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135,067 | 3abb5eabea9f90a5382f939db4fed081a0bc7f4d | By . Derek Lawrenson In Valhalla . A summer that has belonged to Europe can reach another benchmark at the US PGA Championship this week. Never before have European golfers won three majors in a row but who would bet against Rory McIlroy or one of his gifted cohorts seizing the Wanamaker Trophy and completing a glorious triumvirate in the space of just nine weeks? It’s all rather ironic, of course, that it could happen here at Valhalla, the place where so many bathed with smiles now had faces that were tripping them up when they left the venue of the Ryder Cup in 2008. Now the scene of Europe’s greatest disappointment this century is set to be the place where they complete their summer of supremacy. VIDEO Scroll down to watch WGC Bridgestone highlights . History: Rory McIlroy and his European team-mates are looking to win a third straight major for the continent . Trio: Europe have never won three majors in a row but they will look to do so at Valhalla this weekend . Driven: McIlroy has won three different majors - the first European to do so in the modern era . Disappointing: Valhalla was the scnee of Europe's loss of the 2008 Ryder Cup to the USA . Just look at all they have achieved since the nights went brighter. In May, Martin Kaymer won the flagship event on the PGA Tour and McIlroy the equivalent in Europe. In June, Kaymer won the US Open and Justin Rose the first of two big tournament victories in a row on either side of the Atlantic. Then, last month, the McIlroy era began at Royal Liverpool and continued with his stunning success at the Bridgestone Invitational on Sunday. The McIlroy era? Rory himself might be keen to play down such talk but not his mentor, Jack Nicklaus. Normally one to steer clear of hyperbole, even the great man couldn’t help himself. ‘Rory is so gifted he could win between 15 and 20 majors if that is what he decides he wants to do,’ he said. German efficiency: Martin Kaymer has won the Players Championship (left) and US Open (right) this year . Top of the world: McIlroy has won three tournaments already this year and is looking for a fourth . VIDEO WGC Bridgestone highlights . No wonder they say all the best things come in threes. McIlroy’s Open success meant he became the first European golfer in the modern era to win three different majors. Now he’s trying to win three events in a row to make it three European majors in succession. It’s an awesome task, of course, to win three successive tournaments, particularly when two of them are majors. Tiger Woods pulled it off in 2006 and Lee Trevino in 1971. But if anyone in this age can do it, it’s surely McIlroy, who has got his head down and is a man hell-bent on a mission. At a time when his driving, by common consent, is setting new standards, McIlroy finds himself on the longest par-71 course in major championship history. That’s going to have him licking his chops, isn’t it? The big thing for McIlroy is whether he can take advantage and hole the birdie putts, like he did at Hoylake and Firestone. If he can do that, then he’s certainly got the mental strength to complete this feat that comes around once in a generation. Joy: McIlroy clenches his first in celebration after winning the Open Championship last month . Yet so many Europeans are at the top of their games right now that the sternest opposition could well come from the men who will be standing by his side at Gleneagles next month. Rose and Sergio Garcia must have almost forgotten what it’s like not to be on a leaderboard. The former played well here in that Ryder Cup defeat six years ago, winning three points out of four including a singles success against Phil Mickelson. He’s also due a dose of fortune after getting the wrong end of the luck of the draw at The Open. Garcia played poorly at the 2008 Ryder Cup and is not a fan of the course. But let’s hope the man who has just finished runner-up for three events in a row can keep the negative thoughts at bay. Would anyone seriously begrudge him a major after the tumultuous journey he has been on; the countless near-misses against the likes of Padraig Harrington, and the despair he felt two years ago at the Masters when he said he wasn’t good enough to win one? There’s more, of course. Kaymer had a forgettable July after the highs in May and June but sounded like a man ready to return to his gold standard. Any other year and Graeme McDowell’s victory in the French Open in June and high finishes at The Open and the Bridgestone would be worthy of more comment. Glory? England's Justin Rose has won twice already this year and will look to add another in Valhalla . So close: Sergio Garcia has come within inches of winning several tournaments recently . What about two Europeans who have had quiet summers but who would be fearless if they were in contention? Will this be the week Henrik Stenson or Ian Poulter join the party? Contrast all this joy with the sense of despondency gripping the American game. Woods has somewhat miraculously shown up but to what end? Dustin Johnson is off somewhere trying to sort his life out and Jason Dufner is so troubled by a neck injury he had an epidural last week and wouldn’t be here if he wasn’t the defending champion. Perhaps Mickelson, who signed off from Firestone with a 62, can lift the gloom, but it must be Rickie Fowler, the one bright American spark this summer, who has the best chance. His majors record so far this year reads: tied fifth at the Masters, and tied second at the US Open and The Open. The man with the best chance of disturbing the European hegemony, however, might well be the man McIlroy has just usurped as world No 1. Australian Adam Scott, like Rose, was desperately unfortunate with his Open draw. He only finished five shots behind McIlroy at the end, all of which and more could be put down to the markedly harder conditions he played in. A marvellous summer then, one in which Scott and the leading Europeans have eclipsed the Americans to such an extent they’ve been locked out of the top five in the world rankings. A third successive major, and a notable feat in a summer full of them for European golf, has never looked more inviting. Swede: Henrik Stenson is among the Europeans with a chance of winning the US PGA this week . Down Under: Australian Adam Scott is the most likely non-European to lift the trophy in Valhalla this week . | European golfers have never before won three majors in a row .
US PGA is at Valhalla, the venue where Europe lost the 2008 Ryder Cup .
Martin Kaymer won the US Open in June and McIlroy the Open in July .
Kaymer and McIlroy both also won US and Europe's flagship event this year .
Justin Rose has also won during the last nine glorious weeks for Europe .
McIlroy is already first European in modern era to win three different majors .
Tiger Woods and Lee Trevino won three events, with two majors, in a row .
Northern Irishman McIlroy is looking to do that at the tender age of 25 . |
173,683 | 6cc1a56538b4be5cf2b9e0d5cf3fd2577d266381 | FIFA ethics judge Hans-Joachim Eckert has revealed his surprise at public criticism from his investigative counterpart Michael Garcia over the report which concluded that the bidding process for the 2018/2022 World Cups did not have to be re-run. Eckert issued a 42-page statement on Thursday on the controversial process which ended with the tournaments being awarded to Russia and Qatar respectively, based on findings from report compiled by Garcia following an 18-month investigation. Three hours later Garcia issued his own statement saying the FIFA report contained 'numerous materially incomplete and erroneous representations of the facts', adding that he was going to appeal against its verdicts. Michael J Garcia standing with Hans-Joachim Eckert, who was appointed to investigate football corruption . Garcia lead the investigation of the bidding process for the 2018 and 2022 FIFA World Cups . 'Usually you would first speak to each other internally if you don't like something,' Eckert told Reuters on Friday, adding that he had not been able to get in touch with Garcia. 'I have been trying to contact him,' he said. Eckert confirmed that Garcia had not received a copy of the statement before it was made public. 'It could be a misunderstanding after all,' he said. (Writing by Brian Homewood in Berne, editing by Ed Osmond) | Hans-Joachim Eckert issued a 42-page statement on the bidding process .
Michael Garcia said the FIFA report contained numerous errors .
The pair are yet to speak to each other and resolve their differences . |
97,672 | 09bbdd35257afc704321a7e790535f529a8eab92 | By . Matt Blake . PUBLISHED: . 06:11 EST, 12 July 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 11:47 EST, 12 July 2012 . His limbs shivering and face contorted in pain, Grayson battles the throws of withdrawal from a drug addiction. But Grayson is no ordinary drug addict. He is a 48-hour-old baby going through detox at East Tennessee Children's Hospital in Knoxville. Grayson is not alone. He is among 23 newborns out of 58 in the hospital's neo-natal intensive care unit . currently being weened off serious opiate dependencies, including OxyContin, Vicodin and methadone. They are the innocent victims of a growing prescription-drug epidemic that is sweeping America. Withdrawal: His limbs shaking and face contorted in pain, Grayson battles the throws of withdrawal from a drug addiction . Nurses rush through corridors that echo with babies' screams to tend to infants around the clock in a bid to give them a fighting chance in life. 'I know people probably think I exaggerate when I say they have this . very fearful look in their eyes, well they do,' Carla Saunders, the . NICU's head nurse, told ABC News. She has set up a programme at the hospital to deal with the rising tide of addicted mothers who pass their vice onto their babies. She says when she began her career a . 'withdrawal baby' would come along only 'once in a while'. but now she . says they come in every day. Dependents: Grayson is among 23 newborns out of 58 at East Tennessee Children's Hospital's neo-natal intensive care unit currently being weened off serious opiate dependencies, including OxyContin, Vicodin and methadone . Innocent: Grayson is no ordinary drug addict. He is a 48-hour-old baby going through detox at East Tennessee Children's Hospital in Knoxville . Weening: Grayson is being weened off his dependency with regular doses of morphine to get him through the symptoms . 'We got six this weekend, all at one time, within almost 48 hours,' she says. Ashton, Grayson's mother, is only 19 years old and was . still in high school when she first tried Roxicodone, a prescription . painkiller, at a party. She said painkillers . were easy to find for those who wanted them. She said is was 'crazy' how many youngsters in schools are 'strung out' on painkillers, adding that is is 'all they talk about'. Her addiction cost her a place on her . college basketball team and would blow entire paychecks she earned from . waitressing to feed the habit. She . is well aware of the 'cold chills' and 'crawling skin' that accompany . drug withdrawal having tried to go cold turkey herself and says it is . deeply upsetting watching her son go through the same process. 'They come in every day': Carla Saunders, the NICU's head nurse, has set up a programme at the hospital to deal with the rising tide of addicted mothers who pass their vice onto their babies . Mother to son: Ashton, Grayson's mother, is only 19 years old and was still in high school when she first tried Roxicodone, a prescription painkiller, at a party . Guilt: Ashton is well aware of the 'cold chills' and 'crawling skin' that accompany drug withdrawl having tried to go cold turkey herself and says it is deeply upsetting watching her son go through the same process . She was using methodone while pregnant with Grayson but doctors advised her not to come off the drug for fear it could have potentially lethal effects on her unborn baby. Social services say they will try and keep Ashton and Grayson together as long as she continues treatment to come off her addiction. 'It's just hard,' his mother said. 'I mean, you don't plan on having . him. None of it was planned... I wanted better for him. I wanted to be . the mom that I didn't have. I didn't want him to be like I was.' In . April it was revealed Vicodin, one of the most popular painkillers, is . being taken by record numbers of Americans as experts say it now kills . more people than crack. Grayson's mother Ashton said it is 'crazy' how many youngsters in schools are 'strung out' on painkillers, adding that is is 'all they talk about' Fighting chance: Nurses rush through corridors that echo with babies' screams to tend to infants around the clock in a bid to give them a fighting chance in life . Shocking: Chief nurse Carla Saunders says when she began her career a 'withdrawal baby' would come along only 'once in a while'. But now she says they come in every day . Use . of the drug has increased by 19 million prescriptions over the last five . years with 131 million doses issued over the last 12 months. Dr . Thomas Frieden, director of the Centers for Disease Control said more . people die from overdoses of painkillers than the number of people who . die in car crashes and the combined total of crack in the 1980s and . black tar heroin in the 1970s. The U.S. accounts for 4.6 per cent of the entire world's population . but consumes a whopping 80 per cent of the globe's painkillers. The top selling opiate is hydrocodone which is in Vicodin and America makes up 99 per cent of the market. | 23 out of 58 newborns in intensive care at East Tennessee Children's Hospital in Knoxville are addicted to drugs .
They are the hidden victims of a growing drug-abuse epidemic that is sweeping America .
Carla Saunders, neo-natal intensive care unit's head nurse, says dependent babies come in every day .
Nurse Saunders: 'We got six this weekend, all within 48 hours'
She has set up a programme at the hospital to deal with the rising tide of addicted mothers who pass their vice onto their babies .
Babies shiver and scream as gradually weened off drugs . |
246,940 | cb9031b6045e416edd527ed1006743e3faa95f18 | By . Ap Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 20:24 EST, 21 May 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 22:02 EST, 21 May 2013 . Missing: Kathlyn Shepard of dayton, Iowa is missing and the man police believe abducted her was found dead from suicide Monday . The man suspected of abducting an Iowa girl has killed himself amidst a massive . search for the 15-year-old who disappeared Monday after getting off her school bus. Kathlynn Shepard of Dayton, Iowa was still missing Tuesday, . and authorities said a massive search was underway. Meanwhile, the Iowa . Division of Criminal Investigation said Michael Klunder, who is suspected of . taking her and another girl, was found dead from suicide. Dozens of federal, state and local law enforcement officials . are searching by air, land and water for Kathlynn Shepard. She and a . 12-year-old girl, who are friends, were taken Monday afternoon shortly after . stepping off a school bus in the town about 60 miles north of Des Moines. The younger girl, who was later able to escape, told . authorities the girls had accepted a ride from a stranger. DCI Special Agent Bill Kietzman said Tuesday that the body . of 42-year-old suspect Michael Klunder was found Monday night with a red Toyota . Tundra pickup at a rural property northeast of Dayton. Kietzman said authorities have begun focusing their search . for Kathlynn to locations within 20 miles of Dayton, including Klunder's . residence. Previously, the search covered up to 100 square miles of . mostly rural areas. Authorities have also coordinated with the FBI to update . electronic billboards around the state with information about the search. Kietzman would not elaborate on the likelihood of finding . Kathlynn alive, though he remained optimistic. ‘Time obviously is not your friend in these kinds of . situations,’ he said at a news conference. ‘Our plan is that we're going to . find her alive. That's our hope.’ The 12-year-old girl, who has not been identified, told . investigators she and Kathlynn were taken to an agricultural facility. But she . was able to escape a short time later and ran to a rural residence for help, . Kietzman said. She was then taken to a Fort Dodge hospital and released. SCROLL DOWN FOR VIDEO... Past offender: Police say convicted sex offender Michael Klunder, 42, abducted Shepard and another girl. He was found dead from a suicide Monday . The abduction spanned several hours, officials said, with . Klunder's body being discovered nearly four hours after the girls were taken. Kathlynn is described as being 5-feet-6-inches and 160 . pounds. She has blond hair, blue eyes and braces. She was last seen wearing . jeans, a gray hooded sweatshirt and a Minnesota Vikings baseball cap. ‘The response by volunteers has been outstanding,’ said DCI . Director Charis Paulson. Jessica Lown with the Iowa Department of Public Safety said . authorities have been in contact with Kathlynn's family and they have declined . to comment. ‘They're continuing to search for the girl under the . assumption that she is still alive because right at this point in time we don't . have information indicating otherwise,’ Lown said. ‘That's the way these things . work for all missing children and missing person cases. We search until we find . them.’ Klunder is listed on the state's sex offender registry, . prison records show. He spent several years in prison after being convicted on . kidnapping and assault charges, including the 1991 abduction and assault of a . Rudd woman and the kidnapping of two toddlers from an apartment complex in . Charles City, according to the Mason City Globe Gazette. The girls, both 3, . were found alive inside a dumpster. Search: Kathlynn Shepard took a ride from stranger Michael Klunder, who turned out to be a sex offender. Klunder has since killed himself but a massive hunt for Shepard is still underway . He was released from a work release program in February . 2011. The abduction comes less than a year after the high-profile . disappearance of two cousins in Evansdale, about 90 miles east of Dayton. Lyric . Cook, 10, and 8-year-old Elizabeth Collins disappeared while riding their bikes . last July. Hunters found their bodies in a remote, wooded area in December. Evansdale Police Chief Kent Smock said investigators were . looking into whether Klunder was involved in Lyric and Elizabeth's kidnappings . and deaths. DCI and FBI agents who have been involved in the search for the . Evansdale girls have been dispatched to help search for Kathlynn. Smock said investigators were trying to determine whether . Klunder had any ties to the area. ‘There's a multitude of things we're looking at to determine . whether he may be a person of interest or not a person of interest,’ he said. ‘It's . much too early in their investigation to be able to say with any degree of . accuracy one way or another whether it's related to our case at all.’ Authorities are asking the public for information about any . interactions with Klunder, as well of any sighting of his pickup between 3 p.m. and 8 p.m. Monday. | Kathlynn Shepard of Dayton, Iowa took a ride from a stranger after school Monday, along with a 12-year-old friend, and has been missing since .
That ride was from registered sex offender Michael Klunder, 42, who was found dead Monday night .
The younger girl was able to escape shortly after the abduction . |
16,938 | 2ff5995a070cbe2968968eaae64bc1547911f252 | By . Martin Domin . Follow @@martin_domin . The prospect of Floyd Mayweather Jnr ever meeting Manny Pacquiao in the centre of a ring suffered another blow after the Filipino extended his contract with promoter Top Rank. Pacquiao has committed himself to Bob Arum’s outfit until the end of 2016, by which time he will be 38 and surely considering retirement. The eight-division world champion’s fights are shown on HBO in America while Mayweather is contracted to rival Showtime, meaning a fight between the two is highly unlikely. VIDEO Scroll down for Official movie trailer for Manny Pacquiao film . Deal: Manny Pacquiao has extended his contract with promoter Top Rank . Showdown: Pacquiao's new deal means a fight with Floyd Mayweather is less likely . Deal breaker: Bob Arum claims that a fight between Pacquiao and Mayweather can still happen . Mayweather has three fights left on that deal, taking him to September 2015. Arum, however, claimed the $300million mega-fight could still happen. ‘We want to fight him and we’re willing to discuss it at any point,’ he said. ‘There are two ways to go here. One is to do a Mayweather fight with both HBO and Showtime involved, as they did with Lewis-Tyson, as I understand Mayweather is under contract to Showtime through 2015. The companies could come together and put on the show. ‘Or, the other alternative is, if Floyd wanted to fight Manny in 2016, he could return to HBO and we could do it there.’ Veteran: Pacquiao is now contracted to Top Rank until 2016 when he will be 38-years-old . A further obstacle to the fight is the fractured relationship between Arum and Golden Boy CEO Richard Schaefer. Mayweather has worked with Golden Boy since 2007 and has previously stated his loyalty to Schaefer. The 37-year-old will return to the ring on September 13 having outpointed Marcos Maidana in Las Vegas earlier this month. Pacquiao, meanwhile, could fight Juan Manuel Marquez for a fifth time in Macau in November. Old foes: Pacquiao could fight Juan Manuel Marquez for a fifth time in Macau this November . | Pacquiao commits to promoter Top Rank until 2016 when he will be 38 .
Mayweather's contract with Showtime until 2015 makes fight unlikely .
Arum claims that a mega-fight between the pair can still be agreed .
Arum says that Pacquiao is open to discussion with Mayweather any time . |
100,912 | 0e0411fdeb8853c8efd0e6936eb5b4b4a396a9d8 | (CNN) -- Todd Rundgren has it backward. Todd Rundgren's new album was inspired by touring and his thoughts on militarism. Not just his songwriting and recording methods, though those, too, are unorthodox. It's the whole music business-pop star arrangement, which is based on musicians determined to hit the Top 40 and then doing it again and again -- with occasional artistic detours -- that he's subverted. He likes it that way. He describes the creation of his music as "very plastic," in the sense of flexible: He creates songs in the studio, piece by piece, and "it allows me to edit the stuff practically all the way up to the final mix process." One can easily look at his career the same way, with the detours having been the point of the journey. "It's unconventional, but if you have those tools available, it becomes the logical way to do things," he said of his creative process. Rundgren's new album, "Arena" (Hi Fi), sounds like a throwback to his more song-friendly works, which was (mostly) deliberate, he says. The album's 13 power-chord rockers are a tip of the guitar to his recent touring with the New Cars (filling in for Ric Ocasek) and his subject matter, militarism and "what I saw as a loss of masculine integrity," he explained. "The people who have been running the country are liars and cowards and hypocrites and perverts," he said. "And I wouldn't want all the rest of the men in the world to think that's how you succeed in life. Now that they are out of here, we have to ... reclaim what our traditional ideals were: You protect the weak, you bear up under the horrible burdens, and you seek the truth. ... You sacrifice for others." Not exactly Top 40 material, but in Rundgren's career, it's the Top 40 hits that have been accidents. He started his solo career in the early '70s with a handful of them -- "We Gotta Get You a Woman," "Hello, It's Me," "I Saw the Light" -- but quickly began devoting his time to album-length experiments, with occasional hit-single forays ("Can We Still Be Friends," his band Utopia's "Set Me Free"). Rundgren also became an in-demand producer, with results ranging from No. 1 singles (Grand Funk Railroad's "We're an American Band" and "The Loco-Motion") to classic albums (XTC's "Skylarking," Meat Loaf's "Bat Out of Hell"), no two of which sounded exactly alike. Listen to Rundgren talk about his work with XTC and Grand Funk Railroad » . He says his goal is to bring out the best in whomever he's working with, to make a record that's true to the artist's personality. Ironically, for someone so steeped in technology, he's not a fan of using studio tricks -- AutoTune and the like, which remove all the rough edges from performances -- for the sake of creating something "perfect." "Part of the problem is, there are two ways to make music. One is to be revelatory, and one is to be obfuscating," he said. "You create a different image of yourself for people instead of actually revealing something truly about yourself. And you can say the difference is the difference between Michael Jackson and Tom Waits, or something like that. ... The material Madonna writes is to a persona. The persona is what's being marketed, and the music is just part of the merchandise." Rundgren himself composes from the inside out, putting technology at his disposal. (He's often been ahead of the tech curve, going back to the late '70s, when he created music videos and software programs and Utopia played on the interactive television service QUBE.) "I start with a rhythm idea and then add chords," he said, creating arrangements as he goes. Lyrics often come last. "Most people have the song before the arrangement," he said. "I do it the other way around." On "Arena," the songs -- which all have one-word titles ("I'm close to a haiku," Rundgren joked) -- include "Mad," in which Rundgren sings about being "at the end of my patience"; "Gun," which offers the warning, "You better run/'Cause I'm young, dumb and I've got a gun"; and "Today," which says, "Now it's time to break the chain." The work is timelier than he could have imagined, he says. "The irony of it is that the album was finished by June 1; then the s*** hit the fan three months later," he said, referring to the economic meltdown. "It's what I've been talking about. We've been indulging ourselves for a long time, and the record is about the kind of militance required to solve problems that tower so high we can't see the top of them." For someone who writes such audience-friendly hooks, he's skeptical about much of today's pop music -- and its performers. The music may sound technically perfect, but it lacks soul and grit. "That kind of approach is reinforced all the time by programs like 'American Idol,' where you have to look a certain way and smile a certain way and deliver the song a certain way," he said. "And if you're outside of that, you're going to get bumped. It just makes music all come out kind of the same. "The thing that makes it different -- the thing that makes it interesting every once in a while -- is when someone comes along and you think that they're not simply using this as a marketing tool for themselves," he continued. "You see them, and obviously music is the thing that redeems them. ... That to me is what makes music exciting, is when suddenly you see someone and you realize they were meant for music." And Rundgren? He's still meant for music, too. He's preparing to produce a new New York Dolls album, 36 years after he produced the group's debut. There's also talk he'll perform his 1973 album "A Wizard, A True Star" live. It's a full schedule doing something he loves, even if there's virtually no chance he'll be topping the charts. "The record I made now is kind of a result of where I found myself at. I'm only going to be able to do this for a while longer; I'm 60 now. And regardless of how I behave when I'm on stage, I have the same issues that any 60-year-old does," he said, admitting to post-concert aches and pains. He laughed. "I know I can't stop time, but there will be plenty of time to croon for people." | Todd Rundgren's new album is "Arena," full of power-chord rockers .
Rundgren started career with pop hits, quickly detoured into new areas .
New album, about threats to masculinity, is timelier than he imagined, he says . |
25,643 | 489e99f286d34aa74b8bf198e536b64ce8fa316e | There are numerous studies that attempt to rank countries based on economy and population, but few look at what these countries contribute to the rest of the world on an educational, cultural and humanitarian level. The Good Country Index attempts to change that by highlighting the nations and regions that give the most in terms of peace, science and technology, climate and health. Ireland tops the index’s overall rankings - beating 124 countries to the accolade - and is also the highest ranking country in terms of prosperity - which factors in fair trading for example - and equality, according to the new research. Explore the Good Country Index rankings in the chart below . The Good Country Index is the brainchild of independent policy advisor Simon Anholt. He used 35 datasets covering 125 countries to break the list into seven categories, including Science and Technology, Culture, International Peace and Security, World Order, Planet and Climate, Prosperity and Equality, Health and Wellbeing. 'Good' is defined as 'a measure of how much a country contributes to the common good' The UK ranks highest for science and technological contributions, Iceland tops the Planet and Climate list, and Belgium was found to be the most cultural. Elsewhere, Germany is top of the World Order list, which looked at charity giving and population growth, and Spain provides the most in terms of food and humanitarian aid. The Good Country Index is the brainchild of independent policy advisor Simon Anholt. He said he wanted to attempt to measure how much each country on Earth contributes to the planet and to the human race. Simon Anholt used 35 datasets, . created by the United Nations, NGOs and other international agencies to . track what countries offer, across seven categories. These . include Science and Technology, Culture, International Peace and . Security, World Order, Planet and Climate, Prosperity and Equality, and . Health and Wellbeing. These . datasets were combined into a common measure to get an overall ranking, a . ranking in each of the seven categories, and a balance-sheet for each . country that shows at a glance how much it contributes to the world, and . how much it takes away. More technically, countries received . scores on each indicator as a fractional rank, relative to all countries . for which data is available. The category rankings are based on the . mean fractional ranks per category, and the overall rank was based on . the average of the category ranks. Only . countries that were featured in the datasets were included, leaving a . total of 125 countries, and the majority of data was taken from complete . sets created in 2010. ‘The biggest challenges facing humanity today are global and borderless: climate change, economic crisis, terrorism, drug trafficking, slavery, pandemics, poverty and inequality, population growth, food and water shortages, energy, species loss, human rights, migration - the list goes on,’ explained Anholt. ‘All of these problems stretch across national borders, so the only way they can be properly tackled is through international efforts. ‘The trouble is, most countries carry on behaving as if they were islands, focusing on developing domestic solutions to domestic problems. 'We’ll never get anywhere unless we start to change this habit.’ Ireland tops the index's overall rankings (pictured far left) - beating 124 countries to the accolade - and is also the highest ranking country when it comes to prosperity and equality. Libya contributes the least. The numbers under the individual headings show where that country ranks within each category. For example, Ireland is top overall, but 20th in terms of Science and Technology, 7th for Culture, 33rd for International Peace and Security and 4th under World Order . 1. Ireland . 2. Finland . 3. Switzerland . 4. Netherlands . 5. New Zealand . 6. Sweden . 7. United Kingdom . 8. Norway . 9. Denmark . 10. Belgium . Anholt added that the Good Country Index . focuses more on what a country is doing, rather than its economic status . and the researchers define ‘good’ in their study ‘as a measure of how . much a country contributes to the common good.’ In this context ‘good’ means the opposite of ‘selfish’, not the opposite of ‘bad’, and Anholt claims ‘the Good Country Index isn’t trying to make any moral judgments: it just measures, as objectively as possible, what each country contributes to the common good, and what it takes away.’ Anholt used 35 datasets, created by the United Nations, NGOs and other international agencies to track the way that most countries act, across seven categories. These include Science and Technology, Culture, International Peace and Security, World Order, Planet and Climate, Prosperity and Equality, and Health and Wellbeing. These datasets were combined into a common measure to get an overall ranking, a ranking in each of the seven categories, and a balance-sheet for each country that shows at a glance how much it contributes to the world, and how much it takes away. More technically, countries received . scores on each indicator as a fractional rank, relative to all countries . for which data is available. The UK ranks highest for scientific and technological contributions (pictured), Iceland tops the Planet and Climate list, and Belgium was found to be the most cultural. Elsewhere, Germany is top of the World Order list, which looked at charity giving and population growth, and Spain provides the most in food and humanitarian aid . Only countries that were featured in the datasets were included, and the majority of data was taken from complete sets created in 2010. Despite civil unrest, Egypt tops the International Peace and Security list. Anholt said: 'The fact that domestic behaviour isn't included in the Good Country Index of course doesn't mean we excuse, condone, minimise or overlook it in any way: it's simply not the thing that we're measuring' 1. Libya . 2. Vietnam . 3. Iraq . 4. Azerbaijan . 5. Angola . 6. Zimbabwe . 7. Indonesia . 8. Benin . 9. Venezula . 10. Yemen . The category rankings are based on the mean fractional ranks per category, and the overall rank was based on the average of the category ranks. Only countries that were featured in the datasets were included, leaving a total of 125 countries, and the majority of data was taken from complete sets created in 2010. ‘We tried a number of alternative ranking algorithms for these data,’ said the researchers. 'Our method is simple to understand and something that was relatively insensitive to outliers. Frankly the precise position of a country in a table does not matter that much. ‘What matters much more is each country’s balance sheet and the gross positions in the table. Countries in the top twenty are doing a lot for the common good. ‘Those in the bottom twenty are hindering the common good, or at least are free-riders on other countries. Countries in the middle are doing something in between.’ They added that they hope people will see not only how well their county is contributing to the common good but also how they are doing it. ‘The fact that domestic behaviour isn’t included in the Good Country Index of course doesn’t mean we excuse, condone, minimise or overlook it in any way: it’s simply not the thing that we’re measuring.’ A map showing the top 5 'good countries' which includes Ireland, Finland and Switzerland. The bottom 5 includes Angola, Azerbaijan and Iraq . | Ireland topped the Good Country Index’s overall rankings and ranked highest for prosperity and equality .
The UK was ranked highest for its science and technology contributions, which includes Nobel prizes and patents .
Iceland topped the planet and climate list, making no hazardous waste exports, and Belgium was most cultural .
Libya was the worst performing country in the index overall, behind Vietnam, Iraq and Azerbaijan .
A total of 125 countries were ranked across seven categories using datasets from international agencies . |
113,489 | 1e7615054efa42002f9c9b35dcfd26749712451e | What a week it's been for Mariam Yehya Ibrahim, the Sudanese Christian woman who initially faced a death sentence after refusing to renounce her faith. She thought she was finally free Monday after a higher court ordered her release. A day later, she was back in police custody. Now she faces a new charge, accused of falsifying travel documents, and has taken refuge in a safe house in Sudan's capital, Khartoum, amid concerns for her security. In a phone interview with CNN, Ibrahim spoke of the ordeal of giving birth while in prison, her fears for her family and how she is facing a future full of unknowns. Asked how she felt in prison, refused access to a hospital as the birth of her child neared, Ibrahim said, "I was only thinking about my children and how I was going to give birth. I was mostly scared of giving birth in prison." The 27-year-old had reason to be alarmed. "I gave birth chained. Not cuffs but chains on my legs. I couldn't open my legs so the women had to lift me off the table. I wasn't attached to the table," she said. Doctors fear that the circumstances of the baby's birth may have lasting consequences. "I don't know in the future whether she'll need support to walk or not," said Ibrahim. She her husband, American Daniel Wani, were freed from custody Thursday after having been detained two days earlier upon arriving at the airport in Khartoum. They were trying to fly with their baby and toddler son to the United States. Now they are waiting to see what happens in light of the latest allegations against Ibrahim, of traveling with falsified documents and giving false information. "I'm currently in a safe place. It's definitely safe but not comfortable," Ibrahim said. Sudanese Christian woman is in U.S. Embassy in Sudan . Persecuted as a 'nonbeliever' Ibrahim's ordeal started when one of her relatives, a Muslim, filed a criminal complaint saying her family was shocked to find out she had married Wani, a Christian, after she was missing for several years. A Sudanese court considered Ibrahim a Muslim because her father was Muslim. She was charged with adultery, because a Muslim woman's marriage to a Christian man is illegal in Sudan. She was also charged with apostasy, accused of illegally renouncing what was alleged to be her original faith. Convicted while about eight months pregnant, she gave birth about two weeks later in a women's hospital in Khartoum. She insists she has never been a Muslim -- and says she was persecuted as a Christian while in prison. "I've always been Christian. I couldn't have been Muslim with the things they say and the way they treat me -- with a different sheikh coming to speak to me every other time and women in prison saying all sorts of things, like 'don't eat the nonbeliever's food' and calling me a Christian," she said. "There was all this talk and even the officers in the prison would join (in)." A string of people, from politicians to humanitarian workers to lawmakers, came to visit while she was locked up with promises to help, she said, but none offered any real assistance. Eventually, following weeks of international controversy over her conviction for apostasy and adultery, it was overturned. Ibrahim: My paperwork was '100% correct' Now, the Sudanese authorities have accused Ibrahim of trying to leave without the correct paperwork. Sudan's National Intelligence and Security Services said that she had South Sudanese travel documents despite not being a citizen of South Sudan, and she was heading to the United States, which is not her native country. But she is adamant that she "never forged any papers" and was entitled to travel on the documents she had. "How can my paperwork be wrong? My paperwork came from the embassy. It's 100% correct and it was approved by the South Sudan ambassador and the American ambassador," she said. "The South Sudanese embassy took responsibility and released the papers. It's in my right to use the papers and have a South Sudanese passport because my husband is a South Sudanese citizen. He has an American passport and South Sudanese passport." Ibrahim had also been given a U.S. visa. She described as "terrorizing" the way that Sudanese police officers took her and her husband, who uses a wheelchair, from the VIP departures hall as they waited to check in for their flight. "We were scared and wondering what was wrong. They locked us in that room for four to five hours and the whole time we were trying to figure out what the problem was," she said. She claims that the charges were filed in court before the police even investigated the claims against her and her husband. When they finally figured out what the alleged offense was, she was shocked, Ibrahim said. "I can't even decide what I should do right now. I want to travel but at the same time I don't want to travel. But the state I'm in right now means that I'm forced to. There's a new problem every day about me leaving." Asked if the authorities were trying to make life difficult for her, Ibrahim replied, "I don't know what their problem is." Faith in her husband . Ibrahim simply hopes that she can leave, together with her husband and their children. "That's exactly what I want. Not anything more," she said. But despite her experiences so far, she insists that she is not scared. She will put her faith in her husband, Ibrahim said, and count on him to protect the family. "If anything happens to us, he's responsible for us in the face of everyone else. This is protection and better for us. I'll go wherever he takes us, it's not a problem." Witnesses: Sudan demolishes church in latest persecution of Christians . 7 terrible countries for Christians . Why marrying for love should never mean death . | Mariam Yehya Ibrahim says she simply wants to leave with her family, "not anything more"
"I gave birth chained. Not cuffs but chains on my legs," she says of her prison ordeal .
Doctors fear her baby may not be able to walk unsupported when she grows up .
Ibrahim denies using falsified papers to try to leave Sudan for the United States . |
223,528 | ad6159318fa75cbe56c49f35e37158864a792d50 | (CNN) -- The revelation from Steven Kazmierczak's girlfriend that he had stopped taking an antidepressant a few weeks before his rampage at Northern Illinois University has reopened debate about whether the drug can cause violent behavior. Jessica Baty told CNN that she had seen no hint during their two-year courtship that the 27-year-old might be capable of killing five people and injuring 17 before committing suicide. Kazmierczak had stopped taking Prozac three weeks before his shooting spree on February 14 and had been taking two other medications, she said. Experts differ on whether Prozac and other similar antidepressants might be linked to violence. "There's very little likelihood that withdrawal from Prozac could, by itself, cause someone to become violent, said Dr. Nada Stotland, professor of psychiatry at Rush Medical College and president-elect of the American Psychiatric Association. If people with other psychiatric illnesses had a propensity to violence, then discontinuing drug use "could make them irritable, and that could be one trigger," said Stotland, who has accepted speaking fees from the drug industry, but not in recent years. But, she said, "discontinuation syndrome" does not cause someone to become violent. "We understand that tragic and frightening events make people desperate for explanations," she said in an e-mail. "The explanations are seldom simple or straightforward, and, especially when attempts to understand would intrude on the confidentiality of medical records, we seldom know enough about perpetrators' lives and minds to determine just what caused their behaviors." She added, "We have much, much more to fear from untreated psychiatric illnesses than from the effects of psychiatric medication." Dr. Fred Goodwin, research professor of psychiatry at the George Washington University, agreed. "In general, there is no evidence at all of these drugs producing increases in violence," he told CNN. "If anything, it was a withdrawal effect." Goodwin, the former director of the National Institute of Mental Health and host of National Public Radio's "The Infinite Mind," said he tells his medical residents "until I'm blue in the face" to change doses gradually rather than abruptly. "You taper up, you taper down," he said. Health Canada -- the Canadians' version of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration -- changed its labeling in 2004 for the class of antidepressants to warn that "patients of all ages taking these drugs may experience behavioral and/or emotional changes that may put them at increased risk of self-harm or harm to others." And a medication guide approved by the FDA warns of the possibility that users could act "aggressive, being angry, or violent." The labeling also cites concern over "thoughts of suicide" and "anxiety, agitation, panic attacks, difficulty sleeping, irritability, hostility, aggressiveness, impulsivity, restlessness, or extreme hyperactivity." Labeling in both countries warns patients not to stop taking the medication abruptly. Baty did not say whether Kazmierczak stopped taking Prozac abruptly or whether he consulted with his psychiatrist prior to doing so. An increased risk of violence occurs around the time of dose transition, according to the FDA. Dose transition is when a person who begins taking an antidepressant changes dose or stops taking it, said Dr. David Healy of the North Wales Department of Psychological Medicine at Cardiff University. Prozac, which has been available in the United States for more than 20 years, is one of a class of drugs called selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitors. They increase the accumulation in the brain of the chemical messenger serotonin, which is linked to feelings of well-being. Though researchers have compiled the most data about Paxil, another antidepressant in the same class of medications, there is "no reason to think Prozac is any different," since all the drugs in that class work the same way, said the British psychiatrist and author of "Let Them Eat Prozac. "In the case of Prozac, because of its long half-life, the problems are likely to come several weeks after the last dose," said Healy, who has been critical of the drugs and has testified as an expert witness on both sides of the matter. Though millions of people take antidepressants, researchers have had a hard time disentangling the many variables that affect behavior to determine whether the drugs are associated with episodes of violence. But that alone doesn't explain the scant data. A study published last month in the New England Journal of Medicine and carried out by researchers at the Oregon Health & Science University found that the results of almost a third of antidepressant studies were never published, and nearly all of those had concluded that the drug did not work. "Not only were positive results more likely to be published, but studies that were not positive, in our opinion, were often published in a way that conveyed a positive outcome," concluded the authors, led by OHSU's Dr. Erick Turner. "By altering the apparent risk-benefit ratio of drugs, selective publication can lead doctors to make inappropriate prescribing decisions that may not be in the best interest of their patients and, thus, the public health," they concluded. Healy himself wrote one study that did get published, in PLoS Medicine in September 2006. It tallied the overall risk of violence among more than 9,000 antidepressant users at 0.65 percent, more than twice the 0.31 percent seen among people who were taking placebo. But Healy cautioned against concluding that there was indeed a causal relationship between the drug and Kazmierczak's outburst. "While the data shows the drugs can pose a real risk, in each individual case you still have to look closely for alternate explanations and definitely not assume too quickly that it has been the drug," he said. See a professor talk about Kazmierczak's demeanor leading up to the shooting » . Baty's assertion to CNN that Kazmierczak was also taking Xanax, an anti-anxiety agent, and Ambien, a sleep aid, before the NIU shootings, make establishing a causal relationship even more difficult, said psychiatrist Stotland. It is not unusual for doctors to prescribe anti-anxiety agents and sleep medication along with antidepressants, since they can cause anxiety and interfere with sleep, she said. But, she added, "The more things you add, the more unpredictable things can get." Dr. Joseph Glenmullen, a clinical instructor in psychiatry at Harvard Medical School who has given expert testimony in cases against the pharmaceutical industry, raised concerns about the drug combination Baty said her boyfriend was taking. Prozac withdrawal can make a person irritable and aggressive, and Ambien and Xanax each can cause a person to shed inhibitions, according to the FDA's drug labeling. The result "could be a pretty deadly combination," said Glenmullen, author of "The Antidepressant Solution - A Step-by-Step Guide to Safely Overcoming Withdrawal, Dependence, and 'Addiction." He called for "some governmental organization" to investigate whether anecdotal reports of violence linked to the drugs are backed up by hard data. A spokesman for Prozac drug maker Eli Lilly and Co. said the cause of the killing spree may remain elusive. "There is much information that is still unknown about his life and medical history and therefore it may never be known as to why he ultimately chose to take the lives of others as well as himself," said spokesman Charles McAtee, in an e-mail. "Because the authorities have not confirmed at this time any use of a specific medication by this young man, it is not appropriate for us to speculate on the matter. It's important that patients should not stop taking any medication without first talking with their doctor." E-mail to a friend . | Girlfriend: Kazmierczak stopped taking Prozac three weeks before NIU shooting .
Most experts say there is little data to provide link between drugs, violence .
FDA: Prozac withdrawal can make a person irritable and aggressive .
Other drug interactions make it difficult to conclude whether a link exists . |
15,638 | 2c69b6d0ba79bb970e448867af2872396d402802 | (CNN) -- The case against Anthony Sowell is grounded in his Cleveland backyard. There, in October 2009, investigators unearthed remains of five of the 11 women -- ages 25 to 52 -- found on Sowell's property. On Monday, jury selection for Sowell's trial begins in Cuyahoga County, Ohio. Sowell faces 85 counts related to his alleged rape, murder and dismembering of the women between 2007 and 2009 -- charges to which he's pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity. Since the bodies were discovered, other women have come forward alleging that Sowell also attacked them. In April 2010, prosecutors handed down an 10-count indictment against Sowell in connection with the alleged rape of a 34-year-old woman in his Cleveland home. Sowell's lawyers have declined previous requests by CNN to explain their case, and the suspect has not been interviewed. But in January 2010, attorney John Parker told The Plain Dealer newspaper in Cleveland that he felt police violated Sowell's Miranda rights as he was being interrogated. But those likely to decide Sowell's future have already had their first opportunity to take a measure of the man. About 200 prospective jurors were introduced to the accused serial killer Friday morning at the Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court in Cleveland, county court administrator Greg Popovich said. They also met Judge Dick Ambrose, the presiding judge in the case, as well as the defense and prosecution teams. Dressed in a polo shirt and khaki pants, and unencumbered by handcuffs or shackles (even though he was escorted by six deputies), Sowell addressed the jurors simply by saying, "Hello." Popovich described the event as "unusual" but necessary to "ensure the integrity of the process in the interest of justice" -- though he didn't elaborate on how it did. Following the meeting, the potential jurors went through an hour-long orientation and then were asked to fill out a 32-page questionnaire. Should they be tapped for the jury, they will sit through what Popovich estimates will be a six-to-eight week trial documenting the gruesome case against Sowell. Sowell grew up in East Cleveland, joined the Marines at age 18 and traveled to California, North Carolina and Japan, authorities said. People who interacted with him after his 2005 release from prison, where he had served 15 years for attempted rape, said he appeared to be "a normal guy," known locally for selling scrap metal. His inconspicuous two-story home sits in a dilapidated neighborhood known as Mount Pleasant, where one in five homes were in foreclosure and at least a third of residents got food stamps, according to a 2010 study by Case Western Reserve University's Center on Urban Poverty and Community Development. Neighbors and even a city councilman had failed to realize that the stench wafting in the area around Sowell's home was human flesh, not a byproduct of a nearby sausage factory. Moreover, the disappearance of the 11 women -- many of whom lived nearby -- went largely unnoticed for almost two years, with only four of them even being reported missing. Many of his alleged victims struggled with drug addiction at some point in their lives, with court records showing that many resorted to stealing and prostitution to support their habits. In late 2008, Gladys Wade told police that a man in a gray hoodie offered her beer, and when she declined, punched her in the face several times. Wade said that he then tried to rape her, dragging her toward his home, adding that she got out only after "gouging his face." Police investigated Wade's complaint, with one police report noting blood droplets on Sowell's walls and steps. But officers told CNN affiliate WKYC that the case was dropped after Wade declined to press charges. After Wade's complaint, six more women would disappear. Then, on September 23, 2009, a 36-year-old Cleveland woman told police a story eerily similar to those of Wade and the woman whose 1989 account led to Sowell's first conviction for attempted rape. She said he'd invited her into his home for beer, punched her in the face, then began performing oral sex on her -- releasing her only after she promised to return the next day. Sowell was then arrested. More than a month later, police entered his house and found two bodies rotting in his attic. These were the first of the 11 bodies they'd eventually discover, in various states of decay, on his property. Most of the women whose remains were found in and around Sowell's home were strangled by ligature -- which can include a string, cord or wire -- and at least one was strangled by hand, officials said. Seven still had ligatures wrapped around their necks. A skull is all that remains of one victim. It was found wrapped in a paper bag and stuffed in a bucket in the home's basement. While the prosecution will press its case against Sowell in the coming weeks, this may not be the end of his story -- even if he is eventually given a death sentence. Cuyahoga County Prosecutor Bill Mason has said that his cold case unit is reviewing unsolved murders that occurred during the time Sowell lived in Cleveland and East Cleveland to see if there are any connections. Mason said the group is working its way through 75 cases. InSession's Chris Perry and CNN's Stephanie Chen contributed to this report. | Jury selection starts Monday for the trial of accused serial killer Anthony Sowell .
He will be tried on 85 counts for the alleged rape and murder of 11 women .
Police say the convicted sex offender killed the women over a span of two years .
Authorities allege Sowell hid their remains in and around his Cleveland home . |
161,780 | 5d316c46708226e5849824652c10fdd5c08f759b | Scientists have uncovered a remarkable parallel between the way humans build cities on Earth and how galaxies form in space. They say how galaxies evolve is mathematically equivalent to the way settlements grow. American linguist George Kingsley Zipf noticed that if cities are listed according to size, then the rank of a city is inversely proportional to the number of people who live in it. Scientists have uncovered a remarkable parallel between the way humans build cities on Earth and how galaxies form in space. Pictured on the left is Antwerp, and on the right galaxy NGC 3310 . For instance, if the largest city in a country has a population of 10 million, the second-biggest will have a population of five million (10 divided by 2), and the third a population of 2.5 million. 'Zipft's law' is a scaling law. It can also be found in the strange fact that whether one person will be friends with another, is inversely proportional to the number of people who live closer to the first person than the second. But while scientists know the law to be true, they have no idea why it works. Now researchers claim they have the source of these scaling laws in space, according to Quartz. Henry Lin and Abraham Loeb at the Harvard-Smithsonian Centre for Astrophysics in Cambridge have used models for showing how galaxies evolve to create a theory for scaling laws on Earth. American linguist George Kingsley Zipf noticed that if cities are listed according to size, then the rank of a city is inversely proportional to the number of people who live in it (shown by the black dots). The blue dashed line shows how the population is predicted to behave according to Zipf's law . 'We treat the population density as the fundamental quantity, thinking of cities as objects that form when the population density exceeds a critical threshold,' Lin and Loeb wrote in their research paper. 'The situation is therefore conceptually and mathematically analogous to the formation of galaxies in the universe.' According to a report by MIT Technology Review, the team used models governing the spread of galaxies, to show that this approach works for urban growth. They then analysed any variations in the density, and used equations to predict how this density can grow over time. 'The results are in good agreement with the theoretical prediction across a broad range of spatial scales, from a few km to ∼ 10^3 km.' Their research suggests human behaviour on a massive scale follows the same patterns as galaxy growth. They believe this unifying theory for scaling law, can also be used to predict other phenomenon, such as the spread of disease. Linguist George Kingsley Zipf noticed that if cities are listed in size, then the rank of a city is inversely proportional to the number of people who live in it . American linguist George Kingsley Zipf noticed that if cities are listed according to size, then the rank of a city is inversely proportional to the number of people who live in it. For instance, if the largest city in a country has a population of 10 million, the second-biggest will have a population of five million (10 divided by 2), and the third a population of 2.5 million. This relationship is known as the scaling law, and can also be found in the strange fact that whether one person will be friends with another, is inversely proportional to the number of people who live closer to the first person than the second. Another example of Zipf's law is in language. It states that the frequency of any word is inversely proportional to its rank in the frequency table. This means the most frequent word will occur twice as often as the second most frequent word, three times as often as the third most frequent word. | The way settlements grow are governed by something known as 'Zipf's law'
Law says rank of a city is inversely proportional to the number of residents .
Scientists have used models for showing how galaxies evolve to propose a theory for scaling laws in human populations on Earth . |
155,602 | 5521f7823b03d2d9c863f521709ed088f3099c43 | Sydney (CNN) -- Thank the Olympic Gods for Tom Slingsby. Before this week, few Australians would have known of him. But this week, he has catapulted himself to national sainthood, winning Australia's second gold medal, this one in sailing. Australia has been in distress since the London Olympics began, watching a parlous performance in the pool where it usually performs exceedingly well. But there has been no Beijing haul of gold for the country's swimmers in London; just one gold in the women's 4 x 100 freestyle relay event, and nothing for the individual swims. iReport: What's your Olympic story? As a result, this sporting nation has been thrown into an identity crisis of sorts, played out in public as a tussle over what it means to be Australian. There are those who argue a poor gold medal tally is an appalling reflection of Australia's sporting prowess and an even worse for its self-esteem, playing out as it has on the international stage. Worse still, at number 19 in the gold medals table, it lags painfully behind Great Britain whose sporting achievements Australia likes to think it has and can always trump. And, for many Australians, the distinct possibility that New Zealand might walk away from this Olympic Games with more medals would be too much to bear. Read more: Pendleton tops golden night for Team GB . And there's the more sober view that sees getting to the Olympics at all -- let alone winning lots of silver -- as an achievement. In this camp, being gracious losers is as important as being great winners. And that Australia's great hope, James Magnussen missed gold in the 100 meters freestyle by 1/100th of a second is to be worn as a badge of honor: we were that good. So furious has the public flogging of Australia's performance been, that long jumper Mitchell Watt who walked away with a silver medal for his efforts, gave the media a blast. "I think people need to start understanding that it is not easy to win an Olympic gold medal and there is absolutely nothing wrong with a silver medal," said Watt. The problem, as Watt sees it, is that the media views silver and bronze as disappointing results. "The team is happy, the coach is happy. I got thousands of messages [from] back home that they are happy. The only people that are not happy are you guys. So you need to wake up," he admonished. Still the critics are not silenced. As Slingsby won gold for the Laser class single-handed dinghies sailing event and Australia looked guaranteed to win another gold on the water, the headlines have been kinder but carry barely disguised missives of shame. Read more: Numbers behind 2012 Olympics . "Sailors come to Australia's Olympic rescue" blared SBS online. "Between them the sailors could spare the blushes of an Australian contingent that has been performing solidly without being able to convert seconds and thirds into Olympic titles." And there was this from Yahoo!7Sport: "Pearson defends Australia's medal haul," in which hurdler Sally Pearson echoed Mitchell Watt's frustration with local disappointment. Across the Tasman, there was the anticipated barb: "Australia back to its old self with gold". The near empty satchel of gold has inspired a review of Australia's swimming performance. Ordered by Swimming Australia, at its head will be former national head coach Bill Sweetenham and Olympian Suzie O'Neill. The aim will be to come up with a formula to prevent another national humiliation at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow in two years time. But more than this, the aim will be to find out what went wrong in London. Was it team disunity? Or too much pre-event tweeting? Maybe the work ethic of the current crop isn't what it should be? Are the best of Australia's swimming coaches being lured by big dollars to train Chinese nationals? And a seemingly ridiculous question: should bearded swimmers be compelled to shave? Could it have been Magnusson's beard that ended his run for gold? It is all open to investigation, though Suzie O'Neill says there'll be no witch-hunt. In a nation accustomed to winning in sport, expectations are invariably high. Rarely is the concomitant pressure on competitors taken into account. As U.S. Open winner Sam Stosur has found, the weight of great expectation on your shoulders, is a viscerally grueling pressure. Bundled out in the first round at the 2012 Australian Open, before an audience expecting her to win after her New York triumph, took its toll. "For sure it affects you physically, that's probably the easiest sign for the outside people to see," she told a media conference after her loss. "I think it is easy to see that you tighten up, your shoulders do get tight, you don't hit through the ball." Young James Magnusson, head buried in hands as he digested his loss, put it this way: "You come to the realization that I would've preferred a different colored medal but the funny thing is that all I wanted to do after the race was see my parents. ''You start to get a realization of what is important. Everything's come so easy for me early in my career and I've taken it for granted," he said. The President of the Australian Olympic Committee John Coates believes the problem is not one of high expectations. That comes with the turf in elite sports. For Coates, the London problem might be eradicated in the future by reintroducing compulsory school sports. Though he warned last November that not enough money was flowing to the state-administered sports institutes to ensure the expected 45 medal haul in London, Coates doesn't think funding is an issue in Australian swimming. "I think there is enough money in the system, they're just not necessarily spending it wisely," he told local media. The highest ranked Australian on the International Olympic Committee Kevin Gosper begs to differ. Money, he says, is the difference between gold and silver. The post mortem will be painful. If anyone is hoping it will be long as well, it is the Prime Minister Julia Gillard, who's parlous political position and poor polling has been off the front pages as the nation licks the wounds of a dented ego. | Australia is currently 19th on the gold medal table with just two golds .
Failure to win medals in London has prompted soul-searching .
Athletes have criticized local media for putting emphasis on winning gold . |
248,230 | cd32e90ead706614817f24906c42f9ae4e519009 | Royal competing in dressage, show jumping and cross-country event . Annual horse trials are set in the grounds of the Duke of Wellington's estate . Welly wanging and a gun dog display organised to keep visitors entertained . By . Toni Jones . PUBLISHED: . 10:58 EST, 27 August 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 10:58 EST, 27 August 2012 . There is no rest for the Royals. Weeks after her Olympic win hard working horsewoman Zara Phillips is eventing again, this time in the Hampshire countryside. And the blonde took time out to refuel on a tasty looking crepe as she walked the course in the sunshine. Zara Phillips tucks into a crepe after walking the cross country course of the Wellington Horse Trials . Wearing tight white jodhpurs, a navy fleece and a casual cap the 31-year-old ditched her riding boots to show off a pair of bright pink golf style socks as she chowed down on the French snack, whose tomato based filling seemed to burn her mouth. The young royal is competing on her horse Black Tuxedo at the event set in the Hampshire grounds of the Duke of Wellington's estate. Attractions at the event, aside from the Olympic medal winner, include dog agility competitions, a gun dog display and welly wanging as well as a fun fair. The royal is competing on her horse Black Tuxedo in dressage, show jumping and cross-country events . Zara refuelled as she walked around the cross-country course in Hook, Hampshire . No doubt Zara's proud husband will be supporting his wife of one year at the trials. Throughout the Olympics England rugby player Mike Tindall was one of Team GB's most vocal cheerleaders, ferociously tweeting his support for Zara and her teammates Nicola Wilson, William Fox-Pitt, Mary King and Kristina Cook. He even admitted that her winning the silver medal better was better than lifting the rugby World Cup. He said: 'That Olympic silver, in my book, is right up there with my World Cup medal, if not above it, because it was won at the London Games with so much expectation and pressure. ‘When England won the World Cup we were favourites to do so. Team GB’s eventing silver wasn’t expected, so to produce that collective performance was outstanding.' Zara Phillips and the Great Britain eventing team Nicola Wilson, William Fox-Pitt, Mary King and Kristina Cook show off their silver medals . Eventing is an equestrian triathlon combining three different disciplines in one competition set out over one, two, or three days, depending on the length of courses and number of entries. Sometimes known as 'Horse Trials' the event features dressage, show jumping and cross-country and uses a penalty point scoring system. Eventing is considered to be the ultimate test of equestrian skills. The first phase, dressage, shows the horse's and rider’s ability to perform a series of prescribed classical movements on the flat in an enclosed arena. The second phase, cross-country, involves the horse and rider galloping over natural terrain, jumping a variety of fixed obstacles along the way. The third phase, show jumping, sees the horse and rider jump a series of stadium fences in an enclosed arena. | Royal competing in dressage, show jumping and cross-country event .
Annual horse trials are set in the grounds of the Duke of Wellington's estate .
Welly wanging and a gun dog display organised to keep visitors entertained . |
148,618 | 4c2ca2cc8a2094e27e81e468544f685d900d9d8e | Los Angeles (CNN) -- The mother of Michael Jackson's two oldest children broke down in tears when she was asked to describe the impact of the singer's death on his daughter Paris. "Their father is dead," Debbie Rowe responded. "I almost lost my daughter! She is devastated. She tried to kill herself. She is devastated. She has no life. She doesn't feel she has a life anymore." Paris, 15, attempted suicide in early June and is still being treated in a facility for her emotional problems. Jurors sitting for a 70th day of testimony in the wrongful death trial of Jackson's last concert promoter have laughed loudly at times during the colorful testimony of Rowe, who alternated between tears and jokes. When she and Jackson divorced after their three-year marriage in 1999, the singer "got custody of the doctors," she joked Wednesday. Rowe returned to the witness stand Thursday for a second day of testimony in the small Los Angeles courtroom. She was ordered to testify about the singer's drug use by lawyers for AEG Live, the concert promoter being sued by Jackson's mother and three children. Wednesday's questioning by AEG Live lawyer Marvin Putnam centered on Jackson's use of prescription drugs -- to deal with pain from scalp surgery, and two times in Germany, where doctors used the surgical anesthetic propofol to treat his insomnia. Thursday's testimony, however, began with Rowe's description of Jackson's skin problems, which included vitiligo -- a condition in which his pigment disappeared, leaving large white spots on his face, hands and body. "Everyone says he bleached himself, but he didn't," Rowe said. Many of his visits to Dr. Arnold Klein, the Beverly Hills dermatologist where she worked for 18 years as a medical assistant, were to treat the condition, she testified. Jackson compared himself to the "Elephant Man," a 19th-century Englishman who became a circus sideshow curiosity because of severe disfigurements, she said. "He was worried that people would see the disease or the disfigurement before they would see him working sometimes," Rowe testified. He also suffered from discoid lupus, which made his skin tissue "mushy," especially on his scalp, she said. Jackson's scalp was severely burned during a pyrotechnics accident while he was filming a Pepsi commercial in 1984. MJ's insomnia struggle . Two German doctors treated Jackson's insomnia with propofol 12 years before he died from an overdose of the surgical anesthetic, Rowe testified Wednesday. Dr. Allen Metzger -- Jackson's general practitioner in the United States -- arranged for the German anesthesiologists to infuse the singer with propofol in a Munich hotel in July 1997 after sedatives failed to help him sleep between concerts, Rowe testified. "I think they tried it and it hadn't worked, and if he couldn't sleep, he couldn't perform," she testified. Jackson "was at the end of his rope; he didn't know what else to do." He "felt better" after eight hours of propofol-induced sleep and decided to get a second treatment after his second Munich show, she said. Metzger testified at the criminal trial of Dr. Conrad Murray that he was never involved in propofol treatments for Jackson and was not aware of the drug until much later. Rowe backed away from her previous statement during a deposition, in which she said doctors also gave Jackson propofol infusions in hotels in France during the HIStory tour, in the late 1990s. AEG Live contends that Jackson used propofol for years to treat his insomnia, including when Rowe was traveling with him in Europe in the 1990s. The coroner ruled Jackson died on June 25, 2009, from a propofol overdose administered by Murray, who is serving a prison sentence for involuntary manslaughter. AEG Live executives, who were promoting and producing Jackson's comeback concerts, had no way of knowing that Murray was infusing him with propofol each night for two months in the spring of 2009, AEG lawyer Marvin Putnam said in his opening statements 16 weeks ago. "Almost no one knew until after his death," Putnam said. "AEG Live certainly didn't know about it." The Jackson family's lawyers contend that the promoters ignored warning signs that Jackson's health was deteriorating in the two months before his death. Instead of getting him to another doctor who might have saved his life, they gave Murray the responsibility of getting Jackson to rehearsals, they argue. Michael Jackson's mother, Katherine Jackson, and three of her children contend AEG Live is liable in his death because it negligently hired, retained or supervised Murray. The company's agreement to pay Murray $150,000 a month put the doctor in a conflict of interest because he was in deep debt and could not risk losing the job by refusing Jackson's demands for propofol, their lawyers contend. AEG Live argues that while its executives negotiated with Murray to serve as Jackson's physician for the "This Is It" tour, it was Jackson who chose and controlled the doctor. "Getting a grip' on MJ's pain . Jackson underwent surgery in 1993 to repair burns suffered in the 1984 accident, including placement of a balloon under his scalp to stretch it over several months, Rowe testified. His doctors "couldn't get a grip of the pain" the procedure caused and two doctors "were having a pissing contest over who gave him the better drug," she said. "Michael had a very low pain tolerance, and his fear of pain was incredible," Rowe testified. "And I think that doctors took advantage of him that way." Rowe said many of the doctors who treated Jackson were "idiots," including the dermatologist she worked for from 1979 until she quit in 1996 before she married Jackson. "Michael respected doctors immensely, that they went to school, that they studied ... to do no harm," Rowe said. "Unfortunately, some of the doctors decided that when Michael was in pain or something that they would try to outbid on who could give him the better drug, and so he listened to those doctors." Metzger tailored a plan to help Jackson withdraw from dependence on demerol, a powerful painkiller given him because of the scalp pain, she said. That plan, however, was derailed when Jackson resumed traveling on his "Dangerous" tour, she said. After six weeks, when the tour reached Mexico City (in autumn 1993), Jackson was "a hot mess," she said. "He was depressed," she said. "He had taken something. I don't know what he had taken or who he had got it from." After a three-day argument with Jackson, Rowe said, she convinced him to end his tour early and enter a drug rehabilitation program. "You need to straighten up," she said she told Jackson. "You need to face whatever it is that is going on and we'll get through this." Jackson eventually announced publicly that he was entering a rehab program to deal with an addiction to prescription drugs. Rowe said Jackson's drug use was not a secret among people in the "Dangerous" tour production. AEG Live Co-CEO Paul Gongaware, who was the over the "This Is It" production when Jackson died, was also tour manager for the "Dangerous" tour. One revelation from Rowe was that a Beverly Hills plastic surgeon faked doing a procedure on Jackson on two occasions, although he told the singer he had done it. Jackson complained about painful scars in his nose and went to Dr. Steven Hoefflin to inject them with collagen, she said. "He put Michael out and didn't do anything but put tape on him as if he had treated him," Rowe testified. The doctor told her he did that because he could not find the scars Jackson thought were there. Thursday is the 70th day of testimony in the trial, which the judge told jurors would likely be given to them for deliberations in late September. | NEW: "I almost lost my daughter!" Debbie Rowe testifies .
Ex-wife describes Michael Jackson's skin problems, pains and drug use .
"Everyone says he bleached himself, but he didn't," Debbie Rowe says .
Doctors had "a pissing contest" over who could give Jackson "the better drug," she says . |
129,755 | 33bec10648662bb2c3f12abdc81960cb10db826c | By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 15:31 EST, 23 April 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 02:08 EST, 24 April 2013 . A father has been accused of shooting his orthodontist wife dead at their plush country club house while their two-year-old daughter was inside the home - before he eluded authorities for 12 hours. A manhunt was launched for Randolph Maidens, 42, after police responded to a welfare check at his Brentwood, Tennessee home at 5.49pm Sunday and found the body of his wife Rachael, 34. Authorities said it was not clear who called 911 to ask police to check on the family. When they arrived at the home in the Governors Club golf community, Maidens was nowhere to be seen. Officers found the couple's two-year-old daughter, Natalie, who was unharmed. Murdered: Randolph Maidens allegedly killed his wife Rachael Maidens in their gated community home . Brentwood police, helped by a SWAT . Team, a K-9 unit and . helicopters, launched an overnight manhunt for Maidens and put the gated community on lockdown as they searched the area. Maidens eventually walked out of the woods behind the back of his house and was taken into custody without incident at 6 am on Monday, ABC News reported. Brentwood police officials would not . comment on a possible motive for the crime, simply stating it was an . 'ongoing investigation'. But one neighbor described how she witnessed Maidens acting bizarrely three weeks ago. 'I saw him running through the woods behind our house, and he a had on a black ski . mask and a backpack that looked like a quiver,' the neighbor told WKRN-TV. Arrest: Maidens fled the home after allegedly killing his wife and leaving their daughter, 2, with her body . Scene: He later emerged from trees at the back of their plush home in Brentwood, Tennessee . Together: Police have not revealed a motive and friends and neighbors said the family had seemed happy . 'It was daytime . and he was running through the woods... and down to the ravine, right past our house, and I followed him . and he laid down in the ravine and pulled off the ski mask.' When she asked him what he was doing, 'he made some . kind of statement that made no sense' before adding, 'Well, I was walking my dogs, I got lost', she said. Maidens appeared before a Williamson . County magistrate judge on Tuesday and was charged with homicide in the . death of his wife, the Williamson County Sheriff's Department told ABC . News. He is being held in Williamson County Jail on a $2.5 million bond and will appear in court on May 2. He has no criminal record but on February 23, he was arrested for driving under the influence and refusing to take a Breathalyzer test, records show. Hunt: Police deployed helicopters and K-9 units to search for Maidens after the body of his wife was found . Ripped apart: Maidens is in jail on $2.5m bond while the couple's daughter is now with relatives . He was released on $1,500 cash bond and will appear in court on May 29 at 9 a.m. for the charge. Rachael Maidens owned an orthodontist practice, RM Orthodontics, in Maryland Farms. On Monday, some patients came by to leave gifts and flowers at the closed door. 'I think to say just how sorry I am and I'm going to miss coming to the office and seeing her,' former patient Cindy Bayer told News Channel 5. 'She always had a smile and was always friendly. She obviously enjoyed what she did, so it's a shame that her life's work is gone.' Mrs Maidens, who grew up in Brentwood, met her husband while practicing in Atlanta for three years. The couple's daughter has been placed with relatives. | Randolph Maidens 'left his toddler daughter alone with wife's body and eluded authorities for 12 hours'
Police launched massive manhunt and Maidens was caught the next day .
The little girl was unharmed and is now with relatives .
Authorities have not yet revealed a motive for the alleged murder . |
246,642 | cb2f5ad2dbb0a6c7d39cf637c7455bbd40398cbd | (CNN) -- One of the questions I've been asked the most in the 10 days since judge Hans-Joachim Eckert's summary was published of Michael Garcia's report into the conduct of the 2018 and 2022 World Cup bids, is the extent to which I'm upset with the comments about me as the "Australian whistleblower." The answer is: not that much -- and there are two reasons. First, the report is an investigation into FIFA of the world governing body's decisions and processes, conducted by Garcia who is paid by FIFA. The conclusions reached are that there's really nothing to worry about when it comes to FIFA. Surprise. Do you see the pattern here? Second, while it wasn't nice to read what was written about me and it wasn't what I expected, it is also untrue. I didn't expect to read about any of the 75 individuals with whom Garcia met, let alone to see Phaedra Al-Majid and me singled out in such negative terms. Not only were the two of us referred to as "whistle-blowers" in the pejorative, but I was referred to as "unreliable" and Phaedra -- who worked on the successful Qatar bid -- was referred to as both "not credible" and "unreliable." It was an extraordinary and unprofessional attack by one or both of the two men who preside over FIFA's Ethics Committee. While Eckert or Garcia must have their reasons for so openly flouting standards of whistle-blower conventions, the important point is they also accepted the issues that I raised with them. The issues that are subsequently presented in the summary report related to Australia -- and which Eckert refers to as "potentially problematic conduct" -- are amongst the matters I discussed with Garcia. For me, this is the key point as the real issue is FIFA. In any case, as Garcia himself has claimed, it is also easy to find errors in the summary report. For example, in the section related to the former FIFA Executive Committee member, Mohamed Bin Hammam, it is noted that Oceania Football Confederation's (OFC) intention to support Australia's bid "was publicly reported as early as October 17, 2010." Wrong. It was announced by the President of Australia's football association at a media conference, alongside President Sepp Blatter, in Brisbane on June 1, 2008. This is a matter of public record. It is curious that either Garcia or Eckert got this date wrong by 28 months because it goes to the heart of issues raised earlier in the summary report, and it is also relevant to what appears to be an illogical conclusion regarding the impact of Reynald Temarii's eventual absence from taking part in the final vote. But while the focus of the past four years has been the decisions of the Executive Committee regarding 2018/2022, FIFA has been the subject of corruption allegations for decades. Concerned about his legacy after the 2018/2022 decisions, Blatter embarked upon successive so-called governance reforms in 2011 that left most people shaking their heads in disbelief. First, he announced the establishment of a "Council of Wisdom" comprising Henry Kissinger, Placido Domingo and Johan Cruyff. When it finally dawned on Blatter that this wasn't his brightest idea, he invited Transparency International and an independent Swiss governance expert, Professor Mark Pieth to advise him. Transparency International later quit, raising questions over FIFA's commitment to reform because Pieth was being paid by the world governing body. Professor Pieth hung in there for more than two years but could not chip-away at the cultural change required in the organization. A high-profile anti-bribery expert who was a member of one of the new committees, Alexandra Wrage, quit in 2013 telling the Guardian: "We all focus our efforts where we can have an impact and I was not having an impact at FIFA. "It is important the organization you are dealing with is receptive to those efforts and receptive to change. "The independent governance committee put in a tremendous amount of work and effort putting together some fairly uncontroversial recommendations which were then knocked back," said Wrage, who is president of the non-profit international anti-bribery group Trace. FIFA has grown to become an international commercial behemoth -- albeit an unaccountable one -- in Blatter's time and he has built the World Cup into one of the most prestigious sporting event on the planet. But it has been at the expense of the reputation of world football and without regard for the two key stakeholders of the game -- players and fans. FIFA is incapable of reforming itself -- and it is time for those of us who love the game and who play the game to ask sponsors, broadcasters and governments to intervene to give us a new world governing body now. What football should have is an international governing body that has the same level of transparency and accountability that we expect of our governments, major institutions and international organizations. An international governing body that is responsible to the many millions of people who play the game and the billions who are fans; and one that meets standards befitting an organization that will make a profit of $2 billion from the 2014 World Cup, according to Forbes. Governments, sponsors and broadcasters should demand an interim time limited administration, led by an eminent person with a broad mandate to develop a new constitution, governance arrangements and policies and to conduct new elections -- in other words, an International Olympic Committee-like reform. Together with Al-Majid I've been invited by British MP Damian Collins to help arrange a FIFA reform conference in Brussels in January, which I hope will produce the reforms that the IOC put into place. Finally, another question I have been asked is whether I would do this again. Being a whistle-blower means your life changes. In my case, I raised my concerns internally but my employment was terminated. It takes a toll financially and emotionally. In a relatively small country like Australia, you lose your livelihood; and, at my stage in life, the financial security you were building for your family. But we all need to consider how we want our lives measured. We all make choices. In the case of FIFA, you can play in the sandpit; you can leave your principles at the door; or you can be prepared to be resilient and take the consequences from those who desperately want to maintain the sinecures of the status quo. | FIFA under fire from whistle-blower .
Bonita Mersiades points to errors in recent FIFA report .
FIFA's commercial success has come at "expense of the reputation of world football"
Details how whistle-blowing impacted her life . |
282,344 | f9adc4d6776cc762e5090f0a58beb2cc1de69e44 | The West must not threaten Russian president Vladimir Putin, above, over a solution to the Ukrainian crisis, the Kremlin warned today; Putin is pictured above speaking before the start of the winter Olympics last week . The West must not threaten Vladimir Putin over a solution to the Ukrainian crisis, the Kremlin warned today. The demand came as Ukraine accused Moscow of deploying new troops and military hardware to rebel-held regions. Ukraine claims 1,500 Russian troops and convoys of military hardware entered their territory over the weekend, something Russia denies. America is considering supplying arms to Kiev, while a senior British defence official, Nick Gurr, head of international security policy, was said to today be in Kiev to discuss 'cooperation in the military sphere'. Ukrainian officials said he was meeting defence minister Stepan Poltorak and would discuss reforms in Ukraine's defence system. A Putin spokesman said: 'Nobody has ever talked to the president in the tone of an ultimatum, and could not do so even if they wished to.' Putin blames the West for the current bloodshed in eastern Ukraine and shows no signs of compromise. The EU wanted to 'tear off' ex-Soviet states and force them into an 'artificial choice' between Russia and Europe, he has claimed. 'We repeatedly warned the USA and its Western allies about the harmful consequences of their interference in Ukrainian domestic affairs but they did not listen to our opinion,' he told an Egyptian newspaper. Scroll down for video . President Barack Obama met German Chancellor Angela Merkel today in a public display of unity despite a potential split over arming Ukrainian fighters to wage a more effective battle against Russian-backed separatists . Putin sees Ukraine as part of Russia's sphere of influence in eastern Europe. President Barack Obama met German Chancellor Angela Merkel today in a public display of unity despite a potential split over arming Ukrainian fighters to wage a more effective battle against Russian-backed separatists. That was the unstated point of the White House meeting, where Ms Merkel was to brief Mr Obama on upcoming talks aimed at reviving a peace plan for besieged Ukraine. At issue is not only Putin's support for the separatists but the revival of the Soviet Cold War strategy of trying to create a critical division between the U.S. and its NATO allies, Germany in particular. Ms Merkel and French President Francois Hollande met with Ukrainian leaders and Putin last week and have announced a new summit meeting for Wednesday in Minsk. French and German leaders are to sit down with Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko and Putin in an attempt to breathe life into a much-violated September peace plan. The U.S. will not be at the table. Ms Merkel and French President Francois Hollande met with Ukrainian leaders and Putin last week and have announced a new summit meeting for Wednesday in Minsk; The French and German leader are pictured above with Putin in Moscow . That meeting in the Belarusian capital takes place with Ms Merkel and Mr Hollande deeply opposed to arming Ukraine in its bid to push back the separatists that NATO and the U.S. insist are being armed by Russia, which also has troops fighting in the eastern Ukraine. The White House has let it be known that Mr Obama, who had resisted calls to send arms, was now considering doing just that. Opponents of arming Kiev believe that could open a proxy war between Washington and Moscow. Merkel and Hollande insist the only way to end the conflict is through diplomacy. Former U.S. presidential candidate John McCain warned Ukrainians 'are being slaughtered, and we're sending them blankets and meals. 'Blankets don't do well against Russian tanks.' More than 5,300 people have been killed since fighting began in April, according to a U.N. tally; the bloodshed has markedly increased over the past two weeks; a pro-Russian separatist fires a machine gun towards the eastern Ukrainian city of Debaltseve, in the Donetsk region, last month . The EU has vowed to put new sanctions against Russia on hold ahead of last ditch talks to end the conflict. On the table is a plan to create a demilitarised zone of between 30 and 45 miles around the current frontline. At the Munich Security Conference over the weekend, Vice President Joe Biden stopped short of explicitly addressing possible arms deliveries. He said: 'We will continue to provide Ukraine with security assistance not to encourage war, but to allow Ukraine to defend itself.' More than 5,300 people have been killed since fighting began in April, according to a U.N. tally; the bloodshed has markedly increased over the past two weeks. | Demand comes as Ukraine accuses Moscow of deploying more troops .
Putin spokesman says no one has ever given Putin an 'ultimatum'
America is considering supplying arms to Kiev to fight Russian separatists .
Germany and France to hold peace talks with Putin and Ukraine this week . |
13,984 | 27a795e478900800bb94b652907f7a678e9a21d5 | (CNN) -- Australian tourist Michael Smith says he was eating lunch in a restaurant in Tibet's capital, Lhasa, on Friday when he heard an explosion and saw smoke. Video shot by an Australian tourist shows protesters in the streets of Lhasa, Tibet, last week. As armored vehicles and trucks carrying Chinese soldiers rushed past, Smith started videotaping. "We're standing here in the middle of Lhasa and the place has just [expletive] exploded," Smith narrated during the rioting. Smith, who was traveling in Tibet when anti-Chinese rioting broke out Friday, returned home this week with dramatic video of the violence in the Tibetan capital, Lhasa, which aired on Australian TV on Wednesday. Watch Smith's video of chaos in streets » . Tibetan exile groups maintain at least 80 people were killed by Chinese security forces that day, but Chinese authorities insist they acted with restraint and killed no one. Instead, China says 13 "innocent people" were killed, some brutally burned, by the Tibetan rioters. No apparent deaths or injuries were seen on the video, which Smith shared with Australia's ABC News, a CNN affiliate. The video shows Tibetans smashing windows and setting fire to Chinese shops and cars, while people are heard cheering. It also shows Chinese security forces, but no clashes between them and the rioters. "It's absolute mayhem on the streets," Smith said. Other video released of the rioting was broadcast by the Chinese government's CCTV, and it did not include pictures of Chinese security forces. Smith said as he made his way back to his hotel on Friday, he "met so many Tibetan people on the streets, so many young Tibetan boys just screaming for Tibet's freedom." "We don't have any freedoms," one young Tibetan male shouted to Smith's camera. "The Tibetan people are going crazy," Smith said. See protests around the world over Tibet » . Many of the businesses targeted by the rioters were operated by Han Chinese, China's largest ethnic group. The Dalai Lama, Tibet's spiritual leader, has blamed the violent protests on deep resentment fueled by Chinese treatment of Tibetans as "second-class citizens in their own land." Tibetan activists said an influx of Han Chinese from other provinces is threatening their ancient culture. While many of these "Free Tibet" activists demand independence from China, the Dalai Lama said he wants only "genuine autonomy" so that Tibetans can preserve their heritage. Watch Tibetans on horseback storm a Chinese town » . Meanwhile, China's state-run Xinhua news agency reported Tuesday that more than 100 people surrendered themselves to police and admitted involvement in the clashes last week in Lhasa. Tibet's regional government said 105 people had turned themselves in to authorities by 11 p.m. Tuesday (1:15 p.m. ET), Xinhua said. Authorities had urged those who participated in the protests to turn themselves in, offering them leniency if they did. "Those who surrender and provide information on other lawbreakers will be exempt from punishment," Xinhua quoted a police notice as saying. E-mail to a friend . | Michael Smith shot video of anti-Chinese rioting in Lhasa, Tibet, last week .
The Australian tourist videotaped Tibetans smashing windows, setting fires .
Once home, Smith shared his video with Australia's ABC News . |
28,953 | 522f7fd6531e9b1c277f4cd3c28b7cf9c94f3673 | By . Louise Boyle . PUBLISHED: . 09:35 EST, 5 November 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 10:26 EST, 5 November 2012 . A young family fell ill after relocating to a suburban home which unbeknown to them had been used by the last tenants as a huge marijuana greenhouse. Christy Edgel, her husband Jesse and four children recently moved from Utah to Cypress, Texas after Jesse lost his job. Almost immediately, the family became sick, complaining of sore throats, stinging eyes and congestion. Mrs Edgel said her two-year-old daughter was the sickest. Scroll down for video . Unaware: The Edgel family, from Utah, relocated to Texas and moved into a home which had previously been used as a marijuana greenhouse . Luxury: The 4,000 square foot home in Cypress, Texas was rented to the young family but they were not informed of its previous use as a cannabis greenhouse . The family were completely unaware that the luxury, four-bedroom, 4,000-square foot home had been raided on August 21 as part . of a massive drugs bust involving 50 homes. No one had been living at the home but it had been used by drug dealers to grow 400 plants. Mrs Edgel told TV station KRIV: 'My eyes were burning. My throat was burning. My chest felt heavy. 'Then I became very congested. My youngest daughter started getting green goop in her eyes, and she would cough until she threw up.' It was then that Mrs Edgel discovered mould growing all over the house, in particular in her youngest daughter's bedroom. Busted: In August, a sting operation uncovered 400 plants being grown at the home by drug dealers . Behind closed doors: The suburban home was raided by narcotics officers in August where 400 cannabis plants were found inside . The sickly conditions appear to have been caused by the 'greenhouse' conditions of the marijuana factory. The heat in the house was kept high and water sprayed, making the atmosphere damp and humid. Along with her concerns for her family's health, Mrs Edgel was also worried what the environment would do to irreplaceable family heirlooms such as the 1930s grand piano she inherited when her grandmother died last year. Although landlords must tell prospective tenants if the home has previously been used to cook methamphetamine, they are not obliged to reveal if the property has been used to grow marijuana. The owner has now agreed to return the family's $2,000 deposit and $2,000 rent they had paid. Cover-up: Christy Edgel was worried for her family's well-being following the revelation about the house's past . Damages: When the family examined the home closer, there was mould growing in the walls and vents (left) | The Edgels and their four children relocated from Utah to Texas .
The family were unaware the home had been raided by police in August as part of drugs operation involving 50 homes .
Landlords NOT required to tell renters if home has been used to grow cannabis - although must reveal if property was once a meth lab . |
87,753 | f8ff29f89fb580c4d5a493936e455474d045304d | Kangerlussuaq, Greenland (CNN) -- For hundreds of years the Arctic has fascinated explorers and scientists who wonder what treasures may lie under the massive ice plains that occupy much of the territory here. Adventurers from across the globe have been coming to Greenland for years to try and uncover what secrets lay beneath the massive ice shield here, which is more than twice the size of the U.S. state of Texas. It turns out that many of the riches are not hidden under the frozen and compressed snow layers, but right in them. Scientists gather a wealth of information from the ice in Greenland. It gives of them details on climates dating back more than 100,000 years, including temperatures, precipitation, cloud cover, and special occurrences such as volcanic eruptions that leave traces of ash. "If we can understand the past, then it will help us better predict the future of climate change," says Trevor Popp, a climatologist from the University of Copenhagen. "And Greenland is the best place to experience the processes first hand. Someone once told me this is where the rubber meets the road when it comes to studying climate change." Read: Chasing down the world's vanishing glaciers . An abundance of research missions have been launched to the Arctic ice shield. One of the most respected organizations working here is Germany's Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar and Marine Research. The AWI as it is known as has now given CNN the chance to participate in a mission to the Arctic, featuring the institute's most advanced new research aircraft, Polar 6. "It is a two-fold mission," Daniel Steinhage the geophysicist who headed the endeavor told us. "On the one hand we will fly radar survey missions over the ice to penetrate the first hundred to two hundred meters. Then we will land in some of the places along our flight route to drill shallow ice cores for more exact results." The mission's goal was to develop an improved method to map the upper layers of Greenland's Arctic ice, down to about 150 meters under the surface, in a bid to improve climate projection models that try to tell us how temperatures, rainfall and weather patterns on earth will evolve in the future. The research seems urgent after increases in severe weather like hurricanes have increasingly raised the question of how global ice melt contributes to these weather phenomena. Read: Greenland, Antarctica ice melt speeding up . Sepp Kippstuhl, a glaciologist at AWI says researchers are not sure how much humans contribute to climate change, but that industrialization and the emissions it creates surely have effects on climate. "We turn on so many screws that something somewhere has to change, but we don't know what that change is or how severe it is. That is why we are trying to improve our climate modeling," says Kippstuhl. The AWI's mission to the Arctic will try and improve methods of gaining data on ice melt in the Arctic. After outfitting the Polar 6 research aircraft with antennas and state of the art computer systems for over a week, the team and the aircraft head to Kangerlussuaq in Greenland -- a former U.S. military base that is home to about 600 people and the largest airfield on the island. Polar 6 is a unique plane. The airframe comes from a DC-3 Dakota, a plane used by the U.S. and other militaries in World War II and the following years to transport goods. However, while Polar 6 might look like an old plane, it is outfitted with state of the art modern avionics and brand new engines, making it as reliable as any modern day aircraft. Read: Greenhouse gases reach new peak . The first part of the AWI's polar mission was conducting radar survey flights to the middle of Greenland's ice shield. After take off from Kangerlussuaq and a flight over some of the most majestic fjords in the world, Polar 6 reached the glaciers on the fringes of Greenland's inland ice. It took the aircraft another two hours to get to the radar survey area. The ice here is a lot like the salt flats in Nevada, there are no hills or valley, no landmarks whatsoever, making it extremely hard for the pilots to distinguish the clouds from the surface. "The extremes that we operate in are really not something that can be taught," Polar 6's captain Erik Bengtsson, a Canadian, told us while navigating the ice plains. "You need to just gain experience flying in these conditions and you always have to keep an eye on the weather because it changes so quickly out here." Around three hours into our flight, Steinhage was finally able to boot his computers and start using the radar equipment. Read: Trying to agree a Kyoto 2.0, as the planet simmers . "The radar penetrates about 150 to 200 meters into the ice," Steinhage said, while monitoring a variety of screens in the plane's hull. "The useful data goes about 100 to 120 meters deep, after that it is very distorted, but the data from those depths is very useful." The data gathered by Polar 6's radars is part of the puzzle to try and map conditions in the top layers of the arctic ice shield. The ice here consists of compressed snow that fell in Greenland in the past and was then pressed into layers as more and more precipitation came down over the years. The ice is layered much like tree rings. Each layer represents a certain point in time and gives clues to the climate conditions of that era. "If we can understand the past and get data from the past, then we can enter that information into our computers and run it forward to try and predict how the climate will change in the future," Steinhage said. "The problem we have is that every time we get new data there are also new questions as well. There are so many factors influencing the world's climate that it is very hard to predict how it will change in the future." But each bit of information also delivers some answers to questions about the how our climate is evolving. Read: Drought-stressed trees face race to adapt . For the second part of the AWI's missions, the team loaded a heavy drill into Polar 6's hull and landed right in the middle of the ice shield on skis to drill ice cores. Delivering the drill with a plane is unique in itself, so far researchers would mostly use snow mobiles or other special vehicles to transport equipment to drill sites. A process that could take days, with Polar 6 only takes a few hours. Sepp Kipfstuhl is in charge of shallow ice core drilling at the AWI and brings more than 30 years of experience to the table. After a rough landing right on Greenland's inland ice, Kipfstuhl and his team set up their drill and begin working. The cores they pull out of the ice will have to be scientifically evaluated in a lab for months after the end of the mission, but with his experience Kipfstuhl immediately points to signs that point to very warm summers here in the Arctic in the past years. "On the ice you will see melt layers," he says pointing to dark and very compressed layering in the ice. "They are extremely prominent melt layers and guys who drilled here 30 years ago say they don't remember melt layers this prominent. The melt layers point to extremely warm summers here in the past years, where the ice surface melted and then froze again during the winter." That preliminary evaluation is also backed by NASA data from its ice tracking satellite. The space agency recorded unprecedented surface ice melt in the Arctic this past summer with about 97% of Greenland's inland ice showing signs of thawing. In normal years, about 50% of the ice shield's thaws. This process is also clearly visible from the air as Polar 6 flies over Greenland. Clear blue meltwater ponds dot the landscape, growing larger under the Arctic summer's sun. Kipfstuhl and his team spent about seven hours drilling on the ice shield. All of the work happens at night because during the day the thawing is so bad that the ice surface becomes too slushy to operate a drill -- another sign that temperatures are rising. Like most scientists, Kipfstuhl is not willing to speculate how much humans are contributing to global warming. But he does say that humanity is taking a big risk. "We are doing an experiment with our planet and we have no idea what the outcome will be, what the result will be. All we can do is try to predict it, but there are so many variables in our environment that it is very hard," he said. The debate on climate change is extremely politically charged and it is hard to get unbiased information. In a nutshell climate researchers will give the following facts. The earth is getting warmer. Temperatures have increased dramatically since the industrial revolution but it is still unclear how much humans are contributing to global warming because there have been warmer and colder climate cycles in the past. Warming temperatures and ice melt will lead to rising sea levels and may be contributing to more frequent and more intense severe weather on earth. There is very little certainty in today's climate research and missions like the one that the Alfred-Wegener-Institute conducted in Greenland constantly try to improve the available data to give a more accurate picture of what the future might hold on this planet we inhabit. Their predictions become a little more accurate with every expedition but every mission also brings up new sets of questions that will take decades to answer. | CNN correspondent joins scientists on mission to Greenland to understand how the vast ice sheet is changing .
Aerial radar missions and ice core drilling data helping build picture of past climate and helps predict future .
Melt layers point to extremely warm summers here in the recent years, according to scientists .
"We are doing an experiment with our planet and we have no idea what the outcome will be," says glaciologist . |
244,103 | c7ee0f29f3dd22a9b9cbbe86833ec01536de93d1 | By . Tom Gardner . PUBLISHED: . 14:27 EST, 20 June 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 14:29 EST, 20 June 2012 . A cherished family dog feared killed by coyotes has returned home – four years after going missing. Distraught Sophie Roorda, now 11, never quite came to terms with losing her three-year-old little black and white terrier, even with the passing years. And to her utter amazement, she has been reunited with her beloved Tessa after the pet was discovered wandering in the wilderness near the family home in Barnhart, St Louis. Reunited: Sophie Roorda has been reunited with her dog Tessa after four years thanks to an implanted identification chip . A family spotted the stray animal looking thin and disheveled and took her to a nearby animal sanctuary. Staff at Webster Groves Animal Hospital found a microchip with her owner's contact information. Sophie’s father Jeff Roorda, picked up the dog last week, told stltoday.com: ‘She came right to me when I called her name. She seemed pretty happy to see me. ‘It would be fascinating to find out how she got from Barnhart to Webster Groves and what happened in the last four years.’ Angel Venegoni, the animal hospital's administrator said her hospital regularly reunites microchipped pets with owners, but four years could be a record for them. Sophie’s parents had tried to fill the void left by missing Tessa and bought the sixth-grader a cat, Jayda, and a Shih Tzu named Jazzie. Nancy Roorda said: ‘We got her to replace Tessa. At that time, my father and Sophie's great-grandmother had passed away and then the dog disappeared, so it was a really rough time for her.’ And a month ago her treasured cat also went missing. Its remains were discovered near a coyote den near their home, which appeared to confirm the theory that the same fate had befallen Tessa. That was until they received a call from the animal hospital saying their pet had not in fact been eaten by wild dogs. Reunited Tessa has not struggled getting reacquainted with her old domestic life, climbing in to her favourite arm of the family's couch as if no time had passed. | Sophie Roorda, now 11, was left distraught when the terrier mix vanished .
The pet was found wandering wilderness not far from family home in Barnhart, St Louis .
Vets at animal hospital discovered a microchip under the stray's skin with family's contact details . |
52,308 | 942fc18be942283a3d60319a16105be73efee96e | It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas, at least for Cesc Fabregas who has posted a picture so festive it could have been taken in Santa's Grotto itself. The Chelsea playmaker was enjoying winter season with his family in what must be a department store - unless a giant mirrored reindeer and THREE Christmas trees is how they roll in the Fabregas household. The Spaniard, who will sit out this weekend's Premier League clash with Hull through suspension, accompanied the Instagram image of himself, girlfriend Daniella Semaan and their daughter Lia with the caption: 'It's christmas time… #lovemyfamily #MissL & @4ladyd'. Cesc Fabregas and his family pose for a festive picture from what must be a department store . The Spaniard has been inspirational in Chelsea's midfield since arriving from Barcelona in the summer . The 27-year-old has been a revelation at Stamford Bridge since his summer move from Barcelona and leads the way with 11 assists in the Premier League this season. Despite his recent form, manager Jose Mourinho played down Fabregas' suspension this weekend: 'He obviously has been amazing for us and is playing fantastically well but he's suspended for tomorrow so we don't think about him. 'We trust the other people that will have a chance to play.' Fabregas is suspended for the game against Hull after picking up five bookings this season . Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho insists his side can cope in the absence of their playmaker . | Cesc Fabregas posts family picture in the company of Christmas trees .
Chelsea midfielder is suspended for Premier League clash with Hull .
Spain international leads the table with 11 assists this season . |
24,783 | 4639b3833d8e079121b8a0d508e8349b9f3d7dfc | Centennial, Colorado (CNN) -- Colorado movie shooting suspect James Holmes was charged Monday with 24 counts of first-degree murder -- two counts for each of the 12 people killed in the shooting. Twelve of the murder counts cite "deliberation," and 12 cite "extreme indifference" to the value of human life. The 24-year-old former doctoral student also was charged with 116 counts of attempted murder -- two for each of the 58 moviegoers wounded in the attack. Finally, he was charged with one count of felony possession of explosive devices and one count related to the use of an assault weapon, a shotgun and a handgun during the incident. The 142 counts are all in connection with the July 20 massacre in the Century Aurora 16 multiplex minutes into a midnight screening of "The Dark Knight Rises." Shackled around his wrists and ankles, Holmes was escorted into Arapahoe County Courthouse by two sheriffs deputies. Five other sheriffs deputies were standing in the courtroom. Court appearance fuels theories about Colorado shooting suspect . In his first court appearance last week, Holmes appeared dazed and did not speak. During Monday's hearing, meanwhile, he seemed calm and frail, sitting at the right edge of the defense table with his dyed-orange hair matted on top, its roots dark. For a while, he stared blankly at the judge's bench but appeared to be aware of what was going on. When the judge asked him whether he understood why his attorneys were asking for more time before a hearing, he said softly, "Yes." About half of the approximately 120 seats in the courtroom were filled with victims or their family members; more watched on video in an overflow room. One young man in the front row of the courtroom leaned forward and stared at Holmes without averting his gaze throughout the 45-minute proceeding. Read the charges (PDF) Another observer, her left arm and leg in bandages, sat slumped in her seat. Around her wrist was a hospital wristband. "It was very important to come today to see him as who he was," MaryEllen Hansen told reporters outside the courthouse. "I really wanted an opportunity to watch his gestures (and) study him as much as I could." Her niece's 6-year-old daughter, Veronica Moser-Sullivan, was the youngest person killed in the rampage. Hansen's niece, Ashley Moser, faces a long recovery after being paralyzed in her lower half and miscarrying after the shooting. "I got a sense that he was very aware of what was going on," Hansen said of Holmes. "He had an expression and kind of a persona of evilness to him. But he looked very sane to me, he really did." Asked if she favors the death penalty, the retired school principal said, "I'm a Christian and I do believe that he should probably be locked away and live with what he did every day of his life." Background of suspect full of contrasts . Arapahoe County District Attorney Carol Chambers said last Monday that it will take time for prosecutors to decide whether or not they will pursue the death penalty, since they'd first want to get input from victims and their relatives. Authorities have remained silent about a possible motive in the case. A court document filed Friday revealed that Holmes was a patient of a University of Colorado psychiatrist before the attack. The disclosure was made in a filing by Holmes' public defenders requesting that authorities hand over a package he sent to Dr. Lynne Fenton at the university's Anschutz Medical Campus, where he had been studying neuroscience before announcing earlier this month that he was withdrawing from the program. The package seized by authorities under a July 23 search warrant should remain confidential, protected by the doctor-patient relationship because "Holmes was a psychiatric patient of Fenton," the request said. In response, prosecutors asked Arapahoe County District Judge William Sylvester to deny Holmes' request, saying it contained inaccuracies including claims of media leaks by government officials that in reality may have been fabricated by news organizations. The package is expected to be the focus of a status hearing set for August 9. Prosecutors say they will begin turning over thousands of pages of discovery in the next couple of days. The defense says they need this information to prepare for the hearing. Warning signs of violence: What to do . During the week of November 12, attorneys expect a preliminary hearing and an evidence hearing that will include several days of testimony. As Monday's hearing unfolded, 10 survivors remained hospitalized, three of them in critical condition. But there was some progress: The day began at the University of Colorado Hospital at Aurora, for instance, with three in critical, one in serious and one in fair condition and ended with two in critical and three in fair condition. Meanwhile, those affected continued to come to grips with the horror. On Saturday alone, memorial services were held for four people killed in the massacre including two men -- Matt McQuinn from Ohio and Alex Teves from Arizona -- who died shielding their girlfriends from gunfire. Closer to Aurora, which is just east of Denver, people worked to make sense of what happened and support one another. For some, that includes making sure the shooting suspect knows that they are stronger, better and united. "The man was a coward. We're here to show that we have strength and that we're willing to fight back," said Don Lader, after attending Monday's court hearing. "He looked defeated," Lader added about Holmes, "and he knows that he's not the one with power anymore -- that's us." Remembering the victims through stories, photos . CNN's Ed Lavandera contributed to this report . | NEW: "We're here to show ... strength and that we're willing to fight back," a man says .
James Holmes faces 24 counts of first-degree murder and116 counts of attempted murder .
He is accused of killing 12 people and wounding 58 .
Prosecutors have not said whether they will pursue the death penalty . |
209,332 | 9b125aeb00b93925313d2b52d7582ee1c4e06227 | This record-breaking feat is sure to get Blackpool residents – and tourists – pumped up. The iconic seaside town in Lancashire set a new Guinness World Record today for the world's biggest beach ball. The gigantic orange and white ball was inflated near Central Pier on Blackpool Beach, weighing a staggering 880 pounds and standing as tall as the White House in Washington, DC, when it was fully inflated. Pumped up: Visit Blackpool says it has set a new Guinness Word Record with a gigantic beach ball that has a diameter of 59 ft . Iconic: The gigantic orange and white ball was inflated near Central Pier on Blackpool Beach, weighing a staggering 880 pounds . Hold on tight: Blackpool's new record was validated on the spot by independent adjudicators, although it still awaits an official declaration . With a diameter of 59 ft, the custom-made orb is three times the size of a standard house and weighs about the same as an adult horse. It was inflated as part of a Visit Blackpool publicity stunt aimed at attracting tourists and giving the town's reputation a boost. Iain Hawkins, spokesman for the tourism board's #BlackpoolsBack campaign, said: 'We wanted to create something special, something unique that illustrates both Blackpool's legendary sense of fun and the fact that there has never been a better time for families to visit the most iconic seaside resort in the UK. 'The giant #BlackpoolsBack beach-ball, the biggest ever made in the world, does all of that and more.' It took almost an entire fortnight to manufacture the beach ball and transport it to Blackpool Beach, where it was inflated near Central Pier . On the count of one...: The ball was inflated as part of a Visit Blackpool publicity stunt aimed at attracting tourists and giving the town's reputation a boost . Life's a beach: The record-setting beach ball is capable of holding 3,766,313 pints of water or almost 60,000 standard beach balls . Councillor Graham Cain, Blackpool Council's cabinet member for tourism and leisure, said: 'We've gone through years of regeneration and we're now at a point where we can be very proud of the holiday area we have to offer.' It took an entire fortnight to manufacture and transport the ball, which is capable of holding 3,766,313 pints of water or almost 60,000 standard beach balls. Had it been inflated by mouth, it would have taken 32 days to blow up. Once it was inflated, Blackpool's new record was validated on the spot by independent adjudicators, the tourism board said. Polish supermarket chain Real was the previous record holder. The grocer inflated a beach ball with a diameter of 51 ft in May 2012. Tourism officials say the publicity stunt was an attempt to illustrate Blackpool's legendary sense of fun and history as a fun-filled destination for families . When it is fully inflated, the beach ball stands as tall as America's White House and is three times the size of a standard house in the UK . Hot air: Had it been inflated by mouth, it would have taken 32 days to fully inflate the massive beach ball . Blowing away the competition: Polish supermarket chain Real was the previous record holder with a beach ball that had a diameter of 51 ft . Popular getaway: Blackpool attracts 13 million visitors a year and is the UK’s most visited seaside resort . | Massive beach ball has a diameter of 59 ft and weighs a staggering 800 pounds .
It is capable of holding 3,766,313 pints of water or almost 60,000 standard beach balls .
Previous record of 51 ft was held by the Real supermarket chain in Poland . |
172,470 | 6b36659ed098eb17179110eb29c9ece11db4e34b | A hugely popular video game site that streams live video of people placing has been forced to implement a dress code banning naked users. Twitch, a service that lets users broadcast themselves playing games or watch others doing so, has banned 'wearing no clothing or sexually suggestive clothing' in posts on the site. Gamers can be suspended from Twitch, which was recently bought by Amazon for $970m for nudity or broadcasting themselves wearing items 'including lingerie, swimsuits, pasties, and undergarments.' Scroll down for video . whe using the service players broadcast a live video feed of themselves - and have no been told they must be fully vlothed when playing . San Francisco-based Twitch allows gamers to broadcast live streams of themselves playing videogames. Its social networking features allow viewers to communicate with each other and the featured gamer during broadcasts. The system works on PCs, consoles and mobile phones. The company says more than 55 million gamers visit its site every month. 'Nerds are sexy, and you're all magnificent, beautiful creatures, but let's try and keep this about the games, shall we?' reads a section titled 'Dress ... appropriately' in Twitch's new Rules of Conduct. Under the new rules, gamers can be suspended from Twitch for nudity or broadcasting themselves wearing items 'including lingerie, swimsuits, pasties, and undergarments.' The firm tries to make the ban as lighthearted as possible. 'You may have a great six-pack, but that's better shared on the beach during a 2-on-2 volleyball game blasting 'Playing with the Boys,'' read the rules, with a link to the iconic scene of that nature from the movie 'Top Gun.' 'If it's unbearably hot where you are, and you happen to have your shirt off (gents) or a bikini top (ladies), then just crop the webcam to your face. If your lighting is hot, get fluorescent bulbs to reduce the heat. Xbox One Kinect doesn't zoom? Move it closer to you, or turn it off. There is always a workaround.' It comes amid an online furore known as Gamergate. Beginning this summer, people involved in an online campaign dubbed "Gamergate" have been harassing several prominent women in the video game industry and their supporters for criticizing the lack of diversity and how women are portrayed in games. One of the targets is Brianna Wu, a software engineer and founder of game developer Giant Spacekat. Wu, who is in her mid-30s, said she has frequently been harassed online, but it's gotten worse this year. More than 55 million gamers visit site every month, and it was recently bought by Amazon . Earlier this month, people threatened her and her husband with rape, death and castration on Twitter and posted her address online, she said, and they have been trying to impersonate her on the Internet to smear her reputation. She got so frightened that she left her home in Boston. Wu went to the police, but most people harassed online don't. According to Pew, just 5 percent of those who were harassed reported the incident to law enforcement, while nearly half confronted the person online. Forty-four percent said they unfriended or blocked the person. Most recently, actress Felicia Day, known for the gaming-oriented Web series 'The Guild,' had her email and real-world address posted online less than an hour after a blog post in which she criticized GamerGate. Day had written that she feared retribution when she decided to share her views on the movement. | Twitch was recently bought by Amazon for $970m .
Show small window of player in corner of the screen .
More than 55 million gamers visit site every month .
Has banned 'wearing no clothing or sexually suggestive clothing' |
192,846 | 85ac21c22b0e04c6c8305edc96d800b58f27a875 | By . Emma Glanfield . Mr Justice Peter Jackson (pictured) said 'necessary restraint' could take place for the woman's operation . A judge today ruled that surgeons could perform a hysterectomy on a mentally ill woman who is detained at a specialist hospital after concluding that she is unable to make decisions about her treatment. Mr Justice Peter Jackson said ‘necessary restraint’ could take place for the operation, which he said was in the 36-year-old woman’s best interests after analysing evidence at a hearing in London. Sitting in the Court of Protection - which handles cases involving sick and vulnerable people - the judge ruled that the woman, who is detained under the terms of mental health legislation, was not capable of making decisions about her treatment. His ruling came after a specialist told him the woman needed treatment due to her medical problems getting worse and affecting her mental health. Mr Justice Peter Jackson said: ‘This is not in any sense an operation being carried out on a protesting patient with the use of heavy restraint. ‘This is an operation that in my view (she) will be relieved to have. The level of security that is going to be needed is no more than is going to be necessary to reassure her.’ He had heard legal argument from lawyers representing health authority officials and the woman, who all agreed the woman should have a hysterectomy. The judge was told that the main disadvantage would be that the woman would lose her ability to bear children and he said it was a major consideration. But he said that disadvantage was outweighed by her need for treatment. He was told that she was likely to be . detained for some years and said that because of the ‘extremely . difficult’ circumstances she was in, her inability to become pregnant . would not be a ‘significant detriment’ to her. The methods which might be needed to restrain the woman were not discussed at today’s hearing. The Court of Protection is part of the High Court and analyses issues relating to sick and vulnerable people . Mr Justice Peter Jackson said she had already visited a hospital for an assessment and said staff from the unit where she was detained had accompanied her on the visit, which had gone ‘pretty smoothly’. He said neither the woman, her location, nor any hospital where she was treated, could be identified. The Court of Protection makes decisions and appoints deputies to act on behalf of individuals who are sick and vulnerable and unable to make informed decisions about their personal health, finance or welfare. | Mr Justice Peter Jackson said 'necessary restraint' may be used in operation .
In Court of Protection, he ruled the woman was unable to make own decision .
London-based court handles cases involving sick and vulnerable individuals . |
191,879 | 8474a778d0a41f1e5f0c8715e019239d17aba325 | (CNN) -- Last month a small pocket of marshland in Little Egg Harbor, New Jersey, was saved from development. The local online newspaper, the Sandpaper.net, celebrated the preservation of Grassle Marsh -- named for a leading authority on the larvae of surf clams - and its populations of kingfishers and fiddler crabs. This week, Little Egg Harbor, on the shore of Ocean County, was pulverized by Superstorm Sandy. Homes were turned into debris fields; boats were tossed into the marshes or piled on top of each other. One quiet ceremony, one catastrophic storm. Both symbolize a national dilemma, as the headlong migration to America's coastlines clashes with rapidly changing climate patterns and more powerful storms. Experts warn of superstorm era to come . Ocean County typifies what has happened along the East Coast. In 1970 it had 208,000 inhabitants; in 2010 there were 576,000, according to census data. That made the cost and extent of the damage inflicted by Sandy much greater. Nationwide, the scale and speed of the rush to the coast has been stunning. According to The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the population of coastal shore-line counties will reach 133 million by 2020, compared to 33 million in 1980. Much of the development has occurred in coastal communities most vulnerable to hurricanes and tropical storms. According to U.S. Census Bureau data, the coastal populations of states from Virginia to Texas grew 244% between 1950 and 2006. Opinion: Jersey Shore, I'll miss you . They are even higher in the summer months with the influx of tourists. One-quarter of all seasonal or second homes are in coastal Florida, and more than 60% of homes and buildings within 500 feet of the shoreline are on the Atlantic and Gulf coasts. As population density has grown and land values risen, the preservation of natural features has become more difficult. Grassle Marsh was saved thanks to a 1.2 cent tax that the people of Ocean County approved in 1997 to preserve open spaces. It also helped that it adjoined the Jacques Cousteau National Estuarine Research Reserve, a federally funded sanctuary of marshes, barrier islands and bays. The reserve is a natural sponge -- like the mangrove swamps in the Gulf of Mexico -- for absorbing storm and tidal surges. And officials with NOAA, which runs the reserve, say it coped well with Sandy's onslaught, despite a storm surge of 6 feet. New Jersey coastal town turned to "devastation" But such havens are a rarity on the Northeast Coast, and there are only 28 estuarine reserves across the country. Coastal development projects, meanwhile, continue apace. Just last week, a $100 million resort development was announced for Kingsland, a few miles from the coast on the Georgia-Florida border. The site, adjacent to an estuary, will occupy 575 acres and include a hotel, conference center, water adventure park and movie complex. It also may create as many as 800 jobs. The importance of tourism to employment and the tax base of many coastal communities makes for fierce arguments pitching the science of sea-level rise against development. North Carolina's senate recently voted to ban the state from using projections from its own science panel on sea-level, which forecast a rise of 39 inches by 2100, in development decisions. Instead it approved a much lower calculation of 8 inches. The vote, advocated by 20 coastal counties, was subsequently overturned. The searing experience of Sandy, following Katrina, Irene and other major storms in recent years, will likely raise more questions about the wisdom and scope of coastal migration and development, especially as many climate scientists expect the intensity and size of storms to increase, and their geographic reach to extend northward. The construction of roads and buildings has encroached on coastal forests and wetlands. Half of America's coastal wetlands have been lost, the majority over the last 50 years, according to a federal advisory committee that reported in 2009. On the Atlantic Coast, the average erosion rate is 2 to 3 feet a year; in the Gulf of Mexico, 6 feet. The forecast rise in sea level, water temperature and acidity is likely to damage more coastal habitats. The U.S. East Coast is made more vulnerable by the fact that the coastline is gradually sinking. But is there any way to mitigate the effects of development? New satellite data reveals sea-level rise . Forty years ago, Congress passed a law called the Coastal Zone Management Act. It empowered NOAA to preserve and where possible restore the natural features of the U.S. coastline. The Jacques Cousteau Reserve in Ocean County, New Jersey, was one of the areas funded by the act. The program has spent about $1 billion of federal money to acquire and run these reserves, but that's a sum dwarfed by the damage inflicted in just four hours this week. According to a 2010 report by the Congressional Research Service, some two-dozen initiatives in Congress to increase funding for the program have been rejected. States have begun introducing laws that require setbacks for construction to take account of erosion. They also have been establishing commissions on climate change to advise on building regulations and zoning. NOAA has joined with local communities to explore the impact of development, using the estuary reserves as educational tools. But a federal advisory committee that reported in 2010 warned: "It is clear that there are limits to how much adaptation can achieve ... in the future, adaptations will be particularly challenging because society won't be adapting to a new steady state but rather to a rapidly moving target." Chesapeake Bay might be described as ground zero of this phenomenon. It has lost 500 islands in three centuries, at least a dozen of them inhabited, as the coastline has sunk and the sea level risen. Two years ago, the last house on what had been Holland Island crumpled and slipped beneath the waves. A century ago the island had nearly 400 residents. Scientists from the University of Maryland in 2008 said that during the 21st century carbon dioxide concentrations in the bay could increase by between 50% and 160%; sea-level could rise between 0.7 and 1.6 meters, and water temperature by 2 to 6 degrees Celsius. Opinion: Climate change is real . They stressed that we are in uncharted territory and much will depend on the level of CO2 emissions -- and the future of development. But the Bay's delicate ecosystem will undoubtedly be affected, with its vital eelgrass at risk and cold-water species vanishing. Some are already observed to be retreating north. Rather than the health of eelgrass, it's likely that hard cash and cold fear will influence human behavior. As coastal communities have become more crowded, so the cost inflicted by hurricanes, storms and storm surges has risen exponentially. The 1926 hurricane that hit Miami caused about $76 million in damage at today's prices. In 1995, Hurricane Andrew, which was no bigger, inflicted $17 billion in damage, according to figures from NOAA. Insurance companies have taken flight -- for example, pulling out of many coastal areas in Florida, where the state is now the insurer of last resort. Total government exposure to storm-related losses in coastal states has risen more than 15-fold since 1990 to $885 billion last year, according to the Insurance Information Institute. The Munich RE insurance group says North America has seen higher losses from extreme weather than any other part of the world in recent decades. Not all had to do with coastal events. But a year like 2005 (which included Hurricanes Katrina, Wilma and Rita) comes with a price of $60 billion in insured losses. That's the sort of number that drives up premiums. In a report last month, Munich RE said: "A main loss driver is the concentration of people and assets on the coast combined with high and possibly growing vulnerabilities." Risk Management Solutions, which models catastrophic risks, recently updated its scenarios, anticipating an increase of 40% in insurance losses on the Gulf Coast, Florida and the southeast over the next five years, and 25% to 30% for the mid-Atlantic and northeastern states. Those calculations were done pre-Sandy. Pockets of discontent among signs of recovery after Sandy . Getting more people out of harm's way is also a daunting challenge. As population density grows, so evacuation routes come under greater pressure. One out of Atlantic City this week was blocked by a stranded houseboat. More powerful storm surges threaten a wider area farther inland. And while forecasting the track of hurricanes has improved dramatically, forecasting their intensity has not. Hurricane Opel in 1995 went from a Category 1 to a Category 4 in just 20 hours. This week, many people in the coastal townships of Ocean County were stunned by the speed and force of the surge. One resident told CNN how the water level rose from a couple of inches to waist height within an hour. Another recounted how a boat crashed into their porch, and then driven like a battering ram by the waters demolished their garage. In Brigantine, the owner of a marina said 50 of the 90 boats there had been scattered across the neighborhood. Several homeowners lamented their lack of adequate flood insurance and their now tattered dreams of retiring to the shore. It's a fair bet that many households along the northeast coast will purchase such insurance -- through the National Flood Insurance Program -- in the coming months. After Irene the number of homeowners in the region with flood insurance rose from 5% to 14%. Of the millions of people with jobs, businesses or vacation homes on the coast, or who just find the lure of the shore irresistible as a place to live, few will likely pack up and seek higher ground because of Sandy. They can buy insurance. But if the scientists are right, peace of mind might come at a premium. Powerless in New Jersey . CNN's Sandra Endo contributed to this report . | Migration to U.S. coastlines clashes with rapidly changing climate patterns .
Growth means storms like Sandy bring much higher price in damage .
The preservation of natural features along coastlines has become more difficult . |
240,841 | c3ca427c5f21d6d8d320e7a27fe5fefe4c94140b | Raleigh, North Carolina (CNN) -- Olegario Rodriguez arrived at the DMV long before the doors opened Monday. He wanted to claim the first spot in line. As he waited in near-freezing temperatures, he skimmed a driver's ed manual, trying to soak in last-minute details. "I need my license," said Rodriguez, 25. "When you drive without a license, you get into a lot of trouble, and I don't want any trouble." Rodriguez has been granted deferred action under the Obama administration's program for young undocumented immigrants who were brought to the United States as children. But until this week, getting a driver's license was out of reach. On Monday, North Carolina -- the state where he now lives after coming to the United States from Mexico 15 years ago --- debuted new driver's licenses designed for those that have qualified under the federal program. Officials originally had proposed putting a thick pink stripe on the licenses to make it clear that the holders were undocumented immigrants and not U.S. citizens. But transportation officials changed course away from that idea, which some immigrant rights advocates said amounted to a discriminatory "scarlet letter." The new licenses that debuted Monday denote the deferred-action immigrants as "limited term" and "legal presence/no lawful status" in smaller, red letters. "This final design will allow for ease of implementation by keeping the coding used in the production process consistent with other licenses," a state government spokesman said. The state's transportation secretary said officials had one goal in mind. "This program is about accountability and safety, making our roads safer for all North Carolinians," Transportation Secretary Tony Tata said in a written statement. Different states, different rules . For months, driver's licenses and other state benefits have been at the heart of a battle in the nationwide immigration debate. Supporters of licenses for undocumented immigrants argue that it's safer to have more drivers trained and insured, and opponents argue that such systems are rife with fraud. In January, New Mexico Gov. Susana Martinez said she would push to repeal the state law allowing undocumented immigrants to obtain driver's licenses. That same month, the governor of Illinois signed a new law that would allow undocumented immigrants to get temporary licenses. In at least 38 states, officials have said recipients of deferred action are eligible for driver's licenses, according to the National Immigration Law Center. But in some states, like Arizona and Nebraska, officials have stepped up efforts to stop licenses from being issued, the law center said. In North Carolina, even though the new licenses weren't the "scarlet letter" many immigrant advocates feared, some still criticized the state's approach. "This new look is a huge step in the right direction," Raul Pinto, staff attorney for the ACLU of North Carolina, said in a statement. But Pinto said the organization had lingering concerns. "We still question the necessity of including distinguishing language such as 'no lawful status' on the licenses and will be watching closely to see how these changes are implemented," he said. Immigrants debate design . Rodriguez said he was grateful to get a license, but wished it had a different design that didn't mention his immigration status. "I can't deny that there is a lot of discrimination in this country," he said. "I would rather it (the license) didn't have those words but there is nothing I can do." Montserrat Manta, an undocumented immigrant, said she didn't plan to get one of the new licenses, even though she would be eligible. "I've been discriminated (against) too many times and I don't want to give them that pleasure again," she said. Others said they didn't mind. "I have always driven illegally, so it does not bother me that they put this on it," said Cinthia Marroqin, who also waited in line at a Raleigh DMV Monday. "Because I know who I am, and am not afraid." Carlos Zuniga, who was also one of the first people in line at the Raleigh office Monday, said he hoped getting a driver's license would open doors for him. "A license is very important to get better work, and to be treated better," he said. Some said they were hoping to push for all undocumented immigrants to have the chance to drive. Maria Rios said she came to the DMV Monday because she was the only one in her house who could get a license. "But my parents and others also need one," she said, "to go to work and make a living." CNN's Catherine E. Shoichet contributed to this report. | North Carolina debuts new driver's licenses for undocumented immigrants .
The licenses say "legal presence" and "no lawful status" in red letters .
An earlier design had a thick pink stripe on it, but officials change course .
Immigrants granted deferred action line up for the new licenses . |
209,580 | 9b659f043925e6e0d746bc950091d266acf19cab | By . Chris Kitching for MailOnline . The debate over whether there should be tougher rules or an outright ban on electronic cigarettes on planes has been reignited in the US after one of the devices was blamed for a small fire. A JetBlue plane at Logan International Airport in Boston, Massachusetts was evacuated this month after baggage handlers smelled smoke and extinguished a smouldering bag as they prepared the aircraft for take-off. The e-cigarette was packed in a passenger’s checked luggage and burned a small hole in the bag, said Ed Freni, director of aviation with the Massachusetts Port Authority, which operates the airport. Fire hazard? An e-cigarette is being blamed for starting a fire in a passenger's checked luggage . Logan airport officials are asking US aviation authorities to consider classifying e-cigarettes as hazardous materials. Freni told the Associated Press: ‘If that aeroplane had taxied out and got airborne it might have been a very different story.’ But a US Department of Transportation spokeswoman said the agency is not currently considering further restrictions for e-cigarettes, and the Massachusetts Department of Fire Services said the cause of the fire has not been officially determined. E-cigarettes, typically powered by rechargeable lithium-ion batteries, are designed to mimic cigarettes by turning a liquid nicotine solution into a vapour that is inhaled by the user. Baggage handlers smelled smoke and located a smouldering bag as they prepared a plane for take-off . Under existing rules, e-cigarettes are considered personal devices – meaning they are treated like laptop computers, mobile phones or other battery-powered devices – and can be carried onto a plane. They cannot be activated, however, and their lithium-ion batteries must be protected from damage or accidental activation. Spare batteries cannot be stored in checked luggage because of fire risks. Lithium-ion batteries have been linked to previous crashes or fires involving planes, but there have been very few reports of fires caused by e-cigarettes. In 2009, a shipment of e-cigarettes was blamed for a fire on a plane at Minneapolis-St Paul airport in Minnesota. Cynthia Cabrera, executive director for the e-cigarette trade group the Smoke-Free Alternatives Trade Association, told the Associated Press she would expect the industry to take a closer look at fire safety if the investigation determines an e-cigarette was the cause of this month’s fire in Boston. | Baggage handlers smelled smoke while loading a JetBlue plane in Boston .
E-cigarette was packed in a passenger's checked luggage .
Airport asks US authorities to consider 'hazardous' tag for e-cigarettes . |
32,674 | 5cdcefee99b18f7e99d65ceb962e1772cbc75e11 | Ben Burchfield (pictured) posted the advert offering to be a live-in maid seven days a week for just £100 . A keen young job seeker who has failed to find full time work despite sending off 50 job applications has offered himself up on eBay as a live-in maid-for a month in a bid to improve his CV. Ben Burchfield, 20, from Worthing, West Sussex, posted the unique advert offering to be a live-in maid for a month, working seven days a week for just £100, and says he is even happy to sleep in a shed. The determined jobseeker says he will 'do anything asked of him,' and can do everything from cooking bacon butties, cutting hair, cooking and cleaning to moving hazardous waste for his potential employers. He will carry out dusting, mopping, hoovering and 'bog cleaning' and even has his own hazmat protective suit and mask. Mr Burchfield's advert states: 'This ad is for a month period of my work services, but you have to include meals for myself and accommodation (a shed is good enough but anything more is appreciated) my working week is seven days so you get a full 28 days of my services. 'I can kinda cook meals which consist of bacon butties, toast, pizzas, chips general easy cooking really, takes the edge off your day if you have a busy lifestyle as meals will be cooked for when you get home etc. 'I can buy the food supplies from the shops as needed. 'Life is so fast paced and people don't have time these days just to sit back and enjoy themselves. They don't get a life to themselves. 'They go to work, come home, clean and go got bed. I'll have dinner on the table. Although I am not a fancy chef if you want something fancy I will give it a go. I am open to anything.' Today Mr Burchfield said: 'I am currently unemployed and I really want to work. I suppose I am not normal. 'I don't want to sit around, I want to go out there and try new things and learn new skills.' Mr Burchfield's advert on eBay advertising his services as a live-in maid for a month for just £100 . In the advert he says he will do everything from dusting, mopping, gardening and hoovering to 'bog cleaning' 'I will do anything I can to improve my CV. I just want to make the most of what is out there. 'I left education with just GSCEs so I thought I should get experience in anything I can to prove myself. I suppose this is a last resort.' Mr Burchfield attended Durrington Primary and Secondary Schools, Worthing, where he gained eight GSCEs in science subjects, maths, art and design, English, information technology and business and communication. He went on to study Art and Design at Northbrook College before transferring course to study Motorsport Engineering. But Mr Burchfield left his course mid-way through and before starting a year-long job as a cleaner at Severn Water, completed a 12-week Princes Trust course in team work, community skills and employment skills and another in retail media. He said: 'Since leaving work at the end of 2013 I have had a few gardening jobs. 'I have probably sent off more than 50 job applications in varying fields and I have heard nothing back from any of them. Mr Burchfield (pictured) says he will even move anywhere in order to carry out the job - even Scotland . 'It's pretty disheartening. You send off all these applications and get nothing back.' In that time Mr Burchfield has also applied for five apprenticeships in the Worthing area in different fields ranging from aviation to security alarm services. He says his dream job would be to work in the aviation industry and he had applied for an apprenticeship with BAE Systems. He said: 'I got to the final round. I had to go to Doncaster for an aptitude test but lost out on the next round by three points. 'This was the only one I got an interview with. It has been really difficult to find jobs in the aviation industry let alonne just getting a regular job. 'I have had temp jobs at Tesco but have never been offered full-time employment.' Prior to listing the advert, Mr Burchfield had gone to his local job centre to look for work but soon realised that all the jobs he had gained were from his own independent search. Mr Burchfield in his hazmat protective suit - he says he is willing to move hazardous materials for an employer . He said: 'I realised I had found all the jobs I had ever had on my own. 'Also I didn't want to claim benefits as I never really thought I needed them. 'I just thought someone else would need those benefits more than me. 'I wanted to try something different with the eBay advert and see if this would appeal to anyone. I will do anything, sleep anywhere - a shed so long as it isn't too leaky. 'I'll go anywhere - up to Scotland if that's where I am needed. 'It will be great to see the country.' In his advert Mr Burchfield says: 'I have previous experience in cleaning as I used to work for a cleaning company at southern water HQ, the tasks which included cleaning desks, dusting, moping, hoovering, toilet roll replenishment, bog cleaning, buffing floors, empty rubbish bins etc, can also clean carpets if you have the machine to do it.' Mr Burchfield is also experienced in gardening - including mowing, planting and dead heading flowers . 'I can cut hair numbers I do are 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8 anything else go to a barber. 'I also have experience in gardening which includes all garden tasks from mowing to planting dead heading flowers. 'I can do DIY, best experience in light bulb changing and general fixing. 'I will ask to be picked up from my location and dropped off when the month period is up and will start when payment is made, looks may differ from photo as I have a winter head hair coat keeps me warm at the moment, no real commitments so my full attention can go into this month period of labour, I am a smoker just to let you know, . 'I have basic first aid which consists of phoning doctors or ambulance if needed and any more information can be requested if needed. No time wasters please and payment to be made within the week of auction finishing.' While the advert has garnered more than 100 views so far, no bids have been made. The auction ends today. Mr Burchfield says he does not want to claim benefits as he has thought of himself as needing them . | Ben Burchfield, 20, has sent out 50 job applications but had no offers .
Also applied for five local apprenticeships but was unsuccessful .
He has posted an advert on eBay offering to be a live-in maid for £100 .
Claims he will 'do anything asked' including cooking, cleaning and DIY .
Says advert is 'a last resort' in order to improve his CV and keep him busy .
Mr Burchfield says he does not claim benefits as he does not need them . |
4,386 | 0caaf9b4682090fd32020c61edfe016c818a5821 | Ahead of this weekend's Premier League action, Sportsmail will be providing you with all you need to know about every fixture, with team news, provisional squads, betting odds and Opta stats. Here is all the information you need for Tottenham's home clash with Stoke... Tottenham Hotspur vs Stoke City (White Hart Lane) Kick-off: Sunday 1.30pm . Odds (subject to change): . Tottenham 4/6 . Draw 11/4 . Stoke 4/1 . Referee: Mike Jones . Managers: Mauricio Pochettino (Tottenham), Mark Hughes (Stoke) Head-to-head league record: Tottenham wins 42, draws 17, Stoke wins 19 . Team news . Tottenham . Aaron Lennon and Emmanuel Adebayor are to be assessed before Tottenham's return to Premier League action against Stoke. The pair were rested for the midweek Europa League trip to Asteras Tripoli due to slight hamstring complaints. Kyle Walker continues to miss out following abdominal surgery, while Nabil Bentaleb is absent due to an ankle complaint. Provisional squad: Lloris, Vorm, Friedel, Naughton, Dier, Rose, Davies, Kaboul, Chiriches, Fazio, Vertonghen, Dembele, Capoue, Stambouli, Mason, Paulinho, Lamela, Lennon, Chadli, Townsend, Eriksen, Kane, Soldado, Adebayor. Emmanuel Adebayor could return for Spurs after missing their midweek Europa League tie with a slight injury . Stoke . Peter Crouch, Phil Bardsley and Marc Muniesa are back available for Sunday's away clash with Tottenham, while Marko Arnautovic remains in line to feature despite breaking his hand. Ex-Spurs man Crouch and Bardsley sat out the 2-2 home draw with West Ham last Saturday due to suspensions, while Muniesa was nursing an ankle problem. Although Arnautovic is not expected to be kept out by the injury he suffered in training earlier this week, the same cannot be said of Dionatan Teixeira, who broke his foot on the same day and has joined Robert Huth (calf), Glenn Whelan (broken leg) and and Peter Odemwingie (knee) on the sidelines. Provisional squad: Begovic, Sorensen, Wilson, Shawcross, Pieters, Cameron, Muniesa, Bardsley, Nzonzi, Adam, Sidwell, Ireland, Walters, Arnautovic, Bojan, Assaidi, Moses, Diouf, Crouch. Peter Crouch is back available for Stoke after returning from a one-game ban for being sent off . Key match stats (supplied by Opta) Tottenham have won six and lost just one of the last nine Premier League games against Stoke City. The Potters have only won one of six trips to White Hart Lane in the Premier League (D2 L3). Spurs have lost three of their last four Premier League matches at White Hart Lane (W1). Stoke have won none of their last six Premier League away trips to London (D1 L5). Tottenham have kept only one clean sheet in their last eight Premier League outings. Stoke City goalkeeper Steve Simonsen saves from Robbie Keane during the Potters' last win at Tottenham, as they went on to triumph 1-0 at White Hart Lane in October 2009 . Stoke have lost only one of their last nine Premier League games in November (W4 D4). The Potters have scored only two goals in the last 30 minutes of games all season. Only four players (Fabregas, Sigurdsson, Tadic and Baines) have assisted more Premier League goals than Erik Lamela (4) this season. Heading into MD11, no player has been caught offside more times than Emmanuel Adebayor this season (10 times, level with Berahino). Hugo Lloris has parried more saves back into a dangerous scenario than any other goalkeeper this season (12). | Aaron Lennon and Emmanuel Adebayor may return after midweek rest .
Kyle Walker remains a long-term absentee for Tottenham Hotspur .
Peter Crouch available for Stoke after returning from suspension .
Tottenham have won six of last nine Premier League games against Stoke .
Harry Kane has praised his side's resilience after 10-man Spurs beat Asteras Tripolis 2-1 in the Europa League . |
20,960 | 3b81e720dc1c236a3a2b12b7581f97be9d709739 | Universities should discriminate against applicants from private schools, grammars and high-performing comprehensives, Government-funded research has suggested. The controversial study reccomends that universities should lower their entry requirements for pupils from non-selective and poor-performing state schools because they show more ‘potential’, according to the Institute for Fiscal Studies. These students are ‘significantly’ more likely to graduate with a first or 2.1 in their degree than peers from private or high-achieving state schools who gained similar results at GCSE and A-level, the study of millions of school-leavers found. The IFS says universities should lower their entry requirements for pupils from poor-performing state schools because they show more ‘potential . They are also less likely to drop out of their degree courses part-way through. The researchers, led by Dr Claire Crawford, claim that selective schools may be better at drawing out good results from their pupils - a so-called ‘teaching effect’. They say that university entry grades should be lowered for pupils at comprehensives, particularly schools where pupils make poor progress, ‘in order to equalise the potential of all students being admitted to university’. The study – published yesterday by his own department – will disturb Education Secretary Michael Gove who has warned that attempts to skew university admissions policies give weak schools an excuse to avoid improvement. In contrast, his colleagues at the Department for Business, David Willetts and Vince Cable, have urged universities to go further in introducing so-called ‘contextual’ admissions. But in a further finding, the study suggested that many costly initiatives aimed at encouraging less privileged youngsters to apply to university may have been wasted because they came too late in their school career. Efforts should instead be focused on encouraging pupils to choose appropriate GCSE subjects at 14 and boosting their achievement in them at 16. Universities are likely to use the study to justify schemes that involve making lower offers to pupils from certain schools or groups or giving them places ahead of more advantaged applicants. Education Secretary Michael Gove has warned that attempts to skew university admissions policies give weak schools an excuse to avoid improvement . Growing numbers of universities are adopting such policies but the research claims that ‘more could be done’. But critics claim the policies risk crude ‘social engineering’ and detract from attempts to boost academic standards in state schools. The new study will also add to confusion since separate research earlier this year claimed that those with top grades – mainly As at A_level – stood roughly the same chance of gaining a good degree regardless of whether they attended a state or private school. Only students with slightly lower grades – Bs and Cs – were more likely to do well at university if they came from a state school, according to findings from the Higher Education Funding Council. It also suggested that ‘contextual’ admissions policies which take into account the average performance of an applicant’s school are flawed. The performance of a school – whether high or low-achieving – was said to make little difference to a pupil’s chances of achieving a first or 2.1 at university. However in her report, Dr Crawford, a researcher at the IFS and assistant professor of economics at Warwick University, said universities ‘may wish to take into account a measure of school value-added’ – how much progress it helps pupils to make – ‘or school performance…when making their admissions offers’. The report said it could not recommend ‘specific changes that should be made to the entry offers of particular universities’. But it added: ‘These results provide suggestive evidence that universities may wish to consider lowering their entry requirements for pupils from non-selective or low-value-added state schools (relative to pupils from selective or high-value-added state schools, or independent schools) in order to equalise the potential of students being admitted from these different types of school.’ It said pupils from state grammars should be ‘excluded from receiving these lower offers’. According to the research, which tracked millions of school-leavers over several years, those from selective private or state schools or comprehensives with low numbers of pupils on free school meals are ‘significantly more likely to drop out, significantly less likely to complete their degree and significantly less likely to graduate with a first or a 2.1’ than their counterparts with similar results in non-selective or lower-performing schools. Among pupils with similar grades, pupils from selective independent schools were 6.4 percentage points less likely to complete their degree and 10.3 percentage points less likely to graduate with a first or 2.1. ‘Those from non-selective or low-value-added state schools could be regarded as having higher “potential” than those from selective or high-value-added state schools or independent schools’, the report said. It suggested that private and selective schools ‘may be better at producing good grades at GCSE for their pupils than others, meaning that a pupil of given ability will obtain higher grades at a selective school than a non-selective community school’. But it added that such schools may be preparing their pupils poorly for university study. ‘While independent or selective schools might be very successful at preparing students for GCSE and A-level (and equivalent) exams, they may be less good at preparing students for independent study at university,’ it said. Oxford University should consider introducing a ‘quota system’ to increase the number of state school pupils given places, according to one of its leading academics. Professor John Carey said the private school ‘stranglehold’ at Oxford was worsening and something ‘drastic’ needed to be done. The academic and literary critic, a product of the old grammar school system, said figures for entry to Oxford were ‘still shockingly in favour of private schools’. 'Stranglehold': Professor Carey said it is getting harder and harder for state school students to get in to Oxford. Pictured is University College . He told the Salisbury International Arts Festival: ‘It really should be considered whether you introduce a quota system. I do think something drastic has got to be done. I think that the private school stranglehold is actually getting worse. ‘It’s getting harder and harder for people from very ordinary schools to get in’. Professor Carey, 80, Oxford’s emeritus professor of English literature, acknowledged it was making efforts to encourage more state school applications but said more needed to be done, the Telegraph reported. Official figures show that most elite universities increased their intake of state school pupils in the year £9,000-a-year tuition fees were introduced, with only five – including Oxford – seeing the proportion decline. | IFS says the best universities should prioritise pupils from poor schools .
Report was commissioned by the Department for Education .
Michael Gove was previously warned against skewing admissions policies . |
202,452 | 9216e437c5ec56988ef26baa4007389aa0c3e661 | DETROIT, Michigan (CNN) -- Jeremy Burgess likes the location and layout of the three-bedroom, one-and-a-half bath home in the Grandmont neighborhood of Detroit, Michigan. This home in Detroit, Michigan, was bought for $12,000 and sold the next week for a $5,000 profit. The home is large for the area, around 1,600 square feet. By far the most attractive feature for Burgess is the price. While he says it may appraise at around $110,000, he bought it on March 11 for a mere $12,000. "I'm selling it next week to an out-of-state investor for a little over $17,000," he says. His company, Urban Detroit Wholesalers, buys, renovates, then flips or rents homes in Detroit, something that may seem foolhardy to some observers in one of the most economically depressed cities in the nation. But Burgess, who started the company in 2007 with partner Jared Pomranky, says Detroit is a great place for real estate investment. "Detroit to me is like the wild, wild West," he says, "You can't get cheap land in the West anymore. The cheap land is in the Midwest now." Watch how cheap houses are pulling investors to Detroit » . Browsing through the real estate ads in Detroit can be depressing. Property owners, whether they are individuals or banks, are doing anything they can to sell unwanted homes. With so much of the local economy tied to the struggling Big Three automakers, some owners inside the city limits have resorted to offering homes for as little as a dollar, many for $50. The average is about $7,000. Burgess says there is a reason these homes are so cheap. Most listings are in economically depressed neighborhoods where people are trying to leave, not buy. "I have seen tons of $50 houses," Burgess says, "but the house needs $80,000 of worth of work, and you can't get an appraisal above $8,000." He says the prices on those homes are so ridiculously low because owners just want to get rid of the tax burden and the liability of owning them. It costs more to tear down these homes than the property is worth, so it's cheaper to give them away. "Out of [the most recent] 800 sales, 10 of them will be true sales to home owners and the rest will be distress sales," he says, pointing out the low percentage of homes sold in a normal business transaction in the city. Pomranky says contrary to Detroit's national image, there are still clean, well-kept, middle-class areas people want to live in. "What we do is invest in neighborhoods that people are moving to," he says. They target mostly middle-class neighborhoods on the far northwestern and northeastern edges of the city. The homes in these neighborhoods have stayed relatively high in value. Many of the homes are foreclosures. Some properties are bought from homeowners who have lost their jobs, and a few have been donated to nonprofit organizations, which then sell them to Burgess' company. Pomranky says the attraction is the price point and the opportunity, something often missed by local investors. "Many investors in Michigan and especially Detroit, they are a little too close to see the opportunity," he says. Their investors are coming from out of state, mostly the West Coast and California, and occasionally from out of the country. Many of them are looking for alternatives to investing in the stock market. Many homes are sold to investors for around $35,000 after they have been renovated. "Some go straight to rentals, some go to rent-to-own lease options," Pomranky says. "And some are sold to new homeowners. It's about a 60 percent rental to 40 percent homeowners." Burgess says his company can get a 12 percent to 20 percent return on its investment and that outside investment money benefits more than just the buyers and sellers. "All this money is spent in Detroit. I live in Detroit. Our office is in Detroit," he says. "The Home Depot where all the materials are bought is in Detroit," he says. "Everyone hired, 95 percent of them live in Detroit. So we are paying them. I would say that 90 percent of it stays inside the city of Detroit." In 2006, Burgess was a supermarket baker in Washington state, trying to invest in local real estate. But high buy-in costs and high appreciation made success difficult. A friend of his in Detroit was making money in investing and told him to try his luck there. "I thought he was crazy, and I am the type of person who has to prove it. The more I tried to prove him wrong about Detroit, the more I proved him right." Burgess ended up buying around a dozen properties in Detroit before he came to Michigan. But when he finally did move to Detroit, the bottom fell out of the national housing market. "I showed up in Detroit with about $35,000, a bunch of properties going on and a lot of financing options." He says "by October [2007] I had nothing." That same year he met Pomranky and formed Urban Detroit Wholesalers. Together they retooled the business model and found that working with a local nonprofit and in targeted neighborhoods helped both succeed. Burgess says because there was never a housing boom in Detroit like California, the market stayed relatively stable. But when financing dried up, prices fell. "This last drop I think is totally due to lack of financing options, and when cash is king, prices drop significantly. I see it as an artificial drop in value, and I am obviously taking advantage of it. So are my investors." He believes that the prices will go back up when the credit market loosens up and home owners are able to secure their own financing. Despite being in the middle of rebuilding their business, Burgess and Pomranky say they made money in 2008. But for them it wasn't just about making a quick buck. They say they knew for their continued success, Detroit had to prosper, too. So they teamed with a nonprofit organization called the Motor City Blight Busters, which provides a low-cost work force that renovates the homes for Urban Detroit Wholesalers to sell. "It is our goal to stabilize and revitalize the neighborhoods." says John George, president of the organization. "By being able to partner with investors, it allows us to expand our capacity to do what we do. "Acquiring the property and cleaning them out, restoring them and putting a responsible family in that home is really key to stabilizing and revitalizing," George says. He wants to see more home ownership by local families in these neighborhoods, but he knows that may take some time. "We always focus on home ownership. That's key," he says. "But in this market we have to invite everyone to participate." Most of the labor force is made up of recently released convicts looking for a trade and a chance to earn a living. Some of the homes they renovate are being donated to Blight Busters, which then place families in them. Burgess thinks teaming a for-profit business and a nonprofit is a win-win scenario. "I think this is a perfect example of what a nonprofit and a for-profit with investors can do to solve a problem that governments are having a problem solving. While 100 or so homes we do a year is significant in Detroit, we realize that we're barely a blip on the national radar. But imagine if there were hundreds of companies like ours across the country." | Jeremy Burgess and Jared Pomranky run Urban Detroit Wholesalers .
Some homes in Detroit, Michigan, sell for as little as $1, many for $50 .
The company works with a nonprofit and flips cheaply priced homes .
Recently released convicts working for the charity help renovate the properties . |
221,924 | ab40cfa2f439f02ed364e69033821bb74b2a1c4c | By . Daily Mail Reporter . UPDATED: . 11:55 EST, 7 March 2012 . A former Red Beret who became the first man to be extradited from an Afghan jail to face trial in the UK has been found guilty of torturing two business rivals. Anthony Malone, 39, spent two years and nine months in Kabul’s notorious Pul-e-Charkhi prison for allegedly bribing an official before he was returned to Britain in September 2010. The former paratrooper, who served in Ulster, told jurors he was tortured and starved by prison staff and felt ‘abandoned’ by the UK government. Anthony Malone (left) and Ranjit Gojra T(right) were convicted after they took part . in the kidnap and torture of two brothers after a business deal went . sour . A campaign for his release led by his sister Maria Blades gathered thousands of Facebook followers who claimed his human rights were being infringed. Even Prime Minister David Cameron pledged his support, assuring Malone’s family and friends that his ‘worrying’ case was being looked into. But jurors heard Malone had fled the UK in 2007 after inflicting a brutal nine-hour torture and kidnap ordeal on brothers Mohammed and Haq Nawaz. He refused to come into court as he was . convicted of two counts of actual bodily harm, two of false imprisonment . and two of kidnapping. Anthony Malone spent two years and nine months in Kabul¿s notorious Poli Charki prison for allegedly bribing an official before he was returned to Britain in September 2010 . Ranjit Gojra, 40, was also found guilty of two counts of actual bodily harm while property investor Sanjeev Dhir, 37, was cleared of involvement after a retrial at Snaresbrook Crown Court. The court had heard how Mohammed, then 27, and Haq Nawaz, then 51, were tied up, hooded and beaten after they were lured Dhir’s offices in Stoke Newington High Street, north London. Malone, originally from Billingham, Stockton-on-Tees, abducted them in a row over a £1.9million property deal. Teetotal Muslim Mohammed was tied to a chair, stripped of his trousers and doused in alcohol in a nine hour ordeal. Malone spent two years and nine months in Kabul¿s notorious Pul-e-Charkhi prison . A blow torch was held to his face and he was hit across the legs with a hammer. The brothers were then locked in a van and taken on a terror ride across London, onto the M1 and around the M25. Mohammed was then subjected to a ‘mock execution’ where he was made to kneel on the gravel and had a metal object pressed against his neck. The brothers were later dumped in the Chelsea area in the early hours of April 21, 2007. Gojra, of Belvedere, Kent, was convicted of two counts of actual bodily harm but cleared of the false imprisonment and kidnapping charges. Dhir, of Rainham, Essex, was cleared of two counts of actual bodily harm, false imprisonment and kidnapping. | Anthony Malone spent two years and nine months in Kabul’s notorious Pul-e-Charkhi prison for bribery .
Former paratrooper told jurors he was tortured and starved by prison staff .
Malone says he felt 'abandoned' by the UK government . |
132,241 | 370526c557c4dfea8cbe5a4ca6f43c641bb88e78 | Moses Odubajo's goal earned Leyton Orient a 1-1 draw at Peterborough in the first leg of their Sky Bet League One play-off semi-final. Britt Assombalonga's 33rd goal of the season should have been ruled out for offside but it gave Posh the lead going into half-time at London Road. However, Odubajo levelled things up midway through the second half to leave the tie in the balance ahead of the second leg in east London on Tuesday night. Level terms: Moses Odubajo celebrates his equaliser in the 1-1 draw at Peterborough United . No stopping him: Odubjao slots the ball home in the 72nd minute to rescue a draw for Orient . Peterborough: Olejnik, Little, Ntlhe, Bostwick, Alcock, Baldwin, Swanson (Isgrove 71), Payne (McCann 82), Assombalonga, Ajose (Washington 52), Rowe . Subs not used: Day, Newell, Knight-Percival, McQuoid . Goal: Assombalonga 16 . Booking: Alcock, Ntlhe . Leyton Orient: Jones, Cuthbert, Omozusi, Vincelot, Baudry, Clarke, Odubajo, Lundstram (James 70), Mooney, Lisbie (Batt 70), Cox . Subs not used: Sawyer, Larkins, Bartley, Dagnall, Ness . Goal: Odubajo 72 . Referee: Graham Salisbury . Attendance: 9,519 . Orient, who finished the regular season in third place, 12 points ahead of their hosts, almost made the perfect start. Kevin . Lisbie got behind the Peterborough defence and his strike partner David . Mooney was inches away from getting a touch to his shot-cum-cross as he . slid in at the far post. However, . Posh settled after that early scare and went ahead after 16 minutes. Danny Swanson's shot from just outside the area was parried by Jamie . Jones into the path of Mark Little, who fired the ball back across the . face of goal for Assombalonga to head home from close range. The . visitors appealed for offside but no flag was forthcoming from the . assistant referee, who was brilliantly positioned. Television replays . showed Assombalonga was just offside. Orient . were nearly level straight away. Hesitant defending resulted in the . ball being cleared from just in front of his goalline by Craig Alcock. A superb tackle at full stretch by Scott Cuthbert denied Assombalonga another clear sight of goal after 27 minutes. Heads up: Britt Assombalonga scores the opener for Peterborough in the 16th minute at London Road . On your marks: Assombalonga celebrates scoring the League One play-off semi-final first leg . A two-goal deficit would have been harsh on the visitors, who had responded well to falling behind. The remainder of the first half belonged to them and twice they came close to an equaliser as half-time approached. Dean . Cox's header was cleared inside the six-yard box by Michael Bostwick . after Bobby Olejnik made a mess of trying to punch a long throw into the . penalty area. However, the goalkeeper made amends shortly afterwards when he came rushing from his line to block another Cox effort. Peterborough . had chances to extend their lead early in the second half but . Assombalonga shot straight at Jones and Tommy Rowe curled a shot . agonisingly wide. Incoming: Leyton Orient's Scott Cuthbert (left) looks to make the challenge on Tommy Rowe . Pass: Orient's John Lundstram plays the ball as Peterborough's Michael Bostwick looks on . Making their feelings known: Peterborough fans protest about the proposed League 3 plans . Posh . had looked fragile in the centre of defence all afternoon and Orient's . equaliser came from that area of the pitch in the 72nd minute. Former . Peterborough striker Shaun Batt won a header against two defenders . inside the box to give Mooney the chance to shoot. His curler was palmed . away by Olejnik but Odubajo was on hand to tap in the rebound. Orient . sensed they might be able to take more than a draw back to the . Matchroom Stadium for the second leg and Olejnik produced a great save . at his near post to deny Cox. The Austrian then had to repel another Cox attempt after the midfielder was given too much space on the edge of the box. When Olejnik was beaten late on, Odubajo's shot flew narrowly wide of the post. | Moses Odubajo scores in the 72nd minute to earn a draw for Leyton Orient against Peterborough United at London Road .
Britt Assombalonga opened the scoring for the hosts in the 16th minute .
The second leg takes place at Brisbane Road on Tuesday night . |
243,123 | c6a75bcc26c5feac4c3f3a01857d6d491a15f1f3 | Gary Neville believes English football is shooting itself in the foot by allowing foreign players to dominate the Premier League at the expense of home-grown talent. After another summer in which almost the entire top flight has looked abroad for new signings, England coach Neville believes the decline in players from the Home Nations and Ireland is an alarming trend. The former Manchester United star told The Sun: 'We are slowly killing ourselves. We laugh at Scotland and the Republic of Ireland but it's happening to England before our eyes. VIDEO Scroll down to see 'Paul Scholes pours ice bucket over Gary Neville's head' CLICK HERE to start picking your Fantasy Football team NOW! There’s £60,000 in prizes including £1,000 up for grabs EVERY WEEK… . Concerns: Gary Neville believes English football is 'slowly killing itself' by allowing too many foreign players to take precedence over home-grown talents in the Premier League . Low point: Neville was right-hand man to Roy Hodgson during this summer's World Cup, but England failed to advance beyond the group stage . '25 years ago Liverpool had Republic of Ireland players and Scottish players, Manchester United had Scottish players, Irish players and Welsh players. 'All the top six teams did and now there are none. There are a few English players but they're dwindling fast. 'That's not an excuse for the summer and we should have done a lot better but kids are getting blocked and there's no pathway through for them.' Looking overseas: Chelsea signed Diego Costa from Atletico Madrid this summer, one of many Premier League buys from foreign leagues . Impressive: Neville urged Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal to play Tyler Blackett this season . Neville, 39, believes a 50-50 balance between foreign and home-grown players in the Premier League is about right. He also urged new Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal to promote players from the club's academy rather than importing them from abroad. 'I've been encouraged that the manager has played youngsters Michael Keane and Tyler Blackett,' Neville said. 'United fans always crave signings but I'd rather see Blackett play than a new signing.' | England coach says 'we are slowly killing ourselves' by favouring foreign buys ahead of promoting home-produced players .
Neville was assistant to Roy Hodgson as England flopped at World Cup .
Believes a '50-50 balance' between overseas and home-grown players in the Premier League is the correct approach . |
31,069 | 584c02f5cc36b46c943d53f0a886a22d9ce8951f | Cairo (CNN) -- Prosecutors presented evidence at a hearing this week for three Al Jazeera English journalists accused of terrorist activity in Egypt, but they did little to explain why everyday broadcast equipment and the defendants' personal belongings would implicate them in any crime. The three journalists at this second hearing are among 20 defendants authorities have charged with crimes; the Qatar-based Al Jazeera says only eight have worked for the network. The trial has drawn international condemnation from human rights groups, who say the arrests indicate authorities in Egypt are stifling dissent and freedom of the press. The case comes amid a crackdown on the Muslim Brotherhood after the ouster of Egypt's first democratically elected president, Mohamed Morsy. The accused have denied the allegations against them, with the journalists saying they were simply doing their jobs. Detained Al Jazeera journalists appear in court as trial opens . In what was at times a bizarre and confused proceeding Wednesday, a lead investigator took the stand as the state's first witness but refused to answer several questions, saying he could not divulge a secret government source. At one point the witness told the court he could not remember certain details of his investigation. "What we saw in court today was ridiculous," said Adel Fahmy, brother of jailed Al Jazeera English producer Mohamed Fahmy. "It showed that the government has no case and these journalists are innocent." Fahmy, producer Baher Mohamed and award-winning correspondent Peter Greste, an Australian, were arrested December 29 at a Cairo hotel room and later charged with joining a terrorist organization, broadcasting false information and working in Egypt without permits. The three have been denied bail and kept in detention for more than two months. Among the evidence the state claims to have is video of news reports, allegedly fabricated by the Al Jazeera journalists. Fahmy's defense attorney demanded for the reports to be viewed in court and complained the court did not have the equipment necessary to show the video. He also questioned the credibility of statements written by state witnesses because the wording of each was identical. Wednesday's proceeding drew sharp criticism and mocking statements on social media from journalists covering the trial. "Watching judge unseal a steady stream of evidence, often having to use his pen or a lighter, was farcical. This trial is a huge embarrassment," tweeted Cairo-based freelance journalist Louisa Loveluck. Throughout the hearing, the defendants were kept in a caged dock steps away from their family members. On several occasions, the judge gave them permission to address the court. "I would never betray my country," Fahmy told the court. From inside the cage, Greste told reporters he was angry "that we spent two months in prison for such flimsy evidence." The trial was adjourned until March 24. | "What we saw in court today was ridiculous," brother of one accused journalist says .
Trial of Al Jazeera English journalists accused of terrorist activity adjourned till late March .
Lead investigator declines to answer questions, says he can't divulge secret source .
Trial has drawn international condemnation from human rights groups . |
82,237 | e91ca743790add57b1fd0627528adb754b19d903 | (CNN) -- An ax murder. Then, jail time. Sounds like a morbid crime story. Yet this tale has taken a sudden and unexpected twist: The killer got a pardon and a hero's welcome. That has stirred fears of a war. The parole has exacerbated long-standing tensions over disputed land between Armenia and Azerbaijan, former Soviet republics that are nestled in the Caucasus region near Turkey, Iran and Russia. The nations fought a war two decades ago over the region of Nagorno-Karabakh and surrounding Azerbaijani territories. Much of the area is now occupied by Armenia. A return to warfare could suck in world powers, analysts warned Wednesday. Thomas de Waal, an expert on the Caucasus with the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, told CNN world energy markets would be disrupted in a conflict since an oil and a gas pipeline carrying Caspian oil curves around the conflict zone in Azerbaijan. Mosque shooting, suicide bombing hit Russia's Caucasus region . The ax killing happened in 2004 at a NATO center in Hungary, where troops from Armenia and Azerbaijan were getting training. Ramil Safarov, a soldier from Azerbaijan, killed Armenian officer Gurgen Margarian. Both men were studying English. Safarov was sentenced to life in prison in Hungary, but that country recently extradited him to Azerbaijan with the understanding that he would serve at least 25 years of the sentence. Not long after Safarov arrived in Azerbaijan, though, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev pardoned him. Armenians recoiled at what happened next: The killer got an apartment and a promotion. "Mr. Safarov has been glorified in Azerbaijan as a national hero at all levels -- including the top level," said Zohrab Mnatsakanian, Armenia's deputy minister of Foreign Affairs. "This is a blow to the conscience of Europe, to the civilized world." Azerbaijan's Foreign Affairs Ministry said on Twitter that the "issue must be considered in the context of aggression and ethnic cleansing against Azerbaijan by Armenia." The United States, meanwhile, was among those nations objecting to the pardon. It expressed "deep concern" and asked Hungary for more information on why it extradited Safarov. "We are communicating to Azerbaijani authorities our disappointment about the decision to pardon Safarov," a spokesman for the National Security Council, Tommy Vietor, said in a statement the White House released. "This action is contrary to ongoing efforts to reduce regional tensions and promote reconciliation." Sabine Freizer, director of the International Crisis Group's Europe program, said world powers have taken note. "There is an awareness among government officials, both in the United States, Russia, and among European officials, that this conflict is getting worse. There should be something done to stop it," Freizer said. "This takes us a whole step downward," said the Carnegie Endowment's de Waal. The tensions over Nagorno-Karabakh reflect strong cultural attachments for both peoples, what Sergey Markedonov, visiting fellow of the Russia and Eurasia Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, likens to a "Jerusalem for both societies." Animosities over the disputed territory have simmered since the end of World War I. The Soviet Union's collapse in the 1990s triggered a war from 1992 to 1994 that killed 22,000 to 25,000 people and uprooted more than a million others. The war ended "with a shaky truce," the International Crisis Group said. The disputes between the countries over Nagorno-Karabakh and other territories remain an "unresolved conflict of the Soviet period," Freizer said. Amid the creation of newly independent countries after the Soviet collapse, she said, "no one was focused on the conflict." "The kind of support for Yugoslavia," whose breakup led to major wars in Bosnia and Kosovo, was "never given to this region." Over the years, violence has flared. Both countries occasionally talk tough about each other. And Azerbaijan's oil and gas wealth is making its way into the budget for a military preparing for war, Freizer said. "Since 2011, we feel the situation has gotten worse," Freizer said. The killer's pardon prompted a certain outrage factor, she said. "People were shocked by this." Hungary defended its extradition and said it received assurances the killer would carry out his term. But the country criticized the "sudden and unexpected release" and called it "unacceptable." Armenia suspended its relations with Hungary. The disputes are unfolding in a tough neighborhood. Turkey has been mired down in fighting with Kurdish rebels. Russia fought a brief war with Georgia four years ago and has battled Islamic insurgents in its northern Caucasus region in recent years. Iran supports Syria's government in its civil war. "Russia is a military ally of Armenia. Azerbaijan has strong military links with Turkey and they (Armenia and Azerbaijan) are both on the border with Iran," de Waal said. Also, he said, the Armenian-American community "will beat the drum" and push for U.S. action. Markedonov said a deteriorating conflict could spawn an arms race. The incident reflects a lack of willingness among many citizens to compromise and get back to peacemaking, Markedonov said. This could play into upcoming elections, with both Aliyev and Armenian president Serzh Sargsyan seeking to look strong for the voters. De Waal also wrote in a column that the BBC published Tuesday that Hungary negotiated the extradition "for reasons that have yet to be fully explained." He called the events a "black week" for a peaceful resolution to the conflict and said it's "now a full-blown state-to-state row, with as yet knowable consequences." He cites worries that "a fanatical Armenian will try to commit a revenge attack." "From the political perspective, to call the Azerbaijani government's actions a mistake is an understatement. It is a worrying indication of the quality of advice that President Ilham Aliyev is receiving from his inner circle." De Waal said diplomats must work harder now. When there is no peace process, he told CNN, "the vacuum is filled by war talk." "If there is any silver lining to this dark episode it could be that the international community pays more attention to the dangers of a new Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh," de Waal wrote in his column. "The reception given Safarov suggests that the situation is moving closer to war than peace." Black Sea city aims to be 'Las Vegas of the Caucasus' Jo Shelley and Stephanie Halasz contributed to this report . | An Azerbaijani solider killed an Armenian officer with an ax in 2004 .
He was sentenced to prison in Hungary but suddenly was paroled and extradited .
The killer got a new apartment and a promotion on his return to Azerbaijan .
The parole has sparked fears of wars between two former Soviet republics . |
226,723 | b1924c9f7405b6befc27dfd87bd0602802523589 | By . Ruth Styles . PUBLISHED: . 07:17 EST, 2 September 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 07:17 EST, 2 September 2013 . If you're nearing the end of your twenties, you might want to start thinking happier thoughts as a new survey has revealed that people are at their most miserable at the age of 29. Those nearing the big 3-0 smile just 12 times a day on average, compared with those aged 79 who typically smile 16 or more times a day. So happy are those close to entering their eighth decade, 33 per cent of 79-year-olds reported smiling an extremely cheerful 21 times a day. Depressing: Those nearing the big 3-0 smile just 12 times a day - making 29 the most miserable age . The research also found that men tend to be grumpier and are four times more likely than women to go a whole day without smiling. But if it's pressure to find a partner . that is getting women down, they should smile more - as seven in 10 men . say they are more interested in a date's smile than what she's wearing. Office worker . Shane Wilson, 29, said: 'I felt pretty car free in my early twenties and . pretty positive in my mid-twenties but not now. 'I . think approaching 30 has an effect. Ever since I turned 29 I feel like I . have a shadow over me - it's a feeling that I need to sort my life out. So I probably don't smile as much as I did a year or so ago.' Broken down by geographical area, the results showed that those living in Belfast were the most cheerful and smile up to 20 times a day, while melancholy people in Bristol flash a grin as little as twice a day. Happier times: Those aged 79 are the happiest with 33 per cent saying they smile 21 times a day . Perfect grins: The Duchess of Cambridge has the world's best smile while Harry Styles topped the men's poll . Despite their stony-faced reputation, Londoners actually smile around 10 times a day, which makes the capital the UK's second most cheerful city. The research by iWhite Instant, a new bleach-free teeth whitening kit, also found 31 per cent of Brits think the Duchess of Cambridge has the world's best smile. Model Cara Delevingne came bottom of the poll, while Simon Cowell and One Direction's Harry Styles were the men voted to have the best smiles. The 2,045 adults polled also voted Victoria Beckham as the grumpiest celebrity in the UK. Daniel Silvester from iWhite said: 'We wanted to gauge the nation's attitude towards smiling and were surprised to learn how little the majority of Brits smile in one day. 'We're hoping iWhite Instant can give Brits more confidence to smile more often and cheer up the country.' | People nearing the big 3-0 smile on average just 12 times a day .
Those aged 79 typically smile at least 16 times a day or more .
Belfast was revealed to be the UK's most smiley city and Bristol the least . |
166,256 | 62f9a1919fdfce85bb2b21fca1cf852bcc81a34f | Centre Sam Tuitupou and prop Eifion Lewis-Roberts have both agreed new contracts with Sale Sharks. The Aviva Premiership club confirmed two-year deals for both players. Tuitupou, 32, won nine caps for New Zealand and joined Sale from Munster in 2011. Sale centre Sam Tuitupou (centre) has agreed a new two-year deal to remain at the club . Lewis-Roberts, meanwhile, has been a Sale player since 2005, bar one season spent with French club Toulon. The 33-year-old was capped by Wales against Canada in 2008. 'We are delighted that both Eifion and Sammy have agreed their new two-year deals,' Sale rugby director Steve Diamond said. 'They are both great lads and key members of our squad, and we are delighted they are staying on.' Prop Eifion Lewis-Roberts (centre right) has also agreed to extend his stay at Sale by a further 24 months . | Sam Tuitupou joined Sale from Irish province Munster in 2011 .
Eifion Lewis-Roberts has had two spells at Sale since first joining in 2005 .
Tuitupou has won caps for New Zealand and Lewis-Roberts, Wales before . |
195,637 | 893a8e926cabf9b0e0ebb593da09ea96c90fb81e | By . Louise Boyle . Last updated at 5:16 AM on 17th February 2012 . Waitresses who worked at the Tilted Kilt - a Celtic-themed sports bar where staff are required to wear skimpy tartan skirts and matching bras - are suing management at one branch for sexual harassment. The lawsuit filed by 19 women claimed that a manager groped them and made filthy, degrading remarks - often in front of patrons. The waitresses all worked at the Tilted Kilt franchise in the Loop, downtown Chicago. Skirting the issue: The Tilted Kilt sports bar in Chicago is being sued by 19 former waitresses who claim they were sexually harassed by a manager (posed by model) The Tilted Kilt branch in Chicago had yet to respond to several calls from MailOnline. Mark Roth, a lawyer representing the women, said they were forced to endure insults and were degraded while trying to do their jobs. According to CBS Chicago, one manager grabbed the women's breasts and buttocks, tried to kiss one of them and put ice down their skirts. He also allegedly told one waitress: 'Meow, meow. You’re a dirty kitty' and made comments about pornography to another. Mr Roth told the TV station: 'There were requests for sex. There were degrading comments that were . made. Something that no woman should have to put up with anywhere, let . alone by their manager in the workforce.' The lawsuit, filed in federal court on February 8, listed around two dozen incidents of harassment. The accusations were levelled only at management and not at customers. Hot Scot: The Tilted Kilt offers a twist on the Scottish traditional dress for its customers at numerous franchises across the U.S. The Tilted Kilt, which markets itself as . the 'best-looking sports pub you've ever seen', was founded in 2003 in . Las Vegas by restaurateur Mark DiMartino. The franchise has dozens of locations across the U.S., with the majority on the east coast, and one bar in Edmonton, Canada. There were requests for sex. There were degrading comments that were . made. Something that no woman should have to put up with anywhere. Mark Roth, attorney . Waitresses at the bar, described by one patron as a 'titillating tribute to Scotland' are given the uniform of knee-high socks, short kilts with matching bras covered by a skimpy white shirt. The bars feature wall-to-wall flatscreen TVs for watching sports, pool tables, happy hour deals and blaring music, mainly from the 1980s. The menu offerings include the typical range of bar snacks along with such delicacies as 'Irish nachos' - potato chips coated in cheese sauce with beef and tomatoes. Themed: The Tilted Kilt branch in downtown Chicago, Illinois, offers a taste of 'Celtic culture' - from Scotland, Ireland and England . | Lawsuit filed by 19 women against Tilted Kilt sports bar in Chicago .
Employees claim degrading comments made to customers . |
24,822 | 4659799ee30fa76ecfd07876671909a8dd35e346 | (CNN) -- Vladimir Putin is basking in the glory of territorial conquest, enjoying his highest domestic approval ratings since returning as president two years ago. But he should take time to consider whether the foundations of Russian power are as stable as he would like us to believe. As an act of geopolitical assertiveness, the seizure of Crimea was meant to convey a message of strength. But the negative reaction of financial markets and Western sanctions against Russia have highlighted existing economic vulnerabilities in a way that raises serious doubts about Russia's ability to sustain its new position. The revival of Russia's international standing during Putin's first two terms was, above all, a consequence of the country's rapid economic recovery following the collapse of the immediate post-Soviet years. The resources boom of 2000-2008 produced huge increases in export earnings and average growth rates of 7%. By 2006 Russia had paid off its Paris Club debts and was recording net inflows of capital. Its inclusion as one of the BRICs -- the elite group of large emerging economies -- seemed natural. But the limits of Putin's business model were becoming apparent even before the global financial crisis struck in late 2008. The combination of the war in Georgia and threats made by Putin to the private steel company Mechel led to a resumption of large-scale capital flight and a dip in growth. This turned into a deep recession after the sharp decline in international commodity prices hit the bulk of Russia's export earnings. Although growth returned along with higher oil and gas prices, it has remained well below pre-crisis levels. Last year it reached only 1.3%. Russian stagnation now threatens to turn into a double-dip recession. Growth forecasts are being downgraded as a result of the crisis over Ukraine. Economic data suggests that the Russian economy may have contracted in the first quarter of 2014. Since the start of the year, net capital outflows of up to $70 billion have already exceeded the total for 2013, according to Reuters. To make matters worse, Putin's threat to seize Western assets in the event that sanctions are expanded has turned Russia into a major investment risk at a time when it urgently needs to attract foreign capital and technology to upgrade infrastructure and create a broader base for economic growth. It would be a mistake to see these problems as the short-term effect of the diplomatic turbulence over Ukraine. In reality they are the culmination of serious structural problems that have been ignored and in many case made worse by Putin's lurch towards authoritarian statism. Endemic corruption swallows up around a third of Russia's GDP according to the InDem Foundation, and weakens property rights and investor protection. These deficiencies were highlighted most visibly by the expropriation of Yukos Oil and Hermitage Capital, both involving active government complicity. But the practice of reiderstvo, in which the legal system is misused to seize or extort legitimate businesses, is much more widespread and probably involves thousands of cases every year. The effect is to undermine economic activity by deterring investment and stifling entrepreneurship. Why bother to start a business when a cabal of corrupt politicians, prosecutors and judges could abuse their positions of authority to take it away from you? This explains why small and medium businesses contribute such a low proportion of Russian GDP -- 24% compared to 58% for the EU. Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev bemoans the fact that the most ambitious Russian graduates would rather find a sinecure within the state apparatus than go into business, but the message that it's easier to seize wealth than create it comes from the very top of government. Although the Sochi Winter Olympics was meant the showcase the best of Putin's Russia, the thing that will stick longest in the memory is the knowledge that a project projected at $12 billion ended up costing around $50 billion. These predations make the regime vulnerable. After more than a decade of talking about the risks of over-reliance on the extractive industries, particularly oil and gas, Russian leaders have completely failed to diversify their economy. In fact, the non-commodities contribution to exports has shrunk by almost half to 8%. This has happened at a time when the combined impact of corruption, inefficient state intervention and rising budgetary commitments has increased the fiscal break-even price of oil from $20 per barrel to $117. A sustained drop in the oil price could seriously threaten the rentier bargain that enables Putin to sustain popular support. Yet the impact of Ukraine has been to scare Russia's European customers into seeking out alternative suppliers. In the estimation of his admirers, Putin deserves credit for restoring Russia's pride and prosperity after the chaos of the Yeltsin era. The alternative version of history is that he was fortunate to benefit from the delayed effect of reforms carried out by his predecessor and the resources boom that began just as he was taking office. Having been gifted a promising legacy he promptly squandered it by imposing a corrupt and wasteful form of authoritarian governance. Unless he can find new sources of growth and dynamism at time when he is closing down Russian society and cutting it off from the outside world, it is likely to be this second version of history that sticks. Read more: . Sanctions on Russia: Would World Cup boycott hit harder? Opinion: Europe has power over Russia, but needs more than gesture diplomacy . Hagel: Russia causing itself long-term harm with Ukraine steps . | Russia Foundation chair David Clark questions the foundations of Russian power .
He says Putin's threat to seize Western assets has turned Russia into an investment risk .
Russian reliance on commodities exports might prove risky for Putin, Clark writes . |
229,237 | b4d06fed11f860f2e45efc2dfa67b9287b0c29e7 | By . Sarah Gordon . Climate change could cause a tourism boom in the Arctic, with cruise ships benefitting from melting ice caps giving them increased access to the area, according to a leaked UN report. The draft report - which has been dubbed 'alarmist' by one British author involved - claims climate change could help the grey and killer whale populations and increase whale-watching trips to the area. It will also mean longer summer seasons, with ships being able to pass through key areas which are often frozen for much of the year, according to the report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). New routes: Cruise ships could benefit from the melting ice caps in the Arctic region, the controversial UN report has claimed . The Northern Sea Route, above Siberia, and Northwest Passage, above the US and Canada, will be open for a total of 125 days a year by 2050. Currently, the waterways are only clear of ice for around 50 days a year. The melted ice will mean a more easily navigable shortcut between Asia and Europe, according to the report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). And cruise ships will be able to benefit by running more tours to countries including Greenland and Canada. However, tourists on those ships won't be able to see polar bears in their natural habitat - which are in grave danger of disappearing in certain areas as Earth warms - or witness the traditions of the Inuit people, who stand to lose their hunting customs due to changes in their environment. Local wildlife: While there will be more cruises, the chances to spot endangered species like polar bears will become more limited . The report, which is currently being drafted by scientists in Japan ahead of being released official, states: 'Loss of sea ice may open up waterways and opportunities for increased cruise traffic and add to an already rapid increase in cruise tourism.' It adds: 'Climate change has increased the prevalence of cruise tourism throughout Greenland, Norway, Alaska and Canada because of decreasing sea ice.' The IPCC will publish its first update in seven years on the impacts of climate change and scientists have been meeting this week to agree the wording of the final document, which will be used to inform policy decisions of governments around the world. Opportunity: There will be more cruise opportunities for tourists and chance to spot whales, says the report . However, Professor Richard Tol, an economist at the University of Sussex, said fellow UN academics were exaggerating climate change and comparing it to the ‘apocalypse’. He has since refused to put his name to the report. Arctic cruises have increased in popularity in recent years, with more and more ships plying the northern waterways and reaching areas that can't yet be discovered by plane and car. | Waterways will be clear of ice for longer summers by 2050 .
There has already been a significant increase in Arctic cruises .
Greenland, Norway, Alaska and Canada would benefit from more tourism .
However polar bears and Inuit traditions could be lost due to changes . |
59,680 | a97a6b5da3db58e1e2e72224baa2d2c26905be58 | Edible: The Survival Senbei iPhone 5 case is . handmade from Japanese brown rice and salt, and is available online for . just £30 plus shipping . The iPhone fan scene across the planet has proved a ready and willing market for entrepreneurs marketing a range of accessories. This may be the most idiosyncratic yet, however. One enterprising Japanese businesswoman has created an iPhone 5 case that you can eat. Made entirely from Japanese brown rice and salt, the Survival Senbei iPhone 5 case is intended not so much to protect your phone, but to keep you going in the event of a large-scale natural disaster. The entrepreneur behind the Survival Senbei is a middle-aged master senbei artisan called Mariko. Senbei, traditional rice crackers, are the snack of choice for older Japanese, and Mariko came up with the senbei smartphone case as a way to broaden its appeal to the younger generation. The cases are available to buy online at a cost of ¥3,818 (which, RocketNews24 reports, is a Japanese mnemonic pun on the word 'survival'). That works out to around £30, plus shipping. Depending on demand, delivery can take up to a month because, Mariko explains, 'I can make about three good ones a day.' The entrepreneur behind the Survival Senbei is a middle-aged master senbei artisan called Mariko: Senbei are the snack of choice for older Japanese and she came up with the idea to broaden their appeal to the young . It won't protect your phone, but it could save your life: The Senbei Survival iPhone case is intended to be eaten in an emergency, such as during a large scale natural disaster . However, before you reach for your credit card, Mariko warns customers that the case is immensely fragile and she cannot guarantee the case will reach them in one piece. 'I can make about three good ones a day': Mariko in her bakery. She says to allow up to a month for delivery of the iPhone case, depending on demand . Indeed, she outlines the likelihood of the case breaking in a number of situations: . Despite its frailty, English-language suppliers report they have sold out of the Survival Senbai cracker. If you want to get your hands on one, grab an English-Japanese dictionary and head to Mariko's online shop. | The Sebei Survival iPhone case is made from Japanese brown rice and salt .
It is so frail that its maker will not guarantee delivery in one piece .
However it could save your life if you need a snack in an emergency .
Before arrival: 9 per cent .
Affixing to iPhone 5: 76 per cent .
Using touch screen: 18 per cent .
Touched by friend: 81 per cent .
Turning up the volume: 50 per cent .
Connecting to PC: 54 per cent .
When the user is upset or annoyed: 65 per cent .
Putting in pocket: 89 per cent .
When dropped: 120 per cent . |
97,774 | 09e00eb835707f3d2b26fc665a2ba078f3227e41 | Scuba expert Derek Youd has the ultimate dive buddy perched on his shoulder. He is Yoyo, the macaroni penguin, and whenever there’s a diver about, he is more than happy to coach them in advanced underwater skills. Yoyo is one of 70 penguins at the Living Coasts Zoo and Aquarium in Torquay, Devon, where qualified scuba divers can enjoy a ‘diving with penguins’ experience. Scroll down for video . Hitching a ride: Young penguin Yoyo with diver Derek Youd at the Living Coasts Zoo and Aquarium in Torquay, Devon . But for dive supervisor Derek, it’s 18-month-old Yoyo who always makes the experience memorable. ‘Yoyo was hand-reared by keepers, so he is especially confident around people,’ Derek explains. ‘He fusses around the divers when they are getting ready and likes to inspect their gear. Deep friendship: Whether in or out of the water, Yoyo never wanders far from Mr Youd's side . ‘Once we are in the water, he is such a good swimmer and he’ll circle around us, tugging on anything loose like hair or a zip. ‘Like all youngsters, playing is uppermost in his mind. He seems to think all diving in the pool is for his personal benefit. ‘He has plenty of his own penguin friends. It’s just that we have to remind him sometimes that he is a penguin too!’ | Yoyo, the macaroni penguin lives at an aquarium in Torquay, Devon .
Scuba divers can enjoy diving with penguins in their enclosure .
Has struck up an unlikely friendship with diving instructor Derek Youd . |
271,271 | eb609fa5c89681a88b8d4074213f3b8bc4441518 | The bombing mission targeting a German munitions factory had been a success, but Second World War pilot Charlie Brown's attempts to get home safely seemed doomed to failure. His B-17F bomber had been attacked by no fewer than 15 planes - leaving one of his crew dead and six wounded; 2nd Lt Brown himself had been knocked out and regained consciousness just in time to right his plane after it went into a dangerous nose dive. But as he tried to return from the raid on Bremen to the safety of Allied territory after the mission on December 20, 1943, the danger was not over. Brown soon had another major concern: a German plane was flying directly next to his own - so close that the pilot was looking him directly in the eyes and making big gestures with his hands that only scared Brown more. SCROLL DOWN FOR VIDEO . Mercy: Charlie Brown (left) was the lone pilot controlling an American bomber in 1943 when Franz Stigler (right) decided not to shoot at the bloodied soldier because he 'fought by the rules of humanity' Re-enactment: The German plane came purposefully close to the American plane . The moment was fleeting however, as . the German quickly saluted the American plane - nicknamed in 'Ye Olde Pub' - before peeling away as . soon as one of Brown's men went for the gun turret to attack their . enemy. The New York Post details Brown's . ensuing 40-year struggle to come to terms with why that German pilot . decided to go against orders and spare the Americans - allowing him to . fly and land his battered plane safely and go on to live a happy and . full life following the war. The pilot in question was Franz . Stigler, a 26-year-old ace who had 22 victories to his name - needing . just one more to be awarded the Knight's Cross. But on that day, as his Bf-109 closed in on . the US plane he sensed something was wrong - the enemy plane was not . engaging with him; in fact, unbeknown even to Brown, the plane had lost . it's tail-gun compartment and one wing was badly damaged. As Stigler drew closer he saw the . gunner covered in blood, and how part of the plane's outside had been . ripped off. And he saw the wounded, terrified US airmen inside, trying . to help one another tend to their injuries. It was then he remembered the words . of his commanding officer Lt Gustav Roedel. 'Honour is everything here,' he had told a young Stigler before his first mission. 'Special brothers': Brown (left) found Stigler (right) more than 40 years after the war after taking out a newspaper advert . The crew of the B-17F - nicknamed Ye Olde Pub - that took off on a cold, overcast winter day in Britain to target an FW-190 factory at Bremen, Germany. That mission on December 20, 1943, was 2nd Lt. Charles L. Brown's first combat mission as an aircraft commander with the 379th Bomb Group. Back Row (l-r)S/Sgt Bertrand O.Coulombe - Engineer/Top Turret Gunner; Sgt Alex Yelesanko - Left Waist; Sgt Richard A. Pechout - Radio Operator; Sgt Lloyd H. Jennings - Right Waist; S/Sgt Hugh S. Eckenrode - Tail Gunner; Sgt Samuel W. Blackford - Ball Turret2nd Lt Charles L. Brown - Pilot; 2nd Lt Spencer G. Luke - Co-Pilot; 2nd Lt Albert Sadok - Navigator; 2nd Lt Robert M. Andrews - Bombardier . The senior airman added: 'If I ever see or hear of you shooting at a man in a parachute, I will shoot you down myself. 'You follow the rules of war for you - not for your enemy. You fight by rules to keep your humanity.' His moral compass was more powerful than his need for glory. 'For me it would have been the same as shooting at a parachute, I just couldn't do it,' Stigler later said. He ended up escorting them for several miles out over the North Sea. But he feared that if he was seen . flying so close to the enemy without engaging, he could be accused - and . doubtless found guilty - of treason. And when he saw a German gun turret . looming into view he realised he had to make a decision. Meanwhile, the . US crew had begun to train a gun on him. Stigler made his decision, he saluted his counterpart, motioned for him to fly away from German territory and pulled away. Flying aces: A specially-commissioned painting to mark the moment Franz Stigler's humanity and compassion allowed Charlie Brown to steer his plane to safety . Honoring past moves: Brown and Stigler met with then-Florida governor Jeb Bush in 2001 . The bombers began their 10-minute bomb run at 27,300ft under heavy fire from anti-aircraft guns. Even before they had dropped their payload Brown's B-17 took hits that shattered the Plexiglas nose, knocked out the number two engine, damaged number four, and caused damage to the controls. These initial hits forced Brown to drop out of formation with his fellow bombers . Almost immediately, the solitary, struggling B-17 came under a series of attacks from 12 to 15 German Bf-109s and FW-190s. In the ten-minute assault the number three engine was hit and oxygen, hydraulic, and electrical systems were damaged. By tthe end of it, the planes controls were only partially responsive. The bomber's 11 defensive guns were reduced by the extreme cold to only the two top turret guns and one forward-firing nose gun. The tail gunner was killed and all but one of the crew in the rear incapacitated by wounds or exposure to the frigid air. Lieutenant Brown took a bullet fragment in his right shoulder. This was the state Stigler found the plane in, prompting his remarkable act of mercy. The stricken B-17 did make it across 250 miles of the North Sea and landed at Seething in Norfolk. As soon as he landed, Brown told his commanding officer about the spotting of the German soldier, but he was instructed not to tell anyone else for fear of spreading positive stories of the German enemy. In 1987, more than 40 years after the . incident, Brown - who was still traumatised by the events of that . fateful day - began searching for the man who saved his life even though . he had no idea whether his savior was alive, let alone where the man in . question was living. Brown bought an ad in a newsletter . catering to fighter pilots, saying only that he was searching for the . man 'who saved my life on Dec. 20, 1943.' Stigler saw the ad in his new . hometown of Vancouver, Canada - where he had moved after the war, unable . ever to feel at home in Germany - and the two men got in touch. 'It was like meeting a family member, like a brother you haven't seen for 40 years,' Brown said at the pair's first meeting. Stigler revealed how he had been . trying to escort them to safety and had pulled away when he feared he . had come under fire. He told Brown that his hand gestures where an . attempt to tell him to fly to Sweden. Their story, told in the book A Higher . Call, ended in 2008 when the two men died within six months of one . another, Stigler at age 92 and Brown 87. In their obituaries, each was mentioned as the other's 'special brother'. A B-17 bomber similar to the one flown by charlie Brown in his bombing mission over Germany . | Charlie Brown's B-17F bomber had come under fire from 15 enemy planes during successful mission .
Franz Stigler pursued it, but when he saw the damage he let it fly home to safety, guided by the moral code laid down by his commanding officer . |
256,338 | d7cbe2e216c4fd5e113ea523fa5d606b4977ef9a | She stripped naked at the end of September during the AFL Grand Final - now Heather McCartney is set to release some of her racy photographs for every month of the year. The 26-year-old caused a controversy when she took off her clothes and danced in front of thousands of supporters at the Melbourne Cricket Ground as Hawthorn were beating the Sydney Swans. But the Scottish model, who lives on the Gold Coast, has been keeping herself busy while working on a cancer charity calendar for 2015, which is set to be released in November. 'It's close to home and everyone knows someone that has had cancer,' she told Daily Mail Australia. The model who stripped naked at an AFL Grand Final is set to make an appearance every month of the year . McCartney, who is also an ambassador for Cancer Research, said all proceeds will split between two charities - Cancer Research and the Leukaemia Foundation. The former Playboy model was arrested last month after receiving complaints when she danced naked in full view of strangers as police arrived to arrest her. But it was reported that she lashed out, kicking, punching and biting the officers as they tried to handcuff her and she was jailed overnight. McCartney, who has over 250,000 fans on Facebook, was a last-minute guest with a friend in the corporate box at the Grand Final. Heather McCartney (left) donning a Hawthorn scarf before she danced naked in full view (right) of strangers during the game's final quarter at AFL Grand Final in Melbourne last month . The 26-year-old has been working on a cancer charity calendar, which is set to release in November . Shortly after the final siren, she took off her dress and performed a naked display of celebration, which she now admits was a big mistake after she woke up on the floor of a police cell. 'I just pretty much went up to the window, turned around, walked away and put it back on,' she said. 'People around me were in absolute shock.' McCartney told Daily Mail Australia that she wanted to 'clear the air' that she was never fined $300 or convicted for police assault after her raunchy antics at the Grand Final. The Scottish model has been doing promotional work at sporting events, including the V8s motorsports . The stripper turned model also added that the AFL incident has given her a few extra modelling opportunities in the industry. 'Had talks with my agency about doing promotional work, sports events, V8s, horse racing and promotions,' she said. 'Still modelling bikini's for 'Wild Orchard' - had a bit of work with them for a couple of years. 'Few more shoots as a model and I have a big shoot coming up for FHM.' McCartney, who blamed the free alcohol bar for her raunchy antics that shocked fans following Hawthorne's big win, says now things have started to finally calm down and get back to normal . Wanna play ball? The stripper turned model is putting together her own photoshoots for a charity calendar . Good cause: The Cancer Research ambassador has been working on a good deed to help raise awareness . McCartney is set to release some of her racy photographs for every month of the year . | The model who stripped naked in a corporate box at the AFL Grand Final is putting together a charity calendar, set to release in November .
Heather McCartney, who lives on the Gold Coast hopes to raise awareness and all proceeds will go to cancer research and the Leukaemia Foundation .
The 26-year-old wants to 'clear the air' that she was never fined $300 or convicted for police assault after her raunchy antics . |
131,292 | 35c7abed69ac53062feba4895d633f56ec55dd45 | By . Paul Bentley . A teacher branded unsafe to work with children after he confiscated a pupil’s mobile phone is suing for £250,000. Jean Camurat says his former headmistress left his professional reputation in tatters following the incident at a ‘challenging’ secondary school. The language teacher, 59, told the High Court that discipline had broken down to the extent that he had to take out a restraining order against one threatening pupil. Jean Camurat who is suing Thurrock Borough Council following his dismissal from Aveley School in Essex . However, the court heard headteacher Teresa Walker opposed Mr Camurat’s ‘traditional’ methods and he was suspended, and his contract subsequently terminated, after taking a pupil’s phone. ‘It was alleged that I had assaulted a pupil in the course of confiscating a mobile telephone during a lesson,’ Mr Camurat told Judge Sir Colin Mackay. ‘The school had a clear policy on confiscating mobiles. I had repeatedly warned that the class should not use mobile phones during a lesson and that I would confiscate them. ‘I saw this particular pupil using her mobile and reached to confiscate it. I did pull the phone when she did not let go [but] the girl was not hurt. ‘I was suspended from work two weeks later. Teresa Walker told me she was going to recommend dismissal for gross misconduct,’ he said. Mrs Walker who Mr Camurat clashed with over teaching methods, and who he claims 'maliciously' provided false information about him to the police which prevented him from getting a new job . Mr Camurat claims that Mrs Walker later breached the compromise agreement signed when he left the school and gave false information to the police, which made it ‘impossible’ for him to get another permanent teaching post. He is now suing Mrs Walker and the local authority, Thurrock Borough Council, claiming malicious falsehood, breach of contract, misrepresentation and negligence. He is seeking £250,000 in damages. Both Mrs Walker and the council deny the accusations, saying they acted entirely properly and were obliged, when asked, to pass information about Mr Camurat to the police before it made its way on to his Criminal Record Bureau file. Mr Camurat’s barrister, Ed Williams, told the judge that the information ‘would cause the reasonable reader to form the view that Mr Camurat should never work with children’. The teacher was said to have taken part in a tug of war over a book, which hit a pupil in the face after Mr Camurat let go. He was also accused of grabbing a girl’s arm to stop her from leaving class to watch a fight in the corridor. Mr Camurat denied wrongdoing in relation to any of the incidents, and has successfully applied to have his CRB record wiped clean of the disputed claims. He told the judge: ‘When I started in the post I had five years’ teaching experience, good references and an unblemished disciplinary record at my previous schools.’ Aveley School in Essex was put in special measures in 2004, the year after Mr Camurat joined as head of languages. ‘It was a tough school and I found aspects of behaviour-management challenging,’ he said. When he arrived, a ‘more old-fashioned’ head was in charge, with whom he had a good relationship – but Mr Camurat said Mrs Walker ‘favoured introducing new educational techniques’. After she became headmistress, staff split into ‘two factions’. Mr Camurat told the court: ‘I spoke up in favour of a more traditional approach.’ Explaining her attitude to physical discipline, Mrs Walker told the judge: ‘Physical contact is best avoided. I explained that at no time is it appropriate to touch a child except in self-defence.’ She admitted there were a lot of disruptive pupils at the school during Mr Camurat’s tenure, but said Ormiston Park was ‘now considered to be a good school’. She said she had not seen eye-to-eye with Mr Camurat over teaching techniques but denied having a grudge against him. ‘I bear him no ill will,’ she stressed. Jonathan Auburn, for Mrs Walker and the council, defended their actions, saying: ‘Following a series of incidents involving physical interactions with children and later issues relating to other staff, Mr Camurat left under a compromise agreement. ‘After he left, Mrs Walker and the council and responded to a request for information from police by providing them with a document. The document, viewed as a whole, was broadly accurate.’ Judgment was reserved. | Jean Camurat had to take a restraining order out against one of his pupils .
Then he lost his job after taking mobile from student using it in class .
He's suing Thurrock Borough Council for £250,000 . |
125,520 | 2e46879f8751626b1d52f281dd6c22cf6b704145 | (CNN) -- People have been crying for days. Thousands have left messages, seeking to understand this tragedy. Messages like, "I never felt so empty and cried so much for someone I didn't know personally." Marco Simoncelli was not just one of Italy's most promising motorcycling stars, he brought sunshine into a hard world, in hard times. And that's what makes his death at a race in Malaysia last weekend, at the age of only 24, so hard to bear. "Someone says that God calls the best ones first; maybe that's why he had to go," said his father Paolo, before breaking into tears. It was one of the few times his father has cried. He gave a long television interview showing Marco's room -- that of a teenager not of a world championship rider, with posters of his hero Valentino Rossi still on the wall. After the crash at the Malaysia MotoGP in Kuala Lumpur where his son died, Paolo Simoncelli spoke a lot. Unexpectedly, he thanked everyone -- those who helped Marco, the journalists, the thousands of fans queuing in the rain for a last farewell. His father is dying inside, and we should be comforting him, but instead we wait for his words to try to comfort ourselves. He has every reason to be upset, but instead he talks to us serenely, thanking life for giving him such a shining son. Paolo tells us how positive Marco was to everyone, "and that he was beautiful even when I saw him dead." This is another gift we get from Marco Simoncelli -- joyful, smiling, happy when alive -- and now his family are still inspiring us to love life even when anger would be justified. Kate Fretti has been Marco's girlfriend since 2006. It's known that motorsport offers lots of "fun'" for drivers. Marco once said: "Lots of girls come close, it would be so easy ... But I feel good with Kate, why would I mess everything up?" They were building their house. Not the one of a millionaire. It is right beside Marco's parents' house, with a huge table to have dinner with all their friends. Despite all his money, they were a normal boy and girl of our times, trying to make their way. "Marco didn't give a damn about money," Paolo Simoncelli said. "He used to say: 'Can we buy food without looking at the price? So we are rich." He had a unique talent for expressing his emotions on a bike. He was very open to the world, even if it sometimes landed him in trouble. Back in May, after being heavily accused by Spanish press and riders of causing Dani Pedrosa to crash and break his collarbone, several death threats were addressed to Simoncelli from Spain ahead of the Catalunyan GP. At first, his Honda team and his family hid those threats from him, knowing they would shock his sensitivity. A few days before traveling to Barcelona, they revealed what was going on at a dinner. Marco was scared, but most of all staggered. His girlfriend said that, while listening to his father, Marco reduced the wine cork he was holding into tiny pieces. He kept on repeating: "Why do they threaten me? What I have done wrong?" While a public figure might usually dismiss those threats as from some maniac, Marco instead questioned himself. He couldn't understand why this could happen. But he was not only a genuine guy, he was also a formidable rider. Valentino Rossi is the legend, while Casey Stoner and Jorge Lorenzo are the leading lights now. But maybe nobody, not even Valentino, has the sense for overtaking and for going over the limit like Simoncelli. That's why he was so criticized during his battle with the Spanish riders. But the same things were said 30 years ago to Gilles Villeneuve and 25 years ago to another Formula One star, Ayrton Senna. "He is dangerous, he is crazy, someone will soon be hurt," they said of Simoncelli. But Simoncelli was a real racer -- and that means overtaking. Carlo Pernat, his manager and a significant figure in the world of MotoGP racing, described him as: "A driver not of this time, from an era where racing meant trying every second to go past your rival." Obviously, a rider like this made his rivals nervous. Seven-time world champion Rossi, who loved Simoncelli as a brother, explains it best: "Having a duel one-vs-one with Marco, it's like if you're going to have a punch against a huge guy: you already know you will always be the one beaten up." Italy had a gem, a pure talent with a pure soul. That's why the tears can't stop. His mother Rossella was at home at Coriano, Rimini, when Marco died. A couple of hours after his death, some of his friends gathered outside the house, crying together. She walked out, the greatest pain inside her but dignity on her face, and told them: "No guys, stop crying. Marco would be so sad to see you fall apart. You always laughed with him, just remember the good times you had together." Marco Simoncelli is unique for us because -- despite how Italians feel aggrieved by his fate -- when we see him again on TV, when his interviews are replayed, we can't help but laugh. He was the hilarious cousin always in a good mood, the one you were looking forward to spend time. Funny, mamma mia, so funny. He was our "Super Goof." Would you ever imagine a celebrity saying this: "When I wake up early, for example when I have jet-lag, I run to jump in the bed of my parents while they sleep. I'm crazy for that." His nickname was actually "Super Sic." And now his last farewell has been given, bikes escorted his coffin to the church, and 60,000 people attended his funeral on Thursday. It was broadcast live by three Italian channels, while in some cities thousands of bikes gathered for a parade ended by loud roars in his honor. Spanish fans plan to go to 2011's final MotoGP race in Valencia next weekend with thousands of curly bushy wigs like his hair. The best way to say goodbye is remember him with his own words. Words of a kid who was always surprised by the world, and made us smile so much (see picture gallery above). | Funeral of Italian motorcyclist Marco Simoncelli held in his hometown Coriano on Thursday .
Gresini Honda rider died after a crash in Malaysia on Sunday at the age of 24 .
Simoncelli is remembered for his colorful style and positive approach to life .
Journalist says Italians are mourning the loss of "a pure talent with a pure soul" |
71,320 | ca2a8c334727a0840c6d03002bd2d576593e26f6 | For the barbecue aficionado, cooking the perfect burger is an art form. But as grills across the country are sparked into action this weekend, a leading dietitian has a word of warning for those brandishing the tongs. Lurking inside your 'perfectly cooked' burger could be a vicious bacteria, waiting to attack your insides. A leading dietitian has warned of the dangers of under-cooking burgers, as minced beef harbours E. coli bacteria, among the main causes of food poisoning. Dr Cara Rosenbloom, writer of the Words To Eat By blog, said: It's vital that both the outside and the inside are cooked to a temperature of 71°C' While the dangers of under-cooking chicken are widely known, few are aware that beef too, must be cooked to a set temperature. Dietitian Cara Rosenbloom, writer of the Words To Eat By blog, said minced beef is one of the main carriers of E. coli, a harmful bacteria among the most common causes of food poisoning. But, she said, spotting a burger riddled with the bacteria is difficult as the meat will smell and look normal. The food safety expert, trained in microbiology, added: 'While the surface of any meat can technically harbour E. coli, it is killed when you cook food at a high temperature. 'If E. coli is on the surface of a steak, it is killed by the grill, even if the inside of the meat stays pink. 'However, burgers made from ground . beef are different. Bacteria can be spread during grinding, so E.coli . can be anywhere on the surface or the inside of the burger. 'It's vital that both the outside and the inside are cooked to a temperature of 71°C (160°F).' Around 90,000 cases of food poisoning are recorded each year in England and Wales. Dr Rosenbloom said while E.coli on the surface of steaks are destroyed by the high temperature of the grill, the bacteria can coat mince during the grinding process, meaning burgers must reach 71C inside and out to be certain the bug has been destroyed . Start with clean hands, and wash . often as you prepare food. This is especially vital when your . ingredients include raw meat, chicken and eggs. Understand marinade etiquette. Step one: marinate food in the fridge. Step two: throw out marinade that was used on raw meat or poultry – do . not use it on cooked food. If the raw meat bathed in it, consider that . the bacteria from the meat is now in the marinade. Toss it out and start . fresh. When taking . foods off the grill, do not put cooked food items back on the same plate . that held raw food, unless it has been washed with hot water and soap . first. Invest in a digital food thermometer and measure the internal temperatures: . However, . the true figure is thought to be closer to one million, with only a . minority of victims going to see the GP to give a sample and . subsequently end up logged in the official statistics. E. coli is among the most common causes of food posioning, usually caught from undercooked beef including mince and burgers. While the bacteria can cause a person to suffer cramps and bloody diarrhoea, it can be even more dangerous for children. Those under the age of five can develop a complication called hemolytic uremic syndrome, in which the red blood cells are destroyed and the kidneys fail. Past studies have found food poisoning can lead to lifelong consequences. Research has shown those caught up in food poisioning outbreaks are more likely to develop a host of long-term illnesses, including diabetes, arthritis, kidney failure, high blood pressure and even heart attacks and strokes. Some, such as kidney damage, are thought to be caused by powerful poisons released by bugs. Experts have advised that people who have survived severe food poisoning, such as that caused by the E. coli 0157 strain, undergo regular blood pressure and kidney checks. | Dr Cara Rosenbloom has warned of the dangers of eating undercooked beef .
E. coli is most prevalent in minced beef and burgers, says the dietitian .
This is because bacteria can be spread during grinding, so E.coli .
can be anywhere on the surface or the inside of the burger .
She advises burgers are cooked to 71°C (160°F) inside and out to be safe . |
68,060 | c12010837c20dae7fb2acd2d8b2fb3877ff0fb18 | Los Angeles (CNN) -- AEG Live considered "pulling the plug" on Michael Jackson's comeback concerts 11 days before the pop icon died, the show's choreographer testified Tuesday. Travis Payne, who worked closely with Michael Jackson in his final days, earlier testified that in Jackson's last rehearsals before his death, he was "not at show standards but he was rehearsing, he was processing." Payne was called as a witness by AEG Live to counter Jackson witnesses who testified in the ongoing wrongful death trial that Michael Jackson was emaciated, paranoid and so ill they feared for his life as rehearsals continued until shortly before his death on June 25, 2009. The trial, in which Jackson's mother and three children contend AEG Live is liable in his death, is in its third week in a Los Angeles courtroom. The lawsuit accuses the concert promoter of negligently hiring Dr. Conrad Murray, the physician who was convicted of involuntary manslaughter in Jackson's death. The Jacksons contend AEG Live executives ignored warning signs, including Jackson's weight loss, because they did not want to delay the premiere of the "This Is It" concerts set for July 2009. Witness: 'Everybody was lying' after Michael Jackson died . 'Pulling the plug' on comeback . "It was 'We've got to get this together or the plug may be pulled,' " Payne testified under cross examination by a Jackson lawyer Tuesday. Jackson was having trouble learning some of his dances in the final weeks, he said. The jury saw an e-mail from show director Kenny Ortega saying Jackson had "been slow at grabbing hold of the work." He also asked that a teleprompter be placed near the stage to help him remember song lyrics, something Jackson had never used before during a concert, he said. An e-mail written by "This Is It" band director Michael Bearden to Ortega 11 days before Jackson's death was displayed in court. "MJ is not in shape enough yet to sing this stuff live and dance at the same time," Bearden wrote. "He can use the ballads to sing live and get his stamina back up, Once he's healthy enough and have more strength I have full confidence he can sing the majority of the show live. His voice sounds amazing right now, he needs to build it back up. I still need all big dance numbers to be in the system so we can concentrate on choreography." But Ortega sent Jackson home without performing at the next rehearsal three days later because he was ill. "I don't have a dog in this race, so I don't want to be painted as a guy who's trying to mask anything," Payne said when Jackson lawyer Brian Panish suggested he was downplaying concerns about Jackson's health in the days before he died. "Mr. Jackson just explained to me that he had trouble sleeping, that he was tired, and that satisfied me," Payne testified. Witness: Jackson was paranoid, talking to himself in last days . He told Jackson, "You're looking thin," and Jackson responded, "Well, I'm getting down to my fighting weight," according to Payne, who added, "I didn't have a reason to doubt him." "Sometimes in rehearsal Michael would appear a little loopy, under the influence of something, but mostly when he would come to the rehearsals from the dermatologist," Payne testified. That happened two to four times in the weeks before his death, he said. "Michael was undergoing personal cosmetic procedures, so he could feel great and do a good job," Payne said. Medical records showed Jackson visited his Beverly Hills dermatologist nearly two dozen times in the two months before his death, receiving injections of the powerful painkiller Demerol. "Sometimes he was tired and lethargic and had to be, not convinced, but supported throughout rehearsals," Payne said. Payne, though, said Jackson's rehearsals the last two nights were "impressive" when he "was able to do chunks of the show." "He was not at show standards, but he was rehearsing, he was processing," he said. "I didn't expect him to be as if he was in front of a crowd. The last two days were pretty good." Was he ready to perform for an audience? Panish asked. "I thought he was on his way to the goals he had set for himself," Payne answered. "All I saw was improvement and getting closer to the goals." One of those goals was for Jackson to be able to sing all of his songs, while dancing, without the aid of pre-recorded tracks, Payne testified Monday. Jackson had relied on recorded vocal tracks in previous tours, but he didn't want to use them in London, he said. Days before death: 'God keeps talking to me' Michael's kids: Enlightened and loyal . Payne was often inside Jackson's home rehearsing with him during his final weeks. He got an intimate view of what he called "the beauty" of Jackson's relationship with his three children. Payne saw "their loyalty to their father" and their father "enlightened them and taught them," he testified. "I was very proud to see Michael as such a loving father." His description of the close relationship Paris, 15, and Prince, 16, had with their father four years ago could foreshadow the significance of the children's testimony later in the trial. Paris, who was 11 at the time, was "a very retentive young lady who was very, very smart, very astute," Payne testified. "She had full knowledge of the day-to-day operations, from the time of lunch and what it was going to be, she was hands on -- far beyond her age," he said. "She had a lot of responsibility, which I think she welcomed. Autopsy reveals Jackson's secrets . Payne said she was "the female of the house" and "a daddy's girl." "She really loved her father," he said. "At that time, she was coming to find out his global successes and presence, so she would wear her Michael Jackson T-shirt, headband and bag," he said. It was Paris who would bless the food when they were having lunch with their father at home, he said. "She was always the most vocal of the three children and was very concerned about many of the details of the house, was the temperature correct, what do you want to eat," Payne testified. "She just handled a lot for her young age." Jackson's relationship with son Prince, then 12, was "awesome," Payne said. "It was great to see how they interacted," he said. "Prince wants to be a director, so Michael would share conversations with him about that process and point out things during our rehearsals." Blanket, who was 7 his father died, liked to watch his father rehearsing his dances with Payne in the basement studio of their home, Payne said. "He was quiet, but always right there with his dad," he said. | NEW: Jackson was having trouble learning dances, choreographer Travis Payne says .
NEW: "It was 'We've got to get this together or the plug may be pulled,'" Payne says .
Payne testifies in the Jackson wrongful death trial .
Jackson was "on his way to the goals he had set for himself" before his death, Payne says . |
103,155 | 11022635739e10540be81cf4840d52c6cffcae4a | By . Richard Spillett . Shocking CCTV footage has captured the moment a knife-wielding teenager realises he is a murderer. Edward Redman, 18, is shown laughing and joking in the footage, filmed after he brutally attacked tragic 17-year-old Jay Whiston in September 2012. The footage shows Redman's mood suddenly changing as he puts his hand to his mouth, the moment police believe he was told that Mr Whiston had died from his wounds. Scroll down for video . CCTV captures the moment Edward Redman (left, in red top) realises he has killed Jay Whiston in a brutal knife attack at a party in 2012 . After putting his hand to his mouth, Redman leans over and shows his accomplice, Rhys Hennebry, a message on his phone . Redman, pictured in the red top, stabbed Mr Whiston at a party in Colchester, Essex which had been advertised on Facebook and Twitter. Redman and his friend Rhys Hennebry, 19, who is also shown in the footage, fled the party after the attack. About 90 minutes later, they were seen running for a bus and, after getting on, Redman receives a message, which he shows to Hennebry before putting his hand over his mouth in shock. Redman then made a series of frantic phone calls and text messages, the details of which were later deleted from his phone. The CCTV footage was released after Hennebry was yesterday locked up for his role in Jay’s murder. He was sent to a young offenders’ institution for three years on two charges of affray. During the pair's trials, Chelmsford Crown Court heard the party had been well organised until a number of uninvited guests, including Redman, arrived. Killer Redman (left) was given a life sentence for stabbing Jay Whiston (right) outside a party in Colchester . CCTV footage was released after Rhys Hennebry, 19, pictured, was yesterday jailed for his role in the murder. Redman and Hennebry boarded the bus shortly after fleeing the party following the attack on Mr Whiston . Police released the footage after Hennebry was sentenced for his part in the killing. Redman was jailed for at least 17 years for the murder earlier this month . Redman is shown making frantic phone calls after the message police believe told him Mr Whiston had died from the wounds he had inflicted . The jury heard that Redman and his friends 'spread an air of fear' and told party goers that they were 'tooled up'. A . confrontation then developed when one of Redman's associates attempted . to steal alcohol from Mr Whiston's friends, the court heard. Redman stabbed Mr Whiston inside the house before following him onto the street where he delivered the second, fatal wound. Redman and Hennebry then fled the scene and boarded the bus on which the CCTV footage was filmed. The court heard that Mr Whiston, from Clacton, Essex, collapsed onto the street outside the party and was rushed to hospital but was later declared dead. The court heard Mr Whiston had tried to defend a friend after Redman gatecrashed a party he was at in 2012 . Tributes are placed at the scene as police forensic experts examine the area around the house where the part was held in 2012 . Redman, of Colchester, received a life sentence for the murder and was given a minimum sentence of 17 years in jail. Hennebry, also of Colchester, admitted affray and was sent to a young offenders institute for three years this week for the attack on Jay and another incident the night before. At the end of Redman's trial, Mr Whiston's mother Caroline Shearer paid tribute to her son in a highly emotional victim impact statement. She said: 'All I know is when you lose a child your heart is literally ripped out. Grieving the loss of your child is the hardest work I will ever have to do. 'It is a war I will never be able to finish fighting - a peak I will never be able to climb. Jay’s heart was so big they stabbed him in it - they couldn’t miss it.' | Edward Redman stabbed Jay Whiston at party in Colchester, Essex in 2012 .
CCTV footage from a bus shows the moment he found out he was a killer .
He puts his hand over his mouth in shock after receiving a message .
Redman has been jailed for life for the attack after being convicted of murder .
Footage was released after sentencing of Rhys Hennebry, also in footage .
Hennebry sent to young offenders' institute for two counts of affray . |
241,053 | c41425096c361df9d09363d07ef3b4067968670e | (Mashable) -- What would you do after Cisco killed your beloved product? For Jonathan Kaplan, the inventor of the Flip video camera, the answer was simple: start a venture-backed nationwide chain of grilled cheese sandwich joints. That may sound like Kaplan has lost his marbles, but bear with us. Kaplan's genius, as shown in the highly popular Flip, is creating super-easy, mass-produced technology. With his new business, The Melt, he's done that twice over. Buy a grilled cheese on your smartphone, and you get a QR code to swipe in store when you arrive. The back-end software ensures that you get a piping hot grilled cheese in your hands within 60 seconds of checking in. Kaplan has also invested a lot of effort on making his grilled cheese hardware easy and effective. He tapped European appliance giant Electrolux to create a brand-new grill with a built-in microwave. It nukes the cheese for 15 seconds, then toasts the bread for another 30 seconds. We can confirm that the resulting sandwiches, doing the rounds here at the D9 conference, were uniformly tasty. Win or lose, you can't deny that Kaplan has put a lot of thought into this scheme. He found a breadmaker in Chicago whose bread was kneaded in such a way that it created air bubbles for the cheese to fill. He's pairing different kinds of bread with different kinds of cheese, as well as simple but tasty soups (The Melt's only other sale item, apart from Crackerjacks). Sandwiches will go for $5 apiece, or $8 with soup. "We're selling nostalgia and happiness," Kaplan told Mashable. "Grilled cheese makes people happy." Evidently, his backers at Sequoia Capital agreed. Kaplan won't say how much funding he received, but he plans to start more than 500 Melt locations in the next four years. Each store will cost between $500,000 and $1 million. You do the math. Famed VC Michael Moritz is sitting on the board, as is Apple retail head Ron Johnson, and the first handful of stores will open in San Francisco in August. Some will stay open as late as 2 a.m., a big deal in a town that largely shuts down at 10 p.m. Another reason the whole Melt concept might work out better than expected? One word: calories. Put a grilled cheese sandwich and a cup of soup next to just about any other fast food option, and it's going to look like a plate of greens. Chipotle may be able to offer you online ordering (and Chipotle, by the way, is a $9 billion business), but good luck working off the 500-odd extra calories a burrito is going to give you compared to the Melt's offerings. Are you buying it? Is America ready for high-tech grilled cheese? Let us know in the comments. See the original article on Mashable.com . © 2010 MASHABLE.com. All rights reserved. | Jonathan Kaplan, inventor of the Flip video camera, launche new business The Melt .
Buy a grilled cheese on your smartphone, and you get a QR code to swipe in store .
Kaplan tapped Electrolux to create a brand-new grill with a built-in microwave . |
7,608 | 158d971eed0620519842ce4ca2a21f079303354b | (CNN) -- North Korea is sending an onslaught of faxes to South Korea, blaming its neighbor for tensions over a disputed island, an official said Wednesday. Earlier this month, faxes started arriving at South Korean companies, South Korean Unification Ministry deputy spokeswoman Lee Jong-joo said Wednesday. The faxes blame South Korea for the November 23 artillery attack on Yeonpyeong Island. Four South Koreans, two military personnel and two civilians, died when North Korea hit the island with artillery. "Responsibility for the attack lies with the South," states the fax, according to Lee. "Groups in the South should rise up against the South Korean government." The ministry says 15 companies, consisting of two religious groups, seven trade companies, five civic groups and one media organization, reported they had received the fax. The first report of a fax came in on December 8, according to Lee. The ministry estimates that 50 to 80 companies likely received the messages, but have not reported them yet to the government. Most of the companies that received faxes had prior contact with North Korea through inter-Korean events or business operations, Lee said. All of the reported faxes were in the same format and none of them included updated information about the recent and ongoing South Korean drills, the ministry said. The faxes represent a rise in what's known in the Korean Peninsula as the propaganda war. It's taken various forms over the years, including a Christmas tree this week that left Seoul bracing for a possible backlash. South Korea lit up a major Christmas tree in an area bordering North Korea despite concerns that it may become the target of a military attack from Pyongyang. Pyongyang dismantled the tree in 2004 after the countries agreed to halt cross-border propaganda. The tree is clearly visible from North Korea. Last March, shortly after the South Korean Cheonan warship sunk, killing 46 sailors, Seoul restarted propaganda broadcasts aimed at turning North Koreans against Pyongyang. Seoul did not, however, re-installing loudspeakers at the border, after North Korea threatened to blow up the speakers. Local nonprofits started launching giant balloons packed with anti-Pyongyang fliers, small AM/FM radios, and DVDs of news broadcasts. Seoul views one of its most powerful tools in hurting the Kim regime is to inform the citizens of the hermit kingdom with news from the outside world. The propaganda war before the two countries has taken various forms, including a Christmas tree this week that left Seoul bracing for a possible backlash. | Faxes start arriving at South Korean companies this month .
They blame South Korea for a November 23 artillery attack on Yeonpyeong Island .
Most companies that received faxes had prior contact with North Korea . |
72,373 | cd2cac5c7e694dfc31b080b22fddf6064153e16f | (CNN) -- On the road for 300 days a year, a Cirque du Soleil touring troupe of 175 relies on the same precise planning for its travel arrangements as it does for its acrobatic moves and dare devil routines. "Right now, we're in London, in the U.K., and we're working on making sure we have documents ready for Spain, for Russia, for France, because we're visiting those countries by the end of the year," said Geneviève Deslandes, the manager of the Canadian performing group's traveling show Kooza. To plan for its visit to each city, one of the first orders of business is finding a place to stay. During their time in London earlier this year, the cast and crew stayed in the London Bridge area in 85 apartments. "For London, it's really nice that we have everyone in the same place, but in Madrid, we're in 24 different places," said Jerome Vezina, the travel and lodging coordinator. He says they work on housing for about three cities at the same time. Everyone must pack for all seasons, taking everything they will need all year round. Each of these ultimate road warriors is allowed three suitcases -- two to send ahead and one to travel with. "We don't live in the present -- sometimes it's sad to say like that -- we really live in the future," Deslandes said. More than just a circus, Kooza is a community that includes two physiotherapists and four chefs. Teachers provide schooling for the younger performers. For 15-year-old Mongolian contortionists, it's straight from math class to warm-ups for the next show. But learning on the road has its benefits, according to Thierry DeGagne, one of the teachers. "My student is reading about Rosetta Stone, and we're going to visit it," she said. | Cirque du Soleil's Kooza show is on the road for 300 days a year .
A large part of the planning is making sure everyone's documents are in order .
Each person is allowed three suitcases and must pack for all seasons .
Young performers receive schooling on the road . |
241,271 | c454fbd00ec3e981320f9db80b8856c0cac5e0d1 | Being overweight can cost you dearly - both in terms of health and finances. Researchers studying 150,000 Swedish men that were obese aged 18 found they grew up to earn 16% less than their peers of a normal weight. Even people who were overweight at 18, that is, with a body-mass index from 25 to 30, saw significantly lower wages as an adult. A bulging waistline does not lead to a bulging wallet: Researchers found in a study of 150,000 Swedish men that were obese aged 18 grow up to earn 16% less than their peers of a normal weight. The world has seen a remarkable increase in childhood and adolescent overweight and obesity, the researchers say. In the United States, childhood obesity has tripled since the late 1970s. In Sweden, where the study was carried out, there has been a fourfold increase between 1984 and 2000. It is estimated that worldwide, 150 to 160 million school-aged children were overweight in 2004; of these, about one-quarter were obese. Researchers looked at Swedish men who enlisted in compulsory military service in the 1980s and 1990s. Obese 18-year-old men will earn 16 percent less over their a lifetime than those of a normal weight, according to the study published in the research journal Demography. This is roughly the same lifetime earnings penalty as missing about three years of college education, the researchers point out. 'Our empirical analysis provides four important results,' the team say. 'First, we provide the first evidence of a large adult male labor market penalty for being overweight or obese as a teenager. 'Second, we replicate this result using data from the United States and the United Kingdom. 'Third, we note a strikingly strong within-family relationship between body size and cognitive skills/noncognitive skills. 'Fourth, a large part of the estimated body-size penalty reflects lower skill acquisition among overweight and obese teenagers. 'Taken together, these results reinforce the importance of policy combating early-life obesity in order to reduce healthcare expenditures as well as poverty and inequalities later in life. The team analyzed health and wage statistics for 150,000 Swedish men who enlisted in mandatory military service at age 18 in the 1980s and 1990s. Since obesity can be affected by factors like household income, the researchers controlled for family characteristics by only using men who had a brother also included in the study. This allowed researchers to compare heavier and thinner brothers who had the same family backgrounds, controlling for things like wealth, geography or ethnicity. Even when brothers were compared, the researchers found that obesity correlated with lower earnings. Researchers found that the heavier a person was, the more their earnings dropped. They hypothesized that the gap was due to obese teens not fully developing so-called 'non-cognitive' skills, like confidence and self-motivation. The 'bullying, lower self-esteem, and discrimination by peers and teachers' that these obese male teens experienced had a ripple effect through their future financial lives, according to the study. The researchers pointed out that this is not exclusively a Swedish problem, as they found 'strikingly similar results using U.S. and UK data.' The study said that it is critical for countries to introduce policies and programs to combat childhood obesity, 'in order to reduce healthcare expenditures as well as poverty and inequalities later in life.' 'In sum, our results suggest that the rapid increase in childhood and adolescent obesity could have long-lasting effects on the economic growth and productivity of nations. The team analyzed health and wage statistics for 150,000 Swedish men who enlisted in mandatory military service at age 18 in the 1980s and 1990s. 'We believe that the rationale for government intervention for these age groups is strong because children and adolescents are arguably less able to take future consequences of their actions into account. 'Moreover, their choice of goods and physical activities is largely determined by the knowledge and preferences of parents, as well as by food supply and activities at school. 'Policies aimed at addressing the market failure associated with childhood and adolescent overweight and obesity hold great promise, and more research on cost-effective measures is warranted.' | Study of 150,000 male Swedish siblings .
Those who were obese aged 18 grow up to earn 16% less than their peers .
Those slightly overweight also saw significantly lower wages as an adult . |
152,443 | 5100ff885cf352ca22810b9b35b1186f728cb008 | By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 16:15 EST, 11 September 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 16:56 EST, 11 September 2013 . The son of a former congressional candidate has miraculously survived after a grizzly bear he shot during a hunt in Alaska hid in bushes for 90 minutes before seeking revenge and attacking him. John O. Matson Jr., from Charlestown, Rhode Island, was listed in fair condition at an Anchorage hospital on Wednesday after suffering head and leg injuries and undergoing head surgery. The 46-year-old hunter was attacked by the bear on Monday during a guided hunt near Beaver Mountain, about 40 miles southwest of the interior town of McGrath. Attack: John Matson, 46, was attacked by a grizzly bear in Alaska, 90 minutes after he shot it (file picture) He is the son of John 'The Carpenter' Matson, Sr., who ran in the 2nd congressional district of Rhode Island for the House of Representatives last year - but missed out to incumbent Jim Langevin. He told the Associated Press on Wednesday that his son - one of his four children - was lucky to be alive and is now recovering from his surgery. Matson Jr was with another hunter and an assistant . guide near Beaver Mountain when they saw the bear feeding on berries about a mile away and moved toward . it. Matson fired and hit the bear, which then rolled into . bushes. It thrashed around for about a minute before it bolted out and ran into heavier brush, state troopers told the Anchorage Daily News. The men waited for around 90 minutes before approaching the bush but Matson was attacked. Family: He is believed to be the son of John O. Matson Sr, pictured, who ran for the House of Representatives . Scene: Matson was on a hunting trip with two others near Beaver mountain, pictured, when he was attacked and due to inclement weather, rescue crews could not reach him for a day . The assistant guide was around 30 feet away when he heard Matson scream and fire his gun. He and the other hunter fired . shots to distract the bear and it ran off and has not since been found. Matson was bleeding profusely from his head, but the assistant guide wrapped clothing around the wounds and called for help. But bad weather prevented rescuers from quickly reaching Matson's party. He was eventually rescued from the remote spot on Tuesday, suffering from bite marks on his head and leg. The aircraft flew Matson to McGrath and a LifeMed Alaska flight transported him 225 miles southeast to an Anchorage hospital, where he remains. | John Matson Jr. suffered head and leg bites after he approached the bear 90 minutes after he hit it - and the bear fought back .
Matson is the son of John Matson Sr who ran for House of Representatives in Rhode Island last year .
Matson Sr said it was a miracle his son was alive after the attack . |
258,711 | dad6705a1db4e78f65231242904fd5b27dfa47ea | Washington (CNN) -- Former U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said Monday it would be an "important step" if Syria immediately surrendered its chemical weapons stockpiles to international control. "But this cannot be another excuse for delay or obstruction. And Russia has to support the international community's efforts sincerely or be held to account," she said. A potential Democratic contender for president in 2016 who left the State Department in January, Clinton received questions and some criticism for not speaking out immediately after chemical weapons were allegedly used by the regime of President Bashar al-Assad last month. CNN Poll: Most Americans against U.S. strike on Syria . An aide said last week that she supported Obama's decision to seek congressional authorization to punish Syria militarily, but she had not publicly weighed in until her appearance at the White House on Monday. Her comments came during an address on wildlife trafficking and followed a meeting with Obama. She adhered to the White House line on Russia's proposal earlier in the day that Syria relinquish chemical weapons to international control to avert a possible U.S. military strike, which Obama is trying to get Congress to approve. Syria welcomed the proposal, paving the way for a possible diplomatic solution to the crisis that comes amid a two-year civil war in Syria that has killed more than 100,000 people, according to U.N. estimates. Clinton's successor, Secretary of State John Kerry, discussed a similar scenario, though the State Department stressed that al-Assad could not be trusted to give up his country's chemical stockpiles. And just moments before Clinton's remarks, White House spokesman Jay Carney said the "credible threat" of a U.S. military attack on Syria led to the Russian proposal. But he said any such plan would require close evaluation and that Washington remained "highly skeptical" of the Syrian regime. Clinton said Syria's alleged use of chemical weapons "violates a universal norm at the heart of our global order" and "demands a strong response" from the world led by the United States. House of Assad' survives on loyalty, brutality . "This world will have to deal with this threat as swiftly and comprehensively as possible," she said. Clinton did not say whether military action, as proposed by Obama, would be the best course. But she emphasized she will support the president and argued a "political solution that ends the conflict is in the interested of the United States." She reiterated the White House's notion that Russia's proposal could have only taken place "in the context of a credible military threat by the United States to keep pressure on the Syrian government." Behind the scenes, Clinton worked the phones for Obama, who is trying to convince Congress to go along with his plan for a limited, targeted military response. Clinton, a former senator, called Arkansas Sen. Mark Pryor over the weekend, a source familiar with the call confirmed to CNN. But Pryor had already made up his mind to vote against military action and announced his decision on Saturday. The source would not speak on the record because the phone call was private. A separate source familiar with the call confirmed Clinton also called Sen. Charles Schumer, D-New York, over the weekend. He already supported military authorization when the call took place. Clinton will likely repeat her White House comments during a speech Tuesday night at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia, a Clinton source told CNN. In addition to pushing for diplomatic efforts to remove al-Assad from power, Clinton backed a proposal last year to provide weapons to Syrian rebels when she served as secretary of state. Clinton also issued warnings in January shortly before leaving office about Iran's involvement in Syria, saying the country was providing al-Assad's regime with military supplies. She urged Iran, as well as Russia, to reconsider their aid to the war-torn country. As Obama's top diplomat during his first term, Clinton was automatically associated with the administration's response to the Syrian civil war until she stepped down early this year. And she's faced some criticism for that response as debates over Syria heat up in Washington. "Had President Obama and then-Secretary of State Hillary Clinton acted then in support of pro-democracy forces when that rebellion was taking place, we could have removed Assad and helped usher in stability for that country," former U.S. Sen. Rick Santorum said in a statement last week. "But we have a very different situation today. After nearly two years, 100,000 people killed, a rebel force comprised of al Qaeda and a Syrian regime in a much stronger position, a military strike would no longer be in our national security interest," the former Pennsylvania lawmaker said. Santorum is considered a potential candidate for the Republican presidential nomination in 2016. Before leaving the State Department, Clinton defended her role in the situation. "I've done what was possible to do," she told reporters. Kevin Bohn, Catherine E. Shoichet, Jessica Yellin and Tom Cohen contributed to this report. | Clinton says a "credible military threat" keeps pressure on Syria .
She says it "would be an important step" if Syria hands over chemical weapons control .
She has been criticized for not speaking out about the situation earlier .
NEW: Clinton helps Obama in outreach to senators on military authorization . |
142,896 | 44cc4c1ea727691e4638ef13767aae3022ee428d | (CNN) -- South Korea midfielder Ki Sung Yueng has signed a four-year contract with Scottish giants Celtic, the club have confirmed on their web site. He will join the Parkhead club at the start of 2010 in a deal reportedly worth $3.6 million, having secured a work permit ahead of the January transfer window. The 20-year- old Ki is the Asia 2009 young player of the year and has been linked with a number of leading European clubs. He has played 17 times for South Korea and appeared in all the country's qualifying matches for next year's World Cup in South Africa. "I am absolutely delighted to sign for Celtic, a football club with a tremendous history and one which is known throughout the world," Ki told www.celticfc.net. "I know that Celtic has some of the best supporters in the world and I will be doing all I can to show these fans what I can do." Celtic manager Tony Mowbray added: "We are very pleased to announce the signing of Ki and we are sure he is a player who has the potential to make an impact at Celtic." Ki will join a Celtic squad who have enjoyed a mixed season with an early exit from the Europa League. But Saturday's 3-2 victory at Motherwell registered their fourth win in a row for the first time this season, which kept them two points clear of Old Firm rivals Rangers at the top of the Scottish standings. | South Korea midfielder Ki Sung Yueng signs for Scottish leaders Celtic .
The 20-year-old is Asian footballer of the year for 2009 .
Ki has played 17 times for his country and helped them qualify for the World Cup finals . |
164,550 | 60cacf3fb91a75267e294b39ea70f8f641999868 | By . Suzannah Hills . PUBLISHED: . 06:31 EST, 19 August 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 13:10 EST, 19 August 2013 . An abandoned village that was commandeered by the army during the war has its first new residents in 70 years - colonies of rare native honey bees. The deserted village of Imber on Salisbury Plain has been picked as the ideal location for a project aimed at boosting the population of the endangered British black bee. About 95 per cent of bees in the UK are non-native and were introduced here in the 1920s after a disease virtually wiped out the indigenous honey bee. Fresh start: Bee keeper Chris Wilkes is pictured in front of what is left of the deserted village of Imber on the Salisbury Plain where he hopes to build new colonies of British black bees . Abandoned: The village, pictured around 1900, was commandeered by the army so soldiers could practice ahead of the D-Day landings during WWII . New home: The deserted village of Imber, near Warminster, Wiltshire, is now surrounded by nectar-rich wildflowers which make the spot ideal to introduce new colonies of the endangered British black bee . Despite this, the bee population has been drastically decreasing in the UK and around the world primarily because of man-made problems. Change in climate and agricultural practices such as misuse of pesticides is one of the reasons for the decline combined with the loss of their natural habitat. Most crops - about 70 per cent - require pollination to develop fruits, nuts, and seeds. If the bee population continues to dwindle, we could face a food epidemic on a global scale. Beekeeper Chris Wilkes now hops to reverse that trend by reintroducing Britain's native bee. Boosting numbers: It is hoped the project will help boost the dwindling population of the British black bee . Conservation effort: Chris Wilkes has received permission from the MoD to set up 14 colonies of British black bees near St Giles church is Imber to help prevent the species from going extinct . Military site: The area surrounding Imber village is off limits for more than 300 days a year while the army practice drills . And he chose Imber as the perfect . spot to introduce 14 colonies of British black bees that won’t be . interfered with by competing foreign flying insects. Imber was evacuated in December 1943 by the military for training U.S. soldiers preparing for the D-Day invasion. Villagers were told at the time they would be allowed to return within six months. However, despite public appeals, their hopes were never realised and to this day it remains completely empty. The village is located on Salisbury Plain and is owned by the Ministry of Defence (MOD). It is now surrounded by a high explosive 'impact area' in the Salisbury Plain military training zone. But a 700-year-old church, St Giles, still stands in the village as does a manor house called Imber Court as well as a farmhouse, a farm and cottages. The village also has four council house style blocks which were built in 1938. In 1943, there was also a Baptist Chapel which was demolished in the late 1970s. The government began buying land on Salisbury Plain in the late 19th Century to use it for maneuvers. And in the 1920s, it began to purchase farms around Imber as well as the village's land. By the time of the Second World War, the government owned almost all of the land in and around the village. On November 1, 1943, the people of the village were called to a meeting in the schoolroom and given just 47 days' notice to leave their homes. Despite some villagers being upset at having to leave, many showed no resistance, seeing it as their duty to contribute to the war effort. Following the war, the village was still used for training soldiers - especially those who were serving in Northern Ireland. In the 1970s a number of distinctive-looking houses were built to aid army training on the site. The isolated hamlet is five . miles from the nearest colony of common bees and is surrounded by a . wealth of untapped, nectar-rich wildflowers on the vast Plain. This will give the British black bees a chance to thrive and breed a pure strain of the species. If it is a success, the project could be repeated in other areas of the country. British black bees are much darker . than their golden-coloured cousins that originate from southern Europe . and have thicker and longer hair. They . are able to easily survive British winters unlike the non-native . varieties that are vulnerable to prolonged harsh and cold weather, such . as last winter. Imber, . near Warminster, Wiltshire, was one of several villages in Britain to be . taken over by the army in World War II so troops could practise for . D-Day. The 200 residents were compensated and rehoused. Out of the 56 buildings that made up the hamlet only 14 remain standing today. Beekeeper . Chris Wilkes, from Salisbury, has been given special permission by the . MoD to set up 14 colonies of black bees behind St Giles church. Mr . Wilkes, a 61-year-old retired army major, said: 'Imber is a very . isolated area with not a lot of feral bee colonies about, in fact there . isn’t one in a four or five mile radius. 'The . area is very rich in wild flowers. Eighteen of the 22 top nectar . producing plants in the UK are right here, including clover, sainfoin, . viper’s bugloss, knapweed and melilot. There is also no interference from the public. 'It is very difficult to breed pure lines of bees because it only takes a few feral ones to give you a mongrel breed. 'But Imber gives us a great chance to breed a pure strain of British black bees.' The native honeybees are extinct in all but a handful of remote areas of Britain thanks to the mystery virus known as the Isle of Wight Disease which devastated the native population in the early 20th century. Beekeepers were forced to bring in colonies from southern Europe, Australia and New Zealand. Mr Wilkes said: 'Black bees make up about four per cent of the bee population of Britain. 'It is a shame because they are ideal for the British climate because they survive our winters very well. 'It is the native bee and the one that has been selected by nature to be the best type for this country. 'Southern European bees need a lot of feeding up in August and September to get them through the winter but they really struggle when you have harsher, prolonged winters. 'A lot of bees did die out last winter which means there is a reduction this year in honey production and fruits that depend on being pollinated by bees.' Memorial: A memorial stone in the old Baptist cemetery in Imber to remember the 200-strong community who were forced to move when the army needed to use the area for D-Day preparations during World War II . Growing crisis: Black bees now only make up four per cent of the bee population in Britain . Local produce: The British bee is better equipped to deal with winters in the UK than their southern European cousins which die in the cold weather causing a reduced honey production . | Hamlet of Imber on Salisbury Plain was commandeered by the army for troops to practise ahead of D-Day landings during World War II .
Village has remained property of Ministry Of Defence for the last 70 years .
It is now being used to help reintroduce the endangered British black bee . |
204,503 | 94c1626e27fcace173f63068eb3f0136feb094de | A teacher whose phone was stolen then used to rack up £15,000 in bills by foreign thieves has been told by Vodafone that he must pay for the calls. Osian Rhys Edwards from Barmouth, Gwynedd, was on holiday in Barcelona in August when his phone was stolen after he asked for directions from locals. The 29-year-old phoned Vodafone to report the theft, but is now being held accountable for thousands of pounds as the company claims it has no record of his call. Scroll down for video . Osian Rhys Edwards was told to pay the £15,000 bill despite claiming to report his phone stolen on the night of the theft . The primary school teacher now faces financial ruin after being told to hand over £15,000, including £2,500 in VAT. 'It's clear that I have been the victim of fraudsters but Vodafone wants to hold me responsible. 'I can't believe that this is allowed to happen. If I'd lost my bank cards, the banks would soon stop them when they spot unusual activity but even though I reported my phone stolen, Vodafone not only says I'm liable, but it is probably making money out this,' he told the Guardian. Records show that phone calls to two Spanish numbers at premium rates were made on the night of the theft. Shortly after the incident Mr Rhys Edwards says phoned Vodafone from a payphone in Barcelona to cancel his contract. But upon his return to the UK, he discovered the company had no record of the call. There is no hope of tracing the call now as logs are deleted after 60 days, the company said. While the provider has agreed to reduce the £15,031 bill by 30 per cent, it still holds him accountable for more than £10,000. 'Despite not reporting the theft of his phone for four days, we have offered to reduce Mr Edwards' outstanding charges by 25%. 'In the light of our failure to call him back when we should have done, we will increase this offer to 30%. The primary school teacher now faces financial ruin as despite the company reducing the bill by 30 per cent, he has been told to pay more than £10,000 . Pickpockets in the Catalan city target tourists and use their phones to place premium-rate calls before the handsets are blocked . 'We are also prepared to discuss a payment plan,' a spokesman said. Mr Rhys Edwards is the latest victim of pickpockets in the Catalan city who steal mobile phones and use them to place premium-rate calls in quick succession before the handset is blocked. Sarah Harvey, an NHS worker from Brighton, was told to settle a £5,800 bill run up after her phone was stolen in the same city. Georgia Harris, a recruitment worker, was initially told to pay £21,000 after her phone was stolen in 2013. Vodafone later withdrew its demand she pay for the foreign calls. In 2012, the telecoms regulator Ofcom ordered mobile phone companies produce plans to cap customers' bills. But the plans were never produced, and the issue was handed to the government with which companies are thought to be in continuing discussions. | Osian Rhys Edwards had his phone stolen in Barcelona in August .
Primary school teacher claims he reported theft to Vodafone that night .
Thieves ran up more than £15,000 in bills before he returned to UK .
Vodafone says he did not call to cancel contract until four days after incident .
Reduced bill by 30 per cent but says he must pay remaining £10,000 . |
55,974 | 9eaa181baa23c56ada13cce0928330981fad4047 | West Ham United expect to formally announce the signing of Diego Poyet on Monday after holding talks over a five-year contract. The 19-year-old midfielder, son of Sunderland boss Gus, has attracted interest from Chelsea, Manchester City and Sunderland. He is a free agent and he has already passed a medical ahead of his imminent move to East London. Property: Poyet is expected to be unveiled by West Ham despite interest elsewhere . Predicament: Born in Spain to Uruguayan parents and raised in England, Poyet could play for all three nations . The youngster came through Charlton's academy and managed to make 23 appearances for the Addicks last season. Born: April 8, 1995 (Age 19), Zaragoza, Spain . England youth capsU16: 7U17: 6 . Debut: Charlton vs Oxford, January 21, 2014 . Appearances: 23 . Addicks' Player of the Year: 2013-14 . He won the Charlton Player of the Year award. That came, incredibly, despite the youngster only breaking into the team in January. Charlton had been in discussions with Poyet's representatives over an extension to his deal, which expired on July 1, but he made his feelings clear by telling the club he would not report to pre-season training. Poyet, born in Spain to Uruguayan parents and raised in England, finds himself in a rare predicament. He can play for all three, as he holds a passport for each, but has represented England at U16 and U17 levels. Welcome back: Diego (left) celebrates his father Gus winning the FA Cup with Chelsea in 2000 . Mini-me: Diego (right) plays with Kevin Hitchcock's son Thomas (left) and Andrea Zola, son of Gianfranco . Family affair: Diego looks to have rejected the opportunity to join his dad Gus at Sunderland . | The 19-year-old, son of Sunderland manager Gus Poyet, is a free agent .
He has had interest from Manchester City, Chelsea and Sunderland .
Poyet has agreed a five-year deal with the Upton Park Club .
The signing could be announced on Monday by West Ham .
He was Player of the Year at Charlton Athletic last season . |
226,157 | b0db474aa1b3afca1c0f0e86cd3219c292df52ee | (CNN) -- Remember the time United Airlines broke a guitar? Dave Carroll does. He's the musician who three years ago turned his misfortune into an Internet sensation. His video, "United Breaks Guitars," got a million views in just four days and prompted the airline to offer him compensation. But despite struggling with the airline for months, Carroll turned down the money because he wanted something bigger: he wanted to reform the system. Carroll is not the first angry customer to take his complaints online. Rants abound on video sharing sites; many feature nothing more than the offended party on a webcam spinning a tale of woe. That's what made Carroll's video stand out. The Canadian crooner spent seven months putting together a song and video. His real time and real talent combined to make something that people could really enjoy. "If you are ranting or raving, people will listen for a second, but they won't want to join your cause," Carroll explains. After months of struggling with United, that's what Carroll had -- a cause. HLN's Clark Howard has a cause, too. He covers all things consumer-related and to Carroll's advice, he suggests adding another element: "Something that makes people laugh and makes them angry at the same time." One Atlanta couple, Ken and Meredith Williams, recently learned first hand how this mix of outrage and humor can get the public on your side and sway a large corporation. Their story starts about six months ago when the newlyweds found themselves in a rather intractable situation trying to buy their first home. "We knew that the people we were dealing with weren't hateful people," Meredith recalls, but along their 78-day odyssey they couldn't help but wonder. After meeting in graduate school, the couple got married and moved to Atlanta. Then came time to buy their first home. The two had good jobs, steady income and they wanted to buy a modest home within their financial reach. "We put in an offer on September 8th. We wanted to close -- we were told we would close," Ken recalls. But when "we came up to October 7th, and nothing was appearing to be falling place." Sitting around their dining room table, Ken and Meredith rattle off all the missed deadlines and infuriating delays that tangled up their lives for weeks on end. They say paperwork wouldn't make it to the correct office, phone calls and e-mails would go unreturned. One of their bank contacts even quit and failed to pass along their file; "her e-mails just started bouncing" Meredith says, shaking her head at the memory. All the while the couple scrambled to meet the sellers' demands while living out of boxes. "We were ready to unpack," Meredith says. Early on, when things first started going wrong, they saved e-mails. So after missing the projected closing date, with fees beginning to pile up and only radio silence from the bank, they turned their in-boxes into a weapon. "I just thought we just have to do something -- there is some kind of power we can leverage" Meredith says. So while she hit the keyboard to share the story on their blog, Ken picked up his guitar. Two hours later, he emerged, "He was like, 'I wrote a song,' " Meredith giggles. What started with a song became a custom video featuring the couple and their cats, pleading with Bank of America to the tune of "Bret, You Got it Going On" from the HBO show "Flight of the Conchords." "The goal was never to get thousands of people to tweet," Meredith says. That's a good thing because the video didn't exactly go viral (nothing close to Carroll's million views), but it did get a good deal of attention. Local news outlets picked up the couple's story and within 48 hours, the bank got in touch. They now had the ear of top people at the bank. With that, their hopeless situation, weeks of unreturned phone calls and volumes of paperwork came to a close. "We wrote the song on day 72 and posted it on day 74 and we closed on day 79," Ken says. Their prize, a charming brick bungalow on a quiet street, is small and neat. As the couple walk through, they sound like many new homeowners pointing out all the projects. "There must have been a fire sale on molding" says Meredith, gesturing toward the oak-filled kitchen. Some big things needed work too. The couple put in new wiring, duct work and plumbing. These projects aren't flashy or exciting, but the pair shows them off with pride. That construction, in part, explains what held up their loan, says Terry Francisco, a Bank of America spokesman. The Williamses applied for a 203(k) loan, which allows for renovations. Francisco says this type of loan can actually take some 90 days to close. Realtors and mortgage brokers confirmed that 203(k) loans typically take much longer to close than a standard loan. Francisco did apologize for other hang-ups in the Williams' case, and he said the couple's experience prompted "a tightening of procedures" at the bank. The combination of humor and an outrageous story got the Williams the attention they needed. The combination worked for Carroll too. His efforts not only got him offers of compensation but even now, three years on, he travels around the world bringing his mix of music and message to places such as Russia, Australia and soon South Africa. He also published a book about his experience and launched a website, Gripevine.com, that helps people elevate and escalate their problems. Looking back, both the Williamses and Carroll say the intent behind the video is as important to getting noticed as the message. "I'm not against companies, I'm not trying to take down companies," Carroll says. Rather, they agree, it's about giving companies and the people who work for them the opportunity to make things right. But even if a viral video doesn't get you want you want, all three say the process affords a measure of control -- something they'd lost in what Carroll calls the "customer service maze" and Meredith called the "black hole of customer service." So it's no surprise that all three say they would make another video if they found themselves in a similar situation. For others contemplating going this route, Carroll says "make sure that you are fair and you are articulate and you are creative and that your story resonates with other people." It also doesn't hurt to be good with a guitar. | Meredith and Ken Williams made a video in exasperation after home loan delays .
Dave Carroll's song about an airline breaking his guitar became a Web sensation .
Carroll advises that complaint videos be light on vitriol, heavy on facts .
HLN's Clark Howard says the videos should be funny and infuriating at the same time . |
4,890 | 0e0215e0e6f1533230958745d8d59c3a7c602e7c | (CNN) -- They stood and squatted for hours, crammed into two sweltering semi-trailers, clinging to ropes so they would not fall as the trucks traveled through winding mountain roads. Mexican authorities say the more than 500 illegal immigrants they detained Tuesday wanted to reach the United States and each had paid $7,000 to get there. But by Wednesday, a day after X-ray equipment detected them at a highway checkpoint, the majority of them had been deported to their home countries in Central and South America. In a migrant detention center surrounded by high walls near Mexico's southern border, the remaining 23 immigrants, who hailed from countries as nearby as the Dominican Republic and as far away as Nepal, will wait as officials arrange their deportation. Immigrant detentions are nothing new in the southern Mexican border state of Chiapas, where at least 25,000 immigrants were apprehended last year. But the large number authorities found in two vehicles Tuesday was a startling reminder of the desperation that drives immigrants to risk dangerous conditions. The case drew national attention in Mexico, where the country's interior minister announced he would begin following the "migrant's route" through Mexico on Wednesday. The three-day trip was scheduled to include meetings on immigration with local officials and his Guatemalan counterpart. The vast majority of the immigrants detained Tuesday were from Guatemala, and all 410 of them had been handed over to Guatemalan police by Wednesday afternoon, according to Mexico's National Migration Institute. The 80 detained immigrants who hailed from El Salvador, Ecuador and Honduras were scheduled to be deported Wednesday evening. The immigrants who hailed from the Dominican Republic, India, Nepal, China and Japan awaited their fate Wednesday in Tapachula, Chiapas, at the recently renovated 21st Century Migration Station, Mexico's largest immigrant detention center. Experts say the passage of Central American immigrants through Mexico on their way to the United States is hardly a 21st century phenomenon. Immigration of Central Americans into the United States began to grow in the early 1980s, said Demetrios Papademetriou, president of the Migration Policy Institute in Washington. And for at least 15 years, American authorities have been pushing Mexican officials to crack down on "transit migration." "Going back to the 1990s when we start to engage Mexico, this has been one of the two main goals of our conversation," Papademetriou said. But the Guatemala-Mexico border was easy to cross until recently, said Andrew Selee, director of the Mexico Institute at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars. "There's more of a federal presence today than there's ever been, for two reasons," he said. "One, because Mexico has been trying to make a case that the country is secure, and that they're doing their part on terrorism and on illegal immigration; but also, in part, because Mexico is very concerned about crime on the southern border." That hasn't stopped immigrants from embarking on the journey, despite the dangers. "People are going to keep coming," Selee said. "As bad as the economy has been in the U.S. over the past couple years, there are still people willing to take the risk of not finding a job because they also see no prospects where they are." Journalist Angeles Mariscal of CNNMexico.com contributed to this report. | After X-rays detect them, the immigrants are sent to a detention facility .
The case, a reminder of dangers immigrants face, draws national attention in Mexico .
The country's interior minister tours the "migrant's route" Wednesday .
Expert: Mexican authorities beef up enforcement along the Guatemala border . |
212,753 | 9f7c7e9f3f59617db93423b40da71c989339400b | Ronny Deila is adamant Virgil van Dijk won’t be leaving Celtic next month — despite Sunderland weighing up an £8million offer for the star defender. Arsenal, Southampton, Everton and West Brom have all been linked with moves for the 23-year-old, who still has two years remaining on his contract. Sportsmail understands, however, that Black Cats boss Gus Poyet will be the first to step up to the plate with a bumper offer for the player next month. Gus Poyet wants a centre-back and Sunderland are willing to pay £8million for Virgil van Dijk . Everton and West Bromwich Albion have also asked about the 23-year-old, but he prefers Sunderland . Irrespective of what bids come in, Deila believes keeping the defender focused for the remainder of the campaign will no longer be an issue. Van Dijk was omitted from the squad which drew at Dens Park in the first game after the August window closed, giving rise to the notion he was angling for a move south. But Deila foresees no such problems if bids are now rejected – due to the Dutchman’s contentment with life in Glasgow. ‘He’s worth a lot of money,’ said the Norwegian. ‘But I am very calm. Virgil is enjoying his football, playing well and when I speak with him he’s happy here. That’s positive. He is such an important player for us.’ Asked, in the event that a bid is turned down, he might need to again drop van Dijk from his side at the start of February, Deila was insistent. ‘I think he has learned a lot from this,’ he added. ‘It’s not the first time a player has been affected. ‘Others have been through these things as well. Stefan Johansen was the same. He came from the Euro finals with Norway two years ago and played so badly for Stromsgodset. I have never seen him so bad because his mind was somewhere else. ‘You can see a bit of that in (John) Guidetti now, as well. If he can get his mind right, the goals will come again. Everton and West Bromwich Albion have also asked about the 23-year-old Van Dijk . ‘If you think too much about uncertainties, about what you’re going to earn, it takes energy out of what you’re going to do on the pitch. But Virgil learned from what happened in the summer and he knows that if he’s good enough things will happen. And this is the way he wants to do it - but now he’s enjoying football and that’s the most important thing.’ Celtic face Rangers, Dundee and Inter Milan in three high-profile knock out games early in the New Year with the two-legged clash with the Serie A giants the toughest of the three. And Deila believes the exposure van Dijk will gain from playing in a game of such importance is such that it can only increase his chances of a more eye-catching transfer at some stage in the future. ‘He is a very good player now but he can be a world-class player,’ the Celtic manager opined. ‘That’s a good opportunity to show yourself but you do this over time. ‘Teams now will not see you in one game and then buy you, that’s over. ‘Then see you 10 or 15 times and you need consistency. Your levels have to be very high especially in defence because they need people they can rely on. ‘That’s something I think he has done better now than earlier in the season.’ | Sunderland manager Gus Poyet wants to purchase a centre-back .
Poyet is prepared to pay £8million for Celtic defender Virgil van Dijk .
The Holland U21 international has been on Everton and West Brom's radar .
But the Celtic boss says the Dutch ace won't be leaving Parkhead . |
130,681 | 3502e72e726d0ca3586fa4e5f65eb80378fe09ca | She's got one of the most honed bodies in showbiz - and now the secret workout behind Nicole Scherzinger's toned physique has been revealed. The popstar, who is currently playing Grizabella in Andrew Lloyd Webber's record-breaking musical Cats, has joined an invite-only fitness class. Nicole, 36, has been hanging out at SBC, which stands for the Skinny B**** Collective, and is the go-to gym for fashion's most famous fitness fanatics. Scroll down for video . Nicole Scherzinger, 36, has been working out at The Skinny B**** Collective classes, where primal movements in intense circuits including upside-down burpees and crawling are seen as the hottest way to get healthy . Run by super-trainer Russell Bateman, SBC is an elite and intense 50-minute circuits style class loved by Millie Mackintosh, Suki Waterhouse and model Zara Martin. Nicole, 36, posted a video of her working out at the class, which has attendees crawling on their hands and knees and doing one-legged burpees (jumping upright from a press-up position). Speaking about working with the star, Russell said: 'I had the opportunity to train Nicole last week and she was incredibly nimble and explosive. 'A dancer's background can really help you acclimatise to the movements much quicker. 'When Nicole posted her SBC video some of the reactions were insane. People couldn't believe what she was capable of. 'But the overwhelming factor was that it had inspired them.' The brains behind the SBC brand, Russell Bateman, said Nicole was 'incredibly nimble and explosive' and that having a dancer's background like hers can really help acclimatise to the movements much quicker . Looking to get fit like Nicole in 2015? FEMAIL caught up with the brains behind the brand to find out his top fitness and health tips. Sharing his advice for anyone looking to embark on a New Year’s health kick, Russell said: 'Making peace with where you are at right now in your life is the first step to self-acceptance and making lasting changes. 'If you want to lose body fat, feel great, increase your energy level and improve your overall quality of life, then there are a list of lifestyle choices and changes you can make. 'My aim through SBC is to abolish the misconceptions around how women train, eat and live. 'Low fat diets are out, good fat is your friend. 'Be as human as possible when you train. Boredom is the enemy and so is anyone around you who's bringing you down. 'Remember to never underestimate yourself and overestimate others too much. I advocate sleep, squatting, sprinting and lots of sex for a great body and mind.' Too cold to jog outdoors? No excuses, said Russell. 'Make sure you try to move and not end up like a slug. 'Indulging over the Christmas period is the norm but it's not an excuse to do nothing. That's the quickest way to get your body resembling some yoghurt wrapped in cling film.' In terms of being active indoors, Russell believes that body-weight circuits can really help. He suggests doing 10 press-ups, 10 squat jumps and a plank for one minute. 'It's simple but effective. Try it a few times, it will really energise you,' he said. Nicole posted a video of her demonstrating her fitness at the class. Attendees follow trainer Russell Bateman's strict regime which dictates how much they should sleep and exactly what to eat . Russell trains world-famous models. His class is 'the toughest workout for women in London' Russell explained that the more goals you make, the less likely you are to achieve them - and you should choose your friends wisely. 'Lack of social support can increase stress and anxiety, which weaken your ability to stick to your goals,' he said. 'In order to succeed with your New Year’s resolutions, support from friends and family is key. If your friends draw you toward bad influences your first goal should be to get some new ones.' Walnuts, almonds, pistachios, macadamias . Almond butter . Hardboiled eggs . Canned salmon and tuna . Sardines . Smoked Salmon . Cold Prawns . Berries . Avocado /Guacamole . Olives . Half of a Coconut . Veggies (celery, cucumbers, peppers) Pickles . Sauerkraut . Salsa . Dried seaweed . Dark chocolate/ raw chocolate . In terms of eating, Russell advises his clients to consume a diet full of high protein and healthy fats full of omega-3 fatty acids at least an hour before training and high protein and fibre after. ' 'This will lead to some great changes in your body composition and mood,' he said. Think salmon, cod, wild meat like venison or buffalo with vegetables such as kale and broccoli. Sweet potato and quinoa are staples on Russell's watch, too. The best news? Snacks are in. 'Many people avoid snacks because they are afraid that they contribute to weight gain,' he said. But in truth, snacks can be included in a plan to lose body fat and improve your functions throughout the day. An SBC snack will consist of protein and healthy fats and fibre.' He also maintains that omega-3 and vitamin D levels are crucial for optimal body function and mood, so can be taken as supplements. Unfortunately for anyone hoping to train alongside Nicole, Russell's classes are very exclusive. Explaining his invite-only policy, Russell said: 'This is the toughest workout for women in London. There is no class like this out there. It's constantly evolving and constantly changing. It's illusive - some say exclusive - and will probably continue to be so. 'Girls know that I train some very high profile people who are healthy and embrace fitness. They see them performing SBC movements and eating with our guidelines and then naturally want to be involved. There is a cult-like following now. It's crazy!'. Russell has been overwhelmed with the response from people and brands wanting to get a slice of the SBC action and he is launching online tutorials for anyone who wants to try Nicole's workout . While you may not be able to try out your upside-down burpees alongside the A-list, Russell is launching the next best thing. In the New Year, the SBC experience will allow fitness fanatics to take part in his workout virtually. 'This will be a complete encyclopedia of SBC movements and advice that you can subscribe to either annually or monthly. 'You'll be able to train our way wherever you are in the world from the palm of your hand,' he said. Thanks to his celebrity fans posting their workouts online, Russell has been overwhelmed with the response from people and brands wanting to get a slice of the SBC action. But he remained mysterious, saying: 'There will also be some really special pop-ups and collaborations, too. All to be revealed soon....' Sleep more . It's the key. Sleep is the one thing I ask girls about before they train with us. It's the primary time that the body recovers from exercise and it's also when you'll be rebuilding torn muscle tissues. Skip sleep or get less than adequate amounts and you’ll increase cortisol again - a hormone that suppresses physical activity and fat burning processes in the body. It will also increase hunger. If you can't sleep check your magnesium levels, as a deficiency could be to blame. So on nights where you’re staying in go to bed at 10pm. Have more sex . It will boost your immunity and relieve stress. A female orgasm can more than double a woman's tolerance for pain because it’s an analgesic not an anaesthetic meaning it suppresses pain. That should have a beneficial effect on your training intensity. Stay in the present moment . That is being 'in the now’ as much as you can. Make sure your breathing is full and deep. It’s the best detox possible. Anything can be a meditation (walking, yoga, cooking, sex, taking out the trash). Mix up your workouts . For your body and your brain. SBC workshops are perfect stimuli for that. Dancing is not a luxury, it’s an imperative. Even if it’s when you’re alone in the morning before you start your day - it’s time for a morning dance. Be in nature as much as possible . Throw away your television and read more. Spend less time on your phone and only answer your emails once a day. Limit social media like Instagram and Twitter. It's procrastinating and you get lost in a strange world based on peer pressure and competitive boasting. Hold eye contact during a conversation. Love yourself unconditionally . Or you can never love anyone else unconditionally. Judgement is so boring. Don’t judge. Take nothing, not even the stuff directed towards you, personally. | Former X Factor judge, 36, exercised at the exclusive class .
FEMAIL chats to SBC founder Russell Bateman for his top health tips .
He swears by sleep, squatting, sprinting and lots of sex for a great body . |
17,443 | 315a7671f3436563fd12de0d5b3c5fe25d049e17 | By . Matt Chorley, Mailonline Political Editor and Martin Robinson . PUBLISHED: . 11:03 EST, 10 April 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 03:37 EST, 11 April 2013 . Norman Tebbit today revealed his great regret at quitting Margaret Thatcher's government, leaving her 'at the mercy of her friends'. The former Tory party chairman bemoaned how Baroness Thatcher was ousted from power not by the voters but by her Conservative colleagues. Staring down the chamber towards former Foreign Secretary, Lord Howe of Aberavon, whose dramatic resignation sparked the Iron Lady's political demise in 1990, Lord Tebbit told peers he wished he had stood by her. Scroll down for video . Former Tory chairman Lord Tebbit recalled the Brighton bombing in which he and his wife were injured, and expressed regret that Baroness Thatcher was ousted from power by her own Conservative colleagues . Packed: The chamber of the House of Lords was packed this afternoon as peers paid tribute and criticised Baroness Thatcher . He also spoke movingly of the IRA bomb in 1984, in which he was injured and his wife Margaret was paralysed. Three years later he stood down from the Cabinet, to look after his wife. He told the Lords: 'My regrets? I think I do regret that . because of the commitments I had made to my own wife that I did not feel . able either to continue in Government after 1987 or to return to . Government when she later asked me to do and I left her, I fear, at the . mercy of her friends. That I do regret.' He added that he was grateful for how she allowed him to run his office 'from my hospital bed' for three months while he recovered from his injuries. Baroness Thatcher joined the House of Lords in 1992 after standing down as an MP . 'I would like to say how . grateful I will always be for the fact that she gave me the opportunity . to serve in high office the country that she and I, and I believe all of . us here, love,' he said. And in a swipe at the Tory MPs who refused to back her as leader in 1990, Lord Tebbit said: 'She was brought . down in the end not by the electorate, but by her colleagues. 'Not only is it quite . remarkable that she won three elections running - someone else has done . that since - what was remarkable is that she polled slightly more votes . on the occasion of her third victory when she had been in office eight . years than on her first and I regard that as a triumph for her.'He said his life as Conservative Party chairman was made much easier by 'the certainty of her beliefs'. 'I was never asked by her to commission a focus group," he said. 'Had I been so, I would have resisted manfully.' But he said he had not always agreed with her. 'I recollect one occasion when I left her office in No 10, walked back over to Victoria Street, got into my office and asked my private secretary if there had been any calls from No 10. 'No, secretary of state,' he said. So I knew I was still the secretary of state.' Former Tory leader Lord Howard of Lympne said: 'There are very, very few people who have made a difference on the scale Margaret Thatcher achieved. She saved our country, she helped bring freedom to half our continent. The light of her legacy will shine like a beacon down the generations.' He added: 'It has said many times that she was a divisive figure. She was, she had to be. There was no consensus about the right thing to do to save our country. 'And if she had waited for consensus nothing would ever have happened. She saw what needed to be done and she did it, with clarity, with courage, with conviction.' Conservative leader in the Lords, Lord Hill, lead the debate telling peers: 'Whatever our views and whatever our backgrounds, I think we would all agree that she made a huge difference to the country she loved, that she helped to pick Britain up off its knees, that she changed our place in the world and that she transformed the very shape of our political debate. 'And I think we would also agree that she was a staunch defender of our parliamentary system and the part it should play in our national life.' Speeches: Lord Howard and Lord Ashdown also took to their feet to praise the Iron Lady and share memories . Former Lib Dem leader Paddy Ashdown hailed Baroness Thatcher as 'without doubt the commanding politician and greatest Prime Minister of our age'. Lord Ashdown said she restored the UK's position in the world and was far better than any man in politics. And he revealed the surprise reaction of his left-leaning wife, Jane, on meeting Baroness Thatcher at a Downing Street reception. Lady Ashdown remarked: 'She's absolutely bloody charming, dammit!' Lord McNally, in a speech peppered . with humour and greeted with warm laughter from many in the House, . recalled sitting next to Lady Thatcher in 2003, the year her husband . died and a year after she suffered a series of minor strokes. 'By some reason of serendipity for . about five years, at the state opening of Parliament, I found myself . sitting on that bench there next to Mrs Thatcher and spending time with . her before we awaited the Queen's arrival,' the leader of the Lib Dems . in the Lords said. 'The one thing I want to share with . the House was in the year her husband died and when she had already had a . number of minor strokes and she didn't speak a great deal. 'But suddenly she turned to me and said 'My husband died earlier this year'. 'And I said 'Yes, I know Baroness Thatcher'. 'She paused again and then said "I miss him very much".' Tribute: One peer, Lord McNally, described how Lady Thatcher and Denis were a 'tremendous partnership' and told how, after he died, the former PM said how much she missed her husband . Mr Thatcher was 'absolutely central' and key to Lady Thatcher's ability to become what she was, Baroness Williams said. 'According to Sir Denis Thatcher, at one stage he was sitting at home in his flat in Flood Street and Mrs Thatcher was ironing his shirt, something she was very keen on doing, getting breakfast, ironing his shirt,' Lady Williams said. 'She said in a rather casual sort of way 'Denis, I'm thinking of running for the leadership', to which he responded 'leadership of what Margaret?' 'That somehow summed up the wonderful balance, detachment and humour of Sir Denis and I can't undermine too strongly the extent to which I think Mrs Thatcher began to lose her life when he passed away. 'He was absolutely central and key to her whole personality, the ability to become what she was.' Lady Williams, who sat opposite Lady Thatcher on the Commons front benches as a Labour minister during the 1970s, said she disagreed with her policies which were 'terribly hard on the industrial North and the industrial Midlands'. She also criticised Lady Thatcher for not embracing other cultures. 'I think her policies did not completely reflect the common ground that we were beginning to develop as a multi-cultural and multi-racial nation and to me that is a very important part of what we are about today.' Views: Baroness Williams also spoke movingly about Margaret Thatcher's relationship with Denis and his unfailing support for her in their 52 years of marriage . Labour's Baroness Royall of Blaisdon admitted that many on the left still feel angry towards Baroness Thatcher, even three decades after she became Prime Minister. 'For some, including some on my benches and in my part of the political spectrum, Mrs Thatcher, as she was then, was someone who was a divisive figure, someone to whom they were and remain fundamentally opposed,' the Labour peer said. 'Someone whose very name, even now, more than 30 years since she became Britain's prime minister in 1979, can raise heights of emotion, of passion, of anger, despair, and more. Someone who they believe can never be forgiven for what she did to individuals, to communities, to industries, and to the country. 'That is a legitimate position of disagreement to hold - but to hold parties to celebrate a death of someone is wrong and in bad taste, and something I deplore.' | Former Tory chairman pays tribute to Margaret Thatcher in Lords debate .
Reveals his regret at resigning 3 years before she was ousted by her party .
Paddy Ashdown hailed her as the 'greatest Prime Minister of our age'
Lord Howard: 'Her legacy will shine like a beacon down the generations'
Peers pay tribute to unwavering support Thatcher had from husband Denis . |
125,931 | 2eccd42e810b452be8fa357f3d983349c7c83905 | These remarkable images show the moment a young pelican chick's head almost disappears into the mouth of its mother as it hungrily takes advantage of feeding time. The adult pelican can be seen to withstand what appears to be a rather uncomfortable feeding session to comfort her hungry youngster. The chicks - aged just two to three months old - are reliant on their mother for food. The head of a young pelican chick almost disappears into its mother's mouth during feeding time at a zoo in Indonesia . Photorapher Dikky Oesin, 38, took the images of the birds' feeding time at a zoo near his hometown of Jakarta, Indonesia. The father of three takes his son there almost every week and seizes the opportunity to practice his photography. Mr Oesin said: 'Strangely, this happened at a time when I just wanted to go home. 'But when I heard the noisy sounds of the birds crowded together, I decided to go and take a look. 'My son was very surprised when he saw the chick's head disappear into the mother's mouth - but for me, I was rather concerned about the mother. 'The beak of its chick is almost at the entrance to the stomach.' Dikky Oesin, 38, took the images at a zoo near his hometown of Jakarta, Indonesia . Mr Oesin said: 'My son was very surprised when he saw the chick's head disappear into the mother's mouth - but for me, I was rather concerned about the mother' The feeding process continued for around half an hour during which time Mr Oesin crept closer and closer to the pelicans - despite their intimidating size. An average adult pelican stands at about one and a half metres tall. Mr Oesin said: 'I went from being 15-20 metres away to taking photos just three metres from the birds. 'They didn't mind our presence - especially as we were by the zoo keeper who was feeding them fresh fish.' | Dikky Oesin took the images at zoo near his home in Jakarta, Indonesia .
Adult pelican withstands uncomfortable looking feeding session at the zoo .
Mr Oesin said he was concerned for pelican mother as he watched chick feeding . |
16,664 | 2f3b82dd5196a48dac7f8fddd6a18fd93bf3a8b9 | New Yorker's have ants and other insects to thank for some of Manhattan's messiest garbage disposal, researchers have found. The discovered that insects on a single stretch of road consumed more than 2,100 pounds of discarded junk food, the equivalent of 60,000 hot dogs. They say the study shows just how important insects are to cities. The team discovered that on one stretch of Broadway insects consumed more than 2,100 pounds of discarded junk food, the equivalent of 60,000 hot dogs. To see how much the arthropods ate, the researchers put out carefully measured amounts of junk food - potato chips, cookies and hot dogs - at sites in street medians and city parks. Researchers placed two sets of food at each site. One set was placed in a cage, so only arthropods could reach the food; the second set was placed in the open, where other animals could also eat it. After 24 hours, the scientists collected the food to see how much was eaten. The new study from North Carolina State University shows that arthropods - ants, millipedes, mites, spiders and others - play a significant role in disposing of garbage on the streets of Manhattan. 'We calculate that the arthropods on medians down the Broadway/West St. corridor alone could consume more than 2,100 pounds of discarded junk food, the equivalent of 60,000 hot dogs, every year - assuming they take a break in the winter,' says Dr. Elsa Youngsteadt, a research associate at NC State and lead author of a paper on the work. 'This isn't just a silly fact,' Youngsteadt explains. 'This highlights a very real service that these arthropods provide. 'They effectively dispose of our trash for us.' During the summer of 2013, the researchers working in parks and on streets in Manhattan measured temperature and humidity and sampled the population of arthropods. They also sifted through the leaf litter and sucked ants into an aspirator by hand. They extracted 16,294 bugs, including representatives of 32 species of ants. To see how much the arthropods ate, the researchers put out carefully measured amounts of junk food - potato chips, cookies and hot dogs - at sites in street medians and city parks. Researchers placed two sets of food at each site. One set was placed in a cage, so only arthropods could reach the food; the second set was placed in the open, where other animals could also eat it. After 24 hours, the scientists collected the food to see how much was eaten. The researchers were in the midst of a long-term study of urban insects when Hurricane Sandy struck NYC in 2012. In spring 2013, they expanded their study to look at whether Sandy had affected the behaviour of these insect populations. To see how much the arthropods ate, the researchers put out carefully measured amounts of junk food - potato chips, cookies and hot dogs - at sites in street medians and city parks. The researchers found that Hurricane Sandy had no measurable impact on food consumption by arthropod populations in New York, which was somewhat surprising since many of the study sites had been flooded with brackish water. The bigger surprise was that arthropod populations in medians ate two to three times more junk food than those in parks - even though there was less biodiversity in the medians. 'We think this is because one of the most common species in the medians was the pavement ant (Tetramorium species), which is a particularly efficient forager in urban environments,' Youngsteadt says. In addition, by comparing food consumption inside and outside of the sample cages, the researchers showed that other animals - such as rats and pigeons - were also eating the junk food. 'This means that ants and rats are competing to eat human garbage, and whatever the ants eat isn't available for the rats,' Youngsteadt explains. 'The ants aren't just helping to clean up our cities, but to limit populations of rats and other pests.' | Researchers studied the Broadway/West St. corridor in Manhattan .
Insects consumed more than 2,100 pounds of discarded junk food .
Also found 16,294 bugs, including representatives of 32 species of ants . |
133,786 | 38fe1d5d197de109d49f8c1462230102f252b10e | By . Mark Duell . PUBLISHED: . 06:22 EST, 19 December 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 06:52 EST, 19 December 2012 . This is the moment a traffic warden slapped £70 parking tickets on two minibuses carrying disabled children after they raised hundreds of pounds for a homeless charity by singing in a carol concert. The youngsters, many in wheelchairs, were being lifted into two specially-adapted ambulances in Nottingham when the enforcement officer wrote out two penalty notices before walking away. The twelve children from Oak Field School and Sports College in Bilborough, Nottinghamshire, were returning from the concert on Monday afternoon which raised £370 when they were hit with the fines. Caught on camera: The youngsters, many in wheelchairs, were being lifted into two specially-adapted ambulances in Nottingham when the enforcement officer wrote out two penalty notices before walking away . Disgusted Christmas shoppers watched the scene as the officer stuck tickets on the windscreens of the two minibuses, which were parked in a city centre loading bay to let the children board . Witness Shelley Mawby said a group of onlookers tried to reason with the warden and asked him to show leniency, but he refused to back down and told them he had no choice but to issue the tickets. She said: ‘A group of people gathered and were as shocked as me. When confronted, the warden said “I'm just doing my job”. It was unbelievable.’ Office worker Wayne Rogers added: ‘I took the images from my place of work as I was so disgusted with the action of this person. I was not the only one and several other passers-by took pictures.’ Ticket: Disgusted Christmas shoppers watched the scene as the officer stuck tickets on the windscreens of the two minibuses, which were parked in a city centre loading bay to let the children board . Headteacher David Stewart slammed the warden for his lack of insensitivity and said public transport was not an option for the school as there were too many wheelchairs to fit on one bus. 'A group of people gathered and were as shocked as me. When confronted, the warden said “I'm just doing my job”. It was unbelievable' Shelley Mawby, witness . He said: ‘It's the irony of it. The youngsters had all gone carol singing to raise money for Emmanuel House - which the city council has cut funding from - and then they ended up with a £140 fine. ‘These children are also wheelchair users so trying to get them anywhere in the city is difficult so it does take time. ‘An able-bodied person could be in and out of a bus in a second but we have to lift the wheelchair in and then make sure it's clamped, which is what was happening when the ticket was issued and people passing by just couldn't believe it was happening. Unhappy: Billy Henshaw, 17, is pictured holding the parking tickets with fellow sixth formers and staff at Oak Field School and Sports College in Bilborough, Nottinghamshire, who raised £370 for charity at the concert . ‘I know people have a job to do and it . is a no-loading zone but these are not boxes being loaded into a van, . these are children getting on a bus - and if you were that person I . think you would use a bit of judgement.’ Labour-run Nottingham City Council apologised to the school and has since revoked both fines. 'It's the irony of it. The youngsters had all gone carol singing to raise money for Emmanuel House - which the city council has cut funding from - and then they ended up with a £140 fine' David Stewart, Oak Field headteacher . A spokesman said: ‘Our civil enforcement officers are expected to, and usually do, exercise discretion and judgement when dealing with situations where there may be a technical breach of regulations but where wider circumstances or sensitivities should be taken into account. 'If in any doubt, they can call managers to ask for advice about how best to proceed. We are sorry this didn't happen on this occasion and for any upset this may have caused.’ Liz Silver, of the Nottinghamshire Disabled People's Movement, said: ‘It's completely out of order and I can't . understand why anyone would do it. It's ludicrous and shows a complete . lack of awareness. ‘Generally the city isn't bad for accessibility and blue badge holders . can apply for access into areas where vehicles wouldn't normally be . allowed. But a school like this should have instant access and it shows . there needs to be more flexibility.’ | Children from Bilborough, Nottinghamshire, raised £370 for homeless charity .
But traffic warden issued £140 of fines for two specially-adapted ambulances .
They were parked in Nottingham city centre loading bay to let children board .
Labour-run Nottingham City Council apologises to school and revokes fines . |
93,013 | 03a9dfc8f545d7c4b8e1f331e4dc7cdd69c1107b | If you have ever wanted to experience Qantas business class but never had the money or points - you can now combine your cash and air miles to make an online bid to experience how the other half fly. Frequent flyers who have points coming out of their ears have no need to panic about ending up in cattle class as the points-only upgrades will be processed first before the online bidding begins. However, economy passengers can only get involved in the Bid Now Upgrades if they receive an invite via an email seven days before departure. Scroll down for video . If you have ever wanted to experience Qantas business class but never had the money or points - you can now combine your cash and air miles to make an online bid to experience how the other half fly . Bidder's offers can be modified or cancelled at any time up until 24 hours before departure, but passengers don't see each other's offers. Passengers will be notified via email about one day before departure about whether their offer has been successful - and if not, they are not out of pocket and keep their original seat. The minimum points needed are from 3,000 for a domestic upgrade and from 5,000 for an international upgrade with minimum dollar amount also required. Frequent flyers who have points coming out of their ears have no need to panic about ending up in cattle class as the points-only upgrades will be processed first before the online bidding begins . Qantas Loyalty CEO Lesley Grant said the system is designed for passengers who don't have a balance high enough to request an upgrade using points alone. 'For a member who doesn't have enough points to submit an upgrade request for their whole family, Bid Now Upgrades offers an alternative chance to travel at the front of the plane with their spouse and children using a combination of money and points,' she said. Ms Grant said the new system will not change the process or priority for frequent flyers submitting Classic Upgrade Rewards more than 24 hours out from their scheduled departure. 'This new initiative will in no way impact the chances of members securing a Classic Upgrade Reward - these will always be confirmed first regardless of their Frequent Flyer tier and they remain the best value option,' she said. Bidder's offers can be modified or cancelled at any time up until 24 hours before departure, but passengers don't see each other's offers . Passengers will be notified via email about one day before departure about whether their offer has been successful - and if not, they are not out of pocket and keep their original seat . | Qantas passengers can bid online to be upgraded but only if invited .
Frequent Flyer members can pay through combination of cash and points .
Economy and Premium Economy passengers can upgrade to business .
Bids will be allocated once points-only upgrades have been processed .
Offers can be modified or cancelled up until 24 hours before departure .
Passengers will be contacted a day before if bid was successful or not .
Bidders don't see the other offers and don't lose money if unsuccessful . |
11,943 | 21eaf3eb9e3fc5140001e64d95533c88920bb425 | (CNN) -- How do you keep hope alive? The news of the recovery of Amanda Berry and Gina DeJesus, along with Michelle Knight, sent shock waves through the nation and the community of folks who used to work at "America's Most Wanted," a show that ran for decades, trying to bring missing children home. When you deal with tragedy every day, you absolutely live for moments like these -- moments that came all too rarely. I don't think we aired Knight's case -- she was an adult when she went missing, and we sadly had to draw the line on those cases -- but we did tell Berry and DeJesus' stories, and they became close to our hearts. We worked like madmen when children went missing, because we knew that if they were not recovered that first day or possibly the next, the chances that they were still alive began to diminish rapidly. And yet, as days turned into weeks and months, I would listen to the families and to the cops and FBI agents on this case, and hundreds of others, and I would marvel at their determination and their belief that we would, in fact, solve this one. Or this one. Or this one. And I wondered: How did they all manage, in the midst of such sorrow, to keep hope alive? It was a question I have pondered all my life. I was about the age Berry is now when my stepsister, Jackie, disappeared. She suffered from schizophrenia and one night ran out of our house in Rockaway, New York, in a mania-induced rage. She was last seen headed to Manhattan on the A train, wearing no coat in the middle of winter, probably without a dime in her pocket. My family was not one of those brave, strong families I would meet years later; Jackie's disappearance tore our family apart. Her mother was driven to madness by the not-knowing, my father driven to depression and attempted suicide by a life that had become a lonely prison, caged in by his wife's grief. They became, thoroughly and utterly, hopeless. I suppose that working on "America's Most Wanted" gave me a chance to do for others what I could not do for my own family -- and, sure enough, the very first story I worked on was the case of a missing 5-year-old girl from Boston. We managed to bring that girl home to her family, and until I had a child of my own, it remained the most important thing I had ever done in my life. Before "America's Most Wanted" was canceled, 60 missing children were found. And in every case, every one, you could trace the successful return of that child to someone -- a family member, a cop -- who just decided to never give up hope. Our host, John Walsh, a man who'd lost his own child to terrible violence, would never let us give up on a case. And so we pressed on. Whenever a child would go missing, the media would jump all over the story for a few days and then move on to other things. But we kept airing the case, year after year, hoping against hope that something would turn up. Whenever the energy to keep going on a case would flag, someone would remind us of the miracles that came before. Along with the families, we were buoyed -- elated, overjoyed -- by cases like Shawn Hornbeck, an 11-year-old who disappeared from a country road near his parents' home in Missouri in October 2002 and was found alive four years later. And whose parents never, ever gave up hoping. Elizabeth Smart, whom we found after she was held for nine months by a so-called street preacher. Or the astounding case of Jaycee Lee Dugard, who was recovered after 18 long years and who was honored Tuesday night -- in one of those wonderful moments of synchronicity -- at the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children's annual Hope Awards. As so many people rejoice, I have to admit to some pangs of sadness as I watch the news of the recovery of Berry, DeJesus and Knight. I know there are so many families, like my own, who fear that they will never see their loved ones again. We think of the joy that DeJesus and Knight's families must feel. We watch as Berry's relatives exult at her return: "I'm excited to see her," said her cousin. "I'm excited to hold her, excited to squeeze her, to tell her how much I love her and miss her" -- and know that we may never get to say those words. I talked to Lance Heflin today, my old boss, and he told me, "People who don't follow this don't realize what an absolute miracle this is. This just doesn't happen. When you do this for a living you realize, this is a goddamned miracle." And it is that fact -- that miracles do indeed happen -- that every family of every missing child is trying to hold onto. I know, because I have spent 15 years working with them, that moments like these remind you: The hardest thing to do is, in the end, the only thing to do. You have to. There is no choice. You have to keep hope alive. The opinions in this commentary are solely those of Philip Lerman. | Philip Lerman oversaw the missing child cases for "America's Most Wanted"
60 cases were solved but not the personal one: his stepsister's disappearance .
He saw brave families hold out hope, and show would air and re-air their cases .
Lerman says every family of a missing child is holding onto hope after women found . |
85,145 | f17b5ba70ec8ad949cb1b77215a08d262a05bbe5 | Actor Gerard Depardieu is paying tax of just six per cent in his adopted country of Russia after Vladimir Putin gave him a passport last year, it was revealed earlier today. He quit his native France over the punitive 75 percent wealth tax imposed by the socialist government. The 65-year-old actor filed his tax return on time in the remote region of Mordovia, better known for its prison camps, where he is registered as a self-employed businessman. Actor Gerard Depardieu, pictured, left France for tax purposes after socialist President Francois Hollande imposed a 75 percent wealth tax on incomes above ¿1 million . This enables him to pay a reduced rate of six per cent compared with the standard Russian flat tax rate of 13 per cent, itself well below Western norms. The six-percent rate is for entrepreneurs with an annual income of less than 60 million roubles, roughly £1 million, said newspaper Izvestia yesterday. Depardieu plans to set up a restaurant and arts centre in the dusty regional capital of Saransk but he has not visited for a year. Mordovia is more than 2,000 miles from Paris and 300 miles further east than Moscow. Local official Valery Maresyev said: 'There were plans and they haven't been dropped. Gerard Depardieu will return to them when he finishes other projects.' The actor, who has become a friend of Putin's, has appeared in a Russian sitcom, an advertisement for a bank, and played Rasputin in a movie. The French actor recently starred in a movie partly shot in Chechnya alongside Elizabeth Hurley, pictured . He has also made a film called 'Viktor' with Elizabeth Hurley, which was partly shot in Chechnya, ravaged by two wars since the collapse of the Soviet Union. In March he launched an new range of watches for Swiss manufacturer Cvstos under the banner 'Proud to be Russian'. Depardieu initially crossed the border to Belgium after France's President Hollande announced the decision to impose the wealth tax on annual incomes over €1 million. Soon after arriving in the Belgian town of Nechin, the actor held a massive barbecue for local residents where he decribed himself as a 'citizen of the world'. He later explained his reasons for moving to French magazine Le Figaro: 'I never left! I refuse to be shut in by borders, that's completely different. 'I am a free man. I feel at home everywhere in Europe. 'This whole story is a big misunderstanding. I love France as much as ever. It's my country.' Gerard Depardieu is planning to invest in a restaurant as well as an arts centre in Mordovia . | Actor initially moved to Belgium to avoid France's new wealth tax .
The 65-year-old star has pledged to invest in Saransk, Mordovia .
He is planning to open a restaurant and an arts centre .
Depardieu said described himself as 'a citizen of the world' when questioned about his move .
President Vladimir Putin granted Depardieu a Russian passport .
The actor has appeared in an advertisement where he 'is proud to be Russian' |
134,156 | 397602feb3a9fc9bcb0be27757287adcb28e2195 | By . Sara Malm . PUBLISHED: . 16:14 EST, 31 October 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 16:14 EST, 31 October 2012 . The families of the two British Gurkhas killed by a policeman in Afghanistan yesterday have paid tribute to the 'brave' servicemen. Lieutenant Edward Drummond-Baxter, 29, and Lance Corporal Siddhanta Kunwar, 28, were shot by a man wearing Afghan police uniform in Nahr-e-Saraj, Helmand province. This latest ‘green-on-blue’ attack brings the number of British servicemen killed by Afghan soldiers or police to 11 this year. Tragic loss: Lieutenant Edward Drummond-Baxter, left, and Lance Corporal Siddhanta Kunwar, right, of 1st Battalion The Royal Gurkha Rifles were shot dead by a man wearing an Afghan police uniform in Helmand . The pair, of 1st Battalion The Royal . Gurkha Rifles, were praised by their commanding officer for their . bravery and commitment to the force. The . incident occurred yesterday when L/Cpl Kunwar from Pokhara, Nepal, and . Lt Drummond-Baxter, of County Durham, were attending a meeting with Afghan police at a check point in Nahr-e Saraj. It is believed that one of the men wearing police uniform opened fire, the . Ministry of Defence said. Edward Drummond-Baxter was on his first deployment to Afghanistan and had only arrived on September 30. Inside attacks: The deaths of Lt Drummond-Baxter and L/Cpl Kunawar brings the total number of fatal 'green-on-blue' attacks within NATO's International Security Assistance Force to 56 . His family paid tribute to the ‘fiercely loyal and totally sincere’ the 29-year-old Psychology graduate today. His . mother Helen, father David and sister Emily said in a statement: ‘He loved the Gurkhas . and died among friends doing the job that he wanted to do.’ Lt Drummond-Baxter was born in Peterborough and was an active member of his local . Territorial Army regiment during his studies at University College . London. He subsequently spent two years working for the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, before joining the British Army. After attending Sandhurst military college, he was commissioned into the 1st Battalion The Royal Gurkha Rifles in December 2010. Partnership: British soldiers helping to re-establish government control in an area of Helmand province . Lieutenant . Colonel David Robinson, commanding officer 1st Battalion The Royal . Gurkha Rifles, said: ‘Our battalion has lost a character, a true . gentleman and an inspirational leader in Lieutenant Edward . Drummond-Baxter. 'His . Gurkha soldiers noticeably responded to his dedication to them but also . to his great wit and humour. They would follow him anywhere. ‘His . natural empathy and rapport for his soldiers was evident to everyone. It was never a surprise to find him spending additional time with them, . whether seeking to further their professional development or just . enjoying their company. The tragedy of his loss is beyond words. ‘He . was also utterly courageous and had already proved himself such a calm . and steady leader under fire that his men knew they were in the best of . hands. ‘Edward . Drummond-Baxter was a Gurkha officer in the finest tradition and his . loss will be deeply felt by all those who had the privilege and honour . of knowing him.’ Corporal Hirabahadur Phagami said: ‘Throughout my career Lieutenant Drummond-Baxter was one of the best platoon commanders. ‘He was always calm and caring to all of us. Always a smile on his face no matter how difficult the task was. ‘May his soul rest in peace. I will forever remember him. May God bless his family.' Lance . Corporal Kunawar was on his third tour of Afghanistan with the Gurkhas . and was a role model for younger soldiers, Lt Col Robinson said. ‘Strong . and highly experienced, he stood out from the crowd, not only as a . highly capable sniper but also for his smile and sense of fun, whatever . the situation he found himself in. ‘The younger soldiers responded greatly to his guidance and experience but also to his caring nature. ‘Siddhanta was a proud soldier and was immensely proud to be a Gurkha. ‘He . was one of the cornerstones of the Sniper Platoon, where he was part of . a close-knit team who were justifiably confident in their ability. ‘He would have done anything to support his comrades and friends around him. I know they will miss him deeply.' The family of L/Cpl Kunwar spoke of their shock and disbelief of their loss. ‘He enjoyed immensely his profession and was fully committed towards it,’ they said in a statement. ’He has made us proud and the whole family misses him dearly.’ The . shooting of the troops by an Afghan they believed to be on their side takes the number of . British servicemen and women killed in 'green on blue' insider . attacks to 11, and the total number within NATO’s International . Security Assistance Force to 56. An Afghan police official in the southern province of Helmand said efforts were underway to apprehend the policeman involved. Former attack: Corporal Channing Day (left), 25, and Corporal . David O'Connor (right), 27, are believed to have been shot dead by an . Afghan policeman . The deaths of Lieutenant Drummond-Baxter and Lance Corporal Kunawar take the total number of . UK service members to have lost their lives since operations in . Afghanistan began in October 2001 to 437. Last week it was revealed two British . soldiers shot dead in Afghanistan may have been the victims of a revenge . attack by local police. Corporal Channing Day, 25, of 3 . Medical Regiment and Corporal David O’Connor, 27, of 40 Commando, Royal . Marines, were previously thought to have been caught up in a so-called . ‘friendly fire’ incident. But . after interviewing witnesses and recovering fragments of ammunition, . Royal Military Police investigators have ruled out the theory that the . pair were shot by British Forces. A Ministry of Defence spokeswoman confirmed that the deaths were caused by ‘a third party... not UK personnel’. And . Defence Secretary Philip Hammond – asked whether the British personnel . had been killed in a ‘green on blue’ attack, when Afghan personnel turn . on their British partners – said: ‘There is a possibility that that is . what has happened but it is not clear at this stage.’ | Lieutenant Edward Drummond-Baxter, 29, and Lance Corporal Siddhanta Kunwar, 28, were shot in latest 'green-on-blue' attack .
56 international troops have already been killed by Afghan security forces turn their weapons on foreign troops so far this year . |
174,015 | 6d30c0ffd56e79a3839eece87a8e6a08d2c3c66c | (CNN)The director of a video showing a woman being catcalled on the streets of New York has weighed in on the seeming racial disparity of the men featured. Rob Bliss, who posted the video on behalf of the anti-street-harassment group Hollaback!, told CNN that those shown were just a small sample. "Looking at this as being some type of sample that is completely balanced, I think, is never going to be accurate," he said. "To do that, we would have had to shoot for days and days, and we didn't set out to make a long video." Bliss, who was inspired by the experiences of his girlfriend, tracked volunteer Shoshana Roberts as she walked through the city over the course of 10 hours. The video shows her being greeted by mostly black and Latino men with calls like "Hey, baby," "Damn!" and "What's up, beautiful?" Some of the men even follow her. In a Slate article headlined "The Problem With That Catcalling Video," writer Hanna Rosin notes that "The one dude who turns around and says, 'Nice,' is white, but the guys who do the most egregious things -- like the one who harangues her, 'Somebody's acknowledging you for being beautiful! You should say thank you more,' or the one who follows her down the street too closely for five whole minutes -- are not." Bliss said that during the 10 hours captured on video, there were 108 instances of street harassment, of which he had 30 to 40 scenes with good enough quality for him to consider. He whittled that down to 20 scenes in the one minute and 57 second video. It's difficult to distinguish that about six of the men were white because the faces were blurred, Bliss said. "We have 18 scenes where someone is visible and on camera, and two of the scenes ate up half of the run time" of the video, he said. "And yes, those two men were not white. "We knew this wasn't going to be an accurate representation," Bliss added. "For example, there are no Asian men, but that doesn't mean that Asian men don't do this, too." Critics questioned the disparity on social media. One tweeted, "To demonize men of color as the only perpetrators of aggression towards women is patently false and irresponsible. #Catcalling." Another person tweeted, "I just got an attitude from an older white male ,I didn't say good morning. #Catcalling since everyone wants to make this a race issue." Rosin points out that Bliss, who heads the marketing company Rob Bliss Creative and told New Republic "I make viral videos for a living," has been accused of not being inclusive before. In 2011, a blogger wrote about the Grand Rapids Lip Dub video project, which Bliss hosted. Directed on the streets of the Michigan city, it featured participants lip-syncing the words to Don McLean's "American Pie" and according to the Grand Rapids Press was one of several community events Bliss organized. But a blogger identified as "kswheeler" wrote that the result didn't exactly reflect the racial makeup of Grand Rapids at the time: 57% white, 18.9% black, 13% Latino and 1.62% Asian-American. "Otherwise, Grand Rapids looks like Oz," the blogger wrote. "And the people look like they've been reincarnated from those peppy family-style 1970s musical acts from Disney World or Knott's Berry Farm." Bliss, 26, said the Grand Rapids video had an open call for participation. As for his latest project, he said the focus on the race of the men has been a distraction and "very frustrating." In no way was he trying to portray one race as being more apt to harass women in the streets, he said. "I simply wanted to capture street harassment in a very intimate, close-up way in the real world and have people talk about it," Bliss said. "I just wanted to lay it all bare." Thursday morning on CNN's "New Day," Roberts discussed her experience with the catcalls, noting that because she was carrying two microphones while Bliss walked ahead of her with a backpack camera, "We had great audio." As for the racial makeup of the men who attempt to interact with her, she said they were "men of all colors -- in my experience every day, men of all colors. It doesn't matter what size, shape, color." CNN's Jamie Gumbrecht contributed to this story. | Director Rob Bliss says the men in the video were just a small sample .
He denies any intent to show one race over another .
The video features mostly black and Latino men .
Women in video says "men of all colors" have harassed her . |
277,801 | f3dd44e84ed2efc537f8ec8f536a1219422374b0 | LONDON, England (CNN) -- British reality TV star Jade Goody married Sunday after being told by doctors last week that her cancer is terminal. Jade Goody, pictured with fiance Jack Tweed Saturday, before Sunday's wedding . Goody, 27 tied the knot with boyfriend Jack Tweed, 21, in Hatfield Heath, Essex, east of London, UK media reported. After the ceremony Max Clifford, the couple's publicist, told waiting reporters that there had been "lots of tears and smiles and laughter" and that the congregation gave the newlyweds a standing ovation after the signing of the register. Goody sprung to fame in "Big Brother" in 2002, going on to launch a range of her own products and host TV shows. But her return to the celebrity edition of the show in 2007 ended in international ignominy, after her taunting of Indian Bollywood star Shilpa Shetty. Goody's behavior resulted in more than 40,000 complaints and sparked protests in India. Shetty said last week that she was unable to attend the wedding due to filming commitments but was praying for Goody. Read blog about how media covered wedding . In August 2008 Goody appeared on the Indian version of "Big Brother," only to fly home after she was diagnosed with cervical cancer. News of Goody's condition has sparked massive interest in the UK, both from the media -- which bid for rights to her story -- and among the public, who have contacted charities for information about cervical cancer. Critics have attacked Goody's decision to sell rights to what may be her final weeks, although the star has told British media that she wants to leave her children by a previous relationship -- sons, Bobby, five, and Freddie, four -- financially secure. Watch Jade Goody's wedding preparations » . But Clifford told ITN: "Ironically, a big part of what she's doing now is to fund her children's education. To give them the education she never had." Charity Cancer Research UK said in a statement earlier this month that daily visits to its Web site had increased two- to three-fold since news of Goody's illness was announced. "The publicity around Jade's diagnosis has led many more people to ask questions and seek information about cervical cancer," spokeswoman Emma Gilgunn-Jones said. Shetty, writing on her blog earlier this week, said that Goody had invited her to the wedding but had been unable to attend due to filming commitments in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. "Read an article on Jade Goody's deteriorating condition," wrote Shetty. "It disturbed me 'cause the last time I spoke to her, she seemed very positive and we were all expecting that the doctors would be able to curb the cancer from spreading. This piece of news came as a shock - so I called her hoping it was only a rumor but she confirmed it. Shetty added that she was praying for Goody and that she hoped God "gives her the strength to cope with this pain." "She wants the best for her kids," Shetty wrote. "I hope Jack makes a good father to them. I also hope for a miracle to happen for her children's sake." On Friday the UK's Ministry of Justice said it would allow Tweed, who was jailed in September 2008 for assault, to spend his wedding night with his bride, the Press Association reported. "We are absolutely thrilled," the agency reported Clifford as saying. "It will be the dream finish to her dream day, and it makes so much difference. Tweed, who was released early from jail in January, has to wear a tag and is subject to a 1900 GMT curfew. "We'll get married if I have to drag her wheelchair down the aisle," he told ITN last week. The wedding dress, which media reports say included a pouch to hold Goody's medication, was donated by Harrods owner Mohamed al Fayed. Goody's bridesmaids were seen with the TV star Saturday, wearing plastic bald caps in a show of solidarity at the impact of her chemotherapy treatment. | Publicist: Couple receive standing ovation, lots of tears, laughter, smiles .
British 'Big Brother' star fast-tracked plans to get married after cancer spread .
Shetty says she was invited to ceremony but unable due to film commitments .
Charities report marked increase in public seeking details about condition . |
146,492 | 496fcd0735f652f4a6765b937204d9b0f92bdc11 | Each summer Manchester City’s football hierarchy sit down to map out transfer targets for the following 12 months. Back in August, the name of Wilfried Bony was not on the list. That less than five months later the Barclays Premier League champions are now on the verge of signing the Swansea City centre forward says much about how the ebb and flow of a football season can change things but also the enduring financial might of the world’s richest club. It is understood the decision by football director Txiki Begiristain and manager Manuel Pellegrini to pursue Bony was taken just 10 days ago and has been driven less by injury concerns over marquee centre forward Sergio Aguero and more by a growing feeling that third-choice striker Stevan Jovetic may be sold this month. Wilfried Bony scores past Manchester City goalkeeper Joe Hart in November as Swansea City lost 2-1 . Bony, pictured climbing above the Arsenal defence in March, says he always tries to be in the right place . Stevan Jovetic could be allowed to leave the Etihad this January, paving the way for Bony's arrival . Bony was pictured at the airport on Wednesday as he headed for the Africa Cup of Nations . He was pictured with his agent (right) as he prepared to head out and represent the Ivory Coast . Nevertheless, a mid-season commitment to a £30million outlay on a player who will be away at the Africa Cup of Nations for the rest of this month is remarkable and points once again to just how powerful City can be in the market when they feel the need. One of City’s most prominent objectives in recent times has been to ease themselves away from the image of a club prepared to throw money at everything, that of an organisation hard-pressed to get their heads round what is value for money and what isn’t. Failing UEFA’s financial fair play test last year didn’t help but City’s £200m investment in a new training ground was supposed to help the club draw a line in the sand. This, they told us, is where many of City’s future first-team players will originate. City mean this, too. The club’s owners knew their early habit of cherry-picking players from across the world - often at over-the-odds prices - had a limited shelf life and have actively moved away from such scattergun spending. Sergio Aguero's (left) injury has been one of the factors that have forced City into the transfer market . Edin Dzeko (left), talking to Aguero during City training, has also been out injured . Nevertheless, City’s plans to grow ‘organically’ in the future have been put into realistic context by issues surrounding Frank Lampard and now Bony in the past week. Pellegrini’s desire for Lampard to stay at City longer than was first intended was as clear as it was understandable. The club’s decision to then pull the rug from under the feet of its feeder club New York City FC was therefore something of a no-brainer. To work against the wishes of a coach trying to retain a league title under enormous pressure from Chelsea would have been self-defeating. City, though, will be picking up the pieces of that decision in America for some time to come. The club have spent millions attempting to win friends - and customers - on the other side of the Atlantic, and the Lampard fiasco may well have swept away that goodwill in a single stroke. Yet City clearly felt it was a price worth paying and their attitude reminds their rivals at home and in Europe that the single most important component of their business is winning football matches in England and the Champions League. Stevan Jovetic (left) could be sold this January, paving the way for Bony to arrive while Frank Lampard (right) will stay at City until the end of the season . Bony has interested a number of clubs having scored the most Premier League goals in the calendar yea . Certainly, Bony will help. Strong, powerful and muscular, the Ivory Coast international is similar to Aguero in style and - if he signs - will provide Pellegrini with a like-for-like replacement for the South American when he is missing and a rather impressive partner when Pellegrini decides to play them both. Pellegrini’s current second-string striker Edin Dzeko has his qualities but a consistent goalscorer he is not. By signing Bony, City will bring depth to their striking options that even Chelsea would envy. For all Diego Costa’s excellence so far this season, Chelsea look short when the Spaniard does not play. City, on the other hand, have managed to close the gap on Jose Mourinho’s team in the weeks that Aguero has been injured and if February begins with the Argentinian lining up alongside a new partner, then perhaps the holders may begin to look upon themselves as title favourites for the first time since the season started. Alvaro Negredo (left) was allowed to leave the club at the start of the season to join Valencia on loan . Bony and his team-mates celebrate his goal at Anfield against Liverpool, who opted against signing the striker . On Wednesday, Aguero was back at Manchester’s Bridgewater Hospital for a check-up on his knee; he may well be on the bench for the game against Everton this weekend, while Dzeko is set to return after calf trouble. With Bony in the ranks, City will have to lose one player from a Champions League roster restricted by UEFA to 21 as punishment for breaching FFP guidelines. That player may well be Jovetic, who is attracting offers the club may well find hard to resist in the current transfer window. UEFA’s punishment for City’s FFP breach also restricted spending to £49m net over this transfer window and the last. However, with UEFA allowing City to take an agreed £25m fee from Valencia for striker Alvaro Negredo, payable this coming summer, into account, they are comfortably within that margin. Bony, therefore, will become the club’s 11th centre forward signed at a combined cost of about £275m since the takeover of August 2008. Proof, perhaps, that the more some things change, the more they stay the same. Manchester City look set to sign Bony after opening talks with Swansea over a £30million deal for the striker . Bony celebrates after scoring for Swansea against QPR during the 1-1 draw at Loftus Road on New Year's Day . | Manchester City are closing in on £30million signing of Wilfried Bony .
Bony will be 11th striker signed since 2008, at a combined cost of £275m .
Swansea City forward's arrival could signal exit for Stevan Jovetic .
Bony was not on City's list of potential transfer targets in the summer .
But club want to ensure they overhaul Chelsea at top of Premier League . |
115,555 | 211b3f6cb6b71d6322feabd1dbd7530421184138 | Bad weather around Nepal's iconic Mount Everest has stranded more than 1,500 trekkers in the area of a town near the mountain. Aircraft have been unable to fly in or out of the airport in Lukla, where supplies are limited, according to the U.S. Embassy in Katmandu. "Stranded tourists may wish to consider the option of trekking down to Jiri, where bus transportation to Kathmandu is available. The Government of Nepal does not plan to evacuate tourists to Kathmandu at this time," the U.S. Embassy said in a statement late last week. Lukla, located in northeast Nepal, is a popular starting point for people on their way to the world's tallest peak. Tourists have been stranded there since Tuesday, according to the Xinhua news agency. "We have our flights on stand-by. As soon as the weather visibility improves, our teams are ready for rescue," said Nepal Army Brigadier General Ramindra Chhetri, Xinhua reported. | The U.S. Embassy in Katmandu says more than 1,500 trekkers are stranded .
Aircraft have been unable to fly in or out of Lukla .
Supplies in the remote town are limited, the embassy says . |
104,344 | 129fe0be7d877226cfa4b97ca80d040a25dc5009 | Almost twenty thousands people in Bermuda had their power cut off, and thousands were assailed by falling roof tiles and uprooting trees as Hurricane Gonzalo battered the tiny island. More than 18,000 homes still have no electricity after the storm, which passed directly over the island Friday, hitting it with 110mph winds, which continued to strike hours after the storm left. In the harbor, boats were dragged away from them moorings and crashed into one another. Premier Michael Dunkley said cleanup efforts were going smoothly. He said the U.S., Britain and other nations have offered assistance. Bermuda is a British territory with 65,000 inhabitants. Scroll down for video . Damage: The 110mph storm roared over the Atlantic island, uprooting trees and damaging power lines . Battered: Hurricane Gonzalo left most of the residents in Bermuda without power as it hit the tiny island territory Friday night and early Saturday (above) Dunkley tweeted: 'All hands were on deck and worked very well. Much to be done but we are roaring back!' Nobody in Bermuda has been killed or seriously injured by the extreme weather. Earlier today residents were still urged to stay inside and keep off the roads. Gonzalo approached Bermuda as a Category 3 storm then weakened to Category 2 strength just before coming ashore with sustained winds of 110 mph. Even after beginning to move away, its fierce winds battered the island for hours. Aftermath: Hurricane battered Bermuda for hours - and around 18,000 are still without power . Bad luck: The storm was the second to hit Bermuda in just a week, having been struck by Tropical Storm Fay last weekend . Fallen: Tiles were knocked off this church roof by Gonzalo, which has now tacked north into the Atlantic . Maria Frith, who owns Grape Bay Cottages on Bermuda's south coast, said that the hurricane woke her up before dawn when it tore the patio roof off her house. 'To be perfectly honest with you, I was terrified, partly because of the noise. 'It was really scary.' Taking it in: A man is seen on the coast of Bermuda looking out at the surf as the hurricane makes its approach . Officials have not yet announced whether government offices and schools would reopen Monday. The island's international airport remained closed Saturday night but officials said it might reopen Sunday afternoon. The island was still recovering from last weekend's blast from Tropical Storm Fay, which also damaged homes and toppled power lines. Boats rocked: A look at some damaged boats that came loose from their mooring . Not sailing away: Though tress are down all over the island the damage is not catastrophic . ‘To be struck twice by two different cyclones is unusual, to say the least,’ said Max Mayfield, a former director of the U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami . The U.S. National Hurricane Center said Gonzalo weakened as it moved away from Bermuda on a track that would take it past Newfoundland and then across the Atlantic to Britain and Ireland. Late Saturday, the storm was centered 360 miles southwest of Cape Race, Newfoundland, with maximum sustained winds of 90 mphas it moved northeast at 39 mph. From above: A satellite image of Gonzalo as it hit the island . Past problems: A beachfront property that was destroyed when Hurricane Fabian hit the island in 2003 . Much worse: Fabian, which caused waves to pound the island's shore as seen above, came ashore with higher wind speeds than Gonzalo . | Hurricane hit Friday night, causing damage across the Atlantic island .
Almost entire island lost power, and 18,000 are still without electricity .
Citizens were told to stat inside as strong winds kept up for hours .
Gonzalo is second storm in a week after Tropical Storm Fay last weekend . |
99,479 | 0c2959d536a1df93e7d2e099bad67eb993da6241 | Dangerous: 19-year-old Breona Synclair Watkins was arrested early Tuesday after officers found her driving with her 5-month-old baby in the trunk of the car . A young mother was arrested early Tuesday after she put her 5-month-old baby into the trunk of her car, to avoid getting a ticket for not driving with a car seat. Broward County, Florida sheriff's deputies first spotted 19-year-old Breona Synclair Watkins driving a car with a headlight out around 1am, when she pulled out 15 feet into an intersection at a red light, and then backed up. They then attempted to pull her over, but she continued through the green light and another quarter-mile before coming to a stop. The 14-year-old sitting in the passenger seat said the 2005 Dodge Stratis belong to her mother. When another deputy showed up and heard crying from the trunk, so they opened it up and found Watkins' 5-month-old laying on a pair of large hedge-cutting shears. The temperature in the trunk was noticeably warmer than outside, and was littered with other hazardous materials like a rusty metal hanger and tire iron, a plastic CD case and a used gas can. Watkins told police officers that the 14-year-old was holding the baby in her lap when she noticed the cops. Not wanting to get ticketed for driving without a car seat, Watkins had the passenger put the baby in the truck through an opening in the back seat. She then had the passenger close the opening and continued to drive before being pulled over. Watkins was arrested on seven charges including child abuse, resisting an officer, driving without a license and failure to have a child restraint. She was held overnight at Broward County Jail on $7,000 bond. | Breona Synclair Watkins, 19, was pulled over around 1am Tuesday morning .
Officers heard crying from her cars trunk and found the 5-month-old baby inside, lying on a pair of large hedge-cutters .
Watkins was arrested on seven charges including child abuse and driving without a license . |
87,531 | f85fbf50deb50f4507e6adedd02ab72f62d3d8c2 | (CNN) -- The World Cup will have a new winner on Sunday after Spain beat Germany 1-0 to set up a mouthwatering clash with the Netherlands. Spain's hero was Barcelona defender Carles Puyol as his 73rd minute header secured his country's first ever World Cup final. Puyol rose highest to power Xavi's corner into the net and hand Spain a deserved victory. Vicente del Bosque's team dominated possession against their opponents and should have won by a more convincing score line but they couldn't convert their chances. Blog: Durban atmosphere fell flat . Germany only created a handful of opportunities as they attempted to avenge their defeat to Spain in the European Championships final of 2008 but they failed to regularly test Spain goalkeeper Iker Casillas. Spain will now face Netherlands at Soccer City in Johannesburg on Sunday after they beat Uruguay 3-2 in the other semifinal on Tuesday night. SI.com: Three quick thoughts . Liverpool striker Fernando Torres was dropped in favor of Pedro Rodriguez as Spain made one change from their quarterfinal team. Germany drafted in Piotr Trochowski in place of the suspended Thomas Muller. It was Barcelona striker David Villa who had the first chance of the game but his effort was smothered by Germany goalkeeper Manuel Neuer. Puyol was the next to go close for Spain after he headed Andres Iniesta's powerful cross over the bar. Lukas Podolski registered Germany's first effort on goal just after the half hour mark as Spain keeper Iker Casillas turned his shot round the post. Just before the break Mesut Özil went down under a challenge from Sergio Ramos but the referee waved away his appeal for a penalty. Spain stepped it up a gear after halftime and Xabi Alonso came close with a fierce shot from the edge of the area that flashed past the post. Pedro was next to shoot but Neuer blocked his effort before Iniesta rolled a pass across the goal line with Villa agonizingly close to tapping home. Substitute Toni Kroos nearly scored with his first touch for Germany as he was found by a Podolski cross but Casillas parried his volley. But just four minutes later Spain were in front. Xavi's corner was met by Puyol, and his header sped past Neuer. In Madrid, relief and rejoicing intertwine . As Germany tried to force an equalizer Spain should have made the game safe but Pedro failed to tee up Torres when the striker had a clear run on goal. Spain held on to record another one goal victory and seal a first ever World Cup final appearance. Neither they, nor opponents Netherlands, have ever won world football's most prestigious trophy but one team will make history on Sunday. | Spain beat Germany 1-0 to reach the World Cup final .
Carles Puyol scores the only goal as Spain win 1-0 .
Spain will face Netherlands in Sunday's final . |
83,631 | ed40ee56af200067bbdb38f09f9e78a7ab99a7b2 | New York (CNN) -- A man arrested in connection with the death of 28-year-old Betty Williams, whose body was found in a suitcase, has confessed to bludgeoning her with a frying pan and strangling her with an electrical cord, authorities said Tuesday. Hassan Malik, 55, was arraigned Tuesday on one count of second-degree murder, according to Manhattan District Attorney spokeswoman Joan Vollero. Malik said he was acting in self-defense, Vollero said. Shortly after Williams' body was discovered, police released a surveillance video that showed a man dressed in a dark knit hat and leather jacket, pulling a suitcase that contained Williams' body near a stoop in East Harlem, New York. Malik originally told police that he found Williams dead inside his apartment, but later he recanted the statement and confessed, according to the criminal complaint. As police were leading Malik away, a reporter asked, "Are you sorry for what you did?" "Yes," he replied. The New York Medical Examiner's office said Williams had suffered, among other injuries, blunt force trauma to her head and asphyxiation, the complaint said. Malik was being held on $100,000 bail and is set to appear in court Thursday, Vollero said. If convicted, he could face 25 years to life in prison. CNN's Kristen Hamill contributed to this report . | NEW: Man has confessed in death of woman found in suitcase, authorities say .
NEW: Hassan Malik, 55, was arraigned Tuesday on a count of second-degree murder .
NEW: Malik said he was acting in self-defense, DA spokeswoman says .
DA spokeswoman: He admitted bludgeoning and strangling Betty Williams 28 . |
16,926 | 2fee336b4540eb685e2952f9baefe8c394efdf94 | (CNN) -- With nearly 86,000 people evacuated from fire-ravaged regions, Russian authorities said Sunday that firefighters were gaining control over blazes sweeping across thousands of acres in western Russia. "Despite complicated weather conditions, the situation is under control thanks to preventive measures and efforts taken by the Russian Emergencies Ministry," a spokesman for the ministry told the Itar-Tass news agency. At least 28 people have been killed and thousands left homeless by the wildfires, which are among the worst ever to hit western Russia. No fire-related deaths were reported since Friday, officials said Sunday. Two firefighters were among the dead, Itar-Tass reported, citing the Emergency Ministry. Latest figures from the ministry showed that 128,500 hectares (317,530 acres) were burned or had burned, and 774 "hotbeds of wildfire" were counted as of 6 a.m. Sunday. About half the fires had either been extinguished or contained, the ministry spokesman said. "The most difficult situation with wildfires remains in the Nizhny Novgorod, Vladimir and Voronezh regions and the Republic of Mordovia, where fires threaten several populated settlements," the ministry's information department said. A hot, dry summer has been a key factor in the fires, drying out large parts of land and igniting the peat bogs that lie all over central Russia. Moscow, Russia, hit a temperature of 39 Celsius (102 Fahrenheit) on Thursday, the highest temperature since records began in 1879. The fires have destroyed more than 1,200 homes, the ministry said, and nearly 5,000 people have been left homeless. CNN's Matthew Chance reported from the village of Maslovka, Russia, near Voronezh, that almost every house in the village of 500 people had burned to the ground. All the residents of Maslovka had been evacuated to nearby hotels. A resident of Maslovka named Nina told Chance she had returned to the village after the fire to sift through the rubble of the house where she was born. For 50 years, she said, she lived under the same roof. A few days ago, the wildfires were swept by high winds to the village and quickly engulfed her house. Now there was nothing left. Even the clothes she was wearing were not hers -- they had been given to her by a neighbor. As Nina told her story, an elderly woman walked from behind a broken wall, wailing with tears. Nina said the woman was her mother, devastated she had lost the home where she raised her family. Russia's government has vowed to compensate the more than 1,870 families whose houses have been burned down. Amid complaints, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has ordered regional governors to speed up the compensation process. The Kremlin has called the wildfires a natural disaster of the kind that appear every 30 or 40 years. Critics, meanwhile, accuse local authorities of mismanaging the response. Desperate to control the blazes, Russia says its deployed nearly a quarter of a million people to fight the fires. But around Voronezh, many of the firefighters that Chance saw were just volunteers with buckets. | About half of the hundreds of wildfires in Russia are extinguished or contained .
At least 28 people -- including two firefighters -- are dead .
In one village, all 500 residents have been evacuated, and nearly every house is burned . |
180,843 | 761acc0cc768ed21be484b6eaaffc88184cebe23 | The Speaker of the Commons John Bercow is to be a prosecution witness during the sex trial of his former deputy, Nigel Evans. The Mail can reveal that Mr Bercow is on a list of at least ten MPs who will be called to give evidence for the Crown when Evans stands trial next month, accused of nine sex attacks on seven men. Among the other high-profile politicians who has been asked to testify during the prosecution is the Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin – a former Government Chief Whip. Speaker of the House of Commons John Bercow (left) will give evidence at the trial of former Deputy Speaker Nigel Evans (right) who faces nine charges against seven men, including one of rape . Outspoken Tory backbench MP Sarah Wollaston has also been asked to be a prosecution witness. Downing Street officials are expected to follow events at the trial very closely with the appearance of Mr Bercow, whose wife Sally is no stranger to publicity, certain to hit the headlines. According to Whitehall sources, Mr Bercow has been asked to give evidence in person at Preston Crown Court, rather than by video link, for what promises to be an extraordinary courtroom spectacle. A day after Evans was first charged with a series of sex attacks, Mr Bercow told MPs he was ‘warmly grateful’ to the politician for his three years’ service as a deputy, adding he had been ‘highly competent, fair and good-humoured’. Evans, the former deputy speaker of the House of Commons, denies all the offences he is accused of. The 56-year-old openly gay politician, formerly the Conservative MP for the Ribble Valley, Lancashire, and now serving as an independent, faces nine charges including one of rape. He entered formal not guilty pleas to all the charges during a 17-minute pre-trial hearing at Preston Crown Court last month and is due to go on trial at the same court complex on March 10. He stood in the glass-panelled dock, hands clasped in front of him, as the indictment was read to him. After hearing each of them, he said: 'Not guilty'. Tory MP Sarah Wollaston and Patrick McLoughlin - the Transport Secretary - will also give evidence . Evans had previously faced eight charges. But at the hearing last month, an additional charge was added to the indictment. Mark Heywood, QC, prosecuting, explained that the additional count had been introduced 'because some of the alleged sexual activity is said to taken place before the alleged rape and some after the alleged rape'. Evans, who was granted a continuation of his bail, denies two counts of indecent assault, six of sexual assault and one of rape. The rape and two of the sexual assaults relate to a single complainant. All the charges cover the period from 2002 to April 1 last year. The politician, of Pendleton, near Clitheroe, Lancs, resigned as deputy speaker after being charged on September 10. He quoted Winston Churchill during an extraordinary Commons speech several hours later. In a carefully-phrased personal statement, which lasted several minutes, the former Vice chairman of the . Conservative Party explained why he had stepped down as a deputy Commons speaker in the wake of the charges brought against him. The parliamentarians make up three names on a list of at least ten MPs who will be asked to speak during the trial at Preston Crown Court (pictured) which starts next month . He said: 'Winston Churchill said when you are going through hell, keep going. Sage advice. And so I will see this through to the end with the support of the people that mean so much to me.' The MP said his decision to step aside as a Deputy Speaker in the wake of the charges had been the 'most painful thing I have endured in my life'. He also revealed he had resigned the Tory whip and will stand as an independent MP for his Ribble Valley constituency in Lancashire until after ‘the conclusion of events’. Evans was one of three deputy speakers elected in a secret ballot of MPs in 2010. Later that year he came out as gay, saying he was ‘tired of living a lie’. He said that since he was first arrested over the sex allegations in May last year, he had received ‘so many hugs, prayers and good wishes’. ‘I was told I would soon see who my real friends are and that has been true,’ he added. ‘But the truth is there have been so many of them - so thank you to my dearest loyal friends, including loyal members of my staff at Westminster and the Ribble Valley. ‘And to you, my colleagues, on all sides of the House who have spoken with me, looked after me and just shown loving attention. Party divisions disappear in times like this and they have, thank you. ‘Rose Hudson-Wilkin, the Speaker’s chaplain, and Andrew Tremlett, the canon of Westminster Abbey, have given me superb spiritual guidance which has given me the one thing everyone in this world needs, alongside air, water and food: that is hope.’ Conservative MP Nadine Dorries placed a hand on Evans’s shoulder as he sat down after his statement to a hushed Commons. | Speaker of the House of Commons named as witness in case .
Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin and MP Sarah Wollaston are two names on a list of at least ten MPs who will be called in for questioning .
Former Deputy Speaker Nigel Evans to stand trial next month .
He is accused of nine charges against seven men, including one of rape . |
14,151 | 282d753831b077f9bf56e6e1148261f964652b2a | By . Lydia Warren . PUBLISHED: . 10:58 EST, 18 October 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 11:07 EST, 18 October 2012 . They were adopted into a life of bitter custody disputes and murderous affairs, but the Ammon twins have said they are thankful a wealthy U.S. couple took them in otherwise they would have died in a Ukrainian orphanage. Greg and Alexa Ammon, now 22, were adopted as children by multimillionaire financier Ted Ammon and his wife Generosa and whisked away to the couple's luxurious mansion in the East Hamptons. But years later, the twins were . left without parents for a second time after their mother's lover bludgeoned their father to death in October 2011 and she died two years later from breast cancer. Despite enduring tragedies which graced the pages of newspapers across the country for years, the twins said they are grateful to the Ammons. Thankful: Greg and Alexa Ammon, 22, have made a documentary revealing the torment they suffered after the murder of their father by their mother's lover in 2001 - but said the family saved them . 'I'm thankful for all that my parents . gave us,' Alexa told People Magazine. 'If they hadn't adopted me, I probably would have died in the . orphanage. They literally gave me life.' The Ammon twins, who grew apart and moved to opposite coasts following the tragedies, have now returned to the house where their father was murdered as part of a documentary about their lives. 'We had to face our fears, face the house, face the bedroom and everything that happened there,' Greg told People Magazine. They . revisit the family home, which they still own, in the film, and recall . the months of emotional abuse from their mother as their parents went . through a bitter divorce. Unhappy families: The twins are pictured with their adoptive father Ted and mother Generosa . Saved: The children had been adopted by the wealthy couple from an orphanage in the Ukraine . She would make them steal documents . from their father and then allow them to watch television as a reward. But if they said they had had fun with him, they would be sent directly . to their room. 'I remember Mom, but all I remember are the bad things,' Greg says in the film. The twins, then 11, were at their father's house in Manhattan when the 52-year-old was killed in the bedroom of their home, as he continued to fight the divorce and custody battles with his wife. The twins recalled the moment they learned of his death in their documentary, 59 Middle Lane. 'You wake up in the morning, get dressed . like a normal day and Aunt Sandi comes in, and Aunt Sandi, of course, . lives in Alabama, and we are like why are you here,' Greg recalled. At the time of his death, the Ammons . had not finalised their divorce and Ted had yet to re-write his will, . leaving his estranged wife with half of his fortune, estimated to be . around $80 million. Family: Alexa and Greg Ammon lived on opposite coasts but reunited for the film to trace their roots . Old life: In the film, they return to the Ukrainian orphanage and say they'd have died if they were not adopted . Her lover, an electrician from Long Island named Danny Pelosi, was suspected of the murder but lived as a free man for years - and the twins admitted they loved him. Murdered: In October 2001, Ted Ammon was found bludgeoned to death at their Hamptons home . 'When Danny entered our lives, it was amazing to have a new man to take us out and play baseball with us,' Alexa said. Three . months after Ted Ammon was murdered, Pelosi divorced his wife and . married Generosa. They lived in Ammon's mansion before moving to . Pelosi's home in Long Island. Generosa had little time to enjoy her former husband's wealth, however, as she was diagnosed with breast cancer and died in August 2003. The children went to live with their aunt in Alabama. Pelosi, who had been battling for a . part of the fortune left by his late wife, was eventually arrested in . March 2004 and was found guilty of murder. He has maintained that Generosa hired a hit man to kill her husband. He will not be eligible for parole until 2031. When they faced him in court, aged 14, the twins were unforgiving towards the man they once loved. 'I hope you suffer and go through . just as much as my sister and I have,' Greg said at his sentencing, the New York Post reported. 'I just hope God can forgive you, because I certainly won’t.' 'It's hard to realise that the person . you loved stabbed you in the back and ruined the rest of your life. You . are a sick man, and I regret every single time I said I loved you.' Scene: In the film, the twins return to the bedroom where he was found after being tortured and killed . Lavish: They still own the mansion in East Hampton where their father was found dead . His sister added: 'Mr. Pelosi might have had a nice time . for the past couple of years spending my parents' money, but that is . over now, and I hope he rots away in prison because he deserves nothing . better.' Greg eventually moved to Los Angeles and started a film production company while Alexa managed a band in South Carolina - but came back together to film the documentary for closure. The twins, who inherited $1 . million each after taxes and attorneys' fees, also decided to use the . opportunity of the documentary to find their biological family in the Ukraine. Searching . through documents at the mansion, they find papers leading them to the . orphanage from where they were adopted as malnourished . children. They learn that . they were the result of a one-night tryst between their mother and a . soldier. The government then took them from their mother as she . struggled with alcoholism and mental problems. Emotion: Greg reveals they made the documentary for closure 'to end all the horrible things that happened' Killer: Daniel Pelosi was arrested for the murder in 2004 and will not be eligible for parole until 2031. He married Generosa Ammon three months after the death of her husband . She was also a prostitute, who begged for money on the streets to buy alcohol. She died in 2004 and left behind a total of eight children, some of whom went to the same orphanage as the twins. The documentary shows them meeting their three half siblings and speaking to another brother on the phone in Moscow. 'Ultimately, that story in the . Ukraine is very similar to our story in America,' Greg told The East . Hampton Press. 'When I’m speaking about our birth mother, I’m speaking . about my adopted mother, too. I try to tell both of their stories.' The film has already premiered at the . East Hamptons movie theatre and is scheduled to be shown again at Jazz . at Lincoln Center, of which Ammon had been a longtime supporter. See below for video of documentary trailer . | Greg and Alexa Ammon adopted from Ukrainian orphanage by U.S. couple .
Ted Ammon going through bitter divorce when he was murdered in 2001 .
Estranged wife's lover, Danny Pelosi, convicted of murder three years later .
Twins, now 22, recounting life story in new documentary . |
72,903 | ceb77d9c66c691e3f542538534574dfcbb7a674e | By . Steve Nolan . PUBLISHED: . 13:05 EST, 11 November 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 02:52 EST, 12 November 2012 . Crowds of Catholics have flocked to a Malaysian hospital to to hold a prayer vigil in front of what they believe to be a vision of the Virgin Mary which has 'miraculously' appeared on one of the building's windows. More than 100 worshippers, some from hundreds of miles away, have converged on the Sime Darby Medical Centre in Kuala Lumpur after the vision appeared a few days ago. The group, who are convinced that the mysterious mark on the seventh floor window represents the much revered mother of Jesus Christ, say that they can also see a second image of her son two windows away. An image said to be the Virgin Mary appears on the window of a Malaysian hospital in Subang outside Kuala Lumpur . The image reportedly appeared on the Sime Darby Medical Centre window several days ago . Crowds of Catholics have flocked to the hospital to hold a vigil close to the image . Visitors have been lighting candles praying and singing hymns close to the image which has gone viral on Facebook. It has been described by some on the scene as a 'miracle'. Father Lawrence Andrew, editor of Malaysian Catholic newsletter The Herald, said that the church would need to investigate and verify the authenticity of the images and 'the experiences of the witnesses'. 'It could be private revelations. We have to make sure they are not imagined but real apparitions,' he said. Eunice Fernandez, who lives nearby, said: 'We believe Mary, mother of God, has a message for us, as she is looking down on us and then at a Malaysian flag. We can also see Jesus and he is also moving, they are not static.' The 54-year-old housewife dismissed claims the image could be a hoax. The hospital have yet to comment on the vision. Catholics have been offering prayers at the hospital where the image appeared on the seventh floor window . A Malaysian Catholic holds up her rotary beads as she offers a prayer to the mysterious mark . Men, women and children have all flocked to the hospital, some from hundreds of miles away . As well as offering prayers, those who have visited the 'miracle' vision have lit candles and sung hymns . As well as the vision of the Virgin Mary, some worshippers believe that they can now see a vision of Jesus two windows away . | Crowds flock to 'miracle' vision after it appears on hospital window .
More than 100 Catholics have been praying, lighting candles and singing hymns at the Kuala Lumpur medical centre . |
6,738 | 131eb7f5e48ef04da69d9009fc694d453d8b2c5a | By . Daily Mail Reporter . UPDATED: . 07:41 EST, 18 December 2011 . A Tory MP who dismissed the way a D-Day veteran starved to death in hospital as 'a negative experience' has been forced to apologise for his 'stupid mistake'. Albert Buck, 84, lost eight stone in just two months at Darent Valley Hospital in Kent after being admitted with a fractured hip. His family were angry with the way he had been treated, and so wrote to Darftord MP Gareth Johnson asking him to take up the case. Outrage: Gareth Johnson MP (left) said he was sorry Albert Buck (right) had a 'negative experience' after he starved to death in hospital . But the former solicitor did not read the email properly and replied: 'I am sorry to hear your father had a negative experience. 'If your father lives in my constituency and you wish me to raise this matter with the primary care trust please return the enclosed form to me.' Albert's son Michael was 'staggered' by the reply. He said: 'Dad was among the troops who liberated Belsen but died looking like one of the inmates, thanks to Darent Valley Hospital.' Hero: Albert Buck was among the troops who liberated Belsen but died . Michael's brother Chris told the Sunday Mirror: 'I have little confidence in the NHS. I am now even more concerned about the folk that represent us in the seat of government.' Mr Johnson, who has now promised to set up a meeting between the family and the hospital, later met with the brothers and, according to Chris, 'could not apologise enough'. He said: 'Mr Johnson accepted the blame and said he’d made a stupid mistake.' Darent Valley has one of the worst rates for patient deaths in the country and its A&E department is in the bottom 10, with low levels of weekend staffing. A Facebook group exists called 'Darent Valley Hospital is the worst hospital ever'. It currently has 90 members. | Albert Buck, 84, lost 8st in two months .
Had been admitted with fractured hip .
MP 'didn't read' family's email asking for help . |
198,189 | 8c8b00b77cae140ca4663a0db988da75b9150ff0 | A chilling video has emerged showing the merciless execution of 14 men in Syria by a brutal group that are too extreme even for Al Qaeda. It shows the blindfolded men - some of whom appear to be just teenagers - kneeling in front of a pit at night, illuminated by torchlight. A man, horrifyingly calm, shoots the first man in the back of the head with a pistol. It is here that the video freezes, the scenes too horrible to show. The blindfolded men sit in front of the pit as the executor calmly raises his pistol . Chilling: The first man is shot in the back of the head. A further 13 die in the dirt . More shots follow in quick, methodical succession. By the end, there are 14 blood-spattered corpses in and around the mass grave. It was obtained by CNN from Syrian activists attempting to show the world the atrocities committed by Islamic State in Iraq and Syria, known as ISIS, a powerful group opposing the rule of Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad that has recently battled other opposition groups. Scroll to 3.15 to watch the disturbing footage . Their methods, including savage mass executions like this, have even drawn condemnation from Al Qaeda commanders, who have demanded the group leave the war-torn nation. ISIS fighters are reportedly mostly non-Syrian extremist Muslims who have inserted themselves into the civil war to spread their hardline Islamic beliefs. Earlier this month the mainstream Syrian Opposition Coalition released a report stating that the regime of Bashar al-Assad is working hand in hand with ISIS, reportedly the largest terrorist group in Syria. A man on the other side of the pit is callously, calmly shot. He has already listened to the death of several other men . A point by point report issued by the National Coalition of Syrian Revolution and Opposition Forces documents an active partnership between Assad and the group. The opposition says it has numerous firsthand accounts from the battlefields confirming that the regime’s forces and the Islamist extremist group act together in attacking Free Syrian Army forces and are intimately intertwined. The . Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, or ISIS,is a pro Al Qaida group . jihadist group that many fear is taking an iron grip over parts of . Syria. The group was . formed in April 2013 and grew out of Al Qaeda's affiliate organisation . in Iraq. It has since become one of the main jihadist groups fighting . government forces in Syria. The . final 's' in the acronym Isis stems from the Arabic word 'al-Sham'. This can mean the Levant, Syria or even Damascus but in the context of . the global jihad it refers to the Levant. Its precise size is unknown, but it is thought to include thousands of fighters, including many foreign jihadists. Analysts . say non-Syrians constitute a majority of Isis's elite fighter corps and . are disproportionately represented in its leadership. It . took over the city of Raqqa after rebels overran the city in March . 2013. It was the first provincial capital to fall under rebel control. It . also has a presence in a number of towns close to the Turkish border in . the north of the country, and has gained a reputation for brutal rule . in the areas that it controls.Inter-rebel tension . The . group has been operating independently of other jihadist groups such as . the Nusra Front and has had a tense relationship with other rebels in . Syria. In July, a . commander of the Western-backed Free Syrian Army (FSA) was reportedly . shot dead by Isis fighters in the coastal province of Lattakia. There . were also reports of deadly clashes between the two groups in the . north-western province of Idlib. Isis also seized the northern town of . Azaz from the FSA on 18 September. There . has also been friction with other Islamists. In November 2013, ISIS was . accused of killing a prominent member of the Syrian Islamist rebel . group Ahrar al-Sham. In . the most recent sign of continuing tension, ISIS suffered losses in two . days of fighting against an alliance of other rebel forces in Aleppo . and Idlib provinces. | WARNING: GRAPHIC CONTENT .
The video, recorded in Syria, shows 14 men gunned down at night .
It reportedly shows the actions of Islamic extremist group ISIS .
Opposition forces claim ISIS is linked to Bashar Al-Assad's regime . |
206,367 | 972866120cb80c5c214a1ffb348dee7a582df1fa | (CNN) -- Eight American soldiers died of overdoses involving heroin, morphine or other opiates during deployments in Afghanistan in 2010 and 2011, according to U.S. Army investigative reports. The overdoses were revealed in documents detailing how the Army investigated a total of 56 soldiers, including the eight who fell victim to overdoses, on suspicion of possessing, using or distributing heroin and other opiates. At the same time, heroin use apparently is on the rise in the Army overall, as military statistics show that the number of soldiers testing positive for heroin has grown from 10 instances in fiscal year 2002 to 116 in fiscal year 2010. Army officials didn't respond to repeated requests for comment on Saturday. But records from the service's Criminal Investigation Command, obtained by the conservative legal group Judicial Watch, provided glimpses into how soldiers bought drugs from Afghan juveniles, an Afghan interpreter and in one case, an employee of a Defense Department contractor, who was eventually fired. The drug use is occurring in a country that is estimated to supply more than 90% of the world's opium, and the Taliban insurgency is believed to be stockpiling the drug to finance their activities, according to a 2009 U.N. study. While the records show some soldiers using heroin, much of the opiate abuse by U.S. soldiers in Afghanistan involves prescription drugs such Percocet, the Army documents show. Judicial Watch obtained the documents under the Freedom of Information of Act and provided them to CNN. Spokesman Col. Gary Kolb of the International Security Assistance Force, the NATO-led command in Afghanistan, verified the documents to CNN on Saturday. One fatal overdose occurred in June 2010 at Forward Operating Base Blessing, after a soldier asked another soldier to buy black tar opium from a local Afghan outside the base's entry control point. The first soldier died after consuming the opium like chewing tobacco and smoking pieces of it in a cigarette, the documents show. The reports even show soldier lingo for the drug -- calling it "Afghani dip" in one case where three soldiers were accused of using the opiate, the Army investigative reports show. The United States has 89,000 troops in Afghanistan. The U.S. death toll since the September 11, 2001, attacks that triggered the war has risen to more than 1,850, including 82 this year, according to the U.S. Department of Defense and U.S. Central Command. Tom Fitton, president of Judicial Watch, said his group was interested in soldiers' drug use partly because the risk was present during the Vietnam War. "You never want to see news of soldiers dying of drug use in Afghanistan," Fitton said. "Our concern is, will the military treat this as the problem that it is, and are the families of the soldiers aware of the added risk in this drug-infested country? "There is a dotted line between the uses. Prescription abuse can easily veer into heroin drug use," Fitton added. "Afghanistan is the capital of this opiate production and the temptation is great there and the opportunity for drug use all the more." The group is concerned that "there hasn't been enough public discussion, and we would encourage the leadership to discuss or talk about this issue more openly," Fitton said. In one case, a soldier bought heroin and the anti-anxiety drug Xanax from five "local national juveniles at multiple locations on Camp Phoenix, Afghanistan, and consumed them," one report states. Soldiers also distributed heroin, Percocet and other drugs among themselves, according to the reports. Another soldier fatally overdosed in December 2010 after taking several drugs, including morphine and codeine, though the drugs were not prescribed for him, the Army documents show. One female soldier broke into the Brigade Medical Supply Office at Forward Operating Base Shank and stole expired prescription narcotics including morphine, Percocet, Valium, fentanyl and lorazepam, the documents show. The investigative reports show soldiers using other drugs, including steroids and marijuana, and even hashish that was sold to U.S. servicemen by the Afghan National Army and Afghan National Police personnel, the reports state. CNN's Sarah Jones and Nick Paton Walsh contributed to this report. | Eight soldiers died of overdoses involving heroin, morphine or other opiates in 2010-11 .
56 soldiers, including the eight, were investigated for using, possessing or selling the drugs .
More soldiers in the Army overall are testing positive for heroin use .
The Taliban are believed to be stockpiling opium to finance their activities, U.N. reported . |
16,080 | 2d92ad11dac7f420a66ec549f65a1cd51cb2660f | By . Amy Oliver . PUBLISHED: . 04:19 EST, 19 November 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 07:57 EST, 19 November 2012 . A parking sensor promoted as tool to help drivers find free spaces could also enable traffic wardens to dish out more fines. Motoring organisations have warned the Metereye system could help wardens make a beeline to vehicles that have overstayed a parking space. The Metereye technology, developed by Scottish company, Town and City Parking (TCP), works by transmitting signls from a sensor placed on the floor of a parking bay. Helping hand: Motoring organisations have warned the Metereye system could enable wardens to identify vehicles which have overstayed a parking space . The senor records the vehicle arriving, its occupancy and departure date. It then transmits this information in real time to a handheld electronic device. The system is aimed at parking companies rather than the public, but some local authorities are championing the technology as a tool for drivers to find free spaces quickly. More... War hero, 90, slapped with a parking ticket during Remembrance Day service - because his blue badge was UPSIDE DOWN . Oh no no no! Martin Clunes ditched from Churchill insurance adverts after being banned from driving for speeding . Fiat for a First Lady! Vintage car once good enough for SamCam sparks bidding war at auction - fetching three times its value . Metereye is already being used by Westminster council, which has created a dedicated app to help drivers find free parking spaces in the borough. Park Right, available on smart phones and iPads, picks up the same signals emitted from the Metereye parking sensors. Edinburgh city council is also using the technology, while other . local authorities, retailers and a major sports stadium have also . expressed an interest in the system, the manufacturer has said. Smart: The Metereye technology beams a signal from a sensor (pictured) under the road just before a space becomes free . The Metereye sensor unit is based around an 'infrared Vehicle Detection System'. When placed on the floor of a parking bay, the sensor records the vehicle arriving, its occupancy and departure date. It then transmits this information in real time to a handheld electronic device. Using the data, a traffic warden can make a note of the time the car arrived at the bay and what time it left - or should have left. TCP calls Metereye a 'simple, cost effective way to monitor usage of car parking bays,' on its website. It . also extolls the benefits of the handheld technology where one parking . attendant 'can be responsible for two or three sites at the same time.' While local authorities have championed the technology for . drivers, they have been less vocal about its potential for traffic . wardens. A move that has angered motoring organisations. Professor Stephen Glaister, director of the RAC Foundation, told the Daily Telegraph: 'This gives wardens the equivalent of eyes in the backs of their heads. 'The all-knowing equipment will be good for the parking industry and in car parks where space is at a premium. 'But some drivers might ask, where's the sense of fair play? Motorists will hope it won't encourage attendants to lie in wait for people who have only slightly overstayed their welcome.' Councils in England and Wales made more than half a billion pounds profit from parking in 2010/2011, according to official figures. Lewis Johnson, a data analyst with Westminster council, told a computer magazine that the Metereye technology could be used to identify streets which have heavy parking use before raising charges accordingly. He said: 'It is likely to confirm drivers' suspicions that this sort of technology favours Big Brother rather than the motorist, despite what the councils say.' | Metereye technology beams signal from .
sensor placed in parking bay . |
239,600 | c234f2f22d5429c8aa81d0acee3aec9d2c1899a7 | By . Graham Smith . PUBLISHED: . 06:03 EST, 4 July 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 10:08 EST, 4 July 2012 . England’s top cricket stars today paid their final respects to batsman Tom Maynard, who was hit by a London Underground train last month. More than 100 mourners attended the funeral of the 'talented and fun-loving' Surrey cricketer at Llandaff Cathedral in Cardiff. Freddie Flintoff, Andrew Strauss, Kevin Pietersen, Marcus Trescothick, Mike Gatting, Alec Stewart, Mark Ramprakash and Robert Croft were among the line-up of cricket stars at the service. Mr Maynard’s model girlfriend Carly Baker - who paid tribute to him as the 'most special man' on the day of his death- was also present, as was former X Factor finalist and family friend Lucy Jones. Miss Jones sang two songs during the service. Funeral: Tom Maynard's coffin is carried into Cardiff's Llandaff Cathedral by pallbearers including his Surrey captain and flatmate Rory Hamilton-Brown (far left) Mourners: Former England stars Mark Ramprakash (left), Freddie Flintoff (centre) and Kevin Pietersen arrive at the cathedral . Family: Mr Maynard's father, former England cricketer Matthew (centre), mother Sue (left) and sister Ceri walk behind his coffin . The funeral's order of service (left) and England cricketer Chris Tremlett (right) was also in the congregation . There was also a rousing version of . the Welsh rugby song Cwm Rhondda - Bread of Heaven - as cricket stars . were joined by rugby legend Gareth Edwards. Many of the congregation were in tears as tributes were paid to Mr Maynard, whose photograph stood on his coffin. Former Welsh cricketer Hugh Morris . said: 'Tom was not only a player blessed with extraordinary talent but . someone whose sense of fun and enjoyment made him a hugely popular . figure in the game. 'The cricketing family has lost a . treasured friend and teammate who enlivened the dressing room or lit up . any social occasion with his warmth and good humour. 'He was never one to shirk any kind of challenge, sporting or otherwise. He was surely destined for the highest reaches of the game.' Mr Maynard's friends were urged to . bring photos and other keepsakes of the player for the family to make a . lasting montage to him. His heartbroken father, and former . England batsman, Matthew Maynard, 45, mother Sue, 51, and sister Ceri, . 19, sat holding hands throughout the service. Freddie Flintoff chats to comedian and TV presenter Jack Whitehall (right) after the service . Devastated: Surrey captain Rory Hamilton-Brown (right), who was Mr Maynard's flatmate, last night announced he is to take an indefinite leave from cricket. He is greeted by three other mourners ahead of today's service . Final farewell: England legends Mike Gatting (left) and Andrew Strauss arrive at Llandaff Cathedral . England past and present: Alex Stewart (left) and Marcus Trescothick (right) both attended the funeral . More than 100 mourners watched the coffin carried into the church to one of the accompaniment of one of r Maynard's favourite songs, We Are Young by U.S. band Fun . March 25, 1989: Born in Cardiff. 2004: Makes his debut for Glamorgan Under-17s at the age of 15. June 10, 2007: - Scores 71 off 75 balls on his professional debut for Glamorgan against Gloucestershire. June 24, 2007: Scores 11 off 11 balls on his Twenty20 debut against Warwickshire. August 16, 2007: Scores 15 on his first-class debut against Somerset. May 2010: Captains . a Glamorgan team that includes his father Matthew, who came out of . retirement to play against a Cardiff University side. January 2011: Leaves Glamorgan and signs for Surrey. June 17, 2011: Scores his maiden century against Glamorgan. Goes on to score more than 1,000 runs in a stellar first season at the Oval. December 16, 2011: Named in England Lions squad for tour of Bangladesh. May 9, 2012: Scores highest total of 143 against Worcestershire. June 17, 2012: Scores seven for Surrey in their Twenty20 match against Kent at Beckenham. June 18, 2012: Found dead on tracks at Wimbledon Park station after being hit by a train. His uncle Charles Maynard told mourners: 'Tom always wanted to have fun - it’s how he wanted to live his life. 'He had a cheeky and adorable manner with a huge smile. He was a very special person and will stay forever in our hearts.' Following the . service, England captain Andrew Strauss said: 'His death is a tragic . loss - Tom was forging a real name for himself in the game.' Richard Thompson, the chairman of . Surrey Cricket Club, where Mr Maynard played, described him as 'a one . off - totally irreplaceable'. The coffin was carried into the crematorium to one of Tom’s favourite songs, We Are Young by U.S. band Fun. The Surrey team song, A Little . Respect by Erasure, was played at the service as were Mr Maynard's . favourites, including songs by Coldplay and The Calling. A family spokesman said: 'Matthew, . Sue and Ceri would like to reiterate their thanks to everyone for the . many hundreds of cards, letters, emails and messages they have received . following the tragic death of their son Tom. The level of support has been of real comfort to them.' Mr Maynard - the son of former . Glamorgan cricket legend Matthew Maynard - was regarded by many as one . of the sport's bright prospects. In 2007, on his Glamorgan First XI debut he hit 71 runs from 75 balls - and was later snapped up by Surrey. He was pronounced dead after being struck by a Tube train in the early hours of June 18 in Wimbledon, south London. Tributes: Flowers and a shirt left outside the Oval ahead of England's one day international against the West Indies last month . Tribute: England and the West Indies hold a one minute silence in honour of Tom Maynard before their one day international at the Oval last month . Grief: Mr Maynard's model girlfriend Carly Baker, 25, said she had lost her 'special man' Grief-stricken: Miss Baker posted a series of heartbreaking Tweets (above) on the day her boyfriend died . An inquest has been opened and adjourned . at Westminster Coroner's Court - with Dr Shirley Radcliffe saying . 'extensive investigations' were continuing. It . emerged last night that Rory Hamilton-Brown, the Surrey captain who today helped carry Mr Maynard's coffin into church, is to . take an indefinite break from cricket after struggling to cope with the . death of his close friend. The 24-year-old, who shared a house . with Mr Maynard, will distance himself from the sport as he tries to . come to terms with the tragedy. Following the death, Surrey immediately told its players they did not have to play on if they felt they could not. After . initially returning to action against Hampshire on Sunday, Mr . Hamilton-Brown has decided he now needs to withdraw from the game. He . said: ‘I am grateful to the club for their support and understanding of . my decision. I look forward to returning to the game when I hope I can . continue my form of recent seasons.’ Jade . Dernbach and Stuart Meaker were this week released from the England . squad on compassionate grounds ahead of today’s one-day international . against Australia at Edgbaston and both attended the funeral along with . the whole of the Surrey squad. CCTV footage shows a police car in the search for the Surrey cricketer minutes before he was found dead on a London train line . Cordoned off: The black Mercedes belonging to Maynard was left just a few streets from where he died . Detectives probing Mr Maynard's . death, which took place while he was fleeing police, want to find out . what happened during 50 minutes when officers lost him. The sportsman was suspected of . drink-driving after police spotted his Mercedes C250 coupe swerving . across the road near Wimbledon Park underground station just after 4am . on June 18. Mr Maynard, who was believed to have been heading to his girlfriend Miss Baker's home, was then chased by a police car. But after getting out of the car and running away on foot, officers and their sniffer dogs lost the talented cricketer. Fifty minutes later Mr Maynard . stepped on a high-voltage rail before being struck by the first Tube . train of the day at Wimbledon Park. The police watchdog, which routinely . investigates any potential wrongdoing by officers when a suspect dies, . were notified about the incident the same day. Scene: Mr Maynard died after falling under a London Underground District Line train at Wimbledon Park station . Final journey: Mr Maynard's last steps from Ryfold Road to where he died less than half a mile away on tracks near Wimbledon Park station . The following day they referred the . case back to Scotland Yard and asked them to examine what happened . during the ‘lost’ 50 minutes because it may shed light on why Mr Maynard . died. The IPCC said it has assessed the . incident, and referred it back to Scotland Yard because the pursuing . officers had lost sight of Mr Maynard and had no further contact with . him before his death. About 50 minutes passed between the start of the police chase and Mr Maynard being hit by the train. After leaving his car the cricketer ran off on foot, leaving his BlackBerry and other personal items behind. Worshippers at a nearby mosque said . the two officers did not give chase, but radioed details of the incident . to their control room. Colleagues arrived with sniffer dogs and began . searching gardens. Shortly after 5am, the driver of a . District line Tube train saw a body lying across the tracks a short . distance from the station. Police suspect Mr Maynard stepped on . the live rail and was knocked unconscious or killed outright before . being hit by an early morning train. | Freddie Flintoff, Kevin Pietersen and Mark Ramprakash among 100 mourners attending funeral of Tom Maynard at Llandaff Cathedral in Cardiff .
Surrey batsman, 23, was killed last month after being hit by a London Underground train at Wimbledon Park station .
Mr Maynard's flatmate Rory Hamilton-Brown, the Surrey captain, last night announced he is to take a break from the game .
Hamilton-Brown was one of six pallbearers at today's funeral . |
268,408 | e7a94203c47a8ac8b90af2e341a8de059a1603bb | By . Tim Shipman and Tamara Cohen . PUBLISHED: . 08:38 EST, 23 September 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 04:50 EST, 24 September 2013 . The future of the new high speed rail line was in turmoil last night after Labour threatened to pull the plug on the £50billion project. Shadow Chancellor Ed Balls shattered the cross-party consensus on the HS2 line, signalling that there would be ‘no blank cheque’ from a future Labour government and that the money could be better spent on housing. Mr Balls sparked deep divisions in Labour, which originally devised the project, by warning that his party would kill the project unless it proves to be value for money. Scroll down for video . Buffers: Labour's shadow chancellor Ed Balls signaled that he thought the £50billion earmarked for HS2 could be better spent elsewhere . His intervention will embolden Tory critics of HS2 – the biggest infrastructure project in British history – who are set to demand an end to the project at their party conference next week. In his conference speech, Mr Balls said: ‘The question is – not just whether a new high speed line is a good idea or a bad idea, but whether it is the best way to spend £50billion for the future of our country.’ The official cost of the project, including contingency funds, has recently climbed from £33billion to £42.6billion. The cost of new rolling stock will bring that to £50billion but independent experts have warned that the cost could spiral to £70billion or more. Mr Balls said Labour still backs a new ‘North-South rail link’ but at a fringe meeting last night Mr Balls said: ‘What I’m not going to do is write a blank cheque politically. Every billion pounds you spend on HS2 is a billion pounds you won’t spend on roads or cross-county train links or building new homes or new schools or new hospitals or other parts of the infrastructure. He adds: ‘I think it’s about time to inject some hard thinking.’ His deputy Rachel Reeves added: ‘We would cancel if it we did not think it was good value for money.’ Mr Balls’ speech thrilled opponents of . the project. Joe Rukin of Stop HS2 said: ‘Ed Balls is dead right to . question whether HS2 is worth it.’ But frontbenchers openly suggested he . had gone further than Ed Miliband would like. A member of the shadow . cabinet said: ‘Ed Balls is much more sceptical about it that Ed . Miliband.’ Sources close to the Labour leader said he had read and . approved Mr Balls’ speech and claimed the ‘policy hasn’t changed’. Former Labour transport secretary Lord . Adonis, the architect of the project, warned last month that cancelling . the project would be an ‘act of national self-mutilation’. Last night he flatly refused to comment on Mr Balls’ intervention. Duo: Mr Balls and deputy Rachel Reeves during a visit to a nursery in Brighton . But Graham Stringer, a Manchester MP, . condemned Mr Balls’ intervention as ‘a huge mistake’. Sir Richard Leese, . the Labour leader of Manchester City Council, said: ‘The capacity that . HS2 brings is essential to our economic future.’ A Department for Transport spokesman . said: ‘HS2 is the right thing to do for the future of the country, which . is why it has cross party support.’ Mr Balls also declared himself a proud . socialist yesterday. The Shadow Chancellor unveiled plans to give . parents of three and four year olds 25 hours of free childcare a week – . the £800million costs paid for with a new bank tax. He repeated pledges . made earlier this year to match Coalition spending plans for 2015/16 and . warned: ‘The next Labour government will have to make cuts too.’ Mr Balls said a Labour government . would inherit ‘a very difficult situation’ and would have to show . ‘fiscal responsibility in the national interest’. But Mr Balls’ claims he would exercise . ‘iron discipline’ were undermined as he echoed Ed Miliband’s admission . at the weekend that his party is ushering in a return to socialism. The Shadow Chancellor said: Of course, I’ve always used the word socialism,’ he told the BBC. In his speech, Mr Balls made £7.5 . billion of spending commitments, including the childcare pledge, a . return of the 10p income tax rate, plans to fund more youth jobs and . repeal of the so-called bedroom tax. But he only offered just over £1 billion of tax rises to pay for the plans. Share what you think . The comments below have not been moderated. Denis McCarthy, . liverpool, United Kingdom, . 1 hour ago . Network Rail's priority should be fixing the parts of the rail network that are falling to bits. Denis McCarthy, . liverpool, United Kingdom, . 1 hour ago . Everybody knows this will go way over budget and won't be completed on time(if itr goes ahead). That is the way Network Rail like to operate. Catrin, . Cardiff, United Kingdom, . 2 hours ago . I can't stand this man! Seeing him during PM Question Time is more than I can stand. I call him the Nodding Dog (sorry dogs!) because all he does is nod at everything Mili says - his head goes up and down, up and down non-stop! And then there is Harriet on the other side of Mili doing the same thing, and they look like a comic act! Stupid, stupid people. Thank goodness we are not taken in by any of their empty promises... Marie, . Southampton, United Kingdom, . 3 hours ago . I thought this was Labour plan A to have lots of infrastructure projects to boost the economy. Is it going through to many Unions leaders gardens? Justamo, . Cheshire, . 3 hours ago . If you believe this will ever happen you are kidding yourselves. The clue is in the word COULD derail HS2. Another sham like the referendum vote on the EU. Funnybone, . dorset, United Kingdom, . 4 hours ago . They won't give you the chance to cancel it, Mr Balls, they will under-write massive compensation payments should there be any cancellation. Either way they are going to get rich and we are going to pay. TequiToo, . Toulouse, United Kingdom, . 4 hours ago . If true this is the first and probably last times I agree with Balls . Louise, . Leeds, United Kingdom, . 5 hours ago . Anything Balls says will only apply until they get voted in. Nigel, . Great Yarmouth, . 5 hours ago . Waste of money. Another white elephant. afarce, . London UK, . 5 hours ago . They sound like Torys! The views expressed in the contents above are those of our users and do not necessarily reflect the views of MailOnline. By posting your comment you agree to our house rules. | Labour backed HS2 between London and the north in 2010 manifesto .
But costs have soared amid doubts about economic benefits .
Shadow chancellor put new emphasis on 'value for money' |
219,555 | a8335bd23ba900593bcd05672f2afa599e40bda0 | Auctioneers have been condemned by Jewish leaders after selling off a haul of Nazi memorabilia in Adelaide this week. On Thursday, about 20 items from World War I and II went under the hammer and were sold to military enthusiasts willing to fork out between $300 and $700 for a slice of Third Reich history. Amongst the 560-item auction were Nazi flags, SS runes and a gas mask case. About 20 Nazi items from World War I and II were sold on Thursday, including swastika-emblazoned flags . The auction came just days before Sunday's commemoration of the 70th anniversary of D-Day that contributed to Allied forces winning World War II. But Jewish Community Council of South Australia president Norman Schueler said auction house Mason Gray Strange should have known better than to remind survivors of the Holocaust and their families of the horrific time. 'There are various ways of looking at this. The obvious thing - but not in this case - is that people are hoarding and keeping manifestations of an evil part of world’s history,' he said. 'They cling to it and see (Nazism) as unfinished work. 'In this particular case it was literally an estate and it’s sad that someone did hoard it and everyone should realise the distress it causes. This gas mask case were part of the 560-item auction held by Mason Gray Strange in Adelaide . 'It’s particularly irresponsible of the auctioneer to profit by it, especially when the world’s biggest auction house, eBay, does not permit this stuff to be auctioned. That’s the crux of it.' It has been 70 years since World War II, but Mr Schueler said it did not lessen the effects the Nazi regime had on survivors. 'They would not realise what it meant for someone to see a SS or swastika, they cannot know what it means to the family,' he said. The Jewish community says the auction would have caused distress to survivors of the Holocaust . 'It is not only felt by Jews but a lot of Germans suffered unnecessarily because of Hitler - there were many good Germans. 'Another thing that helps demonstrate the magnitude of what happened is that not only six million Jews were lost, but there 56 million people lost because of the war that Hitler started.' Despite the controversy, Mason Gray Strange auctioneer Robert Hunkin said they had received no direct complaints from the community. SS swords and daggers sold for between $500-$700 each, and flags were sold for between $300-$500 . He said it was never the auction house's intention to offend anyone. 'I do understand the history (of the Holocaust) and am aware of it, but there was absolutely no feedback to express discuss or furore at the sale,' Mr Hunkin said. 'I am very sympathetic to the Jewish community and Mason Gray Strange had no intention of offending anyone and we regret if we have.' Mason Gray Strange said they never meant to cause offence and were deeply sympathetic to the Jews . Mr Hunkin said he had decided to go ahead with the auction because there was a demand for military memorabilia in the past. 'They were German memorabilia but in previous auctions we have had militaria from all different nationalities and they always sell very well,' he said. 'We weren’t selling it to any neo-Nazis or radicals or anything like that, they were all militaria enthusiasts.' SS swords and daggers were sold off for between $500 and $700 each and the Nazi flags went for between $300 and $500 each. | About 20 items from World War I and II were sold on Thursday in Adelaide .
The sale angered the Jewish community who said it was 'irresponsible'
The auctioneers said it was never their intention to offend anyone .
Collectors forked out between $300 to $700 to get a piece of Nazi history . |
33,216 | 5e660b9aef8bc98aac7f672f654766741d514c24 | By . Wills Robinson . Dog breeder Lisa Walsh, 47, from Barnham Broom near Norwich, is facing jail after claiming her puppies were Kennel Club registered . A dog breeder is facing jail after she admitted cheating pet owners out of more than £171,000 by claiming her puppies were Kennel Club registered and had clean health records. Lisa Walsh, 47, operated her dog breeding scam from a number of addresses, including Greenacres Farm in Tasburgh, Norfolk. Walsh, from Barnham Broom, near Norwich, duped customers into paying an average of £500 per dog, the court heard. The single mother had over £43,000 stashed in a building society account when she was arrested. Walsh also falsified paperwork declaring puppies had been inoculated against deadly diseases such as parvovirus when they had not. The health and wellbeing of dogs was an 'irrelevance' to her as she focused purely on making money out of the con, Norwich Crown Court was told. David Wilson, prosecuting on behalf of Norfolk Trading Standards, said some of the puppies bought from Walsh were vomiting and had diarrhoea when the new owners took them home. Others also suffered health problems. Walsh sold one Labrador puppy which needed a £5,000 operation on its hip and another had to be put down after it contracted parvovirus. Mr Wilson said outraged pet owners would not have gone to her in the first place if they had known the brutal truth. Walsh had denied participating in a fraudulent business between September 2009 and October 2012. But she changed her plea to guilty on the third day of what was to be a four-week trial. At an earlier hearing, Walsh admitted two allegations of fraud in making false representations that the puppies had been vaccinated. Judge Anthony Bate said trading standards officers had shown she had pocketed about £171,000. and could face jail. Walsh, of Barnham Broom, near Norwich, duped customers into paying an average £500 per dog . But he said the sentence could be suspended as she was a single parent with a child with special needs. Walsh began to cheat clients after her husband died in 2009, the court heard. Walsh also bought in litters from other sources - then claimed she bred them herself. She would also register extra puppies that did not exist to generate 'phantom' paperwork. And when Walsh did not own an adult of the same breed to show as the mother she told buyers the mothers had died giving birth. She ran her dog breeding scam from a number of addresses, including Greenacres Farm in Tasburgh near Norwich . She spun the same lie about three separate broods of West Highland Terriers and a litter of Cocker Spaniels. Norfolk Trading Standards launched an investigation after a string of complaints and Walsh was arrested in April 2012. Last night a trading standards spokesman said: 'We are pleased that Lisa Walsh has pleaded guilty to these charges. 'It is a very good outcome for what has been a long, detailed and complex investigation by our trading standards officers. 'It’s also a very good outcome for the many people who were deceived by her.' Walsh's sentencing was adjourned for reports and a date is yet to be set. She sold a number of breeds, including West Highland Terriers, left, and Cocker Spaniels, right (file pictures) Norwich Crown Court heard the health and wellbeing of the dogs was an 'irrelevance' to Mrs Walsh . | Single mother Lisa Walsh, 47, swindled money from dog owners in Norfolk .
Norwich Crown Court heard customers would pay around £500 per puppy .
Pets suffered health problems and some were put down after being sold .
Provided falsified paperwork saying animals had been inoculated .
She sold one Labrador that needed a £5,000 operation on its hip . |
11,462 | 20946cd867f196fab9c9a6c47d9e37776d6f1974 | We’re a week on now from the accident that left a cricketer dead and a sport in mourning. It’s too early to know what happens next. Emotions are raw, and the uncertainty over the dates for the Australia-India series reflected the sense that the sport had to go on – though no one could really say quite how, where or when. Playing cricket feels like an utterly inadequate response to the death of Phillip Hughes. But it also feels like the only response. There are no answers lurking within the next batch of runs or wickets. Perhaps there is a little solace. A tribute to Phillip Hughes attached to a fence of a car dealership in his hometown of Macksville . Mourners lay flowers at a tribute to Hughes in the town on New South Wales's mid-north coast . A cricket bat with the message 'R.I.P. Phil' and with green and gold ribbons attached hangs by a sports field . Cricket has stared deep into its own soul these past few days and been confused by what it has seen. Are helmets safe? Should we ban the bouncer? How can an innings end like this? The idea that reality has intruded on the idyll has been disquieting – though there has rarely been anything idyllic about standing 20 yards away from a man hurling a hard ball at you. As if to remind us that cricket can be perilous, the Hughes tragedy was followed quickly by the death of Hillel Oscar, an Israeli umpire who was struck in the neck out in the middle. Truly, the cosmos is in a dark mood. For more musings on England’s tour of Sri Lanka and other matters cricketing, please follow us on Twitter @the_topspin. What can cricket do, if it can do anything at all? It can accept, finally, that it is only a game, not a higher calling, not a test of manhood, not a cookie jar for the spivs and the suits. It can cling on to, and bottle, the sense of togetherness that might just have helped those who knew Hughes best make some sense of their loss. Without realising it, we may even have stumbled across a convincing definition of cricket’s fabled spirit. Though cricket told itself otherwise, it never was a question of whether a bowler runs out a batsman for backing up too far, or a fielder claims a catch on the bounce. Alastair Cook (right) put the game of cricket into perspective following the death of Hughes (left) Australia captain Michael Clarke wept at a press conference in Sydney when talking about his good friend . It was always about the sense of community, from Manchester via Multan to Macksville. Even as cricket sheds tears, it has grown stronger. Above all, it can help us to be kinder. When Pakistan’s Asad Shafiq was dismissed for a carefree but futile 137 on the final afternoon of the Sharjah Test on Sunday, New Zealand’s Kane Williamson ran 30 or 40 yards to shake his hand. Throughout that Test, wickets and hundreds inspired only muted celebrations. The tragic context should not distract us from the gut feeling that cricket is a better sport when it is played like this. Mutual respect can extend beyond the days of grief. Pakistan batsman Asad Shafiq hit a brilliant 137 against New Zealand in a timely reminder of cricket's spirit . A teacher watches children play cricket at the Macksville Adventist School on Tuesday . Here in Sri Lanka, we’re all doing our best to get worked up about another one-day blowout by England, but hearts are not in it. To judge from his demeanour about the place, Alastair Cook – an old hand at smiling politely in the face of vitriol – is being true to the words he spoke ahead of last Saturday’s game in Colombo. Talking on the morning after Hughes’s death, Cook said: ‘What’s happened in the last three days has certainly clarified in my mind that’s it just a game of sport. We are incredibly lucky to play the game. But it’s just a game of sport. We have a massive responsibility to play it the right way.’ Cook shouldn’t be in England’s one-day team, let alone captaining it. But he’s got his priorities right, and it’s hard not to like him for that. (Incidentally, it has been suggested that Cook used Hughes’s death as some kind of excuse for England’s performance on Saturday. He absolutely did not.) Cricket’s task, too, is to get its priorities right. It doesn’t matter enough for grown men to be snarling at each other, but it does matter enough for our administrators to get their act together. The sport needs cherishing and protecting, and it ought to start immediately. Phillip Hughes is no more. But his legacy can last for ever. THAT WAS THE WEEK THAT WAS . All hail the Kiwis… . Brendon McCullum said he felt 'pretty empty' after steering New Zealand to a famous win in Sharjah over the weekend: events elsewhere had put the third Test against Pakistan into its proper perspective. But no-one would begrudge him some quiet satisfaction about the progress his side have made. Their 1-1 draw in the UAE – in a country where both England and Australia have been thrashed – means New Zealand are unbeaten in five Test series stretching back to their loss in England in 2013. Almost as startling, they are now only a couple of points away from relegating India to seventh in the ICC rankings. Compare and contrast the raw cricketing materials at the disposal of those two nations, and you get sense of New Zealand’s achievement. They have become one of the most watchable sides in the game. The brilliant Brendon McCullum bats during New Zeland's victory against Pakistan in the UAE . … and their captain . A fair chunk of this is down to McCullum himself. This year alone, he has compiled Test scores of 224, 302 (both against India) and 202. He has done it while shifting between the middle order and the opener’s role, and while reinventing himself as a cover fielder. Gloriously, his fourth-best Test score in 2014 is 45. It may just be the most ruthless conversion-rate in history. Nothing to see here: Pt XXVIII . As the lawyers of ICC chairman N Srinivasan continue to fight for their client’s reputation in India’s Supreme Court, it was instructive to learn of Srini’s thoughts on the investigation into corruption at the 2013 IPL and the inner workings of Indian cricket. Asked if he felt this long-running fiasco had affected the image of the sport in India, the man formerly known as the president of the BCCI is reported to have said: ‘I don’t agree that Indian cricket is taking a hit, I am not able to share your sentiments on that.’ What, one wonders, constitutes a ‘hit’ in the weird and wonderful world of Narayanaswami Srinivasan? RIP Phillip Hughes . I only interviewed him once, on a quiet morning at The Oval in 2009, the day after he had made 195 for Middlesex against Surrey in the Championship. The game was still going on, and later that day Hughes would hit 57 off 46 balls. Middlesex finished nine down and two runs short of their target of 186 in 25 overs. He was the talk of the town. Phillip Hughes celebrated an outstanding century for Middlesex against Surrey at The Oval in 2009 . Hughes didn’t have to turn up early to chat to a journalist he’d never met, especially in the middle of a game. But he was there at the appointed time. English cricketers can be guilty of over-analysis. It struck me there was little danger of Hughes doing the same. ‘There’s been a fair bit of talk about my technique, but I just want to stick to my own gameplan,’ he said, as if the alternative would have been an affront. ‘It’s how I play. Everyone has their own style and that’s something I just want to keep going. Sure, bowlers will have their plans, but you can look at it in two different ways: I have my plans too. We’ll just go from there.’ In five innings for Middlesex that summer before he joined the Ashes tour, Hughes scored 574 runs at an average of 143. People were scoffing at his technique, but he did it his way and appeared to love every minute. There’s a lesson in there somewhere. | Phillip Hughes died after being struck by a bouncer one week ago .
Australia and India series has been delayed with Hughes' funeral this week .
Tragedy should remind everyone of the true spirit of cricket .
England captain Alastair Cook best summed up the right attitude .
Administrators must get their act together and protect the game . |
69,887 | c623e4914c04811d354fa137e3bf7a00980ef7d7 | (CNN) -- The presidential face off on foreign policy between President Barack Obama and his Republican rival Mitt Romney was geared to sway U.S. voters, but at points on the globe that the candidates argued over -- from Libya to Pakistan to China -- netizens, analysts and activists tuned in and weighed in. China . After weeks of tough talk about China, the candidates made little mention of the growing superpower. Netizens in China did not seem to take sides but instead used the debate to banter about the relationship with the United States. "Whoever the winner, they are still all scoundrels and will not benefit China in any way," a tweet by @SiShiSiNianDeSi read on China's Weibo social network. Five things we learned from the final debate . "China only factors into a small part of the debate. From these bits and pieces, any conclusions you draw is like that of a blind man feeling out an elephant," said another post by @YouYiSuiYi. China's state news agency used the occasion to admonish whomever may become president to "tone down his get-tough-on-China rhetoric made along the campaign trail" and deal realistically with "China's inevitable rise." Which candidate is elected seemed only to make a slight difference to China to analyst Wang Feng, director of the Brookings-Tsinghua Center in Beijing. "Yes and no," he said, when asked if there were significant differences in the candidates' stances as concerns China. "Both candidates, they made it clear that they want to treat China as a partner and that they want China to play by the rules," Wang said. But Romney's negative rhetoric stuck out, particularly that "he'll designate China as a currency manipulator," Wang said. CNN Fact Check: Obama ccuses Romney of criticiaing his handling of China tire case . He found Romney's idea that China could not enter into a trade war with the United States as a reaction to tough measures from Washington because of the already existing trade imbalance "a very simple calculation." "The decisions to be made in Beijing here will not only be based on the trade volumes but on domestic political concerns," he said. But Wang advised that keeping up pressure on China about trade issues has been effective, particularly in the area of copyright. "People start to use copyrighted materials, and people started to pay more and more respect to intellectual property," he said. Calls by the U.S. and international agencies to do so have "certainly played a role." Obama wins final debate, but does it matter? Afghanistan and Pakistan . In Pakistan, Romney's comments on the country's nuclear weapons program raised some ire. "Pakistan and the U.S. have an old friendship, and it's disappointing to hear that Mitt Romney brought this relationship down to one that is purely based on Pakistan being a country with 100 nuclear warheads and counting," said Naveed Chaudhry, an aide to President Asif Ali Zardari. Chaudhry said he wishes the United States would recognize what Pakistan has done for the war on terror. Raza Rumi, director of the the think tank the Jinnah Institute, said it does not much matter who is president. CNN Fact Check: Romney, Obama and Iraq . "Both candidates made reference to drone strikes and said they would continue," he said. "Pakistani public opinion is really swelling against the drone strikes." Rumi was also disappointed there was no mention of a long-term strategy towards Afghanistan and Pakistan. "I can understand at the moment the American public wants the government to exit from Afghanistan, but surely there should be a strategy for that, because we have suffered once in the 1990s with that void, when Afghanistan was left (by the Soviets)." Tweets out of Kabul, Afghanistan, indicated that viewers there felt left out of the debate. "So who won the debate today? I know who lost. Afghans. Little mention of war, except for w/drawal. Differences not so different from e/o," tweeted someone who went by the name Subel. Another tweeter, Musa Mahmodi, wrote: "Watched the US presidential debate, nothing new on Afghanistan, they both do not seem understand this country." Libya . The port city of eastern Benghazi wants four more years Obama, one blogger said, who stayed up until 4:30 a.m. local time to watch the Monday night debate. Although the candidates did not slug it out over the deadly September attack on the U.S. embassy in the city, Ruwida Ashour felt Romney disregarded the progress in her country. Ashour already stood behind Obama, and nothing his challenger said changed her mind. CNN Fact Check: Comparing costs of Iraq, Libya missions . She believes Obama has brought more stability to the Middle East. "I'm just not sure what Romney will do." "He said Libya is just six million people, and we have to take care of Egypt," which is much larger, she complained. As concerns Egypt, she said Romney misjudged the election victories by the Islamic party, the Muslim Brotherhood, as being a bad thing. "It was the people's choice," Ashour said. She also found Romney's plans to stop terror attacks "unrealistic," saying that the issue was too complex to solve comprehensively. Israel and Iran . Both candidates pledged to stand by Israel in the event of an attack by Iran. Between the two of them, Obama and Romney mentioned Iran 47 times. In one of the debate's notable zings, Romney pointed out that Obama did not visit Israel as president and left it out on a trip through the region. CNN Fact Check: Is al Qaeda's core decimated or is group growing? This got noticed in Israel, said CNN's Sara Sidner. There is some tension between Obama and Israeli Pesident Benjamin Netanyahu over how to handle Iran. But the two nations over the weekend kicked off a large military exercise, reiterating America's unbending support for the Jewish state. Policy towards Israel in the past has not changed much from one president to the next, Sidner said. There has not been much public reaction to the debate, which occurred in the middle of the night Israeli time. The Iranian press has reported on the debate, but so far has not come out with criticism towards anything the candidates said. Read a transcript of the debate . CNN's Jonathan Mann and journalist Saima Mohsin contributed to this report. | Netizens and analysts around the world weigh in on the debate .
Libyans seem thankful to Obama for what they have .
China wants respect as an economic power .
Pakistanis and Afghans feel their concerns were not addressed . |
158,231 | 5895b3115003cfaad26192acbeb748b6c393c811 | Rio Ferdinand will not replace Clint Hill as QPR captain when he joins the Loftus Road club. Ferdinand is finalising his move to west London and is expected to sign soon. The former Manchester United and England captain is close to agreeing a one-year deal with QPR after leaving Old Trafford at the end of last season. Go west: Rio Ferdinand is set to join QPR after leaving Manchester United . New chapter: Ferdinand is set to move back to London and join the promoted club . The move will see him reunited with Harry Redknapp, for whom he first signed as a schoolboy when he joined West Ham 21 years ago. And Redknapp said: ‘It’s a terrific deal. Rio will be a great player for us with his knowledge and his experience of the game.’ But despite his experience at the top of the game, Redknapp will not make him captain. It is understood Clint Hill will have that honour. VIDEO QPR close in on centre backs . | Ferdinand finalising his move to Queens Park Rangers .
Switch would see him reunited with his ex-West Ham boss Harry Redknapp .
Ferdinand left Manchester United in the summer after 12 years at club . |
133,742 | 38f02fa3621f938c8aa68482a79ecf72c47ca936 | Messages of support for stricken cricketer Phil Hughes have been pouring in from all over the world but none have been as widely shared as a message from Harry Styles. The One Direction singer sent a tweet sending 'love' to the 25-year-old, which has since been favourited more than 100,000 times and retweeted more than 55,000 times. Styles, 20, was joined by prominent Australian athletes from other sports as well as top international cricketers in his message of support for Hughes following the shocking injuries he sustained after suffering a blow to the head from a cricket ball at the Sydney Cricket Ground on Tuesday. Scroll down for video . One Direction singer Harry Styles (right) tweeted a message of support for cricketer Phil Hughes (left) The tweet has been widely shared, receiving more than 100,000 favourites and 55,000 retweets . The pop star, who is in Australia with his One Direction bandmates following an appearance at the ARIA Awards on Wednesday, wrote: 'Heard the news about Phil Hughes. Thinking of you brother. All the love.' Styles is from Redditch in Worcestershire, south of Birmingham in the UK, where Hughes played a season of county cricket in 2012. Hughes – who remains in critical condition at St Vincent's hospital in inner-city Sydney - is well-known in the UK county cricket community, having played in Worcestershire, Middlesex and Hampshire. The shocking incident, in which led doctors to perform emergency brain surgery on Hughes to reduce swelling on his brain, has significantly affected the international cricket community. England Captain Alistair Cook said the team's thoughts and prayers were with Phillip. 'It's taken us all with a lot of shock and we're quite disturbed by it,' he told the BBC. 'It's a really damp atmosphere in our change room at the moment. Hopefully he'll pull through.' Hughes sustained shocking injuries after suffering a blow to the head from a cricket ball on Tuesday . He was taken from the at the Sydney Cricket Ground to St Vincent's Hospital, where he is in a critical condition . Harry Styles performs on stage during the 28th Annual ARIA Awards 2014 at the Star on Wednesday . Styles is in Australia with his One Direction bandmates following their appearance at the awards show . Some of cricket's greatest ever players tweeted shared of support including Sachin Tendulkar, Viv Richards and Ian Botham along with recently retired English cricketers Andrew Flintoff and Michael Vaughan and South African players AB de Villiers and JP Duminy. Australian athletes including cricket star Shane Warne, footballer Tim Cahill and Wallabies players Israel Folau and Quade Cooper tweeted about their hope that Hughes makes a recovery. Australian music legend Molly Meldrum also drew attention to Hughes' fight during his speech to mark his induction to the ARIA Hall of Fame at Wednesday night's ceremony. 'On behalf of us all here who love music and love cricket. To Philip Hughes,' Meldrum told the audience, fighting back tears. 'Our prayers - believe me from everyone here - are with you and certainly your family. 'Godspeed to a recovery'.' Devastated friends of Phil Hughes have been seen coming in and out of the hospital where the fallen cricketer is receiving treatment. Australian cricket captain Michael Clarke, Steve Smith, Brad Haddin, Brett Lee and Shane Watson visited Hughes last night as his family continue to stay by his hospital bedside, awaiting any changes in his condition . Australian music legend Molly Meldrum also drew attention to Hughes' fight during his speech to mark his induction to the ARIA Hall of Fame . Meldrum fought back tears as he wished for a speedy recovery for 25-year-old Hughes . Wearing sunglasses, a checked shirt and baseball cap, Clarke made his way quietly into the hospital at 6.20am this morning. An hour and a half later Clarke was still there with Hughes' family. An update on the cricketer's condition is expected in the next few hours. At 8am Clarke was joined by former Australian opening batsman, Justin Langer, and former Wallaby player and now General Manager of Team Performance for the Australian Cricket, Pat Howard. The three sat in the hospital cafe drinking coffee. Earlier in the week Langer had said he was 'too upset to talk' about Hughes, and for the most part sat grim-faced at the table, while Howard tried hard to keep everyone's spirits up. Matthew Wade and Aaron Finch were also seen arriving at the hospital. Clarke was the first of Phillip Hughes' teammates to show up at St Vincent's hospital on Thursday to visit the stricken cricketer. More of Hughes' teammates are expected to visit the player and his family in the course of the day. | One Direction singer's tweet has been shared thousands of times .
Harry Styles sent a message of support to cricketer Phil Hughes .
Hughes is in critical condition after suffering a blow to the head from a cricket ball at the Sydney Cricket Ground on Tuesday .
Styles is from a county in the UK where Hughes played cricket in 2012 .
Australian and international athletes have also given messages of support . |
219,927 | a8a9dc21db507dbb0aad0082f2fac1e1ef44a41b | Skype users soon will be able to expand the list of people they can connect with, says Microsoft, owner of the popular Web-chat tool. Still in its early stages of development, Skype Translator, as it's being called for now, will provide voice and text language translation for calls between people speaking different languages. Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella and Gurdeep Pall, the vice president in charge of Skype, demonstrated the technology Tuesday night in California at the Code Conference, sponsored by tech-news site Re/Code. "It is going to make sure you can communicate with anybody without language barriers," Nadella said at the gathering in suburban Los Angeles. "In fact, it's the most human of things." At the demo, Pall, speaking English, and a colleague speaking German conducted a Skype video call. There were a couple of instances when the voice and text translation mixed up minor parts of a sentence, but overall it appeared to be spot on. The conversation was no simple "Hello, how are you?" either. It centered on Pall's plans to move to London and included the names of streets and neighborhoods in that city as well as discussion of his colleague's visits to Microsoft's headquarters in Redmond, Washington. The two would speak, then wait while the program translated what was just said. "It is early days for this technology, but the 'Star Trek' vision for a Universal Translator isn't a galaxy away, and its potential is every bit as exciting as those 'Star Trek' examples," Pall said in a blog post. "Skype Translator opens up so many possibilities to make meaningful connections in ways you never could before in education, diplomacy, multilingual families and in business." After a short delay, the system posts one user's translated comments as text onscreen to the other user while a synthetic voice speaks them aloud. Pall said Skype Translator will be available first as a Windows 8 beta app by the end of this year. Microsoft purchased London-based Skype, which has 300 million monthly users, in 2011. But Nadella said the translation technology the program uses has been in development at Microsoft for 15 years. And, in another development straight out of science fiction, he said the current version is surprising even its creators. "Say you teach it English. It learns English," he said. "Then you teach it Mandarin. It learns Mandarin, but it becomes better at English. And then you teach it Spanish. It gets good at Spanish, but it gets great at both Mandarin and English -- and, quite frankly, none of us know exactly why. "It's brain-like in the sense of its capability to learn. It's magical." | The heads of Microsoft and Skype show off a new language-translation tool .
Skype Translator lets speakers of different languages communicate with each other .
Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella says the project is in its early stages .
A beta version is expected out by the end of the year . |
226,414 | b12ad1d6e014033df4f340eaa70b7bb1936d82fa | By . Ross Slater . Last updated at 11:37 PM on 10th December 2011 . Crazy: Paulo Franco outside the Fyffes factory in Coventry where he claims he was asked to leave his job after complaining that he couldn't communicate with his Polish staff . A supervisor at Britain’s biggest banana-packing factory claims he was forced out of his job after complaining that he was unable to communicate with his mainly Polish staff. Paulo Franco says it was virtually impossible to work at the Fyffes plant in Coventry without being able to speak Polish. Key meetings and training sessions were all conducted in the language, he alleges. He claims that when he tried to speak to workers in English, they would simply tell him to learn Polish. An English colleague even downloaded a language translation app on to his mobile phone so that he could do his job. Mr Franco, 37, was shocked to discover the language gap shortly after starting at the factory last month. ‘I . couldn’t believe what was happening,’ said Portuguese-born Mr Franco, . who came to Britain in 2000 and is a fluent English speaker. ‘All the supervisors were Polish apart from me and one Englishman. And of 300 packers, almost all of them were Polish. ‘I speak four languages – Portuguese, English, French and Spanish – but none helped. I was told if I wanted to get on, I should learn Polish. It’s crazy. I spent nine years studying English, yet here in England it’s Polish I need to speak.’ Barriers: Mr Franco alleges that when he tried to speak to his subordinates at the banana-packing factory (above) in English, they would simply insist he speak to them in Polish . Mr Franco, an experienced factory line manager, was taken on by Fyffes for the £9.23-an-hour job after making contact via the Staffline recruitment agency. He had a 30-minute interview with Fyffes director Mike Cartledge, but Mr Franco says he was not warned he would need to understand Polish. ‘He told me he wanted new guys with experience to improve things,’ said Mr Franco. ‘When I got to the factory floor, I found the language used was Polish. The supervisor in charge of the training had very poor English so he gave instructions in Polish. ‘I was in charge of 18 packers on my . line: one Russian, the rest were Polish. They’d look at me blankly when I . spoke and say they didn’t understand me. ‘It was an impossible job. I wanted to . change some practices in the factory but without Polish I couldn’t . attempt to change anything. The packers would laugh and say, “Learn . Polish, mate.” ’ Paulo Franco . Mr Franco, who lives in Coventry with his Portuguese girlfriend, complained to Mr Cartledge in a letter two weeks ago. He wrote: ‘All the training has been provided in a low level of English, causing misinterpretations, and most of the line workers do not understand the basic instructions. At meetings, Polish replaces English, causing communication breakdowns.’ After sending the letter, he was told he had a ‘chip on his shoulder’ and was later asked to leave his job. He has since filed a grievance procedure against Fyffes and Staffline alleging harassment and unequal treatment. Mr Franco said: ‘I’ve nothing against Polish people but I’m sad to see this happen in a great country like England. I don’t know why English people tolerate situations like this. 'They’ll lose their identity if something isn’t done. Poles are guests in this country and should learn the language.’ An English supervisor at Fyffes, who did not want to be named, resorted to downloading the translation app to understand Polish words. He explained: ‘I didn’t know what my staff were saying.’ Another quality controller at the factory, which packs ten million bananas a week, said: ‘The senior management is all English but on the factory floor you have to speak Polish if you want to know what’s going on.’ Fyffes brand manager Paul Barrett said: ‘Our staff need a minimum standard of English and are tested before they start. But you will never change the fact that people prefer their native tongue. You can’t ban people speaking in their own language.’ Forza AW (pictured), a meat-packing firm in Norfolk, caused an outcry last year after it was found to be conducting health-and-safety training in Polish . He added: ‘Paulo raised these issues with us and we were carrying out our own assessment. He became agitated about his interpretation of what was happening. We got back on to the agency to say it was not working out.’ Fyffes has been importing tropical fruit for 123 years. It has 20 sites globally, including five in Britain. Last year, The Mail on Sunday revealed that Forza AW, a meat-packing firm in Norfolk, effectively barred non-Poles from jobs by conducting health-and-safety training in Polish. Think-tank Migration Watch says Poles constitute three-quarters of the estimated 800,000 migrants who have arrived in Britain from former Eastern Bloc countries since their admission to the EU in 2004. | Meetings and training sessions 'all conducted in Polish'
Paulo Franco 'told to quit' after complaining to bosses . |
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