someone's gonna have to break the news to Jessica Alba and Eva Mendez (sic)'. Lap of luxury: Millie also shared a picture of her and Professor Green's luxurious hotel room in the French capital . Pouting up a storm: Millie posted a picture on her Twitter of herself smouldering for the camera . Luckily the rapper's DJ friend Lewis Richards offered to 'look after them now.' For Millie, some of the first people to share their congratulations were her Made In Chelsea castmates. Francis Boulle . tweeted: 'Congratulations to @millsmackintosh and @professorgreen on . their engagement. Nice ring. ;) #Weddingbells'. As the CEO of a . jewellery company, his reference to the ring could suggest he may have . helped the Professor in the selection process. Jamie Laing was far simpler with his excited message: '@professorgreen @millsmackintosh congratulations guys!!!! X'. But it seems Millie and her new fiancé may have overdone the celebrating somewhat, with the reality star tweeting on Tuesday morning: 'Wow ive got a little bit of a headache this morning! #toomuchchampagne.' The pair also set tongues wagging when they shared a broody picture of themselves cooing over a friend's baby over lunch. However, in a recent interview, Millie admitted she is in no rush to start a family. Stage presence: Barclaycard transformed the King's Cross bus depot into a performance area for Pro Green's Contactless gig on Saturday night . Doting: Millie sported a camouflage jacket with her tight leather trousers as she supported her beau at the gig . She said: 'Definitely no baby, not right now. Like any girl, I know I want a family one day, but I'm really focused on work at the moment. 'But Herby my dog has made me feel . maternal. I love looking after people, but it's a lot of responsibility. It's like a little taste of having a first child.' Professor Green, who split from Hollyoaks . actress Candy . McCulloch in November 2011, admitted he had been seeing a lot of Millie . before they made their public debut, but initially said he wasn't . looking for 'anything serious'. Happy: Pro Green and Millie (pictured here at this year's BRITs) often share snaps of their relationship on Twitter - and that even goes down to getting engaged . Loved up: The pair looked more than happy to pose up for photographers on the red carpet, with Millie even giving her beau a big kiss on the cheek at one point . He told The Sun newspaper: 'I don't want to be too tied down or get into anything serious too fast. But Millie is really fit.' When Millie met Pro Green, she was overcoming heartache herself after she discovered her boyfriend Hugo Taylor . had cheated on her with best friend Rosie Fortescue. But . for the couple who have made no secret of their growing love for one . another over Twitter, it was a definite fitting place for their happy . announcement. Broody? Millie shared a picture of herself and Pro Green cooing over a friend's baby at lunch last week . | Pair started dating in late 2011 before making their debut at the BRITs 2012 .
Professor Green whisked Quality Street heiress away to Paris for the proposal . |
25,231 | 4779ded3445aecdcf52222a82269400837266201 | Hong Kong (CNN) -- Another case of bird flu has been reported in China, taking the total infection count to 83 people, as health authorities inside and outside the country try to determine how to stop its spread. The most recent case was detected in a 38-year-old poultry trader in Henan province, according to state-run Chinese news agency Xinhua. Earlier, the World Health Organisation said an additional 19 cases were found in the eastern provinces of Zhejiang and Jiangsu as well as the city of Shanghai. Seventeen people have died from the H7N9 strain of the virus which, while common in birds, hadn't been detected in humans before the first cases were reported in March. The WHO says it's still exploring the possibility whether the virus can be spread between people. "In a significant percentage of cases there is no known contact with poultry. It means that we still don't know what the disease reservoir is," WHO spokesman Timothy O'Leary told CNN. "We need to establish where the virus is living in which animal it has its reservoir and then try to figure out how it's being transmitted to people. All the evidence points to animal-to-human transmission but which animal and how is it being transmitted? This is the big mystery." Authorities are monitoring more than 1,000 people who have come into close contact with confirmed cases, but O'Leary stressed "so far there's no evidence of ongoing or sustained human-to-human transition of the virus." Particular attention is being paid to clusters of people who have contracted the illness, including one family where a father and two sons fell ill. The 87-year-old father died of the virus in March, followed soon after by his younger son. It hasn't been confirmed whether the son had the illness, according to Feng Zijian, director of the health emergency center of the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention. Because he had died, further tests weren't possible, Feng added. The elder son was confirmed to have had the virus but has since recovered. He is one of five people who have been discharged from hospital after treatment, according to Xinhua. So far, one boy is confirmed to have been an asymptomatic carrier of the virus, meaning he tested positive for the illness but didn't display any symptoms. The discovery of an asymptomatic carrier is worrying because it could make the spread of the infection more difficult to monitor, experts say. The four-year old was part of a sweep of people tested for the illness because they'd come into close contact with the first reported case in Beijing. Authorities took throat swabs from a group of people connected to 24 poultry farmers in Naidong Village, Cuigezhuang County in Beijing's Chaoyang District, according to the Beijing Municipal Health Bureau. Meanwhile, a number of international experts have arrived in China, at the invitation of the Chinese government, to help local health authorities trace the source of the illness, the WHO said. The team includes Chinese experts on epidemiology, laboratory tests and clinical treatment, as well as experts and officials from the U.S, the European Union and the WHO, who will "assess the outbreak and the response to guide further the prevention and control measures," WHO spokesman Glenn Thomas told reporters in Geneva on Tuesday. Journalist Peter Shadbolt in Hong Kong contributed to this report. | NEW: One new case reported in Henan, taking total flu cases to 83, Xinhua reports .
Authorities still investigating whether cases are spread human to human .
Five people who contracted virus have left hospital after treatment .
China has invited international experts to examine virus' spread . |
281,610 | f8cdd0610cfb5a2454fc565c71192cfdeda51636 | At least eight people came down with listeria -- and one of them died -- after, authorities believe, eating "Hispanic-style cheese." The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Friday reported the outbreak, which has affected people only of Hispanic descent and living in California or Maryland. Three babies were among those infected, while the other five were adults, including two women who had recently given birth. The illnesses date back to between August 1 and November 27, 2013. Seven cases -- all in Maryland -- ended up being hospitalized, with the lone death occurring in sole California case, according to the CDC. The age of the person who died was not given. Earlier this month, health inspectors in Virginia found listeria monocytogenes bacteria in a sample of Cuajada en Terron, or fresh cheese curd, on sale in clear, unlabeled plastic bags at a Mega Mart in Manassas. This was traced to Roos Foods, a company based in Kenton, Delaware. Virginia authorities said at that time there were no known sicknesses in the state tied to that cheese. What you need to know about listeria . A few days later, Maryland authorities' tests of pre-packaged cheese products produced by Roos Foods also came back positive for listeria. That state's health and mental hygiene department warned people not to buy or consume any products from that company sold under brand names Santa Rosa de Lima, Amigo, Mexicana, Suyapa, La Chapina and La Purisima Crema Nica. Older adults, pregnant women, newborns and adults with weakened immune systems are most susceptible to listeriosis, according to the CDC. It typically spreads through the consumption of contaminated foods such as uncooked meats and vegetables, unpasteurized milk and cheeses, and cooked and processed foods such as certain soft cheeses, ready-to-eat meats and smoked seafoods. Newborns can develop it if their mothers ate such tainted foods while pregnant. A person with listeriosis usually has fever and muscle aches, sometimes preceded by diarrhea or other gastrointestinal symptoms, according to the CDC. They might also have headaches, a stiff neck, confusion, loss of balance or convulsions. The public health agency says that about 1,600 people fall ill and 260 die each year in the United States from this ailment. A call placed Friday by CNN to Roos Foods wasn't immediately returned. According to its website, Roos is "a family-owned business ... dedicated to the production of a wide variety of dairy products of Latin origin." How to protect yourself from food poisoning . | 8 people got sick last summer, fall with listeria in Maryland, California .
3 were adults, 3 were babies and 2 were new mothers, the CDC says .
Authorities tie the illnesses to "Hispanic-style cheese" |
93,797 | 049ade1b9c868bbf0174c3ee7bfd59ed984f8f91 | By . Ruth Styles . He might have a farmer for a father but Prince Harry looked slightly ill at ease when confronted with an enormous bull during a visit to the Suffolk County Show in Ipswich this afternoon. Nothing daunted, the royal carried on chatting to its owner - even when the Red Poll began to beadily roll its eyes. Luckily for Harry, the rest of the animals at the showground proved less intimidating, with the prince even crouching down for a cuddle with one calf. Afterwards, the prince was taken to meet a flock of prize-winning sheep and this time, eagerly squatted down for a closer look. Then, after a chat with the animal's excited young owner, Harry beamed as he posed for a photo with the junior shepherd. Scroll down for video . Fright night: Prince Harry maintains a safe distance from the beady-looking Red Poll bull while he chats to its owner during a visit to the Suffolk Show . Hello there: The two bulls were kept on a tight leash by their owners who had gathered in the parade ring ahead of their visit from the prince . No touching! This smaller bull seemed less than impressed to meet Prince Harry and even frothed at the mouth as the royal visitor approached . Much better! An adorable calf found more favour with the prince, who crouched down to say hello - much to the delight of its handlers . During his tour of the show, which also received a royal visit from his mother Princess Diana in 1986, the prince was also introduced to a Suffolk Punch horse, a traditional breed of heavy horse that is now considered endangered. After giving the animal a friendly pat, the prince met troops from his former base at Wattisham Flying Station . before completing his whistle-stop tour of Suffolk by enjoying a parade of Royal British Legion standards through the showground. Harry's day had started more than six hours earlier with an appearance at a coaching session run by Inspire Suffolk, a charity that aims to help under-privileged children. Asked to join in, the prince obliged with alacrity but typically, pulled out all the stops to win a penalty shoot out against a group of excited Suffolk school children. Lights, camera... Prince Harry looked on suave form, despite the miserable weather, and stopped to pose for a photo with one young fan - and his flock of sheep . Royal inspection: Prince Harry cuddles up to one of the sheep being paraded around the ring during the Suffolk Show near Ipswich . Cosy chat: Prince Harry stops for a chat with one slightly overwhelmed young fan who stood proudly waiting to greet the prince with his prize-winning sheep . Magnificent: Prince Harry is introduced to a working Suffolk Punch horse by his owners. Sadly, the horses are now an endangered species . Tastes good! After inspecting the livestock, Prince Harry then continued on to the food tents, where he met children busily preparing pizzas . Cooking lesson: The prince beamed as he listened to instructions from the class teacher - perhaps a handy hint for future use at Kensington Palace . Grinning from between the goal posts, the prince took his goal-keeping duties seriously, ensuring that not one of the children lined up against him managed to score their penalty. Despite his antics, nothing could dampen the children's enthusiasm, with his pint-sized opponents describing the royal visitor as a 'funny' chap who 'kept making lots of jokes'. Harry, who . is fresh from a successful three-day tour of Estonia and Italy, . impressed local children with his talent for touch rugby and even took . part in a game of football, although soon found himself on the receiving . end of a powerful tackle. 'He tackled me and won the ball but I managed to tackle him back,' revealed nine-year-old Aryon Tandel, from Ipswich. 'He was taking it quite seriously.' So that's how it's done! Prince Harry and a new young friend discuss the perfect toppings for a pizza - in this case mozarella, tomatoes, mushrooms and herbs . Rapt: Prince Harry's winning way with the ladies continued as he thoroughly charmed this group of delighted Suffolk schoolgirls during a visit to the Suffolk Show . Winning ways: Prince Harry poses with a group of pint-sized prize winners in front of a model of a green and yellow John Deere combine harvester . Young farmers: The prince poses with farmers of the future inside the children's play tent at the Suffolk Show just outside Ipswich . Are you sure that's allowed? Prince Harry uses his body to block the pint-sized goal during a penalty shootout in which not one got past him . Limbering up: The prince prepares for the first penalty while taking part in a shoot out during a visit to a coaching session for children near Ipswich in Suffolk . Not getting past me! The prince concentrates intently as a ball booted by one of the young players comes whizzing towards his nose . Got it! Prince Harry stretches out a long leg and hooks the incoming ball away from his goal, knocking it safely into a far flung corner of the field . Ducking and diving: Prince Harry seemed to be enjoying himself during his stint in goal - during which not one ball slipped past him . Another young fan, Brandon Norman, eight, from Ipswich, managed to score a goal against Harry's team - much to his delight. 'He gave me a tap around the ear and said well done,' said the delighted boy. The prince - who met the children during a . visit to Inspire Suffolk, a community project in Ipswich - is the vice patron . of the Rugby Football Union, and also took part in a game of rugby - which he took just as seriously as he did the football. 'He was funny and making lots of jokes,' revealed one nine-year-old opponent, George Hill from Ipswich. 'He told me I had to stay behind the ball and joked that if I went in . front again he would slap me!' Equally . impressed was 11-year-old Jake Katz Roberts from Islington in north . London, who was one of the few who managed to evade one of the prince's . lunging tackles. 'He told me: "That's the last time you're going to skin me," revealed the young rugby player, adding: 'Harry was really fun and got stuck in.' Near miss: The royal flinches as a flying ball comes flying straight towards his head but (right) ends up sighing with relief after catching the ball . Nervous? Harry looked anxious as he took the position of Goalkeeper . Well played! Prince Harry gives one of the little boys taking part a high five but ends up on the receiving end of a strong challenge from another . Right, we'll do it like this! The prince gets in a huddle with his team as he prepares to take part in a game of touch rugby with a group of school children . To me, to me! The prince beats a hasty retreat as a group of little boys and girls bear down on him during a game of touch rugby on a visit to Suffolk . Try and catch me know! The prince grabs the ball out of the air before taking off with the ball still clutched between his fingers . Good sport: Prince Harry shows off his abs as he leaps for a rugby ball and right, proves he's a good sport as he shakes hands with one of the young competitors . One of the boys: Harry was keen to let his hair down on the pitch, and proved that he was keeping his fitness up . A . right royal tackle! Prince Harry sticks his arm out to trip up one . young player but finds himself foiled by his much speedier (and younger) opponent . To . me, to me! The prince bawls an instruction as he takes part in a game . of touch rugby during a visit to a coaching session near Ipswich in . Suffolk . Big . grins all round: The prince beams as he shares a joke with boys at . taking part in the training session run by Inspire Suffolk which helps . under-privileged children . Enjoying . themselves: The children looked thrilled as they posed for a picture . with an equally thrilled Prince Harry during a training session in . Suffolk . | The royal was at the Suffolk Show meeting young farmers and inspecting livestock when he met the Red Poll bull .
Grinning nervously, the prince stayed a safe distance from the animal but later plucked up the courage to pet a cow .
Earlier, the royal took part in a kickabout with schoolchildren during a visit to a coaching session in Suffolk .
Took his coaching duties seriously and used his body to completely block the tiny goal so no one scored a penalty .
Despite his antics, the children described him as a 'funny' guy who 'kept making lots of jokes' |
83,948 | ee1fda5151efc05c355b6b6eb0f0cb7ea643ef20 | By . Julian Robinson . A medal-winning Commonwealth Games weightlifter headbutted a Welsh competitor after a row over 'physical contact' with his victim's girlfriend. Australian Francois Etoundi assaulted Gareth Evans, also a weightlifter, in the athletes' village on Wednesday morning, Glasgow Sheriff Court heard. The incident unfolded after Mr Evans' girlfriend and a number of other people had congratulated Etoundi, 29, for winning a bronze medal by 'physically taking hold of him'. Scroll down for video . Francois Etoundi, pictured, leaving court in Glasgow where he was ordered to pay £400 compensation to Gareth Evans . Gareth Evans suffered an 'uncomplicated fracture to his nose' after being assaulted by Francois Etoundi, the court heard. He is pictured in action in the men's 62kg category at the Commonwealth Games . Procurator fiscal depute Stuart Fauré said Etoundi was staying in the athletes' village at the time of the incident. He told the court there was a lead up to the assault around 4.45am in the morning of July 30 when Mr Evans and his friend Sonny Webster - a weightlifter for England - were in the 'mess hall' having breakfast. Etoundi went into the hall and asked Mr Evans to go outside for a fight but Mr Evans ignored him and carried on having his breakfast. Mr Fauré said: 'The accused left the dining room. At approximately 5.30am that same morning the complainer and Mr Webster left the dining room and whilst they were walking through the athlete's village they came across the accused, Mr Etoundi. 'Mr Etoundi was in the company of some others. It's said that Mr Etoundi approached Mr Evans and headbutted him to his face, in fact the blow struck Mr Evans on his nose. Francois Etoundi won a bronze medal in the men's 77kg weightlifting competition in the Commonwealth Games. But trouble brewed after Gareth Evans' girlfriend congratulated him for the result, the court heard . Etoundi, pictured, had gone to an athletes' village restaurant where he was congratulated by a number of people including Mr Evans' girlfriend, who 'physically took hold of him', the court heard . 'The incident was in relatively short compass. Mr Evans said it was totally unprovoked. The accused made off from the scene.' Mr Evans was described as having an 'uncomplicated fracture to his nose' and given painkillers. Police later detained Etoundi and as they did he said: 'Yeah, yeah, I understand, I'm cool man.' He later made no reply when charged by the police after being interviewed. Mr Hunter, defending, said that Etoundi was originally from Cameroon but lives in Australia with his girlfriend. He had won bronze on July 29 in the 77kg category of weightlifting. He said his client had gone to the restaurant where he was congratulated by a number of people including Mr Evans' girlfriend, who 'physically took hold of him'. The lawyer told the court Mr Evans 'didn't appear to be greatly impressed by the physical contact between the two and words were exchanged'. Etoundi headbutted Gareth Evans while he was walking through the athletes' village, pictured . He said they went their separate ways until later when they met again, when words were exchanged and the assault took place. Mr Hunter told the court his client has had his accreditation taken from him and is unable to take part in the closing ceremony. Sheriff Andrew Cubie ordered Etoundi to pay £400 compensation to Mr Evans. He told the athlete: 'I sense from Mr Hunter you yourself are disappointed in your conduct, you should be.' Toilets for disabled visitors to the Commonwealth Games have been destroyed in a deliberate fire that caused £50,000 of damage. Twelve portable loos at Prospecthill Road in the Toryglen area of Glasgow were set alight at about 5am. Police Scotland detective constable David Hardie, from Glasgow city centre CID, has appealed for witnesses to the 'sickening' crime. He said: 'The portable loos were placed there for disabled guests who were attending the Commonwealth Games at Hampden. 'Alternative arrangements will now have to be put in place. It is sickening that mindless individuals carry out this sort of crime with no regard for the consequences.' Mr Hardie said the area was relatively busy at the time with people visiting the nearby 24-hour Asda store and drivers who may have seen the fire. He said: 'I would appeal to anyone who was in the area and saw anyone at or near the Portaloos to come forward.' Anyone with information is asked to contact Police Scotland on 101. The sheriff added: 'You have chosen to bring the law of the playground into the athlete's village. You fell out with someone about a girl and headbutted him. It's totally unacceptable behaviour.' Speaking outside court Australian Commonwealth Games chief executive Perry Crosswhite said: 'Absolutely, I'm disappointed. We're disappointed in any athlete who doesn't abide by the rules and goes off the rails a bit.' He also said: 'The behaviour of our people has to be exemplary.' | Francois Etoundi headbutted Gareth Evans in athlete's village in Glasgow .
The incident unfolded after Mr Evans' girlfriend congratulated Etoundi for winning weightlifting bronze medal .
The Australian, 29, has been ordered to pay his victim £400 compensation .
He has also been stripped of his Commonwealth Games accreditation .
Sheriff Andrew Cubie says Etoundi brought 'law of the playground' in to athletes' village . |
13,914 | 276de59b864a842e637511ce30bf0bb6d26b725c | By . Stuart Woledge . PUBLISHED: . 03:11 EST, 10 October 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 04:02 EST, 10 October 2013 . Distressing footage has been released showing a horse thrashing around in a hotel lobby after it escaped from its owner. The disorientated animal can be seen trying to get into a lift and turning round in circles after it went into the Best Western Maypole Hotel in Birmingham. It appears to be having difficulty with staying upright on the slippery tiles of the hotel lobby where it knocked over plants and kicked dents in the walls. SCROLL DOWN FOR VIDEO . Horseplay: The runaway nag was captured on CCTV after it found its way into Best Western's lobby . Guests who were staying at Best . Western Maypole Hotel ran for cover when the horse, which had escaped . from a nearby field, ran in through the . glass sliding doors at the entrance to the hotel. Moments . earlier, it had been seen bolting across the car park of a nearby . store, dodging attempts along the way to lasso it with a tow rope. The horse, which was limping and sweating, was finally snared when West Midlands Police arrived on the scene. Officers brought the horse under control and returned it to its owner, but sadly the animal later had to be put down. Heather Thornton, director of sales at the hotel, said: 'I saw two police officers when I arrived at 9.50am and there were a lot of people standing around the hotel looking bemused. 'The horse tried to get into the lift and then it reversed out again. It was stressed and frightened. 'It . did a lot of damage to the lobby. It made some dents in the wall and . knocked over plants but the staff were worried about the horse.' Distressed: The horse stunned guest and staff at the hotel as it looked for a safe refuge . Elevator going up: As the doors to the lift open the runaway horse tries to get inside . The horse had earlier run past a nearby Halfords store and escaped the clutches of duty manager Jay Gordhan. The 36-year-old said: 'A customer walked in asking if anyone had seen a horse. Just then, it appeared and ran around the car park. 'I was worried about our customers and any kids who may have been walking so I grabbed one of our tow ropes and tried to throw it over the horse. 'But it ran into the Best Western and smashed up a bit of their lobby. I told one of the girls to throw it some fruit to keep it there.' The horse then made its way to a Wilkinson hardware shop and a Sainsbury’s supermarket. No place to hide: The cramped environs of the lift were too small for the distressed nag, which backs out . Mr Gordhan added: 'Wilkinson have a glass window and it must have been confused thinking it was another horse. 'It was stressed because it was out on the road and that’s why we were trying to keep it calm, poor thing. It was sweating, I felt sorry for it.' A Best Western spokesman said the horse had come in through the hotel’s sliding glass front doors. 'Clearly scared it was trying to find its way back out. Staff and guests were very concerned about the horse and tried to make sure it did not injure itself,' he added. 'While some damage was done to the hotel, the horse eventually found its way out after trying to get in the lift, and wondered across the road to Sainsbury’s. 'Sadly the horse had to be put down. The hotel staff do not know why, but are devastated about the outcome.' Captured: The horse, which had escaped from a field, was later captured by police . | Escaped horse runs amok in a Birmingham suburb before entering a hotel .
It knocked over plants, kicked dents in the walls and tried to get into a lift .
Staff at a nearby store had earlier tried to lasso it with a tow rope .
Limping and distressed, it was caught by police but was later put down . |
276,741 | f286e05d25f9575c3bd3b87da0ddf48303dde66d | By . Jeff Powell . Follow @@jeffpowell_Mail . Uruguay are in line to host the World Cup before England even come under consideration. Despite serial biter Luis Suarez shaming his country in Brazil and President Jose Mujica calling the FIFA hierarchy ‘old sons of bitches’, Uruguay are favourites to host the finals in 2030. With the United States already earmarked for 2026, following Russia 2018 and Qatar 2022, that makes 2034 the earliest possible date for England to have any hope of staging its second World Cup. VIDEO: Scroll down to see Uruguay president calls FIFA a 'bunch of old sons of whores' Reason to cheer: Uruguay are favourites to host the 2030 World Cup . Something to smile about: Uruguay's 2014 campaign ended in an unsavoury manner . On the rise: USA have been earmarked to host the 2026 tournament . American dream: Jurgen Klinsmann took the US to the last 16 where they lost to Belgium in extra time . Tiny: Uruguay is dwarfed by neighbours Argentina and Brazil . But with two other powerful candidates emerging for that year, the odds are lengthening against the finals coming here during most of our lifetimes. FIFA are acutely aware that Uruguay have not staged the finals for almost a century, even though they have won the World Cup twice and reached the semi-finals on three other occasions. The difficulty of taking the tournament back to the land of its inaugural hosts and winners — in 1930 — is that Uruguay is a small country with a population of only just over 3.3 million. That is . where Argentina come in. The concept is for Uruguay’s neighbours to be . co-hosts. Although FIFA have always expressed some resistance to joint . hosting, a precedent was set by the 2002 tournament in Japan and South . Korea. In fact, a successful two-nation event in South America would be more bad news for England. While . the tournament is due to return to Europe 20 years from now, FIFA are . conscious also that Holland, three-time finalists, have yet to hold the . finals. Disgrace: Luis Suarez's bite on Giorgio Chiellini marred Uruguay's World Cup campaign . Aftermath: Suarez's actions earned him a lengthly ban from all football . Fresh start: Suarez has arrived in Spain following his move to Barcelona . Attack: Jose Mujica has blasted the FIFA hierarchy . However, the emergence of Belgium as a competitive nation encourages the prospect of those two neighbours being given the honour. FIFA also await China, with its huge population and massive commercial market, declaring they are ready. The World Cup’s quadrennial global rotation is not set in stone and the economic power house of the People’s Republic could come into contention for 2034. If all three of the US, Holland-Belgium and China are allocated different tournaments in the foreseeable future, England will be out of the running until the second half of this century. National pride: US fans painted their faces with stars and stripes during the World Cup in Brazil . Star man: Clint Dempsey is asked to autograph a US flag by a fan . Man mountain: US keeper Tim Howard earned rave reviews for his performances in Brazil . Gathering momentum: Crowds of US fans flocked to watch the World cup finals . Next up: Russian president Vladimir Putin will welcome the 2018 World Cup . Controversial: FIFA's decision to award the 2022 World Cup to Qatar was greeted with widespread disapproval . Looking ahead: An artist's impression of the Al Khor Stadium in Qatar . | USA set to host tournament in 2026 - 32 years after previous honour .
England dealt blow with bid as Uruguay head the queue for finals .
Argentina could co-host 2030 with their neighbours .
Russia and Qatar have already secured the next two tournaments . |
212,651 | 9f5b10e49bc772572ba9c9043905b959f74270a5 | Most Ferris wheels rely on a motor to keep them turning - but not at this amusement park in India. The attraction in the state of Himachal Pradesh, in Northern India, is instead turned by human workers. Two men are employed to stand on the spokes at the centre of the wheel and keep it turning as visitors ride in cars to take in the view. People power: The two acrobatic workers are seen using their legs to get the Ferris wheel moving . A video has emerged showing daredevil workers clambering over the wheel in an attempt to keep it spinning. The video was uploaded by Manohar Thakur who filmed the footage on Friday, October 24. Mr Thakur's boys Vijay and Ashok are seen in the video enjoying the attraction in Dhami, near Shimla in the state of Himachal Pradesh. Some of the adventurous workers scale the railings of the Ferris wheel and they use their body weight to accelerate the speed of the wheel, while other workers apply pressure from ground level. No safety equipment is involved - but it's not the first time human-powered Ferris wheels have been spotted in India, with several reported across the country. Movement: The two men jump around the centre of the ferris wheel to keep up the momentum . Feet: The man in the green t-shirt sticks out his right leg and pushes the steel frame . Swinging: The man in the green t-shirt also swings on the bars and uses his weight to keep it moving . Momentum: The man in the navy t-shirt also pulls down on the metal bars during the short video . | Ferris wheel in state of Himachal Pradesh in India is powered by humans .
Two men push and swing out of Ferris wheel metal bars to keep it moving .
Acrobatic daredevils are employed primarily because of unreliable electricity . |
46,821 | 83ec03c11cf4d31dff24833afddc32e9d98d78ee | By . Andy Dolan . As she snoozes in the living room that should be her sanctuary, a pensioner’s security is violated in the most appalling way. These CCTV images show hooded burglar Patrick Reid prowling around 68-year-old Margaret Woodward’s armchair as she sleeps, totally oblivious to the danger in her midst. But if Reid felt invincible in the face of such vulnerability, he was deluded. Scroll down to watch the video . Creepy: Burglar Patrick Reid is pictured approaching Margaret Woodward as she sleeps in an armchair . Thief: Hidden cameras set up by police showed Reid taking Mrs Woodward's handbag from the basket of her mobility scooter . After rifling through her handbag and the basket of her mobility scooter, Reid set off an alarm as he was leaving. Far . from cowering in her seat, Mrs Woodward struggled to her feet, grabbed . her walking stick and chased the intruder out of her flat. And . unknown to him, he had been caught on cameras installed by police after . previous raids on Mrs Woodward’s flat, leading to his capture soon . afterwards. The chilling . footage was released yesterday after the pensioner was awarded £1,500 . for her ‘pluck and courage’ in confronting Reid, 51. She was nominated by the judge who jailed him for the break-in – the fifth time Reid had allegedly targeted her. Victim: Mrs Woodward was burgled by Reid five times within a year and had £900 stolen in total . Heading out: Reid casts an eye back at his victim as he prepares to walk out of the door with her handbag . Alarm: The thief started running out of the flat as soon as Mrs Woodward's burglar alarm went off . Mrs . Woodward, who suffers from severe arthritis in both knees, cannot bring . herself to watch the film of the April incident because ‘it made me . feel like I didn’t want to live any more’. ‘It . was very frightening to wake up knowing there was somebody in my house . but I was determined not to let him get away,’ she said. ‘I wanted to break his kneecaps with my walking stick so he couldn’t escape.’ The . retired supermarket worker added: ‘I thought I’d be able to get him but . he ran into my bedroom, jumped on to the bed and went straight out of . the window like a gymnast tackling a hobby horse.’ The divorcee, who has no children, called police who found Reid at a nearby retail park. Officers installed CCTV cameras at her home in Long Eaton, Derbyshire, after the property was repeatedly targeted last year. She lost £900 over five break-ins before officers identified Reid in footage of the final raid and arrested him. Sinister: Another angle of the cameras shows Reid looking around with Mrs Woodward, bottom left, asleep . Running: The habitual thief pictured at the moment the burglar alarm went off . Heading off: Reid turns his back to the camera which had been set up to find his identity . Two . cameras clearly captured the burglar rooting around the flat for 13 . minutes looking for valuables – at times just inches from the sleeping . pensioner. Mrs Woodward is first disturbed by the sound of Reid . unzipping her handbag but is only roused fully from her sleep when he . triggers the alarm at 12.50am. As . she moves towards her walking stick, Reid is seen disappearing into . another room before making his escape through the bedroom window. Reid, of Nottingham, was charged with all five break-ins but the Crown Prosecution Service dropped the first three charges. The . father of two was jailed in May after pleading guilty to the last two . break-ins, stealing £53 from the pensioner’s purse in March and £66 when . he returned to the flat the following month. Police told Mrs Woodward . that Reid had a history of offending going back years. She . said she felt ‘traumatised’ and ‘abused’ by the burglar, adding: ‘My . privacy has all gone. My main concern from now on is just to keep myself . alive, just to keep going.’ Judge John Gosling jailed Reid for four years and eight months for his ‘wicked and calculated offending’. He awarded Mrs Woodward £1,500 of the Derbyshire High Sheriff’s fund, which aims to improve quality of life for local residents. Detective . Constable Gill Richardson said: ‘It is particularly shocking in the . film how brazen Reid is, being just inches away from Margaret.’ Chase: Mrs Woodward woke up when the alarm went off and brandished a stick at the burglar . Horror: The pensioner says that she felt almost suicidal after her burglary ordeal . | Margaret Woodward, 68, was repeatedly burgled by Patrick Reid, 51 .
So police set up hidden camera in her flat and recognised the thief .
Pensioner has been given £1,500 award for her bravery in chasing him off .
Reid was jailed for four years and eight months earlier this year . |
88,425 | fafd86daa803ce9560bb65e515bf031a181e21ec | By . Associated Press . and Alexandra Klausner . Two pit bulls broke through a fence in a Nevada community, entered a neighbor's home through a dog door and killed three dogs inside while the residents were away, animal control officers said. Jennifer, a resident of the home in the Reno suburb of Spanish Springs returned Friday to find Jill, a black lab, Gucci, a shih tzu, and Buddy a Pekingese dead inside inside the house on Reiger Springs Drive. The dogs were seized and their owner is facing a citation, said Barry Brode, director of Washoe County Animal Services. The pit bulls could be euthanized if a judge orders it. SCROLL DOWN FOR VIDEO . Jill, a black lab, was mauled to death by pit bulls on Friday . Gucci the shih tzu was found dead by its owner on Friday after being brutally attacked by two pit bulls . Buddy the Pekingese was also killed in the bloody pit bull attack on Friday along with two other dogs . '(It was) an accident that could have been prevented ... by making sure the (pit bulls) were secured in the kennel, that the fence line was properly secured and up to date,' Brode told KTVN-TV . 'Two pit bulls who I have never seen before were hovering over our dead family dog,' said Jennifer, the owner who only wanted to give her first name. 'As I proceeded further into the home, which was all covered in blood, I found our other two dogs, and all of them were dead,' said Jennifer. Dog doors can be secured so animals can't sneak in from the outside, he added. Dog doors are small portals in a wall or door that allow pets to enter and exit a house on their own. 'The dogs entered through a dog door, an unsecured dog door,' said Barry Brode, Director of Washoe County Animal Services. Neighbors said the pit bulls had broken loose before, but they had managed to get the dogs out of their home without incident. 'The pit bulls last summer were breaking into our yard, and they were very friendly and came into my house (to) hang out with my dogs,' Rorie Monroe said. The owner of the three dead dogs wouldn't provide a full name to the TV station. 'That dog door,' said Jennifer. 'I mean I would worry about burglars, but not my dogs being eaten in their home.' Jennifer's dogs blood was left splattered all over her home in Spanish Springs . The pit bulls snuck through a hole in the fence at their own home . Neighbor Rorie Monroe said that the pit bulls once broke into her home but that they were very friendly . | Jennifer returned Friday to find Jill, a black .
lab, Gucci, a shih tzu, and Buddy a Pekingese dead inside inside the .
house .
The dogs were seized and their owner is .
facing a citation, said Barry Brode, director of Washoe County Animal .
Services .
No arrests have been made and there is an ongoing investigation . |
13,566 | 267bcca25894c06ffb5454ed4037b6a798e05e2c | By . Anna Hodgekiss . PUBLISHED: . 07:16 EST, 30 January 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 08:08 EST, 30 January 2013 . A baby born weighing just 1lb after her mother's waters broke 17 weeks early has defied doctors' expectations and survived. Kelsie Hemmings had popped into her local Tesco to buy a drink when she suddenly delivered the umbilical cord. Her daughter Lacey-Jane was so tiny when she was born that doctors feared she would die within the hour. Kelsie Hemmings with her daughter Lacey-Jane, who was born 17 weeks early weighing just 1lb . Due to being so premature, Lacey-Jane has suffered from chronic lung disease and has a bleed on her brain - but doctors have been impressed with her progress . Ms Hemmings, 23, was rushed to a specialist unit at Chelsea . and Westminster Hospital on July 8 last year when she suffered a . haemorrhage and her waters broke. With Lacey-Jane being starved of oxygen inside the womb, surgeons rushed to perform a Caesarean section to try and save her. She was born weighing just 1lb, and could fit into the palm of her father Gary's hand. After five months in hospital, Lacey-Jane was allowed home in time to spend Christmas with her brothers (l-r) Kelsie, Lacey-Jane and her brothers Marley, four, Jayden, three, and David, two . Ms Hemmings, of Harwich, said: 'One doctor thought she was already dead [when we arrived at the hospital]. But when they scanned her heart beat it was so strong they rushed ahead with the Caesarean. 'Forty-five minutes later they . resuscitated her. They didn't think she would live any longer than an . hour. But I knew she would.' Crucially, doctors are not legally obliged to resuscitate any baby born before 24 weeks because their chances of survival are so slim. Lacey-Jane spent the first few months of her life between Chelsea and Westminster Hospital and Colchester General Hospital. She has suffered from chronic lung . disease and has a bleed on her brain but doctors are 'amazed' at how well . she is improving and she was allowed home at the beginning of December. She should only be two and a half months old by now, but will soon be seven months old. Ms Hemmings added: 'The first three months I took day by day. 'She had a good day followed by a really . bad day. When she hit the four-and-a-half month mark her heart stopped. 'But when it came back she made a recovery and since it has been . amazing. Ms Hemmings, who has three other children - Marley, four; Jayden, three, and two-year-old David, added: 'Christmas was fantastic. She had been . in hospital for a few days because she had really bad bronchitis but . came out of hospital on Christmas Eve. She smiled for the first time on . Christmas Day which made the day. 'We are getting back to normal and we will have a big birthday party for her.' According to the Guiness Book of Records, the lightest birth weight recorded for a surviving infant was 9.17 ounces. Rumaisa Rahman was born at Loyola University Medical Centre in Chicago in 2004. | Doctors feared Lacey-Jane Hemmings would die within an hour .
Was born weighing just 1lb, and could fit into the palm of her father's hand .
Survival is miraculous given many babies born before 24 weeks don't survive . |
224,990 | af54a36fd43eb5ad084bef437f88ef356df93141 | It is a stark and sobering fact of American life in the 21st century -- black, Hispanic and Native American boys and young men are less likely to graduate, stay out of jail and get a job than those who are white. Chances are greater they'll grow up with a single parent or none at all, won't read well, and will get suspended or expelled from school or just drop out. Saddest of all, such statistics aren't new or particularly shocking in a society that has come to expect such class, racial and ethnic disparities. President Barack Obama launched his "My Brother's Keeper" initiative three months ago to focus on solutions to such chronic and deep-rooted social ills. The initiative included a task force to examine the issue, and an invitation for businesses and foundations to help out. "No excuses. Government, and private sector, and philanthropy, and all the faith communities, we all have a responsibility to help provide you the tools you need," Obama told a group of black students in February when he announced the initiative. "We've got to help you knock down some of the barriers that you experience." Transcript: Obama announces 'My Brother's Keeper' On Friday, the White House released the task force's first report -- a recitation of the challenges faced by young black, Hispanic and Native American males struggling with a legacy of poverty and accompanying hardship, as well as ways to help them persevere and succeed. In a conference call with reporters, administration officials emphasized the initiative wasn't a new government program, but instead sought to assess existing public and private efforts to assess what worked and could be expanded. The goal is "sharpening what we do to make sure we are really maximizing the impact of the federal resources that we have," said Cecilia Munoz, the White House director of domestic policy. Also maximized would be the participation and contributions of a growing segment of the American population, noted White House senior adviser Valerie Jarrett, who said: "It's not only the right thing to do, it's vital to the long-term strength of our communities and the economy of the United States." She noted the Obama administration launched the White House Council on Women and Girls five years ago to focus on equal opportunity, and now the "My Brother's Keeper" initiative sought to do the same for other historically disadvantaged demographics. The 60-page task force report identifies key milestones for predicting later success for a non-white boy or young man, including: . Getting a healthy start in life and school . Reading well by third grade . Graduating from high school . Completing post-secondary education or training . Getting a job . Staying on track and getting a second chance . "At each of these milestones, some individuals start to fall behind," the task force report says. "Once a young person falls behind, success becomes exponentially more difficult." It presents a litany of statistics that amplify the magnitude of the challenge. Black, Hispanic and Native American children are more than twice as likely to live in poverty as white children. About two in three black children and one in three Latino children live with one parent, and those raised by single mothers are way more likely to drop out of school. Among black males 10 to 24 years old, homicide is the leading cause of death. And in 2012, black males were six times more likely to be imprisoned than white males, while Hispanics were 2.5 times more likely. To respond to such disparities, Obama will call for Americans to commit themselves to long-term mentoring or tutoring programs to provide guidance and stability to children and young men of color, said Broderick Johnson, the White House Cabinet secretary who co-authored the task force report. Other focuses will be expanding access to quality pre-school and early education programs, eliminating expulsions and suspensions in early learning settings, and promoting literacy and reading programs, the task force report said. The initiative also includes investments expected to top $200 million from foundations and organizations involved in educational and social issues. Some of the wonky language of the report reflected the long-running programs, some public and some private, on which its recommendations and proposals are based. For reducing violence and providing boys and young men of color a second chance, its recommendation is to "institutionalize community oriented policing practices in the field and employ methods to address racial and ethnic bias within the juvenile and criminal justice systems." Translation: Improve coordination between federal, state, city and community leaders, as well as police and neighborhood groups, while reforming the juvenile justice system to keep kids and young men out of reform schools or jail cells and ensuring that those in prison have access to a quality education. Back in February, Obama spoke with rare candor about his own childhood in an effort to show that people from broken homes and other challenging backgrounds can succeed. "I didn't have a dad in the house and I was angry about it, even though I didn't necessarily realize it at the time," he said. "I made bad choices. I got high without always thinking about the harm that it could do. I didn't always take school as seriously as I should have. I made excuses. Sometimes I sold myself short." He compared himself to young men now who are growing up like he did. "The only difference is that I grew up in an environment that was a little bit more forgiving. So when I made a mistake, the consequences were not as severe," the President said. "I had people who encouraged me, not just my mom and grandparents, but wonderful teachers and community leaders. And they pushed me to work hard, and study hard, and make the most of myself. And if I didn't listen, they said it again. And if I didn't listen, they said it a third time - and they would give me second chances and third chances. "They never gave up on me, and so I didn't give up on myself." | The President's "My Brother's Keeper" task force issues its first report .
It cites six key milestones in growing up that predict future success .
The report urges mentoring, literacy programs and justice reforms .
The initiative includes investments of $200 million from private groups . |
140,861 | 422557b1b472084df6858456ccd1e972cff5d604 | By . Nina Golgowski . PUBLISHED: . 18:01 EST, 6 October 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 19:40 EST, 6 October 2012 . A routine child welfare investigation led to the discovery of a toddler's corpse buried in a grave in the backyard of a Long Island home on Saturday. State police unearthed the remains outside a tidy house in Farmingdale after Officials with Suffolk County's Child Protective Services visited the family and realizing one of the couple’s three boys was missing. They grew concerned when the family couldn't account for the whereabouts of a child born in 2009. Scroll down for video . Secret burial: The body of a 17-month-old boy was found buried in this 3-foot-deep grave in a Long Island home's backyard on Saturday . Shocking find: The boy was discovered in the backyard of this home after child protective services visited the family and inquired where their youngest born in 2009 was . Investigation's end: After obtaining a search warrant for the home following an interview with the residents, officers found the boy's body resting along this fence line . Police say the boy’s mother Heather Kowalczik admitted her son, Justin Kowalczik, who was about 17-months old, died two years ago after the family moved to Farmingdale from Orange County. After further probing she revealed a possible location for his body. 'It is absolutely a suspicious death and it is being investigated as such,' said State Police Major Patrick Regan. 'We don't have a cause of death, and to our knowledge, there was never a report made of the child being missing.' Obtaining a search warrant and investigating the property’s backyard, it was there on the fence line they found the boy in a 3-foot grave resting near a soccer goal and children's toys. The circumstances of his death remained unclear Saturday while foul play is not immediately suspected. Justin, the youngest half-brother of two older boys – Robert, 9, and Alex, 6 – died in the summer of 2010, according to police. Authorities said it’s still unclear why the family kept it a secret. Questioned: The boy's mother Heather Kowalczik, left, is seen along with her boyfriend and the father of two of her oldest boys, Robert Rodriguez, who is a person of interest . Backyard party: Neighbours were shocked by the news saying they had celebrated one of the home's two surviving boy's birthday in the backyard in August . Chasing leads: State Police officers arrived in the dead of night to dig in the backyard after interviewing the boy's mother . Police have listed Kowalczik’s boyfriend, Robert Rodriguez who is the father of her two older boys, as a person of interest. On Friday, police released an Amber Alert for the oldest boy, Robert, after he failed to show up for school and Rodriguez was also found missing. He was later recovered safely . As of Saturday afternoon, Rodriguez has refused to answer questions, Regan said. 'He did not come in willingly. He is not cooperating,' Regan said. Neither Rodriguez nor Kowalczik had been charged with any crimes. Root of the crime: Officers have made no arrests at this time though the boyfriend of the 17-month-old's mother is considered a person of interest while not cooperating with authorities . Other brothers: Officers said that the 17-month-old's surviving half-siblings, two boys, are currently in custody of county child welfare agents . Kowalczik's two surviving children were in the custody of county child welfare agents, police said. Neighbour Tekiera McCormack told Newsday that she was stunned. 'I can't see this,' she told the newspaper. 'This is crazy. She was a good mother. Those kids loved her.' Like Ms McCormack, Michelle Peavey said she's especially mortified by the news as the family held a birthday party for one of the boys in the backyard in August. 'You mean we were back there with a body? Oh my god,' Mrs Peavey told MyFoxNY. She said her own boys played in the backyard and attended that same birthday party. 'I just want to sell the house. I don't even want to come back here,' the property's landlord Louis Lancia told Fox. Watch the video here: . | Police unearthed the body of 17-month-old Justin Kowalczik in a shallow grave on Saturday .
The boy's cause of death is not known nor why it was kept a secret .
Police say his mother Health Kowalczik revealed the body's possible location during questioning .
Kowalczik's boyfriend, Robert Rodriguez, is considered a person of interest .
Rodriguez is the father of Kowalczik's two older boys but not of Justin .
No arrests have been made . |
196,772 | 8aa2b77ba11327fbd83633f28657332bb18e2b48 | By . Mia De Graaf . PUBLISHED: . 07:51 EST, 18 September 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 12:17 EST, 18 September 2013 . It is one thing offering somebody a helping hand. But this man gave a lot more than he bargained for. Supporting his colleague in a training session as she prepared to be Tasered, the US security squadron had no idea that he too would be struck with pain just seconds later. As the woman is hit, she screams with pain and clutches the first thing she can get her hand on: his crotch. SCROLL DOWN FOR VIDEO . Reflex: Without thinking, her hand flings down into her colleague's crotch and squeezes as she is Tasered . Caught off-guard, the airman strives to keep hold of his attacker as he bends over in pain - while the room erupts with laughter. As the taser stops and the woman falls to the ground, he tumbles across the room groaning in agony. The scene at McConnell Air Force Base in Kansas was captured on August 8 last year by Airman 1st Class Armando A Schwier-Morales, but until this week it has been kept under wraps. In the monthly course, the recruits are trained to use and understand tasers before they can carry one. As the Tasered squadron screams, her colleague crumbles to the ground in agony, trying to keep hold of her . Out of the 40-strong classes, only a quarter of the students step up to feel the force for themselves. Sergeant Gregory Oglesby, who leads the training, said: 'It feels like you've got electricity going through your body, you can't move. 'You actually feel it going through your nervous system and your muscles lock up.' | The group of security squadrons were on a Taser certification course at McConnell Air Force Base in Kansas to learn how to use the weapons .
Only a quarter of students step up to test the electrocution tool .
Video taken by a colleague on August 8, 2012, but kept hidden until now . |
243,107 | c6a13df42d0bf91abf9825cbaf27601236ebd0b7 | By . Graham Smith . Last updated at 2:13 PM on 24th October 2011 . The Queen received a rapturous welcome in Brisbane today as she praised the 'resilience and courage' of Australians who endured devastating floods earlier this year. Tens of thousands of well-wishers lined the banks of the Brisbane River as the monarch and Duke of Edinburgh - aboard a . catamaran - travelled up the waterway that wreaked havoc on the city. It broke its banks in January and forced thousands to flee their homes during the natural disaster which saw the worst floods in the region for almost 40 years. Furry friends: Queensland Premier Anna Bligh introduces the Queen to two koalas - Nivea and Sprite - held by wildlife officers during a tour of Brisbane today. The animals were rescued from January's devastating floods . Moving on: After meeting the koalas, the Queen was given a first-hand account of January's floods when she met rescue workers, survivors and those who lost their homes . But today an estimated 45,000 . spectators lined wharves, jetties and riverside roads to catch a glimpse . of the royal couple as they sailed by in the catamaran Pure Adrenalin to see for themselves where the waters devastated . homes and livelihoods. Their . destination was the South Bank district of Brisbane, a mix of . apartments, offices, shops, galleries and a feature rainforest area, . that suffered £7.8million (AUS$12million) worth of damage in the January floods. Among the survivors they met met were two little koala evacuees. The tale of Nivea and Sprite was a little light relief to the stories of . the loss of lives, homes and businesses. When the floodwaters struck, the marsupials were removed from the Lone Pine . Koala Sanctuary in Brisbane where they were born in captivity. They were introduced to the Queen when she toured the Rainforest Park area of the South Bank. Nivea, nine, and Sprite, eight, were held by sanctuary staff . Karen Nilsson, a senior wildlife officer, and wildlife manager Jacqui . Brumm. Warm welcome: The Queen smiles as she meets hundreds of people gathered at Brisbane's South Bank . Cruise: The Queen and Prince Philip climbed aboard a boat for a tour along the Brisbane River to see the areas hit by January's flooding . Because the animals were bred in captivity, they are accustomed to being . around people and are often brought out to meet VIP guests. The Queen asked about the flooding and if it affected the animals, and was told by Ms Brumm: 'They had to be evacuated to higher ground . behind their home, Lone Pine was inundated (with water).' As the two women chatted, one of the koalas munched away on eucalyptus leaves, oblivious to the royal presence. During . a speech to launch a new water storage facility in the city that will . provide irrigation water for the rainforest, the Queen praised . Australians and the reception she had received. She . said: 'Today Prince Philip and I have been greeted with great warmth . and good humour in the true Australian spirit and I have seen the . fortitude, ingenuity and determination of Brisbane to overcome the . setbacks of last January.' In January, the rising tide of brown . murky water swamped suburbs deluging homes and businesses in Brisbane . and forcing people to seek refuge in sports stadiums. At . the height of the flooding three-quarters of the state of Queensland . was declared a disaster area, 36 people were dead and damage . across the region was estimated at hundreds of millions of . Australian dollars. Meeting survivors: The Queen greets Dan Matthews during a chat with some of those affected by the Queensland floods . All ears: The monarch listens as Mrs Bligh points towards the areas affected by the floods . The Queen added: 'We are here to pay tribute to the resilience and . courage of Queenslanders who bravely picked up their lives and rebuilt . them after a period of great adversity. 'This . morning we travelled along the Brisbane River listening to the stories . of when the river broke its banks, and seeing the vast impact of the . natural disaster.' The Queen was given a first-hand . account of the floods when she met rescue workers, . survivors and those who lost their homes. During a reception at an arts . centre in Brisbane, the Queen met Danny McGuire, who lost his wife, 12-year-old . son and five-year-old daughter when a flash flood hit the town of Grantham, . Queensland. Mr McGuire . described how his wife and children tried to shelter in a fire engine . but drowned when the cabin filled up with water. The father, who was with his only surviving child Zac, seven, said: 'She mainly asked me how did I lose my family. 'I . said in the fire truck. She asked did we have any warning and I said we . did try to evacuate Grantham the night before and we got told to stand . down.' The Queen recycled an outfit from her wardrobe yesterday when she stepped out into the sunshine in the . primrose yellow dress she wore to the wedding of the Duke and . Duchess of Cambridge. She had chosen the single crepe wool . dress and matching coat and hat, designed by her personal assistant . Angela Kelly, when she attended her grandson’s wedding in April. The only difference was that, with temperatures close to 30c, the coat was missing. Matching: During a visit to a church in Canberra yesterday (left), the Queen wore the . same primrose yellow dress she wore at the wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton in April (right) Appropriately, the dress features hand-sewn beading at the neck in the shape of sunrays. The famously thrifty Queen is known for recycling her outfits - she has often asked Angela Kelly and her team of seamstresses to . change the decorations on gowns in accordance to latest fashion trends. Or perhaps to keep costs down. Scores of well-wishers greeted the Queen on Sunday when she attended a service in Canberra at the historic St John’s Church. Close to 1,000 people had gathered . around crash barriers erected close to St John the Baptist church, and . when the royal couple arrived they cheered . and clapped. The service was held behind closed . doors with more than 100 people attending, including former . Australian prime minister Kevin Rudd. If a Sunday falls within an overseas . tour members of the royal family regularly attend an Anglican service in . whichever city they may be visiting. Mr McGuire, a member of the fire service, said meeting the royal couple was a rare happy moment. He said: 'It was really good for Zac, when the Queen came around to shake his hand, he hid behind me. My spirits were lifted for Zac, it's going to be something he is going to remember.' The Queen and Prince Philip also met . Sarah Norman, whose parents drowned when floodwater gushed through the . Lockyer Valley in south Queensland. Carrying . her three-month-old baby, Eleanor, she told the Queen how her mother . and father - Steve and Sandy Matthews - were overwhelmed by flash . flooding. She said afterwards: 'Our property got hit by five different bodies of water, we were the first to get struck.' Ms Norman said the Queen expressed her sorrow and asked how old the baby was. Widespread destruction: An aerial view of flood waters submerging Forest Hill, Queensland, on 11 January . A passenger in a car waves for assistance as a flash flood sweeps across Toowoomba, 65miles west of Brisbane, on 10 January . During the reception, the Queen listened closely to people's recollections and told one guest how she was shocked when she saw the floods on television. 'They were alarming pictures,' she said. Gwen Braga, who badly injured her leg in the floods, was forced to take a seat shortly before meeting the Queen. She said: 'She was so gracious and so understanding and I thanked her for coming because it meant a lot to our community.' British migrant Jill Ashmore, who comes from Woking, said the hidden tragedy of the disaster was the number of people who had committed suicide since the floods. She said: 'I know eleven people within my Brisbane suburb who have killed themselves. 'People lost not only their houses but their business and many didn't have insurance - they just could not see hope, that was the problem.' | The Queen talks to survivors of January disaster during Brisbane reception .
She meets koala bears who have been living in a sanctuary since the floods .
Queensland premier takes Queen and Prince Philip on boat tour of devastation . |
37,038 | 68fe4323fb4774b93f0d1e506114833279353757 | By . Aaron Sharp and Amanda Williams . PUBLISHED: . 03:24 EST, 9 October 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 15:58 EST, 9 October 2013 . Six British firms have been linked to a fire at a garment factory in Bangladesh which has killed 10 people. It comes just six months after a similar building collapsed in the Asian country, claiming 1,100 lives. Deputy manager of the factory Molla Boadnuzzamah, listed Next, Primark, George, Gap, H&M, and Morrisons as customers who were using the Aswad Composite Mills factory, ITV reports. The names - aside from Morrisons - were confirmed with other workers. Scroll down for video . Inferno: The blaze is believed to have started in the knitting section of the garment factory when a faulty machine exploded . Recovery: Bangladeshi firefighters search through debris of the garment factory after a fire swept through it in Gazipur outside Dhaka, claiming 10 lives . Disaster: Fire officers said that the remains of the workers discovered inside the factory were 'charred beyond recognition' H&M said that fabric for some of . their clothes was made in the factory: 'H&M has got a business . relationship with Palmal Group, which owns several factories. 'H&M . works with a sister unit to the affected factory. The name of the . factory producing for H&M is called ASWAD COMPOSITE MILLS LTD (Unit . 2) and is approved for production by H&M. 'Aswad . Knit Composite factory is a component factory. They make fabric and . yarn for different factories that produce garments. One of the factories . that they deliver fabric to is Aswad COMPOSITE MILLS LTD . Hence, we . don’t have a direct business relationship with the affected factory.' Primark has said it stopped using the supplier amid concerns. A spokesman said: 'Primark placed its last order in March of this year, indicating that it would place no further orders following the identification of violations of its code of conduct and management’s unwillingness to resolve these to Primark’s satisfaction.' Primark placed its last order in March of this year, indicating that it would place no further orders following the identification of violations of its code of conduct and management’s unwillingness to resolve these to Primark’s satisfaction. A small amount of outstanding orders was stored in the warehouse at the Aswad Composite Mills site, awaiting shipment. Incidents like this demonstrate the requirement for the Accord to be effective, and for all members to work in collaboration for sustainable change in Bangladesh.' The MailOnline has also contacted Gap and Morrisons. Action: The 10 people who were killed in the fire were working overtime according to local reports. A government investigation has since been launched . Under control: Emergency services fought the blaze for around 10 hours before they managed to douse the flames and enter the building . Poor record: The Bangladeshi clothing industry has come under increased scrutiny after a string of similar disasters in unsafe factories . Next said it used supplier Marina Garments, which had sourced fabric from the Aswad Unit One Mill. A . spokesman added: 'As the cause of the fire is unknown, it is not clear . whether any audit would have prevented this tragedy. Once the cause is . known, as routine NEXT will review its procedures, including the extent . to which it needs to look further down the supply chain - particularly . in high risk areas such as Bangladesh.' George at Asda confirmed it was looking into its involvement. The . blaze at the Aswad garment factory in Gazipur, just outside Dhaka, took . firefighters 10 hours to bring under control early this morning. The . cause of the fire is not yet known but reports coming out of Asia . suggested it may have started in the knitting section of the building . wen a faulty machine exploded. It . has been reported that the factory had recently produced clothes for . Western retailers, including the American Wal-Mart chain. The Wall Street Journal also . reported that it had in the past produced clothes for the Canadian Joe . Fresh label, and Hudson's Bay Co. according to online . shipping sites. A spokesman for Hudson's Bay said its last shipment from . the factory was in April. It had subsequently decided not to use the factory anymore, but would not be drawn on why. Loblaw said it . was looking into it, and Wal-Mart said it was 'working . to understand the facts and will take appropriate action based on our . findings.' The Bangladeshi government confirmed they have launched an investigation. Fire officer Zafar Ahmed confirmed that factory general manager Rashiduzzaman Mandal was among the fatalities. According to the director of the factory, Emdad Hossain, . 170 workers of the factory's 3,000 strong workforce were inside when the blaze took hold. It is believed that those killed were working overtime. District administrator Dilruba Khanom . said that emergency services were waiting until sunrise to complete . their search of the factory. They warned that the number of casualties . could rise. He said: 'They have managed to control the fire in most parts . of the factory, but the warehouse is still burning. The . bodies are charred beyond recognition.' The Bangladeshi clothes production industry, which is the third largest in the world, has come under heavy criticism after a string of workplace disasters in recent years. Last November, 112 workers were killed in a fire at another clothes warehouse close to Dhaka. In that incident, it was reported that workers were unable to escape because there were not enough emergency exits in the building where they were working, with some having to leap to from windows. The fire broke out on the ground floor of the building and spread quickly to the upper floors but all three exit staircases led to the engulfed bottom level. At the time, one expert claimed that, had there been at least one emergency exit through outside the casualties would have been much lower. Major Western brands including Disney and Sears were said to have been among the companies having their products manufactured there. The collapse of the eight-storey Rana . Plaza in Savar in April this year prompted more protests and calls for . improved safety measures. As a result of that tragedy, international retailers such as Primark agreed to conduct inspections at factories from which their goods were sourced. Bangladesh earns $20 billion a year from garment exports, mainly to the United States and Europe. The sector employs about 4 million workers, mostly women. An engineering survey shown to The Associated Press after the Rana Plaza collapse showed many Bangladesh garment factories added floors that the building foundations couldn't support and were located in converted residential buildings not designed to withstand use of heavy equipment. | Next, Primark, George, Gap, H&M, and Morrisons named .
Faulty machine said to be the cause of the blaze .
10 people killed were reported to be working overtime .
Disaster comes after 1,100 died in factory collapse in April this year .
Primark had ceased orders with factory amid 'concerns about conduct' |
80,071 | e2f0aed388cf87543cd775dd1a512e8d05e714ed | By . Leon Watson . PUBLISHED: . 11:49 EST, 19 March 2014 . | . UPDATED: . 17:30 EST, 19 March 2014 . John Terry's father was fined for racial abuse two months after allegedly headbutting an Asian man and calling him a 'f****** Paki', a jury heard today. Ted Terry, 59, is accused of attacking Amarjit Talafair following a dispute over a cigarette outside a City of London pub in March last year. The Old Bailey heard that just over two months later, on May 24, the Chelsea footballer's father admitted calling a member of the public a 'f****** Irish prick' and a 'f****** mongrel'. Claims: Ted Terry, left, is accused of racially abusing Amarjit Talafair, right, and headbutting him . It came after Terry was involved in a row at Barking rail station on the night of May 12, the jury was told. After . missing his train, he told station staff: 'What do you mean it's gone, . I've got a ticket you f****** moron. How am I going to get home?' When . a member of the public intervened to ask him to stop swearing he . allegedly replied: 'Who the f*** are you to say that, are you a rozzer? 'F*** you pikey c***, you f****** mongrel.' The court heard he was charged with a . racially aggravated public order offence which he admitted on May 24 . last year and was fined £200. He admitted saying 'f****** Irish prick' but denied using the word 'pikey'. Family: Mr Talafair has been accused of making the story up to capitalise on the fame of Terry's son John . On trial: Stephen Niland, left, and Tudor Musteata, right, are also accused of racial abuse . Terry . currently faces allegations that he head butted Mr Talafair in a row . over a cigarette before hurling racist abuse at him on March 22, 2013. He then allegedly threatened cleaner Bakeba Mansuila with a bottle saying 'I'll smash it over your head, you black c***'. Terry . is said to have been drinking for several hours before he and . co-defendants Stephen Niland, 36, and Tudor Musteata, 47, started the . row at the Windsor pub in the City of London. When . Mr Talafair said he didn't have a cigarette Terry allegedly called him a . 'f***ing paki' and attacked him telling him 'Let's have it right here . and now.' Mr Talafair claims he was headbutted just below the nose. The three men then walked off towards Fenchurch Street station. Terry, of Grays, Essex, denies one . count of racially-aggravated common assault and one count of . racially-aggravated fear or provocation of violence. Co-defendants . Niland, of Romford, Essex, and Musteata, of . Greenwich, south-east London, deny one count each of racially-aggravated . fear or provocation of violence. The trial, which is expected to last until the end of the week, continues. Sorry we are not currently accepting comments on this article. | Ted Terry admitted calling a rail worker a 'f****** Irish prick' in May .
He was charged with a .
racially aggravated public order offence and fined .
In March, Amarjit Talafair claims he was also racially abused by Terry .
Lawyer accuses him of making up the story to get money from newspapers .
Talafair insists Terry called him a 'f***ing Paki' and headbutted him . |
134,685 | 3a2f7370e75a49837e3409cbabc495f1ff6cc939 | In horse racing, there's the trifecta. In entertainment, there's the EGOT for winners of the Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony awards. Maybe in the future there will be something called the Seacrest -- for holding down hosting gigs with all four major American broadcasters. The superfecta was trumpeted on Tuesday when CBS confirmed that Ryan Seacrest will host and produce "Fashion Rocks," a two-hour special that airs on the network in September. Seacrest has existing relationships with ABC, to host "New Year's Rockin' Eve," with Fox, to host "American Idol," and with NBC. In other words, CBS was the only broadcaster left. (Unless you count the Spanish-language Univision network; Seacrest, are you boning up on your Spanish?) Seacrest's new deal with CBS, and an extension of his existing deal with NBC, were first reported by The Hollywood Reporter. NBC subsequently confirmed that Seacrest has re-upped for one year. "This new deal will include hosting and producing 2015 Live from the Red Carpet events for E!, contributing to E! News, as well as hosting and producing specials for E! and NBC," a network spokeswoman said. There had been speculation that Seacrest would stop hosting the red carpet shows. What's missing from the extended deal instead are NBC News and NBC Sports. When the deal was originally struck in 2012, Seacrest was named a "special correspondent" on the "Today" show, which is a part of the news division, and a contributor to NBC's prime time coverage of the Olympics, which is a part of the sports division. Seacrest told The Hollywood Reporter that "he'd like to try to continue working with both divisions and has already had conversations with NBC Sports about collaborating on the Olympics coverage in Rio in 2016, as he did the London games in 2012. 'Today' is less likely, given a morning radio schedule that has him in Los Angeles while the NBC show broadcasts out of New York." | Ryan Seacrest signed a new hosting deal with CBS .
That puts him in business with all four major American TV networks .
He also extended his NBC deal and will continue contributing to E!
Will he take on the sports world next? He has his eye on the Olympics . |
133,031 | 3805890b26b97e3295994437fbcd8a62707af4be | (CNN) -- Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg's latest headline-making action is a new "Ban Bossy" campaign, which aims at getting rid of the word "bossy." Her nonprofit group, LeanIn.org, has even teamed up with big names like Beyonce and Condoleezza Rice to produce a public service announcement to stop using the word "bossy." In a weekend op-ed for the Wall Street Journal, co-written with Girl Scouts CEO Anna Maria Chavez, Sandberg put the word at the center of the problem of unequal treatment of girls and boys, noting that girls who lead are more often described as "bossy" and "overly ambitious" while boys who lead are described as "strong" and "determined." Sandberg raises valid points, and as a powerful woman her voice adds much to the ongoing conversation about why it's important to insist on equal treatment of, and expectations for, boys and girls, and men and women. But while Sandberg isn't wrong that "bossy" is disproportionately directed at girls and women, and usually with negative connotations, the problem isn't the word itself, but how and when the word is used. Ban "bossy" and other words will spring up in its place: "Bitchy," "cold" and "aggressive" come to mind. Instead, the focus should be on how to reclaim the positive and indispensable nature of "bossiness," turning it from a word used to describe the domineering and unlikable to one used to describe those very necessary qualities for those who lead. Sheryl Sandberg is bossy, and it's a quality that likely played a pretty key role in helping her become one of the technology industry's most successful women. So, how about an initiative to reclaim bossiness as a point of pride? Bosses are bossy, plain and simple. As Sandberg even notes: "...if you look at my childhood, if you look at the childhood of most of the leaders we talked to, they lived through being told they were bossy." And, well, look where they are now. In fact, moving to abolish the word "bossy" risks sending the message that there's something wrong with those characteristics associated with bossiness: taking charge and speaking your mind. Again, the problem isn't the word, or the behavior, but the reaction to the behavior, and the acceptance among women of the word as a disparaging one. There's also the very important fact that by focusing on how to foster those girls who, like Sandberg, grow up inclined to lead rather than follow—to boss—a message emerges that leadership is the only road to success. And that's just not true. Initiatives are commendable, as is any opening of dialogue. But it's hard not to interpret "Ban Bossy" as a reaction to the tepid response Sandberg received to her last initiative, "Lean In," through which she was criticized as being too privileged to be a valid motivator. With "Ban Bossy," she certainly makes an effort to position herself as among the downtrodden, one among many who've been victimized by "the other B-word." But there's some overreaching going on here. Let's not forget: There is evidence that girls and women aren't in fact being overlooked, or discouraged into meekness. Girls are outperforming boys in schools. More women than men are graduating college and going on to earn as much, if not more, than their male partners. Fortune's latest ranking of America's 500 largest corporations includes more female CEOs than ever. Things aren't perfect, of course, but they're getting there, as women—and men—embrace not only their bossiness, but all those other qualities that lead them to live lives that are fulfilling in any number of ways. The lesson to children, and to the parents and teachers who raise and nurture them, should be that there is pride in being opinionated, motivated and motivating—that is, bossy. There is also pride in being not-so-bossy, and in recognizing whatever other specific traits make them special, whether they go on to become leaders or not. There's a word to describe that, too: individuality. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Peggy Drexler. | Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg is launching a "Ban Bossy" campaign .
Peggy Drexler: Abolishing the word is pointless; other words will take its place .
She says banning the word seems to say bossy qualities are bad when they're not .
Drexler: There is pride in being opinionated and motivated -- that is to say, bossy . |
42,403 | 7792f1e47abb6b21e93a9cf8043def988bb0c1ad | With its commanding position in the middle of a loch, this isle could be fit for royalty. And its regal demeanour is completed by its name - King’s Island, translated from the Gaelic Eilean Righ. Now you could own the charming piece of Scottish land off the Argyll coastline within Loch Craignish for the princely sum of £3million after a top City trader put it on the market. It has been owned since 1999 by former Goldman Sachs market trader, Christian Siva-Jothy, who once enjoyed almost mythical status among the City’s financial community. Stunning: King's Island, translated from the Gaelic Eilean Righ, sits around 300m off the Argyll coastline within Loch Craignish. Sea view: King's Island off the Scottish coast is on the market for £3million . That all came to an end last year, when he closed down the $200million business he began after leaving Goldman Sachs and made a stunning confession about his ability to play the market. Mr Siva-Jothy wrote to investors in his firm SemperMacro: 'In this business, you are only as good as your last few trades. 'Mine have not been very good. Whether I have lost my edge or simply need a break after 23 years, I am not sure. I certainly hope it’s the latter.' Mr Siva-Jothy’s financial misfortune may explain his sale of King’s Island, being handled by the Edinburgh office of estate agents, Knight Frank. Certainly, prospective purchasers would need to be wealthy - with the island carrying a £3million price tag. Yet its description suggests it may also provide a remote hide-out for a wannabe James Bond. Getaway: The island boasts a totally refurbished four-bedroomed house, a helicopter hangar, boathouse, two slipways and jetty moorings . As well as a four-bedroomed principal . house, the 238-acre island comes complete with a giant 500sq metre . helicopter hangar, two slipways and a jetty. Mr Siva-Jothy is a qualified helicopter pilot and would often fly one of his three aircraft from the island to his work in London. He made his money as he watched the September 11 terrorist attacks unfold. He said: 'The first thing I noticed on TV was that it was a perfectly clear blue sky day. 'I’m a helicopter pilot and I’ve been flying for 14 years. I know that when you’ve got a plane that’s going down, you don’t aim for the tallest building to fly into.' He immediately bought eurodollars, capitalising on the plunge in consumer confidence and the collapse of many markets world-wide. King’s Island has had a number of colourful owners over the years. In the 1930’s, it was home to Sir Reginald Johnston, the retired tutor to the last Chinese Emperor, Puyi. Sir Reginald built a Bhuddist temple on the island and flew the Manchukuoan flag in the Chinese-style gardens. It later passed into the hands of a retired Indian Army officer, Lord Wilfred Brown andJames Waldegrave, the Viscount Chewton. | King’s Island is about 300m off the Argyll coastline within Loch Craignish is on the market after a top City figure decided to sell .
Former Goldman Sachs trader Christian Siva-Jothy is reluctant seller after closing down the $200million business he started and admitting he's 'lost his edge' |
111,280 | 1b7c471aa682106362fc07a42781040e619710ef | (CNN)Charlie Sifford, the first African-American to play on the PGA Tour, died Tuesday at age 92, the Professional Golfers' Association of America said. "His love of golf, despite many barriers in his path, strengthened him as he became a beacon for diversity in our game," PGA of America President Derek Sprague said in a statement. "By his courage, Dr. Sifford inspired others to follow their dreams. ... Golf was fortunate to have had this exceptional American in our midst." Sifford was called the Jackie Robinson of golf for breaking the color barrier in 1961 when he was 38 years old. "I wanted to prove that a black man could play golf," he told CNN affiliate WEWS after he was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in November. His son told the station that his father was advised by Robinson to use his smooth swing to fight the integration battle. "Which I think is the way he went through his struggles -- smooth, quiet," Craig Sifford told the station. Unlike Robinson, who took the field with eight teammates, Charlie Sifford played an individual's game. "It didn't bother me. It wasn't going to stop me," Sifford said. Tiger Woods referred to Sifford as a grandfather. "Terrible loss for golf and me personally. My grandfather is gone, and we all lost a brave, decent and honorable man. I'll miss u Charlie," Woods tweeted. Jack Nicklaus said Sifford was his playing partner for the first two rounds Nicklaus played in a PGA Tour event. He called Sifford a kind and gracious gentleman. "Charlie led by example, handling himself with great class and dignity inside and outside the ropes," Nicklaus said on his website. "We can't underestimate the impact Charlie's career has had on the face of golf today. Charlie was a leader and an inspiration." Sifford won two PGA Tour events, his first victory coming in the 1967 Greater Hartford Open. He also won at the Los Angeles Open two years later. It was a difficult career. In his speech honoring Sifford at the White House, President Barack Obama talked about Sifford's travails. "Charlie was sometimes banned from clubhouse restaurants. Folks threatened him, shouted slurs from the gallery, kicked his ball into the rough," the President said. "Charlie's laughing about that -- my ball is always in the rough." On Wednesday the President said he was honored to award the golfer the Presidential Medal of Freedom "for altering the course of the sport and the country he loved." People we've lost in 2015 . CNN's Quand Thomas contributed to this report. | Charlie Sifford joined the PGA Tour in 1961 at age 38 .
He won two Tour events, the first in 1967 .
Tiger Woods calls his death a terrible loss . |
158,820 | 595a5c4a07129aea7bf208f4f877ba2d5e4ae7f0 | (CNN) -- As you celebrate the holiday season, make time to see Alexander Payne's brilliant new film, "Nebraska." The movie is a riveting story, filmed in black and white, about an elderly man named Woody Grant (played by Bruce Dern) who takes a road trip with his youngest son, David (played by Will Forte). The two of them drive from Billings, Montana, to Lincoln, Nebraska. Woody, an alcoholic who has lived a hard life, is convinced that he has won a million dollars based on a letter from a company that sells magazine subscriptions. David tries to explain to his gruff father that the letter is simply a ploy to convince him to purchase subscriptions. The father is determined, and desperate, to claim the prize. With a kind heart, David ends up taking his dad on the trip to play out his dream. Throughout the film, viewers see a landscape that is visually beautiful and economically devastating. The two travel through towns that are aging and fading, where almost every character is struggling to make ends meet. Indeed, the fact that Woody is depending on this kind of letter to find fortune is in itself a devastating statement about what has become of the American dream. David, a struggling salesman in the audio and electronics business, at one point asks what his father would actually do with a million dollars. It turns out that all Woody really wants is a new truck and an air compressor. That's the limit of his aspirations. He can't even dream of anything more or of a better way to obtain it. The movie is a powerful statement about the economic challenges that face so many Americans who live in, or on the verge of, poverty. One of the greatest tragedies of the current political era is that neither party has been doing much to make things better. Like Woody, many Americans cling on for their economic lives, daring to dream based on the flimsiest of opportunities. While the American dream once revolved around making your way up through a union job, selling products to consumers or starting a small business, today for many Americans that dream has come down to hoping to win sweepstakes, contests that are doomed to disappoint almost everyone. In this context, it's remarkable that in recent years, many Republicans have actually threatened to make things more difficult in these communities. Besides the fact that the national GOP has not supported any kind of substantive policies to invest in certain regions to kick start economic growth, congressional Republicans have launched an all-out assault on the social safety net. The House GOP, for example, has pushed for a reduction in food stamps, one of the most important benefits upon which millions of Americans have depended since the 1960s. Rep. Paul Ryan of Wisconsin has called for a conservative War on Poverty that relies on private markets, voluntarism and vouchers to help the poor while he simultaneously promotes stringent budget cuts in nondefense spending that would weaken government support systems such as food stamps or the Earned Income Tax Credit. Republicans have pushed for major reductions in programs such as Social Security and Medicare. Many Republican governors are continuing to reject the expanded Medicaid funding in the Affordable Care Act, which would be hugely beneficial to the poor and working poor. There are many more Democrats who are clearly interested in using government to tackle some of the conditions with which the characters in "Nebraska" have to cope, though the actual programs they seek to put into place remain unclear (outside of the ACA, which is hugely significant). President Barack Obama delivered a speech last week on economic inequality, calling on politicians to do more to address the issue, which he characterized as the "defining challenge of our time." The president called on Congress to pass legislation strengthening unions, raising the minimum wage, reducing the gender pay gap and making college more affordable. But until now, there has been little movement during by the Obama White House to deal with these kinds of structural economic problems. Obama has also faced fierce opposition whenever he raises these issues. Many Democrats assume that tackling poverty is politically impossible today, so they invest more energy in programs that will win them votes in prosperous suburban communities. The nation can't afford to continue along this path. Fifty years ago next year, President Lyndon Johnson and the 88th Congress launched a War on Poverty that committed government funding and created an agency to help impoverished Americans become self-sufficient and restore their communities. For over a decade, the program had many beneficial effects and played a role in diminishing the number of people living under the worst economic conditions. A recent paper from the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities showed how government supports created since the New Deal lift millions of Americans out of poverty. In 2011, the paper found, the Earned Income Tax Credit and the Child Tax Credit rescued 9.4 million people from the grasp of poverty. To be sure, the War on Poverty suffered from many shortcomings. The funding for the programs was always meager compared with the inflated promises that came from elected officials. Some of the programs created huge friction among Democrats as local politicians didn't like what community activists did with federal money that was out of their control. Conservatives have also railed against the unintended consequences of the programs, claiming they made recipients dependent on government. Regardless of the criticism, this was a period when the federal government tried to do something. Importantly, it was not just liberals who were behind these programs, but also conservatives such as Southern Democrat Phil Landrum of Georgia, who sponsored the Economic Opportunity Act of 1964 in the House. The time has come to focus our attention on the issue of systematic poverty once again, to make sure that we move the nation on a path toward a better Christmas in Nebraska. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Julian Zelizer. | Julian Zelizer: A new film presents stark portrait of struggling Americans .
"Nebraska" vividly shows deterioration in middle-class America .
Zelizer says American politicians of both parties failing their down-and-out constituents .
Republicans seeking to unravel safety net, while Obama White House has done little, he says . |
98,929 | 0b6947329c94a47502de2a96ee6ffa616ab762f7 | By . Anthony Hay . Follow @@Anthony_Hay . Manchester United's upcoming friendly match against Real Madrid will be played out in front of an incredible 109,000 spectators in Detroit on Saturday. The two Europeans giants will play their final group game of the International Champions Cup at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor. Louis van Gaal's Manchester United have the opportunity to progress to the final of the friendly competition if they can beat the European champions on American soil. VIDEO Scroll down for Louis van Gaal closely supervising Manchester United training . Strong support: Premier League outfit Manchester United have a strong following in America . Sell out: Manchester United's match against Real Madrid will be watched by 109,000 fans . Global superstars: Wayne Rooney and Cristiano Ronaldo could both feature at the Michigan Stadium in Detroit . Both Manchester United and Real Madrid have a strong following in America - having built up their fanbase across the Atlantic by going on pre-season tours in the States during previous campaigns. Manchester United's fixture against Inter Milan on Tuesday night, which the Red Devils won on penalties, was watched by 61,238 spectators at the FedExField. The likes of Wayne Rooney, Cristiano Ronaldo and Gareth Bale could all play a part in Saturday's game which could be a major factor in why American football fans have decided to purchase a ticket for this weekend's International Champions Cup showdown. Super Bowl XLV - 103,219 . London 2012 Olympics (100m final event) - 80,000 . 2014 World Cup final - 74,738 . 2014 Open Championship at Hoylake (July 18) - 43,183 . Wimbledon final matches scheduled on Centre Court - 15,000 . | Manchester United will progress to the final if they can beat Real Madrid .
Cristiano Ronaldo is expected to feature against former side Man United .
The Red Devils are yet to lose a game under Louis van Gaal's stewardship . |
192,783 | 859459a165a1c5480728b930bbf0489061bfa270 | New York (CNN) -- Israel's government is missing an opportunity to secure the country's future and build a coalition of nations to counter increasing Iranian influence, according to analyst Fareed Zakaria. He says the government, headed by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, is letting the dispute with the United States over expanded settlements in East Jerusalem get in the way of making progress toward resolution of the conflict with the Palestinians. "The Netanyahu government goes on and on about the existential threat that Israel faces from Iran, the need for the world to mobilize, to put that above all else," Zakaria said. "If that really is the case, shouldn't Israel try to be supportive and deepen the relationship with the one country whose military, political and economic support is going to be absolutely crucial in dealing with this threat, that is, the United States? "If the Iranian threat were really the overriding threat to Israel, wouldn't it be willing to subordinate other issues and make some progress on the Palestinian issue because it would help the moderate Arab states who also share the worries about the rise of Iran, and would allow the moderate Arab states to form a kind of tacit alliance with Israel?" Zakaria, author and host of CNN's "Fareed Zakaria GPS," spoke to CNN on Wednesday. Here is an edited transcript: . CNN: In your view, how badly have U.S.-Israeli relations been damaged by the announcement of the East Jerusalem settlement expansion? Fareed Zakaria: I think by itself this would be a small friction that could easily be overcome, but it comes on the heels of increasingly tense relations between Washington and Tel Aviv, and because of that, it has become larger than life precisely because it seems to be the straw that broke the camel's back for the Obama administration. It became a symbol for the fact that in their view, the Netanyahu government is simply not trying to be cooperative in the search for some kind of movement forward on the Israeli-Palestinian issue. CNN: And why do they feel that way? Zakaria: They have been trying to get the Netanyahu government to do something concrete that would demonstrate that they are interested in moving forward, whether it is direct talks, whether it's a settlement freeze or any other such signal that would allow the process to begin moving forward rather than to stay where it is. So far, the Netanyahu government has done nothing like that, and in fact has taken several steps that would make it difficult to enter into direct negotiations. ... He has within his coalition members of the orthodox right in Israel who still very much hold to a view that the Jewish state should be on most, if not all, of the land of greater Israel, which includes the West Bank. ...This government has probably been the least responsive to concerns from Washington on the issue of the peace process in 20 years. CNN: The so-called proximity peace talks were delayed as a result of this dispute? Is that a real step backward? Zakaria: The whole problem with the peace process is that it's sort of going around in circles. I myself think the proximity talks are themselves almost like a bad joke. They're not actually going to talk to one another. The American negotiator is going to shuttle back and forth between them. We're in 2010. If everyone agrees that there's going to be a two-state solution and we kind of know what the plan is going to look like, roughly -- which is to say the plan that was largely agreed upon by the two parties in 2000 under the auspices of Bill Clinton -- we are now going back to the most tentative steps of circling around each other, barely talking to one another. It's as if we're at the beginning of a negotiating process when really we should be at the end of one ... CNN: You've laid out the obstacles on the Israeli side. Are there obstacles on the Palestinian side too? Zakaria: There are huge obstacles on the Palestinian side: First of all, the divided Palestinian authority -- Hamas being in charge in Gaza and the Palestinian Authority in charge on the West Bank. There is the reality that Hamas is still not reconciled to the idea of a Jewish state. There is the reality of the corruption and perhaps the lack of legitimacy of the Palestinian Authority. But one would have to say that these problems have existed for a long time, and it's not clear to me that these problems have gotten worse. In fact, the Palestinian Authority is better functioning than it has ever been under Salam Fayyad, the prime minister. There is greater control over the territory by the Palestinian Authority. There is less of a problem of terrorism, a more serious effort to build from the ground up a modern state ... and there have been some very small hints from the Hamas leadership that they would be willing to accept the state of Israel. It's not nearly enough, but the point is, if there's been any movement, it has not been movement backward in the Palestinian case. CNN: On the Israeli side, what's the significance of expanding the settlements in East Jerusalem? Zakaria: There are religious parties in Israel who want to create facts on the ground [that] make it more and more difficult to trade land for peace. It's also an indication that the broader Israeli public has sort of lost interest in the resolution of the Palestinian problem. I think that many see the wall as essentially ending the problem of terrorism. The Israeli public as a whole has moved right and there is a collective belief that Israel can simply kick this can down the road and deal with the problem later. I think it's short-sighted, in terms of demographics, regional politics, in terms of the technology of terrorism, pushing this problem away when there will be more Palestinians with the potential for being more radicalized, perhaps a greater international coalition arrayed against Israel. It doesn't seem to be a far-sighted way to secure Israel. Israel is basically succeeding brilliantly in the economic realm ... in many ways, it is even more productive than European countries. It is a technological superstar. What it needs is political stability and to resolve this problem so it can move even more dramatically forward. But it has a political system where that kind of resolution becomes politically difficult because of many highly reactionary forces within the system. CNN: Is there a way out of this mess? Zakaria: The way out would be for the Israelis to recognize that it is profoundly in their long-term interest to resolve this issue, recognize that they are the stronger party ... and see if there is a possibility of some kind of resolution to get out of the terrible bind it's in. It has 3.5 million people on territory it controls who neither have political rights nor a state of their own. Nor can they be part of Israel. That's a structural reality which is terrible for the Palestinians but also terrible for the Israelis because it undermines Israel as a democratic state. It's better resolved soon, and whether that means you give up a few hillsides here or there, strikes me as being far less significant than the gain for Israel, which would be to once and for all resolve this issue. CNN: Is the Netanyahu government in danger of collapsing? Zakaria: No, I think Netanyahu is playing this juggler's game to keep his coalition together. But it's a far cry from the man who wants to present himself as an international statesman or even an important figure in Israel's history. ... He's turning out to be a political hack who spends his time counting the votes in the Knesset rather than thinking about his legacy in the history books. ... The image is of a Churchillian statesman, and the reality is of a local alderman counting the votes. | U.S.-Israel relations are at a low ebb over Jerusalem settlements issue .
Fareed Zakaria says Obama administration is frustrated with Netanyahu government .
He says Israel should show it is serious when it says countering Iran is its highest priority .
Zakaria: Progress with Palestinians would facilitate alliance with moderate Arabs . |
252,301 | d2876ebed3b65f5814be72106ce8b67142926df4 | Islamic extremists have called on British Muslims to establish three independent states within the UK. The notorious Muslims Against the Crusades (MAC) group have named Yorkshire towns Bradford and Dewsbury and Tower Hamlets in East London as testbeds for blanket sharia rule. The medieval 'emirates' would operate entirely outside British law, . according to a document on the MAC website. Veiled women in the London borough of Tower Hamlets which has seen a rise in extremism. The Muslims Against the Crusades group says the medieval 'emirates' would function as autonomous territories and operate entirely outside British law, according to a document published on their website . Where the group envisages the autonomous areas being set up . The MAC group, led by Abu Assadullah, was . set up last year and has become notorious because of its violent protests, most . provocatively burning poppies during the Remembrance Day silence. Under the heading 'Muslims should set up Islamic emirates in the UK', MAC says: 'We suggest it is time that areas with large Muslim populations declare an emirate delineating that Muslims trying to live within this area are trying to live by the sharia as much as possible with their own courts and community watch and schools and even self sufficient trade. 'Likely areas for these projects might be Dewsbury or Bradford or Tower Hamlets to begin with. 'In time we can envisage that the whole of the sharia might one day be implemented starting with these enclaves.' The call is likely to cause anger among moderate Muslims and community leaders in the areas concerned. Ian Greenwood, leader of Bradford Council, said people would 'not allow extremists to provoke them into violence'. A general view of Bradford in Yorkshire which Muslims Against the Crusades (MAC) group have named as one of three testbeds for blanket sharia rule . London 7/7 bomber Mohammad Sidique Khan lived in Dewsbury, which has battled to diffuse extremism in recent years. In . 2007, it was alleged that a number of Muslims in Dewsbury were running an . illegal Islamic court from a school and similar claims . have been made in Tower Hamlets and Bradford. Tower . Hamlets council was last year accused of falling under the control of . extremist groups following a documentary by the Daily Telegraph . journalist Andrew Gilligan. The plan is part of the MAC's response to the government's revised Prevent strategy to combat Islamic extremism. In its document, called Islamic Prevent, the fanatics also call for an end to CCTV cameras in and around mosques. It says: 'Muslims must get rid of all CCTV cameras from Muslim . institutions. Sadly many mosques have today adopted CCTV cameras to spy . on Muslims on behalf of the police and local authorities.' Other inflammatory instructions include demanding the release of all . Muslim prisoners, a ban on Muslims joining the police or armed forces . and a rejection of British democracy. The document ends: 'We can conclude that measures by the UK government are nothing more than an attempt by them to strip the Muslim community of their Islamic identity and to integrate them into the non-Islamic way of life.' The revised Prevent programme, announced last month, is aimed at tackling home-grown terrorism and radicalisation of students. It demands stricter controls on extremist literature and a more proactive approach by universities to prevent extremism. Councillor Greenwood added: 'Extremism is less likely to emerge when people get the opportunity to come together. 'Local voluntary, community and faith groups, the council, and other public and private sector partners, all work together in Bradford to strengthen community relations and encourage better understanding and respect between all our communities. 'We believe that this is one of the best ways to build a tolerant society in which extremism plays no part.' Tower Hamlets and Kirklees Council, the local authority for Dewsbury, refused to comment. | Medieval 'emirates' would operate outside British rule . |
187,181 | 7e6a4d08371597a314264be20f3aa5b24af18028 | Srinagar, India (CNN) -- Nine people were killed and seven others were wounded after a group of militants attacked security forces in Indian-administered Kashmir on Thursday, authorities said. The unrest in the territory, long disputed by India and Pakistan, comes ahead of a scheduled meeting between the two countries' prime ministers on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly (UNGA) in New York. Two to three militants in army fatigues attacked a police station early Thursday in Hiranagar, a town about 60 kilometers (35 miles) from the city of Jammu, said Rajesh Kumar, inspector general of police for the Jammu area. "The militants forced their entry into the police station, opened indiscriminate fire and fled," he said. Four police officers and and two civilians were killed in the attack, he said, and two civilians and a police officer were wounded. Kumar said the militants fled in a truck and drove to an Indian Army camp in the nearby town of Samba where they opened fire on soldiers. Three military service members were killed and three others were wounded in the ensuing gun battle, which was continuing, said army spokesman S.N. Acharya. Meeting planned . The violence took place as Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif are in New York for the UNGA. Singh has said he will meet with Sharif, among other leaders, at the event. Reports in the Indian news media have said the two men are due to hold talks on Sunday. Singh condemned the Kashmir attack in a statement released by his office, linking violence in the region to Pakistan. "This is one more in a series of provocations and barbaric actions by the enemies of peace," he said. "We are firmly resolved to combat and defeat the terrorist menace that continues to receive encouragement and reinforcement from across the border." But he said that "such attacks will not deter us and will not succeed in derailing our efforts to find a resolution to all problems through a process of dialogue." The statement didn't specifically mention Singh's planned meeting with Sharif. The attack took place hours after the Indian and Pakistani armies had traded small-arms and automatic weapon fire in the district of Poonch on the Line of Control, the de-facto border between the two countries in Kashmir, according to Acharya. The exchange of gunfire is the latest in a string of small-scale clashes along the frontier this year. Hiranagar and Samba, where the militants struck Thursday, are both within about 10 kilometers of the Line of Control. CNN's Jethro Mullen contributed to this report. | Militants open fire at a police station and then an army camp, authorities say .
The gun battle at the army camp is continuing, a military officials says .
The Indian premier calls it "one more in a series of provocations and barbaric actions"
He is due to meet with his Pakistani counterpart in New York . |
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