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50,069 | 8d916ce1ff130be42f05e7ae5dcba2f160d9546a | By . Daily Mail Reporter . A new poll says Bill Clinton is the most admired president of the last 25 years by a wide margin. In a Wall Street Journal/NBC News/Annenberg Survey Clinton was named most admired by 42 per cent of respondents. Coming in second with 18 per cent was Barack Obama, followed by George W. Bush at 17 per cent and George H.W. Bush at 16 per cent. Former President Bill Clinton was named most admired president of the last 25 years by 42 per cent of recent poll respondents . Following behind Clinton in the poll were current president Barack Obama at 18 per cent and George W. Bush at 17 per cent . The Wall Street Journal reports that 1,238 adults responded to the poll from June 2-8. There is a margin of error of plus or minus 2.8 per cent. The Wall Street Journal noted that the poll results were a reflection of how much Clinton had done to polish his image since leaving the White House in 2000. The survey is part of a series of polls done as a collaboration between the news organizations and the Annenberg Public Policy Center, based at the University of Pennsylvania. The poll is the latest evidence that the Clinton's are America's most popular political figures at the moment. That poll along with one supporting Hillary Clinton in a 2016 presidential bid indicate the Clintons are America's most popular political couple . A poll released in May showed that 55 per cent of responders said they would vote for Hillary Clinton as presidential candidate in 2016, the Washington Post reports. Her support is even higher than Obama's current approval ratings. Bill Clinton's potential as First Husband seems to help. The Washington Post reported at the time of the survey that his positive ratings were now the best they'd been since the early days of his presidency in the 90s. | Clinton took 42 per cent of the vote in poll among more than 1,000 Americans .
Barack Obama named second at 18 per cent, followed by George W. Bush at 17 per cent and George H.W. Bush at 16 per cent . |
63,038 | b30dd8067a2db0097f72898c3ab34c14bba62af2 | (CNN) -- At least two people were killed and as many as 120 injured in Thanksgiving pileups involving an estimated 100 cars on a foggy stretch of highway in southeast Texas, authorities said. The first accident -- a multi-car wreck in the eastbound lands of Interstate 10 -- occurred about 8:45 a.m., according to the Texas Department of Public Safety. Chain-reaction crashes followed, the department said in a news release, and included several accidents in the westbound lanes of the intersate, southwest of Beaumont in Jefferson County. "Initial reports at the time of the crash indicated there was dense fog, which could be a contributing factor to those crashes," Texas Highway Patrol Trooper Stephanie Davis said. The two fatalities occurred in the same vehicle, authorities said. The victims were identified as Vincent Leggio, 64, and Debra Leggio, 60, both of Pearland, Texas. The two were killed when their vehicle was hit from behind by an 18-wheeler, the Department of Public Safety said. Video from CNN affiliate KBMT showed badly mangled vehicles atop one another and people who appeared to be injured stretched out in grass alongside the highway and on ambulance gurneys. Long lines of cars, each battered and some appearing to be totaled, lined the roadway. The vehicles included cars, minivans, pickups, tractor-trailer trucks and at least one FedEx truck. In several pictures, there appeared to be a slight sheen of fog. It was not known exactly how many injuries resulted from the accidents, said Davis. Jefferson County Deputy Sheriff Rod Carroll said that at least 80 and as many as 120 injured people were taken from the scene. The most seriously injured were being transported to Houston, about 75 miles away. Several victims were transported to neighboring hospitals in Beaumont and Port Arthur. The role of fog and the causes of the accidents were still under investigation, Davis said. Westbound lanes of the interstate were closed for nearly four hours before being reopened. The eastbound lanes of I-10 were closed after the accident throughout most of the day, with the Department of Public Safety saying shortly after 5 p.m. that those lanes had been cleared of debris and reopened. | After being closed for hours following the accident, all lanes of Interstae 10 reopened .
The two fatalities occurred after a vehicle was hit from behind by an 18-wheeler .
Some 100 cars were in a series of pileups on Interstate 10 near Beaumont, Texas .
As many as 120 injured were taken to hospitals . |
194,004 | 8721452e60158d5da6e0477332c21187c6752950 | Jose Mourinho takes on Zlatan Ibrahimovic in Tuesday night’s Champions League clash between Chelsea and Paris Saint-Germain in the battle of the biggest egos in football — but the man who knows them both, David Luiz, claims their images are far removed from how they portray themselves in public. Luiz, who won the Champions League with Chelsea in 2012 but left in the summer for Paris Saint-Germain for £50million, says he joined because Ibrahimovic was there and that the Swedish striker could be unstoppable against Chelsea at the Parc des Princes this week. Chelsea knocked PSG out in the Champions League quarter-finals last year, despite PSG winning the first leg 3-1. PSG went down 2-0 at Stamford Bridge with Ibrahimovic out injured. David Luiz will face his former club when PSG meet Chelsea in the Champions League last 16 . Jose Mourinho and Zlatan Ibrahimovic (right) are not the characters they are portrayed as, claims Luiz . Luiz speaks with Edinson Cavani (right) on the bench ahead of the Champions League encounter . The French club’s preparations have been far from ideal — they surrendered a two-goal lead to draw 2-2 with Caen, finishing with nine men due to injury, and have doubts over Yohan Cabaye, Marquinhos, Serge Aurier and Lucas Moura — but Luiz is backing Ibrahimovic to make the difference. ‘There are two Zlatans: one the media portray and then the real one,’ said Luiz. ‘He was one of the big reasons that I chose to join Paris. When Chelsea played Paris he said to me during the game, you need to come and play with us next season. The Swedish striker strips off to celebrate scoring against Caen in Ligue 1 on Saturday . PSG players look dumbfounded after letting a two goal lead slip to draw 2-2 with Caen . 'He is one of the best players in the world, and a great guy. Of course Mourinho knows him well from Inter and will have a plan to try and stop him, but when Zlatan is on form he is unstoppable.’ Luiz also says he will be happy to greet Mourinho, even though it was the Chelsea manager who sanctioned the sale of the Brazilian defender in the summer. ‘We have a mutual respect and I will shake his hand,’ he said. Mourinho worked with Ibrahimovic for a season at Inter Milan before the Swede joined Barcelona in £57m move in 2009 —and he famously told Ibra that if he left, he would miss out on winning the Champions League with the Italian club. Luiz competes with Ibrahimovic during Chelsea's Champions League clash with PSG last season . Mourinho has worked with Luiz (left) and Ibrahimovic at Chelsea and Inter Milan respectively . Young Blues defender Kurt Zouma (right) will be charged with looking after Ibrahimovic on Tuesday . Inter, of course, knocked out Barca the following season on their way to victory but the Swede has stayed on friendly terms with the Chelsea manager, writing in his autobiography: ‘Mourinho would become a guy I was basically willing to die for. He lives and breathes football 24/7. 'I’ve never know a manager with the kind of knowledge he has about the opposition side. I felt increasingly that this guy gives everything for the team so I want to give everything for him.’ Chelsea will be hoping defender Kurt Zouma can contain Ibrahimovic. The 20-year-old helped secure his move to London with a superb display for St Etienne in October 2013, when he marked Ibrahimovic out of the match. | Chelsea meet PSG in last 16 of Champions League on Tuesday .
Jose Mourinho and Zlatan Ibrahimovic are renowned as being arrogant .
Former Blues defender David Luiz insists both are portrayed wrongly . |
78,164 | dd98aabff3ed29d74e8d1f73cdb809bf63b2169a | (Southern Living) -- You don't have to stay at these tony hotels to experience the best of their lobbies. The Round Robin Bar at the Willard InterContinental is a great place to eavesdrop. The Willard InterContinental . What to expect: A throwback to grand hotels of the 19th century near the White House. It's where powerful people still go to make powerful decisions. Crowned heads rest on the Willard's pillows. Where to spend your dollars: Sip a mint julep or sample a single malt whiskey in the Round Robin Bar and Scotch Bar alongside power brokers. It may not be polite to say so, but this is a great place to eavesdrop. "The next day's work starts between 6 and 8 p.m.," says Jim Hewes, bartender there for 22 years. "The Round Robin gets a drift on tomorrow's news." The inside story: D.C. insiders strut the lobby's Peacock Alley where you people-watch while nibbling on tea and scones ($39). 1401 Pennsylvania Avenue NW.; washington.intercontinental.com or 1-800-327-0200. SouthernLiving.com: D.C. Travel Planner . The Hay-Adams . What to expect: Formal and classic yet balanced with a boutiquish and intimate atmosphere. Walk out the front door to see Lafayette Park and the White House. Where to spend your dollars: The basement bar, Off the Record, attracts politicos from the White House and the nearby World Bank. "Always sit at the bar," says John Boswell, the friendly 12-year veteran bartender. "The half-moon shape tends to get people into conversations." Patrons stick to the classics -- martinis, Manhattans and wines. The inside story: The Sunday morning talk show hosts and hotel guests rub elbows at the extravagant late-morning brunch in The Lafayette dining room ($65, reservations required). 16th and H Streets NW.; www.hayadams.com or (202) 638-6600. SouthernLiving.com: Cheap eats in D.C. St. Regis . What to expect: A meeting of the old and new: luxe gilt lobby with endless Italian marble floors vs. leather-and-chrome restaurant bar helmed by celebrity chef Alain Ducasse. Where to spend your dollars: Settle into the purple Bar at St. Regis. Populated by admiring foodies, the bar pours the coolest drinks. "Our Trial by Berry (Champagne, house-infused vanilla and nutmeg vodka, muddled blackberries) is the favorite," says Marianna Alfa, restaurant director. "The chef's slider duo -- two burgers, one beef, the other boudin -- is our rock and roll item." The inside story: Mixologist Mia Baila creates D.C.'s most unusual drink: Champagne adorned with pearls of Cointreau and gold flecks. 923 16th and K Streets NW.; starwoodhotels.com/stregis or (202) 638-2626. SouthernLiving.com: Best things about the mall in Washington D.C. Park Hyatt . What to expect: A sleek Euro feel of glass, natural fibers and golden-hued wood. A favorite among world travelers who trust the Park Hyatt brand and prefer the energy at the cusp of Georgetown. Where to spend your dollars: Cozy in at the Tea Cellar, presided over by tea expert Marie Hatakeyama. Those seeking a sturdier drink slip into glass-enclosed booths at the bar. "It's like having a private conversation on display," says frequent visitor Chris Gieckel, adding that the pear martini is a house favorite. "I'm not known for having girly drinks, but I'll order a second one." The inside story: Purchase your favorite tea from the tasting to prepare at home, including vintage brews. 24th and M Streets NW.; parkhyattwashington.com or (202) 789-1234 . Enter to win a monthly Room Makeover Giveaway from MyHomeIdeas.com . Copyright 2009 Southern Living magazine. All rights reserved. | Sip a mint julep at the Willard InterContinental's Round Robin Bar .
Join White House politicos for a drink at Off the Record in the Hay-Adams hotel .
Try a custom cocktail at Bar at St. Regis . |
284,647 | fcd0a74bc10b61c00dd4d1b9f577af102b6d5dbc | SAS troops with sniper rifles and heavy machine guns have killed hundreds of Islamic State extremists in a series of deadly quad-bike ambushes inside Iraq, The Mail on Sunday can reveal. Defence sources indicated last night that soldiers from the elite fighting unit have eliminated ‘up to eight terrorists per day’ in the daring raids, carried out during the past four weeks. Until now, it had been acknowledged only that the SAS was operating in a reconnaissance role in Iraq and was not involved in combat. But The Mail on Sunday has learned that small groups of soldiers are being dropped into IS territory in RAF Chinook helicopters – to take on the enemy. Scroll down for video . DRONES PATROL IRAQ TO SEEK OUT TARGETS: Drone operators study footage of the terrorists’ positions which are then relayed to SAS commanders at their secret base so they can plan missions . Targets are identified by drones operated either from an SAS base or by the soldiers themselves on the ground, who use smaller devices. The troops are also equipped with quad bikes – four-wheeled all-terrain vehicles that can have machine guns bolted on to a frame. They then seek out IS units and attack the terrorists using the element of surprise and under the cover of darkness. The missions have taken place on a near daily basis in the past four weeks and the SAS soldiers have expended so much ammunition that regimental quartermasters have been forced to order a full replenishment of stocks of machine-gun rounds and sniper bullets. An SAS source said: ‘Our tactics are putting the fear of God into IS as they don’t know where we’re going to strike next and there’s frankly nothing they can do to stop us. SAS SNIPER UNITS SCRAMBLED IN CHINOOKS: The heavily equipped troops are flown deep into IS territory aboard RAF transport helicopters, their quad bikes stowed on board, before touching down 50 miles from their target . ‘We’re degrading their morale. They can run and hide if they see planes in the sky but they can’t see or hear us. Using so many snipers takes the fear factor to another level too; the terrorists don’t know what’s happening. They just see their colleagues lying dead in the sand.’ The SAS’s guerrilla-style raids are targeting IS’s main supply routes across western Iraq and vehicle checkpoints set up by the terrorists to conduct kidnappings and extort money from local drivers. The operations start with SAS commanders studying hours of footage of potential target sites recorded by drones – Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) – and listening to enemy communication intercepts in a bid to identify IS leaders. Once the regiment’s senior officers have identified a target, the soldiers gather to receive their operational orders. They then leave their secret base and climb aboard a fleet of helicopters – with the quad bikes already safely secured in the cargo hold. As the SAS soldiers strap themselves into their seats, the pilots tap in the co-ordinates for the area of desert where the Chinook will land. As the helicopters’ engines are so loud, the Chinooks take the SAS soldiers to a laying-up point as far as 50 miles from the target. The troops disembark aboard the quad bikes and prepare their general- purpose machine guns (GPMGs) and Barrett sniper rifles. IS PICKED OFF IN GUERILLA-STYLE RAIDS: Using precision sniper rifles, machine guns and surprise tactics, the SAS take out their IS targets before disappearing back into the desert . The SAS’s raids are intended to degrade Islamic State’s fighting capability ahead of a spring offensive by 20,000 Iraqi and Kurdish troops next year, with the UK providing additional training for these soldiers. In the next fortnight, Defence Secretary Michael Fallon is expected to receive a report from British military planners setting out what needs to be done. The plans could see up to 300 UK trainers leading a programme of intensive training for the Kurds and Iraqis, with an emphasis on infantry drills and techniques to defuse enemy explosive devices. When the spring offensive starts, British trainers may remain with the Iraqi and Kurdish units but are not expected to get directly involved in the fighting. Earlier this month, Mr Fallon held meetings with political leaders in the region, assuring them that the UK was committed to defeating IS and improving the training of their soldiers. The Defence Secretary also visited Kuwait, where it is expected that US and British commanders will set up a spring offensive planning centre. The mission to defeat the 200,000-strong IS forces will be led by a senior US officer, Lieutenant General James Terry. It is likely that his second in command will be a senior British officer, Lieutenant General Tom Beckett. Next month Lieut Gen Beckett will take over as Defence Senior Adviser for the Middle East (DSAME), a post vacated by Lieutenant General Simon Mayall, who is retiring after four years in the role. Defence sources indicated last night that soldiers from the elite fighting unit have eliminated ‘up to eight terrorists per day’ in the daring raids, carried out during the past four weeks . But Middle East experts are questioning whether the UK’s strategy to defeat IS stands any chance of success. Professor Gareth Stansfield from Exeter University told The Mail on Sunday: ‘Not only is the Islamic State stronger than previous organisations, it has also learned lessons from them. ‘For example, IS has few fixed operational centres and its chain of command remains mobile. British policy options at this stage are burdened with problems and complications and also bring with them a range of unintended consequences that could draw Western powers into further engagements in the region. ‘With regard to the spring offensive, the Kurds would not be able to push further south into Iraq without upsetting the Sunni tribesmen in these areas and the Iraqi army is regarded as a Shia militia. So we are a long way off a practical solution to the problem of IS.’ The Mail on Sunday has learned that since IS began its campaign in Syria and Iraq, more than 35 British jihadists have lost their lives. It is believed the most recent UK citizens to die fighting for the extremists – known as Abu Abdullah al-Habashi, 21, and Abu Dharda, 20 – were from London. They are understood to have been killed in US air strikes on the Syrian border town of Kobane. Al-Habashi grew up in North London in a British-Eritrean family and converted to Islam when he was 16. In August, al-Habashi told the BBC he had gone to Syria nine months earlier and had been fighting both there and in Iraq. Al-Habashi is thought to have appeared in at least two IS videos posted online. Dharda comes from a British-Somali background and grew up in West London. He travelled to Syria in December 2013, entering via Turkey. It is believed that Dharda was questioned by counter-terrorism police at a British airport as he left but was allowed on his journey because they were satisfied with the explanation he gave for the purpose of his trip. Intelligence sources have indicated that more than 500 Britons are currently fighting for IS, with the vast majority active in Syria. Yesterday, the widow of murdered British aid worker Alan Henning told a memorial service he was killed ‘for being what we should be, selfless and caring’. A video showing the beheading of the 47-year-old taxi driver was released by IS last month. A private memorial service at Eccles parish church in Greater Manchester was held yesterday, with audio relayed outside. His widow Barbara and daughter Lucy walked in with Bethany and Michael Haines, the daughter and brother of David Haines from Scone, Scotland, also murdered by IS. Mrs Henning told the memorial: ‘We must never forget the reason why he went to Syria and the reason he was taken from us – for being what we all should be, selfless and caring.’ Meanwhile, IS militants have killed at least 25 members of a Sunni Muslim tribe in a village on the eastern edge of Ramadi in Iraq, in apparent revenge for tribal opposition to the radical Islamists. Local officials said the bodies of the men from the Albu Fahd tribe were discovered by the Iraqi army when it launched a counter-offensive on Saturday against IS near Ramadi, capital of Anbar province. 'Red Cap tragedy' General set to lead offensive . NEW MAN: Lieut General Tom Beckett . A former Parachute Regiment officer who was in charge of six Red Caps brutally killed by a mob of extremists in Iraq is in line to become the second in command of coalition operations against IS. Lieutenant General Tom Beckett has been appointed Defence Senior Adviser for the Middle East (DSAME) and will take up his position as the UK steps up its efforts to train Iraqi and Kurdish forces to defeat Islamic State. Softly spoken Lieut Gen Beckett first deployed to Iraq in 2003, when the tragedy of the Red Caps marked the beginning of an insurgency against the British presence in the country’s southern provinces. At the time, the Red Caps, or Royal Military Policemen, were attached to the Parachute Regiment’s 1st Battalion led by Beckett. Eleven years on, families of the Red Caps still blame senior officers for their deaths. Lieut Gen Beckett is taking over as DSAME following the retirement of Lieutenant General Simon Mayall – an officer who was considered the British Army’s leading expert on Arab affairs. Lieut Gen Mayall served as DSAME for four years but his retirement comes only three months after the Prime Minister also appointed him to serve as his special envoy to Kurdistan – a key role during the IS crisis. Last night, Middle East expert Professor Gareth Stansfield described Lieut Gen Mayall’s retirement as a ‘blow’ because of his understanding of regional politics and jihad philosophy. | Targets are identified by drones operated by SAS soldiers .
Who are then dropped into IS territory by helicopter to stage attacks .
The surprise ambushes are said to be 'putting the fear of God into IS'
The raids are attacking IS's main supply routes across western Iraq . |
87,787 | f9155d16c51d80eb0dc823827be57d2c66689970 | Los Angeles (CNN) -- The saga of billionaire Donald Sterling enters a new phase Monday when a California probate court trial examines his estranged wife's takeover of the couple's trust that owns the Los Angeles Clippers, which she is now trying to sell for a record $2 billion. It's been an operatic tale. Sterling slurred African-Americans in a taped conversation with a woman acquaintance. The National Basketball Association banned him and ordered the couple to sell the team. His wife, Shelly, negotiated a price that would be unprecedented for a sports franchise in North America. She did so as doctors certified Donald Sterling, 80, as incapacitated with early Alzheimer's or another brain disease. Questions persist, however, on whether the team's planned sale to former Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer is a done deal, because Donald Sterling disputes his wife's authority in the negotiations. The couple own the NBA franchise through a trust. Will there be a trial on Monday? It's anybody's guess: Anything can happen in the Sterling saga -- and just about has. Donald Sterling now wants to move the controversy over the basketball team's proposed sale to federal court -- a legal move he made just before Friday's Fourth of July holiday. It's unclear whether he'll be successful -- or what impact the last-minute maneuver will have on Monday's scheduled trial in a state court in Los Angeles. Shelly Sterling's attorney described the move as desperation. "Donald Sterling's 11th-hour attempt to move the probate trial into the federal courts is a desperate act by a desperate man," said Pierce O'Donnell. "This latest bad-faith maneuver on the eve of his reckoning is a cowardly ploy to do just one thing: Kill a record-setting $2 billion sale of the Clippers," O'Donnell said. But Donald Sterling's attorney says federal court is the appropriate place to hear how the publicizing of his medical diagnosis "trampled" his privacy rights under the federal Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) -- which Shelly Sterling denies, saying the trust allowed for the information's release. "While Shelly Sterling and her team will claim that this is merely a 'tactic,' we feel strongly that this important issue should be addressed by the federal court at this time," said lawyer Bobby Samini. "While it has become popular to attack Donald Sterling for his regrettable comments, his right to privacy and to the protection of his medical records should not be acceptable collateral damage." Even Ballmer has entered the dispute, with his attorney saying he would file papers to block what he called a frivolous move by Donald Sterling. The parties will be monitoring how the state and federal courts will proceed Monday. Will we hear more about Donald Sterling's mental issues? No. The trial will focus on Shelly Sterling's right to sell the Clippers and not Donald Sterling's mental capacity, attorneys for both sides say. Testimony will largely focus on how the couple own the team through a trust and whether procedures for removing one of the trust's owners -- namely Donald Sterling -- were followed. The trial, however, will address an accusation by Donald Sterling that his wife duped him into undergoing separate examinations by a neurologist and a specialist in geriatric psychiatry, who both judged him to be mentally incapacitated. Donald Sterling also disputes those findings. "We are going to argue that their examinations were by way of undue influence, that their examinations were not complete, that there was fraud in the examinations, and the letters that they have issued do not comport with technical requirements that the trust requires," Samini said. Shelly Sterling maintains her husband's arguments about being tricked are baseless, her attorney said. "There was no duping or whatever," O'Donnell said. "Donald voluntarily went to ... get the brain scan." Late last month, another doctor found Donald Sterling to be mentally fit, a source with knowledge of the situation told CNN. So what will the probate trial be all about? The court will hear five issues, according to court papers filed by Shelly Sterling. First, the court will determine whether the physicians' evaluations of Donald Sterling were obtained by fraud, undue influence or breach of fiduciary duty, as he claims. The court will then decide whether Shelly Sterling's May 29 contract to sell the team to Ballmer is binding. Even if the court doesn't affirm that, the judge will weigh whether the contract is nevertheless binding on the couple's trust because it's in the trust's best interest -- in other words, whether it's too great a deal to pass up. The court will then have to examine how Donald Sterling later revoked the trust in June -- in apparent retaliation for his wife negotiating a proposed deal to sell the team -- and whether his revocation prevents the sale of the team or the court's jurisdiction over the trust. Finally, the judge must decide whether to provide relief to prevent injury or loss. How did this deal ever get done? Facing pressure from the NBA, Donald Sterling signed a letter in May -- on the same day when one of the physicians examined him -- to the basketball league agreeing to the sale of the Clippers and authorizing his wife to negotiate the sale of the team. But Donald Sterling changed his mind on the entire controversy: He sued the NBA for $1 billion for its decision to ban him for life and force him to sell the franchise. He then opposed the proposed sale of the team negotiated by his wife. What's the rush in all this? The contract between Shelly Sterling and Ballmer has a July 15 deadline to close the deal -- with a 30-day extension, if needed. At the same time, the Sterlings face a September 15 deadline to sell team, as set by the NBA. If not, the league may sell the franchise on its own or renew termination proceedings against the Clippers or both, according to NBA general counsel Richard W. Buchanan's statements in Shelly Sterling's court filings. Donald Sterling in CNN exclusive: I'm not a racist, I'm a giver . | Sterlings face a probate court trial in California on Monday .
But Donald Sterling now asks a federal court to take over the case .
Couple face a September deadline to sell the LA Clippers .
Probate court will look at the Sterlings' trust that owns NBA team . |
30,502 | 56b7a804006b26abb54d55d36acea2c9d805782a | By . Kerry Mcdermott . PUBLISHED: . 07:45 EST, 15 November 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 10:29 EST, 15 November 2012 . A baby boy has become Britain's youngest ever burglary victim - after his own uncle stole £110 from the newborn to buy drugs. Sam Harlow, 20, climbed through a window at his sister's house to swipe the cash belonging to her then 10-day-old baby son, which was kept in an envelope marked 'Alfie's Money'. Alfie's mother Gemma Harlow - who had been planning to set up a savings account for her little boy - branded her brother 'despicable' as he was given an eight-month suspended jail sentence for the pre-planned burglary. Victim: Gemma Harlow kept cash given as gifts to her baby son following his birth in an envelope marked 'Alfie's Money', which was stolen by the little boy's uncle, Sam Harlow . Harlow, of Exmouth, Devon, had spotted the envelope of cash while visiting his sister's house earlier on the same day, and unlocked a window so he could sneak back in and snatch it in the middle of the night. He admitted burglary, theft and possession of cannabis at Exeter Crown Court where he was given an eight month suspended jail sentence and ordered to undertake drug rehabilitation and 150 hours of unpaid work. The court heard Harlow - who has been disowned by his family - had used baby Alfie's money to buy drugs. Speaking after the verdict, his . sister Gemma, Alfie's mother, said: 'I don't know how anyone can steal . from a baby. It is despicable and about as low as you can get.' The 24-year-old told how her brother had come to her house on the day of the theft to drop off a prescription for her mother. 'During that time he unlocked the window by the front door,' she said. 'That is how he got back in later. He broke back in while we were still upstairs and I was in the process of feeding Alfie.' Miss Harlow said the money had been given to Alfie in congratulations cards she was sent after giving birth. 'Most of it was given by my partner's grandparents and was to be used to start a savings account. 'My brother knew it was for Alfie and was not ours as it was in a special envelope,' she said. Thief: Sam Harlow, 20, stole £110 from his newborn nephew, Alfie . Speaking from the dock Harlow told the judge: 'I have offered to pay back the money but my sister will not speak to me.' Gemma . said her brother had previously lived with them for eight months but . was kicked out she began to suspect he was stealing money. 'There is one thing stealing money off us but off my son is . something completely different. He was ten days old. I can never forgive . my brother for this. 'I knew it was him straight away. He continually denied it to us until it came to court when he pleaded guilty. 'He got a suspended sentence but I thought he should have got sent down for what he did.' Sentencing Harlow Judge Francis Gilbert, QC, said: 'This was a particularly mean offence committed to fund your drugs habit . 'You had been at the house earlier at the same time you saw this money which had been given to the new born baby Alfie. You went away and came back in the middle of the night. 'That was a pretty mean and thoroughly disreputable thing to do,' the judge added. Verdict: Sam Harlow was given an eight-month suspended jail term at Exeter Crown Court after stealing money from his newborn nephew . | Sam Harlow climbed into his baby nephew's bedroom through a window and stole an envelope containing cash given as gifts from other relatives .
The 20-year-old was given an eight-month suspended jail term after admitting burglary, theft, and possession of cannabis .
Baby Alfie's mother Gemma Harlow said her brother's crime was 'as low as you can get' |
259,299 | dbaa6e92ae7ed15c1ba07f9235d96f90cf5dc120 | It wasn't the most inspired chant you'll ever hear in a football ground, but it was topical and certainly cutting. 'Raheem Sterling, he sleeps when he wants,' sang the Queens Park Rangers fans during the opening minutes at Loftus Road in reference to the 'Tiredgate' affair. And, in the first-half at least, it neatly summarised Liverpool - and Sterling's - slumbering performance. But the most scrutinised and talked-about teenager in the game was certainly alert and awake when it mattered to help the Reds to a much-needed victory late on. VIDEOS Scroll down to watch... Raheem Sterling celebrates with Steven Gerrard after Steven Caulker scores an own goal for the winner . Sterling (left) and Jordan Henderson celebrate after Caulker puts through his own net in stoppage time . Sterling plays in the cross that Steven Caulker put into his own net for the winner deep into stoppage time . Sterling sets off in pursuit of the ball as Liverpool try to assert themselves at Loftus Road . Sterling attempts to get beyond QPR's Sandro during the first-half at Loftus Road . First, Sterling was pretty much in a sleeping position on the turf when he nudged a free-kick short to Glen Johnson after 67 minutes, catching the still-protesting QPR defenders out. The right-back crossed low and dangerously, with Richard Dunne kindly supplying the finishing touch for the 10th own goal of his Premier League life - a most unflattering record. And then, after Eduardo Vargas had brought QPR level with three minutes remaining, it was Sterling who, with trademark acceleration, carried Liverpool forward on the counter. The move culminated with Philippe Coutinho, on as a substitute, curling the ball home to restore Liverpool's lead as the clock ticked over into stoppage time. Sterling walks off the pitch after a tough first half in which Liverpool struggled to make an impression . Sterling is held back by Karl Henry as Steven Gerrard tries to win the ball for Liverpool . Henry bundles Sterling over as the pair fight for the ball . But the drama wasn't over yet. Step forward Sterling for his third influential act after Vargas had brought QPR back to 2-2. There were sparks coming from his heels as he sprinted down the left channel, sending in the low cross that Steven Caulker turned into his own net for the decisive goal. They were three pieces of sharp-thinking you certainly wouldn't associate with a man feeling fatigued from the strain of carrying responsibility for club and country. With hindsight, perhaps it wasn't the best idea to inspire him with that chant. Sterling was excellent here once he was wound up. The England international is slide challenged by Leroy Fer close to the touchline as he tries to attack . Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers congratulates Sterling at the final whistle . Sterling's heat map at the end of the first half shows how he struggled to make an impression . But his heat map at the end of the match shows how he influenced things after the break . Passes: 45 . Passing accuracy: 77.8 per cent . Duels won: 13 . Duels lost: 4 . Recoveries: 11 . Tackles: 5 . Fouls won: 2 . Chances created: 3 . Sterling dominated the headlines during the international fortnight after asking England manager Roy Hodgson to leave him out the starting line-up for the Euro 2016 qualifier in Estonia. That chat, and Hodgson's decision to disclose it, sparked endless debate but on the evidence of this sunny afternoon in west London, Sterling is looking not only fresh but on the top of his game. It would be interesting to know Hodgson's thoughts as he sat alongside QPR chief Tony Fernandes and local hero Les Ferdinand high in the stands. He had come to make peace with Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers after the latest unedifying club vs country war of words. Sterling has looked energetic in training all week and it's easily forgotten amid the hubris that he played the last half-hour and made an impact in Tallinn, winning the free-kick from which Wayne Rooney scored the winner. Prior to this match, Sterling had played 1,967 minutes during this calendar year, more than any other player under the age of 21. Burn-out affects even the precocious but Rodgers had no hesitation in throwing him in. 'He felt fantastic to play so I'm looking forward to him getting on and showing how good he is,' said Rodgers on Sky Sports before the match. England manager Roy Hodgson was sat next to QPR chairman Tony Fernandes in the stands . Sterling chats to Mario Balotelli during the pre-match warm-ups in west London . The young mascots give Sterling a guard of honour as he walks out on to the pitch . VIDEO Sterling criticism unfair - Rodgers . Unfortunately in the opening 45 minutes he looked as lost and languid as the rest of the Liverpool team. The Korean Yun Suk-young contained him with ease and he was snuffed out every time he attempted to break away. There was one intelligent through pass in the direction of Mario Balotelli, whose failure to reach it was symptomatic of his disappointing afternoon. At one point, he was outpaced by Karl Henry despite being nearer to a loose ball. It epitomised Liverpool's first-half funk. But he was a changed man and they were a changed team after the break. The tempo was raised, passes were crisper, crosses lethal, as Dunne found to his embarrassment. The game hung in the balance right until the final peep of Phil Dowd's whistle but Sterling made the difference as the best and the brightest players do. 'It's always good to play football, it was no different this week,' he said modestly afterwards. He'll be glad a tricky week is over - and with the perfect ending. | Raheem Sterling was influential as Liverpool won 3-2 at QPR .
The England player started after the 'tiredgate' controversy .
Liverpool were poor in the first half, with Sterling struggling .
But he made three crucial interventions to win the match .
His quickly-taken free-kick led to Richard Dunne's own goal .
Sterling started the break that led to Philippe Coutinho scoring .
And his low cross was turned in by Steven Caulker for the winner . |
268,085 | e731793aa5f455812168123bc8b54742d34a8072 | A year ago, Landon Jones stopped eating. Overnight, the 12-year-old's appetite disappeared without warning, hours after he devoured a pizza and bowl of ice cream. Waking up on the morning of October 14, 2013, Landon had lost all sense of hunger and thirst, The Des Moines Register reported. The once energetic youngster, who loved nothing more than going out on his bike and playing in the park with his friends and brother, stopped. He was sick and suffered dizziness almost 24 hours a day. Landon Jones, 12, from Waterloo, Iowa, lost his appetite last October. His parents Michael and Debbie have struggled to encourage him to eat every day for a year and are desperate for help to discover what is wrong with their son after tests at five different hospitals failed to offer a diagnosis . Today Landon's parents Michael and Debbie are at their wits end, desperate for help to discover what is wrong with their son. Their quest for a diagnosis has taken the family to five different cities across the US. The local pediatrician in Waterloo, Iowa, prescribed antibiotics - but still Landon would not eat or drink. Doctors in Cedar Rapids, Des Moines, and Madison were consulted. And Mr and Mrs Jones took their son to Rochester in Minnesota where experts at the world-renowned Mayo Clinic examined Landon's case. But their frustrating search has, so far, produced no answers. The National Institutes of Health in the US is now considering offering Landon an appointment - they only examine the rarest of cases each year. In the last year Landon has shed almost 36lbs, plummeting from 104lbs to 68lbs, after he started to lose around 2lbs a week last autumn. Mr and Mrs Jones have tried everything they can think of to encourage their son to eat. But the 12-year-old rarely eats more than a bite of his sandwich at lunch and a few crisps. Experts at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester say they believe Landon's may be the first case of its kind in the world . While his younger brother Bryce, nine, bounds in from school each day to play with the family's dog, lethargic Landon prefers to lie on the sofa. In the last year he has missed 65 days of school. And his parents say he hasn't run for months, forced to watch his classmates from the sidelines. Repeatedly Landon's parents urge him to take a bite to eat, take a drink. The next step, they say, is to insert a feeding tube, to help nourish Landon directly through his stomach. Mr Jones said they believe their son's illness is linked to the hypothalamus in Landon's brain, malfunctioning. The size of a flattened pea, it regulates hunger and thirst as well as body temperature, blood pressure and sleep cycles. Dr Marc Patterson, a child neurologist at the Mayo Clinic, said Landon's may be the only case of its kind in the world. Mr Jones said another possible cause of Landon's illness is treatment he received three years ago for absence seizures. The then nine-year-old would sit and stare into the distance, oblivious to the world around him. Doctors prescribed him Depakote, commonly used to treat such seizures, and was on the drug for a year. The family doctor has now questioned whether there is a link between the drug and the suppression of Landon's appetite. But Dr Patterson said the drug is typically linked to increased hunger and weight gain. Now Mr and Mrs Jones' plea is simple, they are appealing for anyone who can help to get in contact. If you can help, email them at [email protected] . | Landon Jones, 12, lost his appetite and sense of thirst overnight .
On October 14, last year he woke up with no desire to eat or drink .
Once energetic youngster stopped running, cycling and playing with friends .
Doctors at five different hospitals have failed to discover what is wrong .
His parents Michael and Debbie are desperate for a diagnosis and treatment .
But test after test has failed to offer any hope of answers to their questions .
Experts believe Landon's may be the only case of its kind in the world . |
218,892 | a75687fc29893c43af726c015df46702b9ac53bf | By . Helen Pow and Associated Press Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 10:25 EST, 28 March 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 10:25 EST, 28 March 2013 . A fourth high school football player has been charged in a statutory rape case involving two 13-year-old girls who've been taunted online by supporters of the accused. The 17-year-old boy from Torrington was charged Wednesday with second-degree assault and risk of injury to a minor in connection with an alleged January incident. Three other Torrington High School football team members were charged with similar crimes within the past two months. The boy's name is being withheld because of his age, and his case is being handled in juvenile court. Details of his arrest are sealed from public view. Hazing: Gonzalez, pictured center, was charged in a March 2012 alleged felony robbery that Toribio, left, wasn't embroiled in it appears . School officials say the boy arrested Wednesday has been suspended from school. Officials are continuing to warn students that online bullying will not be tolerated and could lead to suspension or expulsion. All three boys who were previously arrested, two 18-year-olds and one 17-year-old, have been suspended from school, pending expulsion. The 18-year-old suspects include football players Edgar Gonzalez and Joan Toribio. The 17-year-old is not being named. Meanwhile, the alleged victims . continue to attend classes despite being the subject of horrific social . media slurs from fellow students since the allegations against the . footballers were made public. The girls have been labeled 'whores,' 'hoes,' and 'snitches' in tweets, that have been reposted by scores of . teenagers. One Twitter user excused the shocking alleged rape as . boys 'acting like boys' and said he'd tweet the 'exact same thing about . what happened in Ohio.' Torrington police revealed yesterday . at a press conference that family members reported the . alleged abuse the day after it is believed to have taken place. The 17-year-old suspect is considered . a minor and his case was referred to juvenile court. No details of the allegations have been released. Lt. Michael Emanuel said there were 'possibly' more arrests coming. 'It's very complex, but (the case is) under control,' Emanuel said. Insisting that he was 'not minimizing this,' he stressed that the 13-year-olds knew the accused. He said the incidents are being investigated as sexual assaults because of the significant age gap between the alleged victims and the older boys. Accused: Torrington High School football players . Edgar Gonzalez, pictured left, and Joan Toribio, right. both 18, are . accused of felony second-degree sexual assault and other crimes . 'It was consensual in the sense that it was not an attack but not consensual in the eyes of the law,' Emanuel said at the news conference. Toribio was initially charged last month with three felonies including . second-degree sexual assault, risk of injury to a child, and risk of . injury to a minor (sexual contact). But on March 4 he was charged again . with second-degree sexual assault and risk of injury to a child in . connection with an incident that took place earlier that same day. He has pleaded not guilty and has posted $100,000 bail. His friend, Gonzalez, who was named . Most Valuable Player, was charged with second-degree sexual assault, . risk of injury to a child, and risk of injury to a child (sexual . contact) in the February 10 incidents. He has also pleaded not guilty . and remains on $65,000 bail at the New Haven Correctional Center. Torrington High School athletics . director Mike McKenna has been criticized for minimizing the alleged . assaults, suggesting they are the type of thing that happen 'anywhere.' 'Much like anywhere, there are kids . that get in trouble, kids that do dumb things and get in trouble, . sometimes bad trouble,' he said yesterday, according to the Hartford . Courant. Valuable: Edgar Gonzalez, pictured, was voted Most Valuable Player . Isolated: Torrington athletics director has . insisted the incidents are isolated and not indicative of a sordid . culture within the football team . The Register Citizen, . which broke the story, named and shamed the classmates who bullied the . alleged victims on social media. Today the newspaper defended this decision, . claiming that publishing their identities gave the country a taste of how . 'horrifying and uncomfortable' the past few weeks have been for the . 13-year-old girls. 'Vaguely summarizing this kind of . bullying, identities protected, would have allowed the school district . to continue to ignore the problem and the community to assume that it . was 'someone else's kid,' group editor Matt DeRienzo said in an editorial. 'But the fact is that "good kids," from "good homes," honor roll students, athletes, male, female, . participated in this stuff, and showed a fundamental and staggeringly . dangerous misunderstanding about rape, consent and how to treat other . people.' Many of the bullies had made their Twitter accounts private or deleted them by mid morning. Police said at the conference that they weren't aware of the nasty tweets until detectives read them in the Citizen on Wednesday but would investigate them. 'We don't have any information on that (bullying),' Emanuel said. 'Of course if there is any information we'd like to bring it forward and our detectives would like to take a look at that.' The news of the alleged sexual . assault yesterday came just days after two star football players in . Steubenville were convicted of rape in a case that shook the nation. As well as being called a 'whore' and criticized for 'snitching' the 13-year-olds have been blamed for 'ruining' the lives of the popular players. Bullying: The victim has been called a 'whore,' criticized for 'snitching' and blamed her for 'ruining' the players' lives . Twitter: The 13-year-old has been targeted by dozens of Torrington classmates who are angry about the allegations . Ohio: The case mirrors one in Steubenville, where two football players were convicted this week of raping a girl who was later threatened online . One Twitter user wrote: 'Young girls . acting like whores there's no punishment for that young boys acting like . boys is a sentence.' After The Citizen . published his tweet, the same user wrote multiple tweets blaming the . girls for getting themselves in that situation before insisting that he . 'would tweet the same exact thing about what happened in Ohio.' Another . bully tweeted: 'Even if it was all his fault, what was a 13-year-old . girl doing hanging around 18 year old guys..' The tweet was reposted 11 . times and received six favorites. A . judge has ordered details of the Connecticut allegations to be sealed . from public view. This tends to happen in the state when a case is still . under investigation, and when a young victim is involved. The . warrants will remain sealed for 15 days at which point a hearing will . be held to decide whether the details will be made public, according to . the Citizen. The truly disturbing case echoes the . one in Steubenville, where two football players were convicted this week . of raping a girl who was later threatened online. Gonzalez . and three other Torrington football players were also embroiled in a . hazing scandal last year but police now say the investigation is closed. Coach: Athletic Director Mike McKenna said the incidents were not reflective of the culture of the football team . Culture: Both this and the Ohio rape case have raised questions about the football culture in local high schools . Gonzalez . was charged in a March 2012 alleged felony robbery after he and three . others allegedly jumped three 14-year-olds in search of money. Jeffrey . Holder, 19, a former Torrington High School football player, was also . charged but the other two co-conspirators were not identified because of . their age. Gonzalez pleaded not guilty in that case. Former Head Coach Dan Dunaj, who resigned in December, allowed Gonzalez to play in 2012, despite the charges. He . told the Citizen yesterday that he 'reeled the kid in' when he became . aware of the pending robbery charges against Gonzalez 'and he walked the . line. As a coach I was doing something right.' Dunaj said, however, that sexual . assault charges are a different matter, insisting he would kick the . 18-year-old off the team if he were still in the role and Gonzalez had . another season ahead of him. 'My . process has always been like this, and I learned this from my high . school coach, and I never got into any big trouble, thank God, but if . you didn't give the kid a chance then who's going to,' Dunaj told the . newspaper. McKenna insisted the incidents are isolated and not indicative of a sordid . culture within the football team. Bullying: The victim has been bullied on social media after the allegations against Toribio, pictured, and Gonzalez . Sealed: Details of the allegations against the two friends have been sealed from public view . 'If you think there's some wild . band of athletes that are wandering around then I think you're . mistaken,' he told the Citizen. According to McKenna, a student . athlete would be suspended from play for a 'serious infraction.' However, he couldn't say whether a felony or a misdemeanor would be . enough. He told the newspaper that he personally considered a violent felony worthy of a suspension. In Steubenville, head coach Reno Saccoccia may face charges for his failure to report the shocking rape by quarterback Trent Mays, 17, and wide receiver Ma'lik Richmond, 16. He allegedly told the two star players that he'd 'make it go away,' referring to the allegations, rather than telling police. Both cases have raised questions about the football culture in local high schools. A comment on the Citizen's story reads: 'The power of the football team. Be a good athlete and you can do no wrong.' Scores of MailOnline readers voiced similar opinions after our original story was published yesterday. The victim in the Ohio case has been viciously tormented on social media by other teens. Yesterday it emerged that two girls, aged 15 and 16, who are facing charges for allegedly issuing death threats to the girl will stay in custody pending trial to protect the victim. Toribio is scheduled to be in court April 23. Gonzalez is scheduled to be back in court on April 2. | A 17-year-old Torrington High School football player is charged with sexually assaulting at least one 13-year-old girl last fall .
He hasn't been named due to his age and will be tried in juvenile court .
Football players .
Edgar Gonzalez and Joan Toribio, both 18, were charged last month with felony .
second-degree sexual assault and other crimes .
All four arrests concern two 13-year-old girls who have been viciously taunted on social media by .
dozens of classmates since the allegations came out . |
15,585 | 2c43e7eba1f6f1eb4b10669aef85d050ed77b9b0 | By . Associated Press, Tom Leonard and Anthony Bond . PUBLISHED: . 11:22 EST, 28 May 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 01:33 EST, 29 May 2013 . Huddled together wearing life jackets, these are the first pictures showing passengers on board a huge Caribbean cruise liner preparing for an emergency evacuation. While some laugh and joke, others - including the elderly and children - look out to the pitch black sea anxiously, no doubt fearing for their safety. Passengers on board Royal Caribbean’s . Grandeur of the Seas said they heard 'big explosions' after a fire broke . out in the stern [rear] of the ship in the early hours of Monday . morning. British holidaymakers were among more than 2,200 guests evacuated from the huge cruise liner. Scroll down for video . Scary: Passengers aboard the Royal Caribbean's Grandeur of the Seas cruise ship gather in life-jackets after a fire broke out during the ship's voyage from Baltimore to the Bahamas . Worrying: British holidaymakers were among more than 2,200 guests evacuated from a huge cruise liner . Passengers report that amid the chaos life preservers were distributed to several people as they waited in safety areas . British passenger Mark Ormesher . described how he and his girlfriend were roused by a crew member, and . told to grab floatation devices. It wasn’t a drill, the crewman added, as the pair emerged into a corridor smelling of acrid smoke. According to Mr Ormesher, who lives . in Virginia, the fire damage at the stern of the ship was severe and . startling passengers' pictures posted on social network websites bore . that out. Mr Ormesher, 25, and on his first cruise, . said the air conditioner had been shut off, and as the hours passed and . the ship got hot, bottled water was passed around. As passengers waited in assembly . stations for more than four hours, some panicked as a warning horn . blared over the tannoy system. 'The frightening part was when they . started lowering the lifeboats. A lot of people were passing out with . fear,' said Bang Warren, from Baltimore. Frightening: Royal Caribbean said the fire occurred early Monday and was extinguished after about two hours with no injuries reported. Passengers can be seen looking out to see during the incident . Safe: Passengers from the cruise ship leave a security checkpoint after arriving on a charter flight at Baltimore-Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport . Help: A woman directs passengers from the Royal Caribbean's Grandeur of the Seas cruise ship at Baltimore-Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport . The fire broke out on deck 3 and was quickly extinguished but the damage caused Royal Caribbean to cancel the cruise bound for the Bahamas . Ms Warren described the chaotic scene to The Baltimore Sun. 'The crew was running up and down the deck with oxygen. I know some children were vomiting.' However, the liner made it safely to Freeport in the Bahamas, from where passengers were flown home. The ship had left Baltimore last Friday for a seven-night cruise. Royal Caribbean, which has yet to . find the cause of the fire, said it took two hours to put out after it . broke out in an area used to store ship mooring lines. Damage: The blaze wiped out the stern of the Grandeur of the Seas as well as a bar and the resturant . A provided by Royal Caribbean shows the fire-damaged exterior on the Grandeur of the Seas cruise ship . All 2,224 guests and 796 were safely accounted for, said the company. The passengers will now fly back to Maryland on 11 flights chartered by the cruise line. Startling photos of the ship emerged . on social networking sites showing the entire stern of the vessel charred and . destroyed, as passengers recounted their terrifying experiences. 'I heard these big explosions and saw the fire jump out of the ship,' passenger Dan McTigue told ABC News. 'We couldn't get to the muster station because it was on fire.' Grandeur of the Seas passenger Danielle Miller initially thought the ship was sinking as she filmed this footage . South Jersey resident Jennifer Allen filmed the moment when lifeboats were lowered into the ocean as the Royal Caribbean cruise ship Grandeur of the Seas caught fire on Monday morning . Waiting game: The passengers were given life jackets and told to wait in muster stations on the ship . 'I started crying,' his granddaughter Sophia said. 'I thought we were gonna die.' No cause for the fire has been revealed, and authorities continue to investigate. A bar and a restaurant were also destroyed by the flames, which reached four decks. Royal Caribbean said that the blaze began at 2.50am and was extinguished about two hours later with no injuries reported. Royal Caribbean announced that the 2,224 passengers would be receiving a full refund and a gift certificate from the company. Another passenger, Danielle Miller, . 23, said that she was sound asleep and was unaware of anything untoward . until the ship's intercom asked passengers to put life jackets on. 'My first thought was that we were sinking,' said Danielle of her terror. Path of disaster: A map shows the cruise ship's ill-fated route from Baltimore to the Bahamas . The ship was forced to dock in Freeport, Grand Bahama island as the fire damage was assessed . According to several passenger accounts nobody was seriously injured but the fire did cause smoke and flooding . 'I . opened the door and just see people running around with life jackets on . and we were being yelled at to get our life jackets on and run up to a . deck that was two floors above us,' she told ABC News. 'But . we didn't know what was going on because when we were going to bed it . was really stormy, so we honestly thought the boat might have been . sinking. And we were just panicking and running upstairs. 'And we didn't know for about a half hour that there was a fire two decks below where we were at.' Miller revealed she was so nervous as the fire raged that her hands were shaking and her heart was pounding. 'A couple people fainted. People were throwing up, crying. Just anxiety attacks everywhere. I was just telling my roommate stay calm,' she said. Fiery Call: The fire that began at 2:50 a.m. Monday was extinguished about two hours later with no injuries reported . President and CEO Adam Goldstein (left) meets with passengers on board Grandeur of the Seas while (right) the captain and Royal Caribbean executives meet with passengers on board the ship after the fire . Destroyed: Adam Goldstein, president & CEO or Royal Caribbean and Anders Aasen, AVP of Technical Services survey the fire damage after boarding the ship to speak with passengers . Royal Caribbean said that two guests . were treated after fainting, and medical staff responded to reports of . high blood pressure and an ankle sprain. Nathan Pletscher spoke to ABC News to . explain how he became nervous for his parents aboard the ship only . after he looked at a photo tweeted by Royal Caribbean's public relations . team. 'We originally saw a news article and . were a little nervous. When we made contact with my parents, they said . there was a small fire,' he said. 'When I saw the photo on Twitter, I said, "That . was a little more than a small fire." It's really fortunate the crew was . able to get fire under control and things of that nature.' Speaking to the news network, . Pletscher admitted that his parents had a 'sense of panic' and had . become 'obviously nervous', but were calmed by the ships crew. 'When the alarm first went off, there . was an 'uh-oh' moment,' Pletscher said. 'But they couldn't say enough . about how organized and professional both the captain and crew were. They kept everyone calm and were extremely transparent on with the whole . situation.' Royal Caribbean has said they are in the process of arranging flights for the 2,224 guests currently aboard the ship . The company in a statement on its website said it is 'deeply sorry for this unexpected development in our guests' vacation. We understand that this may have been a very stressful time for them' Royal Caribbean said all 2,224 guests and 796 crew were safe and accounted for . Firefighter Brian Goss, a passenger on the ship, told WOOD-TV that some of the cabins experienced flooding and that the hallways smelled of smoke for most of the morning. But . he praised the efforts of the company, and said they were working . tirelessly on the situation: 'Up all night in emergency mode and now . serving food and drinks with smiling faces and no sleep.' The crew and passengers remained calm, and helped those who needed it. Crying babies were given formula and held while their parents used the bathrooms. After passengers . were allowed to leave their stations, Ormesher said he saw water on the . outside of deck 5 and in the hallways. The mooring lines were destroyed . he said; crew members brought new lines from storage. In Freeport, passenger Andrea Sanders . of Washington, D.C., said she slept on the deck with hundreds of other . passengers as smoke billowed out of the stern of the ship. 'I was . terrified with it being my first cruise,' Sanders told The Freeport News . as she ate lunch in port. A tweet sent from the NTSB shows they are investigating the situation . The Twitter account for their public . relations department announced they were in the process of scheduling . passengers on flights to Baltimore. A spokesman . for Royal Caribbean said: 'Royal Caribbean International is deeply sorry . for this unexpected development in our guests' vacation. 'We . understand that this may have been a very stressful time for them. And . we also know that it has significantly impacted their vacation . experience. We appreciate their patience and cooperation in dealing with . this unfortunate situation.' Royal Caribbean said in a statement . on its website that most public areas and staterooms are safe and power, . propulsion and communications systems functioned without interruption. Royal Caribbean International president and CEO Adam Goldstein met with passengers in Freeport. The National Transportation Safety Board said in a tweet that it will join the U.S. Coast Guard in investigating the fire. Carnival Corp. also had trouble with fire aboard ship earlier this year. The . 900-foot Triumph was disabled during a February cruise by an engine . room fire in the Gulf of Mexico, leaving thousands of passengers to . endure cold food, unsanitary conditions and power outages while the ship . was towed to Mobile, Alabama. It remained there for repairs until early May when it headed back to sea under its own power. | A fire broke out aboard a Royal Caribbean ship on Monday morning but was extinguished about two hours later with no injuries reported .
The Grandeur of the Seas, which left .
Baltimore on Friday, never lost power and was able to sail into port in .
Freeport, Bahamas, on Monday afternoon .
The company said the more than 2,200 passengers will be flown from the Bahamas back to Baltimore where the trip began .
Royal Caribbean said all guests and 796 crew were safe and accounted for .
No cause yet revealed for the fire but it is under investigation . |
275,341 | f0b6276e6cc712a73b442bd5bf1700967e57493b | By . Jessica Jerreat . A couple died on Wednesday morning after their cars collided in a head-on crash near where they worked in Texas. Cristina Muniz, 26, and Nicholas Cruz, 31, worked at an egg farm near the scene of the crash, but because of shift patterns they often took two cars. The couple, who had three young children, were pronounced dead at the scene after Muniz drifted across the road and hit her husband's truck at the crest of a hill. Tragic: Nicholas Cruz died in a head on collision on Wednesday when his truck was involved in an accident with his wife's car . Loss: Cristina Muniz, who had three children with Cruz, also died in the crash near the farm where they worked . The force of the crash was so great that emergency services had to use specialist equipment to cut the couple from the wreckage. Neither had been wearing seat belts. Police are still investigating what led to the crash, on a narrow road that had no markings. 'It appears speed and the layout of the road, including a hill crest, are going to be factors in the cause of the accident,' Trooper Jymie Ha told the Times Record News. At the time of the crash, the couple had been driving between two separate buildings owned by their employer, Mahard Egg Farm. Crash: Cruz and Muniz had to be cut from the mangled wreckage of their cars. Both died at the scene . Muniz, 26, and Cruz, 31, had two sons and a daughter, and were married in April last year. They were both originally from Mexico, but had been raising their family in Chillicothe, Texas. Muniz had also attended Prosper High School. | Cristina Muniz and Nicholas Cruz had to be cut free from wreckage but neither survived .
Couple who had three young children were driving to jobs at egg farm . |
177,380 | 719fe4d52d94a1d1e96a46ac1cab7ab874443943 | (CNN) -- Neil Patrick Harris isn't a foul-mouthed rocker -- he just plays one on Broadway -- but he's had some people fooled. The 40-year-old actor is starring in the musical "Hedwig and the Angry Inch" as the titular German transgender performer, and he's so immersed in his character when on stage that not even an excited fan can pull him out of it. He proved that at an April 19 performance, when, according to the New York Post's Page Six, one supporter yelled out "I love you, Neil!" while the actor was on stage as Hedwig. Since he was in the middle of a show, Harris swiftly responded the way Hedwig would respond: "I'm doing something up here, motherf****r!" The Post reports that the audience loved it, but apparently not everyone has. On Twitter, Harris has had to clarify that he wasn't swearing at a fan; he was playing a part. "Take a breath," Harris told an angered observer who chastised the actor for his "outburst." "I'm playing a character. Who is harsh. That's the show. That's Hedwig." "Hedwig and the Angry Inch" is the kind of production that welcomes improv, and audience participation can be used as a springboard for that. When the Harris fan confessed her love for the actor on Saturday, Harris worked it into his act as he's supposed to, his rep tells Gossip Cop. "When the fan initially yelled, 'I love you, Neil,' Neil (as Hedwig) then responded, 'Who's Neil? I'm not Neil.' He then looked over at Yitzhak (portrayed by Lena Hall) and said, 'Are you Neil? You better not be Neil,' followed by Hedwig then offering the quote in question. It was all done in good fun, and fully in the context of the show." "Hedwig and the Angry Inch," which has been running preview performances, will celebrate its opening night on Tuesday. | Neil Patrick Harris is being confused with his Broadway musical character .
A fan attending an April 19 show expressed her adoration for the actor .
Her proclamation was met with profanity, as Harris was still in character .
He's had to explain that his response was part of the show . |
128,690 | 3249c20943f8fd749110719279436796698b4e0f | North Korea stepped its war rhetoric today by threatening to go beyond carrying out a promised third nuclear test in response to what it believes are 'hostile' sanctions imposed after a December rocket launch. The North frequently employs fiery rhetoric aimed at South Korea and the United States and in 2010 was blamed for sinking a South Korean naval vessel. It also shelled a South Korean island in the same year, killing civilians. It did not spell out the actions it would take. The North is not capable of staging a military strike on the United States, although South Korea is in range of its artillery and missiles and it can hit Japan with its missiles. Tensions: A researcher looks at radiation detection monitors at the Korea Institute of Nuclear Safety in North Korea as the secretive state threatened to carry out measures 'stronger than a nuclear test' Threat to world peace? A man walks past a display illustrating the damage a 1MT class nuclear weapon would cause if detonated in Seoul, at the War Memorial Museum of Korea in Seoul on February 5 . 'On a war footing': South Korean and U.S. troops began naval drills on Monday in a show of force partly directed at North Korea amid signs that Pyongyang will soon carry out a threat to conduct its third atomic test . 'The DPRK (Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea, or North Korea) has drawn a final conclusion that it will have to take a measure stronger than a nuclear test to cope with the hostile forces nuclear war moves that have become ever more undisguised,' the North's KCNA state news agency said. The United States and South Korea are staging military drills that North Korea says are a rehearsal for an invasion, something both Washington and Seoul deny. The North successfully launched a long-range rocket in December in violation of U.N. resolutions that banned it from developing missile or nuclear technology after nuclear tests in 2006 and 2009. The North says that it has the sovereign right to launch rockets for peaceful purposes. Its widely trailed third nuclear test was announced in response to the sanctions agreed in January, although satellite imagery indicates that the isolated and impoverished state has been readying its nuclear test site for more than a year. Defiant: North Korea successfully launched this long-range rocket in December in violation of UN resolutions that banned it from developing missile or nuclear technology after atomic tests in 2006 and 2009 . Undeterred: North Korea leader Kim Jong Un has announced that it will carry out more rocket launches and a nuclear test after it was censured by the UN Security Council over the launch of the rocket in December . While most experts believe the North will stage a test, the timing is not known. It could come around February 16, the anniversary of former leader Kim Jong-il's birth. Another unknown is what the North will use as fissile material. In the past it has used its diminishing supply of plutonium stocks, but is believed to have enriched weapons-grade uranium that would give it a second path to a nuclear bomb. U.S. nuclear expert Siegfried Hecker, who visited a North Korean nuclear facility in 2010 believes the North could stage two explosions, one using plutonium to as to perfect its capacity to design a warhead small enough to be mounted on a missile, and a second using highly enriched uranium. 'Such (dual) tests have some technical limitations and are more challenging to conduct, but they have the huge advantage of not incurring additional political cost - in other words, they can get two for the price of one,' Hecker wrote in the February 4 issue of Foreign Policy magazine. Pyongyang's two tests so far have been puny. The yield of the 2006 test is estimated at somewhat less than 1 kiloton (1,000 tons of TNT equivalent) and the second some 2-7 kilotons, compared with say 20 kilotons for a Nagasaki type bomb, Hecker wrote. Provocative: North Korea has also posted a video on YouTube showing a . simulated attack on the U.S. which includes this scene of a city . resembling New York in flames and in ruins . Wiped out: The city disappears in a huge explosion similar to a nuclear detonation . North Korea has in the past used the . leverage gained from its nuclear and rocket tests to try to restart . six-party talks aimed at securing international recognition and aid for . the country whose only major diplomatic backer is China. There . are few signs that the United States is willing to talk after the North . rebuffed a food aid deal in March 2012 when it launched a long-range . rocket after promising not to. The threat of 'stronger' measures came after North Korea posted a chilling video depicting a U.S. city engulfed in flames after an apparent missile attack. The footage, uploaded on YouTube by the North's official website, Uriminzokkiri, shows a city -- shrouded in the U.S. flag -- under attack, with its skyscrapers, including what appears to be the Empire State Building, either on fire or in ruins. South Korea in turn released its own footage today of its successful satellite launch last week which was intended to strengthen its position as a technological powerhouse. The prepares to swear in new President Park Geun-hye on February 25. Park had . pledged talks and aid if the North gives up its nuclear ambitions. Meanwhile, South Korea's U.N. ambassador Kim Sook said there are 'very busy activities' taking place at North . Korea's nuclear test site 'and everybody's watching.' Kim . told a press conference that in the event of a nuclear test, he expects . the U.N. Security Council to respond with 'firm and strong measures.' New frontiers: South Korea has released video of a satellite being released into orbit after it was successfully launched last week . Exploring new territory: The country's Satellite Technology Research Centre said first contact was made at 3.27.12am on Thursday, January 31 . North Korea announced last month that it would conduct a nuclear test to protest Security Council sanctions toughened after a satellite launch in December that the U.S. and others say was a disguised test of banned missile technology. The council ordered North Korea in the sanctions resolution to refrain from a nuclear test or face 'significant action.' South Korea joined the Security Council in January and holds the rotating presidency this month. Kim said he was speaking as South Korea's ambassador, not as the council president. He said that during negotiations on the latest sanctions resolution all 15 council members - including North Korean ally China - were unified. 'They are very firm and resolute and I would expect very firm and strong measures to be taken in terms of format as well as in substance once they go ahead with such provocation' as a nuclear test, Kim said. October 9, 2006: North Korea carries out first nuclear test in Punggye-ri. May 25, 2009: Second under nuclear test is conducted 10-15km away from first test site. Spring 2009: North Korea withdraws from talks with its neighbours and the U.S. over ending its nuclear program and conducts a second nuclear test. September 2010: Kim Jong Il unveils his third son, the twenty-something Kim Jong Un, as his successor, and assigns him to high-ranking positions in the Workers' Party and military. July 27, 2011: Senior North Korean diplomat visits New York to negotiate ways to restart six-nation nuclear disarmament talks. October 24, 2011: U.S. and North Korean diplomats open talks in Geneva on Pyongyang's nuclear program. November 30, 2011: North Korea says it is making rapid progress on work to enrich uranium and build a light-water nuclear power plant, increasing worries that the country is developing another way to make atomic weapons. December 19, 2011: North Korea announces that Kim Jong Il has died of a heart attack while riding on his personal train. South Korea puts its military on alert while people break into tears on the streets of Pyongyang as they learn the news. Kim Jong Un dubbed 'great successor'. December 30, 2011: North Korea warns the world there will be no softening on its position toward South Korea's government. February 23, 2012: Amid cautious optimism, U.S. and North Korean envoys meet in Beijing for their first talks on dismantling Pyongyang's nuclear programs since the death of Kim Jong Il. February 29, 2012: In concurrent announcements, the U.S. and North Korea say they have reached a deal for the U.S. to provide food aid to North Korea in exchange for the North's suspension of uranium enrichment and a moratorium on nuclear and long-range missile tests. March 2011: North Korea rebuffs food aid deal by launching a long-range rocket after promising not to. December 2012: The North in violation of U.N. resolutions that banned it from developing missile or nuclear technology. January 30, 2013: South Korea successfully launches it first satellite into space. February 5, 2013: North Korea threatens 'a measure stronger than a nuclear test' in response to UN sanctions. | World is already braced for 'imminent' third atomic test by North Korea .
It claims U.S. and South Korea are staging military drills for an invasion .
Sanctions imposed after it launched a long-range rocket in December . |
6,849 | 137019bb8262f8ab776ec6367a0ae4b020fa638e | A long-running losing streak dating back to 2006 in Washington has finally come to an end. Theodore Roosevelt has won the presidents' race at Nationals Park after more than 500 consecutive losses. For years, baseball fans have repeatedly watched the foam-headed version of the 26th president lose the traditional mascot footrace held during a break in the fourth inning of Nationals' home games. Fans, and even some politicians, began a public campaign to "Let Teddy Win." The caricatures of Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln and even George Washington have conspired to prevent Teddy from crossing the finish line first. But not Wednesday, the last game of the regular season against the Philadelphia Phillies. As the presidents rounded the warning track along the right-field wall, the older three American leaders were tripped by a version of the Phillie Phanatic mascot and fell to the ground. Teddy broke free from the pack and turned the corner along the first baseline. The crowd erupted in cheers and chanted "Ted-dy, Ted-dy." No. 26 sprinted the final stretch, winning by a wide margin. Victory belonged to the foam Rough Rider. The president with the most victories is Lincoln, with a stunning 214 wins. Teddy and his Washington Nationals are now both in uncharted winning territory, as playoff baseball will return to the nation's capital for the first time since 1933. The Nats clinched the National League's East Division over the weekend. | The mascot race involves four foam-headed caricatures of presidents .
Teddy Roosevelt had never beat Honest Abe and crew .
The rival Philadelphia Phillies' mascot gave him the help he needed .
The Nationals head into the playoffs, like Teddy, on a winning streak . |
20,899 | 3b54178c99c150fcba52138ab7d6800d56ac13a9 | Nigeria striker Peter Odemwingie joined Stoke three days before the transfer window shut in a player-exchange deal which saw Kenwyne Jones head the other way to Cardiff. He scored his first goal for the Potters, his third Premier League club, in last weekend's 2-2 draw with Southampton. Before you read his second Footballers' Football Column, check out his video… . In football you have to be ready to make changes quickly and that has happened to me. I have moved from Cardiff to Stoke and this is a new chance to make a mark, to show what I can do. I like what I am seeing so far. I have only been here a short time but already it feels comfortable and I’m happy. The gaffer, Mark Hughes, is a man I like working with. His team talks, before and during matches, are very good. He is a passionate man who knows how to get a point across. He doesn’t join in with training too much, but every now and then the ball will come near him and he’ll do something – he can still hit a great volley! I also like his tactics. We are playing some very good football and doing well, even if the Premier League is crazy this year. It is extremely competitive. But the manager has been calm about it. He knows what he wants us to do and we are doing it. When you have that clear idea of what a manager wants it makes changing team much easier. I scored against Southampton and that helps too – it’s always important to get going fast. City slicker: Peter Odemwingie (left) swapped Cardiff City for Stoke City in the winter transfer window and is loving life under Mark Hughes (right) at the Britannia Stadium . The style of football is important. I must admit I was frustrated at Cardiff. I enjoyed being there, with a really nice group of players and good people as well. But the style of football under Malky Mackay was not really right for me. It was effective in the Championship but not in the Premier League. We played a lot of long balls and sometimes we didn’t really have wingers. As a striker, you can get isolated that way. The spirit in the team was excellent, though. I stay in touch with Steven Caulker by text and I look forward to seeing the boys when we go there to play in April. But that is football. Things change and you move on. Finishing touch: Southampton's Artur Boruc (left) is unable to stop Odemwingie's effort during the 2-2 draw . Bluebird buddy: Odemwingie has maintained his friendship with Cardiff captain Steven Caulker, here celebrating his goal against Swansea with Kevin Theophile-Catherine . For me, football is always more important than just liking a place. I wanted to move on for the sake of my football. There is a hassle that goes with it that maybe people do not understand. You go through the process of leaving a place, finding a new home, getting settled in. Luckily for me, my wife is very supportive. Her and I and our baby have moved into a small apartment for now and we will move into our old house in the summer. I still have a house in the Midlands from my time at West Brom and there is a player on loan currently living there. We’ll move in during the summer. My wife is expecting another boy in June so it is an exciting time for our family. Stoke is probably a better fit for me in a football sense. We play the ball to feet more, which is great for me. And more often than not I am playing off someone, rather than being the target myself. It suits my game more. It creates more shooting chances and that is what every striker wants. I hadn’t had a proper shooting chance in a while before the Sunderland game so to get that sight of goal and then to score felt great. These things matter to a striker. The whole place feels good right now. Stoke have this brilliant training ground, and that is good when you are a player. It is where you go to work every day. And the medical team is very good, very professional. When I arrived, I was having cramps at first because I had not been playing 90 minutes – I had been getting taken off in games at Cardiff. Now I am feeling sharper and up to speed again. The Premier League has been crazy so far. I have been around it for quite a long time and I have not seen it quite like this before. Normally, you have some idea of who is going to win and who is going to go down. There are maybe a couple of teams in the top half of the table who look like they will stay where they are. The other 18 are moving all the time. It is intense. What's the Mata? Odemwingie clips the heels of Manchetser United signing Juan Mata during Stoke's 2-1 win at the Britannia . The screamer: Odemwingie reacts to missing a chance v Southampton . A few weeks ago you would have looked at the table and thought Crystal Palace and Sunderland were going down. Now look at them. New managers have come in and totally changed their circumstances. Then you have Fulham, who were struggling quite badly and then they get a draw against Manchester United at Old Trafford. It is hard to say what will happen. The top of the table is more exciting than it has been for years. As a player, you find it quite stressful but also very exciting. There is so much on every game. Even now, at the start of February, it feels like the games mean so much. If you go four or five games without winning you are going to be in huge trouble. If you go four or five games without losing, you will jump up the table. I think this next month will be crucial. | I was frustrated with the football at Cardiff, it was effective for the Championship .
But I'm looking forward to seeing my old mates when we play in April .
When I arrived at Stoke I was suffering cramps because I'd not been playing the full 90 minutes .
I've still got a house in the Midlands - I've rented it to a player on loan there .
BT Sport offers fans three channels showing live top tier action from the Barclays Premier League and the Aviva Premiership as well as a host of other sport. Visit btsport.com . |
198,272 | 8ca4dd46bb7afef457d5b3de4ebb109e1956350c | By . Jill Reilly . PUBLISHED: . 14:38 EST, 12 April 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 14:39 EST, 12 April 2012 . Tragic: Rugby star and TV pundit Ieuan Evans was left 'stunned' after his sister was found dead at the bottom of a cliff . Rugby star and TV pundit Ieuan Evans was left 'stunned' after his younger sister was found dead at the bottom of a cliff. The body of Non Evans, 45, was discovered near the beach on the Vale of Glamorgan, south Wales. The former Wales and British Lion hero, 48, spent today comforting his elderly parents after the tragedy. He said: 'We are all stunned and absolutely devastated at the tragic loss of Non. 'We thank everybody for their heartfelt concern and hope that we can be allowed time to grieve and come to terms with our loss.’ Former athlete Ms Evans, whose married name was Thomas, had two children aged eight and five. She went missing from her Swansea home before she was found. It is thought she drove from her house to the Southerndown beauty spot overlooking the Bristol Channel. Her body was discovered by a walker yesterday evening who raised the alarm. Rescue teams recovered her body from the foot of the cliffs. A South Wales Police spokeswoman said: 'Officers are investigating the sudden death of a 45-year-old woman from Swansea. Beauty spot: Former athlete Ms Evans, who had two children aged eight and five, drove from her home in Swansea to the Southerndown which overlooks the Bristol Channel . 'Officers attended cliffs in the Southerndown area at around 7.50pm on Wednesday and assisted in recovering the body of the woman. 'The death is not being treated as suspicious. Next of kin have been informed and a file is being prepared for HM Coroner.' Winger Ieuan played for Wales 72 times, 28 as captain. He also won seven caps for British Lions. He scored a record 33 tries for Wales and played for club sides Llanelli and Bath. Ieuan, now a rugby pundit for Sky TV, was awarded an MBE for services to rugby in 1996, and retired from the game in 1999. | South Wales Police said death is not being treated as suspicious . |
117,347 | 2389aa97a6d24e447313bd0c18d3a25608e639b3 | By . Rebecca Camber, Crime Reporter . Saved: Lesley Hastings, 53, told yesterday how her dog Maisy nearly died after eating poisoned chicken . A suspected pet poisoner is being hunted by police after three dogs died from eating toxic meat planted in parks. The pets were found to have eaten chunks of chicken and fish smothered in a banned insecticide, while at least three other dogs have been left fighting for their lives after coming into contact with the meat. The poisoner used highly toxic Methomyl. Less than one gram of it is enough to kill a toddler, and just handling it can make an adult seriously ill. Touching the infected meat could have caused nausea, heart irregularities, dizziness, muscle tremors and cramps in adults or death if left untreated. At least six animals have been poisoned in or near Fryent Country Park in Brent, north-west London in the last few months. Detectives are also investigating whether there are any links to suspected poisonings in Hampstead Heath, where another five dogs fell ill last week. A bull lurcher killed in the first attack in January ate what was described as blue tablets inside Fryent Park. Last month another bull lurcher was killed after it ate meat smeared in a blue paste left on a grass verge just outside the southern entrance to the park. Owner Lesley Hastings, 53, told yesterday how she had been left distraught by the loss of pet Toby in the attack, which almost killed another of her dogs, Maisy, a shih tzu-jack russell cross. The casino worker was walking her dogs when she saw Maisy eat a piece of chicken lying under a tree at the side of the road. Tragic: Ms Hastings took an agitated Maisy (left) to the vet after she saw her eat a piece of chicken lying under a tree. She later returned home to find her other dog Toby (right) - who had also eaten some of the meat - dead . Scene: Toby is one of three dogs to have died after eating meat smothered in banned insecticide, Methomyl, at Fryent Country Park (pictured) in Brent, north-west London. Above, a sign warning owners of the poisonings . Unaware of the risk to her own health, she attempted to yank it out of her dog’s mouth – but did not realise Toby had also eaten it. She said: ‘I managed to get the food out Maisy’s mouth. By the time we got back home she was very agitated and shaking. 'Another dog had been poisoned a few months ago so I put her straight in the car and took her to the vet. When I returned home half an hour later Toby was dead. I was heartbroken. I don’t have kids so it’s like losing a family member.’ Rescued: Pauline Morris (left) managed to save her cocker spaniel Bella after rushing her to the vets. Less than one gram of Methomyl (right) is enough to kill a toddler, and just handling it can make an adult seriously ill . Lucky escape: Bella was left fighting for her life after coming into contact with the toxic chunks of chicken . The next day a springer spaniel died and another dog fell ill after ingesting the poison planted in undergrowth on the same road. Pauline Morris managed to save her cocker spaniel Bella after rushing her to the vets. She said: ‘It happened really quickly. Within minutes she was shaking violently. ‘When we took her to the vets we didn’t know if we’d see her again. My three daughters and three grandchildren love her. It’s such an easy thing to do and it is so dangerous. Imagine if a child in the park picked it up?’ Ongoing: At least six animals have been poisoned in or near Fryent Park (pictured) in the last few months . Motive: Police suspect the culprit may have a grudge against owners who leave dog mess lying around or they may have intended to target foxes in the area. Above, another section of the park in Brent . Police suspect the culprit may have a grudge against owners who leave dog mess lying around or they may have intended to target foxes in the area. Sergeant Peter Rowntree of the Metropolitan Police said: ‘This is such a nasty, cruel act. I have been a wildlife crime officer for nine years and I have never seen anything like this.’ Animal rights charity PETA is offering a £1,000 reward for information that could lead to the capture of the poisoner. Sad: Ms Hastings, pictured with her dog Maisy, said she was 'heartbroken' when her other pet, Toby, died . | Dogs had eaten chunks of chicken and fish smothered in Methomyl .
Less than one gram of the toxic insecticide is enough to kill a toddler .
Just handling it can cause heart irregularities and even death in adults .
At least six animals poisoned in or near Fryent Country Park in Brent .
Police believe culprit may have grudge against dog mess left in park . |
130,159 | 34435f4559edf0be02a4c0eb26393a2a177e3f67 | (CNN) -- A former Rutgers University student accused of spying on and intimidating his gay roommate by use of a hidden webcam was found guilty Friday of all counts -- including invasion of privacy and the more severe charges of bias intimidation -- in a case that thrust cyberbullying into the national spotlight. Dharun Ravi, 20, was also found guilty of witness tampering, hindering apprehension and tampering with physical evidence, and could now face up to 10 years in jail and deportation to his native India. Sentencing has been set for May 21. The New Jersey jury was confronted with a series of questions on each charge after it asked for clarification on what constituted bias intimidation. Though it found Ravi not guilty on several questions within the verdict sheet, because he was found guilty on at least one question on each main count, Ravi was convicted on all charges and could now face the maximum penalty. His roommate, Tyler Clementi, an 18-year-old freshman, killed himself in September 2010 by jumping off the George Washington Bridge and into the Hudson River after learning that Ravi had secretly spied on his sexual encounter with another man. CNN legal analyst Paul Callan called Friday's verdict "unprecedented," adding that it "sends a message to people across the rest of the country" about the potential consequences of unauthorized webcam use in an age of expanding social media. "New Jersey enacted a law that said if you secretly record (someone engaged in an intimate act) with a webcam or any other kind of video and you broadcast that without their permission, that is a crime," Callan said. "Every place else in America up until this law was enacted, you could sue somebody for civil damages for the embarrassment, but you weren't going to go to jail. New Jersey said it's criminal." And because prosecutors were able to prove that Ravi's actions were born of a gay bias, the possible sentence doubles from up to five years to 10 years behind bars. Clementi's death stirred discussion about bullying, with President Barack Obama releasing a videotaped message condemning it. A few months later, New Jersey legislators enacted stricter laws to protect against bullying in schools. "This haunting and awful case shows how much society has changed," said CNN legal analyst Jeffrey Toobin of Friday's verdict. "Even though he was not charged directly in connection with Clementi's suicide, that tragedy hung over the trial and undoubtedly played a major part in every aspect of the case." After the verdict, Rutgers University released a statement saying, "This sad incident should make us all pause to recognize the importance of civility and mutual respect in the way we live, work and communicate with others." Prosecutors had argued that Ravi, who sat expressionless in the courtroom Friday, had tried to embarrass Clementi because he was gay and that his actions were motivated by a desire to intimidate the Ridgewood, New Jersey, native expressly because of his sexual orientation. "These acts were purposeful, they were intentional, and they were planned," prosecutor Julia L. McClure told the jury on the first day of the trial. Ravi "was bothered by Tyler Clementi's sexual orientation," she later said more bluntly. Ravi's attorneys countered by saying their client acted thoughtlessly, portraying him as an immature college student who made a mistake, and that his actions were not based on homophobia. "He hasn't lived long enough to have any experience with homosexuality or gays," attorney Steven Altman said in closing arguments earlier this week. "He doesn't know anything about it. He just graduated high school." After the verdict Friday, Altman said he would "prepare some type of press release" next week, but vowed to appeal the ruling. "Right now I am just dealing with the emotions that everyone involved with the Ravi family and the defense experienced and continue to experience with the verdict," he said. Though Ravi and Molly Wei -- a fellow student who admitted to joining Ravi to watch the surreptitious encounter that others were alerted to via social media -- were charged in the wake of Clementi's suicide, they were not charged directly with his death. Facing two counts of invasion of privacy, Wei reached a plea deal in May that required her to testify against her friend and former high school classmate as well as to complete a three-year program on cyberbullying and do 300 hours of community service. Ravi turned down a plea deal offered by Middlesex County prosecutors that would have allowed him to avoid jail time in exchange for undergoing counseling, doing 600 hours of community service and disposing of any information that could identify the man who appeared in the Web video with Clementi. Prosecutors also offered to help him avoid deportation, though they said they could not guarantee it. Ravi, who had been studying on a visa at the New Jersey university, did not testify on his own behalf. During the prosecution's phase of the trial, the man whom Clementi was intimate with, identified only as "M.B.," told jurors that he had noticed a Web camera aimed directly at Clementi's bed. The 32-year-old man testified that he met Clementi on a social-networking site for gay men and that they eventually met three times in the student's dorm room. The two conversed online, exchanged text messages and eventually had sex, he said. Wei testified that she watched M.B. and Clementi after Ravi had secretly set up the webcam in his and Clementi's dormitory room. Ravi's attorney, Altman, has argued his client had initially switched on the webcam to monitor his personal items because he did not trust his roommate's visitor. In Twitter messages from that day, Ravi wrote that he'd gone into a friend's room, "turned on my webcam" and saw his roommate "making out with a dude." Then on September 22, 2010, Clementi took a train to New York and posted a mobile status update on his Facebook page that read, "Jumping off the gw bridge sorry." Ravi had apparently tried to make amends with his estranged roommate that same night, according to text messages revealed in court. "I've known you were gay and I have no problem with it," Ravi wrote in messages after he apparently learned his roommate had requested a room change. It is not clear whether Clementi ever viewed the messages before committing suicide. InSession's Jim Kyle contributed to this report. | NEW: Dharun Ravi's attorney says he will appeal the decision .
Dharun Ravi, 20, is found guilty of bias intimidation and invasion of privacy .
His roommate, Tyler Clementi, killed himself in 2010 after learning of webcam spying .
Ravi was not charged directly with Clementi's death . |
240,159 | c2e9658c3d0b9c7ae75e24801c5f645fb22b2367 | A young girl has told a court how her sex attacker branded her with his initial. The child was just 11 when Mohammed Karrar, 38, allegedly bought her and loaned her to abusers all around the country for £600 a year. She told a court yesterday about being mutilated by a hairpin, saying: 'After heating it up for a little while, he stuck it on my bum. 'It was M for Mo and he said I belonged to him. He was branding me so people knew I was his.' In the dock: Kamar Jamil, Akhtar Dogar, Anjum Dogar, Assad . Hussain, Mohammed Karrar, Bassam Karrar, Mohammed Hussain, Zeeshan Ahmed . and Bilal Ahmed are accused of abusing vulnerable girls as young as 11 . over the course of eight years in Oxford. They all deny the charges . Over five years the girl, now 19, was repeatedly raped by large groups of men in what she described as ‘torture sex’, the jury was told last month. Seven . men of Pakistani origin and two from North Africa are accused of 79 . offences against six vulnerable white British girls. The charges include . child rape, sexual trafficking and child prostitution. Noel Lucas QC, prosecuting, said . Karrar – known as Egyptian Mo – bought the youngest victim from an . unnamed man just after her 11th birthday. He befriended her with gifts of perfume and hard drugs but then began to beat her up and raped her, the Old Bailey was told. He branded her with one of her hair . pins, which he had twisted into the shape of an ‘M’ and heated with a . cigarette lighter. It left a scar on her left buttock. ‘He regarded her as his property,’ Mr Lucas said. ‘He showed her no regard. If she had the temerity to resist, he beat her. ‘He branded her to make her his . property and to ensure others knew about it.’ At the age of 12 she was . introduced to Karrar’s brother Bassam, 33, who is also accused of raping . her. The girl ‘describes the Karrars as . sick sex monsters’, Mr Lucas said. ‘They were always talking about sex . and spoke about women in a vile manner. ‘Mohammed Karrar liked her to dress up and act out role play. Both brothers used to beat her.’ From the age of 12 the girl was sold . to groups of Asian men who violently raped her in private homes and . guesthouses around Oxford and elsewhere. Sometimes she was injected with . heroin or given date drugs to ensure she complied with the gang’s sick . demands, it was alleged. Mr Lucas added: ‘It became routine for . her to be taken to various locations, houses and hotels by the Karrar . brothers so she could treat their guests. She would be made to dress up, . wear very short skirts and a bikini top, do her hair and put on lots of . make-up. The jury of seven men and five women at the Old Bailey were told that the men targeted care homes and schools to find their victims . By the end of the evening she would . have been sexually used and abused by all the men. She would be so . drugged up as to be unable to feel the pain.’ Just after her 12th birthday the girl . told Karrar she was carrying his child. He allegedly beat her up and . then took her to a house in Reading where she was given a ‘backroom . abortion’ using a crochet hook. On other occasions Karrar raped the girl in the living room of her own home as her father slept in another room, it was said. Sometimes his friends would arrive at . her house and they would allegedly rape her too. The girl, who came from . a troubled family, naively believed ‘Mo’ loved her and was going to . marry her when she was 16, the court heard. During a trip to the Lake District in 2007, when she was 14, she is said to have been called by Karrar on her mobile phone. David Hughes, a social worker, answered and Karrar allegedly asked to speak to her. When Mr Hughes refused, Karrar . allegedly said: ‘If you don’t get her I’ll **** you up, I’ll **** her up . and I’ll **** her mum.’ Later the girl told the social worker of ‘men . who took her to houses’. In January 2008, she told police a man . called ‘Egyptian Mo’ had raped her in London nine months previously. Two years later the girl contacted her alleged attacker for an apology . but was raped again, the court heard. Kamar Jamil, 27, Akhtar Dogar, 32, his . brother Anjum Dogar, 30, Assad Hussain, 32, Mohammed Karrar, Bassam . Karrar, Mohammed Hussain, 24, Zeeshan Ahmed, 27, and Bilal Ahmed, 26, . deny all the charges against them. The trial continues. Sorry we are not currently accepting comments on this article. | Nine men are accused of grooming and abusing vulnerable girls in Oxford .
Child sex ring allegedly abused several girls - aged 11 to 16 over eight years .
Gang member allegedly branded one schoolgirl with 'M' for Mohammed . |
95,548 | 06cc7192b13979e80d13868ebb98d614e3ac20f4 | An 80-year-old man could be prosecuted after he shot a robber dead even though she was fleeing his house and saying she was pregnant. Homeowner Tom Greer took direct action with a .22-caliber Smith & Wesson revolver on Tuesday night after he was 'jumped on' by two intruders at his home in Long Beach, California. When he drew his gun the unarmed man the woman both ran away, but the woman could not flee fast enough and was shot twice in the back. Force: His arm in a sling, 80-year-old Tom Greer told NBC Los Angeles: 'They downed me, they jumped on me in the hallway... She says "don't shoot me, I'm pregnant, I'm gonna have a baby" and I shot her anyway' Now Mr Greer is being investigated after he gave a vivid account to a journalist - which suggested the woman was down an alleyway when she was shot. His arm in a sling, he told NBC Los Angeles: 'I walked in on them and they downed me, they jumped on me in the hallway. 'The lady didn't run as fast as the man so I shot her in the back twice. She's dead.. but he got away. She says "don't shoot me, I'm pregnant, I'm gonna have a baby" and I shot her anyway. 'I shot her so that's going to leave a message on his mind for the rest of his life.' According to the station, he then said: 'She was dead. I shot her twice, she best be dead... (The man) had run off and left her.' Upmarket: The shooting happened at his home (pictured) in the Bixby Knolls neighbourhood. Mr Greer's remarks to local news station NBC Los Angeles could land him in hot water with Long Beach's police . The Long Beach Police Department is investigating the incident, which took place in the upmarket neighbourhood of Bixby Knolls. Officers have not revealed whether the woman - who remains unnamed - was shot in the immediate surroundings of Mr Greer's home or down an alleyway as she escaped. The distinction could make all the difference as to whether Mr Greer is prosecuted for taking self-defense too far. California's self-defense laws allow homeowners to use force to protect themselves, other people or their property. But the force must be no more than is reasonably necessary and it must defend against immediate danger - solving a possible threat in the future is not enough. Fatal: The investigation could hinge on whether or not the woman was shot down this alleyway as she fled . In January police in Orlando, Florida, charged a 32-year-old man with second degree murder after he chased and shot a man he claimed was trying to burgle his apartment. Officers arrested Claudius Smith after finding 21-year-old Ricardo Sanes lying dead on the grass surrounded by six shell casings. Mr Greer's neighbour George Romero told CBS Los Angeles burglars had struck at the pensioner's home before. 'I remember the first break-in,' he said. 'They literally tore down the front door.' It is believed the male accomplice is still on the run. Long Beach Police could not be reached for further comment. | Tom Greer took direct action with a .22-caliber Smith & Wesson revolver .
He was 'jumped on' by two intruders at home in Long Beach, California .
They fled when they saw the gun, but woman could not run fast enough .
'She says "Don't shoot me, I'm pregnant" and I shot her anyway,' he said .
Police are investigating whether pensioner took self-defense laws too far . |
130,408 | 34a01344355263c03da9c8c86bb042df05c5dd74 | (CNN) -- When Barack Obama is sworn in as president January 20, there will be music -- by, among others, Aretha Franklin, Yo-Yo Ma, Itzhak Perlman and the U.S. Marine Band. There will be prayers and speeches -- including Obama's inaugural address. And for the fourth time in the nation's 56 inauguration ceremonies, there will be poetry -- by someone far less well-known. Elizabeth Alexander says poetry can help solve problems by looking at them from a fresh angle. After the president's speech, Elizabeth Alexander will read a poem she is writing for the occasion. Alexander is a 46-year-old Yale University professor and a friend and former faculty colleague of Obama's. She joins three other poets who have read at inaugural ceremonies -- Robert Frost in 1961 for John F. Kennedy's inauguration and Maya Angelou and Miller Williams, who read at Bill Clinton's 1993 and 1997 inaugurations. Alexander has written five books of poetry, including "American Sublime," a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in 2005. Her father is Clifford Alexander, secretary of the Army in the Carter administration, and her mother teaches history at George Washington University. Her brother is an adviser to Obama's transition team. Alexander's view of poetry is captured in a few lines from "American Sublime" (Graywolf Press): . Poetry is what you find / in the dirt in the corner, . overhear on the bus, God / in the details, the only way . to get from here to there. / Poetry (and now my voice is rising) is not all love, love, love, / and I'm sorry the dog died. Poetry (here I hear myself loudest) / is the human voice, . and are we not of interest to each other? Alexander spoke Friday to CNN.com. CNN: What do you think is the role of a poet in a ceremony like this? Alexander: I think that the fact that President-elect Obama has decided to have a poem in this ceremony is a wonderful affirmation to the power of language, the way in which poetry gives us distilled and mindful and careful language that can both give us a moment of pause, a moment of contemplation and that can also ... look at the world from a slightly different angle. CNN: You met Barack Obama when you were both teaching at the University of Chicago? Alexander: In the community in Hyde Park, he and Mrs. Obama were just people I'd heard about for a long time and heard wonderful things about, and we were of a generation. ... He was in the law school, and I was in the Department of English so our day-to-day work didn't really cross so much. ... [We were in] the community of people who were at that time in our early 30s, thinking about the different ways that we could contribute to improving things with whatever skills we had -- political skills, intellectual skills, skills in the discipline of law, in literature, artistic skills. That was the common ground, thinking about how we could contribute to bettering our community. CNN: And you did it by writing? Alexander: By writing and teaching. I've been a professor for many years now, and I now teach in the African-American studies department and the English Department at Yale. ... My teaching is incredibly important to me ... helping people see that the study of African-American history and culture is fundamental to understanding this country that we live in. It's been wonderful to be able to share those riches of the culture over the years. CNN: We have this historical moment, the 80th birthday of the Rev. Martin Luther King, the inauguration of the first African-American president. How does that resonate with you? Alexander: It's amazing, isn't it? I just shake my head and say, "Isn't that something?" The civil rights struggle in this country and in the world is not over because we have an African-American president. At the same time, this must be recognized as a tremendous moment in our nation's history. I can't tell you how many older people have said to me, "I never thought I'd live to see this day." The fact that this country has -- with a multiracial coalition -- elected an extraordinary president who is African-American really does feel like just an exquisite moment for us to savor even as we recognize there's still a tremendous amount of work ahead of us. CNN: What's ahead of us? Alexander: Oh my goodness, so much. There are wars or conflicts in many different places, there are potentially incipient conflicts in different places, there's the tremendous challenge of the economy. ... The larger metaphysical challenge is to think about how to work together in new ways that are, if not post-partisan -- because I don't think there's anything wrong with partisanship per se -- borne of new coalitions. Within our communities large and small, making new coalitions and finding common ground is absolutely what we're going to have to do in order to make things better. CNN: Can poetry help in that regard? Alexander: I do believe that it can. The way in which poetry models precise and mindful language is useful, because after all if we can't be precise with language, how can we share ideas? Also the felicity of art ... the way in which it makes you draw a breath and look at the world in a different way is very useful to the process of thinking through new solutions. You can look straight in front of you and never get any yield to a problem, but if you can look around the back of it or step to the side of it, those are the ways that we experience some movement with calcified problems. CNN: So you're going to write a poem about health care? Alexander: That would be fun. Of course, this [poem for the inauguration] is an occasional poem, it has to serve the moment, it has to serve the day, right? So those are the challenges of writing something that makes sense at this moment on this particular day. But of course, what I hope to do, rather than the laundry list poem, is to find language that will hopefully have a little resonance after the day is done. CNN: Will you show it to anybody before you read it? Alexander: I show it to my husband [artist Ficre Ghebreyesus] , and he is my first, last and best critic. CNN: You wrote an essay about Gwendolyn Brooks [the Pulitzer Prize-winning African-American poet] in which you said that "the pressure on creative work can be intense for artists who belong to groups still struggling for their fair shake in society." And then later on you said you've seen your work "overpraised by narrow-minded white critics" and "criticized small-mindedly by more than one black woman elder poet -- the same poets I imagined would be pleased by it." Your work is read very differently depending on who's reading it? Alexander: I think what I was trying to say is that at the end of the day, demographics doesn't really tell you about how your work is going to be received. ... On the one hand, I have devoted much of my work to African-American culture. That's my group, that's who I am, [I'm] proud and unambiguous about that -- but at the same time, one of the really great discoveries of a life in poetry has been that poetry is quirky. It reaches people unexpectedly. You really, really can't predict who is going to connect with various aspects of your work. That's been a real gift to me; it's made me try not to assume too much about who thinks what and who is able to gain something from work. CNN: You have two children? Alexander: Two sons, 9 and 10. CNN: How do they feel about the poem? Alexander: They are so excited, and that's of course a lovely thing. And in the excitement, we still live in our every day, so mommy is still mommy, and all the mommy things are expected of me, and that's the way I like it. CNN: What are your tastes in music? Alexander: Jazz is the music that I know deepest and love the most, and I mean jazz across the board because that's an incredibly diverse art, and also I must say, R&B, funk and soul speak very powerfully to me. CNN: Favorite artists? Alexander: Thelonious Monk is quite a favorite artist. Marvin Gaye, John Coltrane, and also the breadth and accomplishment over a career of Duke Ellington. CNN: And Aretha Franklin? Alexander: Can you imagine? I get to hear her at close range. Boy, that's going to be my gift for the year. | Elizabeth Alexander will be fourth poet to read at an inauguration .
Alexander: Poetry can provide a fresh way of looking at problems .
She says poetry is quirky and no one can predict how people will react to it . |
163,895 | 5ff31e19f1fbaf2b2bcb4c1fd12e422bc3c2762e | Jaymie Adams missing since December 10 . Husband revealed she went to meet clients night she disappeared . Body found on Saturday but thought to have been there for one day . By . Rachel Quigley . Last updated at 4:38 PM on 9th January 2012 . The body of the missing pregnant mother who was later revealed to be a Craigslist prostitute has been found on a dirt bike track and her husband and mother-in-law's cars have been seized . Jaymie Adams, 25, from Blanchard, Oklahoma, was reported missing on December 10 and was said to be pregnant with her fifth child. When her body was found on Saturday by a motorcyclist using a dirt bike track near Lake Stanley Draper, police believed it had only been there for one day. Investigation: The body of Jaymie Adams was found on Saturday on a dirt bike track and police believe it may have been there for a day . Yesterday they impounded the cars of her husband Justin, who only revealed two weeks after she went missing that she went to meet two clients after initially saying she was meeting a friend. Oklahoma City police Captain Lisa . Camacho told NewsOk that police have finished processing the site where the mother-of-four's body was found. She said police then impounded the cars of Adams' husband, Justin Adams, and his mother, Tina Clark, and are simply looking for evidence in the vehicles. Though she said they have not named any suspects at this time, Adams' attorney told NewsOK they told his client at the time of his arrest that he was a suspect. She said: 'At the time, my client was told he . and his mother were suspects. When he attempted to get items out of the car they said no. 'He told that this is what they said to him that you're a suspect and you can't touch the car or get anything out of the car.' He said he had plans to meet . with Justin Adams and Tina Clark on Sunday evening and was not surprised they were suspects. He told News Channel4: 'By innuendos, when they questioned him the time they were grilling him it was like he was a suspect. 'And you know he would have to be not very intelligent if he didn't believe that they were trying to make him a suspect the first time they interrogated him.' Suspicious disappearance: The mother-of-four was said to have advertised as a 'massage therapist' on Craigslist but was actually a hooker . Husband: Justin Adams, 25, changed his story and told police he and his wife had advertised on Craigslist as 'swingers' When police initially interviewed Adams in the days after his wife disappeared, he failed to mention . that he and his wife were 'swingers' or that she advertised on . Craigslist as a 'massage therapist' but had actually been 'meeting with . strangers' for sex. He then revealed that his wife went to meet a 'client' at a motel in Norman the night she disappeared. Investigators discovered Mrs Adams' social security card and the couple's marriage license in a bedroom . drawer at their home. A red purse containing several sex toys was also . recovered. Adams was the last . person to see his wife alive after she left their trailer park home to meet a 'friend' at a . McDonald's. He told police at the time she had called from . the fast-food joint saying her 'friend' had not shown up - but that was . the last he heard from her. He denied . knowing who she was meeting. The 25-year-old's car was found in the McDonald's parking lot and was seized for investigation. Justin and Jaymie Adams have been married since February and have a four-month-old child together. Last seen: She told her husband she was going to meet a 'friend' at this McDonalds at 11pm and police found her van here . Online: Police haven't officially named any suspects in the case or said if she was murdered . In the days after she went missing, Mr Adams made an emotional TV appeal, urging the public to help bring his wife home safely. He said: 'She deserves to be at home with her family, our children need their mother. 'My wife is a loving a strong woman. She's an amazing mom, and amazing wife, we have three sons and she's 2-month pregnant this week. 'I'm begging that if anyone has any information about my wife or her whereabouts, call OKCPD.' | Jaymie Adams missing since December 10 .
Husband revealed she went to meet clients night she disappeared .
Body found on Saturday but thought to have been there for one day . |
247,271 | cc008f61327161631430782ea5557fdf2390f6c6 | By . Meghan Keneally . PUBLISHED: . 11:29 EST, 17 January 2014 . | . UPDATED: . 13:28 EST, 17 January 2014 . Former First Lady Barbara Bush has made another statement against her son Jeb's possible 2016 presidential run saying that there have to be more politically-involved families in America hoping for time in the White House. 'I think this is a great American country, a great country, and if we can't find more than two or three families to run for high office that's silly because there are great governors and great eligible people to run,' she said in a new interview. 'I think the Kennedys, Clintons, Bushes- there are just more families than that.' Twice is enough: Barbara Bush said that should her younger son Jeb decide to run for president in 2016, that would be pushing the amount of time that one family had been in the White House . The 88-year-old matriarch has made the same statement previously, and she stuck to her beliefs in the latest interview with C-SPAN but added a big compliment to her younger son. 'I would hope that someone else would run although there's no question in my mind that Jeb is the best qualified person to run for president,' she said. 'But I hope he won't because I think he'll get all of my enemies, all his brother's, all... and there are other families. I refuse to accept that this great country isn't raising other wonderful people.' She said that she wasn't 'arrogant enough' to think that she was part of the only family in America to raise children ready for the White House. Waiting in the wings: Jeb Bush, the former governor of Florida, is seen as a leading Republican candidate for 2016 and could make him the next Republican leader after his brother left office (seen at a 2004 rally for former President George W Bush's re-election) Political families: Though they are both potential front runners for their respective parties, Hillary Clinton and Bush appeared at the same event at the National Constitution Center in September . The interview appeared to be filmed in her home as there were framed family pictures on the table beside her, including one of her granddaughter Jenna Bush Hager at her wedding and two other pictures of subsets of the Bush family posed in front of Christmas trees. She also gave several of her grandchildren shout outs in the interview, praising their different ways of helping the world without going into politics. 'We're raising public servants, whether they're feeding the poor like Lauren is- who's fed 68 million children around the world- or Barbara who's bringing global health to the world or Pierce who's working for Big Brothers Big Sisters,' she said. 'There are a lot of ways to serve and being president is not the only one.' Skilled: Mrs Bush, seen here with her husband and Jeb in 2002 when he was running for re-election as the Governor of Florida, said that she has no doubt that he is the best qualified person for the job . In spite of his mother’s vocal disapproval, Jeb Bush is still considered one of the leading candidates in the Republican field for the 2016 race. A Public Policy poll released today that examined potential candidate’s standings in the primary battleground state of New Hampshire had the former Florida governor tied with Rand Paul for 12 per cent each and trailing Chris Christie who held on to 24 per cent of the votes in spite of the George Washington Bridge scandal. Mike Huckabee, Ted Cruz, Marco Rubio, Paul Ryan, Bobby Jindal and Scott Walker all followed. The field is quite a bit more narrow for the Democrats, as former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton was the first pick for 57 per cent, followed by Vice President Biden with 10 per cent and Elizabeth Warren with 8 per cent. | The Former First Lady has repeatedly said that she thinks that there are too few families who have been in the White House .
Her son Jeb, the former governor of Florida, is a top candidate for 2016 .
Mrs Bush has previously said that the Bushes, Clintons and Kennedys are examples of families who have held on to office .
Admits that she thinks Jeb is 'the best qualified' |
281,984 | f948304efe3ead8692af827c3ef6b0605b7d6002 | By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 18:56 EST, 10 September 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 19:02 EST, 10 September 2012 . A businessman suspected of gunning down an officer who visited his home trying to help him was found dead on Monday evening after a day-long standoff with police. A search team entered Ricky Coley's home in an affluent Detroit suburb around 6pm and found his body inside, according to a police spokesman. Officers had been surrounding the house of the 50-year-old former auto executive since Sunday night, when officer Patrick O'Rourke was shot to death while responding to a report of a possible suicide attempt. Coley was having legal and financial problems in his business and was recently divorced. Killer: Ricky Coley, left, apparently shot officer Patrick O'Rourke, right, when police visited his home in Detroit . Siege: Police brought at least two armored vehicle to Coley's house in an affluent suburb on Monday . Mr O'Rourke, 39, was one of four or five officers who responded to the call on Sunday. He was killed when shots were fired through a bedroom door and wall. Authorities found Coley's body about an hour after sending in demolition equipment to tear open the house. It was not immediately clear how he died. At least two armored vehicles were brought to the upscale neighbourhood in West Bloomfield Township, which was evacuated after Mr O'Rourke was gunned down. Police in the Oakland County community sent a team around 10 pm on Sunday after getting a 911 call saying that Coley had tried to kill himself or needed medical attention, police spokesman Tim Diamond said. Officers called Coley's name as they climbed the stairs to the second floor and were met by shots. Officers: Police besieged the home all day, only to find Coley dead when they finally made it inside . Coley was alone in the house on Monday afternoon. Volleys of gunfire were heard hours earlier, but it was unclear who fired them. Officers closed roads in the area and evacuated at least 10 families from their homes. Before authorities sent in the big machine, Mr Diamond said the sheriff's department was 'trying to persuade this guy into a peaceful resolution.' Court document show that last week Coley's wife was granted a divorce and sole custody of the couple's seven-year-old son, following allegations he cheated on her and attacked her. Coley headed a private equity firm, CNC Holdings. Standoff: Several residents were evacuated from the area while police staked out Coley's home . The U.S. Labor Department recently filed a lawsuit accusing him of mishandling money that was supposed to cover employee insurance at a trucking company, Translogic Auto Carriers, which has been controlled by CNC since 2008. The lawsuit says Coley also transferred $342,000 from Translogic to himself or his affiliates. Creditors forced Translogic into bankruptcy court in 2010. Mr Diamond said relatives called 911 and fled Coley's home on Sunday after hearing shots. He said the stress of Coley's divorce and financial problems were probably factors. Mr O'Rourke, a West Bloomfield officer for 12 years, was married to his high-school sweetheart Amy and had four children. The policeman's father told WXYZ he was experiencing 'a rollercoaster of emotions' as he paid tribute to a son who was 'as strong as three men'. | Ricky Coley apparently shot dead officer Patrick O'Rourke on Sunday night .
Police found Coley dead in suburban Detroit home after day-long siege .
Businessman was recently divorced and was under legal investigation . |
124,178 | 2c875ba76b8c3f531c2b026c8f8ed169d87814d4 | By . Ruth Styles for MailOnline . When Ava Galley, now four, from Cheshire, was born, her mother Nichola, 35, just had enough time to glimpse a pair of eyes and a tiny nose before her new daughter was whisked away by nurses. By the time she next saw her daughter, she was in the midst of a tangle of wires as doctors frantically tried to work out what was wrong with the tiny baby and find a solution for her continual vomiting. But more than four years on, Nichola and the doctors are no wiser and while they have managed to fix Ava's heart problems, precisely what sort of genetic disorder she suffers from remains unknown. Rare: Nichola with her little daughter Ava who has a genetic disorder so rare, it doesn't even have a name . Enjoying life: Despite her condition, Ava has learned to walk with the aid of a walking frame . 'It was like a punch in the stomach . because we'd been given the all-clear from the amnio test,' says Nichola of the moment she discovered that her tiny baby wasn't the healthy daughter she had hoped for. 'The pregnancy . had been tortuous but we just thought she was going to be a very . small baby. We were in the recovery room and laughing and joking when the doctor came in. 'The . way the news was delivered to us… he walked into the room . with a nurse and delivered it so abruptly - even the nurse was shocked.' Convinced Ava wouldn't survive, doctors tried to prepare a devastated Nichola and her husband Paul for the worst but, much to the surprise of medics, the little girl clung on. Initially, the biggest challenge was working out how to feed her: with Ava unable to suck and prone to vomiting whenever she was given milk. 'She was poorly . and it turned out that every time they fed her, they were drowning her . because the milk was going straight to the chest, straight to the lungs,' remembers Nichola. 'It was a good four months before we got her home and she has spent pretty much the first three years of her . life were in hospital. This summer is the first that she hasn’t been in . and out all the time.' Despite her improving condition, Ava who suffers from microcephaly [an unusually small skull] in addition to the genetic disorder, is still unable to walk unaided, talk or feed herself. She also continues to vomit uncontrollably, which means she regularly suffers from chest infections and needs a special bed, a feeding pump and round-the-clock care from her mother who has been forced to give up a promising career to care for her. 'She still vomits and I never know quite . how much food to give her or whether her body is going to tolerate that . feed,' explains Nichola. Family: Ava with her big brother James, seven, who has also learned to live with his sister's genetic disorder . Tough: Ava requires round-the-clock care which means Nichola has been unable to return to work . Limited: Because Ava's condition is so rare, no one knows how long she will live - doctors estimated five . 'It's easier now we've got the feeding pump but before, with . gravity feeding, I would be there for an hour and I couldn’t leave her, . not to go to the toilet, to answer the door or for anything. 'Then, you’d . have to do it all over again. I was trapped. I was a proper prisoner in . my own home. Now with the pump, I programme it to put the food in over . an hour, although we still have to have vomit jugs around . the house.' Ava's condition has also had a huge impact on her older brother James, seven, who, says Nichola, has had to see things that a child should never have to. More difficult to deal with is the lack of facts. Not only do Nichola and husband Paul have no idea what exactly is wrong with their daughter, they have no idea of what the future for Ava will look like. Although doctors originally put her life expectancy at between three and five years, Nichola hopes that Ava will live longer. 'The prognosis has always been "we don't . know",' she says, sadly. 'Ava has microcephaly and that combined with . her chest infections has cut her life down a lot. 'She’s having fewer and . fewer chest infections which is good but if her skull stops growing, . then that's where we know that we won't have much time left with her. We're just ticking along at the minute.' Not that she has any regrets about learning to love her daughter which she admits, in a bid to protect herself, she tried hard not to do at first. 'I did try . not to fall in love with her [at first] because I thought we were going to lose . her,' she confesses. 'I never thought we'd bring her home. It did take me a long time to . let myself go and fall head over heels with her. I was trying to prepare . myself to let her go, sort of protecting myself.' Difficult though Ava's first four years have been, Nichola bubbles over with love for her daughter but says that she would have liked more help. 'No, I don't think we've had enough help,' she says. 'I . want to return to work. I had to give up a career. I spent four years in higher education . and I'm in debt with my student loan because I can’t pay it off. Grateful: Although no one knows how long Ava has, Nichola says she is grateful to have been able to know her . 'Instead, I work 24-hours a day caring for Ava. There is no rest from . that. I get eight hours a week support but finding respite care at the . right time such as on the school run is hard because they have families . of their own. 'It can be a nightmare on the school run if Ava's being . sick and I have to get to school to pick up James... Those are the times . when I would like some help.' She also says she has been less than impressed with the local council who, after refusing to pay for a specialist bed, offered to pay for a crash mat to place beside a regular one instead. 'She's on a feeding pump which is a long tangled wire,' explains Nichola. 'She’d fall out, trip over the wire, get tangled up or . bump into the wardrobe which could then fall down on her. 'In the end, the New Life charity . provided the bed that she's got. We are so very grateful to them for doing that. 'But you . feel like you're constantly begging for help and it's demoralising. I . don't want to be in this situation and begging for help. I’m just trying . to join in with life - everything is a bit hard to be honest.' Despite the challenges and uncertainty of life with Ava, Nichola is doing her best to be as positive as she can. 'You don't know how long . you've got with anybody do you?' she says. It's hard knowing that Paul won't be . walking her down the aisle, that we’ll never go and get our hair done . together or talk about boyfriends - that hurts. 'But I'm . grateful that I've had the opportunity to get to know her.' To see the impact your genes can have and to help children with genetic disorders, please sign up before tomorrow and order a free fundraising kit: www.jeansforgenes.org / 0800 980 4800. | Ava Galley, four, suffers from a genetic disorder so rare, it is still unnamed .
The little girl vomits uncontrollably when fed and requires 24-hour care .
Mother Nichola says that the lack of help has made life hugely difficult .
Would like to go back to work but cannot because of daughter's condition . |
230,015 | b5dbf6f929cd5d1a5ec8cc9cdf3443a93a6ada52 | The Foreign Office has warned drivers to be especially careful in Spain where motorists in British registered cars are being targeted by unscrupulous thieves . Britons heading to Spain on holiday have been warned to watch out for highway robbers targeting some of the most popular tourist routes. Organised gangs are singling out foreign drivers heading for the coast and creating a distraction to steal passports, cash and computers. As the summer holiday season gets under way, the Foreign Office has warned of a surge in the thefts. It says most of the 612 emergency travel documents issued by British consulates in Spain this year followed motorway attacks and has released a video showing footage of robberies and some of the tactics used. Gangs often flag victims down, indicating there is a problem with their car. While one robber gets out to distract the tourists, their unseen accomplice steals documents, money and valuables from the car before making a swift getaway. While there have been isolated incidents in the past, officials say gangs are now operating routinely along the coast between Barcelona and Alicante, across Andalucia in the south and in the Madrid region. Spanish police have had to deal with 126 British victims of distraction thefts on one motorway – the busy AP7 from the French border to Valencia – in the past two years. Another main highway where cars with GB number plates or rental stickers are being targeted is on roads from the northern ferry port of Santander to Madrid and further south to Spain’s popular beaches. Pensioner Roy Moore, 69, and his wife Helen had the rear tyre of their Peugeot slashed with a knife when they stopped at a service station near Logrono en route to the Costa Calida in Murcia province. The thieves took their passports, €300 , bank and credit cards, a laptop, driving licence, their dog’s pet passport and the keys to their home in Salisbury, Wiltshire. Mrs Moore, a retired care home worker, said: ‘It all happened so fast. We were left in shock, penniless at the roadside and stranded in Spain along with our dog Merlyn. ‘The police and the British vice consul in Alicante were very helpful. We can get temporary one-day travel documents issued except for Merlyn, who is technically stuck in Spain until we can arrange veterinary clearance for him to eventually return to England.’ Thieves have attacked 126 British motorists using the AP7 from the French border to Valencia over the past two years using distraction threats, stealing cash, passports and electronic goods . Richard Hibbs, from Llandudno in North Wales, and his brother-in-law, who lives in Spain, were robbed of their passports and other documents after a gang stopped their car near a toll booth on the AP7 north of Barcelona. He said: ‘Anyone travelling with UK plates should think at least twice before stopping on a Spanish motorway, particularly at night, and don’t keep your valuables in the same place. If you do have to stop, don’t all get out of the car.’ Will Middleton, the consular regional director for Spain, said: ‘Distraction is the most common technique used by the highway robbers. ‘They will try to worry you about the state of your vehicle, and then whilst they point out the supposed problem, an accomplice is robbing you. ‘So be wary of anyone attempting to stop when you are driving, or trying to point out a problem or offering assistance. They may not be the Good Samaritan they appear to be.’ | More than one British motorist a week targeted on a single section of road .
Most temporary travel documents issued as a result of distraction thefts .
Thieves target cars showing either British number plates or GB stickers . |
250,558 | d042d153da3819436e20dd2118e19c2255691f9a | (CNN) -- Tropical Cyclone Evan is battering the South Pacific with maximum sustained winds of 115 mph and gusts up to 144 mph, according to the Navy's Joint Typhoon Warning Center in Hawaii. And things might get worse. Forecasters predict Evan could get stronger over the next 36 hours, evolving into a more powerful Category 3 storm with maximum sustained winds of 126 mph, as it creeps southwest, away from the Samoan islands and toward Fiji. Fiji's meteorological service said Evan was expected to arrive in that country's waters by Sunday. The National Weather Service in Pago Pago, American Samoa, canceled its gale warning Thursday, but reiterated high surf and small craft advisories for the islands, expecting gusts up to 35 mph, heavy rain and towering waves. There were reports of two deaths in Samoa, an independent country with a population of 183,000. American Samoa is a U.S. territory with a population of about 55,000. Journalist Cherelle Jackson told the Australian Broadcasting Corp. that there was heavy damage in the Samoan capital of Apia, with houses flattened by the storm. Storm surge and high surf, which the U.S. National Weather Service said could reach 20 feet in the islands, was making a mess of Apia, Jackson said, adding water and power service had been knocked out. Many of the open-style Samoan homes, or fales, which don't have windows or doors, sustained heavy damage, she said. "I don't think we were well prepared because the warning didn't get serious until late last night," Jackson said in a phone interview with the Australian network. Jackson said food could be a problem once the storm passes because the trees that supply Samoan staples, such as breadfruit, taro and bananas, had taken a heavy hit from the storm's winds. "The breadfruits are just all over the road," she said. The New Zealand high commissioner in Apia, Nick Hurley, told Radio New Zealand of heavy damage. "From what I have seen and heard it has made a huge impact on, for a start, all the vegetation, the trees, the infrastructure, all around Apia the power is out. A lot of people don't have any water . The trees have snapped, in a lot of cases have actually come down across roads, crashed into the fale, onto the houses," Hurley is quoted as saying. CNN's Jessica King contributed to this report and Brad Lendon and Mark Morgenstein wrote this report . | NEW: Tropical Cyclone Evan is lashing Samoa and American Samoa .
Deadly storm is the equivalent of a Category 3 hurricane .
Evan is headed toward Fiji . |
159,587 | 5a499704e8316a174fe65a347994e24472ebad1e | (CNN) -- When life gives you Comcast, make a "shamecast." Shamecasting is what I'm calling tech journalist Ryan Block's ingenious method of publicly shaming Comcast for the way the cable company treated him on the phone. I hope it becomes a national trend. On Tuesday morning, Block posted an audio clip of his 18-minute, nightmarish attempt to try to cancel service. Instead of cooperating with Block's simple request, which Comcast is legally required to do, the customer service representative badgered him, threw up obstacles and generally exhibited sociopathic behavior. After the clip went viral, Block received an official apology from the company, which said, in part: "The way in which our representative communicated with him is unacceptable and not consistent with how we train our customer service representatives." Nor is it consistent with the social norms of any society on Earth. Yet the clip went viral because of our cathartic solidarity with Block. We've all been held hostage by big companies afraid of losing business. We've all been told by anonymous customer service representatives that they "can't" help us. They "can't" discontinue service. They "can't" give us a confirmation number. In short, we've all felt helpless. Comcast's apology also cited its "embarrassment." If embarrassment is the only language these companies speak, let's give it to them. Let's shamecast companies who refuse to treat customers with respect. Coincidentally, a few weeks before the Comcast episode, I started recording my own phone calls with customer service representatives. My latest dispute had gone on for months, and I was still receiving bills for work that was never done (and that had been officially canceled). But things took a swift turn when I notified the representative that I was recording the conversation. Soon after that call, I was contacted by the same person — this time with an apologetic tone, assuring me the matter was resolved. Most customer service representatives do not exhibit the sociopathic behavior of the Comcast employee. Most customer service reps are nice people who are just trying to do their job. Furthermore, many of them have to suffer their own abuse from angry callers who feel trapped and mistreated by a company. Most of the time it's not the customer service rep's fault. But we've got to do something about the dysfunctional system of customer service. Enter shamecasting. Online review sites are helpful, but there's a big difference between interpretation and reality. With a recorded conversation, you've got proof. It's the difference between "I'm being mistreated by a company" and "I'm being mistreated by a company — listen to this audio clip of our interaction." The next time you call a big company and get a difficult customer service representative, protect yourself. If you have an iPhone, you don't need anything else. There are several apps that can record calls for you. (For legal reasons, make sure you notify the representative that you're recording the call.) If you don't have a smartphone, no problem. As long as you put your call on speakerphone, there are several ways to record it. Most laptops have built-in microphones, and you can simply record the conversation using Garage Band or another piece of recording software. Or you can buy a cheap digital audio recording device that records in several modes, including .wav and .mp3. These files can be easily transferred to your laptop, and then, if necessary, to the Internet. As you record your conversation, stay calm. If anybody is going to look like the bad guy, it's not going to be you. Hopefully, your call will go well, the company will cooperate with your request, and you can go about your day. But if not, you can upload your audio clip to Soundcloud, like Block did, and then broadcast it to the world through Twitter, Facebook, or your blog. Imagine the relief you'll experience the next time you interact with a telephone representative. When he or she tells you that your call may be recorded for "quality assurance purposes," you will be able to respond with: "And just so you know, I'm recording this call for consumer protection purposes." | A Comcast customer service representative's rude call with a customer went viral .
David Wheeler: We've all been held hostage by big companies afraid of losing business .
He says we've got to do something about dysfunctional system of customer service .
Wheeler: The next time you get a difficult customer rep, you can record the call . |
105,245 | 13be9bf8d8f09e540df29861d722e707c73d4446 | By . Jennifer Smith . PUBLISHED: . 11:55 EST, 26 November 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 03:04 EST, 27 November 2013 . For many 28-year-olds, the idea of starting a family can be a daunting prospect. But one woman has embraced her matriarchal role with open arms, after welcoming her first great-grandchild into the family. Kelly Baker from Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire, took on three step-children and their nine offspring when she married 68-year-old Bob in 2010. But the 28-year-old couldn't be happier with their budding family, despite her husband being more than a decade older than both her parents and her eldest grandchild just three years her junior. Happily family: Kelly Baker (centre) pictured with 68-year-old husband Bob, their nine grandchildren and first great-grandchild . 'It's so wonderful having a baby in the family,' says Mrs Baker, who has resigned hopes of children of her own. Kelly, whose friends tried to warn her off grandfather Bob when they first met, loves grandchildren, Chanice, Amber, Warren, Chloe, Toby, Kamran, Arran, Jade and Tahra like her own. Baby Layla who is just five-months-old is the first great-grandchild in the family. 'I feel like they're my own family, we spoil them rotten,' she told the Daily Mirror. 'Couldn't be happier': The couple married in 2010 . The couple who work together as cleaners met when Kelly was just 21, after the pensioner stopped seeing one of her friends who was also in her twenties. Having endured the harsh criticisms of friends and families, Bob proposed after four years of dating. While Mrs Baker has given up on the idea of having their own children, father-of-nine husband Bob insists 'never say never,' though admits the family is 'quite large enough.' Mrs Baker describes meeting her spouse's three children, the youngest of whom is ten years older than she, as one of the hardest things about their relationship. 'But once they had gotten to know me they were very accepting and we've since become close'. All 13 family members will spend Christmas together in a local pub for a 'huge dinner', the couple say. And though naysayers sometimes hurt her feelings with 'snide comments', Kelly insists she has proved 'everyone' wrong with her marriage that is as happy as she could hope for. | Kelly Baker married 68-year-old father-of-three Bob in 2010 .
The 28-year-old embraced her husband's nine grandchildren as her own .
Her youngest step-child is ten years her senior .
While her eldest grandchild is just three years younger than her .
Mrs Baker insists the couple 'couldn't be happier' |
276,968 | f2d1f6dbf3e83f4c172d4ea155fc217df4eaa9e8 | By . Beth Stebner . PUBLISHED: . 17:00 EST, 14 September 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 23:32 EST, 14 September 2012 . Neil Armstrong, the first man to set foot on the moon, was buried at sea today with a full military service. The ashes of the ‘reluctant’ icon of the 1960s Space Race were transported on the guided missile cruiser USS Philippine Sea and were committed to the Atlantic Ocean. Yesterday, Armstrong was praised in a memorial service at the National Cathedral as a humble hero who led mankind into space. Scroll down for video . Ship shape: Members of the U.S. Navy ceremonial guard hold an American flag over the remains of Apollo 11 astronaut Neil Armstrong . Laid to rest: Family members of Armstrong and members of the US Navy are seen during the burial at sea service; the location of his burial was not immediately clear . Final farewell: U.S. Navy Lieutenant Commander Paul Nagy and Armstrong's wife Carol, commit the remains of Neil Armstrong to sea . Space cowboy: Armstrong, pictured on July 20, 1969, became the first man to walk on the moon . In an immensely moving moment, U.S. Navy Lieutenant Commander Paul Nagy and Armstrong's wife Carol, committed the remains of Neil Armstrong to sea while members of the ceremonial U.S. Navy guard offered a final salute. After the ceremony, Mrs Armstrong accepted an American flag from the captain folded 13 times. It is always given to family members of the deceased following the service. Armstrong flew in nearly 80 combat missions for the Navy during the Korean War before joining forces with NASA. The ceremony was in accordance with Navy burial procedures, NBC News reported, and included remarks from Navy chaplain Donald Troast, and three volleys of ammunition were set off by a firing squad. In addition, Taps was played while family members and sailors looked on. NASA didn't give the location of the private ceremony. However, the ship's home port is located in Mayport, Florida. Armstrong, who died on August 25 from heart surgery complications, made it clear that he wished to be buried at sea, though because of his stature, he could have had a memorial in Arlington National Cemetery in Washington. Military burial: U.S. Navy Captain Steve Shinego, commanding officer of the USS Philippine Sea, presents the U.S. flag to Carol Armstrong following the burial at sea . Solemn moments: Carol Armstrong, second left, wife, and Eric 'Rick' Armstrong, son of Neil Armstrong, right, bow their heads during Neil Armstrong's burial at sea service . Taps: Chief Musician for the United States Navy Band, Gunnar Bruning, plays Taps on a silver trumpet during the burial at sea . Salute: A US Navy firing squad fires three volleys in honor of the lunar pioneer . Remembrance: Left, Navy Force Chaplain, Capt. Donald P. Troast, CHC, USN speaks of Armstrong, and right, sailors stand below an American flag flying at half-mast . As commander of the Apollo 11 mission, Armstrong became the first human to set foot on the moon on July 20, 1969. The legendary astronaut was born on August 5, 1930, near Wapakoneta, Ohio. He went on to work in the military, fighting in the Korean War. Later, he would pilot planes for NASA, and eventually, spacecrafts. During the historic mission on July 20, 1969, nearly half a billion people tuned in to watch the black and white mission to the moon, where Armstrong, joined by Edwin ‘Buzz’ Aldrin, spent some two hours loping around on the eerie grey surface. He radioed back to Earth the historic news of 'one giant leap for mankind.' 'The sights were simply magnificent, beyond any visual experience that I had ever been exposed to,' Armstrong once said. Lunar landing: Astronauts Neil Armstrong, left, and Buzz Aldrin, right, place an American flag on the lunar surface as taken from the Eagle Lunar Module . The moonwalk marked America's victory in the Cold War space race that began October 4, 1957, with the launch of the Soviet Union's Sputnik 1, a 184-pound satellite that sent shock waves around the world. Although he had been a Navy fighter pilot, a test pilot for NASA's forerunner and an astronaut, Armstrong never allowed himself to be caught up in the celebrity and glamor of the space program. 'I am, and ever will be, a white socks, pocket protector, nerdy engineer,' he said in February 2000 in one of his rare public appearances. 'And I take a substantial amount of pride in the accomplishments of my profession.' However, his Apollo 11 moon mission turned out to be Armstrong's last space flight. The following year he was appointed to a desk job, being named NASA's deputy associate administrator for aeronautics in the office of advanced research and technology. He left NASA a year later to become a professor of engineering at the University of Cincinnati. The procession leaves the crossing in the nave at the conclusion of the memorial service for Neil Armstrong, at the Washington National Cathedral in Washington DC . From left, Astronaut Buzz Aldrin - with space design tie - Annie Glenn, astronaut John Glenn and singer Diana Krall look on during a memorial service for astronaut Neil Armstrong at the National Cathedral in Washington . Carol Armstrong, the wife of Apollo 11 astronaut Neil Armstrong, is presented with a flag by NASA administrator Charles Bolden, left, and a bagpiper plays at the service, right . Mourners who packed the vast cathedral to mark Armstrong's death last month heard him described as embodying the best of American values and a dedicated pilot . Yesterday, mourners packed the vast National Cathedral in Washington, D.C.to mark Armstrong's death last month. They heard him described as . embodying the best of American values and a dedicated pilot who shunned . the limelight after the historic moon landing in 1969. 'He . embodied all that is good and all that is great about America. Neil, . wherever you are, you again have shown us a way to the stars.' -Last man on the moon Eugene Cernan . 'He . embodied all that is good and all that is great about America. Neil, . wherever you are, you again have shown us a way to the stars,' Eugene . Cernan, the last man on the moon as the commander of the 1972 Apollo 17 . mission, said in a tribute from the pulpit. 'As you soar through the heavens where even eagles dare not go, you can now truly put out your hand and touch the face of God.' The . service included the Navy hymn Eternal Father Strong To Save and the . Frank Sinatra standard Fly Me To The Moon performed by Grammy-winning . jazz performer Diana Krall. 'Fly . me to the moon, let me swing among those stars, let me see what spring . is like, on Jupiter and Mars,' Krall sang as she accompanied herself on a . piano. The incredible journey: On July 16, 1969, with Neil Armstrong waving in front, the space crew heads for the van that will take them to the rocket for launch to the moon at Kennedy Space Center . Fly me to the moon: Apollo 11 astronauts Michael Collins, Neil Armstrong, and Edwin Buzz Aldrin . On top of the world: Apollo 11 astronauts Neil . Armstrong, left, Michael Collins, centre, and Edwin Buzz Aldrin, right, . smile through the window of the mobile quarantine van . Armstrong, who died last month in Ohio at age 82, walked on the moon in July 1969. 'He's . now slipped the bonds of Earth once again, but what a legacy he left,' former Treasury Secretary John Snow told the gathering. Apollo . 11 crewmates Buzz Aldrin and Michael Collins and Mercury astronaut John . Glenn and about two dozen members of Congress were among the estimated . 1,500 people in the cavernous cathedral. A moon rock that the Apollo 11 astronauts gave the church in 1974 is embedded in one of its stained glass windows. NASA administrator Charles Bolden, a former astronaut, said Armstrong's humility and courage 'lifted him above the stars'. Bolden . read a letter from President Barack Obama saying, 'the imprint he left . on the surface of the moon is matched only by the extraordinary mark he . left on ordinary Americans'. Watch video here: . | First man on the moon buried at sea today by his widow Carol .
Given full ceremonial burial by U.S. Navy off the coast of Florida .
Emotional memorial service held yesterday at the National Cathedral in Washington, D.C.
Made history with 1969 Apollo 11 moon landing . |
96,524 | 0832a8831d7427ace246b5d34f4c87df0fcc1148 | Everyone knows that stinging feeling when soap suds go in their eyes. But spare a thought for Raymond Cuss who was left screaming in agony when the 99p shower gel he was using burned his penis and testicles. The 42-year-old said a layer of skin was ripped off his privates while his manhood was left glowing bright red after using the Dettol-branded liquid soap. He was in so much pain that even when his underwear brushed against the affected area he doubled over in pain. Raymond Cuss was left with severe burns to his testicles after using Dettol-branded shower gel he bought from his local 99p Store . Mr Cuss feared being left scarred for life from the gel that he bought from a branch of 99p Stores in his home town Gosport, Hampshire. He has now been given £1,000 as part of an out-of-court settlement. He said: 'It was the first time I had bought this particular shower gel, and chose it because it had the Dettol brand on the front, which I trusted. 'I had a shower to freshen up when I got home from work and suffered an horrendous reaction. When I stepped out of the shower and looked down at my groin I could see I had been burned. 'At that point there was no pain but the area was inflamed, my penis was bright red, and I had lost a layer of skin. I was horrified and scared I may have suffered permanent damage. Mr Cuss bought the shower gel from a High Street branch of 99p Stores in Gosport, Hampshire . 'As the area dried, I was left in incredible pain, with a burning sensation. I had trouble sleeping, and could not lie on my front because it was far too painful. 'I had tears in my eyes when pulling on my boxer shorts, and if any material simply brushed the area I almost doubled over in pain. I grimaced with every move.' He added: 'I went to my local hospital and they said I had suffered burns. I don't have sensitive skin and had never suffered a reaction like this before. 'Because I'm self employed I had to go to work and battle through the pain, which was a real struggle. The whole incident left me feeling depressed because I feared my ordeal would never end. 'After a month of applying moisturiser at the doctors suggestion it healed and, thankfully, I have not suffered any lasting damage. 'I don't know what I'll do with the £1,000 but I certainly wont be spending it on shower gel in 99p Stores. 'I now get an even cheaper brand from Lidl.' 99p Stores suggested Mr Cuss' may have suffered a reaction when chemicals used in his job reacted with the gel. In a letter to Mr Cuss, his solicitor Ian Barnett said that the company said: '...the chemicals used during the course of your regular employment may have caused the reaction you suffered when they came into contact with the shower gel. 'By this they mean that ... (normally) the shower gel would not have affected you.' Mr Barnett contacted the makers of Dettol, Reckitt Benckiser, which examined the bottle and directed them to the supplier. A Reckitt Benckiser spokesman said: 'A review of the product packaging identified it as most likely a product originally made for the Korean market and imported as a grey market product.' Mr Cuss said he is pleased that he has now received the cash but still wants an apology. A spokesman said: '99p Stores can confirm a settlement was reached between the claimants and the supplier of this product. There's no question of the authenticity of this product.' | Raymond Cuss's skin fell off and he feared being scarred for life .
Pain was so much even his underwear hurt when it touched burns .
Given £1,000 payout in out-of-court settlement from 99p Stores supplier .
Gel was meant for the Korean market and came from the 'grey market'
It is believed chemicals in gel reacted with chemicals he uses for work . |
103,779 | 11de82055af5e9a7a638c17b464a0fa9185c5435 | By . Chris Pleasance . They may be known as fast and vicious killers, but it seems even the king of beasts needs a cat nap every now and again. These pictures show the soft side of one of nature's deadliest predators as a lion has a nap in a tree. The shots were taken in the Maasai Mara national reserve in Kenya by designer Mark Bridger. This lazy lioness is pictured taking a nap in a tree in the Maasai Mara national park in Kenya . British photographer Mark Bridger captured the sleeping cat while on safari in the country . Mark, 45, was in Kenya for seven days after winning a photography competition and was amazed to get these shots of a the lazy lion. Mark, from West Malling, Kent said: 'I was on safari for seven days and I was waking up at 6am every day and staying out for about ten hours in order to take the perfect shots. 'We were in a safari jeep with no sides when I spotted the lionness up the tree. 'Maasai Mara is one of the only places on the planet where lions sleep in trees. It just doesn't really happen outside of Kenya so it was great to see.' Mr Bridger says he woke up every morning at 6am and stayed up for ten hours in order to get the perfect shots . Lions sleeping in trees, while not unheard of, is not common. They prefer to sleep in packs on the ground . Mark took his photographs of the lazy lionness from the safety of the Jeep, and the docile big cat didn't even notice. Mark said: 'If I had stepped out of the Jeep I am told she would have jumped out of the tree and killed me for sure. 'It was amazing to see such a power creature looking so lazy, hiding up in the tree. I'm glad I managed to capture the moment.' Lions are mostly active around dusk, when they hunt, or at night, and spend most of the day time asleep . Mr Bridger took the pictures from a Jeep while in the Maasai Mara, one of the few places lions sleep in trees . Lions are most active at night, or just after dusk when they hunt in short sharp bursts of activity, and spend up to 70 per cent of the rest of the day asleep. In order to escape the heat of the savannah where they live, they will often lay down in long grass or shelter under dense shrubs. Sleeping in trees in unusual behaviour for the species, which prefers to nap in packs on the ground. | Mark Bridger, 45, was on safari in Kenya when he took the pictures .
He had been getting up at 6am every day to get the perfect shot .
Spotted lioness asleep up a tree while in Massai Mara national park .
It is one of the only places in the world lions are known to sleep in trees . |
62,367 | b12a9731077c266f1fe21870c785cfe9cf71da14 | Convicted sex offender Dave Lee Travis was unrepentant as he was spared jail – claiming a £1million investigation had failed to prove he was a ‘sexual predator’. The disgraced DJ, 69, showed no remorse as he said his conviction for molesting a young researcher at the BBC had left him ‘mortified and disappointed’. He ignored calls for him to apologise to his victim. In a defiant speech outside court Travis, who has called the case a celebrity witch-hunt, appeared to suggest the guilty verdict was the result of prosecution mud-slinging. He said: ‘With millions of pounds of taxpayers’ money, thousands of hours of police resources, the judge accepted today that the Crown had failed to prove their case against me – namely that I was a sexual predator. Scroll down for video . Dave Lee Travis and his wife Marianne arrive at Southwark Crown Court, where the former radio DJ was given a sentence of three months in prison suspended for two years . Travis was found guilty of groping a researcher in her 20s behind the scenes of the Mrs Merton Show . Travis (pictured leaving court) was found guilty of groping researcher's breasts for 10-15 seconds after he saw her smoking and said 'your poor little lungs' ‘I have always worried, as have my close family and friends, that if the prosecution threw enough mud at me, some of it might stick. ‘While I am relieved I have been able to prove that I am not a sexual predator, I am mortified that I was convicted of one count. And it is of little comfort to me that I was acquitted of so many others.’ Former Top Of The Pops presenter Travis, who could have faced a maximum two-year jail sentence for indecent assault, was given a three-month sentence suspended for two years. Judge Anthony Leonard, QC, told Southwark Crown Court Travis had taken advantage of his status as a ‘well-known media personality’ to molest the 22-year-old researcher on the Mrs Merton Show in the belief ‘she would not make a fuss’. The woman, now a successful TV personality in her own right, said she was ‘subjected to an unprovoked and terrifying physical assault at my place of work’ which left her ‘paralysed with fear’. Travis has protested his innocence throughout the trial and tried to dismiss other women who claimed they had been groped by him as ‘fantasists and liars’. The Mrs Merton researcher said she had found suggestions that she was courting fame or seeking a financial pay-out particularly hurtful. Speaking outside court, Travis said he was 'mortified' and 'disappointed' that he had been found guilty . He added: 'Those close to me, including my wife Marianne (right) who has been by my side the whole time, we all know the truth and I am grateful for that' He also attacked his prosecution, which he said had cost the taxpayer 'millions' and used thousands of pounds of police resources . Judge Leonard said Travis had used his celebrity status and large frame to intimidate his victim. The victim told of her horror at the attack in an impact statement read to the court: . ‘I was a naive and trusting 22-year-old when I was subjected to an unprovoked and terrifying physical assault at my place of work. 'I was too paralysed with fear to confront my assailant but immediately told my boss. ‘I feel lucky, I was psychologically robust enough to deal with the distress, thanks largely to the support of my friends and colleagues. ‘I have coped by using humour as a defence mechanism. But remembering the incident still takes me back to feeling like a scared, vulnerable young woman. 'Being called a liar and fantasist and being forced to relive the events of the past has been painful. I was particularly horrified at the defendant’s allegations that desire for attention or financial greed motivated me. ‘I have sought to preserve my anonymity and have no intention of claiming compensation now or in the future. I simply wanted to tell the truth and was prepared to go through this unpleasant process to that end. ‘I am grateful I have always been believed by those who know me, and the members of the jury also appreciated I was telling the truth.’ He told him: ‘At over 6ft tall you towered over her… You pinned her up against the wall and started to touch her rib cage and slid your hands up over her breasts and her clothes, and started squeezing them. You left your hands there for several seconds. ‘She said that, with you looming over her, she felt scared and when she got away she was shaking and a bit beside herself. She described her feeling of being violated.’ The BBC now faces being sued by a number of women who claim Travis assaulted them during his 30-year career with the corporation. He could also face civil law suits, including one from a woman who claims he attacked her when she was a ‘pre-teen’ in the 1970s. Travis, who was tried under his real name David Griffin, was cleared earlier this year of 12 indecent assaults dating back to the mid-1970s, including an alleged assault on a 15-year-old girl. That jury failed to reach verdicts on alleged attacks against two other women and prosecutors decided he should face a retrial on those charges plus a third count of indecent assault against the Mrs Merton researcher, who had come forward during his first trial but was too late to be added to the charges. At the second trial he was convicted of that 1995 indecent assault, found not guilty of indecent assault on a second woman and the jury was hung on the other allegation, which was formally recorded as a not guilty verdict. Travis, who was not ordered to sign the Sex Offenders Register because the indecent assault was committed in 1995, before the register was introduced, left court hand-in-hand with his wife Marianne, 66. Travis was first arrested in October 2012 under Operation Yewtree, Scotland Yard's £3million investigation into historic sexual abuse in the wake of allegations against the late DJ Jimmy Savile. Sentencing Travis, Judge Leonard said the DJ's offence was of a 'different order' to other high profile convictions under Operation Yewtree . The court heard that Travis assaulted the woman in 1995 after appearing on the Mrs Merton Show (pictured) Max Clifford was sentenced to eight years in jail after being convicted of eight counts of indecent assault as part of Operation Yewtree . Dave Lee Travis is the third celebrity scalp to be claimed by sex crime inquiry Operation Yewtree. The 69-year-old was the fourth figure with links to the entertainment industry to be arrested as part of the investigation, which has now seen a total of 17 people questioned by police. The operation came in for criticism after its first two attempted prosecutions, against Coronation Street actors William Roache and Michael Le Vell, both ended with not guilty verdicts. However, in April this year the investigation secured its first conviction after Max Clifford was found guilty of eight counts of indecent assault on teenage girls, and sentenced to eight years in jail. During the trial the prosecution claimed the celebrity kiss-and-tell publicist took pleasure in degrading teenagers after he promised to make them Bond girls or TV stars. Rolf Harris was the second celebrity figure to be convicted after he was found guilty of 12 counts of indecent assault in June. He was jailed for five years for assaulting girls aged between seven and 19 over the course of three decades in the Sixties, Seventies, and Eighties. On the first day of his trial, Harris put on a confident display - singing Jake The Peg and explaining how he invented the wobble board - but was eventually undone after admitting he had found one of his 13-year-old victims attractive. Entertainer Rolf Harris is also serving time behind bars after being found guilty of 12 indecent assaults . Operation Yewtree was launched in the wake of claims made against late DJ Jimmy Savile, who was exposed as one of the most prolific sex offenders in British history after an ITV documentary. So far eight people - including comedians Jim Davidson and Freddie Starr - have been told that no further action will be taken against them, and another three, including broadcaster Paul Gambaccini, remain on police bail. The other six have been charged. As well as the three convictions, former pop star Gary Glitter and ex-Radio One DJ Chris Denning are facing prosecution in separate cases. Driver David Smith was due to face trial but died before he could do so. | Dave Lee Travis sentenced to three months in jail suspended for two years .
Court heard he pinned woman against a wall before squeezing her breasts .
Travis said he was 'mortified and really disappointed' at being found guilty .
He attacked prosecution for using 'millions of pounds of taxpayers' money'
Victim described 'pain' of being called 'a liar and a fantasist' during trial .
Police criticised Travis for denying charge and making victim relive ordeal . |
193,923 | 87099c0a804e96b9b2857669b9265f8657fc5161 | A young French mother who was flying to New York via Switzerland for a holiday with her husband and two young children was told she not allowed entry to the United States, seemingly because her name sounds suspiciously like terrorist network Al Qaeda. Aida Alic arrived with her family at Geneva airport on Wednesday preparing to board a connection to JFK. However she was told by Swiss Airlines officials that her access to the country had been denied. Forced to cancel their trip and return to their house near Chambery in the French Alps, it wasn't until the 33-year-old got home and started googling for answers that she realized her name appears surname first on her passport and reads 'Alic Aida'. 'Religious profiling': Aida Alic, 33, was denied access to the United States because, she believes, her name appears on her passport as 'Alic Aida', which is suspiciously similar to terrorist organization Al Qaeda. She even had her nails painted as the American flag in preparation for the trip . Ms Alic feels there is no other explanation for being turned away by customs. 'Alic Aida, Al-Qaeda.,' she told the French news website Dauphine Libere. 'When friends make the play on words to wind me up, I am used to it, but not this. 'Especially as my name is pronounced Alitch. 'It is of Yugoslav origin. 'And now here I am labelled as a risk.' The family are out of pocked almost $3,800 on the trip because their return flights to the states were not refundable. Access Denied: Aida Alic was turned away by officials at Geneva International Airport in Switzerland, en route to New York with her family . Ms Alic continues to make inquiries about the trip but is yet to receive any answers. The US embassy in Paris said it does not comment on individual cases of people appearing on the US no-fly list. As of 2012 there were over 21,000 names on the list which has been accused of religious and racial profiling and discrimination. | Aida Alic, 33, a French national, was traveling to New York with her husband and two young children .
During a connection in Geneva, Switzerland, Swiss Airlines officials told her access to the United States had been denied .
She was not given a reason .
The family were forced to return to their home in the French and forfeit $3,800 in non-refundable tickets .
She has made contact with authorities in the U.S. but has not heard back .
During an internet search she realized her name appears surname first on her passport as Alic Aida, which is similar to terrorist network Al Qaeda . |
240,009 | c2b71cc61133becbbbd3ae5bd91b587227a9a13d | A former Apple CEO who it is claimed fired Steve Jobs in the 1980s from the company he founded has admitted he made a mistake - and said he wished he had hired him back. John Sculley, who clashed with Jobs during his ten year tenure at the tech giant, said he thought that bringing back Jobs could have avoided the firm's disastrous performance in the 1990s. 'I wish in hindsight I had reached back to Steve and told him, 'I want to help you come back to Apple,'' Sculley told CNNMoney. Scroll down for video . Accusations: John Sculley, left, allegedly fired Apple founder Steve Jobs, right, from his own company - but now said he wished he had hired him back. 'I wish Apple had hired him back sooner rather than later.' Sculley's ten-year career at Apple saw some of its least successful products - including an iPad forerunner called Newton - and is viewed as a decline ahead of its resurgence in recent years. Sculley has previously spoken about his sometimes-fractious relationship with Jobs, which came to a head in a dispute over the pricing of the Apple Macintosh computer. Jobs wanted it to be cheap to drive sales and interest, while Sculley wanted to keep the price higher to protect its other products and defend the company's bottom line. Sculley, who also defended his tenure at the company, said in 2012: '[Apple] was the most profitable computer company in the world - not just personal computers - and Apple was the number one selling computer. 'So the myth that I fired Steve wasn't true and the myth that I destroyed Apple, that wasn't true either.' Sculley was finally forced out of Apple in 1993 over a dispute about licensing Macintosh's software to other PC makers. The board was in favour of letting other computer makers use Apple's software, but Sculley was opposed. Apple did end up licensing its software, which turned out to be a major mistake. By the time Apple hired Steve Jobs back in 1997, the company was posting giant losses. Had Sculley mended his differences with Jobs sooner and brought him back to Apple during his tenure, he says the company wouldn't have been in such dire straits in the late 1990's. 'When Steve came back, the first thing he did was to cancel the licensing,' Sculley said. 'At that point, only Steve Jobs could have revived the business. There's no way I could have ever done the things Steve Jobs did.' Sculley reserved his biggest compliments for current Apple CEO Tim Cook, who Sculley says is 'exactly the right guy' for the job. 'I say that without any reservation,' Sculley told CNN. 'Tim is doing a brilliant job.' Tenure: Sculley, pictured center above with Jobs (left) and co-founder Steve Wozniak (right) was Apple CEO for 10 years . Sculley was recently accused of hiding his fortune during a divorce battle . He allegedly signed over investments worth $25million to his brothers to avoid them being claimed by Carol 'Leezy' Sculley. Sculley, who spent ten years at the helm of the tech company, finalized his divorce in 2011, having claimed their combined worth was just $4.8million, Page Six reported. But his ex-wife claims that he had in fact been squirreling away assets more than a decade in advance, after starting an affair with a former Apple colleague in 2000. According to filings from 2013 seen by Page Six, Sculley asked his brothers Arthur and David to take on assets for him by starting a joint investment firm called Sculley Brothers - charges Sculley denies. The filing, made in Palm Beach, Florida, in 2013, accuses Sculley of lying to court. It then alleges he 'submitted a false financial affidavit . . . and failed to fully and honestly disclose his assets.' Those assets are later described as 'substantial private equity investments and investments in privately held companies and ventures around the globe'. Some estimates say that Sculley is worth as much as $200million in total. However, a representative for Sculley refuted the claims. He told DailyMail.com: 'The reality is that this case has been in the court of law for a number of years, and leaking false items to the media in a desire to pressure Mr. Sculley into settling this case is despicable. 'There is zero truth to these allegations. Mr. Sculley is confident this case will result in a full vindication for him.' | Sculley clashed with Jobs during his tenure at Apple - but denies sacking .
Hailed current CEO Tim Cook as 'exactly the right guy' for the job .
Sculley was recently accused of hiding his fortune during a divorce battle . |
269,163 | e8a88c99a873c7dc44942b1e4982adb35450f4a3 | By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 22:58 EST, 18 March 2014 . | . UPDATED: . 06:25 EST, 19 March 2014 . Hotel guests and residents at an historic San Francisco Bay Area hotel and social club were evacuated on Tuesday afternoon after a resident committed suicide in her room using a toxic chemical. The 80-year-old woman, whose named hasn’t been released, killed herself in her apartment on the third floor of the landmark Berkeley City Club. Police spokesman Officer Ethell Wilson said hazardous materials crews and bomb squad technicians responded to the call on the third floor of the six-story landmark shortly before 2 p.m. Hotel guests and residents at the landmark Berkeley City Club were evacuated on Tuesday afternoon after an 80-year-old resident committed suicide in her room using a toxic chemical . The victim reportedly left a suicide note outside her apartment alerting first responders to the hazardous situation, police said. Other residents and guests were evacuated, but there no one else was injured. The woman mixed the chemical with water so that it became a toxic gas. 'The known quantity of what appeared to be a hazardous material has been removed,' Sgt Okies BPD Sergeant Joe Okies said. The Julia Morgan-designed Berkeley City Club is a hotel and private social club with an indoor swimming pool and a restaurant, as well as a hair salon and meeting spaces. The victim reportedly left a suicide note outside her third floor apartment alerting first responders to the hazardous situation . | An 80-year-old resident at the Berkeley City Club committed suicide in her room using a toxic chemical on Tuesday .
Hotel guests and residents had to be evacuated but no one was injured .
The woman had mixed the chemical with water so that it became a toxic gas . |
67,875 | c091a4c9ff297d7d9e925e79b6f8c91df88196de | (CNN) -- Paint, wine and noodles -- three things which won't help Manchester United on the football pitch, but are helping swell the club's bank balance. While Louis van Gaal's team lost its opening English Premier League game of the 2013-14 season to Swansea, some consolation for United is being provided by its innovative sponsorship deals and partnerships with companies around the globe. The Old Trafford team's strategy of capitalizing on its worldwide appeal by targeting localized sponsorships and partnerships has generated $42.6 million (€32m) across 38 separate deals. It's a strategy that began six years ago when United signed a deal with Diageo's Smirnoff vodka brand as its "responsible drinking partner" in Asia-Pacific. In Malaysia, TM is its official telecommunications partner, while in Saudi Arabia it's STC -- and the list is growing. United is now generating over 350% more revenue through these type of deals than its nearest challenger Barcelona, according to a report published by sports market research company Repucom, though in comparison to television revenue the income from these deals is still relatively small. Having started in the 2013-2014 season , the Premier League's current three-year television deal is worth $9.4 billion -- $5.7 billion for domestic rights, the rest for overseas. By way of comparison 84 localized sponsorship deals accounted for over €54m ($72m) in income for 20 top European clubs In the 2013-14 season. Even so, other top clubs are upping their game, with Barcelona appointing Tecate as its official beer in Mexico, while United's archrival Liverpool has ComeOn! as official betting partner in Scandinavia. United's neighbor Manchester City, recently sanctioned by UEFA for breaching Financial Fair Play rules, is acutely aware of the need to raise additional sponsorship income and did six deals -- including one with Saigon Hanoi Bank as its official debit card partner in Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia. "Whilst broadcast rights remain the biggest income stream for clubs in Europe, commercial activities are the second largest contributor, accounting for 29% of all revenues made. Identifying new ways to increase the value of these deals is incredibly important," Repucom's football expert Andrew Walsh told CNN. United's efforts to capitalize on its global following gathered pace after the late Malcolm Glazer and his family took control of the club in 2005. The Glazers, who already owned an NFL franchise, quickly realized the potential for established brands to become associated with the success of the EPL club under former manager Alex Ferguson . Back then, most clubs' principal sponsor had its name emblazoned across the teams' strip, and it remains a key source of income. General Motors will be paying United $80 million per season for seven years to have the Chevrolet logo displayed on the kit, but the marketing operation now extends across some unlikely areas. Casillero Del Diablo is United's official wine, there's an official medical partner -- Toshiba Medical Systems -- and even an official noodle partner, Nissin Food Groups. Underneath these overarching global deals come the local and regional partners, with the Asia-Pacific region the most fertile. But other territories offer great potential for further exploitation, and the growing popularity of football in North America is a case in point. "Markets such as the U.S. pose as a great opportunity for these clubs too in developing this trend, as leagues such as the Premier League become more influential in North America," said Walsh. Astute marketeers are also keeping in touch with the latest developments in social media, where individual fan loyalty can be tapped, again with a local offer. "Increasingly, companies are focusing more on the individual consumer, not just a general population, tailoring products and services to better suit the end user," added Walsh. "The trend we are seeing with Europe's top football clubs illustrates that perfectly through the way they segment their commercial assets for specific, localized markets and in turn, that market's fan base." But for the strategy to be fully exploited, it's necessary for the clubs to achieve success on the pitch, so for United the season ahead under van Gaal is crucial. David Moyes' reign was abruptly cut short by the Glazers as results failed to meet expectation, with United finishing seventh in the EPL and failing to win a trophy other than the preseason FA Community Shield. Van Gaal is charged with restoring the club's fortunes to ensure the cash keeps coming in from commercial activities but will also be hoping that his transfer budget reflects that continuing success story. So as United looks to raise funds for player purchases, it won't stop at noodles and wine. | Manchester United leads the way in localized sponsorship deals .
Club dominates this market with Asia-Pacific region its strongest .
Other clubs such as Barcelona stepping up activity in this area .
Man Utd hopes Louis van Gaal can restore its fortunes . |
224,544 | aebb525f19f196a427e41bfa6832abe5d6facf66 | (CNN) -- Like many 23-year-olds, Amanda Eang is self-conscious about her body. She constantly covers up and wears loose-fitting clothing to disguise her shape. At five-foot-two, she weighs just 93 pounds, and for years she has tried to gain weight. "There are a lot of shows about losing weight, but they really don't have anything for people who are underweight," she says. "It's just as frustrating for people who are trying to gain weight." Eang, who lives in Toronto, says she has tried everything: eating junk food (which left her with high cholesterol), drinking supplements and doing resistance training. She'd like to reach 110 pounds, but she has never even weighed 100 pounds. Fewer than 2% of adults in the United States are underweight, according to 2007 to 2010 data collected by the National Center for Health Statistics. To be considered underweight, individuals must have a body mass index of less than 18.5. A woman who is five-foot-six, for example, would weigh 114 pounds or less. For some, difficulty gaining weight can be a frustrating problem and must be approached in a healthy way, experts say. Ruling out problems . Before attempting to put on pounds, individuals who feel they are underweight should visit their primary care doctor for a complete physical examination, says Craig Primack, a medical obesity specialist and member of the American Society of Bariatric Physicians. Waist size signals diabetes risk . A physician can rule out medical issues that would impede weight gain or cause malabsorption, including celiac disease, lactose intolerance, bacterial overgrowth syndrome or B12 deficiency. Genetics play a big role in why some people are underweight, Primack says. A high metabolic rate is usually a factor, he says . The rest is a mystery. Experts have done significantly less research about being underweight than causes of being overweight. If individuals are slightly underweight, it might not be a sign of a problem. They may be in sync with their bodies' needs and avoid overeating, Primack says. Being naturally underweight is different from an eating disorder, in which individuals consciously try to reduce their size and avoid eating through various means. "If someone has a problematic relationship with food, that's an eating disorder, and it doesn't matter what your weight is," says Linda Bacon, a psychologist and researcher at the University of California at Davis and author of "Health at Every Size: The Surprising Truth About Your Weight." Fitness trainer gains and loses 70 pounds in one year -- on purpose . In extreme cases, being underweight can lead to difficulty fighting diseases, and for women it could lead to amenorrhea, or inability to menstruate, says Rachel Begun, a registered dietitian and spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. If individuals are underweight and also not getting enough nutrients, this could cause osteoporosis, anemia and other nutrient-related conditions. Putting on the pounds . No matter the reason for wanting to gain weight, it is important to focus on the quality, not the quantity, of calories consumed, Begun says. "The whole point is to eat more calories, but it shouldn't be a license to gorge on empty calorie foods," she says. Pairing calorie intake with both aerobic exercise and weight resistance training is crucial for cardiovascular health, she says. What to eat and drink when you exercise . Primack suggests fewer repetitions of higher weight in exercises that incorporate the whole body, done three to four times per week, in addition to cardiovascular exercise. At 28 years old, five-foot-ten and 138 pounds, Bryan Johnson of Minneapolis has tried some of these tactics to little avail. He'd like to reach 160 pounds, a goal he says he's "pretty much given up on." He's attempted intense workouts, drinking protein supplements and eating until he feels sick. Sticking to these plans despite his work schedule has been his biggest obstacle, he says. Like healthy weight loss, healthy weight gain takes time, Begun says. Individuals should try to put on about one pound per week, which means adding about 500 calories per day, she says. This allows for adding lean muscle and bone mass rather than unhealthy fat. Would you lose weight if money were at stake? It is best to choose foods from all food groups, especially complex carbohydrates, lean protein and healthy fats. Some healthy yet calorie-packed options include nuts and nut butters, seeds, dried fruit, low-fat milk, yogurt smoothies, avocado, hummus and other bean spreads, Begun says. Whole grain pastas, sauces with brown lean beef and fish are also positive choices, Primack says. Gaining a new perspective . As society in general has become increasingly overweight, underweight individuals may feel they stand out. Others should be conscious of how their remarks that someone looks "too skinny" could be hurtful, Eang says. "Some people have said, 'Oh, you look fine,' ... and there are other people who say, 'You're skinny.' It's the same way, that if a person were fat, (commenting on) it would be offensive." Bacon says it is more important to practice healthy habits than to worry about weight and societal ideas about beauty and attractiveness. "I don't think the answer is to gain weight to meet social standards or meet some kind of arbitrary idea of health," she says. "We have so many social and health expectations that aren't predicated on what's true for the individual." If underweight individuals are living healthy lifestyles but still find themselves on the lower end of the weight spectrum, it may be helpful to change how they view their bodies, she says. "The best avenue is to start to appreciate the functionality of our bodies," she says. "It is just amazing I have legs that can carry me from one place to another ... that we have mouths that allow many of us to be able to speak. There is so much we can just appreciate and marvel at in our bodies." Are you part of the "2 percent"? Do you feel as if you are underweight and want to gain a few pounds? Is weight even the best way to determine if an individual is healthy? Share your thoughts and experiences in the comment section below. | Two percent of adults in the United States are underweight .
Difficulty gaining weight can be a frustrating problem .
Genetics play a big role in why some people are underweight .
It may be more important to practice healthy habits than worry about weight . |
75,231 | d54da603155d9e507b81d7188e1baee2f984a99a | North Korea's enigmatic leader Kim Jong Il -- who, after succeeding his father 17 years ago, captained his poor, closed nation and antagonized its enemies -- is dead, state media reported Monday. Kim, 69, died at 8:30 a.m. Saturday, according to state media. A tearful broadcaster reported that Kim died due to "overwork" after "dedicating his life to the people." Kim suffered "great mental and physical strain" while on a train during a "field guidance tour," North Korea's state-run KCNA news agency reported. A look back at the life of Kim Jong Il . More specifically, the agency reported that Kim suffered a heart attack and couldn't be saved despite the use of "every possible first-aid measure." He had been treated for "cardiac and cerebrovascular diseases for a long period," KCNA noted. His funeral will be held December 28 and the national mourning period extends until December 29, said the news agency. North Korean and communist party officials "released a notice on Saturday informing" members of the Workers' Party of Korea, military "and all other people" of Kim's passing, according to KCNA. South Korea's national security council convened after news broke about Kim's death and was still meeting as of 2 p.m. Monday, President Lee Myung-bak's office said. The president canceled the rest of his Monday schedule, and all members of South Korea's military have been placed on "emergency alert," according to Lee's office. Under the alert -- which is short of the highest possible level -- South Korean forces will monitor North Korean troop movements closely and tighten security measures at sea, according to the ministry of defense. In addition, South Korea's National Police Agency has ordered police across the country to be on emergency work shifts. "South Korea's concern is warranted, frankly, because an insecure North Korea could well be an even more dangerous North Korea," a U.S. official said. The White House, meanwhile, released a statement saying U.S. officials are "closely monitoring reports" of Kim's death and are "in close touch with our allies in South Korea and Japan." This Just In: Up-to-the minute news on the death of Kim Jong Il . "We remain committed to stability on the Korean peninsula, and to the freedom and security of our allies," the White House statement said. The son of Kim Il Song, founder of the communist nation, Kim Jong Il had been in power since 1994 when his father died of a heart attack at age 82. The enigmatic leader was a frequent thorn in the side of neighboring South Korea, as well as the United States. There have been reports in recent years about his health, as well as that power will be transitioned to his son, Kim Jong Un. North Korea's nuclear program -- and international attempts to hinder its nuclear weaponry potential -- put Kim at odds with many world leaders in recent years, as did his governing style. iReport: Send us your reaction . Under his leadership, North Korea was largely closed off to outside influences, fearful of threats from its neighbors and subject to decades of political socialization. At the same time, it also sought international aid after extensive famines that contributed to the deaths of tens of thousands of people. Both North Korea and South Korea have shown signs of concession in recent years -- Pyongyang has expressed willingness to engage with countries involved in multilateral talks aimed at North Korea's denuclearization, while Seoul recently sent humanitarian aid through U.N. agencies to help the malnourished population in the North. But relations between the two rival nations soured yet again when North Korea launched an attack on the South Korean island of Yeonpyeong, killing two South Korean marines and two civilians. U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta said earlier this fall that the greatest threat from North Korea is weapons of mass destruction. "North Korea continues to defy the international community as it enhances its nuclear weapons, its ballistic missile programs and continues to engage in dangerous and destabilizing proliferation activities." The regime has been planning a nationwide, yearlong celebration in 2012 to show North Korea is "strong and prosperous" and also to honor of the 100th anniversary of the birth of Kim Il Song, the communist nation's founder. North Korean news reports earlier this fall indicated that Kim Jong Il had been traveling around the country and visiting China, a big change from 2009 when he was thought to be ill with cancer. Two senior U.S. military officials said then that they believed the pace of North Korea's planned regime change from Kim to his 20-something son appeared to have slowed. The son, also known as Kim, started his career as a four-star general and in recent years was given more official duties by his father. "He's clearly the designated successor," Mike Chinoy, a senior fellow at the U.S.-China Institute who once worked for CNN, said of Kim Jong Un. "This has been in place for a while." Chinoy said he expected that, in the short-term, North Koreans would "rally around the flag (and) hunker down." But given the nation's deep-rooted economic and other problems, maintaining that unity and control without a overarching figure like Kim Jong Il in place may be more difficult. "The deeper questions come over the long-term," Chinoy said. | "An insecure North Korea could (be) more dangerous," a U.S. official says .
South Korea's national security council is convening, its president says .
Kim died of a heart attack while on a train, North Korea's state news agency reports .
Kim Jong Il was the son of Kim Il Song, the founder of the communist nation . |
127,335 | 309807affffab5799ebd8b50efa6c93257f17126 | The astonishing scale of Eastern European migration to Britain is revealed today in figures uncovered by the Daily Mail. They show that 1.3 per cent of Eastern Europeans living anywhere in Europe – including in their native countries – are now in the UK. It means one in 75 of those born in eight former communist nations that joined the EU in 2004 is resident here – and the true numbers are likely to be even greater as the figures are three years old. Scroll down for video . Queue: Thousands of Romanians wait to vote in elections in Portsmouth this week . For some individual countries, the proportions of their citizens living here are particularly high. One in 30 Lithuanians in Europe now lives in Britain, as do one in 30 Latvians, one in 60 Poles and one in 200 Hungarians. Since the statistics were recorded in 2011, Eastern European migrants have continued to flock to the UK. Yesterday new figures also showed Britain is giving citizenship to more migrants than any other EU country – with 193,000 foreign nationals given passports in 2012. Since 2000, more than 2.1million migrants have acquired British citizenship. Today’s figures expose the vast exodus from Eastern European nations to Britain since border controls were dropped ten years ago. The data was compiled by the independent Migration Observatory at Oxford University and is based on census data from across the continent in 2011. Figures released in August showed the number of migrants from the eight newly-joined Eastern European countries working in Britain rose by more than a quarter in a year. Romanian and Bulgarian migrant numbers have also continued to increase. The influx has placed huge pressure on public services including the NHS, schools and housing. Immigration is now among the top two biggest concerns cited by the public in opinion polls. The figures are calculated from census data showing how many people born in each country are resident in Britain, how many are still at home and how many have moved elsewhere in Europe. It shows there are around 654,000 Polish nationals in the UK out of 41.5million in Europe – meaning 1.6 per cent live here. The scale of the migration from Lithuania is even more stark. A total of 108,000 Lithuanians live in Britain, some 3.4 per cent of all those in Europe. Lithuania has a much smaller population at around three million. A total of 61,440 Latvians live in Britain – or 3.2 per cent of the 1.9million anywhere in Europe. For Slovakia the figure is 1.2 per cent, for the Czech Republic 0.4 per cent, Estonia 0.7 per cent and Hungary 0.5 per cent. Between 2004 and last year, the population of Eastern European migrants in Britain rose by 544 per cent, from around 167,000 to 1,077,000. Dr Carlos Vargas-Silva, the Observatory’s acting director, said: ‘Eastern European migration to the UK is not a completely new phenomenon – Polish people were the second largest foreign-born group in the UK, after Irish born people, in the 1951 census. But the scale of change that the UK has seen in the last decade is significantly greater.’ EU migration has blown a hole in the Government’s attempts to fulfil a pledge to cut net migration to below the tens of thousands, and helped fuel the rise of Ukip. David Cameron has promised to secure major reforms to free movement rules ahead of a proposed referendum in 2017. On Tuesday Labour sought to toughen its position on migration by suggesting it would seek to negotiate a two-year ban on some benefit claims for EU migrants. But last night Eurosceptic Tory MPs said the figures showed Britain needed to reclaim control of its borders by leaving the EU. Backbench Conservative MP for Shipley Philip Davies said: ‘These figures are staggering. This is the inevitable consequence of opening our borders when Britain is creating more jobs than the rest of the EU put together. David Cameron has promised to secure major reforms to free movement rules ahead of a proposed referendum in 2017 . ‘We can’t cope with that level of immigration culturally, our NHS can’t cope and we can’t build enough houses to house them all.’ The figures also show how the populations of Eastern European countries have been hollowed out by emigration over the last decade. The Daily Mail understands that senior Eastern European politicians have raised the issue of domestic ‘brain drain’ with Mr Cameron in high-level talks. It raises the prospect of them lending their support for his proposed reforms. Last week, Lithuanian Prime Minister Algirdas Butkevičius spoke publicly about the huge numbers of his population to have moved to Britain in recent years, after meeting Mr Cameron at a conference in Finland. Downing Street officials confirmed that other EU countries had raised concerns that they face the opposite problem to that seen in Britain. The PM has pledged to put reform of immigration rules at the centre of his renegotiation of Britain’s relationship with Europe. | Statistics show 1.3 per cent of Eastern Europeans living anywhere in Europe are now in the UK .
Britain is giving citizenship to more migrants than any other EU country, figures show .
Since 2000, more than 2.1m migrants have acquired British citizenship .
Data compiled by independent Migration Observatory at Oxford University .
Romanian and Bulgarian migrant numbers have also continued to increase . |
42,506 | 77d9ce1dd8b68ac1f87887a891b5b4383284ccaa | By . Lydia Warren . Two-month-old conjoined twins have passed away in their home after their parents made the agonizing decision not to risk separating them. Andrew and Garrett Stancombe, who were born on April 10, had been receiving hospice care at their home in Indiana, Pennsylvania, about 45 miles north of Pittsburgh, before they died on June 24. The boys, who were conjoined at the chest and shared a heart and a liver, were born to Michelle Van Horne and Kody Stancombe, who also have a 22-month-old son, Riley. Van Horne told the Indiana Gazette that she had returned to work for the first time last Monday when she learned that the boys were struggling to breathe. Scroll down for video . Missed: Conjoined twins Andrew and Garrett Stancombe have passed away 76 days after they were born . Stancombe and a nurse kept them comfortable and Michelle returned home, but the boys passed away the following day at 4am. They contacted relatives before sharing the heartbreaking news on Facebook just after midnight. 'Our . precious little boys have gone up to heaven,' Van Horne wrote. 'We . thank everyone who followed every step with the boys and have shown . their support.' She added: 'We’re happy in . knowing we had these special little boys with us. And . now… they may be gone but in a way we know they’re not gone from us.' Proud mom: Parents Michelle Van Horne, pictured, and her boyfriend Kody Stancombe had decided against separating the boys, who shared a heart and liver, but accepted that it meant they could pass . Family: The couple had been overjoyed when the babies could return home after four days . The . couple, who had been advised to have an abortion, had been overjoyed . when the boys were able to return home with them just four days after . their birth by C-section delivery. Doctors had given them just a 25 per cent chance of living more than a day, but the baby boys battled on. As . the twins shared organs, their parents decided not to risk operating on . them and accepted that it might mean the boys would eventually leave . them. 'They’ll continue to fight until it’s . their time,' Van Horne told WPXI. 'We will love them and cherish them until that moment and . continue even after.' In those early days, she was overjoyed to see them 'doing everything a normal infant would do. That's why . we see them as our miracle babies'. Together: The boys, pictured shortly after they returned home in April, took a turn for the worst last Monday when they struggled to breathe and passed away early the next morning . The babies battled on until their 76th day. Their funeral has been set for Thursday evening, following visitation at the Rairigh-Bence Funeral Home in Indiana. According to the University of Maryland Medical Center, conjoined twins occur one in every 200,000 births, and their survival is anything but assured. Approximately 60 per cent of conjoined twins arrive stillborn, and . about 35 per cent survive only one day. While surgery may be performed to . separate them, it is risky depending upon where they are joined and . whether they share internal organs, experts at the Mayo Clinic said. | Andrew and Garrett Stancombe, who were born on April 10, shared a heart and liver so their parents made the decision not to separate them .
Instead parents Michelle Van Horne and Kody Stancombe, from Indiana, Pennsylvania, chose to appreciate the time they had with both babies .
On June 23, the boys started struggling to breathe and passed the next day . |
173,987 | 6d26be43bdea5471e98b0f01c3137786b2c12e8b | Liverpool striker Mario Balotelli is the subject of an FA investigation into alleged anti-Semitism. The Italian striker re-posted an image to his Instagram account of the gaming character Super Mario which read: 'Don't be racist — be like Mario. He's an Italian plumber created by Japanese people who speaks English and looks like a Mexican.' At the bottom the image included the words: '... jumps like a black man and grabs coins like a Jew.' If Balotelli is charged by the FA he could face a five-match ban. VIDEO Scroll down to see Balotelli's latest weird yet wonderful TV advert . Liverpool striker Mario Balotelli posted the image on Monday before swiftly deleting it . Balotelli has not been impressive since arriving this summer, and is yet to score a Premier League goal . Nicolas Anelka was banned for five matches and fined £80,000 by the FA in February of this year after making the controversial 'quenelle' gesture after scoring for West Brom against West Ham. The Frenchman denied that his 'inverted Nazi salute' was anti-Semitic. Balotelli then appeared to delete the image before denying he had made an offensive anti-Semitic reference. 'My Mom is jewish so all of u shut up please,' he said on Twittter. A spokesperson for the FA was quoted in the Guardian saying the governing body was looking into the matter. They can take action if they believe Balotelli has 'bought the game into disrepute by making comments which included a reference to ethnic origin and/or colour and/or race'. 'We are aware of the posting which has since been promptly deleted by the player,' a Liverpool spokesman said. 'We will be speaking to the player about the issue.' Balotelli had already deleted a photoshopped image of him being bitten in the arm by former Liverpool man Luis Suarez, in reference to the Uruguayan striker's ban for biting Giorgio Chiellini in the World Cup in June. Italian striker Balotelli soon posted a defence for the image, saying his mother is Jewish . Balotelli's mocked up picture, pretending to show Luis Suarez's biting his arm, was also deleted on Monday . The original picture was taken by a man wearing a USA shirt, and has been adapted by the Italian striker . Former FA executive and current chief executive of the Jewish Leadership Council, Simon Johnson, believes Balotelli should be investigated. He told the Daily Telegraph: 'We abhor all forms of racism, wherever it is found. 'We call upon the FA to investigate this offensive social media post and to take action if appropriate if we are to succeed in kicking racism out of football.' Balotelli's post comes after Rio Ferdinand was fined £45,000 in 2012 for his 'choc ice' tweet aimed at Ashley Cole after he gave evidence at John Terry's racism trial. And just last month, Wigan owner Dave Whelan was charged by the FA for making comments about Jewish and Chinese people after the Championship club appointed Malky Mackay as their new boss. Mackay himself is under investigation by the FA for sending racist, sexist and homophobic messages while he was the manager of Cardiff City. Whelan told the Guardian he believed 'Jewish people chase money more than everybody else'. Sportsmail takes a look at some more of Balotelli's on and off-field incidents during his time in English football. CAR CRASH (August 2010) Just days after signing for City, Balotelli hits the headlines after crashing his Audi R8 en route to the club's training ground. Balotelli is found to be carrying £5,000 in cash at the time of the accident and when police ask why, he reportedly replies: 'Because I am rich.' FIRST RED CARD (November 2010) Balotelli scores his first Premier League goals in a 2-0 win at West Brom but the achievement is marred when he is sent off following a clash with Youssouf Mulumbu. WILSHERE SNUB (December 2010) City boss Roberto Mancini says Balotelli must change his attitude following his claims he had never heard of Jack Wilshere after beating the Arsenal midfielder to FIFA's Young Player of the Year award. DART-THROWING INCIDENT (March 2011) Balotelli again hits trouble after it emerges he threw a dart at a City youth team player. No one was hurt in the incident and he escapes punishment. SECOND RED CARD (March 2011) Balotelli apologises to his team-mates after he is sent off during a Europa League tie with Dynamo Kiev for a reckless challenge on Goran Popov. BACK-HEEL BLUNDER (July 2011) Balotelli is immediately substituted by an enraged Mancini after performing a pirouette and back-heeling wide when clean through on goal in a pre-season friendly against the Los Angeles Galaxy. FIREWORKS AT HOME (October 2011) Ten firefighters used breathing apparatus as they put out a blaze at Balotelli's £7,500-a-month house in Mottram St Andrew, Cheshire, after fireworks were set off in a bathroom. The Italian was left with a repair bill of £400,000. THIRD RED CARD (November 2011) The third red card of Balotelli's City career arrives in a league match against Liverpool, the 21-year-old dismissed for two yellow cards. BREAKING CURFEW (December 2011) Balotelli breaks a club 48-hour curfew by visiting a curry house ahead of a match against Chelsea. RICHARDS CLASH (December 2011) Just days after Balotelli's curfew lapse, he again attracts negative headlines after pictures emerge of a training-ground bust-up with team-mate Micah Richards. PARKER CLASH (January 2012) Balotelli is charged with violent conduct by the Football Association, and subsequently handed a four-match ban, after appearing to stamp on the head of Tottenham's Scott Parker during a Premier League match. INTER PRESS CONFERENCE (March 2012) Balotelli gatecrashes the press conference to announce the appointment of Andrea Stramaccioni as Inter Milan's new coach. FOURTH RED CARD (April 2012) Balotelli is sent off for two bookable challenges on Arsenal full-back Bacary Sagna. Also guilty of a shocking knee-high challenge on Gunners midfielder Alex Song. CLASH WITH MANCINI (January 2013) Balotelli clashes with Mancini during training with the pair pulled apart by coaches. | Mario Balotelli re-posted an image on Instagram of Super Mario which included the words: 'Jumps like a black man and grabs coins like a Jew'
Liverpool striker Balotelli then appeared to swiftly delete the image .
He defended the post saying: 'My Mom is jewish so all of u shut up please'
A spokesperson for the FA was quoted in the Guardian saying the governing body was looking into the matter .
Balotelli could face a five-match ban if he is charged by the FA . |
35,980 | 6620d0232d52e851d800647cd5ad578d800c63c2 | An image of a gold Bugatti Veyron graffitied with a drawing of a penis may have upset car lovers - but it turns out the vehicle was included in a YouTube hoax. Photos from multiple Instagram accounts have revealed the luxury vehicle wasn't permanently damaged. Instagram user @andreysmygov uploaded a photo last Friday of the Veyron with a caption that suggested it was painted on as a stunt for TwinzTV, Car Crushing noted. Scroll down for video . Graffitied: A photo of the 'vandalised' Bugatti Veyron was reportedly taken in Seattle, according to a Reddit post . Busted: This Instagram photo from @andreysmygov included a caption suggesting the car was spray-painted as a stunt with TwinzTV . 'How often do u get to spray paint on a Bugatti lol shoutout to the homie @vgtorious for letting us @twinztv1 @twinztv2 @twinz_tv @nigxl @alexwood66,' he wrote online. Brothers Jeremy and Jason Holden run the YouTube pranks channel TwinzTV. A Saturday photo @andreysmygov shows user @vgtorious standing next to the Veyron, this time with different graffiti. Instead of a drawing of male genitalia, there is graffiti of the initials 'VG' A Sunday photo from his account shows both @andreysmygov and @vgotorious leaning on a scrubbed-clean Veyron, suggesting the luxury vehicle no longer features any markings. 'Filming new vid with @vgtorious this one is going to be sick! #vgproductions #bugatti' @andreysmygov captioned the photograph. A photo of the car being waxed - with no graffitti visible - was posted by @vgtorious to Instagram on Saturday, though it is not clear when that took place. Different drawing: A second photo @andreysmygov's account shows different graffitti on the hood of the Veyron . He also re-grammed the photograph showing him next to the with the letters 'VG' on the hood, confirming the hoax. 'Oops I think we pranked the WORLD and the video hasn't aired...yet �� #bugatti #veyron #vw #youtube #global #news #pranks #funny #bugattifamilyimsorry', he captioned the snap. Jeremy Holden also uploaded a snap of the penis drawing on the Veyron on Saturday. He wrote, 'I got to spray paint this on @vgtorious #buggati today haha #prank #twinztv #youtube #funny #seattle with @_twinztv_ @twinztv2 @andreysmygov.' TwinzTV already featured the Bugatti Veyron in an August YouTube video, Car Crushing pointed out. In that clip, a man leans against the Veyron picking up women, with a much less expensive silver car parked behind him. When he convinces the women to get food with him, all but one leave when they realize he is not the Veyron's actual owner - and actually owns the silver car. | A gold Bugatti Veyron seen in Seattle was reportedly graffitied with a drawing of a penis in a YouTube hoax .
Instagram photos have revealed the expensive sports car was used in a prank for YouTube channel TwinzTV .
TwinzTV featured the Bugatti Veyron in an August YouTube video . |
41,271 | 746c12ecfd552f6da04006742419436f50842784 | Kevin Pietersen has insisted his offer to play against England during their tour of Australia next week is a serious one. England are due to face a Prime Minister's XI in Canberra on Wednesday as a warm-up to the tri-series against India and Australia, and Pietersen said he was keen to replace Mike Hussey, who has been forced to withdraw with a calf injury. "In the Prime Minister's game on Wednesday, Mr Michael Hussey's missed out. Jeez, I fancy that," Pietersen said on the players' microphone while playing for Melbourne Stars in the Big Bash League, screened by Sky Sports 2. Kevin Pietersen is currently playing for Australian side Melbourne Stars in Australia's Twenty20 Big Bash . Commentator Adam Gilchrist, the former Australia wicketkeeper, asked: "Are you telling us you're available?" Pietersen replied: "Mate, I'm always available." As if to prove a point, Pietersen went on to hit a run-a-ball 49 in his team's nail-biting victory over the Melbourne Renegades. Andrew Flintoff, who is playing for Brisbane Heat in the Big Bash, responded to Pietersen's comments on Twitter. "If @KP24 plays for the primeministers XI they'll need a turnstile at the bowlers end, they'll be queuing up," he tweeted. Former England teammate Andrew Flintoff is clearly keen on granting former captain Pietersen his wish . Later, responding to comments on Twitter that his offer to play was "banter" with the commentators, Pietersen said: "No it wasn't. I want to play. I'd smash it! End of!" He then tweeted Australian prime minister Tony Abbott, saying: "Dear @TonyAbbottMHR - I'm available x." The 34-year-old was sacked by England almost a year ago, but has been on hand with regular barbs ever since a confidentiality agreement between the two parties expired. His explosive autobiography included many unhappy reflections on his international career, not to mention claims of a bullying dressing room culture. England exile Pietersen bats against Melbourne Renegades during the Twenty20 Big Bash in Australia . Pietersen supposedly covets an unlikely Three Lions recall, but the South African-born batsman again used the press conference as a chance to settle scores with his former team-mates. He claimed his lucrative Indian Premier League contract caused resentment and he prefered playing in the BBL, where many players participate in franchise cricket in other countries. "There's no jealousy here. That's the fact," he said of life with the Stars. "None of these guys are jealous of anything. We're just good guys, hanging out and playing cricket. All these guys play in franchises around the world, they've all benefited from the IPL. "The England lads - too much jealousy. I was the only one profiting - very, very well - out of India and in an auction, if you don't get picked up, it's pretty demoralising." Glenn Maxwell is congratulated by Pietersen after reaching 50 runs against the Melbourne Renegades . | Former England captain wants to be named in Prime Minister's XI .
Currently plays in Australia for Twenty20 Big Bash side Melbourne Stars .
Pietersen made comments following game with Melbourne Renegades .
Could take the place of Michael Hussey who now misses the game . |
30,276 | 5615851616bc32279fcb89aef16489b41e99f466 | (CNN) -- Rights groups are warning of a backlash against activists in Sri Lanka following a landmark United Nations resolution calling for an international inquiry into abuses at the end of the country's civil war. The U.N.'s Human Rights Council passed a resolution Thursday calling for a "comprehensive investigation into alleged serious violations and abuses of human rights" allegedly committed both by Sri Lankan government forces and the separatist Tamil Tigers in the final stages of the country's brutal 26-year civil war. The resolution -- the Council's third directed at Sri Lanka in recent years, but the first explicitly calling for an independent probe -- tasked the U.N.'s Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights with conducting the investigation. Sponsored by countries including the United States and Britain, the resolution was supported by 23 members of the 47-member Human Rights Council, with 12 opposed and 12 abstentions. In comments on a government website, Sri Lanka's President Mahinda Rajapaksa said his government rejected the resolution, saying it did not help efforts at national reconciliation. The government would press ahead with its own healing process by pursuing recommendations made by its Lessons Learned and Reconciliation Commission, he said. A bloody end . The Sri Lankan civil war ended in May 2009 with the crushing defeat of the Tamil Tigers in their heartland in the north of the island. According to a report by a panel appointed by U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, government troops were responsible for abuses including the intentional shelling of civilians, summary executions, rape, and blocking food and medicine from reaching affected communities. One report estimates up to 40,000 Tamil civilians may have been killed in the war's final stages. The Tigers similarly stand accused of abuses, including using child soldiers, deploying civilians as human shields, and killing those who tried to escape. The Human Rights Council resolution also expresses "serious concern" at conditions that rights organizations claim persist in Sri Lanka -- including the intimidation of activists, disappearances and torture. Sri Lanka's government has consistently denied the allegations against it, and claims it faces a renewed threat of Tamil separatists regrouping in the country's north. This week, it banned the Tamil government-in-exile and 15 other Tamil groups operating in the U.S., Britain, Canada, Australia and Norway, accusing them of committing and supporting terrorism. Amnesty International's representative to the U.N. in Geneva, Peter Splinter, told CNN that the move would add to a climate that made it difficult for NGO staff, journalists and others interacting with Tamil groups, as it could render them vulnerable to anti-terror laws. "The consequences of that is that anyone dealing with those organizations will be subject to accusations of cooperating with terrorism --- that brings them within the parameters of a rather draconian piece of legislation, the Prevention of Terrorism Act," he said. 'Culture of impunity' Rights groups have welcomed the U.N. resolution, with David Griffiths, Asia-Pacific deputy director at Amnesty International, saying it brought "new hope for the thousands of victims of abuses in Sri Lanka," and presented the country's government with the opportunity "to restore some international credibility by cooperating with the investigation." But they say that Sri Lanka appeared to be responding to the increased international scrutiny by demonstrating a renewed determination to crack down on dissent. Fred Carver of the UK-based Sri Lanka Campaign for Peace and Justice said the recent arrests of prominent human rights activists Ruki Fernando and Rev. Praveen Mahesan under anti-terror laws highlighted the "culture of impunity" in which the government was operating. Shortly after Fernando was released after more than two days of detention last month, he told CNN he believed his arrest was part of "a deliberate attempt to intimidate and suppress any form of dissent, criticism or challenge, and clearly not allow people outside Sri Lanka to know what's happening inside the country." Fernando, who Carver said had since been instructed by the government not to speak with media, said the security personnel questioning him seemed interested in whether he was sharing information with people behind the U.N. resolution in Geneva. Splinter said the crackdown on activists and civil society figures appeared calculated to send a message to potential witnesses not to cooperate with the U.N. inquiry, which was scheduled to deliver an oral report to the Human Rights Council in September, and a written report in March. He said Sri Lanka's refusal to cooperate with the probe would likely not prove an issue, as similar commissions of inquiry into abuses in Syria and North Korea had progressed without the involvement of those governments. A crucial consideration, though, would be safeguarding the protection of witnesses, as even those in the diaspora would likely have family members remaining in Sri Lanka who could be vulnerable to potential retribution, he said. READ MORE: Are Sri Lanka's 'anti-terror' arrests an attempt to intimidate activists? | The U.N. has moved to launch an international inquiry into alleged abuses in Sri Lanka's civil war .
Rights groups warn Sri Lanka is responding to scrutiny with a hard line on dissent .
Some advocates say recent arrests seem intended to discourage testimony .
Sri Lanka has banned Tamil groups operating in the West, accusing them of terrorism . |
254,756 | d5c513d775f001aecf4b8a60689df9849234550d | By . Ben Spencer . Climate change is already having an impact on every part of the US, according to a doom-laden report published by the Obama administration. The third US National Climate Assessment, released today, says the number and strength of extreme weather events have increased over the past 50 years. The report is expected to guide the actions of President Barack Obama, who has indicated he aims to make the issue a defining part of his last two years in office. Scroll Down for Video . The US National Climate Assessment says that climate change is already having an effect on every part of the US. This map shows percent increases in the amount of precipitation falling in very heavy events from 1958 to 2012 for each region of the continental US . His influence will be vital in creating a successor to the Kyoto Protocol next year, when the United Nations aims to set legally binding targets for every country to reduce carbon emissions at a summit in Paris. President Obama is set to use the paper to convince the American public on the need for a crackdown on greenhouse gas emissions. The report, compiled by 300 experts and released by the White House, said: ‘Climate change, once considered an issue for a distant future, has moved firmly into the present. ‘Corn producers in Iowa, oyster growers in Washington State, and maple syrup producers in Vermont are all observing climate-related changes that are outside of recent experience.’ More than half the US population lives in coastal areas that are ‘increasingly vulnerable’ to the effects of climate change, the report said. And efforts to cut emissions so far are ‘insufficient to avoid increasingly negative social, environmental, and economic consequences’, it concluded. This photo shows the cracked-dry bed of the Almaden Reservoir in San Jose, California. Global warming is rapidly turning America the beautiful into America the stormy, sneezy and dangerous, according to a new federal scientific report . This graph shows observed global average changes (black line) in the climate, model simulations using only changes in natural factors like solar and volcanic (green) and model simulations with the addition of human-induced emissions (blue). Such changes since 1950 cannot be explained by natural factors or variability and can only be explained by human factors, says the report . The 800-page report says the consequences of climate change are hitting on several fronts, including health, infrastructure, water supply, agriculture and especially in more frequent severe weather such as floods and droughts. It added: ‘Global climate change is projected to continue to change over this century and beyond, but there is still time to act to limit the amount of change and the extent of damaging impacts.’ John Podesta, an adviser to President Obama, said the report includes ‘a huge amount of practical, usable knowledge that state and local decision-makers can take advantage of as they plan on or for the impacts of climate change and work to make their communities more resilient’. He added: ‘This assessment is about presenting actionable science.’ Vicki Arroyo, executive director of the Georgetown Climate Center of Georgetown University, said: ‘You really can’t just provide a report that paints this dark picture of all these impacts. ‘You have to couple it with a message of what our government can do about it, what you can do about it and what our communities can do.’ Water splashes over the Center Street Dam in the swollen Des Moines River in downtown Des Moines, Iowa. Climate change's assorted harms are expected to become increasingly disruptive across the nation throughout this century and beyond, the National Climate Assessment concluded Tuesday . The report echoes the message of the UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, which last month published the final part in a trilogy of reports into the science, impact and solutions to global warming. The first part, published last September, found that scientists are 95 per cent certain that humans are the ‘dominant cause’ of global warming. The second part, published in March, warned that the drastic impacts of climate change are ‘already occurring on all continents and across the oceans’. The final part, published in April on the options for mitigating global warming, warned that a rapid shift to wind and solar power is needed before 2030. An enormous region of East Antarctica is far more vulnerable to thaw that previously thought, according to a new study published today in the journal Nature Climate Change. Researchers of the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research claim that global warming could trigger an unstoppable slide of ice into the ocean and raise world sea levels for thousands of years. The Wilkes Basin in East Antarctica, stretching more than 600 miles (1,000 km) inland, has enough ice to raise world sea levels by 10 to 13 feet (three to four metres). The Wilkes is vulnerable because it is held in place by a small rim of ice, resting on bedrock below sea level by the coast of the frozen continent. That 'ice plug' might melt away in coming centuries if ocean waters warm up. 'East Antarctica's Wilkes Basin is like a bottle on a slant. Once uncorked, it empties out,' Matthias Mengel of the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research, lead author of the study in the journal Nature Climate Change, said in a statement. | The third US National Climate Assessment warns of worsening weather .
The report was compiled by 300 experts and released by the White House .
Obama will use the paper to convince the public to reduce emissions .
The 800-page report echoes the message of the UN's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change .
They both say humans need to reduce their impact on the climate or face catastrophic consequences . |
206,279 | 970b22eabde45466e8ee9f4a516d88a1938f2d5d | LONDON, England (CNN) -- It was inevitable that a tragedy on the scale of Hillsborough, when 96 Liverpool fans were crushed to death during an FA Cup semifinal with Nottingham Forest, would have a transformative effect on English football. A Liverpool supporter Wednesday, outside Anfield. Ninety-six fans died from the 1989 Hillsborough disaster. But there was little reason to believe 20 years ago that, rather than being pushed even further towards the margins of society, the sport was on the brink of a revolution that would give birth to a global sporting phenomenon. Even before Hillsborough, it had seemed as if there was something irredeemably rotten at the heart of English football. Hooliganism, a scourge synonymous with the English game, had receded from its peak in the 1970s but English clubs were outlawed from European competition after rampaging Liverpool fans caused a wall to collapse at Brussels' Heysel Stadium before the 1985 European Cup final, causing the deaths of 39 people, mostly supporters of the Italian side Juventus. British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, showing little understanding or patience for the traditions of the sport, had virtually ghettoized fans, promoting a scheme to have each supporter issued with an identity card. On the field, sides such as Liverpool, Tottenham Hotspur and Nottingham Forest were renowned for their attractive play but elsewhere a corrosive cult of long ball football pervaded the game. That trend seemed to find vindication when arch-exponents Wimbledon, who in the course of a decade had bullied and scrapped their way through four divisions to reach the top flight, defeated Liverpool in the 1988 FA Cup final, prompting match commentator John Motson to declare that "the Crazy Gang have beaten the Culture Club." With its clubs banned from Europe, many top British players opted to leave England altogether -- Gary Lineker and Mark Hughes to Barcelona, Glenn Hoddle to Monaco, Chris Waddle to Marseille -- adding further to the sense of terminal malaise. Hillsborough had not been caused by hooliganism but the tragedy was a product of the environment that hooliganism had created; stadiums resembling decrepit fortresses, the fans caged inside steel bars and heavy-handed policing which treated all supporters equally -- as potential troublemakers. Coupled with Heysel and a fire at Bradford in 1985 in which 56 fans died, it also served to reinforce the belief that going to a football match was something which could put your life in danger. In "The Last Game: Love, Death and Football," a book examining the lasting impact of the events of 1989 on the sport, author Jason Cowley describes Hillsborough as English football's "psychological moment, the point of no return." "The culture of the game had to change definitely if football was ever to be perceived as anything more than the preserve of the white, working class male, a theatre of hate and of violence, often racist and misogynistic excesses, if it was to survive at all," says Cowley. English football not only survived but within a few years had reinvented itself, in the elite "Premier League" division of the country's top clubs at least, as an internationally recognized super brand capable of attracting the world's best players and broadcast around the planet. The engine for this transformation, in the wake of Hillsborough, was the Taylor Report, an inquiry into the causes of the disaster which called for the steel fences inside grounds to be dismantled and for the phasing out of the traditional terraces of standing fans with all-seater stadiums. Initially clubs received government funding to help them meet the costs but the sport was about to receive an injection of cash that would radically change its financial prospects. Despite its poor reputation, there remained a huge appetite for televised football -- ironically, itself a by-product of the fact that many supporters were no longer going to matches. Realizing this, the country's top clubs broke away from the game's traditional power structure, setting up the Premier League and selling TV rights for £191 million ($286 million) to media tycoon Rupert Murdoch's newly established satellite television venture, BSkyB. The money was a shot in the arm for football, while Sky's coverage regenerated interest in the sport by repackaging it as something shiny, exotic and exciting. On a Europe-wide scale, the replacement of the old knockout format European Cup with the Champions League achieved something similar, creating a clique of continential superpowers. The television rights boom also convinced many in the sport that football could actually be profitable. Some clubs raised more cash by floating on stock markets and others, such as Bolton, Middlesbrough and Sunderland, invested in shiny flying saucer-like new stadiums. But the success of the Premier League also owed something to events on the pitch. If Hillsborough marked a nadir for English football, the 1990 World Cup in Italy -- and Paul Gascoigne's tears during the national side's epic semifinal defeat by West Germany -- offered a moment of catharsis that rekindled many casual fan's residual love for the game. Subtle changes to the rules implemented worldwide by FIFA, including banning back passes to goalkeepers, automatic sendings off for professional fouls and changing the offside rule to give the benefit of the doubt to forward players, gradually made the game a more attractive spectacle. Meanwhile, the emergence of Alex Ferguson's young and exciting Manchester United team as the Premier League's dominant force, perfectly captured the spirit of the new age yet grounded the game in the traditions of the past. Finally, the 1995 Bosman Ruling, which granted players across Europe freedom of movement when out of contract, and the end of restrictions on the number of foreign players teams could field, created an international transfer market which lifted the horizons of the English game and brought genuine world class stars including Eric Cantona and Dennis Bergkamp, and eventually Cristiano Ronaldo and Fernando Torres, to the Premier League. Still, for many football fans, the glamour and wealth of the Premier League, with its homogenized stadiums and corporate entertainment suites -- in which clubs are bought and sold by global plutocrats from Siberia to Texas via Thailand and Abu Dhabi -- represents a betrayal of the sport's traditional values. "There's still a powerful nostalgia among fans of my generation for a lost, less aggressively commercial era of football, when the game seemed less cynically concerned with exploiting the loyalty of those who pay to watch and with selling itself to a global audience," says Cowley. Yet in a week when four Premier League sides featured in the quarterfinals of the Champions League and public appetite for the game appears insatiable, it is hard to avoid the conclusion that English football is in a better state than anyone who witnessed the horror at Hillsborough 20 years ago could ever have dared believe. More importantly, it is virtually inconceivable to imagine the circumstances in which 96 fans died ever being repeated in an English stadium. | English football has been transformed in 20 years since Hillsborough tragedy .
Disaster created impetus for all-seater grounds, improvements in infrastructure .
Top clubs also benefited from creation of Premier League and sale of TV rights .
The English Premier League is now the world's most watched sporting league . |
35,923 | 65f95aeab999172396f2258cc77845ec868ec487 | By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 07:14 EST, 19 October 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 13:51 EST, 19 October 2012 . With audiences lapping up the sprawling and grandiose homes in TV shows like Grand Designs, it's clear that many of us aspire to bigger houses with breathtaking views and endless gardens. But Polish architect Jakub Szczesny has positioned himself at the other end of the spectrum - by creating a home that is so narrow there is not even room for a staircase. At less than five feet at its widest point, and a pinch over three feet at its narrowest, the Warsaw house - built in an alley between two other buildings - does not even have room for windows. It is claimed it is the skinniest house in the world. There's not even enough room for a window - sunlight comes through small holes in the bedroom. Slimmed down: Front and back views of the house in Warsaw which has no windows. Sunlight comes . through two holes in the bedroom wall so you can tell when it is day . time . Technical challenge: The framework for the house was constructed off-site and slotted into place by a team of builders . Because . there is only a total floor space of 46 square feet in the two-floor . iron structure, residents have to use a ladder to go up a level. The project is called the Keret house - named after Israeli writer and filmmaker Etgar Keret, who has headed the art project and will live in the property, on-and-off, . for six months. It does not offer much in terms of luxury. The bathroom is nothing more than a toilet with a shower head installed almost directly above it. Aspiring cooks will also have a tough time in the Keret house. There is minimal space for cutting, washing and cooking. It is best to use fresh food in the home. The fridge only offers space for two drinks. At just a metre-and-a-half wide the Keret House is thought to be the narrowest in the world. It was built as a comment on the lack of housing being built in Poland . Slender: The building is designed to make the most of the very small amount of usable space . Israeli writer and film director Etgar Keret will live in the home for six months, on-and-off. Inviting friends for dinner is not really on the cards. There are only two fixed seats at the dinner table. That sticks out of the wall. The bedroom is no less spartan. It is functional though, featuring a tiny bed and desk. Books can be stored in an alcove behind the bed. 'Research shows we are approaching a social disaster because too little living space is built,' the architect said. 'You don't need that much space to live in, so it is worth considering building smaller scaled, cheaper housing.' When Keret moves out of the property he will give it to a colleague. One of the buildings next to the house dates from before the war while the other was built after it. Before the Second World War most of Warsaw's architecture was brick based. But with the city almost completely destroyed by Nazi Germany, the communist rulers of Poland rebuilt the city in concrete. The house is located at the point where the Nazis established the largest Jewish ghetto in occupied Europe. It is officially opened tomorrow. | Ultra thin home is just five feet at its widest point and three feet at narrowest .
Resident will have to use ladder bolted on wall to get into bed every night .
Writer Etgar Keret will live in home for six months then hand on the keys .
There are no windows but sunlight comes through small holes in bedroom . |
3,630 | 0a7bdb4dd89d415080c6b78914b2f75349a97fc6 | (CNN) -- Funk fans started each Chuck Brown concert with a chant, "Wind me up, Chuck." From there they would be treated to guitar riffs, driving percussion and other rhythm instruments that left them dancing to the beat. Brown, who died Wednesday at 75, was the "Godfather of Go-Go," a genre blending funk, jazz and soul and other musical forms. "Go-Go," 40 years after its founding, remains especially popular in its hometown of Washington, D.C. "The groove and vibe he created was unparalleled," said manager Tom Goldfogle. "All of his performances were a journey with the audience." Brown engaged in a call-and-response dialogue with fans, ensuring their interaction with each set. He last performed in early March and had been hospitalized for about four weeks. Brown died of multiple-organ failure from sepsis at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, Goldfogle said. With the Soul Searchers, Brown had a big hit in the 1970s with "Bustin' Loose." The guitarist and singer was a familiar figure on stage with his brim hat and sunglasses, creating "the beat" for dancers. "Go-Go" referred to a sound continuing from one song to the next. "Chuck would describe it as nonstop percussive bass music with its roots in Latin, African and funk," said Goldfogle. "He added his blues and jazz elements." While Brown performed worldwide, his most loyal fan base was in Washington. District of Columbia Mayor Vincent Gray, in a tweet, paid tribute to the gravel-voiced Brown. "What a loss," his message concluded. Fans gathered Wednesday evening at the recently restored Howard Theatre in Washington to celebrate Brown's life. A local radio station played music while people danced in the street. Brown competed with disco and later had an influence on local hip-hop artists, Goldfogle told CNN. "They would do hip-hop songs with a 'Go-Go' feel," he said. In 2010, Brown received his first Grammy nomination, in collaboration with Jill Scott and Marcus Miller, for "Love." A 2007 album, "We're About the Business," included the singles "Block Party" and Chuck Baby." Brown, according to his manager, played to several generations. "His music is loved as much by the grandmother, as the mother, or the daughter," Goldfogle said. According to CNN affiliate WJLA, Brown had recently postponed numerous shows due to failing health. Funeral arrangements were pending. "His family continues to be grateful for the outpouring of love and support and requests respect for their privacy during this difficult time," Goldfogle said in a statement. Survivors include Brown's wife, Jocelyn, sons Nekos, Wiley and Bill, and daughter Takesa. CNN's Jane Caffrey and Skip Nocciolo contributed to this report. | Manager speaks about Brown's influence .
Performer Chuck Brown dies at 75 .
He was especially popular in Washington, D.C.
"Go-Go" is a form of funk and soul . |
145,477 | 481fc927d9aaa228b4440d6096f1b1f2ef492cc9 | By . Anna Edwards . PUBLISHED: . 07:09 EST, 26 July 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 10:27 EST, 26 July 2012 . Snooze channel: Hampshire County Council's tv channel has been dubbed 'Ken TV' after leader Ken Thornber, pictured . It is hard to imagine there are too many people keen to watch council meeting proceedings as they happen. But, clearly, Hampshire County Council thinks differently. The cash-strapped council spent £220,000 of taxpayers money on a TV channel to broadcast their meetings live. But the snooze channel only attracted 57 viewers for its last performance. Viewing figures have plummeted as those who tuned in were exposed to 'terribly boring' debates that often last for hours. Councillors have also been blasted for 'in-fighting' and talking 'waffle', as their debates are streamed worldwide over the internet. The cost works out a staggering £3869.65 per viewer for their last broadcast, which is 26 times more than a colour TV licence. One was even the daughter of a councillor who had tuned in from Hong Kong to see what her father was doing. Now there are calls for Hampshire County Council to pull the plug on the scheme, dubbed 'Ken TV' after their leader Ken Thornber. The Conservative-led council has axed 1,400 jobs since January 2011 in a bid to save £100million over two years. Those who have lost their jobs include librarians, museum workers and administrative staff. Cllr Thornber previously said: 'Reducing our costs further will neither be easy or painless.' Riveting: Hampshire County Council streamed meetings to 'encourage greater understanding' More than 800 people tuned in to watch the first televised budget in February when the ruling Tories approved cuts of £45million. But just 108 people watched May’s meeting and a mere 57 tuned in to this month’s meeting. A cabinet meeting in April was watched by 167 people, who tuned in live or delved into the council’s video archive. Conservative Cllr Thornber revealed the figures at the most recent council meeting, adding: 'Maybe Cabinet is more popular than the council.' He was heckled by a councillor on the Liberal Democrat benches, who shouted out: 'More comedy', to laughter in the chamber. The council spent £223,000 on audio, video and web-streaming equipment and paying an outside company to operate it. County chiefs hoped the project would . 'increase transparency' and 'encourage greater understanding and . participation' in local decision making. A . spokesman said at the time of launch: 'With so much of Hampshire being . rural in nature, residents from all corners of the county who may not . normally have the opportunity to attend meetings themselves, will be . able to follow the discussions and debates that are streamed live over . the internet, from a computer in their home, school or office. Scene of the TV screens: Hampshire County Council only attracted 57 viewers in its last broadcast . 'It will also be possible to watch previously webcasted meetings. 'Viewers will be able to skip through to individual items on the agenda or to individual speakers, which will make meetings even more accessible and open to all. 'By opening up some public meetings to a wider audience in this way, we hope that this will empower local residents and communities.' But Councillor Keith House, Liberal Democrat opposition spokesman, said it was a 'waste of money'. He said: 'The Liberal Democrats have always said this was a waste of money and could have helped keep library hours up or more buses or youth services in place. 'It’s always been a Conservative vanity project.' Christine Melsom, from anti-council-tax group IsItFair, said: 'The TV channel is a waste of money. 'I am not at all surprised it gets so few viewers because council meetings are terribly boring - even for someone like me who is interested in local politics.' Mrs Melsom said the broadcasts had a 'novelty value' but viewers were turned-off by meetings that last for hours, 'waffle' and party political in-fighting. However Councillor Colin Davidovitz, who is responsible for communications at the council, said he was not disappointed by the viewing figures. Cllr Davidovitz said the channel was a good use of taxpayers’ money and added: 'These viewing figures are to be expected. 'The first meeting was the budget setting meeting and there was a lot of interest. 'The Cabinet meeting also attracted interest as there was discussion about the amalgamation of a couple of schools. 'My daughter watches from Hong Kong to see what her father is up to.' | Hampshire County Council spent £223,000 on audio, video and web-streaming equipment and paying an outside company to operate it .
Tory-led council has axed 1,400 jobs since January 2011 in a bid to save £100million over two years .
Councillors have been blasted for 'in-fighting' and talking 'waffle' in their live debates . |
167,598 | 64bf5dd2c2eddb7fcf06689f0de21f2fbeb0869d | A police officer who got into a row with a colleague over a French woman has been cleared of assaulting him and claiming he was acting in self-defence. PC Kevin Wasboonma, 30, was accused of punching PC Michael Scullion 33 times after spending hours drinking together at the Alwyne Castle in Highbury, north London, after work. A team of decorators, who were renovating the pub at the time, captured footage of the brawl - which showed Wasboonma hitting Mr Scullion - but he was found not guilty this afternoon. PC Kevin Wasboonma (left) has been cleared of punching colleague PC Michael Scullion (right) 33 times and kicking his head like a football in a row at the pub over a French woman . Southwark Crown Court heard that Wasboonma had drunk seven pints of cider and several Jagerbombs before the pair started fighting outside on the pavement. Wasboonma insisted he punched Mr Scullion in self defence after his colleague came ‘steaming’ towards him but denied kicking him and said the camera footage only showed part of the fight. The officers, who are friends and have known each other for six and a half years, had left work in Haringey at around 3pm on June 12, last year to catch up over a pint. But the evening descended into violence after the men squabbled over a French woman and began trading insults. Wasboonma had drunk seven pints of cider and several Jagerbombs before the pair starting fighting outside the Alwyne Castle pub in Highbury, north London (pictured) A jury of six men and six women cleared Wasboonma of assault occasioning actual bodily harm after just one hour and 23 minutes. During the trial the judge Mr Recorder Gregory Mitchell QC had asked prosecutor Senghin Kong why only Wasboonma was charged. 'Just as a matter of law, two people fighting in the street, is that the offence of affray?,' he asked. 'Potentially your honour,' replied Mr Kong. 'Two police officers being drunk and fighting in the street - they could both be in trouble for that,' said the judge. 'Potentially, yes,' replied Mr Kong. Robert Morris, for Wasboonma, added: 'Self-defence is also a defence to affray but very much the Crown here have pinned their colours to the mast.' The pub was packed with French people meeting for a social event organised on Facebook, jurors heard. Wasboonma and Mr Scullion started talking to a group of girls before numbers dwindled at closing time. In interview Wasboonma said: 'As we went inside, the group sort of got smaller so there were two French girls that we met, everything was fine. 'I got up, went to the bathroom, everyone was leaving. As we have left the pub the two girls that we were talking to most of the night and this guy were walking off as if they were upset about something. Wasboonma (pictured) insisted he punched Mr Scullion in self defence after his colleague came ‘steaming’ towards him but denied kicking him . Southwark Crown Court heard decorators, who were renovating the pub at the time, caught the attack on camera - and it shows Wasboonma (pictured) hitting Mr Scullion. But Wasboonma said it only showed a part . The man turned to Mr Scullion and told him: 'Maybe you should just leave it', jurors heard. 'I said to the guy what had happened and he said they just want to go home now and the girls didn't even say goodbye. 'I didn't know what had happened so then I said to Michael "you know what happened?" at which point he started shouting "It was me, it was me!" but I didn't really understand why he was saying that,' Wasboonma said. 'Michael started going mad at me, calling me a f****** p**** - all of that, being really abusive towards me.' He said Mr Scullion then launched himself at him, pushing him in the neck and causing him to fall back onto a table. Wasboonma, of Waltham Cross in Hertfordshire, denied assault occasioning actual bodily harm . 'He starts to be abusive, he says stuff about my personal life - quite hurtful, insulting someone who is important to me at which point I have turned around and said to him "I want nothing more to do with you don't ever contact me again".' He said he turned to leave the pub but Mr Scullion punched him again and the pair grappled to the floor, the court heard. 'I then said to him "stop, we are going to lose our jobs over this" because I was worried because obviously if police came past and we are having a roll-around on the floor. 'He has refused to let go of me, he is still grappling with me, he has punched me in the ribs and he wouldn't let me get up so I have punched him,' he said. 'He is grabbing me and all the time he is saying I am going to glass you in the face and then I hit him repeatedly to get him off me,' he said. They were broken up by decorators who recorded part of the incident on a mobile phone. At around 1:45am Mr Scullion was picked up by two police officers who had been flagged down by a member of the public. Mr Scullion ‘seemed drunk’ and suffered ‘lumps and bumps to the head’ and a small cut to his nose and lip. He told the officers: ‘I had a fight with my best mate, he is a police officer too, we work together.’ Mr Scullion was taken to Whittington Hospital in north London and treated for bruising and a lesion. But Wasboonma said he was not angry or drunk and pressed he was acting in self-defence from his 'violent' pal. 'I felt tipsy and stuff but not to the point I was unaware of what was going on, I can't stand up straight or I needed help to get home,' he said. 'I wasn't angry, I wasn't angry I just wanted to go home and wanted to take myself out of that equation and leave.' Wasboonma, of Waltham Cross in Hertfordshire, denied assault occasioning actual bodily harm and was found not guilty. A Metropolitan Police spokesman said Wasboonma automatically faces misconduct proceedings and added: ‘No other police officer is subject to misconduct proceedings as a result of this case.’ | PC Kevin Wasboonma filmed attacking PC Michael Scullion outside pub .
Pair had spent hours drinking at the Alwyne Castle in Highbury, London .
Court heard they got into a row over a woman and began trading insults .
Attack was caught on camera by group of decorators renovating the pub .
Wasboonma denied assault and said he punched friend in self defence .
He was cleared by a jury today of assault occasioning actual bodily harm . |
59,747 | a9a8582496bc518db4ba8eeb908d2666ca9ec706 | (CNN) -- Eleven people died as Hurricane Sandy pummeled Cuba on Thursday, state media reported. Nine deaths occurred in Santiago de Cuba province and two bodies were recovered in Guantanamo state, national media reported, citing civil defense authorities. Cuban President Raul Castro will travel Friday to Santiago de Cuba, the country's second largest city, to survey the damage. More than 3,000 buildings were damaged in eastern Cuba, state television reported. "I lost an upstairs room and part of my roof. There are trees down all over the place. Everyone is in shock. We have never had a storm hit like this," said a woman named Dulce, a doctor in the city of Santiago. Residents in Santiago spent Thursday assessing the extent of the damage. There was no electricity, and very few people had working phones, Dulce said. Heavy rain in Cuba brings with it potential health risks. Flooding over the summer in Granma province contaminated wells, leading to a cholera outbreak, the first Cuba had experienced in a century. The same province was hit hard by Sandy. In the Bahamas, as Olivia Jorjani and her mother were trying to watch the World Series game between power outages, tree branches in Nassau started to break and fall, and parking lots began to flood. It was just a matter of time before the lights went out again, and "then we will play gin by candlelight," the iReporter said from her home on New Providence Island. Bahamians and their guests hunkered down Thursday night as Sandy, a Category 2 hurricane, tore through the islands with 100 mph wind and the potential for up to 12 inches of rain. New Yorker John Trudden was staying at Club Med on San Salvador Island, celebrating a friend's birthday with 10 buddies. He said they will be confined to the hotel, which gave them food and drink to take to their rooms, until 8 a.m. Friday, when officials expect most of the storm to have passed over. Before Sandy arrived, Nassau resident Stephan Rolle wasn't overly worried. It is a "small storm" with "mediocre wind," he said. Rolle, 29, waited for 40 minutes in line at a grocery store to purchase nonperishable goods and bread. He moved the potted plants and emptied part of his family's pool to make room for the rainwater. Sandy may not be a Category 5 monster, but "we take it seriously, and we just want to make sure we are comfortable," he said. As of 8 p.m. ET, the eye of the storm was 105 miles (170 kilometers) east of Nassau, sparing the Bahamas' largest city the worst part of the storm. "I don't think that it's going to do significant damage. Think there could be some debris, but in Nassau things are not as bad as they may be in the outer islands," CNN iReporter Cynthia Russell, an administration manager, said. Along the U.S. East Coast, residents were told to be wary headed into the weekend. CNN meteorologist and severe weather expert Chad Myers said Sandy could have a bigger impact than Irene did last year, when it glanced off North Carolina before plowing into the Northeast. "This could be like the 'Perfect Storm' 21 years ago," he said of the potential damage. "It depends on where it hits." The "Perfect Storm" was the result of a nor'easter and Hurricane Grace combining into a one storm. In this case, a system approaching from the west is expected to interact with Sandy. To what extent is the question to be answered in the next four days. For now, Sandy is proving to be a windfall for surfers familiar with tamer tides. Even hundreds of miles away, the storm kicked up powerful surf off Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Jason Russo, a visitor from Connecticut, couldn't resist jumping in. "I went in the water, I did about three somersaults ... strong rip current," he told CNN affiliate WSVN. Fort Lauderdale's Ocean Rescue advised beachgoers to stay out of the water, but acknowledged not everyone would heed the warning. "The expert surfers will be out there, so we just tell them to be careful, and we're there if they need our help," Chief Breck Ballou said. "We're there to go out and get them." On Friday, more high waves and rip currents are likely along the coastal beaches of Florida's east coast and into southern Georgia, as well as tropical storm force wind gusts up to 50 mph. Saturday, tropical storm force wind gusts reaching 50 mph might be felt as far north as the Outer Banks of North Carolina. Rip currents and high waves will also be an issue along coastal Georgia and the Carolinas, with significant coastal flooding possible, especially during high tides. The five-day forecast from the National Hurricane Center predicts the center of the storm will shadow the East Coast in the coming days, with Sandy potentially making landfall as a tropical storm in New Jersey the day before Halloween. Sandy also claimed two lives before reaching Cuba. A woman in western Haiti's Camp-Perrin died Wednesday when she tried to cross a flooding river in the Ravine du Sud, according to Haitian news agency AHP. And CNN affiliate TVJ reported a man in Jamaica was killed when he was hit by a boulder sent tumbling downhill by the storm's rain. In the Dominican Republic, Misael Rincon, a CNN iReporter, couldn't sleep as Sandy's rain beat down on Santo Domingo because he knew his neighborhood is prone to flooding. He drove to work on Thursday but had to change his route several times, as he encountered roads with water levels too high. Even though he drives an SUV, a blue Ford Explorer, he was not high enough off the ground to avoid having water seep into his vehicle. "I'd say 70% of the streets in Santo Domingo are flooded," he said. Some cars were submerged, and people with trucks were charging motorists $5 to pull their vehicles to higher ground, he said. There were some good Samaritans, too. The government ordered evacuations of high-risk zones and canceled schools. CNN's Sean Morris, Patrick Oppmann and Ed Payne and journalist Diulka Perez contributed to this report. | NEW: Nine people killed in Santiago and 2 died in Guantanamo state .
NEW: Bahamas residents endure intermittent power outages, minor flooding .
More than 3,000 homes were damaged in Cuba .
Hurricane center predicts storm may hit New Jersey on Tuesday . |
116,531 | 22668a83c8e4bb7093fff11fc92e2f8dc941ffbf | Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razzak has cut short his vacation to the U.S. due to public outrage over pictures emerged showing him playing golf with President Barack Obama as more than 160,000 people were evacuated from their homes in Malaysia's worst-ever flooding. Despite cutting short his holiday, anger among those affected by the flooding has not eased amid accusations the government has been far too slow in responding to the crisis. Both vacationing this week in Oahu, Hawaii, Obama and Najib teed off on Wednesday on a cloudy but balmy afternoon at a Marine Corps base, not far from where Obama is renting a home for his two-week stay. Scroll down for videos . Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razzak (right) surveys the lay of the green as he and U.S. President Barack Obama close out a hole . An aerial view of the flooded streets of the national park in Kuala Tahan, in the country's Pahang district . Torrential downpours have led to the country's worst ever flooding. Pictured is Pahang from the heights of an emergency services helicopter . Obama considers a putt during the friendly game of golf with Najib, at a course on a Marine base in Hawaii . Najib (pictured) has been criticized for holidaying while more than 160,000 people in Malaysia were forced to flee their homes due to flooding . The two leaders appeared at ease together, smiling and laughing in casual clothes as they sized up their shots. 'The president and Prime Minister Najib of Malaysia enjoyed golf together today,' a White House official said. 'The two leaders took the opportunity to discuss the growing and warming relationship between the United States and Malaysia.' But while they golfed, thousands of people in Malaysia were forced to flee their homes amid widespread devastation. Authorities have evacuated numerous villages and towns in five Malaysian states that were inundated following unusually strong torrential rains. The majority of these are now seeking shelter in schools, community halls and other relief centers, according to flood monitoring centers. Najib's Facebook page, meanwhile, was inundated with messages urging him to return home as the flooding worsened. He has now returned, cutting short his holiday by six days in an attempt to quell the growing public indignation and oversee the flooding response. A group of volunteers help carry a man on a stretcher to a helicopter after he is dragged from the flood waters . A local makes his way to his house which sits almost halfway submerged in floodwaters in Pengkalan Chepa, near Kota Bharu . Najib has now cut short his Hawaiian holiday by six days and returned to Malaysia, where he announced additional funds in aid . U.S. President Barack Obama shares a joke with reporters who are working in Hawaii to report on his holiday . Even on holiday, he said he was in constant touch with disaster and relief officials, who were doing all they can to help victims. 'I am deeply concerned by the floods. I feel for the people who have lost their homes, and the families who have lost loved ones,' he said. 'I want to see the situation for myself and be with the people.' Najib arrived in Kelantan, which has the biggest problems among eight affected states, following his announcement of 500 million ringgit (£91.31million) will be spent to aid victims after the flood subsides, following an initial government allocation of 50 million ringgit two days ago. He attended briefings with the National Security Council, the National Disaster Management and Relief Committee, state government and local emergency responders, a statement yesterday said. Two young boys watch as their friends swim in the muddy floodwaters near Kota Bharu . A young couple sit waiting in a boat after their house is left submerged in the floods. More than 160,000 people have been forced to flee their homes . Locals hitch a ride on the back of trucks and a four-wheel drive as rescue teams struggle to reach the areas worst hit by the floods . Najib prepares to putt while Obama looks on. He has now returned to visit some of the worst-affected residents in Kelantan, northern Malaysia . Obama and Najib exchange cursory glances (left) before Najib places a coin to mark where his ball lies (right) during the game of golf . | Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razzak comes under fire for golfing with Obama while his country battles floods .
Five people have been killed and 160,000 forced to abandon their homes in the country's worst-ever flooding .
Najib has now cut short his Hawaiian vacation by six days so he can co-ordinate Malaysian emergency response . |
18,579 | 34879c1eb7f875b729945f19be259c5f6dc41b76 | Her career as an author took off – and various debts were settled – thanks to the success of her books and TV cartoons about Budgie The Little Helicopter. Now, 25 years after Budgie's last adventure, Sarah Ferguson, Duchess of York, has revived her writing career in another attempt to improve her finances. She has written a new book, Fergie's Farm, based on her childhood in the Hampshire countryside, featuring a band of friendly farmyard characters. Sarah Ferguson, Duchess of York, (left) has written a new book, Fergie's Farm, based on her childhood, pictured with her sister Jane and their parents Susan and Ronald at Dummer Down Farm . The Duchess, 55, first had the idea for Fergie's Farm three years ago when she was trying to pay off debt accumulated in the 1990s. The incomplete book was shelved, but the Duchess has finally finished the manuscript. Her spokesman said: 'It's now at a very advanced stage and the book is written. She has set up a company to deal with all of the formats needed for children's books today, including e-books, apps and games.' The Duchess spent some of her childhood on 480-acre Dummer Down Farm in Hampshire – and stayed on with her father, Major Ronald Ferguson, after her parents divorced when she was eight. Her children's books about Budgie the Little Helicopter were the inspiration for a popular animated TV series . The Duchess, 55, first had the idea for Fergie's Farm three years ago when she was trying to pay off debt accumulated in the 1990s . Sarah's daughters Beatrice and Eugenie and her ex-husband Prince Andrew, with whom she remains close, are said to be fully behind her in the new business venture. The Duchess has yet to find a publisher but it is possible she will strike a deal with Simon and Schuster, who have published six other titles by her. Her children's books about Budgie the Little Helicopter were the inspiration for a popular animated television series. On release of the first book, the Duchess was forced to deny she had copied the idea for the series from the earlier Hector the Helicopter book by A.W. Baldwin. She spent some of her childhood on 480-acre Dummer Down Farm in Hampshire (pictured) – and stayed on with her father, Major Ronald Ferguson, after her parents divorced when she was eight . | Duchess of York has written a new book based on childhood in Hampshire .
She had idea for Fergie's Farm in 2011 when she was trying to pay off debt .
Sarah Ferguson spent some of her youth at 480-acre Dummer Down Farm .
Her first series of books about Budgie the Little Helicopter were popular . |
36,357 | 6717d7e5f899c47a2a56c91041a29b6ae7a784ad | Zach Galifianakis' weed-loving sketch comedy program Between Two Ferns wasn't President Barack Obama's first choice for his Obamacare-themed cameo this spring, duo Keegan-Michael Key and Jordan Peele claim. In an excerpt of an interview with Entertainment Weekly for it's cover story this week, the Obama impersonator and his anger translator revealed that the president wanted to team up with them to promote the Affordable Care Act, but they were too busy. 'We had to turn him down,' Peele told EW. 'We were making the season.' 'We literally couldn’t fit it in to our schedules,' Key added 'with regret,' according to the magazine. SCROLL DOWN FOR VIDEO . Actors Keegan-Michael Key and Jordan Peele, a.k.a. President Barack Obama's anger translator Luther and President Obama, say POTUS wanted to do an Obamacare sketch with them but they turned him down . Instead, Obama appeared on Between Two Ferns with Zach Galifianakis. Key and Peele left the door open to a future collaboration with the president, though . Peele went on to say that he and his acting partner 'actually had to relieve the president of his duties.' 'We couldn’t help him out on that one particular time,' he said, leaving the door open for a future collaboration with the nation's leader when the 2015 open enrollment period for Obamacare begins in November. 'But this is a country where we technically have status over our elected officials. So you gotta remember, Obama works for us,' he noted. Health and Human Services Secretary Slyvia Burwell sought on Wednesday to downplay a government report claiming that 13 million people will be eligible to for health care under the Affordable Care Act in the upcoming open enrollment period. 'One of things we are doing right now is applying analytics to how should we think about that goal,' she said, according to the LA Times. During the first sign-up period 7.3 million Americans signed up for Obamacare, surpassing the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office's estimate of 6 million. But HHS appears to be concerned that it won't be able to replicate its past success and nearly double the number of enrollees in 2015. Key and Peele are known for their portrayal of the president's anger translator Luther, played by Key, and President Obama, acted out by Peele, in skits on their Comedy Central show of the same name, Key & Peele. Last night the show launched into it's fourth season with a skit featuring 'Obama' at the end of a press conference, sans sidekick Luther, code-switching as he takes a different tone with white supporters than he does black supporters as he interacts with them. Key and Peele told Vulture over the summer that at some point this season they would unveil former Secretary of State and presumed 2016 presidential candidate Hillary Clinton's anger translator on the show, expanding on the popular bit that now includes impersonations of Michelle Obama, as well. 'Whereas Michelle’s translator Contendra felt like she owned a beauty salon, maybe somewhere on Love & Hip Hop: Atlanta, I think Hillary’s translator would be more trailer bait,' Peele told Vulture. 'We’re thinking deep Arkansas good ol’ gal who does not censor herself,' he said. | Instead, President Obama appeared on Zach Galifianakis' weed-loving sketch comedy program Between Two Ferns .
Key & Peele suggested that they may collaborate with Obama at another time in the future .
Open enrollment for Obamacare begins anew in November . |
159,877 | 5aa9aad9b4c77de1c373f1ac7472c420c30ea80b | By . Olivia Williams . PUBLISHED: . 12:25 EST, 7 March 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 12:26 EST, 7 March 2013 . The Vietnamese traffic police force is undergoing a major makeover - starting with its waistline. From now on short or overweight traffic officers in the Vietnamese capital of Hanoi will be made to get fit in a bid to improve the force's poor public image. Hanoi traffic police chief Colonel Dao Vinh . Tang said tubby officers will be deployed out of sight: 'Little officers or those with too big a belly will be moved . to work in offices so they do not come into contact with the public.' Time for a makeover: The Vietnamese public hold their traffic police in low esteem, so in a bid to win them over they will now be either made to lose weight or face a job away from public view . Inspectors have been monitoring officers . on duty to identify the worst offenders. It has not yet been specified what the new height and weight requirements will be, but those officers deemed overweight will now undergo regular physical training to stop them piling on the pounds. Vietnam is not the only country cracking down on chubby policemen. As global obesity rates have soared in recent years, countries . including the UK, Mexico and South Africa have introduced similar measures to . help keep their police officers trim. In Britain, the Metropolitan Police are now faced with fitness tests and possible pay cuts after it was discovered one in five of them was obese. In South Africa, officers were told in 2010 that they all had to fit into a new one-size uniform by the end of the year. If they needed a larger size then they could expected to lose their jobs. More gravely, the Hanoi traffic police has a reputation for corruption and abuse, as well as its unappealing appearance. The Hanoi traffic police was voted one of the 'most corrupt' institutions in Vietnam according to a recent World Bank-funded survey. Lose weight or get a desk job: Traffic police in Hanoi will have to watch their weight to make sure they are presentable in public . Public relations drive: The Hanoi traffic police began recruiting women in 2011 to work at intersection to create a 'friendly' image . This latest image initiative is part of a series of . attempts to improve the Hanoi traffic police's faltering relationship with the public. In 2011 officers were banned from wearing sunglasses or hiding behind trees to fine unaware motorists. And in January 2012 female police officers were deployed at key junctions to 'cast a friendly light'. Officers will now carry a code of conduct with them at all times to remind them how to behave politely in public. | Vietnamese police have a poor reputation for their unappealing appearance .
Overweight officers will now be undergoing new fitness regimes .
Officers who do not meet the new requirements will get desk jobs instead . |
260,534 | dd61711d3d00835fb6443c4641055d89ae2de870 | Minsk, Belarus (CNN)Four key leaders converged on Belarus' capital Wednesday with one official mission: bringing peace to Ukraine. Whether they can achieve that is unsure, considering the violence, bitter divisions and failed negotiations. Still, the fact that French President Francois Hollande, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko and Russian President Vladimir Putin made the trip to Minsk to talk peace is notable. The stakes are high. Not only has war raged for months in eastern Ukraine, where pro-Russian rebels angry about political upheaval in Kiev have declared their independence, but it's getting worse, threatening not only the lives of more civilians, but the stability of the region. Speaking at a Cabinet meeting Wednesday before his arrival in Minsk, Poroshenko called the summit "the most important one so far I have had as a President," Ukraine's state-run Ukrinform news agency reported. The President said he and Ukraine's lawmakers were ready to introduce martial law across the country if "further irresponsible actions" lead to more escalation of the conflict. "It will depend on the results of the summit whether we stop the aggressor through diplomatic means or go to a totally different regime," he is quoted as saying. Video showed Denis Pushilin of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic and Vladislav Deinego of the Luhansk People's Republic at the talks, speaking with reporters in Minsk on Tuesday night, putting to rest earlier doubts about their attendance. Monitors from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe also attended the preliminary meeting. That set the stage for the main event involving Hollande, Merkel, Poroshenko and Putin that began Wednesday night in Belarus' Palace of Independence. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said that a document would likely be signed Thursday, according to the semiofficial Russian news agency RIA Novosti. But it was unclear what such a document might say. Will these talks yield a breakthrough? French and German officials sounded a note of caution about the prospects of finding consensus. And even if there is some sort of agreement, it's probably not wise to start celebrating right away -- given that there have been ceasefires before, none of which has lasted. The main points of negotiations of the so-called Normandy group -- the leaders of France, Germany, Russia and Ukraine -- are expected to be the withdrawal of heavy weapons, the creation of a demilitarized zone and the future status of the Donbas area in Ukraine, which comprises Luhansk and Donetsk. German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier said Tuesday that the talks were "another huge chance to take a big first step towards de-escalation, hopefully towards a silencing of the weapons. "But I underline it again, nothing has been resolved yet. The taking place of the summit alone is not a guarantee of its success. Therefore I urge and expect Moscow and Kiev to take it seriously and in the face of imminent military conflict really seize this chance." Likely sticking points include who will control Ukraine's border with Russia in the disputed territory, disarmament of the separatists and what degree of political autonomy is granted to the Donetsk and Luhansk regions. Poroshenko has been invited to Brussels, Belgium, by European Council President Donald Tusk on Thursday to address European lawmakers and "coordinate future steps," Poroshenko's website said. Meanwhile, the separatist leaders have been invited to Moscow, where they will brief Russian lawmakers on the outcome of the Minsk talks. The conflict, which broke out in April, soon after Russia annexed Ukraine's southeastern Crimea region, has claimed more than 5,000 lives, many of them civilians. There's been no let-up in the violence ahead of the peace talks; in fact, both sides appear to have stepped up their efforts to gain territory before the lines of the potential demilitarized zone are drawn. Four people were killed and nine injured after a central bus station in Donetsk city was hit by shelling Wednesday morning, according to the official news agency of the Donetsk People's Republic, DAN. The Donetsk city office website reported that two buses were hit and burst into flames. In the past 24 hours, 19 Ukrainian soldiers have been killed and 78 injured in the conflict zone in eastern Ukraine, a spokesman for the Ukrainian military operation against the separatists, Vladislav Seleznyov, told reporters in Kiev on Wednesday. Shelling in the town of Kramatorsk on Tuesday killed 12 civilians and injured 35, including children, with 29 military personnel also injured, according to the Kiev-backed Donetsk regional authority. Kramatorsk, deep inside Ukrainian-held territory, is the location of the main base for the government's military operation against the separatists, which it calls the anti-terrorist operation, or ATO. Ukraine's Foreign Ministry condemned what it said was "another bloody crime" by the separatists and said Russia, which it accuses of sending heavy weapons and troops across the border, should be held responsible. The OSCE said its monitors saw evidence that cluster bombs had been used in Kramatorsk. Cluster bombs are banned by many states because of their deadly impact on civilians. Fighting continues around the strategically important town of Debaltseve, which has been under siege by separatist forces for weeks. Ukrainian Gen. Oleksandr Rozmaznin said the town remained under Ukrainian control despite a separatist bid to attack the police station there. He said there was no fighting in the streets. A Ukrainian unit also launched an offensive Wednesday against the separatists near the city of Mariupol in the southeast. Each side has accused the other of shelling civilian areas. What's next in the conflict? U.S. President Barack Obama called Putin on Tuesday and urged him to seize the opportunity for peace, the White House said. "The President emphasized the importance of reaching and implementing a negotiated settlement underpinned by the commitments in the (prior) Minsk agreement. However, if Russia continues its aggressive actions in Ukraine, including by sending troops, weapons and financing to support the separatists, the costs for Russia will rise," the White House said. Obama has not ruled out providing weapons to the Ukrainian military to help it defend against the separatists' advances. A Kremlin readout of the call said it focused on finding a peaceful settlement of the crisis. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, speaking alongside his Greek counterpart in Moscow on Wednesday, said there was "no military solution to the crisis" in Ukraine. Peace can be achieved only through dialogue between Kiev and the people of eastern Ukraine, he said, adding: "The rights of all people who live there need to be respected." Russian state news agency Sputnik reported that Lavrov would be traveling to Minsk for the talks. The European Union's Foreign Affairs Council agreed on additional sanctions Monday against Russian and separatist interests but said their implementation would be delayed for a week to "give space for current diplomatic efforts." Merkel in the middle of a U.S.-Russia standoff . The big challenge facing the leaders meeting Wednesday in Minsk is whether they can reach a peace agreement that will stick. A previous peace deal was signed in September, also in Minsk. It called for a drawback of heavy weapons, self-rule in the eastern regions and a buffer zone along the Russia-Ukraine border. The new plan envisions a much broader demilitarized zone to run along the current front lines. The September agreement quickly disintegrated, and the violence continued. Russia has steadfastly denied accusations that it is sending forces and weapons into Ukraine. But top Western and Ukrainian leaders have said there isn't any doubt that Russia is behind surging violence and separatists' efforts to take over territory in eastern Ukraine. All the while, the crisis in Ukraine, which stemmed from a trade agreement, has forced more than 1.5 million people from their homes, according to the United Nations. CNN's Nic Robertson reported from Minsk and Laura Smith-Spark wrote from London. CNN's Greg Botelho, Antonia Mortensen, Nick Paton Walsh, Alla Eshchenko, Frederik Pleitgen, Khushbu Shah, Laura Akhoun, Claudia Otto, Alexander Felton and journalist Victoria Butenko in Kiev, Ukraine, contributed to this report. | Leaders of France, Germany, Russia and Ukraine meet in Belarus' capital .
Ukrainian President calls the meeting "the most important one" he has had thus far .
Violence between Ukrainian authorities and separatists has been raging for months . |
236,237 | bdcb29c6d3dbab3e7097440b027838ddb86dfb6c | What's Jose Mourinho’s secret to keeping his fringe players happy? Despite the abundance of world-class talent at his disposal, Mourinho has resisted the temptation to fiddle with his starting line-up too much this season. This is obviously working, with just one defeat in all competitions since the start of the season. Jose Mourinho has resisted the temptation to fiddle with his starting line-up too much this season . But why is it that, unlike other clubs, you don’t hear a peep out of those players who are not regularly in Chelsea’s starting XI? Filipe Luis, a £16million signing from Atletico Madrid who won La Liga and finished runner-up in the Champions League last season, has started three Premier League games. Goalkeeper Petr Cech, one of the major figures in Chelsea’s modern era, has made just one league start following Thibaut Courtois’ arrival at the club. Filipe Luis (right) arrived at Chelsea for £16million in the summer but has started just three games . John Mikel Obi (left) has been a stalwart at Stamford Bridge but has featured sparingly this season . John Mikel Obi, another multiple medal winner at Stamford Bridge, is not playing and there are more high-profile stars who will be warming the bench this Christmas. Yet, there have been virtually no declarations of frustration or unhappiness under Mourinho (right), whose side travel to Stoke tonight. Mourinho said: ‘It’s not difficult for me to leave players out. Everybody has to be ready to sacrifice for the team, to give everything for the team, not to be selfish. ‘This is the way I want a team to be. Mikel, for example, it was the first time he played against Newcastle and he was our best player. ‘How can he be our best player if he didn’t play in three months? Because he was working every day at the top level. Goalkeeper Petr Cech has made just one start for Mourinho's side this term . Cech (left) has been second choice for the Blues since the arrival of Thibaut Courtois . ‘Are the players sad, frustrated, not happy? Maybe, but professional. There is no secret. Players need to be patient. I don’t have a secret. ‘The reality is that, to be professional and work at a high level, you don’t need to be happy. Mark Schwarzer hasn’t played a second but if he has to play tomorrow he would be ready.’ The silence from his players is even more incredible given Mourinho does not offer those who have been left out any explanation why. ‘I just put the team up. Do I explain it? No,’ said the Portuguese. ‘It’s my decision. Players may not be happy or not agree with the decision, but they know my decision is not to favour somebody or to punish somebody. Stoke manager Mark Hughes (right) thinks Chelsea have the squad depth to lscure four trophies this season . ‘It’s what I think is best for the team at a certain moment. I don’t give explanations to players unless they ask me for one. ‘If they ask me to explain, no problem. If they ask, I’ll explain. I had one who asked, knocking on my door asking why someone else was playing instead of him. I said he was playing better, closed door, goodbye.’ Stoke manager Mark Hughes, a Chelsea player in the pre-Mourinho era, says his old club have the strength in depth to win an unprecedented quadruple of Premier League, Champions League, FA Cup and Capital One Cup. ‘It wouldn’t surprise me,’ he said. ‘It’s a big ask — a lot of things have to go your way (but) they are strong enough. You just sense their belief. ‘Some very good teams will try and stand in the way but they have a chance — a better chance than most teams.’ | Chelsea have lost just one game in all competitions this season .
Filipe Luis has started three Premier League games for Chelsea .
Luis signed for the Blues for £16million during the summer .
Goalkeeper Petr Cech has started just one game for Chelsea this term .
John Mikel Obi is another high-profile player warming the bench at present .
Stoke manager Mark Hughes thinks Chelsea have the strength in depth to win the Premier League, Champions League, FA Cup and Capital One Cup . |
19,393 | 36fe1217b07b6b506abd51572320676a487fe4ea | Leading online movie and TV service Netflix has been accused of beginning to block Australian users from accessing the site ahead of its official launch Down Under in March. Some of the reported 200,000 Aussies already accessing foreign versions of Netflix via virtual private network (VPN) technology, which alters their IP address, have reported access problems recently. It’s been claimed the difficulties are due to a planned crackdown on Australian VPN users by Netflix. Scroll down for video . Online viewing service Netflix, which boasts signature show House of Cards, is coming to Australia in March. There have been reports users are now being blocked from accessing it with VPNs . ‘I have a sneaking suspicion that Netflix may be testing these new IP blocking methods temporarily in certain markets. At this time the blocks do not seem aggressive and may only be targeted at IP ranges that exceed too many simultaneous logins,’ TorGuard’s Ben Van der Pelt told TorrentFreak. However, Netflix has denied any new lockdown, telling Cnet: ‘There have been no changes to our VPN policies.’ While visiting Australia Netflix Director of Corporate Communications and Technology Cliff Edwards reportedly said recently: ‘VPNs violate the terms of our service, and we believe very much so that anybody who licenses content should get paid for their content.’ In November, Netflix announced its service will become legally available in March 2015 to users in Australia and New Zealand who subscribe to the network. The service will allow them to instantly watch a selection of popular movies and TV shows in high-definition . But it has not yet been confirmed whether or not Netflix will be bringing over its signature shows such House of Cards and Orange Is The New Black. Netflix is behind shows such as American comedy-drama series Orange Is The New Black . The popular award-winning show stars Taylor Schilling (right) and Laura Prepon (left) The announcement of the launch ends months of speculation about the local plans for the company. The online service, which first launched in 2007, boasts some 53 million subscribers in dozens of countries. The platform will be available on smart TVs, tablets, smartphones, set-top boxes and consoles, with high-definition and 4K available. A Netflix spokesman told Daily Mail Australia it has been unconfirmed whether shows such as House of Cards and Orange Is The New Black will be available as they are still in 'internal discussions'. Pricing has not been disclosed but the Daily Telegraph reports it is expected to cost about $10 to $15 a month. The announcement comes months after Nine Entertainment Co. and Fairfax Media revealed they will be launching a new Australian subscription service next year. DreamWorks Animation’s All Hail King Julien will be available to Australian and New Zealand viewers . Marco Polo is also one of Neflix's original series, which is set to be available in Australia and New Zealand . Other launch titles include upcoming US television series Marvel's Daredevil . StreamCo is expected to launch during the 2015 financial year. The Netflix launch is expected to ramp up the pressure on pay-TV services such as Foxtel, which recently slashed prices in anticipation. Yet the antipodean version is likely to lag the US version given Foxtel owns exclusive local rights to shows such as Game of Thrones. Launch titles will include original series such as Marco Polo, BoJack Horseman and All Hail King Julien, with others such as Bloodline and Marvel's Daredevil to come later in the year. The US-based company has also gained Australian subscription video on-demand rights to superhero television series Gotham, the Sydney Morning Herald reports. However Nine Entertainment currently holds the broadcast, first-run, and in-season catch up rights to the Batman prequel. As a result, Netflix will not be able to air the new show until 12 months after it has premiered on Nine. One of the world's leading Internet movie and TV subscription service is set to launch in Australia and New Zealand in March 2015 . The Netflix launch is expected to ramp up the pressure on pay-TV services such as Foxtel . | Netflix is set to officially launch in Australia in March .
Aussies are already accessing the US and UK versions via VPN technology .
The technology alters their IP address so they don't appear to be in Australia .
Some users believe Netflix has begun a crackdown on the workaround . |
106,814 | 15c8fd789dae0638968119f5af4af1290641800b | The Prabal Gurung dress worn by the Duchess of Cambridge last week has sold out just an hour after it went on sale on a discount fashion site. The purple-and-white printed shift, which originally cost $1,995, was chosen by Catherine to meet the President of the Republic of Singapore last Tuesday. Just days later, the same dress was put up for sale at a 60per cent discount on MyHabit, a private sale site owned by Amazon that sells past season designer collections. Sellout: The Prabal Gurung dress worn by the Duchess of Cambridge in Singapore last week, sold out on discount sale site MyHabit just an hour after it went online . Royal bargain: The dress was discounted from its original $1,995 down to just $599 . Representatives for MyHabit said that . the dress, still pricey at $599, had been available in U.S. sizes 4 and 8, . and the entire stock sold out in just under an hour. They told the New York Daily News: 'The dress is quintessential Prabal - unique print and a gorgeous use of . color interpreted in a classic silhouette with the utmost elegance.' On the map: The designer of Kate's dress, Prabal Gurung, pictured being interviewed before his New York Fashion Week show this weekend . The Duchess of Cambridge gave the up-and-coming U.S. label global exposure by choosing the . dresses for her nine-day tour of south east Asia and the South Pacific with Prince William. Not only was it an elegant and fashion-forward choice, it also paid tribute to her Singaporean hosts, as the designer was born in the city, before spending his childhood in Nepal. The dress was also a step away from . the small band of British designers, including Alexander McQueen, . Temperley London and Jenny Packham, that she usually favours for formal . occasions. Since launching his label in New York in . 2009, Mr Gurung has become the darling of the fashion scene there, and a favourite with the A-list. The Duchess's dress is from the spring/summer 2012 collection, which was modelled by Victoria's Secret supermodel Candice Swanepoel in the label's campaign. Prabal Gurung has become a hot ticket at New York Fashion Week, and . his latest collection was no different, attended by Hailee Steinfeld, Rachel Zoe and Kate Bosworth. Last week, the designer took to Twitter to express his delight. 'So xctd that I just stopped some strangers on the street n showed them the pic of Kate Middleton in our dress,' he wrote. Guests of honour: The Duchess and Prince William pose with the President of Singapore Tony Tan and his wife Mary at The Istana on the first day of their Diamond Jubilee tour . Star power: Victoria's Secret Angel Candice Swanepoel modelled the spring 2012 Prabal Gurung line . Mr Gurung's designs are a particular favourite with . Michelle Obama, who won universal praise after wearing a one-shoulder . chartreuse gown to the 2011 Governor's Dinner last March. She also wore one of his creations to the White House Correspondents' Dinner in May, and again at the Concert for Hope in September. Mila Kunis was spotted in one of his dresses at a charity . benefit, Rooney Mara was seen in a cutout design at the New York . premiere of the Girl With The Dragon Tattoo, and Jessica Chastain wore a . deep green gown to the Palm Springs Film Festival. New collection: Prabal Gurung's . spring/summer 2013 offering, which showed at New York . Fashion Week, focused on loose, easy shapes and plenty of layering . Prabal fans: The show was attended by actresses Hailee Steinfeld, Allison Williams, Kate Bosworth . The Prabal Gurung dress was a second outfit for Catherine, who wore a kimono-inspired Jenny Packham number earlier in the day. The couple visited the Botanic Gardens . where they had a hybrid orchid named after them. They then spent a few . minutes quietly viewing the Dendrobium Memoria Orchid named after . Princess Diana. The pair then returned to Raffles, . where they stayed for their three nights in Singapore, then set off for the Istana, the President's official residence, to . spend some time with Tony Tan and his wife Mary. Video: Kate and William in Singapore... | The purple-and-white printed shift was from the designer's spring/summer 2012 collection, and had originally cost $1,995 .
The dress went on sale on MyHabit, just days after the Duchess of Cambridge wore it in Singapore last week . |
49,569 | 8c18bd411a6d24869dc78651e252d7c07c979da1 | Most women are still in recovery mode three months after the birth of a child. But mother-of-four Natalia Vodianova - who welcomed baby Maxim on May 2nd - is not most women. The Russian supermodel, 32, stripped down to nothing but a fur stole for the September cover of Vanity Fair. And in a candid accompanying interview, she speaks about her divorce from British aristocrat Justin Portman and her new life in Paris with LVMH heir Antoine Arnault. Cover girl: Supermodel mother-of-four Natalia Vodianova fronts the September issue of Vanity Fair . She said of her 2010 marriage breakdown: 'If you try really hard at something and it doesn’t work, then you have to let go because it means it is not the right thing. You . have to try really hard to make it work, but at the same time you have . to know how to let go of something when it is time.' Ms Vodianova and Viscount Portman, 45, had three children in their nine years together: Son Lucas, now nine, daughter Neva, eight and Viktor, six, who now live with their mother in Paris and spend half their holidays with their father. The model confirmed she was dating Mr Arnault, the son of LVMH founder Bernard Arnault, in August 2011 and announced they were expecting a child together in November last year. And it seems parenthood has only strengthened their relationship. Ms Vodianova said of Mr Arnault: 'He . gets up at 8am and goes to work with a big smile on his face. He . loves what he does, loves my children so much, is a great father and . stepfather and boyfriend.' New love: Ms Vodianova with Justin Portman in June 2009 (left) and at six months' pregnant with Antoine Arnault in February 2014 (right) Yummy mummy: Ms Vodianova sitting front row at the Stella McCartney fashion show in Paris in March 2011 with her children Lucas (left), Viktor (middle) and Neva (right) On a potential wedding in the future, she added: 'I guess he is still a boyfriend. I want to . call him my husband because it feels right, whether we have the papers . or not. He feels like a husband already, although it doesn’t make a . difference, does it? I feel blessed. He is everything I love and . respect.' The accompanying photo spread in Vanity Fair sees Ms Vodianova pose in decadent eveningwear for celebrated photographer Mario Testino. And while the rest of us may not be blessed with her supermodel looks, she makes posing for the camera sound easy. 'It’s really a matter of very little details,' she explains. 'Little angles, little tilts of the head. Eyebrows up to make the eyes look bigger. Mouth a little open. Shoulders down for a long neck. It’s a lot like sculpting.' The September issue of Vanity Fair will be available in New York and Los Angeles, as well as on the iPhone, iPad, Kindle, and other devices, on August 7. The magazine will be on national newsstands and available in an audio edition August 15. | The Russian beauty talks about her divorce from British aristocrat Justin Portman and her new life in Paris with LVMH heir Antoine Arnault . |
145,184 | 47c85c4e67809f2a6bc42e9330aa189afc531982 | (CNN) -- Shopping for some aplicaciones? Google is surprising and frustrating some visitors to the new Web-based Android app store by greeting them in a foreign tongue. The website appears to choose which language to display based on the geographic location of the visitor's internet address, and that detection method can be pretty good at guessing a person's language preference. But for people traveling abroad, living in foreign countries or accessing the Web through an international proxy service, Google's guess can be awkwardly wrong. On other Google sites, people can navigate to domains that cater to a specific language, or designate their choice with a link called "language tools." No such navigation is available on the online Android Market. A Google spokesman said the Android Market site is designed only for United States-based English speakers. More languages will be added to the site in coming weeks, the spokesman said. There was no mention of this restriction at last week's ribbon cutting for the Android Market website. The announcement on the Android Developers blog did, however, say it would start out as English-only. Some Android fans were miffed to learn that Google seemed not to cater to them. Will Deasy from Cork, Ireland, tipped off CNN to the language problems with the Android Market website. Deasy was traveling to South America and lamented the "missing feature" for setting a language. This comes as Android phones continue to surge in popularity. Handsets running Android made up 22.7% of all smartphones sold worldwide last year, according to a report from research firm Gartner. Many of those customers do not live in the United States. There is a work-around for the problem, however. On Google's support forum, users suggested adding this text -- "?hl=en" -- to the end of the site's Web address in order to tell the browser to load the site in English. Swap "en" for "es," and you get Spanish; or "fr" for French; and so on. Google also offers an internet translation service. Still, dozens of Android Market users continued to flock to Google message boards to express frustrations. "Many sites these days try to be smart and automatically change their language without giving you the option to change it back," said one person who speaks English but lives in Hong Kong. "There should always be the option to change it, clearly labeled on the site." In another message, an Android user wrote: "I am traveling, and I want things in English, but I get Dutch instead. It's awful." Julie Vetter, on the support board, offered this plea: . "Google, please respond, in any language." | The Android Market website chooses a language based on where a visitor is located .
This can be a pain for people who don't speak the national language or for travelers .
Google says it's working on versions for other countries and languages . |
225,763 | b05488fb78d6532a1493a674a810c26fe01fa838 | A 101-year-old woman has been evicted from her home of the last six decades after her son failed to pay property taxes on time. Texana Hollis's possessions were thrown into dumpsters after bailiffs moved to take her house in Detroit, Michigan. The 101-year-old was left in tears and disorientated after she was ordered out of the property that has been her home for the past 58 years. Scroll down for video . Crying: Texana Hollis's possessions were thrown into dumpsters after bailiffs moved to take possession of the house in Detroit, Michigan . Officials said her 65-year-old son Warren had failed to pay property taxes for up to seven years. Although the home was owned outright by Ms Hollis he had ignored repeated warnings that they faced eviction. Warren said: ‘I kept it from her because I did not want to worry her.’ He also admitted that he knew they faced eviction, but thought it would not happen. Housing problem: Ms Hollis's 65-year-old son Warren, left, had failed to pay property taxes for up to seven years . Distress: The 101-year-old was left in tears and disorientated after she was ordered out of the property that has been her home for the past 60 years . Ms Hollis wept as she told her local TV station that she only found out about the back taxes the night before she was evicted. 'This woman needs to be back in her home now' Texana Hollis's neighbour . Hours after being evicted Ms Hollis was rushed to hospital over fears she might have had a heart attack. Friends later said did not suffer a heart attack, but was stressed over the incident. With no place to stay a neighbour agreed to let Ms Hollis and her son stay at her home temporarily. Distraught: Ms Hollis wept as she told her local TV station that she only found out about the back taxes the night before she was evicted . But neighbours are questioning why the local authority would want to turn a 101-year-old woman out on to the streets. ‘This woman needs to be back in her home now,’ one angry neighbour said. Local businessmen are looking to see if they can pay the back taxes to allow Ms Hollis to move back into her home. See video here . | Texana Hollis's son failed to pay her property tax .
Detriot woman had lived at her home for 58 years .
Rushed to hospital after eviction over heart attack fears . |
28,101 | 4fa64ef076efc00c98fa03b18fc86e737e16686d | Tony Pulis says West Bromwich Albion are being made to wait on their pursuit of Callum McManaman – but says he has ‘lots of irons in the fire’. Wigan have so far held firm in the face of two bids from West Brom, the latest on the table amounting to around £4million for the 23-year-old winger. Pulis is keen to make McManaman his first signing since taking over, and is also in the hunt for Darren Fletcher – although he is aware the Manchester United midfielder has a number of options with West Ham appearing to lead the chase. Tony Pulis wants to make Callum McManaman (above) his first signing at West Brom . The Baggies boss insists he has other 'irons in the fire' if they fail to land the Wigan forward . Pulis said: 'We’ve an interest in McManaman along with one or two others. It’s got to be right for everybody. Both clubs have go to agree. It’s got to be right for the player as well. 'If it’s not McManaman we’ve got other irons in the fire. Like a lot of things, you’d love things to drop into place straight away, but it’s often not that way.' Pulis added: 'I think Darren is talking to three or four other clubs as well. We have shown an interest. The lad has got to sit down and make a decision.’ Darren Fletcher (left) and McManaman are the Baggies primary transfer targets in Janaury . Meanwhile, Georgios Samaras is set to leave West Brom on loan as Tony Pulis' clearout continues. The Greece international is expected to join Saudi Arabian side Al-Hilal on a six-month deal with a view to a permanent move, Sportsmail understands. He signed a two-year deal in the summer after joining on a free from Celtic but has made just eight substitute appearances, all without scoring. | Tony Pulis wants to make Wigan's Callum McManaman his first signing .
Baggies are also interested in Manchester United star Darren Fletcher .
Georgios Samaras is the latest player to be shown exit at the Hawthorns . |
228,498 | b3dc302a7430b25e6bc3e29173a6d208c139a0bd | By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 06:10 EST, 15 April 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 08:50 EST, 15 April 2013 . This little girl has the whole world in her sights as she greedily eyes up a miniature planet. The lollipops make up a collection of the whole solar system to be created by sweet company Vintage Confections. Using high resolution graphics and materials, they are able to print the finest detail on to a plain lollipop to show the intricate parts of each planet. This little girl has the whole world in her sights as she greedily eyes up a miniature planet . The life-like lollipops make up a collection of the whole solar system to be created by sweet company Vintage Confections . Using high resolution graphics and materials, they are able to print the finest detail on to a plain lollipop to show the intricate parts of each planet . Vintage Confections began making the edible image lollipops back in Spring 2012, when they began receiving requests for different themed items into our lollipops for parties and events . 'By using the finest details, we can allow for great clarity and images,' said Cheryl Carr, co-founder of Vintage Confections. 'Using these carefully crafted images, we are now able to develop endless concepts and in most cases create something that will fit any concept. 'We thought the solar system set would be an interesting take on this concept as it’s an original way of showing how the solar system is created.' Saturn solar lolly (left) and Jupiter (right) were chosen by the sweet company for their interesting take on this concept . They said it 'was an original way of showing how the solar system is created' The stunning detail in the Venus (left) and Earth (right) makes the lollies almost a shame to eat . The solar system consists of the Sun and eight planets. Pluto was originally classified as the ninth planet from the Sun, before being recategorised as a dwarf planet in 2006. Vintage Confections began making the edible image lollipops back in Spring 2012, when they began receiving requests for different themed items into our lollipops for parties and events. 'Both children and adults love lollipops,' Cheryl, 35, said. 'And everyone is fascinated when they can see Earth of Saturn in such detail. 'It makes you almost not want to eat them!' Vintage Confections have already sold more than 3500 sets of the lollies, which come as a set of six or ten planets. | Whole solar system created by sweet company Vintage Confections .
Fine detail printed using high resolution graphics and materials . |
111,908 | 1c53df45306592d5a25b61a17debf8c5019b72bb | (CNN) -- English champions Chelsea scored six goals for the second successive match of the new Premier League season at home to Wigan Athletic to match Arsenal's effort earlier on Saturday. Nicolas Anelka and substitute Salomon Kalou scored twice each for the London side, while Florent Malouda and Yossi Benayoun also netted as Chelsea again set the mark for Manchester United to follow ahead of last season's runners-up's trip to Fulham on Sunday. It was the second successive heavy defeat for Wigan manager Roberto Martinez, leaving the Spaniard an early favorite to be the first casualty of the season. Wigan beat Chelsea near the start of last season, but suffered an 8-0 thrashing on the final day of the campaign in April and have now shipped 25 goals in five league matches. France winger Malouda broke the deadlock from close range in the 33rd minute after Frank Lampard's effort was saved by Chris Kirkland, then Anelka scored twice in four minutes after halftime -- the second a header set up by last weekend's hat-trick hero Didier Drogba. Drogba nets hat-trick as Chelsea crush West Brom . James McCarthy hit the post for Wigan, who had an effort by Mauro Boselli ruled out for offside before Malouda's replacement Kalou made it 4-0 in the 78th minute. Wigan's French Mohamed Diame was carried off with an injury, then Ivory Coast forward Kalou netted another goal with a minute to play and Israeli substitute Benayoun scored his first since joining from Liverpool in time added on. Young England winger Theo Walcott netted a hat-trick as Arsenal brought promoted Blackpool back to earth with a 6-0 crushing in north London. Blackpool had thrashed Wigan 4-0 away in the small club's historic first Premier League outing, but were outclassed to end a difficult week following the resignation of chairman Karl Oyston amid reports he may be made bankrupt. Walcott put Arsenal ahead in the 13th minute, and the match was effectively ended just after half an hour when visiting defender Ian Evatt was sent off for fouling Marouane Chamakh on the edge of the area. English Premier League preview . Andrei Arshavin scored the resulting penalty, Walcott made it 3-0 six minutes before halftime and Abou Diaby scored the fourth four minutes after the break. The midfielder set up Walcott's hat-trick goal on 58 and Morocco striker Chamakh made up for a series of misses as he scored his first for Arsenal to seal the romp with eight minutes left. Tottenham bounced back from the 3-2 Champions League defeat by Young Boys with a controversial 2-1 win at Stoke, despite missing several injured players. Stoke suffered a second successive defeat as debutant striker Jon Walters' late effort was ruled out despite appearing to have crossed the goal line. Gareth Bale scored both goals for the London team, the first coming in the 20th minute after his shot was saved and then Stoke defender Ryan Shawcross blocked Peter Crouch's headed rebound into his path. Striker Ricardo Fuller leveled five minutes later but attacking full-back Bale made it 2-1 on the half-hour with a superb volley. Stoke suffered a double blow, with Malian striker Mamady Sidibe possibly ruled out for the rest of the season after snapping his Achilles tendon late in the match. West Ham also fell to a second defeat under new manager Avram Grant, losing 3-1 at home to Bolton as striker Carlton Cole missed a penalty and fellow England international Matthew Upson scored an own-goal. Jussi Jaaskelainen saved striker Cole's weak 33rd-minute spot-kick before defender Upson headed into his own net three minutes after halftime, then Sweden striker Johan Elmander netted twice either side of Mark Noble's penalty consolation for West Ham (79). Birmingham also missed a penalty but bounced back to beat Blackburn 2-1 with both goals from Craig Gardner after Steven Nzonzi gave the visitors the lead. Ben Foster denied Morten Gamst Pedersen five minutes after halftime following Nikola Zigic's foul on Christopher Samba, then French midfielder Nzonzi headed in a corner. But James McFadden set up Gardner's first on 57 and the midfielder smashed a spectacular winner from long range with 19 minutes to play to leave both teams with three points from two outings this season. West Brom bounced back from last Saturday's thrashing by beating Sunderland 1-0 thanks to a late winner from new signing Peter Odemwingie, with the Nigeria striker netting in the 81st minute just a day after sealing his move from Russian club Lokomotiv Moscow. Wolverhampton followed up their opening win with a 1-1 draw at Everton as striker Sylvan Ebanks-Blake's 75th-minute goal canceled out the opener by Australia midfielder Tim Cahill just before halftime. In Sunday's other game, promoted Newcastle host Aston Villa, while on Monday Liverpool travel to Manchester City. | Chelsea thrash Wigan in late match for a second successive 6-0 victory in new season .
Double winners follow up thrashing of West Brom as Nicolas Anelka scores twice .
Arsenal winger Theo Walcott scores hat-trick in 6-0 victory over 10-man Blackpool .
Gareth Bale nets twice in Tottenham's controversial 2-1 win away to Stoke City . |
68,100 | c13701c08b6432e7288efd387ba4b0b93556e650 | (CNN) -- Indian cricket star Sachin Tendulkar has been included in his country's 15-man World Cup squad, despite doubts over the opener's fitness ahead of next month's competition. Tendulkar was forced to withdraw from India's ongoing tour of South Africa on Saturday after straining his right hamstring. The 37-year-old has scored a record 17,629 runs in 444 one-day internationals, but has played just four over the last 12 months in order to focus on Test cricket. However, the world's leading one-day and Test batsman was named in the squad for the February 19 to April 2 tournament, which is to be jointly hosted by India, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. Cook not hopeful of England World Cup place . The south east Asian nation's one-day side -- currently level with South Africa at one game a piece in the best-of-five match series -- have also been missing batsmen Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir as well as fast bowler Praveen Kumar through injury. "I am not worried at all about the injuries, these are part of the game," Krishnamachari Srikkanth, India's chairman of selectors told reporters in Chennai following the team announcement on Monday. "I am confident the team will be fully fit when the World Cup starts," he added. India hold second place behind Australia in the official one-day rankings, ahead of co-hosts Sri Lanka, England and South Africa. Led by captain and wicketkeeper Mahendra Singh Dhoni, India have been drawn with England, the West Indies, Bangladesh, Ireland, the Netherlands and South Africa in group B of cricket's 10th World Cup. Defending champions Australia head group A with Pakistan, New Zealand, Sri Lanka, Zimbabwe, Canada and Kenya completing the line up for the tournament. Following the round-robin stages, four teams from each group will qualify for the quarterfinals. | Sachin Tendulkar named in India's squad for upcoming cricket World Cup .
37-year-old batsman strained his hamstring on Saturday during country's tour of South Africa .
Selectors confident he will be fit for the competition hosted by India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh .
Three other injured players have been included in India's squad for February 19 - April 2 event . |
244,640 | c89bf98d00c16698fd20ed5ecf3686e0f3c57963 | A primary school may ban a Ghanaian teacher from visiting because parents fear he might spread Ebola - even though his country has had no recorded cases of the killer disease. Christopher Baines, headteacher of Howden-le-Wear Primary School, has bowed to pressure and agreed it 'may be sensible' to scrap the event next Monday. Parents are threatening to pull their children out of school because they said they were not getting 'total reassurance' he will not bring Ebola with him. Row: Parents at Howden-le-Wear Primary School in County Durham, have raised concerns about a proposed visit from a Ghanaian teacher amid fears of spreading Ebola - despite there being no recorded cases in Ghana . Howden-le-Wear primary school, near Crook, County Durham, is partnered with the Great Commission Academy, a school in Ghana. In April teachers from the British school visited Ghana to meet students and other teachers, but now the return visit has proved unpopular with some parents. This is despite Ebola cases only coming from Liberia, Guinea and Sierra Leone, which don't even share a border with Ghana. One mother, who asked to remain anonymous, said: 'We have known about the trip for three or four weeks. We don't want to cause any hysteria, we just want to voice our concerns,' she said. 'This is not a witch hunt by any means, the children love the visits and the visitors are always so lovely. 'The letter we have got today addresses our concerns, but it doesn't say that there is absolutely no chance of Ebola coming over, and that's what we want - total reassurance.' In his letter to parents yesterday Mr Baines said flights to and from Ghana remain unaffected by the virus and the visiting teacher poses no risk. But now it looks like he has changed his mind. He said: Having listened very carefully to concerns reiterated by some parents this morning and in the interests of preserving our excellent relationship with them and the wider local community, I will be liaising with our governing body and the British Council today and we will make a decision following these discussions regarding the planned visit next week. 'This was designed to be an enriching experience for both pupils here and our visitor from Ghana and it is important for everyone that it is a success and focuses solely on the outcomes of our Connecting Classrooms project. 'While the expert advice we have been given remains that Ghana is not one of the countries identified as having the Ebola virus and to date no cases of the virus have been recorded there, it may be that the sensible decision is to postpone this visit.' Partnership: Teachers from the County Durham school were in Ghana earlier this year to meet teachers and students, pictured, but the return visit has upset some parents . It said: 'A number of parents have expressed their concern about the possible spread of the Ebola infection into the UK through the forthcoming visit of Mr Prempah, a visiting teacher from Great Commission Academy. 'In school we take all concerns raised by parents and the school community with the utmost seriousness and pupil/staff health and safety is our absolute primary concern. 'The health and wellbeing of our pupils is the most important thing to us so we have gone to considerable lengths to make sure we have expert advice regarding next week's visit from a number of regional and national authorities, including Public Health England, The Health Protection Agency, Durham County Council and the British Council. 'Given these facts and, following consultation with members of the school governing body, at this present time the visit planned for next week will go ahead. 'However, the situation will be monitored closely over the coming days and should any changes to this position become apparent, then immediate action will be taken.' Screening of airline passengers from Sierra Leone, Liberia and Guinea has started at Heathrow and will be rolled out at Gatwick and Eurostar terminals. But there are calls for it to be extended to Port of Dover. The Tory MP for Dover, Charlie Elphicke, said that despite it being a 'complicated' disease to detect, the port should be included in the UK's screening process. A Department of Health said, however, there was no immediate plans to screen for Ebola at Britain's main passenge port. Mr Elphicke said: 'I think if we are going to do checks at airports and on Eurostar it would make sense to do it in Dover'. There have also been cases in Spain, the United States and Germany, but only from people who travelled back from west Africa or treated them in hospital. The Government has warned that Britain should expect up to ten cases of Ebola by Christmas. | Head of Durham school likely to bow to parents' pressure over Ebola fears .
Howden-le-Wear school partnered with Ghana's Great Commission Academy .
British teachers visited Africa in April but return visit has caused anxiety .
Ghana has had no Ebola cases at all and nor have any of its neighbours .
Calls for screening to start Port of Dover as well as airports and Eurostar . |
251,243 | d1315a8acd94fe6bfaeacaf9ffc433db1fc5e6d3 | By . Steve Nolan . PUBLISHED: . 08:36 EST, 20 November 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 12:00 EST, 20 November 2012 . 'One of life's beautiful people': New mother Kirsty Treloar was stabbed 29 times by violent ex-lover Myles Williams . A controlling lover who sent a New . Year text message to his girlfriend vowing to . stop hitting her before brutally stabbing her 29 times hours later was jailed today. Myles . Williams, 19, was jailed for a minimum of 28 years at the Old Bailey after he was found guilty in September of killing Kirsty Treloar, . 20, in front of their baby daughter and wounding the young mother's brother and sister. Miss . Treloar was stabbed just hours after Williams sent her a text message . at 11pm on New Year's Day saying: 'Okay wer all gud now and my new yrs . ressy is that I aint going to hit u again and I won't hit u 4 this yr . next yr the yr after that the next yr after that. He . added: 'But I wont u to swear on (their daughter's) life u wont p*** me . off and do things to make me angry love you 4 eva.' (sic). She was killed just three weeks after giving birth to the couple's baby, who was showered with her blood. Williams stabbed her for being a 'white bitch' who was taking him for a fool. Sentencing . Williams, Judge Nicholas Cooke said: 'Beyond a shadow of a doubt, you . represent an exceptional danger to any future female partners,' He added: 'Exceptionally, this was a fatal attack in the presence of a 26-day-old child. 'That . child has been left fatherless and motherless, and some time in her . life she will discover that her father killed her mother. 'That baby was left covered in blood, probably her mother’s - a terrible thing.' Crispin Aylett QC, prosecuting, told the trial of Williams’s empty promise at New Year. He said: 'This can only be described as a conditional New Year’s resolution. It lasted only until the following morning.' 'Dangerous': Myles Williams was jailed at the Old Bailey for murdering Kirsty Treloar . Seven hours after sending his text, . Williams received a reply at 6.30am on January 2 from Miss Treloar . saying she did not want to see him. He broke into her family home in Hackney, east London, through the kitchen window and launched the knife attack on the trainee nursery nurse. When . her brother Dean, 23, and sister Gemma, 24, tried to help they were . also stabbed, Mr Treloar in the chest and his sister cut on her arm. 'Okay wer all gud now and my new yrs ressy is that I aint going to hit u again and I won't hit u 4 this yr next yr the yr after that the next yr after that. But I wont u to swear on [their daughter's] life u wont p*** me . off and do things to make me angry love you 4 eva.' (sic) Myles Williams New Year's text message . Williams . dragged Kirsty into the back of his mother's Fiat Stilo and drove her away. She was later found . dead behind wheelie bins near the abandoned car two miles away. As he left the scene he boasted to a bystander that she was a 'white bitch' who had taken him 'for a fool' and added that she 'needs to die'. Judge Nicholas Cooke QC praised the young mother for her 'courage of the highest order' in protecting her family as she was being dragged away. Her sister Gemma pleaded with Williams not to take her but she whispered 'Gem, let me go' fearing that he would attack her family again. He added that Williams had added 'humiliation to brutality' by dumping her body by bins, rejecting his claims that he was trying to get her to hospital. Williams, who has an IQ of just 66, calmly spent the night with another woman before his arrest. Miss Treloar’s mother Pamela said in a statement that Williams had devastated a close family. She said: 'Myles Williams has taken a decent, loving, close family and ripped us up. 'Kirsty . was one of life’s beautiful people. She was gentle and had a heart of . gold. Kirsty loved life and was always smiling. She could not wait to . start her life as a new mum. 'Family ripped apart': Kirsty Treloar's sister Gemma, left, and brother Dean, right, photographed outside the Old Bailey during the course of the trial, were both wounded as they tried to protect their sibling from her violent ex-boyfriend Myles Williams . 'She called her daughter her little princess. We will one day have to explain to her what happened to her mum.' The . court heard the couple began their relationship a year earlier when Miss Treloar met Williams as he swept streets outside Hackney Job Centre. He manipulated her into seeing him by lying that he was 23 and hiding the fact he had already fathered two children by two other older women. But their relationship quickly began to go downhill, with Williams erupting in fits of jealousy, during which he would lock his lover in her bedroom for days. Soon . Miss Treloar was pregnant and the affair had turned sour. In December last year Williams was charged with threatening behaviour after he dragged Miss Treloar along the street. He . was taken to court and given bail on condition that he did not contact . Miss Treloar, who days earlier had given birth to their daughter, said . Mr Aylett. Despite the bail conditions the pair continued to meet up over the Christmas period. Scene: Myles Williams, 19, burst into Kirsty Treloar's family home in east London on January 2 and stabbed her 29 times . But on January 2, Williams kicked in a . kitchen window and then kicked in the bedroom door where the two . sisters had locked themselves in and rang the police. In a recording of the 999 call, Miss Treloar can be heard to plead: 'Myles, please don’t.' Mr Aylett said: 'He hit her a number of times. He then started stabbing her with the knife.' Dean Treloar was stabbed after hitting Williams over the head with the bar of some weights in a vain attempt to get him to stop. Williams then went back to Miss Treloar and began stabbing her in the chest. Mr Aylett added: “The defendant then dragged his half-dead girlfriend out on to the street and bundled her into his car. Detective . Chief Inspector Andy Yeats said after the case: 'This was an appalling . and violent attack by an individual with a propensity for violence . towards women.' | Myles Williams, 19, murdered Kirsty Treloar after forcing his way into her family home and stabbing her 29 times .
Hours earlier Williams had texted the mother of his baby daughter pledging not to hit her again .
Williams also knifed Miss Treloar's sister and brother as they tried desperately to protect their 20-year-old sibling . |
227,847 | b30b902493c1d671ef74dd2559c3089e67a65e50 | Boston is 'wicked excited' to be the U.S. selection for the 2024 Olympics bid, city officials said today. The Massachusetts capital beat tough competition from San Francisco, Los Angeles and Washington to be the United States Olympic Committee's choice for the American bid on Thursday. 'I'm wicked excited, Boston is wicked excited,' Bid Chair John Fish said as he dipped into local dialect while responding to the result with other city officials on Friday. Mayor Marty Walsh, who also addressed the media alongside Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker, added: 'Wow, can you believe this?' Joy: Bid Chair Josh Fish said he was 'wicked excited' that the city had been selected as the American candidate for the 2024 Olympic Games as he appeared at a press conference on Friday . Assurances: Boston Mayor Marty Walsh said he intended for the bid to be the most transparent in Olympic history so that skeptics would be assured funds were not being mishandled . He announced meetings would soon be held with residents to discuss the plans, vowing to make the process transparent and attempting to reassure those who fear public money will be misspent. 'I promise this will be the most open, inclusive and transparent process in Olympic history,' he said. Boston joins Rome and an as yet undecided German city in the race to host the 2024 Games. The International Olympic Committee's deadline for bid submissions is September 15 and the host city will be chosen in 2017. The U.S. has not held an Olympics since Atlanta in 1996. New York failed in a bid for the 2012 Games and Chicago failed in 2016. After Boston won the nomination, United States Olympic Committee chairman Larry Probst said: 'We're excited about our plans to submit a bid for the 2024 Games and feel we have an incredibly strong partner in Boston that will work with us to present a compelling bid. 'We're grateful to the leaders in each of the four cities for their partnership and interest in hosting the most exciting sports competition on earth. 'The deliberative and collaborative process that we put in place for selecting a city has resulted in a strong U.S. bid that can truly serve the athletes and the Olympic and Paralympic movements.' The team has not yet released plans for the stadiums and event spaces, but have previously said they will rely heavily upon structures that already exist in the city, including the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center, university arena, and the city's park system. Boston, pictured, has won the right to bid for the 2024 summer Olympics following a 22-month process . America last hosted the Olympic Games in 1996 when the prestigious competition was held in Atlanta . Plans also include a temporary Olympic stadium in South Boston, which would be dismantled at the close of the Games. Last year, organizers said the venues required to host the Games would cost approximately $4.5 billion in private funding as well as $5 billion in regional infrastructure improvements. Boston Mayor Marty Walsh previously said: 'It is an exceptional honor for Boston to be chosen as the U.S. representative in the running for the 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games. 'This selection is in recognition of our city's talent, diversity and global leadership. 'Our goal is to host Olympic and Paralympic Games that are innovative, walkable and hospitable to all. Boston hopes to welcome the world's greatest athletes to one of the world's great cities.' International Olympic Committee President Thomas Back said: 'The Boston bid will be a strong one. Bostonians are well known for their enthusiasm for sport and the city has a great heritage in sport, science and education.' Boston will have to beat off competition from the likes of Italy, Germany and France . Boston hopes the fact that most of the venues will be within walking distance of the city center will improve the chances of their bid. So far, only Rome is the only other city to publicly announce its intention to bid for the games. Germany is expected to chose either Berlin or Hamburg, while Istanbul, Paris, Doha and an African city are also thought to be considering bids. Former Massachusetts governor and failed presidential candidate Mitt Romney has backed the Boston bid. He was part of the team that brought the 2002 winter games to Salt Lake City. Mr Romney said: 'We know Boston is the place to inspire a new generation of athletes to discover the greatness within.' The USOC considered 35 cities over a 22-month evaluation process before deciding upon Boston. | Boston secured the U.S. nomination to bid for the 2024 Olympic Games .
The Hub beat off a challenge from LA, San Francisco and Washington .
Now Boston faces a race against Germany, Italy and France to host games .
The U.S. Olympic Committee considered 35 cities over 22 months . |
142,939 | 44dd81b9154b262dd0672b8922337c1e9a49d035 | By . Belinda Robinson . Legal action: Gillian Stokes, 44, won her unfair dismissal case against Shrewsbury School but did not get compensation . A tuck shop lady who won an unfair dismissal case from a prestigious independent school was arrested yesterday after driving onto the school's cricket pitch and doing 'doughnuts.' Eyewitnesses saw Gillian Stokes, 44, drive onto the pitch at Shrewsbury School in Shropshire with such force that she scattered staff and pupils as she did high-speed doughnuts in her car. The school, whose alumni include Charles Darwin, descended into chaos as Ms Stokes then chased a teacher around with a fire extinguisher. The former tuck shop worker had been sacked from her job at the £30,000-a-year school and took them to an employment tribunal claiming she was unfairly dismissed after she was fired in May 2013. But although she won the hearing in Birmingham, she did not receive any compensation. According to staff, pupils were practicing cricket on the cricket pitch - which the cricket-writer Sir Neville Cardus described as the 'The most beautiful playing fields in the world, spreading and imperceptibly mingling with the pasture land of Shropshire.' Ms Stokes then drove onto the pitch and did several high-speed doughnuts, spinning her car, which has personalised number plates on it, into big circles. No students were injured. But, members of staff quickly realised it was her and called the police while leading pupils to safety. She was arrested by West Mercia Police, according to The Telegraph but a spokesman declined to give further comment on her case. Kathy . Campbell, a spokesperson for Shrewsbury School told Mail Online: 'Ms . Stokes did briefly and unexpectedly enter the School site yesterday . (contravening an injunction banning her from the premises). 'Ms . Stokes drove her car onto the cricket pitch at speed but nobody was . injured. The police were called and the incident was dealt with swiftly . and calmly. 'We . praise the professional and dignified approach adopted by all members . of the School community who were involved on this occasion. The matter . is now being dealt with by West Mercia Police.' Shrewsbury School pitch: Before the incident, pupils were practicing cricket on the cricket pitch, described as the 'the most beautiful playing field in the world' However it's not the first time Ms Stokes has been in trouble. Days after she was fired, she allegedly sent an . email to all 750 students at the school claiming she had been sexually . assaulted by a female member of staff. She had also been accused of making threatening phone calls and sending . abusive text messages to former colleagues she felt ‘had betrayed her’, . the tribunal heard. Ms . Stokes, from Shrewsbury, Shropshire, claimed she had been . sacked because of her activities with the UCAT trade union. Claims: Ms Stokes allegedly drove onto the pitch and did several high-speed doughnuts with her car which has personalised number plates . She also added . that she felt ‘traumatised’ following the alleged assaults and claimed . she was threatened by another member of staff in February 2012 because . she organised an unauthorised union meeting. She said: ‘He threatened me with the sack and placed his hands on my polo-shirt collars and said 'we will get you for this.' Ms . Stokes admitted sending an email to staff and pupils claiming she had . been sexually assaulted saying she ‘regretted her actions’ adding that . she did it while suffering ‘great emotional distress.’ However, she denied sending messages to former colleagues, including one which read: ‘Careful when you go home. She had worked at the school for 17 years. The tribunal heard that days after she was fired, Gillian Stokes sent an email to all 750 students at Shrewsbury School, pictured, claiming she had been sexually assaulted by a female member of staff . | Gillian Stokes won her unfair dismissal case against Shrewsbury School .
She was sacked from her job as tuck shop lady at the £30,000-a-year school .
Eyewitnesses said she drove onto a pitch and did high-speed doughnuts .
However, no pupils were injured during the incident . |
259,897 | dc82ba5fb6df1ab6782919ed75093387398c6cbb | A father who took his two young sons to McDonald's was shocked to find a group of pigeons eating off the indoor tables as staff allegedly stood by and did nothing. Josh Fry Snr, from Davoren Park north of Adelaide, visited the fast food outlet at Rundle Mall with his sons Josh, eight, and Charlie, six, on Saturday. But when the family saw six pigeons they were turned off ordering food, so instead Mr Fry Snr, 28, took footage on his phone which he then posted to Facebook. Scroll down for video . A father who took his two sons to McDonald's was shocked to find a group of pigeons eating off indoor tables . Josh Fry Snr (centre), from Davoren Park north of Adelaide, visited the fast food outlet at Rundle Mall with his sons Josh (left), eight, and Charlie (right), six, on Saturday . 'We were going to go in for an ice cream but once we saw that, my two sons said they didn't want to go in there because they saw the birds,' he told Daily Mail Australia. 'It was disgusting and I was in shock.' Mr Fry Snr said he was appalled that the McDonald's employees had not noticed, and that the pigeons were still in there when he walked back past the restaurant 20 minutes later. 'It wasn't very busy, only maybe five or six people in line, and no staff to be seen,' he said. He added that the rubbish was still on the table where the pigeons had been eating, and the birds had moved onto another empty table with leftovers. In the video the camera focuses in on five pigeons on a table eating from customers' abandoned meals . In the video the camera focuses in on five pigeons on a table eating from customers' abandoned meals. The camera then pans to show another pigeon on the ground and a line of customers waiting at the counter. Mr Fry then focusses the video on the McDonald's signage out the front of the restaurant. 'I just posted a video because they wouldn't have done anything,' he said. 'I did complain to McDonald's but I still haven't heard anything.' A McDonald's spokesman said: McDonald’s has high standards when it comes to cleanliness - our crew and managers clean dining areas at least every 20 minutes. 'The restaurant has also implemented a number of deterrents, including the installation of an air-curtain.' | A father took his two young sons to McDonald's at Adelaide's Rundle Mall .
He was shocked to find a group of pigeons eating off the indoor tables .
Josh Fry Snr took footage on his phone which he then posted to Facebook . |
62,317 | b105d32ab2369649b097be0a22a835728c779d7b | Like other branches of science, nutrition is constantly evolving. As researchers learn more about vitamins and minerals, for example, dietary advice changes. Coffee is the top source of antioxidants in an American diet. Take vitamin D, the "sunshine" vitamin, so named because it is produced primarily in the skin through a chemical reaction that requires ultraviolet light. Increasingly, nutritionists recommend that you boost your daily intake because of vitamin D's potential to help fight certain types of cancer. In fact, many expect the next version of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, due in 2010, to raise the amount currently recommended from 200 International Units (IU) for adults to 400 or more. But any advice that encourages exposure to sunlight concerns dermatologists, since rates of basal cell carcinoma, the most common type of skin cancer, have tripled in the past 30 years. So . . . to D or not to D? We went to the experts for help in sorting out what the science really says about vitamin D and three other nutritional riddles, and more importantly, what that means for you. Vitamin D . The good news: A short stroll in the sun supplies enough vitamin D to maintain healthy bones; emerging research points to strong anti-cancer benefits, too. The potential risk: Exposure to sunlight causes skin cancer. What the research says: Vitamin D tells the body to absorb more bone-building calcium from foods. "Vitamin D is most known for its beneficial effects on the skeleton, but, to me, its effects on cancer are much more significant," says Bruce W. Hollis, Ph.D., professor of pediatrics at the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston. In a study of 47,800 men, scientists at the Harvard School of Public Health reported that 1,500 IU daily of vitamin D reduced the risk of cancers of the digestive system by 43 percent. Another study from the University of California at San Diego of 1,760 women suggests that 2,700 IU daily may reduce the risk of breast cancer by 50 percent. CookingLight.com: Power up your plate . Reaching the amount of D currently recommended --200 IU per day for adults ages 19 to 50 and 400 IU per day for those ages 51 to 70 -- through diet is difficult, Hollis says. Food sources of vitamin D are scarce; salmon, mackerel, and sardines are the top sources, containing 250 to 360 IU per 3-ounce serving. Milk comes next, but the levels of vitamin D with which it is fortified varies. When researchers from Boston University analyzed 79 milk samples, they found that 37 percent contained less than 5 percent of the 100 IU vitamin D per cup promised. What you should do: "The most powerful source of vitamin D is the sun," Hollis says. Make the most of it. Protect your face, ears, neck, and the backs of hands each day with a moisturizer that contains a sun-protection factor (SPF) of 15 or higher. These spots are where skin cancers usually develop first. But on days when you aren't going to spend much time in the sun, leave spf off legs and arms to let them manufacture vitamin D. In just 10 minutes, a light-skinned person produces 10,000 to 20,000 IU vitamin D. Because skin pigments can interfere with vitamin D synthesis, darker-skinned people produce it more slowly. If you have dark skin or live or work where you are seldom exposed to sunlight, talk to your doctor about supplementing your intake of vitamin D. Hollis recommends choosing a supplement that contains vitamin D3, also known as cholecalciferol; it's the vitamin's most readily absorbable form. Coffee . The good news: Caffeine, obtained most frequently from coffee in a typical American diet, may reduce the risk of developing Parkinson's disease. An antioxidant in coffee may also help protect against diabetes. The potential risk: Caffeine may cause bone loss, which increases the risk for osteoporosis. What the research says: In trying to solve this nutritional conundrum, it helps to put study findings in their proper context, says Tara Coghlin-Dickson, M.S., R.D., a clinical dietitian at Stanford University Hospital in Stanford, California. A widely reported 2001 study of 489 postmenopausal women found that caffeine intakes higher than 300 milligrams (mg) per day -- roughly the amount in two cups of coffee -- accelerated bone loss in women. However, the study reveals an important qualifier: The women's average calcium intake was 725mg per day, 475mg short of the Daily Recommended Intake. "Caffeine can act as a calcium thief, but the real risk for osteoporosis is chronic low calcium," Coghlin-Dickson says. It's well known that caffeine -- a stimulant -- can improve focus and concentration. Recent research also has linked caffeine to a reduced risk of Parkinson's disease. When scientists at Harvard University tracked rates of Parkinson's in more than 135,000 men and women for 12 years, they found that men who consumed four to five cups of coffee daily and women who consumed one to three cups daily were half as likely to develop the disease as those who didn't consume coffee. CookingLight.com: Healthy chocolate? Researchers aren't yet sure why coffee has a protective effect but suggest the benefit could be linked to caffeine's ability to accelerate neurotransmissions in the brain. Coffee's connection to diabetes prevention appears clearer. In a 10-year trial of 88,000 women, researchers from the Harvard School of Public Health in Boston, Massachusetts found that women who drank two or more cups of coffee per day were 47 percent less likely to develop type 2 diabetes, the adult-onset variety of the disease. In this study, the benefits of the brew weren't directly associated with caffeine; decaffeinated coffee provided similar results. More likely, chlorogenic acid, an antioxidant abundant in coffee, is responsible for the effect, says Frank Hu, M.D., Ph.D., lead author of the study and associate professor of nutrition and epidemiology. What you should do: "Considering all of the evidence we've accumulated in the last 10 years, coffee is more healthful than harmful," Hu says. Like all things, caffeine -- and coffee --are probably best in moderation; have one cup, maybe two per day. You may also benefit from the brew's antioxidants; coffee is the top source of antioxidants in an American diet. Omega-3s . The good news: Eating fish rich in omega-3s may improve your heart health. The potential risk: Some types of fish contain high levels of mercury, a toxin. What the research says: In 2004 the Food and Drug Administration and the Environmental Protection Agency issued an advisory recommending that pregnant or nursing women and young children avoid intake of high-mercury fish species, such as swordfish, king mackerel, tilefish, and shark because mercury can cause developmental defects in children. The threat is real, but the response isn't. Two-thirds of Americans believe the risk applies to everyone, not just expectant mothers and young children, according to a survey by the Center for Food, Nutrition, and Agriculture Policy. "People think, 'If it's not good for babies, then it's probably not good for me,' " says Joshua Cohen, Ph.D., a lecturer at Tufts University School of Medicine in Boston. "But men and postmenopausal women should focus on the fact that eating fish can help reduce their risk of stroke and heart attack." CookingLight.com: Clearly healthy oils . When Cohen correlated data about fish consumption to annual rates of heart disease in a report published last year in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, he determined that if all American adults -- including women of childbearing age -- consumed 8 ounces of a low-mercury fish each week, the annual number of coronary deaths in the United States would drop by 20,000. Omega-3 fats, which are provided by certain fish, help make "bad" LDL cholesterol less likely to stick to artery walls and may relieve arterial inflammation. What you should do: If you're not a woman of childbearing age, consume two 6-ounce servings of fatty fish per week. "To sacrifice the benefits for a risk that doesn't pertain to you is cheating yourself," Cohen says. Stick with species that are low in mercury but high in omega-3s -- salmon, canned light tuna, pollock, flounder, sole, herring, shrimp, and sardines. E-mail to a friend . For more tips on making healthy taste great, try Cooking Light - CLICK HERE . Copyright 2009 Cooking Light magazine. All rights reserved. | The most powerful source of vitamin D is the sun .
Recent research has linked caffeine to a reduced risk of Parkinson's disease .
For most, benefits of eating fatty fish outweigh mercury risks . |
279,248 | f5c875a9598df7177ebe676e60aefe85a6387546 | By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 09:06 EST, 9 December 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 12:08 EST, 9 December 2013 . A headteacher has been criticised after he decided to install CCTV cameras in his secondary school's toilets. Parents have described Neil Houchen's decision to put the cameras in the boys' and girls' toilets as 'disgusting'. Eastwood Academy, in Eastwood, Essex, has installed two cameras as part of a security crackdown on vandals and bullies after graffiti was scrawled in toilets and sinks were filled with toilet paper. Headteacher Neil Houchen (pictured) has been criticised after installing cameras in the boys' and girls' toilets at Eastwood Academy . But one parent, who asked not to be named, said: 'There seems to be some uproar from the students at Eastwood Academy as the school has installed cameras in the boys and girls toilets. 'It really is quite disgusting.' Mr Houchen said it was his 'duty' to enure all areas of the school were safe and secure. He said: 'CCTV cameras have been installed in the girls’ and boys’ toilets. I would like to stress that these cameras face the washbasins and do not face the cubicles. 'The purpose of these cameras is to aid detection of acts of vandalism and/or bullying, which pupils have reported as occurring on an ad hoc basis. 'I see it as my duty to make all areas of the academy site as safe and secure as possible, including toilets. Mr Houchen said it was his 'duty' to enure all areas of the school (pictured) were safe and secure . 'I would like to stress these acts are extremely rare, but I am keen that the opportunity for such feckless misconduct is eradicated.' The headteacher, who took over the school three years ago, denied any pupils had complained to him about the cameras and said those with concerns could air them at the next school council meeting. The school has built a £50,000 staff gym and cafe, expanded its canteen and revamped its reception in the past year. It is updating its security system for the first time in a decade. It has already replaced 15 existing cameras and is installing eight more in previously uncovered areas, including a bike shed that suffered a recent theft, the main playground at the centre of the site and in all its computer rooms. All the main doors and gates in the school have been fitted with with electronic locks, which can be accessed using an electronic key card. Mr Houchen intends to make all doors, including those to classrooms and cupboards, accessible using cards with various levels of authorisation. | Parent describes decision to install CCTV cameras in toilets as 'disgusting'
Eastwood Academy has said move was part of a security crackdown .
Headteacher said it was his duty to ensure all areas of the site were safe . |
119,465 | 2651ca486b5e7b4ebebd15aab864e6f6e324303b | The administrator overseeing the crisis at Caterham fears the team will not be competing in next weekend's United States Grand Prix. Finbarr O'Connell, who represents London accountancy firm Smith & Williamson, says he is doing all he can to get the team on the grid at Austin. But he has been left 'distressed' and frustrated by some of the practices he has so far encountered behind the scenes at Caterham. Staff are locked out of Caterham headquarters in Leafield, Oxfordshire, for a second consecutive day . The administrator overseeing the crisis fears they will not compete at the US grand prix next weekend . The gates at the team's Leafield factory are locked for a second day and the team's cars remain impounded, so hopes are fading fast that Caterham will be heading to Texas. O'Connell is working on behalf of the creditors of Caterham Sports Ltd, a company which makes and supplies the cars to 1MRT, the entity which owns the licence to race in Formula One. 'I'm constantly chasing 1MRT - it should be the other way around - to engage better with me,' O'Connell told Press Association Sport. 'I can only presume they have other issues going on, but I really need them to come to me with an acceptable figure (to offer their creditors) so they can gain access again to Leafield and we can support them. 'It's very important to us they race, very important. But the thing is, for the creditors of Caterham Sports Ltd, it's not up to them to fund racing. There are around 200 jobs at the headquarters that could be lost if a resolution to the situation is not found . Caterham in action during practice at the Grand Prix in Japan in October . 'Formula One is a rich man's game, as we know, so (1MRT) need to fund themselves and pay their way. 'I'm responsible to my creditors, I'm an officer of the court, I need to make things better for them. 'At the moment 1MRT are trying to get me to make things worse for them, which I'm not willing to do.' With practice in Austin just a week away, it was suggested to O'Connell that given the present situation Caterham would not be there. O'Connell replied: 'No, no. I've some meetings there as well - I hope Caterham F1 are there.' Former Caterham owner Tony Fernandes (above) claims not to have been paid for his shares of ownership . In the background is the mud-slinging dispute between the past and present owners of Caterham. Malaysian entrepreneur Tony Fernandes claims he has yet to be paid for the shares of ownership, while the buyers in a consortium of Swiss and Middle Eastern businessmen who took over at the end of June insist everything has been done accordingly. O'Connell, meanwhile, has made it abundantly clear who he feels he should be dealing with - Colin Kolles, who initially served as an advisor to the consortium, but is now the man in charge. 'They tell me Colin Kolles is the principal of 1MRT. To say Tony Fernandes runs it is totally untrue,' stated O'Connell. 'There is a legal dispute as to who owns the shares of 1MRT, but Colin Kolles and his people run the F1 team, and he is the principal.' Fernandes vented his frustration via Twitter on Wednesday about the current situation at Caterham . O'Connell, however, has been left amazed by the fact Kolles has yet to make contact, adding: 'I've spoken to some of his people. 'But it would be no harm if he phoned me as well because I've not spoken to him once so far. 'Overnight I reached out to (F1 supremo) Bernie Ecclestone to see if he can assist in some way because it's in everybody's best interests to do something. 'I'm told Colin Kolles wants to go racing; I want my creditors to get some money, and Bernie clearly wants them to be on the grid. 'You would think there is the makings of a deal there, but overnight I've chased 1MRT, and I've heard nothing back from them.' As for the 200-plus staff whose jobs are on the line, O'Connell was given a taste of the problems they face on Thursday when he made the tough call to close the gates on the factory. Japanese Caterham Formula One driver Kamui Kobayashi crashes out of the Australian grand prix in March . 'I spoke to the head of HR earlier, and it's quite unfortunate 1MRT don't have an out-of-hours communication system,' said O'Connell. 'I was quite distressed 1MRT were unable to tell their employees not to go, so people travelled, only to be sent away at the gates. I tried to avoid that. 'But 1MRT didn't have the wherewithal to organise otherwise. 'We've told people that once we do an acceptable deal then they will be straight back in.' Â . | Finn O'Connell doubts Caterham's involvement in the US grand prix .
Said he has been 'distressed' by some of the practices behind the scenes .
Row between Tony Fernandes and new owners continues . |
40,114 | 7134223c74d671898803fc7f8d60b0dd18e3b43f | A fender-bender on a Kentucky highway has led to a violent road rage incident where a man was beaten up while his rival's girlfriend sat on top of him. The brawl that took place Sunday in the middle of Interstate 71 in Carroll County was captured by motorist David Boggs on his cell phone camera. In the video, a male driver wearing denim shorts punches another driver dressed in khakis while a woman is holding him down on the ground. Scroll down for video . Tempers flare: A fender-bender on Interstate 71 in Kentucky involving two trucks ended in fisticuffs . Helper: This blonde woman who was riding in the truck that struck another vehicle jumped out of the cabin and tackled the driver after her male companion in denim shorts yanked him out of his seat . Moment of impact: The unnamed driver repeatedly struck his immobilized rival in the face . According to Boggs, the altercation started after the driver decked out in denim slammed his truck into a vehicle operated by the man in khaki shorts, the station WAVE3 reported. Eyewitness: David Boggs recorded the brawl on his cell phone and called 911 before leaving the scene . The driver who wrecked the vehicle in front of him jumped out and yanked the man in khakis out of his truck. Boggs said a blonde woman who was riding with the man in cropped jeans then ran up to the two brawlers and jumped on top of the victim, pinning him to the blacktop. The video shows the aggressor punching the immobilized man in the face with the woman seated on his chest. The footage shows the enraged driver leaning close to the face of the restrained man lying prostrate on his back and pointing at him. According to Boggs, the man who was attacked by the couple did not show any hostility towards them even as his assailant continued pummeling him. Boggs eventually left the scene after dialling 911 because he said he feared for his own safety. None of the people involved in the incident have been identified, and as of Tuesday afternoon no arrests have been made. Livid: The footage shows the enraged driver leaning close to the face of the restrained man lying prostrate on his back and pointing at him . The Kentucky State Police are reviewing Boggs' video and will consult with the county attorney to determine if any charges should be filed. MailOnline contacted the law enforcement agency Tuesday about the incident but no one was immediately available for comment. | Brawl took place on interstate 71 in Carroll county, Kentucky, Sunday .
Eyewitness who recorded video said attacker in denim shorts was the one who rammed his truck in the back of the victim's vehicle . |
116,206 | 21fea8471d7b3d16449283e37cea8adb5956d172 | A woman once crowned Miss Universe is lending her famous face to a campaign aimed at raising awareness of the alleged human rights violations that have occurred in her native country, Venezuela, during recent anti-government protests. Only, Stefanía Fernández, who was crowned Miss Universe in 2009, doesn't look like a typical beauty queen for this campaign. To symbolize the violence people in Venezuela have suffered at the hands of the country's violent underworld - as well as those killed in recent anti-government protests - Fernandez appears covered in blood and filth while gagged and crying tears of blood. Beauty Queen: Stefania Fernandez was once Miss Universe but is now lending her face to a campaign to raise awareness of violence in Venezuela . Stunning: Fernandez was crowned Miss Venezuela in 2008 and Miss Universe in 2009 . The campaign is called Your Voice is Your Power, which also takes aim at the oppression of the media in the socialist nation. So far, 28 people have been killed in the daily anti-government protests that began in February. Fernandez and photographer Daniel Bracci plan to use social media to spread the word of their courageous campaign against the Venezuela's current political situation. Some of the images from the campaign have been uploaded to Instagram with the hashtag #MordazasEnVenezuela (#GaggedInVenezuela). Bracci also is an illustrator, and said he wanted to make the photos as disturbing as he could to create a visual element of the campaign that will garner attention. Violence: Venezuela has seen 28 people killed in anti0government protests since the protests began in February . Spread the word: The campaign is being spread across social media, with the hashtag #mordazasenvenezuela . 'This campaign started because something directly affected me, when my . grandfather passed away because of the hampa (the underworld-like . situation) taking place in Venezuela,' Bracci told South American news outlet Informe 21. The campaign also plans to include other recognizable faces that have been impacted by the wave of violence in Venezuela. | Stefania Fernandez was crowned Miss Universe in 2009 .
She's joined a campaign to raise awareness of the violence gripping her home country of Venezuela .
Since February, 28 people have been killed in anti-government protests in Venezuela . |
147,218 | 4a5e92f15265583a2b2e04349a4bd0f998bc2fad | Beijing, China (CNN) -- China's economy grew by 8.7 percent in 2009, according to the National Bureau of Statistics. China's fourth quarter growth alone surged to 10.7 percent on an annualized basis. China's economy has been picking up pace the first three quarters of the year, growing at 6.2 percent the first quarter and 7.9 percent the second quarter and 9.1 percent in the third quarter. The gross domestic product total was $4.9 trillion in 2009. The annual growth was spurred by a $586 billion stimulus package to bolster its economy. The government had set a growth target rate of 8 percent last year, which the government sees as a benchmark to maintain employment rates in the nation of 1.3 billion. "In the face of severe impact brought about by the global financial crisis in a century and the most complicated domestic and international situations, the (government) sized up the situation, made scientific decisions, and headed the whole nation united as one to surmount the difficulties of our time," said Ma Jiantang, director of the National Bureau of Statistics. "It stopped the remarkable decline ... and China became the first to emerge (from the recession)." Retail sales rose 16.9 percent in 2009, as China encourage domestic spending to make up for lost export business during the recession. But concerns are rising of a growing property bubble in China, fueled by lending which has seen property prices grow 50 percent or more in some cities. On Wednesday China signaled to several banks to curb lending, causing stock markets to slump globally as questions about China's lending practices slammed the price of commodities. The sector was also hit by reports that China intends to slow the pace of lending this year in an attempt to get ahead of inflation. A stronger dollar also pressured dollar-traded commodity prices and stocks. "China's efforts to get their banks to lend less really hit commodities hard, because China is the marginal buyer of commodities," said David Chalupnik, head of equities at First American Funds. The numbers released Thursday showed, foreign trade dropped 13.9 percent. China still holds a significant trade surplus -- $196 billion -- though the surplus slipped more than 34 percent. Monthly import-export numbers for December 2009, however, were up. | China's economy grew by 8.7 percent in 2009, according to the National Bureau of Statistics .
China's fourth quarter growth alone surged to 10.7 percent on an annualized basis .
But concerns are rising of a growing property bubble in China . |
114,353 | 1f8d4051809c561c66426ec14bd96d181d13194c | (CNN) -- A Malian presidential candidate conceded to his opponent Monday, a day after a runoff election in the nation rattled in the past year by a coup and insurgent Islamists. Former Finance Minister Soumaila Cisse conceded to former Prime Minister Ibrahim Boubacar Keita on social media. "My family & myself went to Mr. Keita, the future president of Mali, congratulate him on his victory. God bless you," he said on Twitter. On his official Facebook page, Cisse issued a statement: . "Dear citizens, dear friends: . To those who have been following me and supporting me here on this page for so many months, I would like to tell you that my family and I went tonight at Mr. Ibrahim Boubacar Keita, who will be our next President of the Republic to congratulate him on his victory in the presidential election." In the first round of voting last month, Keita won nearly 40% of the vote, while Cisse garnered close to 20%. Keita ran for office in 2002 and 2007. He lost both times, most recently to Amadou Toumani Toure. Toure was ousted by a faction of the military in March of last year, plunging Mali, a landlocked country in West Africa, into chaos. A group of outraged soldiers accused the government of not providing adequate equipment to battle ethnic Tuareg rebels roaming the vast desert land in the north. Disgruntled, the soldiers marched to the palace. A few hours later, a soldier appeared on state television and said the military was in control of the nation. The coup leader later stepped down and transferred power to a civilian transitional government. But uncertainty reigned. Islamic extremists, some with ties to al Qaeda, capitalized on the coup. They toppled the Tuareg tribe roaming in the north and seized control of Timbuktu and other cities in the region. They carved out a large portion of the region and began instituting their own laws. Saved from Islamists, Timbuktu's manuscripts face new threat . They banned music, smoking, drinking and watching sports on television, and destroyed historic tombs and shrines in the north. World leaders feared that the al Qaeda-linked militants would turn the area into a terrorist haven. Their victories prompted a French-led military campaign in January to flush out the insurgents. France has a close tie to Mali after holding it as a colony from 1898 to 1960. A successful election would allow France to withdraw some of the troops it put in place to halt Islamist militants from advancing toward the capital, Bamako. French troops and United Nations peacekeepers still patrol the streets of the fragile north. CNN's Larry Register contributed to this report from Atlanta, and journalist Katarina Hoije contributed from Bamako. | Soumaila Cisse congratulates his opponent, Ibrahim Boubacar Keita, on social media .
The former government officials were the top two in a vote last month .
A new president would allow France to withdraw some troops sent to fight Islamists . |
133,312 | 38601f6cba2dc8ddd13ab6328b6dbb0ed49de9f7 | New Delhi, India (CNN) -- One of two Taiwanese nationals injured in a shooting at a popular Old Delhi, India, tourist site remained in critical condition Monday after doctors removed a bullet from his abdomen, a hospital official said. Amit Banerjee, the medical superintendent of the hospital where the two tourists were being treated, added the other tourist is expected to be discharged soon. Meanwhile, the U.S. and Australian governments have issued safety advisories to their citizens after the shooting on Sunday. And two of India's largest cities -- Delhi and Mumbai -- are on red alert. Gunmen on a motorcycle fired multiple rounds at a tour bus, Karnail Singh of Delhi police told CNN sister network CNN-IBN on Sunday. "One of the bullets grazed the head of one tourist and one has been hit in the stomach," Singh said. India's tourism minister, Kumari Selja, downplayed Sunday's shooting as a "stray" event aimed at creating panic. "This attack on tourists shows desperation of those elements who want to create panic in the society by attacking innocent people," Selja said, according to a statement from her ministry. "Investigation agencies are at work" to apprehend the culprits, she said. India, she insisted, is a safe destination for tourists. Police, who continue the search for the suspects, said they think the attack is more likely to be the work of a criminal gang than a terror attack. The attack comes two weeks before the Commonwealth Games, which are expected to draw large crowds to the city. Thousands of athletes from around the world will converge on the city October 3 for the multi-sport event that is held every four years. "U.S. citizens are urged to always practice good security, maintain a heightened situational awareness and a low profile," the U.S. Embassy posted on its website. "U.S. citizens are advised to monitor local news reports and consider the level of security present when visiting public places, including religious sites." The message follows a travel alert issued earlier this month about the Commonwealth Games in general: . "The U.S. Mission in India alerts U.S. citizens traveling to or residing in India to safety and security issues related to the 2010 Commonwealth Games scheduled to be held in New Delhi, India, between October 3 and October 14, 2010, especially in light of the worldwide caution issued by the Department of State on August 12, 2010, regarding the continuing threat of terrorist actions and violence against U.S. citizens and interests throughout the world." Athletes from more than 70 countries in Africa, North and South America, Asia, Europe, the Caribbean island nations and the South Pacific region are expected to take part in the games, which feature such sporting events as basketball, archery, table tennis, squash, badminton, bowling, gymnastics and swimming. On Monday, Australia warned its citizens in a travel advisory that the event carries a "high risk of terrorism." "Australians in New Delhi should be aware that the Commonwealth Games will be held in a security environment where there is a high risk of terrorism," the advisory said. It added that New Delhi has seen at least 14 major terrorist attacks since 2000 in public places, such as markets and train stations. Police in New Delhi insist Sunday's shooting was not targeted at the games. "It was a local mischief," police spokesman Rajan Bhagat said Monday. Security has, however, been stepped up in the Indian capital, he added. "We assure full security not only for the games but also for the city," Bhagat said. CNN's Harmeet Shah Singh contributed to this report. | The U.S. and Australia issue safety advisories before the Commonweath Games .
Gunmen on a motorcycle fired multiple shots at a tour bus, striking two Taiwanese tourists .
Tourism official: India is a safe destination for visitors . |
214,883 | a231df37ff50bb647c8f6466440bce3a190ba224 | (CNN) -- Bangladesh's prime minister acknowledged Thursday that her nation's garment industry is beset with problems, but said her government is moving rapidly to fix them. "Bangladesh now is a place for good conditions for the investment," Sheikh Hasina told CNN's Christiane Amanpour eight days after a nine-story building collapsed on the outskirts of Dhaka, killing at least 437 people, most of them garment workers. She said 2,437 survivors were pulled from the rubble, where recovery work was continuing. "Yes, there are some problems," she said, but added that a committee has been formed to ensure the safety of buildings and workers. "This committee will submit the findings to the Cabinet committee and, side by side, we have been trying our best to improve the situation." Hasina expressed little fear that international companies would stop doing business in Bangladesh as a result of the disaster. Investors have tapped into the Bangladeshi market not just because of its high-quality workers, she said. "They get cheap labor," she said. "That's why they come here." Bangladesh vs. the U.S.: How much does it cost to make a denim shirt? But at least one company has pulled out of Bangladesh, citing a spate of fatal factory accidents. The Walt Disney Company sent a letter in March to vendors and licensees to transition production out of the "highest-risk countries," such as Bangladesh, in order to bolster safety standards in its supply chain. Disney will halt production in four other countries: Ecuador, Venezuela, Belarus and Pakistan, by April 2014. The decision was made before last week's building collapse. It was prompted by the November fire at the Tazreen Fashions Factory in Bangladesh's capital Dhaka that killed 112 people, and another fire in Pakistan that killed 262 garment workers last September. Disney pulls out of Bangladesh factories . Asked about reports that only 18 inspectors are responsible for overseeing safety conditions in more than 100,000 garment factories in and around the capital city, Hasina said, "We don't depend on only ... those inspectors." Steps to improve conditions were taken before the collapse of the building in Rana Plaza in Savar, she said, citing passage by the Cabinet of a labor law that will be sent to Parliament. Hasina noted that workplace disasters have occurred in the United States, too; she cited last month's explosion of a fertilizer plant in West, Texas, in which 14 people died. "Anywhere in the world, any accident can take place," she said. "You cannot predict anything." Amanpour, CNN's chief international correspondent, pointed out that local officials predicted that the building could collapse after cracks appeared on its walls on April 23, and they urged workers not to re-enter it. "You are very correct," Hasina said. "Unfortunately, in the morning, the owners of the factories put pressure to labor to enter." She praised government officials for trying to prevent the workers at the five garment factories in the building from re-entering it on April 24, the morning of the collapse. "It is not true that the government hasn't taken any steps," she said. She blamed the owners of the five factories as well as Sohel Rana, the building's owner, and disputed the suggestion that their political connections could protect them. Rana is under police investigation in relation to the deaths and has had his assets seized. Protesters have called for him to be hanged. "The law will take its own course," she said. "Criminal is criminal. They will get all the necessary action; that we can assure you. It is our promise to the people." Hasina added, "Any business person, if they commit any kind of crime, our government always takes action." She pointed to the companies that source their products from such factories, saying they should pay well enough that factory owners can pay good salaries and ensure the business is safely run. "They're partly responsible for it," she said. And she urged that the disaster be considered in context. "You cannot blame the whole business or whole industry just for one incident," she said. Hasina said officials in her government "are in favor of labor," having increased the minimum wage by 82%, built dormitories and seen to the health care needs of workers. She denied that the killing last year of a labor leader signified that her government is hostile toward unions. Aminul Islam's body, bearing signs of torture, was found four days after he disappeared in April 2012. "Nobody knew that he was a labor leader," she said. It was only after his body was found, she said, "that we came to know that he was a labor leader and he was assassinated." More than a year later, she said, the case remains under investigation. The interview was carried out via satellite by Amanpour in New York and the prime minister in Dhaka. CNN has been unable to gain visas from the Bangladeshi government that would allow the network to send reporters to cover the country first-hand. That assertion was corroborated by a CNN executive, but the prime minister disputed it. "It is not true," Hasina said. "We never stop any media to come to Bangladesh." Asked about restrictions on coverage imposed by the visa office, she said, "Every country has these rules and regulations." Thursday's interview came as activity resumed at thousands of Bangladeshi textile factories. Millions of workers in and around the Bangladeshi capital, Dhaka, returned to duty after the trade group that represents the garment industry decided it was safe to do so. This week, a delegation of the International Labour Organization arrived in Dhaka on a four-day visit to Bangladesh. "Horror and regret must translate into urgent firm action," said Guy Ryder, the organization's director-general. "Action now can prevent further tragedy. Inaction would mean that the next tragedy is simply a matter of time." The incident has provoked widespread protests, including attacks on some textile facilities the demonstrators said are unsafe. The garment industry accounts for 77% of Bangladesh's exports -- a $20 billion industry for the nation. | Disney pulls out of Bangladesh factories .
Bangladesh now is good for investment, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina says .
She cites the formation of a committee to improve safety after a horrific building collapse .
"The law will take its own course," Hasina says . |
38,171 | 6bef409f67d27e88aa0ef3d796cc324421e18a4f | Body image issues are the bane of women's lives: we worry about our weight, our skin, our hair - and about the appearance of our vaginas, according to statistics on the growing popularity of labiaplasty. In the past decade, cases of genital cosmetic surgery have risen five-fold, with more than 2,000 women now having the procedure on the NHS each year. But not everyone wants to go under the knife in their quest for the perfect 'designer vagina' - so now, new non-surgical techniques are launching which promise the results of labiaplasty without the pain and recovery time. Lindsey, pictured with her husband William and baby boy Xavier, says she feels like she has her body back . Lindsey had a difficult experience during labour with her son (pictured) and needed extensive stitches after the birth . Business development manager Lindsey Price, 41, was unhappy with the appearance of her vagina, so tried out one new non-surgical procedure which claims to remodel labia left stretched by the trauma of childbirth using a combination of radio frequencies and ultrasound. Lindsey had a difficult experience during labour with her son and needed extensive stitches after the birth, which left her scarred, affecting both her confidence and sex life. As a result, Lindsey felt insecure and inhibited in the bedroom with husband William. 'I'd had a fairly uneventful pregnancy with my son Xavier, with the labour itself even being pretty low-key. 'It wasn't until the birth itself that the problems started - my son's head got stuck and I ended up having to have a ventouse [forceps] delivery. 'Unfortunately the suction device didn't work, and I was given an episiotomy as a last resort, leaving me with over 50 stitches and in a lot of pain.' 'Due to the cuts administered when giving birth, my inner and outer labia were a mess. I'd expected everything to heal and go back to normal, but I was left with an untidy looking area that made me feel self-conscious. 'My confidence, which prior to pregnancy had been high, vanished, and our sex life started to suffer.' Lindsey became aware of a new technology, which is due to be unveiled to the medical community this October and is a non-invasive option to the surgical intervention known as labiaplasty, which can cost over £3,000 and involves recovery time. This new technique remodels labia left stretched by the trauma of childbirth using a combination of radio frequencies and ultrasound. The FDA and CE-approved technique gives results in just four sessions, and has been shown in clinical studies to also increase sexual libido. Lindsey says she now has renewed confidence in herself, and with husband William (left) Radio frequency skin tightening is not a new technique, but this is the first time that it has been used for the purposes of labia remodelling. The treatment takes just 12 minutes, during which a water-based gel is applied to the skin, and the device, which emits an electrical current, is applied to the skin of the labia. This current encourages the production of new collagen and elastin, which tightens the skin and enhances the appearance of the labia. Although a side effect of the application of radio frequencies and ultrasound is heat, it is not uncomfortable. 'I was dubious when she told me it was both painless and fast-acting, so I was honestly gobsmacked when I started to see results after just one treatment. Lindsey, here with baby Xavier and husband William, underwent a new non-invasive procedure to reverse the damage that childbirth had done, seeing results quickly, as well as an increased libido . 'I feel like I have my body back and my husband has his wife back,' Lindsey says triumphantly. 'Our sex life has improved ten-fold which I think is not only due to improved appearance and sensitivity down there, but also the renewed confidence it's given me. 'I've honestly never felt sexier and my libido is higher than ever.' Gynaecology and aesthetics nurse, Elizabeth Daley of Pureskin Clinic, Alderley Edge, where Lindsey had her procedure - says: 'Many women experience changes in their genitals that result in hypertrophy – an increase in volume – of the labia minora, either during puberty or later in life, perhaps following childbirth. 'This can result in psychological suffering as they feel they look abnormal, or they may experience physical discomfort during activities such as cycling or horse riding. 'Previously, invasive surgery was the only option, which can be painful and takes weeks to heal. Intima is a world-first, and we can now offer a simple solution, with minimal pain and no recovery time.' Paul Banwell, Director of the Banwell Clinic, a specialist in this field and British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons spokesperson, says: 'There is no doubt that labiaplasty surgery is on the rise . 'Suitable patients may derive significant physical and psychological benefits and I have personally seen huge patient satisfaction in my practice. However, it is a delicate procedure and it is imperative that patients are counselled properly and have access to a psychologist if required. 'The primary concern for most girls is stretching or enlargement of the labia and the best way to approach this problem is surgery. Furthermore, careful assessment of the anatomical variations is essential to implement a tailor-made plan. 'Radio frequency is excellent technology but it has its limitations and while this new machine seems attractive and may derive some benefit in a small minority, it is unlikely to address the majority of patient's concerns. I would be interested to see long-term results. 'I would definitely recommend patients contemplating labiaplasty procedures seek the help of an experienced plastic surgeon who specialises in this area' Intima will be available at the exclusive PureSkin clinic in Alderley Edge in Cheshire, and will be presented at the Clinical Cosmetic and Reconstructive Expo in London this October . | Lindsey had a difficult labour with first child Xavier .
She needed an emergency forceps delivery and required over 50 stitches .
The resulting scarring left her insecure and affected her sex life .
Had 'Intima' treatment, which uses radio frequencies and ultrasound .
Intima forces the production of new collagen and elastin, tightening skin .
The non-surgical procedure takes 12 minutes and course of four is needed .
Lindsey says her libido has increased following the procedure . |
120,539 | 27c540f5a3a954b3ae844ba8a122b8ec0db56f33 | The U.S. has identified five men who . might be responsible for the attack on the diplomatic mission in . Benghazi, Libya, last year, and has enough evidence to justify seizing . them by military force as suspected terrorists, officials say. But there isn't enough proof to try them in a U.S. civilian court as the Obama administration prefers. The men remain at large while the FBI . gathers evidence. But the investigation has been slowed by the reduced . U.S. intelligence presence in the region since the September 11, 2012, . attacks, and by the limited ability to assist by Libya's . post-revolutionary law enforcement and intelligence agencies, which are . still in their infancy since the overthrow of dictator Moammar . Gaddafi. The decision not to seize the men . militarily underscores the White House aim to move away from hunting . terrorists as enemy combatants and holding them at the military prison . in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. Scroll down for video . Attack: A U.S. ambassador and three other Americans were killed in the terror strike that occurred on the eleventh anniversary of the 9/11 attacks in Benghazi, Libya . The preference is toward a process in which . most are apprehended and tried by the countries where they are living or . arrested by the U.S. with the host country's cooperation and tried in . the American criminal justice system. Using military force to detain the men . might also harm fledgling relations with Libya and other . post-Arab-Spring governments with whom the U.S. is trying to build . partnerships to hunt al-Qaeda as the organization expands throughout the . region. A senior administration official said . the FBI has identified a number of individuals that it believes have . information or may have been involved, and is considering options to . bring those responsible to justice. But taking action in remote eastern . Libya would be difficult. America's relationship with Libya would be . weighed as part of those options, the official said, speaking only on . condition of anonymity because the official was not authorized to . discuss the effort publicly. The Libyan Embassy did not respond to multiple requests for comment. Waiting to prosecute suspects instead . of grabbing them now could add to the political weight the Benghazi case . already carries. Wanted: This is one of the five suspects the FBI was seeking for questioning in relation to the deadly attack on the U.S. consulate in Benghazi, Libya on September 11, 2012. The men are now identified . Killed: Ambassador Christopher Stevens (left) died of smoke inhalation, while agent Sean Smith (right) died in a . desperate battle with insurgents . Heroic: Former Navy SEALs Glen Doherty (left) and Tyrone Woods (right) were killed in a mortar attack . The attack on the U.S. diplomatic mission killed . Ambassador Chris Stevens and three other Americans - information management officer Sean Smith, and former Navy . SEALs Glen Doherty and Tyrone Woods - weeks before . President Obama's re-election. Since then, Republicans in . Congress have condemned the administration's handling of the situation, . criticizing the level of embassy security, questioning the talking . points provided to U.N. Ambassador Susan Rice for her public appearances . to explain the attack and suggesting the White House tried to play down . the incident to minimize its effect on the president's campaign. The FBI released photos of three of . the five suspects earlier this month, asking the public to provide more . information on the men pictured. The images were captured by security . cameras at the U.S. diplomatic post during the attack, but it took weeks . for the FBI to see and study them. It took the agency three weeks to . get to Libya because of security problems, so Libyan officials had to . get the cameras and send them to U.S. officials in Tripoli, the capital. The FBI and other U.S. intelligence . agencies identified the men through contacts in Libya and by monitoring . their communications. They are thought to be members of Ansar . al-Shariah, the Libyan militia group whose fighters were seen near the . U.S. diplomatic facility prior to the violence. Person of interest: This is one of five men wanted for questioning in connection to the attack on the U.S. mission in Benghazi . Dangerous: Each of the men in the photos appear to be armed . Republican lawmakers continue to call . for the Obama administration to provide more information about the . attack. The White House released 99 pages of emails about the talking . points drafted by the intelligence community that Rice used to describe . the attack, initially suggesting they were part of a series of regional . protests about an anti-Islamic film. In those emails, administration . officials agreed to remove from the talking points all mentions of . terror groups such as Ansar al-Shariah or al-Qaeda, because the . intelligence pointing to those groups' involvement was still unclear and . because some officials didn't want to give Congress ammunition to . criticize the administration. U.S. officials say the FBI has proof . that the five men were either at the scene of the first attack or . somehow involved because of intercepts of at least one of them bragging . about taking part. Some of the men have also been in contact with a . network of well-known regional Jihadists, including al-Qaeda in the . Islamic Maghreb. The U.S. has decided that the evidence . it has now would be enough for a military operation to seize the men . for questioning, but not enough for a civilian arrest or a drone strike . against them, the officials said. The U.S. has kept them under . surveillance, mostly by electronic means. Burning issue: Ambassador Chris Stevens and . three other Americans were killed in a six-hour, commando-style attack . on the consulate in Benghazi . There was a worry that the men . could get spooked and hide, but so far, not even the FBI's release of . surveillance video stills has done that. FBI investigators are hoping for more . evidence, such as other video of the attack that might show the suspects . in the act of setting the fires that ultimately killed the ambassador . and his communications specialist, or firing the mortars hours later at . the CIA base where the surviving diplomats took shelter - or a Libyan . witness willing to testify against the suspects in a U.S. courtroom. But Rep Howard P. 'Buck' McKeon, the . Republican chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, said he is . concerned the Obama administration is treating terrorism as criminal . actions instead of acts of war that would elicit a much harsher response . from the United States. 'The war on terror, I think, is a war . and at times I get the feeling that the administration wants to treat it . as a crime,' McKeon said Tuesday. Administration officials have indicated recently that the FBI is zeroing in. Tragedy: Chris Stevens (pictured in April 2011) became . the U.S. ambassador to Libya in June 2012. He was killed along with . three other Americans in an attack on the U.S. Consulate in Benghazi on . Sept. 11, 2012 . 'Regardless of what happened . previously, we have made very, very, very substantial progress in that . investigation,' Attorney General Eric Holder told lawmakers last week. That echoed comments made by Secretary of State John Kerry to lawmakers last month. 'They do have people ID'd,' Kerry said . of the FBI-led investigation. 'They have made some progress. They have a . number of suspects who are persons of interest that they are pursuing . in this and building cases on.' But options for dealing with the men . are few and difficult, U.S. officials said, describing high level . strategy debates among White House, FBI and other counterterror . officials. Those confidential discussions were described on condition of . anonymity by four senior U.S. officials briefed on the investigation . into the attack. The U.S. could ask Libya to arrest the . suspects, hoping that Americans would be given access to question them . and that the Libyans gather enough evidence to hold the men under their . own justice system. Another option is to ask the Libyans to extradite . the men to the U.S., but that would require the U.S. to gather enough . solid evidence linking the suspects to the crime to ask for such an . action. | Each of .
the suspects identified by the FBI were seen on the grounds of the .
consulate during the deadly attack on September 11, 2012 .
They all appear to be holding guns in photos released by the bureau earlier this month .
Four Americans were killed in the attack, including U.S. Ambassador to Libya Christopher Stevens, Sean Smith, Glenn Doherty and Tyrone Woods . |
246,938 | cb8f5874824c1b1acc67c425cb1483eef3cad9e9 | (CNN) -- A Texas inmate in a wheelchair, who escaped on foot from two armed guards as he was being transferred between prisons, is now on the U.S. Marshals' list of the 15 most-wanted fugitives. Arcade Comeaux Jr., 49, "produced a weapon and fired upon two correctional officers, took them hostage and forced them to drive to Baytown, Texas," the U.S. Marshals Service said in a statement. He then put the officers in the back of the van and took their weapons and one of their uniforms, the statement said. Comeaux was serving three life sentences for aggravated sexual assault and two counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. He escaped Monday during transport from Huntsville, Texas, to Stiles, Texas. The 6-foot, 200-pound man was shackled and in a wheelchair, "which he had claimed was needed for mobility," Michelle Lyons, director of public information for the Texas Department of Criminal Justice in Huntsville, said in a statement. About 45 minutes into the trip, as they were driving through Conroe, 40 minutes north of Houston, the prisoner pulled out a pistol and ordered the guards to drive south to Baytown, east of Houston. He fired once, but hit no one during the escape about 9 a.m., officials said. Law enforcement officers found the unharmed officers an hour later. Comeaux was being transferred so he could be near John Sealy Hospital in Galveston for treatment of the supposed paralysis he had suffered during a reported stroke, officials said. At least $16,000 in reward money has been offered for information leading to Comeaux's rearrest and a task force of more than 100 investigators is searching for him, focusing on the Houston area, where he grew up and has family. His escape has led the man who oversees Texas' criminal justice system to call for a shakeup of the prison system. "I just think enough's enough," said Sen. John Whitmire, the Texas Democrat from Houston who is chairman of the state Senate's Criminal Justice Committee. "We need a complete shakeup of the leadership of our prison system and/or an outside review by third parties," he told CNN by phone Wednesday. "We just can't have security breaches of this nature." Whitmire said the guards had failed to pat down Comeaux while he was in his wheelchair and before they began the trip. "Sure enough, he has a firearm," he said. "The question is, are there others (in the prison system)? I think you have to assume that there are until you find out differently." So far this year, more than 900 cell phones have been confiscated from the 112 locations that house the state's 158,000 prisoners. "It's pretty rampant," he said. "I want the director to come forward and tell us what it's going to take" to solve the problem, he said. John Moriarty, inspector general of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice, said such lapses are highly unusual in the state's penal system. "We have no open gun investigations other than this one," he said. "The last one was several years ago." Texas Department of Criminal Justice Executive Director Brad Livingston, who has been in the job since 2005, did not immediately respond to a call seeking comment. | Arcade Comeaux Jr. was in wheelchair when he pulled gun on officers .
Comeaux forced officers to drive him to Baytown, Texas, where he fled on foot .
State senator calls for shakeup in state's penal system . |
41,727 | 75aa493399e7b0d7e5101a0cffa949cd47bf6ee3 | By . Daily Mail Reporter . An innocent bystander was shot and killed by a 14-year-old boy on a Metropolitan Transportation Authority bus in Brooklyn, New York, on Thursday evening. The victim, identified by the police as Angel Rojas, 39, of East Flatbush, was rushed to Woodhull Medical Center, where he died a short time later, the police and emergency workers said. The shooting occurred shortly before 6:30 p.m. on a B15 bus in the Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood. Married father-of-two Angel Rojas, 39, was declared dead at a Brooklyn hospital after he was shot by a 14-year-old boy following a disagreement on a Metropolitan Transportation Authority bus on Thursday evening . The . victim was shot in the back of the head after tragically being in the wrong place at . the wrong time when a dispute involving several teenagers broke out on . the bus. The alleged killer and some other . teens were sitting at the rear of the bus when an apparent rival . boarded and started walking toward them, sources said. 'One kid pulls out a gun and he lets off a couple of rounds,' the source told the New York Daily News. 'He’s . running out of the bus, still letting rounds go, and this poor guy gets . shot in back of the head. He wasn’t the intended victim.' The victim was shot in the head following a dispute involving several teenagers on a B15 bus in the Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood on Thursday evening . Cops found six empty shell casings at the scene, police sources said. No other injuries were reported. The . teenager was taken into custody, and authorities said they seized a . revolver from him. No charges had been filed as of late Thursday night. Rojas was pronounced dead at Woodhull Medical Center. Originally from the Dominican Republic, he had moved to the U.S. about four years ago with his wife, Maria Lopez, 41, their son, Saury, 12, and daughter, April, 8. He worked at two grocery stores and would take the bus home in between shifts to hug his children and get something to eat, according to his family. 'That was very bad of him,' son Saury said of his father's killer. 'He’s too small to be with a gun. If he didn’t have that gun, my dad would be alive now.' Police have said that they believe the teenager was the only shooter and they're reviewing surveillance footage from a laundromat near the crime scene. | Angel Rojas, 39, was shot in the back of the head on a bus in Brooklyn on Thursday evening .
Police believe he was hit by cross-fire when a dispute broke out between rival gang members .
The married father-of-two was rushed to hospital where he was pronounced dead not long after .
Rojas and his family had moved to the U.S. from the Dominican Republic four years ago and he worked two jobs .
The gunman, 14, has been taken into police custody . |
161,902 | 5d58a73298b04e2ca50cb746c0812f69862ad495 | Police have discovered human skeletal remains while searching for two missing women near where a third woman went missing three years ago. The bones were found near Myrtle Beach in Horry County, South Carolina as the search for missing women Heather Elvis, 20, and Jamie Lynn Cross, 24, intensified on Saturday. Brittanee Drexel, 17, was last seen four years ago just 25 miles from where the remains were found. Search intensifies: Police have found skeletal remains of a third person near where missing women Jamie Lynn Cross (left) and Heather Elvis (right) were last seen . While authorities were still unclear as to whether the bones belonged to a male or female, they had been in the thick woodlands for some time. Ms Elvis, from Myrtle Beach, was last heard from on December 18 at 3am after she went on a date, her family said. Her abandoned car was found the next day at a boat landing spot in Horry County. Nearby mystery: Brittanee Drexel, 17, disappeared three years ago just 25 miles from where the remains were found . The latest discovery comes as the reward for information on the missing young woman was increased to $20,000. Her father, Terry Elvis, told FoxNews.com: ‘To not hear from her for more than 24 hours is way out of character.’ Despite efforts by Horry County Police and members of the community to find Ms Elvis, she remains gone without a trace. Five . days after Ms Elvis’ disappearance, Ms Cross of Myrtle Beach was . reported missing after she was last seen leaving her house in a green . Volvo on December 23 at about 5pm. Authorities said that there is no indication to suggest the two disappearances are linked. Miss . Drexel, a high school junior from Rochester, New York was last seen in . April 2009 leaving a popular Myrtle Beach hotel along Ocean Boulevard. She had traveled to South Carolina with . friends but without her mother's permission and a camera at the Bluwater . Resort videoed her leaving the hotel on April 25th, at close to 9 p.m. After sneaking away with friends on a . Spring Break holiday, Miss Drexel left a group of male friends from the . Blue Water Resort to walk back to the Bar Harbor Hotel, where she was . staying with other girlfriends. The pretty blonde texted her boyfriend on the walk to the hotel, but security footage confirmed that she never made it inside. The . police in Myrtle Beach have said they believe that Miss Drexel was . abducted as she walked the one-mile stretch of Ocean Boulevard that lies . between the two hotels and is most likely dead. Without a trace: Ms Cross was last seen leaving her house in Myrtle Beach on December 23. Police say there is no indication that the two recent disappearances are linked . Last seen: Brittanee was shown on the security footage of the Blue Water Resort in Myrtle Beach as she left the room of a group of her male friends and headed to the nearby hotel where she and some girlfriends were staying back in 2009 . | Police were looking for Heather Elvis, 20, and Jamie Lynn Cross, 24 .
They found the remains 25 miles from where Brittanee Drexel, 17, went missing 4 years ago .
Authorities say it is unclear whether the bones are male or female . |
262,141 | df8827e558c8027b8cce3e798f024cbb0983f5c2 | By . Jenny Hope . PUBLISHED: . 18:11 EST, 21 October 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 18:11 EST, 21 October 2012 . A quarter of those suffering from bowel cancer are diagnosed only once they are admitted to hospital as an emergency, say researchers. Many of these patients are less likely to have potentially life-saving surgery because they are diagnosed too late and the cancer is too advanced, according to surgeons. Women, the elderly and less well-off were most at risk of losing out on early diagnosis and care. Too late? One in four cases of bowel cancer are diagnosed in A&E . A national audit found that around . 8,000 bowel cancer patients in England each year get attention only . after an emergency admission to hospital. Records on 31,000 patients admitted in a 12-month period were analysed by the National Bowel Cancer Audit and linked for the first time with hospital data. The new data is in keeping with research by the National Cancer Intelligence Network about bowel and other forms of cancer released last month. It found one in three cancer sufferers over 70 is diagnosed only after they turn up in A&E departments, sometimes with severe symptoms caused by the cancer, such as pain, breathing difficulties or fitting. More must be done: Professor Norman Williams said patients who present at A&E with the disease are more likely to be suffering with end stage cancer . Professor Norman Williams, president of the Royal College of Surgeons, which co-authored the latest data, said: ‘It is extremely concerning that so many patients are being diagnosed with bowel cancer at such a late stage. ‘Patients who present with this disease as an emergency are more likely to be suffering with advanced stage cancer and, as a result, are less likely to be suitable for potentially life- saving surgery. ‘More must be done to improve early detection and to raise awareness around the symptoms of bowel cancer. ‘The NHS Bowel Cancer Screening programme has now been rolled out across the country and it is so important that patients take up the invitation to be screened as this will vastly improve rates of early diagnosis and treatment outcomes.’ The data, covering the period between August 2009 and July 2010, found 28 per cent of women patients – 3,820 of a total of 13,570 – were diagnosed after an emergency hospital admission.For men, this figure was 22 per cent – 3,870 of 17,240 patients. Older people, aged 85 and over, accounted for 47 per cent – 1,690 of 3,580 patients.Altogether, 30 per cent of the most deprived patients were first diagnosed after emergency admission (1,470 out of 4,940) compared with 22 per cent of the least deprived (1,410 of the 6,550). | Women, the elderly and less well-off most at risk of losing out on early diagnosis .
Around .
8,000 bowel cancer patients in England each year get attention only .
after an emergency admission to hospital . |
6,165 | 1172406ab9280117ba1c6cda439ff74f273d1386 | Fort Lauderdale, Florida (CNN) -- Sean Cononie bounded out of the back of an ambulance ahead of most of the other volunteers. A bullhorn in his hand, he was, in a sense, the pied piper. "If there's anybody out here, that wants the swine flu vaccine, please come over here," he said. And come they did. Outside Fort Lauderdale's main library, a crowd started to build, and soon about a dozen homeless people were rolling up their shirt sleeves -- in the middle of the street -- for the H1N1 vaccination. "You stop spreading the germs," Cononie said. "Because if a homeless person gets positive for the swine flu, they get sick, they go into a gas station and use the bathroom, transfer those germs to a public bathroom, [then] mom and dad come in with little ones, use that bathroom -- boom. Bingo. Contagious. Swine flu." The volunteers are with the Homeless Voice -- a nonprofit homeless advocacy center that also runs a shelter in Hollywood, Florida. They've hit the streets for about three weeks to vaccinate the homeless population in Broward County. They requested the vaccine through the Florida Department of Health to help part of a population that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention calls an at risk group. Many homeless people often have untreated medical conditions, and the lack of sanitary conditions makes it easier for them to catch the virus. So far, the group has vaccinated about 300 homeless people . "Some have high blood pressure, some are alcoholics and are more susceptible to the flu, the seasonal flu, and the swine flu," said Dr. Chad Frank, a family practice physician who is a volunteer. "We're protecting them, and we're also saving the emergency rooms here as well from being overloaded with potential patients, swine flu patients." Wearing a yellow reflective T-shirt, Frank spends his nights on the street during the vaccination effort. "I think it's needed," he said. "And believe it or not, it's fun. That's why I'm a doctor." Russell Ahamed was one of the first people in line. He lives in the park next to the library in downtown Fort Lauderdale. The volunteers took his temperature to make sure he wasn't running a fever and took his name down so he could be entered into a Department of Health database. "I appreciate this. There's not a whole lot of people that come by and do something like this," Ahamed said. "I know people can die from [the flu]." But on this night, not everyone was able to get the shot. William -- the only name he gave to volunteers -- was ready and willing but not able. Alcohol had gotten the best of him, and he could no longer stand. Fearing a possible bad reaction to the vaccine, the volunteers would not give it to him. Calmly, Cononie leaned down to talk to William, who was sitting on the grass, and explained why they couldn't vaccinate him then. "William, I'm gonna put something in your bag. It's a piece of paper," Cononie said. "When you wake up in the morning, promise me you're going to look for this piece of paper, OK? It says our phone number. Call us in the morning. We'll come back and give you a shot when you're a little more sober." William insisted, "I need the shot now." Cononie replied, "Well, we don't think tonight's a good night because you have a lot of alcohol in you." The volunteers, who travel with a police escort in case they encounter any situation they're not equipped to handle, described the homeless as a forgotten population. Lee Engels is newly homeless. He lost his trailer and his construction job in Martin County, Florida, and headed south to Fort Lauderdale, he said. He's been homeless for three weeks, and he's trying to stay sober. "It's tough out here, but it's how you make it," Engels said, rolling up his sleeve to get the vaccine injection. The volunteers said there's no way to know how much of an effect they are having in stopping the spread of H1N1, but they believe they are doing a public service. "A true blessing," Engels agreed. "You don't have to go to a hospital and pay the bill." | Volunteers hit streets to offer H1N1 vaccine to homeless in Broward County, Florida .
They travel with a police escort to help with any situation they're not ready to handle .
Lack of sanitary conditions makes it easier for homeless to catch the virus.
"A true blessing," says one of the men who received the shot . |
112,234 | 1cc7804aa0bb3969db9857b7735c5dd348d666c2 | By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 11:56 EST, 18 October 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 19:43 EST, 19 October 2013 . A rare copy of the first ever newspaper printed in Britain is to be auctioned nearly 350 years after it came off the press. The Oxford Gazette was published on November 7, 1665, at a time when London was in the grip of the devastating bubonic plague. It was the first newspaper in the world to be printed in English. Read all about it: This is a copy of the first ever newspaper printed in Britain published on November 7, 1665 . The two-page first edition contained an eclectic mix of news including military and naval engagements, debates in the House of Commons and overseas dispatches. Its front page story was about the Reverend Dr Walter Blandford's election as the Lord Bishop of Oxon. There was also the news of a group of MPs' possible impeachment for treason, and the edition ends with a story noting 1,050 people had died from the plague. The Oxford Gazette was so named . because at the time Charles II had removed his court to the university . city from London, which was being ravaged by the plague. The Gazette was published by journalist Henry Muddiman, and its first publication is noted by Samuel Pepys in his diary. Charles returned to London as the plague dissipated, taking the Gazette with him. It was renamed the London Gazette and the first issue under the new name was published on February 5, 1666. 'Published by Authority': The Oxford Gazette later became The London Gazette, first published on 5 February 1666, and included this edition dated August 24, 1668. The publication is still published to this day as the official organ of Government in which all official notices are printed. The paper is considered the Holy Grail among collectors and is tipped to fetch £15,000 when it goes under the hammer at Mullock's, in Ludlow, Shropshire. It was consigned by a private UK collector. Richard Westwood-Brookes, auctioneer, said: 'This is an incredibly rare example of the very first newspaper ever published. 'It is unclear how many were printed and how many remain, but in private hands there are very few indeed, and you can probably count them on the fingers of one hand. 'It is many years since the last one was sold. 'It is printed on foolscap paper and is in good condition considering its age. Originally this paper was posted to it readers. 'The London Gazette is still published today and records things such as bankruptcies and decorations for servicemen.' The newspaper will be sold at Mullock's on November 5. The world's first newspaper printed in English was published on November 7, 1665. It was the first of the official journals of record of the British government in which certain statutory notices are required to be published. Charles II, pictured right, and the Royal Court had moved to Oxford to escape the Great Plague of London, and courtiers were unwilling to touch, let alone read, London newspapers for fear of contagion. The Gazette was 'Published by Authority' by Henry Muddiman, and its first publication is noted by Samuel Pepys in his diary. The King returned to London as the plague dissipated, and the Gazette moved too, with the first issue of The London Gazette (labelled No. 24) being published on 5 February 1666. During the 17th Century, it was believed that national efficiency depended on the intelligence received by the Crown and that the reckless publishing of news might endanger it. An embargo on the printing of news other than reports of events abroad, natural disasters, royal declarations and sensational crime continued until 1640. This had the effect of delaying the development of the press in the UK. Censorship was introduced in 1643, followed by licensing of news publications. The London Gazette had incomparable sources of information from overseas; in peace time, its 'foreign correspondents' were the British embassies abroad; in time of war the British generals themselves. The first news of Wellington’s victory at Waterloo was carried in the Gazette, and when the newly founded Times stopped its presses to carry the news of this famous battle, it was the despatch which had been published as a Gazette Extraordinary which was reprinted in full. Source: The London Gazette . | First edition of The Oxford Gazette was published on November 7, 1665 .
It became The London Gazette - the official journal of the Government .
Ancient document had been in a private collection until recently .
Paper is considered the Holy Grail among collectors .
Edition expected to fetch £15,000 at auction in Ludlow, Shropshire . |
35,803 | 65b034be535572f254fa8695e565de5220a63933 | Two sisters and their friend have died in a wrong-way crash on the same stretch of a Florida highway that has claimed seven other lives this year. Gabrielle Lanier, 33, was driving her sister Lakritra, 31, and their friend John Pierson, 26, south on the northbound lane of I-275 in Tampa on Sunday morning when they collided head-on with a semitrailer truck carrying petroleum. All three were killed, although the other driver was not injured. The sisters, who lived together, leave behind nine children, the Tampa Bay Times reported. The crash was the fourth wrong-way crash on the road over the past year. Before the tragedy, seven others died in collisions, even though the Florida Highway Patrol insists the road is clearly marked. Killed: Gabrielle Lanier (pictured wearing yellow) was driving her sister Lakritra, left, and their friend John Pierson (pictured with his sister right) on Sunday morning when they collided with a semi . Authorities said Gabrielle, a mother of four, was likely driving the wrong way on the road for about two minutes when she smashed into the truck driven by Michael Kellogg, 50, at 6am on Sunday. Both vehicles came to a rest in the northbound lanes with debris scattered across the road. No oil leaked from the struck semi. Gabrielle had a number of traffic violations through the years, including driving with a suspended license, and authorities continue to investigate if alcohol or drugs played a role, the Times said. 'It's hard,' Lakritra's ex-husband, Zebadiah Lanier, told the Tampa Bay Times. 'Everybody's trying to digest and really grasp what really happened.' Tragic: They were in this Honda as it drove the wrong way onto I-275 and crashed head-on with a truck. It is the fourth wrong-way collision on the stretch of road since February and this one brings the death toll to 10 . Elaine Pierson called her son, John fun-loving. 'John was a good boy,' she said. 'He loved his family and we loved him.' The crash is the fourth fatal wrong-way crash at the spot since February, when four USF students were killed by a wrong-way driver. Two weeks later, another person was killed as they drove the wrong way and in July, another wrong-way driver died near 5th Avenue North. But authorities said the roads were properly marked. 'There are wrong way signs especially at the ramps,' Florida Highway Patrol Sgt. Steve Gaskins said. Scene: The driver of the trailer, left, walked away without any injuries. Authorities are looking into whether drugs or alcohol played a part in the crash and insisted the road is properly marked . 'Up and down the interstates especially since they have the reflectors on the roadway so if you're travelling opposing traffic you're seeing a lot of red signals.' He added that the three previous crashes involved drugs or alcohol. Zach Morales, who lost a friend on the highway a few years ago, said something needs to be changed. 'If there is signage there, they have to think about where it's placed at because obviously people aren't seeing it,' Morales told WTSP. 'Even if you're a drunk driver you'd think that seeing a sign would help.' | Gabrielle Lanier was driving her sister Lakritra and their friend John Pierson south on the northbound lane of I-275 when they smashed into a truck .
Authorities are investigating whether alcohol or drugs were involved .
It is the fourth fatal wrong-way crash on the stretch of road since February . |
13,890 | 276168afb324b063f2ece7feb357e480bcd31fc0 | Manchester City have started negotiations over a £25million move for Swansea striker Wilfried Bony. Swansea chairman Huw Jenkins said on Wednesday his club are yet to receive any offers but City are now poised to make their opening gambit for the Ivory Coast international amid interest from Real Madrid also. Talks took place with Bony's advisers on Wednesday night with the 26-year-old poised to join Ivory Coast on Friday before heading to Abu Dhabi next week for warm weather training ahead of their Africa Cup of Nations campaign. VIDEO Scroll down to watch Manuel Pellegrini saying he hopes to give Martin Demichelis a new contract . Wilfried Bony is wanted by Manchester City and the champions have started talks with Swansea . City have started negotiations over a £25million move to The Etihad Stadium . Bony has scored eight goals for Swansea this season . Due to Financial Fair Play restrictions Bony, who has scored eight goals this season, can not play for City in the Champions League but would give them impetus in their Premier League campaign as they look to chase down leaders Chelsea. Coach Manuel Pellegrini played down the importance of new signings yesterday but City have had injuries to Sergio Aguero, Edin Dzeko and Stevan Jovetic and want back-up should any of those re-occur. Manuel Pellegrini knows that if City sign Bony he won't be able to play in the Champions League due to FFP . Pellegrini said: 'We have restrictions about the amount of money and about the number of players we can put in the Champions League, so I don't think it will be a special transfer window for our team. We have the option to do it - we will see in the whole month of January what we are going to do about that - but it is not a major concern.' | Swansea striker Wilfried Bony is wanted by Manchester City .
Champions open talks over £25m move for Ivory Coast striker .
Bony would not be able to play in the Champions League due to FFP .
Bony has scored eight goals for Swansea this season . |
177,941 | 7259c3cfdb7a9b09bf53b41467dda40d8e3e55cc | (CNN) -- A federal district court has dismissed a challenge filed by a Tucson police officer against Arizona's tough new immigration law. U.S. District Judge Susan Bolton said Tuesday that Tucson officer Martin Escobar lacks the legal standing to sue, according to court documents. Escobar's lawsuit was one of several against Arizona's controversial immigration law. The Justice Department mounted a successful challenge to Arizona's law in July. On the eve of the law going into effect, Bolton granted a preliminary injunction that blocked the most controversial parts of the law. The injunction means police are prevented from questioning people's immigration status if there is reason to believe they are in the country illegally, which was a hotly debated part of law. Bolton also blocked provisions of the law making it a crime to fail to apply for or carry alien registration papers or "for an unauthorized alien to solicit, apply for, or perform work," and a provision "authorizing the warrantless arrest of a person" if there is reason to believe that person might be subject to deportation. Other parts of the law, however, went into effect. This includes a ban on so-called sanctuary cities and the criminalization of hiring day laborers who are in the country illegally. Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer has appealed the judge's decision to side with the Justice Department in its challenge of the immigration law. She said she was pleased with the judge's decision in the case involving the Tucson officer. "I strongly believe that Arizona will ultimately prevail in all of these legal challenges. My defense of the rule of law will continue," Brewer said. | Justice Department challenges the law .
Judge says Tucson officer does not have legal standing to sue .
Arizona governor says she is pleased by judge's decision . |
126,801 | 2fea1f04584d2153169db36b8b112ee842dc05ab | (CNN) -- Demi Lovato reveals her father didn't "function very well in society" before he passed. The 20-year-old singer's dad Patrick died recently after a battle with cancer. Lovato revealed on Thursday that he suffered from a mental illness. It was previously reported she and her father were estranged for several years, but Lovato has a lot of compassion for her late father. "I've dealt with mental illness. My father dealt with mental illness," she said during an appearance on "Good Morning America." "He wasn't able to function very well in society." Lovato struggles with bipolar disorder, and has also previously discussed issues with self-harming and an eating disorder. The star used her TV appearance to announce she would be setting up a scholarship in her dad's honor to help one person at a time pay for mental illness treatment. "I'm working with Cast Recovery, a treatment center I've worked really, really closely with, and I have trust in their program," she said. The "X Factor" judge added that she and her father did not have a close relationship. A few weeks before he died, Patrick reached out to his daughter via Radar Online, telling the website he "just wanted his little buddy back". "My father and I didn't have the most ideal relationship," Lovato acknowledged during her TV interview. "But at the end of the day, he's still my dad. And I grew up with him, he was a wonderful person. And it's difficult. But I'm handling it OK." Lovato also paid tribute to her fans for their support during difficult times. "The best thing about my fans is they have stood by me for everything I've been through," Lovato said. "And this past week has been a rough week. I had incredible support from them." The star is keeping busy promoting her new single, "Made in the USA." See the original story at CoverMG.com. | Demi Lovato appeared on "Good Morning America" Thursday .
She discussed the death of her father, Patrick, who dealt with mental illness .
In his honor, the singer's setting up a scholarship at a recovery center to help those in need . |
185,945 | 7ccbf8a6bffce38f34c8dd5b4040d6c67d700568 | (CNN)"Age before beauty" goes the old adage, but in the advertising industry the opposite has always seemed to be the case. Young, fresh faced women were chosen as the poster girls for brands selling products to make women look and feel young again, or maintain that ever essential 'youthful glow'. But now it seems that fashion and cosmetics companies in particular are moving towards a somewhat older group of models. At 80 years old, author Joan Didion was announced as the new face of Céline for SS15 and is the subject of a new photography show - and she is not the first older woman to have been chosen by big brands. She joins other older models including Helen Mirren (69) and Jane Fonda (76) for L'Oreal, Joni Mitchell (71) for Saint Laurent and Charlotte Rampling (69) who became the face of Nars lipstick late last year. Hiring older models has been de rigueur lately with Julia Roberts, 47, having continued success as the face of Lancôme, but that does not mean she is not feeling the pressure. "By Hollywood standards, I guess I've already taken a big risk in not having had a facelift," Roberts told the UK's You Magazine. "I've told Lancôme that I want to be an ageing model -- so they have to keep me for at least five more years until I'm over 50." Eschewing plastic surgery, Roberts has her own methods of looking young; "It's about non-grasping, non-hoarding, cleaning out your closet, dusting out your mind and letting go of the things that weigh you down mentally and emotionally." Award-winning photographer Nancy Honey has her own ideas about why its important to see images of older women: "In my own lifetime I have witnessed a profound shift: from little girls imagining their future as marriage and children to the now total belief from childhood that a woman will grow up to have a career outside the home." "It is more important than ever to see the important women from all fields in our society and hear their voices of experience." Honey's recent exhibition at Somerset house, 100 Leading Ladies, aimed to transform the perception of what is possible for women to achieve in their lives. 100 older British women were photographed Honey in settings that inspire them and interviewed by former Times journalist Hattie Garlick, the results were all compiled into a book, published by Dewi Lewis Media which was launched in tandem with the Somerset House exhibition. "Didion by Wasser" is showing from February 12 - March 21 at Danziger Gallery, 521 West 23rd Street, New York . 13 of the women featured in the book can be seen in the gallery above. Read: Bobbi Brown's billion-dollar idea: 'Lipstick like lips' Watch: Tough childhood inspired Jo Malone . Be inspired: From Posh Spice to entrepreneur of the year . | Joan Didion: Face of Céline at 80 and subject of new exhibition .
She joins other older models including Jane Fonda, 76 .
Older women are becoming more sought after in advertising . |
160,377 | 5b55201e19877e93707752992a78aa61ab891020 | By . Olivia Williams . PUBLISHED: . 15:44 EST, 15 March 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 16:57 EST, 15 March 2013 . Precious heritage: This rare 14th century Wenlok Jug was stolen from a British museum after donations had saved it from going abroad in 2006 . A £1 million medieval jug stolen from a British museum was found in a Surrey lock up hidden between stacks of tyres, a court heard today. The man who admitted handling the jug, . Ronald Nash, 23, from Tadworth in Surrey was jailed for three . years and three months . at Luton Crown Court. The Wenlok Jug is a national treasure, and one of only three in Britain. It is so precious that the museum in Luton, Stockwood Discovery Centre, cannot now afford to display it because of insurance costs after the theft. How the bronze 14th century Wenlok Jug came to be in Nash's lock up in Epsom, Surrey remains unknown, but it has now been safely returned. Lawyer Abigail . Penny who defended Nash said that it was 'so valuable that it was probably . unsaleable, which is probably why someone of 23 finds it's being offloaded on him'. She argued that Nash was too naive to understand the value or significance of the item. She also said that he was too frightened to tell the police about the jug. When the jug was stolen last year, Crimewatch launched a national hunt and Zurich Insurance offered a £25,000 reward for its recovery. Caught on CCTV: The theft from Luton's Stockwood Discovery Centre was featured on BBC's Crimewatch but the face was too difficult to identify . It . is thought the jug was made for either William Wenlock, a Canon at St. Paul's Cathedral who died in 1391 . and is buried in Luton. The other owner could have been William's . great nephew John, the first Lord Wenlock who lived near Luton and had . associations with royalty. Made of bronze, the jug weighs 6.1 kg and is 31.5 . cm tall. It is decorated with coats of arms, badges . and the inscription 'My Lord Wenlock'. In 2005 the jug went up for sale at Sotheby's and was nearly sold to New York's Metropolitan Museum. Its export was stopped that year by culture minister David Lammy after experts ruled it was of 'outstanding significance' Police who had been watching Nash and co-defendant Louis Kybert, 25, from Banstead in Surrey, also . found ecstasy and cocaine packaging in the lock up, as well as two stun guns disguised as mobile phones and body . armour. Kybert was jailed for five years after admitting owning the stun guns and being involved in supplying drugs. Nash's . sentence included one year for being implicated in supplying . cocaine, and two years and three months for handling stolen goods. Tony Hart, a family friend of Nash was called as a character witness for him. He said: 'Ronnie's never been no angel, he's always been cheeky, but he's always done good.' 'I don't know what's happened in the last year that has led up to this.' Nash was told by Judge Laura Harris: 'You have been extremely vague on the circumstances in which the Wenlok Jug came into your possession. 'Individuals far more sophisticated than you, higher up the chain were involved in this matter. You have got into something way over your head.' The jug was bought in 2006 by the Stockwood Discovery Centre for £750,000 with help from various trusts and private donations, which saved it from being sold to a museum in New York. Write caption here . It was displayed in a high security cabinet which was smashed with a drain cover by the burglar on Saturday May 12 after 11pm. Prosecutor Fayza Benlamkadem read a statement to the court from Karen Perkins, the director of Luton Museums. Perkins said: 'It was wonderful to get the jug back, it had been totally devastating for staff and visitors.' She said the knock-on effect had been that other valuable items had had . to be removed from display, and there was now a significant increase in . the cost of security which effected services that could be provided for . the community. Happy ending: The jug has been returned to its home, as presented to Karen Perkins, director of the museum by the poilce . | The Wenlok Jug was saved for the nation in 2006 only to be stolen last year .
There are only three of the 14th century jugs in Britain .
Museum it was stolen from said that staff were 'devastated'
Garage where it was found contained Class A drug traces and stun guns .
Judge told the man found handling it 'you were in way over your head' |
263,512 | e14e6864087e7be9510ef6a11708dbff1af1090f | By . Daily Mail Reporter . and Ap . The wife of ailing radio personality Casey Kasem was served Friday with a California court order that temporarily suspends her powers to determine her husband's medical care amid concerns about his health and welfare. The order Kitsap County sheriff's deputies said they delivered also expands daughter Kerri Kasem's authority to determine whether her father, who's now in Washington state, is receiving adequate medical care. Wife Jean Kasem said in an interview aired Friday evening that her husband is getting the best possible care and she is 'not going to allow anybody to shred (her) family on unfounded facts and malicious accusations' of elder abuse. Stripped: Jean Kasem has been stripped of guardianship over her husband, radio icon Casey Kasem . Victory: Kerri Kasem, Casey's daughter from another marriage, is fighting Jean over guardianship over her father . In a video statement provided to King5.com, Jean Kasem says her step-daughter Kerri's legal maneuverings to gain control over her father are motivated by nothing more than money. She says that the rift Kasem has with his daughter from another marriage is based on her participation in the Church of Scientology. 'Casey never agreed with his eldest daughter's - from a prior marriage of over 40 years ago - involvement with the Church of Scientology and does not want her involved in his medical or estate affairs,' Jean Kasem says in her televised statement. 'If the judge in these highly suspicious preceedings does not see the monetary motive behind these fraudulent petitioners, then something is seriously wrong and unjust here,' she continued. 'The abuse of the legal process has been seriously violated and should be looked into by the appropriate judicial committee immediately without any further delay.' Jean Kasem says she has proof that several law enforcement agencies that have checked in on her ailing husband have all said that he seems alert and in good spirits. Casey and Jean Kasem have been married for more than 30 years, and Jean claims his children from his previous marriage are making fraudulent claims about how she cares for him . 'My husband is very happy and comfortable in our family and has told me time and time again that he wishes to remain under my care,' she said in an interview with KING-TV. Kerri Kasem's spokesman Danny Deraney did not have an immediate comment on the service of the court order in Washington. He did not immediately respond to an email message seeking comment on statements by Jean Kasem. On Tuesday, Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Daniel S. Murphy ordered Jean Kasem to comply with court orders allowing doctors to evaluate her husband, and also allow his daughter Kerri to see him. He also ordered Jean Kasem to surrender her husband's passport and temporarily suspended her powers to determine her husband's medical care. In mid-May, Murphy had expressed concerns about Kasem's whereabouts and safety amid a dispute between his wife and children from another marriage. The sheriff's office in Kitsap County, west of Seattle, tracked him down the next day. The Church: Jean Ksaem says Kerri's involvement with the Church of Scientology is why Casey doesn't want her involved in his medical decisions . Sheriff's Deputy Scott Wilson said officers who performed a welfare check May 13 on the 82-year-old Kasem found him staying at the home of long-time family friends. Kasem 'appeared to be not in distress,' Wilson said Friday. 'He couldn't speak but he appeared to us to be cognizant of what was going on around him and who people were.' The sheriff's spokesman said medications were present and those at the home, including Jean Kasem, said appropriate medical care was being provided. Medical professionals, including doctors and visiting nurses have been 'attending him as required,' Wilson said. Kerri Kasem's court filings state her father is suffering from a form of dementia called Lewy Body Disease. Fraud: Jean claims all of Kerri Kasem's claims of elder abuse against her husband are fraudulent and motivated by greed . The sheriff's spokesman noted that the officers who delivered the court order were 'basically the messengers between the courts in California' and Kasem's connections in Washington. 'We wouldn't enforce anything until we were directed by the Washington court and coordinated with our prosecutor's office,' Wilson said. 'That hasn't happened.' Kasem gained fame with his radio music countdown shows, 'American Top 40' and 'Casey's Top 40,' and he was the voice of Shaggy in the cartoon 'Scooby Doo.' | Jean Kasem was served Friday with court papers stripping her of guardianship of the aging radio star .
The court order is the latest shot fired in the battle between Jean and Kerri Kasem, Kasem's daughter from another marriage .
In a statement Friday, Jean Kasem said Kerri's involvement with the Church of Scientology is why her husband doesn't want her involved in his medical care .
The drama has laid bare the bitter battle between the children and Jean, who she claims has been 'vilified'
Jean says one daughter, Julie, hasn't paid back $100,000-a-year loans . |
255,481 | d6b0dce36b962f6509be78cb5c1a57b89b2b43d4 | By . Michael Zennie . Thomas Ravenel used his fall from political grace, his federal cocaine conviction and his sordid personal life to become the biggest star of Bravo's hit reality show. Now, he hopes all of South Carolina will forget the southern-fried mess that made him a national celebrity and vote him into the United States Senate. The one-time state Treasurer who resigned in disgrace after he was arrested on federal cocaine charges in 2007. His felony conviction bars him from holding state office, but in South Carolina a felon can be elected to Congress. Ravenel presented about 16,500 signatures . from registered voters on Monday. If election officials verify the . signatures, he will be an independent on the November ballot, running against Republican Senator Lindsay Graham. Scroll down for video . Former South Carolina Treasurer Thomas Ravenel fills out paperwork Monday, July 14, 2014, at the state Election Commission headquarters in Columbia, S.C., to run as a petition candidate for the U.S. Senate seat held by Lindsey Graham. He also presented a box of signatures to get him on the ballot as an independent. Ravenel pleaded guilty to a cocaine charge that forced him to resign as treasurer in 2007 and he spent 10 months in prison. (AP Photo/Jeffrey Collins) His biggest supporter: Ravenel, 55, counts his 22-year-old girlfriend, Katheryn Dennis, as a supporter. She is both a 'Southern Charm' costar and the mother his baby . The couple debuted Kensington Calhoun Ravenel at the end of the first season of 'Southern Charm' He entered the Election Commission office . twice at the request of television news crews trying to get the best . shot of him carrying his paperwork. But he insists his candidacy is . serious. The first to cheer on the 51-year-old's run for office is Kathryn Dennis - his 22-year-old girlfriend, 'Southern Charm' costar and the mother of his child. A pregnancy scare for Dennis was a pivotal event in season one of the hit show. Ravenel accompanied her to her doctor's office for a test - thought at the time, it wasn't clear whether the potential father was Ravenel or another 'Southern Charm' leading man. When the cameras stopped rolling, Ravenel and Dennis stole away to Florida for a romantic tryst that resulted in Dennis becoming pregnant. The couple debuted Kensington Calhoun Ravenel at the end of the first season in a surprise flash-forward for viewers. Ravenel, a millionaire real estate developer, hasn't announced plans to marry Dennis, but the two appear to be together. Dennis has posted dozens of pictures on her social media accounts of Ravenel with his adorable daughter. Outside the law: Ravenel has been arrested twice - once in 2007 for possession of cocaine and again last July for drunken driving. Dennis was busted at age 20 for underage drinking and disorderly conduct . Kensington is already a TV star, having debuted on 'Southern Charm' with her parents at the end of the first season . Much of the cast of 'Southern Charm' showed up for Kensington's christening last month . Ravenel isn't the only one with a political past. Dennis' grandfather was a celebrated state legislator and she was romantically linked to a former State Representative (who resigned in disgrace after he was arrested for sexually harassing an ex-girlfriend.) She also claims to be a descendant of America's seventh vice president John C. Calhoun (hence the middle name). Ravenel was once a rising star in the South Carolina Republican party. He is the son of Arthur Ravenel Jr., a U.S. Congressman, after whom a major bridge in his hometown of Charleston is named. Thomas Ravenel came in third in a 2004 Republican race for U.S. Senate. Today he's being treated as a laughingstock by his former party. The state GOP released a statement calling his candidacy an 'embarrassment.' 'We doubt many voters will be interested in a convicted felon who renounced his American citizenship,' Matt Orr, state Republican spokesman, told the State newspaper. Ravenel wrote on his Facebook page in 2011 that he was going to leave the United States because he was no longer allowed to own a gun because of his felony conviction. He told reporters Monday that the remark was just a joke. Dennis showed off her pride and joy at the baby's christening last month . Ravenel played up to the TV cameras as he delivered the signatures required for his run for office - but insisted he was serious about politics . Political past: Dennis claims to be the descendant of former Vice President John C. Calhoun - and is the granddaughter of a former noted state representative. Ravenel served 10 months in federal prison after being convicted of buying less than 500 grams of cocaine in 2005. Last July, he was arrested again in the Hamptons in New York - this time for drunken driving. Dennis seems to share her old boyfriend's penchant for trouble-making. She was arrested in 2012 for underage drinking and disorderly conduct. Despite Ravenel's popularity, he will not be returning for the second season of 'Southern Charm.' In a recent interview, Ravenel said he felt a 'duty' to run for Senate. Ravenel will no doubt revel in showing off his photogenic new family in his campaign ads as he tries to unseat Graham . TV star: Ravenel and Dennis showed off their baby on 'Southern Charm' after keeping the pregnancy secret until the very end of the first season . Political royalty: The Arthur Ravenel Jr. Bridge is named after Thomas Ravenel's father, a U.S. Congressman who secured support to build the $700million span outside Charleston . 'I just felt I wasn't hearing from the current crop of politicians anything that could save the country. And so - I know I'm an imperfect messenger - but I just think my message was better than the other guys,' he said. He is campaigning on a platform of several Tea Party favorite positions, including ending trade restrictions, lowering taxes, scaling back the powers of government and and 'returning to the Constitution.' 'I'm a student of history, student of the founding documents - the Constitution, the state constitutions, the Articles of Confederation. I take seriously the Declaration of Independence,' he said. | Thomas Ravenel filed 16,500 signatures, allowed him to run as an independent against Republican Senator Lindsay Graham .
He served as state Treasurer until he was forced to resigned in 2007 after he was arrested on federal cocaine charges .
The 51-year-old's relationship with 22-year-old heiress Kathryn Dennis made for explosive fodder for the hit Bravo reality show .
The couple debuted daughter Kensington Calhoun Ravenel at the end of the first season . |
168,667 | 662db5f6897ffa2a48346ab6852bd77180f46f58 | By . Jill Reilly . A dog has donned a wing suit to become the world's first ever BASE jumping canine. Four-year-old Whisper flew through the air after being strapped on to the back of his owner Dean Potter. The video, part of a feature called When Dogs Fly, has been posted on the internet, and although it has been met with largely positive responses, it has led to some concerns about the safety of the dog. Scroll down for video . A dog has donned a wing suit to become the world's first ever BASE jumping canine . The clip for a feature sponsored by Adidas shows Mr Potter, 42, rigging Whisper up on a guide wire to get him on to a rocky ledge. Mr Potter then follows him down and the pair look out at the jump they are about to conquer. The miniature Australian cattle dog is then tightly secured in Mr Potter’s backpack with just his head protruding. Then his wing-suited owner leaps off the side of the 13,020ft Eiger mountain in Switzerland. The pair hurtle towards the ground before deploying a parachute. Whisper and his owner Dean Potter contemplate the jump they are about to carry out . Whisper looks out at the sky as he gets ready to base jump off the side of the 13,020ft Eiger mountain in Switzerland . The clip shows Mr Potter, 42, rigging the four-year-old canine up on a guide wire to get him on to a rocky ledge . Whisper, who is wearing tiny googles to protect his eyes, looks content during the experience. When he is helped out of the backpack he shakes his body out, before jumping around and wagging his tail. Mr Potter's website details the many adventures he has with Whisper who has lived with him since he was aged eight weeks. The pair live in Yosemite National Park and near the beach in Santa Barbara. Mr . Potter says: 'Whisper has lots of adventures everywhere we live. She’s . an incredible ocean swimmer and has learned how to read waves, like . surfers do. The miniature Australian cattle dog is then secured in tightly in Mr Potter's backpack . Whisper closes his eyes as his owner double checks his fastenings . The pair stand on the side of the 13,020ft Eiger mountain just seconds before the jump . Whisper and his owner zoom through the air using the special flying suit . 'She’s an excellent climber and has climbed Royal Arches almost entirely on her own (roped-up, of course). 'We . also travel a lot and this past summer, Whisper did her first alpine . mountaineering and summited a number of peaks in the Swiss Alps, . including the Eiger and the Jungfrau. She was harnessed and roped . between my girlfriend and I. 'She . did all of the climbing herself, crossed cravasses, navigated snowy . ridgelines, climbed short sections of vertical rock and ice and summited . with joy.' Whisper, who is wearing tiny googles to protect his eyes, looks content during the experience . The pair hurtle towards the ground before deploying a parachute . Mr Potter's website details the many adventures he has with Whisper who has lived with him since he was aged eight weeks . When he is helped out of the backpack he shakes his body out, before jumping around and wagging his tail . A spokesman for the RSPCA told MailOnline: 'Although both the dog and owner land safely, being strapped to a person's back and dropped by parachute is likely to be a cause of significant stress and fear for the dog. 'Dogs have very complex needs and it is up to owners to ensure all their dogs needs are met and that their dog does not experience stress.' BASE jumping is an activity in which participants leap off tall, static objects and use a parachute to break their fall. The term 'BASE' is an acronym for 'buildings, antennas, spans and earth.' There have been several deaths from BASE jumping in recent years as the pastime gains in popularity - at least 10 people across the world have died taking part in the activity this year. | Whisper is securely strapped into backpack of his owner Dean Potter .
The four-year-old canine is rigged up on a guide wire to get him on to ledge .
The pair then fly through air - Whisper looks quite content during the jump, although questions have been raised about dog's stress levels . |
82,635 | ea4e682d8eb0965cf3e473fb97503d02f5d10bf6 | By . Jenny Hope Medical Correspondent . Trials are beginning for a British drug that could prolong the lives of thousands of women with advanced breast cancer. The drug, called irosustat, is designed to work with existing therapies to block the production of oestrogen, which fuels the cancer in two-thirds of cases. The pioneering study is being led by Professor Carlo Palmieri. He said if the trial shows the new pill is having an effect, it could be available within three years. ‘Most breast cancers need oestrogen to grow and there are two ways the body can make it,’ he said. ‘Currently, we’re only able to use a hormone drug to block one of these places, but with the introduction of irosustat, we’re hoping to prove that we can also block the other one.’ Tests: Trials are beginning for a British drug, irosusat, which is designed to work with existing therapies to block the production of oestrogen (file picture) Each year around 50,000 women in the UK are diagnosed with breast cancer, and 12,000 die from the disease. Professor Carlo Palmieri, a medical oncologist at The Clatterbridge Cancer Centre, collaborating with a team from the Linda McCartney Centre at the Royal Liverpool Hospital and the University of Liverpool, heads the pioneering IRIS study, which is being managed by Imperial College London. The drug was also developed at Imperial College London. After promising results in early tests, 27 women are being recruited for the trial. Professor Palmieri plans to run full-blown trials from 2015. He said: ‘It could possibly be in clinical use in three years and the good news is that this is a home-grown drug, it was developed in a lab in the UK.’ Collaboration: Oncologist Carlo Palmieri from the Clatterbridge Cancer Centre in the Wirral is working with a team from the Linda McCartney Centre at the Royal Liverpool Hospital, pictured, and the University of Liverpool . The first patient was signed up to the trial in September and has been taking irosustat alongside her traditional hormone treatment, anastrozole, for the past four weeks. One of the first patients recruited said: ‘I found out I had secondary breast cancer in January, nine years after I’d had a mastectomy and was given the all clear. ‘It was a shock but I’ve always had the upmost trust in my doctors and knew they’d do what they could. ‘Unfortunately, my cancer is only treatable, not curable, so the main aim is to try and make sure it doesn’t grow. ‘A few weeks ago, I had a routine check-up and was informed that the cancer had become slightly more aggressive, so I was referred to Professor Palmieri, who told me about the trial. ‘I knew instantly that I wanted to take part as I have seven young grandchildren and will do anything to stay around for them for as long as possible. Checks: If the trials show that the new pill is having an effect, it could be available within three years (file picture) ‘I’ve only been taking the additional hormone treatment for three weeks but I’m optimistic about the future and if I hear that my cancer has shrunk, even a tiny bit, as a result, I’ll be over the moon.’ Thousands of women are given aromatase inhibitors (AI) drugs, which include anastrozole, letrozole and exemestane, after chemotherapy. The treatment aims to ensure that the cancer doesn’t come back, or to prevent the tumour from growing by shutting down the body’s supply of oestrogen. These drugs only work after the menopause in women with oestrogen receptor positive (ER positive) breast cancer – around two thirds. Irosustat is given alongside AI drugs to block a different pathway of oestrogen production, by stopping a reservoir of a precursor hormone from being converted into oestrogen. | Drug irosusat is being trialled by patients in Liverpool and the Wirral .
Treatment works to block production of oestrogen, which can fuel cancer .
If trials show the new pill is working it could be available within three years . |
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