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184,362 | 7acd3ab03daeeb0cf0365928ff5cbc88c74017d5 | (CNN) -- An Indian warship has exchanged fire with a pirate "mother vessel" off the hijacking-plagued Horn of Africa, leaving the ship ablaze, an official said Wednesday. A file photo shows the Indian frigate Tabar, which was involved in the skirmish. Indian naval spokesman Nirad Sinha said: "Given the condition we left it in, it would have sunk by now," he said. The skirmish took place Tuesday evening about 326 miles (525 kilometers) southwest of Oman's Salalah port when the frigate INS Tabar spotted a suspected pirate ship with two speedboats in tow, India's Defense Ministry reported. Capt. Pottengal Mukundan, of the International Maritime Bureau, in London said: "The pirates have been operating with impunity in these waters, and it is time now, it is well overdue that we send a signal to the pirates that they cannot conduct these criminal operations without sanction." The defense ministry said in a written statement: "This vessel was similar in description to the 'Mother Vessel' mentioned in various piracy bulletins." The battle follows a recent surge in piracy off the Horn of Africa, including the weekend hijacking of a Saudi-owned supertanker by pirates based in largely lawless Somalia. See where pirates are operating » . Three other vessels have been captured since then in what a London-based maritime official called a "completely unprecedented" situation. The Saudi owners of a hijacked oil supertanker carrying an oil cargo worth up to $100 million, which pirates Tuesday anchored off the Somali coast, said they were negotiating with its captors. Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Saud al Faisal said he could not confirm if a ransom had been demanded, but said the owners of the 300,000-ton Sirius Star were "negotiating on the issue," The Associated Press reported. In its clash with the pirate vessel, the Tabar's crew hailed the ship and demanded it stop for inspection, and the pirates threatened to destroy the Indian ship, the ministry reported. "Pirates were seen roaming on the upper deck of this vessel with guns and rocket-propelled grenade launchers. The vessel continued its threatening calls and subsequently fired upon INS Tabar," the ministry said. The Indian frigate returned fire, setting the pirate ship ablaze and setting off explosions on board, the statement said. Two speedboats in tow behind the ship fled; one was found abandoned after a pursuit by the Tabar. Michael Howlett, assistant director of the International Maritime Bureau in London, which tracks pirate attacks, said the recent upsurge in activity was unprecedented. "We've never seen a situation like this," he said. Watch Maersk CEO describe risks to shipping » . On Tuesday, pirates hijacked a Thai fishing vessel and a Chinese-flagged Iranian cargo ship carrying wheat in the waters off the Horn of Africa. A third ship -- a Chinese fishing vessel -- was hijacked Saturday, but word did not reach authorities until Tuesday, Howlett said. Noel Choong, who heads the IMB's Piracy Reporting Center in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, said 95 pirate attacks have taken place so far this year in the Gulf of Aden. Of those, 39 resulted in successful captures; 17 of those vessels and their crews -- a total of about 300 sailors -- remain in the hands of the pirates. But the seizure of the 300,000-ton supertanker Sirius Star took place well south of the gulf, in the Indian Ocean off Kenya. Pirate attacks are spreading farther north to the Gulf of Aden and farther south off the Kenyan coast, Choong said. "The risks are low and the returns are extremely high for these pirates," he told CNN. Pirates know that their chances of getting killed or captured during a hijacking are very low, he said. | Indian navy says its frigate attacked a pirate "mother vessel"
Skirmish took place Tuesday about 525 kilometers from Oman's Salalah port .
Battle follows a recent surge in piracy off the Horn of Africa . |
64,810 | b80f47668bd5ea80216426c3cd1518760d536f7b | Chelsea goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois has been cleared to play on after undergoing precautionary tests following the head injury he sustained during Sunday's 2-0 Premier League win over Arsenal. Courtois played on after requiring treatment for a head knock following a first-half collision with Arsenal forward Alexis Sanchez, before being replaced after further treatment and departing Stamford Bridge for precautionary scans in hospital. A Chelsea statement issued on Monday read: 'Chelsea Football Club can confirm Thibaut Courtois went to hospital during our Premier League game against Arsenal yesterday (Sunday) for precautionary tests on a head injury. Those tests came back all clear. VIDEO Scroll down to hear from both managers . Thibaut Courtois took to Twitter to thank fans for his support after being released from hospital . Courtois suffered a heavy blow when he came out to challenge Alexis Sanchez but played on for a while . Sanchez immediately shows concern for Courtois as the keeper appeared badly hurt on the pitch . 'Thibaut was treated for a minor cut to his ear and was released from hospital last night. He is expected to report for international duty (with Belgium) later this week.' The Blues stopper has also taken to Twitter to thank fans for their support as he looks forward to playing again. Courtois tweeted: 'Thanks for all the messages! I'm already feeling better. Now I'm resting to be recovered and back on the pitch soon. Great victory yesterday (Sunday).' Headway, the brain injury charity, has questioned the application of the Premier League's regulations following the decision to allow Courtois to play on. The Premier League is understood to be happy the rules were correctly applied. Headway chief executive Peter McCabe said on the charity's website: 'The new rules introduced this season were designed to ensure no risks to players' health were taken. 'They clearly state that 'If there is any suspicion of the player having sustained a concussion, they must be removed from the field of play, and not allowed to return.' 'This incident calls into question whether these rules are working effectively. Belgian journalist Kristof Terreur revealed that the Blues keeper will be available for Belgium . The Chelsea goalkeeper continued for 13 minutes after the injury before being forced from the pitch . The Belgian is escorted up the tunnel and was immediately treated by paramedics in the dressing room . 'It is hard to understand how a concussion was not suspected following the sickening clash.' Courtois was taken off only after liquid appeared to be coming from his ear. McCabe acknowledged the difficulty of making an assessment from television, but questioned why a 'safety-first approach' was not applied. He added: 'Bleeding from one or both ears is one of the symptoms to look out for that requires an immediate visit or return to hospital following a head injury. 'The fact that the bleeding only became apparent 15 minutes after the injury also demonstrates the evolving nature of concussion and highlights why a safety-first approach must be taken with all head injuries.' | Thibaut Courtois has been cleared to play after head injury suffered against Arsenal on Sunday .
Courtois was injured in 10th minute after clash with Alexis Sanchez .
Chelsea keeper played on for 13 minutes before being substituted .
Player needed immediate medical attention after being taken off .
Courtois was taken to hospital for precautionary tests, but will now report for international duty with Belgium . |
57,034 | a18844ade4fc2128967069bb862cfbe14042cde2 | Washington (CNN) -- Federal judges struck down Texas lawmakers' plans for new congressional and state legislative districts Tuesday, finding the maps were designed to discriminate against minorities. The ruling by a three-judge panel is at least a temporary victory for the Obama administration, which had challenged the redistricting plan drawn up after the 2010 census. Those plans require Justice Department approval under Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act. "The Department is pleased that the district court has denied Texas's request for pre-clearance, " the agency said. The summary opinion of the three Washington judges declared the redrawn lines were intentionally designed to discriminate against racial and language minorities, noting that Texas officials "did not adequately engage with the evidence" presented. The Justice Department had challenged the redistricting plans for congressional districts and state House of Representatives seats. It did not challenge the state Senate district lines, but the court said that plan also showed intentional discrimination. The Republican-led Legislature and Texas Gov. Rick Perry had defended the plans. An official familiar with the case said Texas would promptly appeal the decision to the U.S. Supreme Court. The Republican-led Legislature and Texas Gov. Rick Perry had defended the plans. Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott, also a Republican, blasted the court's ruling. "The Attorney General's office will continue defending the maps enacted by the Texas Legislature, and will immediately take steps to appeal this flawed decision to the U.S. Supreme Court," Abbott said in a statement on the decision. Texas officials made clear appealing the disputed original maps enacted by the state Legislature that were struck down Tuesday will not affect the November elections. Interim maps, which were drawn by a lower federal court in San Antonio, will be used as planned for this year's elections. In January: Supreme Court rejects court-drawn Texas redistricting map . | NEW: Texas officials will appeal "this flawed decision," the state's attorney general says .
The court found Texas districts were drawn to discriminate against minorities .
The ruling is a win for the Justice Department, which challenged the maps . |
41,544 | 752a86a79d87fe7ccfda6191568c7249af6d4913 | Pupils would be grouped by ability in key subjects in every secondary school under the plans . Secondary schools would be required to teach pupils in sets according to ability under plans being considered by the Tories. They would be penalised for teaching mixed-ability groups for key subjects under controversial proposals to make sets effectively compulsory. The idea is being considered for inclusion in the 2015 Conservative Party manifesto. It would build on the policy blueprint in 2010, which pledged to ‘encourage setting so those who are struggling get extra help and the most able are stretched’. One report claimed Downing Street was pushing for the policy to be announced sooner and had even booked a venue for a launch. But Education Secretary Nicky Morgan insisted in the Commons there was ‘absolutely no truth’ in the ‘rumours’. She said political opponents had a ‘rather unhealthy interest sometimes in speculating about what I am or am not about to announce’. In an interview she added: 'It’s not something I am looking at.' Both Labour and the Tories have long supported setting but stopped short of making it compulsory. However last year the head of Ofsted called for greater use of sets from age 11 to ensure the brightest pupils reach their potential. Figures suggest the practice of separating children into ability groups does not become widespread until children are 14. Even among older children, not all schools use ability groups in core subjects. Ofsted’s Sir Michael Wilshaw said: 'I’d set from the word go (in secondary schools). 'Too many non-selective schools are failing to nurture scholastic excellence.’ Sources said the idea was ‘under discussion’ and part of the ‘policy debate at the moment’. While in opposition David Cameron called for a ‘grammar stream’ in every subject in all comprehensives. Education Secretary Nicky Morgan (left) denied claims the plans would be included in the 2015 Conservative Party manifesto. David Cameron (right) called for a 'grammar stream' in every subject in all comprehensives . He said: ‘I want to see setting in every single school. Parents know it works. Teachers know it works.’ It was claimed yesterday Mr Cameron’s advisers had drawn up plans for a compulsory setting policy. A source close to David Laws, the Lib Dem schools minister, said: ‘This has not been agreed with the Liberal Democrats and is not government policy. 'We don’t believe it would be appropriate to tie schools’ hands in this way.’ And Russell Hobby, general secretary of the National Association of Head Teachers, said: ‘This is an area for teachers to decide and for results to speak for themselves.’ Research published two years ago by the Royal Economic Society showed a higher proportion of ‘low-achieving pupils’ in each class had a ‘negative and significant effect on the academic achievements of regular pupils’ because they monopolised teachers’ attention. The announcement of the plans comes as teachers have been told to consider using seating plans to split up troublemakers and stop pupils choosing to sit with friends. | Plans may be included in 2015 Conservative Party manifesto, sources say .
All key subjects in secondary schools would be grouped by pupils' ability .
David Cameron called for a 'grammar stream' in 'every single school'
Education Secretary Nicky Morgan denied claims plans would be included . |
149,290 | 4d0b441356de19e4b6a6fa94f7acf9bac3ec394c | By . Lucy Crossley . Hero: Bethan Woolford (pictured) heard Robyn Jeffrey's cries for help and leapt from her car to catch one-year-old Harley as his mother dropped him from the first floor window of the burning home . A young mother made a desperate plea for a passer-by to catch her baby son as she dropped him from the window of her burning home. Frightened Robyn Jeffrey shouted for help through the top floor window as flames and smoke filled her family's house. Fortunately, Bethan Woolford, 20, heard 17-year-old Ms Jeffrey's cries and leapt from her car to catch one-year-old Harley as his mother dropped him from the first floor window of the burning home in Harlow, Essex. Ms Woolford had been driving to work when she saw the drama and ran to help, telling Ms Jeffrey to drop the child into her arms. She caught the little boy safely as a van driver also stopped and put his ladder against the wall of the house to rescue Ms Jeffrey. 'This girl opened the window and screamed "My baby's in here!," said care worker Ms Woolford. 'I told her to chuck him down. She said she couldn't do it but I swore I'd catch him. 'She held him out the window and let go. I caught him round his waist. It was just instinct, I didn't really think about it. 'Afterwards Harley was just laughing. He thought it was hilarious. I think he wanted another go.' Ms Jeffrey said: 'I woke up to find thick black smoke everywhere. 'There was no other way to escape except my bedroom window on the middle floor. 'I couldn't see anything because the smoke was so thick. 'I went to the window and I was just screaming "Help me, my baby is in here". Grateful: Robyn Jeffrey (pictured centre with her son Harvey) and the rest of her family, Stephanie Jeffrey, Raina Jeffrey, Alan Durack and Rebecca Jeffrey . 'I shouted "please catch my baby". She said I promise I will and she caught him.' The house was gutted by fire, but Ms Jeffrey and her family have been able to find a new home following the fire last Thursday. A joint investigation by the fire brigade and police is underway to determine the cause of the blaze. The mother-of-one said dropping Harley was 'the most difficult decision of her life' but she knew she had no other option. She added: 'I just don't know how to say thanks to her. She's such a hero in my eyes. 'I wouldn't have jumped, I just don't think I could have done it. It was the hardest day of my life but I'm so glad my little boy came to no harm.' Quick -thinking: Bethan Woolford, pictured with her colleague Chanelle Kotrofis, was on her way to work when to stopped to help Ms Jeffrey and Harley . | Robyn Jeffrey shouted for help from a window as smoke filled her home .
Bethan Woolford heard her cry and urged Ms Jeffrey to drop baby Harley .
Care worker Ms Woolford, 20, caught the one-year-old in her arms .
A passing van driver then helped free 17-year-old Ms Jeffrey .
'It was just instinct,' says Ms Woolford, who has been hailed as a hero .
House in Harlow, Essex, was gutted by the blaze . |
205,930 | 969590a5ab6de8f1bf7dd6e0d93bce3966f555c2 | Cynthia Scudo is a portrait of an all-American mom of eight and grandmother of 18 who survived an extraordinary journey lasting a decade: She became addicted to prescription painkillers and then to heroin. You'd never guess it. Trim, petite, with a bob and easy smile, Scudo had enough energy to work full-time and preside over a large family in Denver. She had it all -- until it crumbled. Her dark secret about a taboo drug is not as isolated as it seems, especially with the revelations of public figures whose early deaths involved heroin, such as actor Philip Seymour Hoffman, who overdosed on a cocktail of legal and illegal drugs. Prescription drug abuse is now a health epidemic in America, worse than crack in the 1980s, and Scudo's story is one example. Her addiction to a handful of prescription drugs, with OxyContin as first and foremost, led to heroin because it gave her the same high at a cheaper price. Both are opiates. "In the beginning, it was a feel-good," said Scudo, 55. "At the end, it was black." Scudo didn't shoot heroin. Rather, she smoked it using a straw, tinfoil and a lighter to inhale a smaller than pea-sized pinch of "black tar" heroin. She exhaled the smoke through a fan vent in the basement bathroom of her home, sometimes at 2 a.m., so her children wouldn't smell anything. "There's such a stigma about heroin, that it's dirty and it's IV users under the bridge and homeless people, and that is so not the case," Scudo said. "Heroin crosses all borders, all socioeconomic groups." Scudo's addiction was far from unique. The path from prescription drugs to heroin is well traveled, according to Dr. Patrick Fehling, a psychiatrist at the University of Colorado Hospital's Center for Dependency, Addiction and Rehabilitation. "That is very common. I have a lot of patients that ask me, 'Are prescription opioid painkillers gateway drugs towards heroin?'" Fehling said. "Absolutely." Scudo's drug use, while extreme, shouldn't obscure one reality: "Prescription drug abuse is a massive problem in the United States," Fehling said. How it began . For Scudo, her addiction began -- as they all do -- innocently enough. She sought relief from hip pain, possibly caused by scarring from cesarean sections she had delivering several of her children. Her then-husband recommended a physician. "There was no physical therapy offered," she said of the doctor's visit. "The first reaction was, let's give you some drugs." He put her on OxyContin. By the second week, she was physically addicted. She was popping so much of the painkiller and other drugs such as anti-anxiety Valium that they equated to a dosage for three men. A second doctor reduced her prescription, causing Scudo to experience withdrawal symptoms, or become "dope-sick." "When you start withdrawing from opiates, it focuses in your lower back and your legs, and it is like somebody has clamped a vice on both sides of your hips and is just smashing you. Hitting my back with a baseball bat would have been more comfortable," Scudo said. She was desperate for more OxyContin. "Some people are not addicts and can take drugs as prescribed," she explained. "But for the few people who are addicts, it's a whole different ball game." To feed her cravings, Scudo leveraged her maternal authority: She found drug dealers who were friends of her eldest children. "When you have eight children," she said, "you're bound to know people." It was so easy. But it was also so expensive. One OxyContin pill cost $80 on the street. "One OxyContin wouldn't last me at all," she said. "I could never take just one OxyContin. That wouldn't even keep the dope-sick away." So she turned to heroin. Why? Her fear of withdrawal was greater than her fear of the drug. Living fearlessly . Like OxyContin, heroin was abundant on the street. In Denver. In the suburbs. Once you bought from one dealer, several more approached you, she said. She bought seven balloons -- or seven grams -- of heroin for $100, she said. That kept her high for up to three days. "I would do some crazy stuff to get drugs," she said. "Like 2 o'clock in the morning, I'm making a run to downtown Denver. Like picking up my grandkids in the car (to go to a drug deal), praying that I was not going to get busted." No risk was too great. Never did she think of what she had to lose. "Not once," she explained. "That's the addict in me." After almost 10 years of heroin addiction, she wondered how much her family knew. Her children stopped bringing the grandchildren to visit her. She pawned family heirlooms. Her second marriage failed, and she stole from her ex-husband. "I know they knew that I was struggling, but they didn't know how to help. I'm sure that they were scared to death for me," she said, "and the sad part is...I didn't care." She fooled herself. After all, she was good at lying. Her job was going well. The bosses promoted her a few times. Everything was manageable, except when she got home from work at 4 p.m. and was in bed for the night at 4:30 p.m. "I didn't want to think. I didn't want to feel. Actually I didn't care if I lived or died," she said. The only person she couldn't fool was her alcoholic mom in recovery, who noticed Scudo's weight loss and asked her, "Are you ready for help?" Scudo responded with an "I got this, mom, I got it." I went from heroin addict to PTA mom . What the mirror told her . The breaking point came one morning after taking a shower. Scudo looked at herself in a full-length mirror, naked, for the first time in six months. "I looked like an Auschwitz survivor," she said. "I was a skeleton. I had this lovely green glow going, so I knew my liver was shutting down. The skin was hanging, literally hanging off my body. "And something about that moment when I saw myself triggered something in my head," she said. The next day, her ex-husband called her at work in a confrontation about a problem. Scudo had enough. She wanted to drive her car off the highest overhang on Interstate 70, but feared she wouldn't die immediately and would end up in pain. She went home, kissed the two children still living with her, went to the bedroom and cried. She closed the door. She found eight OxyContin pills, but that wasn't going to be enough to kill her. She was used to downing six at a time, crushed. She fell asleep and took a sick day from work the next morning. How heroin kills you . Hitting bottom . Her mother knocked on her door at 10 a.m. Her son-in-law, who worked at the same company as Scudo, told her that Scudo took a sick day. "Have you damn well had enough?" her mother asked her. "And for some reason, 'yes' came out of my mouth," Scudo said. They checked her into a 30-day inpatient program for addiction on April 19, 2011, the last day she took drugs. That meant her first day without dope was, ironically, also the unofficial, international get-high day of April 20, she noted. Her detoxification was "six days of hell," she said. "I lost 9 pounds in six days," she recounted. "I threw up every 15 minutes. I would have to live in the shower with the water temperature of 120 degrees to burn the skin to not feel the pain in my back." She's been clean for three years now, she said. She's on her third marriage. She's changed jobs, becoming an office manager over 200 employees at a credit card company. And she no longer wants to die. "I am not ashamed of the fact that I am who I am. The only way that I will not make this is if I start keeping secrets from myself and other people and then my head gets to start playing games with me and telling me it has a good idea," Scudo said. "And I have got way too much to live for to go back." She now hosts a monthly family dinner -- for 45 people in her little green house. And the grandchildren visit again the once-lost matriarch. New abuse-deterrent painkiller approved . FDA aims to tighten control of hydrocodone . FDA fights drug overdoses with new labels for prescription painkillers . DEA turns to texting to fight prescription drug abuse . | Cynthia had it all -- a career and a family of 8 children and 18 grandchildren .
She abused prescription painkillers and then used heroin because it was cheaper .
Prescription opiate abuse can be a gateway drug to heroin, doctor says .
"Prescription drug abuse is a massive problem in the United States," doctor adds . |
90,097 | ffd9898acbe737ca2b8864c332f89e27aeb85e60 | CNN senior international correspondent Nick Paton Walsh has won an Emmy award for outstanding writing for his reports filed from Syria and Afghanistan. The award-winning reports were "Aleppo Airstrikes," "Aleppo: Old City Fight," and "Afghan Women Self-Immolation." In its submission to the Annual News and Documentary Emmy Awards, CNN highlighted Paton Walsh's "poetic writing," saying it contrasted "with the sobering environments from which his stories are usually drawn." "His reports punch through the daily accounts of wounded and dead, and give us a fresh way to see the grinding pitilessness of war, and its quirky inconsistencies," the broadcaster said. "Aleppo Airstrikes" is the account of indiscriminate shelling in the Syrian city of Aleppo. Walsh's piece to camera sees him crouching as a government bomber jet flies above. "It's that sound that terrifies ordinary residents of Aleppo daily," he says. Of the lone infant who survives the strike, Paton Walsh observes: "A year old, he was born into Syria's bloody revolution, and may yet survive it still." In "Aleppo: Old City Fight," Paton Walsh goes right inside the fight for the historic old city. His report focuses on the improvised nature of the battle, with "pot-shots at nothing in particular" and what it could mean for the wider conflict. CNN said Paton Walsh's war reporting was "complemented by his sensitive stories about the plight of women in the developing world." In "Afghan Women Self-Immolation," the correspondent reports on an epidemic of self-immolation among young married women in Herat. The women take the drastic measure as a form of protest against the abuse they suffer at the hands of their husbands or in-laws. CNN said Paton Walsh's "delicate writing has a reverential tone, bestowing upon these sad burn victims in Herat the respect they seek." Beirut-based Paton Walsh has worked for CNN since 2011, focusing on the Middle East, Afghanistan and surrounding region. He topped five other contenders to take home the award for outstanding writing at the awards ceremony, which was held in New York, Tuesday. More recently, Paton Walsh has reported from scenes of conflict in Egypt and Turkey and from Dagestan, where he secured an interview with the parents of the alleged Boston bombers. CNN's Anderson Cooper 360 also won an Emmy, for Outstanding News Discussion and Analysis for "Kids On Race: The Hidden Picture," while CNN's 2012 U.S. election night coverage saw it honored with an Emmy for "Outstanding Live Coverage of a Current News Story -- Long Form." Paton Walsh's previous awards include the British Press Awards' Young Journalist of the Year in 2000 and Amnesty International's Gaby Rado Award (2006) for a reporter at the start of their career for his work in the former Soviet Union. He also won Amnesty's television award for his work in Sri Lanka in 2010, while he was working for British broadcaster Channel 4 News. Read more from Nick Paton Walsh: . Taliban tightens grip on Afghan schools . Baby survives as family dies in Syrian onslaught . Afghan-army style justice fails to win over locals . A sniper's bullet, a dying child, a family's desperation . Heart-rending choices in Syrian warzone . | Nick Paton Walsh has reported for CNN since 2011, focusing on the Mideast and Afghanistan .
The senior international correspondent has been awarded an Emmy Award .
The award for outstanding writing related to his reports on Syria and Afghanistan .
CNN also won awards for its coverage of the 2012 U.S. elections and race in America . |
167,200 | 643a9deff2880f8f817532f3401158aa4e036fa0 | (CNN) -- Well, well. The boys at Augusta National Golf Club -- members and sponsors alike -- are in a big bind. Nine years after I led an unsuccessful effort by the National Council of Women's Organizations to open membership in the club to women, the "woman problem" is back. This time it involves Virginia Rometty, the first female chief executive of IBM. IBM is a major sponsor of Augusta National's Masters Golf Tournament, and up to now its CEOs have always been given membership in the club. But none has ever been a woman. So what happens now -- will Augusta National open its doors to women? Or will IBM pull its sponsorship and force its other executives to resign their club memberships? These are the only two real choices. We've said all along that this is not about golf. It is about access to the places where big business is done, deals are made and careers are boosted or broken. Half of Augusta's membership (which reads like a roster of Fortune 500 CEOs) probably doesn't even care about golf, but the members do care about power relationships. According to Fortune magazine, "golf remains the true communications hub of America's business elite." Back in 2003 when opposition to the all-male policy was making headlines, I got two calls from sponsors who said they were "in dialogue" with the club. The first was from Coca-Cola, saying its board was going to make a decision after talking to "Warren (Buffett) and Sam (Nunn)," board members who were also Augusta members. I was promised a call in the next two or three days. I'm still waiting. My second call was much more hostile. It was from IBM, telling me my organization was "forcing" them to do something they didn't want to do, and generally dressing me down for making an issue of the bald-faced sexism that their sponsorship supported. A few days later Hootie Johnson, then chairman of Augusta National, stepped to a microphone and announced the club was releasing its sponsors, broadcasting the tournament without commercials. The boys had clearly made a deal that went like this: We'll "release" you as sponsors, you'll keep your mouths shut, and when all this woman stuff blows over you can quietly come back. Two of the three did not return (IBM was the exception), but none of the sponsors ever condemned the male-only policy at Augusta National. IBM is surely scrambling for what it hopes will be another face-saving deal. The CBSSports.com senior golf columnist Steve Elling predicts that club Chairman Billy Payne will offer Rometty a membership a few days after the Masters ends next week: "She shows up at the tournament in 2013 in green, after the gender issue has died down. That way, the club avoids the appearance that Payne has been backed into a corner or forced into making an accommodation." Sorry, but that dog won't hunt. Telling Rometty to be a good girl and wait a little longer with IBM's collusion would be a disaster -- not only for the company's image, but for Rometty's credibility as its leader. Elling's scenario would scream that IBM values the relationship with a club that proudly discriminates more than it values its own integrity -- or its first female CEO. What if, on the other hand, Rometty makes an announcement that she's not interested in membership? That won't work either. It would be widely assumed that she was under pressure from the company to make such a statement, and in the bargain accept her second-class status. After all, CEOs (male and female) don't get where they are by making waves. But fixing this shouldn't be put on her. It's the responsibility of the board of directors to insist that their CEO be treated exactly like -- well -- one of the boys. Besides, whether she would accept a membership is completely irrelevant to the question of the appropriateness of the club's all-male policy and IBM's tacit support of it, and it doesn't get the club out of its bind anyway. Before she can reject a membership, she has to be offered one. If Augusta National admits it was prepared to make an offer but she wouldn't accept, it has admitted that membership is open to women, and it will immediately be asked who the next candidate will be and when. If the club remains silent, IBM's problem reverberates louder. And saying the gender issue will die down is wishful thinking. The women's movement opened the doors to the executive suites for women like Rometty with 30 years of hard work that made sex discrimination in hiring and promotion in corporate America illegal. If we hadn't raised the ruckus in 2003, you can bet it wouldn't be front and center now. And though we haven't succeeded yet, we won't stop until females are treated equally in corporate-supported venues like Augusta National Golf Club, or until those companies are shamed into pulling support. If this were about race discrimination and a black (male) CEO, IBM surely wouldn't be in the mix, and no other national sponsor would go near this club. But it's only the girls -- and sex discrimination is just not as serious. Or is it? We're listening for IBM's answer. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Martha Burk. | Martha Burk: Augusta National Golf Club, site of the Masters, doesn't admit women .
But this year the CEO of IBM, a major sponsor whose CEOs are given membership, is a woman .
She says this puts IBM in a bind: Should it ditch sponsorship if CEO not admitted? She says yes .
Burk: It's IBM's directors' responsibility to insist their CEO be treated like "one of the boys" |
198,940 | 8d895ed34c8c0bddba19260fab45b44cef3d622c | By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 08:07 EST, 13 August 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 09:50 EST, 13 August 2013 . A youth has sparked fury after posting a video online of him kicking a kitten off his porch. Walter Easley's clip shows him speaking to the camera before lining up the tiny ginger cat. He takes off his shoes before kicking the animal over his three porch steps and about 10ft into his garden. Scroll down for video . The six-second video shows Walter Easley lining up the cat on his porch before kicking it . The video of Easley kicking the cat that was originally uploaded to Vine has sparked fury among internet users . In the video the kitten appears to be unharmed and stands up immediately after landing on the grass. The six-second video has received almost 500 comments on Reddit but after waves of anger and threats to Easley, it has now been taken down. One user wrote: 'To kick a cat you have to be a messed up person but to post it to vine like it's funny, probably prompting other idiots to do the same thing, is unforgivable. 'This guy deserves whatever is coming to him', reported The Daily Dot. Personal information about the man, who is believed to live in the U.S., has been posted on websites, as well as threats to attack him. The clip also spread across Twitter, LiveLeak and YouTube where it has been viewed hundreds of times. The defenseless cat can be seen (top left) as it is sent flying by Easley's kick . In the video the kitten appears to be unharmed and stands up immediately after landing on the grass . Since the video went viral, Easley has been subjected to threats and racist abuse online . The youth initially responded to the reaction on Twitter with the tweet: 'Lol now I got something to laugh at all day.' Since the video went viral, Easley has been subjected to vile, racist abuse. He has now changed his Twitter account to private. A petition has also been set up called 'Bring Walter Easley, the kitten kicker, to justice'. It has received almost 400 signatures since it was launched. The video was initially uploaded on July 28 but only came to mass attention this week when it was posted on Reddit. | Walter Easley's clip provoked stream of anger after it went viral .
Six-second video shows him kicking ginger kitten into his garden . |
226,285 | b103ab6b857079f91481bde02e3b822c791ebc48 | Like a cowboy riding a bull, a daring frog enjoyed his own rodeo on a beetle - and stayed atop the insect for five minutes even as it tried to fly away. The adventurous flying frog leapt atop the black beetle and even put its front leg in the air in a bid to keep its balance. Photographer Hendy Mp captured the strange antics near his house in Sambas, Kalimantan Barat, in Indonesia. Giddy up! Photographer Hendy Mp captured this daring frog hop a ride on a beetle and it even stuck its front leg in the air cowboy-style . King of the rodeo: The flying frog managed to stay atop the woodboring beetle for around five minutes before eventually crawling off . Risky business: The photographer, who captured the off antics in Sambas, in Indonesia, said the frog stayed on even as the beetle took off . He said the green and orange frog, pictured grinning widely, stayed on the beetle even as it began 'taking off'. The 25-year-old said: 'It was such an amazing moment, the frog just saw the beetle and decided to crawl on top.' He added the frog stayed on the beetle for around five minutes before eventually crawling off. 'It looked like the frog was a cowboy riding a bull and it even put its right leg in the air. 'The frog was on the beetle for five minutes and the insect was just happily running around.' The frog, a Reinwardt's Flying Frog, is native to Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand, and is classed as a near threatened species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). Howdy partner! The 25-year-old described the moment as 'amazing' and added 'the frog just saw the beetle and decided to crawl on top' Let's go for a ride: The flying frog is seen effortlessly climbing onto the woodboring beetle before the attempts to fly away . Rest stop: The green and orange frog even takes a moment to relax on top of his new friend, which 'was just happily running around' Let me direct you: The flying frog, pictured with its front legs around the beetle's claw-like antenna, sits comfortably as the insect moves . Grinning wide: The green and orange frog is pictured with a huge smile on its face as it enjoyed its own rodeo before eventually crawling off . The frog, a Reinwardt's Flying Frog, is native to Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand, and is classed as a near threatened species . | Photographer Hendy Mp captured the unique moment near his house in Sambas, Indonesia .
He says the frog managed to stay perched atop the beetle of around five minutes, despite it taking off . |
131,516 | 360f3a73c6d09afc1e973e66614d6a11057a64ed | By . Emma Reynolds . PUBLISHED: . 11:28 EST, 13 November 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 02:58 EST, 14 November 2012 . Modern-day Rasputin: Thierry Tilly, pictured today at the court of Bordeaux, southwestern France, persuaded 11 relatives to sell off their chateau and possessions . A British conman who brainwashed three generations of an aristocratic French family into handing over their £3.6million fortune was today jailed for eight years. Thierry Tilly used mental manipulation to convince the Vedrines clan of a secret plot to kill them, leaving the 11 relatives so scared they locked themselves in their chateau near Bordeaux for years. Over the course of almost a decade, the 48-year-old from Oxford persuaded the family - aged from 16 to 89 - to sell off their possessions and their turreted mansion. Tilly has been nicknamed 'the guru' by local media and compared to Rasputin, a Russian mystic thought to have influenced Emperor Nicholas II. Tilly became a confidante of the landed Vedrines in 2000 and gradually persuaded them to pour their money into a fake Canadian charity he claimed was set up to pay their 'protectors'. In a case that has fascinated France, Tilly was accused of using mental manipulation and violence to convince them that they were in mortal danger from a cabal of freemasons, a European secret society and paedophiles. The family claims he brainwashed them into believing they were the lost descendants of an ancient society called 'The Balance of the World'. For five years, they barely left their castle in Monflanquin, 100 miles east of Bordeaux, terrified they would be killed. Prosecutors called Tilly, who told the family that he could protect them, the 'Leonardo da Vinci of mental manipulation'. The court in Bordeaux was told that Tilly used his 'superior intelligence' to ingratiate himself with the family. French-born Tilly was today convicted of . arbitrary detention, using violence against vulnerable people and . abusing people weakened by 'psychological subjection'. Manipulated: Christine de Védrines, pictured today with husband Philippe, says she was locked in a room for several months, deprived of food and beaten for resisting Tilly's lies . His accomplice, Jacques Gonzalez, 65, was sentenced to four years in prison. Christine de Vedrines, who first alerted police to Tilly's actions, said today: 'Eight years is a small price to pay for . what he did to our family and children. The trial is behind us and . we will do everything to rebuild.' His lawyer Alexandre Novion had argued that the Vedrines, from 13th-century village of Monflanquin in southwestern France, had acted willingly. 'These 11 family members aren't ill, . have their feet on the ground, a level of self-awareness,' he said. 'Eleven people . manipulated by mysterious forces by a single man? The legal basis for . case is weak.' Despite the conviction, Tilly remained . defiant, invoking his right as a British citizen and saying he would . take his case to the European Court of Justice, news agency Sipa reported. His lawyer, however, said he was not aware that his client was a British citizen. Tilly was deemed mentally stable during . his trial, and French media have reported that he has a history of lies and . exaggerations. Mind control: When Jean Marchand, left, denounced Tilly as a fraudster, his wife Ghislaine and son Francois, behind, branded him an 'agent of evil' He claimed before the Bordeaux court that he was a . member of the Habsburg dynasty, that he once almost played football for . Marseille and that he knew former French President Francois Mitterrand. His victims included Guillemette de Védrines, who died in 2010 aged 97, her three children Philippe, Ghislaine and Charles-Henri, the two brothers' wives, Brigitte and Christine, and five adult grandchildren. Devious pair: Tilly's accomplice Jacques Gonzalez, pictured, was sentenced to four years in prison today . Tilly's first victim was Ghislaine de Védrines, 66, who he met when he worked for her Paris secretarial college in 1999. After barely registering the 'uncharismatic' man for the first year, she gradually found herself drawn to him, and introduced him to her family, the court heard. Tilly claimed they were protected by a global network of secretive grandees, whose head, Mr Gonzalez, was a cousin of King Juan Carlos of Spain. As scrutiny intensified in France, Tilly convinced most of the family to decamp to Oxford, where they often failed to pay rent and were taken to court. Anyone who resisted was punished severely. Christine de Védrines, 62, says she was locked in a room for several months, deprived of food and beaten. She says he insisted she knew the number of a bank account that would lead to the lost treasure of the Knights Templar. When Ghislaine's husband, Jean Marchand, a journalist, denounced Tilly as a charlatan, his wife and two children branded him an 'agent of evil'. Mr Marchand alerted the authorities, who refused to act because there were no legal complaints from the rest of the family. Tilly was finally arrested in Switzerland in 2009 following a complaint by Christine, who escaped after confiding in her employer in Oxford. When Mr Gonzalez was arrested in 2010, police found a BMW 645 with €86,000 in the boot, as well as expensive watches, bottles of fine wine and an 'opulent wardrobe'. The case raises echoes of another . controversial trial involving France's richest woman, 90-year-old . L'Oreal heiress Liliane Bettencourt, who was swindled by a French tax . lawyer into giving him a private Seychelles island. | The 11 relatives locked themselves in their turreted chateau for five years .
They were persuaded to put cash into charity set up to 'protect them'
Those who resisted were punished - with 65-year-old Christine de Vedrines beaten and deprived of food for months .
Thierry Tilly was dubbed the 'Leonardo da Vinci of mental manipulation'
Tilly, from Oxford, convinced most of the family to decamp to his city . |
170,993 | 694fa31d4170c222eebd74bc376fb3ec15599327 | Unidentified drones have been spotted flying above Paris for a second night, after 'at least' five were spotted illegally flying around city landmarks on Monday, sparking a terror alert. Drones were seen on Monday buzzing the Eiffel Tower, Bastille Square and the U.S. embassy building. Unmanned aircraft were also spotted flying overnight on Monday near the French capital's Place de la Concorde and the Invalides military museum, where Napoleon Bonaparte is buried. French security sources where unable to catch the operators of the drones, which are typically fitted with video recording equipment and can be used for surveillance of a terror target to assess security levels and any spikes in pedestrian footfall ahead of a planned attack. Fear: Drones were spotted flying near the Invalides military museum, where Napoleon Bonaparte is buried . Alert: Paris is on alert for a new terror attack after 'at least' five drones were spotted illegally flying around city landmarks, including the the U.S. embassy building (pictured) Tension: Drones were also seen flying around the world-famous Eiffel Tower . New threat: French law bans small, civilian drones from areas such as nuclear facilities, which are protected by a no-fly zone that spans a 1.6-mile radius and a height of 1,000 metres. The above drone crashed on the grass near the White House in the United States last month . A map showing where the drones have been sighted in Paris . The first drone sighting was near the US embassy in the French capital at around midnight on Monday. Between then and 6am the Eiffel Tower, Bastille Square, the Place de la Concorde and the Invalides military museum 'were also flown over' , a security source said. 'It could be a coordinated action but we don't know for now,' the source, who asked not to be identified, added. 'We did everything to try and catch the operators but they were not found,' another source close to the investigation said. France has experienced a series of mysterious drone appearances in the last few months. On January 20, a pilotless aircraft briefly went over the presidential palace in Paris, while around 20 drones were earlier seen flying above nuclear power plants. However until Tuesday 'there have never been so many drones appearing in one night,' the security source said. Location: At some point between midnight and 6am on Monday, drone aircraft were spotted flying near Bastille Square . Tourist hotspot: The first drone sighting in the French capital was around midnight on Monday. Shortly after an unmanned aircraft was seen flying near the Place de la Concorde . The emergence of drones comes amid warnings by terrorist groups that they will attack the city, following January shootings which left a total of 20 dead, including three terrorists. ‘They could be seen throughout the night, but nobody knows who were operating them,’ said a police source in the capital. A specialist police aviation unit tried to establish who was at the controls, but there have been no arrests. There have been other mysterious drone flights across Paris, but this is the first time that such a concentrated number have been seen above so many potentially vulnerable targets. The US embassy has been threatened by numerous groups in the past, from Al-Qaeda to Algeria’s Armed Islamic Group. French law bans small, civilian drones from areas such as nuclear facilities, which are protected by a no-fly zone that spans a 1.6-mile radius and a height of 1,000 metres. Experts say that the small unmanned craft would not pose a threat if crashed into a hardened nuclear facility. Fightback: Earlier this month France unveiled its latest weapon against the growing menace of rogue drones buzzing through their nation's skies: another drone, with a net . Caught: In a demonstration in La Queue-en-Brie, east of Paris, the mesh-wielding flying machine was shown snaring a DJI Phantom 2 drone - the same brand as one which crashed onto the White House lawn last month . France has barred six 'would-be jihadists' from leaving the country after discovering their plans to travel to Syria and join the Islamic State terror group. It the first such travel ban under a new law aimed at preventing French Islamic radicals travelling to the vast swathes of Syria and Iraq currently under the control of Sunni extremists. French interior minister Bernard Cazeneuve says some 40 other French citizens will face travel bans in the coming weeks. He did not reveal the identity of the six people whose passports have already been confiscated. The bans are the first since a sweeping anti-terrorism law passed in France last year. The government is especially worried since attacks in Paris last month killed 20 people, including three gunmen claiming ties to Islamic extremists in Syria and Yemen. An Interior Ministry official says the passports and ID cards of the six have been declared invalid for six months - a measure that can be extended for up to two years. The news comes just days after Cazeneuve said he asked Google, Facebook and Twitter to work directly with French officials during investigations and to immediately remove terrorist propaganda when authorities alert them to it. Earlier this month France unveiled its latest weapon against the growing menace of rogue drones buzzing through their nation's skies: another drone, with a net. In a demonstration flight in La Queue-en-Brie, east of Paris, the mesh-wielding flying machine was shown snaring a DJI Phantom 2 drone - the same brand as one which crashed onto the White House lawn last month. The U.S. Secret Service was sent scrambling by the unexpected intrusion, but France has already faced dozens of drone overflights over sensitive sites. Mystery drones have buzzed nuclear plants, military installations and even the presidential palace in recent months, as fears run high of terror attacks linked to the Islamic State terror group. Concerned at the new technology, officials have asked scientists and companies to develop ways to monitor and detect intruding drones and their remote-control pilots; analyse and track their flight paths; and ultimately neutralise the drones, either temporarily or permanently, with the least collateral damage possible. Last October it emerged that holidaymakers who are planning to fly a camera-equipped drone in Paris’ tourist zones risk spending time in jail and being slapped with a hefty fine. An Israeli tourist found out the hard way this week when he was arrested in front of Notre Dame Cathedral while flying a drone above some of Paris’ top attractions. | Unmanned aircraft were seen flying over tourist hotspots in French capital .
Appeared in 'at least' five locations in the city in early hours of Monday .
Security officials were unable to catch the operators of the drone aircraft .
Civilian drones are thought a serious security risk and are banned in Paris .
They are used to access security levels of a target before a terror attack . |
24,127 | 4476c9028810687fe947e01e68a82bf0e55e6df2 | By . Ashley Clements for MailOnline . Follow @@Ashley_Clements . Convicted match-fixer Wilson Raj Perumal has revealed that he was involved in the fixing of 'between 80 and 100 football matches.' Speaking in his first ever television interview, Perumal has revealed that he made around £3million from rigging football matches around the world and claims that he would sometimes sit on team benches giving orders to players and coaches. He told CNN: ‘I never really counted, but I think it should be between 80 and 100 football matches. VIDEO Scroll down for Director of Sport Integrity: Battle against match-fixing is winnable . Fixer: Wilson Maj Perumal (pictured) claims that he rigged around 100 football matches and made £3million . ‘I was on the bench at times, and telling players what to do, giving orders to the coach. It was that easy. There was no policing whatsoever.’ Perumal said that when he was younger he had dreamed of a career in the armed forces. He added: ‘I had my boyhood dreams. I wanted to be a soldier but during my school days I got a criminal record and couldn't really pursue what I wanted to. And then I got attracted to betting when I was about 19-20 years old. ‘I kind of got hooked and I didn't want to lose… so I started fixing local matches.’ The 49-year-old began fixing matches in the late 1980s in Singapore and eventually joined what international police organization Interpol described as 'the world's most notorious match-fixing syndicate'. He boasted that his success rate was about 70 to 80 per cent. Astonishingly, some football associations welcomed him ‘with open arms’, he explained. Former Fifa match-fixing investigator Terry Steans was shown Perumal’s contacts list by the police and was amazed to see that he had relationships with officials and players from 38 countries – out of a possible total of 209. Perumal added: ‘I have no regrets. It was a phase of my life and I enjoyed it and I traveled around the world. I had a good time.’ | Wilson Raj Perumal admits to fixing 'between 80 and 100 football matches'
49-year-old boasted that his success rate was about 70 to 80 per cent .
He says that he has gambled away the fortune he made from match-fixing . |
242,501 | c5dff4c82b5d20cf50bedc8b4f3a6ea1725c04ae | (CNN) -- Navy SEAL Aaron Vaughn "wouldn't want to leave this Earth any other way than how he did," his wife told CNN, a day after she learned her husband was one of 30 U.S. service members killed in a helicopter crash Saturday in Afghanistan. "He loved his job," Kimberly Vaughn said. "There was no way -- even if you could tell him that this would have happened he would have done it anyway. All those men are like that. They're selfless." The Navy confirmed that 22 SEALS and eight other U.S. service members died when a CH-47 Chinook crashed in the restive Wardak province early Saturday morning. It was the single largest loss of life for U.S. troops since the Afghan war began in late 2001. They were part of a "quick reaction" force sent to assist members of the 75th Army Ranger Regiment pinned down by enemy fire in a fierce firefight, a U.S. military official speaking on condition of anonymity told CNN. The mission targeted a Taliban commander directly responsible for attacks on U.S. troops, military officials with knowledge of the operation said Sunday. Insurgents are believed to have shot down the helicopter, said the official, who was not authorized to release details to the media. The Taliban claimed militants downed the helicopter with a rocket-propelled grenade. Known Taliban leader had been targeted . Kimberly Vaughn saw TV reports about the downed helicopter Saturday morning, but the tragedy reached her home when her doorbell rang. "I thought, 'Oh, hopefully it's just a neighbor,' and as I rounded the stairs I saw the men in uniform and I just fell to my knees," she said. "There's no preparing for it. It's something you see in the movies. It's not something you're supposed to live through." Her father was standing with her to hold her up as the Navy officers told her that her husband was killed in action. "I fell to my knees and cried and didn't want to hear it, but it's the truth," Vaughn said. "You want it to be a mistake. You want them to say it's the wrong person, but I wouldn't wish this on anyone." Complex landscape where troops died . Aaron Vaughn called his wife's cell phone Friday afternoon and spoke to her and their 2-year-old son Reagan, she said. "It was actually a great conversation -- probably just about time before he went out to work that night," she said. "We got to tell each other we loved each other, so it was a great conversation to have." Aaron and Kimberly, married for three years, also have a 2-month-old daughter, Chamberlyn. He was stationed in Virginia Beach, Virginia, . "I want to tell the world that he was an amazing man, that he was a wonderful husband, and a fabulous father to two wonderful children," she said. "He was a warrior for Christ and he was a warrior for our country and he wouldn't want to leave this Earth any other way than how he did." Vaughn's grandmother called him "a great American" who wanted to be a Navy SEAL ever since he was a boy. Geneva Carson Vaughn recalled one of the last conversations she had with him. "I told him to be careful and he said, 'Granny, don't worry about me.' He said 'I'm not afraid because I know where I'm going if something happens to me.' Aaron was a Christian and he stood firm in his faith," she said, her voice heavy with emotion. "He's with the Lord now and I'll see him again some day." The family of Navy SEAL Tommy Ratzlaff confirmed to CNN that he was among those killed, but they were reluctant to say much about Ratzlaff or his job. Nephew Jeff Adams, who spoke via phone from Green Forest, Arkansas, Sunday said that Ratzlaff would want them to "keep a low profile," because as a Navy SEAL you've "got to stay secretive just to do his job." "He would have been grateful for all the support he's getting," Adams said. "We're proud of him. He had a lot of accomplishments. He did what he loved and died defending everyone he loved." Sgt. Patrick Hamburger, a soldier in the U.S. Army, was also on the fatal flight, his family said. Hamburger knew he was about to embark on an important and secret mission when he spoke to his family for the last time a few days ago, his brother said. Hamburger, 30, grew up in Lincoln, Nebraska, and joined the Nebraska National Guard soon after graduating from high school. A helicopter flight engineer, he arrived in Afghanistan only last week for his first tour of duty there, younger brother Chris Hamburger told CNN. He had told the family he wouldn't be in touch "because they had stuff to do," Chris Hamburger said. Hamburger's longtime girlfriend, Candie Reagan, and family members "got a pretty bad feeling about it" when they first saw news reports of a downed U.S. helicopter Saturday morning, his brother said. "It was so close to where he was at and we all started talking back and forth," Hamburger said. U.S. Army officers visited Reagan's Grand Island, Nebraska, home Saturday afternoon to tell her Hamburger was killed. "I was walking out of work and his girlfriend called on the phone in total hysteria and told me, and I told everybody else," Hamburger said. "They showed up at her door." Patrick Hamburger has a 2-year-old daughter with Reagan, who he was planning to marry when he returned to Nebraska next May, his brother said. He was also helping raise Reagan's 13-year-old daughter, Chris Hamburger said. CNN blog: Afghanistan Crossroads . Hamburger sent an e-mail to Reagan the day before his death. She read the e-mail to CNN's Don Lemon. "Please don't worry about me," Hamburger wrote. The e-mail assured Reagan that he was "doing everything in his power to be safe and to make it home in one piece." "Don't worry, this place isn't going to change me, I'm going to change this place," his last e-mail said. "Pat was always looking out for everyone around him," Chris Hamburger said. "... he was always taking care of us. He would get himself into bad situations to help us. He was selfless. He didn't worry about him(self) half as much as he worried about everybody else. You could have been a complete stranger" and he would have helped you. It was his selflessness that led him to Afghanistan, he said . "His group was getting deployed and he wanted to be with them," he said. "He said it was only right that he would be there, too." Hamburger's family is gathering in Lincoln waiting for the return of his body. His girlfriend's brother, Sgt. David Mason, was also in Afghanistan and is escorting Hamburger home. CNN's Laurie Ure, Brian Todd, Barbara Starr and David Ariosto contributed to this report. | NEW: Navy SEAL Aaron Vaughn leaves behind 2 children and his wife .
NEW: He loved his job," Vaughn's wife says .
NEW: Navy SEAL Tommy Ratzlaff "died defending everyone he loved," nephew says .
Sgt. Patrick Hamburger of Nebraska was "selfless," his brother says . |
31,003 | 581d9715b80d48747487b1af7e3b1f99126bcf51 | Steven Drake Jr., 29, has been jailed for posts allegedly inciting violence against police the same day two New York City officers were shot dead . A Facebook user from Pennsylvania has been jailed for posts allegedly inciting violence against police the same day two New York City officers were shot dead. According to the Observer-Reporter, Steven Drake Jr., 29, was arrested last Wednesday in McDonald. Among the profanity-laced comments he reportedly posted on December 20 were 'The police brought this on themselves! I say kill them all! Enough is enough.' He apparently wrote similar remarks on his social media page the following day. The statements came after Ismaaiyl Abdullah Brinsley, 28, shot and killed New York City police officers Raphael Ramos and Wenjian Liu as they sat in their patrol car. The Maryland man then turned the gun on himself. Two hours before the incident, Brinsley had posted a picture of a gun on Instagram with the chilling message: 'I'm Putting Wings On Pigs Today. They Take 1 Of Ours... 'Let's Take 2 of Theirs #ShootThePolice #RIPErivGardner (sic) #RIPMikeBrown. This May Be My Final Post. I'm Putting Pigs In A Blanket.' Tragically, Baltimore police had tried to apprehend Brinsley by alerting the NYPD after his morning shooting - but by the time a wanted flyer was issued, his attack was already under way. Police in Pennsylvania received an anonymous tip off about Drake's 'aggressive' Facebook posts, along with screenshots shortly after the New York slayings. Apparently he said he 'often posts anti-police rhetoric' on his social media pages and was drunk while writing his latest commentary. The Midway resident now faces a preliminary hearing on January 6 with charges including terroristic threats and disorderly conduct. Online court records do not list an attorney for him. Police say Drake acknowledged making the posts, which also referenced the recent police killings of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri, and Eric Garner in New York City. Victims: Officers Rafael Ramos (left) and Wenjian Liu (right) were killed on December 20 in a brazen ambush . | Steven Drake Jr., 29, was arrested last Wednesday in McDonald .
He allegedly wrote Facebook posts inciting violence against police the same day two New York City officers were shot dead .
The Midway resident now faces a preliminary hearing on January 6 with charges including terroristic threats and disorderly conduct . |
77,841 | dcb1f34f5a26af328346fc78c8d2d333940277ac | Tottenham are showing an interest in Mexico centre-back Hector Moreno. The 26-year-old plays for Espanyol, the former club of Mauricio Pochettino, and the Tottenham coach knows the stylish centre-back well having brought him to Spain from Mexico. Everton, Southampton and Swansea have also shown an interest in recent months with the Spanish side looking for £7million. Most wanted: Mexico's Hector Moreno has attracted interest from Tottenham, Everton and Swansea . Moreno was one of Mexico's heroes in Tuesday night's draw with Brazil and Tottenham want to strengthen in defence with Michael Dawson, Younes Kaboul and Vlad Chiriches all expected to move on. Tottenham have been linked with Real Madrid left-back Marcelo but that may prove too rich a deal. They are also monitoring Argentina and Sporting Lisbon defender Marcos Rojo. Cardiff have also expressed an interest in Moreno, but have only offered around £4million for him. White Hart gain? Argentina full-back Marcos Rojo is also on Mauricio Pochettino's wanted list . | Tottenham have joined the chase for Mexico defender Hector Moreno .
Espanyol stopper is also wanted by Everton, Southampton and Swansea .
Spurs are also monitoring Argentina's Marcelo Rojo at the World Cup . |
17,823 | 327d6dad11ad50ea746027dd3b15e346e1d8a6c8 | By . John Greechan for MailOnline . If winning is a habit, it’s one that Celtic would like to reacquire with some haste. If few are yet willing to entertain the notion of Ronny Deila’s men doing anything other than romping to this season’s SPFL Premiership title, they aren’t doing much cavorting at the moment. At Dens Park, they certainly played their part in a hugely entertaining 1-1 draw. Yet the fact that Paul Hartley’s home side were at least equally responsible for the thrills on a sunny afternoon said a great deal about Celtic’ s current state of readiness. When Deila admits, as he did yesterday, that his team looked ‘afraid’ in a game against newly-promoted opposition, something isn’t right. The Celtic boss insists that all will be better after the international break – and after the ins and outs of a transfer window are completed. They’ll need to be. Equaliser: Leigh Griffiths came off the bench to score and earn Celtic a point against Dundee . On Tayside, a James McPake header almost exactly one minute into this early kick-off was cancelled out when substitute Leigh Griffiths scored against one of his many former clubs not long after half-time. Over 90 minutes plus added time of cut and thrust, to and fro, give and go – not to mention some slap and tickle among a Celtic defence missing their star player, more of whom elsewhere and later, ad infinitum – both teams had their chances to win. Each settled rather uneasily for a point at the end of a day when off-field events often intruded on the thoughts of spectators. The curse of the closing days of any transfer window is that every aspect of team selection, every tiny gesture, is magnified and analysed to the nth degree. Often with good reason; most of us are long enough in the tooth to read the runes at this time of year. Virgil van Dijk being left out, then, was obvious. We knew he wanted to leave Celtic, we were aware of interest from several Premier League teams – and we knew that Celtic weren’t for turning on this issue. Opener: James McPake headed in a Phillip Roberts corner to put the hosts in front . Kris Commons being recalled, meanwhile, could be interpreted as the manager looking to rebuild some goodwill with a player whose agent is arriving in Glasgow for contract talks tomorrow. Pick your way through that one. As for Griffiths coming off the bench for the ineffectual Jo Inge Berget – hooked before half-time – to score and perform as well as any in Hoops? That’ll be the end of any silly talk about him being loaned out to Hibs. Celtic need all the livewires they can get at the moment. In a first half typified by Celtic sluggishness and Dundee’s vigour, the visitors were constantly troubled down their left flank. Partly because Emilio Izaguirre couldn’t cope with Dundee winger Philip Roberts, making his league debut for the club – and partly because Celtic counterpart Berget gave his full-back about as much protection as a paper mache tank. Berget was an empty jersey here, offering nothing in attack and less than zero in defence. On a day when Celtic could not afford to be carrying any passengers, it was a minor miracle that the Norwegian made it to 40 minutes before Deila replaced him with Griffiths. By that point Dundee were sitting fairly comfortably on a 1-0 lead, having started at a pace that clearly caught Celtic cold. It began inside the opening minute, Roberts leaving . Impressive: Dundee are currently sixth in the table, level on points with Celtic . Izaguirre for dead and forcing Jason Denayer into a last-ditch tackle at the expense of a corner. An early tester from a set piece, then. It was a test that Celtic failed. Or, rather, one passed easily by Dundee, as a Roberts delivery was met by the forehead of a soaring McPake, the bounce of his downward header beating Callum McGregor on the post. Celtic rallied to create a couple of near things but, with Peter MacDonald always lively for the home side, Dundee looked as likely to score as the reigning champions. Especially when Roberts got on the ball. The former Falkirk winger’s best moment came as he was being castigated for a perceived lack of go-forward by failing to show down the line for a breaking Paul McGowan. In reality, he was just biding his time, holding back to create the five or six yards needed to explode past Izaguirre, beat Denayer and fire in a low shot tipped on to the post by Craig Gordon. The introduction of Griffiths helped Celtic greatly, while central defender Eoghan O’Connell replacing Adam Matthews at half-time – forcing Efe Ambrose out to right back – also gave them more ability to carry the ball out from the back. Captain: Kris Commons' Celtic future is uncertain with a number of English clubs interested . When the equaliser came, with 54 minutes on the clock, no-one inside Dens would have been surprised by the identity of the scorer. They know ‘Sparky’ Griffiths in these parts. Remember him with a certain fondness. Taking the ball into feet on the edge of the box, the striker turned and hit a sweet low shot with his left foot, a deflection off the helpless Thomas Konrad helping the ball to fizz and spin beyond the reach of a despairing Kyle Letheren and in off the post. Celtic were certainly energised by the equaliser, a superb charge from O’ Connell ending with Stokes strangely choosing not to shoot, while a fading Roberts – eventually replaced – began to struggle with Izaguirre’s forward surges. Yet Dundee sub Martin Boyle, on for Roberts, could easily have scored from one of three – yes, that’s three – chances created by his blistering pace against a wandering Celtic back line. On each occasion Boyle stormed down the inside right channel, exposing gaps and skipping over a despairing Denayer at one point. Two of his shots were pulled just off target, the other swatted aside by Gordon, whose reactions were equal to the powerful thump. Chances came and went for both teams as this match rattled towards the finish, Anthony Stokes hitting the post and Griffiths forcing Letheren into a fine save from a 25-yarder that moved wickedly through the air, while Luka Tankulic twice came close to securing all three points for the hosts. It was breathless, occasionally brilliant, quite often barmy. Not the kind of experience that Celtic would like to make a habit of. | Dundee and Celtic draw 1-1 in Scottish Premiership match at Dens Park .
James McPake headed hosts in front .
Leigh Griffiths came off the bench to equalise .
Ronny Delia's side level with Dundee in the table . |
60,101 | aabd195ee1ba505c4f547a02f94f5f76db2bd040 | Missing: Len King, 74, went sailing yesterday on his 70ft yacht but failed to return to Brighton Marina . The wife of a 74-year-old businessman who remains missing from his luxury yacht has begged for his safe return as the Coastguard called off a major search. Len King sailed his 70ft Sunseeker out of Brighton Marina yesterday and said he would be back for dinner with his wife Stephanie, 65, with whom he has run an engineering firm for more than 20 years. But he failed to return, and a friend who saw the £750,000 vessel drifting empty by the harbour wall raised the alarm just before 10pm. Coastguard crews, lifeboats and a helicopter mounted a massive all-night search which took them as far as two and a half miles into the English Channel. They continued searching despite a thunderstorm which forced the helicopter to turn back until they were stood down just after 11am today. Despite the search being suspended Mr King, from Alfriston, East Sussex, is still missing and his wife has made an emotional public appeal for his whereabouts. She said she had tried to call him several times but could not get through to his phone. 'Len is an experienced yachtman and has been sailing since he was at least 20,' she added. 'Normally we go together but during the week if it's calm weather he may go off by himself. 'He went off just before lunch. I was expecting him home for dinner time. 'I phoned him several times but his phone was unable to connect so I thought he was on his way back. I called the person who has a boat next to us and he thought we were away. 'I can't understand what has happened. He is a very experienced yachtman. He has all his equipment doubled up and is always careful. That is the way he runs things.' The pair run a successful precision engineering firm in Eastbourne, East Sussex, supplying specialist parts for medical, mining and aerospace machines. Mr King is believed to have taken his luxury vessel sailing yesterday between Brighton and Newhaven, East Sussex, the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) said. Brighton RNLI said fears grew when a crew member boarded the Sunseeker, found drifting on the inside of the eastern breakwater of Brighton Marina, and found no one on board. That was despite the fact the instruments were still on and the engines were still warm. Mystery: The Coastguard has called off a massive sea search operation for a yachtsman Len King, whose 70ft Sunseeker was found drifting in Brighton Marina (pictured). But he remains missing and his fate is unknown . Mystery: RNLI crews surround the yacht this morning after carrying out an all-night search in the Channel . The Coastguard said lifeboats searched 'in and out of every pontoon', the stretch of water between Newhaven and Shoreham, West Sussex, and as far out as 2.5 miles offshore. Crews were stood down briefly at 5.30am but relaunched at 7am as it was getting light, the RNLI said. Roger Cohen, Brighton RNLI lifeboat operations manager, said conditions for the volunteers overnight were 'challenging'. 'We had heavy rain with passing thunderstorms and fork lighting in Sussex throughout the night, making things even more challenging than they would normally be,' he added. 'At the moment this is something of a mystery - the Sunseeker was found within the eastern breakwater of the marina, banging up against the wall. 'When my crew boarded they found evidence it had recently been operated, but no sign of anyone. Decision: A Coastguard spokesman said the search would be stood down unless there was further evidence . Brighton RNLI operations manager Roger Cohen (not pictured) added: 'We found no sign of anyone. Judging by the instruments and passage plans we found, the yachtsman appears to be skilled and experienced' 'Judging by the instruments and passage plans we found, the yachtsman appears to be skilled and experienced.' An Coastguard spokesman said: 'Despite extensive searches, nothing has been found. Unless any new information comes to light, the search has been suspended.' Inspector Roy Apps of Sussex Police said: 'It is an anxious time for the family. 'The search is currently suspended and we are liaising with his family as we investigate the circumstances of his disappearance. 'An experienced seaman, Mr King had left Brighton Marina on his yacht on Sunday afternoon and it is unclear as to what has happened to him. 'We are at an early stage of our investigation and we are liaising closely with Mr King's family while we make enquiries.' | Massive search for Len King, 74, after yacht found drifting in Brighton .
Engineering firm manager had gone sailing to Newhaven yesterday .
His distraught wife Stephanie said: 'I was expecting him home for dinner'
Sussex Police have now suspended sea search which included helicopter .
But his fate is still a mystery and he is being treated as a missing person . |
176,612 | 70a5f09df468b744632fa47fb877d1f04d888869 | (CNN) -- It seems that now someone called "Barack Hussein Obama" can be pulled aside and patted down merely because of his name. But while our president has the benefit of Air Force One, millions of us with a "funny name" (Muslim and otherwise) do not. Like me. I've consistently faced "random" selections for extra screening at the airport after I decided to wear the hijab, or Muslim head covering. I've been told to take my head scarf off or have my head probed while the passengers in front of me offered pitying smiles as they rushed to their flights. One time, the woman in front of me had a hairdo that could pose more of a security threat than any head scarf could. Muslim women wear the hijab as a symbol of modesty, to be judged not by their appearance. The Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. dreamed that people would be judged for "the content of their character." However, the Transportation Security Administration is judging me and other Muslims by the way we look. The TSA uses the hijab to profile Muslim women, and passengers can now expect a full-body pat-down, an appallingly invasive "enhanced pat-down search that could include the chest and groin, or a planned "mind-scan" that would track people's reaction to terrorist symbols. What's next, palm reading? At an airport with a full body scanner, I can have the image of my body displayed before a stranger -- virtual nudity. Do they seriously have a blank check on our bodies? Of course I care about profiling partly because I'm affected. But does one have to face this issue to feel that it's wrong? After all, it is difficult to imagine ourselves in other people's shoes when we don't have to. It's hard for me too. Especially over the past month, I've been shocked at the comments about my faith, and the sometimes-prejudiced support for racial profiling. Radio host Mike Gallagher said, "There should be a separate line to scrutinize anybody with the name Abdul or Ahmed or Mohammed." Sorry Paula Abdul and Muhammad Ali, or anyone with the world's most common name, Muhammad. For people who aren't affected by racial profiling at airports, imagine this: The TSA implements a new rule to counter drunken driving, which kills over 13,000 Americans every year. People who are not Muslim have to go through a Breathalyzer test before they can enter their vehicle. Muslims don't drink alcohol and are, therefore, exempt. Ridiculous? I agree. I know that what I am going through is just the tip of the iceberg of racial profiling in our country. Thirty-two million Americans report that they have been the victims of racial profiling. Racial profiling violates the U.S. Constitution, is ineffective and trickles down to the workplace, schools and elsewhere. You also run into problems when you justify profiling nearly one in every four people in the world. There are Muslims of every possible race, making profiling practically futile. Fareed Zakaria said it best: "When you're trying to find a needle in a haystack, adding hay does not help you." Putting ethical and pragmatic reasons aside, it's hard to justify not caring. Even if racial profiling doesn't affect us, it affects our friends, family members, co-workers, doctors, television personalities -- the list goes on. There are some people who don't know Muslims and are numb to realizing the effects of profiling. Therein lies the problem. According to the Pew Research Center, people who know Muslims are less likely to have negative views of them. Co-existence is a dismal possibility unless people go to the source to find out about Islam, not skewed Web sites. And Muslims, here's something to think about: If your knowledge of Islam came from common stereotypes, wouldn't you also be misinformed about the faith and its followers? The Quran says, "[God has] made you into nations and tribes, so that you might come to know one another (49:13)." So get to know your fellow Americans. There are some Americans who think Muslims are terrorists and some Muslims who think that other Americans are willfully ignorant. Neither group deserves such a label. Psychologist Henri Tajfel, who was a Holocaust survivor, explained how we isolate ourselves into an "in-group" and facilitate discrimination of an "out-group." Religious profiling boxes Muslims into a category separate from Americans. We can't accept that distinction. Let's all think outside of the box. It's essential for U.S. security that airport screening be done. But we need to stop the inflation of procedures that make our society more afraid and less secure. The TSA needs to stop and evaluate methods that are more effective, less invasive, and don't discriminate based on religion or race. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Nafees A. Syed. | Nafees Syed: Millions face extra screenings at airports for having "funny names"
Syed says she has been singled out for extra screening because of Muslim head covering .
She writes that racial profiling violates the U.S. Constitution and is ineffective .
Syed: We need to know one another and stop procedures that make us more afraid . |
136,187 | 3c2f811409f9b464a21a17d64d9c8b19ef356b70 | By . Ellie Zolfagharifard . PUBLISHED: . 06:08 EST, 30 August 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 06:11 EST, 30 August 2013 . BT has pulled the plug on dial-up internet access with its last modem bank to be switched off on Saturday. The telecoms group said that only a small number of its customers were still using a dial-up modem to access the internet. All customers were first informed of the decision in May and June this year, according to BT. BT has pulled the plug on dial-up internet access with its last modem bank to be switched off on Saturday . • In 2012, 21 million households in Great Britain (80 per cent) had Internet access, compared with 19 million (77 per cent) in 2011. • The number of households with Internet access has increased by 7.1 million (23 percentage points) since 2006, when directly comparable records began. • In 2012, 93 per cent of households with Internet access used a fixed broadband connection, of which 30 per cent used a cable or fibre optic connection. • Of the 5.2 million households without Internet access, the most common reason for not having a connection was that they 'did not need it' (54 per cent). The group’s dial-up service is currently £17.25 per month, and its cheapest broadband package costs £10 per month. Around 1,000 people living in rural areas, who struggle to access broadband, will have to move to BT’s subsidiary Plusnet if they want to keep a dial-up connection. The once-familiar screeching dial-up connection was first introduced in the UK by Pipex in March 1992. Using an analogue modem connected to a Plain Old Telephone System (POTS) line, internet users were able to get online at speeds reaching 56.6 kilobits per second. In comparison, broadband technologies operate in the megabits-per-second range. In 2012, 93 per cent of households . with internet access used a fixed broadband connection, of which 30 per . cent used a cable or fibre optic connection. said that only a small number of its customers were still using a dial-up modem to access the internet. All customers were first informed of the decision in May and June this year, according to BT. The group¿s dial-up service is currently £17.25 per month, and its cheapest broadband package costs £10 per month . The number for dial-up users has fallen so low nationally it's difficult to get any accurate figures from a survey sample, but current estimates are in the low hundreds of thousands. Earlier this month, government statistics revealed the only a third of elderly people in the UK have ever used the internet. By region, London and the South East have the highest proportion of Internet users at 89 per cent, while Northern Ireland has the lowest at 79 per cent. The statistics came out in the same week that Facebook has said the UK is leading the way in Europe by accessing the social network on mobile phones. A separate report by media regulator Ofcom in March, said UK adults spend more than 15 hours online each week – up by five hours from six years ago. | The telecoms group will switch off its last modem bank on Saturday .
Customers will have to use Plusnet if they want to keep dial-up connection .
Dial-up is currently £17.25 per month, while cheapest broadband costs £10 . |
252,977 | d36b4761d055e0b9fb40e705729ea8e832f1b8b8 | By . Associated Press . They have traditionally attracted those planning on downsizing or looking to simplify their lives for financial or environmental reasons. But there is now another group of people benefiting from the growing small-dwelling movement - the homeless. Efforts to construct the compact buildings are growing across the U.S. because they are cheaper than a traditional large-scale shelter, help the recipients socially because they are built in communal settings and are environmentally friendly due to their size. SCROLL DOWN FOR VIDEOS . Occupy Madison Build are hoping to create a cluster of tiny houses to help the homeless . Many have been built with donated materials and volunteer labour, sometimes from the people who will live in them . Most require residents to behave appropriately, avoid drugs and alcohol and help maintain the properties . Betty Ybarra, 48, stands outside a tiny house she and her boyfriend live in, in Madison, Wisconsin. It is the first house built by OM Build, which wants to build nine houses in Madison for the homeless . 'You're out of the elements, you've got your own bed, you've got your own place to call your own,' said Harold 'Hap' Morgan, who is without a permanent home in Madison. 'It gives you a little bit of self-pride: This is my own house.' Mr Morgan is in line for a 99-square-foot house built through the non-profit Occupy Madison Build, or OM Build, run by former organizers with the Occupy movement. The group, in Wisconsin, hopes to create a cluster of tiny houses like those in Olympia, Washington, and Eugene and Portland, Oregon. Many have been built with donated materials and volunteer labour, sometimes from the people who will live in them. Most require residents to behave appropriately, avoid drugs and alcohol and help maintain the properties. Still, sometimes neighbours have not been receptive. Linda Brown, who can see the proposed site for Madison's tiny houses from her living room window, said she worries about noise and what her neighbours would be like. 'There have been people who have always been associated with people who are homeless that are unsavoury types of people,' she said. Organizer Brenda Konkel hopes to allay neighbours' concerns by the time the City Council votes in May on the group's application to rezone the site of a former auto body shop to place the houses there. Plans include gardens, a chicken coup and possibly bee hives and showers and bathrooms in the main building. Organizer Brenda Konkel said: 'I think there is some ways we can be a real asset to the neighbourhood' The interior of a tiny house built by OM Build in Madison. The group wants to build nine altogether and allow the homeless to live in them . The City Council will be voting in May on the group's application to rezone the site of a former auto body shop to place the houses there . Plans for the site include gardens, a chicken coup and possibly bee hives and showers and bathrooms in the main building . 'I think a lot of them we can work through. I think there is some ways we can be a real asset to the neighborhood,' she said. The group has already built one house that is occupied by a couple and parked on the street. A volunteer moves it every 24 or 48 hours as required by city ordinances. The house, which cost about $5,000, fits a double bed with overhead storage, a small table and a small room with a compostable toilet. There's no plumbing or electricity, but the home is insulated and has a propane heater to get the residents through the harsh Wisconsin winters. Eventually, organizers want to add solar panels. Harold 'Hap' Morgan works in the OM Build workshop in Madison, Wisconsin. He is in line to get one of the nine houses planned to be built by the group to help those without permanent homes . The group has already built one house that's occupied by a couple and parked on the street . The industrial park workshop where tiny houses for the homeless are being constructed in Madison, Wisconsin . Construction on the first two houses started last summer, and the first residents moved in on Christmas Eve, according to the Wisconsin State Journal . Mr Morgan, who has struggled with a spinal cord surgery, alcohol addiction and unemployment, lives in a trailer provided by OM Build. He hopes to work as a cook again. 'My goal is to go back to that and get my own place, but it's really nice to have this to fall back on,' he said. The tiny house effort in Eugene sprung up after the city shut down an Occupy encampment that turned into a tent city for the homeless. Andrew Heben and others worked with the city, which provided them land for the project. Opportunity Village Eugene opened in September with little resistance, said Heben, 26, who is on the board of directors. Most of the nine huts, which are 60 square feet, and 21 bungalows, which are 64 square feet and 80 square feet, are already built. The small structures have a roof, insulated walls, toilet and sink and are intended to provide basic shelter against the elements . The tiny house effort in Eugene sprung up after the city shut down an Occupy encampment that turned into a tent city for the homeless. Pictured is the workshop for Occupy Madison Build . The group has already built a house which cost about $5,000, fits a double bed with overhead storage, a small table and a small room with a compostable toilet . The current home has no plumbing or electricity, but is insulated and has a propane heater to get the residents through the harsh Wisconsin winters . Thirty people are living in them now, and he expects 40 to 45 to ultimately be there. The houses don't have electricity, water, bathrooms, showers or kitchens, but separate shared buildings do. They have done it all for less than $100,000, which is about half the median home price in Eugene, all from private donors with no taxpayer money. He said the story has changed from how tent cities were a problem in America to how the community is banding together. 'It's an American success story... Now we see in different cities people coming up with citizen driven solutions,' Heben said. Most of the sites require residents to behave appropriately, avoid drugs and alcohol and help maintain the properties . Ministries in Texas and New York also are developing communities with clusters of small houses. Mobile Loaves and Fishes plans 135 small homes and 100 recreational vehicles on 27 acres near Austin, Texas. The Christian ministry that started 15 years ago bringing food and clothing to the homeless hopes to raise $7 million to build the homes, streets, utilities, sewers, a farming operation, medical facility and sanctuary, President and CEO Alan Graham said. Residents would pay rent that ranges from $90 a month for a 150-square-foot home to $375 for 400 square feet. 'The goal is to reach everybody where they are economically,' Graham said. He expects a staff of 15 will run the village, with residents having the option to get paid to help with upkeep. Community Faith Partnership near Ithaca, New York, has built six of up to 18 planned 320-square-foot houses as transitional living for homeless men, said Jim Crawford, the group's executive director. The men will pay rent on a sliding scale that looks at their situation and whether they receive government aid. The heart of the operation will be a community centre where people who aren't social can learn to relate to others in a safe environment, Crawford said. 'We are bringing people into tangible housing but we are bringing them also into much less tangible human framework of social relations and that is the more difficult work,' he said. 'That is the more sophisticated work.' | Occupy Madison Build hoping to create cluster of tiny houses for homeless .
Many of the homes built with donated materials and volunteer labour .
Sites of tiny houses have already been built in Washington and Oregon . |
9,980 | 1c50ccd0fd068fafa2bba545f724deb7b140b003 | (CNN) -- Heavy snowfall in Germany has caused part of the roof to collapse at the Veltins Arena, which hosts Bundesliga soccer team Schalke 04. The stadium, in Gelsenkirchen, stages all Schalke's home games and was also due to hold the annual biathlon World Team Challenge later this week. But the event has been cancelled after a deluge of snow over Christmas created a hole measuring 1,000 square meters in the roof. Three fibre glass strips that hold the roof in place were destroyed. "The holes are not going to be closed in time,'' Schalke's chairman Peter Peters said of the biathlon on the club's official website. "The safety of the spectators is the utmost priority.'' Football's heroes and villains of 2010 . The Bundesliga is currently on its winter break, with Schalke not scheduled to play at the Veltins Arena until the January 15 clash with Hamburg. But that match is not thought to be in danger, as it can be played with the roof open. "I am optimistic that we will be able to start the second half of the season according to schedule," Peters said. Staff had cleared an earlier downfall prior to Christmas but were unable to get onto the roof after that due to harsh weather conditions. The stadium was opened in 2001 and can hold 61,482 spectators. It played host to the 2004 UEFA Champions League final and staged five games in the 2006 World Cup. | Heavy snow causes part of the roof at Schalke's Veltins Arena to collapse .
A yearly biathlon, the World Team Challenge, scheduled for this week has been cancelled .
Schalke's next home game with Hamburg on January 15 not thought to be in danger . |
77,587 | dc03ebb555f336da2c1956065ed0c8ebdb313e67 | (CNN) -- An Australian commission is hearing allegations of the physical and sexual abuse of boys in the care of the Salvation Army over several decades. The shocking treatment at some of the organization's boys homes included rape, beatings, locking boys in cages and, in one case, forcing a boy to eat his own vomit, the commission was told Tuesday. The public hearings, taking place in Sydney, are part of a wide-ranging investigation into how Australian institutions responded to cases of child sexual abuse. The current phase is focusing on the Salvation Army's response to abuse that took place in four of its boys homes in the states of Queensland and New South Wales in the 1960s and '70s. 'The greatest failure' The Salvation Army isn't denying the abuse, which came to light previously. It has apologized, admitting that hundreds of boys suffered in its care. "This hearing will bring to light the greatest failure in the history of the Salvation Army in Australia," the group's counsel, Kate Eastmann, said Tuesday, according to CNN affiliate Seven Network. The four homes at the heart of the hearings were identified by the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse as those where the most complaints of abuse were made to The Salvation Army. The homes -- Indooroopilly and Riverview in Queensland, and Bexley and Gill in New South Wales -- were all closed by 1980. Punishment and abuse . The commission on Tuesday heard accounts of unusually brutal or humiliating punishment, including a case at one home in which two boys were locked in cages on a verandah. "Other forms of punishment included sweeping the playground with a toothbrush, cleaning 50 pairs of shoes, cleaning the pigeon cage and on one occasion, forcing a boy to eat his own vomit," said Simeon Beckett, the counsel assisting the commission. Allegations of widespread sexual assault carried out by Salvation Army officers and some of the boys under their supervision were also outlined. At the Bexley home, members of the public also abused boys, Beckett said, possibly with the knowledge of Salvation Army staff members. "These persons had access to the boys' dormitories at night and would access the dormitories and sexually assault the boys," he said. Complaints dismissed . Evidence suggests that many of the boys didn't complain about the sexual abuse at the time because they feared punishment or retribution, Beckett said. Those who did complain weren't generally taken seriously. "In cases when abuse was reported, the boys were often disbelieved and were punished for reporting what were characterized as 'lies,'" he told the hearing. Some of the former residents of the homes who are due to testify over the course of the hearings are expected to say that "even when they ran away from the homes and told police of what had occurred, they were returned to the home where they were then physically punished," Beckett said. Other witnesses due to appear before the commission include staff members from the homes and officials from law enforcement, the government and the Salvation Army. The Salvation Army has made payments to many of the victims of the abuses. "The Salvation Army feels deep regret for every instance of child sexual abuse inflicted on children in our care," the organization says in a statement on its website. "We are grieved that such things happened. We acknowledge that it was a failure of the greatest magnitude." The investigation into the Salvation Army response is the fifth set of public hearings carried out by the Royal Commission. The previous hearings looked into the responses to sexual abuse allegations by children's organizations and churches. Victims of Australian child abuse scandal look for peace . Victims welcome investigation . | Boys were raped and beaten by Salvation Army officers, a commission hears .
The abuses mainly took place in the 1960s and '70s at homes that have since closed .
The commission is investigating institutions' responses to child sexual abuse cases .
The Salvation Army has admitted abuses took place and apologized to victims . |
85,897 | f399e84911eaf6a3df83f8c179b89dc7529342f9 | By . Richard Shears and Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 19:29 EST, 25 December 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 03:44 EST, 26 December 2012 . Two American tourists and British family survived a horrific air crash in Burma on Tuesday when their packed plane came down in heavy fog and burst into flames. The Air Bagan jet, carrying 65 Christmas holidaymakers, from Mandalay . crashed as it approached Heho airport in the east of Burma, gateway to . the popular tourist destination Inle Lake. Three Burmese were killed in the tragedy - a tour guide and an 11-year-old child on board the plane, as well as a man riding a motorcycle on the road where it came down. Ablaze: The Air Bagan passenger plane burst into flames when it crash landed two miles short of Heho airport . Wreckage: Four Britons are believed to have been on board the jet in Burma . Rescue: Burmese authorities work next to the ageing aircraft that was carrying 65 passengers . More than 50 of the 65 passengers were said to be non-Burmese. An airport official said: ‘The aircraft was extensively damaged. People who got out can count themselves extremely fortunate.’ A local tour guide waiting at the airport for passengers said the fire had ‘burned almost the whole plane’. The airline described the incident as an ‘emergency landing’. Split: The Air Bagan plane broke in half on impact, according to Burmese officials . Carnage: Burmese authorities said the plane split in half on impact . Smouldering: Rescuers work to put out the flames . Fire was said to have broken out in . one of the plane’s engines and it reportedly struck part of a mountain . as it approached Heho airport in fog. Authorities however gave a . different account, saying the pilot mistook the road for a runway due to . bad weather. ‘While descending, the plane mistakenly landed due to fog,’ state television reported. It said the aircraft made a hard landing on a road and then came to a stop in a rice paddy field. ‘The rear end of the plane broke and . caught fire,’ state TV said, carrying a statement posted on deputy . information minister Ye Htut’s Facebook page. The charred wreckage of the plane. Witnesses said it was still smoking hours after the crash . State television said the plane missed the runway because of fog . Rescuers managed to bring the fire under control about 45 minutes later, he said. Witnesses said smoke filled the plane . when it hit the ground and was still rising from the aircraft’s . badly-charred wreckage hours later. One of the two pilots of the jet . operated by the private airline was among the injured, according to . initial reports. The British family was said to be being helped by UK . consular officials. Air Bagan is owned by Tay Za, a tycoon . known for his close links to the former military junta. The airline had . two Fokker 100 jets, which are no longer manufactured. The injured . passengers were taken to hospital in the city of Taunggyi for treatment . for broken bones, burns, cuts and shock. Tourism: Air Bagan is trying to capitalise on the country's burgeoning tourism industry (file picture) First pictures of the scene of the . crash reveal how lucky anyone was to get out alive. The aircraft lay in . pieces in a field with soldiers guarding the wreckage. An airline check . of the passengers revealed that one was missing. A search of the wreckage revealed a . body, believed to be that of the 11-year-old child. Air Bagan is one of . several domestic carriers seeking to profit from the tourist boom as . Burma emerges from military rule. There has been an increase in tourism . in the past 12 months as the ruling junta has relaxed its control and, . for the first time in decades, opened up the country to foreigners. | The Air Bagan plane crash landed in a paddy field in heavy fog .
Two Americans and a Korean also among the 11 people confirmed injured .
Three Burmese killed in the tragedy, including 11-year-old child . |
115,721 | 2157863bfdfc70de9feea288ab8d2a6986dc44c4 | (CNN) -- Former Navy SEAL Robert O'Neill said in an interview with The Washington Post that he was the one who fired the final shot to kill Osama bin Laden in 2011. Two Special Operations sources confirmed to me that O'Neill was one of the shooters in bin Laden's room. But did he really kill bin Laden? And, ultimately, does it even really matter who shot bin Laden since the SEAL raid in Abbottabad, Pakistan was so clearly a team effort. O'Neill has told his story before in a lengthy profile in Esquire in 2013 in which O'Neill was described not with his real name but only as "the Shooter." In the Esquire piece, O'Neill/The Shooter was said to have encountered al Qaeda's leader face-to-face in the top-floor bedroom of the compound in Abbottabad where he'd been hiding for more than five years. The Shooter said the al Qaeda leader was standing up and had a gun "within reach," and it was only then that the Shooter fired two shots into bin Laden's forehead, killing him. That account was in conflict with the narrative from another raid participant in a wildly successful book, "No Easy Day." Another member of the secretive SEAL Team 6, which executed the bin Laden raid, told CNN the story of the Shooter as presented in Esquire is false. According to this serving SEAL Team 6 operator, the story is "complete BS." Twenty-three SEALs and their interpreter launched the assault on the bin Laden compound just after midnight on the morning of May 2, 2011. They shot and killed bin Laden's two bodyguards, one of bin Laden's sons and the wife of one of the bodyguards. They also wounded two other women. The first three SEALs to make it to the top floor of the compound were "the point man," "the Shooter" profiled by Esquire, and Matt Bissonnette, the SEAL who wrote "No Easy Day" under the pseudonym Mark Owen. What actually happened the night of the raid, according to the SEAL Team 6 operator who I interviewed, is that the "point man" ran up the stairs to the top floor and shot bin Laden in the head when he saw what looked like bin Laden poking his head out of his bedroom door. The shot gravely wounded al Qaeda's leader. Having taken down bin Laden, the point man proceeded to rush two women he found in the bedroom, gathering them in his arms to absorb the explosion in case they were wearing suicide vests, something that was a real concern of those who planned the raid. Two more SEALs then entered bin Laden's bedroom and, seeing that he was lying mortally wounded on the floor, finished him off with shots to the chest. This account of bin Laden's demise is considerably less heroic than the Shooter's version in Esquire, in which he says he shot bin Laden while he was standing up and only after he saw that the al Qaeda leader had a gun within reach. The SEAL Team 6 operator who spoke to me says there is no way the Shooter could have seen a gun in bin Laden's reach because the two guns that were found in the bedroom after the shooting were only discovered after a thorough search and were sitting on a high shelf above the frame of the door that opened to the room. The SEAL operator also points out there was a discussion before the raid in which the assault team was told "don't shoot the guy (bin Laden) in the face unless you have to" because the CIA would need to analyze good pictures of bin Laden's face for its facial recognition experts to work effectively. Yet the Shooter in the Esquire story says he shot bin Laden on purpose twice in the forehead. A U.S. official familiar with the details of the raid said the SEAL Team 6 operator's version is in line with what happened. That account "has it right in my view," the official said. The SEAL Team 6 operator also tells CNN that the Shooter was "thrown off" the Red Squadron, the core of the SEAL Team 6 group that carried out the bin Laden raid, because he was bragging about his role in the raid in bars around Virginia Beach, Virginia, where SEAL Team 6 is based. In the Esquire article, the Shooter complains he is receiving no pension, since he left the military four years before the minimum 20 years required to be eligible. After the article appeared, CNN spoke with Phil Bronstein, the Esquire writer who says he passed along CNN's written questions about the Shooter's role in the raid to his story's main character. The Shooter did not respond to those questions. Stephanie Tuck, a spokeswoman for Esquire, said via email the magazine stood by its story. "The Esquire article, 'The Shooter: The Man Who Killed Osama Bin Laden,' in the March 2013 issue, is based on information from numerous sources, including members of SEAL Team 6 and the Shooter himself, as well as detailed descriptions of mission debriefs." According to present and former members of SEAL Team 6, the "point man" who fired the shot that likely mortally wounded bin Laden will never "in a million years" speak publicly about his role in the raid, and they lauded his courageous decision to throw himself on the two women in bin Laden's room. The new account of the bin Laden raid provided by the serving SEAL Team 6 operator is essentially the same as in Bissonnette's "No Easy Day." Bissonnette says he was one of the first to run into the bedroom and he saw that the point man's shots had mortally wounded bin Laden. Bissonnette says he then shot the dying al Qaeda leader as he lay on the floor. Present and former members of SEAL Team 6 say they regard Bissonnette as more credible than the Shooter. Balanced against that, according to a story filed by CNN's Barbara Starr last year after the publication of "No Easy Day," the head of U.S. special operations, Adm. William McRaven, contacted members of the Navy SEAL team that killed bin Laden. According to Pentagon officials, the SEALs said bin Laden was standing in his bedroom when he was shot, and they believed that he posed a threat because there were weapons in the room. This account tends to bolster the story the Shooter told Esquire. In a previous CNN.com story about the Esquire profile, I noted that I was the only outside observer allowed to tour bin Laden's Abbottabad compound before it was demolished in late February 2012. During that tour, I looked around the bedroom where bin Laden was killed. The Pakistani military officers who were guiding me pointed out a patch of dark, dried blood on the low ceiling of bin Laden's bedroom. This patch of congealed blood seems to be consistent with the Shooter's story that he fired two shots at the forehead of a "surprisingly tall terrorist" while he was standing up. At the time, the precise location of bin Laden when he was shot was not a matter of dispute. But the blood patch could also be consistent with the account that it was the "point man" who first shot bin Laden. The point man is 5 feet 6 inches tall and was shooting upward at a tall man as he poked his head out of his bedroom. The compound is, of course, now gone, so it is no longer possible to reconstruct what happened the night of the raid based on forensic evidence. Finally, by all accounts, it was a confusing situation the night of the raid. One of the SEAL team's helicopters had crashed, and there was a firefight with one of bin Laden's bodyguards. All the electricity in the compound and the surrounding neighborhood was off on a moonless night and the SEALs were wearing night vision goggles, which only allowed them limited vision. What seems incontrovertible is that the point man, the Shooter and Bissonnette were the first three SEALs to assault bin Laden's bedroom. But to determine exactly which of them killed him might never be possible. What is certain is that it was a team effort. Five days after the bin Laden raid, members of the SEAL team who carried out the mission briefed President Barack Obama. According to those in the room, the SEAL team commander explained to the President, "If you took one person out of the puzzle, we wouldn't have the competence to do the job we did; everybody's vital. It's not about the guy who pulled the trigger to kill bin Laden, it's about what we all did together." | Three years after Osama bin Laden's death, Robert O'Neill says he was the one who killed him .
Peter Bergen says the killing was a team effort and there is some dispute over what happened .
Bergen: Other SEALs have raised questions about the account given by O'Neill . |
137,595 | 3df35c99217004ec27570a6f45e195cf16d1eb10 | Fierce fighting raged on the outskirts of Tripoli on Sunday as militias continued to battle for control of the airport in what's being called the worst fighting in Libya since the 2011 revolution. Clashes were concentrated around the airport, the airport road and a number of residential areas where militias have fought over the past week, residents said. At least five people have been killed, one local official said. The latest assaults were launched by militias from the city of Misrata and an Islamist militia umbrella group in the capital known as the "Libyan Revolutionaries Operations Room." The airport has been under the control of militia from the Western Mountains city of Zintan for the past three years. According to residents in different parts of Tripoli, thick plumes of black smoke rose from the direction of the airport and large blasts and gunfire echoed across the city. Speaking by phone to Libyan television on Sunday, a spokesman for the municipal council of Qasr Bin Ghasheer, the area around the airport, said at least five people from the area had been killed in the fighting so far. 'Libya's future cannot be left to one renegade general' The spokesman, Mohammed Abdul Rahman, said it was hard to get an accurate casualty figure because of the intensity of fighting and limited movement in the area. "Shells are falling on houses, children are terrified and most people have evacuated. ... Our area is suffering," he told the privately run al-Nabaa TV. There was no official overall casualty figure for the fighting in other areas impacted over the last seven days. At the airport, the Libyan government said 90% of planes parked there were damaged and images on social media showed various parts of the facility destroyed. The United Nations and other international organizations and businesses have temporarily evacuated staff from Libya. The U.S. Embassy in Tripoli said in a statement that some rounds from the fighting have hit near the compound, but all personnel "are safe and accounted for." It called for an end to the violence. Addressing the U.N. Security Council on Thursday, Tarek Mitri, head of its mission in Libya, issued a stark warning. "As the number of military actors mobilizing and consolidating their presence within the capital continues to grow, there is a mounting sense of a probable imminent and significant escalation in the conflict. The stakes are high for all sides," Mitri said. "We are in the middle of an all-out confrontation between two major rival groups in the Libyan capital. That confrontation, born out of the deep political polarization, is playing itself out at the country's international airport." Mitri said. Libya's Foreign Minister Mohamed Abdulaziz also addressed the Security Council. He warned of Libya heading toward becoming a "failed state." Abdulaziz said Libya needed more international support and asked the United Nations to consider a "stabilization and institution-building mission." He insisted that his country was not requesting foreign military intervention. The Libyan Interim Government said earlier in the week it was discussing the possibility of requesting international forces. Three years after the revolution and NATO military intervention that overthrew the Gadhafi regime, a weak central government has been outgunned by increasingly powerful militias. The militia fighting for control of the airport from the city of Zintan and Misrata are among the most heavily armed in the country. | Fierce fighting in Libya worst since 2011 revolution .
Militias battle for control of the airport in Tripoli .
Libya's foreign minister says the country needs foreign help . |
245,896 | ca431d698b8df6cd0188ff8774e2710b4bf528d4 | By . Richard Shears . PUBLISHED: . 11:58 EST, 9 April 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 11:58 EST, 9 April 2013 . A teenage girl was today recovering in hospital from a deadly snake bite after a desperate jungle journey by wheelbarrow, canoe and a rusty lorry. Relatives pushed Sim Pala through muddy jungle tracks on a wheelbarrow, paddled her across rivers by canoe, and loaded her onto an old lorry to get her to a hospital 35 miles away in time to save her life. The incredible journey through some of the world's most inhospitable terrain took seven hours - more than enough time for Sim to have died from the bite of the deadly Papuan Taipan snake, yet somehow she pulled through. Deadly: Sim Pala, 15, from Papua New Guinea endured a desperate seven-hour journey through the jungle to hospital after she was bitten by a taipan snake like the one pictured. (Stock image) Last night, as she sat by Sim's bedside in the Port Moresby General Hospital, in the nation's capital, the 15-year-old's mother, Mabari Pala, told of the journey that had saved her daughter's life. Sim had run down the steps of their home in Karekodobu village, in the Rigo region, to follow her mother, but as she set out on the grassy path the venomous snake sank its fangs into her left foot. The girl ran screaming into her grandfather's house, about 100 yards away, where she explained she had just been bitten by a snake. 'Ten minutes later she was vomiting and started to cough up blood,' said her mother. It was then, without any usable roads in the area, friends and relatives banded together to use whatever means were possible to get Sim to hospital. They were unaware that the snake that had bitten Sim was one of the world's deadliest and victims could die within 30 minutes. 'We put her in a wheelbarrow and pushed her along until we reached the Kemp Welch River,' said Mrs Pala. 'Then we put her in a dinghy and carried her down the river, making several crossings, to a point where we were able to get a ride on a truck.' The Taipan is a genus of large, fast-moving and highly venomous Australasian snakes. Species of this genus possess highly neurotoxic venom with some other toxic constituents which have multiple effects on victims. The venom is known to paralyse victim's nervous system and clot the blood which then blocks blood vessels and uses up clotting factors. Members of this genus are considered to be among the most venomous land snakes based on their murine LD50, an indicator of the toxicity on mice. Apart from venom toxicity, quantities of venom delivered should also be taken into account for the danger posed. A coastal taipan, the kind which bit 15-year-old Sim Pala, is capable of injecting a large quantity of venom due to its large size. Temperament also varies from species to species. The inland taipan is generally shy while the coastal taipan can be quite aggressive when cornered and will actively defend itself. But, she told The National newspaper, the truck could not go far because all roads in the area had been washed away by recent floods. With Sim now in a coma, Mrs Pala and relatives found another wheelbarrow and pushed Sim for a mile to a first aid post, where they were told the teenager needed anti-venom - fast. The group were eventually able to reach another health centre by phone where staff arranged for an ambulance to find its way through damaged roads. Precious minutes ticked away as the group of friends and relatives waited anxiously for the ambulance. When it arrived another bumpy journey began for the young snakebite victim. It was not until 2am that Sim finally arrived at the Port Moresby General Hospital. 'Thanks to the quick actions of her mother, father Pala Pala and other family members, Sim was quickly pumped with Papuan Taipan anti-venom and is alive to tell the story,' the newspaper reported. The taipan is the major cause of snakebite death along the south coast of Papua New Guinea. It can strike with extraordinary speed and accuracy, and often sink its fangs into flesh multiple times. Its venom causes excessive bleeding and paralysis, acute kidney failure and seizing up of the muscles of the heart. In the worst cases death can occur within half an hour. A medical paper advises that people who have been bitten should be kept as immobile as possible and be transported to hospital immediately. 'Bringing this young girl part way on a wheelbarrow was unconventional but it almost certainly saved her life,' said a spokesman for the hospital. | A Papuan Taipan, one of the world's deadliest snakes, bit Sim Pala, 15 .
Victims of the taipan often die within 30 minutes, but she lasted seven hours .
That was enough time for friends and relatives to get her to hospital . |
97,548 | 098d628bd747734d2fec2c5c2cb7db8196410010 | By . Helen Collis . PUBLISHED: . 04:46 EST, 21 October 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 07:20 EST, 21 October 2013 . A lorry driver and passenger are lucky to be alive after their truck lost control on a bridge in China and swerved violently on two wheels before toppling over and crashing. The footage was captured on CCTV as the vehicle travelled over a long sea bridge, which joins the island city of Zhoushan to China's mainland. The white lorry appears to swerve suddenly to avoid hitting another truck in front. The vehicle rolls onto two wheels, but stays upright, before hitting the central barrier and swerving in the other direction. Scroll down for video . Near miss: The two-wheel balancing act starts off with a violent swerve to avoid hitting a lorry in front . It then lurches over to the other side, balancing again on just two wheels before hitting the far barrier which saves it from toppling over the side of the bridge. Remarkably the lorry bounces from one side to the other, rarely with all four wheels on the ground, and looks as though it may have gained control, before it swerves violently and eventually tips over. Cars following the heart-stopping incident grind to a halt behind it. According to media reports, the passenger in the truck suffered a minor head injury. The incident happened on one of the enormous sea bridges that joins the island city of Zhoushan to the Chinese mainland. The 28-mile(46.5km) Zhoushan sea-crossing bridge was opened nearly four years ago and is the longest sea-bridge of its kind in China. The lorry then veers from left to right, bouncing off the crash barriers and balancing on little more than two wheels at a time before eventually crashing . It took 10 years to build and cost 13.1 billion yuan (£193 million). The bridge has opened up trade to and from Zhoushan - the only city among China's more than 1,000 islands - and now lorries are a common sight on the lengthy bridge. The crossing starts at Zhoushan and passes the islands of Lidiao, Fuchi, Cezi and Jintang. It connects with the national expressway network at Zhenhai District in Ningbo, an economically strong city of Zhejiang Province. The enormous Xihoumen Bridge, also known as the Zhoushan bridge, as it joins the island city of Zhoushan to mainland China, was opened nearly four years ago . | Truck veers violently from left to right balancing on just two wheels .
Appears to gain control before lurching suddenly and toppling over .
Incident happened on long Zhoushan bridge joining islands to mainland . |
65,001 | b896c8a5558d87e494a2adcbb3a9521603ee5204 | (CNN) -- Bad weather forced NASA to delay the launch of Space Shuttle Discovery by at least a day Thursday. Mission managers will meet Friday at 5 a.m. ET to re-evaluate weather conditions, NASA said. It was the latest in a series of delays for the 39th and final voyage for Discovery, the agency's oldest shuttle. Discovery's six crew members were scheduled to deliver a pressurized logistics module that will help provide more storage to the space station. "We've gotten into a configuration now on the space station where we have a lot of stuff and we don't have a lot of space to put it in," said Royce Renfrew, lead space station flight director for the mission. The latest launch attempt had been set for Thursday afternoon. Before that, it was expected to blast off Monday, but Discovery was delayed to repair helium and nitrogen leaks in its system. A planned Tuesday liftoff was canceled so engineers could fix a glitch to a backup system that controls a main engine. With 38 voyages to date, Discovery has flown more missions than any other orbiter in the fleet. It also made history along the way, NASA said. Discovery flew the first female shuttle pilot, the first African-American spacewalker and the first sitting member of Congress to go to space. CNN's Faith Karimi contributed to this report. | The shuttle was set to blast off on Thursday afternoon .
Discovery has flown more missions than any other shuttle .
It flew the first female shuttle pilot and the first African-American spacewalker . |
214,069 | a13c4fe279361e354d3dce08945a0643b4c2a07c | By . Sophie Borland . and Claire Bates . Smoking cannabis is just like eating junk food and shouldn't be a criminal offence, a controversial report claims today. The UK Drug Policy Commission says drug-taking is simply another 'moderately selfish' or 'risky' behaviour, similar to gambling or a diet of burger and chips. It also says it should not be a criminal offence to grow cannabis for personal use. And rather than trying to ban drugs . completely, the Government should concentrate on ensuring that addicts . take substances 'responsibly', the report's authors say. Cannabis: A report by the UK Drug Policy Commission says drug-taking is simply another 'moderately selfish' or 'risky' behaviour . The commission's findings were condemned by campaign groups. Mary Brett, of Cannabis, Skunk, Sense, which aims to prevent the use of drugs, said: 'They just haven't thought it out. Drugs are illegal because they are dangerous. Cannabis is getting stronger each year. 'People haven't grasped how cannabis affects the brain. It contains chemicals within the plant that stick in the brain cells. This impairs the transmission of all the other chemicals that carry out functions in the brain.' According to the commission, a new approach is . needed because the rapid creation of new drugs was changing the market . too quickly for the traditional methods used to control it. It said the Government's efforts to ban drugs have not reduced their availability – and may have even worsened the situation. So rather than trying to prevent their use 'entirely', ministers should focus on limiting the damage with an overhaul of current drug laws. Professor Colin Blakemore, who helped write the report, said the Government needs to reform its drug policy . The report states: 'Just like with gambling or eating junk food, there are some moderately selfish or risky behaviours that free societies accept will occur and seek to limit to the least damaging manifestations, rather than to prevent entirely. 'Seeing all drug use as invariably problematic can reduce the cost-effectiveness of policy. 'Taking drugs does not always cause problems, but this is rarely acknowledged by policy makers. 'We . do not believe that pursuing the goal of encouraging responsible . behaviour requires the prevention of all drug use in every . circumstance.' Controversially, . it also recommends changing the law to allow people to grow small . amounts of cannabis in their homes. This would help 'undermine' the mass . production of the drug illegally. Professor Colin Blakemore, who helped . write the report, said: 'The overwhelming consensus now is that it is . unethical, inefficient and dangerous to use untested and unvalidated . methods of treatment and prevention. It is time that policy on illicit . drug use starts taking evidence seriously as well.' Although the commission called for Parliament 'to . revisit the level of penalties applied to all drug offences' it stopped . short of calling for the decriminalisation of most . drugs. The commission is an independent charity set up in 2007 to analyse drug policy in the UK. It is not funded by the Government and claims not to have any particular 'standpoint'. This is the final report from the charity, which will shut down in December. Although drug use in Britain has fallen in recent years, it is still higher than most other countries. About one in ten adults has taken an illegal substance in the past year compared to a global average of one in 20, the report states. Some 42,000 people in England and Wales are sentenced each year for the possession of drugs, with about 160,000 people given cannabis warnings, it added. No harm done? The controversial study likens smoking cannabis to eating junk food . A Home Office spokesman 'welcomed' the UKDPC's contribution to the drugs debate. However, they said: 'We remain confident that our ambitious approach to tackling drugs – outlined in our Drugs Strategy – is the right one. 'Drug usage is at its lowest level since records began.' Dame Ruth Runciman, the UKDPC chairwoman, said UK governments have done much to reduce the damage caused by drug problems, including needle exchanges and investment in treatment for addicts. But she added: 'Those programmes are supported by evidence, but much of the rest of drug policy does not have an adequate evidence base. 'We spend billions of pounds every year without being sure of what difference much of it makes.' | Government should focus on 'damage limitation' rather than wholesale banning of drugs, says UK Drug Policy Commission .
The independent advisory body says people should be allowed to grow cannabis for personal use at home .
It adds that 'taking drugs does not always cause problems'
Findings condemned by campaign groups who said drugs 'are illegal because they are dangerous' |
93,547 | 044d9ee591fcb30ff33e0f7a53b73584696fb18e | By . Kerry Mcqueeney . PUBLISHED: . 11:27 EST, 24 May 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 12:09 EST, 24 May 2012 . Inexperienced driver: Lauren Smee . A novice driver was killed when she misread her satnav and drove into the path of oncoming traffic on a dual carriageway. Inexperienced Lauren Smee collided head-on collision with a BMW after driving the wrong way down a slip road after she misunderstood the satnav's instruction to take the first left exit on a roundabout. Failing to spot the 'no entry' signs, the 21-year-old ended up driving against the traffic flow on a 70mph road, directly into the path of driver Stuart Hope-Kirk. At an inquest into Miss Smee's death, Mr Hope-Kirk told the coroner's court he had 'absolutely no time' to react. West Sussex Coroner's Court was told that Miss Smee, who had only been behind the wheel for three months, had set off for a friend’s house in darkness on December 11 last year. On her 16-mile journey she came to a roundabout near Worthing, West Sussex, where her satnav told her to take the first left turn and she drove straight into the path of oncoming traffic. West Sussex Coroner’s Court was told Miss Smee’s Ford Ka collided head-on with Stuart Hope-Kirk’s convertible BMW on the 70mph road. Miss Smee, a barmaid from nearby Chichester, died that night at Worthing Hospital while Mr Hope-Kirk suffered a broken ankle and fractured spine. Mr Hope-Kirk, 49, from Bexhill: 'I saw what looked like strong headlights coming towards me. 'They were on my side of the dual carriageway. There was absolutely no time for me to react.' After the accident PC Stuart Medlycott, from Sussex Police, used a satnav to follow the same route Lauren had taken. Wrong turn: The inquest heard how Miss Smee could have missed the no entry signs at the roundabout slip road (pictured) He added: 'The device said cross the roundabout at the first exit, the first lawful exit being Titnore Lane. 'The signage on the exit slip road is quite high so if you missed the two signs on the flyover bridge you may miss those. 'If Lauren was unfamiliar with that junction she may have had a momentary lapse in her concentration.' He added once Miss Smee was on the A27 she may have thought she was travelling the correct way along a single-carriageway. The Highways Agency have since improved signage at the junction. However Miss Smee's mother Penny, 45, is calling for young drivers to be trained in using satnavs to stop a similar tragedy happening again. Avoidable accident: Miss Smee's mother is calling for young drivers to be trained in using satnavs to stop a similar tragedy happening again . She said after the inquest: 'She was going to pick her friend up but did not know where she was going. 'She heard the voice of the satnav and took it literally. She was a very inexperienced driver. 'Satnavs are a help to youngsters on the road who don’t know where they are going but young drivers have so much to think about. 'If they are following the sat-nav they can’t always be aware of the road. If they sat-nav tells you to get off there you just think it’s telling you the right thing. 'She believed she was doing the right thing and didn’t question it. I think the use of sat-navs should be included in some way in driving lessons. 'Young people need to be taught how to use them safely. Maybe it would stop a tragedy like this happening again.' Mrs Smee added: 'She was such a beautiful person, inside and out.' Miss Smee attended Chichester College before going to work at the The Bull’s Head pub in Fishbourne, West Sussex. Coroner for West Sussex Penelope Schofield recorded a verdict of accidental death. | Lauren Smee accidentally drove on to an exit slip road .
She ended up driving into the path of 70mph traffic . |
232,571 | b9218c551d4597b4caac6667ff7cdd105b532875 | ATLANTA, Georgia (CNN) -- Shortly after midnight on January 24, a 16-year old boy from Powder Springs, Georgia, crashed his car into an oncoming vehicle. Garrett Reed, a star football player at Harrison High School, died instantly. Police believe he had been drinking. Kecia Evangela Whitfield, 43, is charged with furnishing alcohol to a minor and reckless conduct. According to police, the investigation revealed that a classmate's mother served alcohol to Reed. Police charged 43-year-old Kecia Evangela Whitfield with furnishing alcohol to a minor and reckless conduct, both misdemeanors. Whitfield was released on a $10,000 bond and awaits a court date in April. Records on file with the Cobb County solicitor general's office indictate she has not yet entered a plea or obtained a lawyer. She did not return CNN's phone calls. If convicted, she could receive up to a year in jail and fines totaling thousands of dollars. Toxicology reports for Reed will be released in six weeks, officials said. His death stunned the small community of Powder Springs and sounded an alarm for parents. "What we have to realize is that our kids do think they are invincible," said Patti Agatston, a mother of another Harrison High School teenager who lives in Reed's neighborhood. "We can't be enablers. We've got to be adults and say 'no.' " At least ten states including Virginia, Minnesota and New Mexico-and Georgia, where Garrett's accident occurred, allow parents to give their own child alcohol, according to the Alcohol Policy Information System, a federal website that tracks alcohol laws. The alcohol can typically be given to the minor in the guardian's home or a private setting and there are no age limits, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. However, nowhere is it legal to give alcohol to other people's children. Officials say teen binge drinking is reaching epidemic proportions, and states and municipalities are scrambling to implement "social hosting" laws that carry stiff fines for parents whose homes are used for drinking parties, whether they know about them or not. At least 24 states have enacted social hosting laws that fine parents several thousand dollars for each offense, said Jim Mosher, an expert tracking alcohol policies at the National Conference of State Legislatures. The fines, he said, are an effective deterrent. A 2005 study conducted by the American Medical Association reported that about one-third of teens said it was "easy to obtain alcohol" from their parents. That figure jumps to 40 percent when it comes to getting alcohol from a friend's parent. One out of four teens said they had attended a party where minors were drinking in front of parents. Some communities are using their zoning powers to create local social hosting laws. These laws usually result in misdemeanor charges and jail time is rare. Prosecutors' offices are often busy with other cases and don't bother to charge unless there is a serious incident or accident, policy experts said. "It's very difficult for us to knock on a random door and say 'are you drinking?' " said Sgt. Dana Pierce of the Cobb County Police Department, the agency responsible for investigating Reed's case. "We usually have to respond to some kind of nuisance call." In Massachusetts in January, a court sentenced a mother to jail for serving alcohol to minors at a party in her home. A teenage boy died in an auto accident after leaving her party. In Charlottesville, Virginia, two adults served jail time in 2007 for providing alcohol at their son's 16th birthday party. Some parents consider giving a teenager a drink a rite of passage -- and that contributes to high teenage drinking rates, said Richard Yoast, director of the Department of Healthy Lifestyles and Primary Prevention at the American Medical Association. "It's a myth that adults and children are buying into, and it creates pressure on the child to drink," Yoast said. "The biggest problem to overcome is the fact that parents feel like they are helping their kids," said Denise Thames, director of Mothers Against Drunk Driving in Georgia, "They often forget they are in fact breaking the law." The affluent suburbs near Powder Springs, where Reed's accident took place, are not immune. Police say there were several teenagers hanging out with Reed the night he died, including Whitfield's stepson. Several of Reed's close friends at Harrison High School said alcohol is easy to get in their community and students can find a drinking party each weekend if they want to. It is easier to get alcohol from older friends and relatives or parents than buying it with a fake ID, they said. "As long as you have money, you can get it," said Eric Stallworth, a senior at Harrison High School, who was close friends with Reed. He described his friend as a charismatic and popular boy, who was fiercely competitive when it came to sports and dreamed of playing college football. While there is no county or city ordinance on social hosting in Powder Springs, or in Georgia, some parents are fighting back. The Cobb Alcohol Task Force, which also serves Powder Springs, is a volunteer group working to reduce teens' access to alcohol. The group launched a campaign called "Adults Who Host Lose the Most" to educate the public about the dangers of illegally providing teens with liquor. Surveys in Cobb County show the campaigns are working slowly, said Cathy Finck, Cobb Alcohol Task Force coordinator. In 2007, 68 percent of 10th grade students said obtaining alcohol was easy, a decrease from 73 percent the previous year. But that may not be enough to stop a fatal accident such as Reed's. "Unless you get everyone to do it, kids will find out one place where they can get alcohol and you will have these kinds of incidences," Finck said. "Everyone has to get on board." Ultimately, parents need to step up and take responsibility, said Shawna Snapp of Blue River, Oregon. Her son, Ryan Snapp, nicknamed "Snapper," died two years ago in a car accident. He was 17 and the teenage driver had been drinking alcohol obtained from an adult. "We're not here as parents to be their best friends," Snapp said. "We are here to guide them for life." | Star football player dies in crash that followed night of drinking .
Classmate's mother is charged with furnishing alcohol to a minor .
AMA: A third of teens say it's "easy to obtain alcohol" from parents .
At least 24 states have enacted social hosting laws carrying stiff fines . |
261,411 | de8baa15c8a28b40a909a24dabc9fc85115b723a | (CNN) -- A murder charge was dropped against one of three teenagers accused of fatally shooting a college baseball player in a random "thrill kill," said the district attorney's office in Stephens County, Oklahoma. James Edwards Jr., 17, will now be tried as a juvenile on a charge of concealing a weapon, reported CNN affiliate KSWO. Edwards will have to testify against former co-defendants Michael Jones and Chancey Luna, who still face charges of first-degree murder. Police had said the three teens shot Chris Lane -- an Australian attending East Central University on a baseball scholarship -- in August 2013 as he was jogging in Duncan, a town of about 23,000 people located about 80 miles southwest of Oklahoma City. Authorities had said the three youths saw Lane passing by and shot him because "they had nothing to do." Jones and Luna have pleaded not guilty. KSWO reported that no gunshot residue was present on Edwards the day of Lane's death and that other evidence cast doubt on his involvement in the killing. | 3 teens accused of fatally shooting Chris Lane, a jogger .
Murder charge dropped against James Edwards Jr.
Edwards will testify against the other two defendants .
Lane was an Australian who played college baseball . |
71,903 | cbd5710050a89804230f4a21eeb426c7c1810813 | By . Associated Press Reporter . A man who spent nearly 26 years on death row in Louisiana walked free of prison Tuesday, hours after a judge approved the state's motion to vacate the inmate's murder conviction in the 1983 killing of a jeweler. Glenn Ford, 64, had been on death row since August 1988 in connection with the death of 56-year-old Isadore Rozeman, a Shreveport jeweler and watchmaker for whom Ford had done occasional yard work. Ford had always denied killing Rozeman. Ford walked out the maximum security prison at Angola this afternoon, said Pam Laborde, a spokeswoman for Louisiana's Department of Public Safety and Corrections. Scroll down for video . First steps to freedom: Glenn Ford, 64, center, walks out of a maximum security . prison, in Angola, La., after having spent . nearly 26 years on death row . Asked as he walked away from the prison gates about his release, Ford told WAFB-TV, 'It feels good; my mind is going in all kind of directions. It feels good.' Ford told the broadcast outlet he does harbor some resentment at being wrongly jailed. 'Yeah, cause, I've been locked up almot 30 years for something I didn't do,' the freed inmate said. 'I can't go back and do anything I should have been doing when I was 35, 38, 40 stuff like that.' The newly liberated man also lamented that he was not there to help raise his sons, who are now grownups. State District Judge Ramona Emanuel on Monday took the step of voiding Ford's conviction and sentence based on new information that corroborated his claim that he was not present or involved in Rozeman's death, Ford's attorneys said. Lost years: Upon leaving death row, Ford told reporters that he does . harbor some resentment at being wrongly jailed and denied the chance to . help raise his sons, who are now grown men . Ford, an African-American, was tried and convicted of first-degree murder by an all-white jury panel in 1984 and sentenced to death. 'We are very pleased to see Glenn Ford finally exonerated, and we are particularly grateful that the prosecution and the court moved ahead so decisively to set Mr. Ford free,' said a statement from Gary Clements and Aaron Novod, the attorneys for Ford from the Capital Post Conviction Project of Louisiana. They said Ford's trial had been . 'profoundly compromised by inexperienced counsel and by the . unconstitutional suppression of evidence, including information from an . informant.' They also . cited what they said was a suppressed police report related to the time . of the crime and evidence involving the murder weapon. The victim's family have been notified of Ford's release from death row in advance. 'We . understand that and actually believe the DA is acting honorably,' the slain jeweler's nephew, Dr Phillip Rozeman, told Shreveport Times. 'This is positive . reflection on the criminal justice system that does the right thing for . people. Color of jusitce: Ford, an African-American (pictured in booking photos), was tried and convicted of first-degree murder by an all-white jury panel in 1984 and sentenced to death . 'We don’t have any animosity for anyone. If someone else was involved or others were involved in his death there also will be justice for those people.' The groundwork for Ford's release was laid last week when prosecutors in Caddo Parish began filing motions suggesting that another suspect had confessed to being the shooter. According to court documents, confidential informant Jake Robinson had revealed that he was the one who pulled the trigger, killing Rozeman. Robinson was one of four people initially charged in the killing. The other three were Ford, George Starks and the informant's brother, Henry Robinson. Lockup: Ford had spent the past 26 years at the Angola penitentiary - one of the largest maximum security prisons in the world with two death row units . Currently, there are 83 men and two women serving death sentences in Louisiana, according to Laborde. A Louisiana law entitles those who have served time but are later exonerated to receive compensation. It calls for payments of $25,000 per year of wrongful incarceration up to a maximum of $250,000, plus up to $80,000 for loss of 'life opportunities.' | Glenn Ford, 64, spent 26 years awaiting execution for 1983 shooting death of jewelers and clockmaker Isadore Rozeman .
Ford, an African-American, was tried and convicted of first-degree murder by all-white jury .
Death sentence was voided after prosecutors uncovered new information proving that Ford was not the shooter .
Police informant Jake Robinson, one of four men originally arrsted in the murder, had allegedly confessed to killing Rozeman . |
204,866 | 953b9172452f774208a8f1c47304d62036038e6c | Police seized 41.6 pounds of marijuana from the trunk of a Boston man's car after they searched him because they noticed a strong smell coming from his trunk. Oleg Spekterkov, 29, of Boston was charged with felony aggravated trafficking in scheduled drugs and misdemeanor possession of a Schedule X drug after cops searched his car at 8:45pm on Saturday night. NBC reports that the officer conducting the stop in Aurburn, Maine, smelled an 'overwhelming odor' coming from the car. Charged: Oleg Spektorov was arrested and charged after police say they found 41 pounds of marijuana in the trunk of his car during a traffic stop on Saturday . Heavy load: Maine police searched Oleg Spekterkov's car after sensing an 'overwhelming odor' coming from the vehicle during a traffic stop . Spekterkov told police that he was a medical marijuana caregiver but he was unable to explain why there were 41 pounds of marijuana in his car along with some hashish oil and items used to manufacture the oil. The mounds of pot were bagged in plastic and paper bags, reports the Sun Journal. Spekterkov was taken to the Androscoggin County Jail. He was later released Sunday on $25,000 cash bail and is scheduled to make his first court appearance Dec. 30. Bagged: The 41 mounds of pot were bagged in plastic and paper bags and police also seized hashish oil . | Oleg Spekterkov, 29, was charged with felony aggravated trafficking in scheduled drugs and misdemeanor possession of a Schedule X drug .
Cops allegedly seized 41 pounds of weed and some hashish oil from the trunk of Spekterkov's car during a traffic stop .
Spekterkov told police that he was a medical marijuana caregiver but he was unable to explain why there was so much pot in his car . |
54,955 | 9bae1a9c944b9bc62698cc17d7059f3f15a4e925 | LONDON, England (CNN) -- The British Museum plans to display a statue of supermodel Kate Moss that it bills as the largest gold statue built since ancient Egypt. The statue of Kate Moss will be displayed in the British Museum in a gallery holding anicent Greek sculpture. Called "Siren," the statue will be part of a group of major sculptures by leading British artists to go on display at the museum in October, the museum announced. The museum says the artist, Marc Quinn, claims it's the largest gold statue since ancient Egypt. His previous work included the marble sculpture Alison Lapper Pregnant, which appeared on a plinth in London's Trafalgar Square. The Kate Moss statue, weighing 50kg, will be displayed in a gallery of the museum that houses ancient Greek sculpture. The museum calls it a "fitting setting" for the statue of Moss, "interacting with the great Greek beauties that surround it." Moss, whose slight frame was at the forefront of the waif look in the mid-1990s, is now nearly as well known for her celebrity lifestyle as her modeling career. The one-time girlfriend of British rocker Pete Doherty is a tabloid newspaper and celebrity magazine favorite, and now dates Kills guitarist Jamie Hince. She has recently mixed her modeling work with designing collections for the British clothing giant, Topshop. Other artists exhibiting include Damien Hirst, who most recently created a $100 million diamond-covered skull, and Angel of the North creator Anthony Gormley. The exhibit is expected to run from October 4 through January 25, 2009. | Statue of Kate Moss billed as largest gold statue built since ancient Egypt .
Called "Siren," the statue will be on display at the British Museum .
Moss statue will be displayed in gallery housing ancient Greek sculpture . |
228,362 | b3afc33a30f161d868a204030e3d0de213b14e74 | From Hurricane Fly's fourth consecutive Irish Champion Hurdle victory to The New One brushing aside the opposition in Cheltenham’s International Hurdle, it has been an exciting year of racing. As 2014 nears its conclusion racing correspondent Marcus Townend reviews the past 12 months of racing, and picks his best race of each month. JANUARY . Paul Nicholls says main jockey Daryl Jacob is not keen to partner returning stable star Big Buck’s so the mount goes to Sam Twiston-Davies. It is the opening move in an almost inevitable sequence which ends up with Twiston-Davies appointed stable jockey. A £2million coup is landed with four horses all with links to legendary gambler Barney Curley. RACE OF THE MONTH: Hurricane Fly claims a fourth consecutive Irish Champion Hurdle, emulating the great Istabraq. Ruby Walsh, riding Hurricane Fly, clears the first flight of hurdles before winning Irish Champion Hurdle . FEBRUARY . Days after winning the Irish Hennessy Gold Cup with Last Instalment, it is revealed that trainer Philip Fenton is facing a court appearance after illegal drugs including Anabolic Steroids are discovered in a raid on his Co Tipperary stable. In one of the shocks of the year (not), Sheik Mohammed is distanced from Godolphin drug-cheat trainer Mahmood Al Zarooni in a report by ex-Met Police chief Lord Stevens commissioned by the Sheik’s team. RACE OF MONTH: 33-1 shot Splash of Ginge lands the Betfair Hurdle at Newbury under seven-pound conditional Ryan Hatch. Ryan Hatch riding Splash of Ginge clears the last to win the Betfair Hurdle at Newbury . MARCH . Jim Culloty, best known as jockey of three-time Gold Cup winner Best Mate, becomes only the fifth man to also train the winner as Lord Windermere edges home under Davy Russell and then survives a stewards enquiry. But both Ruby Walsh and Jacob suffer season-ending Festival falls. Colleague Joe Tizzard announces his retirement. RACE OF THE MONTH: Sire De Grugy’s Champion Chase success at the Cheltenham Festival for the popular trainer-jockey combo of Gary and Jamie Moore. Jamie Moore and Sire de Grugy celebrate victory in the Champion Chase during at Cheltenham Festival . APRIL . Scepticism dissipates as the first Good Friday racing takes place at Musselburgh and Lingfield with almost 9,000 spectators descending on the latter venue for £1m All-Weather Championship day. AP McCoy, crowned champion jump jockey for 19th time, announces that he will carry on and on and on... RACE OF THE MONTH: Trainer Dr Richard Newland lands the Grand National with Leighton Aspell-ridden Pineau de Re. Pineau De Re ridden by Leighton Aspell clears a jump as they win the Grand National at Aintree . MAY . BHA confirm that 39 of the 40 jockeys who rode in the Grand National face an enquiry into their conduct after another start shambles. Never knowingly undersold, Aidan O’Brien saddles Epsom favourite with a mountainous reputation by saying ‘he’s a Derby horse like we have never had’. Kieren Fallon, fresh from his 2,000 Guineas win, joins what proves to be an ever changing Godolphin jockey roster. RACE OF THE MONTH: A tactical nightmare of a race but Night Of Thunder wins the 2,000 Guineas to give trainer Richard Hannon a Classic in his first season. Kieren Fallon (near) rides Night Of Thunder to victory in the 2,000 Guineas at Newmarket in May . JUNE . BHA announce a policy of zero tolerance to Anabolic Steroids but we will have to wait until March next year for the policy to fully come on stream. Grand National jockeys let off with a caution as starting procedure shown to be shambolic. Marginalised Godolphin jockey Mickael Barzalona heads back to France. McCoy reaches his fastest ever 50 wins and Paul Hanagan wins Oaks on Taghrooda, his first Classic. RACE OF MONTH: Australia goes some way to justifying the hype with a length and a half victory in the Derby. Joseph O'Brien riding Australia (centre) closes in on Derby victory at Epsom in June, 2014 . JULY . The Queen’s 2013 Ascot Gold Cup winner Estimate is embarrassingly caught up in a spree of positive drugs test. The cases are linked to contamination of feed blamed on poppy seeds. Goodwood provoke widespread anger by allowing new sponsor 32Red to ditch the historic Stewards’ Cup race title and the BHA announce an investigation into whether ex-jockey Graham Bradley has been breaking rules by training his own horses within Brendan Powell’s stable. RACE Of MONTH: Raw, sizzling speed from Kingman in the Sussex Stakes at Glorious Goodwood. James Doyle rides Kingman to victory at the Sussex Stakes at Glorious Goodwood . AUGUST . BHA announce chief executive Paul Bittar is to leave while controversially confirming jockey Irish jockey Fergal Lynch, previously banned from Britain after admitting he ‘stopped’ a horse in 2004 can ride in this country again. Two-time champion jockey Jamie Spencer announces he is retiring from riding 24 hours before Andrea Atzeni is announced as his replacement as No 1 jockey for Sheik Fahad’s Qatar Racing. RACE OF THE MONTH: Sole Power pounces on the line to win the Nunthorpe Stakes under a typically audacious Richard Hughes ride. Sole Power ridden by Wayne Lorden wins the Coolmore Nunthorpe Stakes during the Yorkshire Ebor Festival . SEPTEMBER . Going to the dogs … Towcester sell seven of their 17 fixtures because they clash with meetings at its new greyhound track which opens in December while Newcastle’s plans to dig up its flat course and replace it with an all-weather circuit are blocked, temporarily at least, by the BHA. ‘Jock off of the year’ as Criquette Head-Maarek is granted her request to replace Frankie Dettori with veteran Thierry Jarnet on mis-firing Treve. RACE OF THE MONTH: Kingston Hill swoops in the St Leger for jockey Andrea Atzeni and trainer Roger Varian. Andrea Atzeni celebrates as Kingston Hill (centre) wins the St Leger Stakes in Doncaster . OCTOBER . Records smashed at Tattersalls as close to 80,000m guineas is splashed out on blue-blooded yearlings, almost a quarter of it from Sheik Mohammed as he signals his intent to hit back after a disappointing summer of results in Britain. Five months after his link up with Godolphin, the marginalised Kieren Fallon says he is considering quitting Britain to ride in America. Written off Treve storms to a second Arc win, is retired and unretired within six days. RACE OF THE MONTH: Lady Cecil’s Noble Mission produces the perfect finale to Champions Day at Ascot by emulating big brother Frankel with victory in the Champion Stakes. Lady Jane Cecil (left) and James Doyle celebrate with Noble Mission after winning Champion Stakes at Ascot . NOVEMBER . The BHA turn to the bookmaking industry by appointing Ladbrokes managing director Nick Rust their new chief executive. Godolphin’s ever-changing jockey arrangements ended as they appoint William Buick and James Doyle as their jockeys for 2015. BHA in blunderland … wrong race distances at Wetherby, ineligible The Young Master wins at Wetherby and a wrong race distance published at Towcester. The Philip Fenton saga ends with Ireland’s Turf Club banning him for three years. RACE OF THE MONTH: Many Clouds digs deep to win the Hennessy Gold Cup for trainer Oliver Sherwood and jockey Leighton Aspell. Leighton Aspell riding Many Clouds (left) win The Hennessy Gold Cup at Newbury racecourse on November 29 . DECEMBER . Jamie Spencer’s retirement does even last as long as Treve’s as he announces he is to carry on riding as a freelance in 2015. Despite being clear at his enquiry, the BHA signal they will continue to oppose Graham Bradley’s attempts to gain a trainer’s licence. Evolution or revolution? Six new directors, some unknown within the sport, are appointed to the BHA board. Their performances during 2015 will be closely monitored. RACE OF MONTH: The New One brushes aside the opposition in Cheltenham’s International Hurdle. The New One riden by Sam Twiston-Davies (right) clears the last and wins Cheltenham's International Hurdle . | Sportsmail's Marcus Townend reviews the last 12 months of racing .
Racing correspondent picks his best race from each month of 2014 .
From Hurricane Fly's Fourth consecutive Irish Champion Hurdle win in January to The New One's Cheltenham International Hurdle victory . |
51,282 | 9130fdf88df80a1b0c70cf0a21f3802b2ade3de1 | For years, millions of women have woken up on Mothering Sunday to be presented with a bouquet by their children, with the stems tied precariously in a bag of water. But no longer will they risk an untimely splash, as Marks & Spencer becomes the first High Street retailer to deliver flowers in a water-free, airtight container. Some 160,000 blooms ordered to celebrate the event today will arrive in the new packaging. Look, no water! Liquid-free flowers for Mothering Sunday have been introduced by Marks & Spencer . The move is expected to save 50,000 litres of water this weekend, and almost 500,000 litres over the year. The change is thanks to Modified Atmosphere Packaging, a method similar to vacuum-packing, which keeps flowers fresher for longer. This method removes oxygen, so carbon dioxide levels rise, slowing the respiration of the blooms and ‘putting them to sleep’ in transit. But when unpacked, cut and put in water, the buds ‘wake up’. The new packaging not only saves water, it reduces carbon footprint. Such bouquets take up less space and M&S says it will need 19 fewer lorries to deliver Mother’s Day flowers this year. The packaging is to be extended to all flowers sold in its stores as part of the company’s plan to become the world’s greenest retailer by 2015. Water pain! For too long mothers have had to flinch and await and almighty splash as they unwrap flowers . | No longer must Mothering Sunday stems be perched in a bag of water .
Chain has become first high street retailer to deliver water-free blooms .
Bosses say it reduces carbon footprint - with 19 fewer lorries needed today . |
186,655 | 7dc588c845a6c3418d7abd8aa0b02d8d91b17803 | By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 17:42 EST, 17 February 2014 . | . UPDATED: . 18:09 EST, 17 February 2014 . A father and son are charged in connection with the death of a man whose body was found behind a school in Norwood. Prosecutors said 66-year-old Vincent Lalli was killed in Somerville, where he shared an apartment with the two men. Lalli's body was found Jan. 29. Fifty-two-year-old Anthony Canejo Sr. pleaded not guilty in Somerville District Court to armed assault with intent to murder and assault and battery with a dangerous weapon. Father & son: Anthony Canejo Sr (left) and his son Anthony Canejo Jr have both been arrested in connection with murder . His son, thirty-year-old Anthony Canejo Jr. pleaded not guilty to accessory charges. Prosecutors allege the father beat Lalli with a crowbar and strangled him, and the son helped dispose of Lalli's body which was dumped behind a Norwood middle school. According to a police report, the murder may have all been about money and lottery tickets. Tony Canejo, Sr., 52, is a convicted Level 3 sex offender. Killed: 66-year-old Vincent Lalli's dismembered body was discovered in plastic trash bags behind the school . The police report says Canejo Sr. killed Lalli, first hitting him with a crow bar in Lalli's bedroom and then strangling him with bare hands on Jan. 24. Fox News reports, the day before the murder, a witness gave Lalli nearly $8,000, money owed on a lottery ticket Lalli won. Lalli turned around and bought two books of scratch tickets, and still had $6400 on him. Police say they never recovered any of the cash, and that shortly after the murder, Canejo Sr. and his son were recorded on video cashing in some winning scratch tickets. Canejo Sr. is held without bail until a hearing on Feb. 21. His son is held without bail on an alleged probation violation and on $250,000 cash bail on the new charges. Fallout: All three men shared a house together in Somerville . Lalli's dismembered remains were found in several plastic bags. Two blood soaked suitcases and a blood drenched towel were also found at the scene. Lalli’s body was identified through fingerprints, the DA said. Lalli was described as a Navy veteran who served in Vietnam and was the father of an 11-year-old son. | A Massachusetts father and son have been charged in the death of a Vietnam veteran .
Police say money from lottery winnings as a possible motive .
Vietnam Vet was strangled and beaten with a crowbar in his Somerville apartment before his body was dumped behind a school . |
256,205 | d7a31fbfffbaf1d3ce9d9f3f5233fc2cb692e137 | By . Damien Gayle . PUBLISHED: . 04:25 EST, 25 January 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 04:48 EST, 25 January 2013 . The mistle thrush is fast disappearing from the UK's gardens, wildlife experts warned today as they urged people to take part in an annual survey to collect information about bird species. Results from the RSPB's annual Big Garden Birdwatch survey have shown that mistle thrushes are now being seen in fewer than half the number of gardens they were spotted in 10 years ago. The RSPB is urging the public to take part in this year's survey, which takes place this weekend, to help gather important information on how mistle thrushes and other garden bird species are faring. Under threat: Sightings of the mistle thrush are down 28 per cent between 1995 and 2010 and wildlife experts are asking the public to look out for them and other birds in the annual Big Garden Birdwatch survey . The event, described by the conservation charity as the world's biggest wildlife survey, is now in its 34th year. Since starting in 1979 it has helped highlight dramatic declines in some garden birds. Starling numbers have fallen from an average of 15 per garden in 1979 to just three in 2012, while house sparrow numbers have fallen by two-thirds in the same period, although the two species are still the most commonly seen. But some birds have seen their fortunes improve, with garden birds such as blue tits, great tits and coal tits on the increase since 1979. And goldfinches, which were absent from the Big Garden Birdwatch in its early years, have featured regularly in the top 15 species spotted since 2004. Fast disappearing: House sparrow numbers have fallen by two-thirds between 1979 and 2010 . Martin Harper, RSPB conservation director, said: 'Everyone that has ever taken part in Big Garden Birdwatch has helped to make us aware of huge changes in the populations of birds like house sparrows, starlings and song thrushes, leading us to do more work on the decline of these familiar birds. 'Mistle thrushes are already on the amber-list of conservation concern and are closely related to the threatened song thrush. The rate of decline we've seen throughout Big Garden Birdwatch suggest both these species are in need of help.' Named for their fondness for mistletoe berries, mistle thrushes are large, aggressive and powerful songbirds. They are also known as stormcocks after country legends that they are the last birds to be heard before a storm. Mistle thrushes sing throughout the winter to defend territories that are rich in fruit, making their song the easiest way to recognise them. They can also be identifed by their pale, black-spotted plumage and are most likely to be noticed at perched high atop trees. Early nesters, their mournful songs can be heard echoing across chilly gardens as early as February. 'It's a species that very often people will mistake for a song thrush. They're both medium sized, brown and white birds with large spots,' said the RSPB's Graham Madge. 'But mistle thrushes are great characters and they will very often give their presence away by their call.' Graham Madge of the RSPB told the BBC that there is still much to learn about just why mistle thrush numbers are in such a steep decline. 'It's reaching rates where as a community we should begin to develop some concerns because its population does seem to be haemorrhaging from our gardens, woodlands and countryside,' he said. 'Over the last six or seven years of Big Garden Birdwatch, the participants have been telling us that mistle thrushes have been declining - even over that short period.' Last year almost 600,000 people, including 90,000 pupils and teachers at schools, took part in Birdwatch activities, counting 9million birds between them. The survey, which sees volunteers count the bird visitors to their garden for an hour over the last weekend in January, is described as the largest citizen science project in the world. People can take part by spending an hour at any time this weekend counting birds in their garden or park, noting the highest number of each bird species seen at any one time and submitting the results to the RSPB. Schoolteachers and children will be doing the same thing in their school grounds as part of the Big Schools Birdwatch over the next week. Sarah Houghton, RSPB manager for the Birdwatch, said: 'No matter where people take part, whether at home with the family, with classmates at school or with friends in the beer garden of the local pub, we’re all joining forces to gather vital information about some of our most familiar garden birds. 'It’s a great way to get to know the creatures that live around us, and that’s especially important for children. 'Feeding garden birds can often be a child’s first encounter with wildlife and can spark a lifelong interest in nature.' She added: 'The declines of birds like starlings and sparrows over the last 30 years or so have been alarming, but Big Garden Birdwatch has helped us find out more about their numbers and distribution across UK gardens, and that has been the first step in helping to put things right.' Visit rspb.org.uk/birdwatch and rspb.org.uk/schoolswatch to find out how to take part at home or at school. | RSPB's annual Big Garden Birdwatch survey takes place this weekend .
Mistle thrushes are among the garden birds which are in steep decline .
Sightings of the birds fell 28 per cent between 1995 and 2010 . |
271,405 | eb8ca786704310020ca4d91359feaab62ede7913 | Two young women charged with seriously assaulting an elderly, vision-impaired man on a Gold Coast bus will be sentenced in September. Layni Cameron, 17, and Larna Watmough, 21, have been charged with serious assault and public nuisance after footage emerged of them allegedly attacking Paul Buttigieg, 77, in February. The footage appears to show the girls hitting and kicking the man, spitting at him and breaking his glasses. Scroll down for video . Layni Cameron and Larna Watmough were captured on camera allegedly assaulting an elderly man on a bus . A solicitor told the court today that the two women intend to plead guilty to the charges of serious assault and public nuisance . At one point the video appears to show the man standing up and attempting to fight back but he is quickly pushed back to his seat. It is believed the women had attended a racing event during the day before catching the bus home from the Tweed Heads Bowls Club. A 13-year-old female passenger filmed the incident and the video was taken to the police, as well as posted to the Internet, where it went viral. It is alleged that the incident was fuelled by racism, with the girl’s making racial comments about Mr Buttigieg, who is Aboriginal. The footage also shows the girls verbally abusing a woman with a pram. The women intend to plead guilty to the charges, solicitor Ashleigh Nicholls told the court today, and they will face sentencing in September. Cameron also faces charges over the robbery of a convenience store in Surfers Paradise a few weeks before the alleged bus attack, the court heard today. At one point the video shows Paul Buttigieg, 77, standing up and attempting to fight back . The incident was filmed by another passenger and went viral online after it was uploaded . | Layni Cameron, 17, and Larna Watmough, 21, will plead guilty to assault .
The women allegedly attacked an elderly man on a bus in February .
The incident was filmed by a young passenger and the video went viral . |
83,099 | eb9ef940a3dbbb4662ff2eb869d64e9506ba1b04 | A father and his seven-month-old daughter have been found dead in their Michigan home after he failed to return the little girl to her mother amid a divorce battle. The bodies of Daryne Gailey, who had learning disabilities and suffered seizures, and his daughter Charley Lillian Hendrick were found in the Oakland County house by authorities carrying out a welfare check on Sunday morning. Charley, who was found in her crib, died from blunt force trauma to the head and her death was ruled a homicide. But authorities have not given a cause of death for her dad, who had a deep laceration from a boxcutter to his neck when he was discovered in the home's bathroom. Killed: The bodies of Daryne Gailey (right), who had learning disabilities, and his daughter Charley Lillian Hendrick (left) were found at his Michigan home on Sunday. Only her death has been ruled a homicide so far . Gailey's mother, 65-year-old Sylvia Majewska, was found on a couch inside the home with cuts to her body and was taken to hospital, where she remains, the Detroit Free Press reported. Since the deaths, it has emerged that Gailey had filed for divorce only six months after his August 2013 wedding to Charley's mother, Amanda Gailey. The divorce was finalized just three weeks ago. And more recently, Majewska had filed for a protection order on her son's behalf against his ex, although it was lifted in July, the Free Press reported. It is not clear why it was lifted. In the protection order, Majewska claimed that Amanda Gailey had been diagnosed with bipolar disorder and had kicked him in the groin and thrown a cell phone at him, according to court records. Battle: Gailey was looking after the girl following his divorce from his wife Amanda, left. His mother, Sylvia Majewska, right, who was also found hurt, had previously filed a protection order against Amanda . Happier times: The couple were married for just six months before Majewska sought to get their marriage annulled earlier this year, saying that her son did not have the cognitive abilities to marry . Gailey has denied the allegations. Majewska, who was her son's guardian due to his learning disabilities, sought to get her son's marriage annulled in January, saying he did not have the understanding to marry. The following month, the baby was born and Amanda Gailey was given full and legal custody of the baby girl. Daryne Gailey was allowed to see his daughter every other Friday with his mother present. The bodies were found on Sunday morning after Gailey failed to return the baby girl to her mother following the weekend visit. Authorities went to check on him and they discovered the bodies. A box cutter has been removed from the home as evidence, the Oakland County Sheriff's Office said. Killed: Authorities have not yet ruled the cause of Gailey's death, although he was found with a cut to his neck from a boxcutter. The medical examiner found little Charley died of blunt force trauma to the head . Sheriff's Sergeant Dale Brown said there didn't appear to be signs of forced entry into the home and no one has been charged in the incident. Deputies said it appeared to be a domestic incident, but would not provide further details, WXYZ reported. Gailey had worked as a clerk at a Kroger grocery store in Lake Orion for 15 years, employees said. They told the Free Press that he 'had a big heart'. | Daryne Gailey was found with a laceration to his neck from a boxcutter while his baby daughter, Charley, was killed by blunt force trauma to the head .
Her death has been ruled a homicide but the cause of his is still pending .
His mother was also found with cuts to her body but survived .
Gailey had been granted a divorce from his wife Amanda just three weeks ago; they married in August 2013 and he filed for divorce 6 months later .
His mother previously sought a protective order against Amanda for 'becoming increasingly violent' to her son, who has learning disabilities . |
82,097 | e8ac34b65187b6367db7e3dfbe834449393adcac | Amid the fuss about Jose Mourinho’s return to Lisbon, Nemanja Matic was forgotten. At least, he was until the 34th minute when the former Benfica midfielder appeared unmarked to head Chelsea into the lead. A less popular goalscorer it would have been hard to find inside Sporting Lisbon’s Estadio Jose Alvalade. Matic used to play for their fierce city rivals and returned to spoil their first Champions League home game in six years. Nemanja Matic (second right) proved the matchwinner for Chelsea, scoring the only goal in the 34th minute with a towering header at Sporting Lisbon . Matic's goal at Sporting on Tuesday night would have been doubly-sweet for the Serbian, who joined Chelsea from their bitter rivals Benfica . Matic (second left) is congratulated by Cesc Fabregas (centre) and the rest of his Chelsea team-mates after giving Chelsea the lead . Sporting (4-3-3): Patricio 7; Cedric 6, Mauricio 5.5 (Oliveira 63, 6), Sarr 5, J.Silva 5; Mario 6, Carvalho 6, A.Silva 6 (Montero 81); Carrillo 6.5 (Capel 81), Slimani 6, Nani 6. Subs not used: Marcelo, Jefferson, Martins, Rosell. Bookings: Carvalho, Mario, Cedric, Mauricio . Manager: Marco Silva . Chelsea (4-2-3-1): Courtois 6; Ivanovic 6, Cahill 6, Terry 6, Luis 6.5; Matic 8, Fabregas 7; Schurrle 5 (Willian 57, 6), Oscar 7.5 (Mikel 71, 6), Hazard 7 (Salah 84); Costa 6. Subs not used: Cech, Zouma, Azpilicueta, Remy. Bookings: Ivanovic, Hazard, Luis Filipe, Fabregas . Manager: Jose Mourinho. Man-of-the-Match: Nemanja Matic . Referee: Antonio Lahoz (Spain) Attendance: 40,734 . For Chelsea it was a vital goal, giving them a grip on a game they had dominated without managing to punish Sporting, with Diego Costa among those guilty of wastefulness, although not to the same degree as Andre Schurrle. Matic stepped forward to score his second of the season and his first Champions League goal for the club he re-joined in January for £21million. It clinched Chelsea three points and issued a reminder of how critical the tall Serb has become to Mourinho’s team. While Costa and Eden Hazard take acclaim for their work in front of goal, Matic supplies the midfield power which allows them to attack with such freedom. Amid all the fuss about Costa’s strike-rate and hamstrings and Hazard’s jinking dribbling skills, Matic is easily overlooked. Here was the perfect moment to hail his contribution for he is every bit as important as the goals of Costa or the jinking runs of Hazard. Sporting were very disappointing until they went behind. They appeared to freeze but generated more urgency and purpose in the second half, when Chelsea’s defensive unit had to work to protect the lead. Matic weighed in with some of the more familiar unsung stuff, eating up the miles, disrupting the game’s rhythms, winning the ball and the Londoners moved to the top of Group G with back-to-back ties next against Maribor of Slovenia, who drew at Schalke on Tuesday night. ‘We had to win,’ said captain John Terry after his 100th Champions League appearance. ‘It puts us in control again.’ Nani and Fredy Montero both went close in a closing phase which had no right to be as nervy as it was for Chelsea. They squandered the chances to win comfortably, starting in the second minute when Costa was released by Oscar. Costa stormed clear on goal with oodles of time, perhaps too much time, and opted for a low shot which Rui Patricio saved with his left foot. Patricio went on to perform brilliantly and Mourinho strode into his penalty area at the final whistle to offer his hand. Unlike Aston Villa boss Paul Lambert and his sidekick Roy Keane, Portugal’s No 1 shook it. ‘I’m not going to repeat what I said because the words would be censored,’ said the Chelsea boss. ‘It was something about spoiling the night.’ Diego Costa (right) had a glorious chance to put Chelsea ahead in their Champions League group match at Sporting Lisbon, but he saw his shot saved by Rui Patricio . The Spain international reacts after missing a guilt-edge chance to put the Blues ahead when clean through on goal after two minutes of the match . Chelsea should have been in front soon after but Andre Schurrle (right) inexplicably dragged his shot wide when teed up by Eden Hazard . Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho cut a frustrated figure as his side threw away early opportunities to score at the Estadio Jose Alvalade . The match saw Chelsea face a familiar opponent in winger Nani (right) who is on loan at Sporting Lisbon from Premier League rivals Manchester United . Nani and Mourinho shared brief pleasantries as the game unfolded on Tuesday night in the Portuguese capital . After thwarting Costa, Patricio frustrated Schurrle, who tried to sidle past him but the keeper scrambled across the turf to smother his shot. He saved again from Schurrle, a more routine catch from a header after Naby Sarr, who endured a torrid night, had been dispossessed, and again, to keep out a low strike from the edge of the box. It was shaping up like the Capital One Cup tie against Bolton when Schurrle had a dozen shots and could not score. Midway through the first-half he managed to screw an absolute sitter horribly wide. Mourinho spun towards the bench, throwing his hands in despair. He knew Chelsea must score during this dominant period. The chance was made by Hazard, who sped past Sarr and picked out Schurrle, arriving from deep, completely unmarked. All he had to do was roll the ball into the net but somehow he missed the target. Oscar (centre) wasted another glorious chance to double Chelsea's lead, seeing his shot saved by Patricio (right) when through on goal early in the second half . Nani's (right) influence grew in the second half as Sporting pressed for an equaliser against the 2012 winners . Sporting felt they should have had a penalty in the 68th minute when Andre Carrillo (right) fell under a challenge from Cesc Fabregas (left) Costa was unceremoniously fouled by defender Mauricio when charging through on goal against the Portuguese side . Referee Antonio Miguel Mateu Lahoz (far left) booked the Sporting defender (centre) for the challenge - who had to be carried off on a stretcher as a result of his foul . Chelsea wastefulness kept Sporting in the game and Marco Silva had them drilled to break at pace and numbers. Thibaut Courtois was a bystander for much of the first-half but alert to save from Islam Slimani when he needed to be. Pressure was eased by Matic, when the Serb found space in a crowded goalmouth to apply a firm header to a free-kick delivered by Cesc Fabregas and looped over Patricio into the far corner. There were similarities to the winner scored by Branislav Ivanovic in the Europa League final against Benfica, when Matic was on the beaten team. Chelsea had a lead and went after the second, but it was no easier to acquire. Mauricio blocked from Costa, soon after the break, and Oscar was unable to beat Patricio when clean through on goal. Nani cut a frustrated figure as Sporting failed to find a way to break down the Chelsea defence in their Champions League clash . Mourinho celebrated victory at the full-time whistle as his Blues' side move top of Group G on four points after two matches . Fabregas (centre) posted a picture on his Instagaram account with his Chelsea team-mates celebrating on the way back to London after the match . VIDEO Mourinho relaxed as Chelsea top Group G . Another run by Costa was brutally halted by Mauricio, who managed to injure himself in the process. It might have been interpreted as a red-card foul by the last defender, but the referee gave him the benefit of the doubt and the centre-half left on a stretcher with a yellow. ‘It’s understandable, no problem,’ said Mourinho. ‘It is a young team, young players, a big match for them. There was some frustration because we controlled most parts of the game. The game was hard but correct.’ Sporting summoned some quality in the second half. They were spirited and much more threatening and almost found a way back into the game. Nani crashed his best chance into the site-netting from an angle and curled another close, while Montero flashed a header wide. Chelsea survived the scares and are well placed to win the group. ‘We can control our destiny,’ said Mourinho. ‘We play two games against Maribor and if we manage six points that would be 10 and job done.’ | Nemanja Matic proved Chelsea's matchwinner with a towering header on 34 minutes in Portugal .
The match was Sporting Lisbon's first home Champions League game in six years .
Diego Costa, Andre Schurrle and Oscar all missed guilt-edge chances at the Estadio Jose Alvalade .
Jose Mourinho's side move top of Group G on four points, while Sporting are bottom on one .
Blues faced a familiar foe in Sporting's Nani who is on loan from Premier League rivals Manchester United . |
252,590 | d2e35dcc68410c192034ec1ed6afd9d92dfb2096 | By . Australian Associated Press . and Sarah Dean . A former Senior Australian of the Year accused of fraudulently claiming $9 million of taxpayers' money for one of the country's top indigenous schools will face trial in September. Jean Illingworth, the former principal of Djarragun College near Cairns, is accused of inflating student numbers to obtain a huge boost in extra government funding for the school. But supporters of the disgraced teacher, 66, are standing by her and have already helped raise $31,829 towards her legal fees for the trial. She will face one charge each of fraud and obtaining financial advantage by deception. Fired: Jean Illingworth, a former Queensland principal, is facing fraud charges after she allegedly bumped up enrolment numbers to secure extra funding. Here she is seen arriving at the Magistrates Court in Cairns, July 10, 2013 . Her backers have so far donated 40 per cent of the target amount reportedly needed to defend her against the fraud claims. During court proceedings last year, it was revealed Ms Illingworth was still paid $288,000 a year by the school, despite being stood down in March 2011. A trial date was set for September 22 during a pretrial hearing in the Cairns District Court on Thursday. Up to 70 witnesses, including 50 current and former school staff, will be called during the trial, which is expected to take up to five weeks. In trouble: The 66-year-old - pictured with a representative from her former lawyers, O'Reilly Stevens, last year - will face trial in September . The school: She was the former principal of Djarragun College, a top indigenous education centre, near Cairns . The court also heard Crown prosecutors had 17,000 documents, mainly enrolment and financial records, in their possession. About 200 of these will be presented at the trial. Prosecutors alleged Ms Illingworth enrolled children who never attended classes to gain extra funding. The former star of the local community worked at the college for about a decade. She was named the Queensland Senior Australian of the Year in 2009 for her work in transforming the once-dysfunctional college into a much admired model of success. Role model: Ms Illingworth was named Queensland's Senior Australian of the Year in 2009 . Aboriginal Australian lawyer Noel Pearson, who now runs the school, once described her as a 'true social entrepreneur'. The fundraising website 'Defend Jean' claims: 'Jean Illingworth worked tirelessly at Djarragun College for ten years, turning a small dysfunctional school into a flagship example of successful indigenous education.' It claims: 'The very least Jean deserves is a fair trial. The legal costs involved in achieving this are almost prohibitive.' Ms Illingworth's lawyers still have the option to apply for a judge-only trial or request jurors be polled to see if they are biased due to publicity surrounding the case. Before the trial takes place the case will go before the court again next month. The 66-year-old has been in custody in a Townsville women's prison for almost a year. She was released on bail after being charged early last year but was then taken into custody in July after allegedly contacting witnesses in the trial. A separate trial relating to these alleged offences - she has been charged with two counts of perverting the course of justice - may take place in November. Sorry we are not currently accepting comments on this article. | Jean Illingworth was sacked by Djarragun College near Cairns in 2011 .
Will face trial on September 22 accused of fraudulently claiming funding .
Supporters have raised over $30,000 to defend her .
Was named the Queensland Senior Australian of the Year in 2009 . |
90,994 | 0105f3495ee1020c7cb524af97318aa91e512d01 | (CNN) -- Manchester United needs a miracle to win the league title this year according to manager Louis van Gaal -- so what better way to start off than with the arrival of an angel. Angel Di Maria, the Argentina winger, completed his £59.7 million ($98.7m) move -- a British transfer record -- from Real Madrid Tuesday on a five-year deal, the club announced on its official website. "I am absolutely delighted to be joining Manchester United. I have thoroughly enjoyed my time in Spain and there were a lot of clubs interested in me, but United is the only club that I would have left Real Madrid for," said Di Maria. "Angel is a world-class midfielder but most importantly he is a team player. There is no doubting his immense natural talent," Van Gaal said after clinching the signing. "He is an excellent addition to the team." But on the day the 26-year-old arrived at Old Trafford, the club suffered an embarrassing exit from the English League Cup at MK Dons -- thrashed 4-0 by the third flight side. Goals from Will Grigg in either half and a late double from Benik Afobe saw an admittedly understrength United team humiliated. The shock defeat comes after United failed to win either of its two Premier League games following a home defeat by Swansea and a draw at Sunderland. The arrival of Di Maria is something of a coup for a club without the lure of Champions League football given the Argentine was recently described by his fellow countryman and Atletico Madrid coach Diego Simeone as Real Madrid's "best player." He also starred for Argentina in its run to the World Cup final in Brazil, but missed the semifinal win over Van Gaal's Netherlands and the final defeat to Germany due to a thigh injury. However there are reservations over whether United should have used the money to improve other areas of the squad. "I think he himself is an excellent signing," Miguel Delaney, football writer for the Independent and the Blizzard told CNN. "It remains staggering that Real are selling him, given he tied their formation together last season -- but it sums up so much of the current United that a signing like that can still leave so many questions. "He is now the club's primary signing, yet it hasn't addressed the two primary issues with the squad -- central defense and central midfield. "At the very least, he offers pace, and trickery, and will give the side some of the thrust it lacked against Sunderland. "But United also needs players further back to offer that platform. It's difficult to have any quibbles with the signing of Di Maria. You can, however, have quibbles with signing him without purchasing more necessary players." United endured a disastrous time last season as David Moyes, the man who replaced Alex Ferguson, was sacked just 10 months after taking over at Old Trafford. The club finished seventh in the Premier League and missed out on qualifying for the Champions League for the first time since 1995. Ryan Giggs took over the reins following Moyes' exit in April before van Gaal was appointed in July. United have brought in midfielder Ander Herrera from Athletic Bilbao, teenager Luke Shaw from Southampton and defender Marcos Rojo from Sporting Lisbon. But Di Maria is the marquee signing -- the winger who played such a key role for Argentina in the World Cup and Real Madrid's Champions League triumph. Real paid around $60 million for Di Maria in 2010 following the player's successful time with Benfica in Portuguese football where he won the league title and the domestic cup on two occasions. During his time in the Spanish capital, Di Maria became an important part of the side which won the Spanish league title in 2012. He was also a key member of the team which won "La Decima" -- Real's 10th European Cup triumph with a dramatic victory over Atletico Madrid in the 2014 final. But his chances of first team football with Carlo Ancelotti's side have been limited since the arrival of James Rodriguez. The Colombian, one of the stars of the World Cup in Brazil, joined the club last month in a deal worth a reported $121 million. Real also completed the $34 million signing of Germany World Cup winner Toni Kroos in July as it bolstered its midfield options. Di Maria will hope to make his United debut against Burnley on Saturday at Turf Moor, with Van Gaal hoping his team can hit back after its sorry start to the season. The previous British transfer record was set by Chelsea in 2011 when they paid £50 million ($83m) to sign Fernando Torres from Liverpool. | Manchester United has completed the signing of Angel Di Maria .
Fee paid for Real Madrid star is British transfer record of £59.7 million ($98.7m)
Chelsea's £50m ($83m) signing of Fernando Torres was previous highest fee paid by British club .
NEW: Man Utd loses English League Cup match 4-0 after Di Maria's signing . |
160,777 | 5bd6e3bae72be01a2999ab5d7cde059d5331a54a | (CNN) -- One night in late July this year, the Japanese supertanker M. Star was making its way through the Strait of Hormuz -- the chokepoint at the southern tip of the Persian Gulf. It was en route to Japan with 3 million barrels of crude oil. There was a loud thud at the front of the ship. Its hull suffered a substantial square-shaped dent above the waterline. Theories about the cause quickly abounded: a giant wave, a collision with a submarine or another vessel. And then -- six days later -- a militant Sunni group that had been active in Lebanon, Egypt and Jordan claimed it had attacked the ship with an explosives-laden boat. The Abdullah Azzam Brigades said the attack on the M. Star "sought to weaken the infidel global order which is thrust into Muslim lands and which loots its resources." For the Brigades, such an attack was a significant departure from previous targets. To begin with, intelligence analysts were skeptical of the claim. But U.S. officials now say it is credible. "Government and industry sources can confirm that the claim by the Abdullah Azzam brigades ... is valid," the U.S. Department of Transportation's Maritime Administration said in an advisory last week. "The group remains active and can conduct further attacks on vessels in areas in the Strait of Hormuz, southern Arabian Gulf, and western Gulf of Oman,' it said. The Saudis are already anxious about the foothold that al Qaeda has established in neighboring Yemen. Now the Brigades -- spawned in the squalor of Palestinian refugee camps in Lebanon -- may be an emerging player in the region's terror landscape. The Brigades are named after a Palestinian close to al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden. Abdullah Azzam was killed in Pakistan in 1989 by a bomb explosion. The group is led by one Saleh al-Qarawi, who fought U.S. forces in Iraq and got to know al Qaeda's now-dead leader there -- Abu Musab al-Zarqawi. Born in the Saudi city of Barida, al-Qarawi is only 28, but is already on the kingdom's most wanted list. When that list was first published in February 2008, he was described as "one of the key suppliers of facilities, finances, fake documents" for al Qaeda. And he has ambitious aims, telling an extremist website earlier this year: "All the jihadist battlefields now are fields of fighting." The Brigades have certainly shown themselves capable of audacious attacks. They claimed responsibility for an unsuccessful rocket attack on a U.S. warship anchored in the Jordanian port of Aqaba in 2005, as well as for bombings in 2004 and 2005 aimed at tourists in Egypt's Red Sea resorts. Well over 100 people were killed in those attacks. In the interview he gave to the al-Fajr Media Center, al-Qarawi described how al-Zarqawi had sent him on a mission beyond Iraq. He'd been arrested in Syria and spent a brief spell in a Saudi jail. Describing his priorities, al-Qarawi said they include kidnapping U.S. and British citizens in the Arabian peninsula. "American interests are our most important aims," he said, according to a translation by intelligence website Flashpoint Partners. It is also clear from the interview that al-Qarawi is very much a Sunni purist. He has little time for the Shiite Hezbollah, accusing it of attacking Lebanon's Sunnis. He also accuses Lebanese Shiites of "malice" toward the country's Sunnis. That suggests the Brigades would not have looked to Shiite Iran for help or harbor in attacking the M. Star (even if Saudi officials insist al-Qarawi once operated from Iran.) And it prompts this question: where did that small boat, laden with explosives, come from on the night of July 27 to attack the M. Star? If not Iran, did it set out under cover of darkness from the United Arab Emirates, Oman or even Saudi Arabia -- undetected by authorities? | The Abdullah Azzam Brigades may be an emerging player in the Persian Gulf landscape .
The militant Sunni group is named for a Palestinian close to Osama bin Laden .
The group claimed responsibility for an attack on a Japanese supertanker in July . |
65,347 | b991baa8b25b6a433121eab47910a6427a56254e | Ahead of the final Premier League action of 2014, Sportsmail will be providing you with all you need to know about every fixture, with team news, provisional squads, betting odds and Opta stats. Here is all the information you need for Tottenham's home clash with Manchester United... Tottenham Hotspur vs Manchester United (White Hart Lane) Team news . Tottenham . Hugo Lloris is fit to start for Tottenham against Manchester United despite being left bloodied in their win over Leicester. The keeper was caught in the face by Jamie Vardy at the end of the 2-1 Boxing Day win at the Foxes but is available to face United. Hugo Lloris is fit to play despite taking a blow to the face from Jamie Vardy against Leicester . Ryan Mason could return to the starting line-up after being a second-half substitute at Leicester following an ankle injury. Provisional squad: Lloris, Vorm, Friedel, Walker, Naughton, Dier, Rose, Davies, Fazio, Kaboul, Vertonghen, Chiriches, Stambouli, Dembele, Paulinho, Mason, Capoue, Bentaleb, Lamela, Eriksen, Chadli, Lennon, Townsend, Soldado, Kane, Adebayor. Manchester United . Midfielder Angel di Maria is a big doubt for Manchester United's game against Tottenham on Sunday because of a pelvis injury he suffered in training on Christmas Eve. The injury that ruled Angel di Maria out of Manchester United's game against Newcastle keeps him doubtful . Belgian duo Marouane Fellaini and Adnan Januzaj are out through illness, but left-back Luke Shaw took part in a post-match training session on Boxing Day and could feature for the first time since November 22, when he injured his ankle against Arsenal. Utility man Daley Blind (knee) and defender Marcos Rojo (thigh) are out and midfielder Ander Herrera (muscle injury) is unlikely to feature. Provisional squad: De Gea, Lindegaard, Amos, Vermijl, Blackett, Shaw, Thorpe, Smalling, Evans, Jones, McNair, Rafael, Pereira, Fletcher, Herrera, Valencia, Lingard, Anderson, Carrick, Young, Di Maria, Mata, Falcao, Rooney, Van Persie, W Keane. Kick-off: Sunday, Midday - BT Sport 1 . Odds (subject to change): . Tottenham 21/10 . Draw 9/4 . Manchester United 13/10 . Referee: Jonathan Moss . Managers: Mauricio Pochettino (Tottenham), Louis van Gaal (Manchester United) Head-to-head league record: Tottenham wins 37, draws 41, Manchester United wins 76 . Key match stats (supplied by Opta) After going 22 Premier League games without a win against Manchester United, Spurs have won two of the last four (W2 D2 L0). Wayne Rooney has scored nine goals in 13 Barclays Premier League appearances for Manchester United against Tottenham. Six of Rooney’s nine goals against Spurs have been netted at White Hart Lane. Spurs have won none of their last 13 Premier League games against the Red Devils at White Hart Lane (W0 D5 L8). The first game of this 13 match run without a win saw Spurs leading 3-0 at half-time before a United comeback resulted in a 3-5 final score (September 2001). Tottenham players celebrate Willem Kortsen's (second left) goal in a 3-1 win over Manchester United in May 2001. It's Spurs last victory over the Red Devils at White Hart Lane . Tottenham have scored just seven goals in their last eight Premier League games at White Hart Lane. Manchester United have kept just one clean sheet in their last 10 Premier League away games. The Red Devils have won just two of their last 10 on the road in the top flight (W2 D5 L3), but are unbeaten in their last three (W2 D1). United have lost just one of their last 18 Premier League away games in London (W11 D6 L1). Six of the last eight Premier League away goals Wayne Rooney has scored have been netted in London. | Tottenham Hotspur host Manchester United at midday on Sunday .
Hugo Lloris is fit to play despite picking up knock against Leicester .
Angel di Maria still a doubt as United look to continue good form . |
205,429 | 95ef5b45d999dc9a78c5efa2de87e84f21912086 | Philadelphia (CNN) -- In the fourth day of deliberations in the trial of a Philadelphia abortion doctor, jurors asked Friday for a description of the babies the doctor is accused of killing. Prosecutors say Kermit Gosnell, 72, killed babies by using scissors to cut their spinal cords. Authorities allege that some of the infants were born alive and viable during the sixth, seventh and eighth months of pregnancy. In Pennsylvania, abortions past 24 weeks are illegal unless the health of the mother is at stake. In addition to asking for the description of the four babies, the jurors asked to be given the written definition of RICO charges, and a property receipt for the medications removed from the clinic and put into evidence. RICO charges extend from the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act. After consulting with attorneys, Judge Jeffrey Minehart answered the jury in the deliberation room. Gosnell and his co-defendant, Eileen O'Neill, 56, were not in the courtroom. The nature of the questions indicate the jury has completed the charge sheet for O'Neill -- who is charged with practicing without a license, not performing illegal abortions -- and have moved on to Gosnell. If found guilty of first-degree murder, Gosnell, who is not a board-certified obstetrician or gynecologist, could be sentenced to death. Gosnell originally faced first-degree murder charges in the deaths of seven babies and a count of third-degree murder in the death of Karnamaya Mongar, 41. Mongar died of an anesthetic overdose during a second-trimester abortion. Minehart threw out three of the seven first-degree murder charges last week. On the first day of deliberations, the jury sent out questions regarding one of the name of a patient and the definition of "theft by deception." O'Neill, who is a medical school graduate, is charged with participating in the operation of a corrupt organization and theft by deception for operating without a license to practice medicine. Gosnell also is charged with conspiracy, abortion at 24 or more weeks of pregnancy, theft, corruption of minors, solicitation and other related offenses. He and O'Neill have pleaded not guilty. The babies Gosnell is accused of killing include one that a former employee testified whined after it was expelled from its mother; one that a former employee testified was a large baby boy that breathed before having its neck snipped and was placed into a plastic box the size of a shoebox; one whose neck was snipped after an employee played with the baby; and one that was delivered into a toilet and appeared to be swimming before being scooped up and having its neck snipped. Defense attorney Jack McMahon has maintained that none of the infants was killed; rather, he said, they were already deceased as a result of Gosnell previously administering the drug Digoxin, which can cause abortion. In his closing argument, he accused prosecutors of "the most extraordinary hype and exaggeration in the history of the criminal justice system," even adding that they are "elitist" and "racist." Gosnell, who is African-American, has been accused by authorities of preying on low-income, minority women. McMahon argued that Gosnell offered access to health care for people who were poor and without health insurance. Minehart also has tossed out all five abuse-of-corpse charges relating to storing the feet of aborted fetuses in plastic containers. The judge dismissed one count of infanticide, the intentional killing of an infant. Gosnell also is accused of reusing unsanitary instruments; performing procedures in filthy rooms, including some in which litter boxes and animals allegedly were present at the time; and allowing unlicensed employees -- including a teenage high school student -- to perform operations and administer anesthesia. Nine others who worked in the west Philadelphia medical office, including Gosnell's wife and sister-in-law, also were charged. Eight have pleaded guilty. | The jury is in the fourth day of deliberations in the trial of Kermit Gosnell .
Jurors ask for a description of the four babies he is accused of killing .
They also ask for a definition of RICO charges and a list of medications taken from the clinic . |
97,834 | 09f562b434116898b7df5cbff23a9130d42759d7 | By . Alexandra Klausner . A vegan PETA employee loves tofu so much she wanted to write 'I love Tofu' as 'ILVTOFU' on her license plate but was denied by the state of Tennessee because they thought the plate was 'too vulgar.' Whitney Calk has dedicated a lot of her time to living the vegan lifestyle and even works for PETA as an assistant manager for youth marketing. When she moved from Virginia to Murfreesboro, Tennessee and tried to change her license plate, officials feared her message 'ILVTOFU' might be misinterpreted as meaning 'I love to f%*k.' Soyvay!: All Whitney Calk wanted was to share her love for tofu on her license plate but was denied by the state for being too vulgar . You love to what?!: This is what the 'offensive' plate might look like had it been on the back of Whitney's car . 'All I’m trying to do is spread a pro-vegan message with my license plate,' said Whitney Calk to WKRN-TV. 'It just seemed logical to change my license plate to something I believed in,' she continued. When Calk called to ask the state why she'd been denied they told her message could be read as vulgar and that she wasn't the first person to be denied that specific license plate. People in Florida, Virginia, and Colorado have also been denied the license plate with the same wording. In Denver, Colorado in 2009, Kelly Coffman-Lee, 38, wanted her license plate to read 'ILVTOFU' as well but she also denied her request. Coffman-Lee told The Huffington Post that tofu is a big part of her vegan diet because she is unable to eat meat. DMV officials say that state plates must stay away from all abbreviations that are deemed gang slang, drug terms, or considered obscene. Whitney from Tennessee got some suggestions on how to change her plate from people on social media but despite original ideas such as 'TOFULVR,' she decided to back off the issue.'I knew what I wanted, but I didn’t want to compromise with what was written,' Calk finished. Lots on her plate: Whitney Calk is not the first person to try for the 'ILVTOFU' license plate and says that people have been turned down in Tennessee, Florida and Colorado . | Whitney Calk who loves tofu wanted her license plate to read ILVTOFU which the state of Tennessee interpreted as vulgar .
Whitney Calk has dedicated a lot of her .
time to living the vegan lifestyle and even works for PETA as an .
assistant manager for youth marketing .
iN 2009, Kelly Coffman-Lee wanted her license plate to read the same thing but was also denied . |
105,571 | 1428d1e9a678ed164e5453860a3a5082d262b26f | By . Hugo Gye . PUBLISHED: . 12:12 EST, 8 November 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 13:03 EST, 8 November 2013 . Five men have been convicted of child abuse after exploiting the 'profound vulnerability' of a 15-year-old girl, it emerged today. The victim, who was removed from her drug-addicted parents and taken into care at a young age, took the stand in two trials to give evidence against her abusers. She told the court that the defendants plied her with vodka and cannabis before having sex with her. The abuse take place in 2008 and 2009 in Rochdale, and first came to light after the girl complained to police that Congolese refugee Freddie Kendakumana had raped her. Guilty: Chola Chansa, left, and Abdul Huk, right, are two of five men convicted of abusing a teenage girl . She had been prompted to talk to officers after telling a health support worker that Kendakumana had been forcing himself upon her. However, other social workers failed to report her claims that she was having consensual sexual contact with a string of older men whom she labelled 'boyfriends'. It was not until last year, four years after the initial complaint, that the defendants were finally charged. Last month Kendakumana, 27, was convicted of rape and sexual activity with a child. He was cleared of a second count of rape. Two other men, Mohammed Rafiq Abubaker, 25, and takeaway worker Roheez Khan, 27, were found guilty of sexual activity with a child. Khan was also convicted of witness intimidation. A fourth man, 33-year-old Chola Chansa, pleaded guilty to sexual activity with a child just before the trial started. Abuse: Freddie Kendakumana, left, and Mohammed Rafiq Abubaker, right, were also convicted . In another trial which concluded today taxi driver Abdul Huk, 37, was found guilty of sexual activity with a child. Two more defendants were cleared of all charges, while the jury was unable to reach a verdict on another man. The five men convicted in the two trials will be sentenced on December 20 at Manchester Minshull Street Crown Court. Judge Jonathan Foster QC removed reporting restrictions on the case following the end of the second trial. This is the second major child abuse case in Rochdale in the past 18 months, after nine men of Pakistani origin were jailed for the systematic grooming and sexual abuse of five white girls in May last year. Dozens more potential victims of child sexual abuse have been identified in Rochdale by Greater Manchester Police. Opening the case against all the defendants, prosecutor Neil Usher said: 'Leading the chaotic life that [the victim] had for some time by the age of 15, she was vulnerable to being groomed and exploited by those who correctly perceived she would be easy to flatter and impress with free and plentiful drink, cannabis and just as importantly, a level of attention and affection that she craved and felt she had lacked in her difficult early life. 'She repeatedly and regularly returned to a number of older men all of whom sexually exploited her and some of whom physically abused her, despite her being advised and supported by health care and social workers. 'The risk-taking and potentially harming positions she regularly put herself in was an indication of the extent of her profound vulnerablily and emotional immaturity.' Taking advantage: Huk and Chansa, along with others, gave the girl alcohol and drugs before abusing her . In 2008 the girl, now aged 20, was a troubled teenager who had been taken into care by Social Services at an early age following a chaotic upbringing by her drug-addicted parents, he said. She was later returned to her mother after a stint in foster care but began drinking alcohol, taking crack cocaine and sniffing lighter fluid from the age of 11. The girl was in touch with a number of agencies including Pennine Care Foundation Trust's Crisis Intervention Team which deals with sexual health and Early Break, an organisation which focuses on substance misuse problems. The prosecutor said she would tell those agency support workers and her social workers from Rochdale Council about the lifestyle she was leading. She claimed that older men would give her copious amounts of alcohol, sometimes drugs, and she would have consensual sex with them. The court heard that the girl realised shortly before her 16th birthday that her torrid lifestyle had to end and she later cut her ties with older men and enrolled at college. As she testified in the two trials the victim, who cannot be named for legal reasons, provided chilling details of how her 'boyfriends' would abuse her. Speaking calmly, she described one occasion when Kendakumana dragged her by her hair as she was trying to leave his flat. 'He slapped me across the face for no reason,' she told the court. 'I said, "Why?" He said, "I felt like it."' She added: 'He kept saying he wants a baby with me. At first I thought maybe I should but I changed my mind.' In a police interview, she said that Khan was 'controlling' and violent when she was seeing him. 'He kept ringing and ringing me, asking me to come out,' she said. 'Having a drink one night, I ended up sleeping with him. Started going out with him but it got too much. 'He got controlling, he said, "Don't go to school." He said we will get married and live abroad.' She added that he threatened her when she attempted to end their relationship. 'He said if you finish I'm going to smash your windows, plant drugs in your house and kidnap you and your mum. My windows got put through.' Giving evidence at the first trial, she told the court that various men would invite her to their flats around Rochdale and ply her with spirits. 'They would say they were my boyfriend but they were not really,' she said. 'But at the time I thought that was what a relationship was.' | Freddie Kendakuman, Mohammed Rafiq Abubaker, Roheez Khan, Chola Chansa and Abdul Huk all convicted of child sex abuse .
The five men would give teenager vodka then have sex with her .
They were not charged for five years even though she told social workers .
Victim suffered tough upbringing with drug-addicted parents . |
49,323 | 8b46c8aa936650a0c669db516b7e9fb5d57f38e1 | By . Rachel Reilly . PUBLISHED: . 17:00 EST, 15 December 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 07:08 EST, 16 December 2012 . Telling it straight: C.J. de Mooi speaks out about his tumour . He has made a name for himself as Britain’s least graceful loser. C. J. de Mooi’s rant on The Weakest Link (he described his co-contestants as ‘idiots’ before adding: ‘I hope they, their loved ones and all their pets die horribly in freak yachting accidents!’) earned him cult status. He later joined the experts panel on another hit BBC quiz show, Eggheads, and wrote a book called How To Win TV Game Shows. Despite his straight-talking, it is perhaps ironic that illness once threatened to silence him. C. J.’s problems began in 1998 when he noticed a small swelling on the left-hand side of the roof of his mouth. He didn’t visit his doctor because he assumed it was a harmless ulcer. But eight months later, it was obstructing his speech and preventing him from eating properly. ‘I was a typical male about the . situation – I was scared and I didn’t want to admit I might be ill,’ says C. J., 43. ‘I didn’t even dare look at it in a mirror until it . started to press on my tongue.’ Two . months later, the obstruction had swollen further, so C. J. went to the . A&E department at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital in London. ‘I . remember sitting in the waiting room for hours, wondering what the hell . it could be. I’ve never drunk, never smoked and I’m a vegetarian,’ he . says. ‘I was utterly terrified.’ Within . seconds of examining the growth, the doctor ordered a biopsy. C. J. was . kept in overnight for monitoring, and by the morning doctors had the . results for him. ‘The doctor asked if I wanted the good news or the bad news – naturally I opted for the former,’ he remembers. ‘He told me it wasn’t cancer. The . relief was indescribable. ’The bad news was that he would need the lump . removed immediately and that not only was the procedure risky, it would . require him being conscious throughout the operation. ‘The thought of having to be awake . during my own procedure made me feel sick, especially after I heard what . the surgery would entail,’ he says. The . benign growth had originated in C. J.’s nasal cavity and as it had . grown, it had pushed through the bony palate (roof of the mouth), which . is made of cartilage. At the time he believed it was the size of a pea, . but it was closer to the size of a golf ball at this stage because, like . an iceberg, the bulk of it was hidden. To . remove it, surgeons peeled back the skin on the roof of the mouth and . sliced a hole 1½ in in diameter into the bony palate to tease out the . tumour. The procedure took two hours. Quiz king: C.J. de Mooi, second from left, appearing on BBC's quiz show Eggheads . Remarkably, C. J. – real name Joseph Connagh – was able to go home the same day and he claims the pain was hardly noticeable. ‘It was no worse than the dull throbbing that the lump had caused in the first place. Anyway, I was so relieved it wasn’t cancer, I overlooked any discomfort.’ The surgery, however, did not involve filling the hole. C. J. was advised to chew on the right side of his mouth and drink through a straw, and eventually, the cartilage and skin would grow back. However, it would take eight years before it was fully healed. ‘Nowadays, someone who had this procedure would be offered a variety of solutions to close up the hole, such as a prosthetic palate,’ says Mahesh Kumar, consultant oral and maxillofacial surgeon at the Hillingdon Hospital in West London. Mr Kumar warns people not to ignore growths because there can be disastrous consequences. ‘These tumours are often harmless but 50 per cent will not be – ignoring one is a risk not worth taking.’ Today C. J., who has moved from appearing in quiz shows into acting – he recently starred in a stage version of the thriller Deathtrap – remains spooked by his own incident. ‘My advice to anyone with any sort of abnormal growth is to get it checked out immediately, even if you’re scared,’ he says. | Eggheads' C.J. de Mooi's horror when he discovered a lump in his mouth .
What appeared to be a pea-sized cyst was a tumor the size of a golf ball . |
80,864 | e52b4bba7d544a2bececabe9a816e625c433c7ed | By . Martin Daubney . PUBLISHED: . 17:04 EST, 16 November 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 17:04 EST, 16 November 2013 . Like most men who have turned 40 – and many who are much younger – I endlessly and pointlessly worry about my health. A hangover can easily become terminal hepatitis C after a few misguided clicks on Net Doctor. Recently my partner Diana – fed up with my constant worrying – told me she was getting one of those all-singing, all-dancing private health MOTs via her work’s healthcare plan, and ordered me to do the same. I was intrigued, as any middle-aged hypochondriac would be. Had my misspent youth left irreparable damage? Clean Bill: Martin Daubney has his fitness tested at the gym as part of a health MOT courtesy of his GP . But with no health insurance of my own, the day of tests would cost me a hefty £650. Surely, there are other options? After . a little research I discovered I could get almost everything offered by . the private MOT companies for free or next to nothing with an NHS . Health Check at the GP and a fitness test at my gym. Dr Jonty Heaversedge, a GP in South London, says: ‘We offer a series of basic tests to assess the risks of heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes and kidney disease.’ The service, he explains, is available to adults aged between 40 and 74. There are not as many tests as in the more complex private screening; an ECG for example. Dr Heaversedge adds: ‘The NHS is more discerning. If there is a need for further testing – whether through family history or lifestyle – then it can be done.’ And so I submitted myself. The good news: I’d save a lot of money. The bad news: I might find out I’m really dying. CHOLESTEROL TEST . I have a pin-prick blood test where a tiny sample taken from a finger is put on a cartridge, then inserted into a machine. In a few seconds a number pops up on the digital display. ‘High cholesterol can contribute to blocked arteries,’ says Dr Heaversedge. These are associated with heart attack and stroke. The NHS recommends total cholesterol should be scored lower than five. Result: Action required . My cholesterol test gives me a slightly raised level of 5.53. I’m confused as Diana is vegetarian and I’m hardly overweight at 6ft 3in with a size 34 waist. But we eat far too much cheese and lashings of butter. It’s no disaster – I’ve no family history of heart problems. I’m advised to cut down on dairy and sugar and come back in a month. MOT: The NHS Health check, available to adults between 40 and 74, tests everything from cholesterol to kidney health . KIDNEY HEALTH . Next, a urine test: I’m given a little screw-top jar, pop to the loo, return, and the nurse dips in a stick which changes colour as the chemicals react with protein in the sample. ‘High protein in the urine can be associated with kidney disease,’ says Dr Heaversedge. This problem is increasingly prevalent, due to high blood sugar and blood pressure. Early treatment is essential. Result: No action required . I hand over a sample which looks suspiciously cloudy – only to find the testing strip turns yellow, I’m ‘completely normal’. Blue would have been bad news. BLOOD PRESSURE . The test for blood pressure is familiar – an inflatable cuff is strapped round my upper arm and inflated until it’s tight, then air is slowly let out. High blood pressure increases the risk of serious vascular health problems such as heart attack, stroke and kidney disease. It often has no symptoms. Result: No action required . There are two numbers: systolic, the highest level your blood pressure reaches when your heart beats; and diastolic, the lowest level your blood pressure reaches as your heart relaxes between beats. It should be between 90/60 and 140/90 and at 107/60, I am ‘excellent’. This feels like a walk in the park. Result: Martin's GP check-up came back mostly positive, putting an end to months of concern about his health . BODY MASS INDEX (BMI) Your BMI is an indicator of how healthy your weight is. A higher reading will indicate obesity, which raises risks of everything from diabetes to cancers. It is calculated by dividing your weight in kilograms by your height in metres squared. Result: Action may be required . At 91kg and with a BMI of 25.2, I’m just overweight. This comes as a shock as I rarely eat breakfast, busily attending to the needs of my three-year-old, Sonny. ‘Breakfast is one of the most important meals of the day,’ says my GP. ‘Without it, your body goes into lockdown and actually stores energy as fat.’ WAIST MEASUREMENT . ‘This indicates diabetes risk more than BMI alone,’ says Dr Heaversedge. ‘Measure around your belly button, not where your trousers sit, and don’t suck in.’ Men should measure less than 37in and women 31.5in. Result: No action required . At 34in, I’m bang in the middle of the safe area. Since the test, I’ve lost 2kg, putting my BMI back in the healthy bracket, through cutting down on dairy products, eating breakfast, light cycling, gym trips and generally thinking about what I eat. Overall improvement: Martin urges other men over 40 to get a health MOT from their doctor, insisting it has improved his sex life and made him happier . OVERALL CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE RISK SCORE . ‘We don’t take just one risk factor for cardiovascular disease,’ says Dr Heaversedge. ‘We combine different elements, such as age, sex, blood pressure, smoking and cholesterol. Result: Good – but action required . I have less than a ten per cent chance of developing heart disease over the next ten years. But I smoke – a couple a day. ‘Your result is good but would be even better if you gave up smoking,’ says Dr Heaversedge. CONCLUSION . Like many men, I’ve been sitting around worrying about my health but not doing anything about it for too long. I’m sleeping better, feel happier and my sex life has improved. There are other things I could have had, such as diabetes screening and a liver function test, but I am assured that due to my history and lack of health problems, it was unnecessary. Older men can have prostate cancer screening, and after 60 we all get a bowel cancer screening test. For free! And we all love a bargain, so why not do it? ‘For the most part our bodies are incredibly resilient,’ says Dr Heaversedge. ‘By checking our health, we generally don’t discover we’re going to die imminently, but we can make changes for the better to improve our health and the chance of living a better life for longer.’ For my part, I would urge other men to get checked out. If I can do it, anybody can. | Martin Daubney underwent free NHS MOT after worrying about his health .
Tests for everything from cholesterol to kidney function are available for adults aged 40 to 74 .
Intensive health check-up would have cost £650 at a private clinic . |
125,026 | 2d9cfb081d45189842f4656775ca49aef00f25d3 | By . David Martosko, Us Political Editor for MailOnline . Obama is quietly forming a coalition to support airstrikes on ISIS in Syria after the execution of US journalist James Foley, according to a report on Wednesday. Obama said Tuesday in Charlotte, North Carolina that his Defense and State Departments are 'urging countries in the region and building an international coalition, including our closest allies, to support Iraqis as they take the fight to these barbaric terrorists.' He did not specifically mention recruiting partners for bombing raids over Syrian air space. But The New York Times reported hours later, citing unnamed sources, that the U.S. was engaged in a 'diplomatic campaign to enlist allies and neighbors in the region to increase their support for Syria’s moderate opposition and, in some cases, to provide support for possible American military operations.' Scroll down for video . Whose planes? President Obama has authorized surveillance flights over Syria, a move that could pave the way for US airstrikes against ISIS militant targets -- and for international coalition-building at the State Department . 'A cancer': Obama boasted Tuesday that an international coalition of willing partners would help root out ISIS once and for all . The Times named seven countries 'likely to be enlisted': Australia, Britain, Jordan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Turkey and the United Arab Emirates. The White House this week began facing tough questions about whether it would pursue ISIS into Syria as part of a plan that has so for focused exclusively on hamstringing its fighters in Iraq. A knowledgeable State Department source would not confirm that any country has been asked to provide materiel, personnel or logistical support for any U.S. military mission operating in or over Syria. International coalition-building has become the most recognizable hallmark of Obama's foreign policy. He warned Tuesday in his lackluster and sparsely applauded address at the America Legion's annual convention that 'history teaches us of the dangers of overreaching, and spreading ourselves too thin, and trying to go it alone without international support.' 'In times of crisis,' the president preened, 'no other nation can rally such broad coalitions to stand up for international norms and peace.' According to the Times, Britain and Australia are the most likely nations to step up first, followed by Turkey, whose military bases near its long Syrian border would be invaluable for staging, refueling and supplies. But Obama also branded ISIS 'a cancer,' bragging that 'tyrants and murderers before them should recognize that kind of hateful vision ultimately is no match for the strength and hopes of people who stand together for the security and dignity and freedom that is the birthright of every human being.' That laid-on-thick rhetoric suggests either a confidence that a coalition will materialize, or a brazen acknowledgment that America will be left to bomb ISIS on its own in Syria – as it has already in Iraq. Gen. Martin Dempsey, the chairman of the U.S. military Joint Chiefs of Staff, told reporters on August 21 that ISIS 'can be contained,' but 'not in perpetuity.' 'This is an organization that has an apocalyptic, end-of-days strategic vision and which will eventually have to be defeated,' Dempsey said. 'Can they be defeated without addressing that part of their organization which resides in Syria? The answer is no. That will have to be addressed on both sides of what is essentially at this point a nonexistent border.' The administration appears to be gearing up for airstrikes, and floated the case of the Turkmen to the Times. The al-Qaeda-linked Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS) operates both in Iraq and in Syria (shown), and moves personnel and materiel freely across the invisible border between the two countries . About 12,000 of the Shiite ethnic group inhabit the Iraqi town of Amerli, which ISIS has been attacking for the last two months. ISIS, a Sunni group, sees the Turkmen as infidels, and its militants have indiscriminately killed countless of them. Like the Yezidis before them on Mt. Sinjar, the group is a ready-made rationale for American humanitarian assistance and airborne offensives. And according to the World Population Review, between 750,000 and 1.5 million Turkmen live in Syria. A State Department source said he couldn't reject the possibility that U.S. airstrikes against ISIS in Syria could be framed as those near Mt. Sinjar were, as an effort to protect an oppressed group. The Pentagon has already begun to send surveillance drones on flights over Syria to gather intelligence on ISIS's positions and troop strength. Bashar al-Assad, Syria's strong-arm dictator, has warned that the U.S. must ask permission before intruding into his country's airspace for any reason, including strikes against ISIS. Tensions between Washington and Damascus could worsen if the U.S. were to insert itself into Syria. While ISIS has taken up arms against Assad in a bloody civil war that has raged since 2011, so have the Turkmen. Weakening one while strengthening the other is likely not the dictator's idea of a good outcome. But State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki insisted during a press conference on Tuesday that 'we're not going to ask permission from the Syrian regime.' | New York Times report suggests Obama won't go it alone if he attacks ISIS inside Syria's borders .
ISIS oppression of Shi'ite Turkmen group in Iraq could be a rationale for striking the terror group as it attacks Turkmen in Syria .
Britain, Australia and Turkey are mentioned as allies who might 'support' the White House, but Obama has no confirmed takers .
There are no direct indications that 'coalition' partners would actually engage ISIS from the air along with Americans .
The US government also won't confirm that any nation has agreed to back the White House if Obama pursues ISIS into Syria . |
2,152 | 06497a347b752f50ed3970ae1c3cf23dc492685a | By . Eve Mcgowan . PUBLISHED: . 17:00 EST, 8 February 2014 . | . UPDATED: . 17:02 EST, 8 February 2014 . It's just a couple of miles from Shepperton film studios - where movies such as The Third Man, The Omen, Alien and Shakespeare In Love were filmed - and Creek House has played its own part in showbiz history. The Canadian-born British TV personalities Bernard Braden and his wife Barbara Kelly once owned the 19th Century, seven-bedroom mansion - which is now on the market for a guide price of £3 million. Bernard and Barbara were household names in the 1950s and 1960s. Bernard is best remembered for ITV's On The Braden Beat - a precursor to Esther Rantzen's That's Life - in which he showcased his acerbic wit. Creek House, Shepperton, bought for £650,000 by Mr Barry and Mrs Jane Wilkinson . Barbara is remembered for regular appearances on the hugely popular BBC Sunday night panel show What's My Line? In the couple's heyday, House & Garden magazine devoted eight pages to an 'at home' interview with them and their three children. The couple spent nine years at Creek House, in Surrey, where the garden leads down to Millbrook Creek, which flows into the Thames. In 1959 they sold the house to actor John Gregson and his wife Thea, who lived there with their six children. Gregson starred in 40 films, including Ealing comedies Whisky Galore! and The Lavender Hill Mob. But he is renowned for the Bafta-winning 1953 picture Genevieve, in which he starred alongside Kenneth More. He died aged 55 in 1975. Earlier, the pub down the road from . Creek House was a focus of Hollywood gossip, as it was where trysts . between Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor were conducted while Taylor . was still married to Eddie Fisher. 'The Gregsons held parties here where they played host to stars such as Peter O'Toole, Peter Ustinov and Vivien Leigh,' says current owner Barry Wilkinson, 74. 'We feel very dull in comparison,' says his wife Jane, 67. While the central part of the house is Georgian in style, there are sprawling Arts and Crafts and Victorian additions that the Wilkinsons believe were added by an early architect owner. These include a stunning room at the top of the house with stained-glass windows and a vaulted ceiling - now Barry's study. Former resident John Gregson in a scene from the 1949 film Whisky Galore! The Wilkinsons bought the house 16 years . ago from a dentist who had bought it from Thea Gregson. She had stayed . on in the house for several years after John's death. Thea is still alive and living in the Cotswolds and until recently made twice-yearly pilgrimages to Creek House. A devout Catholic, she built a small - and unconsecrated - chapel in the grounds which still stands today on the acre of land across the creek which is included in the house sale. When the Wilkinsons bought it for £650,000, they had a teenage son and daughter and the house was in need of a lot of work. 'We were living in Woking and had no intention of moving, but a property magazine came through the letterbox and we couldn't resist coming to have a look,' says Jane, who used to run her own human resources consultancy. Three days later they had put in an offer, despite their home not being on the market. The couple spent £250,000 rewiring, installing a new roof, ripping out the dated bathrooms and moving the kitchen from a small anteroom to the middle of the house, where it now looks over the garden down to the creek. They kept one part of the house as a self-contained cottage, which they now let out. The couple retained original features, such as the stunning oak panels in the drawing room, and replaced some of the broken sash windows and doors. They uncovered original fireplaces, which had been painted or boarded over, and restored some stained-glass windows. They had the garden redesigned and landscaped and renovated stone balustrades on the patio. 'I love to restore things - it was a labour of love,' says Barry, a former accountant who retired a year into the three-year project. We hired a builder to do the work for us but I was his apprentice and learnt a lot from him.' The warm, comfortable sitting room at Creek House . According to estate agent Russell Gooden of Jackson-Stops & Staff, Creek House is so unique that there is little to compare it to in the vicinity, although he explains it's not uncommon to pay a 35 to 40 per cent premium for a waterside property in Shepperton. He says prices in the area have been pushed up because of a lack of stock, adding: 'Traditionally, the beginning of the year is a time to sell, but we haven't seen the usual influx. Mortgages are a little more difficult to get so perhaps people who want to move are unable to do so and a lot of people are still sitting on the fence.' Barry and Jane are now downsizing and plan to buy something smaller in the area. 'We feel very rooted here,' says Jane. 'Shepperton is very villagey and has a great sense of community. People tend to stay a long time.' Who do they expect to buy the house next? 'I've got an image of a young family who would really enjoy being at Creek House,' adds Jane. Jackson-Stops & Staff, 020 8943 9777 . | By Shepperton film studios, Creek House has its place in showbiz history .
Owners Barry and Jane Wilkinson bought it for £650,000 16 years ago . |
67,856 | c081601b62a8d99848a9d33831e2e714deea0674 | The first season of "Serial" ended this month, but the story is far from finished. The popular podcast detailed an investigation into the 15-year-old murder of Hae Min Lee, a popular high school senior in Baltimore. Her ex-boyfriend and classmate, Adnan Syed, was tried and convicted in 2000. A star witness in the case against Syed was fellow Woodlawn High School student Jay Wilds, who stirred debate this week in a three-part interview with The Intercept. Parts one and two were published Monday and Tuesday. The final part will publish Wednesday. He says he was unfairly portrayed in the podcast, which revisited in-depth the investigation and trial of Syed -- a key part of which was centered on Wilds' testimony. Over the course of the 12-episode podcast, reporter Sarah Koenig pointed to several inconsistencies in Wilds' statements to police and testimony on the witness stand. Some of what Wilds claims in the new interview also contradicts what he told police -- a point he addressed. "They had to chase me around before they could corner me to talk to me, and there came a point where I was just sick of talking to them. And they wouldn't stop interviewing me or questioning me," he said of the police, in part one of the interview. "Once the police made it clear that my drug dealing wasn't gonna affect the outcome of what was going on, I became a little bit more transparent." Lee and Syed were seniors at Woodlawn in Baltimore County, Maryland, in January 1999, when she disappeared. Her body was discovered in a city forest three weeks later. Wilds told police that he helped Syed dig the hole where her body was buried and led police to her missing car. He did not serve time in prison after testifying for the prosecution. In the interview, Wilds described seeing Lee, dead in the trunk of a car. "There's nothing that's gonna change the fact that this guy drove up in front of my grandmother's house, popped the trunk, and had his dead girlfriend in the trunk. Anything that's going to make him innocent doesn't involve me. Hae was dead before she got to my house. Anything that makes Adnan innocent doesn't involve me," he said. Wilds originally told police that he saw Lee's body in the parking lot of a Best Buy near the high school. Rabia Chaudry, a civil rights attorney -- who grew up near Syed and tipped the host of "Serial" off to the story -- believes Wilds is lying. She pointed to several apparent discrepancies on Twitter. "I think Jay's next move should be a live televised polygraph, preferably administered by Geraldo #FreeAdnan #Serial #TheMachineWillDie," Chaudry wrote. In a piece for The Guardian newspaper, she argued there may be enough evidence for the state to pursue a perjury charge. Koenig, the host of "Serial," has not yet commented on Wilds' interview. He declined to be formally interviewed for her broadcast., which is a spinoff of the radio program "This American Life." The 'Serial' podcast: By the numbers . | Final part of the three-part interview is expected to publish Wednesday .
"Serial," a popular podcast, detailed an investigation into the 15-year-old murder of Hae Min Lee .
Her ex-boyfriend, Adnan Syed, was convicted .
Key witness in the case against Syed was Jay Wilds, who spoke to The Intercept . |
163,391 | 5f42e51932e1c9656256c939330e270b5a1154b8 | Tommy Wright insisted that Dundee United rival Jackie McNamara will not risk fielding wonderkids Ryan Gauld and John Souttar in Saturday’s William Hill Scottish Cup Final. Wright started the cup final mind games by boldly predicting how United will line up and combating claims his St Johnstone side are the more experienced team. Gauld and Souttar have earned rave reviews this season - and plenty of transfer attention - but Wright argued neither youngster has performed well when facing his St Johnstone side. Honour: Tommy Wright's St Johnstone side will face Dundee United in the Scottish Cup final . ‘Dundee United have got experience. In Gavin Gunning, John Rankin, Sean Dillon, Paul Paton,’ Wright said. ‘He (Jackie) won’t play his young players. John Souttar and Ryan Gauld won’t play. Andrew Robertson will be the only player without a lot of experience in his team. ‘Gary Mackay-Steven has a lot of experience and so does Stuart Armstrong. ‘So I don’t buy into that “young and inexperienced” stuff. They’ve got a good team of players who have got experience in the league and we think we’ve got experience and a blend of youth as well that we can call upon.’ Wright is comfortable his team are the underdogs – despite beating their Tayside rivals three times this season in the league. Some of United’s younger players have been outmuscled in those defeats, prompting Wright to add bullishly: ‘I just feel Gauld and Souttar won’t play. Inexperienced: Wright doesn't believe Dundee will field youngsters such as Ryan Gauld, centre . ‘When you look at it, Souttar hasn’t done particularly well against us or Stevie May. I feel he won’t play him. ‘Ryan Dow normally does okay against us so I think he’ll go with Dow in there instead of Gauld and bring him on later.’ Saints will miss Tim Clancy for the final after the full-back ruptured his Achilles tendon. ‘From my point of view it’s disappointing, but for someone to miss out on a cup final this late, I can’t imagine how he’s feeling,’ said Wright. ‘The players will know the team on Friday. I’ll tell the subs on Saturday morning because there’s one or two I’ll probably have to leave out.’ McNamara expects to tell his squad his starting side later on Friday once the fitness of a couple of key players becomes clearer. ‘(Gary) Mackay-Steven and (John) Souttar both didn’t start last week because of the flu,’ he revealed. ‘They trained on Tuesday and still looked a bit tired. They trained yesterday and we will see how they are. ‘I sort of know the team. Certain things have changed over the last couple of weeks. 'I have not entirely picked it yet, there are still one or two positions that we are still looking at.’ Undecided: McNamara says that he hasn't finalised his complete line-up for the final yet . | St Johnstone boss believes Dundee United will stick to experienced players .
Comfortable with underdog tag despite beating opponents three times this season .
Dundee United boss Jackie McNamara undecided on line-up . |
285,066 | fd62d6605907ab27aa811e23536f38b2f1199b2c | (CNN) -- Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta on Wednesday became the first sitting head of state to appear before the International Criminal Court, where he faces charges of crimes against humanity. Kenyatta, 52, is accused of five counts of crimes against humanity for allegedly orchestrating violence after a disputed presidential election in 2007. Shortly before he left for the Netherlands, he appointed his deputy president to serve as acting President, saying he is attending the hearing at The Hague as a private citizen. More than 1,000 people died and hundreds of thousands were displaced when ethnic groups loyal to leading candidates torched homes and hacked rivals in violence that raged until early 2008. Kenyatta, who backed then-incumbent Mwai Kibaki in that election, is accused of funding a local militia that conducted reprisal attacks. The second day of the status hearing will determine whether his case can proceed to trial. The first day was held Tuesday, but he was not required to attend. The court mandated that he be present on the last day. During the hearing Tuesday, the prosecution accused the Kenyan government of not providing key documents in the case against its leader. The defense denied the allegation. Kenya is the second African nation after Sudan to have a sitting president face charges at the International Criminal Court. But Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir does not cooperate with the court, and has rejected ICC warrants for his arrest for alleged war crimes in Darfur. Lack of evidence . "My conscience is clear, has been clear, and will remain forever clear that I am innocent of all the accusations leveled against me," Kenyatta said before he boarded the plane in Nairobi. The ICC prosecutor has postponed the start of the trial numerous times, citing lack of evidence. The prosecution has suffered a series of setbacks, with witnesses withdrawing and others admitting to lying. "In ordinary circumstances, the insufficiency of evidence would cause the prosecution to withdraw the charges," the ICC said in September. "However, it would be inappropriate for the prosecution to withdraw the charges at this stage in light of the government of Kenya continuing failure to cooperate fully with the court's requests for assistance in this case." This is the first time Kenyatta is attending a hearing in person since he assumed office in April last year. Deputy president also facing charges . The ICC has also accused Deputy President William Ruto of orchestrating attacks. His trial started in September 2013. Both leaders have denied any links to the violence among their respective ethnic groups, and have said they will cooperate with the court to clear their names. ICC withdrawal? The International Criminal Court was set up in 2002 to prosecute genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes. The Parliament of Kenya voted in September to withdraw from ICC jurisdiction after repeatedly calling on the court to drop the cases. But a withdrawal would take a while to implement because it involves steps such as a formal notification to the United Nations. The ICC has said the trials will proceed. The nation's previous administration reneged on a deal to set up a special tribunal to try suspects in the post-election violence, prompting the international court to step in. African Union accuses ICC of bias, seeks delay of cases against sitting leaders . | Kenyatta is the first sitting President to appear before the ICC .
He says he is attending the hearing as a private citizen .
He has been accused of five counts of crimes against humanity for his alleged role in a disputed 2007 election .
The Kenyan leader has pleaded not guilty . |
28,203 | 4ff4f0c43c7d311e582b7905c4e78c44e7d45ca3 | The bailiffs didn’t stand a chance. By the time they arrived to turf cancer patient Tom Crawford out of his home yesterday a crowd of some 500 had gathered to block their way. For a few minutes there was a stand-off between the crowd and the burly men inside a white van and a black car. And then, with cheers ringing in their ears, the bailiffs backed off. Scroll down for video . People power: 500 strangers turn up at the home of cancer-stricken Tom Crawford to stop bailiffs evicting him from his home . It was the latest episode in Mr Crawford’s battle to keep his home. The grandfather, who is suffering from prostate cancer, has been battling the bailiffs over claims he still owes thousands in mortgage repayments on the bungalow. Mr Crawford, 63, said he ‘would rather die’ than give up the home he has shared with his wife Susan for the past 27 years. Last July, after he posted a video online begging for help, more than 300 friends and strangers successfully stopped bailiffs from kicking him out. And yesterday, six months after the first eviction attempt, bailiffs were forced to abandon their efforts again. Bailiffs were greeted by a sea of people after serving their second eviction notice on Mr Crawford and his wife, Sue . The YouTube video has now been shared more than 25,500 times and backing for Mr Crawford’s cause shows no signs of waning, with supporters travelling hundreds of miles to join the protest outside his home in Carlton, Nottinghamshire, again. He had been ordered to leave his property by 10.30am yesterday. But supporters began congregating in the road before 7am. At around 11am a white transit van and black Mercedes containing the bailiffs arrived at the bungalow – only to have to drive away. Tom Crawford, pictured outside his bungalow, had been ordered to be out of his home by 10.30am today . The strangers provided a human shield around the bungalow to stop the bailiffs from getting to it . Yesterday, Mr Crawford said: ‘I am humbled by all the people here. All I did was make a little video about what was happening to us and people supported it.’ Mr Crawford claims he has paid off his mortgage, which he took out with the now defunct Bradford and Bingley in 1988. But UK Asset Resolution Limited, charged with winding down Bradford and Bingley mortgages, claims he still owes £43,000. Mr Crawford, who is battling prostate cancer, has said that he would 'rather die' than leave his home . Surrounded: One of the cars carrying the bailiffs was held back from the Crawfords' home of 27 years . Many of the protesters filmed and photographed the bailiffs as they arrived at the property in two separate vehicles . Last year a judge ruled against the couple and ordered them to pay off the sum or face eviction. But the Crawfords claim that these arrears only exist because of blunder by the bank. They say they believed they were paying off their mortgage when in fact they were paying only interest. In an effort to keep his home, the retired flooring specialist posted a video explaining his predicament on YouTube. The father-of-three said: ‘I will never leave my home. I would rather die than leave.’ Mr Crawford said: 'There are not enough words in the English Dictionary for how I feel' Supporters donned 'I am Tom Crawford' hats as they surrounded his home to keep bailiffs out . The strangers turned up at Mr Crawford's home after he posted a video on YouTube explaining his situation online . Supporters called for the bailiffs to stop harassing the couple. Eric Banner, 30, who lives in Nottingham, said: ‘What has happened to Tom is a complete injustice. He has done nothing wrong.’ Tim Fleming, 69, a charity worker from Twickenham, said: ‘It is important to come and support Tom because it could be me tomorrow. We won’t be beaten.’ Mr Crawford and his wife, 54, took out an endowment mortgage to buy the bungalow for £41,800 27 years ago. They expected to own the property outright when the loan came to an end last year. Mr Crawford's court battle centres around an endowment mortgage with the now defunct Bradford and Bingley to buy the bungalow for £41,800 in 1988 . The sea of people that bailiffs were faced with as they arrived at Mr Crawford's home in Nottinghamshire . A member of the bailiff removal team, who was forced to retreat from Mr Crawford's home . But they say the bank told him in 2007 that there was no record of him taking out an endowment, a savings plan designed to cover the debt. He claims a bank manager then assured him this was incorrect and sent his wife flowers and champagne to apologise. UK Asset Resolution Limited said it is discussing the ‘appropriate next step’. Mr Crawford, pictured among the crowds outside his home, wearing his trademark straw hat . The bungalow the is home to Mr Crawford and his wife, Sue, that is at the centre of the row . Mr Crawford's daughter, Amanda Pike, being hugged by a fellow protester as they bailiffs retreate . One supporter said: 'What has happened to Tom is a complete injustice,' as the hung a banner from a car . Supporters, who have made t-shirts and banners, said that Mr Crawford has done 'nothing wrong' Strangers revealed they had travelled hundreds of miles to support Mr Crawford after learning of his plight . Protesters set up a make-shift camp outside the Nottinghamshire bungalow to make sure that the bailiffs did not return . The protesters, who started gathering at 7am, fear that the bailiffs may return tomorrow when they have gone . A police spokesman said that it remained a 'civil matter' and it was in 'the hands of the bailiffs . Some of the protesters who congregated in the sleepy street in Nottinghamshire wore masks . Mr Crawford's daughter said the support the family had received was 'amazing.' Pictured: Mr Crawford outside the bungalow . | Bailiffs have been trying to evict Tom Crawford, 63, for six months .
They claim he owes £43,000 in outstanding mortgage repayments .
500 strangers provided a human blockade around his bungalow .
Bailiffs were forced to retreat by the strength of people power .
Mr Crawford has said he would 'rather die' than leave his home . |
270,279 | ea0b31a0b1890ca2874b20facaee45850be79330 | For those flying home for Thanksgiving today can expect around 17 per cent of flights to be delayed. According to statistics averaged between 2005 and 2013, the Wednesday before Thanksgiving sees around 17 per cent of flights delayed, while those travelling on the Tuesday experience an average of 18 per cent of flights running behind schedule. And the most problematic part of the journey is returning home, with up to a quarter of flights delayed on average on the Monday following the holiday weekend. The statistics were gathered by eBay after analyzing average flight delays over key holiday periods. For those willing to travel on Thanksgiving itself, delays drop to around eight per cent on average with just six percent of airlines reporting delays on the Friday. But passengers travelling at Christmas can expect further hold-ups. The infographic, created by eBay, shows that the worst time to travel during the Christmas break is on December 22, when an average of 37 per cent of flights have experienced delays over the past eight years. The peak time for delays on flights is between December 20 and 23, while Christmas Day sees them drop to an average of 20 per cent. If you are about to fly home for Thanksgiving, you would do well to steer clear of American Airlines and United, which appear the highest average numbers of delays, according to the infographic. And America, Delta and JetBlue seem to experience the greatest delays over the Christmas period. For more information visit http://deals.ebay.com/blog/holiday-flight-delays/ . Scroll down for video . | December 22 is worst for delays with 38% of flights affected .
December 19 the worst for cancellations with 4.6% of flights suffering .
JetBlue has most flights affected by National Aviation System issues .
Alaska Airlines and Southwest are safe bet for Christmas Day flights . |
233,053 | b9b7245ff07ba03fcc6a7710f1c4d40545a30285 | By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 17:42 EST, 2 July 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 03:04 EST, 3 July 2013 . A woman was caught having left her 5-year-old son on the floor of her car, covered in a towel in 90 degree heat, while she when shopping. Sun damage? Mary Amber Moore, 32, of Buford, Georgia is charged with leaving her crying son, 5, wrapped in a towel in a 90 degree Kmart parking lot while she shopped Saturday . Mary Amber Moore, 32, was inside a Kmart Saturnday night when a passerby saw a young boy, draped in a towel, crying in a parked car with the windows rolled up. Police arrived and found the car unlocked. The boy said his mother had told him to hid on the floor of the vehicle, covered, so no one would see him. Police searched the Covington, Georgia Kmart. But when they found Moore, she was without identification. She told the officers her license was in the car, in a pink bag. When police looked in the bag, they say they found the ID along with a bottle of various prescription pills. Moore, . reports Covington News, was prescribed the Adderrall in the bottle, a . stimulant medication commonly prescribed to children suffering from . attention deficit disorder. She claimed the other pills of varying colors and shapes, were also Adderrall but they just looked different. At some point, police placed the bottle of pills atop the car. Moore reportedly somehow grabbed the pills and dumped them all into her mouth before police could stop her. Popping in: Police found Moore in a Covington, Georgia Kmart. In her car police say they found a bottle of various pills, which Moore allegedly swallowed. She's now in jail and the boy is with family . They were unable to stop her from swallowing some of the pills. Moore claimed she swallowed the pills because she was fearful of being charged with putting them in the wrong bottle. Moore was arrested and taken to an area hospital after swallowing an unknown number of different drugs. The . suspect was subsequently discharged and booked on charges of . contributing to the depravation of a minor, obstruction of an officer . and tampering with evidence. | Mary Amber Moore, 32, of Buford, Georgia was shopping in a Kmart as her young son lay on the floor of her car wrapped in towel with nearly 90 degree heat outside .
Police say they found prescription pills on Moore, who then tried to swallow the whole bottle .
Moore was arrested and her son is now in the care of his uncle . |
131,625 | 362fa557c14369468d322c4bc689fdf1ff6dcb2b | By . Martha De Lacey . PUBLISHED: . 12:01 EST, 23 November 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 12:25 EST, 23 November 2012 . These may be tough economic times, but that hasn't stopped one mobile phone case designer saying 'What the hey!', and throwing rare pink and white diamonds, 18-carat rose gold and Italian leather at the problem. Uunique London has released the most expensive iPhone case in the world, made out of exactly those luxury materials. And will be sending an eye-watering invoice of £189,000 to anyone who wants to take one home (if they haven't had to sell their home to afford one, that is). Don't drop it down the loo! The Uunique London Lotus iPhone 5 case, left, costs £189,000 and was launched in London by Mischa Barton, right, last night . The case was launched at a party hosted . by Mischa Barton - who designed some of the cases in the range - in London last night, where it was showcased alongside . other (marginally) cheaper models in the brand's new collection. The Uunique cases - which come in white leather, brown leather, snake skin, animal prints, Swarovski crystals and, of course, diamonds - start at £34.99 but quickly rocket up to £600 before reaching the jaw-dropping price of the latest fl;ashy design. Crazy for crystals: A model poses with two of Uunique's new cases at the party in London last night . Diamonds are a girl's best friend: Mischa Barton, left, and a model, right, at last night's event in London to launch the world's most expensive iPhone case . The glimmering polka dots and glowing gold paisley case cost £599 each . These designs by Mischa Barton herself for Uunique start from £34.99 . | Uunique London's Lotus is the most expensive iPhone case in the world .
Actress Mischa Barton launched new range in London last night . |
69,337 | c4990a58f9afcdd8df307f5b2f73b746928dab60 | Los Angeles (CNN) -- A man who testified earlier that he shipped large amounts of the surgical anesthetic propofol to Dr. Conrad Murray in the weeks before Michael Jackson's death apparently moved out of the United States and cannot be located for this month's trial, prosecutors told the judge Thursday. The coroner ruled that Jackson died on June 25, 2009, as the result of an overdose of propofol combined with other drugs. The judge scheduled two additional hearings for next week to decide if the prosecution can use the missing witness' previous testimony and to get a head start on the last phase of jury selection in the involuntary manslaughter trial of the pop star's doctor. Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Michael Pastor said the hearings will help keep Murray's trial on track for face-to-face questioning of potential jurors September 23. Prosecutors want to use the previous testimony of Tim Lopez, given at Murray's preliminary hearing last January, because they've been unable to contact him since he moved to Thailand. Pastor said prosecutors must show Monday that they have done everything possible to reach Lopez. Lopez, the owner of a wholesale pharmacy in Las Vegas, testified that he shipped a total of 15 liters of propofol to Murray in the three months before Jackson's death. A hearing Monday morning will also consider the prosecution's request to exclude the testimony of Jackson's makeup artist. The defense wants Karen Faye to repeat statements given in interviews about what she described as Jackson's ill health in the weeks before his death, as he was rehearsing for his comeback concerts. The prosecution told the judge in a hearing Thursday that much of what Faye has said in the past is based on what she heard others say, not her own recollections. The judge will also consider if the defense can call a Texas medical examiner to testify about his inspection of the Los Angeles County coroner's facilities and practices. Los Angeles Deputy District Attorney David Walgren said Thursday that the man's testimony is not relevant to the Murray case. The judge again raised questions about the prosecution's plan to present testing done on university students in Chile who voluntarily swallowed propofol, the drug the coroner said was partly responsible for Jackson's death. They must overcome defense objections that the study was never published or reviewed by other scientists. The prosecution wants to argue that the experiments disprove the defense theory that Jackson died after he drank the drug, not from an injection given by Dr. Murray. Pastor also scheduled a hearing for next Wednesday afternoon to begin the process of deciding which potential jurors should be dismissed "for cause." Both sides will be able to challenge jurors based on their answers given to 113 questions posed to them in writing last week. Defense lawyer Nareg Gourjian said he received the defense copy of the 30-page questionnaire responses only Wednesday. Lawyers for both sides have only until next week to study the 145 jurors' answers to determine if the potential jurors can put aside biases and what they've heard about the singer's death to reach a fair verdict. Lawyers will question them about their answers when they return to court September 23. The attorneys are seeking 18 Los Angeles County residents qualified to sit in judgment of Murray. Prosecutors contend Murray, who served as Jackson's personal and full-time physician at the time, used a makeshift IV drip to administer propofol intended to help Jackson sleep, a practice they argue violated standards of care and led to the pop icon's death. If convicted on the involuntary manslaughter charge, Murray could face up to four years in prison. Opening statements for the trial, which will be televised, are scheduled for September 27. The judge told the jury pool he expects their service will be over on or about October 28. | The man who says he shipped propofol to Dr. Murray left the country, prosecutors say .
Prosecutors want to limit testimony by Jackson's makeup artist .
Prosecutors are studying the questionnaires of 145 potential jurors .
The final phase of jury selection starts next week . |
6,576 | 12abdde4cb1b4f8f81b0da720b9462f89b27dc33 | Washington (CNN) -- A member of the U.S. military assigned to the White House Communications Agency is under investigation in connection with alleged misconduct in Colombia, bringing to 12 the total number of military personnel being reviewed, officials said Monday. One Defense Department official said the military member admitted to his leadership that he was involved in misconduct "of some kind" while in Colombia for the recent Summit of the Americas attended by President Barack Obama. The agency is a non-White House office that provides the president with secure communications while he travels. It is staffed by members of the military who report through the Defense Information Systems Agency. A total of 24 people -- 12 Secret Service members and 12 U.S. military members -- are under investigation in the alleged prostitution scandal that occurred before Obama arrived in Cartagena on April 13. The controversy has embarrassed the nearly 150-year-old Secret Service, which protects the president and other top officials and investigates criminal activity, and raised questions about a possible security breach immediately preceding Obama's visit. Six Secret Service members have left their jobs in the wake of the incident in Cartagena, and one employee "has been cleared of serious misconduct but will face administrative action," the Secret Service said. Five other Secret Service employees are on administrative leave and have had their security clearances temporarily revoked. In addition, the U.S. military is investigating 12 of its own service members for alleged misconduct. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta said Monday that security clearances have been suspended for all U.S. military personnel involved in the incident in Cartagena, and he repeated his vow that anyone found to have violated regulations would be punished. "We expect our people wherever they are, whether they're in Colombia or any other country or in the United States, to behave at the highest standards of conduct," Panetta said during a visit to the Colombian capital Bogota. "That's what we expect. And so we will wait for the investigation that is currently taking place." At the White House, Press Secretary Jay Carney said Monday that there was no evidence of any wrongdoing by White House staff or advance team members. When asked about the possibility of White House Communications Agency staff members being involved, Carney pointed out that they are members of the military. "To make clear, the Secret Service is investigating specific allegations of misconduct by members of the Secret Service. The Defense Department is investigating specific allegations of misconduct by members of the military," he said. "There have been no specific, credible allegations of misconduct by anyone on the White House advance team or the White House staff. "Nevertheless, out of due diligence, the White House counsel's office has conducted a review of the White House advance team, and in concluding that review, came to the conclusion that there's no indication that any member of the White House advance team engaged in any improper conduct or behavior." That drew the attention of Sen. Charles Grassley, the ranking Republican on the Senate Judiciary Committee. In a letter to the counsel's office, Grassley noted that he had asked Secret Service Director Mark Sullivan whether any White House advance staff had been involved and hadn't had an answer back by Monday. Grassley asked for answers to 14 questions, including details of how the White House review was conducted, whether any White House staffers had "overnight guests" and whether any additional room charges were incurred. Also Monday, a source familiar with the investigation said that one of the Secret Service agents linked to the prostitution scandal brought a woman back to the Hilton Cartagena, the same hotel where Obama later stayed, five days before the president's arrival. The source was not certain whether money exchanged hands or whether the Secret Service member simply brought a woman he met -- a foreign national -- to the Hilton. According to the source, the incident appeared to be separate from the one a few nights later that caused 11 other Secret Service members to be sent home for alleged heavy drinking and consorting with prostitutes. Based on the investigation, there is no evidence that the women realized the Secret Service personnel were with the agency, the source said. Investigators have interviewed the prostitutes and other women involved. "It doesn't appear these women knew who the heck they were," the source said. Meanwhile, House Homeland Security Chairman Peter King said he expects more Secret Service members to be forced out soon. "I am very certain that within the next day or so, you're going to see a number of people leaving the Secret Service," said King, R-New York. King, as well as the other source familiar with the investigation, said polygraph tests administered to the Secret Service members helped get information to force out six of them. According to King, the 11 Secret Service members originally under investigation were all given drug tests, which came back negative. From the start, Sullivan told legislators how outraged he was about the scandal, promising a broad and comprehensive investigation. Most legislators seemed comfortable with the way the Secret Service has reacted to the scandal. However, both the House and Senate Homeland Security Committee chairmen are now conducting their own investigations and will probably hold hearings in coming weeks. The 11 Secret Service employees accused of consorting with prostitutes arrived earlier the same day as a part of the "jump team" that flies in on military transport planes with vehicles in the president's motorcade. According to sources, the alleged prostitutes -- the youngest of whom were in their early 20s -- signed in at the Cartagena hotel where Secret Service members apparently stayed, flashing their local ID cards. One of these women allegedly was later involved in a dispute about how much she was to be paid for the night, which brought the entire incident to light and sparked controversy in the United States and Colombia. That woman has been identified as Dania Suarez, whose neighbors described her as a 24-year-old single mother who studies English. Suarez hasn't been seen in the neighborhood since the controversy erupted, though a visitor took suitcases from the house recently, they said. While soliciting prostitution is in most cases legal for adults in Colombia, military law bars service members from patronizing prostitutes, engaging in conduct unbecoming an officer or, for enlisted personnel, conduct "prejudicial to good order and discipline." It is also considered a breach of the Secret Service's conduct code, government sources said. CNN's Drew Griffin and Tom Cohen contributed to this report. | NEW: Panetta says service members must meet the "highest standards of conduct"
NEW: Grassley questions White House counsel's review .
The prostitution scandal has embarrassed the Secret Service and Pentagon .
The White House says there is no indication any of its staff members were involved . |
227,787 | b2f4d0f435bc89dcfaaf2df6c2d09f0d07db738a | By . Michael Zennie . Last updated at 6:15 PM on 2nd December 2011 . Republican presidential frontrunner and self-proclaimed nominee Newt Gingrich believes poor kids have no work ethic -- unless it comes to doing something illegal. The former House Speaker is sticking with his argument that child labor laws should be changed and poor children should be put to work mopping the hallways of their schools or greeting patrons at the library. 'Really poor children in really poor neighborhoods have no habits of working and nobody around them who works,' Mr Gingrich told fundraisers Thursday night at a dinner outside Des Moines, Iowa. SCROLL DOWN FOR VIDEO . Sticking with it: Newt Gingrich, the current Republican presidential frontrunner, reiterated his position that poor children should be put to work . 'So they literally have no habit of showing up on Monday. They have no habit of staying all day. They have no habit of "I do this and you give me cash"... unless it's illegal.' Mr Gingrich has drawn scorn from the left for his remarks about child labor, but the newest contender for the Republican presidential nomination is sticking to his guns. 'I believe the kids could mop the floor and clean up the bathroom and get paid for it, and it would be OK,' he told the crowd. Is Newt Gingrich right to say poor children have 'no habit of working'? Mr Gingrich has said he thinks the poorest Americans have no in-grained work ethic and the surest way to combat poverty is the teach them they can earn money for their labor. Clean up: Mr Gingrich argues that putting the poorest children to work cleaning schools can teach them responsibility and a work ethic . Last month, Mr Gingrich drew fire for saying he believes child labor laws are 'truly stupid' and that kids as young a 9 should be given paying jobs to teach them the benefits of hard work. Thursday, he mocked his critics, saying his proposals would help break the cycle of abject poverty in America's cities: 'And then who would rich liberals worry about?' 'I’m going to be the nominee,' the former Speaker told ABC News in an interview on Thursday. 'It’s very hard not to look at the recent polls and think that the odds are very high I’m going to be the nominee.' The thrice-married Gingrich also said there were no more skeletons in his closet that he was aware of. Gingrich is currently polling six percentage points ahead of former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney and has about 26.6 percent support in the wildly fluctuating Republican presidential field, according to RealClearPolitics.com. A new poll from Rasmussen Reports also gives him the edge against President Barack Obama with 45 percent support versus President Obama's 43 percent. He is the only GOP candidate, other than Gov Romney, to beat the president in pre-election polls. | Told ABC on Thursday 'I'm going to be the nominee' |
40,230 | 718c488ab5e9932c64e6b290ea8675bc01fb24e5 | Port-Au-Prince, Haiti (CNN) -- Candidates wound up a flurry of election campaigning before a midnight deadline Friday night amid reports of a violent attack on one of the candidates' campaigns. The campaign of flamboyant komba-singer-turned-presidential-candidate Michel "Sweet Micky" Martelly issued a statement late Friday night, claiming he had survived an "assassination attempt" in the town of Les Cayes in southern Haiti. "Many wounded, at least one dead," the campaign said in a press release. Haitian police officials have not responded to phone calls from CNN. A spokesman for the United Nations confirmed to CNN there had been a clash in Les Cayes late Friday night, though he could not say whether there were casualties involved. "It's a confrontation between Martelly partisans and the (supporters) of another Inité senator," Jean-Francois Vezina, a spokesman for the United Nations police detachment in Haiti, told CNN Saturday. Inite (Unity) is a well-funded political party endorsed by outgoing President Rene Preval. Its presidential candidate, Jude Celestin, leads the largest block of candidates for seats in both houses of parliament, which are also up for grabs in Sunday's election. "The security guard of the Inite party used a weapon," Vezina said. "The only thing that we've done there is to send a Senegalese Force Police Unit to take control of the election there." Tensions have mounted in Haiti ahead of Sunday's national elections, scheduled to be held within a year that saw a massive earthquake, a spreading cholera epidemic and recurring signs of government instability. Eighteen candidates are running for the post of president. Seats are also up for grabs in the Senate and in the lower house of parliament. Nearly all of the candidates have campaigned on similar platforms -- fighting corruption, creating jobs, and addressing a series of natural disasters that has left the Caribbean nation reeling and prompted many to urge for a postponement of Sunday's vote. Haitian elections have been historically troubled by violence as well as allegations of fraud and intimidation and the run-up to Sunday's vote has not been peaceful. Last Monday, clashes erupted between supporters of two rival candidates in another southern town, resulting in at least two deaths. "Tempers are flaring, there is some political discontent," said Bernice Roberts, senior Haiti analyst with the International Crisis Group. "There is a perpetual crisis of confidence among political actors. Plus there's a high level of social frustration regarding the response to the earthquake, regarding the response to cholera." According to Haiti's Ministry of Public Health, more than 1,600 people have died as a result of the cholera epidemic that was first discovered on the island last month. More than 60,000 people have been treated for the deadly bacteria. Religious leaders, meanwhile, have been calling for calm ahead of the vote. "We are praying for peace on election day," said Max Beauvoir, Haiti's "Supreme Servitor," or highest ranking voodoo priest, in an interview with CNN on Friday. Haitian authorities are imposing strict measures to ensure security on election day. After midnight Saturday, only drivers with special passes from the Conseil Electoral Provisoir, Haiti's main electoral body, will be able to operate cars or motorcycles anywhere on Haiti's roadways, according to CEP spokesman Richardson Dumel. Businesses are also banned from selling alcohol from 8 p.m. Saturday until Monday, he said. Gun licenses are also temporarily suspended from Saturday night until Monday. | U.N. confirms clash between campaign supporters .
At least one person was killed, the campaign of Michel Martelly says .
Elections are scheduled to be held Sunday . |
229,003 | b4853aa6fcd2a4787da6627d5c134d744265bc13 | Horrific images of dozens of mutilated children's corpses in the village of Houla prompted a rare moment of unity on Sunday from the United Nations Security Council. Children shot, knifed, axed to death in Syria's Houla massacre, reports say . Even Russia, the staunchest defender of the Syrian regime on the council, signed on to a statement that condemned the Syrian government for its "outrageous use of force against (the) civilian population." What is Shaam News Network? But few Middle East watchers predict the atrocities in Houla will break the diplomatic deadlock that has cemented itself around Syria for the last 15 months. "Nobody can see these images and not react," said Rami Khouri, a veteran analyst of the Arab world who lectures at the American University of Beirut in Lebanon. "The problem is no one has figured out an effective way to get involved and bring this conflict to an end." As part of a ruthless campaign to crush what started out as a peaceful protest movement, President Bashar al-Assad's security forces shelled cities, carried out systematic torture in prisons, and opened fire on opposition demonstrations and funerals. The United Nations Human Rights Commissioner has repeatedly accused al-Assad's regime of carrying out crimes against humanity. Annan meets Syrian president al-Assad as crisis reaches 'turning point' It did not take long for Western governments to call for al-Assad's ouster. But nearly 15 months after the uprising began, opponents have been unable to formulate a plan to dislodge the family that has ruled Syria for more than 40 years. "We don't have any idea how to make these guys go away," conceded a high-ranking Western diplomat based in the region, who spoke to CNN on condition of anonymity. "Read between the lines," the diplomat added. "In the immediate future, there is not going to be a Western intervention in Syria." As the body count in Syria mounted over the last year to more than 9,000 killed, many Syrian opposition members began calling for military intervention along the lines of the NATO bombing campaign against Libya's now-deceased strongman Moammar Gadhafi. Al-Assad's reign defined by violence . But analysts agree the American public has little appetite for involvement in another Middle Eastern conflict, as Washington has struggled to wind down lengthy wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Unlike Libya, where a number of high-level officials abandoned Gadhafi's regime, the Syrian government has succeeded in maintaining discipline at the highest government levels, even as it has been forced to cede entire towns and villages to the rebels. "Partly it's Allawite solidarity," said Khouri, who was referring to al-Assad's Allawite minority sect, which holds a disproportionately large number of positions in the security forces and in government. "Partly, these people all have blood on their hands and they sink or swim together. If they try to break away, their families will get killed or shot. It's a combination of terrorism and solidarity." "The biggest problem is the regime in Syria is not that weak," argued Omer Taspinar, a Washington-based analyst with the Brookings Institution. "They still have a critical mass supporting them: the Sunni merchants, who see the world is not doing anything and that Bashar al-Assad can get away with murder." Should the U.S. 'airdrop' millions of phones into Syria? While the rebellion has roiled through second-tier cities as well as broad swaths of countryside, Syria's economic powerhouse cities -- Aleppo and Damascus -- have largely remained under government control. Also, unlike Gadhafi, al-Assad has powerful regional allies in his corner: Iran, Russia, and, to an extent, China. Exploring the Russia-Syria link . "The Obama administration doesn't really want a clash with Russia, China, or Iran in Syria. That would negatively impact oil prices (in an election year)," said Taspinar. "Overall, the strategy coming from the White House is procrastinate, try to emphasize the diplomatic initiative, talk about helping the opposition, but do not really ratchet up rhetoric into full confrontation with Russia and Iran." After initially rejecting armed rebellion against the government, the Syrian opposition has morphed into a patchwork of loosely coordinated rebel groups determined to bring down the Syrian president. But they have been woefully under-funded and poorly armed. For months, demonstrators across Syria have chanted, "Arm the Free Syrian army" at protests that are filmed and then distributed around the world via YouTube. Over the past month, there have been signs that the rebels have gotten their hands on new sources of weapons, though no government will publicly admit to arming the fighters. Recently, the leader of a rebel band called the Green Idlib Battalion in northern Syria confirmed to CNN that the prices for rifles and ammunition had dropped in half. Timeline: Syria -- How a year of horror unfolded . Early Monday morning, the Green Idlib Battalion's commander, who goes by the nom-de-guerre "Akil," claimed to have carried out an attack in coordination with other rebel groups against the town of Atareb near the northern city of Aleppo. "We burned the town's police station and the city hall in order to force the security and armed forces out of this area," Akil said in a phone interview from the battlefield, as gunshots and explosions could be heard in the background. But rebel fighters and residents said the government retaliated with armored vehicles, artillery and rocket fire from helicopter gunships. As always, civilians paid the greatest price. "As the regime's artillery was shelling our town, our home was destroyed and me and my brother were seriously injured," said Mohamed Haj Taha. He spoke to CNN by telephone from a hospital in Turkey, where he fled with his brother and five other wounded Atareb residents early Monday morning. Hours later, Haj Taha said doctors pronounced his brother Abdo dead. "Now I'm in the hospital filling out paperwork after my brother's death," Haj Taha said. The growing specter of a civil war in Syria clearly has policymakers worried. "There's genuine concern about it turning into a huge-scale civil war with no way to influence the outcome or pick the winner," said the Western diplomat. Opinion: Only Russia, China can stop the carnage . The Syrian government blames al Qaeda-linked groups for a series of devastating suicide bombings targeting the headquarters of security forces in Damascus and Aleppo. Recently, even some of the secular activists who participated in the first waves of protests against Damascus expressed concern about Islamist elements cropping up within the armed opposition. "Last week I was driving out of the city and two armed guys with long beards stopped me and asked me whether or not I pray," said Mamoon, a teacher from the southern city of Dera'a, who asked only to reveal his first name for security reasons. "We don't want our revolution to transform into armed gangs that are out of control." "I'm scared of those who say they are rebels and then start to appear alongside the protesters, but then start dirty business like kidnapping people for ransom," a female student from Hama recently told CNN, on condition of anonymity. Opposition groups are clearly concerned about damage to their international image. At a recent weekly protest in the northern town of Binnish, demonstrators performed a choreographed demonstration holding up letters from the English alphabet that spelled out the sentence: "We are not terrorists." One of the only measures that rival members of the U.N. Security Council have been able to come to agreement on was the deployment of hundreds of U.N.military observers to Syria. The mission was denounced from the start by opposition groups. They accused U.N. special envoy Kofi Annan of brokering a cease-fire that gave the Syrian government diplomatic cover for more killing. "The plan had a lot of deficiencies, but it was the only plan that the Syrians and the Russians would agree to," said Rami Khouri, of the American University of Beirut. "The monitors are just monitors, they are not peacekeepers. They have been an easy but I think unfair target." Kofi Annan calls for accountability . The much-maligned monitoring mission does not have the numbers or the weapons to force Syrian combatants to stop fighting. It did, however, play a vital role revealing the terrifying scale of the Houla massacre, which left at least 49 children under the age of 10 dead. The Syrian government routinely prevents international news organizations like CNN from reporting in Syria and thereby being able to verify accounts of fighting and casualties. And as the Syrian government and rebels accused each other of killing the children, the U.N. observers visited Houla and swiftly published a report that concluded the Syrian army fired artillery and tanks into the town. Syria's ambassador to the U.N. later responded by accusing some Security Council members of launching a "tsunami of lies" against Damascus. There appears to be no immediate end in sight for Syria's grinding war of attrition. Neither al-Assad nor his allies show any signs of backing down, and al-Assad's opponents are unwilling to risk direct intervention. Some analysts argue the current bloody stalemate is better than allowing Syria to become the battleground in a regional proxy war. "This idea that somehow if the West intervenes, it will stop things from getting worse seems naive," said Taspinar, the director of the Turkey project at the Brookings Institution. "It's a bad situation, but its not as bad as it would be if you had a proxy war erupt between Iran and Saudi Arabia in Syria, or between Iran and Turkey in Syria. That would be a full-bore Sunni-Shia confrontation." America's regional allies Turkey and Saudi Arabia are majority Sunni Muslim countries that increasingly find themselves at odds with Shiite Muslim Iran throughout the Middle East. The Western diplomat was left hoping for what he called "a game-changer" -- a coup or an assassin's bullet that would bring down the Syrian president. But, he conceded, "That's what we hoped would happen for more than 10 years to Saddam Hussein." | "We don't have any idea how to make these guys go away," a diplomat says of regime .
"In the immediate future," he adds, "there is not going to be a Western intervention in Syria"
Analysts: The American public has little appetite for involvement in another Middle Eastern conflict .
The growing specter of a civil war in Syria has policymakers worried . |
277,928 | f40d2982ad89bc9fa17f27afb0ea96376d63d878 | By . Damien Gayle . They sport the colours of the Brazilian flag and are flavoured, appropriately, like the nation's favourite cocktail. So its no wonder that these special-edition Prudence condoms, available only in Brazil, have been branded the unofficial contraceptive of the World Cup. Coloured yellow and green like the national team's strip, they are flavoured to taste like Brazil's signature cocktail, the Caipirinha, which is made with limes, sugar and cachaça, a kind of white rum. The 'official' condom of the World Cup: Prudence branded prophylactics sport the colours of the Brazilian flag and are flavoured, appropriately, like the nation's favourite cocktail . The Wall Street Journal reports that 700,000 packs of the 3.15 reais (83p) condoms have been sold at supermarkets and pharmacies in Brazil since hitting the stores in February. They are made by Malaysian firm Karex, the world's largest condom maker, which has just delivered a further 864,000 packs of the capirinha condoms to Brazil this week. The design and marketing of the condoms is handled by DKT International, a global family planning and HIV-prevention non-profit. DKT's Brazil director, Daniel Marun, told WSJ: 'Major sports or cultural events attract a great number of people and garner much attention, providing a good opportunity to spread a pleasurable and fun safe-sex message.' Brazil's World Cup has already been lauded as the 'sexiest tournament ever', with the sun and samba set to lead to plenty of something else, apparently. 'Sexiest World Cup ever': Brazil fans kiss after watching the Brazil-Mexico match at the World Cup on Tuesday . However, it has also reportedly led to an explosion of prostitution, prompting fears of the spread of AIDS. The efforts of DKT have been bolstered by those of UN HIV-prevention organisation UNAIDS, whose 'Protect The Goal' programme has has been handing out free condoms and HIV tests in World Cup cities. Brazil usually conducts HIV and AIDS prevention campaigns during the Carnival holiday, including widespread advertising and condom distribution. Aggressive HIV/AIDS treatment and prevention efforts in the South American country have been held up as a model for the developing world for more than a decade. | Hundreds of thousands have sold in Brazil since their launch in February . |
190,316 | 8269d18b2829d3cf789b984137a45ddc44881466 | They may look like your average building sites, but these houses were created with nothing more than a 3D printer. The houses, one of which is five storeys high, were created in an industrial park in China's Jiangsu province using new 3D printing technology. The incredible engineering, by Shanghai WinSun Decoration Design Engineering Co., was pioneered ten months ago when the company printed ten buildings - costing just £3,100 - entirely out of concrete using a giant printer. Chinese engineers have created houses with just a 3D printer, including one which is five stories high . The buildings were created in an industrial park in China's Jiangsu province using pioneering 3D printing technology . The printer works by spraying successive layers of recycled construction material to form the structure . The smaller houses cost around £100,000 and hundreds have already been snapped up by buyers including the Egyptian government . Now they have taken the technology further to build the first 3D printed villas and the tallest ever 3D printed building. The homes are created using a printer which is 21ft tall, 32ft wide, and 500ft long, according to 3ders. The 'ink' used is a mixture of recycled construction waste, glass, steel and cement which is sprayed on layer by layer until a thick wall is created. Ma Yi He, CEO of WinSun, explained that the construction industry produces a large amount of carbon emissions, but with 3D printing, waste material can be recycled. This process also means that construction workers are at less risk of coming into contact with hazardous materials. The new technology could also lead to the building sites of the future could be far less noisy, more clean and easier on the eye. Pioneering: The homes are created using a printer which is 21ft tall, 32ft wide, and 500ft long . The 'ink' used is a mixture of recycled construction waste, glass, steel and cement which is sprayed on layer by layer until a thick wall is created . The construction industry produces a large amount of carbon emissions, but with 3D printing, waste material can be recycled . The buildings were created by Shanghai WinSun Decoration Design Engineering Co. who are behind the new technology . The process is expensive, but at £100,000 a house the properties are cheaper than the average home. The display site also featured a single-story house pre-ordered by the Egyptian government, which will soon be shipped to its owner. Mr Ma said: 'This house was printed within a single day, and is part of a total order of 20,000 units.' | Chinese company create houses made with nothing more than 3D printers .
Buildings, up to five storeys high, cost around £100,000 to produce .
Engineers use a 500ft long printer and recycled construction waste for 'ink'
'Ink' is sprayed on layer by layer until thick walls are created by the printer .
Thousands of the houses have already been snapped up by investors . |
164,971 | 615692e9f34fb240113f38bdc33918714ae0fa62 | By . Thomas Burrows for MailOnline . A skilful artist has brought his selfies to life - by sketching himself into the picture to make the photographs look like paintings. Sebastien Del Grosso, 33, from Paris, first came up with the idea when he wanted to update his Facebook profile picture and has since developed a quirky collection of images. After taking a self-portrait, the digital artist started to sketch himself into the picture. But rather than completely transforming his pictures into a complete sketch, the artist only partially adapted the original pictures, creating an interesting composite effect. This is then used to make the photographs appear in part like black and white paintings. Scroll down for video . Artist Sebastien Del Grosso sketches himself into selfies he has taken to make the pictures look like paintings . He first came up with the idea when he wanted to update his Facebook profile picture and he has since developed a quirky collection of images . Rather than completely transforming his pictures into a complete sketch, Mr Del Grosso adapted the original pictures, creating an interesting composite effect . Mr Del Grosso, who was taught to draw by his grandmother, uses the sketches to illustrate his life and events that have been important to him. He said: 'My grandmother taught me to draw, and by watching her drawing and painting made me want to do the same. 'It's always important to remember the history behind an image, as it helps to produce a quality image. 'When I make a creative image, I try to attract the attention of the viewer and hold it.' He said: 'My grandmother taught me to draw, and by watching her drawing and painting made me want to do the same' The whole process, from the shooting to the final image, can take a few hours to several days. He said: 'The pencil strokes are fast and nervous, and so give the impression of a construction. 'Then, my "dodge and burn" effect is used a lot in the final rendering. 'It is in fact a multitude of brush strokes, black or white, which serve to highlight, or rather mitigate some facial features, and clothing. 'This treatment is intended to look like a little more like a painting than a photo. This allows me to make it more pleasant to the eye.' He added: 'All my pictures are taken inside my apartment, using only natural light. 'The drawings are done with a simple pencil on a sheet of paper. Then the drawing is scanned, cleaned and added to the picture with Photoshop tools. 'I take thousands of images using a remote control, and then choose a selection of my favourites.' Following his sketching success, Mr Del Grosso now hopes to to develop his series further. He said: 'I have many more creative and innovative ideas in my head and they will be challenging. But I hope I will be successful in achieving them all.' | Sebastien Del Grosso, from Paris, sketches himself into a picture he has taken to make the photographs look like black and white paintings .
The whole process, from the shooting to the final image, can take a few hours to several days .
He was taught to draw by his grandmother . |
161,096 | 5c430ac3cdc55250e54b7c6b3db6b88e62d04a34 | By . Mark Duell . An unemployed chef won £2,500 after betting £5 on Germany to beat Brazil 7-1 in the World Cup. John Moore, 28, of Woodford, east London, claims he had a ‘premonition’ the day before Tuesday’s semi-final match and had ‘the numbers one and seven in my head’, before deciding to place the bet. The aspiring DJ and Arsenal fan claimed he had received signs such as the time on the clock being 17:17 and a package being delivered with ‘71’ on the slip - rather than his actual flat number. Winner: John Moore, 28, of Woodford, east London, claims he had a 'premonition' the day before Tuesday's semi-final match and had 'the numbers one and seven in my head', before deciding to place the bet . He said: ‘I had this premonition the day before and had the number one and seven in my head. There was a lot of signs, I remember looking at the clock and the time being 17:17. ‘[Also], we live in a block of flats and someone had put a note through the door saying we had a package to collect from the front desk - but they had put number 71 on the slip, not our flat number. ‘I like putting bets on big scores and this whole tournament I have been trying for 4-2s and 3-2s but I never thought the one I’d get would be Germany 7 - Brazil 1. ‘But when I saw the odds of 500-1 I thought “why not?”. I knew Brazil didn’t have Diego Costa and Neymar was out - I thought it was worth a punt. ‘And as an Arsenal fan I don’t rate David Luiz - and he was exposed in the game. (Chelsea manager José) Mourinho must be thinking he’s quids-in selling him for £50million.” Germany . swept aside Brazil in Belo Horizonte on Tuesday night to qualify for . Sunday's final against Argentina, and were astonishingly 5-0 up at . half-time - a scoreline they reached in just 29 minutes. Mr Moore even admitted cheering when Arsenal favourite Mesut Özil missed an eighth chance to keep the score only at seven in the second half of the match. And when Brazil snuck in a 90th-minute consolation goal, Mr Moore said he must have been the only person in the world in carnival mood. VIDEO Disbelief in Belo Horizonte after devastating Germany win . Huge win: Germany's Toni Kroos (left) celebrates after scoring his side's third goal during their 7-1 World Cup semi-final match against Brazil at the Mineirao Stadium in Belo Horizonte . Defeated: Brazil's Fernandinho, David Luiz and Maicon (from left) walk after Germany scored their fifth goal . Mr . Moore - who had the biggest win in Britain on a correct score bet for . the game - said he was planning on spending his winnings on a street . food business as well as buying some DJ equipment. A . Paddy Power spokesman said that three other people had correctly . predicted the score, adding: 'A 7-1 prediction was a long shot - but John definitely deserves to take a bow for that one now.' However, Mr Moore was not the biggest UK winner on the game, after Formula 1 heiress Tamara Ecclestone made a profit of £14,250 after betting £15,000 on Germany going through at 19/20. According to the Daily Mirror, the delighted model, 30, later tweeted: ‘Think it's safe to say my investments for tonight are safe!’ In addition, online gambling website Betfair said three English gamblers had correctly predicted the 7-1 score and won a total of nearly £6,500 from only £6.50 of bets. But a spokesman said: ‘I feel sorry for the punters who had £31 at 999-1 on 7-0 Germany.’ Meanwhile, a student in Altrincham, Cheshire, staked 80p on Germany taking a 5-0 advantage into the break at odds of 300/1 and claimed £280 for their troubles. A William Hill spokesman said: '5-0 was such an improbable scoreline that someone probably placed the remaining 80p in their account in hope rather than expectation on the most unlikely of halftime scores, but that punter is now £280 better off.' Delighted: Formula 1 heiress Tamara Ecclestone made a profit of £14,250 after betting £15,000 on Germany going through at 19/20 . All wrong: Some 121,026 bets being placed with William Hill, but not one managed to predict the correct score . Despite 121,026 bets being placed with William Hill, not one managed to predict the correct score. The spokesman added: 'It’s the first time since 1999, when we introduced online betting, that not one William Hill punter has predicted the correct score in a football match.' But some people got carried away in the middle of the game, with a Coral spokesman revealing one online punter placed a £2 bet on Germany winning 13-0, when they were 6-0 up, at odds of 300-1. Elsewhere, a Brazilian woman Anna Guerra, 44, won her office sweepstake after successfully predicting that Germany would thrash Brazil 7-1. The artist only came up with the idea of betting on that scoreline because her sleep-walking husband told to her to when she confronted him. 'He said Germany,' said Mrs Guerra. ‘I asked him what the score would be and he said "7-1".’ The woman scooped around 200 Brazilian real (£55) from her colleagues for her 10 real bet. | John Moore, 28, of Woodford, east London, says he had 'premonition'
Arsenal fan and aspiring DJ claims numbers 1 and 7 were 'in his head'
Tamara Ecclestone made £14,250 profit on game after backing Germans . |
29,276 | 53345c9e967a4b77f380eb2eaac2817c28cdd534 | By . Matt Chorley, Mailonline Political Editor . PUBLISHED: . 09:33 EST, 17 October 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 13:01 EST, 18 October 2012 . David Cameron was tonight scrambling to rescue his plan to force energy companies to give all their customers their cheapest deals, amid growing doubt about how it will work in practice. The Prime Minister arrived for talks with European leaders in Brussels trying to clarify his announcement, after Downing Street earlier refused to confirm it would be included in the forthcoming Energy Bill. Mr Cameron insisted he wanted to be 'on the side of hard pressed, hard working families who often struggle to pay energy bills' after opponents accused him of making up policy 'on the hoof'. David Cameron today toured a building site in Victoria, central London, as Downing Street struggled to explain his announcement on energy bills . The Prime Minister's pledge to legislate 'so that energy companies have to give the lowest tariff to their customers' appears to be unravelling . Speaking at Prime Minister's Questions yesterday, Mr Cameron said: ‘I can announce that we will be legislating so that energy companies have to give the lowest tariff to their customers.' But the new policy caught the Department for Energy and Climate Change on the hop, and more than 24 hours later there was still no detail of how it will work. Energy minister John Hayes was forced to . appear in the Commons to explain the policy, but admitted he had not known Mr Cameron planned to make the announcement. He promised only to 'get . people lower tariffs' with 'different options' still being considered. He added: 'This is a complicated area which will discuss with the industry, consumer groups and the regulator in order to work through the detail.' A Number 10 spokeswoman later suggested the Energy Bill would only 'put the obligation on the energy companies to offer the lowest tariffs to more people'. Asked if she could guarantee that Mr Cameron's announcement would be included in the legislation, she added: 'We are looking at various options.' But arriving at a Brussels summit today, Mr Cameron sought to clarify his announcement. He insisted: 'We are going to use the forthcoming legislation, the Energy Bill coming up this year, so we make sure, we ensure, that customers get the lowest tariffs.' He also tweeted: 'I want to be on the side of hard working families. We're going to use the energy bill to ensure customers get lowest tariffs.' Downing Street sources suggested the final policy would still allow choice between types of tariffs. One option being considered is that people on a variable tariff and pay by direct debit could be informed by their provider that they are going to be automatically switched to the lowest variable direct debit tariff from the same provider. Customers would be able to opt-out of automatic switching. Going up: The average annual dual-fuel bill is already at a record high of £1,300 and last week four energy companies announced above-inflation rises . But the confusion has dismayed consumer groups who hoped real help would be offered to hard-pressed households. Richard Lloyd, executive director of Which?, said: 'The Prime Minister must stick to the promise he made in Parliament to legislate so energy companies have to give the lowest tariff to their customers. 'Just giving people information on the lowest tariff is not enough when trust is at an all time low in the industry and switching levels are falling. Which? has been pressing the Government for years to make sure people get a better deal so we must now see these words turned into action." The average annual dual-fuel bill is already at a record high of £1,300 and last week four energy companies announced above-inflation rises. Mr Cameron said householders would no longer face a bewildering range of tariffs, which leave millions paying more than £100 a year too much for their fuel. Often cut price introductory offers are used to get people to switch between companies but when they run out customers find themselves on much higher tariffs. It was suggested Mr Cameron's new policy would be written into the Energy Bill. But Energy Secretary Ed Davey gave a . major speech to the CBI this morning on how the legislation would make . 'bills affordable', but made no mention of Mr Cameron's announcement. Asked . later about the surprise announcement, Mr Davey said: 'Making sure we . have competitive markets and consumers face the lowest energy bills . possible is a top priority for me.' Energy minister John Hayes was forced to appear in the Commons to explain the Prime Minister's announcement . He suggested the government would only legislate for voluntary agreements secured earlier this year, under which the major energy firms would tell customers what the best available tariffs were. Mr Hayes was hauled before the Commons after Speak John Bercow granted the Urgent Question after a request from the Labour party. A Labour source said today: 'This is a policy unravelling by the minute. It says a lot about David Cameron's lack of attention to detail that they have got in this mess.' Mr Hayes was appointed as energy minister in last month's reshuffle. Earlier this year, Nick Clegg said the six biggest firms would write to customers once a year offering better tariffs after it emerged that 75 per cent of customers could be entitled to lower bills. Mr Hayes told MPs: 'We will use the Energy Bill to get people lower tariffs and of course there are different options to be considered in the process.' But Ms Flint, the shadow energy secretary, said Mr Cameron's announcement risked damaging the industry. 'It caused chaos in the energy industry and I have to say it left his own ministers at a loss as to what energy policy actually is. 'For the Government to spend a day pretending they have a policy they have no intention of implementing is no way to run the country. It is like something out of The Thick of It.' Downing Street said yesterday the new law would put an ‘obligation’ on firms to put customers on the best deal to suit their circumstances. But in a further sign of the policy unravelling, the 'obligation' today became an 'offer' of lower tariffs. Greenpeace branded the confusion an 'energy omnishambles'. Executive director John Sauven said: 'The government’s energy policy is now as confusing as British Gas tariffs. Even if what Cameron announced yesterday was actual policy, it would fail to protect consumers from higher bills. Until the Government reduces our reliance on gas, the cheapest tariff will still be an expensive tariff.' Mr Cameron said householders would no longer face a bewildering range of tariffs, which leave millions paying more than £100 a year too much for their fuel . Ann Robinson, director of consumer policy at price comparison website uSwitch.com, said she thought the announcement had been a 'mistake'. 'The unintended consequences would be to kill competition. Consumers will be left with Hobson’s . choice – there will be no spur, no choice, no innovation and no reason . for consumers to engage any more.' Research by price comparison uSwitch found that households . can already save £135 by choosing a cheaper tariff from their supplier, . or up to £300 by switching to a different supplier. Annual bills have soared by an average . of £200 since 2010, despite the Prime Minister’s ‘energy summit’ last . year with the major companies. Last week, British Gas, npower, Scottish Power and SSE announced rises of up to 9 per cent to be implemented before Christmas. The other two major energy companies, E.ON and EDF, have yet to announce next year’s increases. Energy UK, which represents the Big Six companies, said it needed to know 'the detail of what's being proposed by the Prime Minister and how this might impact our members’ customers across the country'. 'We will be legislating so that energy companies have to give the lowest tariff to their customers' Prime Minister David Cameron . People who get discounts by paying . online, not having paper bills or buying gas and electricity from the . same supplier could see their bills rise, it was warned. Richard Lloyd, executive director of consumer group Which?, wrote to Mr Cameron this week to say that the energy market was ‘broken’ and called for a review into the recent price rises. He said yesterday’s announcement ‘acknowledges that competition in the energy retail market has failed’. Changes: Caroline Flint MP, Labour's energy and climate change spokeswoman, said there is a need to 'completely overhaul our energy market to break the dominance of the big six energy companies' Caroline Flint MP, Labour’s shadow energy secretary, told BBC2's Newsnight: ‘The truth is, this policy isn’t going anywhere because the Prime Minister actually announced a policy that within 10 hours has disappeared. 'We need transparency so we can see when the companies say "we can’t do this because we need to invest," whether what they’re saying is right and we need to know that when wholesale prices come down, they pass on those cuts to the consumers just the same way as they do when they go up.' 'We want all energy customers to have access to good value tariffs and assistance in reducing their bills' Angela Knight CBE, Energy UK chief executive . Angela Knight CBE, chief executive of Energy UK, which represents the industry, said: ‘We want all energy customers to have access to good value tariffs and assistance in reducing their bills. ‘Energy companies in Britain have already reduced the complexity of their offers and made them much clearer and easier to understand. ‘They have also contacted millions of households to offer help with insulation and to point out the discounts available. And there are more initiatives under way already to help consumers further.’ | The PM promised to change law to make sure everyone gets the best deal .
But 24 hours on Downing Street could not guarantee the idea will be in the Energy Bill amid claims it could actually force some bills up .
Commons Speaker John Bercow ordered energy minister John Hayes to appear at the Despatch Box today to clear up the confusion .
British Gas, npower, Scottish Power and SSE announced sharp price rises .
Labour says the legislation plan is 'unravelling by the minute'
Consumer groups say the Prime Minister must keep his promise . |
83,151 | ebc34b6a8a9e2a064461a7ac2082e725df5076b0 | By . Chris Pleasance . PUBLISHED: . 05:37 EST, 11 November 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 07:17 EST, 11 November 2013 . Retail giant Amazon is to start offering Sunday delivery to all its customers after striking a deal with the US Postal Service (USPS). From November 17 shoppers in the New York and LA areas will be able to select Sunday as a delivery day at the checkout. While the offer will be free for Prime subscribers, regular customers will still have access to the service as long as they pay for business day delivery. Amazon will be offering Sunday delivery from November 17 in New York and LA areas but will be rolled out to other major cities including Dallas and New Orleans next year . Dave Clark, Amazon's vice president of worldwide operations and customer service, said: 'This is part of a continuing effort to make online shopping a normal, seven-day-a-week, any-time-you-want experience.' Amazon says it is planning to extend the year-round service next year to Dallas, New Orleans, Phoenix and other cities. The offer is thought to be the first of its kind in the US and provides a lifeline for struggling USPS which lost $16billion last year according to Forbes, as the delivery of letters declined. By contrast the demand for package deliveries is 'increasing in double-digit percentages', according to a USPS spokeswoman. The deal is the first of its kind in the US and poses a challenge to other retailers like Google and EBay who are developing their own same-day service . USPS delivered around 3.5billion parcels last year, up from 3.3billion in 2011 and 3.1billion in 2010. Despite the extra demand the company says it will not be taking on any extra staff and will be using its flexible workforce, who have agreed to work the extra days. The one-of-a-kind offer will challenge other big-name retailers who have been beefing up their own delivery options. Wal-Mart is currently testing one-day delivery in northern Virginia, Philadelphia, Minneapolis, Denver, and the San Fransisco and San Jose areas in California. EBay has recently aquired London start-up company Shtl, which offers same-day service to online customers, with some products arriving within minutes of an order being placed. Google is also trialling one-day delivery in the Bay area, while Sport Chalet started offering the same service in April. Amazon had previously offered a Sunday deliver service using its own employees, but it was extremely restricted and charged a premium rate. | LA and New York metropolitan areas will have service from November 17 .
Will be rolled out to Dallas, New Orleans, Minneapolis and others next year .
Free for Prime customers, but available to everyone at business day rates .
Deal with USPS could revive fortunes after it lost $16billion last year . |
243,894 | c7b1660015543317e27dc833ccf5df7885276e50 | A three-year-old girl whose home was broken into while she slept upstairs has drawn a picture of a burglar to help police hunt him down. Detectives told little Evelyn Bardgett, from Ilkeston, Derbyshire, her sketch 'would make a good e-fit' as they took statements from parents Stephen, 36 and Lucy, 31. Cruel burglars used a spade from the garden shed to force open a kitchen window and get inside the home. They stole an iPad and Mr Bardgett's wallet. Evelyn drew the picture to help police catch burglars who broke into her house as she and her parents slept . Detectives told little Evelyn Bardgett, from Ilkeston, Derbyshire, her sketch 'would make a good e-fit' And police confirmed the raid was one of five homes in. targeted by the same gang overnight between Monday and Tuesday in the past week. Mr Bardgett, a self-employed floor layer, said: 'The worst thing is knowing that someone has been in your house and searching around while you were asleep upstairs. 'That feeling of intrusion is horrible. 'It is not so much what has gone but more knowing that people have been creeping around your house. 'We have just finished decorating the kitchen and I know I had left the stepladder up against the wall and when I got downstairs, it was on the floor. 'I saw that the window was open, which is when I knew we had been burgled. 'Lucy and Evelyn came downstairs and we phoned the police. 'They were here for at least two hours and scenes-of-crime officers and CID came too. 'Evelyn drew them a picture of a burglar and one of the detectives said to her, 'that's a good e-fit, hopefully we can catch them from that'.' Derbyshire Police said cash, jewellery, laptops and mountain bikes were stolen from other properties in the same area in the spate of burglaries between Monday night and Tuesday morning. A force spokesman said: 'We believe all five burglaries are linked and we would like to hear from anyone who might have been offered the items for sale or know who is responsible.' Father Stephen Bardgett surveys the damage caused by burglars using a spade to lever open the window . | Evelyn Bardgett, aged three, wanted to help police catch the criminals .
Burglars broke into her house at night as she and her parents slept .
Police told her the picture she drew would 'make a good e-fit'
Gang used a spade to open a window and then stole an iPad and a wallet . |
203,825 | 93e6a620d04d264cc1fec769093463dc2eddf14f | (CNN) -- A Texas judge rebuffed a request to step aside Thursday and opened a hearing into allegations that a man executed for the killings of his three daughters was put on death row by "junk science." The family of Cameron Todd Willingham has asked District Judge Charlie Baird to posthumously clear Willingham's name, arguing that state officials ignored an expert's last-minute findings that the fire that killed his daughters in December 1991 was not deliberately set. The science that supported the prosecution's case "had been discredited 10 years earlier," Gerry Goldstein, a lawyer for the family, told the judge. Willingham was put to death in February 2004, insisting in his final statement that he was innocent. Authorities in the town of Corsicana, where the fire took place, and Texas Gov. Rick Perry, who allowed the execution to go forward, have stood by the conviction. Navarro County District Attorney Lowell Thompson last week asked Baird to step aside. Thompson argued that the judge's impartiality was called into question by the fact that he sat on the state Court of Criminal Appeals when it upheld Willingham's conviction and wrote a concurring opinion supporting the ruling. In addition, he argued, Baird received an award in February from the Texas Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty. Baird rejected Thompson's motion Thursday, finding that the prosecutor's office was not a party to the family's request for a "court of inquiry," a rare proceeding under Texas law. "I just don't believe that you, in your capacity as the Navarro County district attorney, are a part of this lawsuit," Baird said. Thompson left the courtroom after the ruling without participating in Thursday's hearing, which was held to determine whether there is enough evidence of a wrongful conviction to open a court of inquiry. The proceedings are separate from the long-running investigation being conducted by the Texas Forensic Science Commission, which is scheduled to take up the Willingham case again Friday. Willingham's relatives have the support of The Innocence Project, which requested the Forensic Science Commission's investigation. The group's founder, defense lawyer Barry Scheck, appeared in court Thursday to argue for a court of inquiry, telling Baird the testimony of a state fire marshal who was the prosecution's key witness was "completely wrong and misleading." The fire marshal, Manuel Vasquez, told jurors in Willingham's trial that evidence at the scene of the fire showed the blaze was set intentionally with a flammable liquid. "Given the science that we know today," Scheck said, that testimony is "false, misleading and totally unreliable." Fire scientist John Lentini, who reviewed the Willingham case after the execution, told Baird that some of the indicators Vasquez relied on to reach his conclusions were outdated at the time -- and nearly all were considered obsolete by the time Willingham was executed. "A lot of people believed that back in 1991," Lentini said. "Now in 2004, nobody believed that." Vasquez died in the mid-1990s, but the state fire marshal's office has reaffirmed his findings -- a stance Lentini said was impossible to square with modern fire science. "You can't make it go away just by saying, 'We stand by the original conclusions,' " he said. Willingham's daughters -- 2-year-old Amber and 1-year-old twins Karmon and Kameron -- died in the blaze in Corsicana, south of Dallas. His ex-wife, Stacy Kuykendall, told reporters outside the Austin courthouse last week that Willingham had confessed to her in the days before his execution that he had started the fatal fire. "He burnt them," Kuykendall said. "He admitted he burnt them to me, and he was convicted for his crime. That is the closest to justice that my daughters will ever get." Willingham never publicly admitted guilt, and his family has questioned Kuykendall's account of the confession. Baird said Kuykendall was invited to appear at Thursday's hearing, but she declined. | Key arson testimony in trial was "completely wrong," lawyer says .
Judge Charlie Baird began hearing the Willingham family's petition Thursday .
Willingham was executed in 2004 for the fire deaths of his three daughters .
Prosecutors had asked the judge to step aside, questioning his impartiality . |
112,459 | 1d139c623ddc51d44e810d82720c7de5dab98cef | By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 09:14 EST, 28 January 2014 . | . UPDATED: . 12:42 EST, 28 January 2014 . The frozen body of 19-year-old man was found in his pick-up truck outside his Ohio family home on Thursday as the Midwest suffers through weeks of freezing temperatures. Andrew Norris's stepmother found his frigid body slumped in the front seat of the snow-covered vehicle, where he frequently retreated to talk to friends on his cell phone. Bitterly cold temperatures have shut . down Ohio schools, facilities and government offices this month, with . wind chills dropping to 40 degrees below zero including wind chill on some days. On the day Mr Norris's body was found temperatures were as low as zero degrees - and police are investigating whether he froze to death in the driveway of the Erich Drive, Willoughby Hills home. Devastating: Andrew Norris's frozen body was found by his stepmother in the front seat of his pickup truck . Police said Norris's family had last seen him on Tuesday and believed he was staying with a friend. 19 Action News reported there were no signs of violence, alcohol or drug activity in the vehicle and that it was difficult to see Norris in the car from the outside. The Cuyahoga County medical examiner's office is working to determine whether the teen died of hypothermia. It could take up to three months. Detective Brian Jackson of Willoughby Police told the News-Herald: 'Whether he died because of the cold or not, we don’t know.' Norris's family said he often sat in the truck to talk with friends on his cell phone. The 19-year-old worked at a local Texas Roadhouse diner after graduating from Willoughby South High School. Ohio has not escaped the deep freeze which has seized the U.S. this month, with temperatures dropping to a low zero degrees on Thursday when Norris was found. Downtime: Andrew Norris's family said he often sat his in truck and talked to friends . In early January, the bodies of two people were found in snow in Ohio following the brutal polar vortex. A . postal worker discovered the body of a 42-year-old man in his driveway, . while a 58-year-old man was found dead on a lake after failing to . return home. The cold snap has forced the cancellation of thousands of flights, shut down offices and whipped up potentially life-threatening wind chills across the country. Rare: A map shows the wind chills felt on Tuesday morning as the country continues to suffer below average temperatures . | Andrew Norris's stepmother found his frozen body .
His family said he often sat in the car to text and chat .
It could take up to three months to determine whether he died of hypothermia . |
144,886 | 476598ad67df5e6247370a02827b849d5ec982c9 | A young man has drowned off the coast of a Queensland beach. Around 11am on Sunday morning the man was surfing off Sunshine Beach, near Noosa, about 135 kilometres north of Brisbane. News Corp reported the man was aged 26, and had been visiting from Brisbane. His girlfriend reportedly looked on as rescuers tried to revive the man for over an hour. A man, aged in his 20s, has drowned at Sunshine Beach near Noosa in Queensland . The man hit trouble when he wiped-out on a sandbank, and bodyboard riders rushed to help him. Queensland Police confirmed to Daily Mail Australia the man was believed to be in his early 20s, and could not be revived by Surf Lifesaving officials who worked on him.. Police will prepare a report for the coroner. | A man has died at Sunshine Beach, near Noosa in Queensland .
Aged in his 20s, the man could not be revived after he was dragged ashore . |
7,450 | 1519a70778aa7f0a32c228cda6f1a036720d3c43 | Former Everton star Tim Cahill was on target as Australia struggled to a tepid 1-1 draw in an international friendly against an under-strength South Africa in Sydney on Monday. More than 50,000 turned out at the Olympic Stadium to bid farewell to the Socceroos before they depart for the finals but the home side struggled to break down a Bafana Bafana team weakened even from that which went out in the second round of African qualifying. Both the goals came inside a minute early in the first half with Ayanda Patosi's 13th minute effort for South Africa cancelled out by Australia's stand-in captain Tim Cahill almost immediatly. On the scoresheet: Former Everton player Tim Cahill celebrates after scoring for Australia in Sydney . Man of the moment: Cahill stands on top of an advertising board as he celebrates his equaliser . Hugs all round: Cahill is congratulated by his team-mates after scoring in the friendly against South Africa . In demand: Cahill poses for photographs with fans after the match at the ANZ Stadium . Let me take a selfie: One young fan asks for a selfie with Cahill after the farewell match . Fond farewell: Cahill and the Australian team walk through a cordon of South African players . With world . champions Spain, 2010 runners-up the Netherlands and Chile lying in . wait in Brazil, Australia would have been hoping for a different . conclusion to the evening than the slow handclap that rang around . stadium towards the end of the match. Socceroos . coach Ange Postecoglou was always up against it with just eight months . to bring fluency to his young team before Australia's third successive . World Cup finals campaign and it showed in a ragged performance. South . Africa opened the scoring after Tokelo Rantie drove at the heart of the . defence at pace and, when his progress was stopped, stabbed the ball . back for Ayanda Patosi to slide the ball into the net. Australia's . response was immediate and it was no surprise that it came from the . head of Cahill, who rose above goalkeeper Senzo Meyiwa to steer Tommy . Oar's ballooned cross into the net for his 32nd goal in his 68th . appearance for his country. The chase is on: Australia's Ryan McGowan (left) fights for the ball with Thulai Caleb Serero . Incoming: South Africa's Ayanda Patosi (left) is tackled by Australia's Ivan Franjic . Opener: South Africa's Ayanda Patosi celebrates after scoring the opening goal in the 13th minute . South . Africa grew in confidence and had the better of the second half with . what rhythm Australia had mustered disrupted by the inevitable string of . substitutions. Postecoglou . will cut three players from his 30-man provisional squad on Tuesday . before the remainder fly to South America - one certain to be central . defender Curtis Good, who has a hip injury. Australia . open their campaign in Brazil against Chile on June 13 in Cuiaba before . playing the Netherlands on June 18 and Spain on June 23. Down low: South Africa goalkeeper Senzo Robert Meyiwa dives to his left to make the save . Silky stuff: Australia's Matthew Leckie (left) controls the ball as Thato Mokeke looks on . Calm and composed: Australia coach Ange Postecoglou sits on the touchline during the farewell match . | Australia struggled to a 1-1 draw with South Africa at the Olympic Stadium .
Former Everton and Millwall player Tim Cahill equalised just one minute after Ayanda Patosi had put Bafana Bafana in front .
More than 50,000 turned out for Australia's last match Down Under ahead of Brazil 2014 . |
53,442 | 9793ccc1b56e100efc443e57f76ac868834949cc | New Haven, Connecticut (CNN) -- After months of jury selection and delays caused by the defendant's alleged suicide attempt, the triple murder case against Steven Hayes, one of two accused in the killing of a Connecticut physician's family, is set to begin Monday. Hayes, 47, and his co-defendant, Joshua Komisarjevsky, 30, are charged with capital murder, kidnapping, sexual assault, burglary, and arson in an alleged crime spree that resulted in the deaths of a doctor's wife and two daughters. The two paroled felons are accused of breaking into the doctor's home in the early morning hours of July 23, 2007, and terrorizing the family for hours before setting fire to the house. "The case against Hayes appears strong. The real battle should be in the penalty phase," said Christopher Morano, who was part of the team that prosecuted Kennedy cousin Michael Skakel, and is now a Connecticut-based defense attorney. "I expect the prosecution will present their evidence methodically, they'll work to protect their case from any appellate errors and ignore the media and the behind-the-scenes political battle over the death penalty." Lawyers involved in the case are barred from talking to the media by a court-imposed gag order, so trial strategy and details of the crime have been kept under tight wraps. However those details could be made public during opening statements, as lawyers on both sides have moved to make them. While openings are routine in most states and typically serve as a road map to the evidence, they are not the norm in Connecticut, Morano said. "Opening statements are usually up to the discretion of the judge," he said. Connecticut prosecutors usually start their cases with a witness who will set the scene. In this case that could be Dr. William Petit, the only survivor of the home invasion. Petit was beaten and bound during the attack. According to local newspaper accounts, he has been a vocal advocate for the death penalty in his quest for justice. His comments at one point drew protests from Hayes' attorney, Thomas Ullmann, who complained to the court that Petit was trying to influence potential jurors. For legal reasons, Komisarjevsky will be tried separately. He and Hayes could face lethal injection if they are convicted of capital murder in the deaths of Jennifer Hawke-Petit and her two daughters. Hayes also is accused of raping and strangling Hawke-Petit and prosecutors have charged Komisarjevsky with sexually assaulting Petit's 11-year-old daughter. Momentum to repeal Connecticut's death penalty hit a snag last year when the state's Republican governor, M. Jodi Rell, vetoed an abolition bill passed by the State's House and Senate. Twelve jurors and seven alternates have been selected to hear the case against Hayes, which is expected to take up to three months. | Steven Hayes is one of two accused of killing a woman and her two daughters .
The woman's husband, who was beaten but survived, wants the death penalty .
The attorneys have asked to make opening statements, which are not automatic in the state . |
55,891 | 9e6cbd5338737ff21b832463a4bf070833cabecf | New York (CNN) -- Renowned speculative fiction writer Harlan Ellison is about to be inducted into the Science Fiction Hall of Fame, recognizing a career that has spanned more than five decades in which he's made contributions to literature, television and film. Called one of the "great living American short story writers" by the Washington Post, Ellison will be honored at the Hall of Fame event Saturday in Seattle. The award, coming 55 years after Ellison began his writing career, celebrates the achievements of a writer who has nearly done it all; collecting 10 Hugo awards, three Nebula awards, 18 Locus Poll awards, the Bradbury award, six Bram Stoker awards, the Edgar Allan Poe award and two George Melies film awards. Ellison, 77, won't be at the ceremony and has asked author Neil Gaiman to accept the award on his behalf. Editor Gardner Dozois and artists Vincent Di Fate and Jean "Moebius" Giraud will also be honored at the weekend-long event. Ellison, who had been extremely ill for several months, said in a telephone interview that he's in the "last stages of something." "And I don't have a cold," he sarcastically noted. Founded in 1996, the Hall of Fame has honored science fiction's giants, including Steven Spielberg, George Lucas, Ursula K. Le Guin, Isaac Asimov, Gene Roddenberry and Ridley Scott. As part of the ceremony, inductees' laser-etched images on the glowing Hall of Fame permanent display are unveiled. Brooks Peck, curator of the Experience Music Project/Science Fiction museum, says the decision to induct Ellison wasn't a difficult one. "He was always very encouraging of young writers, plus he had a big personality which people really enjoy," Peck said. "Harlan Ellison was very influential in the new wave era of science fiction in the late 1960s and 1970s when the genre changed from the traditional science fiction of hard science and adventure stories to writing that took up social consciousness, exploring the soft sciences of psychology and sociology and where the prose became more experimental," Peck added. "The new wave brought things back down to earth and became more character-centric." Born in Cleveland in 1934, Ellison moved to New York City in 1955, publishing more than 100 short stories and articles, then his first novel, "Web in the City" (1958) about street gangs in the Red Hook section of Brooklyn. Ellison's works have sold millions of copies and been translated into more than 40 languages. Ellison's most recognized works include "Deathbird Stories," "Strange Wine," "Approaching Oblivion," "I Have No Mouth and I Must Scream," "Love Ain't Nothing But Sex Misspelled," "Ellison Wonderland," "Memos from Purgatory," "Shatterday" and "Stalking the Nightmare." Fans of the original science fiction TV classic series "Star Trek" know Ellison as the author of one of the most critically acclaimed episodes, "The City on the Edge of Forever," which featured Joan Collins. Ellison, who still uses several Olympia typewriters to do his work and says he despises the Internet because it's "killing books," has several projects ready for release. He wouldn't pick any favorites from his own work. "I love them all. Even the lame ones. I am proud of them all," he said. And yet for all of Ellison's accomplishments, he is considered by some to be one of America's most prolific best-selling authors who remains unknown by many readers. Gordon Van Gelder, editor and publisher of Fantasy and Science Fiction magazine, the second-oldest continuously running science fiction magazine in the U.S., says Ellison was always far from a mainstream writer. Ellison made his first sale to that magazine in 1961 and was a major contributor in the late 1960s before writing a film column for years. "At his core I'd call him a fabulist," Van Gelder said. "He wasn't one to write science fiction in a traditional vein." Van Gelder likens Ellison's early work to that of the English science fiction writer, Michael Moorcock, who in the 1960s as editor of the science fiction magazine New Worlds helped usher in a new wave of writing for the genre. "What differentiated Harlan's work was the intensity," Van Gelder said. "The vividness of the imagination." | Ellison, 77, has been writing for 55 years .
Writer was influential in "new wave" that was character-driven .
He is a best-seller who is unknown by many readers, experts say .
Ellison has several new projects about to be released . |
95,533 | 06c8492eba501a8ec9818b4eb4ecf588d4248baf | James Anderson has dismissed Kevin Pietersen's suggestion that the sacked batsman could play for England again in future should there be changes among the ECB hierarchy. Pietersen's England career has looked over ever since he was sacked following the Ashes debacle last winter, and relations have turned even uglier following the batsman's bitter criticism of the national set-up in his recently released autobiography. But the South Africa-born star - the top runscorer in England's history - has suggested he still wants to play international cricket and could do so should Giles Clarke be replaced as chairman of the ECB. Kevin Pietersen has made a series of damaging claims about England in his recent autobiography . Pietersen's England career reached the end of the road after the sad Ashes whitewash last winter . Anderson, however, poured cold water on that idea. 'I can’t really see a way back after what’s been said,' said England's all-time leading wicket-taker, who was a team-mate of Pietersen's throughout the highly successful period under Andy Flower's leadership, which included three Ashes triumphs and lifting the Twenty20 World Cup. Pietersen has felt aggrieved at the way his international career appears to have ended and used his book, KP: The Autobiography, to heavily criticise the ECB, former boss Flower and some of his former team-mates, most notably Matt Prior. 'It’s been an interesting week or so. It’s sad that all the stuff that’s come out has been about a really successful period of cricket,' said Anderson. 'I loved every minute of that. It’s a shame that this overshadows it. 'He was such an amazing player, one of the best, if not the best batsmen we’ve ever had.' Pietersen alleged that there was a 'bullying' culture in the England dressing room, in which the bowlers forced fielders to apologise for mistakes made and players were afraid to stand up for themselves. James Anderson (centre) celebrates a wicket with Pietersen in happier times for England . Prior, Graeme Swann and Stuart Broad were cited as being the ringleaders of a powerful clique in the dressing room, which Pietersen said made for a fractious team atmosphere. Again, however, Anderson gave Pietersen's claims short shrift. 'The dressing room was a really nice play to be,' he said. 'When you’re in a winning successful dressing room, everyone enjoys being there.' 'What I remember of the dominance of those three was that they chose what music went on the ipod.' Jimmy Anderson was speaking ahead of his appearance on The Clare Balding Show which airs Thursday 16th October at 10:15pm on BT Sport 1. | Kevin Pietersen has claimed he could play for England again one day .
But James Anderson has dismissed the batsman's suggestion .
Pietersen said he could play for England if Giles Clarke left the ECB .
The batsman heavily criticised England management and players in his recently released autobiography . |
129,142 | 32e3acabf19e272b02412e475128ef883a89b7e9 | If Greek island hopping is the dream, then Greek ferry timetables are usually the reality. How many travelers have embarked on an adventure from Athens' Piraeus port planning to explore the Cyclades, Ionian and Dodecanese archipelagos, only to realize they've just got time to grab a Greek salad in Santorini before catching the boat home? And that's if seasonal winds aren't blowing the ferries off schedule. All this could change over the next two years if a Greek aviation company's vision of creating a new, affordable seaplane network comes to pass. Hellenic Seaplanes says it wants to connect more than 100 locations throughout Greece by 2016, with the first routes due to be operational in May 2015. Headquartered in Athens, the company was established in May 2013. The company says tickets for its seaplanes are likely to be affordable, making them a viable and much faster alternative to the ferry. Because its fleet -- currently comprised of 12-seater Dornier Seastar and 19-seat Twin Otter amphibious aircraft -- can land on water, the service will be able to serve smaller islands currently unconnected by air, without the need for costly infrastructure. This prospect is, of course, still in the planning stages and initial launch dates have already been pushed back from this year. Given Greece's economic turbulence of recent years, rapid business expansion isn't plain sailing -- or flying. That shouldn't stop anyone from planning their ultimate island-hopping adventure from Hellenic's list of planned destinations, connecting far-flung destinations from the northern Aegean to the Libyan Sea on a trip that would need a month to explore by boat. Here's some affordable, jet-setting suggestions. Crete . No introductions needed for the biggest, much-loved Greek island. Ιf Crete was a resort, its northern forefront would be the buzzing reception while the south would be the VIP lounge, open only to those willing to experience its authentic heart. The Hellenic Seaplanes network is expected to make the harder-to-reach south more accessible, connecting places such as Sitia, Ierapetra and Sfakia with the hotspots of Chania, Heraklion and Agios Nikolaos. Southern discoveries include hidden villages facing the Libyan Sea, such as Lentas and Loutro. Then there's historic Sfakia and Frangokastello castle, lesser-known archeological sites like the Minoan Palace of Zakros, the stunning gorges of Orino and Kato Zakros, secluded islands just off the coast like Chrisi and remarkable monasteries like Preveli and Chryssoskalitissa. Affordable luxury: The five-star St. Nicolas Bay Resort Hotel & Villas is located on a private beachfront just 1.5 kilometers from Agios Nikolaos, overlooking the enchanting Mirabello Bay. Thessi Nissi Aghios Nikolaos, Crete; +30 28410 90200 . Pelion . For those torn between mountain or sea vacations there's Pelion. Forming a peninsula in central Greece between the Pagasetic Gulf and the Aegean Sea, Pelion mountain is already a favorite among the locals year-round and in ancient times was the summer home of the Twelve Gods of Olympus and stomping ground of mythical Centaurs. Mountain and coastal villages feature traditional architecture and charming squares bustling with flowers -- hortensia seems to be the queen here. There are well marked trails in the forest for hikes that can also turn into mushroom, herb or wild strawberry hunts that end with a dive into the sea. Sandy and pebbly beaches lead into clear waters overlooked by discreet beach bars or traditional seaside taverns serving delicious local food. Affordable luxury: Volos, the coastal port city serving as the main gateway to Pelion is home to the team of the Greek startup Incrediblue. Characterized as an "Airbnb for boats," it offers sailboats, catamaran or private yacht charter for sailing experiences. Oktovriou 219, Volos; +30 2421 076182 . Skyros . Skyros is expected to be one of the first of the Sporades chain of islands to welcome seaplanes, with a waterway on its way to being constructed at Linaria Port. It's an island with a split personality. Northern Skyros features the greenery typical of the Sporades to its north. On the other side of the island is the typical wilderness of the Cyclades islands to the south. Here, it's all about tranquility, tradition and scenery -- many who visit come back. Chora, the island's capital, features traditional white houses on a slope that leads to a Byzantine castle. To the north there's almost-private beaches such as Atsitsa, Pefkos and Agios Fokas, while boat trips around the hard-to-access south take in stalactite-filled sea caves and the little island of Sarakiniko, set in transparent, azure sea waters. One of its most recognizable residents is the Skyrian horse, the small-bodied Greek species and one of the most rare horse breeds worldwide, which is nowadays protected. Affordable luxury: The accommodation list is modest on Skyros, however posh villas can be picked up for relatively good prices on sites such as Greek Luxury Villas and Five Star Greece. Otherwise, Ammos Hotel is a great alternative, offering stylish accommodation with wonderful sea views, located a stone's throw from the sandy beach of Magazia. Magazia, Skyros; +30 22220 91 234 . Kavala . Built like an amphitheater on the slopes of Mount Symvolo, Kavala is one of northern Greece's most vibrant, coastal cities. The city serves as a perfect base for vacations all year round but is at it's best in summer. Mornings can be spent diving into aquamarine waters from beaches such as Ammolofoi (meaning sand dunes), Batis and Toska. Evenings are for walking around quaint alleyways and the castle of the Old Town, restored tobacco warehouses and the neoclassical mansions of the modern town or among the port's fish taverns and lively coffee bars. It's a spot for mingling with locals and combining leisure time by the sea with the discovery of traditional villages, hiking trails and wineries of nearby Paggaio mountain. Nearby, the pristine island of Thasos, a rough diamond of the northern Aegean, is worth a visit, although you'll have forsake planes for a 90-minute boat ride. Affordable luxury: Imaret, an impeccably restored historical monument in Kavala, offers unique and indulgent accommodation. Its restaurant is impressive, serving regional and Mediterranean cuisine mixed with a panoramic view of the city. Th. Poulidou 30-32, Kavala; +30 2510 620151 . Lefkas . This Ionian sea island, connected to mainland Greece via a floating pontoon, has a versatile character, combining elements of the mountainous mainland with some of the most spectacular turquoise waters in the entire country . The main town of Lefkas features modern marinas and colorful two-floor houses while the gently sloping east coast is already developed for tourism. Things get more exciting further out. Vasiliki port to the south is great for wind-surfing, while the wilder west coast is fringed by emerald waters and out-of-this-world beaches such as Egkremnoi, Kathisma or Porto Katsiki. It's not easy to leave these places but those that make the effort will find, among the scattered olive, pine and cypress trees, soulful inland mountain villages such as Exanthia, Karya and Englouvi. The island also hosts the International Folklore Festival, a celebration of art, dance and music held here each August. The online Lefkada Slow Guide is a great resource for planning a visit. Affordable luxury: Pavezzo Country Retreat is a group of renovated houses that share a pool, stunning gardens and verandas in Katouna village. Two independent villas, Myrtia or Honeymoon, have private pools and secluded atmosphere. Katouna, Lefkas; +30 26450 71782 . | Hellenic Seaplanes plans to connect 100 Greek destinations by 2016 .
New services would make island-hopping trips to far-flung destinations much easier .
Crete, Skyros and Pelion are among recommended destinations . |
108,156 | 177291acb28e0ddd1039323edcf08d8827f5abb2 | By . Daily Mail Reporter . Last updated at 9:45 PM on 30th June 2011 . Guilty: Danilo Restivo has been given life in prison for killing Heather Barnett - and could also be extradited back to Italy . The hair fetishist who murdered and mutilated a mother of two in her home was given a ‘whole life’ jail sentence yesterday. Passing sentence at Winchester Crown Court, Mr Justice Burnett warned 39-year-old Danilo Restivo: ‘You will never be released from prison.’ The Italian was found guilty on Wednesday of the murder of neighbour Heather Barnett, 48, in Bournemouth in 2002. He had bludgeoned her with a hammer before cutting her throat and mutilating her body. He left a clump of someone else’s hair in her right hand and left the body for Mrs Barnett’s children, Caitlin, then 11, and Terry, then 14, to find in the bathroom. Restivo was also linked during his trial to the murder of 16-year-old Elisa Claps in Italy in 1993, who was killed in a similar way. He is expected to be extradited to Italy to stand trial for Elisa’s murder. Restivo showed no emotion as he heard the sentence. A victim impact statement was read on behalf of Mrs Barnett’s daughter, Caitlin, 19, who described the ‘horror’ of finding her mother’s body and being told by police that she was dead. She said: ‘It was at that moment that I felt as if my heart had been ripped out. Scroll down for video . Life sentence: Danilo Restivo will never be free after . murdering Heather Barnett (left) in 2002. He has also been linked to the murder of Elisa Claps (right) Stabbed: Jong-Ok Shin was murdered in 2002, with the case having 'similarities' to ones involving Restivo . ‘I was in a state of complete and utter shock and it took months before I accepted the truth. All . 12 members of the jury chose to return to Winchester Crown Court this . morning to hear Restivo's sentence. Some of them had wept when hearing . evidence read on behalf of Mrs Barnett's daughter and sister. Mr Justice Burnett told 'butcher' Restivo the murder was so serious that no minimum term would be appropriate. 'The seriousness of this offence is exceptionally high - namely the depravity of the killing, the careful planning and preparation, its sexual content and the previous killing of Elisa Claps - drive me to the conclusion that the alternative starting point (for a minimum prison term) of 30 years would not be appropriate. 'I can find no mitigation in this case, none have been advanced on your behalf. 'There is, in my judgement, no minimum period which could be properly set - you will never be released from prison.' This knife was found following a search of Danilo Restivo's car in May 2004 . Mr Burnett described the crime as of 'inhuman depravity', made worse by the fact that Restivo would have known his victim's children would find Mrs Barnett's body. He said: "You knew an 11-year-old girl and a 14-year-old boy would find their mother butchered on the bathroom floor. 'This feature of the case will haunt those who sat through it. The bra belonging to Heather Barnett that had been cut in the same way as Elisa Claps' Danilo Restivo, 39, being interviewed by police following his arrest for the murder of Heather Barnett . 'Why you picked Heather Barnett as your victim I do not know, but it's clear that you did so to satisfy a sadistic, sexual appetite. 'The evidence in this case shows you are a cold, depraved, calculated killer.' Yesterday the victim’s daughter, Caitlin, who was 11 at the time, sobbed as Restivo was convicted. Now the Daily Mail can reveal that the Italian is also suspected of killing a student exactly four months earlier. A police handout photo of the area of the room where Heather Barnett was found murdered . The house in Bournemouth, Dorset, where Heather Barnett was found murdered in 2002 . Restivo killed Mrs Barnett in Bournemouth on November 12, 2002, and police believe he chose to kill on the 12th of each month. Elisa Claps, who was 16, vanished on September . 12, 1993, after arranging to meet Restivo at a church in Potenza, south . Italy. Her body was found in the loft only in March last year. Restivo . fled to Bournemouth in 2002 after being convicted of lying to police . about an injury to his hand on the day she vanished. He is now feared to have carried out a . third murder, that of a foreign student who died just three streets away from . his home, which he shared with his wife, Fiamma Marsango, 54, whom he . met online. Fetish: The court heard how Restivo enjoyed cutting women's hair . The trial of Danilo Restivo heard that the murderer had a fetish for cutting women's hair. Michael . Bowes QC, prosecuting, told the jury Restivo was responsible for . cutting hair from 15 women or girls while travelling by bus in the . Bournemouth area. This fetish, known as trichophilia, is when someone gets sexually aroused by human hair. The . court heard that a number of women had contacted police after their . hair had been cut while travelling on buses in the Dorset area. They . included a woman called Tessa Cox, who saw a male passenger lean towards a . female passenger and cut her hair with scissors and got off the bus when . he realised he was being observed, the court heard. The . girl whose hair was cut did not want to report it to police but on . February 7, 2008, Ms Cox was working at Bournemouth Hospital when she . recognised Restivo in a ward bed and contacted police. In . another incident, in late 2002, a schoolgirl called Katie McGoldrick . was on a bus when she felt her hair pulled and a man she described as . Italian or Arabic was sat behind her with his face very close to her . head. She later noticed her hair had been cut and in June 2004 she identified Restivo in a police identification procedure. Restivo . is also accused of cutting another woman's hair while he sat behind her . in a cinema in Potenza, Italy, the city where he used to live and where . teenager Elisa Claps was killed. Angela Campochiaro, 23, was at a cinema in Potenza with her then fiance Nicola Marino in 1992, the court was told. During the film, Ms Campochiaro realised that a man behind her was touching her hair and had cut about 10cm off. She . told Mr Marino who turned around and saw that the perpetrator, who he . recognised as Restivo, had his genitals exposed and had been . masturbating, the court heard. Jong-Ok Shin, 26, was killed on July . 12 and a clump of hair was found near her body. The South Korean was . stabbed three times in the back as she walked home in Charminster, Bournemouth, after a night out. Omar Benguit, 31, was convicted of her murder in February 2005. Now his . lawyers are appealing. Last night Dorset Police were facing . questions about why the force took nine years to bring Restivo to . justice. Italian officers had made contact in 2002 to alert the force to . suspicions that Restivo was involved in Miss Claps’s disappearance. Restivo lived just 50 yards away from . Mrs Barnett and had visited her six days before the murder to ask . about having curtains made. She had told her sister, Denise Le . Voir, she felt ‘concerned, hassled and distressed’ after Restivo stole . her house keys. Restivo falsified alibis on the day . of the murder – first buying a bus ticket during the morning and later . altering log-in records at his place of study. In another bizarre link . between the cases, jurors heard that 15 women had reported their hair . being cut on buses and in a cinema in Bournemouth and also in Potenza . around the time of the murders in 2002 and 1993. Restivo was charged with the murder . in May last year. Yesterday Mrs Le Voir said: ‘We see ourselves as . survivors, not victims ... and look forward to continuing our lives safe . in the knowledge this man will be in jail for many years.’ Detective Superintendent Mark Cooper, of Dorset Police, described Restivo as a ‘dangerous predator’. ‘Despite his guilt, Restivo never . moved away from his house that looked out on to Heather’s property and, . perhaps most chilling of all, he even consoled her two children the . afternoon following his cold and calculated actions.’ He has also been linked in Italy to four other killings. | 'Butcher' faces Italian extradition as he is accused of brutally murdering Elisa Claps in 1993 .
Fresh probe called for into killing of Jong-Ok Shin, 26, despite another man being convicted of her murder in 2005 .
Police at all three murder scenes found Restivo's trademark clumps of hair in the victims' palms or around their bodies . |
229,956 | b5c74e00d32b6b28ff24c93e957bba259d4b708e | By . Ted Thornhill . High School parents were left outraged after watching a drama teacher’s awards ceremony, which contained swearing, a box of sex toys being presented as a prize and a joke about a paedophile priest. One parent who witnessed the event at Bellingham High School in Whatcom County, Washington State, described how it left her opened mouthed in shock. The backlash against the teacher, Teri Grimes, was so fierce that she was forced to issue a formal apology. Under fire: High School parents were left outraged after watching an awards ceremony by drama teacher Teri Grimes (pictured), which contained swearing and a box of sex toys being presented as a prize . The upset mother vented her anger about Sunday's ceremony in the school hall, which she attended with her 17-year-old daughter, in an email to KOMO News. She said: ‘I sat there with my mouth open in shock and the final straw was when a joke was told on stage about a teacher, a lawyer and a priest on a plane. ‘The plane was going down and the teacher says we have to save the children. The attorney says "f*** the children!" and the priest says "oooh… Do we have time for that???"' The parent, who walked out mid-way . through, added that the ceremony also contained awards for ‘horniest . stud’ and ‘horniest girl’, for which the prize was what appeared to be a . box of sex toys. Controversy: The ceremony at Bellingham High School (pictured) caused outrage amongst parents . A statement from Grimes, who has been a teacher for 30 years, said: ‘I deeply apologize for some very inappropriate comments and actions made during our drama students' end-of-the-year awards ceremony. ‘This is not representative of our students who take such great pride in their school and respect one another. Much of the evening was a great celebration of their work. ‘However, as a teacher and the club's leader, I take full responsibility and am extremely sorry.' However, one former pupil defended her, . saying she had ‘a fun, outgoing personality’ and ‘people make mistakes, . hers just happened to be public’. Apology: The teacher who organized the event, Teri Grimes, has said she is 'extremely sorry' about its content, which included a pedophile joke and profanity . Bellingham High School Principal Jeff Vaughn wrote a message on the school website in which he described the controversy as a learning curve. It said: 'We met with our drama club advisor and students to discuss the very inappropriate behavior by some members of the club that occurred during their awards ceremony on Sunday evening. 'This has generated media coverage and has been a learning opportunity for our teens regarding the harm that can come from offensive comments and jokes.' | The ceremony was held at Bellingham High School in Washington State .
It left one parent so angry that she walked out mid-way through .
She described how the event left her 'opened mouthed in shock' |
256,360 | d7d11a11b7dfbbf4a78b6f33f73b6fc696e90e8c | A law student was targeted by hackers who stole her Facebook account and used it to advertise her services as an escort. Jazmine Jones claims police have refused to take action over the 'e-whoring' scam - and says that the fraudsters have been threatening to steal her identity to set up fake bank accounts. The scammers have also managed to cheat other web users by posing as the 23-year-old student and asking for money because she was in trouble. Nightmare: Jazmine Jones, a law student from Kent, has had her identity stolen by online fraudsters . Miss Jones's fraud nightmare began last October, when she discovered that her email account had been hacked by identity thieves, who used it to access her Facebook page, stealing 300 photographs as well as personal information. The hackers set up additional Facebook accounts using her pictures, and saying that she was an escort. 'When I realised this was happening I went to the police straight away,' she said. 'They told me there was nothing they could do - "Don't take it seriously, I'm sure it will be fine." 'I also told Facebook but each time they close an account a new one opens up. In June it got completely crazy. There were 10 fake Facebook accounts of me. 'It's basically identity theft - not only this, but these accounts have been messaging guys on Facebook asking them to borrow money and saying I'm an escort to get money.' Theft: The hackers took 300 photographs from her Facebook account and set up fake pages in her name . Distraught: Miss Jones says police told her that they were powerless to act against the scammers . Miss Jones, from Beckenham in Kent, said that one man, named James, lost £250 after he received a message apparently from her, saying she was stranded in her car and needed money immediately. Recently, the situation turned even more sinister as the anonymous fraudster sent the students photos of her own driving licence, obtained from her hacked emails, and threatened to set up bank accounts in her name. 'It's complete cyber bullying and I'm starting to fear for my safety,' she said. 'I've contacted the police and they've told me that unless it is a terrorism threat there is nothing they can do about it. 'I feel let down and unsupported. It seems they won't do anything unless something really serious happens. I don't know who this person is and it's getting to the point that I feel I could get attacked or something. Danger: The hackers used Facebook to advertise the student's services as an escort . A Facebook spokesman said: 'We take our Statement of Rights and Responsibilities very seriously and react quickly to remove reported content that violates our policies. 'The goal of these policies is to strike a very delicate balance between giving people the freedom to express themselves and maintaining a safe and trusted environment. 'We encourage people to report anything they feel violates our policies using the report links located throughout the site or by using the reporting tools in our Help Centre at facebook.com/report.' A spokesman for the Metropolitan Police said: 'If someone has created a fake social media account in your name, you should report this to the social media company provider concerned, who will then be able to take the appropriate steps to have the profile removed'. | Jazmine Jones, 23, had her email account targeted by fraudsters .
They hacked into Facebook profile and stole 300 photographs which they used to set up escort profiles .
Police have refused to take action saying it is up to the social network . |
6,628 | 12ce78eb3fde9cbba0e744387b8386447c45f0e0 | American Jason Millard has been disqualified from next week's US Open after belatedly calling a penalty on himself in qualifying. Millard, who qualified in Memphis, Tennessee on June 2, was playing his third shot on the 18th hole of Colonial Country Club's North Course - his 27th hole of the day - when the penalty occurred. Out: Millard's mistake in Memphis was a costly one . 'I'm pretty sure I grounded my club in the bunker,' said Millard, who was not disqualified until June 7. 'I didn't see anything for sure but I felt something and I saw a small indentation. 'It happened so fast I really don't know 100 per cent, but deep down I believe I did. I couldn't find peace about it. For five days I practised and I couldn't get it off my mind. 'It's heart-breaking but what I was feeling in my heart didn't feel right. It's the right decision and I am sticking with it.' Daniel B Burton, USGA vice president and chairman of the championship committee, said: 'We commend Jason for bringing this matter to our attention. At this time we have no recourse but to disqualify him under the Rules of Golf and specifically Rule 34-1b.' Rule 34-1b effectively states that a competitor must be disqualified after the competition has closed if he has returned a score which failed to include a penalty which, before the competition closed, he knew he had incurred. Millard is replaced in the field at Pinehurst by American amateur Sam Love, the second alternate from the same qualifying site. Heart-broken: Millard has been forced out of a Pinehurst appearance . Huge prize: The second major of the year is played on Pinehurst's hallowed turf this week . | Millard call penalty on himself five days later .
The 25-year-old says 'heart-breaking' decision was the right one .
He will be replaced at Pinehurst by US amateur Sam Love .
US Open starts on Thursday . |
135,613 | 3b7285902ea4ab01d2695622c239de7b14bf8b19 | (CNN) -- America is getting fatter, according to a new report, and bulging waistlines will rack up big health care expenditures within the next two decades. The report, from the Trust for America's Health and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, draws on previously published government data to make predictions about what consequences an upward obesity trend would have for individual states. It also projects that the health of the country -- and the dollars spent on the health care system -- would benefit from even a 5% reduction in the average body mass index. The report is called "F as in Fat: How Obesity Threatens America's Future 2012." The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found, in data published in August, that Mississippi is the country's leader in adult obesity, at 34.9%. That number could rise to 66.7% by 2030, the new report found. The new analysis also projected that obesity rates in 13 states could rise above 60% among adults by 2030. By that year, every state in the nation may have adult obesity rates above 44%, including 39 states with rates higher than 50%, the report said. This is consistent with a 2012 study in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, which concluded that by 2030, 42% of adults will be obese. That study forecast $550 billion in health care spending from now to 2030 as a result of rising obesity rates. Just how fat? But some experts are skeptical about how accurately obesity trends can be predicted. Methods of calculating how fat Americans will be in the future vary greatly, and there's no accepted standard of determining it, said David B. Allison, director of the Nutrition Obesity Research Center at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, who was not involved in the new study. "I don't mean for a moment that we should not be taking steps to reduce obesity," Allison said. "If it increases in prevalence, it would be a more serious problem. And even if it decreases in prevalence, without us intentionally doing anything in the immediate term, I'd be shocked if it's going to vanish." Interventions intended to reduce obesity should take place regardless of what the projections say the numbers will be in the future, he said. The CDC data indicate that the South is the most obese region of the U.S., but that may not be entirely true either, said George Howard, professor of biostatistics at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. No one was weighed or measured in the collecting of the information; people were merely asked about their heights and weights via telephone -- so they could have lied. Howard speculates that there may be bias in the data because "there's not a social stigma attached to being fat in the South," he said. "If you ask people how fat they are, they tell you." Correlations between obesity and the South may be tied to other factors, Allison said. Certain ethnic groups, people from rural areas, and people of low socioeconomic status are more likely to be obese than others. It is not known whether there is a particular reporting bias in the South, or whether lifestyle factors influence obesity there, or if the trend has both components, Allison said. More obesity leads to more disease, and money . For making projections, the new study uses a peer-reviewed model that was used in an analysis of obesity trends in a 2011 article in The Lancet. The Lancet study used data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, whereas this one used CDC data. But note that the methodology for the CDC data was different from years past. For the 2011 survey, the CDC included cell phones for the first time. That means trouble for comparisons between this year's results and surveys before it. Authors of the new report noted that in 1995, Mississippi's obesity rate, which led the nation at that time as well, was only 19.4%, and that 20 years ago, no state was above 15%. But these numbers were not determined the same way as the 2011 data. If this report's projections are correct, the disease burden as a consequence is significant. Between 2010 and 2020, new cases of Type 2 diabetes could increase tenfold; so could stroke, coronary heart disease, hypertension and arthritis. The number of cases could double again by 2030, the report said. "(If) we stay on the current track, we're going to see unacceptably high rates of obesity, and more importantly, unacceptably high rates of diabetes, heart disease, stroke, obesity-related cancers, arthritis, that will really place a huge burden on our health care system," said Jeff Levi, executive director of Trust for American Health. Other data have also suggested diabetes increases. A 2010 analysis from UnitedHealth Group's Center for Health Reform and Modernization found that more than half of Americans will have diabetes or pre-diabetes by 2020. The researchers said these diseases will account for nearly $500 billion in total health care spending. Current estimates suggest that the yearly medical cost of adult obesity today is between $147 billion and $210 billion, the study said. The report found that by 2030, an extra $48 billion to $66 billion per year may be spent treating preventable diseases associated with obesity. Interventions . But there is hope, if adults across America would reduce their body mass index, the report said. If the average body mass index were lowered by 5% by 2030, states could save billions of dollars while helping many people. That's the equivalent of a 200-pound, 6-foot-tall person losing 10 pounds. "We really are looking at two futures for America's health," Michelle Larkin, assistant vice president and deputy director for the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation's Health Group, said at a news conference Tuesday. In this scenario, the report found, more than 100 cases of obesity-related cancer for every 100,000 people would be prevented in all states. Nearly 800,000 Californians would avoid diabetes, and about 660,000 Californians would avoid a stroke or coronary heart disease. And savings in health care costs could be between 6.5% and 7.9% in most states, the report said. The report recommends several policy interventions, such as increasing physical activity in schools, supporting healthy nutrition, putting in place new standards for school meals, and promoting preventive health care services. Larkin highlighted Philadelphia as a city that has shown a commitment to reducing obesity, and where efforts are paying off. A CDC report found that obesity among the city's public school students has declined in recent years, although only from 21.5% to 20.5%. Philadelphia has implemented several initiatives over the last decade aimed at schoolchildren, including removing all sodas and drinks sweetened with sugar from vending machines, offering free breakfast to all students, and getting rid of fryers. The Food Trust, a Philadelphia-based nonprofit group, has been bringing supermarkets to communities that need them and ensuring that food stamps can be used at farmers' markets. "The city is the first to succeed in reducing disparities in obesity rates," Larkin said. "The city achieved the greatest achievements in (body mass index) among African-American males and Hispanic females, two groups that historically have experienced higher rates of obesity and related health problems." California, Mississippi and New York City are also starting to show declines in childhood obesity rates, she said. FDA-approved diet drug Qsymia now available . | CDC: Mississippi has highest rate of adult obesity .
New report: Every state may have adult obesity rates above 44% by 2030 .
Some experts skeptical that it's possible to predict the future of obesity in the country . |
203,934 | 940519a5e033ce45973d596c5e365649d507748f | (CNN) -- The growing push to restrict the collective bargaining rights of government employees has reached the far-flung state of Alaska. There, a Republican state lawmaker has introduced legislation that would strip many public employees of the right to collectively bargain for hours, benefits and working conditions. State employees could still collectively bargain for wages under the legislation. The bill exempts firefighters, police officers and emergency medical technicians, who, according to Title 40 of the Alaska Statutes, are prohibited from going on strike. The bill's sponsor, state Representative Carl Gatto, R-Palmer, said his legislation mimics a measure that was passed by the Wisconsin Legislature earlier this month, signed into law and is now the subject of a lawsuit. "It is the Wisconsin arrangement," Gatto told CNN. Gatto said that his bill, like the Wisconsin measure, is aimed at curbing state costs. Similar bills to limit collective bargaining rights also are pending in Ohio and Indiana. Opponents of the bill give the measure little chance of passing this session. That's because the 2011 session of the Alaska Legislature is roughly two-thirds over, they said. Also, opponents said, Alaska lawmakers have been focused on controversial legislation to roll back the state's oil and gas tax on profits earned by petroleum companies in the state. Gatto said he doesn't necessarily disagree that his bill probably won't pass this year. "This is such a union state," Gatto said. "But if you just decide that it doesn't have a chance that guarantees the public will never know about it. You have to build, build, build and ultimately if you do enough building, you'll end up with a house." House minority leader Beth Kerttula, D-Juneau, said Gatto's bill "would be a particularly onerous thing to drop on state employees." Kerttula said public employees are still smarting from a 2005 overhaul of the state's retirement, pension and health care system. Kerttula called the switch "a disaster" in a state that has a difficult time retaining qualified teachers and police officers. "I cannot tell you how wrong she is," Gatto said. "We have teachers lined up to teach here because we pay a decent wage." Gatto agreed with Kerttula that the bill would face tough sledding in the state Senate, where, unlike the GOP-controlled House, the balance of power between Republicans and Democrats is evenly divided. Kerttula, nevertheless, said the Democratic minority leadership is taking the bill seriously. Gatto said he thinks he can get his bill to the House floor for a vote and and that, if it gets that far, the measure could get passed out of the chamber. Because the 2011 session is the first year of a two-year session for the Alaska Legislature, the bill would not have to be reintroduced in 2012. State Representative Berta Gardner, D-Anchorage, who is the House minority whip, wondered whether the proposed collective bargaining bill for Alaska public employees could spark as fierce an argument as Wisconsin's, which prompted 14 Democrats to leave the state in an unsuccessful effort to kill that bill. "If the Democrats flee here," Gardner said, "we'll have to go to Canada." | NEW: Alaska GOP lawmaker says his collective bargaining bill faces tough sledding .
The legislator said his bill mimics Wisconsin measure .
Opponents say there's not enough time in the legislative session to pass the bill . |
64,967 | b87ae5c8815d492060ef44afa15bd6c1db7358d4 | (CNN) -- Earlier this week, CNN's Jim Spellman offered some tips for visitors to his adopted hometown of Denver, Colorado, and we asked CNN.com readers to add their suggestions to his picks. Some readers were down on Denver, while others had top spots and tips to share. A reader with the handle Rgrange summed Denver up like this: "Denver's not for everyone. It's a casual, outdoorsy mid-size city with some nice cultural offerings. While it (hopefully) will never be like LA, NY, SF, or even Chicago, it's definitely worth a visit." Here are some of your tips: . Best view of the city . City Park offers the best views "hands down," wrote commenter musicmac1. Denver's largest park offers a mile-high hiking and jogging trail, lakes, spectacular views of the city and surrounding mountains and is home to the Denver Zoo and the Denver Museum of Nature and Science. Favorite neighborhood . Congress Park is Rgrange's top neighborhood, a favorite for funky restaurants, the Tattered Cover book store, leafy streets and the Denver Botanic Gardens. Brews and food . For beer, the Vine Street Pub and Falling Rock Taphouse get one reader's vote. The Vine Street Pub serves its own Mountain Sun ales and Falling Rock offers a constantly changing lineup of more than 200 beers. Another reader said the tasty street food along 16th Street shouldn't be overlooked, including Biker Jim's Gourmet Dogs, a sausage stand that's been featured on Anthony Bourdain's "No Reservations." Beatrice and Woodsley on South Broadway received a thumbs-up from commenter jeffrois. The restaurant's interior is inspired by an 1800s love story. "Imagine a deserted, rustic cabin in a beautiful aspen grove, complete with time accurate details like raw split wood laid horizontally as a bar shelf," jeffrois wrote. Favorite spots for outdoor activities . "I always liked Waterton Canyon, and the Elkhorn Trail up near Foxton for outdoor recreation," a reader with the handle kadler wrote. Waterton Canyon offers visitors a range or activities from fishing, hiking and biking to horseback riding in this reservoir facility southwest of town. Wildlife seekers may spot bighorn sheep and mule deer. The Elkhorn Trail weaves through woods and a meadow in Reynolds Park, also southwest of Denver. Cultural and kid-friendly attractions . Commenters kadler and dtboco3 both recommended the Denver Art Museum, where newly remodeled galleries for American Indian and Northwest Coast art opened at the end of January. The Denver Zoo and the Denver Museum of Nature and Science, both located in City Park (above), are both adult and kid-friendly, dtboco3 said, as is the Butterfly Pavilion in nearby Westminster, Colorado, about 10 to 20 minutes from downtown Denver. What else has been overlooked? Share your top spots below. | City Park offers the best view of the city, says one CNN.com reader .
Another suggests Vine Street Pub and Falling Rock Taphouse for great beer .
Recreation areas outside the city offer many opportunities to enjoy the city's natural setting . |
101,924 | 0f5b5078bae0410256e9742767fbddc44c51e0a1 | (CNN) -- Authorities who seized $8,500 and assorted jewelry from a Tennessee man after a traffic stop in east Texas have agreed to return the property after his case drew attention from CNN. Police in the small East Texas town of Tenaha are accused of unjustly taking valuables from motorists. Roderick Daniels said police in Tenaha, Texas, took the money in October 2007 after they stopped him for doing 37 mph in a 35-mph zone. He said police threatened him with money-laundering charges and promised not to prosecute if he signed over the cash, which Daniels said was to buy a new car. Daniels and other motorists who have been stopped by Tenaha police are part of a lawsuit seeking to end what plaintiff's lawyer David Guillory calls a systematic fleecing of drivers passing through the town of about 1,000. On Friday, after Shelby County District Attorney Lynda Russell refused repeated requests to discuss cases like Daniels' with CNN, her office filed papers dropping its claim on his property. "I just feel blessed," Daniels said. "I am happy everything is going good right now. ... I just want to celebrate." Texas law allows police to confiscate drug money and other personal property they think is used in the commission of a crime. If no charges are filed or the person is acquitted, the property has to be returned. Russell issued a statement through her attorneys denying impropriety, and George Bowers, Tenaha's longtime mayor, says his police follow the law. But Guillory, who brought the lawsuit challenging the seizures, called cases like Daniels' "a shakedown" and "a piracy operation." Guillory said authorities in Tenaha, about 180 miles east of Dallas, seized $3 million from 2006 to 2008. In about 150 cases, virtually all involving African-American or Latino motorists, the seizures were improper, he said. All defendants in the lawsuit deny wrongdoing. In a written statement, Russell's attorneys said the prosecutor "has used and continues to use prosecutorial discretion ... and is in compliance with Texas law, the Texas constitution and the United States Constitution." But the attention paid to Tenaha has led to an effort by Texas lawmakers to tighten the state's forfeiture laws. | Tenaha, Texas, police confiscated money in 2007 after traffic stop .
Roderick Daniels was stopped for driving 37 mph in a 35-mph zone .
He and others who had property taken have filed lawsuit .
Town's officials say they have done nothing wrong . |
37,471 | 6a1fe226e64c8f0399d6bf629a9b35bec5d1efca | (CNN) -- A Sudanese journalist could receive 40 lashings after she was caught wearing trousers. Lubna al-Hussein was arrested with 18 other women this month for wearing indecent clothes. A Sudanese court began hearing Lubna al-Hussein's case Wednesday. It will continue the hearing August 4. At the time of her arrest, she was wearing pants, a blouse and a hijab, she said. Police accused her of wearing trousers that were too tight and alleged that her blouse was too transparent, al-Hussein said. Al-Hussein, who works for a newspaper and the media department of the United Nations mission in Sudan, said she did nothing wrong. She has been released to her home in Khartoum. The crime of wearing indecent attire has only one punishment under Sudanese law, a 40-stroke public flogging, according to the Arabic Network for Human Rights Information. "This case is the official retaliation against the reporter for her writings criticizing the Sudanese regime and extremists," the organization said in a statement. Al-Hussein was arrested along with 18 others July 3 after Sudan's "discipline police" accused the women of wearing indecent clothes, al-Hussein said. Six were released, and 10 received the 40 lashes, she said. Al-Hussein and two others fought the charges and hired attorneys, she said. U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon spoke out against the decision Wednesday, saying he was "deeply concerned" and would take every effort to protect his staff member. "The flogging is against the international human rights standards," he said. "I call on all parties to live up to their obligations under all relevant international instruments." CNN's Umaro Djau, Talia Kayali and Tracy Doueiry contributed to this report. | Lubna al-Hussein's case is scheduled to continue August 4 .
Al-Hussein, 18 others were rounded up this month for wearing indecent clothes .
Ten arrestees have received 40 lashes, al-Hussein says .
Al-Hussein was told her pants were too tight, her blouse too transparent . |
271,493 | eba83070438191fd2b4372181f18150cc2d6175a | Stephen Lindop, 35, from Denton, Greater Manchester, stole from pubs and cafes and pretended his handyman father was a millionaire . A pub manager who claimed a 'struggle with his sexuality' led to him to pose as a wealthy playboy and go on giant spending sprees was jailed today after admitting theft and fraud. Stephen Lindop, 35, from Denton, Greater Manchester, stole tens of thousands of pounds in cash from a string of employers and used some of the money to fund a luxury lifestyle he could not afford, a court heard. He enjoyed stays at the Dorchester Hotel in London, handed out £100 tips to taxi drivers, went on shopping sprees and treated friends to champagne-fuelled nights at nightclubs. Today Lindop, who told people who asked that his handyman father was a millionaire, was jailed for three years after admitting theft and fraud. The fraudster, who was said to have lived in a Walter Mitty-style 'fantasy world', got his first job running a pub in Bristol in 2008 after falsifying his CV. Within four months the owner was forced to sell the pub and two other establishments after a number of 'ridiculously high' refunds were taken from the tills, many of them outside opening hours. On a day when almost £2,000 was actually taken in sales, the till records said no money had been taken at all as Lindop and a colleague carried out multiple refunds and 'void' transactions. Thousands in fees and deposits for party bookings were taken but not banked, the court was told. Staff wages were regularly paid from the till, the pub's food and drink was consumed, and numerous takeaways and complimentary meals drained its coffers. In December 2010 Lindop was sentenced to 24 months in prison, suspended for two years, and was ordered to pay £10,000 compensation for fraud. Lindop, who was said to have lived in a Walter-Mitty style 'fantasy world', admitted fraud and theft . But later that month he registered with Berkeley Scott employment agency in Manchester, saying he had no convictions. He also omitted from his CV all mention of employment at the pub in Bristol, and was taken on as manager of the Forum café in Wythenshawe in January 2011. When the café decided to install a cashpoint machine to attract extra custom Lindop, who was given access to it, stole £63,380 from it at a rate of around £2,000 a week. Prosecutor Henry Blackshaw said: 'He was the only person trusted with the keys and as such could enter the machine to replenish money cassettes which held £10 and £20 notes. Lindop spent the money he stole on stays at luxury hotels like the Dorchester, pictured, and spending sprees . The court heard concerns were not raised until the company's financial manager returned from sick leave and, during a site visit, it was found the machine only had £470. Lindop was suspended and later sacked, and subsequently admitted he used his friend as a reference. But he denied stealing and named other employees who could be responsible, which meant he was free to get another job, this time managing drink vending machines. Lindop stole £4785 from them over a four-month period between March and July 2012, the court was told. His barrister said that despite Lindop's history, he had been employed at Kellogg's as a £26,000 a year head chef for two years. Hunter Gray said: 'He is someone who has good qualifications and is good at his job but has resorted to this blatant theft and dishonesty. He is from a very good background and his parents are horrified. Work: He was taken on as manager of the Forum café in this shopping centre (above) in Wythenshawe in 2011. When the café decided to install a cashpoint machine to attract extra custom Lindop stole £63,380 from it . 'He points to his own difficulties in dealing with his sexuality throughout his 20s, becoming a person he didn't really like, lacking confidence, and he accepts he began to steal to fund a lifestyle he couldn't afford to surround himself with people who were better than him... 'Over the last two years he has finally opened up to who he is. He states his offending is behind him and how ashamed he is and deeply remorseful.' Sentencing, the judge Mr Recorder Mark Ainsworth said: 'It was two weeks after your sentence in Bristol that you put your name down with an employment agency in Manchester but failed to tell them, despite expressed requirements, that you had previous convictions. 'The degree of trust was significant.' | Stephen Lindop, 35, from Denton, Greater Manchester, stole cash from work .
While working as in pubs and cafes he siphoned off cash to fund his lifestyle .
Used the money to stay at the Dorchester Hotel and give cabbies £100 tips .
When people questioned him, he said his handyman father was a millionaire .
Lindop, now a chef, admitted theft and fraud at Manchester Crown Court .
His lawyer said he had 'difficulties dealing with his sexuality' in his twenties .
Judge said 'degree of trust was significant' and jailed Lindop for three years . |
113,609 | 1e998102ff832608d25b7c2a966df2b5fc5a3476 | This is the moment the wildlife became the photographer as a badger appeared to get behind the camera in a British garden. The yearling badger was captured on film inquisitively climbing on to the camera and posing as if it were about to take a photo of its own. The incredible images were all taken in a back garden in Loughborough, Leicestershire. The young badger cub climbed on the camera equipment and appeared to take a photo of its own . Talented amateur photographer Daniel Belton, 34, took the pictures in the garden of his parents' home. He said: 'The badgers have been coming to us for about five years or so now. We've never tried to tame them but we do feed them occasionally. 'I try to make sure they are still as wary of us as possible because it wouldn't be good for them to be too used to humans. 'We have about five or six adults at the moment, after they had a batch of cubs last year.' At one point it looked as though the cub was fiddling with the camera settings as it climbed on the equipment . Mr Belton said he did have a favourite among the badgers - the aptly-named Mrs Badger, who is the matriarch of the group. He said: 'The badger behind the camera was a yearling, I had put peanut butter on the back of the camera with that picture but I was still thrilled when a badger finally got into position and looked as though it was fiddling with the settings. Mr Belton also took some candid shots of the badgers exploring his parents' garden, like this one showing three badgers climbing a tree . 'Because we live in a town we only get the badgers visiting after dark so you have to use some light source. I used to use flash and shoot by remote but now in most of the pictures I use a lamp and hand hold the camera. 'Even with that you are pushing the camera to the limit, what with the badgers being nocturnal, which means it can be frustrating especially with action shots.' The badgers have been visiting the Loughborough garden at night for several years . | Amateur photographer Daniel Belton, 34, says the badgers are regular visitors to his parents' back garden .
Mr Belton was 'thrilled' when the cub climbed onto the equipment and paused, allowing him to take the candid images .
Young badger was captured on camera climbing on photographic equipment and appearing to fiddle with settings . |
187,196 | 7e6efb471cf925568d40c07aa89c678a8d78e783 | Scotland's Dan Wallace won Commonwealth Games gold in the men's 400m individual medley - two months after facing the axe for urinating on a police car and being arrested in the US. Wallace was almost ruled out of Glasgow 2014, but celebrated becoming Scotland's third swimmer to win gold by screaming: 'For Freedom!' Wallace's battle cry - a la Braveheart - only added to the atmosphere inside the Tollcross Swimming Centre after the 21-year-old saw off rival Thomas Fraser-Holmes in the last 50m of the race. VIDEO Scroll down to watch Dan Wallace react to winning gold, then shout: 'For freedom!' Roar: Scotland's Daniel Wallace celebrates winning gold in the men's 400m individual medley final . Pleased with that, Daniel? Wallace looked to shout 'For freedom!' after his Commonwealth Games win . 'For freedom!': Wallace made the battle cry after winning gold for Scotland at the Commonwealth Games . 'I just yelled at the top of my lungs for freedom because being here, the home crowd has really brought out the Braveheart and Scot inside of me and I just soaked up the moment,' said Wallace. 'I watched Braveheart just last week to get ready for this. It is such a Scottish thing and it warms my heart.' The anthropology student was never thrown off Team Scotland but came agonisingly close to a personal disaster after his parents, Derek and Tanya, sold their family home to pay his university fees. 'I was very close to not making the . team,' added Wallace. 'I got to the point in my life where I had re-evaluate . which path I wanted to take and I chose the right one and it ended with a . gold medal for me and the whole of Scotland, so I am very happy. '(Being arrested) was a wake up call. I was living the life of a rock star but still trying to perform in the pool. Proud: Wallace poses with a Scotland flag after winning gold at the 2014 Commonwealth Games . Passionate: Wallace said 'the home crowd has really brought out the Braveheart and Scot inside of me' 'You . can't do both. It is all about moderation and I have learned from my . experiences and it has paid off now. I was a student, I was away from my . parents, I had a lot of freedom but I have learned to deal with that . and channel it the right way. 'Hopefully this is what I will be remembered by.' Wallace's . performance - timed at 4.11:20 - demonstrated patience, as the . youngster waited to pounce on tiring opponents. As a result, Australia's . Fraser-Holmes finished second, while South Africa's Sebastien Rousseau . got third. Afterwards, Wallace told the BBC: 'I knew where I needed to be at each point. 'It was a dogfight to the finish but I'm really happy. It's not every day you get to race and win in front of your home crowd.' Tired: Wallace of Scotland claimed gold in the 400m individual medley at the Games in Glasgow . Wallace said: ‘On the early morning of May 4, I made a poor . decision in judgment. I understand that my accomplishments in swimming . have the potential to be overshadowed by my behaviour outside of the . pool. 'My actions have embarrassed my family, school, team, coaches, . team-mates and myself. I am truly sorry to everyone affected by my . mistake. I will use this negative experience to help me grow as a person . and as a swimmer.’ | Scotland's Dan Wallace faced exclusion from Commonwealth Games .
21-year-old was arrested in the US for urinating on a police car and was suspended indefinitely by University of Florida swimming team .
'(Being arrested) was a wake up call. I was living the life of a rock star but still trying to perform in the pool,' admits Wallace after gold medal win .
Wallace won men's 400m individual medley at Games on home patch .
'The home crowd has really brought out the Braveheart and Scot inside of me and I just soaked up the moment,' says Wallace . |
29,651 | 5453cff2fb417ecc3030610fac29386bc0ae43d9 | (CNN) -- It may take days or even weeks to find a venomous Egyptian cobra that has gone missing from New York's Bronx Zoo, officials say. But staffers hold out hope that the 20-inch, pencil-thin snake is hiding out somewhere in the zoo's reptile house and will surface when her "comfort level rises." "Our best strategy is patience, allowing her time to come out of hiding," said zoo director Jim Breheny. "We understand the interest in this story and that everyone wants us to find the missing snake. Right now, it's the snake's game," Breheny said in a statement posted on the zoo's website Monday. The zoo learned the adolescent Egyptian cobra was missing from an off-exhibit enclosure Saturday. Staff members closed and secured the reptile house. Daily sweeps continue. The zoo director said he is confident the snake will begin to move around the building to seek food and water once she feels completely secure. The Bronx Zoo case is reminiscent of an incident at Zoo Atlanta last year when a tiger rattlesnake went missing. Zoo officials believed the snake was hiding somewhere in the reptile house. But it was found two days later in the front porch of a neighborhood house where the homeowner had clubbed it to death -- unaware that it had escaped from the zoo. The Egyptian cobra is most commonly found in North Africa. Its venom is so deadly that it can kill a full-grown elephant in three hours -- or a person in about 15 minutes, according to wildlife experts. The venom destroys nerve tissue and causes paralysis and death due to respiratory failure. Scholars believe the Egyptian cobra was known in ancient times as the asp. Legend has it that Cleopatra, the ancient Egyptian queen, used an asp to commit suicide. While zoo personnel continue their search, someone has set up a cheeky Twitter account to chronicle the snake's fictitious adventures as she apparently explores New York City. In 11 hours since it was created Monday, the @BronxZoosCobra had collected more than 20,000 followers with tweets such as, "Leaving Wall Street. These guys make my skin crawl." | Officials hope the snake will surface when her comfort level rises .
Staffers believe it is still in the reptile building .
The case is similar one at the Atlanta Zoo last year .
A Twitter account chronicling the fictitious adventures of the snake has been created . |
60,233 | ab2cb9ca8fcf465ace2846f2fd0b3fd71b5cddd4 | By . David Kent . He might just be what England manager . Roy Hodgson is looking for. Prince Harry went in goal for a penalty . shoot-out on Thursday and saved every one. Admittedly, the goal was mini-sized – and the kicks were taken by children. But given England’s dismal record of being knocked out on penalties at major tournaments, could it be worth giving Harry a late call-up for the World Cup in Brazil? Scroll down for video . You'll never beat me! Harry saves every kick in the penalty shoot-out . Catch: The tiny goals may have helped the prince maintain his spotless record . The prince showed off his goalkeeping skills on a visit to the Inspire Suffolk community project in Ipswich. Wearing tracksuit bottoms and a polo shirt with the England rugby logo on it, Harry was clearly in a boisterous mood as he began the kick-around as an outfielder. Aryon Tandel, nine, said: ‘He tackled me and won the ball but I managed to tackle him back. He was taking it quite seriously.’ Brandon Norman, eight, scored a goal against Harry’s team. Good sport: A handshake from the prince . ‘He gave me a tap around the ear and said well done,’ Brandon said. The prince, vice patron of the Rugby Football Union, also joined in a game of touch rugby. George Hill, nine, said: ‘He told me I had to stay behind the ball and joked that if I went in front again he would slap me.’ Harry met participants in the Prince’s Trust Team Programme, which helps disadvantaged young people, then travelled to the Suffolk Show to meet young farmers and watch a Royal British Legion parade. | Young royal took a turn in the undersized goal at the Inspire Suffolk project .
He saved every shot - though the budding strikers were all children . |
43,171 | 79bf95bd9283efcb24970d50e0f1f81e04be8441 | (OPRAH.com) -- For any mom who's ever felt frazzled, overwhelmed or rushed, Oprah says this show is for you. "It's your wake-up call to slow down," she says. "What happened to my guest today could so easily happen to any of you." Brenda Slaby still blames herself for her daughter's death. She tells moms to slow down and appreciate their kids. Brenda Slaby says she was once an assistant principal and mother of two who tried her best to be "supermom." "It was very hard trying to be the perfect mom and the perfect employee," she says. "I try to be everything to everybody... I've always been the kind of person that lived for doing things for other people." Then, on a hot August afternoon in 2007, she says she went from being a good role model for children, a good administrator and a good parent to being the most hated mom in America. When Brenda woke up on August 23, 2007, she says she knew she had a busy day ahead of her. Summer vacation was coming to a close, and it was the first day back for teachers at her school. That morning, the rush to get out the door was more frantic than usual, she says. Brenda and her husband, Gary, got their two young daughters, Allison and Cecilia, dressed and ready to go. Then, in a departure from their regular routine, Brenda loaded 2-year-old Cecilia into her car to take her to the babysitter's house. "I had a dentist appointment, and I asked Brenda to take Cecilia," Gary says. "I normally took both Cecilia and Allison, dropped Cecilia off at the sitter and Allison off at preschool." With Cecilia sleeping in the backseat, Brenda pulled out of the driveway at about 6 a.m. When she realized it was too early to drop her youngest child off, she decided to run a quick errand. Brenda stopped at the store to buy doughnuts, a treat for the returning teachers. After loading her car with snacks, she got on the road that led to her school and drove straight there. With her mind racing through all the things she needed to accomplish before teachers arrived, Brenda got right to work. "I had lots of things to set up," she says. "I was nervous and frantic that morning because it was such an important day to get the school year [off] to a great start." The day began with a staff meeting, followed by lunch. While chatting with new teachers between meetings, Brenda says she talked about her daughters. "My feeling was it was a great first start," she says. "It was going to be a great school year, and it was a great start to the day." At about 4 p.m., Brenda was in her office, getting ready to head home when all hell broke loose. "A good teacher friend of mine -- sometimes I think it was a blessing it was her -- was on her way home, and she walked by my car," Brenda says. "She ran into my office and she said, 'Brenda, your baby's in the car.'" Brenda immediately grabbed her keys and raced to the parking lot. "I knew what I was going to find," she says. "I opened my car door, and I remember hearing the voices around me. Teachers who were close to me [were] screaming." When she got to her car she found Cecilia in the backseat, still strapped into her car seat. Brenda says she grabbed her daughter out of the car as fast as she could, but she knew it was too late. "I knew she was gone as soon as I picked her up, I knew," she says. "I remember I took her, and I ran through the parking lot with her, screaming her name. Then, what brought me kind of to consciousness, I guess, was somebody from the cafeteria yelled for me to bring her here." Brenda says she handed her lifeless daughter to someone who tried to revive her. Then, she retreated to another part of the cafeteria and began to pray. "I heard people yelling for ice, and I sat in a ball and I prayed," she says. "I prayed harder than I've ever prayed in my life... But I knew she was gone." Cecilia died of a heatstroke after being left in the car for nearly eight hours. Outside, temperatures had reached 100 degrees. Gary was working when he received a frantic call from Brenda's principal. "He said, 'Get over to the school right now,'" Gary says. "And I said, 'What's up?' [He said,] 'It's an emergency.'" In the car on the way to his wife's school, Gary says he never considered that his child's life might be in danger. "The whole time I'm thinking, 'What disgruntled employee did something crazy?'" he says. "I said, 'Well, maybe something happened to Brenda.'" When Gary pulled into the school parking lot, he says he saw a lot of commotion. Brenda's principal pulled him off to the side to tell him what happened. "He looked at me and he says, 'Cecilia's dead,'" Gary says. "I didn't even think to ask him, 'How? Why?' I just got up and sort of walked off to be by myself. I was just in shock. I didn't know what to do." Despite his grief, Gary says he has never blamed his wife for Cecilia's death. "I could have done the same thing very easily," he says. On nights when his wife had to work late, Gary says she'd ask him to pick up the girls from the babysitter's house, a break from their normal routine. A few times, he says he forgot. Oprah.com: How to heal your grief . "I get out of work thinking about what I'm going to do when I get home, this and that. I'm going up the highway, [I realize,] 'Oh, my gosh. I left her at the sitter's,'" he says. "I would have to turn around, go back and get her." Gary doesn't hold Brenda responsible, but Brenda still blames herself. "I realized the most important person in the world to me lost out because I didn't plan well enough," she says. "She's the one that slipped through the cracks." The day Cecilia died, Brenda was taken to a police station where she was questioned for more than two hours. During her emotional confession, she says police officers were empathetic. "Never during the questioning did they seem accusatory," Brenda says. One officer assured Brenda that no one thought she meant to hurt Cecilia. Brenda, on the other hand, was not easy on herself. "Good mothers don't do this," she said during the questioning. "How could I not think of my daughter? I want to die. I just want to die." Brenda admits she had left Cecilia in a running car before, but she says she never made a habit of it. "The day that Cecilia died was so different because I completely forgot that she was there," she says. While the police may have been empathetic, Brenda says her community was not. "My community was in outrage," she says. "I was the most hated mom." Although Brenda says her staff and principal were wonderful to her, she says the decision makers in the school district decided they wanted nothing to do with her. Oprah.com: How to slow down . Although coping has been difficult, Brenda says she has found a higher purpose that is helping her move forward. "Almost immediately, I said, 'How am I going to make something out of this?' I have been given this to bear for a reason, and I'm not going to let Cecilia's life be in vain. That I'm going to use what I've learned in this whole process to change lives for other people." Brenda says the lesson she learned that she wants to pass on to other moms is to slow down -- don't become overwhelmed with perfection. "I've learned to say a lot, 'It just doesn't matter,'" she says. "The house doesn't matter, the perfect dinner doesn't matter -- the kids matter." From "The Oprah Winfrey Show," "A Overwhelmed Mom's Deadly Mistake" © 2008 . Subscribe to O, The Oprah Magazine for up to 75% off the newsstand price. That's like getting 18 issues FREE. Subscribe now! TM & © 2009 Harpo Productions, Inc. All Rights Reserved. | Brenda Slaby's daughter Cecilia died after Slaby left her in her car while at work .
Cecilia died of heatstroke after being left for nearly eight hours .
Slaby blames her hectic schedule for her mistake .
"I've learned to say a lot, 'It just doesn't matter,'" she says of slowing down . |
189,496 | 8163742c8bc4ef767fcf312eb789658bce0c7887 | By . Sarah Griffiths . PUBLISHED: . 08:03 EST, 7 January 2014 . | . UPDATED: . 08:38 EST, 7 January 2014 . A race-winning McLaren F1 car that many motor fans would love to get their hands on, is expected to fetch more than £4million at auction. The McLaren F1 GTR Longtail could become one of the most expensive British cars in history if the estimate is realised. The 1997 model is the racing version of the iconic F1 supercar, which is regarded as one of the most sought-after modern day motors. The McLaren F1 GTR Longtail (pictured) is expected to fetch more than £4million at auction and could become one of the most expensive British cars in history if the estimate is realised . Only 10 of the racing cars were ever built and the model up for auction was raced by J.J. Lehto and Steve Soper for the Works BMW Motorsport Team. This car took the chequered flag at Hockenheim and Helsinki in the 1997 FIA GT Championship, as well as several other podium finishes. The current owner has now decided to sell . the McLaren, which has been entered into Gooding and Company's . auction in Scottsdale, Arizona on January 17 and 18. It is expected to fetch around $7 million . (£4.2m) which is an especially large number seeing as usually only cars . built before 1970 fetch this sort of figure. The 1997 model (pictured) is the racing version of the iconic F1 supercar, which is regarded as one of the most sought-after modern day motors . Only 10 of the racing cars were ever built and the model up for auction (pictured) was raced by J.J. Lehto and Steve Soper for the Works BMW Motorsport Team . The GTR Longtail is known as 021R and is being sold in its original factory-delivered form with FINA livery. It is fitted with a six litre V12 engine built by the BMW and generates more than 600 brake horsepower. The car was given the Longtail name . because of its extended front and rear overhangs, which were designed to . improve handling by generating more downforce and less drag. This car took the chequered flag at Hockenheim and Helsinki in the 1997 FIA GT Championship, as well as several other podium finishes. Its stripped-back interior is pictured . The car is fitted with a six litre V12 engine built by the BMW and generates more than 600bhp . The car is . capable of reaching a top speed of over 240mph, but in race mode, the F1 . GTR Longtail is designed for quicker acceleration rather than outright . speed. McLaren described the Longtail as ‘the final chapter in the history of one of the world's greatest-ever road cars’. In total, the Surrey-based car firm built 106 F1s, including 64 road cars - making it one of the most exclusive and desirable models in history. The Longtail was designed for track racing only, but some of the McLaren F1 race cars have been converted for road use. David Gooding, President and founder of Gooding and Company: ‘We have a celebrated history of offering unique, rare to market McLaren cars. ‘During our Pebble Beach Auctions in 2013, Gooding & Company set a world auction record for the McLaren marque with the sale of a 1997 F1 for $8,470,000.’ The most expensive car to be sold at auction was a 1954 Mercedes Benz Formula One racer that fetched a staggering $26.45million, (£16.1million) or $29.6million (£18million) with a buyer's premium. Racing driver Juan Manuel Fangio drove the Mercedes W196 car to victory in the German and Swiss Grand Prix in it in the same year. It was sold at Bonham's in July and beats the last most expencive car sold at aution, which was a 1957 Ferrari 250 Testa Rossa Prototype, sold for $16.39 million (£10million) at Gooding & Company's 2011 Pebble Beach Auction, CNBC reported. With the right gearing, the car is capable of reaching a top speed of over 240mph, but in race mode, the F1 GTR Longtail is designed for quicker acceleration rather than outright speed. The car's pedals are pictured . | McLaren F1 GTR Longtail could become one of the most expensive British cars in history if it is sold at Gooding & Company's auction in Arizona .
The 1997 model is the racing version of the iconic F1 supercar and has a top speed of 240mph despite being built for its acceleration .
Car took the chequered flag at .
Hockenheim and Helsinki in the 1997 FIA GT Championship . |
183,394 | 798d33fc4e7a67f5bae5fc61482f075a1e3bb584 | (CNN) -- Three bangs. Four shots. Nine witnesses. "Blade Runner" Oscar Pistorius has been on trial for a week, charged with the murder of his girlfriend, model Reeva Steenkamp. At this point, some facts are beyond dispute. The Olympic and Paralympic track star killed his girlfriend in the early hours of Valentine's Day last year. He fired four bullets through the door of a toilet room she was in. Three hit her; the final one in the head, and she died. The overarching question in the trial is why he did it. He says he thought she was a burglar and made a tragic mistake. Prosecutors say the couple argued and he shot her in anger. In the first week of the trial, it became clear that the judge's verdict would hinge on several questions that, so far, remain unanswered: . What were the bangs that neighbors heard on the night of the shooting? Four people who live near Pistorius said they heard loud bangs on the night of the shooting, with a pause between them. All four -- Michelle Burger, Estelle van der Merwe, Charl Johnson and Johan Stipp -- said they thought at the time that the sounds were gunshots. They generally agree that there was a pause between two distinct sets of bangs or booms, with screaming in between. Defense lawyer Barry Roux argues that the second set of bangs was in fact the sound of Pistorius breaking down the toilet door with a cricket bat after he realized what he had done. But Burger and Stipp said the three bangs they heard came in such quick succession that there would have been no time to swing the cricket bat back before striking the door again. Does Pistorius sound like a woman when he screams? There were some chuckles in court when Roux first asserted that Pistorius sounds like a woman when he screams, but it turns out to be a critical part of the defense. Some witnesses testified to hearing screams before any of the bangs, including the sound of both a man and a woman shouting. The prosecution argues that the screaming was the argument that led Pistorius to murder Steenkamp. But there was a second scream or series of screams that the neighbors said sounded like a woman in terror. Burger called them "petrifying," and Stipp said the woman sounded "scared, almost scared out of her mind." That screaming, the prosecution suggests, was Steenkamp fleeing in fear from an enraged Pistorius. But the defense says it was Pistorius himself, screaming in anguish as he realized his deadly error. Neighbor van der Merwe gave some support to this theory, saying she heard what she thought was a woman screaming and asked her husband what it was. Her husband, who knows the track star, told her it was Pistorius, she testified. But Samantha Taylor, an ex-girlfriend of Pistorius, testified that he had yelled at her and others often and that when he shouted, he sounded like a man. Is Pistorius trigger happy? This is a key element of the state's case, which prosecutor Gerrie Nel admitted in his opening statement is "circumstantial" -- there were no eyewitnesses to the killing. So the state has brought two unrelated gun charges against Pistorius -- one that a gun went off in a crowded restaurant when he was holding it, and one that he fired a gun out a car's sunroof in irritation after an aggravating police stop for speeding that turned into an argument over his gun. It's not clear that the prosecution witnesses who have talked about the two incidents have done much to build the state's case. Boxer Kevin Lerena, a friend of Pistorius, was with him at the restaurant, he testified. Lerena said a third friend, Darren Fresco, passed Pistorius a loaded gun under the table, telling the athlete he was "one up." That meant there was a bullet in the chamber of the gun, ready to fire. Almost immediately, it went off under the table. Pistorius apologized to his friends and asked Fresco to take the blame, which he did in order to avoid drawing attention to the Blade Runner. Taylor is the only source for the sunroof incident thus far, and she was unable to provide any details about where it took place. Roux said that Pistorius was in fact golfing at St. Andrews in Scotland the day after Taylor said it happened. But Taylor also said that Pistorius carried a gun with him and that at least once when he heard a noise at his bedroom window at night, he woke her, took his gun and went to investigate. Another time when he thought his car was being followed, she said, he took his gun and knocked on the window of the other car with it. Did Pistorius lie to a security guard after killing Steenkamp? The ninth and last witness of the week was Pieter Baba, who was on duty as the security shift supervisor at the Silverwoods Estate on the night Pistorius shot Steenkamp. Several neighbors called his office to report hearing gunshots, and Baba went out with another guard to investigate. He ended up near the Pistorius house, speaking to Pistorius on the phone. According to Baba, Pistorius said: "Security, everything is fine." But Baba could hear Pistorius crying and decided to go to the house. He arrived in time to see Pistorius carrying Steenkamp's body down the stairs. "My lady, I was so shocked I couldn't think for a few moments," he told the judge. Roux made a concerted effort to shake Baba's version of what Pistorius said on the phone, asking twice in a row whether the runner had said "everything" was fine or that "he" was fine, then whether he had said "OK" or "fine." Baba stuck to his story and finally turned to the judge to say: "My lady, Mr. Pistorius's exact words were, 'Security, everything is fine.' " Testimony for the week ended on that note, with Baba to continue on the stand Monday. Why do South Africans call security rather than the police when they hear gunshots? South Africans who can afford it tend to live in areas with private security. Their alarm systems alert their private security guards, not police. South Africans who use private security say their guards are based closer and will be on the scene faster than police. Of the four Pistorius neighbors who testified, only one, Stipp, said he called police -- and even he called private security first. He said that the estate's security guards arrived soon after he called, and that after talking to them, he went to the house to see if he, a doctor, could help. He found security guards there and told them to call an ambulance. He left after the ambulance team did, by which time police still had not arrived. | Oscar Pistorius says he thought Reeva Steenkamp was a burglar and made a tragic mistake .
Prosecutors say the couple argued and he shot her in anger .
The nature of bangs and screams on the night of the shooting are in dispute .
Pistorius' past with guns, statement to a security guard also brought up at trial . |
213,571 | a0996c16e43c3bd2c89740fa9461f1a037fcd36d | More than half of adults are now expected to get cancer at some point in their life, research shows. The risk is increasing so quickly that experts fear as many as two-thirds of today’s children will develop the disease. Charities said yesterday that the NHS could face a ‘crisis’ if it does not plan ahead for the increase in cases. Scroll down for video . The warning came after a study found our odds of getting cancer are steadily increasing due to longer lifespans and unhealthy lifestyles. The projections are the most accurate calculations to date from Cancer Research UK, which had previously estimated that one in three Britons would develop cancer. They take into account the effects of modern lifestyles – namely poor diets, lack of exercise, how many of us sunbathe and smoke. The number of cancer cases is also set to rise due to longer life expectancy and improved healthcare. BREAST CANCER: 96 per cent of women survive for at least one year, 87 per cent do so for five years, and 78 per cent for a decade. SKIN CANCER: 88 per cent of men survive for five years or more. For women the figures are even better, with 92 per cent predicted to survive for at least five years. LUNG CANCER: Just 8 per cent of men survive for five years or more, compared with 12 per cent of women. PROSTATE CANCER: Some 85 per cent of patients survive for five years or more. BOWEL CANCER: 59 per cent of men survive for five years or more. For women, the figure is 58 per cent. The chances of surviving the illness have increased substantially in recent decades thanks to earlier diagnosis and more advanced treatment. At least half of patients can now expect to live for at least ten years, at which point experts say they are effectively cured. The new figures, published today in the British Journal of Cancer, show the average lifetime risk of getting cancer for anyone born after 1960 is now 50.5 per cent. It is slightly higher for men (at 53.5 per cent, compared with 47.5 per cent for women) because they are more likely to smoke. The study, published in the British Journal of Cancer, looked at the risk of being diagnosed with cancer for those born between 1930 and 1960. For the oldest age group the odds were under 40 per cent, but the risk rose steadily with each passing decade. Professor Peter Sasieni, an expert in cancer trends who is based at Queen Mary University of London, predicted that for today’s children the chances of getting the disease would be about two in three. He added: ‘If people live long enough then most will get cancer at some point. But there’s a lot we can do to make it less likely like giving up smoking, being more active, drinking less alcohol and maintaining a healthy weight.’ Preventative steps: One expert said children could reduce their risk of having cancer in later life by giving up smoking, being more active, drinking less alcohol and maintaining a healthy weight. (File image) Harpal Kumar, Cancer Research’s chief executive, warned that if the NHS ‘doesn’t act and invest now’ then ‘we will face a crisis in the future – with [survival rates] going backwards’. However, he added that ‘for some types of cancers we effectively do have a cure’. ‘If you look at testicular cancer we’re up at survival rates in the high nineties now,’ he said. The latest figures show there are around 331,000 new cases of cancer in the UK each year, most commonly in the lung, breast, prostate and bowel. Despite improved survival rates, our figures lag well behind those of other European countries. They are particularly low for elderly patients. A Department of Health spokesman said: ‘Cancer survival rates are now at their highest ever level, and we are on track to save an extra 12,000 lives this year. ‘But cases of cancer are likely to rise with an ageing population – so we are focused on earlier diagnosis, improving care and tackling preventable cancer.’ | Cancer risk is increasing due to longer lifespans and better healthcare .
Modern lifestyles - poor diets, lack of exercise, smoking - also a factor .
Charities said NHS could face 'crisis' if it does not plan ahead for increase .
Earlier diagnosis and advanced treatment means survival rates are better . |
160,923 | 5c09beacd3bb0e14f777d1d2059475a89ee62ca7 | By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 07:30 EST, 22 March 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 21:00 EST, 22 March 2013 . For many fathers, the prospect of telling their sons about the meaning of life induces apprehension. But when Francis Crick shared the secret of life with his 12-year-old son Michael, it was a hugely exciting moment. After all, he had just discovered it. A letter from the famed British scientist to his son has come to light in which he describes his groundbreaking model of DNA weeks before it was made public. A letter by the famed British scientist Francis Crick (pictured) to his son Michael (pictured) in which he reveals for the first time the . discovery of DNA, has come to light . In the handwritten letter, tipped to . sell for £1.5million, the biologist writes of having made 'a most . important discovery' at a research lab in Cambridge. He would go on to win a Nobel Prize for his work, which revolutionised our understanding of genetics. In the letter, Dr Crick explains in depth the DNA double helix structure, the so-called 'blueprint for life'. He says: 'We have built a model for . the structure of des-oxy-ribose-nucleic-acid, called DNA for . short . . . In other words we think we have found the basic copying . mechanism by which life comes from life.' Dr Crick also drew a rudimentary diagram, telling Michael: 'Read this carefully so you understand it.' He signed the letter, dated March 19, 1953, 'lots of love, Daddy'. Dr Crick, who was from Northampton but emigrated to California, died in 2004 aged 88. A letter by famed British scientist Francis Crick to his 12-year-old son in which he reveals for the first time the discovery of DNA. The handwritten letter is tipped to sell at auction for £1.5 million . In the letter he explains in-depth the make-up and code of the DNA helix structure or the so-called blueprint to life. And he instructed Michael to carefully study the DNA structure so that he 'understood' it. Michael Crick, now 72 and living in . Seattle, kept the letter, and will sell it at auction in New York to . mark 60 years since the discovery. He said: 'My father believed that DNA . contained some sort of code so he got interested in codes and he shared . his enthusiasm with me. 'Everything came together in February . 1953 when my father and (fellow scientist) Jim Watson were given the . go-ahead to try and construct a model of DNA. Michael Crick - computer game pioneer and son of DNA scientist Francis Crick . 'My father's enthusiasm could not be . contained. The story is told of him sweeping excitedly into a local pub . called the Eagle and announcing to all who would listen that he had . found “the secret of life”. Then on March 19 my father wrote to me . describing the model and its implications. I was 12 at the time and away . at Bedales – the British boarding school. 'When I returned to Cambridge my father very proudly showed me the model. 'The excitement of the event was . beautifully captured for the first time in this perfect letter . summarising the discovery in seven simple pages.' Mr Crick said part of the proceeds . from the sale will go to an institute dedicated to brain research, . another area in which his father worked. Dr Crick carried out his research on DNA with fellow scientists James Watson and Maurice Wilkins. The three won the Nobel Prize for physiology and medicine in 1962. Attempting to put his work in simple . terms, Dr Crick wrote to his son that DNA could be thought of as a 'very . long chain with flat bits sticking out, called the “bases”'. He said: . 'We have two of these chains winding round each other – each one is a . helix – and the chain, made up of sugar and phosphorus, is on the . outside and the bases are all on the inside. 'Now the exciting thing is that while there are four different bases we find we can only put certain pairs of them together.' The auction is being held by Christie's in New York on April 10. DNA, or deoxyribonucleic acid, is a giant molecule containing the coded instructions of life. Two Cambridge scientists, James Watson and Francis Crick, first described its famous double-helix structure in 1953, changing the face of biology for ever. The complete set of DNA instructions that makes us what we are is known as the Human Genome. Within it, there are 2.9 billion chemical "letters". Certain sequences of these letters make up the genes, the "software" that tells cellular machinery how to make all the proteins in the body. Working out the entire pattern of DNA in the human genome is a technical achievement that has been compared with landing men on the moon. A DNA molecule consists of two strands that wrap around each other to resemble a twisted ladder. The sides of the ladder, made of sugar and phosphate molecules, are connected by rungs of chemicals called nucleotide bases. Four different bases are present in DNA, and it is these that make up the letters in the genetic code. They are adenine (A), thymine (T), cytosine (C) and guanine (G). The two DNA strands are held together by weak bonds between bases attached to each strand, forming base pairs. Genome size is usually defined as the total number of base pairs. In the case of the human genome, the figure is 2.9 billion. | He wrote 'We think we have found the basic copying mechanism by which life comes from life'
He signed off the letter, dated March 19, 1953, 'lots of love, Daddy'
Son Michael Crick is selling letter to mark 60th anniversary of discovery . |
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