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238,220 | c05019c664bc39abba0e2d638c57e50f186cb3ec | Washington (CNN) -- Hoping to quell growing concerns in Congress about enhanced security procedures for airline passengers, top administration officials who oversee airport security went to Capitol Hill on Tuesday to explain the new methods and why they are needed. The closed, nearly two-hour briefing for congressional staff members included a detailed explanation of new advanced imaging technology that has sparked outrage from some passengers because it captures an image of their bodies through their clothing. Also, Transportation Security Administration officials demonstrated the invasive pat downs required for passengers who either refuse a full body scan or who need a follow-up inspection after an image is taken. "I feel bad for the girl they put in front of 50 people when they were doing a pat down," said one Republican senate staff member about the female TSA employee who was part of the demonstration, reflecting the concerns of many passengers about being touched in their private areas by security agents. However, a Democratic staffer who was there said it was all very professional. "I don't think there was an emotional reaction one way or another," the aide said. "They explained -- based on what we know and what the threat is -- we think this is the best way to mitigate the risks." Another aide, who refused to say if he was a Democrat or a Republican, said the briefing would help lawmakers "understand the difference between a standard pat down and a more rigorous one." A Department of Homeland Security undersecretary and two TSA assistant administrators conducted the briefing, the second of two such meetings on Capitol Hill this week. The security agency set up the briefings after being "deluged" by calls for more information from congressional offices, which were themselves getting questions from angry and confused constituents, according to an administration official who asked not to be identified because he wasn't authorized to speak about the closed briefing. "Folks are getting a lot of concern from the constituents and they just want to be able to answer phone calls that they get at their offices," said the official, who described the session as "a very grown-up exchange of questions and answers." One Democratic aide said the TSA's effort to boost security has become a public relations problem because images of the tough new procedures are disturbing to many people. "It's always tough for the government to get their side of the story out compared to how quickly someone with YouTube video, Facebook, Twitter, all those things, can. For all the things they are trying to do to get the word out, one single isolated incident gets a lot more press than all the efforts they're trying to do," the aide said. Two GOP aides who spoke to CNN complained that despite the briefing being labeled by Transportation Security Administration as "SSI" -- containing "security sensitive information" -- staffers were not required to show identification when they arrived. They simply signed an attendance sheet that was passed around. "They have no clue who was in there," one of the Republican aides said. | Session provides information for members of Congress to tell concerned constituents .
The TSA is holding two such briefings to explain the new procedures .
Passenger complaints raise questions that the enhanced pat down goes too far . |
73,272 | cfcc9774a8a05907375173257180aa35f2d6e7ae | By . Ryan Gorman . PUBLISHED: . 08:46 EST, 18 August 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 10:53 EST, 18 August 2013 . A Colorado man had three toes amputated after a 78-year-old veterinarian allegedly gave him medicine meant to treat cancer in dogs. A veterinarian for 54 years, Francis Freemyer is accused of illegally treating at least one human with disastrous results. The animal doctor was cited by officials for rubbing Dermex, a salve used to treat skin cancer in dogs, on the man’s foot, causing it to become infected and resulting in the man losing toes. Freemyer denies the charges and insists that he only treats animals. Dermex is not approved by the Food and Drug Administration for use on humans and is still in testing on animals, but Freemyer swears by the drug – he says it cured him of melanoma. Denial: Fran Freemyer denies he ever treated humans, except for himself - when he rubbed dog medicine on his own melanoma . Cops allege the folksy animal doc was ‘very energetic about his confidence in his ability to fix the foot’ and applied the ointment to a 58-year-old man’s toes when he went to the Eldred Animal Hospital in June complaining of sore toes, according to a police report. The man’s foot became severely infected, resulting in three toes being amputated at a local hospital, according to reports. Authorities told local media that Freemyer admitted to treating the unidentified man in exchange ofr payment, but he has denied these claims in several interviews with local media. ‘I don't treat people,’ Freemyer told KMGH. ‘I treat dogs and cats and cows and horses and fish and snakes and all of those things, anything that comes in the door – except people.’ Scene of the alleged crime: Cops have accused Freemyer of rubbing cancer medicine meant for dog's on a man's foot in exchange for money . Miracle drug: Freemyer swears Dermex - meant for dogs - cured his melanoma, despite its use resulting in a man losing three toes . A veterinarian at the clinic since 1959, Freemyer told CBS Denver that he rubbed Dermex on a Jack Russell terrier named ‘Scooter’ to treat lesions on its back. The woman who owns the dog then decided there was too much medicine on the dog, scraped it off and gave it to a neighbour who rubbed it on his foot and went to the animal clinic for a follow up. Ever the attentive doctor, Freemyer covered the man’s foot in plastic wrap so the dark brown dog liniment wouldn’t stain his sock. ‘He came and talked to me I said, 'hell, I don't treat people, but you've already put it on there,’ Freemyer told KUSA. A follow up visit to a regular doctor resulted in the man being admitted to a hospital and his toes being removed after his infection made its way to the bone, according to KMGH. Officials think there may be other humans Freemyer has treated. ‘This isn’t something that we run across every day and it is something that we would like to see if there’s other people out there that this person may have actually treated as well,’ a Greeley Police spokesperson told KDVR. Freemyer sees it as a witch hunt, telling KDVR ‘this is just such, it’s such a crock of, well, anyhow… the doctor’s the one that’s after me. The guy with the foot is still a good friend.’ Not his first time at the rode: Freemyer has been previously cited twice for improprieties . The unidentified man refuses to cooperate with police, according to reports. One local called the allegations ‘crazy.’ ‘When I heard it I couldn’t believe it because I’ve know the man all my life and he doesn’t do that. He doesn’t do it because he knows his job,’ Ruth Allmer emphatically told KDVR. Even crazier, Freemyer told KUSA that he cured himself of malignant melanoma by rubbing Dermex on his skin. This is not the first time the animal doc has run afoul of regulators, he has been previously cited twice for indiscretions, according to Reuters. The first citation was the result of Freemyer certifying he examined 13 greyhounds after only seeing 12, it resulted in a $1,500 fine. The second violation came when Freemyer was found to have not properly kept a cat’s medical records, he was fined $250. The veteran vet plans to fight the latest charges in court. | Francis Freemyer has been a veterinarian since 1959 .
Freemyer denies having ever treated humans, except himself - he swears he cured his own skin cancer with dog medicine .
Police believe there may be more people treated by Freemyer and are urging them to come forward . |
31,940 | 5ae2a2c5d0b8fccb06a45b04abb98edc7bb31de9 | By . Jill Reilly . PUBLISHED: . 03:48 EST, 26 July 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 11:05 EST, 26 July 2013 . The husband of a well-respected doctor and mother who died from cyanide poisoning has been charged with lacing his wife's drink with the deadly substance. Husband Dr. Robert Ferrante, 64, allegedly . killed his wife by mixing cyanide with an energy drink called creatine, which he told her would help them to conceive . another child. Autumn Marie Klein, 41, collapsed at her . Oakland, Pennsylvania home and died on April 20 at UPMC Presbyterian, . where she also headed the women's neurology department. Arrested: Dr Robert Ferrante, right, allegedly killed his wife Dr Autumn Marie Klein by lacing a creatine energy drink he told her would help them conceive another child . Ferrante told authorities and his wife's family that she had suffered a stroke, but investigators found her body had more than 30 times the lethal level of cyanide in her system. His attorney says his client wasn't fleeing police when he left Florida - he was simply driving back to Pennsylvania to surrender. Instead, West Virginia State Police stopped 64-year-old Dr. Robert Ferrante on Thursday night. He's being held in that state until he can be extradited to Pennsylvania to face a charge of criminal homicide in the death of his wife. The extradition process is expected to take a few days. It was previously revealed that Ferrante, who is a medical expert at the University of Pittsburgh, used his work credit card to purchase cyanide just two days before his wife's death. Ferrante's attorney Bill Difenderfer told KDKA that his client uses cyanide as part of his job as a professor at the university. Sources close to the investigation said Dr. Ferrante . appeared to be devastated by his loss and maintains his innocence, . however he was unwilling to speak to KDKA when they approached him. The couple have a six-year-old daughter called Cianna. As well as heading the women's neurology department at UPMC, Klein was a mother to six-year-old Cianna . Dr. Ferrante called 911 and reported that his wife had a heart attack on April 20th. Sources say 'extremely high levels of . cyanide' were found in Dr. Klein’s blood. The type of levels that would . have 'knocked her to the floor' in 30 seconds sources say. Colleagues were in shock at the loss of the . young and valued colleague who had quickly become an . acknowledged leader in treating pregnant women suffering . neurological diseases. 'This is an irreplaceable loss,' said . Robert Friedlander, chairman of neurological surgery at UPMC, who . recruited Dr. Klein in 2011. Lawrence . Wechsler, chairman of the neurology department at UPMC, added: 'Autumn . was a pioneer as well as a caring doctor, wonderful teacher, researcher . and mentor.’ She moved to Pittsburgh with her . husband, Robert Ferrante, a leading researcher in ALS and . Huntington's disease from Harvard Medical School, who was also recruited by . Friedlander to become a Pitt professor of neurological surgery. Autumn Marie Klein, 41, collapsed at her Oakland, Pennsylvania home and died on April 20 at UPMC Presbyterian . The . victim’s mother Cook Klein, 79, had been due to fly to Pennsylvania from her . home in Towson, . Maryland to babysit for her daughter she her son-in-law . broke the news that Autumn had been rushed to hospital. Initially she was told her daughter may . have suffered a stroke. When she heard about the cyanide, her first . concern was for her granddaughter and who would pick her up from school if . police needed to speak to her father. Police told her that Cianna was with her father. Paying tribute to her daughter, Cook Klein described her as a ‘wonderful human being and a fantastic mother’ ‘I don't know of anybody that would have a reason to try to hurt her,’ she said. In addition to her husband, daughter and mom, Autumn is survived by her father William Klein; a stepdaughter, Kimberly Ferrante of San Diego; and a stepson, Michael Ferrante of Boston. | Dr. Robert Ferrante told police Dr. Autumn Marie Klein had suffered a stroke .
But her body was found to contain a lethal level of cyanide .
Ferrante, 64, was arrested in Florida and has now been charged with murder .
He is alleged to have bought cyanide just days before her death . |
73,421 | d0303bd35bc3297eee922858522c03434580397d | If you want to snap a photo of yourself in the mirror lifting weights don't bother doing it at this gym - they've actually made it impossible. Lift Performance Centre in Sydney, which only opened in November, has broken the norm and designed its gym entirely without mirrors. Owner Cato Rutherford says it's about getting 'back to basics' so loud music, televisions and treadmills have also been banned. 'I think it's outrageous that people think they need a mirror to do a work out,' he told Daily Mail Australia. Scroll down for video . Lift Performance Centre in Sydney, which only opened in November, has broken the norm and designed its gym entirely without mirrors . 'It certainly bleeds into the idea people are just there to have a good look at themselves. 'I've seen people walking from one area to another and trip over because they're looking at themselves.' He said people just assume you need a mirror when you're lifting weights to check 'your form', but he believes it can actually distract gym-goers from working out harder. 'When people say you have to have mirrors to check your form, I disagree. It's only two dimensional - not much happens on the front, all the important stuff happens behind,' he said. Celebrities like Justin Bieber are notorious for taking mirror selfies before, during and after workouts . Fashion Model Alena Shishkova (left) and Kendall and Kim Kardashian (right) regularly post mirror selfies . Playboy model Nicole Ferreira poses for a mirror selfie mid workout . Mum of two and reality television star Kourtney Kardashian documenting her trip to the gym . There's studies that show people who use a mirror to watch themselves workout can get so distracted they can't stick to the exercise routine and often compare themselves to others, which could lower their self-esteem, according to Mr Rutherford. 'We've limited music to just below talking level – that way coaches can talk to the clients without yelling,' he said. 'There's no treadmills either. There's a perfectly good park up the road. The weather is never so bad that you can't get out and have a bit of a trot. 'I have a place where people don't have to be distracted by pop music and mirrors and can just focus on what's at hand.' Extra loud music, televisions and treadmills have also been banned at the Sydney gym . Owner Cato Rutherford says it's outrageous that people think they need a mirror to do a work out . The gym is fitted out with a gymnasium, dumbbells, specialty bars and high performance machines . | Lift Performance Centre in Sydney designed its gym without mirrors .
Owner Cato Rutherford says they distract people from working out harder .
He says it will deter people just there to have a good look at themselves .
Loud music, televisions and treadmills are also non-existent at the gym . |
251,577 | d1a50099496092bc97db0ddc30f982bddca27e70 | Lazar Markovic's early strike and lively first-half performance was enough for Liverpool to escape the Stadium of Light with all three points. Here, Craig Hope runs through how the players performed. SUNDERLAND (4-1-4-1) Costel Pantilimon - 5.5 . Kicking suspect yet again and does little to instil confidence in his defence. Santiago Vergini - 5 . A disaster at times, giving ball away and failing to get forward. A torrid afternoon. Wes Brown - 5.5 . Could not handle movement and trickery of Liverpool frontline and was run ragged. Very lucky not to concede early penalty. John O’Shea - 6 . Tried his best to lead backline but was himself at sixes and sevens. Costel Pantilimon manages to divert Liverpool striker Fabio Borini away from goal at the Stadium of Light . Patrick van Aanholt - 5.5 . Got forward when possible but lacked quality and was also caught dithering once or twice at other end. Liam Bridcutt - 5 . Saw enough of ball and broke things up, but was simply outclassed and was needlessly sent off despite soft nature of second booking. Adam Johnson - 6 . Not enough flair or invention when his side needed it in first half but was much improved after break and cracked bar with one vicious drive. Jordi Gomez - 5 . Anonymous throughout and slowed things up far too much when he did come into possession. Emanuele Giaccherini attempts to keep the ball from Liverpool defender Mamadou Sakho on Saturday . Seb Larsson - 6 . Way below standards he has set this season but was doing the job of two men after Bridcutt dismissal. Emanuele Giaccherini - 5.5 . The odd flash of creativity but off the pace against fitter and stronger opponents. Connor Wickham - 5.5 . Not afforded a kick in the first half but was hardly helped by poor supply-line. SUBSTITUTES . Will Buckley (on 77) - 5.5 . Danny Graham (on 77) - 6 . Liam Bridcutt receives his marching orders after picking up a second yellow card against Liverpool . LIVERPOOL (3-4-2-1) Simon Mignolet - 6 . A spectator in the first-half but did what he had to with minimum fuss after break. Martin Skrtel - 6.5 . Strong when he had to be, although that wasn’t often. Emre Can - 7 . Strolled through and used his passing range to prise open Sunderland defence from deep before moving into midfield and again impressing second-half. Lazar Markovic (centre) celebrates with Liverpool team mates after scoring the opener in the first-half . Mamadou Sakho - 6.5 . Like the rest of his defensive comrades he enjoyed an easy 90 minutes. Lazar Markovic - 7.5 . Should have won a penalty before his clever opener and was close to spectacular second. Beginning to shine after slow start. Lucas Leiva - 7 . Barely had to break sweat but kept the ball well and anchored midfield with authority. Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard celebrates in front of the away fans after his side took a first-half lead . Jordan Henderson - 7.5 . Never wasted a ball and teased passes around the park. Took the armband second half. A class act. Alberto Moreno - 6.5 . Saw the weakness in Vergini and supported attack at every opportunity. Steven Gerrard - 7 . Was in the mood for goals and went close three times in first half before departing at interval. Philippe Coutinho - 8 . Outstanding, so easy on the eye and terrorised hosts with his cunning runs. Man of the match. Jordan Henderson lets fire but his long range effort flew high and wide over the Sunderland goal . Fabio Borini - 7 . He was more graft than craft and did not allow home defence a moment’s rest. SUBSTITUTES . Dejan Lovren (on 46) - 6.5 . Rash booking was first contribution but steadied and was comfortable. Mario Balotelli (on 66) - 6 . Frustrated team-mates at times with poor decision-making but picked up where Borini left off with work-rate. Liverpool striker Borini failed to score from this promising position before being substituted in the second-half . Italian striker Mario Balotelli, passing Wes Brown, came off the bench in the second-half against Sunderland . | Lazar Markovic bundles in the opener from close range early on .
Liam Bridcutt was sent off for Sunderland after two bookable offences .
Click here for Sportsmail's MATCH ZONE analysis from the clash . |
67,895 | c0a3ccc8f35568664a4c4d9ba233ed59f3b9215f | A Canadian woman has become the first foreign female to join the Kurds battling the Islamic State in Syria, a report has revealed. Gill Rosenberg, 31, was interviewed on Israel Radio where she said she had traveled to Iraq, was training with Kurdish guerrillas and would go into combat in neighboring Syria. The station did not name their interviewee, who spoke North American-accented Hebrew, but a source involved in the report identified her as Rosenberg. Gill Rosenberg, 31, was interviewed on Israel Radio where she said she had traveled to Iraq, was training with Kurdish guerrillas and would go into combat in next-door Syria . 'They (the Kurds) are our brothers. They are good people. They love life, a lot like us, really,' Rosenberg said, . explaining why she joined up after contacting the guerrillas . over the Internet. Rosenberg, a civil aviation pilot, enlisted in an Israeli army search-and-rescue unit before being arrested in 2009. She was then extradited to the United States where she was jailed over an international phone scam, one of her former lawyers said. A source in the Kurdistan region with knowledge of the issue . said Rosenberg was the first foreign woman to join YPG, the . Kurds' dominant fighting force in northern Syria. She has . crossed into Syria and is one of around 10 Westerners recruited . by YPG, the source added. Syrian Kurds backed by fighters from northern Iraq have gained ground towards breaking the siege of the Syrian border town of Kobane. But they are drawing heavy fire from Islamic State insurgents and have yet to win back control. Rosenberg could not be reached by Reuters for comment. A . source provided an Iraqi Kurdistan cellphone number for her, but . it was turned off on Tuesday. A Facebook page registered to Rosenberg showed photographs . of her in settings marked as Kurdish areas of Iraq and Syria. Gill, a civil aviation pilot, enlisted in an Israeli army search-and-rescue unit before being arrestedin 2009 and extradited to the United States where she jailed over aninternational phone scam . 'In the IDF (Israeli army), we say 'aharai', After Me. Let's . show ISIS (Islamic State) what that means,' read a November 9 post. Yahel Ben-Oved, an Israeli lawyer who represented Rosenberg . in the US criminal proceedings, said she had no knowledge of . her joining the Kurds even though they had spoken recently. 'It is . exactly the sort of thing she would do, though,' said Ben-Oved. Rosenberg had consented to extradition and served around . three years in a U.S. prison under a plea bargain, Ben-Oved . said. A 2009 FBI statement on the case names her as Gillian . Rosenberg, among 11 people arrested in Israel 'in a phony "lottery prize" scheme that targeted victims, mostly elderly'. Female fighters of the Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) prepare their weapons in the southern countryside of Ras al-Ain, near the frontline against ISIS . Israel's NRG news site reported at the time that Rosenberg . turned to crime after running short on money, that she was . estranged from her parents and had tried in vain to join the . Mossad spy service. More than 195,000 people have been killed in Syria since the beginning of the conflict in March 2011, with successive attempts at internationally backed negotiations failing to yield a peace deal. Israel has maintained discreet military, intelligence and . business ties with the Kurds since the 1960s, seeing in the . minority ethnic group a buffer against shared Arab adversaries. Smoke rises over the border town of Kobane in northern Syria following US airstrikes on Tuesday. Rosenberg is believed to have crossed into Syria and is one of around 10 Westerners recruited by the Kurds . The Kurds are spread through Syria, Turkey, Iran and Iraq. In the latter country, the have the autonomous Kurdish Regional . Government. Israel bans its citizens from traveling to enemy states, . among them Syria and Iraq. It has been cracking down on Israeli . Arabs who return after volunteering to fight with Islamic State . or other rebels against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's rule. Canada similarly worries about its citizens fighting in . Syria. Israeli and Canadian officials said they were aware of . Rosenberg's case, but did not immediately elaborate on what if . any efforts were being made to return her. | Gill Rosenberg said she went to Iraq and is training with Kurdish guerrillas .
On Israel Radio, the 31-year-old said she would go into combat in Syria .
She enlisted in Israeli army search-and-rescue unit but was arrested in 2009 .
Rosenberg was extradited to US and jailed over an international phone scam .
Her former lawyer said joining Kurds is 'exactly sort of thing she would do' |
89,991 | ff8a94673f6205735a3f548ac5b6ddb2efce743a | Washington (CNN) -- GOP critics cranked up the political heat Thursday on Attorney General Eric Holder, threatening impeachment and accusing him of withholding information from Congress about Operation Fast and Furious, a severely flawed and discredited federal gun-sting program. At the end of a long, combative day of testimony before the Republican-controlled House Judiciary Committee, California GOP Rep. Darrell Issa compared Holder to disgraced Nixon-era Attorney General John Mitchell. Holder shot back by comparing Issa to Sen. Joe McCarthy, the infamous Wisconsin Republican censured by the Senate in 1954 for leading what critics called a Communist witch hunt. "As they said in the McCarthy hearings, have you no shame?" asked Holder, referencing a famous retort to McCarthy. Holder acknowledged mistakes were made, but said he would not resign over the controversy. The attorney general, accusing the GOP of playing political games, said he also didn't think any of his top aides should step down. Operation Fast and Furious, which started in 2009, allowed illegally purchased firearms to be taken from gun stores in Arizona across the Mexican border to drug cartels. The intent of the operation was to monitor the flow of weapons to their ultimate destination. However, hundreds of weapons were lost or unaccounted for, and a storm of outrage erupted when two of the missing weapons were found at a site where Border Patrol agent Brian Terry was killed in December 2010. Democrats and Republicans have since been at odds over who knew what about the operation and when. Wisconsin GOP Rep. Jim Sensenbrenner told Holder Thursday that "heads should roll" over the matter. "There is really no responsibility within the Justice Department," Sensenbrenner said. "The thing is, if we don't get to the bottom of this -- and that requires your assistance on that -- there is only one alternative that Congress has and it is called impeachment." Sensenbrenner did not make clear whether he was referring to the possible impeachment of Holder or other top Justice Department officials. Blame for the botched operation "must go to your desk," Issa, the GOP's point man on investigating Fast and Furious, told Holder. Congress has been "systematically lied to" by department officials, he alleged. For his part, Holder told committee members the operation relied on "unacceptable tactics" and was "inexcusable." But he insisted that Justice Department officials have cooperated with congressional investigators, and he said that any previous misleading information provided on the matter was not part of an intentional deception. "It all has to do with your state of mind and whether or not you had the requisite intent to come up with something that can be considered perjury or (a) lie," Holder said. The attorney general tried to turn the tables on his GOP critics, accusing them of engaging in "inflammatory and inappropriate rhetoric ... in an effort to score political points." It's time to end "politically motivated 'gotcha' games," he said. While Holder and his critics vehemently disagreed over the extent of executive-legislative cooperation in the Fast and Furious investigation, they agreed that the deadly fallout from the operation is not over. Fast and Furious is "going to continue to have tragic consequences," Holder said at one point in Thursday's hearing. "More people are going to die, probably," said Rep. Ted Poe, a Texas Republican. "Unfortunately, I think that's probably true," Holder replied. Last month, Holder testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee that the controversial operation "should never have happened, and ... must never happen again," hitting hard at the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives practice that has now tarnished his tenure at the Justice Department. Despite Holder's insistence that Congress has never been intentionally misled in the matter, a number of Republicans have called for him to step down. Last month, Arizona Rep. Paul Gosar said the attorney general's "refusal to take responsibility for the actions of his department is inexcusable." Earlier this week, Issa, head of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, said he is broadening his investigation to also include recent allegations of U.S. agents laundering money for Mexican cartels -- accusations that have infuriated officials on both sides of the border. "These allegations, if true, raise further unsettling questions about a Department of Justice component engaging in a high-risk strategy with scant evidence of success," Issa said in a letter to Holder. "The existence of such a program again calls your leadership into question," Issa added. Sen. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, said Wednesday that Assistant Attorney General Lanny Breuer should also resign because he misled Congress about his awareness of a February 4 letter that denied any gunrunning operation existed. The Justice Department recently withdrew the letter due to inaccurate information, and Grassley said that e-mails turned over to congressional investigators showed Breuer saw various versions of the letter -- including the final one submitted to Congress -- before it was sent in February. In addition, Grassley said Breuer knew in 2010 of a previous gunrunning operation by the ATF in the Bush administration, but he failed to notify superiors or Congress about it. "Mr. Breuer's failure to be candid and forthcoming before this body irreparably harms his credibility," Grassley said, later adding: "Mr. Breuer has lost my confidence in his ability to effectively serve the Justice Department. If you can't be straight with the Congress you don't need to be running the Criminal Division. It is time to stop spinning and start taking responsibility." In response, Justice Department spokeswoman Tracy Schmaler said Breuer "has acknowledged his mistake in not making -- and therefore not alerting department leadership to -- a connection between the allegations made about Operation Fast and Furious and the unacceptable tactics used years earlier." But Holder "continues to have confidence" in Breuer's ability to lead the department's Criminal Division, Schmaler said. Breuer and Holder previously apologized to a Senate committee and to Grassley in particular about the false information in the February letter. Both have insisted they did not know the assertions were wrong when the department sent the letter. However, Grassley said Wednesday that the additional documents recently provided to congressional investigators show that Breuer should have been aware that the letter contained false assertions, due to his knowledge of a similar previous program called Operation Wide Receiver. In Mexico, the case has drawn nationwide attention and sharp criticism from top officials, who have long stressed that U.S. weapons are fueling the country's drug war. The Mexican attorney general's office demanded a quick U.S. investigation of the matter in March and said authorities must hold accountable anyone who was responsible for the operation. CNN's Alan Silverleib, Tom Cohen, Terry Frieden and Jim Barnett contributed to this report. | NEW: Issa compares Holder to Nixon AG John Mitchell; Holder asks Issa if he has "no shame"
Rep. Jim Sensenbrenner, R-Wisconsin, raises the prospect of impeachment .
Holder says GOP critics of Operation Fast and Furious are trying to "score political points"
The program involved illegal gunrunning that failed to keep track of the weapons . |
23,962 | 43fc78b56184b78437956b2df48b89ff82c564e1 | By . Lewis Smith . PUBLISHED: . 07:38 EST, 15 January 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 08:15 EST, 15 January 2013 . A prototype ‘bouncy’ space module is to be tested aboard the International Space Station, NASA has announced. The inflatable module is being heralded as a key component of future exploration and the development of commercial space travel and research. It is designed by Bigelow Aerospace, based in Las Vegas, which has been awarded a $17.8 million contract. Inflatable space modules are intended to provide more room for the astronauts based in them. Lori Garver, NASA’s deputy administrator, said as she unveiled the contract award that the inflatable module concept is simultaneously cutting edge technology and affordable. ‘This partnership agreement for the use of expandable habitats represents a step forward in cutting-edge technology that can allow humans to thrive in space safely and affordably, and heralds important progress in U.S. commercial space innovation,’ she said. ‘The International Space Station is a unique laboratory that enables important discoveries that benefit humanity and vastly increase understanding of how humans can live and work in space for long periods.’ Part of NASA’s interest in the inflatable technology is prompted by its potential for deep space missions. The experimental unit, the Bigelow Expandable Activity Module, is intended to be easily launched because it takes up much less room than conventional space craft yet once in orbit is inflated to be much bigger. Bigelow hopes that while providing practical solutions to space research, the modules will also serve as craft that can provide accommodation and working space for astronauts in orbit. The inflatable unit seen in comparison to one of the International Space Station modules. Two or more inflatables could be linked up to provide extra working and living space. Its stated aim is ‘to provide affordable options for spaceflight to national space agencies and corporate clients’. Previously, the company has launched two other inflatable modules but this is the first time it will be tested as part of a manned craft. Genesis 1 was launched in in 2006 and Genesis 2 in 2007, both on Russian rockets, and are still in orbit. Echo 1, launched in 1960 was the first inflatable space craft. The NASA communication satelite rose 1,000 miles into space as a balloon. It was dubbed a ‘sateloon’. In 1961 an inflatable space station was proposed and a prototype built by NASA. It was intended to be manned by one or two astronauts but it was never launched. With the development of kelvar and other materials, the inflatable concept was revived in the 1990s, with NASA creating the TransHab. Budget cuts meant it was scrapped in 2000. Each has been tested to ensure a constant temperature and pressure can be maintained within the inflatable hull. Bigelow last year announced a link up with the SpaceX company which is working to create Dragon spacecraft that can carry passengers into space. The intention was that SpaceX would transport people into space where they would transfer to orbiting Bigelow inflatables. Among the potential projects that Bigelow is looking at is building a base on the moon constructed from a series of linked inflatable modules. Initially it would be expected that inflatable Moon bases would be for research but with several companies planning to take tourists into orbit they could eventually be used as 'space hotels'. | Inflatable modules hailed as cheaper to launch and transport .
Module to be tested on board International Space Station .
Unit could be used for deep space exploration if tested successfully . |
84,295 | ef17c99e9346c01558465fe84518ad5cc0a93e42 | By . Martin Robinson and Chris Wheeler . PUBLISHED: . 12:21 EST, 13 September 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 13:39 EST, 13 September 2013 . This is Premier League star Steven Nzonzi speaking with police today yards from the spot where his car was involved in a smash with a cyclist. The Stoke City midfielder allegedly said: 'good luck finding me on foreign plates' before driving off last week, but the millionaire was spotted talking to an officer in Hale, Greater Manchester this afternoon. The crash led to an amazing . Twitter campaign backed by Sir Chris Hoy to identify the player, who . urged his 520,000 followers: 'please find him'. The star has so far been unavailable for comment but MailOnline can confirm he is the player involved. Speaking to police: An officer stopped Steven N'Zonzi by his car today less than 100 feet from where he was involved in a smash with a cylist . Incident: Rob Lockhart was cycling through Hale in Trafford at the time Nzonzi allegedly hit him last week . Olympic gold medal cyclist Sir Chris Hoy retweeted the image of the car driving off, and the above altercation between the motorist and Mr Lockhart, and urged the public to help detectives catch him . In question: Stoke midfielder Nzonzi is the Premier League player has been sought in connection with the incident . Today witnesses said the French . footballer was shopping and parked 100 yards from where the altercation . took place last week, and the officer waited next to his matt-black Audi Q7 for him to return. Greater . Manchester Police said they have identified the driver and plan to . speak to him at an appointment to be arranged for next week. It is understood the 24-year-old French . midfielder, who joined Stoke from Blackburn for £3million last summer, . has been advised by lawyers not to speak out in case it becomes a police . matter. Rob Lockhart said the driver refused to swap insurance details after the incident last week because 'it didn't apply' when an accident involves a bike and a car . Stoke manager Mark Hughes said today the player will play against Manchester City this weekend. He said: 'I spoke to Steven about it and he basically told me the situation. He doesn't feel he's done anything wrong and that's the top and bottom of it. 'I asked him about it and his explanation was clear, he was unequivocal about it. Will there be an investigation from the club? Absolutely not'. Greater Manchester Police have requested CCTV from a Hale bank so they can view the incident in detail . After hearing of the altercation, Olympic . legend Hoy retweeted a picture of the car and urged the public to help . detectives identify him. The cyclist, Rob Lockhart, claims the . player’s matt-black Audi Q7 braked suddenly in Hale, near Manchester, . last Thursday night and he bruised his face and damaged his bike after . smashing into the back. Mr Lockhart said: ‘He pulled away and . then pulled over sharply to park on double yellow lines outside a cash . point. It was dangerous. ‘I hit the back window with my head, helmet and face. I had mild concussion for two to three days afterwards. ‘He got out of his car and said, . “Sorry, I didn’t see you”. Then he just walked to the cashpoint. I . didn’t feel he had any regard for me and what had just happened. He . didn’t seem to care. ‘I was in shock, checking myself, the . bike and the car to see what was damaged. When he walked back to his . car I said we need to exchange insurance details and he said “No”. He . said, “You’re on a bike and I’m in a car, it doesn’t matter”. He was . really laid back, not angry. He didn’t even check if his car was . damaged. ‘I tried to get my phone out to take a . picture and he laughed and said, “You won’t trace me because my plates . are foreign”. He then left the scene. ‘I called the police when I got home. I . don’t know who he was, he had a foreign accent. I don’t follow . football. I just want all this sorted out.’ Support: Olympic hero Sir Chris Hoy backed a Twitter campaign to identify the player . Message: Sir Chris Hoy retweeted the message and the attached pictures to his 529,000 followers . Two witnesses took photos of the car . and driver, which Lockhart shared on Twitter. Hoy was among thousands to . retweet the pictures and users soon responded by linking Nzonzi. Hoy retweeted: ‘This chap said “good . luck finding me on foreign plates” after knocking a cyclist over in . Hale. Please help find him.’ Stoke have refused to comment about Nzonzi’s involvement in the alleged incident. A spokesman for Greater Manchester . Police said: ‘On Thursday 5 September 2013, police received a report of a collision taking place at about 5.45pm, at the junction of Victoria Road and Ashley Road in Hale, Trafford. 'A cyclist had been in collision with an Audi Q7, but failed to give full details at the scene. The man suffered only minor injuries. 'The cyclist took a picture of the Audi, which was a matted black colour and was on French registration plates. 'Police have now identified the driver involved and arrangements are being made to speak with this man in the near future'. Sorry we are unable to accept comments for legal reasons. | Star midfielder allegedly involved in incident in Hale, near Manchester .
Police waited for him by his car when he parked up nearby this afternoon .
Cyclist involved has accused him of refusing to share insurance details .
'I hit the back window with my head, helmet and face,' Rob Lockhart said .
Sir Chris Hoy has retweeted picture of car to his 500,000 followers .
The millionaire footballer's club and representatives have not commented .
Police want to speak to him again at an appointment likely to be next week . |
128,624 | 32342c9bbcc70b98c4389ed0ebcb39e9d87f1456 | By . Alex Greig . A Maine mother of twin girls who were brutally assaulted while in the care of her live-in boyfriend says she may never know what happened the night they were injured. Emily Walker left her twin two-year-old daughters and her four-year-old son in the care of David Devine, 25, while she worked on May 11. When she arrived at the mobile home the family shared in Oakland, she found all three children much too quiet. Vicious beating: Police say David Devine caused serious injuries to twin daughters of his girlfriend, including broken arms and legs, shattered elbows and internal injuries . Brooklyn was lying silently on a couch and Maddilyn was on a bean bag chair. 'She was almost unconscious,' Walker told the Press Herald. 'I touched her arm and I knew right there that it was broken.' Maddilyn's arm was broken, and Brooklyn had suffered a broken leg, internal bruising and a shattered elbow. Both girls were bleeding heavily from the nose, reports the Online Sentinel, and Maddilyn was dazed and having trouble breathing. 'It’s probably going to be a mystery that will always bother me for the rest of my life, unfortunately,' Walker told KJ Online. 'No one’s going to get exactly what happened.' Devine told Walker that her son . Wyatt had caused the injuries by hitting the little girls with a plastic . toy bat outside the home. She relayed the information to the dispatcher but even as she spoke she began to doubt the veracity of Devine's story. 'It just didn’t add up,' she told the Press Herald. 'His story started to change and the time frames were off.' Healing: Emily Walker with her two-year-old twins Maddilyn and Brooklyn who were badly injured on May 11 and her four-year-old son Wyatt, who her boyfriend said caused the injuries . The Press Herald reports that investigators found a small bloody handprint on the inside of a closet wall, blood smears on a dresser in the girls’ room, 'blood splatter marks on the wall in the hallway' and more blood near a window inside the home. Police said the nature of the little girls' injuries was so severe that a four-year-old could not have caused them. Twelve days after the attacks, Devine was arrested and charged with assault. He and Walker had planned to marry, and she is pregnant with his child. Walker says he had never been violent or angry with the children before in her presence and he was planning to adopt the children as his own after their marriage. Defenseless: Little Brooklyn wears an ankle-to-waist cast as well as an arm cast and will have to undergo physical therapy to learn to walk again . 'It took me a long time to get used to the idea that he did this,' she told KJ Online. 'In my heart I want to believe it wasn’t him, but I can see that it’s a lie.' The girls are now in the process of a long and painful recovery. Brooklyn has been placed in a cast that extends from her waist to her ankle, as well as a cast on her arm. She is effectively immobilized and will need to learn to walk again with physical therapy. 'She cries in pain for an hour at a time,' Walker said. All three children bear emotional scars that will take longer to heal than the broken bones and internal injuries. Walker says her son Wyatt told her he should have stopped the attack but he was too scared. Devine is being held in lieu of $50,000 bail. | Emily Walker arrived home from work to find her twin two-year-old girls who had been in the care of her live-in boyfriend seriously injured .
Brooklyn and Maddilyn suffered a broken leg, shattered elbow, broken arm and internal injuries between them .
Both were bleeding heavily from the nose .
Devine said Walker's four-year-old son had caused the injuries with a plastic toy bat .
He was arrested for assault and is being held on $50,000 bail .
Walker says the pair were planning to marry and she is pregnant with his child . |
143,402 | 4574168bf2623938ef3da837eb828913730542df | Manuel Pellegrini had a point when complaining about refereeing decisions which cost Manchester City in their 2-2 with Arsenal but Mark Clattenburg can’t be blamed for all of them. Those who don’t think video replays will help football should review the incident when Jack Wilshere handled the ball inside his own penalty area. Whilst some might try and argue that Wilshere’s arm is down by his side in a natural position, there is clear movement of it towards the ball in a deliberate way but Clattenburg and his colleagues had obstructed views and so just could not award the penalty that City deserved. VIDEOS scroll down to watch . Jack Wilshere appeared to handle the ball in the area when City were 1-0 up incensing Manuel Pellegrini . Jack Wilshere celebrates levelling for Arsenal against Manchester during the second half . A video replay would have enabled them to award the penalty which City deserved and will help when a referee is unsighted. The same could not be said of Danny Welbeck’s nudge on Vincent Kompany which meant the City captain didn’t get a clean header away and enabled Arsenal to rebuild their attack and feed the ball through for Alexis Sanchez to score. Danny Welbeck impressed on his debut for Arsenal against Manchester City . Joe Hart can only watch on as Alexis Sanchez's shot flies past him into the net to put Arsenal ahead . Alexis Sanchez celebrates putting Arsenal 2-1 up against Manchester City at the Emirates stadium . I can only assume that Clattenburg was watching the area from where the cross came rather than the central area as he couldn’t have missed the nudge had he been looking. The other complaints about a foul in the build up to Arsenal’s first goal and the fact that Clattenburg ‘had a very, very bad day’ revealed a deeper lying issue between the manager of the champions and England’s leading referee. Pelligrini has an issue with Clattenburg which goes back over a number of games. He truly believes that Clattenburg appears to be consistently going against his team. The Chilean is not a manager who plays mind games so this is a genuine belief which he must resolve in his mind and perhaps a meeting would be beneficial between the two. Diego Costa is a superb centre forward who plays like an old fashioned ‘English’ target man. He is no lightweight ‘soft’ foreigner and was incorrectly cautioned in his first game for ‘diving’. There was evidence of the more robust nature of Costa’s play when he pushed Swansea’s Gylfi Sigurdsson away strongly after he was being held on the edge of the penalty area. Perhaps he could have been cautioned had Kevin Friend been slavish to law, but there was nothing I saw to suggest he was fortunate not to be sent off and not being cautioned perhaps ‘levelled things up’ after his first caution at Burnley. | Manuel Pellegrini vented his frustration out at Mark Clattenburg after he failed to award a penalty to his side when they were 1-0 up against Arsenal .
Jack Wilshere had appeared to handle the ball in the area .
The game ended up finishing 2-2 at the Emirates stadium .
However Pellegrini must settle his issues with Clattenburg which go back a number of games prior to this clash taking place . |
200,504 | 8f8c3038e4eb4a3cacce6f030583cf8409c23737 | (CNN) -- Are we there yet? If you're Voyager 1 and you're looking for a spot beyond the end of our solar system, the answer is no. NASA officials have been saying for months that Voyager 1 is almost there when it comes to interstellar space as it continues the longest road trip in the history of mankind. Voyager 1 and Voyager 2 took off 16 days apart in 1977, and Voyager 1 is now about 11 billion miles (18 billion kilometers) from the sun. On Monday, project officials said new information sent back from the ship yielded a surprising result. "If we would have only looked at particle data alone, we would have said we're out of the solar system," said Tom Krimigis, a scientist from Johns Hopkins University who examines data on low-energy charged particles. "But nature is very imaginative, and Lucy pulled up the football again." The Voyager team believes this region is where lines of magnetic particles from the solar system are meeting particles from interstellar space. Because the direction of the magnetic lines is unchanged, the project members count this as part of the solar system. When the direction changes, Voyager 1 will finally be in interstellar space. "We believe this is the last leg of our journey to interstellar space," said project member Edward Stone of the California Institute of Technology. "Our best guess is it's likely just a few months to a couple years away. The new region isn't what we expected, but we've come to expect the unexpected from Voyager." The spacecraft entered the new region in July, fueling predictions it was getting close to the edge of the solar system. Voyager 2, which is on a different flight path, is a few billion miles closer to the sun. Read more space and science news on CNN's Light Years Blog . | Voyager 1 is about 11 billion miles from the sun and was launched in 1977 .
Voyager 1 finds new region of solar system, rather than the edge as scientists had predicted .
Voyager 2 is about 9 billion miles from the sun on a different flight path . |
36,700 | 67fc9fa49a2c443dcbab030b9c6247a662716bc9 | By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 12:51 EST, 20 June 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 16:19 EST, 20 June 2013 . A New England Patriots star partied at a Boston bar with a man who was found murdered near his house just hours later and was 'tied directly' to the killing, it was claimed today. After leaving a bar with Odin Lloyd on Sunday night, NFL star Aaron Hernandez destroyed surveillance video taken at his $1.3million home and then hired a cleaning crew to scrub his mansion clean, according to ABC News. Fox 25 quoted a police source as saying Hernandez left the bar with Lloyd and two friends in a rented SUV on Sunday night, but only three men returned to Hernandez's mansion in North Attleborough, Massachusetts. Reports suggest the 23-year-old tight end is 'likely' to be arrested in the case - though police say they are not ready to charge anyone at the moment. Scroll down for video . Stepping out: Aaron Hernandez, 23, attracted attention as he left his $1.3million home in North Attleboro, Massachusetts, on Thursday . Victim: Odin Lloyd has been identified as the man who was found dead less than a mile away from the $1.3million mansion of New England Patriots player Aaron Hernandez . Police spent several hours searching Hernandez's large, suburban home . Massachusetts State police have not named a suspect in the case. However, a Boston Globe reporter and Sports Illustrated are reporting that Hernandez's arrest is 'likely,' according to unnamed sources. It is not clear what charges police would pursue against Hernandez. On Tuesday night, officers searched . Hernandez's home for three hours. The star player had been cooperating . with police, but has since hired a lawyer and stopped talking, according . to Fox 25. ABC News reports that Massachusetts State Police are planning to return to Hernandez's house for a longer, more extensive search today because they believe he may have tampered with evidence. A police source told the network that Hernandez's security system was smashed - including the surveillance videos. He also handed over his cell phone to investigators 'in pieces.' On Monday, before Lloyd's body was found, he also hired a cleaning crew to scrub the mansion, the police source said. Hernandez, who signed a five-year, . $37.5million contract with the Patriots last year, refused to answer . questions from the press as he arrived at Gillette Stadium on in an Audi . SUV on Thursday. High profile: Hernandez left his home in an Audi SUV with tinted windows en route to Gillette Stadium for football practice on Thursday . Star: Aaron Hernandez is involved in a murder investigation and is also being sued over an alleged shooting . His attorneys and his agent have declined to comment on the case. Mr Lloyd, 27, a Boston Bandits players, was found shot . dead in an industrial park less than a mile away from Hernandez's home . on Monday evening. He was reportedly dating the sister of Hernandez's girlfriend. Odin Lloyd's uncle said he had last . seen his nephew on Sunday and described as a 'good guy' who lived in . Dorchester and loved football. Since 2007, Lloyd had been a linebacker for the Bandits semi-pro football team, Olivier Bustin, the team’s head coach told Boston.com. He . said Lloyd, a speedy pass rushing specialist listed at 5-foot-11 and . 215 pounds, learned to play football at the John D. O’Bryant School of . Mathematics and Science, in Roxbury. 'We . had our first scrimmage on Saturday night,' he told the Boston Globe. 'He participated. He played well. Was in good spirits. He was helping . mentor a younger player.' The scrimmage finished around 9:30pm and that was the last Bustin heard from Lloyd, he said. 'He . was a very personable player,' he said. 'Every person on our team got . along with him. I can’t remember any player having any beef with him.' Where: Locator map showing Aaron Hernandez's home in North Attleboro, and the nearby industrial park where Odin Lloyd's body was discovered . Massachusetts State police spoke to Hernandez on Monday and are seeking a warrant to search his home in North Attleboro . Today: Massachusetts State Police search along a road near the home of New England Patriot's NFL football player Aaron Hernandez in North Attleborough . This week, Hernandez was sued by his . former friend friend and personal assistant Alexander Bradley over . claims that he shot Bradley in the face during a fight at a Miami . nightclub in February. Bradley . claims he lost one eye when a gun owned by Hernandez went off in his . car as they drove away together following a heated argument. Last week, the Patriots star was made the subject of a lawsuit filed by Mr Bradley, . who is seeking damages to compensate him for the loss of his eye, which . has apparently forced him to undergo several operations in hospital. His lawyer David Jaroslawicz told ABC News: 'A bullet went through my client's arm and blew out his . right eye. It has been . enucleated - replaced with a prosthetic eye. He has also lost use of . his right arm.' Mr Bradley has also claimed that Hernandez did not have a license for the gun that was discharged. No criminal charges are believed to . have been filed over the case, and Miami police have been unable to . confirm whether or not they have any record of the incident, said to . have taken place in February. A . neighbor of Odin’s told WBZ they had seen Hernandez in the neighborhood . and that Odin dated the sister of Hernandez’s girlfriend. Massachusetts State police spoke to Hernandez on Monday and sought a warrant to search his home. Law enforcement sources described him as 'uncooperative'. During the search on Monday, two men . tried to leave the $1.3 million, 5,600-square foot home, which is . outfitted with a home gym and a swimming pool, but were stopped on the . drive by police. According to ABC News, their car was also searched. The . news service also said a hand-delivered package arrived addressed for . Hernandez during the time of the search, from a well-known law firm. A rental vehicle with Rhode Island plates was recovered near the scene, which led investigators to Hernandez, sources told ABC News. Suspicious: During the search on Monday, two men tried to leave the $1.3 million, 5,600-square foot home, which is outfitted with a home gym and a swimming pool, but were stopped on the drive by police . Massachusetts State police spoke to Hernandez on Monday and are seeking a warrant to search his home . The . jogger who found the body on Monday - who did not want to be identified - . described what he saw to WBZ-TV: 'I saw an African-American male, . probably 25-35 years old, decently dressed. 'He . was stiff, motionless, one of the police officers came back later and . said it looked the guy had been shot somewhere else and dumped here.' A . fourth-round pick in the 2010 draft, Hernandez was named to the Pro . Bowl in his second season. Last season he caught 51 passes and scored . five touchdowns for the Patriots. He is spending the off-season recovering from a shoulder scope. Hernandez, . a University of Florida Graduate and native of Bristol, Connecticut., . was drafted by the Patriots in 2010. He had five touchdowns for the Pats . during the 2012 season. On . August 27, 2012, the Patriots signed Hernandez to a five-year . extension, which included a $12.5 million signing bonus, the largest . signing bonus ever given to an NFL tight end, and the second-largest . extension ever, after teammate Rob Gronkowski's. Sorry we are unable to accept comments for legal reasons. | Police sources quoted in claims against NFL tight end .
Aaron Hernandez has been questioned by police over death of Odin Lloyd .
Lloyd was dating the sister of Hernandez's girlfriend .
23-year-old Patriots tight end is also being sued for a separate alleged shooting in February .
Former assistant Alexander Bradley claims player shot him in the face . |
39,359 | 6f32644a39224b088e1f3a96f6a36420a4f95c79 | Hatem Ben Arfa has been stripped of the No 10 jersey at Newcastle United. The French playmaker has been forced to train with the reserves this summer and manager Alan Pardew does not want him around his senior squad. The Magpies boss has lost patience with Ben Arfa’s professionalism and has now given his favoured squad number to summer signing Siem de Jong, whilst the Frenchman has been given no 26 instead. VIDEO Scroll down to watch Hatem Ben Arfa's cringeworthy tribute to Tupac Shakur . Waving goodbye? Hatem Ben Arfa is set to leave Newcastle this summer with a loan move to Lyon on the cards . Coming to England? Newcastle would like to use Ben Arfa in a deal to sign Lyon striker Alexandre Lacazette . Pardew would prefer it if the 27-year-old were to leave the club this summer and he has been offered to Lyon as a makeweight in a possible deal for striker Alexandre Lacazette. Newcastle would have to pay a portion of the 27-year-old’s £50,000-per-week wages should he join Lyon on loan, while a fee of around £15 million has been quoted for pacey frontman Lacazette, who scored 23 times last season. Fallen out: Manager Alan Pardew has fallen out with Hatem Ben Arfa over the playmaker's professionalism . Breakthrough: 18-year-old winger Rolando Aarons has been very impressive in pre-season for the Magpies . Meanwhile, one of the players who could replace Ben Arfa in the first-team is Rolando Aarons. The 18-year-old has been handed the No 16 shirt for this season and looks set to be involved when United take on Manchester City a week on Sunday. Sportsmail revealed earlier in the week how the exciting winger could be the subject of a country-versus-country row with him eligible to play for Jamaica – where he was born – and England. And it now appears Jamaica have made the first move after boss Winfried Schaefer tweeted Aarons with a message to telephone one of their coaches . CLICK HERE to start picking your Fantasy Football team NOW! There’s £60,000 in prizes including £1,000 up for grabs EVERY WEEK… . | Newcastle announced squad numbers today with Ben Arfa stripped of No 10 .
Ben Arfa training with the reserves for apparent lack of professionalim .
Newcastle want to sign £15million rated Lyon striker Alexandre Lacazette .
Alan Pardew could use Ben Afra as bait to Lyon with a loan deal . |
284,755 | fcf6bf91e9f06166c7d76c1de1432149471bd51c | A Chinese woman had a miraculous escape when her car was buried under tons of rice after a lorry tipped over. It took rescuers an hour to dig out Lin Hen, 33, after the crash in Luoyang in China's central Henan province. She was carried from the wreckage wearing only one shoe and with bloody scratches over her arms. Lin Hen was pulled from the wreckage of her car after an hour buried under tons of rice which fell from an overturned lorry . The lorry overturned on a wet road after its brakes failed, the driver told police . Lin Hen, who was driving to her sister's wedding at the time, survived the crash inside her crushed black car . Crowds gathered around the scene as emergency services worked to shift the sacks of rice and found Ms Lin inside her black car. She was on her way to her sister's wedding at the time. The lorry driver told police that his . brakes had failed when he tried to slow down, and he had found himself . unable to stop as the truck picked up speed. He tried to swerve to avoid the woman's car but the road was wet and the lorry tipped over. It took an hour for emergency services to get to Ms Lin, who was crushed under the load of rice . Crowds gathered to watch the rescue in Luoyang, in China's central Henan province . Ms Hen's lucky escape follows a crash in Guanxi province last week where a woman smashed her head through the windscreen of her car - and survived. The unnamed woman, who was a passenger in the car, was not wearing her seatbelt when the vehicle hit the back of a lorry. Her head broke the glass and she became wedged in the hole. When . fire crews arrived on the scene, they had to remove the car's . unconscious driver from the car before they could painstakingly begin . freeing the woman. Firefighters were then able to slowly . enlarge the hole in the windscreen around her neck so that it was big . enough for the injured woman's head to be safely freed. Bloodied . and dazed, the woman was stretchered away by waiting paramedics and . taken to a nearby hospital, where she and the male driver were said to . be making a full recovery. A woman in Guanxi province had another miraculous escape last week when her head became stuck in a car's windscreen during a crash . | Rescuers had to dig Lin Hen, 33, out from underneath piles of full rice sacks .
She was driving to sister's wedding at the time of accident in Luoyang .
Driver said lorry brakes failed and caused crash in central Henan province . |
124,670 | 2d21ca400b17d79cdbb4233a4d6158bc4bcc3630 | Artist Quentin Devine has gone nuts for the World Cup and carved five faces of English football legends on a handful of Brazils. Armed with a scalpel, a magnifying glass and a 99p bag of Brazil Nuts, he spent around four days on each one to perfect his portraits of Gary Lineker, Paul Gascoigne, David Beckham, Alan Shearer and current England star Wayne Rooney. Line-up: (L-R) Paul Gascoigne, David Beckham, Gary Lineker, Alan Shearer and Wayne Rooney appear as nuts . Pick them out: The Brazil nuts were carved by micro artists Quentin Devine . Meet you there: Rooney is already out in Portugal ahead of England's World Cup training camp . He said he worked through more than 50 nuts in the challenge, set by TV channel Dave to celebrate its World Cup coverage, before he got it right. He said: 'When Dave asked me to carve the faces of five of England’s most loved football legends out of Brazil nuts I knew it would be a challenge. 'The nuts can be very oily and extremely brittle but I think I managed to successfully capture the essence of each these football heroes. Miniscule: Devine carved the nuts to launch Dave's World Cup television coverage . World Cup heroes: Paul Gascoigne (left) and Gary Lineker (right) at the World Cup in Italy in 1990 . 'My final piece, Gary Lineker, proved to be a tough nut to crack with his large ear span reducing the already tiny surface area I had to work with. After over 20 attempts, many broken ears and all hope lost, I finally perfected it. 'On another note, I know Dave is a comedy channel, but an Irish man carving English footballers into Brazil nuts is a real joke isn’t it?' The channel is showing a succession of shows around Brazil 2014 including specials on England’s football heroes, its best goals and its worst gaffes. Tiny: Quentin Devine poses with his works of art Lineker (left) and Beckham (right) Back then: Alan Shearer (left) and David Beckham celebrate scoring at the 1998 World Cup finals . | Gary Lineker and Alan Shearer also immortalised in the nuts .
Carving done by micro artist Quentin Devine with a 99p bag of Brazil nuts .
Devine spent four days on each player to achieve perfection .
Challenge was set by TV channel Dave to celebrate its World Cup coverage . |
74,756 | d3ec94732a57afe442bae66f209fe2a969c2b53e | (CNN) -- More than 3,500 people have been infected by the Ebola virus in Liberia, Guinea, Sierra Leone and Nigeria since the first documented cases in December, according to new figures released Wednesday by the World Health Organization. More than 1,900 people have died. There is also a smaller, unrelated outbreak in Congo and at least one confirmed case in Senegal, according to WHO Director General Dr. Margaret Chan. She characterized the outbreak as a "global threat" and encouraged the international community to do more to combat it. Chan complimented the United States for its "very strong support" through the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. CDC Director Dr. Tom Frieden said the official numbers are lower than the actual number of cases, because families afraid of the stigma associated with Ebola do not report sick loved ones. Others are caring for patients in isolation. Frieden characterized the outbreak as "spiraling out of control" Tuesday in a conversation on CNN's "New Day." "What we're seeing is a ... hugely fast increase in cases that's harder and harder to manage," he said. "The more we can get in there and tamp that down, the fewer cases we'll have in the weeks and months to come." Dr. David Nabarro, the senior United Nations system coordinator for Ebola, said that in observing the disease on the ground, he noticed that a number of the infections have spread between family members who are caring for the sick. They must care for those infected with Ebola because there are not enough hospital beds, nor are there enough ambulances to transport people safely. If the patients do get to a health care facility, there is not a good system of infection control, nor is there enough protective equipment to go around. Nabarro said there is a desperate need for personnel to help on the ground as well as for nurses, doctors and ambulance drivers in West Africa. The area also needs money to fight the outbreak -- at least $600 million, by some estimates. The fact that airlines have stopped flying to the countries affected has kept people isolated and has inadvertently made the outbreak worse, making it harder for staff and supplies to make it there. New cases in Nigeria . Nigeria's minister of health said there are three new confirmed cases of Ebola in Port Harcourt, the country's oil hub. The ministry believes other cases will be confirmed there shortly. Ebola initially arrived in Nigeria through an infected air traveler. The passenger landed in Lagos on July 20 and died five days later. One person who was put into quarantine after he came into contact with the passenger fled the city and sought treatment in Port Harcourt. A doctor who treated him developed symptoms and died a little more than a week later. Not knowing he was sick, the doctor treated other patients. He also came into contact with members of the community after family and friends visited to celebrate the birth of a baby and after members of his church visited him at the hospital. Nigerian health leaders are monitoring the health of more than 200 people who may have had contact with the doctor. About 60 more are considered to have had high-risk or very high-risk exposure. The other confirmed Nigerian cases now include the doctor's spouse, who is also a doctor, and a patient at the hospital where the doctor was treated. Staff members are being tested for Ebola. With the help of the CDC and the WHO, an isolation facility has been set up to handle additional Ebola cases. Civic unrest and security issues, coupled with the public's fear of Ebola, are among the concerns. The military has been called in to escort people to the clinic. More need for help . Dr. Joanne Liu, the international president of Doctors Without Borders, spoke at a special United Nations briefing on Wednesday, criticizing the international community's "lethally inadequate" response to the global threat. The group, also known as Medecins Sans Frontieres, has been on the ground fighting the outbreak since March. Liu made what her organization described as an "unprecedented call" for U.N. members with the technology to intervene in a biological threat to do so immediately. "Six months into the worst Ebola epidemic in history, the world is losing the battle to contain it," she said. "Leaders are failing to come to grips with this transnational threat. The WHO announcement on August 8 that the epidemic constituted a 'public health emergency of international concern' has not led to decisive action, and states have essentially joined a global coalition of inaction," she said. "The clock is ticking, and Ebola is winning," Liu warned. "The time for meetings and planning is over. It is now time to act. Every day of inaction means more deaths and the slow collapse of societies." British patient gets better . Medical personnel have been particularly vulnerable in this Ebola outbreak. William Pooley, a British volunteer nurse who cared for Ebola patients in Sierra Leone, was the first Briton known to be infected. Doctors flew him back to be treated in an isolation unit at the Royal Free Hospital in North London. He stayed there for 10 days of treatment that included the experimental drug ZMapp, which was also used to treat two American medical personnel last month who have since been released from the hospital. Pooley's doctors released him from care on Tuesday. | More than 3,500 people are infected, and more than 1,900 have died, WHO says .
International response to "global crisis" inadequate, Medecins Sans Frontieres says .
A nurse from the UK who had been infected leaves the hospital . |
236,457 | be0f58b958dd8e73517ac5b198eeafa9a235ce73 | By . Anna Edwards . PUBLISHED: . 09:38 EST, 21 January 2014 . | . UPDATED: . 11:45 EST, 21 January 2014 . Council bosses have forked out almost £5,000 for a man to walk his pet owl around town - to scare off pigeons. Oswestry Town Council have been spending £75 a day letting bird enthusiast Harry Hamilton, 61, walk around the town of Oswestry, Shropshire, with his owl Barney in tow, in a bid to scare away pigeons. Bird of prey enthusiast Harry has been walking around the town with the owl on his arm twice a week, since June 2013 as part of a pigeon deterrent trial. Oswestry Town Council have been spending £75 a day letting bird enthusiast Harry Hamilton, 61, walk his owl in order to scare off pesky pigeons . Coming for you! Barney the owl has been approved by council bosses to scare off the other birds . Harry, who has been keeping birds of prey for the past 25 years, said: 'Usually when I walk around, I rarely see any pigeons. 'People will stop and come and see the owl and it’s great fun getting out and about with him.' Town councillor Glenys Davies, said: 'We have the same pigeon problem as any other town with flocks gathering on building and in parks. 'We started the trial to try and reduce the problem and we approached Mr Hamilton to see if his owl would make a difference. When he walks around the town, the pigeons are nowhere to be seen. Birds of prey: Harry has been walking around the town with the owl on his arm twice a week, since June 2013 as part of a pigeon deterrent trial . Councillors are now planning to vote on whether to make the owl walks a permanent feature . 'They return to the parks once he has left, but no where near the same amount as before. No birds are harmed, only frightened and we have been paying Harry £75 a day for his services.' Councillors are now planning to vote on whether to make the owl walks a permanent feature, but it could cost the public almost £8,000 a year. Jonathan Isaby, Chief Executive of the TaxPayers’ Alliance said: 'Taxpayers are unlikely to think spending thousands of pounds to scare off pigeons is a wise use of their money. 'The council need to give a hoot about how they spend resident’s money, especially at a time when many people are struggling. Keeping vermin under control is important but it needn’t cost a fortune.' | Oswestry Town Council have been spending £75 a day letting bird enthusiast Harry Hamilton, 61, walk around the town with his owl, Barney .
Pigeons return to the parks once the prowling owl has left, but 'no where near the same amount as before', councillor admits . |
29,299 | 5341cdca530919013110ea2001051d1325f33d0a | (CNN) -- A French tourist is recovering after falling 75 feet into the Grand Canyon, hospital officials said Saturday. Witnesses reported that the 18-year-old was taking photographs when he slipped and fell over the edge, the National Park Service said in a statement. He was in good condition at Flagstaff Medical Center early Saturday morning, spokeswoman Carrie Heinonen said. He was being treated for neck, wrist and ankle injuries, the park service said. Authorities said the man fell Thursday afternoon about a quarter mile east of Mather Point on the South Rim of Grand Canyon National Park. Park rangers rappelled into the canyon to assess the teen's injuries before a park helicopter airlifted him out. | Witnesses say the teen was taking photographs when he fell .
A hospital official says he is in good condition .
The National Park Service says he suffered neck, wrist and ankle injuries . |
185,310 | 7c06d99d2c90f5bb473d6ea1ff492c0d78f8da8e | (CNN) -- Those of us who knew Alex Clowson understood that his baseball dreams were all behind him. We couldn't have been more wrong. Alex -- he insisted that we call him that; "Mr. Clowson," he said, was too formal -- was the one man in our central Ohio town of 13,000 who had been a professional ballplayer. He had been captain of the baseball team at Ohio State, and had led the Big Ten in hitting in 1932 and 1933. The people who knew him back then thought he would have a shining career in the majors. And in fact, the Cleveland Indians organization signed him to a contract. But he injured his knee, and in the big leagues being just half a step slow means you're probably not going to make it. So from 1935 to 1941, he played in the low minor leagues, for Class C and Class D teams like the Zanesville, Ohio, Greys, and the Oswego, New York, Netherlands, and the Monessen, Pennsylvania, Indians. Which was all right with him. Baseball was the love of his life, and he was very good at it, and he was being paid, although not much, to play it. Then World War II arrived, and he was called to military service and his days on the diamond were over. Those of us who knew him in the 1950s and 1960s were friends of his children, with whom we were growing up. Alex and his wife, Betty, raised their young family, and Alex ran a succession of taverns and restaurants, some more successful than others. His love of baseball never died. He was an assistant coach at Ohio State for 10 years, and after that he seemed to be a volunteer coach for just about every league in town. "Dad's been gone for more than 10 years," his daughter Wendy told me the other day. "And I still run into people who tell me, 'Your dad was my Little League coach.' Or, 'Your father give me my first baseball glove.' " If you were a kid in a summer league around town, you probably saw Alex Clowson in the stands. He was always so encouraging; his opinion meant more than anyone else's, because he was the man who had been a pro ballplayer. If you weren't especially good -- I can vouch for this -- it meant the world to you to hear Alex's voice shouting "Nice throw," or "Good hustle." Why am I telling you this today? Because in the early 1950s, before any of us were old enough to know him, he ran a tavern called the Musical Bar. He was the owner and the bartender. One of his steady customers was a young Air Force second lieutenant assigned to nearby Lockbourne Air Force Base. The customer's name was George Steinbrenner. "Daddy told me that Mr. Steinbrenner never ordered an alcoholic beverage," Wendy Clowson said. "He would come in and order a Coke with a cherry in it. And he would sit there and he and my father would talk about baseball for hours on end." This was many years before Steinbrenner, who died last week at the age of 80, bought the New York Yankees; George Steinbrenner with his Coca-Cola and Alex Clowson behind the bar were just two guys who loved to talk baseball. Clowson never struck it rich in business, but Steinbrenner, of course, did, and despite the difference in their worlds they remained friends over the years. "Every time we would see Mr. Steinbrenner, he would say to us children, 'Your father taught me everything I know about baseball,' " Wendy said. It may not have been literally true, but it was a lovely thing to tell the Clowson children, and they always were grateful for how Steinbrenner treated their dad. When Alex Clowson was dying in the summer of 1999, Wendy said, "the thing that he hated the most was that he had macular degeneration, which meant that his eyesight had badly failed. He couldn't read the baseball box scores in the newspapers any more. That made him really sad." Three weeks before he died in a nursing home, he received a telephone call from Steinbrenner. "They talked for a very long time," Wendy said. "We didn't hear the conversation, but we knew what it was about. Dad and Mr. Steinbrenner talked about baseball. Just like they always did." Clowson died on a July Thursday in 1999. Before the funeral, Betty Clowson's telephone rang. It was Steinbrenner. He said he planned to do something to honor her husband. And so it was, on the day Clowson was buried in Ohio, that Steinbrenner issued an order to his staff at Yankee Stadium in New York. The Yankees weren't playing at home that day. But Steinbrenner ordered that the big American flag in center field be raised, and then lowered to half-staff. For Alex. Several weeks later, a package arrived at Betty Clowson's home. Inside it was the flag, along with a photo of it at half-staff overlooking the most famous baseball palace in the world. "I know that Mr. Steinbrenner was a controversial guy, and that there were a lot of people who didn't like him," Wendy Clowson said. "But I hope you can understand why our family loved him." We who knew Alex Clowson thought his dreams of baseball glory had drifted away. But what did we know? In the end, against all odds and expectations, this impossible thing came true: . He made it all the way to Yankee Stadium. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Bob Greene. | Ex-minor league player had a major league friend in George Steinbrenner .
Alex Clowson met Steinbrenner in the '50s when Clowson owned an Ohio tavern .
Steinbrenner said Clowson "taught me everything I know about baseball" |
101,127 | 0e531d35097cdafe34366320a348d719cb8d9c57 | France are clearly determined to recover from their defeat to Ireland and muscle back into contention for the Six Nations title against Wales this weekend. The French squad have been hitting the gym hard as they prepare to host Warren Gatland’s side at Stade de France on Saturday. Phillipe Saint-Andre’s France side lost 18-11 to Ireland last time out whereas Wales escaped with a last ditch 26-23 win against Scotland. France's scrum half Sebastien Tillous Borde concentrates during a weight lift in the gym on Monday . France's lock Sebastien Vahaamahina lifts weights in the gym as they look to out-muscle Wales on Saturday . France's tight head prop Rabah Slimani works hard in the gym as Phillipe Saint-Andre's side prepare for Wales . The French squad did some training indoors on Tuesday before they host Wales in the Six Nations on Saturday . Johnny Sexton did the damage for Ireland against France as he fired 15 points from his kicking for their ninth consecutive victory. France will have to be wary of fit-again wing George North returning to the Wales starting XV, having sat out the narrow victory over Scotland recovering from concussion. Alex Cuthbert makes way for North, who missed the Murrayfield win after taking two blows to the head against England earlier this month. Gatland has made three more changes with Scott Baldwin taking over at hooker from Richard Hibbard and Luke Charteris replaces Jake Ball at lock, whilst Samson Lee reclaims the tight-head spot from Aaron Jarvis. Wales won this fixture in last year’s Six Nations in Cardiff with a comprehensive 27-6 win in Cardiff. The France team will hope to spring into form against Warren Gatland's side, having lost to Ireland last game . France's scrum half Sebastien Tillous Borde crashes into a tackle pad in preparation to take on Wales . The French squad worked hard on Monday before taking on Warren Gatland's Wales in Paris this weekend . Phillipe Saint-Andre’s France side are looking to avenge their 18-11 to Ireland in their last Six Nations fixture . France's lock Sebastien Vahaamahina enjoys a joke during a relentless weights training session . France right wing Yoann Huget takes part in an indoor training session as they prepare for Saturday's clash . Having been defeated 18-11 by Ireland in their last fixture, France have been working hard to rectify that result . France inside center Wesley Fofana concentrates during some weights exercises in Six Nations training . France's No 8 Loann Goujon lifts weights as the French squad displays its power during a gym session . | Wales and France have a win and defeat each in this year's Six Nations .
France lost 18-11 in the last fixture to title favourites Ireland .
Warren Gatland's Wales defeated Scotland with a last gasp 26-23 win .
Wing George North returns to Wales XV for Saturday's trip to Paris . |
284,941 | fd3ab949a64550b07d15bc3432eac90e53ef6670 | By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 06:07 EST, 17 January 2014 . | . UPDATED: . 10:34 EST, 17 January 2014 . A woman who was found guilty of growing 21 cannabis plants in her bedroom is suing police for allegedly wrecking her house during a raid. Julia Rawson, 59, of Richmond, Sheffield, claims she was growing the plants, which could produce cannabis with a street value of £21,000, to use as a pain relief from a brain tumour. She was handed a nine month jail term suspended for 12 months after pleading guilty to growing the 21 seedlings when she appeared in court. Julia Rawson, 59, from Sheffield, is suing South Yorkshire Police for allegedly wrecking her home during a raid. Officers found 21 cannabis plants in her bedroom when they executed a warrant to search her property . Ms Rawson claims 16 officers ransacked her house during the raid in September 2012. She says they ripped out her bath and toilet and smashed ornaments leaving a repair bill of £31,000 . However, she has since been embroiled in a lengthy dispute with South Yorkshire Police after she made a county court claim for compensation. The spinster claims the presence of cannabis plants did not justify the actions of police . officers, who she says ripped out her bath and toilet, causing her home . to flood and ceilings to collapse. She claims the damage caused during the raid at her former house in Intake, Sheffield, has left her with a £31,000 repair bill. Officers raided her home in September 2012 after receiving a tip-off from Crimestoppers that she was a firearms dealer who was trying to sell a cache of four handguns and ammunition. However, when police searched her property they found no evidence of guns but instead discovered the factory of cannabis plants germinating in a . bedroom. She claims 16 officers ransacked her home, destroying furniture and smashing ornaments, in their fruitless search for firearms. Police discovered 21 cannabis plants in the bedroom of the property in Intake, Sheffield, when they carried out the raid. In papers supplied to county court, Ms Rawson described officers involved as ¿pack animals¿ . She . said: 'They completely wrecked my house. They were throwing things out . of upstairs windows, smashing ornaments to make sure nothing was hidden . inside, and they removed the bath and toilet without turning off the . water, so the place flooded and the ceilings came down. 'I lost . everything - they put their feet through my sofas, they had no respect . for anything.I had a brain tumour at the time and still do, and this has . made me very ill. 'If they had checked out their so-called . intelligence first, they would have realised I have never been in . trouble with the police before - and I am certainly not a firearms . dealer.' Julia Rawson, of Sheffield, is suing South Yorkshire Police for allegedly wrecking her home during a raid. Officers found 21 cannabis plants in her bedroom when they executed a warrant to search her property . South . Yorkshire Police denies liability and a spokesman said: 'Civil . proceedings brought by Ms Rawson are ongoing and the force denies . liability. 'South Yorkshire Police and the office of the Police and . Crime Commissioner have written to Ms Rawson on several occasions . following her complaint about the search, executed in September 2012. 'Ms Rawson’s complaint is the subject of an ongoing investigation by the Force’s Professional Standards Department.' | Julia Rawson, 59, claims officers ripped out her bath and toilet in the raid .
She says police 'ransacked' her home and caused £31,000 worth of damage .
Officers discovered 21 cannabis plants growing in her bedroom . |
38,179 | 6bf64919e48a7d8f2498f0c0187ce4fa7944c579 | WASHINGTON (CNN) -- A nonprofit consumer group said Thursday that it will sue Bayer HealthCare, alleging "deceptive and irresponsible" advertising that contends selenium in two of its multivitamins may reduce men's risk of prostate cancer. One A Day Men's 50+ Advantage ads say selenium may cut men's risk of prostate cancer, a consumer group says. The Center for Science in the Public Interest said it informed the multinational company of its intent Thursday. David Schardt, the center's senior nutritionist, told reporters during a teleconference that the center already has filed a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission. "We are standing behind all the claims we make in support of the products," Trish McKernan, Bayer's global spokeswoman, told CNN. "The selenium claims are made by a [Food and Drug Administration]-approved qualified health claim. We regularly review the evidence, and we change our claims if necessitated. The emerging science hasn't compelled us to change our claims, and the FDA claim is intact." Bayer's HealthCare division, based in Leverkusen, Germany, researches, manufactures and markets pharmaceutical products. Bayer promotes One A Day Men's 50+ Advantage and One A Day Men's Health Formula multivitamins on package labels, TV and radio ads and on its Web site. In its promotions, the company says "emerging research" suggests that selenium might reduce the risk of prostate cancer, the center said. "Did you know that there are more new cases of prostate cancer each year than any other cancer?" according to one radio ad. "Now there is something you can do." Both dietary supplements contain 105 micrograms of the trace mineral selenium per daily dose, or about twice the Recommended Daily Allowance, which is 55 micrograms a day for adults, according to the center. Visit CNNhealth.com, your connection for better living . "It's astounding that a company such as Bayer ... would make such deceptive claims," the center's litigation director, Steve Gardner, told reporters during the same teleconference. Supporting the center in its letter of complaint to the FTC are nine researchers, who wrote a separate letter to Mary Engle, associate director of advertising practices. Among the signees are medical professionals from the Harvard School of Public Health, American Cancer Society and University of Illinois at Chicago Division of Pathology Research. All agree there is scant evidence to support Bayer's claim. A seven-year, $118 million study funded by the National Institutes of Health found last year that selenium does not prevent prostate cancer in healthy men, the center said. The Selenium and Vitamin E Cancer Prevention Trial involving 35,000 U.S. and Canadian men was halted in October when researchers determined that selenium was not protecting the men from prostate cancer and may have been causing diabetes in some of them. According to the researchers in their letter supporting the FTC's complaint, "the federally financed study was the largest individually, randomized cancer prevention trial ever conducted, and, given its high rates of adherence and its statistical power, it is unlikely to have missed detecting a benefit of even a very modest size." "Bayer Healthcare is doing a disservice to men by misleading them about a protective role for selenium in prostate cancer," they added. CNN's Ann Curley contributed to this report. | Center for Science in the Public Interest plans to sue Bayer HealthCare .
Group says claims that ingredient in men's vitamins may cut cancer risk are false .
Bayer spokeswoman: "We are standing behind all the claims"
NIH: Selenium does not prevent prostate cancer in healthy men . |
43,384 | 7a587834d49d2516484cdef6709cfd3a11844cae | A mother who began sprouting thick facial hair after the birth of her son 28 years ago says she's feeling sexier and more confident than ever before, having finally stopped trying to get rid of her beard. The German-born woman, identified only as Mariam, appeared on ITV's This Morning to discuss why she stopped tweezing the hair on her face which she had been plucking every day for almost two decades. Mariam, 49, also explained to Holly Willoughby and Philip Schofield that she is happy with the way she looks and would not change her situation, despite being criticised for her behaviour by her own mother. SCROLL DOWN FOR VIDEO . Dating turn-off: Facial hair may be a no-no for single American guys, but German woman Mariam, 49, who has been growing a beard since 2008, insists that it is sexy . She also said she is able to look past the comments of internet trolls who target her bearded woman blog to tell her 'people like me should be sent to Russia... or shot'. Mariam - who has had tests to rule out serious medical problems more associated with excessive hair growth in women - told Phil and Holly, along with expert Dr Carol Cooper, that she had never had any facial hair before the birth of her son, after which it gradually began growing. Ten years on, the hair was growing thick enough for a full beard, and Mariam would laboriously tweeze out each hair every morning. 'I asked my mother what to do and she told me to tweeze them, never to shave or wax. And then I visited my gynaecologist who said it happened to lots of other women so I shouldn't worry. But they didn't really give me a reason. Now I know it must be inherited . 'My chin got really red and inflamed from all the plucking, and some of the hairs were ingrown, so it always looked like I'd fallen on my chin. But when people asked what had happened and I told them they couldn't believe it.' In 2008, when she was living alone and unemployed, Mariam decided to give her beard a chance to grow. She said: 'I had no job so I had free time to give it a chance and see what happened, so I started a blog to inform other women about it, and to see what was happening every day and how I felt. Mariam explained to Holly and Phil that prior to her 'experiment' plucking her beard had become an obsession, and that her son, who has not been named, used to remember it taking her hours to leave the house. She added: 'I thought about it all the . time. I had to double check before leaving the house that it was OK, . and take a mirror in my pocket. That was life. 'When . I decided to let it grow it didn't feel brave, it was more like a . curiosity. I wanted to see hwat would happen to me. There was a big fear . that everyone would turn away and nobody would talk to me anymore.' Mariam, 49, appeared alongside Dr Carol Cooper on ITV's This Morning to explain her situation to Holly and Phil . And Mariam did meet some resistance - from her family. 'My . mum said "do you have to shock people like this". Then she got used to . it and thought that one day I'd finish it, and was patient, but now . she's getting nervous and wants me to stop and become "normal".' She received negative reactions from . other people, too, especially on the internet: 'People can be cruel . depending on where you go. 'Some people say people like me should be sent . to Russia or shot, but that's just one person on the internet writing . horrible stuff. Other people say it's courageous and inspiring. So there . are both sides.' Mariam now travels with a circus as the bearded lady act, which she says she enjoys since she has studied acting in the past and also likes educating people about the issue. She said: 'I want to give people the opportunity to talk to a bearded lady, because usually they are too scared in the street.' Mariam, who has been single for a decade, also says she is looking for a relationship now that she is feeling sexy and more confident. She told Holly that even if she could she would not change her situation. Holly Willoughby and Philip Schofield asked Mariam how she felt about having a beard . 'I know myself more now,' she said. 'There are always people with a fetish who might only be attracted by the beard, but that is the same with lots of things, even if I were a blonde woman. 'I tried electrolysis three times but it just grew back - and now I'm happy with it. It is sometimes annoying when I go shopping but otherwise it has given me other opportunities. Dr Cooper explained that it is fairly common for women to have facial hair they do not want, but if it comes on suddenly - especially if accompanied by other symptoms such as weight gain and irregular periods - you should see your GP since it could be to do with excessive of androgen hormones. What causes excess facial hair? It's estimated that one in ten women suffers from excess facial and body hair. But what causes it? 'Sometimes race or just a family tendency to be more hairy is to blame, rather than any medical problem,' explains Dr Rina Davison, an endocrinologist from Whipps Cross University Hospital, London, with a special interest in excess hair. 'People of South Asian or Mediterranean descent tend to have more hair than Caucasians or those with black skin, for example. It's also possible to be quite a “hairy” family regardless of race.' But there are other factors that could be to blame. Women normally produce low levels of male hormones called androgens, but an excess can trigger unwanted hair growth known as hirsutism. A common cause of hirsutism is Polycystic Ovary Syndrome, which has accompanying symptoms of acne, weight gain and irregular periods. Other, rarer, causes include a tumour on the ovary or adrenal gland as well as certain medicines including steroids. Rarely, a woman will have normal androgen levels and the cause of the unwanted hair growth will not be identified. | German-born Mariam, 49, has been letting beard grow since August 2008 .
Used to pluck her beard every single day with tweezers .
Now travels the world as part of bearded lady circus act and writing blog .
Has been single for 10 years but is finally hoping to find love in England .
Appeared on This Morning to tell story to Holly and Phil . |
129,115 | 32da1e84ef5045eee1fe12d26c6691d8490095c8 | Tottenham Hotspur are the dirtiest team in the Barclays Premier League, according to Opta data, with QPR the fairest. Opta measure discipline by attributing one point to each team for a foul, three for a yellow card and six for a red. The team with the most points are therefore the side with the worst disciplinary record. Spurs' Kyle Naughton (head in hands) is shown a red card on the opening day of the season at West Ham . QPR - seen here training on Monday - have the best disciplinary record in the Premier League . West Ham's Morgan Amalfitano flies in on Newcastle's Massadio Haidara on Saturday . Fouls = 1 point. Yellow card = 3 points. Red card = 6 points. As things stand, Spurs - who have had three players sent off this season - have the worst record and are closely followed by Crystal Palace and Manchester City in third. Liverpool in 17th are the fourth-fairest team while Everton and Southampton are the second and third-fairest teams. Despite their players picking up three red cards this season, Manchester United only have the eighth-worst disciplinary record. Tottenham's Erik Lamela is shown a yellow card in the 2-1 win over Everton on Sunday . Opta's stats also reveal the players who are responsible for the most disciplinary points at each club. Crystal Palace captain Mile Jedinak with 46 has more than any other player in the Premier League, while QPR's dirtiest player Leroy Fer has just 22 points. Perhaps surprisingly, Spurs winger Erik Lamela is their dirtiest player having accrued 32 points. Palace captain Mile Jedinak (centre) has the worst disciplinary record in the league . | Opta stats rank discipline of sides based on fouls, yellow and red cards .
Tottenham have worst record while QPR have the best .
Crystal Palace's Mile Jedinak has accrued the most points of any player . |
253,766 | d47597866412ffdd699b50220a4a3e718c6479c2 | Australian extremist Mohamed Elomar has used Sydney's deadly cafe siege as his latest excuse to exhort Muslims to create chaos in the city by beheading civilians 'ISIS style.' Elomar took to Twitter to gloat at the mayhem surrounding the siege, in which lone fanatic Man Haron Monis held 17 hostages at gunpoint in a central Sydney cafe before police stormed in. Two hostages and Monis were killed. 'How to create chaos in Sydney CBD? ISIS style just start beheading civilians and you will see how they would all scatter like rats,' a tweet posted on an account believed to be used by Elomar said. A Twitter account believed to be used by Australian extremist Mohamed Elomar has posted about creating chaos in the Sydney following the city's deadly siege . In a series of later tweets, he says any Australian Muslims should understand that Australia is responsible for killing Muslims in Iraq and Syria, and that 'anyone who has his passport stripped away by his government should start killing innocent civilians.' 'Target schools, shopping centre's, hotels, New years eve, anuthing just to put terror in the hears of the disbelievers,' he tweeted. In a series of tweets, Elomar accuses Australia of killing Muslims in Iraq and Syria . He exhorts anyone who has been stopped from leaving the country to kill innocent civilians . He lists a range of possible random targets, with a focus on creating terror . Elomar, 30, has been photographed with another Australian jihadist, Khaled Sharrouf, holding up the heads of dead soldiers in Syria. In earlier posts, Elomar couldn't contain his delight at the hostage crisis. Scroll down for video . Sydney's Mohamed Elomar took to Twitter to make fun of the Sydney siege . ''Mumbai Crisis' in the streets of Sydney. Maximum damage,' he tweeted. 'I think we got ourselves a real life hostage situation in Sydney lolololololololol.' Elomar's alleged Twitter account has a profile photo with the Islamic State flag and Arabic script on it. He follows on Twitter the likes of prominent international hate preachers Shaikh Faisal and Mizanur Rahman. The tweets that Elomar is claimed to have made on Twitter . The Daily Telegraph reported that Abu Hamza Almuhajir also mocked the Sydney siege situation. The former Street Dawah member, a close friend of Islamic State commander Mohammad Ali Baryalei, posted a series of messages online as well. 'The world must stand for the news of 13 Australian hostages but it would sleep for the news of over 130000 Muslims killed in Syria,' he posted on Twitter. Hostage taker Man Haron Monis was praised by jihadists for his actions on social media . Other Twitter posts he wrote were: 'Gaza is under siege, Homs and Damascus are under siege the CAFÉ in Sydney is Not. The Hash rage SydneySiege is a joke.' “I don’t know the brother in Sydney but I can tell U the msg he wants 2 send 'if U harm our people we will harm your people, leave us alone.' Formerly a Sydney native, Elomar was photographed holding up the heads of dead soldiers in Syria . 'There was no Muslim extremists committing crimes in Australia ever before Australia decided to go to Iraq and Syria.' Hizb ut-Tahrir Australia had also previously supported hostage taker Monis after he was convicted of sending hate letters to the families of dead soldiers. In a tweet former Street Dawah member, Abu Hamza Almuhajir, believed that what Monis (pictured) did showed the world 'if U harm our people we will harm your people, leave us alone' | Twitter account believed to be used by extremists has posted about the siege .
Poster laughed about the siege, in which two hostages died .
Later tweets exhorted people to carry out beheadings of innocent civilians .
Elomar was once pictured holding up the heads of dead soldiers in Syria .
Former Street Dawah member, Abu Hamza AlMuhajir, also mocked siege . |
93,475 | 0437c48216b6088a5f076026f5cb2d5d0c44aa18 | A prosthetic technology company has created a hand which is so advanced it can be controlled using a smartphone app. Touch Bionics’ i-limb ultra revolution prosthetic hand also features a rotating thumb, five individually powered fingers, a rotatable wrist and aluminium chassis. The company claims that this is the most dextrous prosthetic hand ever made. Scroll down for video . A prosthetic technology company called Touch Bionics has created a hand which is so advanced it can be controlled using a smartphone app, pictured . The hand can be controlled using an app but it can also pick up on muscle signals . The wearer of the hand can use an app to choose one of 24 different grips. Alternatively, the hand can be controlled by muscle signals. Electrodes in the wrist pick up electrical impulses created by contracting muscles and these are interpreted by a computer in the back of the hand. The computer then moves the hand into any of a series of pre-set patterns. It is also the first upper limb prosthesis to be created which can be controlled using an app. It comes with an iOS app that allows the user to control the hand’s grip using their smartphone. The app means that the wearer can choose from 24 different grips at the touch of a button. The app can also offers training on how to best use the device and can diagnose problems with it. However, it is not only controllable using an app – it also uses muscle signals to shift into a series of pre-set patterns. It achieves this by using electrodes in the wrist to pick up electrical impulses created by contracting muscles, which are interpreted by a computer in the back of the hand. Touch Bionics' i-limb ultra revolution prosthetic hand features a rotating thumb, five individually powered fingers, a rotatable wrist and aluminium chassis . The company claims that this is the most dextrous prosthetic hand ever made . Each of the fingers bends at the joints and can be adapted to fit around any shape of object that the owner wants to grasp. It can also be used for everything from typing to tying shoe laces. It comes in black or neutral, can automatically return to a natural position after a period of inactivity and is powered by a battery. The device is so technical that users have to undergo rigorous training to get the most out of it. It comes with an iOS app that allows the user to control the hand's grip using their smartphone . The app means that the wearer can choose from 24 different grips at the touch of a button . The Touch Bionics hand, pictured, grips and ties shoe laces. The Livingston-based firm said it has seen a surge in sales recently as the technology becomes more affordable and mainstream. The price of the hand varies depending on the size and requirements . Each of the fingers bends at the joints and can be adapted to fit around any shape of object that the owner wants to grasp . It comes in black or neutral, can automatically return to a natural position after a period of inactivity and is powered by a battery . | Touch Bionics has created the i-limb ultra revolution prosthetic hand .
Controlled by signals from nerves in the patients arm - and an app .
App allows user to choose between 24 different grips at touch of a button .
The hand also has a rotating thumb and five individually powered fingers . |
117,246 | 23678b1e7c7f24a031fd666bdd0780252055bb27 | (WIRED) -- A computer virus has infected the cockpits of America's Predator and Reaper drones, logging pilots' every keystroke as they remotely fly missions over Afghanistan and other warzones. The virus, first detected nearly two weeks ago by the military's Host-Based Security System, has not prevented pilots at Creech Air Force Base in Nevada from flying their missions overseas. Nor have there been any confirmed incidents of classified information being lost or sent to an outside source. But the virus has resisted multiple efforts to remove it from Creech's computers, network security specialists say. And the infection underscores the ongoing security risks in what has become the U.S. military's most important weapons system. "We keep wiping it off, and it keeps coming back," says a source familiar with the network infection, one of three that told Danger Room about the virus. "We think it's benign. But we just don't know." Military network security specialists aren't sure whether the virus and its so-called "keylogger" payload were introduced intentionally or by accident; it may be a common piece of malware that just happened to make its way into these sensitive networks. The specialists don't know exactly how far the virus has spread. But they're sure that the infection has hit both classified and unclassified machines at Creech. That raises the possibility, at least, that secret data may have been captured by the keylogger, and then transmitted over the public internet to someone outside the military chain of command. Drones have become America's tool of choice in both its conventional and shadow wars, allowing U.S. forces to attack targets and spy on its foes without risking American lives. Since President Obama assumed office, a fleet of approximately 30 CIA-directed drones have hit targets in Pakistan more than 230 times; all told, these drones have killed more than 2,000 suspected militants and civilians, according to the Washington Post. More than 150 additional Predator and Reaper drones, under U.S. Air Force control, watch over the fighting in Afghanistan and Iraq. American military drones struck 92 times in Libya between mid-April and late August. And late last month, an American drone killed top terrorist Anwar al-Awlaki -- part of an escalating unmanned air assault in the Horn of Africa and southern Arabian peninsula. But despite their widespread use, the drone systems are known to have security flaws. Many Reapers and Predators don't encrypt the video they transmit to American troops on the ground. In the summer of 2009, U.S. forces discovered "days and days and hours and hours" of the drone footage on the laptops of Iraqi insurgents. A $26 piece of software allowed the militants to capture the video. The lion's share of U.S. drone missions are flown by Air Force pilots stationed at Creech, a tiny outpost in the barren Nevada desert, 20 miles north of a state prison and adjacent to a one-story casino. In a nondescript building, down a largely unmarked hallway, is a series of rooms, each with a rack of servers and a "ground control station," or GCS. There, a drone pilot and a sensor operator sit in their flight suits in front of a series of screens. In the pilot's hand is the joystick, guiding the drone as it soars above Afghanistan, Iraq, or some other battlefield. Some of the GCSs are classified secret, and used for conventional warzone surveillance duty. The GCSs handling more exotic operations are top secret. None of the remote cockpits are supposed to be connected to the public internet. Which means they are supposed to be largely immune to viruses and other network security threats. But time and time again, the so-called "air gaps" between classified and public networks have been bridged, largely through the use of discs and removable drives. In late 2008, for example, the drives helped introduce the agent.btz worm to hundreds of thousands of Defense Department computers. The Pentagon is still disinfecting machines, three years later. Use of the drives is now severely restricted throughout the military. But the base at Creech was one of the exceptions, until the virus hit. Predator and Reaper crews use removable hard drives to load map updates and transport mission videos from one computer to another. The virus is believed to have spread through these removable drives. Drone units at other Air Force bases worldwide have now been ordered to stop their use. In the meantime, technicians at Creech are trying to get the virus off the GCS machines. It has not been easy. At first, they followed removal instructions posted on the website of the Kaspersky security firm. "But the virus kept coming back," a source familiar with the infection says. Eventually, the technicians had to use a software tool called BCWipe to completely erase the GCS' internal hard drives. "That meant rebuilding them from scratch" -- a time-consuming effort. The Air Force declined to comment directly on the virus. "We generally do not discuss specific vulnerabilities, threats, or responses to our computer networks, since that helps people looking to exploit or attack our systems to refine their approach," says Lt. Col. Tadd Sholtis, a spokesman for Air Combat Command, which oversees the drones and all other Air Force tactical aircraft. "We invest a lot in protecting and monitoring our systems to counter threats and ensure security, which includes a comprehensive response to viruses, worms, and other malware we discover." However, insiders say that senior officers at Creech are being briefed daily on the virus. "It's getting a lot of attention," the source says. "But no one's panicking. Yet." Subscribe to WIRED magazine for less than $1 an issue and get a FREE GIFT! Click here! Copyright 2011 Wired.com. | The virus has resisted multiple efforts to remove it from Creech's computers .
It may be a common piece of malware .
They're sure that the infection has hit both classified and unclassified machines . |
76,950 | da3a35c6d9c95d3b8990b677056a8a2ad37a5c13 | Fancy a different face but can't afford to go under the knife? Thailand's Tourism Authority has launched an Extreme Makeover contest, offering three lucky ladies a chance to win free facial surgery along with a shot at $5,000 and a luxury vacation. To enter, you'll have to submit photos showing your face from various angles, along with a health profile and written explanation of why you so badly covet a makeover. The judging committee, made up of medical experts and surgeons, will then pick the three winners. Finalists will be announced on May 7. Naturally there's a catch. You'll have to let all your insecurities play out online through videos and photos uploaded to the Extreme Makeover website while you're in Thailand for the surgery. You'll also be subjected to the scrutiny of public voters, who'll ultimately decide whether you deserve some cash to go with your new face. The contender with the highest number of votes gets the $5,000 and a luxury tour package. The two runners-up will also get their own luxury tour packages. According to the rules, the Extreme Makeover contest is open to non-Thai women between 25 and 45 years of age who are able to stay in Thailand for a month. If the official competition video is anything to go by, the contest is aimed at those looking to become the "ultimate beauty" thanks to this "life changing opportunity" that will make their "dreams into a reality." All you have to do is "click and remain forever young." The finalists agree to give the Thailand Extreme Makeover project the right to use their names, images, videos and/or audio before and after surgery for display, public relations via online and offline media and domestic and international marketing. Thailand already a medical tourism hotspot . Though the competition was launched to promote medical tourism in Thailand, the country is already considered an industry leader. "Malaysia, Thailand and South Korea are examples where government support has proved very successful at increasing business year on year, while places like India where governments have done little have seen numbers fall," says a new report by the International Medical Tourism Journal. Thailand has 30 healthcare organizations accredited by the U.S.-based Joint Commission International, considered a leading evaluator of global heath care quality and safety. For an international hospital to be accredited, it must meet the same set of standards as U.S. hospitals. Josef Woodman, CEO of U.S.-based medical travel consumer guide Patients Beyond Borders (PBB), tells CNN an estimated 920,000 to 1.2 million medical tourists came to Thailand in 2013, which represents around 10% of the worldwide patient flow for international medical travel. However, due to this year's political and social unrest, current flows are 40% off, along with the rest of tourism. "We expect that to bounce back as usual when things clear up," he adds. So just how much cheaper is it to get your face lift or hip replacement surgery in Thailand? Average savings for those visiting from the United States are in the 50-70% range, if you use U.S. costs across a variety of specialties and procedures as a benchmark, says Woodman. But sometimes that figure can reach 80-85% for the more expensive procedures such as heart and spine work, he adds. | Thailand Tourism Authority launches contest offering free facial surgery .
Contest only open to non-Thai women between 25 and 45 years of age .
An estimated 920,000 to 1.2 million medical tourists came to Thailand in 2013 . |
67,157 | be82817b7334084bc75aa27f1de9762e859844e2 | By . Zoe Szathmary . A small chihuahua was rescued off the California highway. California Highway Patrol in Contra Costa tweeted a photo on Friday of an officer trying to get the dog off a highway median. 'This little dog needed some help off I-680 freeway today,' the tweet read. 'We're glad he's safe. #CHP #Safe #Dog #DogTreats.' Scroll down for video . Scared: The pooch was reportedly frightened and taken to animal control . Come here! A CHP officer is seen trying to get the dog off of the median divider . A Saturday tweet by the Contra Costa patrol division said that the dog - which is actually a female - had been taken to Contra Costa County Animal Control in Martinez. CHP officer Alex Edmond told NBC Bay Area that he and his partner responded after police received two calls about the chihuahua. 'We attempted to coax it, we could tell it was very frightened, it was shaking - we were able to pet it a little bit, but other than that we could tell it was not happy,' Edmon told the station. Edmon told NBC Bay Area the dog did not respond to his offer of trail mix and was eventually taken by animal control. According to a CBS San Francisco report, she was eventually lured by a protein bar. The chihuahua, who has not been named, may already have found a new owner . Meanwhile, the chihuahua may have found a new owner. On Facebook, Contra Costa Animal Services wrote on Saturday that the dog was 'recovering [...] after her traumatic experience.' 'She may already have a home if her owner doesn't come for her!' the post said. The chihuahua also seemed to enjoy herself on Mother's Day, according to a Sunday Facebook announcement. She 'is starting to relax and come out of her shell,' it said. 'Today on Mother's day [sic], two of our wonderful kennel technicians spent their lunch socializing her and helping her overcome her fear.' | Chihuahua was rescued by California Highway Patrol on Friday .
Dog was taken to Contra Costa Animal Services and seems to be making recovery from 'traumatic experience' |
274,526 | ef9af3714548a246adb5f0cc42ac1a87681c11f1 | At 24 years old, Republican candidate Jordan Haskins is facing an uphill battle to win a seat in Michigan state House long held by Democrats, but his young age and party affiliation are the least of his problems. The baby-faced aspiring politician is currently on parole after serving prison time for a series of bizarre, sexually motivated break-ins he had committed in Saginaw - the same area he now seeks to represent in the state House. Haskins' criminal record includes trespassing on private and public property in four cases from April 2010 to January 2011, when he was sent to prison. As part of the break-ins, he damaged vehicles as a way to enable what he told police was a sexual fetish. What a difference: Jordan Haskins pictured left before he began serving a one-year term in Michigan's state prison in October 2011, and right this past April speaking against an LGBT nondiscrimination ordinance . His highly unusual proclivities had earned Haskins two misdemeanor charges of unlawful use of a motor vehicle and destruction of property after the Saginaw man broke into a state parking lot, pulled spark plugs and wires out of police cruises and pleasured himself while cranking the engine. Following his arrest in 2011, Haskins told investigators that he picked up the habit online. Asked by The Saginaw News what drove him to commit these offenses, the 24-year-old Republican replied: 'I was in a messed-up state of mind mentally and emotionally when I did what I did. That's the only way I can even explain it.' Haskins also reportedly enjoyed gratifying himself sexually inside stolen cop cars, trucks and once in a mosquito control car. But the fresh-faced political candidate who seeks to represent the 95th State District insisted that he has turned a new leaf and has gone past the dark phase in his life when he was 'young and stupid.' Conservative ex-con: Haskins, 25, is running as the sole Republican for 95th District House seat three years after landing behind bars for breaking into and masturbating inside city police cars and trucks . ‘I feel that, yes, I’ve made mistakes in my past. But I’m working to correct those things and to try at least to put in my small part and help others in my community and try to make things right,’ said Haskins. On his Facebook page, Haskins described himself as a 'pro-life, pro-family and freedom loving American.' Jordan Haskins' criminal history dates back to the time when he was arrested for a break-in at age 15 in North Carolina. He spent the next six years going in and out of correctional facilities for trespassing and larceny. Looking back on his desolate youth, Haskins said he was a lonely, angry and bored kid in search of an adrenalin rush who belonged on the 'world's dumbest criminals' list. After moving to Michigan in 2009, Haskins continued his petty-crime spree, which earned him a slew of misdemeanor charges for breaking into state vehicles, pulling out spark plug wires and masturbating to the sound of the running motor. In 2010, Haskins was sent to jail for 55 days and one-year probation, but ran afoul of the law just a few months after his release for joyriding and masturbating in police cruises and a city-owned pickup trucks. In September 2011, Haskins pleaded no contest to multiple counts of breaking and entering, unlawful driving and malicious destruction of property, and was sentenced to one year and eight months in prison. Comeback kid: Haskins, pictured here in March putting up signs endorsing Bill Schuette for Attorney General, said he turned a new leaf while serving a year in prison and wants voters to give him a chance . In retrospect, the aspiring state house representative has blamed his transgressions on his troubled family situation, having being raised without a father by his mother and grandmother. Haskins said doing time in prison was his ultimate wake-up call – and also a call to action. ‘I've realized that my gift that I have is in government and politics,’ he said. ‘I've found my niche, my passion.’ Haskins' parole will run out October 23 - just 11 days before Election Day. He hopes that voters will recognize that he has been working hard to correct his mistakes and give him a second chance by electing him into office. The 24-year-old insisted that his life story is representative of real 'true red-blooded American conservatism' - not the watered down version where GOP candidates emerge as ‘whitewashed,' perfect people. Haskins went on to describe his core values as his 'stool of conservatism' that stands on faith, family and freedom. As someone intimately familiar with the criminal justice system, the 24-year-old said if elected, he plans to propose laws that would help former inmates find employment after release. The Democrat who currently holds the 95th District House seat that Haskins is seeking is running for state Senate. Haskins, the sole Republican in the race, will face the Democrat who wins a primary in August. | Jordan Haskins, of Saginaw, Michigan, was sentenced to a year in prison in 2011 for taking city vehicles on sex-fueled joyrides .
Haskins told police he enjoyed masturbating to the sound of humming engine after pulling out spark plug wires from vehicles .
The GOP candidate's parole ends 11 days before Election Day November 4 .
Haskins is the sole Republican vying for 95th District House seat currently held by a Democrat . |
258,105 | da0d9b18a44beb955697a28bfaf890d1b2ad0035 | By . Harriet Hernando . Tiya Chuahan died aged 22 months after chocking on a jelly cube at Dicky Birds nursery in Wimbledon, south London . Nursery staff failed to properly supervise a toddler who choked to death on a jelly cube, an inquest heard. Tiya Chauhan, aged 22 months, fell unconscious during a ‘free flow’ play session at the Dicky Birds nursery in Wimbledon, south London. Staff did not spot Tiya had collapsed until it was ‘too late’, Westminster Coroner’s Court was told. Matthew . Hill, a senior officer at Ofsted, told the inquest the failure of staff . to properly supervise play was largely responsible for Tiya’s death. ‘A child is likely to want to put it [a jelly cube] in its mouth’, he said. Mr Hill said he did not think it was possible to supervise the children properly from the next room. He . said: ‘I always felt that our position, from the evidence that we had . available, was that supervision from that room next door was not . sufficient.’ Pressed . by the coroner Dr Fiona Wilcox on whether the nursery had failed to . fulfil its statutory obligation, Mr Hill replied: ‘Yes’. ‘That could be the case here, simply because Tiya managed to put something in her mouth. ‘I . think that the conclusion that Ofsted came to is that something . happened, there was clearly a set of circumstances at that time that . lead to staff members not being engaged and directly supervising those . children. ‘There certainly did not seem to be an awareness between these staff on what was due between them, in terms of their eyes being turned away from whatever was going on. ‘In Ofsted’s view there was a failure of supervision at that time and then decisions were made in terms of the ongoing registration, on that basis.’ Asked if this failure to properly supervise the children led to Tiya’s death, Mr Hill replied, ‘It certainly was a large factor in it... there was nobody there to respond to Tiya before - really - it was too late. ‘Nobody was suggesting to us that individual staff members were particularly at fault’, he added. The toddler's father, Chetan Chauhan, wept as he gave evidence during a previous hearing at the Royal Courts of Justice in London, which he is pictured leaving . The tragedy occurred at the nursery at around 9.40am on August 23, 2012, when the jelly was being used in a sensory game. London Ambulance crew removed a piece of ‘jelly-like substance’ from Tiya’s airway, the inquest was told. Tiya, who was 22-months-old, was taken by ambulance to St George’s Hospital but died later the same day. Dicky Birds Nurseries is a family-owned business with other nurseries in Wimbledon, Raynes Park, New Malden and Surbiton. The cause of death was asphyxiation caused by a foreign body. The inquest continues. Sorry we are not currently accepting comments on this article. | Tiya Chauhan collapsed at Dicky Birds nursery in Wimbledon, south London .
The 22-month-old had choked on a jelly cube during a play session .
By the time staff noticed, it was already 'too late' |
240,359 | c32ade01809cfb532feadfc834ef0ba579bdd710 | Infowars founder Alex Jones has been ridiculed live on British television by host who called him an 'idiot' and 'the worst person [he'd] ever interviewed.' Jones was on BBC One’s Sunday Politics with The Times columnist David Aaronovitch to discuss the secretive Bilderberg Conference, which has been taking place over the past week in England. The controversial radio host began outlining some of his more outlandish theories of governments plotting to 'disappear people' when he was abruptly cut off. Scroll down for video . Confrontation: U.S. radio host Alex Jones (right) was on BBC One’s Sunday Politics with Andrew Neil (left) to discuss the secretive Bilderberg Conference, which has been taking place over the past week near Watford . As Neil, 64, and Aaronovitch discussed the oft-maligned meeting of the world's most influential and elite power players, Jones, 39, ranted loudly about his conspiracy theories until Neil cut him off by ending the segment. But not before Neil shared his own feelings. 'You are the worst person I've ever interviewed. David, thank you for being with us. It's gone half past 11. You're watching the Sunday Politics,' he said. The presenter then added, ‘We have an idiot on the program today' and circled his ear indicating that Jones is crazy. In the moments leading up to Neil's abrupt send-off, Jones shouted his conspiratorial rallying cry as the bemused Aaronovitch sat by the wayside. ‘Hey listen, I'm here to warn people, you keep telling me to shut up,' said Jones, between shouts directing people to his website 'Infowars.com.' Astonished: Veteran broadcaster Andrew Neil labelled Mr Jones as 'the worst person I've ever interviewed' BBC show: Andrew Neil (left) was joined by Alex Jones (centre right) and David Aaronovitch (far right) 'This isn't a game,' shouted the Texan. 'Our government, the US, is building FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency) camps. ‘We have an NDAA (National Defense . Authorization Act) where they disappear people now. You have this arrest . for public safety, life in prison. It's basically off with their heads, . disappear them. ‘Take them away. Infowars.com! Liberty is rising. Liberty is rising. Freedom will not stop. You will not stop freedom. You will not stop the republic. Humanity is awakening. Infowars.com. ‘No, you guys are crazy, thinking that . the public's too stupid. You're crazy, thinking the public doesn't know. You're crazy, thinking the public isn't waking up.’ 'You are the worst person I've ever interviewed. We have an idiot on the program today' Andrew Neil . Mr Jones also told the program that the creation of the Euro was a 'Nazi German plan' and said Bilderberg, also a Nazi concoction, is 'heavily involved in the EU plan'. He added: ‘We have forced them from cover to admit they’re puppeteers above the major parties.' Neil later tweeted, 'The moment Alex Jones knew he was no longer on air he stopped.' Meanwhile, a headline at Infowars.com now reads 'Alex Jones Storms BBC, Confronts Bilderberg Member.' The Bilderberg Conference is an international group of politicians, business leaders and academics who meet behind closed doors - this year at a luxury country hotel near Watford, Hertfordshire. Piers Morgan has felt the roar of Alex Jones on live television. Morgan, 48, brought the radio talk show host onto his CNN show in January to explain why he thought the journalist should be banned from the U.S. for his views on gun control. The topic had been the focus of Morgan's prime-time shows for a period following the December 14 massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut. Jones, however, spent nearly all of the time screaming at Morgan at the top of his lungs, calling him a 'redcoat foreigner' and threatening revolution if anyone tried to 'take our guns.' Morgan later wrote about the confrontation in the Mail On Sunday, saying Mr Jones was 'ranting and raving like a gorilla at the zoo who’s just seen the morning bucket of bananas arrive'. It's happened before: Broadcaster Piers Morgan was shouted at by Alex Jones in a CNN interview in January . | The radio host appeared on BBC One's Sunday Politics to discuss the secretive Bilderberg conference, which plays host to the world's elite power players .
Jones, 39, launched into rant about U.S. government 'disappearing people' and insisted 'humanity is awakening' while shouting the name of his website .
Neil, 64, said Jones was 'the worst person I've ever interviewed' |
139,141 | 3fedce30b867a88df03c778492e9bc50154c62b3 | By . Sarah Griffiths . PUBLISHED: . 06:32 EST, 20 August 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 09:48 EST, 20 August 2013 . The extraordinary moment a meteor exploded in the Earth's upper atmosphere has been accidentally captured by a U.S. photographer and designer. Michael K. Chung was photographing the 2013 Perseids Meteor Shower last week when he managed to record the rarely-seen event of a meteor breaking apart in the Earth's atmosphere. Initially the designer thought he had photographed a meteor explosion and the debris scattering during his time lapse sequence, but in fact he captured the rocky body being 'torn apart' in the upper atmosphere. 2013 Perseids Meteor Shower: Meteor Explosion from Michael Chung on Vimeo. Astronomer Daniel Fischer told Universe Today that Mr Chung captured: 'a persistent train after a Perseids fireball, being torn apart by upper atmosphere wind shear.' The meteor therefore did explode but did not leave debris behind. Instead it left an expanding ring of glowing hot gas called a 'persistent train'. The charged gas has been heated by compression caused by the meteor and sheds electrons, similar to how a neon sign works, according to Mr Chung. Meteors explode in this way relatively often but the events are not regularly documented. Michael K. Chung was photographing the 2013 Perseids Meteor Shower last week from his garden in California when he managed to record the unusual event of a meteor breaking apart in the Earth's atmosphere (pictured) He said the event probably lasted about 20 minutes as he was taking 20 second exposures every 22 seconds. Mr . Chung filmed the explosion using his Canon 7D 18 megapixel digital . single-lens reflex camera and zoomed in on the action to film the . explosion at 24 frames per second and 12 frames per second. He said he couldn't believe what he saw when processing the images of the Perseid meteor shower. Mr Chung said he took the video early in the morning on 12 August from his garden in Victorville, California. He said: 'The fade to white is not an edit - it is overexposure due to the sun . coming up. From what I can tell, the timelapse sequence of the explosion . and expanding debris span an actual time of approximately 20 minutes.' One astronomy expert who looked at the video confirmed it is legitimate. David Dickinson said: 'What cinches it for me is that the meteor was moving in the right direction for a Perseid...I see Perseus rising to the right, the plane of the Milky Way and Andromeda just above centre' The astronomer said he has witnessed several meteors that leave smoke trains in their wake, which he examines with binoculars. | Michael K. Chung was photographing the 2013 Perseids Meteor Shower last week from his garden in Victorville, California .
The U.S. photographer discovered he had captured what he thought was a meteor explosion and debris scattering when he processed his pictures .
An astronomer believes Mr Chung recorded 'a persistent train after a Perseids fireball, being torn apart by upper atmosphere wind shear' |
155,540 | 550bd5904c1e3381d8fb95d0e7de3c2f469f6671 | By . Sam Webb . PUBLISHED: . 04:16 EST, 28 August 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 05:34 EST, 28 August 2013 . The mother of a TV star who repeatedly punched a man in the face in an argument over his 27-year-old girlfriend has defended her son's actions, saying 'he's not a thug'. MasterChef presenter Greg Wallace hit magazine publisher Paul Bates after he allegedly groped his girlfriend Anne-Marie Sterpini. Now his mother Mary Pettman, 68, has said she is glad her son 'defended' Miss Sterpini and described him as a 'very caring man'. Gregg Wallace fought Paul Bates believing he had touched the MasterChef judge's girlfriend Anne-Marie Sterpini (pictured). His mother has defended his actions . Mrs Pettman, of Whitstable Kent, said reports about the fight 'made her son look like a thug, which he isn’t'. 'I’m sorry that it has given a lot of jealous and judgmental people a reason to pillory him,' she tweeted. Wallace said he 'did what any bloke would do' after punching a diner 'at least five times' at an event at the four-star Wood Norton Hotel near Evesham, Worcestershire. Attack: Diners grab MasterChef presenter Gregg Wallace as he grapples with Paul Bates (right). Mr Bates, is a father of two whose company Raw Media publishes Cotswold Style magazine . He started a drunken brawl with Paul Bates, a magazine publisher who the TV star claims also made 'inappropriate comments' to Anne-Marie Sterpini. Wallace is said to have rained blows on the 55-year-old as they grappled on the floor in front of shocked guests at the £75-a-head event on Saturday evening. But Mr Bates, who had taken his daughter to the the five-course dinner at a luxury Worcestershire hotel, accused the greengrocer of ‘turning on him out of the blue’. The fight happened at an event at the four-star Wood Norton Hotel near Evesham, Worcestershire . Mrs Pettman cast doubt on the man's version of events, adding: 'Are we meant to believe that a totally blameless man was attacked for no reason, but refuses to involve the police? Something whiffs here.' Miss Sterpini also defended the TV star, telling The Mirror: 'Gregg saw that I was close to tears and asked me what had happened. 'I told him and he reacted by shouting at the man and which then led to the fight. He was protecting me.' Wallace faces a grilling by ‘very senior’ BBC staff after his recent, leaving his future on the popular cooking show, where he earns an estimated £250,000 a year, in doubt. Last week it was reported that the hotel chain that hosted the event, a five hour feast called 'Dinner with Gregg Wallace' has dropped his restaurant from another of its luxury hotels. The MasterChef judge will close Gregg’s Bar and Grill, in London’s Bermondsey Square Hotel, following a series of scathing reviews by critics who branded it a 'travesty' and a 'joke'. | MasterChef judge's mother insists her son is not a thug .
Wallace fought Paul Bates during five-course champagne reception .
Brawl at the four-star Wood Norton Hotel near Evesham, Worcestershire .
Mr Bates accused of touching Wallace's girlfriend Anne-Marie Sterpini, 27 . |
93,204 | 03e5aa46a5ecf7d65333a21932096bc1299fdedb | Islamabad, Pakistan (CNN) -- Pakistan's Foreign Ministry summoned the U.S. ambassador Friday to protest a drone strike as the death toll from that attack rose to 44, Pakistani intelligence officials said. The attack also unleashed tribal fury, with regional elders vowing revenge on the United States for the strike. Foreign Secretary Salman Bashir summoned Ambassador Cameron Munter to make a "strong protest" regarding the Thursday drone strike in Pakistan's remote tribal area, the Foreign Ministry said in a statement. Pakistan's prime minister and a military leader have already made harsh statements about the attack. Two Pakistani intelligence officials said Friday the death toll had risen to 44, and that the majority of the dead were civilians. Munter was told that such strikes are not only unacceptable but constitute "a flagrant violation of humanitarian norms and law," the ministry said. "Pakistan should not be taken for granted nor treated as a client state," the ministry said. Munter was also told that, under the current circumstances, Pakistan will not be able to participate in the upcoming trilateral meeting between Afghanistan, Pakistan, and the United States, scheduled for March 26. Two intelligence officials said the drone fired two missiles on a jirga meeting in North Waziristan, one of the seven districts of Pakistan's volatile tribal region bordering Afghanistan. Tribal elders from the region where the drone strike happened vowed to take revenge on America, saying they will unleash their family members as suicide bombers because of the drone strike. "Americans don't spare us -- not our children, nor our elders, nor our younger," Malik Jalal Wazir, a tribal elder from North Waziristan, said in news conference. "That is why we have decided we will take blood revenge however we can." A statement from the elders titled "Announcement of Jihad against America" said, "We have given permission to our loved ones to do suicide attacks against Americans. And we will take revenge so that Americans will remember it for centuries." They added that the victims were civilians. "None of the killed were linked to al Qaeda," they said. The drone strike follows the controversial release of CIA contractor Raymond Davis, a U.S. agent acquitted of the double murder of two Pakistani men in Lahore after a total of $2.3 million was paid to the relatives of his victims. That incident had already fueled talks of protests in Pakistan. Based on a CNN count, Thursday's suspected drone strike was the 18th of the year, compared with 111 in all of 2010. U.S. officials rarely acknowledge publicly the CIA's secret drone program in Pakistan. | Pakistan summons the U.S. ambassador to register "strong protest"
The death toll rises to 44, two Pakistani intelligence officials say .
Tribal elders vow to take revenge on America for the strike .
Thursday's suspected drone strike is the 18th so far this year . |
211,083 | 9d5b6214ea62f43855bafc04937f2f9dfcc31cbf | By . Margot Peppers . It's only been two months since Rory McIlroy broke off his engagement to Caroline Wozniacki, but it looks like the tennis pro is quickly getting over it. The 24-year-old Danish beauty, who was planning to walk down the aisle with the Northern Irish golfer in November, will instead be running the New York City Marathon on November 2. This morning, she tweeted a picture of herself trying on a bright pink pair of running shoes. 'It's on! No turning back now!!' she captioned it. 'Getting ready to run @nycmarathon. Thanks for the prep @adidasrunning #boostnyc'. Scroll down for video . Change of plans! Caroline Wozniacki, who was planning to walk down the aisle with golfer Rory McIlroy in November, has revealed she will instead be running the New York City Marathon on November 2 . The annual race courses through all five boroughs of the city, and Caroline will run as an ambassador for Team for Kids along with the reigning Boston Marathon champion Meb Keflezighi. 'When I cross the finish line in Central Park, it will be one of the most rewarding days of my life,' the athlete, who is currently ranked 13th in the world in women's tennis, said in a statement. 'Not only because of the personal accomplishment, but also because it will help thousands of kids to get healthy and fit through sports.' In another sign that she has been getting over her ex, the tennis star was pictured walking into the CBS studios in New York today wearing towering bright blue high heel stilettos. Power walk: In another sign that she has been getting over her ex, the tennis star was pictured at the CBS studios in New York today wearing towering bright blue high heel stilettos . She paired the eye-catching shoes with a matching purse and a turquoise patterned dress that showed off her athletic physique. The 5ft 10in blonde was famously taller than her 5ft 8in golfer beau, which made heels problematic. She seemed to take a swipe at Rory in a similar way earlier this month when she posted a picture of herself shopping with a friend in Istanbul wearing a pair of heels. Back to high heels! The 5ft 10in blonde was famously taller than her 5ft 8in golfer beau (pictured together in 20120), which used to make wearing heels problematic . She captioned the photo: 'It's been three . years since I have worn high heels on a normal day out. #feelsgood . #looksgood #shopping #highheels #sun.' 'That's a great way to say that Rory was a short man,' commented one of her followers. 'You're doing fine. Live it up!' said another. Caroline and Rory, 25, dated from 2011 until 2014. The couple got engaged on New Year's Eve 2013 in Sydney, but on May 21 it was announced that he had called off the engagement - just days after they sent out invitations. Top athlete: The Danish tennis star, 24, (pictured on June 27) is ranked 13 in the world in women's tennis . 'The problem is mine,' he said at the time. 'The wedding invitations issued at the weekend made me realise that I wasn't ready for all that marriage entails. 'I wish Caroline all the happiness she deserves and thank her for the great times we've had,' he added. Just eight weeks later, the golfer was spotted with a new rumored love interest, 23-year-old receptionist Sasha Gale. He has also been linked to Irish lingerie model Nadia Forde, 25. | In another sign that she is over her 5ft 8in ex, the Danish tennis star, who is 5ft 10in, was seen wearing bright blue stiletto heels today in New York . |
227,010 | b1f3b560ffa3c61170f5b2e3fd524eebf7caee7e | By . Alex Gore . A drug addict lesbian couple left a retired bus conductor to slowly die after torturing him for his PIN number, a court heard. Kelly Louise Barnes, 32, and Jodie Barnes, formerly Ramsbottom, 31, are accused of targeting Barry Reeve, 67, at his home in Norwich, believing he had a secret stash of money. They beat him and cut him with a knife before leaving him dying and prosecutors allege they turned the volume on Mr Reeve’s television up in an attempt to mask his screams. In the dock: Kelly Barnes, left, and Jodie Barnes, right, are accused of targeting Barry Reeve, 67, at his home in Norwich, believing he had a secret stash of money . Tortured: A court heard Barry Reeve, 67, was beaten, cut and left to slowly die at his house in Norwich . Mr Reeve, known as Titch because of his small stature, is thought to have remained alive until at least the following morning. The attackers returned to his terraced house in the city’s Corton Road later that evening and striped it of anything of value, including food from the freezer. Prosecutor Karim Khalil QC told the jury Mr Reeve’s body was discovered two weeks after the attack on February 9 last year when his daughter called at the blood-spattered property. Describing the alleged attack, Mr Khalil said: 'He was brutally beaten, cut with a sharp blade and left to die in his home, unable to summon help. 'It is a sad fact that he was not found until two weeks later when his daughter, Julie Reeve, called round. Targeted at home: Corton Road in Norwich where retired bus conductor Mr Reeve, known as Titch, lived . Accused: It is alleged that Kelly Barnes, right, and Jodie Barnes, left, beat Mr Reeve and cut him with a knife before leaving him dying . 'She found the back door unlocked, opened it and saw blood on the inner door. She could not bear to go in any further and called on a neighbour. 'Together they went back, called for him but got no answer and decided to call the emergency services.' Kelly Louise Barnes and Jodie Barnes, both of Bixley Close, Norwich, who were in a civil partnership together, deny murder. A post-mortem examination showed that Mr Reeve was alive for between 15 and 48 hours after suffering brain injuries. Mr Khalil said the couple had injured him in 'varied and awful ways’. He said: 'His injuries reveal that whilst he was still alive he was beaten savagely and that he was scored with a sharp blade to his face and torso in a manner akin to torture. He must have suffered dreadfully. On trial: Kelly Louise Barnes and Jodie Barnes have denied murdering Mr Reeve at Norwich Crown Court . 'Both of these defendants went to his home uninvited. He was alive when they arrived and was left dying when they departed. 'They were so callous that they later returned to his home in a taxi and cleared out what items they wanted, including foodstuffs from his freezer.’ Mr Reeve lived off a pension and benefits but was heard talking about having large sums of money, once claiming that he carried around £2,000 in cash, the court heard. The trial is expected to last up to three weeks. Sorry we are not currently accepting comments on this article. | Jury hears Jodie and Kelly Louise Barnes beat Barry Reeve at his home .
They returned later to take anything of value, including frozen food .
Court hears Mr Reeve, 67, may have remained alive until the next day .
His body was not discovered until his daughter arrived two weeks later . |
18,518 | 34600a70c583d1a04ed08907f88d3733d6948ccf | Washington (CNN) -- The House of Representatives passed legislation Thursday that would bar federal funding for National Public Radio -- a longtime target of conservatives irritated by what they consider the outlet's liberal bias. The bill passed 228-192 in a sharply partisan vote. Most Republicans backed the measure while every Democrat opposed it. While the measure was expected to pass the GOP-controlled House, it is believed to have little chance of clearing the Democratic-controlled Senate. The move to strip funding comes after a conservative activist secretly taped a NPR fundraising executive criticizing Tea Party supporters and saying public radio would be better off without federal money. On Tuesday, the House voted to cut $50 million from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, which helps support NPR. That measure was part of a larger bill to keep the government running for the next three weeks. The House moved last month to eliminate all federal funding for the CPB as part of its bill to fund the government for the rest of the fiscal year. That bill, however, failed to pass the Senate. Among other things, the measure which passed the House Thursday would bar any of NPR's affiliate radio stations across the country from using any federal funds to purchase programming from NPR. Forty percent of NPR's funding comes from member station fees, according to the outlet. Roughly 2% comes from federal grants. "We have to deal with the fiscal reality of this country," said Rep. Jason Chaffetz, R-Utah. America has to figure out "how to do more with less. ... We can't afford to be all things to all people." Public radio "has been wildly successful," Chaffetz argued. The outlet's total number of listeners is rising, so "it should be moving toward a model where (it) can sustain" itself rather than relying on taxpayers. NPR's listeners are largely "wealthy" and "well educated," claimed Rep. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tennessee. "It is time for us to remove the federal support system ... and see what NPR can do on (its) own." "With the national debt over $13 trillion, the government simply can't afford to fund non-essential services," said Rep. Doug Lamborn, R-Colorado. "NPR can survive on its own." We need to "remove the taxpayer from the equation." According to NPR's website, the outlet currently provides content to 900 independent stations, reaching 27.2 million listeners every week. Democrats argued that NPR serves a vital public function. Stripping it of public funds will do little to reduce the federal deficit while cutting popular programming in small towns and rural areas across the country, they claimed. "This bill would wipe (programs like) 'Car Talk' off the road. It would wipe 'Lake Wobegon' right off the map," said Rep. Ed Markey, D-Massachusetts. "GOP used to stand for Grand Old Party. Now it stands for Gut Our Programs." Markey argued that many local public stations would not be able to attract a sufficient audience and fundraising base to survive keep without easy access to NPR's signature programs, such as "All Things Considered." This bill "will snuff out stations from coast to coast," he predicted. "This makes no sense." The GOP has launched an "ideological crusade against balanced news," claimed Rep. Lloyd Doggett, D-Texas. Rep. Earl Blumenauer, D-Oregon, circulated a letter to House members earlier in the week citing press reports that he said demonstrated that James O'Keefe -- the conservative activist who set up the taping -- "deceptively edited" the video to target NPR. "Biased? No. Unbiased," said Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, D-Texas. "NPR speaks the truth. ... It provides a fair and balanced presentation." CNN's Alan Silverleib and Deirdre Walsh contributed to this report . | NEW: The House votes to bar federal funding for National Public Radio .
NPR's website says the broadcaster provides content to 900 independent stations .
The House voted earlier to cut $50 million from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, which supports NPR .
Past efforts to refund the CPB and NPR have failed . |
230,691 | b6bce02b356177daa8ac3e11c4ca539b4196d91d | By . Ulla Kloster . PUBLISHED: . 15:10 EST, 2 August 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 17:47 EST, 2 August 2013 . Red-faced workers watched in horror today as a lorry carrying tonnes of scaffolding fell off the side of a marina - and landed on top of a boat. Staff at the scene blamed a ‘mechanical failure’ for the mishap, which saw the lorry roll backwards over the edge of the marina. Luckily, it was saved from plunging into the water by a small tug boat a few feet below. 'Mechanical failure' is blamed for the mishap, which saw the lorry roll backwards over the edge of the Bourne End Marina in Slough, Buckinghamshire . The lorry, carrying tonnes of scaffolding, tonight remained hanging over the edge of the Bourne End Marina until a crane could recover it fully . The lorry tonight remained hanging over the edge of Bourne End Marina, on the River Thames, in Slough, Buckinghamshire, until a crane could recover it. A marina spokesman said he called out when he saw the vehicle start to roll at around 3pm, but it was too late. He said: 'I have never seen anything like this in my whole time here. A marina spokesman said he called out when he saw the vehicle start to roll at around 3pm, but it was too late . 'Someone could have been in the boat,' a spokesman said. The boat is pictured here crunched and partly submerged with the lorry resting on top . 'Someone could have been in the boat or someone could have been stood there not taking notice.' He added that the tug, which was owned by the marina, was ‘probably a write off’. The scaffolding lorry was being used for work on a railway bridge. Horrifying: witnesses looked on in horror as the lorry, with tonnes of scaffolding, rolled over the edge of the marina and narrowly escaped plunging into the water as it landed on a boat . | Staff at the scene blamed a ‘mechanical failure’ for the mishap .
The tug, which was owned by the marina, was ‘probably a write off’
Marina spokesman: 'I've never seen anything like this in my time here' |
137,281 | 3d8e62a3f428933ebfac4adcbb64620df6496107 | Tireless philanthropist and Manhattan socialite, Brooke Astor, will be sharing her wealth from beyond the grave on September 24 as 900 personal items from her estate will be put up for auction at Sotheby's. The charitable millionaire, who died in 2007 at age 105, was a fixture in New York's high society, and her jewels became as well known as the socialite herself. Her . favourite emerald and diamond Bulgari necklace, estimated at . $350,000, is up for grabs along with dozens of dog paintings and porcelain tea sets, cumulatively worth up to $9.7million. Old favourites: Brooke Astor's most precious personal items will go up for sale, including her favourite dazzling diamond and emerald necklace from Bulgari, which is estimated at . $350,000 . Presidential necklace: Brooke Astor wearing her Bulgari necklace (left) with President LB Johnson and Lady Bird Johnson . The auction catalogue features a photograph of Mrs Astor . wearing the necklace while standing next to President Lyndon B. Johnson . at a Plaza Hotel dinner dance - and it is a piece she has worn on handfuls of outings. From a small leather jewellery case starting at just $80, to a Tiepolo drawing for $400,000, a vast array of other personal items from Mrs Astor's Park Avenue apartment, and her Westchester mansion, Holly Hill, both currently under administration of New York State, will be up for grabs. Philip Marshall, Mrs Astor’s . grandson, told Bloomberg Business Week: 'There are so many small objects that . are hopefully affordable for people. They were just as important to her . as her expensive paintings.' And . as Mrs Astor wished, the proceeds will go to her favorite charities, . like the New York Public Library, the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the . Animal Medical Center. Barking mad: The staircase at Brooke Astor's Westchester estate, Holly Hill, is lined with the paintings of the late socialite's favourite animal that will go up for auction in September . Priceless: William Nedham's A Toy Spaniel and a Springer Spaniel in a Landscape is just one of the many paintings of dogs owned by the late Mrs Astor . Animal auction: Among the highlights are Mrs Astor's dog paintings, many of which hung salon-style along the spiral stairwell in Holly Hill . Although the state, as . administrator, has the authority to sell assets of the estate, some have . said that donating proceeds to Mrs Astor's preferred beneficiaries is . not quite as simple as they would hope. Mr Marshall told the Wall Street Journal in December: . 'This complex estate remains in surrogate's court in Westchester. And it . is much more complicated than initially presumed... that . monies realized from the sale would go to charity.' One person who won't be seeing any of auction's money will be his father, Anthony Marshall, who was found guilty . in 2009 of fraud and grand larceny, taking advantage of his mother's dementia in order to steal . millions of dollars from her. While . all of Mrs Astor's furniture had originally been left to Anthony, after . his conviction he reached a settlement with the state attorney general . stipulating that all furniture be returned to her estate, leaving him . with just $14million. Charlene, . his wife, whom Mrs Astor had a particular distaste for, was left one . necklace and two fur coats that were too small for her. Ladylike touches: In 1953, Mrs Astor (pictured in 1991 going to a construction site for housing and homeless) married her third husband, Vincent Astor, the oldest son of millionaire John Jacob Astor IV . High society jewels: A fixture in New York's society, Ms Astor's jewels became as well known as the socialite herself, many of which will be auctioned off at Sotheby's . Precious gems: Admiring collectors have an eye on her beloved animal figurines and numerous teapots . Antique chic: Mrs Astor's ornaments and decorative accents like these Chinese lamps and George III mirror date back hundreds of years and were purchased in different parts of the world . High tea: Mrs Astor's teapots and romantic furniture pieces will also go up for auction on September 24 . Admiring collectors have a keen eye on her beloved paintings of dogs, many of which hung salon-style along the spiral stairwell in Holly Hill, and her antique Chinese lacquer furniture dating back to the Qing dynasty. In . 1953, Mrs Astor married her third husband, Vincent Astor, the oldest . son of millionaire John Jacob Astor IV, who died on the Titanic in 1912. As a child, she lived with her parents in China, where Asian art influenced her tastes dramatically. The . Sotheby’s sale will include a Qianlong-period gilt bronze lion clock . stand, estimated at $220,000 and a pair of 18th-century famille-rose . porcelain vases, valued at $120,000. In . December Sotheby's confirmed that Aaron Shikler's 1983 painting Mrs . Vincent Astor, Seated, would also be in included in the sale. Charity clause: As Mrs Astor wished, the proceeds from her estate will go to her favorite charities, like the New York Public Library, the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Animal Medical Center . Stately home: The auction in September is to be held by Sotheby's at the Astor mansion in Westchester known as Holly Hill . Empire state of mind: Mrs Astor's New York apartment will provide the backdrop for one day of the sale . | Over 900 personal items of the late Mrs Astor will be sold by Sotheby's in New York next week on September 24 .
The collection is estimated to fetch up to $9.7 million, with lots starting at as little as $80 . |
138,893 | 3fa045bd49b15c6df15a29c2b9c2ef7bbbf3239d | The number of immigrants coming into Britain has fallen to its lowest level in more than a decade. Half a million from abroad came to live here in the 12 months to the end of last September, the smallest number since 2001. The drop was a result of fewer immigrants coming to study at language or further education schools – although those going to universities went up by 5 per cent – fewer people coming to join their families, and a fall in migrants from New Commonwealth countries such as Pakistan. The Coalition is pledged to reduce net migration, the number by which the population goes up after immigration and emigration are counted, to below 100,000 a year. Drop: Net migration is now at its lowest level for a decade, figures from the Office for National Statistics showed . Yesterday’s figures from the Office . for National Statistics put net migration at 153,000 over the 12 months, . compared to 242,000 in the previous 12 months. It is the lowest net . migration figure since 2003. The 500,000 immigrants in the 12 months to September 2012 compares to 581,000 in the previous period. Immigration Minister Mark Harper said: ‘Net migration is now at its lowest level for a decade showing we are continuing to bring immigration back under control. ‘Today's statistics show another significant fall in net migration - down by more than a third since June 2010. This has been driven in the most recent period by a decline in the number of people coming to the UK.’ More up to date figures showed that applications for further education colleges and English language schools were down by almost half in the year to March 2013. Applications to universities were up five per cent. Immigration minister Mark Harper said tougher action on bogus colleges had seen the number of students coming to Britain fall dramatically . Mr Harper added: ‘The figures show we . have cut out abuse while encouraging the brightest and best migrants who . contribute to economic growth, with a fiver per cent increase in the . number of sponsored student visa applications for our world-class . universities, and a fiver per cent increase in the number of visas . issued to skilled workers. ‘We have made substantial inroads in cutting immigration and now have a more selective system that works in our national interest.’ Mr Harper is leading a ministerial taskforce looking to curb benefits, housing and healthcare access for immigrants to deter thousands of people moving to Britain. The government also wants to make it easier to identify and deport people who are in Britain illegally. Prime Minister David Cameron and Home Secretary Theresa May want to reduce net migration from non-EU countries to less than 100,000 before the next election in 2015. However, the left-leaning Institute for Public Policy Research warned attempts to cut immigration ;levels could harm the economy. Sarah Mulley, associate director at IPPR, said: ‘Today's statistics show a continued decline in net migration to the UK. But the Government's progress towards its target of reducing net migration to less than 100,000 by 2015 is still in large part being driven by falling numbers of international students. ‘This decline in international student numbers comes at considerable economic cost to the UK at a time when we can ill afford it. ‘In any case, falling student numbers will not help the Government meet its target in the medium term. ‘Because most students stay in the UK only for a short time, reduced immigration now will mean reduced emigration in the future, which by 2015 could partially reverse the falls in net migration we are seeing now.’ The most common reason given for migrating to Britain remains study, the ONS said, with 190,000 foreign students arriving in the period, although this was down 22 per cent or 56,000 from 246,000 in the previous year. The number of visas issued fell 6 per cent to 499,780 in the year ending March 2013 - the lowest 12-monthly total since comparable data was first published in 2005. There was a ‘significant’ decrease in the number of immigrants arriving from New Commonwealth countries, which includes African countries such as Botswana, Kenya and Malawi and Indian subcontinent countries such as Bangladesh, India and Pakistan. Some 105,000 immigrants from New Commonwealth countries arrived in the UK in the year to September, down 36 per cent or 61,000 from 166,000 in the previous year. A total of 58,000 immigrants arrived from countries which joined the EU in 2004, including Poland, the Czech Republic and Lithuania, down 22 per cent or 17,000 from the previous year. | Net migration falls from 242,000 in September 2011 to 153,000 in 2012 .
Immigration minister Mark Harper hails action against bogus colleges .
IPPR warns targeting students could hit the economy in the long term . |
102,392 | 0ff108bcd55007bd5edf5dd18db7e5423a4ba5f7 | Washington (CNN) -- Late one night, in the summer of 1958, three police officers opened an unlocked door of a small home in rural Virginia, walked into the bedroom and pointed a flashlight at a couple sleeping in the bed. "What are you doing in bed with this lady?" the sheriff asked. The startled husband pointed to the marriage certificate that was hanging on the wall. "That's no good here," the officer replied. And that night, in the summer of 1958, a husband, who happened to be white, and a wife, who happened to be black, were arrested and placed in a county jail for unlawful cohabitation. That, as The New York Times recounted it, is how the landmark Supreme Court case known as Loving v. Virginia was started -- with bigotry looking at a marriage certificate and saying, "That's no good here." Today we know that in 1967 the Supreme Court ruled that Virginia's ban on interracial marriages was unconstitutional. But it's important to remember that a 2012 Pew Study found that only 63% of all Americans "would be fine" if a family member were to marry outside of their race, meaning nearly a third would still have a problem. The laws have changed, but sadly, our culture in many aspects, still lags behind. Which explains why once again bigotry has dragged marriage to the halls of the Supreme Court. On Tuesday the justices heard oral arguments in Hollingsworth v. Perry, the challenge to California's Proposition 8. On Wednesday, the court is hearing oral arguments in United States v. Windsor, the case challenging the constitutionality of the Defense of Marriage Act, or DOMA. Both Proposition 8 and DOMA do what that sheriff did to the Lovings 55 years ago. Back then the legally sanctioned discrimination was called racism. Today it's homophobia. Both are offsprings from the same parents: bigotry and fear. Before sentencing the Lovings to a year in prison, Leon M. Bazile, the county circuit judge, opined God placed the different races on separate continents "and but for the interference with his arrangement there would be no cause for such marriages." Edith Windsor's battle for equality . In an exchange with Chief Justice Earl Warren, R.D. McIlwaine, the assistant attorney general of Virginia, compared interracial couples to people who were mentally ill and said that "interracial marriages are definitely undesirable. ... (T)hey hold no promise for a bright and happy future for mankind." Hindsight affords us the ability to shake our heads and laugh at the men who tried to hide their bigotry behind God or the future of mankind. But are the reasons against interracial marriages brought up by McIlwaine and Bazile that much different than the rationale that is being used today to ban same-sex marriages? At a rally on the steps of the Supreme Court, I heard story after story from loving, committed same-sex couples who had been together 10, 20, 30, even 55 years. There were speakers such as Cleve Jones, who created the AIDS Memorial Quilt, and Robert Kabel, a special assistant to President Ronald Reagan who helped form the Log Cabin Republicans. There was one woman suffering from multiple sclerosis who had to be helped up the stairs to the podium by three men so she could stand next to her wife and share her story. No one who came to the rally was asking for permission to love. They were not seeking special rights or begging for a seat at the table because they've been sitting at the table the whole time. They know 14 times the Supreme Court has called marriage a fundamental right. And just as Loving v. Virginia shamed bigotry and those who argued in support of discrimination, this week bigotry will once again be shamed, dragging those who seek to ban same-sex marriages with it. Couple at center of Prop 8 case . An example of this shaming came in an exchange with Charles J. Cooper and Justice Elena Kagan. As Cooper propped up the notion of "responsible procreation" as being the reason why marriage should only be between a man and a woman, Kagan destroyed this reasoning, saying, "Suppose a state said, ... Because we think that the focus of marriage really should be on procreation, we are not going to give marriage licenses anymore to any couple where both people are over the age of 55," adding, "I can just assure you, if both the woman and the man are over the age of 55, there are not a lot of children coming out of that marriage." Of course "responsible procreation" is just another ruse to hide bigotry. Gay couples don't become parents by accident. I know of one couple who wanted children so badly, they drove from Phoenix to Los Angeles every weekend for a year to spend time with the child they eventually adopted because gay adoption was not legal in Arizona. If you do the math, that's about 740 miles round trip for 52 weeks, or 38,480 miles. So if "responsible procreation" is the fight Cooper wants to take up, he should direct his focus elsewhere because gay people don't accidentally drive 38,480 miles to have a kid. What Cooper and his allies must remember is that marriage licenses are not scarce resources to be horded but a doorway to more than 1,000 federal benefits and the public declaration of love. And just as interracial marriages did not cause "traditional" marriage to fall -- something that was also said during Loving v. Virginia -- neither will same-sex marriages. It wasn't right for anti-miscegenation laws to march into our bedrooms in the summer of 1958, and it's not right for Prop 8 and DOMA to do it now. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of LZ Granderson. | LZ Granderson: In 1958, police arrested couple for violating interracial marriage ban .
Virginia's ban was ultimately overturned, a sign of progress against bigotry, he says .
He says that today bigotry and fear are directed at same-sex marriage .
Granderson: Government shouldn't regulate the nature of relationships in marriage . |
235,861 | bd534693c3f8d2604590d791078065d7c3c523b9 | (CNN) -- The greatest in an illustrious lineage of Cuban fighters, Savon dominated the amateur heavyweight division between winning his first world championship in 1986 and claiming his third Olympic gold medal in 2000. Savon: Fidel Castro's favorite sportsman. Savon's final fight, in Sydney aged 33, was also one of his toughest. By the end he was bleeding badly from a cut underneath his eye, yet he still out-scored Russian opponent Sultan Ahmed Ibragimov 21-13. Raising a national flag above his head -- he had been given it personally by Fidel Castro before leaving for Australia -- he dedicated his success to the people of Cuba. By winning his third gold medal, Savon also emulated the achievement of compatriot Tefilo Stevenson, who dominated the super heavyweight division between 1972 and 1980. The pair are the only two fighters to win the same division at three Olympics. Savon was arguably a better fighter. He would probably have won gold in Seoul in 1988 as well, had Cuba not boycotted the Games. And his run of six straight amateur world championships was only ended in 1999 when the entire Cuban team walked out in protest at alleged refereeing injustices. Crushing win . In Barcelona in 1992, Savon had earned his first Olympic gold with a crushing 14-1 win against Nigeria's David Izonritel. Four years later in Atlanta, he scored another emphatic victory, pummelling David Defiagbon of Canada 20-2. With amateur boxing's age limit of 34, Savon retired after Sydney to become coach of the Cuban national team. What would Savon have achieved if he had abandoned the amateur ranks? The offers were certainly there: Don King reputedly offered him $10 million to fight professionally. Many experts argue that Savon could have been as dominant as another former Olympic champion -- Cassius Clay. Yet, fittingly for a great Olympian, Savon has remained defiantly amateur and an outspoken critic of professional boxing's casino culture. "I never would have traded the love and affection of my people for all the millions in the world," he said. | Olympic record: 3 gold medals .
Savon had earned his first Olympic gold with a crushing 14-1 win .
Boxer; born September 22, 1967 in San Vicente, Cuba . |
141,968 | 439749f52ebb76b4fab472dbd446b088eea91eda | Suing: Christopher Dietz says his construction business has lost $300,000 over the negative review on Yelp . Better think twice before you slam a business with a bad review on Yelp - one Virginia woman is being sued for it. Jane Perez was slapped with a $750,000 lawsuit by Dietz Development after she publicly logged complaints about construction work the building contractor performed on her home. In her write-ups on the popular business review sites Yelp and Angie's List, Perez accused the company of damaging her house, trespassing and stealing jewelry. 'Bottom line,' she wrote on Angie's List. 'Do not put yourself through this nightmare of a contractor.' Perez is only the latest online critic to find herself in court over negative comments post online. In . 2009, a San Francisco man was sued by a chiropractor after he posted a . Yelp review accusing the business of over-charging him. That suit was settled out of court. A . Chicago plastic surgeon sued three women in 2010 after they wrote online accusations that he gave them disfigured and misshapen breasts after surgery. In September, a Pilates studio in . Virginia sued two Yelp reviewers who complained that the business . smelled like mildew and that the staff was unfriendly. Free . speech advocates say businesses are increasingly resorting to legal . action to retaliate against negative reviews of their businesses. Christopher Dietz, the owner of Dietz . Development, said he had no choice but to file the lawsuit after he lost . $300,00 when customers fled his business over the review, reports The Washington Post. 'The impact has been awful,' Dietz said. 'There is no one to protect businesses when people slam their name.' He said he is not suing because of the negative review per se - he's suing because the allegations Perez made are false. Review: Perez posted a negative review on the popular site Yelp, as well as Angie's List, another business review site . Allegations: Perez claims her townhouse in Falls Church, Virginia, (pictured) was damaged by the work Dietz did . Jane Perez isn't the only Yelp reviewer to be sued after writing bad things about a business online. Free speech advocates say such cases are on the rise. 'If it's negative and true, that's fair. If it's negative and not true, that's unfair,' he told WJLA-TV in Washington, DC. Perez, a retired captain in the military, said she never thought she could be sued over something as common as a Yelp review. 'I don’t want to see what happened to me happen to anyone else,' Perez said. She stands by her reviews, The Post says, and maintains that what she posted was truthful. A judge in Fairfax partially sided . with Dietz this week - allowing the lawsuit to proceed and ordering . Perez to remove the parts of her Angie's List review that alleged Dietz . Development employees stole jewelry. Her lawyer says Perez's right to free speech and her right to express her opinion should trump Dietz's business interests. 'You should always have a right to . free speech. She should be able to describe her experience with the . contractor...she definitely told the truth,' her attorney said. The stakes in the world of online reviews are increasingly high. Yelp . is primarily known for restaurant reviews, but it has branched out to . include listings and customer evaluations for businesses of all kinds. It has become a review powerhouse, with 84million visitors a month and 33million reviews. A . 2011 Harvard University study suggested that for each star a restaurant . received on from reviewers on the site, the restaurant owners could . expect a 5 to 7percent jump in revenue. This is the text of Perez's original review posted on Angie's List in August 2012. Overall: F . Price: F . Quality: F . Responsiveness: F . Punctuality: F . Professionalism: F . Description Of Work: Dietz Development was to perform: painting, refinish floors, electrical, plumbing and handyman work. I was instead left with damage to my home and work that had to be reaccomplished for thousands more than originally estimated. Member comments: My home was damaged' the "work" had to be re-accomplished; and Dietz tried to sue me for "monies due for his "work." I won in summary judgement (meaning that his case had no merit). Despite his claims, Dietz was/is not licensed to perform work in the state of VA. Further, he invoiced me for work not even performed and also sued me for work not even performed. Today (six months later) he just showed up at my door and '"wanted to talk to me." I said that I "didn't want to talk to him," closed the door , and called the police. (The police said his reason was that he had a "lien on my house"; however this "lien" was made null and void the day I won the case according to the court.) This is after filing my first ever police report when I found my jewelry missing and Dietz was the only one with a key. Bottom line do not put yourself through this nightmare of a contractor. | Jane Perez accused Dietz Development of damaging her home, stealing jewelry and trespassing after she hired the company to work on her house .
Dietz Development owner Christopher Dietz says he lost $300,000 over because customers fled after the review .
Judge preliminarily sided with Dietz and ordered Perez to remove some parts of her review . |
87,151 | f74a685ac977a99905feac15e3eefee8909b93c9 | A dazzling white smile is practically essential for any celebrity hoping to make it onto the red . carpet - they don't call it a Hollywood smile for nothing. But it seems that pearly whites are imperative when searching for your perfect man too, as a new study reveals the first thing men notice about a woman are her teeth. According to the latest study, they rate as the most important feature for a man . when checking out a new mate. Indeed, dental credentials took the top spot of the top ten things men judge women on, taking 58 per cent of . votes. It's all about the teeth: The male population have voted and the results show that teeth are what they most judge women for- the Duchess of Cambridge and Tulisa have been widely complimented for theirs . The study, which was carried out over three years, has resulted in a list of the top 10 things men judge women on. Revealingly, over half of the list focused on appearance-based elements. After teeth, it is a women's hair that men are concerned with (51 per cent) followed by their clothes (45 per cent), found the study by Match.com. Dr Uchenna, Oral-B Smile Director, said of the results: 'Make sure you treat your teeth every day - they’ll definitely thank you for it and it will make you feel more confident, so you’ll be proud to show off your gorgeous smile. 'People are becoming more aware of their smiles and I have seen a rise in my clients asking how they can achieve a naturally whiter smile. 'Oral B found that almost one in three . Brits do not brush their teeth twice a day, which will certainly not . help to bag that second date this Valentine's Day.' Celebrities . such as Cheryl Cole and Louis Walsh have long realised that a top set . of gnashers will take them a long way - and have all had extensive . dental work to perfect their straight, white smiles. Improvements: Nicole Roberts teeth have undergone a style transformation since her humble days starting out in Girls Aloud . Vast improvement: Cheryl didn't gain her place in the top ten smiles for nothing but like her bandmate Nicola, her teeth have undergone great improvements . Take note: It seems that men have taken heed of their own advice and the likes of Louis Walsh have had dental work . Teeth (58 per cent) Grammar (55 per cent) Hair (51 per cent) Teeth (71 per cent) Grammar (69 per cent) Hair (53 per cent) | Teeth topped the list of things men judge women most on .
Men then look at our hair, followed by our clothes, Match.com study reveals .
Cheryl Cole and Tulisa have had work done on their teeth . |
84,978 | f108def06a9ee33c1e8c4ffa89051c7b26aa9b9e | (CNN) -- An international football player has been found guilty of making a homophobic gesture during a league game by an English court. Colin Kazim-Richards, who represented Turkey at the 2008 European Championship finals, was convicted following the incident while he was playing for English second division team Blackburn, the UK Press Association reported on Wednesday. It took place during a Championship game away to Brighton on February 12, 2013. The 27-year-old, who now lives in Turkey and plays for Bursaspor, heard prosecutor Simon Allen contend that he had mimicked pulling down his shorts, putting his left arm behind his backside before making a homophobic gesture at Brighton fans. He was fined £750 ($1,256), ordered to pay £620 ($1,039) court costs and a £75 ($125.60) victim surcharge, PA reported. Brighton, a city on the south coast of England around 50 miles from London, has a large gay population and its players and supporters have often been subjected to homophobic abuse. On Tuesday, Sussex Police reported that three people were arrested for homophobic chanting during Brighton's game at Leicester. Kazim-Richards, who had previously played for Brighton between 2005-2006, made the gesture after being taunted by home supporters who claimed he was overweight. Darren Hastings, a witness in the trial, said he noticed Kazim-Richards make the gesture four or five times during the match. "It was utterly disgusting," Hastings told the court, PA reported. "I understand that football players receive a number of gestures or comments from the crowd but I certainly did not expect to see a football player perform that gesture on the pitch." A second witness, Daryl Cannon, who was at the stadium working at the game on the day, also voiced his disgust at the gesture, PA reported. He was particularly surprised given Kazim-Richards' work with Kick it Out -- an anti-discriminatory body which aims to eradicate racism and homophobia within football. "I perceived it as a very wrong thing to do, particularly for someone who's involved with the Kick It Out Campaign," Cannon told the court. "Racism and homophobia are on the same level." | Colin Kazim-Richards found guilty of making homophobic gesture .
Former Turkey international ordered to pay fine and costs .
Court witness says footballer's gestures "were insulting"
Striker had denied the charge . |
86,573 | f5b7999a8adff9a4d8932bc34b61ec61a995e3a4 | By . Kerry Mcdermott . PUBLISHED: . 04:37 EST, 25 March 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 04:46 EST, 25 March 2013 . A New Jersey politician referred to bondage and spanking in a series of lewd emails he sent to a female lobbyist who was later arrested for stalking him. Karen Golding, who was detained in 2006 for stalking New Jersey Democrat Joe Cryan, said at the time she had been intimately involved with the politician - claims he has previously denied. Now more than 150 graphic emails Mr Cryan, 51, sent to Golding - in which he instructed her to wear 'leather and boots' and invited her to surprise him at his office - have been published in a newspaper. Secret emails: The racy messages from Assemblyman Joe Cryan, left, to former lobbyist Karen Golding, seen right in 2004, were published in a U.S. newspaper . Mr Cryan was vice chairman of the state Democratic Party when he sent messages to Golding from the AOL email account listed on his official Assembly candidacy biography in 2004. He also emailed her from his state government account and his account associated with his role as Union County undersheriff, according to the New York Post. In one missive the Democrat - who is being touted as the party's next state chairman - asked Golding what she wanted to be 'spanked with', before adding: 'What will you wear to beg for it?'. In other emails he referred to oral sex, 'Playboy-like' lingerie, and told Golding he was fantasising about her visiting him at his legislative office in Elizabeth, Union County, writing: 'Surprise visits are always nice'. Graphic: Democrat Joe Cryan has been touted as the party's next state chairman . It is thought that Mr Cryan was sending the emails while at work, either in his role as an Assembly member or his $110,000 per year post as Union County undersheriff. In one sent on July 21 2004, the politician asked the then lobbyist: 'You delete these emails, right?', as he urged Golding to dress up and surprise him at the Democratic National Convention in Boston the following week. Mr Cryan served as Democratic Party state chairman between 2009 and 2010, and has recently been touted for a return to the role. In 2006 Mr Cryan contacted police after Golding began harassing the politician and two women he dated, the report said. She was convicted of stalking after she let herself into Mr Cryan's unlocked car and left a note. Golding subsequently pleaded guilty to stalking one of the women. Last month Golding filed the emails in Morristown Superior Court as part of a motion to reduce her sentence of two years' probation, 90 days on a sheriff's labour programme and $155 in penalties, the New York Post said. A lawyer for the politician told the newspaper the emails were irrelevant, pointing out that Golding pleaded guilty to a crime. Golding has declined to comment. | Democrat Joe Cryan sent lewd emails to lobbyist Karen Golding .
Golding pleaded guilty to stalking Cryan's girlfriend in 2006 .
Cryan had denied any relationship between the pair at time of her arrest . |
193,660 | 86b4de92f132fc09b803dea90a2544184433466f | By . Sophie Jane Evans for MailOnline . An experienced skydiver has died in a freak collision after he was knocked out by a fellow jumper in mid-air and failed to deploy his parachute. Donnie Bragg, 27, had around 350 jumps under his belt when he and two others leapt out of a plane above Polk County, Georgia, on Saturday afternoon. But just seconds later, he collided with one of the pair, Tracy Sutherland, at 13,000 feet, knocking them both unconscious. Tragic: Donnie Bragg, 27, died in a freak collision after he was knocked out by a fellow jumper in mid-air and failed to deploy his parachute. The incident happened above SkyDive the Farm's facility in Polk County, Georgia . Mr Bragg, who was engaged and had a newborn son, was instantly killed when he crashed into the ground without deploying his parachute. Mr Sutherland suffered several broken bones and is currently recovering in hospital in Rome, while the third jumper was not injured. Today, instructor Steve Haseman, of SkyDive the Farm in Polk County, said Mr Bragg had been a dedicated worker at the firm, with whom he carried out the skydive. He added that the company was now trying to piece together what had happened during the jump. Location: Today, instructor Steve Haseman, of SkyDive the Farm (pictured) in Polk County, said Mr Bragg had been a dedicated worker at the firm. He said: 'He was very passionate about life, about skydiving' 'We have an idea of what happened, but we don't know exactly,' he told 11Alive.com. 'The . collision between the two of them rendered both of them unconscious. 'And because of that, they weren't able to land their . parachute properly and safely.' Although two cameras had been filming during the jump, one did not capture the incident, while the other was knocked off in the collision and lost, he said. Mr Haseman described Mr Bragg, who had just graduated from Southern Ploytechnic State University in Marietta with an engineering degree, as a 'really good guy' with a passion for life. He said: 'He had a huge heart, very outgoing, very passionate about life, about skydiving, about family. He's touched everybody's life, for sure.' The Federal Aviation Administration and the U.S. Parachuting Associated are investigating. The incident comes just months after a British skydiver narrowly escaped death when another skydiver crashed into him at 12,500ft. James Lee, 25, was filmed hurtling towards the ground unconscious after being knocked out by the jumper above Netheravon in Wiltshire. He was only saved when two other skydivers saw what had happened and postponed pulling their own cords. Instead, they dived towards Mr Lee and managed to deploy his parachute for him. | Donnie Bragg, 27, jumped out of plane with two others above Polk County .
But seconds later, he and one of pair, Tracy Sutherland, collided in mid-air .
Both were knocked unconscious and Mr Bragg failed to deploy parachute .
He was declared dead at scene, while Mr Sutherland suffered broken bones .
Mr Bragg, who was engaged with newborn son, had done 350 jumps before .
Today, he was described by instructor as 'passionate' and 'really good guy' |
118,013 | 2465b2b0d3f670d4f88246f60f4254e94df22d87 | By . Daniel Martin . PUBLISHED: . 16:46 EST, 16 June 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 01:45 EST, 17 June 2013 . Worries: Prime Minister David Cameron (pictured yesterday outside 10 Downing Street) admitted he fears online porn could harm his children . David Cameron yesterday admitted he fears online porn could harm his children. The Prime Minister says he worries when any of his three children ‘grab hold of the iPad’ because they risk seeing obscene images. ‘The world has changed so fundamentally with the internet that we’ve got some real threats there to our children and also from this appalling scourge of child pornography,’ he said. ‘We’ve got to take a lot of action.’ Mr Cameron is now pledging to ‘put the heat’ on web firms, making them do more to remove illegal child abuse images and protect children from legal porn. At a summit tomorrow, ministers and charities will demand action from internet service providers. TalkTalk and BT announced at the weekend that customers trying to view child sex abuse sites would be confronted with a pop-up warning. The ‘splash pages’ are aimed at deterring paedophiles such as Mark Bridger, who killed five-year-old April Jones after accessing sickening online material. Maria Miller, who is hosting the summit, is expected to ask other operators to follow suit. The Culture Secretary said: ‘These firms have an enormous responsibility to make sure our children are protected in the best way possible. Tackling this problem is not easy when technology changes and adapts at such a fast pace. ‘But I am determined to do all I can – and to encourage industry to do all it can – to put an end to it. ‘I will say that things need to change, that enough is enough, and when I do my children will be at the forefront of my mind, as they always are.’ Mr Cameron said there was no doubt that internet companies needed to do more on online pornography – the subject of a Daily Mail campaign. Access: The Prime Minister says he worries when any of his three children 'grab hold of the iPad' (file picture) On the issue of child abuse images, he told Sky News: ‘I’m not satisfied that internet companies do enough to help take them down. ‘That’s why we’re having this round table in government with them to really put the heat on, [to ask them to] work with the police, work with us so we can get these images off the internet and prosecute those who put them there. ‘As a parent I worry, and I know people watching this programme worry massively, about what our children can get to see when they grab hold of our iPad or log on to the internet. ‘There we need to make more progress of this issue of explaining to everybody that we want to have better filters that parents can switch on to stop access to certain sites and material.’ Mr Cameron hailed the fact that web companies have pledged to introduce clean public wi-fi, so youngsters will not be at risk of seeing porn at a Starbucks. His remarks came as a poll found a majority of the public were in favour of making search engines such as Google put automatic filters on adult sites. Fifty-four per cent believed the firms should no longer automatically provide links when people search for pornography sites. The YouGov survey of almost 1,900 people also found that women were strongly in favour of curbs on web porn. Seventy per cent want Google to automatically filter out porn – compared with 38 per cent of men. Last night a spokesman for the End Violence Against Women coalition said: ‘The poll shows many people, women in particular, recognise the damaging impact of pornography on children and want action. ‘We cannot continue to shrug our . shoulders about this huge cultural harm to our society. We are calling . on politicians of all parties to act.’ At the weekend, Google responded to . criticisms it was not doing enough by announcing that it will make . £3million available to tackle child porn, including the establishment of . a global database of child abuse images, making it easier to delete . them from the web. The firm is also offering more than £1million to independent software developers to produce tools to combat child porn. It comes on top of the £1million funding announced last week for the Internet Watch Foundation, which flags up illegal images. Google lets parents switch on a SafeSearch facility to filter out offensive material. But parents must turn it on themselves by clicking on the ‘settings’ icon at the top of the rage – it does not come on automatically. Scott Rubin, Google’s director of public policy, added: ‘We don’t rely simply on filtering technology to block child abuse images; we go beyond that. ‘Any implication that we aren’t doing anything, or we refuse to be part of removing this material, is wrong.’ | PM says he worries when any of his three children 'grab hold of the iPad'
Pledges to 'put heat' on web firms over protecting children from legal porn .
ISPs say warnings will appear when customers try to view child sex abuse . |
75,777 | d6e65cdd11c9604c550ddd3da027952f0a883065 | By . Olivia Williams . PUBLISHED: . 09:59 EST, 22 August 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 11:36 EST, 22 August 2013 . A former Russian soldier is suing government officials after they refused to issue him a passport as a woman. Angry Jury Ovodov, 49, had been turned down on the grounds that he had not had a sex change operation and was still physically a man. Now he is taking the passport service in Ekaterinburg to court claiming that he's been discriminated against because he is not wealthy. New look: Jury Ovodov, pictured left in his national service uniform, and now as Julia Solovleva, right . Ovodov said, 'I can't afford the medical bills for the operations.' 'But that doesn't mean they can deny me my right to be a woman.' He now wants to be known as Julia Solovleva. Ovodov says officials are preventing him from expressing himself freely. 'I am a woman inside. It's just the lack of money that's stopping me,' he said. Point of contention: The Russian passport currently only accepts male or female as possible genders . In Australia, they have come up with a compromise to accommodate such a disagreement. From July, Australians could register as 'intersex' on their passports. Like Ovodov, people do not need to have completed a sex change to be eligible for the third gender option. | Jury Ovodov, 49, is suing Russian passport officials .
He wants a passport as 'Julia Solovleva' but he has not yet changed sex .
He insists 'I am a woman inside' but cannot afford the operation . |
116,907 | 22eaeece8f330797ef332b5a721d002e0f252151 | By . Laura Williamson . There are few summer Olympic champions who would buy a £500 pair of camera goggles to try to reach speeds of 62mph hurtling down a ski slope during the off-season. Even fewer would relish the thought of rushing head-first down an ice track on a bob skeleton sled. But then Greg Rutherford admits he is a ‘possibly a bit bonkers’. The Olympic and Commonwealth gold medallist would happily jump out of an aeroplane if he had not convinced himself his parachute would not open. He has skied since he was three, spent his childhood summers jumping off 30ft cliffs into water in the Peak District and wants to try bungee-jumping when he retires. Going the distance: Rutherford jumped further than any of his rivals yet again at the Commonwealth games . Golden boy: The Olympic champion added the Commonwealth title to his list of achievements . Rutherford, 27 and with his first child on the way this autumn, also has ambitions to try skeleton in September with a view to switching sports in 2018, believing his speed and power would transfer well from long jump to an ice track. ‘If you catch a good jump it is a beautiful feeling of flying, so there is definitely some correlation there,’ he says. His enthusiasm is refreshing, but there is just one problem: Rutherford is a notoriously fragile athlete. His former coach, Dan Pfaff, reckoned he tore his hamstrings 17 times before winning Olympic gold at London 2012, while Rutherford nearly quit athletics altogether last summer after rupturing the muscle at the back of his left thigh. ‘I’m sort of thinking it’s not as hard, being in a crouch position running with a tea tray, jumping on it and praying you don’t hit your head,’ he says, smiling. Up for it: The athlete says he doesn't care that his Olympic winning distance was the shortest since 1972 . ‘The weird thing I find in this country is that when you decide to have ambitions outside the one thing you do in life people find it very offensive. People are saying “How dare you want to do another sport?” but I’ve just got ambitions to do other things. I’ve got so much more to achieve first. ‘I want to retain my Olympic title in a couple of years, and if I get that done, I will consider that a pretty successful long-jumping career, so maybe I will turn my hand to a different sport. If I didn’t do that, I would always wonder. According to some, he was ‘lucky’ to win Olympic gold on ‘Super Saturday’ with 8.31 metres, the shortest winning distance since 1972. ‘Only’ 8.20m was enough to add the Commonwealth title last month. The legality of the new British record of 8.51m he set this year was questioned by team-mate Chris Tomlinson. On top: The ginger jumper wants to defend his Olympic title in 2016 before changing sports . He could back up Commonwealth gold by winning the European Championships in Zurich this week. A field containing the likes of world champion Aleksandr Menkov, 2010 European gold medallist Christian Reif, Louis Tsatoumas of Greece and France’s Salim Sdiri will, however, provide stiffer competition than Rutherford faced in Glasgow. Rutherford knows he may well have to break the British record again to win in Switzerland. Finally, though, that might just shut everyone up. Rutherford said: ‘I won an Olympic Games by half a foot, which you would say is a good distance to win by. But then people dwell on the fact it was the shortest winning distance since ’72... but I don’t care. I don’t care.’ | Rutherford wants to defend Olympic title in 2016 before leaving the sport .
Olympic champion is eyeing up skeleton for 2018 Winter Olympics .
Before that he has the challenge of European Championships this week .
Winning in Zurich would help silence some of his many critics . |
150,381 | 4e6a68895e4c377fd259cec3b9f8d8a61288799f | By . Damien Gayle . PUBLISHED: . 06:46 EST, 7 November 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 06:55 EST, 7 November 2012 . A species of flesh-ripping dinosaur has been named after the demonic Eye of Sauron from the Lord of the Rings after palaeontologists classified it from just its eye-socket. Sauroniops pachytholus - 'eye of Sauron' in Greek - was identified from a single fossil fragment of part of its upper skull found in the Kem Kem region of south-east Morocco in 2007. As big as a Tyrannosaurus rex, the beast stalked North Africa around 95million years ago, according to a study published recently in the journal Acta Palaeontologica Polonica. Fearsome: This artist's impression shows Sauroniops pachytholus in the background feeding on a young Spinosaurus. Scientists estimate that the creature was 40ft long . Study leader Andrea Cau, of the Museo Geologico Giovanni Capellini in Bologna, Italy, said the fossil fragment used to describe the dinosaur included only part of its skull, including an eye socket. 'The idea of a predator that is physically known only as its fierce eye reminded me of Sauron, in particular as depicted in Peter Jackson's movies,' he told National Geographic. He and his team believe the fossil fragment belonged to a new type of carcharodontosaur, a species that includes some of the longest and heaviest known carnivorous dinosaurs. 'Sauroniops was a two-legged predator, quite similar to T. rex in general shape, although not closely related to the latter,' Dr Cau told MailOnline. Piecing together the past: The fossilised fragment of skull that Andrea Cau and his colleagues used to identify the newly discovered dinosaur . By comparing the skull fragment with fossils from related species Dr Cau's team determined S. pachytholus was 40ft long. However, . without more fossils to go on, he admitted that it was impossible to . give a precise estimate of the size of the creature. Examination . of the fossil revealed that S. pachytholus had a distinctive bump on . its forehead, setting it apart from other creatures of the same species. In their paper, Dr Cau's . team speculated that this lumpy growth may have been used in . head-butting clashes during mating displays. Jigsaw identification: This image shows how the fragment would have fitted into the complete skull of the dinosaur. A human skull is shown for comparison . The find backs up a hypothesis that there were four large species of therapods living alongside each other in that part of Africa. Others include Carcharodontosaurus, Deltadromeus, and Spinosaurus. 'Sauroniops lived along the banks of a large delta, under a hot and warm climate, very rich of fishes and crocodiles,' Dr Cau told National Geographic. 'The abundance of food may explain the abundance of predatory dinosaurs.' Dr Cau has written about the discovery on his blog. | Sauroniops pachytholus was one of four large predatory dinosaurs which lived in North Africa 95million years ago .
Scientists estimate that it was as much as 40ft long and similar in shape but unrelated to Tyrannosaurus rex . |
12,903 | 248f902b8af07c8a96cb46f8219d05f384eb36c2 | By . Deni Kirkova . PUBLISHED: . 12:22 EST, 10 June 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 12:22 EST, 10 June 2013 . For those of us that struggle to eat spaghetti with traditional cutlery the 'spaghetti fork' has been a dinnertime lifesaver for years. Battery-operated, multi-pronged forks designed to make Italian inspired mealtimes easier are available in most kitchen departments. And now the latest 'spaghetti fork' promising to end slurpy suppers is the Rolognese utensil from German firm Donkey which claims to roll up slippery pasta in an instant - the only downside is that you have to power it yourself .. with a crank handle! The new spaghetti fork promising to end slurpy suppers is the Rolognese utensil from German firm Donkey . The crank-enabled children's spaghetti fork costs £8 from Amazon and comes in blue and pink . The utensil, especially designed with . children in mind, is the latest in a wave of revolutionary cutlery . aiming to make the task of feeding yourself long pasta even simpler. The Rolognese spaghetti utensil, made of wood and stainless steel, poses a technical solution to the 'problem' of rolling up spaghetti. It works by sitting the wooden-handled fork in the spaghetti and turning the handle. Like magic, the spaghetti curls around the fork without too much mess or fuss (and a bit of fun). The adorably named fork should prove useful when it comes time to chow down on endless varieties of wiggly noodles. Parents may find their little ones are eating spaghetti better than them. A spokesman for Rolognese says: . 'The time when our kids were lampooned by those wiggly noodles are now . history. With our high-tech spaghetti fork, the tables are turned.' If ramen, udon and yakisoba are your choice of stringy food though, perhaps the Calamete 'thumbed' fork from Japan Trend Shop would suit your needs. The design of Calamete is based on the . human hand, with a thumb that sticks out to make perfect twirling . without needing the spoon. While it’s difficult to fill a drawer with . forks only for pasta night, this is an innovation that would work . perfectly in plastic form as well, especially in Japanese convenience . store meals. The 'thumbed' spaghetti fork from Japan Trend Shop is perfect for noodle and ramen lovers . The twirling spaghetti fork is surely a recipe for disaster. On the other hand no spoon equals less washing up . At the more hi-tech end of the spaghetti fork spectrum the twirling fork from Kitchen Craft, coming in . at under £8, claims to swirls spaghetti up in an instant. The motorised fork makes for plenty of twisting fun for children (or adults) who want to impress their guests during meals of spaghetti, tagliatelle or noodles. A spokesman for Kitchen Craft says: 'Easy to operate, the fork is a useful gadget which requires little effort and avoids unwanted mess when enjoying spaghetti bolognese.' And for the more stylish pasta connoisseurs a serving fork with a whopping six . prongs from brand Alessi is made of mirror-polished stainless steel. Six prongs are better than three: The Alessi Tibidabo spaghetti serving fork costs more than £13 . | German Rolognese crank-spinning children's fork 'ends slurpy suppers'
Other cutlery gadgets include 'thumbed' Japanese forks and electric variety .
Six pronged version created especially for serving . |
136,137 | 3c20ca7a33962dc578790ef4b715d6f0e3ebe3af | By . Phil Vinter . PUBLISHED: . 11:07 EST, 14 May 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 01:31 EST, 15 May 2012 . A lorry driver inadvertently carried out some extreme littering today when his transporter overturned and spewed out tons of scrap metal from a bridge on to the M6. Commuters on the busy stretch of motorway near Walsall had a lucky escape when the hefty J.R. Foster vehicle flipped on to its side and a tangle of metal debris poured down a bank before spilling across two lanes of the northbound carriageway. Incredibly the lorry driver who lost control of his vehicle was unhurt in the incident. Messy: A scrap lorry overturned on a motorway bridge over Junction 10 of the M6 spewing metal pieces onto the road below in Wolverhampton today . Metal mountain: The tangled mound of scrap contained old kitchen sinks as well as other used bits of metal . Hanging rough: The driver of the lorry was crossing a bridge over the M6 when he lost control and his vehicle rolled . The incident happened during rush hour and no other vehicles were affected. Officers from West Midlands Police arrived at the scene just after 9.40am and were forced to close the motorway while they cleared the mound of metal, causing miles of tailbacks. Northbound traffic was forced to exit . the motorway at junction ten and re-enter via the island on . Wolverhampton Road, by Walsall during the clear up and recovery operation. The were long delays and congestion around junction ten following the incident with one lane re-opened to traffic shortly after midday. What a tip: As it rolled onto its side, tonnes of scrap metal fell out of the lorry and off the bridge onto two lanes of the northbound carriageway at junction 10 near Walsall . Lucky escape: No other vehicles were involved in the incident and there were no injuries - despite scrap metal covering two lanes during rush hour . Clear up operation: Officers from West Midlands Police arrived at the . scene just after 9.40am and were forced to close the motorway while they . cleared the area, causing miles of tailbacks . Dump: Onlookers can't believe their eyes as the river of metal flows down the bank and on to the carriageway below . Incident: Police were called just after 9.40am this morning to the report of a lorry overturned and shedding its load of scrap metal near to the north bound exit of junction ten M6 . Tailbacks: One lane was reopened to traffic shortly after midday after several hours of congestion . | Road closed for several hours .
Incredibly no other drivers or vehicles are affected by incident . |
135,129 | 3aca8d8707943921b8842b2a3b3b033cf98cfb21 | (CNN) -- My friend Christine was into yoga long before it went mainstream, and she was good at it. She attended yoga camps, went on a yearly trek to India and even ritually cleansed her sinuses with warm saltwater -- literally sucked it up through her nose. She claimed it possessed a healing value and kept her from getting a cold. That was the '70s. She tried to convince me back then that yoga would be good for me, that it would loosen up my muscles and increase my body's longevity. I wanted nothing to do with it. "Are you kidding?" I said. "I can't stand still for two minutes, and you want me to do yoga?" Yoga: Tap into the many health benefits . I loved running and playing sports like soccer and volleyball, things that kept me moving all the time. The idea of stretching didn't really appeal to me. Neither, for that matter, did sucking saltwater into my nose. Twenty-five years went by, and lo and behold, I found that my body was getting more and more prone to injury, just like Christine predicted. The breaking point came six years ago, when I injured my hamstring at the beginning of Grandma's Marathon in Minnesota and ended up walking 21 miles to finish the race in six hours and 14 minutes. Not exactly the kind of record I had been hoping to set. I figured if I wanted to keep being able to run, I had better learn how to stand still. Fortunately, I learned that there are different flavors of yoga. I tried Iyengar Yoga at first, and I can definitely see the appeal -- it's a slower, more meditative practice, good for feeling centered and grounded. But Iyengar also uses a lot of props, and I didn't like that kind of interruption. It made it harder for me to get into a rhythm. Then one day I was working out at my gym when I noticed a class doing a very different kind of yoga -- power yoga, or Ashtanga. No props, no time wasted, and the people were in constant motion. Granted, it was a more "sedentary" motion, if you will -- a series of poses like Downward Facing Dog and Warrior and Triangle -- but they switched from one to the other so fast it felt like a real workout. In fact, the only thing I didn't like about Ashtanga was that the pace really wore me out. Turns out that the 30-something yoga students were in better shape than the Marathon Man. Why you really should get 'Fit By 40' Over time, I've improved -- and not just physically. Sure, my muscles feel looser than they have in years, and . I'm avoiding injuries as I grow older. My teacher, Janice, even tells me that my poses are improving. There's more than that, though. Call it a cliche, but yoga really does feed your soul as much as it does your body. I've learned that as much as I love being active and on the go, it really is necessary to take time out of each day to slow down, to forget about your computer, your smartphone and all those e-mails, to take some time away from your kids and your job and your responsibilities. To stop moving and focus simply on staying put. Now, does that mean I'll start inhaling saltwater sometime soon? My sinuses are doing just fine without it, thanks. But yoga has become a valuable part of my life, and it can do good things for you, too. This article was originally published in The Oakland Press. | "Marathon Man" John Farah says yoga initially didn't appeal to him .
Now Farah does yoga regularly to prevent injury and loosen his muscles .
As cliche as it sounds, yoga also feeds the soul, Farah says . |
78,782 | df37ca6819dde786c085d1f62767b005b3254194 | (CNN Student News) -- December 6, 2013 . Nelson Mandela, former leader of South Africa and "the world's most famous political prisoner," has died. In Friday's program, CNN Student News looks back at the life, legacy and accomplishments of this Nobel Peace Prize winner. We also remember the 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor, and we report on a strike by many American fast food workers and the response by the restaurant industry. On this page you will find today's show Transcript, the Daily Curriculum, Maps pertaining to today's show, and a place for you to leave feedback. TRANSCRIPT . Click here to access the transcript of today's CNN Student News program. Please note that there may be a delay between the time when the video is available and when the transcript is published. DAILY CURRICULUM . Click here for a printable version of the Daily Curriculum (PDF). Media Literacy Question of the Day: . How was news of the 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor covered differently than how major events are covered today? Weekly Newsquiz: The following questions relate to events that were covered this week on CNN Student News. Write your answers in the space provided. 1. What world leader once endured 27 years in prison before he became South Africa's first black president? 2. Who was president of the United States when Japan attacked Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941? 3. Viktor Yanukovich is the president of what European country? 4. Fans of what NFL team recently caused a small earthquake by cheering at CenturyLink field? 5. What is the destination of a spacecraft launched by China on Monday? 6. What country triggered an international dispute when it claimed a section of airspace over Asia? 7. What international event, symbolized by red ribbons, occurs on December 1? 8. How are chimpanzees classified: as monkeys, apes or lemurs? 9. Yingluck Shinawatra is the prime minister of what Asian country? 10. In economics, what does GDP stand for? CNN Student News is created by a team of journalists and educators who consider the Common Core State Standards, national standards in different subject areas, and state standards when producing the show and curriculum. We hope you use our free daily materials along with the program, and we welcome your feedback on them. MAPS . Download PDF maps related to today's show: . Africa . South Africa . North America . Pearl Harbor, Hawaii . FEEDBACK . We're looking for your feedback about CNN Student News. Please use this page to leave us comments about today's program, including what you think about our stories and our resources. Also, feel free to tell us how you use them in your classroom. The educators on our staff will monitor this page and may respond to your comments as well. Thank you for using CNN Student News! Click here to submit your Roll Call request. | This page includes the show Transcript, the Daily Curriculum, and Maps .
Use the Transcript to help students with reading comprehension and vocabulary .
The Daily Curriculum's Newsquiz tests students' knowledge of events in the news .
At the bottom of the page, please share your feedback about our show and curriculum . |
18,581 | 34881de3cde31ed85f7c399cf5a6b6168010139c | TEHRAN, Iran (CNN) -- Iran should be allowed to pursue its nuclear program for peaceful purposes, Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Tuesday during the first visit to the country by a Kremlin leader since 1943. Putin, right, is greeted by Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad following his arrival in Tehran. Putin, who is in Tehran to attend a summit of Caspian Sea nations, said that he and the other leaders agreed that "peaceful nuclear activities must be allowed" in the region. "The Iranians are cooperating with Russian nuclear agencies and the main objectives are peaceful objectives," he said. Russia is building Iran's first nuclear power plant and has resisted moves by the U.S. and its allies to impose stronger U.N. sanctions against Tehran. On Monday, U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates reiterated the Bush administration's stance that "all options" must be kept "on the table" in confronting the threats posed by Iran -- a reference to the option of using military action against the long-time U.S. adversary. "We should have no illusions about the nature of this regime or its leaders -- about their designs for their nuclear program, their willingness to live up to their rhetoric, their intentions for Iraq, or their ambitions in the Gulf region," Gates said in a speech to the Jewish Institute for National Security Affairs. The leaders of Iran, Russia, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan and Azerbaijan also met Tuesday to reach agreement on issues relating to the sharing and regulating of the Caspian Sea -- the world's largest inland body of water. Speaking afterwards, Putin said that no Caspian nation should offer its territory to third parties intent on military action against other countries in the region -- a reference to rumors that the U.S. planned to use Azerbaijan as a base for a possible attack against Iran, The Associated Press reported. "We are saying that no Caspian nation should offer its territory to third powers for use of force or military aggression against any Caspian state," Putin said. "The Caspian Sea is an inland sea and it only belongs to the Caspian states, therefore only they are entitled to have their ships and military forces here," added Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. Putin, defying reports of an assassination plot against him, was greeted by Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki as he stepped off his plane at Tehran's Mehrabad Airport. During a news conference Monday after talks with German Chancellor Angela Merkel in Wiesbaden, Germany, Putin said rumors of an attempt on his life would not stop his plans. "Of course I will travel to Iran," Putin said. "If I reacted to these kinds of rumors every time, I could never leave the house." Iranian officials denied there was an assassination plot against Putin, with a Foreign Ministry spokesman describing rumors of a possible terrorist action during the Putin visit baseless. "Spreading this kind of totally false news lacks any value and cannot damage the trend of the prepared programs," spokesman Mohammadali Hosseini told the Iranian FARS news agency. Hosseini blamed the rumor on Western media, particularly the U.S. media, saying the report was "made up by the enemies of relations between Iran and Russia to create a psychological war." Putin's visit is the first by a leader in the Kremlin to Iran since Joseph Stalin's World War II conference meeting with U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt and British Prime Minister Winston Churchill. "Putin's trip to Tehran is a show of Russia's independence in global affairs. Putin, who approaches the end of his term, wants to demonstrate that he wouldn't cave in to the U.S. pressure," said Alexander Pikayev, an expert on Iran with Russia's Institute for World Economy and International Relations, in a report carried by AP. Putin's schedule also includes meetings with Ahmadinejad and Iran's supreme leader, Ali Khamenei, AP said. E-mail to a friend . Copyright 2007 CNN. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Associated Press contributed to this report. | Russian President Putin backs Iran's "peaceful" nuclear program during visit .
Putin in Tehran to attend summit of Caspian Sea nations to discuss oil rights .
Iran, Russia set to discuss Iranian nuclear program, U.S. push for sanctions .
Putin downplay rumors of assassination plot; Iran says claims are "baseless" |
18,967 | 35a8bd6bb847195e13fbb424b4052c9e54ab9d63 | By . Mark Duell . A flooring salesman who left school at 16 is set to become one of Britain’s richest men as he stands to pocket £520million when the firm behind the hit game Candy Crush floats on the stock market. Mel Morris, a former Derby County FC director, has a 12 per cent stake in King Digital Entertainment - maker of the addictive game involving moving candies to make a line of three in the same colour. The father-of-two was also behind dating website uDate, launched in 1998, which was sold for £100million in 2003 and netted him £20million, some of which was later invested into King. Scroll down for video . In the money: Mel Morris (left, in his LinkedIn photo) has a 12 per cent stake in King Digital Entertainment, maker of Candy Crush (right) - which involving moving candies to make a line of three in the same colour . Entrepreneur: Mr Morris was also behind dating website uDate, launched in 1998, which was sold for £100million in 2003 and netted him £20million, some of which was later invested into King . Mr Morris, 58, who was born in Littleover, Derbyshire, set up a hardwood flooring firm and property company in Spain upon leaving school - and was a management consultant by the age of 20. Later on came uDate, whose success was put down to matching innovative technology with a large customer base. Three years after that sale, he was part of a consortium that took over Derby County. Mr Morris, who is married, then sold his internet security company Prevx in 2010 - which produced anti-virus software for businesses and individuals - for more than £10million to US giant Webroot. It was only revealed last month that Mr Morris was a significant player in King, after the firm’s filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission named him as chairman of the business. He is expected to shoot into The Sunday . Times Rich List - with his £520million from Candy Crush set to put him . in between the likes of Harry Potter author JK Rowling and entrepreneur . Peter Jones. Chief executive: Italian entrepreneur Riccardo Zacconi (pictured), 47, who has led King with Toby Rowland since co-founding the company in Sweden in 2003, will hold a 9.5 per cent stake after the IPO . Mr Morris lived from 1996 to 2004 in a three-bedroom home in an area of Belper, Derbyshire, with an average house value of £470,000, although his residence since then is not known. King - which gets 78 per cent of its revenue from Candy Crush, the most downloaded free app last year - expects to be worth £4.5billion when going public on the Nasdaq in the US this month. Candy Crush launched on Facebook in April 2012. The London-based firm’s game was released on Apple devices in November that year, followed by an app for Android devices a month later. The game - which was the top revenue-grossing app in 2013 - has been downloaded more than 500million times. The basic games are free, but players must pay for add-ons or extra ‘lives’. Italian entrepreneur Riccardo Zacconi, 47, who has led King since co-founding the company in Sweden in 2003, will hold a 9.5 per cent stake after the IPO. Addictive: The game - which was the top revenue-grossing app in 2013 - has been downloaded more than 500million times. The basic games are free, but players must pay for add-ons or extra 'lives' Mr Zacconi, who lives in London with . his Chinese-Swedish wife and son, is in line for a £300million payday. He co-founded the firm with Sebastian Knutsson, Thomas Hartwig, Lars Markgren and Patrik Stymne. The chief . executive of King - which was originally launched with the idea of . specialising in games that could be played on Yahoo! - also worked with . uDate until it was sold in 2003. Mr Zacconi lived in a three-bedroom flat worth £2.2million in South Kensington, central London, from 2007 to 2010, before moving to a three-bedroom house worth £1.4million in Bayswater, west London. King . wants to benefit from focusing on the £10billion market for mobile game . apps and avoid the fate of rivals such as Zynga, which has struggled to . make its games as popular on phones as online. King . said yesterday that it expects to price its initial public offering . (IPO) at $21-$24 (£13-14) per share, valuing it slightly higher than . Hasbro, the 90-year old maker of Monopoly, Scrabble and Nerf. Makers: Thomas Hartwig (left) and Sebastian Knutsson (right), co-founders of King with Mr Zacconi and two others. King was originally launched with the idea of specialising in games to be played on Yahoo! Twitter’s successful IPO in November and a surge in Facebook’s shares have fuelled speculation of other tech firms going public, including music-streaming service Spotify and lodging website AirBnB. Stellar popularity has now helped King's revenue grow to £361million in the fourth quarter of 2013 from £13million in the first quarter of 2012. But most of that growth was fulled by Candy Crush rather than any of the 180 games King provides through mobile phones, Facebook and its own website. King, which has more than 650 employees, has focused on launching more games on mobile platforms, a market that analysts expect will grow to £10billion this year from just £4billion in 2010. Big hit: Candy Crush launched on Facebook in April 2012. The London-based firm's game was released on Apple devices in November that year, followed by an app for Android devices a month later . Zynga's stock price has halved since its IPO in 2011 as the popularity of the Farmville game waned, while Finland's Rovio has struggled to replicate the success of Angry Birds. King's IPO is scheduled to be priced on March 25, and the stock will start trading on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol ‘KING’ on March 26. Of the 22.2million shares on sale in the offering, the company will sell 15.5million, while stockholders, including Apax Ventures, will sell 6.7million shares, King said. Unlike most other tech companies that have gone public recently, King is profitable, has no debt and generated positive cash flow from operations for each of the last nine years. LORD SUGAR . Born to a poor Jewish family in Hackney, east London, Lord Sugar famously started out with just £100 in 1967, selling aerials out of the back of a van. But he sold his electronics firm Amstrad for £125million in 2007 and now has £150million cash as well as a large property portfolio. Sugar is also known for his catchphrase 'You're fired' on his entrepreneurial BBC TV show The Apprentice. The 66-year-old former Tottenham Hotspur FC chairman is now in 98th place on The Sunday Times Rich List with an estimated worth of £860million. DUNCAN BANNATYNE . Former car trader Duncan Bannantyne famously bought an ice cream van for £450 before eventually selling 'Duncan's Super Ices' for £28,000. The grandfather-of-two, who is known best for featuring on BBC TV show Dragon's Den - for which he is paid £950 a day - also sold his nursing home business for £46million in 1996 and now operates Bannatyne’s Health Clubs. But the 65-year-old has suffered financial problems and huge company debts more recently, with his divorce from wife Joanne last year costing him £345million. JULIAN DUNKERTON . Julian Dunkerton, whose plan to become a doctor fell down when he only got three Es at A-level, decided at 19 that he wanted to launch a fashion business. So he worked in a factory and as a fruit picker to raise enough money to rent a shop, before opening an indoor market stall. His Cheltenham-based business made £16,000 in his first year, 1985 - and his Superdry clothing is now favoured by celebrities including ex-footballer David Beckham and actress Kate Winslet. The father-of-four now receives a salary of £400,000. Last year his company SuperGroup reported a 22 per cent surge in pre-tax profits and annual revenue of £360million. The 48-year-old is 413rd in The Sunday Times Rich List, with an estimated worth of £197million. | Father-of-two Mel Morris, 58, is a former director of Derby County FC .
12% stake in King Digital of London, which expects to be worth £4.5bn .
It involves moving candies to make a line of three in the same colour .
Morris is also behind dating website uDate, sold for £100m in 2003 .
And he sold his internet security company Prevx in 2010 for £10m .
Italian entrepreneur Riccardo Zacconi, 47, has led King since 2003 . |
198,619 | 8d1a8af8fa0d89eae26f4a87c976c6f7ed6b1855 | The owner of a small drone that smashed onto the White House grounds early on Monday was a federal government employee, who said he breached the secure perimeter by accident. The unidentified man, who is from Washington D.C. and does not work at the White House, came forward hours after the pre-dawn incident triggered a major emergency response and raised fresh questions about security at the mansion. A U.S. official said that the man contacted the Secret Service after reports of the crash spread across the media, and he told the agency he had been flying the drone for fun. A federal government employee contacted the Secret Service to say he was responsible for the drone that landed on the White House South Lawn, pictured, early Monday. He said he did not intend for it to go near the White House and that he had been flying it for fun . The Secret Service searched the North Lawn on Monday morning to see if anything else might be on the ground . The discovery was confirmed during a briefing on the president's trip to India and the Secret Service are currently investigating the device . Emergency vehicles surrounded the southeast corner of the White House during the pre-dawn incident . In a statement released Monday, Secret Service spokesman Brian Leary said: 'The individual has been interviewed by Secret Service agents and been fully cooperative. 'Initial indications are that this incident occurred as a result of recreational use of the device. 'This investigation continues as the Secret Service conducts corroborative interviews, forensic examinations and reviews all other investigative leads.' Florida Republican Rep. John Mica said the Secret Service wasn't taking the necessary steps to address the new security concern that drones presented. 'You could put light explosives on a drone and they could do an incredible amount of damage not only to the White House but to the Capitol and other government facilities. 'I know there are technologies available that can disable the electronics of a drone, and that's something they should be thinking about.' The drone was too small to be detected by the White House's radar system, the New York Times reported. It it designed to detect flying objects such as planes, missiles and large drones. The White House was put on lockdown for more than two hours on Monday morning after the crash, even though President Obama and his wife were not home at the time. A U.S. Secret Service officer on duty saw and heard the two-foot-wide commercial drone fly at a low altitude into the heavily guarded complex and crash on the southeast side at 3.08am, the agency said. 'An investigation is underway to determine the origin of this commercially available device, motive, and to identify suspects,' a Secret Service spokeswoman said in an earlier statement. Josh Earnest, the White House Press Secretary, said it did not appear to pose an ongoing threat to anyone in the building. He confirmed the discovery during a briefing on the president's trip to India and said both of the president's daughters had been at home during the time of the incident. The White House saw an increased security presence early this morning as emergency vehicles with lights flashing were clustered near the southeast entrance to the mansion. A security perimeter was set up around the White House to restrict access. There has been a string of security breaches at the White House in recent months. In September, an army veteran with a knife hidden in his pants jumped the fence and made it as far into the East Room before he was tackled. The breach led to Secret Service director Julia Pierson's resignation. Just 24 hours later, a college student drove up to the White House's security screening point and refused to leave, prompting his arrest. The White House was briefly on lockdown this August after a toddler somehow managed to squeeze through the gates. The South Lawn of the White House on Monday morning. Monday's incident was just one of a string of security breaches at the estate in recent months . The White House has seen a string of security breaches in recent years, with over 40 fence jumpers making it on to the estate in the past five years, including four in just the last year. Other incidents have included a wandering toddler, a naked man, and eager reality stars. October 2014: Dominic Adesanya jumped the fence and made it onto the North Lawn before being taken down by two security dogs and arrested by the Secret Service. September 2014: Omar J. Gonzalez, an Iraq army veteran with a knife in his pants, scaled the fence from the Pennsylvania Avenue side of the White House and made it inside. He overpowered an officer at the entrance and ran through most of the main floor and made it to the East Room before he was finally captured. The shocking security breach launched congressional hearings and led to Secret Service director Julie Pierson's resignation. Just 24 hours later college student Kevin Carr was arrested for trespassing after he parked his car at a security checkpoint outside the estate and refused to leave. And in the same month a man wearing a Pikachu hat and carrying a plush doll of the Pokemon jumped the fence and walked on to the North Lawn. August 2014: The White House went on lockdown after a toddler somehow managed to squeeze through the gates. May 2014: A man was arrested for indecent exposure after stripping off all his clothes when he was denied access outside the White House. June 2013: Joseph Reed crashed a driverless jeep filled with bullets, knives and two machetes into the Pennsylvania Ave. gate, hoping to create a diversion so he could spray paint a 'Don't tread on me' snake - a symbol sometimes associated with the Tea Party movement - on the side of the White House. November 2009: In one of the most famous and extensive of breaches, reality TV stars Michaele and Tareq Salahi from Bravo show The Real Housewives of D.C. slipped past two Secret Service checkpoints and managed to crash a state dinner party that they were not on the guest list for. | Two-foot-wide commercial drone landed in a tree just after 3am Monday .
Drone was too small to be detected by White House radar system .
Man does not work at the White House and said breach was an accident .
Secret Service agents are conducting interviews to corroborate his story .
Obama and wife Michelle are currently on a three-day visit to India .
Daughters Sasha and Malia were at home at the time of the incident . |
80,493 | e430cab52f65518926659d523cb305c60d05d104 | An Ohio sheriff defended the killings of more than four dozen lions, tigers and other wild animals Wednesday after they were turned loose from a farm outside Zanesville by its suicidal owner. Of the 56 animals released Tuesday night, only a grizzly bear, two monkeys and three leopards were taken alive, Muskingum County Sheriff Matt Lutz said. One monkey remained unaccounted for Wednesday night, but Lutz and conservationist Jack Hanna, who assisted in the effort, said the animal may have been eaten by one of the big cats. Lutz told reporters earlier that the farm's owner, Terry Thompson, pried open cages and left the farm's fences open before dying from a self-inflicted gunshot wound Tuesday afternoon. Lutz told CNN's "Anderson Cooper 360" that none of his deputies are equipped with tranquilizer guns. And with night falling Tuesday, he gave the order to kill the escaped animals. "If this had been a 9 o'clock or 10 o'clock incident, in the middle of the day, odds are high that we may have been able to surround the area and keep everything contained," he said. "But our biggest problem that we had was nightfall. We had about an hour, hour and a half of light, and we just couldn't take the chance." Humane Society doesn't fault authorities for shooting animals . As of Wednesday afternoon, authorities had killed 49 animals -- 18 tigers, 17 lions, six black bears, two grizzly bears, three mountain lions, two wolves and a baboon. Those captured alive were taken to the Columbus Zoo. Hanna, the zoo's director emeritus, said he was upset by loss of "precious" animals, but defended the decision to use deadly force. "To have no one hurt or killed here with 40-something animals getting loose is unbelievable," he told CNN's "The Situation Room." Hanna led a team of experts who arrived with four tranquilizer guns late Tuesday in an effort to corral the animals. He said the drugs take several minutes to subdue an animal even with a good shot, and one tiger had to be killed Wednesday afternoon when it turned on a veterinarian after being hit with a tranquilizer dart. Overnight, sheriff's deputies searched the eastern Ohio woods around Zanesville with night-vision gear and patrolled in pickups, armed with shotguns. Flashing signs on the highways in eastern Ohio warned motorists Wednesday: "Caution. Exotic animals." Schools were closed, and some frightened residents said they were keeping to their homes as sheriff's deputies hunted lions, tigers, leopards and grizzly bears. "Yeah, there's a lion on Mount Perry Road. ... I just drove by and it walked out in front of me and was standing there under the street light," one caller to 911 told deputies. Zanesville Mayor Howard Zwelling said he received calls from people who were concerned that the animals had been killed. He said authorities were trying to use tranquilizers whenever possible. But Lutz told reporters, "We are not talking about your normal everyday house cat or dog. "These are 300-pound Bengal tigers that we have had to put down," he said. CNN.com readers express outrage at situation . Thompson's property is about 2 miles outside Zanesville. The 62-year-old had been released from a federal prison September 30 after pleading guilty earlier this year to possessing illegal firearms, including five fully automatic firearms. A civil case seeking forfeiture of firearms was pending, according to the U.S. attorney's office in Ohio's Southern District. He also had been convicted of animal cruelty and animals at large in 2005 and was arrested several times for traffic violations. Authorities were waiting on the results of an autopsy to determine the exact cause of his death, but Lutz said Thompson shot himself just after releasing the animals. Sam Kopchak, Thompson's neighbor, said he saw lions and bears running free Tuesday evening, with one tiger chasing horses. Kopchak managed to get himself and his horse into his barn and telephoned his mother. "We have a major problem,:" he told her. That's when she called the police. Thompson had threatened to release animals . "It was like a war zone," Kopchak said when authorities descended on Thompson's property, set off the road named after Kopchak's family. Kopchak described Thompson as aloof. He loved animals. Kopchak saw him driving one time with a baby black bear on his chest. Lutz said authorities found primates inside the house. The community was in a state of "shock and surprise," said Tom Warne, owner of Donald's Donuts and a lifelong resident of Zanesville. "It's the craziest sort of thing," he said. Warne said he had met Thompson a few times. He used to come into the doughnut shop at one time. Opinion: Wild animals belong in the wild . The Humane Society of the United States and the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals urged Ohio officials Wednesday to issue an emergency rule to crack down on exotic animal ownership in the wake of the slaughter. A previous emergency order issued by then-Gov. Ted Strickland that prohibited people convicted of animal cruelty from owning exotic animals expired in April. The Humane Society said Thompson "would almost certainly have had his animals removed by May 1, 2011, if the emergency order had not expired." "Every month brings a new, bizarre, almost surreal incident involving privately held, dangerous wild animals," said Wayne Pacelle, president and CEO of the Humane Society. "In recent years, Ohioans have died and suffered injuries because the state hasn't stopped private citizens from keeping dangerous wild animals as pets or as roadside attractions. Owners of large, exotic animals are a menace to society, and it's time for the delaying on the rule-making to end." Fritz Douthitt, a volunteer at the Zanesville Animal Shelter Society, recalled Thompson's 2005 trial for cruelty and torture of cattle and bison. She said he had not been able to get up the hill to feed his livestock, and they died. Douthitt said it is inappropriate for people like Thompson to keep dangerous animals as pets, just as it was to shoot so many of them. Local governments, she said, ought to train law enforcement officers so they are prepared for bizarre cases such as the one that unfolded in Zanesville. For lions, tigers and bears to die, she said, was "unforgivable." | "We just couldn't take the chance," sheriff says .
Missing monkey may have been eaten, expert says .
"Yeah, there's a lion on Mount Perry Road"
The owner killed himself after freeing the animals . |
185,127 | 7bd1043a3e7d0d95addc6294cc770b1bca76a85c | (CNN) -- Authorities in Ecuador have banned alcohol sales in an emergency measure to stop contaminated drinks from reaching consumers after at least 21 people died. Officials announced the 72-hour national dry law Sunday after detecting alcohol poisoning cases in several parts of the country. Hospitals treated more than 100 people who fell ill after drinking bootleg liquor over the past week, the country's government said, and at least 21 people died as a result of apparent poisoning. Investigators determined that the liquor contained methanol -- an industrial-grade alcohol not intended for human consumption, Ecuador's Public Health Ministry said. "It is a potent poison that can in small quantities, including a quarter of a cup, cause the death of the individual that consumes it," Health Minister David Chiriboga told reporters. The liquor was sold in unlabeled bottles, with no indication of its contents or where it originated, Los Rios Gov. Jesus Narvaez told CNN affiliate Ecuavisa. Doctors in the province first began seeing cases of alcohol poisoning last Tuesday, Ecuador's government said. By Sunday, 103 patients showing symptoms had showed up at local hospitals. Authorities in Los Rios implemented a curfew, shut down bars and confiscated hundreds of unlabeled bottles containing bootleg alcohol, Ecuavisa reported. The liquor "was massively consumed" during a festival in the town of Urdaneta, Los Rios, Ecuador's government said in a statement. The 21 patients who died all haled from Los Rios, but similar poisoning cases have also been reported in at least four other areas, the government said. Authorities have arrested the liquor seller and continue investigating, police said. | NEW: Health minister: The contaminated alcohol contained a "potent poison"
NEW: A province governor says the alcohol came in unlabeled bottles .
Officials announce a 72-hour national dry law .
21 deaths are reported in Los Rios province . |
223,155 | ace2f8b681280528e7ad7802c1c04c85a0eb8566 | By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 13:57 EST, 13 March 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 14:43 EST, 13 March 2013 . A gaggle of famous tweeters has teamed up to raise £1million for Comic Relief... simply by asking their Twitter followers for the money. Some 29 celebrities - including mother-of-two Lily Cooper (formerly Lily Allen), radio presenter Fearne Cotton, singer Olly Murs, actor and comedian Simon Pegg and TV presenters Davina McCall, Kirstie Allsopp, Claudia Winkleman - are hoping to raise the first ever 'Twitter million' for the charity by Red Nose Day on Friday. Led by Emma Freud, director of Comic . Relief and partner of Richard Curtis who founded the charity in 1985, . #twittermillion has enlisted the help of famous faces who collectively . have over 14 million followers. This year will be the 25th anniversary for Comic Relief, which is what prompted Emma Freud, front holding 'Thank you!' sign to launch #twittermillion . Each high-profile tweeter . has asked 1,000 of their own followers to join their team and raise £50 . each, in friendly competition against the other teams. DIY darling Kirstie Allsopp has agreed to treat her team of merry tweeters by making home-made gifts for 20 of them as a thank-you. Members of other tweeting teams could be in for tasty rewards - Celebrity Masterchef winner Emma Kennedy is cooking dinner for one of her fundraising followers, and Claudia Winkleman is giving out doughnuts to her doting donators. Emma Kennedy said of #twittermillion: 'We chat to each other every day. We read each other's tweets. We're constantly connected. Wouldn't it be amazing if we all decided to do one small thing and in so doing, did something incredible?' 1. Olly murs 2. Simon Pegg 3. Sarah Millican 4. Lauren Laverne 5. Emma Kennedy . 6. Emma Freud 7. Lily Cooper 8. Dawn O'Porter 9. Melanie C 10. Claudia Winkleman . 11. Rufus Hound 12. Alison Moyet 13. Clare Balding 14. Sue Perkins 15. Kirstie Allsopp . 16. Davina McCall 17. Danny Baker 18. Richard Bacon 19.Tracey Thorn 20. Mitch Benn . 21. Myleene Klass 22. Gabby Logan 23. Carol Vorderman 24. Christian O'Connell . 25. Richard Herring 26. Krishnan Guru-Murthy 27. Fearne Cotton 28. Edith Bowman . 29.Peter Serafinowicz . Fearne Cotton, left, and Lily Cooper, right, are two of the 29 celebrities attempting to raise £1m for comic relief on Twitter . Organiser Emma Freud said: . Emma Freud with partner Richard Curtis after she was awarded an OBE for services to charity in 2011 . 'We became convinced that all that . gorgeous chatter on Twitter could be made to add up to hard cash. Convinced! 'So 28 of the greatest Tweeters on the internet, with a . collective following of 12 million, have begged and bribed their . followers to join their #twittermillion teams. 'To join their team, they . just need to think of something to raise money for comic . relief, to the tune of £50... or more! 'The competitive nature of the team . captains is such that they are competing hard to outdo each other - and . offering bribes to their followers to join their team. 'Rufus Hound is . giving one of his team members his Triumph Limited Edition Steve McQueen . Motorbike. 'Simon Pegg is inviting one of his team to the premiere of . Star Trek and the party afterwards to meet Benedict Cumberbatch. 'Claudia Winkleman is offering a set visit to Strictly, and the dress and . shoes she's wearing on BBC1 on Friday for Red Nose Day night. 'Carol Vorderman is giving her wardrobe. Not a wooden one, a clothing . one. 'And Team members are rallying with . incredible personal challenges to raise the £50 for their team . captains. My son is spending three days eating only cereal (#toughcall!), Emma Kennedy spent 25 hours camping on stage throughout Mark Watson's 25-Hour Stand Up Show, including weeing into a bucket in full view of the . audience. 'Dawn O'Porter has a follower being sponsored not to get lost . on the M25 (not quite sure how that works, but she's raised £65 so . far). Some of the tweets for #twittermillion . 'Lauren Laverne is being sponsored to cook for her husband - she . last did it in 2004 and he has begged her to reconsider, but she's doing . it for Comic Relief so he will just have to suffer. 'One of my team is . having a drinking competition during our TV show on Friday - where she . drinks a shot every time a track by Coldplay comes on... she's going to . be legless, and we'll make a fortune. 'We have sponsored silences, . sponsored pregnancies, cake sales, jewellery sales, massage sales, . oddjob sales - and today a man joined a #twittermillion team saying that since he is severely disabled and the only thing he could do would be togive up . swearing... so he's doing that! 'The competition between the team . captains, the extravagance of the bribes for team members, and the . brilliance of the feats being undertaken to raise money have all taken . my breath away. 'I have no more breath now, it's all gone, and we . have raised thousands! No figures yet as we don't want to . demoralise Peter Serafinowicz (who has raised £20 and has two team . members), but these tweeters have become alchemists and turned twitter . into gold. And Comic Relief are the lucky beneficiaries.' To get involved visit Twitter and search for #twittermillion and to see which celebrities are doing best click here. | Organised by Emma Freud, director of Comic Relief .
Freud's partner Richard Curtis founded the charity 25 year ago .
Aiming to raise £1m by each asking 1,000 followers to fundraise £50 .
Project using hashtag #twittermillion .
Need to raise money by Red Nose Day on Friday . |
267,069 | e5ec0f73feed2e69cace4f917eb7e5fdff43598b | By . Ben Spencer . PUBLISHED: . 19:50 EST, 17 March 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 03:24 EST, 18 March 2013 . Determined: Hilary Devey says she cannot find enough women to work in senior positions, because they put their families first . One of Britain’s leading female business executives says she cannot find enough women to work in senior positions, because they put their families first. Dragons’ Den panellist Hilary Devey said many of the women she encounters in the workplace are better than their male counterparts – but they will not commit to serving at the highest levels. The 56-year-old haulage tycoon, whose third marriage ended in divorce last month, said: ‘The glass ceiling does not exist. You find a good woman in business and she’ll often be better than a man – the problem is finding them.’ She continued: ‘I can’t get any women on my board because women generally put their partner and children first.’ Miss Devey launched her freight distribution company Pall-Ex in 1996 to fund her son Mevlit’s education. She . made her first million within three years and is now worth an estimated . £50million. The entrepreneur has previously said the ‘myth’ of a glass . ceiling is a poor excuse for women not rising to the top. ‘There are lots of myths about why women are under-represented in the boardroom, but the excuse about a “glass ceiling” is the worst. I am living proof there’s no such thing,’ she said last August. ‘The sooner we stop complaining about our biological differences and get down to work, the sooner more women will rise to the top.’ The Bolton-born daughter of a pub landlord yesterday said her earliest memory was the bailiffs ‘taking every stick of furniture’ when her father was declared bankrupt. ‘It felt like an injustice,’ she said, adding: ‘I’m in business to make money. The road to success was always crystal clear, I knew what I wanted and I made it happen. Did I envisage my business to be the monster it is today? Of course I did. Out of the Dragons' lair: Miss Devey will leave BBC2's Dragons' Den this year to star in her own Channel 4 show, The Intern . ‘My company turns over £100million a year and I’m not at all surprised.’ Miss Devey will leave BBC2’s Dragons’ Den this year and her own Channel 4 show, The Intern, starts on March 28. She confessed to struggling with building lasting relationships in the wake of the end of her marriage to third husband Philip Childs, a property developer. ‘I’ve been divorced three times now and I’m not bothered about ever having a fourth husband. ‘It doesn’t work – particularly in circumstances where one partner has all the wealth,’ she told the Observer Magazine. ‘I find it hard to trust people, particularly men. They either end up gay, trying to fleece me, or… running off.’ | Business guru, 56, cannot find enough women for top jobs .
Haulage tycoon's marriage to third husband Philip Childs ended last month .
Dragon says glass ceiling 'is a myth' |
270,773 | eab8a2934087324ec3fa66a24ad572dd1a5bd326 | England head coach Stuart Lancaster is hoping the comforts of home might help to bring a little normality to his quest for World Cup glory in 2015. Lancaster is well aware of the pressure he and his players will be under as the hosts attempt to lift the Webb Ellis trophy for just the second time. However, he is hoping a break from the intensity of the competition could prove crucial to their chances of success on home soil. England head coach Stuart Lancaster at the unveiling of the 2015 World Cup sign on Newcastle's Tyne Bridge . Lancaster believes England players can benefit by 'switching off' during a world cup on home soil . Lancaster, who was speaking in host city Newcastle as he marked the start of World Cup year, said: 'It's quite hard for all of us to understand the impact. 'The event this evening, just speaking to the guys about the interest in Newcastle on an evening like this probably brings it all home, so when the clock ticks to 2015, for all of us life will be different. 'But the one thing I would also say is I remember reading an article when I was in New Zealand in 2011 that Dan Carter had written about the advantages of being in a home World Cup where actually, whilst the intense scrutiny in massive and the pressure is huge in terms of home expectation, you can get home. Ben Morgan (No 8) celebrates with team-mates after scoring a try for England against Australia in November . 'You can get out of the bubble of the World Cup, on your day off, you can actually physically go home, you can see family and friends and have a bit of normality in your life, so actually being in England in one way raises expectation, but in another way, allows the players to get a little bit of normality as well. 'I know when I arrived in 2011 in New Zealand, it's a long way from home when you are in the middle of that intense period, so that's one thing to our advantage, and obviously just having the home support as well will be a huge thing for us.' Players can switch off from the 'intense scrutiny' during the World Cup by going home, says Lancaster . | England players can benefit from hosting 2015 World Cup .
Stuart Lancaster believes his squad can 'switch off' by heading home .
He says this will allow them to be out of the 'intense scrutiny' for a period .
Lancaster: 'You can get out of bubble of the World Cup on your day off' |
162,477 | 5e101a32473e095d4b261ecf4c334533f3a35147 | By . Tara Brady . PUBLISHED: . 20:48 EST, 20 May 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 11:50 EST, 21 May 2013 . It was a film that came to symbolise the second intifada as Palestinian-Israeli tensions exploded into war. But iconic footage of a 12-year-old Palestinian boy being shot dead during a gunfight between Israeli and Palestinian soldiers has been branded a fake and a 'blood libel' - 13 years after it shocked the world. A new Israeli report into Muhammad al Dura's death in the Gaza Strip claims the images may . have been staged by France 2, the French television station that broke the story in 2000. The claims, which will reignite tensions in an already highly-volatile region, have caused such outrage in Gaza that al Dura's father himself has offered to exhume his son's body so an international inspection can be carried out. Scroll down for video . The pictures of Mohammed and Jamal al-Dura under fire in Gaza were shown around the world in 2000 . The 55-second clip, that was seen by millions of television viewers across the world when it aired on September 30, 2000, showed al Dura clinging to his father, Jamal, behind a barrel as bullets flew around them. The father is seen gesturing frantically to try to stop the shooting as the boy screams in terror. The . camera then cuts to a shot of the motionless boy slumped in his . father's lap. A French TV report blamed Israeli troops for killing the . boy which Israel has long disputed. Images . of al Dura taken from the film were reproduced on stamps, and on murals . painted across the Middle East; schools and streets were named . after him; and he became viewed as a martyr in Gaza. The France 2 television network report, . which aired days after the Palestinian uprising . erupted, directly blamed al-Dura's death on Israeli forces. But presenting the report yesterday, Israel's minister for strategic affairs Yuval Steinitz branded the programme 'utterly baseless' and a 'modern-day blood libel against the state of Israel.' Bizarrely, the Israeli Defence Forces . (IDF) even admitted killing the boy by accident at first, but quickly backtracked claiming he was in fact slain by Palestinian friendly . fire. Israel later blamed the 'mistake' on the 'fog of war', claiming it was made before all the evidence was gathered. The father is seen gesturing frantically to try to stop the shooting as the boy screams in terror . Unforgettable: The camera cuts to a shot of the motionless child slumped in his father's lap . Israel now says France 2's claim that Israeli forces killed the . boy is misleading, provides no evidence and is part of a smear campaign . against the Jewish state. The 44-page report of . its investigation, ordered last year by Israel's current Defence . Minister Moshe Yaalon, says it also 'served as an inspiration and . justification for terrorism, antisemitism and the delegitimising of . Israel'. It said France 2 failed to broadcast . peripheral footage, not aired in the original programme, in which the . boy 'is seen to be alive' and 'moved his arm and turned his head', adding that there was no evidence the boy . was shot by Israeli troops or that he was even killed at all. Proof of this, it said, was that there were no blood marks on the scene or bullet wounds in the alleged . victims. Remembering: Baraa al-Dura, sister of Mohammed al-Dura poses with a picture of her sibling in Bureij Refugee Camp in the Gaza Strip . 'It is important to focus on this . incident, which has slandered Israel's reputation,' Israeli Prime . Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said at a ceremony where the report was . delivered to him, branding it a 'manifestation of of the ongoing, mendacious campaign to deligitimise Israel'. The second Palestinian intifada or uprising broke out at the end of September 2000 and is named after the Jerusalem mosque complex where the violence began.Frustrations that years of the negotiation had failed to deliver a Palestinian state were intensified by the collapse of the Camp David summit in July 2000.Ariel Sharon, then the leader of Israel's opposition, paid a visit to the site in East Jerusalem known to Muslims as Haram al-Sharif, and to Jews as Temple Mount, which houses the al-Aqsa mosque - and frustration boiled over into violence. In one of the enduring images of the conflict 12-year-old Muhammad Durrah is killed during a gunbattle between Israeli troops and Palestinians in the Gaza strip, kindling Palestinian anger about the growing number of children killed by Israeli forces. The army initially apologises, but later casts doubt on whether its forces killed the boy. The Sharm al-Sheikh agreement, brokered by President Clinton, aims to end the upsurge in violence. It breaks down almost immediately. 'This . is a manifestation of the ongoing mendacious campaign to delegitimize . Israel. There is only one way to counter lies, and that is through the . truth.' No autopsy was conducted, and the Israeli investigation was based primarily on expert interviews and analysis of the raw film. However, Israel have at no point been able to offer a suggestion as to Muhammad's current whereabouts. The boy's father, Jamal al-Dura, on . Monday said he is willing to have his son's body exhumed so a pathological examination can be carried out, including DNA testing to understand the true details of the boy's death. 'If . he is still alive, who was the one who was shot in my arms and killed?' he asked. 'The entire world saw how my beloved son was killed.' Upon the report's release, France 2 immediately rejected its claims, calling for an independent inquiry. The programme's reporter Charles Enderline said he was happy to take a polygraph test and would even be willing to help Muhammad's father exhume the body to 'clarify the circumstances of the incident.' Enderline added that Israeli investigators had at no point attempted to contact him or Mr al-Dura. Israeli commentators who believe . their country has been unfairly punished for the case nonetheless . questioned the decision to conduct a new investigation, saying it was . unlikely to sway already hardened opinions around the world. 'On one hand, it's better late than . never. On the other, the damage has already been done,' wrote Ben-Dror . Yemini, a columnist for the Maariv daily. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the incident had 'slandered Israel's reputation' 'No report, and certainly not a report commissioned by the Israeli government, is going to decrease the damage. 'We have already been defeated in the battle between lies and the truth. The lies won.' Yossi Kuperwasser, the Israeli official who led the investigation, said it was imperative to set the record straight. 'The . entire idea that Israel is a child killer ... is first and foremost . based on the Mohammad al-Dura story,' he told The Associated Press. Jamal al-Dura and his family clean the grave of their son Mohammed, at the Bureij cemetery in the central of Gaza Strip . It was said Mohammed died in the arms of his father after being caught in crossfire between Israeli soldiers and Palestinians. But Israel Israel has produced a new report to suggest there is no proof the boy died or even injured . Israel has long disputed the accusation the Mohammed al-Dura was killed by Israeli forces . 'This case ... is still being used by people who are committing terror attacks against Israel. It still feeds the hatred.' Despite claiming Muhammad was not . killed and may not have even been injured, the report offers no . suggestion of his whereabouts 13 years on. According . to his father, Muhammad was killed on the spot by gunfire and was . buried in the al-Bureij refugee cam. 'Muhammad is not just my son,' he . said. 'He's the son of entire Palestinian nation.' | Muhammad al-Dura was shot dead during the second Palestian uprising .
Footage showed the boy clinging to his father before slumping into his lap .
French TV network France 2 aired the clip and blamed boy's death on Israel .
New Israeli report claims there is no evidence the boy was actually wounded .
His father Jamal says he is willing to have his son's body exhumed .
Israeli minister brands film 'utterly baseless' and 'modern-day blood libel' |
88,254 | fa84410ac8c249ff9aba302d0d0c3073d0ff89bd | BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- An Iraqi report on last month's shootings involving security contractor Blackwater USA called the incident "pre-meditated murder" and is calling for $8 million in compensation for each of the 17 Iraqis who died, a senior Iraqi government official said Monday. Lawyer Hassan Jabbar lies in a hospital after being injured in a shooting involving Blackwater contractors. The results of the Iraqi investigation into the shootings is complete and will be presented to Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki's government for review, the official said. The report calls for the payments to go to the families of each of those killed in the shootings, he said. Iraqi government spokesman Ali al-Dabbagh said Sunday that the Iraqi commission investigating the shootings has accused the company's guards of firing indiscriminately and without provocation on citizens and violating the rights of Iraqis. Blackwater said its contractors "acted lawfully and appropriately in response to a hostile attack," and "the civilians reportedly fired upon by Blackwater professionals were, in fact, armed enemies, and Blackwater personnel returned defensive fire." The September 16 shooting also left 27 other people wounded, al-Dabbagh said. Seven vehicles were also destroyed in the incident, which occurred around Nusoor Square in western Baghdad. Al-Dabbagh said the commission, formed September 22, determined there was no evidence the Blackwater convoy was under direct or indirect fire. "Not even a stone was thrown at them," al-Dabbagh said. He added the contractors violated the rules of conduct and regulations for private security firms operating in Iraq. "They must be held accountable according to the law," he said. However, security contractors have immunity from Iraqi law under a provision put into place in the early days of the U.S.-led occupation. Watch how supervision has been tightened on contractors » . Blackwater security contractors were guarding a State Department convoy. The company is one of a number of private security contractors in Iraq. Last month's shooting has sparked fury in both countries and led to a series of new steps reviewing the role of U.S. contractors in Iraq. The Iraqi-American joint committee met for the first time Sunday to begin reviewing security operations. It plans to issue a report offering recommendations to the Iraqi and U.S. governments. Border crossings reopen . Five border crossings between Iran and Iraq's Kurdish region have been reopened, an Iraqi Kurdish regional government spokesman said. Iran closed its border with the Iraqi region nearly two weeks ago to protest the U.S. military's incarceration of an Iranian arrested September 20 in Sulaimaniya. The U.S. military maintains that Mahmoud Farhadi was posing as a businessman with a trade delegation and was in charge of Zafar Command, one of three units of the Ramazan Corps of the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps' Quds Force. Iraqi President Jalal Talabani blasted the United States for the arrest, saying Farhadi is an Iranian civil servant who was on an official trade mission in the region. The U.S. military has long accused Quds Force agents of training and equipping Iraqi insurgents, an allegation Iran vehemently denies. Other developments . CNN's Jomana Karadsheh contributed to this report. | "Not even a stone was thrown at them," Iraqi official says of Blackwater guards .
Iraq says 17 Iraqis killed by Blackwater guards in Baghdad square .
Blackwater, Iraqi officials have starkly different accounts of what happened .
Iraqi panel is calling for $8 million per victim in the September 16 shooting . |
140,330 | 417631a8c725d2a6068c28932e2ae39715d0ae66 | Japanese researchers found that high rice consumption, or eating lots of high GI foods, led to good quality sleep . If you can't sleep at night then it might be worth changing what you have for dinner. Scientists have discovered that eating lots of rice can trigger a deep slumber, while pasta and noodles can actually hinder sleep. The Japanese researchers also found eating bread products - including white bread, pancakes and pizza - had no effect on the quality of sleep. They say eating food high on the glycaemic index (GI) - such as rice - was found to be associated with good quality sleep. Foods with a high GI release sugar in the blood more quickly, leading to spikes in blood sugar levels that can last for a longer time. Low GI foods, on the other hand, tend to cause small blood sugar rises that don’t last as long. A high GI diet may affect sleep quality because of the effects of tryptophan, an amino acid known for its tranquilising effects and link to the sleep-inducing hormone melatonin. This backs up previous research which found eating a meal high in carbohydrate - with a high GI - increased the amount of tryptophan being transported into the brain compared with other amino acids. In the brain, tryptophan is converted into serotonin and then to melatonin, which induces sleep. According to the study, people in Japan consume up to ten times more rice than those in Europe and North America. Rice accounts for approximately 28 per cent of the Japanese people’s daily energy intake. The study analysed data from the annual health examinations of 1,848 factory workers (1,164 men and 684 women). The Industrial Health and Safety Law in Japan requires that employers offer annual health examinations to all of their employees, so this data could be used by researchers. The participants also answered a questionnaire in 2003 and a year later in 2004 on health-related behaviours such as their diet, whether they smoked and how much exercise they took. To assess the participants’ sleep quality, researchers used the Japanese version of the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, which assesses a person’s quality of sleep. This looked at sleep quality; the amount of time it took to fall asleep after the lights were turned off, duration, efficiency, disturbances, use of medication and how the workers felt and performed during the day. Those with a higher rice intake and higher GI intake scored much better on the sleep scale - i.e. they slept well. The researchers also found a higher rice and GI intake were linked with better sleep duration. Higher noodle intake, however, was associated with a more frequent sleep disturbance, higher levels of daytime dysfunction, increased use of sleep medication, poorer subjective sleep quality, and taking longer to get to sleep, they found. Bread consumption was not found to be linked to sleep quality. Writing in the study, the researchers said: ‘The present study indicates that high consumption of rice and a high dietary GI are associated with good sleep, especially good sleep duration. 'Meanwhile, higher noodle consumption is associated with poor sleep quality. The effects of starchy foods on sleep may differ according to their GI values. 'Diets with a high-GI, especially those with high rice intake, may contribute to good sleep.' The research was published in the journal PLOS ONE. Experts said that high GI foods might lead to good sleep because of the effect of the amino acid tryptophan (pictured), known to have a tranqilising affect, and sleep-inducing hormone melatonin . | High rice intake or high GI intake associated with good sleep, study found .
But eating a lot of noodles or pasta led to a bad night's sleep .
Bread consumption had no effect on slumber, said Japanese researchers .
Foods with high GI release sugar into the blood more quickly .
Also help more sleep-inducing tryptophan and melatonin enter the brain . |
75,154 | d519dfd4a852228b074cff7e1b28252134da9894 | (CNN) -- While he's enormously concerned about what secrets self-avowed NSA leaker Edward Snowden may yet spill, President Barack Obama said Thursday he's not going to take extraordinary measures to capture him. "I'm not going to be scrambling jets to get a 29-year-old hacker," he told reporters during a news conference in Senegal, his first stop on a tour of several African nations. Obama hadn't talked to leaders of China and Russia about Snowden -- who actually turned 30 a few days ago -- in part because he didn't want to amp up the issue and have to start "wheeling and dealing" in order to get the fugitive in U.S. custody. In a speech Thursday, National Security Agency director Keith Alexander ceded he's worried there may be more leaks from Snowden. "These leaks have caused significant and irreversible damage to our nation's security," Alexander said. "... What is going on, in these leaks, is unconscionable in my opinion, it hurts our nation and our allies. And it's flat wrong." Snowden has said he gave reporters information about secret surveillance out of concern these programs violate privacy rights and put too much power in the hands of government officials. As Snowden seeks asylum, U.S. bides its time . Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro said Tuesday his country would consider a formal request for political asylum from Snowden -- which it hadn't then received -- and Foreign Minister Elias Jaua reiterated that position Thursday. Another Latin American country, Ecuador, is probably Snowden's most widely rumored destination -- and subject of a growing spat with the United States because of it. Snowden has sought asylum there, the same country that has already agreed to shelter WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, albeit at its embassy in London. On Wednesday, U.S. Sen. Robert Menendez, D-New Jersey, said he would move to block Ecuador from two U.S. free-trade programs should Snowden go there. "Our government will not reward countries for bad behavior," he said. 4 options for the U.S. to get Snowden back . Ecuadorian presidential spokesman Fernando Alvarado responded Thursday by saying his the nation would spare Menendez and his Senate colleagues the trouble. "We will not accept any threats or pressure from anyone," Alvarado told reporters. "We will not deal or trade in our principles. No matter how important the trade advantage may be." The programs in question aren't free-trade agreements but U.S. laws that don't require Ecuadorian consent, so Alvarado's declaration may have little more than a symbolic effect. "I'm not sure you can really withdraw from them one way or another," State Department spokesman Patrick Ventrell said. While he didn't offer specifics, Ventrell did say he'd expect "grave difficulties" in relations if Ecuador granted Snowden asylum. The two countries have been at odds publicly, but remain linked economically. Ecuador, for instance, sent about $9.6 billion of goods to the United States in 2011, according to the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative. The head of the Ecuadorian Business Committee said he's worried that "very important" commerce between the two nations could be negatively impacted as a result of this tiff. "It's a risk to give asylum to Snowden because the United States, they could consider some economic sanction, including commercial sanctions," said Roberto Aspiazu. Still in Moscow . Snowden apparently remained in limbo at Moscow's airport, a free man according to Russian officials but with limited options. Why would Snowden head for Ecuador? He didn't appear to board Thursday's flight from Moscow to Havana, where he had been rumored to be heading on his way to Ecuador or some other safe haven. While he has applied to Ecuador for asylum, that request has not yet been "dealt with" because Snowden is not in the country, Ecuadorian Political Affairs Secretary Betty Tola told reporters. She denied the country granted Snowden refugee travel papers, as Assange told reporters this week. Opinion: Why Ecuador might shelter Snowden . Assange said Snowden traveled from Hong Kong to Moscow on Sunday using documents provided by Ecuador. Other governments have not specified what documents the former CIA employee and National Security Agency contractor used to leave the semi-autonomous Chinese territory, where he had gone to leak details of secret U.S. telephone and Internet surveillance programs. U.S. officials have accused China of deliberately letting Snowden leave. And they have expressed frustration with Russia's refusal to detain a man they portray almost as a common criminal -- on par with seven Russian fugitives U.S. officials have repeatedly said they handed over to Russia in the past two years despite the lack of an extradition treaty. Snowden and others have contended that he did America and the world a service by revealing information on secret programs, which they say wrongly impinge on people's right to privacy in furtively giving too much information to the U.S. government. But in his speech Thursday in Baltimore, the head of the National Security Agency argued -- as he's done repeatedly in recent weeks -- that the programs both protect civil liberties and help keep America and its allies safe. Alexander pointed to 54 related cases that Congress was informed about, of which 50 led to arrests or detentions. Most of these were centered overseas, with 13 exceptions such as a foiled 2009 plot to bomb New York City's subway system. Exposing the programs, he and others have said, makes it harder to spot terrorists and thus puts lives at risk. "I believe the irresponsible release of classified information about these programs will have a long-term detrimental impact on the intelligence community's ability to detect future attacks," Alexander said. "These leaks have inflamed and sensationalized, for ignoble purposes, the work that (the) intelligence community does lawfully, over strict oversight and compliance." Possible Snowden posts . On Wednesday, the technology website Ars Technica published portions of chat logs it said show comments from 2009 by someone using a forum name Snowden was known to have used. The comments criticized people who leak national security information. Commenting on New York Times reporting based on leaks related to confidential surveillance programs involving Iran, the poster compared the newspaper to WikiLeaks -- which enraged U.S. officials by disclosing thousands of confidential diplomatic cables. "Are they TRYING to start a war?" the poster wrote. "you don't put that s*** in the NEWSPAPER." Ars Techica said it could not be certain the poster was Snowden, but information revealed in the posts matches biographical information he has since publicly revealed. CNN could not verify the posts' authenticity . If they were written by Snowden, they offer insight into his thinking at a time when he apparently was more accepting of government surveillance programs. According to Ars Technica, the poster said of the New York Times and its reporting on secret surveillance programs, "these are the same people who blew the whole 'we could listen to osama's cell phone' thingthe same people who screwed us on wiretappingover and over and over againThank god they're going out of business." Four years later, Snowden would provide news organizations in the United States and the United Kingdom with classified information he acknowledged copying and taking from his job as a computer contractor for the NSA in Hawaii. Where could Snowden go next? CNN's Greg Botelho, Matthew Chance, Carol Cratty, Elise Labott, Vivian Kam, Adam Levine, Catherine E. Shoichet and Joseph Netto contributed to this report. | NEW: Leaks caused "irreversible damage to our nation's security," NSA chief says .
NEW: A Venezuelan official reiterates his nation's openness to accepting Snowden .
President Obama says he doesn't want to make deals to get Snowden .
Ecuador renounces U.S. trade benefits in the tiff over the asylum bid . |
284,682 | fcdc86a8b55a6846be8da089f28de4c062eae2a3 | For most school children, being a millionaire is something they dream of - but for Ollie Forsyth, it could be a not-too-distant reality. The 17-year-old entrepreneur, who is studying at The Peter Jones Enterprise Academy backed by Dragons' Den's Peter Jones, is adamant he's going to hit the landmark by the time he's 20. And if his career history to date is anything to go by, he could be right. Scroll down for video . Ollie, pictured outside his home in front of his Herbie Beetle, started making money aged six when he made his parents tea and coffee and charged them 20p a cup - now his net worth is around £280,239 . Ollie said he was determined to prove his haters wrong after suffering 'constant' bullying . Ollie started his first business aged 13, an e-tailer called Ollie’s Shop, and turned over £13,000 profit in the first year. Since then, the shop turns over £30,000 annually and is doubling yearly. Ollie, from Pury End, near Towcester, Northamptonshire, told FEMAIL: 'My entrepreneurial career started aged six when I made my parents tea and coffee and charged them 20p a cup. 'I didn’t need to pay for any of the resources, just the labour. 'I had a car-wash business, sold my parents' vegetable patch yearly, and had a tuck shop at school making £7,000 a year.' Like a lot of entrepreneurs - including Steve Jobs, Nelson Rockefeller and Richard Branson - Ollie is dyslexic and admits he 'really struggled at school'. His father Angus, an insurance broker, and his mother Melanie, who runs an interior design business, sent him to the specialist Bruern Abbey School in Bicester, Oxfordshire. Ollie said: 'I went to special needs school, which helped me with my dyslexia and was fantastic. 'I then moved to Milton Abbey school in Dorset where I had the three worst years of my life, constant bullying and cyber bullying.' Ollie didn't talk to anyone about the issues, but finally plucked up the courage to talk to the school's American counsellor who told him: ‘You've just got to go for it and you will be a billionaire one day, my friend.’ 'This is what drove me to success,' Ollie said. 'I was bullied that much, I wanted to end my life, but, I said to myself: "I am going to be a millionaire one day and those bullies will be working for me".' Undeterred by struggles with school work, the youngster turned to business and was determined to succeed, counting Virgin boss, Sir Richard Branson, as his idol. Ollie Forsyth, 17, is studying at The Peter Jones Enterprise Academy backed by Dragons' Den's Peter Jones . Ollie, pictured, left, as a youngster with a passion for cars and, right, sitting in his own vehicle, never keeps money in the bank and invests in classic cars . 'I wanted to create a luxury inexpensive gift shop,' he explains. 'Within the first year, I turned over £13,000 profit aged 13, since then, we are turning over £30,000 yearly and doubling yearly. 'Since starting The Peter Jones Enterprise Academy, I have recently started my own enterprise magazine, The Budding Entrepreneur. 'I wanted a website that gives future budding entrepreneurs the resources, tools and business templates to make their business innovative but, most importantly, viable. 'We launched on November 1 and since starting we have 4,000 readers and counting.' If that wasn't enough, OIlie has a book coming out in America in 2016 and has 'lots of other exciting projects on the go'. He added: 'My passion is encouraging entrepreneurs to start their own business. Sir Richard Branson is the main entrepreneur who got me here, he has inspired me so much and he’s very dyslexic too and he started his magazine aged 16 too.' The budding businessman is even getting set to channel Lord Alan Sugar by launching his own enterprise competition, which will support and mentor other young entrepreneurs like him . He also owns more than 500 diecast model cars potentially worth £10,000, which he bought for £800 . Despite his riches, Ollie never keeps money in the bank. He has classic cars including a rare original Austin Ulster and The Herbie Beetle. He also has more than 500 diecast model cars potentially worth £10,000, which he bought for £800. The budding businessman is even getting set to channel Lord Alan Sugar by launching his own enterprise competition. 'Students aged between 13-20 have the opportunity to pitch their ideas to me and the entrepreneur with the best idea will receive £1,000 investment from myself with a 50/50 partnership, as well as mentoring from myself and well-known entrepreneurs,' he explains. He added: 'I aim to be a millionaire before I'm 20 so I can support future budding entrepreneurs. My net worth is currently £280,239 ($423,000). 'I am determined to prove those bullies wrong and I guess I have done.' | Ollie Forsyth is studying at The Peter Jones Enterprise Academy .
Started online gift shop aged 13 and turned over £13,000 profit in first year .
Now turns over £30,000 annually and is penning a book .
Was severely bullied but wants to prove haters wrong .
Inspired by Sir Richard Branson and is launching apprentice style scheme . |
201,325 | 90acda107c5405aad8407429e7d1f3c2c518657e | (CNN) -- Kim Yuna is one of South Korea's biggest stars and the ice skater who won the country's first figure skating gold medal at a Winter Olympic Games last year in Vancouver. Known as "Queen Yuna" to her legions of fans, the 20-year old is far from the haughty ice maiden that moniker might suggest. She fronts sellout ice dancing shows and has a plethora of advertising deals that cash in on her wholesome image. She is also the host of TV show "Kiss and Cry" -- a South Korean version of "Dancing with the Stars" on ice -- that she hopes will popularize the sport in South Korea. "When I see those participants enjoying themselves, it is a great joy to me," she said. "Although some of them get hurt once in a while, they enjoy it a lot and I hope the show makes the viewers want to give it a try." Named by TIME magazine as one of the 100 most influential people of 2010, she has trained as an ice skater since she was 5, moving to Toronto at the age of 16 in order to pursue her Olympic ambitions. Her work paid off at the Vancouver Olympics last year, where she scored a record 228.56 points to win gold in women's figure skating. The highest score since the International Skating Union (ISU) judging system began, she beat her own world record and eclipsed her closest rival, Mao Asada of Japan, by a massive 23.06 points. Now having won every "grand slam" title figure skating has to offer, including the World Grand Prix Final, Four Continents Championships and World Championships, she is one of the highest paid athletes in the world, according to Forbes magazine. As well as continuing to skate competitively she's an ambassador for South Korea's bid to host the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang. It's a responsibility that makes her more nervous than performing at the Olympics. "I thought my heart would pop out during the presentation (in Lausanne, Switzerland). The nervousness was nothing compared to the performances," she said. "Until then, I had only taken care of my own business. But with this being the wish of many Koreans, the thought of having that expectation of the whole country on my shoulders, even along with other people, worried and unnerved me." CNN spoke to Kim Yuna at the Blush bar of Grand InterContinental Seoul Parnas . | Ice skater Kim Yuna is a national hero in native South Korea .
Won the country's first Winter Olympics gold medal in 2010 .
Has own reality TV show, 'Kiss and Cry' and is ambassador for Korean Olympic bid . |
192,106 | 84be98c5e3a706b09434eb17ac72d92a9d1c07e0 | (CNN) -- Google chairman Eric Schmidt has declared Android the winner in its mobile war with Apple. In an interview with Bloomberg, Schmidt said Google's mobile platform is widening its lead over Apple in the mobile-software market. He compared its success to the way Microsoft dominated the iPhone maker in the desktop business two decades ago. "This is a huge platform change; this is of the scale of 20 years ago -- Microsoft versus Apple," he said. "We're winning that pretty clearly now." Recent statistics support Schmidt's optimism, with Android capturing 72% of worldwide market share in the third quarter, while Apple took 14%, according to Gartner, which conducts information technology research. Unlike Apple, Google does not make its money on hardware; for this reason, it is willing to give away Android because the OS' widespread use helps the company make more money from ads. "The core strategy is to make a bigger pie," Schmidt said. "We will end up with a not perfectly controlled and not perfectly managed bigger pie by virtue of open systems." Despite his confidence, however, other reports suggest that Apple is gaining ground in the U.S. smartphone market, particularly since its release of the iPhone 5. During the interview, Google's chairman also called social-networking service Google+ a "viable competitor to Facebook." Which company do you think is winning the mobile war: Android or Apple? © 2013 MASHABLE.com. All rights reserved. | Google chairman Eric Schmidt says Android has beaten Apple .
Schmidt: "We're winning that pretty clearly now"
Android has 72 percent of world mobile market .
Apple has gained in the U.S. since iPhone 5 release . |
278,101 | f445e4d7b15380667ca68d1796928842f642f9ad | By . Daily Mail Reporter . It's a dazzling mating dance that attracts thousands of visitors every year. Reactions tend toward the spiritual as nature-lovers wander through Elkmont, a small trail head in Great Smoky Mountains National Park, to catch the astonishing 'light show' of the synchronous fireflies. For two weeks every June, the winged beetles flash incredible patterns of light - a cacophony of color which turns the forest into a scene from James Cameron's sci-fi movie Avatar. Scroll down for video . Nature's light show: Fireflies fill the air for their annual mating season in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park's Elkmont Campground outside Gatlinburg, Tennessee . Spectacular: Visitors carrying red flashlights walk the Little River Trail to observe synchronous fireflies in their annual mating ritual in Tennessee . Way to glow: Tourists flock to Tennessee every year to see the incredible light display of the synchronous fireflies . According to the National Park Service, the lightning bugs live for just 21 days as adults and produce bioluminescence to snare prey and lure mates. Each species of firefly has a characteristic flash light pattern that make it recognizable. The males fly and flash, while stationary females respond with a spasm of light. They flash the most within a two-week period in late May to mid-June. 'It’s mind-blowing, like a silent symphony,' North Carolina's Daniel Carlson told New York Times in 2011. 'How? Why? Why here? We have no clue.' Catering for the masses: The Park Service provides a bus to the annual firefly viewing near the Elkmont Campground in Tennessee . Natural wonder: Punters from around the world travel to Tennessee to see the synchronous fireflies which are known only to exist in Southeast Asia and some small pockets in the Great Smoky Mountains . | For two weeks every June, synchronous fireflies in the Smoky Mountains perform an incredible light show .
The synchronized yellow, green and pale red light patterns are part of a mating ritual . |
248,963 | ce2b42d0d643a547cbd527e3dcda51eb2ba96572 | Film director Woody Allen released a statement Sunday denying adopted daughter Dylan Farrow's allegation that he sexually assaulted her when she was 7 years old. In an open letter posted online Saturday by The New York Times, Farrow recounted her allegation that Allen sexually assaulted her in the attic of her adopted mother Mia Farrow's house in 1992. The statement released by Allen representative Leslee Dart said: "Mr. Allen has read the article and found it untrue and disgraceful. He will be responding very soon. In the meantime, it is essential that your coverage make the following facts clear: . "At the time, a thorough investigation was conducted by court appointed independent experts. The experts concluded there was no credible evidence of molestation; that Dylan Farrow had an inability to distinguish between fantasy and reality; and that Dylan Farrow had likely been coached by her mother Mia Farrow. No charges were ever filed." Dylan Farrow's open letter appeared on Times columnist Nicholas Kristof's blog. It was billed as the first time she's publicly written about the accusation. "What's your favorite Woody Allen movie? Before you answer, you should know: when I was seven years old, Woody Allen took me by the hand and led me into a dim, closet-like attic on the second floor of our house. "He told me to lay on my stomach and play with my brother's electric train set. Then he sexually assaulted me." The letter was released the same day as the Writers Guild Awards, for which Allen had been nominated for best screenplay for "Blue Jasmine" but did not win. The movie also garnered three Academy Award nominations. In 1992, in the wake of an affair between Allen and Soon-Yi Previn -- Mia Farrow's adopted daughter with composer Andre Previn -- Farrow accused the filmmaker of molesting Dylan. About a week later, Allen filed for custody of his three children with Farrow -- Moses and Dylan, who were adopted, and Satchel, their biological son, who now goes by Ronan Farrow. "A team of investigators from Yale-New Haven Hospital that was retained by the Connecticut State Police subsequently concluded Dylan had not been abused," according to an account in the Times, which covered the custody proceedings. Acting Justice Elliott Wilk of New York's State Supreme Court "said it was unlikely that Mr. Allen could be prosecuted for sexual abuse based on the evidence," the newspaper reported. "But while a team of experts concluded that Dylan was not abused, the judge said he found the evidence inconclusive." A former prosecutor who decided against pressing charges in the case declined to comment on the details in Dylan Farrow's letter Sunday. "As a prosecutor I really can't comment on the substance of the statement of this now young woman. As a father of a child not too much older than this young woman, I can only say I hope she finds some peace and solace in the way she's expressing herself," former Connecticut State's Attorney Frank Maco said. "I hope she had access to my written statement of decision. My statement is as valid today as it was 20 years ago." In 1993, Maco -- who's since retired -- told reporters he believed there was probable cause to arrest Allen. But he said he decided not to press charges, with Mia Farrow's support, "rather than exposing the child to possible harm." At the time, Allen lashed out at authorities who handled the case and accused prosecutors of scheming to keep it open to influence his custody battle. Allegations raised again in recent months . Even as the decades passed, the scandal permanently damaged Allen's image -- that of a neurotic but amusing schlub with a talent for slapstick and witty one-liners. He denied the accusations from Dylan and said his relationship with Farrow, which had been painted storybook colors by the press, was not actually all that strong. He did marry Soon-Yi Previn in 1997, and after the marriage came a slightly more public Woody Allen. The couple were the focus of a 1997 Barbara Kopple documentary, "Wild Man Blues," which portrayed a generally happy pair. Allen was also the subject of a 2011 Robert Weide film, "Woody Allen: A Documentary," which briskly addressed Farrow's allegations from Allen's point of view. However, the scandal has always been near the surface, and the open letter in The New York Times is one of a number of instances in recent months where the allegation has been raised. In a November Vanity Fair article, Allen was condemned by Mia Farrow's children, especially Dylan. After that article's publication, a representative for Allen told CNN, "The article is so fictitious and extravagantly absurd that he is not going to comment." Last month, as Allen was honored with a lifetime achievement award during the Golden Globes, Ronan Farrow, now estranged from his father, took to Twitter and referenced the allegation: "Missed the Woody Allen tribute -- did they put the part where a woman publicly confirmed he molested her at age 7 before or after Annie Hall?" And now comes the open letter, where Dylan Farrow recounts not only the alleged abuse, but what she says happened to her in the aftermath. "Woody Allen was never convicted of any crime. That he got away with what he did to me haunted me as I grew up," she wrote. "I was stricken with guilt that I had allowed him to be near other little girls. I was terrified of being touched by men. I developed an eating disorder. I began cutting myself." Celebrities accused of 'turning a blind eye' She also admonished some of Hollywood's most celebrated, mostly women, by name for "turning a blind eye" and for continuing to work with Allen. CNN reached out to the stars that Dylan Farrow challenged by name in her letter but has not yet received responses. In a series of Twitter posts Sunday, actor Alec Baldwin -- who starred in "Blue Jasmine" -- fired back at people asking him to respond to the allegations. "You are mistaken if you think there is a place for me, or any outsider, in this family's issue," he wrote. In another post, he slammed someone who asked whether he owed Dylan Farrow an apology: "What the f&@% is wrong w u that u think we all need to b commenting on this family's personal struggle?" No matter how celebrities respond, the letter is likely to fuel significant media coverage, said Dan Abrams, ABC News' chief legal affairs anchor. "This letter is so detailed and so powerful that I think that wherever Woody Allen goes for the next period of months, he's going to be asked about this, he's going to be questioned about it, he's going to be challenged about it," Abrams told CNN's "Reliable Sources" on Sunday. "But I think that as a news story, it's not going to fundamentally change, because we've known this was her position. It's the power of the details that she's presenting that I think change this." | Woody Allen's representative calls letter "untrue and disgraceful"
Open letter by Dylan Farrow is published by The New York Times online .
She says Woody Allen sexually assaulted her in 1992, when she was 7 .
Former prosecutor: "I hope she finds some peace and solace" |
55,419 | 9d1698d40371d919a6beac024f41d0448bebbde7 | The motorhome is described as perfect for ‘feet-up relaxing and watching the world go by’. Certainly the Queen and Prince Philip were impressed by the £45,434 machine. However, it’s doubtful, even at their age, that the royal couple could contemplate a retirement of leisurely travel. They’re far too busy – and yesterday’s visit to a caravan factory in Bristol was yet another engagement in their schedule. Scroll down for video . Going glamping, Your Majesty? The Queen steps out of a motorhome during a visit to Bailey Caravans in Bristol this morning . Wonder . if she used the chemical loo? The Queen enjoys what Buckingham Palace . have said is likely to be her first ever ride in a motorhome . They were taken for a brief ride in the . giant motorhome, the Approach SE760, known at the factory as Mavis, and . given a tour of the plant. Aides said they believed it was first journey in such a vehicle for the . couple, who are more accustomed to the royal train and the former royal . yacht Britannia for mobile accommodation. Nevertheless, the Queen, dressed in a vivid pink Stewart Parvin coat and . hat by Rachel Trevor-Morgan, seemed genuinely impressed. What a trip! The Queen can be seen enjoying the ride in the company's show motorhome, affectionately named Mavis . Next family holiday? The Royals were reportedly very impressed with the motorhome - although the Duke of Edinburgh offered the manufacturers some advice on design, saying he had designed his own horse boxes . Impressed: The Queen looked delighted to be shown around the motorhome . One's most excited! The Queen's trip in the motorhome was a first for the monarch, who had never set foot inside one before . Perhaps the . walnut veneer interior reminded her of the carriages on the royal train. ‘It’s a real home-from-home,’ the 86-year-old monarch said as she and . Prince Philip, 91, looked round. ‘Very nice.’ The Bailey factory, like the Queen and her husband, is celebrating its . 65th anniversary. As they sat inside the centrally heated motorhome, . Bailey’s managing director Nick Howard talked them through the design, . which includes three double beds and a iPod docking station. ‘This is palatial but perhaps not as palatial as they are used to – but . you can fit a decent-sized family of six in here,’ he said afterwards. All mod cons: The Queen was heard to remark that the motorhome was very well equipped . Not her natural habitat! The Queen is more used to lavish State rooms and private jets - but nonetheless entered into the motorhome trip with gusto . Royal approval: Prince Philip also took a look around the camper van and was understood to have given a suggestion on layout . Factory girl: The Queen was shown around the plant by staff members . 'Home from home': But does Buckingham Palace look anything like the interior of the top of the range Approach SE 760? Motoring . on: The Queen is attending a number of appointments in the city today, . including a tour of successful motor manufacturers . The Queen wore a spectacular cerise coat and hat . - cutting a swathe through the gloomy November day as they stepped off . the Royal train for their visit to the Bailey caravan factory in Ashton . Vale, Bristol . The . Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh arrive at Bristol Temple Meads railway . station for one of the final public engagements to celebrate her Jubilee . year . The Duke amused the factory staff when he spotted assembly worker . Stephen Brock wearing nine heavy gold chains around his neck and asked: . ‘You don’t believe in banks then?’ Mr Brock, 53, laughed and replied: ‘I . love my gold.’ Sales director John Parker joked that he had hoped to secure an order . for one of the motorhomes, but although they seemed fascinated by his . sales patter, he came away without a sale, or any commission. ‘The Queen hadn’t brought her credit card and I know she doesn’t carry . cash,’ he said. ‘My only regret is that we didn’t get an order. I’ll be . following it up by the end of the week to see if they’ve decided on . buying one.’ | Queen and Philip took a spin in £45,395 Approach SE 760 motorhome, nicknamed Mavis .
Six-berth van boasts gas hob, oven, microwave, fridge-freezer, toilet, shower and central heating .
Owner of factory said Royals were 'impressed' van was so well equipped . |
245,405 | c9a0552bf573d717013a3e1a9ec660c6ed6c3ed8 | By . Daniel Bates . PUBLISHED: . 10:36 EST, 30 July 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 10:46 EST, 30 July 2013 . A vinyl pressing service is mixing the ashes of dead people into records to create a somewhat macabre memento. A UK company called (somewhat appropriately) And Vinyly put the cremated body parts into raw vinyl that is used to make the discs and turns them into a macabre memento of a person’s life. Basic packages cost £2,000 for up to 30 discs - far less than the cremation or traditional burial. And Vinyly claims that for £10,000 you can have your entire funeral planned around the death song. If you can't choose a song, predetermined backing tracks are available for £250 each . The hard part is supposedly choosing a record, with some opting for 12 minutes of laughter or songs with puns in the title. For those who prefer a ‘minimal’ approach, And Vinyly can press the ashes into the vinyl with no song. The process involves sprinkling the ash onto a piece of vinyl, known as a puck or biscuit. The vinyl is then pressed by plates to create grooves and press the ash into the record. And Vinyly was founded by British music producer Jason Leach in 2009 but has seen a surge in interest recently. And Vinyly was founded by British music producer Jason Leach in 2009 but has seen a surge in interest recently. One of his clients was a DJ whose family wanted him 'to be played at his favourite clubs a few more times' after he died . Leach co-founded the techno group and record label Subhead in the 1990s and has since founded a number of other labels, including House of Fix, Daftwerk and Death to Vinyl. One of his clients was a DJ whose family wanted him ‘to be played at his favourite clubs a few more times’ after he died. Ashes from dead pets can also be used, and are the same fee. On the And Vinyly website is says that for £10,000 you can have your entire funeral planned around the death song. Leach was inspired by an American who put his ashes into fireworks, though others have had them put into gun powder and fired out of shotguns . If you can’t choose a song predetermined backing tracks are available for £250 each, or if you want some bespoke music it costs from £500. Other options include having your record sent to shops around the world to be sold just like any other album. If you are still not sure how it all works, the website features a death-like character holding a scythe with a needle head on it, a pair of headphones on his head and a record bag on his shoulder. The website states: ‘Please note, despite the light hearted tone, all services are carried out with the utmost respect and care’. Surprisingly, putting your ashes into vinyl is far from the most bizarre thing you can do with them. Leach said he was inspired by an American who put his ashes into fireworks, though others have had them put into gun powder and fired out of shotguns. Space burial company Celestis will send your ashes into orbit for around £1,500 or into deep space for £8,000. Rolling Stones guitarist Keith Richards once claimed to have snorted a line of his father’s ashes because he ‘couldn't resist grinding him up with a little bit of blow’. And U.S. designer Edward ‘Steady Ed’ Headrick, who revolutionised the Frisbee, told his children that he wanted his ashes mixed into a batch of the plastic objects. When he died in 2002, his son Daniel did as he asked and said: ‘He said he wanted to end up in a Frisbee that accidentally lands on someone's roof.’ Rolling Stones guitarist Keith Richards once claimed to have snorted a line of his father's ashes because he 'couldn't resist grinding him up with a little bit of blow' When you lose a loved one, it is common to keep something belonging to them so you can feel that you have a part of them forever. But this has been taken to a whole new level in a craze which sees cremated remains from loved ones turned into ink and used as tattoos. Using cremation ashes, known as cremains, are being used by more and more people to be injected into their skin. Bob Johnson of Finest Lines tattoo parlour in Wickliffe, Ohio, has been doing the commemorative tattoos for 30 years. He explains the process, adding that the amount of ashes they actually use is microscopic: 'The preparation is different but it's the same way we would do any tattoo. We sterilize them first in an autoclave as we would the rest of the equipment, and them make sure it's fine powder and mix it with the ink.' But some health and safety experts worry about the practice and that it may be unhygienic or harmful to clients. Proponents say the ash is made sterile and poses no health risk. | 'And Vinyly' mixes cremated ashes into vinyl from £250 .
The idea was developed by music producer Jason Leach who as inspired by an American who put his ashes into fireworks . |
250,883 | d0afa11dbf202072bbeda1f0f262e62741c2d129 | By . Anthony Bond . UPDATED: . 07:07 EST, 24 October 2011 . With Halloween fast approaching, these amazing pumpkin carvings are enough to frighten off even the toughest of people. American Ray Villafane has taken his 'pumpkin heads' to a whole new level as these extraordinary pictures demonstrate. Taking just two hours to carve, slice and gouge, Ray uses everything from spoons to scalpels to create his pumpkin masterpieces. Freaky: This pumpkin carving by Ray Villafane is called 'Torment' Based in the sunny state of Phoenix, Ray's pumpkins have become something of an internet sensation, and have led to appearances on primetime American networks such as CBS and ESPN. Using his background in high art and his work in designing models for D.C and Marvel comics, Ray has sculpted intricate faces out of the common pumpkin that make your hair stand on end. His carvings take in a wide variety of gothic gargoyles in keeping with the devilish theme of the annual holiday. Ray uses common clay carving tools to create his Halloween pumpkin masterpieces. The 42-year-old said: 'Not all pumpkins will look good and the most important thing about a pumpkin is its weight. You need to pick the meatiest pumpkin,' Talented: Using his background in high art and his work in designing models for D.C and Marvel comics, Ray Villafane has sculpted intricate faces out of the common pumpkin. Pictured are 'Crying', left, and 'Mechanic' 'Sometimes I pick up a beautifully shaped pumpkin but when I do I realise that it is not heavy enough. Its wall is just not thick enough for the carving rigours. 'I also like a pumpkin with character. One with nobly ridges is good, so that I can utilise that in the carving procedure, like with sculpting noses. 'The sculpting has always been a passion. 'I used to be an art teacher for 13 years at a Michigan School called Bellaire school and one day I was approached for Halloween to do some pumpkin carving. Weird: Ray Villafane's pumpkin heads have become an internet sensation and have led to appearances on prime time American networks such as CBS and ESPN. This one is called 'Basketball crashes through a pumpkin's head' 'I thought why don't I try and carve the pumpkin like it is a piece of clay as opposed to a large vegetable. 'It came out alright, but the most important result was that the kids at the school absolutely loved it. 'I used to arrive at school and there would be a dozen pumpkins just sitting there waiting for me at my classroom.' In the beginning Ray didn't always get the results he was looking for, resulting in a few fists through the front of the pumpkins. Original: Ray Villafane's pumpkins proved popular with children at the school he used to work at. These images show 'Grumpy', left, and 'Thinker' However, working for D.C comics, the home of Superman and Batman, Ray has honed his incredible seasonal talent. 'For the past couple of years I have been really sitting down and giving my Halloween pumpkin designs more thought than usual due to the increased interest in my carvings,' said Ray. 'Now that the thing has grown in popularity I am definitely feeling the pressure to deliver on the pumpkin front. 'The most intricate pumpkin model that I have designed is the Zipperhead model, which took the best part of a day. 'Otherwise, the models take a couple of hours.' Over the last four Halloweens Ray's pumpkins have begun to appear in online blogs and have really raised his profile. He has even made national television appearances and is preparing to debut his pumpkins at model Heidi Klum's Las Vegas Halloween party. 'If it is something that I am creating myself then I will do it off the top of my head, like the skulls and gargoyles,' said Ray. 'They are a pleasure to make.' | Incredible carvings have proved an internet sensation and led to TV appearances for American creator . |
182,683 | 78931636a08f3a4790a7647bf0284c5ed8ed446b | Vatican City (CNN) -- Pope Benedict XVI championed the environment in the Vatican's annual World Day of Peace message. In his address, called "If You Want to Cultivate Peace, Protect Creation," the pope said peace with the natural environment is the beginning of peace with all of God's creation, including people. "Respect for creation is of immense consequence, not least because creation is the beginning and the foundation of all God's works, and its preservation has now become essential for the pacific coexistence of mankind," the pope said. The papal message of peace comes a week after the traditional Christmas address known as "Urbi et Orbi" -- Latin for "To the City and the World" -- a message of hope for the world's afflicted. During the Christmas Eve Mass the night before, Benedict was dragged to the ground after a woman jumped a barrier and grabbed his robes. The pope appeared uninjured. In his homily, the 82-year-old pontiff asked parishioners to consider the possible effect of an ecological crisis on the stability and peace of the world -- a world in which there is increasing competition for the "fruitfulness of the Earth." "Can we remain impassive in the face of actual and potential conflicts involving access to natural resources?" the pope asked Friday. "All these are issues with a profound impact on the exercise of human rights, such as the right to life, food, health and development." "Technologically advanced societies must be prepared to encourage more sober lifestyles, while reducing their energy consumption and improving its efficiency," while preparing "sustainable strategies to satisfy the energy needs of the present and future generations," he said. Pope Benedict XVI challenged the faithful to be good stewards of what "God has given us," suggesting that peace with the Earth will lead to peace on Earth. "For this reason, it is imperative that mankind renew and strengthen that covenant between human beings and the environment, which should mirror the creative love of God, from whom we come and toward whom we are journeying," he said. | Pope Benedict XVI urges "respect for creation"
Message warns of conflict over dwindling natural resources .
Developed nations should adopt "more sober lifestyles," he says . |
278,084 | f441a74d0521c52673d9915c7c793f3eaf717934 | By . Sam Webb . PUBLISHED: . 15:02 EST, 13 February 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 16:12 EST, 13 February 2013 . At least five people were killed when a plane carrying 45 passengers and crew crash-landed in fog in the eastern Ukrainian city of Donetsk late on Wednesday, officials said. The plane overshot the runway at Donetsk Airport as it attempted to execute an emergency landing and broke up, the emergencies ministry, quoted by Interfax news agency, said. Interfax also quotes surviving passenger . Dmitry Verbitsky as saying that the plane had caught fire during the . crash-landing, but it was quickly put out. A worker operates a crane near the damaged Antonov 24 plane that crashed near the airport in Donetsk tonight. At least five people were killed when the plane carrying 45 passengers and crew crash-landed . The Soviet-designed twin-engined Antonov . 24 turboprop had flown to Donetsk, which was shrouded in thick fog, . from the Black Sea coastal city of Odessa. Andriy Shyshatsky, head of Donetsk's regional administration, said five people were confirmed dead, while the fate of two others was not yet clear. 'The large majority of passengers have been saved,' Shyshatsky told journalists. 'At the moment, there are four dead. One person is visible in the wreckage, but we don't yet know whether he is alive or not. Investigators, firefighters and Emergencies Ministry members work near the damaged aeroplane. Many passengers had been flying in for the Champions League clash between Shakthar Donetsk and Germany's Borussia Dortmund . In this image taken from TV, emergency vehicles arrive at Donetsk airport. The plane had flowin in from Odessa . 'We are searching for one other person,' Emergency Situations Ministry spokeswoman Inna Sedova said the plane was operated by the small Yuzhne Avialinii (Southern Airlines) company, which runs domestic flights out of Odessa. A total of 12 people were injured. It was not immediately clear what caused the accident. Rescuers and investigators are working at the scene. The plane that crashed was an Antonov An-24 plane, similar to the one in this 2005 file photo. Four people have been confirmed dead but two more have not been accounted for . It is believed the crew evacuated the plane at least partially before it caught fire. A local police source told the AFP news agency that the aircraft came to rest about 700m (2,300ft) from the runway. Shishatsky spokeswoman Rimma Fil told . the AP that most of the passengers were likely heading for the Wednesday . night Champions League football match between Ukraine's Shakhtar and . Borussia Dortmund. The match opened with a minute of silence in memory . of the dead. In recent years, former Soviet republics have had some of the world's worst air traffic safety records. Experts blame the poor safety record on the age of the aircraft, weak government controls, poor pilot training and a cost-cutting mentality. | Small aircraft overshot runway and crashed at Donetsk Airport .
Five are confirmed dead, one is missing and one is trapped inside the plane .
Tragedy was just hours before Shakhtar Donetsk's Champions League game . |
247,833 | ccb3d1d8a2bd96e3abdb37a911ce50c029c30b4f | It has a population of 12 million, numerous squares, skyscrapers and even a port - all planned in meticulous detail. Yet the city of Urville exists only in the mind of French autistic-savant Giles Trehin who has spent 20 years planning out the city in his mind. His drawings garnered such a following online that they were turned into a book. The 40-year-old artist, from Cagnes sur Mer, near Nice in south-east France, has dedicated his life to the imaginary city, recording every intricate detail. La belle ville: One of the many squares that artist Gilles Trehin has created in his imaginary French city of Urville . The artist has even presented his plans for the fictional city to conferences on Autism around the world. Mr Trehin said: 'I have been drawing since the age of five. I have always been fascinated by big cities and aeroplanes. 'Since 1984, I started to be interested by the conception of an imaginary city. 'I called it Urville - the name comes from "Dumont d'Urville" which is a scientific base in a French territory of the Antarctic.' According to the Wisconsin Medical . Society, Mr Trehin said: 'It's in 1984 that the idea of an imaginary . city became concrete, during one of my vacation journeys back in New . York city. After this trip, I lived in London between 1984 and 1986.' Avenues of the mind: Gilles Trehin began to design his imaginary city from the age of 12 having been inspired by New York and London . Visions: The artist originally began constructing the city of Urville in Lego but soon his ideas outstretched the bricks . Potrait of an artist: Gilles Trehin, 40, who is an autistic savant, has created detail maps of an imaginary city called Urville since the age of 12 . Mr Trehin originally began building the city in Lego but soon decided it could be more easily expanded by drawing it. 'After 1987, there was a big evolution in my conception of the city,' he said. 'I realised that I could expand the city in my mind without necessarily building it in Lego bricks and compensate this by drawing.' Trehin’s book traces the history of . the city - from the Second World War's impact on Urville and even stretching back to the French Revolution. Connection: Artist Gilles Trehin with his girlfriend Catherine Mouet (left) who is also an artist and has Asperger's Syndrome. Trehin's book Urville (right) 'In 1789, during the French Revolution, Urville has 2.8 millions inhabitants, but the number of habitations became too limited to host the huge population growth due to the Industrial Revolution,' he writes. 'In order to cope, the authorities of Urville call upon the famous town-planner Oscar Laballière (1803/ 1883) to start gigantic urban projects which are still outlining Urville even today.' The book brings together 300 of Trehins drawings. For more work by Mr Trehin and his girlfriend, artist Catherine Mouet, visit the couple's website here. | Gilles Trehin maps out the city of 'Urville' since the French Revolution . |
131,476 | 36000b39ccef425f45664d665a196d040a4759ae | As far as undercover police operations go, this one mounted by law enforcement in China turned out to be the mother of all mix-ups. Officers had planned to bring four suspected armed robbers back to the scene so they could question them about the details of their alleged crime. But news of the planned visit leaked out to local media, causing a public circus that officers fought hard to contain. CSI circus: Police struggle to hold back the crowds who came out in force after hearing false reports that officers had brought four suspected armed robbers back to the scene to re-enact the brutal raid . Operation farce: Officers had planned to bring four armed robbers back to the scene so they could question them about the details of their alleged crime, but were thwarted by the deluge of onlookers . Thousands of people, bored with TV and playing internet games, turned out to watch what they thought might be a re-enactment of the crime. They flooded into the street, stood on cars, lined walls and hung out of windows. 'It was madness,' said police spokesman Sun Yul. 'In the end it was all we could do to restore order.' Police hoped that taking the suspects back to the scene would allow them to work out which of the four men allegedly stabbed the owner of a gold store during a brutal robbery. The high-profile raid had made the local news bulletins for days. Seeking the best vantage point: Thousands of people flooded into the street, stood on cars, lined walls and hung out of windows in the hope of catching the action . Expectant crowd: Most of those who turned out to try to see them came equipped with cameras to get snaps of the action in the city of Guiyang in southwest China's Guizhou province . When news that the alleged robbers were about to return to the scene was revealed, it gripped the public imagination. Most of those who turned out to try to see them came equipped with cameras to get snaps of the villains in the city Guiyang in southwest China's Guizhou province. Sun Yul added: 'We had to take the robbers back to the police station forthwith for their own safety. It was chaos out there. It was like they had achieved superstar status when they are really low rent crooks.' On the night of May 11, four robbers with knives went into the gold store, smashed the counters, took away gold worth 300,000 RMB (£28,000) and stabbed the female boss of the store before fleeing. Just 24 hours later, police arrested all of the suspects and got back the gold. They were supposed to go back to the store to walk detectives through what happened when the mob forced the cancellation of their return. 'This will take place, only it will not be in the newspapers beforehand next time,' added Sun Yul. | News of the secret visit by Chinese police leaked out in the local media .
Officers struggled to contain public circus as onlookers flooded streets .
Police spokesman: 'It was madness. It was all we could do to restore order' |
278,332 | f48d4822def59e3ffcfc65dd6a294f6fdda3f89e | A speech to Europe aimed at Russia sounded a lot like President Barack Obama's successful campaign message from 2012, especially when it came to gay rights. The address on Wednesday at the Palais Des Beaux-Arts in Brussels followed talks with European Union and NATO leaders on Russia's military backed annexation of the Crimean Peninsula from Ukraine. In making the case for a united stand against what he characterized as Russian aggression, Obama borrowed from the language that helped win him the White House for a second term. "We believe in human dignity - that every person is created equal, no matter who you are, or what you look like, or who you love, or where you come from," he said. Later, Obama reiterated criticism of Russian intolerance spawned by a law passed before the Sochi Olympics that outlawed promoting gay rights to children. Western ideals and values of openness and tolerance would endure long past repression, he argued. "Instead of targeting our gay and lesbian brothers and sisters, we can use our laws to protect their rights," he said. "Instead of defining ourselves in opposition to others, we can affirm the aspirations that we hold in common. That's what will make America strong. That's what will make Europe strong. That's what makes us who we are." His comments came a day before Obama meets with Pope Francis in Vatican City in a visit that the White House says will focus on their shared commitment to helping the disadvantaged. Earlier this month, the Pope reaffirmed the Catholic Church's opposition to gay marriage but suggested in a newspaper interview that it could support some types of civil unions. While reiterating the church's longstanding teaching that "marriage is between a man and a woman," Francis said that "we have to look at different cases and evaluate them in their variety." In the wide-ranging interview published March 5 in Corriere della Sera, an Italian daily, the Pope noted that state-sanctioned unions can result from the need to ensure rights such as access to health care. The Catholic News Service called the comments "the first time a Pope has indicated even tentative acceptance of civil unions." Francis, who marked his papacy's first anniversary on March 13, has sought to set a more tolerant tone for his 1-billion-member church. Last June, the Pope refused to judge gay priests in comments that ricocheted around the world. He has also said that the church should not "interfere" in the spiritual lives of gays and lesbians. | President Obama promotes Western values against Russian intolerance .
Instead of targeting gays and lesbians, use laws to protect their rights, Obama says .
His comments come a day before Obama meets with Pope Francis .
The Pope rejects gay marriage, but has talked about the rationale for civil unions . |
266,966 | e5c9ba317566a63e138fd976aa38f2f1d35a40fa | By . Chris Kitching . A Cheshire mother is taking legal action against a UK tour operator after her young daughter became seriously ill and was hospitalized during a family holiday at a popular Spanish resort. Maria Dimelow, from Runcorn, said her 18-month-old daughter Amelia, who has Downs Syndrome, spent almost 48 hours in hospital when her family should have been enjoying a much needed getaway. The 42-year-old mum said she isn’t satisfied with the way Cosmos Holidays handled her situation after she and two of her children fell ill at Club Mac Alcudia on the Balearic island of Mallorca. Scroll down for video . Eighteen-month-old Amelia, centre, with eight-year-old brother Ryan and four-year-old sister Bethany . The hotel has been criticised in recent days after up to 50 holidaymakers claim they were struck down by a vomiting bug during their stay. Illness affected dozens of guests at Club Mac Alcudia and a second resort in Menorca in recent weeks, during the height of the season. Mother-of-two Emma Watkins, 32, of Washington, Tyne and Wear, had also recently spoken to Mail Online after her daughter Faye fell ill and was hospitalised during a stay at the Club Mac Alcudia. Mrs Dimelow shared her story after complaining to Cosmos. Speaking of how the hotel allegedly handled the problem, she said: ‘They’ve obviously done nothing about it. I want it to be known about what’s going on. People need to know what’s happening at this resort. ‘It’s not a recent thing that’s happened. It’s been going on for a while and they’re not doing anything about it.’ Mrs Dimelow, who provides full-time care for her 18-month-old daughter, told MailOnline Travel that her family was supposed to spend a full week at the all-inclusive family resort but their getaway was derailed just three days in. She believes she and her daughters, Amelia and four-year-old Bethany, fell ill after eating food at the resort because it was the only place where had meals and ‘loads’ of other guests were also suffering from symptoms including vomiting and diarrhoea. Maria Dimelow says her daughter was 'severely dehydrated' when she was admitted to hospital . She said: ‘There were people running past you being sick. There were pools of sick all over the floor. ‘A little boy ran behind me throwing up and his mum was running behind him trying to catch it. The staff were just like, “Yeah, whatever”. They didn’t seem to care. ‘It’s not fair that people are saving to go on holiday and having it ruined by being stuck in hospital and being sick.’ She estimated that at least 40 to 50 people were ill, including Amelia, whose condition deteriorated to the point where she had to be taken to hospital. Mrs Dimelow said: ‘It was really severe. She was constantly being sick and she couldn’t even hold water down.’ She claims resort staff would not ring an ambulance. She said: ‘We had to take a taxi to the hospital and they said we had to pay for it ourselves.’ Caroline Kaye, a spokeswoman for the resort, said the hospital is a five- to 10-minute drive from the hotel, it is faster to travel there by taxi and in most cases an ambulance will not be dispatched for stomach-related issues. She said a representative from the tour operator normally accompanies an ill guest to hospital and pays for the taxi ride. The hotel apologised to the family, she added. Ruined holiday: Carl and Maria Dimelow aren't happy with the way they have been treated . In response to recent claims by holidaymakers, Club Mac Alcudia has released a statement denying suggestions that the illness was caused by poor food hygiene or cleanliness. The resort, which has an on-site doctor, said it took precautionary measures to contain a virus that affected 40 to 45 guests. Those measures included closing the pool and cleaning more frequently. The resort's statement reads: ‘An investigation highlighted that if the illness was due to food hygiene or cleanliness there would have been a much higher proportion of guests who would have taken ill. ‘This was a viral bug and whilst the hotel brought in additional hygiene assistance and external medical assistance (in line with our Health & Safety Guidelines), we were informed that this was not a cleanliness or food-hygiene issue.’ Mrs Dimelow claims that within five minutes of her daughter being admitted to hospital, a ‘severely dehydrated’ Amelia was put on an intravenous drip. Mrs Dimelow stayed at her daughter’s bedside while her husband Carl, a factory worker, Bethany and their eight-year-old son Ryan remained at the hotel. She said her husband and kids spent about £160 travelling between the resort and hospital, and they were forced to walk at one point because they ran out of money. Amelia was discharged from hospital after two days of treatment but she wasn’t her normal self, her mother said. ‘She wasn’t eating properly. To be honest, when we got out we just couldn’t wait to come home.’ The hospital stay was covered by an insurance policy the family purchased before the trip. Mrs Dimelow said she contacted Cosmos to get her family on an earlier flight home and was told a plane was leaving in a few hours but they would have to pay for the £80 cab ride to the airport. Because there was a short window to get to the airport, she declined and the family returned on a Saturday morning, one day ahead of schedule. Club Mac Alcudia says it took precautionary measures to contain a virus that affected 40 to 45 guests . But before they left they had to continue eating at the resort because they did not have enough money to pay for meals elsewhere. Mrs Dimelow said she is upset because Cosmos has not offered an apology and has not responded to an official complaint she filed a few weeks after she returned home, although she did speak to an employee in Mallorca and he did not seem surprised. ‘He said, “It’s just a bug don’t worry about it”. He said it was worse the week before.’ Cosmos Holidays released a statement saying it acknowledged receipt of Mrs Dimelow’s email on the day it was sent and advised that it would carry out a thorough investigation and respond within 28 days. About three weeks later, Cosmos Holidays was contacted by Mrs Dimelow’s solicitor. The statement reads: ‘As this is now within legal proceedings, we cannot comment further.’ Looking back, Mrs Dimelow is ‘quite upset’ with resort staff who she claims refused to call an ambulance for her ill daughter, who was being treated to her first holiday abroad. She said: ‘They didn’t seem concerned. They initially suggested (she eat) digestive biscuits. What they’re meant to do, I don’t know.’ After Mrs Dimelow returned home, she filed a complaint with the hotel and was offered a £600 refund as ‘a gesture of good will’, but she turned it down. She said: ‘I thought that was a bit of an insult after what we had been through. It’s not even about the money it’s just about the fact that it’s disgusting how we’ve been treated.’ She admitted she would like to recover the entire cost of the £1,600 holiday. Club Mac Alcudia is one of two Spanish resorts where travellers have suffered from a vomiting bug recently . The family chose the resort after reading positive reviews on TripAdvisor and getting a recommendation from a travel agent..’ Mrs Dimelow has since contacted compensation firm Your Holiday Claims, which has received complaints from dozens of tourists who claim their holidays were ruined by sickness. Anne Thomson, head of travel law at Your Holiday Claims, said: ‘The continuing reports of illness at the Club Mac Alcudia are a serious concern. We have seen a large number of children, often requiring hospital treatment, affected by the outbreak. ‘Families are continuing to have their hard-earned holidays ruined by illness at the Club Mac Alcudia. We have been receiving enquiries since May 2014 and it is vital that action is taken to stop the spread of infection.’ She added: ‘It is of utmost importance that all tour operators and the hotel management take measures to ensure that illness does not continue and to protect the health of all hotel guests.’ Holidaymakers have also fallen ill at Stil Victoria Playa Hotel on the neighbouring island of Menorca . Club Mac Alcudia is one of two Spanish resorts where travellers have suffered from a vomiting bug. The exact number of people who have fallen ill is not clear, but visitors to both resorts believe it is more than 100. Earlier this week, two separate holidaymakers told MailOnline Travel that up to 80 guests became sick at Stil Victoria Playa Hotel on the neighbouring island of Menorca. Travellers who were ill are writing about their horror stories and giving the resorts poor reviews on TripAdvisor. A user named beffhukgs, from Bath, visited Club Mac Alcudia in July with his or her three young children and described the experience as ‘very disappointing’. In a review posted Thursday, the guest wrote: ‘Our whole party caught a sickness bug and spent half of the holiday in bed. ‘Which apparently has been doing the rounds in the complex for months.’ [sic] . However, beffhukgs’ critique was sandwiched between glowing reviews from holidaymakers who did not fall victim to the stomach bug. One review was written by a London mother, who says she plans to return to the resort, and another was posted by a Gateshead resident, who hailed the resort for providing ‘a memorable customer experience’. | Maria Dimelow isn't satisfied with the way her family was treated in Mallorca .
Mum claimsdaughter was one of many who fell ill at hotel .
Resort claims source of illness was not poor food hygiene or cleanliness . |
202,595 | 924ca7b733fbe8290cf08fa0fa8a7378cb272235 | The wife of baseball star Mat Latos tweeted her frantic reactions on Thursday morning as she and her husband waited to learn if he was going to be traded to another team. Dallas Latos, whose husband began the day as pitcher for the Cincinnati Reds, is an avid tweeter and decided to share her anxiety with her followers on as rumors swirled about who her husband might be playing for next. In recent days Dallas has been joking on social media about trade rumors but things reached a fever pitch on Thursday as she got closer to knowing the next possible destination for her family. Dallas Latos, the wife of baseball star Mat Latos tweeted her frantic reactions on Thursday morning as her husband was traded to the Miami Marlins from the Cincinnati Reds . Dallas' rollercoaster of emotions were clearly evident as she tweeted her reaction throughout the morning as her husband was dealt from the Reds to the Miami Marlins . The rollercoaster of emotions involved was clearly evident as Dallas tweeted her reaction throughout the morning as her husband was dealt from the Reds to the Miami Marlins. Once the deal was confirmed, Dallas was able to breathe a sign of relief and she described the experience as 'surreal'. Now that the trade has happened the couple will be looking to offload the $1.875 million mansion they bought last year in the ritzy Indian Hills neighborhood outside Cincinnati. Baseball's winter meetings can be a stressful time for players and their families alike with the uncertainty that they can be traded to another team and therefore face a family upheaval to another part of the country. Twelve trades involving 44 players were made over the four days this year, according to Major League Baseball, up from five swaps last year and three in 2012. There hadn't been this many trades at a winter meetings since 2006. Once the deal was confirmed, Dallas was able to breathe a sign of relief and she described the experience as 'surreal' Now that the trade has happened the couple will be looking to offload the $1.875 million mansion they bought last year in the ritzy Indian Hills neighborhood outside Cincinnati . | The wife of baseball star Mat Latos tweeted her frantic reactions on Thursday as her husband was traded to the Miami Marlins .
Dallas Latos shared her rollercoaster of emotions with her Twitter followers as she waited to find out if her husband was moving on from Cincinnati Reds .
Once the deal was confirmed, Dallas was able to breathe a sign of relief and she described the experience as 'surreal'
The couple will now be looking to offload the $1.875 million mansion they bought last year in the ritzy Indian Hills neighborhood outside Cincinnati . |
170,647 | 68e2a6c08db1af5684be0bb9ec32a339cab9bdca | By . Anthony Bond . PUBLISHED: . 03:34 EST, 18 March 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 05:25 EST, 18 March 2013 . A county council has been accused of 'wasting' £250,000 of taxpayers' money restoring a World War One gunboat while cutting public services at the same time. Conservative-run Hampshire County Council has approved the money for a major revamp of the boat - officially known as HMS M33 - in this year's budget. But it has provoked controversy after the council made £100m savings over the last two years and axed 1,700 jobs. Controversial: Hampshire County Council has approved money for revamp of HMS M33, pictured, despite making £100m savings over the last two years and axed 1,700 jobs . The cuts included closing two libraries which are now run by volunteers. Hampshire council acquired the veteran Monitor gunboat in 1990 when disgraced former Tory leader Freddie Emery-Wallis was in charge. It is one of only two British First World War ships still surviving and is now berthed in dry dock at Portsmouth Historic Dockyard, near Nelson's flagship HMS Victory. Culture Secretary Maria Miller praised the project on a recent visit. But Councillor Peter Chegwyn, Liberal Democrat opposition spokesman for recreation and heritage, said 'I am surprised that the council, which is cutting libraries, museums and galleries, can yet find such a large amount to spend on a ship which is certainly of historical interest but surely there are more worthwhile projects. 'I would much rather see the money spent . on restoring the book fund and keeping open small libraries and . galleries which are under threat of closure.' Not happy: Councillor Peter Chegwyn, pictured, said he is surprised that the council is funding the restoration project . The council has refused to say how much it has already spent restoring the former rusting hulk to her original external 1915-1919 condition. Built in 1915, HMS M33 saw active service in the Mediterranean throughout the First World War and provided support for the landing of Allied forces during the Gallipoli campaign of 1915-16. After the war, she served a variety of purposes, including fuelling hulk, floating workshop and office. In 1997, the county museum service placed her in dry docks for extensive works to stabilise hull corrosion. Other repairs have included new masts, internal structural works and making her hull watertight. Nearly all the fittings, anchors and gun shields were made from scratch. The latest refit is a joint project with the National Museum of the Royal Navy to mark the 100th anniversary of the Gallipoli campaign in 1915. It will mean visitors can step on board the historic vessel and see inside - currently the gunboat can only be viewed from the dockside. Culture and recreation chief Councillor Keith Chapman defended the expenditure. He said 'The county council saved and restored the M33 warship, which is one of only two surviving First World War ships, and it will now become an even more popular public attraction as the nation remembers the 1914-18 war when it celebrates the centenary of that war.' Councillor Chapman said the county council was in discussion with National Museum of the Royal Navy to secure funding from the Heritage Lottery Fund for future works. The ship refit comes after the council closed Stanmore Library in Waverley Way in 2012 to save £36,000 per year. The library moved to The Carroll Centre where it is now run by volunteers. North Baddesley Library was also shut last year but reopened the following day as a community library run by the parish council and Friends of North Baddesley Library. Money-saving: Hampshire County Council has provoked controversy after making £100m in savings over the last two years and axing 1,700 jobs. Its buildings are pictured . | Hampshire County .
Council has approved money for revamp of HMS M33 .
But council made £100m savings over the last two years and axed 1,700 jobs .
Cuts included closing two libraries which are now run by volunteers . |
91,779 | 0211a71588d088295340d710e98c5cba3391d263 | By . Rachel Quigley . PUBLISHED: . 17:35 EST, 24 July 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 19:12 EST, 24 July 2013 . A 37-year-old has become the first cyclist to be convicted of manslaughter after he struck and killed a 71-year-old pedestrian after running a stop sign. Chris Bucchere was cycling through a busy intersection when he plowed into Sutchi Hui, who was crossing the street with his wife . in downtown San Francisco. His conviction today is the first of its kind for a cyclist in the U.S. He was sentenced to 1,000 hours of community service and three years on probation after pleading guilty to vehicular manslaughter. Scroll down for video . Guilty: Chris Bucchere was cycling through a busy intersection when he plowed into Sutchi Hui, who was crossing the street with his wife in downtown San Francisco . Backlash: Chris Bucchere, left, plowed into pedestrian Sutchi Hui, right, on March 29, 2012, and then took to a bicycle blog forum to tell his side of the story . According to the district attorney's office, Bucchere had run through at . least two stop signs without stopping on his way to the intersection . where he crashed. The light had already turned red when he crashed into the group of pedestrians even though he claimed it was yellow. After the 2012 accident, Bucchere . wrote about it on a cycling chat forum and was blasted for making . excuses for what he did and making jokes about his helmet. The . post, which has since been removed, said: 'The light turned yellow as I . was approaching the intersection, but I was already way too committed to . stop. 'The . light turned red as I was cruising through the middle of the . intersection and then, almost instantly, the southern crosswalk on . Market and Castro filled up with people coming from both directions... so, in a nutshell, blammo.' The . poster, 'Bucchere Chris', who identified himself as the man responsible . for the crash, then continued to recount the final few moments before . the fatal collision. 'I . couldn't see a line through the crowd and I couldn't stop, so I laid it . down and just plowed through the crowded crosswalk in the . least-populated place I could find,' he said. 'I . don't remember the next five minutes but when I came to, I was in a neck . brace being loaded into an ambulance. I remember seeing a RIVER of . blood on the asphalt, but it wasn't mine. 'Apparently I hit a 71-year-old . male pedestrian and he ended up in the ICU with pretty serious head . injuries. I really hope he ends up OK.' Tragic: Chris Bucchere smashed into 71-year-old Sutchi Hui, who later died, at a busy San Francisco intersection, and then identified himself as the rider in the crash on an internet forum . Widowed: Hui's wife Betty, who was a witness to the accident, says she is at a loss without her husband, adding that he was her best friend . But . what has created the most outrage among internet users is the way the . Bucherre ended his post, after detailing the seriousness of the injuries . sustained by the man he had hit. 'In . closing, I want to dedicate this story to my late helmet. She died in . heroic fashion today as my head slammed into the tarmac... may she die . knowing that because she committed the ultimate sacrifice, her rider and . live and ride on. Can I get an amen? Amen.' One . user, who posted under the name hssrinsf, wrote on website SFist: . 'Moron, the guy was 71 years old. Whether it was red, green or yellow, . he was going way too fast if he wasn't able to stop in time.' Another, . who posted under the name Richard, said: 'It takes just one f***in jerk . like Chris to give a bad name to the countless other bikers whom obey . laws and ride safely.' And one person, who posted under the name MattySF, said: 'Your . irresponsibility injured (and ultimately killed) a man and you took to . the internet to tell your story? Yeah, you deserve jail time jackass.' 'Our goal is to send a message to . cyclists about safety,' George Gascon said on Tuesday. 'Just because you . are riding a bicycle doesn't mean all bets are off. All of the rules of . the road that apply to everyone else apply to you too.' Location: The intersection at Castro and Market streets, in San Francisco, where the fatal accident took place . Bucherre's attorney, Ted Cassman, released a statement after the incident saying: 'Chris is devastated by the accident last Thursday and by the tragic death of Sutchi Hui. 'Chris believes that he entered the intersection lawfully and that he did everything possible to avoid the accident. His heart goes out to Mr Hui's wife and family for their loss.' But Hui's wife, Betty, who was with him at the time of the crash, told how she saw her injured husband covered in blood and how she is at a loss without him. 'I heard something ... and I turned around and my husband was [lying] down on the floor,' she told CBS San Francisco. 'He was a wonderful guy, he was not only a husband for me, he was my best friend.' The family have filed a civil suit against him. Watch video here . | Chris Bucchere defended himself online after fatal accident .
Ended forum post by saying his cycle helmet 'died in heroic fashion'
Pleaded guilty in court .
Sentenced to 1,000 hours community service and three years probation . |
205,311 | 95c742c678ffe2a8160d43057d776e172dd99cf0 | By . John Drayton . Luis Suarez looked poorly while warming up for Liverpool's clash with Crystal Palace, and was left sick as a parrot afterwards the demoralising draw. The PFA Player of the Year arrived at Selhurst Park with his usual stash of traditional Uruguayan tea mate and ended the evening in floods of tears after the Reds somehow let a three-goal lead slip. That effectively ended any lingering hopes of getting their hands on the Premier League title next weekend. VIDEO Scroll down for Rodgers: The title is gone, the players are devastated . Can't believe it: Luis Suarez left the field in floods of tears at the end of the game against Palace . Pick him up off the floor! Steven Gerrard tried his best to console Suarez after the full-time whistle . Wants the ground to eat him up: The striker was disconsolate as he watched his back four capitulate . Struggle: Suarez just couldn't compose himself after what had been an unbelievable 11 minutes . Sickly: Luis Suarez was looking unwell in Liverpool's pre-match warm-up against Crystal Palace . Attention: Suarez was seen to by medics before the game . But while taking part in Brendan Rodgers' side warm-up he was tended to by medics, looking unwell. However, Liverpool did not have to cope without their talisman for the match, in which victory would kept alive their slim hopes of overthrowing Manchester City in the Premier League title race. Joe Allen netted his first Premier League goal for the club to give his side a 1-0 lead at the break, but after Suarez and Daniel Sturridge both scored the away back four capitulated late on, leaving Suarez to breakdown after the full-time whistle. In action: Suarez did take to the pitch, here battling Joel Ward . Drink it in: Suarez drank his usual Uruguayan tea - mate - while arriving at Selhurst Park . | Luis Suarez looked unwell in Liverpool warm up against Crystal Palace on Monday .
Uruguayan international scored but was unable to prevent an extraordinary Palace come back .
PFA Player of the Year left the pitch crying and inconsolable . |
197,607 | 8bc28db8559dc39c85af850a773cb8f88e830930 | Hong Kong (CNN) -- China has banned dishes containing delicacies like shark fin and and bird's nest from official banquets as part of a government crackdown on official extravagance. Chinese authorities published new regulations that "explicitly ruled out dishes containing shark fins, bird nests and wild animal products in official reception dinners," the official Xinhua news agency reported on Sunday. Xinhua also said that cigarettes and up-market liquors are not allowed to be served at official dinners and officials below provincial level should not stay in hotel suites on business trips. The new rules aim to "regulate the use of public funding on receptions," Xinhua added. President Xi Jinping has made tackling official corruption a priority since taking power earlier this year. In September, the government announced that officials would not be able to use public money to send mooncakes as gifts - a traditional part of China's Mid Autumn Festival celebrations. Some hotels in Hong Kong and China have also removed shark's fin soup from their menus and airlines like, Cathay Pacific, have banned the product from cargo holds. Up to 73 million sharks are estimated to be killed each year, according to a 2006 academic study quoted on the website of campaign group Hong Kong Shark Foundation. Their carcasses are usually discarded and campaigners say the practice is wasteful and cruel. Shark's fin soup is widely served in restaurants in Chinese communities worldwide and is a dish often served at weddings to mark the importance of the occasion and impress the couple's extended families and friends. Shark fins off the menu at top hotel . | China bans serving of shark fin and bird's nest soup at official banquets .
Part of government crackdown on official extravagance .
Ban also includes the serving of cigarettes and up-market liquors . |
142,679 | 4486b9c1892b5713d29e3a5f8ced1e75ef61cb48 | He was the Godfather of Soul, a music legend whose incendiary stage act over six decades inspired generations of performers from Mick Jagger to Michael Jackson. But the story of James Brown, now immortalised by Jagger in a £25 million biopic, Get On Up, has become even more extraordinary in death. Last night Brown’s widow Tomi Rae – the mother of his 13-year-old youngest child James Jnr – revealed for the first time the vicious battle over her husband’s £65 million fortune, how his corpse was dismembered amid a paternity row, and why his body has been moved 14 times since his death because of family feuding. Scroll down for video . Body and soul: Tomi Rae, James Brown's widow, lays a rose at his funeral - before a family feud began . Legend: The biopic, Get On Up (pictured), charts the world-famous soul singer's career in all its glory . ‘The movie gives a good depiction of my husband’s life but the drama that has unfolded since his death is more painful and outrageous than anything a scriptwriter could dream up,’ she said in an exclusive interview with The Mail on Sunday. ‘James would be spinning in his grave if he knew the hell I’d gone through over the past eight years.’ Brown died on Christmas Day 2006. He was 73. Tomi Rae says she has been left ‘virtually penniless’ ever since as Brown’s various children – legitimate and otherwise – lawyers, hangers-on and business associates all launched legal claims on his estate. She says a will leaving half his fortune to her and the rest to a charitable foundation to help underprivileged children ‘mysteriously disappeared’ in the days following his death. Brown’s other family rely on a will the singer signed in 2000, before he married Tomi Rae and before the birth of James Jnr. This will lists Brown’s six adult children as the beneficiaries. ‘He thought he had provided for me and Little Man, as he called our son. But every piece of scum and slime came crawling out of the woodwork the day he died,’ she said. ‘There have been lawsuits and countersuits... I know I will prevail eventually, but I’m in a living hell.’ Tomi Rae was just 25 when she became Brown’s backing singer. The genius behind hits including I Feel Good and Sex Machine was 64 and already three times divorced. The pair wed in December 2001, when son James Jnr was six months old. But after Brown died, his other children – there are at least six and up to as many as nine, depending on who you believe (the number keeps rising as others come forward claiming he was their father) – challenged James Jnr’s legitimacy, claiming Brown had undergone a vasectomy in the 1980s. Telling the story: Mick Jagger, pictured with one of James Brown's sons Also, has made a biopic . A judge ordered a DNA test which confirmed Brown was James Jnr’s father. Tomi Rae’s eyes welled up as she recalled the episode: ‘They couldn’t do the normal DNA test because of all the embalming fluid in his body. So they had to cut off his legs to get to his bone marrow. I wept uncontrollably when I found out. My husband, the greatest dancer in the world, had his legs hacked off in death.’ But the macabre farce continued. The great soul singer’s body was moved 14 times in the six months after his death, ending up in a temporary grave in the garden of his eldest daughter Deanna’s home in Georgia. ‘That is the final insult to James,’ said Tomi Rae. ‘He and I would often talk about his legacy. He wanted our home – a 230-acre estate on Beech Island in South Carolina – to be turned into a living memorial, like Graceland. That’s where he wanted a proper mausoleum. ‘But when James died, I was in California. When I returned home, the house was locked with chains on the gate. The people who had taken charge had plundered the place. They auctioned off some stuff and family members went through like locusts stripping everything that wasn’t nailed down.’ She says the first time she has been inside the house they shared since his Christmas Day death in 2006 was a few week ago after the movie’s premiere in Augusta, Georgia. ‘I walked through and just wanted to weep. The Christmas tree was still up, but the presents under the tree from my husband to our son had been opened and ransacked. They’d taken all my jewellery, clothes, furs, all James’s awards.’ Tomi Rae is now resigned to the fact that the legal wrangling could go on for years, saying: ‘My husband was a prolific womaniser. There are the children we know about but there are more and more people coming out of the woodwork claiming to be his. They are doing DNA testing all the time.’ Tomi Rae, who was hired by Jagger to be a consultant for the new film, is now working with the Rolling Stones star and his team on a two-hour documentary which will tell the story of the battle over Brown’s estate. Brown was raised in a brothel by his aunt after his mother abandoned him as an infant and his abusive father refused to care for him. It was this rejection that is believed to have led to him becoming a ‘control freak’ in later life. Caring: The soul legend 'never forgot where he came from', wanting to help his family and those in poverty . ‘He always insisted on being called Mr Brown, even by me,’ she smiles. ‘It was about respect. This was a man who came from nothing, who dragged himself up by his bootstraps. He had talent but he was ahead of his time. ‘Before James Brown, black artists didn’t cross over into the mainstream. Before James Brown, black artists didn’t control their own music. He was a control freak. ‘He hated swearing. When I swore he would fine me. He just wanted people to respect him. That’s what makes what has happened since his death all the more painful. ‘They have disrespected his final wishes – to take care of me and his son – and they have disrespected his body. ‘James cared passionately about money. He knew what he wanted his legacy to be. He wanted to take care of me and Little Man and the rest would go to a charity helping underprivileged children. ‘James never forgot where he came from. He wanted to help poor kids, white and black. He knew what it was like to be hungry and have no shoes on his feet. He often said he wasn’t going to leave money to his older kids because he didn’t want them living off his legacy.’ In later life Brown struggled with prostate cancer, diabetes and a failing libido. ‘I nursed him through the cancer,’ said Tomi Rae. ‘He had arthritis and found it hard to do the splits on stage any more. He was using drugs to numb the pain. He needed Viagra to perform on stage and in bed. He said it gave him extra energy in both places.’ She says her husband would explode in violent rages. ‘I forgave him because I knew it wasn’t personal,’ she said. ‘I was the only one in his circle who wasn’t a “yes man”. I would disagree with him and he’d throw things and explode in anger. But he wasn’t a wife beater. He was just a tired, sick, frustrated man and I understood that. I forgave the anger and violence. I truly loved him.’ Brown was also prone to intense jealousy. Tomi Rae added: ‘He built a brick wall around our pool so none of the workers in the house would see me in my bikini.’ She believes that drugs may have contributed to her husband’s death. ‘James was smoking a lot of pot but I could smell something else in there. I confronted him about it [Brown had a previous addiction to PCP or ‘angel dust’ and had freebased cocaine] but he shrugged it off. I think the second I was out of there, James was smoking pot laced with other, stronger drugs. Icon: Tomi Rae said he would 'turn in his grave' if he knew the trauma the family had gone through . ‘I think it was a lethal combination that killed him. People always wanted to party with James and keep him high. Was my husband murdered? We will never know but I will believe he most certainly was until my dying day.’ Tomi Rae and James Jnr now live in Las Vegas, where she works as a Janis Joplin impersonator. ‘I’ve been forced to busk on the streets at times to make ends meet,’ she said. ‘I’m broke.’ She says Jagger has become a ‘father figure’ to her son. The pair held a mock ‘dance-off’ after the New York premiere of the film. The movie is generating Oscar buzz, especially for Chadwick Boseman whose performance as Brown has been lauded by critics. Tomi Rae added: ‘James was someone who believed everyone was out to take get their hands on his money. In death he’s been proven right. ‘The only person who has behaved decently is Mr Jagger. ‘As for the rest of my husband’s family and so-called friends, they can rot in hell.’ | Grieving widow of Get On Up legend opens up about posthumous DNA test .
Reveals how paternity row over her son led to macabre examination .
Singer's corpse was moved 14 times amid family feuding for the £65m .
New biopic does not cover the drama that has followed Brown's death . |
64,231 | b6667f8acdcbc9453965e9b17f74cf1109810e91 | England captain Chris Robshaw has been challenged to raise his game to even greater heights on Saturday – to set the tone for a famous victory over the All Blacks. The 28-year-old Harlequins flanker delivered a superb individual performance last Saturday at Eden Park, emphatically out-playing his iconic opposite number, Richie McCaw, as the tourists dominated the first Test for long periods before subsiding to a 20-15 defeat. Yet, while Robshaw was a massive influence around the field, particularly with his ball-carrying and astute work as a link-man in attack, McCaw had a greater impact in terms of claiming turn-overs. Raise your game: Chris Robshaw has been challenged to perform even better in the second Test . Missing link: While Robshaw's ball-carrying was good, he was beaten at the breakdown by Richie McCaw . Poacher: The England skipper has a long way to go to match the All Blacks' leader in forcing turnovers . Given the crucial importance of breakdown poaching in a No 7’s repertoire, the England management have re-emphasised to their skipper the need to compete over the ball. Their demand for a greater ruck return is in keeping with the overall quest for a leap in standards this weekend, from an already impressive base. Asked to reflect on Robshaw’s exploits in Auckland and what was expected of him in the second Test, forwards coach Graham Rowntree said: ‘He was industrious last week. I thought he had a good game. We have been through his game and there are things he has to be better at, but he knows that. He will be the last one off the training field, doing his extras. ‘I’m delighted with how he is going but he knows he’s going to have to come up another level tomorrow. For Chris, that means finding another level in everything he does, but there are more breakdowns than anything else in the game and that is one area we coach daily.’ Wde role: Manu Tuilagi (centre) moves to the wing on Saturday as the back line in reshuffled . Straight back in: Owen Farrell takes his place at fy-half having joined the camp after the Premiership rugby final . Brothers in arms: The now full-strength England squad listens to Robshaw during the captain's run in Dunedin . On a high: Billy Twelvetrees has recovered from an ankle injury and will partner Luther Burrell in the centres . England have recalled Tom Wood at blindside flanker in place of James Haskell, who was arguably their most effective breakdown asset at Eden Park. But Wood and Robshaw – aided and abetted by the likes of lock pair Joe Launchbury and Geoff Parling – led a ferocious rucking onslaught 18 months which was at the heart of a record victory over New Zealand at Twickenham. That same raging intensity at the collision areas will be vital this time, if England are to disrupt the hosts’ possession and ensure their backs have quick ball to work with. That would allow them to set about dispelling the local perception that they want to play a slow, turgid game; a view which Rowntree took his turn to dismiss out of hand. Recalled: Tom Wood will play at blindside flanker in the only change to the starting forward pack . On a high: Wood comes in for James Haskell after captaining Northampton to victory over Saracens . Firepower: Stuart Lancaster will call on the likes of Courtney Lawes from the bench at Forsyth Barr Stadium . Perfect conditions: England and the All Blacks will go into battle under the roof at the Highlanders' home ground . ‘We want to play quick,’ said the former prop. ‘I was alarmed by some of the comments in the press this week saying we want to slow the game down. We want to play quick because we have a lightning-fast backline and a dynamic group of forwards, and that stadium will suit us. ‘In my opinion, the squad is a lot fitter – and I’m sure the data would back that up as well – than it ever has been. That is certainly helping the way we want to play. We want to play a challenging game and we want every tool available for a driving game or a quick game. We want everything.’ There was a degree of doubt about whether or not Forsyth Barr Stadium – with its roof-covered surface – would suit England’s kickers, after Jonny Wilkinson had some trouble shooting at goal there during the last World Cup. But the indications from training there this morning are that Owen Farrell and Freddie Burns endured no such problems. Kicking game: Owen Farrell will be playing under a roof in the second Test . Waiting game: Saints hooker Dylan Hartley will be back-up for Rob Webber, who impressed in the first Test to keep his starting spot . Quick recovery: Scrum-half Danny Care starts after missing the first Test with a shoulder injury . Warming up: England ease into their session in the stadium nicknamed the Glasshouse . Warming up: England ease into their session in the stadium nicknamed the Glasshouse . Testing time: While Mike Brown (left) is rock solid under the high ball, Tuilagi (right) will be peppered on the wing . ‘Owen’s not missed a shot this morning,’ said Rowntree. ‘I was marvelling at how easy he makes it. Crikey, I’m glad I never had to do that for a living, under that pressure, but they both (Farrell and Burns) kicked well this morning.’ England have stocked their bench with high-calibre, heavyweight replacements, in the hope of blasting to victory in the final quarter against a tiring All Blacks defence. There will be a major onus on the visitors to maintain their intensity levels for the entire match, which they were unable to do last weekend. ‘You have to be able to play until the last 10 seconds,’ said Rowntree. ‘New Zealand have shown that, particularly in their victory in Ireland last autumn. We have to be pounding away at the end there. That's something we are constantly speaking about; being there and accurate in the last few seconds of the game. It's certainly a work-on for us.’ So near, yet so far: Robshaw saw England concede a late try against New Zealand in the first Test . On the charge: Robshaw will look to lead England to victory in the second Test . | England lost to New Zealand narrowly in the first Test .
Captain Chris Robshaw challenged to play even better and lead his side to victory .
Graham Rowntree wants Robshaw to find another level . |
44,042 | 7c33048bd17621bb8f2d0fbfc264c7e187995c3c | Confused: Damon Tobias Exum, 37, who is said to have crashed into a police patrol car - then handed its driver a beer after he was stopped . A drunk driver spent the weekend in jail after crashing into a police car then handing its driver a beer when he was pulled over, police said. Confused Damon Tobias Exum is said to have crashed into the patrol car while he was driving in a suburb of Atlanta, Georgia. He apparently didn't notice the mistake and continued along the highway, but the officer inside gave chase until Exum pulled over. Officer Alvin Rodriguez reported that he asked Exum for his licence, but the 'heavily intoxicated' driver instead handed him a can of lager. Exum was arrested on eight misdemeanour charges, including driving under the influence and reckless driving, WSB-TV Atlanta reported. Sergeant Fidel Espinoza told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution that Exum had been driving westbound on I-285 near North Peachtree Road in Dunwoody when he collided with Officer Rodriguez's patrol car. Officer Rodrguez was not hurt in the smash and his car was in good enough shape to pursue Exum until he eventually pulled over. Thirty-seven-year-old Exum, of Dunwoody, was 'heavily intoxicated' and 'totally unaware that he had collided with the officer's patrol car', said Sergeant Espinoza. Going through the motions then on what would appear to have been an already clear-cut case of drink driving, Officer Rodriguez asked for Exum's licence - and got something to drink instead. Exum was thrown into DeKalb County Jail in lieu of $3,270 bail. Police said it was his third DUI arrest. | Damon Tobias Exum has spent the weekend in jail after his mistake .
He crashed into a patrol car while driving through suburban Atlanta .
He was arrested on eight misdemeanour charges, including DUI . |
189,908 | 81e52e0becc142b62f5d409d1a20a2ecbc89d3b4 | He is known for handing out giftwrapped presents to team-mates. So it came as no surprise that Manchester United playmaker Juan Mata repeated the trick when he delivered dozens of toys to a primary school in one of the city's toughest areas. The Spain international, 26, teamed up with a pal who owns a toy brand to dish out gifts to youngsters at the school and across Greater Manchester. Juan Mata (right) handed out presents to youngsters at a school in Manchester . Manchester United star Mata teamed up with a friend who owns a toy brand to give out the presents . The children were all too happy to take advantage of Mata's visit and collect a late Christmas present . Mata's manager, Louis van Gaal, may also have been happy to see him following in his footsteps when he took a PE lesson. United's Dutch supremo was a PE teacher back in his homeland and will have been impressed by Mata's masterly skills when he put the four to six-year-olds through their paces at Wythenshawe's Button Lane Primary. In total Mata and his friend have donated 500 toys which will the club's charity arm, the Manchester United Foundation, will distribute to 49 schools. He explained: 'I have a good friend who owns a toy brand and we thought it would be nice to work together for the kids here in Manchester and in my hometown of Oviedo, to give these gifts to school children, but also for kids who are in hospital and kids who may not have had gifts from their parents this Christmas.' Mata, who missed three decent chances in United's 1-0 home defeat to Southampton on Sunday, soon had a smile back on his face. Mata (left) watches on as the children at the school he visited take part in a PE lesson . The deputy head at the school said Mata's visit was a pleasant surprise for the pupils . 'It’s been a very nice experience for me to come here today.' he said. 'The kids seem really happy with the gifts and I want to try and do this as much as I can, not only me but the other players as it can be easy for us to do something like this.' Tracey Palmer, deputy head at the school, revealed that the visit stunned her unknowing pupils. 'In assembly I explained someone famous was coming into school and the children have been intrigued all day. 'The fact that Juan has given up his own time to come along is wonderful. He’s a great inspiration and this visit will be life changing for some of these children as they never get to meet anybody famous and probably never will again.' Following United's defeat to Southampton, Mata vowed that the team will hit back during the season . Mata was praised by the teachers for giving up his spare time to visit the children at the school . Following the loss to Ronald Koeman's high-flying Saints, former Chelsea Mata vowed to come back stronger on his blog. 'We are disappointed because of the defeat,' he wrote, 'but you can rest assured that the team will keep fighting in every game until the end to achieve our goals'. | Juan Mata surprised children at a primary school by delivering gifts .
He had teamed up with a friend who owns a toy brand for the gesture .
Mata vowed to help Manchester United improve their form on the pitch . |
121,969 | 29ad310caaac508427e61032e4ab5a1b237fbabf | New York (CNN) -- Authorities don't expect delays on subways, buses and tunnels Friday, a day after Occupy Wall Street demonstrators converged on New York City to mark a nationwide "mass day of action." No incidents and additional arrests were reported overnight, authorities said. Scores were arrested Thursday and several police officers were reported injured as protesters fanned out across the city moved toward Foley Square in Lower Manhattan and the Brooklyn Bridge. Many had crossed the bridge -- the same place where more than 700 had been arrested last month -- chanting, "This is what democracy looks like -- This is what America looks like," according to the New York movement's official Twitter feed. This time, they marched in the pedestrian walkway and did not block the roadway. Occupy protesters also took to the streets in all corners of the nation -- from Miami to Los Angeles to Portland, Oregon and Boston -- marking two months since the activist effort aimed at the nation's wealthiest 1% began in Manhattan. "I think the numbers have increased dramatically," New York protester Jo Robin said Thursday. "Particularly after the raid, our message is being broadcast all over the world." Police said a total of 245 people had been arrested around the city Thursday. Police Commissioner Ray Kelly said at least seven police officers were hurt Thursday during exchanges with protesters. Five of those officers were injured when a unidentified liquid was thrown on their faces, Kelly said, adding that they experienced a burning sensation and required hospitalization. It is not clear how many demonstrators have been injured during the clashes. Authorities constructed barricades at Zuccotti Park in front of the New York Stock Exchange and along Fifth Avenue in an apparent attempt to keep demonstrators off the roads and on pedestrian walkways. Residents and workers near the New York Stock Exchange were required to flash identification cards as police cordoned off the area amid concerns that demonstrators would try to disrupt trading. Earlier Thursday, protesters lifted metal barricades around Zuccotti Park, a former home-base for the movement, defying authorities and blocking traffic. Bloomberg said the day's protests had "caused minimal disruptions to our city," but added that some demonstrators had "deliberately" pursued violence. The Occupy movement showed no signs of abating elsewhere in the United States. In cities such as St. Louis and Milwaukee, thousands responded to the "day of action" plea. In Los Angeles, about 50 people were arrested Thursday, authorities said. In Portland, police reported 48 people arrested in three separate incidents. Another 21 were issued citations for blocking a street in Las Vegas, local police said. And in Atlanta, police arrested eight for blocking a roadway. There were also arrests in other places, including Chicago and Houston. CNN's Marina Landis contributed to this report. | No incidents and additional arrests are reported overnight, authorities say .
Over 200 people were arrested in New York on Thursday, according to police .
Fifty more were arrested in Los Angeles incidents, an officer says . |
54,742 | 9b10ecd12ec1056ee356e511f0c33f8d94e6e12e | IBF world welterweight title bout set for August 9 in New York . Brook has signed contract to fight Porter at the Brooklyn Centre . Floyd Mayweather Jnr remains No 1 in Jeff Powell's pound-for-pound Top 10 list . There are sighs of relief on both sides of the Atlantic at the announcement that Kell Brook has signed the contract to challenge Shawn Porter for the world welterweight title. More than a month after the initial announcement of the fight, Brook’s Matchroom Boxing promoter Eddie Hearn has finally been able to take to Twitter to confirm the British end of the deal. Hearn, perhaps with an element of tongue in cheek, also remarked that Porter will be stripped of his IBF belt if he does not now sign to meet his mandatory challenger from Sheffield. Up for it: Kell Brook has a signed a deal to fight Shawn Porter for the IBF welterweight title on August 9 . The reaction from Kenny Porter, the champion’s trainer and father, is one of guarded optimism. During the delay Porter Snr had questioned Brook’s willingness to go through with fighting his big-punching son. He cited Brook withdrawing twice from scheduled world title bouts against Devon Alexander, from whom Porter won the IBF title in one of Brook’s injury enforced absences. Alexander had also pulled out of one championship meeting with Brook when injured himself. The American camp still seems concerned whether Brook will show up at the Brooklyn Centre in New York on the proposed date of August 9. However, with the fight barely six weeks away Porter is already deep into training. Done deal: Matchroom Boxing promoter Eddie Hearn posted this picture with Shawn Porter after striking the agreement for him to fight Brook in Brooklyn . Warning: Hearn has said Porter (L) risks being stripped of his IBF title if he refuses to face mandatory challenger Brook . But so is Brook and it is inconceivable that at the age of 28 and with 32 wins on his unbeaten record he will miss out again on a world title shot. This is his big chance. He also knows that if he is ever to lure Amir Khan into a big-money domestic fight he needs to bring a world title to the negotiating table. Khan has stirred the pot by saying: ‘I keep hearing from some close to Kell that he is not sure if he is ready for Porter.’ But Brook says: ‘I know this will be a tough fight but while Porter is strong I believe I have the better skills.’ Porter’s father retorts: ‘Shawn is bigger, stronger and faster and we’re going to find out how much punishment Brook can take.’ Special one: Brook, pictured landing a hard-hitting uppercut on Alvaro Robles, needs to win if he is to set up a huge domestic bout with Amir Khan . After de-throning Alexander, Porter was given a one-fight exemption from his mandatory obligation to Brook and stopped Paulie Malignaggi in four rounds. His promoters, Oscar De La Hoya’s Golden Boy company, do have other big fights in the pipe-line for Porter but the IBF are insisting that he goes through with defending against Brook. It does now look as if the fight will happen, with Porter sounding confident. Or are he and his father relying on Brook pulling out? 1) Floyd Mayweather (unchanged) Number one: Floyd Mayweather, pictured last week at a party in Miami, heads Jeff Powell's top 10 pound-for-pound list . 2) Manny Pacquiao (unchanged)3) Wladimir Klitschko (unchanged)4) Guillermo Rigondeaux (unchanged)5) Andre Ward (unchanged) Second best: Manny Pacquiao is ranked at No 2 in Jeff Powell's list, while Britain's Carl Froch (R) is in at No 7 . 6) Juan Manuel Marquez (unchanged)7) Carl Froch (unchanged)8) Miguel Cotto (unchanged)9) Tim Bradley (unchanged)10) Adonis Stevenson (unchanged) | IBF world welterweight title bout set for August 9 in New York .
Brook has signed contract to fight Porter at the Brooklyn Centre .
Floyd Mayweather Jnr remains No 1 in Jeff Powell's pound-for-pound Top 10 list . |
75,023 | d4b088b5f53fbc7e10acbd4c7336ab4bf73d6745 | Washington (CNN) -- The battle for control of Congress is entering a final, frantic five-day stretch that favors Republicans but has room for plenty of surprises that could determine which party will run the Senate. The unsettled nature of so many individual contests at this late stage underscores the unpredictability of this election season. And Election Night could turn out to be a nail-biter that continues for days -- or even months. The themes that were expected to dominate this election cycle -- Obamacare and immigration -- are turning out to be duds. Meanwhile, threats posed by Ebola and ISIS -- hardly dinner table conversations a year ago -- are suddenly top issues. And on top of all that, add a mix of 2016 presidential drama as potential contenders barnstorm early voting states to help congressional candidates. The GOP is poised to extend its grip on the House and needs a net gain of six seats to take back the Senate for the first time since 2007. Republicans are expected to easily take Democratic seats in Montana, South Dakota and West Virginia, leaving them needing just three more seats to build a Senate majority. But getting there could get tricky. North Carolina Democratic Sen. Kay Hagan is holding firm in a race many observers thought she would have lost by now, up four points in an Elon University survey over her challenger, Thom Tillis. In Georgia, Democrats believe that Michelle Nunn — one of the emerging stars of this election cycle — could beat Republican David Perdue. If neither candidate gets 50 percent of the vote a run-off election will take place in January. In Kansas, Senator Pat Roberts is still slugging it out against independent candidate Greg Orman and even the man most likely to become majority leader in a Republican Senate, Mitch McConnell, cannot take re-election for granted in Kentucky. The loss of any of that trio would complicate Republican hopes in the Senate. Still, there are other pickup opportunities for Republicans. In Colorado, Democratic Sen. Mark Udall seemed to be in good shape just a few months ago. But now he's down by seven points to Republican challenger Cory Gardner in a Thursday Quinnipiac University survey. The Denver Post had the race closer — with Gardner up two percent. In New Hampshire, Democratic Sen. Jeanne Shaheen is in a very tight race with former Massachusetts Sen. Scott Brown. Meanwhile, Arkansas Democratic Sen. Mark Pryor, fighting an uphill battle in an increasingly red state, was down between 13 and seven points to challenger Tom Cotton in two recent surveys. Other key states where Republicans have a good chance of picking up seats include Louisiana, Alaska and Iowa. Though the 2014 race isn't even wrapped up yet, the next election in 2016 is already unfolding as potential presidential candidates stump in key early voting states. New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie announced plans to blitz 19 states before Election Day, including Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina, which will play outsized roles in the presidential campaign. Jeb Bush, meanwhile, made waves by jabbing Hillary Clinton over her attitude towards business. On the Democratic side, Clinton, who increasingly appears to be waging an undeclared presidential campaign, tracked through Iowa this week -- the state that did most to doom her 2008 White House bid. Obama remained a sideshow, with his low approval rating making him unwanted by Democrats in swing states. So, he has been largely confined to raising millions of dollars for Democratic Party coffers, or stumping for candidates in liberal territory. On Thursday, Obama was headed to Portland, Maine, to campaign for Rep. Mike Michaud who is seeking to unseat Republican incumbent Paul LePage in a tight governor's race. CNN's Ashley Killough, Dan Merica and Jeremy Diamond contributed to this story . | The battle for the Senate is unsettled heading into the final days of campaigning .
Themes that were expected to dominate the cycle haven't resonated .
Political climate still favors Republicans . |
86,283 | f4d43c24f8bbc0562eb9dcc976743a1b9d8f826a | UPDATE: On April 30, NASA revealed "Technology" as the winning design for their new Z-2 spacesuit. With almost 150,000 votes -- just over 63% of the 233,431 total -- "Technology" will be incorporated into the final version of the Z-2 spacesuit, and is expected to be ready for testing by November. I applaud you all for not choosing "Biomimicry." There's hope for the future. Maybe. Below is our original column about the design contest, published on March 28: . The July 21, 1969, headline of the New York Times read, "MEN WALK ON MOON." But had Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin not been wearing their fancy A7L spacesuits when they stepped off the Eagle, readers would probably have woken up to "WELL, THAT GOT MESSY." To be fair, I don't actually know what happens if an astronaut ventures out into space wearing, say, blue jeans and a Mexican Baja hoodie, but if cartoons have taught me anything -- and God knows they have -- it's that people tend to explode. So that's exactly what would happen. Cartoons don't lie. Of course, the Apollo 11's original A7L spacesuit was a technological achievement for its time. But like all things NASA, it was a constant work in progress, and four missions later when Apollo 15 blasted off for (I think) Pittsburgh, astronauts began wearing the A7LB. See what they did there? They added a B. Most notably, among some other minor changes, the A7LB provided more waist mobility for sitting in the rovers. But it was also probably just as difficult to change your socks. "Yo, Buzz, a little help here." Since the Apollo missions, spacesuits have continued to change and advance, always reaching for the limits of science and imagination. Though, I am holding back a certain amount of praise for NASA until they finally engineer a loose-fitting space Snuggie. I mean, what's the point of going into the cosmos if you have to wear pants? Today, NASA is once again deep into developing a whole new spacesuit, and this time, you actually get to help decide the design. But just the appearance. Not any of the technical specs. That would just be reckless. "It needs a beer holder! For your beer! Roll Tide!" On Monday, voting started on the new Z-2 spacesuit. Participants can choose between three design models, all of which are so futuristically ridiculous that they are simply amazing. I love them. The new spacesuits are a direct improvement to the current prototype Z-1, which had a soft upper torso. The Z-2 is made of state-of-the-art hard composite, perfect for cage fighting on Mars. Which is probably the first thing we'll do with the Red Planet after we put up a Wal-Mart. The Z-2 is also the first spacesuit to use 3-D laser scanning and 3-D printing. Cast your vote here . So, clearly, there's a bit of serious technology going on here. Though, with all due respect to NASA, none of this stacks up to the vision and engineering of the Sports Illustrated football phone. Really, that thing was a technological wonder. But so are the new Z-2 spacesuits, and when you go online to vote, you'll have three options. The first option, "Biomimicry," is inspired by the oceans of Earth and mimics some of the bioluminescent qualities of fish and reptiles. Its signature feature is electroluminescent wire that stretches across the upper torso and becomes visible in low light. To me, this is the least interesting of the three designs, though its reptilian outer shell might buy us some time with our new alien overlords. "Gork, she sort of looks like us." "Your mom sort of looks like us." "Shut up, Gork." The second design is called "Technology" and uses Luminex wire and light-emitting patches that can help crew members easily identify each other on spacewalks. It's actually a cool-looking design, but I'm pretty sure they could've just saved a bunch of money by stealing a box of those "Hello, My Name is _____" stickers from a company retreat. "Oh, so you're Dave." "Dude, we just spent the last 250 days together in a space ship flying to Mars. How do you not know this?" The third option is called "Trends in Society," and with a bright color scheme mimicking athletic training gear, it's supposed to reflect what everyday clothes might look like in the future. Keeping to its name, the "Trends in Society" spacesuit proudly supports legalized marijuana and doesn't want to have kids. It's very progressive. Voting ends for the Z-2 project April 15, and the winning design will be revealed by April 30. After that, NASA expects to have the suit completed by November and will immediately begin testing with it at the Johnson Space Center in Houston. These tests will take place in vacuum chambers, a neutral buoyancy lab and a simulated Mars environment. "Your mom is a simulated Mars environment." "Shut up, Gork." Follow @JarrettBellini on Twitter. | NASA is developing a new spacesuit called the Z-2 .
People were able to vote online between three designs .
Voting ended April 15, and "Technology" was announced as the winning design on April 30 . |
240,174 | c2ed3d7ddc60643f9bce9b2e232b46e49be41039 | By . Darren Boyle for MailOnline . A bus carrying more than 50 wedding guests was swept away by a flooded stream in the Indian-held portion of Kashmir and all but three of the passengers are missing, officials said. Police officer Rajesh Kumar said the three swam to safety and told rescuers that about 50 others were trapped in the bus. Rescuers were searching for the bus but have not been able to locate it in the gushing waters. New landslides and heavy rains blocked access to the area, Mr Kumar said. Locals in Srinagar in Indian controlled Kashmir battle to save the life of this woman who is at risk of being washed away in fast-moving flood water . Some people were forced to take refuge on the roof of their home as the flood waters continued to rise following the worst rains in the past 22 years . Within a matter of minutes, the flood waters rose up to chest height, forcing the evacuation of large areas of Srinagar with more than 5,000 people fleeing to safety . Officials earlier said the bus was carrying about 70 people. 'There is a lot of confusion,' Mr Kumar said. The Press Trust of India news agency said the bride and bridegroom were among the missing people who were returning home from a wedding ceremony in a village in the Rajouri region, about 110 miles south west of Srinagar, the main city in the Indian-held portion of Kashmir. The region's wedding season has been disrupted by heavy rains and the worst floods in 22 years, and many ceremonies have been postponed. At least 18 people have died in the past two days, and authorities have closed schools and stopped train services in the Kashmir valley. Meteorologists said the heavy rains were likely to continue for another two days. Police officer Imtiyaz Hussain said the 18 victims were swept away by floodwaters or buried by mud from mountain slopes - 14 in the Jammu region and four in the Kashmir valley. They included a paramilitary officer whose bunker collapsed on him. In one incident, a bus containing a wedding party was washed away by raging flood waters around 100 miles away from Srinagar in a remote region of Kashmir . More than 100 villages across Kashmir were flooded as these residents watch anxiously as the River Tawi in Jammu looks set to burst its banks . Scores of people trudge through the rising flood waters carrying whatever belongings they can manage as they attempt to make their way to higher ground . Soldiers and rescue workers used boats to move thousands of people to higher ground. At least 100 villages across the Kashmir valley were flooded by overflowing lakes and rivers, including the Jhelum river, which was up to four feet above its danger level, officials said. Landslides and floods are common in India during the monsoon season, which runs from June through September. Parts of Srinagar were also flooded. In Bemina, a large neighbourhood, thousands of residents waded through ankle-high water that entered their homes. Authorities evacuated 5,000 people from the neighbourhood and 100 others were believed to be stranded there. Kashmir is divided between India and Pakistan and claimed by both. They have fought three wars, two of them over control of Kashmir, since winning independence from Britain in 1947. Two Indian Army soldiers patrol a submerged street in Srinagar, India careful to keep their Kalashnikov assault rifles out of the filthy flood water . A policeman stands guard outside the Hajj House in Srinagar in the middle of the worst floods to hit the region over the past 22 years according to local officials . Some of those fleeing to safety used small boats in a bid to avoid getting too wet in a rescue operation overseen by the Indian Army . | Bride and groom among the missing after their bus was washed away following the accident 100 miles from Srinagar .
Heavy rains caused the worst floods in the region for 22 years with the deluge expected to continue for two days .
At least 100 villages hit by torrential rains with than 5,000 people have been evacuated from Srinagar . |
43,420 | 7a744066591b11d74764d1ce896c1db33fdd2da0 | By . Mail On Sunday Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 17:51 EST, 8 June 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 17:51 EST, 8 June 2013 . Residents in a former pit village will be keeping a close eye on the behaviour of their neighbours today. The village of Rawmarsh in South Yorkshire is at the centre of lottery fever amid claims that one of its inhabitants has finally claimed the £81million EuroMillions lottery jackpot. The draw was made on May 28 but the prize was not immediately claimed. Shopkeepers in Rawmarsh, near Rotherham, claim lottery operator Camelot contacted them to say customers should check their tickets for the winning numbers – and that soon got the rumour mill whirring among the 18,000 inhabitants. Praying for a winning ticket... St Mary's Church . in Rawmarsh, near Rotherham, South Yorkshire. The village is at the . centre of lottery fever amid claims one of its inhabitants has claimed . the £81million EuroMillions jackpot . Paramjit Singh, of the Sohal Mini Market, said: ‘It seemed they were still looking for the winner and they were from round here. Our customers were very excited but it was none of them.’ One resident was the centre of attention after he was photographed next to a flash car and then loaded the picture on to Facebook. But he was quickly exposed as a fake. Sharon, a shop assistant at Claypit News, said: ‘He was getting everyone to buy him drinks down at the Titanic pub, saying that he was waiting for the cheque to clear. 'He had a good night but it’s not him.’ King's ransom: The British winner will enjoy £81million, the sixth biggest jackpot in National Lottery History . The owner of a florist is now in the frame after it unexpectedly closed down late last month. Camelot last night confirmed the sixth-largest winner in British lottery history had claimed their prize but had opted for anonymity. A spokesman said: ‘It could be an individual, it could be a syndicate and they could be from anywhere.’ | Shopkeepers say Camelot contacted them to ask customers to check tickets .
Florist owner in the frame after shop unexpectedly closed down last month .
Winner has claimed the prize but has opted for anonymity, Camelot says . |
266,873 | e5a9a49af30de98133e0a3fff1b084b1c5e7ee7b | (CNN) -- Minors under 17 will be prohibited from using commercial tanning beds in New Jersey, and those under 14 will be banned from spray-tanning procedures in tanning facilities, under a new law signed by Gov. Chris Christie. In remarks made at the time he signed the bill Monday, Christie noted that New Jersey already banned those under 14 from using tanning facilities. But, he said, "the new restrictions imposed by this bill followed a single, but breathlessly reported, incident of a parent bringing a minor child into a tanning facility." In February, a New Jersey grand jury declined to indict a woman accused of child endangerment for allegedly allowing her 5-year-old daughter to use a tanning bed, resulting in leg burns. Patricia Krentcil was arrested in April 2012 after school officials noticed burns on the girl's legs and reported the injuries. Prosecutors accused her of allowing her daughter inside a stand-up tanning booth at a salon in the northern New Jersey town of Nutley. Christie said Monday the child was not permanently injured and the salon was fined by the state Department of Health. "Confidence in the current laws, rather than a rush to add new and perhaps unnecessary provisions, would have seemed the appropriate legislative response," the governor said. "Nonetheless, I sign this bill because of the documented and well-understood risks associated with misuse of indoor tanning systems." California and Vermont have also banned indoor tanning for minors, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. Wisconsin also prohibits indoor tanning for those under age 16. A handful of other states, including Arkansas, Georgia, Oregon, Michigan and Virginia, require parental permission. Indoor tanning exposes users to both UV-A and UV-B rays, which cause skin damage and can cause cancer, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Indoor tanning can be particularly dangerous for young users; research has shown that those who begin tanning before age 35 have a 75% higher risk of melanoma. The American Suntanning Association, however, criticized the new law, saying it would only drive teens to "riskier alternatives like home units and beaches." In a statement, the association said it was "disappointed that Gov. Christie and the New Jersey legislature have decided that government should have more of a say in teenagers' lives than their parents," and notes it has "worked diligently to offer a compromise including stricter regulations, more enforcement and fines and greater parental control." | New Jersey bans those under 17 from using commercial tanning beds .
Action follows high-profile case in which a grand jury failed to indict a mother .
California and Vermont also ban indoor tanning by minors . |
65,565 | ba21562e4dd0c6f8420c307658eb45e81c2aff85 | By . Mia De Graaf . They are the words guaranteed to induce dread in any supermarket shopper: 'Unexpected item in the bagging area. Please remove this item before continuing.' But the identity of the woman behind the robotic command at more than 10,000 self-service check outs across the UK has remained a mystery. Today, however, it has emerged that the dulcet tones belong to former EastEnders actress Helena Breck. Secret: The voice of self service checkouts that leaves shoppers across the UK embarrassed has been revealed as Helena Breck (left) who played the gritty role of Elizabeth Willmott-Brown in EastEnders in 1994 . It will surprise many as the well-spoken, non-confrontational warning seems worlds away from Albert Square. Ms Breck played Elizabeth Wilmott-Brown - the wife of James Wilmott-Brown who raped Phil Mitchell's girlfriend - in the BBC's flagship soap in 1994. But in 2008, she was snapped up by the National Cash Register (NCR) to record the fateful words that would be played at more than 10,000 of the nation's major supermarkets including Tesco, Asda and Sainsbury's. Though other voices have been brought in since, Ms Breck's remains a favourite for stores. While the satnav industry is proud to promote its invisible stars, who include half-a-dozen mature British actresses with beautifully modulated voices, along with a few jokey contributors such as Brian Blessed and John Cleese, the NCR has refused to name Ms Breck. Speaking in 2010, Helen McInnes, spokesman for the American company, said: 'Her identity is a closely-guarded secret. Dynamic: Voiceover and television actress Ms Breck, whose non-confrontational voice emanates from check outs, has starred in gritty soaps including the hit ITV drama Crown Court in 1981 . 'We wouldn't want our competitors to take on the same voice.' Explaining the casting process, she said: 'The person has been chosen for having . a calming voice and an approachable manner.' In laboratory and shop . studies, customers 'overwhelmingly responded better to the female . voice'. Ms Breck, who last recorded a supermarket command in February 2009, said she tries her best to distance herself from the iconic role to concentrate on new, different work. She told MailOnline: 'It can impinge on being booked for other work as people think you're still attached to that. 'I still hear myself sometimes when I go into the supermarket but they have new voices now and I am doing other things.' | Helena Breck recorded famous phrase for National Cash Register in 2009 .
Voice used in 10,000 supermarkets across UK including Tesco and Asda .
Distances herself from it, far cry from role in EastEnders as rapist's wife . |
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