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10,258 | 1d1e0a5f5d1622cbd17445bd9eddde20b622027c | By . Dr Ellie Cannon . PUBLISHED: . 17:00 EST, 5 January 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 17:03 EST, 5 January 2013 . As a doctor – and also a parent – I was deeply concerned by the controversial case of Neon Roberts, the seven-year-old whose mother Sally refused to allow him to have radiotherapy for his brain tumour. The hospital caring for Neon sought legal backing to give him the treatment against her wishes, and last month the High Court ruled that six weeks of radiotherapy should start early this month, followed by 18 months of chemotherapy. Despite compelling evidence that the alternative approaches she found via the internet were unlikely to work, Ms Roberts remains defiant. Yet I strongly believe the correct decision was made. Neon is now more likely to survive the cancer. Dilemma: Sally Roberts with her cancer-stricken son Neon . The case has highlighted many misconceptions about parental rights, along with the risks and benefits of cancer treatment. Here, I answer the questions I have been asked most . . . Surely the parent’s wishes ought to be paramount?Actually, no. The patient’s rights are paramount. When there is danger to a child, doctors have to act in their best interests. Some argue that doctors ought to have more power in the treatment of conditions such as measles, but unless there is a life-or-death situation you can’t impose health diktats. Ms Roberts was choosing a route that meant her son was more likely to die. Case lost: After an appeal in London's High Court a judge ruled that Sally Roberts is no longer allowed to refuse treatment for Neon . At what point are doctors acting in more than an advisory capacity?Where doctors believe that parental decisions may be not in a child’s best interests, it can be necessary to seek a view from the courts. Doctors believed Neon would die within months without radiotherapy. I see that Ms Roberts was in a desperate position, but she doesn’t seem able to make a rational decision. There is a five-year survival rate of 86 per cent for patients with medulloblastoma – the type of cancer suffered by Neon – who have radiotherapy. Due to the delays in his treatment, Neon now has an estimated 67 per cent chance of survival. Sally Roberts argued that radiotherapy could do more harm than good. Could she be right?All cancer treatment is backed up by data based on millions of patients. However, there are no absolutes. It’s all about odds. We know the treatment most likely to work, but not whether it will be successful. Actress Hayley Mills recently spoke about her decision to stop chemotherapy after surgery for breast cancer. Should her cancer return, it is more likely to be terminal because chemotherapy helps to prevent the spread of tumours. A recent Oxford University study involving about 100,000 women concluded that having chemotherapy reduces breast cancer mortality by about a third. Doctor's advice: Such as in the case of Neon, it is what is best for the patient which is paramount, not the parent's wish . But what about the damage radiotherapy could cause?There are undoubtedly risks with radiation, including growth problems and infertility. However, given that medics concluded Neon would die without this treatment, the benefits outweigh the risks. Sally Roberts argued that the only evidence she was offered for the efficacy of radiation was a paper from the Forties. Is this true?There is plenty of research backing up use of radiotherapy in this cancer. It is possible Ms Roberts hasn’t seen this. Children in developed countries have been given radiotherapy for more than half a century. If you compare the cancer survival rates of rich and poor countries, our treatments make a clear difference. What about the other medics advising her? Their opinions have been totally dismissed.None was on the specialist register. One spelt medulloblastoma incorrectly. It makes me so angry that these quacks prey on the vulnerable. None of the alternatives is clinically proven in the treatment of this cancer. If Sally Roberts is considered irresponsible, should Neon be taken away from her?No. She is in an appalling position. My heart goes out to her. She is trying to do the best thing. This doesn’t reflect on her everyday parenting. Follow me on Twitter @Dr_Ellie . | Sally Roberts refused to allow her son radiotherapy .
Seven-year-old Neon has a brain tumour .
Ms Roberts lost court case in December and Neon is due to begin radiotherapy next week . |
117,202 | 235682e3ea35957ddd080a30e2b50c204f9dacfd | A Milwaukee mother couldn't contain her tears yesterday as she described the horrifying moment her white neighbor allegedly shot dead her son, a black 13-year-old, in front of her eyes after he accused the boy of stealing guns from his house. Patricia Larry testified that John Henry Spooner, 76, warned her son, Darius Simmons, that he'd teach him not to steal before he fired a single shot into the boy's chest, killing him, in May 2012. The shocking account came in the second day of Spooner's trial as jurors watched footage from the elderly man's own surveillance video, which showed him confronting Simmons on the sidewalk outside their houses, pointing a gun at the teen's chest and firing from just a few feet away. Scroll down for video . Heartbroken: Patricia Larry, Darius Simmons' mother, pictured, pauses to hold back tears as she talks about how she saw her son shot by John Spooner during her testimony Tuesday, July 16, 2013 . The wounded teen flees away from the cameras' view and collapses in the street. According to her testimony, Larry ran after her son and found him on the ground with only a light pulse in his neck. 'Then I pulled his shirt up and I (saw) he had a bullet hole in his chest,' she testified tearfully. 'He took one more breath and that's it.' The video was shown in court as evidence in the trial of Spooner, who's charged with first-degree intentional homicide. Larry, who has sat in the front row of the courtroom since the trial related to her son's death began on Monday, refused to watch the surveillance video. She stared straight ahead with moist eyes. Three jurors watched the video with their hands over their mouths. Support: Patricia Larry, Darius Simmons' mother, right, is comforted after a video of her son being shot by John Henry Spooner was shown in court . In the surveillance footage, Spooner emerges from his house that morning and confronts Simmons. He points a gun at the boy, who quickly moves backward a few steps. Both Spooner and the teen direct their attention toward a porch at Simmons' home, where Simmons' mother is standing. Moments later, Spooner points the gun back at Simmons and fires, hitting him in the chest. As the teen stumbles and runs away, Spooner fires a second shot that misses him. The defense has conceded that Spooner fired the fatal bullet at Simmons as they argued on the sidewalk. Victim: Darius Simmons, pictured, was allegedly shot and killed by John Henry Spooner in May 2012 . But defense attorney Franklyn Gimbel said the two issues for the jury to decide are whether Spooner intended to kill the boy, and whether Spooner was suffering from mental illness that prevented him from knowing right from wrong at the time. Richard Martinez, one of the Milwaukee . police officers who responded after the shooting, testified that Spooner . offered an unsolicited confession upon his arrest. Martinez said he . ordered Spooner at gunpoint to drop his weapon and Spooner bent down and . laid his handgun on the ground. Martinez testified that he was handcuffing Spooner when Spooner said, 'Yeah, I shot him,' referring to the teen. Martinez said Spooner had another bullet in his pocket. Martinez's partner, Michael Urbaniak, testified that he and Martinez placed Spooner in the back of a squad car while they investigated the scene. While being detained, Spooner commented that he had reached his breaking point and that his house had been broken into two days earlier, Urbaniak said. The officer said Spooner claimed he knew the culprits were the kids who lived next door, and that they were part of a family that recently moved next door and had caused nothing but trouble. Other police officers who testified included Lori Borchert, who responded to the burglary report two days earlier. She said two windows on Spooner's home were broken and Spooner told her four shotguns were missing. The day after the burglary, Spooner called Borchert and told her that his surveillance video captured images of the suspects. She said she viewed the video and that it showed two different black teenage males coming from the area of Simmons' home and moving toward Spooner's home. She said she didn't arrest anyone because there wasn't enough probable cause. She said the faces on the video weren't clear, and the teens didn't appear to be holding any of the missing guns. Gimbel, who limited his cross-examinations, told jurors during opening statements he intends to raise questions about whether Spooner actually had the requisite intent to commit homicide. Day two: John Henry Spooner, right, sits in court during his trial Tuesday, July 16, 2013, in Milwaukee . In the dock: Spooner, 76, right, confers with his defense attorney on Monday. He faces charges that he fatally shot a black teen last year whom he suspected of breaking into his Milwaukee home and stealing weapons . 'We will focus on what was Mr. Spooner's intent when he pointed the gun and pulled the trigger,' Gimbel said. Some . have likened the shooting of Simmons as 'vigilantism and rogue police . behavior' and similar to the killing in Florida of Trayvon Martin. In both cases, an older man allegedly killed a black teen because the shooter believed they were suspicious. Spooner shot Simmons last May after accusing the boy of stealing $3,000 worth of guns from his home. Video: Spooner's own surveillance footage shows the man, pictured, shooting the boy int he chest . The teen, who had lived with his . mother next door to Spooner for only a month, was taking out the trash . around 10 a.m. when Spooner accused the boy of the theft and demanded he . return the shotguns. The teenager . was unarmed when he was shot in the street outside their homes. The boy told Spooner he had not stolen the guns and his mother, Patricia Larry, told the elderly man to go back inside. Spooner . then pulled out a handgun and shot Simmons in the chest from only five . feet away, killing the boy. There were at least two witnesses. 'I . condemn in the strongest words possible the murder of Darius Simmons,' Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett said after the shooting. 'To have a boy . who's taking out the garbage at 10 in the morning murdered should shock . the conscience of the state.' If convicted of first-degree intentional homicide, Spooner faces life in prison. At the time, neighbor Toni Johnson said she was watching TV when she heard a commotion outside her door. ‘I . looked out the door and saw the mother kneeling over her boy at the . curb, screaming, 'my son!' and the old guy was standing right over there . by the stop sign with his dog, just waiting,’ Ms. Johnson said. Neighbor Robert Delatorre said Spooner lived alone with his two dogs and often walked around the block. Larry said Spooner told her son he 'wanted his stuff back . and that he wanted his shotguns back.' 'My son, Darius Simmons, was shot and killed in front of me,' Larry said earlier. 'It's affected me, my friends, my work.' Neighbors: Spooner was arrested after waiting for police at the crime scene. He lives in the cream house, right, while Darius Simmons lived in the blue house, left . Feud: Police said here was a history of disagreements between the man and the teenager . Horrifying sight: Patricia Larry holds a photograph of her son, Darius Simmons, 13, in the yard of her Milwaukee home. He son was shot right in front of her . | John Spooner suspected Darius Simmons of breaking into his Milwaukee home and stealing guns .
Spooner confronted the teen on the sidewalk two days after the weapons were discovered missing and demanded they be returned .
When the teenager denied stealing anything, Spooner shot him in the chest whilst his mother watched .
The case has drawn comparisons to the trial of George Zimmerman . |
165,219 | 61a60423c2e8fed08f27d5d21569563f66e6f770 | Chelsea will decide whether to send Izzy Brown out on loan after training on Monday. Brown, 18, was a surprise name on the Chelsea subs' bench at the weekend for the 1-1 draw with Manchester City. Chelsea want him to gain some experience but will only let him leave on loan for the right club. Chelsea could let Izzy Brown leave the club on loan for the rest of the season . Burnley are interested in taking the striker for the rest of the season especially with uncertainty continuing over the future of Liverpool target Danny Ings. Burnley are in the market for more firepower and are believed to be looking at Stamford Bridge as a likely source for reinforcements. The striker was signed from West Brom in 2013 and made his Premier League debut for the Baggies on the final day of that season. Uncertainty surrounds the future of Burnley's Danny Ings . In October 2014, Brown made the Chelsea bench for the first time in a competitive fixture, but was an unused substitute as Chelsea beat Shrewsbury Town 2–1 in the League Cup. The striker is also an England U19 international and scored two goals in as many appearances for the Young Lions. | Izzy Brown was on the bench for Chelsea's game with Manchester City .
Brown was signed from West Brom at the end of the 2013 season .
Chelsea are keen for Brown to go out on loan and gain experience . |
258,237 | da354ef1bf172f37305224a546de1b571ffc02e0 | By . Daily Mail Reporter . Killer: Carl Mills, 28, who was today found guilty of the murders of a whole family, who all died when a fire he started ripped through their home . A violent alcoholic who killed three . generations of a family – including his own baby – in a jealous rage was . jailed for at least 30 years yesterday. Carl Mills set fire to a house, trapping his girlfriend Kayleigh Buckley, her daughter Kimberley and Miss Buckley’s mother Kim. Mills, 28, started the blaze because he was convinced Miss Buckley, 17, had another man in her bedroom. But the only people in the house were . family celebrating six-month-old Kimberley being allowed home from . hospital for the first time. She was deaf and blind, having been . born 13 weeks premature weighing 1lb 9oz. Her twin, Angel, who weighed . only 15oz, had died two days after being born. Mills, who had been banned from the . home in Coed Eva, Cwmbran, South Wales, after making repeated threats to . kill Miss Buckley and the baby, set fire to a recycling bin in the . porch. The smoke and flames spread quickly . and prosecutor Gregory Bull told Newport Crown Court: ‘The three victims . didn’t have a chance. ‘They couldn’t get down the stairs because the fire was set deliberately by the front door.’ Neighbours saw Miss Buckley banging on . the windows and screaming for help but they were beaten back by the . flames as they tried in vain to save her, her 46-year-old mother and . the baby. Mills, who yawned in court as a statement by Miss Buckley’s . family was read out, was jailed for life after being found guilty of . three counts of murder. Judge Wyn Williams ordered that Mills, . whom he described as ‘despicable’, should serve a minimum of 30 years, . telling him: ‘There is no saying whether you will ever be released. ‘You must have known that once the . fire had taken hold that there would be virtually no chance of escape. 'You condemned Kim and Kayleigh to an agonising death. You have shown no . remorse.’ Tragedy: Mills' girlfriend Kayleigh Buckley, 17, died alongside her mother Kim Buckley (right) after their home in South Wales was set on fire . Callous: His own daughter Kimberley Buckley was only six-months-old when she died after a fire swept through the property . Mills, who was unemployed and had been living in a tent outside the house, had denied murder. He claimed he was in a pub at the time the fire was started in September last year. But a series of aggressive and abusive . texts Mills had sent Miss Buckley the night before, threatening to . torch the family home, were read to the jury, and he was seen outside . the house displaying ‘a callous, almost casual disregard’ as the inferno . took hold. Mr Bull said: ‘Neighbours were shocked . by how calm he appeared to be. He showed no emotion and did not attempt . to rescue his daughter or the woman he claimed to love. It was the . actions of a cold-hearted killer who knew exactly what he was doing. ‘He had carried out the threat he had made hours earlier.’ Calculated: The court heard Mills started the fire in the porchway of the three-bed house, blocking the exit . Horrifying: Gwent Police pictures show the black, charred inside pf the fire damaged house in Cwmbran shortly after the arson attack . Light pours through where the roof used to be before it was destroyed in the fire that killed the three victims . Home: The tent Mills had lived in in the front garden of the house he torched. He had also been banned from seeing his child Kimberley unsupervised . Mills met Miss Buckley on the internet when she was 15. He was living in Manchester and travelled to South Wales to meet her. He deliberately set out to groom her . and their relationship developed into a sexual one. But he became . obsessively jealous of Miss Buckley, over whom he seemed to exercise a . ‘magnetic control’, the court was told. She became pregnant with the twins, born in March last year. Mr Bull said: ‘Kayleigh started acting . as a mother. Mills didn’t want Kayleigh to spend more time with the . baby. He wanted Kayleigh to be with him and him alone. He become . convinced she was having an affair.’ This, he said, led to the tragedy. Shameful: The murderer was motionless in the dock as he was found guilty and sat with his head bowed as the judge jailed him . The court heard Mills (left) started the fire after he became convinced Kayleigh (right) had another man in her bedroom . The court heard the only people in the house . were grandmother Kim (left, with granddaughter Kimberley), Kayleigh and . the six-month-old baby, who had just returned from hospital after being . born prematurely . Prosecutor Greg Bull said Mills became 'obsessively jealous of Kayleigh' after they met on the internet . The jury was told that Mills wouldn't leave Kayleigh (pictured) alone and was sleeping in a tent in front of the family home . In a . statement to the court, Mrs Buckley’s mother Gwyneth Swain, 64, said: . ‘The heart has been ripped out of our family by the senseless actions of . Carl Mills. There’s a hole in my life that no one will ever fill. ‘I’m so lost without them and I cannot . truly express this. Like her mum, Kayleigh always had a smile on her . face, she loved her family and we all loved her. ‘Baby Kimberley battled so much. But the fire that night was a battle too far.’ Family and friends burst into applause as Mills was taken away to begin his sentence. They released three white doves and . balloons on the steps of the court in memory of the three victims. In a . statement afterwards, the family said: ‘Today we feel justice has been . served.’ Underweight, shifty and with a diffident demeanour Carl Mills was about as far from appearing intimidating in court as possible. His threatening texts promising violence and murder to teenager Kayleigh (together right) showed him to be a bully and a coward. In court he appeared slightly built and pale-faced and above all eager to avoid eye contact with his murder trial jury. Chronically soft-spoken he mumbled his way through his evidence and was frequently incomprehensible. Despite electing to stand when he gave evidence Mills lent forward and bent his knees in such a way he almost appeared to be sitting. As a result his face frequently fell below a small flat screen TV in the witness box, making it difficult for the jury to see him. The combination of his stance and almost whispered evidence led his own defence barrister to berate him for failing to speak up. 'You are on trial for three counts of murder. This is your chance to give your story. Now please buck up,' Patrick Harrington QC told him in court. In all Mills appeared a pathetic and forlorn figure, a stark contrast to the brutish language used in his chilling text messages. In many ways, however, he also represents the embodiment of every parent’s worst nightmare. | Carl Mills, 28, was jailed for life at Newport Crown Court today .
Paranoid killer believed his girlfriend was having affair so set the fire .
His partner Kayleigh, 17, and their baby Kimberly, six months, died .
Kayleigh's mother Kim Buckley, 46, also perished in the inferno .
Judge: 'You condemned them to agonising deaths and showed no remorse' |
134,941 | 3a906285190d5b7f09f13ba0e520749fd773f607 | By . Sadie Whitelocks . PUBLISHED: . 11:51 EST, 3 September 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 12:40 EST, 3 September 2013 . The reintroduction of cursive handwriting lessons in North Carolina public schools has caused surprise unrest. State representative, Pat Hurley who was behind the move, told Today this morning that she has received a number of 'personal' complaints from educators and parents. One father-of-two telephoned her to tell her that handwriting is a 'total waste of time', while a teacher complained that 'these children will never use it in their lifetime.' The write stuff: The reintroduction of cursive handwriting lessons into North Carolina public schools has caused surprise unrest, with parents and teachers deeming it 'outdated' Before the bill, elementary schools were not required to teach cursive. This is because the national Common Core Standards, rolled out in 2010 and adopted by 45 U.S. states, does not . include it as part of the curriculum. Instead students are required to 'demonstrate sufficient command of keyboarding skills.' Ms Hurley, said she was inspired to push for the Back to Basics bill, after she received thank you notes from a group of fourth graders, following a field trip. 'It struck me as strange that they were not writing [in cursive],' she said. 'It was like these kids weren’t educated. I mean, this isn’t hieroglyphics we’re talking about.' 'It was like these kids weren't educated. I mean, this isn't hieroglyphics we're talking about' Thanks to her campaigning, the bill was passed on April 4 2013, drawing 107 yes votes with no dissenters. However, now she has revealed that there has since been 'pushback' from the public. Indeed, Joel Mathis expressed his opposition to writing lessons in an article for The Philly Post. 'We have machines to do this stuff for us. Who writes letters anymore? 'Except for signing my name to checks and legal documents, I’ve barely used cursive in 20 years . . . All my writing happens at a keyboard. This, I think, is progress. 'With so much to teach our students, maybe we should stick to the stuff they’ll actually find useful as workers and as citizens. Cursive isn’t really on that list.' Others argue that while handwriting is important, cursive isn't. Sign of the times: Today's school curriculum requires students to 'demonstrate sufficient command of keyboarding skills' and no guidelines on handwriting are included . Handwriting expert and instructor Kate Gladstone told Mashable: 'Teaching . handwriting doesn’t mean it has to be cursive, any more than teaching . math means it has to be in Roman numerals.' She . advocates for students learning to read cursive but opposes cursive . handwriting mandates, saying that cursive writing should just be an . elective. Despite this, the majority appear to be on Ms Hurley's side. 'I don't think we’re in a world that is completely cursive free at this point. We need to prepare our students for the unknown future' Tracey Neylon, a mother-of-two from Newport, Rhode Island., told Today that she thinks 'it’s important to be able to write it to be a functioning member . of society.' And Tessa Maguire, a third grade teacher in Michigan City, Indiana, pointed out: 'I don’t think we’re in a world that is completely cursive free at this point. We need to prepare our students for the unknown future.' Meanwhile Hollywood actress, Kirstie Alley wrote on Twitter: 'I'm HORRIFIED to hear . that American children will no longer learn CURSIVE!!!! AMERICAN . children would not be able to read the CONSTITUTION.' Studies have also highlighted how writing can . help boost cognitive ability, memory and improve spelling. California, Massachusetts and Georgia are other states which have requested that a . cursive writing requirement is reintroduced to schools. | The national Common Core Standards, adopted by 45 U.S. states, does not .
include handwriting as part of the curriculum .
This spring North Carolina passed the Back to Basics bill, reintroducing cursive into the classroom .
Sate representative Pat Hurley said today that the move has caused surprise unrest . |
99,065 | 0b9a465e12aa8b73eb0ab99290352edaf6801dca | (CNN) -- For the last decade, Carolyn LeCroy has been helping children stay connected to their incarcerated parents through video messages. LeCroy was honored as a CNN Hero in 2008, and has since expanded her Messages Project to prisons in five states. Her story inspired actress Holly Robinson Peete, who recently joined LeCroy on a visit to a maximum security prison. CNN's Anderson Cooper spoke with Peete about her experience. Anderson Cooper: What was it about Carolyn's efforts that first sparked your interest? Holly Robinson Peete: I learned about a subset of the population that I never thought of before, which are the children of incarcerated parents. There was something about how hard of a sell it is; anytime you are talking about inmates or people in prison, people automatically -- there's some pushback. But with Carolyn's brand of philanthropy, I just found myself intrigued, and I had to help her out. Read the 2008 story: Ex-con's videos keep inmates, kids in touch . Cooper: How does the Messages Project work? Peete: The Messages Project goes into prisons across the country and films messages of incarcerated parents who are either reading a book, a bedtime story, giving a very positive message, giving love to the caregiver watching these children. Something so simple you would think wouldn't be a big deal, but to a child who's lost their parent to incarceration, they watch these videos over and over again. It has a really positive effect on them. So many times, a lot of these children end up in prisons themselves, and this is something that might be able to stop that chain. I think about watching my father's video. My father's been deceased for many years. When he was at my wedding, he just said, "I love you." I watch it over and over and over again, and it just lifts me up. To these children, these are not hardened criminals. Oftentimes they are just looked at as Mommy or Daddy. So, it's very important that the children know it's not their fault and that they know they're loved. More: CNN Heroes . Cooper: How did you get involved with the program? Peete: I met Carolyn in 2008 and we've been trying to get together. ... The Messages Project is now in Oklahoma, in Nebraska, in Virginia. And we kept talking about California. It's the most incarcerated state in the country. And that's where I live. So I said, "We've got to get in there." And we finally made it in. It ... was a lot of pressure; I wanted it to go well. Cooper: What did that day involve? Peete: It involved me driving for hours and hours and hours to the middle of the desert, to the middle of nowhere California. ... It involved meeting five inmates who, most of them, may never come out of that prison. And they really didn't strike me as people who had done anything except that they were dads in that moment and they wanted to get messages to their children. Cooper: What's it like seeing someone who is incarcerated and you know why they are there, and yet you see them in kind of a different light when they are trying to get a message to their child? Peete: Apparently these are hardened criminals, people who are doing time for very, very serious offenses, often murder and armed robbery. I personally didn't want to know until I left what they did. I just wanted to appeal to them as a mom and as a parent. I think we don't think about the impact of what the children of incarcerated parents have to go through. Sometimes their parents are just yanked, right in front of their eyes in some very difficult situations with policemen and guns. So, it's a mind-boggling situation for children, and these tiny messages are so impactful. Cooper: It's an incredibly intimate act, the making of these videos. Peete: Even being there and watching some of these men, I was moved to tears because I saw how gut-wrenching it was for them to say, "I'm sorry. This is not your fault. Daddy loves you and I just want you to be the best person you can be." Those little anecdotal things sound very cliché. We take it for granted if we've got a parent in the home, but hearing that for a child can make all the difference in the world. I felt like I was doing something not necessarily for the inmates, but for their children. I was impacted by it for the rest of the day, and still am. Cooper: You were recognized by a couple of the prisoners. What was that like? Peete: We walked into the cell block, and ... two gentlemen that came out looked at me. One of them said, "Hey, Holly. What's going on? Remember you met me in Vancouver, and it was 1980. You were shooting '21 Jump Street.'" He said, "I've been trying to get a script to your agent." ... (laughs) Even in jail somebody has a script for you, Anderson. ... I was just very blown away at his resourcefulness, because sure enough, three days later my agent said, "Did you meet a screenwriter in jail?" Cooper: What is it about the CNN Heroes project that really caught your interest? Peete: I'm a CNN Heroes groupie. ... The Heroes just use whatever it is that is at their disposal, and I'm always blown away by what they are able to accomplish with so little. And for no other reason than it is their calling, it is something they are drawn to. | Program keeps kids connected with their parents in prison .
CNN Hero Carolyn LeCroy has run the program for the last decade .
Actress Holly Robinson Peete recently joins LeCroy to observe the program . |
57,305 | a25eb359d1e95448176835ddd408172760058e84 | By . Associated Press . PUBLISHED: . 16:46 EST, 7 September 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 17:13 EST, 7 September 2012 . Scholars at Amherst College in Massachusetts believe a collector may have what would be just the second known photo of Emily Dickinson. The college says the collector, who wishes to remain anonymous, bought the photo in 1995 in Springfield. He took it to the college's archive and special collections staff in 2007, and they've been researching it ever since. Coming of age: In this, the second ever photograph of Emily Dickinson (left) is pictured with her friend Kate Scott Turner (right) Last month, it was publicly shown during the Emily Dickinson International Society conference in Cleveland, Ohio. The daguerreotype, dated around 1859, appears to show Dickinson sitting next to a friend, Kate Scott Turner. There's strong evidence it's Dickinson, including comparisons of high-resolution digital images of the newer photo with the known image, from 1847, said Mike Kelly, head of the archive and special collections department at Amherst College. Kelly said perhaps the best evidence is an ophthalmological report that compared similarities in the eyes and facial features of the women in the photos. 'I believe strongly that these are the same people,' concluded the doctor who wrote the report. Researchers are also trying to get higher resolution pictures of the dress in the picture, to see if it matches fabric samples known to belong to Dickinson. Researchers can't yet definitively say the photo is Dickinson, but 'I think we can get beyond reasonable doubt,' Kelly said. Younger life: In the only other photograph of Dickinson she is seen as a frail, teen girl . That could shift some perceptions about the Amherst native, Kelly said. For instance, a book in the 1950s was the first to propose Dickinson had a lesbian relationship with Turner, Kelly said. 'This is photographic evidence of their friendship, whatever the nature of that friendship was,' he said. The photo contradicts a misconception that Dickinson never left her house, when in fact she was quite social in her younger years, Kelly said. The revelation has got scholars at Amherst College in Massachusetts excited . It also offers a strikingly different image from the existing photo of Dickinson as a frail, teen girl, which was taken before she began writing poetry. The newer image was taken when she was roughly 30. 'This is really when she's coming into the height of her powers,' Kelly said. 'To see her as this fully mature woman rather than this sickly little girl, I think it just shifts the way people think about what she's writing.' Amherst's collections department has a copy of the daguerreotype, which it says can be viewed on request. | Only the second ever photograph of Emily Dickinson .
Owned by an anonymous collector who bought the image in 1995 .
Scholars at Amherst College in Massachusetts have been researching the photo since 2007 . |
224,068 | ae24c96e8bb02ea1a04d8b9ca0651aa4b5b6849d | Conrad Hilton Jr was arrested in Los Angeles on Monday, nearly seven months after 'going insane' on an international flight back in July. The 20-year-old little brother of Paris Hilton created a raucous scene aboard an airplane while flying from London to LA, according to a new report from TMZ. The nephew of Real Housewives Of Beverly Hills stars Kyle and Kim Richards allegedly 'screamed and threatened flight attendants' yelling profane statements such as 'I will f**king own anyone on this flight; they are f**king peasants.' Scroll down for video . Arrested: Conrad Hilton, pictured arriving at Los Angeles International Airport in May 2014, was arrested on Monday seven months after causing a loud disturbance abroad an international flight from London to LA . Conrad - who is the grandson of famed hotel billionaire Conrad Hilton Sr - was 'ferociously punching the bulkhead of the plane, ten centimeters from a flight attendant's face' and 'went berserk causing children on the plane to cry.' Witnesses revealed to the gossip site that he was yelling offensive blurbs such as 'If you wanna square up to me bro, then bring it and I will f**king fight you' and 'I will f**king rip through you and kill you.' Also many on the same flight believed Conrad was smoking marijuana as they noticed a 'smell of weed seeping out of the bathroom.' Hilton heir: Conrad's famous siblings include Barron, Nicky and Paris Hilton (pictured at a family dinner in December) Famous parents: He is the youngest child of Kathy and Rick Hilton, chairman and co-founder of Hilton & Hyland real estate brokerage firm (pictured on December 24) Illegal act: The 20-year-old was allegedly smoking marijuana in the bathroom of the plane (pictured on June 7) When Conrad fell asleep, 'the captain authorized crew members to restrain him to his seat for the descent and he was ultimately handcuffed to his seat.' According to a report on TMZ, the young heir checked into rehab soon after landing. This was not the first time, the young hotel heir had caused a disturbance on a plane. Another source told the site: 'Conrad grabbed a flight attendant's shirt and said "I could get you all fired in five minutes. I know your boss! My father will pay this out. He has done it before. Dad paid $300k last time.' His father, Rick Hilton, has built a commercial real estate empire with his real estate brokerage company Hilton & Hyland and has an estimated net worth of $300m. Daddy pays for his mistakes: Hilton's net worth is approximately $300m with most of his profits coming from high end commercial real estate . Days before his arrest: Rick snapped this photo of Conrad and a female pal in Las Vegas on his Instagram account on Sunday . The Hilton family's attorney, Robert Shapiro confirmed to the gossip site that 'Conrad took a sleeping pill before the flight and wasn't himself.' In documents obtained by TMZ, Conrad 'admitted to taking a sleeping pill before the flight and then bragged that he "buried" flight attendants' by telling the crew that he 'could get all of their jobs taken away in less than 30 seconds.' In his client's defense, Shapiro said there are 'numerous news reports and cases of people experiencing adverse effects including aggressive outbursts.' The good child: Paris Hilton was seen leaving Siren Studio in Hollywood, California with her dog Princess Paris Jr on Monday . | Hilton family attorney Robert Shapiro confirmed the 20-year-old 'took a sleeping pill before the flight and wasn't himself'
Father Rick has an estimated net worth of $300m from commercial real estate empire Hilton & Hyland .
Family paid $300k for a similar plane incident in the past .
Conrad checked into rehab after the flight . |
217,249 | a5422507033a11f777458ee82661d25a02bd43bd | By . Emily Allen . Last updated at 6:14 PM on 19th September 2011 . A mother and her three children are fighting for their lives today after her jilted former-boyfriend set himself on fire during a row at their family home. The 30-year-old, is believed to have doused himself with petrol and turned himself into a human torch after apparently turning up at the home of 40-year old Tracy Jones in the early hours of this morning. As he went up in flames, Tracy and eldest daughter Cailin, 18, tried to put out the fire but the blaze ripped through the ground floor of the family’s £120,000 semi detached house in Altrincham, Greater Manchester. Fighting for their lives: Tracy Jones, left, and her daughter Cailin. Ms Jones's deranged former lover is believed to have doused himself with petrol and turned himself into a human torch at their home . Neighbours managed to pull Tracy from the house after college student Cailin staggered outside and cried for help. Firefighters stormed inside the property and carried out Tracy’s sons Shaun, 15, and Zach, aged four who had been asleep in bed. The unnamed boyfriend, 30, was rushed to hospital with horrific burns but died later of his injuries. Today, Tracy, a typist and here three children were all said to be a critical condition with burns and smoke inhalation. The tragedy occurred at 5am this morning after the boyfriend - who was believed to have been dating Tracy turned up at the house. The pair were believed to have been talking in the living room when suddenly fire broke out. In hospital: Two of Tracy Jones children Zach and Cailin. Cailin, 18, tried to put out the fire as it ripped through their home . Neighbour Kevin Pearce, 41, a supermarket worker said: 'I woke up from hearing screaming and smashing glass. Firefighters stormed inside the property and carried out Tracy's sons Shaun, 15, pictured, and Zach, aged four, who had been asleep in bed . 'I looked out my bedroom window, saw smoke and I told my partner to call the fire brigade. I dashed out of the house as fast as I could and I could see the daughter was already on the grass outside. 'The front door was locked but the downstairs window was open and I managed to pull the window off the hinges. I could see Tracy and I managed to tug her through the window frame. 'She was conscious but in obvious . shock and was screaming and hysterical. I wasn’t thinking anything about . my own safety - it was pure adrenalin was driving me to get her out. 'I . got the mum out and ran around the back and that’s where the older son . was, but that was locked, so I pulled the back window off but the smoke . was too much. 'Then the . emergency services came and I told them that someone was in the kitchen . and the little lad was upstairs in his bedroom. It’s such a tragedy. This is a quiet neighbourhood and they were a lovely family who always said hello.' Another . neighbour Bernadette Fleming, a cleaner, 55, said: 'I woke up to hear . Tracy screaming through the window: "my baby, my baby." I thought I was . dreaming at first then Iooked out to see all hell breaking loose. 'I will never forget those terrible . screams. I was only speaking to Tracy last week. I went down to the gate . and I could see all this smoke. It shook me up a hell of a lot. None of . us knows who the dead man is. We didn’t even know Tracy had a . boyfriend.' Phil . Berkovitch, 59, a gas engineer said: 'We do each other favours. She was . only here the other week because her phone wasn’t working so we are more . than just neighbours, we’re friends. They are a close-knit family and . very friendly. Fire, police and forensic officers search for clues following the blaze in the early hours of this morning. Tracy Jones jilted lover died after setting fire to himself . 'I saw the fire, we heard a commotion and came rushing out just as the fire engine came up. By that time the fire was downstairs. I’m not too sure if they were all out at that time. We knew that Kevin had pulled Tracy out. 'The little lad was carried out by the fire brigade and Tracy was hysterical. She got carried off strapped into a chair. 'Kevin did great a job in getting her out. If he wasn’t there, she might not have been able to get out. You never think that this is going to happen. This kind of thing happens only in the soaps.' Cailin staggered out of the house to get help. Her mother's boyfriend was rushed to hospital with horrific burns but died later of his injuries . Neighbours managed to pull Tracy from the house after college student Cailin staggered outside and cried for help . | Neighbour pulled Tracy Jones from window after boyfriend set himself alight .
He died in hospital today after suffering horrific burns .
Firefighters stormed house and rescued Ms Jones two sons . |
167,316 | 6464df033804fd8156970439e80b181886b1ec1b | More than 20 Anglo Saxon skeletons have been unearthed on a proposed building site in Suffolk - and archaeologists believe they could have connections to members of the royal family. The remains were found in Exning, Suffolk alongside a host of jewellery, brooches, a glass bowl, weapons and beads, which experts believe points to them being wealthy and of high social status. The skeletons and objects date back to the time of King Anna of East Anglia at around 650AD. More than 20 Anglo Saxon skeletons have been unearthed on a proposed building site in Suffolk (pictured) - and archaeologists believe they could belong to members of the East Anglian royal family . Initial searches had missed the location of the burial ground, despite one of the bodies found buried just one foot (0.3 metres) below the ground. There was also a double burial, in which two bodies were found in the same grave, and what is known as a 'bed burial' involving an intricate wooden frame. A bed burial was typically reserved for women of high status during the 7th century and involved literally burying a person in the ground on a bed. As a result, they are extremely rare. The dig was carried out by Archaeological Solutions on behalf of Persimmon Homes, which is planning to build 120 homes on the site. Anna was the son of Prince Eni and nephew to King Redwald of East Anglia. During this time, King Penda of Mercia wanted to expand his borders into East Anglia, and in 635AD, pushed to take control of the Middle Anglia. During the battle, a number of members of Anna's family died, including his brother King Erica - who was also referred to as his cousin - and Anna took the throne. He was a Christian, and is said to have had five daughters including Saethrith, Sexburga, Etheldreda, Withburga and Ethelburga. Few records of his reign survive, so it is not known exactly how many children he had, or how he related to fellow members of royalty in the region. In 645AD, reports claim he was exiled to King Penda or Mercia, and during that time converted to Christianity. King Anna died during another Mercian invasion in 654AD and was buried at Blythburgh. Andrew Peachey, from Archaeological Solutions, said the finds date back to around 650AD and were 'totally unexpected'. Mr Peachey, 34, said: 'One burial was very intricate with a wooden or iron frame possibly underneath the body. 'It may be what's known as a bed burial, but again it's too early to tell until everything is cleaned up properly. 'Another appears to be a warrior burial. A spearhead and dagger were found with the bones.' The remains were found in Burwell Road, Exning (pictured). The dig was carried out by Archaeological Solutions on behalf of Persimmon Homes, which is planning to build 120 homes on the site . Initial searches had missed the location of the burial ground, despite one of the bodies (pictured left) found buried just one foot (0.3 metres) below the ground. There was also a double burial, (pictured right) in which two bodies were found in the same grave, and a so-called 'bed burial' involving an intricate wooden frame . The remains were found alongside a host of jewellery, brooches, a glass bowl, weapons and a link and beads (pictured), which experts believe points to them being wealthy and of high social status . This glass bowl was discovered in the burial ground, and it is possibly from the Rhineland. Andrew Peachey, from Archaeological Solutions, said the finds date back to around 650AD and were 'totally unexpected' 'It is incredible that there was absolutely no disturbance caused to the graves, when you think ploughs must have just about been skimming across them.' Although the burial site is believed to date back the 7th century, some of the items may be even older, including a dagger that could have been made as early as 7AD. Most of the skeletons were found with so-called 'grave goods' including a glass bowl, brooches and other items of gold-plated and copper jewellery. The glass bowl is possibly from the Rhineland. Although the burial site is believed to date back the 7th century, some of the items may be even older, including a dagger that could have been made as early as 7AD. A spear found on the site is pictured . The team at Archaeological Solutions have now recovered the skeletons (pictured) and the items, and will be carrying out further tests to discover more about their identities. The 'excellent preservation' of both the skeletons and items meant the finds were of 'high analytical value' A total of 20 graves were found, containing 21 skeletons (an example pictured) with so-called 'grave goods' The quality of the items indicate the bodies may have had 'royal connections', and the area had close links with King Anna, who ruled East Anglia in the 7th Century. The region is also reported to be the birthplace of King Anna's daughter, Queen Etheldreda. Anna was the son of Prince Eni and nephew to King Redwald of East Anglia. During this time, King Penda of Mercia wanted to expand his borders into East Anglia, and in 635AD, pushed to take control of the Middle Anglia. During the battle, a number of members of Anna's family died, including his brother King Erica - who was also referred to as his cousin - and Anna took the throne. He was a Christian, and is said to have had five daughters including Saethrith, Sexburga, Etheldreda, Withburga and Ethelburga. Few records of his reign survive, so it is not known exactly how many children he had, or how he was related to fellow members of royalty in the region. In 645AD, reports claim he was exiled to King Penda or Mercia, and during that time converted to Christianity. King Anna died during another Mercian invasion in 654AD and was buried at Blythburgh. The team at Archaeological Solutions have now recovered the skeletons and the items and will be carrying out further tests to discover more about their identities. The 'excellent preservation' of both the skeletons and grave goods meant the finds were of 'high analytical value'. The items of jewellery will be analysed by the Portable Antiquities Scheme to determine their value and significance. The quality of the items (glass, beads and coins are pictured) indicate the bodies may have had 'royal connections', and the area had close links with King Anna, who ruled East Anglia in the 7th Century. The region is reported to be the birthplace of King Anna's daughter, Queen Etheldreda . This image is one of a number of brooches found in the ground. The items of jewellery will be analysed by the Portable Antiquities Scheme to determine their value and significance . | A total of 21 skeletons were found on land at Burwell Road in Exning .
They were found alongside a spear, glass bowl and gold plated brooches .
The land is being excavated before developers build 120 homes on the site .
One of the bodies was buried just a foot (0.3 metres) beneath the ground .
The finds date back to 650AD around the time of King Anna of East Anglia .
Experts believe the bodies may belong to people of wealth and high status . |
130,650 | 34f7f077c6cbef01f97e9013db9197f036d250b4 | By . Daniel Miller . PUBLISHED: . 10:21 EST, 25 June 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 11:25 EST, 25 June 2013 . With their snooty mannerisms and pompous long-winded descriptions, wine snobs have long been regarded as tedious, insufferable bores. And now what many have suspected all along has finally been confirmed; most of them are faking it too. A U.S. study, which used judges at the California state fair wine competition as test subjects, found that only 10 per cent of them realised when they were served the same wine again and again. Hints of pretension: Nine out of 10 wine experts failed to notice the same vintage being served over and over again . American wine maker Robert Hodgson, who has a background in statistics, asked organisers at the fair if he could run an experiment five years ago. The judges, who consisted of sommeliers, critics and buyers to wine consultants and winemakers, were given their usual selection of vintages to taste, but some of the wines were served three times, being poured from the same bottle each time. Duped: An earlier French study found that wine experts would praise a wine if it came from an expensive looking bottle . It revealed that even the most . highly-respected wine tasters are next to useless when it comes to . actually making any sort of reliable judgement about the relative . merits. Mr Hodgson, who runs the Fieldbrook Winery in Humboldt County, told the Observer: 'The results are disturbing,' says Hodgson from the , described by its owner as a rural paradise. 'Only about 10 per cent of judges are consistent and those judges who were consistent one year were ordinary the next year. 'Chance has a great deal to do with the awards that wines win.' The judges were asked to rate wines on a scale running from 50 to 100. On avergae a judge's score for the same bottle of wine varied by aropund eigght points over the three separate tastings. In one instance the same wine was first rated at 90 before dropping down to 86 and then rocketing up to an excellent 94. It isn't the first time the art of wine-tasting has come into question. A 2001 French study served the same wine to tasters from two different bottles - one labelled as an expensive 'Grand Cru' from Bordeaux, the other as a cheap table wine. The tasters were glowing in their descriptions after tasting the wine from the expensive-looking bottle, but critical of the same wine from the cheap-looking bottle . | Judges at California's oldest wine fair used as test subjects .
Most failed to spot the same vintage being served over and over again . |
22,164 | 3ee744613b5a970b10e4491a615b309b15c77bd9 | Kerry, a green-eyed, crimson-lipped beauty with suspiciously smooth skin and a full bust, looks like a woman with something to hide. And she is: Kerry is actually a 52-year-old heterosexual man wearing a latex mask and full bodysuit to emulate a woman. Kerry is part of a subculture known as 'female masking' that until very recently has remained relatively unheard of, even among dedicated cross-dressers. Male enthusiasts don elaborate latex or silicone masks and bodysuits complete with breasts to become glamorous female alter-egos. Scroll down for video . Behind the mask: A masker for decades, Kerry's unmasked life is that of a married man . Married man Kerry, from Seattle, has been . fascinated by masks ever since he saw an episode of Mission: Impossible . in 1970 depicting actresses wearing masks to impersonate other . characters. At 15, he tells The Atlantic, he began wearing female masks, at first from local costume shops, and later self-made latex creations. 'It'd be one thing to disguise myself as a guy, but I'd still be a guy,' he told the Atlantic of his initial desire to wear a mask. 'But if I could disguise myself as a woman that would be a total transformation.' With the advent of the internet, Kerry found a community of like-minded female maskers and realized he wasn't alone. Finding other female maskers not only provided Kerry with a community, it launched a whole new career. Lady in red: Kerry says that many men enjoy female masking but that it's a taboo even among the cross-dressing community . Plastic fantastic: The 'Jessica' full head and torso silicone mask with foam breast inserts costs $600 . He began selling his realistic masks to other men, and became so successful that he was able to leave his day job as a printer and create his own business in mask-making. For about $500, a mask and body suit including foam-stuffed breasts can be purchased from Kerry's website. His wife of 12 years, he says, thinks his obsession is 'weird.' 'She doesn't have anything to do with it. Once in a while she might help me with something but it's not really her thing,' he told the Atlantic. And while his masking has a sexual element to it, he says that his wife is not into it, and he is OK with that. 'It's one of those things where we all sort of have fantasies, scenarios we'd like to do but I think the reality would be really, really disappointing. So probably better not to try that,' he said. Write caption here . 'In a way I don't want to fetishize my wife. You know, I have sex with my wife because I love her. And I don't want to turn her into a sex object, if that makes any sense at all. Because the mask is a fetish object, that's the only thing it really exists for.' Female masking, while taboo even among the cross-dressing community, has managed to reach the edges of popular culture. Photographer Steven Meisel even shot model Carolyn Murphy in a mask of Italian Vogue in 2012 after stumbling across the fetish online. A British documentary called Secrets of the Living Dolls that screened earlier this year featured female maskers from all walks of life. Unlike transgender people, ‘maskers’, or ‘rubber dollers’ as they’re also known, do not feel born in the wrong body. For them, dressing up as a member of the opposite sex is a simply a way to have fun. A new Channel 4 documentary, Secrets of the Living Dolls, will reveal the lives of 'maskers' - men dressed in an elaborate body suit designed to make them look like the glamorous women they are not . ‘They’re not freaky people, they’re not weird, they’re just like you and me,’ explains Barbie Ramos, the owner of Femskin, a company that makes the $850 (approximately £518) custom-made silicone outfits worn by maskers. ‘They’re just like what they call “vanilla people” - that’s you and me - except for at night or on special occasions, they like to put on a mask. Why not?’ Her son Adam, who also works at Femskin, adds: ‘I don't think it would be fair to call them gay or even attracted to other men.’ ‘It's about fun. A lot of men have fun by pretending to be women. Not all of them even want to be hot. Some want to be nasty hags.’ Unlike transgender people, 'maskers' do not feel born in the wrong body - it's just their way of having fun . One masker who has no interest in being a nasty hag is Robert, who following a painful divorce, has spent the last 12 years dressing up as Sherry, a 40-ish buxom blonde. Robert . is one of a growing number of men for whom time off means time spent . dressed in an elaborate body suit, complete with breasts and a vagina, . designed to make them look like the glamorous women they are not. But while many of the maskers who appear in Channel 4 documentary say it’s all about having fun; for 70-year-old Robert, matters don’t appear quite so simple. 'That's why I do this,’ he breathes as he pouts at his reflection in the bathroom mirror, ‘because I think I look amazing. ‘I just can't believe that's a 70-year-old man in the mirror and that's why I do this,’ he continues. ‘If I saw a 70-year-old man in the mirror I would quit this tomorrow. ‘ . Asked what he sees when he looks at his dolled up reflection, he replies: 'An exciting looking female,’ adding: ‘If I saw a woman like this and she asked me to go hang out, I'd say yeah. ‘ . For him, the appeal of Sherry seems to lie partly in the fact that for him, dating real women has been something of a disappointment. ‘You see, after all, I'm 70 years old and I've tried dating, and when I'm dating, the women I meet are generally 55 to well up into their 60s,’ he explains. ‘Some of them are in really good shape for their age but they don't look anything like this and it's very difficult to date when you have this to come home to.’ But not every masker has a troubled love life. For Joel, a British bartender who lives with his girlfriend, Mel, dressing up is all about escapism. Robert, finds that the appeal of dressing as Sherry seems to lie partly in the fact that for him, dating real women has been something of a disappointment . Joel, a British bartender who lives with his girlfriend and goes by the female name of 'Jessie' dresses up for escapism . ‘I get enjoyment out of it, I get a sense of escapism out of it,’ he reveals. ‘I'm just out to have fun. It's like the extension of another persona within me that just wants to go out and have fun. ‘The conundrum is people ask: “What do you do when you get dressed up?” And the answer is: not much. ‘Sometimes I just take photos to put up on masking websites, other times it just happens to be who I want to be that day.’ Secrets of the Living Dolls will air tonight at 10pm on Channel 4 . But Joel’s masking career hasn’t always gone smoothly. While girlfriend Mel is happy to accept his alter-ego Jessie, he spent 15 years hiding her from his parents – and from his neighbors. ‘I wouldn't walk 20 steps down the road dressed as a doll because I know general society in the area we live in would be very, very against it,’ he explains. ‘Who knows what could happen?’ One masker who is far less reticent about his hobby is Jon, a Minneapolis father-of-six who works as a forklift driver in a warehouse. According to Jon, not only does masking make him feel good, it also helps him to bond with his daughters. ‘I try to find ways to fit in and be involved with the daughters, and that sometimes means make-up and fingernails and things like that as well,’ he explains. ‘You don't have to have your guard up and necessarily be afraid of other people if you want to dress in a way that makes you feel really good. ‘One guy in particular that I trust at work - he knows that I put on the boobies!’ But not everyone is quite so understanding. Jon’s wife Sunny is his second, met and wed after his first marriage broke up because of his penchant for rubber dolling. ‘This does affect my relationships because I make my priorities and sometimes other people are not happy about my choices,’ he admits. So is it all worth it? Jon’s friend ‘Vanessa’, a 56-year-old who is also father of six, thinks it is. ‘When I'm in my male mode, I go out in public and I just blend in,’ he confesses. ‘When I walk down the street, people don't pay any attention to me. ‘But when I dress up, put this mask on and the wig, it's like being a beautiful woman walking down the street. ‘You become one of the beautiful people and you draw a lot of attention, and attention is not something I've had a lot of.’ | A subculture known as 'female masking' is thriving online .
Men wear latex or silicone masks and torsos to make themselves look like women .
The result is a largely immobile face, giving the impression of a doll or mannequin .
A British Channel 4 documentary, Secrets of the Living Dolls, screened earlier this year .
Unlike transgenders, ‘rubber dollers’ don't feel born in the wrong body .
Dressing up as a member of opposite sex is way to have fun or explore sexuality .
Many who practice are married heterosexual men . |
126,335 | 2f45d19f17dfc87cbb4bdfcbe14514e0f4833c3a | Petra Kvitova is currently sixth on the WTA Road to Singapore leaderboard and reached the third round of this year's US Open. Here, she talks to Sportsmail's Mike Dickson about making sushi and playing tennis with Richard Branson. Who is your Sporting hero? Martina Navratilova. What would you be if you weren’t a sportswoman? Something connected with psychology, not necessarily sports psychology, I am interested in that whole area. Hero: Petra Kvitova said her hero was Martina Navratilova, who gave her excellent advice before Wimbledon . Which sportsman would you like to be? If I’m allowed to choose a man it would be Jaromir Jagr, the Czech ice hockey legend who plays for New Jersey Devils. Career highlight? Winning Wimbledon for the second time. It was a bit more special showing myself that I could do it again after the first one. ... And the worst moment? Losing in the first round of the Australian Open this year. I was convinced I was going to do well there and had really high hopes so it was extra disappointing. If your house was burning down, what one possession would you save? To be honest nothing special, it would be my passport or my phone. Highlight: Kvitova sad her career highlight was winning Wimbledon for a second time . What’s the best advice you’ve ever been given? Navratilova told me before my first Wimbledon final: ‘Treat it like any other match and don’t be satisfied with just reaching the final’. Favourite karaoke song? I’ve never sang karaoke and I doubt I ever will, it’s not my style. Three most-listened to songs on your i-pod? Am I Wrong by Nico and Vinz, Rip Tight by Vince Joy and Budapest by Ezra. Last film you saw? The Notebook. I like romantic movies when I’m in the mood but my favourites are comedies. Last book you read? Li Na, My Life. She is a friend and some-one I admire with a fascinating story. US Open: Kvitova went out of the 2014 US Open in the third round after losing to Aleksandra Krunic . Which three people would you invite to dinner? My mother, father and my best friend from home Veronica, a medical student. Favourite pre-match meal? Plain rice or pasta with parmesan cheese on top. Can you cook? Best dish? I hardly ever cook. It’s not something I enjoy. I like sushi – I can’t make it but did try once and it wasn’t very good. Holiday: Kvitova revealed she went on holiday to the Maldives where she played tennis with Richard Branson . Favourite holiday destination? Anywhere with a beach. I went to the Maldives a couple of years ago and last winter went to Necker Island to play tennis with Richard Branson. In a film of your life, who would YOU like to play you? Cameron Diaz. What’s the most expensive thing you’ve ever bought? The earrings I bought the day after winning Wimbledon this year to wear at the champions’ dinner, the first time I’ve bought a present for myself. Tell us a secret... My room is incredibly untidy when I stay in hotels. When I’m in a house it’s a bit better but still not perfect. | Petra Kvitova said her career highlight was winning Wimbledon .
Kvitova also spoke about holidays, Richard Branson and making sushi .
Czech star dumped out of US Open in third round . |
188,046 | 7f857a97968862bb36ae9be204401d4f4cc71fa8 | Burning: Mariade Kelly's skin weeps and burns following an allergic reaction to hair dye . A mum was left terrified and fighting for her life after suffering an allergic reaction to a bottle of hair dye. Mariade Kelly, 29, ended up in a hospital high-dependency unit after using a bottle of £5.99 Garnier Nutrisse in Black. Just hours after applying it to her hair, Miss Kelly's scalp began to weep with pus and her skin started to itch uncontrollably. But this was just the beginning of her problems as over a 48-hour period her symptoms deteriorated to a life-threatening degree. Her throat closed up, she struggled to breathe and her heart rate jumped to a dangerous 180 beats per minute. Miss Kelly, who started going grey in her early 20s, decided to dye her hair ahead of a trip from her home of Grangemouth, Scotland, to see her fiance Paul's family in Scunthorpe, Lincolnshire. The night before she was due to leave, she applied a bottle of Garnier Nutrisse in Black to her hair which she had purchased from her local Superdrug. She said: 'I started going grey when I was quite young so I had used other dyes in the past for years and I thought I would be fine. 'Before I went to bed, I felt some slight itching and my head was a bit uncomfortable. But then it just started getting worse and worse. 'There was yellow pus oozing from my scalp and it had the most horrific smell of burning flesh. 'I knew straightaway that was from the dye but at that point I didn't panic, I just took some anti-histamines and put some Sudocrem on my hairline, where it was starting to blister, before I went to sleep.' Before and after: The horrific effects of the allergic reaction to the hair dye can be seen in these pictures . However, the next morning, Miss Kelly faced the long drive to Scunthorpe with unpleasant pus running down her face. Too ashamed to show her appearance in public, she hid in the car while her fiance, Paul Abdi, 42, a managing director, and children Brooke, 12, and Mya, six, visited service stations en route. However, by the time the party reached Scunthorpe, it was clear that Miss Kelly, a council worker, required urgent medical attention. She said: 'During the journey, I was getting gradually worse all the time. 'Both my eyes swelled up and the skin at the side of my earlobes was really swollen and itchy. 'The worst part was the awful pus that was still oozing from my head all the time. Worried: Mariade Kelly's face swells as the allergic reaction takes hold . 'We went to A&E and I was seen pretty quickly, but at that point, because the reaction was still relatively slight, I was sent home with some anti-histamines and told to keep an eye on it.' That night, Miss Kelly awoke in a panic to find her whole face was swollen and her cheeks had puffed out to double their size. She returned to A&E only to be told to keep taking her medication, but just three hours later she went back to the hospital with a racing heartbeart and shortness of breath and was immediately admitted. She said: 'Paul dropped me off at the front door and went to park the car. 'The first nurse who set eyes on me exclaimed "Oh my God, this woman is having a terrible reaction", and by the time Paul came in I was strapped to a heart monitor on a trolley. 'My heart rate was at 180 bpm - around the same rate as a heart attack - and I couldn't breathe. 'My eyelids had swelled completely shut and I couldn't see. 'I was really panicking by this point and even the nurses seemed shocked. 'I was admitted to the high dependency unit and pumped full of anti-histamines and steroid injections. 'It was awful as in the bed next to me there was someone receiving the last rites - I was so scared. 'By this point my skin was actually starting to bruise because it was so swollen.' Miss Kelly spent a further three days in hospital during the time of the incident in January this year. Reaction: A packet of Garnier Nutrisse Black which Mariade Kelly used before her allergic reaction . One of the doctors asked her if she had ever heard of the chemical PPD. An ingredient in many UK hair dyes, para-phenylenediamine (PPD) is a common allergen banned in many European countries. People can become allergic to it at any time, even if they have been exposed to it before without problems. For this reason, it was voted Allergen Of The Year in 2006 by the American Contact Dermatitis Society. Miss Kelly said: 'When he told me it was banned in so many countries I was shocked. 'He told me to check with my GP once I got home to see if that's what was responsible for my reaction and it turned out it was. 'Afterwards I found out it's contained in all sorts of things, from textiles to cosmetics. 'I feel very strongly that PPD should be banned in the UK. 'I didn't do a patch test but I had used dyes with PPD in them for years without any problems and I know I am not the only person who doesn't do the test every time they dye their hair. 'It's horrifying to think it could be in my clothes or in a tube of mascara and I would be none the wiser. 'Now that I have had the reaction once, I will always be allergic to PPD and another reaction could kill me. 'I now have to dye my hair with a semi-permanent dye I order from a health food shop'. 'More people need to know the risks of PPD so they don't have to go through what I went through.' A spokesman for Garnier said: 'We are totally committed to ensuring that our products are safe and that our customers can use them with absolute confidence.'We were very sorry to hear of Ms Kelly's experience in January. 'Ms Kelly has not contacted Garnier and we would encourage her to do so, so that we can offer specialist medical support.' 'A helpline number is provided on all our products and we always offer our support when consumers contact us. 'Allergies to hair colourants are extremely rare but can occur for a very small number of people. 'Ms Kelly's experience shows how important it is to carry out a skin allergy test at least 48 hours before using the colourant each and every time, following the instructions exactly, which are clearly displayed on Garnier Nutrisse hair colour packaging.' | 29-year-old struggled to breathe as her heart rate jumped to dangerous levels .
Scalp was left oozing yellow pus and smelt of burning flesh .
Victim now wants chemical banned from all UK hair dyes . |
97,618 | 09a9f657dba81118c7e971ad785cd2ccb08ea5a0 | By . Lydia Warren . and Alex Greig . PUBLISHED: . 18:41 EST, 15 November 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 07:52 EST, 16 November 2013 . To chants of 'Batkid, Batkid, Batkid!' and the strains of Journey's Don't Stop Believing, five-year-old Batkid Miles Scott stepped down from a stage outside San Francisco's City Hall with the key to the city and memories to last a lifetime. After a full day of crime fighting, the leukemia-survivor's wish to be Batkid for a day had come true and culminated in a ceremony watched by thousands of people who lined the streets to catch a glimpse of the city's smallest hero. As many as 12,000 people in San Francisco turned out to help make Miles' wish come true, and millions more watched on from around the world - including President Obama, who tweeted in support of the brave Batkid. Scroll down for video . Batkid! San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee thanks Batkid for his efforts in front of the crowds . Gotham City saved: Miles Scott is presented with the key to the city by San Francisco Mayor Edwin M. Lee . Way to go, Batkid! Five-year-old leukemia survivor Miles, dressed as Batkid, high-fives with San Francisco Fire Department chief Joanne Hayes-White as police chief Greg Suhr looks on . Caped crusader revealed: The San Francisco Chronicle printed a front page of the Gotham City Chronicle to honor Miles Scott as Batkid . The . President also employed another form of social media in honor of Miles, . using Vine to tell him, 'Way to go, Miles! Way to save Gotham!'As Miles worked his way around the city, crowds of San Franciscans lined the streets to watch his heroics. First, he rescued a damsel in distress, then he foiled a dastardly plan to rob the bank by the Riddler, and his third challenge was to rescue mascot Lou Seal from the clutches of the Penguin.Patricia . Wilson of the Make-A-Wish Foundation paid tribute to the hundred of . people and thousands of well-wishers who made Miles' wish come true. From . a special edition of the Gotham City Chronicle to a . Batmobile, there was nothing Wilson could not procure for the little . superhero.'It might be the first time a Lamborghini has had a booster seat,' she joked. Da-na-na-na-na... BATKID! Batman and Batkid (five-year-old Miles Scott, right) prepare to fight their foes on the streets of Gotham City (San Francisco) Holy smokes, Batkid! Miles, who is in remission after suffering from leukemia, runs to save a damsel in distress as he is granted his wish to be a superhero for the day in San Francisco . To the Batkid-mobile! The Batmobile arrives to collect Batkid and Batman so they can fight the city's villains . Wilson said that every person she called to make Miles' wish happen wanted to help. 'Every time I picked up the phone, I got a yes. And it was followed by a question: How else can I help?' she said. For Miles' parents, his day as Batkid symbolizes a new beginning for Miles and the Scott family. 'This is closure for us. He finished treatment in June, it's been a long three years for us. So this is one way to kick it off,' said father Nick Scott. The Make-A-Wish foundation transformed the . streets of San Francisco into Gotham City so that the . young cancer victim could achieve his dream of becoming a superhero today. Miles Scott, from Sikiyou . County, near Oregon, assumed the persona of 'Batkid', donning a . mini-cape in his crusade to rid the city of its fiercest foes, the . Penguin and the Riddler. Thousands . of volunteers signed up to help cheer along the boy, who is in . remission after a four-year battle with leukemia, as he enjoys his dream . day granted by the Make-A-Wish Foundation. Crime crusher: Miles Scott, aka Batkid, raises his fist next to Batman at a rally outside of City Hall with Mayor Ed Lee (left) and his mother Natalie Scott (right) in San Francisco . When the charity, which grants wishes for ill children, asked Miles to name his dream, his answer was simply: 'I want to be Batkid!' It sparked a massive effort by the foundation, friends, strangers and the city of San Francisco to ensure this heroic little boy could achieve his dream. Finally, on Friday morning, he was called into service by San Francisco Police Chief Greg Suhr. Hundreds of people lined the streets and cheered as he emerged from the Batmobile - driven by an adult Batman - before freeing a damsel who had been tied to cable car tracks. As she embraced him in thanks, he got a call that the Riddler was trying to rob a vault . downtown, so headed to the Financial District and promptly stopped the thief in his tracks. News cameras captured the moment the Riddler was hauled from the bank and taken away by police officers. Hold on, damsel in distress! Miles exits the Batmobile with Batman to save a woman after a call from the police chief . We need your help, Batkid! A damsel in distress is tied to tracks in San Francisco by the Riddler . It's up to you, Batkid! Our heroes discuss how to save the woman as they run to her aid . Blammo! The relieved woman hugs her superhero after he saved her from the tracks . Bosh! The damsel in distress did not hold back her thanks . There's not a moment to lose! Batkid and Batman run back to their Batmobile after saving the damsel in distress . After battling his enemy, he headed to Burger Bar to refuel, his Make-A-Wish itinerary explained. While at Burger Bar, he received get a . call on his batphone to go to the window where he saw a . huge group of volunteers screaming for Batman’s help - because the Penguin was kidnapping a famous Gotham City mascot - Lou Seal. Batman and Batkid raced to AT&T . park to apprehend the villain and freed Lou Seal, the San Francisco . Giants mascot since 1996. After catching the Penguin, Batkid made his final stop at City Hall, where the Mayor and the Police . Chief of Gotham City thanked him and gave him the key to the city. My savior! Batkid receives a hug from mascot Lou Seal after he heroically saves him from the Penguin as thousands watch on a screen outside City Hall . Uh oh! Batkid then learned that the Riddler had threatened to rob a bank in the Financial District . Kapow! The Riddler is weak to the power of Batman and his sidekick, Batkid, and is promptly arrested . Not so fast! The Riddler is taken away by police after he was dealth with by Batkid . Job done! Crowds cheer as Batkid emerges after helping arrest the Riddler as he stole from the bank . On to the next one! Miles, also known as BatKid, leaves in his Batmobile after arresting the Riddler . 'Even superheroes need lunch!' Batkid and Batman head to Union Square to snack on burgers . We love you, Batkid! Make-A-Wish shared this image on Twitter with the caption: 'Batkid, citizens of Gotham need you!' Batkid was praised for his efforts, with Senator Dianne Feinstein tweeting: 'Thanks for saving Gotham, Batkid!' Ahead of his heroic efforts, little Miles underwent acrobatic training with his 'Batman', inventor and acrobat . Eric Johnston, to prepare him for his big day. The boy behind the mask: Miles had told the Make A Wish Foundation that he wanted to be Batkid . Johnston and his wife, Sue Graham . Johnston, who played the damsel, even created Bat-style . gadgets such as a wrist device that played previously recorded . messages from San Francisco Police Chief Greg Suhr for Batkid throughout . the day. Johnston said of Batkid: 'He's . an excellent superhero because he's a totally mild-mannered kid when . the mask is off. But when he puts on the armored Batsuit, he's . uncontainable. He shines.' Around 1,000 special edition 'Gotham . City Chronicle' newspapers will be handed out at Union Square today, . with the headline: 'Batkid saves city.' And . even the illustrators for the original Batman are involved, after . Andrew Farago, curator of the Cartoon Art Museum in San Francisco, . reached out to cartoonists and DC Comics. Graham Nolan, . who drew the Batman series through the 1990s and co-created of the . villain, Bane, was the first to respond - and sent through a drawing . showing Miles as Batkid fighting Bane. Nolan signed it: 'For Miles, a real superhero!' 'We . certainly all were children who had dreams of being a superhero and . being larger than life,' Farago told the Mercury News. 'But I think this . has touched people because most of us have never had to overcome the . obstacles that this boy has.' While the day of saving damsels in distress and capturing the Riddler . will no doubt be great fun for Miles, it is also an important day for . his family. Say your prayers, Batkid! The Penguin taunts the caped crusader in front of crowds . Batkid! The caped crusader contemplates his next move in the Batmobile . Batkid! The hero of the day rushes to his next task . Batkid! The crowd cheers in San Francisco . Fans: A San Francisco Police Officer with a Batkid sign on his bike, left, waits for the arrival of the superhero, while a young fan holds a sign expressing her thanks from her father's shoulders, right . Thanks, Robin! Miles is cheered on by his little brother, who is dressed as Robin, and his grandmother . Let's go! Police escort batkid after in Union Square after his heroic deeds . Holy cow! The adventures of Batkid continue . Da-anananana! A San Francisco police officer on bike escorts BatKid after he arrested the Riddler . 'This wish has meant closure for our . family and an end to over three years of putting toxic drugs in our . son's body,' said his mother Natalie, the San Jose Mercury News reported. The Make-A-Wish Foundation grants the wishes of children with life-threatening medical conditions to give them hope. Other . incredible wishes it has granted include Justin Bieber meeting . eight-year-old Annalysha Brown-Rafanan, who suffers from a . life-threatening liver condition, and 11-year-old Tyler Sue, who has a serious genetic condition, meeting her 'Cake Boss' idol, Buddy Valastro. More information about Miles' big day is on the Make-A-Wish webpage. Swoon! Female fans of Batkid cheer him on as he passes . Generosity: Graham Nolan, an original illustrator of the Batman comics throughout the 1990s, drew this image of Batkid taking on Bane, adding at the bottom: 'For Miles - a real superhero!' Excitement: Miles, pictured with his family, has been battling leukemia since he was one year old, and now the Make-A-Wish foundation is making his dream of becoming a superhero a reality . See below for video . | Miles Scott, who is in remission after a four-year battle with leukemia, told the Make-A-Wish Foundation that he wanted to be Batkid .
Today the foundation, officials and volunteers transformed San Francisco into Gotham City so he could achieve his dream .
Miles got a call from the police chief and jumped into a Batmobile to defend the city from his fiercest foes, the Penguin and the Riddler .
After a day of heroic deeds, he was honored by San Francisco Mayor Edwin M. Lee with the key to the city .
Lee declared November 15 'Batkid Day' |
85,187 | f199e1872c764a9409ecbdc375e1ad69c0d82c3b | By . Emily Allen . PUBLISHED: . 06:41 EST, 2 July 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 07:49 EST, 2 July 2012 . A mother-to-be told by doctors that her baby had died in the womb was stunned when he started breathing the moment he was born. Six months pregnant Alex Jones, 21, was heartbroken when doctors couldn’t find a heartbeat and she would have to go through the ordeal of delivering her stillborn baby. Ms Jones was even told by medical team to make preparations for a funeral for the baby boy she named Cohan. Happy family: Alex Jones with Cohan, who has just celebrated his first birthday, and her daughter Maisy . But midwives were amazed seconds after the delivery that the tiny boy was breathing and wriggling his toes. Her three-month premature baby weighed just 1lb 11oz and was very weak but was alive. Ten doctors immediately dashed in to help as the child was whisked away to be put in an incubator. Alex said yesterday: 'It was the most amazing thing - I was told my baby had died and to prepare myself for a stillborn delivery. 'I really thought I was going to be arranging his funeral when he was born. I was utterly heartbroken. 'Me and mum were talking about organising a little plot for him and where he would be buried. 'But when he was born my mother who was with me noticed he sort of groaned and she saw his tiny toes wriggling. Survivor: Cohan was born three months premature and weighed just 1lb and 11oz and was weak but alive . 'Even the doctors and nurses were calling him a miracle baby.' Yesterday she celebrated little Cohan's first birthday. Ms Jones, of Merthyr Tydfil, South Wales, told how she was 24 weeks into her pregnancy when her waters suddenly broke while watching EastEnders. She was rushed to a maternity unit at nearby Prince Charles Hospital where doctors gave her the grim news that they couldn’t find a heartbeat. She was transferred to Singleton Hospital in Swansea with her mother Sonia holding her hand where she gave birth naturally. But instead of a stillborn child, she was delivered her miracle baby boy Cohan - even though he was very premature and weak. She has spent every waking minute at his side in hospital as he grew stronger day-by-day. His heartbeat had to be regulated in intensive care for five months while he battled a number of infections and was fed through a drip. Intensive care: Alex was rushed to hospital and then transferred to Singleton Hospital in Swansea (pictured) with her mother Sonia holding her hand where she gave birth naturally to her miracle baby Cohan . He was also treated for a deadly clot on his brain after being transferred to Singleton Hospital in Swansea. Nurses there threw a party for Cohan when he survived for 100 days. And Cohan, who now weighs 14lb 9oz, has just celebrated his first birthday with a party at the family home. Ms Jones, who has a three-year-old daughter Maisy, said: 'I have to pinch myself that he’s here at all. I was devastated when six months into my pregnancy they couldn’t find any trace of a heartbeat. 'When they delivered him, everyone was shocked that he was breathing. No-one was prepared for it. 'But even then, they gave him little chance to survive. I thought he was a child I would never be able to hold in my arms. 'But look at him now. He is a very happy baby and a little boy who really fought for his life. It’s such a relief to see him smiling. Even the doctors can’t believe how well he is now. 'We are not blaming anyone - his heartbeat must have been so weak the doctors were unable to detect it. 'All that matters is that Cohan’s alive. I will always think of him as my miracle baby.' Proud grandmother Sonia, 49, told how she first heard the baby’s gasp and realised he was alive. She said: 'I saw his little legs first because he was breach when he came out. 'I heard a little groan and then I saw his toes wiggle. I thought I was imagining it at first. 'I told the midwife and then she realised he was breathing. Suddenly ten doctors were in the room working on him. 'They resuscitated him and then whisked him away. We were told not to get our hopes up because he was very poorly. 'But that little groan proved to be a miracle because my grandson has survived. 'Up until that point it had been the worst moment of our lives - Alex had been breaking her heart because she was expecting her baby to be stillborn. We thought there was no hope. 'We never expected it after being told by the doctors they couldn’t find the heartbeat and there was nothing they could do. 'But it seems he had been tightly tucked up in her womb and was so small they hadn’t been able to gage his heartbeat. 'It was two weeks before Alex could hold him for the first time. He weighed less than a bag of sugar but he was such a little fighter and he held on to his little life.' Cohan is still under weight but is gaining strength every day and he is expected to live a normal life. A spokeswoman for the Cwm Taf Health Board said: 'We are delighted Cohan is doing so well.' | Alex Jones was told to make preparations for a funeral for her baby boy .
Seconds after delivery he started breathing and wriggling his toes .
At three months premature he weighed 1lb and 11oz but is now a year old . |
214,284 | a17f9f9a4ca661b450aa9808df72e98583e6a939 | (CNN) -- It's been a little more than 3 years since Steve Jobs passed away. But like other notable and historical figures, there remains an enormous appetite for anything Jobs related, including movies and books about his life. That's why a never-before-seen video deposition is likely to generate massive interest when it gets played in an Oakland, California, courtroom. Jobs gave the deposition in April of 2011, just months before he succumbed to pancreatic cancer. The trial, with opening statements beginning Tuesday, centers around digital music and how things existed a decade ago. The plaintiffs allege that Apple engaged in antitrust behavior by not allowing music sold in other digital stores to play on iPods, specifically iPods sold from 2006 to 2009. In his deposition, Jobs testified that Apple's deals with the music companies didn't allow for interoperability. Today, consumers have no shortage of options when it comes to downloading or streaming their favorite artists. But if you hit the rewind button and go back 10 years, the choices were limited. For many, Apple's iTunes was the only legitimate game in town. And it paired up beautifully with the iPod. It was classic Apple. A walled-in system that got you sucked into its ecosystem. If you bought a song from another music marketplace, it wouldn't play on Apple devices. Digital music is now basically a commodity and can be heard on an infinite amount of devices from many different providers. In his deposition, Jobs testified that Apple's deals with the music companies didn't allow for interoperability. "We had pretty much black and white contracts with the labels," he said. "And we went to great pains to make that people couldn't hack into our digit rights management system because if they could, we would get nasty emails from the labels threatening us." The deposition took place for approximately 2 hours with Jobs often saying he couldn't remember certain e-mails or conversations. Other prominent Apple executive are expected to testify, including marketing chief Phil Schiller and Eddy Cue, who runs Internet and software services. The stakes are relatively small for Apple - 350 million, a tiny fraction of the company's revenue. (Apple generates more than $180 billion in annual sales. ) But Apple decided to take the case to trial rather than settle. And by doing so, an adoring public will get another glimpse into the style and personality of the legendary founder. | Never-before-seen deposition featuring Steve Jobs will be shown .
Jobs gave the deposition just months before he died of cancer in 2011 .
Plaintiffs in lawsuit say Apple engaged in antitrust behavior in digital music sales . |
269,551 | e9241929152354d92bd2c40f0602ccf4c5bb8bc2 | Paper is handy for shopping lists, toilet roll and good old-fashioned books. But paper make-up? I don’t think so. But that shows how little I know because it seems that the latest beauty must-have looks like a pad of Post-it notes. Mai Couture Papiers are sheets of paper infused with foundation, blusher, highlighter and bronzer — all you have to do is sweep the paper over your face for a flawless finish. Mariane Power (pictured) tests the Mai Couture Papiers. After trying the shade 'Sunset Boulevard' Marianne said it's the best blusher she's ever tried . The idea is that you use them to top up your make-up during the day or you can even use them instead of your usual products for a sheer, natural make-up look. Brilliant for on the go make-up, the papers replace your make-up bag with a product that can fit in your pocket. They are all contained neatly inside a wallet so they are lightweight and compact and won’t spill all over your handbag. They also have the added bonus of acting like blotting papers — favoured by make-up artists to absorb excess oil from the face to reduce shine — and an alternative to applying pressed powder to matte the skin which often looks cakey. It sounds too good to be true — like another gimmick designed to relieve us of our money. I decide to try them. The sheets of foundation powder cost £12.50 for 50 sheets — one is enough to cover the whole face. This works out at 25p per sheet, so slightly cheaper than my usual £26.55 bottle of Estee Lauder Double Wear foundation, which lasts three months. But still, I am sceptical. My skin can be blotchy and red, so I like my foundation to be thick and creamy. The Mai Coutur Papiers (pictured) are available infused with foundation, blusher, highlighter and bronzer. The sheets of foundation powder cost £12.50 for 50 sheets — one is enough to cover the whole face . I’m of the ‘more is more’ school when it comes to a base — I don’t believe a tiny square of tissue paper will give me the coverage I want. I sweep the foundation paper all over my face, pressing more firmly where I need more coverage. I must admit that it goes on easily and smoothly and gives more coverage than I was expecting, but it is too powdery. It collects on the dry skin on my chin and forehead, I keep trying to blot and blend with the paper but, as a result, I keep putting more powder on, which is not what I want. And even though I use the palest of the three shades available, it’s a bit too orange for my skin. So far, so unimpressive. Next I try the trio pack of blusher, bronzer and highlighter sheets. I’ve never got on well with bronzer. I prefer to stay pale and interesting and on the couple of times I’ve tried it, my skin colour looks fake and Essex-y. Not with this one. Because the powder on the sheets is so fine — it’s talc free — it goes on so lightly that you barely notice it, but it gives a gorgeous soft glow with a slight shimmer. I love it, but not as much as I love the highlighter sheets. Like bronzer, I’ve never got the hang of highlighter. I have tried a product called High Beam by Benefit — which comes in a nail varnish-like applicator — but it’s messy and I lost patience with it, but this is totally different. I fold up the paper and blot it on the top of my cheekbones — and voila! The result is soft, but illuminating. No mess, no streaks. It’s so easy. Finally, I pat the blusher paper on the apples of my cheeks. I apply a shade called Sunset Boulevard — and with one papery push my cheeks are the prettiest, most natural glow. I can honestly say it’s the best blusher I’ve ever tried. The overall effect was a revelation. I’m still not crazy about the foundation, but it blends well with the bronzer, blush and highlighter. I feel as if I’m not wearing any make-up, but my skin looks even and luminous. Mai Couture don’t do any eyeshadows, but I’m told the bronzer can also double as one. Mai Couture don't make a lip colour yet, Marianne (pictured) tested the papers out on her lips but although it looked nice initially, it quickly came off . It works a treat — I dab it on quite heavily to get the most colour of it and use a brush to blend it. It’s super fine and sits on my skin perfectly, giving some definition to my eyes without looking too heavy. They don’t do lip colour either, but I try the blush sheets on my lips to see what happens. I choose a darker blusher sheet and though it looks pretty it comes off within minutes. The next day I try a light dusting of the foundation sheet on top of my usual cream foundation and the effect is perfect — lightly matte, with a soft glow. Throughout the day I blot my skin with the foundation powder and the blusher, even doing it on the train without a mirror, and it works a treat. A revolution for practical make-up on the go and ideal for those of us who suffer from an oily complexion, paper make-up is more genius than gimmick. From now on I won’t leave home without my little book of powdered paper. Available from thisisbeautymart.com . | Mai Couture Papiers are infused with foundation and other products .
All you have to do is wipe the paper over your face for a flawless finish .
They also have the added bonus of acting like blotting papers . |
271,245 | eb59d8eae3cf443814a3d22503a9c50afcb7eb27 | Niki Taylor knew getting divorced could be a painful experience – but nothing prepared her for the heartbreak she endured when her ex-husband secretly gave away her beloved pet dog. Niki, 39, was so distraught at losing Dolly the doberman that she has launched a remarkable nationwide hunt to find her pet. She has already discovered that Dolly was rehomed by a local kennels – and is now trying to trace the family who took her in. Bond: Niki Taylor, 39, and Dolly as a puppy, who was secretly given away by Niki's husband after their divorce earlier this year. It was arranged that Simon Taylor would look after the dog until she found a home . The sad saga began when Niki and Simon Taylor, 43, went through an acrimonious divorce early this year after seven years of marriage. As part of the settlement, it was agreed Mr Taylor, a corporate headhunter, would look after Dolly for a few months while Niki found somewhere to live. Niki had owned Dolly since she was a puppy. When Niki suffered a knee injury in April, her mother wrote to Mr Taylor asking for the arrangement to be extended. In September, Mr Taylor told his former mother-in-law that Dolly had ‘never been happier’, but refused permission for Niki to see the dog. Now, Niki has learned that by then her former husband had already given Dolly up to a kennels near his home in Leigh-on-Sea, Essex, and told them to find the dog a new owner. Niki, who has been staying with friends in West London, was contacted anonymously earlier this month and told her ex had rehomed Dolly without her knowledge. She says that when a mutual friend contacted him, his reply made her fearful for Dolly’s welfare. She says: ‘He told my friend he was not going to tell her what had become of Dolly. He was so vehement, I feared something worse than rehoming.’ The police told Niki they could not help and in desperation she launched a Facebook campaign. ‘Dolly licked away my tears during a very difficult time in my life and I will never forget her,’ Niki wrote. ‘It’s now my turn to make sure she is OK. Please help me find her.’ The appeal struck a chord and within days had been shared more than 40,000 times. Niki has launched a nationwide campaign to find Dolly after she discovered she had been given to kennels in Leigh-On-Sea and rehomed. She is now trying to trace the family that took in her beloved pet . One well-wisher got in touch last week to help business development manager Niki track down the kennels where Dolly was last seen. However, the kennels refuse to tell her where Dolly has been rehomed. Niki learned her ex-husband had signed the dog over to Acres Way Kennels in Benfleet, Essex. She said: ‘They told me that Dolly had been given to a family in the area, but because of confidentiality rules, they couldn’t give me any details. ‘They assured me that Dolly is in a nice home, but at the very least, I need to know that for myself.’ Simon Taylor’s solicitor, Rash Mahal, said: ‘We had a court order and she was supposed to collect the dog by May 1. ‘She didn’t do it and she didn’t contact our client, so he had the right to rehouse the dog. Nothing more to say.’ Tom Millson, manager of Acres Way, said the dog was signed over to them in June. ‘We have behaved responsibly and conducted a visit at the home of the new owner,’ he said. ‘They are a kind couple who have looked after Dolly, but they don’t feel comfortable coming forward.’ Anyone with any information about Dolly’s whereabouts can get in touch with Niki through the contact box at www.angelsfortheinnocent.com. | Niki Taylor's husband secretly gave away pet dog after divorce this year .
It was agreed Simon Taylor would look after Dolly while Niki found a home .
When she suffered a knee injury in April the arrangement was extended .
In September he wouldn't let her see dog and she found Dolly was rehomed .
She has launched a nationwide campaign to trace family that took her in . |
64,298 | b69db9a982914bb616c542d0ff80a24a3ae92024 | By . Nick Enoch and Christian Gysin . PUBLISHED: . 13:50 EST, 24 May 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 07:40 EST, 25 May 2013 . This is the last image of soldier Lee Rigby in his Help For Heroes top - taken just two days before his brutal murder. Drummer Lee was a regular at the Kebab Ye takeaway in Frances Street, Woolwich, south-east London, and would visit to order food at least three times a week. The kebab shop is less than 100 metres from the main entrance to the Woolwich barracks where the 25-year-old Fusilier was based after serving in Helmand four years ago. Timecodes on the footage show him entering the premises at 9.23pm on Monday and leaving 12 minutes later. Drummer Lee Rigby is seen, wearing a Help For Heroes sweatshirt, in the Kebab Ye takeaway on Monday evening - just two days before he was murdered on a London street . Timecodes on the footage show him entering the premises at 9.23pm on Monday and leaving 12 minutes later. The takeaway is near the Woolwich Barracks, in south-east London, where he was based . The shop's owner told ITV that he knew the soldier as 'Lee' and that he was a regular customer . Yesterday, one member of staff at the . shop was red eyed and still visibly upset after the death of the young . soldier two days ago. Colleague Ali Ulu, 32, spoke warmly of the late Lee Rigby. He said: 'Lee was in here at least three times a week. 'He was a really regular customer and he came in at lunchtime two days before he was murdered. 'He ordered pizza and chips to take . away. He would always stop and chat. He would talk about his young son . and once showed us his picture. He was a really nice man and we are all . still in a state of shock.' Lee's image was captured on the shop's CCTV security camera and Mr Ulu added: 'He . was so well known in here that we would let him use our staff toilet . upstairs while we prepared his food. We still cannot believe he was . killed in such a horrible way.' Career: Drummer Rigby, 25, known as 'Riggers', was known as a brave soldier . The shop's owner, Oner Arslanboga, told ITV that he knew the soldier as 'Lee' and that he was a regular customer. He added that Lee was a 'very polite chap'. Drummer Lee Rigby, of 2nd Battalion, The Royal Regiment of Fusiliers, was hit by a car and then 'hacked to death' on Wednesday by two men who got out of the vehicle and attacked him with knives and meat cleavers while shouting 'Allah Akbar!' - an Islamic phrase for 'God is great'. Lee had been off-duty at the time, and was possibly wearing the same Help For Heroes hooded top he had on in the kebab shop. His death has sparked a public outpouring of grief, with hundreds of tributes to the father-of-one left near the scene of the crime by Woolwich Barracks. Both the suspected killers, Michael Adebolajo, 28, and Michael Adebowale, 22, were known to MI5. They were shot by armed officers at the scene after allegedly waiting around for up to 20 minutes for police to arrive so they could attack them. A man who was identified on internet forums as Adebolajo was filmed clutching knives and with his hands covered in blood ranting about Islam to passers-by with cameras after the incident. The pair have been arrested and are under armed guard as they recover in hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. Another man and a woman, both 29, were arrested yesterday on suspicion of conspiracy to murder, after police raided a number of addresses around London, Essex and Lincolnshire. Suspect: Michael Adebowale, 22, of Greenwich, south-east London, with a knife in his hand at the scene where Lee Rigby was stabbed to death . | Drummer Lee, 25, was a regular at Kebab Ye takeaway in Woolwich, south-east London, near barracks where he was based .
He entered premises at 9.23pm on Monday and left 12 minutes later .
'He would always stop and chat. He would talk about his young son .
and once showed us his picture,' said a member of shop's staff . |
130,474 | 34b953c837b7288f9449049f1cbf1f0670696616 | Neil Warnock made an unexpected return as Crystal Palace boss on Wednesday and is poised to bring Wilfried Zaha with him. The 65-year-old has been confirmed as Tony Pulis’s successor on a two-year deal, pipping Steve Clarke to the post. And Warnock will launch an immediate move to bring Manchester United misfit Zaha back to Selhurst Park on a season-long loan for a £1.5million fee. Warnock, who managed Palace for three years from 2007, has four days to strengthen his squad ahead of the transfer deadline. However, Palace are sweating over their move for Southampton midfielder Jack Cork. The club were close to completing the Saint’s capture ahead of Warnock’s arrival but the 25-year-old is now set to make a decision over the next 48 hours. VIDEO Scroll down for Wilfried Zaha Ice Bucket Challenge . Disappointment: Wilfried Zaha failed to start a single Premier League game at Manchester United . Snubbed: Zaha was left on the bench during Manchester United's humiliating defeat by MK Dons . Meanwhile, there is unlikely to be any ill-feeling between Warnock and Palace forward Jason Puncheon despite their public spat earlier this year. Puncheon questioned Warnock’s integrity after the manager criticised him for his penalty miss against Tottenham in January. Warnock considered taking legal action and Puncheon later apologised for his outburst and was fined £15,000 by the FA for his comments. Sportsmail understands the pair have resolved their differences but Warnock could still look to offload Puncheon if the right offer comes along. Palace are also keen on drafting Notts County manager Shaun Derry into their new-look coaching set-up. VIDEO Neil Warnock returns to Palace . Out and about: Neil Warnock (left) spotted walking in Central London on Wednesday after being appointed as the new Crystal Palace manager . | Wilfried Zaha failed to start a single Premier League game at United .
The winger was sent out on loan to Cardiff but failed to make an impact .
Wilfried Zaha reunited with manager Neil Warnock at Crystal Palace . |
151,948 | 505f933008cf5a914116a44344ea7d61f9ea22e5 | (CNN) -- One of the toughest records to beat in tennis finally fell on Monday when the Bryan brothers Mike and Bob registered their 271st week at the top of the world doubles standings. The 33-year-old twins moved past fellow American John McEnroe, who was not only one of the game's best singles players but also one of the greatest in the two-man format. "John McEnroe is a legend. He's definitely one of the best doubles players in history. We respect and admire what he's brought to the sport," Mike Bryan told the ATP Tour website. "To be grouped in the same category and mentioned in the same breath as McEnroe is an honor in itself. We play against McEnroe in exhibitions and he still shows what a talent he is." The Bryans have topped the year-end list since 2005. They have won the most men's doubles titles with 75, and took their grand slam-leading tally to 11 this year with triumphs at the Australian Open and Wimbledon. "To achieve this record and surpass John McEnroe, who we've always looked up to, is awesome," said Bob, who is expecting a daughter with wife Michelle in January. "This ranks up with our record of most team titles. It shows we were consistent throughout our whole career and we didn't want to relinquish the top spot. The Bryans are the only partnership to have won 700 matches, and they have a record 19 Masters 1000 tournament titles. With the season now over, next year they can beat Pete Sampras' mark of 286 weeks at the top of the men's singles. "Singles and doubles are totally different, but it's nice to be at the top of doubles. That's what we do and it's what we love," Bob said. "I'm just grateful that we've been able to do it for so long. We've now played on tour for 13 years and have been lucky to stay healthy. We still have a great time playing so we don't plan on stopping anytime soon. When our careers are over, I think we'll look back and be proud of what we've accomplished." They thanked their Australian coach David MacPherson, who has worked with the brothers since 2005. "Since bringing him on board, we've been a lot more consistent, and he's worked hard to help us improve each year. Without him, this would not have been possible," Mike said. | Bob and Mike Bryan break John McEnroe's record of 270 weeks as doubles No. 1 .
American twins have finished the year on top of the rankings since 2005 .
They have won the most grand slam doubles titles and the most overall .
Bob Bryan is expecting a baby daughter with his wife in January . |
183,101 | 7928bdd6f529994512da4c173204959fb1196a04 | By . Larisa Brown . PUBLISHED: . 06:34 EST, 23 October 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 08:32 EST, 23 October 2012 . MasterChef presenter Gregg Wallace has been fined £1,300 for speeding at 82mph through a 50mph zone in his flashy Jaguar sports car. The millionaire TV star from Whitstable, Kent, was snapped by a police safety camera van driving his £85,000 Jaguar XKR convertible in April this year. Mr Wallace, 47, a former fruit and vegetable seller turned plush restaurant owner, admitted driving 32mph above the speed limit in his high-powered sports car. Gregg Wallace was snapped hitting 82mph in a 50mph zone in his flashy sports car . The millionaire TV star admitted in court to driving over the speeding limit . The Jaguar can accelerate from 0-62mph in a cool 4.6 seconds and the top speed is limited to 155mph. Mr Wallace was driving along a stretch of dual carriageway on the A240 passing the village of Detling near Maidstone, Kent on April 22. Ten people have been killed or seriously injured on the stretch of road where he was caught. The top chef, who did not attend his court appearance, was fined £1330, given six penalty points on his licence and ordered to pay £85 costs. Katherine Barrett, Communications Officer for Kent & Medway Safety Camera Partnership, today said: 'Safety cameras operate at sites where people have been killed or seriously injured. 'On this stretch of road from Maidstone towards the County Showground there were 8 people killed or seriously injured within the signed camera area before the site was installed and 2 people in the last three years.' She insisted: 'We do not want to catch people speeding. 'We would like them to drive within the speed limits to as to reduce the number of crashes and casualties. 'We offer Speed Awareness courses to drivers who are within a certain threshold. 'However, excessive speed cases such as this are referred to court.' The news comes after Mr Wallace revealed in his new autobiography how he was abused by his babysitter's husband when he was eight years old. He said the man, who was in his 60s, kissed him on the mouth after telling him he would 'show you what happens when you get a girlfriend'. He told how he clearly remembers his 'hot, stinking, tobacco breath' before adding: 'I turned to jelly, in a state of total confusion.' Mr Wallace said he fell victim to the man, called George, while he was living in Peckham, south London. Mr Wallace, who has a 15-year-old daughter Libby and a son Tom, 18,also revealed how he was 'scared of marrying again' after splitting from third wife Heidi, 30, in March after just 14 months of wedlock. Soon after the break-up, he had been openly telling diners at his Wallace and Co restaurant in Putney, South West London, how much he stills loved her. Mr Wallace, who had been separated from his second wife Denise for eight years when he met Heidi, told the Daily Mail at the time: ‘I’ve had a terrible week. Glamour model Cara Franco, 26, who is dating the TV host Gregg Wallace, left . 'It’s all over Twitter. I’m in bits, I love my wife. I don’t know what’s gone wrong. She’s an amazing woman. ‘It’s all gone mad. It went wrong about three months ago. We knew there was something wrong. We want different things. 'We both have images of each other, I don’t know if they were right. I had an image of her and she had one of me but whether they were right...' He insisted that the age gap – at 30, Heidi is 17 years his junior – was not a factor in the split. He has now opened his heart on his blossoming romance with his new girlfriend, 27-year-old ex-glamour model Cara Franco. A spokesman for Mr Wallace confirmed he was charged for speeding in April this year. | Millionaire admitted driving 32mph above the speed limit and was fined £1330 .
Ten people killed or seriously injured on stretch of road where Wallace was caught .
The powerful convertible has top speed of 155mph and can sprint from 0-60mph in under five seconds . |
250,729 | d07df599b8ba5fe3f0ae25412e02bd082ac5a6ba | LONDON, England (CNN) -- With Manchester United continuing their top form from last season and aiming for what would be a remarkable clean sweep of trophies this year, it's only appropriate that we should profile a blog somehow linked to the Red Devils. Fan focus: The Republik of Mancunia blog is popular with Manchester United supporters. The Republik of Mancunia blog focuses on the Old Trafford club and is updated daily with a keen following among thousands of Manchester United fans. Authored by Manchester-born and raised 25-year-old Scott (who prefers to remain anonymous), the blog began in the 2005-2006 season. Scott, also known as "Scott the Red," told CNN that before starting the blog he had been published on several football sites, and then "fell into" creating the Republik of Mancunia web site. "I love talking about United and I'm an argumentative guy, so getting to write my opinions down about the latest goings on is something I really enjoy doing. "(In 2005-2006) I was also getting on soapbox about the fact we were not in decline, which the current media at the time seemed to think we were," he said. Scott said running a blog was a very difficult and time-consuming task, though he enjoyed the interaction with other fans. "I imagine if I wasn't in love with the club, I'd have given up on it long before now. It takes up a lot of time and you get people who support other teams having a go at you on a daily basis, sometimes United fans and all!" Scott said the readership of his blog, and also contributions to his Manchester United forum came from areas as widely spread as Europe, Africa and even as far as Asia and South America -- with a strong base at home in the United Kingdom. "I find it odd thinking of some lads thousands of miles away and hours apart sat at a computer and reading my latest rant. I like it though!" | CNN's Football Fanzone profiles a football blog every month .
In March the profiled site is the Republik of Mancunia blog .
The Republik of Mancunia is a dedicated blog for Manchester United fans . |
167,487 | 649f8b218a7b79b93c76481527d3763ca531e952 | Sean Abbott will sit out this weekend's round of club fixtures as Sydney club cricket returns for the first time since Phillip Hughes' death. The 22-year-old bowler plays for Sydney University in grade cricket but will miss the next set of fixtures along with his New South Wales team-mate Mitchell Starc. Abbott bowled the bouncer to Hughes at the Sydney Cricket Ground during a Sheffield Shield game that proved fatal. He attended the funeral of Hughes in Macksville on Wednesday having returned to training with New South Wales the day before. Sean Abbott will miss the next set of fixtures in Sydney club cricket this weekend . The 22-year-old bowler attended the funeral of Phillip Hughes in Macksville on Wednesday . According to his state side, Abbott alone will decide whether he wants to return to first class cricket at the Sydney Cricket Ground on Tuesday. Abbott has drawn sympathy from the global cricketing community, though former players and pundits have cast doubts on his ability to play at the highest level again. New South Wales chief executive Andrew Jones said it would be Abbott's call if he wanted to play against Queensland, as it would be for the team mates who witnessed batsman Hughes' sickening injury in close during the Sheffield Shield match against South Australia. 'He's in the same boat as everybody else,' Jones said in comments published by News Ltd media. 'It's a matter for him to see what he wants to do so we'll let him make that decision. Australia returned to training on Friday ahead of the first Test against India on Monday . Australian cricketers dance during the team training session as they prepare to face India . Shane Watson looks on as Mitchell Johnson bowls during the training session at Park 25 in Adelaide . 'We'll just regroup then and confirm where everybody is at and if everyone's comfortable to play or not comfortable to play or where individuals are at, and go from there.' The wicket where Hughes was struck will not feature again at the SCG over Australia's summer of cricket, having been 'retired' by groundskeepers. Hughes made his first-class debut for New South Wales before switching to South Australia. Trauma experts told Reuters the impact of Hughes' death might not sink in for Abbott for weeks, but also said a return to his natural environment of training and competition, surrounded by supportive team mates, could help him recover quicker from any psychological damage. Abbott will be given time to decide whether he wants to return to first-class cricket . Hughes' grieving team mates at South Australia, who were also at his funeral in his rural home-town of Macksville, have not yet decided on whether they will play Tasmania in the next round of the Sheffield Shield next week. 'I wouldn't recommend (the players) stay away (from the sport) at all, actually,' Michael Burge, director of the Australian College of Trauma Treatment. 'They just need to be taking into account that they may be a little bit awkward or not quite on their game as they were for a few weeks. '(They should) give themselves some self-latitude, some tolerance and compassion to be, perhaps, less than their best.' | Sean Abbott will not play this weekend for Sydney University .
22-year-old bowler returned to training on Tuesday with New South Wales .
Abbott attended the funeral of Phillip Hughes in Macksville on Wednesday . |
150,999 | 4f37bf2df7545cab64e4b4fee1bceabfe4cb89ee | A woman suffered extensive burns to her breasts at a hookah bar after partygoers who were dancing wildly on a stripper pole knocked hot coals over her, she has claimed in a lawsuit. Katelyn Sobon, 26, is suing Trilogy Nightclub and Hookah Lounge in Philadelphia for $50,000 in damages, claiming she suffered severe pain and humiliation and may need correction surgery. In her suit, which was filed this week in Common Pleas Cout, Sobon claims that she and a friend were seated near the dance floor on May 25 and a hookah pipe was put on a 'feeble' table between them. Suddenly, people dancing on the nearby stripper pole smacked into the leg of the table, toppling the hookah over and sending hot coals into her cleavage, the Philadelphia Daily News reported. Lawsuit: Katelyn Sobon, 26, is suing a Philadelphia hookah lounge after dancers on a tripper pole kicked her table and sent hot coals from a hookah pipe down her cleavage. She allegedly suffered painful burns . Her dress caught on fire but she managed to put it out and, after the incident, a club manager apologized and offered to pay her medical bills, the suit claims. The lawsuit, which names the club and its owner Mohamed El Laisy, she blames the bar for allowing the room to become crowded and for putting the hookah pipe so close to the dance floor. But the club's manager said that Sobon is simply trying to 'make a quick buck'. Speaking to the Daily News, he claimed that she had been offered medical attention on the night of the incident but she refused it. Since, she has visited the club three times, he said. On one occasion, she pointed out that she would not be suing and she and her friends were given free admission and drinks that night, he said. Injuries: She allegedly suffered pain and humiliation and may need correction surgery following the incident . Scene: Trilogy Nightclub has a stripper pole (left) for patrons to dance on, the manager said. He added that Sobon did not take them up on the offer of medical assistance and is just after a 'quick buck' The club then received a letter saying she was going to sue, he said. The next time she tried to come in, he stopped her. El Laisy also noted that he never saw scars or marks on her breasts, despite her complaint. Pictures on her Facebook profile also do not show any scars but it is possible the scarring could be hidden beneath clothing. 'Her allegation is fully false and we'll see her in court,' El Laisy said. 'It's just too ridiculous.' Sobon has not yet returned a request for comment. | Katelyn Sobon 'was burned after a dancer knocked over a "feeble" table holding a hookah pipe, sending hot coals into her cleavage'
She 'suffered severe pain and humiliation as a result' and is now suing Trilogy Nightclub in Philadelphia and its owner for $50,000 in damages .
But the club's manager said she has been back to the club since and is simply trying to make a quick buck . |
499 | 017c35cb30a2a648994225c5c4d1f7014e9c1682 | (CNN) -- Ousted Tunisian President Zine el Abidine Ben Ali was sentenced Monday to 15 and a half years in prison on charges related to the alleged discovery of weapons, archaeological artifacts and illegal drugs -- including marijuana -- in his country's presidential palace. Ben Ali's one-day trial and sentencing were conducted in absentia. The former strongman and his wife, Leila Trabelsi, have been living in exile in Saudi Arabia since the January revolt that ended his 23-year rule and touched off a wave of uprisings across North Africa and the Middle East. Both Ben Ali and Trabelsi were sentenced last month to 35 years in prison on corruption charges. In addition to the prison term, the court imposed a fine of 91 million dinars ($65 million). Ben Ali and members of his inner circle are also facing a series of charges relating to alleged murder and torture. Those charges have been referred to a Tunisian military court, according to the state news agency TAP. Monday's trial -- initially scheduled to begin Thursday -- was held in a packed courtroom in Tunis. Hosni Beji, one of the lawyers representing Ben Ali, earlier asked the presiding judge, Touhami Hafi, to postpone the trial in part to give him time to persuade the former ruler to return to Tunisia. Beji said he is planning to meet Ben Ali in Saudi Arabia on Friday. Beji's request, which was refused, triggered a series of angry outbursts from other people in the courtroom. Ben Ali had ruled Tunisia since 1987. Protests began to erupt in December after the self-immolation of a fruit vendor whose cart had been seized by police. The vendor's fiery suicide touched off a firestorm among Tunisians fed up with corruption, high unemployment and escalating food prices. The revolt that followed left at least 300 people dead and 700 wounded, a United Nations human rights expert recently said. The former strongman's political party has since been dissolved by a court order, and parliamentary elections have been scheduled for this month. Ben Ali argued in June that he has been unfairly portrayed and discredited by political opponents seeking to make a break with their country's past. In a written statement released by one of his attorneys, Ben Ali said he was "tired of being made a scapegoat" and is a victim of "injustice." The former leader said that searches of his official and personal offices were "merely stage dressing" meant to discredit him. Contrary to the assertions of his opponents, Ben Ali argued that he worked for what he thought "was the good of the Tunisian people, improving living standards and progressing on the path to modernity." CNN's Alan Silverleib contributed to this report. | NEW: Zine el Abidine Ben Ali is sentenced to 15 and a half years in prison .
Ben Ali was tried partly on illegal drug and weapons charges .
Ben Ali was tried in absentia; he and his wife have been living in Saudi Arabia since January .
Couple were sentenced last month to 35 years in prison on corruption charges . |
203,284 | 9328d538a3f0e08575b35aa6146abb8fff14c643 | (CNN) -- When Sen. John McCain's running mate, Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, announced that her 17-year-old unmarried daughter was pregnant, the news prompted a big response from the iReport.com community. iReporter Darla Jones, who had a child at a young age, said she sympathizes with the Palin family. Palin revealed Monday that her daughter Bristol is pregnant and plans to marry the father. The announcement followed Internet rumors that Sarah Palin's 4-month-old baby was actually Bristol's. iReport.com users posted dozens of stories and hundreds of comments in response to the news. Many iReporters said that the issue is a personal matter, while others believed that the pregnancy deserves public attention. Republican presidential candidate McCain was aware of Bristol's pregnancy before he chose Palin as his running mate, a top adviser to the Arizona senator said. Democratic presidential nominee Sen. Barack Obama said that families should be off-limits in presidential campaigns after learning of the news. "Let me be as clear as possible," Obama said. "I think people's families are off-limits, and people's children are especially off-limits." iReporter Darla Jones of Roseburg, Oregon, who supports McCain, agrees that the media and public should leave Bristol and the Palin family alone. iReport.com: Were you married at a young age? "I had a daughter very young," Jones wrote on iReport.com, explaining that being a young mother made it difficult to get jobs and complete her education. "This should not affect the presidency in any way." Sabrina Lee also had a child at a young age, but believes that the news of Bristol Palin's pregnancy merits attention. "Personally, I have a right to know anything and everything about the next president and vice president," she wrote on iReport.com. "I want to know the truth," Lee said. "I feel as a voter I have the right to know everything about each nominee. This is just my opinion, but it's also my vote and it's precious." The Laveen, Arizona, resident said that she plans to vote for Obama. Although Lee said she was previously undecided, she decided to vote for Obama after McCain announced his running mate. "Family values are a Republican platform," she said, describing the news of Bristol's pregnancy as "a travesty." Alicia Summers of El Mirage, Arizona, agrees that the vice presidential candidate and her family deserve scrutiny. "Did Palin really think she could come into a race at the 23rd hour and not be subjected to questions?" she asked. iReport.com: See, share your thoughts on Sarah Palin . Summers, an Obama supporter, noted, "the press only has two months to find out info about you that they took years to get on everyone else." She suggested that Palin drop out of the race out of respect for the privacy of her family. Graduate student Kristine Phillips also believes that Palin should withdraw. "An unmarried 17-year-old pregnant daughter is not consistent with conservative principles," she wrote on iReport.com. Phillips, who describes herself as politically moderate, said conservatives' support of Palin is "absolutely hypocritical." "While I understand that Palin's role as a mother may or may not be debated here for the political sphere, this situation does call into question some of her policies during her role as governor and her character as a person," Phillips said. iReport.com: Read more from Phillips . Mark Swiger of Jonesboro, Georgia, urged iReporters to "be professional and ethical by not bringing Sarah Palin's teenage daughter into politics." Swiger cited Obama and senior McCain adviser Steve Schmidt, who both asked the media and public to leave politicians' children out of the spotlight. Swiger, who is leaning toward McCain, said he usually votes based on moral issues. He believes that Bristol's pregnancy should have no bearing on her mother's political career. "This is a moral line of decency that must not be crossed by Democrats, Republicans or human beings," he said. | iReporters react to news that Gov. Sarah Palin's daughter is pregnant .
Sabrina Lee questions McCain's judgment in picking Palin .
Darla Jones sympathizes with the Palin family .
iReport.com: Share your thoughts on McCain's running mate . |
131,793 | 3668401410bbb7109734904609ececd2d7be330c | By . Steve Robson and Adam Shergold . PUBLISHED: . 11:28 EST, 16 March 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 12:56 EST, 16 March 2013 . This is the moment BBC comedian Simon Brodkin managed to get onto the pitch at a Premier League game and warm up with the Manchester City squad. Players, including goalkeeper Joe Hart and Kolo Toure and assistant manager David Platt looked on in bemusement as Brodkin, whose is best known for his comic creation Lee Nelson, jogged along the touchline and did stretches. Brodkin was in the guise of his footballer alter ego Jason Bent, a character from his BBC Three series Lee Nelson's Well Funny People, wearing an identical maroon tracksuit to the City players. After a full five minutes joining in, his presence finally alerted players, stewards and security staff and he was escorted off the pitch and later arrested. Scroll down for video . Who's this? Man City goalkeeper points the finger as Jason Bent, a character creation of comedian Simon Brodkin, warms up with the squad before their match with Everton . Perplexed: City assistant David Platt looks on puzzled as the BBC comedian jogs along the touchline . Get off! The japester, who was filming a prank for new BBC Three series, is hauled off the Goodison Park pitch by security officials . Led away: The japester was escorted by security officials before he was later arrested for the offence . He was reportedly heard shouting: 'Come on let me play. I've got 50 grand on me to score first' as he was led away. An Everton spokesman said: 'A man, . believed to be from the London area, has been arrested by Merseyside . Police for pitch encroachment.' A spokesperson for Simon Brodkins told MailOnline: 'Simon was doing some meetings with fans on the street and having picture's taken as his football character Jason Bent for his Facebook page. 'He was then going to see the game as he's a big Manchester City fan and I think the prankster in him couldn't resist.' Manchester City went on to lose the game 2-0, all but ending their hopes of challenging for the Premier League title this year. The scenes were reminiscent of a similar stunt involving Manchester City's neighbours and rivals Manchester United. In 2001, Karl Power managed to get into the team's photo before the Champions League tie with Bayern Munich before disappearing back into the stands to watch the match. Tabloid newspapers launched a nationwide manhunt to unmask the imposter before his identity was eventually revealed. Bemusement: City players look on as 'Jason Bent' chases after a ball . Stripping off: Brodkin was wearing the identical kit sported by City in the match with 'Bent 9' on the back . Confronted: Samir Nasri looks on as Brodkin is chased down by security guards . In a bizarre twist, play was held up . in the corresponding fixture between the two sides last season when a . man ran onto the field and handcuffed himself to a goalpost. He had been protesting about Ryanair's recruitment policy after his daughter was denied a job by the airline. He . emerged from the crowd with just under five minutes remaining until . half-time and shackled himself to the frame of City keeper Joe Hart's . goal. After a hold-up which resulted in five minutes of first-half stoppage time, he was released and led away by police. No laughing matter: The TV funnyman was arrested by police (left) - and, right, as character Lee Nelson . Protest: A man handcuffed himself to the goalpost in the corresponding fixture last season . | Simon Brodkin hopped onto Goodison Park dressed as alter ego Jason Bent .
Began stretching alongside City stars Joe Hart and Kolo Toure .
Stewards finally alerted by coach David Platt and he was arrested . |
217,323 | a55a7a845522df8a930b01f90a25e1774efed8ff | At only 12 years of age, Nicole Graney was facing a battle she had never anticipated fighting, and one that she didn't fully understand. The very new teenager who had only just entered high school in Sydney had been diagnosed with a very adult disease- ovarian cancer. 'I had a doctor's appointment in the middle of the day, and had to leave school. I remember telling my friends that I would only be gone for an hour,' Nicole, now 16, told Daily Mail Australia. Scroll down for video . Nicole Graney (right) was diagnosed with ovarian cancer when she was just 12 years old . However, she didn't anticipate the ultrasound revealing that the hard lump in her stomach needed urgent surgery to remove it. 'My mum was in the room with me and was in shock. When we got out to the waiting room she started crying and calling people, but I just stood there thinking to myself "what's happening?",' Nicole said. 'I remember being wheeled into surgery and seeing mum and saying goodbye to her because I might not see her again. That was one of the scariest moments of my life,' she said. 'I was pretty naive, I thought that it was a cyst and that the doctors would be able to drain it out with a needle and I'd have a pinprick scar,' she said. Instead, Nicole left with a 15 centimetre scar and the new knowledge that the lump that had been removed was actually ovarian cancer. 'When I found out I fell into shock, I didn't know what to think or do,' Nicole said. Before undergoing chemotherapy to fight the ovarian cancer, Nicole had long red hair . During the treatment, Nicole lost her hair and gained 27 kilograms which made her very self-conscious . Nicole during her chemotherapy treatment without a wig (left) and with a wig that she never took off (right) 'I'd seen people in my family going through the same thing. My cousin was nine when he died of a brain tumour, and it was shocking seeing him go through the transformation when he had been such a healthy boy,' she said. 'All I could think was, "Is that going to happen to me?".' Nicole, who said she was overwhelmed by the diagnosis, decided not to tell any of her school friends and kept her cancer a secret out of fear that they would treat her differently. The high school student went through one cycle of chemotherapy each month, consisting of a week of chemotherapy, a week of recovery and two weeks at school, before the exhausting process would begin again. 'The nausea was the worst. I was put on really harsh drugs and got awful headaches and it turned me off food, but then after the chemo I couldn't stop eating,' Nicole said. 'I had a lot of support at the start and by this point my friends had figured out what was going on and my school actually held a fundraiser for me,' she said. Nicole said that having a supportive family including her sister (right) made a big difference in her fight . The high school student went through one cycle of chemotherapy each month, consisting of a week of chemotherapy, a week of recovery and two weeks at school . 'I had a lot of support at the start and by this point my friends had figured out what was going on and my school actually held a fundraiser for me,' Nicole said . 'But towards the end it got so tough, and I begged not to go into the last cycle. I was just so tired and drained.' In six months Nicole had put on 27 kilograms from the treatment and had lost her hair. She used a wig in her natural red hair colour and would rarely let anyone see her without it on. 'It was a huge blow to my social life and how I felt about my appearance. I always tried to be strong for myself but it was very hard,' she said. 'I remember asking my dad, "how can you love me? How can anyone love me?". I had no hair, I had put on a lot of weight.' Nicole said the chemotherpay was a huge blow to my social life and how she felt about her appearance . 'Towards the end of it I remember asking my dad, "how can you love me? How can anyone love me?". I had no hair, I had put on a lot of weight,' Nicole said . Once Nicole had completed the chemotherapy treatments she was no longer eligible to attend support groups, as she was technically not considered a 'cancer kid' any longer. 'I had that taken away from me, and then when I went to school I was the kid with cancer. I was excluded from both normalities,' she said. 'It took a lot of time for me to get used to myself and other people, which I actually consider harder than the treatment.' Four years on from her diagnosis, Nicole is preparing for her HSC and has dreams of working as a medical professional herself. While she said she has been very blessed with a group of loving friends and a great boyfriend, she said she still has to think about how the cancer will impact her future. The ovarian cancer means that she may not be able to have children in the future, a thought which she said it 'pretty crazy'. While Nicole said that she is still very conscious of her looks and how she presents herself to people . Nicole said she has been very blessed with a group of loving friends and a great boyfriend (left) Four years on from her diagnosis, Nicole is preparing for her HSC and has dreams of working as a medical professional herself . 'When I was going through the treatment I always just thought that I would worry about babies later. But realising that if I do find someone that I want to spend my life with and that I might not be able to give them or myself the life we want is scary,' Nicole said. The 16-year-old said that she is determined to 'do something great' with her life, and is passionate about raising awareness about ovarian cancer. 'I was dealt some pretty bad cards early in life and I'm adamant to turn it around and make the most of it,' Nicole said. While Nicole said that she is still very conscious of her looks and how she presents herself to people, she said it reminds her to be the best possible version of herself that she can be. 'I have had some amazing opportunities come from something not so great, and so I want to do something not just for me but for other people,' she said. Nicole is passionate about reminding cancer sufferers that there is always support available, no matter what they are going through. 'If I can help someone or if someone knows they're not alone in experiencing cancer, if I can bring comfort to help someone by sharing my story, then that's what this has all been about,' she said. Wednesday the 25th of February is Teal Ribbon Day. To donate or get involved in raising awareness, please visit the Ovarian Cancer website. | Nicole Graney, 16, was diagnosed with ovarian cancer at the age of 12 .
She discovered a hard lump in her stomach after experiencing mild pain .
Surgery revealed the mass to be cancer and she underwent chemotherapy .
The month-long cycles of chemotherapy were exhausting .
Nicole put on 27kg and lost her hair, making her think she wasn't lovable .
It took a toll on her physically and emotionally and she felt isolated .
After recovering from the cancer she is now determined to live a full life .
She is preparing for her HSC and has dreams of studying medicine .
Nicole is passionate about raising people's awareness of ovarian cancer . |
12,049 | 22308de8884af1888535834a5cb6ad6f9dfc6456 | A couple accused of trying to extort money from missing Madeleine McCann's parents have been arrested at a hideaway in Portugal. Italian Danilo Chemello and his Portuguese girlfriend Aurora Pereira Vaz hit the headlines in 2007 after being seized in southern Spain over the alleged bid to get their hands on a £2.5 million reward offered for information on Madeleine's whereabouts. The case never came to trial despite lurid reports about their past and the discovery of newspaper cuttings about Madeleine in their luxury home in Sotogrande, southern Spain. Arrested: Italian Danilo Chemello is led away by Portuguese police from a rented house in the coastal resort of Estoril near Lisbon where they had been living under false identities . The couple managed to relocate to the Algarve despite Mr Chemello being wanted by authorities in France. They . were arrested at a rented house in the coastal resort of Estoril near . Lisbon on Wednesday - where they had been living since January under . false identities with two teenage children. Portuguese police said they acted on three European arrest warrants. Millionaire ex-construction tycoon . Chemello, 67, is set to be extradited to France shortly after being . remanded in jail following a court appearance in Cascais near Estoril, . while Ms Vaz, 60, is expected to be kept in Portugal. A . French court sentenced them to 18 months in jail for making a false . birth register around the time they are believed to have set up home on . the Algarve. Led away: Portuguese police also arrested Chemello's Portuguese girlfriend Aurora Pereira Vaz from the resort this week . The pair failed to turn up in court and an arrest warrant was issued. Mr . Chemello, convicted and caged along with Ms Vaz for 10 months for child . abuse in a separate case for feeding his stepdaughter dog food and . locking her in a bedroom with her hands and legs tied with tape, is also . wanted for trying to blackmail the French judge who jailed them. He . was reportedly sentenced to three years in prison in his absence after . hiring a private detective to probe the woman's judge's private life and . then using the information to blackmail her. Ms Vaz and Mr Chemello tried to to get their hands on a £2.5 million reward offered by Kate and Gerry McCann for information on Madeleine's whereabouts . Italian authorities accused the . couple of kneecapping Vaz's husband Alberto Tana during a bitter custody . battle over her daughter in Rome in 1996. Lost child: Madeleine McCann disappeared during a family holiday in Portugal in 2007 . Although . cleared of ordering the shooting, both were given 16-month jail . sentences for conspiracy to pervert the course of justice and firearms . offences. The teenage children living with Vaz and Chemello in Portugal are understood to be her two children. They have been taken to a children's home in Portugal. One . neighbour at their home in Estoril, home to Europe's largest casino, . told a local paper he had never seen them playing in the street and said . he thought they weren't even going to school. Specialist . anti-kidnap police stormed the couple's house in Sotogrande in June . 2007 to arrest them over their alleged bid to extort money from . Madeleine McCann's parents. At the time they were said to have tried to claim a £2.5 million reward through a Malaga-based lawyer. Chemello and Vaz appeared in a closed . court hearing before he was transferred to Spain's National Criminal . Court for an extradition hearing on an unrelated matter and she was . released on bail. It is not . yet clear whether the case against them has been dropped or was still . being investigated by a court in San Roque near Cadiz – and it may be . that it has simply been put on hold while the other cases against them . are dealt with. The arrests . came on the eve of an announcement by Scotland Yard it has opened a . formal investigation into Madeleine McCann's disappearance. British . police have formally asked the Crown Prosecution Service to submit an . international letter of request to Portuguese authorities for assistance . in obtaining evidence relating to their inquiries. The Metropolitan Police has asked for a small number of its officers to be present in Portugal for the inquiries there. It . has also said it still believes there is a chance Madeleine is alive . and it is investigating 38 "persons of interest" from five European . countries, including 12 British nationals. A . spokesman for the office of Portugal's Attorney General, which archived . the Madeleine McCann investigation in July 2008, said today: 'No . request for mutual judicial assistance from the UK has yet been . received.' Arrested: Italian Danilo Chemello, 67, and his Portuguese girlfriend Aurora Pereira Vaz, 60, pictured in their younger years, have been arrested in Portugal over accusations they tried to extort millions from Madeleine McCann's parents . Pedro do Carmo, head of Portugal's Policia Judiciaria, added: 'Investigations in Portugal are carried out by the Department of Public Prosecution and the Portuguese police. 'But requests from foreign authorities to be present arrive fairly frequently.' Portugal's Ministry of Justice is expected to be tasked with authorising the request when it arrives. The three European arrest warrants they executed were issued by France and Italy for a man aged 67 and a woman aged 60, a spokesman for Portugal's PSP police, which arrested Chemello and Vaz, said. He said they were not aware of any European arrest warrant issued against the couple by Spain - where they were arrested in 2007 over the alleged Madeleine McCann extortion attempt. | Danilo Chemello and girlfriend Aurora Peperia Vaz arrested in Portugal .
Allegedly attempted to claim £2.5m reward for info on Maddie McCann .
Couple were arrested on the same charges in 2007 but released . |
108,397 | 17c7f1e3be07d33c0ffa4bac1f020d3c87b1b170 | By . James Salmon . PUBLISHED: . 19:10 EST, 5 February 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 21:02 EST, 6 February 2013 . The ease with which traders at Royal Bank of Scotland rigged interest rates has been laid bare in a series of damning emails. As the state-backed bank was yesterday fined £390million for its part in the Libor scandal, financial regulators released some of the swaggering messages swapped by its traders. In messages littered with spelling mistakes, the RBS traders joked about manipulating rates up and down. Royal Bank of Scotland must almost £400million to US and UK regulators for its part in the Libor-rate fixing scandal . A message from one said: ‘can we lower our fixings today please?’. He was told: ‘make your mind up, haha, yes no probs’. The trader then replied: ‘I’m like a whores drawers’. Another trader boasted: ‘its (sic) amazing how much libor fixing can make you that much money’. The behaviour – described as ‘truly . outrageous’ – went on between January 2006 and November 2010, even . continuing after the bank received a £45billion taxpayer bailout during . the financial crisis. Revelations that Libor had been . repeatedly manipulated by traders stunned the banking world last year . and led to the exit of Barclays chief executive Bob Diamond. Now damning evidence showed how . traders at RBS in London were also part of a global conspiracy to . manipulate rates. Libor is the key interbank lending rate, used to . determine the mortgage and savings rate, and is linked to trillions of . pounds of investments around the world. Indicating how endemic the scandal . was, the Financial Services Authority said RBS effectively encouraged . rate-rigging, sitting traders next to colleagues responsible for . submitting interest rates. Chancellor George Osborne condemned the 'totally unacceptable' behaviour at RBS as Business Secretary Vince Cable called for a return to traditional values in banks . Last night Chancellor George Osborne . promised those responsible would face the ‘full force of the law’. RBS . chief executive Stephen Hester said he was ‘disgusted’, adding: ‘What is . profoundly depressing is this is an extreme example of the selfish and . self-serving culture that the whole industry has been tagged with since . the financial crisis.’ But he refused to resign or hand back a £1.5million bonus from 2010, despite taking the helm in November 2008. RBS was hit with £300million in fines . from the US Department of Justice and the Commodities Futures Trading . Commission and an £87.5million fine from the FSA. It dwarfs the . £290million fine slapped on Barclays last summer. Swiss bank UBS was hit with a £940million penalty in December. Six of the 21 workers found guilty of . wrongdoing are still working at the bank, although some are still . awaiting disciplinary action. Just six had been sacked for misconduct, . including two managers, while the remaining culprits quit before any . action could be taken. RBS also faces the prospect of criminal sanctions in the US. Evidence of the 'truly outrageous' behaviour at RBS emerged after Business Secretary called for a return to traditional values at banks in a speech yesterday. | State-backed RBS has been fined £390m for its part in Libor scandal .
Regulators released swaggering e-mails swapped by traders .
Joked about manipulating rates up and down in damning messages . |
233,750 | ba9ef040ea31849c4ad0053e339e0a911e4dbbb5 | (CNN)As the Ebola epidemic crept into Liberia in March 2014, a dramatic shift began to take place. In a matter of months, the widespread belief that Ebola didn't even exist gave way to a gripping fear across Monrovia, the capital city. When the decision was made to evacuate Peace Corps volunteers from Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone at the end of July, the agency worked quickly to ensure each volunteer returned safely to the United States. This was not an easy operation as logistics and already-challenged roads had deteriorated with the full force of the rainy season. Once we, as American and Liberian Peace Corps staff members, achieved our goal of seeing all volunteers safely back home, we began educating ourselves on the potential impact the Ebola virus could have in Liberia. Our primary concern was keeping each other and the communities where we lived safe. Monrovia's usual vibrancy became taut with fear as the epidemic spread. Through an interagency partnership, Peace Corps Director Carrie Hessler-Radelet made the agency's resources available to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as they fought the Ebola epidemic at the grassroots level. Peace Corps staff who remained in Liberia after the volunteers' departure could help CDC experts build local support in the affected areas, bridge gaps in logistics and facilitate community entry in culturally appropriate ways. Many of the CDC experts arriving to combat the epidemic had never set foot in Africa, so those of us in the Peace Corps used our good standing in Liberian communities to assist the CDC in getting prevention and treatment messages to the most effective stakeholders in each community. Making a difference is a central tenant of Peace Corps' culture, so we felt this opportunity to support the CDC's effort was a perfect fit. The ability to pitch in and contribute not only empowered us, but we noticed it also helped dissolve the barriers of fear and revived the passion of the Peace Corps staff. Enthusiasm for the partnership was overwhelming. When staff members were given the option to use their time supporting the CDC, nearly all Peace Corps Liberian staff volunteered to help. Starting in September, four-person teams -- composed of two CDC staff and two Peace Corps staffers -- traveled across Liberia to track the virus and teach people in rural and urban areas how to prevent transmission. It was a courageous decision and a serious commitment for each member of the Peace Corps team. They put themselves closer to possible exposure, and they were going to live away from their families in Monrovia, where more than half of the new cases of Ebola were reported. In the field, the teams faced many distressing moments. They witnessed a multitude of tragedies, such as when Ebola-infected infants were set aside because protective materials were scarce. They mourned with those who suffered unspeakable losses. They stood by families who endured unimaginable heartbreak, but the Peace Corps staff also had a significant positive impact. Along with CDC experts, Peace Corps staff went out to encouraged the sick to seek treatment rather than stay home to protect their families. These efforts kept people who had been in contact with Ebola from infecting their families. It helped contain some of the contamination. Liberia has made remarkable strides in the fight against Ebola, and there are Liberian heroes in every corner of the country. I happen to work with many in the Peace Corps Liberia office. As everyday citizens, they stood up to fight this disease that had descended on their country. One Peace Corps staff member convinced a mother to take her sick child to seek medical attention rather than caring for him at home. That one action potentially saved a household of 10 from Ebola. Others made valiant efforts directing local health care workers toward the sick. Peace Corps staff consoled the bereaved in the communities where they live. As they fight this epidemic, most Liberians are incredibly grateful for the assistance of the global community, especially the United States. It is now common here for the sounds of American Apache helicopters and Ospreys buzzing overhead to be greeted as a sign of relief and support. The unfortunate reality is that after many years of hardship because of civil war, poverty and limited health care, Liberians have developed an extraordinary ability to adapt to "the new normal," and many have found a way to cope with Ebola and move forward with their daily lives. The power of science and information from experts about how the virus can spread has allayed much of the fear and concern we saw many months ago. At this writing, all but two of Liberia's 15 counties have been Ebola free for the past 21 days. This is a huge accomplishment, but our mission is not over. There remains an intensive to-do list: concentrating resources in contact tracing, educating communities on safe burial practices and amplifying tactics to keep our health care professionals safe. Peace Corps staff members have made -- and will continue to make -- an incredible impact in the fight against Ebola in Liberia. Stopping just one infection can deny the virus the ability to spread to 30 or more additional Ebola exposures and potential deaths, and that means every conversation, every meeting, every hand washing station counts. Our journey since March has, at different moments, been harrowing, exhausting and overwhelming, but every minute of it has been worth it. This effort has deepened our partnership with our colleagues at the CDC, but also with the Liberian people and the communities Peace Corps serves. It has strengthened our resolve and our commitment to bring Peace Corps volunteers back to Liberia and the other Ebola-affected countries when it is safe to do so, and to continue to support the CDC and the Liberian people, one community at a time. I could not have been more privileged and fortunate to work side by side with the Peace Corps team in Liberia. I can only hope that I have made some small impact on their lives, as they have made a huge impact on mine. | Even after Peace Corps volunteers were evacuated from Liberia, staff remained there .
They've been working to get prevention and treatment messages out to communities . |
84,832 | f0ae660c6e07d43a9d460a7e476b77becac129bb | Colorado Springs (CNN) -- Days after he led police in a wild car chase that ended in a hail of gunfire, authorities are investigating the driver's links to two Colorado killings. And whether he has ties to a third shooting, in Texas, earlier this year. Suspect Evan Spencer Ebel, 28, was fatally shot in the head Thursday after he opened fire on the deputies chasing him in in Montague County, Texas. Investigators have found evidence linking him to the slaying of a Colorado prison chief and a pizza delivery driver this week. And the FBI is looking for possible evidence linking the January slaying of Kaufman County prosecutor Mark Hasse to Tuesday's killing of Colorado prison chief Tom Clements at a Denver suburb. "This is part of routine investigative work when two crimes occur under somewhat similar circumstances," the Kaufman County Sheriffs Office said in a statement Friday. " If any link is found, or a possible link is disproven, that information will be released at the appropriate time." In an affidavit, Texas authorities detailed what they believe links him to the prison chief's killing. Black Cadillac . Of key focus in the affidavit is a 1991 black Cadillac authorities say the suspect was driving in a wild, high-speed chase Thursday. He opened fire on sheriff's deputies before slamming into an 18-wheeler, climbing out of the wreckage and opening fire again. Witnesses reported a similar vehicle -- a black, boxy car with Colorado license plates -- near the prison chief's house the day he was killed. Among the links in the cases, according to the affidavit, are shell casings from a 9mm handgun found at Clements house. They are the same brand and caliber used in the shooting of James Boyd, a Wise County, Texas, sheriff's deputy who tried to pull over the suspect. Pizza box carrier . Boyd, who had on a bullet-proof vest, managed to call for help and tell law enforcement which way Ebel was driving. The deputy remains hospitalized at a Dallas-Fort Worth area hospital. During the investigation into the shooting, authorities found a Domino's Pizza box carrier and a uniform jacket in the trunk of the Cadillac, prompting Denver authorities to go to Texas to examine the car. Video: Pizza deliveryman remembered . 'Strong connection' They are investigating the killing of Nathan Collin Leon, 27, a Domino's Pizza deliveryman in Denver. Leon disappeared from work Sunday and was found dead in the Denver suburb of Golden. Denver investigators said there is a "strong connection" between Leon and Clements killings, but have said little about a possible motive. Did Ebel kill a pizza deliveryman to get a hold of his uniform as part of an effort to disguise himself? Did he target Clements because of the prison chief's crackdown on white supremacist gangs in prison? Was he part of a wider conspiracy to kill Clements? Or was it something else? Investigators looking into Clements' killing have told reporters they are considering numerous angles. One is that Ebel, a former member of the 211s -- a white-supremacist prison gang -- might have conspired with other inmates to kill Clements, the Colorado, sheriff's department said. Clements earned widespread recognition for prison reforms and crackdown on prison gangs, including the 211s. Citing media coverage of the shooting and its possible connection with the the 211s, authorities locked down Colorado's prisons on Friday. History of violence . Ebel lengthy prison record dates to his teen years, including a 2003 charge for felony armed robbery after he brandished a gun and threatened to kill a man unless he handed over his wallet, court documents show. He was 18 at the time. He pleaded guilty and was sentenced to three years in prison, serving just over a year. Just months after his release, he was arrested again. This time for felony menacing, robbery and assault. He pleaded guilty to those charges in 2005 and was sentenced to another three years in prison. In 2006, while in prison, Ebel was charged with assaulting a detention officer, records show. He pleaded guilty and received an additional four years on his sentence. Ebel served his entire sentence and was given mandatory parole on January 28, 2013, according to the state Department of Corrections. CNN's Jim Spellman reported from Colorado and Ed Lavandera from Texas, and Chelsea J. Carter reported and wrote from Atlanta. CNN's Ashley Fantz and Drew Griffin contributed to this report. | Authorities are working to see if suspect is linked to the killing of Colorado's prison chief .
FBI looking for possible evidence linking him to the January slaying of a Texas prosecutor .
Suspect Evan Spencer Ebel, 28, was fatally shot in the head after a car chase in Texas . |
119,835 | 26e0770164f52b4a57b20736383f6d7ffd29769d | By . Louise Boyle In Darrington, Washington . Nichole Webb Rivera was teaching a class when she first found out about the Oso mudslide through a Facebook message from a friend in her home town. Mrs Rivera, 39, who grew up in Darrington, Washington, but now lives in Texas, said that it was a few hours later, after numerous calls went to unanswered, that she realized with growing dread that her daughter Delaney, the 20-year-old's fiance Alan and her parents were among the scores of people missing. Delaney Webb, 20, and her husband-to-be Alan Bejvl had driven up from their apartment in Everett, Washington, to visit her grandparents Thom and Marcy Satterlee last weekend. Lost: Delaney Webb, 20, and her husband-to-be are listed among the missing and presumed dead in the Washington mudslide . Heartbroken: Nichole Webb Rivera learned the horrific news about her daughter and future son-in-law and her parents, Thom and Marcy Satterlee, in a Facebook message from a friend . Loving couple: In this undated photo provided by Nichole Webb Rivera, Rivera's daughter, Delaney Webb, right, and her fiance, Alan Bejvl, left, are shown . Striking beauty: Delaney's grieving mother described her daughter as the 'most beautiful, sweetest girl with the biggest heart' The young couple, who got engaged last October, had been planning to go over their summer wedding plans. Mrs Rivera, a mother-of-five, told MailOnline today: 'I stayed up all night listening to a police scanner online. My ex-husband and two sons drove up to Oso when they first heard but were turned back by rescuers. 'By Sunday morning, I knew that I had to be there. I'm the eldest child and Delaney is my oldest daughter, so I bought a one-way ticket.' Although Mrs Rivera said that she always holds on to hope, the reality she believes is that her family are gone. 'We lost four,' she added. She described her daughter Delaney as the 'most beautiful, sweetest girl with the biggest heart. I am blessed to have had her for 19 years'. Dashed hopes: The 20-year-old bride was set to walk down the aisle in the summer, and she traveled to Oso, Washington, over the weekend to talk about the wedding plans with her grandparents . Unaccounted: Rivera's parents, Thom and Marcy Satterlee, are among the dozens of people currently missing in the aftermath of the slide . She said that Delaney's fiancé, Alan, who is also from the Snohomish County, 'would be next to the Wikipedia entry for a perfect man.’ 'He was respectful, had a good sense of humor, was a lovely young man. He and my daughter were crazy in love and so happy together,' Mrs Rivera said. 'I'm just grateful that they went together and on a high note in their lives.' Her father, Thom, a Vietnam veteran who spent many years recovering from PTSD, was brilliant with a 'heart the size of that mudslide.’ Mr Satterlee, who had 52 first cousins, even more second cousins and 6 grandchildren, would have helped anyone he could, especially in a disaster situation like this, his daughter said Wednesday. Hoping against hope: Nichole Webb Rivera said she knows her daughter is likely among the dead, even though the family are still praying for a miracle . Marcy Satterlee was remembered by her daughter as beautiful and hysterically funny - 'she would make you wet your pants laughing' - as well as a talented artist who loved to be outside, working on her garden. Mrs Rivera's remarkable show of strength is in part for the sake of those around her. She said her two teenage sons Sam, 17, and Jarron Webb, 14, had said little since the disaster. 'It's hard to tell with teenagers', the mom added. Her sons and their elder sister, Delaney, also just lost their stepmom in January. Delaney also has two other half-sisters who are desperately waiting on any news. Mrs Rivera, who lives in Houston with her husband, Vince, and their son aged five and two-year-old daughter, said that the eldest girl asks constantly for Delaney. The mother has explained to her that her big sister is missing, to which she responds that 'she doesn't want her sister to be died,’ Mrs Rivera said. She said that the elder members of the family are 'beside themselves with grief,' but that they are praying and coming together to make decisions about what next steps should be taken as they wait for news. Natural disaster: This March 24, 2014 aerial photo released by the U.S. Geological Survey shows the extent and impacts from the March 22 mudslide near Arlington in northwest Washington state . Altered landscape: The slide destroyed a rural community, likely killing at least 24, and left scores missing . Linne Haywood, community volunteer and high school teacher, organizes donations at the Darrington Community Center in Darrington, Wash., on Wednesday, March 26, 2014 . Community members gather in Darrington for a prayer service at the Darrington High School auditorium on Wednesday night . Mrs Rivera, who is a textile artist with her own bespoke quilting business, has set up a fundraising page which has raised close to $17,000. Mrs Rivera said that 'in the spirit of my dad who hated bureaucracy' she was organizing to have the money shared directly with those affected by the mudslide tragedy. She said that fundraising was a way she could show her own gratitude to all the volunteers and rescuers in Darrington who have gone out into the field to recover their families, friends and neighbors. 'We take care of our own, that's what we do up there. People have hearts of gold.'I want to do something to show that I love them,' she said. Despite her own devastating losses, Mrs Rivera still holds on to her sense of hope. She added: 'I am hopeful that something will come from this whole tragedy. Search and rescue: A worker uses a chain saw at the scene of a deadly mudslide that covers the road, Wednesday, March 26, 2014, in Oso, Washington . Rough terrain: Searchers using dogs kept slogging through the mess of broken wood and mud again Wednesday, looking for more bodies . Grim operation: Heavy equipment was brought it to clean the landslide that is covering State Route 530 near Oso . 'It shows that helping people is powerful and it's possible. I'm hopeful the community will recover and thrive and be stronger than before.' Search crews using dogs, bulldozers and their bare hands kept slogging through the mess of broken wood and mud again Wednesday, looking for more bodies or anyone who might still be alive nearly five days after a wall of fast-moving earth destroyed a small rural community. But authorities have acknowledged they might have to leave some victims buried because trying to recover every corpse would be impractical and dangerous. Previously, authorities said they believed they had found 24 bodies from the slide that swept through a rural area north of Seattle on Saturday, though not all had been removed from the area. The debris field is about a square mile and 30 to 40 feet deep in places, with a moon-like surface that includes quicksand-like muck, rain-slickened mud and ice. The terrain is difficult to navigate on foot and makes it treacherous or impossible to bring in heavy equipment. | Nichole Webb Rivera told MailOnline her daughter Delaney and fiance Alan Bejvi were visiting her grandparents in the Oso area when mudslide struck .
Couple are believed to have perished along with Delaney's grandparents .
Miss Webb and Mr Bejvi got engaged in October and were set to get married in the summer .
Saturday's mudslide overwhelmed the area near Oso, Washington, leaving at least 24 dead and scores more missing . |
77,315 | db32b66d7f0bbd3473ac7a2bb3fe67c5dee3f359 | (CNN) -- It started out as a simple concept. Let people virtually grow gardens, raise farm animals and become farmers. It soon became a social media and gaming phenomenon. "FarmVille" celebrates its fifth anniversary this summer. Millions of players continue not only to harvest on a virtual landscape but also establish real-life relationships and support causes even as the game has plummeted from its unlikely peak at the top of the gaming world. Once virtually impossible to avoid on the pages of Facebook, "FarmVille" goes against gaming's standards. Devoid of intense competition, it's a farming simulation game in which players plant crops, raise livestock and generally go about the business of living off the land. In its first six weeks in 2009, "FarmVille" grew to more than 10 million players and became the most popular game on Facebook. By the next year, its player base passed the 80 million mark, according to information collected by AppData. By 2012, the game remained the site's seventh most popular game. Charles London, senior creative director for "FarmVille2," said his team realizes that today's players are looking for a moment of peace and serenity in their gaming. He said he's thrilled how people are connecting through "FarmVille." "Their lives are increasingly fragmented. They're overly 'technologied.' And they're separated from their community," London said. "In 'FarmVille,' they can get away from that. They can have a fantasy of a sweet, quiet, serene farm, and they can play with other players who really care about each other." Despite criticism about the mindless nature of the game (Time magazine rated it one of the 50 worst inventions in 2010), 370 million virtual crops are harvested every day in "FarmVille" and "FarmVille 2," indicating players' dedication and involvement. As people moved to playing games on mobile phones, "FarmVille" fell to 84th place in game rankings this year before rebounding lately to 73rd, according to AppData. But the millions who have stuck with it and its sequels, "FarmVille 2" and "FarmVille 2: Country Escape," say these games have not only been fun to play but also give them a chance to connect in meaningful ways with others. Sonya Reynolds, 34, of Morris Township, New Jersey, said the game helped her reconnect with a childhood friend who soon became her husband. "We could help out on each other's farms and also be able to catch up with the past many years," Reynolds said. "Since playing the game, I have built a chicken coop with Phil, my husband, and bought hens that I've 'owned' in 'Farmville 2.' " According to a survey from "Farmville" maker Zynga, 80% of players say they've connected with people they otherwise wouldn't have through the game, and 34% play it with a significant other. Other "farmers" have stories about how the game has become an educational tool for children. Melissa Cunningham of Kingsland, Texas, said she started playing because it reminded her of her grandmother's farm. But she discovered the game could help her son with mathematics. "Since playing 'FarmVille 2,' my son's math skills have drastically increased -- his grades improving from Cs to A-/B+," she said. "I love that he's learning through a game he enjoys without thinking of it as 'homework.' " London said his development team continually hears from players about what features they like or what they want to see in the future. He said the team wants to create features meaningful to players, including the ability to form virtual families. Players can now create their own virtual sweetheart, have a date, fall in love and get married in "My Family Farm" for "FarmVille 2." In the span of two weeks, Zynga said 752,000 players went on a "first date" and 280,000 made a marriage proposal to their in-game significant other. "What I love most about 'My Family Farm' is it's so close to my life story as (my husband) Dean and I were childhood best friends," said Lynda Jordan of Atascadero, California. "It's like watching us all over again! It sounds funny for a game to change my life, but it really has." London said, "We're not in the business of explicitly getting people to fall in love. We are in the business of getting people to meet each other through play." The game and its players are also socially aware of causes and needs in real-life communities. In December, players raised $1 million for Feeding America through a special game expansion called Holiday Lights, according to Zynga. Players across the "FarmVille" franchise have raised almost $8 million for charity in five years, it said. London said he's impressed by the social interactions taking place through the "FarmVille" games. "Human beings are innately social creatures," London said. "For us to continue to broaden the appeal of games is to make sure that people can continue to do those things that are meaningful to them -- socialize and meet or compete or collaborate." | "FarmVille" players still growing gardens, raising livestock on a virtual scale .
The social game became Facebook's No. 1 app in just six weeks .
It had 80 million-plus players before a sharp drop .
But millions remain players, saying game has forged real relationships . |
165,151 | 618bed6a8c15b4d0562e736006c6d3bf921297a3 | By . Charlie Scott . Follow @@charliefscott . Jenson Button is expecting a highly-emotional return to Silverstone this weekend ahead of the British Grand Prix. For one, there is a possibility it may be Button's last Formula One race at the venerable venue, although he is not anticipating that to be the case. Although his contract with McLaren is up at the end of the year, the 34-year-old would like to believe he will be offered a new deal. Deep in thought: The upcoming race at Silverstone will be Button's first since his father John passed away . Close: Button will have his fiancee Jessica Michibata by his side ahead of an emotional race at Silverstone . One reason is McLaren have again handed Button a car that is off the pace of their main rivals. McLaren boss Ron Dennis, however, has stirred the pot by insisting Button should be 'trying harder' following the impressive arrival of rookie team-mate Kevin Magnussen who will have served as 'a wake-up call'. For Button, though, the primary reason behind his potentially tough weekend is it will be his first at Silverstone without father John, who passed away in January this year. To that end, Sunday has been designated as 'Pink for Papa' day, with pink t-shirts on sale in aid of the Henry Surtees Foundation. The charity was set up by John Surtees, a world champion on two and four wheels, in memory of son Henry that assists and supports people with injuries caused by accidents. The pink t-shirt is a reminder of the 'lucky' pink shirts worn every grand prix Sunday by John Button, who only missed one of his son's grands prix in 14 seasons prior to his death. In the driving seat: Button during qualifying for the Austrian Grand Prix last month . Fans: Button signs autographs at the Goodwood Festival of Speed at Goodwood House on June 28 . 'This year will be extra special for me, and probably a little more emotional than normal - it's normally very emotional anyway because of the support, but it will be more so this year,' said Button. 'We're trying to get as many people wearing pink as we can, which is going very well, and I will be wearing a pink helmet, so there will be a lot of pink at Silverstone in support of my old boy. 'I'm really excited about it, but it is going to be very emotional.' Need for speed: Button driving his McLaren MP4/26 during the Goodwood Festival of Speed on June 28 . Unfortunately for Button, approaching his 15th British Grand Prix, the chances of him ending his wretched podium hoodoo are slim. Button is haunted by the fact that not once in 14 previous attempts in his home race as he managed to finish in the top three and soak up the acclaim of an often fervent support. 'We won't get on the podium at Silverstone. No chance!' said a forlorn Button. 'As it's my home race I'll get an extra lift, but it won't make us go any quicker - I wish it would.' Home advantage: Fans of Button and Lewis Hamilton at the post-race concert in 2012 . Despite that the event will still be one to savour for Button, thanks to the home support, with over 300,000 expected at the circuit over the course of the three days. 'For every driver the British GP is a good grand prix,' added Button. 'It's one of the old-school tracks, and one of the races where the grandstands are packed, with the British fans very good as they support everyone. Motivation: McLaren boss Ron Dennis has had some strong words for Button ahead of the British Grand Prix . 'I think they support their home-grown a little bit more, but they still support everyone, which is really good to see. 'So I think every driver likes and enjoys the British Grand Prix, in terms of a sporting event. 'But for a British driver, yeah, it's very special, as it is for any driver racing in their home country. 'A lot of people that work in Formula One are British, and there are a lot of British fans who understand the sport and don't just see cars whizzing around. 'So it's great going home to race and seeing the support from the British public who, for me, really understand the sport a lot.' | It will be first time British driver has raced at Silverstone since his father passed away .
Sunday has been designated as 'Pink for Papa' day, with pink t-shirts on sale in aid of the Henry Surtees Foundation .
Button's McLaren has been off the pace of his rivals Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton .
However McLaren boss Ron Dennis has stirred the pot by saying Button should be 'trying harder' in races . |
181,745 | 7750969fbd99681d308c45b7535c3e00889395ca | This is the moment a hockey dad loses his temper during a match and shatters a spectator window with a single punch. The unidentified man was caught on camera at the York City Ice Arena in Pennsylvania as he got down from the stalls and hit the glass barrier, causing shards to spray over the ice. One woman covers her mouth in shock while other spectators jeer at him. 'Way to go Paul!' a bystander yells. According to the York Daily Record, the man, who is from Florida, was slapped with a $245 fine to cover the cost of repair. He was also banned from the venue. The incident occurred on January 19. Eric Menzer, who is part of arena's management team, says that it is unusual for the glass that surrounds the rink to break. However, the man struck the panel with his metal wedding ring which resulted in a 'very concentrated impact'. Rachel Cunningham, who claims to know the hockey dad, described him as a 'very nice husband, father and friend.' She says he feels 'horrible' for his actions but he felt he had to stand up for his daughter who had been knocked down by an opponent on the ice. After he broke the glass, the tournament was halted so the rink could be cleaned up. Caught on camera: This is the moment a hockey dad loses his temper during a match and shatters a spectator window with a single punch . Excessive strength: The unidentified man was filmed at the York City Ice Arena in Pennsylvania as he got down from the stalls and hit the glass barrier, causing shards to spray over the ice . Packing a punch: One woman covers her mouth in shock while other spectators jeer at him . | The unidentified man was filmed at the York City Ice Arena in Pennsylvania .
He is seen getting down from the stalls and hitting the safety window .
Shards of glass spray all over the ice .
He was reportedly slapped with a $245 fine to cover the cost of repair and banned from the venue . |
90,315 | 003558aeb0a2aa238508d17bac8624e6388b96fd | (CNN) -- At a time when partisan politics are bitter, midterm election races are tight and almost every legislative effort is stalled, who would you expect to take the boldest step in years to address the deadliest war in the world, in the heart of Central Africa? Congress, of course. Quietly, over the past four presidential administrations, a powerful and deep bipartisan consensus has developed in Congress in support of a stronger U.S. policy toward Africa. The latest manifestation of this cooperation is a small but potent provision addressing Congo's "conflict minerals," folded into the recently passed Wall Street reform bill. The trade in four conflict minerals -- tin, tantalum, tungsten (the 3Ts), as well as gold -- fuels the war in eastern Congo today. It's been the deadliest war in the world since World War II. We regularly travel to eastern Congo, and on our last trip, we traced the minerals from the mines. At the mines, we saw militiamen armed with AK-47 machine guns standing over miners and forcing them to work and pay bribes, including child miners as young as 11. We then crossed through army and rebel checkpoints, where smugglers paid off the commanders in U.S. dollars, and then witnessed how these same minerals were packed into barrels with Congolese flags on them and loaded onto planes and flown out of the country. We've seen how armed groups on all sides of the conflict are reaping hundreds of millions of dollars per year by controlling mines and trading routes, selling minerals to international traders and smelters, which in turn sell them to electronics and jewelry companies. By requiring that publicly listed manufacturers who use these minerals conduct independent audits of their supply chains, this legislation will help curb the conflict minerals trade. Courageous members of Congress from both parties fought hard together with a coalition of faith-based organizations, women's rights advocates and student groups for the past two years to enact this law, standing up for what is right and bravely battling against special-interest lobbyists. But some companies would have you believe otherwise and are using negative tactics to stall reform. Some critics in the corporate world have accused those campaigning for an end to the conflict minerals trade of advocating for a boycott of electronics companies. Some minerals trading companies have also argued that Congress and the conflict minerals movement will force them to pull out of Congo, creating an embargo and hurting miners. These statements significantly distort what human rights advocates in Congo and the U.S. are pressing for. Let's first be clear: The statements originate with many of the same companies that have been knowingly purchasing conflict minerals for the past decade, according to the United Nations, and did nothing for years to avoid them. The bill and our campaign aim to develop a peaceful, legal minerals trade in Congo that will be the real benefit to war-torn communities on the ground. We oppose a boycott and, on the contrary, are asking consumers to urge their own cell phone, laptop and jewelry companies to ensure their products are conflict-free. Companies now have an opportunity to achieve this goal and help Congolese communities through three key steps: . -- Tracing: Determining the precise sources of their minerals. -- Auditing: Independently verifying these sources and trading routes. -- Certifying: Working with the Congolese, Rwandan, U.S. and other governments to develop a certification process that improves upon systems already created for other exports such as blood diamonds. These steps are complex, but they are achievable. The reality is that the bill will accelerate this supply chain reform, and Intel and Motorola are already starting a forward-looking audit process to purchase tantalum from legitimate mines, including those in Congo. Companies have at least 18 months from now to report to Congress on their audits, and during that time they will have ample opportunity to trace, audit and certify their supply chains. Some companies may choose to temporarily stop buying minerals from Congo while they reform their supply chains. In order to cushion the blow for those mining communities affected by such a decision, a miners' livelihood fund should be created to offer them real opportunities and help the Congolese economy through small business, microfinance and agriculture. Electronics, jewelry and minerals companies should partner with donors to set up this program as soon as possible. Congress has taken the first step, but we still have a long way to go in ending the conflict minerals trade and the war in Congo. Now the Obama administration must come through and partner with the Congolese government to help create a process for conflict minerals that builds on the lessons of the process that excluded blood diamonds from the marketplace, as well as addressing wider issues of army and governance reform. And electronics and jewelry companies should support these processes with a fraction of the profits they've earned from these conflict minerals over the past dozen years. Consumers, companies and governments can all play a part in ending this deadly trade and cutting off the fuel for the deadliest war in the world. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Sasha Lezhnev and John Prendergast. | Congo's "conflict minerals" used in cell phones, other products, co-authors say .
Financial regulation law requires makers of electronics to audit supply sources .
Co-authors: Consumers should urge companies to make products conflict-free .
They say Obama administration should work with the Congo to develop legitimate mining . |
190,502 | 82a346f8ea52a0c6cbb88fc8e3763c19a14bbd35 | A French adventurer who trekked across Canada has vanished in the Alaskan wilderness - leaving behind his kayak, food, several maps and a personal journal. Francois Guenot, 32, dubbed 'the crazy Frenchman', went missing as he explored the wild land of the four-million-acre Katmai National Park last month. His red-and-white kayak was discovered on a beach along Shelikof Strait off Cape Douglas, around 200 miles south-west of Anchorage, last week. Mystery: Francois Guenot was last seen in Kohanok on the Alaska Peninsula and planned to kayak hundreds of miles to Perryville. Remains found on Shuhak Island in September have been identified as his body . It contained his identification, food and maps, as well as an array of personal journals, according to rangers at the park, which is home to Alaskan brown bears. 'We've picked up nothing more,' chief park ranger Neal Labrie told the Associated Press yesterday. 'And the last journal entry he had among his goods was dated June 15. 'There is really no reason why he would . have left all his personal belongings, especially his ID behind.' Mr Guenot, who worked as a ski instructor in Maiche France, arrived in Lake Iliamna in south-west Alaska last autumn after spending more than two years trekking across Canada. Wilderness: The 32-year-old's red-and-white kayak, containing his possessions, was discovered on a beach along Shelikof Strait off Cape Douglas (pictured), around 200 miles south-west of Anchorage, in June . He is believed to have made his way to Kokhanok - a small community on the south shore of Iliamna Lake - before leaving on May 6 with the intention of travelling to Perryville, according to the Anchorage Daily News. He was last seen on May 26 squatting in a cabin at Amakdedori Creek, around 40 miles west of Kamishak Bay, . Mr Labrie said a search for Mr Guenot - carried out by park rangers, the U.S. Coastguard and eventually Alaska State Troopers - had been suspended on Saturday following the discovery of his possessions, with aerial searches also failing to locate his whereabouts. 'Had there been anybody or anything to see along those coastal areas, we probably would have seen them,' Mr Labrie said. He added that if Mr Guenot had decided to abandon his kayak and walk, the search area could be 'endless', since his possible route was not known. Park ranger Wendy Artz said the adventurer could be anywhere between Kokhanak and Chignik, a small fishing community around 250 miles to the south-west. She added that the land between the two villages in home to more bears than people, while the waters of Cape Douglas - where Mr Guenot's possessions were found - are notoriously dangerous . Mr Guenot arrived in Canada in the summer of 2011 to begin his trek across North America, which included several misadventures, including falling into a river in the winter. He eventually made his way to Fairbanks, where he found a bike at the dump and rode it to Homer, before venturing to Seldovia, where he found two kayaks and made them into one seaworthy vessel. In . January . 2012, he told Yukon News that he dreamed of adventure in the wilds of Canada and Alaska, . saying: 'I don't want to stay like a dog on a leash in France.' Treacherous: The adventurer is believed to have been making his way from Kokhanok to Perryville. Katmai National Park ranger Wendy Artz said the land between the two villages in home to more bears than people . After showing up in south-west Alaska, Mr Guenot befriended Kokhanok resident Gary Nielsen and lived on his property in a tent. When it was too cold to sleep outside, Mr Nielsen said the explorer - who earned his nickname based on his ultimate goal to reach the Kamchatka Peninsula in Russia - would sleep in a steam bath. He added that Mr Guenot had set off in May, telling him that he was going to Perryville, but had seemed to have trouble comprehending the great distances involved in travelling Alaska. Earlier this year, the adventurer had spent three weeks walking around Lake Iliamna during spring break up, but somehow came back in one piece, he said. Meanwhile, another of Mr Guenot's friends, Jim Tilley of Intricate Bay, said many locals were concerned about him, telling the Daily News: 'He was just aloof to the dangers of Alaska.' Mr Neilsen said Mr Guenot had been planning to meet up with friends on July 19 when he vanished. 'If we hear nothing by the end of July, he's probably dead,' he added. | Francois Guenot, 32, vanished as he explored Alaskan wilderness in May .
His red-and-white kayak discovered on beach off Cape Douglas last week .
It contained his identification, food and maps, as well as personal journals .
Mr Guenot is believed to have been travelling from Kokhanok to Perryville .
He was last seen on May 26 squatting in state cabin at Amakdedori Creek .
Search was suspended on Saturday following discovery of his possessions .
Explorer arrived in south Alaska last year after trekking across Canada . |
79,602 | e1b8cb0278f318d03c08bf33b5cf2ed06ee8bf03 | Police shot and killed a man who had posted an online video threatening to kill police and FBI agents after he tried to use his car to run down officers trying to arrest him in a Philadelphia suburb. Officers feared the man would kill them on Tuesday and they 'did what they had to do', according to Upper Darby Police Superintendent Michael Chitwood. He said five officers fired at the man. No officers were injured. Authorities did not immediately identify the man who was killed, as officers ordered him out of the car and he appeared ready to accelerate at them as they manned a blockade. Scroll down for videos . Police shot and killed a man who had posted an online video threatening to kill officers after he tried to use his car to run down cops at a blockade in a Philadelphia suburb on Tuesday . Five officers fired at the suspect who was killed in the hail of gunfire. No officers were injured . The Philadelphia Inquirer said he was 52-year-old Joseph A. Pacini and that he had posted three online videos with rambling messages and threats. Police had secured an arrest warrant for the man after the threats in the online video, Chitwood said. In videos posted to YouTube on December 29, Pacini vowed to take revenge on area authorities, the FBI and the CIA, who he believed were out to kill him. In a series of clips, the 52-year-old alternately describes his fear that authorities are out to get him, threatens to take them out first, and even asks his 'soulmate' - singer-songwriter Sara Bareilles - to stop his enemies before it's too late. 'She's the only one who can save me': In one of his videos, Pacini said he believed singer-songwriter Sara Bareilles to be his 'twin flame soulmate' 'She's the only one who can save me,' Pacini, says of Bareilles in one rambling video. In another video, Pacini prophesied his demise after threatening local detective Matt Huffnall, who'd apparently been pursuing a police case against him. 'I'm gonna be dead or in prison within the next 12 hours,' he said. The man's death comes a little more than a week after a man who made similar threats shot two NYPD officers dead in their patrol car and then killed himself in a subway station. Police said they began following the man after he left a home in nearby Clifton Heights. They said when officers stopped him at an intersection and ordered him out of the car, he reversed and slammed into a police vehicle and then prepared to run over other officers. Officers opened fire, killing the man, Chitwood said. The man did not fire at police, and Chitwood said he did not know if the man had a weapon. In the New York case, Officers Rafael Ramos and Wenjian Liu were ambushed on a Brooklyn street as they sat in their marked car on December 20. Their attacker, Ismaaiyl Brinsley, had referenced in online posts the high-profile killings by white police officers of unarmed black men, specifically Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri, and Eric Garner on Staten Island. Soon after the officers' shooting Brinsley, who was black, killed himself. Decisions by grand juries not to indict the officers involved in the killings of Brown and Garner have sparked protests around the nation, with demonstrators lying down in the streets as though they're dead. Many protesters have chanted 'Hands up! Don't shoot!' a reference to their contention Brown's hands were raised when he was shot dead by police, and 'I can't breathe,' which Garner was heard saying on a video recording of his encounter with a policeman who put his arm around his neck. On Sunday, two men opened fire on a police car patrolling a tough part of Los Angeles, but the two officers inside were not injured and one was able to shoot back, authorities said. One suspect was later arrested, and the other was on the loose. Police haven't determined a motive for the shooting in South Los Angeles, an area plagued by gang violence, but said there were no indications it was linked to other attacks on police. Joseph Pacini, 52, posted three online videos with rambling messages and threats towards police before accelerating his car towards a blockade . Police in Pennsylvania opened fire and killed Pacini when they claimed he tried to run them over . | Joseph Pacini ranted that the police, FBI and CIA were out to kill him in a series of bizarre YouTube videos .
Pacini, 52, threatened officers that he was going to get them before they got him .
He believed singer-songwriter Sara Bareilles was his 'twin flame soulmate' and only she could stop him from dying 'within the next 12 hours'
Police shot and killed suspect after he tried to use his car to run down officers trying to arrest him in a Philadelphia suburb .
Officers feared the man would kill them on Tuesday and they 'did what they had to do', police chief said .
Five officers fired at the man - no officers were injured . |
147,684 | 4af5549b78243eae98f65a77b251ef90691f6bea | (CNN) -- A California educator arrested after a former student accused her in a YouTube video of sexual abuse had her arraignment pushed back yet again Friday, meaning she won't formally answer to the charges for another six weeks. Andrea Michelle Cardosa was charged in February with five counts of aggravated sexual assault on a child and 11 counts of lewd acts on a child, the the Riverside County district attorney's office said. Her arraignment, originally scheduled for Thursday, was moved to 9 a.m. (noon ET) Friday. But, while Cardosa was in court, she wasn't arraigned. According to John Hall, a spokesman for the district attorney's office, her arraignment was continued to April 18 at the defense's request. Cardosa's lawyers also plan to ask to reduce her bail then, Hall said. The charges that Cardosa faces came after a former student, now 28, posted a YouTube video in which she accused the educator of abusing her at age 12. Cardosa faces possible life in prison if convicted of the aggravated sexual assault charges. Cardosa's lawyer, Randy Collins, said in a written statement earlier this week that in the face of "very public claims of abuse," it would be his task "to see that justice prevails in the midst of the media wildfire." He added, "Fortunately, our justice system requires more than a YouTube video to determine the facts of a case. As we proceed, I am certain that evidence will shed new light on all charges filed by the D.A.'s office against my client." Collins said Cardosa was grateful for the "outpouring of support from her family, friends, colleagues, and students during this difficult time." Earlier, he said Cardosa's legal team planned to challenge the filing against the statute of limitations and challenge the bail motion to reduce the amount from $5 million. But Hall, the district attorney's office spokesman, said there is no statute of limitations in California on the most serious charge -- aggravated sexual assault on a child under 14. After the first woman posted a YouTube video of her accusations in January, another woman came forward. The second alleged victim, now 18, has filed a complaint accusing the Val Verde Unified School District in Perris, California, of negligence. David Ring, lawyer for the older accuser, said, "She is very gratified that the DA has brought charges against this perpetrator. She hopes justice is done in the criminal case and that Cardosa admits to what she's done, which she already admitted to in the phone call -- that she ruined her childhood." Cardosa resigned January 17 from her most recent job as an administrator at Alhambra High School in Southern California after the first accusation was uploaded on YouTube, according to the school district. The video features the alleged victim on camera and what is said to be the teacher's voice on a phone conversation. In the video, the teacher can be heard acknowledging the abuse claim. The first alleged victim said the abuse took place "off and on" for her between the ages of 12 and 18. She said she didn't come forward as a teenager because the teacher had brainwashed her. "She told me that my family didn't love me. She told me that nobody cared about me and that she was the only one that loved me and the only one that was there for me," she said. "She made me believe that she was my only friend, and that I could trust her." The alleged victim said she didn't want a physical relationship, but she said the teacher threatened her multiple times. "She said that she would kill herself if I ever left. And I believed that," the alleged victim said . CNN's Sonya Hamasaki, Stephanie Elam and Artemis Moshtaghian contributed to this story. | NEW: DA's office: The arraignment is pushed back again, this time to April 18 .
Andrea Cardosa is expected in court on Friday, could face life in prison if convicted .
Authorities say she is the educator accused in a YouTube video of sexual abuse .
"Our justice system requires more than a YouTube video," her attorney says . |
96,561 | 083ee93553d140ae01c900cfd6aa8027425a4283 | South Africa are steeling themselves to face an England pack regimented by 'one of the best forwards coaches in the world' at Twickenham on Saturday. Springbok forwards coach Johann van Graan hailed England counterpart Graham Rowntree for creating a 'world-class scrum', while calling on South Africa to sharpen up after 29-15 defeat in Ireland. Van Graan revealed boss Heyneke Meyer has led several Springboks fact-finding missions to England, where the two sets of coaches have traded ideas and forged lasting friendships. Forwards coach Graham Rowntree has been praised for his work with England by Johann van Graan . 'Graham Rowntree is in my opinion one of the best forwards coaches in the world and a good friend of mine,' said Van Graan, who doubles as South Africa's attack coordinator. 'The great thing about rugby is the friends you make. We coached against each other for the first time in 2012, what a great guy and what a great coaching staff. 'Just look at guys like Stuart Lancaster, Andy Farrell and Mike Catt; Heyneke and I have visited the northern hemisphere quite a few times in the last year, we've had a few coffees together. 'And like we did with the All Blacks a few weeks ago I'm sure we're going to have a drink before and after the game, talk about their challenges, our challenges, where the game is going, what you think. 'At the end of the day we're much bigger than just ourselves and just this Test match, it's about the game, and what a fantastic coaching group they have, and they are good friends of ours.' Van Graan (left) will cross paths with Rowntree when England host South Africa on Saturday . South Africa dominated territory and possession in Dublin on Saturday but slipped to defeat owing to a host of handling errors and a costly yellow card for replacement hooker Adriaan Strauss. Ireland's physicality and technical nous caught the Springboks out, with Van Graan admitting their refusal to bind on an early maul was a 'shock'. Van Graan believes former Leicester and England prop Rowntree has built a pack that is now the envy of the world under boss Lancaster. 'You've just got to look at the way their forwards conduct themselves on and off the field, the way they prepare, they are always well-prepared at lineout time in attack and defence,' said Van Graan. Van Graan believes Rowntree's (right) efforts have seen England develop a world-class scrum . 'They have a pretty solid maul. They put us under pressure in South Africa two years ago; we played them four times that year. 'It's a world-class scrum and a world-class plan. Whenever we come up against them we know it's a challenge.' South Africa may look to parachute Patrick Lambie in at fly-half to face England ahead of fast-rising star Handre Pollard. Head coach Meyer wants his Rugby World Cup 2015 squad all-but nailed down by the end of the current tour, and is intent on giving opportunities to impress this month. South Africa may start Patrick Lambie (centre left) at fly-half for Saturday's match against England . Van Graan refused to criticise the Springboks' half-back duo of Pollard and Francois Hougaard in Saturday's Ireland loss however. The Springboks do not expect England to change tack to exploit any perceived tactical kicking weakness, especially with Van Graan warning against Danny Care's running game. Widely credited with helping devise South Africa's new expansive play, former Bulls coach Van Graan singled out Harlequins scrum-half Care as one of England's chief threats. 'It would be unfair from my side to single out individuals, as a team we made some errors in Ireland that we've now got to fix,' said Van Graan. Van Graan revealed South Africa has 'a lot of respect' for England scrum-half Danny Care (centre) 'It starts with the carry and the presentation, and sometimes the half-back gets the criticism when the presentation's not up to scratch. 'There were some individual errors by players but we'll take responsibility as a team and we've got to fix it. 'Twickenham is a place we love to play and this is a Test against a team we really respect. 'We're facing world-class players; we've a lot of respect for Danny Care. 'I don't think they'll pay too much attention to what Ireland did, they will just focus on their game.' | England host South Africa in Saturday's Autumn International Test .
England lost 21-24 to New Zealand at Twickenham in their opening Test .
South Africa were beaten 29-15 by Ireland in Dublin on Saturday night . |
56,710 | a0b1a16c8dcb682d4b31d0f4c3d33277f8226583 | (CNN) -- More than a month and a half into the search for Malaysia Airlines Flight 370, the murmurs are growing louder. What if the Boeing 777 that disappeared over the southern Indian Ocean is never found? It was a dismissible thought at first. After all, how could a jetliner carrying 239 passengers and crew simply disappear without a trace? But so much time is passing with no debris, no oil slick and no bodies. What if? 1. It will go down as one of the world's most enduring mysteries . The disappearance of Flight 370 would rank right up there with Amelia Earhart. This story has intrigued folks for generations. The swashbuckling aviatrix and pioneering woman embarked on the first around-the-world flight at the Equator in June 1937. After completing about two-thirds of the flight, she and navigator Frederick Noonan disappeared. A search never found any trace of her, Noonan or their plane. Some believe they ran out of fuel and crashed into the sea -- similar to one theory of what happened to the Malaysia Airlines plane. Then there's the Bermuda triangle. Many ships, planes and people have disappeared in this section of the Atlantic Ocean -- a "triangle" marked by the points of Bermuda, Miami and San Juan, Puerto Rico. U.S. officials cite hurricanes, sudden storms, the powerful Gulf Stream and shallow Caribbean waters as reasonable explanations for the lost vessels. But so far, there's been no explanation for Flight 370's disappearance. Of course, not all mysteries last forever. It took two years for search parties to recover the black box from Air France Flight 447, which crashed into the Atlantic Ocean on June 1, 2009, en route to Paris from Rio with 228 people aboard. Sometimes even when you know just about where something is, it's hard to find. There was no GPS and sea charts in 1912 when the RMS Titanic went down on its maiden voyage in the North Atlantic. It wasn't until 1985 that the British luxury liner was found. Seventy-three years is a long time to wait, but some answers take time. 2. Families never get the closure a tragedy deserves . If you want to see agony, look into the faces of the relatives of the 153 Chinese nationals who flew aboard the ill-fated flight. They're guests of Malaysia Airlines in a Beijing hotel while the search continues. They don't expect miracles, but they do want information. "As time goes on we know that the odds of my son and the other relatives on the plane having survived becomes smaller and smaller," a grey-haired man named Wen said recently, scarcely keeping his composure. A Malaysian diplomat listened intently. "To know that somebody is alive, you need to see them. To know that somebody is dead, you need to see the body. That's all I ask of you," Wen concluded, sobbing uncontrollably into a microphone. It's been a roller coaster of emotions for the families. A dearth of information from Malaysia officials and repeated delays has provoked outright anger. "Live up to commitments! No more delays! No more lies!" fist -waving family members said. Heartbreak compounded by disappointment will do that. Grieving also gets tougher when there's no body to bury. How do you let go if you can't say goodbye? Yet, hope still burns in the heart of Prahlad Shirsath, whose wife was on the plane. "I can not let go of that idea, because still we have hope. And deeply I am really convinced in my heart ... that she will come back," he said. "She has to come back, because so far we have not found any reason to lose that hope." 3. False sightings will raise and dash hopes . Every few months or years, someone will come up with a new theory about how the plane disappeared -- or someone will spot what they think is debris. The fleeting moments of hope will give way to fresh anguish. Madeleine McCann's parents know this all too well. The 3-year-old vanished in June 2007 while on a family vacation in the Portuguese resort town of Praia da Luz. Her disappearance prompted headlines worldwide -- and remains a mystery 7 years later. There have been unconfirmed sightings of McCann ever since she was abducted. They bring with them varying degrees of promise. But Madeleine remains missing. "In the beginning, it all consumes you. Everything in your life takes second place, goes on the back burner," Dave Holloway, the father of Natalee Holloway, told CNN last year. The Alabama teen went missing on a trip to Aruba in 2005, and her body's never been found. The Holloway case captivated the country, and even now from time to time, a new lead in the case will make headlines. "I feel for those families who are totally clueless," Halloway said. "At least we know who is responsible for our daughter's disappearance. They have no idea. At least we know." 4. There will be big insurance payouts . There's no tally yet on just how much Malaysia Airlines will owe the relatives of the flight's victims, but it'll be a substantial figure. Some attorneys, citing their past work on plane crashes, say the total for each passenger could vary from $400,000 to $10 million. The industry norm for insurance that airliners carry on their planes totals between $2 billion and $2.5 billion per aircraft, according to aviation attorney Dan Rose of Kreindler & Kreindler. That breaks down to about $10 million per passenger. There were 239 people on flight. The numbers can add up quickly. Under an international treaty known as the Montreal Convention, the airline must pay relatives of each deceased passenger an initial sum of around $150,000 to $175,000, but that's just a starting point. Relatives of victims can also sue for further damages. The plane's manufacturer, Boeing, could be another target of lawsuits. But until the jetliner is recovered, families won't have much of a case. It's like trying to prove a murder without a body. 5. There will be changes in policy . Every disaster brings changes in policy. But when you don't even know the cause, where do you begin? U.S. regulators have already approved a new 90-day standard for pingers attached to flight recorders, so search teams have a better chance of finding them under difficult circumstances. The two-year hunt to find Air France Flight 447 was the impetus, not MH370. Locator beacons that transmit for 90 days should greatly increase the odds of finding a lost jetliner even in deep water. Flight 370 had 30-day batteries in its beacons. They were about out of juice by the time aquatic listening devices picked up their signals for a short time. Another 60 days would have helped their cause. By 2015, the Federal Aviation Administration will require all new planes to come with the 90-day capability. All older planes must have it by 2020, the FAA says. Malaysia has sent its preliminary report on Flight 370 to the International Civil Aviation Organization, the U.N. body for global aviation. But it hasn't released it publicly. "It just adds fuel to the fire -- which is like a furnace now -- of disbelief, particularly in China, as to what is going on," said Geoffrey Thomas, managing director of AirlineRatings.com. There are so many questions. Are there better ways to track commercial aircraft? Can planes be followed better by using satellites to track their movements with transmitters that can't be shut down? Every phone has GPS. Can't we keep closer tabs on aircraft worth hundreds of millions of dollars? The U.N. aviation agency did tell CNN about a safety recommendation in the report: Malaysia said the aviation world needs to look at real-time tracking of commercial aircraft. It's the same recommendation that was made after the Air France disaster. But "nothing seems to have happened," CNN aviation correspondent Richard Quest. For now, though, the focus of determined search crews and anguished families remain on finding the Malaysian jetliner that disappeared without a trace. CNN's Michael Martinez and Gergory Wallace contributed to this report . | Amelia Earhart and Bermuda triangle are other lingering mysteries .
It will be difficult for families to get closure if no bodies are found .
Billions in insurance claims will likely be paid out .
Technology and policies will change as a result of MH370 . |
191,148 | 838ad14237e63eab5cac96f6bd3d75cd334df32a | By . Chris Pleasance . A Premier League footballer has been filmed inhaling potentially deadly laughing gas behind the wheel of his car, before allegedly driving 120 miles. West Bromwich Albion striker Saido Berahino, 20, can be seen inhaling nitrous oxide, also known as laughing gas or 'hippy crack', from a purple balloon while sitting in his Range Rover. It is thought the footage was taken in Birmingham city centre, just before Berahino reportedly drove 120 miles to London to carry on partying. Scroll down for video . West Bromwich Albion striker Saido Berahino, 20, has been filmed inhaling a nitrous oxide balloon in his car before reportedly driving 120 miles to London in order to continue partying . In the short clips, Berahino can be seen breathing from the balloon while staring wild-eyed into the camera. A giggling girl asks him 'are you f*****?' before questioning whether he has 'had enough'. Berahino has today issued an apology for his behaviour and his club say he will be reprimanded for his actions . The drug is legal in the UK but several young people have died from taking it as it can cause asphyxiation, heart attacks and brain damage. The £12,000-a-week player was filmed taking the drug just hours after the team lost 3-0 to Manchester United. Berahino was partying at trendy Nuvo bar in Birmingham city centre on March 8 when the video was taken, according to the Sunday Mirror. In a statement, Berahino said: ‘This was very poor judgement on my part and not the right example to be setting. At the time, I wasn’t fully aware of the serious health risks involved but now I know, I won’t be doing it again.’ Richard Garlick, the club’s sporting and technical Director, added: ‘I have spoken to Saido about the incident and told him in no uncertain terms that his conduct is not befitting a West Bromwich Albion player. 'Saido knows he has made a mistake. He has apologised for his actions and has assured the club it will not happen again.’ It comes just weeks after Berahino was involved in a dressing room bust up with team-mate James Morrison in the wake of the club's 3-3 draw against Cardiff. Danny Lee-Frost, of the Medicines and Healthcare Regulatory Agency, has said: ‘The rush users experience is caused by starving the brain of oxygen. The long-term dangers to health include bone marrow suppression, blood cell problems and poisoning of the central nervous system.’ Berahino, who earns £12,000-a-week, was filmed taking the drug after West Brom lost 3-0 to Manchester United . Drug advice website Frank warns: 'There is a risk of death as a lack of oxygen can occur when using nitrous oxide. 'This risk is likely to be greater if the gas is consumed in an enclosed space or if a substantial amount is rapidly used.' Albion manager Pepe Mel has previously described England under-12 player Berahino as 'more responsible than other people of his age' and 'intelligent'. | West Brom striker Saido Berahino filmed inhaling legal high nitrous oxide .
In clips the player can been slumped over the wheel of his Range Rover .
Filmed in Birmingham city centre before player reportedly drove 120 miles .
He has today apologised and club say they have reprimanded him . |
82,595 | ea2fd98ce6554007ac778fca8da85ffa08b9cf70 | (CNN) -- The wife of Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. detailed to a Chicago newspaper her husband's "collapse" and his last two months getting treated for gastrointestinal and mental health issues, saying he's still "very depressed" though showing some progress. Sandi Jackson, an alderwoman in Chicago, talked with the Chicago Sun-Times shortly after returning from visiting her husband at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, with their two children. "What I can tell you is my husband has his good days and bad days, and they are increasing his depression medication to therapeutic levels," Sandi Jackson told the paper. The Illinois Democrat and son of the Rev. Jesse Jackson, the civil rights leader, has not been on Capitol Hill since late May. In early July, the congressman's office announced he was "receiving intensive medical treatment at a residential treatment facility for a mood disorder." Then, a few weeks later, his office issued another statement via the Mayo Clinic indicating that he was undergoing an "extensive inpatient evaluation for depression and gastrointestinal issues" at the prestigious medical facility. Besides such statements, Jackson and his family have been largely mum about his ordeal. His father did tell the Huffington Post, in a taped interview, that about "seven or eight weeks ago" he went to visit his son in Washington and learned he hadn't slept in three days. "We went to the hospital, and they kept him," the Rev. Jackson told the online news website. "And what we thought to be 'exhaustion' was something much deeper, much broader, and it lasted much longer." Sandi Jackson elaborated on what happened to the Sun-Times' Michael Sneed, calling the congressman's "collapse" on June 10 at the family's Washington residence as "D-Day for us." By then, she said, her husband was "completely debilitated by depression." Beating back rumors, Sandi Jackson denied firmly that her husband had attempted suicide or was receiving help for alcohol or drug addiction. She also said the indictment of his friend, Raghuveer Nayak, had no bearing since it happened June 20, after the family imposed a "news blackout" on Jesse Jackson Jr. as he got treatment. Medical experts are still weighing whether a recent weight-loss surgery might have helped trigger his depression, his wife said. With Sandi Jackson at the family's other home in Chicago, the congressman's father and brother Yusef took him to a Washington hospital in early June. Some time later, Yusef Jackson brought his brother -- at Sandi Jackson's suggestion, she said -- to the Sierra Tucson Treatment Center in Arizona because that facility specializes in mental health. Eventually, it was decided to transfer him to the Mayo Clinic. "Jesse is now gaining weight and eating and feeling better in that sense, but he is still very depressed," Sandi Jackson said of his current condition, adding that he has his "ups and downs." "But I am encouraged by the number of tests they are running and the quality of the analysis." She said there's no timetable on when he might return to work -- including whether he'll be back at work by Labor Day and perhaps at the Democratic National Convention in early September -- adding "it's up to the doctors ... but we should know soon." Jackson's illness comes as the House Ethics Committee is examining allegations that in 2008 he or or one of his associates offered to raise funds for then-Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich in exchange for Jackson being appointed to the Senate seat vacated by Barack Obama after he was elected president. The congressman has maintained his innocence and pledged to continue to cooperate with authorities. Blagojevich was convicted last year on corruption charges in connection with his efforts to profit from appointing the successor to the Senate seat. He began serving a 14-year sentence in March. In a separate incident, Jackson apologized to his constituents in September 2010 after the Chicago Sun-Times reported a Chicago businessman told federal investigators that Jackson had asked him to pay for a restaurant hostess to fly between Washington and Chicago several times. He said he was "deeply sorry" that he had disappointed some supporters. | Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. hasn't been at work on Capitol Hill since May .
His office had announced he's at the Mayo Clinic for depression and GI issues .
His wife tells a newspaper her husband collapsed and had "debilitating" depression .
"My husband has his good days and bad days," she says after a recent visit . |
228,323 | b3a2902008315bc17978edaa8b99cd74f71c5ca3 | By . Sam Webb . A police officer who fought to save the life of a young girl who was medically dead for 20 minutes after being crushed under a car has celebrated becoming her godfather - seven years later. PC Jon Duckham was sent to the scene of the horrific accident in October 2007 where he found little Amy Samuel trapped under the wheels of her family's one tonne car. The toddler - who was just two at the time - had suffered horrific crush injuries after the handbrake was left off and the car rolled back over her. My hero: Amy Samuel, eight, with PC Jon Duckham, 42. After helping to save her life after she was trapped under a car seven years ago, he has now become her godfather . Close bond: Amy Samuel and PC Jon Duckham, pictured at Amy's christening . PC Duckham worked with emergency services to free the girl from under the Fiat Punto at the car park in Darlaston, West Midlands, after she stopped breathing. Paramedics battled to save her and she was transferred to hospital where Pc Duckham was tasked with telling parents Caroline Samuel, 31, and Gavin Manns, 34, to expect the worst. She spent days in intensive care on a life support machine but miraculously fought back and spent a week defying the odds slowly recovering from her injuries. PC Duckham was assigned as the family liaison officer to Amy's parents as she struggled back to health. Amy Samuel with her mother Caroline Andrews and PC Jon Duckham. He became their family liaison officer after the accident . During that time he ferried the worried couple back and forth to Birmingham Children's Hospital and offered them support and advice. Since then the 42-year-old had spent the last seven years helping the family nurse her back to full health, visiting her on his days off and even joining the family on nights out. Fighter: Amy's parents were told to expect the worst, but she fought her horrific injuries to survive . And last Sunday the delighted police officer was asked to be Amy's Godfather for her christening at St Bartholomew's church, in Wednesbury in the West Midlands. Today the officer said he was honoured to be asked to undertake the role for the little girl, now aged eight, who he watched come back from the dead. PC Duckham - who has worked for West Midlands Police for 19 years - said: 'Seeing Amy on life support and hearing cherished memories from her mum and dad was the most painful thing I've experienced in nearly 20 years as a police officer. 'I had two young children myself and I couldn't imagine what they were going through. 'The following morning, as doctors prepared to switch off her machine, she showed signs of life and started breathing for herself; she steadily improved and as the family's FLO I stayed in touch every day to watch Amy's incredible recovery. 'As a liaison officer I'm there to help the family through their ordeal, but naturally after six months or so you step away and leave the family to re-build their lives. 'But this was different. You don't expect a little girl who is technically dead to make such a recovery. 'How do you cope with something like that and walk away? 'When the investigation finished I became a family friend and have stayed in touch ever since. 'She is an amazing girl and every time I see her it is just great, she is so full of life. 'The bond myself and Amy have developed over the years in unreal. 'Every time I visit, she runs up to hug me and stays hugging me until I leave. I am truly honoured to be Amy's Godfather.' 'The support and help he offered was beyond belief. He helped us at our worst and I could never thank him enough' Mother Caroline said she asked PC Duckham if he'd do the honour of being her Godfather four years ago on Amy's advice. She said: 'Jon has been a part of Amy's life since the accident; the bond they have is unbelievable and nothing can break it. 'I'm delighted to have Jon part of our family he was the obvious choice as Amy's Godfather. 'He was the person there on the scene, there with us through the recovery, none of us drive so he was there to take all of us too and from hospital. 'I know it is his job to help us but it was more than that, he really cared, you don't expect that humanity from a police officer. 'Since then he has always been there for us, coming to see Amy on his days off, she always demands a picture with him when he comes round.' Amy still suffers some hearing, speech and movement difficulties as a result of her brain being starved of oxygen after the accident . She added: 'She is his world and it's great he agreed to be her godfather. 'The support and help he offered was beyond belief. He helped us at our worst and I could never thank him enough. 'Amy loves him and there is no-one I would rather have as godfather. Now they will be able to keep their bond going in the years to come. 'When it happened I was just a mess, I was in complete shock, I just told myself to carry on for Amy and then got on with it, convincing myself she would be OK. 'They told us she wouldn't live, but she did, and it wasn't until she got home that it all really hit me.' Amy still suffers some hearing, speech and movement difficulties as a result of her brain being starved of oxygen after the accident. At the time Amy's grandad Cliff Yeomans, 58, described PC Duckham as a 'rock' for the family. He added: 'He has been absolutely fantastic. I couldn't have wished for a better officer or a friend.' | PC Jon Duckham was first at scene after horrific accident .
Amy Samuel was just two when the car rolled onto her, trapping her beneath .
She was close to death but battled back to survive .
The police officer has now been made the godfather of Amy, now eight . |
61,023 | ad577255b6d84c6fb178d232fc06d14e67c42520 | A father has won his fight for a review into a decision by prosecutors not to charge doctors who allegedly failed to spot his son was dying 25 years ago. Robbie Powell, ten, of Ystradgynlais, Powys, was seen by five different doctors from December 1989 before he died from the rare Addison’s disease in April 1990. His father William, 56, has fought for justice after police found the doctors could face up to 35 charges including manslaughter and forging medical documents. Father and son: Father William Powell (left), 56, has fought for justice for his son Robbie (right), ten, of Ystradgynlais, Powys, who was seen by five different doctors before he died of the rare Addison’s disease . The Crown Prosecution Service refused to prosecute the doctors because the case was so old, but Director of Public Prosecutions Alison Saunders has now ordered a review into the decision. Mr Powell said: ‘If the doctors had admitted their mistakes at the time we would have been able to move on. Battle: Mr Powell is pictured with his legal paperwork . ‘This has taken over my life and it has taken a toll on my other children and on my marriage to my wife. I won’t feel this is over until we have some justice for Robbie.’ Robbie died 24 years ago of the rare illness which stops the adrenal glands on top of the kidneys producing vital hormones. More than 8,000 people in Britain have the disease - most commonly found in those aged from 30 to 50. Six years later the NHS accepted there was negligence during Robbie’s treatment at Morriston Hospital in Swansea. Mr Powell said: ‘The CPS said in 2003 that they weren’t willing to go ahead with prosecutions because of how much time had gone by. ‘But the Director of Public Prosecutions has said that whether it’s 30 days or 30 years, if there’s enough evidence the perpetrators will be prosecuted. It has given me hope.’ The Crown Prosecution Service said they will start the review procedure by taking a new statement from Mr Powell. A spokesman said: ‘The DPP has written to Mr Powell to confirm we will relook at the material in the case relating to the death of his son. 'The first step will be to ask the police to take a statement from Mr Powell.’ | Robbie Powell, 10, was seen by five different doctors before he died .
Father William has fought for justice since death from Addison's disease .
Police found doctors could face up to 35 charges including manslaughter .
But CPS refused to prosecute the doctors because case was so historic .
Director of Public Prosecutions has now ordered review into the decision . |
129,958 | 33fe171d40dc054bef9a34d03fdf3ac35e84c5c9 | Children as young as ten created the greatest treasures of the Bronze Age found near Stonehenge, historians believe. They said the ornate jewellery and ceremonial daggers are so intricate that they could only have been made by a child. The artefacts were crafted nearly 4,000 years ago, 1,000 years before the invention of the magnifying glass. Scroll down for video . Artefacts: The Bush Barrow treasures, including this gold body lozenge, were crafted during the Bronze Age . Making them took many hours of peering at tiny pieces of metal, and would have effectively blinded the young artisans, said experts. One of the finest pieces, the Bush Barrow Dagger, has a wooden handle decorated with 140,000 tiny gold studs just 1mm long and 0.2mm wide. Making it would have taken at least 2,500 hours. Ronald Rabbetts, a leading optometrist, has assessed several pieces found near Stonehenge. He said: ‘Only children and teenagers, and adults who had become myopic naturally would have been able to create such tiny objects.’ By the age of 20, jewellery workers would have seen anything more than 3ft away as just a blur, he added. The Bush Barrow Dagger dating from 1900BC was excavated 200 years ago from a burial mound filled with noblemen’s treasures 1,000 yards from Stonehenge. Secrets: The artefacts were excavated 200 years ago near the ancient stone circle in Wiltshire, pictured . But it is only now that such artefacts have been re-examined as part of a major project which is featured at 8pm tonight on BBC2 in Operation Stonehenge: What Lies Beneath. Archaeologists have unveiled 17 previously undiscovered monuments and shrines around the site in Wiltshire, meaning they now realise Stonehenge was not isolated but at the centre of a bustling complex. David Dawson is director of the Wiltshire Museum in Devizes, where the Bush Barrow treasures are on display. He said: ‘The very finest gold work involved the making and positioning of tens of thousands of tiny individually made components, each around 1mm long and 0.2mm wide.’ | Ornate jewellery and daggers crafted 4,000 years ago found in Bush Barrow .
One dagger had a wooden handle decorated with 140,000 tiny gold studs .
Historians say adults would have grown too short-sighted to make them . |
43,577 | 7ae7907f9003f1c01d9f42cdeb563b146746c401 | (CNN) -- Savita Halappanavar died last month in Ireland after being denied a lifesaving abortion. If she had lived in the United States -- where in two months we will mark four decades of safe and legal abortion on the anniversary of the Roe v. Wade ruling -- she likely would be alive today. I was a little girl when this decision overturned state bans across the country that prevented women from access to medically safe procedures. Unlike my mother's generation -- when women often died from self-induced abortions or back-alley abortions performed by a person with no skills or training, often under unsanitary conditions -- my siblings, friends, classmates and I grew up with the ability to make informed decisions when faced with an unintended or medically problematic pregnancy. Worldwide, many women are unable to make personal health decisions. The consequences are grave. According to a World Health Organization report, about 47,000 women die each year around the world from unsafe abortions. This accounts for about 13% of all maternal deaths. Most of these women die in developing countries, where severe legal restrictions and lack of access to modern medical care drive women to seek unsafe procedures. By contrast, abortion in the United States is incredibly safe: Fewer than 0.3% of women experience complications that require hospitalization. But Halappanavar died in a highly developed country. After 17 weeks of pregnancy, she went to the hospital, miscarrying and in extreme pain. Her husband says doctors denied requests for an abortion to save her life; after three days the fetus died, and after suffering for four days, Savita Halappanavar died of blood poisoning. Her death in Ireland serves as a stark reminder that living in a developed country does not necessarily protect us from backward health policies. Lawmakers in Ireland who defend that country's near-total ban on abortion rely on the same politically driven arguments echoed across much of the U.S. by opponents of women's freedom to choose, as they try to chip away at access to safe and legal abortion. In Ohio, for example, legislators are considering a bill that would ban abortion early in pregnancy, even before some women know they are pregnant. According to an analysis from the Guttmacher Institute, half the women in our nation live in states hostile to abortion access; and in 2011 alone, states enacted a record 92 provisions seeking to restrict women's access to abortion. This is not the legacy I wish for my children. I want my son and daughter to grow up in a country where they make their own health care decisions and their privacy is respected. Unless we stand up to these attacks on women's health and personal decision making, we are sure to hear more stories like Halappanavar's -- and this time closer to home. Senseless decisions do not just happen in other countries. In Nebraska, doctors refused to allow Danielle Deaver to end her pregnancy after she learned her daughter would not survive, citing the state's ban on abortion past 20 weeks gestation. Instead, Deaver was forced to deliver an infant who died moments after birth. Evidence shows time and again that banning abortion does not make it go away -- it merely leads to more unsafe abortions and more women dying. Some of the countries with the highest abortion rates worldwide have the most restrictive policies. On the other hand, countries with the lowest abortion rates tend to have more supportive abortion policies and strong policy support for contraception. Policymakers truly interested in reducing abortion should support strong investment in contraception at home and abroad. Under the Affordable Care Act, millions more Americans will be eligible for birth control coverage without a co-pay — which will have a tremendous impact for women across the country who find it a struggle to use contraception consistently because of its cost. The U.S. is the largest investor in global family planning and HIV/AIDS programs in the world. We need to protect these investments from budget cuts to ensure that women everywhere can plan and space their children's births and prevent unintended pregnancy and disease. As the United Nations recently declared, access to contraception is a universal human right. We also need to fight for better access to safe and legal abortion at home and abroad. As Halappanavar's case devastatingly demonstrates, even during a planned pregnancy, a woman must sometimes consider an abortion. The difficult decision to end a pregnancy, to choose adoption or to raise a child should be up to the woman, in consultation with her family, her faith and her doctor. On January 22, when my family honors the 40th anniversary of Roe v. Wade, I want to be able to tell my children that our country is moving forward, not turning back the clocks. We will remember Savita Halappanavar on that day and repeat the mantra echoed at vigils in Ireland and around the world honoring her wholly preventable death: Never again. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Latanya Mapp Frett. | Savita Halappanavar died in Ireland after being denied an abortion .
Latanya Mapp Frett: Before Roe v. Wade, women in U.S. often died from unsafe abortions .
Frett: Abortion opponents in U.S. are trying to end a woman's right to free choice .
Banning abortion does not stop it, she writes, it leads to more women dying . |
150,918 | 4f1e2c346612ecac080da506e63bafdd688dc284 | Philadelphia (CNN) -- The highest-ranking Catholic church cleric charged and convicted in the landmark child sexual abuse trial will remain in jail for the time being, a Philadelphia judge ordered Tuesday. Monsignor William Lynn was found guilty Friday of one count of child endangerment, the first time a U.S. church leader has been convicted of such a charge. The trial marked the first time U.S. prosecutors have charged not just the priests who allegedly committed abuses but also church leaders for failing to stop them. Lynn is the highest-ranking cleric accused of imperiling children by helping cover up sexual abuse. He was found not guilty on a second count of endangerment and on a charge of conspiring to protect a priest accused of abuse. Lynn's defense team argued during the trial that their client repeatedly told higher-ups about the alleged abuse and, under strict orders from the late Cardinal Anthony Bevilacqua, had no authority to remove priests from the ministry. On Monday, Lynn's defense attorneys filed a motion requesting that their client be released on house arrest pending his scheduled August 13 sentencing. He could face three-and-a-half to seven years in prison for his conviction on the third-degree felony. "With every fiber in my body, (fleeing) is a non-issue," said Jeffrey Lindy, one of Lynn's lawyers. Following Friday's verdict, Lindy criticized the decision not to let his client remain free on bond prior to sentencing, calling it "an unspeakable miscarriage of justice (for) a 61-year-old man with no prior record and long-established ties to the community." Assistant District Attorney Patrick Blessington vehemently opposed house arrest. "It's absurd," Blessington said. "It would truly be an injustice to indulge these people after what they've done." The hearing to discuss the motion for house arrest took place before a packed courtroom Tuesday. Lynn arrived dressed in all black and without his clerical collar. He wore full clerical garb during the 50 days of the trial and 13 days of jury deliberations. In addition to his two lead counselors, several of Lynn's family members filled the rows in the gallery. Also in attendance was Rita DeCarolis, the mother of Lynn's deceased sister's husband, who agreed to allow Lynn to stay in her home if he were granted house arrest, at which point one of Lynn's sisters began to weep. DeCarolis, who lives alone, was briefly called to the witness stand to confirm her understanding of house arrest and to prove her residency to the judge. "I'm free," she told the court, regarding her availability to house the monsignor. At the conclusion of Tuesday's hearing, Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas Judge Teresa Sarmina delayed her decision on whether Lynn should be placed under house arrest rather than jailed until his sentencing. Sarmina allowed prosecutors a week to consult legal analysts and Rev. Thomas Doyle -- who was sworn in as an expert witness on Catholicism and its canon law during the trial -- to determine what, if any, steps are to be taken in the event Lynn fled to the Vatican, where there is no extradition. She also instructed the defense to consult with their client to ensure he was aware of the consequences, should he flee. "Get the hell out of here, he's not going to the Vatican," another one of Lynn's attorneys, Thomas Bergstrom, told reporters outside of the courthouse, adding that his client is incredibly strong considering the circumstances. "That's ridiculous." Although Sarmina did not grant the defense motion for release on house arrest pending sentencing, she did initiate the procedure for receiving an electronic monitoring device. The average wait time for such a device is three to four weeks. If granted and Lynn were to violate the conditions of house arrest, the judge could sentence him immediately as well as impose the maximum sentence of seven years in prison. "The risk of flight is going up because he now has something to lose," Assistant District Attorney Mark Cipolletti told reporters outside the courthouse. "This case is unprecedented and on a lot of fronts, it's a case of first impressions." Lynn surrendered his passport and his bail was increased to $100,000 pending the house arrest judgment. All parties are due back in court July 5. | Monsignor William Lynn must remain in jail for now, a judge rules .
Lynn's defense attorneys had filed a motion to release the 61-year-old on house arrest .
A judge has delayed the decision on house arrest, another hearing scheduled for July 5 . |
240,579 | c36f908870aaebbbbeaf392686d110ceb720d9e7 | By . Jason Groves . Cross-eyed: A distorted image of Mr Shapps in an internet parody after he promoted Budget cuts to bingo . Tory chairman Grant Shapps came under . fire from his own party last night over a ‘patronising’ advert . highlighting Budget cuts to bingo and beer duty. Mr Shapps suffered a ferocious backlash on Twitter after posting the advert in an apparent bid to woo working-class voters. Downing Street insisted David Cameron had ‘full confidence’ in his party chairman, adding: ‘He thinks he’s doing a good job.’ But . some Tory MPs said the advert – which sparked dozens of internet spoofs . yesterday – raised questions about Mr Shapps’s ‘suitability’ for the . job. As the row threatened . to overshadow coverage of the Budget, some even suggested it could lead . to Mr Shapp being replaced in a reshuffle expected later this year. Critics said the message reinforced public perceptions that the Conservative Party was out of touch with ordinary voters. Government sources stressed that responsibility for the advert lay with Mr Shapps rather than the Treasury or No 10. One . senior Tory said: ‘When I saw this advert my initial thought was that . it must be a spoof. My reaction when I realised it wasn’t was one of . abject horror.’ Another . exasperated Conservative MP said: ‘Has it boiled down to this? A Grant . Shapps beer and bingo poster? God help us. It’s like they want us to . lose.’ Scroll down for video . 'PR disaster': Grant Shapps tweeted this Tory party advert about beer and bingo cuts in today's Budget . Tweet: The post was immediately slammed as 'ill conceived' by Labour's Ed Miliband . The Tory advert . read: ‘Bingo! Cutting the bingo tax and beer duty to help hardworking . people do more of the things they enjoy.’ Mr Shapps urged Conservative . supporters to ‘spread the word’. One . Tory source yesterday said the advert had been ‘pulled’ and would never . be used again. But a Tory spokesman insisted it had only ever been . intended for use on the internet and was never planned as a poster . campaign. The spokesman said: ‘We are quite proud of those tax cuts. We stand by what was said in that advert. ‘There is a misconception about it – it was never going to be a poster campaign, it was just an internet infographic. ‘Some of the Left-wing intelligentsia may not like it but the reaction in bingo halls to the tax cut has been very positive.’ Liberal . Democrat Treasury chief secretary Danny Alexander described the wording . of the advert as ‘pretty patronising’ and said it ‘demeans some . quite sensible things’. Nick . Clegg added: ‘I think the tweet was a bit silly, partly because the . issues involved in this Budget were really quite serious.’ London . Mayor Boris Johnson also declined to support the advert. ‘I didn’t . write the blooming thing,’ he said. ‘We’re trying to get across the . message that it’s a Budget for everyone.’ Shadow . Chancellor Ed Balls said George Osborne must be ‘frustrated that his . head of campaigns puts out an advert patronising working people by . saying they’ll be happy with a bingo tax and a beer tax. What nonsense . that is’. Simone Blackwell, a writer on political satire The Thick Of It, said the ad was beyond satire . But Mr Osborne . dismissed the row, saying it had been ‘whipped up by the Labour Party’ to disguise the fact they had nothing to say about the Budget. Mr . Osborne said he had played bingo. The Prime Minister’s spokesman said . he did not know when Mr Cameron had last played bingo – or if he had . ever played it at all. However, he is known to enjoy a pint of real ale. The internet was last night awash with spoof versions of Mr Shapps’s advert, which mock it for stereotyping the working class. One . posted on Twitter reads: ‘Bingo! No tax on pies, flat caps or whippets – . keeping our commitment to patronise the working class. Now get off my . land.’ Another says: ‘Bingo! I say, you there! How is your whippet? Jolly good, jolly good. Carry on.’ | Party chairman Grant Shapps tweeted beer and bingo tax cuts advert .
It said Budget 2014 cuts helped 'hardworking people' do what 'they' enjoy .
Post was immediately slammed as a 'PR disaster' and 'ill-conceived'
Some Tory MPs said advert raised questions about his 'suitability' for job . |
227,041 | b1fff8273e55d9e58b3e9ed6a0be1dbf9a12ffb0 | By . Sam Webb . PUBLISHED: . 12:07 EST, 13 December 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 12:22 EST, 13 December 2012 . A Gulf War hero who needs a heart transplant and is always '15 seconds from death' has seen his benefits stopped - because he is not disabled enough. Devastated Alex Smith, 37, suffered heart failure after developing a serious chest infection in December 2010. The former RAF dog handler, who served in the second Gulf War, was fitted with a Left Ventricular Assist Device (LVAD) which pumps blood around his body while he waits for a heart transplant. Support: Former RAF Police dog handler, Alex Smith, 37, developed heart failure two years ago and is kept alive by a machine, yet benefits staff have told him he's fit to work . '15 seconds from death': Alex with his LVAD machine. If it fails, he will soon die . The machine connects a pump to his heart which is attached to a battery he carries around with him 24 hours a day. If the machine fails or becomes disconnected from the battery Alex has just 15 seconds before his heart stops beating. Despite becoming exhausted after walking a few yards he had his Employment Support Allowance (ESA) of £420-a-month axed after Department of Work and Pensions officials ruled he could get a job. Bizarrely, Alex, who left the RAF in 2008 to work for the probation service helping reformed criminals, still qualifies for the highest rate of disability allowance of £520-a-month. Tired: Even walking his dog Tank is an exhausting ordeal for Alex . Divorced Alex, who has two sons, Luke, 12, and eight-year-old Dalton who live with his ex-wife, said: 'I feel like my integrity and honesty is being questioned. 'I did not want to claim benefits anyway but I did so out of necessity. 'If my machine was to fail I would pass out within 15 seconds and I would die quite quickly. 'I am 15 seconds away from death at any time. 'My life ended when my heart failed - this machine allows me to exist but not to live. He added: 'The fight will just start again if I get a transplant - you are on drugs for the rest of your life. 'I wish for a transplant but that is just the next fight starting. 'Going out to work physically drains me. After a day's work, I need to rest up completely for three days. I'm a physical wreck.' Alex, who lives in a rented house in Lincoln with fiance Elaine, 29, a teacher at a school for pupils with behavioural problems, had his benefits stopped following a physical assessment in Lincoln on October 24. He said: 'I had a call from the DWP on October 23 asking me to come for an assessment the next day which I had no problem with, I've never had anything to hide. 'But when I got to the assessment centre the officials said that because I had walked unaided into the centre that I was fit to work. 'I explained about my heart failure and even showed them the LVAD machine. The woman asked me what it did and I simply said "If it stops I'm dead". 'I get very tired very easily and it hurts me to accept that I am unable to work because of my condition. Lifesaver: The LVAD machine pumps blood around Alex's body as his heart failed in 2010 . He added: 'The report said it was not accepted that I had limited capability to work. 'I have not been able to pay for my kids since I have been ill, my partner is having to financially support us both. 'I tried going back to work this year for 16 hours a week but it was too much strain. 'I see my kids for one night every two weeks and then I am exhausted. 'I love taking my dogs for walks, but I can't take them very far before I am out of energy. My machine pumps my blood around the body at a constant speed. 'When I do anything that would usually increase my heart rate the machine continues at the same speed. 'That is why I tire so quickly and remain exhausted for days after any physical activity.' Operation: The war hero is waiting for a heart transplant, but even then he faces a long road to recovery . Eight years ago Alex was diagnosed with an irregular heart beat but after a virus in 2010, his condition worsened and he almost died when his heart failed completely. He is now kept alive by a machine woven through his ribs to a pump in his heart which keeps his blood flowing at a constant speed. He added: 'My heart failed and I was in intensive care for 16 weeks and died several times - they opened me up 11 times. 'I went into hospital as a 20 stone muscular man and I lost 70 per cent of my muscle and about nine stone. 'I even had to learn to walk again. But yet I am still told I am not disabled enough to work.' A DWP spokesperson said: 'Employment and Support Allowance assesses someone's capacity for work and looks at what a person can do because we know conditions affect different people in different ways. 'A decision on whether someone is well enough to work is taken following a thorough face-to-face assessment and after consideration of all the supporting medical evidence provided by the claimant. 'We have made considerable improvements to the Work Capability Assessment to make it fairer and more effective. 'If someone disagrees with the outcome of their claim, they have the right to submit new evidence and appeal.' | Alex Smith suffered heart failure but has been told he is fit to work .
He claims he becomes seriously exhausted by even the smallest efforts .
If his life-saving device breaks he has just 15 seconds to live . |
147,208 | 4a5b960c353d7d7f7003387ef1670319f8c00d87 | (CNN) -- Talk radio host Dr. Laura Schlessinger has issued an apology for saying the N-word several times during an on-air conversation with a caller this week. "I talk every day about doing the right thing. And yesterday, I did the wrong thing," Schlessinger said on her radio show Wednesday. "I was attempting to make a philosophical point, and I articulated the n-word all the way out -- more than one time. And that was wrong. I'll say it again -- that was wrong." Schlessinger was referring to a call she got on her show Tuesday from an African-American woman who said she was married to a white man and was getting fed up with her husband allowing his family and friends to say things that she felt were racist. Schlessinger asked the woman to give her some examples and then said that she thought the examples the woman gave were not racist. The woman then asked about the use of the n-word. Schlessinger said "black guys use it all the time. Turn on HBO, listen to a black comic, and all you hear is n---, n----, n----." The talk show host went on to use the word at least three more times during the call. Schlessinger and the caller began bickering back and forth toward the end of the call, and the caller said she was upset that the talk show host had used the word. Schlessinger suggested that the caller was hypersensitive. "If you're that hypersensitive about color and don't have a sense of humor, don't marry out of your race," the talk show host said. iReporter: "Dr. Laura, thanks for opening the debate" The Rev. Al Sharpton decried the incident during an interview with "AC 360" on Thursday. "That is despicable," Sharpton said about Schlessinger's comment about the caller marrying outside of her race. "She said the word over and over, and in a very animated way, I might add, but that she actually, if you listen carefully to the logic of what she was saying was that the n-word was not offensive." | Talk show host says using the word was wrong .
During the show, Dr. Laura Schlessinger says the N-word several times .
Al Sharpton calls her statements despicable . |
229,285 | b4dff3515b5a0adaa5de44707dc7ebe3512224d1 | As the political situation in Thailand worsens with deaths on Bangkok's streets this week, CNN takes a look at the root causes of the protests, and what the latest developments might mean for the country's political future. Who is protesting and why? Unlike the 2010 protests, which saw red-shirted supporters of ousted Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra turn out in force, this time around it is opponents of his younger sister Yingluck Shinawatra's government who are protesting in the capital. As with previous protests, the country is largely divided between a younger, educated urban middle-class and a conservative class of poor rural voters, largely from the north of the country. It is the former group who have taken to the streets and are currently battling the police after months of deepening political division. The protestors, led by Suthep Thaugsuban -- a deputy prime minister in the previous Abhisit Vejjajiva-led government -- rejected YIngluck's poll in early February and are calling for the creation of an unelected "people's council" headed by a premier appointed by Thailand's king. What triggered the current crisis? Yingluck's prime ministership was largely stable until her party attempted to pass a controversial amnesty bill in November. The bill would have nullified former Prime Minister Thaksin's corruption conviction and would have allowed him to return to the country. The policeman-turned-tycoon has been living in exile in a number of different locations, most recently Dubai, since he was removed in a bloodless coup in 2006. He briefly returned to Thailand in 2008. Later that year, he was convicted by a Thai court of corruption and sentenced in absentia to two years in prison over a controversial land deal. Courts have also frozen billions of dollars of his assets, but he is believed to still have a great deal of money held elsewhere. What is Thaksin's role in the current crisis? While he technically plays no part in the current political situation, the deeply-divisive Thaksin is never far from the heart of Thai politics, communicating with supporters via social media and video messages. With his younger sister in power since 2011, his influence remains strong. Critics say Yingluck is Thaksin's proxy but she insists she has always been independent. The current protests were sparked by attempts by her government to enact the amnesty law that opponents said was designed to protect him and others, facilitating his return to the country -- and ultimately, to an active role in Thai politics. Why are Thai protests in the news so often? The country has had a restive history since the dissolution of its absolute monarchy in 1932. There have been a dozen military coups d'etat over the years, most notably in 1947, and again in the 1970s, which led to the creation of a new constitution. The most recent military coup was in 2006, which led to the ouster of Thaksin. Civilian rule was restored with a Thaksin-linked civilian government in charge but protests in 2008 -- including the blockade of the capital's airports -- eventually led to the creation of a coalition government. 2009-10 saw pro-Thaksin supporters, known as the red shirts, take to the streets and demand fresh elections, eventually leading to Yingluck's election -- which brings us to the current situation. What impact did the February 2 election have? Under pressure, Yingluck dissolved parliament and called for new elections at the beginning of February. These were disrupted by protestors, particularly in the capital and in the south of the country. Ahead of the elections, Suthep -- the leader of the protests -- urged his supporters to boycott the poll and recently petitioned the Constitutional Court to annul the election. They were not successful and while the results are still in doubt, the country is being ruled by an interim government headed by Yingluck, but one that lacks absolute authority. What role is the Thai king playing in all this? Despite the turbulent nature of Thailand's democratic political scene the country is home to the world's longest-serving monarch. Bhumibol Adulyadej, aged 86, is universally revered in Thailand but prefers to remain ostensibly neutral in matters of government, although he called for national unity in his birthday speech in December. What caused the latest flare-up? After a period of relative calm -- and a feeling that appetite for the protests was dying down -- trouble has flared up again this week as police in the capital tried to reclaim official government sites occupied by protestors. Reacting to the attempted eviction, around 6,000 demonstrators were estimated to be on the streets of the city Tuesday. An outbreak of violence that day saw five people -- including at least two protestors and a police office -- killed in central Bangkok. Following police action in which tear gas was fired in an attempt to disperse crowds of demonstrators in the streets, people among the protesters began firing guns at police, who responded with both rubber bullets and live fire. 15,000 police are said to have been mobilized in the latest operations. Seventy-three people -- both police officers and opposition supporters -- have been wounded in recent clashes. Will the military step in? Up until now the military has resisted calls from the protestors to intervene on their behalf, and it seems that its current leadership lacks the appetite for regime change. However, the country's army chief, General Prayuth Chan-ocha, has not ruled out the possibility that the military will intervene if violence on the streets of Bangkok worsens. What's the story with the rice-pledging scheme? The political crisis took on a new twist when a subsidy program that benefited rice farmers -- part of Yingluck's base -- was decried as corrupt by opposition leaders. The scheme was a centerpiece of Yingluck's election platform and has been beset with payment problems. Yingluck criticized her opponents for politicizing the issue, but this week the country's National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) announced their decision to charge her with "dereliction of duty," which could have serious implications for her retention of the premiership. She is expected to answer the charge on February 27, according to the Bangkok Post. Is Thailand safe? In the run-up to the elections several countries issued travel advisories for tourists and in the wake of this week's fatalities it is likely that these precautions will be used more frequently. Reports of office closures in Bangkok on Tuesday and Wednesday have been received by CNN as the situation on the ground escalates. | Escalating violence in Bangkok as five confirmed dead on Tuesday .
Disputed election at beginning of February did little to pacify opposition .
Military refuses to rule out intervention in face of worsening violence .
Embattled interim PM Yingluck Shinawatra to be investigated over rice subsidies . |
55,880 | 9e632739efae8bf7543aef22527cc158ad53130b | By . Daily Mail Reporter . A Florida teen is fighting for her life after she was stabbed multiple times by a registered sex offender during a police chase. Ashley Lyon, 16, from Valrico, went missing Friday, with her parents believing she was lured away by 41-year-old Steven Patrick Myers, who has twice been convicted of child molestation. The pair were spotted at the Tiger Truck Stop near Grosse Tete, Louisiana, at about midnight Wednesday by a patron who recognized them from an Amber Alert. Critical: Ashley Lyon, 16, right, from Valrico, went missing Friday, with her parents believing she was lured away by 41-year-old Steven Patrick Myers, left, who has twice been convicted of child molestation . The patron called the Iberville Sheriff's deputies who arrived to find Lyon and Myers in a Chevy 3500 flatbed pickup truck. When Myers, who was driving, spotted the deputies he fled in the truck and a high speed chase ensued that stretched more than 40 miles to Lafayette, authorities said. Myers rammed four other cars during the chase, in what appeared to be an attempt to create roadblocks behind him. According to the Tampa Bay Times, stop sticks eventually deflated his tires, however the criminal continued driving until his tires wore down to the rims. Tragic: Lyon, pictured left and right, was found inside the truck with multiple stab wounds and was rushed to a Lafayette hospital . When he finally came to a stop, he got out of the truck with a knife in his hand and started yelling at deputies to shoot him, deputies said. At some point he stabbed himself. A police dog was then set on him and he was arrested. Myers was treated for two self-inflicted stab wounds and bites from the police dog. Lyon was found inside the truck with multiple stab wounds and was rushed to a Lafayette hospital. She was listed in critical condition early Thursday. 'We don't have anything new,' Ashley's uncle Todd Lyon told the newspaper from her parents' home. 'When we get more information and we know Ashley's safe, that will be the time to communicate.' Earlier this week, the teen's family revealed that she had exchanged thousands of text messages with Myers prior to her disappearance. | Ashley Lyon, 16, from Valrico, Florida, went missing Friday .
Her parents believing she was lured away by 41-year-old Steven Patrick Myers, who has twice been convicted of child molestation .
The pair were spotted at the Tiger Truck Stop near Grosse Tete, Louisiana, at about midnight Wednesday .
A patron recognized them from an Amber Alert and called police .
When Myers, who was driving, spotted deputies he fled in the truck and a high speed chase ensued that stretched more than 40 miles to Lafayette .
Finally, he was brought to a stop .
Lyon was found inside the truck with multiple stab wounds and was rushed to a Lafayette hospital .
A police dog was set on Myers and he was arrested . |
226,950 | b1dffbf5cb1565b76e49dfd53c3c6e80779ec06e | By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 10:04 EST, 16 February 2014 . | . UPDATED: . 12:25 EST, 16 February 2014 . Cressida Bonas has been spotted buying a Marks & Spencer meal for two for a romantic Valentine's night in for her and Prince Harry . Cressida Bonas has been spotted buying a Marks & Spencers meal for two for a romantic Valentine's night in for her and Prince Harry. The dance graduate is said to have picked up the bargain meal from the Dine in For Two for £20 range on Friday night before apparently heading back to Kensington Palace. It is not the first time the pair have enjoyed a low key date. They have recently been spotted at high street burger chain Byron and were also seen at the Cirque du Soleil production of Quidam at the Royal Albert Hall. The Sun on Sunday reports that Miss Bonas, 24, went largely unnoticed as she visited the food hall, wearing a dark blue coat, jeans and her long hair loose. Earlier that day Princes William and Harry had joined the flood relief effort by helping soldiers to lay sandbags in Datchet. The . brothers secretly joined members of Harry's Household Cavalry regiment . to shore up the defences just a stone's throw from the Queen's . residence, Windsor Castle. Their . trip to the front line of the crisis is reportedly the second . intervention into the flooding crisis by the Royal Family, after the . monarch apparently criticised the Government's response to the disaster. Scroll down for video . Earlier that day Princes William and Harry had joined the flood relief effort by helping soldiers to lay sandbags in Datchet . The brothers secretly joined members of Harry's Household Cavalry regiment to shore up the defences just a stone's throw from the Queen's residence, Windsor Castle . According to sources, William and . Harry had been keen to play a part for some days but did not want to . publicise their presence for fear of distracting from the crisis facing . householders. Earlier today Prince Harry appeared at a special track day for veterans, and met Battle of Britain RAF pilots, Spitfire pilot instructors and viewed a Spitfire in the hangar at Boultbee Flight Academy at Goodwood. He has created a scholarship to get wounded veterans behind the wheel of an iconic Spitfire. The . scheme, inspired by Second World War pilot Douglas Bader, will see the . strongest candidates move up from a Tiger Mother biplane, to a Harvard, . to the bespoke craft. Earlier today Prince Harry appeared at a special track day for veterans, and met Battle of Britain RAF pilots, Spitfire pilot instructors and viewed a Spitfire in the hangar at Boultbee Flight Academy at Goodwood . It is the latest project launched under his . charity, the Endeavour Fund, set up in 2011 with the Duke and Duchess . of Cambridge to ensure that wounded, injured and sick servicemen and . women have the chance to rediscover themselves through physical . challenges. On Thursday Ms Bonas attended the funeral of her stepfather Christopher Shaw. Prince Harry’s girlfriend attended the late ex-husband of her mother Lady Mary Gaye Curzon, who died last month, in Hampshire. | Picked up budget meal from the Dine in For Two for £20 range on Friday .
Reportedly went largely unnoticed as she wore hair down and long coat .
Prince Harry had earlier helped with flood relief efforts with brother William . |
1,848 | 0554d66c1f08e118eb0bdaff44bb813d2c93a446 | (CNN) -- Paris is perpetually one of the world's most popular cities. And the 16 million tourists who travel to the home of La Tour Eiffel and the Louvre leave a whopping $17.8 billion behind during their trips, according to MasterCard's 2012 Global Destination Cities Index. While Paris isn't generally a place you go to save money, it can be done. Even in this pricey place, the clever traveler can track down activities, services and just plain pleasures that don't cost a single centime. Here's a list of 10 fabulous and free finds in the City of Light. Tour the city for free. Spend an hour or 90 minutes strolling city streets on free tours -- except for the voluntary tips you give -- with Parisian natives through Discover Walks. Held 363 days a year -- each day except December 24 and 25 -- these rain-or-shine, small-group tours show you the Right and Left Bank, Notre Dame, the hip-and-trendy Marais and the picturesque city village of Montmartre. Just show up ready to walk. You don't even have to book in advance unless you're bringing a group of eight or more. Soak up the organ sounds at Saint-Sulpice. Here's a favorite of "Europe Through the Back Door" travel guru and public television series host Rick Steves. The Left Bank church of Saint-Sulpice -- which gained fame thanks to its prominent role as a location in "The Da Vinci Code" -- has a pipe organ tradition dating back to the mid-16th century. Visitors can climb up a spiral staircase to the organ loft to meet multilingual virtuoso Daniel Roth after the 10:30 a.m. Sunday Mass and subsequent organ recital. Guests can watch this living legend play one of Europe's most majestic pipe organs during the 12:05 p.m. Mass. Amazing grace, indeed. Drink up -- at a sparkling water fountain. Leave it to Paris to create a public water tap -- inside a lovely park, no less -- with the bubbly stuff. For the past couple years, the Jardin de Reuilly in the city's southeast 12th arrondissement has been serving up cooled sparkling water to quench Parisian thirsts (available any time the park is open). The park's La Pétillante public fountain was the first in France to add carbon dioxide to the city's tap water, and locals lapped it up by bringing their own bottles to fill. You'd expect no less in the country that gave the world Perrier. On a clear day you can see ... Sure, you can climb to the top of the Arc de Triomphe or Eiffel Tower, but some of the City of Light's most stunning -- and free! -- views can be found from the roof terrace of the Left Bank's Institut du Monde Arabe. An über-modern, curved-façade facility designed by famed French architect Jean Nouvel, the Institut was founded by 18 Arab nations and France to take a multidisciplinary look at the Islamic Arab world. It allows visitors, whether or not they're visiting the Institut's recently revamped museum, library or bookshops, to take its glass elevator up to the ninth floor terrace. From here, gaze out at Notre Dame, the Centre Pompidou or the landmark column standing in Place de la Bastille. Under 26? Catch up on contemporary French art at MAC/VAL -- the Musée d'Art Contemporain du Val de Marne. Who says youth is wasted on the young? Not if they're lovers of contemporary art and artists like Christian Boltanski, Bruno Perramant and Gina Pane. Here, out in the 'burb of Vitry-sur-Seine, MAC/VAL offers visitors a range of French modern art from the 1950s through today. And if these visitors are under 26, they get to experience it all gratis (flash an ID to borrow a free audio guide). From established talent to emerging artists, you'll find them at MAC/VAL, which hosts three to four temporary exhibits each year. Look for the loos. Most folks don't get particularly psyched about toilets. But when they're the space-age, self-cleaning, pod-like gray structures dotting the Parisian streetscape, you just might. You'll find 400 of these disabled-accessible bathrooms scattered all around Paris (they're open between 6 a.m. and 10 p.m.) near major tourist spots, food markets and taxi stands. Each time a visitor uses these "sanisettes," the toilet bowl and floor are automatically cleaned, dried and disinfected -- and they contain coat hooks, a mirror and sink. And with natural roof lighting, reduced water use and renewable-source electricity, they're eco-friendly to boot. Mother Nature must be thrilled. Life's a beach (during the summer, at least). So what if the Seine River that snakes through Paris has no beach? This city is nothing if not inventive -- so Mayor Bertrand Delanoë spearheaded the creation of Paris Plages, man-made "beaches" that offer locals and tourists alike a "Seine-side holiday" each summer. Starting around July 20 and for four weeks after, the city closes the streets along the river, brings in tons of sand and palm trees and offers a slew of entertaining options from beach volleyball to kayaking to open-air concerts on three different "beaches." Of course, this being France, riverside cafés, restaurants and ice cream vendors are de rigueur. You'll have to wait 'til next year to take advantage of the next installment, but what a Parisian way to spend those dog days of summer, from 8 a.m. to midnight. Make it a museum. Just like museums in most world-class cities, many of those within Paris open themselves to visitors free of charge one day a week. In the City of Light, that's the first Sunday of each month. Save those euros for a few café au laits or souvenirs and check out the Louvre, the Musée d'Orsay and the Musée National Rodin (hello, The Thinker!), among others. Some, like the Musée Carnavalet, offer free admission to their permanent and themed collections each day. For those seeking a free dose of nighttime culture -- and who visit Paris in mid-May -- Nuit des Musées is just the ticket. Nearly 200 city museums keep their doors open during this one night from 6 p.m. until at least midnight. See Paris through local eyes. There's nothing like traipsing through a city with a local resident by your side. The Parisien d'Un Jour, Paris Greeter program, pairs city visitors with regular residents -- students, working people, retirees and others. These folks aren't formal guides or interpreters, just passionate Parisians willing to spend two or three hours walking with groups of six or fewer tourists, showing off their favorite areas and spots based on your interests and language. Just go online to register. (Paris Greeters welcome visitors with disabilities, too.) Got questions about navigating the Métro or Parisian quirks? Ask away. And while the service is free, the program happily accepts donations. Savor free sounds on Sunday. As it has since the early 1930s, the American Church in Paris has hosted the Atelier Concert Series, which offers a performance venue to musicians of diverse backgrounds and musical styles. Staged at the legendary Left Bank church every Sunday at 5 p.m. from September to November and January through June, music lovers will hear everything from classical pianists to opera singers to flute-and-guitar ensembles. Feel like giving thanks? Drop something in the voluntary offering at the door. Maureen Jenkins is a freelance travel and food writer who lives outside Paris and blogs at UrbanTravelGirl.com. | Free programs pair tourists with locals to explore the city .
Take in views from the top of the Left Bank's Institut du Monde Arabe at no cost .
Free concerts and museum admission give visitors a complimentary taste of culture . |
61,498 | aeaca37557eccd76635d712bdd2d66f0ab863c1c | A masterpiece by English artist Joseph Turner that has been in private hands for 136 years is to be sold at auction for an estimated £20million. The large-scale oil painting, titled 'Rome, from Mount Aventine', which captures a raised view of the Italian capital, was produced by the great landscape artist in 1835. The work is said to be 'beyond praise' and highlights Turner's 'genius'. 'Rome, from Mount Aventine' - the painting by Joseph Turner which is set to fetch £20million at auction at Sotheby's when it is sold for the first time in 136 years . It was sold for the first and only time for £6,000 in 1878, when it was acquired by the 5th Earl of Rosebery, Archibald Primrose, who later became Prime Minister. The immaculately-preserved picture has remained in the Rosebery collection ever since. It has been loaned out to various museums over the last 40 years - most recently the National Gallery of Scotland - and a spokesman for the Rosebery family explained they are selling it now to fund the maintenance of their estates. Alex Bell, joint international head and co-chairman of old master paintings at auctioneers Sotheby's, said: 'There are fewer than 10 major Turners in private hands known today and this work must rank as one of the very finest. Previous owners: Turner (left, depicted in a self portrait) did the painting for Hugh Munro of Novar, and it was sold to the 5th Earl of Rosebery (right) after the patron died . Acting up: Timothy Spall as JMW Turner in the 2014 film Mr Turner - which is about the artist's life and is due for release next month . 'This painting, which is nearly 200 years old, looks today as if it has come straight from the easel of the artist; never relined and never subject to restoration, the picture retains the freshness of the moment it was painted. 'The hairs from Turner's brush, the drips of liquid paint which have run down the edge of the canvas, and every scrape of his palette knife have been preserved in incredible detail. '"Rome, from Mount Aventine" comes to sale at the same time as the ground-breaking exhibition of "Late Turner" at the Tate, which will further enhance our understanding of the artist's genius. 'Its emergence on the market represents a rare and exciting opportunity for collectors.' Modern Rome - Campo Vaccino (left), sold for £29.7million in 2010 and The Temple of Jupiter Panellenius Restored (right), sold for £9million in 2009, both at Sotheby's . The painting used to hang alongside its sister painting, 'Modern Rome - Campo Vaccino', in the Roseberys' homes - in London and then in Buckinghamshire. That picture was sold in 2010 - for a record fee for a Turner of almost £30million - also at Sotheby's. 'Rome, from Mount Aventine' was commissioned by Turner’s patron Hugh Munro of Novar in 1828, and took seven years and many visits to Rome to complete. He kept the painting in his home until his death, whereupon it was sold on to the Earl of Rosebery. The 36ins by 49ins oil painting, still in its original frame, is being sold by Sotheby's in London on December 3. Joseph Mallord William Turner was born in Covent Garden, London in 1775, the son of William Turner, a barber and wig maker, and Mary Marshall, who came from a family of butchers. He was a Romantic landscape painter, water-colourist and printmaker, but was most famous for his oil paintings. Although controversial in his time, he is known as 'the painter of light' and is now widely regarded as one of the greatest artists in British history. His first known venture into art came when he was just 10 years old, after he had been sent to live with his uncle, Joseph Marshall, in Brentford. By the age of 11, his paintings were already being sold in his father's shop. The Blue Rigi, painted by Turner between 1841-2, shoes his love of painting natural scenes including figures made to look very small by their surroundings . He was accepted into the Royal Academy of Art at 15, and his first watercolour - A View of the Archbishop's Palace, Lambeth - was shown at the summer exhibition in 1790, when he was the same age. He painted a lot of shipwrecks, fires and natural phenomena, as they were suited to his bold style and his ability to capture the essence and energy of nature. He put a humans in his paintings to highlight their vulnerability when put next to nature's enormity. What was perhaps most important in all of his painting though, was light, which to Turner represented God and his power. Turner's unique technique used watercolour style with oil paints and usually strong, albeit natural colours. He painted a lot of traditionally English landscapes, but also travelled around Europe a lot, a drew subjects from there too. Some of his most famous paintings include Fisherman at Sea, Crossing the Brook, and Rain, Steam and Speed - The Great British Railway. The Turner prize, which is named after him, is presented to a British artist under the age of 50 every year. It is Britain's most prominent art prize and often has extremely controversial winners, such as Tracey Emin's 'My Bed'. Meanwhile, a major new Turner exhibition is opening at Tate Britain on Wednesday. The exhibition will feature his flourishing and experimental later years - when critics were suggesting that the painter was losing his mind. Late Turner: Painting Set Free showcases work from the final 15 years of Turner's life, from the age of 60 until a year before his death in 1851. A woman admires the works of art in a new exhibition at the Tate Britain gallery in London entitled 'Late Turner - Painting Set Free' War: The Exile and the Rock Limpet, 1842 (left) and Burial at Sea, also 1942 (right) - two of the paintings being shown at the exhibition . Ancient Rome: Agrippina Landing with the Ashes of Germanicus, 1839 - another of the paintings on display at Tate Britain's exhibition showing Turner's later work . Light and Colour (Goethe's Theory) - the Morning after the Deluge - Moses Writing the Book of Genesis, 1842 (left) and Rain, Steam, and Speed - The Great Western Railway, 1844 (right) It brings together 180 works from the UK and abroad, as well objects such as palettes and even the spectacles which once belonged to the London-born barber's son. Many of the paintings show Turner developing a new understanding of light and colour, but at the same time the artist was being mocked and derided. There are oils, such as 'The Departure Of The Fleet', among the last painting he exhibited before he died aged 76. And watercolours including 'Bamborough Castle', which is on loan from a private collection and sold for almost £3million at auction in 2007. The exhibition features maritime scenes, themes from classical history, and Turner engaging with the new technology of the age, steam power. A woman views a painting by J.M.W. Turner entitled 'Dawn of Christianity' (right) at the exhibition, which will run until next January . Co-curator Sam Smiles said: 'Turner created the most startling pieces during this period but for whatever reason, a major exhibition on Turner's later years has not been done before. It's a missing exhibition. 'But it's a timely exhibition. With an ageing population, and attitudes to age altered, this exhibition speaks to our questions about later life, creatively who are we, what do we do and how do we cope with ageing? 'Turner was continuously innovating, staying sharp and experimental. He's a wonderfully good role model for somebody who is coping with older age and staying vital. 'He defies the peak and decline model which people associate with artists. In that, he's not unique. But he shows a spectacular engagement with contemporary society in a way that no other artist at the time was doing. 'At the time Turner had some loyal patrons and some relatively sympathetic critics but there was also vicious, venomous copy suggesting that he'd lost his mind and that he'd got worse as he got older, talking about his eccentricities.' Visitors to Tate Britain can also see a colour wheel installation made in response to Turner's work by Danish-born artist Olafur Eliasson, who famously created the illusion of a glowing sun at Tate Modern. | The large-scale oil painting, titled 'Rome, from Mount Aventine', was produced by the great in 1835 .
Was sold for the only time in 1878, when it was bought for £6,000 by the 5th Earl of Rosebery - a future Prime Minister .
Goes under the hammer at Sotheby's in London on December 3, and is still is excellent condition with original frame .
Late Turner: Painting Set Free exhibition, showcasing Turner's later work, opens at Tate Britain on Wednesday . |
147,756 | 4b10160b568a134bd8debdbdfe48cadcc4a82ea5 | Cairo, Egypt (CNN) -- Thousands of people who filled the streets of Cairo Tuesday hope their demonstrations against corruption and failing economic policies will cause upheaval in the government, like the similar protests in Tunisia that inspired them. But analysts caution that in Egypt, the protesters are up against a different set of challenges. Juan Cole, a Middle East historian at the University of Michigan and blogger, describes Tunisia as "a little bit unique." "There have been lots of civil wars. There's been lots of societies in turmoil. But this kind of phenomenon where you had crowds peacefully coming into the streets to demand a change in their own contract with their government -- in the Arab world proper, this is the first time it's happened and it's the first time since 1979 in the Middle East," Cole told CNN last week. He noted that Tunisia is the "most secular country in the Arab world." Its traditions have favored women's rights and its Islamist influence is negligible. Tunisia also lacked the oil resources of other Arab states and the ethnic divisions seen in other Middle Eastern countries, which make it harder for opposition movements to unite, he noted. Looking at the protests Tuesday in Cairo, Mamoun Fandy of the International Institute for Strategic Studies told CNN he was not seeing a "turning point or tipping point yet." Noting the strength of the army, he said, "The Egyptian system is too strong and too resilient." A key question that will show the potential strength of the demonstrations Tuesday is whether hardcore protesters will stay through the night, or whether the rallies will fizzle down, he said. Eric Trager, a Ph.D. candidate in political science at the University of Pennsylvania and a former Fulbright fellow in Egypt, wrote in The Atlantic, "Egypt's liberal activists overwhelmingly come from the wired generation of Twitter and Facebook, and this makes them optimistic that pro-democratic movements can go viral, even in a political environment as traditionally illiberal as the Middle East... Yet Egyptian activists face tremendous odds -- in particular, an entrenched dictatorship that is determined to discredit the very idea of domino-effect democratization." Time.com published a story Thursday from writer Abigail Hauslohner in Cairo headlined, "After Tunisia: Why Egypt Isn't Ready to Have Its Own Revolution." Some Egyptians "believe the time is now" for protests to bring about change like in Tunisia, and several people in Egypt have set themselves on fire or attempted to in recent days -- much like the self-immolation of a young unemployed man in Tunisia that sparked protests in that country, she writes. "But in Egypt, it doesn't go much deeper than that." A greater percentage of Egypt's population than Tunisia's lives below the poverty line, she writes. "The citizens of Egypt regularly complain of a neglectful regime that knows more about torture than it does about public service, and they're furious with a regime that seems to swallow any domestic profits before they can reach the lower classes. And yet no one predicts a revolutionary reset anytime soon." Two factors distinguish Egypt from Tunisia in this respect, Hauslohner writes: Tunisia's government spent generously on education, creating a frustrated educated but unemployed population. And in Egypt, "the military stands with" Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak. Time.com is a partner of CNN.com. Writing in Newsweek, journalist Mike Giglio suggested the "upcoming protest in Cairo could mark the beginning of another upheaval." "Tuesday will be the first real test of whether the revolution is contagious," he wrote in a story published Monday. Many protesters believe their demonstrations will prove to have far more power than naysayers suggest. A Facebook page that has served to help organize Tuesday's protests in Cairo says, "Many young Egyptians are now fed up with the inhuman treatment they face on a daily basis in streets, police stations and everywhere... Egyptians are aspiring to the day when Egypt has its freedom and dignity back, the day when the current 30 years long emergency martial law ends and when Egyptians can freely elect their true representatives." | Analysts: Egypt is a different story from Tunisia .
Analyst: Tunisia 'a little bit unique'
Time writer says Egypt "not ready" for revolution .
Protesters believe Cairo demonstrations can help trigger change . |
15,478 | 2c01fade274d8b1f23ce0380b6c0e55a91cee7bb | The ancestry.com website has been hit by a massive hacker attack taking it offline for two days. The firm was forced to take the Facebook to explain to problem to its users. Officials at the Provo, Utah-based company say hackers on Monday afternoon fooled the site into thinking there was an inordinate amount of traffic flooding it, which crashed its server. During the attack, Ancestry websites along with the Find A Grave website were clogged with massive amounts of bogus traffic that took the sites down . Hackers can use a network of 'zombie' computers to sabotage a specific Web site or server. The idea is pretty simple -- a cracker tells all the computers on his botnet to contact a specific server or Web site repeatedly. The sudden increase in traffic can cause the site to load very slowly for legitimate users. Sometimes the traffic is enough to shut the site down completely. 'Around 1:30 p.m. MT on Monday, June 16, 2014, attackers targeted Ancestry with a Distributed Denial of Service attack (DDoS),' wrote Scott Sorensen, chief technology officer for the site. 'During the attack, Ancestry websites along with the Find A Grave website were clogged with massive amounts of bogus traffic that took the sites down.' However, he said no data had been stolen. 'This attack overloaded our servers with massive amounts of traffic but did not impact or access the data within those servers. No data was impacted in any way.' The firm took to Facebook again today to admit that its services had still no recovered fully.'The Ancestry websites are still recovering from the DDoS attack. The Distributed Denial of Service attack (DDoS) attack saw the Ancestry websites along with the Find A Grave website were clogged with massive amounts of bogus traffic that took the sites down. 'Thank you for your patience as we work to restore them fully.' However, some users took to Twitter to complain. One blogger, however, pointed out the heated complaints were a little too serious. 'Good grief! Not being able to get to Ancestry for the day is a first world problem,' wrote Lorine McGiniss Schulze. Think about it! There are children starving in other parts of the world. Women are being stoned for marrying without their parents' approval. People are being shot for being Christians. 'Those are big deals. Not accessing Ancestry or FindAGrave for a day are small issues in the overall scheme of life.' | Site was hit my major attack which fooled servers into thinking they were experienced huge amount of traffic .
Firm forced to take to Facebook to reassure customers data had not been stolen . |
100,761 | 0dd307219678af0859819c5bcbe14dd40bcdef09 | A cyclist killed in a collision with a tipper lorry in central London was a French-born mother-of-two. Claire Hitier-Abadie, 36, died in an accident with a lorry at a busy junction in Victoria during yesterday morning's rush-hour. It was the fourth cyclist death in London so far this year, with lorries being involved in all of the incidents. Claire Hitier-Abadie, 36, pictured, died after her bicycle collided with a tipper lorry in Central London . Witnesses said that the lorry, pictured, began to move around the corner when it struck Mrs Hitier-Abadie . Mrs Hitier-Abadie worked in Grimsby for six years before returning to Paris in 2008. She moved from Paris to London last year with her husband Pierre, who works for Total Gas and Power at Canary Wharf in London's Docklands. A colleague of Mr Abadie wrote on Twitter last night: 'Absolutely devastated. My colleague's wife was killed while cycle commuting this morning, crushed by a lorry. 'The boss came over to tell us as we all work on an open floor. It's awful at work. Who does her husband hug and cry with?' The lorry had been driving along a one-way street close to Victoria tube station in south west London at 8am yesterday morning when it struck the woman on the inside lane at a set of traffic lights. Mrs Hitier-Abadie was found unresponsive at the scene on Victoria Street, which has been covered by a makeshift tent by officers, and she was pronounced dead on arrival. Witnesses described seeing the bicycle being crushed under the second set of wheels of the Gordon Plant Hire truck as it attempted to turn left at the junction. Another cyclist is said to have jumped in front of the lorry to stop it moving further, but Mrs Hitier-Abadie had already suffered fatal injuries. Carnel Jarca, a 42-year-old Big Issue seller, was stood opposite the crash when it happened. Mrs Hitier-Abadie was declared dead at the scene of the crash outside Victoria Station in London . Witnesses said the lorry's driver, who is in his 50s, looked 'devastated' following yesterday's incident . He said he saw the driver - a man he believes to be in his fifties - get out the truck wearing a hi vis jacket and looking 'devastated'. He said: 'I heard this horrible metal on metal sound and then I saw this other cyclist come in front of the lorry and wave at the driver. 'He had already stopped, but he stopped it moving any more. He had been sat at the red light and he had only just moved off. The corner is just too tight for a bike and a lorry together. 'The driver came out of the lorry and asked the cyclist what had happened. He looked under the lorry and just put his head in his hands. 'He looked totally devastated and astonished. He was in complete shock, I think he was horrified. 'He just went and sat at the side of the road with his head in his hands. There was nothing anyone could do. 'The other cyclist went to help as well but it was too late, she was under the wheels I think. The police, ambulance and fire brigade all turned up very quickly and started shutting off the road.' Des Dacosta, a maintenance engineer who approached the junction shortly after the accident, said: 'I could see the bike all mangled under the wheels. 'I didn't want to look at the cyclist because I could tell it was a really serious accident. 'I work around here a lot and it's a very busy junction, all day and all night, it is relentless. It's just tragic, another cyclist killed in London.' The incident happened at 8am yesterday as the lorry and Mrs Hitier-Abadie travelled down Bressenden Place (arrow shows direction of travel) but collided as they turned a corner onto Victoria Street (shown on map) Police confirmed that nobody has been arrested in connection with yesterday's tragedy . Metropolitan Police said the driver was stopped at the scene but no arrests have been made. The incident is being investigated by the Serious Collision Investigation Unit and officers are now appealing for witnesses. Roadworks at the site have been in place since May 2011 as Victoria station undergoes extensive improvement works, with the project due for completion in 2018. The crash is the fourth fatal incident to involve a cyclist in London so far this year and highlights the danger for those hoping to get around the capital on a bike. On January 20, 29-year-old Stephanie Turner, a physiotherapist, was killed in an accident with a lorry in Stamford Hill in north London. Then on February 2, music producer and sound engineer Akis Kollaros, 34, died after a collision with a lorry in Homerton in east London. This morning's fatal accident on Victoria Street is the fourth involving a cyclist in 2015. Stephanie Turner, 29, was killed in an accident with a lorry in Stamford Hill, north London on January 20. Almost a fortnight later, on February 2, music producer and sound engineer Akis Kollaros, 34, died in a collision with a lorry in Homerton, east London. Four days after his death, 26-year-old fashion designer Federica Baldassa was killed in London's Bloomsbury square following an accident with a lorry. The spate of deaths so far this year is already above the average number nationally - a normal January would see 9.8 cyclist deaths across the country. Nationwide there was 13 deaths in the first two weeks of 2015. The total London cyclist death figure for 2013 was 14. Four days later, 26-year-old fashion designer Federica Baldassa was killed after an accident with a lorry in London's Bloomsbury Square. AA president Edmund King said: 'Sadly, this tragic death bears all the hallmarks of the "typical" London cycle death - a female cyclist killed by a tipper truck turning left. 'These cases continue despite the AA's Think Bikes Campaign, the Metropolitan Police "changing places" initiative and other Transport for London and Department for London campaigns. 'We have distributed more than six million Think Bikes stickers to drivers to put on their side mirrors to remind them to think bikes but obviously much more needs to be done to stop this carnage.' The spate of deaths is already above the national average - a normal January would see an average of 9.8 cyclist deaths nationally. Cycle safety in London came to the fore in the autumn of 2013 when there were six cyclist deaths in the capital in just two weeks. But the total London cyclist death figure for 2013 was 14. Carnel Jarca, a Big Issue seller, who was stood opposite the crash when it happened, said: 'I just heard this big sound, a crash, the sound of crushed metal' Overall in 2013 nationally, there were 109 cyclist deaths, including six children, 3,143 serious injuries to cyclists and 16,186 slight injuries, making a total of 19,438 casualties, including 1,958 children. Figures from Transport for London last month showed that cycling in the capital is now at record levels, having grown by 10 per cent in the last year. Bicycles now make up 16 per cent of traffic in central London and 25 per cent at peak times on key routes. Police said the driver was stopped at the scene but no arrests have been made in relation to the incident. | Claire Hitier-Abadie, 36, died instantly following yesterday's tragic crash .
The mother-of-two was struck by a tipper lorry in Victoria, Central London .
Mrs Hitier-Abadie was the fourth cyclist to die in London in seven weeks .
Police are still appealing for witnesses to yesterday's fatal collision . |
236,282 | bdd625dc6db1d5fd88711ed90422240887a45d1c | (CNN) -- Italy's Valentino Rossi edged out Yamaha teammate and title rival Jorge Lorenzo to claim pole position for the French MotoGP at Le Mans. The top spot on the timesheets changed hands several times in an exciting qualifying session on Saturday, with defending champion Rossi setting the fastest time on the 28th of his 30 laps. Rossi lapped in one minute 33.408 seconds to edge championship leader Lorenzo by just 0.054 seconds. Spain's Dani Pedrosa claimed the third spot on the front row for Honda. Australian Casey Stoner also strongly challenged on his Ducati, but had to settle for fourth fastest, just ahead of teammate Nicky Hayden. Home rider Randy De Puniet and Andrea Dovizioso of Italy were sixth and seventh fastest. Colin Edwards of the United States, Suzuki's Loris Capirossi were eighth and ninth best with Aleix Espargaro completing the top ten with his last lap. Rossi, who has won three times at Le Mans, trails Lorenzo by four points in this year's title race after both have secured wins in the opening two races of the season. The 31-year-old has been troubled by a shoulder injury after a motocross accident in April and admitted it was still a problem. "I am still worried about my shoulder because after 10 or 15 laps today I started to lose power, but I hope adrenalin will take over in the race and that I will be able to stay fast right to the end," he told the official MotoGP Web site. Lorenzo is hoping to double up after winning at Le Mans last year. "I need to try to get a good start tomorrow and be stronger during the first few laps, then I think I can fight for victory," he said. | Valentino Rossi on pole for the French MotoGP at Le Mans .
Rossi edges Yamaha teammate Jorge Lorenzo in final qualifying .
Dani Pedrosa third on the grid in his 150th MotoGP race .
Lorenzo leads Rossi by four points in the title race after two rounds . |
184,441 | 7ae24b1ec9f4f54d9b45d6d058ceb08edb718d5a | LONDON, England (CNN) -- A U.S. company is offering a rare chance to holiday on a mega-yacht once used by a Hollywood star and her husband -- and thanks to the recession it's actually affordable. The 100-foot Katania normally would attract an additional $49,500 charter fee for a week's use. The 100-foot Katania was chartered by Hollywood star Hilary Swank and her husband, Chad Lowe. Seattle, Washington-based mega-yacht rental business CEO Expeditions usually charges around $100,000 a week to charter their 100-plus-foot yachts, but they have introduced a deal waiving the charter fees -- meaning guests will only need to pay for the running of the vessel. The move to make such vessels more affordable comes as the recession continues to put pressure on the luxury holiday and mega-yacht industries. Although the costs of crew and luxury food aren't extremely cheap, it is expected this move will open up the recession-strained market to many more potential holiday-makers. The Katania now costs less than $3,000 per day. Normally it would attract an additional $49,500 charter fee for a week's use. At the $2,950-per-day special rate, four people can stay on the Katania -- but with the maximum six on board ($450 extra per person) the cost per person is a slightly better $642. The price includes full crew, premium wines, gourmet food prepared by a private chef, amenities such as kayaks, hot tub, fishing/crabbing/shrimping equipment, and even a 30-foot whaler for guest use. According to the company, Swank said of her charter holiday: "We had an absolutely enchanted time aboard the Katania. A more beautiful yacht does not exist." There is one small catch with the deal -- the boat is based in the San Juan islands off the coast of Washington and British Columbia, and any cruises to other destinations will attract an additional charge to cover fuel costs. The company's owner, Bruce Milne, released a statement saying the deal was largely a result of the impact of the recession. "Travel is down, agents and brokers need deals, so rather than just a few full-price charters, we decided to stay busy, put more people to work, and help island tourism by doing charters at cost. "Since we started chartering 10 years ago, we have been looking for a chance to provide our 'Expeditions to the Extraordinary' in the San Juan Islands at a price any luxury traveler can afford -- this recession provides that opportunity," he said. Tim Wiltshire, director and sales broker at international yacht company Burgess Yachts, said the charter market isn't a complete disaster, so he was surprised to see such a discount. "I wouldn't have expected to see that," he said. "We are seeing discounts on average of about 25 percent. Although some people are trying interesting gimmicks to inspire new business." Wiltshire said CEO Expedition's fleet isn't among the biggest or most luxurious on the market, and this deal appears to be clever marketing stunt. His opinion is that other larger vessels still warrant their greater price tags. | U.S. mega-yacht charter company waives massive $50,000 charter fees .
The impact of the recession is reason given for the discounted deal .
A yacht chartered by Hilary Swank can now be rented for less than $3,000 a day . |
32,141 | 5b7b3412d83e837b2f3fa4dfacffaf448d0fa957 | By . Daily Mail Reporter and Associated Press Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 17:38 EST, 18 November 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 18:03 EST, 18 November 2013 . Caroline Kennedy started her new role as U.S. ambassador to Japan on Monday and began with a visit to the Japanese Foreign Ministry for her first official meetings with diplomats. Kennedy arrived in Tokyo on Friday to take up the position bringing one important strength: She has the ear of the American president. 'I bring greetings from President Obama,' she said in a short statement after getting off the plane with her husband Edwin Schlossberg at Narita airport on Friday. Newly appointed U.S. ambassador to Japan, Caroline Kennedy, shakes hands with Akitaka Saiki, Japan's Vice Minister for Foreign Affairs, at the Foreign Ministry in Tokyo on Monday . Japan hopes the 55-year-old daughter of late President John F. Kennedy will work closely with Barack Obama to tackle some urgent U.S.-Japan matters, analysts said. Her close ties to Obama come from playing a pivotal role during the Democratic presidential primaries in 2008 by endorsing him when Hillary Clinton was the lead candidate. 'What's important here is her strong pipeline with Obama and an ability to be able to pick up the phone and speak with Obama directly in the middle of the night for consultation on urgent matters,' said Ryuichi Teshima, professor of diplomacy at Keio University in Tokyo. As the first woman to serve as U.S. ambassador to Japan, Kennedy may also be a role model in a country that traditionally has restricted the role of women, said Toshihiro Nakayama, professor of international politics at Aoyama Gakuin University. Caroline Kennedy was warmly welcomed on her arrival at the Narita International Airport in Tokyo on Friday . John F Kennedy's grandson John 'Jack' Schlossberg, left, with his mother Caroline Kennedy as she is sworn in as U.S. Ambassador to Japan with her husband Dr Edwin Schlossberg and Secretary of State John Kerry . 'I am also proud to carry forward my father's legacy of public service,' Kennedy said. 'He had hoped to be the first U.S. president to visit Japan. So it is a special honor for me to be able to work to strengthen the close ties between our two great countries.' U.S.-Japan relations are generally on an even keel, but Obama and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe are not as close as some would like. 'The chemistry is off, possibly because Obama does not support the right-wing views Abe holds,' Teshima said. Major bilateral issues include the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade talks, the relocation of a U.S. military base on Okinawa and a revamp of defense cooperation guidelines between the two countries. In Washington, State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said the warm welcome Kennedy received on arrival in Tokyo 'is a wonderful display of the strong relationship between the United States and Japan.' Caroline Kennedy is escorted by Japan's Vice Foreign Minister Akitaka Saiki prior to their meeting at the Foreign Ministry in Tokyo on Monday . Tradition: Caroline Kennedy says she is looking forward to learning more about Japanese culture . Asked about Kennedy's lack of diplomatic experience, Psaki told reporters: 'I think she's displayed her commitment to working closely with Japan and working through all of the issues that we work together on. 'And she comes from a long line of public service. And we have no doubt she'll do an incredible job on the ground there.' U.S. ambassadors to Japan can be grouped into three categories, Nakayama said. They are big political names, Japan experts and those with close ties to the president. Former U.S. Vice President Walter Mondale and former Senator Mike Mansfield fall into the first type. Edwin Reischauer, President Kennedy's envoy, would be the second. Nakayama puts Caroline Kennedy, an attorney and author, in the third group, along with her predecessor, John Roos, a Silicon Valley lawyer and Obama fundraiser, and Tom Schieffer, who was George W. Bush's business partner in the Texas Rangers baseball team. Kennedy is the first woman to serve in the post. | Caroline Kennedy spent her first day as U.S. ambassador to Japan having official meetings at the Japanese Foreign Ministry .
She had arrived in Tokyo on Friday and brings one key strength - she has the ear of the president . |
120,450 | 27a88737a65737a1693d8f92ea92e25e076c1a11 | (CNN) -- In anticipation of what mini monarch-to-be Prince George of Cambridge will wear in the spotlight, the Museum of London is displaying baby clothes and booties of former royal babies as part of a new exhibit. The small display, titled "A Royal Arrival," is free to visitors until October 2013. Click through the gallery above for a sneak peek into the exhibit. See complete coverage of the royal baby . | The Museum of London displays clothing worn by members of the royal family .
A curator says memorabilia links the royal baby to more than 400 years of history .
Royal garb is on display from King Charles I, George III and Edward VII .
Follow CNN Living on Facebook and Twitter . |
219,489 | a81a54fd97d207cf17b22c917d927390ba7dce74 | Louis van Gaal made James Wilson change his shirt number because the Manchester United manager believes a striker should have a nine on his back. Wilson sported the No 49 shirt when he came on as a second-half substitute for Juan Mata during United's 1-1 draw against Chelsea at Old Trafford on Sunday. The 18-year-old wore No 47 during his Premier League debut last year against Hull City, and the youngster explains that Van Gaal intervened to make the change. Louis van Gaal made striker James Wilson (pictured) change his shirt number for this season to No 49 . Wilson, pictured wearing No 47 during his Premier League debut against Hull last year, wore No 49 on Sunday . Van Gaal made him change numbers because the manager believes a striker should have a nine on his back . 2010-11: Ravel Morrison . 2012-13: Frederic Veseli . 2014-15: James Wilson . ‘As I’m a striker, the gaffer wanted me to have a nine in my number, and 49 was the closest,' he told MUTV. The idea clearly doesn't extend to Robin van Persie, however, who wears No 20. No 19 is free. Wilson rose through the ranks at United and Sunday was the teenager's third appearance in the Premier League, having scored twice against Hull last season. In October against Everton, Wilson became the 30th player used by Van Gaal this season - more than any other team as the Dutchman feels his way around his new squad. The No 47 slot remains vacant at Old Trafford. Previous owners of the No 49 shirt are Ravel Morrison and Frederic Veseli, but neither played in the Premier League for the Red Devils. Wilson, pictured last season, scores against Hull City on his Premier League debut for United at Old Trafford . Previous owners of the No 49 shirt at Old Trafford are Ravel Morrison (pictured) and Frederic VeselI . | James Wilson came on as a substitute for Man Utd against Chelsea .
Man Utd drew 1-1 after a last-minute equaliser from Robin van Persie .
Manchester United striker wore No 49 instead of last season's No 47 .
Louis van Gaal believes a striker should 'have a nine in (his) number' |
171,805 | 6a5a4b2a26a64780e6088cc7bf0baf0e85b88f3b | Supersonic skydiver Felix Baumgartner has been found guilty of punching a Greek lorry driver in the face in a road rage incident in his home town of Salzburg, Austria two years ago. Baumgartner, who last month broke the world record altitude for a parachute jump in the Red Bull Stratos project, had appealed against the conviction for assault but a three-judge appeals panel today upheld the verdict. Baumgartner, 43, was fined 1,500 euros but escaped jail for the assault on September 30, 2010. Convicted: World record sky diver Felix Baumgartner was found guilty of assaulting a Greek lorry driver in his home town of Salzburg, Austria two years ago in an appeal hearing held today . Record breaker: Just last month, Baumgartner, 43, set a new record for the highest parachute jump when he fell from a height of 24 miles at a speed of 834mph . The victim, named only as Dimitrios P, 38, for legal reasons, told Austrian media that the punch came 'out of the blue' and left 'blood everywhere'. He said: 'I was waiting at a roundabout and there were about four cars in front of me. He didn't want to wait and overtook us all and then of course got wedged on the roundabout. 'The other driver that was involved was his photographer - and he felt that he could also do the same and followed Mr Baumgartner, at which point I decided to have a work with the photographer. 'Mr Baumgartner decided that it was his job to get involved and he tried to claim I had attacked him and it was self-defence, but this is madness. 'There were two of them. The reality is that he punched me full in the face with his fist and left me with a cut. Falling to earth: Baumgartner, seen here during his record jump, punched the Greek lorry driver in the face following an argument, leaving 'blood everywhere' Flashpoint: The assault happened when Baumgartner overtook the lorry, which was queuing at a roundabout . 'There was blood everywhere. I never tried to conceal anything at the court - I admitted that I had tried to kick him but it was only in retaliation. 'He was just acting the tough guy and showing off and making himself the hero, but he isn't a hero at all.' He added that he was glad people could see what Mr Baumgartner, a former boxer, was really like. Dimitrios said that after hitting him, Mr Baumgartner returned to his car and drove off. In the original trial the court chose to believe the version of events put forward by the Greek man rather than that of Baumgartner and the German photographer. Charged: Baumgartner, who didn't attend the appeal hearing because he is on a speaking tour, was fined 1,500 euros but escaped a jail term . Baumgartner was not present during today's court hearing as he is currently on a tour talking about his adventures. On October 24, he jumped from a helium balloon at an altitude of 39km (24 miles), reaching an estimated speed of 1,342km/h (834mph) and breaking the sound barrier during his descent, the first person to do so. In the process, he established new records for the highest manned balloon flight, the parachute jump from the highest altitude and the greatest free fall velocity. | Baumgartner, 43, fined 1,500 euros by judges in appeal hearing, but escapes jail term .
Record-breaking sky diver punches a Greek lorry driver in the face in his home city of Salzburg in September 2010, leaving 'blood everywhere'
Baumgartner was not in court, as he is currently on a speaking tour about his parachute jump from the edge of space last month . |
188,651 | 805552d53cb05a33b1926b4557428b4c83e15eb9 | Milk, cheese, butter, cream - in fact all saturated fats - are bad for you. Or so I believed ever since my days as a medical student nearly 30 years ago. During that time I assured friends and family that saturated fat would clog their arteries as surely as lard down a drain. So, too, would it make them pile on the pounds. Recently, however, I have been forced to do a U-turn. It is time to apologise for all that useless advice I've been dishing out about fat. Scroll down for video . Go ahead: New studies have found that saturated fats, found in butter, don't cause heart disease . New studies have not only failed to find a convincing link between saturated fat and heart disease, they have shattered other long-held anti-fat beliefs, too. We now have compelling evidence that low-fat diets rarely work and that eating the right kind of fat is not only good for your heart but may also help you lose weight. So why the sudden change? And what is making us fat? The roots of our current confusion lie in a paper by an American scientist called Ancel Keys in 1953. It covered the increasingly common problem of clogged arteries. Keys included a simple graph comparing fat consumption and deaths from heart disease in men from six different countries. Americans, who ate a lot of fat, were far more likely to have a heart attack than the Japanese, who ate little fat. Case solved. Or was it? Other scientists began wondering why Keys chose to focus on just six countries when he had access to data for 22. If places like France and Germany were included the link between heart disease and fat consumption became much weaker. These were, after all, countries with high fat consumption, but relatively modest rates of heart disease. Change of diet: Dr Mosley now eats more oily fish, Greek yoghurt and eggs . In fact, as a renowned British scientist called John Yudkin pointed out, there was actually a much stronger link between sugar consumption and heart disease. Professor Yudkin argued that sugar was behind the rise in heart disease ravaging the West. He also pointed to another dangerous trend emerging in Fifties Britain: the close relationship between the number of televisions being bought and fatal heart attacks. Buying a TV in the Fifties was a sign that you were affluent, but it also meant you'd spend a lot more time sitting down. This research was among the first to highlight the dangers of a sedentary lifestyle. But Yudkin's warnings about sugar were denounced by a fellow scientist as 'nothing more than scientific fraud'. He was, as one of his colleagues colourfully put it, 'thrown under a bus'. Meanwhile, the war on fat gradually gained momentum, to the extent that by the time I reached medical school in the Eighties, there was no mention of Yudkin's findings. People were cutting down on dairy products and switching to sugary carbohydrates and vegetable oils. This, it turns out, was a mistake. To turn vegetable oil into margarine, manufacturers used a process called hydrogenation (gas pumped through oil at high temperature), which produces trans fats. These are the Darth Vader of the fat world: good fats turned bad. Unlike saturated fats, there is clear evidence that trans fats damage your heart. They were found in most shop-bought biscuits and cakes until they were removed in 2007. Which was a bit late in the day for me. As a student I took the advice that saturated fats - not hydrogenated fats - were the enemy very seriously. I was slim and I did a lot of exercise, but I also ate butter and burgers. With a family history of heart disease, strokes and a father who'd just been diagnosed diabetic, I told myself it was time to act. I persuaded my father to go on a low-fat diet. He lost a little weight, but soon gave up. Reluctantly, I said goodbye to beef, switched to skimmed milk and avoided yoghurt with any hint of fat. It made for a much duller diet, but at least I was healthier. Or was I? Well, no. I kept this up for the next few decades - and the results? I put on over two stone, despite regular exercise. My cholesterol soared past the healthy range and two years ago I discovered I was borderline diabetic. While I didn't look fat, I'd piled on the pounds in the worst place possible: tucked away in my abdomen, coating internal organs. My response was to exercise more but it had little effect. I was eating less fat, but compensating with starchy pasta and potatoes. What I hadn't appreciated is the way these foods act on your body. A boiled potato will push your blood glucose up almost as fast as a tablespoon of sugar, since it is rapidly digested. Ironically, we now know that if you eat that potato with butter, the fat will slow absorption and the blood sugar peak will be less extreme. Rapid spikes in glucose force your pancreas to pump out insulin, which drives it back down, but can leave you hungry again a few hours later. Carbohydrates are also less satiating than fat or protein. So you eat more and the weight creeps up. Back on the menu: Eggs are now celebrated for their protein content while adding butter to potatoes can prevent a spike in blood sugar levels . Eggs are a prime example of how we got it wrong on fats. In the Eighties we were told they were cholesterol time bombs and were warned to eat no more than one a week. So I gave up eggs and tried to persuade my family to do likewise. What a mistake that was. A study in the British Medical Journal in 2013 concluded: 'Higher consumption of eggs is not associated with increased risk of coronary heart disease or stroke.' So eggs are back, and the protein means you'll feel fuller for longer. So, is fat really fattening? It contains far more calories than carbohydrates or protein, and the easiest way to lose weight is obviously to cut it out. Yet low-fat diets rarely succeed because people won't stick to them - they get too hungry. In the Fifties, Oxford professor Hugh Sinclair argued that we should be eating more fat, not less. He'd been to Canada and was intrigued to see that the Inuit had a high-fat diet yet low rates of heart disease. Was something in oily fish protecting them? He decided to find out by eating nothing but seal, oily fish, molluscs and crustaceans. While making Medical Mavericks for the BBC, I decided to repeat his experiment. Thankfully, the seal we tried to import was impounded by customs, so I ate a diet mainly of fish. Sinclair stuck to his for three months, I managed a month. While on his diet, Sinclair timed how long it took for his blood to clot by cutting himself once a week. It increased from three minutes to a terrifying 50. For me, it doubled. Even though he'd taken it to dangerous extremes, Sinclair showed that fish oils reduce the stickiness of platelets in your blood and thus the risk of clot formation, which can lead to a heart attack or stroke. A more recent example of how wrong we were about low-fat diets was the Look Ahead trial, which began in 2001. Over 5,000 overweight diabetics were put on a low-fat diet and encouraged to exercise. The NHS says the average man should eat no more than 30g of saturated fat a day, and the average woman no more than 20g . After almost ten years the study was stopped. Those on the low-fat diet had lost little more than a control group, and there was no significant change in heart attacks or strokes. A study last year put a further nail in the low-fat diet's coffin. A group of 7,500 men and women were randomly allocated a low-fat diet or a much higher-fat Mediterranean one. On this diet, along with fruit, vegetables, meat and fish, they were to eat oily nuts, olive oil and have a glass of wine with their meal. Again, the trial was stopped early. But this time it was because those on the Mediterranean diet were doing so much better than those on the low-fat diet, with a 30 per cent drop in heart attacks and strokes. So some fats are good for us, but surely saturated fats are bad? Even this has been undermined by a study funded by the British Heart Foundation and published this year. Based on 72 previous studies the researchers found no evidence that saturated fats cause heart disease. This isn't a licence to pour cream down your throat, because even if saturated fats don't directly harm the heart, too many calories will. Personally, I try not to have biscuits and cakes in our house as I know I can't resist them. But I have gone back to butter, Greek yoghurt and semi-skimmed milk. I eat more oily fish, eggs and the odd burger. After all those years believing them the enemy, saturated fats taste more delicious than ever. Dr Michael Mosley is the author of The Fast Diet. For more information, visit thefastdiet.co.uk . | Dr Mosley used to believe all saturated fats were bad for us .
So he ditched beef, full fat milk and butter .
They were thought to cause weight gain and heart attacks .
But new studies have revealed this isn't the case .
There's a stronger link between sugar consumption and heart disease .
Eggs are a prime example of how we got it wrong on fats .
People were advised to eat just one a week in the Eighties .
But now regular consumption is encouraged as they are high in protein . |
75,621 | d677052589e58a15610477188b8ee1d1537ea727 | Gus Poyet believes his players are now convinced by his methods after their Tyne-Wear derby victory. The Uruguayan had spoken just a week earlier about being ‘bored’ and ‘frustrated’ with his team after a run of five draws in six matches. But Poyet feels the players have bought into his vision and says the 1-0 win at St James’ Park can prove a turning point in his tenure. Adam Johnson fires Sunderland into a 1-0 lead to earn all three points for Gus Poyet's side against Newcastle . Johnson (11) watches on as his powerful striker flies past the dive of Newcastle goalkeeper Jak Alnwick . ‘The players are convinced now,’ he said. ‘I know we had that bad day at Southampton (8-0 defeat) and that will be there all of my life. ‘But the players are confident that what we’re doing is working. We just needed a win. ‘This now is confirmation of what we do. I’m still thinking we need to improve because I don’t want any more draws. I want to win football games.’ Sunday’s victory – achieved thanks to Adam Johnson’s last-minute strike – was just their third maximum return of the season, while they have drawn 10 times. And Poyet added: ‘You need to start somewhere. First, I want my team to be solid. We conceded like 2,000 goals last season in the first part of the season. Sunderland boss Gus Poyet said the players are now convinced by his methods after another Tyne-Wear win . The Black Cats winger wheels away in celebration of his 90th minute winner at St James Park . ‘I want us first to be difficult to beat, then you start playing and taking chances. ‘But how long does that take? I still want to see more, I don’t change because of this one game. I’m ambitious – that’s the mentality I want. ‘The next game is the most important. Last year when we won the derby we didn’t think the next game was important and we went two months without winning a game. ‘I’m going to fight until the players have that mentality, that only the next game matters. ‘That’s what I want to see now. I don’t expect them to play like Bayern Munich – it’s about being the same team but with the confidence to produce those special moments.’ Sunderland manager Poyet reacts furiously to the first half foul from Magpies defender Coloccini . Johnson’s special moment in stoppage-time was his third goal on Tyneside in as many seasons. The former England winger has been below his best so far in this campaign, but Poyet hopes that derby glory can prove a catalyst for an upturn in his form. ‘We need moments to make the team believe in what we’re doing is working. Johnno showed that,' he said. ‘Last year he was brilliant in January, maybe that will come a little bit earlier this time. Johnson looks towards the Newcastle fans as he is joined by his Sunderland team-mates in celebration . ‘This season we’ve been asking him to do too many things in defence – he has been too far from the opposition goal. ‘The responsibility is 50-50 – some of it mine because of the way we play, the other half is with the player and when he gets the chance he needs to produce. ‘You don’t score away from home in a derby three years in a row if you’re bad, no, he’s a special player. ‘This will help him a lot. I would say he will be very good over the next few games now.’ | Sunderland beat Newcastle 1-0 in Sunday's Tyne-Wear derby .
Adam Johnson scored for the third season running at St James' Park .
Gus Poyet believes the players are now convinced of his methods . |
170,175 | 683db91807a1ea5f192c51b0758ecb5c3596d450 | By . John Drayton . Nottingham Forest have signed Matty Fryatt on a three-year deal. Fryatt will move to the City Ground on a free transfer when his contract at Hull expires at the end of this month. The striker rejected the offer of fresh terms with the Barclays Premier League club, whom he helped to reach last season's FA Cup final, in favour of a switch to Stuart Pearce's team. On the move: Hull City striker Matty Fryatt (left) has joined Nottingham Forest on a three-year deal . The 28-year-old has long been a target for the Reds, who have tried to sign him on at least two previous occasions. But incoming manager Pearce, who will officially begin in the role on July 1, has swooped to conclude a deal for the former Walsall and Leicester forward. 'I am delighted to announce the signing of Matty Fryatt on a three-year contract, he is a player this club has admired for many years,' Forest owner and chairman Fawaz Al Hasawi said via his official Twitter account. 'I am delighted to have finally got our man. I look forward to welcoming him into this great club when his contract starts on July 1.' All smiles: Fryatt celebrates with Liam Rosenior after helping Hull reach the FA Cup final last season . The move brings to an end Fryatt's three and a half years with Hull. After joining from Leicester in January 2011, he finished the season with nine goals in his first 18 league appearances. He was the Tigers' top scorer during the 2011/12 campaign with 16 goals and after injury disrupted his progress the following season, Fryatt rediscovered his form in 2013/14, first through a loan spell with Sheffield Wednesday and then on his return to the KC Stadium, scoring some key goals in the club's run to the FA Cup final. Fryatt leaves Hull with 31 goals in 94 appearances to his name. | Fryatt to join Nottingham Forest from Hull when Tigers' contract expires this month .
Former Leicester and Walsall striker has signed three-year deal . |
126,480 | 2f76318d9468fbd5358df22885164a57ccaf4b1f | By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 08:44 EST, 19 July 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 09:47 EST, 19 July 2013 . It is a challenge favoured by college students and celebrities. But rarely has anyone completed the 'gallon milk challenge' is such impressive fashion as Takeru Kobayashi. The former hot dog eating champion downed an entire gallon of whole milk in just 20 seconds. Amazingly, he set the record after eating 13 cupcakes in a minute. SCROLL DOWN FOR VIDEO . Building up: Takeru Kobayashi starts by psyching himself up as he holds his gallon of whole milk . Tough: After an announced revealed Kobayashi would attempt to drink the milk in less than a minute, he begins his challenge . Challenge: With his eyes fixed on the milk carton, he looks relaxed at ease as he begins to down the milk . A YouTube video posted yesterday, shows Kobayashi behind a table in front of a crowd of people. A man holding a microphone tells the crowd: 'We are going to try and drink a gallon milk in a minute.' As the crowd starts counting down from ten, Kobayashi psychs himself up with the large container of milk. Holding the carton with both hands, he then starts drinking, taking enormous gulps without a break. Despite setting the target of one minute, Kobayashi races through the carton. Only a few tiny drops escape from his mouth. Impressive: Within seconds, the former hot dog eating champion drinks huge amounts of the milk . Fast: Lifting the bottle up to his face, he quickly drinks the remaining liquid . After about 20 seconds, the milk is gone and Kobayashi tosses away the carton nonchalantly. The clearly impressed announcer at Uncle Bob's Self Storage in Upper Saddle River, New Jersey, says: 'That was certainly less than a minute.' Kobayashi was previously banned from Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest in 2011. He won the competition every year between 2001 and 2006. Success: The crowd cheer and clap as he finishes the bottle . Happy: Kobayashi nonchalantly tosses away the carton after completing the challenge . Recently, he has devoured 337 chicken wings in a half-hour. The gallon milk challenge has gained popularity in the U.S. It is often attempted by high school and college students, as well as celebrities. A person is given 60 minutes to drink a full gallon of whole milk without vomiting. | Takeru Kobayashi easily completed the 'gallon milk challenge'
It is often attempted by college students and celebrities . |
13,027 | 24ec273764e0ddb37d91165328cb061216e26815 | JUAREZ, Mexico (CNN) -- Jose Molinar knew something wasn't right. He hadn't heard from his wife for a few hours, which was not sitting well with him. Marisella Molinar was killed while driving her boss, a target of cartels, across the border into El Paso, Texas. Marisella Molinar worked as a secretary for a top prosecutor in Juarez, Mexico, Jesus Huerta Yedra. She was employed in the office for more than 10 years and though she lived across the border in El Paso, Texas, with her husband, she drove about 20 minutes over the Juarez-El Paso border every day to the job she loved. The growing violence over rival drug cartels had concerned the couple, but Mexico was a part of their lives and they were sure the violence stayed between rival drug gangs, who were fighting over a lucrative drug route into the United States. Without fail, Marisella Molinar would call her husband every day when she arrived to work, went out for lunch and when she was leaving the office. But on December 3, 2008, by around 5:30 p.m., Jose Molinar still hadn't heard from his wife. He called the office in Mexico and was told she was giving her boss a ride over the border so he could do some Christmas shopping. Jose Molinar turned on his television, and his life changed forever. "As soon as the image came up, I saw her truck," said Molinar, who was watching the news out of Juarez, "and I knew what happened right then and there." Watch Jose Molinar talk about the moment he knew his wife was killed » . Marisella Molinar was in the wrong place at the wrong time. Her passenger, Jesus Huerta Yedra, was a target of the cartels that day. As Molinar's car was about a mile away from the border crossing back to the United States, gunmen walked up to her car and fired 85 rounds from an AK-47 into their intended target. One shot hit Marisella Molinar, a mother of two and proud grandmother, in the chest, killing her instantly. "She wasn't involved, she didn't have anything to do with this!" said Jose Molinar in a recent interview with CNN. "She was the guy's secretary and she was giving him a ride to meet his wife here in El Paso who was Christmas shopping." But instead of making it home to help her husband hang Christmas lights, Marisella Molinar became yet another victim in the drug war taking place just steps from the U.S. border. The violence generated by the war of the drug cartels for control of drug routes translated last year into some 6,000 killings. More than 1,600 of them occurred in Juarez, three times more than the most murderous city in the United States. This year, in two months, the body count in Juarez is 400. Mexican military and police in riot gear now patrol the once popular streets of Juarez. Gone are the Americans shopping, dining and partying. The bars and restaurants are shuttered -- many closed for good. Americans don't come here anymore. In March 2008, the Mexican military joined with Mexican states and local law enforcement in the fight against drug cartels in border cities. Mexican President Felipe Calderon has waged a war against business as usual with the cartels who controlled drug routes through Mexico and into the United States. The fallout has led rival drug gangs to launch all-out war not only with the military, but also with each other, because the once-established drug routes are now up for grabs. The violence has been the worst in Juarez, where cartels have killed police officers, forced the chief of police to resign and threatened public officials. "They started killing police officers, and not when they were doing police work, but when they were coming out of their homes and getting into their cars to go to the police station," said Juarez Mayor Jose Reyes Ferriz, whose own family has recently received death threats. At the city's only morgue, bodies are piling up. The mayor said there are far too many dead for the small facility to handle. The majority of the dead are unidentified members of the cartels. Just last week, the mayor said, 50 corpses were buried in mass graves because no one claimed the bodies. Officials from both sides of the border said the drug war may go on for years. Beheadings, bodies riddled with gunfire and blood-stained streets will continue daily, they said. They added that the appetite for illegal drugs is too great in the United States, and the drug routes are too lucrative for the battles to end. "It's not going to be won quickly," said Enrique Torres, a spokesman for the Mexican government, adding that the Mexican president is committed to fighting the cartels. "He can't talk about a time frame in this type of situation. We know the monster is big, but we don't have an idea of how big it is." | Marisella Molinar, a secretary, was killed nearly a mile from her U.S. home .
Husband: "She wasn't involved, she didn't have anything to do with this!"
More than 1,600 deaths in Juarez last year, 400 already this year .
Cartels have killed cops, forced police chief to resign, threatened public officials . |
31,978 | 5afd398255ab0c072b043c7f0d30c6db13fa64ff | By . Sam Creighton . One family of troublemakers has cost taxpayers more than £250,000 in efforts to help them change their ways. The unnamed family from Havering, east London, has received advice on a number of areas, including parenting and debt management, over the last two years as part of the government's Troubled Families scheme - all paid for out of the public purse. A street in Havering, the London borough where the family who have received £250,000 are reported to live . A spokeswoman for Havering Council confirmed that the family are still on the scheme, meaning their issues are still not resolved. The family, which is believed to have several children, has sucked in £100,000 more than the average household on the scheme and more than three times the £72,696 a normal law abiding UK family can expect to earn during the same two-year period. The scheme, introduced after the 2011 riots, aims at getting households struggling with drug, crime and behavioural issues back on the straight and narrow but can, so far, only boast a nine per cent success rate. Jonathan Isaby, the chief executive of the TaxPayers' Alliance, told the Daily Mirror: 'Those that cannot change their ways should not be entitled to limitless support at the expense of their law-abiding neighbours.' Communities Secretary Eric Pickles said the programme was saving the taxpayer money by reducing the level of crime. | Family from has received advice on parenting and debt management .
Two years after joining Troubled Families scheme, they still receive help .
Eric Pickles defended scheme, claiming it saves money in the long run .
The family, from Havering, are believed to have several children . |
165,700 | 624c2caf05e9abbd1dbf7c8e81b5ec61370be700 | By . Paul Donnelley . BT is the most complained about broadband provider for the first time according to new figures from industry watchdog Ofcom. And Orange had the unhappiest pay-monthly mobile customers. The level of complaints Ofcom received about BT was 0.32 per 1,000 customers while those for Orange the number was 0.12 per 1,000 customers. BT generated the most complaints among broadband providers for the first time and Orange the most for pay-monthly mobiles, according to Ofcom . The good news however is that the number of complaints for phone and pay TV companies dropped in the last three months of 2013. The level of customers unhappy with their pay monthly deal stays the same. Most of the complaints against BT were about loss of service or unhappiness with the way those complaints were handled. BT is the most complained about broadband provider for the first time according to new figures from industry watchdog Ofcom . Ofcom received the most complaints about pay-monthly mobile telephone services from Orange customers, at 0.12 per 1,000 customers . EE which owns Orange and T-Mobile was the second most complained-about broadband provider.The least complained about company was Virgin Media, which uses Usain Bolt in its television adverts. For pay TV the most complained about company was again BT and Talk Talk’s TV service was included by Ofcom for the first time. It received an above average number of complaints. Sky retained its position as the provider generating the fewest number of complaints – just 0.02 per 1,000 customers. Ofcom record the number of complaints about broadband providers. This chart shows the number since the end of 2011. EE which owns Orange and T-Mobile was the second most complained-about broadband provider . Among landline providers, TalkTalk generated the most complaints at 0.27 complaints per 1,000 customers but, say Ofcom, that is the lowest number since the company began releasing figures. Ofcom's consumer group director Claudio Pollack said: ‘We're committed to giving consumers valuable information to help them choose a provider that best suits their needs.’ | Most people unhappy with service or the way their complaints are handled .
EE which owns Orange and T-Mobile was the second most complained-about broadband provider .
Good news is that the number of complaints for phone and pay TV companies dropped in the last three months of 2013 . |
278,044 | f4353ae998a7c4784db207a11387a8e657fa1f1b | WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Bo the Portuguese water dog made his White House debut under cloudy skies Tuesday afternoon, spending several minutes taking his new family on a lively romp over the South Lawn with frequent stops for hearty sniffs at his new surroundings. Malia Obama practices walking Bo as her parents and sister, Sasha, wait their turn. Bo landed on all four feet at his fourth home in his six short months of life, fulfilling President Obama's campaign promise to get his daughters a dog in return for all the time he spent on the road during the long presidential fight. "He's a star. He's got star quality," the president said of the black curly pup with white front feet and chest and a lion-cut tail. The Obamas ended up with a purebred dog, despite the president's preference for a mutt, largely because of 10-year-old Malia's allergies -- Portuguese water dogs don't shed -- and because of opportunity. Watch Bo frolic on the White House lawn » . Bo didn't fit in well with his first owners and was returned to the breeder in March. That breeder happened to be the breeder of Sen. Ted Kennedy's Portuguese water dogs, and when Kennedy learned the puppy was available, he arranged to offer him to the Obamas. Bo spent a month with Kennedy's trainer before coming to the White House for an initial visit over the weekend and for his official welcome Tuesday. "Dog Whisperer" Cesar Millan said on Tuesday afternoon that Portuguese water dogs are an active breed and will need long walks and will need to understand quickly who is the "pack leader." "Very important everybody plays the leadership role -- the girls, Ms. Michelle, obviously, the president," he said. "Everybody has to learn to walk the dog, to master the walk." The Obamas, Millan said, have an opportunity to model good behavior for dog owners. "This is definitely the most popular dog in the world right now," he said. "This is why it's very important for everybody -- all the Obama family -- to practice the exercise, the discipline and affection." While out with his family and the dog Tuesday afternoon, Obama said Bo had "a bunch of possibilities" of where to sleep, but his own bed wasn't one of those. Bo will be allowed into the Oval Office, he said, and the family will take turns with walks. The president and his family also shared some of their newfound knowledge about Portuguese water dogs. "The only concern we have is that apparently, Portuguese water dogs like tomatoes. Michelle's garden is in danger," he said. "We don't have tomatoes," the first lady said. "Not yet," Obama reminded. "He doesn't know how to swim," chimed in 7-year-old Sasha. "Apparently they have to be taught how to swim," the president said. "They have webbed feet. And they herd fish for the fishermen in Portugal. That is what we've heard." | Portuguese water dog cavorts on South Lawn with Obama family .
6-month-old pup fulfills president's campaign promise to daughters .
Puppy is gift to Obama girls from Sen. Ted Kennedy, who owns several of the dogs . |
217,630 | a5c12524e9e1babf13b8a28180d9c503f073aa61 | A 17st 12lbs dad who was so shocked by a photo of him and his son that he embarked on a weight-loss journey to set a healthier example to his children has won a national slimming award. David Eyres, from Oldham, didn't recognise the man he saw in the picture, which was taken on Christmas Eve 2013, and he became determined to lose weight. The self-employed landscape gardener had been overweight for years and things got worse when he turned to food for comfort after the death of his father in 2009. David was horrified after realising he could barely recognise himself in this Christmas snap with his son Ben (left), he recreated it a year later having lost weight . David, who has been crowned 'Mr Sleek' by slimming world, now proudly holds up his old pyjama bottoms having lost an impressive four stone . The dad-of-three joined his local Slimming World group with his wife Kelly, 35, in January 2014. Now just more than one year on he's four-and-a-half stone lighter and been named Slimming World's Mr Sleek 2015. The 34-year-old is the slimming club's first ever winner of the competition, which recognises the male slimmer who has undergone the greatest transformation inside and out. He said: 'I've been overweight for more than a decade, so it's amazing to me to think that anyone would describe me as "sleek". 'My youngest son Max, who's four, loves telling everyone that his daddy doesn't have a big belly anymore though - my kids are my biggest supporters.' David said his eating habits became such a problem that he would often eat in secret while he was at work. He tried lots of diets without success before Kelly suggested they join Slimming World together. David lost weight due to a combination of exercise and making healthy meal choices . David's wife Kelly, left, also joined Slimming World and lost and impressive five stone herself . David said: 'I would get out of breath easily, even just climbing the stairs in our house, so I didn't really play games or sports with the kids and I worried I was setting a bad example to them. 'I tried to put it to the back of my mind but when I saw the photo of me and my eldest son Ben, who was eight at the time, I knew I needed to do something. Name: David Eyres . Age: 34 . Height: 6ft/1.83m . Starting weight: 17st 12lbs/250lbs/114kg . Current weight: 13st 5lbs/187lbs/85kg . Weight loss: 4st 7lbs/63lbs/29kg . Starting waist measurement: 38in . Current weight measurement: 30in . 'I was the heaviest I'd ever been and my confidence level was pretty much zero. That photograph was a real wake-up call.' David said although he was nervous about joining the group he knew it was the right thing to do: 'I was worried about being the only man at Slimming World and thought I'd stick out like a sore thumb, so I was really glad I had Kelly with me on that first night. 'The Consultant Michaela was so welcoming though and within a couple of weeks my nerves had disappeared. 'I started to look forward to going to Slimming World each week, of course because I wanted to know how much weight I'd lost but I wanted to see how everyone else had got on too.' David followed the group's healthy eating plan and quickly began to see the results. In his first week David lost 3.5lbs and within five months he'd reached his first target, losing 4st 1lb. He's since lost another 6lbs to reach a total weight loss of 4st 7lbs, going from 17st 12lbs to 13st 5lbs, and dropped 8in from his waist. David says: 'I couldn't believe the change in me in just a few months. I'm quite competitive and I loved collecting the awards that you get for every 7lbs you lose. 'They made me want to keep going for the next milestone and I've got all the certificates stuck to our fridge.' Kelly and David have lost an impressive nine and a half stone between them in the last year . David says that one of the best things about losing weight is that his children are really proud of him . David said the group helped him to completely overhaul his diet: 'We were always a 'jar family' using pre-prepared sauces and convenience foods and we had a lot of takeaways - sometimes four or five times a week - just because it was easy. 'But we started cooking from scratch and now the whole family eats the same meals. We love homemade curries, they taste just like the takeaways we used to have but obviously they're a lot better for you.' David's fitness has improved too. He no longer gets out of breath and has more energy: 'Work is a lot easier now and I've joined a gym. 'Best of all, I can run around with the kids and practice rugby with Ben at the park - I've gone from feeling like a failed parent to feeling like a proud dad.' Before embarking on his weight loss plan, David would think nothing of wolfing down hearty meals . Kelly has also found success with Slimming World, having lost around 5st. David says: 'I couldn't believe it when I found out I'd won the title of Mr Sleek and Kelly was over the moon for me, especially because she knew she'd get to see me in a suit for the first time in years. 'We're both so proud of each other - it's amazing to think we've lost nearly 10st between us in a year - and I'm so glad we've done this together. 'I hope my story will show people, especially other men, that losing weight doesn't have to be hard and it really is possible to make your New Year's resolutions come true. 'This Christmas Eve Ben and I recreated the photo that made me want to start losing weight, I looked like a different bloke - and I feel like one too.' Breakfast: . Nothing . Mid-morning: . A bacon sandwich on white bread . Lunch: . Big Mac, fries and coke with a double cheeseburger. Then two Snickers bars and a packet of crisps in the afternoon . Dinner: . Indian takeaway including a curry with rice, naan bread, chips, onion bhaji and poppadoms . Evening: . A big sharing bag of crisps, more chocolate . Breakfast: . Two high-fibre cereal bars and a banana . Mid-morning: . An apple and two small oranges . Lunch: . A big tuna pasta salad made with tuna, pasta, lettuce, red onion, cucumber, tomato, sweetcorn, beetroot and boiled egg . Dinner: . Homemade beef madras with rice washed down with a bottle of lager and a bowl of chopped fresh fruit and yogurt for dessert . Evening: . Two Cadbury's Freddo chocolate bars . | David Eyres was inspired to lose weight by Christmas snap .
The 34-year-old dropped from more than 17 stone to 13 stone .
Father from Oldham turned to food for comfort after Dad's death in 2009 .
He joined Slimming World in January 2014 with his wife Kelly . |
27,196 | 4d1e5d3c42dc2d0756898a5d82eb284fded3d8fd | By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 11:01 EST, 29 May 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 11:03 EST, 29 May 2013 . Larry King is making a comeback with a brand new talk show to air starting next month on the Russia-based RT America network. The global, English-language channel announced the addition to their line-up Wednesday without giving an exact premier date. ‘Politics with Larry King,’ will be the 79-year-old’s return to the television airwaves after stepping down from his 25-year run as host of CNN’s ‘Larry King Live’ in December 2010. SCROLL DOWN FOR VIDEO... He's back: Larry King, 79, has a new show set to premier in June on the Russia-based English-language cable channel RT . The new show, according to an RT release, ‘Politics with Larry King is ‘a mold-breaking political talk show…speaking to both leading establishment figures, and those who are not afraid to go against the grain.’ RT also said it will begin telecasting King’s current show, ‘Larry King Now,’ which debuted last summer. The 56-year television veteran co-founded the company, Ora.TV, which produces his current show with Mexican telecommunications magnate Carlos Slim in 2012. The show airs on Hulu.com and Ora.TV. With celebrity guests as diverse as conservative radio host Laura Ingraham and Snoop Lion, ‘Larry King Now’ will continue to air online, but will be picked up by RT, where it will air four times per week. Prolific: King already broadcasts a celebrity-focused show called 'Larry King Now' on ora.TV and Hulu. RT will begin airing it in addition to his new show . Both programs will originate from Washington and Los Angeles. RT America will be the exclusive U.S. television broadcaster for both programs. As for his audience, King appears to be courting viewers outside the left-right dichotomy. ‘The veteran broadcaster will not shy away from causing controversy,’ reads the release on RT’s website, ‘or using his authority to give a chance to hear voices other media ignore.’ The suspenders-sporting King, who turns . 80 this year, said his frank, opinionated discussions are necessary in . the new media age. Powerful friends: King co-founded Ora.TV with Mexican billionaire Carlos Slim in 2012. Now RT will air the show they produced together 4 times per week . ‘I have always been passionate about . government and issues that impact the public,’ said King. ‘I appreciate . the importance of providing a platform with real alternative visions for . our country's future.’ RT, or Russia Today, was started in 2005 as a worldwide English language news outlet financed by the Russian government. The . 24-hour news network can be viewed by millions in America and is . carried in the U.S. by cable providers including Time Warner Inc., Cox . Cable, Comcast Corp. and Verizon FiOS. More serious: King (here with political activist Christina Tobin) says his new RT show 'Politics with Larry King' will have a more political focus. It is set to premier in June . | Global English-language channel RT will air 'Politics with Larry King' starting next month . |
189,171 | 80fc06526926853726cb6e3efb2e17fe8ae81b02 | By . Katy Winter . PUBLISHED: . 13:35 EST, 19 March 2014 . | . UPDATED: . 13:35 EST, 19 March 2014 . Conventional wisdom has us believe that those at the lower end of the intelligence spectrum are more unguarded and trusting, but this is apparently not the case. It is those with a higher IQ who are in fact likely to be more trusting of others according to new research. And being more trusting of others not only benefits society in general, but tends to make the individual happier and healthier, researchers at the University of Oxford found. Brainy people are more likely to trust other people, maybe because they are able to better discern who will betray them . Published in the journal, PLOS ONE, the study was based on an analysis of the General Social Survey, a nationally representative public opinion survey carried out in the United States every one to two years. They found that higher IQ was linked with a greater sense of trust in others and society and suggest that intelligence may include a higher ability to judge character. This would explain the findings as those with a higher IQ would be less likely to betray people who will betray them, and so develop a greater faith in others. Many studies have linked trust with all manner of positive traits for the individual including entrepreneurship, volunteering, self-rated health, and happiness . Lead author Noah Carl said: ‘Intelligence is shown to be linked with trusting others, even after taking into account factors like marital status, education and income. This finding supports what other researchers have argued, namely that being a good judge of character is a distinct part of human intelligence which evolved through natural selection.’ Many previous studies have linked what is termed generalised trust – a sense of confidence and belief in society and the world around you- with all manner of positive traits for the individual including entrepreneurship, volunteering, self-rated health, and happiness. The researchers also found this link, but found that trust was beneficial for people regardless of their level of intelligence. It seems that developing faith in people is likely to help you feel and do better in life, even if you’re no Einstein. | Research from University of Oxford found link between IQ and trust .
Findings analysed from the General Social Survey - done across America .
Suggest link may because clever people can better judge character . |
225,340 | afce5a4f27d08712883cbff4210d6b0129ef3f1b | A media investigation into the allegations of rape featured in Lena Dunham's recently-released memoir has refuted the claims of sexual assault made by the Girls creator. The writer, actor and director dedicates a chapter of her book, Not That Kind Of Girl - for which she received a reported $3.7 million advance - to a boy she met at Oberlin College in Ohio identified as 'Barry', who she alleges raped her one night after a party. The 28-year-old admits in the tome to drinking alcohol and taking Xanax and cocaine before inviting Barry back to her on-campus apartment, but says the encounter quickly turned aggressive, and that Barry twice removed the condom during intercourse without telling her. 'I never gave permission to be rough, to stick himself inside me without a barrier between us,' she wrote. Scroll down for video . Rape claims: In her memoir Not That Kind of Girl, Lena Dunham (seen here in New York on December 2) alleges she was raped in college. A new media investigation claims there is no proof of the man she describes . 'I never gave him permission. 'In my deepest self I know this, and the knowledge of it has kept me from sinking.' Dunham's description of Barry is similarly explicit, explaining him as a 'mustachioed campus Republican' with a 'mustache that rode the line between ironic Williamsburg fashion and big buck hunter', who hosted a radio show called Real Talk With Jimbo, worked in the library stacking shelves and 'wore purple cowboy boots'. She also said that he once punched a girl 'in the boob' at a party and, following a consensual sexual encounter, another girl woke to find blood spattered all over the wall 'like a crime scene'. Furthermore Dunham does not state that 'Barry' is a pseudonym, as she does with other names that appear in her book. An investigation by John Nolte from Breitbart News undertaken at the Oberlin campus, which was published Thursday, concluded that the 'Barry' Dunham describes is a 'ghost', and that no such person appeared to exist at the college during the years she studied there. 'In fact, we could not find anyone who remembered any Oberlin Republican who matched Dunham's colorful description,' Nolte wrote. 'Under scrutiny, Dunham's rape story didn’t just fall apart, it evaporated into pixie dust and blew away.' Scene: It is believed the rape Dunham describes in her book took place at Oberlin College in Ohio (pictured) in the winter of 2005 following a party . The Breitbart report followed an attack on Dunham by The National Review's hard-right columnist Kevin Williamson, who said she was 'grossly irresponsible' for publishing the rape claim in the first place. Williamson said he spoke to a Barry who was a prominent Republican that attended Oberlin and that has been hounded by the media since the release of Not That Kind Of Girl in September. This Barry told Williamson he has never met Dunham and did not have any kind of relationship with her. He said the fact his name is Barry and that he is a Republican who went to Oberlin is 'the 'most unfortunate coincidence of my life'. The man, who is married with kids, said he is petrified that his full name is going to be published. Williamson then wrote of Dunham: 'It is at the very least the deployment of weaponized celebrity without any concern for collateral damage. 'I have my doubts about whether the encounter Dunham describes actually happened at all; in her memoir, she writes about presenting anecdotes from other people’s lives as her own. 'But, for the record, the man to whom I spoke does not believe that Dunham intended to refer to him.' The Breitbart investigation, which describes Dunham as 'one of the most powerful and influential women in America', included the account of Williamson's 'Barry'. It notes that friends of his laughed at the suggestion of him ever having a moustache and that other details given by Dunham also didn't fit. Nolte then goes in search of someone else that might fit the description. He deduces the alleged rape occurred in winter 2005. A search of the campus newspaper archives and Oberlin College graduation announcements did not find any Barry - other than the one Williamson spoke to - who graduated or attended Oberlin College in 2005, 2006, or 2007. Massive publicity tour: Lena Dunham meets fans and signs copies of her book 'Not That Kind Of Girl' at Waterstones in London on October 29, 2014 . A further search of the campus for someone not named Barry but who fits the description given by Dunham also showed no results. There was no proof of a radio show called Real Talk With Jimbo, he said. 'Nevertheless, no amount of digging could verify even a single detail of Dunham's rape claim,' Nolte wrote. The report criticizes Dunham for pointing the finger at this one Barry in such a public manner, as opposed to reporting what happened to her to the authorities. Dunham has not responded to the Brietbart News piece. Calls to Random House, the publisher of Not That Kind Of Girl, and to Dunham's literary agent made by MailOnline were not immediately returned on Thursday. Dunham did however react to Williamson when his piece was published last month. She took to Twitter to defend her story. Love: Dunham is seen here at the 2014 Golden Globes with her boyfriend, musician Jack Antonoff . 'Some men are enraged by stories of sexual assault that don't have clear cut villains, pimps or men with guns,' she wrote. 'That's because these stories force them to ask hard questions about their history with consent. 'Well, we all have to ask hard questions. Grow the f--- up. 'And I have some news for certain 'news' outlets. No matter how much you thump your keyboards with your meat hands we will not stop talking.' This is not the only controversy to come from Dunham's tome. The New York native cancelled several appearances on her book tour after being accused of molesting her younger sister as a child. In one chapter of the book she describes how, as a seven-year-old, she experimented with her sister Grace, who was one at the time. 'One day, as I sat in our driveway in Long Island playing blocks and buckets, my curiosity got the better of me,' Dunham wrote. 'Grace was sitting up, babbling smiling, and I leaned down between her legs and carefully spread open her vagina.' The accusations were mostly spearheaded by Williamson, who said her behavior was child abuse. Dunham came back swinging, writing on Twitter: 'The right wing news story that I molested my little sister isn’t just LOL- it’s really f---ing upsetting and disgusting. Family: Dunham was accused of molesting her younger sister Grace (pictured) by two media outlets following a controversial chapter in her book, where she admits to experiment with her sibling as a child . 'And by the way, if you were a little kid and never looked at another little kid’s vagina, well, congrats to you. 'Usually this is stuff I can ignore but don’t demean sufferers, don’t twist my words, . 'I told a story about being a weird 7 year old. I bet you have some too, old men, that I’d rather not hear. 'And yes, this is a rage spiral.' | Actor, 28, alleges that she was raped at Oberlin College in her memoir Not That Kind Of Girl .
Media investigation at the Ohio campus found no proof of the man she describes in the book as her alleged attacker .
Named as 'Barry', one man who somewhat fits the description says he has never met Dunham .
Dunham has been accused of being 'grossly irresponsible' in publishing the claim .
She did not report the incident to authorities . |
247,935 | ccd58278b305976ee98f9f3189345d49f1f95714 | A Pennsylvania school district that made an embarrassing name for itself by trying to take a battle against 'I (heart) boobies' cancer awareness bracelets must now shell out nearly $400,000 following he protracted court battle. Easton School District agreed to a settlement amount of $385,000 that will go toward the ACLU attorney fees amassed over the four-year battle. The payments--to be made in three installments between Monday and July 1--will finally put to an end a case school district attorneys tried taking all the way to the supreme court. 'I (heart) boobies': A Pennsylvania school district that made an embarrassing name for itself by trying to take a battle against 'I (heart) boobies' cancer awareness bracelets must now shell out nearly $400,000 following he protracted court battle . The Supreme Court in March rejected an appeal from the school district that tried to ban students from wearing 'I (heart) Boobies!' bracelets. The justices left in place a federal appeals court ruling from August that found the bracelets were not 'plainly lewd,' nor had they caused a disruption. The lower court sided with two students who sued the Easton Area School District in 2010 with the help of the American Civil Liberties Union. Easton is one of several school districts around the country to ban the bracelets, which are distributed by the nonprofit Keep A Breast Foundation of Carlsbad, Calif. Just wanted to make a difference: The case started in 2010 when Kayla Martinez and Brianna Hawk said they were trying to promote awareness of the disease at their middle school . 'The principle here is that even kids talk about important things, and when they talk about important things, that's what we should be encouraging,' Mary Catherine Roper, an attorney with the ACLU of Pennsylvania, said Monday. 'Kids should be able to talk about things that matter to them in language that is both respectful and familiar to them.' The district's solicitor, John Freund, said he was disappointed the Supreme Court won't hear the case. The ruling by the Philadelphia-based 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals 'robs educators and school boards of the ability to strike a reasonable balance between a student's right to creative expression' and districts' responsibility to make sure schools are 'free from sexual entendre and vulgarity,' Freund said. Groups representing school boards, superintendents and principals had supported Easton's appeal. The case started in 2010 when two girls, then ages 12 and 13, challenged the ban. Kayla Martinez and Brianna Hawk said they were trying to promote awareness of the disease at their middle school. They wore the bracelets on their school's Breast Cancer Awareness Day — in defiance of a ban that had been announced a day earlier — and refused to take them off. The girls filed suit after being suspended from class and banned from attending the winter dance. 'I am happy we won this case, because it's important that students have the right to stand up for a cause and try to make a difference. We just wanted to raise awareness about breast cancer,' Hawk, who was in eighth grade at the time, said in a statement distributed by the ACLU. Earlier Supreme Court rulings give schools the right to restrict vulgar speech or speech that is likely to cause 'substantial disruption.' Roper said districts still have that ability. 'In a situation where these bracelets were actually causing problems, school officials could take action,' Roper said. 'This is all based on a case where they weren't sparking inappropriate behavior or inappropriate comments. Schools always have the authority to keep order and prevent those things from happening.' Freund predicted the Supreme Court would eventually revisit students' free-speech rights. 'Unfortunately, it will take more lawsuits, more attorneys' fees and more chaos in the classroom,' he said. 'I am happy we won this case, because it's important that students have the right to stand up for a cause and try to make a difference. We just wanted to raise awareness about breast cancer,' Hawk, who was in eighth grade at the time, said in a statement distributed by the ACLU . | The Easton School District shelled out big money to fight an ACLU first amendment case .
Students filed the case after they were banned from wearing breast cancer awareness bracelets that read 'I (heart) boobies' |
217,028 | a4fcc0338357027e8e1c05a6f6957038336ecf8a | (CNN) -- Nine civilians died in an attack on a luxury hotel in the Afghan capital, a government official said Friday. The dead were a mix of Afghans and foreigners, children and adults, according to Gen Mohammad Ayoub Salangi the deputy interior minister. Six people were also injured. The incident began when four teenagers entered the Serena Hotel in central Kabul on Thursday and started shooting randomly, police said. Afghan security forces killed the four gunmen, who police said were all under 18 and were "government opponents." Police said they believe the gunmen entered the hotel by smuggling small pistols in their shoes, then hid in the bathroom for several hours before launching their attack. The hotel also was the site of a shooting, in January 2008, that killed seven people. The Taliban claimed responsibility for that attack. This is latest attack to claim the lives of foreigners in the Afghan capital. Earlier this month, gunmen shot and killed a Swedish journalist in broad daylight. In January, a bomb and gun attack by the Taliban on a restaurant in Kabul killed 21 people, most of them foreigners. Earlier, in eastern Afghanistan, Taliban militants stormed a police station in Jalalabad, and a deadly gunbattle ensued, the country's Interior Ministry said. At least 11 people were killed and 22 were injured at the station, and at least six attackers were killed, according to a doctor at the hospital. This came as the militant group threatened to carry out attacks before next month's presidential election. Afghan Taliban spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid confirmed the action to CNN. He said fighters will "continue to attack the pro-U.S. Afghan establishment." Canada pulls out of Kabul as NATO winds down Afghan operations . Suicide blast rips through bazaar in northern Afghanistan . Journalists Zahir Shah Sherazi in Peshawar, Pakistan, and Qadir Sediqui in Kabul contributed to this report. | NEW: Foreigners also died in attacks earlier this month and in January .
The nine dead are civlians -- a mix of Afghans and foreigners .
Four gunmen shot dead by security forces in Kabul hotel attack .
Gunmen were all under 18 and considered "government opponents" |
219,602 | a8474dd9719d1cbbfef8c443964ea4fca2f54fb4 | Shrimp crawling around rock chimneys spewing hot water deep in the Caribbean Sea may hold clues to the kinds of life that can thrive in extreme environments on other planets, NASA says. The shrimp are called Rimicaris hybisae (no, we can't pronounce it either). They live in clumps on hydrothermal vents 7,500 feet underwater, where temperatures reach 750 degrees Fahrenheit and it's very, very dark. The water near the vents is cool enough for the shrimp to live in. The very hot water spewing from the vents is where their dinner is cooked. The shrimp dine on carbohydrates produced by bacteria living inside the vents. So what does that have to with space aliens? If these bacteria can survive in these extreme conditions of Earth, maybe it can happen on other worlds, such as Jupiter's icy moon Europa, which has a subsurface ocean. "For two-thirds of the Earth's history, life has existed only as microbial life," said Max Coleman, senior research scientist at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory. "On Europa, the best chance for life would be microbial." "Whether an animal like this could exist on Europa heavily depends on the actual amount of energy that's released there, through hydrothermal vents," said Emma Versteegh, a postdoctoral fellow at JPL. The elusive Black Seadevil is finally ready for its closeup . So the shrimp eat stuff cranked out by the bacteria -- but what do the bacteria eat? Scientist say they get their energy by using chemical reactions; since hydrogen sulfide is abundant in the vents, they use it to make organic matter. What happens to the shrimp when they can't find any bacteria to produce carbs for them? They turn into carnivores, maybe even cannibals. Researchers say they found bits of crustaceans in the shrimps' guts and guess which crustacean is in big supply in the area? Rimicaris hybisae. . | Shrimp dine on carbohydrates produced by bacteria living inside underwater volcanic vents .
If bacteria can survive in these conditions on Earth, maybe it can happen on other worlds .
Jupiter's icy moon of Europa is the subject of speculation . |
101,931 | 0f5ef2258f4839f7888569f74eb730387a86a7d7 | (CNN) -- A few minutes of what was considered online fun, and one person is dead. Another is convicted of invasion of privacy and bias intimidation. When Rutgers student Dharun Ravi set up a spycam to catch roommate Tyler Clementi in a same-sex romantic moment, and when he tweeted about it and his plans to do it again, little did he think that Clementi would commit suicide or that he would face serious jail time and deportation. Ravi is learning his lesson the hard way. There are lessons for all of us: . What you do online can hurt people. Despite the adage about sticks and stones, words can and do hurt -- especially when anyone can publish information that reaches millions. The Internet is full of homophobic, racist, anti-Semitic and misogynistic content. At a minimum, hate speech is online pollution, but it can go much further. It reinforces stereotypes and strengthens the belief that singling out "the other" for abuse is acceptable. Hate speech can harden low self-esteem and intimidate its targets -- and even lead people to commit suicide. Online bystanders have a responsibility. Some students in the Rutgers dorm were amused by Ravi's spycam-Twitter scheme. Others ignored it. They should have been outraged, and they should have done something about it. "If you see something, say something" is not an admonition restricted to the security realm. Tools are online for each of us to flag and report content that is objectionable. Many online companies have staffs to review such reports and to take action, from removing the offensive content to ejecting the person who posted it. Each of us should take responsibility to combat hate-filled content. Speak up: Clicking to report hate speech to an online host is not all we can do. Justice Louis Brandeis, in a 1927 Supreme Court case, extolled the virtues of "counter-speech" to address objectionable speech. That pre-Internet admonition applies full force to online messages today. Hate speech legitimizes discrimination, and many of the people who post it believe no one objects. So object. Speak up to counter the lies of hate speech or the inappropriate online conduct directed at minorities. Just as the Internet provides thoughtless haters with broadcasting tools, each of us has those same tools at our disposal. A little counter-speech can go a long way. It's time to get serious about cyber-literacy and ethics. The lack of education in schools about the rules that apply to online posting is appalling. Kids are left to their own devices, literally, with little guidance. Given the power in everyone's hands to cause injury -- and to be injured -- schools should provide serious discussions of what is appropriate online behavior. We are well past the time when adults can think of themselves as the digital immigrants who don't fully understand new technologies, compared with their kids, the digital natives who better understand the online world. Privacy is a shared responsibility. Discussions about privacy usually revolve around consumer privacy and protection. But in this era of social media, when everyone can be a publisher and broadcaster, individual responsibility to respect privacy should be the focus. Most people would know that secretly setting up a webcam to spy on someone is wrong. But posting embarrassing photos and videos and making thoughtless comments can be a wrongful invasion of privacy as well. Each of us has a responsibility to consider the privacy implications of what we do online. Homophobia is not funny. Finally, while young straight people today are much more accepting of gay people, an undercurrent of homophobia remains. Ravi most likely would not have set up a webcam to catch his roommate making out with a girl, nor would he have tweeted about it. In some quarters, the put-down "That's so gay" is still common parlance. Many think of gays and lesbians as "the other" and fair game for jokes. Racist and anti-Semitic jokes still have currency. Ravi may have thought what he was doing to his roommate was funny, but he now knows it was anything but, for Clementi and for himself. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Christopher Wolf. | Rutgers tragedy after webcam intrusion: One person convicted, another dead .
Christopher Wolf: Respecting others' privacy online, fighting hate speech our responsibility .
Wolf writes: Our online behavior can hurt ourselves and others, and it can even lead to suicide .
We must speak up against hate speech, he says, and educate kids in wise behavior . |
75,659 | d69242d2d5c9e73cd306357f34393c154e63cd69 | (CNN) -- A federal judge declared a mistrial Monday in the case of two U.S. security contractors accused of killing two Afghanistan civilians. The jury in the case against Christopher Drotleff and Justin Cannon told Judge Robert Doumar that they were unable to reach a unanimous verdict. A retrial has been scheduled for March 1, 2011. Drotleff and Cannon worked as security contractors for a subsidiary of Xe, the military contracting firm formerly known as Blackwater Worldwide. Each were charged with two counts of second-degree murder and one count of attempted murder in connection with a May 2009 shooting in Kabul, Afghanistan. The 12-count, 19-page indictment returned by a federal grand jury in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia also included weapons charges against the two men. Trey Robert Kelleter, the attorney for Drotleff, expressed disappointment with Monday's mistrial declaration in the federal court in Norfolk, Virginia. "We thought the evidence showed Chris had acted in self defense," Kelleter said. "It is a real hardship on his family." Kelleter said his client remained in custody pending a detention hearing scheduled for Wednesday. According to Kelleter, a retrial is likely because of the deadlocked jury. Peter Carr, the spokesman for the U.S. Attorney's office, declined to comment. Both Drotleff and Cannon were in Afghanistan working for the security company Paravant -- a subsidiary of Xe -- to help the U.S. Army train Afghan troops. Drotleff, Cannon and two other contractors, Steven McClain and Armando Hamid, were driving their interpreters on a busy Kabul street called Jalalabad Road on May 5, 2009, when they said a car slammed into one of their two cars. The men said they got out to help their colleagues, and the vehicle that had struck the car did a U-turn and headed back at them. The contractors said they fired at the oncoming vehicle in self-defense. The incident spotlights the issue of the role and conduct of U.S. security contractors in Afghanistan. A similar issue arose in Iraq after a September 2007 confrontation involving then-Blackwater contractors that left 17 Iraqi civilians dead. Blackwater lost its contract there after Iraq's government refused to renew its operating license. The company then changed its name to Xe, and it continues to receive multimillion-dollar contracts in Afghanistan. | NEW: Defense attorney says a retrial is likely .
Deadlocked jury brings mistrial declaration .
Two contractors were accused of killing two Afghanistan civilians .
Defendants worked for a subsidiary of the company formerly called Blackwater . |
253,793 | d47e555c5eb294a6fde2fc37e6f3dc2455ee0272 | Chicago (CNN) -- In the wake of Apple's patent infringement victory over Samsung, many are asking: "What are the practical implications and repercussions of the verdict?" For now, the verdict should be viewed as a victory for consumers, industrial designers, design rights and the patent system in general. I recognize there are some who disagree with this position. These skeptics, painting a gloom and doom picture, argue that the decision will stifle innovation, yielding fewer product choices for consumers, and worse yet, leading to higher prices as Apple will levy an "Apple tax" on all electronic devices. They don't stop there. They then grouse that a party should not be "forced" to change its product "just to avoid a patent." The rhetoric then typically concludes with a flurry of complaints, which, if taken to their logical conclusion, are nothing short of a call to arms to abolish the entire patent system. Lest we forget, the authority to grant patents is expressly engrained in the U.S. Constitution. Expect daring new designs . To understand the epic patent dispute between Apple and Samsung, one must appreciate that there were two distinct breeds of intellectual property rights at play in the case: Utility patents and design patents. Roughly speaking, utility patents protect the function of an item, while design patents protect the appearance of an item. Design patents were at the core of this case. Apple's competitors, including Samsung, will now need to steer clear of Apple's designs. They need to step beyond the shadow of Apple's designs (where they have largely resided for years), and create products that are unique, appealing and distinctly different in visual appearance. The jury spoke loud and clear: Design rights need to be respected. This verdict should be viewed as a much needed opportunity for Apple's competitors to "go back to the drawing board." This, in turn, will mean consumers can expect new, exciting and even daring designs. Thankfully, consumers will be spared a lifetime of watching Apple release new products only to have competitors react by seeing how close they can get without crossing the design line. It is entirely possible that consumers, in time, will get tired of the same-old Apple designs, and actually prefer the new creations. It then will be Apple who will need to innovate (again). This will keep prices in check. Are Apple's competitors ready? Apple's competitors are ready -- provided their decision-makers give the industrial designers (the visual geniuses who create new product designs), more creative license. The best way to compete with Apple's designs is not to emulate but to out-design. Across the globe, there are highly talented industrial designers bursting with creativity who are ready, willing and able to create new, exciting and different looking designs. Samsung to fight ruling . Samsung already employs an accomplished industrial design squad that has received many design accolades, including at the prestigious 2012 International Design Excellence Awards from the Industrial Designers Society of America. During the course of the trial we learned Samsung's business folk were calling most of the shots on product design, rather than its design professionals. Samsung's all-star industrial design team will likely now retake the reins -- again, this bodes well for consumers. How did Apple do it? Apple and Samsung are prolific users of the U.S. design patent system. In 2001, Apple was issued ten U.S. design patents while Samsung was issued eight. This year, Apple is on pace for 160 U.S. design patents, and Samsung is tracking toward 500. With Apple's design patent rights carrying the day, the silver lining for Samsung is that its investment in its large design patent portfolio has been fortified. But Samsung brass may still be left scratching their heads as to how Apple scored this latest triumph. Apple ruling will hurt -- but not for long . Apple's playbook for success in this case boils down to four things. Firstly, the company has top-down understanding of the importance of design in the consumer's purchasing decision. Secondly, it has top-tier industrial design team who created appealing designs that drove product demand so much so they created an insatiable desire to emulate. Thirdly, the company has a sophisticated and aggressive design patent acquisition program. Finally, it has a desire to expend significant effort and resources to enforce and defend product design. It will be interesting to see which Apple competitors seek to emulate this strategy for success. For now this case will serve as an ordinary example of how our patent system was designed to work. Company A innovates and patents; in response, Company B advances the arts and sciences beyond the efforts of Company A. Soon, Company A will be chasing Company B and so on and so forth. All along, the public is the beneficiary of the advancements and innovations. Let the designing begin. | Lawyer Christopher Carani: The Apple verdict is a victory for consumers, design rights and the patent system .
Apple's competitors, including Samsung, will now need to steer clear of Apple's designs .
Carani believes the best way to compete with Apple's designs is not to emulate but to out-design . |
119,858 | 26ec4a7321eb4fbf6b3c7d7523f238e4597ca4bb | By . Helen Collis . PUBLISHED: . 03:40 EST, 4 September 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 11:36 EST, 5 September 2013 . A thief who pulled a gun on a store cashier left with his tail between his legs when the clerk - an Iraq War veteran - reacted quickly using his years of training. Jon Lewis Alexander, 54, had a gun pulled on him while at work, but within a split second he'd pulled out his own firearm and had it inside the thief's mouth. The tense exchange took place in a store in Marionville, Missouri, and was caught on CCTV. Taught a lesson: This thief got a shock when the war vet store clerk he pulled a gun on, quickly responded by forcing his own firearm into the attacker's mouth . Police said Mr Alexander had a lucky escape, but speaking to The Blaze, the store clerk said he told the police 'I think (the robber) is a little luckier than I am.' After 30 years of service in the U.S. military, Mr Alexander has certainly had more than his fair share of dealing with unpredictable and violent situations, as well as knowing how to handle a firearm. He has served four tours in Iraq and has worked as a prison guard and private investigator. The failed robbery took place on Saturday night. The thief is seen sauntering into the store smoking a cigarette, which Mr Alexander promptly asks the man to put out. The thief then quickly reaches for his gun while demanding all the money in the til. But . the clerk's training and instinct took over, and he grabbed his own . Walther PPX 9 mm handgun from his back pocket while blocking the thief's . aim with his other hand. Tense: The exchange took place on Saturday night when the thief walked in smoking a cigarette. He was promptly told to put it out by Mr Alexander . He told the news service he threatened to blow the thief's head off. At which point the man backed out of the shop. He said he didn't fire his weapon because the thief's gun was never pointed directly at him, threatening his life. Store owners Max and Jeannie Dawson, . who have provided police and the news service with the CCTV footage, . said they fully support Mr Alexander's handling of the situation. The . clerk's wife was initially horrified at hearing what had happened while . her husband was at work, but after seeing the footage, she eventually . calmed down. 'It took her a while to calm down,' he said. 'But I got all kinds of lovin’ when she came home,' he told The Blaze. Quick reactions: Mr Alexander immediately jumped into action, controlling where the thief pointed his firearm while grabbing his own handgun from his back pocket . Control: The clerk points hidden gun directly at the thief who has demanded . all the money from the til. Mr Alexander said he would . 'blow his head off' | Thief demanded money at gunpoint in a store in Marionville, Missouri .
But war veteran store clerk reacted quickly, and pulled out his own firearm .
Within seconds he had his weapon in the thief's mouth and was in control .
The attacker slowly backed off as the clerk followed him with his handgun . |
208,789 | 9a5b5b421c7a935462dcb10f67892a21947d0e85 | A small dinosaur the size of a crow may have had feathers on its hindlegs and limbs, as well as on its wings. Studies of the most complete specimen of an . Archaeopteryx suggest it evolved these 'feather trousers' to absorb shocks when landing, and to attract mates. Researchers believe the Archaeopteryx is the missing link between dinosaurs and birds because of its mix of sharp reptilian claws, a bony tail and a bill studded with teeth. Studies of the most complete Archaeopteryx specimen (pictured) suggest the small dinosaur evolved 'feather trousers' to absorb shocks when landing. Researchers believe the Archaeopteryx is the missing link between dinosaurs and birds because of its mix of sharp reptilian claws, a bony tail and a bill studded with teeth . The Archaeopteryx was about 1.5ft (18 inches) long with sharp reptilian claws, a bony tail and a bill studded with teeth. It lived around 150 million years ago . in the Jurassic and the first fossil was discovered over 150 years ago . in 1861 - two years after the publication of Charles Darwin’s On the . Origin of Species. Its black wing . feathers could have helped the creature flap and glide, but whether it . could fly is unknown. An . analysis of other early feathered dinosaurs - and birds - suggests the feathers . evolved in relation to display and were later recruited for . aerodynamic functions. Its ‘trouser of feathers’ could have been used as a shock absorber during landing. Scientists said the characteristics that make Archaeopteryx an evolutionary intermediate are its combination of reptilian and avian features - which include a wishbone. It lived around 150 million years ago in the Jurassic and the first fossil was discovered over 150 years ago in 1861 - two years after the publication of Charles Darwin’s On the Origin of Species. Its black wing feathers could have helped the creature flap and glide, but whether it could fly is unknown. Dr Oliver Rauhut from the Bavarian State Collection for Palaeontology and Geology . in Munich, said there is . evidence of quill-like feathers all over the creature’s body - not only . on the wings and tail but also the body and legs. The . upper hindlimbs display long symmetrical feathers and there are shorter . ones along the lower - suggesting this distribution during the origin . of birds was more complex than previously believed. Dr . Rauhut added that, as in living birds, the feathers most likely related to body . insulation, manoeuvrability, brooding, camouflage and display. The Archaeopteryx (artist's illustration pictured) was about 1.5ft (18 inches) long with black feathers. It has a mix of reptilian and avian features, including a wishbone, and is considered to be the evolutionary link between dinosaurs and birds . This graph tracks the evolution of feathers in maniraptoran theropods. It shows the Archaeopteryx 14th from the left having tibial and metatarsal feather trousers . But it seems plausible Archaeopteryx used them primarily for display. ‘Here we describe a new specimen of Archaeopteryx with . extensive feather preservation not only on the wings and tail but also . on the body and legs,' Dr . Rauhut said. ‘The specimen shows the entire body was covered in quill-like feathers.’ An . analysis of other early feathered dinosaurs - and birds - suggests the feathers evolved in relation to display and were later recruited for . aerodynamic functions. Its ‘trouser of feathers’ could have also been used as a shock absorber during landing. The Archaeopteryx is often described as a small crow-like creature (stock image pictured). Its upper hindlimbs display long symmetrical feathers and there are shorter ones along the lower - suggesting this distribution during the origin of birds was more complex than previously believed . | Studies of the Archaeopteryx reveal it had plumed ‘trousers’ on its hind limbs, as well as feathered wings .
Jurassic dinosaur was 1.5ft (18 inches) long with sharp reptilian claws .
The black creature also had a bony tail and a bill studded with teeth .
It has a mix of reptilian and avian features, including a wishbone and is considered to be an evolutionary link between dinosaurs and birds . |
10,929 | 1f11d848ea6ab88c1256c0c0242fd6be11e2a464 | A Supreme Court Judge has ruled a the boyfriend a murder victim is the prime suspect in an eminent cold case from nine years ago. Simone Strobel, a 25-year-old German kindergarten teacher, disappeared from a tourist park in Lismore, Northern NSW, on February the 11th 2005. Her naked body was found hidden under a palm tree one week later. She was found to have been suffocated with a pillow or a plastic bag. Despite substantial investigations, the case remains unsolved. West Australian Supreme Court Judge Kenneth Martin has argued Strobel's boyfriend at the time, Tobias Moran, (left) is the prime suspect in the murder of Simone Strobel (right) Simone Strobel's body was found hidden at a camp site in 2005. Forensic investigations found she had been suffocated with a pillow or plastic bag . In June, Moran filed for an injunction to stop Schwartz Publishing Pty Ltd releasing a book, Have You Seen Simone?, by author Virginia Peters, on the grounds that it 'seriously defamed him'. The case was handled by West Australian Supreme Court Judge Kennet Martin, who this week has published his rejection of the order. Martin has said there is 'reasonable suspicion' that Strobel's boyfriend at the time, Tobias Moran-formerly Tobias Suckfuell-was behind her death. Yahoo News reported that Martin said: 'The proximity of Simone's discovered body (within 90m of the Lismore caravan park), the plaintiff's (Suckfuell/Moran) lack of a solid alibi in terms of his overall movements on the evening before Simone left, some arguably odd behaviour by him in terms of him not searching for Simone the next morning (he denies that) and some delay in reporting Simone's disappearance to the Australian police, this goes towards providing a basis for a reasonable suspicion about the plaintiff. 'Suspicion must inevitably fall upon this plaintiff as regards this unsolved crime'. Strobel's body was found 90 metres from where she was staying with Moran in a Lismore Caravan park. A new hearing shows they had been arguing heavily on the night of her disappearance . The hearing also showed that Moran has misled the investigation. Strobel and Moran had been arguing in the days leading up to her disappearance. They were also drinking heavily on the night of her disappearance, and had returned to the camping they were staying at site to smoke marijuana. Martin said that these details were denied by Moran, hereby misleading the investigation. However, he ruled that 'there is no forensic evidence at this point supporting a conclusion that the plaintiff was her murderer.' Earlier this year, German authorities have offered a $15,000 reward for information about her death. | Simone Strobel's body was found hidden at a northern NSW camp site in 2005 .
She was ruled to have been suffocated with a pillow or plastic bag .
Despite extensive investigations, the case remains unsolved .
West Australian Supreme Court Judge Kenneth Martin has argued Strobel's boyfriend at the time, Tobias Moran, is the prime suspect .
Martin has argued that Moran misled police about key details of the case .
He says that while Moran is the prime suspect, there is no forensic evidence to support the conclusion . |
232,976 | b9a3c9e37d8da532265d330f6548e69e5a88ebc4 | By . Tom Gardner . PUBLISHED: . 07:40 EST, 10 January 2014 . | . UPDATED: . 04:42 EST, 11 January 2014 . The dramatic moment an exhausted pet dog was plucked from a frozen lake after falling through the ice has been caught on camera. Firefighter Sean Coyle risked his own safety to venture out on to frozen Pleasure Bay off Castle Island in South Boston during the rescue. Sylvie, a 13-year-old husky, had plunged into the frigid water during her morning walk on Thursday. Help is on its way: Firefighter Sean Coyle uses a basket to slide out to Sylvie, a 13 year old Husky . She had spent more than 30 minutes treading water before help arrived. Her frantic owner looked on, powerless to help, as the member of Ladder 19 put on a survival suit and headed onto the treacherous bay. Inching out across the cracking ice, fireman Coyle carefully closed in on the struggling animal with a Stokes basket, a specialized stretcher, ready to carry the animal back if need be. Struggle: Exhausted Sylvie had been in the frigid water for more than 30 minutes by the time rescue arrived . Hold on: The husky clings to the ice as firefighter Sean Coyle inches out to the hole . In safe hands: Fireman Coyle grabs Sylvie by the scuff of the neck as he attempts to lift her from the water . He managed to grab hold of the pet by the scruff of the neck and haul the animal out of the water. Mr . Coyle told the Boston Globe: 'She was pretty shaken up when I got to her. At that point, . her barks had turned into whimpers. She was losing energy.' Coyle extricated the animal, put it in . the Stokes basket, and started heading back to shore. Boston Fire Department spokesman Steve MacDonald said the rescue carried with it significant danger for the firefighter. 'Even though we’ve had cold temperatures, we’ve had some periods of thawing, too,' he told the Boston Globe. Lucky escape: The 13-year-old Husky's thick winter coat helped her stay alive in the freezing water . Soaking: The pet emerged from the water and totters on the ice as she regained her balance . After . being plucked from the water, rescuer and dog had the risky journey back to shore, across 30 or 40 yards of brittle ice. About . halfway back, Coyle let the animal out of the basket, and let the . dog to walk the rest of the way. She bounded up to a the man who had been walking . the dog for his niece. Reunited with the pet, the relieved man headed home, this time with the dog on a leash. Danger: The risks were not over once Sylvie had been plucked from the water as thinning ice meant rescuer and dog could fall back in at any second . Hold on tight: Sylvie is grabbed to prevent her heading back on to the treacherous ice . Reunited: A worried owner is reunited with his beloved pet on the banks of Castle Island's Pleasure Bay . | Dog plunged into water in Pleasure Bay off Castle Island in South Boston .
Firefighter Sean Coyle ventured onto the treacherous ice .
Animal survived 30 minutes in the water, according to rescuers .
Pet was plucked to safety following the rescue at 9am today . |
64,749 | b7e5d699ddfd6fb92bba76c404ea03962636b07a | By . Mark Duell . PUBLISHED: . 18:33 EST, 8 October 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 02:47 EST, 9 October 2012 . They might look like something straight out of a horror film, but these extraordinary images have been created to show the special bond between dogs and their owners. Photographer Sebastian Magnani, 27, from Brig, Switzerland, took pictures of dogs and their owners using the same position and camera settings before working his magic with editing software. The result is this startling set of images, which show the pooches with human clothes - one wearing a hoodie, another with a red coat, one with a shirt and cardigan, and another with a blue jacket. Bizarre: Photographer Sebastian Magnani, 27, from Brig, Switzerland, took pictures of dogs and their owners using the same position and camera settings before working his magic with editing software . Amazing: The result of Mr Magnani's work is this startling set of images, which show the pooches with human clothes - one wearing a hoodie, another with a coat, one with a shirt and cardigan, and another with a jacket . Mr Magnani wrote on his blog: ‘I had a spontaneous idea in 2009 to blend my dog with my friend in one person. Thus I was able to put on my bedside table a picture of my two favourites in one picture.’ Mr Magnani, who now lives in Berne, discovered a love for photography in 2006 and spent five years as a graphic designer in Brig, before deciding to ‘make his passion his profession’, his website said. Photography blogger Tom White said: 'I can’t help but try to nitpick at any flaws I can find within photo manipulations, but I'm seriously struggling with these creations. They’re flawless.' And blogger Michele Llanos said: 'If these images don’t put a smile on your face, you must be made of stone. How did this photographer manage to get such personality in these images? ‘Each one of these dogs is infused with its own essence and character, giving us an excuse to imagine Who are they? Where do they come from? What do they do?’ | Swiss man Sebastian Magnani, 27, took pictures of dogs and their owners .
Used same position and settings before working with editing software .
Photography bloggers praise 'flawless' images that are full of 'personality' |
209,295 | 9b06c2c9bf7688258bc58010880f212adf2f892a | (CNN) -- From plastic flamingos to freshly squeezed orange juice to consistent balmy temps, Florida has a lot going for it. If you are looking for an excuse to visit, 2013 is the year to do it. This year marks the 500th anniversary of Juan Ponce de Leon setting foot on Florida's East Coast. As part of Viva Florida 500, there are more than 200 events designed to help you learn about Florida's cultural heritage. We've added a few more to the list. Some scream adventure, while others soothe the soul. But all will have you acting downright Floridian. Strap on scuba gear: Lower Keys Underwater Music Festival . Grab your flippers and head to the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary. Not only is it home to a vibrant coral-barrier reef, but it's also the spot for a wacky annual gathering where tunes are broadcast by speakers suspended from boats. On July 13, hundreds of snorkelers and scuba divers will show up to see acts like "Britney Spearfish," "Bob Marlin" and "Eel-vis Presley" toting along instruments like the "manta-lin" and the "Fluke-a-Lele." It is all fun and games, but the overall message is one of coral-reef conservation. Big Pine Key, Florida.; www.lowerkeyschamber.com . To Disney or not to Disney? Airboat through the Everglades: Sawgrass Recreation Park . In the Everglades National Park, the largest subtropical wilderness in the continental United States, the most popular resident is the alligator. But did you know it's home to crocodiles, too? This is the only place in the world where you can see the toothy reptiles living side by side. Seek them out by racing among the saw grass and cattails on a guided airboat tour. At times you'll hit 50 mph and other times you'll sit still to soak up the scenery and learn about the invasive species problems. Prolong your visit by checking out animal exhibits where you can hold a baby gator and feed a pot-bellied pig. Or kick it up a notch with a nighttime tour where you'll hear the hum of crickets and frogs while being surrounded by the red glow of gator eyes. 1006 N. U.S. Highway 27, Weston, Florida.; www.evergladestours.com . Party like a pirate: St. Augustine Pirate Gathering . Avast, ye mateys! November marks the perfect time to roam about like a rebel in the oldest city in the nation. The St. Augustine Pirate Gathering is November 8-10 and admission is only a "buck-an-ear." See a re-enactment of a pirate mutiny, learn about authentic plundering weapons and visit the wee matey's play area. Be sure to come ashore dressed in your best piratical attire to celebrate the Golden Age of Piracy. If you can't make this one, there are plenty of other gatherings. Take Gasparilla Pirate Fest, for example. It's one of the most well-known pirate parties, and it happens in Tampa each year in late January or early February. 29 W. Castillo Dr., St Augustine, Florida; www.pirategathering.com . D.C. in bloom: Cherry blossom fun . Walk on water: Zainojet . If you've ever wanted to feel like James Bond, here's your chance. At several waterfront Florida locations you can hop into the water and launch yourself up to 30 feet in the air thanks to a water-propelled jet pack called JetLev. It's part watercraft and part aircraft, and it sends you flying at speeds up to 30 mph. You can hover just above the surface, dive headfirst into the water or move horizontally while tip-toeing across the water. 7904 West Drive Harbour Island, Miami, Florida; www.zainojet.com . Pick your own oranges: Ridge Island Groves . Nothing says Old Florida like acres of citrus trees. Picking your own oranges is always refreshingly rewarding. For more than 20 years, family-owned Ridge Island Groves has touted all things orange, everything from freshly squeezed orange juice to homemade orange ice cream. Take a golf-cart tour of the rural groves and fill your bag with juicy Valencia oranges, plus honey Murcott tangerines and ruby red grapefruits. Then head to the charming outdoor store where shelves are stocked with Bone Hot Suckin' Sauce, pear preserves, pumpkin butter, pickled okra and corn relish, among many others. 6000 Polk City Road, Haines City, Florida; www.ridgeislandgroves.com . Trek along the trails: Forever Florida . At this 4,700-acre wildlife haven the real attraction is the topography; we're talking nine beautifully preserved ecosystems, to be exact. The easiest way to check out the sprawling conservation area is the way the founding settlers did, on horseback. As you mosey along the trails, some of which were set by native Americans in the 1500s, you'll pass bromeliads above, neon-green duckweed crowding the ponds below and native animals galore. In fact, the ranch is home to the largest herd of Spanish colonial cattle in the state, a critically endangered breed that the ranch owners are committed to protecting. Keep your eyes peeled for bald eagles, snakes, bobcats, Florida scrub-jays, sandhill cranes and gopher tortoises. 4755 N. Kenansville Rd., St. Cloud, Florida; www.foreverflorida.com . Stand up and paddle: Jax Surf Training . One of the best ways to scope out Florida's teeming marine life is to skim across its waters. More specifically, sign up for a stand-up paddle boarding lesson with Jax Surf Training. Participants hop aboard super sturdy, extra-long boards and scoot several miles down the St. John's River. Expect up-close encounters with manatees, dolphins, pelicans and fish of all sorts as you glide along. If you are in Jacksonville on July 4, catch a glimpse of expert paddle boarders making their way toward the Jacksonville Landing as part of Expedition Florida 500. After spending 185 days on the water circumnavigating the state, XF500 paddle boarders will mark the halfway point of their expedition. Oh, and there will be plenty of fireworks, too. | The Everglades is the only place in the world where alligators and crocodiles live side by side .
Party like a pirate in St. Augustine, the oldest city in the nation .
Pick your own Florida oranges or grapefruits on a golf-cart tour of the groves . |
159,596 | 5a4b462874615971e53ded5895f7f3229a27359a | A multi-million-pound scheme to increase massively the number of elite teachers parachuted into Britain’s toughest schools will be announced by the Government tomorrow. The funding will help train 2,000 top graduates a year to teach in schools in inner cities and other deprived parts of the country. The money, to be unveiled by Education Secretary Michael Gove, is the latest tranche granted by the Government to the charity Teach First, which was set up to woo high-flyers to swap lucrative City jobs for the classroom. Education Secretary Michael Gove, pictured, will unveil the new funding on Monday to train 2,000 top graduates . The Government said tens of thousands of children from disadvantaged backgrounds would benefit because the charity operates only in schools where at least half the pupils come from the poorest third of families in England. Mr Gove said: ‘The quality of teachers has a greater influence on children’s achievement than any other aspect of their education. Every pupil, regardless of their background, deserves high-quality teaching in order to succeed in life. Teach First helps get some of our brightest graduates into some of our most challenging classrooms. We are committed to supporting the charity in its efforts to reach more schools.’ Founded by former City business consultant Brett Wigdortz in 2002, Teach First takes on only high-calibre graduates who have a 2:1 degree or above and trainees must go through a rigorous assessment process and intensive two-year training programme. The government said that tens of thousands of children from disadvantaged backgrounds would benefit from the latest tranche of funding, which was granted to the charity Teach First . Teach First is already the biggest recruiter from Oxford University, pictured, and Cambridge University . So selective is the screening that many of the would-be teachers are weeded out and Teach First approves only about 12 per cent of applicants. The organisation already takes on more than 1,000 graduates a year who want to avoid the traditional teacher-training path, and the new money, expected to be about £7 million, will almost double the numbers. Already the biggest recruiter from Oxford and Cambridge, the charity will next year become Britain’s biggest graduate recruitment organisation. Trainees are required to stay in the classroom for only two years, and many sign up to hone skills, such as communication, that they believe will serve them well in future careers. But more than half stay in teaching and the most inspirational are fast-tracked into senior roles. Mr Wigdortz welcomed the new Government funding and said: ‘This support is vital to help us achieve our ambitious aim to ensure that no child’s educational success is limited by their socio-economic background.’ The charity already has more than 1,000 graduates a year who want to avoid the traditional teacher-training route . Though it began in London and spread to other cities, including Manchester, the charity is now expanding into coastal and rural schools suffering from disadvantages. The new grant, which takes Government support for Teach First to nearly £40 million, is part of Mr Gove’s plans to boost education standards by attracting the brightest students into teaching. In addition to the Teach First scheme, graduates with first-class degrees who specialise in subjects in which there is a shortage of teachers, such as maths and science, can be given financial incentives of up to £20,000 to train on conventional courses, and former soldiers are also being encouraged to sign up. Meanwhile, the Government has said it will no longer fund the training of graduates who have obtained only a third-class degree. New figures show that more than seven out of ten new trainees now have at least a 2:1 – the highest proportion ever recorded. The figures also show the quality of trainee teachers has improved in the core subjects where there have traditionally been shortages, including maths, physics, chemistry and modern foreign languages. | New funding will be unveiled by Education Secretary Michael Gove on Monday to help train up top graduates for the classroom .
It is the latest tranche to be awarded to the charity Teach First . |
244,600 | c88d311dd4fac22bc5d6ea6702a2bd2600870e2e | Los Angeles (CNN) -- Los Angeles' Interstate 405 will reopen as soon as 11:30 a.m. (2:30 p.m. ET) Sunday, more than 17 hours ahead of schedule, Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa said Sunday. The freeway has been closed since Friday night to allow crews to demolish a section of bridge to make way for a car pool lane. The anticipated gloom and doom didn't produce gridlock. In fact, rather heavenly highway conditions were reported despite the closing of the major freeway for an expansion project. Southern California residents were heeding an unprecedented local public awareness campaign urging drivers to stay home while Interstate 405 was closed in the heart of the city, the nation's second-largest. But officials still weren't taking chances early in the weekend. "So far, so good," California Department of Transportation spokeswoman Judy Gish told CNN early Saturday afternoon. She acknowledged Californians have now coined a new word to replace the "Carmageddon" buzzword. "Carmaheaven, I've heard that," Gish said. "Well, you know, I think what's important to address is if people start driving as usual, we will have Carmaggedon. "It's been relatively light because people have been listening to the message, and they are not out on the road. We want to make sure they don't get complacent and say, 'There's nothing to get alarmed about and I may as well go out.' And if they do, we may see those delays that we warned them about," Gish said. Traffic was also unusually light on Pacific Coast Highway, a recommended alternative route for motorists traveling to Los Angeles International Airport. And parking lots at Santa Monica Beach, typically packed on a sunny Saturday, were relatively empty. The closure of the 405 is being deemed such a potentially calamitous event that locals called it "Carmaggedon." That's because southern California is notorious for its love affair with the car and its reluctance to embrace public transportation. One of the busiest freeways in the country, the 405 is one of two mountain passes in the heart of Los Angeles and is the major coastal artery connecting southern California with the rest of the state. "We are the car capital of the United States of America and the single-passenger-car capital," Villaraigosa told CNN. A 10-mile stretch of 10-lane I-405 closed for the demolition of a bridge section made for a surreal scene overnight -- a stretch of freeway without any traffic. It is expected to remain that way for about 53 hours. Crews closed ramps late Friday on the 405, where it passes over the Santa Monica Mountains, California Department of Transportation officials said. The $1.2 billion construction project calls for replacing a portion of a bridge at Mulholland Drive, a mountain summit road that is featured in many Hollywood films, authorities said. A year from now, crews will have to shut down the 405 again to replace a final portion of the Mulholland Drive bridge, officials said. Villaraigosa said officials carried out "an unprecedented" campaign urging motorists to stay put or use public transportation. "It doesn't have to be 'Carmageddon.' That's why we have done so much outreach to the public," the mayor said. The weekend construction project should be completed by 5 a.m. Monday to accommodate the morning rush hour, officials said. The project also calls for adding a car-pool lane in each direction, creating "the largest HOV system in the world" at 48.6 miles in length between the San Fernando Valley and Orange County, said Mike Miles, the California Department of Transportation's director for Los Angeles and Ventura counties. The two-year project will replace two more bridges, also to accommodate the widening of the 405, and will improve about two dozen on-off ramps and add 18 miles of sound-deadening walls for nearby residents, Miles said. "This is a big project that is much needed, and it will be a great benefit to the public," Miles said. The 405 is usually one of the busiest freeways in the country, carrying about 500,000 cars a day through the Sepulveda Pass, a critical artery connecting Californians along the coast. The 405 achieved notoriety on national television as the corridor that former NFL player O.J. Simpson used as he was being slowly chased by police in 1994. The highway also cuts through the west side of Los Angeles, an area that includes the high-status communities of Bel Air, Brentwood, Beverly Hills and Santa Monica. The four-mile southbound section is closed between U.S. 101 and Getty Center Drive ramps. The 10-mile northbound section is closed between U.S. 101 and Interstate 10. Los Angeles International Airport is urging travelers to get there by public transit, especially rail, or to stay at nearby hotels for early morning flights. There is an app, or several, for "Carmageddon." KABC has partnered with Waze, the mobile social traffic and navigation app, to help navigate the traffic. "The app provides free turn-by-turn GPS navigation based on the live conditions of the road," the station said. Celebrities are even tweeting -- cheekily -- about this weekend's affront to the Los Angeles driving experience. Twitter titan and actor Ashton Kutcher has gotten into the act: "LAPD askd me 2tweet: 405fwy btwn 10 & 101 will b closed July16-17. In xchange I would like a free pass on that stoplight tickt IT WAS YELLOW." When shown a copy of the tweet while he was being interviewed on CNN, the mayor laughed about the request to fix the ticket. "No, thank you, Ashton," Villaraigosa said. CNN's Sonya Hamasaki and Zohreen Adamjee contributed to this report. | NEW: Interstate 405 expected to open ahead of schedule, Villaraigosa says .
Traffic is relatively light on Los Angeles' freeways .
Interstate 405 in Los Angeles carries about 500,000 cars a day .
It's one of two major mountain highway passes in the heart of the nation's second-largest city . |
23,315 | 4235f34b76819e68ff32b05052602637977c1d34 | By . Chris Pleasance . Everton football star and World Cup hopeful Ross Barkley has allegedly been threatened on Twitter by a convicted drug dealer and known gangster in a row over a girl. Sam Walker, 30, sent a sinister message to 20-year-old Barkley saying: 'Inbox me a number for you ya little rat! You no wot this is about, so don't play stupid or your footie career will come to an end.' The message is thought to have been sent after Barkley's ex-girlfriend started dating Walker. Scroll down for video . England footballer Ross Barkley (left) has allegedly been threatened on Twitter by gangster Sam Walker (right) who asked for the sportsman's phone number, warning 'don't play stupid or your footie career will end' Hopeful: Barkley is in contention to go to the World Cup in Brazil with England this summer . A Twitter profile believed to belong to Walker, from Garston, Liverpool, describes him as: 'DIRECTOR OF (DRS) ! Smash life, love those that love you! Your thoughts become your reality so think positive and good things will happen!' Row: The Tweet was thought to have been sent by Walker after he started dating Barkley's ex-girlfriend . According to the Mirror, Barkley and Walker have had 'discussions' in Liverpool nightclub Playground recently, a popular hangout for WAGs such as Abbey Clancey and Alex Gerrard. Officers from Merseyside police confirmed they spoke to Barkley recently after he received a call from a 'third party' about a different threat, but the sportsman declined to make a complaint. The tension around Barkley could prove crucial for England manager Roy Hodgson as he looks to select his final 23 for the World Cup . Ross Barkley is widely tipped to make the list for the tournament, taking place in Brazil this summer,after a stellar season with Everton. Barkley has made 45 appearances for the club this season, scoring five goals. That has helped the Toffees to fifth place in the Premier League, one point behind Arsenal, and within touching distance of Champions League football next season. Walker, who was in court in February this year to admit a charge of possessing class A drugs, has previously been pictured smoking what appears to be a joint . According to the Mirror, Barkley and Walker were spotted having 'discussions' in Playground nightclub . The club is a known hang-out of WAGs such as Abbey Clancey (left) and Alex Gerrard (right) Walker was previously jailed for being part of a gang dealing heroin and crack cocaine. He served half of his four year, eight month sentence before being released on licence in 2012. But he had his sentence extended last August when he admitted sending a threatening Âvoicemail to a police officer. In February last year he was cleared at . Sheffield crown court of being involved in a plan to smuggle drugs into . Doncaster prison while an inmate there. But he was back in court in February this year to plead guilty to possessing class A drug ecstasy, while denying another charge of carrying counterfeit currency. In 2008, internet pictures of Walker in prison emerged, which showed him Âapparently smoking a spliff. | Tweet allegedly sent to Barkley by known gangster Sam Walker .
He tells Barkley to send his phone number or 'your footie career will end'
Row thought to have taken place after Barkley's ex started dating Walker . |
184,152 | 7a86973acf7b2d5f750d6647cb3743e4344adfe6 | They're among the most iconic artifacts of British culture, recognised the world over by their bright red exterior. But the quintessential red phone box is being reinvented to accommodate a generation of mobile-phone users. Instead of metal headsets and coin slots, the booths are to be fitted with coffee machines, sweet jars and shoe shine as part of the scheme. Phone boxes across London are to be refurbished in to coffee shops by the Red Kiosk Company. It comes after the success of Red Box coffee in Brighton (pictured) Of the 669 remaining K6 Kiosks, 100 will be adapted by the Red Kiosk Company. For £5,000-a-pop, the company will transform them into miniature businesses and give jobs to the long-term unemployed. The 100 Kiosks have been taken on via the BT Adopt a Phonebox scheme. For as little as £1, local authorities and charities can take ownership of one of the iconic boxes and protect its heritage. If the new owner decides to fit a defibrillator in their kiosk, BT will supply free red paint for them to coat its exterior. Scotland's smallest internet cafe can be found in Ballogie where visitors can make themselves a cup of tea or coffee and use the internet . Heather Munro with the defibrillator outside the phone box in Glendaruel, Argyll, in 2011 . Twelve of its planning applications for Kiosks have already been approved, the Evening Standard reports. The scheme has already seen success in Brighton, where two previously disused phone boxes have been turned into Red Box Coffee and Ice Cream shops. And in Scotland a council took ownership of one of the boxes to create the country's smallest internet cafe. Visitors to the box in Ballogie, Aberdeenshire, can make themselves a cup of tea or coffee while connecting to the internet. An honesty box has been placed to encourage customers to pay for the service. In Argyll a previously empty box was fitted with a defibrillator upon the suggestion of a local girl guide. Heather Munro won a local competition appealing for the best use of the box in 2011. Its location in the Highlands is a passing point for many hikers who have, villagers said, had heart problems in the past. In 1868, the Telegraph Act granted the Postmaster General (the office of the General Post Office) the right to acquire privately-owned telegraph companies. Sixteen years later, the first public boxes appeared on British streets, with the first police box appearing in Glasgow in 1891. In 1923, a national competition was held to source a new design for the kiosks across London. It was held by the Metropolitan Boroughs Joint Standing Committee. After several different styles of kiosk, 8,000 of the K6 were distributed across the UK in 1936. But in 1969, the Metropolitan Police began decommissioning its network of police boxes. A decade later, the Post Office - which had acquired the boxes - is split into two companies, and they become the responsibility of BT. With the introduction of mobile phones, the use of public phone boxes deteriorated rapidly over the following decades. In 2008, British Telecommunications launched the Adopt a Kiosk scheme to revive the disused boxes. By 2011, 1500 kiosks had been adopted under the scheme. The following year it was revealed that of the 50,000-odd public phones in the UK, only around 11,000 were red boxes. A 2001 phone box unveiled in Parliament Square as BT announced a loss of £1.35billion . | The Red Kiosk Company has 'adopted' 100 of the iconic phone booths .
They will be transformed into miniature businesses for the unemployed .
Comes after the success of two coffee boxes in Brighton and Aberdeen . |
221,038 | aa230667dc3ab7b72cfe9bd138146b923c82fc73 | It's literally a case of there is no time like the present for the two giant pandas at Adelaide Zoo who have begun mating calls as their breeding window only lasts about 36 hours. Zoo staff are hopeful that Wang Wang and Funi will bring a little panda into the world as Funi's high-pitched sounds are said to be typical of a female panda undertaking mating behaviour. Now that the pair are sexually mature, experts are more confident than ever as they predict Funi will ovulate within the next 24 hours with her playfulness increasing - especially in the water. If Funi successfully falls pregnant, which wouldn't be detected until about two weeks before birth, it will be the first time a panda is born in the Southern hemisphere. Scroll down for video . The pandas have been placed in each other's enclosures for periods of time to develop their scent-marking behaviour . Wang Wang and Funi have about a 36 hour window to breed once a year at the Adelaide zoo . Zoo staff says the pair are now sexually mature after being at the zoo since 2009 . After artificial insemination was attempted last year, the zoo handlers and the team of specialists have decided to just try the natural breeding this time around. Adelaide Zoo vet David McLelland said staff were the most confident they had been that the pair will breed since the pandas arrived at the zoo from China in 2009. 'They are sexually mature now - we have seen them go through puberty and develop over the last five years since they have been with us,' he told Daily Mail Australia. 'Last year we were still seeing relatively immature behaviour from Wang Wang so we didn't have any confidence of natural breeding.' Funi's behaviour of late has also been a positive sign. 'She has had an increase of vocalisation and a lot more water play and splashing around rather than being up in the trees - they often only come down when they are receptive,' he said. Funi's high-pitched noises are a sign that she is getting ready for the breeding season . Experts predict Funi will ovulate within the next 24 hours judging from hormone testing taken . Funi's playfulness is another sign that she is getting ready for the short mating season . After putting the pair together for a short unsuccessful period last year, the staff tried artificial insemination. 'Although we saw better signs from them we didn't think putting them together would result in anything, so we tried artificial insemination but it wasn't successful because his sperm count quality wasn't great.' But this year is looking the most positive yet in the five years that the pandas have been living in Australia, as Wang Wang is now nine years-old and Funi is eight. 'We have progressively seen maturity in her and the male looks like he know more what's hes doing as well,' he said . 'So we are a lot more hopeful and we are maximising the opportunity to breed naturally, and if we are not successful this year it will stand us in good stead for the future.' To give the process a little helping hand, the pandas are put in each other's enclosures for periods of time. 'We move them to swap scents from one enclosure to another so their pheromones will be going haywire,' he said. 'When they are exposed to the scents of the opposite sex then it really helps them develop sexually as well.' Dr McLelland said it was not known why pandas had such a small breeding window. The pandas are on loan from China for another four years. If Funi successfully falls pregnant, which wouldn't be detected until about two weeks before birth, it will be the first time a panda is born in the Southern hemisphere . Funi has four more years to fall pregnant in Australia before heading back to China . Wang Wang's sperm count was too low last year and he was not deemed sexually mature enough . | Wang Wang and Funi have only one chance per year to mate .
Their breeding window only lasts about 36 hours .
The pandas have been at the Adelaide Zoo since 2009 .
If Funi falls pregnant it will be the first time a panda is born in the Southern hemisphere .
The pair are on loan from China for another four years . |
39,552 | 6fb14183f1651ba1829f6911c0f2f902ac020ed8 | (CNN) -- A new era in computing that will see machines perform at least 1,000 times faster than today's most powerful supercomputers is almost upon us. By the end of the decade, exaFLOP computers are predicted to go online heralding a new chapter in scientific discovery. The United States, China, Japan, the European Union and Russia are all investing millions of dollars in supercomputer research. In February, the EU announced it was doubling investment in research to €1.2 billion ($1.6 billion). See also: Super telescope to search for secrets of universe . What is an exaFLOP? Computer scientists measure a supercomputer's performance in FLOPS, an acronym for FLoating Point Operations per Second, while "exa" is a metric prefix which stands for quintillion (or a billion billion). An exascale computer could perform approximately as many operations per second as 50 million laptops. "It is the next frontier for high-performance computing," says Dimitrios Nikolopoulos, professor at the School of Electronics at the UK's Queen's University of Belfast. How fast are today's supercomputers? Today, the fastest supercomputers operate at the petaFLOP level says Nikolopoulos, performing in excess of one quadrillion (or a million billion) operations per second. The first computer to break through the petaFLOP barrier was IBM's Roadrunner in 2008. But its reign as the fastest computer in the world didn't last long, with the Cray Jaguar installed at Oak Ridge National Laboratory in the United States becoming the quickest with a performance of 1.75 petaFLOPS in 2009. Today, the crown is held by is Japan's K computer developed by RIKEN and Fujitsu, according to TOP500 -- a project that tracks trends in high-performance computing. The machine, installed at the RIKEN Advanced Institute for Computational Science, in Kobe, Japan, currently operates at over 10 petaFLOPS. It is more than four times faster than its nearest rival, China's NUDT YH MPP computer (2.57 petaflops). How big are they? "The kind of space that you need is similar to that of a football field. You're talking about many, many lanes of computer racks and thousands of processors," says Nikolopoulos. The K computer contains a mind-boggling 88,128 computer processors and is made up of 864 refrigerator-sized cabinets. Physically, exascale computing won't get any bigger, says Nikolopoulos, and might even get a little smaller. But the amount of processors will rise substantially to anywhere between one million and 100 million. See also: $35 PC size of a credit card . What are the challenges of reaching exascale? Nikolopoulos says "severe technology barriers" remain, the most important being power. "Power consumption of supercomputers in general is not sustainable," he says. "The current projections suggest that power consumption of exascale computers will be 100 megawatts. It's impossible to build a suitable facility and have enough power." Historically, a computer's processor has used the most power (around 40-50% of the total) Nikolopoulos says, but memory is rapidly catching it up. "Changing materials and also the architecture of processors and memories is critical to exascale's success," he says. "We are beginning to understand the challenges of exascale in terms of hardware, software and applications. We are at the stage where we can make mental projections and set up directions for research." What benefits could exascale computing bring? It will enable discovery in many areas of science, says Nikolopoulos. "Aerospace engineering, astrophysics, biology, climate modeling and national security all have applications with extreme computing requirements," Nikolopoulos said. See also: Mapping the brain's secrets . Bill Cabbage, public information officer at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, says exascale will attempt to tackle very serious challenges in energy supply and sustainability. "These are very difficult problems and will require the development of new forward-thinking technologies to deal with them," Cabbage said. "We are bringing all our resources to bear on these problems," he added. Social sciences could also profit, says Nikolopoulos. "More and more people are interested in understanding the behaviors of societies as a whole. These require simulations -- how people interact, communicate, how they move. That will require exascale computing," he said. | ExaFLOP supercomputers will perform a billion, billion operations every second .
Exascale computer would be 1,000 times faster than today's quickest machines .
Issues over power consumption remain stumbling block to their creation .
First exaFLOP computers expected to go online around 2020 . |
15,267 | 2b6ddaf6c19e3e7409850dce1afc92a822976905 | Kevin Pietersen claims it was 'a relief' to escape the England dressing room when he was ditched from the team following the 5-0 Ashes whitewash Down Under. But England's record international run-scorer insists he remains on good terms with his former colleagues, and believes the reason his old colleague Ashley Giles was overlooked for the role of head coach after the winter Ashes debacle was because of their close friendship. There looks to be no way back for Pietersen, 33, after his central contract was terminated in February following the thrashing in Australia, in which he finished as England's leading run-scorer but also faced criticism over his batting and his demeanour. Lonelyl: Kevin Pietersen says it was 'a relief' to be out of the dressing room when he was dropped by England . Mixed bag: Pietersen was England's leading run scorer in the Ashes but his 'demeanour' was criticised . Frieinds: Pietersen says the ECB overlooked Ashley Giles (right) as coach due to their close relationship . He says he is 'grateful' for what he had with England but has 'moved on'. 'In fact, it has been a relief to be out of the dressing room because it was not a pleasant place in Australia,' Pietersen wrote in a Daily Telegraph column. 'We were losing and in my opinion the environment was poor and I was not alone in thinking that. It is a view shared by a number of the players who have spoken their minds since coming back from the tour.' He claims fellow England players found the attentions of the Australian media 'a problem' and said the tourists were 'not equipped to handle' the test of a tour Down Under so soon after winning the Ashes at home. Pietersen asserts that his relationship was 'fine' with fellow squad members, adding: 'I have no issue with the players, as many have said in interviews since the tour ended. 'I speak to Stuart Broad and I even organised for Graeme Swann to go on holiday to one of my friend's hotels after he retired.' Class: Pietersen's batting ability is undoubted and he is England's all-time leading run scorer . Glory: The 33-year-old says he maintains a good relationship with his former England team-mates . Contact: The batsman also says he is regularly in contact with Graeme Swann (left) and Stuart Broad (right) | Pietersen was ditched by England in February after 5-0 Ashes whitewash .
He thinks Ashley Giles did not get coach role because of their relationship .
The 33-year-old says the dress room was 'not a pleasant place' in Australia .
The batsman says players had a 'problem' dealing with Australian media .
Pietersen says he is on good terms with former England team-mates .
He had finished the winter tour as leading scorer but was heavily criticised . |
29,083 | 529c20da079fdebba2cb0a9d5f057b5a981bc8dc | By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 05:15 EST, 15 December 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 12:11 EST, 15 December 2013 . Seats were still being filled up more than an hour into the funeral service of Nelson Mandela today as soldiers moved in to occupy empty chairs. Thousands of guests turned up to the service of South Africa's former president which was being held in a giant marquee in his hometown of Qunu in Eastern Cape province this morning. Empty seats however could still be seen in parts of the marquee more than an hour into the event, which some members of the Mandela family were unable to attend because there apparently was insufficient room. SCROLL DOWN FOR VIDEO . Empty seats could be seen more than an hour into the funeral service of Nelson Mandela . Thousands of guests turned up to the service but some members of the Mandela family were unable to attend because there apparently was insufficient room . Soldiers moved in to fill some of the empty chairs during the funeral service . The ceremony itself overran as political figures gave a series of extended eulogies, meaning that his tribe's tradition that burials should be at noon 'when the sun is at its highest and the shadow at its shortest' had to change. Guests included senior South African officials, veterans of the fight against white rule and foreign diplomats. Britain's Prince Charles, entrepreneur Richard Branson and former Zimbabwean prime minister Morgan Tsvangirai were also there. During coverage of the service, the BBC's David Dimbleby discussed the timings and how the service had overran with his studio guests. Professor Zilibele Mtumane, an expert on African languages and culture, said there could be a complaint from the Thembu clan that the burial took place after midday. However, he added: 'And I also think some of the traditional practices might have been conducted last evening already. That is why we don't see much of them here.' Zambia's former president Kenneth David Kaunda gave an unscheduled address at the service. Archbishop Desmond Tutu, who initially claimed he had not been invited to the funeral, hugs former president Thabo Mbeki . Zambia's former president Kenneth David Kaunda gave an unscheduled address during the service . The . 89-year-old jogged to the stage to loud cheers before paying tribute to . Mandela, who he described as 'this great son of the world'. Elsewhere, stadiums where the funeral was being screened were left unfilled this morning. According to IOL News, the Lucas Moripe stadium, in Atteridgeville, west of Pretoria, was virtually empty. The stadium was one of a number of venues across South Africa showing live footage of the funeral. Ellis Park Stadium, in Johannesburg, also reportedly remained empty shortly before 8am while Orlando Stadium had few people in at 7.45am. The late president died in his Johannesburg home on December 5, aged 95. His . body lay in state for three days this week, drawing huge crowds of . South Africans who mourned his death and celebrated his successful . struggle against apartheid. Sidelined: Nelson Mandela's niece Nokhaya Mkwedini is among the family members who had not been invited to attend the service . Mzwandile Mandela, 13, a grand nephew of the late Mr Mandela who lives right oppisite Mandela's house in Qunu was not allowed to attend the funeral . The giant marquee for the funeral and burial of . former South African President Nelson Mandela in Qunu . Many . were disappointed when they could not view his remains because long . lines and traffic problems meant that thousands had to be turned away . without paying their final respects. His . casket arrived at the family compound from the capital yesterday. It . was accompanied by an enormous convoy of police, military and other . vehicles. Earlier this week, Mandela's great-nephew Mzwandile Mandela – grandson of the former president’s . brother Maurice, who died last year – had said he was unable get a pass to today's service. He said: ‘I’m . sad because I would have liked so much to be there. But they say there are not enough passes for young ones in . the family.’ Mandela’s . niece, Gloria Mkwedini, 38, the daughter of his last-surviving sister . and her family of 16, also said she was unable to attend the event. She said: ‘It makes us feel like outcasts.' Tens of thousands of South Africans queued for hours to see the body of Mandela lying in state . The body of Nelson Mandela lies in state in Pretoria, South Africa, earlier this week . Local ANC councillor Kwanele Mdikani said: 'If . Mandela could wake tomorrow, he would be very upset because he would . have wanted the families of the people he grew up with to be there.' Preparations . for Mr Mandela's funeral were marred by a public spat between the South . African government and retired archbishop Desmond Tutu, one of the most . prominent survivors in the long anti-apartheid struggle. Mr . Tutu, a Nobel laureate who has strongly criticised the current . government, will attend after earlier saying he would not, despite . wanting to pay respects to his long-time friend. He had said he was not invited - an apparent snub that the South African government vehemently denied. Love: Many of the mourners held banners and placards showing their love for the former leader . Long journey: The funeral cortege of Mandela makes its way along Madiba St towards Union Buildings . Last chance: Mourners line along the street as the funeral cortege carrying the coffin of former South African President Nelson Mandela drives through, on its way to lie in state for the final day at the Union Buildings in Pretoria . | More than an hour into the service seats were still being filled up .
Huge 'marquee' constructed at Mandela's mansion to accommodate VIPs .
Service overran by almost two hours as political figures gave eulogies . |
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