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7,984 | 169490707a09596e092e04d19186791e31b5e7de | A stray kitten who lost her right front paw in a mousetrap while looking for food has been adopted by new owners. The tiny black and white cat was almost killed by her curiosity when the trap slammed shut on her leg and left her facing an agonising and slow death. But luckily a passer-by heard her faint cries coming from a garden in Lewknor, Oxfordshire, and took her to a local pet charity. Staff named her Babybel after the small cheese and sent her to an animal hospital in London where vets performed the amputation. Scroll down for video . Home sweet home: Babybel the kitten relaxing on the sofa in her new home in Thame, Oxfordshire . Babybel not long after the operation to remove her front paw, an operation that undoubtedly saved her life . Fearless: Babybel lost her leg when looking for food and getting it caught in a mousetrap . Despite having only three legs, Babybel is fearless say her new owners and 'jumps around like a rabbit' Cristina Bull, a veterinary surgeon at the charity, said that the trap had caused irreversible neurological damage which, along with an infection to the wound, had prompted the amputation. She said: 'Babybel was very lucky she was found otherwise she wouldn't have survived much longer.' She was then taken in by the Blue Cross animal rescue charity who feared her injury would prevent her from finding a new home. But Babybel can now look forward to a life of comfort after being adopted by animal lover Tasha Henderson who wanted a friend for her four-year-old cat George. Despite losing a front paw in a mousetrap Babybel is not afraid of the devices and still loves running around . Babybel has all the comforts she could possibly want in her new home in Thame, Oxfordshire . Tasha, 37, mother to three-year-old son Albie, said that the cat was 'fearless' despite her traumatic ordeal - and still loves to nibble on a piece of cheese. Tasha, who lives with her husband Adrian, 40, in Thame, Oxon, said: 'We wanted to get a kitten and had been on the list at Blue Cross for three months. Tasha Henderson had been on the Blue Cross waiting list for three months when she saw Babybel . 'Then we saw the pictures of her and thought she was adorable. 'We've had her a couple of weeks now and she's absolutely mad. she jumps all over the place like a rabbit. 'She is totally fearless and after what happened she isn't scared of anything. She will even eat cheese.' Blue Cross has cared for over 40,000 sick, injured and homeless pets every year since it opened the world's first animal hospital in 1906. Babybel explores her new home and has some crunchy treats to eat to keep her strength up . 'We've had her a couple of weeks now and she's absolutely mad. she jumps all over the place like a rabbit,' says Babybel's new owners . | Kitten got paw caught in trap while looking for food in Oxfordshire garden .
Blue Cross vets feared cat, named Babybel, would never be re-homed .
Adopted by animal lover Tasha Henderson as friend for her cat George, 4 .
Despite having three legs, Babybel 'jumps all over the place like a rabbit' |
32,092 | 5b5be6c8bb3dbffca997b3ec25cf510434404d7f | New Orleans, Louisiana (CNN) -- The lengthy documents they initially were asked to sign used language even a native English speaker would struggle to understand. The Vietnamese interpreters BP first brought in for safety and cleanup training stirred painful memories and suspicions because they spoke to the elders with a North Vietnamese dialect and used what some described as "Communist terminology." The closings of fishing areas have been announced on radio stations these fishermen don't follow, so some have piloted their boats where they shouldn't, which means tickets from the Coast Guard keep coming. For the Vietnamese-Americans living in the Gulf Coast region, the oil disaster is especially complicated. It's made murky by language barriers, cultural misunderstandings and a history of challenges that have shaped them for more than half a century. Their ties to seafood run deep and wide. A third of all fishermen in the Gulf are Vietnamese, making them arguably the most affected minority out there. More than 24,000 people of Vietnamese origin live in Louisiana, according to the last completed census. About 6,000 live within a two-mile radius in the neighborhood of New Orleans East -- distinguishing it, the area's priest says, as the greatest concentration of Vietnamese people outside of Vietnam. In the rectory of Mary Queen of Vietnam Church, the Rev. Vien Nguyen sits in front of an altar to his ancestors and his Catholic faith. Religious texts in English and his native tongue fill the high shelves around him, as do books bearing titles like "Freshwater Crayfish Aquaculture," "The Evolution of Cajun & Creole Cuisine" and Franz Kafka's "The Trial." Here, he introduces some of the Kafkaesque oil-disaster trials facing his own people. He talks about their distrust of lawyers -- "sharks," he calls them -- who've come in from out of state, circling them with promises and confusing papers. He mentions the mental health concerns -- depression, lack of sleep, tensions in homes -- that need to be addressed, a task made difficult by an absence of Vietnamese-speaking therapists in a community that still stigmatizes admissions of emotional trouble. He worries about the lack of job training and opportunities for a people who've worked in an industry that may suffer for God knows how long. "These are proud, active people who contribute to their own livelihood, and now they have to be in lines," asking for handouts, he says. "It is a devastating blow." About 80 percent of Vietnamese-Americans in the Gulf region are connected to the seafood industry through jobs that include fishing, shucking oysters, packing shrimp, and running stores and restaurants, the priest and others say. The work they do is something many brought with them from fishing villages in their native land, a place most of them fled as "boat people" after the 1975 fall of Saigon and the end of the Vietnam War. That departure was for many the second time they'd become refugees. They'd already uprooted themselves and started over with nothing in 1954, when their country divided into North and South and they, as the Catholic minority living in Vietnam, ran from the Communist rule that took over the North. The former Archbishop Philip Hannan of the Archdiocese of New Orleans reached out to them in refugee camps in America, inviting them to call his home theirs. So they came here in the '70s and '80s with the help of Catholic Charities and, over the next 30 years, reinvented their lives once more -- in a climate reminiscent of the country they'd left behind. They worked hard in a familiar industry that didn't require them to master English, often leaving their children to be cared for by older siblings and relatives so they could put in long days. They created a self-reliant community where their own local businesses thrived. They planted acres of vegetable gardens along levees, incorporating the agricultural roots of their ancestors. Today, people wearing the traditional conical straw hats stoop in their cultivated yards or walk along streets with names like Saigon Drive. A trailer, lined with coolers of freshly caught shrimp for sale at hiked-up prices, is parked in front of a strip mall that includes Tram Anh Video, Kim Tram Jewelry and Tien Pharmacy. Hurricane Katrina five years ago marked the third time they lost everything and had to start over. But it was also the storm that gave them a voice. The documentary "A Village Called Versailles" -- a reference to the public housing project where they first settled -- debuted on PBS last month. It chronicles how the Vietnamese-Americans living in New Orleans East galvanized after Katrina, making theirs among the first neighborhoods to rebuild. Grass-roots organizers established agencies to fight for assistance and empower people, including one for youth called the Vietnamese American Young Leaders Association of New Orleans (VAYLA-NO). The church, which began holding Mass just six weeks after the floodwaters destroyed what they'd created, became a staging ground for construction help and community meals. Health clinics sprouted up, as did a new charter school. And collectively, they protested a planned 90-foot-high landfill of hurricane debris on their neighborhood's edge, shutting down a move by the city government that they'd never confronted en masse before. A few years later, in 2008, they'd help elect the nation's first Vietnamese-American congressman, Louisiana Republican Anh "Joseph" Cao. The next challenge: oil . Over a bowl of homemade pho, a Vietnamese beef noodle soup, Tuan Nguyen provides a glimpse into how the community is mobilizing to face its newest challenge. He's the 30-year-old deputy director of the Mary Queen of Vietnam Community Development Corporation (MQVN CDC), established after Katrina, and serves on the rapid response team created by Cao after the oil disaster. Along with others on the team, he's been crisscrossing the region, meeting with fishermen and others -- not just Vietnamese -- to assess their needs, gather testimonies, answer questions and advocate on their behalf. They've succeeded in gaining the ear of a BP official, Larry Thomas, who among other things has approved the hiring of qualified and trained bilingual interpreters. "We had never been exposed to the Vietnamese community," says Thomas, the BP manager of government and public affairs for the lower 48 states and the Gulf of Mexico. "Clearly, it's a tight-knit community, and it's been a steep learning curve for us. The interaction has been great." Even with all he knows about navigating the system and securing whatever assistance is available, whether that's food stamps or BP claim dollars, Nguyen can't persuade some of his own relatives to get the help they so desperately need. "One of my wife's uncles is a very proud man. He's a deckhand. I told him to come in and talk about services," Nguyen says. "He said, 'I can't stand in line. What if someone sees me?' " While his wife's uncle won't accept assistance, others in the state have driven hours to get simple answers to questions from agencies like the MQVN CDC. The hope, Nguyen and others say, is that grass-roots organizations will sprout up elsewhere to help meet the growing and often different community needs. One such organization has already been formed in Biloxi, Mississippi, an area that is home to about 5,000 Vietnamese-Americans. The Mississippi Coalition of Vietnamese American Fisherfolk and Families, led by volunteers, is hoping to step in where the New Orleans organizations logistically can't. Celina Tran, 36, is working full-time -- on top of her real estate broker job -- to help wherever she can. She's accompanying people to the BP claims office. She's meeting with fisherfolk to discuss their concerns and recognizes with frustration how unqualified she is to talk to them about fights in their marriages. She's sending testimonials to the state judiciary, in an attempt to force Mississippi to expand assistance opportunities. And all the while, she's worrying about what the future holds. She sees families falling behind on mortgages -- for their homes and their boats. At about $1 million a pop, many of the big Biloxi vessels require payments of $10,000 to $15,000 a month. The up to $5,000 a month that BP is paying out to captains and boat owners is of little comfort to them, especially when there are home mortgages, too, college tuition payments and more. "They've been doing this for 45 years, 50 years of their life. They've relied on each other," Tran says. "If this drags out, it will only get worse." Nearly 180 miles away, back over the Louisiana state line, Ngoc Nguyen is racing around with her clipboard. She and her husband own St. Vincent Seafood in Leeville, a small fishing community. It's a business they took over from her father-in-law, who's standing around the dock in his "Luck of the Irish" T-shirt. The shrimp being unloaded off their boat amounts to a third of what they usually bring in, says Nguyen, 27. It was out for two months, but given water closures imposed because of the oil disaster, access to shrimp was limited. "There's nothing else we can do," she says, refusing to ponder what the family's alternative would be if life doesn't get back to normal, and soon. "We've never invested in anything else. It's all seafood." But Rep. Cao holds out hope that the Vietnamese community in the Gulf will pull through -- because it always has. "We are resilient people. We are survivors," he says. "It's an obstacle in life, and we will overcome it. And we will emerge stronger." | Language and cultural barriers, troubled history complicate oil disaster for Vietnamese .
Seafood industry is lifeline for 80 percent of Vietnamese living in the Gulf region .
Starting over not new for people who came here as refugees and rebuilt after Katrina .
Congressman Anh "Joseph" Cao: "We are resilient people. We are survivors." |
209,467 | 9b3d8d74737086ec057e734bd8ea543397bfb30e | An 111-year-old from Japan has become the world's oldest man after the death of American Alexander Imich earlier this week. Mr Imich, formerly the world's oldest man, died on June 8 at his home in Manhattan, New York, US, aged 111. Now Sakari Momoi, who was born just one day after Mr Imich on February 5, 1903, has been awarded the title. Sakari Momoi, who was born on 5 February 1903 in Fukushima City, Japan, has been named as the world's oldest man, at age 111 . Great-grandfather Mr Momoi was born in Fukushima city and later moved to Saitama City, where he has spent his life serving his community. In July last year, Mr Momoi, who served as the Chamber of Commerce executive director in his home of Yono, became Japan's oldest living man, after the death of Jokichi Ikarashi, who was 111. He was today confirmed as the world's oldest man, after the death of Mr Imich, a retired chemist and parapsychologist, who had held the title since May 8. Karen Bogen, of Providence, the neice of Mr Imich, said she had visited her uncle the day before his death with her sister and several of his close friends. Mr Imich attributed his longevity to good genetics, proper nutrition and exercise and the fact that he and his wife did not have children, said Ms Bogen. Mr Momoi, pictured left, was given the title after the death of Alexander Imich, pictured right, formerly the world's oldest man, who died on June 8 at his home in Manhattan, New York, US, aged 111 . Michael Mannion, a longtime friend, . said Mr Imich's 'enormous curiosity and ability to turn even great . adversity into something positive were important factors in his long . life'. At . the age of 93, Mr Imich enrolled for three years at the IM School of . Healing Arts, a school that offers programmes in self-awareness and . hands-on healing, 'because he wanted to learn more about love', said Mr . Mannion. Mr Imich detailed the work of a Polish medium known as Matylda S in his book Incredible Tales Of The Paranormal, which was published in 1995 when he was 92. Mr Imich was born in 1903 in a town in Poland that was then part of Russia. He and his wife fled after the Nazis invaded in 1939. They moved to Connecticut, US in 1951. He then moved to New York after his wife's death in 1986. He began requiring round-the-clock help only in the last few months but declined markedly in the last two weeks, unable to recognise those around him, Ms Bogen said. Mr Imich listed some other possible reasons for his lifespan.They included not having children, participating in athletics, and abstaining from alcohol. Though Imich may have been the world's oldest living man, there are 66 women in the world older than him, according to the Gerontology Research Group's data. The world's oldest person is a woman, 116-year-old Misao Okawa, from Japan. | Sakari Momoi, from Japan, is named as the world's oldest man, aged 111 .
It comes after the death of Alexander Imich, also 111, from Manhattan, US .
Mr Momoi was born on February 5, 1903 - just one day after Mr Imich . |
25,705 | 48d25e81f31a50857c1698d08d4e059365220671 | While traditionally hotels offering "day rates" conjure up seedy, by-the-hour hovels reserved exclusively for illicit trysts, the last couple of years have seen a rash of upmarket accommodations adopting the practice. According to many in the hospitality industry, day-rate rooms are more likely to be used for business and tourism purposes than they are romantic ones. Just behind world-famous department store Harrods sits one of London's most exclusive hotels. The Beaufort may be the only accommodation in the city with unlimited complimentary cream tea and an open bar (guests can guzzle all the champagne they can muster, free of charge). It can afford these amenities because the room rates start at £170 ($270) per night. "The Beaufort is actually a very exclusive boutique hotel," explains Nassar Khalil, the director of sales and marketing. "We cater to a unique set of people because our price bracket is such. It's not just for any Jack and Jill." And it's not the type of place you'd expect would offer discounted day rates. Yet it is one of hundreds of high-end hotels that have started doing so in the last year. Khalil reckons that since implementing these mini-stays, The Beaufort has seen a 10% increase in occupancy. "Most of the time, it's for business guests," says Khalil. "Many of them might have an early meeting, and they want a place to get themselves ready and have a shower. "Others have a late flight, and they want some place to leave their bag, and maybe have a drink at the bar or have some tea before heading to the airport." See also: Airports' tiniest sleep spaces . The boutique Town Hall Hotel, also in London, has also seen an increase in its revenue after partnering with dayuse-hotels.com, an online reservation service that lists day rates offered by high-end hotels. Michael Benjamins, the senior sales manager at the Town Hall Hotel, estimates that in the year since they started taking day bookings they've generated an extra £10,000 ($15,880) in revenue. "Usually, between 11am and 5pm our guestrooms are empty," explains Benjamins. "Now, if we have one guest that wants to come for the day, and another who has a late check-in, we can use that room twice," he adds. If the hotel was situated closer to an airport, Benjamins reckons that the hotel's revenue would be substantially higher due to the demand from business travelers. Dayuse-hotels.com was the brainchild of David Lebée and Thibaud d'Agrèves, both of whom worked at the Hotel L'Amour in Paris. The hotel is particularly popular with touring artists and musicians. Often, the guests would ask about renting a room for a few hours, just for a place to relax before a performance. Lebée and d'Agrèves recognised that there was a gap in the market, and the idea for dayuse-hotels was born. Though originally it was strictly a Parisian company, dayuse-hotels.com has since become global, and today is partnered with 350 hotels in nine different countries, including the four-star Flatiron Hotel in New York, and the designer Hotel the Gray in Milan. While d'Agrèves purports that many of the site's users are indeed interested in the rooms for business reasons, the layout of the homepage says otherwise. Categories at the bottom include "affair," "infidelity," "cheating," "love hotel," and -- for the narcoleptic -- "nap." "In Paris, it is more used for romantic reasons," admits d'Agrèves. "It's just a much more touristic city; people don't visit Paris for business. "In London and New York, it's different. Because our economy is so terrible, you'll see French businessmen coming to London for the day just to open a bank account. They need a room just for chilling, a rest, and a quick nap. Then they take the train back to Paris." D'Agrèves sees the trend expanding, especially as dayuse-hotels.com is working on rolling out themed packages designed to pull in a more specialised clientele. Examples include fitness- or gastronomy-themed bundles that will lure in foodies and health gurus, and could ultimately transform the way day rates are perceived. Benjamins notes that while day rates have become more mainstream, they are not new to the luxury hotel market. "There's always been a demand for it, but hotels have kept it really quiet," he notes. He's delighted that dayuse-hotels.com has created a platform for high-end day rates. "It's given us an incremental revenue we would not have otherwise have," he says. "You can't say no to that, especially in this economy." | Top hotels such as The Beaufort in London have started offering rooms for a few hours .
Day rooms not just for illicit trysts .
Business travelers preparing for meetings drive demand for "day rates" |
156,365 | 56249979615fb9efdba554ab4d301d6e7dab4a14 | Rio Ferdinand might struggle to convince the majority of coaches in modern elite sport that banning chips the night before a game amounted to a catastrophic error of judgment. But in his new autobiography the former Manchester United defender presents an aversion to deep fried potatoes as one of a number of reasons why David Moyes failed to last beyond 10 months as the successor to Sir Alex Ferguson. Some might point to Ferdinand as one of a number of senior players who happened to be past their best when Moyes took charge at Old Trafford in July last year. There is no denying Moyes was presented with a huge rebuilding job that is only now being addressed by Louis van Gaal with a massive transfer outlay approaching £200million. You can like our Manchester United Facebook page here . Rio Ferdinand (right) says that playing under David Moyes (left) at Manchester United was embarrassing . Rio Ferdinand (right) returned to Old Trafford to face Manchester United with Queens Park Rangers . Ferdinand and Manchester United struggled for form under David Moyes' management last season . Moyes would not deny he made mistakes either. Indeed he admitted as much in the interview he gave to Sportsmail; the first since his brutal dismissal on April 22. But Ferdinand gives his own, fairly detailed view of the Moyes tenure in the book, #2Sides, being serialised in The Sun. The 35-year-old defender, who moved to QPR during the summer, does recognise that Moyes was ‘unlucky’. He also says he could not fault his desire to succeed. ‘He was a genuine guy and no one could have worked harder,’ he writes. But Ferdinand thought Moyes made a number of key mistakes, among them the banning of what had long been part of a traditional pre-match meal. He said it was ‘a ritual’ to have ‘low-fat chips the night before a game’. Ferdinand said the United players ‘loved’ their chips but within a week of becoming manager Moyes had banned them ‘for no good reason’. ‘All the lads were p****d off,’ complains Ferdinand. He says the moment Moyes left and Ryan Giggs took temporary charge, chips returned to the menu. Moyes believed in going for a pre-match team walk. Ferdinand said this was anathema to the players. ‘When lots of little things start changing its destabilising,’ he said. Manchester United struggled under Moyes and failed to qualify for the Champions League, finishing seventh . Rio Ferdinand (left) has slammed David Moyes for the Scot's reign as manager of Manchester United . In his interview with Sportsmail, Moyes accepted that in hindsight he might have taken ‘a slightly different approach’. At the same time he conceded methods that proved successful at Everton perhaps did not work as well at United. But he insisted he did not go in and make wholesale changes. ‘I didn’t want to change anything immediately,’ he said last month. ‘I wanted to take my time working out what I thought was needed.’ He felt he was ‘not given time to succeed or fail’, but praised the players for their work ethic. ‘They were fantastic,’ he said. Ferdinand is not quite so generous towards Moyes, claiming there was a lack of clarity when it came to tactics and a lack of appreciation of what it meant to be part of United. He recalls a training session Moyes held in a public part of Munich ahead of a Champions League game at Bayern. Ferdinand said it was ‘bizarre’ to practise set-pieces in front of members of the public who began filming the session. ‘It was amateurish,’ writes Ferdinand. ‘I mean, why not just send Bayern an email or a DVD.’ Ferdinand reveals how Moyes then told him he would not be playing against the Germans ‘in front of everybody’. ‘It was probably the worst single moment I had at United,’ he recalls. ‘It killed me. Inside I wanted to scream and grab him.’ Rio Ferdinand received a warm welcome from the Old Trafford faithful when he returned with QPR . David Moyes (left) was sacked as Manchester United manager in April but had managed Rio Ferdinand . When it came to delivering instructions for the match, Ferdinand claims Moyes only succeeded in confusing the players. He says Ferguson used to give ‘simple, concise, clear instructions’. Moyes, however, said they could employ ‘three formations’ depending on ‘how Bayern played’. ‘We lost and 13 days later Moyes was sacked,’ writes Ferdinand. The former England captain agrees that Moyes was not dismissed ‘in a dignified way’ by United. But he says Moyes ‘tried to impose a vision but never seemed to be completely clear what that vision should be’. He says he ‘unintentionally created a negative vibe’ and ‘slowly lost’ the players because of an ‘accumulation of mistakes’. Ferdinand thinks Moyes abandoned United’s tradition for playing with ‘wingers’, and instead ‘wanted the wide players coming inside’. He also stopped the ‘small-sided match on a small pitch’ the players used to enjoy under Ferguson on the eve of a game, changing it to a two-touch game. Ferdinand says this was why United so often ‘looked cramped and played without imagination’. | Rio Ferdinand believes David Moyes made a number of mistakes during his Old Trafford tenure .
Moyes banned low-fat chips which had been a traditional pre-match meal .
Ferdinand made the revelations in his autobiography, #2sides .
Former England defender does not believe Moyes' mentality suited United .
Ferdinand says Moyes 'unintentionally' created 'a negative vibe' |
23,344 | 425247fe22fe0f63cd031ab052aab8666f44d71a | By . Charlie Scott . Follow @@charliefscott . A Brazilian bomb squad blew up a suspicious bag near a metro station entrance close to the Maracana as Germany and France played their World Cup quarter-final on Friday. A number of Associated Press journalists saw the controlled explosion take place, with the metro station closed as a precaution. The Federal Police said it investigated a bomb threat near the stadium but that no explosive device was found. Bomb scare: A member of the Brazilian bomb squad examines an area where a suspicious bag was left . Nearby: The Maracana stadium can be seen in the background, with the bomb squad on top of the bridge . No further details were provided. A few people were near the metro station when the bomb squad acted, as tens of thousands of fans were inside the Maracana watching the quarter-final. Some surrounding roads were also closed while the bomb squad investigated. The incident lasted about 20 minutes. The metro was reopened after the bag was detonated, before the World Cup match had finished. Heads up: Germany defender Mats Hummels holds off the challenge of Raphael Varane to open the scoring . Man of the moment: Hummels runs off after scoring the goal that won Germany the game . | Bomb squad blew up a bag near metro station entrance close to stadium .
The station was closed as a precaution while the bomb squad investigated .
Federal Police investigated a bomb threat but found no explosives .
Tens of thousands of fans were watching the World Cup game nearby . |
167,833 | 651515598afe65cc6704755c6f4fac3ca88c5d7d | She may be recognisable across the globe as the face of the 'Chinese Girl' but Monika Pon has revealed she made no money from being in one of the most famous artworks ever. Vladimir Tretchikoff's piece is one of the most reproduced art prints in the world and is expected to sell for up to £500,000 when it goes under the hammer next month. However, despite earning the artist a fortune, Ms Pon said she was paid a tiny sum to sit for Tretchikoff and made nothing from its huge sales. Scroll down for video . The Chinese Girl made artist Vladimir Tretchikoff very rich and was one of the most popular paintings of the 20th Century but Monika Pon, right, said she made no money from its enormous popularity . Her face has appeared on everything from mugs to wallpaper, as well as various pieces of Chinese Girl paraphernalia. The South African, whose parents emigrated from China, told The Observer said: 'I've got no money from the painting. 'I was so stupid, so young. What did I know about business.' Tretchikoff approached Ms Pon, who lives in Johannesburg, when she was 17 and working in her uncle’s laundry in Cape Town in the early 1950s. He told Ms Pon, who was known locally for her beauty, that he wanted to paint her and despite being nervous, she said she felt she could not say no. He gave her £6 for six weeks of sittings in front of his art students. The original artwork was sold to a woman in Chicago and Tretchikoff claimed to have sold half a million large-format reproductions of the painting across the world. Ms Pon, who is now in her 80s, was only revealed to be the Green Lady in 2011. She recalled how she was told she was beautiful by friends and family but never felt pretty because, living in Apartheid-era South Africa, she was often subjected to racist remarks. She described Tretchikoff, who died in 2006, as 'handsome and attractive' and that he made her laugh. She enjoyed sitting for him but was less than happy with the end result. Ms Pon said in 2011: 'To be honest, I didn’t like that green face. I thought it made me look ill.’ She went on to marry and divorce commercial traveller Pon Su-Suan and have five children. She has been with the same partner for the past 40 years. Monika Sing-Lee, 17, was renowned for her beauty and Vladimir Tretchikoff asked her to sit for him . Meanwhile . Tretchikoff made millions selling cheap reproductions of his work directly to the public and although he was loathed by the critics, his art remained perennially popular. While . acknowledging he painted an early version of the picture in Cape Town, . Tretchikoff claimed it had been destroyed by vandals and maintained . until his death in 2006 that his model came from the U.S. Experts think that he concealed its true origin through misguided fear of being sued for a portion of its earnings. She said in 2011 : ‘I’m not boasting but it was my portrait that made Tretchikoff . rich. The Chinese Girl was the best thing that ever happened to me in my . not-so-nice life.’ The painting will be auctioned at Bonhams in London in March by the original buyer's granddaughter. It is also touring New York and Johannesburg. In his autobiography Pigeon's Luck, Tretchikoff wrote: 'In painting Chinese Girl I had a lot of experience to . draw on. My mind and soul went into this painting, and perhaps there . lies the explanation for its success. Somehow perhaps I caught the . essence of Chinese womanhood.' Giles Peppiatt, director of South . African Art at Bonhams, said: 'The iridescent hues of Chinese . Girl reflect Tretchikoff's experimentation with the possibilities of . his colour palette: the green-blue patina-like effect of the sitter's . face is uncanny, heightening the red of her lips and framed by her . lustrous dark hair.' Tretchikoff biographer Boris Gorelik said the painting is 'one of the most important pop culture icons in Britain and the Commonwealth in the 1950s to early 1960s. 'Today, even prints of the "Green Lady" in mint condition, which went for a couple of pounds in . their day, change hands for hundreds of pounds.' | Monika Pon said she was given £6 for six weeks of sittings in Johannesburg .
Millions of prints of the painting, also known as the Green Lady, were sold .
The original is now expected to fetch £500,000 at auction next month . |
197,377 | 8b76c6af79ea365f84f86a8d4bbc73ddbd3dcf38 | (CNN) -- Sony announced Sunday that parts of the PlayStation Network will be back online this week and gamers will receive compensation for not being able to log on. The PlayStation Network -- which allows users to play games with friends around the world and download movies and games over the Internet -- went offline on April 20 after officials learned days before a hacker stole personal information from its 77 million users. Sony officials did not disclose the breach until April 22. Sony executives apologized for the breach at a news conference in Tokyo on Sunday, saying they are conducting a thorough and ongoing investigation into the matter. "This criminal act against our network had a significant impact not only on our consumers, but our entire industry. These illegal attacks obviously highlight the widespread problem with cyber security," said Kazuo Hirai, executive deputy president of Sony Corp. "We take the security of our consumers' information very seriously and are committed to helping our consumers protect their personal data." Officials said they will restore online gameplay for both the PlayStation 3 and PSP later this week, in addition to PlayStation Home, friends list and chat functionality. Once the PlayStation Network is restored online, users will have to change their account passwords before being able to log into the service. The update will require users to change their passwords on the PS3 on which the account was activated, or through e-mail validation. To thank customers for their patience and loyalty, Sony announced it would offer PlayStation Network users 30 days free membership in the PlayStation Plus service, which provides access to exclusive games and beta trials for games. Current subscribers to the PlayStation Plus service will receive an additional 30 days for free. | The PlayStation Network allows users to play games with friends worldwide .
It also allows users to download movies and games over the Internet .
It went offline on April 20 after a hacker stole personal information from its 77 million users . |
114,561 | 1fdacc1b53dbc9e24339fe9b88184de3f24c20aa | (CNN) -- Baseball's biggest stars are in New York for Tuesday's All-Star game, as the sport says goodbye to one of its most famous landmarks. Joseph Cornacchia, left, used to play with Babe Ruth when he was a kid, his son Jim says. It's the Yankees' final season at the "House that Ruth Built," and MLB.com reports that 40 Hall of Famers are expected to attend the historic event. We asked CNN.com readers to share their baseball memories and to tell us about meeting their favorite players. iReporter Jim Cornacchia of Rye, New York, says his grandmother taught Babe Ruth to "make a mean batch of chili." He said the legendary slugger would come to Greenwood Lake, New York, during the off season and would visit with his family. iReport.com: Ever met your favorite player? Cornacchia's father, Joseph, who just turned 76, would play wintertime games with "The Babe" as a child, and even built a snowman with him. Patrick Palmer, 43, has been a Yankees fan since he was a kid, even though he grew up in Iowa. "My father was a Yankees fan, and it was just handed down through the generations," he said. Palmer has a baseball signed by about 20 Yankees players and other memorabilia, but said his biggest thrill was meeting relief pitchers Sparky Lyle and Rich "Goose" Gossage. "It was also amazing to shake hands with one of the most feared pitchers of his day, Goose Gossage, and really see what a gentle person he could be," See what Palmer wrote on iReport.com. New Yorker Matthew Friedman said he met Hall of Famer Ryne Sandberg last August after singing "God Bless America" before a Peoria Chiefs minor league game. Friedman was in town as part of the Broadway touring production of "Movin' Out." He said he would sing at the game only if he could meet Sandberg, who was managing the Chiefs. "He was such a nice guy," he said. Friedman is a Mets fan, but said the Cubs legend was "the kind of player I thought other players should be." He said it was a meeting he'll never forget, and one he'll tell his children about again, and again, and again. "I have a child on the way," he said. "I can't wait." Meeting a childhood hero was a test of courage for many young fans. iReporter thedeke almost didn't get to shake slugger Roger Maris' hand during a trip to Yankee Stadium as a 10-year-old. "He was only 3 kids from me when he turned and started for the field," he wrote. "Why I said what I did, I will never know, but I actually yelled at Roger saying, 'Roger Maris! Don't you dare walk away with out shaking my hand!' " Maris smiled, walked up to him and "grabbed my hand with both of his and without saying a word he gave me a wink and off he went," thedeke wrote. Phil Miller was a 17-year-old bat boy for the Tacoma Rainiers in 1995 when he got to meet star outfielder Ken Griffey Jr. Griffey was playing for the Seattle Mariners at the time and was in the minor leagues while he was recovering from a wrist injury. Chasing fly balls Griffey hit during batting practice is something Miller said he will never forget. "I wish I could freeze time and relive that 15 minutes over and over," he wrote. Miller was nervous about talking to Griffey in the locker room, but he said he broke the ice by asking him about his wife's pregnancy -- news that wasn't out yet. Griffey laughed when he found out his mother-in-law had shared the news with Miller's mom in a Tacoma hair salon, Miller said. Even baseball's most controversial figures provide fond memories. Kenny Lucas met Barry Bonds, the all-time leading home run hitter, in 2006 at a Colorado Rockies game. The former Giants star has been dogged by steroid allegations and has a reputation for being difficult, but Lucas said "he was a very cool guy." "I used to think of Barry as another arrogant athlete, but he treated me as an equal and invited me into his conversation," Lucas said. iReporter natsmom24 met Pete Rose at a golf course when he was 11 years old. In 1991, Rose and other members of the Cincinnati Reds were at a golf course near his house, so natsmom24 tried to get some autographs. Several players ignored him and walked past, but he said Rose approached him and asked to sign his ball. He talked to him and then took him to the clubhouse and bought him a Snickers and a Coke. "I was on top of the world! I was hanging out with Pete Rose! The Hit King! Charlie Hustle! No one was going to believe me when I told them this," he wrote. He said that not even his parents believed him until he showed them the autographed ball. | Baseball's current and former stars getting ready for All-Star game .
iReporters met Ruth, Bonds, Goose Gossage and Sparky Lyle .
Got a baseball memory? Share it on iReport.com . |
29,907 | 550c671f7730c7a91851580043880df53357648c | She's been modelling since the 1980s, has mothered three children and was - and still is - a permanent fixture on the London party season. But as Yasmin Le Bon celebrates her half century today, she still looks as youthful as she did in the 1987's Guess? campaign that made her a household name. Whether she's showcasing her enviable curves in a Speedo campaign or stomping down the runway with her daughter at London Fashion Week, Yasmin truly defies her years. In celebration of her big 5-0, FEMAIL has rounded up the timeless supermodel's best moments. Scroll down for video . Happy birthday, Yasmin! Mrs Le Bon proves that she's still flawless at 50 in her most recent campaign for Winser London. FEMAIL toasts to fifty fabulous years . Born in Oxford to an Iranian father and English mother, Yasmin's modelling career began early. After a few local modelling gigs, she was snapped up by esteemed agency, Model 1 in London. What's her secret? Yasmin, who today turns 50, was unveiled as the face and body of the Speedo Sculpture swimwear collection earlier this year . Fashion's darling: She shot to fame in the 1980s and is still a regular fixture at fashion weeks all over the globe . On the runway: She's had over thirty years on the modelling circuit, but proved she's still got it as she opened the Gyunel show earlier this year . Cover star: Yasmin modelling for House of Fraser in 2008 - looking as flawless back then as she does now . She then went on to become one of the highest earning models of the 1980s, appearing on the glossy covers of the first American and British issues of Elle; campaigns for Guess?, M&S and Matthew Williamson followed. She has also worked for Banana Republic, Calvin Klein, Versace, Chanel, Christian Dior and Avon. Clearly not letting her age define her, Yasmin is still the cover girl for high-end brands and looks the picture of youth as she models Winser London's AW14 offering. Snapped up by the brand for the fourth consecutive season, Winser London believe that the supermodel and mother captures the spirit of their brand perfectly. 'She is stunning, stylish and real,' said the founder. 'Yasmin juggles a busy career, family and husband, like so many women today, yet she always looks effortlessly elegant and is always fun to be with.' Catwalk star through the ages: Yasmin in a creation by designer Ronit Zilkha during the AW show back in 2001 in London . Nearly half a century ago: Yasmin Le Bon,left, walking down the Chanel fashion show catwalk, hand-in-hand with daughter Amber Rose (aged 20 months) and best friend Gail Elliott 23 years ago . From catwalk to red carpet: Yasmin, pictured in the 1990s, was a regular fixture on the runway and at exclusive celebrity parties . One love: She has three children, including her famous model daughter, Amber, with Simon Le Bon, lead singer of Duran Duran . Good genes: Yasmin and Amber Le Bon model a locket for an anti-malaria charity in 2010 - they have worked together several times since . Campaign star: Yasmin wearing a fake fur at the launch of the Lynx anti-fur poster in 2000 . Big name: Yasmin, left, in the Mulger show and, right, walking for Valentino in the 1990s . Timeless beauty: Yasmin shows off her trim figure, which she still maintains, in 1990 at the Azzedine Alaia fashion show, left, and at Milan fashion week, right . This isn't the only brand Yasmin has been lending her good looks to this year. Yasmin was unveiled as the face and body of the Speedo Sculpture swimwear collection. With more than thirty years of experience behind her, Yasmin has developed a handbook to help women overcome body issues and feel more confident and comfortable in their swimwear. Speaking about this, Yasmin said: 'After spending 33 years on the modelling circuit I have heard all of the tricks of the trade. 'The best advice I've received on looking your best in a swimsuit, is to wear it with confidence and a smile; it instantly changes your appearance.' She has three children, including her famous model daughter, Amber, with Simon Le Bon, lead singer of Duran Duran and earlier this year opened and closed the Gyunel show at London Fashion Week with her 25-year-old daughter. Vintage Le Bon: Yasmin walking on the Milan catwalk wearing Ferre in 1990 - the height of her fame . | Yasmin celebrates 50th today .
Shot to fame in 1987 in Guess? campaign .
Has three children with Duran Duran star . |
124,415 | 2cd6fba5b3ab891e3b8ed4bc51ba27ddfd501df1 | (CNN) -- Many parents don't realize that the worst asthma day of the year actually occurs in September. Clinical studies have shown that greatest number of hospitalizations due to asthma peak 17 days after Labor Day, which in 2013 will be September 19. Why? As students return to school, there are a number of external factors, including respiratory allergens, viral infections and environmental irritants that can act together to create a "perfect storm" of asthma triggers. To better understand the September phenomenon, we need to better characterize some of the underlying causes. Outdoor allergens may seem to be the most obvious trigger. Ragweed, one the largest contributors to upper respiratory symptoms in the United States, produces pollen most aggressively after mid-August. However, indoor allergens can be a much more serious issue for patients with asthma. Schools across the United States contain a number of potential respiratory allergens, including mold, dust mites, pet dander and, in some cases, cockroaches and mice. When children switch from a summertime outdoor environment to a climate-controlled indoor environment, overall daily exposure to these allergens can increase and severe symptoms can result. What's in a pollen count anyway? Additionally, even though "flu season" is commonly known as a winter phenomenon, contagious viral infections are spread and shared as much, if not more, in September as they are in January. The school week is spent in an enclosed space with hundreds of other children (many of whom do not have sophisticated hygiene practices), which can provide stress to any student's immune system. Catching "the common cold" can cause additional problems for a child with asthma. Many respiratory infections can lead to an increase in the frequency and severity of asthma symptoms. Indoor air particulates such as aerosols, chalk dust and other irritants, can also lead to an increase in asthma symptoms. While these irritants may not trigger a true IgE allergen response, they can cause rhinitis and other conditions that can exacerbate asthma. American kids have higher allergy risk . For patients with allergic asthma, exposure to allergens, infections and irritants can make mid-September a very challenging time. In addition, the combination of virus and sensitization with high allergen exposure substantially increases the risk of hospital admission. So what can parents do to avoid these asthma triggers? Good preparation includes education. During a back-to-school wellness check-up, it's a good idea for parents to talk with their family clinician about both allergies and asthma if they suspect their child may be experiencing either condition. After understanding the history of the symptoms, the clinician may order an allergy blood test to determine if possible allergic triggers are contributing to the asthma and other allergy-like symptoms. If testing does identify allergic sensitization, a clinician can then advise parents on how to manage exposure to the allergens. The first step in any allergy treatment plan is to avoid exposure as much as possible. While it may be almost impossible to remove all dust mites from a school, reducing exposure to them at home is a much more manageable task. Allergen-proof pillowcase covers can dramatically reduce exposure to dust mites, and since allergy symptoms usually occur because of cumulative exposure, allergen avoidance at night may help a child feel better all day long. The same is true for mold and other allergens. It may be easier to control mold in the home environment (bathroom and/or bedroom) rather than the school environment. The key to effectively reducing a patient's exposure to allergens is to know which triggers to specifically target. The "September Asthma Epidemic" is coming, but with appropriate preparation and education, it can be managed. If you're unsure about your child's risk, speak with your doctor about his or her past history and consider testing. Together you and your family clinician can determine which triggers might affect your child and create a plan to better manage the epidemic. Air pollution killing more than 2 million annually . | Asthma hospitalizations peak 17 days after Labor Day, studies show .
Outdoor and indoor allergens can work together to create "perfect storm" for asthma .
Contagious viral infections can also play a role when kids go back to school . |
267,450 | e65d2594a9a8d5c6552769cc4c9db6e757941652 | With his regiment weak with hunger and short of ammunition, William Davies knew there was only one way to save himself and his fellow soldiers. In an extraordinary act of bravery, the bombardier crawled across No Man’s Land and into the German trenches in the dead of night to steal rations for his World War I comrades. A few weeks later, he lost an arm and a leg in a German attack, but despite his injuries, miraculously survived for four days in the freezing mud, before being rescued by American medics from the Allied Army. Hero: William Davies who crawled into a German trench to steal food for his friends in World War One. A few weeks later, he lost an arm and a leg in a German attack. He is pictured with his wife Mary . The act epitomised the courage of Mr Davies, his granddaughter Cathy Alderson said, who never once complained about his war time experience or injuries. Although he received three war medals, Mr Davies’ bravery was never formally recognised and she has decided to tell his story for the first time ahead of the 65th anniversary of his death next week. ‘He was an extraordinary man,’ Mrs Alderson said. ‘A real character, but very self-effacing. ‘His comrades used to come to see him after the war and talk about what he did, but he was always of the attitude that he had been left with no choice, someone had to get a grip of the situation. ‘There’s been a lot this year about the 100th anniversary of the Great War and honouring those who died, everyone is touched by their stories. Stoic: Cathy Alderson from Stoneycroft, Liverpool, says he never once complained about his war time experience or injuries. Although he received three war medals, Mr Davies’ bravery was never formally recognised and she has decided to tell his story for the first time ahead of the 65th anniversary of his death . ‘But it also struck me that there were a lot of men who came back that suffered terribly and had to scrape together a living. My grandfather was one of those and I wanted to tell his story to coincide with the anniversary of his death next week.’ Born in Kirkdale, Liverpool, in 1881, Mr Davies was 34, married and a father to seven children by the time he was called up with the Royal Field Artillery, in 1915. His fellow soldiers quickly nicknamed him ‘Bunloaf’, after the traditional fruit cake he was sent from home by his ‘nanny’ that he generously shared out in the trenches. But by February 1918, as the war neared its end, food on the frontline were scarce and Mr Davies’ regiment were starved of rations. Despite his injuries, Mr Davies quickly re-adjusted to civilian life and started selling the Liverpool Echo from a pitch outside the Adelphi hotel for 20 years . ‘His regiment were stuck for food and ammunition,’ Mrs Alderson said. ‘He crawled all the way over to the German trenches to steal what they needed, and then crawled back. ‘He did it under the cover of darkness, he had to crawl quietly on his stomach, elbows and knees under lines and lines of barbed wire. He said he could hear the Germans talking but took what he could, stuffed it under his battle dress and crawled back. It must have taken a great deal of courage.’ A few weeks later, the regiment was situated close to the infamous Somme, which claimed so many British lives, when the Battle of St Quentin began. More than a million shells rained down on the Allied positions, in some of the heaviest German bombing of the war. Describing the moment which would change her grandfather’s life forever, Mrs Alderson said: ‘He was holding two horses and a copy of Tit-Bit magazine. ‘The magazine had fallen to the floor, and he bent down to pick it up. As he did so a shell crashed down which blew up his horses and the two officers stood up right next to him - taking his left arm and lower leg with them.’ As he lay motionless amid the destruction, a German soldier tried to ‘finish him off’ by stabbing a bayonet in Mr Davies’ neck, she added. Mrs Davies was sent a telegram to say her husband was presumed dead, but incredibly he survived. ‘Four days later some young American medical volunteers were sent in to pick up the corpses,’ Mrs Alderson, a retired Macmillan nurse, said. ‘Miraculously, when they picked William up, they saw his eyes flickering. He must have been hypothermic, as the body can sometimes last much longer when it’ s freezing cold.’ He was initially taken to an American field hospital because he was wearing an American uniform, having discarded his own after a mustard gas attack. What remained of his leg was amputated at the mid-thigh, and he was sent home to be rehabilitated at Alder Hey Hospital, Liverpool. Despite his injuries, Mr Davies quickly re-adjusted to civilian life and started selling the local newspaper, the Liverpool Echo, from a pitch outside the famous Adelphi hotel for 20 years. Mr Davies and his wife also had four more children, including Mrs Alderson’s mother, Veronica, and her twin in 1919. Mr Davies wartime experience, however, never left him and he died aged 68 on December 9 1949 of lung problems caused by exposure to mustard gas. | William Davies bravely snuck into German trench in the dead of night .
His comrades were starving, so he undertook the daring mission .
Weeks later, a German attack robbed him of his arm and a leg .
He survived for four days in freezing mud before he was rescued .
The bombardier never complained about ordeal and worked his whole life .
Now his granddaughter is leading a tribute to the heroic former soldier . |
38,827 | 6db962e244c32e1ef35a7070f26f6ea899aae8f0 | By . Ryan Gorman . A violent three hour standoff came to a dramatic conclusion Friday when officers gunned him down as he ran outside shooting at police. Emmanuel Wooten, 20, holed up inside the Meridian, Mississippi, home after fleeing police two days earlier while they tried to apprehend him for shooting a young girl. Family members he held hostage were released unharmed, but he did not make it off the property alive. SWAT officers filled the home with tear gas after confirming all the hostages were out safely, according to WTOK – that was the beginning of the end. Taken down: Emmanuel Wooten tries to get up after being shot Friday in a standoff with Lauderdale County Sheriff's Department personnel in Meridian, Mississippi . ‘There was a third person who had came out of the house early this morning to verify he was in the house as well as a female who was later taken hostage,’ a police spokesperson told the station. SWAT promised Wooten that if he emerged unarmed with his hands in the air that he would not be harmed – he instead released his girlfriend and cousin, police said. ‘We set up a hard perimeter around the house. The one male individual left the house and was taken into custody,’ the spokesperson continued. ‘He provided us with information to verify the individual was in the house as well as a female. We continued communications with the individual in the house via text messages.’ Dead at the scene: Members of the Lauderdale County Sheriff's Department SWAT team surround Wooten after he was shot . Freed: A SWAT officer evacuates a woman to safety during the standoff . The officers then tossed tear gas canisters into the home to flush him out. He fired three gunshots at the officers before emerging just after 12.30 p.m., police said. The wanted man continued blasting away as he came out of the front entrance to the home, the officers had no choice but to return fire, sources told the station. He was pronounced dead at the scene, authorities said. Wooten was the primary suspect in the shooting last week of a 10-year-old, according to WTOK. She is still recovering from her injuries but is expected to live, authorities said. The fugitive exchanged more than a dozen shots with officers earlier this week, a witness told the Meridian Star. He was injured in the shootout but had not surfaced until Friday. | Emmanuel Wooten was shot dead by police as he ran out of a home firing a gun after a three-hour standoff .
He was wanted in connection with the shooting last week of a young girl . |
272,832 | ed5c2b0fcc1a7fcbb81beeee8a0aafab35d78d3e | A pair of music-loving bartenders are serving up pub sing-alongs with a difference - after inventing a piano capable of making drinks. Antonia Dumitrescu and Raluca Macalet, from Bucharest in Romania, have created a 'Pianocktail' that can mix up to five different types of cocktail, including Bloody Marys and Manhattans. Not content with just serving up the odd dram of whisky, the pair have designed the instrument to make complicated concoctions with each drink represented by a different piece of music. A pair of music-loving bartenders have invented a piano capable of mixing a range of cocktails . Antonia Dumitrescu and Raluca Macalet, from Bucharest in Romania, have created a 'Pianocktail' that can mix up to five different types of drink, including Bloody Marys and Manhattans . The pair have designed the instrument to make complicated concoctions with each drink represented by a different piece of music . When pianist Sandra Popescu, 26, starts playing, the ingredients are mixed together and served up in a bowl. Ms Dumitrescu, 27, said: 'The operating principle is rather simple; when you hit a key it triggers an impulse which makes the beverage flow from a certain container, mix on a chute, drop in a bowl and creates the cocktail for the specific piece of music. 'So, when for example, Sandra plays Beethoven's Fur Elise, the piano makes a Manhattan.' Ms Macalet, also 27, added: 'The idea came from reading a book by French author Boris Vian called Froth on the Daydream. 'There's a scene in the book where a piano makes cocktails, with every song having a different flavour and I thought it would be great to be able to taste a melody.' Raluca Macalet (left) and Antonia Dumitrescu (right) say they want to expand the number of drinks it can make . When the pianist hits certain keys it triggers a device which makes the drink flow from its container before the liquid drains off into a mixing bowl . The duo, who are both 27-years-old, have now applied to have their musical invention registered . Now the pair, who are taking their cocktail-making piano around the capital, say they want to expand the number of drinks it can make. Ms Dumitrescu said: 'At the moment it can only make five, but in the future we want to be able to do more, which will mean not only more drinks but more songs too.' So far their piano cocktail is proving a hit. Pub-goer Nicolae Maniu, 25, said: 'It's pretty cool although it does take a bit of time to get your drink. 'And they don't do requests so you can't really have a good singalong. But the drinks are good and its early days yet so I'm excited to see where this goes.' The duo have now applied to have their invention registered. | Friends Antonia Dumitrescu and Raluca Macalet invented the 'Pianocktail'
The instrument can mix five cocktails depending on the music being played .
When musician plays Beethoven's Fur Elise, the piano makes a Manhattan .
Pianocktail is proving a hit in Bucharest, Romania where the pair both live . |
158,632 | 5910c888e3dc938a4e096ac69e951f8de9cec35f | Fort Calhoun, Nebraska (CNN) -- Tim Nellenbach is on a mission as he shows a small group of journalists around his workplace. The manager of the Fort Calhoun Nuclear Power Plant and his colleagues are bent on dispelling rumors about the condition of their facility: rumors about a meltdown, about a loss of power. The rumors are patently false, they say, and it's frustrating to have to deal with them while also battling a genuine crisis. These officials are also acutely aware of comparisons to the catastrophic earthquake and tsunami in Japan in March, which crippled a nuclear power plant there, leading to the worst nuclear accident since Chernobyl in 1986. "There's no likelihood of a Fukushima-like incident here," Nellenbach says. So does Gary Gates, CEO of the Fort Calhoun plant. "It is not another Fukushima. The difference is the rapid flooding that occurred at Fukushima. This was a predicted event, to a degree, from the Corps of Engineers. The floodwaters at Fort Calhoun are outside the plant. There is no water inside the plant. The reactor is covered with borated water. The spent fuel is covered with borated water, which we want it to be. That's intentional. That's where it should be. The floodwaters are outside Fort Calhoun, not inside," Gates explains. Still, there is a genuine crisis at the plant. Floodwaters from the swollen Missouri River have engulfed this facility. The parking lots are underwater. The river's fast-paced currents are swirling against several buildings in this compound. Catwalks had to be constructed to allow workers to move from one building to the next. The buildings housing the reactor core, the spent fuel rods and other crucial components are protected by small levees and aqua-berms. But outside those barriers, the water is at least 2 feet above ground level. Officials are keeping a close eye on the network of power transformers here. The transformers are surrounded by floodwater and high-velocity pumps are continually pumping water away from them. The transformers power internal pumps, which operate cooling systems keeping the reactor core and the spent fuel rods from overheating. "Maintaining electrical power, operating the pumps, is our biggest concern for the station, and we're able to fully do that at this time," Nellenbach says. Officials say the plant went off the power grid temporarily on Sunday and was powered by backup generators, but they say it is now back on the grid. The Fort Calhoun plant has been offline since early April for a re-fueling operation. It was scheduled to be back online in mid-June, according to officials here, but the flooding has delayed that. Now, they anticipate the plant will remain offline through the month of August, until the floodwaters completely recede. "What's keeping me up at night is making sure that we're going to have electricity for everybody," says Gates. "Electricity is so important to... the mitigation efforts of our whole community. Fort Calhoun's safe. It'll continue to be safe." Gates and his colleagues say the water has not breached the buildings housing the reactor core and the spent fuel rods, and they're confident it won't. Those buildings and the barriers protecting them are designed to withstand flooding extending 1,014 feet above sea level. The water is now at about 1,006 feet, and they say they do not expect it to exceed 1,008 feet. Officials did not allow journalists directly into the rooms housing the reactor core and the spent fuel rods, but did allow them to view those rooms via closed-circuit cameras. The rooms did not appear to be damaged by floodwater. Gates says the Nuclear Regulatory Commission cited the Fort Calhoun plant in 2009 for not being adequately prepared for a flooding event. Since that time, he says, they've taken steps to upgrade safeguards for the facility, and he says NRC officials were satisfied with the handling of the current flooding. Still, NRC Chairman Gregory Jaczko had solemn words for the staff of Fort Calhoun after touring the plant on Monday. "In the end," Jaczko said, "this challenge is yours." | The Fort Calhoun nuclear plant is surrounded by floodwaters .
Unlike the Fukushima nuclear plant, the water hasn't breached vital buildings .
Fort Calhoun officials say the situation is under control . |
115,834 | 21816cb6dcd494b65bc8eaa1ef062f39868691da | New Orleans, Louisiana (CNN) -- My dad died when I was 2, so my mother raised us [Smith and his sister] and exposed us to different things. We took music lessons, art appreciation lessons, and we even went to finishing school. Mrs. Howard's School of Charm. My sister and I hated it at the time. We just wanted to be normal kids and eat our Frosted Flakes on Saturday mornings in front of the television, watching our Looney Tunes. My mom was a very good cook. In fact, she was a private cook for an attorney for years. She exposed my sister and I to the same types of food that she was cooking at work. We were basically the only kids on our block that had eaten lobster with drawn butter. On holidays, we would go to work with her. We'd always sit in the kitchen. I was just amazed with all the cooking ingredients and implements. I was one of those guys that was never picked to be on someone's baseball team or basketball team, so I started cooking. My mother had always had a lot of cookbooks. I just started playing around. I started baking. We always had butter; we always had flour and sugar and vanilla and eggs. I might have looked at other recipes and didn't think we had the ingredients, and I certainly didn't have money to go buy them. The first thing I baked was a cake. I was 9 or 10. It was a plain yellow cake. I can remember the icing being a little runny, but it was good. We went to Catholic school. We went to Mass once a week, while in school, as well as on Sundays. God has always been with me. Read more about faith and religion on CNN's Belief Blog . I've certainly called on God when I'm in the kitchen, when things are going wrong, when I'm irritated or very upset about something. I've called on God walking up here to unlock the doors and come into work -- to help me at not being quick-tempered or losing my cool. Help me be the person I need to be. It [becoming a priest] is something that I thought about as a child. It was something I was going to do out of high school, and I put it off. I'm glad now that I didn't go through with it, because I was very immature. I wasn't ready. But now I feel very strongly, and I know in my heart that I'm ready to do it. I didn't wake up one morning and just sit up in bed and stretch and say, "Well, I think I'll try the priesthood." There's a lot of prayer involved. This prayer process, that's neverending. I have a spiritual director I work with, and I started out with that at first. But this process of thinking about it, it's been all my life. I developed a very close relationship with the archbishop [Archbishop Gregory Aymond of the Archdiocese of New Orleans]. He was here, at the restaurant, one night about two or three months ago, and I said, "There's something on my mind, and I'd love to talk to you about it." I met with him, and I wasn't home 10 minutes and the vocation director called. I set up another appointment to meet with him, and the rest is history. There are parts of it [the restaurant kitchen] that I'll miss and parts of it that I will not miss. I will miss the people. I will miss the guests. The cooking aspects, I definitely will miss. I will not miss the rushiness of it, the overwhelming feeling you get when you're working the line, and it looks like everyone is ordering at the same time. I'm hoping I can still do things [in a kitchen], but I'm hoping I can do it on a small scale, for fun. I would love to do something for the needy or poor, during the holidays when people really feel their lowest. Not just your typical out-of-the-can, warmed-up meal; I'd like to do it [serve them] just like you'd get here. Top quality. I'll move into the seminary. I am looking forward to embracing the simple life. That gives me great pleasure to think about. I want to give all of myself, and I don't think you can do that when you have a lot of baggage. I have this massive cookbook collection -- close to 3,000 books -- that I'm not just going to leave or just throw away. I have thought about, if I passed away, where would it go. I want to donate it to a school. With baking, you have to follow the rules. I try to be a very good rule player. Play by the rules and work by the rules. The prayer life, the rules that a priest is supposed to live by, that really excites me. And being able to help people and minister to people. Yesterday at Mass, one of the readings was about the widow who gave all of what she had. I want to emulate her, and I think this is the best way that I can see for me. | In his own words, an executive chef shares his spiritual journey toward the priesthood .
Drawn to cooking as a child, he spent years at a top-rated New Orleans restaurant .
God and faith have always been with him, he says, as have thoughts of being a priest .
At 50, he's hung up his apron and entered the seminary, a logical move, he explains . |
235,464 | bcd024680658c41478d518efb84fd1ab9e0f413c | By . Damien Gayle . The world has never before seen the moment a polar bear cub opens its eyes for the first time and sees its mother.. until now. A video taken at Hellabrun Zoo in Munich, Germany, shows polar bear Giovanna tenderly cradling her two snow-white cubs in her paws, breathing on them gently to keep them warm. As Giovanna's breath slowly wakes the month-old infants they open their eyes for what keepers believe is the first time, gazing up at her. One of the cubs even stretches out his tiny paw to pat Giovanna on the nose. Mummy, wake up: A tiny polar bear cub reaches . out to pat its mother on the nose in this unique footage taken at . Hellabrun Zoo in Munich which shows the infants opening their eyes for . the very first time yesterday . Magical: This still from Hellabrun Zoo's footage clearly shows one of the cubs opening its eyes for the first time . The video comes after another video first at Hellabrun Zoo in December, when keepers successfully filmed Giovanna giving birth to her two babies. They were the only polar bear cubs to be born in captivity in Europe last year and, incredibly, their mother positioned herself in the direct view of CCTV cameras set up to record the moment. Now the baby cubs' first tentative blink has been recorded on day 33 of their lives, and the footage released by Hellabrun's zoologists. In the heartwarming video, the twins are seen sleeping in their mother's protective embrace when one begins to stir and stretch its forelegs. The movements wakes its sibling, who bursts from beneath their sleeping mother's clasp, the commotion in turn waking Giovanna, who delicately nuzzles and sniffs the nearest cub. It is then that the nearest cub reaches out and brushes its mother on the nose, before both open their eyes just a crack to take their first look at the world around them. Cute: A still from an earlier video shows the infant polar bears slumbering in their mother's embrace . Inseparable: The defenceless cubs huddle together beneath their mother's foreleg in this picture . Proud parent: Giovanna nuzzles one of her babies - the only polar bear cubs born in captivity in Europe last year . Zoo director Beatrix Koehler said: 'Polar bear cubs are always blind and it takes several weeks before they can start to use their eyes. 'This time round the first view was of their mother which is exactly how it should be. It's great that we manage to capture this moment on camera.' The zoo said that both the babies, the first polar bear babies born there for 20 years, were putting on weight quickly and being fed milk by their mother. Mother's love: Seven-year-old polar bear mother . Giovanna snuggles up with her twin cubs after they were born at . Hellabrunn Zoo in Munich, Germany, on Monday, the first time such a . birth has been filmed in colour . Rare moment: The tiny twins are the only polar . bear cubs to be born in captivity in Europe this year and, incredibly, . their mother positioned herself in the direct view of CCTV cameras set . up to record the moment . Giovanna gave birth to her cubs on . December 9, with the first emerging at 8.39am following a short . labour. Minutes earlier she had been biting her front paw to . counteract the pain of contractions, before the eight-inch-long cub slid . out. The infant cub was hairless, smeared in blood, blind and deaf. Less . than a quarter of an hour later, following another contraction that . spurred Giovanna to shake and push her back legs forcefully against the . wall, a thin arm, small head and then another arm of another cub came . into view. However, Giovanna . was so busy with her first born that she didn't immediately realise . that she'd even given birth to a second baby for another 20 minutes. Out it comes: Giovanna gave birth to the first of the pair at 8.39am on Monday following a short labour. Minutes earlier she had been biting her front paw to counteract the pain of contractions . Giovanna licks clean her tiny baby: The infant cub was hairless, smeared in blood, blind and deaf . Spectacle: Journalists gathered at the zoo to watch as the cubs were born live on CCTV on Monday morning . The . zoo’s director, Dr. Andreas Knieriem, said at the time: 'It is as if we . were there live watching the labour and birth of a polar bear and, as . if that weren’t enough, Giovanna showed us not one, but two very . different births!' Hellabrunn . Zoo is now bracing itself for a surge in visitors. When Knut the polar . bear was born in Berlin Zoo at the end of 2006 the capital's animal park . was flooded by visitors keen to catch a glimpse of the cub. That . Giovanna has managed to keep her youngsters alive this long is already . an impressive achievement. Polar bears are at greater risk of dying in . the first week of their lives than any other mammal. | Twins are the only polar bear cubs to be born in a European zoo last year .
Now their first glimpse of the world has been filmed and posted online .
Birth last month was captured in colour by CCTV cameras in the enclosure .
It is the first time polar bear infancy has been studied in such detail . |
2,880 | 086be6ed5ebfbf6ae8fb938a9d324c389d5e53dc | New Hampshire police have released a sketch of a man they believe may be connected to the disappearance of a 15-year-old, who went missing for nine months. Abigail Hernandez went missing on October 9 last year as she walked home from school just days before her 15th birthday. Police believe the man in the sketch may have driven the schoolgirl away in a blue pick up truck. She was safely reunited with her family Sunday. Safe: Abigail Hernandez has been reunited with her family nine months after she disappeared on her way home from school . Wanted: Police have released a sketch of a man suspected of driving away with the then 14-year-old Abigail . Based on information provided by Abigail, police say they are looking for a slightly overweight man with darkish skin, brown eyes, and stubble. He was described as being slightly taller than the 5ft 4in teenager. Few details have been released about Abigail's disappearance and where she has been for the past nine months. The only contact she had with her family was a letter believed to have been sent by the schoolgirl to her parents in the weeks after her disappearance. Although it didn't provide details on what had happened to her, the letter gave parents Zenya and Ruben Hernandez some hope that Abigail was at least still alive. Police are investigating whether the man in the sketch, or anyone else, was involved in the disappearance, and whether Abigail was taken against her will, or enticed away, and where she was kept for the past nine months. The bright schoolgirl was just 14 when she went missing, and had no means to provide food, shelter or other necessities. Hope: Abigail's frantic family received a letter from the teenager after she went missing, giving them faith that she was still alive . Missed: Abigail's family and New Hampshire community had been searching for the schoolgirl for months . Contact: Abigail Hernandez's mother Zenya, pictured left with the teenager's sister Sarah, wrote a Christmas letter to her daughter begging her to come home in December. She has now safely returned . New Hampshire police said it was a felony for any person to remove, detain or conceal a child under the age of 18, who is not a relative. If it is found that Abigail was removed against her will, or under the circumstances described by police, then appropriate charges will be brought. Attorney . General Foster said: 'We are all pleased Abigail was returned safely to . her family. Law enforcement officers must now obtain satisfactory . answers to the questions surrounding the facts and circumstances of . Abigail’s disappearance and nine-month absence.' He added: 'The . individual or individuals who were involved with her disappearance and . absence will now have to face the consequences of any unlawful actions.' On a Facebook page that was set up to try to help find Abigail, a statement was released asking supporters for their patience while the investigation continued. Returned: Abigail Hernandez, pictured in security footage on the day she disappeared, returned home Sunday . 'Many people have been requesting specific answers and details as to exactly what happened to Abby. While we appreciate the desire for answers, this is still very much an ongoing law enforcement investigation and no details can be released that could jeopardize the integrity of their work,' the post said. Previous details about the case, including details of the letter the Hernandez family had received, were also delayed to protect the investigation. Officials delayed information about the letter so it could be thoroughly analyzed in order to be certain that it was actually written by the teenager. Law enforcement officials said at the time that although the letter had given them hope, they feared deeply for Miss Hernandez's safety. One FBI investigator had even suggested that Abigail could face a similar danger to the young women in Cleveland, Ohio, who escaped after being held for ten years by Ariel Castro. When Abigail unexpectedly returned Sunday, her parents were overjoyed, with Mrs Hernandez saying they were 'the happiest people on earth'. Anyone who recognizes the man depicted in the sketch is asked to contact New Hampshire police at (603) 271-3636 or the Conway Police Department at (603) 356-5715. | Family reunited with Abigail on Sunday after her unexpected return .
Detectives investigating where teenager was kept after going missing . |
153,182 | 51efe6eb0574e0e501316d700c73a5ecaa09bb85 | The mystery woman photographed on a hotel balcony with Sir Mick Jagger earlier this month is a leading ballerina 43 years his junior, who he met two weeks before his girlfriend L’Wren Scott’s suicide, The Mail on Sunday can reveal. Stunning American dancer Melanie Hamrick, 27, was pictured embracing the 70-year-old singer ten days ago in Zurich, where the Rolling Stones were performing. At the time, sources close to Jagger said the tryst followed a chance encounter in a nightclub. But The Mail on Sunday has discovered that Jagger first met the New York-based dancer three months earlier – and 6,800 miles away – in Japan. Melanie Hamrick, 27, met Mick Jagger two weeks before L'Wren Scott's tragic suicide however the exchanged contact details three months earlier when they met in Japan after the Rolling Stones played a sell out gig . On March 6 this year, Melanie and a group of other dancers from the American Ballet Theatre were allowed backstage at the Rolling Stone’s sell-out concert in Tokyo’s Dome stadium to be introduced to Mick and the rest of the band. Melanie, who is a frequent user of Facebook and Instagram, excitedly posted messages and photos of her trip to Japan, but intriguingly, made no mention of the Stones concert. A spokesman for Jagger has confirmed that the pair met when Melanie and the rest of her group were taken backstage. But a source close to the star stressed that his first liaison with Melanie did not take place until Zurich – and that the pair had merely swapped contact details in Tokyo. The week before the concert, on February 25, Jagger had attended a special reception for the ballet troupe in Tokyo, hosted by U.S. Ambassador Caroline Kennedy, daughter of JFK and a long-standing friend of the rock star, but Melanie did not attend. When she first met Jagger, Ms Hamrick, left, was engaged to marry her co-star at the American Ballet Theatre Jose Manuel Carreno, right . There was no sign of Ms Scott on the trip, though she had previously travelled with Mick whenever he was on the road. At the time of the ambassador’s party, Melanie was said to be engaged to another older man, 46-year-old José Manuel Carreño, a fellow dancer. She lives on the Upper West Side of Manhattan, just three miles from the home on 11th Avenue that Jagger and Ms Scott shared. It was there that Ms Scott took her life on March 17, at the age of 49. Mick and Melanie were pictured on the balcony of his sprawling penthouse at the five-star Dolder Grand Hotel in Zurich earlier this month, looking as though they had just got out of bed. Mick, who himself took up ballet several years ago to keep fit, was in a blue V-necked sweater, while Melanie grinned next to him in a short-sleeved top with slashed sleeves. Ms Hamrick was photographed embracing Jagger on a hotel balcony in Zurich ten days ago, where sources close to the couple say the first 'liaison' took place . During the afternoon he ventured out bare chested and alone, apparently to talk on the phone. Five hours later he was seen wearing a smart, striped shirt and trousers as the dancer stood beside him clutching a glass of water. The following morning they looked more dishevelled as she stole a kiss from him while sat outside the £2,250-a-night suite. Normally Ms Scott, right, travelled with Jagger whenever he was on the road but was not with him when the band played Tokyo . Friends of Melanie, who has a penchant for older men, did not know why she was in Zurich, believing she flew to Switzerland alone. One said: ‘Ever since the photos emerged Mel has kept her head down hardly stepping out from her apartment. Talk has been rife about their fling with many believing it wasn’t just a coincidence the two were in Zurich together following the ambassador’s reception in Japan. ‘We all knew it was Mel but many others got the wrong end of the stick when they thought it was principal dancer Diana Vishneva. 'People put two and two together and came up with five because Diana was pictured meeting Mick during the party in Tokyo. But it was Mel on the balcony. They can look quite similar.’ On Friday Melanie braved torrential rain to step out from her New York apartment to do some shopping. Wearing a grey leather jacket, white T-shirt and skinny blue jeans, she had her hair tied back in the same style she wore when with Mick. After being approached by The Mail on Sunday, Melanie told a friend: ‘They’ve found me, they’ve found me!’ But she refused to comment directly. She has been romantically involved with Carreño for six years, and engaged since May 2011. They met in 2004, when she joined the American Ballet Theatre at the age of 17. He was then the Broadway-based company’s premier danseur. A father of two, who was previously married to fellow Cuban dancer Ana Lourdes Novoa, Carreño has been the principal dancer with the English National Ballet and the Royal Ballet, and has appeared on Dancing With The Stars, America’s version of Strictly Come Dancing. But earlier this year he moved to California – 2,500 miles from Melanie – after taking a job as artistic director of Ballet San Jose. In an interview in February, the San Francisco Chronicle wrote: ‘Carreno talks like a person who has come to the South Bay for the long run, which meant leaving behind his fiancee, American Ballet Theatre dancer Melanie Hamrick.’ Ms Hamrick pictured along with her colleagues from the American Ballet Theatre on a bullet train in Tokyo where she met with Jagger . Melanie’s friends have also noted that she has recently stopped wearing the engagement ring she once sported. Jagger was flooded with messages of support after Ms Scott, his girlfriend of 13 years, committed suicide while he was touring with the Stones in Australia. Soon afterwards, he issued a statement saying: ‘I am still struggling to understand how my lover and best friend could end her life in this tragic way. ‘We spent many wonderful years together and had made a great life for ourselves... I will never forget her.’ But the images of the great-grandfather being hugged and kissed by Melanie, who describes herself as ‘goofy and awkward’, left Ms Scott’s family seething. Ms Hamrick lives in New York's Upper West Side just 3 miles from the apartment Jagger shared with Ms Scott . Speaking from her home in Utah, her sister Jan Shane said: ‘These pictures make me really wonder what Mick is really thinking and feeling. ‘His daughter says that he is still heartbroken and so devastated about losing my sister – and then you see these photos. 'He will never change. And people wonder why L’Wren was so depressed? The more I think about it – the more angry it makes me. ‘My sister deserves so much more respect than that. It hasn’t even been three months. I now believe that he was a bigger part of her troubles that no one knew about. I am so hurt to know that she was so sad and hurting inside and felt that she had nowhere to go.’ In the days following Ms Scott’s death it emerged her business based in London had been battling crippling debts. The latest accounts for LS Fashion Ltd, filed in the UK in October 2013, showed the firm had a deficit of £3.5 million. Her company also owed creditors £4.6 million. The label had been haemorrhaging money for several years despite Mick, worth £200 million, repeatedly bailing her out. The Tokyo concert was the first time Jagger and the Rolling Stones had played Japan in eight years . The Stones are due to play in Vienna tomorrow night as they continue their 14 On Fire world tour. Since the band resumed the tour following Ms Scott’s death, rumours have been rife the father-of-seven has been entertained by several women after the shows. Friends claimed Mick, while performing in Berlin last week, spent the night with an old flame after arranging to meet her in the German capital. And actress and singer Noa Tishby posted a picture on the internet of herself and Jagger sharing a joke in a hotel room during the Stones’ stay in Israel a fortnight ago. A source close to the band said: ‘Mick’s way of dealing with L’Wren’s death was to get back on stage as soon as possible. It wasn’t long though before he was up to his old tricks. ‘The girl in Zurich was just a brief fling but she isn’t the first and won’t be the last. Mick is like an old dog who can’t be taught new tricks. Even before he started singing he was a womaniser and he still is. He knows no other way. ‘I’m not sure what the girl in Zurich thinks, but she is a goner.’ Perhaps all the travelling to be with Mick has affected Melanie’s performances on stage. A review last week of American Ballet Theatre’s production of Cinderella, singled her out for having ‘lamentably weak’ feet in her role as the Winter Fairy. | Jagger and Melanie Hamrick met in Tokyo in March and exchanged details .
The dancer was engaged to her co-star Jose Manuel Carreno at the time .
Jagger's spokesman said the couple's first 'liaison' was ten days ago . |
212,075 | 9ea4a480ddc6a43b1a0299790e4bbfbd841f6c16 | (CNN) -- A goal from Japan defender Yuto Nagatomo handed Inter Milan a 1-0 win at Genoa that lifted them to seventh in the Italian Serie A table. Claudio Ranieri's side made it two wins in three days after Saturday's triumph over Fiorentina but despite going above Genoa Inter still lie ten points behind leaders Juventus. The away side dominated the match, having 17 attempts on goal compared to Genoa's four, but wasted chances to take the lead before the hour mark through Marco Faraoni, Andrea Poli and Diego Milito. Is Mancini the right man for Manchester City? But Nagatomo struck the decisive blow for the 2010 European Champions League winners on 67 minutes as he headed home a cross from Riccardo Alvarez. Alvarez came close to wrapping up the match soon after as he rattled the post with a shot from the edge of the penalty area. Genoa had a late chance to claim a point but Miguel Veloso spurned the opportunity to ensure Inter made it four wins out of five in the league. Meanwhile, Real Madrid cruised past third division opponents Ponferradina 2-0 in the first leg of their Spanish Cup last 32 tie. Jose Mourinho's side got back to winning ways after their crushing 3-1 defeat to Barcelona on Saturday that saw their arch rivals leapfrog Real to go top of La Liga. Barcelona stars meet tsunami survivors . But Ponferradina never looked like causing an upset after Jose Callejon put the defending champions ahead in the 29th minute from Sami Khedira's cross. Cristiano Ronaldo, who was criticized in the aftermath of the defeat to Barcelona for missing two clear chances, latched onto Gonzalo Higuain's pass to seal the win on 74 minutes. The only disappointment for Real was the dismissal of defender Raul Albiol for two bookable offenses in the second half. The second leg is at Real's Bernabeu stadium next week. Elsewhere, Valencia were held to a 0-0 draw by Cadiz, while Villarreal drew 1-1 away at Mirandes. | Yuto Nagatomo's goal hands Inter Milan victory at Genoa in Serie A .
Japan defender scores the only goal of the game in the 67th minute .
Inter's win takes them seventh in Serie A table, 10 points off top side Juventus .
Real Madrid beat third division Ponferradina in the Spanish Cup . |
133,038 | 38069e2f0a5122a8915e852fe4ee2715481bb1ba | By . Chris Pleasance . PUBLISHED: . 07:55 EST, 18 January 2014 . | . UPDATED: . 14:17 EST, 18 January 2014 . Two British backpackers had an amazing escape when a 50ft tree came crashing down on an Australian campsite - landing where their tent had just been. Robert Costley and Peter Ashford, both, 25, pitched their tent under giant eucalyptus tree for nine days, but moved to a shadier spot to escape the searing 40C (104F) heat. Just two hours later the pair said they heard a 'boom' at their campsite in the isolated town of Shepparton, in rural Victoria, as they slept on Wednesday morning. Robert Costley (left) and his friend Peter Ashford (right), 25, had a lucky escape when a tree fell on to a spot where they had been camping just minutes before . The pair had been camping underneath this 50ft eucalyptus tree for nine days, but moved to a shadier spot because of 40C (104F) heat . However the pair said their brush with danger hadn't dampened their spirits. Mr Ashford said: 'If it had hit the van it would have ruined our plans but we would have worked something out. As long as you have your health that's all that matters.' Since the incident, the campers have become a local media sensation. Their story dominated the front page of the Shepparton News and they have since had visits from curious locals. Mr Ashford said: 'We were really surprised to be honest; we didn't think it was a big deal but I guess it is for such a small town.' Their story could have ended very differently had it not been for the heat. Peter said: 'We had been walking round the town and were in agony because of the heat. Kind of like Kevin and Perry. Luckily their van (pictured) also escaped unharmed so they will be able to continue their travels . The story made the front page of the local newspaper and they have since had residents come and speak to them about their lucky escape . 'We had spent nine days in that one spot but due to the heatwave we moved to find shade. It's been 40C plus for a good few days.' They were later told by a local woman that either the relentless heat or an infestation of white ants could have caused the tree to topple. Mr Ashford said: 'A local lady said they call them widow makers. They hadn't seen anything as big as this tree fall on the site before.' They now plan to spend nine days in the town picking fruit before heading for New South Wales. Peter, originally from Whitchurch and Rob, originally from Llandaff North, met in Melbourne at the beginning of December. Previously, Peter had been travelling in East Asia having left Wales on November 5. | Robert Costley and Peter Ashford, from Wales, are travelling in Australia .
The pair had been camping under a 50ft tree for nine days .
They decided to move their tent to a shadier spot because of the heat .
Just minutes later, while they slept, the eucalyptus came crashing down . |
107,069 | 16173c394a61d3ba03c703aa21e225d9e986ee01 | By . Jill Reilly . A baseball superfan has been banned from watching his beloved team because he cheers them on too enthusiastically. Diehard UC Irvine Anteaters baseball fan Keith Franklin, 49, had his season ticket revoked in . February after taking to the infield with a homemade banner . commemorating career victory No. 1,000 for Anteaters coach Mike . Gillespie. A photo shows Franklin and Gillespie shaking hands, although two campus police officers ran onto the field and ordered Franklin to leave, witnesses said. Scroll down for video . A baseball superfan has been banned from watching his beloved team because he cheers them on too enthusiastically . Diehard UC Irvine Anteaters baseball fan Keith Franklin had his season ticket revoked in February after taking to the infield with a homemade banner commemorating career victory No. 1,000 for Anteaters coach Mike Gillespie . The school says he went over the line, because had had violated a common ballpark rule prohibiting fans on the field, although Franklin says he had permission. Two weeks later, Franklin returned to Cicerone Field for an Irvine home game. When he reached the stadium, an attendant held him up as three campus police officers and two security personnel came running to greet him, Franklin said reported Cal Coast News. The school says he went over the line, because had had violated a common ballpark rule prohibiting fans on the field, although Franklin says he had permission . Two weeks later, Franklin returned to Cicerone Field for an Irvine home game. When he reached the stadium he was denied entry . The school denied Franklin, a season ticket holder, entrance to the ballpark. 'It was like a knife in my heart,' Franklin said. 'They took away what I love most.' He has not entered the stadium since - his season ticket, a gift from a former UCI pitcher, has been revoked. Since the home-field banishment, Franklin's enthusiasm hasn't waned. He attends all away games, leading cheers and inventing nicknames for players . He has not entered the stadium since - his season ticket, a gift from a former UCI pitcher, has been revoked. Pictured: Anteater Stadium . Superfan Franklin is maintaining his vow not to cut his hair until the Anteaters make the College World Series . UC Irvine Athletics issued a statement to the OC Register on Wednesday 'regarding Mr. Franklin.' Here’s an excerpt: . 'UC . Irvine Athletics appreciates the fan support we receive for our sports . at all of our venues. We are not in the business of keeping fans away . from our home events. 'Mr. Franklin has been an avid supporter of our baseball program for nearly 10 years and we have appreciated his enthusiasm. 'However, . he has been stretching the rules of our stadium fan-conduct policy for . several years and he crossed the line earlier this season, in late . February, with threatening, aggressive behavior and language directed at . our staff as well as law enforcement officers. This behavior is neither . condoned nor tolerated on our university campus.' Since the home-field banishment, Franklin's enthusiasm hasn't waned. He attends all away games, leading cheers and inventing nicknames for players. And he's maintaining his vow not to cut his hair until the Anteaters make the College World Series. | UC Irvine Anteaters baseball fan Keith Franklin had his season ticket revoked .
Took to infield with banner commemorating coach's 1,000th career victory .
But he was escorted off by campus police and banned from entering stadium .
Now has to make do with just attending away games . |
1,318 | 03c01692289a6238b4e4271d5146437b9352046f | By . Ruth Styles . PUBLISHED: . 09:57 EST, 26 September 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 16:59 EST, 26 September 2013 . She was the former merchant navy sailor turned sixties icon, cabaret star, baroness and one of the most famous beauties of the age. But April Ashley's pretty face hid a secret. She had been born a boy named George Jamieson and, at the age of 25, became one of the first people to undergo gender reassignment surgery. Now her incredible story is the subject of a new exhibition, April Ashley: Portrait of a Lady, which opens tomorrow at the Museum of Liverpool. Scroll down for video . Pioneer: 60s model April Ashley, 78, was the first Briton to undergo gender reassignment surgery . Cabaret star: Backstage at Le Carrousel, the Paris club where she worked as a drag queen, in 1958 . 'I'm very excited,' revealed Ashley, now 78. 'I could never have . imagined that when I left Liverpool sixty years ago I would one day . return to an exhibition about my life in the Museum!' 'April has had an astonishing life but . throughout it all she has fought for her rights, and provided advice and . support for those suffering similar discrimination,' added curator Gary Everett. Born in 1935 in Liverpool, the former George Jamieson was one of six children born to a father serving in the navy and an abusive mother. 'She used to hang me upside-down and bang my head on the floor,' Ashley explained, in a candid interview with the Telegraph. 'She also whipped me so badly that there was a hole in my back the doctor could put his thumb into.' Desperate to get away, Ashley joined the merchant navy at 14 but it proved an unhappy experience, compounded by the fact that at the age of 15, she remained sexually underdeveloped. Family: George Jamieson (centre) suffered terribly at the hands of his abusive mother while growing up . Unbearable: April, pictured as a boy (left) and as a pre-op transsexual (right) says surgery changed her life . Discharged after attempting suicide, she was sent to a mental institution in Omskirk before being released and moving to London in 1950. Here, her astonishing transformation began, speeding up after she moved to Paris and became a cabaret drag queen, performing under the name of April E. By the age of 25, April, who says she had felt that she was in the wrong body from the age of three, had concluded that dressing and living as a woman wasn't enough and in 1960, she underwent gender realignment surgery at the hands of pioneering surgeon Dr Georges Burou in the Moroccan city of Casablanca. 'I knew I couldn’t have gone on living like that,' she told the Telegraph of her decision to submit to a type of surgery that was then in its infancy. 'Anything was preferable, really. And, as soon as I woke up, I had the most extraordinary feeling. Even though I’d lost a lot of blood and all my hair had fallen out, it was as though my brain was in tune with the rest of my body for the first time in my life.' Glamorous: April in a photograph taken by David Bailey during her modelling heyday in 1961 . Icon: Bailey (left) is the subject of an exhibition of his own and was played by Aneurin Barnard in a 2012 film . Stunning: April bears a striking resemblance to Liz Taylor in this sultry 1964 photograph . After a lengthy recovery, April returned to the UK where her modelling career took off courtesy of appearances in Vogue and shoots with photographer David Bailey. But her origins - and her operation - remained secret until in 1961, a 'friend' sold her story to the Sunday People. The fall out was devastating and both her modelling and fledgling film careers were crushed by the scandal. After being 'outed' as transsexual, April's life - in particular her romances - regularly made the headlines, including her . controversial divorce from The Honourable Arthur Corbett - later 3rd Baron Rowallan – . in 1970. The judge ruled that April remained a biological man and the . marriage was therefore invalid and annulled - setting a legal precedent that endured until 2004 when the law was finally changed. Since then, she has lived a wonderfully full life, claiming to have had affairs with Omar Sharif, Michael Hutchence and Grayson Perry albeit while struggling to scratch a living as a waitress, hostess and art seller in Paris. Recognition: April is presented with her MBE for services to transgender equality by Prince Charles in 2012 . Two years ago, April moved home to the UK and now lives in a south London flat. She also, in 2012, was awarded an MBE for services to transgender equality. Nevertheless, she has admitted that she still feels a sense of isolation, despite her achievements and the growing public acceptance of transgender people. 'I’m so tired of being told I’m loved,' she said, speaking to the Telegraph, 'and then people don’t even bother ringing me up to see how I am.' With the launch of the new exhibition, perhaps that will finally change. April Ashley: Portrait of a Lady runs until September 2014 at the Museum of Liverpool. See liverpoolmuseums.org for more information. | April Ashley was the first person in the UK to undergo realignment surgery .
Born in 1935, she was a model and was photographed by David Bailey .
Prior to surgery in 1960, she forged a career as a cabaret star in Paris .
Led a troubled life after being 'outed' by the Sunday People in 1961 .
Awarded an MBE for services to transgender equality in 2012 . |
154,067 | 5323192f74171ab27ff782aa133c8d7851c5f30e | Beirut, Lebanon (CNN) -- Syria needs lots of things right now. One of them is George Clooney. Let me explain. As the Geneva II talks this week made clear, there is no end in sight for the bloody three-year war in Syria. In the meantime, more than 100,000 people have been killed, the country is destroyed, and millions of Syrians have fled their homes, half of them children. This is the defining war and humanitarian crisis of this decade, which was underscored by my visit to Syrian refugees here this week. And yet there is no outcry from the broader rich-country public to end the suffering there. To the extent that the media cover Syria, it is a diplomatic and political story. My media contacts say they need a "fresh angle" on the humanitarian aspect of Syria in order to get it covered. My friends on Capitol Hill say they're hearing nothing about Syria from their constituents, after a surge of opposition to the idea of punitive airstrikes this summer. My fellow fundraisers share my frustration that we can't get much traction with donors around Syria. Contrast that to a major natural disaster like the recent typhoon in the Philippines. When a catastrophic, photogenic act of God kills thousands of people and makes millions more homeless in an instant, news crews get mobilized, benefit concerts get arranged, the public gets generous, and the needs on the ground get met. But what if the killer is a complex, drawn-out, difficult-to-cover war with no clear good guys and bad guys, as it is in Syria? Well, those people need George Clooney. Here's one example of why: Mercy Corps, the global humanitarian organization I work for, raised more charitable dollars for the Philippines in three days -- about $1.5 million -- than we have raised for Syria in almost three years. Tragic as the typhoon was, the Philippines is on a road to rehabilitation. Syria, on the other hand, is slowly bleeding to death. 'Courage and magnetism' We need a telethon. We need vigils. We need letters to members of Congress. Of course that kind of activism alone isn't going to end the war and get Syrians everything they need, but it is a great place to start. That's where someone like George Clooney comes in. Clooney is a rare public figure with the credibility, courage, and magnetism to take an urgent, complicated issue and make it matter to Americans. To be clear, I am suggesting that Syria needs George Clooney more figuratively than literally. The authentic involvement of cultural icons helps form a movement, and that makes Syria more than some distant quagmire. Some shared sense of urgency and ownership is critical to breaking the horrific stasis of the situation in and around Syria, a situation that is perpetuated in part by the rich-world public generally sitting Syria out. Sometimes when I have this conversation with someone, they'll ask why people should get engaged on issues overseas when there are so many problems at home in the United States. It's an important point, but keep in mind that of all the charitable donations Americans made in 2012, only 6% went to international causes. Aid workers are often dismissive of entertainers who get involved in their causes, and there are plenty of cases of unhelpful dabbling. But look at George Clooney and Don Cheadle on Darfur. Angelina Jolie on refugees. Ben Affleck on Congo. Bono on just about everything. These celebrities, when working in partnership with policymakers, companies, philanthropists, and aid groups on the ground, can become the hugely powerful advocates that desperate people need. Like the people I met this week at the Ouzaii Collective Center in southern Lebanon. These 153 families fled Syria with little and are living packed together in an unfinished office building. Cinder blocks. Exposed rebar. Dodgy wiring. Limited water and sanitation. No glass in the windows. No school, no privacy, and no end in sight. They are totally dependent on the generosity of others, and yet neither charitable nor government funds are sufficient to meet their needs right now. Right now, the people of Syria need powerful friends to speak up, and George Clooney - so often the hero, on-screen and off - could call together the voices of support that these people so deserve. The views expressed in this commentary are solely those of Jeremy Barnicle. | There is no-end in sight for Syria's bloody war, writes Mercy Corps' Jeremy Barnicle .
And yet there is no outcry from richer countries to end suffering there, he says .
Mercy Corps raised more for Typhoon Haiyan victims in three days than Syria in three years .
Barnicle says celebrities like Clooney can be powerful advocates for people in need . |
274,325 | ef4ff4c16647fad99405c2262efeee37b614b298 | By . Jill Reilly For Mailonline . An seriously-ill baby girl has been found alone wet and shaking on a tiny boat in the waters off Spain's south coast. The infant, who has been given the name of Princesa – Spanish for ‘princess’ by Red Cross workers - was found in one of the 94 inflatable boats that reached the Spanish coast earlier this week from Morocco. The child, thought to be eight or 10 months old, was found wrapped in blankets with a 38.5C temperature. An seriously ill baby girl has been found alone wet and shaking on a tiny boat in the waters off Spain's south coast . The boat in which Princesa was found had departed from Morocco before being intercepted en route to Tarifa, Spain's southernmost port, local media reported. According to other rescued African immigrants, an altercation with Moroccan police officers before the tiny boat's departure prevented the parents boarding the craft, reported The Local. After she was found, the infant was taken to the Red Cross's Tarifa branch and volunteers took turns throughout the night to look after her. The infant, who has been given the name of Princesa – Spanish for ‘princess’ by Red Cross workers - was found in one of the 94 inflatable boats that reached the Spanish coast earlier this week . The boat (pictured) in which Princesa was found had departed from Morocco before being intercepted en route to Tarifa, Spain's southernmost port . She eventually took two bottles. The government of the Spanish region of Andalucia has taken custody of Princesa and is now hoping her parents will contact them. Until then it is thought the she will be transferred to a refugee centre. Today hundreds of sub-Saharan migrants tried to scale six-metre (20-foot) barbed-wire fences to enter Spain's northwest African enclave city of Melilla from Morocco for the third day in a row. Members of the Spanish Red Cross and rescue service team help a migrants after being rescued together with another ten men at the Strait of Gibraltar near the coast of Tarifa, southern Spain . Thousands of African immigrants living illegally in Morocco regularly try to enter Spain's enclaves of Melilla and Ceuta in a bid to reach Europe . The ministry says 1,338 migrants have been intercepted trying to reach Spain by boat since August 4 . A migrant child rests together with others inside a sports centre after they were rescued by the sea rescue service near the coast of Tarifa . The Interior Ministry said 250 migrants made the attempt early Thursday but only one got across and avoided police interception. Groups of some 700 migrants stormed the fence Tuesday and Wednesday with dozens of them staying atop the fence for several hours before police persuaded them to climb down and return to Morocco. Thousands of African immigrants living illegally in Morocco regularly try to enter Spain's enclaves of Melilla and Ceuta in a bid to reach Europe. The ministry says 1,338 migrants have been intercepted trying to reach Spain by boat since August 4. | The infant has been given the name of Princesa – Spanish for 'princess'
Found in one of the 94 inflatable boats that reached the Spanish coast .
Infant is now in a refugee centre - was found shaking with high temperature . |
133,457 | 3893a2cf0060d70d10c5f498ef42a11add9df813 | Most teenagers of the Eighties dreamed of zooming around on their own hoverboard like Marty McFly in the Back To The Future movies. And now they can... over water, at least. While Marty seemingly zoomed around above the ground, the new gadget uses high-powered water jet to allow the rider to hover above the water. It was invented by French jet-ski champion Franky Zapata, who also created the Flyboard in 2011, which also uses a water jetpack to propel users into the air. Scroll down for video . McFlyin': A new water jet powered hoverboard is available for hire in the UK using a water jetpack to propel users into the air . Boys and their toys: The gadget can reach speeds of 16mph and allows riders to perform tricks including spins and somersaults . Splash the cash: If you want to take one home it well set you back £1,577 but thrillseekers can also hire one from Aquatic Jetpacks in Poole, Dorset . This latest product features a skateboard-shaped craft that will enable the rider to perform tricks, including somersaults and spins. The device can get up to 16mph as it 'surfs' in mid-air. While inspired by the classic film, Zapata has in fact beaten McFly to the punch by releasing the hoverboard this summer - one year before Marty and Doc rode them in the Back To The Future sequel in 2015. Most teenagers of the Eighties dreamed of zooming around on their own hoverboard like Marty McFly in the Back To The Future movies . French jet-ski champion Franky Zapata, who also created the Flyboard in 2011, which also uses a water jetpack to propel users into the air. While inspired by the classic film, Zapata has in fact beaten McFly to the punch by releasing the hoverboard this summer - one year before Marty and Doc rode them in the Back To The Future sequel in 2015 . The hoverboard is perfect for tricks, but is still not quite as versatile as Marty McFly's version of the board . Just like the movie! Marty McFly rides a hoverboard in the second Back To The Future movie, which shows America in the year 2015 . The gadget costs $2,675 (£1,577) but thrillseekers can now hire one from Aquatic Jetpacks in Poole, Dorset. Riders will need professional training to get to grips with the controls but owner Ross Ceaton said it was easier than it looks. Ross, 31, said: 'Its awesome fun. It's like flying, but mixed with boarding sports. 'It's not too tricky, just a bit of balance and you're away.' | Watersports gadget available for hire in the UK and also on sale for £1,577 per board .
Invented by jet-ski champion Franky Zapata, who also created the Flyboard .
The device can reacjh speeds of up to 16mph and is inspired by Michael J Fox film . |
128,904 | 328cfc0480b0141eaaafa5ae45bcff035b38c97f | San Francisco (CNN) -- Three weeks and about 400 miles ago, I started a trip down the "most endangered" river in the United States, California's San Joaquin. The underloved river is born in the Sierra Nevada and snakes across one of the most productive agricultural regions in the world, California's Central Valley. I finished that journey -- which mostly involved kayaking, but also a fair bit of walking, since the San Joaquin runs dry for about 40 miles -- on Friday beneath the Golden Gate Bridge here in San Francisco. It was a moment I'll always remember: that behemoth, cardinal-red bridge towering overhead, clanging in the wind, the distant roar of traffic, water rushing through a 1.7-mile channel that drains about 40% of this country-sized state's land area. The ocean tossed the kayak around like a piece of dough. Thirty-five mph winds seared salt water to my face, and tears of joy ran down my cheeks. It was thrilling but also bittersweet. I knew that not a single drop of San Joaquin water made it to the bridge, which should be the end of the river. All of it -- 100% -- is diverted for a variety of human uses, mostly for farming. As I crossed under the bridge, which separates the San Francisco Bay from the Pacific Ocean, my thoughts were as choppy as the water. But between "Don't flip!" and "ROCK!" I looked up at the bridge and remembered a moment from my June 11 hike at the headwaters of the San Joaquin. I could hear the river rumbling down in a valley to the left on that mountain trail, and I said something to my hiking companion, Darin McQuoid -- a pro kayaker who goes careening off 80-foot waterfalls like it's no big thing -- about how, to me, the river sounded like a highway. No, he said, it's the opposite. Highways sound like rivers. That's so true. And it really clicked for me in that moment. After three weeks on the river, I was finally starting to see things from the water's perspective. Rivers, of course, are the original highways. The roaring traffic above on the Golden Gate reminded me of the San Joaquin in its early, healthy stretches. But for most of us, traffic is far more familiar. We've become a people disconnected from the water. We don't know rivers. We don't know where they start, where they're going, when they're full, why they're dry. We don't know enough to understand why -- long after the Huck Finn era -- they still shape our lives, they're still worthy of our attention and unyielding respect. I hope this trip is part of a much broader effort to change that. To tilt our collective thinking toward a focus on water, and its great shepherds, the rivers. I could go on for MANY more paragraphs about the journey -- about the farmers, bird-lovers, migrant workers, fish biologists, dam operators, boat nuts and barefoot skiers I met along the way. I'll do that at a later date as part of our Change the List project. For now, I wanted to say a heartfelt thank you to all of the readers who followed my voyage down the San Joaquin so diligently -- and helpfully -- on social media. Some of you sent me scientific reports about locations I was passing; others actually met me out on the river to share a piece of your story. Two science teachers brought me a burrito beneath a bridge. One woman stood at the edge of her family farm for two hours waiting for me to pass. For all of that I am forever grateful. It's incredible that you cared about this story so deeply. You were an essential part of it. You shaped my path. So, I'll say it again, since I don't enough: Thank you. You readers are awesome. AND: I do have a favor to ask. I'd like to ask you to turn your gaze toward rivers, too. CNN iReport is inviting you to send in photos, videos or essays about your favorite rivers. It could be a river you saw on vacation or one in your backyard. Tell us a little bit about it and it may be featured as part of a list of "our favorite rivers." Here's a page with instructions on how to do it. I know which river I'll pick. Certainly the San Joaquin. Stay tuned for more reporting on America's "most endangered" river in coming weeks, and thank you again for being such an integral part of this adventure. Check out more from John's blog he kept along the way . | John Sutter on Friday completed a three-week trip down the San Joaquin River .
The river was named the most endangered in the country by an advocacy group .
Readers voted for Sutter to write about rivers as part of his Change the List project .
The San Joaquin travels through rich agricultural land in California -- and it runs dry . |
54,365 | 9a00c1c8792ffdf4d27fe0d2bc648e5d7daba368 | It took photographer Saskia Nelson eight years of online dating before she finally found her prince. The most frustrating part of her dating experience? Constantly meeting people who looked nothing like their profile photographs. On one occasion the 44-year-old couldn't find her date in a bar so called his phone only to realise he was standing right next to her - looking utterly different to the hunk she was expecting. On another date destined for failure she says she turned up expecting someone 'who looked like David Beckham' only to to be faced with someone who looked 'more like Columbo'. 'Needless to say, I didn’t stay long,' says the Battersea-based photographer. 'It’s not that I’m shallow about looks - far from it - but it’s about being . honest to people from the outset. Lying about age, height or looks is . not a great way to start a meaningful relationship.' Scroll down for video . Just doing my daily stretches: Sandra Jurkute's Saturday Night's Alright shoot captured her mid workout. Or did it? You caught me!: In another of Sandra's shots she's seen chilling on the grass . 'Even if guys didn't intend to mislead, I found they used out-of-date, blurry photos,' she adds. Inspired . by her uninspiring experiences, Saskia set out to put the online dating . world to right with her company 'Saturday Night's Alright', a . photography firm specialising in online dating profiles. She . left her job as a senior manager in a charity to study photography at . Central St Martins art school before setting up her business in May last . year. Online dater Erica Chamberlain snapped by Saskia . Oh, I didn't notice you there!: Will online daters be attracted to the casual poses? She now . says she has over 200 clients and offers three different packages - a . 30-minute shoot with three images costing £80, an hour shoot and six . images costing £140 and the whole shebang with ten images and a . 90-minute session for £210. Considering . research has found that 90 per cent of online dating decisions are made . according to pictures rather than the written profile, it's not a bad . investment for those looking for love. When . it comes to her dating photography Saskia has a clear ethos - to create . images that have a natural but confident and happy feel. 'The . idea is to create a set of photos that are of professional quality, but . look as though they have been taken while they're out with their . friends - by a friend with a good camera! 'I shoot outdoors and stay away from studios to avoid those embarrassing, naff studio shots which just don't work for dating.' Left: Miche in her previous profile shot, with just an eyebrow of her ex on show; Right: looking confident in her new photograph . Saskia believes that an ideal profile image needs colour and personality, as in Miche's portrait, above . Miche looking happy and confident - two important elements to attract online love interest, according to Saskia . So who has are the Saturday Night's Alright clients? 'They're ready to take dating seriously . and want to do everything they can to give themselves the best . opportunity of finding a compatible partner. And I love knowing that I play a . key role in helping them achieve that. 'I totally understand who my clients are and the journey they are on - and I think they value that.' But . not everyone on 'the journey' is keen to be given the professional . finish. 'It's certainly not for me,' says 35-year-old lawyer Laura. 'There's nothing less attractive than looking like you've made too much . effort and even if they're casual ' But . according to Saskia, clients often find their new profile pictures . bring them dating success. One such singleton, Ollie, swears by his . new-found dating image. 'It's already made a massive difference in a few . days,' he says. Cool or contrived: would you use a professional shot on your dating profile? Cath Pochin, pictured above, has gone the professional route . Brendan Ayre, above, photographed by Saskia. The photographer's ethos is to create shots that look like they could have been casually taken by a friend . Before: Saturday Night's Alright client Dee, reveals her previous profile look . After: Dee looking casual yet sexy in her updated image . So given . Saskia's expertise on the dating game, what's her advice for creating . the perfect profile shot - whether it's a home snap or a professional? 'Most . people aren’t impressed with out of focus, dark, dingy photos with . messy backgrounds. It's not going to jump off the page and stand out. But my pet hate is when an ex is cropped out the picture. It's such a . turn off. 'I . love profile photos that are bright, well-lit, have pin-sharp focus and . are colourful to help them stand out from the sea of dating photos on . any dating site. 'I . also love a photo which tells people a little about the person’s . personality. Clothes, make-up, hair style, accessories, props, the . background and location all help with this and it just needs a little . thought beforehand to get it right.' The photographer adds, 'It’s also important that the person in . the photo is looking confident, relaxed, happy and attractive - that . goes such a long way to attracting people to your profile.' Simon Dahal (left) and Nina Rajani (right) in their professional Saturday Night's Alright images . Photographer Saskia Nelson spent eight years on the dating scene, which inspired her to set up an online dating profile service . | Photographer Saskia Nelson, 44, spent eight years online dating .
Set up Saturday Night's Alright after bad profile pictures ruined dates .
Idea is to create flattering shots that appear casual . |
78,338 | de0fd3a5a6865c4d895f9b9951a2e059b7ad5e7b | ISLAMABAD, Pakistan (CNN) -- Pakistan has arrested a suspected al Qaeda militant who intelligence officials say is tied to the London subway bombings in 2005, authorities there said Thursday. The double-decker bus damaged by a bomb in central London on July 7, 2005. Zabih al-Taifi was arrested in a village near Peshawar on Wednesday as part of ongoing security operations in the area, police and intelligence officials told CNN. Six others, both Afghans and Pakistanis, were also arrested. The Metropolitan Police Service in London, also known as Scotland Yard, issued a statement refusing to comment on the arrest. "Speculation around this reported arrest with alleged links to an ongoing terrorist trial is unhelpful and may be prejudicial to current criminal proceedings," it said. The London blasts killed 52 people and wounded at least 900 others when bombs went off on three subway trains and a bus on July 7, 2005. Security analysts say the village where al-Taifi was arrested in the North West Frontier Province has been the site of recent clashes between Pakistani security forces and militants. CNN's Zein Basravi contributed to this report. | Officials say arrested al Qaeda militant has ties to 2005 London subway bombings .
52 killed, 900 wounded from bombs on 3 subway trains and a bus on July 7, 2005 .
Zabih al-Taifi arrested in village near Peshawar in ongoing security operations . |
144,765 | 473e23bf9209478d8a5aa34ab2834ec4d8aa3af0 | (CNN) -- Justin Timberlake and Kanye West may not always see eye-to-eye, but they have at least one trait in common: the inability to be cool. As Timberlake explains in the December issue of GQ, "being cool is about keeping your blood pressure steady," rather than being passionate. Similar to Yeezus, Timberlake isn't the type of guy who can restrain himself from displaying passion, whether he's passionately in love with something or passionately in disagreement -- particularly when he's in disagreement with his critics. After surviving a stretch of negative reactions to his entertainment offerings this fall -- there was September's "The 20/20 Experience -- 2 of 2," and his October release with Ben Affleck, "Runner Runner" -- Timberlake admits to GQ that it was "literally like a bunch of people just took a s*** on my face." To make matters worse, the crime drama "Runner Runner" was not only poorly reviewed, but it also didn't do well at the box office. (To date, it's made $19.2 million domestically.) So when reviewers told the 32-year-old that he should reconsider this whole acting thing, and probably should have also re-thought releasing the second half of March's "The 20/20 Experience," Timberlake was feeling a little sensitive. "This face ... This recognizable face that you work so hard to get -- not because you want the recognition but because you know you're made to do it" also comes with a price, he said. "The movie didn't do well at the box office, so I should quit? Hold on a second. If I was somebody else, you wouldn't have said that. I have the number one album this week, and I shouldn't have released it? Come on, man. You sound like a d***head.... It just shocked me because, like, you're trade magazines. None of your opinions count. And by the way, none of you can do it." Although Timberlake has been in the business since he was a child, getting his start in entertainment around age 10 and building his fanbase on "The Mickey Mouse Club," he nonetheless "grew up with a little bit of a chip on my shoulder," he says. "Sometimes I find it funny that I've been able to acquire the patience it takes to be kind to people in our business. Because sometimes I just want to f****g kill everybody." So, no. Justin Timberlake isn't always as cool and smooth as his "Suit & Tie" portray him to be. But the actor/singer/entrepreneur -- who later apologized for going off on that "tangent" during the interview -- doesn't have any regrets. "I've been doing this professionally since I was 10. If entertainment years were dog years, man, I'd be like Gandhi. I'd be like 250 years old," the recently married star says. "Don't be cool. Be passionate. Be dedicated. Be tenacious. Be uncompromising. Be pissed. Be happy. Be sad. ... I've made a career out of doing things that I should not be doing. I wasn't cool about it. Because being cool would have meant I passed up on those opportunities. If you do that, it's because you're afraid. And what are you afraid of? You know?" The full interview is in the December issue of GQ magazine, which has named Timberlake one of its Men of the Year, along with rapper Kendrick Lamar, "Anchorman" star Will Ferrell, Matthew McConaughey and the late James Gandolfini. | Justin Timberlake is one of GQ magazine's Men of the Year .
In the cover story, he talks about harsh criticism of his recent movie and album .
He says that he's not cool, but passionate .
That passion has helped him to take risks . |
36,474 | 67664b58866247a337bc9b042da8c7ec0fea86cb | LONDON, England (CNN) -- If riding on top of a Mexican freight train while bandits lie in wait, or inviting real-life gang members to improvise street battles doesn't sound like the wisest approach to making your first feature film, try telling Cary Fukunaga. "Sin Nombre" portrays one boy's struggle to escape Mexico's gang culture set against the backdrop of the trade in illegal immigrants. Because those are exactly the scrapes the 32-year-old writer-director got into during production of his highly-acclaimed debut "Sin Nombre." Set in Mexico against the backdrop of the country's ballooning people trafficking problem, Fukunaga's social-political thriller shows one boy's struggle to escape Mexican gang culture after meeting a Honduran immigrant girl. The half-Japanese half-Swedish director decided that it would be impossible to portray street gang culture or the treacherous immigrant experience without fully immersing himself in both. "To tell a story of what it's like to travel on top of freight trains, or the camaraderie of living in a gang, are all things I could imagine maybe," Fukunaga told CNN. "But I wouldn't be able to get it right without meeting the people who actually experienced it, and experiencing some of that with them." After Fukunaga first conceived "Sin Nombre" (which translates as "Without a Name") in 2005 he embarked on a mammoth research tour in order to fully understand what it is like to be both a desperate immigrant and a street gang member. He spent two weeks with immigrants at a train yard in Tapachula, Mexico, before risking his life illegally riding on the roof of a train traveling across the border state of Chiapas. "People get shot, trains derail, assaults happen," said Fukunaga. "I had to understand that if I fell off the train and lost a limb, I could just bleed to death out there, there'd be no-one to come pick me up." The filmmaker, who is an American citizen, was taken aback by the camaraderie among the immigrants in spite of the danger and violence. "Some of the bits of humor that would happen on the journey really surprised me," he told CNN. "You could laugh minutes after someone had been shot." It is this 27-hour train ride, during which a there was a bandit attack, that forms the basis of a substantial portion of the action in "Sin Nombre." Fukunaga also visited members of the notoriously violent Mara Salvatrucha street gangs in jail in Mexico. "I spent about two years in two different prisons, and reduced a group of gang members down to a couple guys I could trust," he explained. Fukunaga courted them with with gifts in the hope they would aid his research. "After bringing them grilled chickens and enough India ink and CD components so they could make tattoo guns, they felt like they could trust me enough to hook me up with one of their outside people. Then they knew I wasn't just a cop." The end result is a starkly realistic portrayal of the Central American gangs that make their living trafficking people to the United States. The film's action includes a dramatic shootout scene featuring real gang members as extras alongside actors. "All the guns had blanks," Fukunaga said. "I had a gun too, if I had to regulate the situation." Not that that made the scene entirely unproblematic: "The guy who plays the leader in that scene is a gang member," said Fukunaga. "Once we shot that scene he was gone. I don't know where he went, and there was no way to track him down to come back in and record audio or anything." Nevertheless, Fukunaga maintains that the characters he chose to portray are inherently likeable people. "I liked the gang members and the immigrants I met equally, and had equal respect for them" Fukunaga said. "Some of the kids in these gangs, they seem like they're 28-years-old, but they're actually only 19. They just look old because of the things they've experienced." "Sin Nombre" is executive produced by acclaimed Mexican actors Gael Garcia Bernal and Diego Luna. It impressed judges at this year's Sundance Film Festival so much they awarded it directing and cinematography awards. But even after such an ambitious and successful debut, Fukunaga is not ready to let up and his next project couldn't be more different: a musical with Arcade Fire collaborator Owen Pallett. After all, he said, "If you're just going to do a paint-by-numbers film, then what's the point?" | "Sin Nombre" opens a window on Mexico's Mara Salvatrucha gangs .
Cary Fukunaga's debut thriller set against backdrop of immigrant trafficking on trains .
Fukunaga visited gang members in jail and rode an immigrant train for research .
Film won directing and cinematography awards at 2009 Sundance Film Festival . |
66,294 | bc1383b6c3c4992fe36e59f87b242d9d420c44b2 | LONDON, England (CNN) -- A human rights protester was in police custody Monday after throwing a shoe at Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao during a speech at Cambridge University. The shoe landed several meters from Wen Jiabao. The shoe landed several meters from the premier and the man was quickly apprehended by security and handed over to police for questioning on suspicion of committing a public order offence, according to witnesses. A student who witnessed the incident told CNN that the man had stood up and shouted, "Why are you prostituting yourself? How can you listen to the lies he is telling?" Cameras filming the speech remained fixed on Wen during the incident, but video images later showed an unidentified student being escorted out of the building by a university proctor. The student was then handed over to police, a university spokesman, who would not disclose his name due to 'university regulations,' told CNN. "Fortunately the incident did not spoil the event. The auditorium was full, with nearly 500 people present, of whom just one misbehaved," a the spokesman said. "At no stage was there any serious threat to the Premier, or anyone else." The Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs said of the incident: "The Chinese side has expressed its strong feelings against the occurrence of the incident. The British side said that they are very sorry that the incident should have happened and the person will be dealt with according to law. Facts have shown that the despicable behavior of the perpetrator is extremely unpopular and can in no way stem the tide of the growing friendly relations and cooperation between China and Britain." The incident occurred while Wen, on a three day visit to the UK to strengthen economic ties, was speaking about China's role amid the global economic recession. On Sunday, several hundred Tibetan activists had demonstrated outside the Chinese Embassy Sunday to protest his visit to London. China has long been criticized by the international community for its human rights record in Tibet, where many Tibetans are pushing for greater autonomy and religious freedom. Monday's shoe-throwing incident is the second of its kind in less than two months. In December, an Iraqi journalist narrowly missed striking then-U.S. President George W. Bush with both his shoes during a news conference in Baghdad, where Bush was making a farewell visit. -- CNN's Per Nyberg and Bridget Fallon in London, Jomana Karadsheh in Baghdad, and Erin Mclaughlin in Atlanta contributed to this report. | Shoe thrown at Wen Jiabao during lecture at Britain's Cambridge University .
Man in custody following incident; shoe landed meters from Chinese premier .
Human rights protests have followed Wen during his UK visit . |
160,319 | 5b3fd15e19c7bc9a04b5237cac699452dd9419dc | (CNN) -- Bayer Leverkusen moved to within three points of German Bundesliga leaders Bayern Munich after a comfortable 4-2 home victory over Hamburg on Sunday. A double from Stefan Kiessling helped Leverkusen on their way to another three points, leaving them clear in third, a point behind second-placed Schalke, with the top three now pulling away in the race for the title with just eight games left. Kiessling opened the scoring after running onto Tranquillo Barnetta's through-ball and out-pacing two defenders before firing past goalkeeper Frank Rost. But Ze Roberto volleyed home a 33rd-minute equalizer for Hamburg after a defensive mix-up involving Sami Hyppia and goalkeeper Rene Adler. Eren Derdiyok restored Leverkusen's lead in the 55th-minute when heading home Daniel Schwaab's ball into the box -- and Kiessling quickly added a third with a simple tap-in after some great work from Renato Augusto. Czech defender David Rozehnal gave Hamburg some brief hope when converting an 83rd minute Piotr Trochowski free-kick but the victory was confirmed just a minute later when Gonzalo Casto fired home from just inside the area. Meanwhile, in the day's other match, Claudio Pizarro scored his 11th league goal of the season to give Werder Bremen a 1-0 home win over Hoffenheim. The Peruvian striker lobbed goalkeeper Timo Hildebrand with just nine minutes remaining to leave Werder sixth in the table, one point away from a place in Europe. | Bayer Leverkusen move to within three points of German leaders Bayern Munich .
Stefan Keissling scores twice for Leverkusen in their 4-2 win over Hamburg .
Claudio Pizarro nets the only goal as Werder Bremen defeat Hoffenheim . |
73,730 | d110d0602fc016f3e5b3841650c4d1c127ee80f1 | (CNN) -- Some commercial jets receive soaring fanfare when they hang up their wings. Remember all that fuss over the Concorde? Now it's the McDonnell Douglas DC-10's turn. But what sort of retirement party awaits the airline industry's final scheduled DC-10 passenger flight? The final-flight honor goes to Bangladesh Biman Airlines, operator of the world's last passenger DC-10 -- which the airline says will be making its final scheduled flight on December 7, on an otherwise routine flight. (The airline hasn't said which route the plane will fly.) More: China opens futuristic airport terminal . The aircraft will then remain grounded in standby mode while awaiting the arrival of its successor, a shiny new Boeing B777-300ER -- and eventual shipment to an undisclosed aviation museum in the United States. While passenger service comes to an end for the iconic, wide-body, three-engine workhorse of late-20th-century air travel, the DC-10 won't completely disappear from the skies. It's still commonly used by cargo companies, such as FedEx and Purolator. More: Breathtaking photos of Hong Kong airport's glory days . Last chance for 'genuine aviation enthusiasts' to fly DC-10 . For DC-10 fans (we know you're out there) mourning the end of an era, Biman has since announced one last chance to experience the DC-10 in action -- even if you're not a box with an overnight label. In February 2014, Biman Bangladesh Airlines plans to fly passengers from the Bangladesh capital of Dhaka to Birmingham, England, on its retired DC-10, one last time. It's "a fitting end for an aircraft that has served Biman loyally and well over many years," states the airline, which plans to start selling tickets for this special bonus voyage on its website by early January. More: Most creative ways to recycle a plane . "We want these tickets to go to genuine aviation enthusiasts," says Biman CEO Kevin Steele on the company's news page, adding that some short scenic flights out of Birmingham might also be added to the DC-10 farewell tour, depending on public demand. What's the projected demand? No word on that yet. DC-10's checkered history . McDonnell Douglas's famous (and at times infamous) jetliner logged its maiden voyage for passengers on August 5, 1971, on an American Airlines round trip between Los Angeles and Chicago. At the time, the plane filled an industry need for an innovative aircraft smaller than a 747 with long-range capabilities that could serve airports with shorter runways. A staple of several major airlines over four decades -- McDonnell Douglas produced its 446th, and last, DC-10 in 1989 for Nigeria Airways -- the aircraft would be hampered by tragic accidents, including a horrific American Airlines Flight 191 crash at Chicago's O'Hare International Airport in 1979 resulting from a separated engine ripping through a wing shortly after takeoff. The incident would lead to an FAA grounding of all DC-10s in the United States for more than a month and stoke widespread public fear about the DC-10 -- despite findings that a maintenance error was largely the cause. More: Skip the pasta! And other unsavory truths about airplane food . Though few major DC-10 incidents were actually due to mechanical issues alone, and the aircraft's safety record would steadily improve as design flaws were fixed, public confidence in the aircraft was never fully restored. Wired magazine would call the DC-10 the fifth worst "stupid engineering mistake" in history. Others called that label unfair. "The DC-10 had its share of high-profile accidents," noted a Los Angeles Times editorial in 2007, when Northwest Airlines became the last major carrier to retire it from passenger service in the United States -- replacing it with an Airbus 330. "But so have the much-less-maligned Boeing 737 and 747, the latter of which has a fatal-accident rate close to the DC-10's." Economics factor in retirement . A more significant factor behind the DC-10 retirement wave relates to fuel efficiency and cost. Newer aircraft use less fuel, making DC-10s a more expensive airliner to operate. It also requires a three-man crew, including a second officer or flight engineer -- an overhead-boosting rarity these days. Even if today's harried commercial passengers aren't exactly missing DC-10s (let alone knowing what makes one different than, say, an MD-11), some of its past pilots have nice things to say about them. More: 20 most annoying things people do on planes . "The DC-10 is a reliable airplane, fun to fly, roomy and quiet. Kind of like flying an old Cadillac Fleetwood," noted a spokesman for the Northwest chapter of the Air Line Pilots Association when the planes were shelved in the United States six years ago. "We're sad to see an old friend go." Cut to 2013. Who would have thought the last flying Cadillac Fleetwood would be making its swan song from Bangladesh? And just how sad is Biman Bangladesh Airlines to see an old friend go? "We hope you will join with us in celebrating the farewell of a loyal, beautiful aircraft," says Biman's Steele. "But also to recognize that the time has now come for Biman to equip itself with the very latest in new aircraft and technology." More: Boeing through the ages. Planes that changed the way we travel . | Biman Bangladesh Airlines will operate final DC-10 passenger service on December 7 .
DC-10 has had checkered past, including high-profile accidents .
The plane debuted in 1971 on a flight between Los Angeles and Chicago .
A special "last chance" flight for enthusiasts is planned for February . |
98,381 | 0aad8f205861473a22cc19c11fe036710f745f0e | By . Sara Malm . PUBLISHED: . 05:27 EST, 6 December 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 07:24 EST, 6 December 2013 . A father-of-one who stood in a roundabout wearing a sign begging for a job is now its gardener. Matt Atkins was advertising himself by holding a placard which read: ‘desperate 4 a job’, while standing in view of the busy traffic off the A127, in Basildon, Essex. The 46-year-old now mows the grass on the roundabout after its sponsors, a cleaning firm, spotted his desperate plight. Mow-ing up: Matt Atkins, 46, was hired after the father of one spent a day in the Essex roundabout Mr Dalton sponsors with a sign asking for a job - now he is its manager . Local cleaning company Bizzib, who advertise its services on the roundabout, gave Mr Atkins a job as a cleaner. Seven months later, Mr Atkins has been promoted to landscape manager, with responsibility for the very same roundabout. He . said: ‘It's quite bizarre that I have ended up back here. I never . imagined I would come back to this roundabout. I still have to pinch . myself sometimes but it is fantastic. Life is good. ‘I feel a million times better in myself. I just needed one person to believe in me. ‘Before . I was on anti-depressants and really fed up. I was not on a happy place . at all but now I am off the anti-depressants and doing something I . love.’ Success story: Mr Atkins advertised himself with a 'desperate 4 a job' placard in May, and he now looks after the roundabout where he stood looking for work . Only way is Essex: Shortly after his stunt, Mr Atkins started as a cleaner and was promoted to landscape manager seven months later . Before taking the . desperate measure of standing in busy traffic with a sign around his . neck, Mr Atkins, from Wickford, had struggled to find employment for . eight years. He had been . living on incapacity benefit since undergoing a pancreas transplant in . 2004, but wishing to provide for his wife Kelly and their 15-year-old son Levi . the honest way, he took a pay cut to work with the cleaning firm. Managing . director Ricky Dalton said: ‘He has been fantastic. His attitude . towards work has been great and he has gone from strength to strength. He has seen visions for the company and brought ideas to the table which . some of us had never thought about. ‘When . I heard he was standing on our roundabout I thought if he was willing . to do that he would have the ability to do what we asked him. ‘He . took a drop in wages to join us but we are a company that rewards . people for results. The fact that Matt put himself out he was rewarded . and we were rewarded with his hard work.’ | Matt Atkins, 46, stood in roundabout in Basildon, Essex begging for work .
Landscape firm that sponsors the roundabout spotted him and hired him .
After starting off as a cleaner Atkins is now a 'landscape manager' |
285,947 | fe7f5b38a51303f1219e9d8ae4cd1b533c58e1a3 | By . Rebecca Camber . PUBLISHED: . 07:30 EST, 28 February 2014 . | . UPDATED: . 12:31 EST, 7 March 2014 . Cradling her Heckler & Koch MP5 rifle, she was once Scotland Yard’s poster girl for the Olympics. But just months after this picture was taken, Police Constable Carol Howard launched a race and gender discrimination claim against the force, claiming that her career had been held back by bullies. The 34-year-old firearms officer, who is a member the elite Diplomatic Protection Group (DPG) – the same unit embroiled in the Plebgate scandal – has accused a senior male officer of denying her equal opportunities because of her race and gender. Carol Howard, 34, is suing Scotland Yard claiming racial and sexual discrimination . Her tribunal hearing, due to take . place next month will also hear allegations of bullying within the DPG. The squad protects senior politicians, government buildings and foreign . embassies in London. Miss Howard, who has served in the force for ten years, helped safeguard London from terror attacks during the 2012 Games. She . was thrust into the spotlight when the Metropolitan Police chose her to . be a poster girl for a glossy magazine feature on the 10,000 men and . women on duty during the Olympics, which ran under the headline: ‘The . Met Police is a force to be reckoned with.’ At . the time, she was happy to talk about her firearms. When asked how many . weapons she had, Miss Howard said: ‘Four: the Glock, which is a pistol; . the Heckler & Koch MP5 rifle; a Taser; and CS spray, which is like . pepper spray.’ She . also challenged suggestions that armed police have a bad reputation, . saying: ‘It comes down to public perception. A lot of people who say . they’ve had problems with the police haven’t actually had a personal . incident, it’s just something they’ve heard about.’ But . yesterday it emerged that she has been pursuing a discrimination claim . against the Met for two years. The constable has now been removed from . frontline duties. Yesterday . a Met spokesman said: ‘Police Constable Carol Howard of the Diplomatic . Protection Group is bringing an employment tribunal against the Met . citing racial and sexual discrimination. The Met will robustly defend . the claim.’ Her case, which also involves bullying allegations, will be heard at Central London Employment Tribunal on March 31. The . issue of racism is particularly sensitive for the force. This week . Baroness Lawrence, the mother of murdered black teenager Stephen . Lawrence, said she believes some attitudes ‘haven’t changed much’ since . the Macpherson Report which claimed the Met was ‘institutionally . racist’, 15 years ago. Last . year, on the eve of the 20th anniversary of his death, the Metropolitan . Black Police Association declared the force is still ‘institutionally . racist’. A spokesman for the Metropolitan Police said: 'The Met will robustly defend the claim' The racial . discrimination claim is the latest in a series of allegations to rock . the DPG after two of its officers were sacked on Wednesday for their . role in the Plebgate scandal involving former chief whip Andrew . Mitchell. PC Keith Wallis, . who was sentenced to 12 months in prison on February 6 for lying about . witnessing the incident, was dismissed from the Met. PC James Glanville . was also dismissed after a misconduct hearing found he had given . information about the incident to The Sun newspaper and lied about it to . investigators. He was arrested on January 31 last year but in November was told he would not be charged. Last . year three officers in the unit were arrested over claims they . exchanged ‘extreme’ pornography with each other on their mobile phones. They no longer face criminal charges but are still subject to an . investigation into allegations of misconduct. | Carol Howard, a firearms officer with the Diplomatic Protection Group, claims her career has been held back at Scotland Yard .
She claims a senior male DPG officer has denied her equal opportunities .
Tribunal hearing, to be held next month, also involves bullying allegations . |
246,905 | cb86f53487b819cd92d24b38fa6e7a199c08116a | By . Lucy Waterlow . PUBLISHED: . 06:11 EST, 10 May 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 12:03 EST, 10 May 2013 . A mother-of-three who hoped a boob job would boost her confidence was left with scarred and deflated breasts after the surgery went horrifically wrong. After taking out a loan to pay for the op, Claire, 30, an office manager from Nottingham, developed an infection after going under the knife. The blood supply to her breast tissue was cut off during the operation meaning the skin began to die. She said she looked like she had 'gaping holes' on her under side and that the implant was falling out. Scroll down for video . Lost her femininity: Claire lost all her body confidence after a botched boob job left her with scarred and deflated breasts . 'I was horrified, it looked to me like what they had put in was just hanging out from the bottom of her breast,' her mother commented after seeing her daughter following the combined breast lift and enlargement surgery. 'My implant was actually falling through,' Claire added. Claire was taken to hospital where an emergency operation to remove all the infected skin and the implants left her with little breast tissue. 'I was distraught, I thought I'd lost all my breast. I had the surgery because I wanted it to look more feminine and I ended up with nothing,' she said. Ordeal: Claire following surgery to remove infected breast tissue and implants after her first operation that went wrong, left, and after corrective surgery that has made her 'feel like a woman' again . For the last four years, Claire has lived with her scarred and deformed breasts - wearing two or three bras a day to disguise her real shape. She also had extensive scarring and no nipple on one side. She added that the ordeal had affected her relationship with her husband, Rob, as she no longer wanted to be naked with him. 'It's affected me so much with our intimacy as I'm always covered up in the bedroom,' she said. Claire sought the help of TV show Last Chance Salon to see if their expert team could help her 'feel like a woman again.' She saw cosmetic surgeon Mr Vik Vijh who explained why two operations at the same time like Claire had can often go wrong. New look: Claire is delighted she can now show off her cleavage . Feeling fantastic: The mother of three shares her story on Last Chance Salon . 'Claire had two common procedures in one session. Both of these are routine but carry risks and when you do them together the risks more than double,' he said. Mr Vijh said Claire would need new implants to give her breasts volume - if she was willing to go under the knife again. Claire agreed and following the corrective surgery at Hereford Nuffield Hospital her cleavage was completely transformed. 'I'm feeling fantastic. I've had a whole change of look for the new me,' she said explaining how she had overhauled her wardrobe and dyed her hair blonde as her new figure had given her renewed confidence. Mr Vijh explained how Claire's breasts were now a much better shape and symmetry while nipples had been tattooed on to give a more natural appearance. Claire said she had never felt better. 'I've put it all behind me now and thrown my old bras away,' she said. 'My life has changed dramatically. Now I can go swimming with the kids and we can have a beach holiday - I couldn't before as swimsuits never fitted properly.' Watch Last Chance Salon on Thursdays at 10pm on new entertainment channel TLC (Sky 125 and Virgin 167). If you have a botched beauty treatment you'd like fixed by the Last Chance Experts contact [email protected]. They're currently looking for people . who've suffered disastrous hair dos, bad fillers and other cosmetic . calamities to be put right for the new series . | Claire's breast tissue became infected after cosmetic surgery .
An op to repair the damage left her with a scarred and deflated chest .
She had to wear three bras and didn't want husband to see her naked .
She's now transformed thanks corrective surgery on Last Chance Salon . |
202,676 | 926a89cb7a03387dadb2e82950f1a75811df4f11 | A tiny, timber holiday home with no running water, gas, electricity or toilet has become one of the country's most sought after properties after going up for auction for £75,000. The Chalet - a secluded one-bedroom property which boasts an earth toilet in a neighbouring shed - is set in the idyllic North York Moors National Park. The property offers a back-to-basics lifestyle sitting in its own 1.5-acre field and no nearby houses. For sale: Auctioneer Tom Watson standing outside the holiday chalet in Staintondal, North Yorkshire . Back-to-basics: The Chalet has a small interior but no running water, electricity or gas . Estate agent Tom Watson, who has had hundreds of inquiries, said: 'The phone hasn't stopped ringing because this place is a one-off. The location is superb. 'It's close to the coast and also very private. It's the perfect rural hideaway. There are people who live in the area who don't know it is there.' The isolated property, thought to date back to the 1930s, was bought by a couple in 1948 as a holiday home and is now owned by their grandchildren David and Philip Hopwood. Estate agents have set the guide price range for the property in Staintondale, North Yorkshire, between £75,000 and £130,000. Quaint: The property, which was bought as a holiday home, boasts two single bunk beds . Remote: The tiny property is set in a 1.5-acre field - and no nearby neighbours . David Hopwood said: 'My grandparents bought it 66 years ago for the family and my brother and sister and I spent every holiday there. 'Back then it was next to a working farm. We used to milk the cows and I can remember the horse-drawn plough and helping with haymaking. 'It's an idyllic place. It's a 20-minute walk through the woods to the cove at Hayburn Wyke, a couple of miles to Ravenscar Hall and you can walk or cycle on the old railway line to Scarborough, which is eight miles away.' The family are selling the property with a guide price of £75,000 to £130,000 . The shed has shuttered windows and houses a living area with a sofa bed and a kitchenette with a camping stove. Another bedroom is furnished with bunk beds while the toilet is little more than a hole in the ground in an adjacent shed. Living in The Chalet means homeowners will have to go without electricity and have bottled water brought specially to the site by driving through the neighbouring field. Mr Hopwood said: 'There is no television here. It's just walking, reading and peace and quiet. 'Sometimes on an evening I'll just sit outside in the deckchair and watch the owls and look at the stars. The Chalet - a secluded one-bedroom property - boasts an earth toilet in a neighbouring shed . 'The skies here have no light pollution so the stars are bright and incredibly beautiful. 'It's one of the reasons I am sad to be selling but we are getting older and it's time to let the chalet go to someone else.' He added: 'It has been very well maintained. My dad was very practical and so is my brother, so they did most of the work, including putting a concrete floor in. 'It's very comfortable and completely dry.' Mr Watson said: 'The idea of getting away from it all in every sense is very appealing.' The Chalet goes for auction at The Hayburn Wyke in Staintondale on September 3 with Cundalls Estate Agent in Malton, North Yorkshire. | Property in North York Moors National Park was bought as a holiday home .
Is going under the hammer and agent said hundreds of people are interested .
Shed has shuttered windows with lounge and a sofa bed and camping stove . |
280,251 | f70b38e2b7cb735e8054086d3aded362a3920eef | The Senate on Monday approved President Barack Obama's nomination of Dr. Vivek Murthy to serve as U.S. surgeon general, despite opposition from Republicans and some Democrats over his support for gun control. Murthy, 37, a physician at Boston's Brigham and Women's Hospital and instructor at Harvard Medical School, won confirmation on a vote of 51-43. He's a co-founder of Doctors for America – originally called Doctors for Obama – a group that has pushed for affordable health care and supports Obama's health care law. Wyoming Republican Sen. John Barrasso said most of Murthy's career has been spent as an activist focused on gun control and other political issues, rather than on treating patients. 'Americans don't want a surgeon general who might use this position of trust to promote his own personal campaign against the Second Amendment of the Constitution,' Barrasso said. Supporters said Murthy is well-qualified and noted his promise not to use the position as a bully pulpit for gun control. Scroll down for video . CONFIRMED: Dr. Vivek Murthy is a political partisan whose gun-control views have Second Amendment defenders worried . LIBERAL'S LIBERAL: Murthy chummed up with Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren, one of America's left-most politicians, during his February confirmation hearing . Senate Majority Whip Richard Durbin, an Illinois Democrat, said Murthy has been 'pilloried and excoriated' by the National Rifle Association and its supporters for his backing of stricter gun laws, including an assault weapons ban, and past statements that gun violence is a public health issue. Murthy has made clear he is not 'aspiring to be the leading doctor in America to engage in a political debate, but rather to engage in public health debates about obesity and tobacco and things that make a dramatic difference to the lives of so many people who live in this country,' Durbin said. Connecticut Democratic Sen. Richard Blumenthal said the NRA had 'spun a specious smokescreen' to block Murthy 'simply because he stated the obvious fact that gun violence is a public health issue.' The vote to confirm Murthy came two years after a school shooting in Newtown, Conn. Murthy expressed support for gun control in a letter to Congress after the shooting, drawing opposition from the NRA and holding up his confirmation vote. 'America's next surgeon general should not be a political operative whose professional inexperience has been a source of bipartisan concern,' said NRA spokesman Andrew Arulanandam. Murthy's nomination was endorsed by more than 100 health organizations, including the American College of Physicians, the American Heart Association and the American Diabetes Association. West Virginia Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin, a staunch supporter of gun rights, did not mention guns in a statement opposing Murthy but said he does not believe it's appropriate for America's top doctor to participate in political activism. While he does not question Murthy's medical qualifications, Manchin said he wonders whether the public will believe that Murthy 'can separate his political beliefs from his public health views.' The vote to confirm Murthy came more than a year after Obama nominated him. The surgeon general doesn't set policy but is an advocate for the people's health. Before founding Doctors for America, Murthy created a nonprofit that focused on HIV/AIDS education in India and the U.S. And he co-founded a technology company, TrialNetworks, that helps drug developers collaborate on clinical trials. At a Senate hearing in February, Murthy said he wouldn't use the position to push gun control. He said his priorities include fighting obesity and helping communities promote healthier living. DOCTORS FOR OBAMA: Murthy (left) came to Capitol Hill in 2009 to lobby lawmakers to pass the Obamacare law, bringing xray-lightboxes with gimmick messages to reach members of Congress . The son of immigrants from India, Murthy told senators he was inspired to become a doctor while helping out on weekends at his father's family medicine clinic in Miami. Dr. David Satcher, a former surgeon general, said Murthy's youth and technological and business expertise would serve him well. 'We need a surgeon general now who is quite visible when it comes to dealing directly with the American people about their role of improving their health and the health of their communities,' Satcher said. Visibility is tough for surgeons general. The only one who became a household name was the bow-tied Dr. C. Everett Koop, who during the Reagan administration brought frank talk about AIDS to a reluctant nation and crusaded against smoking. The White House was quick to signal its enthusiasm for Murthy, issuing a statement from the president that said he would 'bring his lifetime of experience promoting public health to bear on priorities ranging from stopping new diseases to helping our kids grow up healthy and strong. Vivek will also help us build on the progress we've made combatting (sic) Ebola, both in our country and at its source.' Obama's statement did not mention the contentious Second Amendment issue. | Vivek Murthy attracted opposition from gun-rights advocates because of his belief that doctors should ask patients about guns in the home .
He founded Doctors for Obama, a campaign group that supported the Obamacare law .
51-37 vote barely cleared the bar just days before the GOP takes control of the Senate and will run all its committees . |
276,884 | f2b3fd29eac3906bb1b60af4d77d8c52e6208593 | Driving tests should have a distinction grade to improve road safety, a Tory minister has said. Skills minister Matthew Hancock said it is wrong that would-be drivers can only pass or fail. He said that if there was a higher level to aspire to, insurance firms would be able to offer cheaper premiums to the best drivers – which could make the country’s roads safer. Test: Almost a quarter of the road accidents resulting in death or serious injury last year involved a driver under 24. That age group is roughly four times more likely to be involved in a serious accident (file picture) It comes after the Government said it was considering raising the driving age to 18 – from the current 17 – in a attempt to reduce the number of fatal accidents. Youths could be forced to wait until they are 19 before they qualify for a full licence, and all motorists under 30 could be banned from giving their friends a lift or driving at night for 12 months after they pass their test. Almost a quarter of the road accidents resulting in death or serious injury last year involved a driver under 24. That age group is roughly four times more likely to be involved in a serious accident. Mr Hancock, who is Conservative MP for West Suffolk, made his suggestion at a car factory in Oxford last week, at an event where apprentices met David Cameron. ‘One of the things that’s in the . implementation platform is that every apprenticeship in the future will . have a pass, fail or distinction,’ he said. Fifteen minors allowed: Currently, learner drivers are given some indication of how they fared by seeing their report card at the end of the test, on which their minor or major faults are marked (file picture) ‘I’m personally very committed to this. People say ... you can be a perfectly good bricklayer or you can be brilliant. Parents who park illegally when dropping off or picking up their children from school could soon find themselves caught on camera. The cameras, which are timed to switch on during the morning and afternoon school run, spot those who stop in restricted zones. The surveillance system records footage of the number plate and no-parking sign and sends it to councils, which can then use it to issue fines of up to £120. Five councils in London and at least two others outside the capital are testing the system, which costs £16,000. Manufacturer Videalert refused to say which they were. Actor Tom Conti, 71, who drops his grandchild off at school in London, compared the camera system to surveillance by the Stasi. He said: ‘The councils are doing this for revenue. To target parents is frankly disgusting.’ ‘People say the driving test is just pass or fail. But actually if we had a distinction on the driving test, maybe those people could get lower premiums and be safer drivers.’ Currently, learner drivers are given some indication of how they fared by seeing their report card at the end of the test, on which their minor or major faults are marked. Up to 15 minors are allowed before they will be failed. Sources at the Department for Business and Skills said it was not official Government policy to have a distinction level, but that it was an idea Mr Hancock was in favour of. He is particularly close to Chancellor George Osborne, meaning his thoughts are discussed at the highest levels. Last night Edmund King, president of the AA, said the idea was ‘interesting’ and could help make roads safer. He said the distinction pass could be reserved for those who excelled in their tests and completed advanced lessons. ‘Young drivers are not ready for Britain’s roads after passing their tests,’ he said. ‘They are ten times more likely to have an accident in the first year after passing their test. ‘The idea of having a distinction is interesting. If a new driver has completed lessons on motorways and driving at night and excelled at their test they could get a lower insurance premium.’ | Matthew Hancock says it's wrong would-be drivers can only pass or fail .
Skills minister believes there should be higher level for drivers to go for .
Insurance firms would then offer cheaper premiums to the best drivers . |
182,813 | 78bdcf973ced7c6acccad8d4277433703b660944 | By . Louise Eccles . Last updated at 9:47 PM on 8th December 2011 . From injured war veterans and young cancer survivors to a pensioner who makes 400 pots of jam a month for charity. These are some of Britain’s most inspirational people who will help to carry the Olympic torch around the country next summer. Yesterday, 6,800 people were told they had been selected as ‘citizen torchbearers’ at the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games, after they were nominated by friends, family and colleagues. Inspirational: Lord Coe stands with just a handful of 6,800 'citizen torchbearers' who have been chosen to carry the Olympic flame for next year's Olympics . Chosen ones: Sarah Thomas, from Shrewsbury, left, has been picked to carry the torch, while 18-year-old Jess Colborn has been chosen after her amazing recovery from a stroke two years ago . Each bearer will carry the torch through their hometowns and villages during the 70-day relay across Britain. Among them is 18-year-old Jess Colborn, who had to learn to walk and talk again when she suffered a stroke two years ago. The A-Level student from Allenheads, Northumberland, feared she would never walk again when she was paralysed down the left side of her body and right side of her face. But after months of physiotherapy, she has almost fully recovered and now hopes to study medicine at university. She said: ‘Carrying the Olympic torch will be amazing. It will show just how far I have come. ‘The relay will be two years on from the stroke and will be a great way to celebrate.’ Fundraiser: Moira Starkey, 84, from Herefordshire, who has raised thousands for charity will carry the torch even though she uses two sticks to walk . She will be joined by 84-year-old Moira Starkey, who has raised thousands of pounds for a breast cancer support centre, Hereford Haven, through sales of her homemade jams and pickles. Miss Starkey, who walks with two sticks, completed her first marathon at the age of 83 last year, by walking 2,000 times around her town hall. Moria Starkey, 84, who will carry the torch . She said: ‘It took me three months, but my friends kept me going by bringing in tapes of my favourite classical music. ‘It’s a great honour to be asked to be a torchbearer – I just hope I don’t drop it.’ Miss Starkey, who has undergone two knee replacements, added: ‘After five laps of the town hall I would have a rest and a cup of tea and then carry on.’ Miss Starkey, of Storridge, Herefordshire, made so many jams for charity that she was invited to meet Prince Charles during a visit to the town. She said: ‘This week alone I have made 23 Damson jams, 21 strawberry jams, 15 marmalades and 10 lemon curds. Prince Charles approved of the lemon curd, he likes that best.’ Matt Short, 20, of Tonbridge, Kent, was a keen rugby and tennis player until he was diagnosed with a rare bone cancer at the age of 16 and had to have his leg amputated. Overcoming adversity: Holly Hamill from Northern Ireland battled cystic fibrosis before winning four golds at a national gymnastics championship, while Matt Short, a keen rugby player, had to have a leg amputated following a diagnosis with a rare bone cancer . The teenager, who has set up the Ewing’s Sarcoma Research Trust, says completing the torch relay will be a particularly poignant moment. He said: ‘Hopefully it will mark an end to my period of recovery and be a new beginning.’ Holly Hamill, 17, of Glengormly, Northern Ireland, was nominated by her gymnastics coach for overcoming cystic fibrosis to win four gold medal apparatus medals at the Rhythmic British Championships. Stunned: Rachel Nafzger said she couldn't believe she had been chosen for the relay. She will walk the course alongside her guide dog Nikita . She said: ‘It is amazing to be part of this. I just hope I don’t fall over. ‘My condition makes things harder because my chest is tight. It can be a downer but I just focus on my ability not my disability. ‘I hope I can show people that by doing the relay.’ Rachel Nafzger, 21, will walk the torch relay with her guide dog Nikita. She was born four months premature with limited sight, but that has not stopped her living independently. She left her home in Northamptonshire . to study English literature at Plymouth, where she is a member of . several voluntary groups. She said: ‘I couldn’t believe it when I was told I had been chosen. ‘Nikita will love the crowds because she’s an attention-seeker.’ The remaining 1,200 torchbearers will be announced in January. Eight thousands people were chosen from a shortlist of 28,000 hopefuls to take part in the relay after being selected by sponsors Lloyds TSB, Samsung and Coca-Cola. It was announced yesterday that Dublin will also be included in the relay, in a bid to include Ireland in the celebrations. Holly Hamill, who overcame cystic fibrosis to win four golds at the British rhymthic gymnastic championship . The naming of the torchbearers was somewhat overshadowed by events earlier this week, when it was revealed that more taxpayers money would be pumped into the Olympic Games. Yesterday, Lord Sebastian Coe admitted that the Olympics organising committee would be ‘living ‘hand to mouth’ in coming months. The admission will only fuel fears that the Government will be forced to invest in excess of the £9.3bn already pledged for the competition. Ministers recently agreed to put £41million towards the opening and closing ceremonies, doubling its budget. Simeon Wakely, from Bath, a wheelchair tennis and basketball player, described his nomination as 'a shinning example of what can be achieved when you set your mind to it', while Lord Coe also displayed the torch . The event was supposed to be paid for by the privately-funded organising committee Locog, but the Prime Minister himself stepped in, apparently to give the four ceremonies the ‘wow factor’. It was also revealed this week that a further £271million will need to be invested in security after organisers wildly underestimated the number of security guards required at the Games. The total security bill is now in excess of £1bn. Yesterday, Locog chairman Lord Coe said that keeping the Games on budget over the next six months ‘will be a challenge’, but that Locog was ‘driving down on costs’ where they could. ‘We will be living hand to mouth now until the Olympic Games. As you get towards the games, there’s a build up of pressure’, he said. ‘It will be tough. These are the hard months everyone was predicting six months ago.’ | Each bearer will carry torch through hometown or village .
Selection speak of their honour at being chosen .
28,000 hopefuls entered for chance to carry torch .
Dublin will now be included in the route . |
217,954 | a630a8ab2a2650a93324cd07633317543a28328f | The mother of a 17-year-old girl who was killed after a tree fell onto her static home while she was sleeping, desperately tried to comfort her as she lay dying, it has today been claimed. Tess Peirce was sleeping in a separate caravan to her daughter Bethany Freeman, when St Jude's Storm struck this morning. It is believed Ms Peirce had discovered the 30ft fallen fir tree across her Bethany's temporary bedroom when she left her own caravan and was trying to talk to her daughter while firefighters fought to free her. Despite attempts to resuscitate the teenager, she died a short while later at the scene. Neighbours Helen O'Connell and her partner Frederic Perdrix were at home next door to the barn in Hever, Kent, when Ms Peirce came round this morning urgently seeking help. Scroll down for video . Terrible accident: Bethany Freeman, 17, was crushed when this tree fell on her while she lay in bed (pictured). She was comforted by her mother but could not be saved . The 17-year-old girl died after a tree fell onto the static home she was sleeping in at Hever, Kent . Emergency services were called to the scene in Hever, Edenbridge, but the girl is believed to have died from her injuries . The caravan was parked in a yard when a tree fell onto it during the storm - crushing it completely . Ms O'Connell said: 'She came round here wanting some help. She was absolutely distraught. She said she had come out of her caravan this morning and had found the other caravan with her daughter in it had been flattened by a huge fallen tree. 'Tess said she could hear Beth speaking. She wanted our help to get her out. All the neighbours came out to try and help. 'A farmer came round with his JCB truck to try and lift the tree off the crushed caravan. 'It was awful. We were trying to console Tess while they tried to get Beth out. 'I think Tess was trying to talk to Beth, trying to comfort her. 'There was no power because the electricity had gone off so we couldn't use any power tools. Neighbours were rallying to find a petrol run chainsaw which eventually someone did. 'But eventually they said Beth had died and there was nothing anyone could do for her.' The neighbour said that Ms Peirce lived in one of the caravans with two of her three sons - one of them lived elsewhere. It is believed Ms Peirce had applied for planning permission to convert one of the buildings for her and her family to live in and the other building she planned to set up as respite accommodation for terminally ill people. The family were living in the caravans while the renovations were carried out. Ms Peirce added: 'It's such an awful tragedy. They are a really nice family. I feel so upset for them.' Emergency services were called to Hever in Edenbridge at 7.18am following reports that the 17-year-old girl was seriously injured. But teams were unable to save her . Teams gather at the scene in Hever. Kent woke yesterday morning to winds reaching topping 80mph and more than 100 trees felled . Farmer Greg Pickering, 32, a father of one, was asked by the police to use his JCB truck in efforts to rescue Bethany. He said: 'The police phoned me at half past seven this morning and said they needed my help. They said a young girl was trapped and they needed me to help lift something with my JCB. 'I ran down and got the truck and drove to where it was. Initially they told me to wait because there were firemen cutting branches off the tree. 'Then they called me forward and I used my truck to lift the caravan and tree off the girl. 'They got her out and tried to resuscitate her but it was no good. 'Apparently at 7 o'clock this morning she'd been able to speak to her mother from under the tree but there'd been nothing from her since then. 'Her mum and two brothers were completely devastated, they were inconsolable. There were absolutely horrific scenes. 'They'd been looking to build their dream home there and were living in the caravans while that was happening but they were having difficulties with getting planning permission. 'It's all so terribly tragic.' Meanwhile the search continues for a 14-year-old boy feared dead after being swept out to sea while playing in the surf - hours before 99 mph winds battered Britain. The teenager has been named by sources as Dylan Alkins, who is thought to have disappeared while playing in the surf at West Beach in Newhaven, East Sussex, at about 4.15pm yesterday. It comes as the most dangerous storm for years has torn apart Britain with gusts of almost 100mph ripping up trees, causing flash flooding and leaving at least 220,000 homes without power. Huge operation: Coastguards, police, RNLI and ambulance teams at the west arm of Newhaven harbour searching during a storm for a missing 14-year-old boy . Looking: The Maritime and Coastguard Agency said last night that the operation had now become one of search and recovery . Tricky task: A Maritime and Coastguard Agency spokesman said that rescue teams struggled in difficult conditions in Newhaven, East Sussex . Brave rescue mission: The RNLI Newhaven lifeboat searching for a missing teenager who was washed into the sea this afternoon at West Beach . Rescue . teams, including a Coastguard helicopter and an RNLI lifeboat, scoured . the area in what were described as 'atrocious conditions' with poor . visibility. Last night, the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) said the operation had now become one of search and recovery. Officials from the Newhaven lifeboat . said that at 9.45pm all teams searching for the missing boy had been . stood down for the night by the Coastguard. A spokesman for the team said on Twitter: 'Our thoughts go to the boy's family and friends at this sad time.' The teenager was playing with friends when the incident occurred. They were not swept off and are safe. A . Sussex Police spokesman said: ‘This is a very distressing incident and . everything possible is being done to try to find the boy.’ A . spokesman added that rescue teams struggled in difficult conditions. She . explained that police were with the boy's family and ‘they are . distraught’. Team effort: A lifeboat and coastguard helicopter search the sea off Newhaven for the missing 14-year-old boy yesterday afternoon . Dangerous conditions: Rescue services are searching for the boy who is missing off Newhaven, East Sussex, after being last seen playing in the surf in rough seas . Waves: A search is under way for a 14-year-old boy who was swept out to sea while swimming near the shore in Newhaven, East Sussex . Concern: Police said the missing teenager got into difficulty at about 4.15pm while swimming with friends near the shore at West Beach, Newhaven . The youngster was in the water at West . Beach approximately 30ft offshore and Solent Coastguard was alerted to . the missing boy via 999 calls. Steve Mann of Solent Coastguard said: ‘This weekend we have been expecting hurricane-force winds and we are urging people to take extra care. ‘The crashing waves are spectacular to watch but also extremely dangerous. HM Coastguard's advice is simple: don't take risks. ‘But if you do get into difficulty, or spot someone who might be in trouble, call 999 and ask for the Coastguard.’ The police spokesman added: ‘All agencies remind people of the dangers of being at seashores in adverse weather, especially in view of the approaching severe weather conditions overnight. The advice is straightforward - stay clear.’ Hunt: Search and rescue teams have been looking for a photographer feared to have been washed off The Cobb wall at Lyme Regis in Dorset . A man in his fifties has also died after a tree fell on his car in high winds this morning, in Watford. Police were called at 6.50am after a tree collapsed on a red Peugeot 307. The man, who was driving, died at the scene. Meanwhile a man was found clinging to a rope at a Welsh port after his cries for help were heard early this morning. The man - who was found hanging on to a rope dangling over the quayside at Holyhead, Anglesey - was described as 'lucky to be alive' after he was rescued by a coastguard team and the inshore lifeboat at 4.26am. The man was handed over to paramedics and taken to hospital at Bangor, suffering with hypothermia. In a separate incident, a double decker . bus with passengers onboard has blown over on A1071 between Ipswich and . Sudbury. Suffolk Police are currently on the scene. Winds of more than 100mph have already left a . trail of destruction today, bringing down trees and . causing widespread structural damage. Missing fisherman: Steven Stringer has not been seen since he was spotted at the riverbank to the River Kennet in Theale, near Reading, Berkshire . Surface . water floods could strike much of England as the Met Office predicts up . to 1.6in of rain could fall within six to nine hours overnight. Elsewhere, . search and rescue teams have been looking for a photographer feared to . have been washed off The Cobb wall at Lyme Regis in Dorset. A witness said a man was taking photos of the waves before he was swept out to sea. Coastguards carried out a search from 6pm on Saturday. However, no-one has been reported missing. A coastguard helicopter and a RNLI lifeboat have now been stood down. The Maritime and Coastguard Agency urged anyone who was taking photographs on Saturday at that site between 5.30pm and 6pm to get in contact. Meanwhile the hunt continues for a fisherman who is feared to have been swept away in a storm-swollen river in Berkshire. Emergency services searched the river banks for clues to what happened to Steven Stringer, 62, from Basingstoke. He was last seen fishing on the River Kennet at Theale, three miles upstream from where it flows into the Thames at Reading. The . last definite sighting of him was at 5pm on Friday by someone who saw . him fishing where the Kennet flows close to Wigmore Lane in Theale. Hurricane-force winds and torrential rain are battering southern England with gusts of almost 100mph ripping up trees, causing flash flooding and leaving at least 220,000 homes without power. Millions of commuters have been left stranded and warned not to travel today unless it is essential, with at least 40 railway lines blocked, roads left impassable and hundreds of flights cancelled because of the most dangerous storm for years. | A 17-year-old girl died today after a tree fell onto the static home she was sleeping in at Hever, Kent Police said .
Tess Peirce was sleeping in a separate caravan to her daughter Bethany Freeman, when St Jude's Storm struck .
Ms Peirce had discovered 30ft fallen fir tree across daughter's temporary bedroom when she left her own caravan .
She was trying to talk to Bethany while firefighters and passers by fought to free her, but she died a short while later .
Meanwhile a boy, 14, is feared dead after being swept out to sea at beach in Newhaven, East Sussex .
He has been named by sources as Dylan Alkins - a teenager disappeared while playing with friends in the surf .
It has also been reported that a man has died after a tree fell on his car in Watford this morning .
In Holyhead, north Wales, a man was also found clinging to a rope in harbour at around 4.35am and was rescued .
Search and rescue teams also look for photographer feared to have been washed off Lyme Regis in Dorset .
And hunt continues for fisherman Steven Stringer who is feared to have been swept away in a Berkshire river . |
254,303 | d52d0443ab21947845676e1f8fe447c16784f715 | There's nothing like the cry of 'Come on me lovelies! Apples 'n' pears! Ten for a paand!' to liven up a market. But in Scunthorpe the bureaucrats like things a little less clamorous. Council officials have caused fury by banning stallholders from pitching their goods. Greengrocer Simon Stanley, left, who has been banned from the market and slapped with a £1,000 legal fee after pitching his wares to punters and right, his wife Trudi Stanley, who has been left to run the business alone . Barmy: Traders at Scunthorpe Market, pictured, have been banned from yelling out their prices over 'elf and safety fears they could damage people's hearing . Ever since trading began, sellers have . shouted out their prices to attract customers. But strict rules on . 'calling off' detailed in a council traders' charter have led to a . greengrocer being taken to court, banned from his market for three . months and hit with a £980 legal bill. Simon Stanley's offence was to shout out his prices at his indoor market stall. Several butchers have also been given . written warnings for verbally hawking their wares and the 70 traders at . Scunthorpe Market are refusing to recognise the controversial . 'charter' – which even has a section on what 'banter' is allowed. The rules – imposed without any . discussion – state stallholders can only 'call off' after 1pm on . Saturday. The market is open six days a week and for the rest of the . time all shouting is banned. New rules imposed in a so-called Traders' Charter prevent 70 traders flogging their wares in the market - a rule that traders warn could impact heavily on their sales . The only reason given for the baffling clampdown is to 'prevent annoyance to other traders'. Mr Stanley, 45, who has been running . his greengrocer's stall with wife Trudi, 39, for three years, was . monitored by council investigators who detailed 16 incidents of him . breaking the rules by 'calling off'. The father of four was taken to county . court three weeks ago and a three-month injunction was imposed, banning . him from the market until December 12. He said: 'It's lunacy. I have been . shouting for three years here and never had a single complaint from a . member of the public. Shouting out the prices of our goods is part of . the atmosphere of a market.' Julia Murray, 47, from the Scunthorpe . Traders Association, said all the traders had been given the 'charter' to sign and no one had done so. She said most in the food hall depended on pitching to sell perishable goods near the end of their shelf life. North Lincolnshire Council said it could not comment on cases involving individual traders. A spokesman added: 'Calling off and . pitching is part of market life and is permitted as long as it follows . guidelines set out in the charter.' | New rules prevent 70 traders flogging their wares nearly every day .
Traders warn ban on shouting could impact heavily on their sales .
'It's lunacy. It is not supermarkets that are closing markets - it is the local councils', says greengrocer Simon Stanley who has been taken to court . |
96,448 | 081a46313b198e406082e670e1c444065d4d0abe | (CNN) -- Lionel Messi scored his second hat-trick in four days as titleholders Barcelona marched into the knockout stage of the European Champions League on a night of milestones for the Spanish club on Tuesday. The striker, a big favorite to win his third world player of the year award after heading the 2011 nominations before the match against Viktoria Plzen, passed a double century of goals for Barca to mark coach Josep Guardiola's 200th match in charge. The Czech champions capitulated to a 4-0 home defeat in the Group H game after having Marian Cisovsky sent off for a foul in the box on Messi, who scored the resulting penalty to open the scoring in the 24th minute with his milestone goal. The Argentine made it 2-0 in the second minute of first-half injury-time after combining with Adriano, and he sealed the rout in stoppage time after a superb backheel pass from central defender Gerard Pique set him free for his 202nd. Is Messi the only candidate for Ballon d'Or? Barca's third came in the 72nd minute when Cesc Fabregas -- among eight Barca players in the 23-man FIFA Ballon d'Or Shortlist -- headed home a cross by young winger Isaac Cuenca. Guardiola became only the fifth Barca boss to reach 200 games, suffering just 17 defeats. Messi has scored 160 of the 500 goals netted in that period. The clean sheet meant that Barcelona goalkeeper Victor Valdes set a new club record of 877 minutes without conceding, beating the previous mark set by Miguel Reina in 1973. The win gave Barca 10 points from four games, leaving the Catalans two clear of second-placed AC Milan with two rounds to play. The Italian champions went through to the second round despite being held 1-1 by BATE Borisov in Belarus in an earlier kickoff. Milan went into the match denying reports that hospitalized striker Antonio Cassano had suffered a stroke. "I think every patient has the right to privacy, the doctors are working on it and there's nothing more to say," chief executive Adriano Galliani told the club's website. "I spoke to him today and he seemed in good form. There was of course a bit of fear because the whole thing was so unexpected." Milan took the lead in the 22nd minute through striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic, who won possession out wide on the right and then burst into the box to receive Robinho's pass and score. But Borisov leveled 10 minutes after halftime with a penalty by Renan Bressan when Ignazio Abate fouled Artem Kontsevoy. Chelsea missed the chance to go through in Group E after being held to a 1-1 draw by Genk in Belgium, as David Luiz missed a penalty for the visitors. Captain John Terry was left on the bench after UK police confirmed he faces a formal investigation into claims the defender racially abused Queen's Park Rangers' Anton Ferdinand. The London team, beaten 5-3 by Arsenal at the weekend, took a 26th-minute lead through Ramires but fellow Brazilian Luiz saw his spot-kick saved five minutes before the break. Jelle Vossen leveled just after the hour to leave Chelsea on eight points, and Genk on bottom with two. Second-placed Bayer Leverkusen remained on six points after losing 3-1 at Valencia, who are a point further back following the second-fastest goal in Champions League history. Jonas netted just after 10 seconds, but Stefan Kiessling equalized on the half hour. However, Roberto Soldado (65) and Adil Rami (75) kept the Spanish side's hopes alive ahead of the final two games. Group F leaders Arsenal also failed to qualify for the last 16 after being held to a 0-0 draw at home to Marseille. The French side remained one point behind Arsenal, who have two wins and two draws. German champions Borussia Dortmund moved off the bottom with a 1-0 win over Greek club Olympiakos. Kevin Grosskreutz scored the only goal in the seventh minute with a spectacular strike to put Dortmund within three points of Marseille ahead of the trip to Arsenal on November 23. Group G was blown wide open when unfancied Cypriot side Apoel Nicosia shocked Europa League winners Porto 2-1 to stay top of the table. Ailton put the home side ahead three minutes before halftime with a penalty, but fellow Brazilian Hulk leveled from the spot for the Portuguese champions in the 89th minute. However, Gustavo Manduca headed a last-gasp winner to put Apoel a point clear of Zenit St. Petersburg. The Russian champions won 1-0 against Ukraine's Shakhtar Donetsk, who were left bottom on two points after center-back Nicolas Lombaerts headed the only goal in first-half injury-time. | Barcelona through to last 16 of the European Champions League .
Lionel Messi nets treble in 4-0 win over Czech champions Viktoria Plzen .
AC Milan also go through from Group H despite 1-1 draw in Belarus .
English clubs Arsenal and Chelsea fail to progress after also being held . |
13,547 | 266f7a6c3492d4db0fad2073b945205938a87bcd | By . Rebecca Evans . PUBLISHED: . 18:55 EST, 9 April 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 13:25 EST, 10 April 2013 . Shocked: Uma Rupanya, wife of Richard de Wit who has been accused of murdering British backpacker Sarah Groves in India . The wife of the Dutch tourist accused of murdering a British backpacker in India yesterday told how her children had asked her: ‘Why has daddy killed that woman?’ Thai bride Uma Rupanya said her husband of ten years, Richard de Wit, had become increasingly paranoid and psychotic before abandoning the family six months ago to go travelling. The first she learned of her husband’s alleged crime was when Dutch officers arrived to tell her that de Wit, 43, had confessed to the murder of former public schoolgirl Sarah Groves, 24, on a houseboat. Miss Groves, a fitness instructor from Guernsey, was stabbed 45 times in a frenzied 15-minute knife attack at Lake Dal, near Kashmir’s capital Srinagar. Yesterday Miss Rupanya, who is blind in one eye and suffers from multiple sclerosis, said she does not know what to say to her two daughters, aged 12 and ten. ‘I want to protect them but don’t know how,’ she said. Jobless de Wit, said to be 7ft tall, fled the murder scene in a stolen rowing boat, which capsized before he swam to shore. He was arrested by police, dripping wet, with £2,000 stuffed in his underwear and wearing no shoes, 50 miles away. According to Indian police, he later said he murdered Miss Groves after being taken over by the devil. Yesterday, Miss Rupanya, 31, said she was in a state of shock and felt immense sorrow for Miss Groves’s family. She told the Daily Mail: ‘My husband left us in November. He was seeing a psychiatrist but had become increasingly irrational and paranoid. ‘He believed the Government was out to get him, that spies were following him, that the house was bugged. ‘He had stopped taking his anti-psychotic medication also. 'He said he had to leave for his and our safety. I was very worried about him but never expected something like this to happen. ‘It’s . just so awful. He was a good father to our children, he was never . violent towards me and he did not take drugs, although I have heard that . he started to smoke cannabis after he left us. ‘I feel angry as he left me with a few thousands euros to live on, he knew I couldn’t work or provide for the children myself because of my disability. 'I just have to try to be strong and be a good mother the best I can but it is a very dark time for us. Suspect: The wife of Richard de Wit (left), who is accused of murdering British backpacker Sarah Groves (seen right last November) in India, claims his mental state had deteriorated before he went travelling six months ago . ‘My children are very angry too. They . ask me “why has daddy killed that woman?” I don’t know what to say. I . want to protect them but don’t know how.’ De . Wit, a former councillor for an extreme right-wing party in his home . town of Ridderkerk, met his wife while on holiday in Thailand 13 years . ago when he went into her brother’s clothes shop where she worked as a . sales assistant. They had their two daughters before . marrying in November 2002. At the time, Miss Rupanya was seriously ill . after giving birth to their second child so the ceremony took place from . her hospital bed in Rotterdam’s Erasmus Hospital. Speaking from the tiny apartment they shared together in the town of Capelle aan den Ijssel, she said: ‘Richard never worked. He stayed at home and played on the computer. 'At the weekend he would take our children to the museum. ‘After he left us, he would phone and email to see how we were. But I felt very let down. ‘The last time I spoke to him was two days before the murder. He seemed OK and said he was enjoying India. I still can’t believe this has happened.’ De Wit, who has two children from a previous relationship, posted a rambling video online shortly before he left for India detailing his delusional fears that the Dutch authorities were after him and were trying to frame him for a fictitious bomb plot. He remains in custody in India. | Sarah Groves, 24, was stabbed 40 times in Kashmir on Saturday morning .
Dutch national Richard de Wit has confessed to the brutal murder .
Wife of de Wit says he had become 'increasingly paranoid and irrational'
De Wit abandoned wife and two children to go travelling six months ago . |
225,564 | b00f7d0421baafb51029ea8abdded33b31c4ef77 | The policeman shot and blinded by Raoul Moat has formed a close friendship with a survivor of the 7/7 terror attacks. Pc David Rathband, 43, has been photographed out with Lisa French days after splitting with his wife. Lisa French, 34, who was seriously injured in a blast on board a bus six years ago, was introduced to Pc Rathband at a charity event, the Sunday Mirror reported. Close friendship: Pc Rathband walking with 7/7 survivor Lisa French after splitting from his wife . The pair were pictured out walking together days after the officer announced on Twitter that he was divorcing Kath, 41, after 20 years. Pc Rathband, a father-of-two, was blinded after being shot in the face by Raoul Moat while he was sat in his police patrol car. Shot: Fugitive Raoul Moat blasted Pc Rathband while he was sat in his patrol car in July last year . Lisa, who was a BT human resources manager, was knocked unconscious by the bomb which killed 12 people on the No 30 bus in Tavistock Square in July 2005. Miss French lives close to Pc Rathband in Newcastle and was on a trip down to London six years ago when she was caught up in the atrocity. She told the 7/7 inquest how she decided not to sit next to bomber Hasib Hussain, 18, because she had her laptop with her and didn't think there would be space as he had such a large bag. Instead, Miss French sat four rows in front of him on the upper deck. She suffered perforated eardrums as well as broken teeth, cuts and bruises in the blast – and described herself as ‘very lucky’. Pc Rathband separated from his wife after being arrested on suspicion of assault by his colleagues in Northumbria Police. The former traffic officer was spoken to at the scene and officers gave the couple advice before leaving. No further action was taken. The couple remained in contact with one another and appeared to be rebuilding their marriage. However, two weeks ago he wrote on Twitter: 'Sad to announce Mrs R has called time on our marriage. Separation permanent.' Break-up: Pc Rathband, 41, announced he was splitting from wife Kath, 43, on Twitter . In response, minutes later she Tweeted: 'Slight inaccuracy in the tweet by @pcdavidrathband - He left us and refuses to come home.' Just a day later Pc Rathband was pictured out with Lisa French near his home. PC Rathband was shot twice at close range by Moat as he sat in his traffic car at a roundabout in the West Denton area of Newcastle in July last year. Blast: Lisa French was seriously injured after Hasib Hussain blew himself up on this No 30 bus in Tavistock Square on 7/7 . He was left with more than 200 pellets lodged in his skull yet gave evidence at the trial of Moat’s two accomplices, Karl Ness and Qhuram Awan. Both were jailed in March this year. Since then PC Rathband, who has won bravery awards, has launched his own charity, the Blue Lamp Foundation, to help emergency service personnel injured in the line of duty. Raoul Moat shot himself after being cornered by officers. | Pc David Rathband announced on Twitter that he was splitting from wife Kath after 20 years .
7/7 survivor Lisa French has formed a close friendship with the officer . |
250,097 | cfa79e8400de6e02b45bdca37212b22bdd0dcac7 | (CNN) -- Sixty-one percent of Americans polled, who watched President Obama's prime-time speech, told CNN that they support his policy towards Syria. Since some surveys showed as much as two-thirds opposition to military action against Syria in the days before the speech, the poll suggests that he did what presidents rarely do: change people's minds, if only temporarily. Read the speech . How did he do it? In only 15 minutes, President Obama made his points, simply and straightforwardly. Anyone arguing a controversial case in the court of public opinion can learn from what he said and how he said it: . Identifying with the audience. Addressing a war-weary public, President Obama began by saying that he had "resisted calls for military action" in Syria before "Assad's government gassed to death over a thousand people." The message: The terrible event that changed my mind should change yours, too. Opinion: Obama's speech won't sell Americans on Syria . Telling a story. President Obama told how the world community declared chemical weapons "off limits, a crime against humanity and a violation of the laws of war." His story began with the deadly use of gas in the trenches in World War I and continued with the Nazi use of poison gas in the Holocaust. Bringing it home. Having made the human rights case, President Obama explained why chemical weapons threaten Americans. If Assad isn't punished, "our troops would again face the prospect of chemical warfare on the battlefield." Terrorists could get these weapons and use them against civilians. Iran could be emboldened to build nuclear weapons. Invoking the American system. Some opponents warn he's willfully starting a new war. Others call him indecisive because he delayed military action. President Obama said he's taking the debate to Congress, even though he maintains he doesn't have to, because "our democracy is stronger when the president acts with the support of Congress." Obama seeks support for attacking Syria while pursuing diplomacy . Answering questions. Like the FAQs on a website, much of the speech answered questions that President Obama said members of Congress and private citizens have asked him, such as "Won't this put us on a slippery slope to another war?" President Reagan also made a point of answering questions that people had asked in their letters to him. In his address to a Joint Session of Congress after the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, President George W. Bush answered questions, as did Winston Churchill in his radio talks during World War II. Offering hopeful news. Towards the end of a speech that could have been completed several days earlier, President Obama discussed the latest developments surrounding the Russian proposal that Syria turn over its weapons to international authorities. Yes, the transition sounded choppy, but listeners care more about encouraging news than elegant rhetoric. Opinion: Speech aims to keep heat on Syria . Appealing to American patriotism. President Obama said America is "different" because we right wrongs when we can. Answering the common criticism that he doesn't believe in "American Exceptionalism," he concluded, "That's what makes America exceptional... Let us never lose sight of that essential truth." With down-to-earth arguments and a lofty conclusion, last night's speech was a model of how to turn an audience around, point by point. The opinions in this commentary are solely those of David Kusnet. | David Kusnet: Barack Obama's Syria speech changed minds with its masterly execution .
He says it's instructive: He identified with his audience, war-weary but open-minded .
He says he clearly explained risks chemical weapons pose to all, and why he went to Congress .
Kusnet: He anticipated and answered questions, invoked American exceptionalism . |
7,848 | 16382bfa97b917dfa24ba92c8305fed7e98dfe76 | (CNN) -- Italy captain Fabio Cannavaro is rejoining Juventus after three years at Real Madrid, the Serie A club announced on their Web site on Tuesday. Italy captain Fabio Cannavaro won two Primera Liga titles during his three-year stay at Real Madrid. News of Cannavaro's return comes less than 24 hours after the Turin-based club sacked coach Claudio Ranieri and replaced him with former player and youth coach Ciro Ferrara. The 35-year-old Cannavaro was voted world player of the year after leading Italy to World Cup glory in 2006 and has helped Real to achieve two title triumphs during his stay in Spain. Cannavaro was in Italy on Monday for a charity match and told the Juventus Web site: "I am happy to have returned to Turin and to have the opportunity to wear the black and white jersey again. "I am sorry that for a section of the fans the anger for having been transferred is greater then the appreciation for the glorious seasons which we lived together. "I am sure that I can convince the most sceptical through my work, professionalism and the passion with which I will face this new adventure". Defender Cannavaro won two scudetti with Juventus, in 2005 and 2006, while the side are currently fighting to clinch third place behind champions Inter and their city rivals AC Milan. His one-year contract will come into force as from the start of July and club official Alessio Secco enthused: "Fabio is a world champion, a golden ball winner and a great team-spirit builder. "During the Summer of 2006 the club was forced to sell him due to great economic necessities. "This year we took advantage of the natural expiration of Cannavaro's contract to bring him back to Turin and we are sure that his technical abilities will help Juventus become more competitive". Cannavaro left Juventus after the club had been relegated to Serie B following the match-fixing allegations that rocked Italian football. He was born in Naples and played for them for three seasons before joining Parma where he won the UEFA Cup and two Italian Cups over a seven year period from 1995. Cannavaro, who has 124 caps for Italy, left Parma to join Inter Milan in 2002 but after only two seasons moved on to Juventus. New coach Ferrara is determined to take Juve straight into next season's Champions League group stage and said on Monday: "I think the players need to understand that we're in a tight spot. "They need to rediscover the right motivation to tackle our last two matches with the right attitude. The players need to rediscover their pride and the right motivation." | Italy captain Fabio Cannavaro rejoining Juve after three years at Real Madrid .
News comes less than 24 hours after the club sacked coach Claudio Ranieri .
Defender Cannavaro, 35, won two scudetti with Juventus, in 2005 and 2006 . |
61,487 | aea25858742d8527f99bf03f10397b739932b2c2 | Mystery surrounds the death of a celebrated computer hacker who claimed to know how to remotely kill someone fitted with a heart pacemaker – as happened in the fictional TV spy drama Homeland. Barnaby Jack died in San Francisco on Thursday, just days before he was due to give a speech revealing how implanted heart devices were at risk from fatal hacking attacks. The San Francisco Medical Examiner’s office confirmed the death last night but did not give any further details. Scroll down for video . Mystery: The cause of Barnaby Jack's death is currently unknown. He gained notoriety after demonstrating how to hack into ATMs (pictured right) New Zealand-born Jack, 35, was scheduled to be one of the star guests at the Black Hat hacking convention in Las Vegas next week. In a presentation called Hacking Humans, he was planning to highlight the shortcomings of commonly used pacemaker machines by demonstrating how he could hack into them and kill the heart patient from 50ft away with a deadly power surge triggered by a wireless transmitter. An episode of the acclaimed US series Homeland, starring Damian Lewis and Claire Danes, showed a terrorist using a computer to hack into the Vice-President’s pacemaker and speed up his heartbeat until it kills him. In Homeland, the killer needed the serial number of the pacemaker, but Jack argued that in real life it was even simpler and knowing the code was not necessary. In a recent blog, he said: ‘The only implausible aspect of the hack was the range in which the attack was carried out. 'The attacker would have had to be in the same building or have a transmitter set up closer to the target. With that said, the scenario was not too far-fetched.’ He said some pacemakers could be commanded to deliver a deadly 830-volt shock from someone on a laptop up to 50ft away, the result of poor software programming by medical device companies. Barnaby Jack had claimed he had developed a technique for hacking pacemakers (file photograph) Jack claimed it was possible to infect the pacemaker companies’ servers with a bug that would spread through their system like a virus. ‘We are potentially looking at a worm with the ability to commit mass murder,’ he added. ‘It’s kind of scary.’ The possibility of such attacks is being taken so seriously by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) that it has asked manufacturers to ensure greater protection for newer pacemakers which use wireless technology. Jack became one of the world’s most famous hackers after a 2010 demonstration of ‘Jackpotting’ – getting cash machines to spew out money. At the time of his death, Jack was director of embedded-device security for Seattle information-security firm IOActive. The company said in a tweet: ‘Lost but never forgotten, our beloved pirate, Barnaby Jack, has passed.’ | Barnaby Jack had said he could kill a person from 30 feet by using the hack .
Gained infamy after demonstrating how to hack cash machines .
Video courtesy of Security Week. To see more of Barnaby Jack's ATM hacking click here . |
185,812 | 7ca96b27a1ad343af9ea3a9ccd1f4ada0f72b7da | By . Leon Watson . Gun battles erupted between Thai police and anti-government protesters in Bangkok today killing four people and wounding dozens of others. In a day of tangled developments in Thailand's long-running political crisis, the country's anti-corruption body announced it was filing charges against Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra relating to a rice subsidy scheme that has fuelled middle-class opposition to her government. The troubled rice scheme, already near collapse, suffered another blow when the Government Savings Bank said it was scrapping a loan to a state farm bank that could have been used to prop the scheme up in the face of a revolt by depositors. The clashes were some of most intense between protesters and security forces since the campaign to unseat Yingluck began in November, and raised the prospect that the army might feel compelled to intervene if the bloodshed worsens. SCROLL DOWN FOR VIDEO . Outbreak of violence: An injured protester is helped by medical team to an ambulance . Thai policemen with their injured colleague, left, retreat after a clash between police forces and anti-government protesters . Violence erupted after police moved into several locations around the city to detain and remove protesters who have been camped out for weeks . The protests are the latest . installment of an eight-year political battle broadly pitting the . Bangkok middle class and royalist establishment against the poorer, . mostly rural supporters of Yingluck and her billionaire brother, former . premier Thaksin Shinawatra. Reuters . witnesses heard gunfire and saw police firing weapons in the Phan Fa . Bridge area in the old quarter of the city. Police said they had come . under fire from a sniper on a rooftop and M-79 grenades were also fired. The policeman was killed by a gunshot and several were wounded by a grenade, security officials said. The . Erawan Medical Center, which monitors hospitals, said on its website . that three protesters had also been killed by gunfire. The centre said . 64 people had been wounded. It did not provide a breakdown of how many . of the wounded were police and how many were civilians. Security . officials said earlier that 15,000 officers were involved in the . operation, 'Peace for Bangkok Mission', to reclaim protest sites around . central Bangkok's Government House and other government offices in the . north of the capital. Yingluck . has been forced to abandon her offices in Government House by the . protesters, led by a former deputy premier, Suthep Thaugsuban, who have . also blocked major intersections since mid-January. An injured Thai riot police officer is helped by his colleagues after a grenade attack . Thai police officers assist a colleague after an explosion during clashes with anti-government protesters near Government House in Bangkok . A wounded policeman is given first aid during clashes with anti-government protesters . An injured reporter is taken to an ambulance during clashes between the police and anti-government protesters . An anti-government protester throws a stone to riot police during clashes in Bangkok . Thai policemen check their rifles while retreating from the protests in Bangkok today . Police . said they had arrested 183 people at two protest sites at the Energy . Ministry, which had been cleared of protesters, and Phan Fa Bridge, and . were detaining them for violating a state of emergency declared last . month. Trouble started with . clouds of teargas near Government House and soon police were crouching . behind riot shields as officers clashed with protesters. It was not . clear who had fired the teargas and the authorities blamed protesters. By . the afternoon, police had largely withdrawn from protest sites and the . streets were quiet. National Security Council Chief Paradorn . Pattanathabutr said top officials were meeting to decide whether to . continue the operation on Wednesday. There has been no move against the biggest protest sites in the city's commercial and shopping districts. The . protesters are trying to oust Yingluck, whom they view as a proxy for . her elder brother Thaksin, a former telecoms tycoon-turned-premier, . toppled by the army in a 2006 coup. The . military has remained aloof from the latest crisis, but has a long . history of intervening in politics, generally in support of the Bangkok . establishment that includes the top brass, royal advisers and old-money . families. Anti-government protesters take cover as a wounded person is carried during clashes with the police near the Government House in Bangkok . BANGKOK, THAILAND - FEBRUARY 18: A protestor is detained by riot police during the police operation to reclaim Phan Fah Bridge . Thai riot police officers shield themselves as they withdraw from the area after clashes with anti-government protesters . Thai police aim their weapons towards anti-government protesters . Anti-government protesters take cover as shots are fired at them by police . Riot police fire rubber bullets into the crowds of anti-government protesters . One Thai policeman was killed and others sustained injuries from bomb shrapnel after Thai police arrested two protest leaders and another 144 followers . Violent clashes: A Thai policeman in riot gear reacts after an explosion . 'If enough people . are killed then the arch-royalist grouping might pressure Yingluck to . retreat from her pro-active approach towards Suthep,' said Paul . Chambers, director of research at the Institute for South East Asian . Studies in Chiang Mai. 'I don't think the military would carry out a coup, but they would ask Yingluck to back off from Suthep.' Among . the protesters' grievances is the rice subsidy scheme, a populist move . to pay farmers an above-market price that has proved hugely expensive . and run into funding problems. The . National Anti-Corruption Commission announced an investigation last . month, and on Tuesday said it was summoning Yingluck to hear charges . against her on Feb. 27. 'Although . she knew that many people had warned about corruption in the scheme, . she still continued with it. That shows her intention to cause losses to . the government so we have unanimously agreed to charge her,' Vicha . Mahakhun, a member of the commission, said in a statement. The . GSB had said on Sunday it had lent 5 billion baht ($155 million) to the . Bank for Agriculture and Agricultural Cooperatives, which manages the . rice programme and has all but run out of money to pay farmers. An injured Thai riot police officer is helped by his colleagues after a bomb attack . Thai police officers detain an anti-government protester near Government House . Thousands of police officers, including armed anti-riot squads, were deployed across the city . Some . GSB depositors, either worried that the loan could destabilise the bank . or unwilling to see their money used to help the government, have been . taking out their cash. On Monday, 30 billion baht ($930 million) was . withdrawn. In a response to . the withdrawals, Thaksin's son, Panthongtae Shinawatra, posted a picture . on Facebook showing he had deposited just over 11 million baht in a GSB . account. The protests have . taken a toll on the economy and data published on Monday showed growth . slowed sharply in the fourth quarter of 2013. The baht currency weakened . after Tuesday's violence. The violence erupted after police moved into several locations around the city to detain and remove protesters . Riot police take orders during clashes with anti-government protesters in Bangkok . Yingluck called a snap election in December and has since led a caretaker administration with only limited powers. The . main opposition party boycotted the Feb. 2 election and protesters . disrupted it in parts of Bangkok and the south, the powerbase of the . opposition. It may be many months before there is a quorum in parliament . to elect a new prime minister. Demonstrators . accuse Thaksin of nepotism and corruption and say he used taxpayers' money for populist subsidies and easy loans that have bought him the . loyalty of millions in the populous north and northeast. They . want to suspend what they say is a fragile democracy under Thaksin's . control and eradicate his influence by altering electoral arrangements. The . government, haunted by memories of a bloody 2010 crackdown by a . previous administration that killed dozens of pro-Thaksin 'red shirt' activists, has until now largely tried to avoid confrontation. But . Tuesday's fatalities brought to 15 the number of people killed in . sporadic violence between protesters, security forces and government . supporters since the demonstrations began. Hundreds have been hurt. Bluesky . TV, the protest movement's television channel, had earlier shown . protest leader Suthep addressing police lines near Government House. 'We . are not fighting to get power for ourselves,' Suthep said. 'The reforms . we will set in motion will benefit your children and grandchildren, . too. The only enemy of the people is the Thaksin regime.' ($1 = 32.2700 . baht) | Gunshots were heard at midday at a spot near the prime minister's office .
Thai authorities said protesters had launched grenades at the police .
Protesters camped out for weeks to press for prime minister's resignation .
Thailand has been wracked by political unrest since 2006 . |
253,984 | d4b5eefc28937b9fa02d2d61700bfff0c2e82210 | (CNN) -- Going into Monday night's CNN/Tea Party Debate, the anticipation was that the two frontrunners -- Texas Gov. Rick Perry and former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney -- would continue their argument over who created more jobs or whose position on Social Security was more electable. But early on it became clear that Perry, who holds a double-digit lead over all of his rivals, would be everyone's target and one-time frontrunner Romney tried to bring Perry back closer to the pack and his other rivals tried to score points at the governor's expense. Here's how CNN's analysts and contributors saw the debate: . Who scored and who didn't? Dana Loesch, CNN contributor and conservative talk show host: I think the overall standout, Romney and Perry really went at each other, they shot each other in each other's foot. I think [U.S. Rep. Michele] Bachmann ultimately had some of the most solid answers of the night. If she expected to stay in or be in the top tier of candidates in this primary, she needed to be aggressive, hard-hitting and go after other candidates. That's what she did. "Overall, I would give it to Bachmann. [Newt] Gingrich always does well, but he's been doing it for an incredibly long time. In terms of jobs, whenever Herman Cain spoke, every single time he spoke, he backed it up with a plan that he's already published on his website. Paul Begala, CNN contributor and Democratic strategist: "This is, in fact, I think long-term, strategically, the real Achilles heel for governor Perry, that is where Michele Bachmann took it -- she took it to 'crony capitalism.' She's trying to suggest that Rick Perry will depart from conservative values if there is money to be made for lobbyists. If this notion begins to take hold that Perry might sell out those conservative principles because he's connected to a lobbyist, then Mrs. Bachmann may get back into the race, Mr. Romney may start to press this. When I talk to people in Texas, they think his Achilles heel is cronyism and pay to play. Romney vs Perry . David Gergen, CNN senior political analyst: "There's no question that Romney and Perry will remain the frontrunners Romney has a better command of the facts. He's a more practiced debater. He gave one of the best answers of his entire campaign when he was asked how he would balance the budget. But Perry has the command presence, and even though people took shots at him as you said, he deflected reasonably well, he came in as a better debater, he was more even this time. "He talks a lot of Texas. He's going to need to move beyond Texas. He's clearly going to have to beef himself up on the international side. I would have to tell you, Rick Perry walked in here as a frontrunner tonight. And I imagine he walked out as the frontrunner. Erick Erickson, CNN contributor and RedState.com blogger: "I think this may be the first debate where Mitt Romney didn't come out the clear winner. Perry needed to do well. I think he did well. I don't think the Social Security exchange helps Mitt Romney at all at a Republican primary. He's foolish to continue, and he may want to go after Perry on immigration or HPV. I think the majority of Republican voters agree with Perry. For the life of me, I can't understand why Romney would go with this. [Michele] Bachman was going to make this a key point and backed down from this." Gloria Borger, CNN chief political analyst: "I think that Mitt Romney started chipping away at the economic miracle of the state of Texas. And it's clear he's going to continue to go back at that. He said, you know, when you're dealt four aces, it's easy to win the hand. And I remember that happening with [1988 Democratic presidential candidate] Michael Dukakis, talking about the "Massachusetts Miracle.' They started chipping away at that, it was a big problem for him." On the ideological battle within the Republican Party . Paul Begala, CNN contributor and Democratic strategist: Mitt Romney was cool, Rick Perry was hot. Mitt was factual and Rick was a little more emotional. It was really an interesting study in contrast. The real question is, which party? Not who won, but which party? If this is still the party of investment bankers who carry a putter at the country club, then Mitt Romney wins. If it's people carrying a pitchfork to a tea party rally, Rick Perry wins. In the hall it sure sounded from the audience, a strikingly conservative, almost radically conservative audience which helps Rick Perry. Ari Fleischer, CNN contributor and former President George W. Bush press secretary: "Perry's gamble is that the American people want to push for greater change in entitlement programs, that they're ready for something fundamental. Mitt Romney's gamble is that they don't want to do anything bigger fundamental, they really just want an expert to go in and change things around the edges and make some smart reforms. "Who is going to be ascendant? Will it be the tea party movement to change Washington or the more conventional traditional Republican -- keep what's there, make it a little better, a little more cost-efficient. This is the dynamic in play right now." Borger: "I think what you're seeing is this fight within the Republican Party, I couldn't help but watch the debate and you saw Jon Huntsman and Mitt Romney, they looked like the old-time, establishment Republican candidates struggling to kind of say, 'OK, this is the way we're going to take the party.' Mitt Romney, it's his turn to be nominated, he ran last time. "And then you saw the other candidates, they're saying, 'Wait a minute, wait a minute, we're not going to go along with you.' And then you saw Rick Perry, essentially trying to walk both sides of that, saying, 'You know what, yes, we passed the DREAM Act in my state. Yes, I ordered this vaccine for young women,' something that tea party folks do not like, conservative Republicans don't like. "Trying to walk both sides of that, and come across as somebody who can appeal to independent voters while also appealing to tea party Republicans. That's very difficult, but that's what I think we saw Rick Perry try to do, and we're going to continue to see him try to do that as he has to look at the general election." On how this will play out into the general election . Fleischer: "I think that Republicans have to be careful here that Social Security does not become the defining issue that divides them in this primary. They have to remember in these debates to bring it back to Barack Obama, to jobs, to debt and deficits. This is the core strength that have made Republicans so strong in this cycle. The bigger perspective cannot be lost as these debates continue." Roland Martin, CNN contributor: "If you're a Latino voter, the last thing you wanted to hear was some of the stuff you heard tonight. Colorado, Arizona, New Mexico will be critical states when it comes to November 2012. The GOP did themselves no favors tonight with Latino voters. "Education did not come up in this debate at all. The only moment it came up was about abolishing the Department of Education. If you're a parent trying to get your kid educated, not a single candidate offered anything to speak to the crisis we have in this country when it comes to education. Major failure in that." | Romney and Perry entered as frontrunners and left as frontrunners, said David Gergen .
Dana Loesch: Bachmann was aggressive against opponents, improved her standing .
Debate demonstrated the ideological battle within GOP, said Paul Begala .
Fleischer: Group scored points with conservatives but raised questions about general election . |
147,033 | 4a20ec7c485799d4318d29333fd9758cc484b62c | In school playgrounds across the Black Country this week, a new fad may briefly emerge. When the imaginary goal line between the jumpers is breached at lunchtime, there may be the temptation to do a 'Berahino'. Teenagers, come to think of it, should find it particularly easy. You may even say the pouting sulk, the refusal to smile, will come naturally to the majority of West Brom supporters aged between, say, 12 and 15. Ian Hodgson's pictures from the Hawthorns looked like Saido Berahino was ready to go home with the ball . The West Bromwich Albion man scored four goals against Gateshead in the FA Cup third round on Saturday . Unfortunately for Saido Berahino himself, however, he is likely to find that this is a phase, unlike adolescence itself, that doesn't actually last very long. Even the most ardent teenage football supporter knows that fake misery may look good on the disco dance floor but on the football field it just looks a little, well, fake. The joy of football is to be found in scoring goals. It is the purpose of the game. In football, happy will always trump sad and if you are unable to look pleased when you score then it won't be long until people start to wonder if there is just something rather wrong with you. This is the predicament young Berahino finds himself in today. Berahino's fourth signalled West Brom's seventh against Gateshead, easing them through to the fourth round . Despite scoring four of his side's seven goals, Berahino did not crack a smile during the game on Saturday . At the start of a transfer window that at one stage looked likely to feature a clutch of high-profile enquiries about his availability, the 21-year-old is beginning to attract attention for the kind of reasons that have a habit of sending burgeoning careers in to a rather dramatic reverse. For those without access to televisions, radios, newspapers or the internet, it is worth pointing out here that Berahino scored four times for West Brom in the FA Cup on Saturday but failed to crack anything resembling a smile at any point. In one of the terrific Ian Hodsgon photographs carried in these pages on Monday, the centre forward actually looks as though he is, quite literally, about to take his ball home. By all accounts, a young player gifted enough to be called up by England earlier this season is upset that talk of a new contract at the Hawthorns has faded. He remains, much to his chagrin, on a deal that pays him in the region of £12,000-a-week, low in modern terms. Eric Cantona was the master of the moody celebration for Manchester United, but he was different . Cantona affected an air of gladiatorial indifference when he scored a goal for Manchester United . He may also be upset at the fact he is facing a drink driving charge serious enough to carry a threat of a six-month prison sentence. Whether he has yet made the connection between fact one – the contract slow down - and fact two – the subsequent criminal charge – only he will know. Whatever the case, when he was placed in front of reporters on Saturday evening to talk about his impressive feats on the field, he did offer an explanation regarding his apparent lack of enjoyment and job satisfaction. 'I was just handling business and acting professionally and that's it,' he said. 'I just didn't want to celebrate and that was it.' Berahino is within his rights to mark the scoring of a goal in any way he sees fit, of course. No footballer's contract contains a 'smile' clause and maybe he is dealing with an issue personal to him that we don't know about. Mario Balotelli is another footballer who has celebrated with nonchalantly after scoring a goal . Balotelli (left) and Nicolas Anelka (right) have carried the same look while playing for their clubs . However, he must be careful not confuse carrying a face liked a slapped backside around a football field with professionalism for they are not the same. Sadly for him, managers at other clubs admiring of his undoubted talents will know this and will now look at his name and recognise the rather worrying signs of a flashing red light. There have been other players over the years who have trodden this solemn, joyless path, of course. Mario Balotelli tried it at Manchester City but he just looked stupid, largely because he couldn't even do it properly. It's hard to look moody and interesting when the corners of your mouth are beginning to twitch upwards. Farther back there was Nicolas Anelka and, of course, Eric Cantona. King Eric was brilliantly, undeniably, different, though. Berahino looks glum as he celebrates alongside team-mates Craig Dawson (left) and Chris Baird (right) England international Berahino's shot hits the back of the net to put West Brom 7-0 up in the FA Cup . The Frenchman affected an air of gladiatorial indifference when he scored, as though he found the whole thing rather beneath him, a little too easy. In its own, strange way, there was joy to be found in that and the crucial difference here is that the whole routine made Manchester United supporters like him a whole lot more, not less. As for the rest of the country, he simply didn't care. Cantona also had the benefit of being a recognised world star, a phenomenon. He was weird but you could argue that he had earned the right to be. Berahino is still at the start of his own journey and it is to be hoped he doesn't ruin it. It would be a shame, for him and for England, if he did. Back in the playgrounds of the West Midlands, he may indeed have a new fan club for the moment, a group that feels the best way to celebrate is by not celebrating. It won't last, though. Not in the long term. One wonders whether Berahino will. | Saido Berahino scored four as West Brom beat Gateshead 7-0 in FA Cup .
The England man didn't crack a smile throughout the entire match .
The joy of football is in scoring goals and Berahino didn't seem to enjoy it .
Eric Cantona was the king of nonchalant celebrations at Man United .
Berahino is not the superstar Cantona was - he has a long way to go . |
280,492 | f75dd46f7fae950c6a7cd90992fdee15a3f022be | By . Lucy Waterlow . PUBLISHED: . 06:48 EST, 18 May 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 09:35 EST, 18 May 2012 . She lives alone on a rural farm and spends her days in the company of sheep and border collies, so it's no wonder shepherdess Emma Gray has admitted she's lonely. The modern day Little Bo Peep rejected 21st century life to run a remote sheep farm in Hexham, Northumberland, three years ago, and now says she'd love to meet someone to share her life with. 'I would like someone to share my life with but it’s hard because it’s not really a job where you meet guys,' she said. 'When I tell people what I do most of the time they don’t believe me and they are quite shocked.' High on a hill is a lonely shepherdess: Emma Gray would love to meet someone to share her life with . The 26-year-old first started herding sheep on her grandparent’s farm as a child and got a degree in sheep management after leaving school. At the age of 23, she became the sole tenant of a hill farm with no electricity or gas after breaking up with her fiancé. She then went on to represent England in the International Sheepdog trials. Now Emma, who has a flock of 150 sheep and a squad of 13 sheepdogs, has written a book, One Girl and her Dogs, about her solitary country life and hopes for companionship. 'I can live without mains gas and mains electricity and I make sure I speak to one person a day... I suppose my situation is quite unusual,' she admitted. 'Let’s face it. I’m a 26-year-old girl living alone, miles from the nearest main road.' Emma grew up on the farm of her dad Richard, 53, and mother Helen, 49, near Hawick, in the Scottish borders, and was helping round up sheep as soon as she could walk. One girl and her dogs: Emma also takes part in international sheepdog trials . But the family’s idyllic life turned sour with the outbreak of foot and mouth disease which devastated their flock. The troubled times didn’t stop Emma and at the age of 19 she got her first job as a shepherdess at a farm in Hexham, Northumberland. She worked on there for four years and at the age of 23 put in a bid to the National Trust for the farm. Despite fierce competition, The National Trust chose Emma to take on the responsibility in November 2009. She said: 'When I first saw the farm it was very run-down but there were lots of people looking around wanting to buy it. I don’t know why the National Trust chose me over older, more experienced farmers with families. Maybe it was because of my enthusiasm. Farming is in my blood and I like a challenge.'Emma took out a £10,000 bank loan and moved in that winter. She spent the first few weeks living in the kitchen as the entire house was flooded due to burst pipes. She set to work redecorating and even reconstructed a dry stone wall with her bare hands. She now makes a living breeding livestock and sheepdogs, as well as training dogs for trials. Last year, she represented England at the International Sheepdog Trials with her top dog, Roy, in Tain, in the Highlands. Rural living: The shepherdess has no mains gas or electricity at her hill tip farm . She has only been on one holiday since taking over the farm as she doesn't like to leave her animals for more than one night. Socialising can also be difficult because of her remote abode. 'I like to go for a drink with my friends once a week but it takes about 45 minutes to get to the pub and I can’t drink because I’m usually driving,' she said. 'I tried to have a house party when I first moved in but the generator broke and the lights went out, the whole thing was a disaster. Needless to say I haven’t had one since.' But the shepherdess is keen to start dating in the hope of finding Mr Right. 'I can still go out, it just takes me longer to get there,' she said. For prospective dates, Emma describes herself as 'quite a girly girl'. She adds: 'Some shepherdesses walk like men, talk like men, dress like men and don’t wear any make-up. 'But I always wear make-up and although I go around in a weather-beaten outdoor jacket I’ve always tried to stay quite feminine.' 'I suppose my situation is quite unusual': Emma has written a book about her solitary life . | Emma Gray lives alone on a rural farm in Northumberland with only her animals for company .
The farm has no mains gas or electricity and is a 45-minute drive to the pub .
The shepherdess said she'd love to meet someone to share her life with but admits 'it's hard because it’s not really a job where you meet guys' |
186,249 | 7d3af2cf37325be5c8a37f1162a1cf18abd14203 | Washington (CNN) -- A new Defense Department report says many civilian contractors working in Kuwait didn't have proper clearances and could have jeopardized the safety of U.S. military personnel and undermined national security. The Defense Department Inspector General said dozens of contractors worked in sensitive positions without security clearances or the official passes they needed. And some of those people, according to the report, were allowed to remain on the job even after inspectors uncovered the security problems. The report says a company called Combat Support Associates (CSA) was awarded the contract in 1999 for what was called Combat Support Services Contract-Kuwait (CSSC-K). The contract was extended and is due to expire at the end of September after costing the government more than $3.3 billion dollars. "CSSC-K contractor employees occupied sensitive positions such as force protection officers, system administrators, and supply inspectors in Kuwait without obtaining security clearances," the report says. The department's inspector general says the company's security office failed to track 21 of 379 employees who were in sensitive positions, such as ammunition supply, and that 11 employees did not have a valid security clearance. In addition there was no information whether some of the employees had a U.S. passport, although U.S. citizenship was required by the contract . "Additionally, CSA officials allowed 20 employees to remain in sensitive positions without the required security clearance after its internal quality assurance office and DCMA ( the Defense Contract Management Agency, overseeing the contract) officials informed CSA officials that they were in violation of the contract," the report says. "If DCMA and contractor officials do not ensure that all employees have the required security clearances and maintain proper security information, they jeopardize the military mission and threaten the safety and security of the military, civilian, and contractor personnel in Kuwait." CNN was unable to contact representatives of the contractor. The inspector general's report says the company claims it did not understand the terms of the agreement. "According to CSA's human resources information system analyst, the Army did not clearly define or designate all sensitive positions; therefore, CSA officials relied on their own department managers to determine which positions required a security clearance," the report says. And the report suggests the Army and Pentagon's oversight of the contract may have been lacking. "If the Army does not ensure that all contractor employees have the required security clearances and maintain proper security information, these employees pose a threat to the military, civilian, and U.S. contractor personnel in Kuwait, as well as to national security," the report says . | A new Defense Department report cites a contractor in Kuwait .
The company failed to make sure its workers had proper clearances and documentation .
The safety of U.S. military personnel could have been jeopardized, Defense says .
The contract, which ends this month, cost $3.3 billion . |
96,615 | 0851de5cb8394f7210f6c14a142932b950b091c6 | By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 13:24 EST, 6 December 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 10:18 EST, 29 May 2013 . A postcard has finally been delivered - over a CENTURY late. The relic dropped through farmer Keith Potter’s door this week - with a postmark of January 3, 1912.It was addressed to a Vida Doel who once lived at the same address, but whose family left 87 years ago. The card - in remarkably good condition - has a black and white photo of the fire brigade in Trowbridge, Wiltshire, with their horse-drawn carriages. A pencil message is written on the back from 12 year-old Vida’s mother, giving her instructions to take a pony and meet her in Chippenham. Farmer Potter has been left baffled by a postcard delivered to his home 100 years after it was originally sent . Farmer Keith, 65, of Christian Malford, near Chippenham, Wiltshire, said: 'I couldn’t believe it when I saw it. 'We checked with the postman who delivers here a few days after we received it that he had delivered it and he said he did. He said it was in his delivery bag. 'Where has it been all these years? It’s not damaged. Wherever it has been, it has been kept really well. It hasn’t been affected by damp or mice. 'Had it fallen down the back of a desk or machine all these years?' The postcard, with a half-penny stamp of King George V, was originally posted from Monkton Farleigh, near Bradford on Avon, Wiltshire. Paul Dauwalder, senior expert at stamp dealers Dauwalders of Salisbury, examined the postcard. The postcard features a black and white photo of the horse-drawn carriages of Trowbridge fire brigade . He said: 'It was postmarked by hand at a sub post office in Monkton Farleigh on January 3 1912. It would have been sent for distribution to Chippenham. The stamp on the postcard is of King George V and it was issued at the end of 1911. 'The postcard is in good condition. It has probably got lost somewhere in the back of a sorting office or base. Mail such as this is sometimes found when redundant machinery is being taken away. 'In 1912 sending messages by mail was in its heyday. People would use the postal service like telephones now. 'If this postcard was posted before 11am in that postal area then the addressee should expect to receive it by teatime the same day.' The postcard features a message to Vida Doel from her mother, asking her to take a pony into Chippenham . The postcard features a message written in pencil by 12 year-old Vida Doel’s mother instructing her daughter to take a pony . and meet her in Chippenham. It reads: 'Dear V. If you hear nothing else from us you can bring the pony into Chippenham . and wait for us by JW Daniels as we should come over the steps come in . steady; get there by 4 o’clock Thursday. Love to all from mother.' The card has a second, recent postmark which suggests it was rediscovered lately and put back into the postal system. A Royal Mail spokesman said: 'It is extremely unlikely that this item was in our system all this time. 'It is difficult to speculate what may have happened, but almost certainly it was put back in a post box very recently, as we regularly check all our sorting office and machines are cleared. 'There are also two postmarks - the original one and a very recent one. Everything points to this being put back in the Royal Mail system.' Mr Potter has researched the Doel family and found they lived at Paradise Farm from 1907. Tenant John Doel and wife Rose had four children - Gideon, Gladys, Madge and Vida who was born on May 2, 1899. The Doel family are thought to have left Paradise Farm in 1914. | Keith Potter this week received the card which has a 1912 postmark .
It was addressed to Vida Doel, whose family left the farm 87 years ago .
It remains a mystery why it took so long for the card to be delivered, but it may have got stuck behind a machine in a sorting office . |
165,539 | 6210db3292ff0caedc53ac1d6841473c6da1591a | By . Mark Duell . Winston Churchill was hit by a series of personal tragedies during the First World War, new research revealed today. The future prime minister lost four close members of his family during the first few months of the 1914-1918 conflict, and a fifth near the end. Three more cousins were badly wounded during the war, in which he served as First Lord of the Admiralty before resigning after the Gallipoli campaign. Some of Mr Churchill’s closest friends were also killed in the Great War - including Valentine Fleming, the father of James Bond creator Ian Fleming. Several workers from his ancestral home, Blenheim Palace in Oxfordshire, also failed to return after joining the Queen’s Own Oxfordshire Hussars. Death: . Mr Churchill's maternal cousin, Captain Norman Leslie (pictured), was . the first family member killed on October 19, 1914 The Eton-educated . officer served in the 3rd Battalion Rifle Brigade and while on a . reconnaissance patrol at a railway embankment near Lille he was picked . off by a German sniper . Killed: Mr Churchill’s cousin, Captain Coulson Fellowes (left), died in October 1915 of the effects of exposure, ten months after being injured in the trenches. And Mr Churchill’s uncle Lieutenant Colonel Gordon Wilson (right) was shot in the head while leading his troops at Zillebeke near Ypres on November 6, 1914 . The true scale of the losses relating to him has been uncovered for an exhibition at Blenheim Palace, called ‘A Great Estate at War - Land, Sea and Air’. Blenheim’s education officer Karen Wiseman said: ‘When I started doing the research we did not know an awful lot about the extent of the heavy losses that befell Winston Churchill’s close family and friends during World War One. ‘But it became clear that he suffered greatly in the war. He was very close to his cousins as well as friends who worked in the estate. ‘He must have had such great resolve to go on and do the things he did.’ Family tree; The future Prime Minister lost four close members of his family during the first few months of the 1914-1918 conflict, and a fifth near the end . Mr Churchill’s maternal cousin, Captain Norman Leslie, was the first family member killed on October 19, 1914. The Eton-educated officer served in . the 3rd Battalion Rifle Brigade and while on a reconnaissance patrol at a . railway embankment near Lille he was picked off by a German sniper. The . next relation killed was Churchill’s uncle Gordon Wilson, a Lieutenant . Colonel in the Royal Horse Guards, who was shot in the head while . leading his troops at Zillebeke near Ypres on November 6, 1914. Badly wounded: Henry John Innes-Ker (left), the 8th Duke of Roxburghe, was shot in the groin area, while Oscar Guest (right), who served in the Royal Flying Corps, had a spectacular escape from death in December 1915. He fell unconscious at 2,000ft after being hit in the back, the ear and in the elbow by a bullets from a German plane . His ancestral home: Several workers from his ancestral home, Blenheim Palace also failed to return after being called up to the Queen's Own Oxfordshire Hussars . Another . cousin, Captain Coulson Fellowes, died in October 1915 of the effects . of exposure, ten months after being injured in the trenches. Winston Churchill became First Lord of the Admiralty in 1911 and held this position as the First World War began. He pushed the idea of attacking Gallipoli in 1915, which turned out to be one of Britain's most disastrous military campaigns. It had been intended to clear a relief route to Russia by securing a route from the Mediterranean to the Black Sea. But fierce resistance from the under-rated Ottoman forces, inhospitable terrain and bungled planning spelt disaster. The campaign cost the lives of 36,000 Commonwealth servicemen - and Churchill became a scapegoat for it, later resigning. He then returned to the Army and was appointed Lieutenant Colonel, commanding the 6th Battalion, Royal Scots Fusiliers. He led by example, often venturing into No Man’s Land on night patrol. During a visit to the frontline with his first cousin Charles Spencer-Churchill, the 9th Duke of Marlborough, he had his own lucky escape. A large piece of shrapnel fell between the two men. They were unharmed in the blast and each took a shell fragment to remind them of their lucky escape. Mr Churchill's stint in the trenches came to an end shortly after when, because of high casualties, his battalion was merged with another and he was told to return to Britain and resume his work in the Commons. Also . in October 1915, Lieutenant Wilfred Sheridan, the husband of Mr . Churchill’s cousin Clare Sheridan, was killed while leading his men at . the Battle of Loos. The fifth loss relating to Mr Churchill was Lady Alexandra Phyllis Hamilton, a second cousin of Churchill. On . October 11, 1918, she was on the Irish Steamer RMS Leinster when it was . hit by a German UB-128 submarine, when sailing out of Dublin Bay and . drowned. Three more of Mr Churchill’s cousins were badly wounded in the Great War. Henry . John Innes-Ker, the 8th Duke of Roxburghe, and his brother Captain Lord . Alistair Innes-Ker, were shot in the groin area and head respectively. The . third was the colourful Oscar Guest, who served in the Royal Flying . Corps, and had a spectacular escape from death in December 1915. Mr Guest’s never-before-seen war diaries make up part of the exhibition. The . so-called ‘flying cousin’ fell unconscious at 2,000ft after being hit . in the back, the ear and in the elbow by a bullets from a German Fokker . plane. He wrote: ‘After a while I felt like fainting so throttled down and went to sleep. ‘Bell-Irving (co-pilot) did the same and the machine wobbled down and crashed in a ploughed field cutting our heads a bit.’ The men came to and managed to find their way back to friendly lines. Mr Guest added: ‘Altogether a most wonderful escape.’ Aerial . warfare was a new concept in the First World War. Bi-planes were used . at first for reconnaissance purposes, until it was found they could also . drop bombs on the enemy. Mr Guest wrote of his dislike of bombing raids which he thought were dishonourable. Mrs . Wiseman said: ‘Reading the diary it is clear the airmen started off . being quite friendly towards the German pilots and they would wave at . each other. ‘When big guns . were fitted to the back and sides of the planes that’s when it started . getting bloody and the men began to harden. ‘By the end of the war all the men were ready to shoot to kill.’ Part of the exhibition at Blenheim focuses on the estate workers who served in the Queen's Own Oxford Hussars, who were sent to war by Mr Churchill. Mrs Wiseman said: ‘They were cavalry and the expectation that the army would break through and the war would be over within weeks. ‘But the hussars were used to plug the gaps along the frontline and were at all the major hotspots of the war like the Somme and Ypres. They saw a lot of action. ‘As well as losing members of his family, Churchill also lost some great friends who were in the hussars.’ The exhibition at Blenheim Palace, located in Woodstock, Oxfordshire, runs until July 1. | His maternal cousin Captain Norman Leslie was the first Churchill family member killed - near Lille in October 1914 .
Next relation killed was his uncle Lieutenant Colonel Gordon Wilson, shot in the head at Zillebeke in November 1914 .
His cousin Captain Coulson Fellowes died in October 1915 of the effects of exposure, ten months after being injured .
Killed in same month was Lieutenant Wilfred Sheridan, husband of his cousin Clare Sheridan, at the Battle of Loos .
Fifth loss relating to him was Lady Alexandra Phyllis Hamilton, a second cousin of Churchill, in October 1918 .
New research put together for exhibition at Churchill's ancestral home, Blenheim Palace in Woodstock, Oxfordshire .
His cousin Oscar Guest narrowly avoided death in December 1915 after falling unconscious at 2,000ft when shot . |
262,818 | e06a20a023594d4ebef57ef457165d1538aee953 | Super agent Mino Raiola has expressed his fervent desire to join the growing list of people prepared to challenge Sepp Blatter for his FIFA presidency. Raiola - who represents players such as Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Mario Balotelli and Paul Pogba to name a few - is a staunch opposer of the current regime in place at football's governing body, and believes it is time for change. 'I have been criticising FIFA for years, so it's time to act on it. I've had enough of how Blatter and Fifa have been treating the game. It makes me sick just thinking about it that Blatter is re-elected,' Raiola told Dutch magazine VI. Football agent Mino Raiola (centre) will compete for the FIFA presidency in this year's elections . Raiola is the current representative to stars like Mario Balotelli (left), Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Paul Pogba . Raiola wishes to unseat current FIFA President Sepp Blatter in the forthcoming elections this year . Zlatan Ibrahimovic (Paris Saint Germain) Martin Jol (former Fulham manager) Mario Balotelli (Liverpool) Maxwell (Paris Saint Germain) Pavel Nedved (former Juventus player) Marek Hamsik (Napoli) Mark van Bommel (former Holland captain) Henrikh Mkhitaryan (Borussia Dortmund) Paul Pogba (Juventus) Etienne Capoue (Tottenham Hotspur) Blaise Matuidi (Paris Saint Germain) Gregory van der Wiel (Paris Saint Germain) 'FIFA should be there for the fans, professional players and amateur players, but they don't do anything for these three groups. 'How dare you organise a World Cup in South Africa and then ask €150 for a ticket? It's a disgrace. 'It's incomprehensible that some FAs still vote for Blatter. If people vote Blatter, they vote North Korea, if they vote me, they vote South Korea.' The 47-year-old is not alone in his views, and will go up against the likes of Jerome Champagne, Prince Ali Bin Al Hussein and David Ginola in the quest to overthrow current president Blatter. 'If I don't manage to be a candidate this time around, I will give it another try in four years' time. I will find five FAs to back me. Which ones? I cannot say that just yet. A lot of things could change until the election.' Prince Ali Bin Al Hussein (left) is among the contenders to challenge Sepp Blatter (right) for his position . Former Premier League player David Ginola also wants to stand for the role of FIFA president . Jerome Champagne is prepared for a presidential bid but is struggling to gain the necessary backing . | Mino Raiola has joined in the race to become FIFA's next president .
Agent called football's governing body 'a disgrace' and said 'it's time to act'
Italian represents Mario Balotelli, Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Paul Pogba . |
144,691 | 471ef82968b1816af7df4cf0a378afd09afa39f6 | Cumbersome and slow cash machines with clunky buttons and tiny hard-to-see screens could soon be a thing of the past thanks to a range of next-generation ATMs. Ohio-based security firm Diebold has created a touchscreen cash machine that works like a tablet computer, uses facial recognition and QR codes to identify and authenticate users, and has built-in safety cameras. While German-based engineers at Wincor Nixdorf have developed a machine that remembers the user's withdrawal history to offer more personalised options. Scroll down for video . Ohio-based security firm Diebold has created a cash machine that works like a tablet computer, pictured. The touchscreen ATM connects to smartphones by scanning QR codes, or uses facial recognition technology, instead of bank cards . Diebold's ATM connects to a user's mobile device when they scan an onscreen . QR code. This syncs the device through a cloud-based service and is able to confirm the user's identity without a bank card. The transaction screen then appears on the smartphone screen and the customers can select withdrawal amounts. A unique one-time code is sent to . the phone, which the customer must enter into the ATM to authenticate the . transaction and get their money. Diebold's ATM can also set up a transaction in advance to make it possible to can send money to a third person. The . customer inputs the payment amount and the recipient's contact information, . which can be selected directly from his or her contact list. The . recipient then receives a one-time code he or she can use at an ATM or . branch to receive money. This will let users send cash to their children, for example, when travelling or away from home. These ideas are just some of the concepts recently showcased at the ATM conference in London. The tablet-inspired cash machine has been developed by security and software company Diebold. The Millennial design looks and acts like modern smartphones and tablets, with similar navigation menus and controls. It is paperless, and receipts are sent via text message or email to a user's phone. The first ATM Diebold demonstrated at the London conference - originally debuted at CES in Las Vegas in January - connects to a user's mobile device when they scan an onscreen QR code. This syncs the device through a cloud-based service and is able to confirm the user's identity without a bank card. The transaction screen then appears on the smartphone and the customers can select withdrawal amounts. A unique one-time code is sent to the phone, which the customer must enter into the ATM to authenticate the transaction and get their money. Diebold's second demonstration showcased how the ATM can set up a transaction in advance that can send money to a third person. The . customer inputs the payment amount and the recipient's contact information, . which can be selected directly from his or her contact list. The . recipient then receives a one-time code he or she can use at an ATM or . branch to receive the cash. After a user scans the QR code on the Diebold machine, it syncs with the mobile device through a cloud-based service. A unique code is then sent to the phone by text message, which the customer must enter into the ATM to see the transaction screen, pictured . Diebold's portable touchscreen ATM, pictured, is two-thirds of the size of a traditional cash machine and is Wi-Fi enabled . This will let users send cash to their children, for example, when travelling or away from home. Diebold's portable touchscreen ATM is two-thirds of the size of a traditional cash machine and is Wi-Fi enabled. A . built-in camera lets users see who is behind them while they withdraw their cash and facial recognition could also be used as an alternative to the QR code. The company hopes to bring the ATM to market in the next 18 months. Another concept was showcased by German firm Wincor Nixdorf . Chief Technology Officer Reinhard Rabenstein told the BBC that it is no longer acceptable for people to have to wait for their cash. The Wincor Nixdorf ATM displays a customer's personal 'profile' each time they enter their bank card. It shows their most recent transactions, including amounts, and personalises the options available to suit this history. For example, if a customer regularly withdraws £20, this amount will be the first option presented to them. Wincor Nixdorf is also said to have created its own app store to work with mobile payments. Other ATM prototypes included machines with live link video screens to put them in direct contact with customer services, as well as drive-through cash machines which are already available in the U.S. | The Diebold Millennial ATM uses facial recognition instead of bank cards .
Unique one-time security codes are sent to the phone by text message .
The user then enters this code to withdraw their money .
It is just one of the concepts recently showcased at a London conference . |
18,268 | 33b6156d9fea8348e34d10fdb2d4b88d4a1f8b26 | Southampton manager Ronald Koeman has declared 'we will sell nobody in January' as he battles to keep hold of prize asset Morgan Schneiderlin. Midfield linchpin Schneiderlin has again been linked with a move away from St Mary's, with Arsenal and Tottenham prepared to renew interest next month. The France midfielder was persuaded not to leave Southampton amid a summer exodus and new boss Koeman has since guided the south coast club to fifth in the Premier League. Southampton manager Ronald Koeman has declared that the south coast club 'will sell nobody in January' Koeman has pledged Saints will not let anyone leave in next month's transfer window, while also eyeing two additions. 'We will sell nobody in January,' said Koeman ahead of Saturday's Premier League trip to Burnley. 'Morgan's attitude is fantastic - everybody knows that he had a difficult time in the summer, but finally he accepted his situation and he's doing his best and looking forward to returning to playing.' Schneiderlin will miss Saturday's Turf Moor clash as he continues to battle a groin problem, but could make a return in Tuesday's Capital One Cup match at Sheffield United. Fit-again Toby Alderweireld will ease Saints' midfield injury glut after being cleared to return for the Burnley battle, while James Ward-Prowse has almost beaten his two-month ankle problem. The Dutch boss said that Saints were looking to sign a couple of players during the transfer window . Koeman admitted losing Maya Yoshida and Sadio Mane to international tournaments in January could prompt him to dip into the transfer market. 'If everybody's available we don't need somebody,' said Koeman. 'But we will lose two players in January to different tournaments: Mane will go to the African (Nations) Cup and Yoshida will go to the Asian tournament. 'That means two players less - maybe for that we need some players, but we have to talk about that inside and make decisions. 'But I think we need one or two players.' Southampton will lose Maya Yoshida to the Asian Cup and Sadio Mane to the Africa Cup of Nations . Southampton stepped into a testing festive fixture glut sitting second in the table, only to lose three straight games to Manchester City, Arsenal and Manchester United. The December acid test has hit hard, but Koeman still believes his side can chase Europa League qualification. 'I think so,' said Koeman, when asked whether the Europa League was now the target. 'Okay we're always trying for the maximum, but we have to understand our situation. 'We have to be realistic, and maybe that's the target for this season. 'The way of playing is everything .We must keep believing in that, but maybe that's (the Europa League) the realistic situation for our team. French international Schneiderlin is reportedly the target of north London sides Arsenal and Tottenham . 'We can play good, attractive football, but only winning games brings confidence.' While Jack Cork remains sidelined with ankle trouble, Koeman admitted the impending return of Alderweireld, Ward-Prowse and Schneiderlin could provide a timely boost. 'James Ward-Prowse is back in training with the group,' said Koeman. 'He needs more time but he will be in the squad for the two games, because we will stay over after Saturday to prepare for the Sheffield game. 'He's one of the 22 players that will travel. 'Morgan, I don't expect him back this weekend, but he will travel with the group, because we hope he will be fit for Tuesday. 'Toby trained normally today, and he will be fit for the weekend.' | Ronald Koeman said Southampton will not sell any players in January .
Saints are desperate to keep hold of star man Morgan Schneiderlin .
Arsenal and Tottenham are both reportedly keen on signing him .
Koeman said Southampton are also looking to add players to their squad . |
37,200 | 696da15c2d7caa67e8a90bdca6c069bf2639aa96 | By . Amanda Williams . PUBLISHED: . 07:04 EST, 2 April 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 11:55 EST, 2 April 2013 . A major hospital was so overrun by patients and queuing ambulances that bosses had to erect a major incident tent normally used to treat casualties after disasters such as air and rail crashes. Up to 15 ambulances were kept waiting outside the A&E department at the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital on Easter Monday. Some stood more than three hours before patients were admitted. Up to 15 ambulances were kept waiting outside the A&E department at the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital on Easter Monday. A major incident tent was put up so paramedics could drop off patients . The delays spanned an eight hour period with some stood more than three hours before patients were delivered . The Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital was one of the first to be built under the controversial Private Finance Initiative schemes introduced by Labour. Private Finance Initiatives (PFI) hand financing of large-scale buildings or infrastructure schemes, such as new schools and hospitals, from the Treasury to developers. The company owns the building and leases it back to the public sector over a period of a minimum of 25 years. The benefit to the public sector is that there is no up-front burden on the taxpayer and crumbling buildings can be restored or scrapped and completely re-built. The benefit to the private sector is that the repayment interest rates are usually high. Some companies charge interest rates of up to 70 per cent. As such, many hospital trusts have struggled with the crippling annual PFI repayments - which run into multi-millions - at a time when the NHS must make savings of £20bn by 2015. In 2006, the public accounts committee revealed that two years after Norwich and Norfolk was completed Barclays, Serco, Innisfree and John . Laing decided to refinance their joint working company, Octagon, so that . they could take early profits. By increasing the size of the borrowings - from £200m to more than £300m . - and the time taken to repay that money from the year 2017 to 2037, . they managed to take out a windfall of £115m. It was reported they gave only £34m of that to the hospital trust and kept the rest for themselves. The situation got so bad that a major . incident tent similar to a field hospital was put up so paramedics . could drop off their patients. Frustrated ambulance staff said the . emergency tent was normally reserved for plane and train crashes and . putting it outside the hospital was 'unheard of'. But hospital bosses said it was only . erected 'as a precaution' for 1 hour and 45 minutes and in the end . no-one had to be treated in it. The hospital faced a similar problem last month when all 17 ambulances were left queuing outside A&E. On that occasion the East of England . Ambulance Service was left unable to attend 12 other 999 calls and . ambulances had to be drafted in from further afield. The latest incident came after the . hospital's director of medicine and emergency care, Chris Cobb, said . they should be able to cope with 15 ambulances turning up at once. One ambulance crewman said: 'We are . so fed-up with getting slated and being made to look as if the ambulance . service is to blame for the delays - but it's not us, it's A&E. 'They want to get out and save lives. That's all they want to do and they are getting caught up in a political row. 'The tent is usually used at plane . crashes and big events, such as the Lord Mayor's parade. To put it up . outside the A&E is unheard of.' Another ambulance worker, who also asked to remain anonymous, said: 'It's a mini-hospital in a tent.' 'It will usually have in it treatment . bays, drugs, oxygen, the same stuff on board an ambulance but inside a . tent - which is a lot colder.' Ambulance service spokesman Oskan . Edwarson said: 'Between 11am and 8pm the trust had an average of between . six and 15 vehicles queuing for up to three plus hours. Frustrated ambulance staff said the emergency tent was normally reserved for plane and train crashes and putting it outside the hospital was 'unheard of' (stock image) 'Clearly this led to ambulances not being available to respond to other patients in the community. 'We worked closely with the hospital . and clinical commissioning group throughout the afternoon and deployed . the the trust major incident tent to help release ambulances back on to . the road. 'The trust is pleased that this issue . is now resolved following much hard work by the hospital and the . ambulance service and that in the end no patients were required to be . treated in the major incident tent at this time.' Hospital chief executive Anna Dugdale said: 'We were extremely busy over the weekend. 'We made a decision with the ambulance trust to put the tent up simply as a precaution at about half-past six last night. 'We agreed by quarter-past eight that we didn't need it. 'The demand on emergency services . over the bank holiday weekend had been exceptionally high and the . ambulance tent was erected for a short period as a precautionary . measure.' Now a local MP has demanded answers . from the hospital and called for an investigation to ensure patients at . the hospital receive the appropriate care. Health Minister Dr Dan Poulter, MP . for Central Suffolk and North Ipswich, said: 'This is clearly some . unacceptable poor standard of care for 999 patients in Norfolk and . Suffolk. 'Front line paramedics are doing . their best to get their patients into the care of the Norfolk & . Norwich and it seems the hospital system of triage is not up to . standard. 'It is time the hospital management learned lessons and improve triage process. 'Clearly there are very busy days but the N&N has a poor history on ambulances not being able to deliver 999 patients.' | Up to 15 ambulances queued outside A&E at Norfolk and Norwich hospital .
Staff said the tent was normally reserved for plane and train crashes .
Ambulance teams said putting it outside the hospital was 'unheard of' |
4,039 | 0ba5e2555d7ab0caf8666b08a85a21b8df383a42 | By . Leon Watson and Liz Hull . PUBLISHED: . 04:30 EST, 18 April 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 05:12 EST, 19 April 2013 . One of the leading campaigners in the fight for justice for the Hillsborough victims has died aged 62. Anne Williams, whose 15-year-old son Kevin was one of the 96 Liverpool fans who perished in the 1989 tragedy, had been suffering from cancer. It was her 24-year fight to get her son’s inquest verdict of accidental death overturned that is credited with leading to fresh hearings for those who died. Campaign: Anne Williams helped fight for justice over the Hillsborough disaster, which killed her son Kevin . Long-running battle: Anne Williams in 1999 when she published her book about the Hillsborough disaster . Tireless campaigner: Mrs Williams with Lord Justice Stuart Smith on the steps of the Maritime Museum in Liverpool . She established from witnesses at the Sheffield stadium that – despite the coroner’s assertion that all fans were dead by 3.15pm – Kevin was still alive and could have been saved. She appealed to three different attorney generals for a new inquest, only to be rebuffed. Her case was also rejected by the European Court of Human Rights. But a breakthrough came in September following the publication of the Hillsborough Independent Panel report. The tireless campaigner defied doctors' expectations to . attend what was her last public appearance at the Hillsborough memorial . service at Anfield on Monday. She was diagnosed with terminal . cancer in October, but despite her ill-health she carried on her . campaign and attended a hearing at London's Royal Courts of Justice in . December when the original inquest verdicts were quashed. Fight for justice: Hillsborough victim Kevin Williams pictured at home reading a comic . Forever grateful: Fans and fellow campaigners have long held Anne Williams in the highest regard . Liverpool FC paid tribute to her, saying: '[Her appearance on Monday] was an act so typical of a mum who simply refused to accept defeat. Speaking after the historic hearing, . which she attended in a wheelchair, she thanked Attorney General Dominic . Grieve for being 'a man of his word' in pushing for the new inquests. She said: 'I am glad we never gave up. It has been hard, but we wouldn't have been here today. 'I'd like a corporate manslaughter . verdict in the inquest, it's the least for what they have done. God . willing, I will be here, it has been a long wait to see justice. I am so . glad I could be here today to hear it for myself.' Referring to the cover-up that . shifted blame away from the authorities and on to the victims, she said: . 'I can't forgive them the extremes they went to. Why didn't they just . give us the truth?' In a statement on the Liverpool website, the club paid tribute to her. They wrote: '[Her appearance on Monday] was an act so typical of a mum who simply refused to accept defeat. Tributes: Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers laid a single red rose at the Hillsborough Eternal Flame shrine outside Anfield on Monday . Red and blue: Brendan Rodgers sat next to Everton manager David Moyes . Old and new: The current Liverpool playing staff joined club legends to mark the 24th anniversary . 'Anne may not have survived to see . ultimate justice for her son but her actions have played a significant . part in ensuring that 96 families have moved closer to Hillsborough . closure.' The Bishop of Liverpool, the Rt Rev James Jones, said: ‘Anne was a woman of remarkable courage and determination. She had a strength and an energy that flowed from her love for Kevin. She will go down in history as one of the key people who brought to light the truth of the tragedy.’ Maria Eagle, MP for Liverpool Garston and Halewood, tweeted: 'So very sorry to hear about Anne Williams. She was an incredible inspirational woman. £RIP.' Tom Watson MP tweeted: 'Goodbye Anne. You were loved.' They'll never walk alone: A banner in honour of the Hillsborough victims at Anfield . Never forgotten: Three-year-old Liverpool fan Millie Morris leaves her tribute to the Hillsborough victims outside Anfield . As recently as Monday, Sheila Coleman, of the Hillsborough Justice Campaign, paid tribute to Mrs Williams in the Liverpool Echo. She said: 'We applaud Anne's tenacity . to draw on whatever reserves she has left to be here today - she is . quite simply an inspiration.' Other friends and well-wishers took . to Twitter to pay tribute to the campaigner who seemed to embody the . spirit of the families who fought for justice for almost 25 years. Paul Mac wrote: 'Deepest sympathy to . Anne's family a truly truly lovely woman and your with Kevin now Anne. We will never forget you x.' A day to remember: Fans have been visiting the Eternal Flame shrine at Anfield to leave floral tributes or have a moments' contemplation . With love: A message from the Hillsborough Family Support Group . Never forgotten: Some of the names of those who perished in Britain's worst stadium disaster . Pp Corke said: 'A truly insperation . Anne Williams. Every decent person on this planet has love and respect . for long hard fight you fought Anne. Your with your Kevin now. Rest . Anne. You av earned it. Lovely lady.' Steve Monahan added: 'R.I.P Anne . Williams. What a true fighter and a wonderful woman. What she has had to . endure for the last 24 years is a disgrace and it should never have . been this long. 'But in the face of adversity she . remained dignified and never gave up hope. If I'm half the parent she . was when I have children I'll be doing well.YNWAx'. Mrs Williams was an early chairman of . the Hillsborough Justice Campaign and later independently established . Hope For Hillsborough (For Justice) in an effort to secure a fresh . inquest into her son's death. She leaves behind two children, son Michael, 41, and daughter Sara ,33, and three grandchildren. Tragedy: 96 fans perished during the FA Cup match between Liverpool and Nottingham Forest at Hillsborough . It was her fight to get her son's . inquest verdict of accidental death overturned that is credited with . leading to fresh hearings for all 96 supporters who died . | Mrs Williams fought to get her son's inquest verdict overturned .
Her battle credited with leading to new hearings for 96 fans who died . |
54,248 | 99aebb08aa2328cd2314f7c0d7817dee80abb275 | By . Beth Stebner . Last updated at 11:56 PM on 22nd January 2012 . A campus is in shock as they mourn the three young victims killed in a house fire just off of Marist College’s campus, whose identities have been revealed by a family member of one of the victims. Kerry Fitzsimons and Eva Block were both students studying at the Poughkeepsie, New York college, according to Ms Fitzsimons’ cousin. Their friend Kevin Johnson was also killed in the blaze. The fire – the worst in Duchess County in over a decade - happened early Saturday morning after the friends enjoyed a dinner party. Scroll down for video . Tragedy: Kerry Fitzsimons, left, and Eva Block, right, were both students at Marist College and living in a house off campus when they were killed in an early morning fire . Ms Fitzsimons, from Commack, Long Island, was studying Biomedical Science at the liberal arts college, according to her Facebook page. Her sister Colleen wrote: ‘My big sister, my guardian angel, I will love you forever, my Kerry Rose.’ Gone: Kevin Johnson, a 2008 high school graduate of New Canaan High School, also died . Friends and family posted to her sister Facebook wall expressing condolences. One woman wrote: ‘I’m so sorry to hear about your loss. My heart breaks for you. My thoughts and prayers are with you and your family.’ Family friends of 21-year-old Eva Block said she was a burgeoning designer who made her own clothes. ‘She was phenomenal at what she did,’ Philip Greenberg told the Poughkeepsie Journal. Police confirm that Ms Block died of smoke inhalation after an autopsy was conducted. The third victim was Kevin Johnson, a 2008 graduate of New Canaan High School in New York, according to friends and online reports, though his identity has not been confirmed by police. The official causes of death for Ms Fitzsimons and Mr Johnson will be released pending the completion of their autopsies. Marist College, a small liberal arts college home to around 4,200 undergraduate students is located in the town of Poughkeepsie, between New York City and the capital of Albany. The college said in a statement: ‘The Marist community’s thoughts and prayers go out to all those affected by this terrible tragedy.’ The college postponed two basketball games 'out of respect for the students affected by this tragedy,' Deborah DiCaprio, Marist's vice-president said in a statement. Students and members of the community held a vigil at noon on Sunday; another is scheduled to be held this evening. According to the Poughkeepsie Journal, which first reported the victim’s identities, four of the six students living in the 99-year-old house, along with three male friends, had gathered for a dinner party and went to bed shortly after midnight. Raging fire: The 99-year-old house at 112 Fairview Avenue in Poughkeepsie was fully engulfed in flame when fire fighters arrived . All that's left: Firefighters stand by the charred remains of the house Sunday, which is now covered in a light snow . At the time that the fire was initially reported to 911 by a passer-by at about 1.30am, police chief Thomas Mauro said seven people were in the house - four residents and three male guests. The police chief said the group had gone to bed about an hour before the fire appears to have started. 'There was no issue that they were aware of in the house when they went to bed,' he said, basing his comments on interviews with the four survivors. An eyewitness told the Poughkeepsie Journal that she saw a woman 'fly through' a windowpane on to the street, having been thrown by her boyfriend. Cause of death: Officials said Eva Block, of Woodbridge, Connecticut, died from smoke inhalation . 'All she kept saying was that her best friend was inside,' the passer-by said. The first fire-fighters arrived at the scene four minutes after the 911 call was placed and tried to get into the house, but were forced back by the heat and flame. One victim was found on the second floor of the house, one was downstairs and the third was under 'considerable collapsed debris,' the police chief said. The four survivors were taken to a hospital, where they were treated and released. They were treated for minor smoke inhalation and other minor injuries and were able to debrief police. Much loved: Kerry's sister Colleen posted this picture of her sister, writing: 'I'll love you forever' Studious: Kerry Fitzsimons was from Cormack, Long Island, and was studying Biomedical Science . The cause of the fire remains under investigation. Mr Maeder said the fire is believed to have started on the first floor. The remains of the house were bulldozed yesterday afternoon. The college is providing counselling to students, and has put up the people who survived the fire in additional housing. Services for Ms Block will be held on Monday in Connecticut, Mr Greenberg said. A community shaken: Marist College has an undergraduate population of around 4,200 students, who held a vigil Sunday . Another deadly fire struck a college campus in 2005. A house fire killed three students at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio after a blaze erupted in the first-floor living room. The three victims – all upperclassmen – died from carbon monoxide poisoning. There were 13 people living in the house at the time. The other ten escaped. The blaze started after smoking materials ignited a couch, authorities said. | Kerry Fitzsimons and Eva Block were both students at Marist College .
Kevin Johnson, a friend who did not attend Marist, also died .
Four others in house escaped inferno by 'leaping through windows' |
43,355 | 7a3fa1a23eb9553df939bd6b3aa69000e7a8525d | (CNN) -- The death of movie star Paul Walker has both shocked and enthralled fans. Perhaps it is because of the irony of the buff actor coming to fame in the "Fast & Furious" franchise to then lose his life in a car crash. Or maybe it is due to the fact that at the age of 40, his death was so unexpected and means he will now forever be frozen in time in the minds of fans -- defined not only by his roles and his philanthropy, but also by the footage of a smoking wreck which trapped him and his friend Roger Rodas. 'Fast & Furious' star Paul Walker killed in car crash . Here are 5 things we know so far about the story: . 1) Authorities are focusing on the car and how fast it was going . The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Office has said speed was a factor in the crash, which occurred after Walker hopped in Rodas' 2005 Porsche Carrera GT for a ride, according to witnesses. The rare vehicle has three times the horsepower of an average car and is reportedly not easy to handle. Both Rodas and Walker were experienced drivers and had raced in competitions before. 2) Toxicology tests are not yet in . According to an autopsy report from the Los Angles County coroner's office, results of toxicology testing, which would show if drugs or alcohol played a role in the accident, won't be available for six to eight weeks. Both men's deaths have been officially ruled an accident. 3) Production of 'Fast & Furious 7' is on hold . "At this time we feel it is our responsibility to shut down production on 'Fast & Furious 7' for a period of time so we can assess all options available to move forward with the franchise," Universal Pictures said in a statement. Walker was on Thanksgiving break from filming the latest movie in the franchise in Atlanta at the time of the accident. A source close to the production told CNN that the studio is trying to figure out how to move ahead with a movie featuring fast cars and crashes, given that one of its stars was so tragically killed in an accident. Editors have been reviewing footage that had already been shot with Walker in an attempt to see if any of it would work with a rewritten script, the source said. Universal scrambles to save 'Fast & Furious 7' after Paul Walker's death . 4) The wreckage is of interest . Jameson Witty, 18, was arrested and accused of allegedly stealing a piece of the charred Porsche as it was being transported after the crash. Authorities arrested Witty in Tujunga, California, and said a red T-top roof panel was recovered from a residence in Canyon Country. The sheriff's department said a 25-year-old man connected to the case had also been identified and was making arrangements to surrender himself. 5) Friends and family are grappling with the loss . Those who knew and loved both Rodas, who was a married father of two, and Walker, who was raising his 15-year-old daughter Meadow as a single parent, have come to the crash scene to mourn as well as taken to social media to express their heartbreak. The Walker family posted the following statement on his official Facebook page: . "Paul Walker's family appreciates the outpouring of love and goodwill from his many fans and friends. They have asked, in lieu of flowers or other gifts, that donations please be made to Paul's charity Reach Out Worldwide (ROWW). Donations can easily be made through their website at http://www.ROWW.org/. "It's comforting for them to know that the son, brother, and father they love so much is equally adored, respected, and appreciated by so many. Paul founded the organization with the genuine desire to help others, and it's important to his family to keep his memory alive through ROWW." According to 2011 tax information from the organization, 35% of the funds raised went to the charity's programs. The rest of the funds are used for administrative and fundraising costs. | Fans are enthralled by the loss of Paul Walker .
Authorities are still investigating the crash that killed Walker and a friend .
Results from toxicology tests are weeks away . |
190,825 | 83180d1adcf03051724f3fb8c2dbda459c15101a | By . Robert Verkaik and Martin Delgado . PUBLISHED: . 16:19 EST, 13 October 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 08:04 EST, 14 October 2012 . A secretive Chinese company that was accused last week of posing a threat to America's national security is being investigated over a controversial £2.5 billion deal with British Telecom. The inquiry by an influential group of MPs is understood to have been sparked by concerns raised by spymasters over the growth in cyber attacks emanating from China. At the centre of the inquiry is China's biggest telecommunication corporation, Huawei, which has a contract with BT to play a leading role in a £2.5 billion plan to roll out super-fast broadband to two-thirds of UK homes and offices by 2015. Fears: The inquiry into Huawei is understood to have been sparked by spymasters . Malcolm Rifkind, chairman of the Security and Intelligence Committee, told The Mail on Sunday that his report would be with the Prime Minister by the end of the year and would include evidence gathered about the involvement of the Government in the seven-year relationship between BT and Huawei. The findings could be deeply embarrassing for David Cameron, who only last month personally endorsed Huawei's business in the UK when he met Ren Zhengfei, the company's president. The US House of Representatives Intelligence Committee last week accused Huawei and ZTE, another Chinese company, of leaving the US open to espionage and cyber attack. Last year, Britain's most senior trade official was at the centre of a row after landing a lucrative job with the controversial Chinese telecoms giant. Sir Andrew Cahn, former head of UK Trade & Investment, was appointed chairman of the UK advisory board of Huawei. The Security and Intelligence Committee is already looking at the cyber threat posed by Russia and China, which are suspected of carrying out the majority of electronic attacks against UK interests. Involved: David Cameron met Huawei CEO Ren Zhengfei last month . Security chiefs are understood to be most worried about how foreign telecoms companies might be able to damage or control UK infrastructure should their home states have hostile intentions against British interests. A BT spokesman said: 'We work closely with Huawei on commercial security best practice and our relationship is managed strictly in accordance with UK laws.' A Huawei spokesman said the company had worked with the Government to create a 'rigorous and sophisticated assurance system for telecoms equipment regularly tested by government security experts'. | Huawei is being investigated over contract with BT to play a leading role in super-fast broadband roll out .
Inquiry by MPs follows concerns from spymasters over the growth in cyber attacks emanating in China . |
177,468 | 71bab0b657a8eac0a176c7032c2095c43ae02b91 | By . Meghan Keneally, Associated Press, Snejana Farberov and Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 12:52 EST, 25 July 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 14:32 EST, 25 July 2013 . The mother of the 16-year-old boy accused of killing his half-brother and burying him in the family’s Menifee, California yard has spoken publicly for the first time to say she’s standing behind her son. Shawna Smith isn’t saying whether whether or not Skylor Atilano killed her younger son Terry Smith Jr., 11, only that the jailed teen is frightened and she intends to be there for him. ‘I love him and I'm going to stand behind him no matter what,’ said Smith, who is now without all three of her children after her daughter was placed in protective services in the wake of the murder accusations. Scroll down for video... 'I love him': As she stood in front of the Menifee, California home where her 11-year-old son was found murdered and buried, Shawna Smith spoke publicly, defending her son for for the first time . Troubled: A judge noted that Skylor has a history of violent outbursts and that he had violated the terms of his probation. He's now accused of killing his half-brother Terry Jr., right . Up until now, Shawna had lived in the . Riverside County, California town of Menifee with all three of the kids . and finally opened up to a KNBC reporter who approached her front gate . Wednesday. Now the children are gone. ‘It doesn't make . my life easier,’ she said. ‘It makes it 20 times harder. ... My kids . were my life. They still are. I love all three of them.’ Terry’s . remains were discovered buried in a shallow grave in the backyard of . Terry’s home July 10 after Orange County psychic medium Pam Ragland . isolated the location of the body. Charged: Skylor Atilano, 16, attends his first court appearance after being charged in the murder of his 11-year-old brother. 'He's scared,' said mom Shawna Smith . 'No conclusions': Smith wouldn't say whether or not her son murdered his half-brother . Memorial: A shrine was set up for Terry Smith Jr, 11, who was found dead with the help of a psychic medium July 10, buried in his own yard . var nbcLP={};nbcLP.aRandomNumber=Math.floor(Math.random()*10000);nbcLP.currentPageLoc=encodeURIComponent(window.location.href);nbcLP.currentSiteLoc=encodeURIComponent(window.location.host);nbcLP.defaultWidth=634;nbcLP.defaultHeight=357;nbcLP.cmsID="216876451";nbcLP.vidPid="AKUj2Hbbrf7X";nbcLP.vidSec="news";nbcLP.vidSubSec="local";nbcLP.vidFrame=document.getElementById("nbcLP216876451");nbcLP.vidFrame.style.border="none";nbcLP.vidFrame.width=nbcLP.defaultWidth;nbcLP.vidFrame.height=nbcLP.defaultHeight;nbcLP.vidFrame.scrolling="no";nbcLP.vidFrame.src="http://www.nbclosangeles.com/templates/nbc_partner_player?cmsID="+nbcLP.cmsID+"&videoID="+nbcLP.vidPid+"&width="+nbcLP.defaultWidth+"&height="+nbcLP.defaultHeight+"&sec="+nbcLP.vidSec+"&subsec="+nbcLP.vidSubSec+"&turl="+nbcLP.currentSiteLoc+"&ourl="+nbcLP.currentPageLoc+"&rand="+nbcLP.aRandomNumber; . Accompanied . by an off-duty firefighter, Ragland drove out to the Menifee home. After making the horrific discovery, the firefighter called 911 to . report that they had found Terry. 'OK, . we believe we may have found a human head,' the man could be heard . telling a dispatcher on the call. 'We're out searching for a little boy, . Terry Smith,' the local station KESQ reported. Meanwhile, Shawna Smith denied any connection to the crime in the brief interview with the Los Angeles NBC affiliate. Doubts: Terry Jr.'s father believes something fishy is going on and that Shawna Smith knows more than she's letting on . ‘I was cleared by the police,’ she said. ‘Polygraphed -- came back clean. I had nothing to do with this.’ About . 1,000 volunteers had spent four days scouring an area of more than 50 . square miles in Southern California looking for Smith Jr, who . disappeared July 7. Atilano has since been charged with the boy's murder. On Wednesday, Smith said her surviving son has her full support, though she stopped short of defending his innocence. ‘I’m . not making any assumptions,’ she said while she stood in front of the . desert home where her other son was found murdered. ’I'm not going to . say he's innocent, but I'm not going to say he's guilty, either. I love . him.’ Waiting game: A judge will determine in September whether the teenager, pictured in this courtroom sketch, would be tried as a juvenile or as an adult . During his first . hearing at the Southwest Justice Center in Murrieta, Atilano's detention . hearing was postponed until September 17, at which time a judge will . determine whether the teenager would be tried as a juvenile or as an . adult. Judge Timothy Freer said that Skylor had a 'history of violent outbursts' and that he had violated the terms of his probation. He would not elaborate on the nature of the teen's previous run-in with the law. Atilano was ordered to remain in jail ahead of his next court appearance. It is expected that the positive identification of the body found in the backyard of the Manifee residence will take anywhere from two to six weeks using DNA evidence, according to the Riverside County Coroner's Bureau. Vision: Pam Ragland was volunteering during the search for the missing boy and had a 'knowing' of where she should go to look for the body . Near home: The boys lived with their mother and her partner in the home center right, and Terry's body was found in a shallow grave by the tree back to the left, only 100 feet away . The psychic's revelation came the same day that the boy's father, who lives in West . Virginia, said that Terry was not autistic and that he had spoken to him . before he disappeared when the boy asked him if he could go visit. The . 11-year-old had lived with his father, Terry Smith Sr., in West . Virginia up until 2001 when he went to live with his mother Shawna in . California. Shawna now lives in Menifee with her longterm lesbian . partner, Denise, alng with Skylor and the daughter now removed from the home by authorities. Reeling: Denise (pictured), Terry's mother's longterm lesbian partner, said that the family is grieving . Heartbroken: The boy's father, Terry Smith Sr (pictured), is a retired truck driver who lives in West Virginia and he said that- in spite of Shawna's claims- he did not believe his son was autistic . Shawna initially described Terry Jr. as an autistic boy who took special medication and answered only to his nickname, 'JuJu.' His father, however, insisted that his son was not autistic, saying he was a normal kid who loved video games and baseball, he said. 'He was a very bright, well-adjusted child, at least he was when he left here,' said Smith Sr., a 62-year-old retired truck driver. 'He pushed buttons and would aggravate you. But, other than that, it was just the typical way... of a typical boy trying to get his way.' Smith Sr. also helped raise the half brother accused in the case, even though he was not his biological father, he said. The teen moved from West Virginia to California after his mother abruptly pulled him out of school, he said. 'I . taught him how to walk. I helped him when he was on the baseball team . here,' he said, recalling that he called the half brother 'little . Spider-Man.' 'Him and (the half brother) got into it and it went too far,' said Smith Sr. Tragic: The psychic said that she knew she was close when she smelled 'something dead' In danger: Terry is pictured here, in photos sent out during the massive manhunt that ended with a psychic finding his dead body July 10 . | Shawna Smith gives first public statement since 11-year-old Terry Smith Jr. was found dead July 10 .
Smith's mother realized her son was missing after his teenage half-brother babysat the night before .
The 11-year-old's body was found buried in a shallow grave near the home with the help of psychic .
Police Smith's 16-year-old son and charged him with Terry's murder on Friday .
A hearing will be held to see if the teen will be tried as an adult or child .
The two boys, who had different fathers, lived with their mother and her lesbian partner in California . |
22,212 | 3f0b486f2e42790d97f3a257fa33a12478e7920a | (CNN) -- The National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform did not go far enough when it proposed the repeal of certain provisions of the mortgage interest deduction. The deduction for mortgage interest should be repealed in its entirety. Most people know that owning a home comes with tax advantages such as the deduction for mortgage interest, but they don't know how much of an anomaly that is. Most personal, family or living expenses are not tax deductible. They are the result of choices. Your decisions on what to wear to work or whether to pay cash or credit are your personal choices. You don't get a tax deduction. That's why rent is not deductible, even though roughly one-third of Americans are renters -- which includes the majority of blacks and Latinos. Where you live is considered to be the result of a personal choice. The deduction for mortgage interest is a huge exception to the general rule, because what could be more personal than the decision to buy a home? In 1986, an exception was made for home mortgage interest as a way to "encourage homeownership." That's the good news for homeowners. The bad news for renters is that the 2010 estimated revenue loss of the tax subsidy for homeownership is greater than $200 billion. By comparison, the entire Housing and Urban Development budget is less than $50 billion. That is a pretty high price to pay to "encourage homeownership." But as long as it actually encourages people to buy homes, it could be money well spent. Yet economists generally believe that the mortgage interest deduction does virtually nothing to encourage people to buy homes. During the past 40 years, while tax rates have changed dramatically (making the value of the tax benefits fluctuate), the homeownership rate has been quite stable. The biggest increase in homeownership rates happened after World War II and came after innovations in mortgage financing. That does not mean that homeowners aren't aware of the tax break when they buy a house. In fact, they are paying for the tax subsidy when they buy their homes, because the mortgage interest deduction is built into the price. But homeowners do not decide to buy a house because of the tax break. Research shows that the tax deduction simply rewards behavior -- buying a home -- that was going to happen anyway. The tax subsidy does encourage the purchase of bigger and more expensive homes; tax dollars are subsidizing McMansions. The American people are getting nothing good for their $200 billion subsidy. In order to benefit from the mortgage interest deduction, homeowners must itemize deductions and not take the standard deduction. President Bush's Tax Reform Commission documented that only 54 percent of those with mortgages benefit from the mortgage interest deduction. That means 46 percent of homeowners have paid for the benefit of the mortgage interest deduction when they bought their house but do not receive any tax benefits. So most low-income homeowners are paying for a tax benefit that only a few will receive. The overwhelming majority of homeowners whose household income is $40,000 or less do not receive any tax benefit from mortgage interest payments. Once income hits $50,000, then the majority of homeowners do receive tax benefits. Clearly, tax benefits for the mortgage interest deduction are flowing to middle and upper income taxpayers. While the mortgage interest deduction may help people who are struggling to make ends meet, they are not the only ones struggling. According to a May 2010 Wall Street Journal article, the ranks of renters are increasing because of record foreclosures. Struggling or not, these new renters will not have a tax subsidy. Should we continue giving away a $200 billion subsidy every year to middle- and upper-income taxpayers to "encourage" them to do what they were already going to do? We simply cannot afford it any longer. The American public must be convinced that repeal of the mortgage interest deduction is a first step in the larger goal toward creating a tax code that is fairer for all and treats renters and homeowners alike. We all have housing costs. Why should only some get a tax break? The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Dorothy Brown. | Dorothy Brown: It's unusual to get a tax break for a personal choice such as buying a home .
Renting is not deductible, she says, even though about one-third of Americans are renters .
Brown: Tax break meant to "encourage homeownership," but people buy homes anyway .
Tax break is a $200 billion subsidy every year for those with higher incomes, she says . |
95,058 | 0623b705bc04a36f9a5be9d2410489fe44035f26 | (CNN) -- Deputies in Arizona's Maricopa County will leave white wooden crosses at desert locations to mark the spots where immigrants die as they try to enter the country from Mexico. Sheriff Joe Arpaio, who made the announcement, said 14 people have died since June in the area known as Gild Bend. More than 30 people have been rescued in the same area, he said at a Thursday news conference in the desert south of Phoenix. "Desert crossers are dying in unknown numbers due to the desert's brutal conditions and excessively high temperatures," the sheriff said. He said the crosses, made by inmates, also will serve as landmarks so people in distress in the desert can give their location when they call for help. The sheriff criticized the federal government for failing to seal the border and said it should reimburse his county for "the time and resources spent on these mercy missions." Arpaio is known for his strict approach to immigration enforcement in Maricopa County and has been at odds with the federal government over immigration policy. In May, a federal judge agreed with the Justice Department that his deputies were illegally detaining Hispanics on pretexts to try to find undocumented people. Arpaio has said he will appeal the judge's ruling, which stopped a program of traffic sweeps. | Sheriff cites 14 recent deaths of border crossers in desert heat .
Arpaio: Deputies have rescued more than 30 people in the desert recently .
Sheriff criticizes federal government for failing to control border .
In May, a federal judge found Arpaio's deputies illegally detained Hispanics . |
73,378 | d00af3defe469b021c1e4cc9b550789c3a7eca10 | A Romanian lorry driver who crushed a widow's arm with his 40-ton truck as she walked to put flowers on her husband's grave, has been fined just £73. Rose Lethbridge, 77, was struck by Marcel Georgescue's lorry as she crossed a side road in Southend, Essex. The pensioner suffered catastrophic injuries after the lorry crushed her and had to have her arm amputated. But Georgescue, 43, was handed just . six points on his driving licence after he admitted careless driving, a . charge which cannot lead to a jail sentence. A Romanian lorry driver who crushed a widow's arm with his 40-ton truck as she walked to put flowers on her husband's grave, has been fined just £73. Pictured is the junction in Southend, Essex, where Rose Lethbridge was hit . He was also ordered to hand Mrs Lethbridge a 'victim payment' of just £20, handed a fine of £73 and told to pay court costs of just £85. Mrs Lethbridge remains in the Royal London Hospital after the accident nine days ago, where she is described as being in a stable condition. Southend . Magistrates' ' Court was told that Georgescu was turning right from a . main road into a side road when the accident happened. Prosecutor Simon Bravery told the court: 'Mr Georgescu failed to see her and knocked her to the ground as he was turning. 'She . remained under the lorry for some while, but he didn't stop the lorry. He reversed and she was taken to the Royal London Hospital by air . ambulance. 'She suffered serious injuries, but has been released from intensive care and her condition is described as stable.' Georgescu's . solicitor Jay Kallagher told the court his client had been married 19 . years with a 17-year-old son, had worked as a lorry driver since he was . 19 and had no previous convictions. She . said: 'He made full admission at the police station and the officer on . the case noted he showed genuine remorse throughout the interview. 'He . wants to make it known to the court today that he understands the . tragic consequences of his driving on this day and told me he could not . express in words how remorseful he is.' However, her neighbours fear the widow - whose husband, Glyn, died three years ago - may never be able to come home again due to the nature of her injuries. One lady said: 'She goes up to the cemetery regularly, that's where she was going and those flowers were from her garden. 'She was going to lay flowers on the grave. She goes up there every week. She's not only my neighbour, but we are friends to each other and we look after each other.' She called the sentence 'disgusting'. The elderly woman, who asked not to be named, added: 'Rose won't be back home, she is very, very ill. 'She's been critically ill but there's a little bit of light at the end of the tunnel. 'Please God she will come home because her garden is her life. She does the communal garden all herself, it's immaculate. Mrs Lethbridge remains in the Royal London Hospital after the accident nine days ago, where she is described as being in a stable condition (stock picture) 'How she will cope with one hand. I dread to think. 'She is out there in her garden from morning until night, especially since her husband passed away.' Mrs Lethbridge, who is now off life-support, is believed to be estranged from her children. Barry Newman, manager of the Southend branch of Formula One Autocentres, witnessed the horror crash. He said there was a lot of anger about the sentence handed down at Southend Magistrates' Court. He said: 'If you had an industrial accident with those kind of injuries, you would get tens of thousands of pounds. 'It was horrific. We watched as the air ambulance came and the poor lady spent a long time under that lorry before she could be freed.' His colleague, Michael Hart, was on a break and saw the impact. He said: 'It was like it happened in slow motion in front of me. It was horrible and not something I'd ever like to see again. 'From the force of the impact, it didn't look good and she was under there for quite a while as medics treated her.' Rachel Weller, a courier driver for Motex, also witnessed the crash and remained with Mrs Lethbridge while she was treated. She said: 'To put it politely, the sentence is totally unfair given her injuries.' Mrs Lethbridge also suffered a fractured collarbone, seven fractured ribs and had a collapsed left lung. | Rose Lethbridge, 77, was struck by Marcel Georgescue's 40 ton lorry .
The pensioner suffered catastrophic injuries after the lorry crushed her .
Georgescue, 43, handed six points on licence after admitting careless driving .
He was handed a fine of £73 and told to pay court costs of just £85 . |
214,933 | a24081fd9bb6149fe07f139e81007a43fbf48962 | By . Dan Bloom . It's not the sort of smash and grab most people expect at a bank. Firefighters were forced to shatter the front of a crowded financial institution in China after a five-year-old boy got his fingers trapped in its glass door. Dozens of people gathered and one filmed the drama as the boy screamed and cried, before being carried away by his distraught mother. Scroll down for video . Smash and grab: Firefighters had to shatter a glass bank frontage to free a boy aged five in eastern China . Distraught: The boy was protected with a heavy fireman's jacket as the glass was smashed, leaving him unhurt . CCTV captured the moment on Saturday when the boy got his fingers stuck. Another child was swinging the heavy door back and forth when the unnamed child put his hand in its hinges. A crowd of adults gathered within seconds around the boy as he cried in pain, but despite their efforts they were unable to free him. With a guard around the door to make sure no one opened it, a crowd quickly gathered as firefighters arrived on the scene in Anhui Province, eastern China. Unable to free the boy, the rescuers sheltered him with a heavy firefighter's jacket and used a pickaxe to smash the glass. Fortunately he suffered no serious injury apart from three swollen fingers. Caught on film: CCTV captured the moment the boy got his fingers stuck as another child left the door swinging . Saved: Fortunately the five-year-old boy suffered no serious injury apart from three swollen fingers . It came as a curious woman had to be rescued by firemen in China after she became stuck between two giant rocks - because she wanted to try and sneak through the tiny gap. In a less extreme version of the scenario which inspired the film 127 Hours, the woman became wedged between the boulders in the popular tourist city of Mudanjiang, northeast China. The film was based on the ordeal of real-life canyoneer Aron Ralston, whose arm became trapped in a crevice in Blue John Canyon, Utah, in April 2003. | Firefighters came to the boy's rescue in Anhui Province, eastern China .
He screamed as they shattered the glass frontage of a bank to free him .
CCTV also captured the moment the boy's fingers became stuck . |
130,533 | 34cf4e88bdffd94e570adfb60315776d21a99987 | By . Sean Poulter . PUBLISHED: . 13:16 EST, 26 November 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 09:06 EST, 27 November 2013 . With 12 cleaning modes, it is being billed as the Swiss Army knife of vacuum cleaners – and it could certainly threaten Dyson. British company G-tech is taking on its bigger rival with a cleaner that is cordless, lightweight and even has headlights to help track down dirt in the darkest corners. Just 18 months ago, G-tech launched its AirRam upright power sweeper which so far this year has shifted 135,000 models, making it the best-selling cordless vacuum cleaner in the UK and overtaking Dyson in this sector. Rivalry: G-Tech are bringing out the new Multi, which follows in the success of the AirRam power sweeper . But the firm, based in rural Worcestershire, is not content to stop there and is deploying another weapon in the fight for supremacy – the handheld G-tech Multi. The Multi is powered by a lithium-ion battery – the sort of thing found in smartphones, iPads and electric cars – which means it can run for 30 minutes on a four-hour charge. Its attachments include a built-in crevice tool, a smaller round tough brush for stubborn grime and a seven-inch wide tool for cleaning sofas and curtains. Despite its small size and weight – just 1.6kg, or 3.5lb – it includes a pull-out tube to reach tricky spots. There is also a rigid extension tube to tackle dust in high places. The new device sells for £149, compared to around £173 for Dyson’s closest equivalent, the DC34 Animal. It will be available via John Lewis or from the G-tech website. Design: The new model has a smaller brush to cope with grime and a tool for cleaning sofas and curtains . Technology: The vacuum is powered by a Lithium-ion battery give 30 minutes of run time on a four hour charge . Scientist and broadcaster Adam Hart-Davis, who unveiled the new Multi, said: ‘The vacuum cleaner design is essentially 100 years old, but what we need to clean difficult, hard to get at areas is something light with fascinating features. ‘Something that will clean curtains, around the back of sofas, all those areas you can’t get at with an AirRam. What you need is a Swiss Army knife of a vacuum cleaner and that is what they have come up with.’ He said the addition of headlights means users can see the dirt that they are trying to get rid of, particularly in dark, hard to reach places such as car footwells. Growing: The company has a team of 50, led by designer, inventor and founder, Nick Grey . Nick Grey, G-tech’s designer, inventor and founder, said he discovered from online reviews of the AirRam that many customers reverted to using old-style heavy cleaners with long hoses and tools for getting at inaccessible places. As a result, he said, the firm developed the handheld Multi as a partner to the AirRam, adding: ‘These two products together will consign the heavy, corded, energy-eating vacuum cleaners to history.’ G-tech’s turnover is expected to double to in excess of £20million this year, with sales continuing to grow. Dyson denied it is being out-sold by Gtech on cordless cleaners and claimed a better comparison to the G-tech Multi would be its new DC59, which costs £349.99. A spokesman said: ‘The DC59 marks something quite revolutionary in vacuum cleaning. It is the world’s first cordless vacuum cleaner to achieve the same performance as a full-size plug in vacuum cleaner. It literally sucks up as much dust as a conventional machine. ‘That is remarkable considering it is battery powered. 100 air watts on a cordless is huge. It actually offers people a real alternative to lugging around the conventional vacuum but at the same time it offers the lightweight, versatility of a handheld too.’ | G-tech has sold the most cordless vacuums company in the UK this year .
The firm has sold 135,000 AirRams in 12 months, overtaking their rivals .
Are now launching a new design, The Multi, which has 12 cleaning modes .
It sells for £149, which compares to around £173 for Dyson's equivalent . |
10,649 | 1e44be5af4d218652d2ce651c46b868b32447f63 | Ultimo has created a range of party-ready bras and who better to model them that lingerie-loving Abbey Clancy? The mother-of-one showcases her toned physique as she models the new range of bras. The new collection features three problem-solving products, including the low back body, the low back bra and the strapless 'wear 5 ways' multi-way, all of which Abbey models to perfection as the face of the brand. Scroll down for video . She's back! Abbey Clancy has been unveiled as the face of Ultimo's party lingerie range and models the problem-solving bras to perfection in the campaign shoot . Michelle Mone OBE, founder of Ultimo, said: 'Getting your foundation right is just important as the dress itself. 'The new Ultimo collection offers women the chance to perfect their party look, whilst also boosting their cleavage and confidence.' Ironically, Abbey confessed to Grazia recently that she never wore a bra until she was 16. She said: 'I only got my first bra when I was about 16 - I was still in thermal vests up until then, I was completely flat chested. Then all of a sudden I grew these humongous breasts. 'I've got a long relationship with underwear - I'd go so far as to say I've got a lingerie fetish. I think it's the first thing - the key thing - to make you feel good.' Toned frame: Abbey, who has been modelling for years, proves her worth in the sultry shoot in a French style boudoir . Success: Abbey has seen her star rise this year and even turned her hand to designing as she unveiled a clothing range for Matalan . This isn't the model's only coup this month - Abbey, 27, was unveiled as the new face of Avon fragrance and invited her 53-year-old mother to star alongside her. The mother-daughter-duo look more like sisters in the new promotional images for the fragrance, Cherish, which launches just in time for Mother's Day. The mother and daughter campaign stars are firm friends and Abbey often invites Karen to accompany her at showbiz parties. Referring to Karen shortly after the birth of her own daughter in 2011, Abbey said: 'I weigh less than I weighed before I had the baby and I'm really happy with my figure. 'I'm lucky to be blessed with good genes. My mum is 51 and hasn't had any work done, but still looks like she could be my sister. She's a goddess.' What's her secret? Abbey is a big fitness fan and is often seen leaving the gym where she clearly works hard to keep her body in shape . Lingerie lover: The star recently explained that she's got a long relationship with underwear and admitted she has a lingerie fetish . Clearly feeling the love for her family this month, Abbey last week expressed her devotion to her husband Peter Crouch by sharing a heart-warming picture on Instagram of him cuddling their three-year-old daughter Sophia on Sunday evening. The sweet black-and-white snap shows the Stoke City striker lying on their wooden floor with their little girl lying on top of him and laughing. The 28-year-old model proudly added the caption, 'My world', alongside the Instagram picture when she shared it with her 335k Twitter followers. The Avon and Ultimo campaigns are the latest in a string of successes for the model and WAG, who also designs a range for Matalan and was unveiled as the face of Veet and Scholl earlier this year. Good genes: Abbey, 27, was unveiled as the new face of Avon fragrance and invited her 53-year-old mother to star alongside her . | Abbey, 27, models range of 'problem-solving' bras .
Star shows off toned figure and reveals she has underwear fetish .
Her and mother were last week unveiled as faces of Avon fragrance . |
37,979 | 6b780cbf9da624d2c708701273b41f3088febdd5 | (CNN) -- The Republican Senate primary in Mississippi had long been in the spotlight over nasty politics, but events just prior, during and now after the vote have placed the race in its own unusual category. Thad Cochran and state Sen. Chris McDaniel squared off months ago in what was viewed as a potential bellwether between the larger fight taking place nationally between the arch conservative tea party and establishment Republicans. It was cast as youth and fresh ideas against veteran incumbency and politics as usual. Spending was up, ads were intense, and the vote was expected to be close. The general election was considered pro forma in the reliably Republican state. This primary would decide who would go to Washington. But late in the game, things took a bizarre turn and have gotten more complicated since the June 3 primary resulted in a runoff, which Cochran won three weeks later. Here are the five most unusual moments: . 1. Dirty tricks: In May, three tea party supporters and apparent allies of McDaniel were arrested for conspiring to photograph Cochran's bedridden wife in a hospice in an apparent case of political dirty tricks. Rose Cochran suffers from dementia and has lived in a nursing home for 14 years. The photo of her surfaced in a political attack ad on YouTube that aimed to smear Cochran, The Mississippi Clarion-Ledger reported. McDaniel's campaign denied any connection to the matter. Then, after the runoff, one of those charged with conspiracy in the photo scandal, Mark Mayfield, died in an apparent suicide at his home. It remains under investigation. 2. Crying foul: Separated by less than 1,500 votes following the primary with McDaniel ahead, the two then turned their attention to a runoff won by Cochran with a narrow, but more comfortable margin of nearly 7,000 votes. McDaniel has cried foul and won't concede. He furiously contends nearly 5,000 votes should be discounted due to alleged fraud after Cochran and his allies courted African-Americans and other traditional Democrats to push him over the finish line in the crossover tally. McDaniel camp gathers evidence as it prepares legal challenge . And they're still counting. McDaniel's campaign and its tea party supporters are making the rounds of all 82 counties to look into voting records and still have a dozen stops to make. 3. $1,000 Reward: On Thursday, McDaniel's campaign announced $1,000 rewards for evidence of voter fraud. But there's a catch, evidence must lead to "the arrest and conviction" of those involved in any fraud and will be awarded to up to 15 instances. McDaniel's campaign is fundraising for its legal fund, which will underwrite the bounty. Two allegations may shed some light as to why McDaniel called the runoff a "sham" in a recent email to supporters. Steve Fielder, a pastor in Mississippi, alleged the Cochran campaign was offering $15 for voters to support Cochran at the polls. Fielder made the claims in a paid interview with an independent filmmaker. Another allegation comes from a more official source: the election coordinator for Hinds County Democratic Party official. Claude McInnis, alleged that the chairman of the county's Republican Party worked with McInnis to allow voters who had voted for a Democrat in the primary to cast a ballot in the runoff -- which is illegal. McInnis told Breitbart News that he'd "guess" about 3,000 votes in Hinds County should be obviated. 4. Call-in crashers: Critics of Cochran's election strategy crashed a call with reporters on Tuesday. Charles Johnson, a political blogger critical of Cochran's campaign, apparently obtained and subsequently tweeted out the call's dial-in code to his nearly 6,000 followers. Cacophony ensued when at least one caller repeatedly interrupted campaign spokesman Austin Barbour with a question: . "Since black people harvested cotton, why is it OK to harvest their votes? Why is it OK to harvest the votes of black people?" the caller said. Barbour offered to answer the anonymous caller's questions along with reporters' inquiries at the end of the call, but the call hijacker persisted. Just hours before, Barbour slammed the McDaniel campaign during a press conference, urging his opponents to "put up or shut up" with their accusations of voter fraud. 5. Lawsuit: True the Vote, a conservative election watchdog, filed a lawsuit Tuesday in federal court against the Mississippi secretary of state and the state's Republican party calling for full, unrestricted access to voting records. The state GOP chairman, Joe Nosef, said in a statement that True the Vote's lawsuit is based on a "misunderstanding of both Mississippi law" and the state party's role in the election. Logan Churchwell, True the Vote's spokesman, said the "lawsuit is filed the way it is" and the group has no plans to remove the Mississippi GOP from the receiving end of the suit. Churchwell said the state party was included because of the "shared responsibility" between state officials and the state's Republican party. "We're not singling them out," Churchwell said. | McDaniel's campaign is offering a $1,000 reward for evidence of voter fraud .
Allegations of $15 vote-buying, thousands of illegitimate Democratic votes in a single county .
At least one anonymous caller crashed a Cochran campaign conference call with reporters .
The Mississippi GOP says it has been wrongly involved in a federal lawsuit . |
280,813 | f7c972c5539bf96bfaf1b5598b039731f35d76f5 | By . Mia De Graaf . Stabbed: Ernest Moyo, 27, now has prosthetic arms and legs after a gang stabbed his thigh and stomach outside a party in 2012, forcing doctors to amputate his limbs . A gang whose vicious attack caused a man to lose all four of his limbs have been jailed for 61 years. Ernest Moyo, 27, was leaving a party when he was accosted by the four thugs, demanding his mobile phone. When he refused, he was stabbed in the thigh and stomach then left lying in the road in Worthing, Sussex. Emergency services took him to hospital but infections from his wounds had already spread to his vital organs and he was put on life support. Doctors were left with no choice but to amputate both his arms and legs. That night, police arrested and charged Patrick Brookes, 27, before his three accomplices - Dominic Brookes, 19, Jeremiah Reynolds, 26, and Trey Johnson, 18 - were caught nine days later. Today, they were sentenced to a total of 61 years imprisonment for the 2012 attack. During trials at Hove Crown Court, all four denied involvement in the attack but the jury found them guilty of inflicting grievous bodily harm with intent. Unemployed Patrick Brookes, from Worthing, was sentenced to 16 years imprisonment. Reynolds, from North London, Dominic Brookes, from South London, and Johnson, from Worthing, were all sentenced to 15 years. Mr Moyo, who is also known as 'Joe', said: 'I am pleased with the outcome and me and my fiancé both agree that justice has been served. 'We are hoping to get married next year - this has now given us closure on what happened and we can put it behind us. 'We are glad this has now all finished and we can move on.' Mr Moyo fought for his life in hospital for months after the late night attack. Jailed: Patrick Brookes, 27 (left), has been jailed for 16 years for the attack which left Mr Moyo with infections that spread to his vital organs, forcing him onto life support. Dominic Brookes, 19 (right), was jailed for 15 years . Guilty: Trey Johnson, 18 (left), was 16 when he attacked Mr Moyo in Worthing, Sussex. He and Jeremiah Reynolds, 26 (right) were found guilty of inflicting grievous bodily harm with intent and jailed for 15 years each . He is now adapting to the tasks of daily life with the help of prosthetic limbs. Mr Moyo’s fiancée, Amy Dunne, said: 'For two to three months every day both our families visited him hoping and praying, before finally he was taken off the life support. 'Joe and myself will have to deal with his injuries every day for the rest of our lives as we make a future together. 'Our lives will be totally different from what they would have been. 'We would like to thank all the nurses, doctors and surgeons at the hospitals for all their care and support that they gave to Joe. 'We would also like to thank Sussex . Police, especially DCs Tony Taylor and Laura Sinden and PC Vicky Bailey, . for all of their hard work and support. Battled through: Mr Moyo and his fiancée Amy Dunne have finally decided to get married after two years spent recuperating from the attack and working with doctors . Relieved: The couple have applauded the police for catching the men that left Mr Moyo wounded in the street . 'We are relieved that four people have now been held accountable for their actions and will face many years in prison.' After the case Detective Constable Laura Sinden said: 'I have been with Joe and his family throughout the investigation and the trial. 'I am pleased for them that these four people have been brought to justice. 'Each of the men have received significant sentences for their involvement in what happened that night. 'This was a vicious attack that left Joe fighting for his life in the middle of the road and the injuries he sustained meant he had to have his limbs amputated. 'The consequences of that night will be with him for the rest of his life.' | Ernest Moyo, 27, was leaving a party when gang demanded his phone .
During argument the four men stabbed him in thigh and stomach then fled .
Mr Moyo was put on life support but infections had already spread to organs .
Doctors forced to amputate both arms and legs, he now has prosthetic limbs .
Patrick Brookes, Dominic Brookes, Jeremiah Reynolds, Trey Johnson jailed . |
203,015 | 92d81b7c359fb02dd5e30764b1f78fc215b4077d | Ryan Ferguson was freed last year after serving nearly 10 years for a murder he said he didn't commit. Now, an attorney for Ferguson has filed a $100 million lawsuit for violations of his civil rights. The suit, filed Monday, names 13 defendants including the city of Columbia, Missouri, the city police department, investigators, the prosecutor's office and others. It alleges nine separate counts including suppression and fabrication of evidence, failure to investigate, malicious prosecution, conspiracy to deprive Ferguson of his constitutional rights, defamation and false arrest. "Not only has he not received an apology from the State of Missouri or Boone County, but some of these officials continue to defame him," the lawsuit says. "Compounding this tragedy, the real murderer of Kent Heitholt has escaped arrest, prosecution, and conviction for 13 years because of Ryan's wrongful arrest, prosecution, and conviction." Ferguson was just a teenager when he was arrested in Missouri in 2004, accused of killing Columbia Tribune sports editor Kent Heitholt three years earlier. Implicated by a former friend who said he had dreamlike memories of committing the crime, Ferguson was convicted in 2005 for Heitholt's murder and given a 40-year sentence. In 2012, the same friend admitted in court that he lied, as did a janitor who originally placed Ferguson at the crime scene. Ferguson's legal team successfully argued last fall that prosecutors illegally withheld evidence that could have cleared his name, overturning his conviction. The Jefferson City Correctional Center released Ferguson in November after Missouri Attorney General Chris Koster said he wouldn't retry Ferguson. | Ryan Ferguson spent nearly 10 years in prison .
13 defendants are named in $100 million lawsuit .
Suit alleges suppression and fabrication of evidence .
Missouri attorney general didn't retry Ferguson . |
99,745 | 0c83a79d7d42d99441e4da7d67ac8a2e18d368c0 | The desperate search for a 10-month-old girl who was kidnapped after her grandmother was murdered in an apartment block continues today - with the FBI now involved in the case. Saanvi Venna was taken from Marquis Apartments in Upper Merion Township, Montgomery County on Monday. She was being watched by her grandmother, Satyavathi Venna, 61, who was found murdered. Scroll down for video . Desperate: The search for 10-month-old Saanvi Venna, who was kidnapped . after her grandmother was murdered in an apartment block, continues . today - with the FBI now involved in the case . It has now emerged that FBI agents are involved in the investigation to find Saanvi. Montgomery County District . Attorney Risa Vetri Ferman said investigators are focusing on reuniting Saanvi with her parents in the . two probes which are 'intricately connected.' Ms Ferman would not say how the grandmother was killed or whether there were any suspects in the case. 'All of our resources are focused on finding Saanvi and reuniting her with her parents,' Ms Ferman said. 'The search for the child is intricately connected to the homicide investigation.' Despite few details emerging of the family's background - It is believed the child's . murdered grandmother was visiting from India. According to gather.com, she had been in the U.S. since summer and was planning on heading back home in January. Horrific: Saanvi was being watched by her grandmother, Satyavathi Venna, 61, inside the family's apartment when she was kidnapped. Her grandmother was later found murdered. She is pictured holding Saanvi . An autopsy is due to take place on her body before the cause of death is revealed. There are . also reports that Sannvi's family were planning on moving from their . home because of 'safety concerns'. However, it is now known what the . concerns were. On Monday night, the girl's desperate father made an emotional appeal for his daughter's safe return in front of news cameras. According to 6abc.com, Shiva Venna said: 'If someone finds my baby, could you please bring my baby back? Don't do any harm to the baby. Please, please help me in this matter.' Detectives have said the murder and kidnapping took place between 8am and 1pm while the baby's parents were away. The grandmother was found murdered inside the apartment and there was no sign of the baby. Detectives issued an Amber Alert for . the youngster three hours later. It is not yet known if the murder of . the grandmother was a random attack or if police have a suspect. A dark blue Honda Accord was taken by officers from the apartment complex to the police department on Monday night. Police officers continue to swarm the block of 200 apartments inside the complex looking for the youngster. Saanvi is described as having black hair with brown eyes. She was believed to be wearing a white dress with pink flowers. Missing: Police are now hunting for Sannvi Venna after she was kidnapped from an apartment block in which her grandmother was found murdered . The murders occurred at this apartment block in Upper Merion Township, Montgomery County . | Saanvi Venna has been missing since Monday when her grandmother Satyavathi .
Venna, 61, was found murdered .
Reports suggest family was thinking of moving from their home because of 'safety concerns'
It is believed the murdered grandmother was visiting from India and was due to return in January . |
128,012 | 31756c86aa90a84f51f84577f51b19b8130b77e4 | Washington (CNN) -- Maryland's highest court has ruled that a lesbian couple married out of state can legally file for divorce, even though Maryland's own same-sex marriage law does not take effect until next year. The issue is whether states without legalized same-sex marriage can recognize gay or lesbian weddings outside their borders. The appeal involved a Prince George's County couple, Jessica Port and Virginia Anne Cowan. "Maryland courts will withhold recognition of a valid foreign marriage only if that marriage is 'repugnant' to state public policy. This threshold, a high bar, has not been met yet," the seven state Court of Appeals justices said in their 21-page opinion. "The present case will be treated no differently. " The couple were married in a 2008 civil ceremony in San Francisco, during a short window when California recognized same-sex marriage. A voter referendum in California later outlawed same-sex marriage, but a federal appeals court recently ruled against that ban. It said such a ban was unconstitutional and singled out gays and lesbians for discrimination. The case appears to be headed to the U.S. Supreme Court. The couple, who did not have children, settled in suburban Washington. They eventually separated and filed for divorce in Maryland when their relationship went sour, their attorneys have said. But a Maryland judge denied the couple's filing, ruling in 2010 that the divorce could not be recognized under the current state constitution. The "same sex marriage in which parties hereto participated is not valid pursuant to Maryland law," the judge said. "To recognize the alleged marriage would be contrary to public policy of Maryland." Port and Cowan appealed, and the justices unanimously ordered the county court to grant the divorce, saying that "a valid out-of-state same-sex marriage should be treated by Maryland courts as worthy of divorce." Gay rights group praised the ruling. "There are many same-sex spouses who married elsewhere who now live in Maryland," said National Center for Lesbian Rights Legal Director Shannon Minter. "This ruling ensures that they have all the same rights as any other married couple in Maryland. This is a powerful decision that will provide enormous security and protection to thousands of families." Susan Sommer, director of constitutional litigation at Lambda Legal, said, "The high court of Maryland confirmed today in this divorce case that out-of-state marriages of same-sex couples are entitled to legal recognition under longstanding principles of comity, allowing this couple the same access to a divorce as other married couples whose relationships have ended." While the case highlights state differences in the recognition of same-sex marriages, analysts have said it will probably have little influence outside Maryland because federal law allows states to ignore how other states define marriage. "This is simply going to be a case about the Maryland state constitution," said Mark A. Graber, a law professor at the University of Maryland School of Law. Gay rights activists say the matter often leaves same-sex couples in legal limbo when moving between states, claiming that Maryland state courts have also inconsistently ruled on issues relating to same-sex marriages. "Divorce is never easy, but when a couple has made the decision to end their marriage, there is no reason why the state should prevent them from ending their legal relationship and moving on with their lives," said Erik Olvera, a spokesman for the National Center for Lesbian Rights. Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley signed into law a bill that allowed same-sex couples to wed. The law, however, isn't scheduled to take effect until January 1. The measure's opponents have pledged to challenge it by holding a referendum during November's election. The Maryland Marriage Alliance group says it's gathered thousands of signatures and is approaching the threshold required to put the issue on the ballot, adding further uncertainty to the Port and Cowan case. "If anything, it shows the nuttiness of the interim period," Graber said of the unclear nature of Maryland state law in apparent transition. A recent public opinion poll conducted by Annapolis-based firm OpinionWorks found that a slight majority of residents would vote for repealing the new law. Of those responding, 43% "would vote to make same-sex marriage illegal in Maryland, while 40% would vote to make it legal," the poll said. The poll had a sampling error of plus or minus 4%. "Although this result is within the poll's margin of error, it is the intensity of feeling among same-sex marriage opponents that causes the overall result to lean slightly towards repeal," said Steve Raabe, OpinionWorks president. Currently, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Iowa, Vermont, New Hampshire, New York and the District of Columbia issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples. In February, Washington Gov. Christine Gregoire signed a bill into law that legalizes same-sex marriage, but it does not take effect until June. Opponents there have pledged to block the bill, also calling for a referendum. Five states -- Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, New Jersey and Rhode Island -- allow civil unions that provide rights similar to marriage. North Carolina residents voted this month to outlaw same-sex marriage, which was already prohibited in the state. A 1996 federal law known as the Defense of Marriage Act would not force states to recognize same-sex marriages allowed in other states. That law -- now being challenged in federal court -- was not the case in the current dispute, the Maryland high court said. "Some states have elected not to recognize valid foreign same-sex marriages for purposes of domestic divorce proceedings," the court said. "Those states, unlike Maryland, expressed clear public policies." CNN Legal Affairs Producer Bill Mears contributed to this report. | The appeal involves a couple married in California .
They were denied a divorce in Maryland two years ago .
The Maryland law is scheduled to go into effect in January . |
188,308 | 7fd7c8c5ceaa853633ec3172eb6cdd6b6626d23d | Former CIA director and army general David Petraeus is seemingly endorsing Hillary Clinton for president, according to a new book. 'She’d make a tremendous President,' Petraeus reportedly says in the new book 'HRC: State Secrets and the Rebirth of Hillary Clinton,' written by Jonathan Allen and Amie Parnes. 'Like a lot of great leaders, her most impressive qualities were most visible during tough times,' he says in the book, according to The New York Daily News. 'In the wake of the Benghazi attacks, for example, she was extraordinarily resolute, determined, and controlled.' David Petraeus (l) said Hillary Clinton (R) was 'extraordinarily resolute, determined, and controlled' in the wake of the Benghazi attacks. The two are seen together in this 2008 photo . Petraeus was CIA director during the Benghazi attacks, which killed four Americans, including two who worked for the CIA, as well as Chris Stevens, the U.S. ambassador to Libya, ABC News reports. The book will be on sale Tuesday, and claims that Petraeus and Clinton became friends while she served as Secretary of State. Clinton reportedly invited Petraeus to her house in December 2008 to talk about the Middle East over wine, according to The Wall Street Journal. The meeting is believed to been so successful, Petraeus returned for more wine the next night. The pair reportedly became allies after discussing the Middle East over a bottle of wine in December 2008 . Clinton and Petraeus, the paper adds, soon became allies over foreign relations in the Middle East. Petraeus reportedly even lent Clinton his plane when hers broke down in Saudi Arabi. Clinton and Petraeus reportedly also became close when discussing personal issues, the paper adds. After Petraeus resigned as CIA director in the wake of his extramarital affair with biographer Paula Broadwell, Clinton is believed to have sent him a note of sympathy referring to her own husband's reported infidelities, writing 'I have a little experience.' | Says in wake of Benghazi she was 'extraordinarily resolute, determined, and controlled'
Benghazi attacks killed four Americans as well as U.S. ambassador to Libya Chris Stevens .
Clinton reportedly became close with Petraeus after inviting him over for wine to discuss the Middle East in 2008 .
After Petraeus resigned from the CIA over an extramarital affair, Clinton reportedly sent a note of sympathy saying 'I have a little experience' |
266,434 | e516615e10f69eb00aa13b06c25853f9e600b387 | New York Red Bulls have pulled out all the stops to make Arsenal feel welcome on their first ever trip to New York. The sides meet as part of the Gunners' pre-season tour of the United States on Saturday at the Red Bull Arena in New Jersey. And the MLS side have made a video of their players attempting, badly, English accents in order to make the likes of Jack Wilshere, Aaron Ramsey and Wojciech Szczesny feel at home. Comedians: Chris Duvall and Eric Stevenson took part in the video parodying English accents . Connor Lade and Ryan Meara tried out phrases such as 'alright mate' and 'sweet guv'nor' The video begins with a pre-roll which says: 'For the first time ever Arsenal are coming to New York so to make them feel welcome we have been speaking like them'. Eric Stevenson, Chris Duvall, Connor Lade and Ryan Meara then give their best English accents an airing, trying out such famous cockney phrases as 'alright mate', 'are you having a laugh', 'sweet guv'nor', 'I'm bond, James Bond'. The game will see Arsenal come up against club legend Thierry Henry who joined the Red Bulls in 2010. Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger joked that he had hoped Henry might play one half for the Gunners, saying: 'I came here with only one striker because I hoped he would play one half for us. He practices with us and is still very sharp and he came back here in very good shape.' Arsenal will also come up against former Everton midfielder Tim Cahill and ex-Manchester City and Southampton striker Bradley Wright-Phillips. Focus: Jack Wilshere heads out for training at the Red Bull Arena in New Jersey . Catching up: Thierry Henry watched Arsenal's training session where he spoke to Arsene Wenger . | Arsenal to face New York Red Bulls in New Jersey on Saturday evening .
Gunners have been welcomed by video parodying their accents .
Red Bulls players attempt to say famous phrases such as 'sweet guv'nor'
Arsenal will come up against club legend Thierry Henry . |
193,889 | 86f92deb455ed2b7fdb207db1a6f8f715d524cbe | Never before has our world been so connected or convenient. With the click of a button we can change the channel, drop the heat or book a trip to Barbados. Our food is grown, produced and plated-up to our exact liking. Drive-thrus, home deliveries, medical advances and the right to education. In a short space of time, life has transformed to one of convenience. So why are we so stressed, overweight and dreaming of being free? Have we forgotten something our ancestors knew? Africa's Hadza tribe is the closest we'll get to looking into that past. On the banks of Tanzania's Lake Eyasi, in the north of the country, lives the world's last hunter-gatherer tribe. They don't grow food, raise livestock or build permanent shelter. Instead they live a life unchanged for more than 10-thousand years. Their world is one of ultimate freedom - something modern society can barely imagine and is unlikely to ever experience. Let alone have the skills in which to stay alive. Text messages and phone calls don't exist. Nor cars and electricity. No jobs, bosses, timetables, social or religious structures. No laws, taxes and incredibly, no money - the closest thing to currency is the occasional trade for a pair of shorts or sandals with a neighbouring tribe. We spent our time with the Hadza hunting baboon, a daily activity for the men, in what is a hot, harsh climate. Their landscape is precariously packed with thorny bushes, poisonous snakes and man-eating lions. But a successful hunting expedition is the difference between eating or going hungry. Scroll down for video . A young Hadza boy (left), wearing feathers in his hair, prepares for the day's hunt while an another holds a pigeon-like bird he killed with a homemade bow and arrow . All weapons used for hunting by the Hadza people are handmade with materials found around Tanzania's Lake Eyasi . About one-thousand Hadza still live in caves around Tanzania's Lake Eyasi in Africa's Great Rift Valley. Just south of here some of the oldest fossil evidence of early Hominids were discovered. By all modern standards, the Hadza shouldn't really exist. They remain an anomaly. A tribe time has forgotten. They do not engage in conflict, and have no memory of infectious outbreaks or starvation. Their population never exceeds numbers that cannot be sustained through hunting or gathering. The Hadza diet is simple. Meat - including birds, baboons, antelope and buffalo - killed by hand-made bows and arrows, crafted in-between hunting trips. Their language is believed to be the oldest still-spoken language known to man ... a rhythmic dialect punctuated by clicking sounds. A linguist's dream. Unlike the modern-day office dweller, the Hadza enjoys an extraordinary amount of leisure time. Their 'work' - hunting for food - take up around five hours of their day. And over all these thousands of years, they've left little more than a footprint on their land. The Hadza represents a part of the world's cultural make-up, which has all but gone. But the greatest tragedy is they may also represent what we've all lost. The Hadza show us how to track animals, from baboon to snakes to lions, but we have to run to keep up - they don't pander to westerners one bit . The Hadza are hugely skilled with their handmade bow and arrow - we have a go and barely get the arrow to go three feet in front of us . In the morning the boys and men gather in a circle to sharpen their homemade spears and smoke tobacco through a pipe - this is the most social part of their day . Hunters head out wearing baboon skin wraps - they must earn the right to wear these by proving themselves to be a capable hunter; and a baboon skull . Stephanie and Ben are Middle East-based Australian journalists, who took a year's leave to learn more about the world. They wandered through West Africa, Ethiopia, Sudan, Rwanda, Kenya and Tanzania, and lived with some of the world's most remote and endangered tribes. Their journey has been captured through photos, movies and interviews. Through their Habari Productions the couple sell prints from their journeys, with profits going back to the African people who touched their hearts. Their book, 'Tribe: Life on the Edge - A story of beauty and survival', is also available. | Africa's Hadza tribe is world's last hunter-gathering community living in the wilds of Tanzania .
The tribe hunts baboons, birds, antelope and buffalo with hand-made bows and arrows .
There are about 1,000 Hadza living in caves around Lake Eyasi in Africa's Great Rift Valley .
The tribe has lived the same way, unencumbered by the outside world, for 10,000 years .
Their language, rhythmic and punctuated by clicks, is believed to be the oldest still spoken . |
183,580 | 79cd66112475981815a2c3d1b1fa69524156cb41 | By . Kate Lyons . PUBLISHED: . 23:45 EST, 4 March 2014 . | . UPDATED: . 06:59 EST, 5 March 2014 . Rhinos could be moved from the plains of South Africa to Australia in a last-ditch attempt to save two of their species from extinction. Black and white rhinos are classed as 'critically endangered' and are being slaughtered in record numbers for their ivory, with one sub-species, the western black, confirmed as extinct last year . But businessmen Ray Dearlove and Allan Davies, who founded the Australian Rhino Project last December, have a plan. They are currently in discussions with Taronga Zoo and the Australian and South African governments about shipping the animals to Taronga Western Plains Zoo near Dubbo, central NSW, and bred in the hope of creating an ‘insurance’ population. The white rhino (pictured here) is one of two species of rhino that the Australian Rhino Project are trying to get to Australia in an attempt to preserve the threatened species . The Taronga Western Plains Zoo is already home to a small number of black and white rhinos. A Taronga Zoo spokesman said the plan was still in its ‘very early days.’ The next step, according to Mr Dearlove, is convincing the Australian government to relax its strict quarantine laws to allow the animals into the country. He said they would then need to convince the South African government to 'loan' the animals to Australia, he told Channel 10’s Studio 10 program. 2013 was the worst year on record for rhino poaching in South Africa, with 1004 illegally killed, according to South African Department of Environmental Affairs figures released in January. This means nearly three rhinos were poached every day, representing more than a 150 per cent increase on the number killed in 2012 - and a 3000 per cent increase since 2007. Poaching means white rhino numbers in South Africa are getting dangerously close to the tipping point when deaths outnumber births, pushing the population into serious decline. Prince William recently declared he would like to destroy the royal collection of ivory as a way of taking a stand against the slaughter. Rhino horns, which can earn as much as $20,000 per kilogram on the black market, are believed to cure a number of illnesses and ailments, including poisoning, hallucinations, typhoid, carbuncles, cancer, fever, and boils. But Dr Arne Schiotz of WWF told the National Geographic, said: ‘You would get the same effect from chewing your own fingernails.’ The horns are smuggled by transnational criminal networks to markets in Vietnam and China. There is evidence of links between the trafficking of rhino parts and other forms of organised crime, such as the trafficking of people, drugs, and weapons. 2013 saw more than 1,000 rhinos poached in South Africa. The white rhino and black rhino are now critically endangered species . | Plan to bring black and white rhinos from South Africa to Dubbo, NSW .
The breeding program would protect them from ivory hunters .
A record 1004 were slaughtered in South Africa last year, a 150% increase .
Ivory, which sells for $20,000 per kilogram, wrongly thought to cure cancer, boils, hangovers and impotence . |
114,788 | 2021245a1d209a069cfeda14ae0498bf03cbaac0 | (CNN) -- Friday's crash of Virgin Galactic's SpaceShip Two, with its tragic loss of life, comes just three days after the failure of Orbital Sciences Corp.'s Antares re-supply mission to the International Space Station. Launching spaceships is obviously a very difficult business. The payload sits atop a huge amount of fuel, often weighing many times more than the satellite or material being sent into space. Every physics student knows the rocket problem: You need a lot of fuel to get a heavy spacecraft moving, and the weight of the unburned fuel itself has to be lifted as well. To increase the weight of the payload a rocket can lift, more fuel is needed, enough to lift the extra payload weight and lift the weight of the extra fuel. It's kind of like compound interest. Add more mass to the payload and you have to add a lot more fuel. The payload carried on the failed Antares rocket was reportedly about 1% as heavy as the spacecraft plus fuel. That means the majority 99% was working hard to lift the 1% dead weight. Early rocket designers realized the advantage of using two separate lift stages. After the fuel in the first stage has completely burned up, its container can be jettisoned, lightening the total spacecraft weight by much more than the burned fuel. The second stage can then accelerate the payload faster than if the empty fuel tank were still attached. The first stage has to do the most work because it lifts the full weight of payload plus fuel from a dead stop. The second stage has an easier job since the rocket is already moving and is much lighter without the weight of the first stage fuel plus container. Another design advance was to operate stages in parallel. That accelerates the rocket faster because at no point are any rocket stages dead weight. Analysis: Will space accidents deter pioneer tourists? The history of rocket development is littered with explosions, back to the first reported rockets in 14th century China and Korea. Even sophisticated systems well along the development path, like NASA's space shuttle, had failures. Orbital Sciences and Virgin Galactic are still developing their technologies and processes. NASA's long record of mostly successful launches made spaceflight look so routine that we may have forgotten how difficult it is. Could the modern world do without launching materials and people into space? Probably not. Satellites and other spacecraft are an integral part of navigation, weather, space science, earth science and ultra-fast global communications -- not to mention robotic and human exploration. Even if we forgo exotic trips to Mars, an awful lot of technology here on Earth won't work without space assets. Launching America into space isn't for the faint of heart. But it's still the future. | The crash of Virgin Galactic's SpaceShip Two comes on heels of a rocket explosion .
Meg Urry: Launching spaceships is obviously a very difficult business .
She says the history of rocket development is littered with failures .
Urry: NASA makes spaceflight look so routine that we may have forgotten how hard it is . |
39,004 | 6e347e9b73a79ea62fac216aaed5840449274797 | By . Amanda Williams . Sgt Charles Pilbeam, 30, is accused of forcing Somalian Abdi Ali-Ahmed to the ground to pick up pieces of paper from an interview room floor while on all fours . A police sergeant stamped on a mentally ill prisoner’s foot during a strip search and told him 'Welcome to Hackney’, a court heard today. Sgt Charles Pilbeam, 30, is accused of forcing Somalian Abdi Ali-Ahmed to the ground to pick up pieces of paper from an interview room floor while on all fours. At . the time of the events, the man - who is in his 20s - was prevented . getting dressed after a full strip-search by Pilbeam, it is claimed. The . alleged victim had ‘a difficult childhood’ in . war-torn Somalia and suffers from multiple mental health issues. He had not been arrested but was being served with a dispersal notice, having voluntarily given up a small bag of cannabis, Westminster Magistrates Court heard. The court heard Pilbeam tried to cover-up the alleged incident at Shoreditch Police Station, east London. He is aslo accused of telling trainee constable Cordelle Sailsman not to report the incident - which was witnessed by wo fully-qualified PCs. Brian Sharkey and Rob Baker, saw the events and were interviewed under caution for alleged misconduct. The men were never charged with any offence, but their accounts have already been branded ‘silent or very vague...on what actually happened’. Prosecutor Dickon Reid said: ‘There are two allegations of assault on the same complainant, Mr Abdi Ali-Ahmed. ‘By way of background, he [Mr Ali-Ahmed] had been brought to the police station having been searched...he was strip-searched. ‘Towards the end of this search, the . prosecution say Mr Pilbeam first of all deliberately stamped on the . victim’s toes and also pulled him by the ear, twisted it and pulled him . to the ground and demanded he pick up paper [the notice] he had ripped . up.’ The dispersal notice, . handed over in the presence of Pilbeam, PC Sailsman, PC Sharkey and PC . Baker, required him leave the East London borough. After Mr Ali-Ahmed, who had been drinking, told the officers to ‘f***’ off’, Pilbeam moved forward with ‘a purposeful march’. The officer then crushed his alleged victim’s foot with his own, for ‘approximately one minute’, Mr Reid said. ‘Mr Baker tried to give him the dispersal form again. He ripped it up.’ Pilbeam then ‘stepped on the waistband’ of Mr Ali-Ahmed’s to prevent him from putting his trousers back on, Mr Reid added. ‘You . are going to f*****g pick that up. This is my police station and you . are going to pick it up’, Pilbeam allegedly ranted, adding: 'This is my . clean police station, f*****g pick it up.’ Prosecutor Dickon Reid told Westminster Magistrates' Court: 'Towards the end of this search, the prosecution say Mr Pilbeam first of all deliberately stamped on the victim's toes and also pulled him by the ear, twisted it and pulled him to the ground and demanded he pick up paper [the notice] he had ripped up' It is claimed that Pilbeam then grabbed his homeless victim by the ear, forced him to the ground and forced him to pick up individual shreds. When Mr Ali-Ahmed asked why he deserved this abuse, Pilbeam allegedly replied ‘Welcome to Hackney’. PC Sailsman, who was training at the time but now fully qualified, said he was ‘very certain’ the assaults took place on March 2 last year. He claimed PC Baker ‘turned and looked at me and raised his eyebrows’ while their superior attacked the prisoner. PC Sailsman said Pilbeam later told him not to report the incident and said: ‘I’m sorry to have put you in that situation. Don’t make notes, I will write it up.’ The court heard Pilbeam tried to cover-up the alleged incident at Shoreditch Police Station, east London (pictured) The softly-spoken officer added: ‘I felt quite intimidated at the time.’ PC Sailsman immediately reported the events to a superior at Stoke Newington police station. He recounted Pilbeam was ‘breathing heavily, almost panting’, before the alleged assaults. PC Sailsman added that Pilbeam also stamped on Mr Ali-Ahmed’s shin. He said when Mr Ali-Ahmed asked what the dispersal notice was, PC Baker replied ‘We don’t want you in Hackney’. PC Sailsman said later he heard Pilbeam on the phone to an inspector, calling Mr Ali-Ahmed a ‘local sl*g’ and reassuring him he would write up the incident. Defence counsel Guy Ladenburg suggested Mr Ali-Ahmed was potentially violent, but PC Sailsman maintained he was ‘very compliant’ and seated at all times. ‘In my opinion, he was scared’, PC Sailsman commented. Pilbeam, of Stevenage, Hertfordshire, denies two offences of common assault. The trial continues. Sorry we are not currently accepting comments on this article. | Charles Pilbeam, 30, accused of forcing Somalian Abdi Ali-Ahmed to ground .
It's claimed he then forced him to pick up pieces of paper from the floor .
Pilbeam 'tried to cover-up incident at Shoreditch Police Station', court heard . |
80,785 | e4f500119be220887f9848da89f67039800f84ef | A Utah woman who captured the nation with her news that she was pregnant with quadruplets after spending eight years trying to conceive has undergone emergency surgery to save them at 19 weeks. Ashley and Tyson Gardner, from Utah, flew to see a specialist surgeon in California yesterday following a meeting with their doctor about their two sets of identical twins, according to a Facebook page which updates their followers. They were forced to make the emergency trip after finding out that one set of twins have twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome (TTTS), a condition which affects identical twins, causing an unequal flow of blood between the twins. Scroll down for video . Ashley Gardner, a Utah woman (pictured here recently) who captured the nation with her news that she was pregnant with quadruplets after spending eight years trying to conceive has been rushed to hospital for emergency surgery - it was a success according to the family . Ashley pictured in a photo last week at 19 weeks. According to a Facebook page which updates their followers Ashley and Tyson Gardner, from Utah, flew to see a specialist surgeon in California yesterday following a meeting with their doctor about their two sets of identical twins . The family posted this message to their Facebook today after the successful surgery . The couple also found out that Ashley's cervix is opening prematurely as a result of the condition. Ashley underwent surgery today and was given 'meds to halt any contraction that might occur.' A few hours later the anxious family revealed the surgery went well. They posted on Facebook: 'It went great. Dr. Chmait smiled and said, "This has been a good day!" Our tears have been replaced with relief and continue to pray for the babies safety and continued 'baking' for a good long time!! Stunned: This is the moment Ashley and Tyson Gardner, for Utah, found out they were having quadruplets in the summer after spending eight years trying to conceive. Above, Mrs Gardner stares at the screen in the ultrasound . 70-million-to-one odds: The couple were delighted to learn their first round of IVF was successful in July following a long battle with infertility. But they were later stunned to discover they were having four babies . Caught on camera: Their incredible reaction to the news was captured in hospital by friend Alicia Hallock . Twin to twin transfusion is caused by an abnormal connecting of blood vessels in the twins’ shared placenta which results in an imbalance of blood flow from one twin to the other. It affects approximately 15% of identical twins who share the same placenta. One twin is often larger than the other twin and receives more blood than usual from the placenta. This can put a strain on the baby’s heart and makes this twin produce more urine than normal, resulting in extra fluid around the baby, within the amniotic sac. This can be uncomfortable for the mother and also increases the risk to the pregnancy by causingpremature labour due to the extra pressure on the neck of the womb (cervix). The other twin is usually smaller and may become anaemic due to receiving less blood from the placenta. The treatments for TTTS pregnancies depend, in part, on when in pregnancy the twins become affected. If the twins are mature enough to survive outside the womb (beyond 25 weeks), immediate delivery is an option for TTTS babies. Fetal laser surgery may be done to stop the flow of blood from one twin to the other. Another treatment is amnioreduction - a procedure whereby fluid is taken from around the twin with polyhydramnios to try and prevent premature delivery. A needle is passed through the abdomen into the sac of the recipient twin and fluid removed. Source: Liverpool Women's NHS . 'Ashley will be put on bed rest from here on out. They then posted: 'The doctor just came out and said the babies are cured of twin to twin transfusion... he said that part couldn't have gone better!!!' Twin to twin transfusion is caused by an abnormal connecting of blood vessels in the twins’ shared placenta which results in an imbalance of blood flow from one twin to the other. It affects approximately 15% of identical twins who share the same placenta and treatments can include surgery. The couple hit the headlines a few weeks ago when a video of the moment they found out they were having quadruplets after spending eight years trying to conceive went viral. They were delighted to learn their first round of IVF was successful in July following a long battle with infertility. But when they attended their first ultrasound, they were stunned to discover they were expecting four babies - at odds of 70 million to one. Their incredible reaction to the news was captured in hospital by their friend, Alicia Hallock, and later uploaded online. Footage shows the couple gazing open-mouthed at the screen, before Mrs Gardner places her hand on her forehead and breathes out. The pair then start laughing in delight, while the mother-to-be holds up scans of her four babies. Speaking to CNN, Mrs Gardner, who suffers from endometriosis - a condition which sees cells from the lining of the womb grow in other areas of the body - said she was shocked but excited to discover she was pregnant with quadruplets. 'I couldn't think straight. I had never been so excited and terrified in the same instant. We waited so long to have babies so we were so happy,' she said. 'But at that time we literally had never even thought once about this being a possibility. We didn't know anything about having quads and the risks that go with it. But overall, we were just excited.' She added that her doctor 'didn't believe it' when he learned the news from the ultrasound technician - and asked her to come back the following week so he could 'see for himself'. Quadruplets: Mrs Gardner, who suffers from endometriosis - a condition where cells from the lining of the womb grow in other areas of the body - is pictured holding up scans of her four babies, who are all girls . Happy: Before getting pregnant, Mrs Gardner said she had spent eight years trying 'everything' to counter the fertility problems caused by her condition, which can also result in intense pain. Above, the Gardners . Before getting pregnant, Mrs Gardner spent eight years trying 'everything' to counter the fertility problems caused by her condition, which can also result in intense pain. She adopted a specific diet, underwent a laparoscopy, took medication and had four failed rounds of intrauterine insemination, before finally saving up for IVF. 'My endometriosis was so bad that we found during the IVF process that it had compromised my eggs. They all started dying off and left us with one perfect egg and one good egg,' she said. 'They put both back to give me the best odds of one sticking. The chances of even getting one to stick was 40 per cent. To have both stick and both split... well, that's a one-in-70 million chance!' But despite her joy, Mrs Gardner said she is aware of the risks involved in her pregnancy, writing on Facebook: 'I am extremely high risk and things can change at a moments notice for us.' Couple: The Gardners recently attended another ultrasound, where they found out they are expecting girls . A proud mother-to-be: Mrs Gardner is pictured posing at 11 weeks' pregnant (right) and 16 weeks (left) The Gardners, who live in Pleasant Grove, have documented their extraordinary pregnancy on a Facebook page, 'A Miracle Unfolding - Gardner Quadruplets'. The page, which has so far gained nearly 60,000 'likes', also features photos of the moment the couple found out their first round of IVF had been successful. In one image, Mrs Gardner is pictured weeping in her husband's arms as he clings on to her tearfully. The couple recently attended another ultrasound, where they found out they are expecting four girls. The babies - two sets of identical twins - are due to be born by cesarean section in December. | Ashley Gardner, of Utah, underwent surgery today - it was a success .
One set of twins have twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome (TTTS), a condition which affects identical twins, causing an unequal flow of blood .
Mrs Gardner has endometriosis, which affects her ability to get pregnant .
Couple delighted to learn their first attempt at IVF had worked in July . |
30,160 | 55b53a361774c7efb610cd9b28a5c8176ec107b8 | By . David Kent . Thibaut Courtois does not know what his future holds as he waits to find out what plans Chelsea have for him. The Belgium goalkeeper has been on loan at Atletico Madrid for the three seasons since Chelsea signed him, but the clamour for him to return to London has been getting louder. The 22-year-old has earned himself a reputation as one of the best keepers in the world during his time with Atleti and, on Saturday, was part of the side which won the Primera Division title in dramatic fashion. Unsure: Thibaut Courtois has admitted he is unsure whether or not he'll be playing at Chelsea next season . Champion: Courtois (centre) starred for Atletico Madrid in their 1-1 draw at Barcelona on Saturday . Joyous occasion: Courtois joined in Atletico's La Liga title celebrations on Saturday after an 18-year wait . When Courtois was sent to Madrid he was considered to be a long way behind Petr Cech in the pecking order, but many now consider him to be better than Chelsea's long-standing custodian. Blues boss Jose Mourinho said last week he has made his mind up about Courtois and will make the decision known soon, but the player himself has no idea where he will be next season. Speaking to the Guardian he said: "It's a great feeling to be champion of Spain. I am not sure yet what happens next season. 'We have the Champions League final [on Saturday] and then the World Cup, so now is not the time to think of the future. I have two years contract [left] with Chelsea, so we will see. In the know: Blues boss Jose Mourinho claims he has already made his decision on Courtois for next season . Top dog: If Courtois returns to Stamford Bridge, he will compete with current number one Petr Cech in goal . 'If I move somewhere, I will play. With my age, what I want, the most important thing for me, is to play. 'We will see what happens. But Petr is one of the best goalkeepers in the world, he won the golden glove in the Premier League, and I have a lot of respect for him, so we will see what Chelsea decide and what they plan to do. You guys will see the decision [then].' | Thibaut Courtois admits he is unsure if he will be at Chelsea next season .
Courtois has been on loan at Atletico Madrid for the past three seasons, helping them win La Liga for the first time in 18 years this campaign .
Jose Mourinho claims he has made a decision on Courtois' future .
Petr Cech is Chelsea's current first-choice goalkeeper . |
522 | 0186a4e9ef5cd3d4b50d6592b85aaf3d769530dd | Graham Alexander led Fleetwood to a Sky Bet League Two play-off final at Wembley and then challenged them to make history by achieving their sixth promotion in 10 seasons. The Cod Army, reformed for the second time in 1997, beat York 1-0 on aggregate - following Friday night's 0-0 draw at Highbury - and now have the chance to enter uncharted waters by reaching the third tier of English football. That is where the likes of Preston, who Alexander played for over 350 times, and Sheffield United will be competing next season but the ambitious outfit from the north-west coast have the financial backing befitting a club at such a level. One more step: Graham Alexander has challenged his Fleetwood side to earn their sixth promotion in 10 seasons . Special day: Jon Parkin is congratulated by fans after helping Fleetwood to the League Two play-off final . After missing out on a top-three spot, Fleetwood now have the chance to join promoted sides Chesterfield, Scunthorpe and Rochdale in League One, a berth Alexander insists they deserve. 'I'm really happy - to get to Wembley is the next step that we wanted to take, it's not the goal, it's not the target, but it's the next step,' the former Scotland international said. 'York made it hard for us for at nil-nil. It was end-to-end and a proper play-off game and we're pleased we got there.' The hosts had to weather considerable storms to record their second straight clean sheet, meaning Matty Blair's goal four days ago in Yorkshire settled the semi-final over the two legs. Fleetwood's man of the match was central defender Nathan Pond, who is in his testimonial year and has been with the team for each of their previous five promotions. 'When it came down to the crunch the defenders and the goalkeeper were fantastic over the two legs, especially tonight,' added Alexander. 'It was one for men and that's what we saw out there.' Celebrations: Midfielder Matty Blair is mobbed by fans following Fleetwood's 0-0 draw at home to York . Alexander's side have been close to glory this season and not only narrowly missed out on automatic promotion, but also on a previous Wembley final when they were defeated by Chesterfield in the Johnstone's Paint Trophy area final. 'We deserve to put ourselves in the final because we were the fourth team in the league and highest placed in the play-offs,' argued Alexander. 'It doesn't give you anything but for us, finishing just behind the top three, we deserved it. We earned it over 180 minutes against York and now we've got a very tough game against whoever gets through to the final.' Burton and Southend are the other two sides in the semi-finals, with the former leading 1-0 from the first leg at home. The Minstermen failed to find the net in the tie's 180 minutes but their manager Nigel Worthington admitted his troops gave everything in an open contest. On the attack: Fleetwood Town's Josh Morris has a shot at goal during the goalless draw with York on Friday . 'I thought it was a tremendous effort from start to finish,' he said. 'The energy, commitment - they never stopped. That's the type of group we've had and as the manager of the football club I'm very proud of them. 'Not just tonight, they've done that all season. To come away to a very good side and put on a show like that you've got to be proud. Credit to them.' Although York failed to carve out any clear-cut chances they enjoyed large spells of possession and territorial advantage, yet came up short against a resolute home defence led by Pond. Worthington continued: 'There were many half chances tonight when the ball was in and around the box but it's just got to fall to you. Sometimes you've got to make that; that's about better finishing and being sharper. But Fleetwood are a good side and I wish them well in the final. 'It's disappointing at the moment but you've got to get over that, dust yourself down and get ready for the new season once we've had a holiday.' | Fleetwood reaching League Two play-off final after beating York on aggregate on Friday night .
Manager Graham Alexander challenges Cod Army to earn sixth promotion in 10 seasons . |
72,320 | cd04024b28ebd5f52d5f533b2ec490366a9a76ef | (CNN) -- Brazilian football legend Pele's condition has improved, according to a Thursday evening statement from a Sao Paulo hospital. There had been earlier concerns about Pele's health after Albert Einstein Hospital issued a release that said his condition was "unstable." Thursday night's release said Pele was relocated to the intensive care unit because a kidney dialysis machine he needed was in ICU. "He is now temporarily on renal support without any additional support," the statement said. The 74-year-old's representative and Pele's Twitter account dispute that the great is in ICU, saying he had been moved to a "special care" room with greater privacy. "I want to take this opportunity to let you know that I am doing fine," his Twitter feed stated. Pele was admitted to the medical facility earlier this week with a urinary tract infection. He recently underwent surgery to remove kidney stones at the same institution. Pele is considered one of the greats of world soccer, winning three World Cups for Brazil in 1958, 1962 and 1970. The Brazilian is also one of the most globally recognized faces in sports. CNN's Barbara Arvanitidis contributed to this report. | Hospital says Pele's condition improved with move to ICU .
Brazil soccer legend has had complications since surgery to remove kidney stones .
The 74-year-old then suffered a urinary tract infection .
Pele is one of the most globally recognized faces and names in sports . |
202,862 | 92a5757a8920627ce2237cc8ba1525969773568a | (CNN) -- Voters in three states head to the polls Tuesday, and in one of those states history might be made: . South Carolina . South Carolina Republicans could make state Rep. Nikki Haley their first female gubernatorial nominee. She's in a runoff against U.S. Rep. Gresham Barrett. Haley just missed out on winning the nomination outright in the June 8 primary, capturing 49 percent of the vote in a four-candidate field. She was short of the 50 percent plus one needed to take the nomination. Once facing long odds for the GOP nomination, Haley rose in the polls thanks in part to endorsements by former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney and former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin. And unsubstantiated allegations by two other Republicans that they had affairs with Haley, who is married with children, most likely helped rather than hurt her campaign. So did a racial slur by a Republican state lawmaker at Haley, who is Indian-American and was raised Sikh, but became a Methodist at age 24. "The unproven allegations and attacks against Haley actually played right into her message as a new kind of conservative," said CNN political producer Peter Hamby, who is in South Carolina reporting on the campaign. "In fighting back, she was able to argue that establishment figures in the GOP were playing politics as usual and trying to stop a real reformer from taking charge in Columbia." If Haley wins Tuesday's runoff, she'll be considered the favorite in the general election against state Sen. Vincent Sheheen, the Democratic gubernatorial nominee. Haley would become the Palmetto state's first woman governor if elected in November. There are also runoffs in South Carolina in contests for the House of Representatives and for the state Legislature. State Rep. Tim Scott hopes to become the first black Republican to win election to Congress from South Carolina in a century. He faces off against Paul Thurmond, the son of the late Sen. Strom Thurmond, in a GOP House primary runoff. Republican Rep. Bob Inglis is hoping he won't become the third House incumbent to lose a bid for re-election so far this primary season. He grabbed 27 percent of the vote in the primary and now faces a runoff against Spartanburg prosecutor Trey Gowdy. Inglis is facing criticism for his vote in favor of the Troubled Asset Relief Program, or TARP, better known as the Wall Street bailout. North Carolina . In neighboring North Carolina, Secretary of State Elaine Marshall faces off in a Democratic Senate primary runoff against former state Sen. Cal Cunningham, who was recruited by national Democrats. The winner will challenge Republican Sen. Richard Burr in November's general election. "Richard Burr doesn't have the strongest poll numbers, but that may not matter," said Stuart Rothenberg, publisher and editor of the nonpartisan Rothenberg Political Report. Rothenberg said neither of the Democratic candidates "seems likely to put together the kind of campaign that would defeat Burr." Voters in three congressional districts and one state Senate district also will cast ballots in runoff contests. Utah . The fight for the GOP Senate nomination is capturing the spotlight in Utah, and the contest will be another test of the political strength of the Tea Party Express. The national Tea Party group, which is based in California, is backing and assisting lawyer Mike Lee in the battle to succeed fellow Republican Bob Bennett, who is supporting the other candidate on the ballot, businessman Tim Bridgewater. Bridgewater and Lee finished first and second, respectively last month at the Utah Republican Party convention, advancing to Tuesday's primary. Bridgewater and Lee touted themselves as more reliable conservatives than Bennett, who finished third in the voting by delegates, eliminating him from advancing to the primary and ending his chances of re-election for a fourth term. Bennett became the first sitting senator to go down to defeat in a primary season marked by strong anti-incumbent sentiment. The Tea Party Express, best known for its three national bus tours, is running radio ads supporting Lee. The group recently pumped more than $500,000 into the recent fight for the Republican Senate nomination in Nevada, helping transform ex-state lawmaker Sharron Angle, once considered a long shot, into an easy winner in this month's primary election. FreedomWorks also has endorsed Lee, and its volunteers are assisting in get-out-the-vote efforts in Utah. FreedomWorks is a nonprofit conservative organization that helps train volunteer activists and has provided much of the organizational heft behind the Tea Party movement. Bennett upset many conservatives with his 2007 vote for President Bush's plan for a pathway to citizenship for some illegal immigrants and his 2008 vote for the federal bailout of banks and financial institutions. The fiscally conservative Club for Growth actively worked to defeat Bennett, as did local Tea Party organizations and Tea Party Express. The GOP dominates statewide elections in Utah, and the winner of the Republican primary will be considered the overwhelming favorite to win the general election in November. | South Carolina Republicans will vote in gubernatorial runoff Tuesday .
State Rep. Nikki Haley just missed an outright win in the June 8 primary .
Winner of North Carolina's Democratic Senate runoff will face Sen. Richard Burr in fall .
In Utah, Tea Party Express is backing lawyer Mike Lee in the battle to succeed Bob Bennett . |
29,279 | 5337d7a81d59a0ff108838184a5d9a0622ad6b28 | Britain awoke to a blanket of frost this morning after temperatures plummeted to almost -4C on what was one of the coldest nights of the season so far. Large swathes of the country experienced sub-zero temperatures as millions of people headed outside to enjoy Bonfire Night activities and firework displays. The coldest temperature recorded last night was -3.8C in South Newington, Oxfordshire, which was closely followed by -3.7C in Topcliffe, North Yorkshire. The mercury also dropped to -2.8C in Aboyne, Aberdeenshire. Red sky in the morning: The spectacular scene as the sun rises on this frost covered hill in Malmesbury, Wiltshire . Britain awoke to frost today after temperatures dropped to -3.8C in parts of the country overnight. Pictured: London's Richmond Park . Much of the UK was greeted by cold mist this morning, including the River Cray at Foots Cray Meadows in Sidcup, Kent (pictured) The Met Office said last night's temperatures were some of the coldest seen so far this season. Pictured: Sunrise at Sidcup, Kent, today . A jogger embraces the chilly start as he runs through a very frosty Richmond Park in west London following a drop in temperature . Deer stand in long frost-ridden grass at Richmond Park in west London as Britain recovers from overnight temperatures of almost -4C . Although last year’s Bonfire Night was slightly colder, at -5C, yesterday was colder than the same night in 2009, 2010 and 2011. Forecasters at the Met Office said widespread frost caused by last night’s plunging temperatures would be replaced by heavy rain across large parts of the country this afternoon. Severe weather warnings have been issued for parts of Northern Ireland, where 80mm of rain is predicted to fall within the next 24 hours, and in Scotland where localised flooding is a possibility. However, despite last night’s chilly temperatures, forecasters said the mercury would rise again this week, with temperatures returning to the November average of between 10C and 12C. Mark Wilson, meteorologist for the Met Office, said: ‘Last night was a cold night, one of the coldest nights of the season far. ‘There’s been widespread frost this morning but cloud is thickening from the west and that heralds wet and windy weather pushing through. ‘If you’re in the south east, it will stay dry until after dark but elsewhere in the country it will turn wetter throughout the course of the day. ‘Weather warnings have been issued and in eastern parts of Northern Ireland we could see as much as 80mm of rain over the next 24 hours.’ Despite the heavy rain forecast for much of the UK today, Mr Wilson said the country would experience some respite from last night’s cold weather. He said: ‘Tonight will be much, much milder than last night. The lowest temperature will be in the Scottish highlands and that will be around 4C to 5C so much milder. 'Over the coming days, temperatures are looking closer to average. Last night would have been the coldest night for the next few nights. 'By day, temperatures will be in the 10C to 12C range generally. 'The weather remains largely unsettled though. 'Tomorrow, the persistent rain will clear away, leaving a day of sunny spells and showers with strong, breezy winds. 'As we head into Saturday, unfortunately we see a pretty wet day across much of England and Wales. ‘There’s a band of rain pushing up towards the north east, affecting much of England and Wales during the day, but Scotland and Northern Ireland will see the best of the weather. ‘However, if you’re looking to get out and about this weekend, Sunday is definitely the better day. There will be one or two isolated showers but mostly sunny spells and lighter winds.’ Forecasters said it would get milder and temperatures would not plummet to below zero again this week. Pictured: Richmond Park . Heavy rain is set to replace the widespread frost which greeted much of Britain today including Richmond Park in west London (above) Many people wrapped up warm to get a glimpse of the sunrise in Richmond Park this morning despite the chilly temperatures and frost . One cyclist stopped to take a picture of today's sunrise during an early morning bike ride alongside the River Cam in Cambridge . The Met Office has issued severe weather warnings for Northern Ireland and parts of Scotland today (left) and tomorrow (right) With severe weather warnings in place for Northern Ireland from 10.30am today until 8am tomorrow, Mr Wilson warned of the potential risk of localised flooding. A less-severe weather warning is also in place for much of Scotland today, which warns of heavy rain until 6pm on Friday. Mr Wilson added: 'The public should be prepared for the risk of localised flooding. It’s not going to widespread but there is a risk of localised flooding – especially in the eastern areas of Northern Ireland.' Rowers were greeted by a beautiful sunrise as they practiced on the River Cam in Cambridge despite this morning's widespread frost . The rowers made the most of the dry weather this morning, which is set to be replaced by heavy rain across England and Wales later . A beautiful autumn sunrise was captured over allotments in the St. Werburgh area of Bristol this morning ahead of the forecasted rain . The sunrise in Bristol looked stunning over the city, but forecasters have warned wet and windy will swamp much of England and Wales . The sun rises in Seaham, County Durham, above the statue of 'Tommy' depicting a solider sat with his head bowed and a rifle in hand . The first migrating Siberian swans of this year landed in Britain this morning - heralding the belated arrival of winter. Each year around 300 Bewick swans flock to the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust reserve at Slimbridge, Gloucestershire, after flying more than 2,500 miles from Arctic Russia. This year's arrival - coinciding with the first cold snap of the season - is the latest for 45 years. It traditionally marks the beginning of winter as the birds head to Britain to escape the Arctic weather which follows closely behind them. The first family of two adults and two cygnets touched down at 7.15am and the adults were identified as regulars Nurton and Nusa, who have been visiting the spot for the last five years. The first migrating Siberian swans arrved in Britain today at the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust reserve in Slimbridge, Gloucestershire . Slimbridge swan expert Julia Newth said: 'This is the latest arrival date since 1969. 'It is no coincidence that their arrival has coincided with a change from the mild temperatures and south-westerly head winds that have dominated in recent weeks. 'We are excited to see that the first arrivals are a family because the swans desperately need more cygnets to bolster the dwindling population.' The Bewicks - the smallest and rarest members of the swan family - live in Siberia during the summer. In winter they migrate west - aided by chilling easterly winds - to escape winter temperatures of -25C. They normally arrive at Slimbridge in a steady stream between October and January. | Temperatures dropped to -3.8C in South Newington, Oxfordshire, and -3.7C in Topcliffe, North Yorkshire, last night .
Met Office has issued severe weather warnings for Northern Ireland and Scotland today with heavy rain on the way .
Despite last night's sub-zero temperatures, much of the UK will experience milder weather over the coming days . |
232,952 | b99b883d89ec9008de48d17655cf44ea5427d104 | For years, pilots flying into combat have jammed enemy radar to confuse or sneak up on their opponents - and it turns out moths do this too. Hawkmoths in Borneo have been found to emit sonic pulses, generated by rubbing their genitals on their abdomens, in response to the high-frequency sounds created by bats. Bats use this echolocation to pinpoint, with great precision, the location of its prey, but the pulses are thought to ‘jam’ these signals to confuse and disorientate the mammals. Scroll down for video . Hawkmoths in Borneo (left) create sonic pulses by rubbing their genitals on their abdomens. These pulses are designed to respond to high-frequency sounds created by bats (right). Bats use echolocation to pinpoint, with precision, the location of prey, but the pulses are thought to ‘jam’ these signals to confuse the mammals . ‘Bats and moths have been engaged in aerial warfare for nearly 65 million years,’ explained assistant professor Jesse Barber from Boise State University. ‘This arms race has produced a suite of counter-adaptations in moths, including bat-detecting ears. ‘One set of defensive strategies involves the active production of sound; ultrasonic replies to bat attack have been shown to startle bats, warn the predators of bad taste and jam their biosonar.’ Pilots typically use radar jamming and deception during warfare. Aircraft emits radio frequency signals designed to interfere with nearby radar equipment. In the case of electronic jamming, the pilots block the receiver with electrical energy signals. Mechanical jamming devices, instead, reflect radar energy back to the radar. This tricks the rival pilot into thinking the target is somewhere else on its scope. It is thought the hawkmoths sonic pulses act in a similar way to mechanical jamming on the bat's ability to pinpoint their prey. In the Conquest of the Skies footage, the bat is shown attempting to grab the moth, before missing. Professor Barber, alongside co-author Akito Kawahara from the University of Florida, have been studying this behaviour in Malaysia. By tethering a hawkmoth to a wire, and releasing a bat into a controlled environment, the team were able to track the movements and sounds of both using cameras and high-definition microphones. It was previously known that tiger moths exhibit a similar defensive strategy - using tymbals, a vibrating membrane located on the thorax - but this genital technique was the first time it was observed in hawkmoths. Slow-motion videos revealed that males make the noise by grating modified scraper scales on the outside of the ‘claspers’ against the abdomen. These claspers, or genital valves, are typically used to grab females during mating. However, it is thought that females also produce ultrasound in response to an echolocation attack. They appear to pull part of their genitalia towards their bodies, so the genital scales also rub against their abdomens. The study is published in Biology Letters, a journal of the Royal Society, and footage of the moths and bats in action features on Sir David Attenborough’s upcoming Conquest of the Skies series. Slow-motion videos reveal males make the noise by grating modified scraper scales on the outside of the ‘claspers’ against the abdomen (pictured bottom). While females appear to pull part of their genitalia towards their bodies, so the genital scales also rub against their abdomens. A recording of the signal is pictured top . ‘This is just the first step toward understanding a really interesting system,’ Professor Kawahara said. ‘Echolocation research has been focused on porpoises, whales and dolphins. We know some insects produce the sounds, but this discovery in an unrelated animal making ultrasound, potentially to jam the echolocation of bats, is exciting.’ Hawkmoths are among the fastest and most proficient flying insects, and more than 1,400 species can be found worldwide. Their long proboscis, or mouthpart, makes them important pollinators and many plants may only be pollinated by hawkmoths. This recording shows the hawkmoth responding to playback of a bat echolocation attack. Hawkmoths are among the fastest and most proficient flying insects, and more than 1,400 species can be found worldwide . ‘We think hawkmoths are a primary food source for bats because none appear to be chemically defended, which is why they have evolved anti-bat ultrasound strategies,’ Professor Kawahara continued. ‘Hawkmoths have evolved different ways of avoiding bats - I can’t even explain how amazing the system is, it is just fascinating.’ The Conquest of the Skies 3D series details the evolution of flight and also reveals how flies perform acrobatics in mid-air, how dragonflies use four wings, and how hummingbirds are able to fly sideways. The series starts 7pm, New Year’s Day, Sky 3D and in 2D on Sky 1. ‘The story of evolutionary flight is one I’ve always wanted to tell in 3D,’ said Sir David. ‘It’s a wonderful subject and a very exciting project but technically it is a huge challenge, especially in 3D.’ The Conquest of the Skies series details the evolution of flight and also reveals how flies perform acrobatics in mid-air, how dragonflies use four wings, and how hummingbirds fly sideways. Sir David Attenborough is pictured, hoisted 250ft (7.6 metres) in the air, while filming the bats in the Gomantong cave in Borneo . | Hawkmoths create sonic pulses by rubbing genitals on their abdomens .
These pulses respond to the high-frequency sounds created by bats .
Bats use echolocation to pinpoint, with great precision, the location of prey .
But the pulses are thought to ‘jam’ these signals and confuse the mammals .
Footage of the moths features in Sir David Attenborough’s Conquest of the Skies series . |
203,077 | 92ea8d2b99a71ec85bdc396018443da9ecf2e18c | (Wired) -- All indicators suggest Apple will unveil the iPad 3 during the first week of March. That's less than a month away, and sources at The Next Web say Apple is in "crunch mode," working hard to line up apps that show off the unique features of the next-gen tablet. The iPad 3 is expected to feature a high-definition, 2048 x 1536 "retina display." If the new screen does appear in Apple's big reveal, it should provoke all the excitement of the company's first retina display, which appeared in the iPhone 4 in 2010. According to a source who spoke with The New York Times, the next iPad's screen will be "truly amazing." So which apps might Apple use to show off the brilliance of its new display hardware? We've identified four key app categories that would be ideal for demo'ing the HD display. We've also spoken to software developers about their iPad 3 aspirations. None would spill any beans concerning launch-day involvement, but we did learn more about how the developer community is anticipating the new display. Photography . Apps for shooting and viewing photographs would be ideal for showing off not only a high-resolution display, but also an improved camera, which is also a highly likely upgrade. iOS 5 has a hidden panorama mode that developers haven't yet been able to take advantage of. So, if an iOS update accompanies the iPad 3 launch, we might expect Apple to finally show off panorama mode in conjunction with an improved rear-facing camera. (The current iPad 2 camera is merely iPod touch caliber.) And if Apple doesn't want to show off its own panorama capabilities, apps like TourWrist and 360 Panorama would be great candidates to show off such a feature. TourWrist CEO Charles Armstrong is so confident that Apple will be doubling the number of pixels in the height and width of its next tablet, his team is already preparing a new version of its app. "It's four times as many pixels. That makes logical sense, and that's what we're anticipating." As for viewing images, something like Fotopedia would be a great app for Apple to showcase at the iPad 3 demo. Essentially a depository of mind-blowing photojournalism, Fotopedia won the Tablet App of the Year award at 2011′s Crunchies Awards (Silicon Valley's version of the Oscars). The app is broken down into various themed collections (e.g., Dreams of Burma, National Parks and, most recently, Women of the World), each full of stunning full-screen images. "We love Apple, we only build apps for iOS," Fotopedia senior vice president Christophe Daligault told Wired. "We basically will be ready with very high-quality, high-definition content as soon as a higher-resolution iPad comes out," he said. Daligault added it would only take a few weeks to tweak Fotopedia for a retina display iPad. So, theoretically, if Apple asked the company to demo at the iPad 3 launch, Fotopedia would be ready. "But we havent gotten a phone call," Daligault says. Steve Jobs emphasized that the iPad isn't just a tool for consumption, like other mobile devices — it's a tool for creation. Apple has its own photo-creation tools it can debut or update as well — Photobooth for example. This app uses the iPad 2′s front-facing camera for taking self portraits with different visual effects, and it could receive an HD update. Nonetheless, to expand its current content-creation possibilities for tablets, Apple would need to introduce new products. Most likely, we think, would be a new iPad 3 version of iPhoto for more professional-caliber photo editing on the go. Running a display resolution of 2048 x 1536 — a higher resolution than that of the screen on the 15-inch MacBook Pro — would allow photographers to dive quite deep into onscreen details. The display would also be terrific for sharing slideshows. Video . When the iPad 2 launched, one of the major new apps Apple introduced was iMovie for iPad. iMovie lets you cut and edit video clips, use AirPlay to stream content to an Apple TV, and play video directly on the iPad itself. If the iPad 3 is getting a spiffy new HD display, and (just as likely) an improved camera capable of recording 1080p video — you know, to match the display — then an update to iMovie seems not just likely but inevitable. Like an iPhoto port for iPad, an update to iMovie would help solidify the iPad as a tool for creative types who don't want to be tethered to a desktop or keyboard-burdened notebook. Other video-centric apps could focus on sports, like the MLB.com app that was singled out at the original iPad's announcement. (Maybe we'll see MLB at Bat 2012.) And with Apple's AirPlay feature, we could see Apple demoing 1080p streaming video from the Apple TV to the iPad 3. Bottom line: If the new iPad does have a retina display, you can bet that action-packed, high-quality video will be a key part of the presentation. Games . At the iPhone 4S launch, Apple showed off Infinity Blade II, which featured souped-up graphics to take advantage of the phone's A5 processor and 3.5-inch retina display. The iPad 3 is very likely to sport either a dual-core or quad-core A6 processor. Either way, A6 performance will trump that of the iPad 2′s A5 chip, and paired with a high-resolution display, an immersive, action-packed game like Infinity Blade would be just the title to show what the new tablet is capable of. Now, it doesn't look like we'll be seeing an HD version of Infinity Blade at the iPad 3′s launch. Epic Games Representative Laura Mustard told us that the Infinity Blade team "hasn't been talking to Apple about their plans for the future." So what are some other possibilities? Gameloft's N.O.V.A. 2 HD is a graphics-intensive iPad game that integrates with Apple TV and iCloud. It originally came out in January 2011 and was updated in November. "Gameloft is always keen to anticipate and support innovative features enabled by Apple," representative Jessica Lewinstein told us. N.O.V.A. 2 HD already has detailed graphics that would look even better on a higher-resolution display, not to mention a tablet with improved processor performance. At the iPad's original launch in 2010, CEO Steve Jobs focused on a 3-D version of the game Need for Speed, as well as other apps from Electronic Arts. Considering Apple and EA have teamed up before, it wouldn't be surprising to see an EA game onscreen in San Francisco in a month's time. Options could be anything from Mirror's Edge, whose sharp, high-flying action would make for an impressive spectacle, to maybe the iPad version of Battlefield 2. An iPad version of Battlefield 3 would probably be a bit too much wishful thinking, but you never know. Textbooks . Apple just updated iBooks and iTunes U, as well as ways to purchase and create digital textbooks, in its education-related announcement in January. It wouldn't be shocking to see the company iterate on these products one more time to make them HD ready. Display quality is currently an issue when reading textbooks on regular e-readers and current tablets. E-ink e-readers can't show off bold, color graphics (or any color at all), and even the iPad 2 doesn't have the display resolution to show off some educational content in all its glory. So being able to view and interact with images and diagrams in incredible detail on the iPad 3 would be an impressive addition to an already useful educational tool. Suddenly, processes like the Krebs Cycle wouldn't be so dry anymore, and you could actually attend your engineering lectures without lugging half a dozen different tomes in your backpack. Obviously, all of the app picks we mention above are purely speculative. But we would be surprised if Apple doesn't showcase some type of app for each of the categories we've called out. Subscribe to WIRED magazine for less than $1 an issue and get a FREE GIFT! Click here! Copyright 2011 Wired.com. | The iPad 3 is expected to feature a high-definition, 2048 x 1536 retina display .
The new iPad is very likely to sport either a dual-core or quad-core A6 processor .
If the iPad gets a new HD display, an update of iMovie and digital textbooks seem inevitable . |
43,800 | 7b8fd6287ace3c6c4a041252ef0d85d89fefd002 | They may have only been married for a matter of days, but it was straight back to work for Imran Khan and new bride Reham Khan today. The newlyweds shared their walima - wedding banquet - with under-privileged children whose lives have been blighted by war, and young religious students. Mr and Mrs Khan distributed food at welfare organisation Sweet Homes in Islamabad, Pakistan, on Friday. It is a project of Pakistan Bait-ul-Maal which provides shelter, education and care to young people from Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) such as Dera Bugti, Kashmir and Bannu, whose lives have been affected by conflict. New bride Reham Khan arrives at the Sweet Homes shelter for children for lunch wearing a purple, pink and red abaya . Imran Khan drives his new wife Reham to a children's charity to share lunch with children who have been affected by war . The couple also drove to a seminary run by Mufti Saeed to serve food to and dine with young seminary (religious) students of Madarsa. Former BBC weather girl Mrs Khan, who married the cricketer-turned-politician at a low-key ceremony at his home in Islamabad last week, was seen smiling as her new husband drove the couple in a four-by-four vehicle. Divorced mother-of-three Mrs Khan, who was wearing a colourful purple, pink and red abaya with a matching veil, and her new husband stayed and shared the rice and chicken lunch with the children and staff at the seminary. The couple sat opposite each other on the floor and posed for photos with the children. Mr Khan, 62, revealed it was not the couple's intention to get married so soon - but he felt under pressure to bring forward the date. He said: 'Getting married was not my plan right now, I thought I would do it after the 20th. 'But because of the kind of stories that were spreading and ill-informed news about Reham Khan, I decided to get married sooner. So, I spoke to my children and got married.' Reham Khan, new wife of Imran Khan, sits with religious students during her visit to a local madrassa, or seminary, today . Imran Khan, pictured left, sat opposite his new bride as they shared lunch with children and staff . Pakistani homeless children enjoy lunch provided by Pakistan's cricketer-turned-politician Imran Khan to celebrate his wedding . Young boys whose lives have been blighted by war pictured at the shelter for under-privileged children in Islamabad today . Mr Khan, who has two children from his previous marriage to socialite Jemima Khan, said he wanted Pakistan to start a new tradition of donating to the underprivileged instead of spending huge amounts of money on lavish weddings. It comes after a spokesman for the couple said their wedding was kept small to honour the 145 victims of the terrorist attack on a school in Peshawar last month, in which 132 children died. The couple married after weeks of speculation - but not a single member of his family was invited to the event. A close friend of Mr Khan - who is the Chairman of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (Pakistan Movement for Justice) - said the ceremony had taken place at his home in Islamabad in accordance with Islamic law. Mr Khan's sisters did not attend the 'nikkah' - Islamic marriage ceremony - amid reports they do not approve of the match. Aleema Khan said: 'We were neither aware nor informed of the nikkah prior to this.' However the bride's mother, sister and two close friends were all present for the intimate ceremony, according to her nephew Yusuf Khan. Scroll down for video . Finally: Imran Khan married his fiance, Reham, at an intimate wedding ceremony in Islamabad last week . Intimate: Close friends and family attended the ceremony but it's thought that Imran Khan's sisters did not . He said: 'I am very close to her, she is like my mother. We have decided to hold a small reception tomorrow. There were only a few close friends of Imran Khan present at the occasion. 'The majority of our family lives in UK and USA and that is the reason only my mother, grandmother and I attended it from close family.' Spokesman Naeemul Haq said: 'We did not want to celebrate it in big way due to the Peshawar school massacre. 'They look very elegant together. It is the biggest news of the new year for the people of Pakistan. Tomorrow both bride and groom will distribute food among the poor and needy.' Imran Khan's sister, Aleema, confirmed that none of his family were present and said they were never asked to attend. The match has caused huge controversy in Pakistan where Mr Khan is chairman of the opposition party Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf. Mrs Khan said: 'We, all the sisters, were never informed or contacted by Imran so there was no question to attend it. All of us are in Lahore.' Zakir Khan, a close friend of Mr Khan's who witnessed the marriage, confirmed the dowry, a ceremonial fee paid for the bride, was 82,000 rupees - around £850. Formalities: A close friend of Imran Khan's confirmed that a dowry of 82,000 rupees - around £850 - was agreed for the bride . Mr Khan's wedding may also have doubled as a fundraiser for a new cancer Hospital, which is currently under construction in Peshawar, according to reports. Khan tweeted: 'I want to thank everyone for their good wishes on my marriage & would ask those wanting to send a gift to donate to SKMTH Peshawar [Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital and Research Centre, in Peshawar] instead.' His party's spokesperson, Shireen Mazari, rubbished reports that only those who agreed to donate money for the hospital would be invited to the reception. The formal announcement comes after a turbulent week for the couple, who have incited the wrath of Mr Khan's family and the wider public in Pakistan. A friend of Mrs Khan, 41, told how she was suffering emotional turmoil after being trolled over her marriage to the Pakistani cricketer-turned-politician. Some social media users have accused the divorced mother-of-three of being a lesbian and one image even claims to show her in a sex shop. A producer at Dawn TV told MailOnline that the backlash had left the broadcaster 'very disturbed'. The source said: 'She is not in the right state of mind after seeing the reaction of trolls on social media after news of her marriage with Imran Khan was disclosed. 'She has not been conducting her daily programme as well. She is very disturbed by the way she is being portrayed on social media.' It came as Mr Khan spoke out against the storm surrounding his wedding, telling his critics that marriage is not a crime. His sister Aleena reacted with anger at the news, saying she doesn't want to meet the new Mrs Khan. Mrs Khan, a divorced mother-of-three, was a BBC weather girl but is now a news anchor of AAJ TV . Told by MailOnline that her brother had revealed he was actually married, Aleema Khan - who claimed the rumours were started by opposition politicians looking to discredit her brother - said: 'Really? Really? Let's see if he announces it officially. I am taken aback. 'This is a real challenge for him. We haven't met her and I don't know that we want to meet her. 'It is his decision, he is a grown up. It is more important how the children feel. 'I suppose in any situation like this the children will not feel good about it. They do look up to their father.' Speaking amid a political storm surrounding rumours of the marriage, she said she hoped Reham Khan 'will be good for Pakistan and our brother'. She added: 'It all depends on how the public respond to it. The biggest surprise is how everybody in Pakistan feels they have a right to participate in the decision. 'He is a grown man, we are watching the situation unfold.' But speaking from his home in Islamabad yesterday, Mr Khan launched a robust defence of his actions and of his new bride, declaring: 'A person can marry whenever he/she wants.' He pointed to the fact that he had in no way deceived his wife and insisted that he put his two teenage children first when coming to a decision. The 62-year-old said: 'I didn't think of my marriage for 10 years after my divorce because my children were small. I do not ever think of hurting my children's feelings.' Khan's ex-wife Jemima Goldsmith has been among those to offer her congratulations to the former cricketer. She tweeted: 'I hope Imran will be happy in this new phase of his life.' Ms Goldsmith, who divorced Khan in 2004 after nine years of marriage and has two teenage sons with him, also spoke of her fondness for Pakistan. Ms Goldsmith revealed in October that she was ditching the surname 'Khan' and reverting to her family name because her ex-husband was about to remarry. She said at the time: 'My ex-husband, Imran, recently announced that he intended to get remarried soon, which made me think it's probably time to change my name back to Goldsmith.' Khan married Ms Goldsmith in a traditional Islamic ceremony in Paris in 1995. What Mrs Khan's former in-laws think of the marriage is less clear. Reham, who was born in Libya to Pakistani parents, has three children from her previous marriage to a doctor. Fazlur Rehman, her ex-father-in-law, a retired major in the Pakistan army, refused to speak to reporters when they approached him. Reham Khan is understood to have moved into the house with her youngest daughter, according to her former colleague and friend. The Daily Mail's diarist Sebastian Shakespeare broke the news of Khan's marriage to the broadcaster last week. On New Year's Eve, Mr Khan said rumours of marriage were 'greatly exaggerated' and his sister Aleema said the family challenged him 'a few days ago' over the news and he denied it. But speaking to reporters at Heathrow airport on Tuesday, before boarding a flight to Pakistan, Khan is reported to have said: 'I am going to Pakistan to share good news about my marriage with the nation. I have nothing to hide.' | Pakistani politician married former BBC weather girl at intimate ceremony at his home last week .
Arrived at the Sweet Homes children's charity today in Islamabad, Pakistan, to share wedding banquet .
Couple also joined young religious students and staff for lunch of rice and chicken at a seminary . |
39,600 | 6fd2eabff4cebd592c01f5d441c37155b7e90652 | High profile Hillsong senior pastor Brian Houston is expected to give evidence at an inquiry into how Pentecostal churches responded to child sex abuse allegations against his father Frank Houston and two other men. The Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual abuse sitting in Sydney on Tuesday will hear how Hillsong and the Pentecostal association, Assemblies of God, responded to abuse allegations against William Francis 'Frank' Houston - the famous preacher behind the movement which gave birth to the mega-church. His son Brian Houston was national president of the Assemblies of God (AoG) in Australia from 1997 to 2009. More than 1000 Pentecostal churches are affiliated to the AoG which is now commonly known as Australian Christian Churches (ACC). Hillsong senior pastor Brian Houston (pictured) is set to give evidence at the Royal Commission on child sex abuse and respond to allegations against his father Frank Houston . Hillsong, in Sydney, was created when separate churches run by father and son merged under the leadership of Brian Houston . Brian Houston was president in 2000 when his father admitted he sexually abused a boy in New Zealand 30 years earlier. Frank Houston was fired by his son from all church roles. Hillsong, in Sydney, was created when separate churches run by father and son merged under the leadership of Brian Houston. Frank Houston died in 2004 at age 82. Further allegations against him have come to light since his death. The charismatic preacher had been a Salvation Army officer in his native New Zealand before founding his first ministry at Lower Hutt near Wellington in 1960. 2000 was when Hillsong pastor Brian Houston's father (pictured) admitted he sexually abused a boy in New Zealand 30 years earlier. Frank Houston was fired by his son from all church roles . He later became superintendent of the New Zealand Assemblies of God before moving to Sydney in 1977. The commission will hear also of allegations against two other men and will be looking at the response of the ACC to those allegations. One of the men, a former youth pastor at a Sunshine Coast church, Jonathan Baldwin, was sentenced to eight years jail in 2009 when he was found guilty of repeatedly molesting a 13-year-old boy who had come to him for counselling. The other matter the commission will examine is the response of the Northside Christian College and the Northside Christian Centre, (now Encompass Church) to allegations of child sexual abuse made against former teacher Kenneth Sandilands. In a statement issued when the inquiry was announced Encompass Church pastor John Spinella said the church, based at Bundoora, Victoria, welcomed the inquiry. 'As a church we have recognised these past failures and take the opportunity to apologise for the suffering and pain endured by those who were abused,' he said. The public hearing is expected to run for two weeks and will be the 18th held by the commission. The Hillsong Church in Waterloo. Hillsong's pastor Brian Houston will give evidence at the Royal Commission into child sex abuse in Sydney . | Hillsong pastor Brian Houston to give evidence at Royal Commission into child sex abuse in Sydney .
The famous preacher is expected to talk about how he responded to allegations against father, Frank Houston .
The Commission will also hear about allegations against two other men .
The public hearing is expected to run for two weeks, the 18th held by the commission . |
25,097 | 471bf7afcb424053134c3b079c8d34ea3666b6e7 | A couple have vowed to fight for justice after their three-month-old daughter died just hours after being sent home from A&E. Alisha Pullen and Luke Gloster took baby Esme to Royal Stoke University Hospital in December where doctors diagnosed the infant with bronchiolitis and sent the family home. Six hours later Miss Pullen, 20, discovered her daughter had stopped breathing in her cot. They were rushed back to the hospital by ambulance where the baby was pronounced dead on arrival. Esme Gloster died six hours after being sent home from A&E. The three-month-old's parents, Alisha Pullen and Luke Gloster, are now demanding answers as to why they were sent away by doctors . A coroner's investigation has been launched into Esme's death with her distraught parents demanding answers as to why they were sent away by health workers. Describing the heartbreaking moment she realised her child had died, Miss Pullen said: ''When we got there, I knew from the man’s face. I just needed to hear it for it to be real. 'I fell to the floor. I just couldn't believe what was going on. 'I could not believe that I was going to hold my baby in my arms, dead. 'It was just horrible.' Miss Pullen, a first-time mother, first visited a walk-in health centre after noticing her daughter having difficulty breathing on December 13. After showing no signs of improvement the infant was taken to Royal Stoke University Hospital where doctors said she would likely recover at home. 'We took our little girl to professionals on two occasions,' she added. 'I feel they could have done so much more to prevent whatever has happened to her.' Timothy Jones, Esme's grandfather, said he believed more could have been done to save his granddaughter's life. The baby's mother took her to a health centre after noticing her having difficulty breathing in December . Six hours after being sent home from A&E at Royal Stoke University Hospital the baby was rushed back by ambulance and pronounced dead on arrival . 'I believe that if they had kept her in, or transferred her to another hospital, then she would still be with us,' the 42-year-old said. 'I’m finding it hard to believe that nothing could have been done. 'Since this happened we have heard that children who die from Sudden Infant Death Syndrome show signs of illness beforehand. 'Esme was showing signs of illness, so why wasn’t she kept in hospital and observed? 'I just can’t fathom it.' Experts have suggested Esme's death was the result of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome after a post-mortem examination returned an inconclusive result. Dr Martin Samuels, Consultant Paediatrician, and an expert on the syndrome, at University Hospitals of North Midlands NHS Trust, said: 'Minor symptoms are very common in babies. 'If you look at cot death victims who are classified subsequently as having died of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome it’s common that there are going to be minor symptoms before a death arises. 'In my experience it is important that we offer support for families who have lost a child to Sudden Infant Death Syndrome and our team has continued to remain in contact with the family. 'There are support groups, such as The Lullaby Trust, which is a charitable organisation, which also support families whose babies have died suddenly and unexpectedly.' Esme's parents are now demanding justice for their daughter's death which, they claim, could have been prevented . | Esme Gloster died six hours after being sent home with a 'chest infection'
The three-month-old baby had difficulty breathing for days before death .
Her mother Alisha Pullen visited Royal Stoke University Hospital for help .
The family were told Esme would recover at home and told to leave A&E .
A coroner's investigation has been launched into the baby's 'horrific' death . |
89,527 | fe36f28f17aa9ebb8eae16a386a2104065583ae5 | Patients and doctors can adjust the settings for the 'pacemaker-like' device using external controllers . Federal regulators have approved an appetite-suppressing implant designed to treat obesity by zapping nerves that connect the stomach and the brain. The Maestro Rechargeable System uses electrodes implanted in the abdomen to stimulate the vagus nerve, which signals to the brain that the stomach is empty or full. Patients and doctors can adjust the device settings using external controllers. Shares of EnteroMedics rose in trading on Wednesday after the Food and Drug Administration said it approved the device for certain patients who are severely obese. It's the first medical device approved for obesity since the agency's 2007 approval of a gastric band from Ethicon. The FDA approved the device for patients 18 and older who have been unable to lose weight via a supervised weight-loss program and have a body mass index of 35 to 40 with one other obesity-related health condition, such as diabetes. BMI is an estimate of body fat based on weight and height. Someone who is 5-foot-9 would be severely obese — with a BMI of 35 — at 240 pounds. The Maestro Rechargeable System uses electrodes implanted in the abdomen to stimulate the vagus nerve, which signals to the brain that the stomach is empty or full . EnteroMedics said the device's two electrodes are implanted via a minimally-invasive surgical procedure, which could make the device system a less invasive alternative to other weight-loss surgeries. The device has an external battery that needs to be recharged weekly. The St. Paul, Minnesota-based company compares it to a pacemaker. A company executive said the device is already approved in Europe and Australia though it is not yet on sale. EnteroMedics plans to focus on the device's U.S. launch, targeting sales to surgical centers. The company is also pursuing reimbursement from health care insurance providers. EnteroMedics Inc. stock gained 30 cents, or 25 percent, to $1.47 in morning trading. The FDA has approved the device for patients 18 and older who have been unable to lose weight via a supervised weight-loss program and have a body mass index of 35 to 40 with one other obesity-related health condition, such as diabetes . | Maestro Rechargeable System uses electrodes implanted in the abdomen to send signals to the brain that the stomach is empty or full .
Patients and doctors can adjust the device settings using external controllers .
First medical device approved for obesity since gastric band in 2007 .
Device is already approved in Europe and Australia although not yet on sale . |
134,758 | 3a4c1f28048a30be6639df2aeac0b49b877d41e7 | By . Ellie Zolfagharifard . Have you ever wondered what all those thoughts look like as they race around in your brain? Now you can find out using a new system that peers into the storm of activity in real-time. The technology, dubbed ‘Glass Brain’, was developed by neuroscientist Adam Gazzaley and Philip Rosedale, the creator of Second Life. Scroll down for video... It combines virtual reality, brain scanning and brain recording allowing the user to journey through their mind. The technology was recently unveiled at Austin's South by Southwest festival where the public were given the chance to look into the mind of Mr Rosedale's wife Yvette. Mrs Rosedale was wearing a cap covered with electroencephalogram (EEG) electrodes that measure differences in electric potential to record brain activity. The structure of the brain is mapped using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The user then wears cap covered with electrodes that measure differences in . electric potential to record brain activity. This activity is revealed on screen. The different colours represent the . different frequencies of electrical energy in the brain, as well as the . paths by which that energy moves around. The Glass Brain can’t be used to show exactly what the user is thinking, but can paint a broad picture of brain activity. Prior to this, scientists had mapped Mrs Rosedale’s brain structure using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The Glass Brain can’t be used to show exactly what the user is thinking, but can paint a broad picture of brain activity. A video of the brain recording was captured by the Neuroscape Lab at the University of California in San Francisco. The different colours represent the different frequencies of electrical energy in the brain, as well as the paths by which that energy moves around. The white areas are anatomical fibres. The technology could be used to help people with brain injuries make a faster recovery. ‘We've never been able to step inside the structures [of the brain] and see it in this way,’ Dr Gazzaley told Live Science. ‘It's biofeedback on the next level.’ Mr Philip Rosedale told LiveScience he foresees a day when two people could interact virtually in a way that reveals their inner state. The technology was recently unveiled at Austin's South by Southwest festival where the public were given the chance to look into the mind of Mr Rosedale's wife Yvette (pictured) | Glass Brain was developed by neuroscientist and creator of Second Life .
Technology combines virtual reality, brain scanning and brain recording .
It could be used to help people with brain injuries make a faster recovery .
The different colours represent the different frequencies of electrical energy in the brain, as well as the paths by which that energy moves . |
258,299 | da4fd4dad3a9e5278f09f648ff3e973c514857d9 | (CNN) -- It's the greatest magic trick in the world. This act of wizardry is performed hundreds of millions of times every day with the press of a button, or more increasingly, with a gentle tap of the screen -- and poof, time stops. The magic is photography. Today, we're taking and uploading more than 200 million images per day via Facebook alone. Our phones have become our recording devices. Or as I like to see it: My camera can also make calls. Smartphones have ushered in a golden age for photography. But disappointingly, much of the conversation has been focused on the device and the use of faux nostalgic filters rather than on how photographers can choose from a wide range of possibilities to be creative. Art photography: When reality isn't good enough . We mustn't forget -- a magician's props, like a photographer's choice of camera, are only part of the illusion created. When the rabbit is pulled from the hat, its color or breed is irrelevant. What's important is the magician's ability to artfully make the rabbit appear and ultimately evoke astonishment from the audience. In photography, the equivalent is taking an image that evokes strong feelings, regardless of which device captured the picture or its nostalgic hue. Smartphones have democratized photography, and Instagram, in particular, has given us an unprecedented platform for our snapshots. But instead of marveling at all the choices, there's some grumbling. Some professionals feel threatened as they see the playing field leveling; they interpret it as the end of skill and craft in photography. They should have no fear of such a thing. 12 tips to become a better smartphone photographer . Photography is rooted in the rich culture of amateurism. What's happening today is similar to the original proliferation of Kodak's Brownie camera starting in 1900. An inexpensive and easy-to-use camera in every hand didn't usher in the end of photography or automatically turn everybody into Richard Avedon. Photo apps won't magically give Jane the smartphone photographer a better sense of composition, or lighting, or framing. The apps and filters only change a photo's look and aesthetic feel. That doesn't make it a better photo. If you put lipstick on a pig, it's still a pig. Photographing with a smartphone . For me, photography is my memory. I've chosen photography to prove that I exist. I see my captured view of the world as my search for meaning. For me, words are often inadequate, so I choose to define my experiences with photographs. This little act of magic does not divorce me -- as the critic Susan Sontag implied in her book, "On Photography" -- from the here and now. In fact, it deepens my bond to the present moment. An image I take, sprinkled with synthetic nostalgia, tells all: "I was here and this is what I saw." The camera phone allows me to offer a small taste of my here and now, on unprecedented levels, to a global audience with astonishing immediacy. Why I use filters . The pictures of my childhood had a warmish, faded, slightly out of focus feeling. They are the memory of things past, comfort food for the eyes. It seems natural for me to add the option of nostalgic filters to my photographic process. When we discover an old, faded, cracked and torn image, we handle it with care and respect. Time has honored it with its blessing. My digital images, however, will never see the ravages of time. They'll always remain, preserved, pristine and forever in their original state, in the perfection of now, without the possibility of the flaws of the past creeping in and eroding it. I want my memories, like the prints of my childhood, to fade, to mix with the ether of all that has come before. Because I know that time cannot touch my digital images, I add in the passage of time by using filters. Embracing the present . It is all about time. It's about the time we are losing, and what the future will do to our memories. It's about the fact that technology can instantaneously compress our collective thoughts and images into binary digits of 1's and 0's. We have a sea of images now. On the horizon, I see the forming of a new photographic language. Let's embrace photography, as it exists now. And let's continue to find our individual voice, perspectives, stories and style, regardless of the medium. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Richard Koci Hernandez. | Richard Hernandez: Smartphones have ushered in a golden age for photography .
He says that one can be creative in many ways, including the use of nostalgic filters .
Hernandez: But some professionals see it as the end of skill and craft in photography .
He says photo apps won't magically turn people into Richard Avedon . |
53,130 | 96b5fb645080c79be3426f08fc2cae8c35952452 | Watch out for bare butts when traveling in Machu Picchu -- incidents of "naked tourism" at the 15th-century Inca citadel are on the rise, and getting under the skin of Peru officials. According to the Peruvian Times, four American tourists were detained on March 14 for getting naked and posing for photos at the site. In a pair of separate incidents earlier in the week, two Canadians and two Australians were detained for stripping down for pictures at Machu Picchu. The bare-it-all episodes followed a 2013 incident in which a naked couple was videotaped by other tourists while streaking across Machu Picchu's grass field and bounding down a stone staircase like a pair of adolescent antelopes. The website My Naked Trip features images of an Israeli man named Amichay Rab posing in the buff at sites around South America, including Machu Picchu. Rab's long, curly hair and bold poses have won him a cluster of followers. The photos and video have made the rounds on social media. Peruvian officials are not amused. Crackdown . Peru's Ministry of Culture has denounced the spectacle of nude visitors at Machu Picchu as "disrespectful" and "unfortunate events that threaten cultural heritage." "There are places in the world that people can get naked, but not all places are (appropriate) for getting undressed," Alfredo Mormontoy Atayupanqui, director of archaeological resources for Peru's Ministry of Culture, tells CNN. According to Mormontoy, park rules printed on the back of admission tickets warn visitors against being nude in public. "Tourists should comply with local rules and regulations when they are traveling, otherwise there will be thousands of problems," he says. Meanwhile, Cusco's regional director of culture, Ricardo Ruiz Caro, has issued a statement saying that park guards at Machu Picchu and other historic sites in the region will increase surveillance and crackdown on naked tourism. New rules announced but yet to be put in place are also meant to address the issue of overcrowding at the site. According to the Peruvian Times, "All foreign visitors to Machu Picchu will soon have to hire an official guide to enter the Inca Citadel, follow one of three predetermined routes through the complex and face time limits at specific points to keep the traffic flowing, under new rules promulgated by the Ministry of Culture in Cusco." "Machu Picchu is visited by tourists of different ages, religions and ideologies," says Mormontoy. "Nude behavior may bring pleasure to a small percentage of people, but it causes discomfort and anger to others. We need to make sure other tourists don't feel awkward." Where do you stand on "naked tourism"? Share your thoughts in the comments. | Multiple tourists detained for stripping down at Machu Picchu in recent weeks .
Peru officials call incidents "disrespectful" and "unfortunate"
Guards at Machu Picchu and other historic Peru sites to increase surveillance . |
43,875 | 7bc5007e21acac996f0b2c12c86714ce8b818276 | Burglars who break into country homes can expect to be shot at by their victims, a judge warned yesterday. Judge Michael Pert QC spoke out after a lawyer demanded leniency for a career criminal who he claimed had been blasted with a shotgun in ‘a form of summary justice’. The judge replied: ‘If you burgle a house in the country where the householder owns a legally held shotgun, that is the chance you take. You cannot come to court and ask for a lighter sentence because of it.’ Burglars: Joshua O'Gorman, left, and Daniel Mansell, right, who were . both jailed yesterday after they were shot by the owner of the house they . were trying to steal from . The case reignited the debate over the rights of homeowners to defend their properties from intruders. Daniel Mansell, 33, and Joshua . O’Gorman, 27, were sentenced to four years in prison following the . masked raid on the cottage in Welby, near Melton Mowbray, . Leicestershire. Their victims, Andy and Tracey Ferrie, were arrested after Mr Ferrie opened fire on the pair during the midnight break-in. They were held on suspicion of causing . grievous bodily harm and spent 40 hours in custody before prosecutors . decided they had acted in ‘reasonable self-defence’ and lifted the . threat of charges. The couple emigrated to Australia on . Monday amid fears of a revenge attack. Cannabis addict Mansell was shot . in the right hand while O’Gorman was shot in the face during the . incident earlier this month. Andy Ferrie and his wife Tracey: Both were held for 40 hours after Mr Ferrie shot two burglars with a shotgun as they tried to raid his country home . Both men were out of prison on licence when they struck at the Ferries’ 200-year-old rented home. Judge Pert backed householders’ rights . to defend their home from intruders, telling Mansell and O’Gorman: ‘I . make it plain that, in my judgment, being shot is not mitigation. 'You cannot come to court and ask for a lighter sentence because of it.’ He spoke out after Andrew Frymann, . defending O’Gorman, suggested his client’s ‘near death experience’ should be ‘taken into consideration’ by the judge when sentencing. Mr Frymann said O’Gorman had suffered . serious facial injuries including permanent scarring. He added: ‘He was . shot – without any warning or foresight – in the face with a shotgun. 'This is a form of summary justice or punishment which I submit should be taken into consideration.’ Leicester Crown Court yesterday heard . Mansell and O’Gorman fled empty-handed from the cottage and were . arrested hours later when they went to hospital for treatment. 'Their injuries were clearly visible . as they stood in the dock. Mansell – who has a tattoo reading ‘Big Man’ on his neck – wore his arm in a sling, and O’Gorman has a scar from his . right eye to his ear. Alan Murphy, prosecuting, said the . Ferries were woken by the sound of breaking glass as the raiders forced . their way into their home with a garden fork handle. As they made their way downstairs, Mrs . Ferrie, the registered keeper of the shotgun, handed the weapon to her . husband. Mr Murphy said: ‘Mr Ferrie described seeing three men in the . hall or kitchen wearing some form of face coverings. ‘One of the men was reaching into a drawer that held a number of knives. As a result Mr Ferrie fired his shotgun.’ The farmhouse in Welby, Melton Mowbray, where Andy tried to defend his home from intruders by using his shotgun . Mr Ferrie, 35, who owns a motorhome repair business, then called the police, and he and his 43-year-old wife were arrested. O’Gorman had 16 previous convictions . involving 27 offences. He was on licence at the time he broke into the . cottage, having been released early from a 14-month prison sentence for . dangerous driving. Mansell has eight previous convictions . involving 19 offences. He was freed on licence following a conviction . for causing grievous bodily harm. Mansell and O’Gorman, both of Leicester, admitted burglary with intent to steal. Last night Mrs Ferrie’s mother, Hazel . Towell, 63, said the couple had moved to Perth in Western Australia . because they feared for their safety. Police are pictured searching the ground for clues at the remote house near Melton Mowbray. O'Gorman was shot in the face and Mansell was hit in his right hand during their attempted burglary . The retired cashier, from Burton, Staffordshire, added: ‘They’ve moved as far away as possible. The fear was real enough for Andrew . and Tracey to stay in a different hotel every night until they flew to . Australia on Monday. They felt safer if they moved around.’ Tory MP Alan Duncan spoke in defence . of the Ferries, his constituents, while the couple were in custody. Yesterday he welcomed the judge’s robust comments. ‘Three cheers for the judge,’ he said. ‘Justice has been swift in this case and draws a clear distinction . between the culprits and the victims.’ Two other men, aged 23 and 31, who . were also arrested on suspicion of aggravated burglary, are set to . answer police bail next month. The burglars pleaded guilty to the burglary. The judge said their injuries could not form part of their sentence or defence . Forensic officers arriving at the home after Andy Ferrie, and his wife Tracey were arrested in September . | Burglars were injured after homeowner fired his legally-owned shotgun .
Judge said injuries could not form part of sentence or defence .
Pair, both from Leicester, were sentenced to four years in prison . |
234,770 | bbef2de414fcf0b621f603a59ccd562eb5f60844 | Tobruk, Libya (CNN) -- Aysha Ahmed and Attique Saleh lived in silence for more than four decades under the ironfisted rule of Moammar Gadhafi. But not anymore. Not after they watched their daughter manhandled and dragged away from a Tripoli hotel. Eman al-Obeidy's parents told CNN Tuesday they are no longer afraid to publicly condemn the Libyan strongman, an act that would have been unthinkable just weeks ago. If Gadhafi were to face Ahmed now, she would slap him, she told CNN Tuesday. Al-Obeidy burst into the hotel housing international journalists in Tripoli Saturday and told them she had been raped by 15 militia men. Cameras captured the drama as al-Obeidy, sobbing and screaming, wanted the world to know the brutality of Gadhafi's regime. The Libyan government said al-Obeidy has been freed and that a criminal case is underway. The men accused of raping al-Obeidy have filed counter-charges for slander, Libyan government spokesman Moussa Ibrahim said Tuesday. But Ahmed contradicted the government, saying the government was still detaining her daughter, in an interview in the eastern city of Tobruk. She said she wanted Gadhafi to air footage of al-Obeidy as proof of her safety. Ahmed said she cannot forgive the grave injustice her daughter has suffered. She said the family has even received phone calls offering bribes to reject their daughter's claims and to tell their daughter to change her story. But they stand by her. They believe that Gadhafi's regime is trying to discredit her as a woman who has been raped and -- as some people in conservative Muslim societies believe -- therefore dishonored. An in-absentia engagement ceremony held at a mosque in Tobruk Monday night proves that al-Obeidy's family and tribe stand by her, Ahmed said. She described her daughter, 29, as a kind, caring woman who wanted to be a journalist. She chose to study law instead when she realized there was no freedom of the press in her homeland. The government first portrayed al-Obeidy as mentally ill and a prostitute. It has since changed its story, saying she is sane and therefore able to withstand legal proceedings. She also harbored a deep love of languages, particularly Italian and French, Ahmed said. As a young girl, she looked out over the deep blue waters of the Mediterranean and called on the oil tankers to carry her to France. A government spokesman said Sunday that al-Obeidy had been released and was with her family. Moussa Ibrahim said then that al-Obeidy and her family were asked if they wanted to be interviewed by "one or two, preferably female, reporters to verify that she's fine, she's healthy, she's free with her family." He refused to take further questions on the issue, repeatedly stating that Libyan society is "very conservative." A group of lawyers and human rights activists tried to approach al-Obeidy's sister's house Monday, but were blocked by security forces. The sister's mobile phone has apparently been turned off, a source with the opposition in Tripoli told CNN, and no one has seen her since the incident at the hotel. Ahmed said she was also concerned for the safety of her other daughter. Al-Obeidy stormed into the Rixos Hotel as international journalists were having breakfast Saturday morning. Her face was bruised. So were her legs. She showed reporters blood on her right inner thigh. Speaking in English, she said had been held against her will for two days and raped by 15 men. Though her injuries appeared consistent with what she said, CNN could not independently verify al-Obeidy's story. "Look at what Gadhafi's brigades did to me," she said. "My honor was violated by them." Al-Obeidy displayed what appeared to be visible rope burns on her wrists and ankles. Government officials tried to stifle her, but she persisted. Security forces moved to subdue her, and even a member of the hotel's kitchen staff drew a knife. "Traitor!" he shouted. Another staffer tried to throw a dark tablecloth over her head. One government official, who was there to facilitate access for journalists, pulled a pistol from his belt. Others scuffled with reporters and wrestled them to the ground in an attempt to take away their equipment. Some journalists were beaten and kicked. CNN's camera was confiscated and deliberately smashed beyond repair. As security forces subdued the screaming woman and dragged her away, al-Obeidy warned, "If you don't see me tomorrow, then that's it." CNN's Reza Sayah contributed to this report . | Eman al-Obeidy's parents are angry about their daughter's treatment .
The are no longer afraid to condemn Gadhafi .
They say the regime is still holding al-Obeidy .
An investigation continues in the case . |
144,945 | 47775ecb648fc9ce639b3364b30ee5774a68c63c | (CNN) -- A female graduate student at Virginia Tech was killed Wednesday night when a man she knew attacked her with a knife and decapitated her, a school spokesman said. Virginia Tech police Chief Wendell Flinchum talks about the first slaying on campus since the 2007 shootings. Virginia Tech spokesman Mark Owczarski said Thursday that Xin Yang's killing was the first on the campus since April 16, 2007, when a shooter killed 32 people before turning a gun on himself. Yang, 22, from Beijing, China, was killed at the Au Bon Pain restaurant in the Graduate Life Center at around 7 p.m., school spokesman Larry Hincker said in a written statement. Campus police took Haiyang Zhu, 25, into custody at the scene. The Ningbo, China, native has been charged with first-degree murder and is being held without bail at a local jail, Hincker said. Zhu did not say anything to the arresting officers, said campus police Chief Wendell Flinchum. "There was blood on him," Flinchum said. The young woman and the suspect "were not seen arguing, or anything of that nature," he added, citing witness statements. Authorities said the two students knew each other. "Based on emergency contact records maintained by the university, it is known that Zhu and Yang knew each other," Hincker said. No other details were provided. The young woman arrived at the university two weeks ago to begin studies in accounting, he said in the statement. Zhu is a graduate student pursuing a doctorate in agricultural and applied economics. He began studies at Virginia Tech in fall 2008, Hincker said. "Our hearts go out to the victim and her family," President Charles W. Steger said in a letter to the campus community. "An act of violence like this one brings back memories of the April 16 tragedy and I have no doubt that many of us feel especially distraught." Authorities say on April 16, 2007, Seung-Hui Cho killed 32 students and professors before killing himself. | Killing was first on campus since gunman killed 32 on April 16, 2007 .
Victim Xin Yang, a graduate student from Beijing, knew accused killer, police say .
Haiyang Zhu, 25, taken into custody; he is charged with first-degree murder .
Attack took place at restaurant in Graduate Life Center . |
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