Unnamed: 0
int64 0
287k
| id
stringlengths 40
40
| article
stringlengths 117
14.7k
| highlights
stringlengths 37
3.97k
|
|---|---|---|---|
92,335 | 02c1938aafb79202920bf465e8c51421093cb856 | If the CIA did, in fact, secretly remove classified documents from Senate computers during an oversight probe, there will be consequences, the chairman of the House Intelligence committee told CNN Wednesday. "We're going to have to unwind this, find out what the truth is," Republican Mike Rogers of Michigan told CNN's Chris Cuomo on "New Day." "If someone broke the law, they're going to have to pay the penalty." Rogers' comments followed Tuesday's accusation by Sen. Dianne Feinstein, the chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, that the CIA removed some documents from her staff's computers in the middle of an oversight investigation. Feinstein said the CIA searched Senate computers last year because they believed the panel's investigators might have gained access to materials on an internal review they were not authorized to see. The committee launched a full-blown investigation after learning in an initial review that the CIA had "withheld and destroyed information about its detention and interrogation program." Her concern is that the search may have violated federal law regarding domestic spying as well as congressional oversight responsibilities under the Constitution. Just the fact that Feinstein would publicly make the accusation indicates there is something to it, Rogers said. "It's troubling to see this, but I do have immense respect for Sen. Feinstein," Rogers said. "If she's going down to the floor, she clearly believes that something untoward happened." CIA Director John Brennan, speaking to the Council on Foreign Relations Tuesday, denied the accusations, saying "nothing could be further from the truth." Rogers expressed concern about the situation, but declined to speculate. On one hand, he said, there is a need to get to the bottom of the accusations so that it doesn't prevent the CIA from doing its work. On the other hand, if laws were broken, it would destroy the legislative-CIA relationship, he said. The Inspector General has referred to the issue to the Department of Justice, he said. The Justice Department is looking at whether to launch an investigation involving the committee's review of millions of documents at a Virginia facility and counterclaims by the CIA about Intelligence Committee staffers gaining access to things they shouldn't have seen. There is plenty of oversight cooperation between the CIA and Congress, Rogers said, and these accusations should not taint the entire agency. Feinstein says CIA spied on Senate computers . Opinion: Feinstein is no bomb thrower . | Rep. Mike Rogers wants to get to the bottom of the accusations against CIA .
If Sen. Dianne Feinstein made the accusation, there may be something there, he says .
He wants to make sure that no laws were broken . |
123,783 | 2c082d3d419f9338062e7e76ef34d74221aca4b9 | Ed Miliband is coming under intense pressure from his MPs to sack Ed Balls to boost Labour’s prospects in next year’s General Election. The whispering campaign against the Shadow Chancellor has started as Mr Balls fights an increasingly open battle with health spokesman Andy Burnham over their manifesto policies. The group, who are largely affiliated to the unions, are swinging behind Mr Burnham’s call for the party to back a ring-fenced tax to boost funding for the NHS – a move that Mr Balls categorically ruled out yesterday. Under pressure: Ed Miliband (left) is coming under intense pressure from his MPs to sack Ed Balls (right) The MPs resent Mr Balls’s refusal to pledge extra money to the NHS in case the Tories cite it as an example of Labour’s profligacy. The MPs have grown concerned by the party’s failure to open up a commanding opinion poll lead over the Conservatives, with some recent surveys showing a gap down to just two per cent. No opposition party in recent political history has won Downing Street from such a weak electoral position. With just ten months until the Election, most of the MPs accept that a direct challenge to Mr Miliband is now unlikely, and so many have instead started calling for Mr Balls’s head as part of a wider Shadow Cabinet reshuffle which would promote Mr Burnham and see a return for former Chancellor Alistair Darling and ex-Home Secretary Alan Johnson. Battle: Mr Balls is fighting an increasingly open battle with health spokesman Andy Burnham (pictured) over their manifesto policies . The tension between Mr Burnham and Mr Balls erupted yesterday when Mr Balls slapped down the idea of either a 15 per cent ‘death tax’ levy on all estates to pay for social care of the elderly or an extra 1p on National Insurance as an ‘NHS tax’, both of which are understood to have the support of Mr Burnham. ‘People feel they are paying too much tax already,’ said Mr Balls. ‘We have to get the balance right between balancing the budget and making sure the NHS continues to deliver.’ Mr Miliband has promised a ‘summer offensive’ of major speeches by his frontbench team to build momentum into the autumn conference season. But many of his MPs were mortified when he used a speech last month to draw attention to his supposed resemblance to Wallace from the Wallace and Gromit series, saying he was ‘not from central casting’. Last night, Labour MP Graham Stringer led calls for a wide-ranging frontbench reshuffle after next month’s Scottish referendum. He told The Mail on Sunday: ‘There needs to be a Shadow Cabinet reshuffle before the Labour party conference. After Scotland votes No to independence he [Miliband] should bring back Alistair Darling, who led the anti-independence campaign, and [former Home Secretary] Alan Johnson. Both of them have bags of experience, which our frontbench lacks. We also need to match the Tories’ new- found focus and drive.’ Mr Stringer added: ‘I cannot bear all this angst about jawlines and Wallace and Gromit. The public don’t want self-absorption. They want a focus on tough, clear policies that are relevant to their lives. ‘My view that things need to change is shared throughout the party. The only division is between those who think the debate should take place in private and the few of us who want it to take place in public.’ Refusal: Mr Burnham has called for the Labour party to back a ring-fenced tax to boost funding for the NHS ¿ a move that Mr Balls categorically ruled out yesterday. Above, Mr Balls is pictured on The Andrew Marr Show . And Grahame Morris, Labour MP for Easington, who is understood to support the sacking of Mr Balls, said: ‘I want to see Labour adopting bold policies to tackle the cost of living crisis, reverse the privatisation of the NHS and be ambitious in building a million affordable homes.’ Asked whether he thought Mr Balls should be sacked, Mr Morris said: ‘The choice of the Shadow Cabinet is a matter for the leader.’ | A whispering campaign against Shadow Chancellor Ed Balls has started .
Mr Balls is fighting battle with Andy Burnham over their manifesto policies .
He has categorically ruled out a ring-fenced tax to boost funding for NHS .
MPs have now put Labour's Ed Miliband under pressure to sack Mr Balls . |
52,642 | 953f656d0e4249bffe4a14a783b436e2606b2e94 | A woman went in search of her long-lost mother - and discovered she has unknowingly married her own brother. Adriana, 39, and her husband Leandro, 37, have been together for seven years and have a six-year-old daughter. The Brazilian couple - who didn't want to reveal their surnames - spent their lives trying to find their respective mothers, who were both called Maria, and had both abandoned their children when they were still babies. Related: Married couple Leandro and Adriana discovered they are brother and sister - but vow to stay together . But neither ever imagined - until this week - that the women they had both been searching for could have been the same person. Adriana, a cosmetics saleswoman, hadn't seen her mother since she was just one, when she left home leaving her to be raised by the girl's father. Meanwhile, truck driver Leandro found out aged eight that his own mother had also abandoned him, and that the woman he knew as his mum was actually his step-mother. While Leandro stayed in the same town where he was born in the state of Sao Paulo, southeast Brazil, Adriana moved away to work as a housemaid, was married for 15 years and had three children. The pair met for the first time ten years ago after Adriana's marriage broke down and she moved back to her home town, and they soon fell in love and moved in together. Discovery: They were both abandoned as infants and spent their lives searching for their mothers called Maria . Still unable . to forget the give up the search for her mother, last month Adriana . decided to contact a a radio station in their town to ask for help - and . this week the two were reunited live on air. But . at the end of the interview on Radio Globo's 'The Time Is Now' programme, which specialises in finding lost relatives, the mother . revealed she also had a son who didn't know her, Leandro. A phenomenon called genetic sexual attraction can occur when estranged relatives meet for the first time as adults. Feelings of intense intimacy can be confused as the brain struggles to associate each other as family. When families grow up together, an inherent taboo is created which desensitises them to sexual attraction. It is known as the Westermarck effect but is missing from relatives who do not know each other. As . it becomes clear that it is the same Leandro that she was married to, . Adriana is heard weeping uncontrollably: 'I don't believe that you're . telling me this. Leandro is my husband,' she sobs. At the end of the interview she says: 'Now I'm scared to go home and find out that Leandro doesn't want me any more. I love him so much.' Adriana and Leandro - who never married legally - yesterday told Radio Globo that they would stay together, despite the bombshell that they are actually brother and sister. Adriana said: 'Only death is going to separate us. All this happened because God wanted it to happen. 'Of course it would have been different if we had known all this before, but we didn't and we fell in love. 'We thought it was funny that both our mothers had the same name, but it is a common name so we just thought it was a coincidence. 'At first we were really knocked by it all. But we had a family meeting and told everyone that we are going to stay husband and wife, whatever anyone might think. 'We have so many plans together, nothing's going to break us up, nothing.' The couple said they don't blame their mother for leaving them, have spoken with her a number of times since and plan to meet up soon. | Adriana, 39, and husband Leandro, 37, both abandoned as infants in Brazil .
Couple from different towns married 7 years ago, have 6-year-old daughter .
They have spent their lives searching for their mothers - both called Maria .
Adriana found her mother through TV show, they were reunited on air .
Maria reveals she also had a son called Leandro, Adriana breaks down .
Couple vow to stay married and meet up with their mother together . |
169,822 | 67c8ad1dd2cfdc0151abd5eb4a06001f3c7bcb8a | By . Rob Cooper . PUBLISHED: . 06:46 EST, 9 April 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 06:48 EST, 9 April 2013 . Victim: Alice Hicks, 27, died from her injuries after her partner Daniel Day crashed her car while 'racing' on a country road . A motorist killed his girlfriend when he crashed her car while driving at 'vastly excessive speeds' on a country road, a court heard. Daniel Day, 34, was racing a Mini Cooper belonging to his partner Alice Hicks, 27, at up to 80mph when he lost control on a blind bend. The car swerved and skidded out of control before smashing into a Mazda driving in the opposite direction leaving trainee accountant Alice with fatal injuries. Day is facing jail after being . convicted of causing his girlfriend's death by dangerous driving. She . died a day after the collision. He . denied the offence but was convicted following a week-long trial at . Taunton Crown Court, with the jury reaching their guilty verdict in just . 40 minutes. Today Alice's devastated family welcomed the decision but said it would not bring their 'beautiful daughter' back. Proud mother Yvonne Hicks, 59, a receptionist from Bleadon Hill, Somerset, described her daughter as 'the centre of the family'. She said: 'I am just pleased with the outcome but nothing will ever bring her back. 'We . all miss her terribly, she was the centre of our lives, she did so much . for us all. We now need to think of all the happy times that we all had . together.' Taunton Crown . Court was told how Day 'revved' Alice's blue Mini Cooper as he drove . down the country road near Rooksbridge on September 24, 2011. Day . ignored 'ample warning signs', including four which said 'slow' and . another on a lamppost instructing him to 'reduce speed now' before . taking a blind bend. He approached the corner at speeds of up to 80mph according to witnesses, who described seeing him 'whizzing' past. Moments before the crash, driver Kevin Buck had stopped his Mercedes van around the bend as he waited to turn right into Biddisham, Somerset. Day, from Lower Weare, Somerset, swerved around the van, as well as a Ford Focus behind it before colliding with a Mazda driving in the opposite direction. Anguish: Alice's father Raymond Hicks had given his trainee accountant daughter his cap and gown from university to wear at her graduation . The jury was told Alice's convertible Mini was still travelling at speed on impact and had little or no chance of stopping when the driver saw stationary traffic. They also heard evidence that neither Day or Alice had been wearing their seat belt. Alice, who was sat in the front passenger seat, died from serious head injuries sustained when she was flung from the from the car. The driver of the Mazda survived. Witness Lucy Fulford, who was a passenger in a Honda Civic travelling in the opposite direction to the Mini prior to the smash. She told the jury: 'The speed shocked me. I saw the driver, he looked panicked. His arms were rigid and his eyes were wide. 'I smelt rubber.' Other witnesses estimated that the car had been travelling at between 70 and 90 mph before it went round the blind bend. Tests showed Day had not taken drugs or consumed alcohol before the smash and there were no faults with the Mini. Her brother Andrew Hicks said the jury's verdict proved Alice played no part in the accident. He added: 'We can never be happy because nothing will change the result. But this verdict shows Alice wasn't to blame. She was the centre of our lives.' Her father Raymond, 79, added that Alice was months away from graduating from an accountancy course at Weston College in Weston-super-Mare. The retired BT national sales training manager added: 'She died in the September but was due to graduate the following June. 'I had saved my cap and gown for her and she was going to wear it to the ceremony. It is still laid out on her bed.' Day - who remained emotionless as the verdict was read - will be sentenced at Taunton Crown Court on a date to be fixed. | Daniel Day, 34, was racing at speeds of up to 80mph when he lost control of the car .
The Mini Cooper crashed head-on with a Mazda which was travelling in the opposite direction .
Alice and her boyfriend were not wearing a seat belt at the time of the crash .
Day found guilty of dangerous driving by a jury in just 40 minutes after a week-long trial at Taunton Crown Court . |
185,477 | 7c41f42330246c399898054cc82418bcf7ee18ee | NEW YORK (CNN) -- Investigators have raised the wreckage of the helicopter involved in Saturday's deadly mid-air collision over the Hudson River, but they were still looking for the small plane involved in the crash, authorities said Sunday. Divers unload a body from their raft onto a police boat Sunday. Nine people are believed dead in the crash. New York police said they believed side-scan sonar pointed them to the wreckage of the Piper Saratoga PA-32 just north of where the helicopter went down, but Deborah Hersman, chairwoman of the National Transportation Safety Board, said swift current and low visibility were hindering divers. The search stopped as a storm approached Sunday evening and will resume Monday morning, police said. Nine people, including five Italian tourists, were aboard the two aircraft when they collided over the river shortly before noon Saturday. Seven bodies had been pulled out of the river by Sunday afternoon, Hersman said. Authorities believe none of the nine people aboard the two aircraft survived the crash. Neither aircraft was required to carry electronic "black boxes" that record cockpit voices and flight data on larger planes, but electronic navigational devices on board might retain some information that could help the probe, Hersman said. Investigators are trying to establish the facts of the crash but won't determine the probable cause for some time, Hersman said. See where the collision occurred » . "We are looking at everything. Nothing has been ruled out at this point in time," she said. Most of the Eurocopter AS350 had been lifted out of the Hudson on Sunday and taken to a pier in Hoboken, New Jersey, across the river from Manhattan, for examination, Hersman said. The helicopter was taking the five Italians on a 12-minute sightseeing tour around New York and had taken off from a heliport in midtown Manhattan shortly before the crash, she said. Watch crews search for victims » . New York police identified the pilot of the helicopter as Jeremy Clark, 32. He had worked for the operator, Liberty Helicopter Sightseeing Tours, for about a year and a half and had 2,700 helicopter flight hours, Hersman said. iReport.com: Were you there? Send images . His passengers were Michele Norelli, 51; Fabio Gallazzi, 49; Filippo Norelli, 16; Giacomo Gallazzi, 15; and Tiziana Pedroni, 44, all of Bologna, Italy. The plane took off from a Philadelphia-area airfield Saturday morning, landed at New Jersey's Teterboro Airport and was bound for Ocean City, New Jersey, with three people aboard -- the owner and pilot, Steven Altman, 60, of Ambler, Pennsylvania; his brother, Daniel Altman, 49, of Dresher, Pennsylvania; and Daniel Altman's son Douglas, 16. Controllers lost contact with the plane at 11:53 a.m., when it was at an altitude of about 1,100 feet, Hersman said. View images from the scene » . Hersman said the NTSB has recorded eight accidents and one "incident" involving Liberty, but Saturday's crash was the first to involve fatalities. Previous accidents included a 2007 case in which a helicopter crash-landed in the Hudson from a height of 500 feet, but without injuring passengers; a 2008 incident in which one helicopter taking off clipped another on the ground; a 2008 incident in which a pilot caused "substantial damage" to a helicopter while landing during an instructional session. In 2001, a Liberty pilot made an "improper decision" to continue flying in poor weather at night, causing the helicopter to hit trees, according to the NTSB. Marcia Horowitz, a spokeswoman for the tour operator, said Liberty executives "are cooperating fully" with investigators. "Right now, the company is focusing its efforts on cooperating with the NTSB and giving as much information as it can," Horowitz said. "At this time, their priority is to help with the family of their pilot, and of course the families that were involved in the accident." Investigators will focus on radio communications along the congested air corridor at the time of the crash and examine any pictures or video contributed by the public, Hersman told CNN earlier. Witness accounts and still photographs already provided "good information" to investigators, she said. A witness told investigators he saw the airplane approach the helicopter from behind, and the plane's right wing make "contact with the helicopter," Hersman said. The witness, another Liberty pilot who was refueling at a nearby heliport, said he tried to warn the helicopter pilot but got no response. Other witnesses reported seeing debris flying from the helicopter as it slammed into the water. Arnold Stevens, who saw the collision from the W Hotel in Hoboken, said the helicopter "dropped like a rock," while one of the plane's wings was sheared off and it began "corkscrewing" into the water, he said. The busy airspace surrounding Manhattan has been the site of several recent aeronautical accidents. Earlier this year, a US Airways plane with 155 people on board ditched into the Hudson after apparently striking birds upon takeoff from New York's LaGuardia Airport, officials said. Capt. Chesley B. "Sully" Sullenberger's landing, which resulted in no deaths or serious injuries, was captured on closed circuit television. In 2006, Yankees pitcher Cory Lidle, 34, and his flight instructor were killed when the ballplayer's plane crashed into a high-rise apartment building near the East River, city officials said. CNN's Susan Candiotti contributed to this report. | Seven bodies pulled from water; two others believed dead .
Search stops Sunday evening because of weather, will resume Monday .
Authorities investigating Saturday's collision of helicopter, plane over Hudson River .
Pilot on ground says he tried to warn helicopter before accident . |
197,892 | 8c246cfc9e77632c51e6053e3539618f5efe4aa3 | By . Lydia Warren . PUBLISHED: . 10:29 EST, 5 December 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 13:14 EST, 5 December 2013 . Sick: Humberto Salvador, 36, is on trial for allegedly raping a woman because she was a lesbian . A man who allegedly raped a woman for being a lesbian uttered, 'you like men now, don't you?' as he assaulted her, she has claimed. The 33-year-old victim, who has not been identified, wiped away tears as she testified about the brutal 2008 gang-rape during the trial of Humberto Salvador, 36, in Contra Costa County, California on Tuesday. She recounted the terrifying moment she was robbed, forced to strip naked, carjacked and passed between three men - an attack prosecutors claim stemmed from her sexuality. 'You like men now, don't you? Tell me you like men,' Salvador uttered after he started attacking her, the woman said. She explained that she screamed 'yes' as she feared for her life. Salvador has been charged with 15 felonies including kidnapping, carjacking and gang rape in the December 13, 2008 attack, the Contra Costa Times reported. If convicted, he faces life in prison. He was allegedly joined that night by fellow gang members Josue Gonzalez - the only one not accused of sexual assault - and then-teenagers Darrell Hodges and Robert Ortiz. Targeted: He and three other men approached her on her street in Richmond, California (pictured), where he allegedly robbed her, smashed her over the head with a flashlight and made her strip naked . Defense lawyers have said that, while . there is no doubt that the rape occurred, they are seeking to prove that . it was not motivated by the woman's sexual orientation. In court, the victim described how she arrived home in Richmond from her job at a pizzeria around 9.30pm when she was approached by a man, who demanded her purse and keys. Photos of the woman's car show it was . marked with emblems of her sexuality, including rainbow stickers . symbolizing gay pride and a rainbow-colored teddy bear on the dashboard. Attack: Josue Gonzalez did not rape the woman but pleaded guilty to carjacking and robbery . She said that the man, identified as . Salvador, then smashed her across the head with a flashlight and showed . the jury the scar that is still visible beneath her short hair. As jurors wiped away their tears, the woman testified that the man forced her to strip naked on the sidewalk. 'He kept insisting and asking whether or not I liked men,' she said through a Spanish interpreter, adding: 'I thought he would kill me.' He proceeded to rape her until the other men warned that people might be coming. They got into her car where Salvador continued to assault her, she said. They drove to an abandoned apartment building near the Richmond BART and after he was done, he turned to the other men and told them it was their turn, the victim said. Hodges and Ortiz participated in order to prove themselves to the street gang Salvador belonged to, the prosecutor said. After the attack, the victim testified . that she was left naked in a carport and waited until they were gone before running to the closest house with a light on. The residents called 911. The prosecutor said Salvador's semen was recovered from the victim's body and his palm print was found in the victim's blood on the flashlight. Grim: They drove her to a lot near the Richmond BART (pictured) where they passed her around and abused her before leaving her naked and bleeding. She ran to a nearby home for help . Gonzalez, 26, who is the only person not to have personally assaulted the victim, pleaded guilty to carjacking and robbery, and is expected to be sentenced after he testifies at Salvador's trial. Hodges, 20, pleaded guilty to forcible oral copulation in concert and was sentenced on Tuesday to 24 years in prison. Ortiz, 20, is awaiting trial. Both Ortiz and Hodges were charged as adults in the case despite being teenagers at the time. The trial continues. | Woman cried as she testified in the trail of Humberto Salvador, 36, in Contra Costa, California on Tuesday .
She described how he robbed her, smashed her head with a flashlight and forced her to strip naked in the street before raping her .
With 3 other men, he then took her to an abandoned lot where they took turns assaulting her before abandoning her naked .
Defense attorneys say there is no doubt she was raped but said they will prove it was not motivated by her sexuality . |
82,791 | eac0b7fdea655881a64be94f11c628ca5e98a47a | (CNN) -- The United States and Israel are on the same side when it comes to Iran, but you might not know it watching the bitter public disagreement that has broken out between the two allies over negotiations with the Islamic Republic. Is this a way for friends to handle their differences? The talks with Iran present enormous challenges for Washington. One of those challenges is to move through the process without damaging existing alliances or weakening America's already diminished standing in the Middle East. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has warned that he thinks the U.S. is falling into an Iranian trap. The White House says it is moving cautiously in the interest of peace and security. The disagreement is tearing at the alliance. Both Israel and the U.S. should find a different way to make their cases. They have moved perilously close to impugning each other's character instead of debating the merits of their positions. Netanyahu strongly objects to the proposal that would ease sanctions in exchange for a slowdown of Iran's nuclear program during negotiations for a permanent agreement. He is used to wielding sharp words. His tone has suggested U.S. President Barack Obama and Secretary of State John Kerry are being played for fools. When talks broke off a few weeks ago, Netanyahu sarcastically called the agreement that was almost reached between Iran and the so-called P5+1, the U.N. Security Council permanent members plus Germany, "the deal of the century" -- for Iran. France, too, another U.S. ally, called the proposal "a sucker's deal." But it's not just critics of the Obama administration position who have come perilously close to insulting those with whom they disagree. White House spokesman Jay Carney responded to criticism and to calls for new sanctions by saying "the American people do not want a march to war," as if those who don't like this agreement actually want a war. The notion that Netanyahu, that Israelis, want war with Iran is patently absurd. Some may think a war is unavoidable, but everyone in Israeli knows war with Iran would bring unspeakable suffering. In Israel, the issue is personal for every family that lives within rocket range of Iran -- every family. Many Israelis dislike Netanyahu's style, but they share his concern. Today, only 31% of Israelis think Israel can rely on the U.S. on talks with Iran. What Israel wants is a strong deal, one that truly prevents Iran from having the ability to quickly build a nuclear weapon when it chooses. That, incidentally, is what America's Arab friends also want, creating an unlikely alignment of interests between Israelis and Arabs. Instead of "dissing" each other and engaging in acrimonious debate that brings satisfaction to their enemies, Israel and the U.S. should concentrate on the substance of their disagreement. Both Israel and the U.S. -- not to mention France, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and others -- want to bring an end to what they believe is Iran's nuclear weapons program. Iran says it only wants nuclear power, but even U.N. weapons inspectors say there are indications of a military aspect to Iran's nuclear program. Israel and the U.S., of course, have different perspectives. They differ on tactics, strategy, and to some degree on goals. The U.S. is physically distant from Iran and it has a stronger military. Israel wants Iran to end all nuclear enrichment. The U.S. is apparently willing to allow some enrichment and stockpiles. America sees Iran and its nuclear program as a challenge to global stability, to the regional balance of power, to nuclear nonproliferation. Israelis believe Iran aims to destroy their country. On Wednesday, as talks restarted in Geneva, Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei gave a televised speech in which he called Israel the "rabid dog" of the Middle East and declared that Israel "is doomed to failure and annihilation." That kind of language, and a nuclear program, a wave of terrorist attacks, and the funding of anti-Israel militias, such as Hezbollah, add up to a pretty good case for Israelis to worry. Their concerns are echoed by many members of Congress, who also question the strength of the current negotiating approach. All want to see a deal, but only a good deal. All of them, lest we forget, are on the same side. Israel, along with France and many members of Congress, believes relief from sanctions should come only if Iran completely stops getting closer to a nuclear weapon. They worry that once world powers start rolling back sanctions, even slightly, the entire system will start unraveling. The Obama administration says the interim deal would "put time on the clock." But Obama too said he wants to make "absolutely certain" the Iranians are not "busy advancing their program" during talks. On the surface, Obama and Netanyahu are saying much the same thing. It's no simple task, but if a deal can be made that convinces everyone Iran is not within reach of a bomb, that would satisfy America, Israel, America's Arab friends and -- if Tehran is telling the truth -- it should meet Iran's goals. We don't know the exact terms under discussion in Geneva, Switzerland, but some reports give reasons for concern. One element under discussion, for example, would reportedly allow continuing construction of the Arak plutonium facility, with a promise from Iran to delay operating it for six months; far from ideal. It is also unclear what would happen with the Parchin site, where U.N. inspectors suspect Iran is working on ways to develop military components to weaponize its nuclear materials. Instead of disparaging the administration's negotiating skills, Netanyahu, as a friend of the U.S., should raise questions about these issues. And instead of disparaging the motives of Netanyahu and other critics, the Obama administration should respond to the specific claims. Ironically, Israel's strong objections strengthen the West's negotiating position. It is Iran that should explain why it will not allow inspectors into Parchin and why it needs to build a plutonium reactor. Countries make alliances because they are stronger together. Israel and the U.S. need to defend their alliance as they work together to stop Iran's nuclear program. Anything else will only strengthen their enemies. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Frida Ghitis. | Frida Ghitis: U.S., Israel on same side on Iran but are at bitter odds on nuclear negotiations .
She says Netanyahu says U.S. falling into trap; Obama says U.S. trying for peace, security .
She says Israel has legitimate existential concerns over nukes in Iran, wants strong deal .
Ghitis: Lest they strengthen their enemies, U.S., Israel need to defend their alliance . |
931 | 02a3eeff8a17721bd8ec8ffa0a6c9bfd98a48ce7 | Manchester City manager Manuel Pellegrini had a familiar feeling as he . watched Sergio Aguero limp out of the clash with Nigeria. His striker was taken off before half-time with what looked like another muscle injury. Concern: Sergio Aguero receives treatment before being substituted against Nigeria . Aguero . suffered a succession of calf, hamstring and thigh injuries during . City's Premier League winning campaign so Pellegrini would have been . keeping his fingers crossed for some good news on Wednesday night. That's another fine Messi . Lionel Messi versus Neymar is turning out to be an interesting World Cup sub-plot. The brilliant Argentinian took his tally for the tournament to four, level with his Brazilian rival. First up: Lionel Messi's strike sails past Vincent Enyeama in the Nigeria goal for opening goal . Each player has his nation's hopes resting on his shoulders and neither is disappointing. Messi now has 24 goals from 23 internationals, so where is the evidence . for the accusation that he isn't as good for Argentina as he is for . Barcelona? Ezequiel . Lavezzi's nickname is unfortunate and unfair. The 29-year-old Paris St . Germain forward is known as 'El Pocho' - the Chubby One. Impressive: Nigeria's Ahmed Musa scored twice against Argentina on Wednesday . The lowdown on two-goal Musa . Ahmed Musa scored two fine goals in Nigeria's defeat by Argentina. We will see more of him in this tournament with Nigeria making it through to the last 16 and here Sportsmail tells you more about the surprise package. So, who is he? A 21-year-old forward playing for CSKA Moscow. The Russian club signed him in 2012 after an impressive spell in the Dutch Eredivisie. Clinical: Nigeria's Ahmed Musa scores his second goal against Argentina . Will I have ever seen him play? If you followed Manchester City's Champions League campaign last season, you would. Musa featured in both group games. At the Etihad Stadium, he thought he had scored a late equaliser before his effort was ruled out with one of his teammates fouling in the build-up. Is he any good then? Musa has been highly regarded by a number of European clubs for several years now. While in Holland, the VV Venlo chairman revealed that he had turned down a €10million bid for the then 18-year-old. A number of English clubs have been keeping an eye on him and after Wednesday's fine display, surely the interest will only grow. Number of the day - 5 . First time both sides have scored in first five minutes . | Aguero limped off in World Cup clash against Nigeria .
Lionel Messi and Neymar are carrying their nation's hopes .
Ahmed Musa double will alert Premier League clubs . |
166,945 | 63e03ae391def3c055159935b859c419e01b7016 | A pair of British artists have created this stunning installation of 9,000 silhouettes on a D-Day Landings beach to mark international Peace Day. The project, named, 'The Fallen' is a tribute to the civilians, German forces and Allies who lost their lives during the Operation Neptune landing on June 6, 1944. The design was the brainchild of Jamie Wardley, 33, and Andy Moss, 50. Together with a team of volunteers the pair travelled to Arromanches beach, Normandy, to create the silhouettes, which were individually drawn into the sand. Moving: The Peace Day tribute is a poignant reminder the thousands who died during Operation Overlord . Concept: According to artists Jamie Wardley, 33, and Andy Moss, 50, the idea behind the piece was to create a visual representation of loss on an unimaginable scale . Those taking part made the shape of a person by putting down a stencil and raking the surface to create a distinctive figure. The shapes were then left to the mercy of the tide which washed away the 'fallen' after around four and a half hours. Speaking of the idea behind the project Wardley said: 'The Fallen is a sobering reminder of what happens when peace is not present. 'The idea is to create a visual representation of what is otherwise unimaginable, the thousands of human lives lost during the hours of the tide during the Second World War Normandy landings. 'People understand that so many lives were lost that day but it's incredibly difficult to picture that number. Sand men: The team of artists and volunteers created 9,000 of the shadows which were eventually reclaimed by the sea . Teamwork: The project was originally made of 60 people, but after locals learned about the tribute they quickly joined in . Lending a hand: By the end of the day it is estimated that 500 people had chipped in to create the stunning beach art . 'You could see the horrific casualty of war when you stood on the cliff looking down at the beach. 'Watching the tide come in and wash the bodies away was symbolic of all the lives lost in all wars, not just during the Normandy Landings.' Veterans and families, including some who have lost loved ones in recent conflicts have been involved in the project. Wardley, who has been working with partner since 2009, said: 'We turned up to the beach with a team of 60 people but by the end we had over 500 people taking part. 'There were people from all over the world who had heard about the event and travelled all the way to France to take part. Unity: Operation Neptune is remembered as one of the great showings of wartime unity as the Allied forced launched their assault on Nazi occupied France . Reclaimed: The installation was designed so that the sea would wash over the bodies and wipe them from the beach in a moving reminder of the tragedy of war . Achievement: Artists Andy Moss, right and Jamie Wardley, left said they hoped their art would remind people of the value of peace. 'There were others who happened to be walking by and wanted to get involved. 'It showed that people from all over totally understood the message behind it and I found it very overwhelming. 'Some people told us that they had lost family in the Second World War and others said they had lost loved ones in Afghanistan and wanted to pay a tribute to them. 'We finished all the stencils at about 7.30pm and everyone gathered and waited for the tide to come in. 'The last silhouette was washed away at about 10pm and it was incredibly moving." The moment: Commando troops from a landing craft arrive on Normandy beaches on D-Day, June 6, 1944 . Hiding in darkness: Royal Marines on D-Day Beach as they made their early morning landings on Utah Beach . American assault troops move onto a beach in Normandy France, on D-Day during Operation Overlord 1944 . These Royal Marines are captured running for cover in silence before sunrise on the crucial day . | British led project covered the famous coastline in poignant silhouettes .
A team of 500 artists and volunteers contributed the moving installation .
The 'fallen' were left to be washed away by the tide at the end of the day . |
127,173 | 306272aec245d8b04d586af77dea95d0930ff2fa | Ahead of this weekend's Premier League action, Sportsmail will be providing you with all you need to know about every fixture, with team news, provisional squads, betting odds and Opta stats. Here is all the information you need for Crystal Palace's home clash with Sunderland... Crystal Palace vs Sunderland (Selhurst Park) Kick-off: Monday 8pm . Odds (subject to change): . Crystal Palace 21/20 . Draw 12/5 . Sunderland 5/2 . Referee: Phil Dowd . Managers: Neil Warnock (Crystal Palace), Gus Poyet (Sunderland) Head-to-head league record: Crystal Palace wins 11, draws 10, Sunderland wins 9 . Team news . Crystal Palace . Scott Dann will be given the weekend to prove his fitness for Crystal Palace's Monday night Premier League clash with Sunderland. The centre-back is yet to return to full training after knee trouble, but Eagles boss Neil Warnock is ready to give him every chance of facing the Black Cats. James McArthur could also return after a hip complaint, while Damien Delaney is available after serving a one-match ban. Provisional squad: Speroni, Hennessey, Mariappa, Kelly, Fryers, Delaney, Ward, Hangeland, Jedinak, Bannan, Ledley, McArthur, Bolasie, Thomas, Puncheon, Gayle, Guediora, Campbell, Johnson, Doyle, Chamakh, Zaha. Crystal Palace defender Scott Dann will be given the weekend to prove his fitness ahead of Sunderland game . Sunderland . Striker Steven Fletcher will be fit for Monday night's Premier League trip to Crystal Palace. The Scotland international limped off shortly after half-time in last Saturday's 2-0 home defeat by Arsenal with a foot problem, but has recovered and is expected to resume at Selhurst Park, while there could be a debut for full-back Anthony Reveillere. However, there is no other good news for head coach Gus Poyet with defenders Sebastian Coates (thigh) and Billy Jones (hamstring) and midfielders Ricky Alvarez (knee) and Emanuele Giaccherini (ankle) still on the sidelines. Provisional squad: Mannone, Pantilimon, Reveillere, Van Aanholt, Brown, O'Shea, Vergini, Roberge, Cattermole, Bridcutt, Rodwell, Gomez, Larsson, Johnson, Buckley, Mavrias, Wickham, Altidore, Fletcher, Graham. Sunderland forward Steven Fletcher (left) is set to be fit to face to face Crystal Palace on Monday . Key match stats (supplied by Opta) Crystal Palace have won their last four home games in all competitions against Sunderland. The Eagles’ last three Premier League games on a Monday have produced 17 goals in total, including last season’s 3-3 draw with Liverpool. Palace failed to win any of those games (D1 L2). Sunderland haven’t won any of their last 20 Premier League matches on a Monday (D8 L12). Their last win on a Monday in the Premier League was against Leicester City in April 2002 (2-1 at home). Of current Premier League sides Liverpool are on the second longest 'Monday drought', having failed to win any of their last seven (D4 L3). The Black Cats have won two of their last five league trips to London (L3), including a 2-1 win at Stamford Bridge in April. Dwight Gayle celebrates with team-mate Jonny Williams after scoring from the penalty spot during Crystal Palace's 3-1 victory over Sunderland at Selhurst Park in August 2013 . Since the beginning of last season, nine of Crystal Palace’s 15 Premier League wins (60 per cent) have come at Selhurst Park. Only Robert Green (32) has been forced to make more saves this season than Sunderland’s Vito Mannone (30). However, the Sunderland ‘keeper has made three errors leading to a goal (all coming in his last two games); more than any other player in the Premier League this season. No side has conceded more goals in the final 15 minutes of PL matches this season than Crystal Palace (5 - level with Everton and Chelsea). Mile Jedinak didn’t score or assist a single goal in any of his first 34 Premier League appearances, but he has scored four and assisted two in his last 13. Jedinak has conceded more fouls than any other player in the Premier League this season (23). | Scott Dann to be given the weekend to prove his fitness for Crystal Palace .
Steven Fletcher is set to be fit for Sunderland on Monday night .
Eagles won last four home games in all competitions against Sunderland .
Black Cats haven't won any of their last 20 Monday night games (lost 12) |
28,318 | 5052edfd287816c4f0b2e4ef07aea9bf407c9310 | By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 12:14 EST, 19 September 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 12:14 EST, 19 September 2013 . Despite the U.S economy showing signs of improvement, not all segments of the population are seeing an economic turnaround, with Mississippi being named the poorest state in the nation. In 45 states and the District of Columbia, poverty rates remained steady at high levels, according to new census data. Mississippi was one of just three states posting increases in poverty, from 22.6 percent to 24.2 percent. Median income remains flat . household income in the us in 2012 declined slightly from 2011 . California and New Hampshire were the others. In Minnesota and Texas, the percentage of people in poverty declined. Among . the 25 largest metropolitan areas, the Washington, D.C., area had the . highest median household income in 2012 at $88,233, followed by the San . Francisco and Boston metro areas. The Tampa-St. Petersburg metro area had the lowest median house income at $44,402. By . state, Oregon led the nation in food stamp use at 20.1 percent, or 1 in . 5, due in part to generous state provisions that expand food stamp . eligibility to families. Oregon . was followed by more rural or more economically hard-hit states, . including Mississippi, Kentucky, Maine, Michigan and Tennessee. Wyoming . had the fewest households on food stamps, at 7 percent. Education, race, income and marriage are all deciding factors in recovery. Poverty is on the rise in single-mother families. More people are falling into the lowest-income group. After earlier signs of increased mobility, fewer people are moving as homeownership declined for a fifth straight year. 'We're in a selective recovery,' said William H. Frey, a Brookings Institution demographer who analyzed the numbers. The annual U.S. survey of socioeconomic indicators covers all of last year, representing the third year of a post-recession rebound. Household income in the U.S in 2012 declined slightly from 2011 . The figures, released today, also . show a slightly faster pace of growth in the foreign-born population, . which increased to 40.8 million, or 13 percent of the U.S. Last . year's immigration increase of 440,000 people was a reversal of a 2011 . dip in the influx, when many Mexicans already in the U.S. opted to . return home. Many of the newer immigrants are now higher-skilled workers from Asian countries such as China and India. The . number of immigrants in the U.S. with less than a high school diploma, . who make up the bulk of the total foreign-born population, fell slightly . in 2012 to 10.8 million. Immigrants with bachelor's degrees or higher rose by more than 4 percent to 9.8 million. In all, 21 states saw declines last year in their Hispanic foreign-born population, led by New Mexico, Illinois and Georgia. The number of Americans in poverty remained largely unchanged at a record 46.5 million. Single-mother families in poverty increased for the fourth straight year to 4.1 million, or 41.5 percent, coinciding with longer-term trends of declining marriage and out-of-wedlock births. Many of these mothers are low income with low education. The share of married-couple families in poverty remained unchanged at 2.1 million, or 8.7 percent. By race, a growing proportion of poor children are Hispanic, a record 37 percent of the total. Whites make up 30 percent, blacks 26 percent. The numbers also reflect widening economic inequality, an issue President Barack Obama has pledged would be a top priority of his administration to address. Upward mobility in the U.S. has been hurt by a tight job market and the longer-term disappearance of mid-skill jobs due to globalization and automation. The new census data shows that lower-income households are a steadily increasing share of the population, while middle- to higher-income groups shrank or were flat. An unidentified resident of Umoja village pets a dog in an alley between rows of wooden shacks that serve as home in the Shantytown erected on a public lot in the Liberty City section of Miami, Florida - showing poverty in the U.S. In 2012, households earning less than $24,999 made up 24.4 percent of total households, up from 21.7 percent four years earlier. The share of households earning $50,000 to $99,999 slipped from 31.2 percent to 29.9 percent. Top-income households making more than $200,000 dipped less, from 5 percent to 4.6 percent over that period. The still-weak economy also meant fewer household moves in 2012. After showing signs of increased migration in 2011, fewer Americans were on the move, many because of few job opportunities or the inability to buy a home. U.S. migration fell by 0.2 percent in 2012 after edging up the previous year. While the number of longer-distance moves remained steady at 2.3 percent, moves within a county edged lower to 9 percent, particularly among young adults 18-34. Demographers say that suggests eroding career opportunities and a diminished ability to buy a home. Young adults typically make long-distance moves to seek a new career, while those who make local moves often do so when buying a home. Homeownership declined for the fifth year in the row to 63.9 percent. 'Many Americans continue to think that a rising tide lifts all boats,' said Sheldon Danziger, a University of Michigan economist. 'But the bad news is that given the way economic growth trickles down now, the number of poor and disadvantaged will remain high unless we do more to help those in need.' With poverty remaining high, food stamp use continued to climb. Roughly 15.8 million, or 13.6 percent of U.S. households, received food stamps, the highest level on record. Just over half of these households, or 52 percent, were below poverty and 44 percent had one or more people with a disability. | 2012 represented the third year of a post-recession rebound .
The number of Americans in poverty remained largely unchanged at a record 46.5 million . |
56,930 | a1428242a2022b3d2178bee13d575f3c25291f9b | By . Louise Boyle . PUBLISHED: . 08:55 EST, 26 April 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 10:48 EST, 26 April 2012 . Access Hollywood: Christopher Chaney, from Florida, is facing 60 years in jail after hacking celebrities' email accounts . A computer hacker who admitted accessing Scarlett Johansson's emails and leaking nude photographs of her online has boasted about how easy it was to do. Christopher Chaney, 35, faces up to 60 years in prison and a $2.2million fine for the stunt which also saw him hacking into the email accounts of singer Christina Aguilera and actress Mila Kunis. He explained that to get into star's emails had been relatively easy - using Google and the 'I forgot my password' button. After trying out combinations of A-listers' names to find working email addresses, he reset account passwords by researching pet names, where they were born and went to school. Chaney told GQ: 'You feel like you've seen something that the rest of the world wanted to see. But you're the only one that's seen it.' He added: 'I don't want to compare it to throwing a touchdown pass... but it was a rush.' Chaney, of Jacksonville, Florida, was arrested last October as part of a year-long investigation of celebrity hacking that authorities dubbed 'Operation Hackerazzi'. He was tracked down by federal agents with a battering ram to his run-down brick home home which he had once shared with his late grandmother. The depth of his hacking - which kept unemployed Chaney glued to his computer screen for days at a time - saw him access exchanges between celebrities and other famous people, along with their family members, partners, producers and doctors. In all he had accessed the private information of around 50 stars including actresses Busy Phillips and Ali Larter - which he unearthed with virtually no technical computer training. Laid bare: Scarlett Johansson, pictured in this D&G advert, said the nude photos of her that Chaney accessed were intended for her now ex-husband Ryan Reynolds . He also hijacked a forwarding feature so a copy of every email a . celebrity received was sent to an account he controlled, according to . court documents. Chaney . claimed to have photos of Christina Aguilera wearing only her underwear . and pictures of a well-known actress in her 'mid-to-late forties' naked. The 35-year-old also admitted to being privy to information . about male stars who were hiding the fact they were gay for the . sake of their careers. Prosecutors said Chaney illegally . accessed the email accounts of more than 50 people in the entertainment . industry between November 2010 and October 2011. Nude photos Johansson had taken of . herself were later posted on the Internet. Johansson told Vanity Fair in . its December issue that the photos were meant for Ryan Reynolds, now . her ex-husband. A-list targets: Mila Kunis (pictured left) and Christina Aguilera (right) were also hacked by Chaney . However Chaney claimed that he had . not hacked the email accounts to make money but for 'personal' reasons . because he was simply a movie fanatic. He said that female stars were . not even his preferred targets but location scouts, producers and industry . insiders as he became more and more obsessed with the process of making films. Many images were forwarded to two gossip websites and another hacker, but there was not any evidence that he profited from his scheme, authorities said. Chaney pleaded guilty to nine counts involving hacking last month. He has been jailed until sentencing on July 23 after it was discovered that he had continued to hack into celebrity email accounts even after he was interviewed by FBI agents and confessed to his scheme. | Christopher Chaney, 35, faces 60 years in jail after accessing emails of stars including Mila Kunis and Christina Aguilera . |
75,837 | d70dad1e520282beb9dcc75cd9971e163389b1e4 | By . Daily Mail Reporter . Last updated at 1:09 PM on 3rd December 2011 . Foul-mouthed parents launched a bitter tirade at grotto staff dressed as Santa's elves and fairies in front of their children when a Groupon deal turned sour at the weekend. More than 2,000 families turned up to last weekend's St. Nicholas Fayre in York clutching a voucher from the discount website promising a magical Christmas train ride at the grotto. But the atmosphere turned nasty when staff, decked out in festive fancy dress, were verbally abused after informing families that the website had got it wrong and that there was in fact no train ride. Christmas isn't cheerful: Staff at the grotto in York had to face foul-mouthed parents. From left, Ellie Rushton, Robert Briggs, Donna Parks and Jazzmin Ullah . Voucher blunder: Groupon are at the centre of claims they issued false information tempting 2,000 families to travel to York for a Santa's grotto train ride that didn't exist . As queues grew so long outside the grotto that children couldn't get in, tempers frayed and parents started to shout and swear at overwhelmed grotto staff. Tearful and crying children watched while parents shouted at staff forcing one elf to quit and a woman dressed as a Christmas tree to complain that she had been targeted for abuse. Grotto organiser Penny Ward said: 'One man even verbally threatened the lady who is dressed as a Christmas tree. 'One of the elves was so upset that she has resigned. It was a complete nightmare. Children were crying and upset.' Abuse: Staff in fancy dress had to endue abuse from angry parents at Santa's grotto in York . All dressed up: But staff at the York winter wonderland were abused at the weekend by angry parents who thought they had a voucher guaranteeing a train ride . She added that most of the abusive parents had travelled from Newcastle during last weekend's popular Christmas market in the picturesque city. The grotto was only able to handle 40 children an hour, she said and explained that dedicated staff had worked beyond their normal hours and without breaks to try to ensure excited children did not miss out. Penny had initially been contacted by Groupon and agreed to use its services to help publicise the grotto, but she claimed she had never signed a contract and did not say there would be a train ride. She thought that the York grotto, which runs in York's winter wonderland until Christmas Eve, might have been mixed up with a grotto she ran in Hull, where there was a train ride. A Groupon spokesman said: 'Owing to a technical error, we apologise that the picture and wording used in this promotion may have indicated that a train ride was available at York Winter Wonderland when this wasn't the case. We regret any disappointment this may have caused. 'Although advanced booking is not essential, preferred time slots cannot be guaranteed without prior booking and are subject to availability. We hope that this hasn't taken away from the Santa's grotto experience and we wish everyone a happy holiday season.' The website said it had corrected the promotion as soon as it discovered the error and had yesterday sent out a bulk email clarifying what was included in the promotion for customers that were yet to redeem their vouchers. Groupon is an international organisation which uses collective buying power to offer huge discounts on things to do, eat, see and buy. Recipe for disaster: Rachel Brown had to draft in 25 staff as demand surged for her cupcakes . But it has run into controversy in the past few weeks with companies claiming that they have been unaware of the impact the deals can have on their businesses. Last month baker Rachel Brown, from Woodley, near Reading, told how, who normally makes 100 cupcakes a month, found herself having to bake an astonishing 102,000 after posting an offer on Groupon. Disastrously, because the 50-year-old's deal . had been so generous and the demand so huge, she made a loss on every . order – wiping out her profits for the entire year. And yesterday the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) launched an investigation into Groupon after regulators complained the . daily deals website broke advertising regulations on almost 50 occasions . since the start of the year. The company debuted on the IPO stock exchange last month and, after an early rise, slumped below $20 on concern about competition from rival LivingSocial and how the European debt crisis might affect overseas growth. However, Groupon released strong early holiday sales numbers this week and executives said international growth remains strong. Groupon shares rose more than 7 per cent to an intraday high of $20.82 on Friday. The stock was up 5.5 per cent to $20 in late-morning trading. | More than 2,000 families descended on venue in York demanding festive train ride .
One elf quit and Christmas tree lady was targeted by foul-mouthed parents .
Grotto only able to handle 40 children an hour . |
105,203 | 13b146018058d0e723acfa21febb3a59503d4a6c | By . Wilma Riley . PUBLISHED: . 14:41 EST, 30 October 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 16:09 EST, 30 October 2013 . Clive Carter was sentenced to 20 years imprisonment for killing the tiny Thai delegate . A security guard who beat a delegate at a health conference to death with a fire extinguisher has been jailed for a minimum of 20 years. Clive Carter repeatedly smashed Khanokporn Satjawat over the head with the appliance in a rage after she complained about him repeatedly checking her security pass. The pharmaceutical manager’s body was found on November 12 last year at an HIV medical conference in Glasgow’s Clyde Auditorium, part of the SECC complex. Every bone on the left side of her face and neck was broken and her skull had been shattered into pieces. Carter, a father of three, denied murder, claiming he had no memory of the incident and that he had a borderline personality disorder which meant he could not control his actions. But a jury of eight men and seven women took just over three hours to find him guilty at the High Court in Glasgow yesterday after a trial. Sentencing the killer to life imprisonment, with a minimum tariff of 20 years, judge Lord Matthews said: ‘Khanokporn Satjawat was a hard-working, well-educated and dedicated lady who came to this country to participate in a conference whose purpose was the alleviation of suffering and the saving of lives. ‘It is cruelly ironic that in the course of such an event that the life of that fragile lady should be taken in such a brutal fashion with an instrument whose primary purpose is also the saving of life and the hands of a man to whom she should have been able to look for assistance.’ Carter had admitted killing the Miss Satjawat but denied murder. A jury found him guilty of the crime after a trial at the High Court in Glasgow . Carter, 35, is said to have been obsessed with fire extinguishers and had an image of one on his computer. Only eight days before the murder he had terrified another young woman by knocking on her hotel room door with an extinguisher, claiming he had come to put out a fire. The court heard he snapped after Miss Satjawat questioned him over repeatedly being asked to show her conference ID pass. He picked up a fire extinguisher, followed her into the ladies’ toilets and bludgeoned her to death. The 6ft 5in security guard admitted killing the tiny Thai delegate, who weighed only six and a half stone, but claimed he had no memory of the incident. Carter, 35, is said to have been obsessed with fire extinguishers and had an image of one on his computer . He earlier told the trial the words ‘die, just die’ were in his head as he argued with Miss Satjawat. But after attacking her in the toilets, he went into the staff room and calmly ate the sandwiches he had for his lunch. His victim’s body was discovered lying in a pool of blood by two French doctors who saw Carter leaving the ladies’ toilets holding the fire extinguisher. However, he tried to cover up his brutal crime by washing blood off his weapon, hiding his blood-stained blazer and telling police he had seen a mystery Asian man carrying an extinguisher. The jury heard the security guard had significant anger management issues and had been sent for counselling, but left after two sessions when he became enraged by the counsellor. He has a hair-trigger temper with women and was verbally and physically abusive to his 33-year-old wife Paula, whom he attacked and throttled, the court heard. His victim, Miss Satjawat, had planned to be in Glasgow for the HIV drug therapy conference over five days and was booked into the city’s Marriott Hotel. She had written on Facebook about how excited she was to visit Scotland, and her sister gave a statement on her family’s loss to the court. Carter was found guilty of murder and breach of the peace, after terrifying another young woman on November 4 last year. Stephanie O’Brien, 24, from Cumbria, was staying with three friends at the Holiday Inn Express in Stockwell Street, Glasgow, where Carter also worked as a security guard. He knocked on her door with a fire extinguisher, claiming there had been a report of a fire, but she managed to close and lock the door on him. Lord Matthews told Carter: ‘You are plainly, on the evidence, a man who is disturbed. However, you are deeply disturbing, as the evidence in this trial has amply demonstrated, including the evidence as to the events at the Holiday Inn Express. ‘One is left to wonder what the outcome might have been had Stephanie O’Brien not had the presence of mind to extricate herself from the hotel room before the situation escalated.’ After the killer was led away to start his sentence, the judge told the jury: ‘Miss Satjawat was a completely innocent individual who came here to enjoy a conference and her body went back to her sister.’ Detective Superintendent John McDonald, of Police Scotland, said last night: ‘This was a particularly brutal and senseless attack which claimed the life of an innocent woman and caused fear and alarm to those attending the conference at the SECC last November. ‘We sincerely hope that this verdict will bring some comfort to the relatives of Miss Satjawat.’ | Clive Carter repeatedly smashed delegate Khanokporn Satjawat over the head with fire extinguisher .
Carter, 35, was 'obsessed with fire extinguishers' and had an image of one on his computer .
Father of three, denied murder, claiming he had no memory of the incident . |
117,209 | 2359080f37258402bf70ca67db6270d1db2791b8 | (CNN) -- A leading figure in the party poised to head Italy's next government says a return for the country's previous Prime Minister, controversial politician Silvio Berlusconi, would be a "disaster." Democratic Party Vice Secretary Enrico Letta's comments come as Berlusconi's popularity surges in the Italian electoral polls after seemingly being out of the race. In an interview with CNN, Letta said incumbent Prime Minister Mario Monti cannot win the election and it is now a straight race between Berlusconi and Bersani. A victory for Berlusconi "would create mistrust between Italy, its European partners and the markets," Letta told CNN. Italy's economy is experiencing a period of relative calm as government bond yields remain well below the critical 7% level and Monti's austerity measures begin to take effect. Read more: Can a Bersani-Monti coalition work for Italian economy? With a contracting economy and GDP falling 0.9% in the fourth quarter of 2012; Italy is still grappling with the economic mess Silvio Berlusconi left in his wake before resigning in late 2011. The media tycoon and owner of soccer club AC Milan -- who previously served three terms as prime minister -- was forced to step down amid an escalating eurozone debt crisis and personal legal battles. Letta added: "The only way to avoid any risk to the Italian economy is a victory for the Democratic Party." Italians will take to the voting stations this weekend to decide which candidate will lead a country, struggling to emerge from a financial crisis that has plagued the 17-nation eurozone for three years. Bersani is currently leading the polls with Berlusconi trailing by 5 to 7 points. But Deborah Bergamini, a parliamentarian and member of Berlusconi's PDL party, is expecting a "surprise" result on February 25. She rejected Letta's assertion that a return for the 76-year-old Berlusconi would destabilize Italy's economy. Speaking to CNN, Bergamini said: "Berlusconi can definitely win. We are gaining ground... financial markets don't care at all about single heads of governments." A Bersani government is the true threat to Italy's economic recovery, according to Bergamini, as the Democratic Party could adopt hard-left policies that tax the middle class and punish big businesses. "There are many similarities with Bersani and what is going on in France... we are very worried," she added. With a population of over 60 million, Italy -- the eurozone's third-largest economy -- has an unemployment rate of 11.2% with public debt to GDP forecast to rise to 128% this year, according to the European Commission. Read more: Will Monte Paschi banking scandal throw open Italy's election race? Nicholas Spiro, managing director of Spiro Sovereign Strategy, told CNN that a year ago Italy's economy was "falling off a cliff" and the investment community is showing "complacency" over the prospect of a Berlusconi return. Spiro says the embattled politician could do very well in the election due to the "huge" number of undecided Italian voters. He added: "The fact that he has put the center-right alliance in contention is reason enough to doubt the prospects for post-election stability." The election outcome is crucial to the eurozone's austerity agenda and "it's going to be a damning verdict," says Spiro. Adding that if Berlusconi can form a government there will be an "almighty sell-off" in the bond markets. | Democratic Party deputy Enrico Letta's comments come as Berlusconi's popularity surges .
The media tycoon and owner of soccer club AC Milan was forced to step down in 2011 .
Large number of undecided voters could provide election surprise, says Nicholas Spiro . |
278,934 | f5600f4ea1b45a0ea6b09ec6762be4b0cc48451d | Living to the ripe old age of 500 might be a possibility if the science shown to extend worms' lives can be applied to humans, scientists have said. U.S. researchers tweaked two genetic pathways in the tiny lab worm Caenorhabditis elegans and boosted the creature's lifespan by a factor of five. The research raises the prospect of anti-ageing treatments based on genetic interactions, they said. U.S. scientists tweaked two genetic pathways in the tiny lab worm Caenorhabditis elegans (pictured) and boosted the creature's lifespan by a factor of five . ‘What we have here is a synergistic five-fold increase in lifespan,’ said lead scientist Dr Pankaj Kapahi, from the Buck Institute of Age Research, Novato, California. ‘The two mutations set off a positive feedback loop in specific tissues that amplified lifespan. ‘Basically these worms lived to the human equivalent of 400 to 500 years.’ Living to the age of 500 might be a possibility if the science shown to extend worms' lives can be applied to humans, scientists said. Two mutations set off a positive feedback loop in specific tissues that enabled worms to live to the human equivalent of 400 to 500 years . While it could take years of research to . extend humans’ lives dramatically, the study raises the prospect of . anti-ageing treatments informed by genetic interactions, according to Dr . Kapahi. ‘In the early years, cancer researchers focused on mutations in single genes, but then it became apparent that different mutations in a class of genes were driving the disease process,’ he said. While it could take years of research to extend humans' lives, the study raises the prospect of anti-ageing treatments informed by genetic interactions . ‘The same thing is likely happening in ageing,’ he added. C. elegans, the first animal to have its whole genome (or genetic code) mapped, has been widely used in studies of ageing and lifespan. The new research, reported in the journal Cell Reports, involved blocking key molecules that affect the action of insulin and a nutrient signalling pathway called Target of Rapamycin (TOR). Single mutations in the TOR pathway were known to extend the lifespan of C. elegans by 30 per cent, while insulin-signalling mutations could double the amount of time they lived. Adding the two together might have been expected to extend longevity by 130 per cent, but the combined impact turned out to be much greater. The research may explain why it has proved so difficult to identify single genes responsible for the long lives enjoyed by human centenarians. ‘It's quite probable that interactions between genes are critical in those fortunate enough to live very long, healthy lives,’ said Dr Kapahi. Future research is expected to use mice to see if the same effects occur in mammals. ‘The idea would be to use mice genetically engineered to have suppressed insulin signalling and then treat them with the drug rapamycin, which is well-known to suppress the TOR pathway,’ Dr Kapahi said. Earlier this year British scientists captured death spreading like a wave through the body of a worm, by studying the blue fluorescence that travels cell-to-cell until the whole organism is dead. Researchers from the Wellcome Trust and the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) likened the spread of the blue glow travelling through the worm's body to that of the Grim Reaper, stalking death. They believe that the research could eventually prove to be a useful model to understanding death in people and perhaps even lead to an increase in life expectancy. When individual cells die, they trigger a chemical chain reaction that leads to the breakdown of cell components and a build-up of molecular debris. The molecular mechanisms of this are reasonably well understood at a cellular level but we know much less about how death spreads throughout an organism at the end of its life. In worms, the spread of death can be seen easily under a microscope as a wave of blue fluorescence travelling through the gut of the worm. The study, published in PLoS Biology, reveals that this fluorescence is caused by a cell death pathway called necrosis and its spread throughout the organism is dependent on calcium signalling. In worms, the spread of death can be seen easily under a microscope as a wave of blue fluorescence travelling through the gut of the worm (pictured). This fluorescence is caused by a cell death pathway called necrosis and its spread throughout the organism is dependent on calcium signalling . | Californian scientists tweaked two genetic pathways in the worm Caenorhabditis elegans to amplify its lifespan .
They said the worms lived to the human equivalent of 400 to 500 years .
Research raises the prospect of anti-ageing treatments based on genetic interactions, and the next step is to investigate if the effects occur in mice . |
176,202 | 701c027d35b85f1c8046ed08d4d265327a07546e | (CNN) -- When I first arrived in Rwanda's capital in 2012, I deliberately did not visit the Kigali Genocide Memorial. I wasn't sure what to expect, but I did not want that experience to influence how I approached the country and its people. In my mind, Rwanda was going to be this country that was still on the brink of economic disaster. It would be very poorly set up, with a bad road system and difficult telecommunications. Frankly, I despaired of working with the government, thinking it would be extremely challenging to work with. I remember 1994 well. I was a Peace Corps Volunteer in West Africa and the Rwandan genocide, right on the heels of Nelson Mandela's election in South Africa, was big news across the continent. The child-run household I met after the genocide . When I was assigned to Rwanda 18 years later, my first thought was the genocide -- this is probably true for most people. But when I asked friends and colleagues who had lived there for advice, they spoke highly of the country and her people. I started seeing this as another adventure on this continent that I love, though I had visions of the film "Hotel Rwanda" resounding in my mind. Those preconceptions were quickly dispelled once I got there. When you get to Rwanda, you are hit by the incongruity that strikes so many: How could such a horrible thing have happened in such a beautiful country? The nickname Land of a Thousand Hills is not an exaggeration. Rwanda's countryside is dotted with what appear to be literally a thousand hills that are a mixture of mountains, volcanoes and hillocks. The beauty is reflected in the people: Rwandans are incredibly friendly and hospitable. But just as you cannot see the other side of a mountain, you cannot always tell what is going on behind those eyes. Rwandans obey their country's many rules. I love that, to reduce pollution, plastic bags are forbidden and even taken from you when you arrive at the airport! For anyone who has spent time in Africa, it's incredible to see people actually wearing helmets on motorcycles, drivers and passengers alike, both in Kigali and in the countryside. National pride and a commitment to the idea that Rwandans should lead the development of their country are strong. From them came the concept of Umuganda, or community service. During the last Saturday of each month, citizens do some type of community work in their neighborhood, like picking up garbage or cutting the grass. If they do not show up, they're fined an amount determined by the neighborhood leader. (These days the neighborhoods are like anywhere else: Some are made up of different tribes and ethnicities and others are homogenous.) Amid the beautiful parks and tea plantations are the somber genocide memorials found in virtually every community. They serve as a daily reminder to never forget the atrocities. At the same time, they allow for personal reflection on mankind's capacity for both evil and resilience. Four months after my arrival, I was ready to see the Kigali Genocide Memorial. I was glad I had waited. You walk alongside slabs of cement: a mass grave where over 250,000 people killed in Kigali are buried. At the end of one of the cement tombs is a wall with names, an attempt to identify some of the souls lost during the tragic 100 days of the genocide. You almost weep when you realize they will never identify them all. One room tells the tale of other genocides or "cleansing" events in history around the world, reminding us that the international community has not been diligent about the oft-quoted pledge, "Never again." And in the room dedicated to children who were killed -- you see their names, what they enjoyed doing and who was their best friend -- your heart starts to tear. I was never able to actually read all the remembrances to these children. Though I have always considered myself a pretty tough and realistic humanitarian worker, I had never seen anything like this. A single visit ensures that the memorial realizes its purpose -- you will never forget. It's an experience that makes you wonder how any society can come back together after something that tears so deeply. But I know from what I had seen, and from my organization's work, that it is possible. Many genocide survivors and perpetrators have since been able to seek and grant forgiveness and now live peacefully, side by side. I watched a woman tear up and embrace a man who had killed her family. Witnessing these scenes is almost surreal, but deeply moving and humbling. Could I ever forgive? Could I ever confess and ask for forgiveness? Looking at Rwandans today with a certainty that such an atrocity can never happen again, you wonder "How did this ever happen in the first place?" When Rwandans say "never again," I believe them. But when I look at the international community, those words don't have the same meaning. Are we really a community in which most of us watched this suffering and death from the sidelines? It will happen again somewhere else. We've seen it in history. In March of this year, I was asked to head our program in the Central African Republic. The lessons from Rwanda still echoing in my head, I was compelled to say "yes" to a country being torn apart by intercommunal fighting, just as Rwanda had been. My time in Rwanda has shown me the limitations of what the international community will do in situations like this, but also taught me lessons and given me hope. Just 20 years ago, Rwandans went through genocide, but they came back and they came back quickly. I attribute a lot of that to the strong will, the leadership and most importantly, to the resiliency of the Rwandan people. Peace is possible. Reconciliation is possible. I pray that we can realize the same here in Central African Republic. And we can, with a little influence and a lot of political will. | April 7 marks 20 years since the start of the Rwanda genocide .
LeAnn Hager, an aid worker, spent 2012-2014 in Rwanda .
When she heard Rwanda, she thought of genocide, until she got there .
Have a personal essay to share with the world? Submit at CNN iReport . |
219,844 | a8915155de8f384cd3556bbe1149c71d52a0a1b2 | Six thugs have been jailed for 36 years after battering two men almost to death because they were black and non-Muslim. Ringleader Abu Bakr Mansha - who was previously jailed under the Terrorism Act for plotting to kill or harm a decorated soldier - was with a teenage boy when the pair began the unprovoked attack at a busy Tesco store in Bow, east London. He assaulted the two victims before following them home to discover where they lived - then called four other thugs to help. Vicious: Abu Bakr Mansha, 30 (pictured), has been jailed for 10 years for launching a vicious, unprovoked attack on two men which began in a Tesco supermarket because they were black and non-Muslim . Armed with baseball bats, they beat the two men in a vicious attack which left both victims needing hospital . treatment for serious injuries. One of the victims, who were 40 and 49 at the time, suffered two broken wrists and a fractured skull. The Inner London Crown Court heard there was both a religious element and a racial element to the attack on the two men, who were black and non-Muslim. The vicious assault sparked an investigation by the Metropolitan Police's counter-terrorism command. All six of the attackers, who the Met Police confirmed were Muslim, pleaded guilty to grievous bodily harm with intent. Judge Ian Darling said: 'Not only was there a religious aspect to this offence, but there was an undoubted racial element. Salim Jada, 32 (left) and Javed Patel, 29 (right) both of Newham, north London, were jailed for eight years each . 'Both . prior to and after the attack, Mr Mansha is heard to use language that . is foul, unacceptable and which reveals a degree of racial intolerance . that is worrying.' Ringleader Mansha, of Newham, north London, was jailed for 10 years. He had already been jailed under the Terrorism Act in 2005 for plotting to kill or harm a decorated British soldier who had served in Iraq. A court heard he had collected newspaper cuttings about the exploits of Corporal Mark Byles, who had been awarded the Military Cross after leading an attack in which five insurgents died. A Metropolitan Police spokesman confirmed the Abu Bakr Mansha jailed this week was the same Abu Bakr Mansha jailed over the plot in 2005. Of the others involved in the 2012 attack, the teenage boy - who cannot be named because he is currently 17 years old - was sentenced to an 18-month detention and training order. Salim Jada, 32, and Javed Patel, 29, both also of Newham, were jailed for eight years each. Thugs: Zuber Kara (left), of Bow, east London, was jailed for two years, while Ibrahim Mohammed (right), 32, from Newham, was sentenced to six-and-a-half years' jail. A sixth attacker is 17 and cannot be named . Ibrahim . Mohammed, 32, from Newham, was sentenced to six-and-a-half years' jail, while . 30-year-old Zuber Kara, of Bow, east London, received a two-year jail . sentence. Acting Commander Duncan Ball, the head . of the Met’s Counter Terrorism Command, said: 'This was a vicious, . cowardly, racist and religiously-motivated attack during which the . victims received serious injuries. 'The . support and assistance of the local community was vital and illustrates . the refusal of the public to feel intimidated by such violent criminal . behaviour. 'The fitting sentences provide strong reassurance that we remain resolute in pursuing those who carry out acts of violence.' A spokesman for the Muslim Council of Britain said: ‘This was a criminal act and we condemn it unreservedly. Our thoughts and sympathy are with both victims and their families. 'Criminals are not motivated by anything other than their own base desires. If they claim they were motivated by faith, as some have reported, then they are surely misguided.' | Thugs jailed for 36 years for racist, religiously-motivated attack .
Ringleader Abu Bakr Mansha, 30, began the attack at Tesco in Bow, London .
He followed the victims, who were black and non-Muslim, to their home .
Knowing where they lived, he summoned five other attackers to beat them .
Police: 'This was a vicious, racist attack... victims received serious injuries' |
240,049 | c2c3ebc1e158165d54bccfca28b266c6a4361bc9 | By . Sean Poulter . PUBLISHED: . 04:49 EST, 13 March 2014 . | . UPDATED: . 02:06 EST, 14 March 2014 . A supermarket price war on an unprecedented scale was under way last night with the prospect of permanent cuts in the cost of many basic foods. It was triggered as Morrisons announced discounts worth £1billion over the next three years in a bid to fight off budget rivals Aldi and Lidl. Asda responded immediately with an advertising campaign claiming to undercut Morrisons and promising big savings on major brands. Scroll down for video . Trouble: Morrisons is set to slash its prices after recording a loss of £176million last year . Tesco and Sainsbury’s will almost certainly be forced to follow suit. The . cost of some everyday essentials could fall by up to a quarter as the . ‘big four’ take on Aldi and Lidl, who have grabbed a huge chunk of their . market share in recent years in what has been the biggest change in . grocery shopping habits since the dawn of the supermarket age more than . 50 years ago. Last night . Aldi raised the stakes further with a promise to save shoppers 35 per . cent on their weekly shop. Fears of the effect of a price war on profits . gripped the City yesterday, wiping £2billion of the combined share . value of Tesco, Sainsbury’s and Morrisons. Morrisons . shares were down more than 10 per cent at one point. Profits at Asda, . which is part of the world’s biggest retailer, US giant Walmart, are . also likely to suffer. Bosses . at Morrisons believe only a fundamental shift to lower prices will . guarantee the chain’s future after it posted losses of £176million. Asda, Tesco and Sainsbury’s all pledge they will match Morrisons prices, . so will inevitably be drawn into a price war. Tesco . has made its own price cuts in recent weeks, with the cost of a . four-pint carton of milk cut from £1.39 to £1 and reductions on some . fruit and vegetables. Battle: Aldi and Lidl have been gaining in market share thanks to increasingly price-conscious customers . Tesco’s cuts had already seen it promise £200million in short-term savings but will now have to go much further. Retail experts at one City firm described the scale of the reductions promised by Morrisons as like ‘getting the bazooka out’. The . firm, founded in Bradford in 1899, admitted that the price cuts will . hit profits by more than £300million a year over the next three years. But . chief executive Dalton Philips said the ‘big four’ chains had lost . millions of customers and billions of pounds in sales to Aldi and Lidl, . and needed to catch up. The . grocery sector is facing the biggest structural shift ‘since the 1950s . and the advent of supermarkets’ as shoppers – even those not struggling . financially – turn to budget stores, he said. ‘The biggest challenge . that we face is that there has been a fundamental change in how . consumers view discounters. ‘They are no longer going to them out of . necessity. The perception has changed and there is a new price norm.’ A . study suggested this week that the big four have lost sales worth . £4.4billion a year over the past three years. The cost of living squeeze . saw millions of middle-income shoppers switch to the budget chains – . and many have stayed. Sales . at Morrisons are down by 3.2 per cent in the past year, while Aldi’s are . up a remarkable 33.5 per cent and Lidl’s 16.5 per cent. Mr . Philips said: ‘We are going to lower our prices on a permanent . basis.The rules have changed and we must change too. It is absolutely . critical that we begin winning again in our core supermarkets. To do . that we must compete on price.’ The money to cover the loss in profits will come partly from the sale of property thought to be worth £1billion. A . snapshot survey of prices at Morrisons and Aldi yesterday, suggests it . will have to make significant reductions to match its German-owned . budget rival. Plunge: The company's share price fell by 10 per cent this morning after the loss was announced . For example, Aldi charges £5 for a 200g jar of Nescafe . Gold Blend, which is £6.58 at Morrisons and the other mainstream chains. A large white sliced loaf is just 55p at Aldi versus 65p at Morrisons . and anything up to £1 at the other giants. A . 500g pack of fusilli pasta is 49p, against 95p, while a 1kg bag of . basmati rice is £1.29, compared with £1.79. A 500g box of corn flakes is . 99p at Aldi versus £1.45 at Morrisons. Morrisons . is to press ahead with the roll-out of its online shopping service and . the opening of small convenience stores in a bid to catch up with its . major rivals, who have cashed in by offering home deliveries and filling . high streets and petrol stations with smaller stores. Its . annual loss of £176million included one-off costs of £903million. But . underlying profits were down 13 per cent to £785million and these are . expected to fall by more than half to fund the price cuts. David . Cumming of Standard Life, who is responsible for investing billions of . pounds of pension funds, said: ‘Investors know a price war is coming. ‘Aldi . and Lidl are growing shares at double digit while the majors are losing . market share and they have to do something about it. If they are . relatively expensive – and the customers know it – they need a price . reset, or price war, whatever you want to call it, before they can move . forward in terms of sales.’ Richard . Hunter, head of equities at Hargreaves Lansdown stockbrokers, said: . ‘The discount supermarkets have become a thorn in the side for the . bigger players. ‘Morrison’s has now decided that it is time to revitalise the business, which will inevitably come at a cost.’ The . reputation of Aldi and Lidl were enhanced last night as both picked up . prizes at the Oracle Retail Week Awards. Lidl won own brand range of the . year, while Aldi was named retailer of the year. Success: Morrisons expanded under the watch of Sir Ken Morrison, son of the firm's founder . Morrisons is one of the country's oldest supermarkets, having started trading as a market stall in Bradford, West Yorkshire in 1899. However, it did not become a major player on a national scale until a decade ago, when it took over the Safeway supermarket chain. The company, whose full title is Wm Morrison, was named after its founder William Morrison, who sold egg and butter in Bradford's Rawson Market. Its major expansion came under the founder's son, Sir Ken Morrison, who took over in 1952 at the age of 21 and remains president of the company. He opened Bradford's first modern-style grocery store, and in 1967 floated the firm on the London Stock Exchange. In 2004, Morrisons expanded beyond its home region by buying Safeway and taking over its stock of nearly 500 stores. The company now operates more than 550 branches around the UK, and is the country's fourth-biggest supermarket with a market share of around 11 per cent. However, it has run into difficulties in recent years after being crowded out by discount retailers and the rise of online shopping. | Firm lost £176million due to one-off costs and falling market share .
Chief executive vows to compete with budget retailers like Aldi and Lidl .
Supermarket is set to cut prices but promises it will not become discounter . |
219,002 | a775b73619780a1743d9838fa6b42bb531cb411f | By . Jonathan Block . and Associated Press . [headerlinks]The National Football League Draft continued on Friday as rounds two and three were completed, though the second day was largely overshadowed by the surprise on Thursday that star quarterback Johnny Manziel was selected as the 22nd pick overall by the Cleveland Browns. The Houston Texans had the first pick of the second round and selected UCLA guard Xavier Su'a-Filo, who joins the first overall pick, defensive disrupter Jadeveon Clowney of South Carolina. The two of them can have fun colliding against each other in minicamps and training camp. The 6-foot-4, 307-pound Su'a-Filo, who went on a Mormon mission while in college, also has played tackle. The Dallas Cowboys, with the second pick of the round, took Boise State defensive end Demarcus Lawrence, who they hope will emulate their departed sacks leader with the same first name, DeMarcus Ware, now with Denver. 'I'm my own Demarcus,' Lawrence said. 'I don't like to try to be nobody else. I'm going to be me, and I'm going to do it well.' Xavier Su'a-Filo, #56, was selected as the first pick of the second round of the NFL Draft on Friday by the Houston Texans . Boise State's Demarcus Lawrence was chosen by the Dallas Cowboys in the second round of the NFL Draft on Friday . Offensive lineman Joel Bitonio of the University of Nevada got selected by the Cleveland Browns as the third pick of the second round . With the third pick, the Browns added a protector for Johnny Manziel by grabbing guard Joel Bitonio of Nevada, who also can play tackle or center. The Browns caused the biggest stir on opening night when they traded up to No. 22 to get Johnny Football. It took 54 selections, a draft record, for a running back to go. Bishop Sankey of Washington was chosen by the Tennessee Titans, who cut Chris Johnson this spring. Two more went in the next three selections: Jeremy Hill of LSU to Cincinnati, and Carlos Hyde of Ohio State to San Francisco. Heisman Trophy finalist Tre Mason went 75th overall to St. Louis. Former Miss Alabama Katherine Webb and University of Alabama Quarterback A.J. McCarron, who has yet to be chosen in the NFL Draft . Aaron Murray, a former Georgia quarterback, is still waiting to hear his name called. He's pictured here with his girlfriend Kacie McDonnell . A total of 39 early entrants have been selected so far, 25 on Friday. Altogether, there were a record 102 early entrants this year. College powerhouses Oklahoma, Texas and Georgia did not have anyone chosen in the first three rounds. Other high-profile players that have attractive girlfriends have yet to be drafted. University of Alabama quarterback AJ McCarron, who got engaged to model and former Miss Alabama Katherine Webb in March, is still awaiting selection. And University of Georgia quarterback Aaron Murray, who is dating Philadelphia TV news reporter Kacie McDonnell, has also yet to be chosen. Johnny Manziel is seen leaving the stage after being selected by the Cleveland Browns at the draft on Thursday . | Guard Xavier Su'a-Filo from UCLA picked as the first pick of the second round of the draf by the Houston Texans .
The Dallas Cowboys, with the second pick of the round, took Boise State defensive end Demarcus Lawrence .
Quarterback AJ McCarron, who is engaged to model Katherine Webb, has not yet been picked .
Johnny Manziel, also known as Johnny Football, looked relieved on Thursday after being picked 22nd to play for the Cleveland Browns . |
41,488 | 75097de10a275c59ddde27bdb731b10ce23f507c | Rory McIlroy admitted a week of distractions had taken their toll after he suffered a nightmare start to The Barclays. The world number one came into the first leg of the four-tournament FedEx Cup play-offs as a hot favourite following victories at the Open Championship, WGC-Bridgestone Invitational and US PGA Championship, but starting on the back nine at the Ridgewood Country Club, he made the turn in four-over 40 before picking up a shot on the way back. His round of 74 left him nine shots off the lead held by Bo Van Pelt, who made an eagle on the 17th for a round of 65 that put him one shot clear of a group of eight on five under. VIDEO Scroll down to watch Rory McIlroy and Tiger Woods take on Ice Bucket Challenge . Nightmare: Rory McIlroy endured a tough start at The Barclays in his bid to make it four wins in a row . Back to drawing board: McIIroy is hopeful of getting back into contention at The Barclays . Paul Casey was among that number along with Cameron Tringale, Hunter Mahan, Charles Howell, Brendan De Jonge, Ben Martin and Brendan Todd. McIlroy was within an inch or so of a birdie on the first hole he played, the 10th, but his form then deserted him as he registered a double-bogey on the 12th, and followed that with bogeys on the 13th and 18th to leave him last of all players on the course at the time. He pulled a shot back on the par-four fifth but gave it back on the eighth, missing a four-foot putt to bogey. He recovered to birdie the ninth, his final hole of the day, finishing with a three-over round of 74 and at least off the very bottom of the leaderboard. McIlroy, who appeared on late-night US television with Tiger Woods earlier this week, days after parading his Claret Jug at Manchester United's Old Trafford ground last weekend, said he needed to regain his focus to get back into contention. 'I'm not quite on my game, I've not quite put in the time over the last few days for obvious reasons,' he said on Sky Sports. 'I'm going to go and have some lunch and then work on the range, work on a few things, and try to catch up on some practice I've missed out on over the last week and try to be ready for tomorrow.' Looking forward to the FedEx Cup, he added: 'For me, not being here for the weekend isn't an option. I've got to work hard today on the range and get out there and get off to a fast start tomorrow, and get myself back into this tournament.' Justin Rose carded 68, dropping shots on the 12th and 17th to miss out on a share of the lead. 'My game feels close,' he said on Sky Sports. 'I played really well at the PGA as well but my putter let me down so I was really pleased today that there were some four, five putts that I got and that kept my momentum going. It was something I struggled with at the PGA. 'My ball striking was there or thereabouts. I didn't hit that many fairways today so I was happy to get round.' Frustrated: McIlroy reacts to hitting into a sand trap on the 13th hole at The Barclays in Paramus . Van Pelt, having just birdied the 16th, chipped in from 47 foot on the 17th for an eagle which catapulted him clear of the chasing pack. Having arrived here ranked down at 104th in the FedEx rankings, Van Pelt said he was able to play with a freedom not usually afforded him at this time of year. 'I had very expectations but I was happy with how I was playing,' he said. 'I've come to this tournament before where I was in the top 30 and I felt like I had something to lose, but anything here is house money for me.' The top 125 players in the standings have qualified for The Barclays, with the field being trimmed to 100 for the Deutsche Bank Championship, 70 for the BMW Championship and then 30 for the Tour Championship with the man finishing top of the standings claiming a 10million US dollars bonus. McIlroy led the FedEx Cup standings coming into the tournament followed by Jimmy Walker, Watson, Matt Kuchar and Jim Furyk. | McIIroy is looking for a fourth straight win following success at the Open Championship, WGC-Bridgestone Invitational and US PGA Championship .
However that is in jeopardy after a poor start at The Barclays .
World number one picked up his form towards the end of the round . |
92,789 | 03598a20c12fab0f38dfdc186b4c7ab1cd201461 | (CNN) -- Brian David Mitchell, the homeless street preacher who abducted, raped and kept a 14-year-old Elizabeth Smart captive for nine months, was sentenced to life in prison Wednesday. "We believe it is an appropriate, just and long overdue result for our community, for the Smart family and of course, most importantly, Elizabeth," said Carlie Christensen, U.S. Attorney for Utah. U.S. District Judge Dale Kimball issued the sentence Wednesday. A jury found Mitchell guilty in December of Smart's 2002 kidnapping. "Mitchell's heinous conduct, the evidence of his propensity to reoffend mandated such a sentence," Christensen said. Beaming before a group of reporters gathered outside the federal courthouse, Smart, now 23, said she was "thrilled" with the sentence -- the maximum allowable under the law. "As I said during court, and I'll say it again now, I absolutely 100% believe that Brian David Mitchell knew exactly what he was doing when he kidnapped me, and all the events that followed. ... Today is the ending of a very long chapter, and the beginning of a very beautiful chapter for me," she said. Wednesday's sentencing occurred nearly nine years after Smart was abducted. "This case demonstrates that the road to justice can be painstakingly long and emotional," James McTighe, the FBI special agent in charge of the case, said after the sentencing. "However, this case also demonstrates that justice will be served no matter how many days, months or years it may take." Smart testified for three days during Mitchell's more than four-week trial. "I felt that because of what he had done to me, I was marked," she said during her testimony. "I wasn't the same. My personal value had dropped. I was nothing. Another person could never love me." She testified that she awoke to find a man holding a cold steel blade to her neck on June 5, 2002. She was taken from her bed and marched up a rugged mountain path in her red silk pajamas. When they reached Mitchell's remote camp, Smart testified she was "sealed" to her captor in a marriage ceremony, raped and shackled between two trees with a metal cable. She said she was degraded and treated "like an animal." Smart said she was raped nearly every day during nine months in captivity and forced to drink alcohol, smoke cigarettes and watch Mitchell have sex with his legal wife, Wanda Barzee. She was forced to wear robes and a veil in public and was not permitted to speak to other people. She said she feared Mitchell would act on his threats to kill her and her family if she did. She said Mitchell told her their marriage was preordained and that she would be by his side as he took seven times seven wives and successfully battled the Antichrist. They would hold exalted positions in God's new kingdom, she was told. Smart told reporters Wednesday that she was determined to dedicate her life to child advocacy, "to help stop and prevent future kidnapping crimes, sexual crimes against children, against anyone." She noted that the sentencing also occurred on National Missing Children's Day. Her father, standing beside her, held up posters depicting several children who were recently abducted. "I think one of the biggest ways to overcome any trial in life, to heal from any kind of experience, is by helping those around you, because by lifting those around you up, you end up lifting yourself up as well," Smart said. | NEW: Smart says she is "thrilled" and pledges to dedicate her life to advocacy .
"Today is the ending of a very long chapter," she tells reporters .
Prosecutors say the sentence is just .
A jury found Brian David Mitchell guilty in December . |
45,218 | 7f7acc76d0270639454a632d07975767e0544376 | By . Emma Innes . David Davies MP has accused the Welsh NHS of giving out Viagra 'like sweets' NHS doctors are wasting thousands of pounds by prescribing Viagra to patients who do not need it, an MP has warned. Patients with diabetes claim they are being given the drug even if they don't have erectile dysfunction. Tory MP David Davies accused the Welsh NHS of wasting public money by giving out Viagra ‘like sweets’. But the Welsh Government has hit back at the conservative politician claiming this is not true. Mr Davies said: ‘I am fully in favour of prescribing it to people with conditions like diabetes if they have a problem. ‘But I am not in favour of handing out Viagra to patients who do not need it. ‘Not everyone with diabetes has erectile dysfunction and handing out Viagra tablets like sweets is no more than a waste of public money.’ Mr Davies, MP for Monmouth, South Wales, claims a diabetic man wrote to him to say he was given Viagra even though he has no problems with erectile dysfunction. The patient claimed he was told it is NHS Wales guidance to issue the drug to all diabetics - even though erectile dysfunction affects only 20 to 40 per cent of people with the condition. Mr Davies added: ‘A resident of Wales who is not a constituent of mine contacted me to tell me that he had been prescribed Viagra because he is a diabetic. ‘He told me he does not suffer from erectile dysfunction, but decided to take up the GP's offer to prescribe Viagra, which is an expensive drug to buy over the counter, to find out what it was like. ‘It seems that in Wales you can have free prescriptions, free parking in hospital car parks and free Viagra, but you'll have to wait twice as long for an operation as someone in England.’ Mr Davies is calling for a change from a regionalised health service to a fully national one. He wants the Welsh NHS - recently hit by a series of scandals over hospital waiting times - to have its powers returned to the government. Mr Davies says diabetes patients in Wales are being given Viagra even if they do not have erectile dysfunction . A Welsh Government source said: ‘This is another cock and bull story from David Davies. ‘What he's saying is simply not true.’ Sexual dysfunction is more common in people with diabetes than in other people because the condition can cause damage to the blood vessels and the nervous system causing reduced blood flow and loss of sensation in the sexual organs. Other problems associated with diabetes - such as heart disease and depression - can also increase the chance of developing erectile dysfunction. | MP accused the Welsh NHS of wasting money giving out drug 'like sweets'
David Davies says diabetes patients are being given Viagra even if they don't have erectile dysfunction - the health service denies this . |
167,552 | 64b27cafd236f7b85c594e8dd42ddc9ac712ee83 | By . Ryan Gorman . A father still grieving over the death of his daughter last year in a car accident received a letter addressed to ‘daughter killed in car crash.’ Mike Seay, of suburban Chicago, received the shocking letter Thursday from OfficeMax. The insensitive addressee was on the second line, under his name. Daughter Ashley Seay, 17, died along with a friend when she lost control of her SUV last April and it slammed into a tree, according to NBC Chicago. Horrifying: Mike Seay received this letter addressed to 'daughter killed in car crash' The devastated father told the station he thinks about his daughter ’10,000 times a day,’ and wanted to know why the office supply chain had such personal information. ‘Why would they have that type of information? Why would they need that?’ He asked. ‘What purpose does it serve anybody to know that? And how much other types of other information do they have if they have that on me, or anyone else? And how do they use that, what do they use that for?’ Mr Seay debated on Facebook about to handle it before calling the OfficeMax call center, they disregarded his complaint. Still grieving: Mr Seay said he still thinks about his daughter 10,000 times a day . Tragedy: Ashley Seay, 17, died last April when she lost control of her SUV and hit a tree . All that was left: The SUV was barely recognizable . ‘The manager [said] that it was impossible, that this can't be happening,’ he recalled. A subsequent follow-up by NBC Chicago led to OfficeMax blaming the disturbing mailing on a ‘third-party mailing list provider.’ The company also apologized in a statement. ‘We are deeply sorry that Mr. Seay and his family received this mailing from us, and we are reaching out to Mr. Seay to convey our sincerest apologies on this unfortunate matter,’ the statement said. ‘Based on a preliminary investigation today we believe this to be an inadvertent error; and we are continuing the investigation.’ That explanation brings little comfort to Mr Seay, who told the station the letter made him feel victimized. | Mike Seay received the disturbing letter this week .
His daughter Ashley died in a car wreck last April .
OfficeMax blamed a third-party vendor for the mix-up, but did not name it . |
252,400 | d2ae9ed03984ef90eb6ffc2fc051505adbda790b | Acapulco, Mexico (CNN) -- Pascal Clemens arrived in Acapulco 17 years ago. The native of Germany who owns a real estate company in the Mexican beach resort says he immediately fell in love with the place. His original plan was to move to New York, but he couldn't get enough of the sunny beaches, friendly people, cool breezes, and above all, the spectacular weather in Acapulco. "It's not only good, it's excellent, it's outstanding, every day! Have you seen any rain here?," asks Clemens as he looks up to the deep blue sky standing by a sandy beach on a recent, pleasant morning. Temperatures in the mid to upper 80s Fahrenheit (about 30 Celsius), sunny skies, and cool breezes are among the main reasons why countless foreigners have made Acapulco their paradise for decades. Back in the 1950s, actor John Wayne owned the Hotel Los Flamingos, which was built on top of Acapulco's highest cliffs. Johnny Weissmuller, who played Tarzan in Hollywood films, spent the last four years of his life here and is buried in Acapulco. Latin pop sensation Luis Miguel lived here for many years as well. The Mexican beach resort is full of luxury homes overlooking the bays and mansions with private gardens. According to local officials, at least 3,000 foreigners including Americans, Canadians, and Europeans call Acapulco home. A recent wave of drug violence that has sent the murder rate soaring to more than 80 violent deaths per 100,000 people is keeping some tourists away, especially spring breakers who were no-shows this year. Acapulco, with a population of 1.2 million, had 1,010 violent deaths last year, according to the Acapulco morgue, marking a steady increase from previous years. But violence is apparently having only a minimal effect on the real estate market. "Right now the market is down in terms of sales, but the prices have maintained, surprisingly stable," says Clemens, who owns a property management, realty, and villas rental company called Beachfront Acapulco. The current situation is mildly affecting the luxury rental market. A $1.6 million home with two pools and six bedrooms located in the luxurious Las Brisas residential area used to rent for about $1,000 a day. Now it's down to about $700. Natalie Farmer, a Canadian who owns a time-share condominium and has spent weeks here every year since she was a little girl, has kept coming with her family in children in spite of the violence. "I've always felt safe here. You certainly don't go looking for trouble and you stay within the compound and go out in groups, you know? And I think it's safe," says Farmer. Mayor Manuel Anorve says government agencies are working hard to turn the tide of violence, increasing police and military presence. "Acapulco is standing on its feet, and of course, the three levels of government are working together to solve these problems, but I will say it again, Acapulco is bigger than its problems," says Anorve. Twenty-two-year-old Shana Dewale, a native of Belgium, has spent spring breaks here since she was a toddler. "I see more violence in my country, in Belgium, than I see here in Acapulco. I never saw anything here as a tourist. I love it. I come every year and it's the best vacation I have," says Dewale. Joyce Patterson, an American from California who teaches English at the Universidad Americana de Acapulco, has been living in Mexico for 42 years, 35 of them here. She says she's concerned about the violence, but is not about to pack her bags anytime soon. She explains her reasons the way a native would. "There's a phrase that they use here it's called 'el embrujo costeno' ('the coastal spell')," Patterson says. "Once you're here, you won't want to leave because we've got the beach, we've got the breeze. It's a beautiful place to live." | The tourist mecca has seen its murder rate soar due to drug violence .
Spring breakers were no-shows this year .
But foreigners who live in Acapulco say they feel safe; real estate values remain strong .
"Once you're here, you won't want to leave," says an American resident of Acapulco . |
107,514 | 16aa1a199d133d23c3b7c4b391216925e3547e64 | Rebel and Syrian forces battled early Saturday for a building that houses state-run TV and radio studios in Aleppo, a day after the U.N. General Assembly approved a resolution that slams the Syrian government for its actions and the U.N. Security Council for its failure to counter the crisis. Elements of the Free Syrian Army took partial control of the Aleppo building, according to the opposition Local Coordination Committees of Syria, but had to withdraw because of snipers and military shelling. The opposition Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said that TV service has been disrupted. Meanwhile, state-run television, based in Damascus, reported earlier that "a group of mercenaries and terrorists attacked civilians and the television and radio building in Aleppo and our honorable armed forces are fighting them." CNN cannot independently confirm reports of violence because the government restricts access by foreign journalists. The General Assembly adopted the Saudi-sponsored resolution 133-12 with 31 abstentions. It came a day after Kofi Annan announced his resignation as the U.N. and Arab League special envoy to Syria. He championed a six-point peace plan that has failed to take hold. The resolution notes "human rights abuses by armed opposition groups" and condemns "all violence, irrespective of where it comes from, including terrorist acts." But most of its ire is reserved for President Bashar al-Assad's regime. It strongly condemns "the continued widespread and systematic gross violations of human rights and fundamental freedoms by the Syrian authorities and pro-governmental militias." It cites "the use of force against civilians, massacres, arbitrary executions, the killing and persecution of protesters, human rights defenders and journalists, arbitrary detention, enforced disappearances, interference with medical treatment, torture, sexual violence, and ill-treatment, including against children." It also underscores its "grave concern at the threat by the Syrian authorities to use chemical or biological weapons." The resolution expresses "deep concern at the lack of progress towards implementation of the six-point plan" and deplores "the failure of the Security Council to agree on measures to ensure the compliance of Syrian authorities with its decisions." General Assembly resolutions are not legally binding, unlike Security Council resolutions. But diplomats at the General Assembly strongly upbraided the Security Council, where Russia and China have vetoed tough resolutions against Syria. Russia, China, North Korea, Iran and Syria were among those voting against the resolution. Algeria, India and Pakistan were among those abstaining. Of Syria's neighbors, Lebanon abstained, and Iraq, Jordan and Turkey voted for the resolution. U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Susan Rice hailed the vote "by an overwhelming majority of U.N. member states." "The General Assembly demanded once more that the first step in the cessation of violence be made by the Assad regime," she said. "Importantly, the resolution also welcomes the Arab League's July 22 decision, which calls for Assad to step down and for a transitional government to be formed. The United States is pleased that the General Assembly has made it abundantly clear that Syria's chemical weapons must remain secure and that members of the regime will be held accountable in the event such weapons are used." "The conflict in Syria is a test of everything this organization stands for," U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon told the assembly ahead of the vote. "I do not want today's United Nations to fail that test." Syria's U.N. ambassador, Bashar Jaafari, called the resolution a "piece of theater" that serves the interests of other countries in the region. He cited "foreign interference" and what he called the use of human shields by Syrian rebels. Frank Gaffney, founder of the Center for Security Policy, said the United Nations sometimes builds unreasonable expectations by "creating the impression that somebody is going to do something about a problem. ... In the end, it almost never can do anything." But U.N. spokesman Farhan Haq said the body can be effective, such as when the Security Council united against former Libyan strongman Moammar Gadhafi and halted an offensive by his military. Violence intensified across Syria on Friday, and Ban made reference to the violence in Aleppo, the nation's most populous city. For days, it has been engulfed in fighting between regime forces and rebels. An all-out battle is predicted there. At least 120 people were reported dead in the country's violence on Friday, the opposition Local Coordination Committees said. The group said that at least 72 of the fatalities occurred in a government massacre in the Hama neighborhood of Arbaeen. As they have every Friday since the uprising began nearly 17 months ago, protesters marched across the country with a theme for the week. Deir Ezzor, the restive province in the east, was the focus of anti-government demonstrators this week: "heroic Deir Ezzor, the coming victory from the east." Regime shells have battered the area for weeks, and protesters wanted to show solidarity with the people there. At least seven people were killed in Deir Ezzor on Friday, the LCC said. "Despite the big battle in Aleppo, we feel that Deir Ezzor is also leading the fight against the Assad regime and most of the cities and villages in the province have been liberated," said Mohammed Sarmini, a spokesman for the opposition Syrian National Council, the anti-al-Assad political movement based in Turkey. Sarmini said the opposition is working on setting up a secure central command. "Our main mission is to form local neighborhood councils in order to avoid the cities slipping into chaos once the regime falls," Sarmini said. "We had to wait until we had more liberated areas, and now we feel more confident after the latest developments in Aleppo." Akil Hashem, a retired Syrian general who supports the opposition, said the rebel's capture of 40 to 60 tanks won't make a difference given that the regime still has about 4,000 tanks. Acquiring sophisticated anti-tank and anti-aircraft weapons might, Hashem said. Syria has faced a diplomatic blowback over the crisis. A former Syrian Embassy employee speaking on condition of anonymity says the embassy in London is expected to close within two weeks. The former official cited difficulties dealing with British banks in the wake of international sanctions on Syria. "When I left recently, the embassy had plenty of funds available to continue for some time, but the banks will no longer do business with the embassy." British authorities, the official said, had been keen to keep the embassy open to maintain channels of diplomatic communication, but that communication now looks set to become much harder. According to the former official, two diplomats have quit the embassy this week. On Monday, the British Foreign office announced the resignation of Khaled al-Ayoubi, the most senior diplomat at the embassy, saying, "he is no longer willing to represent a regime that has committed such violent and oppressive acts against its own people." The second diplomat quit his post a few days later. The former official said al-Ayoubi, a career diplomat, asked British officials for a meeting about the embassy's finances and had gone to the Foreign Office in the middle of last week. In the following days, according to the former employee, he was "nervous" and had unusually given the staff Friday off work. The following Monday, he called in sick, and later that day, the British Foreign office announced his resignation. The former embassy official said most staff in the embassy don't believe the Foreign Office explanation because in recent weeks al-Ayoubi had actually been trying to dismiss staff members whom he suspected of supporting the opposition. The former official said that once al-Ayoubi realized that financial constraints would cause the embassy to close, he quit so he could remain in the UK rather than be sent back to war-torn Damascus with his family. CNN has been unable to contact al-Ayoubi. The Foreign Office said it would not comment on private meetings and had no information about the possible closure of the embassy. The Syrian conflict has claimed roughly 17,000 lives, Ban has said. | Fighting reported at radio-TV building in Syria's largest city .
Lebanon abstained in the U.N. vote, but other Syrian neighbors voted yes .
Iran, Russia and China were among the countries voting against .
Syria's embassy in London is expected to close soon . |
37,435 | 6a043cd8aff9a54ebfa907fb7a98c288c72347eb | By . Hugo Gye . PUBLISHED: . 08:54 EST, 15 December 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 08:54 EST, 15 December 2013 . A father and son were almost crushed to death by an industrial pipe after it fell on their car while they were driving. Brian Smith had to be cut out of the vehicle but ended up with relatively minor injuries, while his seven-year-old son, also called Brian, was completely unhurt. The 45-year-old is now recovering at his home in Cumbernauld, in central Scotland, and says he is lucky to be alive following the accident last Friday. Destruction: A father and son escaped serious injury when a huge pipe fell on their Vauxhall Corsa . Escape: Brian Smith and his son, also called Brian, at home in Cumbernauld after their accident . He was driving his son to a swimming class in the town when the pipe fell onto his Vauxhall Corsa, crushing the roof completely. The overhead pipe was apparently knocked loose by a lorry, and may have been damaged in the storms that hit Britain last week. 'It was terrifying,' Mr Smith said. 'We were driving along normally when all of a sudden there was this enormous bang, like a bomb going off. 'Everything went white as the windscreen exploded. I was stunned. 'My first thought was for wee Brian. I turned to him in a panic - he was sitting there without a scratch on him. I couldn't believe it.' Accident: The pipe was apparently dislodged by a lorry and may have been damaged in a storm . Members of the public rushed to their aid and helped to ensure that the seven-year-old was able to walk away from the accident unharmed. Mr Smith, a chef, added: 'People were amazing. There was a first-aider in particular I want to thank - I don't know his name. 'He was at my side in an instant, he kept me talking, kept me awake. 'He also contacted the emergency services and my family. I'm so grateful.' Praise: Mr Smith, a chef, thanked bystanders for rushing to help him and his son . Firefighters had to cut the father from his car, before he was rushed to hospital with injuries to his head, neck, chest and hands. Surrounding roads were closed for 12 hours to ensure that there was no danger for other motorists. A spokesman for the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service said: 'Thankfully no-one was seriously hurt in this incident - it was clearly a lucky escape.' | Brian Smith was driving seven-year-old son Brian to a swimming lesson .
Industrial pipe fell on their Vauxhall Corsa and crushed the vehicle's roof .
Father had to be treated in hospital but son was completely unharmed . |
195,674 | 8943f7c400b1a3b4ebb53aea00e8eedf6f6613aa | JERUSALEM (CNN) -- Israel's top general said Monday he did not believe the country's soldiers "hurt civilians in cold blood" after newspaper reports quoted soldiers who said the army had treated Gaza as a free-fire zone during its offensive this winter. Israeli soldiers, just back from Gaza, January 17, 2009, along the Gaza-Israeli border in Israel. "I tell you that this is a moral and ideological army," Lt. Gen. Gabi Ashkenazi, the chief of staff, said in a speech. Israeli soldiers said last week that Palestinian civilians were killed and Palestinian property was intentionally destroyed during Israel's military campaign in Gaza, according to the newspaper Haaretz. About 1,300 Palestinians died during "Operation Cast Lead," which aimed to stop militants from firing rockets into Israel from Gaza. The Israel Defense Forces has said it is investigating the claims. "I don't believe that soldiers serving in the IDF hurt civilians in cold blood, but we shall wait for the results of the investigation," Ashkenazi said. He blamed Hamas, the militant Palestinian group which runs Gaza, for choosing "to fight in heavily populated areas." "It (was) a complex atmosphere that includes civilians, and we took every measure possible to reduce harm of the innocent," he said, according to an IDF statement. The accounts in Haaretz are from Israeli soldiers who graduated from a pre-military course at an Israeli college. TheIsraeli soldiers complain in the reports that the rules of engagement often defied logic and left the impression with Israeli troops that "inside Gaza you are allowed to do anything you want." "At first the specified action was to go into a house," one squad leader is quoted as saying. "We were supposed to go in with an armored personnel carrier called an Achzarit [which translates to "Cruel"] to burst through the lower door, to start shooting inside and then ... "I call this murder ... in effect, we were supposed to go up floor by floor, and any person we identified we were supposed to shoot. I initially asked myself: 'Where is the logic in this?' "From above they said it was permissible, because anyone who remained in the sector and inside Gaza City was in effect condemned, a terrorist, because they hadn't fled. I didn't really understand: On the one hand they don't really have anywhere to flee to, but on the other hand they're telling us they hadn't fled so it's their fault ... This also scared me a bit." The Israeli military's advocate general ordered an immediate investigation into the soldiers' accounts, the Israeli military spokesman's office said Thursday. Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak told Army Radio Thursday that "Israel has the most moral army in the world" and that the accounts will be checked carefully. But graduates of the Yitzhak Rabin pre-military preparatory program at Oranim Academic College in Kiryat Tivon, the newspaper reported, gave accounts that ran counter to military claims that "Israeli troops observed a high level of moral behavior during the operation." The accounts were written down by the head of the college's pre-military program, Danny Zamir. He told Haaretz that he did not know what the soldiers were going to say and that what they heard "shocked us." According to Haaretz, Zamir passed on the soldiers' comments to Ashkenazi, saying he "feared a serious moral failure in the IDF." Contacted by CNN, Zamir said he would not comment to the foreign media on the matter. He told an Israeli television network that "what was most disturbing in this matter was the perception that they gave in certain units that the normative atmosphere was 'all is permissible' when you are dealing with Palestinian homes, property, and in the most extreme cases also their lives." In one account, a squad leader from a brigade serving in Gaza described an incident in which an elderly Palestinian woman was shot and killed at the orders of a company commander. None of the Israeli soldiers quoted in the Haaretz articles admitted to taking part first-hand in the killing of Palestinian civilians, and it is unclear whether all of them witnessed the events they described. "We take these allegations very seriously ... and if there was wrongdoing there will be consequences," Israeli government spokesman Mark Regev said. "But this is second-, third-hand information, hearsay information. We have to get to the bottom, we have to get to the truth." Separately, a coalition of nine Israeli human rights groups called on Israeli Attorney General Menachem Mazuz to reconsider his refusal to establish an independent investigative body to examine the military's actions during the Gaza campaign. The groups -- The Association for Civil Rights in Israel, Bimkom, B'tselem, Gisha, Hamoked, The Public Committee Against Torture, Yesh Din, Physicians for Human Rights, Rabbis for Human Rights, Adalah and Itach - Women Lawyers for Social Justice -- said accounts by Palestinians raise the possibility that acts by the military were worse than previously suspected. CNN's Kevin Flower and Shira Medding contributed to this report. | Report: Israeli soldiers said Palestinian civilians were killed intentionally .
The accusation pertains to Israel's attack on Gaza earlier this past winter .
Israel Defense Forces has said it is investigating the claims . |
205,036 | 956e0562fdfc6a73414ca74db8ab9d729cfd2198 | Former rap star Flavor Flav was arrested Wednesday in Las Vegas, Nevada, and charged with assault with a deadly weapon and battery in a case involving his fiancee of eight years, police said. Police were called to their house on the city's south side at 3:30 a.m., according to a domestic battery report issued by the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, which offers the following account of events: . Flav, whose real name is William J. Drayton, 53, was arguing with the woman, Elizabeth Trujillo, 39. The two had gotten into a "verbal altercation due to Drayton cheating on Trujillo," it said. The argument continued in the downstairs bedroom, where "Drayton became physical." "Trujillo stated Drayton grabbed her by the shoulders, stomach and arms, and threw her to the ground two separate times," it continued, adding that Trujillo said an earring was ripped out of her ear during the incident. At that point, Trujillo's 17-year-old son, Gibran, began wrestling with Drayton in the living room of the four-bedroom, 2-1/2-bath house, Trujillo told police. Drayton -- who is 5 feet, 6 inches tall and weighs 131 pounds -- grabbed two knives from the kitchen and chased his fiancee's son -- who is 6 feet, 175 pounds -- "around the living room, threatening to kill Gibran," the teen told police, according to the report. When the teenager locked himself and his sister Kayla inside her room, Drayton kicked in the door "and began making threats to kill Gibran," according to the report. Though Drayton "confirmed the stories told by Gibran and Trujillo," he denied having chased or threatened to kill the teenager, the report said. Drayton is scheduled for an initial hearing on Thursday morning. During the incident, Drayton cut a finger with one of the knives he was holding. The assault charge carries a $20,000 bond; the battery charge carries a $3,000 bond. It was not clear whether he had a lawyer. During the 1980s and 1990s, Drayton was a member of the militant rap group Public Enemy. Its biggest hit, "Fight the Power," served as a soundtrack to the Spike Lee film "Do the Right Thing." The group, which has been nominated for induction next year into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum, "brought a new level of conceptual sophistication to the hip-hop album, and a new level of intensity and power to live hip-hop, inspiring fans from Jay-Z to Rage Against the Machine to Kurt Cobain," according to the organization's website. "After Public Enemy, hip-hop could never again be dismissed as kids' music." | Police say he got into an altercation with his fiancee, then threatened her son .
It is not clear whether the musician has a lawyer .
Flavor Flav was a member of the rap group "Public Enemy" |
127,700 | 31116d71dcaa1035482a3df3eece09d7f3428577 | A newly published U.S. Army regulation said until Friday that a service member could be referred to as a "Negro" when describing "black or African American" personnel. The Army confirmed Wednesday the language was contained in the October 22 "Army Command Policy," known as regulation AR 600-20. The regulation is periodically updated but the Army could not say how recently the word was added to the document. In a lengthy section of the document describing "race and ethnic code definitions," the regulation stated under the category "Black or African American" that would include, "A person having origins in any of the black racial groups of Africa. Terms such as "Haitian" or "Negro" can be used in addition to "Black" or "African American." The U.S. Army changed the regulation Friday and issued an apology "to anyone we offended." The new policy states that "Black or African-American" are the only acceptable terms. The Army, along with the rest of the military, collects extensive demographic data on the makeup of the military force for issues such as equal opportunity and ensuring discrimination does not take place. One Army official familiar with the document said it's possible the word was added so when forms are filled out, a black or African-American person could "self report" and choose to identify themselves as a Negro. But a military officer specializing in personnel issues for the Defense Department called that "the dumbest thing I have ever heard," noting the Pentagon does not use the word in any of its extensive collection of demographic data. Lt. Col. S. Justin Platt, an Army spokesman, said the use of the word comes from an outdated section. "The racial definitions in AR600-20 para. 6-2 are outdated, currently under review, and will be updated shortly," he said on Wednesday. "The Army takes pride in sustaining a culture where all personnel are treated with dignity and respect and not discriminated against based on race, color, religion, gender and national origin." | Regulation says "Negro" OK to describe "black or African American"
It's unclear when the word was added .
Army official says the regulation will be reviewed . |
123,403 | 2b8303d9f7a08019dcb0b366c7bf7e8854b61424 | By . Emily Crane . IVF patients could save thousands of dollars after a new health clinic agreed to cut out-of-pocket expenses by bulk-billing the majority of services involved with the fertility treatment. The bulk-bill clinic, which has already had 300 inquiries, will cut prices for IVF treatment to an estimated $500, compared to roughly $4,000 in private health clinics. Primary Health Care, an Australian medical health centre provider, will open the IVF clinic in Sydney's CBD on Monday. A new health clinic in Sydney has agreed to cut out-of-pocket expenses for IVF patients by bulk-billing the majority of services involved with the fertility treatment . Average costs for IVF treatment are about $8,000 with Medicare - Australia's public health care scheme - covering between $3,000 to $4,000, the Daily Telegraph reports. IVF patients at the clinic would still have to cover those services not included in Medicare bulk-billing, like day surgery and embryo freezing. The clinic's provider is big enough to absorb the extra costs and offer bulk-billing for IVF treatments, according to its chief executive Dr Edmund Bateman. The bulk-bill clinic, which has already had 300 inquiries, will cut prices for IVF treatment to an estimated $500, compared to roughly $4,000 in private health clinics . 'If the medical procedure has an (medicare) item number we will bulk-bill it and you pay nothing for it,' Dr Bateman told the newspaper. He said the Primary IVF clinic on George Street, Sydney had the resources to carry out 5,000 cycles per year but could double that figure if demand for IVF treatment was greater. | IVF clinic that offers bulk-billing will open in Sydney's CBD on Monday .
Australian company Primary Health Care has already had 300 inquires .
Bulk-billing could cut prices to just $500 compared to private clinics that would cost about $4,000 . |
281,516 | f8aa91b491567e1eccfeac10be01d4d7167666fe | (Parenting.com) -- One Mother's Day, I bought my wife what she had wanted for years -- a weeping cherry tree -- and I threw in a bird bath, so that when the tree matures, our feathered friends can happily splash and drink under its loving protection. Oh boy! Another tie or pair of funny boxer shorts for Dad! For Father's Day, my wife gave me some boxer shorts and a tiny reading light, so I can flip through a book in bed without disturbing her. My wife is the first to admit it: For her, and for many people, Father's Day is an afterthought, a holiday just a few steps above the one that celebrates the groundhog and that other one that promotes trees. If Mom's Day and Dad's Day were in a prize fight, we all know which holiday would wind up lying in the corner of the ring, knocked-out teeth on the mat, dazed head stuck in a bucket. I've been thinking about how our society recognizes parents because Father's Day is upon us again, but also because, a while ago, my worst nightmare happened: My wife had to have surgery. I was an emotional wreck. For a while, it was truly touch and go. Life hung in the balance, and everything near and dear to me seemed in doubt. Why? Because while Susan recovered from her toe surgery, I had to take care of the kids. Parenting.com: Work/family balance harder for men? Sure, for a couple workdays I was able to call in reinforcements (my mom and mother-in-law), but an entire weekend lay ahead in which I was to be the prime caregiver to Lorelei, who was just hitting 6 months, and Isabelle, our 3-year-old. Meanwhile, my wife was upstairs in our bed, on painkillers and armed with her cell phone so that I was always just a speed dial away from doing her bidding. This would be a weekend in which I couldn't do only the fun stuff -- like playing blocks and watching cartoons -- with the girls. I was obviously going to have to feed both of them (three times a day!), and I would have to tackle Herculean tasks like giving baths, changing all of the diapers, putting them both to bed, and even giving medicine to Lorelei, who had an ear infection. Over the decades, standards for fathers have risen. If this were 1897 or even 1974, I could have coasted through the weekend, serving potato chips and cold cereal to Isabelle, and I would have brought the girls to my wife's bed for her to do the changing of the diapers. I could have skipped the baths. I could have ignored the dishes in the sink and the cat litter without a barrage of criticism. As long as I managed to avoid the house catching on fire, and the girls didn't come down with malaria, at the end of the weekend, my family and friends would have laughed heartily at my mishaps, like they used to do in the last couple seconds of those 1970s and 1980s one-hour dramas (you know, after somebody made a joke and the shot went into freeze frame). Then my family and friends would have declared that I had done my best, and nobody would have cared that the bar had been set so low that a chipmunk could have done as well. Parenting.com: His way can be better than yours . But today's dads are different. We not only love our children, we're acutely aware that we have a responsibility to be the best parents we can be. When it counts, I think most fathers really give it their all -- which explains why the Saturday night of my Mr. Mom weekend, instead of ordering pizza, I served Isabelle a chicken casserole with pineapple as a side dish. Don't applaud -- the fruit came from a can, and the rest from a box with four steps. iReport.com: Share your best bonding moment with Dad . Still, I have to admit, I felt proud as the weekend wore on. I grew more confident in my parenting skills and even gave both girls a bath -- at the same time -- not once, but two nights in a row! Just as I was ready to nominate myself for a Nobel Peace Prize, an Oscar, a Grammy -- surely I deserved some award -- I had an epiphany that brought me back down a few pegs. Parenting.com: Mommy skills that'll work on husbands . I was fixing a French dish I like to call poisson et pommes frites (um, fish sticks and fries), when I caught Anderson Cooper on CNN. He was in Baghdad, surrounded by American soldiers, saying he was exhausted and scared. Yet he warned the audience not to be too impressed with him. In a few days, he would fly home. The soldiers would remain at their posts. Now, I'm not comparing our girls to Iraqi insurgents, but I do appreciate more than ever that mothers are usually the soldiers in the parenting battlefield. Even full-time working moms do more child-rearing than us dads, studies have repeatedly found. Fathers tend to play the part of the dashing news reporter, swooping into parenting duties just long enough to get our hands dirty. My wife deserves her weeping cherry tree. And like most moms, she is worthy of much more. Yet I think we dads merit at least a little more than boxer shorts, soap-on-a-rope, and neckties. We don't get the good stuff because we're paying for the sins of our fathers, and our fathers' fathers. But these days, dads are changing diapers, warming bottles, and taking our kids to the park. We may not be where you want us yet, but we've evolved, and we're involved. Just as much as the moms, we appreciate the cards, the praise, and being treated special on our day. So if any of you mothers now feel guilty enough to spring for a slightly nicer Father's Day gift -- say, a plasma TV with a 50-inch screen -- make sure it also has built-in speakers with surround-sound. Try a FREE TRIAL issue of Parenting Magazine - CLICK HERE! Copyright 2009 The Parenting Group. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited. | Writer believes Father's Day is not as respected as Mother's Day .
Says: We're paying for the sins of our fathers, and our fathers' fathers .
We deserve more than boxer shorts, soap-on-a-rope, and neckties .
Plasma TV with 50-inch screen, built-in surround-sound speakers would be nice . |
135,668 | 3b87045a36dd9f5917703cde7f8d0b7e25b58db7 | By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 07:31 EST, 10 November 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 11:49 EST, 10 November 2012 . Multiple inquiries: Dorothy Seecoomar, 81, died 40 hours after being in the care of a doctor who was intoxicated, according to claims . Three inquiries have been launched into claims that an out-of-hours doctor was too intoxicated to operate the oxygen supply of a frail and elderly woman, who died hours later. It is alleged the doctor arrived 'incoherent' with bloodshot eyes, and phoned a hospital medic for help but appeared not to understand his instructions. The following day Dorothy Seecoomar, 81, was admitted to hospital, and she died 24 hours later on August 17. The doctor had been sent by Harmoni, the largest private provider of urgent care services in England. Following complaints by the hospital medic and Dorothy's daughter Agnes, Harmoni spent more than two months investigating the doctor. He left the company last week although the organisation's internal inquiry 'found no indication of any alcohol or drug abuse'. Ms Seecoomar, a teacher from West London, said her mother had suffered unnecessary distress and pain in her final hours. She told MailOnline: 'My mother suffered because her breathing was becoming more laboured. This could have been alleviated. Any competent doctor would have seen that she was not getting enough oxygen. 'This doctor was incoherent and his eyes were severely bloodshot. It wasn't just me, two of my mother's carers were there at the time. 'My mother was using quite a noisy oxygen concentrator. He said: "Is she on oxygen?" I said: "Are you ok doctor?", because clearly he wasn't. 'He called the registrar at St Georges hospital and obviously couldn't answer his questions, he was rambling, so I took the phone and spoke to the registrar myself and I said, "look this man is incapable and I'm frightened". 'My mother remained in discomfort. I hoped they would send somebody else after I had reported this doctor as being drunk. Dorothy Seecoomar meeting Conservative MP Justine Greening in Putney two months before her death, having discussed disability transport issues previously. Ms Greening has since offered support to her daughter Agnes . 'I had to call Harmoni the next . day as the GP surgery was shut,and I was unable to get a respiratory . nurse to attend. I said, "can you send another doctor but one who isn't . drunk?" The call handler refused to process that call and passed me to . her supervisor who told me she would get a doctor to call me back. 'This didn't happen. Later that day - . my mother's breathing deteriorated so I called an ambulance which . arrived about 10 minutes after my call. 'I was told that Harmoni had . called an ambulance in response to my telephone call in the morning, . however, unless the ambulance they called arrived after the one I . called, this is just not true.' Agnes Seecoomar claims her mother Dorothy died after being in the care of a drunk out-of-hours doctor . Ms Seecoomar said she had contacted . Harmoni on September 4, almost a fortnight after her mother's death to . ask if they had an update on their investigation. She said: 'I was told, "actually we . are just about to send a letter asking for your mother's authorisation . to investigate". I said, "well that's difficult because my mother is . dead".' Ms Seecoomar added: 'The experience with the doctor was frightening. 'People think we still have an NHS - but we don't, we have commissioners and providers. The providers are increasingly private companies whose primary concern is profit. 'It seems to be a competition to see who can provide healthcare at the lowest possible cost. 'This raises huge questions about quality and accountability as illustrated by what happened to my mother. 'The reality is that we a National Health Service in name only.' NHS South West London, the primary care trust which contracted Harmoni to provide out-of-hours care, has launched an inquiry. The General Medical Council, the body which licenses doctors, has also opened an inquiry and the healthcare watchdog the Care Quality Commission is examining the case. A spokesperson for NHS South West London said: 'We are in the process of fully investigating these serious allegations and now have permission from Ms Seecoomar to review her mother’s medical records; we are doing so as a matter of urgency. 'The results of this full and thorough investigation and the subsequent action we take as a result, will be shared with Ms Seecoomar as soon as it is complete. 'We have spoken to Ms Seecoomar and reassured her that we are dealing with these very serious issues about the out-of-hours GP service and a healthcare professional at the highest level within our organisation. 'We would like to express our sincere condolences to Ms Seecoomar and reassure her that we are doing all we can to get this matter resolved as quickly as possible.' A spokesman for Harmoni said: 'As the largest provider of out-of-hours urgent care in the country, we pride ourselves on offering the highest levels of patient care and satisfaction. Any patient concern with our service is treated very seriously and thoroughly investigated. 'The GP involved in this particular patient complaint has undergone an extensive performance review as part of a very thorough investigation into Ms Seecoomar’s complaint. 'We have contacted Ms Seecoomar and did invite her to meet with us so we could share with her the outcome of this review and discuss any further concerns she may have. Ms Seecoomar declined this invitation so we have sent her our findings in writing which include confirmation that the doctor no longer works for Harmoni. 'At a very early stage in our investigation the doctor involved consented to undergo a thorough testing procedure for drug and alcohol misuse. All these tests came back negative and there is no evidence at all to support any suggestion or allegation that this doctor was intoxicated whilst on duty.' (Left) Dr Stuart Gray, whose father David Gray was killed by out-of-hours German doctor Daniel Ubani (right) when he was administered with 10 times the recommended maximum of diamorphine . In one notorious case of an out-of-hours doctor blunder, pensioner David . Gray died after locum Dr Daniel Ubani gave him 10 times the recommended maximum amount of diamorphine to treat pain in his . kidneys. The German doctor had failed an English test for one primary care trust, so had simply applied to work at another. Following his father's tragic death, Dr Stuart Gray, had called for all doctors to undergo checks on their clinical competence. After Dr Ubani was struck off in 2010, the British Medical Association, the General Medical Council (GMC) and former Health Secretary Andrew Lansley all rushed to condemn the loophole in EU law that meant the language skills of doctors trained in Europe could not be tested before they practised in the UK. Records show that coroners' courts and the GMC have since dealt with dozens of cases around the country in which the services have been involved in the deaths of patients, including at least eight in one year. | Agnes Seecoomar claims her mother Dorothy, 81, struggled to breathe because the doctor was drunk and unable to control her oxygen supply .
Dorothy's breathing continued to deteriorate and she died 40 hours later .
Inquiries have been launched by the NHS South West London, the General Medical Council and the Care Quality Commission . |
61,722 | af52873dae9ef3266a08ad2c64874d20b391de37 | Australian number one Bernard Tomic was quick to turn his attention to family matters after pulling out of the French Open saying he still loves his father despite a looming criminal trial. John Tomic will face a Madrid court in October after headbutting his son's training partner Thomas Drouet outside a hotel in the Spanish capital in May. Tomic, who coaches his 20-year-old son, has had his credentials for the men's tour revoked and was banned from attending the French Open at Roland Garros. But his son explained that he is still being coached by his Dad and that he had traveled with him to the second grand slam of the season. "My Dad is in Paris," Tomic told a media conference after retiring from his first-round match against Romanian Victor Hanescu while 7-5 7-6 (8) 2-1 down due to a hamstring injury. "He's still my Dad and he is still working with me. I love him a lot." Drouet was left with a broken nose following the incident with Tomic's father in Madrid. Tomic's lawyer Carmen Dieguez said the reason that he used his head to attack Drouet was because the tennis player, 29, was holding the coach's arms at the time and that he was acting in self-defence. The 20-year-old Tomic was facing the media for the first time since the fracas but said: "I don't really want to talk about the incidents. It's all difficult to put into words and I want you to respect that. "My Dad will always be my coach. He knows me better than anyone. But I may get someone in to help him and work with us. "I haven't made a decision yet who. It might be a few weeks away, maybe after the grass," added Tomic, referring to the upcoming grass-court season ahead of the Wimbledon Championships which begin in London next month. "But I'll see. I'd like to get someone in before the grass who can help me and my Dad." World number 61 Tomic conceded defeat to Hanescu in Paris after suffering a muscle tear in his right hamstring. Tomic broke into the limelight when he reached the quarterfinals of Wimbledon in 2011 as an 18-year-old but he has also been no stranger to controversy with his father during his short career. Croatian-born John, who moved with his family to Australia when his son was three, has been coaching him since he was 13, even though the former taxi driver had no previous tennis experience. In 2009, he was forced to publicly apologize after telling his son to walk off court in the middle of a match against fellow Australian Marinko Matosevic in Perth as he was unhappy with the officiating. Despite the incident resulting in a one-month ban from the International Tennis Federation, a year later Tomic's father was railing at an Australian Open tournament director Craig Tiley so vehemently about the scheduling of one of his son's matches that security had to be placed around the official. Last year, the 20-year-old Tomic was booed off court at Wimbledon, picking up a code violation after smashing his racket, as he made a first round exit before then requesting that his father should be ejected from the stands at the Miami Masters later in the year. "I know he's my father but he's annoying me," Bernard stated to the match referee. Tomic's father has often clashed with Tennis Australia, having previously threatened to switch his son's allegiance to Croatia unless his demands were met. Matters seemed to be improving as Bernard won his maiden ATP title in Sydney in January but he has yet to build on his fine record at junior level. | Australian Bernard Tomic says his Dad is still his coach despite being banned from the ATP Tour .
John Tomic faces a criminal trial in Spain in October charged with assault .
Tomic Snr headbutted his son's training partner in Madrid in May .
Bernard Tomic retired from the first-round of the French Open . |
239,971 | c2aa411bdea4d23013d1c45ef8072564dca57484 | (CNN) -- On the surface, the first round of the Egyptian presidential election seemed to show that the Muslim Brotherhood and the remnants of the Mubarak regime are locked in mortal combat for the political soul of Egypt -- as Brotherhood candidate Mohamed Morsi faces pro-military candidate Ahmed Shafik in a second round of voting in June. Buying into this simplistic formula, however, would be a total misreading of the far more complex picture. To understand the political reality of Egypt and the strengths and weaknesses of the major political forces operating in the country, one needs to look more closely at all of the electoral results. First, it is very clear that the Muslim Brotherhood, despite Morsi's emergence as the presidential front-runner, lost almost half its support base between the parliamentary and presidential elections -- from 47% to 25%. It is true that the well-organized Muslim Brotherhood was able to mobilize its political base in the presidential elections more effectively than its competitors. But the support of a mere quarter of the electorate is nowhere near sufficient for the Brotherhood to govern the country by itself. Only part of this decline in support can be attributed to former Brotherhood leader Abdelmonen Abol Fotoh's 2011 defection from the party and his decision to run for president as an independent. The decline also reflects a disenchantment with the Brotherhood's poor legislative performance, its attempt to pack the constituent assembly with its supporters, reneging on its promise not to run a presidential candidate and its tendency to compromise with the military on important issues. The election results also demonstrate that the total Islamist vote is somewhere around 40% of the electorate. That might be overstating its strength. Islamist Abul Fotoh garnered many votes from secular liberals who mistakenly considered him to be the anti-establishment front-runner. Many voted for him to prevent Mubarak-era candidates Amr Mousa and Shafik from winning. The real surprise of the election was the emergence of Hamdeen Sabahy -- whose campaign was built on nationalism and demands for social justice -- with 22% of the vote. Sabahy was often referred to as the Nasserist candidate who represented the legacy of the Gamal Abdul Nasser, the leader of the 1952 revolution and Egypt's first president. His campaign did not get going until very late in the day; otherwise it is more than likely that the runoff would have pitted him against Morsi. That would have given Sabahy a real shot at winning the runoff, given the anti-Islamist search for a viable candidate untainted by the Mubarak regime. Sabahy's performance in the first round indicates that many who voted for the Muslim Brotherhood in parliamentary elections, especially the working classes, were disillusioned with its advocacy of a free market economy and lack of attention to social justice and welfare issues. Sabahy's message of social justice worked, as demonstrated by his lead in Cairo's working-class district Imbaba, long considered a Muslim Brotherhood stronghold. Sabahy carried the two most populous cities, Cairo and Alexandria, without much organizational support -- a remarkable performance by any standards. The fact that pro-military Shafik, the leading remnant of the Mubarak regime, took almost a quarter of the votes seems remarkable. But the superior financial capability and patron-client network of the former ruling party NDP, especially in the Nile Delta, and covert support from the military brass played a big role. Reports are emerging that the security services and military-linked pro-Mubarak landlords coerced many of the Delta peasantry to vote for Shafik. It appears that pressure was also put on public servants and their families. Shafiq's law-and-order message also attributed to his success. The security situation in much of the country has deteriorated markedly -- some argue deliberately engineered by the military. But his performance can also be read as the last gasp of the old regime, which can be well and truly buried if its opponents, from the Brotherhood to the Nasserists and liberals, can form a coalition capable of providing effective and legitimate government. This should not be an impossible task. It is clear that the Islamist forces are fractured and the Brotherhood's base is shrinking, as the political playing field becomes increasingly level in a democratizing Egypt. There are indications that the Brotherhood is aware of its limitations, which has forced it to mellow considerably, sacrificing some of its ideological purity at the altar of political pragmatism. If the leaders of the various trends of political opposition to the Mubarak regime demonstrate adequate wisdom and put together a governing coalition that includes no remnants of the old regime, Egypt's democratic experiment could be securely launched on the road to maturity. It is most important that the Brotherhood and Sabahy's campaign come to an understanding that would allow them to share power, possibly with Morsi as president and Sabahy as vice president of a democratic Egypt. The Brotherhood must also give the Nasserists and liberals a voice in writing a new constitution that would guarantee the fundamental rights of citizens and delineate a process for orderly political transition, based on periodic elections for the executive and the legislative branches of government. A consensus will also have to be built on the role of Islam in the new political order. The Muslim Brotherhood has demonstrated remarkable flexibility in the past on this issue. It may be even more flexible now that it realizes a consensus on Islam that is acceptable to the majority of political parties and factions would be essential to creating a coalition. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Mohammed Ayoob. | Mohammed Ayoob: Muslim Brotherhood lost half its support between the two elections .
The Brotherhood can't govern by itself with support of only 22% of electorate, he writes .
Ayoob: Mubarak-linked candidate did well, but social justice proponent did well, too .
Liberals, Nasserists and Brotherhood must form their own coalition, Ayoob writes . |
272,675 | ed2a202e643f11ac7bad1f388ad3f6008956d251 | Washington (CNN) -- The Hells Angels are going to court, protesting a federal policy barring the motorcycle club's foreign members from visiting the United States. In a complaint filed in federal court in Washington, the Hells Angels Motorcycle Corporation, as the group calls itself, said its designation as a "known criminal organization" by the departments of Homeland Security and State violates immigration law and the group's constitutional rights. Lawyers for the Los Angeles-area-based group describe its membership as composed of loosely associated charters, "made up of motorcycle enthusiasts who have joined to ride motorcycles together, organize social events, fundraisers, parties and motorcycle rallies." Canadian rides 186 mph . Founded in 1948 in southern California, Hells Angels claim charters in 35 countries: Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, England, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Holland, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, New Zealand, Northern Ireland, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Russia, Spain, Switzerland, South Africa, Sweden, Turkey, the United States and Wales. The group is asking for a temporary injunction, allowing foreign members to be granted visas to travel to the United States. In its lawsuit, the group claims the government routinely denies visas "to all aliens based solely on their membership in a Hells Angels charter without further analysis into whether or not that individual seeks to enter the United States to engage solely, principally, or incidentally in unlawful activity." The motorcycle group also seeks to have its "criminal organization" designation removed. Singer's husband loses leg in bike crash . The Obama administration is expected to respond to the lawsuit in coming weeks, when a federal judge would decide the injunction request, and later, the larger legal questions raised. There was no immediate response to the lawsuit from government officials. A number of federal and state prosecutors and law enforcement organizations have called the Hells Angels a criminal motorcycle gang, along with their alleged rivals the Bandidos, Outlaws, and Pagans. Some of its members have been prosecuted for committing felonies including drug dealing, extortion, and other violent crimes. The Hells Angels as a group has said any crimes committed by its members have been done as individual acts, and are not representative of the club as a whole. The case is Hells Angels Motorcycle Corp. v. Napolitano (1:12-cv-1357). | The Hells Angels motorcycle club claims charters in 35 countries .
The group is suing to protest a federal policy barring its foreign members from the U.S.
It also is fighting its federal designation as a "known criminal organization"
There was no immediate reaction to the lawsuit from government officials . |
113,410 | 1e614a82701106bcfa7216cc2dbb051cac1d05a6 | (CNN) -- As a second-generation caterer, I would ordinarily be peacock proud and hyena happy about the prospects of anyone getting married. Yet when I saw the obese coverage around the wedding announcement of Britain's Prince William and his fiancée, Kate Middleton, I felt it was sickening to watch. There was no one television broadcast or cable network that was more egregious than the other. Frankly, all were shameful with the level of attention given to the announcement of next year's nuptials. It's wrong for anyone to suggest that Prince William isn't a newsmaker, but this wedding is more entertainment than politics or hard news. Yet this was the lead story on NBC's evening newscast? Really? It was more perplexing considering the announcement was reported on the same day that President Barack Obama awarded the first Medal of Honor to a living soldier since Vietnam. With the United States engaged in two wars, and so much attention being put on our soldiers, it made perfect sense for the national media to turn everyone's attention to one of our own, Staff Sgt. Salvatore Giunta of Iowa. After the royal engagement coverage, how can today's journalists seriously complain about the softening of news and about more Americans caring about gossip and photos of celebrities walking down the street to buy a cup of coffee rather than paying attention to the news that truly affects their lives? Look, I get the mammoth ratings from the wedding of Prince Charles and Princess Diana in 1981. But what we have seen this week has been ridiculous. More opinion on topics in the news . In the media we often talk about news judgment. It is all subjective, based on the person or persons who make the decisions in each respective newsroom. I can guarantee you that if I had my own TV show or was an executive producing one, the royal wedding wouldn't have made it into the first block. No doubt it would have been mentioned, but it would have been beyond me to put a wedding announcement of a royal couple from another country at the top of an American newscast. Longtime journalist Ted Koppel recently blasted the opinion-driven TV shows on Fox and MSNBC, and Democratic Sen. Jay Rockefeller of West Virginia went so far as saying the two should be shut down. Frankly, I find the latter to be nonsensical, but it is important that we sometimes step back and say, "Are we contributing to the dumbing down of the public by virtue of some of our dumb news decisions?" Let me be clear: There is a place for sports, entertainment and lifestyle-related stories. I disagree when someone suggests that such stories aren't news. They are news, just a different type of news. But there is such a thing as overkill, and when it came to the royal wedding announcement, my brothers and sisters in the media embarrassed themselves with the over-the-top coverage. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Roland S. Martin. | Roland Martin: Media coverage of engagement of Prince William was over the top .
He says it's an entertaining story but didn't deserve top billing on the news .
Journalists can't complain about the public's taste in news if they hype trivial events, he says . |
181,248 | 76a2f2b7870c717e9edf2e17079c77e6fcb7607f | (CNN) -- Pandora, the music-streaming service that's a soundtrack for many a desk-bound music lover, rolled out a slate of changes Wednesday, even as a host of up-and-comers are emerging in the online music space. "New Pandora," according to a post on the music service's blog, is "more responsive, easier to use, and better integrated with the friends and music lovers in your life." "For the last two months we've been gradually rolling a preview of the new site out to our listeners, taking their feedback, fixing bugs and making improvements here and there," Tom Conrad, Pandora's founder, said in the post. "With all those little fixes and refinements in place, today we're rolling out the new site for everyone." Among the new features on the site, which uses what creators call the "Music Genome Project" to predict users' tastes based on the songs they've already liked, are: . -- Simplified station creation . -- A bigger focus on social interaction. Enhanced user profiles let friends "like" or comment on what they've been listening to and share songs or stations with friends on Pandora as well as on Facebook, Twitter and other networking sites. -- More information about the song that's playing and its artist -- including lyrics and detailed biographies. -- Removing the 40-hour per month listening cap to let users listen for as long as they want for free. (An "abuse prevention limit" of 320 hours a month still exists, so if you plan to listen for more than 13 entire days, watch out). The social changes will roll out to users over the next few days, according to the blog post. Users may edit what others can see using Pandora's privacy settings page. The changes also place ads more prominently on Pandora's pages. As of July, Pandora had 100 million registered users and 36 million monthly active users. Eric Mac of PCWorld gave the Pandora overhaul high marks. "The new design certainly feels a lot less 2005," he wrote. "It has a clearer, more intuitive user interface that includes a large control bar at the top of the screen with the familiar play, next track, thumbs up, and thumbs down buttons. Loading times do seem faster, although not always instantaneous as promised." The overhaul comes as sites like Spotify and turntable.fm have emerged as hot new commodities in the increasingly crowded online music space. And Facebook is expected to unveil a free music service as early as Thursday -- potentially leveraging its massive user base as an audience. | Pandora music streaming site rolls out major overhaul .
Site gets new look, retooled controls and a new focus on social interaction .
The 40-hour per month cap on free listening was also removed .
The changes come as sites like Spotify, Turntable.fm and even Facebook enter online music . |
95,232 | 065ff2412aacf187d155f2dacb5af579bd2edaa3 | Washington (CNN) -- The nation's first black president could be in danger of becoming a "one-termer" if he can't convince enough white voters that he deserves another four years in the Oval Office. For weeks, he's hovered around 40% of white voter support - a level that Democratic presidential candidates have struggled with in the recent past and one that analysts believe Barack Obama must maintain in order to win. At the same time, he has to encourage minority voters to go to the polls and capture 80% of their support. Do the math: CNN racial bloc voting calculator . "Obama in 08 became the first presidential candidate ever to lose whites by double digits and win. And he could lose them by even more this time and still win. But he can't fall through the floor with them, and the polling shows him ... right at the water line of 40 percent that he'll need, maybe just below sometimes just above," said Ron Brownstein, the National Journal editorial director and CNN senior political analyst. "The big qualification: he's running better among working class whites in the upper Midwest battlegrounds of Iowa, Wisconsin and Ohio than anywhere else and that is his last line of defense in this very close election," he said. With 59% support among whites, Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney is hitting record numbers among that group. He is approaching a margin of support last seen by Republican Ronald Reagan in his 1984 re-election. Yet, support for Romney among non-white voters has hovered between 18-20%, according to national Washington Post-ABC News tracking poll data. During his 2008 presidential campaign, Republican nominee John McCain got roughly 55% of the white vote and 20% of the non-white vote. "This is a long-term demographic problem," John Avlon, a CNN contributor, said. "We don't want to see our politics divided by race going into the future. That is not healthy or sustainable for a nation as large and diverse as we are and this election is shaping up along these fault lines." The racial trends in this year's election are part of a complicated calculus in which a greater number of white Republican voters could offset possibly lower turnout among the Democratic base of minorities and young voters. Moreover, an ongoing fight in battleground states over voter identification laws, which some opponents say are efforts to disenfranchise minority voters in a close election and proponents say are needed to prevent fraud, is also a factor. The result is a deeply partisan and polarized election that could hinge — in part — on some uncomfortable racial math. "Part of the reason we're thinking about this is the dynamic of this being a black president," said Mark Anthony Neal, a cultural and Black studies professor at Duke University. Is Obama taking black vote for granted? Neither the Obama and Romney campaigns commented on the racial differences in the polling figures. However, both campaigns have shown that they are aware that the nuances of race factor into potential wins. Romney's comments during a May fundraiser that "it would be helpful to be Latino" because were he "born of Mexican parents, I'd have a better shot of winning this," went over poorly with some Latinos—a voting block the campaign is trying to make inroads with through Spanish language advertisements and dispatching bilingual surrogates. During recent comments to the Des Moines Register editorial board, Obama said: "I will just be very blunt. Should I win a second term, a big reason I will win a second term is because the Republican nominee and the Republican Party have so alienated the fastest-growing demographic group in the country, the Latino community." Obama made history when he won the 2008 presidential election — a feat he accomplished in part with 43% of the white vote. It was the same percentage former President Bill Clinton netted in 1996. But Democrats have struggled for the past decade to hold on to white voters during presidential elections, Brownstein said. In 2004, Sen. John Kerry lost his presidential run after getting only 41% of that group. In the 2000 election, Vice President Al Gore lost with 42% of the white vote, 90% of the black vote and 35% of the Latino vote. "Democrats have struggled for several decades to maintain any measurable level of support among whites, especially non-college whites," Brownstein said. "No Democratic nominee has won a majority of whites since 1964. And it's been especially hard for Democrats to hold onto whites after they have had unified control of Washington, which suggests they are having trouble convincing whites to buy into their vision of activist government." And Republicans have struggled to woo minority voters. In 2004, for example President George W. Bush won re-election with 30% of the minority male and 24% of the minority female vote. Exit polls from the 2000 election showed that Bush received only 9% of the black vote and 35 percent of the Latino vote. The number of minority voters has increased since those elections. Over the next several generations, the wave of minority voters -- who, according to U.S. Census figures, now represent more than half of the nation's population born in the past year -- will become more of a power base in such GOP strongholds as Alabama, Mississippi and Georgia. That hold will extend all the way to California, experts say. GOP problem: 'Their voters are white, aging and dying off' But for now, the population remains majority white and turnout rates are traditionally lower among minorities—both factors that could prove problematic for Obama. "What we're beginning to see is the Republicans are becoming increasingly white and Democrats are increasingly losing white people. They're maintaining the minorities, but losing whites ...," CNN contributor LZ Granderson told the network. "It's the message. Something they're doing as a party that is not appealing to the white voter. And so it isn't just about President Obama. It's about the platform." Granderson: Both parties have a huge race problem . Political experts attribute part of Obama's struggles with some white voters to disappointment in his handling of the economy. Discomfort over his shift on such social issues as support for gays serving openly in the military and his administration's federal mandate requiring religious institutions to offer employees insurance coverage for contraception may keep some socially conservative white voters from casting ballots for Obama, political experts say. But for some voters, a subtle form of racism may also be at play, Neal said. "If we were in a post-race society, the measurement is not the election of Obama but the re-election of President Obama. He still had to perform and he has been held on a short leash in that context," Neal said making the analogy that black professional sports coaches and managers are similarly given less room to stumble than their white counterparts. "Many voters including black voters don't feel Obama performed exceptionally (on the economy)," Neal said. "So much of what we've seen in terms of Romney support is a fundamental distrust of Obama because he's not giving the goods. That argument is easier to be made because he's black. ... It's not so much they are voting for Romney because he's white but the economy protects them. They don't have to feel guilty because of the economy. The economy lets them off the hook." Whatever the reasons for the gap, Obama will have to work overtime to maintain numbers of white voters who say they will vote for him while convincing minority voters to turn out to vote, said Andra Gillespie, an associate professor of political science at Emory University. "To be more comfortable he should be going above 40 percent (with white voters)," Gillespie said. "He's focusing on women, the majority of whom are going to be white, by talking about issues of reproductive health and contraception. He's going for the white youth vote by talking about student loans." Both campaigns realize that all of their careful math hinges on getting out the vote. "They should have a good sense of where their voters are and who their voters are. They should have spoken to them by phone," Gillespie said. "And they should have a plan in place to ask them to vote between now and Election Day." | 40% of white voters say they'll vote for President Obama--the minimum threshold he needs to win .
For at least a decade, Democrats have had lower numbers with white voters in presidential elections .
Political experts attribute lower white support to party identification trends, economy, social policy, race .
Obama must hold the line with white voters; get high minority turnout to win. |
71,619 | cafacf58bb256afe47ec39ca709aa5f535d1db11 | (CNN) -- Manti Te'o's Twitter bio reads: "Life is a storm.. You will bask in the sunlight one moment, be shattered on the rocks the next. What makes you a man is what you do when that storm comes." Well, as we all know now, that storm has most definitely come. Time to man up. Let's get started, shall we? Mobile users: If you're unable to see the Storify below, click here. . | Notre Dame player Manti Te'o says he is the victim of an online hoax .
New reports suggest Te'o's alleged girfriend may not have existed .
Comments, jokes and memes emerge from all corners of social media . |
246,911 | cb87e79bfc6ef7b9f6bbab990af1326705fbb3e8 | Fiona-Natasha Syms took to Twitter to defend her husband Robert who she is separated from . She'd put up with the late nights, the endless phone calls and the jam-packed diary. So when Fiona-Natasha Syms discovered her MP husband had been sacked from his job by David Cameron, she was far from impressed. While Robert Syms took the news ‘like a man’ and maintained a dignified silence, she was a little less gracious – and vented her spleen on Twitter. Unleashing a series of extraordinary messages, she declared herself ‘beyond furious’ that he had been thrown out of his job as a Government whip. The Tory’s estranged wife wrote: ‘PM just fired father of my kids over the phone. Gave up chairmanship of a cttee [committee] to be a whip, worked hard and was widely acknowledged to be a good whip. He was utterly gracious and took it like a man, I am beyond furious. Loyalty counted for nothing.’ Then she said the Poole MP had been treated so appallingly that he would be justified in becoming a party rebel, allying with backbenchers such as Sarah Wollaston and Adam Afriyie. At the weekend, Mr Afriyie called for an in-out EU vote in 2014, three years earlier than Mr Cameron wants. Mrs Syms, 44, wrote that ‘luckily for Dave’, her ex-husband would ‘continue to be super loyal’, adding: ‘I’d be fixing up drinks with Afriyie, Crouch, Wollaston, Norman. No not really.’ She went on to joke about the couple’s young children Imogen and Nicholas defecting to Labour. Mr Syms then seemingly intervened and she posted: ‘Have politely been told to zip it and stop lioness-ing. Shall put out the rubbish instead. Hopefully that’s not news.’ Robert Syms had been a whip – an MP . charged with ensuring backbenchers vote the right way in the Commons – . before yesterday afternoon the Prime Minister rang him up to tell him . his services were no longer required. Fiona-Natasha Syms took to Twitter to unleash a series of extraordinary messages declaring she was 'beyond furious' Fiona-Natasha Syms even went on to joke about the couple¿s young children Imogen and Nicholas defecting to Labour . Mrs Syms, who describes herself as . an ‘over-Tweeter’, still uses her ex-husband’s surname despite the fact . they separated in early 2006. They are not divorced. She . told her 644 followers on Twitter she still supported Mr Cameron, but . wrote ‘today is for raging’. Mr Syms, 57, had been a whip with . responsibility for the Home Office and the Department for Energy and . Climate Change since 2012. Robert Syms (left) had been a government whip since 2012 but was axed today by David Cameron (right) Before he was elected to Parliament in 1997, . he was boss of a plant hire company. His . estranged wife had obviously not expected the sacking, because earlier . in the day she had been enthusiastically tweeting about other reshuffle . changes, even writing: ‘Wake me up if Mr Syms is running the country’. Last night, outside her West London home, Mrs Syms said: ‘I don’t want to give any interviews.’ | Fiona-Natasha Syms took to Twitter to unleash a series of messages .
The 44-year-old joked that the couple's children had defected to Labour .
Robert Syms had been a government whip since 2012 . |
228,886 | b45ea2e2b8b8dd321a754a0738d877da8001f2f3 | By . Matt Blake . PUBLISHED: . 04:22 EST, 2 August 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 15:29 EST, 2 August 2012 . With their giant fangs and deadly bite, most of us wouldn't choose to step foot near a venomous snake, let alone go looking for one. But hunting and capturing venomous snakes is all in a day's work for America's Rattlesnake Wranglers. The fearless wranglers track, chase and capture the deadly snakes using a metal snake hook or sometimes just their bare hands. Fearless: Hunting and capturing venomous snakes is all in a day's work for America's Rattlesnake Wranglers . These images taken by photographer Joel Sartore show the infamous wranglers showcasing their talents at the annual Mangum Rattlesnake Derby in Oklahoma, US. The event held by the The Shortgrass Rattlesnake Association aims to educate the public about rattlesnakes from the dangers they pose to the their beneficial role in the environment. Fangtastic: These images taken by photographer Joel Sartore show the infamous wranglers showcasing their talents at the annual Mangum Rattlesnake Derby in Oklahoma . Snake school: The event held by the The Shortgrass Rattlesnake Association aims to educate the public about rattlesnakes from the dangers they pose to the their beneficial role in the environment . Joel took the image as part of a photographic assignment for National Geographic Magazine. He said: 'I went there as part of a story on animal migrations in North America, though we don't often think of snakes as migrating, they do indeed. There are dozens of species of rattlesnakes across the US, and they are the largest among venomous snakes. They usually only sound their noisy rattles if they feel cornered, threatened or taken by surprise. Rattlesnake bites are usually not fatal, as long as they are treated quickly, but deaths have occurred. If bitten, victims are advised to remain calm, as a quickened heart rate can spread the venom throughout the body faster. Rattlesnakes . love to sun themselves, and can be found near logs, boulders, or open . areas, and in areas like mountains, prairies, deserts, and beaches. 'In winter they gather in large numbers in dens. That's where the hunters will often find them. 'A wrangler's job is not without risk, yet these guys are good at it. 'It is possible for wranglers to be killed by snakes, I think the danger aspect is the attraction and the reason so many folks come from far and wide to the event. 'But the wranglers are careful and . very few have been bitten over the years.' He told how he visited one who had been . bitten in the lower leg while working in the snake pit. 'He'd . been wearing tennis shoes instead of cowboy boots and one had bitten . him just above the ankle,' he said. 'His leg had turned black and he was in the . hospital. He eventually made a full recovery.' He said despite the hard work of the wranglers in the town, the number of snake sightings keep on rising. And as the largest of the venomous snakes, they are not hard to spot. 'The . wranglers are doing what they need to do in order to keep their town . running, and they say that the numbers of snakes at the dens isn't . decreasing,' Joel added. 'Environmentalists, on the other hand, . will say that rattlesnakes take a long time to reach sexual maturity . and so snake hunting really knocks their numbers down . 'My . job is not to share my feelings on the subjects I cover, but instead . tell stories and let the readers think about it a little and make their . own minds up.' Rattlesnake bites are usually not fatal, as long as they are treated quickly, but deaths have occurred. A Pentecostal reverend known for . preaching with the help of a rattlesnake coiled around his arm lost his . life when one of the creatures suddenly bit him. Mack . Randall Wolford, pastor at the Full Gospel Apostolic House of the Lord . Jesus in Matoaka, West Virginia, died hours after receiving the deadly . bite on Sunday - the day after his 44th birthday. 'His leg went black and blue': Joel told how he met one wrangler who was bitten in the lower leg while working in the snake pit . Snake time: At the derby children peer through the glass wall at the piles of snakes captured by wranglers . Wolford’s father, who was also a serpent-handling pastor, died in the same way nearly 30 years ago. In California, the problem has become so widespread that scientists dispatched a legion of robot squirrels into the wilds to battle against rattlesnakes. The . robo-rodents will bravely endure the bites of the poisonous reptiles to . help scientists unravel a mystery - why squirrels heat up their tails . when confronted with one of the deadly predators. The . lab which has created the robots has already cut its teeth with a . camera-equipped robot grouse which spied on grouse mating rituals, and a . robot lizard which explored the jungle in Puerto Rico. | America's Rattlesnake Wranglers track, chase and capture the deadly snakes using a metal snake hook or sometimes just their bare hands .
These images taken by photographer Joel .
Sartore show the wranglers at the .
annual Mangum Rattlesnake Derby in Oklahoma, US .
The event held by the The Shortgrass Rattlesnake Association aims to educate the public about rattlesnakes . |
48,933 | 8a255b4513657bdc92083964ecc7a8b26ea9bd74 | Washington (CNN) -- When Superstorm Sandy rocked the Eastern Seaboard earlier this week, uncertainty over Tuesday's election began to creep into the minds of those who have spent months organizing it. Though polling places up and down the East Coast were still without power Friday, Sandy's impact is most noticeable in New Jersey, New York and Connecticut, scene of widespread flooding, power outages and hurricane-force winds. Elections officials from counties across New Jersey -- especially in the hardest hit areas on the coast and around Manhattan -- are concerned that turnout in Tuesday's presidential election will be affected by the damage. While many county clerk officials reported lobbies full of people waiting to vote early and take advantage of extended registration windows, polling places across the state have been consolidated -- leading some to worry that confusion could reign Tuesday. Powerless in New Jersey . "I think it will affect turnout," said John Currie, a board of elections commissioner in Passaic County. "When people are worried about where they are going to live tomorrow, some people have more important things to think about." In an effort to give people more time to cast an early, the Secretary of State's office in New Jersey directed all county clerk offices to stay open this Saturday and Sunday. In Bergen County, 327 locations have been consolidated to make up for those areas that still don't have power. At each displaced polling place, election organizers hope to have officials directing voters to the correct polling place. The hope is that these officials will ease confusion and help smooth the balloting process. Why Election Day won't be postponed . "People are interested," said Patti DiCostanzo, superintendent of elections in Bergen County. "We are moving forward the best we can and giving the voters every opportunity to vote in this election." In Sussex County, out of the 76 original locations, 31 have been consolidated and some have been moved to completely new locations. Marge McCabe, administrator of the Board of Elections in Sussex County, said there will be notices posted at closed locations about where voters should go. "I do think it will affect the way people are voting," McCabe said. "I think that everyone has their priorities, and for those who have power and have heat, their priority may be different than those who don't." "We are trying to make it as easy as we can for folks to vote," said McCabe. "That is our No. 1 goal." Many electronic voting machines -- used now by two out of every five counties nationwide, according to the Voting Technology Project -- often require consistent power to work for the long hours they are needed on Election Day, even though some have battery power. Poll organizers in New Jersey say that generators and battery-powered poll machines will ensure that power is not an issue at polling places. Admittedly, says Joanne Arena, deputy administrator of the Union County Board of Elections, the batteries "only last a few hours." If electricity remains out in some areas Tuesday, officials may have to scramble to find alternatives, including paper ballots. Hacking the vote: Internet systems remain insecure . That may be the case in New York, another state rocked by Sandy, where many houses are either without power or underwater. New York uses optical scanners, a process that doesn't necessarily need power at each polling station -- although that would be desirable. If power were not available, voter's ballots would be kept in a lock box underneath the optical scanner, and at the end of the day the box would be transported to a ballot office with power. The issue: That sort of balloting would noticeably delay the reporting of election results. "That is unavoidable," said John Conklin, spokesperson for the New York State Board of Elections. "The local boards are assessing their poll sites as we speak. They are looking to see what the power situation is, whether the site is accessible to the general public and whether the board can move voting machines in and out of the site," Conklin said. "When they are done with that assessment, they will start making plans for alternate poll sties." The state board's goal, however, is to minimize the number of poll sites that need to be consolidated and moved. Although moving some sites is "completely unavoidable," Conklin said, "even if it is lacking power and we can still use it, we are going to use every effort to do that." Like other officials, Conklin realizes that voter turnout may be affected by the damage Sandy has left in its wake. "I think it is really difficult to predict that, but obviously there are some people who have had a major disruption in their life," Conklin said. "Voting is not going to be the major priority in their life." In Connecticut, between 90 and 95 polling locations were still without power, according to the Secretary of State Denise Merrill. That number is an improvement: Thursday upward of 100 polling locations were out of power. "We still have some polling places that lack electricity, and both power utilities have assured us they are working very hard to restore power to these locations as soon as possible," Merrill wrote in a press release. "We will be ready to vote next Tuesday no matter what, and the preferences would be not to move or consolidate any polling locations unless absolutely necessary." Merrill and her staff have been working with local, state and federal officials -- including President Barack Obama -- to ensure the validity of the voting process. One concern expressed by Merrill is that in an effort to get life back to normal -- and get children back to school -- many local schools have decided to open on November 6, the same day as the election. This was "a change from previous plans to close school for Election Day so the school facilities could be used as polling precincts," says a press release from her office. Even with possible problems at the polls, the likelihood that the election will be moved -- or an extension given for the affected counties -- is slim. Only Congress can change Election Day, according to an 1845 law. If it opts to alter the timetable -- something never previously done -- every state would have to be included. The same law also says that if a state "shall fail to make a choice" on Election Day, then electors to the Electoral College may be appointed on a "subsequent day" as determined by state law. How secure is your electronic vote? CNN's Allison Brennan contributed to this report. | Officials in three states say voter turner may be affected by Sandy .
Many voters will have more pressing personal matters to attend to Election Day .
Some polling stations are being consolidated .
Technology, electricity are among the concerns . |
164,648 | 60ea59c45a667177e32d27cd39603337e678301b | By . James Tozer . PUBLISHED: . 12:20 EST, 19 March 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 20:55 EST, 19 March 2012 . A mother who recruited women outside her children’s school to take part in one of Britain’s biggest ever sham marriage plots was jailed with her partner yesterday. Andzelina Surmaj befriended the Eastern European women at the school gate before Milan Cina matched them with Nigerian illegal immigrants who paid thousands for a marriage certificate enabling them to stay in Britain. The couple, who both came to Britain from Eastern Europe, passed only a fraction of the money to the brides, keeping the rest – as much as £26,000 – for themselves. 'Bad soap opera': Reverend Ireland was duped into marrying Maria Pretczynska and Lukman Durojaye . Scam: Andzelina Surmaj, left, befriended Eastern European women at the school gate before Milan Cina, right, matched them with Nigerian illegal immigrants who paid thousands for marriage certificates . So far 32 ‘brides’ and ‘grooms’ involved in the scam have been locked up for a total of 33-and-a-half years, with many facing deportation. Investigators from the UK Border Agency, meanwhile, pieced together evidence against the organisers, including incriminating photographs of them lurking in the background of several ceremonies. Yesterday Cina, 38, was jailed for five years for organising the weddings, while mother-of-four Surmaj, 30 – who is on the run after failing to attend court – was given three years and eight months. Judge Beverley Lunt called the plot ‘a well-organised, commercial enterprise designed to defeat the immigration laws of this country’. Fake: Surmaj and Cina admitted their part in arranging six sham marriages. But it is thought they could have been involved in around 40 bogus ceremonies in all. Pictured is the parish church of St. Peter in Accrington, where some of marriages occurred . She told Burnley Crown Court Cina had picked churches in Accrington, Lancashire, for many of the weddings because he was counting on lax checks by local vicars. ‘Sadly, you were all too correct,’ she added. She rejected Surmaj’s claim not to have known the seriousness of the crimes, accusing the pair of ‘callously’ taking advantage of the Eastern European women’s desperation for money. The pair are thought to have been in Britain for more than a decade. A claim for asylum by Surmaj had been rejected, but she won the right to stay after her native Poland joined the EU. Cina – Czech-born and the father of the second of her four children – came here 12 years ago. He did occasional work as a handyman, using bogus identities to stay ‘under the radar’ of the authorities. Sham: Jozef Badzo and Mercy Idehen during their 'wedding' ceremony which was organised by Andzelina Surmaj and Milan Cina . Bogus: This image shows another of the fake marriages. Pictured are, left to right, Milan Cina, Adegboyega Adekunle and Andzelina Surmaj . The pair are suspected of organising 18 sham marriages at four churches in Lancashire and Manchester, although a total of 44 ceremonies have been investigated. Surmaj, who lived on benefits, befriended Eastern European women as she picked up her children from Whetley Primary School in Bradford. Once she had their trust, she persuaded them to take part in bogus marriages with West Africans in return for between £1,000 and £2,000 – although in reality, many were paid only a fraction of that. Meanwhile, Cina operated in a shady world where illegal immigrants handed over bundles of cash to fixers who could arrange wedding ceremonies. By marrying EU citizens, the Africans would win residency in Britain, including the right to work and claim benefits. The pair arranged transport to the . churches and dresses for the brides. Clergy were duped with false . passports and forged utility bills linking the ‘bride and groom’ with a . fictitious address in the parish. False: Jozef Badzo and Mercy Idehen in a picture submitted with a UKBA residency application to appear to show their relationship following a sham wedding . In some cases, the pair even arranged ‘marriages’ involving established immigrant couples. For example, Cina found a ‘husband’ and ‘wife’ for Nigerians Omorodian Idehen and his partner Mercy Idehen. Mercy Idehen’s 2009 marriage to Josef Badzo was witnessed by Badzo’s partner Maria Pretczynska, who had in turn ‘married’ another Nigerian, Lukman Durojaye, in Levenshulme, Manchester, the year before. Investigators said the resulting tangled web was like ‘the plot of a bad soap opera’. Cina and Surmaj both pleaded guilty to assisting unlawful immigration. Surmaj also admitted making a false statement by signing a church register and possessing a fake identity card. Judge Lunt issued a warrant for Surmaj’s arrest. Legal proceedings to strip the pair of their ill-gotten gains will be held at a later date. | Charged illegal .
immigrants thousands of pounds for arranging bogus weddings to EU nationals .
so they could stay in the UK .
The pair suspected of organising 18 sham marriages at four churches in Lancashire and Manchester .
Mother-of-four Andzelina Surmaj fails to arrive at court and is jailed in her absence . |
268,577 | e7e24c20ed3a9973e9d6226f7fc31e8881a31e9b | By . Jack Gaughan . Follow @@Jack_Gaughan . Gerard Pique has signed a new contract at Barcelona and immediately said he expects the club to rise from their curious slump. The Catalans struggled under Gerardo Martino in failing to progress beyond the Champions League quarter-finals and surrendering the La Liga title to Atletico Madrid. The central defender has penned a new five-year deal, which could see him finish his career at the Nou Camp, on the back of Luis Enrique succeeding Martino last week. All smiles: Gerard Pique has signed a new contract at Barcelona until the end of the 2018/19 season . Here for the long-term: The central defender could end his career at the Nou Camp . And - even after a tricky 12 months - Pique is left in no doubt that the new boss can yield success. 'FC Barcelona have to be at the top, winning titles and feeling important among the elite of European and world football,' the 27-year-old said. 'We have a team, and a coach. We have all the ingredients to get back where we belong.' Barcelona are clearly pleased to tie Pique down to his best years - president Josep Maria Bartomeu claimed he is 'the best centre-back in the world' - while the player himself sees no problem in retiring at the club. Pique will be 32 if he sees out his contract - something the former Manchester United man is relishing. 'Knowing that I could live out my career here is a big boost for me,' he added. 'I hope we can enjoy as many successes as we have had already.' The Barca squad never took to Martino's ideas and there appears to be renewed vigour around the place after Enrique was installed. 'I am very excited. In his press conference he showed that he’s very clear about his ideas. He knows this place well and I think he’ll do a lot of good for us. 'I am really looking forward to working under him.' Let the good times roll! Pique hopes that Barca can regain their elite status under new boss Luis Enrique . | Central defender will be at Barca until 2019 .
Pique wants to finish his career at the club .
Luis Enrique's arrival could spark revival after Gerardo Martino's reign . |
127,864 | 314b1d3ff88842d4fd2483112e2fb2d12ef62de4 | By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 08:19 EST, 12 March 2014 . | . UPDATED: . 20:53 EST, 12 March 2014 . A father broke his leg in six places as he was catapulted out of a waterslide into the wall of a swimming pool at a Turkish resort. Des Jarvis, 46, needed five major operations to save his leg, and doctors say he will never work again. Surgeons had to break the limb in another three places before fitting 18 metal pins and rods. Scroll down for video . Bone-crunching: Des Jarvis (circled) broke his right leg in six places when he skidded off the end of this waterslide with a dangerously short plunge pool in a Turkish holiday resort . Impact: Mr Jarvis was on holiday when he went down the chute and was hurled into the wall of this plunge pool . Injured: After the accident, which was captured on camera, medics were forced to operate to save his leg after Mr Jarvis contracted a potentially fatal bone infection . Injury: Mr Jarvis needed five major operations to save his limb from a bone infection, and doctors were then forced to break his leg in another three places before fitting eighteen metal pins and rods . They removed part of his right tibia, leaving him with a limp as one leg is two inches shorter than the other. Now, there are claims that the slide is too high and steep for the pool, and there is not enough space for an adult to slow down fully after being shot out of the end of the chute. Unbelievably, the slide is still thought to be in use, and five other tourists are now believed to have been injured. Yesterday, former window fitter Mr Jarvis said: ‘I have no life any more, I can’t go out, get dressed, socialise, nothing. And to add insult to injury, I have been told that I will never be able to go back and do the job I love. It’s all I have known for 24 years and now it’s over.’ Mr Jarvis was on a £5,500 holiday with girlfriend Nikki, 42, and their four children when he suffered the horrific accident at Didim Beach Resort in Altinkum, Turkey, in summer 2012. Height: This image of another holidaygoer riding the slide shows the height of the slide and the short length of the plunge pool at the bottom . Repeat: Since his accident it has emerged that five other tourists have been injured on the same slide as Mr Jarvis . Safety first: Rules for holidaymakers wanting to travel on the slide . Trip of a lifetime: Mr Jarvis had splashed out £5,500 to take girlfriend Nikki, 42, and their four children to Turkey . As a result of the crash, which was captured on camera, he contracted a potentially fatal bone infection. Only five painful operations saved him from an amputation. Two years on, he is in constant pain – and could still lose his limb. Last October, he had a metal cage fitted around the open wound, which limits his mobility even further. Treatment: Last October Mr Jarvis had a cage fitted around the open wound with a metal plate and screws . Mr Jarvis said: ‘I have lost two inches of my height off my right leg as they had to cut all the infected bone away. And now my leg is in three pieces. ‘My life is a constant battle. My girlfriend has to work as my virtual carer, administering antibiotics and washing me. I can’t go and play football with my son, take [my children] on days out, or go to parents’ evenings. ‘I have to live in my pyjamas every minute of every day because I can’t put any trousers over the cage.’ Mr Jarvis, from Peterborough, said he still has not received compensation from holiday firm First Choice. He said: ‘The holiday company have robbed me of my kids’ childhoods. ‘First Choice have washed their hands of me. I can’t sleep, go out or do anything, and I am in constant pain. But all they want to do is sweep it under the carpet. 'I don’t want anyone else to go through this hell.’ A new video has recently emerged of another tourist having a near miss on the same slide. Mr Jarvis’s solicitor Nick Harris said: ‘It’s bordering on madness that despite Des’s accident the slide remains in use. It’s almost as though someone must be killed before anything will be done.’ The case is being featured on BBC1’s show Holiday Hit Squad tonight, with experts claiming it flouts local safety standards. A spokesman for First Choice said it could not comment for legal reasons, adding: ‘We are sorry to hear about the injuries sustained by Mr Jarvis. 'Incidents of this type are very rare, the health and safety of our customers is of paramount importance to First Choice.’ Iron Man: A X-ray of the cage around Mr Jarvis's leg, which doctors hope will lengthen the bone . Gruesome: Mr Jarvis's wound. He still faces the possibility that he may have to have his leg amputated . Priority: Medics were forced to operate to save his leg after Mr Jarvis contracted a potentially fatal bone infection . Operation: The cage which Mr Jarvis has had bolted to the bone in his leg to help lengthen it after suffering the devastating injury . | Des Jarvis, 46, was thrown into the pool wall at the Didim Beach Resort .
He needed five operations to save his right leg from a bone infection .
Doctors then had to break his leg in three places to inset metal pins .
A metal cage was also fitted around his leg to lengthen the bone .
His right leg is now two inches shorter and he was told he can not work .
Mr Jarvis is fighting travel company First Choice for compensation .
Five other holidaymakers have also been injured on the slide .
'Health and safety of our customers is paramount,' says holiday firm .
WARNING GRAPHIC CONTENT . |
163,607 | 5f8f085fbe94e2396e8b40aeef990c98725cfe52 | (CNN) -- As the global community commemorates World AIDS Day on Wednesday, international health organizations report both promising and sobering trends. While the United Nations says new HIV infections have declined by almost 20 percent worldwide over the past decade, the estimated number of children living with HIV or AIDS in 11 Asian countries has increased by 46 percent between 2001 and 2009, the World Health Organization's South-East Asia office said Wednesday. "In 2001, an estimated 89,000 children were living with HIV/AIDS," said Vismita Gupta-Smith, public information and advocacy officer for WHO's regional office in New Delhi, India. "In 2009, there are an estimated 130,000 children living with HIV infection," including recent HIV infection, advanced HIV infection and AIDS. The 11 countries in the region are Bangladesh, Bhutan, North Korea, India, Indonesia, Maldives, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Timor-Liste. But a report by a United Nations program released last month shows some encouraging news, including drops in AIDS-related deaths and new HIV cases. Data from the 2010 global report by the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) shows that an estimated 2.6 million people became newly infected with HIV, compared with the estimated 3.1 million people infected in 1999. Also in 2009, approximately 1.8 million people died from AIDS-related illnesses, compared with the roughly 2.1 million in 2004, according to UNAIDS. Among young people in 15 of the most severely affected countries, the rate of new HIV infections has fallen by more than 25 percent, led by young people adopting safer sexual practices, according to UNAIDS. "We are breaking the trajectory of the AIDS epidemic with bold actions and smart choices," said Michel Sidibe, executive director of UNAIDS. "Investments in the AIDS response are paying off, but gains are fragile -- the challenge now is how we can all work to accelerate progress." But not all the news from the UNAIDS report, which covered 182 countries, was good. "Even though the number of new HIV infections is decreasing, there are two new HIV infections for every one person starting HIV treatment," UNAIDS said. Sub-Saharan Africa continues to be the region most affected by the epidemic, with 69 percent of all new HIV infections, according to UNAIDS. In seven countries, mostly in eastern Europe and central Asia, new HIV infection rates have increased by 25 percent. UNAIDS said in the Asia-Pacific region, 90 percent of countries have laws that obstruct the rights of people living with HIV. Despite the lower numbers of new HIV infections and AIDS-related deaths, UNAIDS said the demand for resources is surpassing the supply. "Donor governments' disbursements for the AIDS response in 2009 stood at $7.6 billion, lower than the $7.7 billion available in 2008," UNAIDS said. "Declines in international investments will affect low-income countries the most -- nearly 90 percent rely on international funding for their AIDS programs." | The estimated number of children with HIV/AIDS in 11 Asian countries increases 46 percent .
The UN says the number of new HIV infections has dropped 20 percent in the past decade .
But the number of new HIV infections outpaces the number of people starting treatment . |
284,451 | fc89b29738b18fe4c0ece96bf00f2cbe687e45db | He is typically a stoic Commander-in-Chief. But now, Barack Obama's former top adviser has revealed in a new book what happens when the President loses his famous cool. David Axelrod, Obama's top strategist during his 2012 presidential campaign, claims the 53-year-old once cussed at him in front of others and stormed out of a debate-prep session in a fit of rage. In his book, 'Believer: My Forty Years in Politics', he describes how he attempted to offer Obama some constructive criticism prior to his first debate with Republican nominee, Mitt Romney. Scroll down for video . First-hand account: David Axelrod (left), who was Barack Obama's top strategist during his 2012 presidential campaign, has revealed in a new book what happens when the President (right), 53, loses his famous cool . Under pressure: Axelrod claims Obama (right) cussed at him and stormed out of the room in a fit of rage after he offered the politician constructive criticism before his disasterous 2012 debate with Republican nominee Mitt Romney (left) However, Obama refused to accept his advice, Axelrod writes. Instead, in an unexpected move, the US leader reportedly exclaimed: 'Motherf****r's never happy!' before storming out of the room in front of stunned onlookers, according to Business Insider. 'That was a first,' Axelrod says in his book. 'Obama and I had been working together for a decade, through some pretty hairy moments, but he had never before lost his temper in this fashion.' He added: 'He certainly never attacked me so harshly, especially in front of others.' And perhaps Obama could have done with heeding Axelrod's advice - as his first debate proved to be disastrous, with 67 per cent of viewers declaring that Romney had won it, according to a poll. Only 25 per cent said the same of the President, whose poor performance was watched by more than 60million Americans in October 2012, the poll by CNN/Opinion Research revealed. Video from University of Chicago . Together: Obama (right) reportedly refused to accept Axelrod's (left) criticism. Instead, the Commander-in-Chief exclaimed: 'Motherf****r's never happy', before storming out of the room, Axelrod says . Revelations: 'Obama and I had been working together for a decade, through some pretty hairy moments, but he had never before lost his temper in this fashion,' Axelrod writes in his book (right), 'Believer: My Forty Years in Politics', published last Tuesday. Left, Obama talks to reporters in the Oval Office on February 17 . In his book, Axelrod theorizes that Obama's loss of temper and reference to him as a 'Motherf****r' was actually down to the politician's frustrations with his own insufficient pre-debate preparation. 'My sense was that the president knew he wasn't ready,' he writes. 'His mind-set, his reluctance to embrace the game, had been wrongheaded from the start, and now it was clearly hurting him.' Ultimately, Obama went on to be re-elected President in November 2012, defeating Romney 51.1percent to 47.2percent. He was sworn into the Oval Office for a second term on January 20, 2013. It is not the first time Obama has apparently lost his renowned cool. In 2012, the President failed to keep his temper under control in Connecticut after hecklers interrupted a speech he was giving at a rally in Bridgeport and began chanting at him. Astonished attendees watched as Obama halted his own speech to address the hecklers, who are believed to have been activists seeking more global AIDS funding. 'Excuse me, excuse me,' he said repeatedly, trying to speak over the crowd. When the hecklers kept chanting, Obama fell silent for several seconds, looking visibly angry and raising one hand in frustration as the crowd began to boo around him. Another fit of anger: It is not the first time Obama has apparently lost his famous cool. In 2012, Obama failed to keep his temper under control in Connecticut after hecklers interrupted a speech he was giving (pictured) Silent: Astonished attendees watched as Obama interrupted his own speech to address the hecklers. When they kept on chanting, the President fell silent for several seconds, looking visibly angry (pictured) 'Let me just say this,' he said, addressing the hecklers. 'You've been appearing at every rally we've been doing. 'We're funding global AIDS. And the other [Republican] side is not.' 'So I don't know why you think this is a useful strategy to take,' he finished, jabbing his finger angrily in the direction of the hecklers. The crowd's boos turned to cheers as Obama spoke. 'So, what we would suggest,' he added, 'I think it would make a lot more sense for you guys to go to the folks who aren't interested in funding global AIDS and shout at that rally. Because we're trying to focus on figuring out how to finance the things that you want financed.' Then he turned to another group of hecklers on his other side, adding: 'You guys same thing.' As more chants filled the rally, he said: 'Alright, you guys have made your point, now let's go.' Fighting to regain the momentum of the rally, he held his hands up saying: 'Everybody - we're alright. 'Come on guys,' he said. He then fell silent again, watching with pursed lips as the crowd booed the hecklers once more. The President waited nearly 20 seconds for the noise to stop. Then, he attempted again to continue with his speech. But he was forced to wait in silence for another 20 seconds before finally saying: 'Hey! Listen up everybody!' Mr Obama finally regained control of the rally and continued with his speech. Believer: My Forty Years in Politics was published last Tuesday by Penguin Press. | In new book, David Axelrod claims he attempted to offer Barack Obama constructive criticism before first debate with Mitt Romney .
However, 53-year-old President reportedly refused to accept his advice .
Instead, Obama said of him: 'Motherf****r's never happy', Axelrod writes .
He then 'stormed out of preparation room in front of stunned onlookers'
Debate proved disastrous for Obama; 67% of viewers said Romney won .
Axelrod made revelations in book, Believer: My Forty Years in Politics . |
270,467 | ea4d6e57bc7293e4320ecb3479b74ba61714cba2 | By . Daily Mail Reporter . UPDATED: . 08:26 EST, 30 December 2011 . One in ten under-25s think Elvis Presley or Paul McCartney wrote the words instead of Robert Burns, pictured . It happens every year. We get 12 months to learn the lyrics – but hardly anyone bothers. Now three-quarters admit they will mime or make up the words when the clock strikes midnight tomorrow . . . and the time comes for Auld Lang Syne. A poll found that some 37 per cent do not know a single line of Robert Burns’s piece, written in 1788. Its provenance is equally mysterious to some, especially when it comes to the younger revellers. One in ten under-25s think Elvis Presley or Paul McCartney wrote the words – whatever they may be. In terms of tactics, 37 per cent of all those surveyed said they hum loudly when their musical knowledge lets them down. Others prefer a more physical performance: a fifth attempt to prevent people from discovering their ignorance by distracting them with some vigorous arm-shaking while linking limbs during the seasonal sing-song. Almost two-thirds were also stumped over the meaning of the song’s title, which roughly translates as ‘Times Gone By’. Now three-quarters of respondents to a poll admitted they will mime or make up the words when the time comes to sing Auld Lang Syne on New Year's Eve . The survey, to mark the release of Warner Bros’ ensemble comedy New Year’s Eve, found 10 per cent typically gaze upwards through the duration of the song to avoid being detected. A cowardly 5 per cent actually leave the room altogether. Rather fittingly, the most commonly misremembered lyric was: ‘Should auld acquaintance be forgot, and never brought to mind?’ Some scamps replace the line with: ‘Should old acquaintance be forgot, and something else that rhymes.’ In total, 2,105 adults responded to the poll commissioned to promote the Hollywood film, which features a string of stars including Halle Berry, Michelle Pfeiffer, Zac Efron and Sarah Jessica Parker. Meanwhile, many people's celebrations are being adapted to deal with their financial worries, a survey has found. More people are planning a big night in than the traditional big night out this New Year’s Eve, with many revellers staying indoors due to concerns about cash. But this does not actualyl make for a cheaper evening, according to the Post Office Home Insurance New Year survey. Nearly three quarters of people (74 per cent) will stay in this year, it found, up from 72 per cent who were planning to stay in last year and 55 per cent in 2007. Money and cost are an important factor in deciding how to see in the New Year, with 14 per cent of people citing this as the main reason behind their plans. But those choosing to party at home are set to spend an average of £95 on food and alcohol - amounting to double the £48 average spend for those planning on heading out to celebrate. Post Office head of home insurance, Gerry Barrett, said: 'New Year’s Eve can end up being a costly night, and as our research shows bizarrely, it can be even more costly for those who plan to stay in.' Mr Barrett said the survey of 2,016 UK adults showed people look set to be emulating diners in Channel 4 programme Come Dine With Me. He said: 'Come Dine With Me fever is apparently gripping the nation as more people than ever plan to stay at home or hold dinner parties, but many hosts could see their bills mount up as they look to impress their friends.' While the lyrics for Auld Lang Syne are attributed to Robert Burns, it is likely that he merely adapted the words of an old ballad. Burns apparently sent a copy of the song to the Scots Musical Museum with the remark: 'The following song, an old song, of the olden times, and which has never been in print, nor even in manuscript until I took it down from an old man.' The poet also wrote a letter to Mrs Agnes Dunlop, attaching his version of Auld Lang Syne, in which he comments: 'Light be the turf on breast of the heaven-inspired poet who composed this glorious fragment! There is more of the fire of native genius in it than in half a dozen of modern English Bacchanalians.' Some say the famous chorus actually dates from the middle of the 16th century, if not before . The phrase 'Auld Lang Syne' is also used in similar poems by Robert Ayton (1570–1638), Allan Ramsay (1686–1757), and James Watson (1711) as well as older folk songs predating Burns. Contemporary Scottish poet Matthew Fitt uses the phrase 'In the days of auld lang syne' as the equivalent of 'Once upon a time...' in his retelling of fairy tales. But for those who need to brush up for the big night... Should auld acquaintance be forgot, And never brought to mind? Should auld acquaintance be forgot, And auld lang syne! CHORUS . For auld lang syne, my dear, For auld lang syne. We'll tak a cup o' kindness yet, For auld lang syne. And to really impress here are verses two to five... And surely ye'll be your pint stowp!And surely I'll be mine!And we'll tak a cup o'kindness yet,For auld lang syne.We twa hae run about the braes,And pou'd the gowans fine;But we've wander'd mony a weary fit,Sin' auld lang syne.We twa hae paidl'd in the burn,Frae morning sun till dine;But seas between us braid hae roar'dSin' auld lang syne.And there's a hand, my trusty fere!And gie's a hand o' thine!And we'll tak a right gude-willie waught,For auld lang syne. | Poll found that some 37 per cent do not know a single line of Robert Burns’s piece, written in 1788 .
And many will be singing it at home this year as more and more opt for a night in on New Year's Eve . |
66,186 | bbcdbf482636f8fdd5af77ee36394dddcb34af21 | (CNN) -- The "rich man's club" of Europe faces economic decay as it struggles to absorb the "poor people" of eastern and southern Europe, according to economic experts on the troubled region. The Marketplace Europe debate, hosted by Richard Quest and featuring Lufthansa boss Christoph Franz, chief executive of Deutsche Post DHL Frank Appel and Financial Times International Affairs Editor Quentin Peel this weekend thrashed out the topic: Can a European single market be globally competitive? The participants pointed to Europe's rapid growth as a reason it struggles to remain competitive, while the region attempts to pull itself out of the economic crisis. Read more: Euro recession deepens: So what can the ECB do now? According to Peel, the problem for Europe is its "dramatic expansion" to take in all the eastern European countries. "Everybody wants to catch up to the same level and I think that we have blinded ourselves," he said during the CNN debate. "Everybody wanted the German standard of living and maybe productivity wasn't keeping up." The expansion of Europe over the last 10 years has seen the Brussels-based political union embark on the biggest recruitment drive in its history. Since 2004, the Czech Republic, Cyprus, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Slovakia and Slovenia were all admitted into the EU, with Romania and Bulgaria joining in 2007. Read more: Pirelli CEO: Europe must change austerity policies . Since then, two of those countries, Latvia and Cyprus, have needed financial aid from the EU and International Monetary Fund, while Slovenia is restructuring its ailing banking system to avoid requesting a bailout. The World Economic Forum global competitiveness index shows that of the 27 nations in the European Union, 12 are more competitive in 2013 than 2012, while 12 are are less competitive with three unchanged. Read more: Auto industry revs up recovery on Spain . But the problems have not prevented more countries lining up to enter the club. Marco Simoni, political economist at the European Institute of the LSE, believes a "slow decay" of member state economies is the biggest risk to the EU and countries should not assume they are immune from financial collapse as soon as they sign up. "Europeanization has not gone far enough," Simoni told CNN. "It's not that you're safe once you're in, you still have to do your homework," he added. So who's up next? Next month, Croatia, one of the countries to emerge from the wreckage of Yugoslavia in the 1990s, will become the 28 member of the EU after completing the accession process. Read more: Croatia PM: We need Italy to recover . But with endemic corruption, and unemployment over 18% -- behind only Greece and Spain -- and stagnating economic growth, Croatia's entry has left the EU open to being criticized for not playing by its own rules. Natasha Srdoc, Co-Founder and Chairman of the Adriatic Institute for Public Policy, in April wrote an open letter to German Chancellor Angela Merkel strongly recommending that Germany block Croatia's entry into the EU on the grounds that the country's economy is not competitive enough due to high corruption and taxes. Srdoc believes as soon as Croatia, or any of the states in the Western Balkans seeking membership, enters the EU, young people will flock abroad in search of work. "The enlargement programme is flawed," Srdoc told CNN. "Croatia will be the next Greece unless rule of law, an independent judiciary and property rights are imposed... all these measures are needed if we are to have a competitive economy." Read more: Euro confidence map . Croatia is ranked 62nd in Transparency International's Corruption Perceptions Index for 2012, beating debt-stricken Italy and Greece as well as relative newcomers Romania and Bulgaria. Europe's victims of financial crisis . Since the outbreak of the crisis in 2010, countries such as Spain, Portugal, Greece and Ireland have dominated the headlines as nation-states were bailed out, governments rescued banks and unemployment hit record highs. Read more: Finnish PM: Eurozone nations must follow the rules . Now, after three years of slimming budgets and raising taxes, lawmakers and central bankers are in the midst of a policy rethink, pursuing pro-growth agendas to improve economic competitiveness rather than stern austerity measures. Some economists have suggested that heavily indebted countries such as Greece should quit the euro altogether. But during the debate Lufhansa boss Christoph Franz told CNN: "I don't believe that is a path we should even consider, because we are now all in this together. There is no choice." An exit from the 17-nation single currency would hand back key monetary policy powers -- such as setting interest rates and currency devaluation -- to respective national central banks. Deutsche Post DHL's Appel, who heads up the world's leading mail and logistics group, pointed to the Germany model as an example to all European countries on how to boost competitiveness. Since Germany's reunification, following the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1990, the country has gone on to become the region's economic powerhouse. Appel said time is the "silver bullet" to enhance a country's competitiveness. He told CNN: "It took 20 years to reform the East (Germany) and get it to a level which is almost equal to the West (Germany), it took a lot of money and it needed a vision that was possible." | Of 27 EU nations, 12 are more competitive in 2013 than 2012, while 12 are are less competitive with three unchanged .
Next month, Croatia, one to emerge from Yugoslavia in the 1990s, will become the 28 member of the EU . |
172,002 | 6aa066447ead5a1aa8bfd3b4d09a39f94f050ec5 | By . Steve Nolan . PUBLISHED: . 03:19 EST, 10 April 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 03:43 EST, 10 April 2013 . A judge has said he will take 30 days to decide whether the rights to Casey Anthony's life story can be sold by her trustee to pay off debt as part of her bankruptcy proceedings. Miss Anthony, who was acquitted almost two years ago of killing her daughter Caylee, filed for bankruptcy in January and appeared in court last month, claiming that she has debts of almost $800,000. Tampa-based bankruptcy trustee Stephen Meininger wants to sell off the rights to Miss Anthony's story claiming that it is her best bet for paying back the estimated $792,000 she owes. Delayed decision: A judge will take 30 days to decide whether Casey Anthony's bankruptcy trustee can sell her story to pay off some of her debts . Most of Miss Anthony's debts are owed to her defence lawyers, with the original bankruptcy petition claiming that she owns a little over $1,000 in assets. But Miss Anthony does not want to sell her story and her attorneys strongly disagree with Mr Meininger's proposed unprecedented legal move. Judge K. Rodney May will announce his decision whether to allow the worldwide exclusive rights to her life story to be auctioned off to the highest bidder in 30 days, but admits that he is 'sceptical' about the controversial proposal. One bidder, a Texan attorney named James Schober, has reportedly put in an offer of $10,000 dollars on the condition that Anthony's story never sees the light of day and that she makes no profit from it. Mr Meininger says that one other offer has been tabled so far for $12,000 from a New York man who intends to use the story for 'entertainment value'. Others are said to have expressed an interest. Offers: Miss Anthony's bankruptcy trustee claims that two bids have already been tabled for her story with others expressing an interest . Lifestyle: Since Anthony's release from the Orange County Jail in July of 2011, seen here, she says she's been living with friends and with the help of gifts from strangers . Miss Anthony's lawyers have described the proposal to sell off something that only exists in their client's memory as 'Orwellian'. According to NBCNews.com, their filing argues: 'By allowing property that can only be created by post-petition labor to be sold as part of the bankruptcy estate, a debtor would never be able to achieve a "fresh start". 'Perhaps more troubling, the Order sought by the Trustee would result in the judicial invasion and taking of thoughts and memories that have not been memorialized but are contained solely within the debtor’s mind.' Notorious: Anthony became nationally notorious after she was accused of murdering Caylee, whose body was found six months after she went missing in June 2008. The pair are pictured together here . Their case also argues that a ruling in favour of the sale could damage Miss Anthony's personal relationships as she would be unable to even discuss her memories with family members over email or any 'social media' under the terms of Mr Schober's offer. Her listed debts include $500,000 for attorney fees and costs for her criminal defense lawyer during the trial, Jose Baez; $145,660 for the Orange County Sheriff's office for a judgment covering investigative fees and costs related to the case; $68,540 for the Internal Revenue Service for back taxes, interest and penalties; and $61,505 for the Florida Department of Law Enforcement for court costs. Anthony became nationally notorious after she was accused of murdering Caylee, whose body was found six months after she went missing in June 2008. Suspicion fell on the girl's mother because she did not report her daughter missing for a month and was seen at the time partying. She was arrested and put on trial for Caylee's murder, but in July 2011 was acquitted of the killing. A new hearing will be heard in 30 days. Broke: Anthony testified that she has no money and is living off of donations at her bankruptcy hearing in March . Out of hiding: She appeared in public for the first time since she was cleared of murder charges in the death of her daughter Caylee at her initial bankruptcy hearing last month . | Casey Anthony filed for bankruptcy citing almost $800,000 in debt in January .
Her trustee Stephen Meininger wants to sell her life story to pay off that debt .
But Miss Anthony and her lawyers are opposed to his unusual proposal .
Her attorneys have described the unprecedented idea as 'Orwellian'
Judge K. Rodney May says that he is 'sceptical' about Mr Meininger's plan . |
83,491 | ecd3f13be2b7e4311cfb6cfe1abef14a7d5561b1 | By . Daily Mail Reporter . He might be a freshly minted 93 but the Duke of Edinburgh is showing no signs of slowing down after flying to Fallingbostel in Germany to meet soldiers from the Royal Regiment of Scotland. Once at St Barbara's Barracks, he presented servicemen from The Highlanders, 4th Battalion The Royal Regiment of Scotland, also known as 4 Scots with their Afghanistan campaign medals. Speaking on the parade ground, the Duke, who is the unit’s royal colonel, told more than 400 men and their officers gathered in front of him: . Atten-shun! The Duke of Edinburgh beams as he meets soldiers from the Royal Regiment of Scotland . All smiles: The Duke of Edinburgh beams as he meets well wishers after arriving in Fallingbostel . Royal remarks: The Duke of Edinburgh meets the families of soldiers serving in the Royal Regiment of Scotland . 'I am delighted to have been asked to present these campaign medals on this occasion, and I am only sorry that D Company is not here to receive theirs as well. 'Well, as you know, this is the conclusion of the battalion’s third deployment to Afghanistan, and I believe everyone involved can look back with satisfaction at a job very well done. 'I think we should never forget that it was at the cost of three killed and nine seriously wounded.' He went on to say that everyone also recognised the invaluable contribution made by wives, families and friends, and that he hoped they enjoyed their leave together. The medals presented by Philip recognised those who had served in Afghanistan for the first time. The focal point of today’s parade was the battalion colours, which were presented to the unit in Kinloss by Philip in 2011, immediately after their return from operations in Afghanistan. Inspecting the troops: Prince Philip, who is royal colonel of the Royal Regiment of Scotland, inspects the troops . Well done: The Duke of Edinburgh pins an Afghanistan campaign medal to one soldier's chest . Sadness: He also made a speech in which he reminded soldiers never to forget their three colleagues who died . Sadness: In addition to the three Highlanders killed, nine were wounded during fighting in Afghanistan . The recent tour for the main body of the battalion lasted eight-and-a-half months and there are more than 100 soldiers from D Company still in Afghanistan. During the visit, the Duke met some of the families of the servicemen and posed for a photograph with the battalion. He also had an informal lunch in the officers’ mess and also visited the sergeants’ mess. The Duke has been having a busy period of late, with his 93rd birthday coming hot on the heels of the State Opening of Parliament and the state visit to France. Prince Philip, who is descended from the royal line of Denmark and also holds the titles Earl of Merioneth and Baron Greenwich, who celebrated his birthday on Tuesday, has made a huge contribution to public life during his long years as prince-consort. Battle: The 4th Battalion, the Royal Regiment of Scotland have just returned to their German barracks . Military man: The Duke himself enjoyed a distinguished military career in the navy and fought in WWII . Spritely: Despite celebrating his 93rd birthday on Tuesday, the Duke of Edinburgh looked in fine fettle . Currently patron of more than 800 charities, the Duke works closely with organisations focused on scientific and technological research, child protection, sport and conservation, and has dedicated himself to boosting British industry. He also helped found the Duke of Edinburgh Award scheme, which encourages teenagers to participate in charity and community work, as well as getting them out into the countryside. A military man, the Duke had a long and distinguished career as a naval officer, including a stint as First Lieutenant (second-in-command) on the destroyer, Wallace, and took part in the Sicily landings in July 1943. Since giving up his naval career in 1951, the Duke has remained close to the military - including the Royal Regiment of Scotland whose campaign medals he presented today. Formal photo: The Duke had a photo with the men from the regiment before a lunch in the officer's mess . Quick march! Men of the 4th Battalion, The Royal Regiment of Scotland march past Prince Philip . Brave men: Soldiers from the Royal Regiment of Scotland stand to attention as the Duke arrives . | The Duke of Edinburgh met soldiers from the Royal Regiment of Scotland .
He is the unit's royal colonel and visited their barracks in Fallingbostel .
Prince Philip celebrated his 93rd birthday on Tuesday with a garden party . |
219,154 | a7a8aff4f0530b560c0725654d29c457e8f01212 | By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 10:07 EST, 24 December 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 10:09 EST, 24 December 2013 . A nurse accused of engaging in a sex act with another nurse while caring for a 99-year-old stroke victim has pleaded not guilty to charges of neglect and a lewd act by a caregiver. Alfredo Ruiz, 42, was held on $200,000 bail at a San Diego court on Monday but his co-accused Russel Torralba remains at large. Deputy District Attorney Paul Greenwood told the court that a video shows the in-home nurses engaging in a sex act near the bedridden woman they were caring for. Home footage: Two male nurses have been accused of engaging in a sex act while caring for an elderly stroke patient after this footage of the alleged incident emerged . The woman’s daughter suspected that her mother was not being cared for properly and complained to the defendants’ employer. After numerous complaints yielded no results, family members viewed video from security cameras that had been installed in the woman’s home years earlier. Mr Greenwood told the court that the video, filmed in March 2011, shows Ruiz and Torralba engaging in a sex act and Ruiz taking the woman’s hand and putting it on his groin area. Both men are charged with four . counts of elder neglect by a caregiver and . one count of lewd act by a caregiver on a dependent adult. In court: Alfredo Ruiz, 42, is alleged to be one of the nurses in the video footage and has been held on $200,000 bail . Fellow nurse Russel Torralba has also been charged with neglect by a caregiver and a lewd act by a caregiver but he remains at large . The woman is said to be unable to speak or . communicate with her hands after suffering a stroke and right-side . paralysis in 2005, but is fully aware of her surroundings. Mr Greenwood added that the defendants are also charged with providing inadequate care for six other residents at two board-and-care facilities in Mira Mesa in 2010. Both Ruiz and Torralba have lost their nursing licenses and face up to 11 years in prison if convicted. The case was adjourned until January. The case against the two men has been adjourned by a San Diego court until January . | Male nurses Alfredo Ruiz and Russel Torralba are accused of performing sexual acts beside a 99-year-old female patient's bed .
They are charged with neglect by a caregiver and .
one count of lewd act by a caregiver on a dependent adult .
Ruiz has been held on $200,000 bail but Torralba remains at large .
Both Ruiz and Torralba have lost their nursing licenses . |
284,437 | fc8556a08523ba1c689c479053f29f2f5e5cf6c8 | By . William Turvill . PUBLISHED: . 16:09 EST, 12 March 2014 . | . UPDATED: . 17:30 EST, 12 March 2014 . The restaurant manager and barman of an upmarket riverside restaurant stood before a judge today accused of killing a customer. The two men, along with the boyfriend of another colleague, allegedly restrained the man so forcefully that he stopped breathing and suffered a fatal heart attack. Gary Eastley, Jake Corney and Dawid Lamkowski deny the charge of manslaughter. A jury heard that Eastley and Lamkowski . held Marcin Pastuszczak down on the ground outside Boulters Restaurant and Bar in Maidenhead for more than half an hour, before . being joined by Corney. Gary Eastley (right), Jake Corney (right) and Dawid Lamkowski allegedly restrained a 34-year-old man so forcefully that he stopped breathing and suffered a fatal heart attack . When police arrived at the scene in Maidenhead, Berkshire, they turned the unresponsive 34-year-old over and noticed he was not breathing and his lips were blue. They called for an ambulance and tried in vain to revive him. The three defendants and barmaid Tasha Wicks - Corney’s girlfriend - were all arrested even though Mr Pastuszczak was not formally pronounced dead until the following morning. Police later charged the men with manslaughter on the grounds of using unreasonable force against their victim. Prosecutor John Price QC told the nine women and three men on the jury: ‘Prolonged restraint of a person, involving the application of pressure to their trunk or torso, may inhibit the in-and-out movements of the chest which are essential for proper respiration. ‘In other words, an individual may be prevented by such pressure from fully breathing in and out. ‘Mr Pastuszczak had been restrained with such force and for so long a time that ultimately he suffered a cardiac arrest, itself being brought on because during the time he was under the restraint he could not breathe properly.’ He told the jury at Guildford Crown Court: ‘They are charged with the offence of manslaughter because the use of the force by which the fatal restraint was applied by them, was unlawful.’ Mr Price said that following his arrest, bar manager Gary Eastley had told police the victim had grabbed him and had been trying to do the same to barmaid Tasha Wicks and get her telephone number. He said that fearing for his safety and that of colleagues and customers, he had restrained the man, before restaurant manager Lamkowski helped to take him outside. Meanwhile, Miss Wicks made the first of several emergency calls to Thames Valley Police. A jury heard that Eastley and Lamkowski held Marcin Pastuszczak down on the ground outside Boulters Restaurant and Bar (pictured) in Maidenhead for more than half an hour, before being joined by Corney . When police arrived at the scene in Maidenhead, Berkshire, they turned the unresponsive drinker over and noticed he was not breathing and his lips were blue . ‘He continued to struggle violently. He had so much strength. He was lashing out at us,’ Eastley said in a prepared statement to the police. ‘We were simply trying to restrain him, desperate for the police to arrive.’ However, jurors watched CCTV footage from cameras at the restaurant which showed that after the initial restraint inside the bar, Mr Pastuszczak was lying on the floor motionless and was even dragged from the room without appearing to offer any resistance. Accounts by other customers, David Chapman and Laura Tuffrey, on Mr Pastuszczak’s behaviour before and after the initial confrontation contrasted with Eastley’s statement, said the prosecution. Mr Price said earlier CCTV footage also cast doubt on Eastley’s account of the victim’s alleged aggression and behaviour towards him and Miss Wicks. He said: ‘It is submitted by the prosecution that by comparison with other available evidence as to what took place on the first floor, what was said can be demonstrated to be untrue. ‘Things did not happen as he described to the police.’ Once outside the bar the employees got Mr Pastuszczak onto the ground again. Corney then arrived, having heard of the situation in a phone call with his girlfriend. He joined in the restraint, allowing Eastley to return inside and make more calls to the police. The prosecution said it was during this time that Corney could be seen striking a number of blows at the victim. This photograph shows forensic officers on Boulters Lock at the time of Mr Pastuszczak's death . ‘The prosecution submit that Mr Corney had an agenda of his own. It was to punish him. This was not and could never have been lawful,’ said Mr Price. He accepted that by the fateful night of November 8, 2012, 34-year-old Polish-born Mr Pastuszczak had established a reputation as a heavy drinker and troublemaker, which had seen him barred from a number of pubs in the Berkshire town. He had even had a confrontation with Eastley at the bar five months before his death and it was this which the prosecution believes played a large part in what happened. He urged the jury to base their findings predominantly on what happened on the night in question and not previous events. To do otherwise would be, he said, using a footballing analogy, ‘to play the man rather than the ball’, which is what he said Eastley had done. ‘He responded not to the behaviour in front of him but to the reputation,’ he said. Eastley, 26, from Moor Lane, Maidenhead, Lamkowski, 29, from Snowdon Avenue, Maidstone, Kent, and Jake Corney, 23, of Filmer Road, Windsor, Berkshire, all deny the single charge. The trial, before Judge Christopher Critchlow is expected to last about two weeks. Sorry we are not currently accepting comments on this article. | Gary Eastley, Jake Corney and Dawid Lamkowski allegedly restrained Marcin Pastuszczak so forcefully he stopped breathing .
The jury heard Mr Pastuszczak was held on the ground for more than half an hour outside the restaurant in Maidenhead, Berkshire .
The three deny a charge of manslaughter at Guildford Crown Court . |
21,851 | 3e17b38ff0494cc487cdb2dd08e8dc10e9c2278a | (CNN) -- Musician Ike Turner died of a cocaine overdose, the San Diego County Medical Examiner's Office said Wednesday. Ike Turner, seen at last year's Grammys, died accidentally, the San Diego County medical examiner says. "The cause of death for Ike Turner is cocaine toxicity with other significant conditions," Supervising Medical Examiner Investigator Paul Parker told CNN. Contributing conditions included high blood pressure and emphysema, he said. "The manner of death is an accident," he added. Turner, who died December 12 at age 76, was perhaps best known for the blues, soul and funk music he and his then-wife Tina performed with the Ikettes during the 1960s and 1970s. Their hits included "Proud Mary" and "I Want to Take You Higher." E-mail to a friend . | Ike Turner died December 12 at age 76 .
Musician, wife Tina known for blues, soul, funk music .
He and Tina performed with Ikettes in 1960s, 1970s .
Their hits included "Proud Mary" and "I Want to Take You Higher" |
74,871 | d446ed14fd3398b12c97307f930f0001604d24a1 | By . Anthony Hay . Team Sky have unveiled the world's biggest cycling jersey ahead of Saturday's Tour de France start. The replica version of what the likes of Chris Froome and Geraint Thomas will be wearing this weekend is the size of two tennis courts. The unveiling of the 25m x 25m jersey took place in Millennium Square in Leeds city centre as this year's race will start in Yorkshire. Promotion: Team Sky reveal enormous cycling jersey in Yorkshire ahead of the Tour de France . Main man: Chris Froome will be going for Tour de France glory for the second year running . Froome and Thomas will not be joined by fellow Brit Sir Bradley Wiggins as the 34-year-old has been omitted from Team Sky's plans. Team Sky general manager Sir Dave Brailsford admitted that he found it difficult to leave Wiggins out but wanted to pick a team that can win the Tour de France. Froome and Thomas will instead be joined by riders from across the world - including Australian Richie Porte and Mikel Nieve of Spain. | Team Sky create jersey the size of two tennis courts in Leeds .
This year's Tour de France will start in Yorkshire this Saturday .
Sir Bradley Wiggins will not be representing Team Sky at this year's event . |
56,702 | a0a5bd309316358e1ad8c869461f1022701cbd0f | No matter what the ballots say, Friday will be historic for college sports. By noon, members of Northwestern University's football team will have cast the ballots that will decide whether they will form a workers union and start demanding more rights. It's a massive step toward changing the longstanding model of the NCAA, and the pressure has been mounting. There is some doubt that a majority will vote for it -- even though there initially seemed to be a lot of support on the team. How they vote won't be immediately known, since on Thursday the National Labor Relations Board granted Northwestern's request to review a regional NLRB director's decision that the players are employees of the university. It could be months before that review takes place and the votes won't be made public until that happens. Since the initial signatures were acquired and the petition was filed in January, the two main forces behind the union push -- National College Players Association President Ramogi Huma and former Northwestern quarterback Kain Colter -- went on a whirlwind tour meeting with lawmakers and lobbyists and speaking publicly about the push. They became especially vocal in February when Peter Sun Ohr, NLRB regional director in Chicago, ruled in their favor. Ohr agreed with their argument that the athletes are employees of the university who make money for their employer and are compensated with an education. The Chicago director agreed with them on almost every point they made at the hearing -- the most important being a recognition that athletes spend 40 to 50 hours a week focused on football -- well more than the maximum 20 that is allowed by the NCAA. But with that win came an influx of dissent from all directions. Former and current players, high-profile coaches, lawyers, lawmakers, college presidents, even some vocal NCAA reform advocates publicly said they didn't think a union was a good idea. Northwestern head coach Pat Fitzgerald, who initially tweeted in support of his former starting quarterback initiative, met with the current teammates and told them he didn't think a union was in their best interest. Two of the team's top leaders -- current quarterback Trevor Siemian and running back Venric Mark -- backed their coach and publicly said they would not be voting in favor of unionizing. "I just hope the NCAA does understand some things do need to change," Mark told reporters after a spring practice on April 19, "but we do not need a third party to come in between us and the coaches." A majority of the players who decide to cast a vote must vote in favor of the union for it to be successful. Meanwhile, today, the NCAA appears to be trying to answer some of the concerns of the reform advocates by proposing changes that would give the five power conferences -- Southeastern Conference, Atlantic Coast Conference, Big Ten, Big 12 and Pacific-12 -- more options in how they treat athletes. Among many proposed changes, the NCAA may consider allowing schools to increase scholarships to cover the cost of living, and not just the cost of tuition, for athletes. This all comes weeks after a class-action lawsuit filed by current players who want the NCAA compensation cap to be erased, and more than a month before trial is set to begin in the case of former UCLA basketball player Ed O'Bannon lawsuit's against the NCAA. O'Bannon is suing on behalf of current football and men's basketball players, and is seeking to get them a share of the millions that the NCAA makes off of their likenesses. | Northwestern University football players vote Friday on whether to unionize .
There is some doubt a majority will vote for it, though support was strong initially .
Many athletes, coaches, college presidents and others say a union is a bad idea .
Supporters say athletes, who generate huge money for schools, deserve protections . |
83,083 | eb94e39aad886e5b038cb19999aec6b89bc7482d | A mother-of-four has been charged with murdering her husband and stepdaughter following a domestic homicide incident at the family home in Arlington, Texas, on Wednesday. Veronica Dunnachie, 35, was arrested by police as she drove herself to a nearby mental hospital. She has been charged with capital murder. Police received a welfare call around 2 p.m. and responded to the home in the 2800 block of Edinburgh Street. Veronica Dunnachie, 35, has been charged with the murder of her husband and stepdaughter following a domestic homicide incident at the family home in Arlington, Texas, on Wednesday. When officers arrived at Veronica Dunnachie's Arlington home they found the dead bodies of husband Russell Dunnachie, above, and his daughter from a previous marriage inside the home . Police received a welfare call around 2 p.m. and responded to the family home in Arlington, Texas . When officers arrived they found the bodies of Russell Dunnachie and his daughter from a previous marriage inside the home. Three younger children were also in the house, but were not harmed. Veronica reportedly drove herself to Millwood Hospital, a nearby mental health and substance abuse treatment facility. She was taken into custody at that location without incident. The couple were ‘in the middle of a divorce’ reports NBC5. Veronica is being held in the Arlington City Jail. The police response resulted in nearby Bryant Elementary School being placed on lockdown for a period of time during Wednesday afternoon. Students were supposed to be released for the day at 3:20 p.m., but police worked with school officials to hold the students inside for about 30 additional minutes out of caution. Mother-of-four Veronica was 'in the middle of a divorce' from husband Russell . The police response resulted in nearby Bryant Elementary School to be placed on lockdown for a period of time, as it was near the home . Veronica reportedly drove herself to Millwood Hospital, a nearby mental health and substance abuse treatment facility. She was taken into custody at that location without incident . | Veronica Dunnachie, 35, has been charged with the murder of her husband, Russell, and stepdaughter following a domestic homicide incident .
Police were called to the family home in Arlington, Texas, on Wednesday afternoon and found the two dead bodies .
Veronica was arrested as she drove herself to a nearby mental hospital, she was arrested and is currently in the Arlington City Jail .
The mother-of-four was 'in the middle of a divorce' from her husband . |
108,109 | 1761c70d2e4be037533cb60aca288956c07f6b90 | (CNN) -- Sheltered from the Atlantic Ocean on a stunning bay in the western tip of metropolitan France, the city of Brest has at its heart one of the country's most animated harbors. With its proximity to the British Isles, this area of France is steeped in Celtic heritage. As such, accordions are eschewed for bagpipes and the locals display a preference for zesty ciders over fine wines. The region even has its own Celtic language, "Breton", which is still spoken by nearly 200,000 people. Brest was sadly all but destroyed in the "Battle of Brest" during World War II. It has since been completely rebuilt and is now a sophisticated city that hosts some of Europe's most theatrical sailing festivals. By far the most prominent of these is "Les Tonnerres de Brest" ("Brest Festival of the Sea.") Every four years, more than 2,000 traditional boats sail from countries as far flung as Madagascar and Mexico to take part in the event, which is attended by nearly 700,000 avid spectators. This year marks its 20th anniversary and, according to the festival organizers, it will be "the biggest and most spectacular event yet." From July 13, Brest will be transformed into five "villages," representing this year's five honorary countries: Mexico, Norway, Indonesia, Morocco and Russia -- all of whom are sending a minor flotilla of historical boats. From village to village, visitors will be able to learn about each country's maritime heritage and sample its music, food and handicraft. "There is no other festival quite like it if you like classic boats," said Adam Purser, who has sailed from England to Brest three times since 2000. "Everywhere you look there are tall ships and the atmosphere is fantastic. There is good food and music and you get to race your ships along a beautiful coastline. I wouldn't miss it for the world," he said. But it's not just an event for maritime history buffs, this year the festival is also welcoming modern boats. Racing enthusiasts will be able to see the finish of the New York to Brest multi-hull transatlantic "Krys Ocean Race", featuring some of the world's fastest trimarans. "The festival has something for everyone. It's really becoming a universal exhibition of all types of boats," said Chantal Guillerm, the festival's director of communications. "Les jeudis du Port" (Thursdays at the harbor) Those who can't make it to the summer's main maritime festival can still experience Brest's unique harbor each Thursday during the summer months when it is transformed into a vibrant arts space, packed with live street theater, concerts, comedy and markets. The music on offer is as eclectic as it is exciting, with a mixture of folk, rock, French chanson, world music, jazz, and classical acts taking the stage throughout the summer. Astropolis . In recent years France has produced some of the world's finest electronic bands and Brest has played an integral part in the scene's development. Every summer for nearly 20 years the city has hosted one of the most anticipated electronic music festivals in the country -- "Astropolis" -- a three-day musical feast that takes place in August each year. But there are also plenty of things to do and see outside the summer festival season -- especially if sailing, seafood and marine life are high on your agenda. Oceanopolis . For years Brest has been the European capital of oceanography. According to the University of Brest, more than 60% of France's maritime researchers and engineers have made the city their home, so it's perhaps no surprise that a giant marine pavilion has emerged there. The venue is much more than your average city aquarium; it is an ocean discovery park covering nearly 10,000 square meters, with 50 individual aquariums housing in excess of 1,000 animal species. Through three pavilions dedicated to polar, tropical and temperate marine ecosystems, "Oceanopolis" aims to immerse visitors in an underwater universe representing flora and fauna of oceans around the world. There is also a fourth pavilion that houses the temporary exhibitions on marine biodiversity. The current exhibit, titled "The Abyss," is dedicated to the weird and wonderful creatures that hide in the deepest part of our oceans. Castle Of Brest . Once owned by King Richard II of England, the impressive medieval fortress is the city's most important landmark that, by sheer fortune, was spared from destruction during the heavy bombing of World War II. The castle and its ramparts offer stunning views of the city and inside the fortress hides the city's branch of the "Naval Museum of Paris," which retraces 17 centuries of Brest's longstanding naval history. Tanguy Tower . Built on an enormous block of granite, the "Tanguy Tower" is a sightseer's favorite, with its medieval turret offering views of the long-winding Penfield river cutting right through the city. The tower is also home to the Brest Museum - where a series of huge dioramas take visitors on a picture journey through the city's origins and development, showcasing life in Brest before it was bombed. | Brest is one of France's most historically significant harbors .
The city is located in the region of Brittany and is steeped in Celtic heritage .
The beautiful coastline and huge harbor has made Brest a popular sailing destination .
Every four years the city hosts one of the biggest international maritime festivals in the world . |
41,341 | 74996e41c96c696df8040c1356035622a60ecb1b | By . Daniel Martin . Pupils should not worry about their exam results because no one will remember them in years to come, the head of a leading girls’ school has said. Judith Carlisle, headmistress of Oxford High School, said there was no point fretting over GCSEs because no one will ‘give a damn’ about results – and because they don’t reflect character. She is running a ‘Death of Little Miss Perfect’ initiative at the private school to combat perfectionism in her students. Headmistress Judith Carlisle is telling pupils not to worry about their GCSE results in a bid to wipe out 'perfection' ‘Perfectionism is only captured in a moment – it’s not achievable longer term,’ she said. ‘It undermines self-esteem and then performance. ‘In five years’ time, no one will give a damn which GCSE [grade] you got in French.’ Miss Carlisle said that students don’t always need to aim for 100 per cent, and if they do need an A grade to attend their university of choice, it’s not necessary to get the highest A possible. She said: ‘It matters, but sometimes it probably won’t matter. It’s very important to have an insurance offer [for a university that requires lower grades]. ‘It’s a good discipline to have your contingency plan in place. Don’t aim for Oxford if not getting in will destroy you – or if going will destroy you, but that’s another thing entirely. ‘It’s important [the girls are] not going for things that if they don’t get it, it will destroy them. Exams aren’t who they are – it’s what they did on that day.’ The headmistress, who runs Oxford High, a £13,000-a-year girls' school, . said no-one would 'give a damn' what pupils got in French GCSE later . down the line - and that exams were only 'what (pupils) did on that day' Miss Carlisle is trying to teach her students about the importance of failure, where ‘the real failing is failing to have a go’. She said: ‘There’s unhelpful perfectionism as opposed to high standards. It’s not that we’re aiming to undermine high standards – it will actually help you achieve higher standards. ‘It’s about the principles that every parent wants, that their children grow up as happy as they can be and as robust as we can get them to be, and that they learn more by failing and not getting it right. Unhappy people can’t learn anything anyway.’ Miss Carlisle said her school had brought in a series of methods to teach the girls about perfectionism, such as introducing online tests where it is impossible to get 100 per cent. Mobile phones have been banned from school trips to teach girls to ‘live in the moment’. And lessons on personal health and social education have been dedicated to the topic of perfectionism. ‘We’ve all adopted a shared language as well,’ Miss Carlisle said. ‘We’re stopping them from answering questions by saying “I expect this is wrong but…”. We all say we’re not doing that.’ Pupils are also receiving group cognitive behavioural coaching, where they learn psychological principles of changing the negative voice in their heads. | Judith Carlisle said 'no one will give a damn which GCSE you got in French'
Oxford High head said pupils should not strive for 'unhelpful perfectionism'
She also launched 'The Death of Little Miss Perfect' at the all girls' school .
She said: 'Exams aren't who they are - it's what they did on that day' |
48,103 | 87c78a160f43b80e20ac171ddc7361193f0b4bd2 | (CNN)The Internet was abuzz last week when the cast of the all-female "Ghostbusters" reboot was announced. The crop of funny ladies charged with eliminating the undead are some of the top female comedians working today. The chatter and support has a lot to do with the fans these women have garnered. It also comes from groups and individuals -- male and female -- who long to see more women headlining major Hollywood films. So, is "Ghostbusters" progress? Yes. Is it a panacea? No. Let's talk about why. Putting women front and center in film is the exception, not the rule. Using "Ghostbusters" as an example of how far females have come is like celebrating Kathryn Bigelow's best director Academy Award -- and forgetting that she's the only woman ever to take home that honor. You can applaud Katniss, Elsa, and Anna, too. But, they're following the legions of guys who have protected and ruled the planet, palaces and corporate empires near and far. It's fair and important to celebrate these high-profile moments of progress. Doing so, however, may dismiss the lack of diversity that persists onscreen and behind the camera in Hollywood movies. Our annual statistics on women's participation in the year's 100 top-grossing films reveal stagnation. In 2013, only 29% of 4,506 speaking characters evaluated were female. In another study, we examined popular films from 1990 to 1995. The percentage was 29%. For those of you who think the past was better, other research shows that women clocked in at 25% of characters in a sample of movies from the late 1940s. Interestingly, only 28% of movies in 2013 depicted a female lead or co-lead. Behind the camera it's even worse. Women rarely get to direct large budget features on the scale of "Ghostbusters" or "The Hunger Games." Across top-grossing films from 2002 to 2013, only 4.2% of all directors were female. In 2013 and 2014, there were only two female directors each year. Even more dismal figures concern black or African-American female directors. Only three black women were directors across 700 popular movies between 2007 and 2014. What drives the lack of diversity in films? Our studies with industry leaders (funded by the Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media and Sundance Institute/Women in Film Los Angeles) reveal that both in front of and behind the camera, perceptions about market forces and money are to blame for the lack of females. Male leads, stories and properties are seen as more profitable, while female stories and casts are seen as a risk. For female directors, the financing structure, subject matter, and even perceived confidence of filmmakers creates a barrier to career progress. Much like pesky poltergeists, these myths about profitability will have to be busted before change can occur. To do so, solutions need to be implemented that overcome implicit biases and circumvent stereotyping. Leveling the playing field when it comes to hiring is one step toward creating a more balanced behind-the-scenes environment. We have previously advocated for a modified version of the NFL's Rooney Rule: a league-wide commitment to interviewing diverse candidates for coaching positions. Applied to Hollywood, the rule would stipulate that women and candidates from underrepresented backgrounds be considered or even interviewed when hiring film directors. Another solution we're implementing at USC Annenberg is to look holistically at the entertainment industry from decision-making to the content we view. The USC Annenberg Comprehensive Analysis and Report on Diversity will "grade" companies based on the diversity within their ranks and the media they create. Media conglomerates can be held accountable for their decisions across film, television and digital productions. While not every story should or can be female-dominated or focus on underrepresented racial and/or ethnic groups, examining a slate of content will reveal where and when stories about diverse groups and individuals are valued and told. Right now, lifting the veil on diversity in Hollywood reveals white men standing behind the curtain. In this environment, casting four women to take care of a metropolitan ghost problem does feel rather extraordinary. Sealing up cracks in the development, casting and hiring pipeline for women and underrepresented groups, however, should result in an onscreen reality that is more representative of the world we live in. Then, the only unreal thing about "Ghostbusters" will be the ghouls and goblins, not the women busting them. | A "Ghostbusters" reboot has been announced with all-female leads .
But lack of diversity persists on screen and behind camera in Hollywood, authors say . |
58,367 | a58116c890276df29d2b1a5f6039a610348d3f24 | By . Chris Parsons . PUBLISHED: . 13:51 EST, 30 May 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 16:29 EST, 30 May 2012 . Eddie Shah, pictured in 2007, was arrested last September over the under-age sex allegations . Former newspaper proprietor Eddie Shah has been charged with several sex offences, including the rape of a teenage girl, police said today. The 68-year-old was charged alongside a man and woman, both 52, at Hammersmith Police Station today. The charges, said to have happened on various dates in the 1990s, relate to the same alleged victim, who was then aged between 12 and 15 years. Shah, also faces two counts of gross indecency on the child, said to have taken place in conjunction with the woman. A third man, 52 year old Anthony Pallant, of West Malling, Kent, has also been charged with raping the girl. Shah, whose real name is Selim Shah, from Chippenham, Wiltshire, was charged with seven counts of rape of a female under the age of 16, and two counts of gross indecency with a girl under 14, Scotland Yard said. The two counts of gross indecency on a girl under 14 are alleged to be in conjunction with the woman. This abuse is said to have taken place between 1993 and 1995. The woman is charged with indecent assault, four counts of gross indecency on the girl along with Pallant, two counts of gross indecency on the girl along with Shah and seven counts of aiding and abetting Shah to rape the girl. Pallant is charged with two counts of rape, four counts of gross indecency on the girl with the woman and one count of indecent assault. This is said to have taken place between 1991 and 1994. Former newspaper tycoon: Mr Shah pictured in 1986 with a copy of the Today newspaper . Mr Shah, pictured in 2006 with his wife Jennifer at their Wiltshire home, has been charged with seven counts of rape . The accused woman, from Kent, who police did not name, was charged with one count of indecent assault on a girl under 14 and was also charged jointly with Pallant of four counts of gross indecency with a girl under 16. She also faces two counts of gross indecency with a girl under 16 - charged jointly with Shah - and seven counts of aiding and abetting the rape of a female under the age of 16 by Shah. The charges are alleged to have occurred on various dates between 1991 and 1995, Scotland Yard said. Mr Shah, 68, along with the man and woman, both 52, will appear at Westminster Magistrates Court tomorrow . Shah, Pallant and the woman will appear at Westminster Magistrates' Court on June 7 at 9.30am. They have all been bailed. Shah was the founder of Today newspaper in 1986. He He now owns and runs golf courses, leisure centres and hotels. He is credited with taking on the print unions three years before the Wapping disputes. | Founder of now-defunct national newspaper Today charged .
Shah, 68, faces seven counts of rape and two counts of gross indecency on a girl under 14 .
Offences said to have happened between 1993 and 1995 . |
102,866 | 109396180c02d970c1b1582fd7a04f0f64412429 | An embarrassing mix up between 'Legally Brown' comedian Nazeem Hussain and the new host of The Project Waleed Aly left ABC 7.30 host Leigh Sales tempted to make some changes to her usual opening address on the show last night. Yesterday The Age incorrectly printed a photo of Hussain in their entertainment column with the caption: 'Waleed Aly joins The Project'. Sales responded to the mishap by tweeting on Thursday afternoon: 'It's so tempting to open 7.30 tonight with "Welcome to the program, I'm Waleed Aly".' The idea was met with great popularity as the tweet itself gained nearly 800 favourites and nearly 400 retweets as many pleaded Sales to go through with it. Scroll down for video . The Age incorrectly printed a photo of 'Legally Brown' comedy star Nazeem Hussain, who's of Sri Lankan decent, in its entertainment column with the caption: 'Waleed Aly joins The Project' Stand up comedian Nazeem Hussain (left) and reporter Waleed Aly (right) It was announced last week that Waleed Aly will be co-hosting The Project next year . ABC 7.30 host Leigh Sales was tempted to make some changes to her usual opening address on the show last night . The awkward blunder was spotted by the stand-up comedian, of Sri Lankan decent, who lightheartedly tweeted on Thursday morning: 'Well, we are kinda the same person...' It has since gained more than 750 retweets, sparking comments such as: 'Brown people all look alike', 'Un-freaking-believable' and 'demonstrates why tv needs more non-white face'. This follows last week's announcement that Aly secured a new role as the new co-host of Channel Ten's news program The Project. Although Sales teased her audience on social media, she never went through with opening address she tweeted. It also appears the so-called lookalikes, Aly and Hussain, were together last night as Aly's wife Susan Carlan tweeted a photo of the pair with the caption: 'Singularity.' Sales responded to the mishap by tweeting on Thursday afternoon: 'It's so tempting to open 7.30 tonight with "Welcome to the program, I'm Waleed Aly" Aly, born and raised in Melbourne to Egyptian parents, is a frequent commentator on Australian Muslim affairs and has often spoken on the topic several times on ABC political show, Q&A. He is also a regular contributor for The Age. When searching his name on the Melbourne-based newspaper's website, alongside his correct head-shot it states Aly 'writes fortnightly for The Age'. The lawyer, 36, is no stranger on The Project and will be joining existing co-hosts Carrie Bickmore and Peter Helliar on the panel next year. He will succeed Rove, who will leave the show after a pre-determined six month stint this month. The lawyer (left) is no stranger on the show and will be joining existing co-hosts Carrie Bickmore (middle) and Peter Helliar (right) on the panel next year . It appears the so-called lookalikes met last night as Aly's wife Susan Carlan tweeted a photo of the pair together . Aly will succeed Rove (left), who will leave the show after a pre-determined six month stint this month . Aly appeared once a week on the program as a guest this year, but speculation was rife that he would take over from Rove after the end of his ABC roles this month on shows including The Big Idea. It will also be an Australian first for TV as Aly becomes the first Muslim to co-host a major prime time television show. Ironically, his so-called lookalike - Nazeem Hussain - is the creator and star of Australian television show 'Legally Brown' which presents a comedic take on life as a Muslim in Australia. The 27-year-old is also a presenter on triple j radio. Aly will start his new role on The Project from January 26. | It was announced last week Waleed Aly will be co-hosting The Project next year .
The lawyer, of Egyptian decent, will succeed Rove and will join Carrie Bickmore and Peter Helliar on the panel .
But The Age mistook the 36-year-old for Aussie comedian Nazeem Hussain of Sri Lankan heritage .
Sales responded to the mishap by tweeting: 'It's so tempting to open 7.30 tonight with "Welcome to the program, I'm Waleed Aly"'
Hussain tweeted the error, saying: 'Well, we are kinda the same person...'
Aly becomes the first Muslim to co-host a major prime time television show . |
264,658 | e2cddb676dfbf87e8685bbbd22a9fe5f3eeebafb | Manchester United fans drooling at the prospect of Louis van Gaal bringing a clutch of Holland players with him to Old Trafford had their bubble burst on Sunday, as a number of reported targets went missing against Mexico. The only players linked with a move to United that emerged with any credit in Fortaleza were Dirk Kuyt, the former Liverpool attacker unusually employed at left wing-back by van Gaal, and centre-back Stefan de Vrij. VIDEO Scroll down to watch Manchester United target De Jong starring in AC Milan training . United-bound: Van Gaal surveys the action in Fortaleza as Holland left it late to beat Mexico . Targets: Martins Indi, De Jong and Janmaat have all been linked with moves to Old Trafford . Kuyt is renowned for his willingness to chase lost causes and put his body on the line for his team, and that was the case again as he played in a deep position on the left and made some crucial tackles in defensive areas for Holland. De Vrij, meanwhile, looked good moving out of defence with the ball but was shaky when dealing with Mexico's vibrant attacking pair of Oribe Peralta and Giovani dos Santos. Holland were dealt an early blow as Nigel de Jong was forced off through injury. The AC Milan player lasted just nine minutes before limping off to be replaced by another United target Bruno Martins Indi. De Jong has been crucial for Holland at the last two World Cups and his presence was missed in central areas, with Daley Blind moving into midfield to take his place. In fact, Mexico took the lead with a swerving shot from exactly the kind of area that De Jong usually patrols. Giovani dos Santos pushed the ball away from Blind 25 yards from goal and then smacked a shot into the bottom right corner with his left foot. Game over: De Jong was forced off by injury after just nine minutes of the game at Estadio Castelao . Dogged defending: Kuyt performed well despite being played out of position at left wing-back . United’s search for centre-backs to replace Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic has been well documented. Two of Holland’s back-three against Mexico, Martins Indi and De Vrij, have been outlined as van Gaal targets, but neither impressed defensively against Miguel Herrera’s side. United are said to be hijacking Lazio’s move for De Vrij, while Martins Indi is reported to have an offer on the table from Porto. Martins Indi was strong in the air but he struggled with the pace and directness of Dos Santos and Peralta. Header: Martins Indi was strong in the air but not a lot else for an under-par Holland side . Pass-master: De Vrij's distribution was good but he looked less comfortable against Mexico's pace in attack . De Vrij was comfortable bringing the ball out of defence. On a number of occasions he nicked the ball from Mexico’s attackers, strolled forward and then played incisive passes towards Arjen Robben and Robin van Persie. One of Holland’s best chances in the game from a similar passage of play. Midway through the first half De Vrij waltzed over the halfway line and pinged a forward pass to van Persie. The Manchester United attacker controlled the ball brilliantly but his shot on the turn let him down, the ball flashing wide of Guillermo Ochoa’s goal. VIDEO Dutch party rumbles on . Van the man: The Manchester United forward wasted a couple of chances and was replaced by Huntelaar . Another United target, Daryl Janmaat, played no part against Mexico. Van Gaal is reportedly keen on taking the right-back to Old Trafford with him, but the Dutch boss did not trust him to start in their last-16 clash, instead picking Augsburg defender Paul Verhaegh. Van Gaal's team relied on some late magic from old-timers Wesley Sneijder and Arjen Robben to spare their blushes, the former lashing home from a corner and the latter winning the penalty that Huntelaar slotted into the corner to put Holland through. Water break: Both teams were allowed a break to take on fluids in the first and second halves . | Van Gaal is taking over at Old Trafford after Holland's World Cup campaign in Brazil .
United have been linked with moves for Bruno Martins Indi, Nigel de Jong, Stefan de Vrij, Daryl Janmaat and Dirk Kuyt .
Despite looking impressive in the group stages Holland were poor against Mexico and only a late penalty from Klaas-Jan Huntelaar made it 2-1 . |
168,871 | 6679506930e992075371d2405017958ea3a35fad | Men could soon be able to buy an anti-impotence drug over the counter. Pharmaceutical companies Sanofi and Eli Lilly and Co say they plan to ask health regulators for permission to sell Cialis, the world's top-selling anti-impotence drug, without a prescription. The drug, which is also used to treat enlarged prostate glands, is currently only available by prescription. The anti-impotence drug Cialis could become available over the counter in the U.S. and Europe . Under the terms of the agreement, Sanofi is buying the exclusive rights to apply for approval of Cialis tablets over the counter in the U.S., Europe, Canada and Australia. It is not yet clear whether this could include the UK and when the drug could become available if approved. It also remains to be seen whether regulators will allow Cialis to be sold without a prescription, in view of possible side effects. Like rival anti-impotence drugs, such as Pfizer Inc's Viagra, Cialis can cause a dangerous fall in blood pressure if taken with nitrates, a class of heart drugs that include nitroglycerin. It is also inappropriate for use by people with severe heart disease. Viagra is not currently available over the counter but can be bought from some specialist pharmacies without a prescription. It's not clear when the drug could become available and if health regulators will allow it to be sold without a prescription as it is dangerous for people with heart disease and those on some medications (file picture) However, before it can be purchased, patients have to be asked a series of health questions by the pharmacist to ensure it is appropriate for them to take. Professor Raj Pesad, a urologist in Bristol, told MailOnline: 'If it happens, there needs to be a measure of safety but I think is entirely feasible for pharmacists to advise because Cialsis is a very safe drug. ‘It's the sort of thing that doesn't necessarily need to be restricted to doctors’ prescribing - but it needs to be given with care to people with heart disease or those taking some heart drugs. ‘The local pharmacist will know what medications people are on from their local GPs so it is a safe system. ‘However, it can have side effects and could make things like heartburn and acid reflux worse.’ | Drugs companies will ask for permission to sell Cialis without a prescription .
Will ask for permission to sell it in the U.S., Europe, Canada and Australia .
It remains to be seen if regulators will allow it to be sold in this way .
Drug is not safe to be taken by people with heart disease or those taking some heart medications, but is otherwise considered a low-risk drug . |
163,363 | 5f3abfedbe763434dc705c1adb6d7233a620edb2 | By . Jonathan O'Callaghan for MailOnline . The world has been abuzz with news of Rosetta’s arrival at its comet target recently, with the mission making headlines across the globe. But next year on 14 July 2015 an even more remarkable mission will reach its climax - Nasa’s New Horizons probe will flyby Pluto in the culmination of a nine-year journey, returning the first ever close-up images of the dwarf planet. And Nasa has announced that the spacecraft has now crossed the orbit of Neptune, the last planetary crossing on its way to Pluto, in record time. The New Horizons probe (artist's illustration shown) has passed the orbit of Neptune on its way to Pluto. Officials at Nasa in Washington DC heralded the milestone as a key moment for the mission. This was the largest major planetary crossing before the spacecraft arrives at Pluto on 14 July 2015 . The piano-sized spacecraft, which launched in January 2006, reached Neptune’s orbit in just eight years and eight months. 8 June 2001 . New Horizons is selected as a mission by Nasa . 19 January 2006 . The spacecraft successfully launches at a speed of 36,373 mph (58,536 km/h) - the fastest spacecraft ever to leave Earth orbit, 100 times faster than a jetliner. 7 April 2006 . The spacecraft passes the orbit of Mars . 28 February 2007 . New Horizons flies by Jupiter at a distance of 1.43 million miles (2.31 million km). 8 June 2008 . The probe passes Saturn’s orbit. 25 February 2010 . New Horizons reaches the halfway point in its more than 3 billion-mile (4.8 billion km) journey to Pluto. 18 March 2011 . The spacecraft passes the orbit of Uranus. 25 August 2014 . Yesterday’s milestone saw the spacecraft pass the orbit of Neptune. 14 July 2015 . New Horizons’ flyby of Pluto begins. Extensive images and readings will be taken before and after, including mapping of the surface of Pluto and its moon Charon to a resolution of 25 miles (40 km). 2016-2020 . New Horizons will flyby one or several Kuiper Belt Objects (KBOs), if any suitable candidates can be found. 2026 . The mission formally ends. 2038 . If still operational, the probe will explore the outer reaches of the sun’s influence on the solar system - the heliosphere. That beats the previous time to travel this distance of nearly 2.75 billion miles (4.4 billion km) taken by Voyager 2 by nearly four years. And in a rather fitting tribute to its predecessor, the milestone comes on the 25th anniversary of Voyager 2’s encounter with Neptune on 25 August 1989. ‘It's a cosmic coincidence that connects one of Nasa’s iconic past outer solar system explorers, with our next outer solar system explorer,’ said Dr Jim Green, director of Nasa’s Planetary Science Division at Nasa Headquarters in Washington. ‘Exactly 25 years ago at Neptune, Voyager 2 delivered our “first” look at an unexplored planet. ‘Now it will be New Horizons' turn to reveal the unexplored Pluto and its moons in stunning detail next summer on its way into the vast outer reaches of the solar system.’ While New Horizons is crossing the orbital path of Neptune, the mission was not designed to encounter the planet - instead, Pluto is the primary target of the mission. In fact, Neptune is actually 2.48 billion miles (4 billion km) from New Horizons at this moment, and with the spacecraft heading out of the solar system it will never encounter the gas giant. Nonetheless the milestone is important - it marks a key stage of the mission and the last ‘hurdle’, with all the major planets now crossed ahead of the rendezvous with Pluto next year. New Horizons' journey is so long that when it first launched on 19 January 2006 Pluto was still classified as the ninth planet of the solar system. It was controversially reclassified as a dwarf planet in August 2006 when another body, Eris, was found to be larger. This led to the International Astronomical Union (IAU) redefining what it means to be a planet, and in the third category Pluto fell short - namely, it had not cleared the neighbourhood around its orbit. But whatever its designation, the mission is of huge importance. Barring a few blurry images from Hubble and other long-distance images, no human has ever truly seen what Pluto looks like. Although Neptune (pictured by Voyager 2 in 1989) was nowhere near at the time, the crossing of its orbit is still an important moment in the New Horizons mission. It also came on the 25th anniversary of Voyager 2's first look at the gas giant back in 1989 . This diagram shows New Horizons' position now. For reference, 1 AU (astronomical unit) is defined as the distance from Earth to the sun. The diagram also shows how it takes more than eight house to communicate with the spacecraft as it is so far away . Just like Voyager 2’s visit to Uranus and Neptune, which returned the first ever images of those worlds, New Horizons’ discoveries promise to be just as groundbreaking. Pluto is an extremely distant world, orbiting the sun more than 29 times farther than Earth. It is about two thirds the size of our moon. With a surface temperature estimated to be -229°C (-380°F), the environment at Pluto is far too cold to allow liquid water on its surface. Pluto's moons are also in the same frigid environment. The moon Charon is almost half the size of Pluto. The moon is so big that Pluto and Charon are sometimes referred to as a double dwarf planet system. The distance between them is 12,200 miles (19,640 km). Charon's orbit around Pluto takes 6.4 Earth days. Charon neither rises nor sets, but hovers over the same spot on Pluto's surface. The same side of Charon always faces Pluto - this is called tidal locking. Compared with most of the planets and moons, the Pluto-Charon system is tipped on its side. What Pluto looks like is still unknown, with some estimating it might have a vast icy surface, possibly even with a cloudy atmosphere, while others say it will be more barren like Neptune’s moon Triton. ‘Nasa’s Voyager 1 and 2 explored the entire middle zone of the solar system where the giant planets orbit,’ said Dr Alan Stern, New Horizons principal investigator at the Southwest Research Institute in Boulder, Colorado. ‘Now we stand on Voyager's broad shoulders to explore the even more distant and mysterious Pluto system.’ Like Voyager 1 and 2 before it, New Horizons is also on a path towards the Kuiper Belt after it has flown by Pluto. The Kuiper Belt is a disc-shaped region of icy objects past the orbit of Neptune, but it still remains somewhat of a mystery. In fact Nasa had been concerned that rogue Kuiper Belt objects could pose a threat to New Horizons if it encountered one on the way. In addition, while Pluto is the main goal, officials had been hoping to find a suitable target in the Kuiper Belt the spacecraft could visit. However, none has yet been find - and it will be a race against time to find one before the spacecraft leaves the vicinity of Pluto next year. This image taken by the Hubble Space Telescope in 2012 shows Pluto and its five moons. Styx, also known as P5, is the most recently discovered. The main targets for the New Horizons mission will be Pluto and its largest moon Charon, with the spacecraft planning to map the surface of the to a resolution of 25 miles (40 km) New Horizons captured this view of the giant planet Neptune and its large moon Triton on 10 July 2014 from a distance of about 2.45 billion miles (3.96 billion kilometers) - more than 26 times the distance between Earth and the sun. It's thought Triton may bear some similarities to Pluto . | The New Horizons probe has passed the orbit of Neptune on its way to Pluto .
Officials at Nasa in Washington DC heralded the milestone as a key moment .
This was the largest major planetary crossing before the spacecraft arrives at Pluto on 14 July 2015 - although Neptune was nowhere near at the time .
In a flyby lasting several weeks New Horizons will return the first ever images of the dwarf planet Pluto from up close next year .
The crossing of Neptune's orbit also came on the 25th anniversary of Voyager 2's first look at the gas giant back in 1989 . |
135,396 | 3b2632e2fa2e8f764177a4537caf78f7ad39ef4a | By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 13:46 EST, 6 August 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 14:49 EST, 6 August 2012 . They're America's newest teen celebrities since becoming golden girls at the London Olympics, and even Princess Kate wanted to wish them well. The Duchess of Cambridge chatted with four of the five members of the U.S. women’s gymnastics squad for a few moments yesterday after the vault competition. Aly Raisman, Jordyn Wieber, Kyla Ross and Gabby Douglas were in awe as the princess approached them at the O2 Arena. Royal visit: Members of the U.S. women's gymnastics team were stunned as Kate Middleton paid them a visit on Sunday . The gymnasts took to Twitter to express their excitement at meeting the British royal and style icon. Raisman, the team captain, tweeted: 'Just met princess Kate with @jordyn_wieber @kyla_ross96 & @gabrielledoug she is beautiful & so nice! I told her I loved her style lol :)'. A minute later, Wieber added: 'Can’t believe I just met Princess Kate Middleton! She was in the crowd at the competition and she stood up to talk to us! #honored'. The member of the Fab Five missing out on the meet and greet with the duchess was McKayla Maroney, who had been competing in the vault competition. Though she was the favourite in the event, Maroney suffered a fall during her routine, which cost her the gold medal. But Team GB has had much success when the Duchess of Cambridge is in the audience. Excitement, in 140 characters: Team captain Aly Raisman went on Twitter to share the news about meeting with the Duchess of Cambridge . Stunned: Jordyn Wieber also took to Twitter to let her followers know about the meeting . Princess Kate, an ambassador for Team GB, has kept a busy Olympic schedule and has proven to be a lucky charm for British athletes. She joined Princes William and Harry and other senior members of the Royal family as they watched Zara Phillips take home silver during the equestrian eventing. On Thursday, she and William couldn't . contain their delight and showed a rare public display of affection as . they hugged when the men's sprinting team, led by cyclist Sir Chris Hoy, . won gold in record-breaking time. Kate was also at Wimbledon earlier in . the day and watched Andy Murray reach the semi-finals. He later went on . to defeat Switzerland's Roger Federer to claim gold. Golden charm: Princess Kate, an ambassador for Team GB pictured here in a team jacket, has kept a busy Olympic schedule and has proven to be a lucky charm for British athletes . Later, she watched golden girl Jessica Ennis during the first day of her heptathlon challenge at the athletics on Friday. She and Prince William also cheered on swimmer Rebecca Adlington as she claimed a second bronze on Friday night. On Saturday, she and William watched as Ennis, Greg Rutherford and Mo Farah all took the gold during an outstanding evening at the Olympic stadium. | Members of U.S. women's gymnastics team stunned as they are visited by Kate Middleton at the O2 Arena on Sunday .
Athletes took to Twitter to voice their excitement at meeting the Duchess of Cambridge .
Kate has kept a busy Olympic schedule, and has proven to be a good luck charm for British athletes. |
7,121 | 142c03a777552cf8cd1a5562d2c8098c66c6cedf | Former US Open champion Juan Martin del Potro admitted he had to think of his long-term future after pulling out of the Australian Open with a recurrence of a wrist injury. Del Potro returned from 10 months out of the game at the Sydney International earlier this week, but since bowing out in the quarter-finals to Mikhail Kukushkin has felt pain in his wrist. And the 26-year-old Argentinian, who won his sole grand slam title to date at Flushing Meadows in 2009, said he did not feel ready to play five-set matches in the first grand slam of the year in Melbourne. Juan Martin del Potro practiced in Melbourne ahead of the tournament but felt pain in his wrist . 'It's been hurting the last couple of days and weeks,' he said. 'Nothing new, nothing dangerous. But I think my wrist is not ready for play in this important tournament. 'I have to be smart. I'm looking forward to my future and my career. I'm still positive. I want to play tennis but I don't want to put my body and wrist at risk. 'I think it was a tough decision, but it could be a smart decision if I want to stay healthy and play for the whole year. I have to be smart and see more than my present now. I have to do what the doctor says. Del Potro announces his retirement from the Australian Open at a press conference . 'I really enjoyed playing tennis again in Sydney, winning a couple of matches. I didn't expect that for sure. But that's given me a little bit of motivation for getting through this pain again.' Del Potro said he would consult with his doctor before deciding when he might be able to compete again, adding: 'I want to stay calm a few days, then see the doctor, see what's going on with my plan.' | Juan Martin del Potro has suffered a recurrence of his wrist injury .
Argentinian had missed the last 10 months due to injury .
Del Potro says he has taken to decision to withdraw so not to put his body at risk from a more serious injury . |
98,335 | 0a9f5975df8b838fc69d9e985371153a453e66a8 | (CNN) -- Bras can do miraculous things these days (thank you underwire). But can they detect cancer? That's the claim for First Warning Systems new bra, equipped with a series of sensors embedded in the cups that pick up temperature changes in breast tissue and, says the Reno, Nev.-based company, provide a thermal fingerprint that can alert doctors to the presence of malignant cells. According to the company's website, the data generated by the sports bra can predict the presence of breast cancer with 90% specificity and sensitivity. Women wear it for 12 hours to accumulate a stable enough reading of temperature, and the measurements are fed into the company's algorithm that then spits out a result: normal, benign, suspected for breast tissue abnormalities, or probable for breast tissue abnormalities. Sounds like a good idea, right? Except that the concept of using temperature to detect disease may not be ready for prime time just yet. "Hypothetically, it's conceivable that malignant processes would have a temperature gradient compared to non-malignant tissues," says Dr. Therese Bevers, medical director of the cancer prevention center at the Univ. of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. "But that gradient may not be very large." (MORE: A Fashionable Fit—high-tech athletic gear) The idea of using thermograms to ferret out abnormally growing cells is already being used with an imaging device that takes a temperature reading of breast tissue. Tumors need nutrients to grow, and they start to siphon these off from their own blood supply, which they start to build as they amass more and more abnormally growing cells. All of this metabolic work generates heat, and it's this temperature change that thermograms — and the First Warning bra's sensors — are designed to pick up. But when these profiles, which show "hot" and "cold" spots that are supposed to correlate to cancerous and non-malignant tissue, respectively, are compared to mammogram, MRI and ultrasound tests, their findings don't always match up. "We see some thermograms come back as abnormal, and we do all kinds of imaging with mammogram, ultrasound and MRI and we follow the women and nothing develops," says Bevers. "And we have women with breast cancers that are not seen on the thermograms. It's not perfect, and needs to undergo much more rigorous testing to understand what role temperature readings can play in cancer screening." Even if the readings provide a positive result, and if, as the company says, the tumors are at their earliest stages and barely detectable as a mass, it's not clear what doctors can do for women at that point. Surgery isn't an option until tumors reach a certain size that can be identified and removed, and radiation and chemotherapy are too toxic to start before cancers reach a certain threshold to justify the side effects. What do doctors do with a positive test? For now, they would likely have women come in for more frequent mammograms, MRI or ultrasound testing, to evaluate whether their abnormally growing cells morph into tumors or not. If that's the case, most women will probably have had their tumors detected by one of these methods anyway, even if they hadn't used the bra. Already, the latest data raise questions about the efficacy of mammograms in women in their 40s; the United States Preventive Services Task Force recently recommended that women wait until they are 50 to start yearly screenings, because studies showed that the costs of screening women in their 40s, including additional testing and complications caused by these supplemental procedures, did not save more lives. So while the idea of wearing a sports bra for 12 hours to detect breast cancer certainly sounds appealing, the bra may be a bit ahead of itself. It's not clear yet whether predicting, and ideally treating breast cancer with the bra can reduce deaths from the disease, or help women avoid more advanced and aggressive cancers. "We really need to have more solid data before we start adding on tests, especially when we have tests [like the mammogram, MRI and ultrasound]," says Bevers. Those tests aren't perfect either, but they do have a track record of helping to save lives. Related Topics: Fashion & Beauty . © 2012 TIME, Inc. TIME is a registered trademark of Time Inc. Used with permission. | New bra has sensors that pick up temperature changes in breast tissue .
Its maker, First Warning Systems, says it can alert doctors to cancer cells .
Doctors say the system isn't ready to be fully trusted yet . |
72,786 | ce62608e51c88f29e5692afb447b13ab0a18cc23 | By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 08:37 EST, 17 May 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 10:42 EST, 17 May 2012 . Police have arrested a man and a woman over an attack on a 94-year-old who was severely beaten in her own home. Great-grandmother Emma Winnall was found unconscious and covered in blood when carers came to check on her on Tuesday morning last week. West Midlands Police today said a woman, 56, and a man, 28, were arrested at their home in the Hall Green area of Birmingham just before 6.30am on suspicion of assault. They have been taken to a police station in the West Midlands. The arrests came after a £5,000 reward was offered today for information leading to a conviction in the case of the brutally beaten pensioner. Scroll down for video . Battered: Emma Winnall was assaulted as she slept at her home in Moseley, Birmingham, some time between 9pm on April 30 and 9am the next morning. She had a fractured skull, a broken arm and wrist and a partially severed finger. The beating was so severe that the frail widow's palms were bruised from her attempts to protect herself, while blood had splattered on to the walls behind her bed. Mrs Winnall's son John, 65, said today he was 'relieved' at the arrests. He said: 'I don't know much about it yet. I spoke to my sister this morning but she didn't know much either. 'I'm relieved there's been an arrest, it's good that they seem to be making progress.I was going to see my mother up the hospital this afternoon but I've got problems with my car. 'She's stable yes, a lot better than she was. It'd be great if they have caught who did this and got them off the streets, we will have to wait and see.' Crimestoppers offered the cash reward in a move backed by West Midlands Police. Detective Chief Inspector Sarb Johal said: 'I would like to thank Crimestoppers for offering this reward and say again that local people hold the key to finding who is responsible for this terrible attack. 'No-one capable of carrying out such a despicable attack deserves protecting. 'I’m asking people to look into their consciences and if they have any suspicions about who may be responsible to contact police.' A shocking picture released by her family in the days after the attack showed the full extent of the appalling injuries Mrs Winnall suffered to her face. As her family appealed for help in finding her attacker yesterday, they revealed that Mrs Winnall, who is still ‘very poorly’ in hospital, has started to describe the awful moment she was assaulted. Her daughter said she had spoken of screaming for help in vain, while the palms of her hands are bruised from her attempts to protect herself. The beating was so severe blood had splattered on to the walls behind her bed. The family have as yet refused to allow her to look in a mirror, because she was always so proud of having healthy skin and would be horrified to see her scars. Mrs Blencoe and her brother John Winnall make their public appeal for information . Detective Chief Inspector Sarb Johal (left) described the level of violence as 'shocking' Mrs Winnall’s daughter Joyce Blencoe, 56, spoke last week from West Midlands Police headquarters with her brother John. She said: ‘To see your mum viciously beaten and covered in blood has been the most horrific nightmare. It’s broken my heart to hear my frail and defenceless mum manage to say she was screaming for help and no one came.’ Joyce Blencoe has made an emotional appeal to help track down the thug who brutally attacked her mother . Mrs Winnall, who lives in Moseley, Birmingham, worked at the city’s small arms factory during the Second World War. She relies on a wheelchair to get around, and has lived alone since her husband Frank died in 2006, aged 91. She has five children, seven grandchildren and four great-grandchildren, some of whom have been by her side in hospital since the assault. Her son Peter Winnall, 65, described on Sunday how his mother had woken up in hospital after being sedated for a couple of days and asked desperately whether someone was trying to murder her. He said: ‘I spoke to Mum and she seems to be doing OK, although her speech is slurred, which is worrying. ‘The first thing she asked when she woke up was, “Was someone trying to murder me?” ‘She also asked medics if she had any scars because she has always been proud of her beautiful skin. We have not yet had the heart to give her a mirror so she can see the extent of her injuries. It’s absolutely devastating.’ He added: ‘These thugs need to be caught as soon as possible. They have no right to be walking the streets and should be jailed and the key thrown away. You couldn’t print the words I’d use to describe the maniacs who did this. ‘The problem is these monsters have no deterrent these days and they know about all the soft sentences handed out even for attacking a defenceless old woman in her bed. Not only was she virtually deaf and blind, she also had a pacemaker fitted and had undergone two hip replacements.’ Last Sunday, police officers spoke to Mrs Winnall in hospital, where she is recovering after emergency surgery. She has been sedated for much of the time since the attack and had to have metal plates inserted into her arm. Mrs Winnall described her ‘traumatic’ ordeal to officers and said she was completely at a loss as to why she would have been targeted. Detective Chief Inspector Sab Johal said: ‘She can recall the incident and explained just how frightened she was during this senseless attack. Mrs Winnall's flat in Moseley, Birmingham, where she was brutally attacked as she slept . ‘Like the rest of us, Emma is also really struggling to understand why someone would do this to her. She is not a rich woman and has lived in the area a long time. From what we can tell, she was also well liked by neighbours. ‘She was totally shocked. She can’t think of any reasons why somebody would attack her. She’s lived in the community for a long time and she’s still quite traumatised about that. We need to know who did this to her.’ Police said there were no signs of a break-in and that whoever attacked her took nothing from her home. The attacker is still on the loose and police are yet to establish any motive. Authorities are re-examining CCTV footage from the area, while slowly eliminating names put forward by members of the public. DCI Johal added: ‘It is a unique offence, it’s very rare, but the injuries suffered by Emma were quite horrific. The injuries she sustained would have been challenging for people half her age. ‘We’ve had a number of names put through to the investigation team but the appeal still goes out to the local community.’ VIDEO: Emotional. Emma Winnall issues an appeal to find the thugs who beat her mother . | Great-grandmother Emma Winnall found unconscious and covered in blood . |
223,928 | adf129953e865982dc8de7b93c5be55e25a5e8e6 | By . Bianca London . The Duchess of Cambridge better watch out, there's another Royal keen to steal her style crown. But while Kate prefers thrifty high street style, Princess Beatrice has been channeling a high fashion look of late. Last night, the 25-year-old made sure all eyes were on her as she was seen leaving trendy new Marylebone eatery, the Chiltern Firehouse. High fashion: Princess Beatrice, 25, was seen leaving the trendy Chiltern Firehouse last night in a stylish ensemble complete with £2,000 arm candy . Princess Bea looked effortlessly chic - a look she has carefully mastered - in a £40 ASOS boucle jacket with leather shoulders, black mini skirt and her favourite Kurt Geiger studded pumps. She complemented her outfit with a black Celine handbag. The arm candy, which costs around £2,000, is loved by the likes of Kim Kardashian, Coleen Rooney and Rosie Huntington-Whiteley and has fast become the most coveted tote amongst the fash pack. Beatrice had been enjoying an evening at the Chiltern Firehouse - a new-found favourite haunt of the A-list set. Earlier this week, Kate Moss and Lily Allen were seen dining at the restaurant, which is headed up by top chef Nuno Mendes, while Kate took Cara Delevingne there last week. Ever stylish: Princess Bea wore a £40 boucle jacket from ASOS with leather shoulders, black mini skirt and her favourite Kurt Geiger studded pumps plus a coveted Celine tote . Good taste: Bea dined at the Chiltern Firehouse - frequented earlier this week by Kate Moss . The restaurant is within the hotel of the same name by American hotelier André Balazs. The menu is fairly low-key, offering American dishes such as crab doughnuts, fried chicken with bacon infused aioli, as well as maple-glazed salmon and chargrilled Iberico pork. Last week, Princess Beatrice stole the show at the launch of a new fashion blog in London store Fortnum & Mason with a very classy monochromatic ensemble. She wore a tailored black . blouse which cinched at her waist and paired it with a geometrically . patterned black and white mini skirt as she posed with friend Poppy Delevingne. Fashion's new darling? Princess Beatrice look stylish in monochrome at the launch of Mrs Alice in Her Palace at Fortnum and Mason last week . | Beatrice, 25, wore boucle jacket, favourite pumps and Celine tote .
Dined at trendy Marylebone restaurant, loved by Kate Moss .
Fast becoming a face on the fashion circuit . |
42,110 | 76d4e570a8805aa3bfcd6e21f6a53137cc221d56 | The body of London McCabe, aged six, was found on Monday after his mother allegedly threw him from an Oregon bridge . A mommy-blogger who threw her six-year-old autistic son from a bridge told officers on the scene that voices in her head made her do it, police said today. Jillian McCabe, 34, has been charged with aggravated murder and first-degree manslaughter after allegedly throwing London McCabe from the Yaquina Bay Bridge in Newport, Oregon on Monday night. In a probable cause affidavit, which was issued on Tuesday prior to her arraignment, she called 911 after throwing her son 100 feet from the bridge. She reportedly told dispatchers shortly after 6pm that her son was 'in the water and gone'. She then described what her son was wearing along with his date of birth and details of his physical appearance. Mrs McCabe, whose husband Matt is battling multiple sclerosis, claimed voices in her head told her to throw her son, Newport Police Chief Mark Miranda told OregonLive. Another police officer revealed in witness statements that he had earlier passed the woman carrying a boy 'who seemed too big to be carried' on to the center of the bridge. Both Newport Police Department and the District Attorney's Office refused to comment on the case to MailOnline today. Kelly Beaudry, principal of Crestview Heights School in Waldport, said on Wednesday that London McCabe was filled with laughter and loved to sing. Ms Beaudry said the school will be dedicating a wall in his memory. Samples of his work with be posted and teachers can bring students to share their feelings. The state medical examiner's office said an autopsy was being conducted on the boy. Scroll down for video . Jillian McCabe (left), who was arrested after she allegedly threw her severely autistic son London (right) off a bridge on Monday evening, had talked of 'pulling a Thelma and Louise' in the past . The mother allegedly carried her son to the center of the Oregon bridge and threw him into the water 100ft below on Monday night . Jillian McCabe had previously posted a number of blogs and videos on social media sites trying to raise money for the care of her son and husband, who was diagnosed with MS at the end of last year. In one video, recorded last year, the 34-year-old talked about how hard it was to raise her 'severely autistic' son and her desire to 'pull a Thelma and Louise'. McCabe, of Seal Rock, Oregon, was taken in after authorities discovered the body of her son London in Oregon's Yaquina Bay just hours after she allegedly threw him off the bridge. Family members close to McCabe describe the young mother as mentally unstable, and old videos and blog posts written by the woman seem to highlight her difficulties raising a child with severe autism. Loving father: In addition to her autistic son, Jillian's husband Matt McCabe (above) was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis last year . Family members said her downward spiral began soon after her father died and her husband, Matt, was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. 'I'm sorry but to wake up one day and your whole world is topsy-turvy in a world that already was topsy-turvy with our son,' Jillian said of the situation in a 2013 video. 'All of a sudden, my husband who was your provider, the caregiver, my captain Kirk, and its hard to talk to him, and everything's hard.' In that same video, which she recorded and posted to thank her friends and people who were supporting her and her family financially after Matt lost his job, Jillian said; 'Matt and I love you guys. ... If we don't know you, we still love you. 'You are making this experience livable versus us pulling a Thelma and Louise, which I have totally thought about.' Other videos on her YouTube page show London throwing coins into a fountain, playing with his iPad on a hammock, and visiting his father in the hospital. Family members said that Jillian McCabe (above in her mugshot) was mentally unstable prior to allegedly throwing her six-year-old son from an Oregon bridge . Tanya McCabe, London's great-aunt, told NBC News: 'Jillian really struggled with her mental health and I know she was just out of her mind when this happened.' She added: 'It was terrible what we went through to get her the help she did get. We worked full-time to get her the services but obviously they weren't sufficient.' Tanya McCabe also said how shocked and heartbroken she was to find out what happened to London. 'Jillian was always so patient with him, and loving. She really had a lot of compassion for his condition,' she said. 'When he was screaming at the top of his lungs, which was the only way he could communicate, she didn't get upset at all. She would calmly comfort him, and I was amazed at how patient she was.' One family member, Tanya McCabe, described Jillian as 'patient and loving' when she was caring for son London who had severe autism (above) Matt McCabe (above with son London) has yet to comment on what happened. Mr McCabe was diagnosed with MS late last year . London's uncle, Andrew McCabe, also cited Jillian's mental instability as the cause of this horrific tragedy. He told NBC: 'The state of health care in the country and the lack of prioritization that we have especially for our mentally ill is appalling. And its heartbreaking and unfortunately there’s tragic results when people don’t get the help they need.' “She took him for a walk and did what she did,” he added. McCabe was arrested on charges of aggravated murder, murder, and first-degree manslaughter on Monday and is being held on $750,000 bail. The Newport Police Department said that Jillian McCabe had been located near the bridge and interviewed by detectives prior to the discovery of her son's body . Her first hearing will be on November 12. | Jillian McCabe told officers who first arrived on Yaquina Bay Bridge in Oregon that 'voices told her to do it', according to police chief .
The 34-year-old mother has been charged with killing her son .
London McCabe, six, suffered from severe autism, and her husband, Matt, was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 2012 .
Family members are now saying that Jillian was mentally unstable and struggling to deal with her son and husband's medical problems .
London's school principal described the little boy as 'filled with laughter and loved to sing' |
129,938 | 33f7c5cadb04e27e598febfcfdcaeac63b256f61 | By . Matt Chorley, Mailonline Political Editor . PUBLISHED: . 12:23 EST, 29 October 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 02:35 EST, 30 October 2012 . Up to 5,000 mental health patients could have been sectioned in the last decade by doctors who had not been properly approved, Jeremy Hunt revealed today. The Health Secretary said emergency legislation would be drawn up after discovering ‘irregularities’ in the way as many as 2,000 doctors were authorised to assess patients for detention under the 1983 Mental Health Act. Since 2002, doctors in four regions had been sending patients to mental health institutions – including the Ashworth and Rampton secure hospitals, home to some of Britain’s most notorious prisoners – without being properly cleared. Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt said 2,000 doctors in four regions were not legally cleared to section patients . The serious error only came to light last week, but Mr Hunt insisted no-one had been locked up who should not have been. Doctors were supposed to have been approved to detain patients under the Mental Health Act by Strategic Health Authorities. But in four areas - North East, Yorkshire and Humber, West Midlands; and East Midlands – authorisation was delegated to local mental health trusts. Dr Geoffrey Harris, chairman of NHS South, will undertake an independent review to look 'at how this responsibility was delegated' by the four Strategic Health Authorities. Mr Hunt told the Commons: ‘Our latest best estimate is that 2,000 doctors were not properly approved and that they have participated in the detention of between 4,000 and 5,000 current patients within institutions in both the NHS and independent sectors. ‘There is no suggestion that hospitalisation or detention of any patient has been clinically inappropriate, nor that the doctors so approved are anything other than properly qualified to make such recommendations, nor that these doctors might have made incorrect diagnoses or decisions about the treatment patients need. ‘All the proper clinical processes were gone through when these patients were detained. We believe no-one is in hospital who shouldn’t be, and no patients have suffered because of this.’ He said doctors recommending patients to be locked up would not have known they had not been properly approved to make such recommendations and had ‘acted in good faith’. Labour agreed to back to the government in changing the law. Shadow health secretary Andy Burnham said: 'Detaining people under the Mental Health Act raises the most serious issues of fundamental rights and of patient and public safety. 'Any reported failure will therefore always be a matter of the highest concern.' He praised Mr Hunt's 'pragmatic approach... to this difficult issue'. Mr Burham added: 'Failure to act would potentially cause unnecessary distress and uncertainty to many thousands of vulnerable patients and their families and present risks to public safety. 'So while we will press him for answers, his action is justified, and he will have our support in removing any uncertainty.' | Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt tells the Commons 2,000 doctors in four regions were not legally cleared to section people .
The problem dates back to 2002 and was only discovered last week .
Emergency legislation is being drawn up to correct the error .
No patient has been detained who should not have been, the minister says . |
75,385 | d5b9e3810d5b23d6b2ff5f453a5ed2c63f84e0c8 | (CNN) -- A priest known for his collection of religious art is under investigation for possible involvement in the illegal ivory trade, according to a Philippine law enforcement agency. Monsignor Cristobal Garcia was quoted in the October issue of National Geographic directing a reporter to ivory carvers and traders, and also dispensing advice on how to smuggle the banned item into the United States. According to the National Geographic article, Garcia told the journalist, Bryan Christy, to wrap ivory in "old, stinky underwear and pour ketchup on it," to disguise it as a soiled piece of clothing to get it through U.S. customs. He was with the Cebu Archdiocese when he allegedly made his remarks to the magazine. This caught the Philippines authorities' interest. Garcia was known as "one of the best known ivory collectors in the Philippines," according to National Geographic. An investigation concerning Garcia is ongoing, said Sixto Comia, the chief of the environmental and wildlife investigation division of the National Bureau of Investigation. Garcia has not been charged with any crime and his collection has not been confiscated. Comia said the agency takes illegal trade of ivory seriously. Elephants, valued for their tusks, are being killed in Africa at an alarming rate by well-armed poachers, according to conservation groups. The highly coveted ivory tusks are often traded in Asia, where there is high demand -- especially in China and Thailand. National Geographic described Garcia owning a "mini-museum" filled with ivory religious figures. Garcia was removed from his position in June stemming from a U.S. case in the 1980s, said Monsignor Achilles Dakay, the Cebu archdiocese media liaison officer. National Geographic's article alluded to a dismissed lawsuit filed against Garcia when he served as priest in Los Angeles in the 1980s for sexual abuse of an altar boy. The Cebu Archdiocese released a statement Wednesday saying that Garcia's past "has been elevated to the Holy See," the Vatican City government of the Catholic Church. "The Church is also aware of the gravity of the crime of pederasty. In recent pronouncements, the Church has stated her regret for the failure to address the problem in a more decisive and effective way," according to the Archdiocese statement. Garcia has since taken ill, Dakay said, and is unable to be reached for comment. The church's statement, attributed to Cebu Archbishop Jose S. Palma, also condemned the ivory trade, saying, "the Church does not condone ivory smuggling or other illegal activities, although in the past, ivory was one of the materials used in the adornment of liturgical worship." The church also stated that Garcia has rights to a "fair and just hearing" on the ivory trade allegations. The church said the National Geographic Magazine story "needs to be assessed as to its veracity, considering that the article smacks of bias against religious practices." | A quote in the National Geographic article lands priest in ivory investigation .
Monsignor Critobal Garcia allegedly gave tips on smuggling ivory .
Garcia has been removed from his religious duties on a molestation allegation . |
192,902 | 85bd44fab86619ce777a1e1274dd06082ca9e735 | David Cameron yesterday rejected John Major’s attack on the ‘shocking’ domination of public life by a private school elite. The Prime Minister insisted he believes ‘what counts is not where you come from but where you are going’. But in his second speech to damage the Government in a month, Sir John told Tory activists he was ‘outraged on behalf of the people abandoned when social mobility is lost’. Sir John's speech comes at a time of deepening unease over the decline in social mobility that had, in the post-war years, let many children from working and lower-middle class backgrounds rise to the top . The former prime minister added: ‘In every single sphere of British influence, the upper echelons of power in 2013 are held overwhelmingly by the privately educated or the affluent middle class. ‘Our education system should help children out of the circumstances in which they were born, not lock them into the circumstances in which they were born. 'We need them to fly as high as their luck, their ability and their sheer hard graft can actually take them. And it isn’t going to happen magically.’ Sir John, who is the son of a circus performer and garden gnome salesman, left school with only three O-levels . Mr Cameron, who went to Eton, is vulnerable to charges that his Cabinet is dominated by a privileged elite. And some wavering Tories believe he should change tack and bring back grammar schools to help poorer children. But Mr Cameron’s spokesman said: ‘At the heart of this is the importance of building what the Prime Minister has described as an aspiration nation. He has said what counts is not where you come from but where you are going. ‘That’s why we have put education reform and welfare reform at the heart of Government policy. The Prime Minister is saying we need to unleash and unlock the promise in everybody. What parents really want to know is that the Government has policies to ensure their kids can fulfil their talents and ambitions.’ Sir John’s speech comes at a time of deepening unease over the decline in social mobility that had, in the post-war years, let many children from working and lower-middle class backgrounds rise to the top. Sir John, who is the son of a circus performer and garden gnome salesman, left school with only three O-levels. On the lack of children from less affluent backgrounds in powerful positions, he said: ‘To me, from my background, I find that truly shocking.’ He blamed the Tony Blair and Gordon Brown Labour governments for leaving a ‘Victorian divide between stagnation and aspiration’. In October, in the wake of Labour leader Ed Miliband’s promise of a freeze on energy prices, Sir John called for a windfall tax on energy companies and spoke of ‘net-curtain poverty’. Tory MP Nadine Dorries said the loss of selective schools was a major factor in denying progress to the underprivileged: ‘I came from a council estate where the way out was to get to a grammar school.’ Sajid Javid, the Tory Financial Secretary to the Treasury and the son of a bus driver, suggested the Government was working to address Sir John’s concerns. ‘The important thing is that this Government continues to put forward its policies on education, on welfare, on the economy,’ he added. | Sir John, who is the son of a circus performer and garden gnome salesman, left school with only three O-levels . |
133,913 | 3925e7564745feb5d99d9fa5c550c6c646643dea | Fort Belvoir, Virginia (CNN) -- Charges against the Army officer who refused deployment to Afghanistan because he says President Barack Obama doesn't have the authority to send him, should be thrown out says his attorney, Paul Jensen. Lt. Col. Terrence Lakin went before a military judge -- and a standing-room-only courtroom -- in Virginia on Friday to face three charges of disobeying a lawful order, one count of missing movement (not deploying with his unit) and one count of dereliction of duty. He did not enter a plea at the arraignment hearing, and Jensen asked to defer any plea until after the court could consider a motion to dismiss the case. Judge Denise Lind, an Army colonel who was wearing basic camouflage fatigues under her black robes, agreed to the request and gave Lakin's attorneys until August 20 to file a motion to dismiss. Both the prosecution and the defense will then have until August 27 to formulate and send written responses to the motion. Hearings on the motion will follow on September 2 and September 14. Future hearings in the case will be at Fort Meade, Maryland. If the charges are not dismissed, court martial proceedings will begin on October 13. Lakin and his legal team -- Jensen, Jensen's assistant and Lakin's free-of-cost military attorney -- arrived 15 minutes late, then the lawyers went into a meeting with Lind. The colonel remained in the 34-seat courtroom, which was full of soldiers, primarily officers, all wearing basic camouflage fatigues. Lakin smiled once while talking with Jensen's assistant but otherwise didn't convey much emotion or say much except "Yes, ma'am," and "No, ma'am" to the judge. In addition to pushing back his plea, Lakin waived the opportunity to choose whether a judge or jury would decide his fate. Lakin is a decorated Army doctor and an 18-year veteran who is now facing court martial for disobeying orders to ship out for another tour of duty in Afghanistan. He specializes as a primary care physician and flight surgeon. Doctors in those positions often fly in medevac helicopters in the war zone. Lakin says the orders are illegal because, he claims, Obama -- the commander in chief -- has not proven he was born in this country and is therefore ineligible to be president. Lakin wants Obama to produce his birth certificate. "It's a fundamental of the Constitution, and my oath of office is to the Constitution. And I believe we need truth on this matter," Lakin told CNN's "AC 360" in May. Two newspapers in Honolulu, Hawaii, published announcements of Obama's birth there in August, 1961. The Republican governor of Hawaii, Linda Lingle, has recently certified Obama's birth certificate as legitimate. "I had my health director, who is a physician by background, go personally view the birth certificate in the birth records of the Department of Health," Lingle recently told WABC. "The president was in fact born at Kapi'olani Hospital in Honolulu, Hawaii. And that's just a fact." "It's been established he was born here," the governor continued. "I can understand why people want to make certain that the constitutional requirement of being a natural-born American citizen ... but the question has been asked and answered. And I think just we should all move on now." Despite the evidence, roughly a quarter of Americans remains skeptical, including Lakin and other so-called "birthers." Birthers have argued that Obama was not born in Hawaii, or that if he was, his citizenship was invalidated by living overseas as a child. Lakin has been steadfast in his own defense. "I am not guilty of these charges, and will plead 'not guilty' to them because of my conviction that our commander in chief may be ineligible under the United States Constitution to serve in that highest of all offices," Lakin said in a news release issued this week by the American Patriot Foundation -- a group that has established a fund for his legal defense. "The truth matters. The Constitution matters," he said. "If President Obama is a natural-born citizen, then the American people deserve to see proof, and if he is not, then I believe the orders in this case were illegal." CNN Pentagon Producer Larry Shaughnessy contributed to this report . | NEW: Lt. Col. Terrence Lakin's attorney wants charges thrown out .
NEW: Lakin did not enter a plea at Friday's hearing .
Lakin said he does not believe President Obama was born in the United States .
Hawaiian officials have said they have documents that prove otherwise . |
31,268 | 58df851c403a98fd6c6a07139fbeecc1fc9870af | (CNN) -- Lawmakers in Moscow moved Friday to ban Americans from adopting Russian children, passing a bill that imposes a series of sanctions on U.S. interests, state media reported. Russia is one of the top countries of origin for international adoptions in the United States. The State Duma, Russia's lower house of parliament, adopted the bill on its third reading, the state-run RAPSI news agency reported. The measure will now move to the Federation Council and, if approved there, will go to President Vladimir Putin to be signed into law, the news agency said. Read more: Russian lawmakers eye adoption ban to U.S. The legislation could affect hundreds of American families seeking to adopt Russian children. It also bars any political activities by nongovernmental organizations receiving funding from the United States, if such activities may affect Russian interests, the news agency said, and imposes sanctions against U.S. officials thought to have violated human rights. The move by Russian politicians is widely seen as retaliation for a law that U.S. President Barack Obama signed December 14. That bill, called the Magnitsky Act, imposes U.S. travel and financial restrictions on human rights abusers in Russia. "The United States is concerned by measures in the bill passed in the Russian Duma today that, if it becomes law, would halt inter-country adoptions between the United States and Russia and would restrict the ability of Russian civil society organizations to work with American partners," U.S. State Department spokesman Patrick Ventrell said. The Magnitsky act is named in honor of Russian lawyer Sergei Magnitsky, who uncovered the largest tax fraud in the country's history in the form of rebates claimed by government officials who stole money from the state. Magnitsky died in 2009 after a year in a Moscow detention center, apparently beaten to death. Russian leaders have criticized the bill, which also places sanctions on those involved in the tax fraud Magnitsky uncovered and those responsible for his detention, abuse, and death. The bill passed by the State Duma is named in turn after Dima Yakovlev, a 2-year-old boy who died while in the care of a U.S. adoptive family, RAPSI said. Its implementation would nullify a recent agreement between the United States and Russia in which the countries agreed to additional safeguards to protect children and parties involved in inter-country adoptions. "American families have welcomed more than 60,000 Russian children into American homes over the past 20 years," Ventrell said. "Just last month we implemented a bilateral adoptions agreement with Russia to improve safeguards for adopted children and their families. If Russian officials have concerns about the implementation of this agreement, we stand ready to work with them to improve it and remain committed to supporting inter-country adoptions between our two countries." Only China has more adoptions to the United States than Russia. Backers of the Russian bill said American adoptive parents have been abusive, citing 19 deaths of Russian children by their adoptive parents since the 1990s, according to local media. In 2010, an American woman caused outrage after she sent her adopted son back to Russia alone on a one-way flight, saying the boy, then 7, had violent episodes that made the family fear for its safety. Amnesty International called on Russian lawmakers Thursday to reject their measure, which it said would "have a chilling effect on human rights defenders and civil society" and end adoptions to the United States. "There is a huge risk that the vaguely worded provisions in this bill will be used to clamp down on government critics and exposers of abuses. Indeed this would appear to be its real purpose," said John Dalhuisen, Amnesty International's Europe and Central Asia program director. "This bill is frankly a childish response to the Magnitsky Act," he said. "The Duma should be focusing its efforts on how it can strengthen Russian civil society and not weaken it." CNN's Laura Smith-Spark and Joseph Netto contributed to this report. | NEW: The United States expresses "concern" about the measures in the bill .
The State Duma approves a bill barring U.S. adoption, state media says .
The measure also imposes restrictions on NGOs and U.S. officials .
If approved by the Federation Council, the bill will go to Putin to be signed into law . |
212,105 | 9eaae47796a0c9a08bd4435dab6fb04afa6f9386 | (CNN) -- America is facing the greatest health care challenges in its history. Unprecedented demand is a certainty. According to the Department of Health and Human Services' Administration on Aging and U.S. Census Bureau statistics, the number of Americans 65 and older has exploded by a full 6 million in the past decade to over 13% of the overall population, while the population of "oldest old" -- those 85 and older -- has increased by a factor of 10 from the 1950s to today's 6 million. Older people harbor the most disabling diseases, including heart disease, cancer, stroke and dementia: the diseases that depend most on specialist care and complex technology for diagnosis, management and treatment. Yet the Obama administration has wrongheadedly focused on shifting Americans to government insurance. Of the 8.5 million individuals newly insured under Obamacare at the end of the first half of 2014, more than 6 million were enrolled into Medicaid, based on analysis by Edmund Haislmaier and Drew Gonshorowski of The Heritage Foundation using Centers for Medicaid and Medicare data. After the law's Medicaid expansion and with the population aging into Medicare eligibility, the 107 million under Medicaid or Medicare in 2013 rapidly increases to 135 million just five years later, according to CMS projections. By the end of the decade, a full 140 million Americans will have their health care access directly controlled by the U.S. government, a growth rate far higher than private insurance. The problem is that government insurance does not correspond to access to medical care, nor does it imply good health outcomes. Medicaid is already refused by more than half of doctors across America, according to 2013 data from a 2014 Merritt Hawkins survey. Likewise, more than 20% of primary care doctors already accept no new Medicare patients, five times the percentage who refuse new privately insured patients. In 2012 alone, CMS reported that almost 10,000 doctors opted out of Medicare, tripling from 2009. And, counter to the administration's demonization of private insurers, it is Medicare that consistently ranks at the top of the charts for the highest rates of claim refusals, more than nearly all the comparison private insurers every year, according to the AMA's 2013 National Health Insurer Report Cards. Here is another important reality to consider. Virtually all patients with serious diseases today are managed by specialists and with advanced technology. For seniors, visits to specialists have increased from 37% of visits two decades ago to 55% today. And that's appropriate, because those are the doctors who have necessary training and expertise to use the complex diagnostic tests and devices, state-of-the-art procedures, and novel drugs of modern medicine. Fittingly, Americans unambiguously prioritize the latest medical technology. Surveys by Harris/Wall Street Journal Online demonstrate that 80% of Americans say being able to get the most advanced tests, drugs and medical procedures and equipment is "very important" or "absolutely essential"; 67% say that technologies like digital imaging and advances in health information will improve patient care and/or reduce medical costs, while only 10% think these advances cost more than they are worth. In a Health Affairs study, Americans showed a 50% higher interest in new medical discoveries than citizens of Western European nations. We often hear of the Association of American Medical College projected shortage of primary care doctors, but little attention is paid to the fact that almost two-thirds of the 2025 doctor shortage of 124,000 will be in specialists, not in primary care. Yet this administration has been naively prioritizing generalist care at the expense of specialists. The government's Medicare Payment Advisory Commission already recommended substantial cuts to specialists -- 16.7% over 3 years and then frozen, equivalent to a 50% decrease after the decade, considering inflation. It is counterproductive to restrict the autonomy and cut salaries of those who we need the most, thereby reducing the job's attractiveness to the best and brightest who already have a wide range of career choices. More directly, Obamacare is eliminating access to many of the best specialists and best hospitals for middle-income Americans. To meet the law's requirements, major insurers all across the country are declining to participate in the exchanges, or only offering plans that exclude many of America's best doctors and hospitals. McKinsey reported 68% of Obamacare insurance options only cover narrow or very narrow provider networks, double that of one year ago. For cancer care, the overwhelming majority of America's best hospitals in the National Comprehensive Cancer Network -- including MD Anderson Cancer Center, New York's Memorial Sloan-Kettering, Barnes Hospital in St. Louis and the Seattle Cancer Care Alliance -- are not covered in most of their states' exchange plans. The "narrow network" strategy is about to hit even more Americans in 2015, as Obamacare exchanges from California to New Hampshire further restrict access to top doctors and hospitals in an attempt to quell insurance premium increases caused by the law itself. The fact is that Obamacare transforms American health care toward an antiquated, generalist system and significantly reduces health care choices that Americans hold dear. While the President and his Democrat allies claim that there has been no alternative offered, more than half a dozen Republican health care proposals increase choices for families and increase access to the best doctors via competition and individual empowerment. Voters who prioritize freedom of choice and quality in health care should look to the Republicans to reset the course of America's health care system to one that holds true to American values while advancing access to specialist care and advanced technology. | Scott Atlas: As America's population ages, millions more qualify for Medicare .
He says the Affordable Care Act is putting the majority of newly insured under Medicaid .
Atlas: Well over 100 million will be covered by government programs that offer less choice .
GOP health care changes would offer more choice, more access to technology, he says . |
241,804 | c4f2804dec514c8891a8746ae932621764ec953b | Tyson Fury put tape over his mouth to ensure that he gave the first silent press conference in the loud mouthed history of boxing. So determined was the giant 26-year-old not to cause further offence in the build-up to his heavwyeight battle of Britain with Dereck Chisora that he uttered not one word as the two came face to face in London. Fury has been fined £15,000 by the British Boxing Board of Control for the four-letter outburst at their previous head-to-head confrontation. Tyson Fury taped up his mouth and wouldn't speak to the press ahead of his fight with Dereck Chiso . Tyson Fury promised to maintain his silence until the Chisora fight is over . Peter Fury, his uncle and trainer, did have something to say: 'The Board wanted us to tone it down a bit so here's Tyson... the Board dummy.' Fury was prepared to respond to questions with gestures and indicated that he will knockout Chisora in one or two rounds at the ExCeL arena in London's Docklands on November 29. That is the rescheduled date for a world title eliminator which was postponed when Chisora cracked his hand in sparring. Fury, who had the initial letters BBBC written on his mouth tape, stripped off his shirt to reveal a torso well-honed with the fight still two months away. When asked if he would maintain his vow of silence throughout those eight weeks he nodded in the affirmative. Muhammad Ali – not only the greatest but the most voluble of all boxers - famously taped over his mouth after being pilloried for speaking too much. He ripped away the gag after a few minutes, unable to contain himself any longer. Promoter Mick Hennessy made it clear how seriously the Board viewed Fury's previous rant when he said: 'This fight could be in jeopardy. If anything else happened, we could be looking at a year's ban.' Frank Warren, the lead promoter, made his own apology for the outrageous uproar which went before when he said: 'I should have controlled that press conference better. I hold my hands up. I share some of the blame for what went on. Fortunately there was nothing physical.' Peter Fury and Hennessy revealed that they were upset at being excluded from the Board of Control hearing. Hennessy said: 'We need characters in boxing. Sometimes Tyson is the gentleman but on other occasions he gets rubbed up the wrong way and he should be allowed to express himself.' The irony, of course, is that this impersonation of Marcel Marceau will generate as much publicity as his wild misconduct has done hitherto. Muhammad Ali once taped his mouth shut but only kept up the appearance for a matter of minutes . Dereck Chisora will take on Fury in six weeks and promised to knock the silent fighter out . Fury was fined £15,000 for his four-letter outburst when the pair last came face to face this year . Chisora was in a mellow mood but when it was drawn to his attention that Fury was indicating with his fingers a first or second round stoppage, he said simply: 'I will knock him out.' Boxing now holds its breath, waiting to see if Tyson will be able to hold his peace until the end of November. Tyson Fury v Dereck Chisora will be live on BoxNation on Saturday 29 November. Smith in with a sniff of world title against Abraham . Paul Smith, at 31 the eldest of the four boxing brothers from Liverpool, becomes the first of the family to fight for a world title when he challenges Arthur Abraham for the WBO super-middleweight belt in Germany on Saturday night. He will have the support of 2,000 travelling fans on what will be a tough assignment. But he believes the veteran Abraham has slipped into decline since his Super Six loss to Carl Froch four years ago. Paul, Stephen and Liam Smith have all won British titles. Their youngest brother Callum is unbeaten and widely predicted to become the most successful. Paul Smith celebrates victory against David Sarabia in Cardiff in May . While Paul realises that the odds are against him, he expects all his siblings to become world champions. Smith, having been stopped by both Carl Froch and George Groves, has been selected for this fight as a warm-up for bigger things for Abraham. But if he is at his very best it might not be beyond him to spring the upset. Wilson showing signs of recovery . Sheffield boxer Jerome Wilson is showing signs of recovery from brain surgery following a devastating knock-out in his home town. Wilson, in an induced coma for more than a week, has opened his eyes, squeezed his mother’s hand and is reported to be breathing 90 per cent independently. A Jerome Wilson Rehabilitation Fund has been opened to help pay for the long and complex treatment ahead. Donations are being accepted at: Barclays Bank, Sort Code 20-76-92, Account number 63868354. Stars turn out for Astaire . Michael Watson, Dave Boy Green, Maurice Hope, Billy Schwer and Colin McMillan were among many champions guided down the years by Jarvis Astaire who have turned out to support the 90-year-old boxing grandee at a nostalgic occasion in east London. Astaire had a Variety Sunshine Coach named after him. The fleet of £30,000 buses are purpose designed for taking physically challenged children on holidays and outings. In addition to his partnership with Mickey Duff which controlled British boxing for decades, Astaire is a long-time luminary of the Variety charity. Jarvis Astaire (left) and George Foreman watching the title fight between Joe Frazier and Joe Bugner in 1973 . Michael Watson shares a joke with Astaire after an investiture ceremony at Buckingham Palace in 2004 . Astaire (centre) with Princess Anne and singer Dean Martin at a lunch in London in 1983 . | Tyson Fury was fined £15,000 after four-letter outburst at last head-to-head .
Fury gestured that he would knock out Chisora in one or two rounds .
Pair meet at ExCeL Arena on November 29 .
Fury insists he will not speak in public for the eight weeks until the fight .
Dereck Chisora says simply 'I will knock him out'
Pair had been due to meet in July before Chisora hand injury . |
181,421 | 76dd4fae24293cadc91a33d7b193ee2ab3ccb68f | The Northeast's first 'significant' winter storm of the season was expected to bring a messy mix of rain, snow and sleet along the Interstate 95 corridor starting late Friday night, the National Weather Service said. The weather service said Thursday it was still too early to determine the exact track of the storm, but some areas could expect up to 7 inches or more of snow. The storm should arrive in the Philadelphia region Friday night and dump 'several inches' of snow before turning to rain sometime Saturday, the weather service said. On Thursday, a winter storm has swept through parts of Texas, dropping up to a foot of snow in the Panhandle and prompting El Paso to close government offices early. Temperatures also plummeted in Mexico, with snow in the city of Ciudad Juarez, prompting authorities to send out a weather warning for a 'Cold Front 30,' which is expected to cause below-zero temperatures in the area . Friday day's forecast starts off relatively clear before the storm starts rolling in . Friday night sees the storm move up the Northeast, bringing snow and rain . Ice covers Bruce and Carol Anderbery's barn in rural Axtell, Nebraska. The Anderbery's wanted to make room for a new building on their farm by demolishing the old barn so decided in December that pouring massive amounts of water it was the easiest way to bring it down . A snow plow makes its way down southbound New Mexico State Road in the Santa Fe as temperatures dropped in the area . A skier slides down the Ristra trail, Thursday morning at Ski Santa Fe in Santa Fe, New Mexico . The Jemez Mountains and valley west of Santa Fe, New Mexico, are blanketed after a recent snowfall . Residents walk as it snows in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, as authorities sent out an alert warning of a 'Cold Front 30,' which is expected to cause below-zero temperatures in the area . A small chapel stands in front of the snow-covered hills surrounding Ciudad Juarez . Two men walk by the side of the road outside of Ciudad Juarez in the snow. One resident uses a blue sheet in a bid to keep warm . Dozens of school districts canceled classes or delayed opening in the Panhandle and South Plains on Thursday. Government offices, schools and universities from El Paso to the Midland-Odessa, San Angelo and Big Bend areas closed early Thursday and planned to open late on Friday. Almost 5 inches of snow was reported in El Paso by midafternoon Thursday before tapering off. As much as a foot of snow was reported in Amarillo and the northern Panhandle and a remote area of West Texas between Midland and San Angelo. The Northeastern storm will travel up the Eastern seaboard and eventually move out to sea off New England by early Sunday. Meteorologist Bill Simpson of the National Weather Service in Taunton, Massachusetts, said the storm could drop half a foot of heavy, wet snow in parts of northern and eastern Connecticut, including about 3 to 5 inches in the Hartford area. Temperatures will be close to freezing, making it difficult to predict exactly which areas are likely to receive more rain than snow, Simpson said. A man walks through the blowing snow in freezing temperatures in Bridgeton, New Jersey, on Wednesday . Saturday's forecast still sees rain and snow move over the Northeast of the country . Saturday night sees conditions ease but temperatures are still very low . Baltimore and Washington were expected to get only rain as temperatures hover just below freezing, forecasters said. AccuWeather.com's Chief Meteorologist, Ellion Abrams, said this morning: Unlike many storms this winter, this particular one has the potential to bring a foot of snow to some locations, where rain fails to mix in over New England. 'Where the snow is heavy and wet, there could be trees coming down with power outages', he said. Major delays in the South on Interstate 81 and 95 corridors are also expected on Friday night and Saturday due to rain. People battle through the ice and snow in Bridgeton, New Jersey, on Wednesday . Sunday sees the sunshine come back out as temperatures begin to rise . Sunday night's temperatures drop again in the Northeast and some rain and snow is forecast . Fans ride down a snow slide adjacent to the Nationwide Arena at the NHL All-Star Game Winter Park in Columbus, Ohio . Wade Boss (left) and Amy Sauer and her son Eli Foraker-Sauer, three (right) take advantage of the ride for the game this weekend . When Ice Storms ravaged parts of the North East and Midwest two weeks ago - the South Haven lighthouse in Michigan was completely covered in icicles. As temperatures plummeted it was transformed into a stunning white structure and an attraction for photographers willing to brave the chilly winds and snow. Sharp icicles and surreal formations can be seen hanging from the railings after strong waves crashed onto the piers. After each coating the water quickly freezes to ice and the pier is transformed into a slippery, white wonderland. These pictures were taken when the mercury fell below zero just two weeks ago - and weather forecasters predict it will do the same this weekend. Ice engulfs the red lighthouse at South Haven in Michigan. Sharp icicles and surreal formations can be seen hanging from the railings after strong waves crashed onto the piers . After each coating the water quickly freezes to ice and the pier is transformed into a slippery, white wonderland. Weather in the area dipped into the minus figures and froze over Lake Michigan in the beginning of January - and looks set to do so again this weekend . This photo shows St Joseph Lighthouse earlier this month - as the extreme conditions started to take hold and freeze the pier . | Rain, snow and sleet is expected along the Interstate 95 corridor. Some areas could see up to seven inches of snow .
Storm should arrive in Philadelphia region Friday night before travelling up the Eastern seaboard .
A winter storm has swept through parts of Texas, dropping up to a foot of snow in the Panhandle .
Temperatures also plummeted below zero in Mexico, with snow in the city of Ciudad Juarez . |
9,090 | 19c023cf22f846587fe17f79463656beafa80d26 | LONDON, England (CNN) -- Getting "out of this world" with civilian space travel is not quite as simple as you may think. Ready for launch: video game programmer Richard Garriott shown in training for his space flight in October. Aside from the obvious financial limitations which restrict space tourism to the rich and the ridiculously rich, there are also significant training programs and testing to be completed before proceeding to lift-off. To gain a better insight into this training, well-known video game programmer and designer Richard Garriott, who is preparing for his own space adventure in October, is detailing in a blog what he and others have to go through in order to make it into orbit as a space traveler. Garriott has been in training since the beginning of the year and told CNN the first major thing to surprise him was the intensity of preparations. "When I first came here in January, I thought nine months to get trained for this is going to be plenty of time. Of course, very quickly, I realized that I had signed up for a very complex task, something much more difficult that I had anticipated. I immediately knew that nine months was going to be a lot of work to get everything prepared for the flight. "And now that I am so close to the flight, I am still feeling the pressure, I definitively have been working very long days and most nights," Garriott said. The training regime has three major strands: physical training, which includes preparation to acclimatize to the space environment; practical training for day-to-day living in space; and like any flight, be it 10 minutes or 10 days, training in safety procedures for emergency situations. Trainees generally spend nine months or more on and off-site to complete the requirements, which include everything from flight simulations to learning how to use the toilet. Eric Anderson, president and CEO of Space Adventures, the company sending Garriott into space, told CNN the training program is extensive, but does not exclude people from making the flight. "Their total training program is a few months, but we tend to spread it out so they can fit it around their normal lives. They are not training to the same degree as the professionals." As long as space hopefuls are in reasonable health, they can usually go ahead with their adventure, he said. "There's some fitness involved. There are certainly [medical] things that are not allowable in space, but they are generally more serious conditions." He said the major fitness issue with space travel was preparing for the change in "Gs." "The body is designed to live on one 'G,' so when you expose it to higher 'Gs' it has an effect. With the training and given the [short] length of the visits there's a minimal effect on the body." In his blog on the training process, Garriott said one part of the training was indisputably the worst. "Hardest of all was the 'Spinning Chair of Ultimate Sickness.' I can't imagine that I will ever again voluntarily sit in a device designed to make you sick, or ride it as long as I can. Ugh, this is definitely my least favorite part of training!" Despite such disturbing preparations, Anderson said much of the training, which takes place at Space Adventures' base in Star City, Russia, is centered upon general living in space. "There's a few requirements about what you need to know to live in the space station ... how to eat, how to drink, and how to use the restroom, for example," he said. "There's also a lot of simulation you go through ... there's preparation to acclimatize you to the space environment." Garriott said many of the procedures for living in space, or for emergencies, are very complex. "There are a lot of technical details behind all the different systems we need to understand ... fire detection and alarms, plus procedures and equipment for dealing with fire emergencies; protective breathing apparatus in case of chamber decompression or malfunction; the toilet (everybody's favorite piece of space trivia!), including powering up the can for suction and waste removal; and lastly, onboard water sources." He admits the learning requirements had him preparing for exams by "cramming like any good college kid." And the most fascinating part of the training? In Garriott's opinion, it was running in a hypobaric chamber, where the altitude was set at 10,000 meters (about 2,000 meters higher than Mount Everest). "I felt no physical or mental problems, but I did notice an odd physiological issue that is quite hard to describe. Basically, it was possible to make a tennis ball-sized pocket in my mouth, but one which had no air in it as it was just a vacuum! "By that I mean try to imagine creating a cavity inside your mouth without any air bubbles and by letting in no air through your lips or throat -- it's basically impossible at sea level because the air pressure outside your mouth pushes the air pocket closed," he said. "However, at 10,000 meters the air is so much thinner that you can pull off this oral stunt without a hitch! Weird." It truly is. | Richard Garriott will fly with Space Adventures into space in October .
Training involves physical, practical and safety preparation .
Garriott says the toughest part is a spinning chair designed to make you vomit .
Learning to go to the toilet in space is part of the training . |
66,631 | bcfc266ac5fbd926eae9631f4a8b2dd331a8c398 | By . Mark Duell, Inderdeep Bains and Hugo Gye . UPDATED: . 17:59 EST, 5 April 2012 . A Playboy model and alleged prostitute who sued Oscar De La Hoya after claiming he had imprisoned her in his hotel suite has failed in her fight for $5million compensation from the boxer. Angelica Marie Cecora, 25, said that Mr De La Hoya had repeatedly demanded sex when she was trying to sleep after a drug-fuelled orgy at a Manhattan hotel. But a judge today declared that the lawsuit was 'frivolous', and ordered Ms Cecora and her lawyer to pay a $500 fine each, as well as refunding the defendant's legal fees. 'Frivolous': Claims made by Angelica Cecora, left, against boxer Oscar De La Hoya have been thrown out . Ms Cecora claimed that after dinner with the married ex-boxer on March 15 last year, the pair retired to his room in the Ritz-Carlton hotel overlooking Central Park. After consensual sex, Mr De La Hoya, 38, put on Ms Cecora’s underwear and ordered drugs to his room at New York's Ritz Hotel, the lawsuit said. He allegedly then requested an extreme sex act and Ms Cecora obliged before having her roommate come over with sex toys. Ms Cecora and her friend then fell asleep but Mr De La Hoya allegedly tried to pull her out of bed three times for more sex, according to the lawsuit. Lawsuit: Angelica Marie Cecora, 25, right, demanded an apology outside Manhattan Supreme Court in January . Olympic champion: Oscar De La Hoya threw a depraved, cross-dressing, drug-driven orgy, a lawsuit has claimed (file picture from 2007) She was 'afraid to leave the hotel . room because she feared the defendant would attempt to have sex with her . against her will,' her lawyer said. But on Thursday Manhattan Supreme Court Justice Paul Wooten said Ms Cecora's claim was 'completely without merit in the law'. He noted that the plaintiff's . allegations did not add to abuse even if they were true, as the boxer . 'never threatened her with force'. The judge also pointed out that Ms . Cecora, who did not file criminal charges against Mr De La Hoya, held a . press conference on the day of the opening hearing, which could support . the defence's argument that she was looking for publicity. Fighter: Oscar De La Hoya (left) in his boxing days. His lawyer said he began rehabilitation therapy last spring because his life had spiralled out of control . History: Ms Cecora, right, sued him for emotional distress, false imprisonment, assault and battery. Milana Dravnel, left, sued him in 2008 for defamation . The boxer's lawyer, Judd Burstein, . labelled Ms Cecora ‘a prostitute and a grifter’ in court papers and said . the boxer had become a ‘changed man’ since the incident. Tony Evans, lawyer for Ms Cecora, . vowed to appeal the verdict, saying: 'This is just an early round, and . one that will not determine the ultimate outcome of the fight.' Suites at the lavish Ritz-Carlton go for up to an eye-watering $4,500 a night. Barcelona . 1992 Olympic gold medallist De La Hoya, of Los Angeles, California, is . worth $175million and generated $700million in pay-per-view TV revenue . during his career. Known as . 'Golden Boy', his idol is Sugar Ray Leonard and he has a professional . record of defeating 17 world champions and winning 10 world titles in . six different weights. Couple: Oscar De La Hoya is seen with his wife Millie Corretjer in 2009, with whom he has had two children . Family: Oscar De La Hoya is seen with his wife Millie Corretjer, and their two children - Oscar and Nina - in 2008 . His most famous wins were against . Mexican great Julio Cesar 'Caesar of Boxing' Chavez in 1996 and Pernell . 'Sweet Pea' Whittaker in 1997. He retired in April 2009 and is now a . boxing promoter. Mr Burstein told the court that De La . Hoya began rehabilitation therapy last spring because his life had . spiralled out of control. De La Hoya admitted a cocaine . addiction in September and said photos of him from 2007 dressed in . fishnets and lingerie were authentic. De La Hoya's wife Millie Corretjer, . whom he married 10 years ago and has two children with, has not . publically commented on the case. This was the second time De La Hoya has been accused of wearing women’s underwear. The first woman to do so, Siberian beauty Milana Dravnel, was rumoured to have been paid $20million to go away in 2008. Champ: Oscar De La Hoya seen after defeating Javier Castillejo in Las Vegas in June 2001 . | Angelica Marie Cecora claimed Olympic boxer 'took advantage of me'
De La Hoya held 'drug-fuelled romp' at posh Ritz hotel in New York .
But judge describes case as 'frivolous' and orders model to pay $500 fine . |
250,726 | d07c5761a8127244a15645cd2f3edb8924a03241 | (CNN) -- It's an end of an era for superstar singer Celine Dion and her husband, Rene Angelil. According to Yahoo News, Angelil is stepping down as his wife's manager after more than 30 years. "It is with great pleasure and with the utmost confidence that Rene Angelil announces today that his long-time close friend, Aldo Giampaolo, has been appointed as chief executive officer of Feeling Productions Inc., the company which manages Celine Dion's career," a statement from the company said. "Celine and Rene have decided that the time has come to bring this appointment to fruition, one that Rene had proposed to Aldo several years ago." Angelil, 72, first met Dion, 46, when she was a teenager, and the couple began a romantic relationship when she was 19 and he was 45. The singer briefly retired from performing in 1999 when her husband was battling throat cancer. People reported in March that Angelil had a tumor removed from his throat in December. "I don't want Rene to stress out with work-related issues," Dion said in a statement to the magazine. "I want him to focus on getting back to 100%. I've been doing my shows at the Colosseum (in Las Vegas) and everything's under control." The couple, along with their three sons, live in Las Vegas, where Dion has been performing for three years. | Rene Angelil has been Celine Dion's manager for decades .
He reportedly had a tumor removed in December .
She told a magazine earlier she doesn't want him to stress out over work . |
222,205 | aba53eb4c5f5ffde4e9de6cf51ded9bb93fceeb4 | The 35-year-old truck driver had suffered a massive heart attack and died from caffeine toxicity . A mother is determined that no one else will have to endure the pain of their child dying from consuming too many energy drinks. Shani Clarke's son, Michael, used to drink at least four 500ml cans of Mother a day - as well as four to five cups of coffee before he was found slumped behind the wheel of the 11 tonne truck on the side of the road in Perth on January 30 this year. The 35-year-old truck driver had suffered a massive heart attack and died from caffeine toxicity. 'I can't tell you the pain I felt at that moment, my heart just hit the floor and I sobbed and sobbed,' Ms Clarke said on Facebook. Ms Clarke said she didn't realise her son was buying energy drinks until a few weeks before he died. 'He was cleaning his truck out and I saw he had an armful of the big cans of Mother and I said "I hope your not drinking too many of them in one go" which he just shrugged off as we mums know nothing, I didn't think much more of it at the time.' Scroll down for video . Michael Clarke used to drink at least four 500ml cans of Mother a day - as well as four to five cups of coffee before he was found slumped behind the wheel of the 11 tonne truck in Perth on January 30 this year . Ms Clarke decided to educate others on the possible perils of consuming too many energy drinks through the Facebook page - Caffeine Toxicity Death Awareness . The Facebook campaign has taken of with almost 500 members joining the cause . It wasn't until last month when the coroner told her how her son had died that she decided to educate others on the possible perils of consuming too many energy drinks through the Facebook page - Caffeine Toxicity Death Awareness. • Energy drinks are not made available in primary nor secondary schools . • Marketing and advertising activities of energy drinks are not directed at children . • No promotional activities are undertaken that encourage excessive consumption of energy drinks . • Labels of energy drinks do not promote the mixing of energy drinks with any other beverage. 'I was so angry when I found out it was caffeine as I had lost my first born and it could have been avoided if he hadn't drank so many of these drinks without a break,' she said in the post. 'His body couldn't process the caffeine anymore and it built up in his body and it caused a massive heart attack.' Ms Clarke has received an overwhelming response since starting the page with many admitting they didn't realise the possible dangers and some have even given up the drinks. One lady admitted to being addicted to cans of V for almost a decade. 'Today starts my sugar free September. And good bye v forever! I'm doing it cause I was unaware of this. It's hit to close to home. Not taking any chances.' While another posted that she was unaware of the dangers of energy drinks. 'I drink coffee in the morning and two energy drinks a day. I'm a truck driver, and I'm not quite sure what I'll do without those energy drinks, but I'm sure gonna try not to drink them anymore!' A lot of people have decided to quit the energy drinks after learning Michael's fate . Ms Clarke said she didn't realise Michael was buying energy drinks until a few weeks before he died . The avoidable death has also prompted experts to speak about the dangers of the energy drink. Chair of general practitioners for the Australian Medical Association, Dr Brian Morton warned that people should not consume more than the equivalent of a total of two cups of coffee per day. 'The body is just not made to take that sheer capacity of toxic levels of chemicals' he told Daily Mail Australia. 'The quantity that you have and the amount of caffeine you drink as a consequence will absorb into your body which can be quite significant such as a toxic effect,' he said. 'It can unmask electrical abnormalities in the heart for example that you are born with - it is a short circuit in the electrical wiring that can cause sudden death.' While WA Health's deputy chief health officer Andy Robertson told the ABC it was recommended not to consume more than 400 milligrams of caffeine a day - a 500ml can of a typical energy drink carries about 160mg. Meanwhile, Australian Beverages Council CEO Geoff Parker said the Australian energy drinks market is one of the most regulated in the world. 'Products across the category are clearly labelled with a 500ml daily usage maximum,' he said . 'Australia’s strict regulations, in addition to a cap on the caffeine content, equivalent to an instant cup of coffee for a 250mL can (80mg), make our energy drink regulations the tightest in the world,' | Michael Clarke died from consuming too many energy drinks .
The 35-year-old, from Perth, suffered a massive heart attack .
His mum, Shani Clarke has started a Facebook page to educate people .
She has received a huge response with many now giving up the drinks .
Experts say don't drink more than the equivalent two cups of coffee daily . |
29,380 | 537facbe5698347e910fe9d624a38873deb42e9e | A rare diary which was the first hand account of one of the victims of the brutal Khmer Rouge in Cambodia was used to bring its last remaining leaders to justice. School inspector Poch Younly kept the secret diary nearly 40 years ago, which vividly recounts the horrors of the radical communist regime. Their experiment in social engineering claimed the lives of 1.7million people through overwork, medical neglect, starvation and execution. Scroll down for video . Poch Younly, pictured in 1955, with his family before he started writing a diary which vividly recounted the horrors of the Khmer Rouge . Mr Poch's diary, pictured, which was used in evidence to convict Khieu Samphan and Nuon Chea of crimes against humanity . Mr Younly hid the dairy inside inside a clay vase as anybody educated was deemed a threat to the regime . It is thought Mr Poch wrote his entries while hunched on the floor of the wood and leaf hut as he was forced to live away from his family and hid the diary inside a clay vase as anybody educated was deemed a threat to the regime and executed. In one of the spiral bound notebook's last pages, he wrote: 'Why is it that I have to die here like a cat or a dog ... without any reason, without any meaning?' Now it has emerged that Mr Poch's diary was part of the vast case file, which helped to convict the only two surviving Khmer Rouge leaders, 83-year-old former president Khieu Samphan and 88-year-old Nuon Chea, the right hand man of the group's infamous late leader Pol Pot. Last Thursday, a UN-backed tribunal sentenced both men to life in prison for crimes against humanity - a verdict that many believe was too little, and far too late. Written in Khmer, the diary fills about 100 pages and is divided into two sections. Nuon Chea former second in command of the Khmer Rouge, left and Khieu Samphan, former head of state of the Khmer Rouge, right, who were convicted of crimes against humanity at a tribunal last Thursday . The first summarises Mr Poch's family history, an era spanning French colonial rule, the Japanese occupation during the Second World War and his arranged marriage to his then 15-year-old wife. The rest, written as a letter addressed to his children, describes life under the Khmer Rouge and is dated only at the start and the end - February 9 and July 29, 1976, with a final post-script entered a few days later. When Khmer Rouge forces seized Phnom Penh on April 17, 1975, Mr Poch and his wife were living with eight of their children in a rural town called Kampong Chhnang. Three days later, the guerrillas arrived and residents - including Mr Poch - cheered, relieved the war was finally over, his 86-year-old widow Som Seng Eath recalled. But within hours, the Khmer Rouge were emptying Cambodia's cities, marching millions of people into the countryside to work as manual laborers. Mr Poch said how he 'didn't believe what was happening' and kept saying, `Don't worry, we'll be back soon, don't pack much,' his widow said. Poch Younly's daughter Visethneary reads her father's diary, which details his experience of the brutal Khmer Rouge regime . His widow, Som Seng Eath, left, pictured with her daughter and grandchildren says the diary is still too painful to read . His notebook recounts how he was marched through forests and mountains for nearly two weeks. Along the way, most of his possessions were confiscated, including four of the notebooks and a prized camera he had bought during a government visit to inspect schools in the United States in 1961. Ominously, he began hearing talk of execution sites ahead - what would later become known as Cambodia's killing fields. In his diary he wrote: 'We worked day and night clearing wood to make arable land, uprooting the trees, digging canals, building roads and dikes, planting vegetables and digging ponds. 'We worked 10 to 13 hours a day.' Food supplies dwindled, and Mr Poch and his wife grew so desperate they traded clothes and a treasured family locket for salt, sugar and medicine. The following month, he fell ill and he could not work, but he had the privacy to write. But months later, he began sensing his end was near. An exhumed mass grave reveals the skeletons of people executed by the Khmer Rouge during their rule in Cambodia . Corpses found in 1979 at a prison run by the former Khmer Rouge government, about 18 miles north-west of Phnom Penh . A Khmer Rouge fighter stands guard as he watches forced labourers dig a water canal near Battambang . 'By now, my body resembles a corpse, thin with only skin and bones,' he wrote. 'I have no energy, and my hands and legs tremble. No power, no strength. I cannot walk far or do heavy work. Everyone works like animals, like machines, without any value, without hope for the future.' At one point, he writes of his regret at not being able to see all of his children as his two oldest sons were elsewhere in the country. The rest were forced to live in other parts of the village, working in mobile children's work units. 'Let me die,' he continued. 'Let my destiny take me wherever it goes ... My children, I miss you; I love you.' Mr Poch wrote until there were no pages left to write on, his wife said. On August 1, 1976, he wrote a postscript on the final page, asking his family to take care of the diary. A tourist looks at human skulls of genocide victims at the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum, formerly the most notorious Khmer Rouge prison, in Phnom Penh . A wall of pictures, showing prisoners of the Khmer Rouge regime line one of the museum's walls in what was formerly Tuol Sleng prison . Hours later, he was taken away by the regime to help lift a palm tree that had fallen in a paddy field. However, it was a lie as authorities had come to arrest him because one of his sons had attempted to exchange an Omega watch Mr Poch had bought in America 15 years earlier for fermented fish. Mr Poch died several weeks later, in a nearby prison where he was kept chained to the ground. His widow says the diary is too painful to read now and says she didn't understand its importance at the time. She kept the diary safe for two decades, then passed it on to one of her daughters. It was the daughter's husband who suggested giving the notebook to a documentation centre to protect the fragile, yellowed pages of history. It is 'the story of all of us who survived,' said Youk Chhang, who runs the Documentation Centre of Cambodia, which has amassed millions of documents, photographs, films and verbal testimonies from the Khmer Rouge era. 'When the Khmer Rouge were in charge, everything belonged to the revolution, he added. 'You owned nothing. Not even your life story.' | Poch Younly kept a diary recounting the horrors of the Khmer Rouge regime .
Hid the diary inside a clay vase as he would have been killed if discovered .
Recalls how he was overworked and starved before he was arrested .
Was then taken to prison and chained to the ground before he died .
Diary was part of the evidence used to convict remaining regime leaders .
Khieu Samphan and Nuon Chea were sentenced to crimes against humanity . |
49,139 | 8ac8f0f6b23d992850517fe55b74f5a00550c491 | By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 05:48 EST, 28 September 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 11:18 EST, 28 September 2013 . Determined to break through the thick mist, the Saturday morning sun has raised hopes for a warm end to September. Despite the foggy start, Britain is set to enjoy a final blaze of sunshine over the coming days, continuing the glorious sunshine seen over the Autumnal equinox. However, forecasters have warned that although the country will enjoy higher than average temperatures, certain regions face a 'mixed bag' as two systems battle over the UK. Early morning jogger enjoys the late September sun near the pier (pictured) at The Headland at Hartlepool, north east England . New dawn: The rising sun blazes through a misty morning in Northumberland on Saturday as Britain is set to enjoy a sunny end to September before rain moves in next week . Autumn glory: Britain is set to enjoy a sunny end to September, before rain moves in next week . This could trigger strong winds and heavy rains, broken by sunny spells. A Met Office spokesman said: 'Temperatures are looking slightly above average over the weekend and into next week. 'There is some rain about and some of it is quite heavy with the risk of thunder, mainly in the South-west. 'But elsewhere it will be drier with sunny spells, and it is a similar picture on Sunday and into the beginning of next week. Joggers in Cambridge get an early start as the sun breaks through a misty Saturday morning. Forecasters say two weather systems are battling over Britain, causing a mixture of sun and showers . Britain will enjoy higher than average temperatures in the coming days, while experts predict this autumn will be one of the most colourful in memory . 'There is high pressure over the . North and low pressure over the South and the weather is uncertain . depending on which way they go, it is a bit of a mixed bag.' Jonathan Powell, forecaster for Vantage Weather Services, suggests temperatures could be as high as 60F to 70F next week. Mr Powell explained: 'We are certainly going to hold onto the warmth over the next few days and into next week. 'But . there is a risk of some very heavy showers in the mix, particularly in . the South, and coastal regions could see some strong winds. Three day forecast: Sunny for most, but the there is a risk of some very heavy showers in the mix, particularly in the South, and coastal regions could see some strong winds . 'There are currently two weather systems battling it out over the country, and this could make things quite unsettled.' Experts . predict the country will be awash with vivid colours as trees change . from green to deep reds, golds and yellows, and promise a bumper fruit . and nut crops in the coming weeks. Matthew Oates, a National Trust naturalist, has put the glorious start to autumn down to a wet spring and warm summer. He . said: 'The leaves colour up particularly well after a hot summer, which . we’ve just had. Frost and very wet weather impact on leaf colour too. 'It’s . not a definite science. The early indicators are good. It could be a . really good autumn for colour. It is a wonderful autumn for berries and . fruits. It could well be a great one too for our leaf colour.' Punters on the River Cam in Cambridge lap up the sun on Saturday ahead of warnings that heavy rain and winds could hit parts of England as October approaches . Bovine beach: A herd of cows enjoy the sun on the sand at Vatersay in the Outer Hebrides, Scotland . Rowers (pictured) enjoy an early start as the sun shines in Cambridge. The warm autumn weather has been put down to a wet spring and a hot summer . | Britain faced a misty start to the weekend but sunshine and warm weather predicted for coming days .
Forecasters say temperatures could reach 60F to 70F as October approaches .
But rain is on its way next week as two weather systems battle over UK . |
21,676 | 3d9c54033700c6412bd827f0ec5eec7d33ec580a | By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 19:20 EST, 6 February 2014 . | . UPDATED: . 04:53 EST, 7 February 2014 . Almost three-quarters of people do not think women should receive IVF to help them conceive beyond their natural childbearing years, a poll has found. A quarter believe women should stop trying to bring babies into the world past the age of 40 while 43 should be the cut-off for men. The survey of more than 2,000 people across the UK found 31 per cent think the current age limit of 42 for IVF on the NHS is too old. Almost three-quarters of people do not think women should receive IVF to help them conceive beyond their natural childbearing years, a poll has found. The poll was released to mark the TLC documentary Tina Malone: Pregnant At 50 . Some 26 per cent said they thought 40 should be the maximum age limit for either NHS or private treatment. Meanwhile, almost three-quarters (72 per cent) said science not should intervene to help women become pregnant beyond their natural childbearing years. The poll was released to mark the TLC documentary Tina Malone: Pregnant At 50, which will air on Tuesday. The Shameless actress travelled to Cyprus for IVF treatment and conceived her daughter, Flame, with donor eggs, giving birth aged 50. Two-thirds of those surveyed said they thought children born to women aged 50 to 55 were negatively affected by having an older mother. This figure rose to 73 per cent of over-50s surveyed. Some 52 per cent said women who are 50 cannot be a good parent for a child through to adulthood.When asked about men aged 50 and over having children, 43 per cent said the same. The Shameless actress travelled to Cyprus for IVF treatment and conceived her daughter, Flame, with donor eggs, giving birth aged 50 . Malone, now aged 51, had her first child aged 17. She said: 'People might consider me over the hill and too old to be a mum but physically, emotionally, mentally and financially I am much better off now, as a mum at 50, than I was as a mum at 17 when nobody criticised me for having a baby. 'I have more stamina and energy than most 27-year-olds, and all the time to give to my baby. Of course there has to be a cut-off, but if you are fit and healthy and financially secure, then you should be allowed to have a child at 50.' Today's survey also revealed people's main concerns when it comes to older mothers. Some 72 per cent said the main worry for mothers over 40 was their health during pregnancy and birth, while 68 per cent said the impact on young children when their parent dies is also a concern. Meanwhile, 62 per cent said the health of the child owing to having an older mother was an issue. When asked what was the ideal age for women to have their first baby, 27 was the most popular age.Susanna Dinnage, managing director of Discovery Networks UK, said: 'The findings reveal that most people believe 40 should be the cut-off for parenthood. 'However, juxtaposed against this public view, Tina gives a very moving and compelling account of one woman's personal decision to have a child at 50, three decades after she had her first child.' Pope Francis announced he was selling one of his two Harley Davidson motorbikes and hopes to raise £12,000 for charity. But it fetched more than £200,000 at auction . The pontiff was given two bikes and a leather jacket by Harley Davidson to celebrate their 110th anniversary . | 1/4 believe women should stop trying to bring babies into world past 40 .
They think the age of 43 should be the cut-off for men wanting children .
Poll was released to mark TLC documentary Tina Malone: Pregnant At 50 . |
241,070 | c41871df8996c5d28c6fd068c230ea56bfdfcbf4 | By . Simon Tomlinson . PUBLISHED: . 04:38 EST, 4 December 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 10:42 EST, 4 December 2013 . Royal Bank of Scotland and Barclays are among a raft of global banking giants fined a record €1.7 billion (£1.4 billion) for forming illegal cartels to rig benchmark interest rates. Eight banks have agreed penalties with the European Commission (EC) over allegations they formed cartels to fix two key rates used to set the price of trillions of dollars of financial products from mortgages to complex financial products. RBS will pay €391 million (£325 million) for its role in the attempted rigging of the Yen Libor and Euribor - the Tokyo and euro area equivalents of the London interbank offered rate (Libor). Sanctioned: The London headquarters of Royal Bank of Scotland, which is among eight banks which have been fined a record £1.4billion for rigging interest-rate benchmarks . But Barclays is immune from a potential €690 million (£573 million) penalty after blowing the whistle on the Euribor cartel. The sanctions - the first from the EC on rate manipulation - are the highest yet for European antitrust enforcement. Barclays and state-backed RBS have . already been fined following an investigation into the rigging of Libor, . paying penalties of £290 million and £391 million respectively. Other banks fined by the EC in the Euribor case are German group Deutsche Bank and French player Societe Generale. Those . involved in the Yen Libor case are RBS, Swiss group UBS, Deutsche Bank, . US giants JPMorgan Chase & Co and Citigroup and UK-based wholesale . broker RP Martin. UBS avoided a hefty 2.5 billion euro (£2.1 billion) fine after flagging up the Yen Libor cartel with the EC. Rate-fixing rap: Barclays has also been fined over the scandal, but is immune from a potential ¿690 million (£573 million) penalty after blowing the whistle on the Euribor cartel . Fellow British bank HSBC is . understood to have pulled out of the Euribor settlement talks, alongside . US group JPMorgan Chase & Co and French group Credit Agricole, . while broker ICAP is said to have refused settlement in the Yen Libor . probe. The EC said cartel investigations involving these firms will continue. Joaquin . Almunia, EC vice-president in charge of competition policy, said: 'What . is shocking about the Libor and Euribor scandals is not only the . manipulation of benchmarks, which is being tackled by financial . regulators worldwide, but also the collusion between banks who are . supposed to be competing with each other. 'Today's . decision sends a clear message that the commission is determined to . fight and sanction these cartels in the financial sector.' Scandal: Those involved in the Yen Libor case are RBS, Swiss group UBS, Deutsche Bank, US giants JPMorgan Chase & Co (above) and Citigroup and UK-based wholesale broker RP Martin . The EC sanctions serve as the latest reminder of wrongdoing in the industry, which has been left reeling following a series of scandals in recent years. Authorities worldwide have so far fined UBS, RBS, Barclays, Rabobank and ICAP for manipulating rates, while seven individuals face criminal charges. UBS has paid the largest penalty yet in the clampdown, fined 1.5 billion US dollars (£917 million) late last year. But Barclays was the first to settle and suffered a major reputational blow, which claimed the scalp of former chief executive Bob Diamond and has led to a major overhaul of practices and culture in the bank. Barclays said it 'voluntarily' reported the Euribor cartel to the EC and 'co-operated fully' with the investigation. | Banks agree fines with EU Commission over claims they formed cartels .
Figure is the highest anti-trust penalty ever imposed by the EU body .
RBS will pay £325m over attempted rigging of Yen Libor and Euribor .
Rates are used to set price of trillion of dollars of financial products .
EC boss: Shocking collusion between banks meant to be competing with each other . |
91,879 | 022fddab6c746d35d40208022e0be0b07f757780 | Exeter Chiefs run in three tries in straightforward win . Victory for the Chiefs seals an eighth place Aviva Premiership finish for 2013-14 . Defeat for the Newcastle Falcons was their 16th straight league loss in a torrid season . Exeter Chiefs cruised to a comfortable 23-13 win over Newcastle Falcons at Kingston Park to clinch eighth place in the Aviva Premiership. Luke Cowan-Dickie and Ben White grabbed close-range first-half tries to put the Chiefs in charge and ensure the Falcons' run without a Premiership win would be extended to 16 matches. Henry Slade added a conversion and two penalties for the Chiefs to two from Joel Hodgson before a late flurry saw Fetu Vainikolo add Exeter's third try in the 79th minute and Falcons No8 Mark Wilson score in stoppage time with Phil Godman adding the conversion. On the ball: Fetu Vainikolo scored Exeter Chiefs' final try in their 13-23 win at Newcastle Falcons on Saturday . Up for it: Chiefs' victory at Newcastle sees them finish the season eighth in the Aviva Premiership . Newcastle made a bright start with Sinoti Sinoti and Alex Tait making penetrating runs which eventually led to tackles being penalised. Hodgson knocked over both in the third and seventh minutes for a 6-0 lead. But Exeter's well-organised line-out drive made it look easy for hooker Cowan-Dickie to claim the first try for the Chiefs in the 12th minute to make it 6-5, Slade failing to add the conversion. It seemed Dave Lewis must score when he raced away after snapping up the ball in broken play just inside his own half but the scrum half was chased down by Hodgson and caught just 10 metres short. The Falcons were happy to escape when Lewis dived into the scrum to concede a penalty. Exeter looked the more threatening and some heavy-duty pick and drives ended with Oliver Tomaszczyk diving in to concede a penalty which Slade kicked after 28 minutes to ease the Chiefs 8-6 ahead. Newcastle wasted a couple of chances when they failed to win their own ball at a line-out five metres out and then Gonzalo Tiesi was hauled down just short of the corner flag after clever footwork from Sinoti. Consolation: Mark Wilson (bottom) scored a late try for Newcastle who finish the season in 11th position . But Exeter dominated the closing minutes of the half as flanker White crashed through from close range again and Slade's conversion secured a 15-6 interval lead. The Falcons started the second half well with James Fitzpatrick bouncing off a couple of tackles but their inability to hang on to the ball was proving costly and they spent the next 10 minutes defending during which Slade kicked a 57th minute penalty for 18-6. Newcastle did rally briefly with Sinoti barrelling through again and the ball went through several pairs of hands in a brief flurry down the left but Godman's attempted chip was charged down and Exeter broke out of defence to move back into the Falcons half and dominate the last quarter. Miserable season: Despite avoiding relegation, Newcastle's defeat was their 16th consecutive in the league . Slade kept the Falcons pinned in their own 22 and they could even afford a missed penalty from Gareth Steenson with three minutes left because Vainikolo crashed over a minute from time with the home defence shredded. The Falcons did, at least, have the last word when Wilson rumbled through deep into stoppage time and Godman added the extras. | Exeter Chiefs run in three tries in straightforward win .
Victory for the Chiefs seals an eighth place Aviva Premiership finish for 2013-14 .
Defeat for the Newcastle Falcons was their 16th straight league loss in a torrid season . |
88,347 | fac3105a1f70741a64d2a2b9ef9f4b247eac06d7 | Sometimes, a picture is worth a thousand songs. The supersized book 108 Rock Star Guitars (Glitterati Inc.) demonstrates that six-stringed instruments owned by celebrities and virtuoso sidemen can look as good as they rock. The 17-year undertaking by photographer Lisa S. Johnson partly benefits the Les Paul Foundation. Paul, the Rock Hall musician-inventor, wrote the foreword before he died. Not a guitar geek? Don't fret. Battle scars: This photo by Lisa S. Johnson shows Willie Nelson's guitar, named Trigger. The instrument has a hole worn through it, and is inscribed with dozens of autographs . Patched together: This guitar, owned by John Rzeznik of the Goo Goo Dolls, was a resurrected broken Stratocaster. He turned it into a four-string, named Halfcaster, and used it on a song called Big Machine . Whether you define 'pickup' as a truck, a dating technique or a guitar part, you can revel in the glitz-and-grit world where these prized possessions reside. The instruments (one's named Baby) evoke tender talk from macho musicians. But some of these battle-ax beauties have seen more action than a roller derby queen: They bear the gashes and sweat stains to prove it. The author, who grew up in a musical family, underscores musicians' emotional attachment to their instruments. 'I don't believe any serious musician feels that his instrument is an inanimate object,' Tom Scholz of the group Boston tells Johnson. Full of character: This double-neck guitar named Uncle Dick, is owned by Rick Nielsen of the group Cheap Trick . Old friends: Cheap Trick's Rick Nielsen holds his trademark guitar, Uncle Dick, at the Virgin Festival in Baltimore in August 2007 . Steve Vai, who went solo after playing with Frank Zappa's band, once described his guitar as 'the voice of my heart' in moments of depression, euphoria and 'divine love. ... I have cried, screamed, prayed and bled through that instrument.' The book lauds the instrument-makers, called luthiers, and the techs, along with the guitars. 'I have cried, screamed, prayed and bled through that instrument' Pawnshop . wallflowers blossom into unbridled stardom. There are kaleidoscopic, . patriotic and wildcat patterns; gorgeous maple and mahogany; delicate . carvings of leaves and acorns; a stuck-on Chinese cookie fortune; python . skin; fake fur; little-girl superheroes. Some seem to revel in musical masochism: . - Zakk Wylde (Ozzy Osbourne Band) - blowtorch burns, hammered-on bottle caps. - . Slash (Velvet Revolver, Guns N' Roses) - cigarette carelessness. As the . story goes, the guitarist was 'one with the music' while accidentally . inflicting a 'charred reminder of rock `n' roll nirvana.' John . Rzeznik (Goo Goo Dolls) resurrected a broken Stratocaster into a . 4-string. The word 'OUCH!' is splayed over its torso; it's now named . Halfcaster. Fuzzy friend: A guitar covered with fake fur, is owned by Billy Gibbons of the group ZZ Top . Elaborate: A guitar owned by James J.Y. Young of the group Styx. The instrument bears a carving of Cerberus, ancient mythology's three-headed Underworld guard dog . Telling a story: This guitar, owned by activist-musician Tom Morello, has scrawled jarring jargon over drawings of happy hippos . 'I was amazed when I threw the guitar . in the air and the top portion split right off,' Rzeznik recalled via . email. 'I had my guitar tech take it to a luthier in LA who sanded off . the rough edges and fixed the electronics. 'I . used it on a song called Big Machine for a couple years after that. Surprisingly, the tone didn't really change; it was a cheap guitar that . didn't sound that great to begin with. Haha!' 'I was amazed when I threw the guitar . in the air and the top portion split right off' The appreciation of instruments as visual art is an age-old concept. They . 'may evoke status, identity, or indicate events - sacred or profane,' comments J. Kenneth Moore, the Frederick P. Rose curator in charge of . the Department of Musical Instruments at The Metropolitan Museum of Art . in New York City. 'They become sounding, tangible works of art - telling . many stories of the life and times of those who used them,' he said. A . guitar owned by James J.Y. Young of Styx bears an elaborate carving of . Cerberus, ancient mythology's three-headed Underworld guard dog. Maturing together: Country music legend Willie Nelson performs at the 20th anniversary Farm Aid concert in Tinley Park, Ill. on September 18, 2005, with his famous guitar Trigger . A double-neck owned by Cheap Trick's Rick Nielsen has a quirky folk art feel. Its two-pronged top forms the legs of Nielsen's upside-down caricature. The figure, named Uncle Dick, displays a thumbs-up, but his expression looks maniacal. When Mom made young Nils Lofgren a Nehru jacket and bell-bottom pants out of drapes, he proudly stuck leftover fabric on his guitar so it matched his new suit. The book also features a famous, battered Fender Esquire owned by Lofgren's boss, Bruce Springsteen. 'Willie Nelson and Trigger continue to mature together' Before a Rage Against the Machine performance, Tom Morello scrawled 'Arm the Homeless' on his guitar. The jarring jargon co-exists with Morello's drawings of happy hippos. Like most art, it invites interpretation. In Johnson's view, he's contrasting the have-nots and the haves (rotund creatures 'gobbling their food'). Willie Nelson's Trigger, named for movie-cowboy Roy Rogers' horse, bears dozens of autographs, including Leon Russell, Roger Miller, Kris Kristofferson, Gene Autry, Waylon Jennings and Johnny Cash. Trigger's top is worn clear through; Nelson chooses to leave it that way. 'The two of them,' notes the book, 'continue to mature together.' Life partners in perfect harmony. | 108 Rock Star Guitars by by photographer Lisa S. Johnson was 17 years in the making . |
271,909 | ec36f8df0295c07fd5b811d0ed249ca2b6c9bcb6 | By . Olivia Williams . These realistic, giant animal sculptures are created entirely from reclaimed driftwood. Using salvaged tree branches, sticks and roots found on the Washington coastline, artist Jeffro Uitto can fashion anything from huge wooden animals to intricate home furniture. Each sculpture can take years to create and finding the right piece for each project can take months at a time. Dramatic: One of Jeffro Uitto's larger-than-life wooden animals, complete with flowing mane and tail . Impressive: Talented Jeffro Uitto's wooden masterpieces are made from entirely salvaged driftwood . Catch of the day: A scarily realistic giant crab sculpture . Detailed: All the crab's limbs and the curve of its shell have been perfectly replicated . Master craftsman: Artist Jeffro Uitto with his amazing wooden crab sculpture . Jeffro's love for creating art from . salvaged driftwood began at an early age and he now runs his own shop in . Tokeland, Washington, USA. His incredible artwork has become so . popular that he is inundated with requests to travel and make bespoke . pieces on site. Jeffro said: 'I've always loved . working with wood. I love using such beautiful, natural shapes and . giving them a new lease of life.' Natural: An incredible wooden eagle seemingly soaring over a lake in Washington state . Soaring: The eagle's carefully constructed wings are best seen from below . Towering: A project like this huge driftwood giraffe can take years to make as the artist has find all the right pieces of wood in nature . Recycled: The artist makes sure all the driftwood he finds get a second lease of life . 'I have many different spots where I . am able to hunt for material and I find most of my pieces in the winter, . when storms are moving the wood around.' 'In fact finding material is half the fun, it's like a big treasure hunt. 'The pieces I find inspire the . project a lot of the time, I will also come up with an idea and then . save pieces for as long as it takes to accomplish it.' At work: Jeffro Uitto sculpting wood at his workshop in Tokeland, Washington . Bespoke: Jeffro is also commissioned to make wooden pieces for people's homes, such as this archway . Offbeat archway: The incredible artwork has become so popular that Jeffro is inundated with requests to make bespoke pieces on site for customers . Quirky: Many customers ask for these dramatic outsized thrones . Imaginative: Jeffro says that it is the shapes of the wooden pieces that he finds which inspire the designs . Creative: Jeffro Uitto says, 'I'm going to have to live until I'm 300 years old to pull off all the ideas I have' The various sticks, wooden slabs, and . roots that he finds are cured and eventually found a fitting home as the . artworks come together. 'It can be a very long process, from finding and drying the material to then putting the wood into a project. 'It's definitely challenging at . times. Shaping, fitting and moving the wood takes a lot of energy, I'm . going to have to live until I'm 300 years old to pull off all the ideas I . have." | Talented artist Jeffro Uitto makes unique sculptures from salvaged wood . |
164,377 | 608d0e6ea16adcd33bcfca15c0876d287bf4eef1 | By . Lydia Warren . Arrest: Randy Johnson, 51, allegedly kidnapped and sexually assaulted a teenage girl . A 51-year-old man who allegedly kidnapped a 14-year-old girl with Down syndrome has now been charged with sexual assault. Randy Johnson was arrested at a trailer park in Harlingen, Texas on Wednesday morning after the girl vanished from her family's home 350 miles away in Magnolia on Monday. Her family is now traveling south to meet the girl, who was taken to hospital after the arrest. Her mental disabilities cause . her to act like a five or six year old, her family previously said. 'She is fine, she is a little scared, because no one is with her,' her father told KHOU. 'They asked us if we can head down there to pick her up.' Her mother added: 'I just want to hug her. That's it. I just want to wrap her in my arms and hug her and not let her ever go.' The girl, whom MailOnline is not naming because she is the alleged victim of a sexual assault, has Down Syndrome, autism and Pervasive Developmental Disorder (PDD). Police had issued an Amber Alert earlier this week after the teenager vanished on Monday and authorities were able to track Johnson down using his cell phone. Victim: The girl, pictured left and right with her mother, was rescued and is now being met by her family . Johnson, who had worked with the victim's father, moved into her family's home after suffering from colon cancer. But after eight months, they kicked him out for getting 'too close' to their daughter. 'We were literally listening to every conversation, and it was in code,' her mother said. 'So once we decided what the codes were, it was like, you have to go, you can't be here.' On Monday, she went outside to check the mail but never came home, and witnesses said they had last seen her by the mailbox on a cell phone. The teenager's aunt said that she had recently taken a cell phone from the girl, so Johnson must have given her another one. After she disappeared, her parents said they received a call from Johnson. Scene: She vanished from outside her family's trailer park home, pictured, on Monday, her parents said . 'He . calls us and says, "Y'all will never see her again" and . things like that,' her father said. '"Where we're going you . can't get there". Not even ten minutes later he calls back and goes, . "La-la-la-la".' The parents . added that Johnson claimed he was going to be passing through a . checkpoint, but pointed out that the family had no IDs to be able to do . the same. Johnson was at the Cameron County Jail on Wednesday, being held on kidnapping charges and aggravated sexual assault of a child. He is expected to be . extradited to Montgomery to face official charges. | The teenager vanished from outside her family's home in Magnolia, Texas on Monday and was found 350 miles away on Wednesday .
The girl was inside a trailer with Randy Johnson, 51 .
Johnson had lived at the girl's family home until her parents kicked him out for getting 'too close' to her .
After she went missing, they say he told them on the phone: 'You'll never see her again. Where we're going, you'll never get to us' |
197,172 | 8b3451e957de43f7cdd52fa61637aa3ccfdf3372 | Iraqi soldiers battling ISIS militants have recaptured most of the town of Beiji, home to the country's largest oil refinery. The strategic town, which is situated 155 miles north of Baghdad, is now likely to become the base for a future push to take back Saddam Hussein's hometown. There was no word on the fate of the refinery, which lies on Beiji's northern outskirts, today but the advances in the town could help break the five-month siege of the facility by Islamic State fighters. Iraqi soldiers battling ISIS have recaptured most of the town of Beiji, home to the country's largest oil refinery which has been under attack by militants for more than five months. Pictured: Smoke rises from the facility . Since June, a small army unit inside the refinery has successfully resisted wave after wave of extremist assaults. Lifting the siege of the refinery, which sits inside a sprawling complex, was said to be the next objective in the campaign to rid Beiji of the militants, according to military officials in the town. However, hours after news of the recapturing of Beiji broke, a suicide bomber rammed his explosives-laden car into a military outpost in the Tarmiyah district north of Baghdad, killing seven soldiers and wounding 13 others. Those killed included the post's commander, a major, two other officers, a captain and a lieutenant, police said. There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack, but it bore the hallmarks of the militant Sunnis of the Islamic State group. Elsewhere, nine people were killed and 24 injured in three separate blasts in and around Baghdad. State television has today quoted the top army commander in Beiji, Gen. Abdul-Wahab al-Saadi, as saying troops also recaptured Beiji's local government and police headquarters at the centre of the town. It aired footage of army tanks and armored personnel carriers moving around the town's dusty streets and a ball of white smoke rising in the background. Al-Saadi later spoke to state television by telephone but the line appeared to be cut off after he said his forces were meeting stiff resistance. Three military officials later said the advancing army troops and Shiite militiamen are being slowed down by booby-trapped houses and ambushes. Iraqi military forces (pictured in Jurf al-Sakher town, south of Baghdad earlier this week) have reclaimed Beiji . Raed Ibrahim, the governor of Salahuddin province, where both Beiji and Tikrit are located, said the military had secured about 75 per cent of the town, retaking the centre of the town and outlying districts. He said government forces continued to meet fierce resistance from the militants, whom he said were using suicide bombers to stall the military's advance. Neither the military officials nor Ibrahim gave casualty figures for the government forces or the militants. The officials, however, said the forces had blocked access to Beiji from Anbar province, where militants control vast swaths of land, prior to their assault on the town to prevent militant reinforcements from reaching the city. Government officials in Baghdad offered no immediate comment on the news. The Beiji oil refinery has a capacity of some 320,000 barrels a day, accounting for a quarter of Iraq's refining capacity. A fire raged for days back in June at one of its storage units, but the refinery is believed to have also suffered major damage elsewhere. Iraq's army and security forces have partially regrouped after melting away in the face of the summer's Islamic State group offensive. ISIS militants retreated from the town of Jurf al-Sakher in the wake of Iraqi military forces fighting back . In recent weeks, they have recaptured a string of small towns and villages, but taking Beiji would be strategically significant in what is shaping up to be a drawn-out campaign of attrition against the extremists. Recapturing Beiji also would be a major boost for Iraq's Shiite-led government. Airstrikes by a U.S.-led coalition have aided Iraqi forces, militias and Kurdish peshmerga fighters battling Islamic State militants. Hundreds of U.S. advisers and trainers also have been working with the Iraqis. U.S. Central Command said yesterday that coalition aircraft have conducted seven airstrikes near Beiji since Friday, destroying three small militant units, a sniper position and two militant vehicles, including one used for construction. | Iraqi soldiers battling ISIS militants have recaptured majority of the town Beiji .
Town, 150 miles north of Baghdad, is home to country's largest oil refinery .
Advances could help halt five-month siege of facility by Islamic State fighters . |
124,830 | 2d5830c7165903412e403a4a44c47cd43d2a3aa7 | By . Martin Robinson . PUBLISHED: . 08:35 EST, 26 November 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 11:57 EST, 26 November 2012 . A web of tens of thousands of bogus companies set up in Britain and fronted by sham directors dotted around the globe is helping aggressive tax evaders and criminals keep millions, an investigation revealed today. An undercover BBC probe has exposed the illegal scam after they secretly filmed brokers bragging they had more chance of 'winning the lottery' than being caught by HM Revenue and Customs. Tonight's Panorama lays bare a network of at least 21,000 of these companies, headed by just a few dozen puppet managers in various obscure countries who are paid just to front the tax fiddle. Scroll down for video . Claims: Jesse Hester (left) was filmed saying the undercover journalist had more chance of winning the lottery than being caught while James Turner (right) said HMRC had 'never got to the money' View: MD Russell Lebe told the undercover reporter that if they were approached by the authorities about money laundering they would hand over his details, but his response about tax evasion was as pictured . Many of these 'corporate service . providers' are based in the UK - and are willing to set up tax evasion . schemes and sometimes allow money laundering of criminal funds. Behind the scenes these . brokers are controlling the investments, and cleaning dirty money or . hiding assets from the UK tax man. James Turner of Turner Little in York, said on film he had 10,000 of these set up and HMRC had 'never got to the money'. Admitting that they were fronted by . nominee directors he said: 'They won't even know that they are a . director, they just get paid,' adding that these individuals just sign . off documents and send it back in the post. The BBC also filmed Russell Lebe, Managing Director of Readymade Companies Worldwide, who was willing to invest money via India. He said if the authorities got in contact about potential tax evasion 'we wouldn't give a monkeys'. Explanation: Mr Turner said by using bogus directors the investor's involvement cannot be traced . One undercover reporter approached a . broker and said he had £6million of undeclared cash in Switzerland, and . was told to siphon it through Belize, which would be controlled in . secret behind one of these puppet directors. Jesse Hester, from Atlas Corporate Services, is filmed saying: 'Tax authorities don't have the resources to chase everybody down. They reckon it's probably the same rough odds as probably winning the lottery'. The fake directors they use nearly always live in far-flung places and only pretend to control the businesses, an illegal act that the UK Government said they had crushed decades ago. These arrangements, found by the BBC in a joint sting with the Guardian . and the Washington-based International Consortium of Investigative . Journalists, make sure it is sufficiently complicated to ensure HMRC struggle to trace the cash and allows rich individuals to conceal their assets. Scam: A web of thousands of companies fronted by sham directors has been uncovered, which keeps millions in tax from the Treasury (pictured) Nominee directors are not illegal as long as they are involved in the running of the business and know what the company is doing. Therefore these sham managers are not allowed. Conspiracy: Expert Jonathan Fisher QC said if the system is being used in this way then it is clearly criminal . White collar crime expert Jonathan Fisher QC said the system breaks the law. 'If this proceeded and the company was set up and it was set up in the way in which it is being discussed, then plainly some very serious criminal offences would be committed,' he said. After the sting James Turner denied any wrongdoing and Turner Little said it takes its responsibilities seriously, launching an internal investigation. The controversial evasion technique became famous in the 1990s when it was used in the Channel Islands - known as the 'Sark Lark - before it was stamped out by the then Tory government. One person was found to be the directors of at least 1,300 companies and the 600 people who lived there held 15,000 directorships. This has all but disappeared on the island after the law was changed but now it appears that it has returned in strength around the globe. Former Met Police Detective Superintendent Tristram Hicks, an expert on money laundering, said: 'What I'm shocked by, and concerned by, is the apparent ease with which you've discovered these people.' HMRC say that most of these 2,000-plus corporate service providers operate legally but admitted that they have never prosecuted anyone for setting up a system to help evade tax or launder money in this way. To see more click here for the BBC Panorama homepage . | More than 20,000 companies being run by only a few dozen people, BBC Panorama finds .
Individuals are being paid to front businesses in tax havens they have nothing to do with - an illegal act in the UK .
Probe films brokers admitting more chance of winning the lottery than being caught by HMRC .
Another man says about tax evasion 'we wouldn't give a monkeys' |
146,944 | 4a064ff20ba4c727c0e24af95bae228d8fd7a999 | Police in Russia are tracking a gang - apparently including a doctor - who drugged a TV soap actor and removed his testicles. Dmitry Nikolaev, 30, had a drink with a 'young blonde woman' who approached him at a bar after he finished a performance at a small Moscow theatre. Flirting with him, she invited him to a sauna, and though he was married, he agreed to go with her. Scroll down for video . Dmitry Nikolaev, a married TV actor whose testicles were removed by a gang after he was apparently drugged in a bar in Moscow . 'They kissed and had some more beer and after that the actor remembers nothing,' said a police source. He woke up next day at a bus stop, feeling acute pain, and with blood on his trousers. Rushed to hospital, he was told that his testicles had been removed and that 'it was done like proper surgery by someone with a medical education'. The operation was conducted in a 'skillful way', said police, who believe his beer was spiked by an unknown drug. Mr Nikolaev only realised that his testicles had been removed when he woke up at a bus stop in acute pain with blood all over his trousers . They fear a gang seeking to sell human organs on the black market. The actor, now working as a children's animator, was too embarrassed at first to explain what had happened to his wife, said media reports. Russia's Life News carried exclusive pictures of the victim in hospital. | Dmitry Nikolaev was approached by a young woman in a bar in Moscow .
The 30-year-old enjoyed a drink and a sauna with her before he blacked out .
Woke the next morning in a bus stop in acute pain and covered in blood .
Rushed to hospital where he was told that his testicles had been removed .
Police believe he was spiked and procedure was carried out in a 'skillfully'
They fear that his testicles were removed by a gang selling organs on the black market . |
218,889 | a7561cc7d5c946c72cd1cbb0ec9b402a427dddf6 | PUBLISHED: . 08:53 EST, 11 October 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 08:54 EST, 11 October 2013 . Amanda Leve, 16, wanted to join Archbishop Ryan High School’s wrestling team. The Catholic Newton High School in Philadelphia told her no because she’s a girl.According to spokesperson for the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, their decision reflects the catholic teaching that gender differences play a role in the development of mature Christian identity.The 16-year-old already has a well-known identity in the fighting world and practices six days a week from 6-9 p.m. She is skilled in Brazilian Jujitsu, boxing, and Muay Thai. She also wakes up at 4:30 in the morning before school to lift weights and do some cardio. Scroll Down for Video . Archbishop Ryan High School says no to 16-year-old Amanda Leve because girls participating in contact sports goes against the school's catholic beliefs . Archbishop Ryan High School in Philadelphia doesn't let girls participate in contact sports . She competes all over the United States and is often paired with male opponents. According to an article about Leve on Phillyfit.com, when the teen was 14 she was already fighting women’s and teen boy’s advanced division in weight classes two divisions higher than her own (heavy and super heavy weight). By the age of 18, Leve hopes to participate in Octagon Cage Fighting, a televised UFC event on the Fox channel on Friday nights.Why does Amanda want to participate in her high school’s wrestling team when she already takes part in other competitions? Because she believes wrestling will help her gain a college scholarship.Amanda is a self-professed tomboy and has no qualms about learning new techniques and learning how to wrestle. Amanda also has a younger brother, but he doesn't share her desire to fight competitively. Amanda’s father told Fox that the school hasn’t given a definite no but by the time the archbishops meet in April to discuss the matter, wrestling season will already be over. Shes got game! Amanda Leve can fight both males and females in higher weight divisions . | Amanda Leve already competes against teen boys and girls in higher weight divisions .
Amanda believes that wrestling, in addition to her other sports, will help her gain a college scholarship .
Letting girls compete in contact sports goes against the school's Catholic beliefs . |
4,049 | 0baadc5354831488193f6b25d8f35bd2045fc911 | By . Margot Peppers . A little girl got the surprise of her life when her blanket and stuffed animal lambie were returned to her in the mail after she thought she'd lost them forever. Seven-year-old Reagan Porter, from Eden Prairie, Minnesota, was vacationing with her parents in Montgomery, Texas, when she accidentally left her precious cargo behind. Fortunately, a caring employee at La Torretta Lake Resort, where the Porters had been staying, made it her mission to return the items to their rightful owner. Scroll down for video . Reunited: Seven-year-old Reagan Porter, from Eden Prairie, Minnesota, got the surprise of her life when her blanket and stuffed animal lambie were returned to her after she believed she'd lost them forever . Lost and found: Reagan was vacationing with her parents in Montgomery, Texas, when she accidentally left her precious cargo behind. Thankfully, hotel employee Christina Cooper went the extra mile to find them . Christina Cooper, 25, the resort's loss-prevention lead supervisor, told ABC News that Mr Porter called her the day he and his family checked out in the hopes that she could return the toys to his daughter. After an initial search, she failed to find them and assumed they'd gotten mixed up in laundry. But about a month later, Mrs Cooper - who has a three-year-old son of her own - checked the housekeeping bin once more and discovered what she had been looking for. Eager to put a smile on little Reagan's face, she found the Porters' information and called them immediately. The girl's father answered. Success story: The resort's loss-prevention lead supervisor Christina Cooper, who has a three-year-old son of her own, found the items about a month later and called Mr Porter immediately . Personal touch: Not only did she send the things back to Reagan, but she attached a note to her from the lambie that read: 'I missed you and I love you and I'm so glad to see you' 'You could just hear it in his voice . before I even said anything,' the hotel employee explained. 'I could tell he was . hoping it would be about her lost stuffed animal.' Not only did she want to return the beloved things to Reagan, but Mrs Cooper also decided to go the extra mile to make the little girl especially happy. 'I had asked the dad if I could address . the box to his daughter, because you know how kids get when they receive . things in the mail,' she explained. ABC US News | ABC Business News . Vacation spot: Mrs Cooper works at La Torretta Lake Resort, where the Porters had been staying . 'And I also asked if I could attach a . note to the lamb doll that would seem like he was talking to her.' On the note, the thoughtful mother-of-one wrote: 'I missed you and I love you and I'm so glad to see you.' Her efforts undoubtedly paid off; in a heartwarming moment that was captured on video, Reagan is seen opening a package to find her lambie and blanket inside, and her jubilant squealing says it all. | Christina Cooper, the loss-prevention lead supervisor at La Torretta Lake Resort, returned the lambie with a note from the stuffed animal that read: 'I missed you and I love you and I'm so glad to see you' |
65,868 | baf93872160d4f5e04afb73af71889df9f00eba6 | NAIROBI, Kenya (CNN) -- Pirates on a seized Saudi-owned oil supertanker are delaying release of the ship despite receiving a ransom because of a fatal drowning accident that killed four of their colleagues, a journalist who spoke with one of the pirates told CNN. A small aircraft is observed by the U.S. Navy flying over the Sirius Star during a seeming ransom payment Friday. The pirates had been expected to release the Sirius Star, which they've held since November 15, after a ransom payment was parachuted onto the ship. The journalist told CNN that the pirate who spoke said four pirates drowned after a skiff carrying leaving the Sirius Star capsized due to rough seas. Sea charts showed that waves in the area were reaching 5 to 7 feet at the time. There were five pirates in the skiff and one survived, the journalist said. The bodies of the other four were recovered, he said, adding that this will delay the exit of the pirates still remaining on board the ship and thus affect the ship's release after payment of the ransom. The tanker was carrying two million barrels of crude oil worth about $100 million when pirates hijacked it off the coast of Somalia. Pirates seized the Sirius Star more than 450 nautical miles off the African coast in one of their most audacious hijackings to date. The pirates told another journalist that they received $3 million in ransom money, but lost part of it when the skiff capsized. The remaining ransom money is still aboard the ship with the rest of the pirates. The U.S. Navy took photographs and observed as an apparent ransom payment was parachuted aboard the tanker. The pirates aboard the supertanker have equipment to check for counterfeit bills, authorities said. "While the potential release of the Sirius Star is undoubtedly excellent news, we must not forget that nearly 300 other merchant mariners (on other ships) are still being held captive," said Commodore Tim Lowe, deputy Combined Maritime Forces commander. Hijackings off East Africa are a cause of growing international concern, spurring a number of international navies to patrol the pirate-wracked Gulf of Aden. See how pirate attacks peaked in 2008 » . Dozens of ships have been attacked in the gulf by pirates based in a largely lawless Somalia in recent months. See a map of the region » . The area involved, off the coast of Somalia and Kenya as well as the Gulf of Aden, equals more than 1.1 million square miles. That is roughly four times the size of Texas, or the size of the Mediterranean and Red Seas combined. | Pirates counting ransom money aboard hijacked Saudi supertanker .
Witness tells local journalist that ship, crew to be released in next 24 hours .
Tanker was carrying two million barrels of crude oil worth about $100 million .
U.S. Navy took photos of apparent ransom payment being dropped onto ship . |
211,089 | 9d5c47d6e629177d0c8ea2f2630ca83d6415f07e | (CNN) -- Cardiff University may be struck by lightning every day, but it's nothing to do with the miserable British weather. Deep within the Welsh university's department of engineering is a state-of-the-art "lightning-lab" where bolts of electricity are shot onto aircraft components. The idea is to recreate the conditions present when lightning strikes a plane at 35,000 feet, testing the fortitude of composite materials and conductor strips found on modern planes. "There is a lightning strike every second around the world (and) every single aircraft is hit by lightning once a year," said Professor Manu Hadad of Cardiff University's Institute of Energy. Displaying the charred remains of two recently zapped plane panels, Hadad explains that a thin layer of copper mesh on an aircraft's exterior can drastically reduce the damage caused when lightning strikes. With support from the government and aerospace manufacturer, EADS, the ultimate aim of the $2 million project is to further refine and increase the working knowledge of how aircraft cope with these elements at altitude. Explore more: How airports beat bad weather . But while of particular interest to the electrical storm specialists at Cardiff University, lightning is just one of the many extreme weather phenomena encountered by planes when in the air. The build up of ice and strong winds in particular can also be issues and a host of academic institutions are applying hi-tech techniques to study the impact these conditions can have. Watch this: Superjumbo visits in tiny French village . At Cranfield University just outside London a team of engineers specialize in analyzing the formation of ice around engines and on aeroplane wings. Here, sub-zero temperatures are created and tests carried out in a specially designed "icing-tunnel" with the aim of understanding ice and its aerodynamic qualities. According to Dr David Hammond of Cranfield's School of Engineering, a large build up of ice can alter the shape and performance of vital aircraft components. Pointing to a freshly tested model wing, Hammond explains how "the ice that forms (during flight)... can have a big spike that reverses the curvature of the leading (wing) edge and creates unsteadiness." "In an aircraft we work out which parts are most critical and make sure they're protected one way or another," he added. Researchers at Cranfield are currently investigating how a wire mesh can act as an effective method of preventing ice build up near fuel tanks. But Hammond is hopeful that other discoveries on how planes react to extreme weather will arise during the process of the group's studies. "We're really trying to support the people who design and test aircraft," Hammond said. "There's always a little bit of efficiencies that we can build in or maybe we can design slightly more efficiently to get performance for the passengers and for the environment." | Extreme weather conditions can alter the performance of planes in flight .
A lightning-lab at Cardiff University recreates the conditions present when lightning strikes a plane .
An ice-tunnel experiment at Cranfield University analyzes the build up of ice on engines and wings . |
141,129 | 427aa6929bc5ced551bbb9cfe5879a6c4a8e3fd1 | By . Mark Duell . Charles Saatchi had the means to prevent his ex-wife Nigella Lawson entering the US, her friends suggested in extraordinary claims revealed today. The TV chef was stopped from boarding a flight at London Heathrow Airport on Sunday, apparently as a result of comments she made about taking drugs in evidence during an unrelated court case. But now, astonishingly, it has been alleged that Mr Saatchi could have had the connections to deny her entry to the US - even if he did not use them - thanks to his family links to the Obama campaign. Claim: Charles Saatchi (left) allegedly had the means to prevent ex-wife Nigella Lawson (right) entering the US . Mr Saatchi, 70, has a connection to Matthew Barzun, who was appointed US Ambassador in London by President Barack Obama last year, reported Emily Smith of the New York Post’s Page Six. Mr Barzun has been a Democratic party activist for many years - and the 43-year-old was an important fundraiser for the campaign to get Mr Obama elected in 2008, organising huge events. Also involved in the Obama campaign as a manager was 29-year-old Edward Saatchi - Mr Saatchi’s Oxford-educated nephew, who founded the private social network NationalField. A source told the New York Post: ‘We don’t know that Saatchi was behind this, but he certainly has the means and the contacts to do it. Links: Mr Saatchi reportedly has a connection to Matthew Barzun (pictured), 43, who was appointed US Ambassador in London by President Barack Obama last year . ‘Nigella’s friends cannot understand why she was specifically targeted, unless somebody, like her ex-husband, had tipped off the US authorities.’ 'We don’t know that Saatchi was behind this, but he certainly has the means and the contacts to do it' Source . At the trial of her and Mr Saatchi's personal assistants last year, the self-styled ‘domestic goddess’ admitted taking cocaine, and said her former husband was on a campaign to 'ruin me in any way'. There is no evidence that Mr Saatchi in fact used his contacts to prevent Miss Lawson’s entry to the US, or that any of the named contacts would have been willing to help him with this. The . US embassy in London said yesterday that following Miss Lawson being . prevented from flying to Los Angeles, she had now been invited to apply . for a visa and promised the matter could be ‘handled routinely and . expeditiously’. Relative: Edward Saatchi (pictured), 29, Mr Saatchi's Oxford-educated nephew, was involved in the 2008 Obama campaign as a manager and founded the private social network company NationalField . Admission: At the trial of Miss Lawson and Mr Saatchi's personal assistants Francesca Grillo (left) and Elisabetta Grillo (right) last year, the self-styled 'domestic goddess' admitted taking cocaine . During the . trial last December, the mother-of-two told jurors she took the class A . drug twice - once with her late husband John Diamond when he found out . he had terminal cancer and again in 2010 when she claimed she was being . ‘subjected to intimate terrorism’ by Mr Saatchi. BEFORE THE TRIAL . SAATCHI'I feel that I have clearly been a disappointment to Nigella during the last year or so' (2013) NIGELLA'I’ll go quiet when he explodes and then I am a nest of horrible festeringness' (2007) DURING THE TRIAL . SAATCHI . 'I was not gripping, strangling or throttling her. I was holding her head by the neck to make her focus, can we be clear?' ‘I adore Nigella now. I absolutely adore Nigella and I’m broken-hearted to have lost her’ NIGELLA'He said to me if I didn't go back and clear his name he would destroy me... I felt his way of getting things out was to use this case' 'It comes after a long summer of bullying and abuse and I find it another chapter in that' AFTER THE TRIAL . SAATCHI'The truth is that she was taking illegal drugs secretly throughout the last few years of our marriage, often with her own child when she was far too young to even smoke or drink' NIGELLA'To have not only your private life, but distortions of your private life, put on display is mortifying' 'There are people going through an awful lot worse and to dwell on any of it would be self-pity' But she told the court: ‘I have never been a drug addict. I've never been a habitual user.’ Miss . Lawson, 54, had also said during the trial that she had endured . bullying and abuse within her marriage, and believed Mr Saatchi was . using the case to air grievances. An eyewitness told the Mail . that Miss Lawson attempted to board a British Airways flight from London . on Sunday morning but was turned away. ‘She . didn't seem to say much but she did not look happy,’ the onlooker said. ‘She could not get on the flight so she had to turn around and leave.’ Legal experts said Miss Lawson . could have been unfortunate because her fame had drawn attention to what she said about drugs. However, Miss Lawson has visited America since the sensational court appearance. She appeared on US TV show Good Morning America to promote her show The Taste but also spoke at length about the trial of Elisabetta and Francesca Grillo. The Grillos had been accused of fraudulently using company credit cards, spending hundreds of thousands of pounds on designer goods for themselves while working as personal assistants to the celebrity couple. But the Italian sisters claimed every purchase had been approved by their then-bosses and they were found not guilty after jurors deliberated for nine hours. Miss Lawson told ABC's Good Morning America that having details of her acrimonious split from millionaire art dealer Mr Saatchi discussed in court under the glare of the world's media was ‘mortifying’. Comment requests were left today with Mr Saatchi’s spokesman and the US State Department. Passage blocked: Nigella Lawson could have been unlucky because her fame had drawn attention to the comments in court about drugs . Lawyer Susan McFadden, who specialises in US immigration law, said Nigella Lawson could have been unlucky because her fame had drawn attention to the comments in court about drugs. She explained: ‘In order to travel to the States without a visa on the visa waiver programme one has to obtain Esta (electronic system for travel authorisation) authorisation. ‘As part of that one has to answer questions about whether one has been arrested or convicted for an offence involving moral turpitude or in relation to a controlled substance. Someone in Ms Lawson's circumstances could tick no. ‘But the problem comes when one also has to answer a question as to whether you are a drug abuser or addict. The question of who is a drug user is a difficult one and is supposed to be directed by regulations set out by the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta. ‘Typically any person who has used drugs within the last year can be considered a drug abuser or addict. It could be because she is unlucky enough to be famous and her admission of drug use made the newspapers. ‘It could be that someone said “hey, if she has used illegal drugs in the past year she could be classed as a drug abuser”.’ Ms McFadden explained that if this was the case, there were a series of steps which must be taken before Miss Lawson would be allowed back into the States. She would first be advised to visit a doctor who holds a contract with the US embassy in London who would carry out an assessment to see whether or not she could be classed under these terms. If the doctor says she should be free to travel she could obtain a visa in a number of weeks, Ms McFadden said. Police reviewed the allegations of drug use which emerged during the trial but Scotland Yard said no further action would be taken. So while Miss Lawson has not been convicted for any drug offence, it appears that US officials still decided to deny her entrance to the country. The US Department of Homeland Security told the Mail that foreigners who had admitted drug taking could be deemed ‘inadmissible’. | Nigella Lawson was stopped from boarding flight at Heathrow on Sunday .
It was apparently as a result of comments she made about taking drugs .
She also claimed in trial last year Saatchi was out to 'ruin me in any way'
Saatchi has family links to Matthew Barzun, US Ambassador in London .
Mr Barzun and Saatchi's nephew both involved in 2008 Obama campaign .
Extraordinary claims in New York Post made by friends of Lawson, 54 . |
Subsets and Splits
No community queries yet
The top public SQL queries from the community will appear here once available.